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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact, Preseason: Five Takeaways

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5 years ago

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Orlando City “got the dub” (as Benji Michel put it) on Saturday night against the Montreal Impact at Exploria Stadium in the team’s first public display under Oscar Pareja. While it would be foolish to try to make any assumptions about the team from one preseason game that likely lacked any game-planning or film study of any kind, there were some things on display in the Lions’ 1-0 victory that are worthy of discussion.

Here are some of the things that stood out to me from Saturday’s preseason win:

Formation is Fluid

It’s common for a formation to look different when the team has the ball vs. when the opponent has it, but it was clear on Saturday that fluidity is part of the system Oscar Pareja has brought to Orlando. The gaffer took advantage of Ruan’s speed and attacking prowess against Montreal and when the Lions had the ball, the back line was a three-man look for the most part, with Kamal Miller, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Antonio Carlos holding down the fort. Michel, who played mostly in an outside forward role on the right last year, was deeper on the field on the left side and the second-year Homegrown Player served in sort of a left wingback role to mirror what Ruan was doing on the right. The highest trio of players — Nani, Dom Dwyer, and Mauricio Pereyra — swapped positions on the field often, weaving together with short, quick passes in the final third.

The chemistry needs a little more work and time to completely come together, and the players still need to anticipate switching play when deep runners get open, but if (or when) things start to click, the attack will have a lot more teeth in it, as forwards and midfielders alike will start to pop in behind the defense.

“We’ll just keep going, keep building,” Pareja said of his team after Saturday’s game. “We just have 21, 22 (training) sessions and most of those have been with the fitness content, so we’ll keep building slowly. It’s a long journey.”

Athleticism on the Back Line

Carlos, Schlegel, and Miller are all quite mobile and agile and did well for the most part on defense. Ruan will always cheat forward and then use his speed to recover and track back, which he did on Saturday and was mostly successful at it with the exception of a couple of overly casual giveaways once he’d won the ball. Miller also had some dangerous giveaways on the left, so perhaps they just need more time in the system to clean that up. The center backs seem to have good movement, looked good in the air, and considering how little time they’ve spent together, they appeared to have some chemistry already. Robin Jansson was a great find last year, but his movement doesn’t compare favorably to that of Schlegel or Carlos. I would think Carlos is a favorite to be a first-team choice so it’s nice to know that if his partner ends up being Schlegel or Jansson, it provides a good depth player either way.

Pedro Gallese Looks the Part

He wasn’t called into action that often, but Gallese appeared to be the real deal in his first public outing for Orlando City. He made a couple of big saves but mainly what was impressive was his positioning and ability to read the play. The Peruvian international had command of his box and said he is already building chemistry with the defenders in front of him.

“The communication between me and Rodrigo and Antonio and the entire team is really good,” Gallese said through an interpreter. “I think it’s very important for us to get to know each other as a group, because that’s going to help us to build more confidence.

El Pulpo should be fun to watch this season but if the lack of chances Montreal generated is a sign of things to come (aside from when the Impact threw numbers forward late in the game against several substitutes in the midfield and at right back), it’ll be nice if his teammates don’t give him too much to do.

Emphasis on Movement

One thing that stuck out on Saturday in the tactics department was how quickly the Lions moved the ball. There was a lot of one-touch passing, particularly in the attacking third, and the ball was constantly on the move. It looked quite different from the way Orlando probed the perimeter last season.

“I wouldn’t say one-touch, but (Pareja says to) keep it simple and move the ball fast,” Michel said after Saturday’s game of the teams mindset in possession. “Just keeping the play as simple as possible.”

There will be some turnovers until the players become more attuned to where their teammates will be and where they like to receive the ball — Nani in particular had some ball security issues on Saturday — but Orlando can be a lot better in terms of possession in 2020 once that gets ironed out. Montreal did a good job of pressing in the midfield and anticipating shorter passes, so the Lions will need to vary their attack and take advantage of overly aggressive pressure to get the ball in behind.

Ball Winners Win Balls

Junior Urso and Uri Rosell were quick to pressure after turnovers to win the ball back and prevent Montreal’s counter from getting going most of the night. Orji Okwonkwo had one or two opportunities, and Miller did need to make a tactical foul to break up one counter after a Nani turnover, but for the most part the central midfielders did a good job of slowing down the Impact’s ability to transition or forcing things wide with the help of Carlos and Schlegel so that Ruan and Miller had time to track back to slow things down. Players like Michel and Pereyra were also able to quickly drop and help funnel Montreal’s possession out wide or to force the Impact to play balls backward. It’s only one game, and it’s unclear how good Montreal’s attack will be, but it was an encouraging sign that the Lions may be able to build on last year’s progress in developing as a defensive unit.

Those are the primary things I noticed on Saturday. I’m not overly concerned about the lack of chance creation as Montreal played a well-organized match and there was no real game-planning involved. Now that the fitness-building portion of preseason training is giving way to more emphasis on tactics and style of play, the chemistry and sharpness should improve. The Lions were inches from breaking in on goal several times but a defensive toe in the way, a ball slightly behind, or a bounce at just the wrong time prevented forwards from getting in 1-v-1 on Evan Bush on multiple occasions.

For those of you who turned out for the match, what stood out to you? Let us know in the comments below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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2 hours ago

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April 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

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2 days ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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