Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. KR Reykjavik: Five Takeaways

Published

5 years ago

on

Orlando City bounced back from its lone preseason loss with a comfortable 3-1 win over Icelandic side KR Reykjavik on Tuesday night at Exploria Stadium. All the scoring took place in the first half and the Lions looked good moving the ball quickly and unlocking the Reykjavik defense to create scoring opportunities.

Here’s what stood out to me in the match:

Moutinho’s Magical Left Foot

Joao Moutinho can flat out cross the ball. Within the first 70 seconds of the match he put a goal on a plate for Nani by dropping a cross right on his foot from the left flank. About two minutes later he nearly set up Daryl Dike for a goal with a similar cross. In all, Moutinho had four or five exceptional crosses and a few others that were pretty good. If the young Portuguese fullback can stay healthy and cross the ball like that, it will go a long way toward helping the Lions score more goals in 2020. It’s probably not a coincidence that the team went 0-4-4 down the stretch without him last year. Well, mostly without him. He did manage 14 minutes at Cincinnati before sustaining another injury in the penultimate game.

Dike Looks the Part

It was our first glimpse of the rookie and Dike is indeed a physically imposing player. Orlando City’s No. 5 overall selection in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft is raw but you can see his potential immediately. As Oscar Pareja said after the match last night, Dike is so big that it’s easy to forget you’re looking at an under-20 player and he has a lot of developing yet to come. Still, his large frame allows him to hold up play well. He’s savvy enough to work with his teammates to produce better scoring opportunities rather than trying to always turn and take on his defender. He also seems to read the ball in the air well. It would be a mistake to expect a lot from him this season, because he’s still very raw, but the talent and physical attributes certainly appear to be there.

“His presence is important,” Pareja said. “I was very happy to see him want so bad to score and get that taste of a first division match.”

Surprise Start for Dezart

So far, Dike is the only Orlando City 2020 draftee under contract, due to his Generation Adidas deal. But if last night is any indication, a contract could be on the way for former Wake Forest midfielder Joey Dezart. The first of three second-round picks for the Lions (No. 31 overall) got a start last night with Uri Rosell and Nani in the midfield and, although it wasn’t a perfect night, Dezart showed a lot in his runout. Dezart moved the ball quickly and decisively and did his part to win the ball back and to connect passes to unlock the defense. In one sequence he turned the ball over with an ill-advised pass but then did well to hustle and win it right back, using his size and strength to box out a Reykjavik player in the process.

“Joey looked mature too,” Pareja said. “He just got a lot of minutes today with Oriol (Rosell) that will help him to grow.”

Benji is Better

To me, Benji Michel was the best player on the pitch in the first half of the game. He passed well, defended, made smart, well-timed runs, put away his best chance on goal, and drew a foul that led to Reykjavik’s goalkeeper committing a red card foul for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. The development we saw at the end of 2019 seems to be continuing for the second-year Homegrown Player. That said, there’s still room for some growth for the 22-year-old. His play wasn’t as sharp in the second half and he seemed to have some moments where he briefly switched off. If Michel plays this season like he did in the first half last night, no one should worry about the Lions’ ability to score goals whether Dom Dwyer is in the lineup or not.

Nani: Still Nani

If Michel was the best player on the pitch for the first 45 minutes, Nani was — as you’d expect — the class of the field for the full match. A good save by Omar Einarsson was all that prevented the captain from scoring a hat trick and he had to settle instead for just a brace. He didn’t have to do much on his first goal, just sticking out a foot to redirect Moutinho’s cross into the net, but his smart run and knowledge of where to be certainly helped. His second goal was vintage Nani. He played the ball forward to Chris Mueller and continued up field while Mueller looked inside to beat his man, then he just beat Einarsson to the ball on the return pass and tapped it with just enough on it to get it over the line before the defense could arrive and clear it.

He also smashed a howitzer shot just over the bar and stung Einarsson’s palms with a swerving effort. The captain was all over the field, dropping deep to start the offense as a deep-lying playmaker one minute, then getting up the wings or working the ball into the box in the middle in the attack. There were still a few too many careless passes as he tries the sublime sometimes when something more basic will do, but it’s fair to say that his fearlessness to try training ground passes in match conditions is part of what makes him who he is.

Bonus Takeaway: Under Pressure

KR Reykjavik got back into the game by turning up the pressure and using three players to try to trap the ball along the sideline. This was effective for about 10 to 15 minutes in the first half, as the visitors were able to force a few turnovers out of Moutinho and Dezart along the sideline. It led to the only Reykjavik goal and another opportunity that could have tied the match. When I asked Pareja about it after the game, he said he spoke to the team about how to handle that press at halftime and that the players were angry about allowing that goal. It’s noteworthy that the press was successful against some of the younger players on the team, who will go on and learn from the experience.

“It’s something that will come with repetition,” Pareja said. “The players know. They were mad at themselves and recognize that they needed to do better. But that also just tells us that for the opponents it was a serious game and we’ll take that as a growing pain.”

Those are the things that I noticed from last night’s win. What did you see that impressed or worried you? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

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

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 22, 2025

By

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.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

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.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 21, 2025

By

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.

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 21, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

Free Kicks

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

Continue Reading

Trending