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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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Orlando City managed to keep its unbeaten streak alive with a contentious 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union. With the Lions having a better goal difference than the Union, they captured the top spot of Group A. After IIsinho scored the opening goal in the 68th minute from an Alejandro Bedoya assist, Mauricio Pereyra bagged the equalizer, heading in Nani’s cross just two minutes later. The 70th-minute Orlando City goal was the final score of the match.

As stats go, the match was a really tight and even one. The Philadelphia Union managed 12 shots while Orlando City registered 10. However, if one side deserved anything more on the night it was certainly the Lions. Andre Blake had a terrific match, making six saves to ensure that only one of the seven shots on target from the Floridian side trickled into the back of the net.

The game was an enthralling one, here’s how each of the players performed.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — While all of the praise will surely be bestowed onto the counterpart of Gallese, the Orlando City shot stopper can hold his head up with pride after an overall solid performance. Having made three saves, the Peruvian made his most notable one against a Jamiro Monteiro shot after a poor giveaway from Nani. Gallese held it down in between the sticks and continues to look an absolute coup for the lions. Long may it continue.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — The Portuguese left back had an overall decent game. While Moutinho started the match as one of the most dangerous attacking outlets, he started to fade as the minutes ticked away. Like his fellow fullback, Ruan, he found himself in a promising position on a number of occasions, but just could not quite find the killer ball. The goal from the Union came down the side in which Moutinho was deployed in, and he got sucked inside when the ball was on Orlando’s right side. He couldn’t recover in time to defend Ilsinho’s rocket.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Antonio Carlos had a very hot and cold match against the Union. He nearly opened his account just before Ilsinho’s goal, smashing a header off of a Nani corner, which Blake saved onto the crossbar. Aside from his shot on goal, he registered five clearances, two interceptions and a blocked shot, won a team-high five aerials, and was a 90% passer on the night in his best outing so far in the tournament.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Despite an injury that looked like it could have been a serious one to the Swedish central defender’s neck, Jansson rolled it out and played through to the finish. Like Carlos, the defender had a solid and assured 90 minutes despite the Union looking threatening on a few occasions. The Swede won an impressive four out of five aerial duels to nullify the threat of Sergio Santos and Kacper Przybylko, and led the Lions with eight clearances, adding an interception and a blocked shot.

D, Ruan, 4 — Though Ruan got into promising positions on a number of occasions, the final ball of the Brazilian was far from its best on the night. Ruan did really well on an abundance of instances, using his pace to burst down the right, but unfortunately the last pass, which is the most important one, was absent from the locker of the pacey right back. One sequence seemed to be particularly frustrating for him in the 90th minute of the match. Ruan failed to release the ball next to the byline, holding onto it too long, he then kicked out at the defender in frustrating fashion, earning himself a yellow card. At 74%, his passing rate was the lowest on the Orlando back line, though he did lead the club in touches (90).

MF, Uri Rosell, 5.5 — The Spanish midfielder once again had an overall decent performance that did not pull up any trees, but got the job done. After that of Mendez and Pereyra, he completed the most passes on the night, helping Orlando City to maintain possession when mounting attacks. His most notable moment was when he committed an intelligent, transitional foul, preventing a counter attack from the Union. He rightfully saw yellow for his challenge. He tallied two tackles, three interceptions and an 88% passing rate.

MF, Junior Urso, N/A — Sadly, Urso was subbed off in the 19th minute after an injury that saw him actually leave the pitch a few minutes before that. Prior to Mendez coming on for him, he looked solid and dangerous in the opening stages, with perhaps the best play he’s shown so far with Orlando. The former Corinthians midfielder made two of his trademark, dangerous, late runs into the box that caused the Union trouble. He fired two shots, getting one on target and completed all five of his passes before sustaining a knock.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6.5 — On the night, the 23-year-old should have had an assist. Mueller excellently slotted in a terrific through ball to Mendez that the latter failed to score on. Apart from that, while some of the end product from the American was not at its best, he showed his typical industry and troubled Philadelphia with his tremendous work rate. The tenacity Mueller brings to the table is unparalleled in the side and though he may want to put on a cash value on heart, it’s priceless.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 8.5 (MotM) — Pereyra was the best player on the pitch before he even scored his goal. The 30-year-old dictated play throughout the game and looked a menace the whole time. The goal, in which the 5-foot-6 Uruguayan scored was not one that one would expect from the creative midfielder, but despite that, he took it incredibly well. After Nani crossed brilliantly, Pereyra got his noggin on it and poked it past the ever-impressive, Blake. The goal that Pereyra scored was massive on the night and even more so in the grand scheme of things. The header ensured that Orlando City finished top of group A. He led the Lions with three key passes.

MF, Nani, 4.5 — The superstar winger did not have his typical amazing night against the Union. While the Portuguese star did come up big with the assist, his overall performance was below par given his lofty standards. The shooting (two of three on target but both weak and right at Blake) and passing (65%) from Nani was below average and in truth, if he was a bit sharper, more may have been achieved in the game. There were a umber of instances were he fluffed his lines, such as when Tesho set him up in the 48th minute and he skied his hot. Let’s hope he is better in the next game. I’m sure he will be.

F, Tesho Akindele, 5.5 — Tesho put in a typical, old-fashioned number nine performance. The big Canadian up front had good holdup play as one could expect and helped his fellow attackers get space to showcase their brilliance. The moment where he put Nani in a dangerous area in the 48th minute epitomized what Tesho is all about. He perhaps could have played back to Pereyra in the 28th minute in front of goal but his shot was powerful and on target, but Blake was able to stop it. He was clearly tiring and Oscar Pareja made the right choice in subbing him off after an industrious shift.

Substitutes

MF, Sebas Mendez (19’), 6 — The Ecuadorian played the majority of the match after Urso came off injured and did pretty well in doing so. Though he should have scored in the 50th minute after Mueller set him up, it was not a terrible effort. And aside from that, Mendez had an overall solid display. He showed grit and determination in the midfield, taking more attacking risks than his partner, Rosell, who prefers a more pragmatic way of passing.

F, Benji Michel (74’), 5 — Benji played well and did not have much time to do much. However, the energy he provided in place of the exhausted Tesho was much needed. He completed both his passes and made good runs.

MF, Andres Perea (87’), N/A — Perea came on for Mueller but didn’t have time to make much of an impact in the match.

MF, Santiago Patino (87’), N/A — Santi came on at the same time as Perea and didn’t even register an official touch on the ball.

All in all, a draw is all that was needed and that is what Orlando City managed. Topping the group and doing so undefeated is no easy feat so we can hold our manes up with pride going into the round of 16.

Until then, let’s enjoy the rest of the group stages fixtures and put our feet up and relax. That’ll do for now pig, be sure to vote for who you thought was man of the match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Antonio Carlos3
Mauricio Pereyra44
Uri Rosell0
Chris Mueller2
Pedro Gallese8
Other5

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Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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20 hours ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

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

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Orlando City

Striker Suddenly a Position of Need for Orlando City

Departures and a key injury mean Orlando City needs a striker heading into the 2025 MLS season.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image Courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 2024, a milestone for the club. The core of the team was locked up through the 2025 season, so there was no reason to believe it needed to add much this off-season. Unfortunately, injuries and departures have created a serious problem for the team.

The group of forwards last year consisted of Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and Jack Lynn. McGuire scored 15 goals in 2023 and was expected to depart for Blackburn Rovers before a clerical error allowed the Lions to keep their target man. The team’s primary striker scored 11 goals in 37 games — the same number as the previous season — but split time starting with Enrique. The Argentinian improved greatly in 2024, increasing his total goal tally from four to 12. Even Lynn showed tremendous improvement last year, playing a greater role in the team and scoring his first two MLS goals.

The future also seemed bright for the Orlando City forwards because of their ages. Lynn is the oldest of the trio at just 25 years old. Meanwhile, McGuire and Enrique are only 23, so there was no reason to believe this group couldn’t produce this coming season.

The problem at striker began in the postseason when McGuire was pulled down by Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani in the final first round game of the playoffs. McGuire suffered a shoulder injury during the challenge that required surgery on Dec. 13. It’s expected that the striker could take four to five months to return to action, possibly leaving him out until May or June.

Another blow to Orlando’s attack occurred Saturday when Lynn surprisingly announced his retirement from professional soccer. In just over a month, Orlando City went from having three strikers to having just one as preseason training starts.

With McGuire injured and Lynn gone, one option would be to have Designated Player Luis Muriel play up top. However, the Colombian prefers to play a more withdrawn position and proved to be effective in that role last year. Since Head Coach Oscar Pareja prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Lions need someone up top to control the ball and involve the midfielders in the attack. That’s not Muriel’s game.

The result of these issues is that nobody is currently behind Enrique when the season begins. If the Argentinian gets tired, hurt, or simply needs rest, Pareja is limited in his options. 

Whether there was a lack of strikers or a lack of goals from the position previously, that problem was resolved by the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. Facundo Torres scored 20 goals in 2024, becoming the first player in Orlando City’s MLS history and the second player in club history to do so. He went on to set a new club record for total goals of 47.

However, Orlando City sold its best player to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. It was a gut punch to fans as Torres had signed a new contract on Jan. 10, 2024 that ran through the 2026 season. There had been talk for the last couple of years that the attacker would look for a move to Europe and rumors of a move to South America arose this off-season. Still, it created a huge gap the club has to fill.

There are players on the roster that can make up for the injury and departures. Martin Ojeda had a strong season in 2024, finishing with seven goals and 13 assists. His seven goals ranked fourth on the team and his 13 assists topped the squad alongside Nico Lodeiro. Muriel came on strong later in the season, finishing with five goals and eight assists. But those numbers are a long way from the 20 goals that Torres tallied last year.

Even if you consider all goal contributions, Ojeda and Muriel fall well short of Torres. Ojeda had a total of 20 goal contributions in 2024 while Muriel had 13. In addition to Torres’s 20 goals, he added nine assists for a team-leading 29 goal contributions.

All of this information leads to one undeniable fact — Orlando City needs to sign a striker prior to the season. And there’s not much time for Luiz Muzzi to act. The European transfer window closes on Feb. 3 and many MLS teams have already been filling similar needs. With the season starting in just over a month, the options will be limited if the Lions don’t do something soon.

After the best postseason finish in Orlando City’s MLS history, things were looking good heading into 2025. While the back line and most of the midfield is returning, McGuire’s injury and the departure of Torres and Lynn have left the Lions in a tough spot offensively. If they don’t do something in the next couple of weeks, it could be a long 2025.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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