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Orlando City

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

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4 years ago

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It was a match that Orlando City wasn’t supposed to win, and it didn’t. However, the club did advance past LAFC on penalty kicks 1-1 (5-4) into the semifinals of the MLS is Back Tournament. LAFC is a powerhouse club in MLS, and after defeating the Seattle Sounders in the Round of 16, most expected last year’s Supporters Shield winners to keep rolling on. Óscar Pareja and Orlando City didn’t get that message.

The Lions held LAFC to eight shots (none in the first half), five shots on target, and only one goal. Orlando City pressed LAFC, and never backed down. The Lions were able to break LAFC’s lines time and again to keep LAFC from getting into its usual rhythm. Even though it seemed to be for naught when LAFC went up a goal, the Cardiac Cats reeled them back in and ultimately advanced on kicks.

Let’s look at how Orlando City’s players did individually in what might be the club’s biggest “win” in the MLS era.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — El Pulpo made four saves. His positioning was good, even on LAFC’s goal where he didn’t really have a chance. Bradley Wright-Phillips slipped in between defenders as he has done so many times in the past. His distribution was good, and he directed his back line effectively. While he wasn’t challenged as much as one might have expected, he did just enough to help Orlando City, making three big stops on Diego Rossi and a late one to deny Jordan Harvey. If not for El Pulpo, the Lions wouldn’t have had a chance to hang around and tie things up late. 

D, João Moutinho, 7.5 (MotM) — The young defender made the most out of his appearance against his former club. Moutinho was integral on both ends of the pitch. While he did commit two fouls, neither resulted in a goal for the opposition. He had three tackles, two clearances, and two blocked shots on defense. João attempted 43 passes and had a 75.6% passing rate. Most importantly, he scored the header to draw Orlando City even in the 90th minute off Nani’s corner kick. He also put in his shot during the penalty kicks to help the Lions advance past his former club. 

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Carlos put in a solid effort, though he was one of the players that wasn’t able to stop Bradley Wright-Phillips. He made six interceptions, two clearances, and committed one foul. Carlos attempted 42 passes and had a 71.4% passing rate. He put in a dangerous header off of a corner in the 27th minute, but it was pushed over the crossbar. It was another solid outing from the young center back, as he continues to prove he deserves to start. He also made his shot during the penalty shootout. 

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson is leading the defense of Orlando City as well as anyone in recent memory. He had four interceptions, four clearances, and committed no fouls. Jansson attempted 20 passes at a 70% passing rate. He seemed to get caught in no man’s land on the LAFC goal, but Wright-Phillips was behind him and he was playing what was in front of him. In the 78th minute, he went up for a header and was injured on the way down. Jansson seemed to get a knock to his stomach, and also a cramp in his leg. He came off in the 80th minute. It’s important to keep in mind that Jansson and the defense held LAFC to eight shots, and five on target. 

D, Ruan, 7 — Ruan created his usual havoc for the opposition as he ranged up and down the right side. On defense he had three tackles, two clearances, and two fouls. Ruan attempted 43 passes and had a 73.2% passing rate. He did earn a yellow card in the ninth minute, but it didn’t affect his play. He also suffered three fouls including the penalty in the 55th minute to give Orlando an opportunity to go ahead. 

MF, Sebas Mendez, 5.5 — Mendez started in place of Junior Urso, and despite a few slip-ups it was a pretty good game for the midfielder. He had made three tackles, two interceptions, and committed three fouls. He attempted 43 passes and had a 93% passing rate. Mendez had one shot blocked in the 29th minute, as he waited too long to get it off and was closed down. He committed a foul in the 40th minute to set up an LAFC free kick, and, most importantly, he gave the ball away in the 60th minute in Orlando’s half. That giveaway resulted in LAFC’s goal. 

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — Uri put in his usual solid shift. On defense he had one tackle, and committed two fouls. Offensively he had one shot in the 53rd from top of the box, but the ball sailed over the crossbar. Rosell came off in the 71st minute after another workmanlike effort. 

MF, Chris Mueller, 5.5 — Cash never had much of a chance to really get going, as he was fouled early on, and obviously injured his shoulder. Despite that, he stayed on to finish the half, before subbing out. He suffered a total of three fouls, and made one interception. He also won a corner kick. Mueller attempted 12 passes with a 66.7% passing rate. 

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Pereyra was once again a key player in the Lions’ offense. He took most of the corners, attempted one shot, with two tackles, and committed two fouls. He attempted 46 passes with a 78.3% passing rate. In the 48th minute he earned a yellow card for an unintentional studs up challenge. He also committed an unintentional handball in LAFC’s area that stopped an Orlando City build up. Pereyra buried his attempt during the penalty kicks as Orlando’s first shooter, setting the tone.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain put in a good shift, taking seven shots, with three on target, and suffered one offside call. He made one interception, once clearance, and committed two fouls. Nani attempted 45 passes with a 71.1% passing rate, and seven crosses. His shot in the 38th minute was on target but easily saved. His second biggest moment of the match was missing the penalty kick in the 57th minute. He almost forced an own goal from his cross in the 64th, and just missed to the right on a shot outside the 18 in the 73rd. As usual, he left the best for last, assisting on the equalizer and putting in the deciding penalty kick to put Orlando City through to the next round. 

F, Tesho Akindele, 5 — Tesho had a quiet night for Orlando City. He suffered one foul, made one tackle, and made one interception. He attempted 12 passes with a 66.7% passing rate, and was caught offside once. 

Substitutes

F, Benji Michel (46’), 5 — Benji came in earlier than expected due to Mueller’s injury. Defensively he made one tackle, had four interceptions, one clearance, and committed one foul. Michel attempted 12 passes with a 66.7% passing rate. He also took one shot, which sailed high and wide in stoppage time. 

F, Daryl Dike (71’), 4 — Dike made his second appearance for the Lions, coming on for Tesho. You can see the potential, but he needs more time to put it together. He missed a header in the 87th minute, and completed two passes. 

MF, Andrés Perea (71’), 5 — Perea came on for Rosell, and did well to help Orlando City press for the equalizer. He made one tackle, and attempted 11 passes with a 90.9% passing rate. He also earned a yellow card in the 86th minute. 

D, Kyle Smith (80’), 6 — Typically coming in so late in a match wouldn’t be enough time to earn a grade, but Smith made two key plays. In the 82nd minute he made a save with his head to keep the ball out of the net after Gallese’s double save. He also made his shot attempt during the penalty kicks.

F, Santiago Patiño (89’), N/A — Patiño completed two passes in very limited time.

I wasn’t kidding when I said this might be the biggest moment for Orlando City in the MLS era. I know we had the Running of the Wall, but all eyes were on this match because it was against LAFC. Very few had Orlando City advancing, including myself on The ManeLand PawedCast. I’ve never been happier to be wrong about a prediction, and I’ve had plenty of opportunities to be wrong. 

While many thought the Lions would be home by now, Orlando City fans have the luxury of enjoying the remaining quarterfinal games and waiting to see who their team will play — San Jose or Minnesota.

This is how I saw the game. How do you feel about the individual performances? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Nani114
Robin Jansson5
João Moutinho101
Sebas Mendez46
Other2

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Lion Links

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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23 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.

Published

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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