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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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Orlando City hosted New York City FC at Exploria Stadium after having the previous match against the Columbus Crew postponed. Óscar Pareja was finally able to send out the speedy Ruan, which was important with Pedro Gallese and Sebas Méndez still away on international duty. Unfortunately, João Moutinho, Uri Rosell, Mauricio Pereyra, Tesho Akindele, and Dom Dwyer are all still out with injuries and both Kyle Smith and Benji Michel joined the parade of unavailable players, so we saw a mixed unit of normal starters and newer guys. Let’s see how they did.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 7.5 (MOTM) — Rowe had one of his best matches as a Lion on Wednesday night. He made seven saves in the match, including three difficult saves in the 26th, 64th, and 83rd minutes. He initially stopped Keaton Park’s scoring attempt in the 43rd minute, but it squirted past him and Park got to it first to level the score. Rowe attempted 20 passes at a 70% passing rate, and completed six of 12 long balls attempted. His distribution was solid, but it was his shot stopping that helped earn the point for Orlando City.

D, Kamal Miller, 5.5 — Like the rest of Orlando City’s defense, Miller had a strong showing. He made several good defensive tackles, including one that made up for a giveaway in the 71st minute on a bad pass to Nani. After giving that ball away, he tracked back, caught up, and dispossessed NYCFC in Orlando’s area. Defensively, Miller had one tackle, three clearances, five interceptions, and committed two fouls, earning a yellow card. He attempted 47 passes and had an 83% passing rate, and connected on four of eight long balls attempted. He had one shot that went wide left in the 62nd minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — As usual, Jansson seemed to be wherever he was needed in leading the defense. He even came out of nowhere to make an interception in the opposing half. Defensively, Jansson made one tackle, one interception, three clearances, one blocked shot, and committed two fouls, earning a yellow card. Jansson attempted 43 passes at an 86.1% passing rate, and completed three of five long balls attempted. The Lions tried the Nani/Jansson “who’s going to take the free kick” thing again, and though it gave Jansson a shot attempt on the score sheet, it once again didn’t work.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Carlos continued to show why he is a first choice starter on a club with several good defensive players. He made numerous key solo defensive plays to keep NYCFC off the scoreboard. Defensively, he made one tackle, eight interceptions, two clearances, and suffered one foul. Carlos attempted 54 passes with a 77.8% passing rate, and completed four of his 10 attempted long balls. However, it was his turnover that led to NYCFC’s goal.

D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan made his return after several weeks on the injured list. He played all the way into the 92nd minute before being subbed off. Often a player that has not seen the field in a while has trouble getting back up to speed. That isn’t the case with the fleet feet of Ruan. He was seemingly as fast as usual, leaving defenders in his wake. He did his usual job roaming up and down the right side to contribute on both ends. In addition to taking one shot, he provided the very pretty assist on Mueller’s goal, and earned a corner in the 20th minute. Defensively he made two tackles, three clearances, had one blocked shot, and one interception, and committed no fouls. Ruan attempted 26 passes, had an 80.8% passing rate, with two key passes, and completed one long ball. He did pass up a good opportunity to shoot late in the game.

MF, Joey DeZart, 5.5 — With plenty of the usual starters out, DeZart got his second start for the Lions, He took no shots on his 43 touches. He didn’t make many mistakes and looked a little nervy at times in the midfield — not that he’s gotten many minutes. He attempted 37 passes with a 91.9% passing rate, and completed one long ball. Defensively he had one clearance, and suffered one foul.

MF, Junior Urso, 5.5 — Urso put in a decent if a bit quiet shift. He attempted 30 passes with an 83.3% passing rate, and attempted one long ball. On defense he made one tackle, one interception, suffered one foul, and committed one foul. He did give NYCFC something to think about in the middle of the field, and that doesn’t always show up in the box score.

MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — The rest allowed by the postponed match against the Crew might have helped Mueller as much as anyone. In the early part of the game he was the Energizer bunny energy we’ve come to expect, but he didn’t have as much of the sloppiness he’s shown recently. Though he wasn’t able to connect on a diving header on an early Nani cross, he did score in the 18th minute on a header from Ruan’s excellent assist. Mueller was credited with two shots, with one on target for a goal. He committed one foul, and suffered two. Mueller attempted 31 passes with a 74.2% passing rate, and completed one of two long balls attempted.

MF,Andrés Perea, 6 — Perea started the match out very hot, missing just left on his only shot on goal in the second minute. That shot followed after he took the ball off a NYCFC player, made a nice give and go with Nani, and found himself in front of goal. Like the rest of Orlando City, Perea looked very good in the first half. He made three tackles, one clearance, and had one blocked shot. He attempted 33 passes, had a 97% passing rate, made one key pass, and connected on both of his long ball attempts.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain looked like a man determined to put the team on his shoulders and win the thing all by himself at times. I’m not sure if he wasn’t feeling very trusting of some of his teammates, or if he just wanted the ball himself, but he had mixed results. Nani made some ridiculous moves on the NYCFC defense, making them look silly, but he also gave the ball up quite a bit. Still, he earned six fouls and only committed one. He had two shots, with one on target, and four crosses. He attempted 34 passes but with only a 58.8% passing rate, while creating three key passes and completing two of his five long ball attempts. Defensively he chipped in two tackles and an interception. Nani created havoc in his attack on NYCFC, but at times he also created issues for his own team in this game.

F, Daryl Dike, 5.5 — It’s not easy being the only available striker, and as such Dike was also a player that benefitted from the postponed match against the Crew. Dike only had one shot, a missed header in the 14th minute after a great team buildup to put the ball in the six-yard box. Generally, the big man was effective in occupying space, holding up play, and making good turns once he had the ball. However it wasn’t his best match either, as he was caught offside three times. Statistically, he suffered four fouls while committing none and made two tackles. Dike attempted 11 passes with a 63.3% passing rate.

Substitutes

MF, David Loera (76’), 5— Loera was brought on for DeZart to provide some energy and relieve some tired legs. Unfortunately, he was only able to get three touches. He completed his only pass attempt and drew a foul but it was a quiet appearance for the final 14 minutes plus 10 minutes of stoppage time.

MF, Robinho (84’), N/A — Robinho subbed in for Mueller, but only had four touches and one pass, which didn’t connect, and came on a bit too late to earn a grade.

MF, Jordan Bender (93’), N/A — Bender made his MLS debut in stoppage time. It was a bit of a time-wasting move as he relieved Dike. He committed a foul as his first action in MLS. That is all. He didn’t even register a touch of the ball.

D, Alex De John, (93’), N/A — De John came on late for Ruan, and only had three touches, and one (incomplete) pass.

That was how I saw it. Vote for your Man of the Match in the poll, and comment below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Brian Rowe53
Antônio Carlos0
Chris Mueller0
Nani2
Ruan2
Other (write in comments)0

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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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21 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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