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

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4 years ago

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In the final game of Orlando City’s 2020 MLS regular season campaign, a late collapse resulted in a 3-2 loss against Nashville SC. Despite a strong start, the defense gave way to Nashville’s second-half substitutes, conceding twice in the final two minutes of the game and four minutes of injury time. Daryl Dike continued his torrid form with another goal and we saw a moment of brilliance from Nani (who was allowed to play after his red card was rescinded by the league), but it wasn’t enough to hold onto the points.

Orlando fell to fourth in the Eastern Conference and will play bitter rivals New York City FC in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. Here’s how the Lions performed in a very disappointing close to the season.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 5 — I don’t want to put too much of the blame on Rowe for the goals, but it was far from a great performance from the veteran backup. He did make a hat trick of saves, including a very nice stop on Derrick Jones, but he did concede three goals. The first goal was simply a wonder-strike from Daniel Lovitz — nothing he could really do there — but the other two feel like maybe he could’ve done more. It would’ve been very impressive as both headers were wide open on the doorstep, but Rowe was in position to potentially make a play, but he couldn’t.

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — It was far from the best performance for Smith against Nashville. Going forward he was a complete non-factor with no shots and only one cross, though he did draw the free kick on which Nani scored. He struggled to contain Randall Leal, losing several duels on the outside, and also committed a team-high five fouls, including the one that set up the game-winning goal. On the bright side, he was fairly good in possession, completing 40 passes at an 83% clip, and had a solid five ball recoveries. He wasn’t horrible but it was far from a great game for the fullback.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The big Swede had a solid game leading the back line but it was a struggle at times. On the bright side, his distribution was solid with 43 completed passes at 84% and three very solid completed long balls. He also led the team in clearances with seven. Unfortunately for Orlando, he was very poor in the air, losing both of his aerial duels.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — It may have been a frustrating defensive performance, but Antonio Carlos was mostly impressive once again. His distribution was excellent, completing 88% of his passes, including six out of eight long balls. He nearly found his way onto the score sheet with a brilliant bit of skill off a corner in the 64th minute, but the final effort was well wide. Defensively, Carlos was the anchor of the back line with five clearances, four interceptions and five ball recoveries. But much like Jansson, his play in the air in the last few minutes of the game was poor. He wasn’t in a good position on Mukhtar for the second goal, making it far too easy for the designated player to score.

D, Ruan, 5.5 — The pacey Brazilian had his moments against Nashville, but it was a poor showing for the right back. He was solid going forward once again, registering a key pass and three crosses, but defensively things were inconsistent. He did lead the team in completed tackles with three, but down the stretch it was a struggle. He really struggled with Alex Muyl allowing the ball into the area that led to Nashville’s second goal. He also got shielded by Muyl on the third goal, leaving Cadiz to run in unmarked. Maybe it felt like it was a worse performance than it really was, but it was disappointing regardless.

MF, Chris Muelller, 7.5 — Mueller’s breakout season continued in this one as he was a force to be reckoned with going forward. It was his pressure and excellent run that led to the assist on Dike’s goal early in the first half and he created several other chances as well, finishing with a pair of key passes. His energy created a spark in transition and set the tempo for the Lions going forward. It wasn’t always the cleanest for the Money Badger, but he now sits at 17 goal contributions (goals plus assists), only behind LAFC’s Diego Rossi and Toronto’s Alejandro Pozuelo.

MF, Andres Perea, 6.5 — It wasn’t a particularly dynamic performance, but the Colombian youth international continues to look very sound in the center of midfield. He led the team in passing with 61 completed passes at an incredible 92% clip, with a team leading 10 successful long balls as well. His defense was solid as well with three interceptions and eight ball recoveries. However, he provided very little going forward, failing to register a key pass or shot on target despite getting an excellent open look from the top of the area. Even if he’s not a particularly dynamic player, he’s looking better and better every game and I really hope that his loan can be made permanent this offseason.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear had a quiet performance in his 72-minute outing, but it was fairly effective. He was a beast winning the ball back, as per usual, with a solid seven recoveries. Against the physical Anibal Godoy and Dax McCarty it’s important to match the intensity and Urso provided that energy and strength in the middle of the park. Like Perea, he wasn’t much of a factor going forward, though he found himself with a chance at a header in the box on multiple occasions.

MF, Jordan Bender, 5 — The most interesting lineup decision made by Oscar Pareja in the regular season finale by far was giving Homegrown Player and Lake Mary native Jordan Bender his first ever MLS start. The 19-year-old attacker showed plenty of promise with a few impressive runs, but he’s clearly still a very raw prospect. Multiple times the moment got away from Bender and he took a slightly heavy touch or had a slightly late reaction that squandered a potentially lethal attack. He did make one nice cross in the 33rd minute that Dike headed on goal. It wasn’t the a dynamic introduction for the youngster, but it’s very exciting to see the him make his first start.

F, Nani, 7.5 — MLS thankfully rescinded the captain’s garbage red card against Columbus, and the Portuguese superstar delivered against Nashville. He was fairly inefficient and ineffective for much of the game, completing only 78% of his passes and only racking up a single key pass, but he still delivered a moment of brilliance when the team needed it. His 61st-minute free kick goal was the moment of the match for Orlando and looked to potentially seal the three points. Things took a turn for the worse following his substitution, but when his team needed him, the captain delivered.

F, Daryl Dike, 8 (MotM) — The rookie striker has been in impeccable form as of late and that certainly didn’t stop against Nashville. He returned to the score sheet early in the game, capitalizing on a Mueller counter attack with an excellent low drive to the far corner. It’s not a goal that will break the internet, but the class on the strike was excellent from the young man. He nearly grabbed a second with an inviting header off Bender’s cross in the 33rd minute, but a nice save by Joe Willis kept Dike from his brace. For much of the game, Nashville really struggled to contain Dike. His strength, and a surprising show of pace and skill, allowed him to easily get by defenders and put his team in dangerous positions while his holdup play continues to be superb. Dike is quickly becoming one of the better strikers in the league and could become the Lions’ best striker since Cyle Larin.

Substitutes

F, Tesho Akindele (46’), 6.5 — It was a quiet game for Tesho, who came on for Bender in the second half, but it was far from poor. He didn’t create any chances, but his ability on the ball helped Orlando transition from defense to offense. Though he’s a striker by trade, the Canadian has shown that he’s plenty capable dropping into midfield, and against Nashville that versatility was on display once again.

MF, Sebas Mendez (71’), 6.5 — For the second match in a row, Sebas came off the bench to help bolster the midfield down the stretch and he played fairly well in limited action once again. He completed all of his 11 passes including a key pass. His defensive work was solid as well, with a clearance and an interception. He couldn’t help the Lions secure the three points (or one point for that matter) but it was another solid performance from the young Ecuadorian international.

F, Benji Michel (72’), 5 — After his heroics against the Crew midweek, it would’ve been impossible to match that performance, but even so it was a slightly disappointing outing. The homegrown striker only had eight touches in his 20 minutes on the pitch and was a complete non-presence.

MF, Joey DeZart (87’), N/A — It was a cameo performance from the rookie in an attempt to secure the result, but things soured once he came on the pitch. That’s not really on DeZart but he did very little in his few minutes in this one.

F, Matheus Aias (90’), N/A — Pareja brought on Matheus in a desperate attempt to secure the three points in stoppage time, but the Lions were unable to generate any offense in injury time.

That was my take on Orlando’s disappointing end to the regular season, but how do you think the Lions played? Vote on who you thought deserved man of the match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Daryl Dike29
Chris Mueller6
Nani3
Andres Perea0
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.

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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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