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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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Orlando City’s historic 2020 season came to an end as the Lions fell 3-1 to the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Despite the loss, it was the team’s best season since joining MLS in 2015.

Let’s look at how the individual Lions did in the final game of 2020.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 5.5 — Rowe was forced into the starting role when Pedro Gallese was sent off during penalties last week, resulting in a one-game suspension. The former starter did well for much of this game, making some crucial saves when it was still 2-1. While the penalty wasn’t Rowe’s fault, he could’ve done better on the Revs’ second goal. When the Lions pushed forward late, Rowe was up to the task, making a couple of key diving saves, pushing the ball to safety. In the end, he gave up three goals and made three saves.

D, Kamal Miller, 6 — Ruan’s red card against New York City FC threw Miller into the starting lineup for this crucial game. The second-year defender did well, holding primarily a defensive role throughout the game. When Orlando City sent defenders into the box for set pieces, Miller was the lone player back and kept the ball in the attacking third on multiple occasions.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — It was another solid performance for the Swede in the back. Jansson has been the leader of the back four the past two seasons and played that role well in this game. He made some strong tackles in the box and did well to clear the ball when needed. He had a chance to tie the match in the 19th minute off a corner kick play but he hit his shot into the side netting. He tracked back to break up a counter attack with some excellent last-ditch defending in the 59th minute after New England cleared a set piece and looked to break. While it wasn’t his most outstanding performance, he showed the quality that fans have been used to seeing the past two seasons.

D, Antonio Carlos, 5 — This wasn’t Antonio Carlos’ best performance of the year. In the 26th minute, he let his man get inside of him to reach the ball just in front of goal. The shot ricocheted off the post before falling to Gustavo Bou for the Revs’ second goal. While not as egregious, Carlos got caught out of position again in the 86th minute, allowing Carles Gil to play Bou through for the game-clinching goal, but the back line was stretched at the time, having gone to three at the back to chase the game.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith played a somewhat quiet but effective 78 minutes in this game. The starting left back moved to the right side in the absence of Ruan, allowing Miller to slide into a more natural position. He was more attacking than Miller and was effective at sending balls into the box. Defensively, he did well to cause turnovers and quickly start an attack.

MF, Uri Rosell, 5.5 — It was an up-and-down game for Rosell. He was very effective at distributing the ball, especially in the first half. The defensive midfielder sent some beautiful long balls forward for Nani on the left, allowing the Lions to build an attack. However, a poor decision in the 15th minute on Tajon Buchanan while backing up Miller resulted in the penalty that opened the scoring for the visitors.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 (MotM) — Junior Urso had a strong game for the Lions through the midfield. His passing was mostly crisp, though he did let a couple get away. His biggest contribution came in the 33rd minute when he received the ball after a scramble in front of goal and put it behind Matt Turner. The goal brought the Lions back into the game and provided a chance to equalize in the second half.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Mueller showed his typical effort in this game, winning balls that got away from him and teammates. The attacking midfielder was strong going forward and played the ball much earlier than he often does, creating attacking chances. In the 33rd minute, it was his fight in front of goal that allowed the ball to reach Junior Urso for Orlando City’s only goal of the day.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 4.5 — Pereyra wasn’t as effective as Oscar Pareja would’ve liked and got sent off with 30 minutes remaining. The midfielder was supposed to be a link between the defense and attack but was unsuccessful, causing the Lions to move the ball through the air most of the game. In the 60th minute, Pereyra took down Matt Polster in a nasty challenge that resulted in a straight red. It was well deserved and left the Lions a man down, in addition to a goal down, for the final half hour.

F, Nani, 5 — In one of his most important games as a Lion, this wasn’t one of Nani’s best. At times, the Designated Player struggled to keep possession and was ineffective with his passing. The frustration was evident as he looked to take on defenders rather than making the easy pass. The Portuguese playmaker could’ve been a hero in the 74th minute when he stepped up for a penalty but it was poorly taken and Turner made the relatively easy save. He did well with some of his crosses, however, like the well-placed one to Mueller that helped set up Urso’s goal. He finished with two shots, tying Pereyra for the team lead.

F, Daryl Dike, 6 — Dike was one of the bright spots for Orlando City in this game. The target forward used his big frame well to shield defenders and helped to set up teammates. He showed tremendous effort throughout the game, winning balls that otherwise would have resulted in a counter attack. That effort was on display in the 73rd minute when he beat Matt Polster to the ball, drawing a penalty. He only got one shot in the game, but it was his strength and hustle that stood out.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (66’), 5.5 — Perea came on with 24 minutes left for Rosell to provide fresh legs and maintain possession. The midfielder didn’t play poorly, and had a couple of nice long passes in the attack, but wasn’t able to help build through the midfield, something the team struggled with all afternoon.

MF, Benji Michel (78’), 5 — Michel came on with 12 minutes to go for Smith as the Lions looked to push forward. He didn’t record any shots, the primary reason why he was brought on. The Homegrown Player has come up clutch late for the Lions on a few occasions in the past but was unable to find that magic late in this game.

F, Tesho Akindele (78’), 5 — Replacing Mueller, Akindele didn’t make the impact for which he was brought on. He did get an off-target headed shot on a set piece, but that was it. His entrance was a desperate attempt to equalize late and the Revs put the game away just eight minutes after he came on.

M, Robinho (88’), N/A — Robinho came on for Urso for the final moments of this game, after the Revs had sealed the victory. With the result already decided, there wasn’t much the Brazilian could do other than see out the end of the season. He fired one shot off target in the closing minutes.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando CIty’s final game of 2020. Let us know what you thought in the comments below and make sure to vote on your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Junior Urso27
Chris Mueller1
Daryl Dike6
Robin Jansson17
Other6

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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18 hours ago

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April 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

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

Published

2 days ago

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April 22, 2025

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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.

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

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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

3 days ago

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April 21, 2025

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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.

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