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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of The Match

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4 years ago

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This is now the second time this year I’m left wholly underwhelmed and disappointed following a game against the New York Red Bulls. Orlando City had chances but didn’t have enough to break through the Red Bulls. They went down early but drew back level, only to squander their advantage with 10 minutes to go. The Red Bulls were the better team in this game, but how did each Lion fare for Orlando?

Starters

GK, Brandon Austin, 4.5 — Not the best of starts for Austin in this game. He should’ve done better on the first goal, with a poor first step leaving him helpless to stop Christian Casseres’s long shot. He arguably could’ve saved the second goal as well, but given how close Fabio was and how little pressure he had on him, that one isn’t Austin’s fault. 

D, Michael Halliday, 5 — The young Homegrown defender made yet another start, but it wasn’t a memorable one. The elephant in the room is the second goal, where Halliday was bodied off the ball by Fabio, making it an incredibly easy finish for the Brazillian. Granted, Rodrigo Schlegel left him out to dry, but it’s never a good look getting sent to the floor in your own penalty box. The Red Bulls routinely attacked the space around Halliday and it was often dangerous. The 18-year-old made seven ball recoveries but overall wasn’t sharp enough defensively. To his credit, his offensive output was a surprising bonus. He had a pair of shots, including an appetizing shot off a corner, and had a dangerous cross to Daryl Dike that the striker couldn’t quite finish. Halliday also completed 23 of 32 passes (72%). 

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — Jansson was probably Orlando’s best defensive player in this game. When the Lions turned it over, it was often Jansson making the tackle or a big block or clearance to keep them in it. He finished with three successful tackles, four interceptions, seven clearances, and seven ball recoveries; an absolutely massive defensive stat sheet. The Swede was also among Orlando’s best players with the ball, completing 80% of his 50 passes, including seven successful long balls. After losing top defender in Antonio Carlos, Orlando got another fantastic performance from their other elite center back in Jansson. 

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Damn. This one really hurts. The big Brazillian has been fantastic this season, but early on in this game received a knock after a challenge with his countryman Fabio. Antonio Carlos tried to soldier on, even scoring a disallowed goal off a set piece, but he had to be subbed off for Rodrigo Schlegel in just the 14th minute. He completed seven passes and made a ball recovery before going off injured. Now we just hope he’s all right.

D, Kyle Smith, 4 — Smith was poor in this game. He completed only 77% of his passes and struggled to beat the Red Bull press, all while providing almost no forward thrust, though he did complete a pair of dribbles. He made a tackle and eight ball recoveries — solid enough numbers — but his defensive positioning wasn’t great as Red Bulls repeatedly found space attacking Smith. After such a strong season, it’s disappointing to see a dud of a game from Smith.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7.5 — Much better performance from Pereyra against the Red Bulls. He did have two glaring mistakes, unfortunately, with a silly challenge resulting in a yellow card and a poorly taken penalty that was easily saved. Those were both serious lowlights, but almost everything else from the Uruguayan playmaker was pretty good. He had the assist on Chris Mueller’s goal, while finishing with two key passes, two shots, a completed dribble, and he completed 28 of 35 passes (80%). He was generally clean on the ball and orchestrated the game well. When Orlando was clicking, especially in the first half, the ball was getting to the feet of Pereyra. Outside of the clumsy yellow, he also got back well defensively with a successful tackle and four ball recoveries. 

MF, Andres Perea, 6.5 — It was an up and down, but mostly up, game for Perea. He was occasionally sloppy against the Red Bull press, with an especially poor giveaway in a dangerous area early in the second half. Outside of that, it was good from the young U.S. international. He completed 50 passes at 81%, including four accurate long balls and two key passes. As a box-to-box presence he was immense, progressing the ball through the Red Bulls better than just about anybody for Orlando, getting the ball into dangerous areas, but also working hard defensively, with three successful tackles, an interception, a clearance, and 10 ball recoveries. It wasn’t his best, but Perea continues to turn in good performances for this Orlando City team.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — It was a sloppy game for Urso, but he had his moments. On the bad end, he was dispossessed twice, was guilty of an early yellow card, and really slowed down towards the end of the game. However, he did lots of good work, winning the ball back and putting it into dangerous areas. He had a key pass and 23 of 24 completed passes overall. Some of Orlando’s best chances in the first half involved Urso, and his defensive work was solid as well, with an interception and five ball recoveries. Urso’s quality on the ball and threat in transition were an asset for Orlando in this game. 

MF, Chris Mueller, 8 (MotM) — It was another lively and productive start for Mueller. He was causing problems for the Red Bulls on the counter and looked much more goal dangerous than in weeks prior. Outside of the well-taken goal, he had two more shots, both tantalizingly close, including one just barely saved. While he was more goal dangerous, his creativity remained, with a key pass, two completed crosses, and two completed dribbles. In a game where Nani struggled to make much of an impact, Cash stepped up and provided life for the Lions offensively. He also made four ball recoveries and completed 23 passes at 77%. 

F, Daryl Dike, 7 — In his last game before the Gold Cup — and potentially ever if a summer sale materializes — for Orlando City, Dike was a menacing presence. Orlando’s goal was created entirely thanks to Dike, pressing the clearly overmatched Sean Nealis and creating a chance that eventually found the back of the net. He had two chances himself — one very nearly a goal if not for sound goalkeeping from Carlos Coronel. He also completed a dribble, recorded a tackle, and had three ball recoveries. If there are any real demerits, it’s that Dike was a little sloppy and not involved quite as often as you’d like. A solid, if unspectacular, final game for Dike before his first international tournament. 

F, Nani, 6.5 — Probably the weakest performance of the season for Nani in this one. Granted it’d be hard to keep up his level of production, especially with his workload as of late, but it was still a disappointing performance for the captain. He was important and successful helping in possession and breaking through the Red Bulls’ press. While nominally a forward, Nani was dropping deeper and more centrally to help the Lions build in possession. He completed 37 of 50 passes (74%) and an impressive five of six long balls. He also completed a pair of dribbles and had a key pass. Several times, especially late, he was close to creating a moment, but just didn’t have the final ball. He finished with two shots, neither particularly threatening, and generally struggled to create chances against Kyle Duncan. Nani did get back and chip in defensively, making seven ball recoveries. 

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (14’), 6 — Schlegel’s return to the first team came under the worst possible circumstances, as an emergency substitution for Carlos in the first 20 minutes. He made a lot of good plays defensively, winning four tackles, making three interceptions, and recording six ball recoveries and a clearance. Unfortunately, he was at fault on the second Red Bulls goal, stepping too high to Klimala, who Jansson seemed to have covered, and allowing way too much space for Fabio in behind. He also wasn’t particularly good with the ball, completing only 17 of 30 passes (57%). It wasn’t the best performance, but for an emergency 70+ minute run out in his first game back with the team, it was a good overall performance for Schlegel. 

MF, Uri Rosell (70’), 6 — Rosell was mostly fine, if largely invisible in his 20 minutes of action. He completed 10 of his 11 passes (91%), made three ball recoveries, and had a late shot way wide at the very end of the game. Rosell didn’t do a good enough job of securing possession for Orlando to create a chance late, but he wasn’t alone in that. With the Lions chasing the game, they barely got a foot on the ball. As the defensive midfielder, Rosell has to assume a lot of responsibility in that role, and didn’t do a good enough job. 

F, Benji Michel (70’), 6 — Benji brought much-needed energy on the wing for Orlando but couldn’t create the moment of magic to walk away with points. He tried to make things happen, but he still didn’t create much, completing three passes, but being dispossessed three times and having no shots. He also made a ball recovery and drew a foul. 

F, Tesho Akindele (84’), N/A — The Canadian was a late cameo for Orlando as the Lions tried for the late equalizer, and he was solid. Most impressively, he won three aerial duels in his limited minutes and he nearly created something in the box late, but his cross was easily dealt with. In all, he completed two passes on four attempts. 

F, Silvester van der Water (84’), N/A — I respect van der Water for trying things late in this game, but it didn’t really come off at all. In the dying embers of the game, the Dutchman was incredibly sloppy with the ball and didn’t create anything substantial. He did complete a dribble and four passes, but it was not a particularly strong performance, albeit in limited minutes. 

That’s how I judged things, but what did you see? Leave your thoughts below and make sure to get your vote in for man of the match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Chris Mueller22
Mauricio Pereyra1
Robin Jansson17
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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18 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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