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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: 1/23/25

Orlando City signs Thomas Williams to new contract, Orlando Pride schedule revealed, USMNT wins against Costa Rica, and more.

Published

7 hours ago

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January 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

I hope you all are staying warm as we deal with cold weather across Florida. It’s at least been nice to break out some of my heavier blankets and forgotten hot cocoa packets I’ve had stored away. My cat has also been curling up next to me more, which is always a plus. Still, not shivering while waiting for my car to warm up would be great. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Thomas Williams Signs New Orlando City Contract

Orlando City center back Thomas Williams signed a new contract with the club that lasts through 2026, with an option for 2027 as well. Williams joined the club’s academy back in 2015 and became the youngest Homegrown Player in club history when he signed a first-team contract at 16 years old in 2021. The 20-year-old hasn’t featured much for the first team, and he’ll likely spend most of this year with Orlando City B for consistent playing time. Hopefully Williams can take a step forward in his development and provide the Lions some helpful depth at center back in the event of injuries.

Orlando Pride 2025 Season Schedule Unveiled

The NWSL announced its 2025 season schedule Wednesday, and the Orlando Pride will start their title defense season at home against the Chicago Red Stars on March 14. Their first road game will be the following weekend on March 23 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Decision Day returns to the schedule this year, with all 14 clubs in action on Nov. 2. The Pride will close out their regular season at home that day against the Seattle Reign, with the postseason set to begin on Nov. 7. There’s also a break in the schedule in July, with no regular-season games scheduled due to international tournaments like the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Copa America Femenina.

USMNT Shuts Out Costa Rica in Orlando

The United States Men’s National Team beat Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Wednesday night to stay perfect at the home of the Lions and Pride at 7-0-0. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen truly earned his clean sheet, coming up with some great saves to deny Costa Rica. It was also a solid attacking performance from the Yanks, and Patrick Agyemang put a bow on what’s been a great month for him with his second goal in as many games. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has some time to assess things before the USMNT plays Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 20

Keeping Up With MLS Transfer News

San Diego FC added another Designated Player ahead of its inaugural season, signing Danish winger Anders Dreyer from Anderlecht for a transfer fee reportedly near $5 million. He recorded 31 goals and 23 assists in 87 appearances across all competitions for Anderlecht and joins San Diego on a three-year deal. Charlotte FC officially added Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray. He’ll occupy a DP spot and the loan lasts through Jan. 16, 2026, with an option to extend it through June of that year as well.

LAFC made a trade with its rival to strengthen its midfield, acquiring Mark Delgado from the LA Galaxy in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money. The Portland Timbers signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk as an MLS U22 Initiative player, with FC Cincinnati receiving GAM for his discovery rights. Real Salt Lake, which signed Mason Stajduhar from Orlando City earlier this month, continued to make changes to its goalkeeping group. The club signed veteran goalkeeper Rafael Cabral as a free agent and transferred 19-year-old American Gavin Beavers to Brondby IF in Denmark.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

The penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase wrapped up this week. Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City 4-2 in the heavyweight matchup of the round, with all six goals coming in the second half. Joao Neves gave PSG the lead in the 78th minute before Goncalo Ramos put the game on ice in stoppage time. City now needs to win its final game against Club Brugge on Wednesday in order to advance.

Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 win against RB Salzburg to advance, with both Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. scoring braces. Celtic also booked its spot in the next round after a 1-0 win against Young Boys. Feyenoord pulled off an upset by winning 3-0 against Bayern Munich as well. Elsewhere in the tournament, AC Milan won 1-0 at home against Girona, Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0, and RB Leipzig did well in a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP.

Free Kicks

  • American goalkeeper Michelle Betos announced her retirement from professional soccer after a career that included winning the 2016 NWSL Shield with the Portland Thorns and the 2023 NWSL Championship with Gotham. Betos was also named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year with the Thorns in 2015.
  • Arsenal and Chelsea are among the multiple clubs reportedly keeping an eye on American forward Trinity Rodman, whose contract with the Washington Spirit ends after this year.
https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1882171400481542482

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a great Thursday and rest of your week!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

Published

1 day ago

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January 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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