Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

3 years ago

on

Orlando City and Inter Miami battled to a scoreless draw at Exploria Stadium. A missed penalty by Tesho Akindele was just one part of an overall frustrating performance by Orlando’s offense. Defensively, the Lions secured their seventh shutout of the season against a Miami side that scored six goals in its previous two games. While the result may leave some pulling their hair at what could’ve been a win, the Lions stretched their unbeaten streak in MLS games to six games.

Now, let’s dive into how each Lion rated and who earned the title of Man of the Match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — In his first start for Orlando since July 25, Gallese made two saves to secure his sixth clean sheet this season. In the 23rd minute, the ball fell to Rodolfo Pizarro after a corner and Gallese was able to get a strong hand to the striker’s shot at point-blank range. In the second half, Gallese did a good job covering every angle to stop Gonzalo Higuain’s shot from the end line. It was an otherwise quiet night for the Peruvian as he had just 18 touches and was accurate on one of his two attempted long balls.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6.5 —The left back put some great balls into the box throughout the match, including a few long throw-ins. Of his seven crosses, three were key passes that found their mark while one was blocked. Moutinho led the team with 83 touches and 66 passes. Of those passes, Moutinho completed 92% of them, which is fantastic considering the distance on his misses. He prevented much danger from coming down his side, made no massive mistakes, and he had one clearance. All in all, it was a good performance from Moutinho and he should benefit once Orlando’s offensive players fully recover to take advantage of his crosses.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The masked Swede seemed to have scored from a short corner, but Akindele made a faint touch on the ball from an offside position. Jansson has lurked outside the box during Orlando’s set pieces in recent weeks, so it was nice to see he has the chops to make that play work even if the goal was disallowed. Defensively, he did well to keep Miami’s attacking trio of Pizarro, Higuain, and Robbie Robinson relatively quiet. Jansson led the team with three clearances, putting out fires when Miami started to get momentum. He completed 55 of his 59 passes for a great 93% success rate. Of those four inaccurate passes, two were quite deep and Jansson did well sending the ball downfield for Orlando’s wingers to chase down. Jansson had 69 touches, third-most on the team, and did well on both sides of the ball.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 (MotM) — Carlos had a good read on Higuain for most of the game, either making sure he was in position to cut off service to the Argentinian or trapping him offside. The Brazilian center back had three interceptions and two clearances on defense, showing some athleticism to make good plays on the ball no matter the angle. Yet again, he was a threat on corner kicks and nearly scored a game-winner. Nani delivered a good ball into the box and Carlos was able to get it on target, but Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman came up with a great save to deny Carlos of his third goal this season. Carlos had 67 touches and completed 89% of his 61 passes to help Orlando build out of the back. It was another strong performance from Carlos and would’ve been a night to remember if not for Marsman’s heroics.

D, Ruan, 6 — The right back used his speed to cause problems for Miami’s defense early on. However, his crossing left something to be desired as only one of his five crosses found their mark. His quickness helped cover up some defensive lapses, particularly late when Higuain picked his pocket and forced Ruan to run him down. Still, Ruan went the distance and had a tackle, an interception, and a clearance on the defensive end while still being able to turn on the jets late to help create chances late in the match. He had 66 touches and was successful on 87% of his 38 passes in a good performance.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear had a good opportunity in the fifth minute, crashing the box on an early corner and sending his header just wide of goal. It was his first of two shots, the second coming late in the match as he tried to curl a shot into the top left corner but it didn’t dip enough and went into the stands. Urso had a strong defensive performance with two tackles, three interceptions, two clearances, and a defensive block. The Brazilian midfielder also finished second on the team in touches with 81 and completed 54 of his 60 passes for a solid 90% success rate. With the midfield decimated by absences, Urso played every minute and did well in this one.

MF, Joey DeZart, 6 — It was DeZart’s third straight start for the Lions and a solid outing in central midfield. He did well clogging up Miami’s passing lanes and connecting Orlando’s defense with its offense. The 23-year-old had to come off in the 73rd minute due to an injury. Hopefully it isn’t too serious as DeZart has certainly been improving by getting playing time with Sebas Mendez, Andres Perea, and Uri Rosell unavailable. DeZart finished with 51 touches, an interception, and 48 passes at an impressive 96% success rate.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 6.5 — The Dutchman made some nice runs and touches to help spark chances on offense and led the team with four key passes. He had 41 touches and one shot over the course of 72 minutes, not quite getting on top of a bouncing ball in the box and sending it off target. Defensively, he chipped in with a tackle and an interception as he hustled all over the right side of the pitch. Van der Water was also successful on four of his five attempted dribbles and completed 80% of his 20 passes. The 24-year-old showed plenty of skill and tenacity, but wasn’t able to contribute towards a goal in this scoreless affair.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Mueller led the team with three shots, with one deflected and the other two off target. He was unsuccessful on all three of his attempted crosses, although one of them caught Nicolas Figal’s arm to cause the penalty. Mueller made a key pass from a corner kick to set up a great chance for Urso early on as well. The 24-year-old was only successful on two of his six attempted dribbles and didn’t have any defensive stats. He completed 90% of his 30 passes and had 55 touches before being subbed off in the 89th minute for fresher legs in the final minutes.

MF, Benji Michel, 6 — Michel did well when making runs downfield to put Miami’s defenders in tough positions. His touch was also much better in this match compared to recent matches as he brought down long balls sent his way with ease. However, both of his attempted crosses were thwarted by Miami and he was only successful on one of his three attempted dribbles. Michel played all 90 minutes and had two shots, sending a header wide and then having the other blocked in the box. He had 31 touches, a clearance, and was accurate on 87% of his 15 passes.

F, Tesho Akindele, 5.5 — The Canadian striker had a chance to give Orlando an early lead from a penalty kick in the 12th minute, but his shot was poor and barely troubled Marsman. It was the first of two shots from Akindele, the other being a header sent wide. Akindele was offside when he got a touch on Jansson’s shot from distance. It’s hard to blame Akindele on that play, especially considering his touch helped the ball find the bottom left corner, but it helped culminate in a frustrating night for the 29-year-old. His usual hustle created some opportunities, as he forced Miami into some long ball mistakes that created Orlando attacks. He was subbed off for Daryl Dike at the half and ended the game with 17 touches, a clearance, and eight passes at an 88% success rate.

Substitutes

F, Daryl Dike (45’), 5.5 — It was Dike’s first Orlando appearance since July 3, coming on for Akindele at halftime to give the Lions some needed bite on offense. His only shot was a header from a difficult position that he couldn’t direct towards goal due to the speed and angle. Dike started to impose himself on the match as the game wore on, with his cros nearly causing an own goal and making a key pass in the box, but ultimately wasn’t able to break the deadlock. He had just 12 touches, a few of them much too heavy, but won both of his aerial duels, and completed two of only three pass attempts. His rust was apparent but with more minutes his form should return and it was important to get him back on the field.

MF, Nani (71’), 5.5 — Nani wasn’t able to give Orlando the finishing touch it desperately needed during this match. He had no shots or key passes and was unsuccessful on both of his attempted crosses in open play, although he whipped in a nice corner kick that Carlos nearly scored from. Nani delivered the team’s final two corner kicks of the match when it was in search of a winner, but neither made it past the defender on the near post to reach the crowded box. Still, it’s nice to see Nani get some action after his injury last weekend and traveling for the MLS All-Star events this week. He had 23 touches during his shift and completed 15 of his 16 passes for a 94% completion rate.

MF, Raul Aguilera Jr. (71’), 6.5 — The 22-year-old came on for DeZart and did a decent job stringing together passes and hustling on defense. Aguilera amassed 26 touches and completed every single one of his 25 passes. With DeZart’s injury and the absences in the midfield, we may see more of the Homegrown Player as the season wears on.

D, Emmanuel Mas (88’), N/A — Mas came on late in the match to give the Lions some fresh legs. He completed both of his passes — short attempts on the left side — and had five touches. There wasn’t enough to properly grade him in this match.

MF, Alexander Alvarado (88’), N/A — Alvarado had two touches and completed his only pass of the game in another brief cameo for the Ecuadorian winger. Like Mas, Alvarado didn’t get enough action for a rating in this match.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 0-0 draw with Miami. Make sure to weigh in on how you feel about the grades in the comments below and to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Antonio Carlos17
Pedro Gallese12
Robin Jansson13
Junior Urso3
Other (let us know in the comments below)3

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Wilder Cartagena

The midfielder helped Orlando City own the center of the field throughout the majority of the 2024 season.

Published

7 hours ago

on

December 22, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City initially acquired midfielder Wilder Cartagena on loan through the 2022 MLS season. After a successful end of the year, the club exercised the option to extend the loan through the 2023 season. He became a key player in the starting lineup for the Lions that season, resulting in the club signing him to a permanent deal through the 2025 season on Dec. 14, 2024. The Peruvian midfielder built a powerhouse partnership with fellow midfielder César Araújo, forming what may have been the best central midfield duo in all of MLS during the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look back at Cartagena’s season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Cartagena participated in all four of the competitions Orlando City played in during 2024, playing primarily in his normal central defensive midfielder role but also filling in as center back for around seven games worth of minutes (631). Despite playing in a brand new position for approximately 20% of his total minutes, Cartagena ended up leading the team in plus-minus for the season, finishing +22 across all competitions, meaning the Lions were much better with him on the pitch than they were when he wasn’t.

In MLS regular-season play, the Peruvian international appeared in 27 matches, starting 25 and playing 2,192 minutes. He only recorded one goal contribution on the season, an assist, though he took 24 shots, putting eight on target. He completed 89% of his passes with 16 key passes, one successful cross, and 25 completed long balls. On the defensive side, he recorded 76 tackles, 20 interceptions, 42 clearances, and nine blocks. He committed a team-leading 48 fouls, suffered 28 fouls, and received seven yellow cards and one red card, which he picked up after the conclusion of the game against Minnesota United. Coincidentally, his red card suspension and his one-game ban for yellow card accumulation each resulted in him missing a regular-season game against Atlanta United — both were Orlando losses.

During the MLS playoffs, Cartagena started all five matches, playing 431 minutes with no goals or assists. He took two shots, placing one on target, and he completed 87.2% of his passes with a single key pass. Defensively, he recorded nine tackles, four interceptions, 11 clearances, and one block. He drew eight fouls and committed nine, and he was booked twice, with both being yellow cards.

Cartagena played in all four Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting every game and playing 315 minutes. He did not take any shots, so he did not score any goals, and he didn’t contribute any assists either. He completed 86.6% of his passes, including four key passes. Defensively, he tallied eight tackles, five interceptions, four clearances, and one block, and he committed three fouls, while suffering five. He was booked twice, earning two yellow cards.

During Leagues Cup play, Cartagena started all three games, playing the full 270 minutes with zero goal contributions. He took three shots, placing one on target, and completed 92.1% of his passes, but with zero key passes. He added three tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, and one block on defense, and he committed three fouls and drew one. Unlike in the other three competitions, in Leagues Cup play he did not receive any cards.

Best Game

While Cartagena only had one goal contribution for the season, the positions he played do not lend themselves to being able to use the commonly cited stats like goals and assists to evaluate which game was the finest. That said, I think the one game in which Cartagena had an assist was his finest performance, but the assist was only the cherry on top of an outstanding game all over the field by the Peruvian midfielder, as his performance helped lead the Lions to a dominant 5-0 victory over D.C. United on March 9.

Cartagena completed 77 of his 81 passes (95.1%), and while any game with that many completed passes and that high of a completion percentage would be excellent, it was the types of passes that he completed that really set this game ahead of all of his other performances. He completed 22 of those 77 passes into the attacking third of the field, meaning they were attacking balls forward towards goal that went from the middle or defensive third into the attacking third. If 22 sounds like a lot, well, that’s because it is. There were only seven instances during MLS play in 2024 of a player completing 22 or more passes into the attacking third in a single game.

If that was not enough, Cartagena also went 11 of 12 (91.7%) on long passes (passes of at least 30 yards) on the night, one of only 24 instances during MLS play in 2024 of a midfielder completing at least 11 long passes and being successful on more than 90% of his long pass attempts.

On top of both of those stats, Cartagena also got on the score sheet for the only time all season, playing a beautiful cross from the right flank onto the head of a charging Robin Jannson, who smashed in his header and gave the Lions a 2-0 lead.

Cartagena went the full 90 in this match, contributing not only offensively but also defensively, with three tackles, four recoveries, and one clearance, and his dominance in the center of the field helped the Lions keep a clean sheet.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Cartagena a composite rating of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, the same as the 7.5 we gave him last season. I mentioned earlier that the team was +22 while Cartagena was on the field, and that +22 equaled a +0.62 goals per 90-minute average over his total minutes played, meaning that when Cartagena played, the Lions were nearly two-thirds of a goal better than their opponents. On the flip side, when Cartagena was off the field, the Lions were -5 for the season, which equaled a -0.48 goals per 90-minute average. The net of those two per 90-minute averages is +1.10, meaning that Orlando City was more than one goal better than its opponents when Cartagena was on the field as compared to when he was off, showing just how valuable he was to the team during the 2024 season.

2025 Outlook

I expect 2025 to look very similar to 2024 for Cartagena, as both he and his midfield partner Araujo are set to return and are completely comfortable in Head Coach Óscar Pareja’s system. The Lions also parted ways with Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, and Heine Gikling Bruseth, meaning that Nico Lodeiro is the only player on the roster with significant experience in the role where Cartagena usually plays, and Lodeiro is more of a supersub than a starter at this point in his career and a much more offensive minded No. 8 option than a defensive, double-pivot type. Kyle Smith and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson both have the skillset to potentially get some minutes there, and Orlando City used its first-round draft pick in the MLS SuperDraft to select midfielder Joran Gerbet from Clemson, but it should be Cartagena’s job to lose during the 2025 season, and I expect to see him on the field for the vast majority of Orlando City’s minutes.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Top 10 Moments of 2024: Orlando City Surges to Top Four Spot in Eastern Conference

Languishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Lions made a massive push from June 19 onward to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Published

9 hours ago

on

December 22, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s ninth in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

The Lions were floundering. A team that finished strong in 2023 and ended up second in the Supporters’ Shield race had bolstered the attack in the off-season by signing a Designated Player forward out of Italy’s Serie A and figured to pick up where it left off. It didn’t.

Orlando City struggled out of the gate to connect in the final third, to find a cohesive starting XI that worked well together, and to find the form with which it ended the 2023 campaign. Although the Lions swept Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in the first round of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup at the onset of the season, they once again played a scoreless draw on opening day of league play, got blown out at Inter Miami, gave up a 95th-minute goal to lose at home to Minnesota, and then got knocked out of Champions Cup by Tigres before falling at Atlanta.

The team’s 0-3-1 start to the regular season was followed by two wins and two draws, pulling Orlando to 2-3-3, but that surge proved to be fool’s gold. That run preceded a late-game collapse at home against Toronto that turned a 1-0 87th-minute lead into a 2-1 loss. That loss, to a Toronto team that finished 11-19-4, turned into a home losing streak after FC Cincinnati departed Inter&Co Stadium with a 1-0 win on May 4.

A 2-0-1 surge followed, but it could only bring the Lions to 4-5-4 on the season. But again, Orlando City fans had to take the bad with the good, as the club went 0-3-1 in its next four. Two late goals by LAFC and a missed Facundo Torres penalty — the first such miss in his entire soccer careeer — produced a 3-1 home loss that left the club at just 4-8-5 at the season’s midway point. Some fans were calling for Oscar Pareja’s job; no one was happy with new Designated Player Luis Muriel’s play; and the players seemed frustrated, disjointed, and at odds with each other on the pitch.

Things looked bleak for extending the club’s four-year postseason streak to five. It seemed as if there was no way to break out of the funk the Lions were in.

But then it happened.

The team’s fortunes didn’t turn around all at once, and the turning point sure didn’t seem like one at the time. Orlando City went to Charlotte on June 19, found itself up a man, and still had to scrape by with just a 2-2 draw. Down a man, Brandt Bronico put Charlotte FC up 2-1 with 13 minutes remaining, and things looked worse than ever for the Lions, who were on the verge of falling to 4-9-5 and threatening to contend for the wooden spoon. But Torres struck in the 81st minute to bring City level on a corner kick. Was this the goal that ultimately saved Orlando City’s 2024 season?

Once tied, Orlando pushed furiously for a winner but to no avail. The single point the Lions brought home from North Carolina didn’t feel good at the time, but it was a start — the first pebble in what ultimately turned into an avalanche. A win and a loss in the next two matches didn’t seem particularly noteworthy either, but the team was starting to put things together.

After beating Chicago 4-2 on June 22 at home, the Lions nearly mounted a comeback after a disastrous first half in a 4-2 loss at New York City FC on June 28 — a game in which Orlando lost backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar for the rest of the season. The Lions then won four straight matches and went 4-0-1 in their final five games prior to the Leagues Cup break, entering the MLS pause at .500 with a 9-9-7 record. It had taken the team half the season to recover from the poor start, but the Lions were back in the fight.

A win and two draws in Leagues Cup, despite some international absences, kept the Lions’ momentum going. Although a flat performance in a loss at Sporting Kansas City in the MLS restart weekend didn’t help matters, it was followed by three more consecutive wins — all via shutout, with Orlando outscoring its opponents 8-0 — and six victories in seven matches. The lone loss in that seven-game stretch was a 4-3 defeat at Columbus in which a valiant comeback effort fell just short.

After that 6-1-0 run, Orlando entered Decision Day with a 15-11-7 record and a top-four spot that wasn’t spoiled by a loss in the regular-season finale to Atlanta.

The Lions’ 11-4-2 finish over the final 17 matches of the 2024 season not only pushed the team into the postseason, it also put Orlando City in position to take advantage when Miami, Columbus, and Cincinnati all faltered in the first round of the playoffs.

Because the Lions were the highest remaining seed in the postseason, once Orlando City won its best-of-three, first-round series against Charlotte, it had home field priority for the remainder of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Lions hosted Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinal and knocked their rivals out of the postseason in a tight defensive battle in which the Five Stripes hardly troubled goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Orlando advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time, hosting the New York Red Bulls.

Although Orlando faltered in that conference final, which is not the result we (or the Lions) wanted, City put itself in the best possible position to reach the MLS Cup final by finding the right blend of chemistry, form, and grit in the season’s second half.

The Lions came closer to MLS Cup in 2024 than ever before, thanks to the team’s second-half surge. As such, that surge is a worthy inclusion in the list of the club’s top moments of the year, and a great way to kick off our annual series of the club’s most memorable accomplishments and events.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of Orlando City’s top 10 moments of 2024.

Continue Reading

Opinion

Three Orlando City Games to Watch in 2025

Here are three intriguing matches in the 2025 Orlando City season.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Major League Soccer provided a last-minute stocking stuffer for North American soccer fans when it dropped the 2025 season schedule six days before Christmas. It feels like the Orlando City season just wrapped (as is often the case when a team makes a deep run in the playoffs), and yet now we can spend the next few “winter” weeks meticulously breaking down the matchups as training camp is just around the corner. My fellow staff writers at The Mane Land can attest that I have a horrible case of scoreboard-watching from Matchweek 1 of the regular season on, and that obsession starts now with my top three games to watch in 2025.

Friday, July 25 — at Columbus Crew

As the final match of three games in 10 days and the last match of July, the first meeting against perennial the Eastern Conference powerhouse Columbus Crew should serve as a great measuring stick for fans and pundits to assess where the Orlando City season stands heading into the final third of the season. Traditionally speaking, over the last few years, late July into early August is the time frame when Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s teams have caught fire.

If that historical trend holds, then I expect Orlando City to hit Columbus in strong form, once again looking to secure a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. While it is hard to predict what rosters will look like by then, as there have been reports and rumors of both stars and Head Coach Wilfried Nancy’s possible departure circulating. However, it is difficult to imagine Columbus slipping much, as the club has established a winning culture and has a knack for finding and signing outstanding players like Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez. A matchup between the Crew and Lions at that point of the season could serve as a marquee event for MLS in 2025.

Saturday, Feb. 22 — vs. Philadelphia Union

There are two things I know to be true when it comes to Orlando City soccer. First, Orlando City has kicked off every MLS regular season in front of its home fans — a unique trend that I was excited to see continue in 2025. The second thing that I know is that Orlando City is unbeaten in season openers (3-0-7). In 2025, Orlando City welcomes the Philadelphia Union to Inter&Co Stadium and the unbeaten record will be on the line once again. The Union will be the seventh different opening day opponent for the Lions in 11 seasons.

What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that this will be the first time in Orlando City history that they will face the Union without now-former head coach Jim Curtin. One of the longest-tenured head coaches in MLS at the time, Curtin parted ways with the Union at the end of the 2024 season. Often I find myself in the “managers don’t make a large difference” camp when it comes to the outcome of matches, but to look back at what Curtin did with Philadelphia, its academy, and modest roster spending can only be viewed as wildly successful. Orlando will try to start its season off on the right foot, while a new Union manager will be looking to start his tenure in Philly with a road victory. Something will have to give, and I am going to put my money on Orlando winning the day.

Saturday, April 12 — vs. New York Red Bulls

While the first opportunity to exact revenge over the club that eliminated the Lions from the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs will happen roughly a month earlier on the road, the true opportunity to stick it to the Red Bulls in front of a home crowd has to be my most anticipated match of 2025. A lot has been said about rivalries in MLS. Some seem manufactured, and some come down to genuine hatred, but I firmly believe that for the time being our squad’s biggest rival is the one that ended Orlando City’s season one game short of the championship match.

It seems a little strange to me that the Lions will wrap up their season series with the Red Bulls just eight games into the year (so much for spacing out some matchups), but Orlando City will look to pounce on the Red Bulls early on and would likely love nothing more than to take all six points from the team that ended its MLS Cup hopes before the calendar even hits Memorial Day.

Those are the top three matches I have circled on my calendar. Let us know in the comments below which matches you’re most excited about and which matches you think will carry the most significance in 2025. As always, vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending