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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Intelligence Report

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4 years ago

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It’s been a rough few weeks for Orlando City, and the team is badly in need of some points if it wants to avoid sinking beneath the waves in the Eastern Conference standings.

Unfortunately for the Lions, a weekend trip to the Northeast looms large, with Orlando set to take on the New England Revolution tomorrow night. Ahead of this one, I spoke to Jake Catanese, senior editor for SBNation’s The Bent Musket. As usual, he gave us a fantastic update on how the Revolution have been since we last saw them. I also answered a few of his questions which you can find over at their place.

Diego Fagundez left the Revolution in the off-season after making a boatload of appearances with the team. What was the reaction to his departure and who has filled his role in the team?

Jake Catanese: I think there was a lot of disappointment but also a lot of understanding in Diego moving on. I think he’s found a solid home in Austin and he’s been getting a lot of playing time and is easily in line for his best season since 2018, which was the last time he was a fulltime starter in New England. Diego is an enigmatic genius, he clearly has talent but I think with the Revs at times he lacked a consistent position or support on the field or any number of things that never got him over the hump into legit league stardom. He’ll always be remembered as one of the great New England Homegrowns and hopefully will have a great career in MLS and beyond as he’s only 26 and clearly has the ability to play overseas.

As for who took his place, look no further than MLS cult hero Tommy McNamara. A versatile midfielder, Tommy Mac is more of a support/defensive type midfielder rather than an attacker and is able to fill just about every role in the Revs’ midfield, whether it’s a 4-2-3-1, a flat four midfield, or the more recently preferred diamond midfield. The fact that a talented TAM-filled midfield roster in New England can’t keep Tommy Mac off the field just adds to his legend in the league and perhaps some silverware for the Cult of McNamara. Andrew Farrell also just surpassed the club record for most games played with the team after being the number one overall pick back in 2013. 

The Revolution have quite obviously been stellar this season. What do you believe is the biggest reason for the team’s success?

JC: Team depth. This is one of the deepest rosters in the league from three stellar DP signings, a stable of TAM-level midfielders to rotate around, MLS veterans, and a starting back line of defenders from the SuperDraft. Oh, and Matt Turner, who was an undrafted rookie free agent signing. 

But if you look at the best teams in the league, the path to success is paved by hitting at all of the levels of roster building. The Revs long struggled with major DP and international signings but the groundwork for a strong roster has been around for years. The Revs nearly broke through in 2014 with this model with just Jermaine Jones as a DP midfielder and an MVP season from Lee Nguyen. But the overall investment in the roster was lacking until the Bruce Arena era officially started and for the first time ever the Revs were able to deploy three Designated Players. This season, when you have the league leader in assists in Carles Gil and two DP strikers in Adam Buksa and Gustavo Bou with double digit goals, you should be one of the top teams in the league. Add in significant contributions from Matt Polster, Tajon Buchanan, McNamara, Turner, and fullbacks Brandon Bye and DeJuan Jones as regular starters, and the recipe for success is finally coming to fruition.

Tajon Buchanan is a hugely exciting young player. How important has his continued growth been this year?

JC: Tajon Buchanan’s calendar year and his rise from his playoff run as a right back last year to breakout star winger for the Revs and Canada was nothing short of meteoric. Buchanan had shown flashes of talent and certainly had the raw speed and ability to play in MLS but it has all come together this year. He is brimming with confidence at both the club and international level and in a few short months will be off to Belgium and Club Brugge. His development is the final piece of the Revs’ entry into the MLS 3.0 era (or whatever we call the three-DP era) as New England has never been a selling club, with only Clint Dempsey as a notable departure from the team abroad. With New England set for a few sales in the near future (Buksa/Turner), the Revs are finally turning the corner and rejoining the league’s top organizations…just need to get the stadium situation sorted.

I have to ask about this rumored rebrand that seems likely to come to pass. What have been the feelings and reactions within the fanbase?

JC: I hate it, and will defend the Crayon Flag to the last. I think overall the feeling is one of indifference — there are certainly a number of fans who dislike the current branding and will take any upgrade but what’s been presented so far is underwhelming. The league already has too many Euro-centric circles/shields/badges and I fear this will only add to the generic-ness of the individual team brands. Right now, we only have the potential badge/logo to look at and perhaps with other branding, and especially jerseys and merchandise at a proper launch event might help boost the perception of the rebrand but I have doubts. At least the team kept the name the same which is the only positive thing I will say about the situation. Long live the Crayon Flag.

Are there any injuries, suspensions, or call-ups that will keep players unavailable for selection? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

JC: The Revs have a ton of players listed on the injury report: Bou, Jonathan Bell, Emmanuel Boateng, Gil, Edward Kizza, and Maciel. Of that group, four (Bell, Bou, Gil, Kizza) either started or played midweek and only Maciel and Boateng were not listed on the subs bench. Depending on squad rotation, there’s a lot of ways the Revs can deploy against Orlando but a few players like Adam Buksa, Matt Polster, and the back line should be starting on mostly full rest as only Kessler started midweek.

Lineup (4-4-2 Diamond): Matt Turner; DeJuan Jones, Henry Kessler, Andrew Farrell, Brandon Bye; Matt Polster, Tommy McNamara, Tajon Buchanan, Carles Gil; Gustavo Bou, Adam Buksa.

Tajon Buchanan is not the same attacking force as a shuttling center midfielder but he can get the job done. Ideally, this lineup as a 4-2-3-1 with Buksa up top and an attacking midfielder/winger line of Bou-Gil-Buchanan is not impossible either and might fit the personnel a little better. The Revs are rested and coming off an exciting late win on the road, and they’re playing at home. You have to like their chances here, but as always, we must mention the likelihood of a 2-2 draw as a matter of principle.

I’ll take the Revs 3-1, with Bou, Buksa, and Buchanan finding the scoresheet and Gil adding two helpers.

Thank you to Jake for the great information on the Revs. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

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

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1 hour 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.

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22 hours 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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Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

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That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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