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Orlando City

Orlando City vs CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City hosted Montreal in Exploria Stadium for a midweek clash of Eastern Conference foes in the playoff race. The Lions were hoping to take all three points at home against a very tough to break down Montreal, but it wasn’t to be. Orlando City gave up an equalizer in the second half to draw their Canadian opponent 1-1.

Just a note for those who read our player’s grades: Each staff member has their own scale on how they grade players. My grading involves not just stats and key moments, but also how the player performs against my expectations. If you disagree with how I, or any of our staff, approach our grades, I sincerely encourage you to join The Mane Land staff so you can use your own criteria. Now, let’s see how the Lions did in the draw against their Eastern Conference foes.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese only made one save in the match, but it was a huge one. In the 49th minute, El Pulpo’s left tentacle stretched out as he was moving to the right and made what should be the MLS Save of the Week. Unfortunately, he had no chance on the Montreal goal off the corner kick in the 52nd minute. Gallese also made a bad giveaway pass in second-half stoppage time to give Montreal a corner and an opportunity to waste time. Fortunately, it didn’t result in anything worse. He attempted 17 passes at a 70.6% passing rate and connected on one of six long balls. Not the best overall match from the keeper, but certainly not a bad one either. 

D, Emmanuel Mas, 6.5 — Mas got the start again for the injured João Moutinho. Mas was more effective this match at getting into the offense, which was a byproduct of Orlando City’s pressing. On defense he had one clearance, six interceptions, and committed one foul. He did a good job of stopping the Montreal offense before much could develop, especially in the first half. They were more effective in the second half, but Mas still played well. He attempted 53 passes and had a 77.4% passing rate with one key pass, while completing two of three long balls.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 (MotM) — Jansson was seemingly everywhere during this match. He was a rock on defense, and wasn’t shy about getting into the attack. Even to the point of bringing the ball into the opponent’s box and taking a shot to earn a corner. It wasn’t the only run he made in the offensive half of the pitch, as the Beefy Swede made his presence known. Like others, he did have a giveaway in the 21st minute, but it amounted to nothing. Just before the half, he took the ball off the opponent’s foot and cleared the ball. It was Jansson who started the attack with a pass to Mauricio Pereyra that ended up in Chris Mueller’s goal. Defensively, Jansson made two tackles, two interceptions, one clearance, one blocked shot, and committed no fouls. Offensively, Jansson made two shots, with one on target. He also attempted 75 passes and had an 84% passing rate, with two successful dribbles. The usually accurate Jansson completed just one of 11 long balls. 

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel was once again pressed into the starting position due to Antonio Carlos serving a yellow card suspension. Having a backup center back of his quality is something to appreciate. He attempted 63 passes and had a 90.5% passing rate, and completed three of three long balls. Defensively, he made three tackles, two interceptions, five clearances, and won three aerials. He committed one foul, earning a yellow card in second-half stoppage time, and also suffered one foul. 

D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan played a very Ruan match. He made his runs up the right side as Orlando City pushed the attack through the speedy fullback during the first half. He also made several not great crosses, and finally connected on one that slid past Benji Michel and out to a waiting Mueller on the back post. He also had an opportunity on a rebound in the 76th minute, but was unable to put it away. It was his only shot in the match. He did make two key passes, four crosses (including an assist), and one dribble. He suffered two fouls, and found himself offside twice. Defensively, he made one interception, and two clearances. Ruan attempted 39 passes, had an 84.6% passing rate and attempted one long ball.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6.5 — Rosell played a solid match. He absolutely stood up Kamal Miller in the 35th minute to start the break for Orlando City. Rosell played within himself and as such was generally where he needed to be to help his club, though he wasn’t able to fight through a moving pick to contain the larger Rudy Camacho on Montreal’s set piece goal. Defensively, he won an aerial, made three tackles, two interceptions, two clearances, and committed three fouls. One of which was a professional foul in the 30th minute. He attempted 49 passes, had a 91.8% passing rate, and connected on two of two long balls. He came off in the 70th minute for Sebas Mendez after getting injured. It was a head impact that had his right side bleeding. He was the second Lion to get bandaged up in the match and on the play he was injured he made a vital challenge in the penalty area to prevent a Montreal scoring chance. 

MF, Júnior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear put in his usual iron man shift. His best chance at goal came on a missed header in the seventh minute. He was instrumental in Orlando City’s goal when he took Pereyra’s pass and put a long ball up to Dike to continue the attack. He took three shots, though none were on target. One of them deflected off the back of an opponent and caught the crossbar. Defensively, he had one tackle, one clearance, one interception, committed one foul, and suffered two fouls. He attempted 65 passes with a 93.9% passing rate, made two key passes, and attempted one long ball. Urso also spent part of the match in a head bandage after he and Dike collided in the box. It wasn’t enough to warrant concussion protocols, but it was enough for him to look like a partial mummy. 

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Pereyra played the role that we expect from the number 10. Montreal’s Camacho played an outstanding match, which prevented several of Pereyra’s passes from getting to the target. He made an excellent delivery on the free kick in the seventh minute, but no one was able to take advantage of it. It was also Pereyra who deftly took the pass from Jansson and made a one-touch pass to send it to Urso on the way to Orlando City’s goal. Pereyra attempted one shot (just off target), had two successful dribbles, was fouled twice, and committed one foul. He attempted 41 passes with a 75.6% passing rate, made eight crosses, had one key pass, and completed one of four long ball attempts.

MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — Cash Money has woken up in the last match or two and this time he gave Orlando City the lead with his 45th-minute goal in the first half. The Money Badger did well in the first half press when the Lions were having their way. He attempted two shots, with one on target for the goal. Mueller made one key pass, committed one foul, and suffered two fouls. Defensively, he made one interception. He attempted 22 passes with an 81.8% passing rate and attempted two crosses. He also completed his one long ball attempt. He subbed off in the 66th minute for Silvester van der Water. 

F, Benji Michel, 6 — Michel was a pest on the right side of Montreal’s defense. He worked well with Mas, and made good runs with both the ball and without. He connected on two of his three crosses, and his early cross to Dike almost earned a goal. Offensively, Michel had one shot. He did have a team-high five poor touches. Defensively, he registered no statistics. He attempted 13 passes with a 76.9% passing rate, including two key passes, and one long ball attempt. He made two key passes, two successful dribbles, and committed one foul. He was subbed off in the 65th minute for Nani. 

F, Daryl Dike, 6.5 — Dike did everything he could to score, short of actually putting the ball in the net. Given how many guys were either riding his hip or worse, it was a tough night for the big guy.  His 29th-minute header was just over the bar. Later, he muscled his way through four defenders but couldn’t get a shot off. He was fouled in the buildup of Orlando’s goal, but the ref rightly called play on, and his touch took the ball out to Ruan on the right side for a secondary assist on the goal. He got in for a late shot that was saved. Dike attempted three shots, with one on target. He also suffered one foul, made three dribbles, and was dispossessed twice. Defensively, Dike made one clearance. He also made two key passes on 11 attempts with a 90.9% passing rate. He was subbed off in the 86th minute for Tesho Akindele. 

Substitutes

MF, Silvester van der Water (66’), 4.5 — Van der Water was not his usual self. His passes were not good, he gave the ball away consistently after coming on, and he just wasn’t sharp. Montreal dared him to play the ball with his right foot by overplaying his left side and the Dutchman tried to force it rather than taking what the defense was giving him. He attempted 18 passes with a 66.7% passing rate, made one cross, and was successful on one of two long balls. He made one interception and was dispossessed once.

F, Nani (66), 5 — Nani was not able to make the type of impact he usually does when coming on late. There was no stoppage time golazo in the run of play or from a free kick. He attempted 11 passes with a 63.6% passing rate, had one successful dribble, and suffered one foul.

MF, Sebas Mendez (70’), 6.5 — Mendez attempted 37 passes with a 94.6% passing rate, and connected on two of three long balls. He also had one successful dribble. It was good for Mendez to get back on the pitch, and help with the defense to see out the match.

F, Tesho Akindele (86’), N/A — There simply wasn’t enough time or possession for Akindele to contribute to the attack. He attempted two passes on his two touches, with a 100% passing rate.

MF, Alexandre Pato (86), N/A — As much as I would like to give the Duck a grade for simply making an appearance, he didn’t have enough time to contribute much to the match. Pato attempted four passes with a 50% passing rate. Hopefully, we will see more of him in the coming matches so he can get up to game speed and achieve full match fitness. 

That is how I saw the game. How do you feel about the individual performances? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Robin Jansson10
Junior Urso2
Chris Mueller9
Uri Rosell2
Benji Michel1
Other (put in the comments below)1

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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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19 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.

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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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