Connect with us

Orlando City

2021 Orlando City Season in Review: Daryl Dike

Published

on

Daryl Dike completed his second season with Orlando City in 2021. Dike had a breakout rookie season after being drafted No. 5 overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. He started out the 2021 season on loan at Barnsley in the English Championship, but returned to lead the Orlando City attack.

Following the loan, international duty, and a shoulder injury, Dike found his footing back with the team, and the University of Virginia product showed how valuable he is to this club and why his talent has opened eyes in Europe this year.

Here’s a look back on his 2021 MLS performance.

Statistical Breakdown

The young American international appeared in 18 matches (15 starts) for Orlando City and played a career high of 1,325 minutes for the club. Dike scored 10 goals and added three assists on the year, firing 33 shots, with 15 on target.

He passed at a 72.1% success rate with seven key passes on the year. Defensively, he finished with six tackles, 11 clearances, and two blocks. He committed 15 fouls and drew 41 from the opposition as defenders struggled to deal with his size and strength and fullbacks opted to chop him down rather than let him get down the flanks. He was not booked in 2021.

Dike started and played the whole 90 minutes in the playoff game at Nashville for the Lions, scoring Orlando City’s lone goal. He had two shots in the match (one on target) and passed at a 66.7% for the match. He did not register any defensive statistics and drew two fouls from the opposition without committing one.

He did not appear in the League Cup match against Santos Laguna for Orlando City as he was still dealing with the shoulder injury that persisted on his return from the Gold Cup competition with the U.S. Men’s National Team. 

Best Game

Upon finally playing regular minutes after his injury was behind him, Dike had many games where he made an impact and was a focal point for the Lions’ attack. Dike’s best match was his only multi-goal game of the season, which came in a 5-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on June 22. This game was also special for Dike as it was his first game back on loan from Barnsley and reminded City fans why we missed him during his absence.  

Orlando was already up 2-0 when Dike’s first goal came at the 31-minute mark. Nani played a perfectly placed trough ball past the defense and Dike ran in behind his defender to receive the ball, pushing it past oncoming goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and slotting it into the low corner of the net.

Nani again assisted on Dike’s second goal, this time from a free kick. The captain delivered a good cross on the set piece and Dike timed his run well and headed it past Marcinkowski in the 49th minute.

In addition to his brace, Dike registered five shots, with three on target — both were season highs. He played 71 minutes, drew three free kicks (committing only one foul), and completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts.

2021 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Dike a composite rating of 8 out of 10, a full point improvement from the score of 7 he received last year. The Oklahoma native was crucial to the Orlando City attack and he was sorely needed after Alexandre Pato went down for nearly all of the season, which left Tesho Akindele was the only true striker option Orlando had left to put up top. Dike’s deceptive speed and physical presence allowed him to beat defenders one on one and his height and timing made him a dangerous aerial threat. His performance in 2021 showed why he is always a candidate to be called up for the USMNT and why clubs in Europe are interested in making him part of their squad. 

2022 Outlook

Orlando City exercised its 2022 option on Dike at the end of the 2021 season, putting him under contract for the upcoming MLS season. That doesn’t guarantee he’ll be wearing purple in 2022. He could be sold this off-season, and if he isn’t, the Lions would be smart to try to sign him to a new contract. Should he play for Orlando in 2022, Dike will be the first-choice striker whenever healthy and he would be likely to again reach double digits in goals. He is a difficult player for MLS defenders to handle and he’s only getting better each year.


Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City looks to bounce back from throwing away points late in two straight games when the Lions visit their house of horrors, Gillette Stadium.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (9-6-8, 35 points) and the New England Revolution (6-9-7, 25 points) at Gillette Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the second of the two scheduled meetings between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season.

Here’s what you need to know for the match.

History

The Lions are 5-7-8 in the regular-season series against New England and 6-8-8 in all competitions. On the road, Orlando City is just 1-6-2 against the Revs in the regular season, as Gillette Stadium has been a nightmare venue for the Lions over the years.

The last meeting between the teams resulted in a wild 3-3 draw in Orlando on May 10. After recent matches, this will sound familiar, but the Lions squandered two leads in that match, including a 2-0 advantage. Martin Ojeda scored Orlando’s first hat trick since 2015 in that game, but those three goals were offset by strikes by Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, and Carles Gil. One of Ojeda’s goals and Gil’s were penalties.

Prior to that, the teams met on Sept. 14, 2024, with the Lions completing their first-ever sweep of the Revs with a 3-0 win. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres (from the penalty spot), and Duncan McGuire provided the offense in a dominant performance. The teams previously met on July 13 at Gillette Stadium, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.

The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second goal deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.

New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late, but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.

These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022, and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Matt Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.

New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel, in which the referee was quite lenient with Buksa’s treatment of the Orlando defender in the lead-up to Tajon Buchanan’s cross. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and later won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.

The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.

In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Shortly after Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring, Nani tied things up. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up.

The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.

The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.

The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4.

Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count.

The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.

The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.

Overview

Orlando City is winless in four straight (0-2-2) after throwing away a late lead Wednesday in a 2-1 home loss to New York City FC. Robin Jansson’s first-half goal had the Lions up for most of the match, but a four-minute span including an own goal by Kyle Smith that Rodrigo Schlegel kicked off of him and into the net, and a colossal blunder of a short corner (#BanShortCorners) that turned into a stoppage time winner on the counter, extended Orlando’s skid. The Lions are 4-2-5 away from home this season, but they’re 2-0-1 in their last three on the road. Orlando scored seven goals in those three road matches, which is two more than the five it has tallied in its last five home games.

The Revolution are coming off a meltdown of their own, blowing a two-goal halftime lead Wednesday and giving up five straight in the second half against the New York Red Bulls in a 5-3 road loss. New England is winless in seven matches (0-5-2) entering tonight, so the Revs will welcome a team they’ve beaten many times at home to Gillette Stadium, looking to put a halt to their skid. The Revs are an uncharacteristic 2-5-2 at Gillette Stadium this season.

The team’s weak spot has been offense, with only four teams in the Eastern Conference scoring fewer than New England’s 29 goals on the year. Former Miami striker Leo Campana had a brace in Wednesday’ game, doubling his season total to four goals. Gil, as usual, is the key to New England, as the Spaniard leads his club in goals (8) and assists (7).

“New England Revolution is a direct rival, obviously in the conference. With the change in their structure that we are aware of, we are going to prepare our team for the same, trying to take advantage of opportunities from the vulnerabilities they have and trying to be solid defensively as well,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “They have a few players up front who are good. But we are just planning like always, working out on the pitch so we can prepare the group the best we can.”

Orlando City will be without Joran Gerbet (thigh), McGuire (shoulder), Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), and Yutaro Tsukada (knee). New England will be without Ganago (quad), while Brayan Ceballos (upper body), Ilay Feingold (ankle), and Peyton Miller (ankle) are questionable.

Match Content


Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda.

New England Revolution (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Aljaz Ivacic.

Defenders/Wingbacks: Tanner Beason, Keegan Hughes, Brayan Ceballos, Brandon Bye.

Defensive Midfielders: Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster.

Attacking Midfielders: Peyton Miller, Carles Gil, Luca Langoni.

Forwards: Leo Campana.

Referees

Ref: Lukasz Szpala.
AR1: Jeremy Hanson.
AR2: Nick Balcer.
4th: Ricardo Montero Araya.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: Tom Supple.


How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, MA.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.


Enjoy the match. Go City!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New England Revolution

Get caught up on the New England Revolution, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City’s recent results haven’t exactly gone the way any of us had hoped they would, the good thing about this time of year is that a chance to get back to winning ways is right around the corner. It won’t be easy though, as the Lions are set to hit the road up to Massachusetts, where they’ll face the New England Revolution.

A match with the Revs means I spoke to Sam Minton, who runs the show over at the always-excellent independent site The Blazing Musket. He was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on New England, and we appreciate his assistance.

 Carles Gil has been his usual self with eight goals and seven assists in 22 games. He’s the only Revolution player with double-digit goal contributions though. Why hasn’t he been getting more help?

Sam Minton: Injuries and a lack of finishing. New England’s forwards have all struggled to stay healthy. Leo Campana, Luca Langoni, and Tomas Chancalay have all had stints on the sidelines. But even when healthy, all three players have struggled to put goals away. All three have been gifted chances from Gil and others in front of goal but failed to put the ball in the net and sometimes simply on target. 

Even though New England suffered a devastating loss to the New York Red Bulls, Campana scored his first goal since May. Langoni has worked well alongside the striker, so the Revs will be hoping that Saturday is the game where they will finally be able to put everything together.

The Revs are in the midst of a seven-game winless run, stretching back to May 31. Have there been any patterns that have emerged during this stretch of games?

SM: Besides the pattern of being unable to win, New England has struggled to close out games and its defending has been questionable. Throughout Caleb Porter’s tenure, the team has been prone to struggles towards the beginning of both halves and Wednesday’s match was a prime example of struggling to see out a win. Allowing five goals in one half is usually a fireable offense for a head coach, but here we are. 

When having a lead, the Revolution play extremely conservatively and allow opponents to rack up possession. The Red Bulls took advantage of this, and if New England grabs a lead at home, Orlando should expect to have a lot of the ball. This also opens up the defense to exploitation, and that is exactly what opponents have done. Brayan Ceballos is the lone bright spot at center back, but he could miss Saturday’s match due to an upper-body injury. That leaves Mamadou Fofana, who has struggled since playing well early on, and second-rate center backs in Tanner Beason, Keegan Hughes, and Wyatt Omsberg.

With just six points separating New England from the last playoff place, the postseason is still achievable. What’s the thing you think needs to change most for the team to make the playoffs?

SM: Honestly, the head coach. New England has talented players, so the fact that the club is struggling is really damaging to Porter. His tactical rigidity has cost New England games in both 2024 and 2025, as he now seems married to starting out matches with three center backs, even when missing a starter. New England’s struggles in the second half are emblematic of a larger problem. 

“But then, I just don’t understand from there why we stopped doing it,” Porter said after the 5-3 loss. “It wasn’t because we wanted to tactically stop doing that […] At the end of the day, we want to play the way we played in the first 30 [minutes], and we just weren’t able to do that. I have to figure out why that happened.”

This is not what you want to hear from a head coach after your seventh straight match without a win. This sounds like players tuning out a coach, but I will note that some bench players were forced to play larger roles, and so far there are no signs of discontent from the locker room.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

SM: Ignatius Ganago is out due to injury while Peyton Miller, Ilay Feingold, and Ceballos are all questionable. Personally, I think that Ceballos will not play and Miller could come off the bench if he appears at all.

Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Aljaz Ivacic, Mamadou Fofana, Tanner Beason, Wyatt Omsberg, Ilay Feingold, Matt Polster, Alhassan Yusuf, Brandon Bye, Carles Gil, Luca Langoni, Leo Campana.

3-2 Orlando win.


Thank you again to Sam for for his information on New England. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/18/25

Justin Ellis named U-19 MLS NEXT MVP, Orlando Pride announce historic apparel collection, landing spots for USMNT players, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Happy Friday! It’s been a long week, but the weekend is nearly upon us. My parents are in town on vacation, so I’m looking forward to having an excuse to go out to brunch. It should be a nice few days with plenty of soccer to keep us all entertained. Let’s get to the links!

Justin Ellis Named U-19 MLS NEXT MVP

Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis was named MLS NEXT MVP for the U-19 age group after a stellar season that included 18 goals for the Lions. The 18-year-old was the top scorer of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup to help his team lift the trophy and helped the team reach the semifinals of the MLS NEXT Cup. In MLS NEXT Pro action, Ellis has recorded seven goals and three assists in 11 appearances for OCB. It’s quite the accolade for the forward and hopefully he can continue to make strides in his development to make an impact with the first team.

Orlando Pride Announce Full-Team Apparel Collection

The Orlando Pride became the first NWSL club to offer a merchandise line featuring every player on the roster after announcing a new apparel collection. The Pride, in collaboration with apparel brand 500 Level, will offer over 500 player-specific items to form the largest player collection across the major U.S. sports leagues. As someone who is usually a fan of the unsung heroes when it comes to sports, I think it’s pretty great that fans are now able to get apparel representing their favorite Pride player no matter who that is.

Ideal Transfer Landing Spots for USMNT Players

ESPN took a stab at identifying the best fits for United States Men’s National Team players with transfer buzz following the Concacaf Gold Cup. Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was listed but could need a bit more time solidifying his game with the Lions before big clubs come knocking. Midfielder Diego Luna had a strong tournament with the U.S. this summer and could fit in well with Celta Vigo’s rebuilding plans. As for other intriguing things to keep an eye on, a move to MLS could give Giovanni Reyna the playing time he desperately needs; Ricardo Pepi may be best off staying at PSV Eindhoven; and Marseille may be just what the doctor ordered for Tim Weah.

England Comes Back to Reach Euro Semifinals

England secured its spot in the Women’s European Championship semifinals in dramatic fashion, advancing on penalties against Sweden after a 2-2 draw. A pair of goals in the first half by Sweden had the Scandinavian nation on top for most of the match, but Lucy Bronze scored in the 79th minute, before 19-year-old substitute Michelle Agyemang scored the equalizer in the 81st. The penalty shootout included nine misses, but the defending champs prevailed in the end. It’s a brutal way for Peter Gerhardsson’s tenure as Sweden’s head coach to come to a close. England will face Italy in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Free Kicks


That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Trending