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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City hosted Eastern Conference foe Columbus Crew on Saturday night. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Lions allowed the Crew to get right back into the match in the second half. Fortunately, Júnior Urso decided he really wanted a goal and the win in Exploria Stadium, and scored his third of the season.

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 win over Columbus.

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 6 — In his first start since coming back to Orlando City, Grinwis allowed two goals, but also made two saves, including a huge one in the 36th minute on Lucas Zelarayan. He made two clearances including a key play to punch the ball out of the box in the 22nd minute. He attempted 23 passes at an 82.6% passing rate with 10 long balls and six of those on target. In the end, the Grinch did enough to help Orlando City secure three points.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Ruan brought his trademark speed to both the offensive and defensive ends of the pitch against the Crew. He stretched the Crew defense, creating space for Silvester van der Water and other attackers. Offensively, he made two key passes, two of three successful long balls, and one successful dribble. Defensively, he made one clearance, though he also ran down the ball to keep the Crew out of the attack on several occasions. Ruan attempted 35 passes and had an 82.9% passing rate. He made one cross and provided the assist on the van der Water’s goal. Ruan came off in the 77th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Antonio Carlos, 5.5 — Just a few weeks after he scored a goal with his head, Carlos did it again, but for the opposition. In the 52nd minute, he scored the first own goal for or against the Lions this season. It was the first goal for Columbus. It might sound funny, but other than that, he had a decent game. He attempted 51 passes and had a 92.2% passing rate, while completing 11 of 14 long balls. He made four clearances, had one blocked shot, two tackles, and committed one foul. If not for gifting the Crew a goal, Carlos might have earned a higher grade.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson put in a good shift for the Lions as usual. As he has recently, Jansson continued to push further up the pitch into the offense when it made sense. In the 25th minute, he nearly made it to the opposition’s box before losing the ball. He attempted 34 passes and had an 82.4% passing rate, while completing one of five long balls. He had two tackles, three clearances, and two blocked shots.

D, João Moutinho, 6 — Moutinho put in a full 90-plus minutes for Orlando City and generally did well. While not playing as much of a forward position as Ruan, he did still factor into the attack on the left as usual. Offensively, João took one shot, though not on target. On defense he had one tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. Moutinho attempted 51 passes and had a 72.6% passing rate with two key passes, and was successful on one of five long balls.

MF, Joey DeZart, 6 — With Uri Rosell on the bench and Sebas Mendez still not available, DeZart got the start once again. Defensively he made one interception, one blocked shot and committed two fouls. One of those fouls was a professional foul to keep the Crew from breaking through the Lions’ defense. He attempted 43 passes and had a 90.7% passing rate, and one successful long ball. DeZart continues to be a solid if not spectacular presence in the midfield.

MF, Júnior Urso, 7.5 — Urso put in a full shift, providing service for the offense, as well as a goal. Additionally, he patrolled the midfield like the bear that he is, creating havoc for the opposition. This was perfectly illustrated when he stole the ball from Pedro Santos to start the second half and nearly gave the Lions a third goal. Unfortunately, the ball was saved by Eloy Room and pushed wide of the goal. He did better in the 69th minute when Daryl Dike teed up a perfect ball for Urso to score and reclaim the lead for Orlando City. Offensively, he took two shots, both of which were on target. On defense he had two tackles, three interceptions, and committed one foul. He earned a yellow card in the 42nd minute and will be out for Orlando City’s next match. The Bear was a strong candidate for Man of the Match.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 7 — Van der Water is truly settling into the right side of Orlando City’s offense. In the 29th minute, van der Water put Orlando City up two goals by sending a ball into the box that went past Chris Mueller, Junior Urso, and the Crew’s keeper. It may have been a service into the box, but perhaps he simply meant to score. He also made a nice steal in the 50th minute, but Orlando couldn’t convert. Van der Water took only one shot, which was on target for the aforementioned goal. He attempted 16 passes with only a 62.5% passing rate, but he also made one key pass, and one cross. He committed one foul, and suffered one foul. He was taken off in the 57th minute for Benji Michel.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5.5 — Mueller is trying. He really is, but just like most of the season, the last bit of quality needed has eluded him. Offensively, Cash took three shots, but was unable to put any of them on target. One of them probably still hasn’t landed. He made one successful dribble, and suffered four fouls. Defensively, he made one tackle and committed one foul. He attempted 33 passes with an 87,9% passing rate, with one unsuccessful long ball. Mueller was subbed off in the 87th minute for Rodrigo Schlegel.

F, Daryl Dike, 7.5 (MotM) — In his first match back from injury, Daryl Dike only took 26 minutes to remind Orlando City supporters of why he’s the most exciting striker to come through this city in years. Nani sent a ball forward to the big guy while falling down. Dike settled it, turned on the defender who couldn’t handle his physicality, and pressed forward into the box. After a little footwork he sent the ball straight into the top of the net past Room for the Lions’ first goal. Dike also provided an assist on Urso’s goal in the 69th minute. Offensively, Dike took three shots, with two on target, had two successful dribbles, He committed one foul, suffered two fouls, and made two clearances. Dike attempted 12 passes with a 66.7% passing rate, made one key pass, and attempted one long ball. He came off in the 77th minute for Tesho Akindele. Providing a goal and an assist in his first start since coming back made it (fairly) easy to name Dike our Man of the Match.

F, Nani, 6 — Nani gave his typical effort, taking shots, harassing the opposition, and generally creating space for himself and others. He did provide the outlet assist to Dike for Orlando City’s first goal. Offensively, he had two shots, with one on target. Defensively, Nani made one clearance. He attempted 27 passes with a 74.1% passing rate, and had one cross. He also connected on four of four long balls on the night. Nani came off in the 57th minute for Mauricio Pereyra.

Substitutes

MF, Mauricio Pereyra (57’), 6.5 — Pereyra was brought on to provide a change of pace and to add some stability for the Lions. The DP did just that. In fact, Magic Mo sent Akindele on with a perfect through ball, but Tesho wasn’t able to finish it. Pereyra attempted 23 passes with an 82.6% passing rate, completed two of two long balls, and had one key pass. Defensively, he made one interception, and committed two fouls. Pereyra is still working his way back into match shape, but made the most of his time in this match.

F, Benji Michel (57’), 6 — Michel had one successful dribble, and made one cross. He attempted 10 passes with a 90% passing rate. Despite being on the pitch for much of the second half, he wasn’t much able to get involved in the attack, and was a bit invisible. Fortunately, he didn’t do anything to hurt the Lions either.

F, Tesho Akindele (77’), 5 — Akindele had a perfect chance to put the match away when Pereyra put him through and past the Columbus defense. Unfortunately, he put it wide right with no touch by the keeper. As is usual, he did the other little things that keep him in Pareja’s good graces, but with a healthy Dike, Akindele is likely relegated to late-game appearances to see out games and to provide rotational rest during fixture congestion.

D, Kyle Smith (77’), 6 — There was a time when Smith started all the matches for Orlando City. Obviously, he wasn’t the first choice, but El Soldado was ready when called on off the bench. He worked as hard as he ever does. He did manage to make some excellent defensive plays as the Lions tried to see the game out. He attempted six passes with a 33.3% passing rate, and was successful on one of three long balls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (87’), N/A— With three minutes left in the second half, Orlando City went to five at the back, and that meant bringing on the Lions’ third center back. His first touch was a clearance header to keep Columbus out of the box, and he also had two interceptions.

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
Silvester van der Water4
Daryl Dike40
Junior Urso26
Robin Jansson2
Other: Put answer in the comments0

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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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23 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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