Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

3 years ago

on

Orlando City was completely outplayed by the New York Red Bulls this weekend in a 3-0 loss. It was the team’s third loss in six home games this year, and the worst performance by the team this season.

Here’s how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — The Peruvian international has had an excellent season so far this year, recording five clean sheets. This game was the second time he’s given up at least three goals, with the other being a 4-2 loss to LAFC. One of Gallese’s three saves occurred just before the half on Ashley Fletcher’s effort that appeared to be going in. It was an excellent stop that kept the game at 1-0, but a poor defensive and offensive effort resulted in the Red Bulls running away with the game. In terms of distribution, Gallese had 27 passes at an 81% success rate and was accurate on five of his 10 long balls. The goals weren’t all Gallese’s fault, but conceding three times is not a game Gallese will want to remember.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5 — While Moutinho wasn’t at his best, he did get involved in the attack. He completed 76.5% of his 34 passes, including a key pass, and completed one of his two crosses. However, too often Moutinho pulled the ball back after beating a man, forcing him to beat the same player again. That resulted in the team losing possession on multiple occasions in a bad position. Defensively, the left back had six tackles, one blocked shot, and committed one foul.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 – Schlegel was the most active of the Orlando City defenders in this game. He led the team with three interceptions, two blocked shots, and 12 clearances while also adding four tackles. Additionally, Schlegel was second on the team with 80 touches, completed 80.7% of his 57 passes, had a key pass, and even got a shot off late that went just wide of goal. However, he and Jansson were at fault for the second goal, losing their men on the counter.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — A regular starter for Orlando City, Jansson wasn’t quite as effective defensively as Schlegel but was better attacking. The Swede had one tackle, three interceptions, five clearances, and one blocked shot. He was also good going forward, completing 92.2% of his 51 passes, including an excellent long ball late in the game. However, he lost his man on the second goal, largely being at fault.

D, Ruan, 4.5 — Ruan is often one of the most effective players for Orlando City but wasn’t as involved in this one. He only completed 71.1% of his 38 passes and one of his two crosses. Defensively, Ruan didn’t have any tackles, blocked shots, or interceptions, and only had two clearances. Overall, it was one of the least impactful games for the Brazilian since joining Orlando City.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 5.5 (MotM) — Araujo lined up in his usual position right in front of the back four. He was involved in the defensive effort, recording three tackles, one interception, two clearances, and one blocked shot. Going forward, the Uruguayan had a team-high 83 touches and completed 95.3% of his 64 passes, although he didn’t have any key passes.

MF, Junior Urso, 4.5 — Urso is usually a key part of the Orlando City attack, providing a link between the defense and midfield. He wasn’t as involved in this game as he usually is, completing 78.3% of only 23 passes. He didn’t have much of a defensive impact either, ending his 45 minutes of action with one tackle, one interception, and two clearances.

MF, Facundo Torres, 4 — Like many Orlando City players, Torres wasn’t very effective in this game. The attacker completed 80% of his 30 passes and failed to complete his lone cross. He also didn’t take any shots and didn’t have any key passes.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 4 — The Orlando City attack usually goes through the team’s captain, but Pereyra wasn’t very good in this one. He only completed 72.7% of his 55 passes and didn’t have any key passes. He attempted three crosses but none reached their target. Like Torres, Pereyra didn’t have any shots in the match.

MF, Alexandre Pato, 4 — It’s hard to give Pato such a low grade, but this was unquestionably his worst game this year. Usually one of the Lions’ biggest threats offensively, Pato was non-existent in this one. The Brazilian only had 22 touches and completed 42.6% of his 13 passes in 45 minutes of play. His one cross was quality but didn’t connect with Ercan Kara and he didn’t take any shots. Pato did have one interception and clearance but it was an overall poor performance.

FW, Ercan Kara, 4.5 — The role of a striker is to create chances and score goals. Kara did neither in this game. He has one of the team’s three shots and didn’t come close to scoring. The Austrian only completed 64.3% of his 14 passes and none were considered key passes. He did help out a little defensively, recording two tackles and a clearance, but it was a rough showing by Kara.

Substitutes

DF, Thomas Williams (46’), 5 — The 17-year-old Homegrown Player played the whole second half. It was the most MLS minutes for Williams since joining the first team. Williams’ only defensive statistic was one tackle. He completed 79.2% of his 24 passes but none were key passes. He had one poor turnover while trying to take on a man 1-v-1 near midfield that could have cost Orlando a goal.

MF, Benji Michel, (46’), 4.5 — Michel came on at halftime to provide some speed and spread out a New York defense that was clogging the middle of the field. However, he found it difficult to get into the game, completing 90% of just 10 passes, recording 15 touches, and not taking any shots.

MF, Sebas Mendez (82’), N/A — Mendez came on late to help stabilize the team, though the result was pretty much guaranteed. Mendez did nothing defensively and didn’t create anything offensively, but did complete all 11 passes, which accounted for all of his touches. With only eight minutes of playing time (plus stoppage) there wasn’t enough time for him to earn a grade.

FW, Silvester van der Water (82’), N/A — Like Mendez, Van der Water came on late as the Lions looked to get something from the game. However, like pretty much everyone else, he was unsuccessful. The forward completed his only pass and had one unsuccessful cross. But he didn’t get any shots off and committed a foul in his limited appearance.

FW, Jack Lynn (88’), N/A — This game gave Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja an opportunity to give Lynn his senior team debut. The rookie was drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft and has been playing this year for OCB. He was only on for a few minutes and only had two touches.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s 3-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls. Let us know what you thought of the players and make sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese2
Cesar Araujo9
Rodrigo Schlegel12
Other (Let us know who in the comments)5

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

Published

6 hours ago

on

January 22, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

on

January 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

January 21, 2025

By

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!

Continue Reading

Trending