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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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Orlando City bounced back from the New York loss with a 2-1 win at home against Charlotte FC. Ruan scored Orlando’s first goal and then assisted on its second goal late in the first half by teeing up Facundo Torres. A penalty converted by Christian Fuchs gave Charlotte life, but the defense hung in there to claim all three points.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances of each Lion on the pitch in the win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — He only faced one shot on target, but it was a penalty kick. Gallese committed first on a patient spot kick from Fuchs that spoiled his clean sheet. In regards to his distribution, he was successful on four of his 11 attempted long balls and completed 74% of his 27 passes. The Peruvian did well running time off the clock late in the match without being booked.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6.5 — Moutinho only had one cross, which was unsuccessful, as he often stayed back as third center back of sorts while Ruan wreaked havoc up the field. It was still a busy night for the left back as he led the Lions with 66 touches and also had 44 passes at a great 89% success rate while completing both of his long balls. He had five tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances while also winning all three of his aerial duels. Moutinho’s evolving into a defensive powerhouse this season and this match was no exception, as he was a key reason why Charlotte only had one shot on target, the penalty.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — The Argentine center back led the team with a whopping nine clearances as he did well putting a stop to Charlotte’s attempts to score. However, he was called for a foul in the box after making contact with Alan Franco in a play by Charlotte that seemed more like a Hail Mary than a realistic chance to score. Charlotte received a penalty for the incident while Schlegel was handed a yellow card. The penalty call was soft but the contact was unnecessary. Schlegel helped Orlando see the game out and also had a tackle and an interception. His 46 passes were the most by any Lion and he completed them at a solid 87% success rate. Schlegel was also accurate on four of his eight long balls, so it was a good game from him in terms of distribution.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — In his 100th appearance for Orlando City, the Beefy Swede did well on both sides of the ball. He assisted on Ruan’s goal after making a clever redirection on Benji Michel’s low cross that served the ball to Ruan on a silver platter. Jansson also helped create the goal, dribbling down the field and getting the ball out wide to Michel. His lone shot came off of a set piece situation as his shot from the edge of the top of the box went over the bar. He was able to convert from center back to striker in the blink of an eye during the match, adding another dimension to Orlando’s attack. Jansson had five clearances and two interceptions while completing 85% of his 26 passes. He didn’t commit a foul in the match, but still received a yellow card for dissent over questionable officiating and will miss Orlando’s next game.

D, Ruan, 7.5 (MotM) — The right back scored his first goal of the season with a clinical finish wide open in the box. He could’ve had a second goal late in the first half after sprinting down the pitch on a counter with only goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina to beat, but he smartly laid the ball off for Torres to easily put away. Ruan’s speed made him a good match-up against 36-year-old Fuchs and Charlotte was unable to deal with him. Both of his aerial crosses were picked off by Kahlina, but his low efforts put defenders in tough spots and earned a corner. He also connected on both of his long balls and had 43 passes at a 77% success rate. Although he wasn’t able to entirely bend the game to his will, he was Orlando’s best weapon on offense and he led the Lions with three interceptions while also contributing a tackle and a clearance. It was easily his best game of the season and hopefully the confidence he showed after his goal will continue moving forward.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo did a fantastic job keeping Karol Swiderski quiet throughout the match, making sure to give the Polish striker no breathing room. He won three fouls, all in Orlando’s defensive end, and had two tackles, an interception, and two clearances. Araujo completed 28 of his 32 passes for a great 88% success rate and two of his three long balls found their target as well. The 21-year-old also won both of his aerial duels and did a good job lending support along the back line. After receiving four yellow cards in his first six appearances, this game marked four in a row that he wasn’t booked. He’s young and new to MLS, but has quickly proven himself as a great acquisition by the Lions.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear had a solid, albeit quiet, outing in the midfield. Although he didn’t have any defensive stats, he applied pressure to help slow down Charlotte’s offense and was there to collect loose balls when they were coughed up. Urso completed 81% of his 32 passes for a decent success rate and was also successful on two of his three attempted dribbles. He was subbed off in the 65th minute for fresher legs.

MF, Benji Michel, 6 — The Homegrown Player did well on Orlando’s first goal, beating his man and drawing in two defenders before delivering a venomous cutback pass in front of goal to Jansson. His only shot of the match was a headed effort right at Kahlina after a great cross from Torres. Michel’s lone cross was unsuccessful, but he completed all but one of his 13 passes for a strong 92% success rate in 80 minutes of action. He didn’t see much of the ball, but did well when he did and helped out defensively with a tackle and an interception.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra led the Lions with three key passes as he once again pulled the strings on offense. In the buildup to Orlando’s second goal, he sprung Ruan on the counter with a great ball forward from a tough position for the Brazilian to chase down. Orlando’s captain had another great pass in the first pass when he threaded a ball through defenders from distance to send Kara in on goal. Although neither of his two crosses connected, the Uruguayan was accurate on four of his five long balls and completed 83% of his 42 passes. Pereyra didn’t officially record a shot, but did hit the crossbar on an attempt that was either an attempt at goal or aimed at finding Ercan Kara at the far post. He also hustled on defense and had four tackles, an interception, and a clearance, while also winning a team-high four fouls.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7 — Torres scored his first goal at Exploria Stadium by turning on the jets and running from one end of the field to the other to make sure he was in position to score if needed. He buried the chance and doubled Orlando’s lead before halftime. The goal was one of two shots from Torres in the match, with the other sent into the stands. Torres had two key passes, sending in a nice cross for Michel in the 14th minute and setting up an opportunity for Silvester van der Water in the 85th. He played every minute of the match and completed 77% of his 35 passes. One of his two attempted crosses found their mark and neither of his two long balls were successful, but he still did well to spark things offensively. The 22-year-old truly was relentless from start to finish for the Lions as he ran all over the field to close down opponents, collect loose balls before they went out of play, and made himself an available outlet for teammates. Torres had two clearances, an interception, and enough fuel left in the tank left in the match to help Orlando secure all three points.

F, Ercan Kara, 6 — The Austrian forward may not have contributed towards a goal, but he was fairly active in terms of holdup play. Kara’s best opportunity came in the 33rd minute, when Pereyra found him making a well-timed run with a through ball. However, he was stymied by good defending from Christian Makoun, who hung tight with Kara and then blocked his only shot of the game. Kara won two of his three aerial duels and had 14 passes at a 78% success rate. He wasn’t able to imprint himself on the game and was subbed off in the 65th minute for Alexandre Pato.

Substitutes

F, Alexandre Pato (65’), 5 — The Brazilian had an off night as he only completed two of his seven passes for a 29% success rate. That being said, the game script didn’t benefit his playing style all that well. Pato does his best work when surrounded by other Lions to play off of, but the Lions sat back as the game went on and Charlotte pushed numbers forward, and he was stranded up top on occasion. He won two of his five aerial duels and had two clearances, including the final one to end Charlotte’s late surge. Pato wasn’t able to exert his skillset to its fullest in his first appearance off the bench for Orlando this season.

MF, Andres Perea (65’), 5 — Coming on to give Orlando some fresher legs in the midfield, Perea had 19 touches and completed 69% of his 16 passes. He helped out defensively with two clearances and an interception to do his part in securing the victory. Perea didn’t make much of an impact in the match, but didn’t necessarily need to as he continues to receive minutes off the bench for Orlando.

MF, Sebas Mendez (74’), 6 — Mendez helped stabilize things for Orlando, completing all three of his passes and chipping in defensively with two clearances, an interception, and a tackle. Araujo may have claimed the starting job over Mendez, but the two make for a nice one-two punch over the course of a match as Mendez can come in and take care of the ball while maintaining the team’s bite on defense.

MF, Silvester van der Water (80’), N/A — The Dutchman was hungry during his brief appearance, putting a shot on frame and not being afraid to take on defenders. He completed both of his passes, was successful on his lone long ball attempt, and added a tackle on defense. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly on his ankle in the dying moments of the game and had to be helped off the field without putting any weight on his left foot.

D, Kyle Smith (80’), N/A — Smith wasn’t on the field long enough to be graded but did well. He had three clearances and a tackle and solidified Orlando’s forces on the right side of defense. He had 14 touches, won both of his aerial duels, and completed four of his seven passes for a 57% success rate.


That’s how I saw each individual performance in Orlando City’s 2-1 win over Charlotte. The penalty made the match a bit closer than the Lions likely would’ve preferred, but it was a nice game from them.

Be sure to vote in the poll below for your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Ruan62
Mauricio Pereyra2
Joao Moutinho2
Facundo Torres4
Other (let us know in the comments)1

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/4/24

Orlando City falls to Charlotte FC in penalty shootout, Orlando Pride defeat the Seattle Reign, Megan Montefusco retires and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I covered high school cross country state semifinals over the weekend, and I’m getting ready to cover a high school soccer playoff match later this week. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Lose Penalty Shootout to Charlotte FC

Orlando City fell 3-1 on penalties to Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night after playing to a scoreless draw in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando’s offense struggled to create anything throughout the match in the attack. The best chance came late in the second half when Facundo Torres thought he had scored the game-winner for Orlando, but the assistant referee deemed him to be offside. In the penalty shootout, Luis Muriel was the only Lion to find the back of the net. Nico Lodeiro and Duncan McGuire had their penalty kicks saved by Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, while Robin Jansson’s kick sailed over the net. The Lions will host Charlotte FC in Game 3 at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday with a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals on the line.

Orlando Pride Defeat the Seattle Reign in Regular Season Finale

The Orlando Pride snapped their two-match losing streak and defeated the Seattle Reign 3-2 to close out the 2024 NWSL regular season. Ally Watt, Kerry Abello, and Marta all scored for the Pride. Even though the Reign fought back to keep it close, Orlando held on for the win. The Pride finished the regular season first in the NWSL standings with 60 points. The Pride will take on the Chicago Red Stars in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NWSL playoffs on Friday in their first home playoff match ever. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.

Megan Montefusco Announces Retirement

Orlando Pride defender Megan Montefusco will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. She’s played in the NWSL since 2015 and joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season. In her time in Orlando, Montefusco made 45 appearances for Orlando and scored in a 2023 Challenge Cup match against NJ/NY Gotham FC. She did not play in any matches in the 2024 season after undergoing foot surgery during the off-season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. Montefusco finishes her career with 179 appearances, scoring three goals and adding four assists across all competitions.

MLS Playoff Roundup

The first round of the MLS Cup playoffs continued over the weekend, with a few teams booking their spot in the next round. The Columbus Crew’s title defense ended after they lost 5-4 on penalties to the New York Red Bulls after a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy dominated the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on the road to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Minnesota United also moved on, defeating Real Salt Lake in a shootout after a 1-1 draw and the Loons will face the Galaxy. The Seattle Sounders edged past the Houston Dynamo 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to advance to the Western Conference semifinals as well.

New York City FC bounced back with a 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati, while Atlanta United did the same with a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami as both teams stayed alive to force a third game in their series. LAFC fell 3-0 on the road to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a match that included two own goals.

Free Kicks


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

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Orlando City

Orlando City at Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s road shootout loss to Charlotte FC?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was offensively challenged in a 0-0 road draw at Charlotte FC and the ensuing penalties that decide who “wins” best-of-three, first-round playoff games. Those challenges included the shootout, in which the Lions made one measly spot kick on four attempts.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this disappointing penalty kick loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 (MotM) — Orlando City might have lost in penalty kicks, but it only got that far thanks to a good night from Gallese. El Pulpo made three huge saves in the match to keep the Lions in the game. In addition to the saves, he did well in owning the box and distributing the ball. Gallese passed at a 76.5% rate on 17 passes with 27 touches. He was successful on four of his eight long balls. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to stop any of Charlotte’s three shots during penalties, guessing correctly once.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — It was a mostly “blah” night for Santos. He was as anemic as the rest of the team in the first half, and most of the second half. He had the most touches of any player with 76, but only managed a 79.4% passing rate on 63 passes and struggled to get through balls to their intended targets to break lines. Santos was accurate on five of his 11 long balls and provided one cross. Defensively, he made two clearances and committed one foul. Santos came off for Kyle Smith in the 74th minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5— I know that Jansson is the captain, but perhaps having a center back go second during penalty kicks isn’t the best decision. When Jansson sent his kick well over the crossbar, he all but guaranteed the return match at Inter&Co Stadium next weekend, as Nico Lodeiro had already seen his attempt saved. He also earned a yellow card for a foul against Patrick Agyemang in the 34th minute. That was the bad stuff. On the good side of the ledger, Jansson had 68 touches, passed at 91.7% rate on 60 passes, and connected on one of his five long balls. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel put in a decent shift on the back line. Defensively, he made three clearances, including one in the 26th minute to keep the ball away from Agyemang, and he made a crucial block in the box. Schlegel touched the ball 69 times with a passing rate of 91.4% on 58 passes, completing one of six long balls. He picked up a yellow card in second-half stoppage time which was his only foul committed.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — It was a mixed bag for Thorhallsson in this match. He had one of the few shots taken by Orlando City, though it was not on target. He touched the ball 49 times and passed at an 88.6% rate on 35 passes. Thorhallsson had a few giveaways, although he also contributed two clearances on defense. He made way for David Brekalo in the 84th minute.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena was his usual good self. He patrolled the defensive midfield, stopping potential attacks throughout the match. The Peruvian touched the ball 59 times and passed at an 88.5% rate on 52 passes. More importantly, he finished with four tackles and three clearances defensively. He was a big reason that Charlotte didn’t put the ball in the back of the net before the penalties.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo put in a solid shift alongside Cartagena. Overall, he was good on the night, though he wasn’t as clean as he usually is, coughing up the ball occasionally. Araujo is also good at earning fouls, drawing three in the match. He managed 67 touches, passed at an 88.1% rate on 59 passes, and was successful on four of his five long balls. Defensively, he recorded one tackle and three clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo had the only shot attempt on target for the Lions in the match, coming on his only shot of the night. Frankly, there wasn’t much behind it, though. He managed 37 touches and passed at an 87.5% rate on 24 passes. He had the same problem that most of the offense had in this game. That problem was a lack of urgency in getting into the attack. It’s pretty telling that he didn’t manage to contribute any crosses. Angulo came off for Luis Muriel in the 88th minute.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5.5 —  Ojeda was excellent in the first match against Charlotte, but he wasn’t really able to make a big difference in this one. It’s not that he was bad, as he passed at a 93.8% rate on 32 passes with a total of 40 touches. He connected on three of his four long balls and made three crosses. However, he did not take any shots nor provide any assists. Ojeda came off for Lodeiro in the 75th minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — Torres was average for most of the match. It wasn’t until Oscar Pareja made the late second-half substitutions that Torres really opened up. He didn’t manage to take a shot or provide an assist, though he did have one key pass. He passed at an 85.4% rate on 48 passes and connected on one of his four long balls. He was successful on one of his six crosses, most of which came late in the match. Torres had a bad giveaway in 49th minute that resulted in a chance for Agyemang, but it was saved by Gallese. Defensively, he contributed three clearances. Had the assistant referee’s flag stayed down for Lodeiro’s run, he would have scored a goal that likely would have pushed Orlando through to the next round, and although it was a well-struck shot, it ultimately doesn’t count.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 4.5 — Given how little offense Orlando City generated, it’s not surprising that Enrique didn’t do much in this match. The striker registered no shots or assists and only touched the ball 17 times. His passing rate wasn’t great at 44.4%, but to be fair, he only made nine passes. He managed to make one tackle and provide two clearances, committing one foul and drawing one foul. If you thought he was quiet in the previous match, he was practically invisible in this one. He was replaced by Duncan McGuire in the 56th minute.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (56’), 5 — McGuire provided a different look for Orlando City’s offense after coming on for Enrique, and he managed to get a shot off, though it wasn’t on target. He finished with just 15 touches, passing at a 55.6% rate on only nine passes. He contributed one clearance and one blocked shot on defense. Most importantly, his penalty kick was saved by Kristijan Kahlina to end the match. Overall, it was a forgettable performance, but his was by no means the only one.

D, Kyle Smith (75’), 5 — Smith came on in the 75th minute for Thorhallsson for defensive help. He seemed somewhat out of sync with his teammates, though he wasn’t horrible. He touched the ball 30 times and completed 78.3% of his 23 passes. Smith completed all three of his attempted long balls and had one key pass. He also didn’t record any defensive statistics in his time on the field. He did, however, help keep Charlotte off the board through the end of the match to send it to penalty kicks.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (75’), 5 — When Lodeiro replaced Ojeda, he was one of the subs that sparked the Lions’ offensive efforts. Though they didn’t get a goal, at least they looked dangerous in Charlotte’s half of the field. Lodeiro attempted four crosses, made one key pass, and was offside three times — this included the play that could have resulted in a late Torres goal. He touched the ball 20 times and completed 68.2% of his 22 passes. On the other hand, he got Orlando City off on the wrong foot in the penalty shootout when he left his shot too close to Kahlina and at a favorable height for the goalkeeper, who guessed correctly and made a good save.

D, David Brekalo (84’), N/A — Brekalo came on in the 88th minute for Thorhallsson as the Lions went to three center backs to see out the game. He only managed six touches, completing one of his two passes. However, he made two clearances, so that’s good.

F, Luis Muriel (88’), N/A — Muriel’s entrance was definitely too little, too late. He came on to help with penalty kicks, and he was the only one to score his attempt. He managed 10 touches and completed 100% of his seven passes.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Friday’s loss for the Lions. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s shootout loss to Charlotte FC.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

For Orlando City, the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs has read something akin to the start of the classic Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. In two games, the Lions truly have demonstrated what could be considered “the best of times and the worst of times,” following a 2-0 victory and now a 0-0 (1-3) shootout defeat in Charlotte.

After controlling the first match in the best-of-three series from the opening kick, Orlando City took to the road looking to close out the series. For the first hour of the match, the Lions seemed to be confused as to what the objective of a soccer match is — putting the ball in the net.

What follows are our five takeaways from a disappointing penalty kick defeat.

Gallese Was Excellent

Pedro Gallese, for me, was undoubtedly the Man of the Match, and I thought that he turned in one of his best performances of the season to keep Orlando City level after 90 minutes. On top of making several heroic saves, showcasing all of the acrobatic combinations that we have grown to expect from El Pulpo, Gallese was also instrumental in keeping his back line organized and compact while facing double digit set pieces — mainly corner kicks. Gallese also did not waffle in his decision making, choosing the proper times to come off his line and collect the ball.

After not facing many attempts in Game 1, Gallese was busier in Game 2 and constantly answered the bell. In the postseason, you cannot expect a better performance from a keeper.

Possession Without Purpose

If you just looked at the box score without watching the match, it would seem like the numbers suggest that Orlando controlled the game once again. Orlando won the possession battle 57%-43% and completed almost 150 more passes throughout the match than Charlotte FC completed (520-377). The possession numbers suggested that Orlando was even more in control in the first half (60.4%-39.6%) but statistics can be deceiving, especially if you do absolutely nothing with that possession, as Orlando did until the waining moments of the match.

We often hear that our team wants the possession to have purpose, but for a decent chunk of the game, it appeared as if Orlando was playing to try to protect a 2-0 aggregate score instead of pouncing on the opposition. The Lions are now faced with an elimination game and will have to get back to playing with purpose if they are to advance to the next round.

Offense Where Are You?

Orlando City failed to register a shot attempt in the first half and the Lions looked passive in their desire to get forward. It wasn’t until after the second-half substitutes had established themselves on the pitch that the team started to resemble the potent attacking force that fans saw in Game 1. Home-field advantage is great, but I felt like the passive nature of the team to start the match, which carried over until well after the hour mark, played right into Charlotte FC’s hands and game plan. The offense has to be better in Game 3 if Orlando City is to advance, and let’s be honest, it could hardly be much worse than three shot attempts and only one on target.

Offside? Are we Sure?

I try to take results at face value and not dwell on what could have been as there are so many individual decisions that occur in a match that it is hard to pinpoint one moment and say that it was the deciding action or call. Against Charlotte FC, in the waning moments of the match, second-half substitute Nico Lodeiro took a ball from Luis Muriel and slotted it into the box for Facundo Torres, who just needed a little space before he found the back of the net. In my living room, I literally jumped for joy only to have my wife point out the assistant referee and his stupid offside flag. As Dr. Seuss might say, “I do not like your stupid flag, I wish you kept it in a bag.” But the assistant referee did not keep it in the bag. He called Lodeiro offside in the buildup by what looked like the slightest of margins and the video assistant referee upheld the call.

I have watched the replay multiple times on Apple TV, although I have been hard pressed to see a clip of it anywhere online, and the more I watched it, the less convinced I am that Lodeiro was in an offside position. To me, I actually thought it was USMNT defender Tim Ream who kept Lodeiro onside. Nonetheless, the goal did not count, but if it had, this series would almost certainly be over.

Penalty Kick Woes

Game 2 against Charlotte FC demonstrated the dangers of what can happen during the playoffs if you don’t win in regulation. Finding success in penalty kick shootouts is not a given right in MLS, and while Orlando has enjoyed itself during trophy runs in the past, like in the buildup to the U.S. Open Cup victory, the same could not be said about the performance in Charlotte. Lodeiro and Jansson both missed to start things off and while Lodeiro’s attempt was at least on frame, it was a poor attempt. The team plane might land back in Florida before Jansson’s sky-high attempt comes back down to Earth. I do not want to see another shootout in the series, and I want to be very clear to the universe that I do not want to see another shootout, because I want Orlando City to win by a score of 4-1 in Game 3.


Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s Game 2 loss against Charlotte FC. The Lions will have a week to recover and retool before looking to close out the series at home on Nov. 9. What things stood out most to you from the match? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, vamos Orlando!

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