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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City showed good fight in its first game in over two weeks in coming back to get a road point against the New England Revolution. The Lions continue to be a pretty good team on the road, and if not for a couple good saves by Djordje Petrovic, might have even been able to sneak out of Gillette Stadium with a win. What follows is how I rated the individual performances in this one.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — It was surprising to see El Pulpo in goal for this one. He played in Peru’s loss to Australia on Monday and one long flight back from Qatar later was in between the sticks in Foxborough. He was largely helpless on Carles Gil’s goal, getting a great jump and full extension but not quite able to get fingertips on the ball as it hit the side netting. He did however, make a great point blank save in the 12th minute to keep things level, and looked assured overall. He finished with two saves, passed at a 78% rate and had 25 touches on the ball.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5.5 — It wasn’t a terrible performance from Moutinho, but it wasn’t his best in an Orlando shirt either. On a night where he was asked to be the more offensive of the two fullbacks he did some good things like completing a dribble, winning two tackles, making an interception, completing three long balls and passing with 84% accuracy while touching the ball 58 times. With that being said he didn’t attempt any crosses and his only shot attempt hit Junior Urso that started the counter on which Gil scored. Moutihno tried to get back but didn’t arrive in time to cover for Jake Mulraney’s defensive effort.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 (MotM) — The big Swede had a typically buccaneering performance. Jansson passed with 81% success with three long balls, completed a dribble, had six clearances, and won three aerial duels and a tackle — all while taking three shots and scoring the equalizing goal. It was a great goal too, as he did well to bring down a high ball, use a change of pace to beat the nearest defender, and slam the ball through Petrovic’s legs into the side netting. He also played almost the entire game while on a yellow card that he picked up in the sixth minute, and showed great discipline to not get another and send Orlando down to 10 men. All in all, it was a worthy Man of the Match performance after a long layoff.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel had a solid game partnering Jansson in defense. Statistically, he won an aerial duel, made two tackles and six clearances, passed at a 78.6% clip, recorded an interception, and took two shots, which were both blocked. He even had a key pass and had some great instances of 1-v-1 defending, but picked up a yellow card in the 77th minute. He also drew three fouls, a couple of which helped relieve some pressure for the Lions. On the whole, he looked solid as usual.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith was extremely busy during this one. He passed with 77.5% accuracy and completed a dribble, while also winning two aerial duels, making three tackles, and recording a whopping eight clearances. He also had a key pass and took one shot, which he got on target and was a bit unlucky not to score from. On a long throw from Moutinho late in the game, Smith controlled the bouncing ball and shot on the half volley from a tight angle, but Petrovic got down very quickly and got a strong hand to it. Smith was the third defender to pick up a yellow card, but with as busy as he was on the night, I’m willing to let it slide.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo looked a little rusty at times during this one. He definitely did some good things, passing at a great 90% clip (tied for second on the Lions) making a clearance, and winning three tackles. He also committed two fouls while being fouled twice to keep things nice and even. However, he was dispossessed twice, which was tied for the most on the team, and got beaten by Gustavo Bou just after slipping a bit in the buildup to New England’s goal. Although he didn’t record any offensive stats, that isn’t really what he’s on the field to do, and didn’t have a bad game overall.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear played well during this one. He did his usual boatload of running and was heavily involved as a result. Urso passed with 90% success, won an aerial duel, took two shots, and completed two dribbles. He also drew two fouls and completed two long balls. The long rest certainly seemed to do him some good as he ran hard all night and was pretty tidy for the duration of the game, something that was impressive considering he touched the ball a team-high 73 times.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra was another midfielder who was highly involved on the night. He passed at an 83% clip, while recording a game-high three key passes in the process. He put his lone shot on target, won a tackle, and drew two fouls. He had an excellent combination with Facundo Torres at the start of the second half to help his fellow Designated Player get off a good shot, and grew into the game well. Pereyra ended the game with 66 touches — second only to Junior Urso. Less good was the first-half free kick which was far too softly hit, as well as being dispossessed once and dribbled twice, but he also wasn’t the only guy who had a few rusty moments.

MF, Jake Mulraney, 6.5 — I was quietly surprised by how well Mulraney played in this game. He passed at an 85% rate, won a tackle, and had a shot that was blocked. He also recorded two key passes, completed a long ball, and drew five fouls. He brought a directness that was a little different than any of the other Orlando attackers and looked pretty sharp. The lone foul he committed resulted in a yellow card, and he came off with just over a quarter of an hour left to play. However he needs to do better in transition defending, as he was passve in allowing Gil lots of space to shoot on the Revs’ goal, although it was a difficult spot for him to be in.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Like most of the OCSC players, Torres had a solid but not spectacular night. He had one shot, which was saved well down low by Petrovic, completed a dribble, drew three fouls, and recorded two clearances. He passed at a crisp 93% rate, which was the best on the team, and completed a long ball as well. He didn’t seem quite able to find the final ball though, and things were just a hair off when it came to unlocking the Revs’ defense, and he got dribbled twice. Still, not a bad outing by any means.

F, Alexandre Pato, 6 — The Duck had a decent, but not great game. He passed at a 79% rate, won a tackle, and drew three fouls. He also took two shots, one of which forced a great save from Petrovic early in the game. He flashed a couple instances of good hold-up play to bring his teammates into the game, but wasn’t the most involved, as he only recorded 30 touches on the night. The service into him wasn’t the best, as Orlando struggled to find the final ball for most of the night, but he’ll have wanted to be more involved regardless.

Substitutes

F, Benji Michel (72’), 5 — I don’t want to seem like I’m picking on the only sub to get a rating, but Benji looked like a guy who spent a spell on the sidelines with an injury. He did good things, like winning two tackles and an aerial duel, and did well to get behind the Revs’ defense and come close to getting in on goal, but there was also a lot of sloppiness. He was dispossessed twice, dribbled once, and passed at a 60% rate on five passes — one of which completely killed an attacking move that seemed to be developing well. Getting more game time should help him, but for now Mulraney might be ahead of him on the depth chart.

F, Ercan Kara (78’), N/A — Kara was fairly quiet in his roughly 15-minute cameo. He passed at a 33% rate on three attempts, and committed two fouls while recording six touches. He did win an aerial duel and managed to get into a good position wide in the box, but could only put the ball low into Petrovic’s chest.

MF, Andres Perea (79’), N/A — Perea also had a short appearance off the substitutes’ bench to give Mauricio Pereyra some rest. He passed with 80% accuracy, had seven touches, and won a tackle and an aerial duel.

F, Tesho Akindele (91’), N/A —Tesho had the briefest of the four substitute appearances, and that was reflected in the fact that his lone touch was the only statistic he recorded during his time on the field.

That’s how I saw the performances on Wednesday night in Massachusetts. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to vote for Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra20
Ercan Kara37
Pedro Gallese6
Facundo Torres7
Other (Let us know who in the comments)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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22 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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