Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City went on the road and won 1-0 against the New York Red Bulls Saturday night at Red Bull Arena. Facundo Torres scored the game’s only goal and Orlando’s defense held on for all three points. Each team only had one shot on target as neither goalkeeper saw much action.
Let’s take a look at how each Lion performed individually in the win on the road.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — The Peruvian goalkeeper likely won’t complain about only having one save in this match as the Red Bulls only put one of their 15 shots on target. That one save was easy as well, catching a long-range effort from Frankie Amaya that was fired right at him. His distribution could have been a bit better in this one though, only completing 57.5% of his 40 passes and connecting on just nine of 26 long balls. He also sent the ball out of bounds a couple of times late in the match. That being said, he started the play that ended up with Orlando scoring as his long ball found Alexandre Pato. It was Gallese’s eighth clean sheet this season and a nice result after conceding three goals last week.
D, João Moutinho, 7 — Moutinho made crucial defensive plays in this one, including a fantastic sliding challenge to snuff out a counter in the 68th minute and clearing New York’s free kick from the goal line in the dying moments of the match. He played every minute and finished with four tackles, an interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. The left back was unsuccessful on his two crosses and one of his two long balls found its mark. Moutinho’s 40 passes were the third most on the team and he completed them at a decent 72.5% rate. He received a yellow card for halting a counter attack in the first half and will miss Orlando’s game next Sunday against Charlotte FC.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — It was another strong outing from the Beefy Swede as he had two tackles, two interceptions, and five clearances. Jansson also had to turn on the jets at times to chase down Patryk Klimala and did well when putting out those fires. He was successful on 71.4% of his 28 passes and connected on two of six long balls. Jansson was great when making sliding challenges and also won all three of his aerial duels.
D, Antônio Carlos, 7.5 (MotM) — The Brazilian center back led the Lions with a whopping 10 clearances, putting an end to many of New York’s attacks before they could pick up steam. Carlos also had three tackles, two interceptions, and a blocked shot as he bounced back from a rough game last week. When the Red Bulls sent balls past Kyle Smith into dangerous areas, Carlos was there with long strides to see out the danger. Like Jansson, Carlos was a force in the air and won all five of his aerial duels. He had 36 passes at a 75% success rate and two of his six long balls were accurate.
D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Playing at right back, Smith led the Lions with 75 touches and 49 passes, but needed to take much better care of the ball. Only 57.1% of his passes were accurate, neither of his two crosses were successful, and just two of his nine long balls connected. Smith had four tackles and four clearances, but gave the ball away in his own defensive third at times and conceded a pair of free kicks in dangerous areas.
MF, César Araújo, 7 — Araujo offered plenty of support to the back line in this match and had two tackles, an interception, and two clearances. The 21-year-old also used his body to stop a worrying cross late in the match and then earned a throw-in. His 45 passes were the second most by a Lion and 93.3% of them were successful. Four of his six long balls found their mark as well. It was a solid outing from the defensive midfielder and he won three fouls without committing any.
MF, Júnior Urso, 6 — The Bear did a great job on Orlando’s goal, holding up play to wait for runners and finding Torres in on goal to notch his fifth assist of the season. While he often found open spaces in the midfield, he was a bit sloppy with the ball and was dispossessed five times. Both of Urso’s long-ball attempts were accurate and he had 30 passes at a 76.7% success rate. He didn’t have any defensive stats and won four of his eight aerial duels in this win. He struggled physically at times with New York youngster John Tolkin, who got the best of him in 1-v-1 match-ups.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra played the first half fairly deep in the midfield but in the second half he had to fill the playmaking role left by Pato’s exit just before halftime. His passing helped Orlando work its way past New York’s press and he completed 79.5% of his 39 passes. Four of his six long balls were accurate, but only one of his seven crosses found their mark. While the statistics only show an interception and a blocked shot from the captain, his hustle on defense in this match deserves some recognition. Pereyra may not have led Orlando’s offense to a blowout win, but he did the little things to help secure all three points on the road.
MF, Alexandre Pato, 6 — Pato’s night was cut short late in the first half when Dru Yearwood collided into him while he was taking his first shot of the match. Pato couldn’t get much of anything behind the shot as a result and went to the ground in pain. It didn’t look good and he had to be taken off on a stretcher. His time on the field was a mixed bag of brilliant passing and frustrating turnovers. He didn’t record a key pass, but made great through balls into dangerous areas and did well to win the ball up field and find Urso in the buildup of Orlando’s goal. Although he dribbled into trouble and gave the ball away on occasion, Pato completed all but one of his 15 passes for a strong 93.3% success rate and was accurate on his single long ball as well. He didn’t have any defensive stats, but helped apply pressure.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Torres’ goal was from a tough angle, but he put enough behind it that Carlos Coronel couldn’t cleanly handle it as the ball got past the goalkeeper and then bounced off the far post and into the net. He also had a key pass with a cutback cross that served the ball to Pato on a silver platter in the box. The Uruguayan’s quickness helped stretch New York’s defense, but it was his superb passing and control of the ball in tight areas that was crucial for Orlando to beat New York’s pressure. Torres was accurate on 84.2% of his 38 passes, although neither his one cross nor his one long ball were successful. He brought plenty of pressure on defense and had three tackles as well.
F, Benji Michel, 5.5 — His first touch has left plenty to be desired this season and that was an issue again in this game as he had three unstable touches. Michel made a good run to draw a defender to open space for Torres to score, but he didn’t have much more of an impact on offense than that. In 66 minutes of action, Michel only had 16 touches and seven passes at a 71.4% success rate. The Homegrown Player’s speed was certainly an asset at times for the Lions on offense, but a lack of control and strength made it hard for him to influence the match.
Substitutes
MF, Jake Mulraney (45’), 5.5 — .Mulraney came on for Pato right before halftime and played out wide. It took some time for him to find his footing, but he did well when Torres joined him on the left wing. The two did well maintaining possession with quick passing, but not much came from Mulraney on offense. Neither of his crosses were accurate, but one of his attempted crosses did earn the team a corner after a deflection. He had 15 touches and completed seven of his 10 passes. Although he didn’t record any defensive statistics, Mulraney helped break up a few plays late in the match.
F, Tesho Akindele (66’), 5 — Bringing Akindele on for Michel makes sense on paper in order to give the Lions a taller player to win possession and hold up play. But the Canadian lost his two aerial duels and had two unstable touches. He also committed a foul right outside of the box that nearly cost the Lions. Akindele had a tackle, completed five of his seven passes, and finished with 11 touches.
MF, Wilder Cartagena (90’), N/A — The Peruvian midfielder made his debut for Orlando in a brief cameo to help see out the match. He had five touches, most notably when chasing down the ball after Moutinho’s goal-line clearance to end the danger. None of his three passes nor his lone long ball were successful, but it was a very small sample size from which to garner much information.
MF, Andres Perea (90’), N/A — Perea had one touch and one unsuccessful pass in a short stint. He mostly just helped give the Lions some fresh legs late in the match.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando’s 1-0 win on the road. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Antonio Carlos | 5 |
| Facundo Torres | 38 |
| Robin Jansson | 9 |
| Joao Moutinho | 6 |
| Other (Let us know who in the comments) | 1 |
Orlando City
Orlando City Adds Four Players in 2025 MLS SuperDraft
The Lions add a pair of Clemson Tigers, bolstering all three levels of the squad with a midfielder, two defenders, and a forward.
Major League Soccer held its annual SuperDraft today, and while the decision not to broadcast or stream it made it a bit of an exercise in frustration for many fans, ultimately, we learned the results. Orlando City’s day began by staying put in the No. 27 overall slot in Round 1 and selecting Clemson midfielder Joran Gerbet. The Lions added a second Clemson Tiger with their first selection of the second round (No. 46 overall), selecting center back Titus Sandy, Jr. Orlando finished the second round by taking Indiana forward Collins Oduro at No. 57 overall, and finished out the day by picking Marshall defender Takahiro Fujita in Round 3 (No. 87 overall).
Gerbet, a native of Valence, France, began his highly decorated collegiate career at Oregon State University, playing two seasons before transferring to Clemson for his final two years. He was a 2024 Mac Hermann Trophy semifinalist, ACC Midfielder of the Year, a first-team United Soccer Coaches All-American, and earned United Soccer Coaches First Team All-South Region honors. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection and made the All-ACC Tournament Team as a senior.
The 5-foot-11 midfielder helped lead the Tigers to a national championship in 2023 after Clemson won the ACC Tournament, in which Gerbet was named to the All-ACC Tournament Team. He was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2023, a member of the Academic All-ACC Team, and earned United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-South Region honors. While at Oregon State, Gerbet was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection in 2022. He was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2021 as well as a First Team All-Pac-12 Team and Second Team All-Far West Region selection. Top Drawer Soccer placed him on the site’s Freshman Best XI first team.
Gerbet, 23, played in 78 games (76 starts), logging 6,708 minutes over the course of his college career. He scored 12 goals and added 15 assists. Of those, 10 goals and 11 assists came in 42 appearances (40 starts) with the Tigers in his final two years. So, while he played in six more games at Clemson, starting four more and playing 236 more minutes, his offensive numbers still took a big jump.
That could be natural development from a younger player to a more experienced one, but it could also be that the Tigers placed him in a more advantageous role, as he attempted 14 shots and put five on target in two years at Oregon State before firing 54 and putting 18 on target at Clemson.
As a senior, Gerbet scored on all four of his penalty kick attempts — the only four he attempted in his college career.
It appears Gerbet projects as a No. 8 at the professional level, but perhaps with some attacking upside. The Lions parted ways with 2024 draft pick Jeorgio Kocevski after the season, and Gerbet figures to possibly take his roster spot. He may see time with OCB in 2025 if he can earn a contract.
This isn’t the best highlight reel, but it’s the best we saw.
The Lions used the pick they got from Real Salt Lake when they traded Benji Michel’s re-entry right to select Sandy, a 6-foot center back from Charlotte, NC, who played his entire four-year college career with Clemson.
Sandy, 22, played in 48 matches, starting 24, with 17 of those starts coming his senior season. He played 2,520 minutes and did not score a goal with the Tigers, but he did manage four assists — all in his final year. He attempted five shots and put two on target for his entire career.
Along with his teammate, Gerbet, Sandy was part of the Tigers team in 2023 that won the ACC and NCAA tournaments. He earned 2023 Academic All-ACC honors.
As a second-round pick, he’s statistically a longshot to make the first team, but the Lions will give him a long look in camp, and if he shows promise, he could be signed and sent to OCB to see if he can continue to develop his game. Center back is an area of need for Orlando, and if Sandy can show enough, he may be able to land a deal with a strong camp.
Here’s some video on Sandy:
Toward the bottom of the second round, Orlando selected Oduro, a 5-foot-7 Ghanaian forward out of Indiana, the co-Big Ten champions in 2024. The 20-year-old played only two seasons with the Hoosiers before entering the SuperDraft, appearing in 44 games (41 starts) and playing 3,062 minutes. Oduro scored eight goals and added seven assists, firing 92 shots in those two seasons and putting 33 on target. Four of his eight goals were game winners.
He also helped the Hoosiers win the Big Ten regular season in 2023, making him a two-time conference champion, and he and his teammates won the 2023 Big Ten Tournament as well. He was a Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Freshman Team honoree following the 2023 season, a 2023 Big Ten All-Freshman Team member, and a 2024 Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Before arriving at Indiana, Oduro captained The Phelps School as a prep player, where he was named Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 and the PrepSoccer.com Philadelphia Area Player of the Year.
If Sandy is a longshot to make the team, Oduro may be even a longer shot. As a younger player, he’s a good candidate to see if he can develop with the MLS NEXT Pro side.
Finally, the Lions grabbed another defender in Fujita, a 6-foot-2 Japanese-born defender out of 2024 national runner-up, Marshall. Like Oduro, Fujita is a younger player, coming out of college after his sophomore year. He was part of a Thundering Herd defense that kept 11 clean sheets and conceded only 20 goals this season en route to the NCAA final.
Fujita, 20, appeared in 40 matches in his two seasons at Marshall, starting 27 games and playing 2,423 minutes. He scored one goal and added four assists in his two years, attempting 23 shots and putting seven on target.
This is another player the club may try to develop at OCB.
Orlando City
Orlando City Sells Facundo Torres to Palmeiras
The Facundo Torres era in Orlando comes to an official end with his transfer to Palmeiras in Brazil’s Serie A.
The Facundo Torres era with Orlando City officially ended today with the club announcing his transfer to Brazilian Serie A side Palmeiras for what was described as a club-record fee. While that fee was not disclosed by the club, reports indicate it to be around the $12-million mark and as high as $14 million with add-ons. The Uruguayan winger departs as the Lions’ all-time goal-scoring leader both in the MLS era and the combined USL and MLS eras and leaves a difficult hole for the front office to fill.
“Today I say goodbye to a club that marked an unforgettable stage in my career and in my life, my first experience as a professional away from home,” Torres said in a club press release. “Thank you to the staff, my teammates and all the people who are part of this club for the constant support and trust from the first day. I leave with pride for what we achieved together and with the satisfaction of having left my mark on this club that will always be special to me. I wish you the greatest success in the future. Thank you for everything, Orlando. I’ll miss you.”
Torres joined Orlando City as a Young Designated Player on Jan. 24, 2022 from Peñarol, the club in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he made the jump from youth academy player to professional. After transitioning from a YDP to a standard Designated Player, Torres signed a new contract Jan. 10 of this year through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. It seemed Torres had embraced the city and the club and was making a commitment to being an Orlando City leader for years to come, but things can, and do, change, and now his time in purple has come to an end.
His impact on the club has been a big one, as he not only has been an offensive leader in his three seasons in Orlando, but helped the Lions win their first trophy in the club’s MLS era in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship run. His contributions helped Orlando City reach the playoffs each of the last three years, including a run to this year’s Eastern Conference final and a second-place finish in the 2023 Supporters’ Shield standings.
In his three seasons as a Lion, the 24-year-old made 123 appearances (113 starts) across all competitions. He scored a club-record 47 goals, breaking Cyle Larin’s MLS-era mark and Dom Dwyer’s combined USL-MLS record, and added 25 assists. He also holds the club’s record for goals in all competitions in one season (20), which he set this year, and career goal contributions (72). His 14 MLS goals in the regular season were a career high, and at just 24 years old, Torres seemed capable of continuing to develop and improve.
While his value to Orlando City’s roster is evident, the winger was purchased from Peñarol for a reported club-record $7.5 million, so if the reports are even close to accurate, Orlando City could hardly afford to nearly double what it paid for the Designated Player. It would be one of the league’s top 10 transfers in terms of money received and a good bit of business by the club.
“First, we want to thank Facu for everything he has done for this club. He has been involved in so many great moments and successes during his time here that will leave a lasting legacy in our history,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “Because of that success, Facu has generated the attention of the global market, and this is a move that, at this time, makes sense for both Facundo and Orlando City. Not only does this continue a great and established relationship with a successful club in Palmeiras, but it shows our success in developing young talent into world stars. We want to thank Facu again for his hard work and everything he has helped bring to our Club and our fans during his time in Orlando. We wish him the best as he takes these next steps in his career.”
The relationship with Palmeiras that Muzzi mentions includes the successful inbound transfers of former Orlando center back Antonio Carlos — one of the best defenders in club history — and current starting winger Ivan Angulo. Along with Orlando City and MLS, Palmeiras announced today’s transfer on social media. After seeing Torres in purple for three years, his new colors may seem a bit jarring to Orlando City fans.
While it may seem strange to sell Torres to a Brazilian club instead of a European side, it makes a bit more sense recently. Brazilian clubs have been active in the transfer market as buyers from MLS sides, including the hefty price Atlanta’s Thiago Almada brought the Georgia-based club earlier this year, which reportedly set a new league record at about $21 million. Torres could still end up in Europe if he can continue developing his game, but for now he’s closer to home, which he will no doubt welcome every time the Uruguayan National Team calls him up for international duty.
What It Means for Orlando City
In short, the Lions have to go shopping, but they’ve got a good chunk of change to do that with after the sale of Torres. They also have an open Designated Player slot. Torres has scored a lot of goals in three seasons, and the club will need to replace his production. It won’t be easy to do that, but there is plenty of money available. Not only is there a lot coming back for Torres’ sale, but MLS revealed this week that Orlando City is sitting on one of the league’s larger piles of General Allocation Money. There is no financial impediment to improving the squad.
There are multiple ways to do that. With Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel capable of being providers, the Lions could invest in an elite striker, which would make some sense in the short term, with Duncan McGuire likely out until at least mid-May and possibly until late June. Current starter Ramiro Enrique is developing nicely, but if the club can go out and get a consistent 15-goal scorer — and there’s no reason Orlando can’t do that — it can replace Torres’ offense.
Oscar Pareja could deploy an attacking midfield line of Muriel, Ojeda, and Angulo with a new DP center forward. The club could also invest in an elite No. 10 and move Ojeda and/or Muriel into Torres’ former position.
The Lions have not been players in the inbound transfer market yet this off-season, with the Torres sale a necessary first step. But now the pressure is on the front office not just to continue the club’s run of five consecutive postseason appearances, but to find a way to elevate the squad so it can reach the next level.
Orlando City
2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Nico Lodeiro
Let’s take a look at how the Uruguayan midfielder performed during his first year with the Lions.
Orlando City signed midfielder Nico Lodeiro back on Jan. 4. After spending all of his eight-year MLS career with the Seattle Sounders, he joined an Orlando team that had a big hole to fill in the attacking midfield after the departure of former captain Mauricio Pereyra. Despite his age and not occupying a Designated Player spot, it was widely assumed that the Uruguayan was intended to slot into his countryman’s spot in the starting lineup, and his eye for goal had the potential to help the Lions’ attack.
Let’s take a look back at Lodeiro’s first season wearing Orlando City purple.
Statistical Breakdown
Lodeiro appeared in each one of Orlando City’s 34 regular-season games, starting 16 of those and logging 1,697 minutes. He scored one goal in the regular season and contributed 11 assists, which matched his third-highest total in MLS. He attempted 36 shots and put 10 of them on target. He completed 87.5% of his passes, which was his best-ever completion percentage in an MLS season, as he delivered 1,215 of 1,389 accurately. He also recorded 46 key passes, 20 completed long balls, and 20 successful crosses. On defense, he notched 36 tackles, 14 interceptions, eight clearances, and three blocks. He committed 17 fouls and received two yellow cards, while drawing 29 fouls from the opposition.
Lodeiro appeared in each of Orlando’s five postseason games as a substitute, and recorded 58 minutes on the field. He did not record any goal contributions or shots, although he had the assist on a would-be Facundo Torres winner in Game 2 against Charlotte FC which was ultimately ruled offside. He completed 77.4% of his passes, and accurately delivered two key passes, two crosses, and two long balls. Defensively, he made three tackles, chipped in with a clearance, and committed one foul, for which he was not booked, whild drawing two on his opponents.
Nico appeared in all four of OCSC’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting both matches against Tigres and coming on as a sub in both legs against Cavalry FC for a total of 270 minutes. He took four shots (one on target), and provided a goal and an assist in the home game against Cavalry. He completed 86% of his passes and provided one key pass and the aforementioned assist. Defensively, he contributed two tackles and one clearance while committing four fouls, picking up one yellow card, and drawing five fouls from the opposition.
He also started one of the Lions’ Leagues Cup matches and came on as a substitute in the other two, for three total appearances, amassing 83 minutes in the process. He did not score on his four shots (one on target), but he provided an assist in the 4-1 win over CF Montreal. He passed with 81.5% accuracy, completed one cross, and provided three key passes. He drew five fouls, committed one of his own, and was not booked.
Best Game
There are a couple of candidates for Nico’s best game, but in the end I had to go with the 3-2 away win over the Philadelphia Union. Lodeiro got the start in an unconventional 3-5-2 formation and was central to everything Orlando did on offense.
Following things breaking down after a corner kick, he played in a great left-footed cross from the end line which Duncan McGuire headed home to tie the game at 1-1.
He turned provider again just before halftime, as he flicked a pass to Luis Muriel, who then proceeded to cut in on his left foot and unleash a rocket into the top corner to give Orlando the lead.
The Uruguayan then helped put the game away just after halftime, as he half-volleyed a perfectly weighted through ball for Muriel, who calmly rolled the ball into the far corner.
Lodeiro’s offensive stat line in that game read three shots (one off target, two blocked), three assists, a team-high four key passes, and one through ball while drawing one foul. He passed with 85% accuracy and connected on two crosses and two long balls. Defensively, he had two tackles, one interception, one clearance, and one block, while committing one foul for which he was not booked. In our Player Grades piece, yours truly graded him an 8 out of 10, with only Luis Muriel’s 8.5 out of 10 preventing him from taking the Man of the Match award.
2024 Final Grade
The Mane Land staff awarded Lodeiro a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for his first season in an Orlando City uniform. The 13 assists that he provided across all competitions set a new club record and showcased what made him so devastating during all his years in Seattle. He didn’t provide a ton of threat on goal himself though, which was disappointing, considering he was no stranger to finding the back of the net with his previous team.
2025 Outlook
Lodeiro’s performances this season triggered an option year in his contract, so he’s slated to be back with the team next year. It wasn’t necessarily a bad season for him, particularly considering he’s 35 and played a lot of years on the unyielding turf of Lumen Field. Still, he was presumably brought in to take over Pereyra’s starting spot and wasn’t able to cement his hold on it, so there’s some disappointment there. He remains a great passer of the ball as evidenced by his assist numbers, but one league goal is a disappointing return, although it’s worth noting that he had one goal and one fewer assist for Seattle in MLS play during the 2023 season, despite playing almost 800 more minutes. Whether he starts consistently or not, he’s still got the quality to change games as a sub, and if he starts banging in a few goals, then he could make a reasonable case to see more time in the starting XI.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
Orlando City Adds Four Players in 2025 MLS SuperDraft
2024 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Adriana
Orlando City Sells Facundo Torres to Palmeiras
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Orlando City7 days ago2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Facundo Torres
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Orlando City2 weeks ago2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Mason Stajduhar
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Orlando City2 weeks ago2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Yutaro Tsukada
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Podcasts2 weeks agoPawedCast Episode 459: Orlando City Roster Decisions and Facundo Torres Gone?
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