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

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3 years ago

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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

PlayerVotes
Antonio Carlos5
Facundo Torres38
Robin Jansson9
Joao Moutinho6
Other (Let us know who in the comments)1

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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Blast D.C. at Home

Lions get back in the win column in emphatic fashion with goals from all three Designated Players and Homegrown fullback Alex Freeman in Javier Otero’s first MLS start.

Published

3 hours ago

on

March 22, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

All three of Orlando City’s Designated Players scored goals for the first time in club history and Homegrown defender Alex Freeman also put the ball in the net as the Lions (2-2-1, 7 points) crushed D.C. United (1-1-3, 6 points) 4-1 at Inter&Co Stadium. Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, Freeman, and Marco Pasalic built the Lions a 4-0 lead that could have been even larger if not for a couple shots off the post, before Lukas MacNaughton spoiled what would have been the team’s first shutout of the year.

Javier Otero didn’t get the shutout in his first MLS start, but he got the win with six saves, including a couple of big ones.

“It was very important to add three points tonight the result brought,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “A very good performance and confidence to the players. We felt that everyone is raising their level and that make us collectively and a stronger team. There is a lot of work to do still, but tonight was that one game where we must add three points and play well so we can raise the confidence.”

With Pedro Gallese away for international duty, Pareja’s lineup featured Otero in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Freeman. Cesar Araujo returned to the starting central midfield alongside Eduard Atuesta behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Pasalic, with Muriel up top.

D.C. played with a high line, which Orlando looked to exploit whenever the Lions won the ball. The home side struggled to stay onside in the early going, but managed to find opportunities as the game settled in.

However, it was United fashioning the game’s first chance just four minutes in. Aaron Herrera cut inside of Angulo and smashed a shot on target. Otero did well to catch the shot without spilling it in front of the charging Christian Benteke.

“The players out there, my teammates, gave me confidence, just as I hope that I filled them with confidence throughout the game too,” Otero said. “The team was working and training really well this week, and I think you could see that out there on the field.”

The Lions’ first chance came in the 10th minute when Pasalic sent a good cross into the area for Muriel. The Colombian didn’t make good contact with the aerial cross, and it skipped well wide of the net. Three minutes later, Muriel sent in either a soft shot or a pass in front, but none of his teammates made a run from the left and the ball was easily scooped up by D.C. goalkeeper Kim Joon-hong.

Angulo cut in from the left and fizzed a shot just wide of the right post in the 14th minute, as Orlando continued to press the attack. Muriel was sent down the right side of the box two minutes later. Trying to pick out the upper right corner, he fired his shot just off frame.

Orlando broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. Angulo got into the attack on the right for a change, and he laid off a pass for Freeman. The Homegrown fullback fizzed a good cross out in front of goal and Muriel met it in midair, heading past Joon-hong and under the bar to make it 1-0.

Ojeda had an opportunity to double the lead three minutes after Muriel’s goal, firing a volley shot on the left. His shot would have gone well wide to the right, but it hit a defender and deflected righ tto Joon-hong.

D.C. started keeping more of the possession, helped in part by a lot of physical play being allowed by referee Tori Penso, who ignored Jansson getting run over from behind by Benteke on one occasion. Otero did well to get to his back post and catch a corner kick cross to snuff out an attack.

Ojeda’s second scoring chance resulted in a scuffed shot right at the goalkeeper in the 39th minute. The Argentine seemed to struggle to get clean hits of the ball or get his shots through cleanly, but that worked to his advantage moments later.

Angulo dispossessed the D.C. defense just outside the box in the 44th minute, giving the ball to Ojeda on the left. The Argentine fired a shot that hit the backside of Herrera and found the inside of the right post to make it 2-0.

Not much happened in the two minutes of stoppage time and the Lions took their 2-0 lead into the break.

At the break, D.C. held the advantage in possession (51.3%-48.7%) and corners (2-0), but Orlando City had the edge in shots (8-3), shots on target (3-1), and passing accuracy (86.5%-85.7%).

Neither side made any changes at halftime and D.C. came out looking to pull a goal back. Boris Enow fired wide of the right post from well outside the box just moments into the second half.

Orlando City extended its lead moments later. Araujo was fouled near the left sideline and Ojeda stood over the free kick and delivered a great back post ball for Freeman to head home, making it 3-0 in the 50th minute.

“The kids play when they deserve to play,” Pareja said about Freeman’s performances this season. “That’s the way it is, and they know that when they play, they have to match the level and keep it, and that’s what he’s doing. Alex is growing in the opportunity that came to him. Has been taking it with responsibility, with maturity, scoring goals. I’m excited with him and the competition he has behind him is not easy because Dagur (Dan Thorhallsson) had a tremendous season and is a tremendous player. I’m happy for Alex, and he’s growing at the point that I think he needs to be seen by the national team.”

The Lions continued to create danger with Muriel taking the ball and going on the attack with Ojeda. He tried to play in his fellow Designated Player near the top of the box, but Joon-hong got to the ball just in time to prevent a shot.

Benteke hit the post for D.C. moments after that chance, but the flag came up anyway for offside. Instead of United pulling a goal back, the Lions extended the lead two minutes later.

All three Designated players combined as Muriel flicked down a long ball into Ojeda’s path. The Lions’ No. 10 played the ball right to Pasalic on the wing. The Croatian then cut to his left inside MacNaughton and blasted a golazo into the upper left corner to make it 4-0 in the 56th minute.

“When you play so good together, then, like these goals come,” Pasalic said. “I said before I came, my left foot can be a weapon, and today it was a weapon.

The attack kept coming. Ojeda forced a good save from Joon-hong in the 60th minute, and two minutes later, McNaughton’s last-second intercession kept an Ojeda pass from finding Muriel in front of an empty net.

Otero was called into action in the 68th minute and made a second big save in the match, denying a redirect from Dominique Badji in front off a cross from the right.

The Lions then fashioned a trio of great chances that all came close to making it 5-0. The first was a shot by Muriel on target that required a big save by Joon-hong. Ojeda picked up the rebound and fired a shot off the outside of the right post. Orlando quickly stole the ball after the ensuing goal kick and Angulo rang the right post with a shot from the left in the 69th minute.

Orlando again came close to a fifth goal in the 76th minute. Muriel attacked 1-v-1 and got outside of his defender, but he pulled his shot just inches wide of the left post.

Gabriel Pirani fired a wicked curling shot from well outside the area in the 77th minute. Otero didn’t seem to see it at first but then made a terrific save to push it out for a corner.

“Otero’s was a very positive performance coming from the academy,” Pareja said.

Ojeda again got down the left in the 83rd minute. He smashed a shot over the bar as he got caught leaning back a bit on his attempt.

About the only thing that went wrong for Orlando on the night was conceding in stoppage time. A ball into the area was headed back across by Benteke. McNaughton was the first to it and he powered his header into the net to make it 4-1, spoiling Otero’s shutout.

“After all those things that happened tonight that were positive for us and that give us reasons to be happy and celebrate, when we conceded that goal, the pain was big too, for me, because we need to elevate the way we’re defending,” Pareja said. “That’s going to make us get results.”

“I know it hurt for the whole team, this one goal,” Pasalic said. “It’s okay. Four-zero would be better.”

Moments later, the final whistle blew on a dominant Orlando City win. D.C. had a late flurry of shots — mainly from outside the area — that allowed the visitors to close the final statistical gap.

Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (61.4%-38.6%), shots (19-15), and shots on target (7-6). D.C. won more corners (10-1) and passed more accurately (85%-83.6%).

“I thought we were the team who had the best chances all the time, and we proposed a game the way we wanted,” Pareja said. “I think collectively, from the first minute, we had the best options playing against a very tough team, but we did great things as well.”

“We played incredible today. The team spirit was there from the first minute,” Pasalic said. “We fought. We played together. We played like a team.”

The Lions’ home stay was short, as they will now head out on the road for their next two matches. The first is a trip to California to play the LA Galaxy next Saturday.

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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City looks to snap a two-game winless skid behind a first-time MLS starting goalkeeper at home against D.C.

Published

9 hours ago

on

March 22, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (1-2-1, 4 points) and D.C. United (1-0-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first of the two scheduled MLS matches this season between the Lions and the Black and Red, with Orlando City’s return trip to Audi Field scheduled for Sept. 13.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 8-9-2 against D.C. in the all-time league series since the club joined MLS, and 8-9-3 in all competitions. Orlando is 5-4-1 in MLS home games against D.C. Oscar Pareja is 7-6-2 in his managerial career against United.

Orlando City swept the season series a year ago. The teams last met on July 6, 2024 in Orlando, with the Lions running roughshod over visiting United in a 5-0 win on the night when Kaká became the first player inducted into the Legends Terrace at Inter&Co Stadium. Martin Ojeda, Robin Jansson, Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, and Ramiro Enrique all got on the scoresheet, with three of those goals coming before United center back Lucas Bartlett was sent off for denying Angulo a goal-scoring opportunity late in the first half. 

The Black and Red had managed four consecutive results in the series (3-0-1) prior to the Lions’ visit to Audi Field on April 13, 2024. United went ahead twice in the match on goals by Christian Benteke and Gabriel Pirani and led the game late. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson equalized in the first half, and David Brekalo made it 2-2. Duncan McGuire’s well-timed breakaway goal in stoppage time lifted Orlando to a 3-2 road win.

The last meeting in 2023 took place in Orlando on April 22, 2023, with D.C. scoring twice in the second half to snap a 1-1 deadlock and win, 3-1. Taxiarchis Fountas, Donovan Pines, and Benteke scored for D.C. to more than offset McGuire’s strike.

These teams squared off just a few weeks before that in D.C., splitting the points in a 1-1 draw on March 11. McGuire scored his first MLS goal but Chis Durkin leveled things late in a match that was sandwiched between Orlando City’s two legs of Concacaf Champions League play against Tigres UANL.

D.C. swept the season series in 2022, despite being a terrible team that “won” the league’s Wooden Spoon by no small margin. The meeting in D.C. that year took place July 31 and saw Orlando City dominate the first half but miss multiple glorious chances to put the game away early. The Lions were wasteful, taking only a 1-0 lead into stoppage time thanks to Junior Urso’s first-half goal, only to fall 2-1 on stoppage-time strikes by Durkin and Fountas.

The teams also met on Independence Day at Exploria Stadium, with D.C. putting together a performance out of nowhere in a 5-3 road win. Fountas netted his first MLS hat trick and Kimarni Smith and Nigel Robertha added their first goals of the season. Torres, Ercan Kara, and Alexandre Pato scored for Orlando, threatening to bring the Lions back, but Orlando could never get on level terms.

The teams met twice in 2021, including Oct. 2 at Exploria Stadium. Daryl Dike scored deep in stoppage to lift the Lions to a 2-1 home victory. Jansson scored a first-half goal off a corner kick scramble to offset an early Julian Gressel strike. The first match of 2021 took place on May 16 in D.C., with the Lions winning 1-0 on an early Mauricio Pereyra goal. That win snapped United’s 3-0-1 streak in the series in league play and 3-0-2 in all competitions dating back to City’s previously most recent win over D.C. back in 2017.

The teams did not meet in what was an odd 2020 season.

D.C. United swept the season series in 2019, winning 1-0 at Audi Field back on June 26, 2019. Wayne Rooney’s wondergoal from his own half of the pitch caught Brian Rowe napping. The Lions fell 2-1 at home on March 31, 2019, with set pieces ruining the night for Orlando. You might recall the controversy that surrounded the winning goal, with then-coach James O’Connor visibly upset after the match. Steve Birnbaum scored the first on a set piece and Rooney scored the second on a free kick that he took from wherever the hell he wanted rather than where the foul occurred. Frederic Brillant bulldozed Rowe on the play as the ball sailed into the net.

D.C. was 1-0-2 in three total meetings (two in league play) in 2018. Orlando swept the two league meetings in 2017, the teams split two lopsided games in 2016 — with each team winning at home — and the Black and Red went 2-1-0 in the first three meetings back in 2015.

Match Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 2-2 road draw against the New York Red Bulls and is winless in its last two matches (0-1-1) — both on the road. The Lions are 1-1-0 at home this season, including a 4-2 win over Toronto FC in their last match at Inter&Co Stadium on March 1. Orlando has been leaky on defense, surrendering 10 goals in just four matches, using four different back lines in four outings this season, with starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese away on international duty for tonight. On the other hand, the Lions have scored nine goals in the first four games, with newcomers leading the way. Marco Pasalic leads the team in goals (3), with Eduard Atuesta leading in assists (3).

D.C. is unbeaten (1-0-3) after last week’s scoreless draw at home against CF Montreal. The Black and Red are 0-0-1 on the road, having drawn the Fire 2-2 in Chicago on opening day. Benteke is the only United player with more than one goal, having scored three already this season. D.C. also has seven players with one assist, but nobody has more than one.

The Lions will need to be aware of where Benteke is at all times. The former Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Aston Villa man is always in the thick of the MLS Golden Boot race. Benteke’s size and strength make him difficult to defend in the air, so Orlando City will need to pull out all the stops to try to starve his service while making him uncomfortable in the box. The Congo native is averaging six shot attempts per match this season. Orlando will also have to eliminate its recurring defensive lapses in order to give Javier Otero a shot at a win in his first MLS start in goal.

“Coming off the road with that tight game against the Red Bulls, this is a test for us to keep getting better,” Pareja said ahead of the match. “Now we have a game at home, an important game. In general, I am happy with how the team is gelling together. And there’s a bunch of other things, but we have to add results because that is what makes us really feel that things are good.”

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Favian Loyola (thigh), Nico Rodríguez (thigh), Yutaro Tsukada (knee), Gallese (international duty — Peru), Brekalo (international duty — Slovenia), and Colin Guske (international duty — U.S. U-18). D.C.’s injury report wasn’t available as of this writing, but United will be without Kye Rowles (international duty — Australia) and Matti Peltola (international duty — Finland). As of last weekend, Conner Antey (knee), Jackson Hopkins (ankle), Hakim Karamoko (abdomen), and Randall Leal (thigh) were all out.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

Bench: Carlos Mercado, Kyle Smith, Thomas Williams, Joran Gerbet, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Gustavo Caraballo, Shak Mohammed, Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire.

D.C. United (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Kim Joon-hong.

Defenders: David Schnegg, Lucas Bartlett, Lukas McNaughton, Aaron Herrera.

Defensive Midfielders: Boris Enow, Hosei Kijima.

Attacking Midfielders: Joao Peglow, Gabriel Pirani, Jared Stroud.

Forward: Christian Benteke.

Bench: Luis Barraza, Derek Dodson, Garrison Tubbs, Rida Zouhir, Fidel Barajas, Jacob Murrell, Gavin Turner, Brandon Servania, Dominique Badji.

Referees

REF: Tori Penso.
AR1: Brooke Mayo.
AR2: Kathryn Nesbitt.
4TH: Fotis Bazakos.
VAR: Ricardo Montero.
AVAR: Joshua Patlak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC). You can also catch our live updates on Bluesky (@TheManeLand.bsky.social).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City Suddenly Has Plenty of Striker Options

How an early return by Duncan McGuire could change the complexion of Orlando City’s attack.

Published

14 hours ago

on

March 22, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

In the waning moments of Orlando City’s 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls, 2023 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick Duncan McGuire entered the match to the surprise of virtually all who have followed Orlando City over the last several months.

McGuire was injured during a classic Cardiac Cats performance, drawing a late penalty after being pulled down by Djibril Diani in the final leg of the 2024 playoff series against Charlotte FC. The penalty allowed Orlando City to equalize, take the match to penalty kicks, and eventually win the series. However, it cost McGuire his off-season, as he injured his shoulder on the play and had to undergo surgery in December. McGuire was originally projected to need four to five months for recovery and rehabilitation after the procedure, which led many to think that the USMNT pool striker would not see the field until the end of April or later.

The injury and recovery timeline for McGuire seemed to lock in a clear path of succession for the striker position. Ramiro Enrique was all but certain to start the season up top with Designated Player Luis Muriel filling in as a super substitute. The sneaky Enrique ended the 2024 season on a tear and can find the scrappy goals that more often than not make the difference in close matches. He finished the 2024 season with eight goals, which was third most on the squad behind Facundo Torres (14) and McGuire (10). Enrique started the first two matches of the 2025 season, but unfortunately has yet to find the back of the net.

A pleasant surprise so far during the beginning of the season has been the start that Muriel has been enjoying. He has now started in back-to-back road matches, and throughout the first four games of the year has three goal contributions — one goal and two assists. Possibly more important for Muriel than his goal contributions has been the eye test. He appears to be far more comfortable now in his second year of MLS action.

This poses a good problem for Orlando City to have as Head Coach Oscar Pareja likes to start the hot hand (or foot rather), and having Muriel increase his production, along with having a known commodity in Enrique, allows the manager the freedom to customize his lineup to different opponent weaknesses.

The wrench now is what to do with a potentially healthy McGuire. Coming back into the fold a full month earlier than his earliest expected return can only be viewed as a positive, but it begs the question of who should start as striker even sooner than the coaching staff may have been prepared to answer. Granted, McGuire may still be a few weeks away from 100%, but in limited action against the Red Bulls — he entered in the 87th minute — McGuire looked poised and formidable. He quickly won a corner and set Enrique up for what should perhaps have been the game-winning goal.

Someone has to start up top, and for the time being, it feels like Muriel may continue to get the nod as he has been producing results. The coaching staff tried starting two up top last season and it was not very effective, leading me to think that will not be something we see deployed this year. We may see Duncan’s substitute minutes increase over the next few matches as he continues to get match fit. Enrique, by process of elimination, may wind up finding himself as the odd man out once McGuire reaches full health and fitness. The good news for Enrique is that there are other avenues for him to earn playing time, as he has been deployed on the wing before, giving spells to players like Ivan Angulo.

Only time will tell who ultimately separates themselves from the pack to earn the starting role, but having three capable healthy strikers available for selection can hardly be viewed as a bad problem. Hopefully, they will continue to push one another in practice as all three improve. Let us know who your first starter of choice is and why in the comments below. As always, vamos Orlando!

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