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

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1 year ago

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The Cardiac Cats were back as Tesho Akindele’s late strike lifted Orlando City to a huge 2-1 win over Charlotte FC. It’s the Lions’ second consecutive win away from home after they gave up the lead in their three previous road games. The win moves them up to fifth in a crowded Eastern Conference.

Let’s take a look at how the Orlando City players did individually in this game.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese didn’t have a lot to do as Charlotte only got three shots on target. The goal wasn’t his fault as McKinze Gaines got between Kyle Smith and Rodrigo Schlegel redirecting the cross on goal from within feet of Gallese. The goalkeeper nearly got beat a second time in the dying seconds when Brandt Bronico shot just over the crossbar. But it was a solid performance overall for the Lions shot stopper and another win under his belt.

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — It wasn’t a bad performance by Smith but he was involved in one key negative play. Starting for the suspended Joao Moutinho, Smith won five tackles, had three clearances, and completed 85.1% of his 47 passes. However, he was beaten by the Gaines run in the 66th minute that resulted in the equalizing goal for Charlotte.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel wasn’t supposed to start this game after going 90 minutes for OCB on Wednesday night, but an injury to Robin Jansson pushed the center back into the starting lineup. It was a good performance by the defender, who recorded one interception and a team-high five clearances, including a couple of huge clearances when it appeared that Charlotte had a chance at goal. He completed 96.5% of his 57 passes and 10 of his 12 long balls. The only negative on Schlegel’s game was his involvement in the Charlotte goal as Gaines got between him and Smith.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — The Brazilian center back put in a strong performance, which has become quite common. Carlos recorded one tackle, four clearances, and one blocked shot on the defensive end. He completed 80.6% of his 67 passes, including one key pass, and took two off-target shots. He did concede a dangerous free kick that was inches outside the box, however.

D, Ruan, 5.5 — The right back didn’t have nearly the impact he did the first time these two teams met, when he had a goal and an assist, but it was a good game defensively for Ruan. The Brazilian ended up with one tackle won, two interceptions, and one clearance. The Lions looked to send him down the right early but the balls were too far for him to reach. He completed 71.4% of his 21 passes and had one key pass. That was it for Ruan, who was less visible than you would expect.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo has proven to be a key addition for Orlando City and he had another excellent performance tonight. The defensive midfielder won five tackles, one interception, and one clearance. Going forward, Araujo completed all 40 of his passes, including two long balls. He also didn’t pick up a yellow card, which is always a risk with the hard-tackling midfielder.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — With Alexandre Pato out injured, Pereyra was expected to be the key playmaker for the Lions in this game. On the defensive end, the midfielder had one tackle and two interceptions. He completed 83.3% of his 42 passes and three of his four crosses. Both shots he took were on target and he had two key passes in the attack. In the 70th minute, his free kick forced Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina into a diving save. However, he picked up a yellow card in the 82nd minute which will see him suspended for next Sunday’s game against New York City FC. It’s a big loss for the Lions who will be looking to extend a two-game winning streak.

MF, Jake Mulraney, 5 — It was a difficult game for the Irish midfielder, who will likely be challenged for a starting spot by Niko Gioacchini and Ivan Angulo. The attacker only completed 58.3% of his 12 passes, though he did have a key pass. He also only completed one of his six crosses and didn’t take any shots on goal.

MF, Junior Urso, 7 (MotM) — It was a terrific performance by Urso, who had one tackle, two interceptions, and blocked one shot. He completed 83.8% of his 37 passes and had a pair of key passes. One of those key passes resulted in a secondary assist on Ercan Kara’s goal in the 62nd minute. The other would’ve been a primary assist had Akindele put his first shot past Kahlina. Having a key part in both goals results in him being my Man of the Match.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — After scoring the game-winning goal in New York last weekend, it was another good showing for Torres in Charlotte. He completed 74.4% of his 39 passes and had two key passes. He had three dribbles and put his only shot on target. Torres’ biggest impact was his assist on the Kara goal. After receiving a nice pass from Urso, Torres quickly played a great ball through for Kara, putting him behind the Charlotte defense when he could slide it past Kahlina.

F, Ercan Kara, 6.5 — Kara was on a roll earlier this season after scoring five goals in six games  between May 22 and July 4. However, he hadn’t scored in his last three appearances and had been sidelined by a couple of minor knocks, keeping him out of the lineup since July 31. So it was a welcome sight to see the striker net the opening goal in the 62nd minute. He didn’t do much other than his goal, only recording eight touches, but that’s fine when a target striker scores.

Substitutes

F, Benji Michel (71’), 5.5 — Michel came on for Mulraney in the 71st minute as the Lions looked to see out a draw. He didn’t have a big impact on the game, only recording 10 touches and completing 83.3% of his six passes.

F, Tesho Akindele (79’), 6.5 — Similar to Kara, who he replaced, Akindele wasn’t very active but had a huge impact. He only had 11 touches and completed 71.4% of his seven passes, but he scored the winning goal and had a key clearance on a set piece. His first shot on the counter attack was right at Kahlina, but the rebound went right back to him and he put the second chance in.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (86’), 5.5 — Cartagena was brought on for Pereyra in the final minutes prior to Akindele’s goal. The midfielder didn’t have any defensive stats, but completed both of his passes.

MF, Niko Gioacchini (86’), 5 — Gioacchini came on with four minutes remaining in regular time for Torres. He only had eight touches and didn’t complete any of his four passes, but he did win four aerial duels, which were key as the team was looking to hold onto a 2-1 lead late.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this game. Let us know how you saw it and vote on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Ercan Kara
0
Facundo Torres18
Cesar Araujo23
Tesho Akindele17
Junior Urso8
Other (let us know in the comments)0

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Orlando City

2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Jack Lynn

The 2022 draft pick spent most of his time with Orlando City B during his second year in purple.

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10 hours ago

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December 8, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Jack Lynn joined Orlando City through the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, when he was selected in the first round by the Lions with the No. 18 overall pick. He was then signed to a one-year deal in February of last year with options for the next three years. Much of his time during his first season was spent with Orlando City B, although he did make a few appearances for the first team.

Let’s take a look back at Lynn’s second year in purple.

Statistical Breakdown

Lynn made three appearances in Major League Soccer with the senior side, all of which came as a substitute, and finished with 33 minutes on the field. Defensively, he recorded one interception and two clearances, while committing one foul. Offensively, he won four aerial duels, took one shot, which was on target, drew two fouls, and completed three long balls while passing with 76% accuracy. He did not score a goal or assist on one.

As in 2022, the majority of Lynn’s season was spent in MLS Next PRO with Orlando City B. He had a phenomenal year in the developmental league, and his campaign finished with him being named the league’s MVP and winning the Golden Boot. He played in 27 games for the young Lions, 20 of which were starts, and racked up 1,826 minutes. Defensively, he recorded three interceptions, committed 16 fouls, and was shown four yellow cards. On offense, he took 72 shots and put 40 of them on target, scored 19 goals, drew 15 fouls, and passed with 74% accuracy while completing 13 long balls and 12 key passes but no assists.

Best Game

There weren’t a lot to pick from, but I’ve gone with his longest appearance of the year, which was a 20-minute shift during Orlando City’s 4-3 comeback win over the Columbus Crew. He didn’t record many statistics on the night, as he won two aerial duels, committed a foul, and passed with 50% accuracy. However, he provided a big target up front as the Lions continued to lump the ball forward in search of goals, and he factored in on Facundo Torres’ goal, pulling players away so Ramiro Enrique could collect the ball and start the move that ended with the ball in the back of the net. Michael Citro graded him as a 5 out of 10 in our Player Grades piece, the only game this year in which he received a grade.

2023 Final Grade

As he fell well short of the 450 minute threshold that we require for a player to be given, Lynn has been given a grade of incomplete for the 2023 season. After spending the bulk of his time with Orlando City B in his first two seasons as a Lion, we still don’t have a great idea of what he might be able to contribute to the first team, and we simply need to see more of him to get a better read on his abilities.

2024 Outlook

Lynn remains fairly young and inexpensive, has option years left on his contract, and just tore up MLS Next PRO with Orlando City B. With there being some whispers about overseas teams scouting Duncan McGuire, and the Lions already a little thin at the striker position, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Lynn’s option year exercised. What sort of role he’ll have will then likely depend on what he’s able to show during preseason, but if nothing else he should remain a key part of OCB.

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Lion Links: 12/8/23

Orlando City will play Flamengo in preseason friendly, Kylie Strom signs new deal, USMNT’s Copa America group draw, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

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December 8, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Friday! The work week is almost over and I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I’ll be celebrating a friend’s birthday and knocking out most of the holiday shopping that I haven’t gotten around to just yet. Hopefully the malls aren’t too chaotic. Regardless, it should be a nice next few days. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Will Face Flamengo in 2024 FC Series

Orlando City’s first preseason game will take place on Jan. 27 when it takes on Flamengo at Camping World Stadium as part of the 2024 FC Series, which was previously known as the Florida Cup. Going up against one of Brazil’s powerhouses should be great preparation for the Lions after a record season in 2023 that earned them a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. It will be the second meeting between the two sides after a 2015 friendly in Brazil that Flamengo won 1-0. It will be nice to see the Lions in action at Camping World Stadium again and the kickoff time for next month’s match will be unveiled at a later time.

Kylie Strom Signs New Deal With Pride

Defender Kylie Strom, who was a free agent following the 2023 season, will return to the Orlando Pride after signing a three-year deal with the club. She joined the Pride in the summer of 2021 from Atletico Madrid and started in 26 games this past year, holding down the left back position. The Pride now retain their starting back line heading into 2024 and have full protection in Tuesday’s expansion draft. Although the defense struggled at times, it improved as the season wore on and the Pride nearly made the playoffs. Jordyn Listro is now the only free agent left from last year’s squad.

NWSL Announces Blueprint for 2024 Schedule

The framework for the 2024 NWSL season was revealed and the 182-match regular season has been formatted so that NWSL games don’t take place during international breaks. The biggest change is that the NWSL Challenge Cup is no longer a tournament and now just a match between the NWSL Shield winner and the NWSL champion, meaning San Diego Wave FC will play NJ/NY Gotham FC on March 15. However, there will be a weekend tournament organized by the league for all 14 teams during a break in the regular season while the Summer Olympics take place. The playoffs will feature eight teams and won’t include byes this year, with the quarterfinals starting on Nov. 9 and the NWSL Championship set for Nov. 23. Clubs can begin their preseason camps as early as Jan. 22 and no later than Jan. 29.

Copa America Teams Learn Their Groups

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia in its group in the 2024 Copa America. Uruguay was one of the strongest opponents the U.S. could get drawn against, as the South American team has scored 13 goals so far in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. The important match between the USMNT and Uruguay will take place on July 1 in Kansas City. We’ll see how much Orlando City winger Facundo Torres plays for Uruguay in the tournament. As for Orlando’s Peruvian pair of Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena, Peru is in a tough group against Argentina, Chile, and whichever nation prevails between Canada and Trinidad & Tobago.

We also have a clearer idea on which teams will be playing in Orlando. Two games will take place at Exploria Stadium, with Chile playing either Canada or Trinidad & Tobago on June 29 before Bolivia and Panama face off on July 1.

Gisele Thompson Signs With Angel City FC

Angel City FC signed young defender Gisele Thompson to a three-year contract that had this year count as the first year, with an option for an additional year in 2026. She turned 18 earlier this month and turned down an offer to play at Stanford to instead sign with Angel City, meaning the club did not need to use a draft pick for her to join. Gisele is the sister of Alyssa Thompson, who Angel City traded up to select with the first pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. They are the youngest players on Angel City’s roster and will become the second pair of sisters to play in the league.

Free Kicks

  • The Colorado Rapids are reportedly in talks with American goalkeeper Zack Steffen to sign him from Manchester City.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Favian Loyola

The Homegrown midfielder spent most of the year with OCB but made his MLS debut in July.

Published

1 day ago

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December 7, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City signed midfielder Favian Loyola to a Homegrown Player deal through 2025 on Dec. 2, 2022, with club options for 2026 and 2027. The OCSC Academy product became the club’s 13th all-time Homegrown signing and it was no surprise after his fantastic 2022 season. The Camp Lejeune, NC, was coming off a breakout year in the club’s youth system, which culminated with his selection to the 2022 MLS NEXT All-Star Game, in which he was named MVP. After starting the 2022 season on an academy contract, Loyola earned an MLS NEXT Pro deal, signing it last August. When he signed his Homegrown deal in December he became the first player to climb the club’s developmental ladder from the academy, to the current OCB setup in MLS NEXT Pro, to the first team.

Let’s take a look back at Loyola’s 2023 campaign, which was abbreviated due to surgery on his arm to remove a blood clot on Aug. 27.

Statistical Breakdown

Loyola played in just one MLS match with the Lions, making his first-team debut July 1 in a 3-1 home win over the Chicago Fire. The 18-year-old came on as a substitute in the third minute of stoppage time for Facundo Torres and is officially credited with one minute played, although that match went to nine minutes of stoppage. In that short amount of time he managed six touches and attempted six passes, completing all of them — one of them being a key pass. Loyola did not attempt a shot or record any defensive stats, but he did commit one foul, but he was not booked for it.

The bulk of Loyola’s 2023 season was spent with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro, where he was a key player off the bench for Martin Perelman’s side. He appeared in 20 of the team’s 28 matches, starting seven, and logging 732 minutes. He scored two goals and added three assists, putting 10 of his 21 shots on target during the year. Loyola completed 80.3% of his passes with OCB, served up seven key passes and six successful long balls, and completed three crosses. He recorded four tackles and three interceptions, committed 11 fouls while drawing 10, and was booked three times.

Best Game

With just the one MLS match to his credit, Loyola’s MLS debut against Chicago was his best game of the 2023 Major League Soccer Season. It was a memorable match, as he subbed on for Torres, who set the tone for the Lions with a brace that night, and it was also the game in which Mauricio Pereyra made his 100th appearance with Orlando City. Loyola made the most of his short amount of time on the pitch, despite committing a foul during his first minute of MLS play. He settled in and completed all six of his passes and created a scoring chance just seconds after his foul, when he sent a ball to Ramiro Enrique, although the Argentine had his shot attempt blocked from a tight angle.

2023 Final Grade

As Loyola came up short of the minimum total of 450 minutes played to receive a rating on our 1-10 scale, The Mane Land has no choice but to mark his grade as incomplete for the 2023 season. If his meteoric growth continues, Loyola will likely have much more than one appearance next season as his skills at passing and finding pockets of space translate well to the next level. He wasn’t able to return to the pitch after the surgery for his blood clot, but he should be ready to go for 2024.

2024 Outlook

With Loyola being just 18 years old and the club having him under contract, I would expect his role to be the same in 2024. He’ll be learning the ropes with OCB, playing most of the season with the club’s reserve side in MLS NEXT Pro, where he will continue to be a key player. However, if he continues to develop his game, he could push for more late substitute appearances with the first team or even get a start if the Lions draw a lower-league team in the U.S. Open Cup. One thing Loyola will need to work on is controlling the ball, as he turned the ball over 15 times with OCB in 2023.

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