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Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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2 years ago

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Orlando City’s 2022 season ended with a 2-0 loss to CF Montreal north of the border in the first round of the 2022 MLS Cup playoffs. The Lions had some golden opportunities to open the scoring but couldn’t hit the target. That opened the door for the hosts to take the win and move on.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances from this game.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — Gallese didn’t have much to do in this game as Montreal only had two shots on target. The first time the Orlando City goalkeeper was called into action was in the 68th minute, when Ismael Kone got between Antonio Carlos and Ruan and slipped the ball under the Peruvian. The two goals conceded were a one-on-one opportunity and a penalty, so Gallese didn’t make any big mistakes. However, he didn’t make any saves and conceded twice. Additionally, he completed 59.1% of his 22 passes, including six of his 15 long balls.

D, Joao Moutinho, 4.5 — While Moutinho didn’t have a terrible game, he didn’t make much of a positive impact. Defensively, the left back had two tackles, one interception, one clearance, and one blocked shot. He completed 73.5% of his 34 passes, one of his six long balls, and his only cross. What knocked the defender’s grade down a bit was when he took down Djordje Mihailovic in the box for a penalty in second-half stoppage time. Even though a late equalizer was unlikely, the penalty conversion ended any chance for the Lions to extend their season.

D, Antonio Carlos, 5.5 — Carlos was pretty good for most of the game, especially on the defensive end. He had three tackles, two interceptions, two clearances, and three blocked shots. All of those were team highs. He completed 77.4% of his team-high 53 passes and five of his 12 long balls. He would’ve had a higher score but made two mistakes that contributed to the loss. In first-half injury time, Carlos was set up for an open shot in front of goal but hit it over the crossbar. In the 68th minute, he slid over to provide Rodrigo Schlegel some cover — not necessarily an error, but with Ruan being late to recognize the danger, it left space for Kone to receive the ball and score the game’s first goal.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — While Carlos was more active than Schlegel, the Argentine didn’t make any mistakes that cost his team. Defensively, he had two interceptions and two clearances. He completed 84.4% of his 32 passes and one of his four long balls.

D, Ruan, 4.5 — Similar to Moutinho, Ruan didn’t make enough of an impact and was at fault for one of the Montreal goals. He finished the game with one tackle and one clearance defensively. He completed 76% of his 25 passes but didn’t complete either of his two crosses. His biggest impact on the game came in the 68th minute when Carlos slid over to provide some cover for Schlegel. The right back had a perfect view of Kone moving into the hole created by Carlos’ decision but didn’t move inside. Instead, he watched as Kone received the ball and put it past Gallese.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo didn’t have the type of game that Orlando City fans have become used to, but he wasn’t bad in this one. He ended up with three tackles, one interception, and one clearance. On the attacking side, he completed 87.5% of his 40 passes and three of his four long balls. But none of his passes led to a scoring opportunity.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 (MotM) — The Orlando City captain did everything he could in this game to help his team win, but poor finishing by his teammates let him down. Pereyra ended the game with three tackles and two interceptions on the defensive side. He completed 84.6% of his 52 passes and four of his six long balls. Three of his passes were key and two set up the best chances of the game: first in the 25th minute for Ercan Kara and then in first-half injury time for Carlos. He also sent a perfect line-breaking pass to Ivan Angulo, but that too ended in a shot over the bar. Pereyra was, without question, the most positively impactful player for the Lions in this game.

MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 — Torres didn’t have as impactful a game as you would hope from a player of his caliber. He completed 94.6% of his 37 passes but none led to scoring chances. He had one incomplete cross and one successful long ball. His only shot of the match came from the top of the area in the 51st minute. It was a decent look but like his teammates, Torres failed to get the shot on target.

MF, Junior Urso, 5.5 — Like many Lions, Urso didn’t have the game you’d hope for from a key player in a playoff game. The midfielder ended up completing 91.3% of his 23 passes and both of his long balls. He helped out defensively with one tackle, one interception, and two blocked shots. He was unable to get forward and help the attack in his box-to-box role and also wasn’t able to help win balls back and help keep possession much in the game.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo started the game on the opposite side of Torres and had a similar performance, although he was tasked with playing deeper than usual to help out defensively with Alistair Johnston and Mihailovic. He completed 85.7% of his 14 passes but one of those passes led to an opportunity on goal. He took one shot in the first half but it was off target, like every other shot taken by the Lions.

F, Ercan Kara, 4.5 — Kara was more active than usual with 25 touches on the night, which is a considerable total given Orlando City’s lack of possession. He completed 76.9% of his 13 passes but none of them led to a chance on goal. The biggest moment of the game for Kara came in the 25th minute when Pereyra played him through. The striker was in on goal but his shot missed the target, squandering a great chance to take the lead. While there was an opportunity to square a pass for Ruan, the fullback was a bit behind him, so it’s uncertain if he knew the Brazilian was there and that wide open, and it would have required an accurate pass at full speed with his weaker left foot.

Substitutes

MF, Jake Mulraney (77’), 4 — Mulraney came on in the 77th minute for Urso but it was almost as if he never came on. The Irish midfielder only had three touches and completed his lone pass.

F, Benji Michel (77’), 5 — Michel came on in the 77th minute for Angulo to provide speed and energy but was barely noticeable. He only had seven touches, completed his only three passes, and didn’t take any shots.

F, Tesho Akindele (87’), N/A — Akindele came on in the 87th minute for Araujo and didn’t do much in his brief appearance. He didn’t make any costly mistakes but didn’t help much either. The forward only had three touches and didn’t complete his only pass.

D, Mikey Halliday (87’), N/A — Halliday came on with Akindele to replace Ruan. The defender only had three touches and completed two passes in the back.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s final game of 2022. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra18
Cesar Araujo1
Antonio Carlos1
Rodrigo Schlegel1
Ivan Angulo1
Other (Let us know 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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16 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.

Published

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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