Orlando City
2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Nicholas Gioacchini

It seemed like the Lions were getting just what they needed when Orlando City signed U.S. international forward Nicholas Gioacchini on July 20 from Caen in France’s Ligue 2. The 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup champion is a young attacking piece that seemed destined to bolster a struggling Orlando City offense. As it turned out, Gioacchini made only a few appearances, making his debut with a cameo off the bench in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against the New York Red Bulls on July 27. His debut in league play came at D.C. United on July 31.
But by season’s end, it seemed the (now) 22-year-old forward wasn’t deemed ready for regular minutes and was expected to be more important to the club’s future plans than to elevate the Lions in their push for a playoff spot this year. Let’s take a look back at his first season in purple.
Statistical Breakdown
Gioacchini made one U.S. Open Cup appearance, playing five minutes off the bench in Orlando City’s 5-1 drubbing of the New York Red Bulls on July 27. He played just five minutes and didn’t contribute a goal, assist, or shot attempt, completing 66.7% of his passes and committing one foul, which earned him a yellow card.
Appearing in six MLS games (two starts), Gioacchini tallied only 134 minutes of playing time in league play for the Lions in his first season in Orlando. He did not produce any goals or assists and attempted just three shots, of which none were on target. He passed at a 67.2% rate with one key pass and contributed one tackle, one interception, and one clearance. He committed one foul while drawing five, and he was not shown a card of any color.
The forward did not appear in Orlando City’s playoff game in Montreal. He did, however, play a game with OCB in MLS NEXT Pro, starting against Rochester on Aug. 17. In his 82 minutes on the pitch, Gioacchini recorded an assist and completed 68.2% of his passes but did not score a goal or attempt a shot.
Best Game
Gioacchini’s first start as a Lion was probably his best performance. He was a little unlucky early to not latch onto a good pass that found him in front and the mistouch ruined a scoring opportunity. He drew a penalty on a Jimmy Medranda foul with a good cutback move in the box, but teammate Mauricio Pereyra’s poor attempt was easily saved by Stefan Frei. Gioacchini was also unlucky not to pick up an assist in the game when he headed a ball from Pereyra across the box for Ivan Angulo, but Frei made a great point-blank save to keep Angulo’s header out.
36' | So so close from Angulo 👀
0-1 | #ORLvSEA pic.twitter.com/byr6oEQjuL
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) September 1, 2022
In the match, Gioacchini completed 70.6% of his 17 passes, which was his best percentage in an outing of more than 10 minutes. He had one key pass, and one off-target shot. Gioacchini won one aerial and drew a foul without committing one.
2022 Final Grade
Because he didn’t meet the minimum number of minutes played (450) to fairly earn a grade in 2022, the Mane Land Staff rates his performance this year as incomplete. There were certainly flashes of brilliance in his game, particularly with his movement. One such moment was when he earned the penalty against Seattle. He just seemed to be forcing things with regard to passing sequences with his teammates at times and he never quite got into form. That’s not all his fault, as he didn’t see regular minutes, but you would expect even a young player of his caliber to offer more shots and shots on target, so this off-season may provide him a better opportunity to settle in.
2023 Outlook
Gioacchini’s deal runs through the end of the 2024 season. Clearly, the forward needs to get regular minutes to stay in the USMNT picture. We expect him to come into preseason camp prior to the 2023 season with the goal of earning a starting spot or at least a place in the team’s regular rotation. The 22-year-old has a ton of upside and may become more comfortable with Oscar Pareja’s style and better able to build chemistry with his teammates with a full camp under his belt, rather than trying to pick both up midseason.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
- Jack Lynn (10/21/22)
- Joey DeZart (10/22/22)
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.

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.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
- Alex Freeman: (11/29/23)
- Abdi Salim: (12/1/23)
- Kyle Smith (12/1/23)
- Junior Urso (12/5/23)
- Favian Loyola (12/7/23)
Lion Links
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.

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.
- According to reports, St. Louis City will trade away Lucas Bartlett, Jared Stroud, and $300,000 in General Allocation Money to D.C. United in exchange for 23-year-old midfielder Chris Durkin.
- Everton broke out of the relegation zone with a surprising 3-0 win over Newcastle United. Everton has responded well after being handed a 10-point reduction last month, winning three of its past four games.
- Prosecutors in Italy requested the maximum ban of four years for Paul Pogba for doping after he tested positive for testosterone.
- Brazilian club Santos was relegated for the first time in its 111-year history, and its fans aren’t handling it very well.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
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.

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.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
- Alex Freeman: (11/29/23)
- Abdi Salim: (12/1/23)
- Kyle Smith (12/1/23)
- Junior Urso (12/5/23)
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