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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Cesar Araujo

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2 years ago

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Orlando City signed Uruguayan midfielder Cesar Araujo on Jan. 7 from Montevideo Wanderers to a three-year contract with an additional club option year. Araujo’s signing was part of Major League Soccer’s U22 Initiative, a program designed to promote the growth of younger players and to remove some of the roadblocks to their paths to professional soccer by giving teams incentive and opportunity to sign such players at a reduced budget charge.

Araujo was expected to come in and battle Sebas Mendez, Andres Perea, and Joey DeZart for playing time but instead he quickly claimed the club’s No. 6 role as his own and made Mendez a bench player who was ultimately shipped out in search of playing time elsewhere.

Let’s look back at Araujo’s first season in Orlando.

Statistical Analysis

In the U.S. Open Cup, Araujo appeared in all six matches (5 starts), logging 475 out of the 600 total available minutes (two of the games included 30 minutes of extra time). He scored two goals on three shot attempts, putting two of the three on target. Araujo completed 88.4% of his 293 pass attempts with 19 accurate long balls and recorded two key passes but did not notch an assist. He finished with eight interceptions, committing 11 fouls, suffering 15, and earning two yellow cards.

During the regular season, Araujo appeared in 31 of Orlando City’s 34 games (28 starts), logging 2,462 minutes — fifth most on the team. He did not score a goal but he did assist on one, attempting just 17 shots all season and getting only two on frame. He passed with 90.7% accuracy, 12 key passes, 74 accurate long balls, and two accurate crosses. Defensively, he compiled 73 tackles, 31 interceptions, 29 clearances, and six blocks. He committed 43 fouls and suffered 69, receiving eight yellow cards and getting sent off once.

Araujo also started in Orlando’s playoff match in Montreal, logging 87 minutes. He did not score or assist on a goal or attempt a shot. He connected on 87.8% of his 41 passes and completed three accurate long balls but did not have a key pass or a cross. Defensively, he finished with three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. He did not commit a foul but drew one and was not booked.

Best Game

Just going by defensive play and controlling the midfield, there are a lot of matches to choose from, but the no-brainer best game here from Araujo is his two-goal performance against the New York Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on July 27 in Exploria Stadium.

The Lions fell behind in stoppage time just before the break when Lewis Morgan scored in transition and it looked as though the Red Bulls would carry momentum into halftime. But Orlando City won a corner kick in the final seconds of the opening period and made it pay off. Araujo pounced on the rebound of a header that crashed off the left post and swept it home for his first professional goal, tying the score at the death of the half. The youngster’s excitement was obvious and the celebration seemed to boost the entire team, setting the scene for a big second half.

Mauricio Pereyra gave Orlando its first lead in the game just one minute and 16 seconds into the second half, finishing a fantastic team goal. That set the stage for Araujo to give the Lions some insurance in the 62nd minute on another corner kick. Alexandre Pato’s delivery was deflected into the air. Benji Michel headed it across the box and Araujo picked it out of the air in one motion and smashed it home for his brace, giving Orlando City some breathing room en route to a 5-1 drubbing of the Red Bulls.

Araujo’s two goals were scored on his only two shot attempts of the match. His two shots were a season high in all competitions, matched only once, and his two shots on target were a season high. He passed at an 87.2% rate in the game, with three accurate long balls.

Defensively, Araujo helped limit the dangerous Morgan to just two shot attempts and 68.8% passing. He committed three fouls and took a booking in the match, but that’s part of the central midfielder’s job and without Araujo snatching momentum from New York at the death of the first half, Orlando City might not have won its first major trophy in its MLS era this past season.

2022 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff rated Araujo’s first MLS season with an incredible composite score of 8 out of 10 for the 2022 season. Among the staff, Araujo is considered one of the team’s most valuable players from this past season and while some of that is likely that his contributions were a bit surprising in comparison to some of the higher profile signings, it is mainly because he played extremely well. Just 20 when he was signed, the now-21-year-old midfielder has looked far more like a seasoned veteran than many older central midfielders around the league. If the Uruguayan had any issues adjusting to a new culture, league, and team, those issues never showed, which is a testament to Araujo’s maturity and quality of play.

The only knock on his game isn’t really a knock at all. Defensive midfielders aren’t expected to contribute heavily to a team’s offense, but if Araujo can provide more opportunities for his teammates via long balls or through balls (although he does have a mean long throw), and knock in an occasional goal in league play, he’d become even more exceptional.

2023 Outlook

Araujo is signed through 2024 with an option for 2025, but European teams will be inquiring soon if they aren’t already. Orlando City would be wise to keep him for as long as he’s willing to stay. If the Lions manage to hang onto him for another year, and he continues to play like he has, I’d be shocked if he wasn’t in Europe by the start of the 2023-2024 season. Ideally, if/when the Lions sell Araujo, the club should do what it can to find a partner willing to loan him back to Orlando City the way the Chicago Fire did with Chelsea and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. The young Uruguayan midfielder is just 21 and is already among the best defensive midfielders in Major League Soccer. You don’t part with a player like that until you absolutely have no choice.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

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6 minutes ago

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January 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

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Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

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4 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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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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1 day 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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