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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Antonio Carlos

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Orlando City signed Antonio Carlos on a one-year loan deal that included an option to buy at the end of the season back on Dec. 30, 2019. The Lions liked what they saw out of the Brazilian during the 2020 season and he was signed to a permanent three-year deal in December of that year after the season concluded. In his first two seasons in MLS, Carlos was a lock to be in the starting XI whenever healthy and that was again the case this year, as the defender had a brilliant start to the season on the pitch and looked like a lock for an MLS Best XI spot with his play early on.

Unfortunately, his 2022 season was interrupted due to a hamstring injury he sustained in a home loss to LAFC on April 2 when he was fouled from behind by Brian Rodriguez. The club announced five days later that Carlos’ injury did not require surgery, however, Orlando City stated his timeline for a return was from three to four months. He missed 10 games and returned on June 24, so he came back a bit quicker than expected. He played in one match before sitting out the next two and then he returned for the rest of the season, with the exception of the Decision Day match against Columbus, as he was suspended for that one.

When he returned from his knock, Carlos was a bit inconsistent at times, showing his quality but not quite reaching the pre-injury form he was in. Part of that can be attributed to getting back to full fitness and perhaps some lingering effects from the hamstring but also he lost his regular central defense partner for the season after just six more full games together.

Let’s look back at Carlos’ third season in purple.

Statistical Breakdown

Carlos played in the final three of Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup matches, starting two of them and logging 223 minutes. He did not contribute a goal or an assist during normal play, however, he did score on his penalty in the shootout victory over Nashville SC following the teams’ 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals. Carlos attempted three shots — one in each match — but did not direct any on target. He completed 86% of his 138 passes, contributed one key pass on his one cross attempt, and launched 15 accurate long balls — including eight in the semifinal win over the New York Red Bulls and six in the final. Defensively, he contributed four interceptions and helped the team keep a clean sheet against the Sacramento Republic. He committed two fouls, suffered three, and picked up a booking in the final against Sacramento.

In the regular season, Carlos appeared in just 21 of Orlando City’s 34 matches (18 starts), logging 1,624 minutes — his lowest total of minutes played in a season since joining the Lions. He did not score a goal on his 14 shots, three of which he put on target to equal his career high set last year. However, he did contribute one assist on 87.2% passing and he finished with three key passes and 79 successful long balls. Defensively, Carlos contributed 22 tackles, 31 interceptions, 11 blocked shots, and 95 clearances. He committed 17 fouls, suffered 12, and earned six yellow cards, which led to a suspension in a must-win season finale for accumulation.

Carlos also started in Orlando’s lone playoff match in 2022, playing all 90 minutes. He did not score or assist on a goal, attempting one off-target shot in the match. His passing rate was just 77.8% in the game and he did not have a key pass, but he did have five successful long balls. He contributed three tackles, four interceptions, three blocks, and three clearances in the match. He committed two fouls without drawing one and was booked in the game.

Best Game

Carlos had a lot of standout games, but I’m going to go with his performance in Orlando City’s 1-0 win at the LA Galaxy on March 19. The Brazilian was a beast against the formidable Galaxy attack, posting two tackles, two blocks, one interception, and a season-high 14 clearances to help Pedro Gallese post a clean sheet on the road. In fact, Carlos and his teammates held the Galaxy to only three shots on target in the match. In addition to his stellar defensive effort, he registered a shot attempt (albeit off target) in the match, passed at an 89.3% accuracy rating, and was accurate on five of his eight long balls. He committed two fouls, drawing one and avoided a booking. His strong defensive play was one of the major reasons that Orlando won its first game in the state of California.

2022 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Carlos a solid composite rating of 7 out of 10 for his third season in Orlando. This is his lowest rating in his three years with the Lions after he received a 7.5 in 2020 and an 8 for 2021. I personally had him rated slightly higher than the staff average but not by much. Carlos started the season looking like he might turn in an MLS Defender of the Year type of season in 2022, but the injury he suffered against LAFC derailed that run of form. Late in the season, after partner Robin Jansson went down with a season-ending injury, it appeared that Carlos was trying to do too much at times when he was paired with Rodrigo Schlegel — or perhaps he was just fatigued from playing 90 minutes in 12 consecutive competitive games in all competitions from Aug. 31 onward — and it cost the team a couple of crucial goals against, but it was still a bright season overall for the Brazilian.

2023 Outlook

Carlos will turn 30 in March but is under contract for 2023 and the club holds an additional option for 2024. Despite his $900,000 base salary this past season, I expect he will be the starter whenever fit at right center back in 2023. Orlando’s starting central defense pairing, when healthy, is as solid as any in the league. While they may not chip in as many goal contributions as a few of the other marquee center backs in the league, Carlos and Jansson have great chemistry together and that’s critical for a back line.


Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-0 loss in the Eastern Conference final?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Every loss stings, but season-ending playoff losses hurt the most, and unfortunately Orlando City felt that deep sting Saturday night, losing 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls and falling one game short of advancing to MLS Cup. The Lions simply did not have it offensively, again, and it led to the Red Bulls celebrating a smash-and-grab victory on the field of Inter&Co Stadium after the final whistle. Ugh, I did not like typing that at all.

I have my purple pen out and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference final matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — There was not a lot for Gallese to do during this match, as while the Red Bulls did pose a threat offensively, they only managed seven shots and just one shot on goal, a well placed header off the post that no goalkeeper would have saved. Gallese made a great play to snuff out a late breakaway, coming well out of his box and making a sliding block with his body to keep the score 1-0, but aside from that, most of his game contributions were in distribution, and he did not have his finest game in that area, connecting on only 61.5% of his passes and only six of his 16 long-ball attempts.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — The Brazilian left back gave a strong effort, but was just was unable to make a major impact on the game. Orlando City attacked up the left side 45% of the time, but despite having so much possession and so many touches (a team-leading 88, 21 more than the next highest player), Santos passed at just a 68.8% rate, only completed one long ball and did not have any successful crosses in seven attempts. Some of those crosses were good, but New York kept them from reaching their targets. Defensively, he chipped in four clearances. In the attacking end, Santos fired one of Orlando City’s nine shots and registered one of the team’s meager three shots on target and drew two fouls without committing any.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson was solid in the back, providing his standard steady defending in partnership with Rodrigo Schlegel, and helping to limit the Red Bulls from getting any shots on target during the run of play. As the Lions began to chase the game in the second half and found themselves stretched, he made several excellent defensive recovery runs to track back and win it back, though when he did get the ball back I thought too often he settled for just launching the ball forward instead of trying to work the ball up the field out of the back. He blocked two shots and finished with two clearances. He completed 78.3% of his passes, a number which was limited by connecting on just six of 15 long balls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — As is his trademark, Schlegel was intense and engaged for the full 90 minutes and left everything on the field. He and Jansson did an excellent job protecting the center of the box, limiting the Red Bulls to very few scoring opportunities through the middle of the field. Schlegel picked up a yellow card for a professional foul late in the game, but at that time the Lions were stretched and chasing the game and if not for his foul New York may have put the game away. The Argentine was the best passer of the back four (89.7% and 1/1 on long balls) and provided three clearances.

D, Dagur Dan Thórhallson, 6 — Orlando City played primarily down the left side of the field during the Icelandic defender’s time on the field, and so despite playing 60 minutes, he only had 24 touches and did not contribute much offensively with those touches. Thorhallsson passed at a 75% rate without attempting a long ball or creating a scoring chance. On the defensive side he led the team with five clearances, but overall it was a quiet night for Thórhallson, and he was removed in an offense for defense substitution in the 61st minute.

MF, César Araujo, 6.5 —Araujo played a solid match in the middle of the field, completing 94.2% of his passes, winning a team-leading four aerial duels, drawing two fouls, blocking one shot, and making one interception. I thought he was far closer to his usual standard than his midfield partner Wilder Cartagena, but despite his work rate and contributions, he was removed late in the game for Jack Lynn, as the Lions needed to throw all of their attacking players onto the field to try to find an equalizer.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5 — Cartagena picked the worst night to have perhaps his poorest performance of the season, as he was not the dominant player in the middle of the field that we saw in nearly every game. Everything seemed a step slow for the Peruvian midfielder and his touch was off as well, he only completed 79.4% of his passes, only the fourth time all season he was under 80%. The goal scored by the Red Bulls happened right behind him, and it appeared to me that it was his man who came in unmarked while he was watching the ball instead seeing both ball and man. Cartagena was subbed off in the 71st minute for Nico Lodeiro in a like for like substitution. His best moment was sending a great ball down the left for Martin Ojeda, setting up a golden opportunity for Facundo Torres. It was one of the Peruvian’s three successful long balls on six attempts. Defensively, he blocked a shot and had one interception.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5.5 — I don’t want to overly castigate Angulo for his foul that led to the game’s only goal, but it was a completely unnecessary one, and in a game against a team that struggles to score from open play, there was no excuse for giving the Red Bulls a cheaply earned set piece opportunity. That said, it is not Angulo’s fault that Cartagena did not stay with his man on the free kick (or perhaps got confused about whether someone behind him was supposed to pick up that runner — only the Lions know for sure), but without that foul, there would have been no dangerous cross in the first place. That was the moment of the match, but it was only one moment, and Angulo brought a lot to the table during the rest of that match. His speed up the left side created chances, he completed 90.5% of his passes, and the Colombian also showed his versatility by stepping back into a right back/right wingback role late in the match as Orlando City tried everything to get as many attacking players on the field as possible. I think he left everything on the field before being subbed out in the 88th minute for Kyle Smith, but I wish he had also left his hands down when trying to double the ball in the 47th minute. Angulo attempted one shot that was just wide, registered one key pass, and recorded one clearance.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 (MotM) — Ojeda made the offensive play of the game for Orlando City, making a great run up the left side to get onto Cartagena’s well-placed pass, drawing two defenders out of the middle, and playing a perfect cross to a wide-open Facundo Torres. On another night he would have added an assist to his ledger and the rest of the game could have played out completely differently. Ojeda was all over the field for the Lions, making plays all across the attacking third and leading the team with three chances created. In a departure from the normal substitution pattern, he stayed on the field when Luis Muriel entered the game and deservedly so, as I felt he was Orlando City’s most impactful player throughout the match. Ojeda passed at a 77.8% clip, including the aforementioned three key passes, two of his three long balls, and three successful crosses on 15 attempts. His lone shot attempt wasn’t on frame. The Argentine added a clearance on the defensive end.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres was active, but he did not have the precision that he showed during the late summer run and will rue the huge chance he missed in the 32nd minute, one that certainly would have changed the entire tenor of the game. I was surprised he chose to shoot to his right instead of his left, as Torres is an outstanding shooter to his left when attacking from the right, and he left his shot far too close to Carlos Coronel for an easy save. The Uruguayan did get another shot on goal on a header late in the match, but it also did not trouble Coronel, and though he drew a team-leading three fouls, none of them led to any great chances for Orlando City. The Lions attacked down the right side on only 24% of their possessions, and with their focus on going left, Torres had few chances on his preferred right side to cut back into the middle to cause havoc. The enduring memory from this game for Torres will be that missed opportunity, one that I think he generally scores for more often than not, but alas on this night it was not to be. Aside from that, he passed at a 78.2% rate, completing one of his two crosses and one of his two long balls, but he surprisingly did not register a key pass. Torres also didn’t register any defensive stats.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 7 — Orlando City followed its usual substitution pattern and removed Enrique after 61 minutes for Duncan McGuire, but I wish Oscar Pareja had found a way to keep him on the field instead, because I thought he was one of the two Lions (along with Ojeda) playing the best during his minutes on the field. He drew a team-leading three fouls to match Torres in that department and was constantly making darting runs all over the attacking third of the field. He made a great hustle play to create one of Orlando City’s best opportunities, but rather than shooting, he tried to finesse past a defender to get a better angle and the chance fell apart. Enrique’s only shot attempt was not on target, and he passed at 77.8% accuracy on just nine attempts without a key pass or attempting a long ball or a cross. He won three aerials and chipped in defensively with a team-high two tackles and an interception.

Substitutes

MF, Luis Muriel (61′), 6.5 — Muriel once again changed the game once he stepped on the field, helping to ratchet up Orlando City’s attack, but despite playing several high-level passes, nothing ended up coming from any the plays he initiated. Muriel also had a half-chance late in the game that he badly mishit, skying a ball high and to the right, so much so that it actually stayed in bounds due to all the back and sidespin on the ball. Even though Orlando City’s best chance came before Muriel entered the game I thought the offense looked better when he was on the field, and I walked out of the stadium wishing that he had come on right after New York had scored, as he clearly grasped the urgency and played like it throughout his time on the field. Muriel completed 90% of his 20 passes, including a key pass and a completed long ball on his lone attempt, but his one cross attempt did not meet the target. Neither of his two shots hit the target either, but he added a tackle on the defensive side.

F, Duncan McGuire (61′), 6 — The most impressive play McGuire made while on the field was a full-field sprint back on defense to break up a counterattack, and while that was a big play to prevent a possible doubling of the lead, you generally want a striker’s most impressive play to come while attacking the opponent’s goal, not defending their own. McGuire got one shot off, attempting to finish on a ball played beautifully over the top by Muriel, but he could not get his body turned enough and the ball went harmlessly into the stands off his weaker left foot. The effort was there on Saturday night, but the final product was not. He completed six of his nine passes (66.7%) without a key pass, long ball, or cross. He won an aerial but contributed no defensive statistics.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, (71’), 6.5 The Uruguayan came on around his usual time, but with the Lions playing from behind, he was asked to play differently than he has in recent appearances off the bench. By the end of the game he was playing as the sole defensive midfielder, with Orlando City throwing everyone forwards in hopes of tying the game. I thought he was excellent off the bench and that he outplayed Cartagena, the man he replaced in the lineup, completing 84.9% of his 33 passes, including his only long-ball attempt, however, he did not create a scoring chance or complete a cross. He added a tackle on the defensive side.

MF, Kyle Smith, (88’), N/A — By the time Smith entered, Orlando City was no longer in a standard formation, so Smith debatably came in as a right back or possibly as a right midfielder when he entered the game in the 88th minute. It really did not matter though, as he only had time for four touches and two attempted crosses, neither of which led to significant opportunities for the offense, and he didn’t play long enough to fairly warrant a grade.

F, Jack Lynn, (88’), N/A — Lynn made his first appearance of the playoffs as Orlando City was desperately chasing the game, but only had one touch and really did not have the opportunity to influence the game at all.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-0 playoff loss. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on the Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 12/2/24

Orlando City’s playoff run ends, Barbra Banda nominated for Best FIFA Women’s Player, USWNT draws against England, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all of you had a good Thanksgiving weekend spent with your family and loved ones. Under Armour kept me busy all weekend, along with working at Wrigley Field for the Northwestern and Illinois college football game. Let’s all wish Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar a happy birthday! It was frustrating to see Orlando City’s season end over the weekend, but let’s get to the links to catch up on all of the action.

Lions Fall to the New York Red Bulls in MLS Playoffs

Orlando City’s 2024 MLS playoff run ended on Saturday after a 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls at Inter&Co Stadium in the Eastern Conference final. Andres Reyes scored the lone goal to seal the win for the Red Bulls to advance to the MLS Cup final for the second time in club history. It’s the second time this postseason that the Lions have been shut out. Orlando didn’t beat the Red Bulls at all this year, drawing 1-1 at home and falling 1-0 on the road during the regular season prior to this playoff match. Orlando’s 2024 season ends just one round before reaching what would have been its first MLS Cup final appearance. Considering how Orlando’s season started, turning things around to finish as one of the final four teams in the playoffs gives the Lions something to build on next year.

Barbra Banda Nominated for Best FIFA Women’s Player Award

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda has been nominated for the 2024 Best FIFA Women’s Player Award. Banda is coming off a stellar season in her first year with the Pride, leading the club with 17 goals and scoring the winning goal against the Washington Spirit to seal Orlando’s first NWSL Championship title. She scored a hat trick for Zambia in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris against Australia as well. USWNT players Sophia Smith, Lindsey Horan, Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman are also in contention for the award. Other notable players nominated are last year’s winner, Aitana Bonmati, Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze, and Jamaican forward Khadija Shaw.

LA Galaxy Beat Seattle Sounders to Reach MLS Cup Final

In the Western Conference final, the LA Galaxy defeated the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park. Dejan Joveljic scored a late goal in the second half to seal the win for the Galaxy and clinch a spot in the MLS Cup final. Joveljic has scored five goals in the postseason and the Galaxy return to the MLS Cup final for the first time since 2014. Riqui Puig added the assist on Joveljic’s goal and has three assists and four goals this postseason. Unfortunately, Puig suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the match and will miss the final when the Galaxy host the Red Bulls on Saturday.

USWNT and England Play to Scoreless Draw in Friendly

On Saturday, the United States Women’s National Team fought to a scoreless draw against England in front of a record crowd at Wembley Stadium. The USWNT thought it had scored a goal in the second half courtesy of Lindsey Horan, but the goal was waived off due to offside. The USWNT was also given a penalty kick after it appeared defender Alex Greenwood handled the ball, but the decision was overturned after a VAR check. The USWNT will travel to The Hague to take on the Netherlands tomorrow at ADO Den Haag Stadium at 2:45 p.m. for its final match to close out the year.

Scouting Report on the Netherlands

Stars and Stripes FC unveiled its scouting report on the Netherlands. The USWNT will face the Netherlands for the 11th time, winning eight of the past matches. Their last meeting was a 1-1 draw in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage. Some notable names on the Dutch roster include forward Chasity Grant, goalkeeper Lize Kop, and defender Dominique Janssen. Kop is known for her quickness to get to the ground and possesses the physical strength to absorb contact from her opponents when going after aerial balls. Veteran defender Danielle van de Donk is another player to keep an eye out for, as she can still provide a spark and identify gaps in the opposition’s defense. Even though this is a friendly, this match will provide another test for Head Coach Emma Hayes to give opportunities to the younger players while building chemistry for the squad.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina and forward Adriana were both in action for Brazil in a friendly on Sunday. Brazil won 2-1 over Australia.

  • That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s disappointing playoff exit against the Red Bulls.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looked to advance to the MLS Cup final as the club hosted the Eastern Conference final for the first time in its history. Unfortunately, for the sold-out crowd at Inter&Co Stadium, the Lions came up just short and lost a 1-0 defensive battle to the New York Red Bulls. Getting to the Eastern Conference final is no small achievement, but the loss likely leaves many with a sense of “what if,” as the postseason finally has arrived. What follows are our final five takeaways of the Lions’ 10th year in MLS.

Bland Start

For a team that usually does not dominate possession, the Red Bulls came out of the gate on the front foot and likely surprised Orlando City with their early aggression. The Red Bulls started the game with the type of drive and desire that I would have assumed to see from Orlando City as the results during the playoff run where OCSC has been the aggressor were far more desirable. Instead, Orlando looked content to let the visitors dictate the pace of the game and attempted to find attacks on the counter. While there were some such chances, they proved unsuccessful.

Lack of Connectivity

Throughout the match, Orlando committed many careless giveaways. Several of these came in the team’s defensive third throughout the first quarter hour of play, but as the game wore on, some promising buildups collapsed with errant passes in the attacking half. The Lions’ passing rate in the first half was below 75%, which is uncharacteristic of their usual quality. While New York’s pressure was responsible for some of that, Orlando City players looked at times like they expected different runs or positioning from their teammates once they started to enter the final third.

Golden Opportunity Missed

Orlando City grew into the first half and started to inject more of its preferred style of play as the game hit the half-hour mark. Orlando’s best chance came in the 32nd minute when a pass from Wilder Cartagena released Designated Player Martin Ojeda down the left side of the field. Ojeda did well to run onto the ball with pace and draw the remaining two Red Bulls defenders toward him before squaring a pass for fellow DP Facundo Torres. The Uruguayan had time and space in the box to pick out a spot, but he may have felt rushed and fired his shot far too close to goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. Torres will likely lament his shot placement and a missed opportunity that could have put his team ahead before halftime. It was a relatively easy save for the goalkeeper, and in that moment, one would expect a player of Torres’ quality to do better after Orlando had executed a perfect buildup.

One is Enough

It is ironic that the deciding and lone goal of the match came from a set piece, as Orlando was one of the league’s best during the year in not conceding goals from set pieces. The shocking moment came before most fans were likely back in their seats from their halftime beverage run and bathroom breaks. Ivan Angulo committed an unnecessary foul on the right side of the penalty box, setting up a free kick by the left-footed John Tolkin. The kick had plenty of pace and was swinging in toward the far post. Andres Reyes made an unimpeded run to the post as the Orlando City defense left him completely unmarked. Reyes made good contact with his free header, leaving no chance for Pedro Gallese to make a save. It was New York’s only shot on target of the night, meaning the Orlando defense allowed just one shot on target — and 14 total shot attempts — in the team’s final two playoff games of 2024.

No Late Magic Off the Bench

The final 45 minutes plus stoppage time of game play after the breakthrough goal involved Orlando sending on every attacking component that the coaching staff could muster, looking for an equalizer. Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel, Jack Lynn, and Nico Lodeiro all entered the match as second-half substitutes, looking to change the outcome. The Lions were unable to muster many successful looks, as New York looked to pack in the defense and grind out the game. Ultimately, with no goal to show for their efforts and by allowing the NYRB to score on their only shot attempt on target, the Lions came up just a little short of advancing to the clubs’ first-ever MLS Cup final.


Those are our takeaways from a 1-0 home playoff loss to the New York Red Bulls. The 2024 season will be remembered as a long and winding one, which started in Victoria, British Columbia and ended with the first conference final appearance in team history. Let us know what your takeaways were in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

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