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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Antonio Carlos

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4 years ago

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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)

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

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12 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

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

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