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Orlando City

2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Wilder Cartagena

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On Aug. 2, Peruvian midfielder Wilder Cartagena joined Orlando City on loan for the remainder of the 2022 season, with an option to extend the loan through 2023. The veteran provided needed depth behind Cesar Araujo after Sebas Mendez was traded to LAFC a few weeks prior. He became the second Peruvian player on the roster alongside goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

While Araujo held down the starting spot for Orlando City, Cartagena came off the bench and started here and there to give the 21-year-old some relief during a congested end to the season for the Lions. He also made an appearance with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro to help settle in with Orlando.

Let’s dive into how Cartagena did in his first season with the Lions.

Statistical Breakdown

Since he didn’t come to Orlando until August, his only appearance in the U.S. Open Cup was the final on Sept. 7. In that match, Cartagena came on in stoppage time to help ensure the Lions held onto their lead. He completed both of his passes in that match and took a shot that was off target.

Cartagena’s first appearance for the Lions was a brief one, coming on late in Orlando’s 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 13. His first start came a little over a week later on Aug. 21, when the Lions went on the road and beat Charlotte FC, 2-1. During the regular season, he started in four of his eight appearances, playing for 331 minutes. The defensive midfielder finished the season with 16 tackles, five interceptions, and three clearances. Cartagena had 178 passes at a solid 86% success rate and connected on 12 of his 21 long balls. Although he didn’t have a goal or an assist with the first team, he did contribute three key passes. Of his six shots, only one was put on target. However, five of those shots were taken from outside of the box. Apart from a few errant passes, Cartagena took care of the ball when it was at his feet and only had one unsuccessful touch. He won three of his five aerial duels, committed nine fouls while suffering three, and was shown two yellow cards.

Cartagena also made a single appearance for Orlando City B, starting in the team’s 5-2 win over Rochester New York FC. In 64 minutes of action, he completed 80% of his 30 passes and scored in the second half with his lone shot of the match. Jake Mulraney delivered a nice ball to the back post on a free kick and Cartagena was able to head it home to give Orlando a 3-1 lead.

Best Game

Cartagena’s best outing came on Sept. 17 in Orlando City’s dominant 4-0 win against Toronto FC. Filling in for Araujo, he played a season-high 85 minutes and helped slow down a talented Toronto offense that had scored multiple goals in the four prior matches. Cartagena led the team with four tackles and also added a pair of interceptions. He completed all but three of his 43 passes for a team-high 93% success rate, had two key passes, and was accurate on five of his seven long balls. His lone shot was a weak one from distance that went wide, but it was otherwise a very strong performance from the Peruvian against a desperate Toronto team. Cartagena quietly served as the team’s backbone in the midfield to let Orlando’s offense run rampant, receiving a solid 6.5 rating for his efforts in our player grades.

2022 Final Grade

In his first year in Orlando, Cartagena didn’t spend enough time on the field to receive a grade. That has less to do with his performance and more to do with Araujo’s stranglehold on the position. His 331 minutes were only 81 fewer than Mendez’s for Orlando during the 2022 regular season. While Cartagena was efficient when on the ball and solid defensively, there were a few misplayed balls forward that will only be ironed out of his game with more time playing with his teammates. While he wasn’t brought in to score goals, his game will improve if he can reliably put his shots from distance on frame. A preseason learning the tendencies of his teammates and Oscar Pareja’s system will only help him should he stay in Orlando.

2023 Outlook

It makes plenty of sense for the Lions to extend the 28-year-old’s option through the 2023 season. Even if Andres Perea and Joey DeZart both stay in Orlando, neither are likely to overtake his spot in the midfield’s depth chart. The club could go out and add some depth at the position during the off-season, but Cartagena did well enough in his first year with the Lions to warrant staying another year. That being said, he’s a bit of a journeyman and has never played more than two seasons with the same club.


Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/29/24

Lions brace for the Red Bulls, Pride take on Chicago, OCB will play Inter Miami II in Bradenton, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! Today marks one year since we here at The Mane Land published our first story here at our new independent home. It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s already been a year. Thank you all for sticking with us or checking us out since our move. That kind of support goes farther than you might think. I joined the team back in October of 2016 as an editor and it’s only just now hitting me that I’ve been here for nearly a quarter of my entire life. Here’s hoping for another great year of independence and Orlando soccer!

Orlando City Set to Host New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s match at home Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls was noted as one of the top matches in the league this weekend. The Lions earned their first win of the MLS season last weekend and will look to build on that momentum heading into tomorrow. The Lions will also get a boost from players returning from international duty, with Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, David Brekalo, and Peruvian duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena back. They’ll have their hands full against a New York team that’s coming off of a 4-0 win over Inter Miami. Lewis Morgan had a hat trick in that match and Orlando’s defense will have to find a way to keep him and the rest of the Red Bulls from running rampant.

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s third match of the NWSL season kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. when they host the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride enter this match following a gritty 1-1 draw against Angel City FC, with Brazilians Angelina and Marta linking up on a corner kick for a late equalizer. One thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s match will be how the Pride’s shorthanded defense can limit Chicago’s attack. The Pride have targeted versatile players while rebuilding, and that proved to be worth it last week as multiple players stepped up to fortify the back line. The last time these two sides squared off in Orlando was in August of last year, with the Pride coming up with a big 5-0 win. Hopefully we get to see a similar result tonight.

OCB Match Will Be Part of Generation Adidas Cup

Tuesday’s MLS NEXT Pro match between Orlando City B and Inter Miami II will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton and will be part of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup. The participating teams of the tournament were invited to attend the match, along with their families, and fans can watch the match for free on the league website. The match will be broadcast in English, but a new AI dubbing platform will be used to instantly translate it into Spanish, French, and Portuguese. It will supposedly maintain voice and tone, so I’m morbidly curious to hear just how artificial it will sound.

Generations Adidas Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Speaking of the Generation Adidas Cup, the youth tournament kicks off tomorrow. All MLS academy teams will compete alongside some of the top youth teams from around the world in both the U-15 and U-17 age groups. Orlando City’s U-15 side was noted as one to watch after a strong run of form this year. Caleb Trombino has been solid defensively and Jakob Garcia has the attacking talent to light it up in this tournament. The team can make a statement when it takes on Arsenal’s U-15 squad at 10 a.m. this Sunday. That match, along with 27 others, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions received some special visitors for their training.
  • Somehow, the Seattle Reign’s Ji So-Yun beat Marta to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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