Good morning, everyone! It was nice to get a first look at the 2025 edition of Orlando City on Saturday, but the experience was sullied by an injury that we’ll speak more about shortly. Regardless, we continue to march towards the start of the season with a closed-door scrimmage against Forge FC up next on the docket today. We have a ton to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Wilder Cartagena Injury Reports

Wilder Cartagena exited Orlando City’s preseason game against Atletico Mineiro with a non-contact injury, naturally leading to fears about what the injury would be. While the club has not released a diagnosis at the time of writing, reports are emerging that the Peruvian midfielder suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon. There are some reports that go as far as saying that he will undergo surgery soon. If true, Cartagena could be sidelined for anywhere from a few months or up to a year, depending on the severity of the injury. We’ll keep you updated as more news becomes available.

Orlando City B Schedule Released

In much more pleasant news, the MLS NEXT Pro schedule was released, which means that we have OCB’s roadmap for the upcoming season. The Young Lions will get the season started at home on Sunday, March 9 against Columbus Crew 2 with a 7 p.m. kickoff. OCB closes the season at home against FC Cincinnati 2 on Decision Day, which will be on Sunday, Oct. 5. The team will play 14 home games, 13 away games, and one at the neutral site of IMG Academy in Bradenton. Most of the games will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with the rest appearing on mlsnextpro.com.

Americans in Champions League Action

The UEFA Champions League will have its final matchday of the league phase on Wednesday, and there are a lot of Americans who will be competing. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan can guarantee a place in the top eight of the standings with a win when they welcome Dinamo Zagreb to San Siro. Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, and Esmir Bajraktarević also have a lot to play for with PSV Eindhoven, as a loss or draw risks the club being overtaken and eliminated from the competition. Aside from Juventus, all other teams featuring Americans are placed anywhere from 14th-24th, so the stakes are high during this week’s action.

NWSL News Roundup

Monday was a busy day for the National Women’s Soccer League, so let’s get caught up. The Houston Dash acquired former Orlando Pride forward Messiah Bright in a trade with Angel City FC. The Dash sent $100,000 in inter-league transfer funds to Angel City in exchange, and that number could increase by up to $50,000 with incentives. The Chicago Stars noted that Mallory Swanson has not joined the team for the start of camp due to personal reasons. Jenna Nighswonger has reportedly been sold to Arsenal for a fee of $100,000.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City went old school to bring us a look at Monday morning’s training session.

• The Pride meanwhile, opted for a more traditional route.

• Congratulations are in order for the team of Baby Lions that became the PreMLS NAC Champions for the 2013 age group!

• Former Lion and cowboy hat enthusiast Benji Michel is training with Nashville SC.

• The Columbus Crew have transferred winger Marino Hinestroza to Atletico Nacional.
• Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim dropped an early frontrunner for quote of the year when he said he’d rather start his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than Marcus Rashford.

That’s all I’ve got for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City sent backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar to Real Salt Lake on Jan. 15 for $50,000 in General Allocation Money and RSL’s natural second-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The move resulted in the end of the Lions’ longest-tenured player, but provides an opportunity for another.

Stajduhar initially signed for the first team on Nov. 9, 2015, as a Homegrown Player. He was largely out of sight for the first few years of his professional career, not even appearing for Orlando City B. However, he eventually became the primary backup to the starter Pedro Gallese and showed his ability. His appearances primarily came early in U.S. Open Cup games or when the primary starter was away on international duty with Peru, but he played well when given the opportunity.

While Stajduhar never made more than six appearances in a season for the MLS side, he had the opportunity to prove himself and his development. It’s hard to say whether the 27-year-old will get more playing time with his new club, but his departure opens the door for another Homegrown goalkeeper.

Born in Venezuela, Javier Otero moved to the United States with his family and joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017 as a 14-year-old. He signed with OCB in 2020, backing up Austin Aviza, and became the regular starter for the Young Lions in 2022 at 17 years of age.

Otero has often been a lifesaver for the Young Lions, being forced to make an incredibly high number of saves. During his first season as a starter, the young shot stopper made a league-high 100 saves from 130 shots on target.

Otero was signed to a Homegrown contract on July 10, 2023, beginning his tenure as a first-team player. He remained with OCB since he was third string, but was forced away from the reserve side when Stajduhar suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg during a June 28, 2024 game in New York. Otero finished the contest, conceding three goals on a difficult night, and backed up Gallese for the remainder of the season.

The injury to Stajduhar left Otero in a bit of a predicament. Since he had to be with the first team as the primary backup, he was unable to play for OCB. As a result, the substitution appearance against New York City FC was his final action in 2024.

Moving Stajduhar and elevating Otero to the primary backup makes sense for the Lions. Gallese doesn’t seem to want to leave and Orlando City isn’t eager for his departure. However, eventually, the 34-year-old Peruvian’s time in Orlando will end and the club needs his replacement. Otero is five years younger than Stajduhar, giving him more time to develop for when Gallese does depart.

The brief appearance by Otero in 2024 clearly isn’t enough to determine if he can play at the MLS level. While he likely won’t play substantial minutes in 2025, he’ll probably have at least five starts throughout the season. This might be during a less important competition than the league or while Gallese is away on international duty.

Gallese is currently on his option year, meaning he’ll be out of contract following the 2025 season unless the club reaches an extension agreement. At this point, it’s hard to see him leaving so soon. But if he does, Orlando City needs to know what it has behind him.

As for Otero, this is his opportunity to prove himself at a higher level. He was fantastic in MLS NEXT Pro action, but MLS competition will provide a much greater challenge than the third division league. This season will give Otero the opportunity to prove to the club and himself that he can take over the number one spot one day, something the higher-ups clearly believe he can do.

The 2025 season will be an interesting one for the Lions. They made the Eastern Conference final last year and are bringing back most of their roster. Despite losing the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, expectations are high that they can match or surpass last year‘s accomplishments.

The upcoming season will also tell us a lot about the future. The departure of Facundo Torres means other players will have to step up. While Gallese will spend the 2025 campaign with the Lions, it’s unclear how long he’ll remain. Otero’s appearances with the first team, no matter their length, will indicate whether he can fill those large shoes when the time comes.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy working and covering high school sports. Besides that, I was able to watch a few Premier League matches over the weekend. Let’s all wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina, who turned 25 on Sunday. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Defeats Atletico Mineiro in Penalties After Scoreless Draw

In its first preseason match of 2025, Orlando City edged past Atletico Mineiro 6-5 on penalties after a scoreless draw at Inter&Co Stadium in the FC Series. The Lions had to go through seven rounds of penalties to defeat Atletico Mineiro and clinch the Inter&Co Trophy. Both teams had chances throughout the match, but after 90 minutes of play, the game went to penalties. After being tied 5-5 after six rounds, Joran Gerbet scored in the seventh round andPedro Gallese saved Bruno Fuchs’s shot to win the shootout for the Lions. Orlando City will be in Mexico for camp for the next week and will face Forge FC. The Lions will take on Inter Miami in Tampa on Feb. 14 at Raymond James Stadium.

Lions Reportedly Shift Focus Away From Marco Pasalic

According to Tom Bogert, Orlando City is reportedly shifting their focus from Croatian winger Marco Pasalic to other transfer targets, as the 24-year-old is undecided about his future.

The Lions were reportedly in talks to sign Pasalic from HNK Rijeka last week, as they look to fill their open Designated Player spot following the record-breaking transfer of forward Facundo Torres to Palmeiras last month. The clock is ticking for the Lions to sign a new Designated Player, with Orlando’s season opener set for Feb. 22.

Naomi Girma Completes Record Transfer Move to Chelsea

United States Women’s National Team and former San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma has completed her transfer to Chelsea in a record-breaking deal. The transfer fee is reportedly agreed at $1.1 million, making her the first player to break the $1 million mark in women’s soccer. Girma signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Chelsea after three seasons with the Wave. She has 44 caps for the USWNT and was an integral part of the squad that won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. The Chicago Fire signed midfielder Rominigue Kouame on loan from La Liga 2 side Cadiz CF for the 2025 MLS season, with an option to purchase. The Fire also transferred midfielder Federico Navarro to Argentine first division side Club Atletico Rosario Central for an undisclosed transfer fee. FC Cincinnati is reportedly in negotiations to sign center back Gilberto Flores.

LAFC has agreed to transfer midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to Cruz Azul for a fee reportedly over $10 million. The New York Red Bulls have transferred forward Dante Vanzeir to KAA Gent in Belgium. The Red Bulls have also reportedly expressed interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur forward Timo Werner, who is on loan from Red Bull Leipzig.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Daryl Dike is close to full fitness and is back training as he looks set to return to action for West Brom. Dike has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles injury from last season that has kept him sidelined for almost a year.

• Christian Pulisic scored a penalty kick, while Yunus Musah added an assist for AC Milan in a 3-2 victory over Parma on Sunday.
• Josh Sargent scored twice in his first start for Norwich City in nearly three months as his side defeated Swansea City 5-1 on Saturday.
• Wolverhampton has reportedly expressed interest in signing Real Betis and USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso.

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