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The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly: Orlando City’s Youth Movement, Looking for Goals, and the new U.S. Kits

Orlando City’s youth teams excelling, a lack of first-team goal scoring, and the new U.S. kits.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

With a week off for Orlando City, I thought it a good time to reflect on the recent past. What I found was that I was inspired, dejected, and agitated at what I found in my own soccer ecosystem. They say that sharing your burdens is good therapy, and so that is what I’m going to do today. Hopefully, if you’re having any of those same feelings we can work through it together.

The Good

Sometimes it’s nice to focus on the good things in life, especially when your senior teams both manage to post losses on the same weekend. This week, the good is Orlando City B and the U-17 and U-15 squads. The youth movement was a bright spot over the weekend with all three squads getting results.

OCB won its home opener and a second straight match, defeating Huntsville City FC, 2-1 at Osceola County Stadium. Alex Freeman scored his first professional goal and then followed it up with another for a brace to give OCB the victory. You can check out The Mane Land PawedCast interview of Freeman here. Goals and results are what ultimately matter and OCB is 2-0-0 with five goals on the season so far.

The academy lads did their part as well, with both the U-17s and U-15s winning their respective groups and going undefeated in group play at the Generation Adidas Cup. The U-17s beat Nashville SC 1-0 to secure the top spot, and the U-15s defeated Minnesota United 2-1 to do the same. The U-15 team then defeated Seattle on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals, while the U-17 squad unfortunately fell to New York City FC’s U-17s.

The Bad

Orlando City currently sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and just above the playoff line. At this point in the season, that hardly matters, as those standings will fluctuate quite a bit before everything is said and done. What is slightly concerning is that the Lions have scored the fewest goals — five — of any team above the playoff line.

I say slightly because there are a bunch of valid reasons for it. Ercan Kara has been injured, there are two newcomers filling in at striker, with Duncan McGuire and Ramiro Enrique sharing the load. There are also so many new players on the offense that it is bound to take time for them to get to know each other and coordinate an attack successfully. These are all valid points.

However, we have recently seen an attack that is seemingly effective right up until it enters the 18-yard box. At that point, it’s as if physics works differently or that Orlando City players need corrective lenses. Or both. Lack of quality finishing has been a problem for several years, and it needs to get fixed. I do think that these players can do so, but someone needs to flick the switch to get them started.

The Ugly

I know there are some people out there who might like the new U.S. kits, but there has been a lot of “ugly” reaction online to Nike’s latest offering (peruse the comments in the Tweet below for examples). Then there are many who are indifferent to the new look. I generally fall into the group that thinks the kits are fine. However, like Roy Kent says in Ted Lasso, “Don’t you dare settle for fine.”

Pictured above: “Fine”

I have my own thoughts on why Nike keeps giving us “fine” but not awesome kits, and I’ll get to that. One potential reason is that the U.S. doesn’t have one iconic kit from its history for fans to point to. Brazil, Argentina, and others are usually instantly recognizable. Not so much for the U.S. at least of late. Yes, there were the “Denim,” “Bomb Pop,” and “Waldo” kits from the past, and many would like to see one of those make a comeback — looking at you, Waldo — but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

Another potential reason is that Nike is phoning it in. This is a popular sentiment online, but I’m not entirely buying that line of thinking. Yes, the kits look like they might be better suited as a training kit rather than the match kit, but I don’t think it’s because Nike is being lazy. The U.S. kits have featured some of the latest Nike trends and I think that is because the company wants the U.S. to be the face of those trends. Nike is a U.S.-based country and it makes more sense that Nike wants the U.S. in its most current stuff rather than Nike hates U.S. supporters.

My personal belief is that the kits we keep getting from Nike are actually the epitome of America. A giant corporation keeps churning out “fine” kits every year — or every other year — while not listening to the rabble online begging for the good old days. They are able to do so because the sales are enough for Nike to be fine with continuing the strategy. Nike almost came out and said exactly that at a pre-launch event with FOX prior to the 2022 World Cup.

“People always hate the new jerseys at first,” Aaron Barnett, Nike’s senior director of soccer apparel, told FOX Sports at a prelaunch event last month in New York. “Then your team wins its first game, and it’s the best jersey they’ve ever had.”

I don’t believe that anyone thinks those kits were the “best jersey they’ve ever had,” but there’s no incentive for Nike to change the strategy. Without some maverick designer at Nike sliding in an updated Waldo there’s very little chance we’ll get anything other than “fine.” How everyone reacts to each iteration — whether ugly or not — may determine if things change.

That will do it for today. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Experiencing Its Golden Age of Offense

Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire are leading Orlando City to its best offensive seasons.

Published

11 hours ago

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October 14, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

For most of Orlando City’s MLS history, finding multiple reliable goal scorers has been a struggle. As a result, the team has often been further down the league in goals scored, decreasing its goal difference. However, the duo of Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire has changed that trend and provided the Lions with their best offensive seasons.

Orlando City drafted Cyle Larin with the first pick of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and he quickly became a reliable source of goals. The Canadian international scored a team-record 18 goals across all competitions in his rookie year, and then scored 14 in the following season.

Larin’s production dipped slightly in 2017, scoring 12 goals, and the striker departed following that season. Orlando City has struggled to find someone that can provide the same scoring threat since. Over the next five years, only Nani and Chris Mueller scored double-digit goals in multiple seasons, each doing so twice. Prior to 2023, four other players scored double-digit goals in one season, as Dom Dwyer did it in 2018, Tesho Akindele in 2019, Daryl Dike in 2021, and Ercan Kara in 2022.

The lack of consistent goal production changed in 2022 when the club signed Facundo Torres from Uruguayan side Penarol. The young Designated Player made an immediate impact for his new team, scoring 13 goals in all competitions, including a brace in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final to lift the Lions to their first major trophy.

Torres and Kara combined for an impressive 25 goals that season. Unfortunately, the pair didn’t have much support and the Lions only scored 44 goals in 2022. However, that changed the following year when Orlando City drafted former Creighton striker and Hermann Trophy winner Duncan McGuire.

Torres increased his goal tally to 14 in his second season in Orlando and McGuire netted a team-high 15 in his rookie campaign. The 29 goals scored by the pair were the most by two Orlando City players in an MLS season, topping the 28 goals scored by Larin and Kaká in 2015.

The goal tally has increased in 2024, with Torres scoring a career-high 18 goals, McGuire adding 11, and Ramiro Enrique chipping in with 11 of his own across all competitions. It’s the first time an Orlando City team — including the USL Pro era — has had three players score double-digit goals in one year. It’s also the first time in club history Orlando has had multiple double-digit goal scorers in three consecutive years.

The production by multiple players has seen a significant increase in goals scored by the Lions over the past two seasons. After netting only 44 league goals in 2022, Orlando City scored 55 times in 2023, tying the team’s MLS record previously set in 2016. The Lions surpassed that number this year by scoring 58 goals with one game remaining in the regular season.

The club’s record-setting scoring output comes at a time when Orlando City is playing some of its best defense in its MLS history. The 2023 squad only conceded 39 goals, the fewest in a 34-game season. While it has conceded nine more this year, it’s the second-fewest goals conceded in a season, tying the 2021 team.

The past two seasons have seen Orlando City set new club records in the MLS era for highest goal difference in a 34-game season. The only two years in which the Lions had a positive goal difference prior to 2023 was in a shortened 2020 season, when they were +15 and in 2021 when they were +2. They set a new record in 2023 by finishing +16 and are +10 this year.

The increase in goals and goal difference has resulted in better performances throughout the season. The team set a new club record with 63 points last season, placing second in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Orlando has amassed 52 points so far this season, the club’s second-highest point total since joining MLS.

While the play of the back line has contributed to the team’s recent success, goal production has been the catalyst. For the first time in its history, Orlando City has two reliable goal scorers who have produced in back-to-back seasons. The result is the best back-to-back seasons in the club’s MLS history.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/14/24

Getting to know Martin Ojeda, Orlando Pride unbeaten run ends, USMNT beats Panama, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

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October 14, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and finishing up stream monitoring for an NISA Playoff semifinal match in California. Let’s also wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B forward Wilfredo Rivera. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Getting to Know Martin Ojeda

Orlando City midfielder Martin Ojeda was featured as part of the club’s video series to learn more about the players. In the video, Ojeda gave insight into his beginnings playing soccer when he was three years old and playing for his neighborhood club in South America. He also discussed his style of play, focusing on the attack, creating opportunities, and stating that there is always room to improve. You can check out the rest of the video below.

Pride Unbeaten Run Ends in Loss to Thorns

The Orlando Pride suffered their first loss of the NWSL season on Friday, falling 2-0 to the Portland Thorns. Morgan Weaver and Christine Sinclair scored for the Thorns to seal the win and end Orlando’s 24-match unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 6 of last season. Despite the loss, the Pride remain in first place in the NWSL table with 57 points after winning the NWSL Shield a week ago. The next match for the Pride will be on Sunday on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Keys to Success in Orlando Pride Turnaround

The Athletic ($) took a deep dive into the process that led to the Orlando Pride turnaround this season. The article begins with the Pride joining the NWSL in 2016, their up-and-down seasons, and how recent changes in the last couple of years have set the foundation for the club’s success in 2024. It also shared some unique insights from interviews with staff and players and how the club was eager to make changes after finishing in the bottom half of the table for the last five seasons. The most interesting takeaway for me from reading the article was Head Coach Seb Hines speaking on the process of changing the culture of the club, building that underdog mindset, and how he keeps his players motivated. Although the 24-match unbeaten streak is over, the Pride are breaking records this season and won their first trophy. There’s been plenty to be excited about for the Pride this season, and hopefully they will carry this momentum into the playoffs and make a deep run.

USMNT Defeats Panama in Mauricio Pochettino’s Coaching Debut

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Panama 2-0 on Saturday at Q2 Stadium, securing the first win in Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s debut in a friendly. Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi scored the USMNT’s goals in the second half to secure the victory. Matt Turner started in goal, and Christian Pulisic added an assist to set up Musah’s goal. The USMNT will face Mexico in Guadalajara on Tuesday. Pulisic, Pepi, and Weston McKennie will miss the match to return to their respective European clubs. Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen will also return to their clubs.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned a clean sheet on international duty as his Peru side defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying match on Friday. Wilder Cartagena and Facundo Torres did not play in the match.
  • Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina and forward Adriana were called up to the Brazil Women’s National Team for friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29.
  • Sports Illustrated listed five MLS players that could move abroad this off-season, mentioning Orlando City’s Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire as potential targets.
  • Angel City FC forward Christen Press scored her first goal in 28 months over the weekend in a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage. Press had been sidelined due to an ACL injury requiring four surgeries before returning to action.
  • Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga broke an NWSL record after scoring her 19th goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Bay FC over the weekend.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/11/24

Orlando Pride in Portland, U.S. men and women news, international upsets, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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October 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Milton has finally made its way out of Florida, though many of us will be dealing with the aftermath for a while. We hope that you and yours are safe and that the damage is minimal. I know that many are still without power — which is why I’m writing Lion Links today instead of Marcus Mitchell. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride play in Portland tonight, although it will be a late one. Let’s get to the links.

Pride in Portland

The Orlando Pride may be the NWSL Shield winners, but with three matches left in the regular season, the job is not done. Now, the club will take on the Portland Thorns. The Thorns haven’t been great as of late, but Providence Park is a tough place to play. While the club is focused on the upcoming playoffs, the Pride still want to finish undefeated in the regular season. Portland, like many clubs, are fighting for a playoff spot.

USWNT Players in the News

Lindsey Horan didn’t have the best Olympics in my opinion, but she is doing very well in her start to Lyon’s season. She’s scored five goals in four matches to help Lyon top the table. Back home, Crystal Dunn is being honored by Empowerment on the East River hosted by Black Players for Change.

USMNT in Action

The USMNT plays its first match under Mauricio Pochettino Saturday night against Panama, and you can watch it on multiple platforms. There are no conflicts of interest this go-around, but next year, some players will need to choose between playing in the Club World Cup or the Gold Cup.

International Results

Orlando City, and all the other teams and leagues, aren’t playing right now due to an international break. The matches have already begun. Perhaps the biggest news was Greece’s stunning 2-1 win over England. The victory puts Greece atop Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League competition.

Over in Group A2, Italy blew a two-goal lead to draw Belgium 2-2. There were plenty of other results, including Erling Haaland becoming his country’s all-time top scorer after scoring a brace in Norway’s 3-0 win over Slovenia. If you want to catch more matches, here’s where you can watch.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our Pride match recap, and follow The Mane Land on Twitter during the match. Vamos Orlando!

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