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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 3-1 home loss to D.C.?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

After a late winner last week in Minnesota, Orlando City returned to Exploria Stadium to host D.C. United. Duncan McGuire scored the match winner last week and earned the start up top for this match. It started as an even affair but ultimately finished in a 3-1 home loss. Here is how we saw the Lions perform in Saturday’s home defeat.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo gave up three goals, but none were really his own fault. His teammates put him in an unfortunate 1-v-1 situation for the first goal, he had an unmarked runner bury a corner kick header, and Christian Benteke turned on Rodrigo Schlegel from short range. Gallese faced nine shots with five of them on target. He recorded two saves in the game and was tested with an expected goals against of 1.9. Gallese completed 76.2% of his passes and two of five long balls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4.5 — In the 15th minute, Schlegel left his other two center backs to step up on Benteke. While it proves his work rate, it unfortunately left Robin Jansson on an island with Ruan sprinting down field on the ball and Taxi Fountas over his shoulder, leading to the first D.C. United goal. Schlegel was also the last line of defense on the third D.C. goal when Benteke chested down a ball in the box and turned on a dime, while firing a powerful strike into the back of the net. As one of three in the back, Schlegel passed at an 66.7% clip including two accurate long balls on five attempts. He committed two fouls on the night and recorded three tackles and one clearance.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson was part of the initial error that led to the first D.C. United goal. He likely should have stayed central instead of leaving Fountas for Ruan, which ultimately let Fountas in behind and unmarked but he was only put in that position due to a turnover. Jansson went the full 90 minutes and completed 88.9% of his 36 passes on the night. The Viking played one successful long ball pass on four attempts. Jansson did not log a single defensive statistic aside from committing two fouls.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Antonio Carlos earned his second start of the season and put in a great shift for the Lions, despite being part of a back line which conceded three goals. He was instrumental in creating the only Orlando City goal with a strong sliding tackle at midfield which fell to Ojeda, and ultimately McGuire, for the score. Carlos even fired off three shots of his own on the night, with one being dangerously close to scoring on a set piece header. Carlos completed 95.4% of his 43 passes on the night and logged an impressive six successful long balls in the match on just seven attempts. Defensively, he had one tackle and five clearances, while committing only one foul, which earned a yellow card in the 56th minute.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez, 6.5 — Gonzalez might have finally shown us what he can bring to the table for the club. He had a lively first half up and down the flank. He kept a speedy Ruan at bay, and he found himself springing a couple Orlando attacks as well. While you won’t see any groundbreaking statistics from Gonzalez, he played his role well on the night and that is all we can really ask of him. Gonzalez completed 65.2% of his 23 passes and crossed the ball accurately once out of six times. He also attempted three unsuccessful long balls. Gonzalez’s only shot for the night was on target. From a defensive standpoint, he offered three tackles, an interception, a clearance, and committed one foul. Gonzalez found himself fouled twice.

MF, Maurico Pereyra, 5.5 — The maestro found pockets of space centrally throughout the night where he was able to distribute and release the front three attackers. He took a seat on the turf in the 68th minute and left the match early for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. He found himself on the ball 59 times and completed 77.1% of his 48 passes. He was accurate on three of six long balls and whipped in three crosses. Defensively, Pereyra logged a tackle, an interception, and a foul — drawing one of his own.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 5.5 — Araujo went down on the corner kick that became D.C. United’s second goal of the night after being overpowerd by Donovan Pines. He appealed for a foul, but it was never going to be given, and Pines buried the header into the Orlando goal. Araujo passed at a 93.2% clip on the night, recorded a key pass, and completed three of his six long balls. Additionally, Araujo drew two fouls while committing two of his own. He logged two successful tackles in the match.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo continues to show his pace and ability to build the attack wide and near the end line. However, it was not enough to best Pedro Santos who proved to be a formidable defender for the speedy winger. If Orlando is going to find goals from the wing, it will need more accurate crossing from Angulo. He only had one accurate cross on eight attempts. Angulo passed at 90% rate and was accurate with his only long ball. Defensively, Angulo recorded one tackle and a foul, although he too was fouled. Angulo earned an early yellow card in the 27th minute. His giveaway put the back three in a bad spot and led to the first goal conceded.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — The Uruguayan Young Designated Player had a mixed bag of a match. He often found himself on the ball, but he never seemed to inspire much of the attack on his own in the first half. Once Ojeda and Pereyra left the match, Torres became the link the team needed but it was a little too late as the club was already playing catch up. Going the full 90 for Orlando, Torres passed at 87.9% accuracy, went 5-for-6 on crossing accuracy, 2-for-2 on long-ball accuracy, and had a team-high four key passes. He put one of his two shots on target. Torres drew one foul in the match.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — As the ball fell to his feet following a Carlos tackle, Ojeda pinged a perfect through ball to McGuire for the assist on Orlando’s only goal. He likely could have had a goal of his own after receiving a pass in the six-yard box, but his feet just didn’t register with the speed of his brain and after his slick flick to free himself for the shot, the touch was heavy and bounced to the goalkeeper. He completed 73.7% of his 19 passes, had two key passes, and was accurate on one of three crossing attempts, but none of his three long balls. He was dispossessed once and had two unstable touches. Defensively, he recorded an interception and one clearance on the night. Ojeda made way for Ercan Kara late in the match as Oscar Pareja threw the kitchen sink at the attack with two fresh strikers.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7 (MotM) — All McGuire does is score against D.C. United. He did it in the first match at Audi Field and did it again in the 23rd minute at Exploria Stadium. McGuire found himself played in by Ojeda and made a clinical first touch to split the defenders and slot the ball under Tyler Miller at the top of the 18-yard box. Aside from opening the scoring for the Lions, McGuire played a pressing role and kept the D.C. back line under pressure and looked to receive long balls from the Orlando City defenders throughout the night. McGuire left the match early in the second half with what appeared to be an off-the-ball injury. He was one-for-one with his shots, as he scored on the only one he took. He completed 44.4% of his nine passes with 20 touches. He was fouled once and logged an interception and two clearances. McGuire was subbed off in the 52nd minute for Ramiro Enrique.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (52′), 4.5 — Enrique came on for an injured McGuire early in the second half but never logged a shot. With his five touches, he completed all four of his passes and was fouled once. To have logged almost an entire half, it is disappointing that he could not find the ball more than five times while his team was attempting to find a way back into the match.

F, Ercan Kara (65′), 4.5 — Kara was brought on after the third goal to hopefully inspire some last ditch attack. But with only two touches, Kara was only able to get off one inaccurate shot. He won an aerial, committed a foul, and missed connecting on his only pass.

D, Rafael Santos (65′), 5.5 — Santos had 21 touches coming on late in the match. He took two shots and put one on target, but it wasn’t a terribly threatening one from distance. Santos offered one key pass among his 13 total and 84.6% accuracy. One of his two long balls was accurate but his only cross missed the mark. Defensively, he had one tackle and an interception.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (68′), 5 — Thorhallsson was a late sub replacing the captain in the 68th minute. He completed 88.9% of his nine passes on 10 touches. He intercepted the ball once and committed a foul.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in the 3-1 home defeat to D.C. United. Who was your Orlando City Man of the Match? Vote in our poll and let us know in the comments below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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16 hours ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Striker Suddenly a Position of Need for Orlando City

Departures and a key injury mean Orlando City needs a striker heading into the 2025 MLS season.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image Courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 2024, a milestone for the club. The core of the team was locked up through the 2025 season, so there was no reason to believe it needed to add much this off-season. Unfortunately, injuries and departures have created a serious problem for the team.

The group of forwards last year consisted of Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and Jack Lynn. McGuire scored 15 goals in 2023 and was expected to depart for Blackburn Rovers before a clerical error allowed the Lions to keep their target man. The team’s primary striker scored 11 goals in 37 games — the same number as the previous season — but split time starting with Enrique. The Argentinian improved greatly in 2024, increasing his total goal tally from four to 12. Even Lynn showed tremendous improvement last year, playing a greater role in the team and scoring his first two MLS goals.

The future also seemed bright for the Orlando City forwards because of their ages. Lynn is the oldest of the trio at just 25 years old. Meanwhile, McGuire and Enrique are only 23, so there was no reason to believe this group couldn’t produce this coming season.

The problem at striker began in the postseason when McGuire was pulled down by Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani in the final first round game of the playoffs. McGuire suffered a shoulder injury during the challenge that required surgery on Dec. 13. It’s expected that the striker could take four to five months to return to action, possibly leaving him out until May or June.

Another blow to Orlando’s attack occurred Saturday when Lynn surprisingly announced his retirement from professional soccer. In just over a month, Orlando City went from having three strikers to having just one as preseason training starts.

With McGuire injured and Lynn gone, one option would be to have Designated Player Luis Muriel play up top. However, the Colombian prefers to play a more withdrawn position and proved to be effective in that role last year. Since Head Coach Oscar Pareja prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Lions need someone up top to control the ball and involve the midfielders in the attack. That’s not Muriel’s game.

The result of these issues is that nobody is currently behind Enrique when the season begins. If the Argentinian gets tired, hurt, or simply needs rest, Pareja is limited in his options. 

Whether there was a lack of strikers or a lack of goals from the position previously, that problem was resolved by the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. Facundo Torres scored 20 goals in 2024, becoming the first player in Orlando City’s MLS history and the second player in club history to do so. He went on to set a new club record for total goals of 47.

However, Orlando City sold its best player to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. It was a gut punch to fans as Torres had signed a new contract on Jan. 10, 2024 that ran through the 2026 season. There had been talk for the last couple of years that the attacker would look for a move to Europe and rumors of a move to South America arose this off-season. Still, it created a huge gap the club has to fill.

There are players on the roster that can make up for the injury and departures. Martin Ojeda had a strong season in 2024, finishing with seven goals and 13 assists. His seven goals ranked fourth on the team and his 13 assists topped the squad alongside Nico Lodeiro. Muriel came on strong later in the season, finishing with five goals and eight assists. But those numbers are a long way from the 20 goals that Torres tallied last year.

Even if you consider all goal contributions, Ojeda and Muriel fall well short of Torres. Ojeda had a total of 20 goal contributions in 2024 while Muriel had 13. In addition to Torres’s 20 goals, he added nine assists for a team-leading 29 goal contributions.

All of this information leads to one undeniable fact — Orlando City needs to sign a striker prior to the season. And there’s not much time for Luiz Muzzi to act. The European transfer window closes on Feb. 3 and many MLS teams have already been filling similar needs. With the season starting in just over a month, the options will be limited if the Lions don’t do something soon.

After the best postseason finish in Orlando City’s MLS history, things were looking good heading into 2025. While the back line and most of the midfield is returning, McGuire’s injury and the departure of Torres and Lynn have left the Lions in a tough spot offensively. If they don’t do something in the next couple of weeks, it could be a long 2025.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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