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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-1 as Orlando City Falls Again in Foxborough

The shorthanded Lions were never really in this one and lacked sharpness throughout.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Someday Orlando City will win at New England and it will be glorious, but that will have to wait. The shorthanded Lions were dominated and rarely threatened former Orlando City backup goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. in a 3-1 loss at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. The Lions (7-5-5, 26 points) fell to 0-6-2 in away games against the Revs (9-3-6, 33 points) as Emmanuel Boateng, Gustavo Bou, and Carles Gil did the damage. Duncan McGuire pulled one back late for Orlando.

“Obviously frustrated not getting the result,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the analysis of the game is clear. In the second half when we reacted, the goals were plays isolated where we could have defended better and that’s probably the frustration that we carry right now. But we had the chances to score. We had the chances to equalize the game.”

Pareja was missing several regulars due to international duty and suspension, so Mason Stajduhar started in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Michael Halliday. Cesar Araujo’s central midfield partner was Felipe, behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Martin Ojeda, with Ercan Kara up top.

The opening half was a sloppy, rain-soaked affair and Orlando City never seemed to settle into the match. Orlando only managed to hang onto the ball for 33% of the time and passed dreadfully, completing less than 70% of attempted passes.

Araujo was booked just three minutes in when Gil felt a hand on his shoulder and went to ground easily. Referee Fotis Bazakos bought it and showed the Uruguayan an early yellow. Gil sent the free kick wide, although Stajduhar had his post covered.

Pereyra drew a free kick on a foul from behind by Noel Buck and the Lions were going to try something different with the set piece but Bazakos blew his whistle after Pereyra had tapped the ball to his left. That ruined the surprise and Ojeda instead sent a shot just wide of Earl Edwards Jr.’s post.

Stajduhar made the only save of the first half in the 21st minute when Bou fired from the top of the box and it appeared to take a slight deflection, which took some of the pace off the attempt.

A minute later, Halliday was booked for an even softer foul on Emmanuel Boateng, putting two defenders on notice in the game’s first half hour.

Bou fired over the bar in the 23rd minute and Buck missed just wide of the right post in the 28th as the Revolution did most of the possessing and attacking in the opening period. Whether it was the rain, the artificial turf, a lack of sharpness, or a combination of those things, the Lions struggled to find each other with passes or to bring those passes under control.

Bobby Wood put the ball in the net in the 32nd minute but the flag came up immediately as Brandon Bye was offside in the buildup.

The most dangerous Orlando City chance should have come in the 34th minute when Pereyra slipped the ball in for Ojeda but his touch was poor, he lost control, and it dribbled out for a goal kick. Two minutes later, Santos found space on the left but sent his cross right at Edwards. Seconds later, Angulo cut left to right and fired a shot into the stands.

An overhit corner kick cross and a doubly overhit cross by Halliday later pretty much summed up the first half and the teams went into the break scoreless.

The Revs dominated the stat sheet, leading at the break in possession (66.8%-33.2%), shots (6-3), shots on target (1-0), corners (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.7%-69.7%).

Pareja sent McGuire on for Kara to start the second half, hoping to bother New England’s back line with a little more pace.

“Second half the intention with Duncan was to be maybe faster and deeper on our movements, and he provided those diagonals,” Pareja said. “He held the ball for us. Both of them (Kara and McGuire) helped us today and obviously just happy with Duncan scoring another goal.”

The lions started the second half somewhat brightly with Pereyra nearly sending Ojeda in behind in the 47th minute but defender Dave Romney got their a fraction earlier to get a toe on it. Seconds later, Felipe tried a shot but hit it right at Edwards.

New England broke the deadlock just six minutes into the second period anyway. The Revs created an overload on the right and Bou fizzed a cross into the box that Stajduhar parried away. Unfortunately, it went straight out from goal, allowing Boateng to hit a blast just inside the right post to make it 1-0 in the 51st minute.

Ojeda either sent a shot just wide or a back-post cross to nobody in the 54th minute, looking to pull that goal right back. A minute later, a ball in from Halliday took a deflection that allowed Edwards to collect.

Angulo teed up a shot in the 58th minute but again couldn’t keep his shot down on what was a forgettable night for him. The next two decent-looking Orlando attacks ended with a thud with both Santos and Halliday sending crosses right at the goalkeeper, wasting more opportunities.

Ojeda’s best look of the night came in the 63rd minutes. With the ball pinging around near the top of the area, Ojeda spun his body and sent a shot toward the right post. He wasn’t able to get a lot of pace on it, but the shot through traffic was headed in but Edwards made a huge save to preserve the lead. The ball unfortunately bounced to maybe the only height that would have permitted the save.

Bou appeared to put the game away in the 69th minute, racing from right to left and unleashing a shot inside the far post past Stajduhar to make it 2-0.

The difference in quality on the night between the teams’ attackers was never more apparent than on Bou’s screamer and the eventual insurance goal from Gil.

Thankfully, Wood did not have that same quality in the 73rd minute when his shot found outside netting on the break.

Orlando’s sloppy night in front of goal continued for the next few minutes, with Araujo badly slicing a shot that ended up bouncing to Ojeda, who then missed the target.

Second-half sub Giacomo Vrioni fired a shot wide in transition after that, keeping the scoreline from getting worse.

Pareja then sent Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Luca Petrasso on for Araujo and Pereyra. The Lions scored a minute after those changes. Halliday sent his best cross of the night over the defense and McGuire met it in the air, heading it back to the right and in for his fifth goal of the season in the 80th minute, making it 2-1.

“I saw a teammate get his head up and I have a good connection with him,” McGuire said about the play. “He served a beautiful ball up and I’ve just worked on that header a million times in training, so it worked out perfectly.”

The Lions threw numbers forward but got caught looking for the equalizer. Just five minutes after McGuire’s goal, Orlando wasted opportunities to get the ball in the box off a set piece and after New England gained possession, the Revs attacked with numbers and both City center backs forward. Gil finished the play with a goal that beat Stajduhar in almost exactly the same way Bou had. The 85th-minute goal made it 3-1 and effectively killed the game.

Despite four goals and multiple subs on both sides, Bazakos determined three minutes of stoppage time were sufficient. Pareja sent OCB captain Juninho on for his MLS debut, along with Ramiro Enrique. The Juninho substitution nearly paid off immediately.

With one of his first touches on the night, Juninho freed himself up for a shot from outside the box but fizzed it just wide of the left post in the 92nd minute.

After Edwards was booked for time wasting, a final ball fell for Halliday with an open look at goal. The young fullback decided instead to square a ball into traffic and it was easily cut out as the game came to an end.

The Lions ate into the lopsided stats a bit, but New England controlled possession (59.4%-40.6%) and passed more accurately (85.4%-77.2%). Orlando City finished with more shot attempts (16-14). Both teams got four of their shots on target and each side earned two corners.

“The game got more open in the second half and they threw a lot more numbers forward, which allowed us to get some counters going, but we’ve got to put our chances away, and I think we’ve got to do a better job with that,” McGuire said.

Orlando City has a short turnaround with the Philadelphia Union visiting Exploria Stadium on Wednesday night. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

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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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20 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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