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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 4-0 as Lions Rough Up Reds

For the second straight year, the Lions dominated Toronto FC at home, winning 4-0.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City scored twice in each half and ran Toronto FC out of Exploria Stadium with a 4-0 win on Independence Day in front of an announced crowd of 17,604. Cesar Araujo, Duncan McGuire, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ercan Kara did the damage on the scoreboard for Orlando (9-5-7, 34 points), and the Reds (3-9-10, 19 points) finished with 10 men after Federico Bernardeschi was shown his second yellow card just past the hour mark.

The win extended the Lions’ home unbeaten streak to seven games (4-0-3) and was Orlando City’s first on Independence Day in four tries (1-2-1). City improved to 7-8-3 in the all-time series against Toronto and the Lions are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with the Reds (5-0-2).

“I think it was one of our most responsible performances and the respect of the game that they showed today was very good. I’m very pleased with it,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And even when the game turns into a game that it was much dominated, they were very, very respectful, and that’s why they scored goals.”

It was Pareja’s 150th MLS win as a head coach, making him the sixth to reach that mark.

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Araujo returned from suspension to partner with Wilder Cartagena in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with McGuire up top.

Orlando City controlled play throughout the first half and should have taken the lead just seven minutes in. A nice passing attack ended up with a cross that Toronto goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh got a hand on and knocked it out in front. Pereyra ran onto it and — for the second time in just a couple of games — the captain skied his shot over a gaping, empty net.

Two minutes later, Pereyra again missed the net, but this time from a more difficult position out near the left side of the box. He sent his shot toward the far post well wide.

Orlando opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Angulo had the ball on the left side and drew defenders toward him before sending Santos down the left channel. Santos curled in a perfect cross at the back post for Araujo to head home to make it 1-0. It was the Uruguayan midfielder’s first goal in MLS play.

“That first goal gave us a lot of confidence,” Pareja said.

Six minutes later, the Lions doubled the lead. Santos found himself on the left again and tried to send in another cross. This time, the pass attempt was deflected by the defense toward goal. As Ranjitsingh waited for the ball to come to him, McGuire flashed in front of him and flicked it inside the near post to make it 2-0 in the 22nd minute.

The Lions kept coming. Torres curled a back-post shot wide of the left upright just two minutes after McGuire’s goal. McGuire then took a fantastic through ball and smashed a shot off the left post in the 27th minute that bounced straight to Ranjitsingh.

The Lions switched off a bit after that miss. Just a minute after McGuire rattled the woodwork, Bernardeschi was given far too much space outside the area and he fired a shot off of the left post at the other end.

“It was quite hard to maintain the whole rhythm today,” said Pareja. “In that moment I noticed that we were getting caught a little bit in the energy, but we responded well, and the boys came back into the game.”

The hydration break seemed to wake the Lions back up. Pereyra unlocked the defense with a beautiful through ball in the 36th minute for Angulo’s diagonal run. Unfortunately, the speedy winger couldn’t handle the pass and it was knocked away.

That was it for the good looks, although Orlando had a few late set pieces. Santos got his head to a corner kick cross but a defender blocked it out for another corner.

Orlando City had the statistical advantage as well as the two-goal lead at the break, finishing the half with more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%).

Toronto interim manager Terry Dunfield made three changes at halftime to bring on fresher and younger legs, but it didn’t help. It took a few minutes after the restart for Orlando to settle in, but once the Lions got going, the game always seemed to have only one possible outcome.

Bernardeschi picked up an early yellow in the second half for a late challenge on Smith.

Angulo won a corner in the 53rd minute that Toronto cleared but Araujo fired on target on the recycle. It was on target but a comfortable save for Ranjitsingh. Two minutes later, Torres cut into the middle and sent a rocket on frame, but he left it too close to the middle and Ranjitsingh made a good reaction save.

With the heat and the quick turnaround, Pareja sent some fresh troops on in the 57th minute, sacrificing McGuire and Pereyra for Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda.

Shortly after the subsitutions, Bernardeschi saw red. After a turnover, Cartagena had some words for the Italian and he knocked Wilder down. There was definitely some embellishment by the Peruvian to ensure the referee saw it. It worked. Bernardeschi was given his second yellow and sent off. Gallese was also booked in the aftermath.

Kara and Thorhallsson entered the fray moments later, replacing Angulo and Smith.

Ojeda had a good chance to add the third goal in the 69th minute, sending a hard shot on goal that Ranjitsingh was able to save. Two minutes later, Ojeda switched the play beautifully from right to left for Enrique, who cut inside to about the spot he scored from on Saturday, only this time he sent the shot inches wide. Thorhallsson then tried his luck from a tight angle in the 72nd minute but missed the target.

The third goal came in the 77th minute. Araujo looked up and saw Thorhallsson making a run. The delivery over the top by the Uruguayan was perfect. Ranjitsingh tried to get to the ball first but couldn’t. Thorhallsson rounded the goalkeeper outside the box and fired into an empty net to open his Orlando City account and ice the match.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Thorhallsson said about scoring his first MLS goal. “It’s a sequence that we do a lot and we train a lot, so it’s nice to get a goal from that. I saw Cesar get the ball. I just pointed, I think. And the ball came and I saw the keeper a little bit. I thought, ‘ Well, I’ll just go, if he hits me, he hits me.’ But then I went past him and I scored. Finally.”

Toronto got a rare shot attempt in the 82nd minute when Brandon Servania tried to chip Gallese from long range but his effort landed on the roof of the net.

Two minutes later, things got worse for Toronto. Araujo sent a hard pass to Ojeda at the top of the box. The Argentine had trouble finding the handle on it, so he back-heeled it past two defenders for Kara to run onto. The Austrian fired immediately, blasting it past Ranjitsingh to make it 4-0 in the 84th minute. It was Kara’s fifth goal of the season.

Ojeda came within inches of making it five in the 86th minute. He took a pass from Araujo and smashed a shot toward the bottom right corner. Ranjitsingh got a slight touch on it to knock it off the outside of the post. Ojeda also had the final chance in the 91st minute. He sent a free kick on frame from about 30 yards out but it was a comfortable save for Ranjitsingh.

Moments later, the match was over.

The domination was not only on the scoreboard but also on the stat sheet. Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

The final score was, ironically, identical to this same fixture last year. Orlando City beat Toronto 4-0 at home last September.

“Scoring goals — that changed the whole picture,” Pareja said of the team’s turnaround in its home form. “It makes us all look better. It’s a consequence of the boys doing the right things and resisting or enduring the difficult moments that we had with games here at home, where they tied us in the last minute. The boys kept going. We’re doing the right things. We’re scoring goals. That makes a huge difference.”

“The work today is a reflection of all of the hard work that we’ve been doing,” Santos said through a club translator. “We’ve been working on all of this in training. It’s reflective of the work that Oscar is putting in.”

Orlando City heads out on the road for its next two matches, with the road trip starting at Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Game time is 9:30 p.m.

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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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