Three Orlando City Players Who Could Be Difference Makers Down the Stretch

After an eternity of a midseason pause for Major League Soccer and Liga MX to compete against one another in the Leagues Cup, the regular season finally returns tomorrow. Orlando City will be on the road in the Windy City against the Chicago Fire. With the final third of the season schedule set to pop off in rapid succession, three Orlando City players could have a big impact on how successful the Lions will finish the year.

Ivan Angulo

Angulo makes this list because of his ability to open the game up and get into positions which many players on the squad are simply unable to. Whether from taking the opposition off the dribble or by using his speed to beat other players to long balls, Angulo has constantly been a player who is able to get the ball into dangerous positions. With three goals and five assists on the year so far, Angulo has already surpassed the level of production that most expected out of the young Colombian for the year.

The problem with those numbers, however, is that when watching the games week in and week out, one starts to realize just how much more joy Angulo is capable of finding. At least a handful of times each game, Angulo finds himself either with an unobstructed shot or in position to make a meaningful play in the final third. The problem for him rests in that final touch or decision-making effort. It isn’t a stretch of the imagination to predict that those opportunities will still be present over the last 11 games of the season, and if Angulo is able to convert just a third more of those chances than he has previously — either by finding the back of the net or by putting his teammates in the position to do so — he could be a force that propels the team even higher up the table.

Cesar Araujo

There will be no rest for the weary over the final third of the season, and very few cupcake matches remain on the schedule. Six of the final 11 matches are slated against teams currently above the playoff line, with additional challenging matchups against NYCFC at the abomination that is Yankee Stadium and a visit from everyone’s favorite circus, the team from Fort Lauderdale.

In order for the results to come and for the team to continue to gain points on the season, the defensive midfield will be called upon time and time again against a wide array of strong attacking opposition. Araujo has been the focal point of the OCSC defense in the midfield from the opening whistle of this season. Currently, he ranks second on the team in minutes logged, with 1,818 so far on the year, and Oscar Pareja will need to keep him on the field for as much of the final 11 matches as possible. He does so many of the little things that simply go unnoticed during a match and also has an uncanny ability to get under the opposition’s skin.

He sits second in tackles won on the season thus far and has suffered 63 fouls on the year, 25 more than the second-place Lion, Facundo Torres (38). Wrapped up so much in stopping the opposition, any offensive statistics that Araujo can contribute are simply a bonus, and on the year he has provided one goal and four assists. Including what has become his favorite way to get an assist, the long throw in.

Pedro Gallese

Let us be clear here, at times the Peruvian number one simply does things that other goalkeepers in MLS don’t seem to be capable of. Everyone loves a highlight-reel save, and it seems like Gallese can be counted on to produce one a match at minimum. Just take a look at this amazing effort from earlier in the year against D.C. United.

There is a reason why I still maintain that Orlando’s biggest off-season move was re-signing Gallese. The reason for this, however, isn’t the flashy saves, it is because his positioning, reaction time, and experience in goal allows for a certain degree of added protection in net which can compensate for shortcomings and slip-ups from the defense in front of him. Think of El Pulpo as the flex seal that keeps water out of the boat.

With seven clean sheets on the season, there is a real possibility that Gallese can reach double digits before the end of the regular season, which would be an all-time high for him as the Orlando City keeper. Gallese is also enjoying his second-best season since joining the club in terms of save percentage (69.4%), and while his passing distribution could improve a bit from his statistical averages of years past, he is still one of the most reliable forces in purple and gold week in and week out.

Those are the three players that I feel have the most potential to turn losses into draws and draws into victories. Are there any other players that you think will swing the course of the final third of the season for Orlando City? Let us know in the comments below.