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Orlando City vs. the New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando’s 3-2 home win over the New England Revolution?

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1 year ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City finished off its home campaign with an exciting 3-2 victory against a New England Revolution squad that has too often enjoyed joyful results at the expense of the Lions. The Revs came into town five points behind Orlando City but ended the night eight points adrift of the Lions, who secured the second seed in the postseason — the highest finish in club history.

Here’s how I saw each individual performance in Orlando’s win over the former poster boys of the Eastern Conference.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — This is a rare departure from the regular match grade for El Pulpo. The Peruvian number one uncharacteristically spilled a goal from distance, allowing the Revolution a sliver of hope before giving up a second on a redirection that he could not do about about in the final seconds of stoppage time. Neither goal ultimately affected the outcome of the game, but they certainly could have if Orlando hadn’t outscored its competition. Gallese did well to deny Carles Gil from point-blank range with an acrobatic save before New England found its garbage time goal. He completed 62.9% of his 35 passes, including only one accurate long ball out of 14 chances.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — The Brazilian left back put in another solid performance. Santos recorded 62 touches on the night and completed 95% of his 40 passes. He logged two key passes and was accurate on three of his four long balls. On the offensive side of the pitch, Santos logged four shots, which all missed the mark but did include a howitzer that just missed the top of the crossbar. Santos also recorded one successful dribble. His best moment of the night came when he earned the assist setting up Ivan Angulo for a goal giving Orlando a 3-1 lead.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The heart and soul of the Orlando back line put in another strong effort against numerous efforts from New England especially in the beginning of the match. Jansson completed 86.9% of his 61 passes and recorded 65 touches on the night. He also completed five of his 10 long ball attempts. On defense, Jansson was credited with two clearances, one interception, and an aerial duel won but did not record a tackle on the night. He picked up two fouls and ultimately both goals that New England scored were of the fluky nature and the center back could do little to stop either one.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — We talk at length about what a luxury it is to have such a quality third center back on the roster and Schlegel has done admirably filling in as Antonio Carlos continues to work his way back into the lineup. Schlegel had 56 touches on the night, and completed 91.3% of his 46 passes and one of three long ball attempts. Schlegel blocked two shots and recorded two clearances while committing one foul. City fans also got a rare Schlegel shot as the defensemen recorded one shot on the night which failed to find the target.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7.5 — Thorhallsson found himself back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench during the midweek fixture. The converted defender truly opens up options on the right side of the field that were lacking earlier in the season. The Icelandic international enjoyed a team-high 76 touches and completed 94.7% of his 57 passes. Thorhallsson filled the defensive stat sheet by winning two aerial duels and logging one interception, one blocked shot, and one successful tackle, as well as a team-high three clearances. He completed one of two crosses and also logged a key pass. Offensively, Thorhallsson completed two successful dribbles, and he picked up the first assist of the game on a cross that found Duncan McGuire. He also logged two shots which were not on target.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo directed traffic throughout the match and did a solid job of keeping New England out of rhythm offensively — in the second half especially. Araujo recorded one successful aerial, and also recorded a shot during the match. He completed 94% of his 50 passes on the night and two key passes while successfully completing three long balls on four attempts. Araujo chipped in with two interceptions and one tackle while suffering four fouls.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Cartagena and Araujo just work seamlessly together in the defensive midfield. Against the Revs, Cartagena completed 94.4% of his 54 passes, including both of his long ball attempts. Defensively, Cartagena picked up a team-high four tackles with one interception and a clearance. Cartagena also committed a team-high three fouls on the night. Offensively, the Peruvian put his lone shot attempt on target.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 8 (MotM) — Angulo may have just enjoyed his best game as a Lion. The Colombian was all over the pitch and made his presence known throughout the match. Angulo completed 81.5% of his 27 passes and logged three key passes on the night. He used his speed to frequently get in behind the New England back line and successful completed one of his three crossing attempts. The lone successful cross led to the second goal for Orlando as Angulo crossed the ball to the far end of the box to Facundo Torres in the 37th minute, earning an assist. Angulo later found the goal himself, scoring just before halftime on a strong pass from Santos. He also completed one successful dribble and chipped in with two tackles on the night.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — The captain enjoyed a bounce-back performance for a mundane outing in Nashville. Pereyra completed 93.3% of his 45 passes and was successful on four of six long balls and one of four crosses. Pereyra was credited with a team-high five key passes as he often found himself unlocking the New England defense. He attempted one shot, which was blocked just in front of goal by the Revs. Defensively, the captain contributed two tackles. Pereyra was subbed off in the 66th minute for Junior Urso.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5— Torres has lived up to the lofty expectations of fans and pundits throughout the second half of the season and Saturday’s performance continued his great run of form. Torres completed 92.3% of his 26 passes, including one successful cross on two attempts, while failing to complete his lone long ball attempt. Torres added to his team-high goal total on the season by smashing a shot past former Orlando City keeper Earl Edwards Jr. in the 37th minute to put Orlando up 2-0. Both of Torres’ shot attempts on the night were on target. After three matches in eight days, Torres was fortunate to get some much-needed rest after a solid 66-minute shift.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7.5 — At this point in the season, there is not a single defensive center back pairing who should be surprised by McGuire’s presence on the field and yet the rookie continues to find space to score. McGuire opened up the scoring in the 31st minute, finding a quality cross from Thorhallsson and calmly heading it into the back of the net. It was McGuire’s 11th goal on the season. McGuire won two aerial duels and completed 70% of his 10 passes. Defensively, McGuire chipped in with a clearance. He was part of the triple sub in the 66th minute, when he was replaced by Ramiro Enrique.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (66′), 6.5 — Ojeda came off the bench with Orlando up 3-1 and did his part in keeping Orlando City on the front foot. Ojeda won one aerial duel and completed 90% of his 10 passes. He completed both long ball attempts and two of his five cross attempts. In a little over a half hour the DP also racked up four key passes. Defensively, he contributed two clearances. Ojeda attempted two shots while on the field but both were off the mark.

F, Ramiro Enrique (66′), 6 — Enrique came on to provide energy. He completed all eight of his passing attempts and three dribbles, and he attempted three shots, which were all off target.

MF, Junior Urso (66′), 6 — The Bear came on to replace Pereyra and provide some additional defensive presence as Orlando looked to close out the match. He completed all of his 17 passing attempts and logged two tackles and a clearance. In limited time, Urso also attempted two shots, which failed to find the mark, and completed one dribble.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (85′), N/A — The winger continues to work his way back into game shape and got a quick run-out to close out the match. He completed all four of his passes but was unsuccessful in his lone crossing attempt.

MF, Felipe (85′), N/A — Felipe replaced Araujo in the defensive midfield and racked up a significant amount of touches and passes in limited minutes. He was credited with 20 touches and comleted all 19 of his passes. Defensively, Felipe failed to register any stats.

That’s how I saw the individual performances by the Lions. Let me know where you agree and disagree in the comments below and make sure to vote for your Man of the Match in our poll below.

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Lion Links: 12/10/24

Facundo Torres linked with move to Palmeiras, Pride players in FIFPRO Women’s World 11, Amanda Allen suffers injury, and more.

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2 hours ago

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December 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope your week is getting off to a good start and that you’re on top of any Christmas shopping that you still need to do, because I’m just now realizing that I’ve done exactly zero of mine. Alas, the only way out is through. As usual, we have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Facundo Torres Linked With Palmeiras

Tom Bogert reported on Monday evening that Orlando City has agreed to a deal with Brazilian club Palmeiras for the transfer of Facundo Torres. While Bogert says the two clubs have reached an agreement, the transfer is still pending as Torres and Palmeiras still need to agree on personal terms. While no price tag was given, the fee would reportedly eclipse the $9.5 million fee that West Bromwich Albion paid for Daryl Dike, which is OCSC’s current outbound transfer record. Torres is the club’s record signing, as he joined from Penarol for roughly $7.5 million, and has been central to the team’s success ever since. We will bring you more from this story as it develops.

Familiar Faces in FIFPRO Women’s World 11

FIFA announced the 2024 FIFPRO Women’s World 11 on Monday and there are two familiar faces in the lineup, as Marta and Barbra Banda were named to the team. This is the third time in Marta’s career that she has been chosen for the award, which is the only global player award decided exclusively by the players themselves. Banda is included in the team for the first time, with this also being the very first time that an African player has made the team. Both players had incredible seasons for the Orlando Pride and were instrumental in the team winning its first two pieces of silverware. Congratulations to both for all their hard work and justified recognition!

Amanda Allen Suffers Injury

The Orlando Pride announced on Monday that forward Amanda Allen has suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder and will undergo surgery to repair it. As a result, Allen’s loan with USL Super League team Lexington Sporting Club has been terminated, and she has been placed on the season-ending injury list. It’s a tough break for Allen, who became the youngest player to debut for the team back during the 2023 season, as she was getting good minutes and experience on loan. We wish her all the best and hope to see her back on the field soon!

Christian Pulisic Injury News

AC Milan announced on Monday that United States Men’s National Team forward Christian Pulisic has torn a muscle in his right calf, and will spend time on the sideline. The winger went off injured during the team’s game on Friday, and Milan has said that he could be on the shelf until January. While the USMNT won’t play a competitive game until March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinals, the timing is a tough blow for Pulisic, who has had an excellent start to the season with eight goal contributions in Serie A and three UEFA Champions League goals. Here’s hoping that he makes a speedy recovery.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will take part in games this week, so make sure you get everything marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today as Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Celtic take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Malik Tillman, and PSV Eindhoven face Brest in the same competition. Tomorrow has Yunus Musah and AC Milan hosting Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus welcome Manchester City to Allianz Stadium. Things then finish up on Friday as Mark McKenzie and Toulouse host St-Etienne in Ligue 1 play.

MLS Transfer Happenings

We have a lot of MLS transfer moves and roster changes to cover this morning. Cruzeiro has declined the purchase option on FC Cincinnati winger Alvaro Barreal, meaning he has returned to the club following the conclusion of his loan. Expansion side San Diego FC has acquired Tomas Angel and a second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft from LAFC in exchange for $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). Austin FC also bought out Gyasi Zardes’ contract, making the 10th-highest scorer in MLS history a free agent.

The Colorado Rapids signed center backs Ian Murphy and Chidozie Awaziem from FC Cincinnati in exchange for $1 million in General Allocation Money. Tom Bogert is also reporting that Bournemouth is finalizing a deal to sign American center back Matai Akinmboni from D.C. United in a deal worth up to $2.5 million. Finally, in the wildest piece of MLS transfer news I’ve seen in awhile, I simply present the following tweet.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Javier Otero

The Homegrown goalkeeper made his MLS debut in 2024 under difficult circumstances.

Published

20 hours ago

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December 9, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Javier Otero to a Homegrown Player contract on July 10, 2023, keeping him in purple through the 2024 season with club options for 2025 and 2026. Otero was the starting goalkeeper for Orlando City B during the beginning of the 2024 season but was called up with Pedro Gallese on international duty, eventually making an unexpected debut when Mason Stajduhar went down with a season-sending injury. From that point on, Otero moved up to the senior roster permanently and dressed with Orlando City as the backup for the rest of the season.

Let’s take a look back at Otero’s 2024 season.

Statistical Breakdown

The Venezualan goalkeeper was expected to spend most of the season playing for OCB, and during the beginning of the season that was the case, as he started nine of the team’s early season matches. He made 34 saves and gave up 13 goals for a save percentage of 72.3% and a goals against average of 1.44 for the Young Lions, while also passing at a 76.8% completion rate. Otero likely would have been the starter for most of the rest of OCB’s matches, getting valuable game experience, but Stajduhar’s injury meant the senior Lions needed him on the game day roster as the backup for every game, and they could not risk him playing again for OCB.

While he was in the lineup for every game except one from the end of June through the end of the season, Otero played in only one match for Orlando City, subbing in for the injured Stajduhar and playing the final 61 minutes during the team’s 4-2 loss at New York City FC on June 28. During his 61 minutes on the field for the senior Lions, Otero gave up three goals and did not make any saves, though he wasn’t put in the best spots by his teammates during the game. He successfully fielded one of the four crosses that were played into the box. He completed 71.4% of his passes and had one defensive action outside of his penalty area.

During his one regular-season game, Otero did not commit a foul or draw one, and he was not booked.

Otero did not dress during the Concacaf Champions Cup games and was on the bench, but did not play, during the Leagues Cup and MLS playoff matches.

Best Game

There’s no contest since Otero played in only one match in 2024 with the senior Lions. It has to be the 4-2 road loss at NYCFC on June 28. When the game kicked off, I am sure Otero did not expect to play, and had the assistant referee raised his flag on an obvious offside call, he probably would not have played, because Stajduhar would not have suffered his awful injury. As it was, Stajduhar had to be stretchered off, and Otero entered the game in the 29th minute and was immediately under duress, as within the first few minutes he faced a corner kick and a free kick against an NYCFC team that was clearly the more aggressive side, completely comfortable with how to play on its tiny baseball field. Nothing came of the early action though, and Otero was engaged and communicative, talking to the defense and organizing the back.

Unfortunately, that was probably the high part of his match, because in first-half stoppage time, NYCFC scored two goals, one on a deflected shot off of Robin Jansson that Otero looked to be in position to save pre-deflection and one on a tap-in from a brilliant cross that gave Otero no chance to make a play. In the second half, the Lions played much better, cutting the lead to 3-2 and limiting NYCFC’s offensive attacks, but a giveaway and a poor tackle attempt late in the game allowed another shot on goal, and it was bent perfectly around Otero’s outstretched fingers for his third goal against.

The Homegrown goalkeeper may not have made any saves and gave up three goals in only 61 minutes on the field, but I thought he was well-positioned throughout the game and probably would have saved his first goal against if not for the deflection, and only an inch-perfect shot on the third goal was able to sneak by him. It was a trial by fire coming off the bench into MLS action on a field that plays differently than every other pitch in the league due to its shape, but I thought Otero played well and was not at fault for any of his goals against.

2024 Final Grade

With only 61 minutes on the field across all competitions in 2024, Otero did not play enough minutes to get a grade for the 2024 season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff. 

2025 Outlook

Orlando City announced Dec. 5 that the club has exercised Otero’s 2025 option as part of the team’s end-of-season roster decisions. With all three of Gallese, Stajduhar, and Otero under contract for 2025 I expect that, barring an unexpected transfer of Gallese or Stajduhar, Otero will return to splitting his time between OCB and Orlando City, playing games with OCB while practicing with both teams and being on the game day roster when Gallese is called up for national team duty or injuries arise. The big question that remains to be answered is how soon Stajduhar can return, and if he can get back to playing at the level he had achieved before he was injured.

If Stajduhar can return to full health, then it makes sense for Otero to get as many minutes on the field as he can to help with his development, and those minutes would likely be with OCB. The Venezuelan just turned 22, and with the 2024 season basically being a wash for him, he will want to get back out on the field in a starting role, but with the OCB option there, it is not likely he will push to go to another club before the 2025 season. This may be why Orlando City did not retain Carlos Mercado, who backstopped the Young Lions after Otero was needed with the first team.

I believe that Orlando City is grooming Otero to eventually compete for the starting role, so the technical staff will want to see him on the field in 2025 with OCB.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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Lion Links: 12/9/24

Former Lion Nani announces retirement, OCSC U-19 team winning at MLS NEXT Fest, FIFA Club World Cup schedule revealed, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 9, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I had a busy week at Under Armour and watched a Chicago Blackhawks game with friends. Besides that, I’ll be working the Christmas Winterland Event at Wrigley Field later this week. We have plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.

Nani Announces His Retirement

Former Orlando City captain Nani announced his retirement from professional soccer on Sunday after a stellar career. The 38-year-old left a heartfelt message on social media to announce the news.

The Portuguese star spent three seasons with Orlando City after joining the club from Sporting Lisbon in 2019, scoring 31 goals across all competitions. Nani recently played for his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora, in Portugal. He also spent time with Manchester United, Valencia, Fenerbahce, and many other clubs over the span of his career. At the international level, Nani made 112 appearances for Portugal, scoring 24 goals and helping the team win Euro 2016 in France. We here at The Mane Land wish him all the best in his retirement.

OCSC U-19 Team Beats LAFC and FC Cincinnati

MLS NEXT Fest kicked off this weekend and Orlando City’s U-19 team has been on fire. Orlando beat LAFC 7-4 in its first game of the event, with Jack Basinet and Gustavo Caraballo each scoring two goals.

The team followed that up with a 4-0 win against FC Cincinnati on Saturday. The U-19 academy team will be back in action later today to face the LA Galaxy.

Orlando Matches Set for FIFA Club World Cup

The full schedule for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was unveiled and we’ve learned which games will be held in Orlando’s two venues for the tournament.

Inter&Co Stadium will host two matches, with Ulsan HD of South Korea playing against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns on June 17 before Benfica takes on Auckland City on June 20. Camping World Stadium will host four matches. The first will be June 24 between Club Leon and Flamengo, and Juventus will play Manchester City on June 26. Camping World Stadium’s third match will be a round-of-16 matchup on June 30, while the fourth match will be a quarterfinal on July 4. MetLife Stadium will host nine matches, including the semifinals and final.

LA Galaxy Defeat the Red Bulls to Win MLS Cup

The LA Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win the MLS Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. It’s the sixth time that the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup. Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic put the Galaxy ahead 2-0 before the Red Bulls pulled one back in the first half with a goal by Sean Nealis. Despite missing their star player, Riqui Puig, the Galaxy held onto their lead in the second half to secure the win. The Galaxy snapped their title drought that had lasted since 2014, and Head Coach Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two MLS clubs. Gaston Brugman won the MVP honors for the match for his role orchestrating things in the midfield.

Free Kicks

  • The Guardian named its 100 best female footballers in the world for 2024. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was seventh, while Marta was 27th on the list. FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati took the top spot.
  • Christian Pulisic left the pitch in the first half of AC Milan’s 2-1 defeat to Atalanta on Friday due to a calf injury. However, AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca stated after the match that the injury doesn’t look too serious.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly in talks to acquire Monterrey forward Brandon Vazquez.
  • Here are the 10 MLS clubs that have qualified for the 2025 Champions Cup.
  • Botafogo defeated Sao Paulo 2-1 on Sunday to win its first Brazilian league title since 1995. It secured 78 points and finished six points ahead of runner-up Palmeiras.

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

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