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2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Robin Jansson

Robin Jansson was a rock in the Orlando City back line in 2023.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City acquired Robin Jansson early in the 2019 MLS season and the center back has become a key part of the club’s success over the past five years. The Swede signed a two-year extension in 2021 with options for 2023 and 2024. The club announced after the 2023 season the exercising of his option for next year, keeping the vice captain on the team for a sixth season in purple.

Jansson was injured late in the 2022 season, requiring foot surgery. However, he came back stronger than ever in 2023 with one of his best seasons for Orlando City. Once again, he was one of the most dependable players in the team, playing a crucial role all year long. 

Let’s take a look at Jansson’s impressive 2023 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Jansson played in all 34 regular-season games for the Lions this past season, starting 31 and playing 2,880 minutes. He was a problem for offenses across the league, recording 23 interceptions, 91 clearances, 31 blocks; winning 59.2% of his duels; and recording a success rate of 50% by winning 12 of 24 tackle attempts. In the attack, he took four shots with none on target, so he didn’t score any goals. He completed 1,380 of his 1,613 passes (85.5%), including 107 longs balls and six key passes, but he did not record an assist. Jansson’s tendency to receive unnecessary bookings has been a problem for the defender, but he kept his cool in 2023, only getting booked five times and not receiving any red cards. Additionally, he drew 21 fouls and committed 18.

As one of Orlando City’s most important players, Jansson played every minute of the club’s MLS Cup playoff campaign, starting all three matches and logging 300 minutes. He didn’t have any interceptions in the three games, but recorded 13 clearances, three blocks, and three tackles, and he won 76.9% of his duels. He completed 119 of his 136 passes (87.5%) with 14 long balls but provided no key passes or assists. Neither of his two shots were on target, so he didn’t score any goals. He committed two fouls and drew four in the three playoff matches, receiving one yellow card.

Jansson started both Concacaf Champions League games against Tigres UANL, playing all 180 minutes. He completed 94 of his 105 passes (89.5%) with 11 long balls, but didn’t have any assists. He also didn’t have any interceptions, committing two fouls and drawing four, picking up one yellow card. In the attack, he didn’t take any shots, so he didn’t score any goals.

In the reformed Leagues Cup, Jansson played all three games and recorded 270 minutes. He completed 109 of his 122 pass attempts (89.3%), connected on two long balls, and provided three key passes,but no assists.  He intercepted four pass attempts by the opposition while committing one foul, drawing four, and getting booked once. He took one off-target shot during the competition, so he didn’t get on the scoresheet.

Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja made some changes for the team’s lone U.S. Open Cup game in 2023, but kept his best center back in the starting lineup. Jansson played all 90 minutes at Charlotte, completing 46 of his 56 passes (82.1%), including five long balls, but as the team was shut out, he had no goals or assists. He committed one foul and was booked and didn’t draw any. He also didn’t take any shots.

Best Game

Jansson had multiple stellar performances this season, but his best came on May 20 in a 3-1 win at Inter Miami. The hosts had yet to acquire Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets, but still had a potent attacking threat with Josef Martinez and Leonardo Campana. The center back partnership of Jansson and Antonio Carlos created problems all night for the opposition, resulting in Miami only recording six shots and two on goal.

Jansson was the biggest problem for Miami on the night, recording three interceptions, seven clearances, and two blocks in 90 minutes — all team highs. He completed 24 of his 27 passes (88.9%), which wasn’t his best passing game but still a high percentage. There were games where Jansson was more effective in the attack, but he wasn’t any better defensively than he was against a bitter rival.

For his effort in the game, our Marcus Mitchell gave Jansson a 7.5 grade, tying him with Carlos and Cesar Araujo for the second-highest. It might have been a Man of the Match performance if not for Ercan Kara recording a goal and an assist on the night.

2023 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Jansson a composite score of 8 out of 10 for the 2023 MLS season, the highest grade he’s received in his five years with the club. After receiving a 6.5 in 2019, he’s flipped between 7 and 7.5 over the past three seasons, with a 7 in 2020, a 7.5 in 2021, and a 7 again in 2022. The higher grade for 2023 is due to Jansson’s exceptional performances, but also the consistency he showed throughout the season. The center back was one of the most dependable players this year and took part in every game. He received a lot of consideration for Defender of the Year but did not win the award and was not named to the MLS Best XI, but perhaps should have been.

2024 Outlook

Jansson was one of the most important players for Orlando City and will be again next year since the club picked up his option. It’s currently unknown who will be his center back partner in the starting lineup after Carlos was transferred to Brazil’s Fluminense FC on Dec. 16. He could continue to be joined by Rodrigo Schlegel, as he was for much of this year, or a new teammate. Regardless, the team will depend on him as the leader of the defense.

The Swedish center back could see an increased role in 2024 after the club parted ways with Mauricio Pereyra. He captained the team six times during the regular season, the second-most behind Pereyra. The only other player to wear the armband in 2023 was Martin Ojeda, doing so when both Pereyra and Jansson were rested for the final game of the season. In all likelihood, Jansson will be given the armband before the 2024 season begins.


This concludes our 2023 Orlando City Season in Review series of player ratings. We hope you enjoyed revisiting the year each player had this past year.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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