Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions do in their scoreless draw against CF Montreal?
Orlando City kicked off its 10th MLS season Saturday night, drawing CF Montreal 0-0 in downtown Orlando. The team was poor in the first half, but much better in the second 45 minutes. The Lions had multiple chances to win it late, hitting the woodwork and having a goal disallowed for offside. However, they claim a point to start the season and are in a great position to advance in the Concacaf Champions Cup Tuesday night.
Here’s how the Lions did individually in the scoreless draw.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — The Peruvian number one has been the most dependable Lion over the past few years and this game was no different. He was active in the first half, making four saves, but was bored in the second half until Kwadwo Opoku got in on goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Gallese came out and made a huge stop with his right leg, ensuring Orlando City would get a point. In total, the goalkeeper had five saves and completed 91.7% of his 24 passes, including four of his six long balls, while claiming his 34th clean sheet as a Lion.
D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — After a rocky first outing in Canada, Santos had a much better game in the league opener with a team-high 108 touches. Defensively, the left back had one tackle, three interceptions, and one clearance in a clean sheet performance. Going forward, he completed 84.2% of his 76 passes, including a key pass. However, he only completed two of his seven crosses, a problem throughout the night for the Lions.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — It wasn’t a bad game for the Orlando City captain, but he wasn’t as effective as fans have come to expect. The Swede had an interception and block, but no clearances. He completed 90.2% of his 61 pass attempts and four of his eight long balls (50%).
D, David Brekalo, 7 — Saturday night saw the long-awaited debut of Brekalo, Orlando City’s new starting center back. It was a solid performance for the defender, who recorded two tackles, two clearances, and a team-high four interceptions. Additionally, his three aerial duels were tied for the team high. He completed 86.4% of his 66 pass attempts and two of his three long balls. The new arrival took two dribbles and two shots, putting one on target. Overall, Brekalo was a bright spot in this game for the Lions before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 77th minute.
D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson was one of several players that were much better in the second half than the first. Most of his passes in the first 45 minutes were left short or long balls too far, but he ended up completing 88.3% of his 60 passes with a team-high three key passes. He completed one of his two crosses and one of his five long balls. He took a team-high four shots, only putting one on target. Additionally, he one clearance defensively, but little else on that end of the field in 90 minutes of action.
MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5.5 — It was a short night for Cartagena, who was taken off at halftime for Martin Ojeda after picking up a yellow in the first half. The Peruvian completed 90.5% of his 42 passes and both of his long balls. However, he did little defensively in this game and only had one dribble going forward. It wasn’t a bad performance overall, but the Lions couldn’t afford to go down a man if he got booked a second time.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo displayed his usual dependability for the Lions in this game. His 87 touches were third on the team and he completed 89.7% of his 68 passes, including two key passes. He failed to connect on his lone cross, but completed all eight of his long balls. Unfortunately, neither of his two shots were on target. Defensively, the defensive midfielder was active, recording two tackles, two interceptions, and a clearance.
MF, Facundo Torres, 5 — Torres is usually the best attacking player for the Lions, but he had a difficult game Saturday night. The attacking midfielder completed 81.3% of his 48 passes and didn’t connect on any of his five crosses. He had one shot that was on target, and could’ve had a goal when he and Felipe and converged on a late header off the crossbar but they were offside. He also had a tackle defensively, but this will be a game to forget for the Uruguayan.
MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6 — One of two Lions to make their competitive home debuts, Lodeiro started in his natural number 10 position. His 89 touches were second-most on the team and he completed 86.7% of his 75 passes with a key pass. Two of his five crosses were accurate and he completed three of his seven long balls. He took one shot on the night, but it was off target. Lodeiro was somewhat active defensively, recording a tackle, an interception, and a clearance before being replaced by Felipe in the 77th minute.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo was less active than usual in this game, only recording 42 touches and not taking any shots. He completed 83.9% of his 31 pass attempts and didn’t connect on his only cross. He had two tackles defensively but didn’t do much else before being replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 68th minute.
F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — McGuire scored in his first game back after an uncertain off-season, so there was a lot of excitement heading into the home opener. The young striker took two off-target shots but was solid with his hold-up play, winning a team-high three aerial duels. He wasn’t able to get too involved, with only 26 touches, and he completed 64.3% of his 14 passes. He also had one key pass, one inaccurate cross, and one clearance.
Substitutes
MF, Martin Ojeda (46′), 6.5 — Ojeda came on at halftime for Cartagena and made a big impact on a much better second half. He completed 90.9% of his 22 passes with three key passes, and he was accurate on three of his seven crosses and both long balls. Additionally, one of his two shots was on target. He also helped out defensively, recording a tackle and a clearance.
F, Ramiro Enrique (68’), 5 — Enrique joined the game in the 68th minute, replacing Angulo, but didn’t make much of an impact. He only had 14 touches in 22 minutes while playing in the midfield. The attacker completed 77.8% of his nine passes without any key passes and failed to complete his lone cross. It was his header in the 80th minute that hit the crossbar and was redirected in by Felipe, but it was ruled out for offside.
D, Kyle Smith (77’), 5.5 — Smith came on for Brekalo to help see out the clean sheet alongside Jansson. Defensively, he had one clearance at center back, but no other defensive stats. He completed 78.6% of his 14 passes, including a key pass and completed his one cross.
MF, Felipe (77’), 6 — Felipe played well in the final 13 minutes of the game after replacing Lodeiro, recording an interception and a clearance and completing 90% of his 10 passes with one key pass. His most noteworthy moment came in the 80th minute when Enrique’s header off the crossbar was knocked in, but he was judged to be offside.
F, Jack Lynn (90’), N/A — Lynn came on for the final minutes of the game, replacing McGuire up top. He had four touches and won an aerial duel, a flick-on header near midfield, while completing one of his three passes (33.3%). He also had one accurate cross.
This is how I saw the individual performances of Orlando City’s first game of the 2024 MLS regular season. How did you see the game? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/10/25
Orlando City reportedly nears signing Nicolas Rodriguez, Orlando Pride re-sign Marta, Americans abroad this weekend, and more.
Happy Friday! I’m already pretty much over this cold weather. While it was a nice change of pace, I’ve never been a huge fan of shivering in my car while waiting for the heat to get going. Thankfully, it looks like some warmer weather is coming this weekend before temperatures dip again next week. But enough about the weather, let’s get to today’s links!
Orlando City Linked With Nicolas Rodriguez
According to Fabrizio Romano, Orlando City is close to signing Colombian winger Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza in Colombia’s top flight.
The 20-year-old would bring the club some needed attacking power and Orlando has open U22 Initiative slots to make it happen. The Lions have yet to make much noise this off-season beyond transferring Facundo Torres to Palmeiras, so hopefully signing Rodriguez kicks off the excitement ahead of the 2025 season. Another report has the transfer fee coming in around $2 million, with Fortaleza keeping a 30% sell-on fee if he’s sold in the future.
Marta Re-Signs With the Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride have re-signed Marta to a new contract that will keep her in the City Beautiful through 2026. Whether or not Marta would return was the biggest question mark surrounding the club after her contract expired following a historic season that included winning both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. Marta is one of the best attacking midfielders in the league and was a finalist for both the NWSL MVP and NWSL Midfielder of the Year awards last year. Enjoy how Marta revealed the big news through the club’s social media. She definitely had me in the first half.
Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad
Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath had a stellar game in Cardiff City’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the FA Cup, making seven saves in the shutout. It was his first start for the club since August and he could get the nod in Cardiff’s next FA Cup match in February. Lindsey Horan had an assist in Lyon’s 2-0 road win over Dijon, while Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty started in Celtic’s 2-0 win against Dundee United.
As for upcoming action, Joe Scally will have a chance to impress when Borussia Mönchengladbach hosts Bayern Munich on Saturday. Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Giovanni Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will take on Bayer Leverkusen today. Serie A should feature the usual suspects on Saturday, with Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan playing Cagliari and Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus facing off against Torino. We also might get to see Matt Turner in goal when Crystal Palace plays Stockport County in the FA Cup.
FA Cup Third Round Storylines
There’s plenty of more FA Cup soccer all over England this weekend to check out. While we were robbed from seeing Ashley Young and his son Tyler Young play against each other in Everton’s 2-0 win against Peterborough United, there are still many storylines in the third round. The heavyweight matchup is between Arsenal and Manchester United on Sunday. While it may be too much to say some of the English Premier League’s bigger clubs are on upset alert this weekend, Tottenham’s road game against Tamworth and Liverpool’s match with Accrington Stanley could prove interesting. Manchester City is set to take on a Salford City side owned by several former Manchester United players as well.
Free Kicks
- Former Orlando City Academy player Charles Ahl was signed by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He was named 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year after a fantastic season with Stetson University.
- The Columbus Crew signed goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen to a contract extension. He started in the club’s 3-1 win over LAFC in the Leagues Cup final and will remain part of an impressive Crew goalkeeping unit that also includes Patrick Schulte and Evan Bush.
- Nashville SC waived midfielder Randall Leal and also goalkeeper Elliot Panicco as the team prepares for its first season with B.J. Callaghan as head coach.
- Minnesota United re-signed midfielder Wil Trapp to a one-year deal with an option for 2026 as well.
- FC Dallas added a whopping six Homegrown Players to its roster and the club leads the league with 43 Homegrown signings in its history.
- Liga MX informed Toluca that Hector Herrera must serve the three-game ban he received for spitting at a referee in the MLS playoffs.
- MLS apologized for falsely confirming that Atlanta United signed Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi as a Designated Player.
- Kathryn Nesbitt and Guido Gonzales Jr. were voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female and Male Referees of the Year.
- Jesse Marsch spoke on how Canada could not hold a January camp this year due to its financial situation. I guess they weren’t able to sell all of those drones in a yard sale.
- Everton fired Sean Dyche before its FA Cup win and David Moyes is reportedly set to replace him.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando City is Often Late to the Transfer Party
Why you shouldn’t worry that we’re still waiting on Orlando City’s off-season signings.
Here we are yet again. It’s that time of the year when seemingly every MLS club is making moves, signing new players, and going about the business of getting better for the coming season. It’s also the time of the year when supporters of Orlando City are looking around like Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, wondering where the signings are for the Lions.
I’m here to tell you not to panic. As frustrating as it is, this is business as usual for Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi and Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira. In case you’ve forgotten, here are some late signings that the club has made over the years.
January Signings
Despite how it feels, Orlando City signs plenty of players in January. Some of those have been earlier than Jan. 9. Nicolas Lodeiro signed with the club on Jan. 4, 2024, Rafael Santos signed on Jan. 5, 2023, and Cesar Araujo signed Jan. 7, 2022. I understand if you think they shouldn’t count since it was before this exact time of the month, but some fans have been freaking out for a week.
Let’s look at those on this day of the month or later. That list includes Martin Ojeda, who became a Lion on this day in 2023. In addition, Pedro Gallese signed Jan. 17, 2020, Ramiro Enrique signed on Jan. 30, 2023, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson signed the very next day. All four of those players were consistent starters in 2024.
February/March Signings
Muzzi and Moreira aren’t afraid to wait to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow to sign new players. Just last year, the club signed David Brekalo on Feb. 8 and Luis Muriel on Feb. 15. Muriel really came on late in the season, and Brekalo will certainly be vying to get his starting spot back in 2025.
I’ve saved my most compelling example for last. Orlando City signed Robin Jansson on March 12, 2019. All he’s done is become Orlando City’s captain and all-time appearance leader. His contributions to the club are extensive. Not too bad for a very late signing.
Historically speaking, Orlando City isn’t doing things any slower than usual. That is why I’m saying not to panic…yet. The Lions made it to the Eastern Conference final for the first time in 2024. If they want to win MLS Cup, the club will need to continue to improve the team.
Given the departure of Facundo Torres, at least one major signing needs to happen. Like you, I hope that signing happens sooner than later. Indeed, I’d like to see several signings, as the club wisely uses the money from the Torres deal to bolster the club for the upcoming season.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/9/25
Orlando City B signs Tristan Himes, young trialist linked with Orlando City, 2025 Futures Camp roster announced, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? Hopefully this cold weather hasn’t made it too difficult to enjoy the new year. I’ve at least been able to get some use out of a new jacket I was gifted over the holidays. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Kyle Smith!
Goalkeeper Tristan Himes Joins Orlando City B
Orlando City signed goalkeeper Tristan Himes to an MLS NEXT Pro contract for him to play with Orlando City B. Himes came up through Orlando’s academy before playing collegiate soccer for the University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University. He was eligible for selection in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft but wasn’t selected. He’ll help fill the void left by Carlos Mercado, whose contract option was declined by the club following the 2024 season. How much time he spends in the net may depend on how much Javier Otero is needed with the first team while Mason Stajduhar recovers from injury.
Trialist Aboubou Haimakoye Linked With Orlando City
You’ll need a translation tool for the details, but 17-year-old attacking midfielder Aboubou Haimakoye will reportedly join Orlando City as a trialist over the next few weeks. Haimakoye is a fast attacker with good ball control according to Africa Foot, so it makes sense why the Lions would be interested in seeing what he can do in the City Beautiful. Should he become a Lion in an official capacity, he would join a growing list of young players from Mali to play for an MLS club.
Emma Hayes Names Roster for 2025 Futures Camp
As part of her efforts to develop the next generation of players for the United States Women’s National Team, Head Coach Emma Hayes named the 24 players who will take part in the 2025 Futures Camp. The training camp will take place alongside the USWNT’s camp in California and includes 14 professional players. A few of the interesting players called up are 17-year-old midfielder Ainsley McCammon, 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Kate Faasse, and Brooklyn FC goalkeeper Neeku Purcell. I’m a bit surprised not to see Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos called up for this camp, as she’s just 20 years old, earned a solid amount of playing time in her rookie season, and represented the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
MLS Transfer News Roundup
While we wait for Orlando City to make some moves this off-season, the rest of the league is wasting no time getting ready for the 2025 season. The Seattle Sounders officially acquired American forward Jesus Ferreira in a trade with FC Dallas, sending $2.3 million in general allocation money, an international roster spot, and winger Leo Chu in exchange. That’s reportedly not the only deal brewing between the two clubs, as Paul Arriola is set to join Seattle as well in a deal that is reportedly done but not yet official.
Atlanta United added some firepower to its attack by signing Japanese forward Cayman Togashi to a contract through 2025. Lassi Lappalainen is now with the Columbus Crew after six years with CF Montreal, reuniting with Wilfried Nancy after signing a contract through 2025. The New England Revolution signed 17-year-old midfielder Allan Oyirwoth. Nashville SC signed midfielder Bryan Acosta and is also reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Andy Najar from Honduran club CD Olimpia.
As for outgoing players, Alan Pulido is no longer with Sporting Kansas City after being transferred to Chivas Guadalajara in Mexico. The move notably opens up a Designated Player spot for Kansas City. A club in Liga MX is also reportedly negotiating with the Houston Dynamo for midfielder Coco Carrasquilla.
Free Kicks
- It looks like we’ll be getting an update today on whether or not Marta will be with the Orlando Pride for the 2025 NWSL season.
- The Dynamo announced Pat Onstad as its president of soccer and Asher Mendelsohn as its technical director, extending the contracts of both for turning the club around after joining in 2022.
- The Portland Thorns have signed forward Pietra Tordin, who had four goals for the U.S. in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup last year. She was also named 2024 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year after a great season playing for Princeton.
- Midfielder Hannah Bebar has joined the USWNT’s training camp to replace Lynn Williams. The 23-year-old may be uncapped with the senior team, but she has plenty of experience playing at the youth levels for the U.S.
- Didier Deschamps announced that he will step down as France’s head coach following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- West Ham United fired Julen Lopetegui as its manager, with Graham Potter reportedly set to replace him. The club is 14th in the English Premier League standings, with just 23 points from 20 matches.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
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