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Orlando City vs. Cavalry FC, Concacaf Champions Cup: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Sweep Canadian Shield Winners

Lions blast Cavalry FC 6-1 on aggregate across the two legs to advance in Concacaf Champions Cup.

Published

10 months ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Nicolas Lodeiro, Ramiro Enrique, and Kyle Smith provided the offense as Orlando City defeated Cavalry FC 3-1 at home in the second leg of the first-round Concacaf Champions Cup series. Orlando City advances to the round of 16. Myer Bevan scored for Cavalry FC to hand the Canadian side their first-ever goal in the competition, spoiling a repeat of last week’s 3-0 result. Orlando advances 6-1 on aggregate across the two legs.

It was the first home win in the continental tournament for Orlando and the team advanced for the first time as well. The Lions will take on Tigres UANL in a rematch of last year’s first-round series.

“I thought the way (Cavalry) battled the game and they complicated things for us was remarkable,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “It was difficult to get the rhythm, knowing that we wanted to keep the same intensity and the same level and the same aggressiveness, and being fine in the last third as we all committed to. As the game went on, we found better timings to do it. Then, finally, in the second half we found the goal that kind of released a little bit of the anxiousness we had.”

Pareja rotated his squad heavily for this match, starting Homegrown goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Rodrigo Schlegel, Smith, and Michael Halliday. Wilder Cartagena and Felipe started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Shak Mohammed, Martin Ojeda, and Enrique with new Designated Player Luis Muriel up top.

With the Lions entering at +3 on aggregate and playing a lot of young players, it’s no surprise that the first half was a bit sleepy. The first look at goal in the match came nine minutes in when Enrique directed a weak header on at Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci off Ojeda’s corner kick.

Muriel was active in his first action with Orlando, directing a header on frame in the 14th minute and nearly scoring a fantastic goal a minute later. The Colombian dribbled through the Cavalry defense from midfield in transition. Upon entering the box, two defenders closed him down. Muriel still managed to direct a shot on goal but Carducci was able to make a sprawling save.

Orlando should have scored in the 17th minute. Ojeda made a slick move in the box to get past a sliding defender. He crossed for Halliday but the young fullback muffed his first touch and sent the ball wide of the left post. There was a video review for a possible Cavalry handball but no penalty was given.

Enrique was active but had a wasteful first half. He tried to inside-out a shot at the near post in the 22nd minute but missed the target.

The visitors almost snatched the lead in the 27th minute. A corner kick cross found its way to Charlie Trafford through traffic. Trafford’s header skipped just wide of the right post and the game remained scoreless.

Muriel fired just wide of the left post in the 29th after Orlando turned the visitors over in their own end. Three minutes later, Enrique tried an ambitious one-timer from a tight angle on the right but hit it right at Carducci. There were better options for the Argentine on the play. Enrique then got to a Halliday cross in the 36th minute but headed it right at Carducci. That was the last good look of the half.

At the half, Orlando led on the stat sheet but neither side had a goal. The Lions held the advantage in possession (51.4%-48.6%), shots (8-3), shots on target (4-0), passing accuracy (88.7%-86.3%), and corners (3-1).

“Against Montreal it took us a while in the first half to get some rhythm. I know the boys don’t want me to make any excuse, and I won’t do it, but today with kind of the same start, I would like to review, because we don’t want it to happen. But after that I thought we got the rhythm. And the break of the half, we just calmed the team down a little. I told them we have to settle first. Let’s not try to do super advanced things if we’re not doing the simple ones. Let’s do the simple ones first and just let the game come.”

Pareja subbed on Lodeiro and Cesar Araujo for Mohammed and Cartagena to start the second half. The Lions nearly scored just seconds after the restart when they turned Cavalry over in front of goal, but Ojeda’s shot was blocked behind for a corner.

Orlando finally broke the deadlock near the end of the 48th minute. Muriel ended up with the ball on the right and cut toward the middle. Spotting Lodeiro to his left, he dropped a pass off for the veteran midfielder, who fired off the left post and in to make it 1-0. It was Lodeiro’s first goal and Muriel’s first assist with the Lions.

“It was a play where we were able to recover the ball, and then first thing that we did was try and look to get in on goal,” Muriel said through a club interpreter. “The goalkeeper picked up his head and was able to shut that door. But then Nico was calling for me. I heard him calling for me to pass him the ball, and he’s a great player, and seeing him inside was was great. And he was able to get that goal. So, it was a beautiful play, and I’m happy for the way things went, because up until that point, it was a complicated game.”

“It’s always nice when guys can come in and contribute right off the get-go,” said Stajduhar, the longest tenured Lion. “So, it was nice to see Nico get that goal today and Luis getting assists. So, the fact that they’re already contributing and playing well is going to be a good sign for the group going forward.”

Stajduhar was forced into a save on Bevan in the 53rd minute from a tough angle. He should have handled it better but spilled it out for a corner. Fortunately for the Lions, the visitors could do nothing with the set piece.

Moments later, Daan Klomp was booked for taking down Muriel who was breaking in transition the other way for Orlando.

Eryk Kobza tried his luck from outside the area in the 57th minute but didn’t get his effort on target. A minute later, Carducci did well on a 1-v-1 save to deny Enrique, who was judged offside anyway after the shot.

Ojeda had a takeaway at the hour mark and started the break. Enrique picked out Lodeiro entering the box but his first touch was poor and the veteran chipped over the net from a tough angle on the right.

Bevan pulled a goal back for Cavalry in the 65th minute. Halliday couldn’t keep the cross from fizzing through the box from Stajduhar’s right. Schlegel had the opposing forward covered but didn’t make the play when the ball came through. It was an easy tap-in for Bevan to tie the game at 1-1.

Orlando regained the lead in the 71st minute. Enrique took a pass from Lodeiro and fired a blast from the top left corner of the box. His laser shot found the upper right corner of the goal behind Carducci to make it 2-1.

“Mason hit it long to me, I nodded it on Nico, and then Nico was able to get it back to me,” Enrique said about the play. “And I just figured, ‘Have a hit,’ and thankfully it went in.

The game was a bit back-and-forth after that for a while. Ali Musse sent a volley shot just wide of Stajduhar’s goal in the 72nd minute from just outside the area.

Second-half sub Facundo Torres scored in the 74th minute but the flag came up as he was in ahead of Enrique, who could have taken the shot himself. Enrique then fired way off target a minute later.

Stajduhar did well to grab a shot by William Akio in the 76th minute. The keeper also had his post well covered in the 87th minute when Bradley Kamdem headed wide off a late Cavalry corner kick.

Smith tacked on a third for Orlando in the 88th minute after switching to left back. Smith sent Torres down the left and continued his run into the box. Torres took the ball down the left and cut back toward the top of the area, dropping the ball off for Smith, who sent his first-time shot into the right side of the net, putting the match to bed at 3-1.

That third goal took the air out of the match and it was over moments later.

Cavalry came back to edge Orlando in possession (51.1%-48.9%), but Orlando finished with the advantage in shots (14-12), shots on target (7-3), passing accuracy (84.9%-83.7%), and corners (6-4).

“It seems like being more patient in the sequences, we created more options,” Pareja said. “And also, when we look organized we have a better opportunity to counterattack with better spaces.”

“You could definitely let it affect you, but here we didn’t,” Halliday said of entering the game with a three-goal advantage. “We just said, ‘It’s another game we have to win. Just win the game.’ Same mentality.”

“I’m happy with the group,” Pareja said. “I think we all kind of refreshed today with a group playing that have not played and the ones who have been were resting. So, I’m happy now, just thinking about the derby (against Inter Miami on Saturday). We’ll think about the next step in Concacaf next week.”

The Lions are back in action Saturday when they travel to Fort Lauderdale to take on Inter Miami at 4:30 p.m. Orlando City will return to Concacaf Champions Cup action at home on March 5 against Mexican giants Tigres. The kickoff time will be announced in the coming days.

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Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Jack Lynn

The young striker played a career high in minutes for Orlando City and played in all four
competitions.

Published

9 hours ago

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December 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Jack Lynn joined Orlando City through the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, when he was selected in the first round by the Lions with the No. 18 overall pick out of Notre Dame. He primarily played with OCB during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, scoring 15 goals in 2022 and 19 in 2023 while earning the MLS NEXT Pro MVP for that season. He was a depth player for most of the 2024 season with Orlando City, but late in the season he returned to playing more frequently with OCB, and quickly found his goal-scoring form once again with the Young Lions.

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

Statistical Breakdown

After two seasons of double-digit goal scoring in MLS NEXT Pro, the young forward looked to be a leading candidate to serve as the backup to Duncan McGuire, and in the opening few months he was frequently in the game day squad. However, the signing of Luis Muriel meant that he often was an unused substitute as the Lions used McGuire and Muriel as their strikers. Ramiro Enrique then returned from a prolonged absence and took over the starting spot with McGuire as the primary sub off the bench, and in the second half of the season, Lynn did not dress for Orlando City as frequently. He got some starts for OCB and scored four goals and had one assist in his eight games played with the Young Lions.

For Orlando City, Lynn appeared primarily in MLS regular-season games, making 11 appearances with two starts, playing 253 minutes. He took six shots, putting three on target and scoring two goals. He passed at a 66.7% completion percentage but did not have any key passes or assists. On the defensive side deuces were wild, as he won two tackles, made two blocks and had two clearances. He committed five fouls, drew two on the opposition, and was not booked.

Lynn also made one appearance late in the Lions’ final MLS playoff match, coming in for two minutes and recording just one touch of the ball, with no shots, passes attempted or defensive actions, and he did not receive a booking.

During Concacaf Champions Cup play, the Notre Dame product came off the bench in both games against Cavalry FC, playing 21 total minutes without a goal contribution, recording one shot that was off target, completing all three of his passes, and suffering one foul. He did not contribute any defensive actions or get booked.

Lynn participated in one Leagues Cup match, subbing in against CF Montréal. He played 12 minutes and did not have a goal contribution or take any shots, but he completed both of his passes, with one being a key pass. On the defensive side, he made two recoveries and committed one foul, but he wasn’t booked.

Best Game

The 24-year-old striker earned his first-ever starting nod for Orlando City on March 23 against Austin FC, and in the 42nd minute, he scored his first MLS goal. He timed his run perfectly to get wide open at the back post and finished with a powerful header off a cross from Dagur Dan Thórhallsson to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

Lynn went on to play 73 minutes, completing 10 of his 13 passes (76.9%) and adding one additional off-target shot. He contributed a tackle and a clearance on defense. Orlando City won the game 2-0, making Lynn’s goal in the opening half the game-winner. Head Coach Óscar Pareja said he was pleased with Lynn’s performance, praising him in the post-game press conference:

“(Jack) is a player who patiently has been waiting (for) his opportunity,” Pareja said. “I could say that maybe he should have more games at this point with the way he has performed in the second group and what he has achieved as an individual. He’s very lethal and he has goals. Today, he opened the game. Jack’s discipline and constant effort has paid off and we’re happy.”

2024 Final Grade

With only 288 minutes on the field across all competitions in 2024, Lynn did not play enough minutes to get a grade for the season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff. Still, he showed that he was capable of contributing when called upon to play first-team minutes.

2025 Outlook

After watching how prolific Lynn was in MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, and then once again this season when he returned to play a few matches with OCB, Lynn has clearly proven that he is above the level of play in that league. In limited minutes at the MLS level, he has shown flashes, but based on the substitution patterns as the season went along, it was clear that he was at best the third option at striker. Orlando City appears to be bringing back both Enrique and McGuire, so while they picked up Lynn’s option for 2025 season, I expect that it will be another season similar to 2024, where he is a depth player who primarily comes in off the bench, if he comes in at all.

I believe that Lynn is an MLS-caliber player, as he is an excellent finisher of the “fox in the box” ilk, but my projection is that 2025 will look similar to 2024 and he will be fighting for minutes off the bench at the MLS level.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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Lion Links: 12/11/24

Orlando City’s protected players, Orlando Pride roster update, the USMNT is returning to Inter&Co Stadium, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

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December 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. The season might be over, but there’s still plenty of news to be found. I’m glad that we have all the movies and specials to watch since there are no MLS or NWSL matches. There are quite a few that my family watch each year including Elf, Scrooged, and of course, Die Hard. Let me know your favorites in the comments below. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Protected List Released

The addition of San Diego SC to MLS means another expansion draft this off-season. Yesterday, Orlando City released its protected players list. There are a total of 19 players on the list, though seven of those are automatically protected due to either Homegrown or Generation Adidas status. San Diego will be able to pick up to five players from across the league, but only one from any given club. There aren’t many surprises in which players Orlando City chose to protect.

Pride End-of-Season Roster Update

Following a historic season that saw the club win both the NWSL Shield and the 2024 NWSL Cup, the Pride have released their end of season roster update. We already knew that Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco retired. Given how the club works its contracts, often re-signing players during the season, there weren’t a lot of surprises. Marta and Evelina Duljan were the two players out of contract, and we now know that Duljan won’t be returning, while the club is negotiating a deal that would keep Marta in Orlando.

USMNT Returning to Inter&Co Stadium

The USMNT is heading back to the City Beautiful, as the team will play Costa Rica Jan. 22 at Inter&Co Stadium. Kickoff for the match will be 7 p.m., allowing fans in the Orlando area to make it after work. It will be the second match in Florida, as the Americans will take on Venezuela Jan. 18 at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. Pre-sale tickets went on sale Tuesday, and ticket sales for the general public start Friday.

USWNT vs. Brazil

If you were hoping for a rematch of the 2024 Women’s World Cup final between the USWNT and the Brazilian Women’s National Team, you are in luck. The two teams will square off on April 5 and April 8, 2025 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and at PayPal Park in San Jose, respectively. The match at SoFi Stadium will be the first soccer match played in the venue, which will also host matches for the 2026 World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • It’s no surprise to those of us who work with the Pride regularly that Jackie Maynard, Lucas Medeiros, and the rest of Orlando’s comms staff was named the first-ever NWSL Communications Team of the Year winner. We congratulate Jackie and her team and look forward to continuing to work with a great group of professionals.
  • Take a trip down memory lane with this compilation of Facundo Torres’ goals from 2024.
  • Today, FIFA will award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. The circumstances leading up to this “decision” are exactly as forthright, transparent, and without any hint of shenanigans as one expects from FIFA. Give me a minute, my eyes got stuck in the back of my head because of how hard I rolled them.
  • In related news, Norway plans to protest the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and will abstain on the basis that not enough has been done to protect human rights at the event.
  • Orlando City wasn’t the only team to drop its list of protected rosters. Here are the lists for every MLS club.
  • Plenty of teams were in action in the UEFA Champions League Tuesday. Liverpool won its sixth consecutive first round match 1-0 over Girona, and Mbappe scored and got injured in Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Atalanta.

That will do it for today. Keep checking in for our Season in Review pieces for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Vamos Orlando!

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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.

Published

2 days 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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