Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Minnesota United FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-2 loss to Minnesota United FC?

Published

10 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City suffered its second consecutive loss in MLS play with a 3-2 home defeat to Minnesota United FC Saturday night. It was a night of blown chances with the Lions having multiple opportunities around the six-yard box. However, they were unable to convert the opportunities, enabling the visitors to grab a late winner and hand City its first home regular-season loss since April 22, 2023.

Let’s take a look at how the individual Lions performed in this frustrating performance.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 4.5 — The Lions’ number one got off to an inauspicious start when, in the fourth minute, he took too long to clear a Rafael Santos back pass. The clearance was blocked by Teemu Pukki, who put the ball in to even the game at 1-1. He gave up another bad goal in the 38th minute, getting beaten to his near post by Pukki from outside of the box. The goalkeeper saved two of the five shots he faced on the night and completed 66.7% of his 18 passes, including four of 10 long passes. Overall, it was a poor night from a usually dependable goalkeeper.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos was back at his starting left back position in this game. He completed 70.6% of his 51 passes, two of which were key passes, and one of his seven crosses. His 72 touches were second-most on the team, one short of Robin Jansson, and he recorded a tackle and clearance defensively. His biggest contribution came in the first minute when he intercepted a Minnesota pass, made a good run into the attacking third, and played Duncan McGuire through for the earliest goal in Orlando City history.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was active in this game, touching the ball a team-leading 73 times. He recorded an interception, blocked shot, and three clearances, all team-leading stats. Going forward, the center back completed 79% of his 62 passes and one of his seven long balls. Additionally, he had one successful dribble and took one off-target shot. He was beaten in the air on the late goal kick that resulted in Minnesota’s game-winning goal.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel’s 65 touches were fourth-most on the team and, like Jansson, he was active on defense. The center back recorded a team-high four tackles and two clearances. He completed 89.8% of his 49 passes, including a key pass, one of his four long balls, and took an off-target shot. Unfortunately, with Jansson having gone forward to try to win the ball in the air, Schlegel was left in a bad spot, and Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi beat him to a flick-on from a goal kick, enabling the opponent to play Bongokuhle Hlongwane through for the late winning goal. He was also beaten by Hlongwane a few minutes earlier, trying to see a ball over the end line, but the Minnesota attacker was able to keep it in, take control, and get a scoring opportunity. Those defensive errors knock his grade down a bit.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — The right back was less active than his left-sided counterpart, recording 45 touches. He completed 75% of his 24 passes with one key pass and one of his four long balls. His key pass should have provided Felipe with an easy goal, but the midfielder couldn’t make good enough contact with the cross. Defensively, Thorhallsson recorded one tackle before being replaced by Mikey Halliday in the 55th minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 5.5 — The defensive midfielder’s night was cut short by injury, but he had 13 touches and completed 88.9% of his nine passes, including his only long ball attempt. The most memorable moment of his game came in the 33rd minute when Martin Ojeda’s free kick went beyond the outstretched arm of Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and found Araujo. Unfortunately, the ball hit off of him, went straight down, and then sailed over the crossbar, blowing a golden opportunity to give the Lions their second lead of the night. The ensuing goal kick resulted in a collision that injured Araujo, forcing him to be replaced by Wilder Cartagena.

MF, Felipe, 5.5 — Similar to Araujo, Felipe’s night will be remembered for a squandered opportunity to score. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time, a Thorhallsson pass into the box found Felipe inside the six and nobody between him and goal. It seemed like an impossible miss, but the midfielder found a way to miss the target high and wide. Apart from that disastrous play, Felipe completed 87.5% of his 24 passes and one of his two long balls. He also had one tackle in addition to his one painfully off-target shot. In an attacking change, the defensive midfielder was replaced at halftime by Nico Lodeiro.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo quietly had a strong night for the Lions. He only touched the ball 28 times, but completed 84.6% of his 13 passes, including one key pass, and his only cross. His lone shot was on target and he had a successful dribble. The attacking midfielder also helped out defensively, winning two tackles, before being replaced by Luis Muriel in the 54th minute.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 (MotM) — Ojeda had an excellent game, recording 66 touches and an assist. He completed 84.2% of his 38 passes, including three key passes, two of his 10 crosses, and all five of his long balls. He put one of his three shots on target — although it was right at the goalkeeper from just around the penalty spot — assisted Ducnan McGuire’s second goal with a nice play to win the ball in the midfield, and should’ve had a second assist on Araujo’s miss. The attacking midfielder also had a strong defensive night, recording two tackles, an interception, and a clearance.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique got the start with Facundo Torres out due to a shoulder injury suffered against Tigres in the Champions Cup last week. The attacker had 42 touches in 90 minutes and completed 78.6% of his 28 passes but neither of his two crosses. His one shot was off target and he added two clearances defensively.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — McGuire was the star of the night with a brace. He scored the earliest goal in Orlando City history in the first minute and equalized with a long-distance strike in the 83rd minute.  He completed 82.1% of his 28 passes, including one key pass, but didn’t complete his only cross. Three of his four shots were on target, but I knocked him down from Man of the Match because of his miss in the 64th minute. Muriel sent a hard ball across that found McGuire at the top of the six yard box. It was an easy tap-in attempt, but the striker messed it up, sending it just wide. Strikers have to convert those easy chances, which McGuire obviously knew as he put his head in his hands after the miss. He did make up for it with his second goal and was replaced by Kyle Smith four minutes later.

Substitutes

MF, Wilder Cartagena (41’), 5.5 — Cartagena came on in the 41st minute for Araujo and had arguably his best game of the young season. The defensive midfielder completed 84.9% of his 33 passes, including three key passes, and three of his five long balls. Both of his shots were off target, but he recorded two tackles and a clearance in 49 minutes. His score is a bit lower than it would be had he not foolishly picked up an unnecessary red card after the final whistle after coming together with Joseph Rosales of Minnesota, who was also shown a red card.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (46’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Felipe at halftime in an attacking change. He completed 75% of his 36 passes, including one key pass, one of his three crosses, and three of his five long balls. One of the midfielder’s three shots were on target and he had a defensive clearance.

F, Luis Muriel (54’), 6 — Muriel came on in the 54th minute for Angulo and made an impact on the game. Orlando City’s newest Designated Player completed nine of his 10 passes, including two key passes, and his lone cross. He should’ve also had an assist when McGuire failed to convert on a golden opportunity in front of goal. He missed the target on his only shot (on a free kick attempt), but it was an impactful performance by the Colombian.

D, Mikey Halliday (55’), 5.5 — The Homegrown product came on in the 55th minute for Thorhallsson and had a team-high three tackles. Going forward, he completed 77.8% of his 18 passes, but his biggest contribution was a negative play. He got caught flat-footed in second-half stoppage time, enabling Hlongwane to get behind him and score the winning goal.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — Smith was a late substitution, replacing McGuire and sliding into the central midfield, pushing Lodeiro into the attacking midfield line of Pareja’s 4-2-3-1. He had 15 touches in the final minutes and completed nine of his 10 passes, including his only long ball attempt. Defensively, he recorded one tackle.

This is how I saw the performances in Orlando City’s devastating 3-2 loss to Minnesota United. I would’ve given McGuire Man of the Match had he scored the second-half sitter and the club’s first hat trick since 2015, but gave it to Ojeda for his impact on the game. Let us know how you saw the individual performances and who you think was the Man of the Match.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Previewing Luis Muriel’s Second Year in Purple

Orlando City needs more production from its Colombian striker in 2025, so what’s the best way to get it?

Published

8 hours ago

on

January 10, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The 2025 season will be Luis Muriel’s second as an Orlando City player following a 2024 campaign that wasn’t bad but was uneven and marked by potential that ultimately went unfulfilled. With the Colombian striker still occupying a Designated Player slot, there’s a lot of questions about how he’s going to fit into the team.

With him occupying a precious DP slot and commanding the highest salary on the team by a comfortable margin, it’s essential that the Lions get maximum output from him on the field. What’s the best way to do that, though? With the departure of Facundo Torres and Muriel getting a full off-season and preseason under his belt, there are a few different ways to achieve that goal.

Striker

The obvious answer is the reason that he was brought to the City Beautiful in the first place — to play him at striker. Duncan McGuire likely won’t be available until sometime in April, meaning that Muriel will be duking it out in preseason with Ramrio Enrique (and to a lesser extent, Jack Lynn) for the right to start as the tip of Orlando City’s proverbial spear. He got some time there last year in the first few months of the season, but ultimately his production, or lack thereof, opened the door for McGuire, and later Enrique, to supplant him.

The most straightforward way to get him in the team is to get him scoring in the volume that he’s shown himself to be capable of. It wouldn’t require any alterations to the formation or moving players around to areas where they might not be comfortable. Orlando could try to go big for a winger with proven goal-scoring threat to help replace the Facundo Torres-sized hole on the right wing, Ivan Angulo can stay out left, Martin Ojeda retains his place at the 10, and things keep ticking along.

The big question is whether he can find the back of the net consistently enough to justify going this route, particularly when McGuire and Enrique have proven themselves to be capable of providing solid scoring output. However, if he shows better than Enrique and Lynn in preseason, this is probably the most likely route.

Winger

Another solution, and probably the one that would be second easiest, would be to deploy him at the winger spot vacated by the now-departed Torres. This would allow Enrique and McGuire to compete for the no.9 slot, while filling Torres’ place with someone who is capable of creating and producing goals for others at the same, if not higher, level, and it wouldn’t require any formation or positional shifts.

A downside is that the right-footed Muriel wouldn’t be inverting the way that Torres did, which would tweak some of the team’s tactics and patterns of play in the final third. Additionally, it would be gambling on Muriel improving his goal-scoring numbers despite being shifted out wide and presumably not having as many looks at goal.

In this scenario, the Lions likely aren’t going out and adding a third Designated Player, or if they are, it’s probably an attempt to upgrade over Angulo — something which just doesn’t seem super likely to me, given how ever-present he’s been in the lineup since joining the team. I also don’t know if I can see Luiz Muzzi and Co. standing pat with the current state of a roster that couldn’t win it all and then lost its best player.

No. 10

A different route would be to trot him out at the no.10 position, where he often found himself deployed when coming on as a substitute during the second half of the year. The advantages of this solution are that it would allow the Colombian to utilize his considerable passing range and ability on the ball while minimizing his need to contribute large amounts of goals. On the downside, it would require shifting Ojeda out of the central position that he occupied to such great effect during the second half of the 2024 season. While Muriel has played well in this position, I can’t see the decision-makers being willing to gamble on Ojeda regressing if moved out wide again.

Shadow Striker/Roving Playmaker

The final, and most intriguing (and complex) of the options would be to deploy him as a shadow striker/roaming playmaker as part of a front two. Muriel drops into the hole behind the striker and moves around, finding space just behind his fellow forward, popping up wherever the spaces are and making it difficult for teams to zero in on patterns of play.

Again, it would allow him to use his excellent passing and dribbling ability to create scoring chances for McGuire/Enrique, while still getting him some looks at goal. It’s also a position that he’s played at various times throughout his career, including last year, when we saw him partnered with McGuire in either a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. The two played well together during those games, and showed signs of a flourishing partnership that ultimately wasn’t pursued further as the team got more bodies healthy and Ojeda began to shine as the central player in the three-man attacking midfield.

The biggest problem would be finding a formation that gets Orlando’s best players on the field in their best positions. A 4-4-2 would allow a midfield of Ojeda, Angulo, Wilder Cartagena, and Cesar Araujo, but Ojeda would need to be out wide and we’ve already covered why that’s an issue. A 3-5-2 would also allow for those guys to be on the field, but then Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Rafael Santos would likely be sacrificed, and Cartagena would move to center back while Nico Lodeiro slotted into the midfield in his place. OCSC is better when Cartagena and Araujo are partnering in the midfield, and I love having Santos’ crossing ability and DDT’s versatility on the field. For me, it would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

An interesting solution could be trying a 4-2-2-2, with Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel/David Brekalo, and Thorhallson at the back, Araujo and Cartagena as the defensive midfielders, Angulo and Ojeda as the attacking midfielders, and Enrique/McGuire and Muriel up top, with Muriel operating as the shadow striker. To get the necessary width in attack, one of the fullbacks (presumably DDT) could invert into the midfield when in possession, and one of the defensive mids (likely Cartagena) would drift out wide while Ojeda plays centrally, where he operates best. The biggest issues here are that it would necessitate a lot of tactical variation from what the team is accustomed to, requires Thorhallsson to run his guts out, and is susceptible to getting torched on the counterattack. There’s a world where it could work, but I wouldn’t expect to see it.

At the end of the day, everyone’s lives are made easier if having a full off-season and preseason under his belt helps the Colombian DP find his shooting boots and he hits the ground running as the striker in Oscar Pareja’s preferred 4-2-3-1. Orlando adds firepower at right wing, Ojeda stays in the middle, and Muriel does what he was primarily signed to do — score goals. If that doesn’t happen, there are still ways to try to get him involved, but each solution comes with its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages to navigate. Either way, Muriel’s fit during the 2025 season is an intriguing storyline to watch as we build towards the start of the new campaign. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

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.

Published

11 hours ago

on

January 10, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

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

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

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.

Published

1 day ago

on

January 9, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

Continue Reading

Trending