Three Lions Poised to Help Orlando City Claw their Way Back

Orlando City has had a less-than-ideal start to the season. Competing in both the Major League Soccer regular season and the Concacaf Champions Cup, meant that the team had to navigate the beginning of the year through heavy schedule congestion and a league record of 0-1-2 as well as an exit in the round of 16 in the CCC is what Orlando has to show for its efforts.

A loss to Inter Miami, as well as a subsequent heartbreaking loss in the match against Minnesota United FC, has left a foul taste in fans’ mouths, it should be acknowledged that it was nearly impossible to truly gauge what the team was capable of while the Lions were competing in both formats.

Nonetheless, Orlando is desperate to start turning in results and there are several key pieces of the roster who are poised to help break the team out of its slump. Here are my picks for the top three players that can help right the ship as Orlando heads into the meat and potatoes of its regular season.

David Brekalo

Heading into the start of the year, Orlando City’s back line had the ability to be one of the most sound units throughout MLS. Allowing eight goals through three matches has left folks scratching their heads as to what the issues may be and what needs to be done to fix it. Enter off-season signing David Brekalo. Debuting in the home opener against CF Montreal, Brekalo looked the part of an athletic center back who has the ability to complement Robin Jansson across the back line. In the next two subsequent matches against Miami and Minnesota, Brekalo failed to feature and his absence was notable, as in those two matches the opposition scored eight goals.

With less schedule congestion to deal with, Brekalo will likely become a regular starter. His presence will be a welcomed one as he continues to gel with Jansson and the defensive midfield. Not only should his athletic ability help Orlando significantly in marking players on the defensive end during set pieces, it is also just a matter of time before he makes a difference on set pieces for Orlando offensively as well. I expect the defense to improve. Frankly, there are too many quality pieces for it to not, however, the key to unlocking this unit’s full potential lies in Brekalo’s ability to command the starting role next to Jansson for the rest of the season.

Ivan Angulo

Orlando needs Angulo to unlock even more chaos than he already has in the beginning of the season. Last year, Angulo was responsible for 13 goal-scoring contributions and successfully completed 82.7% of his passing attempts. While Angulo has upped his passing percentage to 87.7% this season so far, he has failed to log a goal-scoring contribution through the first three MLS matches of the season and has only been credited for one shot on target.

Angulo’s ability to take on defenders to create his own offense is a skill that the Orlando attack will need to utilize as the offensive finishing gets sorted out. Looking back to both the opening match against CF Montreal and the most recent match against Minnesota United FC, Orlando has generated a healthy amount of opportunities but has had issues in the finishing department. Angulo’s speed and 1-v-1 ability will help the attack continue to get into dangerous positions. The next step for him this season will be to start to convert the chances that he generates.

Martin Ojeda

I am saving the best for last…or rather the individual who I think has shown the most promise to start the season. Due to the insane frequency of matches to start the year, Ojeda has been called on to do a little bit of everything. He has started matches, entered as a super sub, scored, and has logged an assist both in the MLS regular season as well as in the CCC. Ojeda has also put three of his six shot attempts on target to start the regular season.

With the addition of Nicolas Lodeiro in the off-season, many thought that once again Ojeda as a Designated Player would be relegated to a backup role. This playing time conundrum poised one of the largest question marks about the roster heading into the season. Through one month of matches, Ojeda has looked the part when he has been on the field and has constantly found his teammates in dangerous positions, as demonstrated by this great cross to Duncan McGuire in the team’s first match of the calendar year.

It looks like Ojeda is more adjusted and comfortable now in his second year in MLS, and he possesses all of the skills necessary to be a dangerous attacking piece for Orlando City. Last year, in mostly a reserve role, Ojeda tallied 16 goal-scoring contributions, and his ability to surpass that mark this year cannot be undervalued as Orlando looks to climb back up the table.

I will be watching Brekalo, Angulo, and Ojeda closely over the next several matches and am confident that they hold the keys to unlocking the rest of their teammates’ potential.

What other players do you think will step up as Orlando City looks to get back to its winning ways? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!