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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions rate in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw at home against the New York Red Bulls?

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11 months ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City salvaged a point at home against the New York Red Bulls, drawing them 1-1 in a match that Orlando may feel it should have done more in. A penalty in the first half gave New York the lead and the Lions had a majority of the possession to try to claw their way back into the match. 

Let’s take a look at how each Lion individually performed in this draw.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — It was a decent, albeit mostly uneventful, game from the Peruvian goalkeeper. He guessed correctly on Lewis Morgan’s penalty kick, but it was well taken and beat him to the bottom right corner. He wasn’t called into action again until the second half, making his only save of the match by catching a header from Elias Manoel that had some pace on it. Manoel nearly scored again later in the match on a breakaway with only Gallese to beat, but Gallese came off his line and made himself wide, with Manoel’s shot going inches wide of the post. El Pulpo had 22 passes at a 77.3% success rate and completed four of his nine long balls, including a key pass out wide right after his save to create a chance for Duncan McGuire. 

D, Rafael Santos, 4 — After a better outing last weekend, the left back’s rough start to the season continued in this match. He was outright beaten by Dylan Nealis in the leadup to the penalty, and had a horrific turnover later in the first half that nearly led to another goal if not for Dennis Gjengaar sending his shot wide. He had no tackles, interceptions, or clearances and was a defensive liability for most of his time on the field. Offensively, he had a key pass, was successful on one of his two crosses, and completed one of his four long balls. Santos completed 84.2% of his 57 passes, but had multiple mistakes in this one before being subbed off in the 66th minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Lions may not have had a clean sheet, but they didn’t allow a goal in the run of play and Jansson was a major reason why. Orlando’s captain put out fires throughout the night and came up with a crucial blocked shot on an effort from Gjengaar that would’ve likely wound up in the net had Jansson not intervened. Of his team-high 14 long balls, nine found their target, and he completed a whopping 91% of his 89 passes. He may have only ended up with that blocked shot and a clearance, but he was patient and composed while anchoring Orlando’s defense. 

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel’s performance was a bit overshadowed by his fellow center back, but it was a solid night from him regardless. He had two tackles, a clearance, and blocked a shot by getting in the way of Andres Reyes’s try from the top of the box. He did plenty of the defensive dirty work we’ve learned to expect from him, committing two fouls along the way, but he wasn’t booked and didn’t give the Red Bulls much room to work with. That being said, a heavy touch nearly led to disaster in the second half and he wasn’t able to clean up his own mess. Schlegel was accurate on all but two of his 61 passes for an excellent 96.7% rate, and his lone long ball was successful as well. The center back was subbed off in stoppage time for David Brekalo’s fresher legs. 

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — There were flashes of the electric player seen last week, although he didn’t have any key passes and neither of his two shots wound up on target. His first was blocked and the second bounced off the ground and into a dangerous area, but ultimately out of play. Still, Thorhallsson did well pushing the ball forward, whether that be through dribbling, making overlapping runs, or becoming an option to switch the run of play. He was successful on one of his two crosses, two of his four long balls, and 83% of his 47 passes. Defensively, he had two clearances and a tackle. While there were a few miscues, it was a solid outing as he continues to learn the right back position.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7 (MotM) — Angulo gave the team needed energy from start to finish and played a key role in Orlando getting a result. Although he won’t be credited with an assist, Angulo whipped in a nice ball towards the near post that wound up with the ball in the net due to an own goal. He had two shots, with the first getting deflected before it could test Carlos Coronel and the second sailing into the stands near the end of the first half. The winger had 52 passes at an 88.5% success rate, although neither of his two crosses nor his single long ball was accurate. He earns Man of the Match honors due to his presence on the defensive side of things as well. He had two tackles and was relentless in chasing down New York players to win the ball back, doing just that multiple times. It wasn’t perfect, but Angulo did well on both sides of the ball and helped provide an answer on offense for Orlando to get a point.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6.5 — Lodeiro’s 121 touches led the Lions by a wide margin, as he played a deep role in the midfield and did well cycling the ball to Orlando’s other skill players. He had a team-high 98 passes, completing 88.8% of them, and connected on six of his seven long balls. The Uruguayan had a tough task breaking lines due to New York flooding the midfield and forcing the Lions wide, but he still had three key passes and provided good service from set pieces when not taking short corners. His three tackles were also the most on the team, and he contributed an interception as well. Despite his size, he also won three aerial duels. Only one of his six crosses was accurate and his only shot was blocked, but it was still a strong game from Lodeiro as he found ways to make an impact.

MF, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Smith started as a defensive midfielder once again, filling in along the back line whenever Santos or Thorhallsson would surge forward. He conceded a penalty in the first half, fouling Lewis Morgan while challenging for a loose ball in the box. He was a bit inconsistent overall, but completed 92.6% of his 54 passes and all three of his long balls were accurate. He also won a foul in a great spot at the top of the box late in the match. However, he didn’t have any defensive stats, his only cross was inaccurate, and he just wasn’t as sharp as he could have been.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — The Designated Player didn’t have a shot, but did have three key passes and was fairly active on the left wing. The final ball was just never quite there for him, as the Red Bulls played more and more defensively as the game wore on and made an effort to limit Torres. He had 59 passes at an 86.4% success rate and connected on two of his four long balls, but just one of his six crosses was accurate. Torres also chipped in defensively with a tackle and an interception.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Muriel’s quality is obvious, especially when he is on the ball. In his 66 minutes on the field, he had 44 touches, was successful on three of his five dribbles, and made some nice runs. Neither of his two shots were on target, but his low shot from range didn’t miss by much. He had a key pass, completed 82.6% of his 23 passes, and his lone long ball was accurate. His single cross missed the mark though, and he had six unstable touches. Muriel also had a clearance for dealing with a corner kick. The 32-year-old is still adjusting to Oscar Pareja’s game plan and the habits of his teammates, and it showed at times when he was isolated or trying to pick out the right pass. But there was an overall feeling in this match that his breakout MLS game will happen sooner rather than later.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — Playing up top as Orlando’s target man, McGuire led the Lions with four shots and put two of them on target. Of the two that Coronel didn’t save, one was more of a flicked on header from a corner kick that earned another corner, and the other was blocked. The American’s best opportunity came in the second half, knocking the ball past Sean Nealis and winning the race to it. Unfortunately, his shot was no issue for Coronel to gather. He made some nice runs to try to get behind New York’s defense, but the Lions had a hard time providing him service. He completed 78.6% of his 14 passes, was fouled four times, and provided a pair of clearances in the defensive end. It was a physical match as McGuire dueled with New York’s tough defense, but he was up to the task and won two of his aerial duels.

Substitutes

MF, Wilder Cartagena (66’), 6 — The midfielder came on for Santos, but played centrally and rotated as needed to fill gaps in Orlando’s formation. Cartagena had 41 touches and 38 passes at an 86.8% success rate to stabilize things while Orlando raced for a result. Although he didn’t have any shots or key passes, Cartagena was accurate on two of his three long balls. It was a solid outing from the Peruvian after international duty.

MF, Martin Ojeda (66′), 6 — Ojeda may have only had 19 touches, but he was active in trying to create scoring chances for Orlando. His two shots were great chances, as the first was a free kick that forced a save from Coronel and the second was a volleyed effort in the box that went into the night sky. He completed all but one of his 10 passes and was accurate on his one long ball. All five of his crosses were unsuccessful and he didn’t have a key pass, but he was right in the thick of things to get Orlando back into the match. 

F, Jack Lynn (82’), 6 — A week after scoring his first MLS goal, Lynn came off the bench and played a part in Orlando’s goal this time as well. It’s up for debate how much his attempted backheel led to the own goal, but it’s clear that his run to the near post was a great one to sneak between New York’s defenders. It was the kind of constructive chaos you want from a late substitute and he’s continuing to impress with the minutes he’s been given at this level.

MF, Cesar Araujo (82’), 6 — The Uruguayan made his return from injury and was fairly active in his short time on the field. Araujo wasn’t officially credited with a key pass, but his pass into space to spring Angulo forward in the lead-up to Orlando’s goal deserves recognition. He had 25 touches and only one of his 25 passes missed the mark for an excellent 95.5% success rate. Both of his long balls were accurate as well. His only shot came from outside the box and went over the crossbar. All in all, it was a great game from Araujo as he works his way back.

That’s how I saw things in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls. Many Lions had strong showings, so let us know what you thought of their performances and make sure to vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Orlando City

Imagining Orlando City’s Starting Lineup Saturday by Looking At 2024’s Best Lineup

A look at the best 11-player lineup for Orlando City in 2024 and analyzing if a lineup can replicate that level of success in 2025.

Published

2 hours ago

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February 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of OrlandoCity SC / Mark Thor

As a mathematician, I like to use real numbers to tell a story and try not to stray too far into the hypothetical or the imaginary with my analysis. That is, unless I am taking everyone back to their days in Algebra 2 and that time their teacher blew their minds by introducing the concept of imaginary numbers, which of course is a concept that, no matter how hard the teacher tries, will always be complex. That is a math joke, and I will not apologize for it.

I am not going to write about imaginary numbers in this article, but I am going to ask you to use your imagination a little bit with me in my final article before the season opener this weekend. During the last few months, Orlando City has not completely overhauled its roster, but there have been significant changes — to the point that there is not one lineup group that played during the 2024 season that could play again in 2025. Every lineup that Orlando City used — and there were 156 unique lineups that played together for at least one minute — has at least one player who is no longer with the club at the outset of the 2025 season.

The big losses were Facundo Torres, via his transfer to Brazilian club Palmeiras, and Wilder Cartagena, who is out with a season-ending injury, but the club also saw the departures of key reserve and sometimes starter Nico Lodeiro (2,095 minutes), backup midfielder Felipe (505 minutes), backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar (479 minutes), depth striker Jack Lynn (287 minutes), depth defender Michael Halliday (194 minutes), depth midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski (155 minutes), depth left back/winger Luca Petrasso (45 minutes), and depth defender Abdi Salim (26 minutes). In addition, Yutaro Tsukada (25 minutes) was injured in the preseason and may be out for a long time, if not the full season, and Duncan McGuire (1,875 minutes) does not yet have a return date from his injury.

All of a sudden the club is only returning 15 of the 26 players who played any minutes last season, and two of those players (Shak Mohammed and Alex Freeman) combined for only 64 total minutes. I covered some of this in an article a few weeks ago, but that article is already now out of date with the news of the last few weeks. Thanks a lot for making me look bad, Orlando City front office.

Now, back to what I mentioned about using your imagination. The club is still returning a lucky 13 players who played significant minutes in 2024, and of the group that started the games during the stretch run of the season they are bringing back nine of the usual starting 11. The two missing players are Cartagena and Torres, but now let’s use our imagination, squint really hard, and play a little make believe.

Orlando City acquired defensive midfielder Eduard Atuesta in early February, and let’s imagine he is an approximation of Cartagena while playing next to César Araújo. I do not think this is a major stretch, as Atuesta is an experienced player who has been successful in MLS with LAFC, and he looked good during the preseason Tropic Thunder friendly against Inter Messi. Sorry, Inter Miami. The club also replaced Designated Player Torres with newly signed Designated Player Marco Pasalić, and he is an approximation of Torres in the position he likes to play and the foot he likes to use. As to whether he can step in and score 20 goals as Torres did last year…this is why we are using our imagination.

Is it a coincidence that Orlando is also the home of the Figment ride at EPCOT, which is all about using your imagination? Was that an excuse to mention Figment to see if my wife actually reads my articles like she says she does, since she loves that ride? Let’s move on.

In our world, where Atuesta and Pasalić are approximations of the players they replaced, what does that say about the probable starting lineup for Saturday’s season opener? I am assuming that it will be the nine returning players from the group who started the Eastern Conference final (Pedro Gallese, Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, César Araújo, Iván Angulo, Martín Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique), plus Atuesta in the Cartagena spot and Pasalić in the Torres spot. Let’s look at how that group (with Cartagena and Torres) did last season when playing together:

Starts9
Total Games Used as a Lineup11
Total Minutes Played587
Goals Scored10
Goals Allowed2
Goal Difference per 90 minutes+1.23

Since Orlando City came into Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2015, only two teams have had a season-long goal difference per 90 minutes of better than +1.23: LAFC in 2019 and the Philadelphia Union in 2022. Unsurprisingly, both teams had the best regular-season record in MLS during those two respective seasons, so Orlando City’s most frequently used lineup definitely played at an elite level last year.

We have to use our imaginations to insert Atuesta and Pasalić into Cartagena’s and Torres’ spots and expect the same outputs as both of those outstanding players, but I do not believe it is unreasonable to think that the two new players could provide at least some of what the former players did. Atuesta has the MLS pedigree and Pasalić’s stock rose dramatically from the summer of 2023 to when he was acquired by Orlando City a few weeks ago, a time frame that included five appearances in 2024 for a Croatian national team that is currently ranked 13th in the FIFA men’s rankings. It is a lot to ask these two players to replace Cartagena and Torres, but I think it is possible.

I am aware it is also possible that I could win the lottery. I am on board with both of these things happening, posthaste.

We are just days away from the season opener and dealing with reality instead of our imaginations, but the lineup that Head Coach Óscar Pareja put together for the stretch run last year was highly successful during their minutes together, and it appears like there are two ready-made replacements for the two swaps that would need to happen. They could, of course, go with a different look or a different lineup, but based on Pareja’s history, he likes to find a lineup that performs and sticks with it, and with most of the stretch run players back and healthy and their two best new players bedded in and ramped up, I think that group will be the starting 11 on Saturday night.

I will be in the stands watching and cheering on the Lions, and if Orlando City goes with this lineup and it is as successful as I think it will be, I imagine you will hear me saying I told you so.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory at home against the Union to start the season?

Published

4 hours ago

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February 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City opens the 2025 MLS regular season against the Philadelphia Union Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. This is an Orlando team that has shipped off more personnel than it has signed. That has me worried, but I’m open to be proven wrong, especially in this first match.

The Lions have the opportunity to start off on the front foot against an Eastern Conference opponent. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points at home against Philadelphia?

The Goal is More Goals

Orlando City might not have much — or any — depth at the striker position, but I still need the club to score goals. It is how you win matches after all. Martin Ojeda and Ramiro Enrique did that against Inter Miami, and I hope they keep that train running. Philadelphia’s Andre Blake will quite literally be standing in the way on Saturday night. Blake is good keeper with plenty of MLS and international experience.

I expect that Ojeda and Enrique will start, so having them score at least one goal between the two is essential. Without a prototypical striker, Orlando City will need to create a different type of scoring chance, and the Lions will need to finish any they get.

New Kids on the Block

Despite limited practice time with his new team, we saw some really good play from Eduard Atuesta against Inter Miami. With Wilder Cartagena out for the season, I’m going to need a lot more of what we saw from Atuesta all season, including this weekend against Philadelphia. He did well enough to be considered for Man of the Match last week. Please sir, may we have some more?

Meanwhile, Marco Pasalic had some good moments in the last match, but with the Designated Player tag I want even more from the left-footed winger. Perhaps he could also use his right foot? Regardless, he is the one being tasked with filling Torres’ role in Orlando City’s attack. I know it takes time for some players to adjust to MLS, but the Lions don’t have the luxury of that when it comes to Pasalic. Show us the goods, Marco.

Gimme Good Rafa

At times, Rafael Santos is an excellent left back. He can defend well, contribute in the attack, and read the game. That’s Good Rafa. Other times — like last weekend against Inter Miami — Bad Rafa shows up. Bad Rafa gets beat to the end line or into the box, he loses the player he should be marking, and gives up goal opportunities to the opposition.

Much like Torres, it can take some time for Santos to get into the rhythm of the season, but I don’t think Orlando City has the time for that to be the case against Philadelphia’s Tai Baribo or Daniel Gazdag. I need Santos to turn on the light switch, eat a good breakfast, and get his head on straight for the match this weekend.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 2/20/25

Marco Pasalic named an MLS newcomer to watch, Houston Dynamo sign Nico Lodeiro, USWNT takes on Colombia today, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

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February 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? We’re only a few days away from the start of Orlando City’s 2025 season and I can’t wait. There’s also plenty of women’s soccer to enjoy thanks to the SheBelieves Cup. It’s a great time to be a soccer fan here in the U.S. Let’s dive right into today’s links!

Marco Pasalic Noted as MLS Newcomer to Watch

Orlando City signed Marco Pasalic as a Designated Player this off-season to help fill the void left by Facundo Torres, and he was noted as one of the top newcomers in the league for 2025. While I don’t think he’s expected to fully replace the goal contributions Torres provided, I’m hoping he can unlock defenses and am looking forward to seeing some overlapping runs between him and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson on the right wing.

The rest of the list has multiple players on Eastern Conference teams who could have Orlando fans reaching for the liquor cabinet this season, including Charlotte FC’s Wilfried Zaha, FC Cincinnati striker Kevin Denkey, and Atlanta United’s shiny new striker, Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Nico Lodeiro Signs With the Houston Dynamo

Midfielder Nico Lodeiro, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Orlando City earlier this week, has officially signed with the Houston Dynamo on a deal through 2025 with an option for 2026. This signing was reported leading up to his departure from Orlando, and he should be able to get some solid playing time with the Dynamo. Lodeiro had 11 assists with the Lions last season and is great from set piece situations, so he should be able to help a Houston team that made the playoffs last season but only scored 47 goals.

USWNT Takes On Colombia Today

The 2025 SheBelieves Cup kicks off today and the United States Women’s National Team will face off against Colombia at 8 p.m. in Houston. It will be the USWNT’s first match of the year and Head Coach Emma Hayes’ first time coaching the U.S. during the SheBelieves Cup. The team will be without star players like Trinity Rodman, Naomi Girma, and Sophia Wilson (née Smith) but still has plenty of talented players to get the job done. Colombia should present a solid challenge for the U.S., as it reached the quarterfinals of both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. After this match, the USWNT is set to take on Australia in Arizona on Sunday before closing out the tournament in San Diego on Wednesday against Japan.

MLS Clubs Begin Champions Cup Campaigns

The Concacaf Champions Cup is underway and there are many MLS sides aiming to start the tournament off on the right foot. The Seattle Sounders’ new signings from FC Dallas linked up for a goal just three minutes into their match with Guatemalan club Antigua GFC, with Jesus Ferreira teeing up Paul Arriola’s goal at the top of the box. Antigua equalized later in the first half, but the Sounders struck twice in the second half for a 3-1 victory. In Costa Rica, Real Salt Lake and Herediano battled to a scoreless draw. Lionel Messi scored the lone goal in Inter Miami’s 1-0 win against Sporting Kansas City in a bitter cold game that exemplifies why MLS should not switch to a winter schedule.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

Only 16 teams remain in the UEFA Champions League after the latest round of matches. Most of Wednesday’s drama was in PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 win over Juventus. American forward Tim Weah scored for Juventus, but PSV advanced thanks to a goal from defender Ryan Flamingo in extra time. In Spain, Kylian Mbappe had a hat trick in Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory against Manchester City, eliminating the English club from the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain booked its spot in the round of 16 in convincing fashion as well, with seven different players finding the back of the net in a 7-0 home win over Brest. After a 3-0 win in the first leg, a scoreless draw at home against Sporting CP was enough for Borussia Dortmund to advance to the next round too.

The draw for the round of 16 is on Friday and should deliver on some fun matchups. Either Barcelona or Liverpool will face PSG, with the other getting Benfica. We may also get Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich against Bayer Leverkusen.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and rest of your week!

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