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Orlando City’s 2024 Offensive Blueprint (So Far)

An evaluation of how Orlando City has been trying to score goals in 2024.

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7 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Jay-Z released one of my all-time favorite albums, The Blueprint, in 2001. With apologies to him, and his track on that album called “Girls, Girls, Girls,” what we as fans want are goals, goals, goals, and we want our team to score as many of them as possible. In this article I will explore Orlando City’s attacking style — some might say their attacking…blueprint — thus far this season and evaluate how the Lions have been trying create those goals we do adore.

All right, now that we have pushed the limit on puns and wordplay about that album, let’s look at some numbers related to Orlando City’s offense. First, let’s start with the direction of play, because Orlando City has a very clear plan of attack in 2024, and it involves the left side. According to the tracking from whoscored.com, Orlando City attacks down the left side on nearly half of its possessions.

No team in MLS favors one side of the field as frequently as Orlando City’s 45% on the left side, and it is interesting that it is so high down the left because Facundo Torres, generally regarded as the squad’s most creative and dangerous player, plays most frequently on the right side of the field. I think there are three primary reasons for the left side favoritism:

  • Iván Angulo is one of the fastest players in MLS and spends most of his time on the left side of the field, so the team tries to get him into space so he can use that speed to get the defense on its heels.
  • Orlando City has three left-footed players who love a cross so much I am surprised they play for Orlando City and not Vatican City. Rafael Santos averages 5.1 crosses per 90 mins (27th in MLS), Nico Lodeiro averages 5.6 (16th), and Martín Ojeda averages 9.61 (second). Ojeda has been playing more centrally recently, but he still drifts to the left frequently. Lodeiro does the same, and Santos nearly exclusively stays on the left side. All three of them are crossing machines.
  • Torres loves to cut back into the middle from his normal slot on the right side of the field, and so crossing it from left to right gives him space to operate, as the defense has to recover on a switch of field, and a scrambling defense against a talented attacking player is advantageous for Orlando City. Torres is fifth in MLS in receiving passes from 10+ yards away in the offensive area of the field, and his per-90-minute average for those receptions has increased from 2022 (8.4) to 2023 (9.8) to 2024 (11.4). Additionally, here is Facu’s shot chart for the year, courtesy of fotmob.com, and you can see that of his seven non-penalty-kick goals, all of them come from the right half of the field (his most recent goal against New England is highlighted with the red circle, because after a few minutes I gave up on trying to figure out how to show this without having one highlighted):

Expanding a little bit off of the direction of play, but returning to the second item in the list above, Orlando City leads all of MLS with an average of 21.32 crosses per 90 minutes. The other 28 MLS teams average 16.6 crosses per 90 minutes, so Orlando City is crossing the ball 28% more frequently than the average MLS team. The Lions have a physical presence in Duncan McGuire in the middle, so this makes sense to target him with crosses into the 18, and in fact the team is fourth in MLS this season with an average of 2.4 completed crosses into the penalty areas per 90 minutes.

It is not just Duncan though, of the 36 goals Orlando City players have scored this season (the other three are own goals), nine of them have come on a header and by eight different players. That 25% of goals scored on a header is the highest percentage for any Orlando City team in fbref.com’s tracking (goes back to 2018) and ranks the team only behind Austin FC’s 29% in MLS this season.

All crosses do not necessarily end in headers, but nearly all headers come from crosses, and the irony of the fact that Orlando City is scoring a high percentage of its goals from headers is that the Lions rank, to use a technical term, DFL in the league in percentage of aerial balls won (40.1%, and the next lowest is 45.4%). It’s kind of like the tagline to those Most Interesting Man in the World beer commercials from Dos Equis — the Lions don’t often win aerial balls, but when they do, they score goals.

Flipping from balls in the air to balls that are generally played on the ground, according to the data tracked by Opta on fbref.com, Orlando City is seventh in MLS in completed through balls per 90 minutes with an average of 1.5. The Lions have been in the top third of MLS in four of the last five seasons in this statistic, as this is clearly a staple of an Óscar Pareja-coached squad.

If you look at the individual MLS players who are leading the league in completing these dangerous balls, it is a veritable who’s who of creative players across the league. Say what you will about Luis Muriel, and I wrote a whole article about him a few weeks ago, but his passing ability is excellent, and it did not surprise me at all to see him high on this list and among the other well-known names. Here are the top 15, which also includes Lodeiro, among players who have played at least 500 minutes:

I touched on the left side focus earlier and how Angulo’s speed plays a large role in why the team plays more frequently down the left side, and that comes into play here as well with Orlando City’s predilection for playing through balls. It is also now time for Dagur Dan Thórhallsson to enter the chat, because he is just as much of a through ball target as Ruan was for several years in making speed runs up the right side of the field, and he ranks 24th among defenders in goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.24). Coincidentally, he also ranks 24th in shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.0). McGuire is also a target for these through balls as he makes excellent shallow runs behind defenders to then run onto balls played in front of him, and Ramiro Enrique is also pacey enough to do the same.

The completed crosses and through balls, as well as the fact that Orlando City is in the top 10 in total completed passes per 90 minutes, contribute to the team leading MLS with 10.1 completed passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes. The rest of MLS averages only 8.4, so Orlando City’s offensive tactics puts the team 20% higher than the rest of the league in terms of its frequency of completing passes to teammates inside the box.

Now, what teams want are goals, not completed passes into the penalty area, but you can see what the Lions are trying to do offensively by looking what these numbers reveal about how they are directing their attacking play.

Orlando City has a burner on the left (Angulo) and also several left-footed players who have the ability to whip in a dangerous cross (Ojeda, Lodeiro, Santos), so the focus is more on going down the left than the middle or the right. The Lions do have a fullback (Thórhallsson) with pace on the right too, so he is a target when they go right, and as a former midfielder, he has the ability to create offense coming forward, so he does with great frequency. The best finisher (Torres) is out on the right but loves to cut back to his left, and this year there is a higher focus on getting him the ball in space as opposed to having him leading the buildup.

Three players (Ojeda, Lodeiro, Muriel) are sharing the 10 role and releasing through balls to the outside and inside threats, and McGuire and Enrique are essentially serving as soccer versions of a basketball rim runner, attacking the goalmouth and trying to score in any way possible.

It all sounds great on paper, but for much of the season the offense was sputtering — so much so that Orlando City has scored more goals in the last seven games (20, 2.9 goals per game) than it did in its first 18 games (19, 1.1 goals per game). The first half of the season contained several issues that I believe contributed heavily to the low goal-scoring output, with several injuries, games missed for international duty, and competing in Concacaf Champions Cup at the same time as the start of the regular season, forcing squad rotation and players playing outside of their normal positions.

There was also just some poor play during those early months as well, some self-inflicted poor performances. I believe that Orlando City has found something though in the last few weeks, and while the Lions may not score 2.9 goals per game for the rest of the season, I think that what we have seen recently is a settled team of players who know their roles and understand the strategy, and who have the ability to execute that strategy.

Just 17 years after it was released, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Let’s hope that 17 years from now, in 2041, we are all looking back fondly on what became an athletically significant 2024 season for Orlando City.

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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

12 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

14 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

18 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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