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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-3 loss to the Columbus Crew?

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3 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Despite the opposition making seven changes in preparation for their Campeones Cup game Wednesday night, Orlando City fell in a crucial match, 4-3. The Lions went down 3-0 in the 71st minute and made a valiant attempt to come back, but a late strike by Columbus was too much to get anything from the game.

Let’s have a look at how the team did individually in this disappointing performance.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — While none of the goals were solely Gallese’s fault, the Lions’ number one faced five shots and conceded four goals, making only one save. He touched the ball 27 times and completed 57.1% of his 21 passes, including four of his 12 long balls. His poor grade comes down to getting beat on nearly every shot Columbus put on target. The first took a deflection after he committed and took an unfortunate angle just inside the far post and out of reach. The second was a powerful, point-blank header. The third was a blast from about eight yards out by a league MVP candidate, and the fourth was another wide-open shot inside from inside the box just inside the post. His save was a good one, as Columbus again got behind the defense late, but he did well to deny Andres Herrera in the 89th minute.

D, Rafael Santos, 4.5 — It was a tough night for Santos, who wasn’t very good offensively or defensively. He had 51 touches and completed 64.7% of his 34 passes, but neither of his two crosses or any of his eight long balls. He had a minor impact defensively, recording a tackle and a clearance, but his most impactful play was getting beat by Christian Ramirez to Max Arfsten’s cross for Columbus’ second goal.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Jansson was the best defender for the Lions in this game because he was the only one not at fault for a goal. The captain touched the ball a team-high 52 times and completed 86.4% of his 44 passes, including a key pass and three of his seven long balls. He was also active defensively with a tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. He was unlucky on the first Crew goal, as his attempt to block Diego Rossi’s shot deflected off his leg and the redirection gave Gallese no chance to keep it out.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — Schlegel almost gave the Lions the lead in the 13th minute, but his header hit the post. That was the high point offensively for the center back, who had 31 touches and completed 95.2% of his 21 passes. He was strong defensively for most of the night, recording three tackles — all of them vital — and four clearances, but he let Cucho Hernandez get behind him for the third goal and he got caught cheating upfield on the play that resulted in Christian Hernandez’s goal.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5 — Similar to Schlegel, Thorhallsson nearly had a great start to the game and ended up at fault on the defensive end in the loss. The right back had 41 touches and almost gave the Lions the lead in the eighth minute when his shot hit the left post. He went on to complete 88% of his 25 passes but not his cross or long ball attempt. He recorded two tackles, three interceptions, and a clearance that would’ve given him a good grade. However, he missed a tackle attempt on Aziel Jackson on the counter that ended with the Crew’s third goal and he was not ready for a soft layoff from Felipe on the fourth and decisive goal. He was put in a bad spot by Felipe, but it was a combined mistake.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — With Cesar Araujo suspended for this game, it wasn’t a surprise that Cartagena was the best defensive midfielder on the team. The Peruvian had a good game with 42 touches and completed 89.7% of his 29 passes. He also completed three of his five long balls. Defensively, he won a team-high five tackles before being replaced by Felipe in the 83rd minute, a questionable substitution for one of Orlando City’s best players on the field.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski, 5 — This was Kocevski’s first start for Orlando City in a competitive game and it was ultimately one to forget, although it started brightly with some good early one-touch passing. The defensive midfielder faded however and had little impact on the game, touching the ball 20 times and completing 73.7% of his 19 passes. That would’ve been fine if he had a strong defensive effort, but he only had one interception. The rookie was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 58th minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo started on the left side of the midfield and touched the ball 38 times in this game. He completed 80% of his 30 passes, but didn’t have a key pass. He was given a brilliant pass by Muriel to send him in alone on goal in the 71st minute, but he missed his shot off the post. Luckily for Orlando, the rebound resulted in a tap-in for Ramiro Enrique. He also drew the foul in the box in the 77th minute by being in the right place, giving the Lions a penalty that Muriel converted. However, he continues to spoil counterattacking opportunities with his heavy touches since league play restarted, doing so twice in this game.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5 — Ojeda got the start again at the 10 for the Lions and the attacking midfielder had 26 touches. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes, including a key pass, one of his two crosses, and his lone long ball. Unfortunately, his biggest impact on the game was a giveaway in the back in the 30th minute on an unnecessary no-look pass attempt that resulted in Columbus’ first goal. He was replaced by Nico Lodeiro in the 58th minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres was the best attacking starter in this game, making 35 touches and completing 83.3% of his 24 passes with one key pass. His lone cross was incomplete, but his ball into the box in the 77th minute enabled Angulo to draw a penalty when Yaw Yeboah shoved the Colombian to prevent a header opportunity. He also recorded an assist on Muriel’s second goal, though the goal was mostly an individual effort by the Colombian. Additionally, he had one shot that was too close to Patrick Schulte. The main blemish on Torres’ performance came in the opening minutes when the ball landed at his feet with an open net. Since Torres rarely shoots with his right foot, he allowed defenders and Schulte to get back into position rather than scoring the opening goal. He was also offside on a set piece that would have resulted in an Orlando penalty while the game was still scoreless. Being offside negated a handball seconds later on Malte Amundsen that blocked a Duncan McGuire shot.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5 — McGuire got the start over Enrique after scoring in each of the last two games off the bench. However, he was less effective in this one, only touching the ball 12 times and taking one off-target shot. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes and won an aerial duel before being replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 58th minute. As mentioned above, he would have drawn a penalty on Amundsen had Torres remained onside.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (58’), 7 — Enrique was one of the substitutions in the 58th minute that completely changed the game. Replacing McGuire, the forward touched the ball 14 times and completed 71.4% of his seven passes. He put himself in a great position to get on the end of Angulo’s shot off the post in the 74th minute, getting the Lions on the board. He also had a steal in the attacking third set up Nico Lodeiro for what would have been a tying goal at 3-3, but the Uruguayan’s shot was blocked just wide. He also had another shot in the box blocked late in the match.

F, Luis Muriel (58’), 7.5 (MotM) — Despite only being on the field for 32 minutes, Muriel was the best player for the Lions. He came on for Kocevski in the 58th minute and had arguably his best game in purple. The forward touched the ball 23 times and completed 69.2% of his 13 passes with one key pass. However, he was involved in all three Orlando goals. In the 71st minute, it was his beautiful pass forward for Angulo that set up the first goal. He converted a penalty in the 77th minute to make it 3-2 and scored from long distance in the final minute of stoppage time to make it 4-3. It likely would’ve been a blowout without the attacker, making him my Man of the Match.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (58’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 58th minute and did well with his 26 touches. The midfielder completed 95.7% of his 23 passes, including a key pass. His only shot was blocked, so it wasn’t officially on target, although it came off a leg and ended up skipping just wide on what would have been a tying goal, and he had a successful tackle to win the ball back.

D, Kyle Smith (81’), 5 — Smith came on as a defensive change in the 81st minute but wasn’t as impactful as the three previous subs. His first involvement was being too slow when first to a ball, losing it, and then conceding a set piece and drawing a yellow card for it after being on the field for only a few seconds. The defender touched the ball 16 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 passes, including his only long ball. Defensively, he only had one tackle and was otherwise invisible while on the field.

MF, Felipe (83’), 4.5 — Felipe came on for Cartagena in the 83rd minute and had a poor outing. He touched the ball 10 times and completed all eight of his passes, but one of those was a weak ball back to Thorhallsson. While the pass was technically complete, it was too soft and put the fullback in a bad spot, allowing Hernandez to take the ball off the right back and set up the fourth and, ultimately, decisive goal.

That’s how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances against the Columbus Crew. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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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

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

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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