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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 2-0 as Lions Open 2024 Playoff Run with Home Victory

Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda provided the offense, leading Orlando City past Charlotte FC in the Lions’ playoff opener.

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1 month ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda scored on either side of halftime as Orlando City (1-0) defeated Charlotte FC (0-1) in Game 1 of the teams’ first-round, best-of-three series at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The Lions controlled the game almost from start to finish, allowing the visitors little room to attack and finding spaces to create chances, handing Charlotte its first loss since the team’s last visit to Orlando in September.

Orlando finally scored more than one goal in a playoff game, but the Lions could have had even more had they been just a tad more clinical with the volume of chances they created. In the end, two was enough to open the series with a win, as Pedro Gallese only had to make two saves to earn his third MLS playoff shutout.

“We’re very happy with the result, but much more for the way we did it against a tough rival in a very difficult postseason game, which means a lot for our fans,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “First half, we controlled it and we had a lot of volume. We created many chances. We missed a lot of opportunities.”

Pareja’s lineup included Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Torres, with Ramiro Enrique up top.

Orlando City dominated the first half but was wasteful with its opportunities, especially early. The Lions took the first shot of the game six minutes in as Cartagena sent an attempt from outside the area that was always going wide. Ojeda tried to redirect it in front, but it was just out of his reach. A minute later, Torres fired from the right but his shot was deflected out for a corner by the defense.

On the set piece, the Lions played it short and tried something off the training ground that nearly came off. A ball from the top of the area was sent into the box for Schlegel, who sent his header wide in the eighth minute. Orlando couldn’t pay off another couple of corners just after that opportunity.

Charlotte finally got forward in the 16th minute and a dangerous cross in from the left was just over two attacking players in front, sailing harmlessly out for a goal kick.

Araujo unlocked the defense with a brilliant pass in the 20th minute that sent Enrique in behind. The striker fizzed a shot inches wide of the left post from the right to waste the opportunity. The flag came up on the play, which would likely have been reviewed had Enrique found the net.

In the 22nd minute, the visitors got their best chance of the half as Liel Abada shielded off the defense well on the left and fired on frame, but Gallese was there to make the save. A minute later, Charlotte sent a good cross in from the right to Karol Swiderski, but it was a tad behind the striker and he headed it over the bar.

Orlando’s first shot on target came in the 26th minute when Torres tried his luck from outside the area. He put a lot of power on his shot, but it was right at Kristijan Kahlina, who fought it off.

The Lions broke the scoreless deadlock in the 32nd minute. Angulo sent Santos into the left corner and the fullback sent a dangerous cross into the six. Adilson Malanda tried to head it away but Torres stepped in front of it, chesting it down and firing it off the bottom of the crossbar and in to put Orlando City on top. It was Torres’ 46th career goal across all competitions, tying Dom Dwyer’s career combined (USL and MLS) mark. It also set a new single-season mark with 19 across all competitions, and it was Torres’ third goal against Charlotte in as many meetings in 2024.

“We worked a lot during the week in trying to take it a little bit deeper down the line and hit it back toward the center and back toward that back post, because Charlotte likes to get a lot of guys into the box defensively,” Torres said. “Thankfully, the ball kind of came my way. I just thought, ‘Just hit it on goal and see where it goes.’ And thankfully it went in.”

Orlando kept coming and had a good attacking movement in the 35th minute that appeared would put Enrique in behind. Torres continued his run on the play and the two Lions collided, knocking each other down to end the threat.

Angulo sent a cross in with teammates breaking in the 38th minute but sent it too close to Kahlina. Seconds later, the Lions nearly doubled their lead. Cartagena sent a beautiful through ball that sprung Enrique again. This time, the Argentine got his shot on target, but Kahlina got a piece of the shot with his leg, deflecting it off the right post to keep it a one-goal game.

That was the last good look of the half as the Lions took their slim advantage into the break.

Orlando City held the halftime advantage in possession (61.3%-38.7%), shots (11-3), shots on target (3-1), corners (6-0), and passing accuracy (90.9%-82.4%).

Charlotte came out in the second half and controlled the ball more but Orlando City’s defense kept the visitors from creating many opportunities from that possession. Once Charlotte started pushing up the field, the Lions looked more dangerous on the counter. Charlotte racked up corners and set pieces in the second half but couldn’t make them pay off.

“Second half, we became more tense, and the first 15-20, minutes in the second half, we sensed that we are winning, but this is a dangerous situation, and we started dropping in the zone that we don’t feel comfortable,” Pareja said. “But we just started getting some spaces too. So it was like a trade.”

Enrique missed another opportunity in the 50th when he got down the left side and tried a shot with his off foot, blasting it wide of the near post.

Torres should have doubled the lead in the 54th minute on a great attacking movement. Ojeda got down the left and pulled a pass back through traffic to a wide-open Torres in the box. The Uruguayan had plenty of time and space but he fired the shot too close to Kahlina, who made the save.

The visitors got three corners in quick succession over the next several minutes but the Lions did well to clear the danger, although they could never quite get out in transition off of them.

“I feel like the first half was really good from the team, and in the second we kind of dropped down a little bit, and I feel like we got a little bit sloppy, and that’s something that we can’t do in the playoffs,” Thorhallsson said. “So, we need to go the full 90 minutes with just full effort and full concentration. I feel like we did it. It dropped a little bit, but it’s just something that we need to be careful about.”

Araujo won a corner kick in the 64th minute and the initial ball was cleared. The recycle found Schlegel in front but the center back couldn’t get much on his shot, allowing Kahlina to make another save.

Charlotte nearly tied the match in the 70th minute and it would have been a controversial one. Substitute Patrick Agyemang pulled Jansson down in front as a cross came in from the left, leaving him all alone in front. The big striker’s header was too close to Gallese, who made the save. Jansson wasn’t happy with the lack of a call but managed not to pick up a yellow card for dissent.

Ojeda looked exhausted at that point in the game but it’s a good thing he didn’t get subbed off immediately, because he doubled the lead in the 76th minute, just moments after giving the ball away and conceding a free kick in Orlando’s defensive end.

Araujo sent a good ball forward down the left. Ojeda was offside but made no play on the ball, allowing Angulo to blaze down the left flank and beat Nathan Byrne to the ball . Angulo used his first touch to poke the ball inside to Ojeda. With Charlotte waiting for Ojeda to play the ball across to a teammate, the Argentine instead fired a shot just inside the left post, beating Kahlina to make it 2-0 with his last involvement in the game. It was the first time the Lions have scored twice in an MLS playoff game.

“Martin gave us that bit of peace when we scored a second one,” Pareja said. “In those instances where the other team is just throwing bodies up front, and they had this chance with Agyemang. And we were tense too. We were waiting for that second one. Martin was looking a bit tired but also his intentions were correct all the time too. And Martin has that quality of not just creating dangerous plays but he’s finalizing. His second goal in two games is great for us and a great moment as well.”

The visitors threw some attacking subs on to try to get back into the game but it was Orlando creating more on the counter in the final minutes. However, the Lions left Pep Biel alone outside the box in the 86th minute and it was nearly costly, as the winger smashed a shot just wide of the right post and into the outside netting.

Orlando had a few transition opportunities but couldn’t pick out the correct pass. One of the best chances dissolved when Angulo held the ball too long with second-half substitute Duncan McGuire breaking behind the defense on the right and another was just a tad behind McGuire.

Disaster struck for Charlotte early in stoppage time when Biel tangled with Jansson and kicked out at the Orlando center back, intentionally tripping the Swede. Referee Drew Fischer showed Biel a straight red card, sending him off, meaning he’ll be suspended for Game 2.

McGuire nearly got in behind late in stoppage time, but an untidy touch allowed the defense to recover and knock it out for a late corner. Shortly after the set piece, the game was over.

Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (17-9), shots on target (6-2), corners (8-4), and passing accuracy (88.6%-84.2%).

“We came into today looking for that victory, knowing that we were going to be playing in our home, in front of our fans, and we were looking to take advantage of that home-field advantage and carry a win into Charlotte,” Torres said. “We knew that coming into tonight, if we were able to get the win, that that was going to elevate the confidence for us going forward and how we were going to approach the rest of the series. And so, being able to get the win tonight and coming off a really good game, we know that we can go into Charlotte with a little bit more tranquility, but the same level of intensity, and try and go out and repeat and get that win in the series on Friday.”

“The boys were very happy on this first achievement, or this first win in the playoffs. But I noticed as well that they were very committed with just move on and prepare for the next one,” Pareja said. “Their experiences during the playoffs in Major League Soccer tell them, and tell us, this is one game. We need to move on and then prepare with the same intensity and responsibility, because it’s a series that is not done yet.”

These two teams will be back at it Friday night in Charlotte for Game 2 of the series. If Orlando gets a road win, the Lions would advance to the conference semifinals.

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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: 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: 12/10/24

Facundo Torres linked with move to Palmeiras, Pride players in FIFPRO Women’s World 11, Amanda Allen suffers injury, and more.

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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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