Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and am pushing through as we get close to Christmas. I also have high school basketball and ice hockey to cover later this week, so that will keep me busy as well. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Palmeiras Reportedly Finalizing Deal to Sign Facundo Torres

Orlando City forward Facundo Torres looks set for a move to Brazil, as Palmeiras is reportedly finalizing the deal to sign him. The Brazilian club will reportedly pay Orlando a club record fee of $14 million, and Orlando will retain a sell-on clause. Last week, Orlando City reportedly reached an agreement with Palmeiras, which still had to sort out personal terms with Torres. Liga MX side Cruz Azul was also in the mix, but Orlando remained committed to its deal with Palmeiras.

Duncan McGuire Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

Orlando City announced on Friday that forward Duncan McGuire underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder, which will sideline him for four to five months. McGuire sustained the injury during Game 3 of Orlando City’s playoff series against Charlotte FC on Nov. 9 when Djibril Diani pulled him down. The forward played a crucial role this season, recording 10 goals and three assists to help the Lions make the playoffs. With McGuire set to miss the first half of the 2025 season, the Lions will have to consider its options to replace his production until he can return. The Lions could draft a striker, sign a free agent, start Luis Muriel as the main striker, or move Jack Lynn into the attack.

Lions Sign Defender Kyle Smith to New Contract

Orlando City defender Kyle Smith will return for another season. The club announced on Friday that it re-signed Smith to a new one-year contract through the 2025 season. The club had negotiated with Smith since Dec. 5 to bring him back for a seventh season. Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi gave some insight on the importance of bringing Smith back for another run with the Lions.

“Bringing Kyle back to Orlando for 2025 is a great step in our project for next season,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s been such a vital piece of our successes over the last few seasons with his versatility and work rate both on and off the field. He’s a player that we know we can always depend on, and we’re excited to have him back with us next year.”

Smith has played six seasons with Orlando City, making 180 appearances for the club across all competitions. Having Smith back will be a huge boost to the back line with his versatility. He fits in with the team’s culture, can play several positions, and can come off the bench late to help close out matches for the Lions.

MLS Transfer News Recap

We have some MLS transfer news to catch you up on from over the weekend. The New England Revolution acquired center back Brayan Ceballos from Brazilian side Fortaleza. Ceballos signed a deal through the 2027 season, with an option for 2028. Atlanta United re-signed defender Ronald Hernandez through 2025, with an option for the 2026 season. Greek clubs Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are reportedly targeting Toronto FC Designated Player Federico Bernardeschi for a possible transfer move. The Chicago Fire are reportedly close to signing former Philadelphia Union center back Jack Elliott as well.

Free Kicks

• The Washington Spirit reached an agreement to sign former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Kaylie Collins to a new one-year contract for the 2025 season.
• The MLS Cup final between the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls reportedly drew a record-low viewership of 533,000 viewers from MLS Season Pass, FOX, and FOX Deportes.
• The Vancouver Whitecaps’ ownership group, which includes Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash, has announced plans to sell the club.
• Atlanta United has reportedly named Chris Henderson as the club’s new sporting director.
• Pachuca defeated Al Ahly 6-5 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the Challenger Cup and will face Real Madrid in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final on Dec. 18. in Qatar.

• AC Milan is reportedly negotiating a new contract for USMNT star Christian Pulisic.

• Gio Reyna scored the opening goal for Borussia Dortmund in his first Bundesliga start of the season, but Hoffenheim fought back with a late equalizer to escape with a 1-1 draw.
• Celtic defeated Old Firm derby rival Rangers 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw to win the Scottish League Cup.
• Manchester United defeated Manchester City 2-1, getting two late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo to seal the victory in the Manchester derby. Pep Guardiola’s side has now lost eight of its last 11 matches across all competitions.
• Wolverhampton has fired manager Gary O’Neil after a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday. The club is winless in its last four matches and remains in the relegation zone, sitting 19th in the Premier League table.
• In another coaching change in the Premier League, Southampton has fired manager Russell Martin after its 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

Orlando City originally signed center back Rodrigo Schlegel on loan from Racing Club on Dec. 30, 2019. The Argentine defender signed him to a new permanent deal on Jan. 19, 2022 and then re-signed him again a year later on Jan. 25, 2023 on a deal through that season with option years for 2024 and 2025. City picked up his 2024 option and the 27-year-old native of Remedios de Escalada, Argentina ended up a regular in the starting XI during the team’s strong playoff push in the second half of the season.

Let’s take a look at one of the best seasons yet, and possibly the best season, for the man they call Godrigo.

Statistical Breakdown

Schlegel started a career-high 26 times among his 28 appearances (second-most in his career) this season, logging a total of 2,297 minutes — another career high. He scored one goal — his second career regular-season goal — in 2024 but did not register an assist. The defender attempted 14 shots, putting just four on target. Both of those shots numbers are career highs, with the latter equaling the four shots on goal he fired during the 2021 campaign. You want some more career highs? OK, he set new career marks in pass attempts (1,284) and passing accuracy (90.7%). His four key passes did not set a new career mark, as he eclipsed that mark in 2022, with six. Schlegel did not attempt a cross, but he completed 46 long balls. On the defensive end, Schlegel recorded 41 tackles, 46 clearances, 26 interceptions, 61 aerial duels won, and 10 blocks. He committed 27 fouls, suffered 13, and was shown four yellow cards and one red card.

In the playoffs, Schlegel started all five matches Orlando City played, racking up 449 postseason minutes — just one minute short of the available time the Lions officially played. The defender did not provide a goal contribution but managed to get two of his three shot attempts on target — both numbers are also career highs. He improved his passing rate from the regular season to 91.5%, including a key pass and three successful long balls. Defensively, Schlegel chipped in two tackles, three interceptions, 15 clearances, and two blocks. He committed six postseason fouls, drawing five, and received a pair of yellow cards.

Schlegel appeared in two Concacaf Champions Cup matches (both starts), playing 180 minutes. He didn’t score or assist on a goal, attempting one off-target shot. He completed 90.9% of his 99 passes without a key pass or a cross. Defensively, he chipped in five clearances. The defender committed three fouls, drew one, and wasn’t booked.

In Leagues Cup play, Schlegel made one appearance off the bench, playing just 45 minutes against Atletico San Luis. He did not contribute to a goal, attempting one off-target shot. Schlegel completed nine of his 11 passes (81.8%) on his 22 touches without a key pass or cross. He recorded no defensive stats, committed two fouls in the game, did not draw one, and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Schlegel was strong defensively in a number of games, including early season narrow losses to the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew and the playoff win over Atlanta United. However, I’m going to go with a match in which he helped at both ends of the pitch — Orlando City’s 3-1 road win at FC Dallas. Schlegel started and went the full 90 minutes, scoring a goal on two shots, putting just the one that went in on target, as the Lions got their first-ever win on the road against Dallas. His 93.2% passing rate was on point, although there wasn’t a completed cross or key pass among his 59 attempts. Schlegel contributed three tackles, an interception, and two clearances on the defensive end. He committed two fouls, drew one, and wasn’t booked.

Schlegel’s goal was a great effort on a corner kick taken by Martin Ojeda in the 51st minute, with the Lions up 1-0. Ojeda made a good delivery to an onrushing Schlegel, who came running up from a deeper position than usual. Schlegel made good contact with the cross and guided his header into the upper right corner to make it 2-0, providing some breathing room early in the second half.

Schlegel wasn’t at fault for the Dallas goal, as that came from the penalty spot after a foul by Nico Lodeiro. It was a great night at both ends for the defender.

Although he didn’t win Man of the Match from our own Andrew DeSalvo (that went to Ramiro Enrique), Andrew gave Schlegel an 8 out of 10 and said this about his performance:

Schlegel was everywhere during this match, and a serious contender for Man of the Match. His bullet header that doubled the lead for the Lions will be what is remembered most, but he also had three tackles, two clearances, and one interception, and his partnership with Jansson was excellent in keeping FC Dallas’ pairing of Jesus Ferreira and Petar Musa off the scoresheet. I thought Schlegel was excellent throughout the match, and his right side pairing with Kyle Smith was effective in limiting Dallas’ attacks down their left channel.

In fairness to Andrew, Dave and I didn’t give him MotM either, and maybe all of us should have.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Schlegel a composite score of 7 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This is the same score he received last year, but it looked like a better year on the pitch, and he set a number of career highs, so maybe we just graded too leniently last year or were tougher on him this year than was warranted. Either way, it was a solid year for the veteran defender, and based on his game-by-game match grades, our 7 seems pretty good. He received a 6.5 both in 2022 and in 2021 after earning a 6 out of 10 in 2020 — his first season with the club.

2025 Outlook

Schlegel entered the off-season as the favorite to start alongside captain Robin Jansson in 2025, but he’ll likely get a strong push in preseason by Slovenian international David Brekalo, who did not get to go through a full preseason camp with the Lions in 2024. The Argentine has had a habit throughout his career of playing well for stretches before something derailing it — a random red card or second yellow card, conceding a penalty, or just having a howler of a game where he can’t seem to get himself into the correct position. Many of these are momentary lapses of composure or an act of over-aggressiveness. The 2023However, he mostly played under control throughout the 2024 season, which is a big part of why he managed to hang onto the starting job in the second half of the year.

There is a lot to like about the way Schlegel plays. He isn’t always the best defender on the field, or the most attentive, but he never lacks for effort, plays with an edge to his game that can ruin an opponent’s night, has decent pace to be able to play at this level, and is beloved by his teammates. Obviously, there are center backs who are better in the air or more physically capable of handling the league’s bigger forwards, and his lack of ability to finish on the number of set piece crosses he gets his head onto can be maddening for fans, but he is a solid player. If he’s your third-best center back (in a standard, four-man back line, anyway), you’re thrilled. If he’s your second-best, you might want to upgrade the position.

Time will tell if Brekalo can displace him or if the Lions ever decide to bring in a fourth capable center back rather than relying on Homegrowns in case of emergency. But with Schlegel, you get a solid, if unspectacular, center back option who can either start regularly or spell the starter with quality minutes.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Alex Freeman (12/5/24)
• Michael Halliday (12/6/24)
• Yutaro Tsukada (12/7/24)
• Mason Stajduhar (12/8/24)
• Javier Otero (12/9/24)
• Jack Lynn (12/11/24)
• Shakur Mohammed (12/12/24)
• Luis Muriel (12/13/24)
• David Brekalo (12/14/24)
• Facundo Torres (12/14/24)

Orlando City signed Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres as a Young Designated Player on Jan. 24, 2022. After transitioning from a YDP to a standard Designated Player, Torres signed a new contract Jan. 10 through the 2026 season with options for 2027 and 2028. It seemed Torres had embraced the city and the club and was making a commitment to being an Orlando City leader for years to come, but things can, and do, change, and that time may be coming to an end.

For the third straight season, Torres ended up the leader of the Lions’ attack, but he also got off to a slow start in the season’s first half for the third time in as many years in Orlando. The slow starts are perplexing to Torres, the club, and the fan base, but everyone seems to forget that when the summer arrives and he becomes one of the league’s best players — something he did again in 2024.

It’s time to look back at what could be the final season in purple (more on that below) for the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Statistical Breakdown

Torres played in 32 of Orlando City’s 34 games during the regular season, starting a career-high 30 and playing a career-high 2,642 minutes. The Uruguayan equaled a career high with 14 goals during the league season to lead the club, adding six assists, which placed him fifth on the team in helpers. His 63 shots and 30 shots on target also led Orlando City. Torres completed 87.9% of his 1,322 passes, and he tied Nico Lodeiro for second on the club with 46 key passes. His 19 completed crosses were a career low, and he added 12 successful long balls, which was by far a career low — 17 below his 2022 total and a whopping 25 fewer than last year. Those low numbers in the last two categories may be a product of playing with a different style striker in Ramiro Enrique for a good chunk of 2024 than he played with the previous two seasons. On the defensive end, he recorded 29 tackles, 13 interceptions, 11 clearances, and one blocked shot. Torres committed 19 fouls, suffered 47 — second most on the team behind Cesar Araujo — and picked up three yellow cards.

In the postseason, Torres appeared in, and started, all five of Orlando’s matches, playing 88 minutes in the opener against Charlotte and going the full 90 the rest of the way for a total of 448 minutes. The Designated Player scored two goals without an assist on 13 shot attempts, with seven on target. He scored in the penalty shootout win in Game 3 against Charlotte after not participating in the Game 2 shootout loss on the road, where he would presumably have been the fifth shooter for Orlando. He completed 87.9% of his 239 passes, including nine key passes and three successful crosses. He provided an interception and three clearances on the defensive end. He committed three fouls, drew five, and wasn’t booked.

Torres played in all four of Orlando’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting three of them and playing a total of 244 minutes. He scored three goals and added an assist, attempting four shots and putting three of those on target. The winger completed 84.3% of his 102 passes, including four key passes and an accurate cross. He chipped in a clearance on the defensive end, committed one foul while drawing three, and was not booked.

In the 2024 Leagues Cup, Torres started all three of Orlando City’s matches and played 240 minutes. He scored a goal, assisted on two others, and scored on his penalty attempt in the shootout loss to Cruz Azul. He wasn’t his usual self in the competition, firing eight shots but only putting one of them on target. He was more accurate in the buildup than his final product in the tournament, completing an impressive 90.3% of his 113 passes, including five key passes and an accurate cross. He didn’t record any defensive statistics. As far as discipline, Torres committed one foul, drew four on his opponents, and wasn’t booked.

Best Game

Torres had a number of candidates for this category, including four matches with braces across the various competitions. I’m going to go with his two-goal effort in a 3-0 home win over Nashville SC on Aug. 31. The Lions were coming off a lethargic and demoralizing 3-0 road loss at Sporting Kansas City out of the Leagues Cup break and needed a spark to regain the form it had during a five-game unbeaten run going into the midseason tournament.

Who better to lead the team to a bounce-back win than the team’s talisman? Torres contributed a strong outing to lead Orlando City to a dominant win, scoring twice and putting three of his four shot attempts on target. He passed well all night, completing 37 of 41 (90.2%). He contributed one clearance on the defensive end to help keep the clean sheet and committed one foul but wasn’t booked for it.

Ojeda’s smart defensive play and first-touch pass set up Ivan Angulo to score the opening goal early, setting the stage for Torres to take over and finish off Nashville. Just four minutes after Angulo opened the scoring, Torres was part of the buildup for his first goal of the night, sending a clever and perfectly weighted ball out wide on the right to Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who sent a cross toward the back post near the top of the six. Angulo was waiting for it, but Torres had continued his run to that spot and met the ball in the air, volleying it down off the ground and past Joe Willis to make it 2-0 in the 14th minute.

But one wasn’t enough for Torres, who nearly scored in the 51st minute on a chip shot that Willis just got a piece of, knocking it onto the roof of the net.

Torres killed off the game in the 85th minute. The play started in the back, with Pedro Gallese sending a long ball to the right, where he had both Duncan McGuire and Nico Lodeiro against a pair of Nashville defenders. McGuire did well to wall off his defender and Lodeiro took the ball into the right corner before cutting it back to the striker. McGuire spotted the late-arriving Torres on the left and sent in a great pass, putting him 1-v-1 against Willis. Torres hit the shot above Willis, but with power and perfect placement, putting it under the crossbar to make it 2-0.

It was a memorable night for Orlando City fans and one of Torres’ strongest performances in his time in purple.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Torres a composite rating of 8.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, which is a slight step forward from the 8 out of 10 he received both last year and in 2022. If Torres could ever start a season the way he plays from summer until the end of the year, he’d truly have a special season. As it is, 20 regular-season goal contributions is a solid return, considering how the first half of the year went. One improvement this year was that there were a few — not many, but some — moments when he produced with his weaker right foot, which is not something he has done much in the past.

It was a historic season for Torres as well, as he became the club’s all-time leading goal scorer in the MLS era on Oct. 2 against the Philadelphia Union with his 45th across all competitions, breaking Cyle Larin’s mark. On Nov. 9, he scored against Charlotte to take sole ownership of the club’s all-time combined USL and MLS goal-scoring mark, breaking Dom Dwyer’s record by notching his 47th across all competitions.

2025 Outlook

While Torres is under contract for 2025 and beyond, it’s impossible to ignore the reports of great interest from both Brazilian top flight side Palmeiras and Liga MX club Cruz Azul. Orlando City may not want to lose its career leader in goals, but ultimately these things are up to the player in our game. Although the Lions got closer than ever to a championship this season, Torres may feel that the club can’t get over the hump and it’s time for a change. Aside from financially, there doesn’t seem to be an advantage in going from Orlando City to either team if his ultimate goal is to play in Europe, but a financial incentive might be enough. Palmeiras would at least offer a shorter trip home for international competition for the Uruguayan. It seems like it’ll be Palmeiras — and soon.

Amid reports from reliable members of the media, it’s fair to assume Torres will not be back with Orlando City in 2025, although as we’ve seen, a deal isn’t done until it’s done, and even when it’s seemingly done, it can still fall apart (especially if that deal is with Blackburn Rovers). On last week’s episode of The Mane Land PawedCast, I put his departure at 50/50, but it seems likelier every day, so I’ll put the current likelihood around 85% and possibly higher.

If Torres returns for 2025, he’ll be the team’s talisman once again and I wouldn’t expect anything to change about his role. If he transfers out, the club will use its record transfer fee to bolster the squad however it can. The profit would be a tidy one for Orlando City, and selling players for higher fees than the Lions paid is a good way to lure a new Designated Player to the City Beautiful to take Torres’ place. A sale might give Orlando a way to play Muriel and Ojeda together, which would be great for whoever is playing striker, the two play makers would both need to increase their goal production in 2025 to replace what the team would lose with Torres. This is especially critical in the first half of the season, when McGuire is recovering from shoulder surgery.

For now, we wait for the other shoe to drop (or not) on what Torres is going to do next year. It seems particularly cruel to lose the 24-year-old as he’s just entering the prime of his career and has turned in such a productive season, but that’s part of life as the supporter of an MLS team.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Alex Freeman (12/5/24)
• Michael Halliday (12/6/24)
• Yutaro Tsukada (12/7/24)
• Mason Stajduhar (12/8/24)
• Javier Otero (12/9/24)
• Jack Lynn (12/11/24)
• Shakur Mohammed (12/12/24)
• Luis Muriel (12/13/24)
• David Brekalo (12/14/24)