Orlando City
2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Rafael Santos
The left back lost his starting role in the first half of the season but won it back and kept it during the second half.
Orlando City acquired Rafael Santos from Brazilian club Cruzeiro on a two-year deal with additional club options for 2025 and 2026 on Jan. 5, 2023. Santos has served as the team’s primary choice at left back during each of the past two seasons, though in each season he started slowly before fully grasping the starting role as the season reached late spring/early summer. According to whoscored.com, Orlando City attacked down the left side on 45% of its possessions during this past season, and the Brazilian left back’s ability to whip in dangerous crosses was one of the primary reasons for the clear preference to attack down his side.
Let’s take a look back at Santos’ performance this season.
Statistical Breakdown
Santos participated in all four of the competitions Orlando City played in during 2024, and started at least one match in each competition. He was the team’s primary starting left back during the MLS regular season and playoffs, though during Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup matches he more frequently was used as a sub.
In MLS regular-season play, Santos appeared in 32 matches, starting 23 games and playing a total of 2,072 minutes. Offensively, he scored one goal and added three assists, taking 12 shots and placing five on target. He completed 84.8% of his passes, with 16 key passes, 22 successful crosses, and 50 completed long balls. On the defensive side he had 34 tackles, 22 interceptions, 46 clearances, and three blocks. He committed 12 fouls, suffered 12 fouls, and received two yellow cards.
During the MLS playoffs, the Brazilian started all five matches, playing 434 of the 450 possible playoff minutes. He did not score or have any assists. He took two shots, placing one on target, and he completed 84.1% his passes with seven key passes — nearly reaching half of his regular-season total in only five games. He took one penalty kick during the decisive third game penalty shootout against Charlotte, and his goal on that kick sent Orlando City through to the conference semifinals. Defensively, he recorded six tackles, six interceptions, 20 clearances, and zero blocks. He drew four fouls and committed one, and he was not booked.
Santos played in three of Orlando City’s four Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting one and coming in off the bench in the other two games, playing a total of 101 minutes. He did not record a goal or an assist, taking three shots and placing none on target. He completed 81.5% of his passes, including one key pass. Defensively, he tallied two interceptions and two blocks, and he did not commit or draw any fouls. He was not booked.
During Leagues Cup play, Santos started one game and subbed in during the other two, playing a total of 96 minutes. He did not have any goal contributions, though he did score a penalty kick during the penalty shootout against Atlético de San Luis. He took one shot in each game for a total of three, placing none on target, and completed 80.9% of his passes with one key pass. He chipped in with two clearances and one block on defense, and he committed one foul, suffering none. He did not receive any cards.
Best Game
Set plays often are not run for left backs, but it is a little different when the left back has the type of cannon that Santos does with his left foot. The Lions hosted New England on Sept. 14, and in the 23rd minute they ran a set play off a corner kick that resulted in a pass to Santos, standing all alone about 30 yards from goal. He took one controlling touch and then unleashed a missile to the upper left corner, placing it perfectly past the outstretched hand of Aljaž Ivačič. According to tracking from Opta, it was the goal from the longest distance during MLS play for Orlando City this season and the fourth-longest for the Lions this decade.
Santos played the full 90 minutes during this match, leading the team in touches (66) and adding two successful take-ons, and he also contributed two tackles and three clearances to a clean sheet from the defense, as Orlando City went on to shut out the Revolution 3-0, finalizing the team’s first ever season sweep of New England.
2024 Final Grade
The Mane Land awarded Santos a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season, which is the same grade that we gave him for the 2023 season. His statistical performance was pretty similar this year as compared to last season, both in terms of minutes played as well as his contributions offensively and defensively. Opposing teams once again had to game plan for his runs up the left side of the field, knowing his propensity for whipping dangerous balls into the box from left to right. He struggled a bit in the beginning of the season, something that was also true in 2023, but once he settled in, he was the clear first choice at left back and helped the Lions to the deepest playoff run in their MLS history.
2025 Outlook
Orlando City chose to exercise the Brazilian left back’s contract option for 2025 while simultaneously declining the option for the club’s other player who primarily played left back, Luca Petrasso. Kyle Smith played around 900 minutes at left back in 2024, and he signed a new contract with the Lions, but it appears that going into 2025 left back will be Santos’ job to lose.
This was the case going into 2024 as well, and in the early season Santos started slowly, which contributed to his losing his starting role for most of April and May, as well as a short spell in July. Eventually, he found his form and was the clear starting choice, but he will want to figure out a way to avoid a similar slow start in 2025, lest he find himself again in a battle for minutes.
The depth chart alongside Santos at outside back will also include, as of right now, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, Michael Halliday, Alex Freeman and Smith, and while historically only Smith has played on the left side, that could change if Halliday or Freeman continue to develop and Head Coach Óscar Pareja believes they deserve some minutes. Either of those two players could learn how to play on the left, as Smith did, or Thórhallsson could as well. I expect Santos to make some improvements as well in his third season in MLS, and barring injury he should play the majority of the team’s minutes at left back in 2025.