Orlando City
2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Kyle Smith
The Accountant turned in another solid season playing wherever and whenever he was asked to.
Orlando City signed fullback Kyle Smith on Dec. 21, 2018 when James O’Connor was Orlando City’s head coach. Since his arrival, Smith has proven time and again that he’s a valuable Swiss Army knife-type player, earning a new contract on March 29, 2021 through the 2022 season with a 2023 club option. Orlando City picked up his 2023 option at the end of the 2022 season but then signed Smith to a new one-year contract for 2023 just weeks later with an option for 2024. That sixth season concluded earlier this month, and it’s hard to imagine anyone (except perhaps Smith himself) expected him to still be getting lots of minutes with the Lions and sitting second on the club’s all-time list for appearances.
Let’s look back at the sixth MLS season — all in Orlando purple — from the man Oscar Pareja calls El Soldado.
Statistical Breakdown
Smith matched a career high with 29 appearances in the regular season in 2024, starting 12 matches and playing 1,143 minutes. He didn’t score a goal in the regular season, but he matched last year’s career high with three assists. The Cincinnati, OH native attempted just five shot, which is a career low, as was his single shot on target, which can account (see what I did there?) for his lack of goals in the 2024 regular season. He completed a career-high 83.7% of his 1,143 passes, which includes eight key passes, seven successful crosses, and 20 completed long ball. Although his seven successful crosses weren’t a career high, his 41.2% accuracy on cross attempts was the best success rate of his MLS career. The defender recorded 22 tackles, nine interceptions, 17 clearances, and three blocks. Smith committed 13 fouls on the season, drew 11 from his opponents, and picked up three yellow cards.
As with the regular season, Smith posted a career high in postseason appearances, playing in five games (although without a start) but logging just 51 minutes off the bench. He did not record a goal contribution and his lone shot attempt was off target. Smith completed 80.5% of his 41 passes with one key pass and two successful long balls but no completed crosses. He recorded a clearance on the defensive end, committed two fouls in the playoffs, suffered one, and did not pick up a booking.
In the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, Smith started all four of Orlando City’s matches, logging 323 minutes. He scored a goal in the 3-1 home win over Cavalry FC but did not register an assist in the competition, attempting just the one (on-target) shot. Smith completed 81.5% of his 146 passes with two key passes, however none of his three crosses found the target. On the defensive end, he recorded five clearances. He committed five fouls, suffered two and received one yellow card.
In Leagues Cup, Smith appeared in two of Orlando City’s three matches, starting both but playing just 113 minutes because he was sent off against San Luis for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, suspending him for the Cruz Azul game. He didn’t register a goal, assist, or a shot in the competition, passing at a 91.1% rate on his 79 attempts and tallying one key pass and one successful cross on two attempts (50%). He added a clearance on the defensive end, committed one foul without suffering any, and picked up the one red card.
Best Game
With any defender who only scores one goal across all competitions, it’s tempting to select the game in which he scored. In Smith’s case, his one goal was a well-worked give-and-go on the left side with Facundo Torres in the Concacaf Champions Cup home match against Cavalry FC.
It was an important goal, providing insurance late and helping propel the Lions into the second round against Tigres. However, I’m not choosing that match as Smith’s best.
The defender’s best match finished with the same 3-1 scoreline, but it came in his return home this year, as Orlando City traveled to face FC Cincinnati on Oct. 5.
Smith helped the Lions get the party started just 10 minutes into the match, sending a gorgeous, curling cross that wrapped beautifully around the back line and onto the run of Ramiro Enrique, who knocked it past Roman Celentano with his right foot to make it 1-0.
After Luciano Acosta tied the match just before halftime, Smith also played a role in the second goal of the game to put the Lions back in front in the 66th minute. Smith again picked out Enrique in the box with a great cross, but this time the striker had his back to goal. Enrique touched it back to Ivan Angulo, who got a bit fortunate that Celentano made a mess of the bouncing shot, letting it sneak into the net to make it 2-0.
Smith’s two assists were his only cross attempts of the match, making him 2/2 (100%), and his primary assist earned him a key pass. Those were the bright spots offensively, as the right back (in this game, anyway) did not attempt a shot and passed at just a 62.5% rate in his 81 minutes. However, Smith also was a force on the defensive end, finishing the match with a season-high four interceptions — his only multi-interception game of the season — to go along with a tackle and a clearance. He committed two fouls, suffering one, and he was not booked. It was a terrific homecoming for the veteran defender.
2024 Final Grade
The Mane Land awarded Smith a composite score of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This equals the highest rating we’ve given him, which took place after the 2021 season. His grades haven’t fluctuated a ton from year to year, as he earned a 5.5 in 2019, again in 2020, and once more in 2022. He earned a 6 out of 10 in 2023. So, in six years, Smith’s score has been within a single full point on our 10-point rating scale. That’s the kind of remarkable consistency you want out of your accountant, and it’s what The Accountant has brought with his gritty, blue-collar style of play for Orlando City.
2025 Outlook
Although he was out of contract after the 2024 season, Orlando City immediately looked to re-sign the veteran defender to a new contract and did just that on Friday. Smith is back for 2025 on a new one-year deal. The 32-year-old, who will turn 33 on Jan. 9, will likely fill the exact same role he’s held for his entire Orlando City career. He’ll fill in wherever he’s asked, spending time in the starting lineup when other players’ injuries or form require his services. He’ll be solid but not spectacular nearly every outing, and occasionally he’ll be overmatched by a pacey opponent. But he won’t short you on his effort and he’ll make it hard for Pareja to leave him on the bench for the entire match, regardless of whether the team is ahead or behind.