Orlando City
Martín Ojeda is Passing This Season With Flying Colors
An evaluation of Martín Ojeda’s 2025 passing performance shows he is among the league’s best at creating shots for others.
School is back in session all over the country, and that means that the age-old chant of “reading, writing, arithmetic, too much homework makes me sick” is also back in vogue, to the disgust of teachers and parents everywhere. As a former mathematics teacher, I know that it is the reading and writing that cause most of the frustration, because obviously everyone loves arithmetic, am I right?
Don’t answer that.
It goes without saying that I love arithmetic, and for this week I have a different little rhyme that will be the subject of this article, which is: “Martín Ojeda is amassing some incredible stats for passing.” It is not quite as catchy, but it works.
And speaking of working, Ojeda has been putting in the work on the offensive side of the ball this season, leading the team in both goals (14) and assists (14) and threatening to become the first Orlando City player to reach 30 goal contributions during an MLS regular season. With two weeks in between Orlando City games, I had a lot of time to look at the numbers, and Ojeda is in some rare air with how he is creating shots for his teammates with his passes.
There are two types of passes that create shots: live ball passes and dead ball passes. Opta tracks both of these on fbref.com, and Ojeda is one of only two players in MLS this season to average at least 3.5 shots created from his live-ball passes per 90 minutes and at least 1.3 shots created from his dead-ball passes per 90 minutes. The other player is an Argentinean midfielder in his 30s who wears number 10, and just as you thought, it is Cristian Espinoza of the San Jose Earthquakes. Lionel Messi, who I am guessing you thought of initially, does not create enough shots via dead-ball passes to join Ojeda and Espinoza in that 3.5/1.3 club.
Very few players in the tracking era (Opta started tracking shot-creating actions in MLS in 2018) have reached this standard. Including Espinoza and Ojeda, there have only been 21 player-seasons of at least 3.5 and 1.3, and only 13 different players (Ojeda is the only one from Orlando City) have achieved both of those averages in the same season.
The main reason that most attacking players (it is almost exclusively attacking midfielders and wing players who put up big shot-creation numbers) fall short is that they do not create enough shots from dead-ball situations. Among players who have played at least 500 minutes in MLS play this season, only 17 average creating at least one shot per 90 minutes via dead-ball passes, and the reason so many fall short is likely because:
- Their team’s offense does not generate enough chances for dead-ball opportunities.
- Their teammates are not effective enough in the box to turn their dead-ball passes into shots.
- Their dead-ball passes are not accurate enough to generate a shot.
- They often choose to shoot rather than pass when they have dead-ball opportunities.
The first two items in the list above are mostly around the capabilities of a player’s teammates, and the second two are about the player tasked with playing the dead ball. In the case of Orlando City, Ojeda plays for one of the most prolific offenses in the league, so the team has not struggled to create chances or to win balls in the air and turn them into shots. Ojeda is an unselfish player, so he often chooses to pass rather than shoot in dead-ball situations, and he is incredibly accurate with his left foot, so nearly all of his dead-ball passes land in threatening areas.
There are 323 MLS players who have played at least 500 minutes this season and who Opta does not list as a goalkeeper or exclusively a defender (some players are listed as defender and midfielder, they are included in the 323). The chart below shows each player’s performance in shots created per 90 minutes from live balls and dead balls, and Ojeda is inside the purple circle in the upper right part of the chart.
Being in the upper right portion of a chart does not automatically mean a player is better than another player who is closer to the bottom or the left side, but it does mean that a player’s coaching staff entrusts that player to handle critical dead-ball situations, and that the player is effective in creating shots for their teammates through both live-ball and dead-ball plays.
American Soccer Analysis did some, ahem, analysis a few years ago, looking across thousands of plays from multiple leagues, and found that approximately 11% of goals come from dead-ball passes. It is a big deal to have a player who can take advantage of set pieces by placing the ball in dangerous locations, and with Ojeda, who takes more than half of the dead-ball kicks in the attacking third, Orlando City has one of the league’s best at creating shot opportunities from set pieces.
It is a similar story when it comes to live-ball play as well, which can also be seen from that scatterplot above. Ojeda ranks eighth in shots created from dead balls per 90 mins and 10th in shots created from live balls per 90 mins, and he and the aforementioned Espinoza are the only two players who rank in the top 10 in both categories.
Ojeda is in the top 10 in both categories this season in all of MLS, and his combined total of 5.1 shots created from live-ball passes and dead-ball passes ranks him fourth in the league, behind only Espinoza (5.8), Jack McGlynn of Houston (5.5), and Carles Gil of New England (5.4). Looking back in Orlando City history, however, Ojeda’s 5.1 is slightly more than 6% better than any other player’s average, as you can see from the chart below, which shows the club’s top five seasons (reminding you once again that this stat was not around before 2018, meaning that there is no data for Kaká):
| Player | Season | Live Ball per 90 | Dead Ball per 90 | Combined per 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martín Ojeda | 2025 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| Nani | 2019 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 4.8 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 2020 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 4.8 |
| Nico Lodeiro | 2024 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 4.6 |
| Yoshimar Yotún | 2018 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 4.5 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 2022 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 4.5 |
| Sacha Kljestan | 2018 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 4.5 |
The Lions return to play on Saturday night, and when that game kicks off I expect Ojeda to be right where he has been all season long, in the middle of the field and in the middle of everything for Orlando City’s offense. Hopefully his teammates are ready to convert all the chances he creates on their behalf, and they do not pass up the opportunity to take a pass and put the ball past D.C.’s goalkeeper.
Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/15/26
Daryl Dike’s potential return, Orlando Pride prepare for Boston, World Cup news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Oh boy, do we have some news for you today. Between the Orlando Pride match tonight, the World Cup this afternoon, and some potential big signings, we have a lot to get to. We also want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B goalkeeper Tristan Himes. Now, let’s get to the links.
The Return of Dike(?)
Forget “It’s coming home,” rather he’s coming home! Per Tom Bogert, Daryl Dike is set to return to Orlando City after his multi-year stint with West Bromwich Albion. Dike had a rough go of it in England, mainly due to injuries he sustained. I figure he just needs some Florida sunshine and the team at Orlando Health to help find the form that made him a terror to Orlando City’s opponents.
It also seems that the departure of Marco Pasalic is not a done deal. There has not been an official bid as of yet, and if Orlando City’s valuation isn’t met, then he may be staying. If he stays, he bolsters the attack. If not, well that’s what Dike is coming back to do and it would supply the Lions with plenty of coin to bolster the roster.
Orlando Pride Set for Boston Legacy
The Orlando Pride host expansion side Boston Legacy FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The Pride will look to avenge a 2-1 loss earlier this season in Boston. After defeating the Kansas City Current over the weekend, Seb Hines’ squad will want to keep the home winning streak going. This may be Barbra Banda’s last match before heading out for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament later this month, so take the opportunity to head to the match if you are in the Orlando area.
World Cup News
France was unable to keep things going as Spain defeated Les Bleus 2-0 on Bastille Day. La Roja now wait to see whether Argentina or England will be the opponent in the final. As they have done so many times this World Cup, the Spanish did not allow a goal and did enough offensively to advance. Lamine Yamal earned a penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home to give Spain a lead in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro added another in the second half and France was unable to muster any magic.
Later today, England and Argentina square off to see which team will play the Spaniards. The amount of history between these teams at World Cups is enough to make most watch the match. I think the bigger question is which team does Gianni Infantino want to win, and will we see the same shenanigans we’ve seen in previous matches featuring these two teams? Don’t worry, England. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
USMNT Reflections
There’s been a bit of space and time for all of us to process the USMNT’s performance at the World Cup and it isn’t all doom and gloom. None other than Carli Lloyd said that despite the way it ended, it was a successful outing for the U.S. Matt Freese is trying to see the positives even though he made a costly mistake that gave up a goal to Belgium. Folarin Balogun said what I was thinking in that a certain phone call about his red card did affect the USMNT’s nerves heading into the match against Belgium. Lastly, the future could be bright thanks to these five USMNT prospects.
Free Kicks
- Atlanta United has signed Chilean defender Paulo Diaz on a free transfer. I didn’t realize a team could improve the defense with signings.
- As I alluded to above, Ismail Elfath will lead an all-U.S. Soccer referee crew for the match between Argentina and England. I’m curious to see how it plays out.
- If you want to watch the Bundesliga, you may need to get another streaming service as the U.S. rights are moving from ESPN to USA Network & Fandango.
- Charlotte FC is ending the practice of charging Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) in an effort to stem declining attendance and slower ticket sales. I’m glad that was an experiment that failed in MLS even if it is standard in other American professional sports.
- The New England Revolution have signed 18-year-old Peyton Miller to a contract extension through the 2028-2029 season.
- Former Orlando City B defender Nabi Kibunguchy has signed with USL Championship side Indy Eleven. We wish him luck with his new team.
That will do it for today. Check back later for our coverage of the Orlando Pride’s match against Boston Legacy FC. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for updates. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/14/26
Marco Pasalic transfer rumor, Marta up for weekly award, MLS transfer roundup, and more.
Good morning, everyone. I write to you from Texas, specifically Dallas, as I was in Austin to see friends over the weekend and decided to pop up the road to take in the energy of the World Cup semifinal that will be played in the city later today. I won’t be attending the game, since I don’t wish to sell one of my kidneys but am looking forward to mingling with some of the fans who have traveled here for it. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Marco Pasalic Transfer Rumor
There have been some quiet rumblings for awhile now that Marco Pasalic may leave Orlando City during the summer transfer window. We now have a more concrete report regarding a potential departure, as the streets are saying that the winger is set to sign for newly promoted Hull City, with a price tag of at least €7 million.
If the move does come to pass, it would reunite him with manager Sergej Jakirovic, who he briefly played for during his time at HNK Rijeka. Jakirovic also stated in a recent interview that he wants to sign Pasalic, so this is a rumor that could have some legs.
Marta Up for Weekly Honors
The Orlando Pride picked up an excellent win on Friday by knocking off the Kansas City Current 3-0, and Marta has been rewarded for her efforts in the victory with a nomination for the NWSL Player of the Week. The Brazilian legend bagged the team’s first goal shortly after halftime, when she found herself in space well outside the box and unleashed a low left-footed drive into the bottom corner for her 50th goal as a Pride player. For some reason, she was snubbed in the Goal of the Week voting despite her impressive strike, so make sure you go vote for her for Player of the Week!
MLS Transfer Roundup
With the MLS summer transfer window opening on Monday, we’ve got a slew of moves to get caught up on. We begin with confirmation of an item that we covered in Monday’s Links, as Nathan Ordaz has officially moved to D.C. United in exchange for up to $2.875 million. The New England Revolution have extended Matt Turner’s loan from Lyon, with the new deal lasting through December. It also has an option to extend the loan again until December 2027, after which the Revs have a purchase option. Atlanta United has signed Paraguayan center back Junior Alonso on a free transfer, with his deal running through the 2028-2029 season. Finally, Charlotte FC has announced the signing of forward Allan Saint-Maximin as a Designated Player. He will occupy the DP slot vacated by Wilfried Zaha.
USWNT Announces Fall Friendlies
The United States Women’s National Team has announced that it will play a pair of October friendlies against Spain in a matchup of the reigning World Cup champions against the reigning Olympic champions. The USWNT will face the top-ranked team in the world on Oct. 10 at Audi Field in Washington D.C., and again on Oct. 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. The Oct. 10 match will also have a pregame retirement celebration for USWNT defender Crystal Dunn. This will be just the fourth time that the two teams have faced each other, with the U.S. winning two of the three previous meetings. The two friendlies will be the last games that the USWNT plays before beginning World Cup qualifying.
Previewing France vs. Spain
The World Cup semifinals begin today, with France and Spain set to throw down in Dallas. For France, the stars are too many to count, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise all taking turns lighting up both the field and the scoreboard for the team that has made back-to-back appearances in the final. As far as Spain goes, all the focus is on Lamine Yamal, as the young winger has been key to Spain’s success despite scoring just one goal. If Nico Williams is able to start on the opposite wing, the French won’t be able to key so heavily on Yamal, and it could open up more space for him in which to operate. The matchup between the youngster and Lucas Digne will be key, as will the ability of either Mikel Oyarzabal or Ferran Torres to be effective up top for Spain.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Daryl Dike is leaving West Bromwich Albion. We know a team that just traded a striker.
- Debinha has signed a contract extension with the Kansas City Current.
- Hydration breaks will reportedly be a key element in future negotiations for soccer media rights.
- Manchester United is reportedly in advanced negotiations to sign midfielder Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
- Pau Cubarsi has pushed back on comments made by Spain’s former prime minister Mariano Rajoy, in which he claimed that France “don’t have any French players.”
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/13/26
Pride and OCB win, Maxime Crepeau to compete in MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, Latest MLS transfer roundup, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work, but I look forward to watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals and final this week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Shut Out Kansas City Current at Home
The Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday night, bouncing back from a tough outing at Angel City the previous week. After a scoreless first half, Marta scored the opener from long distance to give Orlando the lead. Hannah Anderson and Barbra Banda added a goal apiece as the Pride have won three out of their last four league matches. Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse earned a clean sheet in her 100th appearance for the club. Orlando remains eighth in the NWSL table with 20 points. The Pride will be back in action at home Wednesday, taking on Boston Legacy at Inter&Co Stadium.
OCB Wins at FC Cincinnati 2
Orlando City B beat FC Cincinnati 2 by a 2-1 scoreline at NKU Soccer Stadium in Highland Heights, KY on Sunday. Issah Haruna’s goal gave the Young Lions the lead in the first half. In the second half, Cincinnati leveled the match, but Matthew Belgodere scored the winner on the road. That result pulls the Young Lions into third in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference standings with 33 points, just one point off leaders Chattanooga FC. OCB will be away for another road test Saturday against Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium.
Orlando City Reportedly Submits Transfer Offer for Alex Moreno
Orlando City has reportedly submitted a transfer offer to sign Girona defender Alex Moreno. No agreement has been reached between the two sides, and conversations remain ongoing, according to reports. Moreno made 31 appearances for Girona last season in La Liga and recorded three assists. The 33-year-old left back remains under contract with Girona through 2027, but the club was relegated from La Liga to La Liga 2 last season. Several European clubs have also expressed interest in signing Moreno, including La Liga sides Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano.
Crepeau to Compete in MLS All-Star Skills Challenge
Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau will compete in the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge at Truist Field in Charlotte on July 28, the club announced Friday. The competition will feature top players from Major League Soccer and Liga MX competing to test their soccer skills on the pitch. Five skills challenge competitions are featured, including the All-Star Goalie Wars, All-Star Crossbar Challenge, and the MLS vs. Liga MX Relay Challenge. Each competition will crown its own champion this year, switching from the traditional MLS-versus-opponent format used in previous years.
Latest MLS Transfer Roundup
According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, Sporting Kansas City has emerged as a potential option to sign former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
D.C. United has reportedly acquired forward Nathan Ordaz from LAFC.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders have reportedly traded defender Cody Baker to the New England Revolution.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Silvester van der Water has signed with Cambodian Premier League side Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC.
- Ted Lasso actor Cristo Fernandez, who plays Dani Rojas in the show, made his professional debut for USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive over the weekend.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that the organization will examine expanding the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament concludes.
- Senegal has fired manager Pape Thiaw following its Round of 32 defeat to Belgium in the World Cup.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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