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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC

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8 years ago

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Orlando City has won its last two games and New York City FC has lost its last two. None of that really matters when you consider that:

  • Those games occurred last season, and
  • NYCFC’s were playoff contests against Toronto, while Orlando’s were meaningless matches just playing out the string.

The Lions will want to show they are a better team than last year. They’ll want to open their new stadium with a win. And they’ll want to get a passing grade from the rebuilt back line that Jason Kreis constructed in the off-season — anchored by the big winter acquisition, Jonathan Spector.

It’s been a minute since we’ve squared off against New York City FC, so let’s find out more about them. Here to help us scout tomorrow night’s opponents is Jake Gofman from SB Nation’s New York City FC blog, Hudson River Blue. And if you want to see how I responded to their questions, you can head over to their place.

What are New York City FC’s key off-season additions and subtractions that we should know about and how do you expect them to affect the team?

Jake Gofman: Coincidentally, you happened to email me just before NYCFC announced they’d bought out former USMNT and poet laureate Mix Diskerud. While Mix wasn’t an important part of the team last year, his departure sheds New York of the last remnants of the Kreis style of play. Moving forward, Patrick Vieira now has the squad he wants in place.

There were more important departures for the club, namely the retirement of Frank Lampard and Andoni Iraola. Lampard’s NYCFC time will be recalled with mixed reviews, as he struggled to find the pitch and his form under Kreis, was injured and openly booed by fans in the first part of the 2016 season, all before endearing himself to the faithful, scoring 11 times in 21 appearances. No one can replicate Frank’s tenacity and sense for positioning, but he’ll be replaced by more creative and speedy players. 

The loss of Iraola stings more for the club, as he was a constant in the side and was solid in his role in front of the defense. The loan expired for Federico Bravo, who covered at times for Iraola, and their cumulative loss leaves a big hole to cover for NYCFC. 

The club’s biggest addition and the replacement for Frank Lampard is Maximiliano Morales, the club’s third Designated Player. Maxi or “Frasquito,” which translated to “Little Flask” (go figure) is a true number 10 player, and is coming to NYC in his prime, having just turned 30. Frasquito is coming over from Leon in Liga MX, but played the majority of his time in Serie A with Atalanta. 

NYCFC also added some intriguing young talent in Cincinnati FC forward Sean Okoli and third overall pick in the MLS Draft Jonathan Lewis from Akron. Keeper Sean Johnson comes over from the Chicago Fire and should be an upgrade over Josh Saunders (have fun, Orlando!).  

NYCFC took a huge leap forward last year, but the club won’t be able to sneak up on anyone in 2017. Do you expect a step forward or backward in 2017 and how much of that will depend upon David Villa staying healthy?

JG: If you watched this team last year, game in, game out, and you were honest with yourself, you’d have to admit that NYCFC wasn’t the second best team in the Eastern Conference. That’s not to say the team didn’t exceed expectations, but in regards to your question, I think it’s important that we recognize that the team may well improve this year without besting its second-place finish. 

We may finish at the top of the East again, but it’s going to depend on two things. The first, as you appropriately identified, is having David Villa, and many of our other key personnel, stay healthy throughout the season. As any Orlando fan will tell you, you can only go as far as the strength of the players you field, and NYC, like any other team, will struggle if Villa, Pirlo, Harrison, etc. lose time to injury. 

The second key that will define our success is our defense. While New York has no problems scoring, the team has got to get consistent performances out of its defense if it hopes to finish at the top of the conference. 

We’ve now got a preferred center back pairing in Maxime Chanot and Fredric Brillant, but they’ve got to be able to defend as a unit alongside our RJ Allen and Ronald Matarrita — two players that relish playing in the attacking half. Without Andoni Iraola’s consistent cover, NYC will have to provide enough coverage for the CBs as possible without stymying their vaunted attack. 

Are there any players out with preseason injury?

JG: No injuries to report ahead of the match. It’s not an injury, but Jonathan Lewis misses the game as he’s on duty with the USMNT U-20 team. 

What kind of formation and tactics can we expect from New York City FC this weekend against Orlando City, and what do you view as the game’s key match-up?

JG: Vieira settled on the 4-3-3 last season but it’s anyone’s guess sometimes with him. I’m gonna say we line up in this formation to start, to be conservative. Tactically, I wonder how we’ll cover the back four without Iraola. Formations I’ve seen online have had a midfield three of Frasquito, Tommy Mac, and Pirlo, which is very attack-minded, unless Tommy is responsible for providing more cover. 

The match-up to watch will be Cyle Larin running at our two CBs. Larin has a lot of speed and guile in his game, and Chanot and Brillant will have to be on the same page to pick up his runs and play him offside whenever possible. This match-up could define whether or not this one gets out of hand. 

What is your predicted match day lineup and final score?

JG: Sean Johnson; Ronald Matarrita, Maxime Chanot, Frederic Brillant, RJ Allen; Maxi Morales, Andrea Pirlo, Tommy McNamara; Sean Okoli, David Villa, Jack Harrison 

I see this one ending in a hard fought point for each club, 2-2. 

Big thanks to Jake for taking time to answer some questions about this weekend’s visiting foes.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/12/25

Reliving the Orlando Pride’s win, Orlando City B loses on the road, Jhon Solis Wins MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek, and more.

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4 hours ago

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June 12, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been enjoying a pretty good week so far and actually made pizza for the first time last night. It was burnt beyond belief in the end, but still edible, which is a huge win in my book. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links!

Sights and Sounds From the Orlando Pride’s Victory

The Orlando Pride beat the Houston Dash 1-0 at home in dramatic fashion and the club has released a video highlighting the action. Substitute Cori Dyke scored the winning goal deep in stoppage time to give the Pride all three points and second place in the league standings. The video includes Dyke being tossed in the air afterwards in celebration, as well as a pretty good pep talk from Marta. Let’s hope the Pride can win a bit more comfortably when they travel across the country to face Bay FC on Friday night.

Orlando City B Falls to Carolina Core FC

The Young Lions are returning to Orlando empty handed after a 1-0 loss to Carolina Core FC in North Carolina. A goal by Carolina right before halftime proved to be the difference, as OCB struggled to get much going offensively and couldn’t conjure some of the late magic it’s shown in recent matches. Ultimately, it’s a disappointing result after impressive wins over both Chattanooga FC and Huntsville City FC earlier this month. The Young Lions have a bit of a break to reset before trying to get back on track at home against Toronto FC II on June 25.

Jhon Solis Wins Goal of the Matchweek

OCB midfielder Jhon Solis won MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek for his strike in the club’s 3-2 road win over Huntsville on June 6. He curled a free kick towards goal with enough power behind it to beat the keeper and equalize things in the 84th minute. Solis also provided the assist from a corner kick on OCB’s first goal, so hopefully he can continue to make opponents pay in those instances this season.

Getting Ready for the Concacaf Gold Cup

The Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off this weekend and plenty of pressure is on the U.S. after a pair of losses in the friendlies leading into this tournament. The team is without many of its usual starters, and Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will have to figure things out in a group against Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and Trinidad & Tobago. As for other things to watch out for in this Gold Cup, I’m interested to see how Canada fares in its group and if Miguel Herrera’s Costa Rican team can make some noise against Mexico. Panama’s group could end up as the most enticing though, as it features fellow dark horse Jamaica and a pair of underdogs in Guadeloupe and Guatemala.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to the unbearable part of summer here in Florida. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/11/25

Orlando City B plays tonight, the Orlando Pride want to enter the break strong, USMNT pounded by Switzerland, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Hopefully, you decided to put your mental and emotional health first last night and skipped watching the USMNT match. I, unfortunately, did not. I’m going to take Ted Lasso’s advice to be a goldfish and move on. I think a great way to do that is to share today’s links with you, but not before we wish Orlando Pride forward Grace Chanda a happy birthday.

Pride Looking to Enter the Break on a High Note

The Orlando Pride are sitting in second place in the NWSL standings. The club is also sitting second in the SI.com power rankings and the goal.com power rankings. For some reason, All For XI has the team at number three in their power rankings, but nobody is perfect. Now, the Pride are looking to head into the NWSL break on a high note in their upcoming two road games. Next up is Bay FC on Friday night.

OCB Visits Carolina Core Tonight

Orlando City B is in action tonight against Carolina Core FC at Truist Point Stadium in North Carolina. The Young Lions look to continue their recent success following two late winners against Chattanooga and Huntsville City. The midweek matchup should mean that Manuel Goldberg will have everyone available for the match, except those who played for the U-18 USMNT in the 2025 UEFA Friendship Cup. We will have match coverage for you both here and on BlueSky.

USMNT Crumbles vs. Swiss

If you turned off the USMNT versus Switzerland match at halftime (or before), I don’t blame you. The Swiss scored four goals in a devastating first half for the USMNT. I’m not saying it happened because Orlando City’s Alex Freeman did not get the start, but I’m not, not saying it either. Things got nominally better in the second half, considering the U.S. did not give up any more goals, but the 4-0 final score was still very, very bad. It was not what fans were hoping to see in the send-off match heading into the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Club World Cup Struggles

I’m not certain if you know that the FIFA Club World Cup starts this weekend, including matches in Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium in the coming weeks. What I do know is that across the various venues the response can best be described as…meh.

Fans are getting offers of literal free tickets to the Sounders-Botafogo game and TM has reduced prices by about 20% since yesterday.

— Jeremiah Oshan (@jeremiah.sounderatheart.com) 2025-06-10T21:50:13.404Z

If you weren’t interested in going because the price was too high, you might want to check again. There are several former MLS players in the competition, including former Orlando City attacker Facundo Torres with Palmerias, though he won’t be playing in Orlando. There are several good matchups, including Manchester City versus Juventus at Camping World Stadium.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were members of the U-18 United States Men’s National Team that won the 2025 UEFA Friendship Cup in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday. The U.S. and Portugal drew 1-1 in the final before heading to penalties, where the Yanks won 3-2. Unfortunately, Guske had his attempt from the spot saved in the shootout, but his teammates bailed him out.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/10/25

Get to know an Orlando City Homegrown Player, Angelina and Marta called up, scouting Switzerland, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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June 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Tuesday, gang. It was a good weekend for Orlando soccer, as Orlando City B and the Orlando Pride both picked up wins. The games will come thick and fast this week, as OCB, the Pride and Orlando City will all be in action over the course of the next few days. We have plenty to discuss today, so let’s get right into it.

Get to Know Zakaria Taifi

With Orlando City in the midst of a small break in between games, now is a good time to familiarize yourself with one of the Lions’ Homegrown players. Zakaria Taifi is the first player to advance through the full gamut of OCSC’s youth development pathway, as the 19-year-old started out at the U-9 Orlando City Soccer school before advancing to the club’s academy, then Orlando City B, and finally signing a Homegrown Contract with the first team. In my opinion, one of the highlights of his conversation with the club’s website is a picture of Taifi with all of his jerseys from each step in his pathway to the first team. He remembers standing outside Inter&Co Stadium when it was still being built, and spoke about how he wants to set a good example for other young players in the Lions’ youth teams.

Angelina and Marta Called Up

Angelina and Marta have both been called up to represent Brazil in this summer’s Copa America Femenina. The pair have been key performers for the Orlando Pride this year, with Marta playing in every game for the team while Angelina has appeared in all but one. Brazil is the defending champion of the tournament and will begin play on July 13 when it faces Venezuela. It will also have group games against Bolivia, Paraguay, and Colombia. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, while the two third-place finishers will go to the fifth-place match.

Scouting Switzerland

The United States Men’s National Team will conclude its preparations for the Gold Cup by taking on Switzerland in Nashville tonight. The Swiss are currently ranked 20th in the world and made it to the quarterfinals of last summer’s European Championship. The team is littered with guys playing in Europe, and features familiar names like Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Granit Xhaka. Head Coach Murat Yakin has been setting his team up in a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 and emphasizes both man marking and pressing. That’s something that could prove difficult for the USMNT, as both goals it conceded against Turkey came as a result of being unable to successfully play out of the back and break the opposition’s smothering press. If nothing else, the game should provide an opportunity to show what, if anything, was learned from Saturday’s 2-1 loss. The U.S. will be without Tyler Adams though, as he’s dealing with a foot problem and will potentially miss the start of the Gold Cup.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

There are plenty of transfer market whisperings bouncing about this time of year, so let’s take a minute to run through a few of them. Of chief interest to USMNT fans is a reported move to Lyon for Matt Turner, who is in desperate need of regular minutes. Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag reportedly wants to sign Jack Grealish as a replacement for Florian Wirtz. Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing one of Marc-Andre ter Stegen or Lucas Chevalier to replace Andre Onana. Finally, Liverpool is said to have joined Chelsea in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to a pair of Orlando City youth teams for winning some silverware!
  • We’re starting to get a clearer idea of who will be on the roster for the MLS All-Star Game.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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