Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 5-0 home win vs. D.C. United?

Published

6 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On a night when the merch of the match was a shirt showing a picture of Orlando City legend Kaká in the midst of his iconic post-goal celebration, the current iteration of the Lions celebrated five times themselves after putting goals into the net and trounced the squad from our nation’s capital, 5-0.

Thankfully, the fans in The Wall did not shoot off all of their flares and fireworks on Independence Day, as they needed them all night long in Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday night. Nine different Lions had goal contributions, and the team kept a clean sheet. Games like these are the fun ones to evaluate and grade.

I have my purple pen out, and I am ready to issue those grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — It was a mostly quiet night for the Peruvian goalkeeper, especially after a red card was issued to D.C. United’s Lucas Bartlett in first-half stoppage time. Pedro recorded one save on United’s only shot on target and completed eight of his 12 pass attempts, but really was not called upon for very much after some initial action early in the match. Still, a clean sheet is a clean sheet, and he will be happy to have contributed the fifth shutout of the season for the Orlando City defense.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Kyle started for the second consecutive match on the left side of the defense and I thought he performed well on the night. He brings a different look to both the offense and the defense than when Rafael Santos is on the field, and on Saturday night I thought he had a good partnership with the defensive back line and also with the offense. He completed 44 passes at an 89.8% clip, and got two shots off as well, though neither were on frame. Defensively, he contributed two tackles, an interception, and three clearances before making way for Alex Freeman in the 82nd minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 9 (MotM) — I toyed with going even higher for Robin, as what more can you do as a central defender than be the captain, contribute to a clean sheet, score a goal, complete 97.3% of your passes, save a ball off the line, and basically smother a former Premier League starting striker in Christian Benteke? Jansson recorded a tackle, an interception, a blocked shot, and three clearances. His header was too powerful for Tyler Miller to stop on Orlando’s second goal, providing the Lions some breathing room early in the match, and he nearly scored a second goal in the 73rd minute off Miller’s fantastic save of Rodrigo Schlegel’s header, but the defender couldn’t make good contact with the ball while it was in the air. He helped break D.C.’s pressure with two successful dribbles, too. The only knock on Jansson was that he did not play the full 90 minutes, but when you sub out when your team is leading 4-0, is that a knock, really? The game was well in hand when he subbed off for the returning David Brekalo, and I believe the Beefy Swede was the top reason why the Lions were dominating the game, so for me he was the Man of the Match.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 8 — While the Argentinean defender’s night was a little quieter than that of his partner in central defense, he still put in an excellent shift and definitely contributed to the clean sheet. Rodrigo went the full 90 minutes, leading the team with four clearances in addition to an interception and a blocked shot. He completed 92.9% of his passes, including four of his six long balls, while nearly tucking away a header that was headed, literally, for the upper corner before a fine save by Miller kept it out. He also played a major role in keeping the aforementioned Benteke off the score sheet, something many teams have not been able to do this season, with a team-high four aerials won. His goal early was well taken, even if it didn’t count because he was well offside.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7.5 — Dagur Dan got Orlando City going early in the match, intercepting a pass, smoking down the right side, staying on his feet despite a major shoulder bump from Christopher McVey, and then stopping on a dime to cut the ball back and play a perfect pass to Martín Ojeda for the opening goal. That was just one of 46 completed passes for the Icelandic right back on the night at a 97.9% completion rate, with three of those passes leading directly to an Orlando City shot. He also chipped in a clearance and two dribbles. Thorhallsson went the full 90, and he was still making runs up and down the field late in the game, even with the Lions clearly having the game in hand. When Smith subbed out, Thorhallsson switched over to the left side of the field and did not show any issues at all with playing in an unusual position, and he helped close out the final few minutes to earn the Lions their clean sheet.

MF, César Araujo, 6 — The Uruguayan defensive midfielder had a solid game, playing his usual destroyer role in the middle of the field and helped start the offense out of the back. As he always does, César drew a few fouls (2) and completed most (90.9%) of his passes, and I was somewhat surprised it was him who made way for Luis Muriel in the 58th minute, though it was likely to protect him from yellow card accumulation. In another surprise move, it was Araujo who attempted to score off a free kick when the Lions had a golden opportunity to score from just outside the box in first-half stoppage time. His effort, while hit very hard, cannoned off the wall and nothing came of that opportunity. It was one of his two shots on the night — both off target. He added a clearance on the defensive end. It was a strong, but quiet, game for César.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 8.5 — I thought Wilder was excellent on Saturday night, as he led the team in passes completed (77), shots (4), and shots on target (3), and was also second on the team in tackles (3). The Peruvian midfielder also had an assist on two key passes, as he took a pass from Facundo Torres and played a perfect ball right onto Jansson’s head to put the Lions up 2-0. Cartagena also played the ball over the top that led to the red card foul by Bartlett on Iván Angulo, a wonderfully weighted ball in just the right spot that could well have been his second assist had there not been a foul. It was one of nine attempted long balls by the Peruvian and he completed all nine. After Araujo subbed out, Wilder also held down the center of the park for the rest of the game, recording one clearance and putting in an excellent shift on a very hot night in Orlando.

MF, Facundo Torres, 8.5 — I feel like the Facu we loved during his first two years has returned, and Saturday night’s match was emblematic of everything he is capable of doing on the field. The Uruguayan winger had five key passes, two secondary assists, and one goal (with his right foot!), and I think he should have also created two penalty kicks with shots that looked very much like they hit arms that were in places that should have led to a handball call. Neither was called, because…Orlando City. Back to Facu though, he now has four goals in his last five matches and is creating goal-scoring opportunities all over the field for his teammates. In addition, he added three tackles and an interception defensively. He was outstanding on Saturday, and he was definitely in contention for my Man of the Match.

MF, Iván Angulo, 8 — On the other side of the field from Facu was Iván Angulo, and his performance about as impressive. He scored his third goal of the season on a looked-intentional-but-perhaps-was-slightly-unintentional-but-it-worked-out-so-we’ll-call-it-intentional give and go with Martín Ojeda (though officially Ojeda did not get the assist as it came off a defender before Angulo shot it). It was his run that drew the DOGSO (denial of a goal scoring opportunity) foul that reduced D.C. United to 10 men late in the first half and, for all intents and purposes, ensured that Orlando City would win the match. Angulo also played the through ball to Duncan McGuire that led to Facu’s goal, and had that ball come back into the middle, he was in perfect position to tap it in for a goal as well. The Colombian also led the team in tackles, with four, and completed 53 passes, third on the team, at an 84.1% rate, with three of those passes leading directly to a shot. With D.C. United down a man, it was often Angulo who stretched the defense to the limit on the left side of the field; he received 21 passes from 10 yards or more away in the attacking half of the field on Saturday night, tied for third most by any player in a MLS game in 2024. One thing he could have done better was get his crosses past the first defender, as he went 0-for-2 on attempted crosses though he did win a couple of corners out of them.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 8 — Ojeda’s cannon shot opened the scoring as he timed his run perfectly to find a huge swath of space near the top of the 18 and then absolutely smashed the cross from Thorhallsson past three defenders and the goalkeeper to put the Lions on the board. He now has two goals and one assist in the last three games, and it seems like perhaps the South American trio of he, Torres, and Angulo are starting to gel as the attacking midfield group. He would have scored a second goal on a brilliant shot later but had strayed well offside on the play. As he nearly always does, Ojeda led the team in crosses (14) and completed half of them (7), part of an overall passing completion percentage of 93.8%. He was also second on the team with four key passes and added a tackle, before making way for Nico Lodeiro in the 78th minute.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — The effort was definitely there for Duncan during this game, and even though he did not score a goal himself, he did contribute a wonderful assist on a play he could have tried to take himself, but instead made a great pass across the box for Torres to run onto to and deposit into the back of the net. On a similar play a few minutes before, he had tried to take it himself and his timing was off and he ended up dribbling it out of bounds, but he got a second chance and he did not waste it, contributing to making the score 4-0 and effectively ending the game. He put one of his three shots on target, a flicked effort at the near post on a corner. I was unable to attend the game in person so I was watching on the AppleTV+ feed, and Duncan also led the team in getting caught on camera yelling “pass me the (inappropriate) ball” after making another run that went unrewarded, which meant he also led the team in comedic output. He only had 23 touches and only completed eight passes at a 66.7% rate, but on the whole I thought he was more positive than negative before he subbed out for Ramiro Enrique in the 77th minute.

Substitutes

MF, Luis Muriel (58′), 5 — It was a subdued performance from Muriel off the bench Saturday, as for the first time this season he did not even get a shot off, and the only real energy I saw from him was when he got into Torres’ selfie celebration. He completed 16 passes at a 94.1% rate, and he had a nutmeg while possessing the ball in the defensive end, adding a key pass and two dribbles. But on the whole, it was a rather pedestrian performance in a game where I thought he could have contributed more going against a hot and tired defense playing down a man.

F, Ramiro Enrique (75′), 6.5 — A late game sub, Ramiro made his presence felt with his first goal of the season on a glancing header in the 85th minute off a headed ball from fellow sub Alex Freeman. He provided his usual energy and hustle off the bench, and completed all five of his passes for a perfect 100% completion rate.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (77′), 6.5 — Nico only played 13 minutes plus stoppage time, but he managed to complete 19 passes (at a 90.5% rate) and have 32 touches of the ball, so he definitely came into the game like a firework. (It’s still close enough to Independence Day for this reference to work, right? Don’t answer that.) The Uruguayan also played the corner kick that Alex Freeman headed across for Enrique’s goal, made two tackles and had one interception, so I felt that even in a short performance he did earn a grade, and a good one, with how he contributed to the final portion of the game.

D, David Brekalo, (77’), N/A — The Slovenian subbed in at the same time as Lodeiro, but since he subbed in for Jansson, and D.C. United barely had the ball while he was on, I did not think there was enough there for him to earn a grade. Brekalo completed all 11 of his passes, including two long balls, but aside from that he did not have any other involvement in the game.

D, Alex Freeman (82′), 6.5 — The final Orlando City substitution of the game, Freeman came on for Smith, playing right back, which pushed Thorhallsson to the left side. In his short time on the field, he completed all nine of his passes, including a perfect flicked header across the box for his first career MLS assist. On the play, he made a run from the center of the box to beat a D.C. United defender to Lodeiro’s corner kick, sending across to Enrique, who nodded it home. This was Freeman’s longest appearance of his young MLS career, and I thought he looked very comfortable on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Saturday night. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Opinion

Three Orlando City Games to Watch in 2025

Here are three intriguing matches in the 2025 Orlando City season.

Published

14 hours ago

on

December 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Major League Soccer provided a last-minute stocking stuffer for North American soccer fans when it dropped the 2025 season schedule six days before Christmas. It feels like the Orlando City season just wrapped (as is often the case when a team makes a deep run in the playoffs), and yet now we can spend the next few “winter” weeks meticulously breaking down the matchups as training camp is just around the corner. My fellow staff writers at The Mane Land can attest that I have a horrible case of scoreboard-watching from Matchweek 1 of the regular season on, and that obsession starts now with my top three games to watch in 2025.

Friday, July 25 — at Columbus Crew

As the final match of three games in 10 days and the last match of July, the first meeting against perennial the Eastern Conference powerhouse Columbus Crew should serve as a great measuring stick for fans and pundits to assess where the Orlando City season stands heading into the final third of the season. Traditionally speaking, over the last few years, late July into early August is the time frame when Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s teams have caught fire.

If that historical trend holds, then I expect Orlando City to hit Columbus in strong form, once again looking to secure a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. While it is hard to predict what rosters will look like by then, as there have been reports and rumors of both stars and Head Coach Wilfried Nancy’s possible departure circulating. However, it is difficult to imagine Columbus slipping much, as the club has established a winning culture and has a knack for finding and signing outstanding players like Lucas Zelarayan and Cucho Hernandez. A matchup between the Crew and Lions at that point of the season could serve as a marquee event for MLS in 2025.

Saturday, Feb. 22 — vs. Philadelphia Union

There are two things I know to be true when it comes to Orlando City soccer. First, Orlando City has kicked off every MLS regular season in front of its home fans — a unique trend that I was excited to see continue in 2025. The second thing that I know is that Orlando City is unbeaten in season openers (3-0-7). In 2025, Orlando City welcomes the Philadelphia Union to Inter&Co Stadium and the unbeaten record will be on the line once again. The Union will be the seventh different opening day opponent for the Lions in 11 seasons.

What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that this will be the first time in Orlando City history that they will face the Union without now-former head coach Jim Curtin. One of the longest-tenured head coaches in MLS at the time, Curtin parted ways with the Union at the end of the 2024 season. Often I find myself in the “managers don’t make a large difference” camp when it comes to the outcome of matches, but to look back at what Curtin did with Philadelphia, its academy, and modest roster spending can only be viewed as wildly successful. Orlando will try to start its season off on the right foot, while a new Union manager will be looking to start his tenure in Philly with a road victory. Something will have to give, and I am going to put my money on Orlando winning the day.

Saturday, April 12 — vs. New York Red Bulls

While the first opportunity to exact revenge over the club that eliminated the Lions from the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs will happen roughly a month earlier on the road, the true opportunity to stick it to the Red Bulls in front of a home crowd has to be my most anticipated match of 2025. A lot has been said about rivalries in MLS. Some seem manufactured, and some come down to genuine hatred, but I firmly believe that for the time being our squad’s biggest rival is the one that ended Orlando City’s season one game short of the championship match.

It seems a little strange to me that the Lions will wrap up their season series with the Red Bulls just eight games into the year (so much for spacing out some matchups), but Orlando City will look to pounce on the Red Bulls early on and would likely love nothing more than to take all six points from the team that ended its MLS Cup hopes before the calendar even hits Memorial Day.

Those are the top three matches I have circled on my calendar. Let us know in the comments below which matches you’re most excited about and which matches you think will carry the most significance in 2025. As always, vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Ramiro Enrique

The Argentine forward leveled up in his development in his second season with Orlando.

Published

15 hours ago

on

December 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Argentine forward Ramiro Enrique on Jan. 26, 2023, from Club Atletico Banfield. The then-21-year-old attacker was signed as part of the MLS U22 initiative. Enrique had a decent initial year with the Lions, but there was some concern whether his size would prohibit his effectiveness in the league. He put those concerns to bed in his second season, doubling his goal output and seizing the starting spot at the top of Oscar Pareja’s formation while Duncan McGuire was away at the Olympics and never relinquishing it through the rest of the year. The highlight was his six-match scoring streak across all competitions from July 6 to Aug. 4, breaking Daryl Dike’s club record for consecutive games with a goal.

Let’s take a look at Enrique’s second season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Enrique appeared in fewer matches in 2024 than he did in his first season with the club, falling 10 games shy of the 30 appearances he made a year ago, owing to an ankle injury that kept him out of action for a good chunk of time in March, April, and May. He also missed a few games dealing with a personal matter in June. The native of Burzaco, Argentina, made 20 appearances, starting 12 and playing 1,082 minutes. Those were career bests in starts and minutes in his first two seasons in Orlando. He scored eight goals — compared to four last year — in league play, and equaled last season’s output of two assists. He fired 37 shots, putting 17 on target, and improved his passing from 72.9% to 78% with 16 key passes and two successful crosses but no completed long balls. Defensively, he recorded five tackles, three interceptions, 15 clearances, and one block. Enrique committed 14 fouls, suffered 20, and picked up four yellow cards on the year without being sent off.

The Argentine started all five of Orlando’s playoff games, playing 312 minutes and scoring one goal but not recording an assist, and he did not participate in either of Orlando’s penalty shootouts in the first round against Charlotte FC. He attempted 12 shots but put just three on target. Enrique passed at an 82.2% rate with four key passes and a successful cross. On the defensive end, Enrique chipped in four tackles, an interception and three clearances. He committed four fouls, suffered seven, and picked up a pair of postseason yellow cards, but those were not both shown in the same game.

Enrique played in all four of Orlando City’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches, starting once and playing 165 minutes. He contributed one goal and one assist — both in the Cavalry FC series — firing nine shots with five on target. He completed 85.4% of his 48 passes in the competition with one key pass but no successful crosses on two attempts. Defensively, Enrique managed three tackles, one interception, and one clearance. He committed two fouls, suffered five, and was not booked in the tournament.

Starting all three of Orlando City’s Leagues Cup games, Enrique played 232 minutes, scoring two goals and adding an assist. He was subbed off each game, so he did not participate in either of the shootouts against Mexican sides Atletico San Luis or Cruz Azul. He attempted nine shots, putting five on target. Enrique completed 79.6% of his 49 passes with four key passes, without attempting a cross. On the defensive end, Enrique logged four tackles, one interception, and four clearances. He committed three fouls, suffered three, and was not booked.

Best Game

Enrique made a big impact in several games this season, including his performance in Orlando City’s Leagues Cup opener against CF Montreal — a 4-1 home win on July 26. Enrique and the rest of the Lions ran over Montreal, posting three first-half goals in what turned out to be an easy win. Enrique contributed to the offensive explosion with a goal and an assist on a season-high six shot attempts. As impressive as his performance was that night, I’m going with his big night against FC Cincinnati in a 3-1 win on Oct. 5 — the team’s final road match of the regular season. The Argentine striker figured in all three goals, scoring two of them himself, as the Lions set a new club record for goals in a season, surpassing the old mark of 55 by scoring the 56th, 57th, and 58th goals of the year.

The striker got the game off to a great start just 10 minutes in, timing his run perfectly to get onto a gorgeous, curling cross from Kyle Smith and getting his right foot onto it to push it past Roman Celentano and open the scoring. It wasn’t an easy goal on the volley, but Enrique made it look that way.

Luciano Acosta tied the match just before halftime, which could have given the hosts momentum, but the Lions held firm. Enrique helped Orlando seize the momentum back in the 66th minute by setting up the eventual game-winning goal. Smith sent another good cross into the area. Enrique had his back to goal, with a much bigger defender on him. Rather than bring the ball in and try to turn on his defender, Enrique laid off his first touch for Angulo, who didn’t get all of it on his shot, but it somehow squirted through Celentano and in to make it 2-1. Even though Angulo’s placement and power weren’t what he’d likely envisioned, the soccer gods rewarded Enrique, as the layoff was worthy of an assist.

Enrique provided an insurance goal six minutes later, as Angulo returned the favor for the Argentine’s assist. The Colombian turned on the jets to beat Celentano to a soft back pass from Luca Orellano and calmly poked it to Enrique on his right with the goal wide open. The striker knew he had time and space, took a calming touch, and gently tucked the ball home to make it 3-1, completing his brace.

The hosts scrapped to try to get back into the game, ultimately firing 19 shots to Orlando’s six, but City’s defense held firm, and thanks in large part to Enrique’s goal contributions, won the game at TQL Stadium.

Aside from his goal contributions, Enrique fired four shots, putting three of them (75%) on target. He connected on 71% of his passes, including the key pass that turned into Angulo’s goal. He won three of his six aerials, chipped in a recovery on the defensive end, committed a foul, drew a foul, and was not shown a card. It was a strong outing.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Enrique a composite rating of 7 out of 10 for his second season in the City Beautiful. This was a big improvement over the 5.5 we gave the young striker a year ago. In last year’s grade, we cited his inconsistency as an issue. Enrique was much more consistent in his second year, as shown by his six-game goal-scoring streak and ability to hold onto the starting striker spot after McGuire returned from international duty. While some of that inconsistency returned in the postseason — in which he fired eight shots and scored a goal in Orlando’s three wins and failed to attempt a single shot in the two postseason losses — you have to credit two exceptional defensive teams (Charlotte FC and the New York Red Bulls) for some of the latter, while giving Enrique props for being effective against Charlotte twice and scoring the winner against Atlanta in a tightly contested match. Enrique was a bit streaky, which isn’t unusual for a striker, he remained dangerous once he became a starter.

2025 Outlook

Signed through 2025 with two additional option years, the 23-year-old should continue to develop his game with the Lions next season. In fact, due to McGuire’s shoulder surgery this month, Enrique figures to begin the season as the first-choice striker unless the Lions add an important piece in that position group. If he can avoid the injury bug, Enrique showed this year that he is capable of double-digit goals. He had 10 regular-season goal contributions in less than two-thirds of a season in 2024, and he started only a third of Orlando’s MLS games. While his effectiveness is still questionable against certain types of opposing defensive clubs, and his finishing can sometimes let him down on big chances, Enrique’s knack for getting himself into dangerous areas and his quick counter-pressing skills are developing nicely. It will be interesting to see if he can take another step forward as he starts to enter the prime years of his professional career.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Adds Four Players in 2025 MLS SuperDraft

The Lions add a pair of Clemson Tigers, bolstering all three levels of the squad with a midfielder, two defenders, and a forward.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 20, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Major League Soccer held its annual SuperDraft today, and while the decision not to broadcast or stream it made it a bit of an exercise in frustration for many fans, ultimately, we learned the results. Orlando City’s day began by staying put in the No. 27 overall slot in Round 1 and selecting Clemson midfielder Joran Gerbet. The Lions added a second Clemson Tiger with their first selection of the second round (No. 46 overall), selecting center back Titus Sandy, Jr. Orlando finished the second round by taking Indiana forward Collins Oduro at No. 57 overall, and finished out the day by picking Marshall defender Takahiro Fujita in Round 3 (No. 87 overall).

Gerbet, a native of Valence, France, began his highly decorated collegiate career at Oregon State University, playing two seasons before transferring to Clemson for his final two years. He was a 2024 Mac Hermann Trophy semifinalist, ACC Midfielder of the Year, a first-team United Soccer Coaches All-American, and earned United Soccer Coaches First Team All-South Region honors. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection and made the All-ACC Tournament Team as a senior.

Head shot of Joran Gerbet.
Joran Gerbet / Image courtesy of MLS

The 5-foot-11 midfielder helped lead the Tigers to a national championship in 2023 after Clemson won the ACC Tournament, in which Gerbet was named to the All-ACC Tournament Team. He was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2023, a member of the Academic All-ACC Team, and earned United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-South Region honors. While at Oregon State, Gerbet was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection in 2022. He was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2021 as well as a First Team All-Pac-12 Team and Second Team All-Far West Region selection. Top Drawer Soccer placed him on the site’s Freshman Best XI first team.

Gerbet, 23, played in 78 games (76 starts), logging 6,708 minutes over the course of his college career. He scored 12 goals and added 15 assists. Of those, 10 goals and 11 assists came in 42 appearances (40 starts) with the Tigers in his final two years. So, while he played in six more games at Clemson, starting four more and playing 236 more minutes, his offensive numbers still took a big jump.

That could be natural development from a younger player to a more experienced one, but it could also be that the Tigers placed him in a more advantageous role, as he attempted 14 shots and put five on target in two years at Oregon State before firing 54 and putting 18 on target at Clemson.

As a senior, Gerbet scored on all four of his penalty kick attempts — the only four he attempted in his college career.

It appears Gerbet projects as a No. 8 at the professional level, but perhaps with some attacking upside. The Lions parted ways with 2024 draft pick Jeorgio Kocevski after the season, and Gerbet figures to possibly take his roster spot. He may see time with OCB in 2025 if he can earn a contract.

This isn’t the best highlight reel, but it’s the best we saw.

The Lions used the pick they got from Real Salt Lake when they traded Benji Michel’s re-entry right to select Sandy, a 6-foot center back from Charlotte, NC, who played his entire four-year college career with Clemson.

Sandy, 22, played in 48 matches, starting 24, with 17 of those starts coming his senior season. He played 2,520 minutes and did not score a goal with the Tigers, but he did manage four assists — all in his final year. He attempted five shots and put two on target for his entire career.

Along with his teammate, Gerbet, Sandy was part of the Tigers team in 2023 that won the ACC and NCAA tournaments. He earned 2023 Academic All-ACC honors.

As a second-round pick, he’s statistically a longshot to make the first team, but the Lions will give him a long look in camp, and if he shows promise, he could be signed and sent to OCB to see if he can continue to develop his game. Center back is an area of need for Orlando, and if Sandy can show enough, he may be able to land a deal with a strong camp.

Here’s some video on Sandy:

Toward the bottom of the second round, Orlando selected Oduro, a 5-foot-7 Ghanaian forward out of Indiana, the co-Big Ten champions in 2024. The 20-year-old played only two seasons with the Hoosiers before entering the SuperDraft, appearing in 44 games (41 starts) and playing 3,062 minutes. Oduro scored eight goals and added seven assists, firing 92 shots in those two seasons and putting 33 on target. Four of his eight goals were game winners.

He also helped the Hoosiers win the Big Ten regular season in 2023, making him a two-time conference champion, and he and his teammates won the 2023 Big Ten Tournament as well. He was a Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Freshman Team honoree following the 2023 season, a 2023 Big Ten All-Freshman Team member, and a 2024 Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Before arriving at Indiana, Oduro captained The Phelps School as a prep player, where he was named Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 and the PrepSoccer.com Philadelphia Area Player of the Year.

If Sandy is a longshot to make the team, Oduro may be even a longer shot. As a younger player, he’s a good candidate to see if he can develop with the MLS NEXT Pro side.

Finally, the Lions grabbed another defender in Fujita, a 6-foot-2 Japanese-born defender out of 2024 national runner-up, Marshall. Like Oduro, Fujita is a younger player, coming out of college after his sophomore year. He was part of a Thundering Herd defense that kept 11 clean sheets and conceded only 20 goals this season en route to the NCAA final.

Fujita, 20, appeared in 40 matches in his two seasons at Marshall, starting 27 games and playing 2,423 minutes. He scored one goal and added four assists in his two years, attempting 23 shots and putting seven on target.

This is another player the club may try to develop at OCB.

Continue Reading

Trending