Hello, Mane Landers. I hope you all have been doing well and enjoying time with family and friends for the holidays as we close out 2024 tomorrow. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour all week. I’ll also be back at Wrigley Field to work the NHL Winter Classic tomorrow, and two Big Ten college hockey games later this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Unveils Top Goals of 2024

Orlando City shared some of the club’s top goals of 2024 and invited fans to vote on which one was the best of the year.

The club has been slowly unveiling its top 10 goals of the season on its Instagram page. Here’s what the organization has chosen as the best so far:

10. Martin Ojeda’s goal against D.C. United on July 6.
9. Duncan McGuire’s chip goal against Charlotte FC on Sept. 18.
8. Ramiro Enrique’s volley against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 5.
7. Facundo Torres’ strike against the Chicago Fire on June 22.
6. Ramiro Enrique’s goal against Cavalry FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
5. Luis Muriel’s first goal as a Lion against the Philadelphia Union on May 11.

Orlando City’s top four goals of the year are still to come, but what was your favorite Orlando City goal from the 2024 season? Let me know in the comments section below.

MLS Transfer Roundup

We have some big moves in Major League Soccer to catch you up on from the weekend. FC Dallas has acquired defender Shaq Moore from Nashville SC in exchange for $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and incentive-based GAM of up to $100,000. Moore has agreed to a two-year deal through 2026 with a club option for 2027. San Diego FC signed goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega to a one-year contract for the 2025 season with club options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Sisniega previously played for USL Championship side San Antonio FC. Lastly, Inter Miami has reportedly signed former Vancouver Whitecaps winger Fafa Picault.

English Premier League Recap

The Premier League fixtures continue through the holidays, and there were plenty of matches on Sunday. Manchester City defeated Leicester City 2-0 to snap its run of five consecutive matches without a win. Crystal Palace defeated Southampton 2-1, while Nottingham Forest won 2-0 against Everton and moved to second in the league table. Fulham and Bournemouth battled to a 2-2 draw, while Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton’s match also ended 2-2. Liverpool cruised past West Ham United 5-0 as well. We have three more Premier League matches later today, with Aston Villa hosting Brighton, Ipswich Town facing Chelsea, and Manchester United taking on Newcastle United.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

Several Americans were in action in Europe over the weekend. Brenden Aaronson scored the lone goal for Leeds United to defeat Derby County 1-0 to extend its unbeaten run to six matches and remain atop the EFL Championship table. Auston Trusty was on the bench for Celtic, but Cameron Carter-Vickers played a full 90 minutes against St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership. Celtic won 4-0 to extend its unbeaten run to 19 matches across all competitions. Weston McKennie played 62 minutes for Juventus before he was subbed off in the second half. Fiorentina grabbed a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw against Juventus as both sides have 32 points in Serie A and remain in fifth and sixth in the league table, respectively. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia, but his side lost 1-0 to Napoli on Sunday.

Free Kicks

• NJ/NY Gotham FC will reportedly sign midfielder Gabi Portilho from Corinthians. Portilho won a silver medal with Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and was a Ballon d’Or finalist.
• AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic had an injury setback and did not play in Sunday’s match against AS Roma due to an ankle injury.
• Dani Olmo is at risk of not playing for Barcelona in the second half of the La Liga season after a court rejected the club’s lawsuit to extend his temporary registration, which expires at the end of this month.
• Dunfermline Athletic forward Dapo Mebude gave insight into resurrecting his career in an interview with BBC Sport. He had survived a car crash earlier this year while playing for Oostende in Belgium.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

Since Atlanta United rode Arthur Blank’s considerable checkbook into Major League Soccer, the club up north and MLS have been trying to create a rivalry between the Lions and the Five Stripes that would likely have developed anyway without any artificiality. Late drama in some of the earliest meetings and the overall unlikeability of Josef Martinez would likely have taken care of it without any billboards or hyperbole from the league.

But the rivalry did grow, even though it has largely been a one-sided one over the years. Since 2017, Atlanta had gotten the better of Orlando City, racking up eight wins against just four for the Lions entering the 2024 season, with the teams also playing to seven draws over the years. That didn’t improve for Orlando this year, as the Lions lost both regular-season meetings against Atlanta United, including a Decision Day game that saw the Five Stripes pounce early, building a 2-0 lead inside the first 16 minutes. Orlando outplayed Atlanta the rest of the way, but could only pull one of the two goals back, ending the regular season on a sour note and somehow allowing their rivals an improbable path into the postseason.

Yet, in a strange way, Orlando letting Atlanta get into the postseason changed the trajectory of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs. In the first round, the Five Stripes shocked Supporters’ Shield-winning Inter Miami, Orlando’s bigger current bogeyman team and the bane of all people sick of hearing about Lionel Messi and tired of seeing ugly pink uniforms plastered to everything related to MLS.

It wasn’t only Miami that succumbed to the upset bug in the best-of-three first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Top-three seeds Columbus and Cincinnati also crumbled, while fourth-seeded Orlando needed a Game 3 stoppage-time penalty and shootout win to advance, which handed the Lions an improbable home-field advantage for the rest of the conference’s postseason. That’s how Orlando ended up drawing nemesis Atlanta as an opponent in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Atlanta had to feel confident after knocking mighty Miami and its ex-Barcelona brigade out of the playoffs. The fact that United swept the season series from Orlando City also likely had the visitors feeling good entering the Eastern Conference semifinal match at Inter&Co Stadium Nov. 24.

On the plus side for Orlando, the Lions no doubt still felt a bit of anger over the Decision Day loss, which could serve as some extra motivation for Oscar Pareja’s team. In addition, this was the first time Orlando City would have its starting central midfield duo against Atlanta in 2024. Wilder Cartagena had missed both regular-season meetings with United due to suspension, while double-pivot partner Cesar Araujo missed the match in Atlanta with an ankle injury. Both booking-prone midfielders managed to get through Charlotte in three matches without earning a suspension. Atlanta had to face a first-choice Pareja lineup for the first time in the year’s three matches.

The winner of the match was going to the Eastern Conference final — in Orlando’s case, it would host the match if it could get past Atlanta. As an added bonus, the victor would also end its rival’s season. The stakes had never been higher throughout the series.

Both teams entered with momentum. Atlanta was no doubt still riding the high of knocking Messi and Miami out of the playoffs. Orlando could hardly have turned its fortunes around any later against Charlotte in stoppage time and then dominated the ensuing penalty shootout against perhaps the league’s best shootout goalkeeper.

In front of a sellout crowd of 25,046, the game on Nov. 24 quickly revealed itself. From the opening kickoff, it seemed Orlando City wanted to have the ball and look for an opening in Atlanta’s defense, while the visitors, coached by former USL Lion Rob Valentino, appeared content to wait for the Lions to make a mistake that they could turn into a transition goal.

Orlando tried to jump on Atlanta early, but the usual nerves of such a big game were showing. Facundo Torres sent a free header from Martin Ojeda’s gorgeous cross over the bar in the opening minutes. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson hit the post on a play that was eventually flagged offside anyway moments later. Ramiro Enrique sent a header straight at goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the 10th minute. It was the same lack of sharpness in front of goal that plagued the team early in the year, but at least the Lions were creating chances against a team that hardly seemed to consider posing a scoring threat at all.

Ojeda just missed the corner of the goal on a 23rd-minute volley attempt. Then Araujo missed the target with a header off a good Rafael Santos cross.

The way the match was unfolding, the longer it stayed scoreless, the more it built the pressure on Orlando and helped Atlanta, and it seemed as if we’d reach halftime without a goal. Then things changed suddenly on a set piece.

Ojeda sent in a good ball on a corner kick from the left side. The service bounced off of Atlanta defender Stian Gregersen and fell in the six-yard box, landing right in front of Enrique, who was the fastest to react to the loose ball, slotting it past Guzan to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute.

Things got worse for Atlanta late in the half, when forward Jamal Thiare was forced out of the game with a knock. The Lions went to the lockerroom with a slim 1-0 lead that did not reflect their domination of the action in the first half. Orlando City led in possession (63.8%-36.2%), shots (7-3), shots on target (3-0), and passing accuracy (89.4%-74.9%) in the opening period. 

Atlanta had to come after the game in the second half, and the Five Stripes tweaked some things to get more of the ball. A decent spell of possession early in the second half saw the visitors generate a few shots, but nothing was too menacing due to the play of Orlando’s back line and midfield. The closest the team came to leveling the match was Aleksey Miranchuk’s shot into the outside netting from the left side in the 51st minute. Over the next 10 minutes, the visitors sent a couple of half chances wide of the frame.

Orlando had the better chances in the second half, but neither team managed to get a shot on frame. Pedro Gallese didn’t have to make a save all game for the Lions, but he did make a smart and athletic play to get to a potentially lethal Saba Lobjanidze cross, preventing it getting through to the back post. A flicked shot from Duncan McGuire that went wide was the closest the Lions came to doubling the lead.

Eventually, time ran out and the match was over. Orlando finished with the advantage in possession (50.6%-49.4%), shots (14-8), shots on target (4-0), corners (5-4), and passing accuracy (85.8%-83.6%). Most importantly, however, the Lions had advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time, and they’d done it at the expense of their rivals from the north.

“On that corner and that type of play, I always intend to be ready for that second ball, for that second play,” Enrique said after the game. “When it was hit there, thankfully I anticipated it really well and just got into that space and beat everybody to the ball and was able to convert. Happy for this team and for this club, and to be able to move on in this moment, and to have a part in that by scoring the goal, I think being able to get to the conference final, we’re just really happy.”

It was Orlando City’s first meaningful win in the rivalry, and drawing some postseason blood should only add fuel to it in the future.

The Lions didn’t ultimately reach the MLS Cup final after defeating Atlanta, switching off just once in a tightly contested match against the New York Red Bulls. That was one of the few missteps Orlando City had in the game, but it was one too many in an otherwise strong defensive Eastern Conference final. The Red Bulls went on to lose to the LA Galaxy in the title game.

But Orlando fighting its way deeper into the MLS postseason than ever before, and doing so at the expense of a troublesome Southeast rival, is worth including on our list of the club’s top moments of 2024.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Previous Top Moments of 2024

10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.

9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.

7. Marta’s magical goal pushes the Orlando Pride past Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship.

6. Orlando City wins nervy three-game MLS Cup playoff series to advance past Charlotte FC.

5. Orlando Pride pick up the club’s first-ever playoff win in their first-ever time hosting a postseason match.

4. Orlando Pride rewrite club and NWSL record books throughout 2024 season and playoffs.

Orlando City signed Robin Jansson all the way back in early March of 2019. Although we knew he should be a solid option when he arrived, few could have predicted just how astute of a signing he would turn out to be. The Swede promptly nailed down a starting spot that he’s refused to relinquish when healthy, and the club’s captain is also one of its longest-tenured players alongside Kyle Smith and Mason Stajduhar. The team recognized his efforts with a new contract before the 2024 season which will keep him here through the end of the 2025 season and also has an option for 2026.

Let’s take a look at the Beefy Swede’s 2024 season.

Statistical Breakdown

Jansson played in 30 regular-season games, starting all 30 and totaling 2,662 minutes. His totals for appearances, starts, and minutes played were all the second-most in his Orlando City career, behind only the 2023 season. He scored one goal and provided one assist, with the assist matching his career high of one. He completed four dribbles, took seven shots and put two of them on target. Jansson also attempted a career-high 1,691 passes and completed a career-high1,476 of them for a passing accuracy of 87.3%. His four key passes tied the second-best mark of his career, and while he did not complete a cross, he did connect on 73 long balls. Defensively, he recorded 20 tackles, 31 interceptions, 91 clearances, 23 blocks, and 20 aerial duels won. He committed 13 fouls, drew 37 fouls — a number that was easily a career high — and was booked eight times (all yellow cards).

In the playoffs, Jansson started all five of Orlando City’s matches and played each of the 450 minutes available. He did not have a goal contribution, putting one of his two shots on target. He passed at a higher rate than the regular season, connecting on 89.9% of the passes that he played. He provided one key pass, which was a career playoff high, and also connected on nine long balls. Defensively, he had three tackles, seven interceptions, 12 clearances, and four blocks. He committed two fouls, drew five on the opposition, and picked up two more yellow cards.

Jansson played in three of the team’s Concacaf Champions Cup matches and played the full 270 minutes available. He did not have a goal contribution but put one of his two shots on target. He completed 84.5% of his passes and completed a key pass. On defense he logged six interceptions and 12 clearances. He committed three fouls without being booked and drew four on his opponents.

The defender also started three matches in Leagues Cup, totaling 225 minutes on the field. He did not have any goal contributions but took one shot and put it on target. He passed with 91% accuracy and completed one cross and eight long balls. On defense he chipped in two tackles, five interceptions, six clearances, and a block. Jansson also committed two fouls, picked up one yellow card, and drew two fouls from the opposition.

Best Game

As is typical for him, Jansson had good defensive outings on multiple different occasions. For the captain’s best game of 2024, I went with the one in which he scored his lone goal of the season — the 5-0 home shellacking of D.C. United on July 6. Jansson started, played 77 minutes, and scored a goal on his lone shot of the game to help the Lions beat the brakes off visiting D.C. His 97% passing accuracy was outstanding for a guy who played the full 90, and he even completed a season-high two dribbles. On the defensive side of the pitch, he recorded one tackle, one interception, one block, one aerial duel won, and three clearances. He also drew one foul while not committing any of his own.

Jansson’s goal came in the 23rd minute with Orlando already leading courtesy of a great first-time Martin Ojeda strike just a few minutes earlier. After a corner kick, the ball found its way to Wilder Cartagena out wide. The Peruvian then completed one of the most unlikely connections of the year, as he whipped in a great ball, which Jansson headed past Tyler Miller with authority to double the Lions’ advantage.

Fittingly enough, our own Andrew DeSalvo named Jansson the Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, while awarding him a grade of 9 out of 10 for a performance that came very close to being perfect. Perhaps the only knocks against him are that he didn’t score a second goal when given a good opportunity to do so, and the fact that he didn’t go the full 90 minutes, as he was withdrawn when OCSC held a comfortable 4-0 lead.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded Jansson a composite grade of 7.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. That’s a half point lower than the 8 that he received during 2023, which was the highest he’s been graded during his time with Orlando City. He was given a 6.5 during his maiden voyage in 2019 and then alternated between 7 and 7.5, with a 7 in 2020, a 7.5 in 2021, and another 7 in 2022. While he graded a little lower than last year, it was by no means a bad season, and some of that decrease can be attributed to Orlando’s defense as a whole having a less effective year than in 2023 — giving up 50 goals as opposed to 39.

2025 Outlook

As mentioned earlier, Jansson is under contract through the end of the 2025 season and has an option for 2026. Add in the fact that he’s the club captain and all-time leader in appearances, and it would take something truly unexpected for him to not be back in purple next season.

He also remains a lock to be one of the team’s two starting center backs, and based on his performances in 2024, there isn’t any reason to believe that will change in 2023. David Brekalo will have a chance to prove himself with the benefit of a full off-season and preseason under his belt, but if anyone is going to lose their place to the Slovenian international, then the smart money is probably on Rodrigo Schlegel.

On defense, there aren’t any areas of Jansson’s game that are crying out for immediate attention, and he continues to be a guy who does most everything well, and some things at a very high level. At 33, his speed will be something to keep an eye on, but at the moment, he remains capable of tracking back and making timely interceptions and clearances. At 6-foot-2, it would be nice for him to offer more of a goal threat from set pieces, but that isn’t likely to change at this stage of his career.

At the end of the day, he remains a great player for this team, and his will be one of the first names on the team sheet until his abilities start to fade.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Alex Freeman (12/5/24)
• Michael Halliday (12/6/24)
• Yutaro Tsukada (12/7/24)
• Mason Stajduhar (12/8/24)
• Javier Otero (12/9/24)
• Jack Lynn (12/11/24)
• Shakur Mohammed (12/12/24)
• Luis Muriel (12/13/24)
• David Brekalo (12/14/24)
• Facundo Torres (12/14/24)
• Rodrigo Schlegel (12/15/24)
• Rafael Santos (12/16/24)
• Kyle Smith (12/17/24)
• Martín Ojeda (12/18/24)
• Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (12/19/24)
• Nico Lodeiro (12/20/24)
• Ramiro Enrique (12/21/24)
• Wilder Cartagena (12/22/24)
• Ivan Angulo (12/23/24)
• Duncan McGuire (12/26/24)