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Orlando City

Player Grades: Orlando City vs. D.C. United

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It was a valiant effort from Orlando City, but in the end they weren’t able to hold off the second half comeback from D.C. United. Goals from Kofi Opare and Chris Rolfe were enough to top Cyle Larin’s first half blast and give the Black and Red three points at home.

The Lions played well enough in the first half, scoring early and then effectively stifling D.C. through the halftime whistle. Aurelien Collin and Rafael Ramos looked excellent on the back line, and Larin continued to show improvement up top.

Just as United was beginning to build momentum in the second half though, Collin had to be removed from the game with an apparent hamstring injury. Seb Hines‘ apparent lack of fitness meant that fullback Tyler Turner had to be thrust into emergency duty at CB, which seemed destined for failure from the outset.

When Opare managed to beat his marker and score off a set piece for D.C. in the 70th minute, the writing was on the wall for Orlando. It was only a matter of minutes until Rolfe was able to elude Turner and touch home a cross from Jairo Arrieta, who Orlando City selected and, then quickly dealt, in this off-season’s expansion draft.

Noticably absent from much of the night’s proceeding was Kaká, who had perhaps his least effective game of the season for Orlando City. Here are the player grades for the evening:

Player Grades

G, Donovan Ricketts, 6.5 — Doesn’t deserve blame for either goal, and did well enough when he was called upon. Made a huge save in the 69th minute on DeLeon to keep City in the lead a few moments longer.

D, Luke Boden, 6 — Was again passable, if not impressive, in his new starting role at left back. His corners and crossing are an improvement, but he was beaten badly defensively on a few occasions, including by Michael Farfan in the 62nd.

D, Sean St. Ledger, 5.5 — As they always say with center backs, a quiet night is generally a good one. Not involved on either DC goal, though he failed to really have much impact offensively either.

D, Aurelien Collin, 7.5 — The Frenchman was having a Team of the Week-caliber performance for Orlando, and then it all went wrong. After tracking back and clearing the ball on defense in the 65th minute, he fell to the pitch clutching his hamstring. With only rookie fullback Tyler Turner available to replace him, his unfortunate injury may have doomed Orlando City.

D, Rafael Ramos, 7 — Looked like the Lions’ most dangerous attacking threat for much of this match. Overall, another good performance, but he loses a point or so for losing track of Opare on D.C.’s first goal.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 6.5 — It seemed to me that the El Salvadoran National Team captain relished his leadership responsibilities in midfield without Okugo in the lineup. It may have been his best match so far in MLS, and it was his blocked shot that led to Larin’s goal.

MF, Harrison Heath, 5.5– Didn’t really do a whole lot, but didn’t make any major mistakes for the Lions either, which is all you could really ask from the 19-year-old. He was active enough, and showed he was clearly ready for the intensity by getting in 34-year-old Davy Arnaud’s face early on. Did earn a dangerous free kick in the 54th.

MF, Brek Shea, 5 — Doesn’t seem to have developed any chemistry with Kaká playing in his new midfield role. Active, but really never seemed particularly dangerous.

MF, Kaká, 4 — Easily the Brazilian’s worst game for the Lions. He was a total non-factor on offense, and actually hurt the team with a number of turnovers and bad passes. His giveaway in the 79th led directly to Rolfe’s goal.

MF, Eric Avila, 5 — More “blah” from Avila. An excellent piece to have on your roster as versatile depth, but is he really cut out to be an every-match starter for Orlando City?

F, Cyle Larin, 7 — Excellent work from the Canadian from the opening whistle in this one. Continues to show a great motor, and his goal was more impressive than he may get credit for. Showed some improvement in his holdup play, and flashed a bit more of the dribbling and speed that made him a star at UConn.

Substitutes

D, Tyler Turner, 4 — Replacing Aurelien Collin at center back was always going to be an impossible ask for Turner. He entered just as D.C. was gaining momentum, and crafty veteran Chris Rolfe easily lost him on United’s second goal.

MF, Bryan Rochez, 5 — Another fairly short substitute appearance for Rochez. He put in the effort, but failed to really have any impact on the game in 13 minutes.

MF, Carlos Rivas, 4.5 — Entered at 81′ and also failed to impact the match. Blasted one ill-advised shot well over the bar, and failed to react quickly enough inside the six yard box on what could have been a late equalizer.

* * *

Orlando City looked good at times, but the injury to Collin was too much to overcome on the road against a strong D.C. side. Thoughts on our player grades? Let us know in the comment section.

The Lions are on short rest this week, playing their third match in eight days against the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday, May 17, at 5 p.m. in Orlando.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Rafael Ramos 10
Darwin Ceren 32
Aurelien Collin 61
Sean St. Ledger 1
Cyle Larin 46
Other 4

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

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  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

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

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