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2020 Orlando City Season in Review: Daryl Dike

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Daryl Dike was the jewel of Orlando City’s 2020 draft class after falling to the Lions with the fifth overall pick back in January. Coming out of the University of Virginia, the young striker was seen by many as the top player in the draft, but he somehow fell to Orlando. 

After the season Dike has had, MIami, Nashville, and Vancouver will all be kicking themselves, as he’s become one of the top young forwards in all of Major League Soccer.

Statistical Breakdown

Dike wasn’t expected to play a major role in his first professional season, but an early injury to Dom Dwyer during the MLS is Back Tournament gave the young striker his opportunity. He made his debut against the Montreal Impact in the MLS is Back round of 16, although it was a brief 15-minute cameo. He played two more times in that tournament, playing 19 and 12 minutes against LAFC and Portland, respectively. 

Once the MLS regular season resumed, Dike truly shined. He made his first two starts against Miami and Nashville when the season restarted and played well enough to earn August’s MLS Player of the Month Award.

In all, he scored eight goals and provided four assists over 17 appearances, including 15 starts. His output is even more impressive when you take into account he only played 1,224 minutes, putting his combined goals and assists per 90 minutes at a very impressive 0.88. He also registered 30 shots, putting 12 of them on frame. 

He completed an impressive 71% of his passes, though his creative passing was good with seven key passes to complement his four assists. On the ball he was productive as well, completing 12 of 19 attempted dribbles. His defensive output was also good for a striker, as he completed six out of 10 tackles while also making 17 clearances, a blocked shot, and an interception. He committed 25 fouls and drew 30 from the opposition, going the entire regular season without a booking.

He made three appearances (no starts) in the MLS is Back knockout stages, playing a total of 46 minutes without a goal or assist, attempting two shots but getting neither on target. He passed at a 62.5% rate and created one scoring chance, and contributed two tackles. He committed four fouls without drawing any in his earliest professional minutes, and picked up a yellow card against Montreal.

In the postseason, he largely disappeared. He started both matches, playing 173 minutes, but did not contribute directly to any goals, though he did complete three dribbles. He had a shot on target in three total attempts, as well as a key pass and won four aerials — all four against New England. Dike committed four fouls while drawing five, and earned one yellow card.

Best Game

Dike’s best performance of the season came in a late season clash with northern rivals Atlanta United. He was a dominant presence all game, giving former Best XI center back Miles Robinson fits for his entire 79-minute shift. He finished with a goal and assist on the night, while also winning two out of three attempted dribbles and completing 12 of his 13 passes. 

Our Marcus Mitchell had this to say of the rookie’s game:

The rookie got his sixth consecutive start and sixth goal of the season, turning and scoring in front of goal to give Orlando the lead in the 29th minute. Dike’s confidence after scoring showed as he continued to muscle past defenders and give Atlanta nightmares. He was frankly unstoppable when running at goal and that helped him find Tesho Akindele in front of goal to log his fourth assist of the season.

On Orlando City’s 29th-minute goal to open the scoring, Ruan cut in from the right and passed to Dike in the middle. The rookie turned away from pressure and fired home his sixth goal of the season.

Dike won the ball back with good high pressure and then found Akindele in front for the Lions’ third goal on the night, picking up his assist.

His impact transcended the scoresheet as his intelligent play and physical prowess had the Five Stripes out of sorts all night, helping propel to Orlando to a signature 4-1 victory at Exploria Stadium.

2020 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Daryl Dike a 7 for his breakout first season in professional soccer. He was streaky at times and played under 1,500 minutes, but he still exceeded any and all expectations and is one of the top young players in the entirety of MLS, finishing third in Young Player of The Year voting — though he was screwed out of Rookie of the Year — and received his first call-up to the United States Men’s National Team in December, though he couldn’t play due to an injury in training.

2021 Outlook

Dike is under contract for next season and will almost certainly be Orlando’s starting center forward heading into 2021. There are rumors floating around that Belgian giants Club Brugge are interested, Orlando is not expected to sell the big striker unless a major bid were to come in. He’ll likely miss time for the Lions regardless as he looks to play a major role in a potential U.S. U-23 side in the Olympics or potentially the senior national team in a very crowded 2021 schedule for the USMNT. 

If he continues to play the way he did in 2020, the 2021 season could be when Dike makes a name for himself not just in MLS, but on the global stage as well.


Previous Seasons in Review (Date Posted)

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/29/24

Lions brace for the Red Bulls, Pride take on Chicago, OCB will play Inter Miami II in Bradenton, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! Today marks one year since we here at The Mane Land published our first story here at our new independent home. It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s already been a year. Thank you all for sticking with us or checking us out since our move. That kind of support goes farther than you might think. I joined the team back in October of 2016 as an editor and it’s only just now hitting me that I’ve been here for nearly a quarter of my entire life. Here’s hoping for another great year of independence and Orlando soccer!

Orlando City Set to Host New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s match at home Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls was noted as one of the top matches in the league this weekend. The Lions earned their first win of the MLS season last weekend and will look to build on that momentum heading into tomorrow. The Lions will also get a boost from players returning from international duty, with Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, David Brekalo, and Peruvian duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena back. They’ll have their hands full against a New York team that’s coming off of a 4-0 win over Inter Miami. Lewis Morgan had a hat trick in that match and Orlando’s defense will have to find a way to keep him and the rest of the Red Bulls from running rampant.

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s third match of the NWSL season kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. when they host the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride enter this match following a gritty 1-1 draw against Angel City FC, with Brazilians Angelina and Marta linking up on a corner kick for a late equalizer. One thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s match will be how the Pride’s shorthanded defense can limit Chicago’s attack. The Pride have targeted versatile players while rebuilding, and that proved to be worth it last week as multiple players stepped up to fortify the back line. The last time these two sides squared off in Orlando was in August of last year, with the Pride coming up with a big 5-0 win. Hopefully we get to see a similar result tonight.

OCB Match Will Be Part of Generation Adidas Cup

Tuesday’s MLS NEXT Pro match between Orlando City B and Inter Miami II will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton and will be part of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup. The participating teams of the tournament were invited to attend the match, along with their families, and fans can watch the match for free on the league website. The match will be broadcast in English, but a new AI dubbing platform will be used to instantly translate it into Spanish, French, and Portuguese. It will supposedly maintain voice and tone, so I’m morbidly curious to hear just how artificial it will sound.

Generations Adidas Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Speaking of the Generation Adidas Cup, the youth tournament kicks off tomorrow. All MLS academy teams will compete alongside some of the top youth teams from around the world in both the U-15 and U-17 age groups. Orlando City’s U-15 side was noted as one to watch after a strong run of form this year. Caleb Trombino has been solid defensively and Jakob Garcia has the attacking talent to light it up in this tournament. The team can make a statement when it takes on Arsenal’s U-15 squad at 10 a.m. this Sunday. That match, along with 27 others, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions received some special visitors for their training.
  • Somehow, the Seattle Reign’s Ji So-Yun beat Marta to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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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.

Free Kicks

  • 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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