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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Rodrigo Schlegel

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Rodrigo Schlegel completed his third season with Orlando City as the team’s third center back, but he was called into action as a starter a lot more often in 2022 than in previous years due to injuries to both Robin Jansson and Antonio Carlos. The club signed Schlegel on Dec. 23, 2019 on a loan deal from Racing Club in Argentina. The Lions made that loan permanent in December of 2020 and, earlier this year, Orlando City signed Schlegel to a new two-year contract through 2023 with club options in 2024 and 2025.

Let’s take a look at Schlegel’s 2022 MLS season.

Statistical Breakdown

In the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Schlegel made appearances in all six matches (four starts), playing 515 minutes. He scored one goal against Nashville SC in the quarterfinals, which was a vital one deep in stoppage time, since it sent the match into extra time, where Orlando held the visitors and eventually won the penalty shootout.

Schlegel attempted just two shots in the competition and got one on target — the timely goal against Nashville. He completed 89.8% of his passes in the competition with no assists or key passes. Defensively, he contributed 10 interceptions. He committed 10 fouls, while drawing seven on his opponents, and received two yellow cards in the tournament.

In the MLS regular season, Schlegel made 29 appearances (23 starts) — both career highs — filling in often for Jansson and Carlos during numerous absences for injuries and suspensions. Schlegel logged a career-high 2,164 minutes. He scored one goal — his first career league strike — on 10 shot attempts (one on target). His 10 shot attempts also marked a career high. The Argentine defender completed 87.4% of his passes and contributed six key passes but did not log an assist on the season. Defensively, he finished with 50 tackles, 36 interceptions, 104 clearances, and 22 blocks. Schlegel committed 38 fouls and suffered 22. He had seven yellow cards and one red card this season. The red was shown after two consecutive cautions in quick succession for handball violations at Austin.

In the 2022 MLS playoffs, Schlegel started Orlando’s lone match and played 90 minutes against CF Montreal. He didn’t score or assist on a goal in the shutout loss and attempted no shots. He completed 84.4% of his passes but did not register a key pass. Defensively, he contributed two interceptions and two clearances. He also committed two fouls while drawing two and was not booked.

Best Game

Schlegel’s best game came on April 16 on the road against the Columbus Crew in a 2-0 victory. He started this match in place of Carlos, who was out with a hamstring issue, alongside Jansson, and he played the full 90 minutes. While it wasn’t his best outing as a passer — 75% accuracy on just 20 total attempts — Schlegel made a major impact on the match. Against the run of play, Schlegel found a loose ball in the box that came off of Junior Urso on the recycle of a set piece and scored his first goal as a Lion in the 37th minute.

Schlegel celebrated his first goal in MLS with a nice tribute to his late father on the t-shirt under his kit.

Defensively, Schlegel helped the Lions secure a road shutout by winning three of his five duels and contributing three tackles, and team highs that night in interceptions (4), clearances (5), and blocked shots (2). The defender committed one foul without drawing one in the game and he was booked.

Schlegel’s goal helped change the momentum of the match for the Lions but it was a strong all-around performance.

2022 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Schlegel a final grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2022 MLS season. This is the same grade that Schlegel received for the 2021 season and higher than the 6 out of 10 that he earned in 2020. He set multiple career highs in 2022 but some of that can be attributed to having played a lot more minutes. Despite proving he can be a quality, starting-caliber center back in MLS, Schlegel’s tendency to gamble proved costly a few times down the season’s final stretch and the Lions dropped some valuable points as a result, otherwise he could have scored even higher. However, the 25-year-old is just entering his prime years and has proven his versatility and quality on the pitch.

2023 Outlook

Schlegel is under contract for next season and proved to be a player who can step into the rotation at center back and fill in as a starter without a huge drop on either the left or right side of central defense. I would expect the young defender to continue his role backing up Jansson and Carlos, who are both still under contract for 2023, and continuing to improve. It's always good to have strong depth on the bench with role players who can fill in when your star defenders miss time due to injuries, and Schlegel is one of those guys you can count on.


Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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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