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2022 Orlando City Season in Review: Robin Jansson

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Robin Jansson has been a fan favorite and staple of the Orlando City defense since he arrived from AIK in the Allsvenskan, the top division of Swedish football. The Lions originally signed the Trollhättan, Sweden native prior to the 2019 season. He helped turn around a dismal defense, and in 2021 he signed a new contract through the 2022 season with option years for 2023 and 2024.

The Viking — or The Beefy Swede as he is affectionately known at The Mane Land — had some injury challenges in 2022, but was still a key contributor to Orlando City’s success. Let’s look back at his fourth year with the Lions.

Statistical Analysis

In the U.S. Open Cup, Jansson appeared in five of the six matches (four starts), logging 460 out of the 600 total available minutes (two of the games included 30 minutes of extra time). Sadly, Jansson was injured for the final against the Sacramento Republic. He attempted four shots, with one on target, and no goals or assists. However, he scored in penalties against both Miami and Nashville to help the Lions advance in both shootouts. Jansson completed 86.2% of his 289 pass attempts with 17 accurate long balls and no key passes. He finished with eight interceptions, committing three fouls, suffering four, and earning two yellow cards.

During the regular season, Jansson appeared in 22 of Orlando City’s 34 games (22 starts), logging 1,971 minutes. Injuries limited the amount of matches and minutes for the Beefy Swede to the detriment of Orlando City’s defense. However, he did score a goal, attempting 15 shots (a career high) and getting four on frame (tying a career high), which is not bad for a central defender. Jansson also provided one assist on the season. He passed with 86.5% accuracy, had two key passes and 100 accurate long balls (62.1% success rate), and was accurate on his lone cross. Defensively, he won 18 of 24 tackles (75% rate) and contributed 24 interceptions, 67 clearances, and 17 blocks. Jansson won 67 of 109 duels (61.5% rate), and 20 of 41 aerial duels (48.8% rate). He committed 13 fouls and suffered 10, receiving eight yellow cards (thus, getting suspended twice for accumulation) and getting sent off once.

Jansson missed Orlando City’s playoff match with an injury, which was less than ideal for both the player and the club.

Best Game

The Beefy Swede is usually as steady as a rock when playing in defense, though a rock that yells at referees. For me there was a clear-cut choice for Jansson’s best match, the 1-1 draw at New England on June 15 at Gillette Stadium.

The Lions fell behind in the 22nd minute on a Carles Gil stunner from outside the box. But when Orlando City won a corner kick in the 34th minute, it was time for Jansson to even things up for the Lions. Mauricio Pereyra put the ball into play, and João Moutinho tried to get his head on it. Moutinho felt there was a handball on a Revolution player, but while everyone was looking to the referee, Jansson took the ball and went towards goal. This was no big guy header off the corner, nor a lucky one-time touch for the goal. This goal had everything from a deft touch to get past a defender to a clinical finish through the keeper’s legs and into the back of the net.

Of course, the goal was just the highlight of his performance. He had an 81% passing rate with three long balls, a completed dribble, and three shot attempts. Defensively, he made six clearances, won three aerial duels and added a tackle. The performance won Jansson a clean sweep of Man of the Match picks from both Michael and I on The Mane Land PawedCast, and in our player grades piece for that match.

2022 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Jansson a composite score of 7 out of 10 for the 2022 season. That is down a bit from his 2021 score of 7.5 which is unsurprising given he played fewer minutes due to injuries. Still, you can tell that he is a key part of Orlando City’s defense and, frankly, the offense. He is the most accurate long ball passer on the defense and can ignite transition opportunities due to his vision and precision, which the Lions sorely missed down the stretch. There were also the long runs he’d make through the opposition as if they couldn’t believe the Beefy Swede was attempting an attacking run from his own back line. His tendency to pick up unnecessary yellow cards, and miss games because of it, affected his final score.

2023 Outlook

Jansson was signed through 2022 with option years for 2023 and 2024. It was a bit of an odd year in 2022 with both Antonio Carlos and Jansson being out with injuries. Most of the time it wasn’t at the same time, so Rodrigo Schlegel was able to fill in, but the club is better when Carlos and Jansson are on the pitch together. I fully expect that Orlando City will pick up Jansson’s option for the 2023 season in hopes of keeping that consistent center back pairing together. Jansson will be 31 when the 2023 season begins, and there’s no reason to assume he can’t do the job physically. Now, if we can just get him to yell at the referees in Swedish rather than English, it will all come together.


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: 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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