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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well that was fun! Despite the latter stages being a bit nervy, Orlando City went on the road and got it done against a Philadelphia Union team that had been close to invincible at home for a very long time. What follows are my five takeaways from a satisfying road victory.

Red Hot Start

Orlando came absolutely flying out of the gates in this one. It took just two minutes for Martin Ojeda to open the scoring after he latched onto a ball over the top from Mauricio Pereyra and kept his cool once he found himself 1-v-1 with Joe Bendik. The fun didn’t stop there as the Lions’ newest Designated Player then turned provider when he played a neat little pass behind the Philadelphia defense that put Ivan Angulo clean through on goal. Like Ojeda, Angulo made no mistake and doubled OCSC’s advantage. A lead meant that Orlando was able to do exactly what Oscar Pareja wanted to do: defend with numbers and break quickly when winning the ball to try to catch the Union out on the counter. It didn’t work to complete perfection, but it did work.

Familiar Faces

The Lions found themselves up against two familiar faces in Joe Bendik and Andres Perea. Perea, in particular, was absolutely immense on the night. Not only did he score the Union’s lone goal, but he seemed involved in everything they did going forward. He ended the night with one chance created and six shots, with all but one coming from well inside the box. For a guy who had his moments but never fully clicked in Orlando, it was nice to see him thriving, even if it had to come against his former team. In Bendik’s case, his night was a bit rougher as he was beaten twice, but he still managed to stonewall Ojeda when the Argentine had a chance to ice the game late.

Ojeda’s Opening Night

Speaking of Ojeda, he was my Man of the Match and I thought this was easily the best game he’s played in an Orlando City shirt. Obviously he had a goal and an assist, but outside of that he passed with 80% accuracy, created two chances, took eight shots, blocked three on the other end and had two tackles. While he probably should have had a hat trick given that he failed to take advantage of two excellent chances in the dying stages of the game, he seemed to be involved in most of the good things that the Lions did on the night, and it was fantastic to see what he’s capable of doing. Hopefully this game is just the start of good things for him.

Look Who’s Back

A wild Antonio Carlos has appeared! Sure, it was only for 10 minutes plus stoppage time, but the Brazilian defender made his long-awaited return from injury and helped put the game away for Orlando City. His return is huge, because the Lions don’t exactly have a ton of center back depth outside of Rodrigo Schlegel and Abdi Salim. Schlegel has held the fort down admirably in Carlos’ absence, but a healthy AC and Robin Jansson are one of the better starting center back pairings in the league. His return hasn’t been able to come soon enough, and the fact that it happened on a night when the Lions nabbed a road victory made it even sweeter.

Stopping the Streak

Not only was this a road victory, but prior to this win, the Union had won 12 straight games at home and Philadelphia was undefeated in its last 24 home league games at Subaru Park. The last time the Union had lost at home was Sept. 3, 2021 to the New England Revolution. Sure, the Union were missing Andre Blake, Julian Carranza, Daniel Gazdag, Damion Lowe, Jose Martinez, Richard Odada, Quinn Sullivan, Brandan Craig, and Jack McGlynn, but Orlando had its fair share of absences as well, with Pedro Gallese and Facundo Torres the two biggest names missing. My point is that a win in this game was far from the first thing many people predicted, but the Lions were able to go on the road, get it done, and bounce back from last week’s performance in the process. Now that one streak has snapped, it would be great if OCSC can go start one of its own.

Those are my big thoughts from Saturday’s match. What were your impressions from a hard-fought win? Be sure to have your say down in the comments.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions host Charlotte with a spot in the conference semifinals on the line for both teams.

Published

7 hours ago

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November 9, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night playoff matchup between Orlando City (1-1) and Charlotte FC (1-1) at Inter&Co Stadium (6 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the third time the teams have met in the postseason, having played two matches already in this best-of-three, first-round series, and the fifth meeting of the year in all competitions.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 3-1-2 in the regular-season series and 4-3-2 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 2-1-0 at home in the regular season and 3-1-0 in its own stadium in all competitions against the North Carolina-based side. These games are usually close, as Orlando City won two straight at home by two goals, with all other meetings ending in either a draw or a one-goal game.

The teams played eight days ago in Charlotte, without either side scoring in normal time. Charlotte won the ensuing penalty shootout 3-1 after the scoreless draw to tie the series at 1-1, because shootout wins are just as important as actual wins in this somewhat baffling format. That followed Orlando City’s 2-0 home win the previous Sunday. Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.

The teams also met a month and a half ago on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Martin Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of last year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

The teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

These teams have predictably played a tight series after being separated by only one point in the standings after the 34-game regular season. The Lions (15-12-7, 52 points) needed their three points this season against Charlotte (14-11-9, 51 points) at home to finish in the home playoff places for the first round.

The Lions finished 7-6-4 at home in the regular season and have gone 9-6-4 against MLS teams in all competitions at Inter&Co Stadium this year (playoffs and Leagues Cup accounting for the two non-regular-season matches).

Charlotte’s Game 1 loss in this series was the team’s first defeat since dropping the Sept. 18 match in Orlando, going 4-0-1, with the only draw coming on the road against Inter Miami, 1-1. Because it appears MLS counts first-round, best-of-three shootout results as wins/losses rather than the typical draw, Charlotte FC is now 5-1-0 in its last six matches in all competitions, with the loss coming in Game 1 in Orlando, which is slightly better than the Lions’ 4-2-0 mark in their last six. Tonight’s visitors went 5-8-4 on the road in the regular season in addition to dropping Game 1 in Orlando.

Although Orlando scored twice in each of the first three meetings with Charlotte this season, tonight’s visitors have the best defensive record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best defense in MLS, allowing just 37 goals in 34 games during the regular season. That strength showed in Game 2, but not in the usual way. Charlotte has typically allowed shots, but goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina has been a difference maker. He didn’t need to be in Game 2, as the Lions lacked any threat whatsoever until a stoppage-time goal by Torres that was nullified by the offside flag on a razor-thin margin.

To advance, the Lions must play like they did in Game 1, which was a dominating performance. If Charlotte dictates the pace and style of play, it could again come down to penalties.

As usual against Charlotte, Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by Kahlina, who posted 119 saves on the season and tied for the league lead in minutes played (3,060). Charlotte also has a strong back line that includes U.S. international Tim Ream. The key to beating Charlotte is to get on the scoreboard, as the visitors’ offense has found the net just 46 times this season — tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference — although it had scored 14 during its unbeaten run prior to Game 1 and had been held under two goals just once since getting shut out in Orlando in September before this series started.

“We have the same intentions, and the same intensity, the same discipline and the same perseverance that we have had moving towards this game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us as the coaches and the players to invite our fans to come to the stadium to help us push. It’s an important moment for all of us and we need the energy”

The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg). Charlotte will be without Jahlane Forbes (hip).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.

Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.

Bench: Javier Otero, Luca Petrasso, Kyle Smith, David Brekalo, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Charlotte FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne.

Midfielders: Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Djibril Diani.

Forwards: Kerwin Vargas, Patrick Agyemang, Pep Biel.

Bench: David Bingham, Jaylin Lindsey, Jere Uronen, Bill Tuiloma, Junior Urso, Iuri Tavares, Jamie Paterson, Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski.

Referees

REF: Ismir Pekmic.
AR1: Nick Uranga.
AR2: Jeffrey Greeson.
4TH: Sergii Boiko.
VAR: Ismail Elfath.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.

How to Watch

Match Time: 6 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do in order to beat Charlotte and advance to the conference semifinals?

Published

1 day ago

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November 8, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Game 2 might not have gone the way Orlando City (or any of us) wanted, but fortunately the Lions have one more chance to try to get past Charlotte FC and into the conference semifinals. Game 3 sees the series return to the City Beautiful, with kickoff set for Saturday at 6 p.m. As we get ready for this one, let’s take a look at what OCSC needs to do in order to beat Charlotte and advance to the next round.

No Slow Start

In Game 1 against Charlotte, the Lions started well and carried that momentum throughout the entirety of the game. That wasn’t the case in the two matches either side of Game 1, as OCSC started slowly against Atlanta United on Decision Day and against Charlotte in Game 2, and the club suffered the consequences on both occasions. That sort of thing can’t happen Saturday. The last time out against this opposition, the Lions started slowly, played sluggishly, and ultimately grew into the game far too late. In front of what should be a fired-up home crowd and with plenty to play for, a strong and confident start will set the tone for the sort of game that OCSC needs to play. Speaking of which…

Possess With a Purpose

Perhaps the biggest issue for Orlando in Game 2 was the fact that even though the good guys had 57% possession, they had shockingly little to show for it. Orlando only took three shots on the night, with the first one not even coming until 65 minutes had been played, and the first shot on target occurred with only seven minutes left in normal time. That sort of offensive “output” is rarely going to cut it, and OCSC almost seemed to go out in that match with the aim of protecting a two-goal aggregate lead that simply didn’t exist. The Lions need to play positively, not pass up opportunities to get forward, and be both creative and purposeful when they have the ball. Simply knocking it around the back line and the midfield and playing for penalties is not a winning strategy, as we’ve all seen.

Toe the Line

In this fantastic (as always) piece from our own Andrew DeSalvo, he made the argument that Wilder Cartagena can’t let the threat of suspension due to yellow card accumulation stop him from playing his game. I wholeheartedly agree, but would also like to insert a plea for the Lions to not take things too far in terms of intensity. Its undoubtedly important to play with grit and focus on winning this game, but the men in purple need to make sure they don’t allow the emotion of the moment to get the best of them. Wilder, Cesar Araujo, Robin Jansson, and Rodrigo Schlegel need to play with the fire that makes them so good, yes, and a yellow card wouldn’t be the end of the world, but OCSC simply has to have all 11 men on the field for the full 90 minutes. In other words, bring the heat, but don’t set your own house on fire.

There you have it, folks. For my money, if the Lions can avoid a slow start, be purposeful when they have the ball, and bring the intensity without taking things too far, I believe they have a great chance to get the win against Charlotte in Game 3. Now, all we can do is wait and watch. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 11/8/24

Barbra Banda’s soccer journey, Celia will retire after 2024 season, NWSL playoffs begin tonight, and much more.

Published

1 day ago

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November 8, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Congratulations on making it to Friday. It’s been a long week, but we’re rewarded with Orlando playoff soccer both today and tomorrow. Before we dive into today’s jam-packed links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B defender Manuel Cocca!

Barbra Banda Shares Her Soccer Journey

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda sat down with The Athletic ($) to talk about her time playing soccer both as a young girl in Zambia and in her first season in the City Beautiful. She also discussed her upbringing, including her mother’s initial disapproval in her playing soccer until she joined Bauleni United Sports Academy in Lusaka. Now one of the best players in the world, Banda has lived up to the lofty expectations set since joining Orlando and has excelled at both the club and international level this year. Banda also spoke about her friendship with teammate Grace Chanda, the differences in her playstyle since joining the Pride from Shanghai Shengli, and what it’s like playing alongside Marta in Orlando.

Celia Announces Her Retirement

Pride right back Celia announced that she will retire following the end of the 2024 season. The 29-year-old joined the Pride before the 2022 season as part of a trade with the club then known as OL Reign, and she’s appeared in 37 matches with the Pride. She was also the Pride’s nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award for her work with SpaceKids Global. Celia will hang up her cleats after a playing career that’s also included stints with European clubs and trips to the World Cup with Spain in 2015 and 2019. We wish her the best of luck in whatever path she takes moving forward!

NWSL Playoffs Kick Off Tonight

This year’s NWSL playoffs will get started in Orlando tonight when the Pride host the Chicago Red Stars. Although the Red Stars will be without forward Ludmila due to suspension, they should still be a tough opponent for the Pride. Temwa Chawinga’s availability looms over Saturday’s clash between the Kansas City Current and the North Carolina Courage, as the Golden Boot winner did not play in the Current’s season finale. Sunday’s slate includes the Washington Spirit hosting Bay FC before NJ/NY Gotham FC squares off against the Portland Thorns.

San Jose Earthquakes Hire Bruce Arena

Bruce Arena is back in MLS, as the San Jose Earthquakes have hired him as the club’s head coach and sporting director. The 73-year-old has a stellar coaching career that’s included success at the collegiate, club, and international levels. He’s the winningest coach in both MLS and United States Men’s National Team history and was named to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2010. He returns to MLS after resigning as the New England Revolution’s head coach in 2023 while on administrative leave amid a league investigation into allegations of insensitive remarks made by him. While he’s had successful rebuilds in the past with the LA Galaxy and the Revolution, Arena has his work cut out for him with a San Jose team that finished last in the league this season and conceded a record 78 goals.

Jim Curtin and Philadelphia Union Part Ways

The MLS coaching carousel is in full swing as Jim Curtin is no longer the head coach of the Philadelphia Union. Curtin has been with the Union since 2014 and was named MLS Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2022. While the Supporters’ Shield in 2020 may be the only silverware Curtin put in the Union’s trophy case, the team reached the U.S. Open Cup final three times, the MLS Cup final once, and the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals twice in his tenure. Philadelphia finished 14th in the Eastern Conference and missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2017. With a rebuild looming, it makes sense for both Curtin and the Union to part ways. It will still be admittedly weird seeing Curtin coaching anywhere but Philadelphia.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City and Pride owners the Wilf family applied to develop parts of the Osceola Heritage Park complex. While the land that encompasses Osceola County Stadium or Silver Spurs Arena isn’t included, the former Johnson University campus is available.
  • United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will be in Orlando this weekend for the Lions’ playoff match against Charlotte.
  • Kylian Mbappe was not called up for France’s UEFA Nations League games this month against Israel and Italy.
  • Let’s wrap things up with a moment of zen courtesy of Orlando right back Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

That’s all I have for you on this fine Friday. I hope you all have a fantastic day and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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