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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Can’t Find a Goal

Brian White’s first-half goal holds up as Orlando can’t beat Luis Robles or the woodwork.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City had about the sharpness you’d expect from a team playing its eighth game in 26 days. The Lions (7-10-5, 26 points) hit every part of the goal except the inside of it, and allowed a silly goal off a turnover to fall 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls (10-8-4, 34 points) at Exploria Stadium. Brian White’s tally was the only score of the game.

“Obviously very disappointed,” Head Coach James O’Connor said about the result. “I think for the first 30 minutes, 35 minutes, we were off. We looked flat. Took us awhile to get going. The last 10 minutes of the [first] half we started to feel like we were coming into it more. Second half I think we’ve absolutely bossed the game and completely dominated. Hit the woodwork — whatever it is, three times — and had some chances. We’re unlucky not to get anything out of the game but it’s obviously very frustrating, especially when you have the ball bouncing off the crossbar and off the post.”

O’Connor went back to pretty much his first-choice lineup, minus Cristian Higuita’s ongoing absence, with Joao Moutinho returning to left back after a month out with a quad problem.

The first half belonged to New York, almost right from the beginning, as the Red Bulls won a corner in the game’s very first minute. They ended up with five more in the first half to Orlando’s none.

Ruan nearly put a ball into his own net trying to cut out a cross in the fourth minute, but it skipped out wide for another corner. Orlando got its first shot of the game three minutes later when Nani launched an effort well over the bar from the top of the area.

Former Lion Amro Tarek got a free header in the 11th minute off another corner but he hit his shot right at Brian Rowe, who caught it cleanly. Michael Murillo fired well over the crossbar from 30 yards out three minutes later off yet another corner kick after the Lions cleared it out of the area.

The sloppy Lions kept giving the ball back to New York. The Red Bulls were pressing but many of the errors were still unforced. Such a play occurred in the 23rd minute when Chris Mueller made a horrible pass that Ruan had to track down. The Brazilian was then fouled by Daniel Royer, who was booked for the infraction.

In the 25th minute, Ruan conceded a free kick out to Rowe’s right side and Tarek again got a free head on the cross. This time Rowe kicked it out of danger.

Orlando should have scored in the 31st minute. The first truly dangerous buildup by Orlando up the right side saw Nani pick up a loose ball and dish to Tesho Akindele in the middle of the area. Akindele turned and found an oncoming Will Johnson but the midfielder’s effort was wide of goal.

It was a costly miss, as the Red Bulls scored a minute later. Carlos Ascues tried to dribble through three Red Bulls on his own side of midfield but his final touch was heavy and Tarek picked it off. The former Lion gave it to Kaku, who sent in a perfect curling ball for White. Rowe got a piece of White’s shot but it trickled over the line to give New York a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute. The play was reviewed for a possible offside but eventually given.

“As regards the first 30 minutes, we need to be a little bit sharper coming out to start the game, because we got hurt in the first 30 minutes,” O’Connor said. “They’ve had a couple of opportunities, Brian’s made a save, they’ve scored.”

Orlando had a chance to pull the goal back quickly. Mueller was set up on the left side at the top of the area. He dribbled toward the middle and fired but sent his shot well off frame in what must have been a frustrating first half for the second-year attacker.

Nani sent an inside-out shot just wide in the 36th minute and then a free kick wide in the 41st as Orlando continued to be wasteful with opportunities.

New York took its 1-0 lead into the break.

The Red Bulls led in shots (9-5), shots on goal (4-0), and corners (6-0). Orlando held 53% of the possession and neither team passed particularly well, with the Lions holding a 76%-67% edge.

The second half started the same, with New York earning an early corner again, but then the game started to slowly change over the final 45 minutes. The Red Bulls couldn’t maintain their press and the Lions started to get more of the match, eventually pinning in New York for most of the game’s final 20 minutes.

Akindele said the team discussed at halftime, “just to go and impose ourselves on the game.”

“We said ‘we’re playing at home, we know we’re a good team, we have good players, go and impose ourselves on the game.’ And I think the second half we did just that. We were camped in their half the entire second half. We couldn’t score but I think it was a big change.”

Akindele finally put Orlando’s first shot on target in the 51st minute, taking a delicious pass from Lamine Sané, turning, and forcing a decent save from Luis Robles.

The Lions then started to earn a series of what eventually turned into nine corner kicks, completely reversing the trend of the first half, but Orlando couldn’t get many decent scoring chances off of them.

The first shot off the woodwork came in the 60th minute off the foot of Carlos Ascues. The Peruvian ran onto a gorgeous cross from Moutinho and volleyed it off the bar.

Ascues and Mueller departed in the 67th minute for Sacha Kljestan and Robinho and the Lions had their second shot off the woodwork three minutes later. This time Akindele took a pass from Ruan, found some space, and fired off the crossbar. The ball hit Robles off the ricochet but stayed out.

Nani, who was down on the field behind the play for Akindele’s shot off the bar, came off in the 71st minute without putting any weight on his left foot. O’Connor said after the match that there was no update but they would evaluate the Portuguese Designated Player. Santiago Patino came on in his place.

It became apparent in the 77th minute that the ball was just not interested in going in the net. Moutinho sent a fantastic ball across the field for Akindele, who laid off for Kljestan. The midfielder struck it first touch but it hit the far post and bounced back into the penalty area. Kljestan lost his footing trying to sweep it back in but it hit off Robles and it deflected back off of Sacha’s head. The ball fell to Robinho, who tried a flying scissor kick but he couldn’t make contact. The bouncing ball then found its way to Patino, who tried to settle it instead of hitting it first time, and he was closed down by two defenders. The rookie then lost possession trying to clear himself for a shot and the entire sequence evaporated.

A minute later, the Lions should have tied the match. Kljestan sent a beautiful through ball to send Ruan down the right. With Akindele breaking free to the top of the six, the Brazilian took the shot himself from a tough angle and Robles had no trouble with it. Akindele had started the play by feeding the ball back to Kljestan in space. It was a good play that deserved a better finish.

Akindele found Patino in the 81st in the middle of the penalty area. Covered by two defenders, the rookie tried to spin free for a shot and nearly succeeded but lost his balance before he could shoot. Two minutes later Patino tried to go for a difficult move to free himself to shoot with Robinho breaking into space. The rookie didn’t see him, or chose not to pass it, and another great opportunity was wasted.

Johnson forced a Robles save in the 87th minute as the Lions kept knocking at the door. After a couple more corners, Robinho sent a weak shot right at Robles from the left side. That was about all she wrote for Orlando and the whistle eventually went in New York’s favor.

Orlando turned around the stats significantly in the second half, finishing with more shots (18-13), but one fewer shot on target (5-4). The Lions held 62% of the game’s total possession and out-passed the Red Bulls, 81%-68%. Orlando even finished with more corners (9-8).

“The Red Bulls, to be fair, started bright and end up getting a goal. But after that I don’t think we could have done much more to win the game. When you look at the chances and off the bar and off the post. There was only one team second half that was trying to really go and get after it. So, I think when we look at that it’s obviously really frustrating.”

The Lions get a little breather now, as their next game isn’t until next Saturday night when they visit the New England Revolution at 7 p.m.

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union

Get caught up with everything you need to know about the Philadelphia Union from someone who knows them best.

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5 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City is set to continue a difficult May schedule Saturday, and will try to avoid a three-game losing streak in the process. This week sees the Lions travel north to face the Philadelphia Union, which will be the first of three taking place in a span of eight days, with two of those on the road, forcing Orlando to shuttle back and forth across the country.

A date with the Union means I caught up with Joe Lister of the always excellent Philadelphia Soccer Now. As usual, Joe was very helpful in getting us caught up on what’s been happening with the Union, and I also answered some of his questions about OCSC, which you can find over at their place.

Run me through Philadelphia’s off-season transfer business. Are there any new names who have stood out?

Joe Lister: Philadelphia’s transfer business is nearly nonexistent. They sold a few guys, but didn’t really bring anyone notable in. The group that will be available against Orlando on Saturday is the same group that’s been around with the team for (generally) two or three years.

Quinn Sullivan, however, has been a relevation this season. His brother, Cavan, has obviously been in the news as of late. However, Quinn, 20, has been great for Philly. He’s got great pace down the side of the pitch and has a motor that doesn’t seem to quit. If he can perfect his final touch, he’ll make the Union a good bit of money.

It’s still quite early in the season, but its strange to see the Union not occupying their typical spot near the top of the East. Is there any concern among the fanbase, or are people largely happy with what they’ve seen so far?

JL: People are upset. This team, by Philly fans’ standards, sucks. The Eastern Conference is obviously super tough this year (Miami and RBNY are worth shoutouts), but Philadelphia just isn’t performing. They nearly lost three games in a row for the first time since 2017 with their draw against D.C. United. They were saved by a blast from Jack McGlynn that they didn’t necessarily deserve.

The Union are underwhelming. The front office has operated under the impression that the teams from 2020, 2021, and 2022 can still compete in MLS. The issue is that while the league has gotten better, the Union have just gotten worse.

The Union’s only two losses of the season have come at home. Is that simply down to playing two good teams in Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders, or is there something else at play there?

JL: That’s just the team being in a funk. Again, this team is underperforming by Philadelphia’s standards. Losing at home is a true showcase of how far this team has fallen. I think the Union will be fine longterm — this is a playoff team, but nothing more than that.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

JL: Defender Olivier Mbaizo and goalkeeper Andre Blake were both out for last match with injuries. Blake’s been in-and-out all season, but I think the team has started to realize that backup Oliver Semmle is good enough that the three-time Goalkeeper of the Year doesn’t need to always be on the pitch. Julian Carranza is also suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Lineup (4-4-2 diamond): Oliver Semmle; Kai Wagner, Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes, Nathan Harriel; Jose Martinez; Leon Flach, Alejandro Bedoya; Daniel Gazdag; Quinn Sullivan, Mikael Uhre.

I think this is a 2-2 draw. Based on where the Union are at right now, Orlando will get two first-half goals, the Union will pull back in the second half. Feels like a game where Daniel Gazdag should find the net at some point.

Thank you to Joe for the inside info on the Union. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/10/24

Orlando City hits the road, Angelina has a successful knee procedure, Europa League final is set, and more.

Published

9 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I don’t have many plans for the weekend beyond working and looking after my friend’s cat, but I’m hoping it’s a fairly relaxing next few days. Both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are in action tomorrow night, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. For now, let’s get to today’s links!

Orlando City Prepares for the Philadelphia Union

After a tough loss at home to FC Cincinnati, Orlando City hits the road for a tough match against the Philadelphia Union tomorrow night. The Lions showed plenty of fight in that loss, which included a red card to Rodrigo Schlegel and injuries to both Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Rafael Santos. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke about the matchup against the Union and stated that Thorhallsson is in concussion protocol and that both he and Santos are day-to-day heading into this match.

The Lions at least won’t have to worry about Philadelphia forward Julian Carranza in this match, as he will miss it due to yellow card accumulation. Both teams have struggled in recent weeks, with the Lions winless in their last three games and the Union winless in their last four. Orlando managed to beat the Union on the road last year and will need to do it again to climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Angelina Will Be Evaluated Weekly for Return

Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina had a successful arthroscopic procedure on her knee and will be evaluated by the club’s medical team for a return to the field on a week-to-week basis. She suffered the injury late in the Pride’s 4-1 win over the North Carolina Courage, and rookie Ally Lemos filled in for her in the team’s 1-0 win against Racing Louisville. Angelina signed with the Pride this past off-season and has been a major reason why the Pride are undefeated in 2024. The Brazilian has done well on both sides of the ball and has a goal and an assist to her name so far, while bringing stability to the midfield. Hopefully, she returns to the Pride’s midfield sooner rather than later.

Philadelphia Union Sign 14-Year-Old Cavan Sullivan

The Philadelphia Union have a penchant for developing young players and have now signed 14-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan to a Homegrown Player contract that will last through 2028. Sullivan, who is the brother of Quinn Sullivan, is now the fifth-youngest signing in MLS history. He excelled in the past two Generation Adidas Cups with the Union and made his debut for Philadelphia Union II earlier this year. When he turns 18, he will reportedly be transferred to Manchester City as well, so it will be interesting to see how he does in MLS until then.

Leverkusen and Atalanta Reach Europa League Final

Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta both got the job done in second legs at home to advance to the Europa League final. The match in Germany between Leverkusen and Roma was a wild one, with Leverkusen managing yet another late comeback to draw 2-2 and advance on aggregate after winning the first leg. The draw extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak to 49 games and it can secure a treble by the end of the month. In the other semifinal, Atalanta cruised to a 3-0 win over Marseille. The Italian club will have a chance at silverware in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus on May 15 before the Europa League final on May 22 in Ireland.

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy these sights and sounds from the Pride’s gritty win over Racing Louisville.
  • Olivier Renard is no longer the vice president and chief sporting officer of CF Montreal, with the two sides agreeing to part ways.
  • PSV Eindhoven reportedly won’t be exercising the option to sign American right back Sergino Dest, who joined the Dutch club on loan from Barcelona last year.

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 at Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points on the road at Philadelphia?

Published

1 day ago

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May 9, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City travels to the City of Brotherly Love hoping to get back on the winning track against the Philadelphia Union. The Union are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points, and have a 3-2-5 record overall. However, the Union are 1-2-1 at home. Subaru Park hasn’t been the fortress it was in 2023 — though Orlando City did give them their first home loss last season.

Of course, the Lions are riding a two-match losing streak heading into this match. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from the Union on the road?

Defense, Defense, Defense

The Union have scored 19 goals so far this season and over half of them have come from Daniel Gazdag (6), and Julian Carranza (4). Obviously, stopping those two is a priority. However, the Union also have excellent midfielders in Alejandro Bedoya and Jack McGlynn — the two players that scored in the Union’s last match against DC United.

I feel like a broken record, but Orlando City’s defense needs to stop making the dumb mistakes that have resulted in way too many goals this season. Philadelphia’s attackers will punish the Lions if that is allowed to happen yet again. So please, for the sake of my sanity, stop giving up the stupid goals.

Score Some *%$#ing Goals

The Union have given up 16 goals so far this season. Philadelphia is not some impenetrable defense, meaning the Lions should have chances to score against the Union. The bigger questions is: Will Orlando City find the back of the net? The dearth of goals so far this season is a great source of frustration for all who support this club. It’s not necessarily the shots that go in — though that does stink — but the missed opportunities.

Orlando City has had more passes/crosses just past a toe or just over a head, and more bobbled balls at a player’s feet than I care to count this season. The missed opportunities are a good reason for the results we’ve seen. I’ve spent plenty of time wishing for Facundo Torres, Luis Muriel, and Martin Ojeda to start scoring. Now, I’ll be happy with any player putting it in the back of the net. Robin Jansson header? Yes, please. Michael Halliday deflects it in with his face? I’ll take it. Own goal by the opposition? Bring it on. Just score some darn goals.

Find the Formula

I’m not certain why it’s taking Oscar Pareja so long to figure out the balance for this club. Most of the players from last season are there, but for some reason the recipe is off. There are a few new players and there have been some injuries to deal with, but the switch needs to be flipped. Pareja needs to figure out which players can turn it around.

It might be the players who haven’t made the necessary adjustments. Perhaps it’s just bad luck. Regardless, every coach and player needs to pull it together to get the ship righted. Preseason expectations might need to be adjusted, but we can still hold out hope for a turnaround. This weekend against the Union is a perfect time for that to start.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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