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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Come From Behind to Earn Road Point

Nani’s penalty wasn’t pretty but it went in and Orlando City finished the season unbeaten in three matches against Toronto.

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Old nemesis Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played the hometown hero by giving Toronto FC a second-half lead. But Benji Michel won a penalty (after video review) and Nani did just enough to get his spot kick over the line as the Lions drew the Reds 1-1 at BMO Field. It was Toronto’s first home match in front of its own fans in more than a year. Still, Orlando City (6-3-4, 22 points) finished the season unbeaten in three matches against Toronto FC (2-8-3, 9 points) with two wins and a draw in the season series.

Orlando still has never won in Toronto but the draw was the team’s second straight in the Canadian city.

“I think it was a good reaction from our players today against a good rival who was playing at home again after a long time,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I know their emotions were high and it was not easy to handle players with that energy. Just going on the road and take a point, you should be happy — happier if we would have scored in the couple of options we had at the end. ”

Pareja’s lineup welcomed back starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and left back Joao Moutinho, who lined up alongside Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Sebas Mendez got his first start since he left for Copa America in the central midfield with Junior Urso. Benji Michel and Mauricio Pereyra connected the attack to Nani and Tesho Akindele up top. Silvester van der Water didn’t make the trip after picking up a knock on Thursday.

Former Lion Dom Dwyer started up top for Toronto FC.

The Lions played a sloppy first half in their own end, with miscommunication and poor passes leading to possession in the attacking half for Toronto. The Reds failed to capitalize on an early miscommunication on defense between Smith and Jansson when Alejandro Pozuelo fired right at Gallese in the fourth minute. Seconds later, another turnover led to a chip from Yeferson Soteldo into the area that Gallese caught.

Three minutes later, the Reds sent a ball into the box for Dwyer that was cut out and on the recycle, there was a nervy moment when Mendez tried to clear and hit a teammate. Pozuelo fired off target in the eighth minute as Toronto kept the early pressure on.

Orlando’s first opportunity to score came in the 11th minute off a handball by Marky Delgado. Nani took the free kick from distance on the left side and smashed a shot just wide of the near post.

Seconds after the miss, Mendez was stepped on accidentally by Smith and had to be subbed off. It was the second case of friendly fire for the Ecuadorian, who had kicked Michel early in the match trying to line up a shot. Andres Perea came into the match for Mendez officially in the 14th minute.

“Things happened in the first half that obviously made us change some plans,” Pareja said, referring to the unexpected lineup change. “Sometimes one individual changes many connections and the sequence — sometimes you have to modify those. But I think the guys did a good job in that part, just adapting to the situation.”

In the 18th minute, Gallese did well to get off his line and cut off a cross intended for Dwyer on the doorstep. Auro Jr. fired in the 24th minute but it was no trouble for El Pulpo.

A turnover by Urso in the midfield led to a Pozuelo shot that sailed over the net in the 28th minute as the Lions continued to give the ball away cheaply. Urso gave it away again in the 35th minute and ignited a 3-v-1 break for Toronto. Dwyer carried into the box, changed direction, and tried to round a defender, but the touch was a bit heavy and Gallese scrambled off his line to jump on the ball before the former Lion could take a shot.

Pereyra served Nani a great square ball across the top of the six in the 41st minute, but Auro Jr. made a sliding block to force a corner. The Lions took the ensuing corner short and cycled it around the top of the box to Nani, who fired a shot right at Alex Bono in the 42nd.

Toronto fashioned a couple more chances, with Soteldo fizzing a shot wide and Michael Bradley sending a cross in that was just inches too high for Tusaba Endoh to head home in the 44th minute.

Each team had a decent chance late that was wiped out by an offside call and the teams went to the break deadlocked at 0-0. The Lions seemed fortunate to be even at the half, with Toronto creating more danger but not being clinical enough with its chances.

The Reds out-shot the Lions 5-4 (2-1 on target), and held slim advantages in possession (50.3%-49.7%) and passing accuracy (84.4%-84.3%). Orlando had more corners (2-1).

Chris Mueller came on for Akindele at the break. He was able to provide energy and a bit more of an outlet for Smith on the right.

“With Soteldo on the left, in the first half we were missing some company for Kyle,” Pareja said. “He was stretching the field and the field was getting too wide there. But we corrected in the second half, bringing (in) Chris created longer sequences for us and refreshed a little bit more the defensive side. It helped us. We had more energy to take the ball back.”

Just after the break, Perea fired a shot right at Bono in the first look of the second half.

Moments later, Soteldo fired a free kick wide of goal from a dangerous position just outside the penalty area.

Smith got forward in a promising attack in the 56th minute but fired a shot right at Bono, with seemingly better options available.

Soteldo put another shot over the bar in the 57th minute, just before Orlando City fashioned its most dangerous threat of the match to that point.

Michel worked the ball into the area and sent it in front for Mueller. Justin Morrow got a foot on the ball and sent it off the left post before it ricocheted back to Bono.

Altidore came on for Dwyer in the 64th minute and it took him only eight minutes to make an impact. Smith was left to cover two players in an overload situation on Toronto’s left side (Orlando’s right) and Morrow sent a cross into the box. Jansson left Moutinho to deal with Altidore in front and the big striker just overpowered him and smashed a header through Gallese for the opener in the 72nd minute.

Smith did a solid job defending Soteldo all night and it ended up being a second player down that side that did the damage. The veteran fullback took responsibility for not switching quicker, though it would have been difficult for him to have had an effect on the play while keeping an eye on Toronto’s newest Designated Player.

“I was worried about (Soteldo) because, you know, he’s very tricky,” Smith said. “So, I was late on the switch and then the (Morrow) puts in his 2-v-1, but I should switch quicker. They got a cross in and Altidore is a big guy, so he finished it.”

“When we conceded the goal, obviously the team was a bit down,” Nani said. “But we knew we had to come back on our feet and (have) a strong mentality to get back in the game and try to score our goal, and we did well.”

Just a minute after Toronto took the lead, the game changed. Michel went forward after a long ball forward and collided with Bono in the box. The foul was initially given Toronto’s way but Michel had been trying to avoid Bono after getting to the spot first. Referee Marcos de Oliveira went to look at the replay and awarded a penalty to Orlando.

Nani stepped up to the spot, took a stutter step in his approach and smashed a ball more or less toward the middle of goal. Bono appeared to leave his line early and got a hand to the shot but it had too much power on it and it still found its way in for the tying goal in the 77th minute.

“That’s why I kicked a little bit in the middle, and I had to change a little bit at the last second,” Nani said, of seeing Bono leave his line early. “But the most important (thing) is the ball got in the goal and we scored.”

It was Nani’s seventh goal of the season to go along with his three assists in just 11 games (10 starts).

Orlando had some chances down the stretch to go on and win the game. Nani crushed a shot on target in the 79th but hit it right at Bono. A ball into the box in the 89th minute bounced perfectly for Perea, who got his head on it but pushed his shot wide. Auro Jr. did just enough to bother Perea on the play.

Ultimately, that was the last truly good look for either side and after five minutes of stoppage time that grew into more than six, the game came to an end in a 1-1 stalemate.

Orlando finished with more shots (10-9), shots on target (5-3), and corners (3-1). Toronto held more possession (51.4%-48.6%) and passed more accurately (84.9%-82.9%).

“I think it’s a fair result because both teams played well,” Nani said.

The Lions return home next for a Thursday night matchup against the Philadelphia Union.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

6 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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