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Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Final Score 2-0 as Lions Remain Unbeaten in Season Openers

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2 years ago

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Second-half goals from Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel lifted Orlando City to a 2-0 opening day victory over CF Montreal (0-1-0, 0 points) at Exploria Stadium. The Lions (1-0-0, 3 points) improved to 2-0-6 on opening day since joining MLS, winning the season’s first match for the first time since a 1-0 stadium-christening victory over New York City FC in 2017. The Lions have not conceded a goal on opening day since Oscar Pareja became head coach.

“I like the game. I thought we played against a very good team. Montreal has been in competition earlier than everybody else and we find that as difficulty,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But we matched that up and we ended up scoring goals and being precise when we had to.”

“It’s a good start of the season to get a first win, especially at home,” Michel said.

Pareja’s lineup featured goalkeeper Pedro Gallese behind the first-choice back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. U22 Initiative midfielder Cesar Araujo got his first MLS start as the No. 6 in place of Sebas Mendez, with Andres Perea in the box-to-box role. Mauricio Pereyra, Facu Torres, and Michel made up the attacking midfield with Pato as the starting striker.

Montreal started the game with more energy than the hosts, keeping the ball deep in Orlando’s end for most of the first five minutes and earning multiple set piece. Romell Quioto got the game’s first half-chance in the 16th minute when he got to the end line and eluded Gallese but flashed a sharp-angle shot across the front of goal.

Orlando’s first shot attempt came in the 20th minute. After Michel was fouled by Alistair Johnston on the left side, just outside the top of the box, Pato sent a shot that hit the wall and caromed back to Torres. The Young Designated Player fired a shot that took a deflection off a defender and went wide.

The Lions should have scored on the counter in the 29th minute. Montreal turned it over in their own half and a pass for Pato was just behind the forward, so he dropped it off for Pereyra to run onto. The captain fired a shot that sailed just over the bar.

Djordje Mihailovic was open at the top of the box for a shot in the 36th minute on a Montreal counter but he hit his shot right at Gallese.

Five minutes later, the Lions got their best look of the first half. A ball in for Pato was headed up in the air by the defense. Pato did well to follow it and send a strong header low toward the near post. Sebastian Breza did well to get down and make a good save to keep the game scoreless in the 41st.

Orlando then had numbers in transition in first-half stoppage time but Michel hesitated while wide open on the right side of the area, looking for a pass instead. The chance evaporated when the defense knocked the ball away.

Orlando out-shot the visitors 4-2 in the opening 45 minutes, with each getting one on target. Montreal had slightly more possession (51.6%-48.4%), was more accurate in passing (87.8%-84.3%), and won more corners (5-3).

Pareja sent Junior Urso in for Perea at the break and it helped solidify the midfield. Urso’s instinctive play helped Orlando turn Montreal over more in the second 45.

However, Montreal came out of the locker room with good energy and created a flurry of shots in the opening moments. Moutinho blocked the first effort and a second shot from distance was easy for Gallese to collect. Matko Miljevic tried a long shot from the left but again Gallese handled it easily.

The Lions opened the scoring moments later. Torres sent the ball to Pereyra on the right side and the captain sent Ruan in behind Kamal Miller down the flank. Ruan sent a low cross to the back post. Despite a defender getting a slight touch on it, the ball got through to Pato, who calmly fired home to make it 1-0 in the 49th minute. It was Pato’s first MLS goal.

After the goal, Pato ran over and celebrated with Pareja on the sideline.

“It has been a rocky journey for Alex the last year. An injury kept him out of the team for so long,” Pareja said. “He wants to help the team and I thought (the goal) was a joy that we wanted to share because I know how much he has worked for that.”

Pato’s goal snapped a 244-minute opening day scoring drought by the Lions that dates back to the 75th minute in 2019 against New York City FC.

The Lions stayed on the front foot after the goal. A good attacking possession in the 58th minute ended with Michel redirecting a Pato pass wide of the net. But a minute later, Benji got his goal. Urso intercepted a pass off a goal kick and fed the ball to Pereyra in the middle. The Uruguayan sent a ball in for Michel, who was slicing diagonally through the area. Michel beat his defender and slotted home to make it 2-0 in the 59th minute.

“I saw Urso steal the ball and I was just very alert, like the ball could be coming to me, so I was just ready, making sure I was in a good position,” Michel said of the goal. “Before (Pereyra) got the ball, he looked at me, and as soon as he got the ball I knew was coming and I had to be ready and execute the play.” 

Joaquin Torres had a chance to cut the lead in half in the 62nd minute, as he found space just outside the area in the middle to turn and fire. His shot went over Gallese’s crossbar.

Four minutes later, Montreal’s situation got even worse. Quioto was bodied off the ball in the area and it went behind for a goal kick. Frustrated, the Montreal defender got up and threw a shoulder into Carlos’ chest. Jansson stepped between Quioto and his teammate and the Montreal striker struck the Swede with both fists in the chest. Referee Marcos de Oliveira showed Quioto a straight red. Importantly, Jansson was also given a yellow card, although he did very little other than get in between the two players.

Striker Ercan Kara made his MLS debut for Orlando in the 69th minute, coming on for Michel.

Down a man, Montreal continued to chase the game, but struggled to create clear-cut chances, settling for shots from long range and not doing much with a corner kick opportunity.

Jansson picked up a second yellow for a tactical foul in the 81st minute and will miss next weekend’s road match as a result. The game got a bit chaotic after that, with Rodrigo Schlegel coming on for Torres and the teams played 10-v-10.

“At the end the game became a bit messy. That we don’t want, but I thought we had the matureness to deal with it and just bring these three points to the people. We’re happy for this start,” said Pareja.

The Lions struggled to maintain control of the ball. Montreal’s best chance to get back in the game came in the 85th minute, when Johnston fizzed a ball through the six, but Carlos and Ruan did well at the back post to wall off defenders and prevent a scoring chance.

Schlegel conceded a dangerous free kick in the 89th minute but Joaquin Torres missed the mark badly on the set piece, sending his shot high into the stands.

Orlando saw out the six minutes of stoppage time without incident and took all three points.

Each team attempted eight shots in the match, with Orlando getting more on target (3-2). Montreal held a smidge more possession (50.7%-49.3%) and was more accurate in the passing department (89.9%-85.3%), winning more corners (7-3).

“We were more aggressive today. I thought we were pushing them,” Pareja said of his team’s performance against Montreal. “We were trying to force them into a mistake and that’s why the control of the game was coming to our side many times. They did a good job. They have good midfielders and they have a good model. And today we just matched up.”  

“I know (the team is) not as connected as it can be. It’s just going to get better from here,” Michel said.

The Lions improved to 7-7-3 in the all-time series against Montreal and 3-4-2 at home.

The Lions hit the road for the first time in 2022 this Saturday as they travel to Chicago to take on the Fire.

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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Blow Late Lead at Home

Orlando’s inability to finish or to defend for a full 90 minutes was again front and center in a late home loss to the Reds.

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1 hour ago

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April 27, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

It was the same script for the Lions (2-4-3, 9 points) in a brutal 2-1 loss to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. A lack of finishing chances and odd defensive lapses in an otherwise solid game turned around Orlando City’s 1-0 lead late and allowed Toronto FC (5-4-1, 16 points) to smash and grab three points in Orlando.

Duncan McGuire staked his team to a 1-0 lead by halftime, but late headers by Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu in the 87th and 90th minutes, respectively, turned things around quickly at the end. Orlando’s four-game unbeaten run is over, as is the team’s 6-0-2 run against Toronto, and the Lions fell to just 1-2-2 at home.

“Very disappointed obviously with a game that certainly had the necessity for us to add three points, win at home, and after these past four games just keep that momentum going,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “And the end of the game is very disappointing for us.”

Pareja’s lineup offered up a couple of changes from the side that drew at Montreal, with Rafael Santos, Martin Ojeda, and McGuire entering in place of Kyle Smith, Nico Lodeiro, and Luis Muriel, respectively. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, and Ojeda, with McGuire up top.

The first half was a contrast in styles. Orlando City tried to work the ball up the pitch methodically, but the Lions were often their own enemy in sending an off-line pass or overshooting their intended recipient. The movement was a bit slow and predictable, and Toronto limited most of Orlando’s play to the sides once the Lions got into the final third.

The Reds looked to play direct balls over the top fot Owusu and Federico Bernardeschi when possible, and Toronto looked like the more dangerous team, despite having less of the ball and not getting forward often.

The first chance for either side was a shot over the bar by Owusu in the ninth minute from just outside the area.

Orlando had a few chances to play direct as well, but couldn’t pay them off. The first came in the 11th minute when Araujo made a forward run and made a fantastic pass to send McGuire behind on the right. However as the striker was collecting the ball and looking to get into the box, he was pulled back by Nickseon Gomis, who was booked. Referee Armando Villarreal ruled that another defender could have made a play on McGuire, so there was no red card. Ojeda went for goal on the ensuing corner kick but missed the top left corner just wide in the 13th minute.

Brekalo, who had picked up a knock a few minutes earlier, had to sub off in the 16th minute, with Rodrigo Schlegel coming on to replace him.

Torres tried to pick out McGuire in the 19th minute but the defense arrived to knock the ball back to El Cuervo. His second pass attempt was deflected off of him and out for a goal kick. Torres should have won a corner on another cross moments later but the AR’s flag came up and it didn’t appear to be a good call upon looking at the replay.

Orlando got beat over the top in the 28th minute but Schlegel did well to track back and knock the ball out for a corner kick. The Lions cleared the ensuing set piece.

Bernardeschi then started to get more involved. His cross in the 32nd minute went out for a goal kick, and moments later he got in behind and went down in the box but he was ruled offside.

McGuire sent Angulo behind down the right in the 34th minute. The winger could have crossed in but decided to cut back instead. His heavy touch was costly, as the defense arrived and knocked it out off of him for a goal kick, wasting the opportunity. Regardless, Orlando opened the scoring three minutes later.

The Lions finally completed a play in the 37th minute and it started in the back. Jansson pinged a long ball down the left channel for Torres to run onto. Once he got there, Torres put a cross into the box and McGuire got to it, knocking it in to make it 1-0 with his fourth goal of the MLS season.

“Facu played a beautiful ball and made my job real easy after a good buildup play,” McGuire said. “Good counterattack from the guys.”

Two minutes after the goal, Angulo tried to pick out McGuire but the striker couldn’t quite get onto it.

Santos was caught too far inside on a switch in the 42nd minute, which freed up Bernardeschi to cut inside and take a shot. The Italian’s shot fizzed just inches wide of the left post.

McGuire thought he’d scored his second in stoppage time. Jansson made a great play to deny a cross at the defensive end and Orlando broke in transition. Ojeda sent a gorgeous ball across the field from the left to McGuire on the right. The big striker scored on an absolute blast from a tough angle but the flag came up, and this time it looked to be the correct call upon seeing the replay.

“Martin played a good ball. Unluckily, I couldn’t stay onside,” McGuire said. “I mean, it was a good ball by him but I should have stayed onside.”

That was the last opportunity of the half and the Lions took their advantage to the break.

Orlando City held the halftime edge in possession (54.5%-45.5%) and passing accuracy (87.3%-84.1%), while the visitors attempted more shots (3-2) and won the only corner of the first half. Each team put one shot on target.

The teams exchanged corners early in the second half but couldn’t pay them off and the game settled into a bit of back-and-forth play. However, shots were rare in the early going of the second period.

Thorhallsson jumped up into the play in the 61st minute and fired a shot but it deflected out for a corner.

Toronto threw more players forward and started getting more looks. Gallese made a solid save in the 68th minute to deny a shot by Alonso Coello. Deybi Flores fired a minute later from outside the area but hit his shot wide. Thorhallsson blocked a close-range shot in the 72nd minute and the follow-up was sent wide of goal on the rebound.

Torres sent a blast on goal in the 73rd minute and Johnson did well to make a diving save. There was plenty of power on the shot but it was a bit too close to the center of goal.

Derrick Etienne, Jr. sent a header just wide of the left post in the 81st minute, but Gallese had it covered anyway had it been on target. The Lions were defending too deeply at this point and couldn’t get or maintain possession, allowing Toronto to push even higher up the field.

The visitors finally tied the game in the 87th minute and it had been coming. The ball was played out to the right and substitute Kyle Smith couldn’t prevent a Kobe Franklin cross into the area. Nobody picked up Spicer’s run into the box and a routine cross suddenly became a problem with Toronto outnumbering Orlando defenders in front of goal. Spicer put a lot of power on his shot and gave Gallese no chance.

The Lions nearly pulled the goal back two minutes later. Thorhallsson got down the right flank and sent a dangerous ball into the area. Angulo slid to try to get a piece of it at the near post but couldn’t make contact and Johnson smothered it.

It was a costly missed opportunity, because the visitors tied the game on their next attack. The ball again cycled out to the right of the Toronto attack and Smith again could not prevent a cross. Bernardeschi sent the ball to the left, where Thorhallsson had strayed too far from the back post. By the time he realized the danger, it was too late. The ball found Toronto’s leading goal scorer and Owusu sent a powerful header down into the ground in front of Gallese. The keeper was going down, following the flight of the ball but the angle of the bounce off the turf took it up and over him and into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 in the 90th minute.

Orlando had just one decent look in the five minutes of stoppage time. Luis Muriel was fouled just outside the left corner of the box. The Lions had possession so Villarreal allowed play to go on. The ball was crossed through the area and Cartagena tried a shot on the half volley but sent it over the crossbar in the 92nd minute. That was that.

With Toronto chasing the game and Orlando unable to maintain possession after the hour mark, the visitors turned around the possession, keeping more of the ball (52.3%-47.7%), as well as finishing with more shots (13-8), shots on target (4-3), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (85.2%-84.9%).

“I think we’re playing the way that we want to play and we’re trending in the right direction but I feel like just two little mishaps in the end of the second half cost us the three points tonight,” McGuire said.

“In the second half we lost control of the ball and we lost control of the game and we couldn’t hold the result,” Pareja said. “That’s what we need to study during the week to see how we can be better, because after a good first half, in the second half we lost control of the game.”

The Lions are back home again next Saturday when they host FC Cincinnati.

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

The Lions welcome an improved Toronto side to Orlando for an Eastern Conference battle.

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13 hours ago

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April 27, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (2-3-3, 9 points) and Toronto FC (4-4-1, 13 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). It’s the first of the two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, with the Lions set to make the return trip to Toronto on July 3.

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

History

Orlando is 8-8-3 in the evenly split all-time, regular-season series. However, the Lions have won the last four meetings, sweeping the season series in 2022 and 2023. At home, Orlando is 5-4-0 against the Reds. City is currently on its longest ever unbeaten run in the series, compiling a 6-0-2 record in the last eight meetings.

The most recent meeting came on Decision Day of last season on Oct. 21, when Duncan McGuire came off the bench at BMO Field, scoring twice to beat Toronto 2-0. The teams last met in Orlando on July 4, 2023, with Orlando City putting the Reds to the sword on Independence Day, beating the Canadian side, 4-0. Cesar Araujo, McGuire, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ercan Kara scored for the Lions, and Toronto finished with 10 men after Federico Bernardeschi was shown his second yellow card just past the hour mark.

Orlando City also romped 4-0 over the Reds in the previous meeting, Sept. 17, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Facundo Torres, Kara, and Tesho Akindele scored for the Lions to go along with a Lukas MacNaughton own goal. The Lions won on May 14, 2022 at BMO Field, 1-0, thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Kyle Smith, who flicked a header from a corner kick cross inside the far post to lift the Lions to victory.

The Lions went 2-0-1 in three meetings with Toronto FC in 2021. The teams played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on July 17, 2021. Jozy Altidore came off the bench to score the opener but Nani equalized from the penalty spot minutes later. Benji Michel drew the penalty, which was originally ruled a foul on the Orlando winger but was overturned after video review by referee Marcos de Oliveira.

The other Toronto “home match” in the 2021 season series came on June 19 at Exploria Stadium. The Reds were dealing with pandemic restrictions in Canada that forced the team to play home games in the United States. Orlando City built a 2-0 early lead on goals by Akindele and Nani, only to see Toronto tie the match by halftime on goals by Ayo Akinola and Jonathan Osorio. Junior Urso scored late to lift the Lions to a 3-2 victory. The teams first met that year on May 22, with Orlando City claiming a 1-0 win on Akindele’s goal.

The teams did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic affecting the schedule. Prior to the MLS stoppage for the pandemic, the teams met most recently in Toronto on Aug. 10, 2019, with the Lions grabbing a point at BMO Field in a 1-1 draw. Michel opened the scoring in the 69th minute but the Reds equalized off a scramble following a set piece in the 77th. The other matchup between the sides that season came on May 4, 2019, when the Reds walked out of Orlando with a 2-0 win on goals by Osorio and Jay Chapman.

The teams split their season series in 2018. Orlando City captured a 2-1 win at home in James O’Connor’s first home game as head coach of the Lions on July 14, 2018. Chris Schuler and Dom Dwyer staked City to a 2-0 lead and Nick Hagglund ruined the shutout in the 94th minute off a Sebastian Giovinco free kick delivery. The 2018 meeting in Toronto saw the Reds get a 2-1 win at BMO Field on Ryan Telfer’s 87th-minute goal.

Toronto shredded Orlando in a 3-1 win on July 5, 2017. Altidore and Giovinco combined to score Toronto’s three goals. Carlos Rivas gave Orlando a consolation goal. In the first meeting of 2017, Orlando out-possessed, out-shot, and out-passed the hosts, and played like the better team on the night. However, the Lions could not overcome a two-goal deficit and Giovinco’s first-half brace led Toronto to a 2-1 win.

The Lions got their first victory in the series on June 25, 2016, winning 3-2 at Camping World Stadium. Kaká scored from the spot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to win it. Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter each gave OCSC leads in the game, only to see Jordan Hamilton and Justin Morrow equalize until the captain’s late winner. The Reds took the second 2016 matchup in Orlando with a 2-1 victory, scoring late through Altidore. Tosaint Ricketts gave Toronto an early lead but the Lions fought back on a Larin goal. The teams also drew 0-0 on Sept. 28 of that year, with Toronto able to fend off the Lions with 10 men over the final 20 minutes of the match.

In 2015, Toronto took home all nine points in the three meetings, beating Orlando by a combined score of 11-1.

Overview

Orlando City enters on a four-game unbeaten run (2-0-2), including last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at CF Montreal. The Lions are 1-1-2 at home in 2024, but the win and one of the draws came in the two most recent matches at Inter&Co Stadium.

Toronto FC has shown tremendous improvement under John Herdman early in the season despite missing several key players with injuries. The Reds, however, are 3-1-0 at home but just 1-3-1 on the road in 2024. The team had lost three straight matches overall before knocking off New England last week. Now the Reds are on a two-game winning streak in all competitions, having beaten Rovers FC 5-0 in the Canadian Championship Wednesday.

The Lions will have to track forward Prince Owusu, who paces Toronto FC with four goals on the season. No one else on Toronto has more than two goals, and sitting on two is Lorenzo Insigne, who is out for tonight with a thigh injury. Orlando will need to be aware of Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who leads the Reds with two assists.

But perhaps the sleeping giant is Bernardeschi, who leads Toronto FC with 37 shot attempts and 18 key passes, yet somehow has no direct goal contributions on the season. Even if he hasn’t been producing end product, the Italian has been dangerous.

“Looks like we’re getting more cohesiveness with the boys and they’re gluing more things together,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “We’re reviewing things and have done in prior games, but since we’re not getting results it seems like it’s not happening. In the end, you have to win games, you have to get results, so the good things get magnified and the things that aren’t being done well, seem like you need more time to fix it. It’s indeed important to get results.”  

Orlando City will be without forward Ramiro Enrique (ankle). Toronto will be without Insigne (thigh), former Lions Richie Laryea (thigh) and Shane O’Neill (thigh), and Brandon Servania (knee). In addition, Deandre Kerr (foot) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

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

Forward: Duncan McGuire.

Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Kyle Smith, Michael Halliday, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Jack Lynn, Luis Muriel.

Toronto (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson.

Defenders: Nicksoen Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted.

Wingbacks & Midfielders: Raoul Petretta, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.

Forwards: Jonathan Osorio, Prince Owusu, Federico Bernardeschi.

Bench: Luka Gavran, Tyrese Spicer, Aime Mabika, Matty Longstaff, Kobe Franklin, Cassius Mailula, Kosi Thompson, Derrick Etienne, Jr., DeAndre Kerr.

Referees

REF: Armando Villarreal.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Logan Brown.
4TH: Brad Jensen.
VAR: Kevin Terry, Jr.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: 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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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Toronto FC

Get the inside scoop on Toronto FC ahead of Saturday’s match.

Published

2 days ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday is almost upon us, and the Lions will try to extend a four-game unbeaten streak Saturday night and finish off an undefeated month of April. OCSC will do so back in the comfortable confines of home, as Toronto FC travels south for the first of two games between the teams this season.

A visit from Toronto means I caught up with Tomas Karageorgos of Waking the Red. As usual, he was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on TFC ahead of the upcoming match.

This is John Herdman’s first year in charge of Toronto. What sort of style does the team play under him?

Tomas Karageorgos: John Herdman plays a variation of a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation that prefers to build plays out of the back. Herdman also relies on his center midfielders to win possession back and push the ball to either flank. German striker Prince Owusu’s constant pressure on opposing defenses has caused some turnovers in TFC’s favor. Owusu’s style of play has not only helped his teammates but himself as well — he has scored five goals in the club’s last six matches.

Run me through some of the additions and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are some new faces to keep an eye on?

TK: The four major additions that the club made was signing defensive midfielders Deiby Flores and Matty Longstaff; Canadian fullback Richie Laryea is back for a third time; and Irish center back Kevin Long. Flores has been described as a dog in the sense of not being afraid to get stuck into tough challenges. Longstaff was signed from Newcastle United and is beginning to play consistent minutes — he still has room to grow as he’s a young player. Long was signed from Birmingham City and has been a rock in the center of the back three. A strong aerial presence and calmness has helped to contribute to Toronto’s six clean sheets across all competitions this season. There’s not much to say about Laryea that hasn’t been said, he’s arguably the best defender in MLS when healthy. Another underrated signing was French defender Nicksoen Gomis from Sheffield United, he has had quiet-yet-consistent performances. Notable departures include Salvadoran goalkeeper Tomás Romero, Norwegian striker Adama Diomande, and club legend Michael Bradley, who retired at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

TFC has quite the list of injured players at the moment. Who has been filling in for the missing faces, and how have they looked?

TK: Lorenzo Insigne, Richie Laryea, and Shane O’Neill continue to miss action due to thigh injuries. Midfielder Brandon Servania is slated to return during the middle of the season as he is recovering from knee surgery. First overall draft pick Tyrese Spicer has filled in for Insigne and has two goals in his account for the club — he has a high work rate on both sides of the ball. Canadian youngster Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is gaining more experience on the right side while Laryea is sidelined. Gomis and Sigurd Rosted have been taking turns covering O’Neill, and Alonso Coello is continuing to build on an impressive first season with the club in the absence of Servania.

Which players will be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

TK: The names I noted above who are injured will be unavailable. Also, attacker Deandre Kerr is listed as questionable.

Predicted starting XI: Sean Johnson; Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted; Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty; Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Score prediction: 1-1. 

Thank you to Tomas for his insight into Toronto FC. Vamos Orlando!

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