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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Final Score 1-0 as Rivero Breaks Through Late for Caps

Octavio Rivero’s header in the 96th minute sent Orlando City fans home unhappy and handed the Lions their first MLS loss. It was a harsh result for an Orlando side that largely controlled the game but couldn’t find a break-through goal.

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9 years ago

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

The Vancouver Whitecaps Twitter feed asked for the team to steal three points in Orlando and that’s exactly what they did.

Octavio Rivero broke Orlando City hearts with a stoppage-time header to steal a 1-0 victory in the Orlando Citrus Bowl in front of a crowd of 31,072. Vancouver (2-1-0) got a late free kick on a Darwin Ceren foul in the 96th minute that Pedro Morales sent into the area. Rivero got to it and flicked it into the far corner where goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts couldn’t reach it.

It was a harsh result for an Orlando City side that controlled most of the play and simply couldn’t find the final ball, missing a number of very close chances throughout the contest.

It was doubly harsh because it came just after second-half sub Jordan Harvey for Vancouver was booked for time wasting and Ceren’s foul came on the ensuing throw-in. Orlando City had intercepted the initial Harvey throw-in but referee Jorge Gonzalez pulled it back for a second throw.

“Do I think we should have won the game? Probably not. I think a draw would have been a fair result,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath after the game. “But we certainly didn’t deserve to lose it.”

Orlando out-shot Vancouver 12-9, made 21 crosses to Vancouver’s 12, and enjoyed a 62.6%-37.4% advantage in possession but has nothing to show for it due to missing the target. The Lions put only one shot on goal, allowing three — all to Rivero.

The Lions (1-1-1) tasted MLS defeat for the first time, but they came within inches of breaking through a number of times, including a Cyle Larin shot in the 90th minute. Larin took a pass from Kaká, made a nice turn and pushed it just wide.

Eric Avila was lurking just behind Larin unmarked but the Canadian national, making his MLS debut, either didn’t see him or chose to take it himself.

Aside from Larin’s opportunity late, Orlando City nearly scored on Pedro Ribeiro’s final touch, a beautiful curling left-footed shot that went inches high to find the roof of the net.

“Too many ‘nearlies,'” said Heath. “It was nearly a good play, it was nearly a good ball, it was nearly a good cross. Nearly is not going to be enough through the course of this season.”

Orlando City began the game in a 4-4-2 with Kaká playing up top with Ribeiro, starting for an injured Carlos Rivas. The other big change in the lineup was Avila playing in the midfield instead of Lewis Neal, who was left out of the 18 altogether.

The Lions controlled play early, holding a 60-40 possession advantage in the scoreless opening half, but they couldn’t seem to find the final touch or through ball to truly menace David Ousted’s goal. A chance eight minutes in went wanting when Kevin Molino passed when he should have shot off a nice pass from Kaká.

Orlando City’s best opportunity came at the 13-minute mark when Kaká’s shot from the top of the box was deflected just wide. Four minutes later, Ribeiro found himself in good position but the Vancouver defense collapsed on him to snuff out the threat.

At 26 minutes, Avila worked hard down the left side to earn a corner and was nearly — there’s that word again — rewarded on Kaká’s cross. Kendall Waston headed out the corner kick to Avila, who rifled a shot just high on the volley.

Vancouver’s speed posed problems for Orlando City at times, particularly in the later stages of the first half. Seb Hines may have been fortunate to avoid getting sent off and yielding a penalty for pulling back Rivero early, but the referee was well positioned and gave a goal kick. The Whitecaps spent much of the first 30 minutes probing with Kekuta Manneh down Rafael Ramos’ right side but to no avail.

The Whitecaps finally got a toehold in the game 34 minutes in, when Rivero blazed past the offside trap and got on the end of a brilliant through ball. Ricketts came off his line to thwart the chance, knocking it inches wide to make his first save of the season. Moments later, Rivero torched a shot off the crossbar with Hines and Brek Shea both marking Waston and leaving Vancouver’s DP unattended in the box.

Vancouver missed another opportunity in the 38th minute when Morales shot wide off a turnover when Orlando City misplayed a quick free kick deep in their own end.

The visitors played a chippy first 45 minutes, picking up three yellow cards (Gershon Koffie, Sam Adekugbe, Manneh) in the opening half and five in all. Each team had four shots and one shot on goal through the opening half.

The Lions moved to their traditional 4-2-3-1 after halftime, pushing Kaká out to the left side of midfield, and it seemed to work, as Orlando enjoyed even more possession, allowed fewer Vancouver counters, and appeared more dangerous in the final third. Still, that final through ball remains elusive and players are taking extra touches in the box to cut down their angles and making life easier for opposing goalkeepers.

“Even with a loss we had a lot of good things in this game,” Kaká said. “We have to improve a lot of things, we have to get better, to work some movements, most of our forwards, because we create a lot of opportunities but we couldn’t score tonight.”

Next up comes a trip to Canada to play Montreal Impact without several international players, including Larin, Shea, Molino and Ceren.

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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?

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5 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.

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8 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.

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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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