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Orlando City

Player Grades: Orlando City vs. Toronto FC

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9 years ago

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Coming off a reasonably successful start to its first MLS season, Orlando City (2-4-2) has now been soundly beaten in back-to-back matches.

Worse still, the Lions have now failed to score at home in the past three matches in Orlando. In fact, their only home goal all year was the fluky, deflected extra time goal that Kaká scored against NYCFC in the opener.

While it’s tempting to place the blame entirely on the revolving list of starting strikers for City, there’s plenty of blame to go around. Eric Avila failed to test the Toronto keeper on two solid first-half chances, and Kaká has not looked nearly as dominant as he did in the opening weeks.

The absence of Rafael Ramos was clearly a huge blow for the Lions as well. They played extremely narrowly all night, and Kevin Molino was unable to find any space on the right side without the Portuguese youngster’s overlapping runs. His replacement, Tyler Turner, wasn’t horrific, but his crosses were lacking in the opening half and his mistake in the second allowed Toronto’s second goal.

It wasn’t quite the disaster we saw last week against Columbus, but it wasn’t pretty either. Here are our player grades for tonight’s match:

Player Grades

G, Donovan Ricketts, 6 — In another bad defeat, Ricketts again played fairly well. It’s hard to blame him on either goal, though maybe he could have got down a little quicker on the opener. His save in the first minute was excellent, and he denied Sebastian Giovinco 1v1 to keep Orlando in it in the 81st.

D, Brek Shea, 7 — Shea was the Lions’ best player on the night. His crosses were on point, and the entire offense seemed to run through him for much of the first half. Rivas should have scored off Shea’s set up in the 85th to give Orlando a chance at a comeback.

D, Seb Hines, 4.5 — Actually a fairly good night for the Englishman, but his grade suffers because he was beat on both goals. There was plenty of blame to go around on Altidore’s first, but it was Hines who was soundly beaten 1v1.

D, Aurelien Collin, 6.5 — Another solid night for the Lions’ defensive stalwart. Great in the air, and made a number those flailing defensive stops that seemingly only he can pull off.

D, Tyler Turner, 4 — On another day, this may have been a passable fill-in performance for the young right back. However, Orlando’s offensive futility only served to further highlight Turner’s poor crosses and general inability to threaten in attack. He loses a point for his errant trap that led to Toronto’s second goal.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 5 — Ceren seems to be getting more comfortable in attack, but his passes led to one too many turnovers tonight. With Okugo playing a solely defensive role in the middle, the Lions need either Ceren or Higuita to start providing an attacking option in the middle.

MF, Amobi Okugo, 5 — A veteran like Okugo should know that he needs to prevent Altidore from taking the quick free kick that led to the opening goal by any means necessary. He failed to provide anything offensively, and was removed in favor of Carlos Rivas after the opening goal.

MF, Eric Avila, 5.5 — This was Avila’s best match as a Lion, but that’s not necessarily saying much. He was more aggressive offensively in the first half, though his two shots were totally harmless.

MF, Kaká, 6 — With Molino being taken out of the game by Toronto, Kaká was lacking his favorite partner in the attacking third. There were a few too many turnovers, and the Brazilian again failed to get a shot off through 90 minutes.

MF, Kevin Molino, 5 — The Trinidadian was almost completely invisible in this one, though it’s hard to really blame him. With Turner offering hardly any width down the right side, Molino often found himself swarmed by red shirts.

F, Cyle Larin, 5 — Expectations were high for Larin after his first start against Portland, but he’s looked like the rookie that he is in City’s last two matches. He brings a lot of energy up top, but the touch and finishing isn’t really there yet. He had a couple chances in the air that were close, though maybe he could have done better.

Substitutes

D, Carlos Rivas, 5.5 — Entered in the 65th minute in his customary “super-sub” role. He brought energy and pace, but his shot let him down on two good chances in the final 10′. Blasted a particularly good set-up from Shea way over the goal in the 85th.

MF, Bryan Rochez, 4.5 — A rare extended appearance for the Honduran Designated Player, but he did nothing to change Orlando’s offensive fortunes. A bit lucky not to be red-carded for his push/shove/punch on Damien Perquis after provocation from the French-Polish defender.

MF, Danny Mwanga, 4.5 — Bordering on a no-rating, despite playing almost 18 minutes. That tells you just about all you need to know.

* * *

Another rough night in the Citrus Bowl for Orlando City. Thoughts on our player grades? Let us know in the comment section.

The Lions have a bye week friendly against Brazilian side Ponte Preta next Saturday, May 2, at 7 p.m. They return to MLS action the following Friday, May 8, against the New England Revolution in the Citrus Bowl.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Aurelien Collin 15
Brek Shea 106
Kaká 13
Cyle Larin 1
Other 16
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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

15 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

19 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

2 days 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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