Orlando City Stock Watch: Lions Struggle to Maintain Form

The Orlando City Lions limped into their Saturday night match with FC Dallas, and left with no points and a few more bruises to show for their trouble.

Michael Citro has five takeaways from the match, Andrew Marcinko has handed out his player grades, and me? I've got your Stock Watch on deck.

Rising

Pedro Ribeiro – Pedro did everything he could to get the team a positive result, but poor luck and worse officiating kept him from impacting the game the way he deserved. After calmly scoring from 16 yards to equalize in the second half, the linesman's flag was the only thing that could stop the energetic utility player, and it surely (and wrongly) did. Late in the game, it was Ribeiro's work in the box that drew the penalty leading to Rivas' blunder from the spot. With as shorthanded as the Lions were in this one, his effort deserves positive recognition.

Holding

Seb Hines – Playing alongside both Sean St. Ledger and Aurélien Collin, Sebby was accurate with his passes both short and long to keep himself relevant in possession as well as on defense. Did his part to block a shot and remained relentless in recovery, leading the team with five clearances in a game that may well have been uglier if not for his efforts.

Falling

Luke Boden – Bodz seemed out of sorts over the weekend, with an uncharacteristically low passing rate (76.9%) and a failure to put a single cross on target. Began to look a little more comfortable after the half when Adrian Heath gave him Rivas to play with on the left, but completely melted down as the game ended, gathering two yellows and ensuring he’d sit for the New York Red Bulls game.

Lewis Neal – Andrew Marcinko said it well in his player grades report — this attacking midfielder failed to complete a pass in the attacking third. Quite possibly the quietest 34 touches we’ve seen in the Citrus Bowl this season, while Neal did little to give himself a shot at the blooper reel, there is also nothing that stands out positively.

Carlos Rivas – A tough match for the young winger, initially asked to play up top before reverting back to his more natural spot on the left. Rivas struggled on the ball from whistle to whistle, being dispossessed a horrific 10 times. FC Dallas, for perspective’s sake, was dispossessed nine times, collectively.

Did well to find Pedro Ribeiro’s run in the 56th before the ref mistakenly called offside, negating any positive momentum that would have come with the tying goal. With a shot at denying the clean sheet from the penalty spot, Rivas instead aimed at the hot dog vendor working the aisle in Row T, showing good power to get the ball that deep into the stands.

***

Going into the match without Kaká, Brek Shea, Kevin Molino, Cyle Larin, Darwin Ceren, Tony Cascio or Martin Paterson was never an enviable task. The Lions have a midweek friendly against West Brom before getting a chance to right the ship in MLS play against New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Polling Closed