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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Suffer First Loss of 2016

Adrian Winter equalized just before halftime, but Orlando City was done in by a sensational free kick from Tranquillo Barnetta in the 89th minute, as the Lions suffered a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union.

Published

9 years ago

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Austin Warren, The Mane Land

On a bitterly cold Friday evening in Chester, PA, Orlando City’s defense played with fire all night.

And in the 90th minute, they finally got burned.

Tranquillo Barnetta nailed a free kick from just outside the box as the Philadelphia Union (3-2-0, 9 points) handed Orlando City (2-1-2, 8 points) its first loss of the 2016 season, a 2-1 defeat that’s going to sting for a while. Barnetta’s heroics erased a mixed performance from the Lions and turned an impressive goal from Adrian Winter into merely a talking point.

It didn’t take long for disaster to strike in Philly, as Rafael Ramos horribly misplayed a Union cross right to the the feet of C.J. Sapong inside the first two minutes. The 27-year-old might not score an easier goal in his career, as his flick past Joe Bendik put the home team up 1-0 in the second minute.

Philadelphia controlled possession in the early going, as the Orlando City midfield looked out of sorts with Cristian Higuita missing the start with a groin injury and Kaká forced to play higher up the pitch in place of the injured Cyle Larin. The Lions did manage a few probing runs forward, and in the 13th minute, Kaká ripped a shot from the same position he scored against Portland, only for it to trickle just wide of the post.

As the first half wore on, Orlando began to inch closer to an equalizer and earned a handful of corners that kept Union goalkeeper Andre Blake honest. But nothing materialized for the Lions in the final third, as their midfield continued to be victimized by the Philadelphia attack.

In one problematic sequence, MLS veteran Chris Pontius won the ball from Darwin Cerén and Servando Carrasco, managing to hold up play long enough for his teammates to get forward. Even as Orlando looked increasingly dangerous on the counter, it felt like everything else was one play away from falling apart.

Kevin Molino was a bright spot in the first 45 minutes, as he managed to find space in the Union defense and provide plenty of attacking support. And it was Molino who finally helped jumpstart the Orlando City attack just before halftime.

After Antonio Nocerino swiped a back pass in the Union midfield, Molino played a perfect pass to Winter just outside the box. Winter did the rest, shaking his defender and beating Blake to the far post to give Orlando City its first-ever goal against Philadelphia.

More importantly, it tied the match at 1-1 as both teams headed to the locker room.

The Lions picked right up where they left off in the second half, as Kaká found a wide open Winter in the Union box, but his booming shot was tipped over the crossbar by Blake. Winter nearly returned the favor a few minutes later, playing Kaká in, only for the captain’s shot to find the seats.

Orlando City got the better of the chances early in the second half, but the teams played just about evenly down the stretch, although the Union got a boost from the introduction of Barnetta and Fabian Herbers in the 63rd minute. After a few minutes to get into the game, the duo helped flip the field in Philly’s favor and were especially troublesome in the final five minutes of regulation.

The club’s patchwork back line — with Aurélien Collin subbing for the injured Tommy Redding and Luke Boden in for the suspended Brek Shea — continued to flirt with disaster, as a Union corner in the 66th minute was misplayed by Collin and knocked around a bit before Ramos was finally able to clear. A free kick skipped just in front of goal minutes later, deflecting off the head of Bendik and giving Orlando another break.

But just a minute before stoppage time, Orlando’s defensive struggles cost them the match.

Philly earned a free kick from just outside the box, and Barnetta nailed a perfect, swerving free kick that banked off the cross bar and into the Orlando City net. There was nothing Bendik could do.

A blast from Winter minutes later in stoppage time nearly bailed out the Lions, but Blake was up to it with a diving save, and kept Philadelphia ahead. That was Orlando’s final opportunity in a 2-1 defeat to the Union.

Soccer is a cruel sport.

Orlando City is back in action next Sunday, as they welcome the New England Revolution to the Citrus Bowl for a 3:30 p.m. match that will be televised nationally on ESPN.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Experiencing Its Golden Age of Offense

Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire are leading Orlando City to its best offensive seasons.

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4 hours ago

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October 14, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

For most of Orlando City’s MLS history, finding multiple reliable goal scorers has been a struggle. As a result, the team has often been further down the league in goals scored, decreasing its goal difference. However, the duo of Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire has changed that trend and provided the Lions with their best offensive seasons.

Orlando City drafted Cyle Larin with the first pick of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and he quickly became a reliable source of goals. The Canadian international scored a team-record 18 goals across all competitions in his rookie year, and then scored 14 in the following season.

Larin’s production dipped slightly in 2017, scoring 12 goals, and the striker departed following that season. Orlando City has struggled to find someone that can provide the same scoring threat since. Over the next five years, only Nani and Chris Mueller scored double-digit goals in multiple seasons, each doing so twice. Prior to 2023, four other players scored double-digit goals in one season, as Dom Dwyer did it in 2018, Tesho Akindele in 2019, Daryl Dike in 2021, and Ercan Kara in 2022.

The lack of consistent goal production changed in 2022 when the club signed Facundo Torres from Uruguayan side Penarol. The young Designated Player made an immediate impact for his new team, scoring 13 goals in all competitions, including a brace in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final to lift the Lions to their first major trophy.

Torres and Kara combined for an impressive 25 goals that season. Unfortunately, the pair didn’t have much support and the Lions only scored 44 goals in 2022. However, that changed the following year when Orlando City drafted former Creighton striker and Hermann Trophy winner Duncan McGuire.

Torres increased his goal tally to 14 in his second season in Orlando and McGuire netted a team-high 15 in his rookie campaign. The 29 goals scored by the pair were the most by two Orlando City players in an MLS season, topping the 28 goals scored by Larin and Kaká in 2015.

The goal tally has increased in 2024, with Torres scoring a career-high 18 goals, McGuire adding 11, and Ramiro Enrique chipping in with 11 of his own across all competitions. It’s the first time an Orlando City team — including the USL Pro era — has had three players score double-digit goals in one year. It’s also the first time in club history Orlando has had multiple double-digit goal scorers in three consecutive years.

The production by multiple players has seen a significant increase in goals scored by the Lions over the past two seasons. After netting only 44 league goals in 2022, Orlando City scored 55 times in 2023, tying the team’s MLS record previously set in 2016. The Lions surpassed that number this year by scoring 58 goals with one game remaining in the regular season.

The club’s record-setting scoring output comes at a time when Orlando City is playing some of its best defense in its MLS history. The 2023 squad only conceded 39 goals, the fewest in a 34-game season. While it has conceded nine more this year, it’s the second-fewest goals conceded in a season, tying the 2021 team.

The past two seasons have seen Orlando City set new club records in the MLS era for highest goal difference in a 34-game season. The only two years in which the Lions had a positive goal difference prior to 2023 was in a shortened 2020 season, when they were +15 and in 2021 when they were +2. They set a new record in 2023 by finishing +16 and are +10 this year.

The increase in goals and goal difference has resulted in better performances throughout the season. The team set a new club record with 63 points last season, placing second in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Orlando has amassed 52 points so far this season, the club’s second-highest point total since joining MLS.

While the play of the back line has contributed to the team’s recent success, goal production has been the catalyst. For the first time in its history, Orlando City has two reliable goal scorers who have produced in back-to-back seasons. The result is the best back-to-back seasons in the club’s MLS history.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/14/24

Getting to know Martin Ojeda, Orlando Pride unbeaten run ends, USMNT beats Panama, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

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October 14, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and finishing up stream monitoring for an NISA Playoff semifinal match in California. Let’s also wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B forward Wilfredo Rivera. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Getting to Know Martin Ojeda

Orlando City midfielder Martin Ojeda was featured as part of the club’s video series to learn more about the players. In the video, Ojeda gave insight into his beginnings playing soccer when he was three years old and playing for his neighborhood club in South America. He also discussed his style of play, focusing on the attack, creating opportunities, and stating that there is always room to improve. You can check out the rest of the video below.

Pride Unbeaten Run Ends in Loss to Thorns

The Orlando Pride suffered their first loss of the NWSL season on Friday, falling 2-0 to the Portland Thorns. Morgan Weaver and Christine Sinclair scored for the Thorns to seal the win and end Orlando’s 24-match unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 6 of last season. Despite the loss, the Pride remain in first place in the NWSL table with 57 points after winning the NWSL Shield a week ago. The next match for the Pride will be on Sunday on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Keys to Success in Orlando Pride Turnaround

The Athletic ($) took a deep dive into the process that led to the Orlando Pride turnaround this season. The article begins with the Pride joining the NWSL in 2016, their up-and-down seasons, and how recent changes in the last couple of years have set the foundation for the club’s success in 2024. It also shared some unique insights from interviews with staff and players and how the club was eager to make changes after finishing in the bottom half of the table for the last five seasons. The most interesting takeaway for me from reading the article was Head Coach Seb Hines speaking on the process of changing the culture of the club, building that underdog mindset, and how he keeps his players motivated. Although the 24-match unbeaten streak is over, the Pride are breaking records this season and won their first trophy. There’s been plenty to be excited about for the Pride this season, and hopefully they will carry this momentum into the playoffs and make a deep run.

USMNT Defeats Panama in Mauricio Pochettino’s Coaching Debut

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Panama 2-0 on Saturday at Q2 Stadium, securing the first win in Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s debut in a friendly. Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi scored the USMNT’s goals in the second half to secure the victory. Matt Turner started in goal, and Christian Pulisic added an assist to set up Musah’s goal. The USMNT will face Mexico in Guadalajara on Tuesday. Pulisic, Pepi, and Weston McKennie will miss the match to return to their respective European clubs. Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen will also return to their clubs.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned a clean sheet on international duty as his Peru side defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying match on Friday. Wilder Cartagena and Facundo Torres did not play in the match.
  • Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina and forward Adriana were called up to the Brazil Women’s National Team for friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29.
  • Sports Illustrated listed five MLS players that could move abroad this off-season, mentioning Orlando City’s Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire as potential targets.
  • Angel City FC forward Christen Press scored her first goal in 28 months over the weekend in a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage. Press had been sidelined due to an ACL injury requiring four surgeries before returning to action.
  • Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga broke an NWSL record after scoring her 19th goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Bay FC over the weekend.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/11/24

Orlando Pride in Portland, U.S. men and women news, international upsets, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

October 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Milton has finally made its way out of Florida, though many of us will be dealing with the aftermath for a while. We hope that you and yours are safe and that the damage is minimal. I know that many are still without power — which is why I’m writing Lion Links today instead of Marcus Mitchell. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride play in Portland tonight, although it will be a late one. Let’s get to the links.

Pride in Portland

The Orlando Pride may be the NWSL Shield winners, but with three matches left in the regular season, the job is not done. Now, the club will take on the Portland Thorns. The Thorns haven’t been great as of late, but Providence Park is a tough place to play. While the club is focused on the upcoming playoffs, the Pride still want to finish undefeated in the regular season. Portland, like many clubs, are fighting for a playoff spot.

USWNT Players in the News

Lindsey Horan didn’t have the best Olympics in my opinion, but she is doing very well in her start to Lyon’s season. She’s scored five goals in four matches to help Lyon top the table. Back home, Crystal Dunn is being honored by Empowerment on the East River hosted by Black Players for Change.

USMNT in Action

The USMNT plays its first match under Mauricio Pochettino Saturday night against Panama, and you can watch it on multiple platforms. There are no conflicts of interest this go-around, but next year, some players will need to choose between playing in the Club World Cup or the Gold Cup.

International Results

Orlando City, and all the other teams and leagues, aren’t playing right now due to an international break. The matches have already begun. Perhaps the biggest news was Greece’s stunning 2-1 win over England. The victory puts Greece atop Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League competition.

Over in Group A2, Italy blew a two-goal lead to draw Belgium 2-2. There were plenty of other results, including Erling Haaland becoming his country’s all-time top scorer after scoring a brace in Norway’s 3-0 win over Slovenia. If you want to catch more matches, here’s where you can watch.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our Pride match recap, and follow The Mane Land on Twitter during the match. Vamos Orlando!

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