Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 1-1 as Molino Scores Again

The Lions played much better in Round 2 against the Red Bulls in Kaká’s return but split the points after going down to 10 men late in the match.

Published

8 years ago

on

Matt Starkey, The Mane Land

Orlando City is still unbeaten at home (1-0-4) but is now winless in five matches after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against New York Red Bulls (3-6-1, 10 points) in front of 31,264 fans at Camping World Stadium. Kevin Molino’s second-half goal rescued a point for the hosts, who played much better than in a 3-2 loss against the same opponents on the road two weeks ago.

The Lions (2-2-5, 11 points) may have been fortunate to earn the point, finishing the game on 10 men after Cristian Higuita was sent off late in the second half.

Head Coach Adrian Heath had more or less his entire roster to choose from and started the same back five (back line plus Joe Bendik), with a central midfield of Antonio Nocerino, Higuita and Darwin Ceren, with Kaká and Molino attacking behind Cyle Larin up top.

The Lions finished with a slight possession advantage (50.5%-49.5%), out-shot New York 12-5 (4-2 in shots on target) and earned seven corners without conceding one. The Red Bulls were good on 50/50 balls though, with a 69-44 advantage in duels won. It was a good performance, but the goalkeeping of Luis Robles and some missed chances by Orlando played a factor in yet another draw for the Lions.

“I thought we deserved more this evening. I’m disappointed for the players,” Heath said after the match. “I thought the effort they put in tonight could have warranted three points. But you never, ever underestimate a point against a really good team. I’m delighted with the boys this evening.”

As usual, the Red Bulls opened with high pressure that bothered Orlando’s back seven. New York punished the Lions for making slow, lazy passes, turning them over and building attacks. Still, Orlando got the game’s first good opportunity when Larin got behind the defense. He tried to chip Robles but instead the ball sailed over the bar.

Bradley Wright-Phillips opened the scoring just 19 minutes in when Sacha Kljestan threaded a pass into the box and Seb Hines lost track of the Red Bulls’ striker. Bendik tried to come off his line to challenge the shot but he could not get out in time and BWP slotted home.

Things got chippy in the first, with Aurelien Collin earning a yellow for a foul on Molino. Orlando apparently felt Ted Unkel wasn’t calling the game evenly as both Rafael Ramos and Kaká picked up first-half bookings for dissent.

After the goal, the Red Bulls sagged back a bit more and Orlando saw more of the ball, possessing the ball 52.7% of the first half. Despite more possession, the Lions’ attack broke down time and again due to an errant pass, a misread movement, or a timely Red Bulls interception.

Robles preserved New York’s lead in the 39th minute when Kaká found space and ripped a shot on target. The goalkeeper made a diving stop but left a juicy rebound for Larin, who fired low enough for Robles to parry away. Larin should have done better with the shot but it was a great save.

Orlando looked to have a golden opportunity to tie the game in the dying seconds of the first half when Collin fouled Hines in the box. Unkel pointed to the spot but the assistant referee ruled Hines just offside and yet another close decision this season went to the side not wearing purple, giving New York the 1-0 lead at the break.

The Lions picked up where they left off after the break, getting balls into the box but New York’s maligned back line dealt with them well. Ronald Zubar in particular cut out a couple of dangerous crosses. New York got an opportunity when Mike Grella was fouled just outside the box but nothing came of the free kick.

Kaká nearly put the Lions on the board with a near-post effort that got side netting in the 56th. Six minutes later, Larin headed over the bar as Orlando City kept the pressure on.

That pressure finally paid off in the 67th minute, when Larin got on the end of a Ceren long ball, cut into the box with a heavy touch, and the ball bounced between defenders, behind Kaká, right to Molino, who buried it past a helpless Robles to tie the game.

A few yellow cards later, Kljestan nearly broke that tie in the 72nd minute with a volley opportunity he hit over the bar. Five minutes later, New York should have taken the lead but a Felipe shot was deflected out off of Gonzalo Veron for a goal kick with Ramos defending desperately.

New York settled in and waited patiently after that, content to get a road point but a scramble just outside the box turned disastrous for Orlando City when Higuita was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Kljestan. The New York midfielder has now earned two yellow cards and a red card on the Colombian.

Orlando City got a final opportunity with the ball ping-ponging around in the box, but no one in purple could get on the end of it and the final whistle blew on a 1-1 draw.

The Lions are back in action in nine days with a trip to play Sporting Kansas City.

I leave you with a limerick in honor of tonight’s referee, Ted Unkel (who actually made the right call on Higuita but made a mess of a lot of other things on this night):

There once was a man named Ted Unkel
Did his job like a pile of junkel
He handed out reds
And filled fans with dread
And refereed like he was drunkel

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

2 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

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

1 day ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

,
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!

Continue Reading

Trending