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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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Orlando City finally got back into the win column with a 2-1 win over Montreal. Impact fans may feel a bit salty about not getting an offside call on Cyle Larin on the last goal and Mauro Biello certainly disagreed about the foul call that led to the first, but if all of the early season bad calls (and bad no-calls) that cost the Lions points are going to even out over the long haul, it’s got to start somewhere, and I’m certainly not going to feel bad for anyone over it.

The Lions started the match kind of a mess, and Montreal did grab a much deserved early lead. But as the game wore on, a funny thing happened — Orlando City started to play as a team. Adrian Heath promised lineup changes and we got them. He put Cristian Higuita and Servando Carrasco in the central midfield above his back line and went with an attacking midfield of Carlos Rivas, Kaká, and Adrian Winter, pushing Antonio Nocerino and Kevin Molino to the bench. Seb Hines returned to the starting lineup but his night ended early with another knock.

I had a lot of very low ratings running through my head for the first half hour of the match, but now some of these will probably be scoffed at as too high. That’s OK. These are my grades and disagreement isn’t a bad thing. Let’s get to those player ratings.

Starters

G, Joe Bendik, 9 (MOTM) -€” Another sparkling outing for the former Toronto FC man, who made some key saves in the second half, including somehow stopping a deflected shot one-handed while moving the other direction. He came off his line twice to prevent dangerous chances for Montreal and finished with six saves on the seven Montreal shots on goal, including a huge save in the 71st on Oduro. The only one he couldn’t keep out took a deflection and he could do nothing about it. Kept the game level long enough for the Lions to find a late winner.

D, Brek Shea, 5 -€” He spent much of the first half trying to get booked (and eventually succeeding in the 41st minute), getting a lecture in the 11th and 29th minutes from referee Mark Geiger. Venegas flopped in the 40th to try to get him booked, and succeeded, but the left back should never have gone after the Montreal player, after having already won the free kick. Should have scored off a cross in the 51st minute but the ball went between his legs as he attacked the net. Worked well with Rivas down the left, though, so it wasn’t all bad for Brek.

D, David Mateos, 7 -€” Solid if unspectacular night for the Spaniard. Headed away a free kick in the 24th minute. Worked well with both Seb Hines and Tommy Redding, teaming up to keep Oduro and Piatti from getting many quality looks. Completed 87.2% of his passes and completed five of his seven long balls.

D, Seb Hines, 7 -€” Was having a good night before leaving in the 40th minute with a knock. Completed 94.7% of his passes and all five long balls were accurate. Stopped Oduro in the open field just moments before Piatti opened the scoring. Dispossessed Lucas Ontivero in the 30th off a free kick to clear the danger.

D, Rafael Ramos, 3 -€” Before leaving with an apparent hamstring injury in the 34th minute, the Portuguese youth international was having somewhat of a nightmare game. He was beaten on Ignacio Piatti’s goal in the fourth minute, he allowed a free kick with an unnecessary foul in the corner, and Dominic Oduro also beat him in the 15th minute, before having his cross deflected. Speaking of deflected crosses, neither of his were accurate. Ramos had one blocked and mishit another. Just a tough night all around for the youngster.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 6.5 -€” Started the match a bit tough, deflecting the Piatti shot that beat Bendik and taking a couple rough challenges, but came into the game as it wore on. He completed 80% of his passes and two of his five long balls were accurate. He finished with two tackles, two clearances, three interceptions and a blocked shot and helped Higuita lock down the middle of the pitch just above the back line.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 -€” Led the team in tackles (6), interceptions (6) and clearances (5) and completed 86.2% of his passes. Tracked back in the 33rd off a Ramos turnover to thwart the counter attack. Was better in the air than usual, getting his head on a few of Montreal’s set piece crosses to clear the danger. I have to mark him down a bit for taking a silly yellow card for dissent when a call went against him in the 53rd after he thought he’d dispossessed Piatti cleanly.

MF, Carlos Rivas, 5.5 -€” It was a night of almosts for the Colombian, who may have been a tad rusty after not seeing the field much recently. Used his speed to get up the left wing and create havoc but only three of his team-high nine crosses were accurate. Nearly served up an easy goal for Baptista, but the pass was just off. Came close to an Olimpico on a corner kick but it was cleared by Montreal. Completed just 66.7% of his passes and took an unnecessary yellow card for kicking the ball away to keep Montreal from playing quickly. Made a bad play going for goal in the 89th from a bad angle rather than heading to the corner to waste some valuable seconds. He was an agent of chaos, but that’s not always a bad thing.

MF, Kaká, 8 -€” If not for some slight disappearances in the opening 20 or 25 minutes, this could have been an even better night for the captain. Assisted on both of Larin’s goals and took three shots, forcing a save on one. Got in alone on goal and Wandrille Lefevre had to be perfect on his tackle to avoid a penalty. Led the team with four key passes. Really asserted himself in the game starting late in the first half and willed his team to victory.

MF, Adrian Winter, 6 -€” Typical hustle game for Winter but he didn’t really get into dangerous spaces with the ball, had only one key pass, and didn’t get any attempts at goal. Earned an early yellow card with a couple of crunching tackles and settled down after that. Managed only 25 touches in his 74 minutes.

F, Cyle Larin, 8.5 -€” Scored one with his head and one with his foot, and got into dangerous spaces all night. He earned the free kick that led to his first goal, sprinting up the left sideline. Lefevre got the ball cleanly on the slide tackle but raised his boots and took down the Canadian. Three of his game-high five shots were on target, including a header at Evan Bush in the 75th minute and the two goals. It wasn’t a perfect night, as he took a heavy touch in the clear in the 55th and shot just wide from a poor angle instead of squaring the ball to an open teammate for the easy goal. Still, a good night for Kid Fantastic, who got his first multi-goal game of the season.

Substitutes

D, Kevin Alston (34′), 7 -€” Subbing in for the injured Ramos in the first half, Alston showed well in the game. Adrian Heath called his efforts “smashing” after the match. He missed on a few passes and long balls, and he took a yellow after getting beat by Piatti in the 66th, but defended well overall and was an attacking presence. His wicked cross in the 87th had to be punched away by Bush.

D, Tommy Redding (40′), 7.5 -€” Spelled Hines and picked up where the starter left off with a fantastic performance. His vital tackle on Piatti in the box in the 73rd minute had to be perfect and it was. In the 80th, he shut down Michael Salazar’s bid to get past and into the box with a neat tackle. Finished with only three tackles but all were 1-v-1 and kept Montreal from generating a dangerous chance. He also completed 86.7% of his passes and both of his long balls were accurate. His positioning wasn’t always perfect but the youngster played well.

MF, Julio Baptista (75′), 6 -€” It wasn’t the best outing for The Beast until his gorgeous chip to Kaká set the winning goal in motion, although he did complete 85.7% of his passes. Fell in the box on a Rivas cross while trying to reset his feet to get a shot off. Attempted one shot but it was off target.

* * *

Those are my grades for the Lions’ skid-snapping win over Montreal. Please vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match in the poll below and let me know what your ratings were.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Kaká 118
Cyle Larin 43
Joe Bendik 149
Cristian Higuita 34
Tommy Redding 12
Other 12
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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/11/24

Orlando Pride playoff ticket information, USMNT draws New Zealand on awful late goal on the day it formally announces Mauricio Pochettino, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

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September 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. We have a full weekend of fun ahead with all three teams in action. The Orlando Pride start things off on Friday, with Orlando City playing Saturday, and Orlando City B finishing things up on Sunday. Hopefully, we can have a nine-point weekend.

Of course, today is a day of remembrance of those who lost their lives both on that tragic day in 2001 and from the effects that followed. Take a moment today to let those you love know that you love them. Let’s get to the links.

Pride Power into Playoffs

We know the Orlando Pride have already made the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, but now you can let the club know if you are interested in potential playoff tickets before things get crazy. It’s nice knowing that we don’t have to wait until decision day to find out if the Pride are in. They are. Decisively. In the least surprising news ever, the Pride topped both the ESPN NWSL Power Rankings, and the Goal.com NWSL Power Rankings once again.

Pochettino Hiring Official

The hiring that everyone knew was coming was made official Tuesday as Mauricio Pochettino was named as the new head coach of the USMNT. Pochettino is the type of big name hire that U.S. fans have been waiting for following the double stint of Gregg Berhalter. Pochettino will be expected to get the best out of what some consider the greatest generation of American soccer players when he leads them to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

USMNT Draws New Zealand

The same night that Pochettino was announced as the new USMNT head coach, his new team played New Zealand to an uninspiring 1-1 draw. Christian Pulisic put the Yanks ahead in the 69th minute, but the U.S. was unable to see the match out, allowing an 89th-minute equalizer on a completely awful goal that was misplayed by both Caleb Wiley and Mark McKenzie, with the latter providing the finish with a clearance attempt off of New Zealand’s Ben Waine, over Matt Turner, and into his own net. The match was only a friendly, but it illustrates the need for the new coach.

The Growth of the NWSL

The NWSL is in a good place. The league is growing both in the number of member clubs and in the attendance at matches across the league. There are many reasons for it, including the Olympics and big name stars like Marta and the recently retired Alex Morgan, but most importantly, the growing fanbase for the women’s game. ESPN spoke to general managers at every club in the league to get an idea of the challenges in the ever-changing landscape that is the NWSL. All the answers were anonymous, but it’s still very insightful information.

Free Kicks

  • In the ongoing series from the Orlando Pride, it’s now time for you to get to know Carrie Lawrence.
  • Let’s keep the clean sheets coming, Anna Moorhouse.
  • Declan Rice was a bit petty in Arsenal’s match against Brighton last weekend, nudging the ball away from his opponent on a free kick. The action earned him a second yellow and a sending off. Now, the board that reviews referee decisions has stated it was the correct call.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for this weekend’s matches.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/10/24

Marta nominated for NWSL Goal of the Week, Orlando Pride happy to clinch playoff spot, Lions on international duty, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was another good weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B combined to pick up all six points on offer. Hopefully that trend can continue and get even better once Orlando City resumes play this Saturday. We’ve got a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s get after it.

Marta Nominated for Goal of the Week

The Pride took down the Chicago Red Stars 1-0 on Sunday, with Marta singlehandedly winning the game for the Pride courtesy of an absolutely outstanding strike from outside the box. Unsurprisingly, that effort has earned her a nomination for NWSL Goal of the Week. While she’s facing some stiff competition, I think it’s safe to say that her goal is comfortably the best of the bunch. Go make sure everyone else knows it, and vote for her to win this week’s award!

Pride Speak On Clinched Playoff Spot

The Pride discussed the team’s mentality after clinching a playoff spot following this weekend’s results. Head Coach Seb Hines highlighted the heartbreak of narrowly missing the postseason in 2023 and how that was a motivator this season. That sentiment was echoed by both Marta and Haley McCutcheon, with both players speaking on making the postseason and the team’s bigger goals this year.

Lions on International Duty

David Brekalo is on international duty with Slovenia, and was part of his team’s victory in UEFA Nations League play on Monday. Brekalo started at right back and spent 87 minutes on the field, as Slovenia beat Kazakhstan 3-0 courtesy of a hat trick by star man Benjamin Sesko. The result leaves Slovenia atop League B Group 3 with four points after a 1-1 draw with Austria on Friday as well. Meanwhile, Facundo Torres and Uruguay face Venezuela at 6 p.m. tonight in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Torres came on as a sub with 10 minutes to go in Uruguay’s 0-0 draw with Paraguay on Friday, so we’ll see if he’s involved two matches in a row. Best of luck, Facu!

USMNT Takes On New Zealand Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will try to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Canada when it takes on New Zealand today at 7 p.m. in Cincinnati. The All Whites are ranked 94th in the world and have won four of their last five games. The USMNT midfield will need to have a much better showing than it did against the Canadians, as Johnny Cardoso, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman were collectively outgunned by the opposition. It’ll also be worth keeping an eye on the goalkeeper situation, as Patrick Schulte played well in the 2-1 loss, and has probably earned another start. There’s plenty to watch for, so make sure you tune in and see if the team can get back on the right track.

International Break Roundup

With the international break still in full swing, there were a number of big games yesterday that we need to catch up on. In the marquee match of the day, France rebounded from a 3-1 loss to Italy in UEFA Nations League play by comfortably dispatching Belgium 2-0, courtesy of goals from Randal Kolo-Muania and Ousmane Dembele. Italy made it two wins in two attempts by knocking off Israel 2-1, with a 90th minute goal from Mohammad Abu Fani not enough to get Israel its first point in the competition. In the Concacaf Nations League, Curacao posted an eye-popping score by beating St. Martin 4-0, only for Haiti to better that result by hammering Sint Maarten 6-0.

Free Kicks

  • In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Pride have been outstanding this year.

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/9/24

Orlando Pride win in Chicago, McKinley Crone signs new contract, Orlando City B defeats Crown Legacy FC, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

September 9, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Under Armour has been keeping me busy, and I got to cover some high school tennis and swimming this past week. The Orlando Pride and Orlando City B were in action this weekend and both teams got a win. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Shut Out Chicago Red Stars

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride got a 1-0 win on the road against the Chicago Red Stars to extend their unbeaten streak to 20 matches across all competitions. The run also ties the NWSL league record including playoff games, matching the Washington Spirit’s 20-match unbeaten run in 2021 and 2022. Marta scored the lone goal in the match to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride remain in first in the NWSL standings with 47 points, with the Washington Spirit in second with 41, and the Kansas City Current in third with 38. With a playoff spot already clinched, the Pride are aiming for the NWSL Shield as the top team in the league. The Pride will return home at Inter&Co Stadium on Friday to face the Kansas City Current.

Orlando Pride Sign McKinley Crone to New Contract

The Orlando Pride announced on Friday that the club reached an agreement with backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone on a new contract that runs through the 2026 NWSL season. Undrafted before joining Orlando as a non-roster invitee during the preseason in 2023, Crone progressed to being Orlando’s backup goalkeeper in 2024. Crone made her professional debut on July 20 in a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The 25-year-old made five saves on six shots to help the Pride stay unbeaten across all competitions. With this latest move, the club has secured Anna Moorhouse, Crone, and Sofia Manner as their goalkeepers for next season.

Orlando City B Defeats Crown Legacy FC

Orlando City B got a 4-1 victory on the road against Crown Legacy FC on Sunday. Alex Freeman scored twice in the first half to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead going into halftime. Crown Legacy scored in the second half, but OCB continued to do well on both sides of the ball to take all three points. OCB is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, and its next match will be back home on Sunday to take on New England Revolution II.

USMNT Falls to Canada in Friendly

On Saturday, the United States Men’s National Team lost 2-1 to Canada at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City in a friendly. It’s the USMNT’s first loss to Canada on home soil in 67 years, ending a 23-match unbeaten streak against Canada in the U.S. Jacob Shaffelburg and Jonathan David scored for Canada, while Luca de la Torre scored his first goal for the USMNT. The Yanks are on a three-match losing streak and will face New Zealand in Cincinnati on Tuesday at TQL Stadium.

Alex Morgan Plays Final Match

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan played in her final match as a professional soccer player on Sunday after a nearly 14-year career. Morgan had a penalty kick saved by Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy and was subbed off early in the first half, as the Wave lost 4-1 at Snapdragon Stadium. Morgan announced last week that she will retire from professional soccer after this match, while also announcing that she is pregnant with her second child. She played six seasons with the Pride and spent the last three seasons in San Diego, winning the NWSL Golden Boot in 2022 and helping the Wave win the NWSL Shield in 2023.

Free Kicks

  • Pride defenders Kerry Abello and Kylie Strom made the NWSL Best XI for August.
  • Orlando Pride midfielder Viviana Villacorta was removed from the season-ending injury list.
  • The U.S. Soccer Federation is reportedly close to officially naming Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach for the USMNT.
  • Tampa Bay Sun FC secured its first win in the USL Super League with a 3-2 win on the road against Lexington SC on Sunday.

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

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