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Orlando City at New York Red Bulls: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Concede Three Times After the Break

Orlando City clawed its way to halftime with a clean sheet intact, but a three-goal second half powered New York Red Bulls past the Lions in New Jersey, running the Lions’ winless streak to three games.

Published

8 years ago

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Matt Starkey, The Mane Land

Orlando City was back in New York for the second time this season, and just like their first trip, the Lions nicked a goal in the opening minutes of the match. Unlike their first trip, however, the Lions were sent home with a loss after a three-goal second half propelled the New York Red Bulls to a 3-2 victory.

Without the services of his captain, Kaká, due to a groin injury, Adrian Heath deployed his troops in a 4-4-2 formation for the first time in Orlando’s MLS history with Júlio Baptista alongside Cyle Larin up top, and the Lions didn’t take long to get the party started in Harrison, NJ.

Things started quickly for Orlando thanks to a tidy sequence between Baptista, Rafael Ramos and Larin. Baptista notched the hockey assist when he played a ball from the middle of the pitch out to the right to Ramos, where Ramos found Larin on a near-post run with a cross that the Canadian easily finished past Luis Robles. The marking was poor from the back line as Larin hardly had to use his big body at all to shield Ramos’ service, but it was an efficient play from the Lions to open the scoring and grab a quick 1-0 lead.

The rest of the half — and the match — was much more red than purple.

The Red Bulls created a number of first-half chances against an OCSC back line that looked shaky and needed last-second blocks from Brek Shea and Tommy Redding, along with a wonder save from Joe Bendik and a goal-line clearance from Larin just to get to half with a clean sheet intact. Bendik claimed what will almost surely be a Save of the Week nominee in minute 45, when he lunged back to his left to stop a cross-goal, volleyed effort from Mike Grella off a ball from Sacha Kljestan — an effort that seemed almost certain to level things for New York.

Bradley Wright-Phillips appeared to have equalized earlier in minute six, but was correctly ruled offside after he put back a rebound off a Bendik save.

While New York was unable to finish a number of dangerous chances — many of which were facilitated by Kljestan — on 56% possession in the opening half, it was the more threatening side throughout the first 45 minutes. Had it not been for a few desperation stops and a bit of bad luck for the hosts, things could have easily been level, or worse, for the Lions at the break.

Bendik came up large again in minute 54, when he made another great reaction save to stop a low shot from Felipe off a Kljestan dish, but he couldn’t stop the onslaught that was about to come, as all the bad luck the Red Bulls have seen in 2016 seemed to turn the other way in an explosive 10-minute stretch.

Kljestan’s playmaking was finally rewarded in the 65th minute when the midfielder nutmegged Redding to set up an equalizer for Grella, who coolly slotted past Bendik. Grella paid it forward just four minutes later when he set up BWP’s first score of the year on a chip from the right side of the box that may have found its way in anyway had Wright-Phillips not tapped it home at the post. The levee now seemingly broken for the City defense, BWP notched his second in the 75th to make it 3-1 Red Bulls off a sweet curling assist from Lloyd Sam on the right wing, and the Red Bulls were rolling.

That didn’t stop City from trying to claw its way back, though.

Larin misfired on a header from six yards, after Ramos did some creative work to free himself and fire in a solid cross from the right in minute 81. Three minutes later, Karl Ouimette was served a bit of karmic revenge (more on that in a bit), as the defender put a Carlos Rivas corner into his own net after it redirected off his knee to make it 3-2 in the late stages and give the Lions hope of salvaging a point.

Things didn’t get much better on the defensive end for the Lions though, as Bendik was forced to make another pair of great stops and OCSC was unable to manufacture any more truly dangerous chances to equalize on the attack. Shea managed a cross into a vulnerable area in stoppage time, but the only Lion close enough to leap for it was Kevin Molino, who couldn’t elevate enough to get anything on the ball.

This week’s officiating snafu came just before the avalanche of goals when Orlando City was hurt by a no-call against the aforementioned Oiumette. The New York defender scissor-tackled Larin from behind just outside the 18 to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, but referee Hilario Grajeda swallowed his whistle and said play on. The foul, if called properly, would not have resulted in an OCSC penalty kick, but the Lions would have had a free kick in a dangerous area and a one-man advantage for the final half-hour of the evening.

Instead, the Red Bulls finally found a breakthrough, and the BWP brace lifted the Red Bulls to their first win of the 2016 season after amassing only three points through the first seven matches of the campaign. The Lions now sit on nine points through seven matches, and will fall in the table following wins for D.C. and Columbus. New York finished the game with nearly 60% of the possession and a 25-11 shot advantage, accurately reflecting the level of play we saw from Orlando City for the majority of the night.

The Lions will be back in action Saturday at New England at 7:30 p.m.

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union

Get caught up with everything you need to know about the Philadelphia Union from someone who knows them best.

Published

19 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City is set to continue a difficult May schedule Saturday, and will try to avoid a three-game losing streak in the process. This week sees the Lions travel north to face the Philadelphia Union, which will be the first of three taking place in a span of eight days, with two of those on the road, forcing Orlando to shuttle back and forth across the country.

A date with the Union means I caught up with Joe Lister of the always excellent Philadelphia Soccer Now. As usual, Joe was very helpful in getting us caught up on what’s been happening with the Union, and I also answered some of his questions about OCSC, which you can find over at their place.

Run me through Philadelphia’s off-season transfer business. Are there any new names who have stood out?

Joe Lister: Philadelphia’s transfer business is nearly nonexistent. They sold a few guys, but didn’t really bring anyone notable in. The group that will be available against Orlando on Saturday is the same group that’s been around with the team for (generally) two or three years.

Quinn Sullivan, however, has been a relevation this season. His brother, Cavan, has obviously been in the news as of late. However, Quinn, 20, has been great for Philly. He’s got great pace down the side of the pitch and has a motor that doesn’t seem to quit. If he can perfect his final touch, he’ll make the Union a good bit of money.

It’s still quite early in the season, but its strange to see the Union not occupying their typical spot near the top of the East. Is there any concern among the fanbase, or are people largely happy with what they’ve seen so far?

JL: People are upset. This team, by Philly fans’ standards, sucks. The Eastern Conference is obviously super tough this year (Miami and RBNY are worth shoutouts), but Philadelphia just isn’t performing. They nearly lost three games in a row for the first time since 2017 with their draw against D.C. United. They were saved by a blast from Jack McGlynn that they didn’t necessarily deserve.

The Union are underwhelming. The front office has operated under the impression that the teams from 2020, 2021, and 2022 can still compete in MLS. The issue is that while the league has gotten better, the Union have just gotten worse.

The Union’s only two losses of the season have come at home. Is that simply down to playing two good teams in Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders, or is there something else at play there?

JL: That’s just the team being in a funk. Again, this team is underperforming by Philadelphia’s standards. Losing at home is a true showcase of how far this team has fallen. I think the Union will be fine longterm — this is a playoff team, but nothing more than that.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

JL: Defender Olivier Mbaizo and goalkeeper Andre Blake were both out for last match with injuries. Blake’s been in-and-out all season, but I think the team has started to realize that backup Oliver Semmle is good enough that the three-time Goalkeeper of the Year doesn’t need to always be on the pitch. Julian Carranza is also suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Lineup (4-4-2 diamond): Oliver Semmle; Kai Wagner, Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes, Nathan Harriel; Jose Martinez; Leon Flach, Alejandro Bedoya; Daniel Gazdag; Quinn Sullivan, Mikael Uhre.

I think this is a 2-2 draw. Based on where the Union are at right now, Orlando will get two first-half goals, the Union will pull back in the second half. Feels like a game where Daniel Gazdag should find the net at some point.

Thank you to Joe for the inside info on the Union. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/10/24

Orlando City hits the road, Angelina has a successful knee procedure, Europa League final is set, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

on

May 10, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I don’t have many plans for the weekend beyond working and looking after my friend’s cat, but I’m hoping it’s a fairly relaxing next few days. Both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are in action tomorrow night, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. For now, let’s get to today’s links!

Orlando City Prepares for the Philadelphia Union

After a tough loss at home to FC Cincinnati, Orlando City hits the road for a tough match against the Philadelphia Union tomorrow night. The Lions showed plenty of fight in that loss, which included a red card to Rodrigo Schlegel and injuries to both Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Rafael Santos. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke about the matchup against the Union and stated that Thorhallsson is in concussion protocol and that both he and Santos are day-to-day heading into this match.

The Lions at least won’t have to worry about Philadelphia forward Julian Carranza in this match, as he will miss it due to yellow card accumulation. Both teams have struggled in recent weeks, with the Lions winless in their last three games and the Union winless in their last four. Orlando managed to beat the Union on the road last year and will need to do it again to climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Angelina Will Be Evaluated Weekly for Return

Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina had a successful arthroscopic procedure on her knee and will be evaluated by the club’s medical team for a return to the field on a week-to-week basis. She suffered the injury late in the Pride’s 4-1 win over the North Carolina Courage, and rookie Ally Lemos filled in for her in the team’s 1-0 win against Racing Louisville. Angelina signed with the Pride this past off-season and has been a major reason why the Pride are undefeated in 2024. The Brazilian has done well on both sides of the ball and has a goal and an assist to her name so far, while bringing stability to the midfield. Hopefully, she returns to the Pride’s midfield sooner rather than later.

Philadelphia Union Sign 14-Year-Old Cavan Sullivan

The Philadelphia Union have a penchant for developing young players and have now signed 14-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan to a Homegrown Player contract that will last through 2028. Sullivan, who is the brother of Quinn Sullivan, is now the fifth-youngest signing in MLS history. He excelled in the past two Generation Adidas Cups with the Union and made his debut for Philadelphia Union II earlier this year. When he turns 18, he will reportedly be transferred to Manchester City as well, so it will be interesting to see how he does in MLS until then.

Leverkusen and Atalanta Reach Europa League Final

Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta both got the job done in second legs at home to advance to the Europa League final. The match in Germany between Leverkusen and Roma was a wild one, with Leverkusen managing yet another late comeback to draw 2-2 and advance on aggregate after winning the first leg. The draw extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak to 49 games and it can secure a treble by the end of the month. In the other semifinal, Atalanta cruised to a 3-0 win over Marseille. The Italian club will have a chance at silverware in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus on May 15 before the Europa League final on May 22 in Ireland.

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy these sights and sounds from the Pride’s gritty win over Racing Louisville.
  • Olivier Renard is no longer the vice president and chief sporting officer of CF Montreal, with the two sides agreeing to part ways.
  • PSV Eindhoven reportedly won’t be exercising the option to sign American right back Sergino Dest, who joined the Dutch club on loan from Barcelona last year.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City at Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points on the road at Philadelphia?

Published

2 days ago

on

May 9, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City travels to the City of Brotherly Love hoping to get back on the winning track against the Philadelphia Union. The Union are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points, and have a 3-2-5 record overall. However, the Union are 1-2-1 at home. Subaru Park hasn’t been the fortress it was in 2023 — though Orlando City did give them their first home loss last season.

Of course, the Lions are riding a two-match losing streak heading into this match. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from the Union on the road?

Defense, Defense, Defense

The Union have scored 19 goals so far this season and over half of them have come from Daniel Gazdag (6), and Julian Carranza (4). Obviously, stopping those two is a priority. However, the Union also have excellent midfielders in Alejandro Bedoya and Jack McGlynn — the two players that scored in the Union’s last match against DC United.

I feel like a broken record, but Orlando City’s defense needs to stop making the dumb mistakes that have resulted in way too many goals this season. Philadelphia’s attackers will punish the Lions if that is allowed to happen yet again. So please, for the sake of my sanity, stop giving up the stupid goals.

Score Some *%$#ing Goals

The Union have given up 16 goals so far this season. Philadelphia is not some impenetrable defense, meaning the Lions should have chances to score against the Union. The bigger questions is: Will Orlando City find the back of the net? The dearth of goals so far this season is a great source of frustration for all who support this club. It’s not necessarily the shots that go in — though that does stink — but the missed opportunities.

Orlando City has had more passes/crosses just past a toe or just over a head, and more bobbled balls at a player’s feet than I care to count this season. The missed opportunities are a good reason for the results we’ve seen. I’ve spent plenty of time wishing for Facundo Torres, Luis Muriel, and Martin Ojeda to start scoring. Now, I’ll be happy with any player putting it in the back of the net. Robin Jansson header? Yes, please. Michael Halliday deflects it in with his face? I’ll take it. Own goal by the opposition? Bring it on. Just score some darn goals.

Find the Formula

I’m not certain why it’s taking Oscar Pareja so long to figure out the balance for this club. Most of the players from last season are there, but for some reason the recipe is off. There are a few new players and there have been some injuries to deal with, but the switch needs to be flipped. Pareja needs to figure out which players can turn it around.

It might be the players who haven’t made the necessary adjustments. Perhaps it’s just bad luck. Regardless, every coach and player needs to pull it together to get the ship righted. Preseason expectations might need to be adjusted, but we can still hold out hope for a turnaround. This weekend against the Union is a perfect time for that to start.

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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