Connect with us

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Scouting Orlando City at Philadelphia Union

Published

8 years ago

on

Orlando City will put its four-game, season-opening unbeaten streak on the line tomorrow night at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, PA, when the Lions pay a visit to the Philadelphia Union.

The Union are off to a 2-2-0 start after winning only 10 games in 2015. Not that the Lions had an easy time of it with Philly last year. Orlando City has yet to score a goal against the Union in Major League Soccer, drawing 0-0 at home last season and losing 1-0 on the road in the 2015 season finale. Neither team has a goal in the run of play in the series, with the Union bagging a penalty goal at home as the only tally between the two sides over the first two meetings.

The Lions finally got Kaká back on Sunday and in less than half an hour lost Cyle Larin to a hamstring injury. By halftime, center back Tommy Redding had picked up a knock in a clash of heads. So perhaps Orlando is simply never destined to play its first-choice starting XI. It happens. It’s soccer. Meanwhile, Philadelphia seems to be a team on the rise, despite their 1-0 loss at Chicago over the weekend. Weather conditions there made the soccer less than ideal and Warren Creavalle was sent off for the Union.

Here to help us scout an improved Philadelphia side is Eugene Rupinski from our SB Nation sister blog covering the Union, Brotherly Game. I’ve answered Eugene’s questions as well, if you’re interested in checking that out over on their site.

Who are Philadelphia’s key off-season additions and subtractions that we should know about and how have they affected Jim Curtin’s team and approach so far in 2016?

Eugene Rupinski: The Union revamped most of their entire starting XI during the offseason. They were able to trade players that didn’t fit the system (Cristian Maidana), didn’t work out (Andrew Wenger), or were just not very good (Steven Vitoria). Only five of the starters from the 2015 season opener are still with the team – and only two of those (CJ Sapong and Vincent Nogueira) made the starting XI during the first match of this season.

The addition of proven veteran players such as Ilsinho, Roland Alberg, and Chris Pontius help bring leadership as well as an upgrade on some of the talent up front. This compliments the addition of SuperDraft selection Keegan Rosenberry and USL product Ken Tribbett, who are both standouts on defense. This gives the Union an issue they’ve never really had before — depth. Having a group of guys outside of the starting XI that could come in and play at a high level has always been a luxury the Union couldn’t afford, so I think the learning curve will come in effectively managing the roster to get fringe guys minutes while keeping guys who start often fresh by giving them a game off.

Philadelphia is off to a good start, notwithstanding last weekend’s game in an intermittent blizzard at Chicago. Has the bright start changed Union fans’ views on what to expect from the team this season?

ER: The bright start has given some fans cause for optimism, however, this is Philadelphia. Fans here are used to teams either blowing the big game (Super Bowl XXXIX, 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, 2014 or 2015 U.S. Open Cup Finals) or being an absolute dumpster fire (last year’s 76ers, Phillies, or Union), so there’s always the sense that the other shoe is going to drop. There’s a portion of the fans who are even derisive toward the fans who had a sense of optimism and are just waiting for the Union to lose a couple in a row. But what can you do? Personally I’m feeling better about the team than I did at the end of last season. I think they’re going in the right direction, but they’ve certainly got a long way to go. There’s still 30 games left to play.

What kind of formation and tactics can we expect from the Union against Orlando City, and what do you view as the game’s key match-up?

ER: Look for the Union to go with the MLS standard 4-2-3-1, using the two central defensive midfielders as a double pivot. The Union are best on the counterattack, so don’t be surprised if Orlando winds up with most of the possession on the evening regardless of the outcome. The attacking midfield trio is dangerous regardless of which combination of Alberg, Ilsinho, Pontius, Tranquillo Barnetta, and Leo Fernades is put out by Jim Curtin. I think there will be two key matchups — the first is how Orlando’s defensive midfielders and center backs deal with the attacking threat of the Union’s midfield as well as CJ Sapong. There’s a lot of talent there — is Orlando up to the challenge? The second will be on the other side of the ball — can the Philadelphia defensive midfielders and center backs deal with Kaká, Cyle Larin, and Orlando’s high-powered offense? Putting up four on Portland is no small feat, and with defensive mid Warren Creavalle out on red card suspension, the Union may be a little more suspect to the attack.

What is your anticipated starting XI, key injuries/suspensions, and score prediction for Friday night?

ER:

Key injuries/suspensions: Maurice Edu (out – tibia stress fracture), Warren Creavalle (suspended – red card vs. Chicago Fire)

Projected Starting XI: Andre Blake; Fabinho, Richie Marquez, Ken Tribbett, Keegan Rosenberry; Brian Carroll, Vincent Nogueira; Chris Pontius; Roland Alberg, Ilsinho; CJ Sapong

Score prediction: It’s going to be cold (around 40 degrees at kickoff), and Orlando is taking a two-hour flight on short rest. 1-0 Union win.

* * *

Big thanks to Eugene from Brotherly Game for giving us some insight on the Philadelphia Union. Now let’s see if the Lions can score their first goal in the series.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look for a third straight win at home before heading back on the road when Charlotte FC visits.

Published

10 hours ago

on

September 18, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Wednesday night matchup between Orlando City (11-10-7, 40 points) and Charlotte FC (10-10-8, 38 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (8:15 p.m., FS1, Apple TV). This is the second of the two scheduled meetings between the southeastern teams in the regular season.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 2-1-2 in the all-time, regular-season series and 2-2-2 in all competitions. Orlando City is 1-1-0 at home in the regular season. Every game between the two teams (aside from the draws) has been decided by a single goal.

Tonight’s hosts have gotten the better of Orlando City recently, including a 2-0-2 mark in four meetings across all competitions since the start of last season. The teams most recently met on June 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through Duncan McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Facundo Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing in a 1-1 draw on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Martin Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of last year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

The teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

Orlando City enters tonight’s match on a two-game winning streak, with both victories coming at home by 3-0 scorelines. The most recent came Saturday against the New England Revolution, following a victory over Nashville two weeks ago. The Lions finally climbed above .500 with Saturday’s win against the Revs and pulled level at 5-5-4 at home on the season.

Charlotte enters with one of the best defensive records in Major League Soccer. Only Columbus (28) has given up fewer goals than the North Carolina side’s 31. Tonight’s visitors lost 2-1 at Montreal Saturday night and is 0-2-1 since returning from the Leagues Cup break. In an 0-2-1 road slump, Charlotte is 4-7-3 away from home in 2024.

Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against Charlotte’s stout defense, led by goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, who has posted 100 saves on the season. That’s nearly double Pedro Gallese’s 54 saves on the year, but El Pulpo has played in five fewer games due to international duty. Still, the key to beating Charlotte is to get some goals on the board, as the visitors’ offense has found the net just 32 times this season — third fewest in the Eastern Conference.

“Charlotte is a team that we’ve played not long ago, but they have three or four additions to their squad, and we are making reference to them too,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “We also know those new players and inclusions in the group change their dynamics. We are aware of how we can play them or how we can contend with them. Like any other game, we’re going to try and do our best and get our points. It’s our normal routine.” 

The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg), who started the match in Charlotte in June, and David Brekalo (thigh). Charlotte will be without Jahlane Forbes (hip), while leading scorer Patrick Agyemang (foot) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.

Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.

Bench: Javier Otero, Luca Petrasso, Kyle Smith, Felipe, Heine Bruseth, Nico Lodeiro, Yutaro Tsukada, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Charlotte FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Jere Uronen, Tim Ream, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne.

Defensive Midfielders: Djibril Diani, Ashley Westwood.

Attacking Midfielders: Pep Biel, Brandt Bronico, Kerwin Vargas.

Forward: Patrick Agyemang.

Bench: David Bingham, Jaylin Lindsey, Andrew Privett, Brandon Cambridge, Iuri Tavares, Junior Urso, Idan Toklomati, Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski.

Referees

REF: Marcos DeOliveira.
AR1: Logan Brown.
AR2: Ricardo Ocampo.
4TH: Lorenzo Hernandez.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Robert Schaap.

How to Watch

Match Time: 8:15 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando

TV/Live Stream: FS1, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: FM 96.9 The Game (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/18/24

Duncan McGuire likes scoring goals, the Pride are impressive, Champions League results, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

on

September 18, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day, so I hope you are hyped for a midweek showdown with Charlotte FC. So, put on your purple, and tell you boss you don’t care about the dress code. If you haven’t done so yet, there’s still time to listen to the latest episode of The Mane Land PawedCast to help get you ready after you check out today’s links. Let’s get to it.

McGuire Happy to Score

Duncan McGuire’s goal against the New England Revolution Saturday night was his first MLS strike since June. That kind of drought isn’t something he’s used to, and he was away at the Olympics for part of that time, but he said he’s just happy to contribute to the team winning. McGuire will look to continue his scoring in tonight’s match against Charlotte FC. The Lions will need McGuire and others to contribute in this crucial Eastern Conference match. If you’re unsure whether to attend in person, take a look at all the cool stuff the club is doing tonight. Check back later today for our match preview.

The Pride are Scary Good

The still undefeated Orlando Pride are very, very good. This is obvious to anyone that looks at the standings or the records being broken on a weekly basis. Still, it’s one thing to know it and another to see it. SBNation’s Southern Sylvs got a firsthand look at the team and the experience watching the Pride at the last match against the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium. Sylvs was impressed with the atmosphere and the club, despite what I thought wasn’t their best outing.

Banda Still in Contention

The Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda hasn’t scored as many goals as the Current’s Temwa Chawinga but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the NWSL MVP race. She has contributed quite a bit in her time with the club, and I expect that she will start putting in goals and providing assists again soon. How well the Pride do in the regular season will also likely impact the MVP selection.

Americans in the Champions League

Liverpool may have defeated AC Milan 3-1 in the first of eight UEFA Champions League matches for each club, but Christian Pulisic did score the first goal of the match.

Why pass the ball when it’s so much easier to simply score the goal yourself? That was pretty much it for AC Milan as Liverpool scored three unanswered goals to secure the victory.

Earlier in the day, Weston McKennie scored in Juventus’ 3-1 win over PSV. It was very much a right place, right time goal for the American.

lt was a good day for the Americans, and plenty of other USMNT players will be in action this week across different leagues and competitions.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. We will have your match recap after the game tonight. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/17/24

Rafael Santos up for Goal of the Matchday, Lions earn recognition, stories to watch around MLS, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 17, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It wasn’t a perfect weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but it was close. Orlando City, the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B went undefeated, and combined to take seven of the nine points available, which is hard to complain about. There’s no time to rest though, as the Lions will be back in action tomorrow at home against FC Dallas. As always, we have plenty to talk about today, so let’s get into the links.

Santos Strike Nominated for Goal of the Matchday

Rafael Santos opened the scoring in spectacular fashion during Orlando City’s 3-0 win over the New England Revolution, and his left-footed blast has been nominated for MLS Goal of the Matchday. With 22 minutes played, the Lions worked a short corner and Ivan Angulo found Santos free outside the box. The fullback took one touch to set the ball up before unleashing a dipping, curling effort that left a fully stretched Aljaz Ivacic with no chance. It was a special strike and a very worthy nomination. Make sure you go cast your vote for him to win it!

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

In addition to his Goal of the Matchday nomination, Santos was also named to the starting lineup of the MLS Team of the Matchday as one of three defenders, while Facundo Torres was included on the bench. Outside of his goal, Santos also recorded two tackles and two clearances while helping the defense keep a clean sheet. Torres converted his penalty kick with venom, had 94% passing accuracy, and generally looked dangerous. Marcus Mitchell awarded Santos a 7 out of 10 and Torres a 7.5 out of 10 and Man of the Match honors in his player grades from the match, so it’s nice to see the pair get some recognition on a larger scale. Here’s hoping the good work continues!

Stories to Watch in MLS

Some of the flashier teams in the league might grab headlines on a consistent basis, but there are plenty of other intriguing stories happening around MLS. For one, the Lions are on a 6-1-1 run that has them up to fifth in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand on the Red Bulls in fourth. Martin Ojeda playing through the middle and moving Facu back out wide is a big reason why. Then there are the Colorado Rapids, a team that has the second-largest points-per-game increase from last season to this one. At the other end of things you have Charlotte FC, which has won just once in its last eight games and is in danger of missing out on the playoffs altogether.

Mikey Varas Will Coach San Diego FC

San Diego FC has found its first head coach, as it named former United States Men’s National Team interim head coach Mikey Varas to the top job. Varas spent several years with U.S. Soccer, and also was an assistant coach at FC Dallas under Luchi Gonzalez for three seasons. Aside from being the head coach of the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team from 2021 to 2023, this will be his only other gig as a full time head coach. Now that San Diego has that vacancy filled, it can do some serious work on building its roster ahead of its inaugural MLS season next year.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride held fast at the top spot of ESPN’s NWSL power rankings.
  • Orlando City had a big jump, as the Lions moved up six spots to ninth in ESPN’s MLS power rankings.
  • Former Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni has been named interim head coach of the Australian women’s national team.
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC has played on every day of the week at least once during this season.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending