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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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Orlando City remains perfect at its new home after a 2-1 win over the Galaxy, and showed tremendous resolve to battle back from the LA Galaxy’s late equalizer. The team responded immediately after the visitors leveled the game and started creating chances to snatch all three points and that’s exactly what happened. This team simply has an entirely different demeanor in 2017 and there’s a real belief in games, rather than an impending dread that something bad will happen.

The Lions will head to New York City FC next weekend for only their second road match of the year, but before we start talking about that match, let’s rate the individual performances in what was a solid team victory.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 – Joe couldn’t do much about Romain Alessandrini’s goal, which was a rocket off the inside of the right post. But he finished with five saves on the day and a few of them were not the easy kind. His best save came in the 77th off a Gio dos Santos attempt that he got his fingertips on to keep the Galaxy off the board to that point. He had another good save in the 70th off a Gyasi Zardes attempt. He came off his line to win a cross in front of Alessandrini by sheer force of will in the 93rd minute and showed the fire we saw after his late save against Philadelphia. All in all, Bendik commanded his box and stopped everything he could get a hand on and that’s all you can ask of your keeper, but I’m knocking half a point off for his 27.3% passing accuracy.

D, Donny Toia, 7.5 – Toia led Orlando City with seven tackles and tied Tommy Redding with a team-high five clearances as he did well to deny Alessandrini the space he likes to attack down the right side of LA’s offense. Alessandrini didn’t start to have true success until he started playing more centrally, as Toia mostly held the DP at bay. Toia also passed well (82.1%) but he did concede three fouls, but that includes a head-scratcher because he was run over in the corner on the play. His foul on Alessandrini led to a good chance for LA, though. Solid day for Donny.

D, Jonathan Spector, 7 – The only thing Spector really did wrong was to overcommit to a shot fake by Alessandrini, who then cut to his right and scored the LA goal. Aside from that he had a good day, again directing his teammates, reading plays to sniff out danger before it manifested itself, and finished with an impressive 91.4% passing accuracy. He had three clearances – one off the goal line on a Daniel Steres effort – two interceptions and blocked a shot

D, Tommy Redding, 6.5 – Tommy had another mostly strong game, including some balls in the air that he can sometimes struggle with (he didn’t technically win any aerials but he did enough to ensure his mark didn’t either). His passing was solid (85.2%), and he tied Toia with five clearances, with a tackle and a blocked shot. At times he was not able to quite cut off the movement of dos Santos, Alessandrini, and Zardes, but marking those players is a lot to ask of anyone.

D Scott Sutter, 7.5 – The Swiss international may have been Orlando’s man of the match in the first half, with two tackles, two chances created, the assist on Will Johnson’s opening goal, and creating much-needed width for the Lions’ attack. He cooled off a bit after the break and only passed at a 65.6% clip, but he combined with Johnson to make Emmanuel Boateng nearly invisible on the day. Boateng owned Orlando in last year’s meeting but he wasn’t able to do much (0 key passes). Sutter continues to settle into the lineup nicely.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6.5 – Noce was quite accurate in the first half (92.3%) with his passing and finished at 85.4%, so he didn’t fall off much after halftime. He created a chance for Carlos Rivas, conceded only one foul, with two interceptions and a clearance. Five of his six long balls were accurate, including a scrumptious pass to Rivas in the 35th minute, but the Colombian made a mess of his cross for Cyle Larin. For only training the last couple days of the week, it was a good outing for the Italian. Jason Kreis praised his leadership and work rate after the match.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6 – Cristian’s passing rate was typically good (82.4%) but he seemed a bit heavy with his first touch at times and was perhaps a tad slow to the ball a few times, but he did manage to avoid a booking and finished with two tackles, committing only one foul (and that came in like the first minute). He had the most bad touches of the non-forwards, who each had one more than his four, and was dispossessed three times. But he put in his usual tough shift and is slowly working his way back to 90-minute fitness.  

MF, Will Johnson, 8 (MOTM) – Maybe Will should just keep that captain’s armband when Ricky returns, eh? Johnson had a monster game with a beautiful goal and another assist, and has been spectacular on set pieces defensively, clearing a few out of harm’s way on this day (three in total). On his goal, he worked hard to ensure he got back onside after taking a corner kick, then chested down Sutter’s long ball and hit a gorgeous chip shot into the back post side netting on the half-volley. His corner delivery on Cyle Larin’s winner was as good as the one he had against the Red Bulls. He finished with a team-high three shots (tied with Giles Barnes), two of which were on target, and created two chances. His passing rate of 76.3% could have been better but he did complete five of his six long balls. He tallied two tackles.

MF, Giles Barnes, 6.5 – Taking over for Matias Perez Garcia at the top of Kreis’ diamond midfield, the Jamaican had a solid outing but it could have been so much more. Barnes could have had a brace but was denied twice on last-ditch blocks that may have been avoided had he been able to get his shots up under the bar. He got all three of his shots on frame, however, passed at an 85.7% clip, and won two fouls. Importantly, he moved the ball forward into space by dribbling right at defenders and forcing them to commit, which is a skill not all of his teammates have.

F, Carlos Rivas, 7 – Is there anyone in MLS more snake-bitten than Rivas is right now? He rattled the woodwork twice, made two beautiful passes that resulted in chances, created space down the left, proving to be a nightmare for right back Nathan Smith, and got a shot on frame that was stopped by Clement Diop. There were a few times he still hit the ball poorly and sent the ball into the seats, but this was a much better game than his last couple and he left with cramps in the 75th minute with no goals or assists to show for a good game. He deserved a goal on his 23rd birthday, but the posts took away his presents.

F, Cyle Larin, 5.5 – Until the winning goal, this was not a great night for the Canadian striker, but credit him for keeping his concentration and working hard on the game winner. I saw other sites that rated him high for scoring that goal, and he did put himself in good positions, but there were just too many times when he passed when he should shoot and shot when he should pass. His movement did bother Jelle Van Damme into fouling him repeatedly and taking a booking, but that movement didn’t result in much of an end product. He tried to field a high cross with his foot rather than head it on goal in the second half. He managed two shots, one on target, with the goal, and his passing rate of 80% was fairly high for him, but he did have five bad touches and was dispossessed a team-high five times.

Substitutes

MF, Luis Gil (72’), 6 – It took Luis a few minutes to get into the game but he settled in nicely, completing 92.9% of his 14 passes and helping hold onto the ball in the game’s late stages. He got himself into a good spot to get a header on target off Sutter’s cross in the 84th minute, but didn’t quite get all of it. Finished with a pair of tackles and generally harassed the right side players for the Galaxy over the game’s final stretch. He’s not yet integrated fully into the team, but it looks like Gil will fit in nicely when he finds his rhythm.

MF, Servando Carrasco (75’), 4.5 – Serva didn’t look like he got fully settled after coming on for Rivas. He made a mess of a couple of possessions and was more inaccurate than usual passing the ball (66.7%), managing nine touches in total. Finished with just one tackle despite a lot of Galaxy possession in the attacking third during his time on the pitch.

F, Hadji Barry (90’), N/A – The young striker wasn’t on long enough to do much, touching the ball only twice, but he did have a chance to be a hero. He was on only seconds when a ball fell for him in the box. His first touch was heavy but he gathered it in and had his shot blocked. That was about all for his contributions on the day.

That’s how I saw the individual performances from a solid 2-1 win over the Galaxy. What did you think? Vote for your Man of the Match in our poll.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Joe Bendik16
Jonathan Spector20
Carlos Rivas33
Donny Toia3
Scott Sutter10
Will Johnson174
Other (let us know who in the comments)3

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Orlando City

In Praise of Orlando City’s Game 3 Penalty Kicks

The Lions employed some crafty strategy and flawless execution to win the Game 3 penalty shootout, and it deserves to be recognized.

Published

11 hours ago

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November 15, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Depending on who you talk to, penalty kicks aren’t a great way to decide a soccer game. They’re exciting, of course, but not exactly a good measuring stick of which team is more deserving of winning the game. Fortunately for Orlando City fans, the team has excelled at shootouts for the vast majority of its MLS existence. In fact, the Lions hadn’t lost one until this year, when they were bounced from Leagues Cup by Cruz Azul after losing 5-4 in penalties. The team then accomplished another first in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs against Charlotte, when it missed three of four spot kicks, and lost 3-1 in penalties.

With recent history far from being in OCSC’s favor, there was plenty of reason to be pessimistic when the deciding Game 3 went to a shootout, but the Lions breezed right through it, winning by a score of 4-1 and sending Charlotte packing. While there’s only so much strategy you can employ in shootouts, the Lions pulled a couple fast ones that may just have given them a leg up when they needed it most.

Let’s first talk about the shootouts the Orlando has been involved in this year, because even before Game 3, there had been a lot. The Lions’ final two games in Leagues Cup were both decided at the penalty spot, with the good guys emerging victorious against San Luis 5-4, and then losing by that same score to Cruz Azul to exit the tournament. Game 2 against Charlotte was therefore the team’s third shootout of the year, and by that point we were starting to see some familiar faces in the team’s shooting lineup.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with sending the same (or mostly the same) guys up in a shootout. Conventional wisdom says that you want your best, most reliable guys from the spot taking penalties. However, if the opposing goalkeeper has done his research, and a player tends to favor shooting in a certain direction, it can potentially give the man between the sticks an advantage in making the save. Let’s examine who Orlando City sent to the spot this year in shootouts, starting with the two Leagues Cup games.

Against San Luis, the order went: Nico Lodeiro, Duncan McGuire, Wilder Cartagena, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Lodeiro went central, McGuire went to the goalkeeper’s right, Cartagena to his left, Santos to his right, and Thorhallsson to his left. All five penalties were scored, but the keeper got a strong hand to Thorhallsson’s and it only just went in.

Against Cruz Azul, the order was: Robin Jansson, Luis Muriel, McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Thorhallsson. Jansson shot to the goalie’s left and had it saved, Lodeiro and Muriel both went to his right and scored, McGuire and Torres both went to his left and scored, and Thorhallsson went to his left and had it saved.

That brings us to Game 2 against Charlotte. The order was: Lodeiro, Jansson, Muriel, and McGuire. Nico shot to Kristijan Kahlina’s left and had it saved, Jansson went to his right and put his shot over the bar, Muriel also went right and scored, and McGuire went to the goalie’s left and had his shot saved.

Let’s pause for a minute and dig deeper into those Game 2 takers. Lodeiro had already taken two penalties on the year, and scored both. Jansson had taken one and had it saved, Muriel had taken one and scored, and McGuire had taken two and converted both. Interestingly enough, Kahlina also went the right way on Jansson’s shot, although the Swede put the ball over the bar. After taking penalties in the two previous shootouts and the goalies getting strong hands to both, Thorhallsson wasn’t used, but he couldn’t be, because he’d already been subbed off late in the second half. McGuire went to the goalie’s left for the second shootout in a row, with Kahlina guessing correctly and making the save.

In the all-important Game 3, the takers were: Muriel, Kyle Smith, Torres, and Santos. Muriel and Smith both went to Kahlina’s right, while Torres and Santos went to the Croatian’s left, with all four men scoring. It was Muriel’s third time in a shootout for the club, third time going to the goalie’s right, and third time converting. Smith made his first appearance from the spot on the year. It was Torres’ and Santos’ second time taking in a shootout this year and they both went left for the second time. Taking a closer look at each shooter, I really like the selection choices and the order in which they went.

While Kahlina had plenty of tape on Muriel by this point, the Colombian had already beaten him once, and the striker prefers to watch the goalkeeper during his run-up and go whichever way he doesn’t. That makes it especially difficult to save his penalties, and his years of high-level experience means he’s no stranger to high-pressure situations. You could hardly ask for a better first shooter to set the tone for what was to come.

We then got a big old wild card in the form of Smith, who hadn’t taken a penalty kick at all this year. Oscar Pareja could have chosen to use Jansson or Lodeiro, both of whom have taken multiple kicks this year and were still on the field, but he opted to go for someone who Kahlina both hadn’t seen already, and who he likely had very little, if any, tape on. It was a decision that paid off, as Smith positively blasted his kick into the top corner, with Kahlina guessing the wrong way on his dive.

We then got Torres, who would ordinarily be a no-brainer when it comes to taking penalty kicks if not for the fact that he’d just had one saved mere minutes earlier in stoppage time. Still, you want your main man to step up in high-pressure situations, so it wasn’t surprising to see him stepping forward to take one, particularly with the Lions already leading 2-0. He won the mental battle with Kahlina and went in his preferred direction to the left of the goalkeeper, with Kahlina guessing wrong again.

Finishing things off was Santos, who had only taken one penalty on the year and employs an unconventional, stuttering run-up. As he did in the San Luis game, the Brazilian went to the goalkeeper’s right and scored, with his penalty being the only one in which Kahlina dove the correct way. The decision to go with another player who there was little film on, especially one with a run-up that’s difficult to time correctly, again proved to be a decision that paid off.

We’ll never know who OCSC’s fifth taker would have been, as the shootout never got that far. We know it wouldn’t have been McGuire, who was being kept on the sideline after injuring his shoulder. I think it’s telling that Jansson and Lodeiro weren’t in the first four, even though both had already taken multiple shootout penalties on the season, and Thorhallsson was the only other player who had taken more than one kick in a shootout this year, and he had been substituted. My bet is on Cartagena, who had only taken one and scored it.

Regardless of what we don’t know, we can give the deserved amount of praise to what we do know. Namely, that the decision to use a mix of guys who are proven in high-pressure situations and ones who have few, if any, recent penalties on film was a strategy that paid off big time. Pedro Gallese also deserves every flower in the garden for the two saves he made, which absolutely made things easier on the takers. I think it’s interesting that Karol Swiderski took a spot kick for the second game in a row, with Gallese getting the better of him in Game 3 despite the Polish striker going to the Peruvian’s right instead of his left.

It’s also fair to say that the men who stepped up in Game 3 simply took better shots in than in Game 2. Nico’s wasn’t far enough in the corner and was a good height for Kahlina, Jansson put his completely over, and McGuire’s was too central and at a height that favored the goalkeeper. There were no such issues in Game 3, with every shot being well placed.

All in all, you couldn’t have drawn up the Game 3 shootout any better if you tried. Pareja threw a couple curveballs Charlotte’s way, Pedro Gallese made two huge saves, and all of the shooters came up with outstanding efforts. From strategy to execution, the shootout was about as perfect as you can get. Now here’s hoping that’s the last one we have to endure for awhile. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/15/24

Barbra Banda speaks about playing alongside Marta, USMNT beats Jamaica, international soccer roundup, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

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November 15, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I hope the week hasn’t been too rough on you as we gear up for what should be an exciting weekend. There aren’t too many plans lined up for me, but I’m still looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to our favorite Beefy Swede, Robin Jansson!

Barbra Banda on Playing With Marta

It’s an understatement to say it’s been a fantastic year for the Orlando Pride, and NWSL MVP finalists Barbra Banda and Marta have been major reasons for the team’s success. Marta has been with the Pride since 2017 and is thriving in what may be the twilight of her legendary career. Meanwhile, it’s Banda’s first year with the Pride and she’s taken the league by storm alongside Marta. In an interview with Futbol W, which is co-hosted by former Pride player Ali Krieger, Banda spoke about how motivating it is to play with the greatest women’s soccer player of all time.

Battle of the Rebuilds in NWSL Playoffs

Of the four teams remaining in the NWSL playoffs, only NJ/NY Gotham FC was in the playoffs last year. Not only are this year’s semifinalists a testament to how much things can change each year, but it’s also an interesting showcase of the different ways clubs can build a team capable of winning in this league. The Pride capped off a patient and smart rebuild by signing international players like Banda, while the Current have benefited greatly from adding Temwa Chawinga. After winning the NWSL Championship last year, Gotham added several American stars like Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn in free agency to do it again. Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit have leaned on a strong rookie class and other young players to reach this point.

USMNT Beats Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team got its quarterfinal series started with a solid 1-0 win over Jamaica in Kingston. Ricardo Pepi scored the lone foal of the game early on with a nice strike after a silky smooth assist from Christian Pulisic. Matt Turner came up with a great save on a penalty kick in the first half, earning a clean sheet the hard way. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable victory for Mauricio Pochettino and the Yanks, but winning on the road in Concacaf is hardly ever comfortable. The two teams will reconvene in St. Louis on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Keeping Up With International Soccer

The U.S. obviously isn’t the only nation taking part in the international break, with teams all around the world in action. Paraguay arguably had the biggest win of the day, beating Argentina 2-1 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Venezuela also had a decent result, drawing 1-1 against Brazil in a match that included a missed penalty by Vinicius Junior.

In 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, and Gabon all booked their tickets to next year’s tournament after the latest round of matches. Saudi Arabia and Australia battled to a scoreless draw in AFC World Cup qualifying, while South Korea moved closer to qualifying after a 3-1 win over Kuwait that featured Son Heung-min’s 50th international goal. There weren’t too many surprises in the UEFA Nations League, with England cruising past Greece and Italy beating Belgium. France was held to a scoreless draw against Israel but still qualified for the quarterfinals.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/14/24

MLS playoff predictions, Barbra Banda and Marta earn recognition, USMNT takes on Jamaica tonight, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

November 14, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but it’s at least meant I’ve been able to spend more time with my cat and get some reading done when not hacking up a lung. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

MLS Conference Semifinal Predictions

Former Orlando City captain Sacha Kljestan weighed in on which of the remaining eight teams will prevail in the MLS playoffs. He predicts that Atlanta United can lean on its counterattacking and Brad Guzan’s goalkeeping to beat Orlando City when the two rivals face off in Orlando on Nov. 24. A key thing to watch heading into the match is if Head Coach Oscar Pareja switches things up up top given Ramiro Enrique’s slump.

Kljestan predicts a tight match between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, but has NYCFC moving on. He also has both the LA Galaxy and LAFC advancing in the Western Conference, which would set up a playoff edition of El Trafico.

Pride Players Make ESPN’s Top 50

ESPN unveiled its annual list of the top 50 women’s soccer players and a pair of Orlando Pride players made the list. Forward Barbra Banda is ranked third on the list for crushing it in her first year in the NWSL, scoring 13 goals to help the Pride win the NWSL Shield. Marta, who has not been listed in the past two years, ranked 26th for turning back the clock at 38 years old and creating 46 chances for Orlando this season. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati tops the list, with Naomi Girma in second, Caroline Graham Hansen in fourth, and Sophia Smith rounding out the top five. There are many voters for this year’s list from around the world, including Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter.

Steven Moreira Named Defender of the Year

The Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira was named 2024 MLS Defender of the Year after a strong season. He made 27 appearances for the Crew this season and was a key part of his team’s success in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup this year. Moreira also helped out offensively with two goals and four assists and was an All-Star this year. The 30-year-old beat out Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Seattle Sounders center back Jackson Ragen for the award.

USMNT Takes On Jamaica Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first competitive match under Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino tonight when it takes on Jamaica in Kingston in the Concacaf Nations League. Although the U.S. may be favored in this series, playing on the road in Concacaf is always tough and Jamaica tends to keep things close against the Yanks. Tonight’s match is the first of the two-leg quarterfinals, with the two nations facing off again in St. Louis on Monday. Hopefully Pochettino can get the team firing on all cylinders as it continues to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

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  • In a rollercoaster of a match, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team fell in a penalty shootout to Brazil in the Deaf Pan American Games. The U.S. took the lead in extra time, but Brazil battled back to tie it, winning from the spot to reach the final.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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