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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City at Houston Dynamo

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7 years ago

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Orlando City (6-2-0, 18 points) finishes off its two-game road swing at the Houston Dynamo (4-3-1, 13 points) tomorrow night at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Orange have yet to lose at their home ground, going 4-0-1 in home games. The Lions couldn’t knock Toronto off at home on Wednesday so they’ll have to work some magic in Houston to bring home some points from this trip.

The Lions are just 1-2-0 on the road this season, but played pretty well overall at BMO FIeld on Wednesday — aside from finishing in the penalty area. They’ll need to be sharper and more clinical to get a result in Texas against a team they’ve never scored against. Tyler Deric’s own-goal in 2015 is the only ball to find the net through two matches in the series. After that 1-0 final in the first meeting, the teams drew 0-0 at Camping World Stadium in 2016 under interim coach Bobby Murphy.

Here to help us learn about the 2017 Dynamo is our good friend Derek Stowers, a co-editor over at SB Nation’s Houston blog, Dynamo Theory. I also answered Derek’s questions, and you can read my answers to their questions over at their place.

The Dynamo are off to a much better start in 2017. What changes has the club made this season in both personnel and tactics that have led to the turnaround?

Derek Stowers: Before I dive into this answer, I should open by saying we’ve been terrific at home and absolutely abysmal on the road so while we’re off to a good start, much of that is due to a strong home schedule and we still have work to do in order to reach the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

What has really been the difference has been how the club handled itself following the departure of Owen Coyle. The front office did not truly rebuild the way it could have when Coyle was announced as head coach, so we saw sweeping changes this off-season in order to get away from our years of missing the playoffs. That began with the hiring of Wilmer Cabrera as head coach, who built the team in a way that could play his style. We saw mainstay players like Will Bruin traded and many others had their options not picked up so that Cabrera could bring in quick attackers such as Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto to complement Cubo Torres.

Cabrera has largely utilized a 4-3-3 this season that meant relinquishing some possession and defensive responsibilities by forwards in favor of quick counter attacking soccer. We could defend an attack against us and within less than 10 seconds have a shot on goal at the other end of the field and that is not an exaggeration — that’s how this team plays. But, that hasn’t worked out in every game, notably against Portland, New England, and Minnesota. Teams that are quick or possess well tend to do better against this style which is why Cabrera has shown some growth as he’s expanded to a 4-4-2. That itself has its limitations (more on that in the next question), but the way that Cabrera has helped build this team and his attacking oriented style has helped get us to where we are. He still needs to figure out how to manage games better, but few teams can attack as well and quickly as this Dynamo team.

Like Orlando City, Houston has deployed the 4-4-2 diamond in 2017. How has this affected the team’s play and what do you expect to see if both teams use it against each other on Saturday?

DS: As I mentioned in the above question, we saw the effectiveness of the 4-3-3 fail against some clubs and our home draw against Minnesota United FC particularly felt bad. Far too often we would get an early lead only to sit back, except without our forwards supporting, (so that we can spring our counter attack) and we would see that lead evaporate. Enter the diamond 4-4-2. Cabrera realized at times he would need to have at least one extra player in the midfield in order to defend more. The flexibility of the diamond 4-4-2 also allowed the central attacking midfielder to push into the forward line at times while being able to lend his services to supporting the defense.

While the style offers flexibility it does hinder to some degree our team’s ability to attack relentlessly the way we have early in the season. I also think that one reason we saw the shift to the 4-4-2 was due to Romell Quioto’s injury he suffered with the Honduran National Team. Of the front three we usually trot out, Quioto defends the most and the best, and losing him hurt both the offense and the defense. He is too good to leave on the bench at full health and I think, since he is 100% healthy, we’ll see the 4-3-3 again to begin this game. What I like about the 4-4-2 is that it is easy for Cabrera to shift to it with a single substitution to manage the game as needed. That’s what I think we’ll see.

Cubo Torres has seen a dramatic improvement in form. Are Dynamo fans surprised by his resurgence and how would you go about defending the way he’s played this season?

DS: We’re surprised to some degree because this is the Cubo we thought we were getting when he first arrived in Houston. While he was with Owen Coyle and Wade Barrett, he looked uninterested — lazy to some extent — and he lost minutes to the younger Mauro Manotas. Wilmer Cabrera, who coached Cubo during his breakout year with Chivas USA, has put a lot of faith and confidence in him. This has really helped Cubo grow and play the way he wants to. Cabrera designed a system with Cubo as the fulcrum and Cubo has rewarded that faith. He came into preseason having lost some weight and he has seen just about all facets of his game improve. He’s pressuring defenders better, he’s passing better, showing improved vision on the field, he’s winning balls in the air, and he’s scoring from a variety of ways, showing the league he’s more than just a poacher.

Defending Cubo will not be easy, not necessarily because of what Cubo brings, but rather due to who he’s typically attacking with. This offense can hurt teams in so many ways. Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto, Cubo’s usual striking partners, have each scored three goals and will be there to capitalize on any extra attention Cubo may be getting. Instead of focusing on how to defend any of them, the best thing to do will be to keep the ball away from that group. That means possessing the ball in the Dynamo half of the field. Houston’s forwards will be reluctant to get back to defend and help the Dynamo possess.

Any injuries or suspensions we should know about? Your projected lineup and score line prediction? 

DS: No injuries/suspensions that would affect the starting XI.

Projected lineup (4-3-3): Joe Willis; DaMarcus Beasley, Leonardo, Adolfo Machado, A. J. DeLaGarza; Alex Lima, Eric Alexander, Ricardo Clark; Romell Quioto, Cubo Torres, Alberth Elis

Predicted outcome: 3-2 Dynamo. We’re great at home and Orlando is coming into town from Toronto. I think we get it done, but old tendencies of struggling to protect leads will resurface and make this game closer than I’d like. 

Big thanks to Derek from Dynamo Theory for stopping by and giving us a bit of a scouting report on Houston.

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Orlando City

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

The Lions welcome an improved Toronto side to Orlando for an Eastern Conference battle.

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2 hours ago

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April 27, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (2-3-3, 9 points) and Toronto FC (4-4-1, 13 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). It’s the first of the two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, with the Lions set to make the return trip to Toronto on July 3.

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

History

Orlando is 8-8-3 in the evenly split all-time, regular-season series. However, the Lions have won the last four meetings, sweeping the season series in 2022 and 2023. At home, Orlando is 5-4-0 against the Reds. City is currently on its longest ever unbeaten run in the series, compiling a 6-0-2 record in the last eight meetings.

The most recent meeting came on Decision Day of last season on Oct. 21, when Duncan McGuire came off the bench at BMO Field, scoring twice to beat Toronto 2-0. The teams last met in Orlando on July 4, 2023, with Orlando City putting the Reds to the sword on Independence Day, beating the Canadian side, 4-0. Cesar Araujo, McGuire, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ercan Kara scored for the Lions, and Toronto finished with 10 men after Federico Bernardeschi was shown his second yellow card just past the hour mark.

Orlando City also romped 4-0 over the Reds in the previous meeting, Sept. 17, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Facundo Torres, Kara, and Tesho Akindele scored for the Lions to go along with a Lukas MacNaughton own goal. The Lions won on May 14, 2022 at BMO Field, 1-0, thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Kyle Smith, who flicked a header from a corner kick cross inside the far post to lift the Lions to victory.

The Lions went 2-0-1 in three meetings with Toronto FC in 2021. The teams played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on July 17, 2021. Jozy Altidore came off the bench to score the opener but Nani equalized from the penalty spot minutes later. Benji Michel drew the penalty, which was originally ruled a foul on the Orlando winger but was overturned after video review by referee Marcos de Oliveira.

The other Toronto “home match” in the 2021 season series came on June 19 at Exploria Stadium. The Reds were dealing with pandemic restrictions in Canada that forced the team to play home games in the United States. Orlando City built a 2-0 early lead on goals by Akindele and Nani, only to see Toronto tie the match by halftime on goals by Ayo Akinola and Jonathan Osorio. Junior Urso scored late to lift the Lions to a 3-2 victory. The teams first met that year on May 22, with Orlando City claiming a 1-0 win on Akindele’s goal.

The teams did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic affecting the schedule. Prior to the MLS stoppage for the pandemic, the teams met most recently in Toronto on Aug. 10, 2019, with the Lions grabbing a point at BMO Field in a 1-1 draw. Michel opened the scoring in the 69th minute but the Reds equalized off a scramble following a set piece in the 77th. The other matchup between the sides that season came on May 4, 2019, when the Reds walked out of Orlando with a 2-0 win on goals by Osorio and Jay Chapman.

The teams split their season series in 2018. Orlando City captured a 2-1 win at home in James O’Connor’s first home game as head coach of the Lions on July 14, 2018. Chris Schuler and Dom Dwyer staked City to a 2-0 lead and Nick Hagglund ruined the shutout in the 94th minute off a Sebastian Giovinco free kick delivery. The 2018 meeting in Toronto saw the Reds get a 2-1 win at BMO Field on Ryan Telfer’s 87th-minute goal.

Toronto shredded Orlando in a 3-1 win on July 5, 2017. Altidore and Giovinco combined to score Toronto’s three goals. Carlos Rivas gave Orlando a consolation goal. In the first meeting of 2017, Orlando out-possessed, out-shot, and out-passed the hosts, and played like the better team on the night. However, the Lions could not overcome a two-goal deficit and Giovinco’s first-half brace led Toronto to a 2-1 win.

The Lions got their first victory in the series on June 25, 2016, winning 3-2 at Camping World Stadium. Kaká scored from the spot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to win it. Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter each gave OCSC leads in the game, only to see Jordan Hamilton and Justin Morrow equalize until the captain’s late winner. The Reds took the second 2016 matchup in Orlando with a 2-1 victory, scoring late through Altidore. Tosaint Ricketts gave Toronto an early lead but the Lions fought back on a Larin goal. The teams also drew 0-0 on Sept. 28 of that year, with Toronto able to fend off the Lions with 10 men over the final 20 minutes of the match.

In 2015, Toronto took home all nine points in the three meetings, beating Orlando by a combined score of 11-1.

Overview

Orlando City enters on a four-game unbeaten run (2-0-2), including last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at CF Montreal. The Lions are 1-1-2 at home in 2024, but the win and one of the draws came in the two most recent matches at Inter&Co Stadium.

Toronto FC has shown tremendous improvement under John Herdman early in the season despite missing several key players with injuries. The Reds, however, are 3-1-0 at home but just 1-3-1 on the road in 2024. The team had lost three straight matches overall before knocking off New England last week. Now the Reds are on a two-game winning streak in all competitions, having beaten Rovers FC 5-0 in the Canadian Championship Wednesday.

The Lions will have to track forward Prince Owusu, who paces Toronto FC with four goals on the season. No one else on Toronto has more than two goals, and sitting on two is Lorenzo Insigne, who is out for tonight with a thigh injury. Orlando will need to be aware of Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who leads the Reds with two assists.

But perhaps the sleeping giant is Bernardeschi, who leads Toronto FC with 37 shot attempts and 18 key passes, yet somehow has no direct goal contributions on the season. Even if he hasn’t been producing end product, the Italian has been dangerous.

“Looks like we’re getting more cohesiveness with the boys and they’re gluing more things together,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “We’re reviewing things and have done in prior games, but since we’re not getting results it seems like it’s not happening. In the end, you have to win games, you have to get results, so the good things get magnified and the things that aren’t being done well, seem like you need more time to fix it. It’s indeed important to get results.”  

Orlando City will be without forward Ramiro Enrique (ankle). Toronto will be without Insigne (thigh), former Lions Richie Laryea (thigh) and Shane O’Neill (thigh), and Brandon Servania (knee). In addition, Deandre Kerr (foot) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Nico Lodeiro, Facundo Torres.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

Toronto (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson.

Defenders: Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted.

Wingbacks & Midfielders: Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.

Forwards: Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Referees

REF: Armando Villarreal.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Logan Brown.
4TH: Brad Jensen.
VAR: Kevin Terry, Jr.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (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!

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Toronto FC

Get the inside scoop on Toronto FC ahead of Saturday’s match.

Published

1 day ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday is almost upon us, and the Lions will try to extend a four-game unbeaten streak Saturday night and finish off an undefeated month of April. OCSC will do so back in the comfortable confines of home, as Toronto FC travels south for the first of two games between the teams this season.

A visit from Toronto means I caught up with Tomas Karageorgos of Waking the Red. As usual, he was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on TFC ahead of the upcoming match.

This is John Herdman’s first year in charge of Toronto. What sort of style does the team play under him?

Tomas Karageorgos: John Herdman plays a variation of a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation that prefers to build plays out of the back. Herdman also relies on his center midfielders to win possession back and push the ball to either flank. German striker Prince Owusu’s constant pressure on opposing defenses has caused some turnovers in TFC’s favor. Owusu’s style of play has not only helped his teammates but himself as well — he has scored five goals in the club’s last six matches.

Run me through some of the additions and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are some new faces to keep an eye on?

TK: The four major additions that the club made was signing defensive midfielders Deiby Flores and Matty Longstaff; Canadian fullback Richie Laryea is back for a third time; and Irish center back Kevin Long. Flores has been described as a dog in the sense of not being afraid to get stuck into tough challenges. Longstaff was signed from Newcastle United and is beginning to play consistent minutes — he still has room to grow as he’s a young player. Long was signed from Birmingham City and has been a rock in the center of the back three. A strong aerial presence and calmness has helped to contribute to Toronto’s six clean sheets across all competitions this season. There’s not much to say about Laryea that hasn’t been said, he’s arguably the best defender in MLS when healthy. Another underrated signing was French defender Nicksoen Gomis from Sheffield United, he has had quiet-yet-consistent performances. Notable departures include Salvadoran goalkeeper Tomás Romero, Norwegian striker Adama Diomande, and club legend Michael Bradley, who retired at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

TFC has quite the list of injured players at the moment. Who has been filling in for the missing faces, and how have they looked?

TK: Lorenzo Insigne, Richie Laryea, and Shane O’Neill continue to miss action due to thigh injuries. Midfielder Brandon Servania is slated to return during the middle of the season as he is recovering from knee surgery. First overall draft pick Tyrese Spicer has filled in for Insigne and has two goals in his account for the club — he has a high work rate on both sides of the ball. Canadian youngster Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is gaining more experience on the right side while Laryea is sidelined. Gomis and Sigurd Rosted have been taking turns covering O’Neill, and Alonso Coello is continuing to build on an impressive first season with the club in the absence of Servania.

Which players will be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

TK: The names I noted above who are injured will be unavailable. Also, attacker Deandre Kerr is listed as questionable.

Predicted starting XI: Sean Johnson; Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted; Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty; Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Score prediction: 1-1. 

Thank you to Tomas for his insight into Toronto FC. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/26/24

Orlando City gets ready for Toronto FC, Thiago Silva linked with Orlando, Marta announces international retirement, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad it’s Friday. It’s been a bit of a brutal week for me, but the weekend is nearly upon us, and I plan on spending it with my family for my dad’s birthday. I’m also hoping to find some time to read the new book that came out this week from my favorite author, Emily Henry. For now though, let’s enjoy these links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for Toronto FC

After a shaky start to the season, the Lions are unbeaten in their past four games and can make it five when they host Toronto FC Saturday night. Toronto has lost three of its past four games, but is coming off of a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution. In the time since Oscar Pareja took over as head coach, Orlando City has won six of its seven games against Toronto. It will be the first meeting between the two with John Herdman at the helm of Toronto, so we will see if the trend of recent Orlando dominance continues. It should be a great game and is another opportunity for the Lions to climb up the table.

Thiago Silva Linked With Orlando City

Brazilian defender Thiago Silva’s contract with Chelsea ends this summer and Orlando City was mentioned as one of many reported clubs interested in signing him. Beyond the surface-level facts that Silva is an incredibly talented defender and Orlando City is a popular landing spot for South Americans who want to play in MLS, the move would not make much sense. The club signed David Brekalo this off-season and Rodrigo Schlegel is a solid option off the bench as well. Even if Orlando does want Silva, there will be plenty of competition. Returning to Fluminense is the expected choice, but Silva could stay in Europe or make the move to Saudi Arabia.

Marta Will Retire From National Team After 2024

Orlando Pride star Marta announced that 2024 will be her last year playing for Brazil. You will need a translating tool for more of the details from her interview with CNN, but she spoke on how she’s at peace with her decision to stop playing at the international level once the year is over. She made her international debut in 2002 and has since played in five Olympics for Brazil. Marta may play in her sixth this summer, and there would be global attention to see one of the greatest players ever to lead Brazil one last time. Her contract with the Pride also ends after this season, but only time will tell if this is her final season in Orlando.

Orlando’s Academy Teams Get Results Against New England

With the Generations Adidas Cup behind them, Orlando City’s U-17 and U-15 teams earned some important points against the New England Revolution’s youth squads. The U-15 team dominated New England in a 4-1 result that included a hat trick from Jakob Garcia. The match between the U-17 sides was a closer affair, as they split the points in a 1-1 draw. Orlando’s teams will play again tomorrow, with a pair of home games against Nashville SC.

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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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