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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 0-0 as Nine-Man Lions Hold for a Draw

Ted Unkel sent off Rafael Ramos early and Antonio Nocerino later, but Orlando City still managed to earn a point.

Published

7 years ago

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Orlando City (7-5-3, 24 points) earned its second straight clean sheet, but it’s safe to say the Lions will probably never earn a more satisfying single point in a match. Referee Ted Unkel put his fingerprints all over this match, sending two Lions off early but Orlando City’s players rallied around one another for a hard-fought 0-0 draw in front of 24,469 at Orlando City Stadium.

Rafael Ramos and Antonio Nocerino both hit the showers while the game was still going on but the Lions still held off league-leading goal scorer Nemanja Nikolic and the high-flying Chicago Fire (7-3-4, 25 points), who entered the game on a four-game winning streak.

“I don’t want to talk about the [referee’s] decisions,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said after the match. “I don’t think it’s fair to the players to bring up a negative point of view. For me, the point of view should only be positive because the work that those guys put in tonight, the togetherness that those guys showed tonight, the commitment level that those guys showed tonight — what they were willing to do for each other, for themselves, and for the fans — was second to none. I just want to say, ‘hats off to our boys.’”

After the game, the referee’s liaison said Unkel refused to respond to questions asked by the pool reporter, who submitted three questions after conferring with the game’s assembled media during the match. This level of petulance isn’t surprising considering the track record of this particular game official.

The game was only 26 minutes old when Ramos was sent off without either side having yet really settled into the match.

Ramos, tracking a ball hit high into the air, stuck out a foot to clear it but did it just as Brandon Vincent arrived. Ramos was tracking the ball’s flight path and it was unlikely he even knew Vincent was bearing down on him, but Unkel judged his play to be “violent conduct” and sent Ramos to the showers early in his first MLS match this season.

“I feel for the referees because they’re asked to interpret things on a second’s notice and they’re asked to interpret so many things,” Johnson said. “I’m sure you could poll a bunch of people and some say it’s a red, some not. I thought we dealt with them well and I think that’s the story we’re taking from it.

“He feels hard done by,” Johnson said of Ramos. “You feel for the kid. He works for three months getting himself fit and healthy and then a call like that comes your way and it’s tough to swallow.”

Johnson took over at right back for the remainder of the first half as Kreis kept his attacking players on the field to try to hit Chicago on the counter. After halftime, Giles Barnes was withdrawn and Scott Sutter took over at right back.

“Asking him to switch positions — which, he hasn’t played right back for a very long time now — he just went in there and did anything and everything that it took tonight to lead this team to a result. He wasn’t the only one. I think everybody that played in this match tonight showed what they’re willing to give to this team, to this community, and to this club.”

Kreis started a young back line, with Ramos giving Sutter a breather — for 45 minutes, anyway — and Leo Pereira and PC spelling Jose Aja and Donny Toia, respectively. The midfield featured Cristian Higuita, Nocerino, Johnson, and Barnes, with Carlos Rivas and Cyle Larin up top in a 4-4-2 that later became a 4-4-1 and then a 4-4-0 as game conditions changed.

Not much happened prior to Ramos’ red card. Johnson had a shot at the top of the box blocked and Rivas sent a free kick over the Heineken sign and into the upper deck from 30 yards out. David Accam, who has torched Orlando in the past, saw Bendik block his shot in the 14th minute. Bastian Schweinsteiger hit a shot over the bar at the 20-minute mark. Rivas hit a rocket in the 24th that forced Matt Lampson to parry it away but then the Colombian fired well wide off a layoff from Nocerino on a short corner that could have worked if he hit it on frame.

Two minutes later, the game was ruined and Orlando City was forced into settling for sporadic counter attacks as the sole source of offense.

Schweinsteiger took the free kick just above the box after Ramos departed but hit his shot over the net. Larin had Orlando’s best scoring opportunity in the 33rd minute, catching Lampson off his line, but the Canadian hit his shot straight at the Chicago keeper rather than chipping him.

A minute after that chance, Johnson made a sliding block to knock a cross out for a corner with a Fire player lurking at the back post for a tap-in. The last dangerous chances of the first half came Chicago’s way. The first happened in the 42nd minute, when Vincent hit a shot that took a deflection and just missed the back post. In stoppage time, Nikolic failed to beat Bendik with a pair of chances.

After the break, Orlando looked to play more defensively, and Chicago became far too deliberate in trying to patiently break down the Lions. The Fire possessed the ball for 70% of the second period but had trouble fashioning good scoring chances. Orlando players dove and slid in front of passes and shots, giving their bodies to the cause in front of Bendik’s goal.

“It helped us in a way, because they have some speed and their guys didn’t adjust well to not having much time and space,” Johnson said of parking the bus.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Orlando City created no shots in the second half.

Michael de Leeuw got a head to a cross in the 56th minute but Bendik was there to collect.

Three minutes later, Kreis sacrificed Rivas for Kaká, making his return from a calf injury. Unfortunately, the captain wasn’t able to have any effect on the offense as the Lions parked the bus in front of Bendik’s net.

In the 67th minute, disaster struck again. An onrushing Nocerino, who hadn’t even committed a foul in the match, stuck out a boot to meet an oncoming airborne ball. Matt Polster moved into his path at the last second and the Italian’s studs found Polster’s rear end instead of the ball. Unkel went straight to the red card again and the Lions were down to eight field players with still 23 minutes plus stoppage to go.

“When you go down to nine, you’re certainly just playing for the draw,” Kreis said. “But when we were down to 10, as you saw, we didn’t bring in Sutter right away. We wanted to shift Will over to the right back. We wanted to keep attacking-minded players out there to see if we could hit them on the break. We weren’t throwing in the towel by any means. At halftime, I’m talking to the coaching staff about how we were going to win the game, not about how we were going to draw the game. So, all of our decisions were bending that way until we get the second ejection and then it’s just like ‘how are we going to hold on?’”

But Chicago continued to be complacent in the attack, although Veljko Paunović tried to instill life in his club by bringing on Arturo Alvarez, Djordje Mihailovic, and David Arshakyan. But most of Chicago’s efforts continued to be from distance above the box or through hopeful crosses into the box that were met time and time again by Spector and Pereira or caught by Bendik. In a last-ditch desperate effort, the Fire sent everyone into the attack and ended up finding the crossbar twice in stoppage time — first Polster, then Arshakyan.

“We needed a little bit of luck there,” Bendik said after the game.

Finally, the whistle mercifully blew and a shattered Orlando City team had earned the hardest point of the season.

“To be down a man for — what were we down a man, at least 60 minutes? — and then two men for as long as we were tonight…it was incredible. Nothing short of fantastic,” Kreis said. “Chicago for me is a very, very, very good team right now, so to be able to get a shutout with 11 players says something, but with nine, says a completely other thing.”

“When you feel like everything’s against you, it kind of rallies you in a way and unites you,” Johnson said. “Our group understood. We have worked in training with numbers down. We were well prepared. We feel united and the support of the fans was also special.”

Orlando City now has kept two straight clean sheets to rebound from a six-game winless streak.

“We’re getting back to who we were,” said Johnson. “We lost our identity, if you will, for a little bit there. We started trying to get a little clever. Now we’re back to who we are and so the shutouts feel good. On a night like tonight, I think the best case scenario was 0-0. You’re never happy not to win at home, but on a night when you have nine guys against 11 at this level, it’s pretty difficult to do any better than a point.”

Orlando City gets a bit of a breather with the international break. The Lions’ next game will be Wednesday, June 14 against Miami FC in U.S. Open Cup fourth round action. The next MLS match for City will be Saturday, June 17 when the Montreal Impact visit Orlando City Stadium.

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Orlando City

How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively

How Orlando City has performed against teams playing with three or four defenders, and how that may influence the playoff game against Atlanta United.

Published

18 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The most famous quote about real estate is that “there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Soccer coaches also like to think in threes, especially when it comes to points, but for a soccer coach, the three things that matter might be the rhyming triplet “formation, formation, formation,” as that is where they will have the biggest influence on every game that their team plays.

Throughout his tenure as head coach, Óscar Pareja has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 as his formation (fbref.com’s lineup data shows that the Lions primarily played a 4-2-3-1 in 65% of their MLS matches this season, and 79% of their MLS matches during the last three seasons). The Lions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 during each of their last 14 games, and my confidence level is strong to quite strong (can you believe Meet the Parents came out 24 years ago?) that they will do so once again on Sunday when they host Atlanta United.

Atlanta United also prefers to deploy a 4-2-3-1, but was less consistent than Orlando City this season during MLS play, as evidenced by the chart below that shows how Atlanta lined up this season:

The purpose of this image is a table to show how Atlanta United lined up in 2024 (mostly in a 4-2-3-1 but also in one of six other formations).

I am relying on the coders at Opta for their evaluation of the formation, as I do not watch a lot of Atlanta United matches (sounds terrible), but though Atlanta primarily played with four defenders in more than two-thirds of its matches, during the last two matches it played a 3-5-2, the only two matches all season in which interim coach Rob Valentino rolled out that formation. I suspect that the formation change was related partially to playing Inter Miami and trying to defend the Herons’ dynamic offense and partially due to an injury suffered by defender Brooks Lennon in the first game of that series. So, while Atlanta primarily played four in the back for most of the season, there is a good chance it will roll with what worked against Florida’s second-best MLS team when it plays Florida’s best MLS team this weekend.

Now, if you want to read more about Atlanta, then you can read our match preview, which will drop Sunday morning, but I want to look at how Orlando did against teams that play similar styles. Looking only at MLS games, the table below shows how Orlando City performed against different back line structures this season (the left side is how the Lions’ opponents lined up, the right side is how Orlando City performed against opponents in those formations):

Table embedded as an image showing Orlando City doing best in goal differential in 12 games against three-man back lines, second best against four-man back lines, and having played once against a five-man back line (a 1-1 draw).

Orlando City earned slightly more points per game — the stat that matters most — against teams that played four in the back, but the Lions had a better average goal differential when teams played three in the back. Atlanta will likely deploy one of those two formations. In both games against Orlando City this season, Sunday’s visitors went with a 4-2-3-1, but as mentioned earlier, they used three in the back in each of their last two matches, so it really could be either.

Soccer is not like baseball, where players primarily stay in the same spot throughout the game, so some of these stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, as players are not always rigidly in the same position throughout a match. A team may also primarily play with four in the back but switch to three when chasing a game, or five when trying to protect against a late goal.

That said, using the data around Orlando City’s opponents’ general formations, here are the attacking groups who played the most frequently against four defenders during the 24 MLS games where Opta coded the opponents as using a defensive group of four:

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy four defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus eight goal differential for the season.

It is a little ominous that the main starting group, shown in row one, has played 666 MLS minutes against back lines of four this season, but do I like that green goal differential of +8 in those minutes, which is a strong +1.08 per 90 minutes. I like that goal differential more than I like all the things that Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin like on their song that is creatively named “I Like It.” Coincidentally, when people ask me what I think about that song, I say, “I like it.” I am very creative.

If we look at the lineups that Orlando City has used against back lines of three defenders then there are some pretty major differences in personnel groupings, but it must be noted that more than half of the games against teams playing three in the back came early in the season, when Ramiro Enrique was unavailable to play. Enrique, my presumed starter at striker, has played fewer than three games’ worth of minutes (265 total) against back lines of three this season, and only 28 minutes with the main starting group, which ranks 13th among all the attacking lineups for minutes played against three defenders. That group scored one goal in their 28 minutes together though, for a robust 3.21 goals-scored-per-90-minutes average.

While the team as a whole has been successful against three-man back lines, I do not expect any of the lineups shown in the table below to play more than a few minutes together this weekend, though the first row and the last row are strong groups and had a lot of success.

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy three defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus three goal differential for the season.

I am sure that all week long the Orlando City coaching staff has been going back and forth on whether it is more likely that Atlanta reverts to its most commonly used four in the back, or if the Five Stripes try for three wins in a row with three in the back. I would prefer that Atlanta plays with zero defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan wears a blindfold, but I think that is unlikely to be the case.

Even though Atlanta defeated Orlando City both times while in a 4-2-3-1, based on available personnel and recent results, I believe that the team will come out in a 3-5-2 in Inter&Co Stadium in the conference semifinal. Good things come in threes, and Orlando City’s best offensive production this season has been against three defenders, so I am going to be hoping that this continues, and in the third game against Atlanta the Lions grab the three points. Three’s company!

Well, it is a playoff game, so there are no actual points at stake, but you know what I meant.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?

Published

20 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?

Beat Guzan

Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.

Cartagena is Essential

Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.

Overcome the Past

That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday afternoon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/21/24

Marta’s chance to shine in NWSL Championship, NWSL and MLS award winners announced, 2025 SheBelieves Cup details, and more.

Published

24 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending most of this week plotting out some holiday shopping to make things a little less stressful for myself over the next few weeks. A big weekend filled with Orlando soccer awaits us, so make sure to get any errands or obligations out of the way sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Spotlight Falls On Marta in NWSL Championship

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, including Marta’s opportunity to put an exclamation point on what has been an excellent season for the Pride. Orlando has been enjoying the fruits of its labor this season after a rebuild over the past few years that’s included plenty of change in the City Beautiful. Marta has been a constant, however, enduring some difficult seasons since joining the Pride and adapting her game She’s scored in both of the Pride’s playoff games so far and has a chance to author a storybook ending on Saturday.

Ann-Katrin Berger Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was named 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out the Pride’s Anna Moorhouse and Utah Royals FC’s Mandy Haught for the honor. It was Berger’s first year in the NWSL and she’s the first European player to win the award. She only conceded 16 goals across her 22 matches for Gotham this season and was a key reason behind her team’s success. I’m not too surprised that Moorhouse did not win, considering how solid the Pride’s defense was as a whole, but this won’t take anything away from a record-breaking season for her.

Wilfried Nancy Named MLS Coach of the Year

Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy was voted 2024 MLS Coach of the Year after a historic season in which the Crew set club records in both points and goals. The Crew also won the Leagues Cup this summer and their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign included advancing past Tigres and Monterrey en route to the final. This is Nancy’s first time being named Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the award every year since 2021. The Frenchman received 40.02% of the vote, winning the award over Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas.

2025 SheBelieves Cup Details Unveiled

The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup will take place next year and the tournament will return to its usual format where each of the four teams plays each other once. The United States Women’s National Team will host Japan, Colombia, and Australia in February in what should be an exciting tournament. The U.S. will take on Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston before facing Australia in Arizona on Feb. 23 and finishing the tournament on Feb. 26 against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. These games will also be the first domestic games of 2025 for the USWNT as it prepares to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Eric Quill Named FC Dallas Head Coach

FC Dallas announced that Eric Quill will become the team’s next head coach. Quill joins Dallas after a great year with New Mexico United that included trips to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and USL Championship Western Conference semifinals. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Quill, as he previously coached North Texas SC and was named USL League One Coach of the Year with the club in 2019. Dallas missed out on the playoffs this season, with Peter Luccin coaching the team on an interim basis after the firing of Nico Estevez in June.

Free Kicks

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to a bet involving this weekend’s NWSL Championship, with embarrassing lightshows on the line.

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

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