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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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This game was very strange. Orlando played one of its best 45 minutes of offense of the year in the first half and probably one of its worst 45 minutes in the second half. Jose Aja was at fault for two of Montreal’s three goals, but Jonathan Spector pulled one back in stoppage time to salvage a point at home.

Now, let’s get into the grades.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 6 — It’s been a down last few games for the Orlando keeper. Was beaten near post for the first goal, beaten through his legs for the second, and dropped the ball after the initial save for the third. Jason Kreis mentioned that every goalkeeper goes through ups and downs and right now Bendik just isn’t as solid as he was earlier in the season. Still came out and made some good saves, including one on Hassoun Camara in the 77th minute.

D, Scott Sutter, 7.5 — Did another solid job in the back line. Was fairly aggressive going for the ball as well, leading the team in tackles, with four. Did well getting into the attack and serving balls into the area, but nothing came of them in the end. Finished the game with an 81% passing clip.

D, Jonathan Spector, 8 — It was a bit of a mixed bag for Spector in this one. For most of the match, he did an excellent job holding down the back line and stopping the front two on the counter. He also scored the equalizing goal in the 94th minute. However, on the second and third goals, Ignacio Piatti completely spun him around and basically took him out of the plays. Led the team in clearances and blocked shots and was fourth in passing with 90% accuracy.

D, Jose Aja, 4.5 — This was a night to forget for the Uruguayan. Had a really poor mistake in the 16th minute, giving the ball away to Ignacio Piatti, leading to a Montreal goal. Then followed it up with a missed, over-committed header on the second goal, taking him out of the play. Then he put the cherry on top with another giveaway to Piatti, who scored seconds later. He was subbed out in the 72nd minute.

D, Donny Toia, 7 .5— Against his former team, Toia did really well. Much like Sutter, he got forward often and helped in the attack. He even had a shot in the 18th minute that was deflected just wide. He was third on the team in tackles and clearances. The only knock on him potentially was that he was caught a bit too far forward at times and allowed Montreal to build up in the counter.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 — Both Higuita and Johnson had similar games. Did well to win the ball back, committed some silly fouls and did well distributing the ball out wide. Higuita had a 91% passing accuracy, finished third on the team in shots, and led the team in both tackles and fouls with four and five, respectively.

MF, Will Johnson , 7 — Essentially it’s cut and paste with Higuita as far as the breakdown. Johnson had a 92% passing accuracy, was also third on the team in shots, and fourth on the team in tackles. Came out for the last few minutes in favor of Luis Gil.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia , 8.5 (MOTM)— Tonight was a game that has been a long time coming for MPG. He was dynamic on the offensive end and solid defensively. Scored his first Orlando City goal in the eighth minute after some good wing play from Kaká and Barnes. Could have had an assist on the second goal, but Johnson’s shot was blocked and Rivas cleaned it up. Did manage an assist on the Spector goal off the corner, putting it perfectly into the box. Led the team in key passes, fouls earned, and dribbles, second on the team in total crosses, and third on the team in tackles.

MF, Kaka, 7.5 — A solid game for the captain and an impressive first half offensively. Had great chemistry with MPG and Barnes, linking up some great passes and getting into dangerous spaces in front of goal. Notched an assist on the first goal for MPG and continued to be a threat offensively going towards goal. The second half he was less effective, but that was mainly due to Montreal dropping back to defend the lead.

F, Giles Barnes, 8 — Was in very inspired form for this game and it really showed. Set up the first goal with a slotted pass for Kaká in the eighth minute and set up the second goal with his cross into the box. Had a number of good runs towards goal and, as mentioned with Kaká, had great link-up play with him, MPG, and himself. Was fourth on the team with 90% passing accuracy, second on the team in shots, and third in key passes.

F, Carlos Rivas, 7.5 — Once again, Rivas’ speed was a huge factor in this game. Balls over the top for him to chase opened up the offense for Orlando and allowed the Lions to break down the five at the back Montreal played. Scored his third goal of the year with a clean-up strike after Johnson had his shot saved in the 23rd minute. Led the team in both shots (five) and crosses (seven).

Substitutes

D, Tommy Redding (72’), 8 — Came in for Aja to try and calm the back line down and did just that. Was very composed despite the pressure from Montreal and had a few good stops defensively to keep the Impact off the scoreboard.

MF, Luis Gil (88’), N/A, — Came in for Johnson and tried to get something going offensively. Almost had a good play to Higuita in stoppage time, but it was cleared away by Montreal.

That is what the individual performances looked like to me. What did you think? Be sure to vote below for your OCSC Man of the Match. 

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Giles Barnes16
Matias Perez Garcia131
Kaka15
Carlos Rivas6
Other16

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/14/24

Getting to know Martin Ojeda, Orlando Pride unbeaten run ends, USMNT beats Panama, and more.

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1 hour ago

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October 14, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and finishing up stream monitoring for an NISA Playoff semifinal match in California. Let’s also wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B forward Wilfredo Rivera. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Getting to Know Martin Ojeda

Orlando City midfielder Martin Ojeda was featured as part of the club’s video series to learn more about the players. In the video, Ojeda gave insight into his beginnings playing soccer when he was three years old and playing for his neighborhood club in South America. He also discussed his style of play, focusing on the attack, creating opportunities, and stating that there is always room to improve. You can check out the rest of the video below.

Pride Unbeaten Run Ends in Loss to Thorns

The Orlando Pride suffered their first loss of the NWSL season on Friday, falling 2-0 to the Portland Thorns. Morgan Weaver and Christine Sinclair scored for the Thorns to seal the win and end Orlando’s 24-match unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 6 of last season. Despite the loss, the Pride remain in first place in the NWSL table with 57 points after winning the NWSL Shield a week ago. The next match for the Pride will be on Sunday on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Keys to Success in Orlando Pride Turnaround

The Athletic ($) took a deep dive into the process that led to the Orlando Pride turnaround this season. The article begins with the Pride joining the NWSL in 2016, their up-and-down seasons, and how recent changes in the last couple of years have set the foundation for the club’s success in 2024. It also shared some unique insights from interviews with staff and players and how the club was eager to make changes after finishing in the bottom half of the table for the last five seasons. The most interesting takeaway for me from reading the article was Head Coach Seb Hines speaking on the process of changing the culture of the club, building that underdog mindset, and how he keeps his players motivated. Although the 24-match unbeaten streak is over, the Pride are breaking records this season and won their first trophy. There’s been plenty to be excited about for the Pride this season, and hopefully they will carry this momentum into the playoffs and make a deep run.

USMNT Defeats Panama in Mauricio Pochettino’s Coaching Debut

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Panama 2-0 on Saturday at Q2 Stadium, securing the first win in Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s debut in a friendly. Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi scored the USMNT’s goals in the second half to secure the victory. Matt Turner started in goal, and Christian Pulisic added an assist to set up Musah’s goal. The USMNT will face Mexico in Guadalajara on Tuesday. Pulisic, Pepi, and Weston McKennie will miss the match to return to their respective European clubs. Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen will also return to their clubs.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned a clean sheet on international duty as his Peru side defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying match on Friday. Wilder Cartagena and Facundo Torres did not play in the match.
  • Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina and forward Adriana were called up to the Brazil Women’s National Team for friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29.
  • Sports Illustrated listed five MLS players that could move abroad this off-season, mentioning Orlando City’s Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire as potential targets.
  • Angel City FC forward Christen Press scored her first goal in 28 months over the weekend in a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage. Press had been sidelined due to an ACL injury requiring four surgeries before returning to action.
  • Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga broke an NWSL record after scoring her 19th goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Bay FC over the weekend.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/11/24

Orlando Pride in Portland, U.S. men and women news, international upsets, and more.

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3 days ago

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October 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Milton has finally made its way out of Florida, though many of us will be dealing with the aftermath for a while. We hope that you and yours are safe and that the damage is minimal. I know that many are still without power — which is why I’m writing Lion Links today instead of Marcus Mitchell. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride play in Portland tonight, although it will be a late one. Let’s get to the links.

Pride in Portland

The Orlando Pride may be the NWSL Shield winners, but with three matches left in the regular season, the job is not done. Now, the club will take on the Portland Thorns. The Thorns haven’t been great as of late, but Providence Park is a tough place to play. While the club is focused on the upcoming playoffs, the Pride still want to finish undefeated in the regular season. Portland, like many clubs, are fighting for a playoff spot.

USWNT Players in the News

Lindsey Horan didn’t have the best Olympics in my opinion, but she is doing very well in her start to Lyon’s season. She’s scored five goals in four matches to help Lyon top the table. Back home, Crystal Dunn is being honored by Empowerment on the East River hosted by Black Players for Change.

USMNT in Action

The USMNT plays its first match under Mauricio Pochettino Saturday night against Panama, and you can watch it on multiple platforms. There are no conflicts of interest this go-around, but next year, some players will need to choose between playing in the Club World Cup or the Gold Cup.

International Results

Orlando City, and all the other teams and leagues, aren’t playing right now due to an international break. The matches have already begun. Perhaps the biggest news was Greece’s stunning 2-1 win over England. The victory puts Greece atop Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League competition.

Over in Group A2, Italy blew a two-goal lead to draw Belgium 2-2. There were plenty of other results, including Erling Haaland becoming his country’s all-time top scorer after scoring a brace in Norway’s 3-0 win over Slovenia. If you want to catch more matches, here’s where you can watch.

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That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our Pride match recap, and follow The Mane Land on Twitter during the match. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/10/24

Orlando City’s potential as a playoff dark horse, the Orlando Pride’s rise to prominence, the USMNT prepares for Panama, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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October 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

I hope you’re all staying safe out there as Hurricane Milton tears across the state of Florida. While we endure the storm and wait for the Orlando Pride to play in Portland on Friday night, let’s distract ourselves with some links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City’s Dark Horse Potential

On the latest episode of the Offside with Taylor Twellman podcast, he spoke on how Orlando City will be a dark horse in the tournament. The Lions have been on an incredible run of form over the past few months and can host in the first round of the playoffs if they manage to hold onto the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. Nearly all of the team’s attackers are hitting their stride and a recent win over FC Cincinnati is evidence that the Lions aren’t to be overlooked in this year’s playoffs.

“[Orlando City is] the best team in MLS since July 1 and they are scoring goals for fun while winning 10 of those 13 games,” Twellman said. “They will fight, they will claw, basically they will do anything to get under your skin.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to play this version of Orlando City.”

How the Orlando Pride Made History

It still feels a bit surreal that the Orlando Pride lifted the NWSL Shield with three games left to play this season. Here’s a great feature by Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports that dives into some of the reasons behind the Pride’s dominance this season. Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter has helped build a culture of confidence, comfort, and resilience by investing in the players as humans and not just what they can do on the field.

Pro Soccer Wire‘s Jason Anderson detailed how the Pride were able to beat the Washington Spirit to deservedly lift the trophy and it’s also a great read. The Pride did well to adjust to the Spirit’s commitment to their formation and cranked up the tempo to create opportunities to win.

MLS 2024 22 Under 22 List Unveiled

Although Michael Halliday and Heine Gikling Bruseth were eligible, no Lions made this year’s MLS 22 Under 22. Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez tops the list, with Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna and the Philadelphia Union’s Jack McGlynn rounding out the top three. The youngest player on the list is 15-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan, while the Chicago Fire’s Chris Brady is the only goalkeeper to make the cut. Of the 22 players listed, 16 play in the Eastern Conference. As for notable players who weren’t listed, CF Montreal’s Caden Clark has thrived since being traded by Minnesota United and Matai Akinmboni deserves some recognition for his role in D.C. United’s defense at 17 years old.

USMNT Prepares for Panama

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first match under Mauricio Pochettino on Saturday when it takes on Panama in a friendly in Austin. This will be a rematch of when the two nations squared off in Copa America on June 27, with the U.S. falling 2-1. The Yanks failed to make it out of the group stage of that tournament and Gregg Berhalter was fired as head coach in July. A statement win against a Panamanian side that’s currently 37th in the FIFA rankings would be a great start to Pochettino’s tenure as head coach.

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That’ll do it for me today, as my power has just gone out, so it’s the perfect time to wrap things up. Stay safe out there!

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