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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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I can’t sugarcoat this performance. You can point to the short rest and tired legs compared to Chicago’s full week of rest. You can talk about playing on the road against the hottest team in the league and their 7-0-1 home record. You can even mention the missing presence of Cyle Larin, who has played well at Toyota Park.

But in the end, the result is all that matters, and — tough task or not — the Lions simply weren’t good enough and the performance was unacceptable if not inexplicable.

So…about those grades…

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5.5 — Joe made three saves on seven shots on target but he was under fire all night, facing 17 total attempts and constantly having the Chicago attack coming at him. He had zero chance on Accam’s hat trick of goals (honestly, he had a better shot at stopping the penalty than either of the first two), or Nemanja Nikolic’s 1-v-1 opportunity. Solid stop on Nikolic at 14’ and alertly off his line at 24’ to deny Accam 1-v-1 although the offside flag had gone. Made a huge reaction save to deny Nikolic from point-blank range in the 31st minute. Distribution was poor at times and may have done better in terms of being alert to Accam’s speed.

D, PC, 5 — Victor Giro wasn’t able to put any kind of pressure on Matt Polster out wide throughout the night, allowing the Chicago midfielder to make crosses rain into Orlando’s penalty area. He also wasn’t able to get forward too much, although he did have one of the Lions’ three shot attempts, but only two cross attempts of his own. His passing wasn’t great at 70.5%, but he did lead the team in interceptions (5) and finished with two tackles.

D, Jonathan Spector, 5.5 — Spector kept it from being even worse. Made a good play to disrupt Michael de Leeuw in the 34th minute to throw off a potentially dangerous header. Had two vital clearances in the second half to prevent easy tap-in goals in the 50th and 74th minutes. One of his worst passing performances, at just 66.7% though. Defensively, he had one tackle, one interception, a blocked shot, and four clearances.

D, Tommy Redding, 6 — Left Accam unattended on the first goal and was one of several players caught flat-footed on Accam’s run on the second. However, Redding put in a solid defensive shift, tallying two tackles, four interceptions, six clearances, and a blocked shot. He was one of the few Lions who could control the ball and his 88.5% passing led the back line and was second among all starters.

D, Scott Sutter, 4.5 — It looked like a tired Scott Sutter out there on this night. His usual energy was lacking and he seemed a step slower than usual. He managed only two crosses (one accurate) in the attack although his 84.4% passing accuracy was decent. His foul in the box on Accam seemed unnecessary and added a goal against to the team’s tally. His only defensive statistic was a single clearance — no tackles or interceptions on the night.

MF, Luis Gil, 4 — No defensive or offensive statistics of note and just a 66.7% passing night. Gil was mostly invisible for 57 minutes before being subbed off for Barnes. When looking for a positive, the best I can come up with is that it looked like he was trying and he was running while others weren’t. That’s about it.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 3.5 — Repeatedly lost the ball and conceded dangerous free kick opportunities in the 32nd and 34th minutes, getting booked on the latter. Finished with four tackles but no interceptions or clearances and more turnovers than tackles, with two unstable touches and dispossessed three times. His 84.6% passing accuracy seems decent until you look at the passing chart and everything is sideways or backwards. Just a horror show of a road trip for the Colombian. I don’t mean to be harsh on Cristian, because I like him as a player, but he has not been good the last couple of matches.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 5.5 — With a 94.7% accuracy, Nocerino was the team’s best passer among all starters, and on the most attempts (58). He also had a key pass, which was in short supply on this night. In fact, it was the only one the Lions registered. He had three tackles and a clearance defensively and was about a half yard offside or he’d have scored his first MLS goal in the 66th minute. He ran hard all night despite having played 90 on Wednesday in Seattle.

MF, Will Johnson, 5 — Usually you notice Will Johnson during a soccer match. He gets into passing lanes, forces attackers back, and generally just makes a nuisance of himself. He didn’t do that at Chicago. He passed pretty well (85.1%) and had good long ball accuracy (4/5), and was never dispossessed. However, he didn’t do much that was memorable from a good perspective either. He had two tackles and an interception on defense but was booked for a tactical foul at 22’ and wasn’t really able to connect the back line with the attacking tandem, on a night when Jason Kreis deployed almost a full midfield of DMs.

F, Kaká, 4.5 — I’ll admit, I had to double check to make sure Kaká had a passing accuracy of 83.3%, because it sure didn’t seem like it. He was more careless than usual with the ball against the Fire. Playing as a second forward with Carlos Rivas, the Brazilian didn’t add a lot to the attack. He had zero shot attempts, three crosses (but none found the target), and registered no defensive statistics. Had an awful turnover in the 42nd minute that ignited a Chicago counter and several others throughout the match that didn’t produce quite as much danger. He was dispossessed three times and was forced to tackle Accam and endure a booking in the second half before being subbed off.

F, Carlos Rivas, 4.5 — The most notable thing Rivas did was get stomped on by goalkeeper Matt Lampson on the Colombian’s best scoring opportunity of the night in the 75th minute. He did manage two of Orlando’s three shots in the game but neither was troublesome, with one well wide of the target — on an impatient long-range effort during a promising attack — and the other a free kick into the wall. He attempted only 13 passes and completed 61.5% of them. The stomp ended his night early and he may miss some time with an ankle injury that will be evaluated when the team returns to Orlando.

Substitutes

MF, Matias Perez Garcia (57’), 5 — MPG was able to add a little bit of energy and hold-up play where none was previously present. He should have shot instead of feeding in an offside Nocerino at 66’ but it’s hard to fault unselfish play and the Italian did have a better angle. He was able to draw a couple of free kicks, as usual, but passed at only a 75% clip and didn’t register any defensive statistics.

MF, Giles Barnes (57’), 4.5 — The Jamaican didn’t offer a lot on this night, although he did work hard in his 33 minutes. He drew a couple of free kicks and had an interception but he offered no shots and little in the way of offense at all — just one cross and a 72.7% passing rate. Got an elbow up on a late challenge which may get looked at by DisCo but it didn’t look intentional.

F, Richie Laryea (64’), 6 (MotM) — Came on for Kaká and didn’t accomplish a lot but brought good energy to the team in his MLS debut. Didn’t have many glaring errors either. The moment didn’t seem too big for him and he was able to work well with his teammates to try to create around the top of the box. Completed all six of his passes. On a night when most of the team looked either bad, lethargic, or both, this performance was good enough for Man of the Match, in my book, although that says more about Laryea’s teammates in this game than it does about Richie.

That’s the way I saw the individual performances on this night. Vote for your Lion of the Match in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Joe Bendik10
Tommy Redding6
Jonathan Spector2
Antonio Nocerino 12
Richie Laryea 19
The liquor cabinet89
Other6

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 home loss to Atlanta United?

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7 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

In a somewhat disappointing fashion, Orlando City closed out the 2024 Major League Soccer regular season at home with a 2-1 loss against rival Atlanta United. Following the most recent international break, Orlando City failed to recapture the form that had propelled the squad to three straight victories. After digging themselves an early two-goal hole, the Lions found a way to score before the half and then thought they’d equalized late, only for a Decision Day video review decision to go against them.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with Atlanta in the regular-season finale.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Atlanta attempted nine shots in the match and was able to put five on target. In a blink-and-you-will-miss-it type of start to the match, the visitors found the back of the net twice before the game was even 20 minutes old. It is hard to fault the Peruvian for either of the first two goals as the defense allowed Saba Lobjanidze to walk right through before slotting a ball past the keeper and then failed to mark properly on a ball that Gallese had already parried away from point-blank range, though he might have been able to grab it or control the rebound a bit better. The highlight of Gallese’s night came just seconds after halftime when Dagur Dan Thorhallsson committed a foul in the box. Gallese chose correctly and made a huge save on Atlanta’s penalty to keep it a one-goal game. The Peruvian international completed 11 of his 12 passes for a 91.7% completion rate, including four of five long balls attempted.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — The match did not start well for Santos as he first conceded a corner that eventually led to Atlanta’s second goal, and then got caught ball-watching on the ensuing corner attempt, allowing Jamal Thiare to find the back of the net. He improved from there, leading the team with 110 touches while completing 68 of his 79 passes (86.1%) with three key passes. That included an assist on a good cross for Martin Ojeda’s header. Defensively, he recorded one interception, one clearance, and one tackle while winning a team-high four aerial duels. Offensively, Santos attempted one off-target shot and completed two successful dribbles.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The captain contributed a solid, if unspectacular, performance against a team that had been fairly anemic on offense down the stretch. He had 93 touches and completed 77 of his 83 passing attempts for a 92.8% rate, including six of eight long balls. On defense, he had one interception, a team-high four clearances, and a blocked shot. The Swede failed to contribute an offensive statistic against Atlanta.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Orlando fans know at this point that you have to take the good Schlegel with the bad Schlegel and unfortunately bad Schlegel showed up during the first Atlanta goal as he was caught flat-footed as Lobjanidze blew right by him. Aside from that, he was mainly solid in the match. Schlegel had 84 touches and won two aerials. He completed 78 of his 80 passes (97.5%), including eight of nine long balls. Defensively, he contributed one clearance while committing two fouls. He attempted one shot which was off target.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson returned to the starting lineup after missing several matches and looked the part early of someone trying to get back up to speed and match fitness. Considering Atlanta had only scored four goals in the first 30 minutes of a match the whole season, Thorhallsson and company allowed the Five Stripes far too much daylight, resulting in a goal just a few minutes into the game. He had 64 touches and completed 45 of his 49 passes (91.8%), including one key pass. Thorhallsson was accurate on both of his long ball attempts but only logged one successful cross on four attempts. Defensively, he recorded a team-high three tackles and three clearances. Things could have gone sideways quickly for Orlando after the halftime break, as Thorhallsson was whistled for a foul in the box, resulting in an Atlanta penalty kick. He was subbed off in the 80th minute and will look to get his offensive rhythm back during training this week as he failed to record a shot.

MF, César Araujo, 6.5 — Missing his dynamic defensive partner, Wilder Cartagena, due to yellow card accumulation, Araujo was asked to do a little bit of everything against Atlanta and had an overall successful outing in front of the home crowd. He registered 107 touches and completed 81 of his 87 passes (93.1%). He tied Santos for the team lead in key passes with three and completed seven of his eight long ball attempts. He was unsuccessful on his lone crossing attempt. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and three clearances. Offensively, Araujo was more involved than usual, logging two shots with one on target, and he was fouled a team-high five times.

MF, Felipe, 5 — Inserted for Cartagena due to his suspension, Felipe was also partly culpable on Atlanta’s first goal. The veteran from Brazil logged 47 touches in 52 minutes of action and completed 32 of his 38 passing attempts (84.2%), contributing two key passes. Felipe was unsuccessful in all three of his long ball attempts and defensively contributed one tackle and two interceptions. Offensively, Felipe recorded a shot but it failed to land on frame. He was subbed off in the 52nd minute for Kyle Smith.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — Angulo did not play badly but he was more invisible than usual. The key to the Colombian speedster’s game is to create chaos and to blow by opponents. Against Atlanta, Angulo failed to do much of that, but he also did not create egregious errors. Angulo logged 62 touches and completed 43 of his 48 passing attempts (89.6%) and mainly avoided some of the turnovers in his own half that have plagued him in recent games. He was credited with one key pass and one shot attempt that was off target. His cross turned into the McGuire goal that was overturned in the 89th minute. The season leader in minutes played went the full 90 once again and chipped in one tackle on defense.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7.5 (MotM) — Ojeda was in full attack mode throughout the match and in my humble opinion was sacrificed far too early for how well he was playing. He scored Orlando’s lone goal in the 42nd minute with a glancing header and was credited with 56 touches. He completed 36 of his 39 passing attempts (92.3%), including two key passes. All three of his long ball attempts were successful and he completed one of his three crosses. Defensively, he failed to record a statistic but this match was all about Ojeda hunting his shot. The Argentine attacker led the team with eight total shots, four of which were on target, which was easily the best mark on the team. He might have had a hat trick had his right-footed attempts fallen instead for his preferred left foot. Ojeda picked up a yellow card in the 62nd minute — the only card shown to either team on the night — and was substituted out for Luis Muriel in the 68th minute of the match. With the way Ojeda was playing on offense, I would have much preferred that Muriel replace Angulo or Facundo Torres.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — With Ojeda hunting, fellow Designated Player Torres had an off night. He had 68 touches and completed 49 of his 56 passes (87.5%). Torres recorded one key pass, was unsuccessful on his lone cross, and completed one of his two long balls. Defensively, Torres failed to record a statistic, but he won three aerial duels. Offensively, he logged two shots, which were both off-target.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique had a quiet night, logging only 18 touches which is simply not enough, considering the Lions were trailing essentially from the jump. He completed eight of his 10 passes (80%), including two key passes, and his lone shot attempt was on target. Defensively, Enrique did not contribute a statistic and was substituted off in the 68th minute for Duncan McGuire.

Substitutes

MF, Kyle Smith (52′), 6 —  After starting much of the last month for the injured Thorhallsson, Smith started on the bench against Atlanta, replacing Felipe in the early moments of the second half. Smith had 49 touches as a substitute, and he completed 45 of his 47 passes (95.7%). He logged one tackle on the defensive end and did not contribute an offensive stat.

F, Duncan McGuire (68′), 6 — The second-year attacker thought he’d scored a late equalizer, in the 89th minute, but it was disallowed as referee Rubiel Vazquez ruled the ball had clearly hit his hand before he scored. McGuire had just six touches and completed two of his three passing attempts. Besides the overturned goal, McGuire recorded a shot on target.

MF, Luis Muriel (68’), 6 — Muriel entered the match for Ojeda with a little more than 20 minutes left in the match, and Orlando down a goal. He had 20 touches and completed 14 of his 17 attempts (82.4%), including two key passes, and was accurate on both of his long ball attempts. Muriel was credited with two successful dribbles but did not attempt a shot.

MF, Nicolas Lodeiro, (80’), N/A — Lodeiro entered the match late with Orlando hunting for the equalizer. He had 23 touches and completed 14 of his 18 passes (77.8%). Lodeiro attempted two shots, putting one on frame, and did not contribute a defensive statistic.

That’s how I saw the individual performances from the final match of the regular season. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/21/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride lose, Orlando City B eliminated from playoffs, Seb Hines discusses diversity in soccer, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I just finished setting up broadcasting for the NISA championship match in California over the weekend. This week, I’m back to staying busy at Under Armour and covering high school sports. It was a rough weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, and we have plenty to cover today. Let’s get to the links!

Lions Fall to Atlanta United at Home on Decision Day

Orlando City fell 2-1 to Atlanta United on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium on Decision Day. The Lions trailed 2-0 early in the first half before Martin Ojeda pulled one back for Orlando just before halftime. The Lions thought they had a late equalizer from Duncan McGuire, but the referee overturned the goal after a video review. The loss ended Orlando’s three-match winning streak, but it still clinched fourth place in the Eastern Conference as New York City FC lost to CF Montreal. Orlando’s next match will be in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs at home against Charlotte FC on Sunday.

Orlando Pride Lose to NJ/NY Gotham FC on the Road

The Orlando Pride lost their second straight match with a 3-1 defeat on the road to NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday at Red Bull Arena. The Pride were down 1-0 early in the first half before Adriana converted a penalty to tie things up. Gotham added two goals from Rose Lavelle and Ella Stevens to seal the victory and extend its unbeaten streak to seven matches. The Pride’s next game will be on Nov. 2 at home when they face the Seattle Reign in their final match of the regular season.

Seb Hines Speaks on Diversity in Soccer

BBC Sport interviewed Pride Head Coach Seb Hines after the club won its first NWSL Shield. Hines discussed how he’s helped reshape the club’s culture and advocates for more opportunities for black coaches in the sport alongside assistant coaches Giles Barnes and Yolanda Thomas.

“Being a trailblazer comes with a big responsibility because I want to advocate for more black coaches and diversity within the sport.

“It’s a responsibility to fight for more equality globally. It’s less about winning and more about breaking those barriers. I want to continue to give hope to others.”

Thomas, who joined the Pride’s coaching staff in 2023, also spoke on her passion to drive change and how she was inspired by former England manager Hope Powell.

OCB Eliminated from MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs

Orlando City B was eliminated from postseason play after losing 5-4 on penalties to Chicago Fire FC II following a 1-1 draw at SeatGeek Stadium in the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs . The Young Lions got off to a great start with a goal from Jack Lynn to take the lead in the first half. However, scored an equalizer just before halftime. After 90 minutes and extra time, the game went to penalties, where both teams exchanged goals until sudden death. OCB’s Favian Loyola missed his penalty, while Jean Diouf scored to send Chicago into the conference semifinals. OCB missed out on a chance to get its first postseason win and its 2024 season came to an end.

Orlando City and Pride Announce Hurricane Relief Efforts

Orlando City and the Pride announced hurricane relief effort plans over the weekend so fans can get involved and support those in need following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. The club also announced that the Wilf Family Foundations contributed $450,000 towards relief efforts, with $350,000 going to the American Red Cross and $100,000 to Heart of Florida United Way, a charity partner for the Pride.

Free Kicks

  • Check out Orlando City’s hype video on social media leading up to its playoff match.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta United.

Published

1 day ago

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October 20, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City hosted Atlanta United at Inter&Co Stadium on Decision Day. The 2-1 loss had its share of controversy, but the Lions’ home undefeated streak ended at seven. While it was a disappointing result, I’m hopeful it will put a chip on the shoulder of Orlando City so the team rolls through the playoffs.

Here are my five takeaways from a depressing but ultimately meaningless loss.

Not a Great Start, Bob

The right side of Orlando City’s defense decided that the level of difficulty in the match needed to be higher. As such, the defenders on that side all decided to take a nap or close their eyes in the seventh minute. Pedro Amador’s back heel to put Saba Lobjanidze behind the defense was slick, and it allowed Lobjanidze to put the ball past Pedro Gallese and into the bottom right corner of the goal. Nine minutes later, Gallese made the initial save on Atlanta’s corner kick, but he pushed it out to Jamal Thiaré, who gave Atlanta the two-goal lead.

It’s Ojeda’s Half

Martin Ojeda was a difference maker for Orlando City right from the start. He managed seven shots in the first half, but it was his goal in the 42nd minute that truly changed the complexion of the match for the Lions. With Orlando City down two goals, Rafael Santos crossed the ball into the box and onto the head of Ojeda, who redirected it past Brad Guzan to pull the Lions within one. It was fitting that Ojeda got the goal, given the good work he’d done all half.

The Great Gallese

Dagur Dan Thorhallsson almost put a dagger in the hearts of the Orlando City faithful when he fouled Lobjanidze inside the box to give Atlanta United a penalty kick less than a minute into the second half. Alexey Miranchuk stepped up to take the kick for Atlanta, but was denied the goal by Gallese. El Pulpo guessed correctly, diving to his right side and getting a tentacle on the shot to keep Orlando City in the match.

The Hand of McGuire

Duncan McGuire’s arm couldn’t have been closer to his body unless it was inside his ribcage. Regardless, the video assistant referee looked at it and sent referee Rubiel Vazquez to the monitor for a second look. Vazquez determined that the ball hit his hand prior to him putting the ball in the back of the net. I was watching from home, and I didn’t think the video evidence was definitive enough to overturn the goal. Of course, I’m not Don Garber…er…PRO referees. If McGuire’s goal stood, Atlanta was out of playoff contention. Instead, the decision put Atlanta into the playoff Wild Card match against CF Montreal.

Good Enough but Not Good Enough

Ultimately, the result didn’t matter for Orlando City. New York City FC’s loss ensured the Lions finished the regular season in fourth place, earning home field advantage in the round. Other than the two defensive lapses early, the Lions dominated the match. Orlando City took 20 shots to Atlanta’s seven, with eight on target to Atlanta’s four. The Lions also held 67% of the possession, and passed at a 90% rate. The chances were there, but saves by Guzan and a controversial overturned goal contributed to the Orlando City loss.

That is what I saw in the 2-1 loss. What were your biggest takeaways from the game? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

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