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Orlando City

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

Published

6 years ago

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It was a moment of brilliance from Atlanta that tipped the scales in favor of the visitors, but for most of the match, those scales were pretty even. With the Hector Villalba strike, it now marks back-to-back home losses for Orlando City as the Lions head to Atlanta for next weekend’s match.

It was very even through most of the match and Orlando held a 14-8 shot advantage, but was stopped by Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan time and time again. The USMNT keeper came up with five total saves on Orlando.

Redemption can come for the Lions next Saturday, but until then, here are our grades from the match.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 — Despite being hard done by the one goal, Bendik did his usual thing throughout the game and kept Orlando in it, making five saves. Had a good denial in the 23rd after Yamil Asad got a chance in on goal. Came up with a big stop on a Miguel Almiron shot in the 45th from the top of the box. Had another stop in the 70th minute after sub Brandon Vazquez got past Toia and tried to shoot near post. Came up with his biggest save of the night on an Almiron shot in the 85th minute, getting down to parry it away.

D, Donny Toia, 6.5 — Looked a bit outmatched at times, but had some recoveries trying to mark Julian Gressel most of the night. Had a good recovery run in the 16th minute to prevent a ball into the box from Gressel, who originally beat him down the line. Did a good job running down a ball forward in the attack in the 21st minute and earning a corner. Got the ball stuck under his feet as he tried to clear it in the 40th minute and almost gifted Atlanta a corner, but Bendik was able to knock it away for a throw-in. Had a shot in the 55th minute from outside the box on a volley, but it sailed well wide. Got burned in the 70th minute by Vazquez, but Bendik was able to save the subsequent shot. Led the team in tackles, with three.

D, Jonathan Spector, 7.5 (MOTM) — Specs Got a touch on a ball coming in from the wing and altered it just enough for Bendik to grab. Had a great header on frame in the 39th minute, but Guzan came up with a big save to stop it. Had a huge defensive play with a sliding tackle after Johnson had a gaffe, passing it right to Almiron in front of goal. Got another chance in the second half at a header, but Guzan once again got down to save it. Led the team in clearances, with five, and was second in interceptions, with two.

D, Jose Aja, 6 — Was fairly decent defense-wise up until the Atlanta goal. Had a chance offensively on a corner in the 22nd minute, but his header flashed just wide of goal. Got turned around as Asad got behind him in the 23rd minute, leading to an Atlanta shot on goal. Had a poor header in the 33rd minute as he tried to clear the danger in the box, but Sutter was able to clean up his mess. Committed a foul in the 48th minute on Asad to prevent him getting in on goal. Sagged off on Villalba on the only goal of the game, but that was only partly his fault.

D, Scott Sutter, 7 — A really good match again for Sutter. Did a great job on defense and getting forward in the attacking third. Had a great run in the 25th minute as he volleyed a cross into the box, which was headed away for a corner. Cleared away the danger in the box in the 33rd minute after Aja was unable to properly clear the danger. Finished the game second in interceptions, with two, and clearances, with two.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.5 — A much better game from the midfielder overall. Got into passing lanes and really disrupted the Atlanta offense. Also, did a good job getting forward into the attack. Had a poor one-touch pass in the 11th minute trying to pick out Toia on the other side of the field. Was a bit over aggressive at times and slid into rash challenges. Had a good opportunity in the 73rd minute after burning Greg Garza and putting a ball into the box, which was off by just a bit. Just a minute later, Higuita had another chance to put the ball in off a Kaká feed, but it again was just off. Earned a free kick in the 90th before coming off for Gil. Led the team in interceptions, with three.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6 — Not a very memorable match for Noce. Great job tracking Hector Villalba on a run in the 10th minute. Committed a foul on Almiron in the 12th minute, leading to a free kick for Atlanta. Tied for second on the team in interceptions, with two, and finished with a 69% passing percentage.

MF, Will Johnson, 5.5 — It was a night to forget for Will. Did a solid job trying to play quick passes along the wing, but often didn’t get forward enough in the attack. Had a terrible giveaway in the 41st minute, passing it right to Almiron in the box, but Spector was able to bail him out. Almost had another giveaway and tried to bicycle the ball away in the second half, but instead he kicked Yamil Asad in the head and was promptly shown a yellow. Had a chance to tie the game in stoppage time, but he hit his shot high over the bar after getting past his defender. Finished with an 81% passing accuracy, good for fifth on the team.

MF, Kaká, 6.5 — The captain was really onto something in the early parts of the game, but faded as the match went on. Issued a yellow card in the sixth minute for a late challenge on Yamil Asad after trying to win the ball back. Had an amazing run in the 17th minute as he took on the entire Atlanta defense, before laying it off for Barnes, who just missed. Had another great run in the 20th minute, sprinting right down the middle, before the ball was taken from him. Pushed forward in the 27th minute, laying a ball off to Barnes to play back to him, but it was just in front of the Brazilian. Played a great ball in for Rivas in the 36th minute, which he hit right to Guzan. Had a set piece in the 63rd to Spector, but it was saved by Guzan again. Had a shot in the 87th minute trying to curl one past Guzan, but he was equal to the shot. His grade would have been higher, but he finished the game with the worst passing accuracy of any player on the pitch (64% for the game).

F, Giles Barnes, 6.5 — Did well up top filling in for Larin and created some good chances Had a chance in the 17th minute after a great Kaká run, but missed it just wide. Tried an effort from outside the box in the 32nd minute, but it was right at Guzan. Had another chance at a header in the 44th minute, but he pushed off his defender as his chance went just over the top of the net. Drew a foul in the 63rd minute which led to a free kick. Came off in the 72nd minute for Larin. Finished the match with the most shots on goal, with three.

F, Carlos Rivas, 6.5 — Constantly used his strength to back down his defenders and earn a number of fouls in the process. Had a good run and a powerful strike in the 36th minute, but it was right at Guzan. Made a great run in the 57th towards goal and put a cross in, but it looked to have come off the Atlanta defender’s hand, but nothing was called. Tried an effort from distance in the 79th minute, but he sent it into the second deck. Finished the game with the second highest passing percentage, with 83% and second on the team in shots, with two.

Substitutes

F, Cyle Larin (72’), 6 — Came straight from the airport to the stadium and came on for the final 18 minutes, but didn’t have too much of an impact offensively.

MF, Richie Laryea (88’), N/A — Came in for Nocerino, but only registered two touches.

MF, Luis Gil (90’), N/A — Came in for Higuita in the last moments of the match. Had a few touches, but nothing game-changing.

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
Carlos Rivas1
Jonathan Spector80
Scott Sutter12
Joe Bendik9
Kaká48
Other8

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Orlando City

2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Alex Freeman

We start our Orlando City player reviews with a look at a Homegrown fullback who made his MLS debut this season.

Published

16 hours ago

on

November 29, 2023

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City signed fullback Alex Freeman to a Homegrown Player contract on February 15, 2022. He became the Lions’ 12th Homegrown signing and his deal runs through the 2025 season with a club option for 2026, but the youngster did not see action in Major League Soccer last season. With the departure of Ruan, there was an opportunity for Freeman to win a job with the first team in camp but he wasn’t quite ready to make the jump, instead playing an important role with Orlando City B throughout the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Let’s take a look back at Freeman’s 2023 campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

Freeman made his MLS debut on April 29 in a 2-0 home win over the LA Galaxy. It was not just his debut with the first team, but it was also his only appearance with the senior squad in 2023, although he did make the substitutes’ bench a few times after that. Officially, he logged only one minute, entering in the 93rd minute. He was only on the pitch a matter of seconds, so it’s unsurprising that he registered nothing on the stats sheet.

The son of former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, Alex starred with OCB in 2023. In MLS NEXT Pro play, Freeman appeared in 24 of OCB’s 28 matches, starting 22, and logging 1,855 minutes. He finished tied for third on the squad in goals (4), adding three assists and passing at a 79.1% success rate. Freeman attempted 25 shots, putting 11 on target, and contributed 10 key passes. He committed 22 fouls, drew 27 on the opposition, and was booked four times. He also started OCB’s playoff match at Columbus, playing 89 minutes in the Young Lions’ 2-1 road loss. Freeman didn’t contribute a goal or assist or attempt a shot in the match, but he passed at an 88% rate, created one scoring chance, and committed one foul.

Best Game

With only one MLS appearance to his credit, the default best game for Freeman came on April 29 in Orlando City’s 2-0 home win over the LA Galaxy. Freeman didn’t even officially touch the ball in the game, but it’s not every day a teenager gets to play in an MLS match, and I’m sure it was a special moment for him. It was certainly a milestone in his professional soccer career.

2023 Final Grade

As Freeman fell well short of the minimum 450 minutes played mark to receive a rating on our 1-10 scale, The Mane Land has no choice but to mark his grade as incomplete for the 2023 season. There are areas of Freeman’s game that need a bit of refining, but at the same time, it’s easy to see why he landed a Homegrown contract, why Orlando City would find him an intriguing prospect, and why he’s been getting called up by the United States for U-20 international duty. His attacking presence was huge for OCB in 2023 and he was one of the key players that led the Young Lions to the postseason.

2024 Outlook

I would expect Freeman to get more seasoning at OCB in 2024, although he’ll be given opportunities in preseason camp to show whether he’s closed the gap on the likes of Michael Halliday and Kyle Smith (assuming both return). If the club moves on from both Halliday and Smith, it’s not hard to picture Freeman starting the season providing depth at right back for the first team. Having just turned 19 in August, Freeman has a lot of potential and he should start to unlock that within the next year or so.

This is the first of our 2023 Orlando City Season in Review articles. Every player who played minutes this past season and who finished the year on the club roster will be reviewed (exceptions may be made for players let go when the club officially announces its roster moves). Players who logged fewer than 450 minutes (combined regular season plus playoffs, Concacaf Champions League, U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup) will receive a composite score between 1 and 10 as determined by a panel of The Mane Land writers, while those who did not reach that threshold will receive an incomplete grade.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/29/23

Orlando Pride players called up by Brazil, MLS announces 2023 Best XI, latest MLS roster moves, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

on

November 29, 2023

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers I hope all is well down in Florida. I’ve been very busy working throughout the holiday weekend at Under Armour. This week I’ll be working at Wrigley Field for Winterland while getting ready to cover high school wrestling tomorrow night. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Players Called Up By Brazil for Friendlies

Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle and forwards Marta and Adriana have been called up to the Brazil Women’s National Team for its upcoming friendlies.

Brazil will play two matches against Japan on Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 in Sao Paulo before playing Nicaragua on Dec. 6 at Estadio Fonte Luminosa in Araraquara.

MLS Announces the 2023 Best XI

Major League Soccer announced its 2023 Best XI, recognizing the league’s top players at each position. There were no Orlando City players selected for the team and eight players received the honor for the first time. Those players are St. Louis City’s Roman Burki and Tim Parker, FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, Atlanta United duo Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis, Houston Dynamo midfielder Hector Herrera, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, and Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez. Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar made the Best XI for the third consecutive time, while teammate Walker Zimmerman was named to it for the fifth time. MLS MVP Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati rounds out the list.

Latest MLS Off-season Roster Moves

The Colorado Rapids announced their latest roster changes as they prepare for the the 2024 season under new Head Coach Chris Armas. The club exercised its options for defender Andrew Gutman, midfielder Ralph Priso, and forward Calvin Harris. The Rapids declined contract offers to seven players, with the most notable names being defender Steven Beitashour and goalkeeper William Yarbrough, although the Rapids are in discussions about re-signing Yarbrough. Elsewhere, the New England Revolution exercised the permanent transfer option on forward Tomas Chancalay, signing him to a Designated Player contract through 2026, with a club option for the 2027 season.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

Champions League action returned in Europe, as we get close to wrapping up the group stage in a couple of weeks. Manchester City overcame a two-goal deficit to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 and win Group G. Newcastle United had a chance to qualify for the round of 16 but gave up a late penalty to Paris Saint-Germain, which Kylian Mbappe converted to end the match in a 1-1 draw. Borussia Dortmund beat AC Milan 3-1 to book its spot in the knockout stage. PSG, Newcastle, and AC Milan are all still alive in Group F heading into the final matchday in December. Shakhtar Donetsk won 1-0 against Royal Antwerp and also still has a shot to advance on the final matchday. Lazio, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Young Boys all won their respective matches as well. Today’s matches include Manchester United on the road against Galatasaray, Real Madrid taking on Napoli, and Sevilla facing off with PSV Eindhoven.

Free Kicks

  • Concacaf has announced that BMO Stadium, Dignity Health Sports Park, Shell Energy Stadium, and Snapdragon Stadium will be the four venues that will host matches for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
  • Barcelona midfielder Gavi will be sidelined for up to 10 months after undergoing knee surgery after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee.
  • The International Football Association Board approved a trial for sin bins, meaning players punished for dissent or specific tactical offense would be temporarily removed from the match for a set amount of minutes.
  • You have got to see this goal from Cwrt Rawlin FC in the Welsh seventh division.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/28/23

Luciano Acosta named MVP, Americans in action, scheduling news for U.S. national teams, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

November 28, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I’m dragging a little today after having an extended period of time off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but there’s no rest for the wicked and the only way out is through. With that being the case, let’s get into today’s news.

Luciano Acosta Wins MLS MVP

In a piece of news that plenty of people likely saw coming from several miles away, Luciano Acosta has been named Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player. Acosta racked up 34 goal contributions during the regular season, finishing the 2023 campaign with 17 goals and 14 assists as the driving force behind his team’s run to the Supporters’ Shield. He was voted the best player in the league by quite some margin and won the award in a landslide, taking 60.37% of the votes to Denis Bouanga’s 14.97% and Thiago Almada’s 6.46%.

American Stars in Midweek Action

There are a number of United States Men’s National Team players that will be in action this week, with several UEFA Champions League clashes highlighting the viewing slate. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan will face Giovanni Reyna’s Borussia Dortmund today in a game with huge ramifications for both teams. Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergino Dest may play in PSV Eindhoven’s match with Sevilla tomorrow, and a win would likely go a long way to securing a place in the Round of 16. Additionally on Wednesday, Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin have a chance to make a big move towards a place in the Europa League, as a win over Braga would leapfrog the German club into third place in Group C.

USMNT & USWNT Scheduling News

The USMNT will open its 2024 slate of games with a match against Slovenia on Jan. 20 in San Antonio. The match will fall outside of an international window, meaning that the January camp roster will largely be made up of domestic-based players. The USMNT has faced Slovenia twice before, with the most recent time being a 3-2 win in Ljubljana courtesy of a Jozy Altidore penalty kick.

While we already knew that the United States Women’s National Team would play China PR on Dec. 5 in Frisco, we now know that one of the team’s legends will be honored before the game. The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced that former Orlando Pride defender Ali Krieger, who stated in March that she will retire following the NWSL season, will be honored before the match. Krieger played 108 games for the USWNT and is a two-time World Cup winner with the team.

Notable Women’s Players to Miss International Matches

A pair of high profile women’s players will miss upcoming international games. First up, Sam Kerr will not feature in Australia’s back-to-back friendlies against Canada due to a foot injury. Kerr has struggled with injuries this year and her availability was limited during this summer’s World Cup.

Alexia Putellas will miss Spain’s two Nations League matches against Sweden and Italy after picking up a left knee injury. Putellas had missed Euro 2022 due to an ACL tear, but was back to help her side win the World Cup several months ago. Fortunately for Spain, the team is well positioned atop its group and has enough players in the squad that it shouldn’t feel her absence too keenly.

Free Kicks

  • A pair of Willian penalties and an early Alex Iwobi goal helped Fulham beat Wolverhampton, with American defenders Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream also starting.
  • New York Red Bulls forward Tom Barlow is reportedly headed to the Chicago Fire.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Y’all stay safe out there.

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