Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew SC: Final Score 2-0 as Lions Lose Their First Road Match

A Justin Meram brace sealed the Lions’ first defeat in 2017 in Ohio.

Published

on

Lauren Bacho, The Mane Land

COLUMBUS, OH — An early defensive mistake led Orlando City SC to its first 2017 MLS defeat, as the Lions lost 2-0 to Eastern Conference leaders Columbus Crew SC at Mapfre Stadium. Justin Meram scored a brace to give the home side the victory.

After its best-ever MLS start, Orlando City (2-1-0, 6 points) was one of the two undefeated Eastern Conference teams — along with Toronto FC — while Crew SC (3-1-1, 10 points) leads the conference after three straight wins. The Lions remain winless in three trips to Columbus (0-2-1).

The Lions dominated possession (50.3%), passing accuracy (84% to 81%) and shots (14-6, 4-3 on target), but were not able to match the Crew’s efficiency.

“I’m obviously disappointed that we suffered our first loss in our first away game, but we had a lot of positives from my point of view,” commented Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis after the match. “We created the right amount of chances but lacked a little bit of sharpness on the final third. Some of the choices we made were a little odd. We had players shooting from distance where they had a very little chance to score and occasionally we had guys passing when they should be shooting. But for me that stuff comes with games and minutes together.”

Despite having newcomer Scott Sutter available for the first time since his arrival, Kreis stuck to the starting XI he used against the Philadelphia Union and kept Will Johnson at the right back position.

Orlando City started the game putting some pressure on Columbus’ defenders when in possession, forcing the home team to give up on its usual passing style and play several long balls. The defenders were also high on the field, which led to a couple of early offside calls from the Crew offense.

However, at the 13th minute, the offside trap failed and Artur found Meram wide open on the left side. The midfielder entered the box and finished from a tight angle to find the back of Joe Bendik’s net on the Crew’s first shot.

“They got behind us a couple of times,” Kreis said. “We were stepping a little bit late and, from my point of view, if you are going to be late, you can’t step. There was a little bit of a tactical mistake there with our outside backs on a couple of occasions. However, I think that if we break it down, the number of times they actually played behind us and they were on side was relatively small.”

Orlando’s first attempt happened at the 20th minute, after Jonathan Spector intercepted the ball in the center of the field and quickly connected with Carlos Rivas, who shot from distance right at Zack Steffen.

The Lions insisted on creating from the left side, and Giles Barnes didn’t find himself in a good position to finish, shooting wide at the 28th minute. A few moments later, the Lions created again, now with Donny Toia taking advantage of a second ball. The fullback’s shot, though, was right in the center of the goal and that helped Steffen to make another easy save.

In the last few minutes of the first half, Jose Aja sustained what appeared to be a hamstring injury, and was replaced by Tommy Redding, who played in his first MLS game of 2017 after being part of the U.S. U-20 National Team. The home team controlled possession until the halftime break and insisted on feeding the ball to Harrison Afful and Ethan Finlay on the right side, while Orlando tried to create from counter attacks but was not able to create anything dangerous.

The second half started in a promising way for the Lions as Cyle Larin, who was extremely shy in his first 45 minutes, crossed from the left to find Johnson open at the opposite side, but the Canadian’s shot hit the outside netting at the 52nd minute.

Orlando tried to push numbers forward and create from the wings, but most of the crosses were promptly blocked by the Crew defenders. At the 70th minute, Jason Kreis tried his last move to change the game, bringing Sutter in to replace Matias Perez Garcia and pushing Johnson into the midfield.

The offensive strategy left plenty of space in the back and Crew SC took advantage of it in the 76th minute, when Federico Higuaín assisted Meram, who cut inside of Sutter and shot underneath Bendik’s body to score again.

The second goal apparently fueled the Lions, as the team dominated the finals minutes of the match. An angled free kick shot from Rivas at the 87th minute, a high header by Jonathan Spector at the 90th minute, and a 94th-minute drive by Johnson were the team’s best opportunities before the final whistle.

“It was about the mistakes we made,” Johnson said. “The margin is small and when you come on the road in this league you don’t have a whole lot of margin for errors. If you are not perfect or close to it, you are going to lose more points than you are going to win games. In between the boxes the effort was pretty good, but they made two plays on the box where they scored two goals and we didn’t make the right plays on either box, offensively or defensively.”


Next week, Orlando City returns home for its fourth match of the season against the New York Red Bulls, on Saturday, April 9.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

Published

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

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

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

Published

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

Free Kicks


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

Continue Reading

Trending