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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 1-0 as Villalba’s Strike Spoils Good Performance

The Lions played well but couldn’t find a way to put a ball past Brad Guzan and Hector Villalba scored out of nowhere in the second half to give Atlanta the win.

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7 years ago

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Carlos Romero, The Mane Land

Orlando City played well overall but offensive finishing continues to be an issue. The Lions’ lack of final product allowed Atlanta United to hang around and win the game, 1-0, on a late wonder strike from Hector Villalba in the 86th minute in front of a raucous crowd of 25,527 at Orlando City Stadium.

Villalba’s goal came out of nowhere off a throw-in to spoil what was otherwise a strong showing — even without the aforementioned offense — by the Lions. Orlando City (8-8-5, 29 points) missed a golden opportunity to jump ahead of expansion Atlanta (10-7-3, 33 points), despite out-firing the visitors by a 14-8 margin and looking like the better side much of the night.

“Obviously very disappointed with the result but this is one where I would say I’m really pleased with the performance,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said after the match. “This is the tough job about being a professional soccer coach is that nobody remembers the performance except for the coaching staff and the players. When you lose, you lose, so really disappointed to have lost this one, especially the way in which we lost it.”

It was a cagey first half with both teams getting a few decent chances but nothing clear cut. Orlando got a couple of near chances early with Carlos Rivas getting to the end line but losing the ball over the end line off a heavy touch two minutes in. Kaká had a nice cross into the box cut out in the sixth minute as the Lions probed for an early breakthrough.

Jonathan Spector returned the favor by cutting out a cross from Anton Walkes at the 15-minute mark. The first real shot came from Giles Barnes in the 17th minute but he hit his effort just wide. Three minutes later, Kaká’s cross for Barnes was cut out by desperate Atlanta defending. Jose Aja flicked a header wide off a corner at 22 minutes, as the Lions sought the game’s first goal.

Scott Sutter nearly found Barnes with a beautiful cross in the 25th minute off an equally lovely long ball from Aja, but a bit of last-ditch defending forced a corner kick. At 27 minutes, a nice give-and-go between Kaká and Barnes went unrewarded as the English-Jamaican’s pass for the captain was a tad off line and erased by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez.

A shot finally hit the target in the 32nd minute when Barnes fired from distance right at Brad Guzan, however, he ignored a good run from Rivas that could have had the Colombian in alone on goal. Four minutes later, Rivas got into the box and blasted a shot, but it was right at Guzan.

Meanwhile, Atlanta tried to make something happen in the offensive end with an endless series of flicks, dummies, and creative runs that didn’t quite come off, either by a pass off line or an offside call. The visitors weren’t missing those opportunities by much, showing why they’ve got one of the most prolific offenses in the league.

The Lions got their best chance of the half in the 39th minute when a long free kick from Kaká found Spector’s head. His flick on was kept out at the last second by a diving stop by Guzan. That almost came back to haunt Orlando at the 41-minute mark, when a horrific back pass by Will Johnson fell to Miguel Almiron. He wasn’t able to get his shot off and the follow by Yamil Asad was weakly hit at Joe Bendik. The half ended seconds after Bendik stopped Almiron’s shot from the top of the box.

Atlanta held most of the possession in the opening period, but Orlando held a 7-3 edge in shots (3-3 on target) and looked to be the more likely team to score.

The second half looked much like the first, with the exception of Orlando seeing more of the possession and Atlanta fashioning a few more shots off the counterattack. The Lions held 52.6% of the ball in the second period.

After a strong build-up by Barnes in the 55th minute, Donny Toia ran onto a bouncing ball, but his half-volley shot was delivered well off target from just above the box. Two minutes later, Rivas tried to turn the corner on Michael Parkhurst and sent in a cross that appeared to deflect off the Atlanta defender’s arm but shouts for a penalty went unheeded. Atlanta had their own penalty shout when Bendik came off his line and collided with Villalba in the box but referee Jose Carlos Rivero ruled that Joe got a touch and awarded a corner.

Guzan again robbed Spector in the 63rd minute on a long-range set piece. The Lions’ defender got his head to a well-placed delivery and got his shot on target but Guzan got down in time to make a sprawling save.

Second-half sub Brandon Vazquez forced a near-post save by Bendik in the 70th minute on a quick Atlanta counter. Two minutes later, Kreis sent on Cyle Larin, who had been playing with Canada 24 hours prior in Arizona, looking to steal the game late.

The introduction of Larin did seem to create some space for the Lions, with Cristian Higuita getting into the right side of the penalty area twice but his shots/crosses — whichever they were — were off the mark both times and the chances went wanting in the 73rd and 75th minutes.

In the 79th minute, you could cross off the free space on your Orlando City bingo card as Rivas launched one well over the net from at least 30 yards away. He nearly atoned at the 80-minute mark when he blew past Parkhurst, who pulled the Colombian down and took a booking rather than let Orlando spring the attack.

Almiron tried his luck from the top of the box in the 81st but hit his shot wide. It appeared to come off of Toia but a goal kick was awarded. Four minutes later, Bendik made a diving save to deny Almiron again as the visitors continued to look for chances off of quick counters whenever Orlando got numbers forward.

A minute after that, Villalba hit his stunner and silenced the crowd. Off a throw-in, Villalba found a pocket of space from about 30 yards out and decided to have a go. His strike was almost entirely unlike Rivas’ earlier effort, curling into the far upper 90 past Bendik’s outstretched hand.

“It came off of a throw-in, which we fell asleep for just one second. That one second will hurt you every time when you play against a quality team and quality players like Atlanta,” said Kreis.

The late goal was a body blow from which Orlando couldn’t recover, even after the introduction of Richie Laryea and Luis Gil in place of more defensive-minded midfielders. Kaká had a curling effort stopped by Guzan in the 87th minute and then hit the wall in the 90th on a set piece in a good area that Higuita won before being subbed off.

The last gasp for Orlando came in the 91st minute when Johnson found himself alone on the right side. With the defender closing in, he tried blasting it into the upper corner on the near post side but he missed his shot well off target.

“The guy was closing me down and obviously Brad’s a top goalkeeper so you have to try to get it in one of the corners, otherwise he’ll save it,” Johnson said. “I tried to go high to the near post to catch him off guard and I had him beat. Just the excitement got to me a little bit and I pushed it a little high and into our wonderful supporters’ section.”

Guzan got to a couple of crosses sent in toward Larin in the dying moments and the full-time whistle blew with the ball in the air after it was launched toward Atlanta’s penalty area.

The Lions are now winless in their last four at home (0-2-2), and despite playing better than before the break, got nothing to show for a good effort against one of the league’s most prolific offensive teams. But as long as this Orlando side continues to struggle to put the ball in the net, results will be hard to come by.

“For me it’s not so much about personnel at the moment,” Kreis said of his offense. “I think we’ve done a really good job of getting ourselves in and around the opponent’s penalty box. And then I think we’re getting the ball into some really dangerous spots. We’re talking a lot about trying to get the right number of players involved in our attacking movements and all the way into the penalty box. At the moment, we’ve got a lot of guys who are happy to hang around the top of the penalty box but not get themselves into the penalty box, and we’re going to need more options in there in order to score goals.”

“We’re trying to get numbers in the final third — more numbers — to support our two strikers. It just didn’t happen for us,” Johnson said. “It’s something we’re conscious of. Obviously we need to score more goals to give ourselves better opportunities to win games. It’s frustrating. It’s something we continue to work on.”

Orlando City will immediately get a chance for revenge, visiting Bobby Dodd Stadium next Saturday, July 29, at 5 p.m.

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Orlando City

In Praise of Orlando City’s Game 3 Penalty Kicks

The Lions employed some crafty strategy and flawless execution to win the Game 3 penalty shootout, and it deserves to be recognized.

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2 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Depending on who you talk to, penalty kicks aren’t a great way to decide a soccer game. They’re exciting, of course, but not exactly a good measuring stick of which team is more deserving of winning the game. Fortunately for Orlando City fans, the team has excelled at shootouts for the vast majority of its MLS existence. In fact, the Lions hadn’t lost one until this year, when they were bounced from Leagues Cup by Cruz Azul after losing 5-4 in penalties. The team then accomplished another first in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs against Charlotte, when it missed three of four spot kicks, and lost 3-1 in penalties.

With recent history far from being in OCSC’s favor, there was plenty of reason to be pessimistic when the deciding Game 3 went to a shootout, but the Lions breezed right through it, winning by a score of 4-1 and sending Charlotte packing. While there’s only so much strategy you can employ in shootouts, the Lions pulled a couple fast ones that may just have given them a leg up when they needed it most.

Let’s first talk about the shootouts the Orlando has been involved in this year, because even before Game 3, there had been a lot. The Lions’ final two games in Leagues Cup were both decided at the penalty spot, with the good guys emerging victorious against San Luis 5-4, and then losing by that same score to Cruz Azul to exit the tournament. Game 2 against Charlotte was therefore the team’s third shootout of the year, and by that point we were starting to see some familiar faces in the team’s shooting lineup.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with sending the same (or mostly the same) guys up in a shootout. Conventional wisdom says that you want your best, most reliable guys from the spot taking penalties. However, if the opposing goalkeeper has done his research, and a player tends to favor shooting in a certain direction, it can potentially give the man between the sticks an advantage in making the save. Let’s examine who Orlando City sent to the spot this year in shootouts, starting with the two Leagues Cup games.

Against San Luis, the order went: Nico Lodeiro, Duncan McGuire, Wilder Cartagena, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Lodeiro went central, McGuire went to the goalkeeper’s right, Cartagena to his left, Santos to his right, and Thorhallsson to his left. All five penalties were scored, but the keeper got a strong hand to Thorhallsson’s and it only just went in.

Against Cruz Azul, the order was: Robin Jansson, Luis Muriel, McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Thorhallsson. Jansson shot to the goalie’s left and had it saved, Lodeiro and Muriel both went to his right and scored, McGuire and Torres both went to his left and scored, and Thorhallsson went to his left and had it saved.

That brings us to Game 2 against Charlotte. The order was: Lodeiro, Jansson, Muriel, and McGuire. Nico shot to Kristijan Kahlina’s left and had it saved, Jansson went to his right and put his shot over the bar, Muriel also went right and scored, and McGuire went to the goalie’s left and had his shot saved.

Let’s pause for a minute and dig deeper into those Game 2 takers. Lodeiro had already taken two penalties on the year, and scored both. Jansson had taken one and had it saved, Muriel had taken one and scored, and McGuire had taken two and converted both. Interestingly enough, Kahlina also went the right way on Jansson’s shot, although the Swede put the ball over the bar. After taking penalties in the two previous shootouts and the goalies getting strong hands to both, Thorhallsson wasn’t used, but he couldn’t be, because he’d already been subbed off late in the second half. McGuire went to the goalie’s left for the second shootout in a row, with Kahlina guessing correctly and making the save.

In the all-important Game 3, the takers were: Muriel, Kyle Smith, Torres, and Santos. Muriel and Smith both went to Kahlina’s right, while Torres and Santos went to the Croatian’s left, with all four men scoring. It was Muriel’s third time in a shootout for the club, third time going to the goalie’s right, and third time converting. Smith made his first appearance from the spot on the year. It was Torres’ and Santos’ second time taking in a shootout this year and they both went left for the second time. Taking a closer look at each shooter, I really like the selection choices and the order in which they went.

While Kahlina had plenty of tape on Muriel by this point, the Colombian had already beaten him once, and the striker prefers to watch the goalkeeper during his run-up and go whichever way he doesn’t. That makes it especially difficult to save his penalties, and his years of high-level experience means he’s no stranger to high-pressure situations. You could hardly ask for a better first shooter to set the tone for what was to come.

We then got a big old wild card in the form of Smith, who hadn’t taken a penalty kick at all this year. Oscar Pareja could have chosen to use Jansson or Lodeiro, both of whom have taken multiple kicks this year and were still on the field, but he opted to go for someone who Kahlina both hadn’t seen already, and who he likely had very little, if any, tape on. It was a decision that paid off, as Smith positively blasted his kick into the top corner, with Kahlina guessing the wrong way on his dive.

We then got Torres, who would ordinarily be a no-brainer when it comes to taking penalty kicks if not for the fact that he’d just had one saved mere minutes earlier in stoppage time. Still, you want your main man to step up in high-pressure situations, so it wasn’t surprising to see him stepping forward to take one, particularly with the Lions already leading 2-0. He won the mental battle with Kahlina and went in his preferred direction to the left of the goalkeeper, with Kahlina guessing wrong again.

Finishing things off was Santos, who had only taken one penalty on the year and employs an unconventional, stuttering run-up. As he did in the San Luis game, the Brazilian went to the goalkeeper’s right and scored, with his penalty being the only one in which Kahlina dove the correct way. The decision to go with another player who there was little film on, especially one with a run-up that’s difficult to time correctly, again proved to be a decision that paid off.

We’ll never know who OCSC’s fifth taker would have been, as the shootout never got that far. We know it wouldn’t have been McGuire, who was being kept on the sideline after injuring his shoulder. I think it’s telling that Jansson and Lodeiro weren’t in the first four, even though both had already taken multiple shootout penalties on the season, and Thorhallsson was the only other player who had taken more than one kick in a shootout this year, and he had been substituted. My bet is on Cartagena, who had only taken one and scored it.

Regardless of what we don’t know, we can give the deserved amount of praise to what we do know. Namely, that the decision to use a mix of guys who are proven in high-pressure situations and ones who have few, if any, recent penalties on film was a strategy that paid off big time. Pedro Gallese also deserves every flower in the garden for the two saves he made, which absolutely made things easier on the takers. I think it’s interesting that Karol Swiderski took a spot kick for the second game in a row, with Gallese getting the better of him in Game 3 despite the Polish striker going to the Peruvian’s right instead of his left.

It’s also fair to say that the men who stepped up in Game 3 simply took better shots in than in Game 2. Nico’s wasn’t far enough in the corner and was a good height for Kahlina, Jansson put his completely over, and McGuire’s was too central and at a height that favored the goalkeeper. There were no such issues in Game 3, with every shot being well placed.

All in all, you couldn’t have drawn up the Game 3 shootout any better if you tried. Pareja threw a couple curveballs Charlotte’s way, Pedro Gallese made two huge saves, and all of the shooters came up with outstanding efforts. From strategy to execution, the shootout was about as perfect as you can get. Now here’s hoping that’s the last one we have to endure for awhile. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 11/15/24

Barbra Banda speaks about playing alongside Marta, USMNT beats Jamaica, international soccer roundup, and more.

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2 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I hope the week hasn’t been too rough on you as we gear up for what should be an exciting weekend. There aren’t too many plans lined up for me, but I’m still looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to our favorite Beefy Swede, Robin Jansson!

Barbra Banda on Playing With Marta

It’s an understatement to say it’s been a fantastic year for the Orlando Pride, and NWSL MVP finalists Barbra Banda and Marta have been major reasons for the team’s success. Marta has been with the Pride since 2017 and is thriving in what may be the twilight of her legendary career. Meanwhile, it’s Banda’s first year with the Pride and she’s taken the league by storm alongside Marta. In an interview with Futbol W, which is co-hosted by former Pride player Ali Krieger, Banda spoke about how motivating it is to play with the greatest women’s soccer player of all time.

Battle of the Rebuilds in NWSL Playoffs

Of the four teams remaining in the NWSL playoffs, only NJ/NY Gotham FC was in the playoffs last year. Not only are this year’s semifinalists a testament to how much things can change each year, but it’s also an interesting showcase of the different ways clubs can build a team capable of winning in this league. The Pride capped off a patient and smart rebuild by signing international players like Banda, while the Current have benefited greatly from adding Temwa Chawinga. After winning the NWSL Championship last year, Gotham added several American stars like Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn in free agency to do it again. Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit have leaned on a strong rookie class and other young players to reach this point.

USMNT Beats Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team got its quarterfinal series started with a solid 1-0 win over Jamaica in Kingston. Ricardo Pepi scored the lone foal of the game early on with a nice strike after a silky smooth assist from Christian Pulisic. Matt Turner came up with a great save on a penalty kick in the first half, earning a clean sheet the hard way. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable victory for Mauricio Pochettino and the Yanks, but winning on the road in Concacaf is hardly ever comfortable. The two teams will reconvene in St. Louis on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Keeping Up With International Soccer

The U.S. obviously isn’t the only nation taking part in the international break, with teams all around the world in action. Paraguay arguably had the biggest win of the day, beating Argentina 2-1 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Venezuela also had a decent result, drawing 1-1 against Brazil in a match that included a missed penalty by Vinicius Junior.

In 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, and Gabon all booked their tickets to next year’s tournament after the latest round of matches. Saudi Arabia and Australia battled to a scoreless draw in AFC World Cup qualifying, while South Korea moved closer to qualifying after a 3-1 win over Kuwait that featured Son Heung-min’s 50th international goal. There weren’t too many surprises in the UEFA Nations League, with England cruising past Greece and Italy beating Belgium. France was held to a scoreless draw against Israel but still qualified for the quarterfinals.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/14/24

MLS playoff predictions, Barbra Banda and Marta earn recognition, USMNT takes on Jamaica tonight, and more.

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3 days ago

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November 14, 2024

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but it’s at least meant I’ve been able to spend more time with my cat and get some reading done when not hacking up a lung. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

MLS Conference Semifinal Predictions

Former Orlando City captain Sacha Kljestan weighed in on which of the remaining eight teams will prevail in the MLS playoffs. He predicts that Atlanta United can lean on its counterattacking and Brad Guzan’s goalkeeping to beat Orlando City when the two rivals face off in Orlando on Nov. 24. A key thing to watch heading into the match is if Head Coach Oscar Pareja switches things up up top given Ramiro Enrique’s slump.

Kljestan predicts a tight match between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, but has NYCFC moving on. He also has both the LA Galaxy and LAFC advancing in the Western Conference, which would set up a playoff edition of El Trafico.

Pride Players Make ESPN’s Top 50

ESPN unveiled its annual list of the top 50 women’s soccer players and a pair of Orlando Pride players made the list. Forward Barbra Banda is ranked third on the list for crushing it in her first year in the NWSL, scoring 13 goals to help the Pride win the NWSL Shield. Marta, who has not been listed in the past two years, ranked 26th for turning back the clock at 38 years old and creating 46 chances for Orlando this season. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati tops the list, with Naomi Girma in second, Caroline Graham Hansen in fourth, and Sophia Smith rounding out the top five. There are many voters for this year’s list from around the world, including Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter.

Steven Moreira Named Defender of the Year

The Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira was named 2024 MLS Defender of the Year after a strong season. He made 27 appearances for the Crew this season and was a key part of his team’s success in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup this year. Moreira also helped out offensively with two goals and four assists and was an All-Star this year. The 30-year-old beat out Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Seattle Sounders center back Jackson Ragen for the award.

USMNT Takes On Jamaica Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first competitive match under Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino tonight when it takes on Jamaica in Kingston in the Concacaf Nations League. Although the U.S. may be favored in this series, playing on the road in Concacaf is always tough and Jamaica tends to keep things close against the Yanks. Tonight’s match is the first of the two-leg quarterfinals, with the two nations facing off again in St. Louis on Monday. Hopefully Pochettino can get the team firing on all cylinders as it continues to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

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  • In a rollercoaster of a match, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team fell in a penalty shootout to Brazil in the Deaf Pan American Games. The U.S. took the lead in extra time, but Brazil battled back to tie it, winning from the spot to reach the final.

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

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