Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match
The Lions traveled not only west, but up, to battle the Colorado Rapids at altitude today. It was looking a bit scary for the first 10-15 minutes, but once the boys settled down a bit, it was certainly a match dictated by the Lions. They held 56% of possession, and led in almost every other statistical category. These were three big road points, and not just to extend the winning streak to five matches.
So without further ado, lets dig into how the Lions fared this evening:
Starters
GK, Joe Bendik, 7.5 — Joe got some help from the post in the 18th minute, and had some great saves. Had a big save from distance in the 23rd minute, and what could only be considered a superhuman effort in the 64th minute. Was a definite contender tonight for MotM, but a few mistakes, primarily in distribution, kept him out of the final running.
D, Mohamed El-Munir, 8.5 (MotM) — You should have known the day he was planning to have while watching him dribble through four defenders in the 10th minute. Mo was all over the pitch, all match, leading the team in touches and making the left side extremely dangerous for most of the game. His perfectly timed sliding save in the 92nd minute stopped what was probably a tying goal to help maintain the lead and hold on for that 2-1 victory.
D, Amro Tarek, 7.5 — After what looked to be a tough fall in the 14th minute after being undercut on a header, he settled nicely into position and played fantastic. In the 20th minute, after a tragic giveaway, tracked back to make a great defensive recovery and win the ball back. Picked up a yellow in the 86th, for a play I definitely question, but did not let that affect him for the limited time left in the match. He had some nervy minutes late, as did many of his teammates.
D, Lamine Sane, 7 — Had moments of greatness, had moments that left me scratching my head. Had some amazing defensive play, and then could have been the body that kept Dominique Badji onside. This obviously was something on his mind the remainder of the match as he worked hard to make up for the mistake. Solid performance, especially on the road, from the Lions’ central defense pair.
D, Will Johnson, 6.5 — Johnson was just as consistent as he typically is. His work ethic cannot be questioned, although there may have been a few times he found himself out of position. Overall, he played the right back position as best as we could expect.
MF, Cristian Higuita, 8 — Rough start for Cristian, and by start I mean the first 10 minutes. After that, and I will need to re-watch the match, something switched on and he became a completely different player. He was a force in the midfield, and not the force of old that we were all just waiting to get a card. This Higuita is a controlled, precise, defensive midfielder. If he had played a full 90, I am positive he would have been an even bigger contender for MotM. The central midfield position is getting more and more competitive by the week, and Higuita is making a strong case for continuing to start every week.
MF, Yoshimar Yotun, 8 — As with Higuita above, Yoshi was looking to make an impact today. With an unbelievable 96% passing efficiency, and a heat map that shows him all over the pitch, Yoshi was another solid contender for MotM. I was honestly a bit surprised when he grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot for the penalty, but after he buried it, I understood why. His game is only improving, and the team needs to maximize his time before Russia 2018.
MF, Justin Meram, 7 — Meram played very well today. Like so many other Lions, the first 10-15 minutes were spotty. At some points in the first half, it looked as though he was trying a bit to hard to force a pass, take one to many dribbles, or get just a bit too fancy and give up the ball. That being said, he still proved to be extremely dangerous, constantly drawing multiple defenders when he had the ball in the attacking third. He came close to opening his Orlando City account again with a diving Zac MacMath save off the post the only thing standing between him and the score sheet. He should have had an assist on a cross to Sacha Kljestan but the latter smashed his shot right at MacMath. And it was his heel flick into the box that led to the foul on Yoshi. The magic that he has shown is starting to show, and will only improve with time.
MF, Sacha Kljestan, 7 — Thoughts on Sacha mirror thoughts on Meram. It is obvious that for both of these veterans, when things get a bit tough, muscle memory takes over and the results may not look good. They may not look good yet. Just hold on everyone, because the 200-foot drop that leads into the epic double loop is looming. Eight matches is not enough for the entire midfield to have that psychic knowledge, but if this is the result this early, you will get no complaints from me. He notched the assist on Higuita’s goal, and looks more comfortable every match.
MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — Welcome to MLS, rookie. This seemed to be the message that the Rapids were trying to send to Mueller from the first whistle. The one thing that stood out to me was he handled it extremely well. He was the target of at least two defenders all match, and was professionally fouled more times than I could count. His demeanor never changed, he was all over the pitch, and he had some absolutely critical moments. His blocked shot and clearance off a 79th minute corner at the top of the box was amazing, and his dribble into the box and look at goal in the 82nd minute was close, just missing right as he tried the near post.
F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 — Two moments stand out. The bicycle attempt, and how he handled himself after getting cup checked. It was a tough day for Dom, and it was obvious that the central defense pair from the Rapids were not going to let Dom back flip. Unfortunately for Dom, sometimes you need to realize this and find another way to impact the match, and he did. I give a ton of credit to him, because I am not sure I would keep my head after someone tried to ruin my chances of having another child. I guess we will all have to wait one more week to see number 101.
Substitutes
MF, Oriol Rosell (67’), 6.5 — Uri is starting to see more and more minutes, and it is getting more and more interesting to watch. He played a solid 23 minutes, but to be honest, he came in for a player that was on fire, so the grading is even more difficult. I am truly looking forward to seeing what Uri can do for a solid 90 minutes.
MF, Stefano Pinho (83’), N/A — Coming on for Meram with seven minutes left doesn’t give us much time to grade. He was in the box for a number of late Colorado corners, and his height was appreciated.
D, RJ Allen (91’), N/A — Again, not a lot of time to grade, but considering the outcome of the match didn’t change, job well done.
What else can I say, folks? That is five wins in a row, Orlando City currently sits third in the East, and the team has won two straight road matches for the first time since 2015. The boys just went a month undefeated and untied, and I cannot think of a better time, unless they can repeat in May. Let me know your thoughts below in the comments, and who you feel the Man of the Match was in the poll below.
Polling Closed
Player | Votes |
Joe Bendik | 7 |
Cristian Higuita | 71 |
Mohamed El-Munir | 70 |
Yoshimar Yotún | 68 |
Sacha Kljestan | 3 |
Other (comment below) | 3 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/29/24
MLS playoff results, USWNT prepares for Argentina, Ballon d’Or winners announced, and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a great weekend, as Orlando City got its playoff campaign off to a strong start. We have a busy week ahead of us with the United States Women’s National Team in action, the Orlando Pride playing their last match of the regular season, and the Lions traveling to North Carolina for Game 2 against Charlotte FC. As usual, there’s plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right in.
Keeping Up With the MLS Playoffs
The playoffs continued on Monday night, which means we have two matches to catch up on. The early fixture saw FC Cincinnati pick up a 1-0 win over New York City FC at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati had the better of things for most of the game with 22 shots (seven on target) to NYCFC’s six (two on target). In the end, Yamil Asad’s goal in the 51st minute was the decider, and NYCFC defender Tayvon Gray’s red card in stoppage time adds an extra layer of intrigue for Game 2 in New York on Saturday. The late match delivered the first scoreless draw of the postseason as the Seattle Sounders battled the Houston Dynamo to a 0-0 result in regulation, with the Sounders advancing 5-4 on penalties. To make matters worse for the Dynamo, Adalberto Carrasquilla was sent off in the 66th minute so they’ll need to find a way to keep their season alive without him as the series now shifts to Houston.
Previewing the USWNT Friendly Against Argentina
The United States Women’s National Team is having a good international window so far, starting things off with a pair of 3-1 victories over Iceland. The final game of the window will take place tomorrow when the U.S. faces Argentina in Louisville. It will be just the sixth meeting between the two teams, with the USWNT winning all five previous games, including the most recent one during the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. Argentina is managed by German Portanova, who lines the team up in either a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3. Accordingly, the idea is to stay compact and be difficult to play through, although things have a tendency to devolve after giving up a goal, which was the case during the USWNT’s 4-0 triumph in the last match between the two sides. It’s a game the Yanks should win, and win comfortably.
Ballon d’Or Winners Announced
The Ballon d’Or ceremony took place on Monday evening in Paris, and there weren’t too many surprises in how the awards were doled out. Manchester City midfielder Rodri took home the award on the men’s side, following a year in which his club team won the Premier League and his Spanish side won the 2024 European Championship. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for the second straight year after helping her side win its second consecutive Champions League title. Orlando Pride forward Barbra finished 12th in the voting for the award.
Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21, while Emiliano Martinez was named the best goalkeeper in the world for the second year running.
Manchester United Sacks Erik ten Hag
Manchester United announced on Monday morning that the club has fired Erik ten Hag, with Ruud van Nistelrooy named interim manager. The Red Devils were in the midst of a poor run of results to start the season, with just four wins from 13 matches played. A 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday seems to have been the final straw, with the result leaving United 14th in the Premier League on 11 points after nine matches. While van Nistelrooy has taken over on an interim basis, reports have emerged that Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is the leading candidate to get the permanent gig, with United having also reportedly asked about the availability of Brentford manager Thomas Frank.
Free Kicks
- Emma Hayes was named 2024 Women’s Coach of the Year.
- Italian forward Mario Balotelli has joined Genoa on a free transfer.
- The NWSL Disciplinary Committee has issued additional suspensions to Chicago Red Stars forward Ludmila and Washington Spirit forward Rosemonde Kouassi.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-0 win over Charlotte FC?
Orlando City got its 2024 playoff campaign off to a good start with a 2-0 win over Charlotte FC. The Lions can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second consecutive year with one more win in the series. It was a solid overall team performance, though some stood out more than others.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this critical victory for the boys in purple.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese didn’t have much to do in this game because Charlotte only managed to put two of its shots on target and the Lions’ number one stopped both. He touched the ball 30 times in 90 minutes while completing 78.3% of his 23 passes, including five of his 10 long balls. There’s not much bad to say about his performance and he recorded another clean sheet.
D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos was excellent in this game, recording a team-high 83 touches. The left back completed 86.7% of his 60 passes, including two key passes, two of his five long balls, and four of his nine crosses. His cross in the 32rd minute was headed out, but only to Torres, who put it in to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. He also took one shot that was off target. Defensively, Santos recorded two tackles, an interception, and four clearances.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson had a solid performance, recording 61 touches on the night. He had an interception, a blocked shot, and four clearances but was fortunate in the 70th minute when he was out-muscled by Patrick Agyemang, allowing the substitute to get a free header that forced Gallese into a good save. Going forward, the center back completed 98% of his 51 passes, including both long balls. While he played well, I lowered his grade a little for nearly conceding a goal, although some (including Jansson) might say he was fouled on the play.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel has had an up-and-down season, but the center back was excellent in this game. He recorded 67 touches, a block, and a team-high eight clearances. Offensively, the center back completed 94.3% of his 53 passes, including a key pass and seven of his eight long balls. He hit a volley well in the 64th minute that forced Kristijan Kahlina into a save and had a second shot that went off target.
D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson caused headaches for Charlotte on the right side in this game, recording 44 touches and completing 90.3% of his 31 passes, including two key passes and his lone cross. He also took a shot, but it was off target. Defensively, he added a tackle, an interception, and a clearance before coming off for Kyle Smith in the 78th minute in a defensive change.
MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena recorded 81 touches in this game while completing 89.2% of his team-high 65 passes, including a key pass and three of his seven long balls. He also took one off-target shot. Defensively, the defensive midfielder recorded three tackles, one interception, and two clearances.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Similar to Cartagena, you can’t say much negative about Araujo’s performance. He touched the ball 70 times and completed 91.4% of his 58 passes, including five of his seven long balls. Both of his shots were off target, but his excellent long ball in the 76th minute helped Ivan Angulo set up the second goal. He nearly had an assist with a beautiful ball for Ramiro Enrique in the 20th minute, but the striker missed wide and was ruled offside.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo made the most of his 49 touches in this game, completing 94.4% of his 36 passes, including a key pass and his lone long ball. However, both of his cross attempts were incomplete. His biggest impact on the game came in the 76th minute when he used his speed to win a ball down the wing and played Martin Ojeda into the box for the second goal. Defensively, Angulo recorded a tackle, an interception, and a clearance before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro in the 88th minute.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda only touched the ball 36 times this game, the fewest of the attacking midfielders. He completed 82.6% of his 23 passes, including a key pass, two of his five crosses, and two of his three long balls. His biggest moment came in the 76th minute when he received a pass from Angulo in the box and drilled his second touch past Kahlina to put the game away. His key pass set up a golden opportunity for Facundo Torres in the 54th minute. The attacker was taken out right after the goal, making way for Luis Muriel in the 78th minute.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7 (MotM) — It was a record-tying and breaking night for Torres, who finished the game with 69 touches. He completed 91.5% of his 47 passes, including three key passes, two of his six crosses, and all five of his long balls. Three of his four shots were on target, and he did well to bring down a cleared cross before volleying it in to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. The goal tied Dom Dwyer for the most goals in club history (46) when considering both USL and MLS eras, and he set a new MLS-era record for most goals in a single season (19) across all competitions. Torres came off to a standing ovation in the 88th minute for David Brekalo.
F, Ramiro Enrqiue, 5.5 — It was a tough night for Enrique, who should have had at least one goal. He touched the ball 21 times and completed five of his 10 passes, including a key pass. He only put one of his four shots on target, missing a golden chance in the 20th minute — even though he was ruled offside — and missed the target when free on goal in the 50th minute. It was a forgettable night for the striker, who was replaced by Duncan McGuire in the 61st minute.
Substitutes
F, Duncan McGuire (61’), 5.5 — Similar to Enrique, McGuire couldn’t really find his feet in his 29 minutes of action. He touched the ball 17 times and completed eight of his 10 passes, including a key pass. He had a great chance to get behind the back line in stoppage time but couldn’t control the ball.
F, Luis Muriel (78’), 5 — Muriel came on for Ojeda right after the midfielder made it 2-0 and never really got involved in the game. He only touched the ball nine times in 12 minutes, completing 62.5% of his eight passes. He didn’t help to create any shots, nor did he take any of his own.
D, Kyle Smith (78’), 5.5 — Smith came on in the 78th minute for Thorhallsson for defensive help. The right back touched the ball nine times and completed 66.7% of his six passes. He also didn’t record any defensive statistics in the 12 minutes on the field, but he did help see out the final minutes of the match with some strong play to maintain possession.
MF, Nico Lodeiro (88’), N/A — Lodeiro was one of the more effective substitutes, though he was only on for the final minutes and didn’t play long enough to warrant a grade. Replacing Angulo, the midfielder touched the ball seven times and completed 85.7% of his seven passes.
D, David Brekalo (88’), N/A — Brekalo came on in the 88th minute for Torres as the Lions went to three center backs to see out the game. He only touched the ball five times and completed two of his three passes while recording a clearance, which was his purpose for entering.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in tonight’s win for the Lions. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-0 home playoff victory over Charlotte FC.
Orlando City kicked off its run in the 2024 Major League Soccer playoffs with a first-round opening victory at home in front of a fiery crowd by a score of 2-0 over Charlotte FC. Much had been made about the contrasting styles of play between the two sides heading into the match, with Orlando sporting one of the best attacks in all of MLS since league play resumed after the Leagues Cup break and Charlotte boasting the second-best defense by goals allowed throughout the regular season.
The Lions ultimately imposed their will on the match and what follows are our five takeaways from a game that Orlando essentially controlled from the opening kick.
Wasteful Opportunities Early
For the first 15 to 20 minutes of the game, Orlando missed multiple golden chances that could have come back to bite the Lions in the behind. Multiple Lions had decent looks on goal and shot wide, high, or directly at Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. Ramiro Enrique’s final touch seemed just a tad off in the early portion of the match, and Orlando failed to find the end of a few strong crosses across the box from Martin Ojeda and Rafael Santos. Luckily, none of the early miscues mattered much at the end of the game, but if the Lions are lucky enough to advance to the next round and a single-elimination game, lacking sharpness could lead to an unfortunate exit from the playoffs.
Torres Breaks Through
It was always going to be Designated Player Facundo Torres who found the net first for Orlando City, because of course, it had to be. Torres grew into the game over the first 30 minutes of the match, and for a few moments I thought he might find the first assist of the game from a series of short corner set pieces. Instead, Torres found paydirt in the 32nd minute as he was the first player to arrive at poor attempt at a clearance from the Charlotte back line following a dangerous cross sent in by Santos. El Cuervo quickly pulled the trigger, blasting the ball off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the first goal of the game.
Torres has been chasing records all year long, and with that goal, he became the all-time single-season goal scorer in Orlando City history with 19 across all competitions. It was also his third goal against Charlotte in 2024, as he scored in each of the three meetings between the teams this season. Continuing that trend was an important step toward getting the series started on the right foot.
Ojeda Extends the Lead
The strong play of Designated Player Martin Ojeda has been one of the main reasons that the OCSC attack has been so potent over the last two months. In the first playoff match against Charlotte, Ojeda continued his strong run of form and would/should have recorded at least one assist in the first half if the team could have been a tad more clinical. Nonetheless, Ojeda left his mark on the match in the 76th minute. Running on fumes, Ojeda had a ball played past him by Cesar Araujo on the sideline and wisely made no attempt on the ball as he was in an offside position. His non-action allowed Ivan Angulo to streak down the sideline at breakneck speed to reach the ball, and once he did, Ojeda had recycled into an onside position. He then took a crafty pass from Angulo and ripped a shot inside the near post past Kahlina.
The goal gave Orlando a bit of breathing room as the game entered its final moments and also marked the first time in club history that the team had scored more than one goal in a playoff match.
Defensive Cohesiveness
Much will be made over the coming week about the Orlando City attack, and rightly so, but an understated piece of what made the Lions so successful in their first game of the 2024 playoffs was the cohesiveness demonstrated across the back line and defensive midfield. Having Wilder Cartagena back in the lineup surely did not hurt things from a defensive standpoint, but I felt that the entire back line communicated effectively and covered one another quite well throughout the match. Orlando did well in the possession department during the first half, and not many questions were asked of the defense, but in the first 20 minutes of the second half, the defense stepped up multiple times to snuff out any remote possibilities that could have generated hope for the visitors. They say that defense wins championships, and Orlando showed just how steadfast its defense could be.
Playoff Clean Sheet
Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has now recorded three clean sheets across three first-round playoff matches going back to the implementation of the new best-of-three format that started last year. Charlotte was only able to put two of its nine attempts on target, but regardless of the volume, Gallese did well to position himself at the right place and at the right time. I thought Gallese did a particularly good job of being decisive on the night and chose his moments wisely to come off his line to collect the ball, or at a minimum, get a glove on it to disrupt Charlotte’s attacking pieces. A playoff clean sheet should always be celebrated, and for me, it was the cherry on top of a very satisfying sundae.
That is what stood out to me most from a complete performance by Orlando City in the first matchup against Charlotte FC in this best-of-three series. Was there anything else in particular that caught your eye throughout the match? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!
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