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Orlando City

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

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6 years ago

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Before even taking the pitch this evening, the Lions were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, although I am sure we all knew that making the playoffs was something to look forward to next season. With the 23rd different back line of the season, how did the Lions fare tonight?

Fair warning, I was in Scotland all week and watched a ton of Scottish football, so I might be looking at this match through slightly different eyes.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5.5 — Bendik had a solid first half. His ball distribution was much better, but the communication issues between him and the back line were on display. I still think Joe needs to come off his line a bit earlier. There wasn’t much he could do about either goal. The first was roofed from just inside the top of the area on a blast and the second he had to play the runners and the flick placed the ball perfectly into the corner. He made a couple of good saves on Carlos Gruezo and Michael Barrios and a couple others that wouldn’t have counted because Dallas was offside.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 6.5 (MotM) — Sitting on the left behind Yoshimar Yotún and Chris Mueller, El-Mo took every opportunity to state his case as the starting left back. After a great pass from Dom Dwyer, El-Munir hit the post on a great shot. He was physical, relentless, and did not let the ref, and the fouls he was calling, affect his game.

D, Lamine Sané, 5.5 — It was an up and down night for the Orlando back line, but a mostly solid night for Sané, until he stepped up to intercept a pass, missed, and allowed the lead up of play for the first FC Dallas goal. He finished with an impressive 10 clearances on the night, taking charge of the defense in Jonathan Spector’s absence. He also won four aerials to lead Orlando.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — O’Neill had a pretty darn good match, cutting off streaking Dallas players, and showing a controlled physicality that flew under the radar for most of the match. He had the best passing rate on the back line (83.7%), and finished with two tackles, an interception, five clearances, and a blocked shot. He made an underrated play when a long ball was played forward by Dallas and walled off Dominique Badji so Bendik could come off his line and collect it.

D, Scott Sutter, 6 — Working just like El-Munir on the left, Sutter played well on the right. He did not push as far forward, as often as El-Mo, but certainly played the position he was asked to play. He had a tackle and an interception but only attempted one cross as he wasn’t involved much in the offense.

MF, Yoshimar Yotun, 6 — The Peruvian will miss the Seattle match due to yellow card accumulation on what was a very soft yellow card, in my opinion. Overall he played well, but held onto the ball a bit too long sometimes, and he was trying to force things in the second half which led to errors and loss of possession. His foul set up the set piece for the second goal. He led the team in shots, with three, but got just one on frame. He created one chance. Playing in the defensive midfield, he made two tackles and had one clearance.

MF, Carlos Ascues, 5.5 — The “other” Peruvian is still an amazing acquisition for team, but he had a bit of a rough night. I think the familiarity with Yoshi is apparent on the pitch, but the chaos of the rest of the squad is just as visible. He had two tackles, two interceptions and a clearance on the defensive end, passed at a 90% clip with one chance created, and attempted one shot, but it was blocked.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5 — Chris was looking to make a mark tonight, and played well, in the first half, but like many players, he looked a bit slow and frustrated before halftime, and couldn’t seem to find the same level of energy for the second. He attempted one shot (blocked), passed at an 81% clip, didn’t create any chances, and didn’t help much on the defensive end, with no statistics.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 4.5 — Although the skill is still there, the speed and movement were not. It looked like he was to be marking Victor Ulloa prior to his header that was the second Dallas goal. Prior to that, he had a decent night, without some of the heavy touches we’ve seen in recent games. He had one tackle, a shot on target — on a sweet free kick that forced a Jesse Gonzalez save — and hit 91% of his passes.

MF, Will Johnson, 6 — The consummate workhorse is about the best description I can typically give Johnson. Right or wrong, he is still giving everything he has on the pitch. Tonight was an OK night for him, including two shots — both on goal. His passing rate was good, at 92%, and he tracked back to contribute three tackles, an interception and a clearance.

F, Dom Dwyer, 5 — Dwyer picked up a silly yellow in the seventh minute, which means he will miss the next match, and looked as though that stuck with him for the remainder of the game. Not a great match for Dom, who didn’t have a shot attempt, but did create three scoring chances. He hit 79% of his passes but only on 14 attempts. He was a bit weaker than usual with his hold-up play.

Substitutes

M, Cristian Higuita (76’), N/A — The Colombian came on for Johnson but wasn’t all that involved. He had 18 touches and passed well, at 92%, with one shot on frame but little else.

M, Richie Laryea (76’), N/A — The Canadian didn’t leave much of a mark on the game after entering for Mueller. though he did complete all four of his pass attempts. With only six touches he wasn’t really involved much.

M, Josué Colmán (81’), N/A — The young Paraguayan came on late and got involved a bit, with 10 touches, but attempted no shots, created no chances, and completed just 43% of his seven passes.

I admit I only got to see Higuita and Laryea for a couple minutes prior to the rain delay, and then my DirecTV went dark and there were no options for me to watch the match as it played out in the final minutes.

That is how I saw it. Who was your Man of the Match? Let me know how you think the boys should be graded in the comments below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson0
Shane O’Neill17
Mohamed El-Munir12
Yoshimar Yotún4
Other3

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

9 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

12 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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,
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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