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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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Orlando City didn’t win. While that’s not news, at least the Lions fought back and made a game of a match that began looking like it was going to be another lopsided blowout loss. The team started slowly and at times seemed to not even care but after falling behind 2-0, the lads in purple showed some resolve and some pride in fighting to the end, scoring in the second half pressing until the final whistle.

The positives? Well, the club snapped a 507-minute scoreless drought through Dom Dwyer and there were opportunities to tie things up but the shots didn’t go in. The negatives? There are many, starting with the team setting a new MLS record for goals conceded in a season (72 and counting) and only one win in the last 23 games.

Let’s just get to the grades before the tears blur my vision.

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 5.5 — The young keeper got caught on the first Sounders goal — too far off his line but not close enough to Victor Rodriguez — and looked bad as a result. There was nothing he could do about the second, which took a deflection off his teammate. Grinwis wasn’t as sharp with his passing in this match as in his first two but generally speaking he held his positioning well and had to come out of his box a few times in the second half with his teammates pushed up the pitch to avoid trouble.

D/MF, Will Johnson, 6.5 — It was just another night at the office for Will, who worked hard, passed well (91%), created three chances, attempted one shot, and had two tackles, an interception, and a clearance. He tracked back well although he nearly put a ball in his own net sneaking in from behind to deny a Seattle scoring chance. He played all over the pitch, starting at left back and moving into the midfield after a halftime shape change. He led the team with 88 touches on the night — 10 more than the next highest total.

D, Lamine Sané, 6 — The big man started a bit slowly with a couple of wayward pass attempts but he settled into the game nicely, ending at 96% pass accuracy, a team high four clearances, one tackle, and three interceptions. He commanded the back line well, especially when the team went to a three-man line. His biggest issue came early when Victor Rodriguez split the two center backs and headed in the first goal but it was difficult for me to see which player was responsible for him.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6 — O’Neill had a bit of a bad break when the ball deflected into the goal off of him in the 13th minute. He and Sané should have communicated better on the first goal when Rodriguez split the two on a run and headed over Grinwis. He finished with a tackle, two interceptions, two clearances and a blocked shot. He played a more advanced role in the second half, often getting forward to help with the attack. He passed at a 91% rate and had one cross in the match.

D, Scott Sutter, 6 — It was a mixed night for Sutter who got roasted on the first Seattle goal and allowed players in behind multiple times in the first half. But he was great in the attack and the Orlando goal wouldn’t have happened without his service. He had a blistering shot in the first half that forced a good diving save from Stefan Frei and created three chances on the night. His 92% passing rate was good and he had one tackle, two interceptions and a clearance. If not for the early defensive issues, he would have definitely been a clear cut Man of the Match.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — Uri returned after an ankle injury and put in a full shift with mixed results. He looked like he could have done better closing down Rodriguez on the opening goal after Sutter lost him. He did well in the middle of the pitch, with three tackles and a team high five interceptions. He created two chances, had one shot attempt (off target), and passed at a 91% rate. It was a decent night for the Spaniard.

MF/D, Carlos Ascues, 5.5 — The Peruvian started at defensive midfield but shifted to the left side of the three-man back line in the second half. His 86% passing rate was the worst of anyone who played on the back line through the night and position didn’t matter because it was 85% at halftime when he had played only in the midfield. He had one key pass, two tackles, and two interceptions, and took an unnecessary yellow card late in the match.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4 — The Colombian was poor on this night in my view — not terrible but certainly below what we’re used to from him this season. His passing rate of 79% wasn’t great but more than that he seemed not to care much. Most of his forays into the attacking third didn’t end well, with poor passing, backing out of a promising attack, or just a lack of ideas. Then again, that’s not his skill set. He produced no tackles and had only one interception, so even his usual good defense wasn’t on display, and he was slow tracking back in transition several times in the first half.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 4.5 — While his 88% passing rate (on a team high 70 passes) and two chances created were good, Sacha was wasteful with his chances, getting none of his four shot attempts on frame, including a golden opportunity late to tie the game on a sweet give-and-go with Josué Colmán.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5.5 — If anyone could turn Mueller’s work rate into tangible success, it would be nice to see. Once again he ran his tail off, won a couple corners, but didn’t have much to show for it. He attempted one shot that was off frame, and passed at a 96% rate, but did not create any scoring chances. There were a few opportunities for him to make runs but he held his position at the top of the area and it took away options in the attack for his teammates. That’s something he’ll learn to do better with as he develops. A good example of that was when he picked up the secondary assist on the Lions’ goal. He dished off to Sutter and then stood and watched as the ball went in to the only Orlando player in the area instead of giving Sutter a second option. Defensively he had one tackle.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 (MotM) — Dom finally broke the 507-minute drought and for that he edges out Johnson and Sutter for game MVP honors. He beat Kelvin Leerdam with a good back post run and put a difficult bouncing ball into the net past Stefan Frei. Like Johnson and Mueller, he ran and worked all night, and with Seattle’s defensive posture, he had to work that hard just to get touches. His passing rate was only 60% but several times he tried passing into the box from wide areas expecting runs from teammates that never came. He led the team with five shot attempts and had two of Orlando’s three shots on goal.

Substitutes

MF, Josué Colmán (58’), 5.5 — As usual, the Paraguayan had a couple individual moments of brilliance but there was a whole lot of nothing in between, including some loafing on plays where he could have made a difference. His back heel to Kljestan in the 73rd minute on a give-and-go was spectacular and should have resulted in an equalizer. Neither of his two shots were on target but he did pass well at 94%, creating two scoring chances. Defensively he had one tackle.

MF, Richie Laryea (74’), 4 — With 18 touches, the Canadian should have done better than no shots, no chances created, and just a 72% passing rate. He got into the area in the 85th minute and had plenty of room to pull back a pass but opted instead to hold onto it and then went down looking for a penalty and instead gave Seattle a goal kick. He did draw a free kick from distance after a good run through traffic shortly after coming on.

Those are the individual performances as I saw them. Who stood out to you? Don’t forget to vote in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson6
Scott Sutter7
Uri Rosell18
Dom Dwyer14
Shane O’Neill7
Other13

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/7/24

Barbra Banda up for NWSL Goal of the Week, Americans in midweek action, Champions League preview, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

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May 7, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B drew 1-1 with Chattanooga FC and lost the subsequent shootout, Orlando City lost 1-0 to FC Cincinnati, and the Orlando Pride won 1-0 over Racing Louisville. As usual, we have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s dig into the links.

Barbra Banda Up for Goal of the Week

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week for her strike in the 77th minute against the North Carolina Courage last Wednesday. Banda controlled the ball off a throw-in, turned, and drove across the box before slotting a low shot past Casey Murphy for the Pride’s fourth and final goal of the game. She scored twice in that game and scored again in Sunday’s win over Racing Louisville. Banda now has four goals in four games — including at least one in each of her three starts since appearing off the bench in her debut — and shows no sign of slowing down. Make sure you go vote for her to win this week’s award!

Americans in Midweek Action

As usual, there are a number of Americans playing games this week, so make sure you mark down any that you want to tune in for. Wednesday has Brandon Vazquez and Monterrey traveling to El Volcan to take on Tigres in the quarterfinals of the Clausura. Moving to Friday, Tanner Tessmann, Gianluca Busio, and Venezia have a chance to gain promotion to Serie A if they beat Spezia and Como loses. On the other side of things, former Lion Nicholas Gioacchini and Como play Cosenza, and will secure automatic promotion as long as they don’t have a worse result than Venezia.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League continues this week with the second legs of the two semifinal matchups. In this afternoon’s game, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has said that even Kylian Mbappe will have to work hard defensively if his team is going to progress to the final. Borussia Dortmund leads that tie 1-0, and will need to rely on a defense that has kept five clean sheets in this year’s tournament. However, the German club has a concerning record away from home, where it has lost nine of its last 11 games. In tomorrow’s game between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, this season’s La Liga winner will hope its finishing prowess continues from the first leg, when it turned two chances into two goals.

European Transfer Rumor Roundup

With European seasons drawing to a close, the transfer rumor mill is starting to heat up, which means there are several items worth discussing today. First, Manchester United will reportedly face competition to sign Crystal Palace star Michael Olise. Chelsea and PSG are said to also be interested in signing the Frenchman, who was instrumental in his side’s 4-0 drubbing of the Red Devils yesterday. Staying in the Premier League, Virgil van Dijk has said he intends to be part of the transition following Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Liverpool, confirming that he does not intend to leave in the summer. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich is said to have agreed to personal terms with AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez. David Moyes has confirmed he will leave West Ham at the end of the season, with reports suggesting that the Hammers have reached an agreement with Julen Lopetegui to be the team’s new manager.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s home loss to FC Cincinnati?

Published

1 day ago

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May 6, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City dropped yet another match at home, this time to FC Cincinnati. Despite the 1-0 loss, a couple of red card, and the all-too-familiar lack of finishing, the Lions played pretty well. Orlando City continues to give up early goals and to not be able to find the back of the net. However, the Lions do create opportunities and are usually in the match despite recent results.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances for the Lions in this injury-riddled and heartbreaking loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese didn’t have much chance on the goal and otherwise had a decent night, making the saves on Cincinnati’s other two shots on goal. There were some scary moments when he found himself outside of the box on occasion, but he acquitted himself well. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese completed 70.6% of his 17 passes, including four of his nine long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos was active in his time on the field. He had 44 touches, completing 75.9% of his 29 passes, including one of his two long balls. Santos completed one of his five crosses, and made a key pass. He took one shot but it was not on target as it was blocked. Defensively, Santos recorded two tackles and one interception. He made an extremely good recovery run to stop the counter attack in the 49th minute but dislocated his right shoulder in the process. That ended his night as he came off for Nico Lodeiro in the 51st minute.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4 — Schlegel had a short night due to a red card in the 23rd minute on a foul committed in the 20th minute. Originally, the referee ruled it a fair challenge, but after looking again, Ismail Elfath gave the red card for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, which was fair. He misplayed the pass that allowed Yuya Kubo to steal it at full speed and go one-on-one with Gallese, leading to the foul. He may have kept Acosta onside on the Cincinnati goal and was also beaten by Acosta in the box. He only had 14 touches in the game and completed all of his 13 passes, including both long ball attempts. Schlegel did not record a defensive stat.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was mostly his usual good self this game. There was some fun to watch gamesmanship with Matt Miazga during Orlando City’s early corner kick attempts. He tied Cesar Araujo with a team-high 61 touches and completed 80% of his team-high 50 passes, including three of nine long balls. Defensively, he matched Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s team-leading four tackles, while also adding an interception, a clearance, and a yellow card. He did get caught flat-footed on the goal by Acosta, but he wasn’t the only one.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — Thorhallsson once again got the start at right back and had a really good night up until he had to leave the match with a concussion in first-half stoppage time. He picked up the knock when he blocked the free kick Schlegel allowed in the 24th minute with his noggin. Thorhallsson was good at being in the right place at the right time to keep Cincinnati from going forward on his side of the pitch. He recorded 23 touches, completing 69.2% of his 13 passes, but didn’t connect on either his one attempted long ball or his one attempted cross. Defensively, he made four tackles, and blocked one shot. It’s a shame that he had to go off.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo had a solid performance against FC Cincinnati, recording 61 touches. He completed 87.2% of his 39 passes, including three of his five long balls, and took two shots. Defensively, he added two tackles, and an interception. Araujo was his usual frustrating self for the opposition, drawing nine fouls. His free kick attempt — which he earned — went into the wall, but he did recover it as well. His second shot was well taken but deflected wide.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena was almost the hero of the match. His shot in the fifth minute off of Martin Ojeda’s corner kick went off the crossbar, and his rocket of a shot in the 67th minute went in, but was waved off because Facundo Torres was offside. He tracked back to try to prevent Acosta’s goal in the first minute, but the Cincinnati star did well to cut back inside when Cartagena committed to blocking the shot or cross. Otherwise, Cartagena had a pretty good match. He had the fourth most touches with 54. He matched Araujo, completing 87.2% of his 39 passes, including six of his nine long balls. He also had two key passes and the aforementioned shot. Defensively, he added one tackle, two clearances, and one interception. He also earned one yellow card.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7 (MotM) — Angulo was active in the match, roaming where he was needed, hounding Cincinnati defensively, and being an integral part of the attack. He had 60 touches and completed 82.4% of his 34 passes, including two key passes. He completed one of his three cross attempts, had three dribbles and drew four fouls. His lone shot was on target but it was blocked by the defense after he rounded the keeper. Defensively, he made three tackles. He made the necessary switch to a more defensive posture after Schlegel’s red card, but was still a good attacking threat from the left wingback position.

MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 — Torres wasn’t as much of a factor as he needs to be for Orlando City. He recorded 51 touches while completing 75.9% of his 29 passes. He did not connect on any of his five crosses, nor his three long balls. He had one dribble and one tackle. He made way for Luis Muriel in the 70th minute.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda was sacrificed for defense in the 27th minute after Schlegel’s departure. He only had 13 touches in his limited minutes but completed 83.3% of his six passes, including a successful long ball. Despite the limited minutes, Ojeda completed two of his five crosses and contributed a key pass.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — McGuire continues to show that despite all the botched trade shenanigans before the season, he wants to prove he’s a team player and a quality striker. He touched the ball 25 times and completed 77.8% of his 18 passes. Unfortunately, his one shot was not on target. Defensively, he made a clearance, and while he was the outlet player when the team went down to 10 men, he still came back to help on defense.

Substitutes

D, David Brekalo (28’), 6 — Brekalo came on in the 28th minute for Ojeda, but he really came on to replace Schlegel. He had 33 touches and completed 80.8% of his 26 passes, though he did not complete either of his two long balls. Defensively, he had one interception, one clearance, and one blocked shot. He had one decent run into the attack, although ultimately it came to nothing.

D, Michael Halliday (45’+ 4), 5.5 — Initially, it looked like Oscar Pareja would bring on Kyle Smith for the injured Thorhallsson, but instead it was Halliday. The youngster hasn’t had many minutes this season and defensively the rust showed. Halliday recorded 33 touches, completing 80% of his 15 passes, including both of his long balls. He attempted a cross but it didn’t connect. He also had a shot on goal, but it was deflected. Defensively, he had one tackle, one interception, and committed two fouls. One of those resulted in a yellow card for his foul on Kevin Kelsey. He put himself in dangerous positions repeatedly but simply couldn’t finish the play.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (52’), 6 — When Santos went off injured, Pareja brought on Lodeiro to bolster the midfield and, hopefully, the attack. He touched the ball 26 times and completed 78.6% of his 14 passes and his only long ball. The veteran also connected on two of his four crosses, and his late header nearly leveled the match, but keeper Roman Celentano got a paw on it to keep it out. Defensively, Lodeiro contributed a tackle.

F, Luis Muriel (70’), 5.5 — Muriel came on for Torres, playing under McGuire as Orlando City pushed for the equalizer. He only managed 12 touches and completed 44.4% of his nine passes, with one unsuccessful long ball attempt. He did have one dribble and drew a foul in a dangerous area but didn’t take any shots in the match.

That’s how I saw the performances for Orlando City in its 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati Saturday night. Let us know how you saw the game and vote for your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/6/24

Lions lose at home, Orlando Pride win, OCB draws Chattanooga FC, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 6, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was another mixed weekend for our teams as the Lions lost, the Pride won, and OCB drew. As for me, I’ve been busy managing the broadcast operations for the NISA league’s matches this weekend and also got a chance to cover high school soccer, softball, and badminton. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Lose at Home to FC Cincinnati

Orlando City lost at home for the second straight weekend with a 1-0 defeat to FC Cincinnati at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Luciano Acosta scored the lone goal for Cincinnati just seconds into the match. Orlando City went down to 10 men when defender Rodrigo Schlegel received a red card in the first half. The Lions had some chances to get back in this one, including a free kick opportunity in the second half when Wilder Cartagena scored what would have been the equalizer, but Facundo Torres was ruled offside, and the goal was waved off. Cincinnati also dropped to 10 men late in the second half as defender Bret Halsey received his second yellow for a foul on Ivan Angulo and knocked the ball out to waste time. Still, FC Cincinnati found a way to hang on for the victory, securing its third win in a row. Orlando City will look to rebound on Saturday as it takes on the Philadelphia Union at Suburu Park.  

Orlando Pride Win at Home Against Racing Louisville FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Racing Louisville FC on Sunday, 1-0, at Inter&Co Stadium, winning their fifth straight game. Barbra Banda scored the lone goal of the match and now has four goals for the Pride this season. The Pride remain undefeated in league play, keeping their unbeaten streak alive at eight matches (5-0-3). Orlando also moved up to first in the NWSL table with 18 points. The Pride will be back home on Saturday to face Bay FC. 

OCB Draws Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B drew 1-1 on the road against Chattanooga FC on Saturday. The Young Lions trailed early in the first half as Mehdi Ouamri put Chattanooga FC in front 1-0. Later in the first half, OCB got an equalizer, with forward Shak Mohammed finding the back of the net to score his second goal of the season. The match went to penalties after 90 minutes of action, where Chattanooga FC won the extra point with a 5-4 win over OCB. Despite not getting the extra point in penalties, the Young Lions still keep their road unbeaten streak alive at five. OCB will have a quick turnaround with its next match at Osceola County Stadium on Wednesday against New York Red Bulls II.

European Soccer Roundup

Real Madrid clinched the La Liga title on Saturday, defeating Cadiz 3-0, while their rivals Barcelona dropped points in a 4-2 loss to Girona over the weekend. Madrid has now won La Liga for the 36th time and still has a shot of adding another trophy if it gets past Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday to reach the final next month. Elsewhere, we had plenty of drama in England. Let’s start in the EFL Championship, where Ipswich Town joined Leicester City, getting promoted to the Premier League after a 2-0 victory against Huddersfield Town. Leeds United, Southhampton, West Brom, and Norwich City will go to the playoffs to determine the third club to secure promotion. Arsenal won 3-0 over Bournemouth, while Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 win over Wolves to keep the EPL title race tight. Arsenal is in first with 83 points, with two matches remaining, while Manchester City is just behind in second with 82 points and three matches left to play.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos gave insight on her first NWSL start for the Pride after their match against Racing Louisville FC on Sunday.
  • PSV Eindhoven clinched the Eredivisie title on Sunday with a 4-2 win over Sparta Rotterdam. American Malik Tillman played for 90 minutes, while Ricardo Pepi came off the bench and added an assist. 
  • USMNT midfielder Christian Pulisic put on a solid performance and contributed an assist for AC Milan in a 3-3 draw against Genoa on Saturday.
  • USWNT forward Catarina Macario came off the bench for Chelsea in the second half and made WSL history by adding two assists in 10 minutes in an 8-0 win over Bristol City.

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

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