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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union, U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals: Final Score 1-0 as Lions’ Cup Run Falls Short

Orlando City conceded an early goal and just had no legs for the attack.

Published

7 years ago

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Deon Cooper, The Mane Land

Orlando City’s bid to go deeper in the U.S. Open Cup than ever before fell short as tired legs, a flight to the Northeast, and an early goal off a set piece were ultimately too much to overcome. The Philadelphia Union eliminated the Lions 1-0 at Talen Energy Stadium in a quarterfinal matchup on a fourth-minute goal by Alejandro Bedoya and Orlando really didn’t threaten Andre Blake’s net a whole lot on the night.

The Lions bow out in the quarterfinals for the third time in team history. The Union reach the semifinals for the fourth time in their history.

James O’Connor sent out a pretty strong lineup that included the Orlando City debut of center back Shane O’Neill, and the 24-year-old was one of Orlando’s few bright spots on the night.

It didn’t take long for Philadelphia to get on the scoreboard, even though Orlando had the first couple of attacks through Mohamed El-Munir crosses that didn’t quite find the target. The Union earned a corner in the fourth minute and took it short to Haris Medunjanin. His cross found a wide-open Fafa Picault in the area but Earl Edwards Jr. rejected his shot, which unfortunately fell perfectly for Bedoya to fire into the top of the net to make it 1-0.

Philadelphia kept pressing at every opportunity, working the ball quickly to take advantage of tired Orlando City legs. Medunjanin fired over the bar in the 12th minute, and a minute later the Lions got their first look at goal when Will Johnson’s long-range effort sailed just over the bar.

The Union should have doubled the lead in the 16th minute when Keegan Rosenberry’s cross was dummied by David Accam and skipped through the box for Borek Dockal, who was robbed by Edwards.

Two minutes later, Accam fired just wide off a quick set piece that caught the Lions flat-footed. As Philadelphia kept coming, O’Neill made an outstanding play to out-duel Cory Burke in a 1-v-1 situation and won the ball back deep in his own penalty area.

The Lions’ best opportunity of the half came in the 21st minute when Chris Mueller’s cross found Josué Colmán at the far side of the area. The Paraguayan’s shot was deflected out for a corner and Blake may have gotten a piece of that to keep it out.

Orlando City’s attacks were few and far between and just not sharp enough. Mueller did well to find Johnson in the area in the 31st minute, but the Canadian rushed a weak shot toward the back post that Blake easily scooped up. Two minutes later, Amro Tarek headed a free kick cross from Mueller well over the goal.

Edwards made a diving stop on Burke in the 34th minute as the Union continued trying to use their speed down the wings to get around the City defense. Three minutes later, Uri Rosell’s cross found the head of Johnson and Blake tipped it over the bar with a good reaction save on a shot that may have been going high anyway.

The Union got the last good look of the half in the 43rd when Dockal was left alone in the box for the second time and this time he flubbed his shot, sending it way over the crossbar.

Philadelphia held 55% of the first-half possession and out-shot the Lions, 9-7 (5-3 on target), but realistically the Union had much better scoring chances with their shots than Orlando did. The Union held an 83%-81% advantage in passing accuracy.

The second half wasn’t much different from the first. O’Connor sent Dillon Powers on at the break for Mueller, presumably to save something of the rookie’s legs for Saturday night’s match in Columbus.

A shot over the net in the 49th minute by Johnson was one of Orlando’s few looks at goal in the second period as the Union further sapped what little was left of the Lions’ energy.

Edwards was forced to make a good save on Burke in the 52nd minute to keep it a one-goal game.

Blake nearly got caught with a heavy touch as Dwyer came charging at him in the 55th, but the Jamaican goalkeeper made a slick move to step around the Orlando striker on a play that could have ended up embarrassing the hosts. Three minutes later, Dwyer nearly got onto a deflected Colmán cross that was just a bit off line, allowing Blake to catch it.

Nothing much happened over the next 10 minutes except for a couple of substitutions by each team, with O’Connor bringing on Stefano Pinho and Cam Lindley, and withdrawing Colmán and Rosell.

Philadelphia started to grab more and more control of the game over the final 20 minutes, winning every ball forward, reading plays and stepping in front of Orlando City players, and generally keeping the ball away. Picault nearly had an insurance goal in the 80th minute but fired just inches wide of the far post from the left side.

Two minutes later, Orlando got its best opportunity of the second half as Pinho slid a ball across the top of the area for Sacha Kljestan, but the ball was a bit off line and all he could do was send it meekly at Blake. Perhaps Kljestan should have done better, but just a little better service may well have seen the game level in the 82nd minute.

From there, the game mostly consisted of Philadelphia shots from distance that Edwards parried away. After Dockal shot wide in the 83rd, Edwards made a good save on second-half sub C.J. Sapong in the 88th and Bedoya in the 90th.

Orlando could do nothing but boot the ball up the field and watch Philadelphia take possession in the final five minutes of regulation and four minutes of injury time.

The Union ended up with 54% of the possession and a 19-10 advantage in shots (9-4 on target), completing 84% of their passes to Orlando’s 81%.

The Lions are now 11-8-2 all-time in the U.S. Open Cup, advancing on penalties after both draws (2015 and 2018).

The Lions will be back in action on Saturday night, playing their third game in eight days — and second on the road — when they face the Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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16 hours ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

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

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Orlando City

Striker Suddenly a Position of Need for Orlando City

Departures and a key injury mean Orlando City needs a striker heading into the 2025 MLS season.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image Courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 2024, a milestone for the club. The core of the team was locked up through the 2025 season, so there was no reason to believe it needed to add much this off-season. Unfortunately, injuries and departures have created a serious problem for the team.

The group of forwards last year consisted of Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and Jack Lynn. McGuire scored 15 goals in 2023 and was expected to depart for Blackburn Rovers before a clerical error allowed the Lions to keep their target man. The team’s primary striker scored 11 goals in 37 games — the same number as the previous season — but split time starting with Enrique. The Argentinian improved greatly in 2024, increasing his total goal tally from four to 12. Even Lynn showed tremendous improvement last year, playing a greater role in the team and scoring his first two MLS goals.

The future also seemed bright for the Orlando City forwards because of their ages. Lynn is the oldest of the trio at just 25 years old. Meanwhile, McGuire and Enrique are only 23, so there was no reason to believe this group couldn’t produce this coming season.

The problem at striker began in the postseason when McGuire was pulled down by Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani in the final first round game of the playoffs. McGuire suffered a shoulder injury during the challenge that required surgery on Dec. 13. It’s expected that the striker could take four to five months to return to action, possibly leaving him out until May or June.

Another blow to Orlando’s attack occurred Saturday when Lynn surprisingly announced his retirement from professional soccer. In just over a month, Orlando City went from having three strikers to having just one as preseason training starts.

With McGuire injured and Lynn gone, one option would be to have Designated Player Luis Muriel play up top. However, the Colombian prefers to play a more withdrawn position and proved to be effective in that role last year. Since Head Coach Oscar Pareja prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Lions need someone up top to control the ball and involve the midfielders in the attack. That’s not Muriel’s game.

The result of these issues is that nobody is currently behind Enrique when the season begins. If the Argentinian gets tired, hurt, or simply needs rest, Pareja is limited in his options. 

Whether there was a lack of strikers or a lack of goals from the position previously, that problem was resolved by the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. Facundo Torres scored 20 goals in 2024, becoming the first player in Orlando City’s MLS history and the second player in club history to do so. He went on to set a new club record for total goals of 47.

However, Orlando City sold its best player to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. It was a gut punch to fans as Torres had signed a new contract on Jan. 10, 2024 that ran through the 2026 season. There had been talk for the last couple of years that the attacker would look for a move to Europe and rumors of a move to South America arose this off-season. Still, it created a huge gap the club has to fill.

There are players on the roster that can make up for the injury and departures. Martin Ojeda had a strong season in 2024, finishing with seven goals and 13 assists. His seven goals ranked fourth on the team and his 13 assists topped the squad alongside Nico Lodeiro. Muriel came on strong later in the season, finishing with five goals and eight assists. But those numbers are a long way from the 20 goals that Torres tallied last year.

Even if you consider all goal contributions, Ojeda and Muriel fall well short of Torres. Ojeda had a total of 20 goal contributions in 2024 while Muriel had 13. In addition to Torres’s 20 goals, he added nine assists for a team-leading 29 goal contributions.

All of this information leads to one undeniable fact — Orlando City needs to sign a striker prior to the season. And there’s not much time for Luiz Muzzi to act. The European transfer window closes on Feb. 3 and many MLS teams have already been filling similar needs. With the season starting in just over a month, the options will be limited if the Lions don’t do something soon.

After the best postseason finish in Orlando City’s MLS history, things were looking good heading into 2025. While the back line and most of the midfield is returning, McGuire’s injury and the departure of Torres and Lynn have left the Lions in a tough spot offensively. If they don’t do something in the next couple of weeks, it could be a long 2025.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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