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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 2-0 as Reds Dominate Lifeless Lions

The Lions looked lethargic and lacked any sharpness against Toronto, especially after halftime.

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6 years ago

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Scott Carnevale, The Mane Land

Orlando City continued its struggles against Toronto FC in a 2-0 loss that lacked energy or urgency in any part of the field. Except for a decent spell late in the first half, the Reds (5-2-1, 16 points) thoroughly dominated a stagnant and lifeless Orlando squad (3-4-3, 12 points), often anticipating the home side’s next pass better than the Lions themselves.

Jonathan Osorio and Jay Chapman scored in the second half to break open what had been a mostly dull affair and the Reds defended well, even as rumors swirl of the impending arrival of Omar Gonzalez to Toronto. The Lions were shut out for the first time in 2019 as a result.

“Obviously not what we were hoping for or looking for,” said Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor of his team’s performance. “I think first half we seemed to do a decent enough job of limiting them. I think our expectation was the second half to have something similar where we could go and create some similar chances.”

O’Connor’s only change from the New York City FC game was to insert Dom Dwyer into the starting lineup and move Chris Mueller to the bench.

Toronto did a good job of clogging up the middle of the pitch in the first half and pressuring Orlando into moving laterally across the field. The Lions got some half chances but had trouble finding the target or getting them through traffic.

The best early chance came four minutes in when Justin Morrow headed a back-post cross over the bar for Toronto.

Dwyer hit a drive off target in the 11th and Uri Rosell smashed what could have been a spectacular volley off a corner kick cross that was deflected out by the defense. Orlando’s best chance of the opening half came at the half-hour mark when Tesho Akindele sent in a cross to Will Johnson, who smashed it toward the net with his first touch. Quentin Westberg did well to get down and make the save on a ball behind his momentum.

That came in the midst of a flurry of corner kicks that Orlando won but could do nothing with. The Lions finished the first half with eight corners to Toronto’s one, but couldn’t create anything from them. Nani did well just to get a volley shot toward the goal in the 31st. Robin Jansson sent a shot toward the net in the 36th that Chris Mavinga headed off his own crossbar.

But the teams couldn’t score and went to the half without a goal.

Orlando City went to the half with an 11-2 advantage in shots (but only 1-1 on target). The Lions saw five of their shots blocked by the defense and another five sail off frame. Toronto held 56% of the first-half possession to Orlando’s 44% and the passing quality was nearly equal, with the Reds holding a slight advantage (85.3%-83.6%).

Toronto came out the stronger team in the second half and came close to scoring a few times before breaking down the door.

Brian Rowe did well to get to his corner and keep out a Laurent Ciman free kick in the 48th minute and denied Jordan Hamilton in the 57th minute as the Reds continued to keep possession and turn Orlando over repeatedly. Osorio tried his hand in the 60th, but Rowe again made the save. On the ensuing corner kick, Mavinga made an excellent play to pick a ball out of the air and fire it on target, but Rowe was there again to make the stop.

Akindele fired after settling the ball in the 63rd minute but had his shot blocked in one of Orlando’s few second-chance attempts.

Toronto then got the breakthrough in the 65th. Ruan ran up to win a ball in the air but then hesitated and allowed Toronto to play in behind him. The ball ended up with Osorio to the left side. The Toronto midfielder cut around Lamine Sané and Rosell in the box and fired into the back corner to make it 1-0.

“I take my responsibility,” Sané said after the game. “I say it in front of everybody. It’s like that, soccer, and I take my responsibility.”

Four minutes later, Dwyer had an opportunity to pull that goal back, but the striker sent a header wide for the second straight week on an excellent opportunity. Mueller came on moments later, but his introduction didn’t inject any life into a Lions squad without any energy in the second 45.

Rowe did well to stop a shot by Alejandro Pozuelo in the 73rd minute, but the Reds had their second goal four minutes later. Substitute Chapman made an untracked run down the right side, made a wonderful play to bring down the ball with his foot, then sent a shot toward Rowe. The goalkeeper will want that one back, as he stuck out his foot to block it and it went off the back of his foot and into the net to squash any Orlando comeback hopes.

Dwyer nearly scored a consolation goal in the 89th, but Westberg made a tremendous reaction save to preserve the clean sheet.

The five minutes of stoppage time might as well have been 500, because Toronto kept the ball and the Lions couldn’t generate anything, especially when reduced to 10 men with Ruan cramping and getting treatment off the pitch.

Toronto turned around the shot total significantly after halftime, with 11 second-half shots, getting eight of them on goal. Orlando led in shots (18-13) for the game, but the shots on target were lopsided in favor of the Reds, 9-2. Toronto held 58% of the possession to Orlando’s 42% and out-passed the Lions, 87.4%-81.6%.

“I felt that Toronto got the favor in the second half and they could play through us too easy,” Jansson said. “I think our shape wasn’t that good as in the first half and our control of the tempo of the game and when we had the ball. I think we did a great first half and we just need to bring the first half to the second half and continue the whole way.”

“I think when you look at the second half it wasn’t what we were anticipating,” O’Connor said. “I think there was, I would say a lack of quality in decision making about keeping the ball — areas about where to keep the ball, giving it away really cheaply and it compounded things that way.”

“I’m disappointed,” Sané said. “In the second half they beat us in our game. We have to keep the ball and make them run but I think they changed and we ran a lot and lost our energy. For me, it’s like we tie in New York for nothing if we don’t win at home. We had a big game in New York and when you lose at home, it’s like you played for nothing over there. We have to win at home. It’s most important for going to the playoffs.”

O’Connor cited a notable lack of energy, especially after halftime and said the staff will need to look into the reasons why that occurred before he can address it so that it doesn’t happen again.

“Whether that’s down to mentality, whether that’s down to training load — but I think that’s something we’re going to have to look at, and try to figure out, is it a mentality thing where you need to just have more desire to push through? Is it genuinely that they’ve had too much exposure to the sun and are fatigued? So these are questions that I’ve got to sit down and try to look at and get some answers for myself.”

The Lions will go on the road for the next two matches, visiting Atlanta United on May 12 and the Seattle Sounders on May 15.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

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2 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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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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1 day 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.

Published

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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