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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Final Score 2-1 as Heavily Rotated Lions Fall on the Road

A completely different starting XI can’t get it done on the road.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Well, that was certainly a soccer match. Orlando City (3-6-3, 12 points) lost its third consecutive game and is winless in its last four after a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders (7-1-4, 25 points) at CenturyLink Field. With the loss, the Lions remain winless in five meetings (0-4-1) against the Sounders. The hosts improved to 6-0-2 at home this season.

Shockingly, I can’t say I was full of confidence when the Orlando City lineup came out an hour before kicking off against the Sounders. We all knew to expect some rotation because of the Lions having three matches in three different cities in an eight-day span. The keyword, however, is “some.” No one could have reasonably predicted an entirely different starting XI, including the MLS debut of Greg Ranjitsingh in goal.

Having said that, and considering that the Sounders put out a nearly full-strength lineup, things certainly should have been worse. Orlando City entered the match having conceded six goals in the first 15 minutes of games, the worst tally in Major League Soccer. On the flip side, Seattle led MLS with six goals scored in the opening 15 minutes.

As those initial 15 minutes passed, the Lions looked better than expected. The men in purple were maintaining around 40% possession, not terrible for a squad of bench players on the road against one of the league’s best teams. Sacha Kljestan took a slow-moving shot from distance in the ninth minute that went wide of the goal. Ranjitsingh came off his line decisively to grab a couple of crosses Seattle players put into the box. Then the 19th minute came, and it brought a Raul Ruidiaz goal for the Sounders with it.

Left back Brad Smith made a run into the box and was not shut down by Orlando City right back Kyle Smith. He then sent a nicely weighted cross rolling in front of the goal right to Ruidiaz’s foot. An unmarked Ruidiaz slotted it past Ranjitsingh and the Sounders went up 1-0.

In the 22nd minute, Uri Rosell took a shot from distance that, similarly to Kljestan’s earlier attempt, was wide and left of the goal. Rookie forward Santiago Patino made an excellent run down the left flank in the 24th, but was cleanly tackled by Seattle center back Roman Torres. Fellow rookie Benji Michel made a run down the right a few minutes later that resulted in a corner for the Lions. Midfielder Dillon Powers put a Carlos Rivas-style shot a mile into the stands after nothing was doing on the corner.

Surprisingly, the Sounders looked content with the one-goal lead for the last 20 minutes of the first half, though Orlando’s possession climbed closer to 50% as the half progressed. Rosell took another shot from 25 yards out in the 43rd minute, sending it over the crossbar. Seattle had one more chance to add a goal before the half when Brad Smith sent a cross right to the head of Jordan Morris. Morris tried to bounce it off the turf and ended up watching the ball skyrocket over the bar.

Seattle took its 1-0 lead to the locker room, leading in shots (7-4), shots on goal (2-0), passing accuracy (87%-83%), and possession (53.4%-46.6%).

Neither side made any changes at the half, and the Sounders came out pressing at the start of the second half, ready to maintain or build on the one-goal advantage. Young Designated Player Josué Colmán provided a chance for the Lions when he put in a good through ball to Danilo Acosta, who subsequently had his shot blocked. Morris went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, forcing Seattle Head Coach Brian Schmetzer to pull him out for Handwalla Bwana in the 53rd minute.

Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan got past Orlando City center back Lamine Sane in the 56th minute to take a shot directly at Ranjitsingh. Ruidiaz couldn’t bring down an over-the top-pass from Bwana at minute 60, allowing Ranjitsingh the time to come out and make the save. Seattle right back Kelvin Leerdam decided to get in on the action in the 62nd minute, shooting from right outside the 18-yard box just over the bar.

Lions Head Coach James O’Connor had seen enough of Patino by the 63rd minute and subbed him out for Dom Dwyer. Harry Shipp took a shot that went right over the bar again in the 67th, then came off immediately after, when Schmetzer brought in Nouhou Tolo. Apparently, that change sparked something for the Sounders, as Bwana scored a minute later to make it 2-0 to Seattle. The play started from a turnover on a loose touch by Powers in the midfield and then Acosta lost Bwana in the box. The always astute Nicolas Lodeiro saw that, so he crossed a beautiful ball into the six-yard box that Bwana only had to redirect into the back of Ranjitsingh’s net.

A five-minute discussion and video review followed the goal to check for a handball on Lodeiro, but the goal was allowed. The goal was finally confirmed in the 73rd minute.

O’Connor subbed on Chris Mueller for Colmán during the video review delay. Mueller looked to make an impact off the ensuing kickoff. Bwana gave the ball away to Kljestan, not far from the top of Seattle’s 18. The midfielder then passed to Mueller just above the six-yard box, but he fluffed the shot, sending it high.

Mueller made up for it in the 75th. He made a run to the top of the 18 and took a low, driven shot past Stefan Frei and into the bottom right corner of Seattle’s goal to make it 2-1. The goal snapped a 327-minute scoring drought for Orlando City and it was the first goal scored by a Lion other than Nani in 534 minutes.

In the 84th minute, Ranjitsingh quickly came way off his line to clear a dangerous through ball. He did the same thing again four minutes later. The 85th minute saw O’Connor sub in Joao Moutinho for Acosta, followed by a Seattle sub of Alex Roldan for Smith a minute later.

It looked like the Sounders made it 3-1 in the third minute of stoppage time. Orlando City center back Shane O’Neill hit a header straight up into the air and then had a terrible moment that led to Ruidiaz scoring. Thankfully, the goal was instantly called back for an obvious handball on the Seattle striker. The Lions had a couple of other crosses find their way into Seattle’s box during the last five minutes of the long stoppage to no avail.

Seattle finished with a 14-10 advantage in shots (3-1 on target), and slightly more possession (50.7%-49.3%), with the teams each completing 84% of their passes.


Unfortunately, the 2-1 loss means Orlando City will return home on Sunday with no points from the two-game road trip. Hopefully, that will be all the motivation the team needs to take all three points in the team’s first ever meeting against FC Cincinnati. The match kicks off at 3 p.m.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/29/24

Lions brace for the Red Bulls, Pride take on Chicago, OCB will play Inter Miami II in Bradenton, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! Today marks one year since we here at The Mane Land published our first story here at our new independent home. It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s already been a year. Thank you all for sticking with us or checking us out since our move. That kind of support goes farther than you might think. I joined the team back in October of 2016 as an editor and it’s only just now hitting me that I’ve been here for nearly a quarter of my entire life. Here’s hoping for another great year of independence and Orlando soccer!

Orlando City Set to Host New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s match at home Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls was noted as one of the top matches in the league this weekend. The Lions earned their first win of the MLS season last weekend and will look to build on that momentum heading into tomorrow. The Lions will also get a boost from players returning from international duty, with Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, David Brekalo, and Peruvian duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena back. They’ll have their hands full against a New York team that’s coming off of a 4-0 win over Inter Miami. Lewis Morgan had a hat trick in that match and Orlando’s defense will have to find a way to keep him and the rest of the Red Bulls from running rampant.

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s third match of the NWSL season kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. when they host the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride enter this match following a gritty 1-1 draw against Angel City FC, with Brazilians Angelina and Marta linking up on a corner kick for a late equalizer. One thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s match will be how the Pride’s shorthanded defense can limit Chicago’s attack. The Pride have targeted versatile players while rebuilding, and that proved to be worth it last week as multiple players stepped up to fortify the back line. The last time these two sides squared off in Orlando was in August of last year, with the Pride coming up with a big 5-0 win. Hopefully we get to see a similar result tonight.

OCB Match Will Be Part of Generation Adidas Cup

Tuesday’s MLS NEXT Pro match between Orlando City B and Inter Miami II will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton and will be part of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup. The participating teams of the tournament were invited to attend the match, along with their families, and fans can watch the match for free on the league website. The match will be broadcast in English, but a new AI dubbing platform will be used to instantly translate it into Spanish, French, and Portuguese. It will supposedly maintain voice and tone, so I’m morbidly curious to hear just how artificial it will sound.

Generations Adidas Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Speaking of the Generation Adidas Cup, the youth tournament kicks off tomorrow. All MLS academy teams will compete alongside some of the top youth teams from around the world in both the U-15 and U-17 age groups. Orlando City’s U-15 side was noted as one to watch after a strong run of form this year. Caleb Trombino has been solid defensively and Jakob Garcia has the attacking talent to light it up in this tournament. The team can make a statement when it takes on Arsenal’s U-15 squad at 10 a.m. this Sunday. That match, along with 27 others, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions received some special visitors for their training.
  • Somehow, the Seattle Reign’s Ji So-Yun beat Marta to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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