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Orlando City

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

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5 years ago

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It was a short week for the club, and the starting XI certainly showed as such. It would be easier to list the players and positions that didn’t change from the Atlanta match versus which ones did. The player rotation from Head Coach James O’Connor was so deep that every position, even the goalkeeper spot, saw a different player from the previous lineup. Some players even got to see their first minutes in MLS. So how did the Lions do in the trip out west to Seattle?

Starters

GK, Greg Ranjitsingh, 7 (MotM) — In his first start in MLS, Ranjitsingh turned in a good effort. His positioning on the first goal could be critiqued as being a little too deep towards goal, but the fact of the matter is, he was more than likely protecting the near post and leveraging the back line to take care of the rest. He was quick to come out, and made good choices throughout the evening. He certainly looked much more comfortable in the second half, and ended the match with one save and one tackle. He gets my vote for Man of the Match as he helped keep this team in the fight with how quickly, and correctly, he came off his line and stopped chances before they became dangerous.

D, Danilo Acosta, 5 — Acosta started in place of Joao Moutinho, and played well. He saw plenty of touches, and certainly was involved in the offense and the defense. He ended the night with one shot and a 93% passing success rate. One tackle accounted for all of his defensive statistics and he lost track of Handwalla Bwana on the second goal but it was otherwise a fairly solid outing.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — Although he had a somewhat quiet first half, aside from being late to close down Raul Ruidiaz on the first goal, O’Neill was a force in the second half, anchoring a brand new defensive line against a very potent Seattle attack. Were there some mistakes? Yes, but for the most part, I thought it was a very solid outing. He had three aerials and two tackles won, plus that double stop in the box late to keep the Lions in the match.

D, Lamine Sané, 6 — The short answer would be to just read O’Neill’s review above. The slightly longer answer would be a good outing. Sané led the match with a 95% passing success rate, as well as winning two aerials and two tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances. He communicated well with O’Neill for the most part and even had a shot on the offensive side. In fact, watching him move up and call for the ball as an extra attacker in the waning moments of the match should be a motivational moment for all.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — There were some hiccups but overall it was a pretty good outing for Smith, considering that Seattle pushed Orlando’s right side more than the left. He ended the night with one aerial won and a passing rate of only 84%, but the three tackles and four clearances were key. He did struggle with Brad Smith and Harry Shipp’s quick 1-2 passing at times though, including on the opening goal.

MF, Uri Rosell, 7 — Rosell was almost on another level today, and was a top contender for some for the MotM honors. He was all over the midfield, running box to box, and showing the textbook example of a “professional foul” that led to a yellow card for him after a Moutinho turnover put the Lions in a bad spot. Without that foul, Seattle was on a counter attack and had numbers forward. He tied with Chris Mueller for most shots (2) and ended the night with a 91% passing rate, two aerials, two tackles, and was 7/7 on long ball passes.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6 — It was an up and down night for Kljestan, but it certainly was more up than down. The one really bad spot was the 81% passing percentage. This could be somewhat be explained by the new players around him, the fact that Seattle flooded the midfield, and perhaps some rust. Sacha looked a little slow at times, but don’t let that get in the way of the fact that he completed all of his long ball passes (5/5), won five aerials, and had four tackles, a key pass, and a shot.

MF, Dillon Powers, 6.5 — Every player wants to make a positive impact, especially after making a mistake. Powers showed just how important it is to shake off a mistake that led to the second Seattle goal, and pushed that must harder to make up for it. He did by logging an assist on the Lions’ goal. He also logged one shot, two tackles, an interception, a clearance, and an 86% passing rating, including being 5/7 on long balls.

F, Josué Colmán, 6 — I was really excited to see Colmán start, and I still am. Although the grade is about average, Colmán showed moments of pure brilliance. Unfortunately, there were times where he held onto the ball two touches too many and either lost it or had passes deflected. His 82% passer rating reflects this, although he did have three key passes. He completed just 40% of his dribble attempts, had one shot, and two tackles. With more minutes, I think there is potential there for Colmán to truly break out and help be that creative force in the midfield.

F, Santiago Patino, 5.5 — The first half was a bit quiet for Patino, but the effort was certainly there. The hold-up play was a bit lacking, but it was tough for all of the forwards. He had one shot attempt and two tackles, showing his commitment to drop back and defend when needed.

F, Benji Michel, 5.5 — It was a decent night for Michel, who provided the hustle we knew he would bring. Although the end result wasn’t there, he was a bit of a terror for the Seattle back line at times. He had a solid 90 minutes no matter how you look at it, and showed some sparks at times. Also, he did well when asked to drop back into defense.

Substitutes

F, Dom Dwyer (63’), 5.5 — It looked like the night when Dwyer was finally going to break out, but it never seemed to come. Defenders know how to handle him, and refs do not want to give him calls. He still shows no fear attacking balls in the box, but last night was another night that just wasn’t his. Dom also picked up another yellow card, which puts him dangerously close to a suspension.

F, Chris Mueller (69’), 7 — Cash Rules Everything Around Me. Is there anything that this kid can’t do? After being on the pitch for a massive six minutes, he took a pass from Powers, marched it across the top of the box, and fired a left footed shot that left Stefan Frei completely flat footed. Once again, Mueller hit the pitch as a sub and had a massive impact. It could have been slightly better, however, as he had only been on the field a few moments when he was set up nicely in front of goal but fired over the bar.

D, Joao Moutinho (85’), 6 — Coming in a bit late, Moutinho was still an impact player. As the Lions continued to push for the equalizer, they continued to try to stretch the field and utilize the wings, and Moutinho was key on the left. It was about a 13-minute shift due to eight minutes of stoppage, and he put forth a solid effort with 93% passing, a tackle, and an interception.

That is how i saw it in the late hours of Wednesday evening. How would you rate the Lions in this match, and who would you give the MotM nod to? Let us know in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Shane O’Neill4
Uri Rosell24
Greg Ranjitsingh11
Chris Mueller43
Sacha Kljestan1
Other2

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union

Get caught up with everything you need to know about the Philadelphia Union from someone who knows them best.

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1 hour ago

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May 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City is set to continue a difficult May schedule Saturday, and will try to avoid a three-game losing streak in the process. This week sees the Lions travel north to face the Philadelphia Union, which will be the first of three taking place in a span of eight days, with two of those on the road, forcing Orlando to shuttle back and forth across the country.

A date with the Union means I caught up with Joe Lister of the always excellent Philadelphia Soccer Now. As usual, Joe was very helpful in getting us caught up on what’s been happening with the Union, and I also answered some of his questions about OCSC, which you can find over at their place.

Run me through Philadelphia’s off-season transfer business. Are there any new names who have stood out?

Joe Lister: Philadelphia’s transfer business is nearly nonexistent. They sold a few guys, but didn’t really bring anyone notable in. The group that will be available against Orlando on Saturday is the same group that’s been around with the team for (generally) two or three years.

Quinn Sullivan, however, has been a relevation this season. His brother, Cavan, has obviously been in the news as of late. However, Quinn, 20, has been great for Philly. He’s got great pace down the side of the pitch and has a motor that doesn’t seem to quit. If he can perfect his final touch, he’ll make the Union a good bit of money.

It’s still quite early in the season, but its strange to see the Union not occupying their typical spot near the top of the East. Is there any concern among the fanbase, or are people largely happy with what they’ve seen so far?

JL: People are upset. This team, by Philly fans’ standards, sucks. The Eastern Conference is obviously super tough this year (Miami and RBNY are worth shoutouts), but Philadelphia just isn’t performing. They nearly lost three games in a row for the first time since 2017 with their draw against D.C. United. They were saved by a blast from Jack McGlynn that they didn’t necessarily deserve.

The Union are underwhelming. The front office has operated under the impression that the teams from 2020, 2021, and 2022 can still compete in MLS. The issue is that while the league has gotten better, the Union have just gotten worse.

The Union’s only two losses of the season have come at home. Is that simply down to playing two good teams in Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders, or is there something else at play there?

JL: That’s just the team being in a funk. Again, this team is underperforming by Philadelphia’s standards. Losing at home is a true showcase of how far this team has fallen. I think the Union will be fine longterm — this is a playoff team, but nothing more than that.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

JL: Defender Olivier Mbaizo and goalkeeper Andre Blake were both out for last match with injuries. Blake’s been in-and-out all season, but I think the team has started to realize that backup Oliver Semmle is good enough that the three-time Goalkeeper of the Year doesn’t need to always be on the pitch. Julian Carranza is also suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Lineup (4-4-2 diamond): Oliver Semmle; Kai Wagner, Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes, Nathan Harriel; Jose Martinez; Leon Flach, Alejandro Bedoya; Daniel Gazdag; Quinn Sullivan, Mikael Uhre.

I think this is a 2-2 draw. Based on where the Union are at right now, Orlando will get two first-half goals, the Union will pull back in the second half. Feels like a game where Daniel Gazdag should find the net at some point.

Thank you to Joe for the inside info on the Union. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/10/24

Orlando City hits the road, Angelina has a successful knee procedure, Europa League final is set, and more.

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5 hours ago

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May 10, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I don’t have many plans for the weekend beyond working and looking after my friend’s cat, but I’m hoping it’s a fairly relaxing next few days. Both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are in action tomorrow night, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. For now, let’s get to today’s links!

Orlando City Prepares for the Philadelphia Union

After a tough loss at home to FC Cincinnati, Orlando City hits the road for a tough match against the Philadelphia Union tomorrow night. The Lions showed plenty of fight in that loss, which included a red card to Rodrigo Schlegel and injuries to both Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Rafael Santos. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke about the matchup against the Union and stated that Thorhallsson is in concussion protocol and that both he and Santos are day-to-day heading into this match.

The Lions at least won’t have to worry about Philadelphia forward Julian Carranza in this match, as he will miss it due to yellow card accumulation. Both teams have struggled in recent weeks, with the Lions winless in their last three games and the Union winless in their last four. Orlando managed to beat the Union on the road last year and will need to do it again to climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Angelina Will Be Evaluated Weekly for Return

Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina had a successful arthroscopic procedure on her knee and will be evaluated by the club’s medical team for a return to the field on a week-to-week basis. She suffered the injury late in the Pride’s 4-1 win over the North Carolina Courage, and rookie Ally Lemos filled in for her in the team’s 1-0 win against Racing Louisville. Angelina signed with the Pride this past off-season and has been a major reason why the Pride are undefeated in 2024. The Brazilian has done well on both sides of the ball and has a goal and an assist to her name so far, while bringing stability to the midfield. Hopefully, she returns to the Pride’s midfield sooner rather than later.

Philadelphia Union Sign 14-Year-Old Cavan Sullivan

The Philadelphia Union have a penchant for developing young players and have now signed 14-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan to a Homegrown Player contract that will last through 2028. Sullivan, who is the brother of Quinn Sullivan, is now the fifth-youngest signing in MLS history. He excelled in the past two Generation Adidas Cups with the Union and made his debut for Philadelphia Union II earlier this year. When he turns 18, he will reportedly be transferred to Manchester City as well, so it will be interesting to see how he does in MLS until then.

Leverkusen and Atalanta Reach Europa League Final

Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta both got the job done in second legs at home to advance to the Europa League final. The match in Germany between Leverkusen and Roma was a wild one, with Leverkusen managing yet another late comeback to draw 2-2 and advance on aggregate after winning the first leg. The draw extended Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak to 49 games and it can secure a treble by the end of the month. In the other semifinal, Atalanta cruised to a 3-0 win over Marseille. The Italian club will have a chance at silverware in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus on May 15 before the Europa League final on May 22 in Ireland.

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy these sights and sounds from the Pride’s gritty win over Racing Louisville.
  • Olivier Renard is no longer the vice president and chief sporting officer of CF Montreal, with the two sides agreeing to part ways.
  • PSV Eindhoven reportedly won’t be exercising the option to sign American right back Sergino Dest, who joined the Dutch club on loan from Barcelona last year.

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 at Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points on the road at Philadelphia?

Published

1 day ago

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May 9, 2024

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City travels to the City of Brotherly Love hoping to get back on the winning track against the Philadelphia Union. The Union are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points, and have a 3-2-5 record overall. However, the Union are 1-2-1 at home. Subaru Park hasn’t been the fortress it was in 2023 — though Orlando City did give them their first home loss last season.

Of course, the Lions are riding a two-match losing streak heading into this match. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from the Union on the road?

Defense, Defense, Defense

The Union have scored 19 goals so far this season and over half of them have come from Daniel Gazdag (6), and Julian Carranza (4). Obviously, stopping those two is a priority. However, the Union also have excellent midfielders in Alejandro Bedoya and Jack McGlynn — the two players that scored in the Union’s last match against DC United.

I feel like a broken record, but Orlando City’s defense needs to stop making the dumb mistakes that have resulted in way too many goals this season. Philadelphia’s attackers will punish the Lions if that is allowed to happen yet again. So please, for the sake of my sanity, stop giving up the stupid goals.

Score Some *%$#ing Goals

The Union have given up 16 goals so far this season. Philadelphia is not some impenetrable defense, meaning the Lions should have chances to score against the Union. The bigger questions is: Will Orlando City find the back of the net? The dearth of goals so far this season is a great source of frustration for all who support this club. It’s not necessarily the shots that go in — though that does stink — but the missed opportunities.

Orlando City has had more passes/crosses just past a toe or just over a head, and more bobbled balls at a player’s feet than I care to count this season. The missed opportunities are a good reason for the results we’ve seen. I’ve spent plenty of time wishing for Facundo Torres, Luis Muriel, and Martin Ojeda to start scoring. Now, I’ll be happy with any player putting it in the back of the net. Robin Jansson header? Yes, please. Michael Halliday deflects it in with his face? I’ll take it. Own goal by the opposition? Bring it on. Just score some darn goals.

Find the Formula

I’m not certain why it’s taking Oscar Pareja so long to figure out the balance for this club. Most of the players from last season are there, but for some reason the recipe is off. There are a few new players and there have been some injuries to deal with, but the switch needs to be flipped. Pareja needs to figure out which players can turn it around.

It might be the players who haven’t made the necessary adjustments. Perhaps it’s just bad luck. Regardless, every coach and player needs to pull it together to get the ship righted. Preseason expectations might need to be adjusted, but we can still hold out hope for a turnaround. This weekend against the Union is a perfect time for that to start.

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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