Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

5 years ago

July 4, 2019

James O’Connor made three changes to his lineup as he regained the services of midfielders Will Johnson and Sebas Méndez from international duty while Ruan also returned after being rested for Saturday’s visit to Columbus.

Having started brightly and looking in complete control, the momentum shifted on two key moments in favor of Philadelphia, which currently sits atop the Eastern conference. First, by scoring an equalizer and then seeing Orlando’s first red card, the Union wrestled the game back in their favor going into the break and landed another blow to Orlando in the opening few minutes of the second half before a few Lions truly hit self-destruct. Not everyone did poorly as some went down with the sinking ship with dignity and the grades reflect that:

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6.5 – Rowe was forced into his first save in the 12th minute, diving low to his right to deny a long range Kacper Przybyłko effort destined for the bottom corner. He’d be forgiven for thinking he was in for a quiet day after the first half hour but that all changed. He ended up making five saves in total but couldn’t do anything about the first goal as Przybyłko had the entire goal at his mercy and from there things snowballed. He was equally as helpless for the other two Union goals, I wouldn’t expected any goalkeeper in MLS to stop those, and despite coming up big for a spectacular double save, it ultimately didn’t matter as the game had long slipped out of the Lions’ grasp. A commanding day aerially and some good distribution (84.6% accuracy, fifth best) are relatively moot points on a night like tonight.

D, Danilo Acosta, 4 – With João Moutinho’s injury persisting for now, Acosta got another chance to stake his claim for the starting role following his return from an anonymous Gold Cup jaunt with Honduras, for which he still hasn’t been cap-tied but he likely damaged his chances. A bright start offensively with some neat interplay with Nani soon gave way to slack defending. It finally cost Orlando when Acosta was caught out on the long ball that Alejandro Bedoya was able to turn back infield for the assist on the second goal and after the third goal went in, I seemed to notice Acosta immediately turn inwards towards Miller, shouting and throwing his arms up in frustration. Not a good look from a player a long way from a good performance himself and I’m not sure O’Connor is the type of person that takes kindly to such blame culture. Two tackles, three clearances and the second-worst pass completion percentage on the team.

D, Robin Jansson, 3.5 – Jansson was having a pretty sturdy outing for the first half hour, reading play and cutting out passes as Orlando was able to defend as a unit, but a turnover left the defense vulnerable on the counter, and the Swede got sucked to the ball and left Przybyłko unmarked for the goal. His late attempt at stepping up didn’t dissuade him from a valiant last ditch slide but it did little to salvage the situation. He then got caught as the last man against Fafà Picault on another break close to halftime that ultimately spelled the end of his day — Jansson lost his composure, recklessly left the ground and wildly swung his legs through the back of Picault. Chris Penso surprisingly only showed yellow before VAR rightfully asked him to revisit the decision. Prior to his dismissal, Jansson had actually completely all 16 of his pass attempts and made a joint-high five clearances.

D, Lamine Sané, 5 – Similar to Jansson, Sané made a couple of good tackles prior to the goal but failed in his first one-on-one scenario, not doing enough to close down Jamiro Monteiro, who was easily able to feed Przybyłko for the Union’s equalizer. With 11 defensive actions (two tackles, three interceptions, five clearances and one blocked shot) he had a significantly busier game than usual and actually did pretty well, remaining pretty tight despite the numerical disadvantage and introduction of Kamal Miller. Still, I really don’t trust his ability to win individual battles and it really heaped the pressure on Jansson both for the Union’s first goal and then his red card.

D, Ruan, 4 – Ruan continually tested Kai Wagner and Brenden Aaronson out for pace on the Philadelphia left and saw some mild success but for all the good will he has built up during his time in purple, his attacking output has dried up and it’s no longer covering his defensive frailties. He registered absolutely no defensive actions whatsoever in a game that left the Lions defending for their lives at times. One shot and an 80.6% accuracy on 36 passes, the fifth most, is all he really has to show on his return to the side. He did rank first in one category though, losing possession a team-leading six times.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 3 – Gone are the days of Kljestan as an assist-hungry attacking midfielder. He has adopted a more central and deeper role in the current O’Connor system with a lot of defensive responsibility, serving as a box-to-box on the break. He had a good passing game, completing the fourth most at 81.4% but his lack of pace showed at times and as the game slipped away, Orlando began chasing shadows in midfield. That made Kljestan frustrated and you won’t like Kljestan when he’s frustrated. It ultimately ended in Jansson being left to hold Kljestan’s beer as the 33-year-old went lunging in on Monteiro for what was frankly a horrendous challenge. Red card, maybe an additional game ban. It was that bad.

MF, Sebas Méndez, 5.5 – Méndez was the deepest-lying midfielder as he once again assumed the role of quarterback on his return, sitting in between Jansson and Sané in possession to help dictate play. He led the team in passes with 64, which is comparatively low to some of his other games this season but did make 93.8% including five long balls. Like the vast majority of the team, he was left high and dry by the sending offs and was a passenger once OCSC was reduced to nine.

MF, Will Johnson, 7 (MOTM) – Will Johnson had the game that Kljestan woke up this morning hoping to have. They played the same role on either side of a midfield tandem with Méndez sitting behind them. He covered every blade of grass and was the last man left running out there as he commendably channeled his frustration into work rate, not recklessness. Not only did he pass the eye test but he also bossed the stats sheet, leading the team in both tackles, with four, as well as key passes, with two, while his 98.2% pass accuracy was second only behind Jansson’s 100% on a much lower 16 attempts, compared to the Canadian’s 55, also good enough for second.

F, Nani, 4 – After what Orlando City analyst Miguel Gallardo called Nani’s most complete performance in purple against Columbus on Saturday, Nani only got 45 minutes as departed at halftime to make room for a defender following Jansson’s sending off. It was a forgettable half that the Portuguese was pretty anonymous in, flattering to deceive in transition. His 73.1% pass accuracy was the lowest of every Lion, starters and subs, and he only registered one shot that was off target. Considering the high standards the All-Star has set himself, it was a disappointing evening for the DP.

F, Tesho Akindele, 5.5 – Akindele was Orlando’s primary outlet when the Lions regained possession and showed some good hold-up play. However, he was caught out for the Union equalizer, getting dispossessed on what he thought should have been a foul and was the second-most dispossessed player behind Ruan. He was the only Orlando player to successfully complete more than one dribble and made 31 passes (83.9%) but he was another the game just got away from.

F, Chris Mueller, 7 – A storming solo run carved open the Union defense in the eighth minute, leaving Mueller ample time to pick his spot past rookie goalkeeper Matt Freese, taking the second-year forward’s personal total to five for the season. That set the tone as he was a nuisance for the hour he played before being subbed off. Closing down from the front, sniffing out loose passes, drawing fouls, running at defenders, and that’s not to mention his defensive hustle. A solid outing for Cash, who the Union will not be looking forward to matching up against again at the weekend.

Substitutes

CB, Kamal Miller (46’), 4 – In all honesty, rookie Kamal Miller was shockingly bad but he does have my sympathies, subbing on at halftime to cover for Jansson. But he didn’t get a second to adjust back to life in the Orlando back line following his return from national team duty as the Union scored inside two minutes, with Miller giving everyone a lesson in how not to defend, meekly turning his back on the shot. His efforts for Philadelphia’s third were even less impressive, getting caught in two minds whether to close down, which he began to do then stopped, or track the run of Picault, which he probably realized he should’ve done just as Picault was shooting. There’s a strong argument that the youngster was less useful in the second half than the departed Jansson was sat back in the locker room, although he earned some points back for a last ditch block on Marco Fabián in garbage time.

CB, Shane O’Neill (61’), 4.5 – In all honesty, I’m reading Shane O’Neill’s name on my notes and I’m struggling to remember if he actually came on or he’s still on the sideline waiting to enter the game. He managed one more touch than an isolated Dom Dwyer who subbed on at the same time as him although he did manage one tackle so I guess that automatically elevates him above Ruan and Miller at least. Not a healthy situation to sub into that soon got worse. It’s confusing to know how defending for half an hour with nine men your central defender can go so unnoticed but I guess that’s just a wider metaphor for O’Neill in general. Not actively messing up counts for something, right?

FW, Dom Dwyer (61’), 6 – Playing his first minutes since May 19, Dwyer struggled to get into the game. He did attempt a spectacular bicycle kick off a corner in the 84th minute but playing with two fewer players, he was never going to get much of a look at goal as Orlando struggled to retain any purposeful possession. He managed to spring Akindele after a neat turn before Penso brought it back for a foul in stoppage time but nothing came of it. In difficult circumstances, you can at least take heart that he looked sharp in the few moments he did actually touch the ball. He gets the benefit of the doubt purely as the life of striker is already quiet enough when you have the correct number of players on your team.

Agree with the grades? Have your own pick for Man of the Match? Vote on the poll and let us know in the comments!

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Brian Rowe	2
Will Johnson	27
Chris Mueller	31
Lamine Sané	2
Other (comment below)	3

Related Topics:Player Grades SBN_migrated

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all the inside information you need ahead of Orlando’s match with FC Cincinnati.

Published

18 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Ben Miller

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday looms large this weekend, as the Lions will try to put Saturday’s thoroughly dispiriting loss behind them. They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though, as they welcome an FC Cincinnati team to town that currently sits second in the Eastern Conference.

A match against FCC means I spoke with Justin Blair of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, Justin was very helpful in getting us all caught up on Cincy before tomorrow’s match.

The nine goals conceded by FC Cincinnati are tied for the fewest given up by any team in the league. What’s been working so well for FCC defensively so far?

Justin Blair: In 2023, FC Cincinnati was tied for fourth in goals conceded with 39 allowed (Orlando, NYCFC, and RBNY). This season is continuing that impressive trajectory. The addition of Miles Robinson, arguably the best MLS center back, was a home run signing for FCC. Robinson joins 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga as the feature center back duo. But Pat Noonan’s system asks for three in the back and has been plugged with a rotation of players that have kept the defense stout. I have to mention that central defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo is arguably the most underrated player in all of MLS. He is an extremely skilled player that flies around and acts as a catch-all in front of the back line.

Brandon Vazquez departed in the off-season for Monterrey. In his absence, who has Cincy turned to for goal scoring?

JB: Brandon Vazquez is a tremendous striker for FCC and has been solid for Rayados with 10 goals in 22 appearances. But his form never hit stride in 2023. He had nine goals across all MLS competitions, which was down from a career high of 18 goals in 2022. FCC had to find goals in other places last season, so they aren’t exactly in uncharted waters. So far in 2024, reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta has been carrying the load with four goals and five assists. Yuya Kubo, who I affectionately call FCC’s Swiss Army knife, has seen recent minutes at the forward position. Kubo’s confidence on the ball and chemistry with Acosta has seen him score three goals in a short amount of time. Surprisingly, FCC’s star Designated Player striker Aaron Boupendza has fallen in the graces of the squad and hasn’t hit consistent minutes this season.

Run me through some of the other arrivals and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are a few names to watch out for?

JB: Well FCC’s off-season was a doozy to say the least. Several departures include the previously mentioned Vazquez, along with Sanitago Arias, Yerson Mosquera (loan), Alvaro Barreal, Dominique Badji, Junior Moreno, and Ray Gaddis — all of whom played significant minutes for the orange and blue during their 2023 Supporters’ Shield season. For incoming players, GM Chris Albright brought in Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kipp Keller, and Corey Baird during the off-season. The additions of DeAndre Yedlin and Yamil Asad have also worked their way into the matchday rotation. Every piece added has felt like an upgrade or at least a comparable replacement. This is, of course, with the exception of replacing Vazquez.

FCC (recently) announced the loan signing of target striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk. The young loanee is sure to see considerable minutes with FCC but will likely not feature in the match versus Orlando City. I would keep an eye on Orellano for FCC. The left wingback is the heir apparent to Barreal that is so critical for Cincinnati’s ability to progress the ball from the midfield into the attacking third. Orellano is clean with his touches and can serve up line-splitting through balls that are perfectly weighted.

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

JB: Unavailable players might include Yedlin (hip), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (ankle), forward Sergio Santos (leg), and center back Nick Hagglund (knee). It seems uncertain if either or all will miss minutes in the match versus Orlando but most likely to participate would be Celentano, who was a late scratch versus Colorado on Saturday.

Starting XI (3-5-2): Roman Celentano (Alec Kann); Bret Halsey (DeAndre Yedlin), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Luca Orellano; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Lucho Acosta; Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Score Prediction: Oscar Pareja seems to have Pat Noonan’s system figured out. FCC also struggles to find wins against Orlando City. I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw when the final whistle sounds.

Thanks again to Justin for the great info on FCC. Vamos Orlando!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Marcus Mitchell

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

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

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

2 days ago

May 2, 2024

David Rohe

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!