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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Again Can’t Find the Net Against United

Orlando just can’t finish off a number of opportunities as the Lions again can’t force this series into rivalry status.

Published

5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City is apparently Phil Connors on Groundhog Day, as for the third time this season the Lions were shut out against Atlanta United. The Lions (9-12-7, 34 points) played their best game of the three meetings this season but were wasteful in front of goal, as they fell 1-0 to the Eastern Conference leaders (15-9-3, 48 points) at Exploria Stadium. The loss snapped Orlando’s 2-0-2 unbeaten run and dropped the Lions to 0-6-2 in the all-time series in league play and 0-7-2 in all competitive matches.

The crowd of 23,014 saw the Lions play assertively from the jump and created the better chances in this one, but too many shots were off target or driven right at Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Defensively, the Lions didn’t allow many good looks, but one was all it took in the second half for Josef Martinez to run his goal-scoring streak to 12 straight games and net the game-winning goal.

Orlando created an incredible 17 chances in the game but somehow failed to find the net at the end of any of them — a fact Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor lamented in his postgame press conference.

“I think unfortunately for us tonight we’ve played very well, we’ve had exceptional chance creation, we just weren’t able to take our chances, which is just very hard to swallow. Very painful for us,” O’Connor said after the match. “Sometimes you have a game where you have a lot of shots and they’re maybe outside the box. They’re shots that maybe are difficult chances. I think when you look at the areas we got into, we should have either shot sooner or punished them.

“We can say we were unlucky, but for me, we were the architects of our own downfall, because when you have that many chances, you have to capitalize, and you have to take those chances — especially against a team like that, because they get a couple of chances and bang, it’s in the back of the net.”

O’Connor inserted Mauricio Pereyra into the starting lineup for the first time, pushing Sebas Mendez out of the starting XI. Nani moved to the left wing and Tesho Akindele replaced Dom Dwyer from Saturday’s lineup at Minnesota.

The Lions played their best half against Atlanta this season in the opening 45 minutes but couldn’t put the ball in the net. The visitors did well to deflect and block shots, but Orlando was also wasteful with chances, with Carlos Ascues in particular firing right at Guzan twice with a lot of net at which to shoot. Pereyra’s first home start began with a couple of early fouls that earned him a lecture from referee Nima Saghafi, but he was brilliant in the opening half, pulling the defense apart and finding teammates all over the attacking third.

Ascues’ first opportunity was blocked just five minutes in, as the Peruvian’s movement was good throughout the half and Atlanta’s defense concentrated more on Akindele. Ascues then tracked back well to block a shot on the other end seconds later.

At the seven-minute mark, Ascues again found himself with a good scoring opportunity but fired his shot right at Guzan.

A minute later, Benji Michel won a race to the end line and turned inside the defense, but he then grew impatient and fizzed a cross through the area to no one in particular.

Atlanta scored in the ninth minute but the play was offside. After Lamine Sané cleared a ball out to the right, Kyle Smith had his pass blocked over top of everyone to Martinez. The striker beat Brian Rowe but was well behind the back line when the ball was played and the flag nullified the goal.

In the 10th minute, Akindele beat Miles Robinson on the right and fired from a tight angle, only to see Guzan make a save at the near post, giving the Lions a corner.

Sané forced another Guzan save on the ensuing corner with a header on frame off Pereyra’s cross.

Nani sent Benj in behind in the 13th minute. He went down under contact but the flag had come up (though I’m not sure it should have).

Atlanta’ got a decent look in the 17th minute but Pity Martinez fired over the bar.

Pereyra sent Ascues in again in the 22nd minute, but Darlington Nagbe poked the ball away from behind at the last second to prevent a scoring chance. Nani took the ensuing corner short and it ended up on Michel’s foot. The rookie fired but saw his shot deflected, giving Guzan an easy ball to collect.

Pity Martinez sent a shot just inches wide of the back post in the 24th minute and Ezequiel Barco had a shot deflect easily in for Rowe in the 31st.

Orlando’s last good look of the half was another excellent pass from Pereyra to Ascues, who fired right at Guzan again.

The teams went to the locker room scoreless, with Orlando leading in shots (9-6) and shots on target (4-1). Atlanta blocked five of City’s efforts. Atlanta held 58% of the possession and was more accurate in passing (84%-76%) but you’d have to say the Lions had the better opportunities.

The teams were a little less sharp to start the second half but 15 minutes after the break the visitors took the lead. After winning a ball in the midfield, Atlanta broke in with numbers and Sané was caught upfield. Barco sent the ball left to Josef Martinez, who beat Rowe to make it 1-0.

“I think on their goal, quick transition and then Josef gets half a yard inside the box and it’s a goal,” O’Connor said. “His record speaks for itself.”

“I feel we were pushing numbers forward and maybe got too comfortable leaving ourselves 1-v-1 there,” said rookie defender Kamal Miller. “I got back late and it ended up a 2-v-2 and just they took their chance and that how it goes sometimes.”

Orlando fired 12 shots toward Atlanta’s net in the second half but not one of them was on target. Nani sent a shot just wide in the 62nd minute, then saw a dangerous cross almost knocked into the net for an own goal by Robinson. The captain then sent a beautiful chip pass to Ascues in the 65th but the Peruvian sent his shot just wide of goal, rippling the outside netting.

“I thought (Ascues) had some wonderful opportunities to score tonight,” O’Connor said. “I thought his understanding of space was excellent. Perhaps maybe could have shot a little quicker with a couple of those opportunities.”

Two minutes later, Nani fizzed a shot just wide of net.

Atlanta had a chance to double the lead in the 68th minute as Orlando got caught pushing forward for the equalizer. Martinez went for his brace by chipping Rowe but hit the left post. The ball came back to him and the Atlanta striker fired over the bar.

Uri Rosell got onto a Nani pass and fired off target in the 75th as the Lions continued to create but also continued to fail to put the final ball in the net.

Rowe made a huge mistake in the 80th minute but was able to clean up his own mess. His pass was picked off and gave Atlanta a 2-v-Rowe. Hector Villalba crossed over to Martinez but Rowe was able to come off his line to smother the chance.

A couple of more misses by both sides and the game was over. Before the final whistle, Nani got in a tussle with Julian Gressel and went down behind the play. Nani had been tugging Gressel’s shirt and the Atlanta star took exception, swinging at Nani’s head and making light contact. Gressel saw a yellow card for the infraction.

The Lions out-shot Atlanta, 21-15 (4-3 on target) but were wasteful with all of those efforts. Atlanta held a slight edge in possession, with 51%, and out-passed Orlando (82%-77%).

“When you look at the game overall, we’ve had enough chances to win two or three games,” O’Connor said. “You look at the guys. They’ve given everything tonight. On another evening you win four or five-nil or four or five-one.

“The biggest thing we have to do is keep creating the chances, keep getting the same level of commitment, the same effort, and persevere. If we do start taking those chances, we’ll start to give teams a good whack.”

“We created a lot of chances today,” said Pereyra, who stated after the game that he thought he might be able to go a full 90 minutes in the next match. “Against Atlanta you need to score on these chances. If not, they will have one and they will score and you lose this important game.”

Orlando City returns to the road for its next match, visiting the San Jose Earthquakes next Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

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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

15 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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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!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

18 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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