Orlando City
TML Staff Roundtable: 2019 Orlando City Season Postmortem
The 2019 season is over and it’s time to reflect on what happened to Orlando City in 2019 and look ahead to what 2020 might hold in store. I reached out to the full staff of The Mane Land to get some answers and those are below. Not everyone responded but those who did are represented below in full. Since I usually cherry pick the best answers, this will be longer than the usual roundtable piece, so be forewarned: you may need to put a pin in this and come back to finish it later.
Orlando City improved in several areas and made a deep U.S. Open Cup run but again missed the playoffs. Do you think the Lions underachieved, overachieved, or merely “achieved” in 2019, and why?
David Rohe: I think they underachieved slightly. I did have them just making the playoffs in my predictions, and if a few things had broken differently, they would have. The defense improved massively, but did give up too many late goals to drop points. The attack was never addressed entirely, and with Dom Dwyer either injured or having a bad case of the yips, the club also lost out on points on the offensive side of the ball. There were only five points’ difference between eighth and 11th place, and the final standing could have been much different if those factors hadn’t all hit this season.
Ben Miller: For me, the club merely achieved. I was one of the people that didn’t see this team making the playoffs at the beginning of the year and that’s exactly what happened. I think the semifinal run leaned towards overachieving but the implosion down the stretch when chasing a playoff spot sort of balanced that out for me. Overall the team did what I expected: showed some improvement while also showing that there’s still a long way to go.
Guilherme Torres: I agree that there was some progress, but I still think it’s an underachieving season. Nothing outside of making the playoffs at the very least should be considered as so in my opinion, especially with MLS increasing the number of qualified teams to seven in each conference. Any year in which Orlando fails to make it to the playoffs, it should be considered a failure.
Andrew Sharp: After setting out the target of playoffs at the start of the season, it’s impossible to say anything other than Orlando underachieved. Luiz Muzzi was clear that the organization believed the roster was good enough for at least seventh in the East and the team was there or thereabouts as late as mid-August but collapsed. Fewer than 10 wins, 22nd of 24 teams, taking four points from a possible 24 in a playoff race…the only achievement was a participation trophy.
Jenn Glasheen: I think the team underachieved, especially in relation to the talent on the field. While there were some improvements such as goals conceded, there was still no product in the end. In education, missing the mark would be considered underachieving. That is especially amplified when almost 60% of teams make the playoffs.
Scott Carnevale: I’d say the Lions “achieved.” I don’t think the playoffs were a realistic target this season. The skid at the end of the season was disappointing, but they were doing as expected all season. The overall play was much better compared to 2018, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Sean Rollins: I think Orlando City underachieved in 2019 but met expectations. The expectation for this club is now to underachieve each season, which is what they did as they failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
Bearded Guy: Underachieved for sure. This squad is easily better than 11th in the East, better than a team with no back to back wins. I’m not saying playoff material, but I fully expected this roster to at least complete for the final spot.
My Take: Every team in MLS makes an annual goal of winning MLS Cup and making the playoffs, so with respect to my colleagues, to quantify this category solely on whether it made the postseason or not isn’t a realistic barometer. The Lions were historically bad in 2018 and not enough was done to the roster to make it a playoff team. Orlando was never jumping from second-worst team in MLS to top seven in the conference in one season. I’m measuring the club’s improvement in points and goals conceded, a decrease in lopsided losses, actually being in playoff contention until the end of match day 33, and just overall being a more difficult team to break down and beat and we got about what I expected aside from the winless streak at the end of the year. Had this team squeaked in, it would have overachieved. This roster still has holes, which I’ll discuss more below. The club merely achieved. I’d say it underachieved if it hadn’t been among the league’s most improved teams. It had a long way to go, sure, but the journey of a thousand miles has to start with a step or two and City took those initial steps.
What do you make of the firing of James O’Connor? Did he do enough to earn another year with a more fully realized roster? Why or why not?
Dave: It really depends on what happens now. On The Mane Land Pawedcast I said that if they were to move on from O’Connor it needed to be one hour after the last match. It wasn’t quite that fast, but it was the next day. I think he had the team trending in the right direction, and I would have liked for the front office to give him more time and the roster to compete, but it looks like the end of the season form doomed O’Connor. Add in that he wasn’t Luiz Muzzi’s hire, and it might have happened anyway.
Ben: I don’t think firing JOC was the answer and I wish it hadn’t been done. My biggest concern is that the culture he was beginning to implement will go out the window with whoever the new hire is. I also think that the team improved in a number of areas and was going in the right direction so I was looking forward to seeing what he would be able to do with another transfer window and preseason. The defensive improvement alone justified him getting another year, especially given the fact that the team was hamstrung offensively by the makeup of the roster. The one positive from the firing is that it was done as soon as possible after the season was over, but I don’t agree with the decision at all.
Guilherme: I’m not sure if I would fire him if I were in charge, but I can totally understand why Luiz Muzzi did it. James was already in the club when he came in and it’s possible that he wasn’t the coach of his dreams. The results most certainly didn’t put him in a good spot and if the front office really thinks he’s not the idea fit with their ideas, then they made the decision at the absolute right time as it gives them plenty of time to look for a replacement.
Andrew: Regardless of whether it was “his” roster or not, O’Connor chronically underperformed both with a 2018 roster that managed to put together the club’s longest ever win streak under the stewardship of Jason Kreis before O’Connor came in averaged 0.53 points per game with the same squad. After receiving several upgrades at key positions (Justin Meram to Nani, Scott Sutter to Ruan, Amro Tarek to Robin Jansson), he still leaves as only the second ever coach in MLS history not to achieve consecutive league wins and improved from the worst season in team history to the second worst. We saw that O’Connor can take a good USL roster and keep it good but that isn’t what Orlando City needs.
Jenn: I’m not sure that it was necessarily the best move the club could make, but the club ending in 11th again I can honestly say I see why they’ve made the decision.
Scott: It is not surprising knowing this club’s history, but extremely disappointing. He without a doubt should have been given another year as the team has gradually improved since he took over. With another transfer window under his belt I’m confident he would have taken the team to the playoffs in 2020, which should have been the goal all along. If Muzzi is calling the shots I will have faith in the decision, as he has yet to disappoint.
Sean: While James O’Connor struggled late in the year, I think he should’ve had another year. When you have three head coaches in five years, the blame has to be shifted from coaches and players to the front office. None of the three coaches have had the time to build anything before losing the position.
Beard: I think the front office should have given JOC one more season to right the ship. At some point, you have to question what the problem is, and I’m not sure that giving a coach in MLS 1.5 seasons is enough, especially when they are inheriting someone else’s roster, and a number of new front office staff.
My Take: I’m already on record as saying there are valid reasons both to fire O’Connor and to keep him. If the club was going to sack him, it at least did so at the right time, as opposed to the awful timing of the Adrian Heath and Jason Kreis firings. With Muzzi saying that James O’Connor will be a great coach, it certainly begs the question that if he believes that, why fire JOC? Seems to me if you commit to a young coach, you have to let them develop the same as a young player. I doubt Orlando will be cutting Benji Michel anytime soon, so why O’Connor? To me, the most damning reasons to fire him were the final eight games of 2019 and the lack of consecutive wins in a season and a half. I’m fine with this move if the next coach does well, so I’m reserving judgment until a later date on whether this is the right move or not. This is a long way of saying I’m not sure O’Connor did enough to warrant more time but I couldn’t tell you for sure that Bob Bradley or Bruce Arena could have gotten this team to the playoffs either.
If you were to jettison five players off the current roster, who would they be and why?
Dave: Sacha Kljestan, Lamine Sané, Cristian Higuita, Will Johnson, and Carlos Ascues. Kljestan and Johnson are both older players with big salaries, and I doubt they fit what Muzzi wants to accomplish. Sané is also a bit older, and while he has been a high point for the defense, I think the club can find another center back to be just as effective, but at a lower price. Higuita has shown flashes of becoming a better player, but he is often injured and if the club is to get anything for him, now is the time. Finally, I don’t think Ascues has done enough to justify his salary, and the club can do better. Altogether, dumping these players would potentially free up over $3.6 million in salary. That’s money Muzzi can spend elsewhere.
Ben: Danilo Acosta — simply put, I don’t think Acosta has a place on the team. He played eight MLS matches and the last time he featured was in July. For me that says enough about his place, or lack thereof on the roster. Robinho — this feels harsh but I wasn’t really on board with the Robinho signing in the first place, and while he did a decent enough job in the games he featured I think that the team would be better served going out and getting someone who brings more to the table. Kyle Smith — he improved as the year went on but I think the Lions need someone more capable of covering for Joao Moutinho if he’s injured as much next year as he was this year. He had some especially poor performances earlier in the year and I think the Lions need to continue improving across the back four. Josué Colmán — loaning out the young DP and using the DP tag elsewhere says about all it needs to. He didn’t see the field an overwhelming amount the last two seasons and I think that’s telling in and of itself. He didn’t seem to give the coaching staff much confidence in his ability to perform on the field, and I don’t see any reason to keep him around. Sacha Kljestan — at this point in his career Sacha reminds me of Cesc Fabregas during his final days at Chelsea: a luxury type player who can bring an overwhelming amount of creativity when on the field, but who also requires one or two elite defensive midfielders to lock everything down in his vicinity to make up for his defensive shortcomings. To me, that isn’t the type of player Orlando can afford to have right now, and it means that Sacha has to go.
Guilherme: Sacha Kljestan, Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, Dillon Powers, and Kyle Smith. The first four are on pretty sizable contracts and haven’t delivered to expectations. If you want to rebuild, you have to open cap space and by getting rid of them Orlando would do so. With Smith, I just don’t think he’s up to MLS level.
Andrew: Dom Dwyer — he’d be a fine number two if the team was to acquire someone above him, but Designated Player spots and Allocation Money are both far too precious to be burnt on statistically the second most ineffective forward in MLS. Sacha Kljestan — Red Bulls knew exactly what they were doing with Kljestan the same way Sporting Kansas City knew what it was doing with Dwyer in selling a high-salary player just before their decline. Former assist king Kljestan was all but phased out of contention under O’Connor and I don’t see how his slow play fits back into the squad, especially with his contract expiring. Shane O’Neill — the most used defender by O’Connor in 2018, even the Irishman realized O’Neill was a liability in defense, leaving him out of numerous squads following a calamitous start to the 2019 season for him personally. Even Kamal Miller, who I don’t think had a particularly good rookie season, is above him on the depth chart. Greg Ranjitsingh — Orlando City showed it had three perfectly usable goalkeepers this year. None of them are match winners and certainly none of them are worth wasting an international roster slot on like with Ranjitsingh. A two-time USL Cup winner with O’Connor at Louisville City, I guess from a sentiment standpoint it was pretty loyal but with Mason Stajduhar now also finally getting his first professional minutes while on loan with Tulsa this season, four goalkeepers is excessive. Santiago Patiño — he seemed to be the product of drafting out of spite and principle and not filling a need. Tesho Akindele has made a fine number two, Michel is the young prospect Patiño was drafted highly to be and, if Orlando chases a top forward like I’d expect it to, Patiño is a jettison candidate purely because he’s surplus to requirement despite being cheap and fine depth in an emergency.
Jenn: Kljestan, Powers, Alex De John, Acosta, Patiño. These players are taking up roster spots and playing fewer and fewer minutes. If they’re the floor, I think it’s time to raise it.
Scott: Colmán — it was a good experiment bringing him on but he has not produced. It seems clear that he isn’t in the team’s plan as they sent him out on loan and it’s time to move on. Lindley — the team is already overloaded with midfielders and Lindley does not seem to be developing as the team would want. Ranjitsingh — I think the team needs a better starting quality ‘keeper and Brian Rowe should be moved to backup. I think Grinwis had a better season than Ranjitsingh, so Grinwis should remain on the roster. De John and O’Neill — they both have not been good enough this season and the team should bring in better quality depth in the back line this off-season.
Sean: Brian Rowe, Sacha Kljestan, Josué Colmán, Alex De John, and Oriol Rosell. Rowe’s inability to commit on plays has been a problem. Kljestan is a good player but has struggled and fallen out of favor. Colmán hasn’t shown what the club expected in making him a DP. De John is not ready for this level and I can’t see him contributing. Rosell is the most expensive defensive midfielder at base salary and doesn’t have the versatility of someone like Carlos Ascues.
Beard: Josué Colmán — I just do not see him becoming a good fit for this club. Sacha Kljestan — unless he is willing to take a massive pay cut. Santiago Patiño — Orlando will need to make room for forwards moving forward, and of those on the roster, this seems obvious. Dillon Powers — the club will need to thin the herd at defensive midfield. Dom Dwyer — I cannot keep waiting for Dom to snap out of whatever slump he is in.
My Take: There are several good ideas above, with regard to shedding salary and also replacing depth players with better options. Kljestan’s salary needs to come off the books. I won’t add Sané here because he was so damn good this year, but it would be great to get him to agree to a pay cut. I feel like the team has more or less already jettisoned Colmán, so I’ll cheat and leave him out here. Acosta and Powers are taking up roster slots without pushing for playing time, which only stagnates a team. O’Neill is too easily broken down and hasn’t worked out. One of the high priced central midfielders is my fifth choice here, and as much as I like all of them as players, I think the most expendable are Uri Rosell (salary), Higuita (most injury prone, highest salary and out of contract — bring him back cheaper?), Johnson (age and losing him during international windows), or Ascues (a bit inconsistent). I think my colleagues above are crazy for wanting to jettison Patiño, who is inexpensive, provides depth at a position of need, and still has plenty of upside.
Who are the five most indispensable players from this year’s team?
Dave: Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, Dom Dwyer, Robin Jansson, and Benji Michel. I think that Nani and Pereyra are obvious choices. Dom had a bad year, but given his salary and contract status Orlando is not getting rid of him, so we might as well give him the support he needs. Jansson will seemingly break his leg for this club, and I love him being on the pitch. Finally, Michel showed enough in his rookie season for me to be excited about his potential.
Ben: Nani — I don’t think there’s a ton that needs to be said here, but he led the team in goals and assists and was the creative hub that was central to a lot of what the Lions did well. Easy choice for this list. Mauricio Pereyra — he only made six appearances for the Lions but bagged three assists while also bringing a level of creativity and calm to the team that Orlando desperately needed. He looks to be a quality player and a good piece for the Lions to build around. Robin Jansson — no disrespect to Lamine Sané, but I think Jansson is the more crucial half of the Lions’ center back pairing. He was immense in game after game this season and, at 27 years old, looks likely to remain at his current level for some time. He also stayed fit for the majority of the season — a welcome departure from 2018 in particular when OCSC defenders were dropping left, right, and center. Ruan — when he’s on his game he adds a couple different gears to the team and is close to unplayable. He’s a cheat code for starting counter-attacks, has the speed to recover if he gets beaten, and has an eye for assists to boot. He definitely needs to be back. Will Johnson — every team needs a utility man and the Lions have a damn good one in Johnson. He runs his butt off, does the dirty work in the midfield, and for me is the glue that holds everything together when the team is playing well. If he leaves he’ll be sorely missed.
Guilherme: I’d say Ruan, Robin Jansson, Sebas Mendez, Nani, and Dom Dwyer. That’s a decent backbone for an MLS team and the Lions should build around these players, but still add some talent. I understand those who raised their eyebrows to Dwyer making the list, but I think he can still be a good player for this team if he gets his mind in the right place.
Andrew: Nani — simple, he’s the best player on the team. Cristian Higuita — several people (including myself) have documented the significant impact Higuita has had on this team when he’s both healthy and selected. The Lions have a wealth of options in midfield, which has further muddied the picture for the Colombian, who is worryingly out of contract at the end of the year. If he leaves, expect it to be one of the most haunting departures should he remain in MLS. Tesho Akindele — the Canadian forward was an absolute gem for Orlando, picking up the goal scoring slack left by Dwyer. Add to that he’s on a very salary cap friendly contract, he’s exactly the kind of value the lower teams scrapping for that final playoff spot look for to give them an advantage. Lamine Jansson — boom, two for one cheat code! On a serious note, the important thing to emphasize here is that Orlando City finally has a center back partnership in Sané and Jansson that it is able to rely on. The 2019 season saw the Lions’ best defensive record since joining MLS and it’s no coincidence that Sané and Jansson started 22 games together. Last season’s most frequent partnership was Sané and Tarek, who played together just six times! They dovetail together nicely and are forming a really strong tandem, it would be foolish to upset that. Ruan — I’m not as high on Ruan as other people, mainly because his offensive output is based more on quantity than it does quality. That being said, the speedy Brazilian has shown an upside Orlando hasn’t had at the right back position before. Better consistency in hitting his ceiling and he becomes an important piece to build around.
Jenn: Nani, Jansson, Ruan, Moutinho, and Pereyra.
Scott: Nani, Will Johnson, Ruan, Pereyra, Sané.
Sean: Nani, Tesho Akindele, Cristian Higuita, Robin Jansson, and Chris Mueller. Nani is the captain and leader of the team. Tesho is the team’s lone quality goal scorer up top. Higuita possesses a physical presence that lacks in the rest of the team. Jansson is the one constant in the back. Mueller shouldn’t start but provides an undeniable spark off the bench.
Beard: Nani, Lamine Sané, Robin Jansson, Sebas Mendez, and Benji Michel.
My Take: The TML staff was unanimous about Nani, although if there’s a younger upgrade available, I’d take it (spoiler: there probably isn’t, so I’ll keep it unanimous). I haven’t seen enough of Pereyra yet to know if he’s in my five. The center back pairing of Sané and Jansson makes my list of five, although it sure would be great if Lamine didn’t cost so much. He’ll be difficult to keep this off-season, I think. That leaves me with two choices left. Moutinho would be on the list if he could stay healthy but so far he just seems to be a much better, left-footed version of Rafael Ramos. So instead I’ll add Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel here because the former is a useful player at an affordable price and the latter has shown tremendous upside and his Homegrown Player status also makes him cap friendly (potentially, it depends on how he’s officially rostered). I think he has the potential to be a consistent double-digit goal scorer if he gets minutes (which ironically would probably make Akindele expendable).
Where should the club place emphasis on bolstering the roster for 2020?
Dave: I’ve said many times on The Mane Land Pawedcast that the team needs an MLS 3.0 striker like Carlos Vela or Josef Martinez. That is priority number one. After that, more attacking midfielders to complement Pereyra, and a top MLS level goalkeeper. In keeping with my answers above, the club also needs to replace Sané, and have good backup center backs.
Ben: Attacking midfield. For the love of god let Orlando sign some creative, attack-minded midfielders. The team has so many defensive midfielders that I can’t remember all of them and the lack of attacking verve showed both in the team’s paltry goal-scoring numbers, and tendency to sit back and protect leads rather than pressing forward and putting games away. Defensive midfielders tend to defend, and if the Lions don’t invest in some creative talent in the off-season then expect another rough season next year.
Guilherme: It’s all over the place to be honest. Orlando needs at least two good players in each area of the field and sometimes it’s tough to improve your team when you need significant upgrades in so many different spots. If they had to focus on one, though, I’d say midfield.
Andrew: Orlando City really struggled to contend with the injuries of both Ruan and João Moutinho, exposing the fact that most of the Lions’ offensive threat came from the wide positions. Kyle Smith was a fine stop gap if you’re the third-worst team in MLS, while Danilo Acosta disappeared off the face of the earth with Kamal Miller being preferred to the detriment of everyone, including Miller. Therefore, a versatile fullback to provide both competition and depth is a big need, as is an improvement in midfield to take some of the over-reliance on wide play away, although between Higuita, Sebas Méndez and Mauricio Pereyra, I’m hoping the new coach can cobble a coherent midfield together if the team feels it has more pressing needs. And so it should, as the biggest need won’t be a surprise to anyone: an elite, Designated Player worthy striker to finally put the ball in the goal.
Jenn: The Lions definitely need to trim defensive mids and needs to add attacking players who can create chances and score goals. The team also needs a reliable left back replacement if injuries are going to continue to plague Moutinho.
Scott: It is time for the team to stop trying to find the next hidden gem and start signing proven players. Orlando City needs to get a big name player that is still in their prime, or just past it. The Carlos Rivas and Josué Colmán stories are old now. They need to sign a player or two that can help the team right away and has experience. Ideally, it would be an attacking minded player — whether a forward or attacking midfielder — who can help set up goals.
Sean: The club needs a go-to target striker. They need a guy who can score 20 goals and be counted on in big games. They haven’t had that since Cyle Larin left.
Beard: Striker, attacking midfielder, and (obviously) coach.
My Take: I’d love for this club to add a forward in the Carlos Vela/Zlatan Ibrahimovic/Josef Martinez vein, but obviously those are few and far between. It’s almost like saying I want the team to sign Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (I do, but…well, you know). I’d settle for someone a bit lesser known who is nearly as effective — think Heber, Kacper Przybylko, Gustavo Bou, etc. But a scorer is essential for two reasons: it takes the pressure off Dwyer, who was fantastic when playing with Cyle Larin a couple years back, and the club needs to stop blowing the chances it creates and put a death grip on these games. The defensive third must be addressed by adding better quality depth across the back line and a goalkeeper who steals points rather than being only serviceable or adequate. If Pereyra is going to be the No. 10 and Nani can be relied on less to score and more to create for Dwyer and a new DP striker, then maybe just a bit more attacking midfield/wing depth will suffice, otherwise, find me a Carles Gil or a Miguel Almiron, please.
There you have it. It’s a long piece but it’s broken up into bite-sized chunks for your consumption. Look for additional roundtables through the off-season and hopefully through 2020 as well.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 1-1 (4-1) as Lions Advance with Penalty Shootout Win
The Lions are through to the conference semifinals with a Cardiac Cats finish and domination in penalties.
Trailing 1-0, Orlando City was just moments away from exiting the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. But Duncan McGuire earned a late penalty that Facundo Torres converted on the rebound of his saved attempt to tie the game at 1-1. The Lions were clinical in the ensuing penalty shootout moments later, winning it 4-1 over Charlotte FC and advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year.
The shootout win, fueled by two Pedro Gallese saves, gave Orlando a 2-1 series win over Charlotte FC with the final two matches decided from the spot after the Lions opened with the only win in normal time out of the three games.
“I think we were the best team of this series,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the game just put us in that situation when they score goals and they sit back, and we couldn’t open those lines. But finally we did, and the (win in) PKs is probably a result that was very fair for the effort that we made during the series.”
Pareja made no changes to his lineup, starting Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres, with Ramiro Enrique up top.
The Lions won the first half territorially, but sttruggled with the final ball, either leaving shots too close to Kristijan Kahlina or rattling the woodwork. Orlando’s first opportunity came three minutes in when Ojeda made a good cross into the box that hit off Torres and went toward goal, but without much pace, allowing Kahlina to collect it. Three minutes later, Tim Ream tried to chest a cross back to Kahlina and Araujo threw himself forward, nearly getting his head to it and forcing the Charlotte goalkeeper to spill it, but the visitors were able to regroup.
In the 10th minute, Charlotte got its first chance off a corner kick. Kerwin Vargas headed it down at the back post as he was left all alone, but he sent it straight toward Gallese.
Ojeda delivered a great ball on a long-distance free kick in the 16th minute, finding Schlegel in the box. The defender got good pace on his header but left it too close to Kahlina, who made the save. A minute later, the Lions should have scored. Ojeda made a great cutback pass to Torres, who fizzed a shot that hit the right post and stayed out.
Torres found the crossbar in the 21st minute on a header off an Araujo cross. It appeared Kahlina may have touched it off the bar.
Patrick Agyemang sent a soft header to Gallese in the 24th minute, but given the final shots on target in the half, he must not have gotten credit for a shot.
Enrique got onto a good chip pass from Torres in the 33rd minute. The Argentine volleyed a shot toward goal but couldn’t keep it down, sending it high over the bar.
Ojeda nearly got in behind in the 39th minute but the ball took a high bounce. As he waited for it to come down, the defense arrived to knock it out of play.
Torres had a shot blocked in front in the 40th minute that looked as if it might have been a handball. There was no obvious sign of a review, but the ball may have hit the defender’s body before the arm.
Agyemang was sent in behind in the 45th minute, catching Gallese out with a chipped shot, but the flag came up straight away and after review, the offside call was upheld.
That was the final play of note from a first half that had plenty of action but no final product.
At halftime, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (60.7%-39.3%), shots (8-2), shots on target (2-1), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (86.4%-81%), but the Lions had nothing to show for it.
“We were more offensive. I think we hit the post twice in the first half,” Pareja said. “And we had many other options that were clear.”
Neither team made a halftime change and Orlando got the first half chance of the second period. A weak cross from Thorhallsson looked like it would be an easy scoop for Kahlina, but Enrique got there with a quick, darting run and got a foot to it, poking it just wide of the right post in the 47th minue.
Orlando won a few set pieces but couldn’t make them pay off, coming close in the 56th minute. Ojeda sent in a good corner kick cross and Enrique was unmarked, coming from a deeper position for a free header. However, he sent his effort just wide of the right post.
Angulo saw his shot blocked at the hour mark off a deflected cross from Ojeda.
Vargas shook free on the left side and sent a shot into the outside of Gallese’s left post in the 66th minute.
Second-half sub Luis Muriel tried his luck from outside the area in the 68th minute but it one-hopped into Kahlina’s hands. Two minutes later, he tried again from a similar spot but hit his effort wide to the left of goal.
Pep Biel tried his luck from long range in the 71st minute but sent his shot well over.
Muriel tried to send fellow sub McGuire in behind down the right side in the 76th minute. McGuire saw his shot saved but he was offside anyway and likely knew it. The flag came up after the shot.
Charlotte broke the deadlock in the 81st minute and it was a bit unlucky for Orlando. A ball over the top bounced over Jansson’s head, putting the visitors in on the attack. Liel Abada found Swiderski in front and the striker’s shot deflected past Gallese to make it 1-0.
“They wait for a mistake and we made one,” Pareja said.
“I ended up in between, not reaching it,” Jansson said. “And Swiderski was more just being in behind me. So, that was just a bad move on that one. But I do think that it was not that he just took the ball and run through the goal. I think we could have stopped it anyway. But that’s things that happen sometimes in the game, and it has to be better in the in the coming game.”
Jansson tried to get the goal back in the 85th minute, getting his head to a recycled ball and deflected it on goal, but Kahlina made the save.
The Lions had a chance to tie it up in the 90th minute when Santos sent a perfect cross from the left to the back post to substitute Kyle Smith, who merely needed to touch it home. Instead, Smith tripped over the ball and ended up knocking it backwards.
Orlando didn’t quit. In the 93rd minute, Araujo smashed a shot that fizzed just inches wide of the left post. Moments later, the Lions got the break they had been pushing for. Muriel sent a free kick toward goal that deflected off the wall and out for a corner kick. On the corner, Djibril Diani pulled McGuire down and the big center forward went down hard on his shoulder. He sprinted to the sideline looking to get his shoulder fixed, but he was unable to return to the match, leaving his team short. The play was reviewed and the call on the field was upheld, with Orlando awarded a penalty.
Torres had to wait a long time to take the spot kick between the injury to McGuire and the video review. When he finally took his shot, Kahlina made the save, but the rebound came right back out front where Torres buried it to tie the game at 1-1 in the 102nd minute.
“Today, I think everyone saw like the mentality when they scored from our side,” Jansson said. “Directly when we got the ball, we wanted to try to do something, push forward.”
Moments after the restart, Pekmic blew the whistle and sent the game to penalties to decide things.
The Lions dominated the stat sheet, finishing with the advantage in possession (60.9%-39.1%), shots (21-6), shots on target (6-3), corners (9-3), and passing accuracy (86.7%-82.2%).
Orlando shot first and Muriel froze Kahlina to start things off with a goal for the Lions. Biel stepped up to shoot first for the visitors. He sent his shot to Gallese’s left, but El Pulpo guessed correctly, fully extended, and made the save.
Kyle Smith calmly blasted the second shot into the net to put Orlando up 2-0, and Swiderski stepped up for Charlotte. He sent his shot to Gallese’s right, but the Orlando goalkeeper again went the correct way and stuck out a fist to keep it out. Torres pushed the Lions’ lead in the shootout to 3-2 and Ashley Westwood answered for the visitors, making it 3-1 after three rounds. Any Orlando goal or Charlotte miss and it was over.
Santos slowly walked up and placed the ball, then took a wild, sweeping, stop-start run-up. Kahlina guessed correctly, but the Brazilian’s shot was precise, slipping inside the post to push Orlando through to the next round.
“I studied a little bit more, really focused in on the PK takers of our rivals tonight,” Gallese said of his preparation. “We knew that the way that they played, there was a good chance that we would go to penalties again, so we were all putting in the extra effort to make sure that we were ready for that. And thankfully, it paid off.”
“I have to congratulate the coach (Dean Smith of Charlotte). I thought he complicated things with a system that I respect,” Pareja said. “I think he made the movements and made our game model more complicated in some moments. Today, they defended with a line of five, and it was a surprise for us, because I have not seen it before when we faced them. But we adapted well.”
Next up for Orlando City is a rematch from Decision Day. Atlanta United’s first-round upset will have the Five Stripes visiting Orlando City Sunday, Nov. 24 at 3:30 p.m.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions host Charlotte with a spot in the conference semifinals on the line for both teams.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night playoff matchup between Orlando City (1-1) and Charlotte FC (1-1) at Inter&Co Stadium (6 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the third time the teams have met in the postseason, having played two matches already in this best-of-three, first-round series, and the fifth meeting of the year in all competitions.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 3-1-2 in the regular-season series and 4-3-2 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 2-1-0 at home in the regular season and 3-1-0 in its own stadium in all competitions against the North Carolina-based side. These games are usually close, as Orlando City won two straight at home by two goals, with all other meetings ending in either a draw or a one-goal game.
The teams played eight days ago in Charlotte, without either side scoring in normal time. Charlotte won the ensuing penalty shootout 3-1 after the scoreless draw to tie the series at 1-1, because shootout wins are just as important as actual wins in this somewhat baffling format. That followed Orlando City’s 2-0 home win the previous Sunday. Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.
The teams also met a month and a half ago on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.
The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Martin Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.
Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of last year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.
The teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.
Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.
Overview
These teams have predictably played a tight series after being separated by only one point in the standings after the 34-game regular season. The Lions (15-12-7, 52 points) needed their three points this season against Charlotte (14-11-9, 51 points) at home to finish in the home playoff places for the first round.
The Lions finished 7-6-4 at home in the regular season and have gone 9-6-4 against MLS teams in all competitions at Inter&Co Stadium this year (playoffs and Leagues Cup accounting for the two non-regular-season matches).
Charlotte’s Game 1 loss in this series was the team’s first defeat since dropping the Sept. 18 match in Orlando, going 4-0-1, with the only draw coming on the road against Inter Miami, 1-1. Because it appears MLS counts first-round, best-of-three shootout results as wins/losses rather than the typical draw, Charlotte FC is now 5-1-0 in its last six matches in all competitions, with the loss coming in Game 1 in Orlando, which is slightly better than the Lions’ 4-2-0 mark in their last six. Tonight’s visitors went 5-8-4 on the road in the regular season in addition to dropping Game 1 in Orlando.
Although Orlando scored twice in each of the first three meetings with Charlotte this season, tonight’s visitors have the best defensive record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best defense in MLS, allowing just 37 goals in 34 games during the regular season. That strength showed in Game 2, but not in the usual way. Charlotte has typically allowed shots, but goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina has been a difference maker. He didn’t need to be in Game 2, as the Lions lacked any threat whatsoever until a stoppage-time goal by Torres that was nullified by the offside flag on a razor-thin margin.
To advance, the Lions must play like they did in Game 1, which was a dominating performance. If Charlotte dictates the pace and style of play, it could again come down to penalties.
As usual against Charlotte, Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by Kahlina, who posted 119 saves on the season and tied for the league lead in minutes played (3,060). Charlotte also has a strong back line that includes U.S. international Tim Ream. The key to beating Charlotte is to get on the scoreboard, as the visitors’ offense has found the net just 46 times this season — tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference — although it had scored 14 during its unbeaten run prior to Game 1 and had been held under two goals just once since getting shut out in Orlando in September before this series started.
“We have the same intentions, and the same intensity, the same discipline and the same perseverance that we have had moving towards this game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us as the coaches and the players to invite our fans to come to the stadium to help us push. It’s an important moment for all of us and we need the energy”
The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg). Charlotte will be without Jahlane Forbes (hip).
Match Content
- Our most recent epsidode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for today’s match, as well as a preview of the game.
- Our Ben Miller presented his three keys to victory for Orlando City in this match.
- Andrew DeSalvo writes that despite Wilder Cartagena’s yellow card situation, he must be himself in tonight’s game.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.
Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.
Bench: Javier Otero, Luca Petrasso, Kyle Smith, David Brekalo, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.
Charlotte FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.
Defenders: Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne.
Midfielders: Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Djibril Diani.
Forwards: Kerwin Vargas, Patrick Agyemang, Pep Biel.
Bench: David Bingham, Jaylin Lindsey, Jere Uronen, Bill Tuiloma, Junior Urso, Iuri Tavares, Jamie Paterson, Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski.
Referees
REF: Ismir Pekmic.
AR1: Nick Uranga.
AR2: Jeffrey Greeson.
4TH: Sergii Boiko.
VAR: Ismail Elfath.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.
How to Watch
Match Time: 6 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the match. Go City!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Three Keys to Victory
What does Orlando City need to do in order to beat Charlotte and advance to the conference semifinals?
Game 2 might not have gone the way Orlando City (or any of us) wanted, but fortunately the Lions have one more chance to try to get past Charlotte FC and into the conference semifinals. Game 3 sees the series return to the City Beautiful, with kickoff set for Saturday at 6 p.m. As we get ready for this one, let’s take a look at what OCSC needs to do in order to beat Charlotte and advance to the next round.
No Slow Start
In Game 1 against Charlotte, the Lions started well and carried that momentum throughout the entirety of the game. That wasn’t the case in the two matches either side of Game 1, as OCSC started slowly against Atlanta United on Decision Day and against Charlotte in Game 2, and the club suffered the consequences on both occasions. That sort of thing can’t happen Saturday. The last time out against this opposition, the Lions started slowly, played sluggishly, and ultimately grew into the game far too late. In front of what should be a fired-up home crowd and with plenty to play for, a strong and confident start will set the tone for the sort of game that OCSC needs to play. Speaking of which…
Possess With a Purpose
Perhaps the biggest issue for Orlando in Game 2 was the fact that even though the good guys had 57% possession, they had shockingly little to show for it. Orlando only took three shots on the night, with the first one not even coming until 65 minutes had been played, and the first shot on target occurred with only seven minutes left in normal time. That sort of offensive “output” is rarely going to cut it, and OCSC almost seemed to go out in that match with the aim of protecting a two-goal aggregate lead that simply didn’t exist. The Lions need to play positively, not pass up opportunities to get forward, and be both creative and purposeful when they have the ball. Simply knocking it around the back line and the midfield and playing for penalties is not a winning strategy, as we’ve all seen.
Toe the Line
In this fantastic (as always) piece from our own Andrew DeSalvo, he made the argument that Wilder Cartagena can’t let the threat of suspension due to yellow card accumulation stop him from playing his game. I wholeheartedly agree, but would also like to insert a plea for the Lions to not take things too far in terms of intensity. Its undoubtedly important to play with grit and focus on winning this game, but the men in purple need to make sure they don’t allow the emotion of the moment to get the best of them. Wilder, Cesar Araujo, Robin Jansson, and Rodrigo Schlegel need to play with the fire that makes them so good, yes, and a yellow card wouldn’t be the end of the world, but OCSC simply has to have all 11 men on the field for the full 90 minutes. In other words, bring the heat, but don’t set your own house on fire.
There you have it, folks. For my money, if the Lions can avoid a slow start, be purposeful when they have the ball, and bring the intensity without taking things too far, I believe they have a great chance to get the win against Charlotte in Game 3. Now, all we can do is wait and watch. Vamos Orlando!
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