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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Drop Two Points at the Death

Seconds from a rare road win, Orlando allowed 10-man Chicago a last-gasp equalizer.

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5 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City may win a road game or a match against the Fire at some point in the future, but it sure doesn’t seem possible, even under the most favorable circumstances.

Leading by a goal and with a manpower advantage against the 10-man Fire, Orlando threw two points away when CJ Sapong scored on a free header to level the game at 1-1 in the 95th minute at SeatGeek Stadium.

Dom Dwyer had given the Lions (0-0-2, 2 points) a 1-0 second-half lead, and Ruan’s speed forced a Jorge Corrales sending off. Still, Przemyslaw Frankowski was given time in the dying seconds to cross in for Sapong. Defender Shane O’Neill didn’t have tight enough marking and didn’t even jump to try to bother the Fire striker, who gave Chicago (0-1-1, 1 point) a late equalizer.

“That’s totally unacceptable,” James O’Connor said to My65 sideline reporter Jenny Chiu after the match. “You’re winning the game. You’re playing against 10 men. To get that [result]. It’s totally unacceptable.”

Orlando was seconds against snapping a six-game winless streak against Chicago and nabbing its first road win in league play since April 29, 2018. Instead, the Lions are now 0-3-4 in the last seven meetings against the Fire, dating back to Sept. 19, 2015.

The only change in O’Connor’s starting lineup from the opener was to replace Chris Mueller with Nani.

Chicago came out with a lot of energy and tried to jump on Orlando City early. A cross for Nemanja Nikolic should have seen the striker put the Fire on top in just the second minute, but Kamal Miller did just enough to bother the Chicago striker and he wasn’t able to get on the end of the cross, which trickled harmlessly out for a goal kick.

The Fire tried going over the top with diagonal passes behind the wingbacks most of the first half and looked dangerous — especially early — but Orlando eventually settled into the game a bit. Both teams were struggling to defend the wide side on Orlando’s right, with Kyle Smith getting around Corrales a few times and Sapong doing the same behind Smith.

Nikolic missed just wide in the 20th minute on a tap-in given to him on a plate by Aleksandar Katai, who burned Smith badly and fizzed a perfect cross in to the Fire’s forward. He simply missed the net from point-blank range.

Tesho Akindele pulled up with an apparent hamstring issue and Dwyer checked into the game in the 21st minute — much earlier than anticipated. Dwyer nearly sent Nani in behind the defense in the 36th minute, but the Portuguese international was just offside and fired over the bar anyway.

The Lions finally got a decent opportunity in the 40th minute, when Dwyer played a cross off his chest and hit it off the half volley. The shot was headed for the inside of the near post but David Ousted was able to make a sprawling save.

An uneventful five minutes later, the first half was over and the sides headed into the locker rooms scoreless. Chicago held 56% of the first-half possession and out-shot the Lions, 4-1 (1-1 on target). Fouls were 7-3, with the hosts committing more infractions. Each team had one player booked — Smith for Orlando and Djordje Mihailovic for Chicago.

City pounced early in the second half. Nani got on the end of a Danilo Acosta header and blooped a ball over top of the Fire defense. Dwyer ran hard to split the Chicago center backs and arrived just before Ousted, coming out off his line. Dom chipped it with his toe on the second hop over the Fire keeper and into the net for the 1-0 lead at the 47-minute mark.

It was Orlando’s first goal at Chicago since Aug. 14, 2016.

Dwyer got in behind again three minutes later but lost control trying to finesse his way past Ousted; however, the assistant referee’s flag came up anyway.

Ruan was introduced in the 58th minute, coming on for Smith, and his speed impacted the game. Six minutes after coming on for his MLS debut, the Brazilian blazed past Corrales to get onto a slick through ball from Nani. Corrales lunged and brought Ruan down. Robert Sibiga gave a red card and upheld it upon video review, putting Chicago down a man as well as a goal.

Orlando was either unable or unwilling to control the game by possessing the ball. Chicago actually improved its halftime possession numbers, finishing with 59% of the ball, compared to Orlando’s 41%. Chicago continued to try to attack down the wings and cross the ball into the middle. Alex De John did a nice job of clearing out a few crosses into dangerous spots.

The Lions continued to give the ball away too often down the stretch and it finally cost them in stoppage time. Frankowski was given too much time on the ball and picked out a beautiful cross for Sapong. O’Neill was the closest defender and perhaps expected De John to be able to jump up and head it away before it arrived. De John didn’t jump and O’Neill wasn’t tight enough to the Fire forward. He also didn’t jump, giving Sapong a free header to level things in the 95th minute with time essentially up. It was Sapong’s fifth career goal against Orlando City.

“It’s really poor play from us to allow that to happen,” O’Connor told reporters after the match. “I just think our understanding of when we’re playing against 10 men, we need to do a better job of keeping the ball and playing in their half. It’s just very, very annoying for all of us.”

Despite leading for about 48 minutes, Orlando City’s offense was dormant, attempting only two shots in the game, although getting them both on frame. Chicago out-shot the Lions, 7-2 (3-2 on target). The Fire were also the better passing team (80%-72%).

Where last week’s draw may have felt like a win, despite the penalty not given, this one’s surely feels more like a loss.

Orlando will be back in action at home next Saturday, hosting the Montreal Impact at 4 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?

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2 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.

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5 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.

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1 day 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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