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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Grab Another Road Point

The Lions and Pigeons played out their second draw in as many games in an end-to-end battle.

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5 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City (3-3-3, 12 points) denied New York City FC (2-1-6, 12 points) a third straight win in seven days as the Lions left Yankee Stadium with a point after a 1–1 draw. The result means New York City remains unbeaten at home in 2019 (1-0-4). It was the second time the teams have shared the points in league play this year after an opening weekend 2–2 draw.

Head Coach James O’Connor made only one change to last week’s side, recalling Tesho Akindele up front in place of Dom Dwyer. According to reports on My65, Dwyer picked up a minor knock in training late this week.

It was New York City threatening early, giving Orlando a scare in the sixth minute, courtesy of a lofted ball that put Anton Tinnerholm in behind a scrambling Orlando back line — a cross-field ball New York continually looked for throughout the game. The Swede fired in a low cross before making a half-hearted claim for handball off his sliding countryman, Robin Jansson, but referee Drew Fischer wasn’t interested.

Orlando’s first venture into the box came off a quick counter down the left in the 10th minute, with Akindele holding the ball up well before feeding Chris Mueller at the top of the box but the ball was quickly stolen off his toe as he looked to set himself.

Despite NYC’s domination of possession, it was the Lions who struck first, as they were more clinical in their second visit into the New York area. This time, play came from Ruan off the right wing. The fullback’s cross was cut out by Maxime Chanot, but the clearance was weak and fell kindly at the feet of Nani, who calmly stroked the ball into the bottom corner in the 18th minute, extending the Portuguese international’s scoring run to four consecutive games.

New York City went close in the 25th minute, as a whipped Maxi Moralez free kick found the head of an onrushing Héber, New York’s newest number nine, but the Brazilian didn’t catch the header well and Orlando goalkeeper Brian Rowe was quick to show off his reflexes to push the ball over.

The game continued to stretch as a combination of a sliding Sean Johnson and a Chanot goal-line clearance prevented Nani from doubling his tally a minute later, before Lamine Sané was forced into an outstanding recovery challenge on Héber at the other end, as the home team continued to force the issue and attempt to find an equalizer.

Orlando thought it had doubled its lead in the 33rd minute when Akindele poked home at the back post, as New York City once again was undone by defensive errors, only for it to be chalked off by video review, as Fischer found Nani to be offside in the buildup.

That decision seemed to swing momentum in favor of the home side and drop Orlando heads, with Ismael Tajouri-Shradi agonizingly sending his shot an inch wide of Rowe’s post a minute after the goal was overturned — a moment that would’ve left City fans and a stranded Rowe alike holding their breath.

New York continued to ask questions and, despite surviving the onslaught, Orlando’s defensive efforts were far from convincing. Sané hacked wildly at a cross, nearly slicing it into his own goal, only for Jansson and Rowe to save his blushes. It was then their turn as miscommunication between the aforementioned Jansson and Rowe nearly gifted NYCFC a goal: the Orlando goalkeeper spilled what should have been a routine collection on yet another Moralez cross but a combination of the jumping Swede and a lurking Héber did enough to put off Rowe, who was relieved to fall on the loose ball at the second time of asking.

In the 44th minute, a Mendez long ball found its way through to Nani, who thought he had a strong penalty appeal as he looked to cut inside but was taken out. Fischer was unmoved by the appeals, as Nani sat on the floor throwing his arms up in disbelief, but play continued with no VAR check.

After an entertaining half for the neutrals, Orlando went in at halftime leading 1-0. The coaches would have been less pleased with a blistering end-to-end game riddled with defensive errors that somehow had only produced one goal.

New York’s tenacity paid off early in the second half. Moralez, by far the busiest player on the pitch, drove up the field and forced Rowe into a spectacular diving save from distance. Rowe could only push it onto the post and Héber was there to sweep in the rebound, tying the game up six minutes after the break.

Alexander Callens and Moralez once again tried from distance as the Pigeons went in search of a second and continued to see much of the possession.

Dwyer made his fifth substitute appearance of the season in the 62nd minute, as O’Connor had seen enough of his side’s second-half struggles. The substitution did very little to put Orlando on the front foot, as the defense remained under near-permanent pressure and he was fortunate to avoid a booking in the first few seconds, fouling Callens late after the ball had been cleared.

Another teasing set piece was once again dealt with unconvincingly in the 65th minute. This time, the ball pinballed around the box before Joao Moutinho eventually hoofed clear.

Dwyer eventually got a first look at goal in the 68th minute when a cross from Ruan found him unmarked three yards out. He had the whole goal to aim at, but the English-American, who has regularly come into criticism this season as he has struggled to put away chances, headed wide.

O’Connor’s second change saw him turn to Sacha Kljestan in the 74th minute, sacrificing Sebas Mendez in another attempt to create something further up the pitch.

A quick free kick caught Orlando napping for the second time this season with Sané left one on one with Moralez. The gifted Argentine nutmegged Sané, but Uri Rosell was there to tidy up and boot the ball away for a corner.

Alexandru Mitrita came into the game in the 77th minute, a like-for-like replacement with Tajouri-Shradi as Dome Torrent looked to inject some fresh legs into the game and find a winner with New York City looking dominant over a tiring Orlando, which had spent much of the second half chasing shadows. New York’s possession was still 65% by this point.

As if Torrent’s intentions weren’t clear enough, the Spaniard then took off defender Ben Sweat and gambled for the win with attacking midfielder Valentín Castellanos, who had scored NYC’s winner on Wednesday night against Chicago.

Orlando was once again left questioning Fischer’s refereeing when Jansson picked up a yellow in unusual circumstances. The center back was penalized for holding off Heber and New York was awarded a highly questionable free kick — not for the first time in the game. Fortunately, Mitrita failed to capitalize, blasting it into the wall.

Tempers momentarily flared when Callens aggressively bounced back up and tried to get into the face of an already-apologizing Kljestan, who had tripped the Peruvian, a sign of the frustration as the tempo slowly dropped away from both teams in a testing stalemate that had seen New York City carve out a significant number of chances.

And there was still time for one last chance, with the diminutive Moralez once again snaking his way towards into box before firing into the side netting as precious seconds ticked away and all 11 Lions remained pinned in their own half.

It wasn’t the performance becoming of an Orlando team that has now played teams on short weeks in consecutive games, but a point on the road at conference opponents is never something to turn down. Despite New York’s complete control over possession and the huge disparity in terms of shots (15-3 in favor of NYCFC and 5-2 on target), it was actually Orlando that was perhaps closest to a winner, only for Dwyer to miss an open goal.

Orlando’s attention now turns to next Saturday’s home game and the visit of a resurgent Toronto FC side. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.

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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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7 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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,

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. It’s that time of the week for your tasty links. 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 This Past Weekend

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub on Sunday. 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 this past weekend. 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 and Orlando Pride Awarded

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 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 a 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.”

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  • 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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s home loss to Toronto FC?

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City was on its way to three points Saturday night before a late collapse saw the Lions lose 2-1 to Toronto FC at home. It’s a tough loss in a season that has seen an unexpected start with the Lions sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances for the Lions in this difficult loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese’s form has definitely dropped this year, though he was one of the best goalkeepers in the league over the past four seasons. He was solid for the first 87 minutes, saving the two shots he faced, but then the wheels came off for the Lions. Toronto scored two goals when defenders left players wide open in the box. Gallese probably could’ve done better with Prince Owusu’s winner, but there was a difficult change of direction on the bounce, and the forward should’ve had somebody on him. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese completed 61.9% of his 21 passes, including seven of his 15 long balls, and recorded a clearance.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a solid game against Toronto. His 62 touches were the fourth-most on the team and he completed 90.7% of his 43 passes. The starting left back didn’t complete his lone cross but connected on two of his four long balls. He had a shot of his own, putting it on target. Defensively, Santos recorded a tackle, interception, and clearance before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 71st minute.

D, David Brekalo, N/A — Brekalo had a short night as he was injured early in the game. In the fourth minute, he collided with Owusu and required treatment for his knee. The center back attempted to continue, but eventually had to come off in the 16th minute, replaced by Rodrigo Schlegel. He only had 12 touches in the game and completed 90.9% of his 11 passes. The only defensive stat he recorded was winning an aerial duel. He wasn’t on the field long enough to fairly give him a grade.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was terrific for most of this game. He recorded a team-high 88 touches and completed 84% of his team-high 75 passes, which included six of 13 long balls. His excellent ball forward for Facundo Torres in the 37th minute led to the Lions’ goal. Defensively, he led the team with three tackles, three clearances, two blocked shots, and two aerial duels won.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson took his regular spot at right back and recorded 53 touches on the night. He completed 88.6% of his 35 passes, but didn’t connect on either of his two crosses or three long balls. He took a shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, he added a tackle, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel. Unfortunately, his most impactful part of the game was failing to cover Owusu at the back post, leaving the forward wide open to head in the game-winning goal.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo had a solid performance against Toronto, recording 61 touches. He completed 83.7% of his 49 passes, including three of his six long balls and his lone through ball. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, an interception, a blocked shot, and an aerial duel won.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena had one of his better games in this one, recording the second-most touches on the team with 71. He completed 88.7% of his 62 passes, including two of his three long balls. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, a clearance, and won an aerial duel, while taking one off-target shot.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had 51 touches against Toronto and completed 91.7% of his 36 passes. He completed one of his two long balls, but didn’t connect on his only cross attempt. His lone shot was off target, and he helped defensively by intercepting a team-high two opposition passes.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 (MotM) — Torres had an excellent performance in this game, recording 51 touches. While he only completed 75% of his 32 passes, he connected on two of his three crosses and played a perfect ball for Duncan McGuire in the 37th minute, enabling him to tap home the opening goal. The attacking midfielder nearly got one for himself in the 73rd minute from distance, forcing Sean Johnson into a good save. Similar to Angulo, Torres helped out defensively with two tackles and an interception.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda had 36 touches in 60 minutes and completed 92.3% of his 26 passes. He connected on one of his two long balls, but neither of his two crosses. He took one shot in the game, but failed to hit the target before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — McGuire scored the Lions’ lone goal in this game and was nearly the outright hero. He touched the ball 22 times and completed 63.4% of his 14 passes. However, strikers are judged on goals and McGuire scored the opener when he got on the end of Torres’ cross in the 37th minute. He nearly had a second in first-half stoppage time when he brought down an Ojeda cross well and slammed it into the far side netting. Unfortunately, he was just offside. He was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 71st minute.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (16’), 6.5 — Schlegel came on in the 16th minute when Brekalo went off injured and, despite not expecting to play that many minutes, was very good. His 71 touches were tied for the second most on the team and he completed 88.1% of his 59 passes, including two of his four long balls. Defensively, he had a team-high three tackles, an interception, and a team-high six clearances.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (60’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 60th minute and recorded 31 touches in a half hour of action. He completed 76.5% of his 17 passes, including a key pass and both long balls, but none of his three crosses. He also had a tackle defensively and didn’t take any shots.

D, Kyle Smith (71’), 5.5 — Smith came on in the 71st minute to help see out the game, replacing Santos. He touched the ball 19 times and completed 88.9% of his nine passes, including a key pass, his only cross, and his only long ball. The purpose of his inclusion was to help defensively and he recorded three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. However, he allowed clean crosses on both late Toronto goals and struggled to track Kobe Franklin and Federico Bernardeschi on Orlando’s left flank.

F, Luis Muriel (71’), 6 — Muriel came on for McGuire in the 71st minute, playing a deeper role. He recorded 21 touches and completed 64.3% of his 14 passes, including a key pass. He had two tackles defensively, but didn’t take any shots in 19 minutes of action.

That’s how I saw the performances for Orlando City in its 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night. Let us know how you saw the game and vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/30/24

Luana’s season ends with Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis, San Diego linked with Chucky Lozano, U.S. and Mexico withdraw 2027 World Cup bid, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was another busy weekend of Orlando soccer, and things aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. May is an absolutely packed month for all three teams, and the games will be coming thick and fast. We have a lot to discuss this morning, so let’s jump into the links.

Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

This week started off with some very sad news, as the Orlando Pride announced on Monday that midfielder Luana has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list as a result of her being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Brazilian international is starting chemotherapy treatments with the Orlando Health Cancer Institute. In a statement, Luana thanked both the Brazilian National Team and the Pride for the support she’s been receiving. Seb Hines and Rafaelle also spoke about how the team has been supporting Luana.

San Diego Reportedly Nears Deal for Chucky Lozano

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert has reported that San Diego FC is in advanced talks to sign Chucky Lozano ($) from PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch team is expected to receive a transfer fee in the area of $12 million, and Lozano would likely be the highest-profile player for the expansion team ahead of its maiden Major League Soccer season in 2025. While nothing is official, San Diego is said to be hopeful of getting a deal done before Copa America kicks off this summer.

U.S. and Mexico Withdraw 2027 Women’s World Cup Bid

The United States and Mexico have announced their decision to withdraw a joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and instead focus on bidding for the 2031 edition of the tournament. The bid had made it to the final three of the selection process, in addition to a bid from Brazil and a joint effort from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlowe Cone cited a desire to have more time to prepare while also having the opportunity to learn from the experience of the joint effort of hosting the 2026 World Cup. As far as who will host in 2027, the decision will be made on May 17, with Germany having hosted a Women’s World Cup back in 2011, while Brazil would be the first South American nation to host the tournament.

English Premier League Approves Spending Cap

Premier League teams took the first step towards implementing a spending cap on Monday. While a final vote is still needed to ratify the proposed changes, Monday’s vote gave the green light to start the legal and economic studies needed to change to a spending cap model. The proposed cap would be based on how much the lowest earning Premier League team earns from television rights, and could be implemented for the 2025-2026 season. There were 16 teams that voted in favor of continuing the process of moving towards a salary cap, while Chelsea abstained from voting, and Manchester United, Manchester City, and Aston Villa voted against the motion.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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