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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 5-1 as Nani, Tesho Akindele Lead Lions’ Romp

The Lions fell behind in their first ever match against Cincinnati, but roared back for an easy win.

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5 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City fell behind in the first half but broke its losing streak in convincing fashion with a 5-1 destruction of FC Cincinnati (3-8-2, 11 points) in front of an announced crowd of 22,341 on a hot day at Orlando City Stadium. The Lions got braces from Nani and Tesho Akindele and a header from Dom Dwyer to run the MLS newcomers out of the City Beautiful.

It was only the third time all season that Orlando (4-6-3, 15 points) had scored more than one goal in a game and it was the team’s first victory by more than one goal in 2019. The win broke a three-game losing streak and a four-match winless skid. The 5-1 win was Orlando’s second-biggest MLS win only to a 6-1 home win over New England on Sept. 27, 2017 — a game in which the Revs were a man down for much of the night.

James O’Connor praised his team’s mentality after the match for coming back after conceding the first goal in the team’s third game in eight days.

“Obviously very pleased — not just with the result,” O’Connor said after the game. “I thought overall the mentality of the players was excellent. To play at three o’clock in Florida is a mental test.”

O’Connor rotated 10 of the 11 spots from Wednesday’s game, leaving only Lamine Sané in the starting XI from the midweek match in Seattle.

The game was mostly a plodding affair before Cincinnati opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Up to that point, neither team seemed particularly adept at getting into the opposing team’s penalty area, instead passing the ball around the perimeter and either turning it over or sending in a hopeful cross.

The only real chance of the game had come from a shot by Emmanuel Ledesma in the 21st minute that rattled off the crossbar.

That warning shot failed to wake up Orlando, which had started to concede more of the possession after dominating the ball early, and it proved costly moments later.

Darren Mattocks’ opener came out of nowhere. The Lions were in excellent shape defensively, but seemed mesmerized by the Cincinnati attacker, who faked one way, went the other and fired his shot into the back of the net with the two center backs right in front of him and several other players in the neighborhood just watching the play happen.

The goal was exactly what the game needed as the match sprung to life after Mattocks’ strike. Will Johnson nearly pulled back the goal after taking a pass from Chris Mueller in the 30th minute, but he saw his effort blocked. Cristian Higuita followed with a narrow miss two minutes later from the top of the area.

Akindele tied things up in the 37th minute. Johnson took a pass from Joao Moutinho and played in Akindele with a nice through ball, and the Canadian fired home to make it 1-1.

“I saw Will making a run though,” Akindele said. “They fired the ball into him. I kind of was asking for the flick and he played a really good pass kind of around the corner. I took a good first touch, I thought, and then just tried to put it on target…I think the play was really well done by our team.”

The game remained open the rest of the half. Nani’s cross in for Johnson in the 41st minute provided a good opportunity, but the ball was deflected out for a corner. Mueller fizzed a ball in for Akindele in the first minute of stoppage time that was just inches too far in front for a deflection. Johnson had a go from distance moments later, but he didn’t hit it with much power and it was right at Spencer Richey for an easy save.

The last good opportunity for Cincinnati came off a set piece that was headed across goal, where Mathieu Deplagne got a head on it and forced a last-second save from Brian Rowe.

Orlando then finished with a set piece from the left that Cincinnati deflected off the outside netting and the teams went to the break tied at 1-1.

Orlando City led in shots, 7-3 (2-2 on target), possession (61.9%-38.1%), and passing accuracy (90.1%-81.1%).

The Lions came out of the break like a different team. Mueller and Nani each forced diving saves from Richey in the first two minutes of the second half. Shortly after the latter, Sebas Mendez was called for a foul, and during that stoppage, referee Nima Saghafi indicated he was going to video review. Replays showed that Kendall Waston had grabbed Sané from underneath both arms and took him down in a wrestling move during an Orlando corner kick. Saghafi didn’t review the play long and returned to the field, indicating a penalty to Orlando for Waston’s WWE move.

Nani took the spot kick but didn’t hit it well. Richey saved it, but the rebound fell right back at the feet of the Portuguese star, who calmly slotted home to make it 2-1 in the 50th minute.

Nine minutes later, Nani extended the lead to 3-1. Ruan worked a quick give-and-go with Akindele and made a lightning-quick dash down the right channel and cut in toward goal before crossing. Nani was there to stab home the cross in the 59th minute, scoring the 200th goal in Orlando City’s MLS history.

Orlando continued to press forward in the attack. Mueller won a free kick to the left of the area but sailed his set piece delivery over the bar in the 62nd minute. Two minutes later, the Lions struck again. Orlando won a corner kick and Mueller served in a corner kick cross that fell in the box and bounced off Sané. Akindele took it out of the air with the first touch and slotted it into the net to make it 4-1. With four goals on the season, it is the Canadian’s highest goal total since he scored four in 2017 across 29 appearances. It was also his first brace since July 4 of last year, when he got both of his goals on the season in a 3-2 win over Atlanta United while playing with FC Dallas.

“I think we got a little bit unlucky in the past on some of the chances we missed and I think maybe we got a little bit lucky today on some of the ones we scored,” Akindele said. “It kind of balances out in the long run as long as you’re creating chances, which we’ve been doing all year.”

City got a bit sloppy after that and failed to track second-half sub Fanendo Adi on a set piece. He brought the ball down in the area but couldn’t make good contact, sending a weak dribbler toward Rowe.

Dwyer came on for Nani and started to get things moving back in the other direction. He fired high from distance in the 73rd minute, but his injection into the middle of the attack began causing issues for the Cincinnati defense as the visitors tried pushing numbers forward to get back into the match.

After Ruan won a corner in the 81st minute, Dwyer broke his scoreless streak with a well-placed header off Josué Colmán’s corner kick cross. It must have come as a relief to the veteran striker and it was touching the way his teammates celebrated after the goal.

As time wound down, the Lions got a bit more lackadaisical in their own half and that nearly resulted in a cosmetic goal for Cincinnati. Ledesma fired just inches wide of goal in the 91st minute in what would have been a bit of a letdown for the team as well as the crowd. Instead, the Lions saw out the four minutes of stoppage and got a much-deserved victory.

Orlando City finished with a 17-5 advantage in shots (9-3 on target), a 61.1%-38.9% edge in possession, more corners (11-4), and a better passing accuracy (88.9%-83.5%).

“There were a couple of things I thought we just needed to be a little bit sharper on and areas we that needed to try to play in,” O’Connor said of his halftime adjustments. “The quality of the players started to come through. Again, I think the players deserve enormous credit for the mentality and the way they went on performed second half. I thought they were excellent.”

Akindele underscored the importance of the victory after the match.

“It was really important, especially to do it at home. The fans…they deserved that,” Akindele said. “They come out all the time. They support us. They’re making noise. And I’m so glad we could give them that win and they could experience that with us.”

Orlando City is back in action Friday night when the LA Galaxy come to town for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

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Orlando City

Orlando City at Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points on the road at Philadelphia?

Published

2 hours ago

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May 9, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City travels to the City of Brotherly Love hoping to get back on the winning track against the Philadelphia Union. The Union are currently in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points, and have a 3-2-5 record overall. However, the Union are 1-2-1 at home. Subaru Park hasn’t been the fortress it was in 2023 — though Orlando City did give them their first home loss last season.

Of course, the Lions are riding a two-match losing streak heading into this match. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from the Union on the road?

Defense, Defense, Defense

The Union have scored 19 goals so far this season and over half of them have come from Daniel Gazdag (6), and Julian Carranza (4). Obviously, stopping those two is a priority. However, the Union also have excellent midfielders in Alejandro Bedoya and Jack McGlynn — the two players that scored in the Union’s last match against DC United.

I feel like a broken record, but Orlando City’s defense needs to stop making the dumb mistakes that have resulted in way too many goals this season. Philadelphia’s attackers will punish the Lions if that is allowed to happen yet again. So please, for the sake of my sanity, stop giving up the stupid goals.

Score Some *%$#ing Goals

The Union have given up 16 goals so far this season. Philadelphia is not some impenetrable defense, meaning the Lions should have chances to score against the Union. The bigger questions is: Will Orlando City find the back of the net? The dearth of goals so far this season is a great source of frustration for all who support this club. It’s not necessarily the shots that go in — though that does stink — but the missed opportunities.

Orlando City has had more passes/crosses just past a toe or just over a head, and more bobbled balls at a player’s feet than I care to count this season. The missed opportunities are a good reason for the results we’ve seen. I’ve spent plenty of time wishing for Facundo Torres, Luis Muriel, and Martin Ojeda to start scoring. Now, I’ll be happy with any player putting it in the back of the net. Robin Jansson header? Yes, please. Michael Halliday deflects it in with his face? I’ll take it. Own goal by the opposition? Bring it on. Just score some darn goals.

Find the Formula

I’m not certain why it’s taking Oscar Pareja so long to figure out the balance for this club. Most of the players from last season are there, but for some reason the recipe is off. There are a few new players and there have been some injuries to deal with, but the switch needs to be flipped. Pareja needs to figure out which players can turn it around.

It might be the players who haven’t made the necessary adjustments. Perhaps it’s just bad luck. Regardless, every coach and player needs to pull it together to get the ship righted. Preseason expectations might need to be adjusted, but we can still hold out hope for a turnaround. This weekend against the Union is a perfect time for that to start.

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: 5/9/24

Get to know Wilder Cartagena, Orlando Pride get ready for Bay FC, Orlando City B wins, and more.

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5 hours ago

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May 9, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week hasn’t been too hectic for you. There’s been plenty of soccer to enjoy over the past few days and I’m looking forward to the weekend slate of games as well. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Learning More About Wilder Cartagena

Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena was the latest Lion to field questions for fans to learn more about the players. The 29-year-old discussed growing up playing soccer in Peru as a child, as well as having to spend time away from family and friends to fulfill his dreams as a professional player. Cartagena also talked about how important his friendship with Pedro Gallese is, as the two have played together at both the club level and internationally with Peru. It’s a fun interview and I’m glad we have Cartagena here in Orlando.

Pride Prepare to Host Bay FC

The Orlando Pride are on a five-game win streak and will look to make it six when they take on Bay FC for the first time ever on Saturday. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on the difficulty of the team’s past few matches, along with the importance of getting wins in those games. Bay FC is in 12th in the standings, but Hines noted how this week’s opponent has plenty of talented attackers. Saturday’s match could be a tough one for Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, and she talked about the team’s grit and determination to close out games for points this season. Moorhouse also credited her back line for the Pride’s three shutouts this season.

OCB Secures First Win at Home

It took a few games, but Orlando City B won at Osceola Heritage Park for the first time this season after a 3-1 win over New York Red Bulls II. The Young Lions didn’t make it easy on themselves, but ultimately held on for the win after scoring twice early on. It’s nice for OCB to put another tally in the win column to climb up the conference standings. The Young Lions will be back in action next Wednesday with a road match against Columbus Crew 2.

Champions League Final is Set

The semifinal matchup between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich lived up to expectations, with Real Madrid advancing after a dramatic finish. Bayern was up to the task on the road and took the lead in the second half thanks to a goal from Alphonso Davies. But Real Madrid did what it always does, with Joselu scoring two late goals in quick succession. Bayern nearly had an equalizer, but a player was ruled offside and it couldn’t be checked as the flag was raised and whistle blown before the attack fully played out. It all sets up for a final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on June 1 at Wembley Stadium. Dortmund will be the clear underdog, but the German club has proven capable of taking down some of Europe’s best this tournament.

Free Kicks

  • St. Louis City is reportedly interested in signing Marco Reus once his contract with Dortmund ends this summer, although talks are just in the preliminary stage at this point.
  • Not a single Pride player was named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the Month for the months of April and May. While I can see the reasoning behind each inclusion, it’s crazy that Angelina, Marta, Summer Yates, or Emily Sams didn’t earn a spot in the eyes of the league’s voters.
  • American midfielder Keyrol Figueroa has signed with Liverpool’s first team. The 17-year-old has risen through the ranks of Liverpool’s youth system and scored seven goals for the U.S. in the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship.
  • Luis Rubiales will face trial for one count of sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso and a count of coercion for his actions in the aftermath. The former head coach of the Spanish women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, is also accused of coercion, along with Sporting Director Albert Luque and the federation’s head of marketing, Ruben Rivera.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/8/24

Orlando Pride move up in power rankings, OCSC will celebrate Pride Month, Orlando City B plays tonight, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 8, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. We’re halfway through the week and I hope you’re doing well. Personally, I love Wednesdays, because in my job they are effectively my “Friday,” as my day off is on Thursday. So, as such, I love bringing you the news to start out your midweek morning. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Nearly Top Power Rankings

The Orlando Pride are at the top of the NWSL standings with 18 points, and are riding a five-match winning streak while staying undefeated so far this season. If you thought that would be enough for the team to top ESPN‘s NWSL power rankings, you’d be wrong. The Pride actually came in at second despite all the factors I listed above, with the Kansas City Current ranked above them. Even more shocking is that the writer admits he doesn’t have much of a reason for not ranking the Pride first. I’m not sure what to do with my hands.

Orlando Soccer Matches Will Celebrate Pride Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride will recognize Pride Month during a pair of matches in June at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride are set to host the Utah Royals on June 21 and the Lions will then host the Chicago Fire on June 22. Both matches will include celebrating Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community and honoring the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. There are plenty of additional events throughout Pride Month in the Greater Orlando Area as well. I will be at those matches and I hope to see you there as well.

Orlando City B Hosts New York Red Bulls II Tonight

OCB will try to follow up a result on the road with its first result at home tonight at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. Forwards Yutaro Tsukada and Shak Mohammed lead the attack for the Young Lions as the club plays only its third home match of the season — and only the second at its actual home field. There’s plenty to look for from OCB as it takes on New York Red Bulls II at 7 p.m. Try to make it to the match if you are able.

U.S. Soccer Doubles Down

The battle between the USWNT and U.S. Soccer over equal pay has been going on for years. Now, U.S. Soccer has reportedly employed Washington D.C. lobbying firms to provide what the organization asserts are “accurate information and factual numbers” to policy makers. Spokespersons for the players’ associations of both the USWNT and USMNT expressed disappointment regarding the move by U.S. Soccer. The issue is front and center as two congresswomen have proposed legislation to block funding for the 2026 World Cup unless equal pay is enacted.

Free Kicks

  • Were you wondering how good Barbra Banda has been since arriving in Orlando? Me neither, but here is a cool stat from OptaJack on her shot production.
  • Orlando City fans know all too well how good FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta is at scoring goals. Now, the striker is in the process of becoming a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and expressed a desire to play for the USMNT. It would be nice to have him score goals for a team I support.
  • Nottingham Forest’s point reduction appeal was rejected by the independent board overseeing the decision. Only three points separate Nottingham from Luton Town and the relegation zone with two matches left this season.
  • I know that some Orlando City fans were hoping to see Thiago Silva join the Lions after he left Chelsea, but that rumor never made sense financially, and the defender has chosen to rejoin his old Brazilian club, Fluminense.
  • It’s not often that someone follows up an unpopular decision with an even more unpopular explanation for that decision, but that is exactly what MLS Commissioner Don Garber did when explaining that the U.S. Open Cup didn’t offer a competition that “drives value” and that “rises to the level where fans care about it.” I’m sure everyone will now understand the decision. Well done, Commish.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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