Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 3-1 as 9-Man Lions Undone in Second Half

Robin Jansson’s red card late in the first half completely changed the game and Sacha Kljestan’s red in the second half didn’t help.

Published

6 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City just can’t quite seem to find a way to win consecutive games. With yet another good opportunity to start a winning streak, the Lions saw Robin Jansson sent off at the end of the first half for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity in a tie game, and Sacha Kljestan was sent off in the second half for a horror tackle. The first-place Union (10-5-5, 35 points) took full advantage and beat the Lions (6-9-3, 21 points) 3-1 at Exploria Stadium.

It was the first time this season that Orlando scored first and lost. It was also the Union’s first win at Orlando in five tries (1-1-3).

Chris Mueller opened the scoring for Orlando just eight minutes in, but Kacper Przybylko answered later in the first half and added another just after halftime as the Union capitalized on the Lions being down a man.

“We started the game brightly, got a goal and then after the goal I felt like we needed to do a better job of maintaining possession. We allowed them to come back into the game a little bit,” said Head Coach James O’Connor after the match. “They obviously scored a goal but then I think obviously the sending off (of Jansson) was a major impact.”

O’Connor wasted no time inserting some of his internationals back into the lineup. Will Johnson and Sebas Mendez joined Kljestan in the midfield. The forward line and back four remained the same as it was for Saturday’s win at Columbus, with Brian Rowe back in goal. Dom Dwyer made the 18, along with Kamal Miller.

The Lions got on the front foot immediately, with Danilo Acosta getting a couple of crosses into dangerous spots in the first minute. The second found Tesho Akindele, who was denied at point-blank range by a sliding Matt Freese.

Just after Kljestan and Mendez had shots blocked in the area off a corner kick, Orlando broke through in the eighth minute. Mueller took advantage of an Auston Trusty turnover, backed Jack Elliott into his own penalty area, and fired home for the Lions’ earliest goal in a game this season. It was the fifth of the season and the second straight game with a goal for Cash.

“I picked it up and just started driving kind of towards the goal,” Mueller said. “The defender just kind of kept backing off, backing off, backing off until I thought I was close enough to get a good look and I just kept it low and took my shot.”

“I thought we started out really well,” said Akindele. “They’re a good team. We knew it. We knew we had to kind of impose ourselves on the game and we did. Chris scored an amazing goal and I thought we had control of it. They kind of started taking the momentum back.”

Philadelphia started to climb into the match shortly after that. Przybylko fired a shot from range in the 12th minute that Rowe didn’t pick up right away, but he was able to get down with a strong hand and knock it away.

The Union then spent about the next 10 minutes winning several corner kicks but the Orlando defense did well to keep any of them from becoming dangerous. However, Rowe did have to make a save on a clear-cut chance from an angle in the 18th.

Nani had a ball fall for him on the left in the 24th minute but he sent a scorcher over the bar.

Two minutes later, Orlando tried to break on the counter off a Union corner but Haris Medunjanin was booked for a professional foul.

The Union leveled in the 32nd minute when Akindele turned it over in the midfield. He went down under contact but Chris Penso waved play on and Jamiro Monteiro passed to Przybylko, who put a move on Jansson, who went to ground, then fired into the net to make it 1-1.

Disaster struck in the 43rd minute when a ball got in behind and Jansson took down Fafa Picault. He managed to get a touch on the ball first but fell awkwardly and ended up scissoring Picault to the ground. Penso gave him a yellow card initially, before reviewing the video and changing his decision to a straight red.

“I think that obviously completely changes the game,” O’Connor said.

“Obviously the red card was unlucky for us, but you know, it happens sometimes,” Akindele said. “We need to learn from it and we need to go and review what we did wrong and make sure we’re ready to do better in that situation next time.”

The Lions saw out two minutes of stoppage time down a man, but the game changed dramatically with Orlando’s first red card of the season.

Orlando out-shot the Union in the first half, 8-7, with Philadelphia getting more on target (4-3). The Union held a slight edge in passing (89%-88%), with possession split just about 50/50.

The Union wasted no time grabbing the lead, with Przybylko notching his brace just 62 seconds after the restart. A routine ball into the area fell for the Union striker and second-half sub Kamal Miller was too slow in closing him down, allowing him to get off a volley shot that made it 2-1.

Seven minutes later, Picault put the game away with his third goal of the season, roofing a shot toward the near post to make it 3-1 in the 52nd minute. This time Acosta was late tracking back to close down the shooter.

“The first 10 minutes of the second half I think we needed to be sharper,” O’Connor said. “Granted we’re down to 10 men but I think that’s something that we feel as if we needed to start the second half brighter than we did.”

“I think we lost our discipline as a team,” Akindele said. “You need to at that point bunker and not allow a goal in that first couple minutes. And that’s on everyone. That’s on me from the top and our defenders — everybody needs to be better and I think we just need to be a little bit more disciplined in those situations.”

Things got even worse in the 67th minute when Kljestan caught Monteiro with his studs from behind and got Orlando’s second straight red card of the game and the season. It was a terrible challenge and Kljestan will be lucky if he doesn’t receive any additional punishment beyond the suspension for Saturday’s return leg in Philadelphia.

“Obviously Sacha makes a poor decision, goes to ground,” O’Connor said. “Too tired, to be fair to Sacha, and then obviously we’re down another man. I think the game was completely impacted by the sendings off.”

The Lions did try to hit on the counter a few times after going down to nine men, but Akindele and substitute Dom Dwyer couldn’t quite break free. Dwyer nearly scored in the 84th on a corner kick after Johnson headed a ball into the area with an audacious bicycle kick attempt but he hit his screamer over the bar.

After that it was just damage control. Miller blocked a shot that would have made it 4-1 in the 87th minute and seconds later Rowe was forced to make an outstanding stop to deny Medunjanin.

Philadelphia led all statistical categories, including shots (22-13), shots on target (9-3), possession (58%-42%), and passing accuracy (91%-87%). But going down a man and then two goals, then losing another player was too much to overcome against virtually any team, let alone the Eastern Conference leaders.

“The issue for Saturday now is we’ve got a load of guys that have played a lot of minutes and have covered a lot of ground,” O’Connor said. “And then with another game on the Wednesday against New York (City) we’re going to really have to manage the situation.”

These two teams will do it all over again — hopefully without the Orlando red cards — at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Opinion

Orlando City’s Start to the Season a Pleasant Surprise So Far

The Lions have started the new season well enough, but we shouldn’t get too carried away just yet.

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 18, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City didn’t have a ton of roster turnover to deal with during the off-season, it was really anybody’s guess as to what sort of start the Lions would make to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. There was obviously the loss of all-time leading goal scorer Facundo Torres to deal with, then Wilder Cartagena was lost for the year in preseason, although the club did a great job in landing Eduard Atuesta to replace him. There were also questions about depth at left back, center back, and central midfield. It was anyone’s guess on how Marco Pasalic would adjust to life in MLS, and there were serious questions about whether the Lions had enough firepower up front with Duncan McGuire unavailable to start the season while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

While the club returned the vast majority of the guys who played key roles in helping reach the Eastern Conference final, on paper, the roster didn’t improve and arguably got weaker, so was it truly realistic to expect the team to go a step farther and make the final this year?

Despite all of those concerns, and despite a confidence-shaking 4-2 opening game loss to the Philadelphia Union, Orlando has largely made a good start to the campaign. The Lions have compiled a respectable 3-2-3 record and have 12 points to show for it, currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the first-place Columbus Crew.

Even in the two losses, it’s hard to make the argument that OCSC played truly bad games on the whole. Rather, the Lions were undone by moments of bad defending and losses of concentration that led to silly mistakes, particularly against the Union. The shaky defending has certainly been one of the bigger concerns, especially on an Oscar Pareja-coached team, but things have begun to look better after keeping two straight clean sheets.

Ironically, even though the offense seemed to be most people’s biggest concern before the season started, it’s been the part of the team that has consistently functioned at the highest level. Before the two 0-0 draws, Orlando had scored the most goals in the league, and despite being held scoreless twice in a row, they still have the third-most goals scored. Out of OCSC’s six games played with a first choice XI, the Lions have scored more than one goal four times. Even in the games when they haven’t been as prolific, or have largely been on the back foot, the Lions have still managed to carve out a healthy number of chances. While their finishing has let them down at times, they’ve still managed to get several good looks at goal in every game, and that’s half the battle.

All in all, it’s been a perfectly respectable start to the season, and the team honestly has performed higher than my (probably slightly pessimistic) expectations. While the start hasn’t been white hot, it’s been nice to not see the sort of slow start that so often has seemed to plague this club during Pareja’s tenure at the helm.

That being said, I think it’s important to place the beginning of the year in the proper context. It’s worth noting that of the teams that Orlando has played to this point, Philadelphia is the only one currently above the playoff line (although the New York Red Bulls occupy the last play-in spot). The Lions have beaten an LA Galaxy team that is the worst in the West; Toronto FC, which is second from the bottom in the East; and D.C. United, which is third from the bottom in the East. They drew the fifth-place Union on the road, and lost to NYCFC at the baseball stadium. But it has to be said that Orlando has faced a noticeable lack of top shelf opponents so far.

Essentially, Orlando has played three bad teams, two decent ones, and one that started very well but has cooled off in recent weeks (twice). Of course, OCSC can’t do anything about that, but it’s worth asking if the solid start to the season is due to the Lions legitimately being a good team, or if it’s more of a paper tiger situation where they just haven’t had to play many tough opponents yet.

There isn’t really any way of knowing for sure, and there won’t be any hints for awhile. With the way the standings currently look, Orlando won’t face a team above the playoff line until they go up against Charlotte FC on the road on May 14. I don’t bring all of this up to try to dampen the mood, but I just don’t think we have a truly accurate idea of this team’s level yet. Which is fair and totally fine, after all we’re only eight games into the season.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t give OCSC its due for a solid start to the year. It hasn’t been perfect by any means, but the team has done more good than bad, and the Lions’ current place in the standings reflects that. We should still keep things in perspective and resist the urge to dole out too much praise just yet, but we can be happy with what we’ve seen so far.

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

on

April 18, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

Published

1 day ago

on

April 17, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?

Designated Goal Scorers

What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.

Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.

Keep it Clean

There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.

Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Give the Midfield Time

Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.

Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending