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Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Final Score 3-0 as the Lions Can’t Overcome Flat Start

Lions blasted in California to remain winless there and fall further off the playoff pace.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City needed to get something against the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium. But what the Lions did not need to get was an ass kicking. They got one anyway as the Quakes (13-10-5, 44 points) scored three times in the first half en route to a 3-0 win over Orlando City (9-13-7, 34 points).

The Lions lost to San Jose for the first time ever and still have never won in the state of California in MLS play. It was the second straight loss for Orlando and both of those came without scoring a goal. That’s less than optimal with the games dwindling and other playoff contenders picking up points.

According to an Orlando City spokesman, Mauricio Pereyra picked up an injury and couldn’t travel for the match. He’ll be evaluated upon the team’s return and we should get further word on his condition (and the actual injury) at that time. Cristian Higuita returned to the 18, with the starting XI lining up like this:

The Quakes needed only three minutes to score. Magnus Eriksson took a pass from Jackson Yueill, baited Robin Jansson into giving him space, then dribbled in and scored to make it 1-0.

The Lions remained on their heels for the first 12 minutes or so, fending off several corner kicks after deflecting crosses or shots over the end line. Orlando’s first decent exploration of San Jose’s territory ended with a shot by Uri Rosell from outside the area that forced a diving save from Daniel Vega. Rosell didn’t get all of it but did get Orlando’s first shot attempt on target.

Chris Wondolowski made it 2-0 at the 20-minute mark. A simple through ball from Vako Qazaishvili caught the Orlando back line napping, and Wondo got in and chipped Brian Rowe, who got a piece of it but couldn’t knock it off line. There was a hint of offside, but if referee Silviu Petrescu spoke to his VAR, Victor Rivas, it never went to review, so it must have been deemed not to be a clear and obvious error.

Rowe kept it 2-0 for the moment in the 32nd minute with a big save to deny a Judson shot after a turnover by Will Johnson. The goalkeeper then made a save on Cristian Espinoza but San Jose maintained possession.

Moments later, Espinoza took the ball to the end line and cut it back for Wondolowski, who was left all alone by Lamine Sané and easily made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute.

Orlando kept looking for a way back in. Nani’s cross for Benji Michel got deflected out for a corner by Florian Jungwirth in the 37th minute and Kamal Miller worked the ball in to Carlos Ascues, who fired just wide of the near post in the 42nd minute.

One more save by Rowe on a long-range shot from Yueill and that was that for the first half.

The Quakes led in shots (12-4), shots on goal (3-1), possession (63%-37%), corners (7-1), and passing accuracy (88%-80%) and took their deserved advantage into the break.

James O’Connor was visibly upset with his team during a halftime TV interview, vowing changes would be made and he lived up to that by inserting Higuita and Tesho Akindele into the match for Ascues and Michel. It was Higuita’s 100th MLS appearance.

The Lions came out of the locker room with more passion than they showed in the opening 45 minutes, but that didn’t get them back into the match. Higuita did send a shot toward goal in the 55th minute that was blocked out in front and seemingly every Lion on the pitch raised their arm and shouted for handball. No penalty was given at the time and there wasn’t a stoppage in play for several minutes.

My65 reporter Jenny Chiu stated that the fourth official had said the play was reviewed by the VAR and the arm was judged to be in a natural position. No replay was ever shown on the broadcast.

The Lions did well to see a lot more of the possession in the second half but didn’t generate many chances. There were some half-chances and a few blocked crosses but nothing too dangerous.

Nani pulled up with an injury and had to come off to add to Orlando’s woes, with Chris Mueller replacing the captain in the 71st minute.

Orlando’s best scoring opportunity of the second half was Mueller’s 93rd-minute effort when he got into the box but he fired off target.

San Jose finished with the advantage in shots (19-9), shots on target (9-1), possession (57%-43%), corners (10-5), and passing accuracy (86%-83%). The second half was much better from Orlando, but it was too little, too late, and it’s difficult to know how much of that was due to San Jose’s big lead.

The shutout was the first by either side in the series and Orlando has only managed two goals in three trips to play San Jose. Only one of those two came in the run of play, with the other being a Kaká penalty in the initial meeting.

Orlando now sits four points behind Toronto in the race for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the Montreal Impact in between.

The Lions return home next Saturday night to face LAFC with what will be a severely depleted lineup as Ascues, Sebas Mendez, Akindele, Miller, and Johnson will all be away on international duty. With Pereyra’s injury and the status of Nani, Ruan, and Joao Moutinho up in the air for next weekend, O’Connor may have to suit up himself.

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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?

Published

16 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.

Published

20 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.

Published

2 days 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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