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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact, Preseason: Five Takeaways

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Orlando City “got the dub” (as Benji Michel put it) on Saturday night against the Montreal Impact at Exploria Stadium in the team’s first public display under Oscar Pareja. While it would be foolish to try to make any assumptions about the team from one preseason game that likely lacked any game-planning or film study of any kind, there were some things on display in the Lions’ 1-0 victory that are worthy of discussion.

Here are some of the things that stood out to me from Saturday’s preseason win:

Formation is Fluid

It’s common for a formation to look different when the team has the ball vs. when the opponent has it, but it was clear on Saturday that fluidity is part of the system Oscar Pareja has brought to Orlando. The gaffer took advantage of Ruan’s speed and attacking prowess against Montreal and when the Lions had the ball, the back line was a three-man look for the most part, with Kamal Miller, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Antonio Carlos holding down the fort. Michel, who played mostly in an outside forward role on the right last year, was deeper on the field on the left side and the second-year Homegrown Player served in sort of a left wingback role to mirror what Ruan was doing on the right. The highest trio of players — Nani, Dom Dwyer, and Mauricio Pereyra — swapped positions on the field often, weaving together with short, quick passes in the final third.

The chemistry needs a little more work and time to completely come together, and the players still need to anticipate switching play when deep runners get open, but if (or when) things start to click, the attack will have a lot more teeth in it, as forwards and midfielders alike will start to pop in behind the defense.

“We’ll just keep going, keep building,” Pareja said of his team after Saturday’s game. “We just have 21, 22 (training) sessions and most of those have been with the fitness content, so we’ll keep building slowly. It’s a long journey.”

Athleticism on the Back Line

Carlos, Schlegel, and Miller are all quite mobile and agile and did well for the most part on defense. Ruan will always cheat forward and then use his speed to recover and track back, which he did on Saturday and was mostly successful at it with the exception of a couple of overly casual giveaways once he’d won the ball. Miller also had some dangerous giveaways on the left, so perhaps they just need more time in the system to clean that up. The center backs seem to have good movement, looked good in the air, and considering how little time they’ve spent together, they appeared to have some chemistry already. Robin Jansson was a great find last year, but his movement doesn’t compare favorably to that of Schlegel or Carlos. I would think Carlos is a favorite to be a first-team choice so it’s nice to know that if his partner ends up being Schlegel or Jansson, it provides a good depth player either way.

Pedro Gallese Looks the Part

He wasn’t called into action that often, but Gallese appeared to be the real deal in his first public outing for Orlando City. He made a couple of big saves but mainly what was impressive was his positioning and ability to read the play. The Peruvian international had command of his box and said he is already building chemistry with the defenders in front of him.

“The communication between me and Rodrigo and Antonio and the entire team is really good,” Gallese said through an interpreter. “I think it’s very important for us to get to know each other as a group, because that’s going to help us to build more confidence.

El Pulpo should be fun to watch this season but if the lack of chances Montreal generated is a sign of things to come (aside from when the Impact threw numbers forward late in the game against several substitutes in the midfield and at right back), it’ll be nice if his teammates don’t give him too much to do.

Emphasis on Movement

One thing that stuck out on Saturday in the tactics department was how quickly the Lions moved the ball. There was a lot of one-touch passing, particularly in the attacking third, and the ball was constantly on the move. It looked quite different from the way Orlando probed the perimeter last season.

“I wouldn’t say one-touch, but (Pareja says to) keep it simple and move the ball fast,” Michel said after Saturday’s game of the teams mindset in possession. “Just keeping the play as simple as possible.”

There will be some turnovers until the players become more attuned to where their teammates will be and where they like to receive the ball — Nani in particular had some ball security issues on Saturday — but Orlando can be a lot better in terms of possession in 2020 once that gets ironed out. Montreal did a good job of pressing in the midfield and anticipating shorter passes, so the Lions will need to vary their attack and take advantage of overly aggressive pressure to get the ball in behind.

Ball Winners Win Balls

Junior Urso and Uri Rosell were quick to pressure after turnovers to win the ball back and prevent Montreal’s counter from getting going most of the night. Orji Okwonkwo had one or two opportunities, and Miller did need to make a tactical foul to break up one counter after a Nani turnover, but for the most part the central midfielders did a good job of slowing down the Impact’s ability to transition or forcing things wide with the help of Carlos and Schlegel so that Ruan and Miller had time to track back to slow things down. Players like Michel and Pereyra were also able to quickly drop and help funnel Montreal’s possession out wide or to force the Impact to play balls backward. It’s only one game, and it’s unclear how good Montreal’s attack will be, but it was an encouraging sign that the Lions may be able to build on last year’s progress in developing as a defensive unit.


Those are the primary things I noticed on Saturday. I’m not overly concerned about the lack of chance creation as Montreal played a well-organized match and there was no real game-planning involved. Now that the fitness-building portion of preseason training is giving way to more emphasis on tactics and style of play, the chemistry and sharpness should improve. The Lions were inches from breaking in on goal several times but a defensive toe in the way, a ball slightly behind, or a bounce at just the wrong time prevented forwards from getting in 1-v-1 on Evan Bush on multiple occasions.

For those of you who turned out for the match, what stood out to you? Let us know in the comments below.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/13/24

Orlando City’s international call-ups, Orlando Pride playoffs preview, NWSL Awards voting opens, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Orlando City might have to wait a week to continue its playoff journey, but the Orlando Pride do not. The Kansas City Current are coming to town this Sunday for the third meeting between these NWSL heavyweights this year, and I will be there. I hope you will make it to Inter&Co Stadium to show this Pride club how much we appreciate all they have done this season in their final home match of the season. For now, let’s get to the links.

Lions on International Duty

Several Orlando City players received call-ups for this international break, including Facundo Torres for Uruguay. Additionally, the following also got the call: David Brekalo with Slovenia, Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena for Peru, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson for Iceland, and Favian Loyola for Chile’s U-20 squad. All we can hope for is they all stay healthy and in form. Orlando City’s next opponent, Atlanta United, also had several players called up.

The NWSL Playoffs Continue

The Orlando Pride will face the fourth-place Kansas City Current this weekend after decimating the Chicago Red Stars Friday. There’s been a lot of drama between these two clubs, making this an intriguing semifinal match. The other match sees the second-place Washington Spirit take on third-place NJ/NY Gotham FC. While we get to enjoy seeing the Pride continue their NWSL playoff run, many clubs are now watching from home and working on next season’s campaign.

NWSL Award Voting Open

The NWSL has opened the “fans voting round” for its 2024 end-of-season awards. There are several Pride players who were named finalists, including Barbra Banda, Marta, Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Anna Moorhouse. Of course, Seb Hines is up for NWSL Coach of the Year in what should be a foregone conclusion. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and submit your vote here. This is your chance to make a difference for Hines and these Pride players who have given so much this season.

Pepi is Ready

The USMNT will play its first competitive match under Mauricio Pochettino against Jamaica Thursday night in the first leg of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series. The U.S. doesn’t have a ton of options at forward, meaning Ricardo Pepi will likely get the start. The PSV striker said he feels he’s “ready to be the man.” It’s been years since anyone locked down the starting role up top for the USMNT. Let’s hope that Pepi is indeed ready.

Free Kicks

  • In unsurprising news, Charlotte FC’s Kristijan Kahlina was named 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Orlando fans are all too familiar with how good Kahlina is in goal. Honestly, Khalina is a very deserving winner.
  • England’s squad will look very different this international window with eight players out due to injury, including Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer.
  • The UScpMNT match scheduled for today has been postponed due to inclement weather.
  • Coventry City has its eye on Frank Lampard as a possible replacement for Mark Robins as manager.
  • We have unfortunately seen the last of Memphis 901 FC. It is a sad day, as we’re unlikely to see such a cool name with whatever Santa Barbara comes up with.
  • We’re sad to share that FC Cincinnati’s Marco Angulo passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and teammates.
  • Finally, I leave you with Ally Watt solving a Rubik’s Cube.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s playoff match against the Kansas City Current. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/12/24

Examining Orlando City’s playoff path, what to watch in the Concacaf Nations League, Lily Yohannes declares for the U.S., and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! The weekend couldn’t have gone much better for Orlando’s soccer teams, as both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride advanced after their respective playoff games, with the Pride dominating Chicago and the Lions getting a late, dramatic equalizer before winning the penalty shootout. The Pride will return to action Sunday against the Kansas City Current, while the Lions have a slightly longer layoff before they take on Atlanta United. As usual, we have plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City’s Playoff Path

It was a wild weekend for the MLS playoffs as far as the Eastern Conference was concerned, and a slew of upsets suddenly means that the path to the MLS Cup final in the Eastern Conference goes through Orlando. The Lions are the highest remaining seed in the East, and not only will they host Atlanta Nov. 24, but they would also host the Eastern Conference final, should they come out victorious. Oscar Pareja spoke after the game about not wanting the victory over Charlotte FC to be the end of the playoff journey, and says the team intends to chase the MLS Cup. If Orlando does make it that far, the team wouldn’t be likely to host the match, as it would require Minnesota United to come out of the Western Conference in order for the final to be held in Orlando. Stranger things have happened though.

What to Watch For With the USMNT

It seems like we just had an international break, but here we are again with two more United States Men’s National Team games on the docket. These are two important games, as the USMNT squares off against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. Besides the obvious chance to advance to the semifinals, there are plenty of other storylines to keep an eye on. With Josh Sargent and Folarin Balogun both absent due to injury, can Ricardo Pepi seize an opportunity to lay claim to the starting striker role? What sort of impacts can Brendan Aaronson and Weston McKennie have in the midst of good starts to the season for their clubs? Last, but certainly not least, is Christian Pulisic, who has had a fantastic start to the season and will have many eyes on him in the first competitive matches under Mauricio Pochettino.

Lily Yohannes Chooses the United States

The United States Women’s National Team has landed a great young talent, as Lily Yohannes announced on Monday that she has chosen to represent the U.S. over the Netherlands. While she was born in Virginia, Yohannes has lived abroad since the age of 10, making her eligible to play for either country. However, she stated that with the United States being her country of birth, as well as where her extended family lives, she decided to commit to representing Emma Hayes’ team. Yohannes made her debut for Ajax’s senior side in November of last year, and has seven goals in 40 appearances for the Dutch team.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

As always, the transfer rumor mill continues to turn, which means we have plenty of things to catch up on. We start with Major League Soccer itself, where FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta has said he may have played his final game for the club. He cited frustration with falling short of silverware as a possible reason for wanting to move on, so he may change his mind once the sting has faded more. Moving to Spain, Barcelona is reportedly monitoring Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush as an option to replace the aging Robert Lewandowski. Arsenal and Manchester United are said to be interested in Leroy Sane, and will pursue him hard if contract talks with Bayern Munich don’t progress well.

Free Kicks

  • NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman had some friendly words for the Orlando Pride.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw/4-1 shootout win in Game 3 against Charlotte FC?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Cardiac Cats were back again as Orlando City conceded its first goal of the postseason in the 81st minute, equalized on a rebound from a saved penalty with almost the last kick of the game, and won on penalties. Before we begin to look forward to the Eastern Conference semifinal against Atlanta United, we’ll look back at how the team played in its 1-1 draw and 4-1 shootout victory against Charlotte FC.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this memorable playoff battle.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — The Lions dominated the chances in this game, so there wasn’t a lot for Gallese to do in the 90 minutes. He saved two of the three shots on target, and the goal he conceded took a deflection that sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. Gallese’s moment came in the penalty shootout with everything on the line. He saved the first two penalties to give his team a commanding lead, helping the Lions advance. He also guessed correctly on the third penalty, although he couldn’t quite get to Ashley Westwood’s shot. In addition to his shot stopping, Gallese completed 80% of his 10 passes but neither of his two long balls. He also recorded two clearances. Although he had a quiet game in regulation, he did what was needed in the shootout.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a team-high 86 touches, completed 87.7% of his 57 passes and two of his three long balls, and had two key passes. While he only completed one of his seven crosses, he should have had an assist when Kyle Smith failed to convert right in front of the goal in the 90th minute. Defensively, the left back recorded two tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances, leading the team in all three statistics. He also converted his penalty, sending the Lions through to the conference semifinals.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson touched the ball 69 times in this game while completing 92.1% of his 63 passes. He had one key pass, completing five of his 10 long balls, and put his lone shot on target. Defensively, Jansson was less active than usual, recording three clearances and a blocked shot. He got caught on a high bounce on the attack that ultimately led to Charlotte’s only goal, which was his lone mistake of the night.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel had 42 touches in the game and completed 87.5% of his 32 passes, including two of his three long balls. Like Jansson, Schlegel took one shot and put it on target. The center back recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. He was replaced by David Brekalo in the 89th minute.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Touching the ball 49 times in this game, Thorhallsson completed 87.9% of his 33 passes, including two key passes, one of his three crosses, and his lone long ball. He didn’t take any shots in the game and didn’t record any defensive statistics before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 79th minute.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena came into this game with two yellow cards, leaving him one short of a suspension. However, the defensive midfielder did well to stay out of the book while touching the ball 84 times and retaining his grit in the middle of the pitch. He completed 88% of his team-high 75 passes, including four of his six long balls. He recorded two interceptions and a clearance, but his biggest impact was a good ball into the box that contributed to Djibril Diani pulling down Duncan McGuire, resulting in the penalty that set up the equalizer.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo took 70 touches and was back to his stellar passing, completing 93% of his 57 attempts, including one of his two crosses and six of his seven long balls. He was also credited with a key pass in the game. His two shots were off target, but he added three clearances defensively.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo’s 37 touches were the fewest of Orlando City’s midfielders. However, he completed 93.3% of his 30 passes, the highest pass completion percentage of his position group. His only shot was off target and he didn’t record any defensive statistics before being replaced by Luis Muriel in the 65th minute.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda touched the ball 62 times and completed 83.8% of his 37 passes, including four of his five long balls and a team-high four key passes. However, he only completed three of his team-high 14 crosses. One of the midfielder’s two shots was on target and he didn’t have a defensive impact before coming off for Nico Lodeiro in the 79th minute. For much of the first hour of the game, most of Orlando’s offensive chances and most dangerous attacks came via Ojeda’s forays up the left and interplay with Santos.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7 (MotM) — Torres had 68 touches and completed 88% of his 50 passes, including two key passes. He didn’t complete any of his seven crosses but all of his three long balls. While only two of his six shots were on target, he hit the post and crossbar in the first half. More importantly, he converted on the rebound after Kristijan Kahlina saved his penalty for the equalizing goal. He made up for the penalty save by converting his spot kick in the shootout.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique wasn’t very involved in this game, touching the ball 20 times and completing 90.9% of his 11 passes. While he completed his lone cross, none of four shots were on target, including a free running header on a corner kick when he was left completely uncovered. The forward was replaced by Duncan McGuire in the 65th minute.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (65’), 6 — McGuire came on for Enrique in the 65th minute, but only touched the ball five times. He completed all four of his passes and didn’t take any shots, but had the most impactful play of the night. In the final seconds of the game, he went down after a tug on the back of his jersey by Diani, drawing the penalty that resulted in the equalizing goal. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder on the play and didn’t take part in the shootout.

F, Luis Muriel (65’), 6.5 — Muriel replaced Angulo in the 65th minute and touched the ball 28 times. He completed 76.5% of his 17 passes, including a key pass, one of his two long balls, and one of his two through balls.  Only one of his three shots were on target, with his free kick effort deflected by the defense, but he converted the first penalty in the shootout, getting the Lions off to a good start. His introduction allowed the Lions to maintain possession and create chances as time wound down.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (79’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 79th minute, touching the ball 19 times in his short appearance. He completed 83.3% of his 12 passes, including a key pass and two of his seven crosses.

D, Kyle Smith (79’), 5.5 — Smith came on for Thorhallsson in the 79th minute, touching the ball seven times and completing one of his three passes. Santos found him for a tap-in at the back post in the 90th minute, but the defender completely messed up the golden opportunity stepping over/onto the ball and going to ground. However, he made up for it with the best penalty of the shootout, in my opinion. He didn’t end up with any defensive statistics in the game.

D, David Brekalo (89’), N/A — Brekalo replaced Schlegel in the 89th minute, as Oscar Pareja wanted his aerial presence on the field for the final push. He touched the ball seven times and completed all of his five passes. He didn’t record any defensive statistics in his short appearance.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s playoff win over Charlotte. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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