Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City managed to keep its unbeaten streak alive with a contentious 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union. With the Lions having a better goal difference than the Union, they captured the top spot of Group A. After IIsinho scored the opening goal in the 68th minute from an Alejandro Bedoya assist, Mauricio Pereyra bagged the equalizer, heading in Nani’s cross just two minutes later. The 70th-minute Orlando City goal was the final score of the match.
As stats go, the match was a really tight and even one. The Philadelphia Union managed 12 shots while Orlando City registered 10. However, if one side deserved anything more on the night it was certainly the Lions. Andre Blake had a terrific match, making six saves to ensure that only one of the seven shots on target from the Floridian side trickled into the back of the net.
The game was an enthralling one, here’s how each of the players performed.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — While all of the praise will surely be bestowed onto the counterpart of Gallese, the Orlando City shot stopper can hold his head up with pride after an overall solid performance. Having made three saves, the Peruvian made his most notable one against a Jamiro Monteiro shot after a poor giveaway from Nani. Gallese held it down in between the sticks and continues to look an absolute coup for the lions. Long may it continue.
D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — The Portuguese left back had an overall decent game. While Moutinho started the match as one of the most dangerous attacking outlets, he started to fade as the minutes ticked away. Like his fellow fullback, Ruan, he found himself in a promising position on a number of occasions, but just could not quite find the killer ball. The goal from the Union came down the side in which Moutinho was deployed in, and he got sucked inside when the ball was on Orlando’s right side. He couldn’t recover in time to defend Ilsinho’s rocket.
D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Antonio Carlos had a very hot and cold match against the Union. He nearly opened his account just before Ilsinho’s goal, smashing a header off of a Nani corner, which Blake saved onto the crossbar. Aside from his shot on goal, he registered five clearances, two interceptions and a blocked shot, won a team-high five aerials, and was a 90% passer on the night in his best outing so far in the tournament.
D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Despite an injury that looked like it could have been a serious one to the Swedish central defender’s neck, Jansson rolled it out and played through to the finish. Like Carlos, the defender had a solid and assured 90 minutes despite the Union looking threatening on a few occasions. The Swede won an impressive four out of five aerial duels to nullify the threat of Sergio Santos and Kacper Przybylko, and led the Lions with eight clearances, adding an interception and a blocked shot.
D, Ruan, 4 — Though Ruan got into promising positions on a number of occasions, the final ball of the Brazilian was far from its best on the night. Ruan did really well on an abundance of instances, using his pace to burst down the right, but unfortunately the last pass, which is the most important one, was absent from the locker of the pacey right back. One sequence seemed to be particularly frustrating for him in the 90th minute of the match. Ruan failed to release the ball next to the byline, holding onto it too long, he then kicked out at the defender in frustrating fashion, earning himself a yellow card. At 74%, his passing rate was the lowest on the Orlando back line, though he did lead the club in touches (90).
MF, Uri Rosell, 5.5 — The Spanish midfielder once again had an overall decent performance that did not pull up any trees, but got the job done. After that of Mendez and Pereyra, he completed the most passes on the night, helping Orlando City to maintain possession when mounting attacks. His most notable moment was when he committed an intelligent, transitional foul, preventing a counter attack from the Union. He rightfully saw yellow for his challenge. He tallied two tackles, three interceptions and an 88% passing rate.
MF, Junior Urso, N/A — Sadly, Urso was subbed off in the 19th minute after an injury that saw him actually leave the pitch a few minutes before that. Prior to Mendez coming on for him, he looked solid and dangerous in the opening stages, with perhaps the best play he’s shown so far with Orlando. The former Corinthians midfielder made two of his trademark, dangerous, late runs into the box that caused the Union trouble. He fired two shots, getting one on target and completed all five of his passes before sustaining a knock.
MF, Chris Mueller, 6.5 — On the night, the 23-year-old should have had an assist. Mueller excellently slotted in a terrific through ball to Mendez that the latter failed to score on. Apart from that, while some of the end product from the American was not at its best, he showed his typical industry and troubled Philadelphia with his tremendous work rate. The tenacity Mueller brings to the table is unparalleled in the side and though he may want to put on a cash value on heart, it’s priceless.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 8.5 (MotM) — Pereyra was the best player on the pitch before he even scored his goal. The 30-year-old dictated play throughout the game and looked a menace the whole time. The goal, in which the 5-foot-6 Uruguayan scored was not one that one would expect from the creative midfielder, but despite that, he took it incredibly well. After Nani crossed brilliantly, Pereyra got his noggin on it and poked it past the ever-impressive, Blake. The goal that Pereyra scored was massive on the night and even more so in the grand scheme of things. The header ensured that Orlando City finished top of group A. He led the Lions with three key passes.
MF, Nani, 4.5 — The superstar winger did not have his typical amazing night against the Union. While the Portuguese star did come up big with the assist, his overall performance was below par given his lofty standards. The shooting (two of three on target but both weak and right at Blake) and passing (65%) from Nani was below average and in truth, if he was a bit sharper, more may have been achieved in the game. There were a umber of instances were he fluffed his lines, such as when Tesho set him up in the 48th minute and he skied his hot. Let’s hope he is better in the next game. I’m sure he will be.
F, Tesho Akindele, 5.5 — Tesho put in a typical, old-fashioned number nine performance. The big Canadian up front had good holdup play as one could expect and helped his fellow attackers get space to showcase their brilliance. The moment where he put Nani in a dangerous area in the 48th minute epitomized what Tesho is all about. He perhaps could have played back to Pereyra in the 28th minute in front of goal but his shot was powerful and on target, but Blake was able to stop it. He was clearly tiring and Oscar Pareja made the right choice in subbing him off after an industrious shift.
Substitutes
MF, Sebas Mendez (19’), 6 — The Ecuadorian played the majority of the match after Urso came off injured and did pretty well in doing so. Though he should have scored in the 50th minute after Mueller set him up, it was not a terrible effort. And aside from that, Mendez had an overall solid display. He showed grit and determination in the midfield, taking more attacking risks than his partner, Rosell, who prefers a more pragmatic way of passing.
F, Benji Michel (74’), 5 — Benji played well and did not have much time to do much. However, the energy he provided in place of the exhausted Tesho was much needed. He completed both his passes and made good runs.
MF, Andres Perea (87’), N/A — Perea came on for Mueller but didn’t have time to make much of an impact in the match.
MF, Santiago Patino (87’), N/A — Santi came on at the same time as Perea and didn’t even register an official touch on the ball.
All in all, a draw is all that was needed and that is what Orlando City managed. Topping the group and doing so undefeated is no easy feat so we can hold our manes up with pride going into the round of 16.
Until then, let’s enjoy the rest of the group stages fixtures and put our feet up and relax. That’ll do for now pig, be sure to vote for who you thought was man of the match.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Antonio Carlos | 3 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 44 |
| Uri Rosell | 0 |
| Chris Mueller | 2 |
| Pedro Gallese | 8 |
| Other | 5 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 11/22/24
Emily Sams wins Defender of the Year, Orlando City’s turnaround, Barbra Banda nominated for African Woman Player of the Year, and more.
Happy Friday! Beyond working and catching some soccer here and there, I don’t have many plans for the weekend. I’m also hoping to find some time to trial some cranberry and brie bites I’m trying to perfect before Thanksgiving next week. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!
Emily Sams Awarded NWSL Defender of the Year
The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams was named 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year after a fantastic season. The Pride only conceded 20 goals in a record-breaking season, and Sams played in all 13 of the team’s shutouts. Sams was one of the most impactful players for the Pride this year and had 163 recoveries, 76 clearances, and 16 blocks. She’s the first Pride player to win the award and it’s great to see her receive some deserved recognition in her second year in Orlando.
Analyzing Orlando City’s Revitalization
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Lions to say the least. There were serious concerns over whether or not the Lions would even make the playoffs back in June and now they find themselves as the highest remaining seed in the Eastern Conference this postseason. Facundo Torres’ excellent run of play is a major reason behind the club’s turnaround, but the buy-in from all of Orlando’s attackers has helped create a dynamic and unselfish offense. Although expectations are rising once more for the Lions, Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi spoke on how the team is focused on Sunday’s playoff match.
“There’s only one team that matters: Atlanta United,” Muzzi said. “The easiest way to lose a game is to look ahead. I’ll say we didn’t expect to be playing at home, but it’s welcomed. We’re focused on Atlanta, they’re playing great. They have a lot of confidence and momentum. It doesn’t matter they’re the No. 9 seed because they’re not playing like the No. 9 seed.”
Barbra Banda Up For African Woman Player of the Year
Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was one of 10 players nominated for this year’s African Woman Player of the Year award. The 24-year-old has done well for both club and country this year. She scored 13 goals in her first regular season with the Pride and has three goals so far in the playoffs. Banda also had a hat trick for Zambia in the Summer Olympics. She’s joined by fellow NWSL players Temwa Chawinga and Racheal Kundananji on the list of nominees. Bay FC striker Asisat Oshoala, who has won the award in five of the past six years, was not nominated for the first time in a decade. The nomination list will be trimmed to a three-player shortlist before the winner is announced on Dec. 16 in Morocco.
Croix Bethune Named NWSL Midfielder of the Year
Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune won NWSL Midfielder of the Year after recording 10 assists and five goals in 17 matches this season. A knee injury cut her season short in September, but she still tied Tobin Heath’s record for the most assists in a season. Bethune gave plenty of NWSL teams headaches this year and also won Rookie of the Year earlier this week. She’s the first player to ever receive NWSL Midfielder of the Year and she beat out the Pride’s Marta, the North Carolina Courage’s Ashley Sanchez, and Kansas City Current duo Lo’eau LaBonta and Vanessa DiBernardo.
Eastern Conference Clubs Making Moves
FC Cincinnati officially signed striker Kevin Denkey from Cercle Brugge on a deal that will last through 2028. The 23-year-old joins as a Designated Player on a reported $16.2 million transfer, which would be a league record. He won the Golden Boot in Belgium last year after scoring 27 goals and should give Cincinnati some considerable firepower next year.
Elsewhere in the league, CF Montreal declined the option on Josef Martinez’s contract, meaning the Venezuelan forward will be a free agent once again. The 31-year-old led Montreal with 11 goals this season and we’ll see where he winds up next. Charlotte FC did not trigger the purchase option on Pep Biel’s loan, opening up a Designated Player spot. Former Lion Junior Urso’s contract option was also declined by Charlotte. The Philadelphia Union signed defender Olivier Mbaizo to a contract extension that will keep him with the club through 2026, with options for 2027 and 2028 as well.
Free Kicks
- In preparation for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA named 26 new options across the country as “base camps” for participating teams to train and rest. Orlando was included, with OCSC’s training grounds at Osceola Heritage Park pitched alongside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel.
- ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf dove into how the NWSL stacks up to the biggest sports leagues in the U.S. Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Pride and Spirit should showcase just how entertaining the league is to plenty of viewers.
- Pep Guardiola will stick around as Manchester City’s manager for a couple more years after signing a two-year contract extension with the club. His contract was set to expire at the end of this season.
- Here’s a cool breakdown of the seven amateur teams that have qualified for the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup so far. None are from Florida, but there are some great logos to check out if you’re looking for a team to root for in the early rounds next year. Debutants Southern Indiana FC and the Virginia Dream are my personal favorites of the bunch.
- The draw for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will take place today. Zambia is in the second pot, meaning it will be put in a group of four that will include one of Nigeria, South Africa, or Morocco. The tournament itself will be in July of next year.
- Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City all clinched a spot in the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals with two games still left to play.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!
Orlando City
How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively
How Orlando City has performed against teams playing with three or four defenders, and how that may influence the playoff game against Atlanta United.
The most famous quote about real estate is that “there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Soccer coaches also like to think in threes, especially when it comes to points, but for a soccer coach, the three things that matter might be the rhyming triplet “formation, formation, formation,” as that is where they will have the biggest influence on every game that their team plays.
Throughout his tenure as head coach, Óscar Pareja has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 as his formation (fbref.com’s lineup data shows that the Lions primarily played a 4-2-3-1 in 65% of their MLS matches this season, and 79% of their MLS matches during the last three seasons). The Lions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 during each of their last 14 games, and my confidence level is strong to quite strong (can you believe Meet the Parents came out 24 years ago?) that they will do so once again on Sunday when they host Atlanta United.
Atlanta United also prefers to deploy a 4-2-3-1, but was less consistent than Orlando City this season during MLS play, as evidenced by the chart below that shows how Atlanta lined up this season:
I am relying on the coders at Opta for their evaluation of the formation, as I do not watch a lot of Atlanta United matches (sounds terrible), but though Atlanta primarily played with four defenders in more than two-thirds of its matches, during the last two matches it played a 3-5-2, the only two matches all season in which interim coach Rob Valentino rolled out that formation. I suspect that the formation change was related partially to playing Inter Miami and trying to defend the Herons’ dynamic offense and partially due to an injury suffered by defender Brooks Lennon in the first game of that series. So, while Atlanta primarily played four in the back for most of the season, there is a good chance it will roll with what worked against Florida’s second-best MLS team when it plays Florida’s best MLS team this weekend.
Now, if you want to read more about Atlanta, then you can read our match preview, which will drop Sunday morning, but I want to look at how Orlando did against teams that play similar styles. Looking only at MLS games, the table below shows how Orlando City performed against different back line structures this season (the left side is how the Lions’ opponents lined up, the right side is how Orlando City performed against opponents in those formations):
Orlando City earned slightly more points per game — the stat that matters most — against teams that played four in the back, but the Lions had a better average goal differential when teams played three in the back. Atlanta will likely deploy one of those two formations. In both games against Orlando City this season, Sunday’s visitors went with a 4-2-3-1, but as mentioned earlier, they used three in the back in each of their last two matches, so it really could be either.
Soccer is not like baseball, where players primarily stay in the same spot throughout the game, so some of these stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, as players are not always rigidly in the same position throughout a match. A team may also primarily play with four in the back but switch to three when chasing a game, or five when trying to protect against a late goal.
That said, using the data around Orlando City’s opponents’ general formations, here are the attacking groups who played the most frequently against four defenders during the 24 MLS games where Opta coded the opponents as using a defensive group of four:
It is a little ominous that the main starting group, shown in row one, has played 666 MLS minutes against back lines of four this season, but do I like that green goal differential of +8 in those minutes, which is a strong +1.08 per 90 minutes. I like that goal differential more than I like all the things that Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin like on their song that is creatively named “I Like It.” Coincidentally, when people ask me what I think about that song, I say, “I like it.” I am very creative.
If we look at the lineups that Orlando City has used against back lines of three defenders then there are some pretty major differences in personnel groupings, but it must be noted that more than half of the games against teams playing three in the back came early in the season, when Ramiro Enrique was unavailable to play. Enrique, my presumed starter at striker, has played fewer than three games’ worth of minutes (265 total) against back lines of three this season, and only 28 minutes with the main starting group, which ranks 13th among all the attacking lineups for minutes played against three defenders. That group scored one goal in their 28 minutes together though, for a robust 3.21 goals-scored-per-90-minutes average.
While the team as a whole has been successful against three-man back lines, I do not expect any of the lineups shown in the table below to play more than a few minutes together this weekend, though the first row and the last row are strong groups and had a lot of success.
I am sure that all week long the Orlando City coaching staff has been going back and forth on whether it is more likely that Atlanta reverts to its most commonly used four in the back, or if the Five Stripes try for three wins in a row with three in the back. I would prefer that Atlanta plays with zero defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan wears a blindfold, but I think that is unlikely to be the case.
Even though Atlanta defeated Orlando City both times while in a 4-2-3-1, based on available personnel and recent results, I believe that the team will come out in a 3-5-2 in Inter&Co Stadium in the conference semifinal. Good things come in threes, and Orlando City’s best offensive production this season has been against three defenders, so I am going to be hoping that this continues, and in the third game against Atlanta the Lions grab the three points. Three’s company!
Well, it is a playoff game, so there are no actual points at stake, but you know what I meant.
Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?
Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?
Beat Guzan
Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.
Cartagena is Essential
Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.
Overcome the Past
That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.
That is what I will be looking for Sunday afternoon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links: 11/22/24
Orlando Pride Center Back Emily Sams Named 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year
How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively
-
Lion Links2 days agoLion Links: 11/20/24
-
Orlando Pride5 days agoOrlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 4-1 as Barbra Banda Brace Lifts Pride to First-Ever Playoff Win
-
Orlando Pride5 days agoOrlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Advance to NWSL Championship
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City24 hours agoOrlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando City22 hours agoHow Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively