Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Flatten Five Stripes

The goals returned, as four different Lions scored for Orlando City.

Published

4 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

After four matches without a win (0-1-3), the goals finally returned in buckets to Orlando as the Lions thumped Atlanta United, 4-1 at Exploria Stadium. Daryl Dike, Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias — his first in MLS — scored the goals, with the Lions (9-3-8, 35 points) finishing an unbeaten four-game set against Atlanta (5-12-4, 19 points) for the 2020 season.

Orlando won twice and drew twice without a loss across the four meetings. Tonight’s win was Orlando’s first at home against the Five Stripes, improving to 1-4-1 at home in the all-time series.

“It’s certainly a game that means a lot for our franchise,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “First, beating Atlanta, but secondly to see the boys performing so well as a group. Tonight the urgency for us to win those three points [was] big.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kamal Miller, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. The midfield featured Nani, Joey DeZart, Junior Urso, and Mueller behind an attacking duo of Akindele and Dike. Neither Uri Rosell — who came off the MLS Injury Report — nor Mauricio Pereyra were on the bench.

Orlando City started the match looking sluggish and indecisive, turning the ball over needlessly and failing to recognize where teammates were going. It was a curious start to the match, but the Lions eventually settled in.

Before that could happen, Atlanta fashioned a few good opportunities, including some early set pieces. Gallese made a diving stop in the third minute on a free kick shot by Ezequiel Barco. Then Barco got free on a counter created by an Orlando turnover in the 13th and was wide open but hit a soft shot right at Gallese.

Fernando Meza headed over the goal on a corner kick in the 16th minute as Atlanta continued to get the game’s only shots. Three minutes later, Jurgen Damm cut in from right to left and curled a shot just inches wide of the far post.

Pareja said that the team was set up tonight to allow Atlanta time on the ball so the Lions could find opportunities to get behind on the counter.

“We knew that with the formation that we had today, it was more planning to be a team who can counter,” Pareja said. “And today the initiative for us to have the ball, it was not as consistent as we’re used to. The boys absorbed that pressure when Atlanta came to us and had possession and started just getting some chances, but we knew that they were going to give us opportunities in the space that was behind them. And that was exactly what happened in the first half.”

Orlando City finally got a shot off in the 23rd minute when Akindele hit Dike in stride. The shot deflected wide off a defender but the referee didn’t see the deflection and awarded a goal kick.

The Lions finally broke through in the 29th minute. Ruan cut in from the right and made a great pass to set up Dike in the middle. The rookie turned brilliantly away from pressure to free himself and fired home his sixth goal of the season.

“Today we might have focused a little bit harder in front of the goal, and you know, dealt with some of those chances better,” Dike said. “I think that’s something that we’ve been kind of stressing — that we need to take advantage of all the chances that we create because I mean every single game we’re creating these chances, and now we just need to start finding the back of the net, which, luckily tonight it was something that was falling for us.”

Orlando nearly doubled the lead two minutes later. Atlanta gifted the Lions a corner kick with an awful back pass for Brad Guzan that was well off target. The ball fell at Urso’s feet and he fired just wide of the far post in the 31st minute.

Dike sliced through seemingly the entire Atlanta defense moments later, then fed Akindele for an apparent goal, but the referee blew the whistle and called an agonizingly soft foul on the rookie striker, who did very little wrong. The Lions were flying at that point. Nani had a shot blocked soon after that from the top of the area and then fizzed a pass to Akindele in the 37th. Tesho fired but had his shot well saved by a diving Guzan.

The final action of the half produced the second goal. Mueller was fouled by Laurence Wyke to set up a free kick in stoppage time. Cash took the free kick himself, beat the wall and buried a brilliant shot inside the near post to make it 2-0. It was his team-leading ninth goal of the year.

“It kind of gave us the momentum to continue our play into the second half,” Dike said of Mueller’s goal. “Obviously, phenomenal goal as it was, it lifted the team. I think sometimes maybe we’ve fallen a little bit asleep after our first [goal] but I think today we did a really good job of keeping the momentum going.”

That was it for the opening period. Orlando was out-shot 11-7 in the first half, but the Lions had a 3-2 edge in shots on target. Atlanta had more corners (3-1) and more possession (55.1%-44.9%), and both teams were accurate with 88% of their passes in the first half.

The Five Stripes tried to jump on Orlando quickly after the break but couldn’t muster much in the final third aside from some shots off target from distance. It took Orlando about seven minutes to settle in again and start to get chances in transition. Urso fired wide in the 51st after the Lions cleared a corner kick opportunity and a minute later Ruan nearly picked out Dike in front with a chipped cross.

The lead bulged to 3-0 in the 60th minute when Dike found Akindele in front and with his last involvement of the match the Canadian beat Guzan before subbing off for Andres Perea.

Orlando kept turning around the Atlanta attack and getting chances. Substitute Benji Michel fired on target from a tight angle, but Guzan made the save in the 67th minute. Four minutes later, Michel fed Perea for what should have been a goal but the 19-year-old Colombian sprayed his shot just wide of the far post.

Aias entered the match in the 79th minute for Dike, and Alexander Alvarado made his MLS/Orlando City debut at the same time, coming on for Mueller. Both newcomers played a role in the Lions’ final goal of the night.

However, Atlanta pulled one back before that happened. Marcelino Moreno was able to find Cubo Torres on a corner kick cross in the 87th minute. Torres got inside of Miller and Jansson couldn’t quite get up high enough to prevent the cross from finding its target. Torres’ header went off of Gallese from point-blank range and into the net to make it 3-1.

But Orlando had the last laugh. Alvarado was fouled by Mohammed Adams in the 91st minute just outside the Atlanta penalty area. Mendez fired a shot with the ensuing free kick and it hit an Atlanta defender, bounced off of Aias and trickled in behind Guzan, who was left leaning the wrong way. Aias’ goal was his first in MLS in only his second appearance and in about his 12th or so minute of play, although he knew little about it.

“It’s been a little over three months since I last really played and got a lot of minutes,” Aias said through an interpreter. “It was a great goal because I haven’t scored in a while. It’s my girl’s birthday, so to be able to do that today, it was just a great win for a team that’s working really hard and we’re happy to get the win here at home.”

The Lions ended up out-shooting Atlanta, 15-14 (6-3 on goal). Atlanta won more corners (9-2) and held more possession for the game (54.4%-45.6%). Both teams passed at an 89% rate.

City now has three matches left in the regular season. Orlando cannot win the Supporters’ Shield, because even winning out would only get the Lions even on points with Philadelphia. The first tiebreaker is wins and the best Orlando can do is win 12, while Philly has already amassed 13.

But tonight’s win was a much-needed step toward finishing in the top four and getting a home playoff game. City pulled level with Columbus on points but the Crew have one more win, setting up a huge match next Wednesday in Orlando. New York City lurks just two points behind the Lions with Orlando holding an extra game in hand.

Orlando City’s next match will be Sunday at Red Bull Arena when the Lions visit the Montreal Impact in their temporary home at 7:30 p.m.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/8/24

Lions earn weekly recognition, MLS stock watch, MLS award nominees announced, and more.

Published

17 hours ago

on

October 8, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but the impending landfall of Hurricane Milton has thrown a bit of a wrench in my week over here in Tampa. Regardless, the soccer news doesn’t stop, and that means we have plenty to talk about this morning. Without any further ado, let’s get into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

Orlando City picked up a great road win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday, and the Lions were represented in the MLS Team of the Matchday as a result. Ramiro Enrique gets the starting nod as the left winger, Oscar Pareja is the coach of the side, and Ivan Angulo made the bench. Enrique was the Lions’ Man of the Match, as he recorded two goals and an assist to continue his excellent scoring form. Angulo recorded a goal and an assist in a performance that was made more impressive given he was subbed out at halftime in OCSC’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Pareja masterminded the whole affair, and it’s great to see the Lions receive some recognition. Keep it up!

MLS Stock Watch

Decision Day is almost upon us, which means now is a good time to check in on which teams are heading in the right direction and which are not. Orlando City is building momentum ahead of the playoffs and will secure fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a Decision Day victory. Inter Miami also fits the bill of being a team on the up, as it will break the league’s points record if it beats the New England Revolution in the final game of the season. Despite an inconsistent season, D.C. United only needs a point against Charlotte FC on Decision Day to clinch a playoff place. As for New England, Nashville SC, Austin FC, Toronto FC, and FC Dallas, all five have been eliminated from postseason contention.

MLS Award Nominees Revealed

MLS has released the nominees for its 2024 Year-End Awards, and there are several Lions in the running to win recognition. Martin Ojeda and Facundo Torres are Orlando’s nominees for MVP, Oscar Pareja is in the mix for Coach of the Year, Pedro Gallese is up for Goalkeeper of the Year, Robin Jansson and Dagur Dan Thorhallson are in contention for Defender of the Year, and Felipe is eligible to win and award for his work in the community. Teams can nominate up to two players for certain awards, so the names were put forward by the club itself. Best of luck to all the nominees!

U.S. Soccer Announces Staffing Additions

The United States Men’s National Team has made five additional hires to Mauricio Pochettino’s staff, many of whom have worked with the new head coach at some point during his career. Jesus Perez will be the first assistant coach, Miguel D’Agostino will also be an assistant coach, and Antonio Jimenez will be the goalkeepers coach. Sebastian Pochettino will join as a sports scientist after working with his father at several of his club jobs. Silvia Tuya Viñasis joins as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, and is the only member of the staff who has not worked with Pochettino previously.

Free Kicks

  • Seb Hines made some history on Sunday Night.
  • The undefeated, NWSL-Shield-winning Orlando Pride hold the top spot in ESPN‘s NWSL power rankings.
  • As for ESPN‘s MLS power rankings, Orlando City remained in seventh.
  • The 2. Bundesliga gave us some…interesting highlights.
  • AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca is upset after Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham each took a penalty kick during his team’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina, despite Christian Pulisic being the designated penalty taker.

That’s all I have for this morning. Please stay safe this week, and be smart out there. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati?

Published

2 days ago

on

October 7, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City went on the road Saturday and came away with a huge 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati. The three points secured a top-five spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, placing the Lions in a good position to get through the first round. It was a surprising result for the Lions, defeating a top-three team in the conference for the first time this season.

It was a strong performance by the squad, but some players were better than others. Let’s take a look at how the Lions performed individually in this win and issue some grades.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — This wasn’t the hardest game for Gallese, despite the number of shots he faced. FC Cincinnati put six shots on target, scoring once from long range. Gallese made five saves on the night, but most were right at him. However, he did make a nice stop late in the game, diving to his right and keeping the two-goal lead. In addition to his shot-stopping, Gallese completed 72% of his 25 passes, including eight of his 15 long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos’ 66 touches were second on the team in this game and he completed 82.1% of his team-high 56 passes, including three of seven long balls. Other than his passing, Santos wasn’t involved much offensively but had a team-high four tackles. He also added a clearance in a strong performance by the left back.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — As you might expect from the captain, Jansson was a rock on the back line for the Lions. His 65 touches were third most on the team and he completed 85.2% of his 54 passes, including eight of his 14 long balls. The center back stood strong defensively with two interceptions and a team-high seven clearances.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel’s been a liability at times this year, but he had one of his better games in this one. He had 43 touches and completed 84.9% of his 33 passes, including three of his seven long balls. His five clearances were second on the team behind Jansson and he added an interception in a strong performance.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith made his presence known early in this game with a wonderful ball to Enrique in the 10th minute for the first goal. He added a second assist in the 66th minute on the buildup that gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Statistically, Smith had 51 touches and completed 68.8% of his 32 passes, including a key pass, two of his three crosses, and one of his six long balls. Defensively, the right back had a tackle, clearance, and a team-high four interceptions before coming off for Mikey Halliday in the 81st minute.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena was excellent in the defensive midfield, touching the ball a team-high 73 times and completing 78.2% of his 55 passes, including three of his five long balls. The Peruvian was everywhere for the Lions defensively, recording a team-high four tackles, three interceptions, a clearance, and a blocked shot. Unfortunately, he got booked in the game and will miss the season finale.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Similar to Cartagena, Araujo had a solid performance against Cincinnati. The defensive midfielder touched the ball 65 times and completed 88.9% of his 45 passes, including one of his three long balls. Defensively, Araujo recorded three tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances. I lowered his grade a little because he was one of two players who didn’t close down Luciano Acosta in the 45th minute, enabling him to score Cincinnati’s lone goal.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo’s inclusion in the starting lineup was somewhat of a surprise after he was substituted at halftime against Philadelphia. However, he had a great game, scoring the team’s second goal and assisting on the third. He ended up with 46 touches and completed 83.9% of his 31 passes, including a key pass and his only long ball. His only shot was the goal and he helped defensively, recording a team-high four tackles. If there’s a knock on his game it was that he was a bit loose with the ball in his own half at times. The attacker came off for Felipe in the 81st minute.

MF, Luis Muriel, 6 — While he wasn’t as impactful as Wednesday night, Muriel had another strong performance in this game, starting in place of Martin Ojeda. He had 49 touches and completed 81.4% of his 43 passes, including a key pass and one of his five long balls. He didn’t take any shots in the game and added a tackle defensively before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro in the 73rd minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 — Torres had 58 touches in this game and completed 79.6% of his 44 passes, including a key pass. However, he didn’t connect on his cross or either of his two long balls. He had one shot that was on target and helped defensively with three tackles and an interception, but his failure to close down Acosta in the 45th minute contributed to Cincinnati’s goal.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 7.5 (MotM) — There’s no question who the Man of the Match was in this game, as Enrique had two goals and an assist, figuring in all three Orlando goals. He had 35 touches and completed 70.6% of his 17 passes, including a key pass. Three of his four shots were on target, and he netted a brace while doing well to tap the ball down for Angulo on the second goal. It was an excellent game for the striker — probably his best for the team.

Substitutes

MF, Nico Lodeiro (73’), 6 — Lodeiro came into the game in the 73rd minute for Muriel, providing some defensive support right after the Lions took a 3-1 lead. He touched the ball 18 times and completed 84.6% of his 13 passes, including a key pass. However, he didn’t complete his lone long ball. The midfielder also won a pair of tackles, helping his team to see out the win.

D, Michael Halliday (81’), N/A — Halliday came on in the 81st minute for Smith and didn’t do much. He only touched the ball three times and completed his only pass without adding any defensive statistics.

MF, Felipe (81’), N/A — Felipe wasn’t very involved after coming on for Angulo in the 81st minute, but did his job. He touched the ball nine times and completed 66.7% of his six passes, but his real contribution was defensively where the Brazilian had a tackle and clearance in the final minutes.

F, Jack Lynn (87’), N/A — Lynn came on for Enrique in the 87th minute, touching the ball 10 times and completing 66.7% of his six passes. He drew a foul but was dispossessed once in the final minutes of the game.

MF, Martin Ojeda (88’), N/A — Ojeda came on in the 88th minute for Torres to waste some time and see the game out. He touched the ball 10 times and completed 83.3% of his six passes. However, his only cross was incomplete.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances in the Lions’ 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/7/24

Orlando City wins on the road, Ramiro Enrique up for Player of the Matchday, Orlando Pride lift the NWSL Shield, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

October 7, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and spent my birthday yesterday catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. For our clubs in action, Orlando City and the Orlando Pride won, while OCB lost over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Beat FC Cincinnati On the Road

Orlando City defeated FC Cincinnati 3-1 at TQL Stadium on Saturday. Ramiro Enrique scored early on, but FC Cincinnati equalized just before halftime. Ivan Angulo scored for Orlando in the second half, and Enrique added his second of the match to secure all three points for the Lions. It was Orlando’s third straight win and the team is fourth in the Eastern Conference table with 52 points. The Lions are off this weekend but will return to action on Oct. 19 at home against Atlanta United for their final game of the regular season.

Ramiro Enrique Up for Player of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Ramiro Enrique was nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday for his performance in Cincinnati.

Enrique scored two goals and also assisted on Angulo’s goal to lift the Lions to victory against one of the league’s best teams. The 23-year-old has scored in three of Orlando’s last four matches and has eight goals to his name this season. Other players in the running for MLS Player of the Matchday are Cucho Hernandez of the Columbus Crew, Simon Becher of St. Louis City SC, and Santiago Rodriguez of New York City FC.

Orlando Pride Win the NWSL Shield

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 2-0 at Inter&Co Stadium to clinch the NWSL. It’s the first trophy in club history and the Pride extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches as well. After a scoreless first half, Marta scored from the penalty spot to put the Pride in front and an own goal by defender Tara McKeown off a shot from Adriana gave the Pride a 2-0 lead to seal the win. Orlando is atop the NWSL table with 57 points and has a 10-point cushion over the Spirit with three games left this season. The Pride’s next match will be on the road against the Portland Thorns on Friday. Enjoy this moment of the Pride celebrating winning the NWSL Shield as their historic season continues.

Pride Players Named to NWSL Best XI of the Month

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, defender Emily Sams, and forward Marta were named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for September. This is the second time that Moorhouse has been named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month this season. She registered four clean sheets in five matches last month and made 18 saves as well. Moorhouse also set a new league record with 12 shutouts. Sams also made her second appearance on the NWSL Best XI of the Month. She played in all five matches, won five tackles, and had six interceptions in 450 minutes of play. It’s Marta’s first time on the NWSL Best XI this season, and she scored twice in September to keep Orlando’s offense rolling. All three played vital roles throughout the season to help the Pride keep their unbeaten streak alive.

OCB Falls to FC Cincinnati 2 On Decision Day

Orlando City B lost 3-1 to FC Cincinnati 2 at TQL Stadium on Sunday, falling short of clinching a home playoff match. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime before Alex Freeman pulled one back in the second half. Gerardo Valenzuela completed his hat trick to give Cincinnati its third goal and the win. With OCB’s defeat, Inter Miami CF II took the Southeast Division title, and OCB dropped from third to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. With the regular season over, the Young Lions will have to wait and see if Cincinnati, Philadelphia Union II, or Miami will choose them as their opponent in the first round of the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. If OCB isn’t chosen, it would travel to face Chicago Fire FC II, which finished fourth in the East.

Free Kicks

  • Marta’s contract with the Pride expires at the end of the season, and she told The Athletic ($) she wants to continue playing professional soccer for at least two more seasons.
  • USMNT and Borussia Dortmund winger Giovanni Reyna is dealing with a setback in his recovery from a groin injury suffered last month. There is currently no timetable for his return.
  • Tanner Tessmann, Brandon Vazquez, and Alex Zendejas were called into camp for the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies against Panama and Mexico. Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, and Tim Weah have all withdrawn from the team due to injuries.
  • Christian Pulisic scored another goal for AC Milan, as he found the back of the net in his team’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Serie A action. Pulisic has scored six goals across all competitions for Milan this season.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

Continue Reading

Trending