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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 0-0 as Lions Run Unbeaten Streak to 10 Games

Brad Guzan and the woodwork stole points from Orlando City as the Lions couldn’t put one in the net.

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4 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City failed to find the net as both Brad Guzan and the woodwork combined to stop everything the Lions threw at them. Still, the team’s record unbeaten streak grew to 10 matches (6-0-4) after a 0-0 draw against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Lions (8-2-6, 30 points) have now gone three straight without a loss to the Five Stripes (5-8-3, 18 points), but after largely outplaying their hosts, they’ll consider this two points dropped on the road. Despite a lot of regulars being out of the lineup, Orlando was the better side for the majority of the match.

“I think the players had another great game,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We had many options to score and not only that but I think we really dominated the game all the time. It’s much better when you translate that into three points but there is no frustration.”

“I thought it was a great team effort tonight,” said goalkeeper Brian Rowe, who made his first start of the season and ended up with a shutout on three saves. “I know you look around the field and we’ve had a number of guys that stepped up that haven’t gotten a lot of minutes this year.”

Pareja was without Pedro Gallese (international duty) for the first time in 2020, so Rowe got the start in goal behind a back line of Kamal Miller, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Joey DeZart got his first start for Orlando City in central midfield, along with Junior Urso, with Andres Perea and Robinho in the attacking midfield, and Benji Michel and Daryl Dike leading the attack. Fullback Michael Halliday was recalled from OCB and made the bench.

The Lions started the match without most of the team’s starters. In addition to Gallese and Sebas Mendez (international duty) being out, Joao Moutinho’s lingering groin problem and the undisclosed injuries to Mauricio Pereyra, Ruan, Tesho Akindele, and Uri Rosell combined to leave Orlando seven starters shy, with regular center back Antonio Carlos on the bench along with wingers Nani and Chris Mueller.

Some early pressing by Orlando gave Atlanta problems before both teams settled into the game. Atlanta sent an early warning sign with a good cross in from the left for Adam Jahn, who had slipped free of Jansson, but the cross was just a little too high for him in the ninth minute.

The Lions nearly opened the scoring in the 11th minute but Guzan made two huge saves to keep it scoreless. Smith sent in a good-looking cross from the right and Dike powered a header on target. Guzan fought that off and Robinho waited for the rebound to come down and swept it toward the net, but the Atlanta goalkeeper made a diving stop.

Atlanta then had some extended possession but wasn’t doing much with it. The Lions continuously turned them backward toward their own end, and most of the time the ball was around midfield. The hosts finally won a corner and Jon Gallagher sent in a good cross for Miles Robinson to head on target. Rowe made a huge save in the 18th minute, punching it away.

Perea bombed down the left side a minute later, but his shot was deflected out for a corner. Neither team got particularly close for the next 10 minutes or so, until the Lions again nearly opened the scoring. Robinho cut left to right with options in the box and chose to fire a shot that skipped just in front of the goal and crashed off the left post. The rebound came out to the right side and Smith ran onto it before firing a shot that Guzan saved in the 30th minute.

Franco Escobar picked up the first of what should have been two quick yellow cards in the 36th minute when he clobbered Robinho from behind. Two minutes later, he made a terrible challenge on Urso that had the Brazilian on the turf for a couple of minutes in pain. Escobar should have been sent off with a second yellow, but referee Rubiel Vasquez gave the Atlanta fullback a huge break and didn’t book him again. Urso was able to continue after receiving treatment.

Neither team got a good look the rest of the half and the two sides were scoreless at the break. Orlando had more first-half shots (7-5), shots on target (4-2), and corners (4-3), as well as more accurate passing (89%-86%). Atlanta held a slight possession advantage (51.7%-48.3%).

Disaster nearly struck early in the second half as Jansson tried to pass back to Rowe. The ball moved more quickly than expected and Rowe could only slide for it and watch as it skipped just wide of goal in the 55th minute.

“The turf is tricky,” Rowe said. “The way they wet it. The ball doesn’t really check up at all. It almost accelerates once it’s moving in a direction. So, he was trying to play me kind of into space on my right foot and it kind of took off a little faster than I think I was anticipating and what he thought as well. So, I kind of scrambled for a second but then once it was going by me, trying to reach for it, I saw that I was at least covering the goal, so I knew it was going wide.”

The Lions conceded a little more possession in the second half but still managed more scoring chances. Just two minutes after the near mishap in front of Orlando’s goal, Urso fired a shot that skipped off a defender and went wide. Atlanta looked to counter off the ensuing corner but Jansson made a great play in the open field to break it up.

Alex De John subbed on for Kyle Smith shortly after that and one of his first involvements was a nifty pass into the area for Michel in the 64th minute, but Benji couldn’t make good contact to bring it in and the chance evaporated. Michel then had another opportunity to get in two minutes later, as the Lions broke in transition 4-v-3, but his first touch on the pass again let him down.

Benji’s last involvement was to concede a free kick near his own penalty area before being subbed off for Nani in the 70th minute. Jansson made a good play on the ensuing cross to get across his man and nod it behind for a corner. Rowe needed to make his second big save of the night on that corner when Orlando failed to clear it all the way out and it fell for Anton Walkes, who shot from point-blank range. The Lions’ goalkeeper made a good reaction save to keep the Five Stripes off the board.

Atlanta held the ball for quite a while during that stretch with Orlando City content to play the ball to safety rather than try to pass out of the back as the team usually does. The Lions sustained some pressure as a result, but the defense and midfielders did well to keep Atlanta on the perimeter.

Nani nearly found a breakthrough in the 78th minute. The captain fired a shot at the top of the area that deflected off a defender and over Guzan but it hit the crossbar and stayed out.

Perea smashed a shot just off target from outside the area seconds later as the Lions continued to look for a winner.

Nani set up Urso in the 86th minute and the Bear hit his shot first time, but he left it too close to the middle and Guzan was able to make a vital diving save to keep the game at 0-0 late.

The last chance fell to DeZart in the 91st minute as the rookie found himself in space and sent a curling shot toward the back corner but Guzan again was able to get over and keep it out.

That was it for the match and Orlando City had to settle for a single point, falling two points further behind Toronto but gaining a point on Columbus, while Philadelphia jumped over the Lions into third.

The Lions out-shot Atlanta, 15-9 (6-3 on target), earned more corners (7-5), and were more accurate in passing (87%-85%), while the Five Stripes held more of the ball (52.3%-47.7%).

Even though Pareja wasn’t frustrated, he said his players expected more from the match.

“Today the players left the field thinking that they left two points on the field,” he said. “They were not so happy with the tie. And I said, ‘Well, sometimes you know, you take the point and leave.’ They are convinced about what they are. And no one gave anything to them. Nobody. Nothing. They have earned it through the effort, the discipline, the desire to do the right things. They know that to be the best team and to win trophies, you have to keep getting better.”

“It was a solid performance by the team,” DeZart said. “At the end of the day we’re disappointed because each and every game we want to go out and win it, home or away.”

Orlando City will next face the stingy defense of the Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over Toronto FC Saturday at home?

Published

17 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a successful, four-point road trip, Orlando City returns from Montreal to the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium to face one of the other Canadian clubs, Toronto FC. The Lions are hoping to add to a four-match unbeaten streak. A win offers the opportunity to take another step up the standings.

What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against Toronto FC?

No Early Mistakes

In the last three matches, Orlando City has conceded the first goal of the match. Worse than that, each of those goals happened within the first 21 minutes. Yes, coming from behind for two draws and one win is good, but not giving up those early goals may have meant three wins instead.

Last season, Orlando City’s defense was good. We didn’t see nearly so many mental mistakes by the defense, especially so early in the match. What is frustrating is that these mistakes were seemingly preventable. The back line, the defensive midfielders, and Pedro Gallese need to tighten up in the early going so that the Lions are not chasing the match so early on.

Take Advantage of Tired Legs

Toronto FC played a match against Simcoe County Rovers in the Canadian Championship tournament on Wednesday. I’m in no way saying that Toronto trotted out their first choice lineup for the match, but even if only some of the players got a run out, that could create some tired legs for the match against Orlando. Add in the travel from Canada to Florida on short rest and it could be good news for the Lions.

If the Lions can possess the ball and make Toronto FC chase them, or if Orlando can get the first goal (see above) so that Toronto is chasing the match as well, it might pay dividends in the second half. Orlando City is good enough in the passing game to do so, though it will be interesting to see whether Martin Ojeda rejoins the starting lineup or if Nico Lodeiro gets the nod again.

One Down, Two to Go

Facundo Torres was the first of Orlando City’s three Designated Players to score a goal in the regular season. While it didn’t come in the run of play, it might still spark him to add some more since he usually starts slow and then catches fire at about this point in the season. Of course, both Luis Muriel and Ojeda contributed to the scoring against Montreal. Muriel drew the penalty that Torres took, and Ojeda provided the assist to Ivan Angulo.

Now it is time for either Muriel or Ojeda — or both — to join Torres on the scoreboard. Standing in their way will be a good keeper in Sean Johnson. So far this season, he has allowed seven goals and has 22 saves, with three clean sheets. Muriel seems to be getting closer to scoring with each shot taken, and Ojeda has missed some close ones. If all three of Orlando City’s Designated Players can start scoring regularly, this team will become dangerous quickly.

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: 4/25/24

Duncan McGuire is an Olympic frontrunner, Orlando Pride get ready for the Washington Spirit, Colin Guske signs with Orlando City B, and more.

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20 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this work week hasn’t been too stressful for you as we get ready for another weekend packed with Orlando soccer. All of the European soccer this week has been enjoyable as well, as teams fight for silverware and survival. It should be a fun next few days, although most of my match following will be digital. I’m hoping to get out to the stadium for a game or two over the next couple of months as well. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Duncan McGuire Likely to Play in Olympics

Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire was listed as one of the frontrunners to join the U.S. for this year’s Olympics. It won’t be much of a shock if McGuire is in Paris this summer, as he’s been impressive in the time since being drafted sixth overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Lions. The 23-year-old has followed up a strong rookie year with three goals and an assist so far this season. It will be interesting to see who McGuire could compete with for minutes in the Olympics, with Ricardo Pepi noted as another possible option up top for the U.S. Overall, it’s nice to see McGuire is doing what’s needed to stay in the contention for Paris. I think that staying in Orlando rather than going to England has definitely helped his case.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride are riding a five-game unbeaten streak and will take it to the nation’s capital for a difficult road match against the Washington Spirit Friday night. The Pride have won their past two games and will face a Spirit side that has won four of its five games this season. Both teams have been defensively sound, each conceding just four goals, so it may come down to moments of individual brilliance to make the difference. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about the difficulty of the matchup, Orlando’s grit this season, and the impact Barbra Banda had in her debut last weekend.

Orlando City B Signs Colin Guske

Midfielder Colin Guske, who joined Orlando City’s academy back in 2020, signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B through this 2024 season. The 17-year-old made his OCB debut in the team’s season opener this year and scored the game-winning goal. He’s carved out a spot in OCB’s midfield this season, starting in four of the team’s five games. Guske has two brothers who have also gone through the club’s academy and played with OCB. A solid year with the Young Lions from Guske could result in a Homegrown Player contract for the senior team.

Columbus Crew SC Wins First Leg Against Monterrey

The Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals are here and the Columbus Crew are the only MLS team still in the tournament. They came up with a big 2-1 home win in the first leg of their matchup against Monterrey. Cucho Hernandez gave the Crew the lead in the first half and 21-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe scored the winner in the second. An away goal by Monterrey could prove crucial though due to the tiebreakers, and the second leg will take place on May 1. The winner of this matchup will take on either Club America or Pachuca in the final on June 2.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Dom Dwyer is reportedly headed out west to sign with Oakland Roots SC in the USL Championship.
  • Toronto FC traded away $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Derrick Etienne Jr. The 27-year-old has not received much playing time this season, and Atlanta could earn another $175,000 in GAM if performance-based metrics are met.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes have reportedly signed Hernan Lopez from Godoy Cruz. It would give a-needed boost to the team, which has just three points from nine games this season.
  • St. Louis City winger Celio Pompeu won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his great strike from outside the box in his team’s 3-3 draw with Sporting Kansas City.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride power rankings, USMNT player news, USWNT will host Costa Rica, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s that time of the week for some tasty links. Two seven-point weekends for Orlando’s soccer teams is nothing to sneeze at, unlike the pollen that coats my hometown of Tallahassee. It’s the time of the year that I make my money back with the unlimited car wash next to my work. Enough with my weather-related car issues, let’s get to the links.

Lions Move Up (and Down) in Power Rankings

There’s nothing that shows the value of “power rankings” better than when you can compare two different ranking lists for the same week for any given club. We all know Orlando City is undefeated in its last four matches thanks to the late heroics of Ivan Angulo to draw CF Montreal over the weekend. But, did you know that was both good and bad?

In ESPN‘s MLS power rankings, Orlando City dropped a spot from 16th to 17th despite “treading water” with a point on the road in Montreal. Meanwhile, the Lions roared ahead three spots from 21st to 18th in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. So, do you like that Orlando is 17th in the ESPN piece despite the drop? Or do you prefer the positivity of a three-spot jump to 18th in the MLSSoccer.com rankings?

Orlando Pride Rise in Power Rankings

Forget everything I wrote up there regarding power rankings — at least as far as the Orlando Pride are concerned. After starting the season with three draws, the Pride now have two wins in a row. As such, ESPN moved the Pride up three spots from eighth to fifth in its NWSL power rankings. Their move up the list is entirely deserved and the writer was correct in their assessment. Of course, I’m kidding but it’s still nice to see the Pride get recognized for their results. Now, we just need the Pride to continue the winning streak.

Keeping Up With USMNT Players Abroad

As we shared yesterday, Sergino Dest will likely miss this summer’s Copa America thanks to a knee injury suffered during PSV Eindhoven training. That means the USMNT has a right back situation to address and there are quite a few well known candidates to step in for Dest.

Meanwhile, Weston McKennie has reportedly rejected Juventus’ latest extension offer. I can understand his decision given it doesn’t include any additional salary. McKennie has been very good for Juve, with 10 assists on the season. He’s not the only American making a difference, as Tim Weah provided the assist on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal to send Juventus to the Coppa Italia final.

USWNT Olympic Send-Off Match

The United States Women’s National Team will play a match against Costa Rica at Audi Field on July 16. It will be the final match for the USWNT prior to the Olympics that start nine days later against Zambia. New coach Emma Hayes will join the team on June 1, which isn’t a ton of time before the Olympics start, but she has been a part of the process for months.

Free Kicks

  • The New England Revolution have acquired veteran defender Xavier Arreaga from the Seattle Sounders for a 2025 international roster slot, and up to $75,000 in General Allocation Money depending on performance.
  • Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba will be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury. Fortunately, he is expected to be back in time for the match against Orlando City on May 15. Where did I put the sarcasm font?

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s match against the Washington Spirit this Friday, and Orlando City’s match against Toronto FC on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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