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Orlando City

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

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Leave it to Orlando City to draw in the team’s first ever playoff match. At least the Lions were considerate enough to win the penalty shootout afterwards, regardless of who was in goal. Yesterday’s match was weird, fun, insane, and perhaps a little drunk, but in the end Orlando City advances in the postseason and that’s the only thing that matters.

Let’s get to the individual player grades from an interesting match against NYCFC.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — Can a goalkeeper who gets sent off during a penalty shootout be the Man of the Match? He can. It’s not that there aren’t any other good candidates but without El Pulpo this match wouldn’t have come close to extra time or a shootout. Gallese’s save on Jesus Medina in the 24th minute was incredible. He made another diving stop two minutes later. His double save in the 43rd minute against Valentin Castellanos and Keaton Parks was sheer brilliance and had Parks shaking his head. He denied Medina in the 64th and Ronald Mattarita in the 114th. It was an amazing game by Gallese, with six saves and he showed off some tekkers in the game as well.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Starting on the left side and switching to his preferred right side late in the match after Ruan was sent off, Smith had a decent match, but there was definitely more he could have done. The biggest problem for me was a 61.4% passing accuracy and his one accurate long ball on seven attempts. But he was mostly fine defensively, finishing with three tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — The beefy Swede led all Lions in clearances (6), adding four tackles and three interceptions. His 82.9% passing accuracy led all Orlando City starting defenders and he hit on three of his five long ball attempts. He even scored on his penalty attempt in the sudden death portion of the spot kick shootout. His work rate was outstanding, as in the 38th minute, when he blocked a pair of crosses in rapid succession, winning a goal kick to ease the pressure. He also hustled back to break up a potentially dangerous counter-attack after a set piece.

D, Antonio Carlos, 8 — If Gallese wasn’t my Man of the Match, it would be Carlos. The Brazilian was all over the pitch, making an unbelievable 10 interceptions to go along with five clearances, five blocked shots, two aerials won, and four tackles. He attempted one shot, which he sent wide off a set piece, not counting his successful penalty in the shootout. His 79% passing accuracy was decent, and he connected on four of his eight long balls.

D, Ruan, 5 — The speedy Brazilian passed at an 80% clip and had one key pass, providing an outlet down the right most of the game. But his decision-making was poor, his yellow card was foolish, and his sending off was just downright selfish. I understand why he was upset with Gary Mackay-Steven, but he has to be smart enough to avoid taking the bait. Defensively he made one tackle and one interception.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6.5 — The Spaniard returned after a 13-game absence and pretty much picked up where he left off, serving as the engine in the central midfield, linking the lines and cleaning up spills. He passed at an 87.1% rate, completed six of eight long balls, created one scoring chance, and attempted one shot. He also had two tackles and three interceptions. It was a typical, workmanlike game from Rosell.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear was similar in his play to Rosell. His passing rate was 86.7% but he completed a whopping 90% (9/10) of his long balls. He made four tackles with three interceptions and fired two shots, although neither was on target. His weak spots were few, but one was a failure to contain Maxime Chanot on NYCFC’s goal, although he was the recipient of a push on the play, which knocked him off balance. He also was dispossessed three times and had two unstable touches.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7.5 — The Uruguayan had a good game, creating five scoring chances and tallying a team high six dribbles. Defensively, he chipped in four tackles, an interception, and a blocked shot. He completed six of his eight long balls and passed at an 84.4% rate. My only real criticism of Pereyra was that he attempted no shots. New York City FC therefore did not have to respect his shot and watched for him to pass, cutting out some of his attempts in the final third, which foiled some good buildups and led to some transition opportunities. Pereyra wasn’t alone in that, though, as it seemed the Lions sometimes wanted to dribble and pass the ball to the back of the net.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — It was a mixed game for Mueller, who started well but seemed to struggle with his touch deeper in the match, as with the turnover in his own half that led to a scoring chance — and one of Gallese’s great saves — in the second half. He had one key pass, which set up the Nani header that led to the early penalty kick. His passing was decent (82.9%). Defensively he had a clearance and a tackle. He took only one shot that he missed on badly, was dispossessed four times, and had four unstable touches.

F, Nani, 7.5 — The captain had a strong game overall, leading the team in touches, with 91. He attempted a team high six shots, getting two on frame, and buried his fifth-minute penalty with composure, scoring the first MLS playoff goal in Orlando City history. He created two scoring chances and had four dribbles, to help propel the offense forward. He passed at an 86.3% rate and, like Pereyra, hit on six of his eight long balls. On defense, he chipped in three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. The only real quibbles are that he missed the opportunity to put the penalty kick shootout away as the fifth shooter, he looked to get foul calls a bit too often, and his crossing wasn’t as accurate as usual (just 1/5).

F, Daryl Dike, 6 — The rookie sometimes struggled to get on the ball, finishing with just 22 touches. He attempted two shots, getting one on target, and made one key pass. He was a 71.8% passer and made two nice dribbles in the match. However, he offered no defensive actions, committed two fouls in the offensive end, was dispossessed twice and had three unstable touches.

Substitutes

F, Tesho Akindele (83’), 5.5 — The Canadian came on for Dike and until the shootout his most significant contribution was missing a sitter in the 10th and final minute of stoppage time. He later redeemed himself by scoring in the penalty shootout. Akindele attempted two shots, but got neither on frame, passed at just 58.3%, and made one interception.

MF, Andres Perea (83’), 6.5 — The Colombian came on for Rosell and inserted himself into the match, passing at an 87% clip and hitting on four of his five long ball attempts. He was booked for taking a tactical foul to break up a transition, but it was his only foul. He finished with one clearance and created one scoring chance. He also scored on his penalty in the shootout.

D, Kamal Miller (90’+4), 6.5 — The Canadian defender had a long wait for a whistle to get into the game after Ruan was ejected, finally subbing on in stoppage time. However, he acquitted himself well at left back, finishing with a clearance, an interception, and two blocked shots. He made one dribble and took one shot, that went just wide after a nice run forward on the attack in extra time. Miller completed all seven of his pass attempts.

D/GK, Rodrigo Schlegel (101’), 7.5 — This is one player who must be graded on a curve. He touched the ball only 12 times after coming on for Smith. He played right back, which is a bit unusual, completing four of his five pass attempts. He completed his only long ball attempt. But the Argentinean will go down as an Orlando City legend after volunteering to replace Gallese when the Peruvian keeper was sent off. “Papi, I can do that,” Schlegel said to his coach and he did that. Schlegel faced three shooters in his first professional stint as a goalkeeper, allowing goals on spot kicks by Castellanos and Nicolas Acevedo before coming up huge against Gudmundur Thórarinsson. Schlegel got a touch to the shot and knocked it off the post and out to set up the winning penalty.

F, Benji Michel (106’), N/A — Speaking of the winning penalty, the Homegrown Player subbed on at halftime of extra time for Pereyra when the Uruguayan felt some tightness after playing 105 minutes. I’m not going to give Michel a grade after only a 15-minute run-out, but it was an important appearance. He got only 10 touches and completed three of his five passing attempts, made one interception and buried a cannon shot past Sean Johnson to end the game.


That’s the way I saw the performances on Saturday afternoon at Exploria Stadium. Don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match in our poll below, and let me know where you strongly agree/disagree in the comments section below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese84
Antonio Carlos2
Mauricio Pereyra0
Nani1
Robin Jansson3
Rodrigo Schlegel37
Other0

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

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  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

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: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

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

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