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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-1 as Shorthanded Lions Bow Out of Playoffs

An early penalty awarded to New England set the tone, and when Orlando seemed to get back into the game, things got worse with another red card.

Published

3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The New England Revolution had never won a game at Orlando City before. At some point you knew that would change, but unfortunately it happened in the postseason as the Revs beat the Lions 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals at Exploria Stadium. Orlando fell behind 2-0 and battled back into it, only to see Designated Player Mauricio Pereyra sent off for an awful challenge from behind, and the Revs tacked on a late insurance goal against the shorthanded Lions.

Carles Gil’s penalty put New England up early on a fairly soft call on Uri Rosell against Tajon Buchanan in the box and Gustavo Bou added another at the end of a transition that started with what looked like Nani getting fouled in the offensive end, but no call was made. Junior Urso pulled a goal back for Orlando, but Pereyra’s red card changed the game, although the biggest talking point will be a Nani penalty that Matt Turner saved. Another talking point might be that Adam Buksa didn’t get a second yellow for taking out Brian Rowe when Daryl Dike was booked for a similar offense earlier in the match.

Whatever your favorite talking point is, it’s all academic now.

“Obviously at this moment there is a lot of pain, and there is a lot of frustration that we have been carrying in the last 10 days, probably, with things that happened and we could not apparently flush them off,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “I know how hard they worked for this objecitve and now we need to grow. Certainly this will help us, for sure.”

Without the suspended Pedro Gallese or Ruan, Pareja started Rowe in goal behind a back line of Kamal Miller, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Central midfielders Rosell and Urso played in the middle of the park, alongside attackers Pereyra and Chris Mueller, with Nani and Dike leading the attack.

The first half started out looking like extra time, with the teams playing cautiously and perhaps a bit nervously. Nani provided good service into the area three minutes in, but the cross was just a bit high for Dike to reach.

The Revolution earned a corner in the 11th minute with their first foray into the attacking third. New England played the set piece short and the Revs were called for a foul in their attacking box, turning it over.

Buchanan came down the right a few minutes later and changed the game. Rosell, backing up Miller, attempted a tackle and Buchanan anticipated contact, leaving his feet and going down easy. Referee Alex Chilowicz saw enough to award a penalty and Video Assistant Referee Chris Penso didn’t see a clear and obvious error. Gil stepped up and hit his penalty right down the middle, past Rowe, who guessed left, and New England led 1-0 in the 17th minute.

Orlando tried to pull it right back, winning a corner after the restart. Nani played the corner short to Pereyra, who crossed in. Jansson collected at the far side but hit his shot into the outside netting in the 19th minute. Mueller tried a long-range shot three minutes later but didn’t get much on it and hit it right at Turner for the easy save.

New England doubled its lead in the 26th minute. Nani got double teamed in the attacking third and went down under contact. Chilowicz allowed the play to continue and the Revs broke in transition. Adam Buksa hit a sliding shot off the right post, but Bou reacted to it first, scoring into the empty net to make it 2-0.

“We conceded a goal early, but I think we were OK in the game,” Nani said. “We were pressing up. We were creating our chances. But there was a decision when the ref didn’t give a foul on me and then they scored the second goal. I think there was the key of the game.”

“Obviously the two goals that New England scored early put us in a difficult situation,” Pareja said. “

The Lions found some life in the 33rd minute, pulling a goal back. Nani sent a gorgeous cross to Mueller at the back post. Mueller picked up the loose ball in traffic between Turner and defender Henry Kessler, sending it back to Urso, who fired home for his first MLS playoff goal, making it 2-1.

Dike nearly freed himself up in traffic in a similar way to Mueller two minutes later but couldn’t bring it in. Rosell picked it up at the top of the area and fired over the bar.

The last chance of the half came in the 38th, when Rowe got a hand on a Buksa shot to parry it over the bar. New England took its 2-1 lead into the locker room.

Orlando had more first-half shots (6-5), while the Revs got more on target (3-2) and won more corners (3-1). The Lions held more possession (57.9%-42.1%) and were the more accurate passing team (86%-78%).

The Lions generated a chance out of the break in the 46th minute when the ball found its way to Nani on the left side. He tried to curl a shot to the back post but didn’t hit it right and it sailed well off target. Moments later, Rosell stole the ball in midfield and started the break, but Mueller’s cross into the area was between teammates and easily cut out. Nani then won a corner but the cross was a bit behind the attacking line and Carlos couldn’t do much with it.

Orlando kept coming. Mueller won a corner in the 57th minute and Nani sent a low pass that Pereyra fired on target, but it was deflected wide by the defense.

But just when it appeared Orlando was on the front foot, disaster struck in the 60th minute. Matt Polster brought the ball forward and Pereyra trailed, looking for a chance to nick it back as he often does. However, when the chance came and Polster showed him too much of the ball, the Uruguayan launched himself late and his studs caught Polster’s ankle instead of the ball. It was an obvious straight red and the Lions were suddenly down to 10 men with a half an hour to play.

“I know Mauro, and I know how much he will be hurt at this moment,” Pareja said after the match, not having yet spoken with his DP midfielder. “I know how he feels, but I back him up 100% all the time, knowing that [he] made a mistake.”

“Mauricio today got a red card. He has our support. I love this guy,” Urso said.

“We’re professionals and I think we have to learn and find a way and find our character and deal with all these things that are part of the game,” Pareja said of the red cards the last two games. “And certainly today was another moment where we we lost our head. I want to be responsible for all that. It’s something that cannot happen.”

The Lions continued to try to find the equalizer. Mueller tried to split two defenders in the box in the 64th minute. He was walled off and Chilowicz ignored his plea for a penalty.

The Revs didn’t attack much but looked for opportunities to kille the game, and Bou fired a long-range shot that Rowe could only fight off for a corner. New England took the corner short, passed it back to Bou and the whole sequence repeated, as the Orlando keeper couldn’t do much but parry the shots away.

After the second corner, Buksa tried to dispossess Rowe on a passing sequence at the back and clobbered the keeper. Despite showing Dike a yellow card earlier for a play with less contact, Chilowicz kept his card in his pocket. Buksa was already on a yellow and the referee opted not to even up the two teams’ manpower on the pitch with a curious decision.

Orlando finally got its chance to level it in the 73rd when Dike was run over from behind inside the area. Chilowicz didn’t hesitate to point to the spot and Nani stepped up to take it. After going right twice last week against Sean Johnson — scoring once and seeing the other stopped on a great save — the captain opted to go left, but with the same, slow, stutter-step run-up. Turner guessed correctly and Nani didn’t get his shot far enough into the corner. Turner made the save and that seemed like the final nail in the coffin, although that was yet to come.

“Sometimes you should do better and then you must accept it was not your best. And today I couldn’t take the penalty,” Nani said. “We didn’t know what’s gonna happen at the end but I feel sorry for my teammates because the dream finishes right there.”

“Nani made a mistake. He don’t score the penalty, [but] he’s our leader. We believe in him,” said Urso.

Nani is five for 10 in penalties, including making an important one last week and against LAFC in the MLS is Back Tournament.

“Nani has had the personality. He has had the responsibility,” Pareja said. “There are always two, three people who are in charge of taking the PK. In that moment, he did it and we gave [him] the responsibility. It’s something that now obviously we may think that it should have been different…but Nani had the confidence from everybody.”

The Lions went to a three-man back line, sending Benji Michel and Tesho Akindele on to try to chase the game and, like any high-risk strategy might, it ended up costing them. After Akindele got under a free header on a free kick that might have tied the match, the Revs put it away.

With more space at the back, Gil took the ball down the left side, waited for a run, and sprung Bou through the defense. The New England DP slotted a shot right through Rowe’s legs to make it 3-1 in the 86th minute.

Orlando fashioned a couple of set pieces but couldn’t do much with them and the clock ran out on the Lions’ 2020 season.

The Lions out-shot New England (11-9) but the Revs got more on goal (6-3). Orlando had more corners (6-5), held more possession (61.2%-38.8%) and, passed more accurately (86%-77%).

“I’m very proud of this group. I’m very proud of the players,” Pareja said of his 2020 team. “Today people have seen us, the people recognize this group, the people know that they are good competitors and we’re proud of that.”

“I’m very proud of the team, of my teammates,” Nani said. “We talked a couple minutes ago. We had a team who’ve been working so hard, who’ve been improving so much, and everyone could see it on the field. In one season you can see so much difference on each player. And I’m so, so happy for what this team gave me. They made me believe we could win this league. They made me believe I could win a league again. Even at my age.”

Orlando City’s season is over. It doesn’t feel good right now, but it was a great season and any of us would have taken this if offered at the start of the year.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

Published

24 mins ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

  • Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
  • Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
  • Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
  • The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
  • Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
  • Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
  • Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

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

Published

21 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

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: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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