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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Five Takeaways

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The 1-1 scoreline of Orlando City’s game against Sporting Kansas City didn’t do the contest justice. It was a fairly wide open and attacking affair, and one that Orlando probably could have gotten more than just a point from had the team been sharper on the night. Road results are tough to come by though, so at the end of the day I’m pretty happy. What follows are my five thoughts from the game.

Frantically Paced Contest

Aside from a period of around 10 minutes in each half, this game was played at a very high tempo by both teams. Early on that was due to Kansas City pressing very high up the field when Orlando had the ball to try to make things difficult for the Lions. When it worked, it worked well, and Sporting forced plenty of turnovers from Orlando in its own half. However, when OCSC was able to bypass the first wave of pressure, the good guys were able to find a lot of spaces in midfield to drive into and then move the ball out wide. It seemed like there was always an attack happening for one of the two teams, but that didn’t really need to be the case.

Sloppiness Still Plagues Lions

It wasn’t the most mistake-free night from either team, but to my eye Orlando was particularly guilty of being careless with the ball. Whether it was loose touches, or dangerous or simply completely misplayed passes in their own half, the Lions made way more mistakes than we’ve become accustomed to seeing. As mentioned earlier, part of that is due to pressure from Sporting KC, but there were plenty of unforced errors too, particularly when playing out of the back. It may simply be that Orlando is still rounding into regular season form, but the amount of mistakes was frustrating, and could have cost the Lions worse than it did.

Orlando Dangerous in the Attack

On a more positive note, the Lions carried plenty of threat going forward and looked much more dangerous than they did last week against Atlanta. Orlando took 11 shots on the night and put four on target, but beyond the numbers, the team just did a better job of creating chances. If not for some very good work from John Pulskamp and a couple chances that Benji Michel couldn’t convert, OCSC might have been able to get more from this game than a point. As was to be expected with Mauricio Pereyra still suspended, the Lions did their best work then they were able to get the ball out wide to Ruan or Kyle Smith, but struggled when trying to keep the ball on the ground and play through the middle. Another avenue that provided some joy for Orlando was bypassing the Kansas City midfield altogether by using long balls over the top for attackers to run onto, and that’s where the equalizing goal eventually came from.

Overturned Goals Galore

Goals being overturned by offside calls was the order of the day without a doubt. SKC had one while Orlando had two. I don’t know if there was an over/under on chalked off goals, but if there was, the over most definitely hit. I felt particularly bad for Andres Perea, as his best taken shot in an Orlando shirt didn’t count, and only because of the briefest of touches from Antonio Carlos. Regardless, the Lions were at least creating chances and the video review that finally went Orlando’s way was the most important one, with the offside call on the equalizer being reversed after a brief look at the monitor from Joseph Dickerson. All the goal decisions were the correct ones though, and the game was a proper poster child of video review being used the right way.

Nani and Smith Save the Day

It was beginning to look like it wasn’t going to be Orlando’s night. The men in purple had the better chances on the night, and most of the dangerous looks at Pedro Gallese’s goal were to due self-inflicted mistakes. Regardless, whether it was due to offside calls or just not being able to finish off chances, as the game wore on, Orlando getting the road result it deserved looked less and less likely. In the end though, Nani’s instinctive moment of class secured a road point that the Lions more than earned. Don’t overlook Smith’s contribution to the captain’s inspired backheel flick though. The fullback made a stellar run that split the KC defense and then took a great touch to bring down the long ball from Mendez and play it into the box. Nani was the one who scored, but Smith was the one who made it.


Overall, I’ll settle for a road point, even though it was a game Orlando could have won. The team was still without Joao Moutinho — though he dressed and was in the 18 finally — Uri Rosell, Robin Jansson, Alexandre Pato, Silvester van der Water, and the aforementioned Pereyra, but looked much better going forward, and I found that very encouraging. If the sloppiness and errors can be fixed and the creativity in attack can be ratcheted up a few notches when those players return, then there’s plenty of reason for optimism.

What were your thoughts on the game? Be sure to have your say down in the comments.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/29/24

Lions brace for the Red Bulls, Pride take on Chicago, OCB will play Inter Miami II in Bradenton, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! Today marks one year since we here at The Mane Land published our first story here at our new independent home. It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s already been a year. Thank you all for sticking with us or checking us out since our move. That kind of support goes farther than you might think. I joined the team back in October of 2016 as an editor and it’s only just now hitting me that I’ve been here for nearly a quarter of my entire life. Here’s hoping for another great year of independence and Orlando soccer!

Orlando City Set to Host New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s match at home Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls was noted as one of the top matches in the league this weekend. The Lions earned their first win of the MLS season last weekend and will look to build on that momentum heading into tomorrow. The Lions will also get a boost from players returning from international duty, with Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, David Brekalo, and Peruvian duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena back. They’ll have their hands full against a New York team that’s coming off of a 4-0 win over Inter Miami. Lewis Morgan had a hat trick in that match and Orlando’s defense will have to find a way to keep him and the rest of the Red Bulls from running rampant.

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s third match of the NWSL season kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. when they host the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride enter this match following a gritty 1-1 draw against Angel City FC, with Brazilians Angelina and Marta linking up on a corner kick for a late equalizer. One thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s match will be how the Pride’s shorthanded defense can limit Chicago’s attack. The Pride have targeted versatile players while rebuilding, and that proved to be worth it last week as multiple players stepped up to fortify the back line. The last time these two sides squared off in Orlando was in August of last year, with the Pride coming up with a big 5-0 win. Hopefully we get to see a similar result tonight.

OCB Match Will Be Part of Generation Adidas Cup

Tuesday’s MLS NEXT Pro match between Orlando City B and Inter Miami II will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton and will be part of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup. The participating teams of the tournament were invited to attend the match, along with their families, and fans can watch the match for free on the league website. The match will be broadcast in English, but a new AI dubbing platform will be used to instantly translate it into Spanish, French, and Portuguese. It will supposedly maintain voice and tone, so I’m morbidly curious to hear just how artificial it will sound.

Generations Adidas Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Speaking of the Generation Adidas Cup, the youth tournament kicks off tomorrow. All MLS academy teams will compete alongside some of the top youth teams from around the world in both the U-15 and U-17 age groups. Orlando City’s U-15 side was noted as one to watch after a strong run of form this year. Caleb Trombino has been solid defensively and Jakob Garcia has the attacking talent to light it up in this tournament. The team can make a statement when it takes on Arsenal’s U-15 squad at 10 a.m. this Sunday. That match, along with 27 others, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions received some special visitors for their training.
  • Somehow, the Seattle Reign’s Ji So-Yun beat Marta to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

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. 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.

Free Kicks

  • 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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