Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 1-0 as Shorthanded Lions Extend Unbeaten Streak

Lions are unbeaten in six to start the season after Tesho Akindele’s goal buried Toronto FC.

Published

4 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

For the second straight week, an early Orlando City goal was enough to win a 1-0 nailbiter as Tesho Akindele’s strike lifted the Lions to a 1-0 win over Toronto FC (1-3-2, 5 points) at Exploria Stadium. Pedro Gallese got his fourth shutout of the year and Orlando (3-0-3, 12 points) extended its best-ever MLS unbeaten streak to start the season to six games.

With the win — just Orlando’s third ever against Toronto — the Lions improved to 3-8-2 in the all-time series (3-4-0 at home). It was Orlando City’s first win over Toronto since July 14, 2018.

“Great three points against a very good rival,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I think today we showed a lot of character. We’re learning how to suffer the moments where the other team is having the better initiative. We could have been more polished to finish but we have to realize that Toronto had some options too and that just highlights the performance of our team defense.”

Without the suspended Nani, and without starting fullbacks Ruan and Joao Moutinho in the lineup, Pareja went with a back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith in front of goalkeeper Gallese. Junior Urso and Sebas Mendez patrolled central midfield behind an attacking group of Silvester van der Water — his first MLS start — Mauricio Pereyra, and Chris Mueller, with Akindele up top.

Pareja said that Ruan is getting close to returning but wasn’t quite ready and Moutinho had some soreness this week so they held him out as a precaution.

A cagey start to the game saw the two teams playing between the penalty areas, searching for space against the other team’s pressure. The first good look nearly fell to Toronto but the offside flag came up. Instead, van der Water nearly opened the scoring with a cheeky chip attempt from distance over Alex Bono, but the shot was wide of the target in the eighth minute. Four minutes later, the Dutchman set up a goal for someone else.

Taking the ball on the right side, van der Water sent a gorgeous cross into the box where both Urso and Akindele were making unmarked runs. The cross found Akindele, who nodded home his second goal of the season in the 12th minute. It was van der Water’s first assist with Orlando.

“I want always to give that ball with my left foot,” van der Water said of his pass to Akindele. “And this moment, I think, was a good moment in the game. It was a special moment of course and we train a lot about this. I’m really happy with the assist.”

A minute after the goal, van der Water had a go from the top of the area but his shot was blocked.

Toronto started growing in the game and finding some space, mainly down the wings. Yeferson Soteldo and Richie Laryea gave Smith and Schlegel fits. A shot from the top of the area was deflected and Gallese stuck out a foot to make a vital save in the 24th minute after the quick change of direction.

Mueller did well to get down the left side in the 30th minute and picked out a perfect pass to van der Water in the middle but the shot was sent straight at Bono.

Two minutes later, Toronto nearly scored. Soteldo got down the left side and beat the fallen Carlos, then chipped the ball to himself over Gallese before sending a shot toward goal that Jansson blocked. Schlegel cleaned up the loose change.

“In that situation I saw that the ball went behind the back line and Pedro went out, so I just tried to cover up behind him in case he was doing something like a chip or something to get through Pedro,” Jansson said. “But I feel like we’re trying to just back up each other, wherever on the field, so that’s the way we do it.”

In the 35th minute, Urso lost the ball in midfield but hustled back in time to block a shot from Jozy Altidore.

Toronto sent a shot over the bar from distance off a short corner kick late in stoppage time and the Lions held their 1-0 advantage at halftime.

Toronto had more shots (7-4), with each team getting two on target. The Reds had more corners (3-1), while the Lions held more possession (54.9%-45.1%) and were more accurate in passing (83.5%-78.8%).

Toronto came out on the front foot to start the second half, looking to equalize quickly, with Kemar Lawrence firing over the bar and Michael Bradley sending a shot wide in the opening minutes of the second period.

The Lions then settled down a bit and created some chances with Akindele getting clear for a shot but firing wide in the 49th minute, and Urso sending a shot off target in the 53rd.

The Reds then began pushing higher and creating some turnovers in the middle of the pitch with quick double-teams that Orlando was slow to play out of.

Still, Orlando didn’t allow many scoring opportunities despite Soteldo and Laryea creating problems on the flanks. Soteldo himself fired 14 crosses into the Orlando area, but only five of those found a teammate and none of them could fight through their defender to equalize.

The Lions should have put the game away in the 68th minute. A good ball over the top sprung Akindele behind the defense but Chris Mavinga hustled back and did just enough to body Tesho while he was trying to shoot and the chance fizzled.

Toronto nearly leveled the game in the 71st minute when substitute Jacob Shaffelburg got to the end line with just enough space to thread a seeing-eye shot along the line past Gallese but Schlegel was there to save it off the line.

The game opened up quite a bit as the Reds threw numbers forward and left gaps for Orlando to get into. Pereyra tried a tight-angle shot from the right in the 72nd minute but Bono was alert to it and made the save. Smith got forward and somehow found himself in the middle of the pitch for a cheeky pass from Urso in the 79th minute. Smith turned and fired but hit the shot at Bono.

Orlando City again should have put the game away in the 84th. Second-half sub Andres Perea sent fellow substitute Benji Michel in behind down the left for an opportunity and the Homegrown Player nearly found a hole. But Bono got enough of it to fight it off for a corner.

Carlos got his head on the ensuing corner but hit his shot just inches over the bar.

After those chances, Toronto did everything it could to tie the match but just couldn’t get anything past El Pulpo.

In the 90th minute, Shaffelburg had a lot of net to shoot at but missed after Gallese had stopped a shot by Ayo Akinola. As the six minutes of stoppage time wound down, Gallese made two big saves and the Lions cleared a last-gasp Toronto corner kick to claim the three points.

Toronto out-shot Orlando 18-10 (6-5 on target), and had more corners (9-4). The Lions held a slight edge in possession (50.6%-49.4%) and were more accurate passers (81.9%-78.9%).

“I think the boys have done a great job on taking care of the details, especially defending the last third when the other team is throwing a lot of numbers in,” Pareja said. “They’re being very generous with each other and helping each other and covering when it’s needed. We’re happy to see a team with that solidness. We would love to have games where we can play more comfortable.”

“I feel like we have been very mature, and we have developed,” Jansson said. “We are better closing down games in a way, but still today we got a lot of pressure. They found a lot of ways to get shots and create in the attack. So, from this game, I think we need to take with us that we need to keep the ball a little bit better, to rest with it in the second half. So, we need to be a little bit smarter there, but otherwise it’s wonderful to get the three points and the clean sheet again.”

The Lions head out on the road next Saturday for a date with the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. The team will then be off until June 19.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Opinion

Orlando City Needs a Strong Start from its Defense

The defense will need to come together quickly in 2025 for Orlando City to avoid another slow start to the season.

Published

3 hours ago

on

January 25, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The opening day of the 2025 Major League Soccer season is less than 30 days, and Orlando City is preparing for the opener against Philadelphia. With a full slate of preseason matches that recently dropped, the 2025 Lions will soon take to the field to put the final touches on preparing various tactics for the season ahead. That starts today with a friendly against Atletico Mineiro.

While there are numerous questions regarding the offensive side of the pitch for Orlando City, the defense should be an area of strength for OCSC as the season begins, and it may need to be, as any new attacking pieces brought in this late in the off-season will need time to settle in.

Starting with the dynamic duo of Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena, Orlando once again will have the good fortune of fielding one of the best defensive midfield pairings in all of MLS. While both Araujo and Cartagena are technically sound and strong defenders on their own, there is a noticeable difference in overall team defense when they both play together. Araujo, who has recently been the target of transfer speculation, is now expected to be locked into Orlando City purple for the upcoming season. He and Cartagena have demonstrated a great ability to take opposing star players out of the game plan, and there is little question regarding their importance when it comes to the successful start of the season.

Moving back toward the goal, Orlando City also returns a complete back line consisting of captain Robin Jansson, Rafael Santos, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and either David Brekalo or Rodrigo Schlegel. The tactics employed by Head Coach Oscar Pareja call for the fullbacks to get into the offensive flow as often as the game allows, and both Thorhallsson and Santos have shown that they are capable of attacking. While that part of their game is a bonus, their ability to get back and defend — especially against the counter — will be an early skill to watch as the season begins.

At this point in his career, there will be very few surprises from Jansson, as fans and the coaching staff know exactly what type of effort to expect out of the center back. The only piece of the back line puzzle that will be interesting to watch throughout the early part of the season will be who earns the right to slot in next to Jansson. Due to injury and international duty a season ago, Schlegel wound up winning the starting role from the newly acquired Brekalo. My gut instinct tells me that with an off-season of preparation, we will likely see the younger and more athletic Brekalo get the nod to start the year, with Schlegel the primary backup for both starting center back positions.

Finally, the man who anchors it all, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, will have the benefit of familiarity when it comes to the defenders in front of him. Gallese ended the 2024 season on a hot streak, in great form, showing his quality in the second half of the season and the playoffs, stopping multiple penalty kicks. He tied for fifth place among all goalkeepers with eight clean sheets in 2024 and will undoubtedly look to add to his career club record as the 2025 season begins.

With all of the defensive starters from the 2024 season back for 2025, Orlando City’s defense is expected to be the cornerstone of early season matches while the offense sorts itself out. The success then, especially during those first few matches, will likely live or die on the shoulders of the back seven defensive players.

Do you expect any cracks in the Orlando City defense to start the year or are you feeling confident in their ability to handle the new attacking pieces that have been added to the Eastern Conference? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Releases Full 2025 Preseason Schedule

The Lions will face three MLS sides, a Brazilian Serie A club, a USL Championship team, and a Canadian Premier League side this preseason.

Published

1 day ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On the eve of Orlando City’s first preseason friendly of the team’s 2025 camp — and 11 days into training — the club has released its full schedule for the remainder of the preseason. The Lions will play six matches, calling two of them “friendlies” and the other four “scrimmages,” but they all amount to competitive minutes for the squad ahead of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Two of the games are open to the general public, including Saturday’s FC Series friendly against Atletico Mineiro and the Feb. 14 preseason finale against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In addition, season ticket members can access a preseason scrimmage against CF Montreal on Feb. 8. Club staff will reach out to season ticket members with the details for that game. The other three scrimmages will be closed door.

The preseason schedule is similar this year to what the club has had for the last several years under Oscar Pareja, with mostly closed scrimmages and a mixture of MLS and other assorted competition.

After facing the Brazil Serie A side on Saturday, the Lions will head to Mexico for a week of training and team bonding, with one scrimmage against Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League. Orlando City will play three MLS clubs in the preseason, along with one team each from the Canadian Premier League and the USL Championship.

Orlando City will kick off its 2025 regular season at home against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

2025 Orlando City Preseason Schedule

  • Saturday, Jan. 25 — Preseason friendly vs. Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 — Preseason camp opens in Mexico
  • Tuesday, Jan. 28 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Forge FC (Closed Door)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Atlanta United (Closed Door)
  • Saturday, Feb. 8 — Preseason scrimmage vs. CF Montreal (Season Ticket Members Exclusive Match)
  • Tuesday, Feb. 11 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Rhode Island FC (Closed Door)
  • Friday, Feb. 14 — Preseason friendly vs. Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/24/25

Cesar Araujo will reportedly stay in Orlando, USMNT takeaways, MLS transfer news, and much more.

Published

1 day ago

on

January 24, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It should be a pretty decent weekend with plenty of soccer to enjoy both in Orlando and abroad. Orlando City’s first preseason game is Saturday against Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium. While I won’t be in attendance, I’m looking forward to learning how they do. But for now, let’s jump into today’s links!

Cesar Araujo Will Reportedly Stay in Orlando

There have been rumors and reports swirling around regarding midfielder Cesar Araujo leaving Orlando City this off-season. However, the 23-year-old will reportedly stay in Orlando for the 2025 season according to Tom Bogert. Uruguayan club Nacional has reportedly been trying to sign Araujo while he has a year left on his contract.

Sources: Cesar Araujo to stay at Orlando City.Nacional tried to sign him this winter but plan is for Araujo to stay. One year left on his contract and Orlando will still work on a new contract but know the team is better if he stays. Prioritizing 2025 over small transfer fee.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-01-24T01:07:39.303Z

It makes all the sense in the world for Orlando to want to keep Araujo in the center of its midfield for 2025. He’s been incredible since joining Orlando back in 2022 and has been integral to the club’s success in recent years. Clubs were always going to come knocking for Araujo’s talents, but I expect it would take a hefty offer for the Lions to let him go before his contract is up.

Takeaways From USMNT January Camp

While the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp usually isn’t too impactful, this year’s edition had some extra intrigue due to some standout performances across the two friendly wins. Zack Steffen had a statement game against Costa Rica, making a few sensational saves to secure a clean sheet. He needed a game like that to stay in the mix for the starting job after a rough season with the Colorado Rapids. Striker Patrick Agyemang played his first two USMNT games this month and scored in both, making the most of his opportunity. Diego Luna taking an elbow to the face and coming back out to assist on the team’s first goal against Costa Rica is also the kind of moment that could earn him more looks in the future.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS teams other than Orlando City continue to make moves ahead of the 2025 season. The exodus from FC Dallas rolls on, as Alan Velasco was officially transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina for a reported $12 million transfer fee. Dallas also traded center back Nkosi Tafari to LAFC in exchange for $300,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money and an international roster slot.

The Karol Swiderski era in Charlotte is over, as the club transferred him to Panathinaikos for a reported transfer fee of $2 million. Real Salt Lake added a young striker, signing 20-year-old Ariath Piol from MacArthur FC in Australia. Nashville SC signed American goalkeeper Brian Schwake from CD Castellon in Spain’s second division to provide more depth behind Joe Willis. Austin FC’s busy off-season continued by signing Zan Kolmanic to a new contract through 2026. The club is also reportedly closer to signing forward Myrto Uzuni for a club-record fee.

Europa League First Phase Nears Conclusion

Lazio is the only team to guarantee a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16 so far, doing so after a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad. English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur edged closer to securing a spot. A late winner from Bruno Fernandes gave United a 2-1 victory against Rangers, while Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-2 thanks to a brace from Heung-Min Son. The upset of the round belonged to Latvian club FK RFS, which took down Ajax in a 1-0 win at home. Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Midtjylland also picked up wins this week. This phase of the tournament will wrap up with 18 games on Thursday.

Free Kicks

  • Bay FC bought out Deyna Castellanos’ contract, with the midfielder joining the Portland Thorns as a free agent soon after.
  • After a vote approving funds to repair Al Lang Stadium, the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced that they will play there for their upcoming USL Championship season.

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

Continue Reading

Trending