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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Five Takeaways

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3 years ago

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The Lions headed up to New Jersey to face a Red Bulls team that generally protects its home grounds and, despite playing poorly, Orlando City had a chance to escape with a late draw. Unfortunately, shots don’t always go where you want them to and the Lions fell 2-1 to New York.

It was Orlando City’s 200th MLS regular-season game but it was one to ultimately forget. The Lions were forced to wear the PRIMEBLUE Parley kits that made them look like FC Cincinnati, and…well, they played like FC Cincinnati, to be honest.

Here are the things I took away from Orlando’s first L of 2021:

Missing Persons

If you keep taking players off a good team, it eventually catches up. Ruan’s continued absence and a personal matter Rodrigo Schlegel had to attend to forced Michael Halliday into the starting lineup for the first time on Saturday. While Halliday wasn’t terrible, he did turn the ball over in dangerous spots and was culpable on New York’s opening goal. If he’s not going to continue tracking Caden Clark there, he absolutely must make sure to communicate that a teammate has to pick him up. It did not appear Antonio Carlos knew much about Clark until the ball was in the net.

Up front, the second game of Nani’s ridiculous two-game suspension was obviously an issue. The midfield lacked composure on the ball and passes were off line just enough to force bad touches or simply turn the ball over on numerous occasions. Oscar Pareja said Mauricio Pereyra had experienced some tightness during the week and gave him 45 minutes anyway, but it was clearly not the normal Magic Mo out there.

Toothless Badger

It’s been painful watching Chris Mueller struggle in 2021 after his outstanding 2020 campaign. Mueller was deployed on the left again during the second match of Nani’s suspension and he just doesn’t look comfortable there at all. He’s still working his tail off but generally isn’t providing the expected width, he’s not generating consistent danger, and he’s been too passive at times. He had an opportunity to fire a quick shot in the box Saturday afternoon but instead tried to dribble past two defenders and was dispossessed.

But it isn’t just when he’s on the left. Silvester van der Water sent him on his way on the break just right of center and a heavy touch forced Mueller to re-gather the ball and by that time the defense had gotten into position to block his shot attempt. He’s not beating defenders 1-v-1, he’s passing backward a lot to restart attacking sequences, and he’s opting not to shoot when he’s got room to do so. The Lions need Mueller to get his swagger back and it might only take one shot going in to do it.

Flawed Strategy at the Start

Pareja said in his postgame press conference that the coaching staff picked a lineup and strategy expecting Orlando’s midfield to boss New York’s. That’s certainly not the way the game unfolded. The Lions were on their heels the entire first half and for stretches of the second half. Orlando struggled to break lines with poorly placed or weighted passes and every time the Lions turned it over, the Red Bulls looked threatening. Orlando changed tactics at halftime but the game was already 1-0 at that point, due mostly to one of those turnovers in transition. Instead of looking for a shot on goal, the Lions were picking a goal conceded out of their net because of a poor connection on the counter. Sebas Mendez had a shockingly poor game by his standards in terms of being loose with the ball and Andres Perea didn’t add much to the attack or to keeping possession.

The Lions’ turnovers were caused by numerous factors. Sometimes it was a misplaced pass, just a bit too far ahead or behind. Sometimes those passes were accurate but telegraphed. Often players in the middle of the pitch underestimated how much time and/or space they had before defenders closed and they kept the ball too long. Sometimes touches were simply too heavy and that little extra space between player and ball allowed the defender to close and poke the ball away.

Water Under the Bridge

Silvester van der Water has most certainly earned more minutes with his last two outings, tallying a goal and an assist. His 88th-minute miss on Saturday was a bad one, certainly, but without his goal four minutes earlier, the team’s not even in the match. After the match, van der Water seemed more concerned with the missed shot than the goal, which is the way you’d want your players to react, provided he puts the miss behind him and continues to be a dangerous attacking player.

The Dutchman provided an excellent ball to spring Mueller shortly coming on but Cash couldn’t control it on a day when it seemed like every bounce went the wrong way. So, it could have become a two-goal, one-assist outing in less than half an hour if things had gone more smoothly. I’ve seen enough that my conclusion is there’s just no excuse at this point not to start him every game until/unless Mueller starts producing at last year’s pace again.

Tesho’s Fine

There’s still a lot of blamethrowing going on when it comes to Tesho Akindele. I’m here to tell you that he’s not the problem with the offense at the moment. Even when not scoring, Akindele is finding ways to contribute both offensively and defensively. Saturday he listened to what Pareja has been drilling into him and selected the best options in the attack. He had two excellent layoffs for van der Water and should have had a two-assist game as his reward. He made an excellent run in the first half on a give-and-go with Junior Urso, but was forced onto his weaker foot before firing a shot on target. Akindele is more or less the team’s third-choice striker without Daryl Dike and Alexandre Pato, but he’s forged some good early chemistry with van der Water and does so many little things well that don’t show up on the score sheet, such as frequently forcing the opposing goalkeeper to turn the ball over.

Akindele has four direct goal contributions (two goals, two assists) in seven appearances after having just three (all goals) in 17 matches all of last year. He’s registered all four of those goal contributions in the past five games, including the last three straight. His next start will equal his total of starts from last season, his next shot attempt will equal his 12 from all of last season, and his next shot on target will equal the seven he had all of last year too. He’s not a prolific guy, but he’s stepped up his game in 2021. Unfortunately, some other guys have taken a step backward. If the surrounding pieces were clicking the way they had previously been, Akindele would find himself isolated less of the time and might even have better numbers to show for his work.

That’s the way I saw things during Saturday’s match. What did you see? Let me know in the comments section.

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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

13 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

16 hours 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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