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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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It wasn’t always pretty, but Orlando City got the job done and capped off a brutal stretch of three games in seven days, taking all nine possible points. The tired legs nearly got to Orlando, but the Lions’ individual quality and Miami’s shortcomings helped propel Orlando to a memorable 2-1 comeback victory in the quickly intensifying Florida Derby.

How did each Lion fare in Friday’s victory?

Starters

GK, Brandon Austin, 6.5 — I’m starting to like Austin. He’s not an elite MLS goalkeeper, but for a young, inexperienced player, he’s pretty good. He made one excellent early save off Jay Chapman and another easy save off a Chapman long shot later in the game. However, he should’ve done better on the Higuain goal. It was a well-placed strike, but from that distance and with that pace on the ball, you expect your keeper to have that one. Despite that, his distribution was good, completing 25 passes, including six long balls, at a 93% rate. He’s good with his feet, something that gives Orlando plenty of flexibility playing out of the back, and his shot stopping has been good enough for a backup.

D, Michael Halladay, 7 — Halladay made just his second MLS start in a primetime, rivalry showdown and held his own against admittedly weak opposition. He did occasionally struggle to contain former Lion Brek Shea, but mostly he handled his business on the right flank. He made two tackles, an interception, five ball recoveries, and two clearances. His offensive performance wasn’t great, but he did get into dangerous positions overlapping from the right. He just didn’t have the vision or quality to find the final ball. He completed 20 of 27 passes (74%) for the game. 

D, Robin Jansson, 8 — Great shift from the big Swede. His penetrating long balls played a huge factor in this game, particularly on Orlando’s opening goal. He spotted the run in behind by Nani and put it on a rope for the captain who made some magic of his own. Jansson completed four long balls and 65 passes in total, with a completion percentage of 94%. Defensively, he was rock solid as well, making two clearances and four ball recoveries, winning three tackles, and making four interceptions. That’s an enormous defensive stat sheet from the Viking and excellent work with the ball. You can’t ask for much more from a center back. 

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Solid game from Antonio Carlos. He wasn’t particularly influential with the ball, but recycled possession well, completing 59 passes at 92%, including five long balls. Defensively, he was reliable, even if his stat sheet isn’t as stuffed as his center back partner. He made three clearances, two interceptions, and three ball recoveries. He did his job and Orlando got the result. 

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Kyle Smith did not have his best game of the season against Miami. Especially in the first half, he struggled to contain Lewis Morgan and his sloppy touches and passes put Orlando in serious danger. To his credit, he pulled it around by the end of the game, and put in a solid if unspectacular performance. He made an impressive three tackles, four clearances, one interception, and 11 ball recoveries — all excellent figures. With the ball, he was less impressive. While he did complete 62 passes at 89%, it was mostly just recycling possession and he never provided an offensive threat. A part of that is tactical. The left back on this team typically plays almost as a third center back in possession, but it’s also Smith’s lack of offensive prowess. Joao Moutinho still makes an impact offensively in that reserved role, Smith didn’t. That’s all mostly nit-picky. In all, it was a solid, no-nonsense performance from El Soldado. 

MF, Andres Perea, 8 — I loved what Andres Perea did for Orlando in this game. Playing in Sebas Mendez’s deeper midfield role, Perea was orchestrating the game and cleaning up mistakes in the back end. Defensively, he won two tackles, made an interception, and made a whopping 16 ball recoveries. In possession, he was excellent, completing 90% of his 67 passes, including four successful long balls and a key pass. He nearly created a goal to ice the game late on a breakaway run and completed two dribbles on the night. I might have a slightly rosy picture of Perea’s game, as he was dispossessed three times and both he and Urso were occasionally poor at stopping the ball as it entered dangerous areas, but I can’t help but praise an exceptional performance from the young U.S. international.

MF, Junior Urso, 5 — Urso has played so much the last couple of weeks, he was bound for a slightly down game. He was sloppy in possession, making a few dangerous turnovers, and didn’t have the legs to consistently track runners, including on Higuain’s goal. However, his overall game was not terrible. His stat sheet is among the most impressive on the team. He racked up three key passes, completed two dribbles, made 10 ball recoveries, had three — largely wasteful — shots, drew three fouls, and completed 36 of 43 passes (84%). Of everyone on this list, Urso will be the most divisive. Could he have been better? Yes, and if Orlando had a little more depth available in midfield, he wouldn’t have started, but it was still a solid shift from the Bear. 

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 4.5 — I was not impressed by Pereyra’s performance in the slightest. Maybe that’s overly negative, but the Uruguayan was lacking sharpness all night. Granted, he was dealing with a knock and arguably shouldn’t have even played. He only completed 75% of his 16 passes and didn’t have any key passes or chances created. His sloppiness nearly got him in trouble, with a late challenge following a turnover resulting in a yellow card. Pereyra was not good enough tonight, and while it might not have been entirely his fault, it was a tough outing.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 5 — Similar to Pereyra, van der Water was massively disappointing in his 45 minutes of action. To his credit, he was active and got into good areas, but his delivery in the final third was poor. None of his three crosses were accurate, he failed to register a shot, and completed only one of three dribbles. He only completed 12 of his 18 passes (67%) passes for the game. He did make an interception and three ball recoveries, and drew two fouls. 

F, Nani, 9 (MotM) — What more can we say about this guy? Even on a slightly off night when he and his team were clearly exhausted, Nani’s quality still shines through. The goal was absolutely fantastic, nobody stopped the ball and Nani just ripped the top corner. He was also instrumental in the first goal, making a darting run in behind that Jansson picked out, before dropping a peach of an assist off the volley to the foot of Chris Mueller. Throughout the game, Nani was teasing a big moment with several half chances on audacious efforts and was awarded in the end. The captain finished with five shots, three on target, two key passes, completed 28 of 42 passes (67%), made a tackle and had four ball recoveries. If anyone is having an MLS MVP conversation that doesn’t include Nani, they’re just wrong. 

F, Daril Dike, 5.5 — It was a quiet second start for Daryl Dike in Ft. Lauderdale. He only had 14 touches all game, no shots, and struggled to find his feet in the game. He completed two of six passes, but one of them triggered a breakaway off a set piece. Despite his lack of service, he was still a handful for Miami, drawing two fouls and consistently occupying the center backs. He also made a headed clearance and a tackle before being subbed off for Tesho Akindele.

Substitutes

M, Chris Mueller (45’), 8 — Probably the best game of the season so far for Mueller. He finally got his goal, finishing Nani’s unreal pass into the box. Outside of that, he just added so much energy and a real spark offensively. He nearly had another goal, only denied by a great kick save by John McCarthy, and finished with three shots. The one thing Mueller needed this year was that aggression and decisiveness and it was finally on display against Miami. He also completed a cross, nine of 12 passes (75%), drew a foul, made a headed clearance, and made a ball recovery. This was vintage super-sub Mueller, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. 

F, Benji Michel (45’), 7.5 — Benji was similar to Chris Mueller, providing a much needed spark after an ugly first half. His strength and dribbling ability gave Orlando a more direct outlet and helped get the best out of Nani. He had the assist on Nani’s game-winning scorcher and finished with two key passes (completed 76% of his 17 passes in total). He also made a tackle, a ball recovery and a headed clearance. This has been a fantastic stretch of games for Michel. He’s still not the cleanest player on this team, but his energy and ability to beat players or make a play on the wing has been spectacular. 

F, Tesho Akindele (64’), 6.5 — Tesho didn’t do much in his 25 minutes of action. Only 10 touches for the Canadian international, including three completed passes, but his off-ball play helped Orlando finish the game. He also won a pair of aerial duels and made a ball recovery. Most importantly, his time wasting was impressive late in the game, showing that veteran cheekiness you want from Tesho.

MF, Uri Rosell (77’), 5 — Honestly, I didn’t really notice Uri in his limited run. He completed two of four passes, and made a tackle and ball recovery. The biggest impact he had on the game was a nearly disastrous giveaway just above his own penalty box. Fortunately, Orlando snuffed out the danger and got the ball out, with the play ending with Nani’s goal.

MF, Joey DeZart (84’), N/A — It was the fifth cameo appearance of the year for DeZart. He didn’t have much to do, mostly just staying in the defensive shape. He completed a pass and could’ve had a late goal-scoring opportunity if Perea had passed him the ball on his late breakaway.

That’s how I thought everyone rated last night, but what did you see? Leave your thoughts below and make sure to vote for your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Nani109
Chris Mueller3
Andres Perea0
Robin Jansson6
Other1

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/18/24

Barbra Banda’s opportunity in Orlando, Omar Gonzalez’s mental health struggles, UEFA Champions League quarterfinals finish, and more.

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2 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend packed with Orlando soccer. It’s been a fairly busy week for me as I juggle work with keeping an eye on my cat. He’s a bit of a menace, but at least in a cute way. I’ll spare you my rambling on how great he is, and instead give you today’s links from around the soccer world.

Opportunity Knocks for Barbra Banda

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda landed in the City Beautiful and spoke on how her first week with the team has been going. While there’s plenty of buzz surrounding the Pride on how Banda should improve the team’s offense, playing in the NWSL will also help the 24-year-old further develop her game.

“I think the league is quite good. I’ve been following it from way back,” she said. “I think it’s a very interesting league, very strong. All the teams are very physical, fast. So I think it’s good for myself to improve.”

Now that she’s with the Pride, soccer fans around the world will now have better access to watch one of the best forwards in women’s soccer. Banda also talked about the warm welcome she received at the airport and you can check out more of her reaction to that and some of her first few days in Orlando in the video below.

Portland Thorns Head Coach Reassigned

Mike Norris is no longer the head coach of the Portland Thorns after the club made him a technical director instead. The Thorns have never had a worse start to an NWSL season, losing three of their four games this year and still searching for their first win. Rob Gale will serve as the team’s interim head coach while the club does a global search for a replacement. I’m a bit surprised that Norris wasn’t given a few more weeks to turn things around, considering Portland is just a win away from being back in the thick of things. We’ll see if the Thorns will get that win with Gale at the helm when they take on the struggling Houston Dash Saturday.

Omar Gonzalez Shares His Mental Health Journey

American defender Omar Gonzalez discussed the difficulties he’s had over the course of his year and the toll it has had on his mental health. His own goal in the USMNT’s loss to Trinidad & Tobago that cost the team its chance to qualify for the 2018 World Cup would be rough for any player to overcome, but Gonzalez stated that head injuries made a stressful few years of his life much more difficult. Gonzalez admitted that he had daily suicidal thoughts until he reached out for needed help while with Toronto FC. Things have since improved and he’s currently with his hometown team, FC Dallas. I think it’s helpful for players like Gonzalez to be open about the mental health problems athletes face. Hopefully this lets other athletes know they aren’t alone in these struggles and encourages them to reach out for help if needed.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

Only four teams are still standing in the UEFA Champions League after the quarterfinals wrapped up with plenty of dramatic soccer. The matchup between Real Madrid and Manchester City lived up to expectations with a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in England. Real Madrid prevailed and ended City’s run, with Andriy Lunin making two saves in the shootout. In the other quarterfinal, Bayern Munich advanced after beating Arsenal 1-0, thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s head.

It all sets up for a thrilling pair of semifinals and potential storylines for the final. Will Bayern and Borussia Dortmund reach the final for a rivalry match for the ages? Can Kylian Mbappe finally give Paris Saint-Germain a Champions League title, and will it be at the expense of Real Madrid? If the semifinals are anything like the quarterfinals, it will be great soccer to enjoy.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City Director of Equipment Operations Charles Raycroft received some deserved recognition after reaching an impressive milestone in his career.
  • Romario, who was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994 after helping Brazil win a World Cup, has registered himself as a player for America Football Club. The 58-year-old has been the president of the club since 2009 and now has the chance to play alongside his son Romarinho.

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: 4/17/24

Orlando City rises in power rankings, Orlando Pride waive two players, Champions League results, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Time to start your day with some tasty links. It’s shaping up to be an exciting weekend with Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B all playing. Last week, Orlando’s teams ended up with seven out of nine possible points. Here’s hoping we see nine out of nine this weekend. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Moving On Up

Starting the season 0-3-1 is a good way to be in the cellar of the utterly meaningless MLSsoccer.com power rankings. Orlando City is now starting to climb up the rankings thanks to three straight results. The Lions moved up four spots to 21st after the 3-2 victory over DC United. It was Duncan McGuire’s goal that secured the win, and his performance off the bench was a talking point for this week as well.

Farewell Kaylie Collins and Tori Hansen

The Orlando Pride announced that goalkeeper Kaylie Collins and defender Tori Hansen were waived on Tuesday. Both players were on loan in Australia’s A-League Women ,with Collins at Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Hansen with Melbourne Victory FC. Collins and Hansen were both NWSL draft picks for the Pride, though neither saw significant minutes with the club.

Barbra Banda Begins Training

Barbra Banda participated in her first training with the Pride Tuesday. It’s uncertain how much playing time she may get this week, but it’s possible she makes her first appearance against the San Diego Wave this Friday. Please remember that it sometimes takes new players time to get used to a new club, a new city, and a new league. Of course, I’m still hoping she comes on and scores a brace against the Wave.

Wild Matches in Champions League Quarterfinals

Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund both overcame deficits in the first leg to advance to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. PSG dropped four goals on Barcelona to win 6-4 on aggregate. Barcelona scored first, but made things hard on itself when Ronald Araújo was sent off.

Borussia Dortmund also scored four goals, defeating Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate. Dortmund gave up an own goal, but battled back to take the lead in the match and then the lead in the tie thanks to goals scored in the 71st and 74th minutes. It was a wild, fun match to watch. Dortmund and PSG will meet in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

  • MLS will now start implementing the new rules for off-field treatments, timed substitutions, and in-stadium VAR announcements. The idea is to maximize effective match time.
  • The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will test new time limit rules during the 2024-2025 season for how long keepers can hold the ball with potential consequences including giving the opposing team a corner or a throw-in.
  • Finally, our thoughts are with the friends and family following the passing of Joel McKell.

That will do it for today. Check back later in the week as we get you ready for the Orlando City, Orlando Pride, and OCB matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/16/24

Nico Lodeiro earns recognition, Marta up for Goal of the Week, MLS stock watch, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 16, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you had a good weekend and got your taxes filed correctly and on time. It was a good weekend for Orlando soccer, as the Orlando Pride, Orlando City B, and Orlando City went undefeated and picked up seven of the nine points on offer. As always, we have a lot to talk through today. Before we get into today’s links, let’s all wish Luis Muriel a happy birthday!

Nico Lodeiro Makes Team of the Matchday Bench

Midfielder Nico Lodeiro has earned recognition for his part in Orlando City’s 3-2 win over D.C. United, making the bench of the latest edition MLS Team of the Matchday. The Uruguayan entered the fray in the 72nd minute and helped OCSC come back and take all three points. He took the corner kick that David Brekalo equalized from, (even though he was not initially credited with the assist) and provided an outstanding through ball for Duncan McGuire’s game-winner. Sean Rollins graded him a 6.5 out of 10 and named him Man of the Match in his player grades as well. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work!

Marta’s Goal Nominated

Marta’s game-winning strike during Friday’s contest against Utah Royals FC has been nominated for NWSL Goal of the Week. On the road and in the game as a substitute, it didn’t take long for the Brazilian to make her mark on the match. She was barely on the field for five minutes when she met a ball that was rolling across the box with a first-time strike that she powered in off the back post. It proved to be the game’s only goal and was enough to give the Pride their first win of the season. Make sure you vote for her to win this week’s honor!

MLS Stock Watch

The fortunes of Major League Soccer teams are in constant flux, and it’s always nice to keep track of how your enemies are doing. Former Lion Sacha Kljestan weighed in on which clubs’ stock went up and which went down after the weekend’s games. We start on a good note, as a resilient performance from Orlando City saw the good guys pick up their second win of the season. The LA Galaxy hammered the Vancouver Whitecaps by a score of 3-1, and proved that their place atop the Western Conference standings is no fluke. On the other side of the coin, Toronto FC has given up 10 goals in its last three matches, and Jon Herdman needs to find a way to keep things from getting worse until the Reds’ group of injured players can return to the field.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are two big matches featuring American players this week, so get them marked down on your calendar and don’t miss any of the action. Thursday sees Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan travel to the Italian capital to try to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit to Roma in the Europa League quarterfinals. Musah started Sunday’s match against Sassuolo and Pulisic subbed on in the second half as Milan clawed its way back to a 3-3 draw. Friday then has Juventus and Weston McKennie traveling to Cagliari for a Serie A tilt. Juve is currently third in the league and needs to keep picking up results to secure a UEFA Champions League place for next season.

UEFA Champions League Preview

Speaking of the Champions League, the quarterfinals wrap up today and tomorrow and there are a number of storylines to keep an eye on. Luis Enrique is strong in his belief that Paris Saint-Germain can overcome a 3-2 loss in the first leg to advance past Barcelona. Xavi has promised that Barca will look to attack rather than sitting and protecting its lead. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich will be without the suspended Alphonso Davies and likely Kingsley Coman due to injury, and their replacements will be hard pressed to contain Ben White and Bukayo Saka. Finally, Edin Terzic’s substitutions gave Borussia Dortmund a spark in the team’s 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg, which means the coach may have a selection headache on his hands as he tries to lead his side to a comeback.

Free Kicks

That’ll do it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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