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Orlando City at Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City returns from Canada with a point after a tough 1-1 draw with Toronto FC. Despite the week of rest, the Lions struggled to get much going but managed to hang in there and grind out a result to avoid a third straight loss. While it’s disappointing that Orlando hasn’t won a game this July, the team deserves some credit for battling back after falling behind late in the match.

Let’s dive right into how each of your favorite Lions rated in this road match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — It was nice to have Gallese back between the sticks. The Peruvian goalkeeper looked as calm as ever in his return after the Copa America, making two saves. On Toronto’s goal, Gallese had a good read on where Jozy Altidore was going to place his header but couldn’t react in time to stop the powerful header from point-blank range. He was accurate on 90% of his passes, with two of his three long balls finding their mark.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — Maybe the best news from Moutinho’s performance is that he played all 90 minutes. Given his injury history and Oscar Pareja’s efforts to ease Moutinho back into the swing of things, it was a great sign to see him go the distance on the road. He also turned in a great performance, leading the team with 86 touches and 74 passes. Of those, 82% were successful, which is pretty good considering the distance of some of his attempts. He was left out to dry on Toronto’s goal and was unable to best Altidore in an aerial duel in front of goal. Defensively, Moutinho just had an interception. On offense, he had no shots or crosses.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was caught in a bad position by a great cross from Justin Morrow that went right over his head for Altidore to head it home, but could have done more to help Moutinho with the big striker on that play. As one of the only Lions on the field capable of beating Altidore in the air, Jansson needed to be a bit more aware of the danger. The Beefy Swede responded perfectly just a minute later though, sending a long ball deep that Toronto defender Auro Jr. couldn’t cleanly deal with. The ball was dangerous enough with Benji Michel hustling after it that Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono committed a penalty trying to snuff it out. Defensively, Jansson made two interceptions and won two of his three defensive aerial duels. He ended the game with 47 touches and completed 86% of his 43 passing attempts.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — With Antonio Carlos still out, Schlegel stepped in as center back and made two clearances and a tackle. Although he only had 44 touches and 38 passes, he was successful on 89% of those passing attempts, including a key pass as Orlando tried to create opportunities with long balls downfield. He didn’t have any shots or make much of an impact on set pieces. While he was defensively sound, he did pick up a yellow card and committed a team-high five fouls, including two in dangerous areas for the opposition.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 (MotM) — Playing at right back, Smith did a great job defending Designated Player Yeferson Soteldo, who was the most dangerous player on the pitch. The two dueled throughout the match and Soteldo certainly got the better of him on occasion with some fancy footwork, but Smith put a stop to many plays that could’ve ended up causing trouble. On Toronto’s goal, he made a good effort to stop Morrow’s cross but was a step behind due to Soteldo’s presence. Still, Smith led the team with four tackles and had a clearance as he put out fires on his preferred right side of defense. Offensively, Smith sent one of his two shots into orbit and the other went straight at Bono for an easy save. He was only successful on two of his five crosses, but he did lead the team with two key passes. It was certainly a busy night for Smith as he had 72 touches and was accurate on 75% of 48 passes. After a rough time last week against the Chicago Fire, Smith rebounded with a good performance and stopped Toronto’s best player from running rampant.

MF, Junior Urso, 4.5 — It was a rough night for Urso. Although he completed 83% of his 41 passes, he was dispossessed a team-high three times and was only successful on two of his four attempted dribbles. While he had 55 touches, Urso also had no shots, key passes, or crosses. The midfielder spent a majority of the match chasing down Soteldo and Alejandro Pozuelo and finished the game with a tackle and two clearances. Urso has started every game this season and the schedule is only going to get more congested in the coming weeks.

MF, Sebas Mendez, N/A — The Ecuadorian was forced off in the 14th minute due to an ankle injury. Smith accidentally stepped on Mendez’ ankle when both of them went for the ball. Mendez had to be helped off the field and was unable to put any weight on that right foot. Hopefully the injury doesn’t end up being too serious. In a short shift, Mendez finished with nine touches, a tackle, a clearance, and was accurate on five of his seven passes (71%).

MF, Benji Michel, 6 — The Homegrown Player was bullied off the ball by Toronto’s defense during most of the game, but did find success when using his speed to beat defenders. In the 73rd minute, Michel turned on the jets to chase down a long ball into the box. Before Michel could make a play on the ball, Bono slammed into him and the referee awarded a penalty after checking with the Video Assistant Referee and reviewing the play on the monitor. Michel didn’t have any shots or key passes in the match and only had 25 touches, but he influenced the game nonetheless. He was successful on 79% of his 14 passes and didn’t attempt any crosses.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — The Uruguayan pulled the strings on offense in a midfield that was crowded by Toronto players all game long. Pereyra had one key pass in the match, sending a nice, low ball to Nani right in front of goal, but the ensuing shot was deflected. In 81 minutes of action, Pereyra had 68 touches, two tackles, a clearance, and completed an impressive 88% of his 60 passes. It wasn’t his best game by any stretch, but he did a decent job hustling on defense and finding open players.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain has now scored in four of his last five starts. His goal against Toronto came from a penalty that wound up in the back of the net despite Bono getting a hand to it. Had it been stopped, it would have been retaken, as Bono was well off his line. Nani led the team with six shots, putting three of them on target. Toronto really didn’t give Nani much room to breathe and he was dispossessed twice, caught offside twice, and only successful on one of his four attempted dribbles. On offense he led the team with six shots, putting three of them on target, and made a key pass. None of his four crosses ended up finding their target and he finished with 34 passes at an 85% passing rate. Defensively, Nani had a tackle, an interception, and a clearance.

F, Tesho Akindele, 4.5 — While Akindele did well winning the ball up field and in hold-up play, he wasn’t much of a threat offensively. The Canadian striker had no shots or key passes and was substituted off at halftime. He had 16 touches and attempted 15 passes at an 80% success rate. With Daryl Dike at the Concacaf Gold Cup and Alexandre Pato still recovering, Akindele needed to be more efficient in this one.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (13’), 6.5 — Brought on in place of Mendez early in the match, Perea did a good job on both sides of the ball. He made a few important defensive plays by intercepting a dangerous pass from Soteldo and later executing a crucial tackle on Soteldo in the box from a tough position without conceding a penalty. Perea nearly stole all three points in the 89th minute but just couldn’t get enough on his header on a tough ball and tougher defending that may have needed some video review. His only other shot in the match was on target, but didn’t give Bono much trouble. Perea was successful on both of his attempted dribbles, was dispossessed twice, and led the team with five interceptions. He made 60 touches and was superb when passing, with 91% of his 43 passes ending up successful.

F, Chris Mueller (45’), 5.5 — Coming on for Akindele at halftime, Mueller brought some needed energy to the team. His hustle nearly resulted in a goal in the 58th minute as he hunted down a loose ball in the midfield. After a series of nice passing with Michel, Mueller had a chance to shoot but Morrow broke up the play and the ball nearly snuck into the goal but hit the post. Mueller cooled off a bit but worked well in the midfield and made a few good runs. Like Akindele, he didn’t take a shot but he did at least make a key pass. Mueller was accurate on 74% of his 23 passes and had 28 touches.

MF, Uri Rosell (80’), N/A — After Orlando’s equalizer, Rosell was brought on to replace Pereyra and helped shift the midfield into a more defensive mindset. He didn’t play enough to earn a grade, but Rosell had two interceptions to help see the game out. The Spaniard had seven touches and completed both of his passes.

MF, Alexander Alvarado (90’), N/A — It was another late cameo for Alvarado, who had no touches, passes, or defensive stats in this one.

MF, Joey DeZart (90’), N/A — Like Alvarado, DeZart came on late to give the team some fresher legs. He committed a foul but it was deep in Toronto’s half after he tried slowing the game down. DeZart was successful on one of his two passes and had three touches.

That’s how I saw things play out in Canada. Make sure to weigh in how you feel about the grades in the comments and to vote for you who you think deserved the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Kyle Smith21
Nani8
Andres Perea2
Pedro Gallese4
Other1

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Lion Links: 5/1/24

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

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22 hours 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.”

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  • 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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s home loss to Toronto FC?

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2 days ago

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April 30, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City was on its way to three points Saturday night before a late collapse saw the Lions lose 2-1 to Toronto FC at home. It’s a tough loss in a season that has seen an unexpected start with the Lions sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances for the Lions in this difficult loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese’s form has definitely dropped this year, though he was one of the best goalkeepers in the league over the past four seasons. He was solid for the first 87 minutes, saving the two shots he faced, but then the wheels came off for the Lions. Toronto scored two goals when defenders left players wide open in the box. Gallese probably could’ve done better with Prince Owusu’s winner, but there was a difficult change of direction on the bounce, and the forward should’ve had somebody on him. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese completed 61.9% of his 21 passes, including seven of his 15 long balls, and recorded a clearance.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a solid game against Toronto. His 62 touches were the fourth-most on the team and he completed 90.7% of his 43 passes. The starting left back didn’t complete his lone cross but connected on two of his four long balls. He had a shot of his own, putting it on target. Defensively, Santos recorded a tackle, interception, and clearance before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 71st minute.

D, David Brekalo, N/A — Brekalo had a short night as he was injured early in the game. In the fourth minute, he collided with Owusu and required treatment for his knee. The center back attempted to continue, but eventually had to come off in the 16th minute, replaced by Rodrigo Schlegel. He only had 12 touches in the game and completed 90.9% of his 11 passes. The only defensive stat he recorded was winning an aerial duel. He wasn’t on the field long enough to fairly give him a grade.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was terrific for most of this game. He recorded a team-high 88 touches and completed 84% of his team-high 75 passes, which included six of 13 long balls. His excellent ball forward for Facundo Torres in the 37th minute led to the Lions’ goal. Defensively, he led the team with three tackles, three clearances, two blocked shots, and two aerial duels won.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson took his regular spot at right back and recorded 53 touches on the night. He completed 88.6% of his 35 passes, but didn’t connect on either of his two crosses or three long balls. He took a shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, he added a tackle, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel. Unfortunately, his most impactful part of the game was failing to cover Owusu at the back post, leaving the forward wide open to head in the game-winning goal.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo had a solid performance against Toronto, recording 61 touches. He completed 83.7% of his 49 passes, including three of his six long balls and his lone through ball. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, an interception, a blocked shot, and an aerial duel won.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena had one of his better games in this one, recording the second-most touches on the team with 71. He completed 88.7% of his 62 passes, including two of his three long balls. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, a clearance, and won an aerial duel, while taking one off-target shot.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had 51 touches against Toronto and completed 91.7% of his 36 passes. He completed one of his two long balls, but didn’t connect on his only cross attempt. His lone shot was off target, and he helped defensively by intercepting a team-high two opposition passes.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 (MotM) — Torres had an excellent performance in this game, recording 51 touches. While he only completed 75% of his 32 passes, he connected on two of his three crosses and played a perfect ball for Duncan McGuire in the 37th minute, enabling him to tap home the opening goal. The attacking midfielder nearly got one for himself in the 73rd minute from distance, forcing Sean Johnson into a good save. Similar to Angulo, Torres helped out defensively with two tackles and an interception.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda had 36 touches in 60 minutes and completed 92.3% of his 26 passes. He connected on one of his two long balls, but neither of his two crosses. He took one shot in the game, but failed to hit the target before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — McGuire scored the Lions’ lone goal in this game and was nearly the outright hero. He touched the ball 22 times and completed 63.4% of his 14 passes. However, strikers are judged on goals and McGuire scored the opener when he got on the end of Torres’ cross in the 37th minute. He nearly had a second in first-half stoppage time when he brought down an Ojeda cross well and slammed it into the far side netting. Unfortunately, he was just offside. He was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 71st minute.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (16’), 6.5 — Schlegel came on in the 16th minute when Brekalo went off injured and, despite not expecting to play that many minutes, was very good. His 71 touches were tied for the second most on the team and he completed 88.1% of his 59 passes, including two of his four long balls. Defensively, he had a team-high three tackles, an interception, and a team-high six clearances.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (60’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 60th minute and recorded 31 touches in a half hour of action. He completed 76.5% of his 17 passes, including a key pass and both long balls, but none of his three crosses. He also had a tackle defensively and didn’t take any shots.

D, Kyle Smith (71’), 5.5 — Smith came on in the 71st minute to help see out the game, replacing Santos. He touched the ball 19 times and completed 88.9% of his nine passes, including a key pass, his only cross, and his only long ball. The purpose of his inclusion was to help defensively and he recorded three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. However, he allowed clean crosses on both late Toronto goals and struggled to track Kobe Franklin and Federico Bernardeschi on Orlando’s left flank.

F, Luis Muriel (71’), 6 — Muriel came on for McGuire in the 71st minute, playing a deeper role. He recorded 21 touches and completed 64.3% of his 14 passes, including a key pass. He had two tackles defensively, but didn’t take any shots in 19 minutes of action.

That’s how I saw the performances for Orlando City in its 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night. Let us know how you saw the game and vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/30/24

Luana’s season ends with Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis, San Diego linked with Chucky Lozano, U.S. and Mexico withdraw 2027 World Cup bid, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 30, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was another busy weekend of Orlando soccer, and things aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. May is an absolutely packed month for all three teams, and the games will be coming thick and fast. We have a lot to discuss this morning, so let’s jump into the links.

Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

This week started off with some very sad news, as the Orlando Pride announced on Monday that midfielder Luana has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list as a result of her being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Brazilian international is starting chemotherapy treatments with the Orlando Health Cancer Institute. In a statement, Luana thanked both the Brazilian National Team and the Pride for the support she’s been receiving. Seb Hines and Rafaelle also spoke about how the team has been supporting Luana.

San Diego Reportedly Nears Deal for Chucky Lozano

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert has reported that San Diego FC is in advanced talks to sign Chucky Lozano ($) from PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch team is expected to receive a transfer fee in the area of $12 million, and Lozano would likely be the highest-profile player for the expansion team ahead of its maiden Major League Soccer season in 2025. While nothing is official, San Diego is said to be hopeful of getting a deal done before Copa America kicks off this summer.

U.S. and Mexico Withdraw 2027 Women’s World Cup Bid

The United States and Mexico have announced their decision to withdraw a joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and instead focus on bidding for the 2031 edition of the tournament. The bid had made it to the final three of the selection process, in addition to a bid from Brazil and a joint effort from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlowe Cone cited a desire to have more time to prepare while also having the opportunity to learn from the experience of the joint effort of hosting the 2026 World Cup. As far as who will host in 2027, the decision will be made on May 17, with Germany having hosted a Women’s World Cup back in 2011, while Brazil would be the first South American nation to host the tournament.

English Premier League Approves Spending Cap

Premier League teams took the first step towards implementing a spending cap on Monday. While a final vote is still needed to ratify the proposed changes, Monday’s vote gave the green light to start the legal and economic studies needed to change to a spending cap model. The proposed cap would be based on how much the lowest earning Premier League team earns from television rights, and could be implemented for the 2025-2026 season. There were 16 teams that voted in favor of continuing the process of moving towards a salary cap, while Chelsea abstained from voting, and Manchester United, Manchester City, and Aston Villa voted against the motion.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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