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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 5-0 as Makeshift Lions Lineup Gets Run Off the Pitch

Things didn’t seem likely to go Orlando City’s way from the moment the team sheet dropped.

Published

2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played a clear B team against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium and when teams do that in Major League Soccer, they generally get killed. So it was with the Lions, as they were run off the tiny pitch at Yankee Stadium, losing 5-0 at NYCFC.

Orlando City (7-4-4, 25 points) has just one win in its last five matches, while a New York City FC (7-5-2, 23 points) club that had been struggling to score goals ran rampant. Not only did Orlando take its third loss in five and suffer its worst loss under Head Coach Oscar Pareja, but the Lions also lost a lot of ground in the goal differential column. Orlando lost more ground to New England.

“Very difficult game,” Pareja said. “I think New York from the first minutes started just getting space. We couldn’t find a way to match the game. What I can tell you is our team is intact and we will bounce back. We go with no excuses. Tonight nothing bounced our way. We didn’t play well. We couldn’t put passes together. We have commitment with ourselves, and we will look in the mirror to see what needs to be better.”

Pareja went with the makeshiftiest of makeshift lineups. With Mauricio Pereyra suspended due to yellow card accumulation, Alexandre Pato apparently still out — despite having trained with the club for the last couple of weeks — and Nani and Chris Mueller not on the game-day roster, the bench featured two goalkeepers and five defenders, along with little-used Homegrown midfielder David Loera.

This lineup never seemed likely to get a result and was never close to getting one in this match.

Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Emmanuel Mas — making his first MLS appearance/start — Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Joey DeZart stepped into the starting central midfield with Uri Rosell, with Alexander Alvarado getting his first MLS start, along with Andres Perea in the facilitator roles for Benji Michel and Silvester van der Water at the top of the attack.

“We had a different look today with some different players,” Pareja said. “We had some challenges, but we’re not going to talk about those challenges, because I don’t want to make it sound like an excuse and we’re not going to have any excuse.”

It was Orlando’s first league game without Nani, Pereyra, or Junior Urso in the starting lineup since Aug. 3, 2019 and the first league game without any of them on the team sheet since July 18, 2019. It showed.

As one might reasonably expect from such a disjointed lineup, there was no cohesion going forward. The Lions were not able to string passes together in the attacking half, and when they did, there were heavy touches that allowed New York City FC to take the ball away or there was confusion between players not knowing where to put the next ball. On a few occasions when everything else went right, a player would slip on the Yankee Stadium turf at the critical moment to spoil the buildup.

Maxi Moralez had the first good opportunity of the game in the 14th minute, heading wide off a cross from Keaton Parks. Orlando was well positioned for the cross, but the diminutive Moralez was able to get in front of his defender to get his head to it.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi should have scored in the 17th minute but sent his shot wide. Mas did just enough to bother him to force the error. Two minutes later, no one closed down Moralez just outside the area and he sent a back-post ball that hit the top of the goal frame.

The Lions got their only good chance of the first half in the 20th minute. Perea sent van der Water in down the left and the Dutchman fired a blast on target but right at goalkeeper Luis Barraza, who made the save but spilled it. The defense came to his rescue and knocked it out for a corner.

The ensuing cross skipped into the box but NYCFC found the handle first and cleared.

After the water break, just past the half-hour mark, the Pigeons started circling. New York City FC started taking advantage of Orlando sagging from the wide areas and started fizzing in dangerous low crosses. In the 35th minute, Gallese made a spectacular point-blank save on Tajouri-Shradi and he did the same a minute later against Valentin Castellanos.

The breakthrough came in the 40th minute. A routine ball was sent forward for Castellanos, who grabbed Carlos, pushed him backward about five yards, and wrapped his arm around him. As a result, Carlos was off balance when he tried to clear and swung and missed the ball, hitting Castellanos instead. Medina picked up the loose ball and smashed a shot just under the crossbar to open the scoring. Carlos was booked on a play that easily could have been blown dead and ended in a yellow to Castellanos, but instead the hosts led 1-0.

Watch how far Castellanos moves Carlos on this play.

Had that not counted, it would hardly have kept NYCFC from winning the game easily, but it was the first leak in the dam for Orlando City.

DeZart freed himself for a shot in stoppage time but sent his effort well off target and that was the last decent look of the half.

NYCFC led in shots (10-3), shots on target (4-1), possession (57.8%-42.2%), and passing accuracy (80.8%-71.%). Each team had two corners.

Pareja made two changes at the break. He sent Ruan on for Smith, giving El Soldado his first minutes of rest all season. He also put Robin Jansson on for van der Water, moving to three at the back.

The Lions should have tied the match two minutes after the restart. Michel got down the right and crossed in to Perea just two yards in front of goal, but the shot was hit right at Barraza for an easy save. The Lions are left to wonder how the game might have unfolded had Perea knotted the score at the start of the second period, giving the inexperienced lineup some confidence.

Instead, NYCFC seized control of the match.

Jansson misplayed Castellanos in the 50th, allowing the forward to get around him for a shot, but Gallese snared the chip attempt out of the air. Things got worse after that.

Tajouri-Shradi doubled the lead in the 53rd minute, isolating against Schlegel on the edge of the box. Mas was inside and couldn’t get over to help and Rosell slipped trying to close down, allowing the attacking player to smash a shot that Gallese perhaps should have parried away. The shot went through him and in to make it 2-0.

Moralez tried to chip Gallese in the 55th minute from long range, but the Peruvian scrambled back to make the save. Gallese made another big save in the 63rd minute to deny Castellanos. A minute later, Moralez was left completely unmarked at the back post but hit his volley attempt wide.

Orlando finally looked to get out on the break in the 65th as a long throw found Michel down the left channel behind the defense. He turned toward goal, saw no options and ended up losing the ball trying to pass back.

Seconds later, Moralez crushed any hope of getting a point out of the match, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The closest the Lions came to scoring in the final half hour was a Maxime Chanot header that came dangerously close to being an own goal in the 72nd minute.

Malte Amundsen made it 4-0 in the 79th minute on a give-and-go that looked obvious on television but the Lions were slow to cover it.

Castellanos added a fifth just three minutes later off the rebound of another spectacular Gallese save.

Despite the big lead and Orlando playing five at the back, as well as defensive-minded players in the midfield, New York City FC just kept generating chances. Gallese was obviously struggling health-wise late in the match after a collision with Thiago during a clearance made him land awkwardly. But eventually the game mercifully came to an end.

New York City FC dominated the stat sheet, out-shooting the Lions 23-5 (15-3 on target), holding way more possession (61.1%-38.9%), earning more corners (6-5), and passing much more accurately (84%-74.8%).

“Just overall it was not a good game,” Carlos said through a club interpreter. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong. It was a day that the team couldn’t string together two passes. We’re  going to get back to training and start working on all of the things that went wrong today.”

“How do we advance past this and how do we correct the mistakes that we had today is we just wake up tomorrow and automatically turn the page and look at getting ready for this weekend’s game, obviously hoping to change the outcome,” Mas said through a club interpreter.

The Lions have a lot of soul searching to do before kicking off back-to-back rivalry matches at home on Friday when Atlanta United visits Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando City

2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Alex Freeman

We start our Orlando City player reviews with a look at a Homegrown fullback who made his MLS debut this season.

Published

13 hours ago

on

November 29, 2023

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City signed fullback Alex Freeman to a Homegrown Player contract on February 15, 2022. He became the Lions’ 12th Homegrown signing and his deal runs through the 2025 season with a club option for 2026, but the youngster did not see action in Major League Soccer last season. With the departure of Ruan, there was an opportunity for Freeman to win a job with the first team in camp but he wasn’t quite ready to make the jump, instead playing an important role with Orlando City B throughout the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Let’s take a look back at Freeman’s 2023 campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

Freeman made his MLS debut on April 29 in a 2-0 home win over the LA Galaxy. It was not just his debut with the first team, but it was also his only appearance with the senior squad in 2023, although he did make the substitutes’ bench a few times after that. Officially, he logged only one minute, entering in the 93rd minute. He was only on the pitch a matter of seconds, so it’s unsurprising that he registered nothing on the stats sheet.

The son of former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, Alex starred with OCB in 2023. In MLS NEXT Pro play, Freeman appeared in 24 of OCB’s 28 matches, starting 22, and logging 1,855 minutes. He finished tied for third on the squad in goals (4), adding three assists and passing at a 79.1% success rate. Freeman attempted 25 shots, putting 11 on target, and contributed 10 key passes. He committed 22 fouls, drew 27 on the opposition, and was booked four times. He also started OCB’s playoff match at Columbus, playing 89 minutes in the Young Lions’ 2-1 road loss. Freeman didn’t contribute a goal or assist or attempt a shot in the match, but he passed at an 88% rate, created one scoring chance, and committed one foul.

Best Game

With only one MLS appearance to his credit, the default best game for Freeman came on April 29 in Orlando City’s 2-0 home win over the LA Galaxy. Freeman didn’t even officially touch the ball in the game, but it’s not every day a teenager gets to play in an MLS match, and I’m sure it was a special moment for him. It was certainly a milestone in his professional soccer career.

2023 Final Grade

As Freeman fell well short of the minimum 450 minutes played mark to receive a rating on our 1-10 scale, The Mane Land has no choice but to mark his grade as incomplete for the 2023 season. There are areas of Freeman’s game that need a bit of refining, but at the same time, it’s easy to see why he landed a Homegrown contract, why Orlando City would find him an intriguing prospect, and why he’s been getting called up by the United States for U-20 international duty. His attacking presence was huge for OCB in 2023 and he was one of the key players that led the Young Lions to the postseason.

2024 Outlook

I would expect Freeman to get more seasoning at OCB in 2024, although he’ll be given opportunities in preseason camp to show whether he’s closed the gap on the likes of Michael Halliday and Kyle Smith (assuming both return). If the club moves on from both Halliday and Smith, it’s not hard to picture Freeman starting the season providing depth at right back for the first team. Having just turned 19 in August, Freeman has a lot of potential and he should start to unlock that within the next year or so.

This is the first of our 2023 Orlando City Season in Review articles. Every player who played minutes this past season and who finished the year on the club roster will be reviewed (exceptions may be made for players let go when the club officially announces its roster moves). Players who logged fewer than 450 minutes (combined regular season plus playoffs, Concacaf Champions League, U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup) will receive a composite score between 1 and 10 as determined by a panel of The Mane Land writers, while those who did not reach that threshold will receive an incomplete grade.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/29/23

Orlando Pride players called up by Brazil, MLS announces 2023 Best XI, latest MLS roster moves, and more.

Published

19 hours ago

on

November 29, 2023

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers I hope all is well down in Florida. I’ve been very busy working throughout the holiday weekend at Under Armour. This week I’ll be working at Wrigley Field for Winterland while getting ready to cover high school wrestling tomorrow night. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Players Called Up By Brazil for Friendlies

Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle and forwards Marta and Adriana have been called up to the Brazil Women’s National Team for its upcoming friendlies.

Brazil will play two matches against Japan on Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 in Sao Paulo before playing Nicaragua on Dec. 6 at Estadio Fonte Luminosa in Araraquara.

MLS Announces the 2023 Best XI

Major League Soccer announced its 2023 Best XI, recognizing the league’s top players at each position. There were no Orlando City players selected for the team and eight players received the honor for the first time. Those players are St. Louis City’s Roman Burki and Tim Parker, FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, Atlanta United duo Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis, Houston Dynamo midfielder Hector Herrera, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, and Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez. Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar made the Best XI for the third consecutive time, while teammate Walker Zimmerman was named to it for the fifth time. MLS MVP Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati rounds out the list.

Latest MLS Off-season Roster Moves

The Colorado Rapids announced their latest roster changes as they prepare for the the 2024 season under new Head Coach Chris Armas. The club exercised its options for defender Andrew Gutman, midfielder Ralph Priso, and forward Calvin Harris. The Rapids declined contract offers to seven players, with the most notable names being defender Steven Beitashour and goalkeeper William Yarbrough, although the Rapids are in discussions about re-signing Yarbrough. Elsewhere, the New England Revolution exercised the permanent transfer option on forward Tomas Chancalay, signing him to a Designated Player contract through 2026, with a club option for the 2027 season.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

Champions League action returned in Europe, as we get close to wrapping up the group stage in a couple of weeks. Manchester City overcame a two-goal deficit to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 and win Group G. Newcastle United had a chance to qualify for the round of 16 but gave up a late penalty to Paris Saint-Germain, which Kylian Mbappe converted to end the match in a 1-1 draw. Borussia Dortmund beat AC Milan 3-1 to book its spot in the knockout stage. PSG, Newcastle, and AC Milan are all still alive in Group F heading into the final matchday in December. Shakhtar Donetsk won 1-0 against Royal Antwerp and also still has a shot to advance on the final matchday. Lazio, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Young Boys all won their respective matches as well. Today’s matches include Manchester United on the road against Galatasaray, Real Madrid taking on Napoli, and Sevilla facing off with PSV Eindhoven.

Free Kicks

  • Concacaf has announced that BMO Stadium, Dignity Health Sports Park, Shell Energy Stadium, and Snapdragon Stadium will be the four venues that will host matches for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
  • Barcelona midfielder Gavi will be sidelined for up to 10 months after undergoing knee surgery after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee.
  • The International Football Association Board approved a trial for sin bins, meaning players punished for dissent or specific tactical offense would be temporarily removed from the match for a set amount of minutes.
  • You have got to see this goal from Cwrt Rawlin FC in the Welsh seventh division.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/28/23

Luciano Acosta named MVP, Americans in action, scheduling news for U.S. national teams, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

November 28, 2023

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I’m dragging a little today after having an extended period of time off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but there’s no rest for the wicked and the only way out is through. With that being the case, let’s get into today’s news.

Luciano Acosta Wins MLS MVP

In a piece of news that plenty of people likely saw coming from several miles away, Luciano Acosta has been named Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player. Acosta racked up 34 goal contributions during the regular season, finishing the 2023 campaign with 17 goals and 14 assists as the driving force behind his team’s run to the Supporters’ Shield. He was voted the best player in the league by quite some margin and won the award in a landslide, taking 60.37% of the votes to Denis Bouanga’s 14.97% and Thiago Almada’s 6.46%.

American Stars in Midweek Action

There are a number of United States Men’s National Team players that will be in action this week, with several UEFA Champions League clashes highlighting the viewing slate. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan will face Giovanni Reyna’s Borussia Dortmund today in a game with huge ramifications for both teams. Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergino Dest may play in PSV Eindhoven’s match with Sevilla tomorrow, and a win would likely go a long way to securing a place in the Round of 16. Additionally on Wednesday, Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin have a chance to make a big move towards a place in the Europa League, as a win over Braga would leapfrog the German club into third place in Group C.

USMNT & USWNT Scheduling News

The USMNT will open its 2024 slate of games with a match against Slovenia on Jan. 20 in San Antonio. The match will fall outside of an international window, meaning that the January camp roster will largely be made up of domestic-based players. The USMNT has faced Slovenia twice before, with the most recent time being a 3-2 win in Ljubljana courtesy of a Jozy Altidore penalty kick.

While we already knew that the United States Women’s National Team would play China PR on Dec. 5 in Frisco, we now know that one of the team’s legends will be honored before the game. The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced that former Orlando Pride defender Ali Krieger, who stated in March that she will retire following the NWSL season, will be honored before the match. Krieger played 108 games for the USWNT and is a two-time World Cup winner with the team.

Notable Women’s Players to Miss International Matches

A pair of high profile women’s players will miss upcoming international games. First up, Sam Kerr will not feature in Australia’s back-to-back friendlies against Canada due to a foot injury. Kerr has struggled with injuries this year and her availability was limited during this summer’s World Cup.

Alexia Putellas will miss Spain’s two Nations League matches against Sweden and Italy after picking up a left knee injury. Putellas had missed Euro 2022 due to an ACL tear, but was back to help her side win the World Cup several months ago. Fortunately for Spain, the team is well positioned atop its group and has enough players in the squad that it shouldn’t feel her absence too keenly.

Free Kicks

  • A pair of Willian penalties and an early Alex Iwobi goal helped Fulham beat Wolverhampton, with American defenders Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream also starting.
  • New York Red Bulls forward Tom Barlow is reportedly headed to the Chicago Fire.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Y’all stay safe out there.

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