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Orlando City

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

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3 years ago

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Orlando City couldn’t capitalize on its chances in a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami at Exploria Stadium. Center back Antonio Carlos scored Orlando’s only goal, but Miami equalized in the second half and Orlando couldn’t find a winner.

Let’s dive right into how each of your favorite Lions rated in this draw at home against a rival.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — It was a fairly quiet night for Stajduhar in his second MLS start as he only faced four shots and had no saves. Two of those shots were on target, with the first coming in the 52nd minute as Robbie Robinson stormed into the box after beating Rodrigo Schlegel and Robin Jansson. Stajduhar rushed to close down the angle, but Robinson’s shot went over him, although Kyle Smith was there to save the day. On the goal, a good cross in the box found Kiernan Gibbs’ header at an odd angle that made it difficult for Stajduhar to get to. It’s hard to blame Stajduhar for the goal given the speed and placement of the header and it’s frustrating to see another Orlando clean sheet slip away. The important thing is that Stajduhar didn’t let the goal affect him all too much as a minute later he confidently snuffed out a dangerous opportunity from Lewis Morgan in the box. In terms of distribution, Stajduhar completed 10 of his 11 passes and his one long ball was inaccurate.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Playing at left back for the majority of the game, Smith did well on both sides of the ball. His best moment came in the 52nd minute when he got in position to make a goal-saving block after Robinson chipped his shot over Stajduhar. He did a good job making life difficult for Miami winger Morgan, although he did concede a few corners in the process and made an almost deadly error on an errant back pass that sent Morgan in on goal. On offense, his only shot was from a similar position to his goal against Atlanta United, but his header from Nani’s corner went just wide. Smith completed 90% of his 51 passes, but was only accurate on one of his four crosses. When Emmanuel Mas came on for Ruan in the 81st minutes, Smith switched to his preferred right back position and nearly provided the game-winning moment late in the match, but the video assistant referee had match referee Armando Villarreal take another look and, after reviewing the play, he ruled Tesho Akindele offside. Smith had a clearance and 69 touches, third most on the team.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The masked Swede was able to keep Gonzalo Higuain and Rodolfo Pizarro quiet in terms of scoring. Jansson was a brick wall that Miami had to work its way around and he had two interceptions and two clearances. Miami often went wide with its attack and Jansson wasn’t able to do much about the goal. The trio of Jansson, Smith, and Andres Perea did well to stop Miami on the left side of defense for the most part. All in all, it was a solid performance from Jansson and he finished with 66 touches and 58 passes at a 79% success rate.

One interesting thing from the match was Jansson’s involvement on corner kicks as he often lurked at the top of the box. It set up his only shot of the match, which he mishit on the volley and sent wide. On the other attempts, he tried passes over the defense but it never seemed to work. It’s unclear if this has anything to do with his face injury, but his size wasn’t used as a target in the box.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Throughout the season, Carlos has been a threat on corner kicks and his headers have been getting closer and closer to goal with every attempt. His breakthrough finally came in this game as Carlos made perfect contact with his head to give Orlando the lead before halftime. It was his first goal of the season and first with his head as a Lion.

Unfortunately, his head collided with Kelvin Leerdam’s seconds after his shot and he was sent to the ground in a scary moment that needed immediate medical attention. It certainly makes highlights of his goal harder to watch, but Carlos was able to walk off the field with no assistance. He didn’t return for the second half out of an abundance of caution and finished with a tackle, a clearance, 42 touches, and also won all three of his aerial duels. Carlos was also successful on 92% of his 38 passes as he helped the Lions build out of the back.

D, Ruan, 6 — The right back was engaged in an entertaining duel with former Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs. Ruan had to put in more defensive work than usual as a result, leading the team with five clearances and tying Junior Urso for a team-high three interceptions as well. Gibbs got the better of Ruan on his goal, easily getting across the front of the smaller defender to get a header on goal. On offense, Ruan had a key pass and one of his two crosses found their target. He had a great opportunity in the 51st minute but the ball he whipped in front of goal was deflected. Ruan had 63 touches and was successful on 82% of his 39 passes. While dangerous when sent forward, he didn’t spend as much time in the attacking third as he did against Atlanta United.

MF, Junior Urso, 5 — The Bear had a rough time in his first start since July 17. Urso battled against Gregore and Blaise Matuidi in central midfield and was a fouled a whopping five times. Miami committed a total of 19 fouls in the match and most were tactical decisions to interrupt Orlando’s flow of play in the midfield. Urso was a frequent victim of this and frustrated for most of the game as he couldn’t get much going. In 76 minutes of action, he completed 34 of his 38 passes for an 89% success rate and had 58 touches. Urso wasn’t much of a factor on offense, with no shots and one key pass. He did well defensively though, coming up with three tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances. He picked up a yellow card and was dispossessed twice in a performance he’ll shrug off despite some bumps and bruises.

MF, Andres Perea, 6.5 — Perea did much better in this match compared to his last performance against Atlanta United. Partnered with Urso in central midfield, he had stats similar to what we’ve seen from Ecuadorian midfielder Sebas Mendez. Perea led the Lions in touches (80), tackles (four), and passes (67). Only one of those 67 passes was inaccurate, resulting in an excellent 99% success rate. That being said, none of his passes were particularly threatening as he spent more time connecting Orlando’s defense and offense rather than creating chances. That’s not to say he wasn’t present on offense though. He had three shots, sending two off target while the other was blocked. Perea’s proven himself to be versatile in the midfield and seemed to do better in a more defensive minded role in this match.

MF, Benji Michel, 5 — For most of the match, Orlando’s offensive plays tended to end once Michel got involved. Michel wasn’t always at fault for this as he was often given daring balls in on goal by Pereyra, but his touch was heavy and he couldn’t seem to get past defenders. Although he played 75 minutes, Michel only had 18 touches and eight passes at a 75% success rate. It is worth noting that he posed enough danger running down a ball in the box that Leerdam desperately played it out for the corner that resulted in Orlando’s goal. Defensively, he did well securing goal kicks by using his body and had an interception. Michel had no shots or crosses and needed to make much more of an impact against Miami.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — In the 19th minute, Pereyra sent a nice ball from deep in the midfield over the top of Miami’s defense, but Nani’s resulting header didn’t give Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman much trouble. That ball was one of his two key passes during a full shift and it was Orlando’s first real chance of the game. Most of the maestro’s conducting was done from similar spots deep in the midfield rather than at the top of the box. His quality was on display all night long as he was able to cut through Miami’s defense with a single touch on multiple occasions. However, most of his created chances ended up as corners rather than goals as attacking Lions had tough positions to score from. He put one of his two shots on target, but it was fired right at Marsman. Pereyra finished the game second on the team in touches with 75 and he was successful on 85% of his 53 passes, which isn’t too bad considering most of his unsuccessful passes were lengthy and in Miami’s half. He was dispossessed twice, including a late turnover that could’ve ended up badly, and also chipped in defensively with three tackles. It was a strong outing from Pereyra and he’ll certainly benefit once Orlando’s strikers are more frequently on the field.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5 — Mueller’s struggles on offense continued as he had no shots or key passes over the course of 66 minutes of play. He was successful on one of his three crosses and completed 19 of his 21 attempted passes for a strong 90% success rate. Mueller was also successful on his single attempted dribble, but was dispossessed three times. It was far from his best game, but Mueller did the little things well as he hustled on defense and won four fouls. Mueller has definitely been overshadowed by Orlando’s other offensive players in recent weeks and only has one shot in his past five appearances.

F, Nani, 7.5 (MotM) — The captain led Orlando with five shots, with two on target and another two blocked. None were particularly easy and he did decent enough with the opportunities even though he wasn’t able to find the back of the net. His cross from a short corner to find Carlos in the box was picture perfect, the ball placed in the best spot possible for his sixth assist of the year. That cross was his only successful one from three attempts in open play, but he also led the Lions with five key passes. Nani took six of Orlando’s seven corners and found his target on all but one as he continues to make an impact from those dead-ball situations. He was also very efficient with the ball at his feet, only being dispossessed once and completing 40 of his 43 passes for a great 93% success rate. Nani is our Man of the Match for creating multiple chances for Orlando while taking care of the ball. He had 63 touches, committed no fouls, was successful on two of his three attempted dribbles, and looked threatening for most of the game.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (45’), 6 — Schlegel came on at halftime in place of the injured Carlos. He got himself out of position on Robinson’s chance, pushing forward to pressure Higuain and then losing the foot race against him after pressing high. He does get some style points for a neat somersault of sorts to keep his momentum when slipping to stay in the play. It wasn’t his most dominant performance, but he did have three clearances and won all three of his aerial duels to limit Miami’s chances. Schlegel completed 90% of his 21 passes and had 25 touches as well.

MF, Silvester van der Water (67’), 6.5 — The Dutchman came on to give the Lions an edge on offense after Miami equalized. His only shot was in the box, but he wasn’t able to get all of his weaker right foot on it to put it on target. Van der Water did well finding dangerous areas to operate in and had a brilliant pass out wide to Smith in the same motion he fashioned to take a shot to fool the defense. Had Akindele not been offside, that would have been an important part of the buildup to a game-winning goal. Van der Water provided the needed urgency the Lions lacked during the match and was hungry in the half hour he spent on the field. He completed all eight of his passes and had 13 touches in another efficient shift.

F, Tesho Akindele (75’), 5.5 — It looked like the Canadian scored the game-winner but his goal was ruled offside after review. Apart from that moment, he didn’t make much of an impact in the match beyond his diligent pressing, which shouldn’t be overlooked. Akindele was accurate on all four of his passes and had a total of eight touches.

MF, Uri Rosell (76’), 6 — Like Urso, Rosell had a frustrating time in the midfield. He committed two fouls that gave Miami free kicks in dangerous areas, picking up a yellow card in the process. While he didn’t have any tackles, interceptions, or clearances, Rosell completed 22 of his 23 passes and had 23 touches to help stabilize the midfield.

D, Emmanuel Mas (81’), 6 — The left back came on late to relieve Ruan and racked up 20 touches in a brief outing. Defensively, Mas had a clearance, an interception, and won both of his aerial duels. His only cross didn’t find its target, but he did a good job making sure Miami couldn’t get much going on his side of the field. Mas completed nine of his 12 passes for a 75% success rate and is looking like a solid acquisition for Orlando.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s draw over its rival. Make sure to weigh in on how you feel about the grades in the comments below and to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Nani12
Mauricio Pereyra6
Antonio Carlos10
Kyle Smith8
Andres Perea1
Other (tell us who in the comments)0

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Orlando City

How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively

How Orlando City has performed against teams playing with three or four defenders, and how that may influence the playoff game against Atlanta United.

Published

18 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The most famous quote about real estate is that “there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Soccer coaches also like to think in threes, especially when it comes to points, but for a soccer coach, the three things that matter might be the rhyming triplet “formation, formation, formation,” as that is where they will have the biggest influence on every game that their team plays.

Throughout his tenure as head coach, Óscar Pareja has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 as his formation (fbref.com’s lineup data shows that the Lions primarily played a 4-2-3-1 in 65% of their MLS matches this season, and 79% of their MLS matches during the last three seasons). The Lions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 during each of their last 14 games, and my confidence level is strong to quite strong (can you believe Meet the Parents came out 24 years ago?) that they will do so once again on Sunday when they host Atlanta United.

Atlanta United also prefers to deploy a 4-2-3-1, but was less consistent than Orlando City this season during MLS play, as evidenced by the chart below that shows how Atlanta lined up this season:

The purpose of this image is a table to show how Atlanta United lined up in 2024 (mostly in a 4-2-3-1 but also in one of six other formations).

I am relying on the coders at Opta for their evaluation of the formation, as I do not watch a lot of Atlanta United matches (sounds terrible), but though Atlanta primarily played with four defenders in more than two-thirds of its matches, during the last two matches it played a 3-5-2, the only two matches all season in which interim coach Rob Valentino rolled out that formation. I suspect that the formation change was related partially to playing Inter Miami and trying to defend the Herons’ dynamic offense and partially due to an injury suffered by defender Brooks Lennon in the first game of that series. So, while Atlanta primarily played four in the back for most of the season, there is a good chance it will roll with what worked against Florida’s second-best MLS team when it plays Florida’s best MLS team this weekend.

Now, if you want to read more about Atlanta, then you can read our match preview, which will drop Sunday morning, but I want to look at how Orlando did against teams that play similar styles. Looking only at MLS games, the table below shows how Orlando City performed against different back line structures this season (the left side is how the Lions’ opponents lined up, the right side is how Orlando City performed against opponents in those formations):

Table embedded as an image showing Orlando City doing best in goal differential in 12 games against three-man back lines, second best against four-man back lines, and having played once against a five-man back line (a 1-1 draw).

Orlando City earned slightly more points per game — the stat that matters most — against teams that played four in the back, but the Lions had a better average goal differential when teams played three in the back. Atlanta will likely deploy one of those two formations. In both games against Orlando City this season, Sunday’s visitors went with a 4-2-3-1, but as mentioned earlier, they used three in the back in each of their last two matches, so it really could be either.

Soccer is not like baseball, where players primarily stay in the same spot throughout the game, so some of these stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, as players are not always rigidly in the same position throughout a match. A team may also primarily play with four in the back but switch to three when chasing a game, or five when trying to protect against a late goal.

That said, using the data around Orlando City’s opponents’ general formations, here are the attacking groups who played the most frequently against four defenders during the 24 MLS games where Opta coded the opponents as using a defensive group of four:

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy four defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus eight goal differential for the season.

It is a little ominous that the main starting group, shown in row one, has played 666 MLS minutes against back lines of four this season, but do I like that green goal differential of +8 in those minutes, which is a strong +1.08 per 90 minutes. I like that goal differential more than I like all the things that Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin like on their song that is creatively named “I Like It.” Coincidentally, when people ask me what I think about that song, I say, “I like it.” I am very creative.

If we look at the lineups that Orlando City has used against back lines of three defenders then there are some pretty major differences in personnel groupings, but it must be noted that more than half of the games against teams playing three in the back came early in the season, when Ramiro Enrique was unavailable to play. Enrique, my presumed starter at striker, has played fewer than three games’ worth of minutes (265 total) against back lines of three this season, and only 28 minutes with the main starting group, which ranks 13th among all the attacking lineups for minutes played against three defenders. That group scored one goal in their 28 minutes together though, for a robust 3.21 goals-scored-per-90-minutes average.

While the team as a whole has been successful against three-man back lines, I do not expect any of the lineups shown in the table below to play more than a few minutes together this weekend, though the first row and the last row are strong groups and had a lot of success.

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy three defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus three goal differential for the season.

I am sure that all week long the Orlando City coaching staff has been going back and forth on whether it is more likely that Atlanta reverts to its most commonly used four in the back, or if the Five Stripes try for three wins in a row with three in the back. I would prefer that Atlanta plays with zero defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan wears a blindfold, but I think that is unlikely to be the case.

Even though Atlanta defeated Orlando City both times while in a 4-2-3-1, based on available personnel and recent results, I believe that the team will come out in a 3-5-2 in Inter&Co Stadium in the conference semifinal. Good things come in threes, and Orlando City’s best offensive production this season has been against three defenders, so I am going to be hoping that this continues, and in the third game against Atlanta the Lions grab the three points. Three’s company!

Well, it is a playoff game, so there are no actual points at stake, but you know what I meant.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?

Published

20 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?

Beat Guzan

Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.

Cartagena is Essential

Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.

Overcome the Past

That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday afternoon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/21/24

Marta’s chance to shine in NWSL Championship, NWSL and MLS award winners announced, 2025 SheBelieves Cup details, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending most of this week plotting out some holiday shopping to make things a little less stressful for myself over the next few weeks. A big weekend filled with Orlando soccer awaits us, so make sure to get any errands or obligations out of the way sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Spotlight Falls On Marta in NWSL Championship

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, including Marta’s opportunity to put an exclamation point on what has been an excellent season for the Pride. Orlando has been enjoying the fruits of its labor this season after a rebuild over the past few years that’s included plenty of change in the City Beautiful. Marta has been a constant, however, enduring some difficult seasons since joining the Pride and adapting her game She’s scored in both of the Pride’s playoff games so far and has a chance to author a storybook ending on Saturday.

Ann-Katrin Berger Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was named 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out the Pride’s Anna Moorhouse and Utah Royals FC’s Mandy Haught for the honor. It was Berger’s first year in the NWSL and she’s the first European player to win the award. She only conceded 16 goals across her 22 matches for Gotham this season and was a key reason behind her team’s success. I’m not too surprised that Moorhouse did not win, considering how solid the Pride’s defense was as a whole, but this won’t take anything away from a record-breaking season for her.

Wilfried Nancy Named MLS Coach of the Year

Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy was voted 2024 MLS Coach of the Year after a historic season in which the Crew set club records in both points and goals. The Crew also won the Leagues Cup this summer and their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign included advancing past Tigres and Monterrey en route to the final. This is Nancy’s first time being named Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the award every year since 2021. The Frenchman received 40.02% of the vote, winning the award over Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas.

2025 SheBelieves Cup Details Unveiled

The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup will take place next year and the tournament will return to its usual format where each of the four teams plays each other once. The United States Women’s National Team will host Japan, Colombia, and Australia in February in what should be an exciting tournament. The U.S. will take on Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston before facing Australia in Arizona on Feb. 23 and finishing the tournament on Feb. 26 against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. These games will also be the first domestic games of 2025 for the USWNT as it prepares to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Eric Quill Named FC Dallas Head Coach

FC Dallas announced that Eric Quill will become the team’s next head coach. Quill joins Dallas after a great year with New Mexico United that included trips to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and USL Championship Western Conference semifinals. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Quill, as he previously coached North Texas SC and was named USL League One Coach of the Year with the club in 2019. Dallas missed out on the playoffs this season, with Peter Luccin coaching the team on an interim basis after the firing of Nico Estevez in June.

Free Kicks

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to a bet involving this weekend’s NWSL Championship, with embarrassing lightshows on the line.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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