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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Santos Laguna, Leagues Cup: Final Score 1-0 as Toothless Lions Knocked Out of the Tournament

A sloppy performance against a good Santos side results in Orlando City’s quick exit from the Leagues Cup.

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City’s first foray into international competition could have gone better. The Lions nearly scored in the game’s opening seconds, then wasted numerous opportunities before falling 1-0 to Santos Laguna at Exploria Stadium in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Santos advances to play the Seattle Sounders in the semifinals.

The Lions struggled with their touch and passing accuracy all over the pitch, but especially in the midfield and attacking third and managed to get only two shots on frame on 13 attempts.

“Obviously frustrated with the result, but not with the way the boys played today, and the team, I think they showed a lot of personality tonight,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Especially in the first half, where we created those options and we could have walked out of the game with a different result.”

Pareja started pretty much a full-strength lineup (minus a few injured players), with Mason Stajduhar in goal behind a first-team back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Junior Urso and Andres Perea patrolled the central midfield, with Mauricio Pereyra and Chris Mueller facilitating the attack to Nani and Tesho Akindele.

The Lions nearly scored in the opening seconds, getting the ball down the left before Pereyra cut a pass back across the box. It was a bit of a stretch for Mueller to get on it but he was able to direct a shot on target that eluded goalkeeper Gibran Lajud but was cleared off the line by Ronaldo Prieto, sliding across the front of goal.

“If (Mueller) put the ball in there, I believe that would have been a very different game,” Carlos said.

Nani fired over the bar two minutes later after a good pass from Mueller.

The visitors got their first chance in the fifth minute on a shot from Prieto that was partially blocked by the defense and easily scooped up by Stajduhar. A minute later, however, Urso made a bad back pass that was picked off by Juan Ferney Otero at the top of the area, but Stajduhar made a good save.

Nani fizzed a shot just over the bar in the 10th minute off a well-worked short corner as the Lions continued to look dangerous early. Urso tried a long-range effort four minutes later but his shot skipped about five yards wide of the left post.

Orlando nearly got caught on the counter in the 21st minute when Jansson made a run forward into the area before the play broke down. Santos had a 3-on-2 break but Prieto fired off target from just outside the area.

After a couple of set pieces for Santos didn’t amount to much, the Lions got another good opportunity, working the ball to the left side in the 28th minute. Moutinho’s cross found an open Ruan on the right but the fullback’s header was off target.

It was a costly miss, because two minutes later, the visitors opened the scoring.

Winning the ball in the middle of the pitch, a player knocked Antonio Carlos to the ground, but referee Selvin Brown allowed play to continue and Santos Laguna took advantage.

Diego Valdes sent the ball left to Otero, who cut inside and took a shot that skipped a few yards in front of Stajduhar. The bounce, and the spin on the ball, made the shot tough to handle for the young keeper. Stajduhar got a hand to it but couldn’t keep Otero’s shot out and Santos took the lead at the 30-minute mark.

Orlando tried to pull it right back. Ruan sent a cross from right to left in the 34th that Akindele got a foot to, sending it back toward the right post, but it floated just high, skipping off the top of the crossbar.

That was the last decent chance of the half and the visitors took their 1-0 lead into the break. Shots were even at 8-8 but Santos got more on target (3-1). Orlando held more possession (52.1%-47.9%), while Santos won more corners (2-1) and passed more accurately (79.4%-78.6%).

“I thought, especially the first couple minutes we had two really good chances. Chris had a good one, Luis (Nani) had a good one,” Akindele said. “And then after that, we just couldn’t break them down too much. I thought we did well at building out. Our midfielders brought us up into the middle third, and then the final third, but we were just unable to find that final pass sometimes tonight, and I don’t think we created enough shots on target that we would expect from ourselves with the quality that we have.”

The second half was an uphill battle. Santos played more defensively after the goal and that continued in the second half, with the visitors dropping their midfielders to take away space. Orlando was able to get into decent positions but either couldn’t get the final ball right or got swarmed trying to find the next pass. Often the play was too deliberate and the team rarely moved the ball with the one-touch passing that it has used so effectively at times over the past two seasons.

“There (were) some moments in the sequence where the connection needed to be faster,” Pareja said. “We needed to move the ball faster in order to get an advance, or a numerical superiority, and having the numerical superiority in the last third when you play faster, it gives you a better option. We didn’t create those. Not in the volume that we used to have against other teams. Give the credit to Santos. They have good defenders and they recovered or retrieved it fast. But we could have finished those sequences in a better speed, and probably that would open a better option for us.”

Pereyra tried his luck from outside the area in the 48th minute but the shot was deflected out for a corner by the defense. Nani tried a long-range effort in the 64th minute but Lajud fought it off on what turned out to be the final shot on target of the night by Orlando.

The Lions won a number of corner kicks, getting six in the second half after earning only one in the opening 45 minutes. However, they never really created anything off of them.

Substitute Silvester van der Water freed himself up for a shot just outside the area in the 81st minute, but his blast sailed just over the bar. That was the last decent chance for either side in the second half. Santos didn’t do much with their second-half chances on the counter, sending four of the team’s five shot attempts well off target.

A visibly angry and frustrated Urso was shown a straight red card at the end of the match for screaming at the referee.

Both teams finished with 13 shots, with Santos getting more on target (4-2). The Lions had more corners (7-6), more possession (53.2%-46.8%), and slightly better passing accuracy (80.7%-79.8%), but just didn’t have any ruthlessness in the final third.

As well organized as Santos is defensively, it was always an uphill battle after falling behind in the first half.

“I thought we played pretty well overall, and maybe we just needed to score a goal early in the game when we kind of had the momentum with us,” Akindele said.

“I think it’s a game that is going to make us grow,” Pareja said.

The Lions return to league play next Wednesday, Aug. 18 when they travel to Tennessee to take on Nashville SC.

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all the inside information you need ahead of Orlando’s match with FC Cincinnati.

Published

8 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday looms large this weekend, as the Lions will try to put Saturday’s thoroughly dispiriting loss behind them. They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though, as they welcome an FC Cincinnati team to town that currently sits second in the Eastern Conference.

A match against FCC means I spoke with Justin Blair of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, Justin was very helpful in getting us all caught up on Cincy before tomorrow’s match.

The nine goals conceded by FC Cincinnati are tied for the fewest given up by any team in the league. What’s been working so well for FCC defensively so far?

Justin Blair:  In 2023, FC Cincinnati was tied for fourth in goals conceded with 39 allowed (Orlando, NYCFC, and RBNY). This season is continuing that impressive trajectory. The addition of Miles Robinson, arguably the best MLS center back, was a home run signing for FCC. Robinson joins 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga as the feature center back duo. But Pat Noonan’s system asks for three in the back and has been plugged with a rotation of players that have kept the defense stout. I have to mention that central defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo is arguably the most underrated player in all of MLS. He is an extremely skilled player that flies around and acts as a catch-all in front of the back line. 

Brandon Vazquez departed in the off-season for Monterrey. In his absence, who has Cincy turned to for goal scoring?

JB: Brandon Vazquez is a tremendous striker for FCC and has been solid for Rayados with 10 goals in 22 appearances. But his form never hit stride in 2023. He had nine goals across all MLS competitions, which was down from a career high of 18 goals in 2022. FCC had to find goals in other places last season, so they aren’t exactly in uncharted waters. So far in 2024, reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta has been carrying the load with four goals and five assists. Yuya Kubo, who I affectionately call FCC’s Swiss Army knife, has seen recent minutes at the forward position. Kubo’s confidence on the ball and chemistry with Acosta has seen him score three goals in a short amount of time. Surprisingly, FCC’s star Designated Player striker Aaron Boupendza has fallen in the graces of the squad and hasn’t hit consistent minutes this season.

Run me through some of the other arrivals and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are a few names to watch out for?

JB: Well FCC’s off-season was a doozy to say the least. Several departures include the previously mentioned Vazquez, along with Sanitago Arias, Yerson Mosquera (loan), Alvaro Barreal, Dominique Badji, Junior Moreno, and Ray Gaddis — all of whom played significant minutes for the orange and blue during their 2023 Supporters’ Shield season. For incoming players, GM Chris Albright brought in Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kipp Keller, and Corey Baird during the off-season. The additions of DeAndre Yedlin and Yamil Asad have also worked their way into the matchday rotation. Every piece added has felt like an upgrade or at least a comparable replacement. This is, of course, with the exception of replacing Vazquez.

FCC (recently) announced the loan signing of target striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk. The young loanee is sure to see considerable minutes with FCC but will likely not feature in the match versus Orlando City. I would keep an eye on Orellano for FCC. The left wingback is the heir apparent to Barreal that is so critical for Cincinnati’s ability to progress the ball from the midfield into the attacking third. Orellano is clean with his touches and can serve up line-splitting through balls that are perfectly weighted.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JB: Unavailable players might include Yedlin (hip), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (ankle), forward Sergio Santos (leg), and center back Nick Hagglund (knee). It seems uncertain if either or all will miss minutes in the match versus Orlando but most likely to participate would be Celentano, who was a late scratch versus Colorado on Saturday. 

Starting XI (3-5-2): Roman Celentano (Alec Kann); Bret Halsey (DeAndre Yedlin), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Luca Orellano; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Lucho Acosta; Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Score Prediction: Oscar Pareja seems to have Pat Noonan’s system figured out. FCC also struggles to find wins against Orlando City. I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw when the final whistle sounds. 

Thanks again to Justin for the great info on FCC. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

Published

12 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

  • Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
  • Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
  • Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
  • The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
  • Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
  • Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
  • Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

1 day ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

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

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