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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City earned its third-straight 1-1 draw against an MLS opponent, although this one came on the road against Nashville SC. After a sloppy first half, the Lions battled back to score and leave Nissan Stadium with a point. There were times when the Lions looked as if they would be blown out and times when they nearly took all three points.

Let’s dive into how each Lion rated in this draw on the road.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — The rainy conditions turned routine saves into balls that needed to be punched away by Stajduhar. He wasn’t able to come up with the save on C.J. Sapong’s goal, the forward’s shot neatly tucked in the bottom right corner. Stajduhar made three saves, his most in an MLS game, and looked comfortable rushing out to shut down Nashville’s attack to add two clearances to his stats. He also made a great save on Alistair Johnston’s low shot towards the near post, but Johnston was ruled offside so Stajduhar didn’t get official credit. The 23-year-old was only accurate on one of his five attempted long balls, completing just 14 of his 18 total passes. He also spilled a couple of crosses, although given the conditions this isn’t completely surprising and none of them ended up being costly. So his distribution definitely needs some work, although Nashville did a good job winning the ball in the air. While he’s still on the hunt for his first clean sheet, Stajduhar hasn’t been a liability for the Lions while Pedro Gallese recovers.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — His poor giveaway created the scoring opportunity that resulted in Nashville’s goal, Sapong pouncing on his pass back to Robin Jansson and storming down the field with Hany Mukhtar to score. It wasn’t his only mistake either, as he struggled defensively at times against Mukhtar. But Moutinho found moments of redemption as the game wore on. He was successful on one of his two crosses, sending a beautiful ball into the box that was reminiscent of the crosses Moutinho made last year. On one of them, Tesho Akindele’s header hit the crossbar, just inches away from letting Moutinho atone for his earlier mistake. The left back stepped up on defense late in the match too by making a crucial clearance at the back post. Moutinho led the team with 100 touches and 81 passes. Of those 81 passes, Moutinho completed 68 of them for an 84% success rate. That aforementioned clearance was his only one of the game, but he did have an interception and a defensive block as well.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The masked Swede had a tackle, two clearances, and a defensive block in a solid defensive performance against a Nashville offense that entered this match with 27 goals scored at home in 2021. Jansson wasn’t able to make much of a difference on Nashville’s goal, forced to keep a body on Mukhtar during a fast break after Moutinho’s turnover. He picked up a yellow card by pulling down Mukhtar right outside of the box to snuff out a dangerous opportunity. The free kick was from a good spot, but Mukhtar hit the top of the crossbar. Jansson had 76 touches and was successful on 90% of his 69 passes. Although style points don’t factor into his rating, it’s worth noting the cool factor of Jansson’s mask in the heavy rain.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 (MotM) — Don’t look now, but Carlos is evolving into a force to be reckoned with in dead ball situations. The center back scored his second goal of the season, powering a header past Nashville SC goalkeeper Joe Willis after a free kick cross from Mauricio Pereyra. Carlos has been working on his headers all season long, so it’s nice to see that paying off. Defensively, he led the team with a whopping six clearances, with three of those coming after the 80th minute mark as Nashville pushed forward to try and take all three points. Carlos also had a tackle, an interception, a defensive block, and won five of his nine aerial duels. He had 73 touches and completed 87% of his 60 passes. On Nashville’s goal, his sliding tackle couldn’t disrupt Sapong from surging past the defense. Like Jansson, he picked up a yellow card for a professional foul to stop a potential counter.

Carlos is our Man of the Match for scoring the equalizer in a match that looked grim at times for the Lions. His work late in the match also helped secure a result on the road. If he can continue to score to add another element to his game, then he will certainly become an MLS Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — It was a quiet night for Smith, which is hardly a bad thing from a defensive point of view, considering he’s had to make game-saving plays for the Lions this year. He finished with a tackle, an interception, and a clearance in his 19th start this season. Smith played all 90 minutes and ended the game with 55 touches and completed 34 of his 39 passes for an 87% success rate. The right back didn’t make much of an impact on offense, with neither of his two crosses finding their mark. He picked up a yellow card, but the foul was in Nashville’s half so it didn’t end up hurting the Lions.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear had a busy night, playing all 90 minutes and finishing with 82 touches and 67 passes at a strong 93% completion rate. Urso was fouled five times and won the free kick that led to Orlando’s goal. One of his two shots were deflected while the other was from distance after a series of passes, but the ball went high even though it was a decent try. He had a tackle and an interception when helping out on defense and did a good job feeding the ball to Pereyra and the offense once the Lions were trailing. All in all, it was nice work from Urso despite some miscues here and there. Urso’s endured plenty of fouls from opponents in recent weeks, but did well to keep his cool and bring some stability to Orlando’s midfield.

MF, Joey DeZart, 5 — The 23-year-old was often Orlando’s weakest link on the field. DeZart lacked precision and presence at times. It might be because DeZart is usually used as a late substitute with fresh legs in most matches, but he played a bit slower than his teammates and didn’t win any of his battles in the air. DeZart was a step behind Nashville’s midfielders, but did have an impressive 92% completion rate on his 50 passes and led the team with three interceptions. He played all 90 minutes and also came up with a late clearance that stopped a flurry of attacks by Nashville. DeZart didn’t have any impact on offense and ended the game with 57 touches. While these are the growing pains that come from earning needed minutes in MLS, DeZart certainly struggled at times in his second start of the season — mainly in the first half.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 6.5 — The Dutchman led the Lions with four shots, putting one on target while another was deflected. His best opportunity came in the 11th minute when he curled a shot past defenders to force Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to make a tough save. He had a poor first touch at times in the match, even when taking the rain into consideration. The winger’s lone cross of the match found Akindele’s head in the box, but the shot was too high. Van der Water also led the team with three tackles, hustling so Nashville couldn’t have complete control of the midfield. He completed 80% of his 25 passes, was successful on two of his three attempted dribbles, and had 44 touches.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — With Nani absent, Pereyra wore the captain’s armband and stepped up to create chances for Orlando. The Uruguayan led the team with six key passes. Four of those came in the second half as Orlando pushed higher upfield while chasing the game and had more success breaking Nashville’s lines. While this helped Orlando put more pressure on Nashville’s three-man defense in open play, Pereyra’s assist came from a free kick. Pereyra served a terrific ball over the top of Nashville’s defenders for Carlos to head home. It was Pereyra’s eighth assist of the season and 20th as a Lion since joining in the summer of 2019. His only shot was from another free kick, but it went over the bar. Pereyra was subbed off in the 84th minute and finished with 68 touches and an interception, and he was successful on one of his two attempted crosses in open play. He completed 48 of his 58 passes for a decent 83% completion rate. It was another good showing from the maestro as he pulled the strings of an offense that was without some of its weapons.

MF, Benji Michel, 5.5 — Playing on the left wing, Michel had 37 touches and completed 84% of his 19 passes. He didn’t have any crosses or key passes and two of his three shots were deflected while another went just wide. Michel was the least effective of Orlando’s attacking players and wasn’t able to get past Nashville’s formidable defense as he was only successful on one of his five attempted dribbles. He didn’t have any tackles or interceptions and was subbed off in the 83rd minute. The Homegrown Player has started in eight straight MLS games for Orlando, but only has one goal and an assist during that stretch.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6 — Walker Zimmerman and the rest of Nashville’s defense made Akindele’s night difficult as he only won two of his seven aerial duels. He was still effective on offense though, nearly scoring in the dying moments of the first half by getting his head on the end of a good cross into the box by Pereyra. But he wasn’t able to get enough on the wet ball to really drive it at goal, the bouncing shot saved by Willis, just inches from getting through. Akindele had a similar opportunity in the 75th minute when Moutinho found him wide open in the box, but his shot smacked into the crossbar. The Canadian striker finished with three shots and a key pass that gave van der Water a good chance to score. Akindele had 41 touches and completed 25 of his 27 passes for a great 93% success rate. He also chipped in with two clearances and interception to help out on defense. It was a game of inches for Akindele as Orlando awaits the return of its more lethal strikers.

Substitutes

MF, Chris Mueller (82’), N/A — The stage wasn’t exactly set for Mueller to come on and find a game-winner, so don’t look too much into his lack of offensive stats in his cameo. He only had four touches and was unsuccessful on his only attempted dribble, which wasn’t the worst thing in the world as he ate up a little time with the ball deep in Nashville’s half while Orlando’s defense caught its breath and reformed its shape. He completed his only attempted pass, a short pass to Ruan on the right side.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (82’), N/A — The center back came on to strengthen Orlando’s defense once Nashville really started to throw numbers forward. Schlegel had a clearance and nine touches. He only completed two of his six passes, although the incompletions weren’t short attempts. Schlegel did what he came on to do, giving Orlando another defender for Nashville to deal with.

D, Emmanuel Mas (88’), N/A — The left back was inserted into the left field to give the Lions a little more defensive bite late in the match. Mas had three touches and completed all three of his passes in a brief outing.

F, Ruan (88’), N/A — The right back was actually deployed at the top of Orlando’s offense late in the match. An onslaught of attacks by Nashville didn’t open much opportunity for Ruan to use his speed to beat defenders. Ruan had two touches and completed both of his passes.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 1-1 draw against Nashville. 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
Antonio Carlos36
Mauricio Pereyra7
Robin Jansson0
Silvester van der Water6
Other (let us know in the comments)3

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/18/24

Pride advance to NWSL Championship to face the Spirit, USMNT takes on Jamaica, UEFA and Concacaf Nations League recaps, and more.

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18 hours ago

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November 18, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I was busy working at Under Armour all week but spent the weekend checking out the Northwestern and Ohio State college football game at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Yesterday, I watched some third-round 2025 U.S. Open Cup qualifying action between Chicago House AC and Wisloka Chicago. Let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero. We have plenty to cover today so let’s get to the links.

Pride Advance to NWSL Championship

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 3-2 at Inter&Co Stadium to advance to the NWSL Championship. The Pride trailed in the first half before Haley McCutcheon buried an equalizer to get them on the board. In the second half, the Pride added to their lead with goals from Barbra Banda and Marta. The Current scored another goal to make it close, but the Pride held on for the win and reached their first-ever final. The Pride will face the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Championship as the top two teams battle for a trophy at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday.

Spirit Beat NJ/NY Gotham FC in NWSL Playoffs

The Spirit defeated the defending NWSL Champion NJ/NY Gotham FC in penalties after a thrilling 1-1 draw at Audi Field on Saturday to punch their ticket to the NWSL Championship. Washington trailed 1-0 early in the second half after Esther Gonzalez put Gotham ahead. The Spirit’s equalizer didn’t come until stoppage time, as Hal Hershfelt scored to send the game to extra time. In the penalty shootout, Ashley Hatch, Lena Silano, and Tara McKeown converted from the spot for the Spirit, while goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made three consecutive saves to seal the win. The Spirit return to the final for the first time since 2021, when the club won its first NWSL Championship.

USMNT Takes on Jamaica in Nations League Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will be back in action tonight, taking on Jamaica in the second leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals at City Park in St. Louis. The USMNT defeated Jamaica in Kingston last week in the first leg with a 1-0 victory, with Ricardo Pepi scoring the lone goal. The USMNT did what it needed to do to put itself in an excellent position to move on to the semifinals going into the second leg. Jamaica must change its strategy to be more aggressive instead of trying to score on counters or set pieces to have a shot of an upset. Jamaica will be without center back Mason Holgate, who received two yellow cards in the previous match against the USMNT and will be suspended for tonight’s match. The semifinal round of the Concacaf Nations League will kick off in March, with the final set for March 23 at SoFi Stadium.

UEFA and Concacaf Nations League Recaps

We had some notable international soccer action across the globe to recap from the weekend. Spain defeated Denmark 2-1 to secure the top spot in its group in the UEFA Nations League. Portugal cruised past Poland with a 5-1 win, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice in the match as his side clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. France defeated Italy 3-1 to win its group on goal difference. England shut out Ireland 5-0 to earn promotion back to the top tier of the Nations League, while Erling Haaland scored a hat trick as Norway dominated Kazakhstan 5-0. Today, we have more UEFA Nations League action with notable matchups featuring Croatia facing Portugal, Serbia hosting Denmark, and Spain taking on Switzerland.

We had other quarterfinal matches over the weekend in the Concacaf Nations League. Canada defeated Suriname 1-0 in the first leg, while Mexico lost 2-0 on the road to Honduras. The second leg of those matches will be tomorrow, while we have another second leg quarterfinal matchup tonight as Panama takes on Costa Rica in the second leg with a 1-0 advantage.

Free Kicks

  • Rhode Island FC, led by former Orlando Pride assistant coach Khano Smith, defeated the Charleston Battery 2-1 in the playoffs to advance to the USL Championship final.
  • Former Orlando City B player Joe Gallardo was named MVP of the USL League One final, as Union Omaha defeated the Spokane Velocity 3-0 to win its second USL League One Championship.

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

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Orlando City

In Praise of Orlando City’s Game 3 Penalty Kicks

The Lions employed some crafty strategy and flawless execution to win the Game 3 penalty shootout, and it deserves to be recognized.

Published

4 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Depending on who you talk to, penalty kicks aren’t a great way to decide a soccer game. They’re exciting, of course, but not exactly a good measuring stick of which team is more deserving of winning the game. Fortunately for Orlando City fans, the team has excelled at shootouts for the vast majority of its MLS existence. In fact, the Lions hadn’t lost one until this year, when they were bounced from Leagues Cup by Cruz Azul after losing 5-4 in penalties. The team then accomplished another first in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs against Charlotte, when it missed three of four spot kicks, and lost 3-1 in penalties.

With recent history far from being in OCSC’s favor, there was plenty of reason to be pessimistic when the deciding Game 3 went to a shootout, but the Lions breezed right through it, winning by a score of 4-1 and sending Charlotte packing. While there’s only so much strategy you can employ in shootouts, the Lions pulled a couple fast ones that may just have given them a leg up when they needed it most.

Let’s first talk about the shootouts the Orlando has been involved in this year, because even before Game 3, there had been a lot. The Lions’ final two games in Leagues Cup were both decided at the penalty spot, with the good guys emerging victorious against San Luis 5-4, and then losing by that same score to Cruz Azul to exit the tournament. Game 2 against Charlotte was therefore the team’s third shootout of the year, and by that point we were starting to see some familiar faces in the team’s shooting lineup.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with sending the same (or mostly the same) guys up in a shootout. Conventional wisdom says that you want your best, most reliable guys from the spot taking penalties. However, if the opposing goalkeeper has done his research, and a player tends to favor shooting in a certain direction, it can potentially give the man between the sticks an advantage in making the save. Let’s examine who Orlando City sent to the spot this year in shootouts, starting with the two Leagues Cup games.

Against San Luis, the order went: Nico Lodeiro, Duncan McGuire, Wilder Cartagena, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Lodeiro went central, McGuire went to the goalkeeper’s right, Cartagena to his left, Santos to his right, and Thorhallsson to his left. All five penalties were scored, but the keeper got a strong hand to Thorhallsson’s and it only just went in.

Against Cruz Azul, the order was: Robin Jansson, Luis Muriel, McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Thorhallsson. Jansson shot to the goalie’s left and had it saved, Lodeiro and Muriel both went to his right and scored, McGuire and Torres both went to his left and scored, and Thorhallsson went to his left and had it saved.

That brings us to Game 2 against Charlotte. The order was: Lodeiro, Jansson, Muriel, and McGuire. Nico shot to Kristijan Kahlina’s left and had it saved, Jansson went to his right and put his shot over the bar, Muriel also went right and scored, and McGuire went to the goalie’s left and had his shot saved.

Let’s pause for a minute and dig deeper into those Game 2 takers. Lodeiro had already taken two penalties on the year, and scored both. Jansson had taken one and had it saved, Muriel had taken one and scored, and McGuire had taken two and converted both. Interestingly enough, Kahlina also went the right way on Jansson’s shot, although the Swede put the ball over the bar. After taking penalties in the two previous shootouts and the goalies getting strong hands to both, Thorhallsson wasn’t used, but he couldn’t be, because he’d already been subbed off late in the second half. McGuire went to the goalie’s left for the second shootout in a row, with Kahlina guessing correctly and making the save.

In the all-important Game 3, the takers were: Muriel, Kyle Smith, Torres, and Santos. Muriel and Smith both went to Kahlina’s right, while Torres and Santos went to the Croatian’s left, with all four men scoring. It was Muriel’s third time in a shootout for the club, third time going to the goalie’s right, and third time converting. Smith made his first appearance from the spot on the year. It was Torres’ and Santos’ second time taking in a shootout this year and they both went left for the second time. Taking a closer look at each shooter, I really like the selection choices and the order in which they went.

While Kahlina had plenty of tape on Muriel by this point, the Colombian had already beaten him once, and the striker prefers to watch the goalkeeper during his run-up and go whichever way he doesn’t. That makes it especially difficult to save his penalties, and his years of high-level experience means he’s no stranger to high-pressure situations. You could hardly ask for a better first shooter to set the tone for what was to come.

We then got a big old wild card in the form of Smith, who hadn’t taken a penalty kick at all this year. Oscar Pareja could have chosen to use Jansson or Lodeiro, both of whom have taken multiple kicks this year and were still on the field, but he opted to go for someone who Kahlina both hadn’t seen already, and who he likely had very little, if any, tape on. It was a decision that paid off, as Smith positively blasted his kick into the top corner, with Kahlina guessing the wrong way on his dive.

We then got Torres, who would ordinarily be a no-brainer when it comes to taking penalty kicks if not for the fact that he’d just had one saved mere minutes earlier in stoppage time. Still, you want your main man to step up in high-pressure situations, so it wasn’t surprising to see him stepping forward to take one, particularly with the Lions already leading 2-0. He won the mental battle with Kahlina and went in his preferred direction to the left of the goalkeeper, with Kahlina guessing wrong again.

Finishing things off was Santos, who had only taken one penalty on the year and employs an unconventional, stuttering run-up. As he did in the San Luis game, the Brazilian went to the goalkeeper’s right and scored, with his penalty being the only one in which Kahlina dove the correct way. The decision to go with another player who there was little film on, especially one with a run-up that’s difficult to time correctly, again proved to be a decision that paid off.

We’ll never know who OCSC’s fifth taker would have been, as the shootout never got that far. We know it wouldn’t have been McGuire, who was being kept on the sideline after injuring his shoulder. I think it’s telling that Jansson and Lodeiro weren’t in the first four, even though both had already taken multiple shootout penalties on the season, and Thorhallsson was the only other player who had taken more than one kick in a shootout this year, and he had been substituted. My bet is on Cartagena, who had only taken one and scored it.

Regardless of what we don’t know, we can give the deserved amount of praise to what we do know. Namely, that the decision to use a mix of guys who are proven in high-pressure situations and ones who have few, if any, recent penalties on film was a strategy that paid off big time. Pedro Gallese also deserves every flower in the garden for the two saves he made, which absolutely made things easier on the takers. I think it’s interesting that Karol Swiderski took a spot kick for the second game in a row, with Gallese getting the better of him in Game 3 despite the Polish striker going to the Peruvian’s right instead of his left.

It’s also fair to say that the men who stepped up in Game 3 simply took better shots in than in Game 2. Nico’s wasn’t far enough in the corner and was a good height for Kahlina, Jansson put his completely over, and McGuire’s was too central and at a height that favored the goalkeeper. There were no such issues in Game 3, with every shot being well placed.

All in all, you couldn’t have drawn up the Game 3 shootout any better if you tried. Pareja threw a couple curveballs Charlotte’s way, Pedro Gallese made two huge saves, and all of the shooters came up with outstanding efforts. From strategy to execution, the shootout was about as perfect as you can get. Now here’s hoping that’s the last one we have to endure for awhile. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/15/24

Barbra Banda speaks about playing alongside Marta, USMNT beats Jamaica, international soccer roundup, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I hope the week hasn’t been too rough on you as we gear up for what should be an exciting weekend. There aren’t too many plans lined up for me, but I’m still looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to our favorite Beefy Swede, Robin Jansson!

Barbra Banda on Playing With Marta

It’s an understatement to say it’s been a fantastic year for the Orlando Pride, and NWSL MVP finalists Barbra Banda and Marta have been major reasons for the team’s success. Marta has been with the Pride since 2017 and is thriving in what may be the twilight of her legendary career. Meanwhile, it’s Banda’s first year with the Pride and she’s taken the league by storm alongside Marta. In an interview with Futbol W, which is co-hosted by former Pride player Ali Krieger, Banda spoke about how motivating it is to play with the greatest women’s soccer player of all time.

Battle of the Rebuilds in NWSL Playoffs

Of the four teams remaining in the NWSL playoffs, only NJ/NY Gotham FC was in the playoffs last year. Not only are this year’s semifinalists a testament to how much things can change each year, but it’s also an interesting showcase of the different ways clubs can build a team capable of winning in this league. The Pride capped off a patient and smart rebuild by signing international players like Banda, while the Current have benefited greatly from adding Temwa Chawinga. After winning the NWSL Championship last year, Gotham added several American stars like Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn in free agency to do it again. Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit have leaned on a strong rookie class and other young players to reach this point.

USMNT Beats Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team got its quarterfinal series started with a solid 1-0 win over Jamaica in Kingston. Ricardo Pepi scored the lone foal of the game early on with a nice strike after a silky smooth assist from Christian Pulisic. Matt Turner came up with a great save on a penalty kick in the first half, earning a clean sheet the hard way. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable victory for Mauricio Pochettino and the Yanks, but winning on the road in Concacaf is hardly ever comfortable. The two teams will reconvene in St. Louis on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Keeping Up With International Soccer

The U.S. obviously isn’t the only nation taking part in the international break, with teams all around the world in action. Paraguay arguably had the biggest win of the day, beating Argentina 2-1 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Venezuela also had a decent result, drawing 1-1 against Brazil in a match that included a missed penalty by Vinicius Junior.

In 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, and Gabon all booked their tickets to next year’s tournament after the latest round of matches. Saudi Arabia and Australia battled to a scoreless draw in AFC World Cup qualifying, while South Korea moved closer to qualifying after a 3-1 win over Kuwait that featured Son Heung-min’s 50th international goal. There weren’t too many surprises in the UEFA Nations League, with England cruising past Greece and Italy beating Belgium. France was held to a scoreless draw against Israel but still qualified for the quarterfinals.

Free Kicks

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

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