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Orlando City

Orlando City vs CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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It started so well. Orlando City was on the front foot for the first 15 minutes, but the 20 minutes that followed were devastating as Nani was sent off after a second yellow, and Montreal scored its second goal. This was a night that everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and the Lions paid the price as they head for the playoff goal line. A second loss in a row is nothing to take lightly.

Just a note for those who read our player’s grades: Each staff member has their own scale on how they grade players. My grading involves not just stats and key moments, but also how the player performs against my expectations. If you disagree with how I, or any of our staff, approach our grades, I sincerely encourage you to join The Mane Land staff so you can use your own criteria. Now, let’s see how the Lions did in the loss to CF Montreal.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese returned to Orlando City but was unable to help the Lions get any points at home. While Montreal scored four goals, three came when Orlando City was playing with only 10 men. On most of the goals there was nothing he could do, though he really didn’t seem to be himself either. He did make three saves, and one clearance. El Pulpo attempted 18 passes at a 77.8% passing rate and connected on five of 10 long balls.

D, Emmanuel Mas, 6 — Mas got the start and did well in the attack as Orlando tried to work the ball up the field connecting with Nani and Pereyra. He also was in the scrum that resulted in Ruan’s goal. Offensively, Mas took one shot. On defense he had three tackles, and one clearance. Mas attempted 34 passes and had a 79.4% passing rate with one key pass, and attempted two long balls.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 (MotM) — The Beefy Swede scored his first MLS goal on a tough night for the Lions. It was Orlando City’s first goal and gave the club life after Nani was sent off. Jansson also made several key defensive plays to keep the match as close as it was. I know that seems strange, but without Jansson’s defense it could have been worse, although he was partly responsible on the first Montreal goal. He attempted 45 passes and had an 88.9% passing rate, while completing three of six long balls. He had one tackle, two clearances, one blocked shot, and committed one foul.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Like the rest of the back line, Carlos had to play a lot of one on one in this match, and that is difficult when the third center back is a midfielder. Defensively, Carlos made three tackles, two interceptions, one clearance, one blocked shot, and committed one foul. He attempted 31 passes and had an 87.1% passing rate, while completing two of four long balls.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Ruan got caught out of position on Montreal’s first goal. He did make up for it later when he scored Orlando City’s second goal, cleaning up the ball as it bounced off Mas in the box. He used his speed effectively on both sides of the ball, getting back on defense, and stretching the Montreal offense. Offensively, he attempted two shots, scoring on one, with two crosses. He made one key pass, attempted two long balls, and had one successful dribble. Defensively, he made four clearances, and committed one foul. Ruan attempted 27 passes and had an 85.2% passing rate.

MF, Júnior Urso, 6.5 — Orlando City missed the Bear’s presence in the midfield. He provided spark on offense, and consistency in the midfield. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to overcome playing with 10 men. Offensively, he took one shot, made two dribbles, and suffered two fouls. Defensively Urso made three tackles and committed one foul. He attempted 39 passes and had an 82.1% passing rate, one successful through ball, and completed two out of three long balls.

MF/D, Andrés Perea, 5 — Perea started the match in the midfield and did pretty well, but as the Lions adjusted their shape to deal with being a man down, Perea was shifted into a central center back position, almost kind of a sweeper at times. Playing out of position is never easy, and though I don’t doubt that he tried his best, he still allowed a goal, and then earned a red card in the 83rd minute when he denied a scoring opportunity. Perea had two tackles, one clearance, and committed one foul. He attempted 41 passes and had a 92.7% passing rate, and completed one out of two long balls.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra was the playmaker that Orlando City needs every match. His through passes were pinpoint, and he provided the service on both the free kick that resulted in Jansson’s goal, and the ball to Michel that resulted in Ruan’s goal. There were times he single-handedly kept the Lions in the attack. Pereyra made two key passes, one dribble, and suffered one foul. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, and committed three fouls. He attempted 61 passes with an 83.6% passing rate and made one successful cross. He also completed seven of nine long balls. If it wasn’t for Jansson scoring his first MLS goal, Pereyra most likely would be Man of the Match.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 6 — Van der Water thought he scored in the seventh minute, but the offside flag was up. He looked to be dangerous in the attack, but shortly after Nani was sent off, van der Water signaled he was feeling something wrong physically. He was subbed off in the 41st minute for Chris Mueller. Offensively, van der Water had no shots that counted, made one successful dribble, and one cross. He attempted 12 passes with a 75% passing rate, with three successful long balls.

F, Nani, 4.5 — Nani earned a yellow in the 28th minute and is experienced enough to know he should be careful after that. Unfortunately, a mere seven minutes later, he was dispossessed outside Montreal’s box, and made a very poor decision to foul from behind when trying to chase down the ball. His effort earned a second yellow and, as such, a red card. The captain put Orlando City in the difficult position of playing down a man for the remainder of the match. Indeed Quioto made Orlando pay for it in the 37th minute after Nani left the pitch, putting Montreal up 2-0. Offensively, Nani took one shot that was not on target, and had two successful dribbles, Defensively, he made one tackle and as mentioned committed two fouls that resulted in his sending off. Nani attempted nine passes with a 77.8% passing rate, and two crosses.

F, Daryl Dike, 5.5 — Dike did well in hold up play, especially once Orlando was playing a man down. Offensively, he had one shot, suffered two fouls and was dispossessed once. His one shot should have been a goal, with a gaping empty net in front of him, but he sent his effort off target. Defensively, Dike made one clearance. He attempted just nine passes with a 77.8% passing rate, and had one cross. Dike came off in the 71st minute for Tesho Akindele.

Substitutes

MF, Chris Mueller (41’), N/A — Mueller came on for van der Water, who was feeling some sort of pain or tightness. I’m not sure if Mueller was wearing the wrong boots, but he was slipping quite a bit, and picked up a knock himself. Oscar Pareja said he tweaked his ankle. He played a total of approximately 10 minutes since he was subbed off at half. Mueller attempted one pass with a 100% passing rate, but that isn’t that impressive. He suffered one foul, and that was it. He wasn’t on long enough to warrant a grade or impact the game.

MF, Benji Michel (46’), 6.5 — Michel was a surprise sub when Mueller wasn’t able to continue at the half, but his speed was just what the Lions needed to try to get back into the match. He did well to handle the ball from Pereyra that resulted in Ruan’s goal. If he doesn’t bring it down, and find Mas in the box, the second goal never happens. Michel had one successful dribble, and suffered one foul. Defensively he made one tackle. He attempted 10 passes with a 90% passing rate, made one cross, and one successful long ball. He also had a shot on target late.

F, Tesho Akindele (71’), 5 — Akindele was brought in to spell Dike when the match was still tied at 2-2. Through no fault of Akindele, it didn’t stay that way long. He attempted 10 passes with an 80% passing rate, and made one successful dribble.

MF, Alexander Alvarado (80’), N/A — Alvarado came on to provide some more offense as the Lions tried to come back following Montreal’s third goal for defender Emmanuel Mas. He attempted 14 passes with a 92.9% passing rate, with one key pass.


That is how I saw the game. How do you feel about the individual performances? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Robin Jansson22
Mauricio Pereyra5
Ruan0
Junior Urso1
Other: Put answer in the comments1

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

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  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

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

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