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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City went on the road and lost 3-2 against the Columbus Crew in an important match for both sides. The Crew avoided elimination from playoff contention while the Lions will have much more pressure on them in their final two matches. Columbus scored off of two set pieces in the first half and then Lucas Zelarayan scored a golazo that ultimately sank Orlando.

Let’s dive into how each player performed in the loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo was able to get a hand to Miguel Berry’s strong header but not enough to keep the ball out of the back of the net as the Crew took the lead in the 20th minute. On the Crew’s second goal, Gallese misjudged a corner kick lofted towards the back post and couldn’t make a play on the ball as it landed at Derrick Etienne’s foot and he put it into the net. There wasn’t much he could do about Zelarayan’s strike from distance as the swerving ball was perfectly placed and dipped under the crossbar. Gallese finished the match with two saves, including a great effort to keep Zelarayan from scoring off of a free kick. The Peruvian goalkeeper didn’t attempt any long balls but was successful on all 12 of his passes.

D, Kyle Smith, 4 — In his first start since Sept. 19, Smith struggled at left back with Joao Moutinho unavailable and Emmanuel Mas on the bench. After conceding a corner, his poor clearance served the ball on a silver platter back to Zelarayan, the one player on the Crew you don’t want to give time and space to pick out a cross. Zelarayan whipped a good second ball in and Berry scored for the Crew’s first goal. Smith completed 84% of his 37 passes and didn’t make much of an impact on offense as his lone cross was unsuccessful. He had 48 touches, two tackles, an interception, and three clearances in 73 minutes of action. He also received a yellow card after getting turned inside out by Etienne and fouling him right outside the box, giving Zelarayan a dangerous opportunity that forced a save from Gallese. It was far from Smith’s best game in purple to say the least.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 (MotM) — Jansson scored his third goal of the year by hustling down the field and making a great run to get on the end of a cross by Tesho Akindele and tuck the ball into the far corner. He also had a key pass in the match, delivering a cross that Dike headed wide. Only Mauricio Pereyra had more than Jansson’s 74 touches and he completed 91% of his 65 passes — the most on the team. While he didn’t have any tackles as the Crew built their attack through the wings, Jansson had an interception and two clearances to take care of most issues that came his way. He perhaps could have done more against Berry on the first goal after switching men with Antonio Carlos, but it was an outswinging ball for the 6-foot-3 Berry. Jansson’s overall game and ability to keep the Lions in it thanks to his goal and some sound defending earns him the title of Man of the Match.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Like Jansson, Carlos didn’t have any tackles over the course of the match, but he did lead Orlando with three interceptions and also had three clearances and a pair of blocks. Carlos had 58 passes at an 81% success rate and his 72 touches were third most on the team. He and Jansson continue to play well together as the backbone of Orlando’s defense and he couldn’t do much about the Crew’s goals.

D, Ruan, 5 — The right back gave up an unnecessary corner kick that led to the second Crew goal when he seemed to have plenty of room to have instead headed it upfield or out for a throw, and then he compounded his own problem. Ruan simply had to do better when defending the back post on the Crew’s second goal as Etienne had little trouble tapping the ball into the net after it sailed over Gallese. He had inside position on his man and failed to track his movement or the flight of the ball on the play. Doing either one could have kept it a one-goal game. Columbus did a good job limiting Ruan’s offensive capability by keeping him pinned back in defense. The right back led the team with five clearances as he sprinted around to put out fires and he also had a tackle and an interception. He didn’t have any key passes and was successful on one of his three crosses. Ruan had 62 touches and completed 83% of his 36 passes as the Crew kept the wings crowded.

MF, Andres Perea, 4 — The 20-year-old was kept busy defensively by the Crew throughout the game. Perea had three tackles, four clearances, and an interception, but he was part of a midfield that was completely overrun in the match. He switched from Zelarayan to take Steven Moreira and that left the DP open to score the eventual game winner, though Perea should have had some help — likely from Benji Michel, who didn’t track back to defend — on that play, because he was forced to cover two men. Hey, when in doubt, cover the bigger threat who is more centrally located.

Perea played every minute of the match and only had 58 touches while completing just 35 of his 45 passes for a mediocre 78% success rate. Like Mauricio Pereyra, Perea tried to force passes into congested areas, wasting attacking buildup. He had no crosses or key passes and his only shot went over the crossbar from long range when he had more dangerous options he could have picked out. It was a rough outing for the young midfielder.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 5 — With Orlando trailing at halftime, Mendez was subbed off in favor of Tesho Akindele for the Lions to hunt goals in the second half. The yellow card Mendez picked up in the 13th minute also likely contributed to Oscar Pareja’s decision to take him off at the half. Mendez had one shot in the match, sending the ball high into the stands in an attempt from outside the box. He finished with 33 touches and 27 passes at an 89% success rate and helped out defensively with two tackles.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5 — All three of Mueller’s shots were headed efforts at goal. His best chance to score came in the 63rd minute as he received a cross in front of goal at close range but he headed the ball right into the hands of Eloy Room. It was his only shot on target and his header in the 26th minute robbed Carlos from getting to it from a better position (although he couldn’t have known that at the time). Mueller also had a key pass in the match, setting Mendez up for a shot after a corner. His only attempted cross was deflected out for a corner. Mueller had 32 touches before being subbed off in the 73rd minute and completed 86% of his 21 passes.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — The Designated Player led the Lions with three key passes, including two nice crosses from free kicks that easily could’ve ended up as assists for the Uruguayan if they’d been finished better. While Pereyra did well creating chances from free kicks, he had a tougher time from the corner flag as he was successful on just one of the team’s four. He led the team with 78 touches but was only successful on 45 of 59 passes for a 76% success rate. While many of those 14 inaccurate passes were long attempts while dealing with a crowded midfield, Pereyra was brought to Orlando to find those tighter spaces that spring players into dangerous areas and he struggled repeatedly to do so in this match. Defensively, he had two interceptions and a block. It was Pereyra’s sixth straight appearance without a goal or an assist and the DP will need to end that drought soon as the Lions hunt for a playoff berth.

MF, Nani, 5 — Orlando’s other Designated Player wasn’t able to get much going and was subbed off at halftime. Nani didn’t have any shots and just one key pass — a low cross that Dike couldn’t get on target from a tough angle. It was his only cross in the match and he drifted into the midfield once Orlando was trailing to try to make more of an impact. Nani finished with 30 touches and 23 passes at an 83% success rate while chipping in on defense with three tackles. The captain is capable of bending a match to his will, but was fairly ineffective on the road in Ohio and may have been replaced down two goals to save his legs for Sunday more than for his performance.

F, Daryl Dike, 5.5 — The forward’s only shot on target was the penalty he converted early in the first half. Dike’s first attempt was saved by Room, but the goalkeeper came off his line early and the kick had to be retaken. Despite the pressure of retaking a kick that was initially saved, Dike was cool as can be and fired his shot in practically the same spot to power it past Room for Orlando’s first goal. His other two shots came from crosses into the box but he wasn’t able to get either on frame. Dike dueled with Jonathan Mensah throughout the match and had an understandably hard time breaking through. Regardless, he had just 28 touches and 10 passes at an 80% success rate in a match where the Lions spent most of their time trailing. Some of his holdup play was marred by heavy touches, and, while it’s great that Dike’s proven himself as a more than capable penalty taker, three of his past five goals have come from the spot and Orlando needs to find a way to get him more involved in open play moving forward.

Substitutes

MF, Benji Michel (45’), 4.5 — Michel may have only had one shot, but it was a notable one as his attempt just a few minutes into the second half was blocked by a hand ball from Mensah. Apart from that, Michel didn’t have much of an influence on the match despite playing an entire half. The Homegrown Player had no key passes, one unsuccessful cross, 18 touches, and just nine passes at an 89% success rate. He also had no defensive stats and didn’t track back in time to stop Zelarayan from setting up his goal from range. Brought on to give the Lions some energy and firepower while trailing 2-0 at halftime, Michel wasn’t able to use his speed to really test the Crew’s defense. Michel hasn’t had a goal or an assist since scoring on Aug. 21

F, Tesho Akindele (45’), 5.5 — Although he didn’t have a shot, Akindele came up with a nice assist late in the match. After finding some space with the ball, the Canadian spotted Jansson’s run into the box and whipped a nice ball over the defense for him to score. He had 21 touches and 18 passes at a 78% success rate after coming on for the second half. It was the longest Akindele’s been on the field since his start on Sept. 19 and the assist was his sixth of the year.

MF, Alexandre Pato (73’), 4.5 — Coming on for Mueller, Pato played a central attacking role in the midfield in an effort to help the Lions claw their way back into the match. His only shot was on the volley and came deep into stoppage time with Orlando trailing by just a goal, but the shot was blocked. He finished the game with 11 touches and completed five of his eight passes for a 63% success rate. It was Pato’s third appearance this season after missing most of the year due to the injury and these were some valuable minutes for him, even if he wasn’t able to influence the match much.

D, Emmanuel Mas (73’), 5.5 — The left back replaced Smith as the Lions searched for goals. Mas had a key pass by setting up the transition opportunity that ended in Perea’s shot and he also fed Akindele the ball before the latter’s assist. Mas had 20 touches, a tackle, no crosses, and completed eight of his 13 passes for a 62% completion rate. An argument can certainly made that he should’ve been brought on sooner or that he should’ve started in the first place.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 3-2 loss to the Crew. 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
Robin Jansson18
Daryl Dike7
Antonio Carlos0
Other (put in the comments below)1

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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.

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14 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

16 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.

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20 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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