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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 1-1 as Allen Chapman Chalks Off Winning Orlando Goal

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3 years ago

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It looked like the Lions had won it. Andres Perea’s put-back of an Alexandre Pato free kick that hit the crossbar and goalkeeper Joe Willis deep in stoppage time appeared to punch Orlando City’s ticket into the postseason. But referee Allen Chapman went to the monitor and waved off a goal for what he deemed a clear and obvious foul on Daryl Dike, allowing Nashville SC (12-4-17, 53 points) to escape with a 1-1 draw against Orlando (12-9-12, 48 points) as the teams tied for the third time in as many meetings in 2021.

The Lions crept closer to clinching but that disallowed goal could be a killer after Daryl Dike had provided an early lead, only to see Hany Mukhtar equalize in the second half at Exploria Stadium in Orlando’s home regular-season finale.

“It’s a very sad day for the league, a league that has been growing immensely,” an obviously upset Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “There are no explanations on the play that was so evident and destroyed the joy of our people — the people that believe in this project. It’s a very sad day. Allow me not to say more. It is incredible what happened tonight.”

Pareja had nearly a first-choice starting XI for this one, with only left back Joao Moutinho missing of the expected starting lineup. Pedro Gallese slotted in behind a back line of Emmanuel Mas, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Sebas Mendez and Junior Urso took their place in central midfield, behind attackers Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Chris Mueller and striker Dike.

Orlando came out and played a patient opening half, building slowly and methodically when in possession, looking for a way through the organized Nashville defense. The chances were few but the Lions managed to create some. Nani put a good cross into the area to Pereyra in the eighth minute but the Uruguayan opted to flick on for Dike rather than go for goal and the connection didn’t quite come off.

Nashville got a series of corner kicks and came close to cashing in on one when Walker Zimmerman got a good pick and came free, but his header was saved by Gallese in the 10th minute.

Orlando earned a set piece in the 13th minute when Dike was fouled by Jack Maher near the corner. Nani found Pereyra at the top of the area but the midfielder didn’t make good contact on his one-time shot attempt and popped it up over the bar.

The Lions found an opener in the 18th minute on a sustained spell of possession that began with Pereyra winning the ball back in the corner after a set piece. Orlando worked the ball around the top of the area left to right and Nani found Mueller breaking toward the end line. Mueller cut a cross back through the area and Dike redirected it in for his ninth goal of the year.

Nashville started pressing higher after the Orlando goal and the Lions did well to stay patient and composed as the visitors tried to work the ball into a good shooting position. There were a few nervy moments but Nashville couldn’t create a clear-cut opportunity.

Orlando nearly doubled the lead in the 34th minute. Ruan tried to cut a pass back for a teammate but it went off Sapong and deflected out for a corner. The ensuing cross was headed back into the mix at the top of the box by Carlos and fell for Urso, who had his back to goal. Urso sent a spinning half-bike kick attempt toward goal but it hit the post and stayed out. Mas was called for a foul trying to get to the rebound ahead of a defender.

That was it for the good chances in the opening half. Nashville attempted more shots (7-5) and got more on target (4-1) but asided from Zimmerman’s there wasn’t much danger. The Lions held more possession (58.8%-41.2%), and passed more accurately (88.2%-84.4%), while Nashville won more corners (4-1).

Early in the second half, Mukhtar went down after a Carlos clearance looking to get a penalty call. Chapman wasn’t interested and he never looked at the monitor although the VAR certainly looked at the replay and determined there was no penalty. Mukhtar laid on the field for a good while and yet never got a visit from the trainers.

A few minutes later he got his “revenge” for the perceived slight, scoring his 15th goal of the season in the 53rd minute to tie the game. The goal came in transition after Nani tried to flick a pass through to send Dike in behind but didn’t get the touch quite right. Mukhtar milked the moment by preening in front of The Wall on the north end of the stadium.

Two minutes later, it was Orlando’s turn to shout for a penalty. Urso played a ball in behind the defense and would have been through on goal if not for being obstructed by the defense. Chapman immediately waved Urso to get up.

Nashville got a dangerous scoring opportunity in the 58th minute after Alex Muyl clipped Mueller from behind and Chapman not only didn’t make a call but he mimed that Mueller dove. Mueller may have tried to make sure the foul was seen, but replay showed there was clear contact between Muyl’s boot and Mueller’s ankle. Nashville ended up firing a shot on target that Gallese saved. Three minutes later, Eric Miller was able to sneak down the left channel and beat Ruan to a through ball firing a shot at Gallese.

In the 69th minute, it was Nani getting spun around by a defender in the attacking third and again there was no call. Nashville countered and Randall Leal fired wide of the goal on the other end.

Orlando continued to attack. Mas got free on the left but had his shot blocked in the 71st minute and the rebound fell to Mueller, who fired just off target. Two minutes later, Mueller got free at the top of the area but got under his shot and was visibly upset when it sailed over the net. It was Mueller’s last involvement of the game as he was subbed off for Benji Michel. It will be his last moment on the Exploria Stadium pitch unless the Lions somehow get a home playoff match. That’ll be more difficult after Chapman’s final decision in the match.

Pereyra got a good look at the top of the box in the 75th minute but fired a blast straight at Willis. Moments later, Nani drew a foul about 40 yards out from goal but Pereyra’s service was just slightly over everyone. The Lions then forced a turnover on the ensuing goal kick but Urso fired high in the 77th minute.

Nani went for glory from outside the area in the 85th minute and his blast didn’t miss the top right corner by much.

The only talking point that truly matters came in stoppage time. Pato drew a free kick about 25 yards straight out from goal and stepped up to take it himself. He smashed a laser shot that caught the bottom of the crossbar and hit Willis, then bounced off the right post and crawled tantalizingly out in front of the goal. Dike tried to get to the ball first. Alistair Johnston came in from behind and there was contact, with both players ending up in the net. Perea was first to get to the loose ball, scoring the apparent winner.

Exploria Stadium erupted and the Lions were still celebrating when Chapman went to the monitor to look at the play. After a short review, he signaled that there was no goal following replay.

“Orlando player Daryl Dike kicked Nashville player Alistair Johnston’s leg as Johnston was attempting to clear the ball. It was determined to be a foul prior to the goal being scored,” the referee responded to a pool reporter’s question after the match. “In the opinion of the match officials, Daryl Dike prevented Johnston from clearing the ball.”

While the replay shows some contact, it’s questionable at best whether Johnston could clear the ball or if he might even have knocked it into inside netting and there was certainly no intent to do anything but score by Dike. It appears to this writer that Johnston stuck his leg in front of Dike’s as if to prevent the forward from getting to it, rather than trying to make a play to clear it. Either way, it’s a stretch to call this a clear and obvious error.

“There is not any explanation that gets even close to (us) accepting that decision,” Pareja said. “That’s not going to be a resource for us, trying to make the players understand that it was a foul. We can’t get there. There’s no way to do it. I already saw 30 times the clip.”

Both teams ended up with 14 shots, with Nashville getting more on target (7-2). Orlando held more possession (54.9%-45.1%) and passed more accurately (87.7%-84.8%), while the visitors got more corners (7-2).

Orlando will need to regroup after a draw that should have been a win.

“Today was really hard for us because we we did our best on the field and we’re a little bit frustrated to not get three points,” Urso said. “We played well I think but we have to look forward because we need one more point to be in the playoffs.”

“Just put it behind us. It will take obviously certain time. I hope the boys can just shake it off and then refocus on what is coming because that’s our responsibility. I can tell you how disappointed they are with what just happened, and just let them absorb it first, and tomorrow will be another day. This is a beautiful sport and we have to move on and just try to make things happen in Montreal.”

The Lions will close out the regular season one week from today, heading north of the border to take on CF Montreal on Decision Day.

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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.

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1 hour 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.

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5 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?

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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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