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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Five Takeaways

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3 years ago

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Orlando City drew 1-1 with Nashville SC in a crucial Eastern Conference showdown with plenty on the line. It was the third draw between the two sides this year, but the first at Exploria Stadium as the Lions played their final home game of the regular season. Daryl Dike gave Orlando the lead in the first half after some great passes from Chris Mueller and Nani, but Hany Mukhtar equalized in the second half. It looked like Orlando would walk away as the victor after a late set piece, but the Lions only ended up with a point.

Here are my five takeaways from the match as Orlando is forced to wait on securing a place in the postseason.

Game Ends as a Nightmare for Orlando

Referee Allen Chapman overshadowed the game as Orlando City’s game-winner in stoppage time was reversed. Alexandre Pato’s late free kick hit the crossbar and Andres Perea pounced on the rebound to give Orlando a winner that also clinched a spot in the postseason. But the celebration was short lived as Chapman went to review the goal on the monitor and determined that Dike committed a foul in the build-up and the goal was disallowed. Here is the play in question that Chapman saw as a clear and obvious foul, which was clarified as Dike preventing Alistair Johnston from clearing the ball.

It’s a sickening result for Orlando, which managed to find a way to beat a team that’s only lost four times this year. For the fans who came out to Exploria Stadium on Halloween for the last home game of the regular season, a dream ending turned into frustration. The Lions must shake off the result and be ready to rebound before Decision Day.

Pato Can Lift the Lions Late in Games

It was only his third shot of the season, but Pato made it a good one late in the match as he nearly scored the winner himself directly from a free kick. Designated Players Nani and Mauricio Pereyra, who handled Orlando’s set pieces throughout the match, were both on the bench when Pato won a foul in a dangerous area. The Brazilian managed to deliver when the Lions needed a playmaker and was inches from putting the game away. Pato’s first season has been marred by injury, but this match proved that he can come into a match and make an impact.

Orlando’s Defense Holds Its Own

Although Orlando wasn’t able to get a clean sheet, the defense did fairly well against a Nashville offense that’s scored 54 goals this season. Collectively, the back line had three tackles, nine interceptions, six clearances, and two blocks. Pedro Gallese also came up with seven saves in the match, his most since the 5-0 loss to New York City FC in July. Mukhtar managed to beat Gallese and the defense to equalize, but it was still a good effort from the Lions. Left back Emmanuel Mas in particular had a great performance with 93 touches, 58 completed passes, and six interceptions. He wasn’t perfect, as he was unsuccessful on all three of his crosses, but it was still a solid outing and he’s become a great addition to the roster since joining this summer.

Mueller Bags Another Assist

In quite possibly his last game at Exploria Stadium, Chris Mueller had a game of ups and downs. The 25-year-old had his sixth assist of the season with a great cutback pass into the box after Nani sent him a good ball into space. However, both of his shots were sent high into the stands as he hunted for a goal. He wasn’t the only Lion to miss the mark in this match by any means, but his aim was off. Mueller has certainly been active in recent weeks, with 12 of his 36 shots this season coming from the past five games. Of those 12 shots, only three were on target.

While he hasn’t replicated his success from last season, Mueller’s done well in his last home games for Orlando as the season winds down. He came up with the dramatic assist on Orlando’s late winner against D.C. United, scored against Montreal, and his assist in this match helped the Lions take a lead early on. He’ll head to Scotland after this season, but Mueller’s magic isn’t over just yet for the Lions with a crucial game remaining on Decision Day and a possible postseason run.

The Iron Bear

One of the great underrated performances of the day came from Junior Urso. The Bear revealed after the match that he’s been bothered by a knee injury in recent weeks but you wouldn’t have known it from the Nashville match. Urso came within inches of a goal with his half-bike kick on a set piece that hit the right post. That was one of his two shots in the game, although he should have done better with his second attempt off a Nashville turnover (his reaction in the feature photo above says it all). Urso finished with a key pass, a dribble, a free kick won, and a 91.8% passing accuracy on 75 touches. Three of his four long balls were accurate, as well. He chipped in a tackle and two interceptions on defense. He also teamed up nicely with Sebas Mendez in central midfield to shore up the middle of the pitch that had been overrun the prior game during his absence last Wednesday against Columbus. He fought a fierce battle all day with Anibal Godoy and held his own against the Panamanian international. Nashville often had to work down the flanks rather than finding any joy up the middle. The Bear went the full 90 for the 13th consecutive appearance and hasn’t been subbed off since Aug. 8 at Cincinnati.

The ending of the match will dominate discussion, but what else did you gather from yet another draw with Nashville this season? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

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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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18 hours 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

21 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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