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

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2 years ago

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Orlando City came into Decision Day needing a result on the road against CF Montreal to clinch a playoff spot. In a tense match, both sides traded punches early before Orlando City took some control with an incredible finish from Sebas Mendez. Daryl Dike put the game on ice with a late goal after Montreal went down a man.

It was tense, but in the end it was a strong, decisive 2-0 victory that clinched back-to-back postseasons for Orlando City. How did each Lion perform in Sunday’s regular season finale?

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — Gallese was a hero early in the game, making some big saves and securing loose balls — including what should have been an easy tap-in for Montreal — to keep a clean sheet in the first half. He wasn’t asked to do as much down the stretch, but was his usual, great self in this game. El Pulpo finished with three saves, eight ball recoveries, 20 passes at a 45% completion rate, and was successful on nine of his 19 long balls.

D, Emmanuel Mas, 6 — I wasn’t impressed with Mas’s overall performance, especially his defensive work. Montreal was routinely attacking down his side of the field, creating plenty of dangerous chances and Mas wasn’t doing much to negate it. To his credit, he was strong in possession and going forward, completing 35 of 47 passes for a 74% success rate and also completing a dribble, although he did not attempt a cross. He also finished with three tackles, an interception, a block, two clearances, and six ball recoveries.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — Jansson was massive in this game, especially early. He made big plays defensively and was opportunistic going forward, even hitting the post from a long-range free kick on one of his two shots (the other was blocked). Jansson also aided in possession with a handful of line-breaking deep balls. The Swede completed 83% of his 36 passes and was huge defensively with five clearances, two tackles, two interceptions, two blocks, and two ball recoveries.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — It was a solid defensive performance from Carlos. He kind of struggled with the ball, completing only 15 of 27 passes for a mediocre 56% success rate, but he was a force cleaning up defensively. He had six clearances, six ball recoveries, two interceptions, and two tackles. Even if it wasn’t his strongest game, the Brazilian center back came up big on the back end, making enough plays to protect the clean sheet.

D, Ruan, 7 — The Brazilian was quiet for most of the game, with no defensive stats beyond one ball recovery. He didn’t make much of an impact on offense as he was unsuccessful on all four of his attempted crosses, but he did have an assist on Dike’s goal. Ruan ripped through Montreal’s defense and delivered a nice ball through to Dike in space for the goal that all but guaranteed Orlando’s place in the postseason. The right back was successful on 16 of his 21 passes for a 76% success rate

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra started this match very well, looking clever and quick with the ball. Even as he faded down the stretch, it was a decent outing for the Uruguayan. He led the team with three key passes and completed 36 of his 46 passes for a 78% completion rate. His only shot was from a free kick and it was taken well enough that Sebastian Breza had to make a diving save that went out for a corner. Pereyra also got it done with the ball, completing three of his four attempted dribbles. He was a touch sloppy and at times out of sync with the players around him, but it was overall a strong game. He also finished with an interception and seven ball recoveries, defensively.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 7.5 — It was a moment of absolute brilliance from Mendez that opened the scoring for Orlando City as he scored his first goal for the club. The perfectly placed curler beat the keeper from range and I didn’t know he had this shooting ability in his locker. His overall game was pretty strong, cleaning up defensively and keying possession from defense to attack. Mendez completed 47 of 49 passes for an excellent 96% completion rate and he had a tackle, two clearances, a block, and seven ball recoveries. The goal overshadowed everything else, but it was another strong performance from the Ecuadorian.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — This was one of Urso’s quieter performances in recent weeks. He was his usual, active self, but he made some mistakes with the ball that gave Montreal opportunities that fortunately didn’t amount to much. Urso completed 85% of 34 passes and had his only shot blocked. Defensively, he had two tackles, an interception, five ball recoveries, and a clearance.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 5.5 — The Dutchman had some promising moments, but it was a lackluster half of action for van der Water. At times, he looked good on the ball and threatening going forward, but he made too many mistakes and didn’t have any shots or crosses in open play. He did have a key pass and was successful on one of his two set pieces. Van der Water completed just eight of 12 passes and had one successful dribble. He did little defensively, finishing with a tackle and one ball recovery.

F, Benji Michel, 5.5 — Maybe this is a little harsh, but Michel wasn’t particularly sharp in this game. He was gritty and had flashes, but he was consistently one of the weaker links in Orlando City’s attack. His lone shot was off target and he didn’t have any crosses. Michel completed 16 of 20 passes, had a key pass, completed two dribbles, was dispossessed twice, and also had an interception, a clearance, and three ball recoveries. His hustle defensively helped support Mas as Montreal attacked down its right side much of the game.

F, Daryl Dike, 8 (MotM) — The big highlight was the late goal, with an excellent run and finish to ice the game, but his overall impact was immense. He was a constant outlet in possession — even if his touch was inconsistent — and he was a nuisance in the press. Multiple times he was in good spots upfield, but there was nobody around him in support. By the end of the match, his hustle and physicality were too much for Montreal to match, contributing to a Montreal red card from Rudy Camacho’s slide tackle against him.

The American striker completed 13 of 18 passes for a 72% success rate and his other shot apart from the goal was a header flicked off target. Dike had a key pass, made a successful dribble, drew five fouls, and also had a tackle and a clearance. In the biggest moment of the season, Orlando’s brightest young star made a splash.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (45’), 6 — Perea came in at halftime for van der Water to help shore up the midfield and I think he did a good job of that. Once Perea got on the field, Orlando felt more solid defensively and wasn’t nearly as exposed as in the first half. He only completed six of 11 passes for a 55% completion rate and also had a completed dribble. Defensively, he had three tackles, a clearance, a block, and three ball recoveries.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — The wave of substitutes came in after the second goal and nobody had to do much of anything in their cameos. Kyle Smith completed both of his passes while on the field, won a corner, and wasn’t asked to do much defensively.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (87’), N/A — Schlegel came in to add more defensive bodies on the field and helped keep things solid in the final stages. He had a clearance, completed both of his passes, and made a ball recovery.

F, Tesho Akindele (87’), N/A — Akindele completed all four of his passes and made an interception in his brief appearance late in the match.

MF, Uri Rosell (89’), N/A — Rosell helped out in the midfield during stoppage time and had an interception and a ball recovery.

That’s how I judged things. Make sure to leave your thoughts below and vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Daryl Dike17
Sebas Mendez36
Robin Jansson10
Other (Comment Below)2

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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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11 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

15 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.

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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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