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Orlando City

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

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3 years ago

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Orlando City got its 2022 MLS campaign off to a great start, defeating CF Montreal 2-0. Goals by Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel led the way as the Lions won their first season opener since 2017.

Let’s take a look at how each player performed for the Lions.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — The Lions’ starting goalkeeper didn’t have a whole lot to do in this game, only facing two shots on target. However, he did well throughout the game coming off his line to collect balls before the attacker could reach it. Additionally, Gallese’s distribution was solid, successfully completing seven of his nine long balls. He only had a pair of saves, but must be given credit for recording his first clean sheet of the season.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — Moutinho’s performance didn’t stand out in this game, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While Ruan often pushed forward on the right, Moutinho stayed back more than he did much of last year, putting himself in a better position to defend any counter attacks. He ended the game with one clearance, one blocked shot, and three fouls defensively. He completed 81.5% of his 54 passes and had one key pass in the attack. However, most importantly, Montreal wasn’t able to do much on that side because of the left back’s strong play.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was unquestionably the man of the first half in this game. The Swede was fantastic defending early when the Lions weren’t able to get anything going offensively. He ended the game with two tackles and four clearances. Additionally, he completed 91.5% of his 47 passes, including four accurate long balls.

Had Jansson finished the game on the field, his grade would’ve been higher. However, he made an unnecessary tactical foul in the 81st minute, resulting in a red card. Despite the fact that his first caution was questionable, Jansson knew he was on a yellow and there were defenders behind him. The Lions were up a man at the time and the sending off put undue pressure on the team to hold on for the win.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7.5 — Carlos was absent for much of preseason as he had trouble getting his visa to re-enter the country, but showed how important he is to this team. The Brazilian was fantastic alongside Jansson. Carlos had two tackles, one interception, and a team-leading nine clearances. He also won two aerial balls, tied for the team lead. Going forward, he completed 93% of his 43 passes, including completing four of his five long balls.

D, Ruan, 6.5  — Ruan spent much of the game pushing forward into the attack, something that’s become common since he joined the team. He completed 81.1% of his 37 passes and was accurate in one of his three crosses. His biggest contribution was delivering the low cross into the box that led to Pato’s opening goal, although some bad defending by Montreal helped.

Defensively, Ruan didn’t record any tackles or interceptions, but had two clearances. The lack of defensive stats was because Ruan wasn’t able to get back much. Instead, he went down frequently in the attack, forcing Cesar Araujo to cover for him. Still, it was a solid game by the Lions first-choice right back.

MF, Andres Perea, 5.5 — It wasn’t a bad game by Perea but he wasn’t as involved as Head Coach Oscar Pareja probably would’ve liked. The 21-year-old only completed 83.3% of his 24 passes, allowing Montreal to break on multiple counter attacks during the first half. Defensively, Perea only recorded one tackle. The young midfielder was substituted for Junior Urso at halftime.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo was very active in his first MLS game, recording 61 touches, tied for most on the team alongside Moutinho. He completed 88.5% of his 52 passes and got a shot off that went off-target. Defensively, Araujo didn’t have any tackles, but did have two interceptions and picked up a yellow card in 90 minutes of action.

MF, Benji Michel, 6.5 — The Orlando City Homegrown Player did well in his first start of the season. He only had 23 touches on the left, but completed 92.3% of his 13 passes. More importantly, Michel put away his only shot of the match in the 59th minute, giving the Lions a commanding 2-0 lead.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra didn’t have the most impactful 75 minutes, only recording 42 touches despite being the number 10 on a team that won 2-0. He completed 83.3% of his 36 passes, including the pass to find Ruan in a dangerous area on the team’s first goal and assisting on the second. His one shot was off-target. He also completed all four of his long passes, something of importance considering how deep he tends to play.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — The 21-year-old Uruguayan played well in this game but didn’t have the impact many had hoped. He was on the ball slightly more than Pereyra, recording 49 touches, and only completed 82.4% of his 34 passes. Playing on the right, he did have seven crosses, but only one reached its target. Additionally, he got two shots off, but both were off target. He was involved in the buildup on the opening goal.

F, Alexandre Pato, 7.5 (MotM) — Pato missed most of last year after he was injured in the 2021 season opener against Atlanta. However, the Lions saw what Pato can give the team in this game. Playing alone up top, Pato was excellent. He only completed 73.3% of his 15 passes, but was involved and recorded 25 touches.

Pato was terrific in the attack, putting two of his three shots on target and scoring his first goal in MLS. A surprising part of Pato’s game was his hold-up play. The forward is usually best when the ball is at his feet, but the 5-foot-9 striker was excellent with his back to goal. He was able to win clearances and shield defenders until other attackers could catch up to the play.

Substitutes

MF, Junior Urso (46’), 6 — Junior Urso came on at halftime for Perea in the central defensive midfield. He had five fewer touches (25) than Perea and only completed 77.8% of his 18 passes. However, Urso was more active defensively, recording one tackle and two interceptions. Additionally, he recorded a secondary assist in the build-up to Michel’s goal, starting the play by intercepting a goal kick.

F, Ercan Kara (69’), 5 — Kara came off the bench for the final 21 minutes after recovering from a preseason injury. The new Designated Player didn’t have the biggest impact, only recording seven touches and completing one of his three passes. He also didn’t get any shots off.

Kara’s game could’ve been better when he was sent through late, but he was taken down before he could reach the ball. It’s arguable that it should’ve been Montreal’s second red card as he was taken down by the last defender, but the referee only issued a caution.

F, Silvester van der Water (76’), 5 — Similar to Kara, van der Water didn’t do much in his 14 minutes. Coming on late for energy, the Dutch attacker only touched the ball seven times and completed two of his three passes. He did well to pull the ball back and maintain possession when it was needed, but his one incomplete pass was an attempted switch that gave the ball right back to Montreal.

MF, Sebas Mendez (76’), 6 — Mendez was brought on for defensive purposes and to maintain possession. He did much more with his nine touches than other substitutes, successfully completing all seven passes. He also recorded a clearance, which was part of his role as the Lions looked to hold onto their late 2-0 lead.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (83’), 6 — Schlegel may not have expected to enter the game down the stretch, but Jansson’s second yellow card forced the Argentine to come on at center back. He wasn’t forced to make any defensive plays in his late appearance, but did complete all three of his passes, getting the ball out of the back.

That’s how I saw the performances in Orlando City’s 2-0 win over Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Alexandre Pato51
Robin Jansson6
Antonio Carlos31
Benji Michel3
Mauricio Pereyra11
Other (Comment Below)11

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Fullback Dilemma

Examining a weak point in Orlando City’s defense as the playoff hunt continues.

Published

13 hours ago

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September 12, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has compiled a 6-2-2 record over the last 10 matches, climbing into the playoff picture in the process. The club sits in seventh place with 37 points heading into the weekend, which puts the Lions four points above Toronto FC in eighth place. During those 10 matches, the Lions have scored 25 goals while allowing 14 goals for a +11 goal differential. That all seems pretty good, but it doesn’t mean everything is clicking.

One of the reasons for the 14 goals allowed in that period — and the 41 goals allowed all season — has been the quality of play at the fullback position. There aren’t really any new faces from last season’s record-winning club, so what is going on? Let’s take a look at the left and right back positions.

I’m going to start on the right side, because things aren’t nearly as dire over there. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson hasn’t been perfect, but most of the time he’s pretty good. He’s had the odd game where he didn’t seem to be clicking, but more often than not he’s been fine. Offensively, he has two goals and four assists on the season. There have been defensive lapses, but he is in some ways still developing as a left back. If he wasn’t doing well, we might have seen more of Michael Halliday by this point.

It’s the left side that is more concerning. Oscar Pareja has gone back and forth between Rafael Santos and Kyle Smith. Santos has played in 25 matches, starting 16 and logging 1,451 minutes. Meanwhile, Smith has played in 23 matches, starting nine, and logging 834 minutes. Neither of the two have been consistent enough for Pareja to name one as the go-to starter.

I think the dilemma stems from both players struggling on the defensive end of the pitch, which is the primary assignment for a left back. Both have been culpable on goals allowed by the defense. I think that Smith is exactly who we think he is. He has a pretty good game, is otherwise fine, but probably shouldn’t be a starter in MLS.

Santos, on the other hand, showed us what he is capable of after he locked down the position last season. I’m not certain what happened, but he hasn’t been as good this season, at least not consistently. It poses quite the conundrum for Pareja as neither has made a definitive case to be the starter. That is a potential problem for a club chasing a playoff spot.

This is where you might expect me to have an answer for the fullback dilemma, but alas I do not. I’ve previously suggested letting Luca Petrasso get a start to shake things up, but the truth is he’s probably not ready. That means that we will still see either Santos or Smith get the start. It will probably depend on which player looks better in training.

This isn’t a great situation as the end of the regular season approaches. Santos was able to step things up late last season, and frankly he needs to do so again.

Let me know your pick in the comments below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/12/24

Orlando Pride plan for the Kansas City Current, Americans return to their clubs, MLS coaches on the hot seat, and more.

Published

17 hours ago

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September 12, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been another hectic week for me, but I’m a few pages into Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne and it’s helped me unwind a bit. I’m looking forward to plenty of soccer and hanging out with friends at a sangria festival this weekend. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Kansas City

The Orlando Pride remain unbeaten this season and face a tough test on Friday at home against the Kansas City Current. It’ll be another duel between the Pride’s formidable defense and the Current’s potent offense. The Pride have only allowed 12 goals all season and have secured a clean sheet in each of their three wins since the Olympic break. The Current may not be lighting up scoreboards as of late, but Temwa Chawinga continues to find the back of the net. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on what the team will need to do to limit Chawinga and the rest of Kansas City’s attack, as well as how the Pride are focused on building momentum to create more separation in the standings.

Americans Abroad This Weekend

With the international break over, Americans will return to their clubs after an underwhelming pair of friendlies against Canada and New Zealand. Haji Wright, Aidan Morris, and Brenden Aaronson are just a few of the Yanks expected to play in the EFL Championship on Saturday. Left back Antonee Robinson wasn’t called up for the recent friendlies so that he could rest, and he may play when Fulham hosts West Ham United on Saturday. In Serie A, AC Milan duo Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah will take on Gianluca Busio and Venezia. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing Giovanni Reyna for a while, as he will be out for a few weeks according to Borussia Dortmund Head Coach Nuri Sahin.

Getting to Know Mauricio Pochettino

A new era has officially begun for the United States Men’s National Team, with Mauricio Pochettino becoming the 40th head coach in the program’s history. In his 15 years of managing at the club level, he’s had a penchant for turning teams around, doing so with Espanyol, Southampton, and Tottenham. The 52-year-old also has a track record for giving opportunities to young players and that bodes well for a USMNT that is fairly young compared to other teams on the global stage. Although it’s his first time coaching an international team, he does have experience playing for Argentina. Only time will tell how well his skillset translates to coaching the USMNT, but I have high hopes.

MLS Coaches On the Hot Seat

While the MLS playoff race heats up, coaches across the league may be starting to feel the pressure to finish strongly. Braden Chalker of Sports Illustrated named four coaches who are on the hot seat, including the Philadelphia Union’s Jim Curtin. The 45-year-old has been with the Union since the summer of 2014, but a fresh start could be coming for the club if it misses out on the postseason. A similar clean slate could be coming for Sporting Kansas City, which has been coached by Peter Vermes since 2009. His team would need a miraculous rally to close out the season just to make the playoffs this year. Austin FC’s Josh Wolff and the Chicago Fire’s Frank Klopas may also be looking for work once the season is over.

Free Kicks

  • There are going to be open tryouts at Sylvan Lake Park for Orlando youth players, so be sure to let the eligible youngsters in your life know. Best of luck!

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: 9/11/24

Orlando Pride playoff ticket information, USMNT draws New Zealand on awful late goal on the day it formally announces Mauricio Pochettino, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. We have a full weekend of fun ahead with all three teams in action. The Orlando Pride start things off on Friday, with Orlando City playing Saturday, and Orlando City B finishing things up on Sunday. Hopefully, we can have a nine-point weekend.

Of course, today is a day of remembrance of those who lost their lives both on that tragic day in 2001 and from the effects that followed. Take a moment today to let those you love know that you love them. Let’s get to the links.

Pride Power into Playoffs

We know the Orlando Pride have already made the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, but now you can let the club know if you are interested in potential playoff tickets before things get crazy. It’s nice knowing that we don’t have to wait until decision day to find out if the Pride are in. They are. Decisively. In the least surprising news ever, the Pride topped both the ESPN NWSL Power Rankings, and the Goal.com NWSL Power Rankings once again.

Pochettino Hiring Official

The hiring that everyone knew was coming was made official Tuesday as Mauricio Pochettino was named as the new head coach of the USMNT. Pochettino is the type of big name hire that U.S. fans have been waiting for following the double stint of Gregg Berhalter. Pochettino will be expected to get the best out of what some consider the greatest generation of American soccer players when he leads them to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

USMNT Draws New Zealand

The same night that Pochettino was announced as the new USMNT head coach, his new team played New Zealand to an uninspiring 1-1 draw. Christian Pulisic put the Yanks ahead in the 69th minute, but the U.S. was unable to see the match out, allowing an 89th-minute equalizer on a completely awful goal that was misplayed by both Caleb Wiley and Mark McKenzie, with the latter providing the finish with a clearance attempt off of New Zealand’s Ben Waine, over Matt Turner, and into his own net. The match was only a friendly, but it illustrates the need for the new coach.

The Growth of the NWSL

The NWSL is in a good place. The league is growing both in the number of member clubs and in the attendance at matches across the league. There are many reasons for it, including the Olympics and big name stars like Marta and the recently retired Alex Morgan, but most importantly, the growing fanbase for the women’s game. ESPN spoke to general managers at every club in the league to get an idea of the challenges in the ever-changing landscape that is the NWSL. All the answers were anonymous, but it’s still very insightful information.

Free Kicks

  • In the ongoing series from the Orlando Pride, it’s now time for you to get to know Carrie Lawrence.
  • Let’s keep the clean sheets coming, Anna Moorhouse.
  • Declan Rice was a bit petty in Arsenal’s match against Brighton last weekend, nudging the ball away from his opponent on a free kick. The action earned him a second yellow and a sending off. Now, the board that reviews referee decisions has stated it was the correct call.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for this weekend’s matches.

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