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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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2 years ago

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Orlando City was completely outplayed by the New York Red Bulls this weekend in a 3-0 loss. It was the team’s third loss in six home games this year, and the worst performance by the team this season.

Here’s how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — The Peruvian international has had an excellent season so far this year, recording five clean sheets. This game was the second time he’s given up at least three goals, with the other being a 4-2 loss to LAFC. One of Gallese’s three saves occurred just before the half on Ashley Fletcher’s effort that appeared to be going in. It was an excellent stop that kept the game at 1-0, but a poor defensive and offensive effort resulted in the Red Bulls running away with the game. In terms of distribution, Gallese had 27 passes at an 81% success rate and was accurate on five of his 10 long balls. The goals weren’t all Gallese’s fault, but conceding three times is not a game Gallese will want to remember.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5 — While Moutinho wasn’t at his best, he did get involved in the attack. He completed 76.5% of his 34 passes, including a key pass, and completed one of his two crosses. However, too often Moutinho pulled the ball back after beating a man, forcing him to beat the same player again. That resulted in the team losing possession on multiple occasions in a bad position. Defensively, the left back had six tackles, one blocked shot, and committed one foul.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 – Schlegel was the most active of the Orlando City defenders in this game. He led the team with three interceptions, two blocked shots, and 12 clearances while also adding four tackles. Additionally, Schlegel was second on the team with 80 touches, completed 80.7% of his 57 passes, had a key pass, and even got a shot off late that went just wide of goal. However, he and Jansson were at fault for the second goal, losing their men on the counter.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — A regular starter for Orlando City, Jansson wasn’t quite as effective defensively as Schlegel but was better attacking. The Swede had one tackle, three interceptions, five clearances, and one blocked shot. He was also good going forward, completing 92.2% of his 51 passes, including an excellent long ball late in the game. However, he lost his man on the second goal, largely being at fault.

D, Ruan, 4.5 — Ruan is often one of the most effective players for Orlando City but wasn’t as involved in this one. He only completed 71.1% of his 38 passes and one of his two crosses. Defensively, Ruan didn’t have any tackles, blocked shots, or interceptions, and only had two clearances. Overall, it was one of the least impactful games for the Brazilian since joining Orlando City.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 5.5 (MotM) — Araujo lined up in his usual position right in front of the back four. He was involved in the defensive effort, recording three tackles, one interception, two clearances, and one blocked shot. Going forward, the Uruguayan had a team-high 83 touches and completed 95.3% of his 64 passes, although he didn’t have any key passes.

MF, Junior Urso, 4.5 — Urso is usually a key part of the Orlando City attack, providing a link between the defense and midfield. He wasn’t as involved in this game as he usually is, completing 78.3% of only 23 passes. He didn’t have much of a defensive impact either, ending his 45 minutes of action with one tackle, one interception, and two clearances.

MF, Facundo Torres, 4 — Like many Orlando City players, Torres wasn’t very effective in this game. The attacker completed 80% of his 30 passes and failed to complete his lone cross. He also didn’t take any shots and didn’t have any key passes.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 4 — The Orlando City attack usually goes through the team’s captain, but Pereyra wasn’t very good in this one. He only completed 72.7% of his 55 passes and didn’t have any key passes. He attempted three crosses but none reached their target. Like Torres, Pereyra didn’t have any shots in the match.

MF, Alexandre Pato, 4 — It’s hard to give Pato such a low grade, but this was unquestionably his worst game this year. Usually one of the Lions’ biggest threats offensively, Pato was non-existent in this one. The Brazilian only had 22 touches and completed 42.6% of his 13 passes in 45 minutes of play. His one cross was quality but didn’t connect with Ercan Kara and he didn’t take any shots. Pato did have one interception and clearance but it was an overall poor performance.

FW, Ercan Kara, 4.5 — The role of a striker is to create chances and score goals. Kara did neither in this game. He has one of the team’s three shots and didn’t come close to scoring. The Austrian only completed 64.3% of his 14 passes and none were considered key passes. He did help out a little defensively, recording two tackles and a clearance, but it was a rough showing by Kara.

Substitutes

DF, Thomas Williams (46’), 5 — The 17-year-old Homegrown Player played the whole second half. It was the most MLS minutes for Williams since joining the first team. Williams’ only defensive statistic was one tackle. He completed 79.2% of his 24 passes but none were key passes. He had one poor turnover while trying to take on a man 1-v-1 near midfield that could have cost Orlando a goal.

MF, Benji Michel, (46’), 4.5 — Michel came on at halftime to provide some speed and spread out a New York defense that was clogging the middle of the field. However, he found it difficult to get into the game, completing 90% of just 10 passes, recording 15 touches, and not taking any shots.

MF, Sebas Mendez (82’), N/A — Mendez came on late to help stabilize the team, though the result was pretty much guaranteed. Mendez did nothing defensively and didn’t create anything offensively, but did complete all 11 passes, which accounted for all of his touches. With only eight minutes of playing time (plus stoppage) there wasn’t enough time for him to earn a grade.

FW, Silvester van der Water (82’), N/A — Like Mendez, Van der Water came on late as the Lions looked to get something from the game. However, like pretty much everyone else, he was unsuccessful. The forward completed his only pass and had one unsuccessful cross. But he didn’t get any shots off and committed a foul in his limited appearance.

FW, Jack Lynn (88’), N/A — This game gave Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja an opportunity to give Lynn his senior team debut. The rookie was drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft and has been playing this year for OCB. He was only on for a few minutes and only had two touches.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s 3-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls. Let us know what you thought of the players and make sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese2
Cesar Araujo9
Rodrigo Schlegel12
Other (Let us know who in the comments)5

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Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do on the road against CF Montreal to take home all three points ?

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7 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City opened the season against CF Montreal, playing to a 0-0 draw at Inter&Co Stadium back in February. Now, the Lions head to the Great White North to play the pesky Canadian club again. There’s no Concacaf Champions Cup competition to worry about this time, so hopefully Orlando City can get a victory.

What does Orlando City need to do to follow up the D.C. United victory with another win?

Just Say No

Outscoring your opponents while giving up two goals is all well and good, but outscoring your opponents while also keeping a clean sheet is much better. Orlando City has given up 13 goals over seven matches. It’s actually worse than that considering that the club has two clean sheets meaning those 13 goals came in just five matches. The Lions need to do better at not conceding goals.

Of course, one of those clean sheets came against Montreal to start the season, and the entire defense is seemingly healthy and ready to go. Our old foe Josef Martinez is always a threat and Matias Coccaro has three goals for Montreal so far this season. Stopping them is crucial. If Orlando City can maintain the same defensive discipline it showed in the previous match against Montreal, it will make earning points on the road much easier.

Designated Player Goals

Orlando City has scored seven goals so far this season. Duncan McGuire leads the team with three goals, thanks to his goal last week. Do you know who hasn’t scored yet? If you said any of Orlando City’s Designated Players, you would be correct. I’m not going to ring any emergency bells just yet, but it’d be a lot cooler if Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, or Facundo Torres scored a goal this week.

I think they are all close to breaking out. Torres has scored this year, just not in the MLS regular season. Muriel has been getting closer each match, and is still contributing in other ways. The same can be said of Ojeda. My point is that the goals are coming. Perhaps a trip to another country is exactly what they need to get off the mark.

The Battle on the Wings

Orlando City will be playing against former Lion Ruan. He lines up on the right for Montreal and will be a challenge for either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith, depending on who gets the start. Of course, if Ivan Angulo is playing in his usual role on the left side of Orlando City’s attack, there could be some interesting races between the two speedy players.

I think that the other side of the field is where the match might be won or lost. Since Orlando City fell out of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the team has been on a more regular schedule. That has allowed Dagur Dan Thorhallsson to regain his form in the right fullback position for the Lions. He scored a goal last week, has an assist on the season, four crosses, and 10 key passes. He is an integral part of Orlando City’s attack and if he can win the battles against Raheem Edwards and Joaquin Sosa on the right side of Montreal’s lineup, he could have another big night.

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: 4/18/24

Barbra Banda’s opportunity in Orlando, Omar Gonzalez’s mental health struggles, UEFA Champions League quarterfinals finish, and more.

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10 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend packed with Orlando soccer. It’s been a fairly busy week for me as I juggle work with keeping an eye on my cat. He’s a bit of a menace, but at least in a cute way. I’ll spare you my rambling on how great he is, and instead give you today’s links from around the soccer world.

Opportunity Knocks for Barbra Banda

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda landed in the City Beautiful and spoke on how her first week with the team has been going. While there’s plenty of buzz surrounding the Pride on how Banda should improve the team’s offense, playing in the NWSL will also help the 24-year-old further develop her game.

“I think the league is quite good. I’ve been following it from way back,” she said. “I think it’s a very interesting league, very strong. All the teams are very physical, fast. So I think it’s good for myself to improve.”

Now that she’s with the Pride, soccer fans around the world will now have better access to watch one of the best forwards in women’s soccer. Banda also talked about the warm welcome she received at the airport and you can check out more of her reaction to that and some of her first few days in Orlando in the video below.

Portland Thorns Head Coach Reassigned

Mike Norris is no longer the head coach of the Portland Thorns after the club made him a technical director instead. The Thorns have never had a worse start to an NWSL season, losing three of their four games this year and still searching for their first win. Rob Gale will serve as the team’s interim head coach while the club does a global search for a replacement. I’m a bit surprised that Norris wasn’t given a few more weeks to turn things around, considering Portland is just a win away from being back in the thick of things. We’ll see if the Thorns will get that win with Gale at the helm when they take on the struggling Houston Dash Saturday.

Omar Gonzalez Shares His Mental Health Journey

American defender Omar Gonzalez discussed the difficulties he’s had over the course of his year and the toll it has had on his mental health. His own goal in the USMNT’s loss to Trinidad & Tobago that cost the team its chance to qualify for the 2018 World Cup would be rough for any player to overcome, but Gonzalez stated that head injuries made a stressful few years of his life much more difficult. Gonzalez admitted that he had daily suicidal thoughts until he reached out for needed help while with Toronto FC. Things have since improved and he’s currently with his hometown team, FC Dallas. I think it’s helpful for players like Gonzalez to be open about the mental health problems athletes face. Hopefully this lets other athletes know they aren’t alone in these struggles and encourages them to reach out for help if needed.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

Only four teams are still standing in the UEFA Champions League after the quarterfinals wrapped up with plenty of dramatic soccer. The matchup between Real Madrid and Manchester City lived up to expectations with a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in England. Real Madrid prevailed and ended City’s run, with Andriy Lunin making two saves in the shootout. In the other quarterfinal, Bayern Munich advanced after beating Arsenal 1-0, thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s head.

It all sets up for a thrilling pair of semifinals and potential storylines for the final. Will Bayern and Borussia Dortmund reach the final for a rivalry match for the ages? Can Kylian Mbappe finally give Paris Saint-Germain a Champions League title, and will it be at the expense of Real Madrid? If the semifinals are anything like the quarterfinals, it will be great soccer to enjoy.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City Director of Equipment Operations Charles Raycroft received some deserved recognition after reaching an impressive milestone in his career.
  • Romario, who was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994 after helping Brazil win a World Cup, has registered himself as a player for America Football Club. The 58-year-old has been the president of the club since 2009 and now has the chance to play alongside his son Romarinho.

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: 4/17/24

Orlando City rises in power rankings, Orlando Pride waive two players, Champions League results, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Time to start your day with some tasty links. It’s shaping up to be an exciting weekend with Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B all playing. Last week, Orlando’s teams ended up with seven out of nine possible points. Here’s hoping we see nine out of nine this weekend. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Moving On Up

Starting the season 0-3-1 is a good way to be in the cellar of the utterly meaningless MLSsoccer.com power rankings. Orlando City is now starting to climb up the rankings thanks to three straight results. The Lions moved up four spots to 21st after the 3-2 victory over DC United. It was Duncan McGuire’s goal that secured the win, and his performance off the bench was a talking point for this week as well.

Farewell Kaylie Collins and Tori Hansen

The Orlando Pride announced that goalkeeper Kaylie Collins and defender Tori Hansen were waived on Tuesday. Both players were on loan in Australia’s A-League Women ,with Collins at Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Hansen with Melbourne Victory FC. Collins and Hansen were both NWSL draft picks for the Pride, though neither saw significant minutes with the club.

Barbra Banda Begins Training

Barbra Banda participated in her first training with the Pride Tuesday. It’s uncertain how much playing time she may get this week, but it’s possible she makes her first appearance against the San Diego Wave this Friday. Please remember that it sometimes takes new players time to get used to a new club, a new city, and a new league. Of course, I’m still hoping she comes on and scores a brace against the Wave.

Wild Matches in Champions League Quarterfinals

Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund both overcame deficits in the first leg to advance to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. PSG dropped four goals on Barcelona to win 6-4 on aggregate. Barcelona scored first, but made things hard on itself when Ronald Araújo was sent off.

Borussia Dortmund also scored four goals, defeating Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate. Dortmund gave up an own goal, but battled back to take the lead in the match and then the lead in the tie thanks to goals scored in the 71st and 74th minutes. It was a wild, fun match to watch. Dortmund and PSG will meet in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

  • MLS will now start implementing the new rules for off-field treatments, timed substitutions, and in-stadium VAR announcements. The idea is to maximize effective match time.
  • The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will test new time limit rules during the 2024-2025 season for how long keepers can hold the ball with potential consequences including giving the opposing team a corner or a throw-in.
  • Finally, our thoughts are with the friends and family following the passing of Joel McKell.

That will do it for today. Check back later in the week as we get you ready for the Orlando City, Orlando Pride, and OCB matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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