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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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2 years ago

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Orlando City showed good fight in its first game in over two weeks in coming back to get a road point against the New England Revolution. The Lions continue to be a pretty good team on the road, and if not for a couple good saves by Djordje Petrovic, might have even been able to sneak out of Gillette Stadium with a win. What follows is how I rated the individual performances in this one.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — It was surprising to see El Pulpo in goal for this one. He played in Peru’s loss to Australia on Monday and one long flight back from Qatar later was in between the sticks in Foxborough. He was largely helpless on Carles Gil’s goal, getting a great jump and full extension but not quite able to get fingertips on the ball as it hit the side netting. He did however, make a great point blank save in the 12th minute to keep things level, and looked assured overall. He finished with two saves, passed at a 78% rate and had 25 touches on the ball.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5.5 — It wasn’t a terrible performance from Moutinho, but it wasn’t his best in an Orlando shirt either. On a night where he was asked to be the more offensive of the two fullbacks he did some good things like completing a dribble, winning two tackles, making an interception, completing three long balls and passing with 84% accuracy while touching the ball 58 times. With that being said he didn’t attempt any crosses and his only shot attempt hit Junior Urso that started the counter on which Gil scored. Moutihno tried to get back but didn’t arrive in time to cover for Jake Mulraney’s defensive effort.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 (MotM) — The big Swede had a typically buccaneering performance. Jansson passed with 81% success with three long balls, completed a dribble, had six clearances, and won three aerial duels and a tackle — all while taking three shots and scoring the equalizing goal. It was a great goal too, as he did well to bring down a high ball, use a change of pace to beat the nearest defender, and slam the ball through Petrovic’s legs into the side netting. He also played almost the entire game while on a yellow card that he picked up in the sixth minute, and showed great discipline to not get another and send Orlando down to 10 men. All in all, it was a worthy Man of the Match performance after a long layoff.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel had a solid game partnering Jansson in defense. Statistically, he won an aerial duel, made two tackles and six clearances, passed at a 78.6% clip, recorded an interception, and took two shots, which were both blocked. He even had a key pass and had some great instances of 1-v-1 defending, but picked up a yellow card in the 77th minute. He also drew three fouls, a couple of which helped relieve some pressure for the Lions. On the whole, he looked solid as usual.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith was extremely busy during this one. He passed with 77.5% accuracy and completed a dribble, while also winning two aerial duels, making three tackles, and recording a whopping eight clearances. He also had a key pass and took one shot, which he got on target and was a bit unlucky not to score from. On a long throw from Moutinho late in the game, Smith controlled the bouncing ball and shot on the half volley from a tight angle, but Petrovic got down very quickly and got a strong hand to it. Smith was the third defender to pick up a yellow card, but with as busy as he was on the night, I’m willing to let it slide.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo looked a little rusty at times during this one. He definitely did some good things, passing at a great 90% clip (tied for second on the Lions) making a clearance, and winning three tackles. He also committed two fouls while being fouled twice to keep things nice and even. However, he was dispossessed twice, which was tied for the most on the team, and got beaten by Gustavo Bou just after slipping a bit in the buildup to New England’s goal. Although he didn’t record any offensive stats, that isn’t really what he’s on the field to do, and didn’t have a bad game overall.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear played well during this one. He did his usual boatload of running and was heavily involved as a result. Urso passed with 90% success, won an aerial duel, took two shots, and completed two dribbles. He also drew two fouls and completed two long balls. The long rest certainly seemed to do him some good as he ran hard all night and was pretty tidy for the duration of the game, something that was impressive considering he touched the ball a team-high 73 times.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra was another midfielder who was highly involved on the night. He passed at an 83% clip, while recording a game-high three key passes in the process. He put his lone shot on target, won a tackle, and drew two fouls. He had an excellent combination with Facundo Torres at the start of the second half to help his fellow Designated Player get off a good shot, and grew into the game well. Pereyra ended the game with 66 touches — second only to Junior Urso. Less good was the first-half free kick which was far too softly hit, as well as being dispossessed once and dribbled twice, but he also wasn’t the only guy who had a few rusty moments.

MF, Jake Mulraney, 6.5 — I was quietly surprised by how well Mulraney played in this game. He passed at an 85% rate, won a tackle, and had a shot that was blocked. He also recorded two key passes, completed a long ball, and drew five fouls. He brought a directness that was a little different than any of the other Orlando attackers and looked pretty sharp. The lone foul he committed resulted in a yellow card, and he came off with just over a quarter of an hour left to play. However he needs to do better in transition defending, as he was passve in allowing Gil lots of space to shoot on the Revs’ goal, although it was a difficult spot for him to be in.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Like most of the OCSC players, Torres had a solid but not spectacular night. He had one shot, which was saved well down low by Petrovic, completed a dribble, drew three fouls, and recorded two clearances. He passed at a crisp 93% rate, which was the best on the team, and completed a long ball as well. He didn’t seem quite able to find the final ball though, and things were just a hair off when it came to unlocking the Revs’ defense, and he got dribbled twice. Still, not a bad outing by any means.

F, Alexandre Pato, 6 — The Duck had a decent, but not great game. He passed at a 79% rate, won a tackle, and drew three fouls. He also took two shots, one of which forced a great save from Petrovic early in the game. He flashed a couple instances of good hold-up play to bring his teammates into the game, but wasn’t the most involved, as he only recorded 30 touches on the night. The service into him wasn’t the best, as Orlando struggled to find the final ball for most of the night, but he’ll have wanted to be more involved regardless.

Substitutes

F, Benji Michel (72’), 5 — I don’t want to seem like I’m picking on the only sub to get a rating, but Benji looked like a guy who spent a spell on the sidelines with an injury. He did good things, like winning two tackles and an aerial duel, and did well to get behind the Revs’ defense and come close to getting in on goal, but there was also a lot of sloppiness. He was dispossessed twice, dribbled once, and passed at a 60% rate on five passes — one of which completely killed an attacking move that seemed to be developing well. Getting more game time should help him, but for now Mulraney might be ahead of him on the depth chart.

F, Ercan Kara (78’), N/A — Kara was fairly quiet in his roughly 15-minute cameo. He passed at a 33% rate on three attempts, and committed two fouls while recording six touches. He did win an aerial duel and managed to get into a good position wide in the box, but could only put the ball low into Petrovic’s chest.

MF, Andres Perea (79’), N/A — Perea also had a short appearance off the substitutes’ bench to give Mauricio Pereyra some rest. He passed with 80% accuracy, had seven touches, and won a tackle and an aerial duel.

F, Tesho Akindele (91’), N/A —Tesho had the briefest of the four substitute appearances, and that was reflected in the fact that his lone touch was the only statistic he recorded during his time on the field.

That’s how I saw the performances on Wednesday night in Massachusetts. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to vote for Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra20
Ercan Kara37
Pedro Gallese6
Facundo Torres7
Other (Let us know who in the comments)1

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Orlando City

How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively

How Orlando City has performed against teams playing with three or four defenders, and how that may influence the playoff game against Atlanta United.

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12 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The most famous quote about real estate is that “there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Soccer coaches also like to think in threes, especially when it comes to points, but for a soccer coach, the three things that matter might be the rhyming triplet “formation, formation, formation,” as that is where they will have the biggest influence on every game that their team plays.

Throughout his tenure as head coach, Óscar Pareja has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 as his formation (fbref.com’s lineup data shows that the Lions primarily played a 4-2-3-1 in 65% of their MLS matches this season, and 79% of their MLS matches during the last three seasons). The Lions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 during each of their last 14 games, and my confidence level is strong to quite strong (can you believe Meet the Parents came out 24 years ago?) that they will do so once again on Sunday when they host Atlanta United.

Atlanta United also prefers to deploy a 4-2-3-1, but was less consistent than Orlando City this season during MLS play, as evidenced by the chart below that shows how Atlanta lined up this season:

The purpose of this image is a table to show how Atlanta United lined up in 2024 (mostly in a 4-2-3-1 but also in one of six other formations).

I am relying on the coders at Opta for their evaluation of the formation, as I do not watch a lot of Atlanta United matches (sounds terrible), but though Atlanta primarily played with four defenders in more than two-thirds of its matches, during the last two matches it played a 3-5-2, the only two matches all season in which interim coach Rob Valentino rolled out that formation. I suspect that the formation change was related partially to playing Inter Miami and trying to defend the Herons’ dynamic offense and partially due to an injury suffered by defender Brooks Lennon in the first game of that series. So, while Atlanta primarily played four in the back for most of the season, there is a good chance it will roll with what worked against Florida’s second-best MLS team when it plays Florida’s best MLS team this weekend.

Now, if you want to read more about Atlanta, then you can read our match preview, which will drop Sunday morning, but I want to look at how Orlando did against teams that play similar styles. Looking only at MLS games, the table below shows how Orlando City performed against different back line structures this season (the left side is how the Lions’ opponents lined up, the right side is how Orlando City performed against opponents in those formations):

Table embedded as an image showing Orlando City doing best in goal differential in 12 games against three-man back lines, second best against four-man back lines, and having played once against a five-man back line (a 1-1 draw).

Orlando City earned slightly more points per game — the stat that matters most — against teams that played four in the back, but the Lions had a better average goal differential when teams played three in the back. Atlanta will likely deploy one of those two formations. In both games against Orlando City this season, Sunday’s visitors went with a 4-2-3-1, but as mentioned earlier, they used three in the back in each of their last two matches, so it really could be either.

Soccer is not like baseball, where players primarily stay in the same spot throughout the game, so some of these stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, as players are not always rigidly in the same position throughout a match. A team may also primarily play with four in the back but switch to three when chasing a game, or five when trying to protect against a late goal.

That said, using the data around Orlando City’s opponents’ general formations, here are the attacking groups who played the most frequently against four defenders during the 24 MLS games where Opta coded the opponents as using a defensive group of four:

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy four defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus eight goal differential for the season.

It is a little ominous that the main starting group, shown in row one, has played 666 MLS minutes against back lines of four this season, but do I like that green goal differential of +8 in those minutes, which is a strong +1.08 per 90 minutes. I like that goal differential more than I like all the things that Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin like on their song that is creatively named “I Like It.” Coincidentally, when people ask me what I think about that song, I say, “I like it.” I am very creative.

If we look at the lineups that Orlando City has used against back lines of three defenders then there are some pretty major differences in personnel groupings, but it must be noted that more than half of the games against teams playing three in the back came early in the season, when Ramiro Enrique was unavailable to play. Enrique, my presumed starter at striker, has played fewer than three games’ worth of minutes (265 total) against back lines of three this season, and only 28 minutes with the main starting group, which ranks 13th among all the attacking lineups for minutes played against three defenders. That group scored one goal in their 28 minutes together though, for a robust 3.21 goals-scored-per-90-minutes average.

While the team as a whole has been successful against three-man back lines, I do not expect any of the lineups shown in the table below to play more than a few minutes together this weekend, though the first row and the last row are strong groups and had a lot of success.

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy three defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus three goal differential for the season.

I am sure that all week long the Orlando City coaching staff has been going back and forth on whether it is more likely that Atlanta reverts to its most commonly used four in the back, or if the Five Stripes try for three wins in a row with three in the back. I would prefer that Atlanta plays with zero defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan wears a blindfold, but I think that is unlikely to be the case.

Even though Atlanta defeated Orlando City both times while in a 4-2-3-1, based on available personnel and recent results, I believe that the team will come out in a 3-5-2 in Inter&Co Stadium in the conference semifinal. Good things come in threes, and Orlando City’s best offensive production this season has been against three defenders, so I am going to be hoping that this continues, and in the third game against Atlanta the Lions grab the three points. Three’s company!

Well, it is a playoff game, so there are no actual points at stake, but you know what I meant.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?

Published

14 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?

Beat Guzan

Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.

Cartagena is Essential

Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.

Overcome the Past

That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday afternoon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/21/24

Marta’s chance to shine in NWSL Championship, NWSL and MLS award winners announced, 2025 SheBelieves Cup details, and more.

Published

18 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending most of this week plotting out some holiday shopping to make things a little less stressful for myself over the next few weeks. A big weekend filled with Orlando soccer awaits us, so make sure to get any errands or obligations out of the way sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Spotlight Falls On Marta in NWSL Championship

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, including Marta’s opportunity to put an exclamation point on what has been an excellent season for the Pride. Orlando has been enjoying the fruits of its labor this season after a rebuild over the past few years that’s included plenty of change in the City Beautiful. Marta has been a constant, however, enduring some difficult seasons since joining the Pride and adapting her game She’s scored in both of the Pride’s playoff games so far and has a chance to author a storybook ending on Saturday.

Ann-Katrin Berger Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was named 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out the Pride’s Anna Moorhouse and Utah Royals FC’s Mandy Haught for the honor. It was Berger’s first year in the NWSL and she’s the first European player to win the award. She only conceded 16 goals across her 22 matches for Gotham this season and was a key reason behind her team’s success. I’m not too surprised that Moorhouse did not win, considering how solid the Pride’s defense was as a whole, but this won’t take anything away from a record-breaking season for her.

Wilfried Nancy Named MLS Coach of the Year

Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy was voted 2024 MLS Coach of the Year after a historic season in which the Crew set club records in both points and goals. The Crew also won the Leagues Cup this summer and their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign included advancing past Tigres and Monterrey en route to the final. This is Nancy’s first time being named Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the award every year since 2021. The Frenchman received 40.02% of the vote, winning the award over Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas.

2025 SheBelieves Cup Details Unveiled

The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup will take place next year and the tournament will return to its usual format where each of the four teams plays each other once. The United States Women’s National Team will host Japan, Colombia, and Australia in February in what should be an exciting tournament. The U.S. will take on Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston before facing Australia in Arizona on Feb. 23 and finishing the tournament on Feb. 26 against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. These games will also be the first domestic games of 2025 for the USWNT as it prepares to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Eric Quill Named FC Dallas Head Coach

FC Dallas announced that Eric Quill will become the team’s next head coach. Quill joins Dallas after a great year with New Mexico United that included trips to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and USL Championship Western Conference semifinals. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Quill, as he previously coached North Texas SC and was named USL League One Coach of the Year with the club in 2019. Dallas missed out on the playoffs this season, with Peter Luccin coaching the team on an interim basis after the firing of Nico Estevez in June.

Free Kicks

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to a bet involving this weekend’s NWSL Championship, with embarrassing lightshows on the line.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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