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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Win on Late Own Goal by the Herons

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2 years ago

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Like the Orlando Pride one night earlier, Orlando City won 1-0 at home on an own goal by the opposition. The Lions (8-7-4, 28 points) needed a stoppage-time own goal by Damion Lowe to capture a rare (in 2022) shutout home victory over Inter Miami (6-8-4, 22 points) in a rain-soaked 1-0 match at Exploria Stadium. It continued the trend of every game in the rivalry being decided by one goal or ending in a draw and allowed Orlando to snap a three-match winless stretch (0-2-1) across all competitions.

“Very intense game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I thought today was not an easy date after our last game and they (the players) bounced back. We know we have a lot of things to work (on), but today we deserved those three points and we’ll take it. We’re very proud.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo was joined in central midfield by Junior Urso, behind an attacking line of Benji Michel, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Ercan Kara up top.

The start of the match was delayed nearly two-and-a-half hours by lightning in the area and rain fell heavily at times while fans huddled on the concourse and the teams stayed in the locker room areas.

Once the match got underway, the Lions continued their recent unwanted tradition of not playing well in the first half. Misplaced passes and poor communication prevented Orlando from getting much going on the attacking end and it also set up Miami with a great chance early.

Pereyra’s poor back pass was picked off and Indiana Vassilev raced toward goal, eventually firing a shot that hit Gallese in the face and deflected wide of the far post in the seventh minute.

On the other end, the Lions couldn’t get much going but whenever they did, Pereyra paid the price, sustaining three fouls in the opening half. The Lions couldn’t make those set pieces pay off, however.

Jean Mota fired from distance for Miami in the 17th minute but his attempt didn’t come close to the target. Three minutes later, Leonardo Campana headed just wide on Gallese’s right side.

Urso found some space in the 30th minute and tried a shot from outside the area but a defender was able to block it. Pereyra sent in a decent cross on the ensuing corner kick but it was headed out by Miami. The corner was taken from the other side and a training ground sequence nearly resulted in a chance but Michel’s touch in front was poor and it was cleared.

Pereyra tried a shot from long range in the 32nd minute but he got well under it and it sailed high into the Wall.

That was it for a rather pedestrian first half. Miami had the better chances, but the teams went into the break scoreless. Possession was nearly even, with the visitors holding a slim edge (50.6%-49.4%). The Herons had more shots (6-3), shots on target (1-0), and corners (3-2). Orlando City was slightly more accurate in passing (84.5%-83.6%).

“It was congested,” Pareja said of the midfield in the game. “It was heavy for us to break the lines. We need balance, also. I think it’s something that we lacked in the last game, especially, when we conceded too much space. I thought it was a reason for our team to do that (defensive) job first and that’s why it was very congested.”

Miami wasted no time getting into the attack after the restart, with a cross coming right to left for Robert Taylor, who muffed his header at point-blank range. The ball then deflected toward the end line but wide of goal.

Orlando cleared the ensuing corner and looked to break with decent numbers but Ruan allowed three defenders to close on him without passing and he lost the ball.

In the 49th minute, Vassilev fired over the bar after a good passing sequence for Miami. Ruan left too much space on his side and a cross from the left found Yedlin, who headed it back to Vassilev. With plenty of time and space, he simply missed his shot.

The Lions had their best chance of the night in the 58th minute. Urso sent a nice switch across the field to Ruan down the right side of the box. Ruan cut a pass back across the box to Michel for an open look but the Homegrown bundled his shot at Drake Callender in the middle of the goal.

Two minutes after that chance, Torres fizzed a shot just wide of the upper right corner of the net. Urso then fired a shot just over the crossbar in the 63rd minute from the top of the box.

Miami got its best opportunity in the 72nd minute off a corner kick. Miami played it short before crossing to the top of the six-yard box. Aime Mabika got a free header in front but missed just wide of the right post.

Substitute Tesho Akindele got into the act late with a couple of opportunities but he hit both shots badly wide to the right. The first came on a good sequence in the 77th minute when Torres sent Ruan down the right side. The right back cut a pass into the area for Akindele on the right but he couldn’t get his body around and his shot skipped well wide.

The second chance came in the 89th minute. Smith sent a good cross in from the left and Akindele went up for a contested header and couldn’t make enough contact to redirect it on frame. It too went wide of the right post.

The game seemed poised to end in a scoreless draw when Orlando got a fortunate bounce. Jake Mulraney sent a cross into the area that Lowe tried to clear with his right foot in front of his own net. The ball squirted awkwardly off to his right, hitting the net just inside the crossbar for an own goal in the 92nd minute.

“I think in the last few games, we’ve been pushing hard but (the luck) just hasn’t been there and it hasn’t really gone in,” Araujo said. “And thankfully tonight, you know, we’re on the other side of that, and we were able to get it to go in and take all three points.”

Araujo had a monster game for the Lions, with eight tackles and nine fouls won — both game highs by far. By himself, Araujo had nearly as many tackles and fouls won as Miami’s entire team.

Miami couldn’t mount a comeback in the few minutes of stoppage time remaining and the Lions had an improbable victory.

The Lions finished with more possession (54.7%-45.3%) and passing accuracy (96.6%-82.9%). Miami fired more shots (10-8) and won more corners (6-2). Each team managed just one shot on target on a night when both teams were offensively challenged.

“It’s good to fix those things and improve when you win,” Pareja said. “It’s easier, or at least you have more energy.” 

There’s little chance for the Lions to catch their breath, as they’ll head next to the thin air of Colorado to play the Rapids on Wednesday.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/24

Ivan Angulo makes Team of the Matchday bench, Americans in action, Sergino Dest to miss Copa America, and more.

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20 mins ago

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April 23, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an excellent weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three sides took seven of the nine points on offer. There’s no rest for the wicked this week as the Orlando Pride travel to play the Washington Spirit on Friday, Orlando City hosts Toronto FC on Saturday, and Orlando City B finishes things up at home against Toronto FC II on Sunday. Let’s take a look at today’s links.

Ivan Angulo Earns Recognition

Ivan Angulo has been named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. The Colombian got the start on Saturday up in Montreal, and had a good game, going the distance and completing 82% of his passes and putting one of his two shots on target. That shot was an important one, as it gave the Lions a late equalizer and helped them salvage a valuable point on the road. Sean Rollins gave him a grade of 6 in his player grades from the match, a rating that likely would have been higher had Martin Ojeda’s pass been accurate enough to allow Angulo to grab a possible winner just a few minutes after he equalized. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in big games this week, and the good people over at Stars and Stripes FC have you covered with the whole rundown. First up, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus will try to advance to the Coppa Italia final this afternoon, as they enter the second leg of the semifinal against Lazio with a 2-0 lead on aggregate. Tomorrow sees Monaco and Folarin Balogun meet Lille in Ligue 1 action, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Newcastle United in the Premier League. Things wrap up on Friday in Serie B when Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessman, and third-place Venezia face Cremonese as they try to overtake Como and finish in one of Serie B’s two guaranteed promotion places.

Sergino Dest Sidelined Long Term

Following up on a story from yesterday’s Lion Links, The Athletic is reporting that the knee injury suffered by Sergino Dest will keep him out of Copa America, and sideline him for the rest of the year. That would be a big blow for the United States Men’s National Team, as Dest has been the nailed-on starter at right back since winning a place in the team during the qualifying cycle for the 2022 World Cup. The Yanks aren’t without options at the position, as Joe Scally could step in for Dest, or Gregg Berhalter could try deploying Weah there, but neither of the two possesses Dest’s level of offensive threat.

Inter Milan Wins Serie A

Inter Milan dispatched rival AC Milan 2-1 guaranteed that Inter will win its 20th Serie A title in club history. Fikayo Tomori’s goal in the 80th minute was the closest Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah’s club could get to leveling the score, and Inter is now a whopping 17 points clear of AC Milan with five games left to play. Inter has been imperious on its way to a 20th Scudetto, scoring the most goals in the league while also conceding the fewest and losing only once this season.

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  • The Orlando Pride and Orlando City hosted a clean-up effort in honor of Earth Day on Monday.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with CF Montreal?

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21 hours ago

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April 22, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Mark Thor

Orlando City scored in second-half injury time for the second consecutive weekend to claim points. However, this time it was an equalizer as the Lions drew CF Montreal 2-2 north of the border. The Lions ended their two-game road trip with four points and extended their points streak to four games after dropping three straight. It’s an improvement as they look to climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances in the draw.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese conceded a pair of goals in this game, though neither were necessarily his fault. The first was a breakaway after Robin Jansson kept Mason Toye onside and the second was blocked wide, but Kyle Smith was caught flat-footed. However, he did concede twice while saving three of Montreal’s five shots on target. Additionally, the Lions’ goalkeeper completed 55.6% of his 27 passes, including eight of his 20 long balls.

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Smith had a solid game other than one specific play. The left back had a team-high 86 touches and completed 78.3% of his 60 passes, including five of his 12 long balls. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, two clearances, an interception, and a blocked shot. Unfortunately, his most impactful play was getting caught watching on a Gallese block while Ariel Lassiter beat him to the rebound to give the hosts a late lead. That play lowers his grade for this otherwise quality performance.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Similar to Smith, Jansson had a solid game apart from one play. He had 72 touches and completed 79.7% of his 59 passes, including a key pass and three of his 14 long balls. He added a tackle, an interception, a blocked shot, and a team-high seven clearances to his stat sheet. But his failure to step up in the 16th minute enabled Toye to get behind the back line and score the opening goal, lowering his grade.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo has proven himself to be the first-choice partner for Jansson and he was arguably the better center back in Montreal. The Slovenian international had 53 touches and completed 85.1% of his 47 passes, including two of his five long balls. The defender recorded two tackles, an interception, and three clearances defensively in a strong performance.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson was in his usual right back position for this game, playing 90 minutes and recording 44 touches. He completed 82.8% of his 29 passes, but only one of his four long balls and neither of his two crosses. He cleared the ball twice and didn’t really get into the attack, but was solid in his defensive duties.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 (MotM) — This was possibly Cartagena’s best performance of the season. His 85 touches were second-most on the team and he completed 76.5% of his team-high 68 passes, including a key pass and two of his six long balls. It was his shielding of Nathan Saliba and strong pass forward for Duncan McGuire that started the last goal, though he didn’t get an assist. The defensive midfielder was also active defensively with five tackles and three interceptions, and he won a pair of aerial duels. His overall performance earns him my Man of the Match.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had a similar performance to Cartagena, but fewer touches and more accurate passing. He recorded 55 touches and completed 93.9% of his 49 passes, including a key pass. He was less active than his partner defensively, recording three tackles, and was booked in the 63rd minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one of his better performances in this one, recording 48 touches and completing 82.1% of his 39 passes. His biggest impact on the game came two minutes into second-half stoppage time, when he connected with an excellent Martin Ojeda cross to even the game at 2-2. He nearly scored a winner five minutes later, but the pass from Ojeda was just a bit too far for him. His goal was one of his two shots and the only one on target.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6 — Lodeiro’s 45 touches were the fewest of the Orlando City midfield, but he did the most with them. The playmaker completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including a key pass, but couldn’t connect on his long ball or either of his two crosses. He was also caught offside and dispossessed twice before being replaced by Ojeda in the 77th minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres’ 65 touches were the most in the Lions’ midfield and the fourth most on the team. He completed 83.7% of his 49 passes, but didn’t connect on his two crosses or four long balls. The attacker took three shots and put one on target. In the 22nd minute, the midfielder stepped up and buried his second penalty of the season and ninth as a Lion, continuing her perfect record from the spot.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — While Oscar Pareja had previously been starting Muriel behind McGuire, the forward got the start alone up top for the second consecutive game. He had 34 touches and completed 68.4% of his 19 passes, including his lone long ball but neither of his two crosses. His biggest impact on the game came in the 20th minute, when he tipped the ball past Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, drawing the penalty that resulted in the first equalizer. He also had a shot of his own, but it was off target.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (63’), 6 — McGuire came on in the 63rd minute for Muriel. He had 16 touches in 27 minutes, completing eight of his 10 passes (80%) with a key pass. His lone shot came in the 90th minute, when Jansson headed the ball over to him and he probably should’ve equalized, but his volley was just wide. The striker also won three aerial duels.

MF, Martin Ojeda (77’), 6.5 — Ojeda came on in the 77th minute for Lodeiro and, similar to Lodeiro last week, made a big difference. He had 15 touches and completed four of his six passes (66.7%), including a key pass. Two minutes into second-half injury time, his excellent cross found Angulo, who touched it in for the equalizer. Five minutes later, he had another great cross that nearly found Angulo for the winner, but was just out of his reach.

D, Rafael Santos (85’), 6 — Santos came on in the 85th minute for Torres as the Lions looked to see out a point. He had nine touches and completed two of his three passes (66.7%), but didn’t connect on his cross or long ball. Coming on to assure the defense, Santos did his job as he recorded a tackle, an interception, and two clearances.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with CF Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/24

Orlando City draws CF Montreal, Pride and OCB win, FA Cup drama, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 22, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Orlando City drew, while the Pride and OCB both won over the weekend. I had friends in town, so I went to Wrigley Field to check out a Cubs game and show them around Chicago. Let’s wish former Orlando City midfielder Kaka and Pride defender Brianna Martinez a happy birthday! There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw at CF Montreal

Orlando City again had to overcome a 2-1 deficit on the road when it faced CF Montreal Saturday night. The Lions needed a late stoppage-time goal from Ivan Angulo to walk out of Stade Saputo with a 2-2 draw. Orlando has now picked up points in each of the last four matches. Orlando City will face CF Montreal again on July 26 in the MLS Leagues Cup during the competition’s group stage. The Lions’ next match will be Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium as it takes on Toronto FC.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride shut out the San Diego Wave 1-0 on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium and got their second consecutive win with that same scoreline. Summer Yates scored the lone goal in the first half to seal the win for Orlando. Zambian international striker Barbra Banda made her debut for the Pride, coming off the bench in the second half. The Pride remain undefeated through five league matches and are fifth in the NWSL table with nine points. The team will be on the road to face the Washington Spirit Friday.

OCB Wins on the Road at Crown Legacy FC

Orlando City B got a 2-0 win against Crown Legacy FC at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Friday. Alex Freeman and Shak Mohammed scored for the Young Lions, and Javier Otero made six saves. OCB completed its two-match road trip, securing four out of a possible six points, and has kept its unbeaten streak on the road alive at four matches. OCB is in fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference with nine points, while Crown Legacy is winless in five matches. OCB will be back in action this Sunday as it hosts Toronto FC II at Osceola County Stadium.

Manchester United and Manchester City Advance to FA Cup Final

Manchester United won 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw against Coventry City in the FA Cup semifinals to advance to the final. It was a thrilling match at Wembley as United had a 3-0 lead before Coventry City rallied to get back into the match. USMNT forward Haji Wright scored the equalizer to tie the match 3-3 late into stoppage time. Coventry City thought it scored the game-winning goal late into extra time from Victor Torp, but it was ruled offside after video review. Casemiro missed his penalty for United, while Wright and Torp gave Coventry City a 2-1 advantage. United converted four straight penalties while Coventry City missed two to seal the win for the Red Devils. Manchester City edged past Chelsea 1-0 in their semifinal matchup, with Bernardo Silva scoring the lone goal in the second half. The FA Cup final will be played at the end of May and will feature a Manchester Derby for the second consecutive time.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it, check out this video on Orlando City’s social media page on Ivan Angulo’s equalizer to tie the match in stoppage time against CF Montreal on Saturday.

According to OptaJack, the Pride have secured the most points at home during the regular season since last May, with 26.

  • USMNT defender Sergino Dest suffered a knee injury during training with PSV Eindhoven over the weekend. Dest will miss the remainder of the Eredivisie season and could miss the 2024 Copa America this summer.
  • Real Madrid came back from being 2-1 down to defeat Barcelona 3-2 and stay ahead of its rivals by 11 points with six league matches left.
  • Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 45 matches after scoring a late goal from Josip Stanisic in stoppage time to get a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
  • Serie A side Udinese is reportedly set to hire former Juventus and Real Madrid player Fabio Cannavaro as its next head coach.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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