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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 1-0 as Two Controversial Calls Both Go Union’s Way

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1 year ago

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Two pivotal video review decisions both went the Phildelphia Union’s way and Orlando City lacked precision in front of goal as the Lions fell 1-0 in a key Eastern Conference battle at Exploria Stadium. Orlando (8-8-6, 30 points) fell back below .500 at home in 2022 (5-6-0) by getting only one lousy shot on target all night and seeing two key moments in the game go to the Union (11-2-9, 42 points).

Daniel Gazdag scored the game’s only goal, although it was originally ruled offside and required a lengthy review both upstairs and on the field before it was given to Philadelphia. The decision that particularly infuriated the Lions was the second one, which came in stoppage time on what appeared to be a foul in the box that would have handed Orlando a late penalty.

“I think you have to start with that incredible call that the referee made. It frustrated us all,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I’m not going to blame it on that. We’ll take the responsibility of the result but I have to say it was very clear. But we have to be really clear to say that we had some chances, especially in the first half, where we need to open the game. And (against) a team that defends well, you have to be polished and we couldn’t do it.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo was joined in the central midfield by Andres Perea behind an attacking line of Jake Mulraney, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Ercan Kara up top.

The first half was a bit sloppy from both teams, who took turns moving the ball into the offensive end but without creating much of anything. Philadelphia’s lines were compact and organized and created issues as a result, because they had enough numbers to pressure wide when the Lions got the ball to the flanks and drop into passing lanes when Ruan (especially) got into some space. Both teams had some early set pieces but nothing came of them.

Orlando got a look in the 16th minute when Pereyra chested a ball out of the air and hit it on the volley but he couldn’t keep it down and it sailed high. Moments later, a Ruan cutback pass hit off a defender and had a lot of spin on it so Pereyra kind of whiffed on his shot attempt. Torres’ effort on the rebound was blocked.

The captain then turned over Jakob Glesnes at the top of the area. Mulraney picked it up but lost it immediately.

Araujo had a rare howler of a giveaway near midfield in the 27th minute. Julian Carranza saw Gallese well out of his net and went for glory from midfield, but his shot was just wide.

The Lions had a huge opportunity to take the lead a minute later. Gallese sent a great ball up that Kara flicked on to Pereyra. The captain sent Torres into the area and the Uruguayan cut inside his defender and fired a shot toward the far post but it skipped just wide of goal.

“We did get some chances but we didn’t capitalize on them,” Moutinho said.

Carranza sent a header toward goal off a corner kick in the 34th minute that hit a defender and deflected wide. In the 39th minute, the Union scored off another corner. Or did they?

Kai Wagner’s ball found Glesnes in the area and he flicked it toward goal. Gazdag headed it past Gallese but the flag came up for offside. Ruan had been marking Gazdag — and make no mistake, Ruan should never be the guy marking Gazdag 1-v-1 in front of goal — but had stepped up and offside was called. After a lengthy check by Video Assistant Referee Jair Marrufo, referee Alex Chilowicz went to the monitor and he took another long look at it before awarding the goal. He ruled that Ruan’s foot clearly kept Gazdag onside. The visitors led 1-0.

Araujo got the last look at goal of the half for Orlando. Finding himself in space, he had a go from outside the area and struck his shot hard, but it was right at Andre Blake for an easy save. The Union took a 1-0 lead into the break.

Orlando City had more possession (60%-40%) and passing accuracy (87.5%-81.1%) but the Union got more shots (6-4) and corners (4-0). Each team got just one shot on target.

Benji Michel replaced Mulraney to start the second half.

The Lions earned an early corner that deflected out of the area to Araujo. The midfielder hit it first time but couldn’t keep his shot down and it sailed well over the bar. Three minutes later, Orlando worked the ball well up the right side and it ended up on Torres’ left foot but he hit his shot wide of the target.

Torres had a shot inside the top of the box in the 64th minute but the defense blocked it. Michel tried a scissor kick on the rebound but only succeeded in committing a foul.

Substitute Alexandre Pato fired a shot wide in the 72nd minute.

Philadelphia employed all of the dark arts in the final 20 minutes, with players going down repeatedly. This stalled the game and helped prevent the Lions from finding any rhythm whatsoever, though the time wasted was made up for with nine minutes of stoppage time.

“It was messy game for me. I don’t think that it had a lot of continuty,” Pareja said. “Stopping the game. The players laid on the ground. I don’t know how much time they spent. It’s not the way MLS wants (it). And that frustrated us more.”

Down the stretch, the possession was almost all Orlando City’s way but the Union parked the bus well and they knew their assignments. Part of that was allowing Torres to go to his right but the Young Designated Player wouldn’t try a right-footed cross. Instead, there were a series of back passes out of the right flank that ended up repeatedly resetting the attack.

Still, Orlando’s best chance to equalize fell to Torres’ foot in the 91st minute. A long throw-in from Araujo skipped off the head of a defender and fell for Torres near the back post. He stabbed a shot toward goal but it went just a bit wide.

The most controversial play came in the 93rd minute after Michel won the Lions a corner. Gazdag pulled on the arm and shirt of substitute Antonio Carlos, clearly impeding his ability to elevate toward the cross. The defender went down screaming at Chilowicz for a call. Marrufo did talk with the referee, who went to the monitor at the next whistle. After another lengthy look at the play, he ruled that he did not make an error on the no-call. The crowd, the players on the field, and the Orlando bench were incensed.

This was the reply from the question by the pool reporter (a.k.a. me) about the play that was submitted after the match:

“Upon reviewing the APP (attacking phase of play), the referee determined that Antonio Carlos pulled the shirt of Gazdag first and committed a holding foul. Therefore, the foul in the in the APP by Antonio Carlos preceded the pull by Gazdag and negated the penalty claim. The final outcome was a direct free kick for Philadelphia for the foul by Antonio Carlos.”

I have to admit, it’s certainly a cool story. Carlos did have a hold of Gazdag’s shirt — like every player in the box on every set play ever — but there didn’t seem to be any clear pull or tug on his part, while Gazdag made damn sure Carlos wasn’t going to get up to head that ball. He must have known he was guilty because he threw up his hands in the universal “I did it but am going to protest my innocence anyway” gesture.

Anyway…

The last opportunity came in the 99th minute. Michel floated a cross from the right over Blake to the far post. Tesho Akindele got his head to it but couldn’t get on top of the slow floater and he popped it up just over the bar.

Moments later the whistle blew and the Lions fell at home again.

Orlando finished with more possession (63.5%-36.5%), shots (11-9), and passing accuracy (87.2%-76.9%). The Union won more corners (5-2), and each team finished the match with just one shot on target.

Beyond the two frustrating referee decisions, the loss can be pinned squarely on Orlando City not hitting the target. There were opportunities to score, even against the stingy Union defense, but being inaccurate was a problem, as was the constant recycling around the area. Players still have to try to get the ball in with their weaker foot sometimes in top flight soccer, and the movement and decision-making has to be faster in order to maximize the chances of catching the defense off guard. The Lions couldn’t do those things and that resulted in a shutout loss at home in a pivotal game.

“We did not have the creativity to break them up,” Pareja said.

“They’re very organized team and the spaces in between their lines are really hard to find because they’re very cohesive,” Moutinho said. “Even though that’s the case, I think we did a we did a good job finding the spaces. It was just that final third, that final pass that was missing tonight.”

The Lions have yet another short turnaround before hosting the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/1/23

Rodrigo Schlegel fined, MLS roster updates, USWNT faces China tomorrow, and more.

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December 1, 2023

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to December, Mane Landers! It always feels like a good sign when a month starts on a Friday. I don’t have many plans this weekend beyond helping a friend move and trying to make pad Thai for the first time. It should be a nice next few days to reset after a hectic week. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world.

MLS Issues Disciplinary Rulings After Playoff Games

Orlando City center back Rodrigo Schlegel was fined an undisclosed amount by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for not leaving the field in a timely manner after receiving a second yellow card in the team’s playoff match with the Columbus Crew. Schlegel did not crowd the referee or plead his case disruptively, but he did linger a bit before exiting the match. It was one of many fines handed out by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violations during the playoffs, and Crew forward Cucho Hernandez was fined for embellishment for going to ground clutching his face after Schlegel shielded the ball from him.

The Vancouver Whitecaps players and staff received fines and suspensions for their actions during and after their playoff match with LAFC on Nov. 5. Head Coach Vanni Sartini was fined $20,000 and suspended for an additional five games for entering the field of play in a confrontational manner and his comments about the refereeing following his team’s elimination. Vancouver defender Mathias Laborda was also handed a one-match suspension for his actions during the match.

MLS Teams Update Rosters as Deadline Looms

The deadline for MLS teams to decline contract options is today and clubs around the league are getting their affairs in order. The Portland Timbers confirmed that Sebastian Blanco won’t be with the team next year, as he was out of contract after seven seasons with the club. Designated Player Jaroslaw Niezgoda and fellow forward Franck Boli had their options declined by Portland as well. FC Dallas triggered the options on the contracts of midfielder duo Asier Illarramendi and Liam Frasier, while declining the options for midfielder Facundo Quignon and defender Jose Martinez. The New York Red Bulls kept a key part of their defense by signing Dylan Nealis to a contract through the 2024 season. Nashville SC declined seven options, and veterans Dax McCarty and Fafa Picault are out of contract. Both players could be worth keeping an eye on as an Orlando supporter, depending on if Wilder Cartagena and Ivan Angulo will return. According to The Athletic‘s Tom Bogert, McCarty is not likely to return to Nashville.

Racing Louisville Names Beverly Yanez as Head Coach

Beverly Yanez was announced as Racing Louisville’s next head coach after serving as an assistant coach during the 2023 season. The 35-year-old retired as a player in 2020 and was an assistant coach with NJ/NY Gotham FC for two years before joining Louisville prior to this season. Louisville has yet to reach the playoffs since joining the NWSL in 2021 and Yanez is now the club’s third head coach. She’s earned plenty of praise from Louisville’s players and it will be interesting to see how her first season as a head coach goes in 2024.

Alejandro Bedoya Receives Impact Award

Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya won the MLS Impact Award, along with a $100,000 contribution by Audi to The Philadelphia Equity Alliance. Bedoya has worked with the nonprofit to promote inclusive economic growth and reduce poverty. He was also named 2022 MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year for his efforts to make a difference in the Philadelphia community. The Crew’s Darlington Nagbe and Nashville’s Taylor Washington were the other finalists for this year’s award.

Analyzing China Ahead of USWNT Friendlies

The United States Women’s National Team will close out its 2023 schedule with a pair of friendlies against China this month. The two nations will clash tomorrow at 3 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale before playing again in Frisco on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Although China lost all three of its group stage games in this past summer’s World Cup, it recently won the bronze medal in the Asian Games. China fell short in Olympic qualifying though, and 2022 AFC Women’s Coach of the Year Shui Qingxia’s contract was terminated, with Wang Jun taking over in an interim capacity for these friendlies. The USWNT should be able to find success on set pieces and crosses, although China has been working on strength training this year to compensate for that weakness. Tang Jiali, Zhang Linyan, and Shen Menglu are a few of the players in China’s versatile attack that could spell trouble for the Americans.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle started as Brazil’s captain and Marta and Adriana came off the bench in a 4-3 win over Japan in a friendly. In her international debut, 19-year-old forward Priscila gave Brazil the late winner. The two teams will play again on Sunday.
  • The Kansas City Current dedicated their press box to journalist and Kansas City native Grant Wahl.
  • The New England Revolution have promoted Curt Onalfo to sporting director after four years as the club’s technical director. Onalfo served as the interim sporting director after Bruce Arena’s resignation in September and now gets the job fulltime.
  • The MLS Players Association released a statement regarding Matt Miazga’s three-game suspension.
  • Pierre Emerick-Aubamayeng scored a bicycle kick and a late winner as part of his hat trick in Marseille’s 4-3 win over Ajax in the Europa League.
  • The 2023 Women’s College Cup semifinals kick off tonight, with Florida State facing Clemson and BYU playing Stanford. There are many talented players in action who are worth watching tonight before the NWSL Draft next month.
  • Lyon, which is last in Ligue 1 with just seven points from 12 games, has sacked Fabio Grosso after less than three months as head coach.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/30/23

Orlando City faces big questions, Matt Miazga suspended, Emma Hayes meets USWNT for first time, and more.

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1 day ago

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November 30, 2023

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

November is finally coming to a close. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of a month for me, with highs, lows, and many things in between. All in all, I’m pretty glad it’s nearly over, although I expect December to be similarly hectic. At least this weather is allowing me to break out some winter clothes and turn on the fireplace in this new apartment. I’m not sure why a fireplace was installed in a Floridian apartment, but I’m not complaining. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Big Decisions Await Orlando City

With Orlando City’s season over, attention now turns to a critical off-season for the club. Head Coach Oscar Pareja is out of contract after leading the Lions to the playoffs for the past four years. The club will also need to decide if it will exercise the 2024 options on the contracts of both Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi and Technical Director and Assistant General Manager Ricardo Moreira. All three have orchestrated Orlando’s transformation that’s included winning its first trophy, having its best season this year, and qualifying for both the Concacaf Champions League and Champions Cup. Potentially transferring Facundo Torres to Europe, filling the empty Designated Player slot, and deciding which players to bring back for 2024 are also on the agenda. However, figuring out who will lead the Lions into this exciting next chapter is paramount. Personally, I think the club should do everything in its power to keep the people who brought Orlando to this point.

Matt Miazga Suspended for Three Games

FC Cincinnati will be without MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga for Saturday’s Eastern Conference final, as he was suspended by MLS for three games due to his misconduct after the match with the New York Red Bulls on Nov. 4. Miazga was also fined an undisclosed amount and will undergo a behavioral assessment as part of the league’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. Following that aforementioned playoff match, reports surfaced that Miazga gained unauthorized access to an area reserved for the referees and acted aggressively. Any suspended games not served during Cincy’s playoff run will carry over into the 2024 season, although Miazga can petition for a reduction based on compliance with recommended treatment plans.

Emma Hayes Meets With USWNT Players and Staff

Emma Hayes, who was hired as the next United States Women’s National Team Head Coach earlier this month, made the trip to Florida to meet the team for the first time. Although she won’t be coaching the team for its upcoming pair of friendlies against China, she collaborated with interim head coach Twila Kilgore on the latest training camp roster and will continue to work with her until taking over in May. There won’t be much time between Hayes’ official start date and the 2024 Summer Olympics, making these moments of face time between player and future coach all the more important. USWNT captain Lindsey Horan spoke on the team’s goals after meeting Hayes for the first time.

“There’s so much talent in this team, and I don’t think the world has seen enough of it yet just because we need to go out and show it,” Horan said. “We need to be able to mesh together and show everything that we have, and what we’re all about, and how we can really collaborate and play together — be more of a team and be a powerhouse again.

“It’s going to be exciting for us to have her and see what she can do with this team and how she can help us moving forward.”

Ricardo Pepi Sends PSV Into Champions League Knockout Stage

PSV Eindhoven clinched its spot in the next round of the UEFA Champions League in dramatic fashion, with American forward Ricardo Pepi scoring the winner in a 3-2 comeback win over Sevilla in Spain. Trailing 2-0 in the second half, American left back Sergino Dest provided the assist on PSV’s first goal and Pepi found the winner in stoppage time, with fellow American Malik Tillman also coming off the bench. From his little flick to send a teammate forward to his run and clinical header, it was a great goal by the 20-year-old.

Elsewhere in the Champions League, Arsenal beat Lens 6-0 to advance, Real Madrid won 4-2 against Napoli to win its group, and Real Sociedad played to a scoreless draw with RB Salzburg. Manchester United remains in last place of its group after a 3-3 draw with Galatasaray, with goalkeeper Andre Onana unable to stop Hakim Ziyech from scoring off of two free kicks. All’s not lost for United though, as it can still qualify for the round of 16 by beating Bayern Munich at home so long as the other match ends in the group ends in a draw. It all makes for what should be an exciting final matchday in the group stage.

Free Kicks

  • The Kansas City Current announced that American midfielder Sam Mewis will not be returning to the club for the 2024 season. The 31-year-old has not played since 2021 as she continues to recover from a knee injury.
  • The Utah Royals have signed free agent forward Imani Dorsey on a contract through the 2025 season. Dorsey has most recently played for NJ/NY Gotham FC, although she didn’t participate in this past season due to mental health reasons.
  • Manchester United is reportedly ready to move on from Mason Mount just six months after he joined the team from Chelsea.
  • Tomasz Kwiatkowski, the video assistant referee involved in a controversial handball that eventually led to Paris Saint-Germain’s equalizer in stoppage time against Newcastle, was removed from his next scheduled duty by UEFA.
  • Amidst a four-game winless streak, French club Nantes has fired Pierre Aristouy as its manager, immediately replacing him with Jocelyn Gourvennec.
  • We’ll end our links with this interesting article that dives into how Romelu Lukaku unexpectedly arrived at AS Roma and how he’s thriving at the Italian club.

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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Orlando City

2023 Orlando City Season in Review: Alex Freeman

We start our Orlando City player reviews with a look at a Homegrown fullback who made his MLS debut this season.

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2 days ago

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November 29, 2023

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Orlando City signed fullback Alex Freeman to a Homegrown Player contract on February 15, 2022. He became the Lions’ 12th Homegrown signing and his deal runs through the 2025 season with a club option for 2026, but the youngster did not see action in Major League Soccer last season. With the departure of Ruan, there was an opportunity for Freeman to win a job with the first team in camp but he wasn’t quite ready to make the jump, instead playing an important role with Orlando City B throughout the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Let’s take a look back at Freeman’s 2023 campaign.

Statistical Breakdown

Freeman made his MLS debut on April 29 in a 2-0 home win over the LA Galaxy. It was not just his debut with the first team, but it was also his only appearance with the senior squad in 2023, although he did make the substitutes’ bench a few times after that. Officially, he logged only one minute, entering in the 93rd minute. He was only on the pitch a matter of seconds, so it’s unsurprising that he registered nothing on the stats sheet.

The son of former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, Alex starred with OCB in 2023. In MLS NEXT Pro play, Freeman appeared in 24 of OCB’s 28 matches, starting 22, and logging 1,855 minutes. He finished tied for third on the squad in goals (4), adding three assists and passing at a 79.1% success rate. Freeman attempted 25 shots, putting 11 on target, and contributed 10 key passes. He committed 22 fouls, drew 27 on the opposition, and was booked four times. He also started OCB’s playoff match at Columbus, playing 89 minutes in the Young Lions’ 2-1 road loss. Freeman didn’t contribute a goal or assist or attempt a shot in the match, but he passed at an 88% rate, created one scoring chance, and committed one foul.

Best Game

With only one MLS appearance to his credit, the default best game for Freeman came on April 29 in Orlando City’s 2-0 home win over the LA Galaxy. Freeman didn’t even officially touch the ball in the game, but it’s not every day a teenager gets to play in an MLS match, and I’m sure it was a special moment for him. It was certainly a milestone in his professional soccer career.

2023 Final Grade

As Freeman fell well short of the minimum 450 minutes played mark to receive a rating on our 1-10 scale, The Mane Land has no choice but to mark his grade as incomplete for the 2023 season. There are areas of Freeman’s game that need a bit of refining, but at the same time, it’s easy to see why he landed a Homegrown contract, why Orlando City would find him an intriguing prospect, and why he’s been getting called up by the United States for U-20 international duty. His attacking presence was huge for OCB in 2023 and he was one of the key players that led the Young Lions to the postseason.

2024 Outlook

I would expect Freeman to get more seasoning at OCB in 2024, although he’ll be given opportunities in preseason camp to show whether he’s closed the gap on the likes of Michael Halliday and Kyle Smith (assuming both return). If the club moves on from both Halliday and Smith, it’s not hard to picture Freeman starting the season providing depth at right back for the first team. Having just turned 19 in August, Freeman has a lot of potential and he should start to unlock that within the next year or so.

This is the first of our 2023 Orlando City Season in Review articles. Every player who played minutes this past season and who finished the year on the club roster will be reviewed (exceptions may be made for players let go when the club officially announces its roster moves). Players who logged fewer than 450 minutes (combined regular season plus playoffs, Concacaf Champions League, U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup) will receive a composite score between 1 and 10 as determined by a panel of The Mane Land writers, while those who did not reach that threshold will receive an incomplete grade.

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