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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 2-1 as Wasteful Lions Beaten at Home

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3 years ago

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It was a wasteful night for Orlando City at Exploria Stadium. Despite dominating the stat sheet, the Lions (1-1-1, 4 points) couldn’t find the goals to beat an FC Cincinnati (1-2-0, 3 points) team that had not scored entering the match and fell 2-1 at home. It was FC Cincinnati’s first win in the series.

Brandon Vazquez’s brace accounted for the first two goals Orlando allowed this season and they were enough to offset Junior Urso’s first-half goal for the Lions. At the other end, goalkeeper Alec Kann made several big saves to help his team win its first match of the year.

“Difficult accepting that we didn’t get a result tonight,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Obviously you can’t hide that feeling, especially after the effort that the boys (gave) during the game. The boys tried from every single angle in the first half and the second half and we were not effective putting the ball in the back of the net. This is the game. You get points when you score goals.”

Pareja made just two lineup changes from last Saturday at Chicago. Pedro Gallese took up his customary spot in goal behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson — returning from suspension — Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Urso started in central midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Alexandre Pato, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres. Designated Player striker Ercan Kara got his first MLS start at the top of the formation.

Orlando City controlled much of the first half but Cincinnati looked dangerous in transition. Vazquez sliced a shot across the front of goal that skipped just wide of the far post in the eighth minute.

The Lions got their first opportunity in the 10th minute when Carlos played a ball to Ruan over the top down the right side. The fullback sent in a cross for Kara that was flicked toward goal but the shot was blocked by a defender.

Yuya Kubo skied a shot well over the frame in the 12th minute but Cincinnati found an opener a minute later. Alvas Powell sent a ball across the midfield that found its way to Luciano Acosta. The midfielder slipped Vazquez in behind the defense and he beat Gallese 1-v-1 to make it 1-0 in the 13th minute. It was Cincinnati’s first goal of the season and the first conceded by Orlando in 2022.

The Lions got back on the front foot but the visitors dug in deep and made it difficult. Torres shook loose on the left in the 16th minute but he was at a severe angle and his shot was wide. A minute later, Torres sent in a great cross that Pato got his head onto but Kann made his first outstanding save of the game. It wasn’t his last.

In the 22nd minute, Pato found Kara in front and Kann made an outstanding save on the Orlando DP’s header. Two minutes later, Moutinho got to the end line and sent in a dangerous cross at the top of the six. Kara was sandwiched between two defenders and couldn’t redirect it in. He was down for a moment grabbing his leg, but was able to continue.

Carlos sent a header on frame on a set piece in the 26th minute but Kann again made a great save to keep the Lions off the board.

Orlando’s equalizer came in the 42nd minute. Torres sent a cross in from the left and Urso headed it into the left bottom corner of the net to make it 1-1.

That was the last scoring chance of the half and the teams went to the locker room knotted up.

Orlando City had more possession (65.7%-34.3%), better passing accuracy (82.5%-72.5%), and had more corners (3-1), shots (8-4), and shots on target (5-1).

The Lions came out of the locker room strong, winning an early corner. The ball pinged around off the set piece and someone in the scrum sent a looping shot toward the back post that missed wide.

Vazquez nearly scored his second goal in the 51st minute off a Cincinnati corner. A cross in from the flag found Vazquez, who nodded it toward the lower left corner of the goal. Gallese was able to get across and keep it out. A foul prevented the visitors from getting a rebound opportunity.

But just two minutes later, Vazquez completed his brace. A ball down the left side found Dominique Badji. Ruan did well to run the forward down but rather than play safely he went in for a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge and was knocked down. That allowed Badji to cross in for an easy Vazquez header, making it 2-1 in the 53rd minute.

The visitors nearly put the game away in the 58th. A set piece from distance was headed back across the area. Kubo had a free run at it but sent his header wide of goal.

Orlando settled back into the match and controlled most of the second half the way it had done in the first, but Cincinnati stayed compact defensively and fouled every time Orlando beat someone to minimize the Lions’ attacking threat.

Pereyra went for goal from distance in the 60th minute but missed the target badly. Pato fizzed a shot just over the bar from roughly the same spot in the 62nd.

The Lions got caught up the field in the 64th minute and Vazquez nearly completed his hat trick. He tracked down a ball, splitting the Orlando center backs and Gallese was well out of his net. The goalkeeper came out and made himself big, but Vazquez got his shot through. Luckily, the shot sliced wide.

Benji Michel came on for Araujo and was active in the match but wasn’t able to turn the tide. He won a couple of corners but the service was poor and the Lions wasted the set pieces. Pato sent Michel down the right with a beautiful pass in the 83rd but the winger smashed his shot into the outside netting.

Carlos got his head to a corner kick cross in the 85th and once again Kann made a sparkling save to keep preserve his team’s lead. The rebound fell behind the onrushing Michel at the back post and Cincinnati was able to clear.

A couple of poor Ruan crosses late in the match wasted some potential opportunities to equalize. The right back sent the first one weakly into the side netting from just inside the right edge of the penalty area in the 88th minute. He overcooked one out for a goal kick from the wing in the 91st.

In between, substitute Sebas Mendez and Jansson were able to keep the deficit at just one goal by making vital sliding blocks to break up a Cincinnati counter.

The best chance to equalize came in the fourth minute of stoppage time. A cross into the box deflected to an oncoming Pereyra. It was on his weaker left foot and the midfielder sent his shot high and wide left on yet another wasted opportunity.

The whistle blew just shy of the five minutes of stoppage indicated, despite the fact that Kann was booked for time wasting during the added minutes.

FC Cincinnati led on the scoreboard despite Orlando City’s advantages in shots (17-9), shots on target (6-3), possession (69.4%-30.6%), corners (7-2), and passing accuracy (84.6%-63.1%).

The Lions continue to send a high percentage of shots off target or get them blocked — a trend that has been a problem through three matches so far.

“I would like to have that answer,” Pareja said of his team’s wasted opportunities in front of goal. “I think in this game, when you are in the last 20 or 30 yards, when you’re getting closer, everything is tighter, and you have to have composure, for sure. You have to have the talent and the quality. And sometimes you have to be lucky too. There are things to work on for sure.”

“I feel like we played a very good game. Even though they executed their game plan really well, and they were good on the counters,” Moutinho said. “They had a few balls in behind and they really hurt us when they had a chance. And that’s what football is all about, I guess. But yeah. Very disappointed. I feel like we should have won the game.”

“I do really want to remark (on) the character that the boys had today,” Pareja said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t get the result but I saw this team fighting all the time and that’s the spirit that we want to have with this team.”

The Lions head out on the road for the next two matches, starting with a Saturday afternoon tilt at the L.A. Galaxy next Wednesday.

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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.

Published

9 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 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

11 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: 11/21/24

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

Published

15 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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