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Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Final Score 2-1 as Ercan Kara Brace Lifts Lions

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2 years ago

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A brace by striker Ercan Kara saw Orlando City (7-5-4, 25 points) defeat the Houston Dynamo (5-7-3, 18 points) 2-1 at Exploria Stadium. The Dynamo got one back right after the Lions’ second goal through Sebastian Ferreira and thought they’d equalized just before full time. But the hosts were able to hold on for the win.

The Lions were missing a key player for this game as center back Rodrigo Schlegel was suspended for yellow card accumulation. Ruan returned to the lineup after being an unused sub in New England on Wednesday night and Kyle Smith, who started on the right for Ruan earlier this week, moved over to center back to replace Schlegel.

As a result, the back four in front of starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese consisted of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Kyle Smith, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Junior Urso played behind Facundo Torres, Mauricio Pereyra, and Jake Mulraney, just as they did Wednesday night. Additionally, Kara re-entered the lineup in place of Alexandre Pato, who started on the bench.

The Lions got off to a good start in this game. In the second minute, the hosts got their first chance when Moutinho sent in a cross looking for Mulraney. The Irishman attempted an acrobatic attempt on goal, but it was blocked and cleared. A minute leader, Kara had his first chance when he got his head to a Pereyra cross. However, the ball was right at Clark, who made the easy save.

The first chance for Houston came in the seventh minute when Ferreira received a low cross at the top of the box. With his back to goal, the striker immediately dropped the ball back to Corey Baird, who was approaching the box. Baird sent a hard shot on target but it was right at Gallese.

The Lions lost a key player for their next game after Jansson was booked for disagreeing with a foul called on Pereyra. Rosendo Mendoza was quick to issue Jansson the yellow, which results in the center back being suspended for the team’s game Friday night in Cincinnati. It will be the second consecutive game that the Lions will be without one of either Schlegel or Jansson.

Orlando City controlled most of the first half, holding more possession and chances. It finally broke through in the 25th minute. Mulraney collected the ball on the left and played it back for Moutinho. The Portuguese defender played it across for Pereyra whose first touch was a flick over the defense for Torres making a run. Torres quickly played it across for Kara in front of goal for the Austrian to tap it in.

“It’s great,” Kara said about playing with Pereyra and Torres. “We all train together and we are connecting together. They are really good players. And I see also in the training we are getting connected and I’m very happy that the guys play with me, behind me, and they help you to score.”

With a one-goal lead, Orlando City continued its attack and had another good chance in the 36th minute. It started when Mulraney set up Torres on the left, but the shot was blocked by Tim Parker. The Lions kept the ball in the opposing half, allowing Pereyra to find Mulraney for a shot. However, Parker was there again to block it away.

In the 44th minute, Moutinho saw Pereyra making a long run down the middle of the field. Nearing the Houston penalty area, the defender sent the ball to Pereyra, placing him behind the defense. The Orlando City captain got a shot off before the defense could catch him, but it was right at Clark.

A minute later, the Lions came very close to doubling their lead. Receiving the ball outside the box, Moutinho attempted to send it back in. The ball bounced off the arm of Beto Avila, clearly not in a natural position. Mendoza pointed to the spot, awarding the Lions a penalty.

However, replays showed that Avila was clearly outside the box when the ball hit his arm. As a result, VAR requested a replay and the call was changed to a free kick just outside the box.

The change almost didn’t matter as Kara stepped up to take the set piece. He sent a low, bending ball around the wall that looked to be heading just inside the far post. But Clark made an excellent diving save, tipping it around the post and keeping the game at 1-0.

After drawing with most of the first team against the Revolution on Wednesday night, it was questionable how the team would come out in this game. But Orlando was without question the better team in the first 45 minutes. It ended the half with more possession (52.9%-47.1%), shots (9-3), shots on goal (4-1), and duels won (28-22).

The Lions tried to start the second half the way they ended the first, on the attack. They got their first second-half opportunity in the 48th minute when a counter attack saw Torres find Urso on his left. The midfielder found enough space to get a shot off, but it was right at Clark.

The early moments of the second half were subdued as both teams looked to gain control of the game. But the 57th minute started a flurry of action that changed the game multiple times.

It started when Houston did well to work the ball across the field. A combination of passes allowed Matias Vera to find Memo Rodriguez open on the left side of the box. The midfielder took a shot at the far post but it was just wide.

The Lions immediately went the other way. Moutinho received the ball on the left and sent a cross into the box. It was aiming for Kara, but went to Mulraney, who flicked it on with his head. The flick went right to Teenage Hodebe, who tried to clear it away only for it to land in front of Pereyra.

The Uruguayan fired a shot and the ball ended up in the back of the net, giving the Lions a 2-0 lead. It initially appeared as though the goal was scored by Pereyra, but Kara got the slightest deflection on it, resulting in his second goal of the game.

“For me, it was more Mauricio’s than mine,” Kara said. “But he say in the celebration, he say, it’s your goal and I say alright. And also these goals is great because it’s important that the team win. I’m happy that the goal is mine because it’s always good for a striker to have goals.”

It didn’t take long for Houston to respond and it got one back just a minute later. Zeca sent a dangerous ball into the box where Ferreira was able to beat Smith to it. The striker’s header was perfect, landing just inside the far post and out of the reach of Gallese’s outstretched arm. Just like that, it was a 2-1 game.

“I feel like we got that second goal and maybe we were slacked a little bit because we felt like the game was over and we’re gonna win anyway,” Moutinho said about the immediate response by Houston. “And maybe we got a little bit out of focus in the back and then they ended up scoring because the teams in this league, if you’re not focused, they’re gonna punish you and that’s what they did.”

The disappointing let up could’ve resulted in disaster for the Lions, but instead they nearly got that goal right back. In the 60th minute, Mulraney sent a cross into the box for Kara. Hodebe attempted to clear it but mishit the ball and it went right to Kara at the top of the six-yard box. The striker immediately turned it on goal but it went just wide.

The Lions probably got a little lucky in the 64th minute. With the Dynamo on the break, Gallese came out of his box in an attempt to clear the ball away. However, Ferreira got to it first and Gallese completely missed it. Instead, he got Ferreira’s leg and the striker went down. Fortunately for Orlando City, the referee only issued Gallese a yellow, determining that there was a defender close enough for it not to be a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

The ensuing free kick nearly saw the visitors tie the game. The set piece seemed to be from an innocuous position, but it was very well taken and beat a diving Gallese. However, it didn’t beat the post, bouncing off and allowing Orlando City to clear.

While Orlando dominated most of the game, Houston controlled the final 20 minutes as it searched for an equalizer. Closing out games has been a problem for this team and it was desperate to come away with three points.

In the 72nd minute, second-half substitute Tyler Pasher found Rodriguez in the box. The midfielder’s shot was blocked by Jansson, but it went right back to him. Rather than shooting again, he played it back for Pasher. The substitute’s shot was toward the far post, forcing Gallese to make a diving save.

Four minutes later, it was Pasher again causing trouble in the Orlando third. He took a shot from the corner of the box that didn’t seem too dangerous. However, it had some bend to it and appeared to be headed inside the far post. Gallese was up to the challenge again as the Peruvian international made another game-saving stop.

The visitors were desperate to find an equalizer and were willing to do anything to find it. In the 87th minute, Thorleifur Ulfarsson dribbled into the box, defended by Smith. Ulfarsson went down, claiming a foul on Smith. But replays showed Smith didn’t touch him and Mendoza was fully aware. The referee immediately went to his pocket, issuing Ulfarsson a yellow card for simulation.

A minute into injury time, Pasher had another opportunity from outside the box. The ball got through Smith and Sebas Mendez, but Gallese saw it the whole way and made the stop.

Three minutes later, Orlando should’ve put the game away. Pato made an excellent run on a counter attack and found Benji Michel in the box. He played a perfect ball in front of Michel that the forward should’ve put away. But Daniel Steres slid in for a last-ditch attempt and made it tough for Michel. As a result, the shot sailed over the crossbar from right in front of the goal.

In the final minute of injury time, the Dynamo thought they’d equalized it. Tesho Akindele blocked a cross from Adam Lundkvist but the ball rolled back to former Lion Darwin Ceren. The El Salvadorian international sent a ball for Darwin Quintero, who had made a run between Smith and Jansson. The ball was a little behind Quintero so he attempted a bicycle kick. The ball glanced off his shin and past Gallese.

However, Quintero was just behind the back line and the assistant raised the flag to indicate he was offside. It took a few seconds before the Houston bench stopped celebrating, realizing it hadn’t equalized. That was the last chance for the Dynamo as Orlando City took the game 2-1.

While Orlando dominated the first half, Houston was arguably the better team in the second. It had more possession (60.4%-39.6%), shots (10-9), shots on target (4-2), and better passing accuracy (87.4%-79.4%).

In the end, Houston had more possession (53.8%-46.2%) but the Lions had more shots (18-13), shots on target (6-5), and won more duels (52-45).

“An important victory,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “Great first half. We saw a lot of things that are natural in this team, but today I thought we improved our sequences on the quality. And we kept saying that we have to be more polished and finish the game. Second half I have to recognize that Houston pushed and made us defend much lower than we wanted. And then we end up with the emergencies and urgencies in a game that could’ve been defined earlier. So that taste of not having a complete game is probably what we have right now.”

“Obviously tonight we got the win and it’s always good to get the three points ,” Moutinho added. “But I feel like we should have put the game away earlier, given the chances that we had.

“We’ve definitely been creating the chances necessary to put the games away,” he continued. “But something has been missing. The finishing is not quite there yet. And I think we really do need to improve on that because if you don’t put the games away, then the teams are gonna come back and they’re gonna score on you and then you’re gonna suffer until the end, like we did tonight.”

The Lions now have four points from their first two games coming out of the international break. The win pushes the team up to fourth in the Eastern Conference with 25 points on the season.

Orlando City will have a short week as it heads back on the road, taking on FC Cincinnati in Ohio on Friday.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s home loss to Toronto FC?

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7 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City was on its way to three points Saturday night before a late collapse saw the Lions lose 2-1 to Toronto FC at home. It’s a tough loss in a season that has seen an unexpected start with the Lions sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances for the Lions in this difficult loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese’s form has definitely dropped this year, though he was one of the best goalkeepers in the league over the past four seasons. He was solid for the first 87 minutes, saving the two shots he faced, but then the wheels came off for the Lions. Toronto scored two goals when defenders left players wide open in the box. Gallese probably could’ve done better with Prince Owusu’s winner, but there was a difficult change of direction on the bounce, and the forward should’ve had somebody on him. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese completed 61.9% of his 21 passes, including seven of his 15 long balls, and recorded a clearance.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a solid game against Toronto. His 62 touches were the fourth-most on the team and he completed 90.7% of his 43 passes. The starting left back didn’t complete his lone cross but connected on two of his four long balls. He had a shot of his own, putting it on target. Defensively, Santos recorded a tackle, interception, and clearance before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 71st minute.

D, David Brekalo, N/A — Brekalo had a short night as he was injured early in the game. In the fourth minute, he collided with Owusu and required treatment for his knee. The center back attempted to continue, but eventually had to come off in the 16th minute, replaced by Rodrigo Schlegel. He only had 12 touches in the game and completed 90.9% of his 11 passes. The only defensive stat he recorded was winning an aerial duel. He wasn’t on the field long enough to fairly give him a grade.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was terrific for most of this game. He recorded a team-high 88 touches and completed 84% of his team-high 75 passes, which included six of 13 long balls. His excellent ball forward for Facundo Torres in the 37th minute led to the Lions’ goal. Defensively, he led the team with three tackles, three clearances, two blocked shots, and two aerial duels won.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson took his regular spot at right back and recorded 53 touches on the night. He completed 88.6% of his 35 passes, but didn’t connect on either of his two crosses or three long balls. He took a shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, he added a tackle, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel. Unfortunately, his most impactful part of the game was failing to cover Owusu at the back post, leaving the forward wide open to head in the game-winning goal.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo had a solid performance against Toronto, recording 61 touches. He completed 83.7% of his 49 passes, including three of his six long balls and his lone through ball. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, an interception, a blocked shot, and an aerial duel won.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena had one of his better games in this one, recording the second-most touches on the team with 71. He completed 88.7% of his 62 passes, including two of his three long balls. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, a clearance, and won an aerial duel, while taking one off-target shot.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had 51 touches against Toronto and completed 91.7% of his 36 passes. He completed one of his two long balls, but didn’t connect on his only cross attempt. His lone shot was off target, and he helped defensively by intercepting a team-high two opposition passes.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 (MotM) — Torres had an excellent performance in this game, recording 51 touches. While he only completed 75% of his 32 passes, he connected on two of his three crosses and played a perfect ball for Duncan McGuire in the 37th minute, enabling him to tap home the opening goal. The attacking midfielder nearly got one for himself in the 73rd minute from distance, forcing Sean Johnson into a good save. Similar to Angulo, Torres helped out defensively with two tackles and an interception.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda had 36 touches in 60 minutes and completed 92.3% of his 26 passes. He connected on one of his two long balls, but neither of his two crosses. He took one shot in the game, but failed to hit the target before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — McGuire scored the Lions’ lone goal in this game and was nearly the outright hero. He touched the ball 22 times and completed 63.4% of his 14 passes. However, strikers are judged on goals and McGuire scored the opener when he got on the end of Torres’ cross in the 37th minute. He nearly had a second in first-half stoppage time when he brought down an Ojeda cross well and slammed it into the far side netting. Unfortunately, he was just offside. He was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 71st minute.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (16’), 6.5 — Schlegel came on in the 16th minute when Brekalo went off injured and, despite not expecting to play that many minutes, was very good. His 71 touches were tied for the second most on the team and he completed 88.1% of his 59 passes, including two of his four long balls. Defensively, he had a team-high three tackles, an interception, and a team-high six clearances.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (60’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 60th minute and recorded 31 touches in a half hour of action. He completed 76.5% of his 17 passes, including a key pass and both long balls, but none of his three crosses. He also had a tackle defensively and didn’t take any shots.

D, Kyle Smith (71’), 5.5 — Smith came on in the 71st minute to help see out the game, replacing Santos. He touched the ball 19 times and completed 88.9% of his nine passes, including a key pass, his only cross, and his only long ball. The purpose of his inclusion was to help defensively and he recorded three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. However, he allowed clean crosses on both late Toronto goals and struggled to track Kobe Franklin and Federico Bernardeschi on Orlando’s left flank.

F, Luis Muriel (71’), 6 — Muriel came on for McGuire in the 71st minute, playing a deeper role. He recorded 21 touches and completed 64.3% of his 14 passes, including a key pass. He had two tackles defensively, but didn’t take any shots in 19 minutes of action.

That’s how I saw the performances for Orlando City in its 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night. Let us know how you saw the game and vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links: 4/30/24

Luana’s season ends with Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis, San Diego linked with Chucky Lozano, U.S. and Mexico withdraw 2027 World Cup bid, and more.

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12 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was another busy weekend of Orlando soccer, and things aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. May is an absolutely packed month for all three teams, and the games will be coming thick and fast. We have a lot to discuss this morning, so let’s jump into the links.

Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

This week started off with some very sad news, as the Orlando Pride announced on Monday that midfielder Luana has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list as a result of her being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Brazilian international is starting chemotherapy treatments with the Orlando Health Cancer Institute. In a statement, Luana thanked both the Brazilian National Team and the Pride for the support she’s been receiving. Seb Hines and Rafaelle also spoke about how the team has been supporting Luana.

San Diego Reportedly Nears Deal for Chucky Lozano

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert has reported that San Diego FC is in advanced talks to sign Chucky Lozano ($) from PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch team is expected to receive a transfer fee in the area of $12 million, and Lozano would likely be the highest-profile player for the expansion team ahead of its maiden Major League Soccer season in 2025. While nothing is official, San Diego is said to be hopeful of getting a deal done before Copa America kicks off this summer.

U.S. and Mexico Withdraw 2027 Women’s World Cup Bid

The United States and Mexico have announced their decision to withdraw a joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and instead focus on bidding for the 2031 edition of the tournament. The bid had made it to the final three of the selection process, in addition to a bid from Brazil and a joint effort from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlowe Cone cited a desire to have more time to prepare while also having the opportunity to learn from the experience of the joint effort of hosting the 2026 World Cup. As far as who will host in 2027, the decision will be made on May 17, with Germany having hosted a Women’s World Cup back in 2011, while Brazil would be the first South American nation to host the tournament.

English Premier League Approves Spending Cap

Premier League teams took the first step towards implementing a spending cap on Monday. While a final vote is still needed to ratify the proposed changes, Monday’s vote gave the green light to start the legal and economic studies needed to change to a spending cap model. The proposed cap would be based on how much the lowest earning Premier League team earns from television rights, and could be implemented for the 2025-2026 season. There were 16 teams that voted in favor of continuing the process of moving towards a salary cap, while Chelsea abstained from voting, and Manchester United, Manchester City, and Aston Villa voted against the motion.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/29/24

Orlando City and OCB lose to Toronto, Pride beat the Spirit in Washington, EPL title race update, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was a mixed weekend for our teams, with the Pride winning, while Orlando City and OCB lost. I’ve been busy covering high school volleyball, badminton, and soccer throughout the past week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Lose at Home to Toronto FC

Orlando City SC saw its four-match unbeaten streak come to an end, losing 2-1 to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Duncan McGuire scored the opening goal to put Orlando ahead in the first half. The Lions held on to the 1-0 lead until late in the second half, when goals from Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu put the Reds up 2-1, and they were able to hang on and walk out of Orlando with all three points. Toronto FC has won two in a row in league play and is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 16 points. Meanwhile, the Lions are in 13th with nine points. Orlando City will look to bounce back Saturday at home as it takes on FC Cincinnati.  

Pride Grab Road Win Over Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride held on to defeat the Washington Spirit 3-2 at Audi Field Friday — their third straight victory. Angelina scored to put the Pride ahead in the first half, but the Spirit equalized just before halftime. Barbra Banda scored her first goal for the Pride, and Summer Yates added her third goal of the season, giving the Pride a 3-1 advantage in the second half. Ashley Hatch pulled one back for the Spirit on a howler by goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, but the Pride keep their unbeaten streak alive at six matches (3-0-3). Orlando remains undefeated and is fourth in the NWSL table with 12 points. Next up for the Pride is a pair of home matches this week, starting Wednesday at home against the North Carolina Courage. Orlando will host Racing Louisville FC Sunday.

OCB Falls at Home to Toronto FC II

Like the first team, Orlando City B also lost 2-1 to Toronto FC II in its first home match at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions went down early in the match when Charles Sharp scored for Toronto FC II to take a 1-0 lead. Wilfredo Rivera scored the equalizer in the second half to tie the match, however, late in the second half, Jesus Batiz scored the game-winning goal to seal the win for Toronto. The Young Lions have yet to win a match at home, but has played well on the road this season and are on a four-match unbeaten streak away. The Young Lions will face MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference leaders Chattanooga FC Saturday at Finley Stadium. 

Manchester City and Arsenal Win to Keep EPL Title Race Close

The Premier League title race is going down to the wire as Manchester City and Arsenal won their matches over the weekend. Arsenal held on to defeat rival Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the North London Derby. That result moves Arsenal into first with 80 points with three matches remaining. Manchester City shut out Nottingham Forest 2-0 and is second, with 79 points and still four matches left to play. Liverpool dropped points to West Ham in a 2-2 draw, putting another blow to the Reds’ title chances and leaving them in third with 75 points and three matches left.  

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  • If you missed it, check out the first goal from Pride forward Barbra Banda.

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

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