Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 2-0 win at home against the Colorado Rapids?

Published

12 months ago

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City extended its unbeaten run to six games after a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Exploria Stadium. Colorado finished the match with just nine men due to a red card to Braian Galvan and a pair of yellow cards for Lalas Abubakar. Facundo Torres and Ramiro Enrique both came up with goals in the second half to give Orlando its first home win since April. Here’s how the Lions individually played in a nice win in Orlando.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese had a fairly quiet night in his 100th appearance as a Lion. His first save of the match was a comfortable one as he swallowed up a shot from distance by Cole Bassett. His second, and last, was a bit more difficult, as he had to go low to stop Darren Yapi’s shot from the top of the box. As for his distribution, two of his six long balls found their mark and he completed 77.8% of his 18 passes. El Pulpo may not have seen much of the ball in this game, but I doubt he’s complaining about a clean sheet.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — Although only three of his 13 crosses reached their target, many of them were still delivered into dangerous areas. He looked lethal with time to work his magic out wide and often switched up his placement to keep the Rapids on their toes. Santos was also accurate on one of his two long balls and had 42 passes at a solid 83.3% success rate. He had a shot early on that was blocked and one of his crosses found Ercan Kara’s head for a key pass. The left back was on the same page with Ivan Angulo for most of the match as well, freeing him into open space and sneaking into good areas to cross from when Angulo was on the ball. Santos was defensively sound too, finishing the match with four tackles, a clearance, and a block. This was perhaps his best performance as a Lion.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede put out fires as they came up, ending the game with two clearances, a tackle and a block. Jansson had 66 passes and completed all but three of them for a fantastic 95.5% success rate. He was also accurate on three of his four long balls to kickstart things offensively. Even when taking Colorado’s red cards into account, it was a great performance from Jansson.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — In 45 minutes of action, Carlos did well to defend Exploria Stadium and had two clearances. His distribution was excellent as well, as he was accurate on all six of his long balls and completed 93.9% of his 33 passes. He was booked for a sliding tackle to stop Kevin Cabral from charging downfield during a counterattack, meaning he will miss Orlando’s next match. That booking was why he was subbed off for Rodrigo Schlegel at halftime, per Oscar Pareja’s postgame presser.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Playing at right back, Smith did well on both sides of the ball in this match. Although neither of his two long balls were successful and he completed just one of his two crosses, Smith had two key passes. The first was in the first half’s stoppage time as he skipped a cross in for Mauricio Pereyra, while the second was a patient pass to give Torres an opportunity. Smith made great overlapping runs with Torres and looked comfortable dribbling forward and picking out passes. The 31-year-old had four tackles on the defensive side of things as well before being subbed off in the 77th minute. Unfortunately, like Carlos, Smith will miss Orlando’s next match after receiving a yellow card.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — It was another great performance from Araujo in the heart of Orlando’s midfield. The 22-year-old led the Lions with 81 touches and completed 97.3% of his team-high 73 passes. His only mistake may have been his shot from distance, which was blocked with ease and sent Colorado on the break. Orlando’s playmakers carried most of the load offensively, but Araujo still had a key pass and completed one of his two long balls. He helped out defensively with a tackle and an interception as well. All in all, it was another strong outing from one of the league’s best defensive midfielders.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — The Peruvian midfielder had a couple of worrying turnovers, but was otherwise solid. He was accurate on 85.3% of his 34 passes, completed his only long ball, and had a key pass to set up a shot for Angulo before halftime. While going for a loose ball in the first half, he was struck by Galvan’s high boot and the Rapids player was sent off with a red card. Cartagena was taken off at halftime for Martin Ojeda to give Orlando more of an attacking edge in the second half.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — The quick winger saw plenty of the ball while attacking along Orlando’s left wing. Of his two shots, one was deflected and collected by Marko Ilic and the other was sent wide from a tough angle. His speed gave Orlando a way to stretch Colorado’s defense, as well as apply constant pressure defensively. He chipped in on defense with a tackle and an interception. Angulo had a key pass, completed 93.9% of his 33 passes, and was accurate on one of his two crosses. He gave Abubakar headaches and turned the defender inside out so badly that Abubakar picked up a second yellow card trying to stop him.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 (MotM) — Although a deflection played a large part in his goal, Torres did well to quickly set up his shot and put it on frame. It was also a testament to how well his movement is off the ball, as he went from the center of the box to open space outside of it in the blink of an eye. He also came up with his third assist of the year, finding Enrique open against a shorthanded Colorado defense. Of his three other shots, one was fired right at Ilic and the other two were blocked — one of which was barely deflected inches wide. Torres had two key passes, was accurate on both of his long balls, completed two of his three crosses, and finished with 51 passes at a great 90.2% success rate. He’s our Man of the Match for contributing to both goals against Colorado’s low block and fueling Orlando’s offense from start to finish

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra notched his fourth assist of the season by cycling the ball over to Torres at the top of the box. It was one of his two key passes and he also connected on all five of his long balls. Neither of his two crosses were successful, and he was successful on 85.9% of his 64 passes. He put a shot on target right before halftime, but Ilic came up with a good save to deny him. Ilic stopped him again in the second half by getting enough on his strike from distance. Pereyra was also successful on three of his five attempted dribbles to weave his way through Colorado’s defense.

F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — He had 16 touches and completed half of his 10 passes in 90 minutes on the field. Kara received decent service, particularly aerially, but Colorado’s center backs were stuck to him like glue to make it hard for him to put a header on frame. None of his three shots were on target, including a chance from distance that went wide. Colorado’s first red card led to more defenders in the box to stop some crosses from reaching him, and Kara made a few great runs that weren’t serviced, and he helped Enrique on the second goal by luring defenders deeper into the area. Kara won three aerial duels, and the attention he drew helped free up space outside the box for Orlando’s other attackers.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (45′), 6 — Ojeda gave Colorado’s defense another thing to worry about in the second half, as he made clever runs and looked threatening when on the ball. He had a key pass, queuing up a shot for Angulo, and was accurate on one of his four crosses. Of his 19 passes, 89.5% were successful, and he had a clearance as well. It would have been nice to see him take control of a match against a shorthanded Colorado side, but it was far from bad from the Designated Player.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (45′), 7 — All three of Schlegel’s tackles were great, as he stopped Colorado’s counters in their tracks with stingy one-on-one defending. Schlegel also completed every single one of his 37 passes to help the Lions build out of the back. He hardly put a foot wrong and it was a nice way for him to get his feet wet, considering he will have to fill in for Carlos next week as well.

F, Ramiro Enrique (77′), 6.5 — The 22-year-old scored his first goal for Orlando with a nice strike into the bottom right corner. It was the best moment of Enrique’s brief appearance, which also included four passes at a 100% success rate. Hopefully this goal helps him get things going as a super sub this season.

MF, Felipe (83′), N/A  — Felipe gave Orlando some fresh legs and consistency in the midfield, completing nine of his 10 passes. He was credited for a key pass for getting the ball to Kara before his try from range. Ultimately, we didn’t see enough of the midfielder to accurately grade him.

MF, Alejandro Granados (89′) N/A —Signed to a short-term agreement earlier this week, Granados made his Orlando City debut with a late cameo. The 17-year-old had 10 touches, completed seven of his eight passes, and took a shot that was blocked.

That’s how I saw each performance from the Lions in their 2-0 win at home against the Colorado Rapids. The red cards certainly played a part, but many of the Lions did well. Who was your Man of the Match? Make sure to vote in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments!

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/24

Two Lions recognized, Pride player up for weekly honors, United States releases training camp roster, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

on

May 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a damn good weekend for Orlando’s teams, as Orlando City beat San Jose 1-0, and the Orlando Pride took down the Seattle Reign 3-2, which meant that the two teams picked up all six points on offer, and out on the west coast, no less! We’ve got plenty of news to talk over today, so let’s jump straight into the links.

Lions Included in Team of the Matchday

A pair of Lions have been rewarded for their efforts in Saturday’s win with a place in the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Wilder Cartagena was given a spot in the starting XI as a center back after yet another commanding performance in a three-man back line for Orlando City. The Peruvian was superb and finished with five tackles, four clearances, and two interceptions, as OCSC kept a second clean sheet in a row. Jack Lynn was given a spot on the bench, after grabbing a late winner in an extended substitute appearance. Lynn entered the fray for an injured Duncan McGuire in the 16th minute, and was the difference maker as he latched onto a scuffed Martin Ojeda shot to win the game for Orlando in the 89th minute.

Pride Player up for Weekly Honors

Emily Sams’ strike against the Seattle Reign has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. On a night that had plenty of goals, Sams opened the scoring in the ninth minute. The ball found its way to her at the top of the box, and the defender didn’t even bother taking a touch as she hit the ball first time and curled it past the despairing dive of Laurel Ivory. Sams isn’t exactly a prolific goal scorer, so that makes the sweetly hit goal that much better. Be sure you go and drop a vote for her to win!

United States Releases Pre-Copa Roster

The United States Men’s National Team has announced its 27-player roster that will take part in a pre-Copa America training camp. The final tournament roster needs to have at least 23 players and a maximum of 26, so Gregg Berhalter won’t need to make a ton of cuts if he doesn’t want to. The roster features Josh Sargent making his return to a training camp for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, as well as Cameron-Carter Vickers, Luca de la Torre, and Sean Johnson making their first appearances in 2024. LAFC youngster Timmy Tillman is the least experienced player in the mix with just one appearance to his name, while Christian Pulisic’s 66 appearances leads the team. The USMNT will play Colombia and Brazil in tune-up friendlies on June 8 and June 12, with the latter match taking place in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.

MLS Stock Watch

With another MLS matchday in the close, we can reflect on which teams are on the rise, and which ones seem to be headed in the wrong direction. FC Cincinnati has now won six straight games, and is hot on Inter Miami’s heels at the top of the Eastern Conference table. New York City FC has now won three in a row after beating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the Hudson River Derby, a result which saw the Pigeons leapfrog NYRB into third place in the East. At the other end of things, the Chicago Fire have lost four straight and only scored two goals in their last seven matches, while CF Montreal got hammered 5-1 by Toronto FC and has matched Chicago with a fourth-straight loss.

European Transfer Rumor Roundup

Several European club seasons may have ended, but that just means that the off-season transfer rumor mill is starting to kick into gear. Premier League champion Manchester City has reportedly agreed to personal terms with West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, but is still negotiating with the Hammers about a sale price. Runners-up Arsenal wants to bolster its team to get over the line and win the title next year and is said to have Alexander Isak, Brian Brobbey, and Viktor Gyokeres on a short list of strikers, although the Gunners expect to face competition from Chelsea for Gyokeres. Despite chatter concerning a possible move away during the summer, Mohamed Salah has said he will “fight like hell” to win trophies with Liverpool next season. Finally, Bayern Munich is said to have had internal talks about appointing Vincent Kompany as the club’s next manager, and the board has even reached out to the Belgian directly to discuss his current situation.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Five Takeaways

What did we learn from Orlando City beating the Earthquakes on the West Coast?

Published

1 day ago

on

May 20, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City wrapped up three matches in eight days with a trip out west on short rest for a late night matchup against the San Jose Earthquakes. Playing level throughout much of the match, it appeared as though both teams would split the points until the Cardiac Cats found some late magic. What follows are my immediate takeaways from an unexpected, yet satisfying, three points.

3-5-2 For the Win

The 3-5-2 lineup returned once again and proved to be quite a versatile team shape for the Lions. Against San Jose, the Lions were without captain Robin Jansson due to injury and defensive midfielder Cesar Araujo was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson returned to the starting lineup and slotted in as a wingback in the formation. Wilder Cartagena excelled once again as a center back, and Felipe did well filling in for Araujo in the midfield. The shape has allowed the coaching staff to more easily fill gaps with different players as needed, and I think we may see it as the default formation for the foreseeable future.

Duncan McGuire Injured Early On

Jack Lynn was substituted on in the 15th minute for an injured Duncan McGuire, who landed awkwardly on his right arm after being sandwiched between two Quakes players in an aerial duel. It was an early exit for McGuire, who tried to stop his fall by sticking out his forearm. Given the injuries the team has dealt with over the last several matches, one can only hope this does not lead to a prolonged absence for Orlando’s leading scorer.

Ivan Angulo Defies Tired Legs

No one would have faulted the Lions for sitting back as the match neared its end given that this was their third match in eight days, and second on the road during that stretch. It makes the effort Ivan Angulo gave to help create the winning goal even more impressive. After running up and down the field all game, Angulo chased down a clearance after a San Jose corner kick and beat defenders down the length of the field on a lung-busting run. The fitness staff and trainers deserve some credit for ensuring that the Lions had their legs under them that late into a match considering the travel and schedule congestion of the week.

Jack Lynn After Dark

Jack Lynn, who was selected in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, found the back of the net for the second time this season. In what was likely an unexpected 75 minutes of game action for him, Lynn scored late to give Orlando all three points. The goal was a combination of being in the right place at the right time, as Martin Ojeda mishit his shot after the cross from Angulo, and impressive body control from Lynn, who contorted his body to redirect the ball into the back of the net. It was an impressive finish for Lynn, who had another great chance to put the game away that was saved just minutes prior to his goal. Lynn ultimately would not be denied and made sure the Orlando City fans back on the East Coast woke up to good news.

Making History On the Road

Orlando City and the San Jose Earthquakes do not exactly have a storied rivalry however, anytime the club can achieve a first in team history it should be mentioned. Last evening’s victory marked Orlando City’s first ever road victory against the Earthquakes. Heading into this match, I thought the Lions would opt for a heavily rotated lineup on the road, as the Lions were facing a club at the bottom of the Western Conference table on short rest. Instead, the club turned in a classic performance under Pareja, staying defensively sound to keep the game close and get a result on the road. The Lions were able to get the win on a counter attack and the result secured seven points from their last three matches.

Those are the things that stood out most to me from the 1-0 victory against the Earthquakes, let us know in the comments below what stood out to you. As always, vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/24

Lions and Pride win, MLS weekend recap, Manchester City wins Premier League title, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 20, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was another good weekend for our teams, as Orlando City and the Pride both won their respective matches. I’ve been busy covering high school playoff action with soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and softball. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Pull Out Late Win on the Road

Orlando City pulled out a late 1-0 win on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday. Jack Lynn came off the bench and scored the lone goal in this match for Orlando to grab the three points. Duncan McGuire started the match but had to be substituted out early in the first half due to injury and was replaced by Lynn. The Lions are on a three-match unbeaten streak after a scoreless draw at home against Inter Miami on Wednesday. Orlando City moves up to 10th in the Eastern Conference with 16 points. The Lions return to action on Saturday to face the Columbus Crew at Inter&Co Stadium.

Orlando Pride Win Against Seattle Reign FC

The Orlando Pride won their seventh straight match after a 3-2 win against the Seattle Reign at Lumen Field on Sunday. There were plenty of goals in this one, with Barbra Banda lifting the Pride to their first ever win in Washington against the Reign. Orlando remains undefeated in league play after 10 matches and the Pride sit atop the NWSL table with 24 points. The Pride return home for a Friday night matchup against the Portland Thorns at Inter&Co Stadium.

MLS Weekend Recap

It was another busy weekend in MLS, with four rivalry matches taking place. Let’s start with the Hudson River Derby, as New York City FC edged past the New York Red Bulls 2-1. Real Salt Lake got a thrilling 5-3 win against the Colorado Rapids in the Rocky Mountain Cup. In Canada, Toronto FC cruised past CF Montreal with a 5-1 victory. The Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas battled to a 1-1 draw down in Texas. FC Cincinnati defeated St. Louis City SC 3-1, while the Columbus Crew beat the Chicago Fire 3-1 as well.

The Philadelphia Union shut out the New England Revolution 3-0 to snap its six-match winless streak. Austin FC won 3-2 over Sporting Kansas City, Minnesota United handed the Portland Timbers a 2-1 defeat, and Inter Miami got a late goal from Leonardo Campana for a 1-0 win over D.C. United.

Manchester City Wins English Premier League

Manchester City defeated West Ham 3-1 to win a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title on Sunday with 91 points on the final day of the season. Phil Foden scored twice in this match as Manchester City became the first club to win four straight Premier League trophies. Arsenal defeated Everton 2-1 but ended up short of the title, finishing second with 89 points. Liverpool won in Jurgen Klopp’s final match as manager, beating Wolves 2-0 to finish third. Aston Villa finished fourth despite a 5-0 loss to Crystal Palace, Tottenham finished fifth, and Chelsea finished sixth in the table. Luton Town lost 4-2 at home to Fulham to finish 18th, officially joining Burnley and Sheffield United in being relegated to the EFL Championship next season. 

Free Kicks

  • Former Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner has agreed to a one-year contract extension with Manchester United, with an option for another year. Manchester United won its first major trophy earlier this month, winning the Women’s FA Cup.
  • Former USMNT player Jonathan Bornstein has agreed to play for NPSL side Tallahassee SC in their summer season. He made his debut on Saturday as the Battle Lions won their opener 2-0 against the Miami Dutch Lions FC.
  • According to Tom Bogert, new MLS expansion side San Diego FC is reportedly closer to sealing a move to sign Chucky Lozano over from PSV Eindhoven.
  • Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi announced he will leave the club after its Premier League season ended in a 2-0 loss to Manchester United on Sunday. 
  • Bayer Leverkusen completed its Bundesliga season unbeaten with a 2-1 win over FC Augsburg. The club also made history as the first team in the history of the Bundesliga to complete a full season without a loss. 

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

Continue Reading

Trending