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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Blow Two-Goal Lead

Another home match against the Union with Alex Chilowicz as the match referee ends controversially, with a 2-2 draw.

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10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City built a 2-0 lead against the Philadelphia Union but ultimately dropped points due to a cross that went in the net after missing its target, a howitzer first goal from a guy who will likely never, ever do that again, and an overturned call that was exceedingly questionable in a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium. The Lions (7-5-6, 27 points) squandered a two-goal lead on a pair of plays that didn’t seem dangerous at the time and drew the Philadelphia Union (9-5-4, 31 points) after match referee Alex Chilowicz had disallowed a third Orlando goal by Ivan Angulo for a perceived foul in the buildup.

City finishes the season series 1-0-1 against the Union but it could have been more.

Duncan McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half (although McGuire may end up with both goals after getting a slight touch on Ojeda’s shot) and things looked good for the hosts, but Jack McGlynn’s cross into the box missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, and then Jose Martinez ran onto a clearance and launched a rocket from distance that left the Homegrown goalkeeper no chance in the 90th minute, as the Lions suffered another late heartbreaking draw at home.

“It was obvious that during the game we were losing energy, but the boys had the personality to overcome and trying to match a good team,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The frustration that I have and probably everybody with the decision is incredible. But I’d rather just control my words and just worry about getting the things we need to control better and concentrate in those key moments that they’re hurting us on our ways here at home. It’s painful, but we keep going.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Mason Stajduhar making his second straight start in goal, behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Felipe started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Ojeda, with McGuire up top.

The first half was a bit of a mess, with both teams having some good spells of possession but not doing much with them. The Lions were a bit more untidy at the back than the visitors, conceding several set pieces that weren’t necessary.

Philadelphia got the game’s first shot in the fifth minute with Joaquin Torres firing right at Stajduhar for the easy save after Araujo gave the ball away easily at midfield. Torres should have done better with the opportunity.

The teams exchanged blocked shots over the next few minutes. Smith had a chance blocked after Orlando’s first decent spell of attacking possession. A block near the top of the box may have prevented Jack McGlynn scoring off a Union set piece in the 11th minute.

The Lions broke through in minute 13. Pereyra sent an incisive pass through the middle to Ojeda, who flicked it into the path of McGuire. The rookie’s first touch was too heavy but he went to ground to win it back, got up, and slotted inside the left post past former Lion Joe Bendik to open the scoring. It was McGuire’s team-leading sixth goal of the season.

“Great ball from Ojeda,” McGuire said. “I took a poor touch but then I saw the defender coming across really hard. So, I thought that if I could slide, he would maybe fall over and I could get up and it worked out perfectly, I guess, so I’ll take it.”

The Union got a series of set pieces after the Orlando goal and nearly paid one off when a cross in for Jack Elliott found the big defender, but he nodded his shot just over the crossbar in the 27th minute.

Three minutes later, the Lions got a corner and Carlos came within inches of doubling the lead. The Brazilian got his head to the cross and headed it down into the ground. The bounce took it over Bendik but he was able to get a touch to it at the last second to knock it over the bar.

The last chance of the half came in the 42nd minute. The Lions built a nice attack that ended in a shot by Angulo from the right side, but his shot was right at the goalkeeper.

First-half possession was nearly equal, with the Union ekeing out a 50.5%-49.5% advantage. Orlando City had more shots (5-3) and shots on target (3-1), and passed a tiny bit more accurately (86.6%-86.5%). The Union racked up twice the corners as the Lions (6-3).

Felipe’s awful giveaway in the early going of the second half nearly gifted Philadelphia a chance but the Union were called for a foul in the attack in the 51st minute. Seconds later, Stajduhar made a huge save to deny Julian Carranza on the break after another Orlando turnover.

Just as the Union appeared to be growing into the game, the Lions scored their second. Ojeda took a pass from Angulo on the right and cut back into the middle, using the defense as a screen and sent a screamer inside the left post that took a minor deflection off McGuire and beat Bendik, making it 2-0 in the 54th minute. As of this writing, Ojeda has been credited with the goal, although a replay clearly shows it took the smallest of deflections off the rookie striker. Either way, it was a crafty move by Ojeda to deny Bendik sight of his shot.

Both players were gracious about who should get the goal.

“I’m not going to take that goal away from Ojeda,” McGuire said.

“I’m not sure who’s going to end up being credited with the goal,” Ojeda said. “It’s kind of divided. If it’s me, it’s me. If it’s Duncan, then it’s Duncan. But I’ll say that Duncan apologized to me afterwards.”

The two-goal lead lasted only six minutes. McGlynn sent a good cross into the box but it fizzed over the heads of his striker and two defenders. Stajduhar realized too late that the ball’s curl would take it inside the post and he reacted late to it, giving the Union life in the 60th minute.

With the Lions starting to look leggy in the final half hour — Orlando City was on short rest compared to Philadelphia, which hadn’t played in 11 days — Pareja switched to a three-man back line, sending Rodrigo Schlegel and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson on for Smith and Felipe. Angulo became the right wingback opposite Santos.

Angulo should have put the game to bed in the 73rd minute. A scramble to the right of the goal had Bendik out of position and McGuire laid off a pass for him to hit into the empty net but from only eight yards out he somehow got under it enough to send it over the bar on a terribly wasteful effort.

Pareja tried to combat tiring legs by replacing Ojeda with Ramiro Enrique, McGuire with Ercan Kara, and Santos with Gaston Gonzalez. McGuire needed attention from the trainers before leaving but walked off under his own power and after the match said he was fine.

The Lions appeared to put the game to bed in the 86th minute as Angulo atoned for his earlier miss. Kara held off Martinez and made a run forward with the ball, muscling past the defense, drawing Bendik out of position, and finding Angulo for the easy goal. The 17,516 in attendance erupted but Chilowicz signaled that he would look at the replay. He came back, disallowed the goal, and booked Kara for fouling Martinez in the buildup. Kara’s arm came up to hold off the midfielder but Martinez made a complete meal of little contact and it was nothing worse than happened a dozen other times in the game.

“I saw the ref already and it is incredible,” Pareja said about the controversial play. “I mean, we need to protect the game. That’s our frustration tonight. It’s happened before. Nothing we can say.”

“I thought it was unfair,” McGuire said of the play. “I thought (the goal) should have been given, but at the end of the day you’ve got to play the game. After that, it’s still game on and you have to finish the game out. I definitely think it should have been a goal but, can’t do anything about it now, sadly.”

Chilowicz, you may recall, was the same official who overturned an offside call on a Daniel Gazdag goal in this exact same fixture last year after reviewing the play and then ruled that a mugging of Carlos in the box at the end of that match was not a penalty because of an exceedingly minor and routine shirt grab happened before the mugging.

Disaster, which has struck now in three of the last four home games, struck again in the 90th minute. The Lions were handling everything Philadelphia threw at them and what appeared to be a routine clearance out of the box off the head of Carlos bounced in front of Martinez. The midfielder smashed a wicked blast off the right post and in, giving Stajduhar no chance. The Lions went from having a two-goal cushion to being level in just minutes.

Without having seen any goals from any of the other games tonight, I’m certain this will be MLS Goal of the Week.

“Unbelievable goal from Philadelphia and not much you can do about that but I think as a whole group we can maybe do a little bit more to take the three points at home,” McGuire said.

Both teams went for the win after Martinez’s equalizer. Enrique had a golden opportunity on the left in the 94th minute but sent his shot off the crossbar. Two minutes later, a ball into the box found Mikael Uhre, who put his attempt off the crossbar at the other end. Moments later, the game was over.

Philadelphia ended up with more possession (55.2%-44.8%), shots (10-8), shots on target (5-4), corners (7-4), and passing accuracy (82.3%-77.2%). Despite the statistical advantages, Orlando City rarely appeared to be in danger of conceding until the two vastly different goals went in.

“For the players, nothing but my respect for that effort tonight,” Pareja said of his side.

“After a game that we definitely think we should have won, I definitely think we are excited and eager to get on the road and play another game to show that maybe tonight was a fluke and we can get three points against a tough Seattle team,” Mcguire said.

The Lions have a quick turnaround, flying out Thursday ahead of Saturday’s match at the Sounders.

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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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3 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

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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8 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

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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1 day 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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