Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Final Score 0-0 as Lions Wasteful in Good Road Effort
The Lions put in a great effort but it fell a bit short with Mauricio Pereyra missing a gaping net from right in front late in the match.
For the second consecutive game, an Orlando City attacking player missed an empty net from point-blank range, and the Lions had to settle for another draw — this time a 0-0 affair against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field. Orlando (7-5-7, 28 points) missed a golden opportunity late in the second half, but Seattle (8-7-5, 29 points) was nearly as wasteful on its attacking end on this night.
With the draw, Orlando City remains winless in Seattle, going 0-2-2 there in the all-time series, and the Lions are now winless in three matches (0-1-2), but Orlando has taken four of the last six possible points from the Sounders. A point on short rest after traveling to a difficult place like Seattle is a good result and shows that if the team can get just a little more dialed in, the Lions can become a dangerous team.
“We walk off the field with the sensation that we could have won it and that feeling is heavy right now in the locker room, because we had our chances in the end,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But it’s a game very well played by the players and with a lot of personality in a very difficult place against a very good team.”
Pareja had nearly a complete roster at his disposal for the first time in a few games and he went with Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Michael Halliday. Wilder Cartagena rejoined Cesar Araujo in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.
Orlando City seemed to sleepwalk in the early going. Within the first minute, both center backs were concerned with the same attacker while Heber roasted Santos and got a good look at goal but Gallese parried away the shot.
A minute later, Nicolas Lodeiro picked up a loose ball as the Sounders befuddled the Orlando defense but fired a shot off the right post.
Orlando finally got hold of the ball in the seventh minute and Torres fashioned a chance out of nothing as Araujo was able to sneak in deep toward the right post. Torres’ cross-field pass was met by Araujo’s foot in the air but the volley attempt went just wide and into the outside netting.
Two minutes later, it was Santos making a good cross to switch the attack and Halliday volleyed it wide.
The game got a little more back-and-forth after the second good look for the Lions. Seattle won a corner kick after a turnover by Ojeda. The ball pinged around the box for a nervy couple of seconds before Orlando could clear.
Ojeda went for glory from distance in the 14th minute but his shot was always going over and he may have been better served to spray the ball left to continue the buildup.
A minute later, Leo Chu got in behind and only the fact that he was offside may have prevented Halliday from conceding a penalty.
Rusnak sent a free kick well off target in the 29th minute after a poor challenge by Jansson just outside the area.
Orlando’s best chance came in the 35th minute off a corner kick won by Angulo. McGuire got onto Ojeda’s cross and sent it toward the lower left corner but Stefan Frei made a big save to keep the game scoreless.
That was about it for the half as Orlando squandered a couple of late corners and the teams went to the break without a goal between them.
The Lions held the possession advantage (56%-44%) at the half, won more corners (5-4), and passed more accurately (85.8%-819%). Seattle attempted more shots (9-6), with each team getting one on frame.
The second half started like the first, with Seattle threatening to open the scoring. Santos set up a free kick for the hosts in the 47th minute when he took down Lodeiro. The Seattle Designated Player sent a ball on target that took a short hop but Gallese collected it cleanly. A minute later, Rusnak blasted a laser shot over the bar after Halliday was beaten by Chu and sent in a good cross.
Joao Paulo sent a ball way off target from just outside the box in the 53rd minute when he found himself in space and had a go. A minute after that, Cody Baker was left completely unattended outside of Santos and got to the end line, squaring a ball across for Heber, but the forward redirected it wide.
Pareja sent Mauricio Pereyra on for Ojeda in the 57th minute, looking to get more control of the midfield but it didn’t change much until the latter stages, when the captain started to find seams in the defense.
Orlando fashioned a good attack in the 65th minute with some numbers but Halliday couldn’t beat Nouhou with his cross. Halliday made up for that a minute later with a good low cross to McGuire, who flicked it on goal from the near post but Frei had it covered and made the save.
Unfortunately for the young right back, his night ended moments later. While bombing down the right with the ball, Halliday pulled up, grabbing his hamstring. He was subbed off for Kyle Smith. Pareja also sent Ramiro Enrique on for McGuire.
Pereyra should have opened the scoring in the 76th minute. Torres got into the box on the left and sent a shot on target. Frei saved it but couldn’t control the rebound, which fell right to the Orlando City captain. Pereyra sent the ball over the bar and into the stands from just in front of the net.
“I think it’s the point of the night that just made us walk off with that frustration, knowing that we had the game in a position to kill it and take the three points,” Pareja said.
Heber headed wide in the 87th minute in his last action as he was then subbed off for Fredy Montero.
Torres had the game on his foot two minutes later when Pereyra sent a fantastic ball through the back line for him to run onto. The Uruguayan sent a left-footed shot toward the back post but the ball trickled a few inches wide.
“We had various chances,” Torres said through a club interpreter. “First, Mauricio had one that unfortunately he wasn’t able to get it, and I had that one and unfortunately wasn’t able to get it either. But I think the most important part is that we were creating those chances. The game certainly changed when Mauricio entered and it’s obvious the importance that he has for us as a team.”
Neither side had a good look in the four minutes of injury time and the Lions will bring a point home after a scoreless draw.
Orlando City finished with more possession (55.7%-44.3%), shots on target (3-2), passing accuracy (80.7%-80.6%), and corners (7-5). Seattle had more overall shot attemps (16-13).
“I think we dominated the game in terms of the clear (scoring) options,” Pareja said. “We’re gonna walk off with that point, we’re going to take it proudly, and take it to Orlando with the commitment to be heavy at home and keep ascending in the standings.”
“We knew that we were going to be playing a tough game against a tough rival,” Torres said. “We created ourselves some chances. Obviously a little frustrated not to be able to get the goal on some of those chances that we’ve been looking to find. But the important part is that we are creating those chances against a very difficult team.”
The fixture congestion lightens up now as the Lions will have a normal week before hosting the Chicago Fire next Saturday night at Exploria Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 11/13/24
Orlando City’s international call-ups, Orlando Pride playoffs preview, NWSL Awards voting opens, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Orlando City might have to wait a week to continue its playoff journey, but the Orlando Pride do not. The Kansas City Current are coming to town this Sunday for the third meeting between these NWSL heavyweights this year, and I will be there. I hope you will make it to Inter&Co Stadium to show this Pride club how much we appreciate all they have done this season in their final home match of the season. For now, let’s get to the links.
Lions on International Duty
Several Orlando City players received call-ups for this international break, including Facundo Torres for Uruguay. Additionally, the following also got the call: David Brekalo with Slovenia, Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena for Peru, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson for Iceland, and Favian Loyola for Chile’s U-20 squad. All we can hope for is they all stay healthy and in form. Orlando City’s next opponent, Atlanta United, also had several players called up.
The NWSL Playoffs Continue
The Orlando Pride will face the fourth-place Kansas City Current this weekend after decimating the Chicago Red Stars Friday. There’s been a lot of drama between these two clubs, making this an intriguing semifinal match. The other match sees the second-place Washington Spirit take on third-place NJ/NY Gotham FC. While we get to enjoy seeing the Pride continue their NWSL playoff run, many clubs are now watching from home and working on next season’s campaign.
NWSL Award Voting Open
The NWSL has opened the “fans voting round” for its 2024 end-of-season awards. There are several Pride players who were named finalists, including Barbra Banda, Marta, Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Anna Moorhouse. Of course, Seb Hines is up for NWSL Coach of the Year in what should be a foregone conclusion. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and submit your vote here. This is your chance to make a difference for Hines and these Pride players who have given so much this season.
Pepi is Ready
The USMNT will play its first competitive match under Mauricio Pochettino against Jamaica Thursday night in the first leg of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series. The U.S. doesn’t have a ton of options at forward, meaning Ricardo Pepi will likely get the start. The PSV striker said he feels he’s “ready to be the man.” It’s been years since anyone locked down the starting role up top for the USMNT. Let’s hope that Pepi is indeed ready.
Free Kicks
- In unsurprising news, Charlotte FC’s Kristijan Kahlina was named 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Orlando fans are all too familiar with how good Kahlina is in goal. Honestly, Khalina is a very deserving winner.
- England’s squad will look very different this international window with eight players out due to injury, including Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer.
- The UScpMNT match scheduled for today has been postponed due to inclement weather.
- Coventry City has its eye on Frank Lampard as a possible replacement for Mark Robins as manager.
- We have unfortunately seen the last of Memphis 901 FC. It is a sad day, as we’re unlikely to see such a cool name with whatever Santa Barbara comes up with.
- Jude Bellingham’s younger brother, Jobe, may make a move to La Liga giant Real Madrid.
- The USMNT’s Gio Reyna is still nursing a mystery injury at Borussia Dortmund.
- We’re sad to share that FC Cincinnati’s Marco Angulo passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and teammates.
- Finally, I leave you with Ally Watt solving a Rubik’s Cube.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s playoff match against the Kansas City Current. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 11/12/24
Examining Orlando City’s playoff path, what to watch in the Concacaf Nations League, Lily Yohannes declares for the U.S., and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! The weekend couldn’t have gone much better for Orlando’s soccer teams, as both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride advanced after their respective playoff games, with the Pride dominating Chicago and the Lions getting a late, dramatic equalizer before winning the penalty shootout. The Pride will return to action Sunday against the Kansas City Current, while the Lions have a slightly longer layoff before they take on Atlanta United. As usual, we have plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Orlando City’s Playoff Path
It was a wild weekend for the MLS playoffs as far as the Eastern Conference was concerned, and a slew of upsets suddenly means that the path to the MLS Cup final in the Eastern Conference goes through Orlando. The Lions are the highest remaining seed in the East, and not only will they host Atlanta Nov. 24, but they would also host the Eastern Conference final, should they come out victorious. Oscar Pareja spoke after the game about not wanting the victory over Charlotte FC to be the end of the playoff journey, and says the team intends to chase the MLS Cup. If Orlando does make it that far, the team wouldn’t be likely to host the match, as it would require Minnesota United to come out of the Western Conference in order for the final to be held in Orlando. Stranger things have happened though.
What to Watch For With the USMNT
It seems like we just had an international break, but here we are again with two more United States Men’s National Team games on the docket. These are two important games, as the USMNT squares off against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. Besides the obvious chance to advance to the semifinals, there are plenty of other storylines to keep an eye on. With Josh Sargent and Folarin Balogun both absent due to injury, can Ricardo Pepi seize an opportunity to lay claim to the starting striker role? What sort of impacts can Brendan Aaronson and Weston McKennie have in the midst of good starts to the season for their clubs? Last, but certainly not least, is Christian Pulisic, who has had a fantastic start to the season and will have many eyes on him in the first competitive matches under Mauricio Pochettino.
Lily Yohannes Chooses the United States
The United States Women’s National Team has landed a great young talent, as Lily Yohannes announced on Monday that she has chosen to represent the U.S. over the Netherlands. While she was born in Virginia, Yohannes has lived abroad since the age of 10, making her eligible to play for either country. However, she stated that with the United States being her country of birth, as well as where her extended family lives, she decided to commit to representing Emma Hayes’ team. Yohannes made her debut for Ajax’s senior side in November of last year, and has seven goals in 40 appearances for the Dutch team.
Transfer Rumor Roundup
As always, the transfer rumor mill continues to turn, which means we have plenty of things to catch up on. We start with Major League Soccer itself, where FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta has said he may have played his final game for the club. He cited frustration with falling short of silverware as a possible reason for wanting to move on, so he may change his mind once the sting has faded more. Moving to Spain, Barcelona is reportedly monitoring Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush as an option to replace the aging Robert Lewandowski. Arsenal and Manchester United are said to be interested in Leroy Sane, and will pursue him hard if contract talks with Bayern Munich don’t progress well.
Free Kicks
- NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman had some friendly words for the Orlando Pride.
- The U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team battled Argentina to a scoreless draw at the Deaf Pan American Games on Monday, but fortunately advanced in the tournament due to a coin flip tiebreaker. The U.S. will play either Brazil or Mexico in the semifinal.
- Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended due to a social media video that seemed to show him making negative marks about Jurgen Klopp.
- Manchester United interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the club following the arrival of new head coach Ruben Amorim, who wants to bring in his own assistants.
- Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer are among a whopping eight players who have pulled out of England’s UEFA Nations League squad due to injury.
That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw/4-1 shootout win in Game 3 against Charlotte FC?
The Cardiac Cats were back again as Orlando City conceded its first goal of the postseason in the 81st minute, equalized on a rebound from a saved penalty with almost the last kick of the game, and won on penalties. Before we begin to look forward to the Eastern Conference semifinal against Atlanta United, we’ll look back at how the team played in its 1-1 draw and 4-1 shootout victory against Charlotte FC.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this memorable playoff battle.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — The Lions dominated the chances in this game, so there wasn’t a lot for Gallese to do in the 90 minutes. He saved two of the three shots on target, and the goal he conceded took a deflection that sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. Gallese’s moment came in the penalty shootout with everything on the line. He saved the first two penalties to give his team a commanding lead, helping the Lions advance. He also guessed correctly on the third penalty, although he couldn’t quite get to Ashley Westwood’s shot. In addition to his shot stopping, Gallese completed 80% of his 10 passes but neither of his two long balls. He also recorded two clearances. Although he had a quiet game in regulation, he did what was needed in the shootout.
D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a team-high 86 touches, completed 87.7% of his 57 passes and two of his three long balls, and had two key passes. While he only completed one of his seven crosses, he should have had an assist when Kyle Smith failed to convert right in front of the goal in the 90th minute. Defensively, the left back recorded two tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances, leading the team in all three statistics. He also converted his penalty, sending the Lions through to the conference semifinals.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson touched the ball 69 times in this game while completing 92.1% of his 63 passes. He had one key pass, completing five of his 10 long balls, and put his lone shot on target. Defensively, Jansson was less active than usual, recording three clearances and a blocked shot. He got caught on a high bounce on the attack that ultimately led to Charlotte’s only goal, which was his lone mistake of the night.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel had 42 touches in the game and completed 87.5% of his 32 passes, including two of his three long balls. Like Jansson, Schlegel took one shot and put it on target. The center back recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. He was replaced by David Brekalo in the 89th minute.
D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Touching the ball 49 times in this game, Thorhallsson completed 87.9% of his 33 passes, including two key passes, one of his three crosses, and his lone long ball. He didn’t take any shots in the game and didn’t record any defensive statistics before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 79th minute.
MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena came into this game with two yellow cards, leaving him one short of a suspension. However, the defensive midfielder did well to stay out of the book while touching the ball 84 times and retaining his grit in the middle of the pitch. He completed 88% of his team-high 75 passes, including four of his six long balls. He recorded two interceptions and a clearance, but his biggest impact was a good ball into the box that contributed to Djibril Diani pulling down Duncan McGuire, resulting in the penalty that set up the equalizer.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo took 70 touches and was back to his stellar passing, completing 93% of his 57 attempts, including one of his two crosses and six of his seven long balls. He was also credited with a key pass in the game. His two shots were off target, but he added three clearances defensively.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo’s 37 touches were the fewest of Orlando City’s midfielders. However, he completed 93.3% of his 30 passes, the highest pass completion percentage of his position group. His only shot was off target and he didn’t record any defensive statistics before being replaced by Luis Muriel in the 65th minute.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda touched the ball 62 times and completed 83.8% of his 37 passes, including four of his five long balls and a team-high four key passes. However, he only completed three of his team-high 14 crosses. One of the midfielder’s two shots was on target and he didn’t have a defensive impact before coming off for Nico Lodeiro in the 79th minute. For much of the first hour of the game, most of Orlando’s offensive chances and most dangerous attacks came via Ojeda’s forays up the left and interplay with Santos.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7 (MotM) — Torres had 68 touches and completed 88% of his 50 passes, including two key passes. He didn’t complete any of his seven crosses but all of his three long balls. While only two of his six shots were on target, he hit the post and crossbar in the first half. More importantly, he converted on the rebound after Kristijan Kahlina saved his penalty for the equalizing goal. He made up for the penalty save by converting his spot kick in the shootout.
F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique wasn’t very involved in this game, touching the ball 20 times and completing 90.9% of his 11 passes. While he completed his lone cross, none of four shots were on target, including a free running header on a corner kick when he was left completely uncovered. The forward was replaced by Duncan McGuire in the 65th minute.
Substitutes
F, Duncan McGuire (65’), 6 — McGuire came on for Enrique in the 65th minute, but only touched the ball five times. He completed all four of his passes and didn’t take any shots, but had the most impactful play of the night. In the final seconds of the game, he went down after a tug on the back of his jersey by Diani, drawing the penalty that resulted in the equalizing goal. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder on the play and didn’t take part in the shootout.
F, Luis Muriel (65’), 6.5 — Muriel replaced Angulo in the 65th minute and touched the ball 28 times. He completed 76.5% of his 17 passes, including a key pass, one of his two long balls, and one of his two through balls. Only one of his three shots were on target, with his free kick effort deflected by the defense, but he converted the first penalty in the shootout, getting the Lions off to a good start. His introduction allowed the Lions to maintain possession and create chances as time wound down.
MF, Nico Lodeiro (79’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 79th minute, touching the ball 19 times in his short appearance. He completed 83.3% of his 12 passes, including a key pass and two of his seven crosses.
D, Kyle Smith (79’), 5.5 — Smith came on for Thorhallsson in the 79th minute, touching the ball seven times and completing one of his three passes. Santos found him for a tap-in at the back post in the 90th minute, but the defender completely messed up the golden opportunity stepping over/onto the ball and going to ground. However, he made up for it with the best penalty of the shootout, in my opinion. He didn’t end up with any defensive statistics in the game.
D, David Brekalo (89’), N/A — Brekalo replaced Schlegel in the 89th minute, as Oscar Pareja wanted his aerial presence on the field for the final push. He touched the ball seven times and completed all of his five passes. He didn’t record any defensive statistics in his short appearance.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s playoff win over Charlotte. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando Pride5 days ago
Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Red Stars: Final Score 4-1 as Barbra Banda Brace Lifts Pride to First-Ever Playoff Win
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando City1 week ago
Orlando City at Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
-
Orlando City4 days ago
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Seattle Reign FC: Final Score 3-2 as Pride Cap Historic Regular Season with a Win
-
Lion Links2 weeks ago
Lion Links: 10/30/24
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 0-0 (1-3) as Lions’ Offense a No-Show in North Carolina