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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s satisfying 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire.

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10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

That was fun! Orlando City dispatched the Chicago Fire by a score of 3-1 at Exploria Stadium, with Facundo Torres’ brace leading the way for the Lions. What follows are my five takeaways from an entertaining night at the Purple Palace.

No Carlos, No Cesar, No Problem

Antonio Carlos was given the night off for this one, with Rodrigo Schlegel starting in his place. Around these parts, we tend to be of the opinion that Rodri is one of the better backup center backs in Major League Soccer, and he showed why during this game. Chicago did have some threatening moments, particularly in the second half, but aside from the hairy moment in the 50th minute, when Pedro Gallese saved Kei Kamara’s header and Wilder Cartagena cleared the follow-up effort off the line, Orlando’s goal wasn’t threatened too badly from open play. Cesar Araujo was unavailable due to yellow card accumulation, but the upshot is that he and Carlos both got some rest, which is never a bad thing considering the Lions play again Tuesday and have six matches during the month of July.

Shots for Everyone

At times, Orlando City’s refusal to shoot the ball is infuriating, and the Lions can be guilty of trying to pass the ball into the net rather than have a hit from a promising area. That wasn’t the case during this game as the hosts racked up 19 efforts at goal, putting nine of them on frame. Plus, 11 of those strikes came from inside the box, a number indicative of an offense that was in a good groove. I particularly enjoyed Ramiro Enrique’s goal. His strike came from a tricky situation where he was going away from goal and needed to generate a ton of power while maintaining pinpoint accuracy to have a chance of beating the goalkeeper, and it would have been much easier to pass the ball off for someone else to have a hit. His confidence was rewarded however, and it was fun to watch this team not hesitate to pull the trigger.

Offensive Chemistry Starting to Cook

While it’s true that this Fire team currently sits 13th of 15 Eastern Conference teams, I couldn’t help but be pleased with how OCSC looked on the offensive end of the field. Numbers aside, this was a team that just looked like it had a better understanding of what it wanted to do when it had the ball in the final third. While those ideas didn’t always come off, to my eye there was a lot less of players looking like they were on completely opposite pages, and guys weren’t occupying the same spaces, which is something that was an issue earlier in the year. Torres’ first goal came as a result of Martin Ojeda recognizing Kyle Smith’s intelligent overlapping run, playing the correct ball, and The Accountant making no mistake with his cross to Facu. It wasn’t the most dazzling example of interplay you’ll ever see, but it was nice to see the Lions break down a team in the “halfcourt,” and there are signs that the offense is beginning to hum.

Facu Takes Flight

Don’t look now, but here comes Facundo Torres. In his last four MLS games he has five goals and one assist, and is in danger of fully rounding into the kind of form that led the Lions to the U.S. Open Cup last year. Obviously he had his brace, but he also took six shots and put three on target, completed two dribbles, and made two key passes, all while distributing the ball with 86% accuracy. He was a handful all night long, and while he remains distressingly one-footed at times, he’s still putting the ball in the back of the net, and you can’t ask for much more than that. Also, he might be listed at 5-foot-10, but frankly I think that’s on the generous side to say the least, and it was funny that one of the two or three shortest players opened the scoring with a header. Fly on Facu, fly on.

Insurance Goal Makes the Difference

I won’t lie, when Xherdan Shaqiri scored his 66th-minute penalty kick, I did start to get a bit nervous. It was a story we’ve all seen far too many times over numerous different seasons. Orlando plays well, takes the lead, gives up a goal and either drops two points or all three. Hell, we saw it during the team’s last home game against the Philadelphia Union. But, that wasn’t to be the case this time around. Orlando kept its collective cool and brilliantly hit Chicago on the break as the visitors were pouring numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Enrique showed great awareness to leave the ball when he was offside by a country mile, and then as I mentioned earlier, pulled out an excellent finish to all but ice the game for the Lions. Winning at home always feels good, and winning at home in emphatic fashion feels even better.

Bonus Takeaway: A New Convert to the Cause

I brought a friend, who was visiting me from out of town, to this match. He’s a soccer fan and has been to United States National Team games with me before but never an Orlando City game. We stood in The Wall, as I always do, and around five minutes into the game he turned to me and said something along the lines of ,”Okay yeah, I absolutely understand why you love coming here. This is insane.” He was struck by how intimate the game felt from our position roughly 15 rows up directly behind the goal, and loved how intense the supporters section was for the full 90 minutes. It was very cool to introduce him to an experience and a team that’s important to me, and a rousing 3-1 win was the icing on the cake.

Those were my main thoughts on a fun evening at Exploria Stadium. What did you all think of the match? Be sure to have your say in the comments, and vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

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3 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

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1 day ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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