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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 2-1 win on the road against Atlanta United?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City went on the road and beat Atlanta United 2-1 to capture a big win before the Leagues Cup. Atlanta United took the lead in the first half, thanks to a goal from Caleb Wiley, but Orlando immediately responded with a rare set piece goal, courtesy of Antonio Carlos’ head. Duncan McGuire then scored his eighth goal of the season to give Orlando the lead, and the defense held on for all three points. It was a physical rivalry match that featured 31 fouls and eight yellow cards.

Here’s how each Lion individually performed in Orlando’s fifth road win of the season.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese’s pair of saves weren’t until late in the match, with one of the biggest in his Orlando career coming late in stoppage time. On a free kick from Thiago Almada in a dangerous area, Gallese initially stepped to his right and then quickly shifted course to dive in the opposite direction and parry it away. El Pulpo wasn’t able to make the save on Atlanta’s goal, but it’s hard to pin much blame on him considering the awkward bounce the shot took to hop over his leg. Antonio Carlos swept it off the line but Gallese had no chance of stopping Wiley’s follow-up shot. Gallese completed 57.9% of his 19 passes and seven of his 15 long balls were successful. He also did his part in burning time off the clock, although he was booked for wasting time while organizing his defense right before making that memorable save.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — The left back was caught in no man’s land on Atlanta’s goal. He came inside to help defensively but then at the last second he left the loose ball for Cesar Araujo. That left Santos out of position and too far from Miguel Berry to stop his pass, while being totally absent from his area of responsibility, where Machop Chol put the initial shot on goal. Santos simply stopped at the top of the box and became a spectator as it all unfolded. His only cross was inaccurate, although he did complete five of his eight long balls. Regardless, he only completed 69.7% of his 33 passes and wasn’t able to get much going with his 52 touches. He had a chance to break up the buildup to Atlanta’s goal but left it for Cesar Araujo to deal with even though he had the better angle to knock it away. He was defensively solid with two tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Beefy Swede locked in following Atlanta’s goal, finishing the match with six clearances to help the Lions take all three points back to Orlando. He seemed to get better as the match wore on, using his size to head away the danger. Along with Carlos and Rodrigo Schlegel, Jansson did well to keep Giorgos Giakoumakis quiet once he came on in the second half. Jansson had 32 passes at a 78.1% success rate and completed three of his seven long balls. He was booked for dissent before going to the tunnel for halftime, so hopefully this isn’t the return of that habit from him.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7.5 (MotM) — Carlos scored his first goal of the season with a powerful header, connecting with a free kick from Pereyra to beat Brad Guzan. It was great to see the center back score off of a set piece after watching him come close all season long. His goal came just minutes after Atlanta’s goal, in which Carlos hustled to clear the ball off the line only for Wiley to put away the rebound. Carlos was indomitable on defense, putting out fires from start to finish and ending the game with six clearances, an interception, and two blocked shots. He was accurate on 90.6% of his 32 passes and connected on two of his four long balls. Carlos picked up a yellow card late in the match that gave Atlanta a free kick, but he certainly deserves Man of the Match honors for keeping Orlando alive on both ends of the pitch.

D, Kyle Smith, 4.5 — The right back was tough to watch. Smith was often in a poor position and just did not have the speed to contend with 18-year-old Caleb Wiley for most of the match. On Atlanta’s goal, Smith was far too slow to react to the rebound and Wiley had no issue at all beating him to the rebound. Smith’s four tackles were the most on the team, and he had a clearance as well. On offense, he tended to drift towards the middle of the field to provide space for Torres on the right wing, but several of his pass attempts were poor efforts easily cut out by the defender in front of him. Smith led the team with 62 touches and 42 passes, completing 76.2% of the latter. His lone cross was unsuccessful, as it was too low and easy to clear, and he was accurate on one of his three long balls. He and Wilder Cartagena combined to turn the ball over on a routine throw-in, which led to Atlanta’s only goal. He also had a shot that was off target, but a good effort from distance that just needed to dip.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the Peruvian put in another decent shift in the midfield, keeping a dangerous opponent mostly quiet. A yellow card right before halftime may have prevented him from playing as physically as he did in the first half, but Cartagena was an important part of Orlando’s defensive stand and blocked a shot from Almada that could’ve spelled trouble late in the match. Cartagena also had two tackles, an interception, and 36 passes at an 83.3% success rate. However, he was partially at fault on the throw-in turnover that eventually led to Atlanta’s goal due to his soft back pass to Smith. While he didn’t have a shot, he had two key passes and was accurate on two of his four long balls. Cartagena was fouled five times and committed three fouls himself.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — The midfielder was all over the pitch in this one, racing back to break up a play in the nick of time one moment and crashing the box to put a header on target the next. That header was his only shot of the match, and didn’t have much on it to trouble Guzan. Araujo’s passing wasn’t awful, but could have been a bit better considering he had 35 passes at a 74.3% success rate, and he was accurate on two of his six long balls. Araujo won the foul from Santiago Sosa that set up Orlando’s goal off the ensuing free kick. However, he was also part of the defending confusion on the Atlanta goal. He was trailing the play, but close enough that Santos pulled out of a seemingly easier challenge, leaving it for Araujo. Berry was quicker than the Uruguayan and beat Araujo to the ball, which was a key part of the sequence that led to Atlanta’s goal. Apart from that, he was defensively sound, contributing three clearances and two tackles to help Orlando secure the win on the road. Like Cartagena, he was fouled five times and did well doing the gritty things to close out the game.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo’s only shot was a good strike from distance following some skilled dribbling and a one-two with Pereyra. It was a good effort but skipped just inches wide of the post. Although he didn’t end up with a goal or an assist, Angulo kept defenders on their toes and was successful on three of his four attempted dribbles. The winger completed 83.3% of his 18 passes and didn’t have any crosses. His quickness was useful as Atlanta pushed harder to score, but the Lions had a hard time heaving the ball up field for him all too much. He was booked for booting the ball after a foul was called, and was subbed out for Felipe in stoppage time.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — The captain provided the assists on both of Orlando’s goals and led the team with three key passes. On Orlando’s first goal, Pereyra did well to put the ball in a spot where Carlos could reach it in traffic. Pereyra then slipped a great ball past Atlanta defenders after drawing attention, finding McGuire’s run for him to score the winner. The Uruguayan wasn’t perfect, completing 74.3% of his 35 passes, but was exactly what the doctor ordered to mend the offense after last week. Both of his crosses found their mark, he was accurate on two of his three long balls, and he had some deft touches and good movement to keep the offense running smoothly. His only shot of the match came within the first minute, after some nice passing between him, McGuire, and Torres. It was on target, but a heavy touch before the shot allowed Guzan to come off his line to cut down the angle and he wasn’t able to make the most of the chance. Still, it was a good outing from Pereyra, who was subbed out for fresher legs in the 73rd minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 â€” Atlanta kept Torres pinned to the right wing for a majority of his time on the field, wasting little time to close down his options once he had the ball. As a result, Torres had to provide most of his service from awkward positions out wide and was successful on just one of his five attempted dribbles. Although less effective, he still did well and completed all 20 of his passes. Torres also had a pair of key passes and completed two of his three crosses. His most notable contribution was in the second half when he whipped in a venomous cross on his weaker right foot that was met by Ramiro Enrique’s diving header, which smacked the post. His only shot of the match was an attempt from outside of the box that went into the stands. Defensively, Torres applied plenty of pressure and helped out with three tackles.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7 — McGuire scored the winner with a nice finish into the bottom left corner with a defender breathing down his neck. It was one of many great runs from the rookie, as he utilized strength and elusiveness to get past Atlanta players and into open space while on the field. His goal was one of two shots in the match, the other a daring try from midfield that lacked some oomph and accuracy to punish Guzan for being off his line. In his 64 minutes of action, McGuire completed six of his nine passes and had a key pass early on to set up a solid chance for Pereyra. He received his second yellow card of the season right before being subbed off. It was another strong performance from McGuire, and a nice response following last week’s shutout.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (65′), 6.5 â€” Enrique nearly made an immediate impact, diving to get his head on the end of a cross from Torres and hitting the post. It was Enrique’s only shot of the match, coming off the bench shortly after Orlando took the lead. He contributed in other ways, winning seven of his nine aerial duels despite his size. He had 15 touches and 12 passes, albeit at just a 33.3% success rate.

MF, Martin Ojeda (74′), 5.5 â€” Ojeda didn’t see much of the ball while on the field, ending up with only five touches and three passes, completing two. He was successful on his only long ball attempt and helped out defensively with an interception and blocked a couple of passes that could have led to something dangerous. Although he wasn’t able to get the Lions an insurance goal, his fresh legs and hustle helped Orlando hold on.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (75′) 6 â€” Thorhallsson came on to replace Smith as right back and had his share of difficulties against the opposition as well. But he settled in and wound up with three tackles and two clearances. He had 10 touches and completed one of his two passes. With Michael Halliday out and Smith struggling, Thorhallsson’s versatility was useful to shore up the defense.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (75′) 6.5 â€” The center back came in and did his job, making two tackles and three clearances to maintain Orlando’s lead. He also got under Giakoumakis’ skin, with the Greek forward earning a yellow card for shoving Schlegel down. He had eight touches and completed his only pass. Once again, Schlegel showed the value of having a more-than-capable center back on the bench to come in and make the defense that much harder to beat.

MF, Felipe (92′) N/A â€” The midfielder came on for Angulo to further fortify things with the game winding down and to help waste a few seconds. However, he didn’t have any touches and wasn’t on the field long enough to warrant a grade.


That’s how I saw each player’s performance in the road victory. Many Lions did well in this one, so be sure to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match. Let us know what you think in the comments below as well.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/13/24

Orlando City’s international call-ups, Orlando Pride playoffs preview, NWSL Awards voting opens, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.
  • 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!

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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.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Jeremy Reper

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.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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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?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

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