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Orlando City vs. St. Louis City SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform during Orlando City’s 2-1 home win over St. Louis City SC?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City triumphantly returned to the friendly confines of Exploria Stadium against the debutants of the MLS Western Conference, St. Louis City SC, with a 2-1 victory. OCSC took the lead early in the second half before finding the winning goal in stoppage time to put out a red hot St. Louis City SC squad, which included former Orlando City forward Nicholas Gioacchini.

Here are how the individual players performed during Saturday night’s match in front of the home supporters.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — Gallese was reliable and engaged throughout the match as he demonstrated a great connectiveness with the players in front of him directly and further up the field. He was directly responsible for multiple breakouts throughout the match, when his long balls sprung attacking players or wingers in great position. His fault was limited on the goal he surrendered in the 79th minute, as a redirection from point-blank range gave him virtually no reaction time. He made one save on the night, recorded a clearance, passed with 89.3% accuracy and completed of his six three long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos has quietly grown into the role of reliable left back quite well. What were once concerns with giveaways and positioning earlier in his tenure have made way for solid defensive play and, at times, lethal crosses into the box. The latter was an issue in this game, as he went 0-for-5 on crossing accuracy. Defensively, he contributed two clearances. He completed three of his eight long balls while passing with 84.9% accuracy. He successfully completed two dribbles and won an aerial duel, while being a constant pain in the St. Louis City side. It was a cannon shot from Santos on his lone attempt of the match that earned Orlando City the game-winning penalty kick in the 90th minute, after a Joseph Dickerson overturned his initial corner kick decision for a handball on Anthony Markanich.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — The Beefy Swede put together one his better efforts on the season against one of the top squads from the west. Without fellow starting center back Antonio Carlos, the leader of the back line held up strong against numerous challengers. His stalwart defensive effort included tracking Gioacchini on multiple vertical runs down the field, using his superior positioning or height to parry away the incoming ball. He contributed two clearances on the defensive end and played safety first on St. Louis transitions by knocking a few other balls out of play, allowing his teammates to get back. He completed six of his 11 long balls, while passing with 88.7% accuracy. He wasn’t able to track Rasmus Alm’s diagonal run on the visitors’ goal, which started on Jansson’s side but finished right behind Rodrigo Schlegel, who should have done more to deny the entry ball. Against one of the most lethal offenses in MLS, Jansson was the glue that held the entire back line together on the evening.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — After a rocky first half in the last outing against the Chicago Fire, Schlegel continued to find his legs against St. Louis and did all the “things,” that fans have come to know and love him for on the pitch. He finished with one tackle, one clearance, and one interception. He also passed at a 80.4% clip, including four succesful long balls on nine attempts. His biggest mistake on the night was failing to cut off the cross to Alm in the 79th minute, allowing St. Louis to equalize. He became a bit too focused on the ball on the play and wasn’t alert to the opposing forward making the diagonal run in behind him.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7 — Starting his second straight match at right back, but often drifting farther up field into the attack, Thorhallsson showcased that he can not only break an attack wide open, but also stop one dead in its tracks. He did a good job getting forward and passed with 88.2% accuracy, completing three of his four long balls. He also recorded an assist on his one key pass on the evening and had two successful dribbles. His only shot attempt should have been better, as it landed in the upper deck. He allowed his countryman, Nokkvi Thorisson, to get in the cross that led to the tying goal, but defended it pretty well, as about 90% of the ball was over the end line prior to the pass. While Orlando waits for one of their more traditional right backs to come back into the frame, Thorhallsson has provided a unique option on the field which has caught the opposition off guard at times.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Cartagena continued his great run of form, doing well to keep attacking midfielder Eduard Lowen quiet, forcing the opposition’s No. 10 to drop deeper to get on the ball. He passed at 83.6% on the night and was successful on three of six long balls. He committed three fouls while picking up an arguably soft yellow card. He recorded two tackles and logged an interception and two clearances, winning a team-high three aerials. At this point in the season, Cartagena and partner in crime Cesar Araujo go together like peanut butter and jelly.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Speaking of jelly, Araujo had a solid game for Orlando City in the defensive midfield. He continued to build on his team-high number of fouls suffered, drawing a match-high five fouls on the night. He finished with three tackles and one aerial won while passing at a 77.4% accuracy, with an impressive seven completions on 10 long balls. He attempted two shots on the night but was unable to get either on frame.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one his quieter nights on the left side of the field and swapped with Facundo Torres multiple times as the pair of wingers attempted to find space in the final third. The speedster completed 81.3% of his passes on the night, was unsuccessful on his only long ball, and registered one shot, which was blocked. On the defensive side of the ball, Angulo had one successful tackle. He committed one foul while drawing two.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — Orlando City did not get the best version of their captain on a night where it needed crisp and quick passing to unlock a strong St. Louis City side. The midfielder passed with 75.6% accuracy on the night and missed multiple chances to string together the final ball in the buildup, especially in the first half. He just seemed a bit slow in recognizing pressure and finding the next pass quickly. Pereyra did register a secondary assist on Orlando’s goal just a few minutes into the second half. He logged four key passes, despite being successful on just one of five crosses and completing three of his six long balls. The captain missed the target on his lone shot attempt, although it was a difficult attempt on a spinning ball on the volley. He was dispossessed twice while dribbling in the open field and on defense contributed two tackles while picking up a yellow card.

MF. Facundo Torres, 8 (MotM) — For the second match in a row, Torres was exactly what Orlando City needed him to be — the difference maker. The Designated Player recorded a brace in the second half. His first came on a trademark left-footed shot from inside the box. His second goal came from the penalty spot, which clinched the match for Orlando early in stoppage time. He completed 89.7% of his passes on the night. Three of his four long balls were successful but he went 0-for-3 on crosses and did not register a key pass in the match. Although his assists total is down from last season, this is exactly the run of form that Orlando needs from Torres.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5  — The rookie striker failed to find the back of the net, but not for lack of trying. McGuire’s hustle and motor does not always translate to statistical values, but it sure is fun to watch and can quickly frustrate the back line of opposing defenses. St. Louis did well to mark him mostly out of the match, limiting the rookie to just eight touches in just over an hour of game time. However, he tried to make the most of them, completing all three of his passes and two of them were key passes, including the setup that Pereyra was unable to finish. He put his lone shot attempt on frame, which until the Torres goal had been the best scoring attempt Orlando had mustered. Unfortunately, Roman Burki did well to get off his line aggressively and get a piece of the shot.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (65′), 5.5 — Enrique substituted on for McGuire and had a mixed showing as he attempted to use his speed to get in behind the defensive back line. His best scoring opportunity came in the waning moments of the match, as he had beaten the final defender only to be tackled from behind inches outside of the box by Jake Nerwinski. For his efforts, Nerwinski was sent off for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, and Orlando awarded a free kick. Two of his three passes were successful and he recorded on tackle defensively. He did not register a shot, was dispossessed once, and two of his 10 touches were unstable in a little over 30 minutes of action. His biggest contributions were the three fouls he won.

MF, Junior Urso (65′), 6 — The bear has returned to Orlando and everything is right in the world. What a luxury it is now to bring Urso in off the bench to be able to spell Araujo or Cartagena to close out matches. Urso completed 73.3% of his passes and his only long ball, and he earned Orlando a corner when a pass attempt in the box was deflected out of bounds. Defensively, he recorded one clearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda (76′), N/A — Ojeda arrived on the pitch with fresh legs and was able to put his lone shot attempt on target on a 100th-minute free kick, while completing 62.5% of his eight passes, one of which was a key pass. The DP also contributed one tackle on the night.

D, Michael Halliday (86′), N/A — Halliday came in off the bench to help put away the game for the second week in a row as he works his way back into form from injury. The Homegrown recorded one successful dribble but ultimately he only touched the ball four times, helping waste time in the right corner. He completed both of his pass attempts.

F, Jack Lynn (86′), N/A — Looking to find the game winner, Pareja opted to bring Lynn in off the bench. Seeing his first regular-season minutes since March, Lynn won two aerials while completing 60% of his five passes, including two of his three long balls. His biggest contributions came on the defensive end, where he made one interception and recorded two clearances. His inch-perfect outlet pass to Enrique led to Nerwinski being sent off and a dangerous free kick for the Lions. The second-year pro made the most of his second MLS appearance of the season in limited time.


That’s how I saw each player’s performance in the Lions’ first home match in what seems like a lifetime. Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below, and share your thoughts on the squad’s performances down in the comments.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/14/24

MLS playoff predictions, Barbra Banda and Marta earn recognition, USMNT takes on Jamaica tonight, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but it’s at least meant I’ve been able to spend more time with my cat and get some reading done when not hacking up a lung. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

MLS Conference Semifinal Predictions

Former Orlando City captain Sacha Kljestan weighed in on which of the remaining eight teams will prevail in the MLS playoffs. He predicts that Atlanta United can lean on its counterattacking and Brad Guzan’s goalkeeping to beat Orlando City when the two rivals face off in Orlando on Nov. 24. A key thing to watch heading into the match is if Head Coach Oscar Pareja switches things up up top given Ramiro Enrique’s slump.

Kljestan predicts a tight match between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, but has NYCFC moving on. He also has both the LA Galaxy and LAFC advancing in the Western Conference, which would set up a playoff edition of El Trafico.

Pride Players Make ESPN’s Top 50

ESPN unveiled its annual list of the top 50 women’s soccer players and a pair of Orlando Pride players made the list. Forward Barbra Banda is ranked third on the list for crushing it in her first year in the NWSL, scoring 13 goals to help the Pride win the NWSL Shield. Marta, who has not been listed in the past two years, ranked 26th for turning back the clock at 38 years old and creating 46 chances for Orlando this season. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati tops the list, with Naomi Girma in second, Caroline Graham Hansen in fourth, and Sophia Smith rounding out the top five. There are many voters for this year’s list from around the world, including Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter.

Steven Moreira Named Defender of the Year

The Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira was named 2024 MLS Defender of the Year after a strong season. He made 27 appearances for the Crew this season and was a key part of his team’s success in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup this year. Moreira also helped out offensively with two goals and four assists and was an All-Star this year. The 30-year-old beat out Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Seattle Sounders center back Jackson Ragen for the award.

USMNT Takes On Jamaica Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first competitive match under Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino tonight when it takes on Jamaica in Kingston in the Concacaf Nations League. Although the U.S. may be favored in this series, playing on the road in Concacaf is always tough and Jamaica tends to keep things close against the Yanks. Tonight’s match is the first of the two-leg quarterfinals, with the two nations facing off again in St. Louis on Monday. Hopefully Pochettino can get the team firing on all cylinders as it continues to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • In a rollercoaster of a match, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team fell in a penalty shootout to Brazil in the Deaf Pan American Games. The U.S. took the lead in extra time, but Brazil battled back to tie it, winning from the spot to reach the final.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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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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