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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Five Takeaways

Here are the five biggest takeaways from a completely bonkers win over the Columbus Crew.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

I can’t quite believe what I witnessed Saturday night. Orlando City erased a two-goal deficit in the final 15 minutes to overcome the Columbus Crew with essentially the last kick of the game. The Lions were 4-3 winners in a match they looked down and out of, and now have sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference.

What follows are my five takeaways on a match that I’m still struggling to get my head around.

Defensive Issues Dig a Hole

The Lions were up against it almost immediately. While the first Columbus goal didn’t arrive until the 16th minute, the suffocating press that the Crew deployed made it feel like just a matter of time. Sure enough, Diego Rossi’s chipped ball over the back line found Cucho Hernandez, who in turn lobbed Pedro Gallese, which allowed Julian Gressel to slot the ball into the empty net. The defense did not look settled in this one, and the Crew’s second goal in particular was an absolute horror show that the right side of the line won’t enjoy seeing on film. Granted, the Crew are a good team and some of their movement patterns aren’t things that the Lions have seen a ton of, but with two weeks to prepare for this game it simply had to be better.

Gallese Stands Tall

Fortunately, Orlando City owns a get-out-of-jail-free card in the form of Pedro Gallese. El Pulpo was beaten three times on the night but frankly was blameless on all of the goals. Things could have gotten much worse right before halftime but he made a fantastic pair of saves to deny Yaw Yeboah and then Hernandez after the rebound from Yeboah made its way to the Colombian’s feet. He made several other stops throughout the night to help keep the scoreline from getting too out of hand, and was generally a massive presence when it came to keeping a disorganized back line from falling to pieces. He makes this team that much harder to beat and hasn’t missed a beat since being on international duty with Peru.

In Praise of Felipe

I’ll be the first person to hold my hand up and say that I haven’t been the biggest fan of Felipe for most of this season. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why he got the nod next to Cesar Araujo instead of Junior Urso, but I was happy to be proven wrong. His stats weren’t eye-watering as he finished with two tackles, a foul committed, a foul drawn, an assist, and a key pass while delivering his passes with 87% accuracy, but for me this was his best game in an Orlando City shirt by a country mile. He looked extremely comfortable and at ease, whereas in some of his substitute appearances he’s struggled to adapt to the pace of the match when coming on. I want to talk about the key pass though. That sweet, sweet key pass. His chipped ball sprayed out wide that sprung Ivan Angulo and led to Martin Ojeda’s goal was a thing of pure beauty, and I could watch it over and over. He was sacrificed for Facundo Torres with Orlando chasing the game, but it certainly wasn’t because he put a bad shift in. Bravo, and I’ll happily eat my words on this one.

Facu Lights the Fire

Speaking of Facu, my word does he make a difference for this team. The fans know it, the team knows it — hell, people walking around on Central Avenue might have been able to feel the shift in the game when he came on. The team immediately not just looked, but also felt more dangerous, and it wasn’t an accident that he found space almost instantly and got a shot away. Other guys, like Ojeda and Ramiro Enrique had as good as or more statistically impressive nights, with a goal and an assist and a brace and an assist, respectively, and they absolutely deserve their flowers. But Facu coming into the game immediately shifted things and the Lions kicked into a higher gear. If he can figure out some semblance of a weak foot, then good luck trying to contain him.

Cat’s Won’t Quit

The shift in the game that occurred when Torres came on made it all the more discouraging when Hernandez scored what looked to be the dagger in the 68th minute. A 3-1 deficit simply seemed like too tall of a task, and the air well and truly went out of Exploria Stadium. Credit the Lions’ resilience and mental fortitude though. They found an answer through Torres just five minutes later and were right back in it all of a sudden. When Enrique equalized you could practically feel the belief oozing out of both the players and the fans alike. Orlando City just doesn’t know when to give up and doesn’t seem to have an ounce of quit up and down the entire roster. It’s truly something to behold, and the number of gritty, hard-fought wins from this season is beginning to get difficult to keep track of. At this point, I don’t know when, if ever, I’d feel comfortable counting OCSC out.

I’ve been lucky enough to witness some truly memorable games from these Lions. Some personal favorites include the first game back with a full stadium in 2021, which resulted in a weather-delayed 5-0 beatdown of the San Jose Earthquakes, the 3-2 win over Atlanta courtesy of a late Nani header, and pretty much the entirety of last year’s run to the U.S. Open Cup. But man, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like that.

With as hopeless as the game looked, only for things to build the way they did over the final 15 minutes and culminate with a winner on practically the last kick of the game? Plus, considering the stakes with an eye-wateringly tight race at the top of the East? The sheer delirium and bedlam that was unleashed where I was in The Wall was otherworldly and nigh incomparable. Hell, I’m writing this at 1:30 a.m. after getting home from the match and I’m still wide awake. Our Sean Rollins put it best: this was a “where were you when” game.

Those are my five big thoughts from a match that will surely go down as an all-timer in Orlando City history. Be sure to share your thoughts on this one down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/21/24

Marta’s chance to shine in NWSL Championship, NWSL and MLS award winners announced, 2025 SheBelieves Cup details, and more.

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3 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending most of this week plotting out some holiday shopping to make things a little less stressful for myself over the next few weeks. A big weekend filled with Orlando soccer awaits us, so make sure to get any errands or obligations out of the way sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Spotlight Falls On Marta in NWSL Championship

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, including Marta’s opportunity to put an exclamation point on what has been an excellent season for the Pride. Orlando has been enjoying the fruits of its labor this season after a rebuild over the past few years that’s included plenty of change in the City Beautiful. Marta has been a constant, however, enduring some difficult seasons since joining the Pride and adapting her game She’s scored in both of the Pride’s playoff games so far and has a chance to author a storybook ending on Saturday.

Ann-Katrin Berger Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was named 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out the Pride’s Anna Moorhouse and Utah Royals FC’s Mandy Haught for the honor. It was Berger’s first year in the NWSL and she’s the first European player to win the award. She only conceded 16 goals across her 22 matches for Gotham this season and was a key reason behind her team’s success. I’m not too surprised that Moorhouse did not win, considering how solid the Pride’s defense was as a whole, but this won’t take anything away from a record-breaking season for her.

Wilfried Nancy Named MLS Coach of the Year

Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy was voted 2024 MLS Coach of the Year after a historic season in which the Crew set club records in both points and goals. The Crew also won the Leagues Cup this summer and their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign included advancing past Tigres and Monterrey en route to the final. This is Nancy’s first time being named Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the award every year since 2021. The Frenchman received 40.02% of the vote, winning the award over Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas.

2025 SheBelieves Cup Details Unveiled

The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup will take place next year and the tournament will return to its usual format where each of the four teams plays each other once. The United States Women’s National Team will host Japan, Colombia, and Australia in February in what should be an exciting tournament. The U.S. will take on Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston before facing Australia in Arizona on Feb. 23 and finishing the tournament on Feb. 26 against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. These games will also be the first domestic games of 2025 for the USWNT as it prepares to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Eric Quill Named FC Dallas Head Coach

FC Dallas announced that Eric Quill will become the team’s next head coach. Quill joins Dallas after a great year with New Mexico United that included trips to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and USL Championship Western Conference semifinals. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Quill, as he previously coached North Texas SC and was named USL League One Coach of the Year with the club in 2019. Dallas missed out on the playoffs this season, with Peter Luccin coaching the team on an interim basis after the firing of Nico Estevez in June.

Free Kicks

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to a bet involving this weekend’s NWSL Championship, with embarrassing lightshows on the line.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/20/24

Martin Ojeda could be a key factor against Atlanta, Seb Hines wins Coach of the Year, Lions abroad, and more.

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1 day ago

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November 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good Wednesday morning, Mane Landers. For long time readers, you might remember me as a staple in your Lion Links but having stepped away on sabbatical. Today, I’m honored to be called off the bench and fill in for Dave. My life has been filled with being a first-time father along with taking over as commissioner of a soccer league and my normal day job. Through all of it, I have stayed true to catching as many Orlando City matches as I can or at least the highlights. TML is my go-to source for all things purple, so I’m glad to pitch in and talk about what is happening around the City Beautiful and soccer once again. So, let’s get into the links!

Lions’ Not-So Secret Weapons

Orlando City is ready to take on Atlanta United on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. According to Andrew Wiebe of MLSsoccer.com, midfielder Martín Ojeda and the home field advantage of Inter&Co Stadium will be the key to victory for Oscar Pareja to finally lift the cup with Orlando. On the other side of the ball, Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan is in impeccable form and will give the Five Stripes an opportunity to advance again despite being the underdogs.

Seb Hines Wins Major Award

The National Women’s Soccer League announced Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year. Following his stint as a player for Orlando City and coaching at the youth level, Hines became the Pride’s interim head coach in June 2022 before getting the gig full time. This season was his best yet with Orlando, finding 18 wins and leading a team that scored a club-record 46 goals along the way. He learned about his award from his players:

Internationals Take The Pitch

Tuesday gave some Lions the chance to represent their home nations. Orlando City right back Dagur Dan Thorhallsson entered the UEFA Nations League match between Wales and Iceland in the 75th-minute, but Iceland fell 4-1 after scoring first. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese gained another start for Peru in its CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier against Argentina but couldn’t earn a shutout in a 1-0 loss.

Record MLS Signing Reported

FC Cincinnati has splashed the cash and has reportedly completed the signing of 23-year-old Cercle Brugge forward Kévin Denkey. The transfer fee of $16.2 million is an MLS record, passing the previous $16 million that Atlanta United spent to acquired Thiago Almada in 2022. The signing of Denkey to a four-year contract fills a gap at forward for Cincinnati. The length of the deal appears to make him the centerpiece of the team as only one player on the roster has guaranteed contract years beyond 2026, and only striker Kevin Kelsy has option years into 2028 and 2029, but he is currently on loan.

Inter&Co Stadium Will Host Orlando Cup

Coming in January 2025, the Orlando Cup Pro Series will bring clubs Santos FC, Atlético Nacional, and Fortaleza to our home stadium. These will be preseason matches for the participating teams to help them tune up and grow their brands in the United States.

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That’s a wrap on links for the day. I wish you all the best with the rest of you week. Who else is excited for a big Orlando soccer weekend? Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/19/24

Orlando Pride players honored, USMNT beats Jamaica, USWNT roster announced, and more.

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2 days ago

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November 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! We’ve had a busy few days with the Orlando Pride advancing to the NWSL Championship in style, and games continuing to come thick and fast during the international break. Things aren’t slowing down around here though, as the Pride will play for a trophy on Saturday, and Orlando City faces Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday. Today also marks 11 years since Orlando City was announced as the 21st MLS club. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Pride Players Named to NWSL Best XI

On top of advancing to the NWSL Championship, a number of Orlando Pride players have been honored with places in the league’s Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team. Emily Sams, Marta, and Barbra Banda made the cut for the First Team, while Anna Moorhouse and Kerry Abello were chosen for the Second Team.

Sams started in all 13 of the Pride’s shutouts, while Marta had 10 goal contributions on the year and Banda bagged 13 goals and six assists in her first year in the league. A big congratulations to all five players!

USMNT Routs Jamaica

The United States Men’s National Team ran riot over Jamaica in the second leg of its Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series, winning by a score of 4-2 in St. Louis. The Yanks used a dominant first half to put the game away early, with two Christian Pulisic goals and Ricardo Pepi’s second goal in as many games giving the Americans a 3-0 lead at halftime. In the first 45 minutes, the USMNT enjoyed 70% possession and took six shots to the visitors’ two, with the majority of the action being played in Jamaica’s half. The game opened up more in the second half with Demari Gray grabbing a brace, but the Yanks were never truly threatened and advanced to the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.

USWNT Roster Announced

The United States Women’s National Team has announced its roster for upcoming friendlies against England and the Netherlands. Emma Hayes has named a 24-player roster for the two games, both of which will take place overseas. The roster features a familiar face, as the Orlando Pride’s Sams was named to the squad as a center back. The team also features Lily Yohannes, who recently announced her decision to play for the USWNT, and she will face the other team she was eligible to declare for in the Netherlands. To date, Sams has made two appearances for the USWNT and could be in line to double that number. The Yanks will face England at Wembley on Nov. 30, and then take on the Dutch on Dec. 3 at ADO Den Haag Stadium.

UEFA Nations League Roundup

The international break continued yesterday and there are a number of results to catch up on. In Europe, Croatia and Portugal both advanced to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw, and Scotland used a late goal by Andy Robertson to beat Poland 2-1, with the result sending the Scots to a playoff that will determine if they’ll be relegated from League A, while Poland dropped into League B. San Marino won just its second game in 20 years by beating Liechtenstein 3-1 to move up into League C. Finally, Denmark advanced to the quarterfinals courtesy of a scoreless draw with Serbia.

Free Kicks

  • Come meet Duncan McGuire tomorrow and enjoy some chicken to boot.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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