Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Add Another Road Win on Duncan McGuire’s Goal

The Lions dug in and rarely tried to score, but managed to do so with their only shot on goal to defeat Nashville away.

Published

1 year ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City out-Nashville’d Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Nashville, TN, grinding out an ugly 1-0 win on the road in a match that featured very few shots or clear-cut scoring chances. Rookie Duncan McGuire scored late in the first half and the Lions (16-7-9, 57 points) controlled the pitch in the second period to see out the game without Nashville (12-10-9, 45 points) creating much in the way of chances to equalize.

It was Orlando City’s first away win at Nashville (1-0-3) and continued the Lions’ trend of beating good Eastern Conference teams on the road since their return from Leagues Cup.

“We’re very happy with the result,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The whole squad was very committed today with the result. The variations that we tried and we did during the game…they responded to us. That’s a great effort for the team that is getting mature and knows where we are, and playing against a very difficult team as well. It’s difficult always against Nashville. They have this characteristic that creates a lot of chaos and those transitions.”

Pareja’s lineup featured a couple of lineup changes. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena took their customary spots in central midfield behind an attacking line of Martin Ojeda, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with McGuire up top.

The first half mainly belonged to Nashville until the closing minutes. Nashville looked organized and nearly impossible to break down. The Lions struggled to know when to press or to press as a team when they tried. Nashville fashioned some early chances on the break and always seemed to be the more threatening side.

Nashville got the game’s first good look just five minutes in. Santos turned the ball over in the attacking left corner and with two passes Fafa Picault had the ball at the top of the box. He cut inside but fired his shot just wide of the left post.

Four minutes later, Picault headed over the bar on another transition opportunity as McGuire fell asleep waiting for a pass, which allowed Walker Zimmerman to cut in front of him and steal it to start the break.

“The first — I would say — 15 minutes we wanted to create a different sequence, because we wanted to use different spaces. But we felt uncomfortable,” Pareja said.

In the 23rd minute, Cartagena blocked a shot by Hany Mukhtar from outside the box. A minute later, Randall Leal had a go from well outside the box but hit it high above the crossbar.

The hosts picked up a few unnecessary yellow cards in the middle of the half. Brian Anunga caught Cartagena from behind to earn the first. Mukhtar picked up the second for angrily kicking the ball away after being called for offside. The third went to Sam Surridge, who stepped on Jansson’s foot long after he’d released a pass. It wasn’t intentional, as the forward was watching the ball and not his opponent, but Jansson was down for a couple of minutes in obvious pain. Thereafter, the home fans booed Jansson every time he touched the ball for his sheer audacity to get stepped on.

The Lions finally attempted a shot in the 44th minute and they made the most of it. Pereyra sent Ojeda down the left and the Designated Player sent in a good ball to McGuire. The rookie flicked it off the left post and in past Joe Willis to make it 1-0 with his 10th goal of the MLS season. The play looked offside from the sideline camera angle and it was extremely close, but the flag stayed down and the video assistant referee did not see enough on the replay to overturn it, ruling that the pass from Ojeda was even with McGuire, and the Lions led 1-0.

Neither team got a good look in the four minutes of stoppage time and Orlando took its slim lead into the locker room. It was a strange halftime score considering the flow of the first half.

At the break, Nashville held a 6-1 advantage in shots. However, Orlando City held more of the possession (56.6%-43.4%), passed more accurately (87.2%-81.3%), and put more shots on target (1-0). Neither team won a corner kick.

Nashville came out of the locker room with more energy, quickly getting forward and earning a free kick on the right and a yellow card on Cartagena, who was trying to cover for Santos, who had fallen on an earlier challenge. Ojeda blocked Daniel Lovitz’s attempt on the set piece, setting up the game’s first corner, but Nashville couldn’t make it pay off.

Moments later, Ojeda was dispossessed and thought he was fouled, but no call was made and the hosts quickly countered. Picault’s cross through the six was cleared over the bar by a sliding Schlegel on a vital intervention.

Orlando then fashioned some opportunities — if not outright chances. Torres turned down an opportunity to shoot from near the top of the box, then worked his way to the end line on the left and crossed the ball into the outside netting. In the 58th minute, Jansson got forward, laide off a pass and continued his run. The ball came back to him but McGuire couldn’t get onto his low cross in the box and there were no Lions on the far side of the box to get onto it.

Nashville manager Gary Smith tried some substitutions and shape changes but nothing much helped the hosts, who were turned away time and again by Orlando City’s defense. The Lions managed to defend well as a team without dropping deep and setting up their block too low, as they’ve sometimes done in the past. Mukhtar wasn’t able to create much, despite dropping deeper to get onto the ball.

Pareja also substituted liberally, sending on Ivan Angulo and Ramiro Enrique in the 65th minute for Pereyra and McGuire, Junior Urso for Torres in the 72nd minute, and — changing the shape to five at the back — Antonio Carlos and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson for Ojeda and Smith in the 85th.

Schlegel blocked a Mukhtar header in the 67th minute on what was probably Nashville’s best chance of the second half. Schlegel again blocked a Mukhtar shot in the 85th minute amidst the Lions winning free kicks and getting to loose balls first all over the pitch.

“The defense action from Rodri there in the second half was very important, because otherwise the Nashville guy in behind me will just put the ball in the goal. So he did very well there,” Jansson said.

Urso sent an ambitious attempt toward goal from extreme range in the 87th minute, hoping to catch Willis off his line. He didn’t, and the shot was well off target anyway, but it did count as the Lions’ second shot attempt of the match.

That turned out to be the final attempt for either time, despite a generous serving of 11 minutes of injury time added on, which ended up spilling over into a 12th. The Lions won a ton of throw-ins and the five-man back line held Nashville without any late attempts. Gallese held on for his 10th clean sheet of the season — a career high since joining MLS — without having to make a save.

Lovitz got sent off with a second yellow card deep in stoppage time and that was the game.

Orlando City held its exact same possession advantage from halftime at the final whistle (56.6%-43.4%). The Lions also passed more accurately (84.5%-79.5%) and finished with more shots on goal (1-0). Nashville held the advantage in total shot attempts (8-2) and corners (4-0).

The Lions ended up doing more damage in the second half by simply keeping the ball and playing safely than trying to score a second goal.

“The second half I thought we controlled,” Pareja said. “We asked the players to control and just let it come and see if we can use those spaces in behind when they come. Very well executed by the players and I saw this group very mature today.”

“Three nice points,” Jansson said. “I think our shape of the team was very good. We had Wilder and Cesar in front of us dictating the middle and always were aware of the Mukhtar guy was on the field — something we talked about before the game because we know he’s good, and you have to respect that, be aware of that. In the end, I think we were solid back there and the wingers and the striker were doing a huge job to contribute to that too, so that’s a team effort right there.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround, returning home Saturday to host the New England Revolution.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?

Published

2 hours ago

on

November 21, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?

Beat Guzan

Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.

Cartagena is Essential

Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.

Overcome the Past

That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.

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

Continue Reading

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.

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 21, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

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.

Published

1 day ago

on

November 20, 2024

By

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.

Free Kicks

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!

Continue Reading

Trending