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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Clinch Second in East with Win

Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Ivan Angulo provided plenty of offense in the first half to offset two odd Carles Gil goals.

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1 year ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City’s offense exploded for three first-half goals and the Lions controlled most of the second half, holding on for a 3-2 win over the New England Revolution in front of an announced crowd of 24,440 tonight at Exploria Stadium. The Lions (17-7-9, 60 points) closed the home portion of the 2023 MLS regular schedule with another win, splitting the season series with New England (14-8-10, 52 points).

Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Ivan Angulo scored for Orlando City to offset two odd Carles Gil goals as the Lions end the regular season 9-3-5 at home in league play.

With the win, Orlando City clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs and a spot in Champions Cup.

“Very difficult game against New England. That first half was difficult but we responded very well. We scored goals,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “In the second half we may have better finishing and increase our goals and be more efficient and lethal. But I thought we were playing with probably too much responsibility of just get the job done and get the game done, and that probably tired us a little bit and (we) conceded that second goal.”

Pareja’s lineup reverted back to the one that’s been getting most of the starts in recent weeks, with Pedro Gallese in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.

The Revolution was the sharper team in the early going, connecting passes well and holding the ball in the attacking half. The Lions looked sloppy early with some heavy touches and passes that either weren’t on line or weren’t weighted properly to find their target.

That isn’t to say the Lions didn’t have any early chances. Pereyra fired a shot from the top of the box in the fifth minute that was blocked in front by the defense. Santos gathered the rebound and fizzed a shot just over the bar.

Five minutes later, the Revs got a good chance with a free kick straight out from goal. Gil sent the set piece just wide. Two minutes later, Tomas Chancalay fired just over the bar from the left. New England won a corner shortly after that and Orlando cleared, but a shot from the top of the box on the recycle again cleared the crossbar.

“The first 20 minutes their possessions were longer and we found difficulties to get the ball back,” Pareja said. “And we couldn’t find the chemistry when we got it back. And it felt like we were uncomfortable. The plan that I had in the first 15 minutes was not working and then we let Rafa go and we changed our structure in the back when we had the ball, and immediately the boys felt much (more) comfortable and they started creating dangerous crosses and plays. And I felt that they felt themselves again and we readapted the game in that moment and the last 25 minutes of the first half were very good for us. “

Orlando’s first real opportunity came in the 17th minute. Torres got into the box on the right, cut onto his left foot and fired. However, his shot effort was a weak one and right at former Orlando City goalkeeper Earl Edwards, Jr. for the easy scoop. Six minutes later, Angulo had an opportunity to shoot but took too long on the ball, getting it blocked.

In the 24th minute, the visitors nearly scored when Chancalay sent a shot off the crossbar, as New England continued to look dangerous on the counter.

The Lions started to settle down and control more of the game over the next several minutes, especially in the midfield. That paid off in the 31st minute when a good attacking movement set up the game’s first goal.

Pereyra sprayed the ball out right to Thorhallsson. The Icelandic fullback sent in a great cross and McGuire flicked it inside the left post to make it 1-0 with his 11th goal of the season.

“It was definitely good buildup play,” McGuire said of the scoring attack. “We had possession for a little bit, stretching out the defense. Dagur got his head up. We talked before the game on the kind of delivery I wanted from him and he gave me exactly that. So, great ball in from Dagur. He made it easy for me.”

Six minutes later, the Lions doubled the lead on their next good look. Cartagena sent Santos down the left. The Brazilian found Angulo, who sent a cross to the far side of the box. Torres circled back to track it down and smashed a shot that beat Edwards, making it 2-0.

Orlando City couldn’t enjoy the two-goal lead long. Gil smashed a shot from extreme distance that had a lot of heat and a lot of movement on it. Gallese was slow to react to it and played it off to his side, which allowed the ball to squirt through him and into the net, making it 2-1 in the 42nd minute. It was an uncharacteristic mistake from the Peruvian.

However, the Lions hit right back after the Gil goal. Pereyra again was the catalyst, sending Santos down the left. The fullback cut a pass back for Angulo, who took an extra touch and then fired a shot that deflected off a defender and past Edwards, making it 3-1 in the 45th minute.

“On the goal, I’m just happy that my teammates found me,” Angulo said through a club interpreter. “And obviously happy for the assist (on the Torres goal) but now we have to continue working to push to enter playoffs in a good moment as well.”

The Lions saw out the one minute of stoppage time quickly and took their lead to the break.

Orlando City not only led at the break, but also held more possession (51.2%-48.8%), passed more accurately (90.5%-88.4%), finishing the first half with more shots on target (4-2). New England attempted more shots (9-8) and won the only corner of the first period.

New England sent Gustavo Bou and Emmanuel Boateng on at halftime to bolster the attack and moved to three at the back by bringing in Henry Kessler as well.

Orlando came close to a fourth goal in the 49th, when Torres sent a good cross in front but it was just slightly ahead of a sliding McGuire. A minute later, Cartagena sent a good shot on target that Edwards had to palm over the crossbar. Araujo headed over the bar on the ensuing corner. Santos then fired over the bar in the 53rd.

Gallese made up for his earlier mistake in the 60th but stopping Gil from point-blank range on a well-worked attack by New England.

Pareja made a triple substitution after that, sending on Martin Ojeda, Ramiro Enrique, and Junior Urso for Torres, McGuire, and Pereyra. A minute later, Enrique got loose at the top of the area but he pulled his shot wide to the left in the 67th minute.

In the 71st minute, Ojeda and urso both got shots blocked near the top of the box.

New England’s next decent chance came in the 77th minute off a dangerous free kick, but the wall blocked the initial delivery and Urso cleared it.

Much of the rest of the match consisted of Orlando City playing keep-away the way the Lions did Wednesday night at Nashville. By taking the air out of the ball, the Lions were able to prevent New England from building dangerous attacks and the visitors struggled to get touches on the ball.

Thorhallsson had a go from the top of the area early in stoppage time but got under it and hit the facing of the Heineken sign at the bottom of the upper deck.

The Revs pulled one back moments later on another fluky goal. Gil fired a shot that took a deflection in front and changed directions. Gallese had committed to stopping the original shot and could do nothing but watch it roll into the other side of the net, giving the Revs life late.

“That was something that we were not very good at,” Pareja said of his team’s ability to pass the ball around and keep it away from the opposition. “We normally finish the games with a lot of stress. Today they are disappointed too, because they conceded that second goal. But today I saw a team that was comfortable with the ball. We wanted to find the right moment to get in there, but we were not desperate. I think we can get that better.”

Orlando City had to snuff out one last Revolution attack and the game was over.

The Lions finished with the advantage in possession (54.2%-45.8%), shots (22-15), shots on target (5-4), corners (7-3), and passing accuracy (90.2%-87%).

“We are very proud of belonging to the city, belonging to the community, and just taking this team to second place and to the Concacaf Champions (Cup) again,” Pareja said. “We have a long journey still to go. The players know and the game today was a reflection of where we are.”

Most of the Lions have some time off between now and the season finale, as we enter the FIFA international window. Orlando City will visit Toronto FC to close out the season on Saturday, Oct. 21.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Experiencing Its Golden Age of Offense

Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire are leading Orlando City to its best offensive seasons.

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15 hours ago

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October 14, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

For most of Orlando City’s MLS history, finding multiple reliable goal scorers has been a struggle. As a result, the team has often been further down the league in goals scored, decreasing its goal difference. However, the duo of Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire has changed that trend and provided the Lions with their best offensive seasons.

Orlando City drafted Cyle Larin with the first pick of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and he quickly became a reliable source of goals. The Canadian international scored a team-record 18 goals across all competitions in his rookie year, and then scored 14 in the following season.

Larin’s production dipped slightly in 2017, scoring 12 goals, and the striker departed following that season. Orlando City has struggled to find someone that can provide the same scoring threat since. Over the next five years, only Nani and Chris Mueller scored double-digit goals in multiple seasons, each doing so twice. Prior to 2023, four other players scored double-digit goals in one season, as Dom Dwyer did it in 2018, Tesho Akindele in 2019, Daryl Dike in 2021, and Ercan Kara in 2022.

The lack of consistent goal production changed in 2022 when the club signed Facundo Torres from Uruguayan side Penarol. The young Designated Player made an immediate impact for his new team, scoring 13 goals in all competitions, including a brace in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final to lift the Lions to their first major trophy.

Torres and Kara combined for an impressive 25 goals that season. Unfortunately, the pair didn’t have much support and the Lions only scored 44 goals in 2022. However, that changed the following year when Orlando City drafted former Creighton striker and Hermann Trophy winner Duncan McGuire.

Torres increased his goal tally to 14 in his second season in Orlando and McGuire netted a team-high 15 in his rookie campaign. The 29 goals scored by the pair were the most by two Orlando City players in an MLS season, topping the 28 goals scored by Larin and Kaká in 2015.

The goal tally has increased in 2024, with Torres scoring a career-high 18 goals, McGuire adding 11, and Ramiro Enrique chipping in with 11 of his own across all competitions. It’s the first time an Orlando City team — including the USL Pro era — has had three players score double-digit goals in one year. It’s also the first time in club history Orlando has had multiple double-digit goal scorers in three consecutive years.

The production by multiple players has seen a significant increase in goals scored by the Lions over the past two seasons. After netting only 44 league goals in 2022, Orlando City scored 55 times in 2023, tying the team’s MLS record previously set in 2016. The Lions surpassed that number this year by scoring 58 goals with one game remaining in the regular season.

The club’s record-setting scoring output comes at a time when Orlando City is playing some of its best defense in its MLS history. The 2023 squad only conceded 39 goals, the fewest in a 34-game season. While it has conceded nine more this year, it’s the second-fewest goals conceded in a season, tying the 2021 team.

The past two seasons have seen Orlando City set new club records in the MLS era for highest goal difference in a 34-game season. The only two years in which the Lions had a positive goal difference prior to 2023 was in a shortened 2020 season, when they were +15 and in 2021 when they were +2. They set a new record in 2023 by finishing +16 and are +10 this year.

The increase in goals and goal difference has resulted in better performances throughout the season. The team set a new club record with 63 points last season, placing second in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Orlando has amassed 52 points so far this season, the club’s second-highest point total since joining MLS.

While the play of the back line has contributed to the team’s recent success, goal production has been the catalyst. For the first time in its history, Orlando City has two reliable goal scorers who have produced in back-to-back seasons. The result is the best back-to-back seasons in the club’s MLS history.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/14/24

Getting to know Martin Ojeda, Orlando Pride unbeaten run ends, USMNT beats Panama, and more.

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19 hours ago

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October 14, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and finishing up stream monitoring for an NISA Playoff semifinal match in California. Let’s also wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B forward Wilfredo Rivera. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Getting to Know Martin Ojeda

Orlando City midfielder Martin Ojeda was featured as part of the club’s video series to learn more about the players. In the video, Ojeda gave insight into his beginnings playing soccer when he was three years old and playing for his neighborhood club in South America. He also discussed his style of play, focusing on the attack, creating opportunities, and stating that there is always room to improve. You can check out the rest of the video below.

Pride Unbeaten Run Ends in Loss to Thorns

The Orlando Pride suffered their first loss of the NWSL season on Friday, falling 2-0 to the Portland Thorns. Morgan Weaver and Christine Sinclair scored for the Thorns to seal the win and end Orlando’s 24-match unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 6 of last season. Despite the loss, the Pride remain in first place in the NWSL table with 57 points after winning the NWSL Shield a week ago. The next match for the Pride will be on Sunday on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Keys to Success in Orlando Pride Turnaround

The Athletic ($) took a deep dive into the process that led to the Orlando Pride turnaround this season. The article begins with the Pride joining the NWSL in 2016, their up-and-down seasons, and how recent changes in the last couple of years have set the foundation for the club’s success in 2024. It also shared some unique insights from interviews with staff and players and how the club was eager to make changes after finishing in the bottom half of the table for the last five seasons. The most interesting takeaway for me from reading the article was Head Coach Seb Hines speaking on the process of changing the culture of the club, building that underdog mindset, and how he keeps his players motivated. Although the 24-match unbeaten streak is over, the Pride are breaking records this season and won their first trophy. There’s been plenty to be excited about for the Pride this season, and hopefully they will carry this momentum into the playoffs and make a deep run.

USMNT Defeats Panama in Mauricio Pochettino’s Coaching Debut

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Panama 2-0 on Saturday at Q2 Stadium, securing the first win in Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s debut in a friendly. Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi scored the USMNT’s goals in the second half to secure the victory. Matt Turner started in goal, and Christian Pulisic added an assist to set up Musah’s goal. The USMNT will face Mexico in Guadalajara on Tuesday. Pulisic, Pepi, and Weston McKennie will miss the match to return to their respective European clubs. Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen will also return to their clubs.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned a clean sheet on international duty as his Peru side defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying match on Friday. Wilder Cartagena and Facundo Torres did not play in the match.
  • Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina and forward Adriana were called up to the Brazil Women’s National Team for friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29.
  • Sports Illustrated listed five MLS players that could move abroad this off-season, mentioning Orlando City’s Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire as potential targets.
  • Angel City FC forward Christen Press scored her first goal in 28 months over the weekend in a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage. Press had been sidelined due to an ACL injury requiring four surgeries before returning to action.
  • Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga broke an NWSL record after scoring her 19th goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Bay FC over the weekend.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/11/24

Orlando Pride in Portland, U.S. men and women news, international upsets, and more.

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4 days ago

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October 11, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Milton has finally made its way out of Florida, though many of us will be dealing with the aftermath for a while. We hope that you and yours are safe and that the damage is minimal. I know that many are still without power — which is why I’m writing Lion Links today instead of Marcus Mitchell. Fortunately, the Orlando Pride play in Portland tonight, although it will be a late one. Let’s get to the links.

Pride in Portland

The Orlando Pride may be the NWSL Shield winners, but with three matches left in the regular season, the job is not done. Now, the club will take on the Portland Thorns. The Thorns haven’t been great as of late, but Providence Park is a tough place to play. While the club is focused on the upcoming playoffs, the Pride still want to finish undefeated in the regular season. Portland, like many clubs, are fighting for a playoff spot.

USWNT Players in the News

Lindsey Horan didn’t have the best Olympics in my opinion, but she is doing very well in her start to Lyon’s season. She’s scored five goals in four matches to help Lyon top the table. Back home, Crystal Dunn is being honored by Empowerment on the East River hosted by Black Players for Change.

USMNT in Action

The USMNT plays its first match under Mauricio Pochettino Saturday night against Panama, and you can watch it on multiple platforms. There are no conflicts of interest this go-around, but next year, some players will need to choose between playing in the Club World Cup or the Gold Cup.

International Results

Orlando City, and all the other teams and leagues, aren’t playing right now due to an international break. The matches have already begun. Perhaps the biggest news was Greece’s stunning 2-1 win over England. The victory puts Greece atop Group B2 in the UEFA Nations League competition.

Over in Group A2, Italy blew a two-goal lead to draw Belgium 2-2. There were plenty of other results, including Erling Haaland becoming his country’s all-time top scorer after scoring a brace in Norway’s 3-0 win over Slovenia. If you want to catch more matches, here’s where you can watch.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our Pride match recap, and follow The Mane Land on Twitter during the match. Vamos Orlando!

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