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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-2 loss to Minnesota United FC?

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2 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City suffered its second consecutive loss in MLS play with a 3-2 home defeat to Minnesota United FC Saturday night. It was a night of blown chances with the Lions having multiple opportunities around the six-yard box. However, they were unable to convert the opportunities, enabling the visitors to grab a late winner and hand City its first home regular-season loss since April 22, 2023.

Let’s take a look at how the individual Lions performed in this frustrating performance.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 4.5 — The Lions’ number one got off to an inauspicious start when, in the fourth minute, he took too long to clear a Rafael Santos back pass. The clearance was blocked by Teemu Pukki, who put the ball in to even the game at 1-1. He gave up another bad goal in the 38th minute, getting beaten to his near post by Pukki from outside of the box. The goalkeeper saved two of the five shots he faced on the night and completed 66.7% of his 18 passes, including four of 10 long passes. Overall, it was a poor night from a usually dependable goalkeeper.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos was back at his starting left back position in this game. He completed 70.6% of his 51 passes, two of which were key passes, and one of his seven crosses. His 72 touches were second-most on the team, one short of Robin Jansson, and he recorded a tackle and clearance defensively. His biggest contribution came in the first minute when he intercepted a Minnesota pass, made a good run into the attacking third, and played Duncan McGuire through for the earliest goal in Orlando City history.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was active in this game, touching the ball a team-leading 73 times. He recorded an interception, blocked shot, and three clearances, all team-leading stats. Going forward, the center back completed 79% of his 62 passes and one of his seven long balls. Additionally, he had one successful dribble and took one off-target shot. He was beaten in the air on the late goal kick that resulted in Minnesota’s game-winning goal.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel’s 65 touches were fourth-most on the team and, like Jansson, he was active on defense. The center back recorded a team-high four tackles and two clearances. He completed 89.8% of his 49 passes, including a key pass, one of his four long balls, and took an off-target shot. Unfortunately, with Jansson having gone forward to try to win the ball in the air, Schlegel was left in a bad spot, and Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi beat him to a flick-on from a goal kick, enabling the opponent to play Bongokuhle Hlongwane through for the late winning goal. He was also beaten by Hlongwane a few minutes earlier, trying to see a ball over the end line, but the Minnesota attacker was able to keep it in, take control, and get a scoring opportunity. Those defensive errors knock his grade down a bit.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — The right back was less active than his left-sided counterpart, recording 45 touches. He completed 75% of his 24 passes with one key pass and one of his four long balls. His key pass should have provided Felipe with an easy goal, but the midfielder couldn’t make good enough contact with the cross. Defensively, Thorhallsson recorded one tackle before being replaced by Mikey Halliday in the 55th minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 5.5 — The defensive midfielder’s night was cut short by injury, but he had 13 touches and completed 88.9% of his nine passes, including his only long ball attempt. The most memorable moment of his game came in the 33rd minute when Martin Ojeda’s free kick went beyond the outstretched arm of Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and found Araujo. Unfortunately, the ball hit off of him, went straight down, and then sailed over the crossbar, blowing a golden opportunity to give the Lions their second lead of the night. The ensuing goal kick resulted in a collision that injured Araujo, forcing him to be replaced by Wilder Cartagena.

MF, Felipe, 5.5 — Similar to Araujo, Felipe’s night will be remembered for a squandered opportunity to score. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time, a Thorhallsson pass into the box found Felipe inside the six and nobody between him and goal. It seemed like an impossible miss, but the midfielder found a way to miss the target high and wide. Apart from that disastrous play, Felipe completed 87.5% of his 24 passes and one of his two long balls. He also had one tackle in addition to his one painfully off-target shot. In an attacking change, the defensive midfielder was replaced at halftime by Nico Lodeiro.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo quietly had a strong night for the Lions. He only touched the ball 28 times, but completed 84.6% of his 13 passes, including one key pass, and his only cross. His lone shot was on target and he had a successful dribble. The attacking midfielder also helped out defensively, winning two tackles, before being replaced by Luis Muriel in the 54th minute.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 (MotM) — Ojeda had an excellent game, recording 66 touches and an assist. He completed 84.2% of his 38 passes, including three key passes, two of his 10 crosses, and all five of his long balls. He put one of his three shots on target — although it was right at the goalkeeper from just around the penalty spot — assisted Ducnan McGuire’s second goal with a nice play to win the ball in the midfield, and should’ve had a second assist on Araujo’s miss. The attacking midfielder also had a strong defensive night, recording two tackles, an interception, and a clearance.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique got the start with Facundo Torres out due to a shoulder injury suffered against Tigres in the Champions Cup last week. The attacker had 42 touches in 90 minutes and completed 78.6% of his 28 passes but neither of his two crosses. His one shot was off target and he added two clearances defensively.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — McGuire was the star of the night with a brace. He scored the earliest goal in Orlando City history in the first minute and equalized with a long-distance strike in the 83rd minute.  He completed 82.1% of his 28 passes, including one key pass, but didn’t complete his only cross. Three of his four shots were on target, but I knocked him down from Man of the Match because of his miss in the 64th minute. Muriel sent a hard ball across that found McGuire at the top of the six yard box. It was an easy tap-in attempt, but the striker messed it up, sending it just wide. Strikers have to convert those easy chances, which McGuire obviously knew as he put his head in his hands after the miss. He did make up for it with his second goal and was replaced by Kyle Smith four minutes later.

Substitutes

MF, Wilder Cartagena (41’), 5.5 — Cartagena came on in the 41st minute for Araujo and had arguably his best game of the young season. The defensive midfielder completed 84.9% of his 33 passes, including three key passes, and three of his five long balls. Both of his shots were off target, but he recorded two tackles and a clearance in 49 minutes. His score is a bit lower than it would be had he not foolishly picked up an unnecessary red card after the final whistle after coming together with Joseph Rosales of Minnesota, who was also shown a red card.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (46’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Felipe at halftime in an attacking change. He completed 75% of his 36 passes, including one key pass, one of his three crosses, and three of his five long balls. One of the midfielder’s three shots were on target and he had a defensive clearance.

F, Luis Muriel (54’), 6 — Muriel came on in the 54th minute for Angulo and made an impact on the game. Orlando City’s newest Designated Player completed nine of his 10 passes, including two key passes, and his lone cross. He should’ve also had an assist when McGuire failed to convert on a golden opportunity in front of goal. He missed the target on his only shot (on a free kick attempt), but it was an impactful performance by the Colombian.

D, Mikey Halliday (55’), 5.5 — The Homegrown product came on in the 55th minute for Thorhallsson and had a team-high three tackles. Going forward, he completed 77.8% of his 18 passes, but his biggest contribution was a negative play. He got caught flat-footed in second-half stoppage time, enabling Hlongwane to get behind him and score the winning goal.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — Smith was a late substitution, replacing McGuire and sliding into the central midfield, pushing Lodeiro into the attacking midfield line of Pareja’s 4-2-3-1. He had 15 touches in the final minutes and completed nine of his 10 passes, including his only long ball attempt. Defensively, he recorded one tackle.

This is how I saw the performances in Orlando City’s devastating 3-2 loss to Minnesota United. I would’ve given McGuire Man of the Match had he scored the second-half sitter and the club’s first hat trick since 2015, but gave it to Ojeda for his impact on the game. Let us know how you saw the individual performances and who you think was the Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Toronto FC

Get the inside scoop on Toronto FC ahead of Saturday’s match.

Published

22 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday is almost upon us, and the Lions will try to extend a four-game unbeaten streak Saturday night and finish off an undefeated month of April. OCSC will do so back in the comfortable confines of home, as Toronto FC travels south for the first of two games between the teams this season.

A visit from Toronto means I caught up with Tomas Karageorgos of Waking the Red. As usual, he was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on TFC ahead of the upcoming match.

This is John Herdman’s first year in charge of Toronto. What sort of style does the team play under him?

Tomas Karageorgos: John Herdman plays a variation of a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation that prefers to build plays out of the back. Herdman also relies on his center midfielders to win possession back and push the ball to either flank. German striker Prince Owusu’s constant pressure on opposing defenses has caused some turnovers in TFC’s favor. Owusu’s style of play has not only helped his teammates but himself as well — he has scored five goals in the club’s last six matches.

Run me through some of the additions and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are some new faces to keep an eye on?

TK: The four major additions that the club made was signing defensive midfielders Deiby Flores and Matty Longstaff; Canadian fullback Richie Laryea is back for a third time; and Irish center back Kevin Long. Flores has been described as a dog in the sense of not being afraid to get stuck into tough challenges. Longstaff was signed from Newcastle United and is beginning to play consistent minutes — he still has room to grow as he’s a young player. Long was signed from Birmingham City and has been a rock in the center of the back three. A strong aerial presence and calmness has helped to contribute to Toronto’s six clean sheets across all competitions this season. There’s not much to say about Laryea that hasn’t been said, he’s arguably the best defender in MLS when healthy. Another underrated signing was French defender Nicksoen Gomis from Sheffield United, he has had quiet-yet-consistent performances. Notable departures include Salvadoran goalkeeper Tomás Romero, Norwegian striker Adama Diomande, and club legend Michael Bradley, who retired at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

TFC has quite the list of injured players at the moment. Who has been filling in for the missing faces, and how have they looked?

TK: Lorenzo Insigne, Richie Laryea, and Shane O’Neill continue to miss action due to thigh injuries. Midfielder Brandon Servania is slated to return during the middle of the season as he is recovering from knee surgery. First overall draft pick Tyrese Spicer has filled in for Insigne and has two goals in his account for the club — he has a high work rate on both sides of the ball. Canadian youngster Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is gaining more experience on the right side while Laryea is sidelined. Gomis and Sigurd Rosted have been taking turns covering O’Neill, and Alonso Coello is continuing to build on an impressive first season with the club in the absence of Servania.

Which players will be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

TK: The names I noted above who are injured will be unavailable. Also, attacker Deandre Kerr is listed as questionable.

Predicted starting XI: Sean Johnson; Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted; Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty; Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Score prediction: 1-1. 

Thank you to Tomas for his insight into Toronto FC. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/26/24

Orlando City gets ready for Toronto FC, Thiago Silva linked with Orlando, Marta announces international retirement, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad it’s Friday. It’s been a bit of a brutal week for me, but the weekend is nearly upon us, and I plan on spending it with my family for my dad’s birthday. I’m also hoping to find some time to read the new book that came out this week from my favorite author, Emily Henry. For now though, let’s enjoy these links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for Toronto FC

After a shaky start to the season, the Lions are unbeaten in their past four games and can make it five when they host Toronto FC Saturday night. Toronto has lost three of its past four games, but is coming off of a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution. In the time since Oscar Pareja took over as head coach, Orlando City has won six of its seven games against Toronto. It will be the first meeting between the two with John Herdman at the helm of Toronto, so we will see if the trend of recent Orlando dominance continues. It should be a great game and is another opportunity for the Lions to climb up the table.

Thiago Silva Linked With Orlando City

Brazilian defender Thiago Silva’s contract with Chelsea ends this summer and Orlando City was mentioned as one of many reported clubs interested in signing him. Beyond the surface-level facts that Silva is an incredibly talented defender and Orlando City is a popular landing spot for South Americans who want to play in MLS, the move would not make much sense. The club signed David Brekalo this off-season and Rodrigo Schlegel is a solid option off the bench as well. Even if Orlando does want Silva, there will be plenty of competition. Returning to Fluminense is the expected choice, but Silva could stay in Europe or make the move to Saudi Arabia.

Marta Will Retire From National Team After 2024

Orlando Pride star Marta announced that 2024 will be her last year playing for Brazil. You will need a translating tool for more of the details from her interview with CNN, but she spoke on how she’s at peace with her decision to stop playing at the international level once the year is over. She made her international debut in 2002 and has since played in five Olympics for Brazil. Marta may play in her sixth this summer, and there would be global attention to see one of the greatest players ever to lead Brazil one last time. Her contract with the Pride also ends after this season, but only time will tell if this is her final season in Orlando.

Orlando’s Academy Teams Get Results Against New England

With the Generations Adidas Cup behind them, Orlando City’s U-17 and U-15 teams earned some important points against the New England Revolution’s youth squads. The U-15 team dominated New England in a 4-1 result that included a hat trick from Jakob Garcia. The match between the U-17 sides was a closer affair, as they split the points in a 1-1 draw. Orlando’s teams will play again tomorrow, with a pair of home games against Nashville SC.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over Toronto FC Saturday at home?

Published

2 days ago

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April 25, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a successful, four-point road trip, Orlando City returns from Montreal to the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium to face one of the other Canadian clubs, Toronto FC. The Lions are hoping to add to a four-match unbeaten streak. A win offers the opportunity to take another step up the standings.

What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against Toronto FC?

No Early Mistakes

In the last three matches, Orlando City has conceded the first goal of the match. Worse than that, each of those goals happened within the first 21 minutes. Yes, coming from behind for two draws and one win is good, but not giving up those early goals may have meant three wins instead.

Last season, Orlando City’s defense was good. We didn’t see nearly so many mental mistakes by the defense, especially so early in the match. What is frustrating is that these mistakes were seemingly preventable. The back line, the defensive midfielders, and Pedro Gallese need to tighten up in the early going so that the Lions are not chasing the match so early on.

Take Advantage of Tired Legs

Toronto FC played a match against Simcoe County Rovers in the Canadian Championship tournament on Wednesday. I’m in no way saying that Toronto trotted out their first choice lineup for the match, but even if only some of the players got a run out, that could create some tired legs for the match against Orlando. Add in the travel from Canada to Florida on short rest and it could be good news for the Lions.

If the Lions can possess the ball and make Toronto FC chase them, or if Orlando can get the first goal (see above) so that Toronto is chasing the match as well, it might pay dividends in the second half. Orlando City is good enough in the passing game to do so, though it will be interesting to see whether Martin Ojeda rejoins the starting lineup or if Nico Lodeiro gets the nod again.

One Down, Two to Go

Facundo Torres was the first of Orlando City’s three Designated Players to score a goal in the regular season. While it didn’t come in the run of play, it might still spark him to add some more since he usually starts slow and then catches fire at about this point in the season. Of course, both Luis Muriel and Ojeda contributed to the scoring against Montreal. Muriel drew the penalty that Torres took, and Ojeda provided the assist to Ivan Angulo.

Now it is time for either Muriel or Ojeda — or both — to join Torres on the scoreboard. Standing in their way will be a good keeper in Sean Johnson. So far this season, he has allowed seven goals and has 22 saves, with three clean sheets. Muriel seems to be getting closer to scoring with each shot taken, and Ojeda has missed some close ones. If all three of Orlando City’s Designated Players can start scoring regularly, this team will become dangerous quickly.

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

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