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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Final Score 2-2 as Lions’ Transition Defense Fails in Road Draw

For the second straight week, the Lions fell behind twice only to fight back. However, there was no winner this time..

Published

8 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City came from behind twice for the second consecutive road game. However, this time, there was no late winner in a 2-2 draw against CF Montreal at Stade Saputo in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The teams split the points in both meetings this season, although at least there were goals in this one.

Facundo Torres and Ivan Angulo scored for Orlando (2-3-3, 9 points), offsetting strikes by Mason Toye and Ariel Lassiter of Montreal (3-3-2, 11 points). The Lions are unbeaten in four straight games (2-0-2), although the play of the defense continues to be puzzlingly poor. Orlando conceded multiple goals for the fourth consecutive road match, including another early one.

“We’re happy with the performance and tying the game at the end seems like it could be a good result, but we were eager to win it at the end as well, and we could have walked out with three points against a good team,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “But the game itself was very competitive. I thought we played an excellent first half but we could maybe be clearer in those last actions there, but we really played well. The second half, they got some momentum from (when) they got the goal (late), but after that, I think we dominated the game.”

Pareja’s lineup had only one change from the starting XI that defeated D.C. United a week ago. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena took their usual spots in the defensive midfield behind an attacking line of Angulo, Nico Lodeiro (in for Martin Ojeda), and Torres, with Luis Muriel up top.

Both teams started the match probing the other’s defenses, so much of the play early was between the penalty boxes. Jansson was booked early for something early in the match while looking to restart play after an infraction on Montreal, which seemed to surprise the Swede.

The opening goal came out of nowhere on the first real chance for either side. Montreal’s Samuel Piette was in his own half of the field, but wasn’t closed down. Toye timed his run well and roasted the Orlando City back line, which was caught sleeping. Toye took down the pass from Piette, rounded Gallese, who had come off of his line, and slammed the ball into the empty net from the left. It was the kind of sleepy play from the defense that has been on display since the season started, and it bit the Lions again, putting Montreal on top just 16 minutes in.

Orlando City pulled the goal right back with some help from Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. Lodeiro slipped the ball into the area for Muriel, who arrived at the ball at the same time as Sirois. The Montreal goalkeeper appeared to get a touch to the ball but then got a lot of Muriel in the 19th minute, and referee Jon Freemon wasted no time pointing to the spot. The play was checked and the penalty call was upheld.

Torres sent Sirois the wrong way and blasted the ball into the upper left corner of the net to make it 1-1 in the 22nd minute.

Torres’ goal was the first by an Orlando City Designated Player in 2024, although it was from the penalty spot.

Thorhallsson had an opportunity to put the Lions ahead a minute after the penalty conversion on a ball into the box that ricocheted into his feet. The Icelandic fullback, however, could not find the handle and lost control of the ball right in front of goal. A minute after that chance, Muriel came close to scoring his first MLS goal from the top of the area, sending his shot just wide of the upper left corner.

Montreal defender George Campbell wasn’t closed down from long range in the 29th minute, so he had a hit. Campbell’s shot didn’t miss by much, but it was always high and buzzed the back of the top of the net on the way down.

Smith had a golden opportunity in the 41st minute, getting into the left side of the box. But the fullback hit his shot/cross just wide of the far post and out of play. Orlando had a few set piece opportunities in the later stages of the second half but could do nothing with them.

Similarly, Montreal had a free kick in a dangerous spot, courtesy of an unnecessary foul by Cartagena. Choiniere went for goal or the back post in the 45th minute, but either way it was comfortable for Gallese to stop.

Orlando got a bit sloppy with the ball late in the half, allowing Montreal to get a lot of late possession, but little came of it. The last chance of the half fell to Torres from long range, but the Uruguayan hit his shot poorly and sent it soaring high over the goal.

The teams went to the break all tied up at 1-1. Orlando’s biggest problem in the first half, aside from falling asleep to allow the opening goal, was getting into promising situations and then delivering passes either slighly off line or too close to a defender to easily knock away.

Montreal held a slight edge in possession (50.3%-49.7%), passed more accurately (84.2%-82.3%), and put more of its shots on target (2-1). Orlando City attempted more shots (4-3), and won more corners (2-0).

The hosts held possession for most of the first four minutes of the second half. Montreal played direct more out of the break and nearly created something just seconds after the restart. Smith had to be sharp to knock away a dangerous cross from the left in the 46th minute.

Thorhallsson nearly found Angulo on Orlando’s first attack of the half in the 50th minute. The fullback sent a ball to the top of the six but Sirois got there just ahead of Angulo to smother the chance.

Montreal then attacked quickly and got in behind down the left. Gallese made a vital save with his left hand to deny Lassiter at the other end.

Lodeiro nearly picked out Thorhallsson with a dangerous cross in the 52nd minute but the defense arrived just in time to knock it behind for a corner. The Lions took the corner short and made a complete mess of it.

Jansson provided a vital block in front in the 55th minute to deny a cross getting in to Toye after Thorhallsson lost track of Raheem Edwards on the wing. The corner was headed away by Jansson. Edwards gathered and fired from distance but his shot was well wide of the left post.

Muriel conceded a set piece in the 59th minute, dropping back to help when Orlando was struggling to break out of its own end. The ball in was knocked away by Gallese, but he needed a visit from the trainers at the next play stoppage. The Peruvian was able to continue, and Muriel was subbed out for Duncan McGuire.

A good ball out of the back sprung McGuire down the left in the 69th minute. The striker picked out Torres crashing into the box but the Uruguayan’s shot was blocked by Joaquin Sosa.

Montreal appeared to score the late game-winning goal in the 88th minute and once again it was a direct play that sliced the Orlando defense open. A diagonal ball somehow got through Brekalo, who seemed to have it measured. Instead, it ended up on the foot of substitute Sunusi Ibrahim, who curled back to the top of the area and fired a shot. Gallese got down to parry it away but Smith got caught ball watching and did not have Lassiter marked, allowing him to swoop in and score an easy goal. Montreal led 2-1 with just two minutes remaining in normal time.

“We are trying to have more cohesiveness with the players that are starting or playing the game,” Pareja said of his defense. “Our lines have to be better. Conceding early goals or conceding goals especially in the first half for us is something we need to resolve and we need to figure it out. How can we be more solid? Not just a defender’s problem. It’s a collective problem. We all have to be in charge.”

It didn’t look like Orlando’s night when McGuire missed the net moments later. Off a set piece, the ball was headed by Jansson to his right, where McGuire volleyed it out of the air. His shot looked to be headed inside the top left corner but he missed the net wide by inches in the 90th minute.

No matter though. The Lions scored two minutes into stoppage time instead. McGuire played the ball out to Ojeda on the left and the Argentine drove toward the end line and sent a cross into the area in front of Sirois. Angulo won the race to the ball and put it in the net, scoring his first league goal of the season and tying the game in the 92nd minute.

“I saw ‘Tincho’ bringing it up into space on the left wing,” Angulo said through a club interpreter. “He found himself in a good spot and I saw a space that I could attack. I was able to attack the space right behind the fullback, and thankfully Tincho was able to get me the ball, and all I had to do was to push it in to get that tying goal,”

“The good news is that we are scoring now, that we are overcoming difficult moments, and the forwards are stepping up as well,” Pareja said.

The Lions nearly pulled off a mirror image of that goal five minutes later. Ojeda again got to the end line on the left and sent in a cross toward Angulo. This time the cross was just inches out of Angulo’s reach and skipped through the box.

Orlando ended the game with a series of corner kicks, but could not score on the set pieces and the game ended deadlocked.

Montreal’s stronger second half was reflected on the stats sheet. The hosts held the advantage in possession (53.5%-46.5%), shots (10-8), shots on target (5-2), and passing accuracy (84.6%-81.6%). The Lions won more corners (8-1).

“It was very tough game, very disputed game,” Angulo said. “A bunch of running. The way they like to play, they love to attack through the wings, so there was a lot there. But I feel like we rose to the level of the game. The way we played, we probably deserved three points, but happy to walk out of here with a point tonight.”

“After we have our results at home and we come out to this journey to go two games away against rivals who are direct and difficult rivals, and now we get these four points, just leaves us with the feeling that we are much more like us,” Pareja said. “The team is raising the confidence and everybody’s raising the level, and now we have two games at home where we have a big responsibility to keep adding and keep getting closer to the (top) of the standings.”

Orlando City returns home to face another Canadian side, as Toronto FC visits Inter&Co Stadium next Saturday.

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Orlando City

Top 10 Moments of 2024: Facundo Torres Breaks Lions’ All-Time Goal Record

In our No. 8 moment of the year, Facundo Torres sets a new Orlando City career record for goals scored.

Published

11 hours ago

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December 24, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

The 2024 season will always be a bittersweet one when it comes to remembering the contributions of Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres. He once again started the season slowly before locking in over the summer and dazzling crowds, befuddling opponents, and doing impressive things with a soccer ball on behalf of Orlando City SC.

He helped the team get to the second round of the Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the Eastern Conference final — the first time the club accomplished either achievement. Then he left, transferring to Palmeiras just days before Christmas. He may be gone, but the transfer funds and open Designated Player slot the sale brought the club may yet make for even more success on the field in the seasons to come.

Torres put together another brilliant season, starting by scoring a brace in the team’s Champions Cup opener against Cavalry FC on Feb. 21. Here’s the first of those goals:

He added a nice header later to put the game away. The brace had many fans dreaming that he wouldn’t take until the summer to get into a groove during his third year in Orlando like he did in his first two seasons. But then he didn’t score again in the run of play until the fourth minute of a May 29 road game against the Chicago Fire. That isn’t to say he didn’t find the net in March or April. He scored from the penalty spot once in each of those months — at Tigres March 12 and at Montreal April 20 — but it wasn’t the hot start fans were hoping for.

Torres did, however, settle in eventually and had himself a season. In fact, he broke Cyle Larin’s club record for most goals in a season across all competitions, by hitting the net 20 times in 2024. He scored 14 times in the regular season, twice in the MLS Cup playoffs, three times in Champions Cup play, and once in Leagues Cup. That doesn’t even count his made penalties in the postgame shootouts against Cruz Azul or Charlotte FC (in Game 3).

As usual, he did most of his damage in the second half of the year, when he helped the club put together a remarkable run of form that lifted the Lions from near the bottom of the conference to fourth place by season’s end. During the team’s final 17 games, Torres scored 11 of his 14 regular-season goals and posted three braces. The light switch seemed to be flipped in the first game of the second half of Orlando City’s 2024 season. After just three goals in the first 17 games — one in the run of play and two from the penalty spot (he also missed a penalty for the first time in his career in Game 17 against LAFC) — Torres scored three goals in the next two matches, helping the Lions to a comeback draw at Charlotte and a 4-2 home win over the Chicago Fire, setting the tone for an 11-4-2 run in the second half.

His torrid run of form had him climbing the club’s scoring list all summer and that culminated in reaching the pinnacle of the team’s MLS era on Oct. 2, when he did this in the 57th minute at home against the Philadelphia Union:

As Torres goals go, it wasn’t one of his prettiest or most impressive, but it was his 45th as a Lion across all competitions, passing Larin’s career mark for Orlando City’s MLS era. It also helped propel the Lions to a 2-1 win over the Union, putting the team on the cusp of clinching home field in the first round of the playoffs. It was also Torres’ last regular-season goal with Orlando City. Bittersweet.

However, the Las Piedras, Uruguay, native wasn’t finished scoring in 2024. He notched the first goal of Orlando’s postseason run in the 32nd minute against Charlotte FC at home on Oct. 27 in a 2-0 win. Torres placed himself in the right spot at the right time, taking advantage of a deflected Rafael Santos cross that fell in front of him in the box. The winger blasted it off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net to open the scoring.

The goal drew him level with Dom Dwyer for the club’s all-time career goals mark when combining Orlando City’s USL and MLS eras.

He should have claimed that record for himself in Game 2 of the Charlotte series when he fired home in stoppage time on the road, but the flag came up for Nico Lodeiro being offside in the buildup — incorrectly, per the offside modeling Twitter account.

While the offside modeling site is hardly official, it illustrates how close the play was. Many teams tend to get the benefit of those types of calls and the flags stay down, but Orlando is generally not one of those teams.

However, he took sole possession of the record one match later, breaking the tie with Dwyer in the 12th minute of stoppage time of Game 3. The Lions trailed 1-0 and the season was on the brink when Duncan McGuire was pulled down in the box on a late set piece, injuring himself to the point he had off-season surgery to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his shoulder. Torres took the ball and stepped to the spot to face one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, Kristijan Kahlina. The Croatian read Torres well and made the stop, but he couldn’t control the rebound. Torres got to it quickly, kept his composure, and fired it home to level the match.

It was not only an important strike, but it was also his 47th and final goal for Orlando City across all competitions, although he also calmly scored his penalty in the ensuing shootout to help send the Lions through to the conference semifinals against Atlanta United.

It’s fitting that Torres’ final Orlando City goal was such an important one, as he’s been such a big part of the team’s success over the past three seasons. He departed the club officially on Dec. 20 for a club-record transfer fee after scoring a total of 47 goals across all competitions. He added 25 assists in his time in purple, amassing a club-record 72 career goal contributions.

In a three-year Orlando career that was filled with highlight-reel plays, Torres brought a lot of joy to the club’s fans during his stay. His ascendance to the top of the club’s MLS and combined scoring lists is worthy of inclusion as one of our top moments of the season.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Previous Top Moments of 2024

  1. 10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.
  2. 9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/24/24

MLS transfer roundup, Americans in midweek action, NWSL news galore, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

on

December 24, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Tuesday and merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I hope you’re all having a good start to your week and have some fun stuff planned for the upcoming holidays.

Before we get started with today’s links, we here at The Mane Land want to give a special shout out to Joe (a.k.a. fldatadude) for signing up for a Homegrown Player-level membership on our Buy Me a Coffee page. By signing up at one of our three levels of support, our readers and podcast listeners can enjoy added benefits in addition to keeping our bills paid so we can continue doing what we do.

Now we do have plenty of items to get to today, so let’s get into today’s news.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Several MLS teams have been busy at work in the transfer market, so let’s break down the recent moves. LAFC signed free agent forward Jeremy Ebobisse to a three-year deal with an additional option year, adding more firepower to an already strong squad. The Portland Timbers also got some business done via free agency, as they signed winger Ariel Lassiter. FC Dallas acquired forward Anderson Julio from Real Salt Lake, with defender Sam Junqua and up to $500,000 in General Allocation Money going to RSL in exchange. Finally, Lorenzo Insigne has teased on his Instagram that he will play another season for Toronto FC in 2025.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing this week, so get everything marked down and enjoy some festive footy. Thursday’s Boxing Day slate features Americans heavily, with Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace traveling to take on Tyler Adams and Bournemouth in Premier League play. Antonee Robinson and Fulham will play Chelsea that same day, while Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United face an unenviable trip to Stoke City to round things off on Thursday.

Keeping Up With NWSL Happenings

Let’s start our NWSL roundup with the San Diego Wave, which have reportedly hired Jonas Eidevall as their new head coach. The Swede most recently spent time coaching Arsenal and has reportedly been the Wave’s top choice for several weeks. We now move to the realm of fact, where Angel City FC has signed midfielder Macey Hodge to a two-year deal with an option for the 2027 season. Finally, expansion team BOS Nation FC agreed a lease with Boston Public Schools and the City of Boston that will allow the team to use White Stadium as its home ground starting in 2026.

European Transfer Rumor Mill

Europe’s club teams can’t do business quite yet, but rumors are flying thick and fast with January just around the corner. First up, Manchester United is said to be exploring a deal to sign Victor Osimhen in January, particularly with Marcus Rashford indicating that he wants out of the club. Staying in the Premier League, Christopher Nkunku’s agent has reportedly offered the forward’s services to Barcelona, as he hasn’t been starting for the Blues and wants a larger role. Finally, Bayern Munich is said to be closely monitoring Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, which would add him to a long list of Dortmund players snapped up by the Bundesliga giants.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas Eve!

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Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Ivan Angulo

The midfielder started every regular season and playoff game in 2024.

Published

2 days ago

on

December 23, 2024

By

Image courtesy or Orlando City SC

Orlando City acquired midfielder Ivan Angulo on a 12-month loan from Brazilian Serie A side Palmeiras on July 25, 2022. The Lions accepted the option to extend the loan for six months on June 22, 2023, before making a permanent transfer for the winger on Jan. 3, 2024. Angulo has since become a mainstay in Oscar Pareja’s starting lineup. The Colombian played a big role in helping the Lions claim the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to the Eastern Conference final for the first time.

Let’s take a look at how Angulo did during the 2024 MLS season.

Statistical Breakdown

Angulo started all 34 regular-season matches on the left side of the midfield this year, recording 2,772 minutes played. He put 10 of his 34 shots on target and scored five goals. Despite being on the left, 24 of his shots came with his right foot. As you would expect from someone in his position, his biggest contribution came in the build-up. He completed 86.7% of his 1,063 passes, including 41 key passes, 11 crosses, three long balls, and 10 assists — third most on the team. Defensively, Angulo won 35.3% of his 17 aerial duels, 47 tackles, 19 interceptions, 12 clearances, and two blocks. He was called for 23 fouls, drew 24 fouls, and was booked four times in his 34 games.

The left-sided midfielder also started all five MLS playoff games in his usual spot, recording 408 minutes. He put two of his five shots on target and didn’t score but completed 90.1% of his 145 passes, including three key passes and an assist. On the defensive end, Angulo tallied five tackles, three interceptions, and five clearances in the postseason. He committed seven fouls while drawing five and was booked once in those five postseason appearances. 

Angulo appeared in three of the four Concacaf Champions Cup games (all starts) — all except the home match against Cavalry FC — playing 231 minutes. He didn’t score or put any of his three shots on target, but he completed an impressive 89.3% of his 75 passes with four key passes, two crosses, and an assist. He contributed one tackle and two interceptions defensively, drawing three fouls while conceding two. He wasn’t booked.

The Colombian played in two of the three Leagues Cup games (both starts) and recorded 179 minutes without a goal contribution. The midfielder didn’t put his only shot on target, but he completed 84.5% of his 71 passes, including two key passes. Defensively, he chipped in two tackles, three interceptions, and a clearance. Additionally, Angulo was fouled four times and committed two himself without being booked.

Best Game

Angulo’s two best games came in a 5-0 win over D.C. United on July 6 at Inter&Co Stadium and in a 3-1 win at FC Cincinnati on Oct. 5. He had a goal and an assist in both games, but while the Cincinnati game was more impactful on the team claiming the fourth seed in the playoffs, Angulo’s best game was against D.C.

The midfielder started and played all 90 minutes, completing 84.9% of his 66 passes. He only put one of his three shots on target that night, but had three key passes, including his secondary assist on Facundo Torres’ goal. However, his biggest moment of the game came in the 42nd minute.

Receiving the ball from Torres, Angulo played Martin Ojeda into the box. D.C. goalkeeper Tyler Miller blocked Ojeda’s attempted cross, but Angulo followed the play. Nobody else pounced on the ball and the midfielder passed it calmly in to give his team a commanding 3-0 lead.

Additionally, Angulo made four tackles that night and drew two fouls without conceding any.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Angulo a composite grade of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 MLS season. It’s the same grade the staff gave him for his 2023 campaign and also equaled the rating we gave him in 2022. The highs of Angulo’s season were tremendous, but his inconsistency continued this year. He would see his grade rise if he would put a string of quality performances together. Regardless, it was another good year for the winger.

2025 Outlook

Angulo signed a two-year contract with Orlando City before last season, keeping him on a guaranteed deal through the 2025 season. He has a club option for 2026, so he could be in purple for the next two seasons before the club has to decide on his future. He played in every league game the last two years, starting all but five. It’s hard to see anyone else taking over the left side of the midfield in the near future with how Pareja trusts the 25-year-old. The departure of Facundo Torres this off-season causes bigger concerns than the Colombian, and knowing he’s back in the attack provides some comfort for the front office as it prepares for next season.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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