Orlando City
Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Steal Three Points Late
Jack Lynn’s late strike lifts Orlando City to a road win over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Orlando City (4-5-4, 16 points) claimed an unlikely three points tonight, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes (3-10-1, 10 points) 1-0 at PayPal Park. Jack Lynn came off the bench early in the game and scored a late winner to give the Lions a much-needed three points.
Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja made two changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw against Inter Miami Wednesday night. Cesar Araujo was out due to yellow card accumulation and Martin Ojeda was left on the bench. They were replaced in the lineup by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson — who started his first game since suffering a concussion on May 4 against FC Cincinnati — and Felipe.
The Lions went back to the same 3-5-2 lineup they displayed against Inter Miami. The three center backs in front of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese were David Brekalo, Wilder Cartagena, and Rodrigo Schlegel. Thorhallsson and Facundo Torres were the wingbacks, while Felipe, Ivan Angulo, and Nico Lodeiro made up the midfield. Duncan McGuire and Luis Muriel were the strike duo again.
The Lions started this game shorthanded and an early injury to McGuire made things more difficult. It appeared for most of the game like the visitors would eventually concede, but they showed a strong defensive effort. Counterattacks were the best options for both teams as they looked to find a late goal. Solid goalkeeping by Gallese and William Yarbrough kept the game scoreless, and a bit of fortune enabled Orlando City to get its first win in San Jose.
The first attack came in the opening seconds when the Earthquakes quickly went forward on the kickoff and created a chance for their newest Designated Player, Hernan Lopez. As the Argentinian arrived at the top of the box, the ball met him for the game’s first shot. He had space but couldn’t get over the ball and it sailed well over the goal.
On the other end, the Lions attacked with Torres on the left. The midfielder sent a pair of nice crosses that landed inside the six-yard box, but neither McGuire nor Muriel could get on the end of them. As a result, they traveled harmlessly across the field.
Trouble struck Orlando City in the 12th minute when McGuire collided with Bruno Wilson on a long ball up field by Gallese. The striker attempted to break his fall with his hand after Wilson undercut him and remained on the ground holding his elbow while the medical staff attended to him. The injury forced the Lions into their first change of the game as he was replaced by Lynn.
“Duncan had that pain there in the shoulder before, but the recovery for him has always been good,” Pareja said about his starting striker. “I saw him in the locker room, obviously sad with the event. But I see him with a very positive face and a very positive attitude. So let’s wait for the doctors to see what he got. But Duncan has been there before and he came up from that as well very easily.”
“We went through the game plan pretty well this week, so I think everyone on the bench knew what was expected of them if they had to come in,” Lynn said about the early substitution. “So I felt ready.”
In the 20th minute, a give-and-go between Lopez and Carlos Akapo saw Lopez sent down the right. The midfielder was gearing up for a cross, but Felipe slid in with an excellent tackle to knock it out for a corner kick. Vitor Costa and Brekalo went up for the ensuing set piece with the San Jose defender reaching it, but the header was over the target.
The Lions nearly had a chance in the 25th minute when Jackson Yueill was ready to collect a Thorhallsson clearance but slipped. Lynn raced to the ball, but Akapo was closer and quicker, reaching it before the Lions’ striker.
Gallese was forced into his first save of the night in the 26th minute. San Jose worked the ball across the field until it ended up with Carlos Gruezo from distance. It was a hard strike by the midfielder but right at Gallese, who knocked it away.
The Orlando City goalkeeper was forced into another save in the 30th minute. A cross into the box by Cristian Espinoza was flicked on by Costa to the back post, where Rodrigues was wide open. The center back’s shot was directly at Gallese, who got down to block it away with his legs.
The Lions had their first good chance of the game in the 35th minute. A Schlegel throw-in was headed out by Wilson, but only to Thorhallsson near the top of the box. The wingback had plenty of time and his second touch was a shot towards goal. The ball skipped just wide, but it was close enough for Yarbrough to feel the need to dive after the attempt.
In the 37th minute, Espinoza sent a curling ball into the six-yard box. Brekalo headed the ball out the other end, but Rodrigues was there again, left wide open. Thorhallsson attempted to close him down, but the center back got his shot off. This time he sent the ball past Gallese, but just wide of the far post.
The hosts nearly scored in the 43rd minute when, after a blocked cross, Akapo laid it back for Espinoza on the right side. The playmaker sent a dangerous cross through the box and beyond the reach of several players. Amahl Pellegrino was making a run to the back post and it appeared as though he’d reach it. Fortunately for Orlando, it was just too far in front of him and went all the way out of play for a goal kick.
San Jose led in all major statistical categories after 45 minutes of play with more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (7-5), shots on target (3-1), corner kicks (4-3), and crosses (9-6), as well as better passing accuracy (82%-78%). However, two quality saves by Gallese kept the hosts off the board and the Lions got into the locker room scoreless.
The hosts had the first dangerous attack of the second half in the 51st minute. Quick passing from Gruezo and Jeremy Ebobisse sent Espinoza behind Orlando’s back line. The second-touch shot by Espinoza was wide, but the flag went up for offside.
Orlando City should’ve taken the lead in the 59th minute when Angulo made a long run into the San Jose box and played it across. Thorhallsson met the ball with plenty of time and space. The Icelandic player tried to send it inside the near post, but put it wide.
The Earthquakes had their second chance of the half in the 62nd minute when Costa brought the ball down well and carried it across the top of the box. He found Espinoza with some space and the midfielder’s first touch was a shot. However, it didn’t trouble Gallese at all, rolling well wide of the target.
Muriel forced Yarbrough into his toughest save of the night in the 73rd minute. Lodeiro found the striker left of the box. He took on Yueill, creating enough space for a shot. It wasn’t a bad attempt, but Yarbrough did well to get down and knock it wide, where Costa was able to clear.
The Orlando City forward attempted another shot in the 76th minute but this one didn’t bother Yarbrough as much. After receiving the ball short from Torres, Muriel dribbled inside and attempted a long shot. It was heading over the crossbar as soon as it left his foot and sailed well over the target.
It looked like San Jose would have a good chance to score in the 78th minute when Costa received the ball just outside of the box. He used a strong touch to get past Thorhallsson that went straight to second-half substitute Benji Kikanovic. The first touch was back to Costa who shot with space, but hit it wide.
Immediately after the miss, Pareja made two more changs. Martin Ojeda and Rafael Santos came into the game for Torres and Thorhallsson. The changes proved to be vital in the Lions’ win.
The Lions nearly scored in the 82nd minute when Santos sent in a beautiful ball with Lynn entering the box between Rodrigues and Costa. The Orlando City striker was just looking to get a touch on the ball and barely got his head to it, but Yarbrough came out to make himself big and the ball bounced off of his knee.
An Orlando City corner kick in the 86th minute turned into a good chance for San Jose when the clearance turned into a transitional attack. Jack Skahan came out with the ball and, after a long run, played it wide for Preston Judd. The substitute immediately sent it across the field for Espinoza, who cut inside to lose Santos and took a shot for the far post. Gallese dove for the ball, but it went just wide.
In the 88th minute, Skahan took the chance himself and nearly scored. Receiving the ball from Niko Tsakiris just outside of the box, the attacker took one touch to control it before aiming to the far post. The shot appeared to be on target, but Gallese dove to his right, tipping it wide. The ensuing corner kick was headed out by Brekalo to Angulo and the Lions broke the other way.
Dribbling down the left, Angulo used his speed to pass and remain ahead of Skahan. His cross was to the other side of the box for Ojeda, who attempted to volley it on goal. He mishit the attempt, but the ball went off the heel of Wilson and right to Lynn inside the six-yard box. It was an easy finish for him, giving the Lions an unlikely 1-0 lead.
“If I remember correctly, I think it was a pretty quick transition. Ivan was sprinting down the sideline and I think me, Tincho (Ojeda), and someone else were just busting our butt to get into the box,” Lynn said about the play. “And, you know, fortunately the ball fell to me kind of at the top of the six and I just passed it in.”
“Orlando City has another fantastic striker. A number nine that came from college and a player who has been proven already enough in the second group,” Pareja said about Lynn. “And the evolution of Jack is great. We kept him in the game because we knew that he just needed one action. But this time we were wrong. He needed just two and he put the ball in the back of the net. That’s what he can do.”
The fourth official showed five minutes of second-half stoppage time, which gave the visitors a little more work to do. Pareja made his final two changes two minutes into added time and they were defensive moves as his team looked to see out the game. Defender Kyle Smith and defensive midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski entered for forwards Muriel and Lynn.
Despite needing a goal and pushing numbers forward, San Jose couldn’t create anything in the final minutes. In fact, Orlando City held possession for much of injury time, enabling the Lions to see the game out and claim all three points.
At full time, San Jose had slightly more possession (51.1%-48.9%), corner kicks (6-5), and crosses (13-11), as well as better passing accuracy (82%-80.9%). Meanwhile, Orlando City ended the game with more shots (12-11), and both teams put four chances on target. Lynn being in the right place at the right time ended up being the difference.
“It was a great result for a group of players that are giving us all of the energy that they have, and they showed a lot of pride on the pitch, trying to resolve the problems,” Pareja said about the game. “I thought they had a lot of personality to overcome some bumps in the game. I liked much better the second half when we had more control. The boys that came off of the bench helped us a lot too. But I saw a team that is growing. Their confidence is growing. The way we’re playing is much better in terms of the efficiency in the other side of the box. And so we’re proud, but the thing that we are so happy to see is them battling all the time and trying to do the right things.”
The Lions got off to a tough start this year, staying near the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the first quarter of the season. But they’ve now gone three games unbeaten, including two wins and a draw against the team currently on top of the conference. The run has seen them jump into 10th place and only a point out of eighth.
“Well, (it) always has been our desire is to get results and not need to have the bad moments in order to bounce back,” Pareja said about the recent run. “They always want to win games and get good performances. We have navigated very difficult times without losing the direction. They are a group of friends there that work together every morning. We still need a lot of things to get better. We still have a lot of work to be done. And we all know it, but it’s much better when you do it while winning.”
“I think the coaching staff did a really good job of reminding us we’re a really good team,” Lynn added about turning the season around. “Even though we weren’t getting the results early in the year, you’re putting in some good performances. And I think recently we’ve been able to see those performances translate into results and hopefully we can continue that going forward.”
The next chance the team has to turn a good performance into a result is next Saturday night when the Lions welcome the Columbus Crew to Inter&Co Stadium.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 11/4/24
Orlando City falls to Charlotte FC in penalty shootout, Orlando Pride defeat the Seattle Reign, Megan Montefusco retires and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I covered high school cross country state semifinals over the weekend, and I’m getting ready to cover a high school soccer playoff match later this week. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Lose Penalty Shootout to Charlotte FC
Orlando City fell 3-1 on penalties to Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on Friday night after playing to a scoreless draw in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando’s offense struggled to create anything throughout the match in the attack. The best chance came late in the second half when Facundo Torres thought he had scored the game-winner for Orlando, but the assistant referee deemed him to be offside. In the penalty shootout, Luis Muriel was the only Lion to find the back of the net. Nico Lodeiro and Duncan McGuire had their penalty kicks saved by Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, while Robin Jansson’s kick sailed over the net. The Lions will host Charlotte FC in Game 3 at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday with a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals on the line.
Orlando Pride Defeat the Seattle Reign in Regular Season Finale
The Orlando Pride snapped their two-match losing streak and defeated the Seattle Reign 3-2 to close out the 2024 NWSL regular season. Ally Watt, Kerry Abello, and Marta all scored for the Pride. Even though the Reign fought back to keep it close, Orlando held on for the win. The Pride finished the regular season first in the NWSL standings with 60 points. The Pride will take on the Chicago Red Stars in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NWSL playoffs on Friday in their first home playoff match ever. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
Megan Montefusco Announces Retirement
Orlando Pride defender Megan Montefusco will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. She’s played in the NWSL since 2015 and joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season. In her time in Orlando, Montefusco made 45 appearances for Orlando and scored in a 2023 Challenge Cup match against NJ/NY Gotham FC. She did not play in any matches in the 2024 season after undergoing foot surgery during the off-season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. Montefusco finishes her career with 179 appearances, scoring three goals and adding four assists across all competitions.
MLS Playoff Roundup
The first round of the MLS Cup playoffs continued over the weekend, with a few teams booking their spot in the next round. The Columbus Crew’s title defense ended after they lost 5-4 on penalties to the New York Red Bulls after a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy dominated the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on the road to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Minnesota United also moved on, defeating Real Salt Lake in a shootout after a 1-1 draw and the Loons will face the Galaxy. The Seattle Sounders edged past the Houston Dynamo 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to advance to the Western Conference semifinals as well.
New York City FC bounced back with a 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati, while Atlanta United did the same with a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami as both teams stayed alive to force a third game in their series. LAFC fell 3-0 on the road to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a match that included two own goals.
Free Kicks
- The U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team defeated England 3-0 to claim third place at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
- The MLS NEXT Pro Cup is set, as North Texas SC will host Philadelphia Union II on Saturday. Both clubs shut out their opponents over the weekend to advance.
- Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah posted a message on social media hinting at his future at the club after he scored the winning goal against Brighton on Saturday.
- Wrexham was eliminated from the FA Cup after a 1-0 defeat against Harrogate Town in the first round.
- In its first league match since firing former manager Erik ten Hag, Manchester United drew 1-1 against Chelsea on Sunday.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
Orlando City
Orlando City at Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s road shootout loss to Charlotte FC?
Orlando City was offensively challenged in a 0-0 road draw at Charlotte FC and the ensuing penalties that decide who “wins” best-of-three, first-round playoff games. Those challenges included the shootout, in which the Lions made one measly spot kick on four attempts.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this disappointing penalty kick loss.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 (MotM) — Orlando City might have lost in penalty kicks, but it only got that far thanks to a good night from Gallese. El Pulpo made three huge saves in the match to keep the Lions in the game. In addition to the saves, he did well in owning the box and distributing the ball. Gallese passed at a 76.5% rate on 17 passes with 27 touches. He was successful on four of his eight long balls. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to stop any of Charlotte’s three shots during penalties, guessing correctly once.
D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — It was a mostly “blah” night for Santos. He was as anemic as the rest of the team in the first half, and most of the second half. He had the most touches of any player with 76, but only managed a 79.4% passing rate on 63 passes and struggled to get through balls to their intended targets to break lines. Santos was accurate on five of his 11 long balls and provided one cross. Defensively, he made two clearances and committed one foul. Santos came off for Kyle Smith in the 74th minute.
D, Robin Jansson, 5.5— I know that Jansson is the captain, but perhaps having a center back go second during penalty kicks isn’t the best decision. When Jansson sent his kick well over the crossbar, he all but guaranteed the return match at Inter&Co Stadium next weekend, as Nico Lodeiro had already seen his attempt saved. He also earned a yellow card for a foul against Patrick Agyemang in the 34th minute. That was the bad stuff. On the good side of the ledger, Jansson had 68 touches, passed at 91.7% rate on 60 passes, and connected on one of his five long balls. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel put in a decent shift on the back line. Defensively, he made three clearances, including one in the 26th minute to keep the ball away from Agyemang, and he made a crucial block in the box. Schlegel touched the ball 69 times with a passing rate of 91.4% on 58 passes, completing one of six long balls. He picked up a yellow card in second-half stoppage time which was his only foul committed.
D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — It was a mixed bag for Thorhallsson in this match. He had one of the few shots taken by Orlando City, though it was not on target. He touched the ball 49 times and passed at an 88.6% rate on 35 passes. Thorhallsson had a few giveaways, although he also contributed two clearances on defense. He made way for David Brekalo in the 84th minute.
MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena was his usual good self. He patrolled the defensive midfield, stopping potential attacks throughout the match. The Peruvian touched the ball 59 times and passed at an 88.5% rate on 52 passes. More importantly, he finished with four tackles and three clearances defensively. He was a big reason that Charlotte didn’t put the ball in the back of the net before the penalties.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo put in a solid shift alongside Cartagena. Overall, he was good on the night, though he wasn’t as clean as he usually is, coughing up the ball occasionally. Araujo is also good at earning fouls, drawing three in the match. He managed 67 touches, passed at an 88.1% rate on 59 passes, and was successful on four of his five long balls. Defensively, he recorded one tackle and three clearances.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo had the only shot attempt on target for the Lions in the match, coming on his only shot of the night. Frankly, there wasn’t much behind it, though. He managed 37 touches and passed at an 87.5% rate on 24 passes. He had the same problem that most of the offense had in this game. That problem was a lack of urgency in getting into the attack. It’s pretty telling that he didn’t manage to contribute any crosses. Angulo came off for Luis Muriel in the 88th minute.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 5.5 — Ojeda was excellent in the first match against Charlotte, but he wasn’t really able to make a big difference in this one. It’s not that he was bad, as he passed at a 93.8% rate on 32 passes with a total of 40 touches. He connected on three of his four long balls and made three crosses. However, he did not take any shots nor provide any assists. Ojeda came off for Lodeiro in the 75th minute.
MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — Torres was average for most of the match. It wasn’t until Oscar Pareja made the late second-half substitutions that Torres really opened up. He didn’t manage to take a shot or provide an assist, though he did have one key pass. He passed at an 85.4% rate on 48 passes and connected on one of his four long balls. He was successful on one of his six crosses, most of which came late in the match. Torres had a bad giveaway in 49th minute that resulted in a chance for Agyemang, but it was saved by Gallese. Defensively, he contributed three clearances. Had the assistant referee’s flag stayed down for Lodeiro’s run, he would have scored a goal that likely would have pushed Orlando through to the next round, and although it was a well-struck shot, it ultimately doesn’t count.
F, Ramiro Enrique, 4.5 — Given how little offense Orlando City generated, it’s not surprising that Enrique didn’t do much in this match. The striker registered no shots or assists and only touched the ball 17 times. His passing rate wasn’t great at 44.4%, but to be fair, he only made nine passes. He managed to make one tackle and provide two clearances, committing one foul and drawing one foul. If you thought he was quiet in the previous match, he was practically invisible in this one. He was replaced by Duncan McGuire in the 56th minute.
Substitutes
F, Duncan McGuire (56’), 5 — McGuire provided a different look for Orlando City’s offense after coming on for Enrique, and he managed to get a shot off, though it wasn’t on target. He finished with just 15 touches, passing at a 55.6% rate on only nine passes. He contributed one clearance and one blocked shot on defense. Most importantly, his penalty kick was saved by Kristijan Kahlina to end the match. Overall, it was a forgettable performance, but his was by no means the only one.
D, Kyle Smith (75’), 5 — Smith came on in the 75th minute for Thorhallsson for defensive help. He seemed somewhat out of sync with his teammates, though he wasn’t horrible. He touched the ball 30 times and completed 78.3% of his 23 passes. Smith completed all three of his attempted long balls and had one key pass. He also didn’t record any defensive statistics in his time on the field. He did, however, help keep Charlotte off the board through the end of the match to send it to penalty kicks.
MF, Nico Lodeiro (75’), 5 — When Lodeiro replaced Ojeda, he was one of the subs that sparked the Lions’ offensive efforts. Though they didn’t get a goal, at least they looked dangerous in Charlotte’s half of the field. Lodeiro attempted four crosses, made one key pass, and was offside three times — this included the play that could have resulted in a late Torres goal. He touched the ball 20 times and completed 68.2% of his 22 passes. On the other hand, he got Orlando City off on the wrong foot in the penalty shootout when he left his shot too close to Kahlina and at a favorable height for the goalkeeper, who guessed correctly and made a good save.
D, David Brekalo (84’), N/A — Brekalo came on in the 88th minute for Thorhallsson as the Lions went to three center backs to see out the game. He only managed six touches, completing one of his two passes. However, he made two clearances, so that’s good.
F, Luis Muriel (88’), N/A — Muriel’s entrance was definitely too little, too late. He came on to help with penalty kicks, and he was the only one to score his attempt. He managed 10 touches and completed 100% of his seven passes.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Friday’s loss for the Lions. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s shootout loss to Charlotte FC.
For Orlando City, the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs has read something akin to the start of the classic Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. In two games, the Lions truly have demonstrated what could be considered “the best of times and the worst of times,” following a 2-0 victory and now a 0-0 (1-3) shootout defeat in Charlotte.
After controlling the first match in the best-of-three series from the opening kick, Orlando City took to the road looking to close out the series. For the first hour of the match, the Lions seemed to be confused as to what the objective of a soccer match is — putting the ball in the net.
What follows are our five takeaways from a disappointing penalty kick defeat.
Gallese Was Excellent
Pedro Gallese, for me, was undoubtedly the Man of the Match, and I thought that he turned in one of his best performances of the season to keep Orlando City level after 90 minutes. On top of making several heroic saves, showcasing all of the acrobatic combinations that we have grown to expect from El Pulpo, Gallese was also instrumental in keeping his back line organized and compact while facing double digit set pieces — mainly corner kicks. Gallese also did not waffle in his decision making, choosing the proper times to come off his line and collect the ball.
After not facing many attempts in Game 1, Gallese was busier in Game 2 and constantly answered the bell. In the postseason, you cannot expect a better performance from a keeper.
Possession Without Purpose
If you just looked at the box score without watching the match, it would seem like the numbers suggest that Orlando controlled the game once again. Orlando won the possession battle 57%-43% and completed almost 150 more passes throughout the match than Charlotte FC completed (520-377). The possession numbers suggested that Orlando was even more in control in the first half (60.4%-39.6%) but statistics can be deceiving, especially if you do absolutely nothing with that possession, as Orlando did until the waining moments of the match.
We often hear that our team wants the possession to have purpose, but for a decent chunk of the game, it appeared as if Orlando was playing to try to protect a 2-0 aggregate score instead of pouncing on the opposition. The Lions are now faced with an elimination game and will have to get back to playing with purpose if they are to advance to the next round.
Offense Where Are You?
Orlando City failed to register a shot attempt in the first half and the Lions looked passive in their desire to get forward. It wasn’t until after the second-half substitutes had established themselves on the pitch that the team started to resemble the potent attacking force that fans saw in Game 1. Home-field advantage is great, but I felt like the passive nature of the team to start the match, which carried over until well after the hour mark, played right into Charlotte FC’s hands and game plan. The offense has to be better in Game 3 if Orlando City is to advance, and let’s be honest, it could hardly be much worse than three shot attempts and only one on target.
Offside? Are we Sure?
I try to take results at face value and not dwell on what could have been as there are so many individual decisions that occur in a match that it is hard to pinpoint one moment and say that it was the deciding action or call. Against Charlotte FC, in the waning moments of the match, second-half substitute Nico Lodeiro took a ball from Luis Muriel and slotted it into the box for Facundo Torres, who just needed a little space before he found the back of the net. In my living room, I literally jumped for joy only to have my wife point out the assistant referee and his stupid offside flag. As Dr. Seuss might say, “I do not like your stupid flag, I wish you kept it in a bag.” But the assistant referee did not keep it in the bag. He called Lodeiro offside in the buildup by what looked like the slightest of margins and the video assistant referee upheld the call.
I have watched the replay multiple times on Apple TV, although I have been hard pressed to see a clip of it anywhere online, and the more I watched it, the less convinced I am that Lodeiro was in an offside position. To me, I actually thought it was USMNT defender Tim Ream who kept Lodeiro onside. Nonetheless, the goal did not count, but if it had, this series would almost certainly be over.
Penalty Kick Woes
Game 2 against Charlotte FC demonstrated the dangers of what can happen during the playoffs if you don’t win in regulation. Finding success in penalty kick shootouts is not a given right in MLS, and while Orlando has enjoyed itself during trophy runs in the past, like in the buildup to the U.S. Open Cup victory, the same could not be said about the performance in Charlotte. Lodeiro and Jansson both missed to start things off and while Lodeiro’s attempt was at least on frame, it was a poor attempt. The team plane might land back in Florida before Jansson’s sky-high attempt comes back down to Earth. I do not want to see another shootout in the series, and I want to be very clear to the universe that I do not want to see another shootout, because I want Orlando City to win by a score of 4-1 in Game 3.
Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s Game 2 loss against Charlotte FC. The Lions will have a week to recover and retool before looking to close out the series at home on Nov. 9. What things stood out most to you from the match? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, vamos Orlando!
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