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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 2-0 as Lions Get Blanked at Home Again

Orlando’s three-game unbeaten run is over, but the club’s awful poor home results continue.

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1 month ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Diego Rossi scored twice as the Columbus Crew handed Orlando City a 2-0 loss at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions (4-6-4, 16 points) continue to struggle at home, falling to an abysmal1-4-3 on their home patch, but this one was a controversial one, as so many meetings with the Crew (6-2-6, 24 points) are.

Referee Jair Marrufo awarded an Orlando penalty late in the first half, then went to the monitor and reviewed a play at the other end. Instead of the Lions having a spot kick, Marrufo handed the Crew a highly questionable penalty late in the first half, turning the game in the visitors’ favor. What made matters worse is that there was a seemingly obvious foul on Columbus prior to the overturned no-call on Orlando, but the penalty went the Crew’s way.

Ultimately, so did the match. The Lions saw a modest three-game unbeaten run come to an end and Orlando City hasn’t scored at home since the 37th minute against Toronto back on April 27, a span of 323 minutes.

“I thought we had the chances to define (the game) and we couldn’t score,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the effort was there. The first half we were very organized and conceded to them the space, and tried to use it, but we were not precise enough.”

Pareja stuck with the 3-5-2 formation, starting Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Wilder Cartagena, and David Brekalo, although Robin Jansson returned to the matchday lineup on the bench. Facundo Torres and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson played wingback outside a midfield of Ivan Angulo, Cesar Araujo, and Nico Lodeiro, with Jack Lynn and Luis Muriel up top.

Orlando looked to keep its defensive shape against the Crew from the jump, looking for chances to win the ball and counter. It was a tactic that worked well for much of the first half but Orlando couldn’t find a breakthrough and the Crew defenders did a good job of blocking shots when the Lions did get a sight of goal.

The Lions fashioned a chance two minutes in when Angulo cut inside from the left and fed Muriel, who fired a shot that deflected wide for the game’s first corner. The Lions couldn’t pay off the short corner, however.

Araujo sent a terrific pass to send Angulo down the right in the 11th minute but he lost control of it trying to cut back in front of goal from the right and it was touched out for a corner. The Lions again went short, and this time Muriel took it, working a give-and-go, but the flag came up for offside.

Muriel won another corner in the 15th minute with a shot that was deflected wide. Lodeiro’s cross on the set piece found a wide-open Cartagena lurking at the back post but the Peruvian drove his header into the ground too far in front of goal and it bounced over.

Shortly after the water break, Lodeiro smashed a shot that sliced just wide of the left post in the 39th minute.

The Crew took the lead just when everyone thought Orlando City would be doing the same at the other end. Lodeiro sent Muriel in behind the defense and he was bundled over from behind by Steven Moreira. Marrufo pointed to the spot and then went to the monitor to check for a possible foul at the other end. There were actually two, but Marrufo only was interested in one of them. In the buildup to the foul he gave, Rossi committed a foul as the Lions cleared the ball to the left side of their box. The Crew recycled it and Araujo grabbed Adian Morris’ shirt from behind. The Crew midfielder fell forward, when a tug back would ordinarily cause a person to fall backward, but Marrufo gave that foul, wiping out an Orlando penalty and overturning his own initial call.

Rossi scored the penalty to a chorus of boos from an angry Inter&Co Stadium crowd and the Crew led 1-0 in first-half stoppage time. The goal came on the Crew’s first shot attempt of the match.

To summarize, the original person who should have committed the foul that negated any Orlando foul in the box seconds later was the one who scored the eventual penalty.

When asked about why the Rossi foul wasn’t given in the buildup to the Araujo no-call that he overturned, Marrufo passed the buck to video assistant referee (VAR) Jorge Gonzalez.

“The VAR reviewed and cleared the attacking phase of play before sending the referee to the referee review area,” Marrufo wrote in response to the question submitted by the pool reporter. Marrufo then said that the attacking phase of play w”was checked prior to the penalty kick being confirmed.”

The problem with that answer is that the penalty wasn’t confirmed, it was an overturned Marrufo no-call, which is supposed to have a higher standard of “clear and obvious” to overturn. There’s no doubt Araujo grabbed the shirt momentarily, but it was minimal and a soft penalty, but it was still an unnecessary grab and it was a costly one.

“We couldn’t understand it,” Pareja said of the decision.

“It totally changed the plan that we had going into the game, ” Muriel said. “We wanted to be more patient, choose our moments to press, so that way we could remain organized. And after that penalty, after that goal against, it totally changed the plan, because we felt that urgency. We had to press more and press immediately. And against a team like Columbus that’s so precise in taking advantage in that disorder on our part, it’s tough. I don’t think it changed the mentality as much as it did the plan.”

Neither side fashioned much after that aside from an Orlando corner kick that went nowhere, and Columbus took its lead into the break.

The Crew held the halftime advantage in possession (62.5%-37.5%) and passing accuracy (92.3%-90.5%). The Lions attempted more shots (4-1) and won more corners (4-1), while each team put one shot on target.

Chasing the game, Orlando got stretched at times in the second half and it eventually turned out to be costly. The first warning sign came in the 48th minute, when Torres was left alone to defend against Max Arfsten, who beat him badly to get inside of him and shot. Schlegel arrived just in time to make a sliding block.

Angulo got to the end line in the 55th minute down the left channel, but his cross was straight at the goalkeeper, wasting a promising counterattack. A minute later, Muriel did well to play a ball to himself behind Rudy Camacho, who pulled back the Colombian and earned a booking.

Pareja made a triple substitution in the 59th minute, sending on Ramiro Enrique, Felipe, and Rafael Santos on for Lynn, Araujo (who was on a yellow card for the penalty foul), and Thorhallsson. However, before the trio of new players could settle in, the Crew doubled their lead.

The counterattack came in the 61st minute, with Yaw Yeboah streaking down the left side. As Angulo caught up defensively, Rossi broke in between the two defenders and chipped the cross in to make it 2-0.

“We felt that urgency to go and look for the game, and there is a trade,” Pareja said. “You do that and then you have spaces (in behind the defense).”

Orlando had a flurry of half chances after the second goal. Lodeiro forced Patrick Schulte into a save in the 65th minute at the near post, while a back-post placement may have yielded a better result. Seconds later, off the ensuing corner, the ball popped out to Cartagena at the top of the area. The Peruvian didn’t get much on his shot, trying to pass the ball inside the left post. The lack of pace on the ball made for an easy save for Schulte.

Christian Ramirez should have made it 3-0 in the 68th minute, beating Gallese on the counter but sending his shot trickling just wide of the left post.

Enrique got into some good spots late but did not look sharp after his long injury layoff and was unable to beat Schulte. Torres found him with an excellent pass in the 73rd minute but a defender stuck a foot around the Argentine and knocked the ball off of his own goalkeeper. The ball died in front of the line and Schulte smothered it.

Three minutes later, sub Martin Ojeda sent Enrique a pass on the right but he took too long to get his shot away and the defense blocked it.

Muriel won a corner in the 77th minute when his shot was blocked behind by Darlington Nagbe. The cross in on the set piece found Torres on the left. The Uruguayan headed the ball into the middle of the six-yard box but no Lions could get around the Crew defense to the loose ball and the visitors cleared.

Another Crew counter could have added to the misery but Marino Hinestroza sent a left-footed effort wide of Gallese’s goal in the 88th minute. Gallese then saved a shot right at him from Yeboah in the 91st minute on a Crew set piece.

Ojeda took a shot in the 92nd minute that missed the net wide, but Schulte appeared to have it covered anyway.

Enrique had a chance to at least spoil the shutout late. Schlegel headed a corner cross into the path of the Argentine who headed the ball hard but straight at the goalkeeper from point-blank range. Just a foot or two on either side and it’s an easy goal, but the final ball was once again lacking.

That was the last action of the match as the Lions again failed to find the net.

Columbus finished with the advantage in possession (56.6%-43.4%) and passing accuracy (91.9%-88%). Orlando finished with more shots (12-8), shots on target (5-3), and corners (8-2).

Ultimately, the referee’s decision to give the Crew a penalty and a lack of precision in the final third (again) doomed City to yet another home loss.

“It’s difficult to comment on a game like that, because at one point we thought we were about to be up with a penalty, and then in the next moment we were given a penalty against us,” Muriel said. “So, I think that confused us, and we were wanting to press a team, which is difficult to do against a team that has the quality of Columbus. At the end of the day, I don’t think we were as clear. We weren’t having the luck that we needed in those moments to score goals.”

“I thought the boys played well except in the second half, when we looked unorganized and started losing our shape,” Pareja said. “Listen, the frustration is there, but this is our journey. We keep going. In the last three games we have done fantastic things. They have done things that they didn’t do before and we have to keep growing.”

The Lions have a short turnaround before a road match against the Fire in Chicago on Wednesday, with a trip to play the Red Bulls looming a week from tonight.

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Lion Links: 6/25/24

Two Lions earn recognition, Brianna Martinez signs new contract, two Californian teams fire coaches, and more.

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21 hours ago

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June 25, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It was a good weekend to be an Orlando soccer fan as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City combined to score 10 goals in the team’s two games, while taking all six points. Things aren’t going to slow down this week, as all three of Orlando’s teams are in action, and the United States Men’s National Team will play its second match of Copa America. Let’s jump into today’s links.

Lions Make MLS Team of the Matchday

A pair of Lions were rightfully rewarded for their performances in Orlando City’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Fire with a place in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Facundo Torres gets the nod in the midfield, while Mason Stajduhar was chosen between the sticks. Torres hit a pair of missiles from distance to spark OCSC’s offense to its highest goal output of the season. Stajduhar’s 10 saves tied a club record while helping the Lions get over the line with all three points secured. Nic Josey gave Stajduhar and Torres an 8 and 8.5 out of 10, respectively, in his player grades from the match‘, and it’s nice to see the duo get the recognition they deserve. Here’s hoping there’s more to come.

Brianna Martinez Signs New Contract

The Orlando Pride announced they have signed defender Brianna Martinez to a new two-year contract. That means she’ll be at the club through the end of the 2025 season, as the Pride got their business done early and ensured it has one less item to take care of in the off-season. Martinez has played in 12 games this season, starting in nine of them, so Orlando is locking up a developing player, who’s been an important part of the team’s success this season.

Californian Coaching Carousel Keeps Spinning

Coaching is a profession with no room for sentimentality, as was proven on Monday when a pair of California teams parted ways with their skippers. First up, the San Jose Earthquakes are comfortably the worst team in Major League Soccer, and club leadership decided to make a change by firing Luchi Gonzalez. Considering the Earthquakes are on 11 points through 19 games, with 51 goals conceded, it’s hard to argue with the decision. On the other hand, unless ownership invests more in the squad, simply changing the coach likely won’t make enough of a difference. Regardless, Ian Russell has been named interim coach, and faces a tough task in trying to reverse San Jose’s fortunes.

Moving down the coast by a few hundred miles, the San Diego Wave executed a much more shocking move by firing Casey Stoney. After 14 matches, the Wave are just one point outside a playoff position, but they’ve also scored a paltry 12 goals and haven’t won a game since beating the league-worst Utah Royals 2-0 all the way back on May 8. Winning the NWSL Shield last year and making a semifinal playoff appearance in each of the team’s first two seasons weren’t enough to keep her at the helm, and she’s been replaced by Paul Buckle as interim coach.

Euro & Copa America Updates

It was another exciting day of action in both Euro 2024 and Copa America play, so let’s catch up on everything that took place. In the Euros, Spain grabbed an early goal from Ferran Torres and coasted to a comfortable 1-0 win over an Albanian side that gave a good account of itself at the tournament. Spain won all three of its group games and advanced atop of Group B. Meanwhile, Croatia looked sure to advance in second place thanks to a goal from Luka Modric, but Italian substitute Mattia Zaccagni scored a beautiful curler with the last kick of the game to level the match at 1-1, break Croatian hearts, and send Italy through with four points to Croatia’s two.

Moving stateside, James Rodriguez pulled the strings for Colombia as a sea of yellow in Houston cheered Los Cafeteros to a 2-1 win over Paraguay. Rodriguez had two first-half assists to propel Colombia to its ninth straight win across all competitions. In the later game, Brazil and Costa Rica battled to a physical 0-0 draw in Los Angeles. Brazil had 73% of possession, and took 19 shots to Costa Rica’s two, but only put three shots on target and ultimately couldn’t find a way past Patrick Sequeira.

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That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. the Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 4-2 home victory against the Chicago Fire?

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2 days ago

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June 24, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a midweek draw against Charlotte FC and on the tail end of three matches in eight days, Orlando City returned to Central Florida for the second meeting of the season against the Chicago Fire. Orlando City recorded its best offensive performace of the season, winning 4-2 in front of the home crowd.

Let’s take a look at how the players performed individually in the much-needed home victory.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 8 —  In his third straight start in net, Stajduhar answered the bell time and time again for Orlando City against the Fire and in doing so, put in arugably the best performance by an Orlando City keeper this season. On the night, Mason made a total of 10 saves, tying a club single-game record. He completed 61.8% of his 34 passes, which included seven accurate long balls on 20 attempts and was also credited with one clearance. The keeper can hardly be faulted for the two goals scored, as he guessed wrong on a Chicago Fire penalty kick early in the second half and then allowed the second goal from point-blank range on a giveaway by his back line.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos recorded 50 touches and completed 87.5% of his 32 passes, including completing both of his long ball attempts but missing failing on his lone crossing attempt. Santos had a team-high four interceptions while also contributing two clearances but failed to record a tackle. Santos was unfortunate that the second goal came off his leg, as he would have expected captain Robin Jansson to deal with the cross. When the Swede whiffed, it hit the back of Santos’ leg and teed up Hugo Cuypers for an easy goal. One thing Santos did well in this match was switch the point of attack. Offensively, Santos did not attempt a shot, was dispossesed once, and had one unstable touch.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The Swedish center back recorded 47 touches and completed 91.7% of his 36 passes, including two of his five long balls. Defensively, he added a team-high six clearances and two tackles. He unfortunately played a major role in the second Fire goal, giving the opposition a lifeline as he whiffed attempting to clear a Chicago cross into the box in the second half. Jansson was fouled once and committed no fouls against the Fire.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 —  The Argentine touched the ball 46 times and completed 79.4% of his 46 passes, including one of his four long balls. Defensively, he won a team-high three aerial duels and contributed two tackles, four clearances, and a blocked shot while committing one foul. Schlegel gave away a penalty with a late slide as he tried to recover on defense in the 51st minute. Attempting to deny a cutback pass, the ball hit his arm as he was going to ground. If his arm had been making contact with the ground, the play would have been legal, but it had not yet touched and it allowed Maren Haile-Selassie to score from the spot. Offensively, Schlegel did not record an offensive statistic but drew three fouls.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7.5 — The Icelandic fullback recorded 47 touches, completing 80.7% of his 31 passes. Thorhallsson was credited with a team-high three key passes against the Fire but was unlucky in the long ball department, failing on all three of his attempts. Defensively, he logged two tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances while comitting two fouls. Offensively, Thorhallsson failed to record a shot but assisted on both Facundo Torres bangers. He completed two dribbles and looked potent in the attacking third of the field.

MF, Facundo Torres, 8.5 (MotM) — The Designated Player showed the form that Orlando City has been waiting for all season, picking up where he left off Wednesday in Charlotte. The Uruguayan played with confidence Saturday. He recorded 46 touches and completed 89.2% of his 37 passes. Torres put both of his shot attempts on target and scored a goal on each of them. He also completed one dribble and drew one foul. Defensively, Torres did not record any statistics but did commit one foul. Torres’ early goal set the tone for the team’s best offensive performance on the year.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in Charlotte and managed a team-high 56 touches while completing 89.6% of his 48 passes. He was acurate on three of his four long balls as well. Defensively, he logged three tackles and one clearance and was issued a yellow card in the 83rd minute. Statistically, it was a calm night for the young Uruguyan. A criticism of not just Araujo, but the team as a whole, is that there was too much space outside the area left for gifted players like Brian Gutierrez to fire uncontested shots.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6 — Lodeiro recorded 55 touches and completed 84.1% of his 44 passes. He completed one dribble and suffered three fouls. Defensively, he logged two tackles and an interception. Lodeiro’s hustle in the third minute was the catalyst for the opening goal as the midfielder slid to win a 50-50 ball and knocking it to Thorhallsson. For that, he received a secondary assist on the play. Surprisingly, Lodeiro did not record a key pass after amassing 10 on Wednesday, nor did he attempt a shot. He was subbed off in the 66th minute for seldom used rookie Jeorgio Kocevski and fresh legs.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7 — The Colombian had a solid outing, scoring a goal, drawing a penalty, and using his speed effectively. Angulo used that speed to slip past two defenders on a through ball from Luis Muriel and was pulled down from behind, leading to Muriel’s penalty kick goal. He had a chance in transition to put the game away late but missed the target on his shot from the left. Angulo finished with 39 touches and completed 91.7% of his 24 passes, including a successful long ball on his only attempt. He drew one foul. One area of concern was his three unstable touches. Defensively, he led the team with four tackles and logged an interception.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel recorded 36 touches and completed 76% of his 25 passes. He was successful on his lone long ball attempt as well. He finally scored at home, sending Chris Brady to score from the penalty spot. He put both of his shot attempts on target and and completed one dribble but also had five unstable touches. Defensively, he got back and contributed a tackle and an interception. He was subbed off in the 59th minute for Martin Ojeda.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — The target man up top recorded 24 touches, completed 85.7% of his 14 passes, and was successful on his lone long ball attempt. Offensively, McGuire put his lone shot attempt on target but was not as involved in this match. His back heel attempt in the 29th minute was initially saved by Brady, but it was not a clean save and resulted in Angulo’s goal. There were a few instances where he could have done better, as the striker was dispossesed three times, including a bad giveaway in the 11th minute that nearly led to a tying goal at the time. Stajduhar was able to deny a good chance by Cuypers and Haile-Selassie put the rebound over the net. McGuire was whistled for offside once and had an unstable touch. Defensively, he chipped in with a tackle and a clearance.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (59’), 5 — Ojeda came on in the 59th minute for Muriel and the attacking midfielder managed just 17 touches and completed only 50% of his eight passes, including one successful long ball on two attempts. Ojeda was credited with one key pass when he picked out Angulo on the break, but the Colombian was unable to finish the job. Ojeda took one shot which sailed just inches over the crossbar with an open net in the 87th minute. He was dispossessed once and had three unstable touches. Defensively, he contributed two tackles.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (67’), 5.5 — Kocevski entered the match in the 67th minute for Lodeiro. He had 10 touches and completed four of his six passes (66.7%). He had one dribble and also recorded a tackle and a clearance while providing solid, if not unspectacular, depth in the midfield.

D, Kyle Smith (78′), 5.5 — Smith came on for Santos in the 78th minute as Orlando looked to lock things down defensively. He logged 16 touches and completed 60% of his 10 passes. Smith failed to connect on both of his long ball attempts. In limited minutes, he won an aerial duel and contributed one tackle, one interception, and three clearances. However, he also had a bad giveaway in the 79th minute that forced Stajduhar to punch away a hard shot by Gutierrez.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s victory against the Chicago Fire. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links: 6/24/24

Lions and Pride win, Abdi Salim joins Detroit City on loan, USMNT wins Copa America opener, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 24, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m just staying busy at Under Armour all weekend, returning to my footwear lead manager role and catching some of the Euro and Copa America matches. Both the Lions and the Pride won over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Lions Defeat Chicago Fire at Home

Orlando City snapped its five-match winless streak Saturday, defeating the Chicago Fire 4-2 at Inter&Co Stadium. Facundo Torres scored twice, and Luis Muriel and Ivan Angulo added one each to offset Chicago’s two goals in a much-needed victory. It was only the second home win for the Lions this season. Chicago saw its four-match unbeaten streak end and moved to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 18 points. Orlando moved up to 10th with 21 points. The Lions will be on the road again Friday to take on New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.

OCSC Center Back Abdi Salim Joins Detroit City on Loan

USL Championship side Detroit City FC has apparently reached a loan agreement with Orlando City to have center back Abdi Salim join the team. The loan was reported Saturday by Nolan Bianchi and, although there has been no official word from Orlando City, Salim played for Detroit City Saturday night in a friendly against Pumas of Liga MX.

Salim was not only in the starting XI on Saturday, but he also scored the lone goal to win the match 1-0. In case you missed it, check out Salim’s header and back flip celebration:

Pride Cruise at Home Against Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride returned to their winning ways Friday with a dominating performance at Inter&Co Stadium in a club-record, 6-0 victory against the Utah Royals. Barbra Banda and Marta each scored twice, while Summer Yates and Ally Watt added goals in a big win for the Pride, extending Orlando’s unbeaten streak to 14 matches. After this weekend’s results, Orlando and the Kansas City Current are tied with 32 points, but Kansas City’s 4-1 beatdown of the Thorns in Portland has the Current in the top spot on goal differential. The Pride will be on the road Sunday to face Angel City FC at BMO Stadium.

USMNT Beats Bolivia in Copa America Opener

The United States Men’s National Team won its Copa America opener 2-0 against Bolivia at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. Christian Pulisic scored for the USMNT and added an assist on Folarin Balogun’s goal late in the first half. For Pulisic, it was his 30th career goal for his country in 69 international appearances. Tyler Adams made his first start for club or country since March 30 and played 45 minutes. Even though the USMNT couldn’t add more goals in the second half, the Americans did enough to take all three points. The USMNT will play Panama Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Euro 2024 Roundup

It was another busy weekend of action in the Euros, as eight matches took place over the weekend. On Friday, Ukraine overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat Slovakia 2-1 to stay alive in the tournament. Austria bounced back with a 3-1 win against Poland. France and the Netherlands split the points in a scoreless draw, which resulted in Poland becoming the first team to be eliminated from Euro 2024. On Saturday, Georgia and the Czech Republic battled to a 1-1 draw. Portugal clinched a spot into the round of 16 with a 3-0 victory over Turkey, and Belgium rebounded with a 2-0 win against Romania. On Sunday, Hungary grabbed a late winning goal to eliminate Scotland 1-0 and still has a chance to move on to the round of 16. Switzerland held a 1-0 lead into stoppage time, but Niclas Fullkrug equalized to snatch a 1-1 draw for Germany at the death, winning Group A. Both teams advanced to the round of 16. Today’s matches will wrap up play in Group B as Albania faces Spain and Croatia takes on Italy.

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

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