Orlando City
Orlando City vs. LAFC: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from a wastefull loss to LAFC.
After two weeks off, Orlando City returned to action and unfortunately is still struggling to finish chances, falling 3-1 at home to Western Conference powerhouse LAFC. A rollercoaster game, which saw the Lions control a good majority of the action, was ultimately wasted in yet another disappointing home loss. What follows are my five takeaways from a match which truly feels like a microcosm of the entire Orlando City season thus far.
Wasteful Shot Attempts
After managing fewer than 10 total shot attempts over their last two matches combined, the Lions must have used the bye week to read The Mane Land and our stories imploring the Lions to shoot more throughout their matches. Shoot more they did, tallying 11 shot attempts in the first half alone. The major problem with those 11 shot attempts was that not a single one was on target. At this point it almost feels personal, as I am not sure how you create that many looks without at least putting one or two on frame in a half.
Our own Andrew DeSalvo recently broke down the math behind Orlando City’s recent scoring struggles, attributing them in large part to not getting shots on frame, and while the Lions improved their shot attempts total against LAFC, the accuracy to place even a small fraction of those attempts on target was sorely missing. Orlando finished with 19 shot attempts and 18 of them missed the mark. That includes the biggest miss of all…
Blown Penalty Kick
Orlando City looked threatening enough in the first half, even though it had failed to put a shot on target, and in the 31st minute Facundo Torres drew a penalty in the box after he was bundled over from behind by Eduard Atuesta. Up until this point in his career — not just his Orlando City career, but his entire career — Torres had been perfect from the spot. Five of his six previous penalty attempts had all been successful to the left toward the upper 90, with the sixth attempt slotted into the back of the net on the right. His first-half attempt again followed the general direction of the majority of his previous successes, but he unfortunately sent his rising shot just outside the top left corner.
It was a moment that truly summed up Torres’ (and Orlando City’s) struggles thus far on the season. If he’d been successful, Torres would have paid off Orlando’s early momentum and rewarded the team for dominating the game and the chances to that point. Instead, LAFC grew more comfortable in the game, held more possession the rest of the half, and converted its own penalty just before the break. Orlando entered the locker room as the better squad yet still faced a 1-0 deficit.
Hell, Cesar!
LAFC’s halftime lead didn’t have to happen, and despite the crowd not liking the call, Cesar Araujo committed a foul on Denis Bouanga in the box late in the first half. Orlando’s right-side defenders, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Rodrigo Schlegel, were caught out and Robin Jansson and Araujo rotated to cover for them. Between the two, they did well to force Bouanga wide to LAFC’s left side of goal, where the attacker had to either find a way in front through traffic or make a pass to a teammate to hurt Orlando. He may even have pulled the ball out wide to wait for support.
Araujo anticipated a cutback pass and went to ground, sliding to take away the lane. However, the midfielder caught Bouanga’s foot, bringing him down. Once Rubiel Vazquez determined there was contact, there was no way a video review would result in anything but a penalty. The replay showed contact, and that’s enough to eliminate any argument of a clear and obvious error. From a position to limit Bouanga’s threat, Araujo instead unwisely went to ground and ended up sending LAFC’s most lethal finisher to the penalty spot, where he beat the correct guess of Mason Stajduhar and gave the visitors the lead just before the break. It was a bad decision.
Ojeda’s Equalizer
Designated Player Martin Ojeda entered the match near the hour mark with Orlando City still down a goal. It didn’t take him long to affect the match in a positive way. In the 69th minute, Ojeda linked up with fellow DP Luis Muriel for a quick give and go, receiving a chip pass from Muriel right at the top of the six-yard box before slotting it past Hugo Lloris to tie the game at a goal apiece. Ojeda turned in one of his most confident performances of the season and appeared more comfortable in a substitute role which, by most metrics from a season ago, seemed to suit him well.
Speed Kills
After equalizing, Orlando City continued to hunt for the go-ahead goal and, for a brief moment in time, it looked as if it wasn’t a matter of if, but rather of when the Lions would take the lead. The hope of securing three points at home or even settling for a draw in a game evaporated late, as LAFC scored twice in six minutes to take a 3-1 lead. It’s hard put blame on any one aspect of the defense as there were multiple breakdowns that allowed LAFC to score quickly on the counterattack. But it was mainly the speed of Mateusz Bogusz and Bouanga, who simply outran everyone in purple to get in alone on Stajduhar’s goal. Orlando wasn’t badly outnumbered or outpositioned, but the pace of those two LAFC players was too much with that much space to defend.
While conceding goals on two quick counters was heartbreaking and ultimately sealed the match, it should be noted the Lions were more than wasteful with opportunities throughout the game, which could have resulted in a much different narrative.
That is how I saw things shake out in a disappointing loss yet again in front of the Orlando City faithful. What things; good or bad stood out to you in the 3-1 defeat? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/25/24
Two Lions earn recognition, Brianna Martinez signs new contract, two Californian teams fire coaches, and more.
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.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City has officially announced Abdi Salim’s loan to Detroit City FC, and it will be through the end of the 2024 season.
- The Pride dropped one place to second in CBS Sports‘ NWSL power rankings.
- Orlando City rose three places to 18th in ESPNs MLS power rankings.
- The Pride are one of five teams in NWSL history to have more than 30 points through 14 games.
- Sporting Kansas City has parted ways with Brian Bliss, the team’s technical director.
- Gregg Berhalter hailed Christian Pulisic’s leadership in the United States Men’s National Team’s 2-0 win over Bolivia.
That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
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?
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.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/24/24
Lions and Pride win, Abdi Salim joins Detroit City on loan, USMNT wins Copa America opener, and more.
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.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese started in Peru’s Copa America opener against Chile Friday. Both teams got a point after a scoreless draw. Peru will play Canada tomorrow at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.
- Mexico defeated Jamaica 1-0 in its Copa America opener over the weekend. However, Edson Alvarez left the pitch with an injury during the first half and will undergo testing to determine his status before the match against Venezuela on Wednesday.
- San Diego FC is reportedly set to announce former LAFC and Toronto FC head coach Bob Bradley as its head coach to lead the club in its inaugural season in 2025.
- Espanyol earned promotion back to La Liga after a 2-1 aggregate win over Real Oviedo over two legs in the La Liga promotion playoff final.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
Striking in “Big Five Moments” Key for Orlando Pride’s Historic Win
Lion Links: 6/25/24
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David Moates
June 17, 2024 at 10:26 am
As usual, when we do shoot, you would think we’re shooting at a hockey goal. I’ve never seen a team spray so many attempts off of goal. So now everyone is timid about taking a shot unless they can walk it into the net. Muriel’s time has passed. He is old and slow. Doesn’t have ball skills to beat defenders and get his own shots. He just plows ahead until he is relieved of the ball. He reminds me of when we got Kljestan from Red Bulls and was totally ineffective. A waste of our DP slot. He would be better dropping back into a false 9 and getting the ball to Maguire. He is the best we have at finishing right now. I bet he can’t wait to get over to Europe next year though.
Lodeiro is a poor replacement for Pereyra. He is all over the place. Does not get the ball to the front to help them. He has reduced Torres to an afterthought.
Whatever offensive assets we have are being totally wasted. So unless we can get a clean sheet, we are out of every game because we are lucky to score even one a game.
Hoganisme
June 18, 2024 at 8:34 am
I agree that Murel’s time has passed. I also nominate Torres for seat warming duty.