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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-2 away loss at NYCFC?

Published

9 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It was a tale of two halves in a stadium that is designed for games played in innings, and unfortunately Orlando City’s positive second-half performance was not enough to overcome a woeful first half as the Lions lost 4-2 in Yankee Stadium. You are forgiven if you thought you were watching pinball instead of soccer for much of the game, but the Lions lacked a pinball wizard to help them overcome the Pigeons as they fell to 2-7-2 all time on the road at New York City.

I have not turned in grades since my last year teaching high school back in 2008, but I have brought my red pen out of retirement so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in an Eastern Conference road defeat.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — A nasty injury to Mason’s leg overshadowed everything else in this match, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I hope it looked worse than it was, but I think we are going to hear that Mason will once again have a long road to recovery ahead of him. Prior to his injury, he had been playing well. He had two saves and I do not think he was at fault for the goal, as it was a perfectly struck ball in the corner, and very few goalkeepers, if any, could have made that save. Mason only played 17 minutes in this match before his injury forced him off the field, but he did enough during those minimal minutes to earn a positive grade, even if it may be partially for sentimental reasons.

D, Rafael Santos, 4.5 — The Brazilian defender did not have one of his better games, as his 67.6% pass percentage was the lowest among all 22 starters (including NYCFC players) and he was caught ball-watching on the second goal and was a step behind as Hannes Wolf blew right past him to finish and put NYCFC up 2-0. Santos did have three tackles and made a number of aggressive attacking runs up the left side of the field, but when he did receive the ball on those runs, his crosses did not lead to anything of substance. There was time and space for Santos to set up something from the left flank in the 53rd minute but he crossed the ball straight to the goalkeeper. The Brazilian was subbed off for Kyle Smith in the 64th minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Jansson’s performance will not be one he remembers fondly, in particular because NYCFC’s second goal happened right in front of him and deflected off his leg into the back of the net. It is possible that Javier Otero may have saved the shot had it not deflected off of Jansson, but I do not fault the Beefy Swede fully for this goal, as it was a series of poor plays that all combined to drop the Lions behind 2-0. Jansson did lead the team in clearances (3) and blocked shots (2), and he was third on the team with 47 completed passes at a 75.8% rate, but in the end it was not one of his better performances for Orlando City.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — I was surprised when looking at the stats to see that Schlegel was second on the team in completed passes with 50, at an 83.3% completion rate, because for large stretches of the match I did not even think about him being out on the field. Both he and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson were caught ball-watching on NYCFC’s third goal, as they were late to react to the through ball played by Tayvon Gray, and by the time they got up to sprinting speed Agustín Ojeda had beaten them to the spot and put the ball in the net. The Argentinean finished three tackles, two interceptions and two clearances, and he made a couple of vital plays that kept the score from getting worse before halftime, with a headed clearance of a dangerously whipped in ball in the 43rd minute and a challenge that turned a would-be NYCFC scoring chance into an Orlando goal kick in first-half stoppage time. He also completed the rare game where did not get into a screaming match with any of his teammates or his opponents.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — This match was a little bit of a trick-or-treat match for the Icelandic defender, as he was a step slow in recovery for NYCFC’s third goal and his turnover led to the Pigeons’ fourth goal, but he also put the Lions on the board with a well-placed header, and his driving run into the box led to Orlando City’s second goal, even though he probably shot have shot the ball instead of trying to pass it. For the game, he completed 88.6% of his passes and led the team in aerials won (5) and tackles (4), but that one moment of ball watching that allowed Agustín Ojeda to get behind him and tap in a cross will likely be what he remembers most from this match.

MF, César Araujo, 5.5 — The last play of the game basically amounted to an undressing of Araujo as Mounsef Bakrar just dipped a shoulder and nutmegged the Uruguayan midfielder before tucking the clinching goal into the far corner of the net. It was not emblematic of Araujo’s play all game long, but it will likely be what he remembers most about this match. For the game, Araujo was his usual engaged self, leading the team in completed passes (54), fouls earned (3), fouls committed (3), and he intercepted two passes. The partnership with César and Nico Lodeiro was just not there in this game, and on a field as small as Yankee Stadium’s I think the Lions really missed the Araujo and Wilder Cartegana pairing in the central midfield of the team’s standard 4-2-3-1.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Unfortunately Torres’ scoring streak has now ended after two games, but he did make a good effort to extend it to three against NYCFC. The Uruguayan Designated Player led the team with four shots, putting two on target, including a dipping shot in the 77th minute that could have changed the complexion of the final minutes had he not hit it pretty much right down the middle. He also played a nice give and go with Duncan McGuire in the 61st minute but slipped on the turf as he tried to shoot and ended up hitting a weak shot right at the goalkeeper. In addition to leading the team in shots, Facundo also led the team with three key passes and was involved in the buildup to the first goal.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 3.5 — This will be a game to forget for Lodeiro, from the first NYCFC goal, where it was his turnover that gave the ball away to start the counterattack, to the second and third goals, where on both occasions a critical pass in the buildup happened right in front of him while he stayed yards away without putting any pressure on the ball. Due to Stajduhar’s injury, Orlando City had to use a substitution window in the first half, leaving the team with only two for the second half, so Oscar Pareja chose to use halftime to take Lodeiro off for Jeorgio Kocevski. Despite only playing during the first half, Nico did complete the fourth-most passes on the team with 40, at an 87% completion percentage, but his passes did not really create any offense and the coaching staff likely felt that they had seen enough of the partnership of Araujo and Lodeiro in the middle.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — What a different game this could have been had Angulo put away that golden chance he had in the first minute of the match, but he shot it weakly right at the goalkeeper. Unfortunately for him, that was not his only mistake of the half, as in stoppage time Angulo failed to hold off Tayvon Gray on a ball that he should have seen out for a goal kick. Instead, he allowed Gray to fight through him and pass it back into the middle for NYCFC’s second goal. As always, Angulo tried to use his speed out on the flanks, but in Yankee Stadium there basically are no flanks due the fact that they are playing soccer on a baseball field, and so he did not impact the game as much as he usually does with runs up the left side. He completed 77.8% of his 27 passes, but it was not his day and Luis Muriel subbed on for him in a Colombian-for-Colombian swap in the 64th minute.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 (MotM) — I thought this match was one of the better ones I have ever seen from the Argentinean Designated Player, as from the beginning he was all over the field and aggressive on both offense and defense. I expect that he was especially excited to start after coming off of the bench in six of the last seven matches. He could have done more, especially with some of his crosses that looked remarkably similar to those of Orlando City’s legendary lefty Carlos Rivas in how they flew very high and very far away, but Ojeda did have two key passes, including a perfect cross to Dagur Dan for the first goal. He placed two of his three shots on target, including one he absolutely ripped right at Matt Freese in the second half. Jack Lynn came on for Ojeda in the dying minutes of the game as Orlando City was chasing a third goal, but if the Lions can get more performances like this from Ojeda then I expect we will see him in the starting lineup more often.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — Duncan waited until very late in the game, but he got on the scoresheet once again, smashing a ball into the net after it rebounded off of NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese in the 91st minute. I thought Duncan brought his usual high level work rate to this match but the crosses from his teammates just were not close enough for him to be able to do anything with them and his holdup play could have been better. NYCFC’s slim field likely contributed a lot to their ability to keep Duncan isolated off the ball as well, as the hosts could keep their two central defenders around him since they did not have to worry too much about the ball going wide, because there is no ‘wide’ in Yankee Stadium. Duncan played the full match but only got 25 touches of the ball in those 90 minutes, though in those 25 touches he did win three aerials and scored his seventh goal of the season on his only shot.

Substitutes

GK, Javier Otero (29′), 5 — Otero made his MLS debut, coming in for the injured Stajduhar in the 29th minute. I am sure this is not how he had imagined it, coming in after a horrific injury, but the moment did not seem too big for the young Venezuelan, and he was engaged in the game from the first minute he stepped on the field. Unfortunately for Otero, Orlando City’s defense put him in a tough position twice during first-half stoppage time, giving up two shots from close range in the first half that both were converted for NYCFC goals. Otero might have had a chance to stop the first one had it not deflected off Jansson, and the second first-half stoppage-time goal was one that no goalkeeper would have stopped. Otero held his own in the second half, collecting one cross and completing 82.3% of his passes, but was beaten on the final play of the game by a well-placed shot that curled just around his fingertips into the far corner of the net. The shot was perfect, so it’s harsh to blame Otero for any of the three goals conceded on his watch. Still, it was not the debut that Otero would have wanted, and he is still looking for his first MLS save, but this experience will surely prove invaluable to him in future matches .

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (46’), 6.5 — The MLS rookie from Syracuse came on at halftime for Lodeiro, and I gave him some consideration for Man of the Match with how he changed the game for Orlando City in the second half. In his longest performance of the season, Kocevski played well, looking composed on the ball, completing 91.9% of his passes, and playing an incisive pass to Kyle Smith that led to the Martín Ojeda cross, allowing him to serve as provider on the first goal for Orlando City. With a midweek road game coming up at Toronto, Jeorgio may have earned himself another batch of minutes since the Lions will be on short rest, and if he can put in another performance like the one from this match, he may find himself playing more and more minutes in the second half of the season.

D, Kyle Smith (64′), 5.5 — Smith entered the game in the 64th minute for a mostly ineffective Santos, and in the most minutes he has played since April he had a solid performance. The veteran defender did not make a lot of defensive plays, only recording two blocks and one interception, but he did show his offensive abilities, completing 85.7% of his passes, including a well-placed pass to Ojeda for the secondary assist on the first Orlando City goal.

F, Luis Muriel (64′), 5.5 — The Colombian Designated Player entered the game for Angulo in the 64th minute and in his minutes on the field he provided the full Luis Muriel experience — one that I wrote about in more detail earlier this week. In less than 30 minutes on the field, he took three shots, launching two over the goal in his best Aaron-Judge-in-Yankee-Stadium impression while putting one shot on target, though that one was basically a tap after the ball bounced of the NYCFC goalkeeper. He played two key passes, including a smart ball to Torres that led to a great opportunity that Facundo unfortunately just hit too close to the goalkeeper. Muriel also completed the only through ball for the Lions, but overall he only completed 72.7% of his passes. Muriel was on the field for both of Orlando City’s goals and I believe that the offense was better with him in the game, but in my opinion he did not do as well with the ball at his feet as he could have with the Lions chasing a result.

F, Jack Lynn (90′), N/A — Lynn came on in stoppage time with the Lions chasing the game, but during his brief time on the pitch he only touched the ball twice and completed one pass.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Friday night. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy?

Published

7 hours ago

on

March 31, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City capped off its March slate of matches with a cross-country bout against the 2024 MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy. In what was the longest commute that the Lions will register in the 2025 season, Orlando looked out of sync for much of the match, especially when contrasted with the squad that stomped D.C. United at home last week. Miraculously for the fans that stayed up past their bedtimes back on the East Coast, the Lions shocked the reigning champions and stole all three points with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the final quarter hour of the match.

Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances to see who made the grade and who can improve as the calendar turns to April.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese returned for Orlando after missing time while representing Peru during World Cup qualifiers. For the most part, he did well against the pressure of an agressive attack from the Galaxy. In the end, he was credited with just one save, which was a massive righthanded block of a shot by Gabriel Pec that could have put the game away for the home side. It isn’t worth entertaining a discussion about Gallese “letting another one in,” as the goal that the Galaxy scored was off a point-blank redirection back against his momentum, and it should have at the bare minimum warranted a second look for a potential offside ruling. His distribution was mostly solid, and he had an 81.8% passing rate on his 11 attempts while completing three of his five long balls. He was booked in the waining moments of the match for time wasting — although it was Rodrigo Schlegel who kicked the ball away without being spotted, and Gallese was merely retrieving it.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — Santos had a few bright moments throughout the match, with an emphasis on the word few. I did think that he was better at getting into the attack and sent several balls across the net that had the potential to be dangerous. On the defensive end, there were just too many mistakes for my liking, whether that be careless turnovers, poor positioning, or falling asleep on the back side of the play. He and Ivan Angulo were both at fault on LA’s goal, as neither picked up Miki Yamane’s run. Santos was also overpowered twice by Pec. The Brazilian touched the ball 48 times, provided two key passes, one successful cross (on five attempts), and a passing rate of 76.9%. Defensively, he provided two tackles and three clearances. Offensively, Santos recorded a shot that was not on target. The left back currently benefits from a lack of depth pushing him for his starting minutes but will need to improve if Orlando is to continue its winning ways. He was replaced by David Brekalo in the 66th minute.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel had a productive and technically sound evening for the Lions. Defensively, he contributed one interception, a team-high seven clearances, and two blocked shots. He passed at a 93.6% rate, while touching the ball a team-high 88 times, and completed five long balls (on eight attempts). He didn’t register an offensive statistic during the match, but he played well and I thought that he had solid positioning throughout the night when the Galaxy sent balls into the box.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Something just seems off right now with Jansson, as the output from the captain simply feels less than what we have come to expect. Nonetheless, Jansson went the full 90 and recorded 65 touches. He completed 94.8% of his passes which included a team-best seven accurate long balls on nine attempts. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and three clearances. Christian Ramirez beat Jansson on the lone goal for the Galaxy.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — Freeman continues to put in the work for Orlando City. While his first West Coast trip was not fruitful in terms of goal-scoring contributions, the young Lion still managed to affect the game in a myriad of ways. He recorded 69 touches and completed 93.3% of his passes, which included two key passes and one accurate cross. Defensively, he added a team-high four tackles and two clearances. Offensively, Freeman tied Martin Ojeda for the most shots taken on the night (three) but was only able to put one on target. Freeman continues to showcase a solid motor that is helping to drive the offense, and he has shown strong chemistry with Marco Pasalic as well, but the most impressive aspect of his game against the Galaxy for me was the job he did in space defensively against Joseph Paintsil when the speedster entered the match in the second half.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — This felt like a classic Araujo performance and the Uruguayan was seemingly everywhere on the pitch. He logged 63 touches and completed 90% of his passes but was only successful on one of his five long-ball attempts. Defensively, he contirbuted two tackles, one interception, and two clearances. Offensively, Araujo did not record a stat but did suffer a team-high three fouls. Araujo was able to defend without being booked against the Galaxy, and he has shown signficant improvement this season so far in not picking up careless yellow cards.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 7.5 (MotM) — The former member of LAFC became the catalyst for the late offensive turnaround against what used to be his crosstown rival by earning a penalty in the 77th minute. He recorded 75 touches and completed 89.8% of his passes, which inlcuded two key passes, four accurate long balls on five attempts, and two succesful crosses on two attempts. Offensively, he attempted two shots, one which nearly put Orlando City in the lead when it hit the right post. Defensively, he contributed one tackle and two clearances. Atuesta benefitted from the insertion of Brekalo and Duncan McGuire, pushing forward into the attack, and without his effort, Orlando City likely would not have earned all three points. He was replaced by Joran Gerbet in stoppage time as part of a time-wasting, like-for-like substitution to see out the match.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — To put it bluntly, Angulo is not in great form right now. The speedy Colombian is failing to challenge opposing back lines in the attack and has become a liability on the defensive side of the ball. The pairing of Angulo with Santos on the left has become a favorite area for the opposition to attack, and he was partly culpable in letting Yamane sneak in toward the back post on LA’s goal. He recorded 37 touches and completed 90.5% of his passes, which included one key pass. Defensively, he chipped in one tackle and one interception. Offensively, Angulo was dispossessed a team-high four times, as the careless giveaways — often in Orlando’s defensive half — continue to pile up. Orlando clearly needs more from the left wing, who was replaced in the 66th minute by McGuire, with Oscar Pareja pushing Ojeda to the left and playing Luis Muriel as the No. 10.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda did not allow another Lion to even remotely consider taking the penalty as he quickly stood over the spot, ball in hand, and then calmly converted the PK to pull Orlando level. Ojeda has now tied his goals total (four) from the 2024 season in only the sixth game of the year. Ojeda touched the ball 56 times and passed at a 90.5% rate while providing one key pass and four accurate long balls out of five attempts. Ojeda could have stood to improve his crossing, as he was only accurate on one of his five attempts. Offensively, Ojeda took three shots (tied with Freeman for the most on the team) but put just one on target (the penalty that he converted). He badly scuffed his first shot and his second was just off target in the first half. Defensively, he didn’t contribute a meaningful statistic, which was surprising, and it kept him just a rung below Atuesta when it came to Man of the Match honors.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic showcased several individual moments of brillance in the first half when the game was moving quickly end to end. Unfortunately for the Croatian winger, those moments failed to result in a change to the scoreboard. He touched the ball 39 times and completed 81.5% of his passes, including all four of his long balls. Defensively, like Ojeda, Pasalic did not record a meaningful statistic. Despite not scoring against the Galaxy, Pasalic continues to flash his skill with the ball and has been one of the main driving forces behind the strong offensive start to the season. He was replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 82nd minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 7 — Did Muriel score or did John McCarthy botch the play? Both, but who cares? Muriel’s long-distance free kick in the 90th minute found the back of the net, and the placement of the shot contributed to McCarthy’s mistake, as the Colombian sealed the victory and three important road points for Orlando City. A play reminisent of when fellow Designated Player Ojeda hit the equalizer from practically midfield against Charlotte FC back in 2023, Muriel stepped up to a free kick well outside the box and sent a shot towards the top left corner of the net. The goal capped a well-rounded performance for Muriel, who continues to play his best soccer in an Orlando City kit. Muriel finished with 37 touches and completed 88% of his passes, including a key pass. Offensively, he registered two shots with the one that mattered being on target. His other shot was a laser through traffic that barely missed just outside the left post on a set piece. Defensively, the striker contributed a tackle. Kyle Smith replaced him in the third minute of stoppage time.

Substitutes

D, David Brekalo (66’), 7 — I thought Brekalo put in some of his best minutes of the year as he entered in the 66th minute for Santos. It was an unexpected substitution, as Brekalo is a central defender. Regardless, the Slovenian played strong and sound defense, snuffing out multiple attacking runs by Pec. He racked up three tackles and three clearances on defense and put in several eye-opening efforts in the attack as well, as Orlando looked to get back into the match. He completed 90.9% of his passes, and while he did not record a shot, he was quite active around the box and made multiple runs off of his attacking counterparts. Brekalo at left back might be something to keep an eye on, as Pareja has been looking for someone to play consistently well there early in the season. Time will tell.

F, Duncan McGuire (66’), 6.5 — McGuire secured his longest stint since his off-season shoulder surgery and looked agressive over the final moments of the match. He opens up the field in a way Muriel is physically not able to at this point in his career, as the American got in behind the back line multiple times and pulled it out of shape for his teammates to exploit. He recorded three shots, which were all off target, but it is only a matter of time before the forward finds the back of the net. He completed 80% of his five passes and was credited with a key pass.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (82′), N/A — Thorhallsson came on in relief of Pasalic and did well over the final moments of the match. The insertion of Brekalo, McGuire, and then Thorhallsson allowed Orlando to be the more dangerous side over the last 20 plus minutes of game time. He completed 83.3% of his passes and was credited with two key passes. Defensively, the product of Iceland added two clearances, and he did well to track back and help Freeman keep Paintsil bottled up.

D, Kyle Smith (93′), N/A — Smith came in following the long-distance goal by Muriel to help see out the victory.

MF, Joran Gerbet (93′), N/A — Like Smith, Gerbet was inserted to help see out the road win in stoppage time but also came into the match for Atuesta who was on a yellow card.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s come-from-behind win over the Galaxy. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 3/31/25

Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

on

March 31, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road

On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.

NWSL Weekend Recap

The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
  • Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
  • That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Five Takeaways

What did we learn from a comeback victory over the defending MLS champion LA Galaxy?

Published

1 day ago

on

March 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City went on the road on a Galaxy quest, and will fly back across the country with three points after a snatch-and-grab second-half performance earned the Lions a 2-1 victory. The Lions joined the Pride in defeating California opponents via that scoreline on Saturday, and in an even greater coincidence, both teams scored a goal on a penalty kick in the 76th minute. To quote another California icon, Ice Cube, it was a good day. Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Early Sluggishness Led to an Early Deficit

Orlando City certainly looked the part of an East Coast team playing at 10:30 p.m. with the players on their normal body clock to start the game, as LA dominated possession during the opening minutes and took advantage by scoring the game’s opening goal. To be fair, LA is a team that likes to have the ball (70%, 53% and 56% possession in the three preceding games, according to Opta’s tracking) and the official stats that Apple showed on the broadcast around 20 minutes into the first half indicated that the Galaxy had 60% of the possession during the opening portion of the game. The goal the Galaxy scored felt inevitable with how they, and Orlando, were playing, and it seemed that the goal jolted the Lions into waking up and getting into the game.

VAR taketh away, but then VAR giveth

There are no fan bases in the world, save perhaps fans of Duke men’s basketball, who think that referees are generally fair when it comes to making calls during their team’s games. That said, the fact that there was not even a trip to the monitor to review Christian Ramirez’s goal was hard to fathom. We do not get to see all the angles that the officials reviewing the play do, but with the angles that we were shown, it looked pretty clear that Ramirez was in an offside position. Referee Jon Freemon surprisingly did not go to the monitor, and the goal stood. As the game went on, it seemed like once again Orlando City was going to suffer from “PRO gonna PRO,” but then Eduard Atuesta (the Man of the Match in my eyes) was fouled in the box and the Lions received a penalty kick. It seemed certain that the call would be overturned, as the contact did not look significant and Orlando City historically has not benefitted — ever — from PRO reviews, but once again Freemon did not even go to the monitor and the penalty kick stood. Ojeda converted, and the Lions had new life.

The Left Side Was Not Right…Until it Was

Oscar Pareja made a double change in the 66th minute, removing both Iván Angulo and Rafael Santos, and he probably should have made that change even earlier. Aside from hustle, which both players showed in abundance, neither left-sided starter brought much else to the table and both were responsible for Ramirez’s goal via a complete lack of awareness of the run by Miki Yamane into the box. There were scary moments in the back throughout the time when Angulo and Santos were on the field, and while the Galaxy’s Gabriel Pec is an elite talent, he did not have to work especially hard to create some of his opportunities down the right side. The tracking at whoscored.com showed 40% of the Galaxy’s attacks were down the right side of the field, and it seemed like 100% during the minutes when Angulo and Santos were on the field. David Brekalo entered the game for Santos and took over as left back, and he played quite well in an unfamiliar role, helping to shore up the left side of the defense and give Pareja another lineup configuration to consider for future weeks.

Orlando May Soon Run on Duncan Again

Duncan McGuire played his longest shift of the season in this match, and while he did not get on the scoresheet, he looked almost back to the terrifying freight train of a striker that we have seen in purple for the last two seasons. His speed and power were there, and though his touch let him down, he still was getting himself into great positions and pulling the back line apart, and the touch will surely return soon as well. His entrance into the game allowed Muriel to drop into a central attacking role and pushed Ojeda out wide to the left, and the game really changed once that lineup was on the field together. The Lions took 10 of the game’s next 12 shots and scored two goals to take the lead.

Sometimes It Is Better To Be Lucky Than Good

I will admit that I did not think it was a good idea for Luis Muriel to shoot when taking the free kick that turned into the second goal, as I thought it would have been a much better idea to play a ball into the box and try to get a header or a shot off a pinball situation inside the box. Muriel went ahead and took a shot anyway, and there is no other way to say it than Orlando City received a gift, as Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made a mess of the shot and let it drop into his net. Muriel struck the ball with pace, but it looked like while McCarthy’s positioning let him down a little bit, his hands let him down a lot. Perhaps the karmic gods were evening out Rodrigo Schlegel’s unfortunate touch from the season opener that gifted Philadelphia a goal, or perhaps Orlando City was just due for some luck, but either way, it was an unlikely goal. They all count the same though, and this one gave the Lions two on the scoreboard and then three in the points column.

Those are my takeaways from a game that seemed headed for disappointment but then turned on its head with two late goals. Orlando City’s Designated Players added two more goals to their tally, as the M&Ms (Marco, Martín and Muriel) now have 11 between them. The team still leads the league in goals scored, and the Lions will have a chance to avenge their season-opening loss when they visit Philadelphia in their next match on April 5.

Let us know your thoughts about the match in the comments below.

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