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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?

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4 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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Lion Links: 10/21/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride lose, Orlando City B eliminated from playoffs, Seb Hines discusses diversity in soccer, and more.

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3 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I just finished setting up broadcasting for the NISA championship match in California over the weekend. This week, I’m back to staying busy at Under Armour and covering high school sports. It was a rough weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, and we have plenty to cover today. Let’s get to the links!

Lions Fall to Atlanta United at Home on Decision Day

Orlando City fell 2-1 to Atlanta United on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium on Decision Day. The Lions trailed 2-0 early in the first half before Martin Ojeda pulled one back for Orlando just before halftime. The Lions thought they had a late equalizer from Duncan McGuire, but the referee overturned the goal after a video review. The loss ended Orlando’s three-match winning streak, but it still clinched fourth place in the Eastern Conference as New York City FC lost to CF Montreal. Orlando’s next match will be in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs at home against Charlotte FC on Sunday.

Orlando Pride Lose to NJ/NY Gotham FC on the Road

The Orlando Pride lost their second straight match with a 3-1 defeat on the road to NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday at Red Bull Arena. The Pride were down 1-0 early in the first half before Adriana converted a penalty to tie things up. Gotham added two goals from Rose Lavelle and Ella Stevens to seal the victory and extend its unbeaten streak to seven matches. The Pride’s next game will be on Nov. 2 at home when they face the Seattle Reign in their final match of the regular season.

Seb Hines Speaks on Diversity in Soccer

BBC Sport interviewed Pride Head Coach Seb Hines after the club won its first NWSL Shield. Hines discussed how he’s helped reshape the club’s culture and advocates for more opportunities for black coaches in the sport alongside assistant coaches Giles Barnes and Yolanda Thomas.

“Being a trailblazer comes with a big responsibility because I want to advocate for more black coaches and diversity within the sport.

“It’s a responsibility to fight for more equality globally. It’s less about winning and more about breaking those barriers. I want to continue to give hope to others.”

Thomas, who joined the Pride’s coaching staff in 2023, also spoke on her passion to drive change and how she was inspired by former England manager Hope Powell.

OCB Eliminated from MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs

Orlando City B was eliminated from postseason play after losing 5-4 on penalties to Chicago Fire FC II following a 1-1 draw at SeatGeek Stadium in the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs . The Young Lions got off to a great start with a goal from Jack Lynn to take the lead in the first half. However, scored an equalizer just before halftime. After 90 minutes and extra time, the game went to penalties, where both teams exchanged goals until sudden death. OCB’s Favian Loyola missed his penalty, while Jean Diouf scored to send Chicago into the conference semifinals. OCB missed out on a chance to get its first postseason win and its 2024 season came to an end.

Orlando City and Pride Announce Hurricane Relief Efforts

Orlando City and the Pride announced hurricane relief effort plans over the weekend so fans can get involved and support those in need following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. The club also announced that the Wilf Family Foundations contributed $450,000 towards relief efforts, with $350,000 going to the American Red Cross and $100,000 to Heart of Florida United Way, a charity partner for the Pride.

Free Kicks

  • Check out Orlando City’s hype video on social media leading up to its playoff match.

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. Atlanta United: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta United.

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23 hours ago

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October 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City hosted Atlanta United at Inter&Co Stadium on Decision Day. The 2-1 loss had its share of controversy, but the Lions’ home undefeated streak ended at seven. While it was a disappointing result, I’m hopeful it will put a chip on the shoulder of Orlando City so the team rolls through the playoffs.

Here are my five takeaways from a depressing but ultimately meaningless loss.

Not a Great Start, Bob

The right side of Orlando City’s defense decided that the level of difficulty in the match needed to be higher. As such, the defenders on that side all decided to take a nap or close their eyes in the seventh minute. Pedro Amador’s back heel to put Saba Lobjanidze behind the defense was slick, and it allowed Lobjanidze to put the ball past Pedro Gallese and into the bottom right corner of the goal. Nine minutes later, Gallese made the initial save on Atlanta’s corner kick, but he pushed it out to Jamal Thiaré, who gave Atlanta the two-goal lead.

It’s Ojeda’s Half

Martin Ojeda was a difference maker for Orlando City right from the start. He managed seven shots in the first half, but it was his goal in the 42nd minute that truly changed the complexion of the match for the Lions. With Orlando City down two goals, Rafael Santos crossed the ball into the box and onto the head of Ojeda, who redirected it past Brad Guzan to pull the Lions within one. It was fitting that Ojeda got the goal, given the good work he’d done all half.

The Great Gallese

Dagur Dan Thorhallsson almost put a dagger in the hearts of the Orlando City faithful when he fouled Lobjanidze inside the box to give Atlanta United a penalty kick less than a minute into the second half. Alexey Miranchuk stepped up to take the kick for Atlanta, but was denied the goal by Gallese. El Pulpo guessed correctly, diving to his right side and getting a tentacle on the shot to keep Orlando City in the match.

The Hand of McGuire

Duncan McGuire’s arm couldn’t have been closer to his body unless it was inside his ribcage. Regardless, the video assistant referee looked at it and sent referee Rubiel Vazquez to the monitor for a second look. Vazquez determined that the ball hit his hand prior to him putting the ball in the back of the net. I was watching from home, and I didn’t think the video evidence was definitive enough to overturn the goal. Of course, I’m not Don Garber…er…PRO referees. If McGuire’s goal stood, Atlanta was out of playoff contention. Instead, the decision put Atlanta into the playoff Wild Card match against CF Montreal.

Good Enough but Not Good Enough

Ultimately, the result didn’t matter for Orlando City. New York City FC’s loss ensured the Lions finished the regular season in fourth place, earning home field advantage in the round. Other than the two defensive lapses early, the Lions dominated the match. Orlando City took 20 shots to Atlanta’s seven, with eight on target to Atlanta’s four. The Lions also held 67% of the possession, and passed at a 90% rate. The chances were there, but saves by Guzan and a controversial overturned goal contributed to the Orlando City loss.

That is what I saw in the 2-1 loss. What were your biggest takeaways from the game? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Fall at Home in Regular-Season Finale

The Lions fell behind by two goals, pulled one back, and had a late equalizer overturned after video review on Decision Day.

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2 days ago

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October 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Mark Thor

Orlando City conceded two early goals and couldn’t finish its opportunities in a disappointing 2-1 loss to Atlanta United at Inter&Co Stadium on Decision Day. The Lions (15-12-7, 52 points) allowed Atlanta (10-14-10, 40 points) to do something it hadn’t done all season — score twice in the game’s first 16 minutes — and Orlando’s disjointed attack couldn’t overcome the deficit. It kind of did, but after Martin Ojeda pulled one goal back the Lions had a late, would-be tying goal from Duncan McGuire overturned by the referee after video review.

Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal Thiare put the visitors ahead early and the Five Stripes held on to sweep the season series and squeaked into the postseason’s play-in game due to results elsewhere. Orlando City clinched fourth place despite the loss, thanks to New York City FC’s loss to Montreal.

“I thought we played well, and we had some moments of distractions,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “Not that we got outplayed by Atlanta, but we got distractions on a couple plays, especially at the start of the halves and we need to correct that. It cannot happen in the playoffs. In between those moments, I thought the boys played well. We have had more sharpness on our finishing than tonight, but I thought the heart of the team was there tonight.”

Pareja’s starting lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo started in central midfield with Felipe, who filled in for the suspended Wilder Cartagena, behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Facundo Torres, with Ramiro Enrique.

The warning signs about Orlando’s sharpness appeared four minutes in when a ball found Enrique with his back to goal in the middle near the top of the area. Despite having Angulo, Torres, and Ojeda behind him or to the attacking right, he played a blind ball to the other side, where he had no teammates. Atlanta broke quickly in transition but the defense was able to recover and block a cross attempt to end the threat.

The Lions created a good opportunity in the fifth minute when a good ball from Torres sent Ojeda down the left flank. Ojeda sent in a dangerous cross to the back post that was just inches over the head of the leaping Enrique. The bouncing ball found its way to Araujo, who fired a shot on target that Brad Guzan saved, but he couldn’t control the rebound, which ricocheted to Ojeda on the left. The Argentine fired but got under the ball, sending it high over the goal and into the seats.

Two minutes later, the visitors too the lead. During a prolonged spell of Atlanta possession that the Lions couldn’t break up, Lobjanidze took a pass and played a give-and-go with Pedro Amador, who backheeled it through the Orlando back line. Both Schlegel and Felipe were caught watching on the play as Lobjanidze slotted it inside the far post to make it 1-0 in the seventh minute.

“The first (goal), I thought it was a collective distraction,” Pareja said of his defense. “And I have to admit that Atlanta did a good job on trying to move the ball in and find that space that they found there. We have to be better on those in that moment.”

Ojeda came within inches of pulling the goal back in the 11th minute. From outside the area, the Argentine smashed a shot that fizzed inches wide of the left post and into the outside netting. Three minutes later, the Lions got forward on the counter and Torres had his legs taken out from under him trying to cut inside on his left foot. There was no call or dangerous free kick awarded, and the ball ended up getting picked up further away from goal by Ojeda. The midfielder unleashed a hard shot on target but it was right at Guzan.

Atlanta doubled its lead in the 16th minute. On a scramble play in the box, Santos dangerously knocked the ball out of the air toward his own goal, giving up a corner. The service on the ensuing set piece pinged around the box and found its way off Gallese in front. Thiare was the first to the loose ball as Santos stood watching and stabbed it in to make it 2-0.

‘We didn’t clear the ball on the set piece, and by the way I see a handball too there,” Pareja said. “It was difficult to see but it was. I reviewed it already. But it’s a beautiful game. It just doesn’t stop. We have to move on.”

The Lions came close again in the 21st minute. Araujo won a free kick near the right corner and Ojeda sent a near post ball to Enrique, who flicked it on goal. Guzan was there to make the save. Ojeda went for goal on a free kick from 30 yards out in the 39th minute but his effort curled just outside the right post with Guzan scrambling.

Three minutes later, Ojeda pulled one back. A cross from Thorhallsson on the right got through the bodies in front and went out the other side. Santos gathered it and sent it back into the area, where Ojeda flicked a headed shot just inside the back post past Guzan to make it 2-1 in the 42nd minute.

“I think, more than anything, that play was just knowing my teammates, knowing that especially when Rafa has the ball, he likes to hit it in really, really strong, into those center areas, and it’ll cause a lot of ricochets,” Ojeda said. “I saw the center back was far away from that first post, so I kind of ran to that area, just like I always do, just like I always try and get into those spaces. And when he looked up and he saw me, and he hit it, you know, I just tried to convert it. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it doesn’t, but really just trying to take advantage of that opportunity and that space as I always intend to do. And thankfully, he played a great ball, and it found me, and I was able to get it into the goal.”

Ojeda had a couple of chances to equalize in stoppage time but both unfortunately fell onto his weaker right foot. The first happened in the third minute of added time. Orlando pinged the ball around the attacking penalty area but couldn’t direct anything on target. The ball eventually found Torres on the right, and the Uruguayan slid the ball into the center to Ojeda. The shot came with Ojeda’s first touch, but he floated the right-footed effort softly to Guzan.

The last chance for Ojeda came a minute later. Taking the ball down the right, he sent either a pass or shot with his right foot that again floated straight to Guzan.

Orlando City held the halftime advantage in possession (62.3%-37.7%), shot (12-7), shots on goal (6-3), and passing accuracy (86.6%-77.8%). Each team earned one corner in the opening period.

Atlanta had a golden opportunity to restore its two-goal advantage just seconds after the restart. With the Lions unable to corral a loose ball, Atlanta’s Lobjanidze picked it up in the box and was fouled by Thorhallsson. Referee Rubiel Vazquez pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty. Aleksey Miranchuk stepped up to the spot and sent a shot to Gallese’s right but the Peruvian international made a diving save to keep the score 2-1.

“Pedro has had that responsibility to bring himself back to his level, and when he saved that PK today, I thought about that,” Pareja said. “I said, ‘Well, good moment. It’s what we need now.’ Those saves that he used to do, that keep us alive in games, that are hard, and I’m glad for him.”

The chances were less frequent in the second half, with Atlanta looking to stay organized and look for chances to counter. The next decent Orlando look came in the 53rd minute when Angulo teed up a shot on the left near the top of the area, but he hit his shot poorly and missed badly outside the right post.

The Lions won several set pieces in the attacking third, but couldn’t pay them off. Likewise, the crosses didn’t find their targets when some of the bigger targets were in the box, but they seemed to be spot on for smaller guys, including a great ball from Santos for Thorhallsson in the 64th minute. The Icelandic fullback couldn’t beat his defender in the air, allowing Atlanta to clear.

Santos had a go from the top of the box in the 72nd minute, and he blasted his shot, but it fizzed just over the crossbar.

Pareja poured offensive subs into the game in the second half to try to find an equalizer, including McGuire, Luis Muriel, and Nico Lodeiro. The latter went for goal from a set piece in the 84th minute, but his near-post effort couldn’t beat Guzan.

McGuire thought he’d equalized in the 89th minute when Angulo sent a good cross in front that pinged off of a couple of bodies. The big forward smashed a shot over Guzan and just under the bar to send the sellout crowd of 25,046 into a frenzy. However, before the restart, there was a lengthy delay while the video assistant referee reviewed the play. Vazquez went to the monitor to see it for himself, and he disallowed the goal for a handball on McGuire.

The ball hit off the Orlando forward before he fired it home, but live it appeared to hit off his stomach. The replay showed McGuire’s arms straight down at his sides, and the ball may have simultaneously hit his arm and torso, but the way the rule is worded, a handball for an attacking player has a much lower bar for a call. Despite McGuire doing nothing wrong and maintaining as compact a silhouette as possible, he was penalized for it and the game remained 2-1.

“I believe I was talking with (Atlanta’s) Dax McCarty about it, not the referee,” a frustrated-looking McGuire said. “If it hits your hand and you score immediately after, no matter what, it’s called back. I don’t know where else I’m supposed to put my arm, besides next to my side, but that’s all I’m going to say.”

“The officials reviewed it and they saw a handball there,” Pareja said when asked what the match officials told him. “By the ruling, they are correct if it was a handball. I thought it was a very special moment for us and our fans, and the frustration today in not allowing that goal is big, but that is what happened.”

The Lions put the ball into the box a couple more times in stoppage time but couldn’t create a chance from it. The match ended with Atlanta squeaking into the postseason by the slimmest margin and Orlando falling at home for the first time since June 15. The Lions had multiple streaks snapped, including: a three-game winning streak, a seven-game unbeaten run at home (6-0-1) in MLS play, and a 10-match unbeaten streak in all competitions (7-0-3).

Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (66.5%-33.5%), shots (20-7), shots on target (8-4), and passing accuracy (86.6%-65.7%). Each team finished the game with its one first-half corner kick.

“This loss hurts just as they all do,” Ojeda said. “But at the same time, we’re in a good spot right now. At the start of the season, we had about four or five months where we were in a really bad zone, where results weren’t going our way, bounces in the game weren’t going our way. And it was a tough stretch, and it really hurt us. But now, looking where we are right now, we’re in a beautiful moment. We finished fourth. We’re in a good spot in terms of how the team is playing.”

“Obviously we wanted to lock in fourth place with a win tonight and end the season on a win. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here,” McGuire said. “But, you know, with other results in the league, thankfully we got fourth, and now we get to host in the playoffs, which is a huge from how we started the season. So, I’m definitely proud of the boys. And, you know, obviously it’s hard to smile tonight after we lose, but you know, we all look forward, and the positives are we still have hosting the playoff.”

“I congratulate this group of players,” Pareja said of finishing in the top four of the Eastern Conference. “Once again they brought us here. They finalized fourth in the conference and that’s not an easy task. And we like better just to take that positive side.”

The Lions limp into the postseason on the heels of this result, where they will need to be much better in a first-round series against a defensively strong Charlotte FC side. The game schedule will be announced soon.

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