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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and MotM

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-0 road victory at Nashville?

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4 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions were on the road for the second time in as many matches, this time in the Music City facing Nashville SC in a rematch of last season’s Major League Soccer playoff series. Orlando continued its strong form on the road, picking up a 3-0 victory, and by doing so, clawed its way back to 500 on the season is are now sporting a positive goal differential.

Two different Lions found the back of the net and an own goal from the face of Alex Muyl led to a fourth straight OCSC win. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — For the second game in a row, the Peruvian No. 1 did not have a lot to do during the match as Nashville’s offensive woes continued and the Lions limited the hosts to just two shots on target. Gallese faced eight total shots on the night but only had to make two saves. A clean sheet is a clean sheet, though. He completed 87.5% of his 24 passes, including eight of his 11 long-ball attempts. Gallese was fouled twice in the match and required the trainers to evaluate his shoulder late in the second half but was able to continue and see out the game.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos rejoined the starting 11 after being on the bench the last several matches. It was clear during the first few minutes of game time that there was some rust that needed to be worked out, as Santos had two dangerous giveaways in the defensive third. The Brazilian also conceded two unnecessary corners in the first half. He completed 80.4% of his 46 passes, including six of 13 long balls. Defensively, Santos contributed a team-high six clearances (which bumped his grade up half a point) and one interception. On the offensive side of the pitch, Santos was mostly absent, with no cross attempts, no key passes, and no shots, and he had one unstable touch. He was substituted out of the match in the 65th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The captain did a little bit of everything against Nashville and was a solid presence in helping to secure the clean sheet. He completed 88.9% of his 45 passes but was only successful on two of his six long-ball attempts. Defensively, he had more of a quiet night with only one clearance, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel while committing one foul. Offensively, he was credited with one shot, which was off target, and he suffered a foul as well. Ultimately, statistical nights like this speak to how well Orlando controlled the midfield and stymied the Nashville attack before it reached the back line.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel continues to start and Orlando continues to win, so for the time being there seems to be no need to change up the formula. Schlegel has expereienced somewhat of a midseason renaissance while fellow center back David Brekalo was away participating in the Euros. Against Nashville, he led the Lions in both touches (64) and passing attempts (55), completing 89.1% of his passes, including four of six long balls. Schlegel also won one aerial duel and contributed two tackles and two clearances, defensively. He committed two fouls without picking up a card and had two unstable touches.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — Thorhallsson had his hands full defensively dealing with the pace of Canadian international Jacob Shaffelburg all night long. The defensive assignment limited his effectivness in the attack. He completed 32 passes at an uncharactieristically low 75% completion rate, including two of five long balls, and was unsuccesful on his lone throughball attempt. Defensively, he contributed one tackle but did well to frustrate the previously mentioned Shaffelburg throughout the game. He was issued a yellow card in the 22nd minute of the match for a tackle that came through Shaffelburg’s body but instant replay sure appeared to show that he made clean contact with the ball before the player. Offensively, he was credited with two successful dribbles and was fouled once. Like Santos, he had no shot attempts, key passes, or cross attempts.

MF, César Araujo, 7.5 — The Uruguayan defensive midfielder opened up his 2024 MLS account with the first goal of the match in the 19th minute on a long set piece delivered by Martin Ojeda. The goal set the tone early for Orlando City on the road. Araujo completed 86.1% of his 36 pass attempts, including one of his two long balls, while failing to connect on his lone crossing attempt. Defensively, he showed great chemistry with Wilder Cartagena in putting out fires before they started and keeping former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar in check. He contributed two tackles, one interception, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel while comitting two fouls. Offensively, he scored on his only shot attempt and was fouled twice while being dinged for an unstable touch.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Once again the Peruvian defender was all over the field making plays and helping to control the midfield along with Araujo. So much of what Cartagena and Araujo do during the 90 minutes goes unrecognized because it does not show up on the stat sheet, but I thought Cartagena was instrumental in controlling the midfield against Nashville. Wilder completed 86.8% of his 32 passes and connected on all three of his long balls. Defensively, he had a team-high five tackles while adding two interceptions and a blocked shot. Impressively, Cartagena was able to have such an effective night defensively while only being whistled for two fouls. Offensively, he was credited with one shot that was way off target, and he was dispossessed three times with an unstable touch to boot.

MF, Iván Angulo, 7.5 — Angulo might as well just cameo as the Energizer Bunny at this point because the speedy Colombian just never stops moving. Against Nashville, Angulo continued to showcase his strong chemistry with his fellow attacking midfielders. Angulo completed a team-high 94.4% of his 36 passes, and tied Ojeda for most on the team with his four key passes. His speed drew a yellow card on Nashville center back Josh Bauer and set up a dangerous set piece opportunity in the 29th minute. Defensively, Angulo chipped in two tackles and one interception. Offensively, Angulo didn’t attempt a shot but was credited with an assist on the third goal of the match, finding Ramiro Enrique through traffic after picking up a loose rebound.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 8 — Ojeda appears to have cemented his role in the starting 11 for the home stretch of the season after another strong performance. He completed 88% of his 25 passing attempts including both of his long-ball attempts and four of his seven crosses. Like Angulo, he genereated four key passes on the night to lead the team. Ojeda got back to help in the defensive midfield, contributing three tackles. Offensively, Ojeda failed to record a shot, which is probably the most shocking statistic of the entire match, as he is not afraid to pull the trigger, but he was credited with an assist for delivering a perfect ball to Araujo on the Lions’ first goal. It was another dangerous delivery from Ojeda on a set piece that resulted in an own goal from Nashville and a 2-0 lead for Orlando City, and while he won’t officially get credited with an assist, the quality of his delivery from set pieces as of late has been top notch. He also made a sick play to get around Shaq Moore in the left corner to set up a scoring chance.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — The Summer of Facu cooled off only slightly against Nashville in a sense that the DP failed to find the back of the net, but Willis robbed him blind on a 1-v-1 opportunity in the second half. He did almost everything else in the match. Torres completed 82.8% of his 29 passes and was unsuccessful on his lone long ball and lone cross. Defensively, he contributed one interception and a clearance and was issued a yellow card for blocking a Nashville restart in the 64th minute. Offensively, he led Orlando City both in shot attemps (3) and shots on target (2), and was credited with a successful dribble while suffering one foul and being dispossessed once. Of note, Facu failed to leave the field in a timely manner when he was substituted for Luis Muriel in the 77th minute, resulting in Orlando City being forced to play a man down for a brief period due to the new MLS rule.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 8 (MotM) — With the insurance goal in the 81st minute, Enrique now has three goals in three matches, and that is a great sign that the offense is clicking. His goal against Nashville was an absolute rocket, which slammed off the underside of the crossbar. He completed 71.4% of his 21 passes, including one key pass. The striker got back defensively and added one interception and two clearances on the night while committing one foul. Enrique stood out on offense with six aerial duels won and his holdup play showed maturity and composure. His lone shot attempt was the scorcher that put Orlando up 3-0, and he logged one successful dribble while being fouled twice. My only knock on his effort against Nashville was that he had three unstable touches and was called offside on what would have been a good goal-scoring opportunity if he had held his run for a second longer and then picked out a wide open Torres instead of firing the ball directly at Willis.

Substitutes

D, Kyle Smith (65′), 5.5 — Smith was swapped out of the starting 11 against Nashville and replaced Santos in the late stages of the match. The human Swiss Army knife played well in a reserve role but could have done better controlling the ball, where the Accountant only completed 60% of his 15 passes. To his credit, Smith did connect on two of his three long-ball attempts. Defensively, it was a quite night statistically, as Smith did not record a defensive stat. His best moment of the match came on his pass down the line to Angulo, which sprung the Colombian into the attack prior to the third goal of the match.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (65′), 6 — Lodeiro is starting to embrace the super substitute role more, and for a player of his historical quality, I would much rather have 20-30 minutes of fresh legs than see the elder statesman slug his way through an hour plus of game time. Against Nashville, Nico completed 63.6% of his 11 passes, and he recorded a shot attempt which was saved after a nice run into the box. Defensively, he did not conrtibute a measureable statistic.

F, Luis Muriel (75′), 5.5 — The Colombian entered the match with Orlando up by two goals and worked to help see out the result. Unfortunately, Muriel could not capitalize on the momentum that he generated against New England off the bench the match before and largely was ineffective with the ball at his feet in this one. He completed both of his passes, which included a long ball, and was off target with his lone shot attempt, which was blocked in the buildup to Enrique’s goal, while being whistled for offside. Muriel had two unstable touches and was dispossessed once. Defensively, he did not contribute a statistic. It would be nice to see more from the Colombian on a consistent basis.

D, David Brekalo, (87’), N/A — The Slovenian international came on with the Lions up by three goals and helped to ensure a clean sheet. At this point, Brekalo is healthy and has been back from the Euros for a few matches, but I suspect that Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s reason for not starting him has much to do with not wanting to disturb the current chemistry between Jansson and Schlegel. In short reserve action, Brekalo completed all four of his passes, which included one long ball. It will be interesting to monitor the center back pairing moving forward during Leagues Cup and down the stretch of the regular season.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (87′), N/A — Jeorgio subbed in alongside Brekalo and was able to get a few minutes of cardio in, but was not on the field long enough to earn a grade. He completed both of his passes.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Wednesday 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

How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively

How Orlando City has performed against teams playing with three or four defenders, and how that may influence the playoff game against Atlanta United.

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8 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The most famous quote about real estate is that “there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Soccer coaches also like to think in threes, especially when it comes to points, but for a soccer coach, the three things that matter might be the rhyming triplet “formation, formation, formation,” as that is where they will have the biggest influence on every game that their team plays.

Throughout his tenure as head coach, Óscar Pareja has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 as his formation (fbref.com’s lineup data shows that the Lions primarily played a 4-2-3-1 in 65% of their MLS matches this season, and 79% of their MLS matches during the last three seasons). The Lions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 during each of their last 14 games, and my confidence level is strong to quite strong (can you believe Meet the Parents came out 24 years ago?) that they will do so once again on Sunday when they host Atlanta United.

Atlanta United also prefers to deploy a 4-2-3-1, but was less consistent than Orlando City this season during MLS play, as evidenced by the chart below that shows how Atlanta lined up this season:

The purpose of this image is a table to show how Atlanta United lined up in 2024 (mostly in a 4-2-3-1 but also in one of six other formations).

I am relying on the coders at Opta for their evaluation of the formation, as I do not watch a lot of Atlanta United matches (sounds terrible), but though Atlanta primarily played with four defenders in more than two-thirds of its matches, during the last two matches it played a 3-5-2, the only two matches all season in which interim coach Rob Valentino rolled out that formation. I suspect that the formation change was related partially to playing Inter Miami and trying to defend the Herons’ dynamic offense and partially due to an injury suffered by defender Brooks Lennon in the first game of that series. So, while Atlanta primarily played four in the back for most of the season, there is a good chance it will roll with what worked against Florida’s second-best MLS team when it plays Florida’s best MLS team this weekend.

Now, if you want to read more about Atlanta, then you can read our match preview, which will drop Sunday morning, but I want to look at how Orlando did against teams that play similar styles. Looking only at MLS games, the table below shows how Orlando City performed against different back line structures this season (the left side is how the Lions’ opponents lined up, the right side is how Orlando City performed against opponents in those formations):

Table embedded as an image showing Orlando City doing best in goal differential in 12 games against three-man back lines, second best against four-man back lines, and having played once against a five-man back line (a 1-1 draw).

Orlando City earned slightly more points per game — the stat that matters most — against teams that played four in the back, but the Lions had a better average goal differential when teams played three in the back. Atlanta will likely deploy one of those two formations. In both games against Orlando City this season, Sunday’s visitors went with a 4-2-3-1, but as mentioned earlier, they used three in the back in each of their last two matches, so it really could be either.

Soccer is not like baseball, where players primarily stay in the same spot throughout the game, so some of these stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, as players are not always rigidly in the same position throughout a match. A team may also primarily play with four in the back but switch to three when chasing a game, or five when trying to protect against a late goal.

That said, using the data around Orlando City’s opponents’ general formations, here are the attacking groups who played the most frequently against four defenders during the 24 MLS games where Opta coded the opponents as using a defensive group of four:

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy four defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus eight goal differential for the season.

It is a little ominous that the main starting group, shown in row one, has played 666 MLS minutes against back lines of four this season, but do I like that green goal differential of +8 in those minutes, which is a strong +1.08 per 90 minutes. I like that goal differential more than I like all the things that Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin like on their song that is creatively named “I Like It.” Coincidentally, when people ask me what I think about that song, I say, “I like it.” I am very creative.

If we look at the lineups that Orlando City has used against back lines of three defenders then there are some pretty major differences in personnel groupings, but it must be noted that more than half of the games against teams playing three in the back came early in the season, when Ramiro Enrique was unavailable to play. Enrique, my presumed starter at striker, has played fewer than three games’ worth of minutes (265 total) against back lines of three this season, and only 28 minutes with the main starting group, which ranks 13th among all the attacking lineups for minutes played against three defenders. That group scored one goal in their 28 minutes together though, for a robust 3.21 goals-scored-per-90-minutes average.

While the team as a whole has been successful against three-man back lines, I do not expect any of the lineups shown in the table below to play more than a few minutes together this weekend, though the first row and the last row are strong groups and had a lot of success.

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy three defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus three goal differential for the season.

I am sure that all week long the Orlando City coaching staff has been going back and forth on whether it is more likely that Atlanta reverts to its most commonly used four in the back, or if the Five Stripes try for three wins in a row with three in the back. I would prefer that Atlanta plays with zero defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan wears a blindfold, but I think that is unlikely to be the case.

Even though Atlanta defeated Orlando City both times while in a 4-2-3-1, based on available personnel and recent results, I believe that the team will come out in a 3-5-2 in Inter&Co Stadium in the conference semifinal. Good things come in threes, and Orlando City’s best offensive production this season has been against three defenders, so I am going to be hoping that this continues, and in the third game against Atlanta the Lions grab the three points. Three’s company!

Well, it is a playoff game, so there are no actual points at stake, but you know what I meant.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?

Published

10 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?

Beat Guzan

Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.

Cartagena is Essential

Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.

Overcome the Past

That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday afternoon. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/21/24

Marta’s chance to shine in NWSL Championship, NWSL and MLS award winners announced, 2025 SheBelieves Cup details, and more.

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14 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending most of this week plotting out some holiday shopping to make things a little less stressful for myself over the next few weeks. A big weekend filled with Orlando soccer awaits us, so make sure to get any errands or obligations out of the way sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Spotlight Falls On Marta in NWSL Championship

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, including Marta’s opportunity to put an exclamation point on what has been an excellent season for the Pride. Orlando has been enjoying the fruits of its labor this season after a rebuild over the past few years that’s included plenty of change in the City Beautiful. Marta has been a constant, however, enduring some difficult seasons since joining the Pride and adapting her game She’s scored in both of the Pride’s playoff games so far and has a chance to author a storybook ending on Saturday.

Ann-Katrin Berger Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was named 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out the Pride’s Anna Moorhouse and Utah Royals FC’s Mandy Haught for the honor. It was Berger’s first year in the NWSL and she’s the first European player to win the award. She only conceded 16 goals across her 22 matches for Gotham this season and was a key reason behind her team’s success. I’m not too surprised that Moorhouse did not win, considering how solid the Pride’s defense was as a whole, but this won’t take anything away from a record-breaking season for her.

Wilfried Nancy Named MLS Coach of the Year

Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy was voted 2024 MLS Coach of the Year after a historic season in which the Crew set club records in both points and goals. The Crew also won the Leagues Cup this summer and their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign included advancing past Tigres and Monterrey en route to the final. This is Nancy’s first time being named Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the award every year since 2021. The Frenchman received 40.02% of the vote, winning the award over Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas.

2025 SheBelieves Cup Details Unveiled

The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup will take place next year and the tournament will return to its usual format where each of the four teams plays each other once. The United States Women’s National Team will host Japan, Colombia, and Australia in February in what should be an exciting tournament. The U.S. will take on Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston before facing Australia in Arizona on Feb. 23 and finishing the tournament on Feb. 26 against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. These games will also be the first domestic games of 2025 for the USWNT as it prepares to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Eric Quill Named FC Dallas Head Coach

FC Dallas announced that Eric Quill will become the team’s next head coach. Quill joins Dallas after a great year with New Mexico United that included trips to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and USL Championship Western Conference semifinals. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Quill, as he previously coached North Texas SC and was named USL League One Coach of the Year with the club in 2019. Dallas missed out on the playoffs this season, with Peter Luccin coaching the team on an interim basis after the firing of Nico Estevez in June.

Free Kicks

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to a bet involving this weekend’s NWSL Championship, with embarrassing lightshows on the line.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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