Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Run Rampant in Leagues Cup Opener

Four different Lions scored as Orlando City ran over CF Montreal.

Published

5 months ago

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Four different Lions scored as Orlando City blasted CF Montreal 4-1 at Inter&Co Stadium in Leagues Cup action in front of an announced crowd of 16,033. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Facundo Torres, Ramiro Enrique, and Martin Ojeda provided plenty of offense on a night that Orlando City (1-0-0, 3 points) could easily have scored six or seven against visiting Montreal (0-1-0, 0 points). Josef Martinez prevented the shutout, but Pedro Gallese got the last laugh by denying the Venezuelan striker on a penalty kick a few minutes later.

“It’s a great night for us in front of our fans to score four goals against a very difficult rival,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And you see a team in that evolution that we are looking for, keeping that momentum that we had in the last six games, and it’s all good to see.”

Pareja’s lineup included Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Torres, Ojeda, and Nico Lodeiro, with Enrique up top.

The game was wide open in the early going, with each team getting forward in the attack. A good ball over the top by Cartagena sent Thorhallsson in behind the defense in the fifth minute, but Sebastian Breza did well to get a touch to it and knock it away from the Icelandic fullback. Enrique ran onto it and smashed it on target but right at Breza, who made the save. Orlando quickly won a free kick from the right and Ojeda picked out Jansson, who smashed a header toward goal, but Breza made a good save to keep the game scoreless.

Montreal had the next big chance, as former Lion Ruan cut inside of Smith in the sixth minute and centered the ball for a shot from Mathieu Choinière, but it was right at Gallese.

One minute later, the Lions opened the scoring. The play started with a blast from Ojeda on the left that Breza saved. The rebound popped out of the box to Lodeiro, who fired a shot that Montreal’s defense was able to block. The ball rebounded to Thorhallsson, who blasted it just inside the right post to make it 1-0 in the seventh minute.

“I saw the ball come to me and I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just shoot it,'” Thorhallson said. “I took a touch and shot, and thankfully it went in, so it was a happy feeling. Pretty great.”

After the goal, the next 15 minutes were a bit sloppy by both teams. Passes were frequently sent off line or out of play completely, as the teams both struggled to find rhythm. Eventually it was Orlando City that settled in better. However, before that, Montreal had a pair of chances in the 25th minute.

Sunusi Ibrahim collected the ball at the top of the area, turned, and fired a shot that was blocked. The rebound fell to Gabriele Corbo, who fired a long-range effort at goal. It was on target, but Gallese parried the swerving shot away.

After the hydration break at the half-hour mark, the Lions looked like the more refreshed team.

Orlando hit on the counter in the 37th minute. Araujo made a good move to break through the defense down the right side, then sent in a fantastic cross with two teammates breaking. Enrique lunged for it but could only get a touch to it. The ball continued through the box to the far post, where Torres put it in. The goal was originally called offside, but Leagues Cup uses Virtual Offside Line technology, which (eventually) ruled it was a good goal, and the Lions led 2-0.

“Obviously very happy to be able to score the goal,” Torres said. “On the play I saw Ramiro going towards the center of the box, and then I saw Cesar play the ball towards him. So, I just thought I’ll run to the second post and be there, and then at first we thought Ramiro might be offside, but thankfully, when he was able to make the play on the ball, he wasn’t, and I was just able to bury it.”

Smith did well to send Torres into space in the 43rd minute, and the winger sent in a good cross for Enrique, but the Argentine’s header was wide. Orlando got its third moments later anyway.

The Lions broke forward in transition and Torres slipped Enrique behind the defense. Enrique took a touch to set himself up and then used the outside of his foot to send a shot past Breza in the second minute of first-half stoppage time to make it 3-0. It was Enrique’s fifth straight game with a goal in all competitions, tying Daryl Dike’s club record.

Torres got one more chance before halftime but his shot was blocked. Orlando couldn’t do anything with the ensuing corner kick and that was it for the first half.

Orlando City held the halftime advantage in shots (11-3), shots on target (6-2), and corners (3-0), while the visitors held a slim edge in passing accuracy (85.4%-85%).

“In the first half, we solved the game early in terms of just being sharp on scoring,” Pareja said. “We knew that Montreal would come to look for us in the second half and they will just give us some spaces, and that is what happened. And then again, we are fine in front of the goal and it’s something that just makes us look very good.”

The Lions tried to pick back up where they left off after the break. Enrique laid off a perfect drop pass for Cartagena in the 47th minute, but the Peruvian sent his shot just inches wide of the left post. Five minutes later, Ojeda picked out Lodeiro in front with a precise pass, but the Uruguayan’s shot was right at Breza.

It was Araujo’s turn to fire wide in the 54th minute after another good Orlando buildup.

Orlando extended its lead three minutes later. Lodeiro made a good move in the midfield to free himself from traffic and lifted a beautiful chip pass over the defense for Ojeda to run onto. The Argentine smashed a shot through Breza’s legs and in to make it 4-0 in the 57th minute. With that goal, Ojeda extended his goal contribution streak to seven games across all competitions, breaking Dike’s club record of six.

“Martin got his momentum once he improved his fitness and that physical condition that he knows that is required to perform at that level as a DP (Designated Player), and as a protagonist of the team, and somebody who can carry the team on his shoulders,” Pareja said. “And Martin raised all those numbers, and I think he’s now rewarded by the game.”

Montreal finally got a half-chance in the 60th minute when second-half substitute Tom Pearce cut in from the left and sent a bad-angle shot wide of the right post. The visitors grew in the game a bit as Orlando appeared to take its foot off the gas. The first warning sign was a decent attacking movement that resulted in Jansson having to make a lunge to concede a corner rather than a scoring chance, but Orlando cleared the set piece.

Montreal pulled a goal back through an old Orlando City nemesis. The visitors worked the ball into the box, with Ariel Lassiter sending a pass to fellow second-half sub Martinez, who broke free of Jansson and powered a shot toward the left post that Gallese couldn’t keep out, making it 4-1 in the 69th minute.

Just minutes after the goal, Martinez had a golden opportunity to cut Orlando’s lead to two. Araujo was whistled for a foul in the box, handing Montreal a penalty kick. Martinez tried a cheeky stutter-step approach, but Gallese dove to his right and got a strong hand on it to keep it out with a huge save in the 74th minute.

“You have to wait until the last minute, especially with how Josef takes his penalties,” said Gallese, who made his third save on six penalties faced in 2024. “So you have to wait in those moments right before (he shoots). You have to maintain your calm and just focus on what’s about to happen.”

“It was an amazing save and important, because I felt like we were a little bit slowing down, which is not good,” Thorhallson said.

The Lions should have had a fifth goal in the 75th minute. Torres got in behind on the right, pulling Breza out of goal. The Uruguayan stopped and unselfishly played a pass to Enrique, who fired a shot right at the only defender in the penalty area, who made an easy block.

Orlando kept looking for goals, with substitute Luis Muriel firing off target in the 81st minute and fellow second-half sub Rafael Santos heading just inches wide of the left post on a corner kick a minute later. Araujo then found space just outside the area but was leaning back when he shot, sending his effort high into The Wall behind the north goal. Muriel sent a left-footed effort over the bar a few minutes later on the last look of the evening.

The game came to an end after only two minutes of stoppage time and the Lions had a win in their opening game of the competition.

Orlando City finished with the advantage in shots (24-8), shots on target (10-4), corners (5-2), and passing accuracy (87.8%-86.8%), while Montreal finished with more possession (54.2%-45.8%).

“We’re happy with the result, but as this competition tells us, we need to get ready for the next one,” Pareja said.

The Lions will finish up Leagues Cup group play on Sunday, Aug. 4 vs. Liga MX side San Luis. Montreal will host San Luis Tuesday night in the other group match.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Jack Lynn

The young striker played a career high in minutes for Orlando City and played in all four
competitions.

Published

10 hours ago

on

December 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Jack Lynn joined Orlando City through the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, when he was selected in the first round by the Lions with the No. 18 overall pick out of Notre Dame. He primarily played with OCB during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, scoring 15 goals in 2022 and 19 in 2023 while earning the MLS NEXT Pro MVP for that season. He was a depth player for most of the 2024 season with Orlando City, but late in the season he returned to playing more frequently with OCB, and quickly found his goal-scoring form once again with the Young Lions.

Let’s take a look back at Lynn’s 2024 season.

Statistical Breakdown

After two seasons of double-digit goal scoring in MLS NEXT Pro, the young forward looked to be a leading candidate to serve as the backup to Duncan McGuire, and in the opening few months he was frequently in the game day squad. However, the signing of Luis Muriel meant that he often was an unused substitute as the Lions used McGuire and Muriel as their strikers. Ramiro Enrique then returned from a prolonged absence and took over the starting spot with McGuire as the primary sub off the bench, and in the second half of the season, Lynn did not dress for Orlando City as frequently. He got some starts for OCB and scored four goals and had one assist in his eight games played with the Young Lions.

For Orlando City, Lynn appeared primarily in MLS regular-season games, making 11 appearances with two starts, playing 253 minutes. He took six shots, putting three on target and scoring two goals. He passed at a 66.7% completion percentage but did not have any key passes or assists. On the defensive side deuces were wild, as he won two tackles, made two blocks and had two clearances. He committed five fouls, drew two on the opposition, and was not booked.

Lynn also made one appearance late in the Lions’ final MLS playoff match, coming in for two minutes and recording just one touch of the ball, with no shots, passes attempted or defensive actions, and he did not receive a booking.

During Concacaf Champions Cup play, the Notre Dame product came off the bench in both games against Cavalry FC, playing 21 total minutes without a goal contribution, recording one shot that was off target, completing all three of his passes, and suffering one foul. He did not contribute any defensive actions or get booked.

Lynn participated in one Leagues Cup match, subbing in against CF Montréal. He played 12 minutes and did not have a goal contribution or take any shots, but he completed both of his passes, with one being a key pass. On the defensive side, he made two recoveries and committed one foul, but he wasn’t booked.

Best Game

The 24-year-old striker earned his first-ever starting nod for Orlando City on March 23 against Austin FC, and in the 42nd minute, he scored his first MLS goal. He timed his run perfectly to get wide open at the back post and finished with a powerful header off a cross from Dagur Dan Thórhallsson to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

Lynn went on to play 73 minutes, completing 10 of his 13 passes (76.9%) and adding one additional off-target shot. He contributed a tackle and a clearance on defense. Orlando City won the game 2-0, making Lynn’s goal in the opening half the game-winner. Head Coach Óscar Pareja said he was pleased with Lynn’s performance, praising him in the post-game press conference:

“(Jack) is a player who patiently has been waiting (for) his opportunity,” Pareja said. “I could say that maybe he should have more games at this point with the way he has performed in the second group and what he has achieved as an individual. He’s very lethal and he has goals. Today, he opened the game. Jack’s discipline and constant effort has paid off and we’re happy.”

2024 Final Grade

With only 288 minutes on the field across all competitions in 2024, Lynn did not play enough minutes to get a grade for the season, receiving an incomplete from The Mane Land staff. Still, he showed that he was capable of contributing when called upon to play first-team minutes.

2025 Outlook

After watching how prolific Lynn was in MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, and then once again this season when he returned to play a few matches with OCB, Lynn has clearly proven that he is above the level of play in that league. In limited minutes at the MLS level, he has shown flashes, but based on the substitution patterns as the season went along, it was clear that he was at best the third option at striker. Orlando City appears to be bringing back both Enrique and McGuire, so while they picked up Lynn’s option for 2025 season, I expect that it will be another season similar to 2024, where he is a depth player who primarily comes in off the bench, if he comes in at all.

I believe that Lynn is an MLS-caliber player, as he is an excellent finisher of the “fox in the box” ilk, but my projection is that 2025 will look similar to 2024 and he will be fighting for minutes off the bench at the MLS level.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/11/24

Orlando City’s protected players, Orlando Pride roster update, the USMNT is returning to Inter&Co Stadium, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

on

December 11, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. The season might be over, but there’s still plenty of news to be found. I’m glad that we have all the movies and specials to watch since there are no MLS or NWSL matches. There are quite a few that my family watch each year including Elf, Scrooged, and of course, Die Hard. Let me know your favorites in the comments below. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Protected List Released

The addition of San Diego SC to MLS means another expansion draft this off-season. Yesterday, Orlando City released its protected players list. There are a total of 19 players on the list, though seven of those are automatically protected due to either Homegrown or Generation Adidas status. San Diego will be able to pick up to five players from across the league, but only one from any given club. There aren’t many surprises in which players Orlando City chose to protect.

Pride End-of-Season Roster Update

Following a historic season that saw the club win both the NWSL Shield and the 2024 NWSL Cup, the Pride have released their end of season roster update. We already knew that Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco retired. Given how the club works its contracts, often re-signing players during the season, there weren’t a lot of surprises. Marta and Evelina Duljan were the two players out of contract, and we now know that Duljan won’t be returning, while the club is negotiating a deal that would keep Marta in Orlando.

USMNT Returning to Inter&Co Stadium

The USMNT is heading back to the City Beautiful, as the team will play Costa Rica Jan. 22 at Inter&Co Stadium. Kickoff for the match will be 7 p.m., allowing fans in the Orlando area to make it after work. It will be the second match in Florida, as the Americans will take on Venezuela Jan. 18 at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. Pre-sale tickets went on sale Tuesday, and ticket sales for the general public start Friday.

USWNT vs. Brazil

If you were hoping for a rematch of the 2024 Women’s World Cup final between the USWNT and the Brazilian Women’s National Team, you are in luck. The two teams will square off on April 5 and April 8, 2025 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and at PayPal Park in San Jose, respectively. The match at SoFi Stadium will be the first soccer match played in the venue, which will also host matches for the 2026 World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • It’s no surprise to those of us who work with the Pride regularly that Jackie Maynard, Lucas Medeiros, and the rest of Orlando’s comms staff was named the first-ever NWSL Communications Team of the Year winner. We congratulate Jackie and her team and look forward to continuing to work with a great group of professionals.
  • Take a trip down memory lane with this compilation of Facundo Torres’ goals from 2024.
  • Today, FIFA will award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. The circumstances leading up to this “decision” are exactly as forthright, transparent, and without any hint of shenanigans as one expects from FIFA. Give me a minute, my eyes got stuck in the back of my head because of how hard I rolled them.
  • In related news, Norway plans to protest the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and will abstain on the basis that not enough has been done to protect human rights at the event.
  • Orlando City wasn’t the only team to drop its list of protected rosters. Here are the lists for every MLS club.
  • Plenty of teams were in action in the UEFA Champions League Tuesday. Liverpool won its sixth consecutive first round match 1-0 over Girona, and Mbappe scored and got injured in Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Atalanta.

That will do it for today. Keep checking in for our Season in Review pieces for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/10/24

Facundo Torres linked with move to Palmeiras, Pride players in FIFPRO Women’s World 11, Amanda Allen suffers injury, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

December 10, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope your week is getting off to a good start and that you’re on top of any Christmas shopping that you still need to do, because I’m just now realizing that I’ve done exactly zero of mine. Alas, the only way out is through. As usual, we have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Facundo Torres Linked With Palmeiras

Tom Bogert reported on Monday evening that Orlando City has agreed to a deal with Brazilian club Palmeiras for the transfer of Facundo Torres. While Bogert says the two clubs have reached an agreement, the transfer is still pending as Torres and Palmeiras still need to agree on personal terms. While no price tag was given, the fee would reportedly eclipse the $9.5 million fee that West Bromwich Albion paid for Daryl Dike, which is OCSC’s current outbound transfer record. Torres is the club’s record signing, as he joined from Penarol for roughly $7.5 million, and has been central to the team’s success ever since. We will bring you more from this story as it develops.

Familiar Faces in FIFPRO Women’s World 11

FIFA announced the 2024 FIFPRO Women’s World 11 on Monday and there are two familiar faces in the lineup, as Marta and Barbra Banda were named to the team. This is the third time in Marta’s career that she has been chosen for the award, which is the only global player award decided exclusively by the players themselves. Banda is included in the team for the first time, with this also being the very first time that an African player has made the team. Both players had incredible seasons for the Orlando Pride and were instrumental in the team winning its first two pieces of silverware. Congratulations to both for all their hard work and justified recognition!

Amanda Allen Suffers Injury

The Orlando Pride announced on Monday that forward Amanda Allen has suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder and will undergo surgery to repair it. As a result, Allen’s loan with USL Super League team Lexington Sporting Club has been terminated, and she has been placed on the season-ending injury list. It’s a tough break for Allen, who became the youngest player to debut for the team back during the 2023 season, as she was getting good minutes and experience on loan. We wish her all the best and hope to see her back on the field soon!

Christian Pulisic Injury News

AC Milan announced on Monday that United States Men’s National Team forward Christian Pulisic has torn a muscle in his right calf, and will spend time on the sideline. The winger went off injured during the team’s game on Friday, and Milan has said that he could be on the shelf until January. While the USMNT won’t play a competitive game until March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinals, the timing is a tough blow for Pulisic, who has had an excellent start to the season with eight goal contributions in Serie A and three UEFA Champions League goals. Here’s hoping that he makes a speedy recovery.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will take part in games this week, so make sure you get everything marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today as Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Celtic take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Malik Tillman, and PSV Eindhoven face Brest in the same competition. Tomorrow has Yunus Musah and AC Milan hosting Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League, while Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus welcome Manchester City to Allianz Stadium. Things then finish up on Friday as Mark McKenzie and Toulouse host St-Etienne in Ligue 1 play.

MLS Transfer Happenings

We have a lot of MLS transfer moves and roster changes to cover this morning. Cruzeiro has declined the purchase option on FC Cincinnati winger Alvaro Barreal, meaning he has returned to the club following the conclusion of his loan. Expansion side San Diego FC has acquired Tomas Angel and a second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft from LAFC in exchange for $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). Austin FC also bought out Gyasi Zardes’ contract, making the 10th-highest scorer in MLS history a free agent.

The Colorado Rapids signed center backs Ian Murphy and Chidozie Awaziem from FC Cincinnati in exchange for $1 million in General Allocation Money. Tom Bogert is also reporting that Bournemouth is finalizing a deal to sign American center back Matai Akinmboni from D.C. United in a deal worth up to $2.5 million. Finally, in the wildest piece of MLS transfer news I’ve seen in awhile, I simply present the following tweet.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending