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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Sweep Revs for First Time Ever

The Lions got their second consecutive 3-0 home victory and swept the Revolution for the first time in club history.

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2 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions’ latest match went a lot like their last, as Orlando City defeated the New England Revolution 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. Two weeks removed from a 3-0 win over Nashville SC, Orlando (11-10-7, 40 points) got goals from Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres, and Duncan McGuire and two big saves from Pedro Gallese to shut out the Revs (8-16-3, 27 points), sweeping the season series from New England for the first time in club history.

With the win, the Lions finally climbed over the .500 mark on the season and also broke even at home (5-5-4).

“It seems like we were precise in the moments that we needed the most,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the discipline and the commitment that we all have with the structure of the team just allow us to survive in moments where New England as well had their chances. So, while we’re growing collectively, the team will have a better chances to have performances like this and winning more points. So we’re happy with it.”

Pareja’s lineup included goalkeeper Gallese behind a back line of Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. David Brekalo was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons after experiencing muscle discomfort prior to the match. Cesar Araujo — who it turns out did not get booked in the last game, as the yellow card he was shown by the referee was actually for McGuire — and Wilder Cartagena started in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres with Ramiro Enrique up top.

The first half was played evenly in terms of territory, but the Lions created the most danger from their possession. It started early with a good ball across from the left that Torres volleyed just over the net in the 15th minute. Two minutes later, Enrique tried to pick out a streaking Ojeda in front of goal but the pass was too close to Revs goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic, who collected.

New England couldn’t do anything with a series of early set pieces, including two corners and a free kick from near the right corner.

A good buildup in the 20th minute ended up crossed from left to right and Thorhallsson sent a good ball back across for Enrique, who went for a spectacular volley but sent it well wide to the right. Thorhallsson was a problem for New England left back Peyton Miller throughout the half, and only a last-second intercession by Tim Parker prevented a good cross from getting through for a tap-in in the 22nd minute. However, the ensuing corner produced a spectacular goal for Orlando.

Ojeda played the ball short to Angulo on the end line. The Colombian turned and fired a pass to Santos outside the box. The Brazilian fullback wasn’t closed down and blasted a curling shot from 25 yards out that found the top left corner, beating Ivacic and making it 1-0. It’s sure to be an MLS Goal of the Matchday candidate.

“We’ve been working on that play for a while now, so you were attentive to the ball that was coming, and thankfully had the opportunity to score,” Santos said through a club interpreter.

“For me, it wasn’t surprising at all,” McGuire said of Santos’ blast. “We play two-touch every day after practice and he scores that goal 15 times a day. And it’s annoying because he always beats all of us. So, I’m honestly not surprised he scored that. When I saw him with that much space, I knew it was going to be a goal. And all the guys behind me (on the bench) were like, ‘That’s nothing we haven’t seen before.’ So yeah, it was definitely sick and I’m happy for him and hopefully he can keep that going as well.”

Cartagena tried to double the lead in the 28th minute after a quick steal in New England’s third, but he hit his shot off target to the left.

New England’s best chance came a minute later. The Lions were caught a bit disorganized on a Revolution attack, allowing space above the box. Ian Harkes ran onto a pass and blasted a shot high over the net from the top of the area.

The game was played in the middle third for the next 15 minutes but then Orlando found some space. Torres sent Enrique behind on the right, but the Argentine needed an extra touch to control the ball, and by the time he shot it, Dave Romney arrived to block it out of play for a corner in the 44th minute. Nothing came from the set piece, but the Lions struck again moments later.

A ball in the box hit the outstretched arm of Carles Gil and referee Tori Penso immediately signaled for a penalty. Torres stood over the spot kick and crushed it into the upper right corner to make it 2-0 in the second added minute. It was Torres’ 11th goal of the season. For Santos, it was his first goal of the season but just his second MLS goal.

“Taking a PK brings a lot of elements — confidence, talent, preparation, the mental part, in that moment, in that part of the game,” Pareja said. “But Facu’s attitude when the PKs come, including one that he lost, he’s very confident. He wants to do it. So, that mental part, we have a good option to score with him. And also he’s training. They spend time on that part.”

Ojeda nearly made it 3-0 in the final minute of first-half stoppage time, but his blast toward the near post was saved by Ivacic. The ball recycled to Araujo, who found Cartagena wide open, but the Peruvian’s shot was into the upper deck on the south end of the stadium. That was the last sight of goal for either side before the halftime whistle.

At the break, Orlando City held the edge in possession (50.5%-49.5%), shots (9-3), and shots on target (3-0). Both teams won two corners, and the Revolution passed more accurately (88.2%-85.9%).

The first part of the second half belonged to Orlando as well, with the Lions trying to fire through a crowd from the top of the box. Araujo’s shot deflected out for a corner in the 50th minute but the Lions couldn’t pay it off.

Torres blasted a shot from the top of the area off the right post five minutes later, as the Lions came forward in transition.

New England got on the front foot for a while starting in the hour mark. Araujo fouled Gil from behind unnecessarily, giving the Revs a free kick from 25 yards out. Gil hit the free kick well, but Gallese came across to his right with a huge save to keep it out of the net.

“When we were two zero, that was my main concern,” Pareja said about keeping New England from clawing back into the game. “I said, ‘We cannot let them believe in the game, and we need the third goal. If not, it will be complicated.’ And then comes that free kick. Pedro saved us, and they had a couple (more) chances too. It was a big challenge today. It was not easy.”

That set piece fired up the Revolution and they had the better of the play for a spell. Jansson did well to make a sliding block of a Giacomo Vrioni shot in the 62nd minute.

After Cartagena fired wide of goal in the 65th minute on a recycled corner kick, the Lions dodged a bullet. Gil’s hard cross through the area found its way to Vrioni on the left side of the box, but his redirect went just inches wide of the post in the 67th minute.

Orlando was able to regain control of the match for the final stretch. Torres was set up on the left in the 70th minute but fired just wide of the near post off a nice pass from Cartagena. A minute later, Thorhallsson fired wide and high from a tight angle on the right, which was probably the wrong choice as second-half sub McGuire was wide open in front of goal.

McGuire scored moments later anyway to put the game to bed. Torres played the ball wide right to sub Nico Lodeiro, who played McGuire in behind from the right with a lovely ball. McGuire had Torres streaking down the left but blasted a shot that Ivacic got a piece of but couldn’t keep out. The Lions led 3-0 in the 74th minute. It was McGuire’s eighth goal of the season but his first since June 28 against New York City FC.

“I saw a lot of space in the back line,” McGuire said. “I saw Nico had a lot of space as well. So I didn’t think he get pressed for a little bit. So, I had time to make a run and and Nico got his head up and played a great ball through, and fell a little lucky with the finish, but, you know, I’ll take it. It has been a while since I’ve scored. It’s been a bit annoying for my standard, so yeah, definitely glad to be back on the score sheet, but at the end of the day, if we’re winning as a team, then that’s all that matters.”

Lodeiro tried to make it 4-0 in the 79th minute on a free kick won by Thorhallsson just inches to the right of the penalty area. The Uruguayan went for goal but fizzed his shot just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.

Gallese made another big save in the 83rd minute to deny Emmanuel Boateng, who had slipped in behind the right side of Orlando’s defense. The Peruvian came off his line to make the stop.

Each team had a good opportunity to score in stoppage time. Thorhallsson made yet another good pass to set up Cartagena at the top of the area in the second added minute but the Peruvian hit his shot straight at Ivacic, which left him talking to himself as he retreated back to his defensive position.

Moments later, Vrioni missed an open header just wide of the left post. That was the final opportunity of the match, and the Lions had their second consecutive 3-0 victory.

Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (54.4%-45.6%), shots (20-9), and shots on target (5-2). New England won more corners (7-5) and passed more accurately (89.1% 86.4%).

“Within the game, I thought we had control, and when we had the chances, that is something that just made me very optimistic,” said Pareja, who won his 170th MLS regular-season game to pull into a tie for fifth all-time with Dominc Kinnear. “We’re scoring goals again and that makes it look like we’re in a good place.”

Offense aside, the Lions haven’t conceded in two games, and kept Gil quiet most of the night.

“MLS has quality players at all times, so we knew what we had to concentrate and focus on,” Santos said. “And at the end of the day, it’s just not giving the opponent the opportunity, and that’s what we tried to do.”

Orlando City is back in action at home on Wednesday against Charlotte FC.

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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.

Published

47 mins 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 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?

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3 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: 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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6 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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