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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-3 loss to the Columbus Crew?

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2 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Despite the opposition making seven changes in preparation for their Campeones Cup game Wednesday night, Orlando City fell in a crucial match, 4-3. The Lions went down 3-0 in the 71st minute and made a valiant attempt to come back, but a late strike by Columbus was too much to get anything from the game.

Let’s have a look at how the team did individually in this disappointing performance.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — While none of the goals were solely Gallese’s fault, the Lions’ number one faced five shots and conceded four goals, making only one save. He touched the ball 27 times and completed 57.1% of his 21 passes, including four of his 12 long balls. His poor grade comes down to getting beat on nearly every shot Columbus put on target. The first took a deflection after he committed and took an unfortunate angle just inside the far post and out of reach. The second was a powerful, point-blank header. The third was a blast from about eight yards out by a league MVP candidate, and the fourth was another wide-open shot inside from inside the box just inside the post. His save was a good one, as Columbus again got behind the defense late, but he did well to deny Andres Herrera in the 89th minute.

D, Rafael Santos, 4.5 — It was a tough night for Santos, who wasn’t very good offensively or defensively. He had 51 touches and completed 64.7% of his 34 passes, but neither of his two crosses or any of his eight long balls. He had a minor impact defensively, recording a tackle and a clearance, but his most impactful play was getting beat by Christian Ramirez to Max Arfsten’s cross for Columbus’ second goal.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Jansson was the best defender for the Lions in this game because he was the only one not at fault for a goal. The captain touched the ball a team-high 52 times and completed 86.4% of his 44 passes, including a key pass and three of his seven long balls. He was also active defensively with a tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. He was unlucky on the first Crew goal, as his attempt to block Diego Rossi’s shot deflected off his leg and the redirection gave Gallese no chance to keep it out.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — Schlegel almost gave the Lions the lead in the 13th minute, but his header hit the post. That was the high point offensively for the center back, who had 31 touches and completed 95.2% of his 21 passes. He was strong defensively for most of the night, recording three tackles — all of them vital — and four clearances, but he let Cucho Hernandez get behind him for the third goal and he got caught cheating upfield on the play that resulted in Christian Hernandez’s goal.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5 — Similar to Schlegel, Thorhallsson nearly had a great start to the game and ended up at fault on the defensive end in the loss. The right back had 41 touches and almost gave the Lions the lead in the eighth minute when his shot hit the left post. He went on to complete 88% of his 25 passes but not his cross or long ball attempt. He recorded two tackles, three interceptions, and a clearance that would’ve given him a good grade. However, he missed a tackle attempt on Aziel Jackson on the counter that ended with the Crew’s third goal and he was not ready for a soft layoff from Felipe on the fourth and decisive goal. He was put in a bad spot by Felipe, but it was a combined mistake.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — With Cesar Araujo suspended for this game, it wasn’t a surprise that Cartagena was the best defensive midfielder on the team. The Peruvian had a good game with 42 touches and completed 89.7% of his 29 passes. He also completed three of his five long balls. Defensively, he won a team-high five tackles before being replaced by Felipe in the 83rd minute, a questionable substitution for one of Orlando City’s best players on the field.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski, 5 — This was Kocevski’s first start for Orlando City in a competitive game and it was ultimately one to forget, although it started brightly with some good early one-touch passing. The defensive midfielder faded however and had little impact on the game, touching the ball 20 times and completing 73.7% of his 19 passes. That would’ve been fine if he had a strong defensive effort, but he only had one interception. The rookie was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 58th minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo started on the left side of the midfield and touched the ball 38 times in this game. He completed 80% of his 30 passes, but didn’t have a key pass. He was given a brilliant pass by Muriel to send him in alone on goal in the 71st minute, but he missed his shot off the post. Luckily for Orlando, the rebound resulted in a tap-in for Ramiro Enrique. He also drew the foul in the box in the 77th minute by being in the right place, giving the Lions a penalty that Muriel converted. However, he continues to spoil counterattacking opportunities with his heavy touches since league play restarted, doing so twice in this game.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5 — Ojeda got the start again at the 10 for the Lions and the attacking midfielder had 26 touches. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes, including a key pass, one of his two crosses, and his lone long ball. Unfortunately, his biggest impact on the game was a giveaway in the back in the 30th minute on an unnecessary no-look pass attempt that resulted in Columbus’ first goal. He was replaced by Nico Lodeiro in the 58th minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres was the best attacking starter in this game, making 35 touches and completing 83.3% of his 24 passes with one key pass. His lone cross was incomplete, but his ball into the box in the 77th minute enabled Angulo to draw a penalty when Yaw Yeboah shoved the Colombian to prevent a header opportunity. He also recorded an assist on Muriel’s second goal, though the goal was mostly an individual effort by the Colombian. Additionally, he had one shot that was too close to Patrick Schulte. The main blemish on Torres’ performance came in the opening minutes when the ball landed at his feet with an open net. Since Torres rarely shoots with his right foot, he allowed defenders and Schulte to get back into position rather than scoring the opening goal. He was also offside on a set piece that would have resulted in an Orlando penalty while the game was still scoreless. Being offside negated a handball seconds later on Malte Amundsen that blocked a Duncan McGuire shot.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5 — McGuire got the start over Enrique after scoring in each of the last two games off the bench. However, he was less effective in this one, only touching the ball 12 times and taking one off-target shot. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes and won an aerial duel before being replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 58th minute. As mentioned above, he would have drawn a penalty on Amundsen had Torres remained onside.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (58’), 7 — Enrique was one of the substitutions in the 58th minute that completely changed the game. Replacing McGuire, the forward touched the ball 14 times and completed 71.4% of his seven passes. He put himself in a great position to get on the end of Angulo’s shot off the post in the 74th minute, getting the Lions on the board. He also had a steal in the attacking third set up Nico Lodeiro for what would have been a tying goal at 3-3, but the Uruguayan’s shot was blocked just wide. He also had another shot in the box blocked late in the match.

F, Luis Muriel (58’), 7.5 (MotM) — Despite only being on the field for 32 minutes, Muriel was the best player for the Lions. He came on for Kocevski in the 58th minute and had arguably his best game in purple. The forward touched the ball 23 times and completed 69.2% of his 13 passes with one key pass. However, he was involved in all three Orlando goals. In the 71st minute, it was his beautiful pass forward for Angulo that set up the first goal. He converted a penalty in the 77th minute to make it 3-2 and scored from long distance in the final minute of stoppage time to make it 4-3. It likely would’ve been a blowout without the attacker, making him my Man of the Match.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (58’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 58th minute and did well with his 26 touches. The midfielder completed 95.7% of his 23 passes, including a key pass. His only shot was blocked, so it wasn’t officially on target, although it came off a leg and ended up skipping just wide on what would have been a tying goal, and he had a successful tackle to win the ball back.

D, Kyle Smith (81’), 5 — Smith came on as a defensive change in the 81st minute but wasn’t as impactful as the three previous subs. His first involvement was being too slow when first to a ball, losing it, and then conceding a set piece and drawing a yellow card for it after being on the field for only a few seconds. The defender touched the ball 16 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 passes, including his only long ball. Defensively, he only had one tackle and was otherwise invisible while on the field.

MF, Felipe (83’), 4.5 — Felipe came on for Cartagena in the 83rd minute and had a poor outing. He touched the ball 10 times and completed all eight of his passes, but one of those was a weak ball back to Thorhallsson. While the pass was technically complete, it was too soft and put the fullback in a bad spot, allowing Hernandez to take the ball off the right back and set up the fourth and, ultimately, decisive goal.

That’s how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances against the Columbus Crew. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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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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3 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/20/24

Martin Ojeda could be a key factor against Atlanta, Seb Hines wins Coach of the Year, Lions abroad, and more.

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1 day ago

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November 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good Wednesday morning, Mane Landers. For long time readers, you might remember me as a staple in your Lion Links but having stepped away on sabbatical. Today, I’m honored to be called off the bench and fill in for Dave. My life has been filled with being a first-time father along with taking over as commissioner of a soccer league and my normal day job. Through all of it, I have stayed true to catching as many Orlando City matches as I can or at least the highlights. TML is my go-to source for all things purple, so I’m glad to pitch in and talk about what is happening around the City Beautiful and soccer once again. So, let’s get into the links!

Lions’ Not-So Secret Weapons

Orlando City is ready to take on Atlanta United on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. According to Andrew Wiebe of MLSsoccer.com, midfielder Martín Ojeda and the home field advantage of Inter&Co Stadium will be the key to victory for Oscar Pareja to finally lift the cup with Orlando. On the other side of the ball, Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan is in impeccable form and will give the Five Stripes an opportunity to advance again despite being the underdogs.

Seb Hines Wins Major Award

The National Women’s Soccer League announced Pride Head Coach Seb Hines has been named the 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year. Following his stint as a player for Orlando City and coaching at the youth level, Hines became the Pride’s interim head coach in June 2022 before getting the gig full time. This season was his best yet with Orlando, finding 18 wins and leading a team that scored a club-record 46 goals along the way. He learned about his award from his players:

Internationals Take The Pitch

Tuesday gave some Lions the chance to represent their home nations. Orlando City right back Dagur Dan Thorhallsson entered the UEFA Nations League match between Wales and Iceland in the 75th-minute, but Iceland fell 4-1 after scoring first. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese gained another start for Peru in its CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier against Argentina but couldn’t earn a shutout in a 1-0 loss.

Record MLS Signing Reported

FC Cincinnati has splashed the cash and has reportedly completed the signing of 23-year-old Cercle Brugge forward Kévin Denkey. The transfer fee of $16.2 million is an MLS record, passing the previous $16 million that Atlanta United spent to acquired Thiago Almada in 2022. The signing of Denkey to a four-year contract fills a gap at forward for Cincinnati. The length of the deal appears to make him the centerpiece of the team as only one player on the roster has guaranteed contract years beyond 2026, and only striker Kevin Kelsy has option years into 2028 and 2029, but he is currently on loan.

Inter&Co Stadium Will Host Orlando Cup

Coming in January 2025, the Orlando Cup Pro Series will bring clubs Santos FC, Atlético Nacional, and Fortaleza to our home stadium. These will be preseason matches for the participating teams to help them tune up and grow their brands in the United States.

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That’s a wrap on links for the day. I wish you all the best with the rest of you week. Who else is excited for a big Orlando soccer weekend? Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/19/24

Orlando Pride players honored, USMNT beats Jamaica, USWNT roster announced, and more.

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2 days ago

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November 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! We’ve had a busy few days with the Orlando Pride advancing to the NWSL Championship in style, and games continuing to come thick and fast during the international break. Things aren’t slowing down around here though, as the Pride will play for a trophy on Saturday, and Orlando City faces Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday. Today also marks 11 years since Orlando City was announced as the 21st MLS club. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Pride Players Named to NWSL Best XI

On top of advancing to the NWSL Championship, a number of Orlando Pride players have been honored with places in the league’s Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team. Emily Sams, Marta, and Barbra Banda made the cut for the First Team, while Anna Moorhouse and Kerry Abello were chosen for the Second Team.

Sams started in all 13 of the Pride’s shutouts, while Marta had 10 goal contributions on the year and Banda bagged 13 goals and six assists in her first year in the league. A big congratulations to all five players!

USMNT Routs Jamaica

The United States Men’s National Team ran riot over Jamaica in the second leg of its Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series, winning by a score of 4-2 in St. Louis. The Yanks used a dominant first half to put the game away early, with two Christian Pulisic goals and Ricardo Pepi’s second goal in as many games giving the Americans a 3-0 lead at halftime. In the first 45 minutes, the USMNT enjoyed 70% possession and took six shots to the visitors’ two, with the majority of the action being played in Jamaica’s half. The game opened up more in the second half with Demari Gray grabbing a brace, but the Yanks were never truly threatened and advanced to the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.

USWNT Roster Announced

The United States Women’s National Team has announced its roster for upcoming friendlies against England and the Netherlands. Emma Hayes has named a 24-player roster for the two games, both of which will take place overseas. The roster features a familiar face, as the Orlando Pride’s Sams was named to the squad as a center back. The team also features Lily Yohannes, who recently announced her decision to play for the USWNT, and she will face the other team she was eligible to declare for in the Netherlands. To date, Sams has made two appearances for the USWNT and could be in line to double that number. The Yanks will face England at Wembley on Nov. 30, and then take on the Dutch on Dec. 3 at ADO Den Haag Stadium.

UEFA Nations League Roundup

The international break continued yesterday and there are a number of results to catch up on. In Europe, Croatia and Portugal both advanced to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw, and Scotland used a late goal by Andy Robertson to beat Poland 2-1, with the result sending the Scots to a playoff that will determine if they’ll be relegated from League A, while Poland dropped into League B. San Marino won just its second game in 20 years by beating Liechtenstein 3-1 to move up into League C. Finally, Denmark advanced to the quarterfinals courtesy of a scoreless draw with Serbia.

Free Kicks

  • Come meet Duncan McGuire tomorrow and enjoy some chicken to boot.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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