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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union?

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1 month ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It was a bit of a nervy finish — ok, fine, a very nervy finish — but when the whistle blew on Orlando City’s 2-1 home victory over the Philadelphia Union Wednesday night, the Lions had earned a win for the fifth time in their last six matches and kept their spot in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The first half was not one that anyone will want to watch again, aside from maybe the opening 10 minutes, but the second half was exciting, and Luis Muriel continued his torrid play of late with assists on both goals.

I have my purple pen out and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with an Eastern Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — The Union took 16 shots during the match but only put three on goal; El Pulpo saved two and really did not have much of a chance on the goal by Quinn Sullivan as he was screened by the defense and it was very well struck off the underside of the crossbar. I thought there were several balls in the air that he could have claimed but he instead stayed home on his line, but none of them came back to bite him and the Union ended the game with only the one goal. Gallese completed 12 of his 15 pass attempts for an 80% completion rate, and despite being knocked down hard several times, he got up every time and helped the defense close out the win when the Union were throwing bodies forward to try to snatch a tie late in the game.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos was one second too late from getting in front of Sullivan on the Union’s one goal, but that goal was not completely on him (I’m looking directly at you, referee Armando Villareal and your incorrect decision to give the Union a throw-in) and should not detract from what was an otherwise solid game from the Brazilian left back. Santos led the game with 83 touches while completing 52 of his 61 passes for a 85.3% completion rate, and he got a shot off late in the game that left Andre Blake rubbing his wrists and perhaps wishing that he had not made that save. Santos also contributed six recoveries, three clearances, two interceptions, one block and one tackle, and in the face of a Union attack that was 43% on his section of the field, he held his own against a team that had scored 10 goals in their last three games.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The captain played his usual composed and calm game in the back, but had Wilder Cartagena played him a pass instead of shooting in the 51st minute, we may have seen that calm demeanor disappear in wild celebration as the Viking was perfectly positioned to open the scoring. Jansson was involved in the offense a little more than usual, ranking second on the team in completed passes (53) and completing them at a 96.4% rate, including seven of nine on long balls. On defense, his presence helped push the Union to primarily attack the box away from him and towards the side defended by Rodrigo Schlegel and Kyle Smith, which led to Jansson not registering any tackles, but he did have five recoveries, two clearances and two interceptions.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Alas, there was not a second match in a row with a Schlegoal, but the Argentinean defender played well in the middle of the defense, which is his primary responsibility. He got caught ball-watching and/or a step out of position a little more than normal in this match, particularly on a corner kick in the 79th minute where Nathan Harriel from the Union slipped right behind him and had the goal at his mercy, but thankfully did not head the ball cleanly and tie the game up, although the center back was not the primary defender on Harriel on that play. Schlegel picked up a yellow card while hustling back to slow down a 2-v-2 break, but aside from that he had a perfect 100% completion rate on his 26 passes and added three clearances, one block, and one recovery.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — There were times during the match when I thought the Accountant looked gassed, but that was directly due to the fact that he was tracking up and down the right side of the field all game long, and giving maximum effort while doing so. Smith was involved in the Union’s one goal, as he left Daniel Gazdag for a second to try to double-team the ball and Gazdag cut behind him. Smith’s sliding attempt to block Gazdag’s cross was one millisecond too late and the Union capitalized. Aside from that one play, I thought Smith was solid in his second straight match starting at right back, as he completed 83.3% of his passes and also added three clearances and one recovery on defense.

MF, César Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo is on a hot streak again, which sounds great until I define that as a hothead streak, as he picked up a yellow card in his third straight match and second since consecutive game after returning from a yellow-card suspension. Yellow card aside, the Uruguayan was solid, completing 90.5% of his passes and producing a heatmap of plays all over the field. In a bit of a surprise to me, he was selected to take a free kick from a dangerous area in the first half. It didn’t go well, as his initial attempt hit the wall. Although he hit the rebound squarely and with full power, he just got under the ball and put that shot right into The Wall behind the goal. Araujo also contributed defensively and with his hustle stats, as he had six recoveries, one block, one clearance, and one interception.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena led the team offensively, with 55 completed passes, and defensively, with seven recoveries, but it was a quieter game than usual for him in his midfield role. He put a shot into Carlos Rivas territory (read: way, way over the bar) in the first half and took a shot (on goal) when he should have passed in the second half, but aside from that, he had most of his touches on the defensive side of the field and served more to move the ball with short and medium passes. His defensive partnership with Araujo helped push the Union to attack more out wide than through the middle, as evidenced by whoscored.com’s heatmap below, showing the location of the Union’s touches.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5 — In what has become a bit of a familiar pattern, Angulo hustled and gave maximum effort throughout his minutes on the field but did not have the touch to match his effort. He had multiple giveaways in the opening 25 minutes and had a wonderful opportunity to open the scoring in the 37th minute but put his shot well over the bar. The Colombian completed 21 passes at an 80.8% completion rate and had one recovery and one block on defense, but he was replaced at halftime by Muriel, and the game completely changed immediately after that, which was likely not a coincidence.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Even though he only played 60 minutes of the match, Ojeda was one of the best players on the field, and I was a little surprised it was he who came off at the time that he subbed out. He was really the only bright spot on the field during the first half of the game, and then in the second half he continued to deliver as the central playmaker for the offense, eventually picking up his 13th assist of the season by playing the initial ball to Muriel that was then played off to Torres for the opening goal of the match. He completed 89.7% of his passes, including four key passes, six of his seven long ball attempts, and four of his seven crosses.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Hot Facu Summer continued against Philadelphia, as the winger scored for the fourth time in the last five games on a ball struck so well that Blake could only get his hands on it but could not keep it out of the net. Torres also completed all 32 of his passes, including one key pass, and led the team by drawing four fouls by Union defenders. As he usually does, Torres had touches all over the field and led the team with nine successful progressive passes (passes of 10+ yards on the attacking side of the field) received, and his interplays with Ramiro Enrique, Muriel and Ojeda were fun to watch throughout the match.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 6.5 — It was an active night for Enrique as he got five shots off, but he was unable to get any of them on target, so he couldn’t make it three games in a row on the scoresheet. His presence and hustle was definitely felt by the Union throughout his 77 minutes on the field though, and he helped play a role in the opening goal as Muriel initially targeted him with a pass before eventually playing the ball to Torres, and then he was also involved in the second goal as he shielded off a Union defender to allow Muriel to pick up the ball and go up the sideline before playing Duncan McGuire in on a through ball. Enrique also played the final part of his shift out on the wing with McGuire up top — the second time the Lions have used that lineup recently instead of just interchanging he and McGuire directly. I thought he played well in both positions and had a solid game overall.

Substitutes

MF, Luis Muriel (46′), 8 (MotM) — The NBA season may be yet to start but there was definitely some magic in Orlando on Wednesday, because when Muriel came in, he made an ineffective offense disappear and then come back into view as the offense we had seen from Orlando City since the beginning of the summer. Muriel assisted on both goals — one by playing the simple ball to lead Torres right into a smashed shot and the other by playing a perfectly curved through ball to McGuire, who then finished on the breakaway. He should have had a third assist deep in stoppage time, but McGuire couldn’t beat Blake on his second breakaway. Muriel looked a cut above everyone on the field during the second half, as his touch was exquisite and his passing was outstanding. I compared Muriel to Chris Paul while writing the grades during the FC Dallas match, and the dust has not even settled on that comparison before I am bringing it out again for this match. Muriel was outstanding at initiating the offense and delivering the pass exactly where it needed to go. Hopefully, Jalen Suggs was watching and taking notes.

F, Duncan McGuire (61′), 6.5 — The backflip was back in this match, as Big Dunc came on in the 61st minute and was showing off his finishing ability and high-level athleticism just three minutes later after running onto Muriel’s through ball and finishing past Blake. While the final 26 minutes of his shift did not contain any moments as exciting as that goal, Duncan brought his normal high work rate and had some good hold-up play as well. There were just two downsides. The first was that he picked up a late yellow card, meaning he will be suspended for the next match at FC Cincinnati. The second was that he couldn’t reward Muriel for his final seeing-eye pass in the game by finishing it. It was a strong performance off the bench and a reminder that Orlando still runs on Duncan.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, (77’), N/A — Lodeiro came in as part of a double substitution and took over from Torres out on the right wing. He was engaged throughout his time on the field, getting 14 touches on the ball and completing all 12 of his passes, including two key passes.

MF, Luca Petrasso, (77’), N/A — Petrasso was the other player who entered as part of the double substitution, and he replaced Enrique, who had shifted out to the left wing when McGuire subbed in for Ojeda. The Canadian did not see a lot of the ball, but he did get a shot on target and was able to complete four of his six passes. He started the late corner kick covering Harriel but completely lost track of the Union fullback, which could have been costly.

D, Michael Halliday, (80’), N/A — Orlando City’s final substitute was Halliday, who replaced Smith in a like-for-like change, taking over at right back. It was his first game since early May, but in a high pressure situation while helping to protect a one goal lead, he did not look rusty, completing five of his seven passes and recording one clearance.

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

In Praise of Orlando City’s Game 3 Penalty Kicks

The Lions employed some crafty strategy and flawless execution to win the Game 3 penalty shootout, and it deserves to be recognized.

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2 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Depending on who you talk to, penalty kicks aren’t a great way to decide a soccer game. They’re exciting, of course, but not exactly a good measuring stick of which team is more deserving of winning the game. Fortunately for Orlando City fans, the team has excelled at shootouts for the vast majority of its MLS existence. In fact, the Lions hadn’t lost one until this year, when they were bounced from Leagues Cup by Cruz Azul after losing 5-4 in penalties. The team then accomplished another first in Game 2 of the MLS Cup playoffs against Charlotte, when it missed three of four spot kicks, and lost 3-1 in penalties.

With recent history far from being in OCSC’s favor, there was plenty of reason to be pessimistic when the deciding Game 3 went to a shootout, but the Lions breezed right through it, winning by a score of 4-1 and sending Charlotte packing. While there’s only so much strategy you can employ in shootouts, the Lions pulled a couple fast ones that may just have given them a leg up when they needed it most.

Let’s first talk about the shootouts the Orlando has been involved in this year, because even before Game 3, there had been a lot. The Lions’ final two games in Leagues Cup were both decided at the penalty spot, with the good guys emerging victorious against San Luis 5-4, and then losing by that same score to Cruz Azul to exit the tournament. Game 2 against Charlotte was therefore the team’s third shootout of the year, and by that point we were starting to see some familiar faces in the team’s shooting lineup.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with sending the same (or mostly the same) guys up in a shootout. Conventional wisdom says that you want your best, most reliable guys from the spot taking penalties. However, if the opposing goalkeeper has done his research, and a player tends to favor shooting in a certain direction, it can potentially give the man between the sticks an advantage in making the save. Let’s examine who Orlando City sent to the spot this year in shootouts, starting with the two Leagues Cup games.

Against San Luis, the order went: Nico Lodeiro, Duncan McGuire, Wilder Cartagena, Rafael Santos, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Lodeiro went central, McGuire went to the goalkeeper’s right, Cartagena to his left, Santos to his right, and Thorhallsson to his left. All five penalties were scored, but the keeper got a strong hand to Thorhallsson’s and it only just went in.

Against Cruz Azul, the order was: Robin Jansson, Luis Muriel, McGuire, Facundo Torres, and Thorhallsson. Jansson shot to the goalie’s left and had it saved, Lodeiro and Muriel both went to his right and scored, McGuire and Torres both went to his left and scored, and Thorhallsson went to his left and had it saved.

That brings us to Game 2 against Charlotte. The order was: Lodeiro, Jansson, Muriel, and McGuire. Nico shot to Kristijan Kahlina’s left and had it saved, Jansson went to his right and put his shot over the bar, Muriel also went right and scored, and McGuire went to the goalie’s left and had his shot saved.

Let’s pause for a minute and dig deeper into those Game 2 takers. Lodeiro had already taken two penalties on the year, and scored both. Jansson had taken one and had it saved, Muriel had taken one and scored, and McGuire had taken two and converted both. Interestingly enough, Kahlina also went the right way on Jansson’s shot, although the Swede put the ball over the bar. After taking penalties in the two previous shootouts and the goalies getting strong hands to both, Thorhallsson wasn’t used, but he couldn’t be, because he’d already been subbed off late in the second half. McGuire went to the goalie’s left for the second shootout in a row, with Kahlina guessing correctly and making the save.

In the all-important Game 3, the takers were: Muriel, Kyle Smith, Torres, and Santos. Muriel and Smith both went to Kahlina’s right, while Torres and Santos went to the Croatian’s left, with all four men scoring. It was Muriel’s third time in a shootout for the club, third time going to the goalie’s right, and third time converting. Smith made his first appearance from the spot on the year. It was Torres’ and Santos’ second time taking in a shootout this year and they both went left for the second time. Taking a closer look at each shooter, I really like the selection choices and the order in which they went.

While Kahlina had plenty of tape on Muriel by this point, the Colombian had already beaten him once, and the striker prefers to watch the goalkeeper during his run-up and go whichever way he doesn’t. That makes it especially difficult to save his penalties, and his years of high-level experience means he’s no stranger to high-pressure situations. You could hardly ask for a better first shooter to set the tone for what was to come.

We then got a big old wild card in the form of Smith, who hadn’t taken a penalty kick at all this year. Oscar Pareja could have chosen to use Jansson or Lodeiro, both of whom have taken multiple kicks this year and were still on the field, but he opted to go for someone who Kahlina both hadn’t seen already, and who he likely had very little, if any, tape on. It was a decision that paid off, as Smith positively blasted his kick into the top corner, with Kahlina guessing the wrong way on his dive.

We then got Torres, who would ordinarily be a no-brainer when it comes to taking penalty kicks if not for the fact that he’d just had one saved mere minutes earlier in stoppage time. Still, you want your main man to step up in high-pressure situations, so it wasn’t surprising to see him stepping forward to take one, particularly with the Lions already leading 2-0. He won the mental battle with Kahlina and went in his preferred direction to the left of the goalkeeper, with Kahlina guessing wrong again.

Finishing things off was Santos, who had only taken one penalty on the year and employs an unconventional, stuttering run-up. As he did in the San Luis game, the Brazilian went to the goalkeeper’s right and scored, with his penalty being the only one in which Kahlina dove the correct way. The decision to go with another player who there was little film on, especially one with a run-up that’s difficult to time correctly, again proved to be a decision that paid off.

We’ll never know who OCSC’s fifth taker would have been, as the shootout never got that far. We know it wouldn’t have been McGuire, who was being kept on the sideline after injuring his shoulder. I think it’s telling that Jansson and Lodeiro weren’t in the first four, even though both had already taken multiple shootout penalties on the season, and Thorhallsson was the only other player who had taken more than one kick in a shootout this year, and he had been substituted. My bet is on Cartagena, who had only taken one and scored it.

Regardless of what we don’t know, we can give the deserved amount of praise to what we do know. Namely, that the decision to use a mix of guys who are proven in high-pressure situations and ones who have few, if any, recent penalties on film was a strategy that paid off big time. Pedro Gallese also deserves every flower in the garden for the two saves he made, which absolutely made things easier on the takers. I think it’s interesting that Karol Swiderski took a spot kick for the second game in a row, with Gallese getting the better of him in Game 3 despite the Polish striker going to the Peruvian’s right instead of his left.

It’s also fair to say that the men who stepped up in Game 3 simply took better shots in than in Game 2. Nico’s wasn’t far enough in the corner and was a good height for Kahlina, Jansson put his completely over, and McGuire’s was too central and at a height that favored the goalkeeper. There were no such issues in Game 3, with every shot being well placed.

All in all, you couldn’t have drawn up the Game 3 shootout any better if you tried. Pareja threw a couple curveballs Charlotte’s way, Pedro Gallese made two huge saves, and all of the shooters came up with outstanding efforts. From strategy to execution, the shootout was about as perfect as you can get. Now here’s hoping that’s the last one we have to endure for awhile. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 11/15/24

Barbra Banda speaks about playing alongside Marta, USMNT beats Jamaica, international soccer roundup, and more.

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2 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I hope the week hasn’t been too rough on you as we gear up for what should be an exciting weekend. There aren’t too many plans lined up for me, but I’m still looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to our favorite Beefy Swede, Robin Jansson!

Barbra Banda on Playing With Marta

It’s an understatement to say it’s been a fantastic year for the Orlando Pride, and NWSL MVP finalists Barbra Banda and Marta have been major reasons for the team’s success. Marta has been with the Pride since 2017 and is thriving in what may be the twilight of her legendary career. Meanwhile, it’s Banda’s first year with the Pride and she’s taken the league by storm alongside Marta. In an interview with Futbol W, which is co-hosted by former Pride player Ali Krieger, Banda spoke about how motivating it is to play with the greatest women’s soccer player of all time.

Battle of the Rebuilds in NWSL Playoffs

Of the four teams remaining in the NWSL playoffs, only NJ/NY Gotham FC was in the playoffs last year. Not only are this year’s semifinalists a testament to how much things can change each year, but it’s also an interesting showcase of the different ways clubs can build a team capable of winning in this league. The Pride capped off a patient and smart rebuild by signing international players like Banda, while the Current have benefited greatly from adding Temwa Chawinga. After winning the NWSL Championship last year, Gotham added several American stars like Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn in free agency to do it again. Meanwhile, the Washington Spirit have leaned on a strong rookie class and other young players to reach this point.

USMNT Beats Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team got its quarterfinal series started with a solid 1-0 win over Jamaica in Kingston. Ricardo Pepi scored the lone foal of the game early on with a nice strike after a silky smooth assist from Christian Pulisic. Matt Turner came up with a great save on a penalty kick in the first half, earning a clean sheet the hard way. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable victory for Mauricio Pochettino and the Yanks, but winning on the road in Concacaf is hardly ever comfortable. The two teams will reconvene in St. Louis on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Keeping Up With International Soccer

The U.S. obviously isn’t the only nation taking part in the international break, with teams all around the world in action. Paraguay arguably had the biggest win of the day, beating Argentina 2-1 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Venezuela also had a decent result, drawing 1-1 against Brazil in a match that included a missed penalty by Vinicius Junior.

In 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Africa, Uganda, and Gabon all booked their tickets to next year’s tournament after the latest round of matches. Saudi Arabia and Australia battled to a scoreless draw in AFC World Cup qualifying, while South Korea moved closer to qualifying after a 3-1 win over Kuwait that featured Son Heung-min’s 50th international goal. There weren’t too many surprises in the UEFA Nations League, with England cruising past Greece and Italy beating Belgium. France was held to a scoreless draw against Israel but still qualified for the quarterfinals.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/14/24

MLS playoff predictions, Barbra Banda and Marta earn recognition, USMNT takes on Jamaica tonight, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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November 14, 2024

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but it’s at least meant I’ve been able to spend more time with my cat and get some reading done when not hacking up a lung. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

MLS Conference Semifinal Predictions

Former Orlando City captain Sacha Kljestan weighed in on which of the remaining eight teams will prevail in the MLS playoffs. He predicts that Atlanta United can lean on its counterattacking and Brad Guzan’s goalkeeping to beat Orlando City when the two rivals face off in Orlando on Nov. 24. A key thing to watch heading into the match is if Head Coach Oscar Pareja switches things up up top given Ramiro Enrique’s slump.

Kljestan predicts a tight match between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, but has NYCFC moving on. He also has both the LA Galaxy and LAFC advancing in the Western Conference, which would set up a playoff edition of El Trafico.

Pride Players Make ESPN’s Top 50

ESPN unveiled its annual list of the top 50 women’s soccer players and a pair of Orlando Pride players made the list. Forward Barbra Banda is ranked third on the list for crushing it in her first year in the NWSL, scoring 13 goals to help the Pride win the NWSL Shield. Marta, who has not been listed in the past two years, ranked 26th for turning back the clock at 38 years old and creating 46 chances for Orlando this season. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati tops the list, with Naomi Girma in second, Caroline Graham Hansen in fourth, and Sophia Smith rounding out the top five. There are many voters for this year’s list from around the world, including Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter.

Steven Moreira Named Defender of the Year

The Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira was named 2024 MLS Defender of the Year after a strong season. He made 27 appearances for the Crew this season and was a key part of his team’s success in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup this year. Moreira also helped out offensively with two goals and four assists and was an All-Star this year. The 30-year-old beat out Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Seattle Sounders center back Jackson Ragen for the award.

USMNT Takes On Jamaica Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first competitive match under Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino tonight when it takes on Jamaica in Kingston in the Concacaf Nations League. Although the U.S. may be favored in this series, playing on the road in Concacaf is always tough and Jamaica tends to keep things close against the Yanks. Tonight’s match is the first of the two-leg quarterfinals, with the two nations facing off again in St. Louis on Monday. Hopefully Pochettino can get the team firing on all cylinders as it continues to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

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  • In a rollercoaster of a match, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team fell in a penalty shootout to Brazil in the Deaf Pan American Games. The U.S. took the lead in extra time, but Brazil battled back to tie it, winning from the spot to reach the final.

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

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