Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Keep Conceding Goals
A controversial penalty decision helped the Red Bulls come from behind twice to split the points with the Lions.

Orlando City continued to suffer the critical defensive lapses that have cost the team goals during the first month of the 2025 season in a controversial 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Despite leading twice, Orlando City (1-2-1, 4 points) dropped points again.
Stunning strikes by Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic were canceled out by equalizers from Eric Choupa-Moting — controversially, from the penalty spot — and Dennis Gjengaar, and Carlos Coronel stopped every good look in the second half that the Lions put on target, allowing New York (1-1-2, 5 points) to take a point from a trailing position.
“A competitive game, and I thought our boys today implemented another gear on the challenges that we had — not just defensively but offensively,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I thought the amount of opportunities that we created to score kept us optimistic.”
Pareja had some wrinkles to his starting lineup this week, with Cesar Araujo unavailable after experiencing muscle tightness late in the week. Joran Gerbet made his first professional start alongside Eduard Atuesta in central midfield. Additionally, Kyle Smith replaced Rafael Santos at left back. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Gerbet and Atuesta were in central midfield behind the usual attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Pasalic. Luis Muriel started for the second straight game. Pareja got some bodies back on his bench, however, with Duncan McGuire available for the first time, along with David Brekalo. Zakaria Taifi was on the bench after signing a short-term contract, and Gustavo Caraballo — after signing a Homegrown Player deal Friday through 2027 — was also on the bench.
Orlando’s game plan coming out was to drop Angulo to left wingback when the hosts had possession, which the Lions were happy to concede. The Red Bulls found some width early to create some issues, but other than that, Pareja’s plan worked beautifully in the first half. The Lions were able to create on the break.
The first half chance of the match fell for Muriel from a severe angle on the right. Looking to catch Coronel by surprise, he smashed a shot in the third minute but couldn’t keep it on frame.
New York’s first opportunity came three minutes later, as Peter Stroud found space outside the area with Orlando’s lines dropping too deeply. Stroud fired a shot that Schlegel came out to block. Two minutes later, Gallese was forced to make a huge early save when Gjengaar was slipped down the right. The Peruvian came off his line and made himself big to deny a point-blank chance.
Orlando broke the scoreless tie in the 18th minute when Muriel flicked a ball on the left for Ojeda to pick up. The Argentine broke to the top of the area, looking for a teammate, but the defense had his options well covered. Ojeda fired a shot instead, blasting it into the upper right corner to make it 1-0.
“The guys who need to put the team on their shoulders seem like are doing the job,” Pareja said. “Now, we need to maintain it and even get better.”
Choupa-Moting fired well over the bar from outside the area in the 21st minute, but moments later he initiated contact with Jansson in the box that was not called a foul during play. Video assistant referee Daniel Radford sent match referee Armando Villarreal to the monitor for a look. Although Choupa-Moting stuck his foot out in front of Jansson as he was striding forward, Villarreal gave a penalty that’s seldom called, handing the hosts an easy scoring opportunity from the penalty spot.
Gallese guessed correctly, but Choupa-Moting’s shot was low and just inside the post, making it 1-1 in the 29th minute. It was an unfortunate decision for Orlando, and it would have been an unnecessary one had the Lions’ captain not cheated forward when he didn’t need to, allowing Choupa-Moting to get into the box.
“The boys were very annoyed by the decision,” Pareja said. “I have to see it better. The common word in the locker room was that it was a very unfair call, but nothing that we can do now.”
The Lions went back in front 10 minutes later, but it was a goal that saw almost no celebration. Atuesta sent a long ball over the top to Pasalic, who looked a mile offside, but the flag stayed down. Pasalic smashed a left-footed shot past Coronel to make it 2-1. Replays showed Raheem Edwards kept the Croatian onside, so the goal counted and Orlando led again in the 39th minute.
“Offensively, I see much bravery and a much functional team,” Pareja said. “I like the way we’re attacking. I like the way we are proposing the game.”
Pasalic was nearly in again in the 45th minute, but this time the flag came up and it didn’t matter anyway, as he lost his footing at the top of the area.
Because Villarreal gave seven minutes of stoppage time, the final chances of the half fell for the Red Bulls. A header by Choupa-Moting forced a good save from Gallese on a shot that bounced in front. The Red Bulls had a couple opportunities to do something with the ensuing corner but couldn’t pay it off before the halftime whistle.
New York had the halftime advantage in possession (55%-45%), shots (7-4), shots on target (3-2), and passing accuracy (85.7%-83.5%). Each team won one corner in the opening period.
Orlando coughed up the lead moments after the break, and it was from yet another defensive breakdown in this early 2025 season. New York attacked down the wide left and a ball into the box was turned home by Gjengaar, who was left alone in front of the net. Schlegel looked for an attacker and didn’t see one, but then was caught ball watching as Gjengaar cut diagonally away from Jansson to occupy the space behind Schlegel, where he was left alone. Stroud got outside of Freeman on the switch and sent in a cross. Smith dropped deep enough on the left to keep Gjengaar onside, allowing him to tie the game in the 47th minute with a redirection off his thigh.
“We know about our errors defensively, and this is not just defenders, but this is the whole group just conceding goals that we have to erase from our performances,” Pareja said.
“We need to figure it out, because we need to do a better job right after halftime, because we have been conceding goals like right after, and we need to raise up the energy,” said Gerbet, who played a strong match in his first start against. We need to do a better job to come back with the same energy as we had in the first half to avoid those types of goals.”
That early second-half goal set off a nervy spell for the Lions, who again were giving too much width to the Red Bulls. In addition to width, Orlando City was conceding extra chances. Angulo’s poor clearance set up Edwards right in front in the 52nd minute, but the shot went wide of the left post.
Angulo again gave the ball away in his own end in the 53rd minute, and that allowed Dylan Nealis a chance to fire a shot at the top of the area. Gallese did well to get down and make the save, that bounced to Edwards. The New York player couldn’t dig it out of his feet and his chance for an easy put-back evaporated.
The Lions settled down a bit after that, creating a couple of chances. Pasalic shook free on the left and fired just wide of the right post in the 61st minute. Two minutes later, Muriel tried a long-range effort that forced a diving save from Coronel. Pasalic created another chance in the 65th minute by forcing a great diving stop by Coronel to keep the match tied.
The best chance in that Orlando flurry came in the 67th minute. Smith got to the end line and sent a good pass into the area. Ojeda dug it out of traffic and fired from close range but hit his curling shot wide of the right post.
New York should have taken the lead in the 72nd minute. With Orlando enjoying a spell of possession, Jansson was dispossessed at the halfway line, allowing Gjengaar to break in alone on goal. Rather than risk a pass to Choupa-Moting with Schlegel tracking back, Gjengaar fired a shot, trying to beat the onrushing Gallese. The Peruvian did well to get a slight touch to the shot, forcing it to skip just wide of the left post.
“I felt it more like individual moments every time,” Gerbet said about the club’s defensive struggles. “So, I felt like we just need to train more, be more focused, even like at halftime or before, be willing as a team to talk, to communicate, to be able to be all together, to raise up the energy — if we see someone is a little bit down, to push him a little bit. And I felt like those little tips can help us moving forward.”
Orlando went back on the front foot after that with some late chances to win the match. Pasalic held the ball too long on a promising transition break, rather than shifting the ball right to Freeman. Felipe Carballo was able to make him pay by tackling it away from him, although the Croatian felt he was fouled on the play. He came off limping when substituted off moments later, but Pareja indicated in his postgame comments that he wasn’t concerned with an injury to Pasalic.
The Lions gave up the ball too easily a few more times after that opportunity on the break, with Gjengaar hitting the left post with a curling effort from the right side, nearly making Orlando pay in the 85th minute.
McGuire subbed on for his first appearance of the season moments later and his impact was noticeable, despite no changes to the scoreline. He quickly won a corner in the 90th minute and fellow substitute David Brekalo got under his header on the ensuing set piece, sending it over the goal.
Ramiro Enrique had a golden opportunity for a winner in the third minute of injury time when McGuire laid off a pass for the Argentine. His shot was a decent one, but placed a bit too close to Coronel, who made an excellent diving save. A minute later, Coronel blocked a shot by Rafael Santos pinching in from the left, and McGuire’s follow-up effort was blocked by the defense in front.
“I was so happy seeing (McGuire), because he has been training normal, but I know the competition in the games is different,” Pareja said about the striker’s return. “I was urgent to see him giving us those glimpses of the Duncan that we all know. And when I saw him today competing, jumping with no fear, winning those duels, and getting in behind, that made us so happy. I’m very convinced that Duncan will be back in his best level soon and all what he brings is just good news for our offensive side.”
The final chance of the game fell to Orlando in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Santos won a corner kick. The service found its way to a wide-open Schlegel high in the box on the right. The defender took a shot but sent it wide with just about the last kick of the game.
New York finished with the advantage in possession (55.7%-44.3%) and passing accuracy (83.1%-80.7%), but aside from the first 15 minutes of the second half and a few random giveaways, Orlando controlled the match, finishing level on shots (15-15) and finishing with the advantage in shots on target (7-6) and corners (6-2).
Ultimately, the continued momentary lapses in defending cost the team points again. The Lions have now conceded 10 goals in just four games to start this season, using four different starting back line combinations.
“We’re disappointed of course because we wanted more,” Gerbet said. “I think we had the chances to get more (than one point), but we know how it’s tough to come here to New York to get a point, so I won’t say we’re happy, but we need to go with that because that’s what we got. Disappointed of course with the result, because as a team we want to win every single game.”
“At the end, we take a point and we take proudly, because we made a great effort today,” Pareja said.
The Lions finish their road trip without a win (0-1-1) and now return to the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium a week from today when they host D.C. United.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/5/25
Lions draw Chicago Fire, Pride lose to the Portland Thorns, OCB falls to Chicago Fire II, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy covering high school sports to help finish the spring season. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City forward Ramiro Enrique, who turned 24 on Sunday, Orlando Pride defender Oihane Hernandez, who turned 25 on Sunday, and Orlando City B midfielder Juan Quevedo, who turns 20 today. It was a rough weekend for our teams, as the Lions could only get a draw, while the Pride and OCB lost. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Draw Chicago Fire on the Road
Orlando City and the Chicago Fire split the points in a scoreless draw Saturday at Soldier Field. Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady received a red card and was sent off after he came off his line and slammed into Duncan McGuire in the first half, denying a goal-scoring opportunity for the Lions. However, Orlando City couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage. Lions goalkeeper Pedro Gallese had a solid performance in goal, making eight saves as Orlando escaped with its fourth scoreless draw in its last five matches. Orlando City extended its unbeaten run to eight matches and is eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Lions will be busy this week with two matches, visiting the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 32 of the 2025 U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, followed by a home match against the New England Revolution on Saturday.
Pride Lose in Portland
The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Portland Thorns on Saturday at Providence Park. Reyna Reyes scored the lone goal for the Thorns. The Pride didn’t create many chances throughout the match and couldn’t get an equalizer. The Pride’s struggles at Providence Park continue as they have been winless in their last six meetings on the road in Portland. Despite the defeat, Orlando remains tied for first in the NWSL standings with the Kansas City Current. The Pride will be on the road on Saturday to face the North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park.
OCB Crushed by Chicago Fire II
Orlando City B fell 5-1 to Chicago Fire FC II on Friday at Flames Field on the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago. The Young Lions got off to a good start as Shak Mohammed scored the opener in the first half. However, Chicago scored two goals to take a 2-1 lead going into halftime. In the second half, Chicago added three more goals to seal a 5-1 win and snap its three-match winless streak. The Young Lions are now winless in their last three matches and are in fifth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference standings. OCB’s next match will be on May 17 at home against Inter Miami II.
Americans Abroad
Let’s catch up on how some Americans did abroad over the weekend as the European season nears its conclusion. Former Lion Daryl Dike scored his first goal in 485 days for West Brom in Saturday in a 5-3 win over Luton Town to close out the EFL championship season. Dike was also named the SBI Soccer Americans Abroad Player of the Week. Americans Haji Wright and Aidan Morris faced off on Saturday. Wright played 90 minutes as his Coventry City side beat Middlesbrough 2-0 and booked a spot in the EFL Championship promotion playoffs. Meanwhile, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds defeated Plymouth Argyle 2-1 and edged Burnley on goal difference to win the EFL Championship title. Weston McKennie played 90 minutes, but his Juventus side settled for a 1-1 draw against Bologna. Finally, Folarin Balogun scored his first goal since October as Monaco defeated Saint-Etienne 3-1.
Free Kicks
- Yesterday was May the Fourth and Orlando City and the Pride got in on the action to celebrate Star Wars Day.
- Leicester City captain Jamie Vardy blew the whistle to stop play so referee David Webb could get medical treatment. Webb suffered a head injury after a collision with Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew, and the match against Southampton was delayed for 11 minutes.
- Harry Kane finally ended his trophy drought as Bayern Munich was crowned champion of the Bundesliga on Sunday after Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg fought for a 2-2 draw.
- The Chicago Stars are reportedly exploring moving home matches to the Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, IL, next season. The Stars’ lease at SeatGeek Stadium expires at the end of this year.
- Sporting Kansas City defeated the LA Galaxy 1-0 on Sunday and became the first MLS club to win a match without attempting a single shot on goal.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw against the Chicago Fire?

Twice this season Orlando City players received red cards, and during each occasion the defense was able to buckle down and keep the opponents from scoring while up a player. The Lions returned the favor on Saturday night, allowing Chicago to play down a player for more than half the game without punishment in what ended up as a disappointing 0-0 draw at Soldier Field.
There were not a lot of standout performances in this game, as aside from one major exception the team just seemed to be playing in a bit of a funk — and not the cool James Brown funk, but rather the something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-Illinois funk. To torture a Hamlet metaphor: to grade or not to grade was never a question, but to do it with or without holding my nose definitely was.
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 Eastern Conference matchup.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 8.5 (MotM) — El Pulpo was simply outstanding in this game, recording eight saves, one below his career high in purple (or yellow, as it often has been), and keeping the game scoreless early when Chicago was relentlessly attacking Orlando City’s defense. He made two double saves, one in each half, and really looked to be the only Lion who actually showed up to play in this game. The Peruvian looked in complete command of his area throughout, extending his shutout streak to more than 500 minutes by the conclusion of this game, and Orlando City has Gallese to thank for escaping with a point, despite playing up a man for more than half of the match.
D, David Brekalo, 6 — The Slovenian defender ventured forward more than usual, with the Fire playing down a player and not offering much of an offensive threat, and he did play a few dangerous balls, but — and this will be a theme of many of the grades for this game — nothing came of it. He completed 60 passes on the night at a 92.3% rate, and Óscar Pareja believed he was playing well enough to leave him on the field and withdraw Rodrigo Schlegel when Orlando City started really pushing forward in the final 10 minutes, but that is not saying much on a night when nobody in the defensive back line was having a great game. Brekalo added one tackle and three clearances, and to his credit, he continued to look more comfortable playing in a position (left back) that he had not played prior to this season.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain was his normal steady self, though he did not have many opportunities to contribute with Chicago so rarely attacking in the the final 50 minutes of the game. His biggest positive contribution was playing the long ball over the top to Duncan McGuire that turned into a red card and a man advantage, and he narrowly avoided a calamitous negative contribution as a second half shot that was going to go well wide deflected off him and nearly tucked inside the near post, but it thankfully hit the outside of the post instead. Jansson led the team in completed passes with 62, including one key pass, and completed those passes at a 91.2% rate, but it is telling that he did not make any tackles and only had two defensive clearances, as much of his game was spent watching the “offense” in front of him and providing a release valve as they reset and tried another tactic.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel owes a massive debt of gratitude to Gallese, as twice in the game the Argentinean defender was beaten by Philip Zinckernagel, and only a save at full stretch kept the Lions from going down 1-0. Shortly thereafter, he was beaten over the top on a ball to Jonathan Bamba, but Gallese once again kept the game scoreless. It was not shaping up to be a good day for the Orlando City defense, but the red card changed everything, and from then on, Schlegel did not have a lot to do aside from transitioning balls played back to him to another player. He completed 49 passes on the night, third on the team, connecting on 87.5% of those passes, and he also added one tackle and five clearances.
D, Alex Freeman, 6 — I expected Freeman to take full advantage of Chicago playing down a man for more than half the game and he did to a degree, taking three shots and playing two key passes, but the final product was not there and he could not add to his goal contribution tally. Freeman and Marco Pašalić also did not seem to have their usual level of interplay, and according to whoscored.com, the Lions actually attacked up the right side far less often (24% of their possessions) than they did the left side (38%). Freeman was engaged defensively, with two tackles, three interceptions, and one clearance, but as with so many of the Lions on this night, he did not execute well enough on offense to help get the one goal Orlando City needed to walk away with the three points. He also owes Gallese a major thank you, as Zinckernagel picked his pocket in the first half and only a fantastic save kept Freeman from having made the turnover that turned into the opening goal.
MF, César Araújo, 6 — It was nice to see Araújo’s name back in the starting lineup, but I did not think the Uruguayan looked all the way back to 100%. That may have been because early in the game he appeared to pick up some kind of knock, and was limping around for a few minutes, or perhaps because he was not fully back from the injury that had been keeping him out, but this was a pretty muted performance from a player who usually is a midfield destroyer and never stops running when he is on the field. Araújo completed 47 passes at a 94% clip, took three shots, and recorded three tackles, but what I will remember from him from this game is that he was one of several players who took free kicks from very dangerous locations, and just like many of his teammates, he put his free kick right into the wall.
MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — With Eduard Atuesta out, Smith got the start in the midfield alongside Araújo, and gave a solid, workmanlike performance. Smith did not get forward very much and played conservatively, and while he completed 87.1% of his passes, there were very few of consequence. Smith’s biggest contribution was a hustle play, when he got all the way back on defense to deflect a cross away that was headed into a dangerous area. He also added one tackle on defense before making way for Martín Ojeda in an offense-for-defense substitution in the 56th minute.
MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — The Colombian had a bright start to this game, cutting back into the middle and getting off Orlando City’s first shot of the game, which deflected out for a corner. Later in the first half, he also put a left-footed shot on target, one of only two shots on target for Orlando City all game, but it was not struck with a lot of power and was never really a threat. Angulo also played a fantastic pass to Ojeda that nearly turned into an assist, but Ojeda’s blast hit the post instead of the net. The speedy winger completed 79.5% of his passes on the night, with three key passes, and added one tackle and two interceptions, but on the flip side, he also was dispossessed once in the defensive third, giving Chicago an opportunity, and he also committed the turnover that turned into Gallese’s second-half double save.
MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — Just when the Croatian winger seemed to finally be getting into the game he was substituted out, and while it was understandable considering how invisible he had been for most of the match, the decision to take off one of the few players who had even threatened the goal was one that I did not agree with. As covered earlier, Orlando City did not attack down the right side very much in this game, and Pašalić had his second-fewest touches in any game this season as a result. He did hit one of his trademark dipping shots from outside the box but did not get quite enough of a dip on it, and it rattled the crossbar but did not ricochet into the net. On the night, he completed 70.8% of his passes and he beat three defenders off the dribble, but he was not able to create much else for himself or his teammates.
F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel was by far the most active player among Orlando City’s attackers, and while he had several chances himself, he created even more for his teammates with his team-leading nine shot-creating actions, but nobody brought their shooting shoes, and all those chances went begging. Muriel played some absolutely beautiful balls on the night, from a long ball over the top to McGuire, to a back-post cross towards Araújo, to several crosses into the danger area in front of the goal, and on a different day, perhaps he would have had multiple assists. Or, on a different day, he would have scored on some of his chances, as he led the team with five shot attempts but unfortunately could only put one on target, which was saved. The Colombian had four key passes among his 38 completions, and considering he was one of the few players to look lively and engaged, it is not a surprise that he only completed 71.7% of his passes, as he was trying to create offense for his teammates all game long.
F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — McGuire received another start in this match next to Muriel, and went the full 90 minutes in an MLS match for the first time since June of 2024. Unfortunately, he continued his trend of not receiving a lot of service, as despite playing 90 minutes and Chicago playing down a player, he only had 23 touches. Early in the game he had a decent chance on a ball over the top from Muriel that he hit well but wide, but aside from that, he was unable to get any other shots off. His biggest contribution was earning the red card from Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady, which is not be discounted, especially considering that he gave up his just-recovered-from-injury body to do so, but aside from that, there was not a lot else that he offered in this game. He completed 10 passes at a 71.4% completion rate, but unfortunately for Orlando City, his goal contribution drought continued and left me wondering whether it is time for him to return to the bench and his supersub role instead of starting and playing against fresh defenders.
Substitutes
MF, Martín Ojeda (56′), 6 — With Orlando City up a man, I thought Ojeda would enter the game much earlier, but Pareja still waited until nearly two-thirds of the game was complete to bring in the team’s third Designated Player. Ojeda was inches away from adding another goal to his tally, smashing a shot against the post after a great pass from Angulo, but that was really the only serious contribution he made while he was on the field. He competed 14 passes, including one key pass, at an 87.5% rate and also took two additional shots, but placed neither on target.
MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (81’), N/A — The Icelandic midfielder brought some life to the offense when he entered in an offense-for-defense substitution for Schlegel but was unable to create any serious chances. He completed six of his seven passes and was able to get a shot off, but that shot was not on target.
MF, Ramiro Enrique, (81’), N/A — Enrique entered in a like-for-like swap with Pašalić but really did not have much of an opportunity to contribute to the match as he only had three touches.
D, Rafael Santos, (81′), N/A — The Brazilian replaced Angulo on the left side but was unable to get a chance to play any of his trademark whipped crosses towards the danger zone, and though he completed four passes, nothing came of them.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw on the road against the Chicago Fire. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from another frustrating 0-0 draw.

Orlando City played over an entire half with a man advantage but couldn’t create many clear-cut chances and had to settle for a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire. The Lions struggled to break down the bunkered Fire defense and often settled for shots from distance that didn’t come close to troubling the goal, and they didn’t deserve more than a point in the end. What follows are my five takeaways from the game.
Lions Lived Dangerously Early
The game was scoreless at halftime but that seemed like an extremely unlikely outcome based on the first half hour. The Fire took 11 shots inside the first 30 minutes and tested Pedro Gallese constantly, as El Pulpo was forced into making five saves. The highlight was an outstanding double save in the 10th minute, first from Philip Zinckernagel, and then again from Hugo Cuypers on the rebound. Orlando’s goal got absolutely shelled, and Cuypers really should have opened the scoring from an 11th-minute corner but somehow contrived to fire the ball over from about two feet away. Chicago was so dangerous that it racked up 2.91 expected goals from 11 shots in the opening half hour, which is good for a pretty impressive .26 xG per shot. If not for Gallese’s brilliance and Chicago’s poor finishing, this thing could have been over early.
Route One Gave Chicago Trouble
That being said, the Lions had some moments of their own, and the most dangerous ones came when OCSC dispensed with trying to keep possession and build with the ball, and simply chose to play long balls over the top of the defense. That sort of direct play gave the Fire all sorts of hell in the 7-2 thrashing they received at the hands of Nashville SC last week, and the few times that the Lions played long balls over the top, they looked extremely dangerous. Duncan McGuire flashed a shot just wide of the post in the 17th minute after getting on the end of a long ball, and then in the 36th minute he was on the verge of getting on the end of another one, but Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady rushed off his line, got all of Duncan and none of the ball, and got sent off as a result. Had the Fire kept 10 men on the field, we’d surely have seen Orlando keep trying to lob balls over the top.
Red Card Did Not Change the Game
In theory, one team going down to 10 men should drastically change the game. The side with the man advantage should be able to overwhelm the team with fewer players, apply pressure to the goal, and eventually break through. That’s not what happened here, though. The Lions had a ton of the ball in the second half, with 69% possession, and they took 15 shots. But they only put one of them on target, and took seven of those 15 shots from outside the box. Too often, Orlando was reduced to shooting from distance rather than playing through or around the compact Chicago defense, and OCSC often looked short of ideas in the final third. The Lions have often struggled to break down teams that choose to bunker deep and clog the middle of the field around their box, and that was the case again in this game. They did still manage to carve out a few chances, with Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda both hitting the woodwork, but it was a woeful offensive performance considering the circumstances.
No Atuesta, No Party
Eduard Atuesta was unavailable for this game after picking up a neck injury late in the week, and frankly that was probably a big part of Orlando’s anemic creative output. It was great to have Cesar Araujo back, but he isn’t exactly renowned for his offensive capabilities, while Atuesta does so much work linking defense to attack, and is more than capable of providing a key pass or assist. Whether or not he would have been any help when trying to break through the tightly compacted Chicago lines is anyone’s guess, but not having him on the field certainly didn’t help Orlando’s chances. He isn’t going to be available for every game either, particularly as the fixture congestion piles up, so the Lions are going to need to find some creative juice from other sources.
Road Point Feels Hollow
It’s hard to win on the road in MLS and a point is a point. But it’s hard to feel good about it when Orlando played for over a half with a man advantage but spent most of it looking like it was the team that only had 10 men. Yes, the Lions’ unbeaten run is now at eight games, but four of those are scoreless draws. Points are points but this was an extremely frustrating point considering the circumstances. It was sort of an odd game in that I felt Orlando was extremely fortunate to still have the game at 0-0 after the opening 30 minutes, and then for the remaining 54 minutes after Chicago’s red card, I ranged from annoyed to frustrated by the Lions’ inability to carve out meaningful chances. Some draws you’re thrilled with and accept without asking any questions, but this absolutely wasn’t one of those cases.
Those are my five big thoughts from a frustrating evening for Orlando City up in Illinois. Be sure to voice your thoughts about this game down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!
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Orlando City B3 days ago
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