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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions rate individually in a tough 2-0 loss to Nashville?

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well, that wasn’t a very fun game. Orlando City had its chances, but was caught out twice and lost 2-0 to Nashville SC at home. It was another game that will sting for supporters as the Lions weren’t bad by any means, but failed to capitalize on the chances they created while the visitors were extremely ruthless. Here’s how I saw the individual performances in OCSC’s second straight home loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — This maybe feels a little harsh on El Pulpo, but on a night when he didn’t face many shots, he wasn’t able to keep out the majority of the ones that he did see. He finished with one save on the three shots on target that Nashville produced on the night, with the other two finding a way past him. He was caught in no man’s land on the opening goal, and while a cruel deflection took Hany Mukhtar’s shot past him, it’s still not great to get beat from such an acute angle. His 59% passing accuracy left a bit to be desired, even as a goalkeeper, but it’s hard to hold that against him too much. In the end, it just wasn’t his night.

D, Luca Petrasso, 5.5 — Preferred to Rafael Santos in the starting left back role, Petrasso had a fairly quiet night. His passing was the highlight of his performance as he was extremely accurate, completing 93% of them, while also contributing two key passes. His cutback pass to Ramiro Enrique should have resulted in more than it did, but it was that kind of night across the board for the Lions. He also completed one dribble and committed two fouls before being withdrawn as OCSC was chasing the game.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson recorded one tackle, one interception, four clearances, and four long balls while passing with 92% accuracy. I particularly enjoyed the excellent curled ball he played up the sideline just two minutes into the game. While he wasn’t as culpable as Rodrigo Schlegel on Fafa Picault’s opening goal, he wasn’t blameless either, and neither player covered themselves in glory on the sequence. He did commit one foul but avoided picking up a yellow card, which isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion for him, so that was some silver lining.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel partnered Jansson in defense as he has for most of the young season. He was busy on the stat sheet with two tackles, four clearances, and 84.6% passing accuracy with one long ball. Unfortunately, his most high profile contribution to the game came on Nashville’s opening goal when he fell asleep and allowed Picault to get in behind him to open the scoring. It was not good defending from him, and while he was mostly solid afterward — though it’s not clear how much his sliding challenge distracted Gallese on the second goal — his first lapse ended up costing the Lions dearly. He also picked up a yellow card shortly after the halftime break and had to play more carefully as a result.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Like Petrasso, it was a fairly anonymous performance from The Accountant. He passed with 86% accuracy and completed three key passes, and it was nice to see him making that contribution offensively, although he was only one-for-five on his crossing attempts. He won two aerial duels, and made one tackle, while being fouled once and picking up a yellow card for a shoving match with Picault in the second half.

MF, Felipe , 5.5 — Felipe was given the start and asked to play the double pivot in deep central midfield alongside Cesar Araujo, presumably in an effort to gum up the play of the always dangerous duo of Mukhtar and C.J. Sapong. It worked to a degree. He recorded a tackle, an interception, a shot and a completed dribble while passing at an 84% clip. With that being said, he was the one who committed the foul on Mukhtar which led to the Nashville goal. The foul in itself wasn’t a cardinal sin as it stopped a Nashville break, but he maybe should have tried to get in front of the German playmaker and tried to delay the set piece being taken as quickly as it was, though he was by no means the worst offender on that particular goal conceded.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo did plenty of dirty work in the match, but was able to flash an offensive side of his game as well. He passed with a whopping 99% accuracy, recorded two tackles, one clearance, two shots, a completed dribble and was fouled three times while committing three of his own. It was a shame he was unable to stay on his feet when the ball found him in the box in the first half, as he had a good opportunity to shoot, but his slip was fairly emblematic of Orlando’s night as a whole.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Pererya was largely freed of defensive responsibilities with Felipe deployed as the eight, and that was reflected in his stat line. The captain took one shot, passed with 84% accuracy, had three key passes, two long balls, was fouled twice, and chipped in with two tackles defensively. Unfortunately, he and the rest of his offensive teammates couldn’t find the final ball to unlock Nashville defensively, especially once the first goal went in and the visitors started to bunker more heavily.  

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — As has become customary for him, Ojeda took the most shots out of anyone in an Orlando City shirt, with six. Two went on target, one was blocked and the other three were off target, but he isn’t shy about having a pop when the opportunity presents itself. He also passed with 88% accuracy, had one key pass and one interception while committing one foul. For the most part, the final ball just wouldn’t present itself for anyone in a purple shirt, and he was no exception.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 (MotM) — Angulo was his usual active self in this one. He had Orlando’s best chance of the game in the 17th minute when he turned on a ball in the box and fired a low shot towards the far corner that forced Joe Willis into an excellent kick save. He took three shots on the night, putting one on target, one off, and having the final one blocked. He also passed with 89% accuracy and had a key pass, and he won a lone aerial duel and made one clearance. On the disciplinary side of things he was fouled once and committed one foul of his own.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique was given the start up top and was not shy about running and using his high energy levels. Defensively he contributed one clearance and committed a foul. On the offensive end of things he took two shots, putting one on target and had the other one blocked, while also passing with 88% accuracy and notching a key pass. He had a great chance to get Orlando level when Petrasso’s cutback found him in the second half, but he could only fire low into Joe Willis’ body with a shot he really should have done better with.

Substitutes

MF, Facundo Torres (45′), 6 — Deployed only as a second half substitute, Torres still managed to get involved. He finished his night with two shots, one on target and one off target, and also had a key pass and drew a foul on the offensive end. He passed with 89% accuracy, completed two long balls, and contributed one tackle and one interception on the defensive end. His introduction gave the Lions a spark, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to get them on the scoresheet.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (78′), N/A — Gonzalez came in with under a quarter of an hour to play as Oscar Pareja threw the kitchen sink at Nashville to try to get a result. He didn’t record any defensive statistics but passed with 78% accuracy, was fouled once, and completed one dribble.

MF, Duncan McGuire (81′), N/A — Like Gonzalez, McGuire entered the fray late to try to help chase a result. He completed all three of his passes, one of which was a key one, won one aerial duel, and took one headed shot, which he put on target.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (82′), N/A — Thorhallsson was another sub late with OCSC chasing the game. He completed all three of his passes and committed two fouls, but was otherwise unable to impact proceedings.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in the tough home loss to Nashville SC. Let me know how you saw things in the comments, and be sure to vote in the Man of the Match poll below.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

19 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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