Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Get First Ever Win in California on a Facundo Torres Goal

Published

2 years ago

on

The last time Orlando City played the LA Galaxy, the Los Angeleenos came into Exploria Stadium and smash-and-grabbed a 1-0 win despite being dominated by the hosts. The Lions (2-1-1, 7 points) returned the favor today at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles with a 1-0 road win over the Galaxy (2-2-0, 6 points) on an early Facundo Torres goal.

It was Orlando’s first ever win in the state of California and may have erased some of the bad taste from being victimized a week ago by FC Cincinnati at home on a similar smash-and-grab. The Lions held their concentration for 95 minutes, weathering 20 shots and an incredible number of set pieces to keep LA’s offense quiet.

“Today we showed a lot of things that we liked and we’re looking (to build on), which is our character, and willingness, and our braveness to be a team that can go away and get results and be strong at home,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We’re very pleased. I think we won a game against a very good rival in a difficult place. Our boys did a fantastic job.”

Pareja made one change from the team that dominated — but lost — at home to Cincinnati a week ago, inserting defensive midfielder Sebas Mendez for Alexandre Pato. Pedro Gallese had the usual back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan in front of him. Cesar Araujo, Junior Urso, and Sebas Mendez were deployed to slow down the Galaxy attack, while Mauricio Pereyra was the main facilitator for Torres and Ercan Kara.

Urso played as a false winger and Pareja said that although Araujo has been playing well and learning the league quickly, he wanted to give him some help for this match against LA’s tough attacking players.

“Today (we were) playing against a very good team with good players,” Pareja said. “That’s why we decided to reinforce the middle. We thought it was obvious that some territory would be conceded to LA, but sometimes you have to choose. I would like to see more control with the ball and the way we want to do things.”

The Galaxy were on the front foot from the jump, working the ball around the perimeter and looking to slip balls through or over to Chicharito and Kevin Cabral in the middle. Sometimes they’d try balls over the top from Victor Vazquez and came close to connecting a few times. Rayan Raveloson took the game’s first shot from the top of the area and Jansson got a piece of it to deflect it out for a corner on a dangerous early chance in the third minute.

Jansson did well to deny a dangerous cross from Julian Araujo a minute later when a cross from Vazquez found the fullback sneaking toward the back post. Orlando did well to clear multiple LA set pieces to keep the game scoreless, and that allowed the Lions to strike first.

Torres opened the scoring in the ninth minute in transition. Ruan sent Kara down the right flank and the Designated Player picked out a perfect cross for the onrushing Uruguayan to nod home for his first MLS goal on Orlando’s first shot attempt. It was Kara’s first MLS assist as well.

“Kara was able to get the ball high up the field and I knew that he was going to put it in, so I needed to anticipate where he was going to put the ball and try to find the space in (between) the defenders,” Torres said through a club interpeter. “Thankfully I was able to get up, and now we’re taking a goal and three points home as I go back to Uruguay for the international window.”

Torres said he feels the chemistry starting to build with Kara up top after the Austrian international’s return from injury.

“We’re all kind of integrating into this team, especially with Ercan being able to come in and go a few more minutes and adjust with everyone,” Torres said. “It provides a respite for us in the attack. A lot of us in the attack are a little bit on the smaller side. So, having someone out there that’s big and physical gives us a respite and we’re able to create a lot of options behind the defense with that. It’s coming along and I think we’re on a good path.”

Orlando was bolstered by the go-ahead goal and created a couple more opportunities. Ruan bombed down the right in the 12th minute in plenty of space but his cross attempt was well behind his attacking teammates. In the 15th minute, Kara looked to be in position to double the lead but he was run down from behind by Raheem Edwards at the last second while teeing up a shot. He could have perhaps played in Urso instead for a better chance.

Less than a minute later, Chicharito nearly tied the game. He sent a spinning shot on target but Gallese did well to make a save. Cabral couldn’t make good contact with the rebound, allowing the goalkeeper to collect it.

The Galaxy had some near misses on shots and crosses as the first half wound down. A cross was inches in front of Cabral in the six in the 35th minute. LA won multiple corners down the stretch as Orlando struggled to hold possession and to hold the hosts at bay.

Cabral went down a bit easily in the 44th minute on a minor bump by Ruan on a ball over the top. The referee not only bought it, giving LA a free kick just outside the area but also booked Orlando’s right back. Douglas Costa hit the ensuing free kick into the wall.

Orlando got one more decent look in the second minute of stoppage time, with Torres blasting a shot from outside the area that sliced wide of the goal.

LA dominated the stat sheet at halftime, with more possession (60%-40%), shots (10-3), shots on target (2-1), corners (5-0), and passing accuracy (90.2%-82.9%).

The second half was much more of the same, as the hosts won another corner within 30 seconds of the restart en route to seven in the second half and 12 in the match. That’s not even counting a number of set pieces that weren’t corner kicks. Somehow, the Orlando defense held firm.

Efrain Alvarez had a go just moments into the second half but couldn’t get his shot on frame.

The Lions nearly created something off the mounting number of set pieces in the 52nd minute. Orlando got forward in transition after clearing a corner and Araujo fired a shot toward goal but a desperation slide by a defender knocked the ball out for an Orlando corner. Carlos got his head on the ensuing set piece delivery from Pereyra but the cross was behind him and he could only harmlessly pop it well over the goal.

After Orlando dealt with two more quick corners from the Galaxy, the Lions created a chance at the other end when Urso slipped Ruan down the right side of the area. With Kara in the middle and Torres running at the back post, the right back sent his cross harmlessly at the keeper instead of across the top of the six, wasting a chance to double the lead in the 56th minute.

A moment later, that looked like it would cost Orlando when Moutinho gave the ball away in his own defensive third. Carlos cleared the dangerous cross in from the wing to snuff out the danger.

Chicharito laid a pass off for Cabral at the top of the area in the 59th minute but the Galaxy forward whiffed badly on his swing and made a mess of the shot. Two minutes later, Edwards fired from the left corner of the box but missed wide of the far post. LA had a great passing sequence moments later to free up a shot for Chicharito at the top of the area but his effort skipped a foot wide of the left post.

Former Lion Sacha Kljestan came on in the second half and fizzed a shot over Gallese’s goal in the 73rd minute from distance.

Orlando finally fashioned another decent chance in the 77th but substitute Kyle Smith hit his shot at goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. A minute later, Alvarez skipped past Moutinho in the corner and fizzed a shot across the front of goal that hit Gallese but the keeper was able to smother it, preventing it from bouncing in or dangerously out in front.

Neither team got a clear-cut look the rest of the way. Chicharito skied a header well over from the top of the area on a good cross in and the Lions did well to waste most of the five minutes of stoppage time. The lone exception was when sub Benji Michel tried to take on Julian Araujo at the corner of the box rather than taking the ball to the corner. He lost control and teammate Cesar Araujo took a tactical foul — and a yellow card — that he ordinarily wouldn’t have had to take.

Moments later, the Lions had their victory.

Like the Lions a week ago, LA led in every statistical category but the most important one at full time. The Galaxy had more possession (62.8%-37.2%), shots (20-6), shots on target (3-2), corners (12-2), and passing accuracy (89%-82.2%).

“I was very proud of the players,” Pareja said. “The full squad had a terrific week of training, trying to bounce back from that result we had at home. That control that we had defensively and the concentration today was first class against a good rival.”

The Lions will be out west again in their next game as Orlando City visits the Portland Timbers next Sunday. That is also an afternoon start, at 4 p.m. Eastern.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

16 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

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

Published

19 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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!

Continue Reading

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

on

May 1, 2024

By

,
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!

Continue Reading

Trending