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Orlando City vs. Minnesota United: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Come from Behind in Road Win

The Lions got their first regular-season win against the Loons, beating Minnesota’s stingy defense twice after falling behind.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City fell behind in the second half but goals by Ivan Angulo and Duncan McGuire brought the Lions back for a 2-1 win over Minnesota United at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN. Orlando (3-2-2, 11 points) stayed unbeaten on the road at 2-0-1 on the young MLS season and got its first regular-season win against Minnesota United (3-2-2, 11 points).

The home side was the more likely to win for most of the game, but after falling behind, Orlando showed plenty of fight and worked two excellent team goals to steal all three points from former OCSC manager Adrian Heath and the Loons in Minnesota.

“Very, very good victory, and the credit for this group of players who overcame this moment,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Coming to Minnesota and getting this win is very important for for our group. But the most important part was when we were losing one-zero, and the courage of the players just brought it back into the game, tied it up, and then after that, just with the same ambition go and look for the three points, and that’s what what I highlight the most — that effort — and we’re very proud of them.”

Pareja changed the team’s shape for this match-up, starting Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Rodrigo Schlegel. The midfield consisted of Angulo and Gaston Gonzalez outside, with no true fullbacks on the pitch. Cesar Araujo and Mauricio Pereyra played centrally, with an attacking line of Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique.

The first half was one to forget for the Lions, as they looked like a team not used to playing in the shape they were in. The Loons got a golden opportunity in the opening minutes as a result. A simple ball over the top was misplayed by Jansson, who allowed Mender Garcia to get in behind him down Minnesota’s right side. Garcia found a wide-open Bongokuhle Hlongwane in front of goal but his first touch was terrible and the ball skipped harmlessly off his feet and out for a goal kick in the second minute.

The Loons racked up six first-half corners and didn’t do much with them, although the ball did ping around dangerously a few times. At least three of those corners were preventable but poor touches on clearance attempts by Schlegel and Gonzalez gifted those set pieces to the hosts. Multiple attacks that ended in corners were set up by careless Orlando passes in the attacking third that the Loons turned into transition opportunities.

One of those set pieces fell to Kervin Arriaga at the top of the box but the central midfielder fired his shot wide.

Gallese made a near-post save on Hlongwane in the 18th minute and DJ Taylor volleyed well off target off a corner moments later.

“The first 15 minutes we suffered a little until we settled in the game, and then after that I thought we dominated in many, many parts in the match. And we created situations and we contained them as well in the moments they attacked us,” Pareja said.

Orlando got a half chance of its own in the 25th minute when Angulo fizzed in a cross that Enrique went down to get but he couldn’t hit the target. In the 32nd minute, Ojeda had an opportunity from the top of the box but missed high as the Lions continued to waste the few chances they had in the opening half. Three minutes later, Gonzalez had it at the top of the box but he took too long to shoot and it was easily blocked.

The biggest save of the half came in the 41st minute when a shot by Jeong Sang Bin took a deflection. Gallese was able to make the sprawling save.

Orlando City held more of the possession (53.1%-46.9%) but did little with it. The Loons out-shot the Lions (9-5) and had more shots on target (2-0), and corners (6-3). OCSC had a slight edge in passing accuracy (82.2%-81.9%) but that’s deceiving because a lot of that was passing around between defenders and central midfielders. In the attacking third, the Lions were simply poor.

Pareja made no changes at the break and Hlongwane continued to be a threat down Minnesota’s left, overpowering Angulo or simply beating him out wide. The first chance of the half nearly came in the 49th minute but Hlongwane hit the outside netting and the play was offside anyway.

Orlando had a good buildup in the 53rd minute that ended with the ball on Enrique’s foot at the top of the area. The U22 Initiative striker took an extra touch, however, and that allowed Michael Boxall to get back and deflect his shot out for a corner.

Five minutes later, the hosts broke through. Hassani Dotson got down the right side and just managed to beat Jansson to get his cross through the top of the six. Hlongwane beat Angulo to the goal line and just tapped it over the line to make it 1-0 in the 58th minute.

Less than 10 minutes later, the Lions responded with a beautiful team goal that started in the back. Antonio Carlos switched play from the right to Gonzalez on the left. The young Argentine cut inside and passed off to Ojeda, who in turn dropped it back for Pereyra. The captain sent a diagonal ball to send Gonzalez down the left flank toward the end line and his cross fizzed through the box to Angulo on the other side. Angulo smashed it past Dayne St. Clair for his second goal of the season, leveling things in the 66th minute.

“I think just looking for those connections and the natural movements that we can help with,” Pareja said of the difference in the attack tonight. “Positioning the players is not an easy job but we understand that we have urgency to get those things done. If we have the willingness of the players as they showed today one more time, I think that we’re going to get there.”

Hlongwane again created some danger in the 81st minute, beating Angulo to the end line and cutting a pass back for Robin Lod. The Minnesota winger got under his shot and it sailed over the bar. Three minutes later, Taylor found space and smashed a shot into the stands.

Gallese made the save of the game in the 85th minute. Luis Amarilla fed a ball through for Franco Fragapane, who got behind the defense. The shot was hard but Gallese came out a bit and made himself big, blocking it with his midsection.

It was a vital stop because the Lions took the lead three minutes later. Substitutes Luca Petrasso and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked the ball smartly up the touchline on the left side and the Icelandic midfielder eventually slipped Torres toward the end line. Torres sent a cross that was over McGuire in the middle but it fell for Angulo on the far side. This time Angulo tried to chip St. Clair but his effort hit the crossbar. It fell into the path of the waiting McGuire, who nodded home the winner in the 88th minute.

“It was a great team buildup,” McGuire said of the goal. “Ball went slightly over my head on the cross. Angulo, I saw him flick it up and I didn’t know if it was going to off the crossbar or over the goal or in the goal. I just decided to get myself in a good position to where I thought a bounce could be, and it luckily came right to my head and I tucked it away, which was nice.”

“He wants to fight for every single ball,” Pareja said of McGuire. “That brings us energy and we appreciate a lot those characteristics and that willingness of the players. He understands his weaknesses and he’s trying very hard by training on correcting them and improving, but his heart is always there.”

Pareja said he had been considering bringing Ercan Kara into the match instead of McGuire, as the Austrian has finally recovered from his thigh injury and was on the substitute’s bench. But he went with McGuire after Angulo tied the match.

“At that moment when we tied the game, we needed just that explosion from Duncan and the help that he can give us without the ball,” Pareja said.

Orlando City survived a late free kick from just outside their defensive penalty area and held on for all three points.

The Lions finished the match with more possession (55.7%-44.3%) and passed more accurately (82.2%-81%), but the hosts had more shots (17-12), shots on target (4-2), and corners (8-6).

In the end, the Lions were slightly more clinical, which is not something that has often been written about the team this season through seven matches. Orlando got some big saves from Gallese, which helped keep the Lions in it until the attack could string together a couple of brilliant passing sequences that created the goals.

The Lions return home next Saturday when they welcome D.C. United to Exploria Stadium.

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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all the inside information you need ahead of Orlando’s match with FC Cincinnati.

Published

14 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday looms large this weekend, as the Lions will try to put Saturday’s thoroughly dispiriting loss behind them. They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though, as they welcome an FC Cincinnati team to town that currently sits second in the Eastern Conference.

A match against FCC means I spoke with Justin Blair of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, Justin was very helpful in getting us all caught up on Cincy before tomorrow’s match.

The nine goals conceded by FC Cincinnati are tied for the fewest given up by any team in the league. What’s been working so well for FCC defensively so far?

Justin Blair:  In 2023, FC Cincinnati was tied for fourth in goals conceded with 39 allowed (Orlando, NYCFC, and RBNY). This season is continuing that impressive trajectory. The addition of Miles Robinson, arguably the best MLS center back, was a home run signing for FCC. Robinson joins 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga as the feature center back duo. But Pat Noonan’s system asks for three in the back and has been plugged with a rotation of players that have kept the defense stout. I have to mention that central defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo is arguably the most underrated player in all of MLS. He is an extremely skilled player that flies around and acts as a catch-all in front of the back line. 

Brandon Vazquez departed in the off-season for Monterrey. In his absence, who has Cincy turned to for goal scoring?

JB: Brandon Vazquez is a tremendous striker for FCC and has been solid for Rayados with 10 goals in 22 appearances. But his form never hit stride in 2023. He had nine goals across all MLS competitions, which was down from a career high of 18 goals in 2022. FCC had to find goals in other places last season, so they aren’t exactly in uncharted waters. So far in 2024, reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta has been carrying the load with four goals and five assists. Yuya Kubo, who I affectionately call FCC’s Swiss Army knife, has seen recent minutes at the forward position. Kubo’s confidence on the ball and chemistry with Acosta has seen him score three goals in a short amount of time. Surprisingly, FCC’s star Designated Player striker Aaron Boupendza has fallen in the graces of the squad and hasn’t hit consistent minutes this season.

Run me through some of the other arrivals and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are a few names to watch out for?

JB: Well FCC’s off-season was a doozy to say the least. Several departures include the previously mentioned Vazquez, along with Sanitago Arias, Yerson Mosquera (loan), Alvaro Barreal, Dominique Badji, Junior Moreno, and Ray Gaddis — all of whom played significant minutes for the orange and blue during their 2023 Supporters’ Shield season. For incoming players, GM Chris Albright brought in Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kipp Keller, and Corey Baird during the off-season. The additions of DeAndre Yedlin and Yamil Asad have also worked their way into the matchday rotation. Every piece added has felt like an upgrade or at least a comparable replacement. This is, of course, with the exception of replacing Vazquez.

FCC (recently) announced the loan signing of target striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk. The young loanee is sure to see considerable minutes with FCC but will likely not feature in the match versus Orlando City. I would keep an eye on Orellano for FCC. The left wingback is the heir apparent to Barreal that is so critical for Cincinnati’s ability to progress the ball from the midfield into the attacking third. Orellano is clean with his touches and can serve up line-splitting through balls that are perfectly weighted.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JB: Unavailable players might include Yedlin (hip), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (ankle), forward Sergio Santos (leg), and center back Nick Hagglund (knee). It seems uncertain if either or all will miss minutes in the match versus Orlando but most likely to participate would be Celentano, who was a late scratch versus Colorado on Saturday. 

Starting XI (3-5-2): Roman Celentano (Alec Kann); Bret Halsey (DeAndre Yedlin), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Luca Orellano; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Lucho Acosta; Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Score Prediction: Oscar Pareja seems to have Pat Noonan’s system figured out. FCC also struggles to find wins against Orlando City. I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw when the final whistle sounds. 

Thanks again to Justin for the great info on FCC. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

Published

18 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

  • Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
  • Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
  • Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
  • The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
  • Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
  • Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
  • Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

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

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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

2 days ago

on

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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