Orlando City
Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, and More
Can the Lions finally end their 2023 home struggles?
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (3-3-2, 11 points) and the LA Galaxy (1-4-3, 6 points). This is the only scheduled meeting between the two clubs from opposite conferences this season.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 3-3-0 against LA in MLS play, but have only met once since 2019. Orlando is 2-1-0 against the Galaxy at Exploria Stadium, although LA won in its last trip to the City Beautiful back in May of 2019 (more on that below).
Orlando City and LA met at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA last year and the Lions won their first match ever in the state of California, 1-0. Facundo Torres scored his first career MLS goal on a header off a beautiful Ercan Kara cross for the game’s only goal. Pedro Gallese set a new club record with his 14th clean sheet across all competitions.
The last time these teams met in Orlando, it was the Galaxy coming into Exploria Stadium and getting a smash-and-grab 1-0 win on May 24, 2019. Jonathan dos Santos provided the game’s only goal in the opening 20 minutes, with the Lions out-shooting the Galaxy 19-4 (7-1 on target).
Prior to the road team winning each of the last two matchups, the home team had won all four prior meetings. In Orlando’s visit to LA back in 2018, the Lions fell 4-3 after blowing the lead three times. It was a case of too much Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who figured in every goal, notching his first MLS hat trick and adding an assist. Cristian Higuita and Dom Dwyer scored for Orlando and Sacha Kljestan forced an own goal by Michael Ciani with a pass intended for Yoshimar Yotún.
Back in 2017 in Orlando, the Lions prevailed, 2-1. Will Johnson and Cyle Larin provided the offense to offset a goal by Romain Alessandrini.
The Galaxy captured the lone 2016 contest, 4-2. Giovani Dos Santos scored twice as LA put together four straight goals to erase a 1-0 deficit provided by Kevin Molino. Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane scored the other two Galaxy goals. Brek Shea tacked on a cosmetic goal late for Orlando.
The Lions won 4-0 at home in 2015 in the first meeting against the then-defending champions. It was Orlando City’s first-ever home win in MLS. Eric Avila, Larin, Kaká and Darwin Ceren found the net for the Lions and Tally Hall got a shutout in his first Orlando City appearance.
Overview
Orlando City has struggled to find both points and goals at Exploria Stadium so far this season, sitting at just 1-3-1 with three consecutive home losses and dropped points in four straight dating back to opening night against the New York Red Bulls. The reason for the poor results is no secret. The Lions have scored only three home goals in five games this MLS season — four goals in six if you count the Champions League match vs. Tigres — and one was a penalty. Compare that to the five goals Orlando has in three road matches and something just isn’t right when playing in Exploria Stadium.
The book on Orlando City is to play a low block at Exploria Stadium and wait for the Lions to make a mistake. They didn’t against New York or Cincinnati and got a 1-0 win and a 0-0 draw to show for it. However, a few mistakes were punished by Charlotte, Nashville, and D.C. and all three teams left Orlando with victories. Goals change games and the Lions haven’t changed their home games.
The Galaxy are coming off their first win of the year — a 2-0 home victory over Austin FC — but LA is 0-2-2 on the road this season. With just one road goal in four away matches this season, it’s pretty obvious why the Galaxy have struggled on the road.
In other words, a team that hasn’t been able to score on the road is visiting a team that can’t score at home. While a 0-0 draw might be the most logical prediction for tonight’s game, you just never know. Both teams might just explode.
Chicharito is the obvious danger man for the Galaxy. Last weekend, Greg Vanney deployed two strikers, with Chicharito joined up top by Dejan Joveljic. The tandem worked well, with Joveljic setting up Chicharito for his first goal of the season. It will be interesting to see if Vanney sticks with what was successful against Austin or goes back to a loan striker up top.
U.S. international Tyler Boyd is a new addition on the right win for LA and although he started the season quietly, he scored a golazo against LAFC and has been active the last couple of matches.
The Galaxy will get offensive chances. LA leads the league in possession and key passes and is third in MLS in shot attempts. Orlando’s back line and defensive setup will have to limit clear-cut opportunities. On the other end, the Lions may not have to deal with a low block in this game (although maybe, based on the previous success of other teams) but must be much more clinical in and around the penalty area.
“The Galaxy are a team who plays very good soccer,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “They have players that are talented. They’re trying to find their way and their rhythm and consistency. Despite the results, what we see there is a very competitive team that we are preparing to try and use our ways and our spaces and show that we are a team who can compete at the top of the table. We have to make it valid on the pitch and get those points, especially in front of our fans.”
Orlando City will be without captain Mauricio Pereyra (thigh) and left back Luca Petrasso (thigh). Rookie forward Duncan McGuire (lower leg) is listed as questionable. Michael Halliday (thigh) is off of the availability report for the first time since returning from international duty. LA will be without suspended midfielder Riqui Puig (yellow card accumulation), as well as Jonathan Bond (shoulder) and Chris Mavinga (lower leg).
Match Content
- Our Intelligence Report this week gathered information on the Galaxy from Alicia Rodriguez of the soon-to-be indendent LAG Confidentialblog.
- The latest PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for the Lions vs. the LA Galaxy, with input from Alicia Rodriguez.
- David Rohe provided his three keys to victory for Orlando City in Saturday’s match-up.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, Michael Halliday.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.
Forward: Ercan Kara.
Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Rafael Santos, Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Gaston Gonzalez, Ramiro Enrique, Jack Lynn.
LA Galaxy (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Jonathan Klinsmann.
Defenders: Lucas Calegari, Jalen Neal, Martin Caceres, Julian Aude.
Midfielders: Douglas Costa, Mark Delgado, Gaston Brugman, Tyler Boyd.
Forwards: Dejan Joveljic, Chicharito.
Bench: Novak Micovic, Raheem Edwards, Eriq Zavaleta, Sega Coulibaly, Uri Rosell, Memo Rodriguez, Daniel Aguirre, Efrain Alvarez, Preston Judd.
Referees
REF: Jon Freemon.
AR1: Kyle Atkins.
AR2: Adam Garner.
4TH: Natalie Simon.
VAR: Greg Dopka.
AVAR: Peter Balciunas.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30p.m. ET.
Venue: Exploria Stadium — Orlando.
TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game (English), Acción 97.9 FM, 810 AM (Spanish).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the match! Go City!
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?
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!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/2/24
The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.
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
- Despite Bayern Leverkusen’s 46-match unbeaten run, and winning the Bundesliga title, Roma coach Daniele De Rossi believes his team can defeat the German club in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals on Thursday.
- Borussia Dortmund defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League tie between the two clubs. Dortmund’s Niclas Fullkrug provided the only goal.
- Wrexham AFC owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have bigger plans for their club than previously suspected. The pair want to potentially increase the capacity of their stadium, SToK Racecourse, to 55,000 seats.
- Never pulled the trigger on the Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass? Now, you can get it for the remainder of the season at a 30% discount. Once you get past the Messi ads the coverage is pretty good.
- Former USWNT player Carli Lloyd is pregnant, though it was a long journey to get there. She shares her story of unexplained infertility and multiple rounds of IVF treatments. Congratulations, Carli.
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!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/1/24
Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.
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.
- Spirit defender Anna Heilferty will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an ACL injury in the team’s loss to the Pride.
- American forward Haji Wright scored his 19th goal across all competitions in Coventry City’s 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town. He will have a chance to make it 20 when Coventry hosts Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
- 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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