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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Five Takeaways

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3 years ago

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Orlando City ran its MLS regular-season unbeaten streak to seven games after Saturday night’s 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium. Despite a lack of continuity on the pitch in terms of personnel, the Lions keep finding ways to gain points and move through the schedule toward the place they really want to be — the playoffs.

But what did we learn from the team’s fifth consecutive win over the defending MLS Cup champions? I have raised my degree of difficulty for this column by using only Loverboy song titles as my section headers.

“The Kid is Hot Tonite”

Daryl Dike’s return to the lineup last weekend against Inter Miami was an uneventful one. With only 11 touches on the ball, the big striker couldn’t impact the match. And it looked like more of the same early on Saturday night. Dike managed about three touches in the first 20 or so minutes against the Crew and two of those came on a play in the 16th minute when he flicked a Ruan pass toward goal and then had the ricochet of his blocked attempt come back and hit him in the foot, bouncing back toward goal.

But Dike found his rhythm in the game and became a problem for Columbus. He overpowered Aboubacar Keita in the 26th minute, threw a couple of fakes at Vito Wormgoor to keep him off balance, then smashed a shot into the top of the net to open the scoring. He was active the rest of the night, including getting the fans to make some noise during a video review of the Crew’s second goal, helping his team get over the shock of the sudden turnaround in momentum. His layoff to Junior Urso became his second assist of the season when the Bear sent his seeing-eye shot through traffic and inside the left post for the winner. It was an all-around solid night for Dike, who looked more like himself against the Crew.

“It’s Never Easy”

For a brief, shining moment, it looked like Orlando City might win a match comfortably. That hasn’t happened since a 5-0 shellacking of San Jose back on June 22. In fact, the Lions have only won by more than one goal twice all season. Last night’s victory was more difficult than it had to be and that started with the bizarre own goal in the 52nd minute. Robin Jansson kicked the ball up in the air trying to prevent Alexandru Matan from having a scoring chance. The ball sailed high and slightly back toward the Orlando net. With Antonio Carlos and Ruan to deal with Miguel Berry, the Lions should have been in good shape and, as such, Adam Grinwis stayed on his line. But Carlos’ header unfortunately found its way inside the right post to throw Columbus a lifeline in a game it had no business being in. Two minutes later, the Crew tied it.

After Urso scored to restore Orlando’s lead, the Lions continued to look for insurance but could never get it. Chris Mueller sliced a shot just wide in the 77th minute, but that was a difficult chance from outside the area. The game should have been put away by Tesho Akindele a few minutes later. Mauricio Pereyra sent a diagonal pass behind Wormgoor that set up a breakaway down the left side of the box. Akindele’s chance to put the game to bed went just inches wide of the far post. The Crew didn’t have any clear-cut chances the rest of the way anyway, but Orlando missed another opportunity to take the late-game drama out of a match and just couldn’t do it. The game shouldn’t have been close with Columbus getting only two shots on target all evening.

“Queen of the Broken Hearts” (or…King in this case)

Mueller couldn’t buy a break right now if he won the Powerball jackpot. It’s been a rough season for the Money Badger and Saturday night was one of the roughest. If it weren’t for bad luck, Cash would seemingly have no luck at all. Mueller still works hard, does a lot of the little things Oscar Pareja needs him to do, and gets into dangerous positions, but then…something goes wrong and opportunities seem to melt away. On his first good chance Saturday, Mueller cut in from left to right, got into space, and tried to drive a shot toward goal. But he struck the ball oddly and it flew high into the air and ended up somewhere in The Wall. On his best opportunity, he found space on the left, let loose a shot from just inside the box, and it was heading toward goal…and then it hit Dike, who had somehow strayed into the ball’s flight path. That’s just terrible luck! Then there was the rocket he sent wide in the 77th minute mentioned above. One of these nights, something’s going to go in off his neck or his rear end and maybe that’ll open the floodgates.

Oh, and then to make matters worse, he took a shot in the back late in the game and needed the trainers to come on and attend to him. Hopefully it’s nothing serious, but he did sub out shortly after that.

“Emotional”

Orlando had to feel good about seeing Grinwis get a start and a win in MLS for the first time since 2018. Grinwis was a fan favorite with his heroics in City’s 2019 U.S. Open Cup run and many were sad to see his option declined after that season ended. Then the Grinch tore his ACL after becoming the Sacramento Republic’s starter the next season. It was a long road back and although it’s tough to see Mason Stajduhar suffer an injury now that he’s finally getting some games, it was great to see Grinwis come back from his ACL, make a big save in the match, and win a game with Orlando City.

Grinwis looked excited during warmups. He made a stellar save on Lucas Zelarayan for his best stop of the night in the 36th minute. He had command of his box and perhaps his only miscue was hitting Robin Jansson in the back of the head with his follow-through of a punch in the game’s early moments. After the match, Grinwis had trouble putting his thoughts into words when discussing his road back from the injury.

Coincidentally, Grinwis’ last win in an Orlando City uniform came on Oct. 21, 2018 — also against the Columbus Crew. That 2-1 victory was his first MLS win and all of his team’s offense came from the penalty spot that night. Yoshimar Yotun and Sacha Kljestan each buried a penalty to lead Orlando back after Federico Higuain had given the Crew a 1-0 lead.

“Lovin’ Every Minute of It”

There was a lot to love for Orlando City fans on Saturday. The Lions beat the Crew for the fifth consecutive time and that win gave the club its seventh straight game in league play with either a win or a draw, dating back to a 3-2 win over Atlanta United on July 30. That win jumped Orlando back over Nashville for second in the Eastern Conference by virtue of the games won tiebreaker. All of this is very good for the Lions.

Getting back to beating Columbus on Saturday…the Crew were one of the first thorns in Orlando’s side when the Lions joined MLS. Columbus was 5-2-3 against Orlando City in the team’s first four seasons in Major League Soccer. Now the Lions have the Crew’s number, and Orlando beating them feels normal somehow. Orlando seemed the likelier team to get a third goal after Miguel Berry scored and eventually did. That’s a new thing for fans who suffered through 2015 through 2019. We’ll see if that continues when the teams meet in Columbus on Oct. 27.

One other thing to love about the win over Columbus: with his 23rd victory in all competitions, Oscar Pareja passed Jason Kreis as the club’s all-time winningest coach (in 16 fewer matches — the U.S. Open Cup hasn’t been played since Pareja has been with Orlando City). Papi also tied Kreis for another club record with 21 regular-season MLS wins with Orlando (in 18 fewer matches).

That’s what caught my attention during Orlando’s victory over the Crew. What stood out to you? Do you even like any of the Loverboy songs namechecked above? Let me know in the comments.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome an improved Toronto side to Orlando for an Eastern Conference battle.

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34 mins ago

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April 27, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (2-3-3, 9 points) and Toronto FC (4-4-1, 13 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). It’s the first of the two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, with the Lions set to make the return trip to Toronto on July 3.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

Orlando is 8-8-3 in the evenly split all-time, regular-season series. However, the Lions have won the last four meetings, sweeping the season series in 2022 and 2023. At home, Orlando is 5-4-0 against the Reds. City is currently on its longest ever unbeaten run in the series, compiling a 6-0-2 record in the last eight meetings.

The most recent meeting came on Decision Day of last season on Oct. 21, when Duncan McGuire came off the bench at BMO Field, scoring twice to beat Toronto 2-0. The teams last met in Orlando on July 4, 2023, with Orlando City putting the Reds to the sword on Independence Day, beating the Canadian side, 4-0. Cesar Araujo, McGuire, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ercan Kara scored for the Lions, and Toronto finished with 10 men after Federico Bernardeschi was shown his second yellow card just past the hour mark.

Orlando City also romped 4-0 over the Reds in the previous meeting, Sept. 17, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Facundo Torres, Kara, and Tesho Akindele scored for the Lions to go along with a Lukas MacNaughton own goal. The Lions won on May 14, 2022 at BMO Field, 1-0, thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Kyle Smith, who flicked a header from a corner kick cross inside the far post to lift the Lions to victory.

The Lions went 2-0-1 in three meetings with Toronto FC in 2021. The teams played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on July 17, 2021. Jozy Altidore came off the bench to score the opener but Nani equalized from the penalty spot minutes later. Benji Michel drew the penalty, which was originally ruled a foul on the Orlando winger but was overturned after video review by referee Marcos de Oliveira.

The other Toronto “home match” in the 2021 season series came on June 19 at Exploria Stadium. The Reds were dealing with pandemic restrictions in Canada that forced the team to play home games in the United States. Orlando City built a 2-0 early lead on goals by Akindele and Nani, only to see Toronto tie the match by halftime on goals by Ayo Akinola and Jonathan Osorio. Junior Urso scored late to lift the Lions to a 3-2 victory. The teams first met that year on May 22, with Orlando City claiming a 1-0 win on Akindele’s goal.

The teams did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic affecting the schedule. Prior to the MLS stoppage for the pandemic, the teams met most recently in Toronto on Aug. 10, 2019, with the Lions grabbing a point at BMO Field in a 1-1 draw. Michel opened the scoring in the 69th minute but the Reds equalized off a scramble following a set piece in the 77th. The other matchup between the sides that season came on May 4, 2019, when the Reds walked out of Orlando with a 2-0 win on goals by Osorio and Jay Chapman.

The teams split their season series in 2018. Orlando City captured a 2-1 win at home in James O’Connor’s first home game as head coach of the Lions on July 14, 2018. Chris Schuler and Dom Dwyer staked City to a 2-0 lead and Nick Hagglund ruined the shutout in the 94th minute off a Sebastian Giovinco free kick delivery. The 2018 meeting in Toronto saw the Reds get a 2-1 win at BMO Field on Ryan Telfer’s 87th-minute goal.

Toronto shredded Orlando in a 3-1 win on July 5, 2017. Altidore and Giovinco combined to score Toronto’s three goals. Carlos Rivas gave Orlando a consolation goal. In the first meeting of 2017, Orlando out-possessed, out-shot, and out-passed the hosts, and played like the better team on the night. However, the Lions could not overcome a two-goal deficit and Giovinco’s first-half brace led Toronto to a 2-1 win.

The Lions got their first victory in the series on June 25, 2016, winning 3-2 at Camping World Stadium. Kaká scored from the spot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to win it. Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter each gave OCSC leads in the game, only to see Jordan Hamilton and Justin Morrow equalize until the captain’s late winner. The Reds took the second 2016 matchup in Orlando with a 2-1 victory, scoring late through Altidore. Tosaint Ricketts gave Toronto an early lead but the Lions fought back on a Larin goal. The teams also drew 0-0 on Sept. 28 of that year, with Toronto able to fend off the Lions with 10 men over the final 20 minutes of the match.

In 2015, Toronto took home all nine points in the three meetings, beating Orlando by a combined score of 11-1.

Overview

Orlando City enters on a four-game unbeaten run (2-0-2), including last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at CF Montreal. The Lions are 1-1-2 at home in 2024, but the win and one of the draws came in the two most recent matches at Inter&Co Stadium.

Toronto FC has shown tremendous improvement under John Herdman early in the season despite missing several key players with injuries. The Reds, however, are 3-1-0 at home but just 1-3-1 on the road in 2024. The team had lost three straight matches overall before knocking off New England last week. Now the Reds are on a two-game winning streak in all competitions, having beaten Rovers FC 5-0 in the Canadian Championship Wednesday.

The Lions will have to track forward Prince Owusu, who paces Toronto FC with four goals on the season. No one else on Toronto has more than two goals, and sitting on two is Lorenzo Insigne, who is out for tonight with a thigh injury. Orlando will need to be aware of Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who leads the Reds with two assists.

But perhaps the sleeping giant is Bernardeschi, who leads Toronto FC with 37 shot attempts and 18 key passes, yet somehow has no direct goal contributions on the season. Even if he hasn’t been producing end product, the Italian has been dangerous.

“Looks like we’re getting more cohesiveness with the boys and they’re gluing more things together,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “We’re reviewing things and have done in prior games, but since we’re not getting results it seems like it’s not happening. In the end, you have to win games, you have to get results, so the good things get magnified and the things that aren’t being done well, seem like you need more time to fix it. It’s indeed important to get results.”  

Orlando City will be without forward Ramiro Enrique (ankle). Toronto will be without Insigne (thigh), former Lions Richie Laryea (thigh) and Shane O’Neill (thigh), and Brandon Servania (knee). In addition, Deandre Kerr (foot) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Nico Lodeiro, Facundo Torres.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

Toronto (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson.

Defenders: Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted.

Wingbacks & Midfielders: Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.

Forwards: Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Referees

REF: Armando Villarreal.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Logan Brown.
4TH: Brad Jensen.
VAR: Kevin Terry, Jr.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (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!

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Toronto FC

Get the inside scoop on Toronto FC ahead of Saturday’s match.

Published

1 day ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday is almost upon us, and the Lions will try to extend a four-game unbeaten streak Saturday night and finish off an undefeated month of April. OCSC will do so back in the comfortable confines of home, as Toronto FC travels south for the first of two games between the teams this season.

A visit from Toronto means I caught up with Tomas Karageorgos of Waking the Red. As usual, he was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on TFC ahead of the upcoming match.

This is John Herdman’s first year in charge of Toronto. What sort of style does the team play under him?

Tomas Karageorgos: John Herdman plays a variation of a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation that prefers to build plays out of the back. Herdman also relies on his center midfielders to win possession back and push the ball to either flank. German striker Prince Owusu’s constant pressure on opposing defenses has caused some turnovers in TFC’s favor. Owusu’s style of play has not only helped his teammates but himself as well — he has scored five goals in the club’s last six matches.

Run me through some of the additions and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are some new faces to keep an eye on?

TK: The four major additions that the club made was signing defensive midfielders Deiby Flores and Matty Longstaff; Canadian fullback Richie Laryea is back for a third time; and Irish center back Kevin Long. Flores has been described as a dog in the sense of not being afraid to get stuck into tough challenges. Longstaff was signed from Newcastle United and is beginning to play consistent minutes — he still has room to grow as he’s a young player. Long was signed from Birmingham City and has been a rock in the center of the back three. A strong aerial presence and calmness has helped to contribute to Toronto’s six clean sheets across all competitions this season. There’s not much to say about Laryea that hasn’t been said, he’s arguably the best defender in MLS when healthy. Another underrated signing was French defender Nicksoen Gomis from Sheffield United, he has had quiet-yet-consistent performances. Notable departures include Salvadoran goalkeeper Tomás Romero, Norwegian striker Adama Diomande, and club legend Michael Bradley, who retired at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

TFC has quite the list of injured players at the moment. Who has been filling in for the missing faces, and how have they looked?

TK: Lorenzo Insigne, Richie Laryea, and Shane O’Neill continue to miss action due to thigh injuries. Midfielder Brandon Servania is slated to return during the middle of the season as he is recovering from knee surgery. First overall draft pick Tyrese Spicer has filled in for Insigne and has two goals in his account for the club — he has a high work rate on both sides of the ball. Canadian youngster Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is gaining more experience on the right side while Laryea is sidelined. Gomis and Sigurd Rosted have been taking turns covering O’Neill, and Alonso Coello is continuing to build on an impressive first season with the club in the absence of Servania.

Which players will be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

TK: The names I noted above who are injured will be unavailable. Also, attacker Deandre Kerr is listed as questionable.

Predicted starting XI: Sean Johnson; Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted; Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty; Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Score prediction: 1-1. 

Thank you to Tomas for his insight into Toronto FC. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/26/24

Orlando City gets ready for Toronto FC, Thiago Silva linked with Orlando, Marta announces international retirement, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 26, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad it’s Friday. It’s been a bit of a brutal week for me, but the weekend is nearly upon us, and I plan on spending it with my family for my dad’s birthday. I’m also hoping to find some time to read the new book that came out this week from my favorite author, Emily Henry. For now though, let’s enjoy these links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for Toronto FC

After a shaky start to the season, the Lions are unbeaten in their past four games and can make it five when they host Toronto FC Saturday night. Toronto has lost three of its past four games, but is coming off of a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution. In the time since Oscar Pareja took over as head coach, Orlando City has won six of its seven games against Toronto. It will be the first meeting between the two with John Herdman at the helm of Toronto, so we will see if the trend of recent Orlando dominance continues. It should be a great game and is another opportunity for the Lions to climb up the table.

Thiago Silva Linked With Orlando City

Brazilian defender Thiago Silva’s contract with Chelsea ends this summer and Orlando City was mentioned as one of many reported clubs interested in signing him. Beyond the surface-level facts that Silva is an incredibly talented defender and Orlando City is a popular landing spot for South Americans who want to play in MLS, the move would not make much sense. The club signed David Brekalo this off-season and Rodrigo Schlegel is a solid option off the bench as well. Even if Orlando does want Silva, there will be plenty of competition. Returning to Fluminense is the expected choice, but Silva could stay in Europe or make the move to Saudi Arabia.

Marta Will Retire From National Team After 2024

Orlando Pride star Marta announced that 2024 will be her last year playing for Brazil. You will need a translating tool for more of the details from her interview with CNN, but she spoke on how she’s at peace with her decision to stop playing at the international level once the year is over. She made her international debut in 2002 and has since played in five Olympics for Brazil. Marta may play in her sixth this summer, and there would be global attention to see one of the greatest players ever to lead Brazil one last time. Her contract with the Pride also ends after this season, but only time will tell if this is her final season in Orlando.

Orlando’s Academy Teams Get Results Against New England

With the Generations Adidas Cup behind them, Orlando City’s U-17 and U-15 teams earned some important points against the New England Revolution’s youth squads. The U-15 team dominated New England in a 4-1 result that included a hat trick from Jakob Garcia. The match between the U-17 sides was a closer affair, as they split the points in a 1-1 draw. Orlando’s teams will play again tomorrow, with a pair of home games against Nashville SC.

Free Kicks

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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