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

How did your favorite Lions perform during Orlando City’s 2-1 home win over St. Louis City SC?

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City triumphantly returned to the friendly confines of Exploria Stadium against the debutants of the MLS Western Conference, St. Louis City SC, with a 2-1 victory. OCSC took the lead early in the second half before finding the winning goal in stoppage time to put out a red hot St. Louis City SC squad, which included former Orlando City forward Nicholas Gioacchini.

Here are how the individual players performed during Saturday night’s match in front of the home supporters.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — Gallese was reliable and engaged throughout the match as he demonstrated a great connectiveness with the players in front of him directly and further up the field. He was directly responsible for multiple breakouts throughout the match, when his long balls sprung attacking players or wingers in great position. His fault was limited on the goal he surrendered in the 79th minute, as a redirection from point-blank range gave him virtually no reaction time. He made one save on the night, recorded a clearance, passed with 89.3% accuracy and completed of his six three long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos has quietly grown into the role of reliable left back quite well. What were once concerns with giveaways and positioning earlier in his tenure have made way for solid defensive play and, at times, lethal crosses into the box. The latter was an issue in this game, as he went 0-for-5 on crossing accuracy. Defensively, he contributed two clearances. He completed three of his eight long balls while passing with 84.9% accuracy. He successfully completed two dribbles and won an aerial duel, while being a constant pain in the St. Louis City side. It was a cannon shot from Santos on his lone attempt of the match that earned Orlando City the game-winning penalty kick in the 90th minute, after a Joseph Dickerson overturned his initial corner kick decision for a handball on Anthony Markanich.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — The Beefy Swede put together one his better efforts on the season against one of the top squads from the west. Without fellow starting center back Antonio Carlos, the leader of the back line held up strong against numerous challengers. His stalwart defensive effort included tracking Gioacchini on multiple vertical runs down the field, using his superior positioning or height to parry away the incoming ball. He contributed two clearances on the defensive end and played safety first on St. Louis transitions by knocking a few other balls out of play, allowing his teammates to get back. He completed six of his 11 long balls, while passing with 88.7% accuracy. He wasn’t able to track Rasmus Alm’s diagonal run on the visitors’ goal, which started on Jansson’s side but finished right behind Rodrigo Schlegel, who should have done more to deny the entry ball. Against one of the most lethal offenses in MLS, Jansson was the glue that held the entire back line together on the evening.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — After a rocky first half in the last outing against the Chicago Fire, Schlegel continued to find his legs against St. Louis and did all the “things,” that fans have come to know and love him for on the pitch. He finished with one tackle, one clearance, and one interception. He also passed at a 80.4% clip, including four succesful long balls on nine attempts. His biggest mistake on the night was failing to cut off the cross to Alm in the 79th minute, allowing St. Louis to equalize. He became a bit too focused on the ball on the play and wasn’t alert to the opposing forward making the diagonal run in behind him.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7 — Starting his second straight match at right back, but often drifting farther up field into the attack, Thorhallsson showcased that he can not only break an attack wide open, but also stop one dead in its tracks. He did a good job getting forward and passed with 88.2% accuracy, completing three of his four long balls. He also recorded an assist on his one key pass on the evening and had two successful dribbles. His only shot attempt should have been better, as it landed in the upper deck. He allowed his countryman, Nokkvi Thorisson, to get in the cross that led to the tying goal, but defended it pretty well, as about 90% of the ball was over the end line prior to the pass. While Orlando waits for one of their more traditional right backs to come back into the frame, Thorhallsson has provided a unique option on the field which has caught the opposition off guard at times.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Cartagena continued his great run of form, doing well to keep attacking midfielder Eduard Lowen quiet, forcing the opposition’s No. 10 to drop deeper to get on the ball. He passed at 83.6% on the night and was successful on three of six long balls. He committed three fouls while picking up an arguably soft yellow card. He recorded two tackles and logged an interception and two clearances, winning a team-high three aerials. At this point in the season, Cartagena and partner in crime Cesar Araujo go together like peanut butter and jelly.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Speaking of jelly, Araujo had a solid game for Orlando City in the defensive midfield. He continued to build on his team-high number of fouls suffered, drawing a match-high five fouls on the night. He finished with three tackles and one aerial won while passing at a 77.4% accuracy, with an impressive seven completions on 10 long balls. He attempted two shots on the night but was unable to get either on frame.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one his quieter nights on the left side of the field and swapped with Facundo Torres multiple times as the pair of wingers attempted to find space in the final third. The speedster completed 81.3% of his passes on the night, was unsuccessful on his only long ball, and registered one shot, which was blocked. On the defensive side of the ball, Angulo had one successful tackle. He committed one foul while drawing two.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — Orlando City did not get the best version of their captain on a night where it needed crisp and quick passing to unlock a strong St. Louis City side. The midfielder passed with 75.6% accuracy on the night and missed multiple chances to string together the final ball in the buildup, especially in the first half. He just seemed a bit slow in recognizing pressure and finding the next pass quickly. Pereyra did register a secondary assist on Orlando’s goal just a few minutes into the second half. He logged four key passes, despite being successful on just one of five crosses and completing three of his six long balls. The captain missed the target on his lone shot attempt, although it was a difficult attempt on a spinning ball on the volley. He was dispossessed twice while dribbling in the open field and on defense contributed two tackles while picking up a yellow card.

MF. Facundo Torres, 8 (MotM) — For the second match in a row, Torres was exactly what Orlando City needed him to be — the difference maker. The Designated Player recorded a brace in the second half. His first came on a trademark left-footed shot from inside the box. His second goal came from the penalty spot, which clinched the match for Orlando early in stoppage time. He completed 89.7% of his passes on the night. Three of his four long balls were successful but he went 0-for-3 on crosses and did not register a key pass in the match. Although his assists total is down from last season, this is exactly the run of form that Orlando needs from Torres.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5  — The rookie striker failed to find the back of the net, but not for lack of trying. McGuire’s hustle and motor does not always translate to statistical values, but it sure is fun to watch and can quickly frustrate the back line of opposing defenses. St. Louis did well to mark him mostly out of the match, limiting the rookie to just eight touches in just over an hour of game time. However, he tried to make the most of them, completing all three of his passes and two of them were key passes, including the setup that Pereyra was unable to finish. He put his lone shot attempt on frame, which until the Torres goal had been the best scoring attempt Orlando had mustered. Unfortunately, Roman Burki did well to get off his line aggressively and get a piece of the shot.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (65′), 5.5 — Enrique substituted on for McGuire and had a mixed showing as he attempted to use his speed to get in behind the defensive back line. His best scoring opportunity came in the waning moments of the match, as he had beaten the final defender only to be tackled from behind inches outside of the box by Jake Nerwinski. For his efforts, Nerwinski was sent off for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, and Orlando awarded a free kick. Two of his three passes were successful and he recorded on tackle defensively. He did not register a shot, was dispossessed once, and two of his 10 touches were unstable in a little over 30 minutes of action. His biggest contributions were the three fouls he won.

MF, Junior Urso (65′), 6 — The bear has returned to Orlando and everything is right in the world. What a luxury it is now to bring Urso in off the bench to be able to spell Araujo or Cartagena to close out matches. Urso completed 73.3% of his passes and his only long ball, and he earned Orlando a corner when a pass attempt in the box was deflected out of bounds. Defensively, he recorded one clearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda (76′), N/A — Ojeda arrived on the pitch with fresh legs and was able to put his lone shot attempt on target on a 100th-minute free kick, while completing 62.5% of his eight passes, one of which was a key pass. The DP also contributed one tackle on the night.

D, Michael Halliday (86′), N/A — Halliday came in off the bench to help put away the game for the second week in a row as he works his way back into form from injury. The Homegrown recorded one successful dribble but ultimately he only touched the ball four times, helping waste time in the right corner. He completed both of his pass attempts.

F, Jack Lynn (86′), N/A — Looking to find the game winner, Pareja opted to bring Lynn in off the bench. Seeing his first regular-season minutes since March, Lynn won two aerials while completing 60% of his five passes, including two of his three long balls. His biggest contributions came on the defensive end, where he made one interception and recorded two clearances. His inch-perfect outlet pass to Enrique led to Nerwinski being sent off and a dangerous free kick for the Lions. The second-year pro made the most of his second MLS appearance of the season in limited time.

That’s how I saw each player’s performance in the Lions’ first home match in what seems like a lifetime. Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below, and share your thoughts on the squad’s performances down in the comments.

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Orlando City

How Orlando City’s Offense Stacks Up Against What Atlanta Does Defensively

How Orlando City has performed against teams playing with three or four defenders, and how that may influence the playoff game against Atlanta United.

Published

7 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The most famous quote about real estate is that “there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Soccer coaches also like to think in threes, especially when it comes to points, but for a soccer coach, the three things that matter might be the rhyming triplet “formation, formation, formation,” as that is where they will have the biggest influence on every game that their team plays.

Throughout his tenure as head coach, Óscar Pareja has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 as his formation (fbref.com’s lineup data shows that the Lions primarily played a 4-2-3-1 in 65% of their MLS matches this season, and 79% of their MLS matches during the last three seasons). The Lions have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 during each of their last 14 games, and my confidence level is strong to quite strong (can you believe Meet the Parents came out 24 years ago?) that they will do so once again on Sunday when they host Atlanta United.

Atlanta United also prefers to deploy a 4-2-3-1, but was less consistent than Orlando City this season during MLS play, as evidenced by the chart below that shows how Atlanta lined up this season:

The purpose of this image is a table to show how Atlanta United lined up in 2024 (mostly in a 4-2-3-1 but also in one of six other formations).

I am relying on the coders at Opta for their evaluation of the formation, as I do not watch a lot of Atlanta United matches (sounds terrible), but though Atlanta primarily played with four defenders in more than two-thirds of its matches, during the last two matches it played a 3-5-2, the only two matches all season in which interim coach Rob Valentino rolled out that formation. I suspect that the formation change was related partially to playing Inter Miami and trying to defend the Herons’ dynamic offense and partially due to an injury suffered by defender Brooks Lennon in the first game of that series. So, while Atlanta primarily played four in the back for most of the season, there is a good chance it will roll with what worked against Florida’s second-best MLS team when it plays Florida’s best MLS team this weekend.

Now, if you want to read more about Atlanta, then you can read our match preview, which will drop Sunday morning, but I want to look at how Orlando did against teams that play similar styles. Looking only at MLS games, the table below shows how Orlando City performed against different back line structures this season (the left side is how the Lions’ opponents lined up, the right side is how Orlando City performed against opponents in those formations):

Table embedded as an image showing Orlando City doing best in goal differential in 12 games against three-man back lines, second best against four-man back lines, and having played once against a five-man back line (a 1-1 draw).

Orlando City earned slightly more points per game — the stat that matters most — against teams that played four in the back, but the Lions had a better average goal differential when teams played three in the back. Atlanta will likely deploy one of those two formations. In both games against Orlando City this season, Sunday’s visitors went with a 4-2-3-1, but as mentioned earlier, they used three in the back in each of their last two matches, so it really could be either.

Soccer is not like baseball, where players primarily stay in the same spot throughout the game, so some of these stats have to be taken with a grain of salt, as players are not always rigidly in the same position throughout a match. A team may also primarily play with four in the back but switch to three when chasing a game, or five when trying to protect against a late goal.

That said, using the data around Orlando City’s opponents’ general formations, here are the attacking groups who played the most frequently against four defenders during the 24 MLS games where Opta coded the opponents as using a defensive group of four:

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy four defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus eight goal differential for the season.

It is a little ominous that the main starting group, shown in row one, has played 666 MLS minutes against back lines of four this season, but do I like that green goal differential of +8 in those minutes, which is a strong +1.08 per 90 minutes. I like that goal differential more than I like all the things that Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin like on their song that is creatively named “I Like It.” Coincidentally, when people ask me what I think about that song, I say, “I like it.” I am very creative.

If we look at the lineups that Orlando City has used against back lines of three defenders then there are some pretty major differences in personnel groupings, but it must be noted that more than half of the games against teams playing three in the back came early in the season, when Ramiro Enrique was unavailable to play. Enrique, my presumed starter at striker, has played fewer than three games’ worth of minutes (265 total) against back lines of three this season, and only 28 minutes with the main starting group, which ranks 13th among all the attacking lineups for minutes played against three defenders. That group scored one goal in their 28 minutes together though, for a robust 3.21 goals-scored-per-90-minutes average.

While the team as a whole has been successful against three-man back lines, I do not expect any of the lineups shown in the table below to play more than a few minutes together this weekend, though the first row and the last row are strong groups and had a lot of success.

Table embedded as an image showing the most frequently used lineups against teams who deploy three defenders. The most frequently used attacking group has a plus three goal differential for the season.

I am sure that all week long the Orlando City coaching staff has been going back and forth on whether it is more likely that Atlanta reverts to its most commonly used four in the back, or if the Five Stripes try for three wins in a row with three in the back. I would prefer that Atlanta plays with zero defenders and goalkeeper Brad Guzan wears a blindfold, but I think that is unlikely to be the case.

Even though Atlanta defeated Orlando City both times while in a 4-2-3-1, based on available personnel and recent results, I believe that the team will come out in a 3-5-2 in Inter&Co Stadium in the conference semifinal. Good things come in threes, and Orlando City’s best offensive production this season has been against three defenders, so I am going to be hoping that this continues, and in the third game against Atlanta the Lions grab the three points. Three’s company!

Well, it is a playoff game, so there are no actual points at stake, but you know what I meant.

Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to get a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference final?

Published

9 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues its playoff journey against Atlanta United Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are coming off an emotional penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC in their best-of-three, first-round series. Likewise, Atlanta United stunned everyone by taking out Inter Miami to advance in its own best-of-three matchup. Now, the rivals meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What does Orlando City need to do to get past Atlanta United to advance to the Easter Conference final?

Beat Guzan

Brad Guzan made 16 saves over Atlanta’s three matches against Inter Miami, including seven in the 3-2 win on the road in Game 3. The 40-year-old former USMNT keeper is in excellent form and is a big reason why the Five Stripes are facing Orlando City. Converting chances against Guzan will be crucial to earning a result. There have been times this season when the Lions have struggled to convert their chances. Despite that, the team has done enough offensively to get to this point. Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and others have contributed and will need to do so this weekend.

Cartagena is Essential

Orlando City lost twice to Atlanta United during the regular season. What is interesting, and perhaps relevant, is that Wilder Cartagena was out for both of those matches. Cartagena was shown a straight red in the match against Minnesota United prior to the first match against Atlanta way back in March. He was shown a yellow card in the match against FC Cincinnati and then served a yellow card accumulation suspension for the final match of the season against Atlanta. Fortunately for Orlando City, Cartagena will be available for the match this weekend. I’ve mentioned before the importance of Cartagena to Orlando City’s success. When he and Cesar Araujo are on the field together, the defense is simply better. Cartagena is frankly one of the better defensive midfielders in MLS. Atlanta scored five goals in the series against Miami, and Orlando will need to keep the visitors from having that kind of offensive success.

Overcome the Past

That darn international break in the middle of the playoffs is something I don’t love. More precisely, I don’t like it because Orlando City often struggles after a break. It would have been nice if Orlando City could have ridden the momentum from the penalty kick victory into the Atlanta match, but that’s not to be. Now is the time for Orlando City to break some bad habits, including turning around its historical lack of success against Atlanta, and tendency to struggle in the first match after a break. Oscar Pareja needs to have the players in the right frame of mind, and the players need to execute the plan. A full house of supporters can also make a difference. Given it’s a Sunday afternoon match, there’s no reason not to pack the house.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/21/24

Marta’s chance to shine in NWSL Championship, NWSL and MLS award winners announced, 2025 SheBelieves Cup details, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been spending most of this week plotting out some holiday shopping to make things a little less stressful for myself over the next few weeks. A big weekend filled with Orlando soccer awaits us, so make sure to get any errands or obligations out of the way sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Spotlight Falls On Marta in NWSL Championship

There are plenty of storylines heading into Saturday’s NWSL Championship between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, including Marta’s opportunity to put an exclamation point on what has been an excellent season for the Pride. Orlando has been enjoying the fruits of its labor this season after a rebuild over the past few years that’s included plenty of change in the City Beautiful. Marta has been a constant, however, enduring some difficult seasons since joining the Pride and adapting her game She’s scored in both of the Pride’s playoff games so far and has a chance to author a storybook ending on Saturday.

Ann-Katrin Berger Named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

NJ/NY Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was named 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, beating out the Pride’s Anna Moorhouse and Utah Royals FC’s Mandy Haught for the honor. It was Berger’s first year in the NWSL and she’s the first European player to win the award. She only conceded 16 goals across her 22 matches for Gotham this season and was a key reason behind her team’s success. I’m not too surprised that Moorhouse did not win, considering how solid the Pride’s defense was as a whole, but this won’t take anything away from a record-breaking season for her.

Wilfried Nancy Named MLS Coach of the Year

Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy was voted 2024 MLS Coach of the Year after a historic season in which the Crew set club records in both points and goals. The Crew also won the Leagues Cup this summer and their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign included advancing past Tigres and Monterrey en route to the final. This is Nancy’s first time being named Coach of the Year and he has been a finalist for the award every year since 2021. The Frenchman received 40.02% of the vote, winning the award over Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Chris Armas.

2025 SheBelieves Cup Details Unveiled

The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup will take place next year and the tournament will return to its usual format where each of the four teams plays each other once. The United States Women’s National Team will host Japan, Colombia, and Australia in February in what should be an exciting tournament. The U.S. will take on Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston before facing Australia in Arizona on Feb. 23 and finishing the tournament on Feb. 26 against Japan at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. These games will also be the first domestic games of 2025 for the USWNT as it prepares to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Eric Quill Named FC Dallas Head Coach

FC Dallas announced that Eric Quill will become the team’s next head coach. Quill joins Dallas after a great year with New Mexico United that included trips to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and USL Championship Western Conference semifinals. It’s also a reunion of sorts for Quill, as he previously coached North Texas SC and was named USL League One Coach of the Year with the club in 2019. Dallas missed out on the playoffs this season, with Peter Luccin coaching the team on an interim basis after the firing of Nico Estevez in June.

Free Kicks

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to a bet involving this weekend’s NWSL Championship, with embarrassing lightshows on the line.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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