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Orlando City

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

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4 years ago

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Orlando City earned its third-straight 1-1 draw against an MLS opponent, although this one came on the road against Nashville SC. After a sloppy first half, the Lions battled back to score and leave Nissan Stadium with a point. There were times when the Lions looked as if they would be blown out and times when they nearly took all three points.

Let’s dive into how each Lion rated in this draw on the road.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — The rainy conditions turned routine saves into balls that needed to be punched away by Stajduhar. He wasn’t able to come up with the save on C.J. Sapong’s goal, the forward’s shot neatly tucked in the bottom right corner. Stajduhar made three saves, his most in an MLS game, and looked comfortable rushing out to shut down Nashville’s attack to add two clearances to his stats. He also made a great save on Alistair Johnston’s low shot towards the near post, but Johnston was ruled offside so Stajduhar didn’t get official credit. The 23-year-old was only accurate on one of his five attempted long balls, completing just 14 of his 18 total passes. He also spilled a couple of crosses, although given the conditions this isn’t completely surprising and none of them ended up being costly. So his distribution definitely needs some work, although Nashville did a good job winning the ball in the air. While he’s still on the hunt for his first clean sheet, Stajduhar hasn’t been a liability for the Lions while Pedro Gallese recovers.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — His poor giveaway created the scoring opportunity that resulted in Nashville’s goal, Sapong pouncing on his pass back to Robin Jansson and storming down the field with Hany Mukhtar to score. It wasn’t his only mistake either, as he struggled defensively at times against Mukhtar. But Moutinho found moments of redemption as the game wore on. He was successful on one of his two crosses, sending a beautiful ball into the box that was reminiscent of the crosses Moutinho made last year. On one of them, Tesho Akindele’s header hit the crossbar, just inches away from letting Moutinho atone for his earlier mistake. The left back stepped up on defense late in the match too by making a crucial clearance at the back post. Moutinho led the team with 100 touches and 81 passes. Of those 81 passes, Moutinho completed 68 of them for an 84% success rate. That aforementioned clearance was his only one of the game, but he did have an interception and a defensive block as well.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The masked Swede had a tackle, two clearances, and a defensive block in a solid defensive performance against a Nashville offense that entered this match with 27 goals scored at home in 2021. Jansson wasn’t able to make much of a difference on Nashville’s goal, forced to keep a body on Mukhtar during a fast break after Moutinho’s turnover. He picked up a yellow card by pulling down Mukhtar right outside of the box to snuff out a dangerous opportunity. The free kick was from a good spot, but Mukhtar hit the top of the crossbar. Jansson had 76 touches and was successful on 90% of his 69 passes. Although style points don’t factor into his rating, it’s worth noting the cool factor of Jansson’s mask in the heavy rain.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 (MotM) — Don’t look now, but Carlos is evolving into a force to be reckoned with in dead ball situations. The center back scored his second goal of the season, powering a header past Nashville SC goalkeeper Joe Willis after a free kick cross from Mauricio Pereyra. Carlos has been working on his headers all season long, so it’s nice to see that paying off. Defensively, he led the team with a whopping six clearances, with three of those coming after the 80th minute mark as Nashville pushed forward to try and take all three points. Carlos also had a tackle, an interception, a defensive block, and won five of his nine aerial duels. He had 73 touches and completed 87% of his 60 passes. On Nashville’s goal, his sliding tackle couldn’t disrupt Sapong from surging past the defense. Like Jansson, he picked up a yellow card for a professional foul to stop a potential counter.

Carlos is our Man of the Match for scoring the equalizer in a match that looked grim at times for the Lions. His work late in the match also helped secure a result on the road. If he can continue to score to add another element to his game, then he will certainly become an MLS Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — It was a quiet night for Smith, which is hardly a bad thing from a defensive point of view, considering he’s had to make game-saving plays for the Lions this year. He finished with a tackle, an interception, and a clearance in his 19th start this season. Smith played all 90 minutes and ended the game with 55 touches and completed 34 of his 39 passes for an 87% success rate. The right back didn’t make much of an impact on offense, with neither of his two crosses finding their mark. He picked up a yellow card, but the foul was in Nashville’s half so it didn’t end up hurting the Lions.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear had a busy night, playing all 90 minutes and finishing with 82 touches and 67 passes at a strong 93% completion rate. Urso was fouled five times and won the free kick that led to Orlando’s goal. One of his two shots were deflected while the other was from distance after a series of passes, but the ball went high even though it was a decent try. He had a tackle and an interception when helping out on defense and did a good job feeding the ball to Pereyra and the offense once the Lions were trailing. All in all, it was nice work from Urso despite some miscues here and there. Urso’s endured plenty of fouls from opponents in recent weeks, but did well to keep his cool and bring some stability to Orlando’s midfield.

MF, Joey DeZart, 5 — The 23-year-old was often Orlando’s weakest link on the field. DeZart lacked precision and presence at times. It might be because DeZart is usually used as a late substitute with fresh legs in most matches, but he played a bit slower than his teammates and didn’t win any of his battles in the air. DeZart was a step behind Nashville’s midfielders, but did have an impressive 92% completion rate on his 50 passes and led the team with three interceptions. He played all 90 minutes and also came up with a late clearance that stopped a flurry of attacks by Nashville. DeZart didn’t have any impact on offense and ended the game with 57 touches. While these are the growing pains that come from earning needed minutes in MLS, DeZart certainly struggled at times in his second start of the season — mainly in the first half.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 6.5 — The Dutchman led the Lions with four shots, putting one on target while another was deflected. His best opportunity came in the 11th minute when he curled a shot past defenders to force Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis to make a tough save. He had a poor first touch at times in the match, even when taking the rain into consideration. The winger’s lone cross of the match found Akindele’s head in the box, but the shot was too high. Van der Water also led the team with three tackles, hustling so Nashville couldn’t have complete control of the midfield. He completed 80% of his 25 passes, was successful on two of his three attempted dribbles, and had 44 touches.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — With Nani absent, Pereyra wore the captain’s armband and stepped up to create chances for Orlando. The Uruguayan led the team with six key passes. Four of those came in the second half as Orlando pushed higher upfield while chasing the game and had more success breaking Nashville’s lines. While this helped Orlando put more pressure on Nashville’s three-man defense in open play, Pereyra’s assist came from a free kick. Pereyra served a terrific ball over the top of Nashville’s defenders for Carlos to head home. It was Pereyra’s eighth assist of the season and 20th as a Lion since joining in the summer of 2019. His only shot was from another free kick, but it went over the bar. Pereyra was subbed off in the 84th minute and finished with 68 touches and an interception, and he was successful on one of his two attempted crosses in open play. He completed 48 of his 58 passes for a decent 83% completion rate. It was another good showing from the maestro as he pulled the strings of an offense that was without some of its weapons.

MF, Benji Michel, 5.5 — Playing on the left wing, Michel had 37 touches and completed 84% of his 19 passes. He didn’t have any crosses or key passes and two of his three shots were deflected while another went just wide. Michel was the least effective of Orlando’s attacking players and wasn’t able to get past Nashville’s formidable defense as he was only successful on one of his five attempted dribbles. He didn’t have any tackles or interceptions and was subbed off in the 83rd minute. The Homegrown Player has started in eight straight MLS games for Orlando, but only has one goal and an assist during that stretch.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6 — Walker Zimmerman and the rest of Nashville’s defense made Akindele’s night difficult as he only won two of his seven aerial duels. He was still effective on offense though, nearly scoring in the dying moments of the first half by getting his head on the end of a good cross into the box by Pereyra. But he wasn’t able to get enough on the wet ball to really drive it at goal, the bouncing shot saved by Willis, just inches from getting through. Akindele had a similar opportunity in the 75th minute when Moutinho found him wide open in the box, but his shot smacked into the crossbar. The Canadian striker finished with three shots and a key pass that gave van der Water a good chance to score. Akindele had 41 touches and completed 25 of his 27 passes for a great 93% success rate. He also chipped in with two clearances and interception to help out on defense. It was a game of inches for Akindele as Orlando awaits the return of its more lethal strikers.

Substitutes

MF, Chris Mueller (82’), N/A — The stage wasn’t exactly set for Mueller to come on and find a game-winner, so don’t look too much into his lack of offensive stats in his cameo. He only had four touches and was unsuccessful on his only attempted dribble, which wasn’t the worst thing in the world as he ate up a little time with the ball deep in Nashville’s half while Orlando’s defense caught its breath and reformed its shape. He completed his only attempted pass, a short pass to Ruan on the right side.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (82’), N/A — The center back came on to strengthen Orlando’s defense once Nashville really started to throw numbers forward. Schlegel had a clearance and nine touches. He only completed two of his six passes, although the incompletions weren’t short attempts. Schlegel did what he came on to do, giving Orlando another defender for Nashville to deal with.

D, Emmanuel Mas (88’), N/A — The left back was inserted into the left field to give the Lions a little more defensive bite late in the match. Mas had three touches and completed all three of his passes in a brief outing.

F, Ruan (88’), N/A — The right back was actually deployed at the top of Orlando’s offense late in the match. An onslaught of attacks by Nashville didn’t open much opportunity for Ruan to use his speed to beat defenders. Ruan had two touches and completed both of his passes.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 1-1 draw against Nashville. Make sure to weigh in on how you feel about the grades in the comments below and to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Antonio Carlos36
Mauricio Pereyra7
Robin Jansson0
Silvester van der Water6
Other (let us know in the comments)3

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 loss against the Chicago Fire?

Published

5 hours ago

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June 2, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City turned one loss into two heading into the international break. The Lions gave up three first-half goals and lost 3-1 at home to the Chicago Fire. A determined but ineffective offense wasn’t able to make up for lapses on the defensive end. The break is about a week late, but perhaps the players can get some rest. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo literally had the ball slip through his hands on Philip Zinckernagel’s early goal. The other two goals weren’t on him, but it’s hard to forgive the first howler. He recorded one save and one clearance. It was not a great night from Gallese, but every keeper has one like that occasionally. He had 22 touches, completing 89.5% of his 19 passes and five of his seven long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 —Brekalo started at left back as usual, but after Rodrigo Schlegel subbed off he moved inside with Robin Jansson. He was busy in both halves of the pitch as he pressed into the attack when at fullback. He didn’t push forward quite as much after moving to center back, though he did still contribute as Orlando chased the match. He recorded 71 touches, completing 86.2% of his 58 passes. Brekalo also completed four of his five long balls. Like many, he managed one shot, though it wasn’t on target as his effort off a corner kick was blocked. Defensively, he tallied three interceptions and one tackle.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The captain let his emotions get the better of him in the first half. He was battling Hugo Cuypers all night, and given Cuypers scored a brace, I can’t say Jansson won the matchup. His frustration resulted in a yellow card in the 45th minute. After the half, he was able to get back on track, though the damage was done. Jansson had 70 touches, completing 100% of his 59 passes. He had one key pass and even took one shot, though it wasn’t on target. Defensively, he recorded three clearances and one tackle.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4.5 — It was not a good night for Schlegel. He lost Cuypers on the second and third Chicago goals, and it’s not recommended to allow the opposition’s best goal scorer to be alone in the box or to get in behind the back line. Defensively, he only contributed two tackles and recorded no interceptions or clearances. He managed 30 touches and completed 88.9% of his 27 passes. Schlegel committed two fouls and received a yellow card in the 49th minute. He was subbed off in the 54th minute for Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman scored Orlando’s only goal in the 39th minute, putting a header off the corner kick on target and into the back of the net by way of a deflection in front. It was his lone shot on target in two attempts. The right back recorded 77 touches, completing 78.4% of his 51 passes, including five crosses and one key pass. Defensively, he recorded three interceptions, one clearance, and one tackle.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo still doesn’t have a goal in 2025, which isn’t surprising given his one shot on goal was well off target. He wasn’t bad in this match, but he also didn’t play very long, as he only touched the ball 19 times. He got lost defensively on the second Chicago goal as there was poor communication and he strayed inside, leaving Zinckernagel out wide alone for an easy cross to Cuypers. His best moment in the match came after tracking back to help recover the ball in his own end before making an incredible long run deep into the attacking box and backheeling a pass to Luis Muriel, who dropped it to Marco Pasalic for a good scoring chance. Angulo completed all of his 12 passes. He came off at halftime for Ramiro Enrique, but he was one of the few players who appeared to have a lot of jump in his legs in the first half.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 (MotM) — Atuesta showed how important he is to Orlando City club in this match. His vision and ability to connect passes put teammates in dangerous places, even if they couldn’t convert those chances. He continued to make good passes in and around the box trying to get Orlando’s offense going. Atuesta had a team-high 94 touches, completing 89.7% of his 78 passes, including two key passes. He connected on five of his seven long balls and one of his seven crosses. Atuesta attempted two shots, though neither was on target. Defensively, he contibuted one tackle.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet started in place of the suspended Cesar Araujo and continues to have some rookie struggles midway through the season. If he hadn’t been so good earlier in the season, it wouldn’t seem like he’s having difficulty lately. Like others, he got a little bit better as the match went on, though he came off in the 77th minute for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Gerbet had 44 touches, completing 93.8% of his 32 passes, winning one aerial, and recording one key pass. Defensively, he contributed four tackles, and one interception,

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — Pasalic was active if ultimately ineffective in Orlando’s attack with four shots, though he only put one on target. He recorded 63 touches, completing 82.2% of his 45 passes, including two of his four long balls. Pasalic contributed two key passes and connected on one of his five crosses. He took a nasty tumble, hitting the back of his head when he landed, though he was able to continue. He exited in the 88th minute for Gustavo Caraballo.

F, MartĂ­n Ojeda, 6.5 — It was Ojeda’s corner kick that found the head of Freeman to give Orlando its only goal. He wasn’t able to contribute a goal in this match, though not for a lack of trying. He took four shots with one on target, led the team with eight key passes, and recorded the assist. Ojeda touched the ball 62 times, completing 90.6% of 32 passes. He was fouled three times, one of which earned a free kick outside the box in the 58th minute. He even contributed on defense with two tackles and an interception.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — On another night Muriel has at least a brace. He took six shots with none on target, though he had a free kick that went into the wall 59th minute, and he hit the crossbar in the 64th. If that ball is two inches lower, Orlando maybe climbs back into the match. He still dribbled into blind alleys and gave the ball away to the opposition, though not as much as in some other matches. He had 65 touches, completing 80% of his 35 passes, including one cross and two key passes.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique, (45′), 6 — Enrique came on for Angulo to start the second half as the Lions pushed for a comeback. He was fairly accurate, putting two of his four shots on target. One shot in the 62nd minute went right to the keeper, though the other shot was saved it was a very well taken chance on the outside of his right foot as he moved towards the goal. He also made a great tackle in the 86th minute to take the ball back from Jonathan Bamba. He did all of that on only 19 touches, completing 88.9% of his nine passes, including one key pass.

D, Rafael Santos, (54’), 5.5 — With both Schlegel and Jansson on yellow cards, Santos came on to replace Schlegel to allow Brekalo to move inside with Jansson. Perhaps it was because of the desperation with which Orlando City was playing, but it wasn’t too bad of an outing for Santos. He was active on the left side, putting in five crosses, but he completed just one. Santos tried to combine with his teammates while looking to break down the Chicago defense. He had 34 touches, completing 95.8% of his 24 passes. Defensively, he had one clearance.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, (77’), 6 — I feel like Dagur Dan could have started in place of Gerbet rather than subbing on. His motor was obviously better than those that had played more minutes during the month of May. He was persistent in trying to win the ball back when Chicago tried to counter attack. He only managed nine touches, completing 100% of his six passes. His individual effort in stoppage time was a highlight, as he did well to win the ball back and jumpstart the counter, but ultimately Enrique not only strayed offside prior to the pass but also fired his shot off target anyway.

MF, Gustavo Caraballo (88′), N/A — The youngster came on late for Pasalic. He only managed six touches, completing 80% of his five passes. The four he completed were all back passes. He made some runs into the box, but the ball never arrived for him to get a chance.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s disappointing 3-1 loss at home against Chicago. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/2/25

Lions fall to Chicago Fire, Pride players in action during international break, OCB beats Chattanooga FC, and more.

Published

9 hours ago

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June 2, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work and will cover high school lacrosse and softball this week. Our beloved Lions lost, but OCB picked up a big win, while the Pride were off over the weekend. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Falls to Chicago Fire at Home

Orlando City fell 3-1 to the Chicago Fire Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions trailed 3-0 in the first half before Alex Freeman pulled one back for Orlando just before halftime. It was not enough to spark a late comeback, as the Lions have now lost back-to-back matches within the past week. The Lions played the match without Head Coach Oscar Pareja, who was serving a one-match suspension after receiving a red card in the match against Atlanta United on Wednesday. Orlando City Assistant Coach Diego Torres was on the sidelines for this match. The Lions are off this weekend, with their next match on the road on June 14 against the Colorado Rapids.

Pride Players on International Duty

Multiple Orlando Pride players were in action over the weekend, representing their countries while away on international duty. Angelina captained the Brazil Women’s National Team, while Marta started on the bench and played in the second half as Brazil defeated Japan 3-1 in a friendly.

Barbra Banda scored for Zambia in a 1-1 friendly draw against Botswana. Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya also started in the match.

Pride defender Zara Chavoshi was on the bench for the Canadian Women’s National Team but did not play as Canada beat Haiti 4-1 in a friendly.

Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench as England defeated Portugal 6-0 in a UEFA Women’s Nations League matchup.

OCB Defeats Eastern Conference Leader Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B defeated Chattanooga FC 2-1 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. Shak Mohammed scored the opening goal early in the first half for the Young Lions. Chattanooga FC found an equalizer just before halftime. In the second half, we had to wait all the way until stoppage time for another goal as Noah Levis scored the winner for OCB. The Young Lions are ninth in the Eastern Conference with 14 points. OCB will be on the road to take on Huntsville City FC Friday.

USWNT Beats China in Friendly

The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated China 3-0 Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in a friendly. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams came off the bench in the second half and played 21 minutes. Fellow Pride defender Kerry Abello was on the bench but did not play. Defender Naomi Girma made her first appearance for the USWNT this year after dealing with injuries. The USWNT dominated from the start as Catarina Macario scored the opening goal in the match. Sam Coffey made it 2-0 lead just before halftime. In the second half, Lindsey Heaps scored the final goal of the match. The USWNT will be back in action Tuesday night against Jamaica at Energizer Park in St. Louis.

LAFC Defeats Club America to Qualify for FIFA Club World Cup

LAFC overcame a 1-0 deficit to defeat Club America 2-1 in extra time in a play-in game Saturday at BMO Stadium and booked its spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. LAFC trailed 1-0 through much of the match, but late in the second half, Igor Jesus scored the equalizer just before stoppage time. In extra time, Denis Bouanga scored the winning goal. LAFC will join fellow MLS sides Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders in the FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament begins on June 14, and LAFC will face Chelsea, Flamengo, and ES Tunis in the group stage.

Paris Saint-Germain and Cruz Azul Win Continental Titles

Paris Saint-Germain finally won its first UEFA Champions League trophy, beating Inter Milan 5-0 Saturday in Munich. Desire Doue scored twice and added an assist. Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Senny Mayulu also contributed goals. Paris Saint-Germain completed the treble, winning Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and the Champions League this season. Luis Enrique became the second manager to win a treble with two different clubs, joining Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. Paris Saint-Germain also became only the second French club to win the Champions League title, with Marseille lifting the trophy back in 1993. For Inter Milan, it was the second time in three years the club lost the final, falling to Manchester City two years ago. Inter suffered the biggest defeat in UEFA Champions League final history.

Sunday in Mexico, Cruz Azul routed the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 Sunday at Estadio Olimpico Universitario to win the Concacaf Champions Cup. Angel Sepulveda scored two goals as Cruz Azul dominated the matchup. The Whitecaps were unable to record a shot on target. It’s the third straight final that an MLS side has lost to a Liga MX side since 2022, when the Seattle Sounders lifted the trophy. With the win, Cruz Azul has qualified for the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport.com shared his insight on which MLS players to watch during the summer transfer window for potential moves. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was mentioned, as well as Charlotte FC’s Patrick Agyemang and the Chicago Fire’s Brian Gutierrez.
  • Former Orlando Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni reflected on his time with the club. He provided insight into his journey from coaching the Pride as an expansion team, including the early challenges, Orlando’s first NWSL playoff appearance, mentoring young coaches such as Khano Smith and Seb Hines, and more.
  • Washington Spirit Head Coach Jonatan Giraldez is reportedly set to become the next manager at OL Lyonnes and will join the club in June. Assistant Coach Adrian Gonzalez will be promoted to head coach for the Spirit.
  • U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has added Walker Zimmerman, Nathan Harriel, and Paxten Aaronson to the roster to replace DeJuan Jones, Sean Zawadzki, and Folarin Balogun, who are all out due to injuries. The USMNT will play friendlies against Turkey on June 7 and Switzerland on June 10.
  • The LA Galaxy finally snapped their record 16-match winless streak on Saturday, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-0.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from a disappointing 3-1 home loss against Chicago.

Published

1 day ago

on

June 1, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City won the final 55 minutes of Saturday night’s match 1-0, but unfortunately the Lions were awful in the opening 35 minutes and were already so far down that they could not really mount a real comeback, losing 3-1 to Chicago. After a loss like that, the less painful preamble the better, so let’s get right to it. Here are my five takeaways from Saturday night’s match.

A Gift From Gallese

It was an absolutely brutal start for Orlando City, as the nearly always sure-handed Pedro Gallese made a mess of a routine shot from Philip Zinckernagel, allowing it slip right through his hands and into the back of his net just five minutes into the game. Errors like that one happen to goalkeepers every season (Orlando City benefitted from a similar error by John McCarthy of the LA Galaxy back in March), but this one was especially crushing, as it happened right in the opening minutes of the game, giving Chicago an undeserved boost of confidence and removing the opportunity for the Lions to take an immediate lead and wash the bad taste of the collapse at Atlanta from their mouths. Zinckernagel was far too easily able to turn and get his shot off, one of many defensive miscues during the opening minutes of the game, but the shot he took was right at Gallese and El Pulpo probably saves that 99.9% of the time. Unfortunately, Saturday night’s shot was the one in one thousand that went right through his hands like butter.

Back To Back Breakdowns

Teams are often at their most vulnerable right after scoring a goal, as the euphoria of scoring a goal often leads to a dip in focus for the team that just scored, while the anger of allowing a goal brings on a surge of adrenaline for the team that was just scored upon, and they play with a serious sense of urgency in the immediate aftermath. This was not the case in any way, shape or form for Orlando City after allowing Chicago’s second goal, as the Lions gave the ball away almost instantly on the kickoff and then looked completely out of sorts as Chicago just blew right through the middle of the field and got the ball to Hugo Cuypers with no trouble at all. Cuypers then made Rodrigo Schlegel no trouble of his at all and scored his second goal within two minutes on a well-placed shot past Gallese. Chicago’s second goal came on a complete defensive breakdown as well, with Cuypers somehow unmarked in between three defenders right in front of the goalmouth, and for Chicago to then get a third goal right after that left many in the stadium stunned. Even though there was still almost an hour left to play, the game seemed almost over already with how poorly the entire defensive unit was playing.

Lots of Chances, One Conversion

Orlando City took 28 shots, pumped in 22 crosses, earned 13 corner kicks, and — according to Opta’s tracking — created two “big chances.” And yet, after all that, all the Lions had to show for it was a goal on a header from right back Alex Freeman, which was not one of their two big chances. I wrote last week about Orlando City’s nearly league-worst poor finishing on big chances and how I thought a positive regression to the mean might be coming, but what if it does not? Games like Saturday night’s show that it might not be bad luck. It might be that this team lacks a scorer who can find a way to convert even a league-average amount of those big opportunities. If that is the case, then the team will have to rely on scoring in other ways, and as the team is among the league leaders in goals scored, the Lions may be able to continue to score via more difficult opportunities, but they were unable to do so on Saturday night as Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady was rarely troubled enough to get his shorts into a Brady bunch.

I’ll see myself out.

Lack Of Legs

May is finally over, and thus ends a punishing month for Orlando City with the club playing nine games between May 3 and May 31. It may not have been Ă“scar Pareja on the sidelines, but I am sure he selected the starting group, and it contained nine of the 11 players who started Wednesday night in Atlanta and seven players who started against Atlanta and against Portland the prior Saturday. The team just looked gassed throughout the match, and while Orlando dominated possession during the second half and took all the shots and made the crosses I mentioned in the prior takeaway, the team did not look locked in while doing so, with uncharacteristic misses happening from many different players. The four substitutes who came on all looked noticeably fresher and more energetic than their teammates, and perhaps more rotation from the starting group in this match, or in prior matches, might have led to a different result.

Freeman An Attacking Force

I want to end with a positive, and whether the ball deflected in off a defender or not, Freeman scored his fourth goal of the season, making him the first Orlando City defender to score four goals in an MLS season, and the season only just reached the halfway point. According to whoscored.com, Freeman’s average position on Saturday night was higher on the field (i.e. closer to the opposing goal) than every Orlando City starter except fellow right side player Marco Pašalić and Luis Muriel, and Orlando City made 39% of its attacks down that right side, looking to take advantage of the Freeman and Pašalić combination. Freeman’s goal was from a corner kick, so none of those right-side heavy attacks amounted to a goal, but Freeman was engaged and involved throughout and continued to show that he is one of the league’s best offensive threats at the right back position.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s rough performance against Chicago. The team will now have a well-deserved two-week break before heading out on the road to Colorado on June 14. Hopefully the Lions will come out recharged and ready to start a new winning streak when that game kicks off against the Rapids.

Let us know your thoughts about the Chicago match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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