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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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After a strong performance in the MLS is Back group stage, Orlando City dominated the Montreal Impact in a 1-0 win in the round of 16. Despite the narrow scoreline, Montreal had few good chances on goal while the Lions created several chances throughout the night. The win sees them advance to the quarterfinals on Friday night.

While the shots on goal were pretty close at 10-7, Orlando City dominated with 57% possession. This was especially impactful in the attacking end, where Chris Mueller, Nani, and Sebas Mendez helped create several opportunities throughout the night.

Let’s look at how Orlando City’s players did individually in this important win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — It was a pretty easy game for Pedro Gallese as he didn’t have much trouble throughout the night. Only one of Montreal’s seven shots was on target, resulting in the need for only one save for Gallese. He did have to come out to punch a ball late in the game, which he missed, but it was cleared away. The fact that he got his second clean sheet of the season is worthy of a high grade but there will be games where he’ll be called upon much more to help the team.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — The pressure on the right side of the field by Montreal meant that Moutinho was called upon more frequently than he probably would’ve been otherwise. With Ruan needing to stay further back than he usually does, Moutinho ended up in the attack throughout much of the game. While there were a couple of passes that didn’t reach the intended target, Moutinho was responsible for a key pass and took an off-target shot. Defensively, it was a solid performance by the back four, Moutinho included. Even when Montreal looked to be building up an attack, the back four were able to clear.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Antonio Carlos made the biggest impact of any defensive player in this game for Orlando City. He was very solid throughout the game, making four interceptions and seven clearances at center back. This was one of the primary reasons why Gallese’s night was so easy. He didn’t go forward very often, leaving that to Robin Jansson, but stayed back and kept the Impact from getting any dangerous shots on goal.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Similar to Carlos, Robin Jansson had a strong defensive game, keeping the Impact from threatening the Lions’ goal. He went forward more than Carlos in this game, helping build the attack from the back and allowing Mendez to push further forward into the attack. However, it was his defensive play that was largely on display in this game. While communication has been a problem for Orlando City in the past and the two starting center backs had a language barrier to cross to start the season, they worked well together this night in keeping the Impact from creating any dangerous chances on goal.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Typically, Ruan’s offense is quite noticeable but that wasn’t the case in this game, though he and Mueller did enough down the right to force Montreal to change shape at the break. The Impact continually tried to attack the Lions down the left, forcing Ruan into greater defensive responsibilities, particularly in the second half. The right back came up with a strong performance in this game, keeping some of the Impact’s most dangerous attackers at bay. He was credited with two tackles, two interceptions, and a blocked shot but it was the ineffectiveness of Montreal on his side that really stood out.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6.5 — This was probably Mendez’s best performance of the year so far. While his defensive midfield partner, Uri Rosell, stayed further back, Mendez was able to push forward into the attack at multiple points throughout the game. He created multiple opportunities for the Lions, especially in the second half, and his quick passing and long run helped to create the game’s lone goal. In his 82 minutes, he ended up with four shots of his own, and forced Rod Fanni into an errant back pass for an easy tap-in by Tesho Akindele.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — When you have a defensive midfielder push forward as Mendez did, the other one needs to play a defensive role. That was what Uri Rosell did in this game. He completed 81 passes on the night, second on the team only to Moutinho. His pass accuracy rating of 97.5% was the highest of any starter. That’s even more impressive since he played 10 long balls forward, with nine reaching their intended target. It was yet another strong performance by the Spanish midfielder.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Chris Mueller has earned his spot in the Lions’ starting lineup during the MLS is Back Tournament and he showed why he starts again last night. In the first half, Mueller was very problematic for the Impact as he created chance after chance for the Lions. The one glaring play in the game was when he had a golden opportunity for the opening goal. The ball rolled right in front of him with an empty net but the young midfielder was unable to put it away. That could’ve been a deciding moment had the Lions not finally converted in the second half. Despite the miss, it was a quality performance for the midfielder.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — This wasn’t one of Mauricio Pereyra’s best performances since he joined Orlando City last season. That’s partly because he’s such a quality player that he has higher expectations than others. He only completed 84.2% of his 57 passes in 74 minutes of play. Similar to Mueller, the most noticeable moment for Pereyra could’ve been a mistake early in the game. He found himself with some space in the box but hit the ball off target. As a quality attacking player, that’s one he has to get on goal and could’ve been costly in the end.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — While it wasn’t the dominant performance that Orlando City fans have seen in the past, Nani put in a good shift for the Lions. This was especially so in the first half. Along with Mueller, Nani created havoc for the Montreal defense, creating several chances for teammates and nearly helping the Lions get on the board. The two closest chances in the first half were both set up by Nani. The first was the shot off target by Pereyra — after a slick back heel pass from Nani — and the second was a good cross on Mueller’s mistake in front of goal. The Portuguese midfielder could’ve had a pair of assists on the night.

F, Tesho Akindele, 7 (MotM) — This was a very good performance by Tesho as the Canadian scored the lone goal and nearly had an assist. Just before halftime, a one-two between Akindele and Mendez saw the latter tap home the go-ahead goal. However, Akindele was judged to be offside. Replays of the controversial ruling appeared to show the striker slightly onside but the flag went up during the play. In the 60th minute, Akindele got the lone goal in this 1-0 win. It may have been a tap-in after a good run by Mendez, but similar chances were squandered earlier in the game. If not for the finish, the Lions could’ve been heading out of the tournament.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (75’), 5 — Andres Perea was the first player brought on by Orlando City as he took part in the final 15 minutes. Replacing Pereyra, Perea didn’t play that poorly, completing 84.6% of his 13 passes. Coming on as a midfielder with a one-goal lead, Perea’s role was to help keep possession and secure the victory. While the Impact didn’t score in the late stages of the game, Perea could’ve done better with his possession.

F, Daryl Dike (75’), 4 — Coming on for the final 15 minutes of the game, it was a difficult performance for rookie Daryl Dike on his debut. The young striker found himself with the ball in the box on multiple occasions but was unable to do anything with it. In some cases, Dike lost the ball before being able to reach a teammate. On other occasions, he committed a foul during an attack, effectively ending the chance. He only had one off-target shot but committed three fouls and picked up a yellow card for shooting the ball after the whistle.

MF, Joey DeZart (83’), N/A — Joey DeZart came on for Mendez with just seven minutes left and didn’t have time to make much of an impact. He only had nine touches and one interception, but did help secure the win.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (83’), N/A — Rodrigo Schlegel came on for Mueller as a defensive change to help see out the game. He only had six touches in seven minutes as the Lions simply looked to hold onto the ball. He did record one tackle and one clearance in those seven minutes and drew a foul on a frustrated Romell Quioto.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — Kyle Smith was the final change for the Lions, coming on for Ruan in the dying minutes. He had a bigger impact in fewer minutes than DeZart and Schlegel, with 13 touches, two clearances, and a tackle credited to his name. The most important thing was, like DeZart and Schlegel, he helped to see out the 1-0 win.

Overall, there’s not much to be displeased with in this game. The Lions came into this tournament with questions of if they would be able to get out of their group. The 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact puts them in the quarterfinals Friday night against the winner of Seattle and LAFC.

While many thought the Lions would be home by now, Orlando City fans have the luxury of enjoying the remaining round of 16 games and waiting to see who their team will play. This is how I saw the game. How do you feel about the individual performances? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Antonio Carlos9
Robin Jansson3
Sebas Mendez38
Tesho Akindele15
Ruan 6
Nani4
Other4

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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 in the final regular-season match?

Published

11 hours ago

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October 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City hosts rival Atlanta United this Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Despite having already secured a spot in the playoffs, the Lions will try to lock up fourth place and home-field advantage for the first round. It’s a Decision Day match against a rival. It doesn’t get any better than that.

What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points and close the door on Atlanta United’s slim playoff hopes?

Solve the Defensive Midfield Puzzle

Wilder Cartagena is suspended for this match due to yellow card accumulation. As such, Orlando City’s excellent defensive midfield pairing of Cartagena and Cesar Araujo will not be on the field together. Whether Oscar Pareja decides to plug and play with a backup for Cartagena or change shape will impact how effective Orlando City’s defense is against Atlanta.

If Pareja decides to change shape, he could employ a 5-3-2 as he did earlier in the season to cover for Cartagena’s absence. I don’t believe this will be the route he will take given that he won’t have every player available and because Cartagena as the middle center back was key to that formation. Even if some players like David Brekalo and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson return from injury, they won’t be back to 90-minute match fitness. Additionally, Pareja likes to stick with what has been working, and that is his traditional 4-2-3-1, although he has gone to a 4-4-2 at times.

If Pareja decides to simply sub in another player, he has several to choose from. Nico Lodeiro, Felipe Martins, Jeorgio Kocevski, and Heine Gikling Bruseth are all available. As much as I’d be interested in seeing what Bruseth brings to the table, I think it’s doubtful we see him get any minutes this season. I think that the match is too important for Kocevski to get the start, which leaves Felipe and Lodeiro. Felipe offers a bit more on the defensive end, and Lodeiro a bit more on offense. My guess is that Pareja starts Lodeiro to help get a lead, and then subs on Felipe to defend it.

Continue the Crooked Numbers

Orlando City has scored at least two goals in each of its last seven matches. That has resulted in six wins, with the only blemish being the 4-3 loss to the second-place Columbus Crew. In those seven matches, the Lions scored 19 goals, spread over seven goal scorers. Facundo Torres leads the way with five in that period, followed by Ramiro Enrique with four, Duncan McGuire with three, Luis Muriel and Ivan Angulo each with two, and defenders Rodrigo Schlegel and Rafael Santos with one goal apiece.

With the one outlier, the Lions have been successful when scoring multiple goals. In that same seven-match period, Atlanta United gave up 10 goals. In four of those, the Five Stripes conceded two goals. I’m not saying that Atlanta is bad defensively, but it isn’t better than Orlando City in that department — both have allowed 48 goals this season. I am saying that Atlanta is vulnerable, especially if the Lions can keep their chances on target.

Bounce Back from the Break

This will be the first match following the international break. While some players, like Pedro Gallese, Cartagena, and Torres, are returning from their respective national teams, others have only had training sessions with the club. When a club is in good form, such a break can be detrimental. How well the Lions pick back up where they left off is crucial.

The good news is that they are playing at home. A raucous crowd can go a long way towards helping a team’s performance. Additionally, this is a rivalry match. While supporters are usually more invested in the rivalries, the players will certainly be aware of what it means to the club. Orlando City players also have the advantage of sleeping in their own beds and maintaining their regular schedules heading into this match. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/17/24

Facundo Torres’ journey to Orlando, Yutaro Tsukada earns recognition, USMNT will face Jamaica in the Nations League, and more.

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14 hours ago

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October 17, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope you all have been enjoying the cooler temperatures this week. It’s been nice to break out some long sleeves and it gives me a chance to acclimate before a trip to Maine next week. I may even drink some hot coffee today instead of the usual cold brew. Let’s get this Thursday started with today’s links!

Facundo Torres’ Path to Orlando

Orlando City forward Facundo Torres is enjoying his best season yet with the Lions, scoring 18 goals across all competitions to help the Lions climb up the Eastern Conference standings. It’s his third year in the City Beautiful, joining the club as a Designated Player from Penarol back in 2022. The 24-year-old discussed just how quickly things changed after just one year playing professionally with Penarol.

“At first, I was a little afraid and a little nervous because it was my first time going off on my own,” Torres told WESH 2 recently. “I could only enjoy a year of being a professional in Peñarol because everything happened so fast, debuting and then going to the national team and then the transfer to Orlando — it happened so fast. But I found good people in this club, and the Hispanic community here is big, so that helped me feel at home.”

Torres also talked about how soccer fits in Uruguay’s culture, as well as how his work ethic has helped him reach this point in his career. Orlando’s roster features players from many different cultures, with many hailing from countries in South America. The result is a unique club culture that’s helped the team build a strong identity and find success.

Orlando City Prepares for Decision Day

Orlando City will host Atlanta United on Saturday in what should be an exciting Decision Day showdown between the two rivals. Both teams have plenty to play for beyond the usual bragging rights, as the Lions aim to secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs while Atlanta fights for a spot in the postseason. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how the team is maintaining momentum after the international break to finish the season strong before the playoffs.

Yutaro Tsukada Honored For Rookie Season

Orlando City B’s Yutaro Tsukada was an honorable mention at forward in this year’s MLS NEXT Pro Best XI. Drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Tsukada had seven goals and seven assists in 22 matches with OCB this season. His efforts earned him a contract with the first team in August and he’s made three appearances with the Lions. It’s nice to see the 23-year-old receive some recognition for a solid first year. I think an argument could definitely be made that Alex Freeman deserved a spot after recording eight goals and nine assists this season. The Young Lions are back in action this Sunday for a playoff match on the road against Chicago Fire FC II.

USMNT Will Face Jamaica in Nations League

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Jamaica in next month’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. The first match of the two-leg series will take place in Kingston on Nov. 14 before the two teams face off again in St. Louis on Nov. 18. The U.S. has won all three of the past editions of the Nations League and beat Jamaica 3-1 in the semifinals earlier this year in a match that was closer than the score suggests. Jamaica tends to keep things tight when playing the U.S. and went undefeated in its group play to reach the quarterfinals. It will be interesting to see how Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino builds his lineup for his first Nations League matches.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Kicks Off

The U.S. had a rough start to its U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 3-1 loss to Spain. An own goal gave Spain an early lead, but the U.S. battled back with a goal from Melanie Barcenas later in the first half. Spain took all three points though with Noa Ortega scoring and then providing the assist on Spain’s third goal. The result puts the U.S. last in its group for the time being, as Colombia and South Korea played to a 1-1 draw. The U.S. will play its next match Saturday against Colombia before taking on South Korea Tuesday to close out its group play.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
  • You can download a customized cover featuring the Lions for EA Sports FC 25. I haven’t played a soccer video game in a while, but this is pretty dang cool to see regardless.

I hope you all have a great Thursday as we get ready for a weekend filled with Orlando soccer to enjoy. Make sure to stay hydrated out there!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/16/24

Barbra Banda up for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, U.S. falls to Mexico, Thomas Tuchel will reportedly coach England, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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October 16, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the groundbreaking at Orlando City SC’s soccer-specific stadium. The stadium has been home to plenty of memories over the years, and I’m hoping I can make the trip to see the Orlando Pride make some history there this postseason as well. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Barbra Banda Up for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was one of five players nominated for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for her stellar performance at both the club and international levels. Since joining the Pride from Shanghai Shengli for $740,000, Banda has scored 13 goals to help the club reach the top of the table. She also scored four goals for Zambia at the Olympics this summer to become Africa’s all-time top scorer at the Olympics at just 24 years old. Banda also spoke to the BBC about challenging herself by joining the Pride, playing alongside Marta, and creating a foundation to help girls and boys in Zambia (see the embedded video in the story linked above).

Americans Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma were also nominated after helping the U.S. win gold in Paris. Barcelona duo Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen round out this year’s nominees for their roles in yet another successful season for the Spanish club.

USMNT Falls to Mexico

The United States Men’s National Team went to Mexico and lost 2-0 in a friendly against its rival. Although the USMNT was without some of its best players for this match, it’s still a disappointing result. The Yanks conceded in each half, with Fulham forward Raul Jimenez scoring the first goal and assisting on the second. The match at least gave Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino a look at some of the team’s depth to see what he’s working with moving forward. The USMNT will be back in action next month in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.

Thomas Tuchel Reportedly Set to Take England Job

Thomas Tuchel has reportedly agreed to become England’s next manager on an 18-month contract. He would start in January to coach the team through World Cup qualifying next year and get England ready for the tournament. This would be Tuchel’s first time coaching at the international level, but he does have experience coaching in England after leading Chelsea to Champions League and Club World Cup trophies in 2021. He would replace Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after eight years at the helm of England following the team’s loss in the Euro final this summer.

Boston NWSL Team Confirms Awful Name

The branding for Boston’s NWSL team was unveiled and it will officially be named BOS Nation FC. The club’s crest will be revealed at a later date, but the club’s colors will include green, raspberry, and charcoal. The name, which is an anagram for “Bostonian” has been on the receiving end of criticism, and deservedly so in my opinion. It’s worse than uninspired, it’s just bad. I find it hard to believe that no better options were pitched. Only time will tell if the club reconsiders things before taking the field in 2026. We did see Racing Louisville FC make a change after originally opting for Proof Louisville FC. Fingers crossed!

Free Kicks

  • Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was called up for England’s pair of friendlies later this month.
  • Pride midfielder Evelina Duljan was called up by the Swedish U-23 team as well.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

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