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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 1-1 as Wasteful Lions Squander Lots of Chances

The Lions can’t make it two straight wins over Atlanta only due to a lack of sharpness in front of goal and an unnecessary late turnover.

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4 years ago

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Carlos Romero, The Mane Land

Some draws feel like wins and others feel like losses. Tonight’s 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium will go firmly into the latter for Orlando City. The Lions (4-2-4, 16 points) squandered numerous scoring chances throughout the game and made a deadly late turnover that gave Atlanta United (3-4-2, 11 points) the possession needed to steal a point late. Benji Michel put the Lions ahead in first-half stoppage time, but Adam Jahn’s header in second-half stoppage gave the visitors a point they had no business taking home.

Where a point might have once felt good against Atlanta, it certainly doesn’t tonight as the Lions owned this match and simply threw away far too many good opportunities to put it away. Orlando City is now 1-6-3 in the all-time series against Atlanta (1-7-3 in all competitions), and the Lions got their first ever point at home against the Five Stripes, “improving” to 0-4-1 at Exploria Stadium in the series.

“We have to put the games away when we can,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match, referring to the team’s lack of finishing. “It’s an ongoing process but the players know deep inside that they had a great game today. But we’re not there yet and we’re going to keep working.”

Pareja’s starting XI included Pedro Gallese in goal as usual, with Kamal Miller filling in for the injured Joao Moutinho at left back, alongside Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Uri Rosell and Sebas Mendez manned the central midfield with attacking midfielders Chris Mueller, Michel, and Mauricio Pereyra. Daryl Dike started up top.

Atlanta started the match pressing frantically to try to turn the Lions over, but Orlando handled it well and kept most of the ball for the opening 10 minutes. Mendez was set up nicely at the top of the area in the fourth minute, but he popped his shot high into the air and over the goal. The Lions looked to have a good counter going shortly after that, but Ruan sent his cross into the seats.

Once Atlanta got the ball, the Five Stripes started to keep it and hold onto it, probing for scoring chances. Orlando got whistled for several fouls to set up free kicks, helping the Five Stripes get set pieces, but they weren’t able to do much with them.

Mueller found some space outside the area in the middle in the 17th minute but didn’t get all of his shot, giving Brad Guzan an easy save.

Gallese made a save on Cubo Torres in the 27th minute after Mendez gambled during a double-team and ran past the Atlanta striker, igniting the opposition’s break.

After two weak shot attempts earlier in the game, Mendez nearly scored in the 34th minute, redirecting a cross from Michel toward the near post. Guzan stuck out a foot at the last second to make a vital save.

Orlando kept creating chances off of turnovers but not doing much with them. Mueller sent a great inside-out cross through the area for Michel in the 37th minute but Benji fired wide under heavy pressure from the defense. His shouts for a penalty went unheeded by the referee.

In the 39th minute, Orlando worked the ball up the left side and Mueller was fouled behind the play. With Dike on the ball and Orlando seemingly poised for an excellent scoring chance, the referee stopped play for no apparent reason and pulled the play back for a free kick. Carlos headed wide on the ensuing free kick.

Michel got inside in the 44th minute but he couldn’t get his shot on target and another chance was wasted. But the Lions finally broke through in first-half stoppage time.

A corner kick cross fell in the box and Dike was the first to react, spinning and firing toward goal. The shot was going to go wide but instead it hit Michel and deflected past Guzan to make it 1-0. Atlanta appealed for an offside call but Anton Walkes was clearly keeping Michel onside and the Lions took a lead into the break. It was Michel’s second goal in as many games and Dike’s third assist of the season.

Orlando finished the first half leading in shots (11-3), shots on goal (3-2), and passing percentage (81%-76%), but Atlanta held more possession (52.2%).

The Lions nearly conceded right out of the locker room again, which has been an issue this season. Torres headed just wide from in front, as Carlos had followed his man across the formation in the buildup, but his teammates failed to adequately cover for him.

Orlando City then created two more opportunities in the 50th but wasted them. On the first, Ruan made mincemeat of his defender at the end line but saw his cross cut out and on the second Michel nearly got in behind but George Bello made a last-ditch tackle to deny the shot.

Gallese comfortably denied Ezequiel Barco’s free kick attempt in the 62nd minute.

In the 67th minute, Orlando again failed to convert an excellent chance. Mueller sent Michel in to the area and the second-year player waited to make a decision, taking an extra touch. By the time he decided to shoot, Michel scuffed the shot and a golden opportunity didn’t even threaten Guzan in goal.

Nani, who entered the game as a second-half substitute, nearly doubled the lead in the 79th on a free kick after Junior Urso was taken down on the counter. Nani — who Pareja said hadn’t been starting the last couple of matches due to some inflammation in his groin — fired a shot off the left post. Urso got a touch on the rebound’s high bounce, with a gaping wide net, but he couldn’t make good contact with it and the Atlanta defense cleared it before it could cross the line.

Jahn nearly tied the game a minute later, splitting the two center backs and getting his head to a cross but he hit it at Gallese, who was well positioned to make the save.

The Lions appeared to be in control and comfortable as time wound down but a turnover changed the game’s outcome in stoppage time. Miller played a dangerous pass up the middle rather than safely to the side, where his teammates were directing him to go. His pass instead went straight into the feet of Emerson Hyndman, giving up possession unnecessarily. Atlanta poured numbers forward and the ball cycled over to the left to late sub Jake Mulraney, who fired in a cross. Miller ended up on Jahn and failed to deal with the forward, who got up and smashed a header into the corner where Gallese couldn’t reach it, tying the game in the 92nd minute.

Orlando fashioned one more good chance as Nani got to a bit of an off-line pass and toe-poked it across for Ruan on the right. Ruan had a good look but fizzed his shot wide of Guzan’s goal and time ran out moments later.

The Lions out-shot Atlanta 15-9, but the visitors were sharper, getting more on target (6-4). Atlanta’s passing improved while Orlando’s tailed off, with the Five Stripes finishing with an 85%-83% advantage to go along with 55.9% of the possession.

Dike called the 1-1 final “a pretty frustrating result.”

“You know, we fought really hard the entire game we had a lot of a lot of chances to go and finish,” he said. “I mean, you know, things aren’t always going to bounce your way. So, you know, on to the next one. I think maybe historically you know, the rivalry here, Atlanta sometimes might have come out on top and I think it says a lot about the expectations we have on ourselves that a draw isn’t enough for us anymore — that we expect to win every single game.”

“This week we just need to have a good week of practice, prepare for Miami, and then put this game behind us,” said Kyle Smith.

“Now we have a week to prepare our game against Miami, which is a tough rival also,” Pareja said. “But for sure is going to help us to recover some of the players because it has been tough activity for them with no resting.”

There’s just one match left on the schedule as announced so far, with the Lions hosting Inter Miami next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to close Phase 1.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over FC Cincinnati Saturday at home?

Published

12 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looks to bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Cincinnati has twice as many points as Orlando City and more than twice as many wins. FCC has only scored one more goal than Orlando City, but with only nine goals conceded compared to Orlando City’s 17, it’s easy to see why Cincinnati is sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference.

What I’m trying to say is that the task doesn’t get any easier this weekend. What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against FC Cincinnati?

Accost Acosta

Cincinnati’s attack revolves around Luciano Acosta. The attacking midfielder has four goals and five assists so far this season. To put that into perspective, Duncan McGuire — Orlando City’s leading scorer — also has four goals but only one assist. If we look at the Lions’ attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres has one goal and one assist, Ivan Angulo and Nico Lodeiro both have one goal and two assists, and Martin Ojeda has zero goals and only one assist. Luis Muriel is still at double zeroes.

The defensive midfield and the back line must do everything possible to mark him out of the match. It’s not enough to keep him from scoring, they must also keep him from setting up chances for his teammates. Most importantly, the defense must do that for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. There is no room for the mental lapses we’ve seen throughout the first part of this season.

Break Through

Cincinnati is stingy on defense. As I mentioned above, the club has only allowed nine goals this season. The back line is formidable with the likes of Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson, and Ian Murphy. On the wings are DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano. This is a tough defense, and whether it is McGuire or Muriel who gets the start, they must find the spaces in between.

Just as importantly, Torres, Angulo, Ojeda, and Lodeiro — depending on who is in at any given moment — must be able to thread the passes in for McGuire, Muriel, or each other to create quality chances. On top of that, the Lions must convert on those chances, which is not something that has been a strength so far this season. If the Orlando City defense continues to give up cheap goals, then the offense will need to one-up the competition when it comes to scoring.

Deal with an Unknown

FC Cincinnati recently signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy comes in as an MLS U22 Initiative player and is eligible to play against Orlando City. Even though Kelsy is only 19, he has 68 professional appearances, including UEFA Champions Leagues matches. At 6-foot-3, he can be a challenge for defenders, especially in the air.

Kelsy hasn’t had much time with the team, but he could be a second-half substitution for Cincinnati. Given that Orlando City just gave up two late headers against Toronto FC, the back line will need to be careful that Kelsy doesn’t hurt the Lions in the same manner — especially if he comes on late when legs and minds are tired.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

The Pride win big, OCSC celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month, USMNT news, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It’s Thursday, Mane Landers. Of course, the name Thursday comes from Thor’s day, and as such, it isn’t a big leap for us to consider it Thorhallsson’s day. Though I suppose that is a bit of a mouthful, so we’ll just keep things the way they are, but do hold Dagur Dan close to your heart today. Also, let us wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Luana. Despite the devastating news that dropped about her health earlier this week, we hope that her spirits are high and we wish her nothing but happiness today. It’s also Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s birthday today, so we’re celebrating him as well. Let’s get to the links.

The Pride Dominate the Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in a midweek match at Inter&Co Stadium. The Pride did indeed dominate the Courage as much as the score line indicates. It was once again the Barbra Banda show, with the Pride’s newest player contributing a brace and an assist on the night. It is the Pride’s fourth straight victory and the undefeated run continues.

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are doing their part this May to observe Mental Health Awareness Month. The club is sponsoring and attending events and forums available to the general public, as well as holding club staff workshops around promoting mental health. I have to say my favorite is the therapy dogs visits that will be available to the staff. There’s nothing as good for my personal mental health as the joy and unconditional love a dog can bring. If I didn’t have dogs of my own, I’d be really jealous.

The Billionaires Clubs

Orlando City and Orlando Pride owners, the Wilf family, are not the only billionaire owners in the NWSL. There are more and more owners and ownership groups that fall into that category. The influx of more money is a growth opportunity for the league and potentially for those owners. It’s a bit of a “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality for these owners as they do better when the league as a whole does better. It’s not just the owners who think so. The NWSL was ranked No. 5 on the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024. I’m just glad the Pride are in the club.

USMNT News

I hate starting off a section with bad news, but Sergino Dest tore his ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven and will miss the Copa America. Dest will require surgery though there is no time frame yet for when he may return. The loss of Dest is a blow to the U.S. defense heading into the competition this coming June. The USMNT plays Bolivia on June 23.

In better news, Tim Weah provided the assist for Juventus on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal against Lazio. Juventus entered the second leg of the Copa Italia semifinal up 2-0, but Lazio drew level before Milik’s goal. Juventus advanced 3-2 on aggregate and will play in the final.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. There’s plenty more soccer to come this weekend with all three teams playing. Check back for more as we get you ready for those matches. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

Mason Stajduhar was arrested, Orlando Pride play at home tonight, Colin Guske discusses his signing, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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,
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday and welcome to May, Mane Landers. Don’t forget that the undefeated Orlando Pride are in action tonight, so check back for our match preview and the latest episode of SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast for additional pre-match coverage. In the meantime, let’s get to the links.

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar and his wife Tatiana Stajduhar were both arrested on disorderly conduct charges following an incident at a nightclub overnight Saturday in the early hours of Sunday morning. The couple were reportedly disrespectful to the club’s staff and got into an altercation with the security guards. Mason stated he was only resisting the security guards to re-enter the club because the bouncers allegedly hit his wife. Tatiana allegedly pushed the police officers after they arrived, and she was not charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The couple were released Monday after posting a bond. Orlando City provided the following statement to WESH 2 News:

“The Club is aware that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar was arrested early Sunday morning. We are currently gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

After a 3-2 win on the road last Friday against the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride are back in the City Beautiful and will take on the North Carolina Courage tonight. Unbeaten in their six games so far this season, the Pride have also won their past three games and sit fourth in the standings. They’re tied on points with a Courage team that beat the Seattle Reign Saturday. Orlando has scored at least one goal in every match this season. Forward Barbra Banda had a great performance in that win against the Spirit, so hopefully the scoring trend continues tonight for the Pride.

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

Have you enjoyed the new food options at the stadium? I know I have, and I’m looking forward to trying even more. The efforts made by Orlando City’s front office to feature more local food and beverage options did not go unnoticed, as the club won the Hospitality & Dining category in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s 2023 Golden Brick Awards. The Orlando Pride’s 2023 Highway Woman Kit also won the award in the Arts & Culture category. The home jersey was inspired by the work of Mary Ann Carroll, the sole woman in the famed Highwaymen artists from decades ago.

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

Orlando City Development Academy player Colin Guske signed his first professional contract with the club last month and spoke on the importance of this moment in his career. The 17-year-old is now on an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B, and he has started in nearly every game for the Young Lions this year. Both of Guske’s brothers have also played for Orlando City’s academy over the years, and he thanked his family for helping him reach this point.

“It’s awesome to represent the Guskes,” Colin said. “Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They’re always helping me and what was the best for me.”

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy all of the sights and sounds from the Pride’s big win over the Spirit in the nation’s capital.
  • The Champions League semifinals are underway and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played to a 2-2 draw in Germany. The second leg will take place on May 8 in Madrid.

That will do it for today. If you can make it out to the stadium tonight to catch the Pride in action, I strongly suggest you do so. Barbra Banda is about to take the NWSL by storm and you’ll want to see it in person. Vamos Orlando!

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