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Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Final Score 3-0 as Lions’ Unbeaten Run Crashes to a Halt

The Lions made Sporting Kansas City look like the team riding an unbeaten streak in a poor road performance.

Published

9 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes once said, “There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.” If that’s true, Orlando City’s soul should be clean as a whistle after tonight’s match at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

Orlando City’s eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an abrupt stop in a lackluster 3-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City. Even after the hosts went down a man with 23 minutes remaining — a figure that doesn’t include 12 added minutes of stoppage time — the Lions (9-10-7, 34 points) couldn’t muster any attack whatsoever, and a golden opportunity to pick up points against a team low in the Western Conference table was squandered. Jake Davis, Daniel Salloi, and Remi Walter provided the offense for Sporting Kansas City (7-14-6, 27 points).

There weren’t even any positives to take away from the performance, which was substandard across the board.

“Obviously very disappointed (with the) result,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “A great opportunity for us to escalate on the standings and obviously continue with what we had in the last few games, but today was not a good day for us.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Facundo Torres, with Ramiro Enrique up top.

Sporting went for goal on the opening kickoff, with Erik Thommy trying a shot from the center circle, trying to catch Gallese off his line. The effort wasn’t bad, just clearing the crossbar, but Gallese had it covered anyway had it managed to dip.

After the Lions snuffed out another foray into the attacking third by the hosts, they wasted a few good early opportunities to take the lead. The first of those happened in the second minute when Torres sent a long ball for Enrique to track down in the right corner. Enrique cut inside and found Angulo at the top of the box and the Colombian found Torres on his left. The shot from Torres was a poor one, with little pace on it and well wide of the right post.

A minute later, a turnover by the hosts gifted Enrique a chance inside the box, but the Argentine fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Tim Melia. Cartagena fired wide from the top of the box in the fifth minute as Orlando’s bright start continued. A minute later, Ojeda sent a good free kick from distance to Smith making a run at the far post. Smith’s header was off line and went back across the six. Enrique tried to get to it at the left post but it was just beyond his reach with an empty net in front of him.

Ojeda got down the left in the eighth minute and made a great cutback pass into the area for Torres, but it was blocked by defender Tim Liebold and went out for a corner. The service on the ensuing set piece was overhit, ending the threat. Those missed opportunities were costly, eventually allowing the hosts to take a lead into halftime, but the most badly squandered chance came late in the half.

“We started the game sharp,” Pareja said. “Had a few options to score, but after that, I thought we didn’t have a good game. We were low in energy. I didn’t think we had the intensity that has characterized this group all the time.”

“After those first 10 minutes, they started to press us. We weren’t able to to really come out of that pressure clean as much,” Torres said. “And then, once they started to do that, they added more and more. And then at that point, we had trouble kind of finding ourselves back into the game and and they took over from there.”

After all the open play in the game’s first 10 minutes, things settled down a bit. Neither team was able to create a chance for the nesxt 15 minutes. Eventually, the Lions fashioned a chance from the right with Araujo smashing a shot from outside the box in the 26th minute. However, Andreu Fontas blocked it in front.

The Lions got loose with the ball after that, giving up multiple chances. Thommy beat Smith and worked his way for a clear shot from the right, but Gallese made a terrific reaction save in the 27th minute to keep the game scoreless. Angulo then gave the ball away cheaply in the 30th minute, leading to a good long-distance try from Salloi that Gallese parried away.

It looked like the Lions had something going in the 34th minute when an outstanding ball from Cartagena found Torres over the top, but before the winger could gain control, Liebold recovered and knocked the ball off of him and out for a goal kick.

Orlando City caught a break a minute later on another turnover by Angulo — this time deep in his own end. The quick counter ended up with Stephen Afrifa on the right but he fired badly wide of the near post in the 35th minute. Five minuts later, Angulo made another ill-advised pass in his own half. This time he got it to a teammate, but he led Enrique into traffic, where he was easily dispossessed. The ball ended up with Thommy outside the box but he sent his shot just inches wide of the far post, although Gallese may have had it covered anyway.

If all of those warning signs weren’t enough, Angulo turned the ball over yet again in the 43rd minute to ignite a quick counter, that ended up with a good ball to the back post for William Agada, who missed just over the net.

A minute later, the hosts got the goal that had been coming for so long, and it should never have happened. Somehow both Smith and Araujo failed to take the ball from a prone Afrifa and the referee kept his whistle in his pocket while he played the ball on the ground. It squirted beyond both defenders for Davis, who took it to his left and scored into the upper right corner to make it 1-0 in the 44th minute.

“Tonight was just another one of those games where, once they took that first goal, it kind of got into our heads a little bit, and we had difficulty coming back from that,” Torres said.

Orlando City should have pulled the goal right back two minutes into stoppage time, when Cartagena took the ball into the area and was bundled over. Enrique set a pick so Ojeda could get a free shot at the ball, but the Argentine missed badly over the bar from point-blank range. With that much time and space, and from that position, it was an egregious miss by Ojeda.

Agada missed just off target in the dying seconds of stoppage time and Sporting Kansas City took its 1-0 lead into the break. The hosts held the halftime advantage in possession (54.6%-45.4%), shots (9-8), shots on target (3-1), and passing accuracy (80.5%-75.3%). The Lions won more corners (3-2).

Pareja brought on Rafael Santos at the break for Smith, who had a difficult first half.

Orlando City got forward a couple of times early in the half but the second of those ended up biting them. A good ball down the left set up a cross into the box for Torres. The Uruguayan missed the ball going for a volley and the defense arrived before Thorhallsson could get there. The clearance ignited the break and it ended up with Salloi on the left, who scored to make it 2-0 in the 52nd minute with a powerful shot inside the near post that left Gallese no chance.

Pareja injected Duncan McGuire and Luis Muriel into the game, withdrawing Angulo and Ojeda, who both were well below their usual levels, but they weren’t the only ones by any means. McGuire had a chance to get Orlando back into the game moments after coming on, as the Lions got forward in transition with a 3-v-1 situation. However, he played the ball for an obviously offside Torres, who must have known he was off but never checked his run to re-establish himself, rather than sending it Enrique. Torres laid it off for Enrique, who scored with a great finish in the 65th minute, but the flag came up immediately.

Gallese kept it at 2-0 with a good save on Alan Pulido in the 67th minute, as the hosts continued to outplay Orlando, creating the only real scoring chances.

The Lions should have gotten a lifeline two minutes later when a horror tackle by Agada on Torres saw him initially pick up a second yellow card but Tim Ford changed his mind after reviewing the play and gave a straight red instead in the 67th minute. That gave Orlando City a man advantage for the final 23 minutes and stoppage time. However, Orlando struggled to generate a shot or even maintain possession in the attacking third after going up a man.

“We had time enough to equalize the game, especially when they ended up playing with 10 players,” Pareja said. “We didn’t have that resolution, that eagerness in the last 20 meters. We were moving the ball but we didn’t find spaces just to hurt them. It looks like we could have played longer without succeeding in the last part of the field.”

“Even when they went down to 10 men, and we had a one-man advantage, we still weren’t able to find that space,” Torres added. “We were tight. We were having issues finding each other.”

Kansas City was content to make defensive subs, stay compact and force the Lions to break them down, which Orlando could not do.

The night got more embarrassing in the second minute of stoppage time when Walter scored Sporting’s third. The Lions were badly out of position and several stopped playing completely. Walter’s blast from outside the box was a good one and picked out the upper left corner to put the game to bed.

Muriel had a poor free kick and an even worse shot from distance down the final moments of the 12 minutes of stoppage time and the whistle finally blew on one of the worst performances of Orlando City’s 2024 season.

Despite being up a man for 35 minutes, the Lions barely turned around the possession advantage in their favor (53.1%-46.9%), could only equal Sporting’s 13 shot attempts, and could not put a single effort on target against a team that had given up 52 goals on the season and was playing with 10 men. They managed to win more corners (6-3) and pass more accurately (81.7%-77.3%). Sporting ended the game with more shots on goal (6-1).

“The second half was heartless. I didn’t see us with that willingness that we all have,” Pareja said. “I take responsibility for us, of course, the preparation of the group and the reactions after these two weeks. Today we didn’t look the majority of the time like we are. So, (we’re) disappointed. We’re going to review, but we have to move on.”

“Obviously we’ve got a lot of negative thoughts right now. We leave today’s game with a with a sour taste in our mouths,” Torres said. “You know, the team thinks that that wasn’t us out there tonight. That’s not the the team that we are. That’s not the way that we like to play. We’re a team that has a lot of ambition and a lot of goals and drive together, and we just didn’t show that out there tonight. And so yeah, obviously, leaving this one with with some bad feelings.”

The Lions will look to bounce back when they home to face Nashville SC next Saturday night.

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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

12 hours ago

on

June 2, 2025

By

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: 6/2/25

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

Published

15 hours ago

on

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 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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