Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Wednesday was a hell of a day, but we got through it, and part of that is because Orlando City went out and got a 3-1 win at home over Nashville SC. The Lions needed a few minutes to settle into the match but once they figured out what the visitors were all about they controlled the game for the most part.
Nashville SC had been sound defensively entering the game, conceding twice in each of its two Atlanta matches but otherwise allowing only one goal in the team’s other three matches. Last night, the visitors allowed a franchise-high three goals.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — El Pulpo got caught on the bounce on Nashville’s set piece goal. It was a tricky play but I think he could have been a little better on it. He collided with Abu Danladi early in the game and the play went to video review for a potential penalty but none was given. Aside from that, he passed well (94.1%, 2/3 accuracy on long balls). He made three saves on Nashville’s four shots on target, but none of the three were particularly troublesome.
D, Joao Moutinho, 8 — The Portuguese fullback had an outstanding night, creating the first goal with a nice cutback move right to shed Hany Mukhtar, then he cut back to his left to open a passing lane. Seeing Chris Mueller on the ground, Moutinho kept his cross low, allowing Cash an easier finish. The assist was brilliant, but he also got in behind the defense for a shot on target after winning the ball back with a good hustle play in the 30th minute and continuing his run. The shot was right down the middle, unfortunately. He nearly got in on a similar play just before halftime but the whistle blew when the ball took a deflection and bounced up off his arm. He created two scoring chances, made four dribbles, and drew two free kicks. Defensively, he finished with three tackles and an interception. Joao had an 85.4% passing rate. He could have done a tad better with his long ball accuracy (1/4) but it was an otherwise outstanding night. His yellow card was a necessary professional foul.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The beefy Swede was partially culpable on the visitors’ goal, running with Dave Romney but he never jumped, allowing the Nashville center back to get up and nod a set piece delivery home in the 16th minute. This is the second straight game where Jansson has been beaten for a goal on an aerial ball and it’s a worrisome trend, because he’s generally good in the air, as shown by his team-high three aerials won in this match. Aside from that, his play was solid as usual, passing at an 89.7% rate and completing four of six long balls. He had a tackle, an interception, three clearances, and two blocked shots at the defensive end.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — It’s difficult to slot into a game at center back when you’re not seeing a lot of minutes but Schlegel did well stepping in for Antonio Carlos. Danladi made him look bad in the fourth minute to get off a dangerous shot but luckily fired high. One would expect Nashville to try to isolate Schlegel after that point but the visitors weren’t able to do so and the Argentine settled into the match nicely. He was able to range forward and become part of the possession in the attacking half often — tying Moutinho for second-most touches on the team (73) — and made himself a safe outlet when plays broke down. His passing was just 81%, but he spent a lot of time in the offensive half and was 4/9 on long balls. Defensively, he added two tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, and two blocked shots.
D, Ruan, 7 — The speedy Brazilian was an integral part of Orlando’s attack all night and made some good recovery runs to break up potential counters. He was 2/3 on crossing accuracy. His cross in the 12th should have been finished by Daryl Dike, who missed just wide. His cross to Junior Urso in the 72nd also should have been finished but Dike was there to smash home the rebound of the saved header. Ruan was an 84.4% passer, created two scoring chances, and made three interceptions with one tackle and a clearance.
MF, Uri Rosell, 6 — As usual, the Spaniard was the quiet glue in the middle, tying the lines together and switching play from side to side. He anticipated the play well, finishing with three interceptions and a clearance on the night and his 94.7% passing rate was top among Orlando’s starters and he won two aerials.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 5.5 — Mendez’s unnecessary foul set up the set piece on which Nashville scored its only goal. Central midfielders are going to commit fouls, because it goes with the territory, but the young Ecuadorian takes some silly ones in his own half sometimes, and it cost the Lions early. He also didn’t learn from Saturday night’s blind back-heel pass because he tried one in the attacking third just before he was subbed out and it didn’t come close to working. I appreciate the creativity but…come on. He committed three fouls but only made one tackle. His one shot attempt wasn’t close to goal. It sounds like I hated his game but I thought he did well in helping move the ball around where it needed to be all night, passing at a 93.2% clip and provided a lot of assistance in the buildup. He also did well to steer the opposition into his teammates while defending.
MF, Nani, 7 — The captain put in a thorough shift, getting on the ball a game-high 93 times. He took four shots, getting one on target, and created a scoring chance. His shot was a surprisingly powerful one-timer off a Moutinho cross in the 19th minute, which forced a save. His overall passing rate was just 74.2% on a team-high 66 attempts. He made two tackles and won an aerial. He got in a nice cross in the 11th minute intended for Mueller but the defense arrived just in time to poke it out for a corner. He steered the attack and directed his teammates like a maestro all night, pointing out where he wanted them to go, sending 3/5 long balls accurately and sending some dangerous crosses into the area. His crafty pass in the 32nd minute sent Ruan clear down the right side but Mauricio Pereyra took a touch in traffic after receiving Ruan’s cross and the defense shut it down. It was a solid, if unspectacular, night for the captain.
MF, Maurcio Pereyra, 7.5 — The Uruguayan was dangerous all night, providing a primary assist on Daryl Dike’s first goal and getting the hockey assist on Mueller’s, as it was Pereyra who found Moutinho out on the left in the buildup. His passing was excellent, finishing at 89.8%, with four key passes, 2/2 accurate long balls, and 2/3 accurate crosses. He didn’t attempt a shot, and should have hit the aforementioned cross from Ruan with his first touch in the 32nd minute, but he was great otherwise on the night. He also pitched in a tackle and an interception defensively.
MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — Cash is back and helping the offense with both his movement and passing. While he surprisingly didn’t chip in any defensive stats, he was important in possession and in the attack. In addition to his goal, on which he first slipped in the box but then had the presence of mind to lunge for the scoring header on Moutinho’s cross, he added another shot attempt, although it wasn’t on target. He made two key passes, and got a hockey assist on Dike’s first goal, sending Pereyra and the rookie on essentially a 2-v-1 break. He passed at an 84.2% rate and won two aerials. He’ll want to do a bit better with his touch, as he had a team-high five unstable touches and was dispossessed twice.
F, Daryl Dike, 8 (MOTM) — The rookie was dangerous all night, firing a game-high six shots and getting two on goal, both of which went in the net. His hold-up and combination play was good and he continues to occupy center backs to allow room for his wingers, fullbacks, and Pereyra to operate. His 83.3% passing rate is good for a striker (especially a rookie), albeit on only 12 attempts, but he did create a scoring chance as well. He takes his defensive responsibilities seriously, with a tackle and an emphatic clearance on the night. If Dike is only scratching the surface of his abilities, his ceiling may end up being higher than Cyle Larin’s — and all he did was score 43 goals in three seasons. The only real blemishes on his night were a failure to haul in a pass that would have sent him in alone in the seventh minute and a shot off target in the 12th that should have resulted in Orlando’s opening goal.
Substitutes
MF, Junior Urso (66’), 6.5 — The Bear got himself into position for two excellent scoring chances but couldn’t put either of them past Joe Willis. His header off a Ruan cross in the 72nd minute led to Dike’s second goal and he had another opportunity off a corner kick that Willis denied, as Urso hit the target with all three of his shot attempts but couldn’t break through. He passed well (91.3%), won an aerial, and had two interceptions, a tackle, and a clearance in a productive appearance off the bench.
MF, Andres Perea (67’), 5.5 — The 19-year-old came on for Rosell and was decent, but he did get pulled out of position defensively a couple of times when Nashville had some prolonged possession, before Orlando switched to a three-center-backs system late. Once the shape changed, he did a good job of helping the Lions play keep-away. He blocked a shot, completed all 19 of his passes, and played safely (no long ball or cross attempts) as game conditions warranted.
MF, Benji Michel (78’), 5 — After coming on for Pereyra, the second-year pro didn’t get too involved in the action in his 12 minutes plus four added minutes. Michel managed only eight total touches and four passes, but at least he completed all four. Benji registered no shots and no defensive stats, but he did earn one free kick. He nearly got away on a 94th-minute counter but he was pulled down from behind by Alistair Johnston, who was booked.
MF/D, Kamal Miller (85’), N/A — Miller came on for Mueller and slotted in as a bit of a hybrid wingback/fullback as the Lions changed shape to try to get more possession to see out the match. The tactic by Oscar Pareja worked, as Orlando City was able to keep possession for long stretches after the switch, preventing Nashville from getting back into the match. Miller was a contributor to that but it’s difficult to give someone a grade for just five minutes plus stoppage time.
D, Kyle Smith (85’), N/A — Smith came on for Moutinho late as Orlando switched to three at the back (or five at the back, if you prefer to think of it that way). He did well to break up an attack, conceding a corner, but didn’t have enough time to warrant a grade.
That’s how I saw Wednesday night’s performances. Ultimately, Orlando spent most of the match in complete control once the Lions settled in a bit from a bit of a nervy start. Vote for your Man of the Match below and let us know in the comments where you agree/disagree.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Nani | 1 |
| Joao Moutinho | 14 |
| Ruan | 0 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 7 |
| Daryl Dike | 90 |
| Chris Mueller | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
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?
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.
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.
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.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from a disappointing 3-1 home loss against Chicago.
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!
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Photo Gallery
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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