Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Minnesota United: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Led by a brace from Nani, Orlando City won 3-1 over Minnesota United to advance to the MLS is Back Tournament final against the Portland Timbers. It was the Lions’ first win over Adrian Heath and the Loons and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Needing late-game heroics to advance against LAFC, Orlando had to prevent such antics to see out the win and substitute Benji Michel sealed the victory with a late goal.
How did your favorite Lions do in the big semifinal win? Here are our player grades and Man of the Match.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — The Peruvian didn’t have to face a shot on target until the 75th minute, when he was forced to make an impressive palm save after a free kick. On Minnesota’s goal, he was put in a tough spot by a great ball from Kevin Molino and just couldn’t get enough on Mason Toye’s shot to keep it out from goal. The late goal ruins his clean sheet, but Gallese still looked comfortable and dealt with 10 corners and plenty of free kicks from a Minnesota team that makes opponents pay on set pieces.
D, João Moutinho, 7 — The left back was tested early and often in the match, but held his own against Ethan Finlay, who had a quiet night. It was yet another solid performance from the 22-year-old as Finlay was effectively neutralized, although Robin Jansson helped in that regard. Still, Moutinho had a very strong defensive outing with a team-high six tackles to stop dangerous balls from causing too much trouble.
D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — It’s hard to tell that this is only Carlos’ eighth game with the Lions, considering just how well he plays alongside Jansson and under Pareja. He’s played every minute for Orlando this tournament and last night was a great example why. Carlos had five clearances, two interceptions, two blocks, and a tackle, and was a force in the air, preventing Minnesota from taking advantage of set pieces. A strong center back pairing is the backbone that allows Orlando’s talented fullbacks to really work their magic and Carlos is proving his value this tournament.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The other half of the center back duo had a strong game as well. Toye’s goal was the only real blip in his performance as he just couldn’t stop Toye from getting one past them. For most of the night though, Jansson led the team with six clearances and shut down anything that came his way. But he had a role on offense as well, picking out one heck of a 65-yard long ball to find Nani behind the defense for Orlando’s first goal and his first assist in MLS.
D, Ruan, 6 — Most of Orlando’s offensive chances came from the right side of the field and Ruan was a big reason. He created plenty of chances in the first half and would’ve had an assist if Tesho Akindele connected better on a low cross. In the second half, he should have scored with a header in front of goal to put the game on ice. He struggled late in the match, but remained a menace for Minnesota defenders.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 7 — Orlando’s engine was at full steam in this game as Mendez led the team with 59 passes and had 68 touches — behind only Nani and Moutinho. Yes, Nani deserves the bulk of the credit for the second goal, but it was Mendez who reacted quickly to find Nani across the field, and deliver a ball fast enough and accurate enough to really earn that assist. He almost had a second assist but Ruan couldn’t convert his drilled cross. If he continues to do well with the ball at his feet like last night, then the game will really open up for the Lions.
MF, Oriol Rosell, 6.5 — With four tackles, 52 passes, and 61 touches, Rosell was on the ball often and had the kind of quiet game expected from a defensive midfielder. Rosell wasn’t too present in the offensive side of things like Mendez, but didn’t really need to be as he shut down passing lanes and smothered Minnesota’s options. Or at least until Molino’s assist that breezed past him and gave Minnesota life, so he loses a bit of praise there.
MF, Chris Mueller, 4 — Mueller lacked his usual bite in the match and there may be some lingering issues with his shoulder. Mueller certainly didn’t look like the energetic midfielder that had the league buzzing in the group stage, even though he had the benefit of Ruan opening up space on his side of the field. He was uncharacteristically sluggish and tended to pass laterally or back rather than pushing the envelope offensively. The American made some nice tackles to disrupt play when tracking back, but was beaten on occasion as well during his 66 minutes on the field.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Although he didn’t play a role in any of the goals or have any key passes in this one, Pereyra directed the flow of play and did well in the midfield. Pereyra finished with 54 passes and a strong 85% success rate on those passes. Whether he was surrounded by defenders or sitting deep in the midfield to pick out a pass, Pereyra was a key part of Orlando’s offensive possessions.
MF, Nani, 8.5 (MotM) — He did exactly what he was brought in to do as a Designated Player. Nani created chance after chance and scored the team’s first two goals with mostly solo efforts. With a perfect first touch and understated strength, he beat his defender to squeak a goal past goalkeeper Tyler Miller. His second goal was a thing of beauty. Nani created space and curled one into the right corner from distance. His two goals in seven minutes shouldn’t overshadow the rest of his Man of the Match performance which included a secondary assist on Michel’s goal to see out the game.
F, Tesho Akindele, 5 — It was another quiet night for Akindele, with his best chance to score coming in the 15th minute. Ruan whipped a low cross in front of goal for him, but he just couldn’t keep his shot from going over the crossbar. He was substituted for some fresher legs in the 66th minute and just didn’t see much action beyond drawing defender’s attention.
Substitutes
F, Benji Michel (66’) 6 — The forward was brought on with a two-goal lead and did fairly well holding possession on offense and keeping Minnesota honest with the threat of a counter. His goal sealed the win for the Lions in the last moments of the match, weaving around Miller to score on an empty net. You have to appreciate his effort to sprint and make sure that Orlando advanced.
MF, Junior Urso (66’) 5.5 — Urso made his return to the field after an injury in the group stage to help the Lions see out the game. He committed some debatable fouls and gave away possession a few times but hopefully it was just some rust. He does deserve credit for the assist in Michel’s late goal and making runs and for helping see out the clock by finding teammates in space.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel (85’), N/A — The center back came on later for Jansson and had a clearance to do his part in Orlando’s defense against a surging Minnesota team but wasn’t on long enough to earn a grade.
MF, Andrés Perea (85’), N/A — The midfielder brought fresh legs to help back up a fading Ruan on the right side of the field. His biggest moment came when Ruan got twisted around and Perea rushed to jump and intercept a cross from going into the box.
D, Kyle Smith (89’), N/A — Smith came in to relieve Pereyra and gave Orlando some more presence on defense to successfully secure the win.
It was a good game both offensively and defensively from Orlando City, which wasn’t something that happened too often in the past. But with Head Coach Oscar Pareja providing leadership and the team practically oozing confidence, the Lions have proven they can hang with the big dogs in the league. Nani’s brace in just six minutes will certainly grab attention, but it was a team effort for Orlando to make it this far in the tournament.
How do you feel about the individual performances and the grades? Were we too low or too high on some players? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Nani | 114 |
| Robin Jansson | 5 |
| João Moutinho | 101 |
| Sebas Mendez | 46 |
| Other | 2 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/29/24
Orlando City and OCB lose to Toronto, Pride beat the Spirit in Washington, EPL title race update, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was a mixed weekend for our teams, with the Pride winning, while Orlando City and OCB lost. I’ve been busy covering high school volleyball, badminton, and soccer throughout the past week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Lose at Home to Toronto FC
Orlando City SC saw its four-match unbeaten streak come to an end, losing 2-1 to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Duncan McGuire scored the opening goal to put Orlando ahead in the first half. The Lions held on to the 1-0 lead until late in the second half, when goals from Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu put the Reds up 2-1, and they were able to hang on and walk out of Orlando with all three points. Toronto FC has won two in a row in league play and is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 16 points. Meanwhile, the Lions are in 13th with nine points. Orlando City will look to bounce back Saturday at home as it takes on FC Cincinnati.
Pride Grab Road Win Over Washington Spirit
The Orlando Pride held on to defeat the Washington Spirit 3-2 at Audi Field Friday — their third straight victory. Angelina scored to put the Pride ahead in the first half, but the Spirit equalized just before halftime. Barbra Banda scored her first goal for the Pride, and Summer Yates added her third goal of the season, giving the Pride a 3-1 advantage in the second half. Ashley Hatch pulled one back for the Spirit on a howler by goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, but the Pride keep their unbeaten streak alive at six matches (3-0-3). Orlando remains undefeated and is fourth in the NWSL table with 12 points. Next up for the Pride is a pair of home matches this week, starting Wednesday at home against the North Carolina Courage. Orlando will host Racing Louisville FC Sunday.
OCB Falls at Home to Toronto FC II
Like the first team, Orlando City B also lost 2-1 to Toronto FC II in its first home match at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions went down early in the match when Charles Sharp scored for Toronto FC II to take a 1-0 lead. Wilfredo Rivera scored the equalizer in the second half to tie the match, however, late in the second half, Jesus Batiz scored the game-winning goal to seal the win for Toronto. The Young Lions have yet to win a match at home, but has played well on the road this season and are on a four-match unbeaten streak away. The Young Lions will face MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference leaders Chattanooga FC Saturday at Finley Stadium.
Manchester City and Arsenal Win to Keep EPL Title Race Close
The Premier League title race is going down to the wire as Manchester City and Arsenal won their matches over the weekend. Arsenal held on to defeat rival Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the North London Derby. That result moves Arsenal into first with 80 points with three matches remaining. Manchester City shut out Nottingham Forest 2-0 and is second, with 79 points and still four matches left to play. Liverpool dropped points to West Ham in a 2-2 draw, putting another blow to the Reds’ title chances and leaving them in third with 75 points and three matches left.
Free Kicks
- If you missed it, check out the first goal from Pride forward Barbra Banda.
- Rose Lavelle made her debut for NJ/NY Gotham FC Sunday and scored the tying goal late in stoppage time to secure a point for her new team in a 1-1 draw against Racing Louisville FC.
- Despite getting a 3-3 draw against Le Havre over the weekend, Paris Saint-Germain won its 10th Ligue 1 title after AS Monaco lost 3-2 to Lyon.
- Mohamed Salah refused to reveal the reason for his touchline disagreement with Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp during the club’s match against West Ham Saturday.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Five Takeaways
What did we learn from a 2-1 home loss to Toronto FC?
Orlando City gave up multiple goals for the sixth time in nine regular-season matches. This time the Lions were on the short end of the stick, giving up two late goals to fall 2-1 to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday night. It was a frustrating and heartbreaking loss that was entirely avoidable.
Here are my five takeaways from the first loss since mid-March.
McGuire Keeps Scoring
Duncan McGuire likes scoring against Toronto so much that he did something that hasn’t happened much this season. He gave Orlando City the early lead in a match. To be fair, it wasn’t just McGuire on that goal. A perfect long ball by Robin Jansson — something he does quite often — was the start of the play. Facundo Torres did well to run on to the ball, lifting his head to to see McGuire. He one-timed the ball to Big Dunc on the back post for his fourth goal of the season. It was a great start to the match.
A Pair of Header-aches
Orlando City has too often had defensive lapses that have resulted in goals for the opposition. That trend continued against Toronto with the visitors scoring a pair of headers that ultimately doomed the Lions. Tyrese Spicer ran onto a cross putting it in the back of the net to tie the match. Jansson was defending his side and Rodrigo Schlegel was defending Toronto striker Prince Owusu in front, allowing Spicer the space behind both of them. No one else tracked Spicer’s run, leaving him alone in front.
The second header wasn’t much better. Kyle Smith was beaten by Federico Bernardeschi twice before he crossed the ball to the head of Owusu on the back post. Jansson had moved out to block the cross and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson had drifted inside the back post. You might be able to chalk it up to late game tiredness but it still shouldn’t happen.
Cardiac Cats Strike Again
Coming from behind to get a result is a very Orlando City thing to do. Unfortunately, giving up a lead is also a trait of the Cardiac Cats. Giving up two goals isn’t good and it has happened too often this season. More recently, it’s happened early in the match, allowing Orlando City to come back to get a result. This time, it happened in the 87th and 90th minutes, making it harder for the Lions to get a draw or a win. The Cardiac Cats giveth and the Cardiac Cats taketh away. These things happen over the course of a season, though the bigger problem is our next takeaway.
Lack of Finishing Dooms Orlando City
Orlando City took eight shots, put three on frame, and scored one goal. Martin Ojeda’s free kick miss, McGuire stepping offside in first-half stoppage time, are two examples of wasted opportunities. Of course, it’s not just the missed shots but also the other missed opportunities. Heavy touches, passes just out of reach, blocks, and deflections kept the Lions from putting the match away. It is something that Orlando City needs to do better going forward.
No Bigger Picture
This match was indicative of the problems with Orlando City right now. This team will play 87 minutes of adequate soccer before giving up unnecessary goals. The additions like Luis Muriel, and Nico Lodeiro have been just shy of making a difference, and the one guy scoring goals is most likely gone come summer. The expectations going into the season following last year’s success were high, but might need to be adjusted unless the little things are fixed. The Designated Players need to score more goals, and the defense needs to find last season’s form. All of these deficiencies were on display against Toronto.
That’s what I saw in Orlando City’s home loss to Toronto FC. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Blow Late Lead at Home
Orlando’s inability to finish or to defend for a full 90 minutes was again front and center in a late home loss to the Reds.
It was the same script for the Lions (2-4-3, 9 points) in a brutal 2-1 loss to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. A lack of finishing chances and odd defensive lapses in an otherwise solid game turned around Orlando City’s 1-0 lead late and allowed Toronto FC (5-4-1, 16 points) to smash and grab three points in Orlando.
Duncan McGuire staked his team to a 1-0 lead by halftime, but late headers by Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu in the 87th and 90th minutes, respectively, turned things around quickly at the end. Orlando’s four-game unbeaten run is over, as is the team’s 6-0-2 run against Toronto, and the Lions fell to just 1-2-2 at home.
“Very disappointed obviously with a game that certainly had the necessity for us to add three points, win at home, and after these past four games just keep that momentum going,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “And the end of the game is very disappointing for us.”
Pareja’s lineup offered up a couple of changes from the side that drew at Montreal, with Rafael Santos, Martin Ojeda, and McGuire entering in place of Kyle Smith, Nico Lodeiro, and Luis Muriel, respectively. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, and Ojeda, with McGuire up top.
The first half was a contrast in styles. Orlando City tried to work the ball up the pitch methodically, but the Lions were often their own enemy in sending an off-line pass or overshooting their intended recipient. The movement was a bit slow and predictable, and Toronto limited most of Orlando’s play to the sides once the Lions got into the final third.
The Reds looked to play direct balls over the top fot Owusu and Federico Bernardeschi when possible, and Toronto looked like the more dangerous team, despite having less of the ball and not getting forward often.
The first chance for either side was a shot over the bar by Owusu in the ninth minute from just outside the area.
Orlando had a few chances to play direct as well, but couldn’t pay them off. The first came in the 11th minute when Araujo made a forward run and made a fantastic pass to send McGuire behind on the right. However as the striker was collecting the ball and looking to get into the box, he was pulled back by Nickseon Gomis, who was booked. Referee Armando Villarreal ruled that another defender could have made a play on McGuire, so there was no red card. Ojeda went for goal on the ensuing corner kick but missed the top left corner just wide in the 13th minute.
Brekalo, who had picked up a knock a few minutes earlier, had to sub off in the 16th minute, with Rodrigo Schlegel coming on to replace him.
Torres tried to pick out McGuire in the 19th minute but the defense arrived to knock the ball back to El Cuervo. His second pass attempt was deflected off of him and out for a goal kick. Torres should have won a corner on another cross moments later but the AR’s flag came up and it didn’t appear to be a good call upon looking at the replay.
Orlando got beat over the top in the 28th minute but Schlegel did well to track back and knock the ball out for a corner kick. The Lions cleared the ensuing set piece.
Bernardeschi then started to get more involved. His cross in the 32nd minute went out for a goal kick, and moments later he got in behind and went down in the box but he was ruled offside.
McGuire sent Angulo behind down the right in the 34th minute. The winger could have crossed in but decided to cut back instead. His heavy touch was costly, as the defense arrived and knocked it out off of him for a goal kick, wasting the opportunity. Regardless, Orlando opened the scoring three minutes later.
The Lions finally completed a play in the 37th minute and it started in the back. Jansson pinged a long ball down the left channel for Torres to run onto. Once he got there, Torres put a cross into the box and McGuire got to it, knocking it in to make it 1-0 with his fourth goal of the MLS season.
“Facu played a beautiful ball and made my job real easy after a good buildup play,” McGuire said. “Good counterattack from the guys.”
Two minutes after the goal, Angulo tried to pick out McGuire but the striker couldn’t quite get onto it.
Santos was caught too far inside on a switch in the 42nd minute, which freed up Bernardeschi to cut inside and take a shot. The Italian’s shot fizzed just inches wide of the left post.
McGuire thought he’d scored his second in stoppage time. Jansson made a great play to deny a cross at the defensive end and Orlando broke in transition. Ojeda sent a gorgeous ball across the field from the left to McGuire on the right. The big striker scored on an absolute blast from a tough angle but the flag came up, and this time it looked to be the correct call upon seeing the replay.
“Martin played a good ball. Unluckily, I couldn’t stay onside,” McGuire said. “I mean, it was a good ball by him but I should have stayed onside.”
That was the last opportunity of the half and the Lions took their advantage to the break.
Orlando City held the halftime edge in possession (54.5%-45.5%) and passing accuracy (87.3%-84.1%), while the visitors attempted more shots (3-2) and won the only corner of the first half. Each team put one shot on target.
The teams exchanged corners early in the second half but couldn’t pay them off and the game settled into a bit of back-and-forth play. However, shots were rare in the early going of the second period.
Thorhallsson jumped up into the play in the 61st minute and fired a shot but it deflected out for a corner.
Toronto threw more players forward and started getting more looks. Gallese made a solid save in the 68th minute to deny a shot by Alonso Coello. Deybi Flores fired a minute later from outside the area but hit his shot wide. Thorhallsson blocked a close-range shot in the 72nd minute and the follow-up was sent wide of goal on the rebound.
Torres sent a blast on goal in the 73rd minute and Johnson did well to make a diving save. There was plenty of power on the shot but it was a bit too close to the center of goal.
Derrick Etienne, Jr. sent a header just wide of the left post in the 81st minute, but Gallese had it covered anyway had it been on target. The Lions were defending too deeply at this point and couldn’t get or maintain possession, allowing Toronto to push even higher up the field.
The visitors finally tied the game in the 87th minute and it had been coming. The ball was played out to the right and substitute Kyle Smith couldn’t prevent a Kobe Franklin cross into the area. Nobody picked up Spicer’s run into the box and a routine cross suddenly became a problem with Toronto outnumbering Orlando defenders in front of goal. Spicer put a lot of power on his shot and gave Gallese no chance.
The Lions nearly pulled the goal back two minutes later. Thorhallsson got down the right flank and sent a dangerous ball into the area. Angulo slid to try to get a piece of it at the near post but couldn’t make contact and Johnson smothered it.
It was a costly missed opportunity, because the visitors tied the game on their next attack. The ball again cycled out to the right of the Toronto attack and Smith again could not prevent a cross. Bernardeschi sent the ball to the left, where Thorhallsson had strayed too far from the back post. By the time he realized the danger, it was too late. The ball found Toronto’s leading goal scorer and Owusu sent a powerful header down into the ground in front of Gallese. The keeper was going down, following the flight of the ball but the angle of the bounce off the turf took it up and over him and into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 in the 90th minute.
Orlando had just one decent look in the five minutes of stoppage time. Luis Muriel was fouled just outside the left corner of the box. The Lions had possession so Villarreal allowed play to go on. The ball was crossed through the area and Cartagena tried a shot on the half volley but sent it over the crossbar in the 92nd minute. That was that.
With Toronto chasing the game and Orlando unable to maintain possession after the hour mark, the visitors turned around the possession, keeping more of the ball (52.3%-47.7%), as well as finishing with more shots (13-8), shots on target (4-3), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (85.2%-84.9%).
“I think we’re playing the way that we want to play and we’re trending in the right direction but I feel like just two little mishaps in the end of the second half cost us the three points tonight,” McGuire said.
“In the second half we lost control of the ball and we lost control of the game and we couldn’t hold the result,” Pareja said. “That’s what we need to study during the week to see how we can be better, because after a good first half, in the second half we lost control of the game.”
The Lions are back home again next Saturday when they host FC Cincinnati.
Orlando Pride Midfielder Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Lion Links: 4/29/24
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