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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC, Round 3: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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9 years ago

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The Lions grabbed their fifth consecutive win with a 2-1 decision over New York City FC, claiming the second-longest winning streak in Major League Soccer this season (tied with FC Dallas) — only New England Revolution’s six-game streak was longer. Orlando City did it in front of the second-largest home crowd of the season, with 43,179 screaming fans in the Citrus Bowl.

And they did it by battling adversity, coming from behind a goal that was scored in the final minute of first-half stoppage after a corner kick that should probably never have been allowed. A through ball appeared to completely cross the line before Thomas McNamara pulled it back and had his cross deflected out for the corner. Kwame Watson-Siriboe was the lucky recipient of a carom in the box on the ensuing corner and fired past Tally Hall to put the visitors in front with the last kick of the first half.

The Lions got a brace from Cyle Larin, and may have deserved a third goal that appeared to cross the line under the rear end of Jefferson Mena, but the same assistant referee who missed the ball over the line that set up the first half, could not get a clear view of the ball in the net. Still, Orlando City would face more adversity when Hall went down with a freak non-contact knee injury and had to come off at 84′. Josh Ford came on but did not get tested and the Lions held on.

Here are my player grades from Orlando City’s win that clinched a better record than NYCFC this season:

Starters

GK, Tally Hall, 6.5 – Hall didn’t have a lot to do, so his default setting is more or less at 7, but he had a couple distribution issues, including a goal kick that sailed out of play before reaching the midfield line. Did fine on crosses and balls in the air and stopped the one stoppable shot on target New York City FC mustered. Unfortunately left with a right knee injury in the 84th minute. If Hall is out for the season, making the playoffs will be even that much more difficult.

D, Luke Boden, 8 – Another solid outing for Bodz, who got half a point shaved for having some uncharacteristically meh free/corner kicks. Led the team with 80 touches (along with Cristian Higuita) and was involved throughout, whether working the ball up the left, or cutting into the middle to redirect the attack when his preferred outside lane got cut off.

D, Seb Hines, 7 – Just a solid, safe night for Seb, who managed one shot attempt and 78% passing. Wasn’t forced to make any tackles but his positioning was sound throughout the match and his partnership with Aurelien Collin in the middle of the defense kept all of the danger out wide and gave Hall a good view of everything happening in front of him.

D, Aurelien Collin, 8 – The big Frenchman put in quite a night of work, tracking David Villa’s movement and sniffing out danger before New York City could create anything from it. If there are any complaints, a few of his headers on crosses went straight to the opposition. Aside from that, he was solid, completing 80.5% of his passes with two tackles won and being a commanding presence on the back line.

D, Corey Ashe, 8 – For not having played in a month and a half, and playing on his weaker right side, Ashe was outstanding. He created the width that Brek Shea normally creates, using his speed to menace NYCFC’s back line all evening. His crosses were dangerous, including the right-footer that Cyle Larin headed home for the first goal in the 62nd minute. Had another that went just a tad over Adrian Winter that could have been another assist.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 8.5 – Started the game slowly and conceded a few too many fouls in the first half, including taking a silly yellow unnecessarily in the 36th minute. But the Colombian came more into the game it wore on and he was commanding in central midfield. Completed 91.1% of his passes with a co-team-high 80 touches , won eight tackles and created a chance that Cyle Larin really should have scored on. A very close runner-up for Man of the Match, for me.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 8 – The Salvadoran completed almost 85% of his passes and was nearly as strong in the middle as Higuita, although he took far fewer chances and committed fewer fouls. A solid night for Darwin, who was almost a quieter version of Higuita on this night.

MF, Carlos Rivas, 8.5 (MOTM) – The Colombian tortured New York City’s back line all evening and should have had at least three assists to show for his efforts. Cyle Larin was a bit out of sync in the first half and that kept him from finishing or getting to some outstanding Rivas crosses. Had an insane video game move in the 44th minute to shake a double team and get into the box, where he crossed one hard across the six-yard box but Larin couldn’t quite connect with it. Won three free kicks, tracked back on defense to provide support, and was dangerous all night.

MF, Lewis Neal, 5.5 – Completed 86.7% of his passes but had the fewest touches of any of the starting midfielders and missed an absolute sitter, wasting a gorgeous feed from Adrian Winter. Neal plays safe, solid soccer and reads the game well, but he doesn’t seem to contribute a whole lot in the attack. Lost possession a number of times in traffic.

MF, Adrian Winter, 7.5 – Disappeared for some short stretches of the game, but Winter’s work rate was second to none. Harassed defenders with high pressure all night, fell back to cover for Corey Ashe on defense whenever needed and assisted on Larin’s second goal, after himself being robbed on a scoring chance by Josh Saunders. Should have had another assist on the chance Neal missed just wide.

F, Cyle Larin, 8 – The Canadian started slow, taking one golden scoring chance and missing so badly it resulted in a throw-in for NYCFC. He had trouble fighting through defenders to get onto Rivas crosses in the first half. But he got stronger as the game went on, finishing with seven shots, getting four on frame and scoring two goals to equal NYCFC Designated Player David Villa on 17 for the season. His play in the first 20-30 minutes was just a bit off, costing him my MOTM pick on this night.

Substitutes

MF, Servando Carrasco (76′), 5 – Came on for Lewis Neal and sat deep, helping fend off the NYCFC attack. Only had four touches in his 18+ minutes and completed only one of his three passes. Didn’t really have much impact on the game, but for playing as long as he did, he probably should have had more to show for his time.

F, Bryan Rochez (81′), 7 – The Honduran replaced Cyle Larin and immediately injected energy into the game, holding the ball in the corner to help waste time and generating multiple corner kicks. Only had six touches but made them all count and completed both of his passes. A good, albeit brief, outing.

GK, Josh Ford (84′), N/A – Came on in emergency relief for Tally Hall to make his long-awaited MLS debut, and wasn’t tested with a shot on target. He did claim one cross but didn’t honestly have much to do other than take a few goal kicks, one of which was a weak pop-up to shortstop. Not sure I can grade his work on such a short stint without much to do, but it was nice to see Josh get into a game, even if it wasn’t the way we’d like to see it happen.

Those are my player ratings. Vote below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Adrian Winter 27
Aurelien Collin 11
Cristian Higuita 25
Cyle Larin 36
Carlos Rivas 94
Luke Boden 7
Other (tell us who in the comments section below) 4
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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all the inside information you need ahead of Orlando’s match with FC Cincinnati.

Published

22 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday looms large this weekend, as the Lions will try to put Saturday’s thoroughly dispiriting loss behind them. They’ll have a tough task ahead of them though, as they welcome an FC Cincinnati team to town that currently sits second in the Eastern Conference.

A match against FCC means I spoke with Justin Blair of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, Justin was very helpful in getting us all caught up on Cincy before tomorrow’s match.

The nine goals conceded by FC Cincinnati are tied for the fewest given up by any team in the league. What’s been working so well for FCC defensively so far?

Justin Blair:  In 2023, FC Cincinnati was tied for fourth in goals conceded with 39 allowed (Orlando, NYCFC, and RBNY). This season is continuing that impressive trajectory. The addition of Miles Robinson, arguably the best MLS center back, was a home run signing for FCC. Robinson joins 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga as the feature center back duo. But Pat Noonan’s system asks for three in the back and has been plugged with a rotation of players that have kept the defense stout. I have to mention that central defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo is arguably the most underrated player in all of MLS. He is an extremely skilled player that flies around and acts as a catch-all in front of the back line. 

Brandon Vazquez departed in the off-season for Monterrey. In his absence, who has Cincy turned to for goal scoring?

JB: Brandon Vazquez is a tremendous striker for FCC and has been solid for Rayados with 10 goals in 22 appearances. But his form never hit stride in 2023. He had nine goals across all MLS competitions, which was down from a career high of 18 goals in 2022. FCC had to find goals in other places last season, so they aren’t exactly in uncharted waters. So far in 2024, reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta has been carrying the load with four goals and five assists. Yuya Kubo, who I affectionately call FCC’s Swiss Army knife, has seen recent minutes at the forward position. Kubo’s confidence on the ball and chemistry with Acosta has seen him score three goals in a short amount of time. Surprisingly, FCC’s star Designated Player striker Aaron Boupendza has fallen in the graces of the squad and hasn’t hit consistent minutes this season.

Run me through some of the other arrivals and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are a few names to watch out for?

JB: Well FCC’s off-season was a doozy to say the least. Several departures include the previously mentioned Vazquez, along with Sanitago Arias, Yerson Mosquera (loan), Alvaro Barreal, Dominique Badji, Junior Moreno, and Ray Gaddis — all of whom played significant minutes for the orange and blue during their 2023 Supporters’ Shield season. For incoming players, GM Chris Albright brought in Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kipp Keller, and Corey Baird during the off-season. The additions of DeAndre Yedlin and Yamil Asad have also worked their way into the matchday rotation. Every piece added has felt like an upgrade or at least a comparable replacement. This is, of course, with the exception of replacing Vazquez.

FCC (recently) announced the loan signing of target striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk. The young loanee is sure to see considerable minutes with FCC but will likely not feature in the match versus Orlando City. I would keep an eye on Orellano for FCC. The left wingback is the heir apparent to Barreal that is so critical for Cincinnati’s ability to progress the ball from the midfield into the attacking third. Orellano is clean with his touches and can serve up line-splitting through balls that are perfectly weighted.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JB: Unavailable players might include Yedlin (hip), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (ankle), forward Sergio Santos (leg), and center back Nick Hagglund (knee). It seems uncertain if either or all will miss minutes in the match versus Orlando but most likely to participate would be Celentano, who was a late scratch versus Colorado on Saturday. 

Starting XI (3-5-2): Roman Celentano (Alec Kann); Bret Halsey (DeAndre Yedlin), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Luca Orellano; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Lucho Acosta; Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird.

Score Prediction: Oscar Pareja seems to have Pat Noonan’s system figured out. FCC also struggles to find wins against Orlando City. I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw when the final whistle sounds. 

Thanks again to Justin for the great info on FCC. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/3/24

MLS roster profiles revealed, Marta’s best moments, Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 3, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Friday! We’ve reached the homestretch of the week and I couldn’t be happier. A busy weekend awaits me, but I’m hoping for some quiet, nice moments to offset some of the hustle and bustle. It’s also another weekend packed with Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your next couple of days accordingly. But for now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Unveils Club Roster Details

There’s a little more transparency in Major League Soccer after the league released helpful snapshots of each club that detail the composition of each roster. From Designated Players and MLS U22 Initiative Players to international roster slots and contract lengths, the graphics are easy to comprehend and give a nice look behind the curtain on each team. Using this, we can see that Orlando City midfielder Cesar Araujo no longer takes up a U22 Initiative slot and that the team also has an open international roster slot. It should be a fairly nice reference guide for fans moving forward, as well as a way to check out how other MLS teams are building their rosters.

Emily Sams Earns Recognition as Potential USWNT Player

Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams was mentioned as one of the top 20 eligible Americans who have yet to make an appearance with the United States Women’s National Team according to Pro Soccer Wire. The shout out is well deserved, as Sams has helped anchor a Pride defense that’s only given up seven goals this season. Only time will tell if Sams will earn a call-up once Emma Hayes is at the helm of the USWNT, but it does feel inevitable given how she’s been playing. Other notable players on the list include Ajax’s Lily Yohannes, Washington Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, and Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden.

Marta’s Top Moments

All For XI compiled some of the best moments from Marta’s career into a tidy top five. Considering how prolific she has been for Brazil over the years, it was nice to see a pair of goals from her time with the Pride receive some recognition. Both of those moments were from 2018, with her free kick to equalize against the Seattle Reign placing fifth and her solo effort to stun the Spirit taking third. It’s fitting though that the top moment on the list showcases the impact she’s had off the field, as it’s Marta’s emotional speech after Brazil’s exit in the 2019 World Cup.

Kelley O’Hara Will Retire After 2024 Season

USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara announced that she will retire from professional soccer following the 2024 season. Over the course of her international career, she’s played in four World Cups, three Olympic Games, and was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2019. O’Hara has played in every NWSL season since the league’s inception, winning the title with the Spirit in 2021 and again with NJ/NY Gotham FC last year. She joined Gotham as the first free agent signing in NWSL history and she is set to close out her illustrious career there.

Free Kicks

  • Curve Fragrances was named the official fragrance partner of Orlando City. As part of the partnership, there will be giveaways and product sampling at select games this season.
  • Wrexham’s women’s squad for The Soccer Tournament this summer will include a trio of former Pride players, with Bridget Callahan, Danica Evans, and Nickolette Driesse all taking part. I can’t wait to see if Callahan will make SkoRed a rallying cry at the tournament.
  • Orlando City won’t have to contend with FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza tomorrow, as he will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a broken jaw suffered in an off-field incident.
  • The Europa League semifinals are underway and Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 47 games after a 2-0 road win against Roma. In the other matchup, Atalanta and Marseille drew 1-1 in France.
  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso hasn’t been with Real Betis for long, but he’s doing well enough that Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old.
  • Lucas Hernandez suffered an ACL injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s loss to Borussia Dortmund and will miss out on this summer’s Euros with France.
  • Reims and Will Still have mutually agreed to part ways, with the coach leaving now despite just having three games left in the Ligue 1 season. It will be interesting to see where the 31-year-old coaches next, as he had a notable 19-game unbeaten stretch with Reims last season.
  • Here’s a detailed dive into the obstacles Everton has faced in recent years, as well as how the club has avoided relegation amid another difficult season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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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

2 days 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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