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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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Well, I spent my Saturday night after a long “Meet the Teacher” Friday watching the Lions draw in Toronto on the road. I mean, obviously better than a loss, but the draw on the road still stings and really isn’t what Orlando City needed. Here’s how I thought the Lions rated individually:

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6.5 — Rowe was tested repeatedly in the second half and finished with four saves on Toronto’s five shots on target, plus three clearances and a 68% passing accuracy. He had a couple nice long throws to try to jump-start the offense. Mullins was the only Red to reach the back of the net on a chaotic play in front.

D, Kamal Miller, 6.5 — It was not a bad night for Miller in his hometown. He sent a beautiful long ball up to Dom Dwyer in the 33rd minute that was just too far for Dwyer to connect. The Canadian finished with three tackles, two clearances, and a 90% passing accuracy, and made one of the best plays of his short career so far when he dispossessed Toronto on the counter-attack in the 33rd minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Perhaps the most consistent on defense, Jansson registered one tackle, one interception, three clearances, two blocked shots, and an 88% passing accuracy. The ESPN+ announcers kept referring to him as a brick wall.

D, Lamine Sané , 6 — Sané’s defending saw two interceptions, five clearances, and a yellow card. I’m a bit surprised we didn’t see a call for his boot to a Toronto player’s face as he unintentionally slid into him on a play.

D, Kyle Smith, 7.5 (MotM) — Kyle Smith has quite the fan base in the ESPN+ announcers for Toronto FC. To hear them call the match, you almost wouldn’t know anyone else was playing, except for maybe Miller. He made a nice play in the 58th minute to head a cross from Richie Laryea away from Jozy Altidore. The defense that is normally a Sané and Jansson showcase didn’t stand a chance with Smith on the field tonight. Smith finished with three tackles, a team-high eight clearances, and a blocked shot. His crosses weren’t always accurate but he did some nifty things on the offensive end too.

MF, Carlos Ascues, 6 — Ascues started the night pretty strong but seemed to fade into the background after that, save for the handball in the offensive penalty area in the 42nd minute. He produced one clearance and a dribble, as well as an 89% passing accuracy on 35 attempts on the night.

MF, Nani, 7 — The captain took a shot in the 22nd minute two work goalkeeper, Quentin Westberg into a diving stop, although the effort was drifting just wide. A rough challenge saw the captain go down for a bit shortly before the second half, but he was able to get up and play on after being looked at by trainers. Shortly after, Nani took a shot that sent the ball wide. Nani’s 50 attempts produced an 84% passing accuracy, while defensively he had one tackle, one interception, and a foul.  He’s a Lion on the field taking chances.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6 — Rosell combined with Chris Mueller to beautifully dispossess Laryea in the 13th minute, only for Uri to misplace the ensuing pass. With space and a dying clock, Rosell took a shot in the 93rd minute, but sent it way over. Defensively, Uri had three tackles, two interceptions, and a clearance while his team-high pass attempts (66) produced an 86% passing accuracy.

F, Chris Mueller, 7 — Mueller had a rough time as Laryea seemed to outrun him and outplay him much of the night. He started out OK defensively, getting into passing lanes, but really struggled in the attack at times in the first half. Then he had that beautiful assist on the Benji Michel goal. He seemed to have taken some time to warm up to this game. Defensively, Mueller had three tackles and five interceptions, while his passing accuracy on 66 attempts clocked in at 87%.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 — His time on the field was reminiscent of the Dwyer we all know and love. He was alert, hungry, and seemed ready to do what it takes. He cleared a corner in the first half, smashing the ball out of danger with authority. You won’t convince me that he wouldn’t have scored on the set piece had he not been held down and unable to jump — even the Toronto announcers were saying it was a clear and obvious penalty kick that went uncalled for the Lions. Dom playing the ball into space for Mueller helped set up the goal, although he didn’t get the hockey assist for some reason. Is it possible that Dom’s defensive stats are better than his offensive stats this match? The striker made two clearances and had one shot on target, and a 78% passing accuracy.

F, Robinho, 6 — Not a particularly amazing outing for one of the newest Lions. We finally saw a nice bit of play from Robinho only to see the buildup fizzle out. His time in the game saw one tackle, two interceptions, and a foul. Additionally, his 25 attempts saw just an 80% passing accuracy.

Substitutes

F, Benji Michel (68’), 6.5 — I mean, what do I even have to say? His first contact with the ball after being on the pitch for a minute and the kid scores his second career MLS goal. It quickly took a dark turn when Michel fouled Laryea in the 74th minute and it was originally ruled a penalty kick. After going to video review, it was quite rightfully changed to a free kick just outside the box, only to see Toronto score anyway. Do those two events cancel each other out? Asking for a friend who has to do grades.

F, Tesho Akindele (78’), 5.5 — A nice play from Ruan got the ball in the area to Tesho, who couldn’t quite get the touch he needed on it and he flicked the ball wide. I think it’s a trend, but I’m not actually tracking the data, so someone let me know if I’m way off here, but Tesho’s first touches, for the most part, seem to be his downfall game recently. In the eighteen-ish minutes he played tonight he looked tired and slow.

MF, Ruan (86’), N/A — He was only in for a few minutes — not quite long enough to fairly grade — but Ruan made his presence known. After beating his man down the right, Ruan sent it into the area where Tesho had a chance on goal. He was able to get in a tackle and connected on both of his pass attempts.

That’s how I saw the match unfold player by player. What are your thoughts on the draw away from home? Be sure to tell us that and vote in the poll below for your Man of the Match!

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Kyle Smith54
Chris Mueller7
Nani7
Uri Rosell5
Benji Michel14
Other (Be sure to tell us who and why)5

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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

13 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

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

Accost Acosta

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

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

Break Through

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

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

Deal with an Unknown

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

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

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/2/24

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

Published

16 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

The Pride Dominate the Courage

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

OCSC Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

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

The Billionaires Clubs

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

USMNT News

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

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

Free Kicks

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/1/24

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

Published

2 days ago

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May 1, 2024

By

,
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

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

Mason Stajduhar Arrested Early Sunday

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

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

Orlando Pride Host the North Carolina Courage Tonight

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

Orlando City/Pride Earn Golden Brick Awards

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

Colin Guske Speaks On Signing First Pro Contract

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

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

Free Kicks

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

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

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