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Philadelphia Union vs. Orlando City: Five Takeaways

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5 years ago

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In a case of so near, yet so far from three points on the road, Orlando City once again snatched a draw from the jaws victory on the road in a hauntingly similar result to the Week 2 stalemate in Chicago for more reasons than one.

What seems like a solid point away at the Eastern Conference leaders, a team that four days ago turned up to Orlando’s house and competently put the Lions away, is tinged with disappointment, given the late nature of the Union’s equalizer.

However, given the context of the midweek result, yesterday’s postponement, the impending U.S. Open Cup fixture, and the team James O’Connor chose to put out, I’ve decided to try and remain positive for the most part, considering it’s more than I expected the Lions to come away with — not least given the fast start the Union made with a fourth-minute opener. It would’ve been easy for heads to drop and the game plan to go out of the window but City stuck with it and battled back.

Better Finishers than Starters (Usually)

Marco Fabián’s fourth-minute header was the eighth goal Orlando City has conceded in the opening 15 minutes of games this season — roughly 30% of all goals allowed. Meanwhile, the Lions have only scored once in that window in 2019 — Chris Mueller’s opener in the home loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday. It’s a concerning stat that extends to being outscored 13–3 in the opening half hour of games. Now, switch that to the second half and Orlando City actually has a positive goal difference, outscoring its opponents 18–11 and scoring a hefty 52% of its goals in the final half hour of games.

I don’t know whether that speaks to systematic game-planning or just collective concentration levels but a faster start would logically be beneficial to a team that has conceded first in 12 of 19, averaging 0.58 points per game when doing so but average 2.00 points per game when scoring first.

Orlando has been better this season in killing off matches, but the Union showed quality in being able to flip the script and score the late equalizer like Chicago did early in the year.

Dwyer’s Fifth Goal Puts Four in the Club

Dom Dwyer’s goal Sunday brought his total to five for the season. That means he now joins Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Nani as Orlando City players with at least five goals in MLS so far this season. Why is that significant, you ask? At the start of the season, one of my predictions was that Orlando City would have three players with 10+ goals for the first time, despite having only seen two Lions hit double figures in the same season once in MLS.

With 19 games played, we’re a little over halfway and not exactly on schedule for that prediction to come true, but it’s promising to see that already at this stage in the season, four Orlando players have five goals. Only two managed that many over the course of the entire 2018 season (Dwyer and Sacha Kljestan) and you have to go back to 2016 to find as many as four bag at least five goals in MLS.

Santi Opens His Account

Huge congratulations are in order for 2019 MLS SuperDraft signing Santiago Patiño, who opened his professional scoring account Sunday. The rookie came on late for Dwyer just as Nani was lining up a corner kick, and he made his impact with his very first touch. Mueller’s point-blank free header was well saved by Andre Blake, who reached back against his momentum to make the stop, but the Jamaican international couldn’t keep from spilling it. The ball barely had time to hit the field before Patino knocked it in on a classic poacher’s goal.

Kacper Przybyłko is a Pain

With a brace on Wednesday and a late game-tying goal on Sunday, Kacper Przybyłko has emerged as the latest pain in Orlando City’s collective neck, joining other such pests as Ignacio Piatti, Kei Kamara, Maxi Moralez, and others. The Polish international had an outstanding series against Orlando and it’s clear that the Lions struggled to keep him properly marked. His movement and accuracy were on full display on the tying goal in the 90th minute.

O’Connor’s Approach to Rotation Almost Worked

The trip to Philadelphia saw James O’Connor make nine changes to his starting lineup — the third most this year behind the 11 made during the trip out West to Seattle and the subsequent 10 changes on the return to Orlando for the 5–1 thumping of FC Cincinnati in the following game. This is an extremely busy four week stretch for the team and O’Connor is making a concerted effort to not run his first choice team into the ground.

Deciding to field a second-string team and trust his depth to try and grind out a result, it’s the exact same game plan deployed earlier in the season away at Real Salt Lake: hang in the game and bring your game changers on in the second half. Sunday it worked to near perfection, with a goal and an assist credited to substitutes. Nani, who was already top five in MLS in goals and assists per 90 before registering another assist at Philadelphia, entered on the 60-minute mark while game-winner Santiago Patiño entered in the 81st minute. The only downside was the defensive side of the ball as the team was caught out both super early and super late on in the game.

It’s a strategy not to everyone’s taste, as there are some who just want to see the strongest lineup play from the off and go flat out for the full 90 every game but that’s a checkers mentality in a game of chess. O’Connor is clearly of the mindset that a short-sighted view like that would be to the long-term detriment of the team and he trusts his depth to implement his strategy — something he was keen to emphasize when he was rebuilding the roster in the off-season. That isn’t to say he doesn’t want to win every game, but it does change the way you go about it and Sunday was minutes away from being proof of concept.

Although Sunday was an extreme example given the short schedule, in the grander scheme O’Connor has averaged 3.57 changes per lineup and has only ever gone unchanged in consecutive games twice in his 36 league games in charge.

Did you spot anything else? Let us know your own takeaways from Orlando’s longer-than-expected trip to Philadelphia in the comments section below!

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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

11 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

15 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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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

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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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