Connect with us

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers

Published

7 years ago

on

The Portland Timbers are trending upward, taking two points from their last two after being battered in their opening matches of 2018. But they travel across the continent to Central Florida to take on an Orlando City team that is also on the upswing after a wild 4-3 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

There’s a new boss at the helm in the Rose City and, while the bulk of the roster has remained intact, the team that topped last year’s Western Conference has struggled to get results this time around.

For what to expect of this year’s Timbers, we’ve asked Will Conwell from Portland’s SB Nation blog Stumptown Footy to give us some insight. I also answered some questions about our side and you can find them over at their place.

How has life been after Caleb Porter and how has Giovanni Savarese left his mark on this team?

Will Conwell: Saravese has certainly had an impact on the Timbers through four games this season, changing up the side’s tactical approach after five years of playing under Porter. In those four games there have been definite struggles as the team looks to adjust to their new look, but as the team has adapted to Saravese and Saravese has adapted to the team, the results have gone from disappointing to encouraging over the course of the Timbers’ season-opening road trip.

Under Porter, the Timbers developed an identity as a team that was capable of holding the ball and would wear down teams with their possession, as well as being a side capable of picking their moments and striking out on the break after dropping deep and welcoming their opposition forward.

In many ways, Saravese’s preferred approach to the game is the opposite of this. Given the right personnel, Saravese would love to be a team that actively presses high up the pitch, turning over the opposing team deep in their own end and creating the sort of high value chances that come when the defense is out of its shape. Unfortunately, while the Timbers’ attacking trio of Fanendo Adi, Diego Valeri, and Sebastian Blanco are all capable of being quite active on the defensive front, none seem particularly inclined toward the sort of high energy performance it takes to press all game.

That is not to say that the Timbers have abandoned the high press. In last weekend’s 2-2 road draw against the Chicago Fire, the Timbers were able to put the home side on the back foot for much of the match, getting the opening goal early in the match after turning over the Fire and taking advantage on the break. Saravese is still determining how best to make use of his players, but the seeds that he has planted with the side are showing definite signs of growth.

Portland’s defense struggled through March, allowing nine goals in four matches. Liam Ridgewell’s exclusion from the side has been a major talking point; are the two things related?

WC: Ridgewell was on the field for six of the Timbers’ nine goals allowed so far this season and as the team captain, his lack of effort in the side’s 4-0 week two loss to the New York Red Bulls was particularly galling.

In the first two matches that the Timbers — and Ridgewell — played, the side were disorganized and disheartened. The back line was out of sync, the midfield was disconnected, and the forwards were stranded on an island by themselves. Not all of that can be pinned on Ridgewell, but as a veteran and the team captain, it is on him to rally the side through words or deeds and it appeared that he went for neither.

What’s more, Ridgewell’s game has long been built around his ability to take a timely step up and break up a play with a headed ball away, an interception, or a timely foul. Without a dedicated defensive midfielder in front of him, dropping back onto the back line as David Guzman or Diego Chara did so often in 2017, Ridgewell has struggled to keep from opening up holes on the back line through his play. In the right situation and the right formation, Ridgewell’s instincts could still serve him well, but with the changes that Saravese has looked to implement this year he has often been the odd man out.

Recent word from the Timbers camp is that Ridgewell has taken the benching like a professional and is training well. Ridgewell is training so well, according to word from this week’s training sessions, he is in consideration for a return to the 18 this weekend. This is all, of course, exactly what the Timbers should be saying and after two weeks in exile, it seems as likely as not that the Timbers will continue to turn to Larrys Mabiala and Bill Tuiloma, the self-proclaimed “French Connection,” to be their starting center backs.

How has the team dealt with Darlington Nagbe’s high-priced departure over the off-season?

WC: The loss of Nagbe to Atlanta United, the Timbers’ first draft pick and a staple of the side since they joined Major League Soccer in 2011, has been difficult for the Timbers to deal with as they adjust to life without him.

Nagbe brings a number of things to the pitch, but first and foremost is an absolute inability to lose the ball. A pass anywhere near Nagbe at any speed is as good as received. Getting the ball on Nagbe’s foot means that he will get off a pass to another player on his team just about every time. Losing that remarkable knack for possession makes things difficult for the Timbers. Without Nagbe, the Timbers have lost one of their most effective pressure release valves. They no longer have a player that they can just pass the ball near and expect good things to happen.

At the same time, the loss of Nagbe has been freeing for the Timbers.

Nagbe’s unwillingness or inability to get involved in the attack in a regularly effective manner has long been a source of frustration for anyone who watches him play. Without Nabge on the pitch, the Timbers have looked to Sebastian Blanco to provide many of the same services in transition that Nagbe once did and they have profited from it. While Blanco is far from the possession machine that Nagbe was for the Timbers, his creativity, flair, and attacking mindset have already paid dividends this year with three goals and an assist through four games.

In Nagbe’s absence and with teams unable to ignore the dual attacking threats of Diego Valeri and Fanendo Adi, Blanco should continue to flourish this year. 

What injuries/suspensions will keep players out this weekend and what is your projected lineup and predicted final score?

WC: (4-3-2-1) Jake Gleeson; Vytautas Andriuškevičius, Bill Tuiloma, Larrys Mabiala, Zarek Valentin; Christhian Paredes, Diego Chara, Andres Flores; Sebastian Blanco, Diego Valeri; Fanendo Adi

2-1 Orlando, with a Will Johnson goal and a Dom Dwyer red card.

Thanks again to Will for taking the time to provide some information on this weekend’s visitors.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

2024 Orlando City Season in Review: Pedro Gallese

The Peruvian goalkeeper had an inconsistent start to the year, but was solid throughout the team’s second-half surge.

Published

1 hour ago

on

December 30, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City initially signed goalkeeper Pedro Gallese on Jan. 17, 2020, and the Peruvian immediately became a fixture in the Lions’ starting lineup. He led the club to its first MLS playoff appearance and was sent off during penalties in one of the most bizarre endings in league history before leading the team to the postseason again every year since joining the Lions. In the 2022 season, he started the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, helping the Lions win their first major trophy. Orlando City signed Gallese to a new contract on Dec. 27, 2022, keeping him in purple through 2024 with a club option for 2025.

Let’s take a look at how Gallese played in his fifth season in Orlando.

Statistical Breakdown

Gallese was Orlando City’s first-choice goalkeeper for the fifth straight season, playing in 29 games (all starts) and recording 2,610 minutes during the regular season. He gave up 39 goals while making 72 saves for a save percentage of 64.9% and a 1.34 goals-against average. Additionally, Gallese recorded eight clean sheets and saved two of his six penalties faced. The shot stopper completed 439 of his 614 passes (71.5%) in the regular season, including 83 long balls. He also recorded his first assist for the club, setting up an attack that resulted in a Duncan McGuire goal against Charlotte FC on Sept. 18.

In the playoffs, Gallese started all five games, recording 450 minutes. He conceded two goals while recording three clean sheets and making seven saves for a 77.8% save percentage and a 0.40 goals-against average. He completed 67 of his 97 passes (69.1%), including 14 long balls. He split his two penalty shootouts in the postseason, not making a save in Game 2 against Charlotte, but stopping the first two spot kicks in Game 3 against Pep Biel and Karol Swiderski to help Orlando City advance to the conference semifinals.

Gallese started all three Concacaf Champions Cup games, playing 270 minutes. He recorded a pair of clean sheets in a 3-0 win over Cavalry FC and a scoreless first leg against UANL Tigres before giving up four goals in the 4-2 loss to the Mexican opponent in the second leg for a 0.50 goals-against average. His 10 postseason saves resulted in a 71.4% save percentage. The starting goalkeeper completed 44 of his 59 passes for a 74.6% completion percentage.

In the Leagues Cup, Gallese started all three games, recording 270 minutes. He conceded a pair of goals with a clean sheet and made 15 saves for an 88.2% save percentage and a 0.25 goals-against average. Additionally, he saved the only penalty he faced in the competition during normal time. He completed 44 of his 69 passes for a 63.8% pass completion percentage. In Orlando City’s two penalty shootouts against Atletico San Luis and Cruz Azul, Gallese stopped Leo Bonatini to help the Lions win the former. He wasn’t able to make a save in the penalty shootout against Cruz Azul, and although Ignacio Rivero missed the net entirely, Orlando fell on penalties due to Robin Jansson and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson having their spot kicks saved.

Best Game

Gallese’s best game of the year was a game the Lions didn’t win and saw them eliminated from the Leagues Cup. On Aug. 9, he faced six shots on target in a scoreless draw against Mexican giants Cruz Azul, the third-highest number of shots he faced all season. However, he conceded four goals from nine shots in the second leg against Tigres and two goals from seven shots against Philadelphia on May 11. For this reason, I consider his clean sheet against Cruz Azul to be his best performance.

Orlando’s starting goalkeeper played all 90 minutes in that game and kept Cruz Azul off the board with his six saves. His distribution was also excellent, as he completed 21 of his 25 passes (84%). It was his only clean sheet of the tournament, as he conceded once each against CF Montreal and Atletico San Luis.

Due to the Leagues Cup format, the game went directly into penalties, which was unfortunate for Orlando City. Rivero missed the first attempt for Cruz Azul, but the other five shooters were successful. Cruz Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier saved the two aforementioned penalties to put his team into the round of 16, but that doesn’t take away from Gallese’s strong performance against a good side from Liga MX.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gave Gallese a composite grade of 7 out of 10 for the 2024 season. It’s the lowest grade he’s received since 2020, when he received the same grade. That season was followed by an 8 in 2021, an 8 in 2022, and a 7.5 in 2023. His 39 goals conceded are his second most since joining Orlando City and his 72 saves are his fewest in a 34-game season for the club. The latter number is attributable in part to Orlando City allowing the fourth-fewest shots against per match in 2024. Gallese, like the team in general, was particularly inconsistent in the first half of the 2024 season. However, he was at his best when it mattered most, especially in the shootout against Charlotte, when he stopped two the first two penalties and guessed correctly on the third. Gallese recorded three clean sheets in five playoff games and only gave up one goal in each of the other two games. Overall, while there was a slight drop in the Peruvian’s consistency, it was a solid season for the Lions’ shot stopper.

2025 Outlook

Gallese signed a deal through the 2024 season with an option for 2025 back in 2022 and that option was triggered because he achieved the necessary performance-based metrics. As a result, he’ll be the starting goalkeeper for his sixth season in Orlando. The only way the Peruvian won’t be in net is if he’s injured or away on international duty. While he allowed some uncharacteristic goals at times in 2024, he’s still a proven shot stopper and a leader on this team. Even with a slight dip in form, his presence is necessary for Orlando City to reach its goals in 2025.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

This concludes our 2024 Orlando City player-by-player Season in Review series. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking back on the Lions’ performances from the past year as we move closer toward seeing what lies ahead in 2025.

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/30/24

Orlando City shares top goals of 2024, MLS transfer roundup, English Premier League results, and more.

Published

5 hours ago

on

December 30, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope you all have been doing well and enjoying time with family and friends for the holidays as we close out 2024 tomorrow. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour all week. I’ll also be back at Wrigley Field to work the NHL Winter Classic tomorrow, and two Big Ten college hockey games later this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Unveils Top Goals of 2024

Orlando City shared some of the club’s top goals of 2024 and invited fans to vote on which one was the best of the year.

The club has been slowly unveiling its top 10 goals of the season on its Instagram page. Here’s what the organization has chosen as the best so far:

10. Martin Ojeda’s goal against D.C. United on July 6.
9. Duncan McGuire’s chip goal against Charlotte FC on Sept. 18.
8. Ramiro Enrique’s volley against FC Cincinnati on Oct. 5.
7. Facundo Torres’ strike against the Chicago Fire on June 22.
6. Ramiro Enrique’s goal against Cavalry FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
5. Luis Muriel’s first goal as a Lion against the Philadelphia Union on May 11.

Orlando City’s top four goals of the year are still to come, but what was your favorite Orlando City goal from the 2024 season? Let me know in the comments section below.

MLS Transfer Roundup

We have some big moves in Major League Soccer to catch you up on from the weekend. FC Dallas has acquired defender Shaq Moore from Nashville SC in exchange for $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) and incentive-based GAM of up to $100,000. Moore has agreed to a two-year deal through 2026 with a club option for 2027. San Diego FC signed goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega to a one-year contract for the 2025 season with club options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Sisniega previously played for USL Championship side San Antonio FC. Lastly, Inter Miami has reportedly signed former Vancouver Whitecaps winger Fafa Picault.

English Premier League Recap

The Premier League fixtures continue through the holidays, and there were plenty of matches on Sunday. Manchester City defeated Leicester City 2-0 to snap its run of five consecutive matches without a win. Crystal Palace defeated Southampton 2-1, while Nottingham Forest won 2-0 against Everton and moved to second in the league table. Fulham and Bournemouth battled to a 2-2 draw, while Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton’s match also ended 2-2. Liverpool cruised past West Ham United 5-0 as well. We have three more Premier League matches later today, with Aston Villa hosting Brighton, Ipswich Town facing Chelsea, and Manchester United taking on Newcastle United.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

Several Americans were in action in Europe over the weekend. Brenden Aaronson scored the lone goal for Leeds United to defeat Derby County 1-0 to extend its unbeaten run to six matches and remain atop the EFL Championship table. Auston Trusty was on the bench for Celtic, but Cameron Carter-Vickers played a full 90 minutes against St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership. Celtic won 4-0 to extend its unbeaten run to 19 matches across all competitions. Weston McKennie played 62 minutes for Juventus before he was subbed off in the second half. Fiorentina grabbed a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw against Juventus as both sides have 32 points in Serie A and remain in fifth and sixth in the league table, respectively. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia, but his side lost 1-0 to Napoli on Sunday.

Free Kicks

  • NJ/NY Gotham FC will reportedly sign midfielder Gabi Portilho from Corinthians. Portilho won a silver medal with Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and was a Ballon d’Or finalist.
  • AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic had an injury setback and did not play in Sunday’s match against AS Roma due to an ankle injury.
  • Dani Olmo is at risk of not playing for Barcelona in the second half of the La Liga season after a court rejected the club’s lawsuit to extend his temporary registration, which expires at the end of this month.
  • Dunfermline Athletic forward Dapo Mebude gave insight into resurrecting his career in an interview with BBC Sport. He had survived a car crash earlier this year while playing for Oostende in Belgium.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Top 10 Moments of 2024: Orlando City Advances to First Conference Final

In our No. 3 moment, the Lions advance further in the MLS playoffs than ever before at the expense of rival Atlanta United.

Published

1 day ago

on

December 29, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

As we count down to the new year of 2025 — which will be Orlando City’s 11th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 10th in the NWSL, and OCB’s third in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

Since Atlanta United rode Arthur Blank’s considerable checkbook into Major League Soccer, the club up north and MLS have been trying to create a rivalry between the Lions and the Five Stripes that would likely have developed anyway without any artificiality. Late drama in some of the earliest meetings and the overall unlikeability of Josef Martinez would likely have taken care of it without any billboards or hyperbole from the league.

But the rivalry did grow, even though it has largely been a one-sided one over the years. Since 2017, Atlanta had gotten the better of Orlando City, racking up eight wins against just four for the Lions entering the 2024 season, with the teams also playing to seven draws over the years. That didn’t improve for Orlando this year, as the Lions lost both regular-season meetings against Atlanta United, including a Decision Day game that saw the Five Stripes pounce early, building a 2-0 lead inside the first 16 minutes. Orlando outplayed Atlanta the rest of the way, but could only pull one of the two goals back, ending the regular season on a sour note and somehow allowing their rivals an improbable path into the postseason.

Yet, in a strange way, Orlando letting Atlanta get into the postseason changed the trajectory of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs. In the first round, the Five Stripes shocked Supporters’ Shield-winning Inter Miami, Orlando’s bigger current bogeyman team and the bane of all people sick of hearing about Lionel Messi and tired of seeing ugly pink uniforms plastered to everything related to MLS.

It wasn’t only Miami that succumbed to the upset bug in the best-of-three first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Top-three seeds Columbus and Cincinnati also crumbled, while fourth-seeded Orlando needed a Game 3 stoppage-time penalty and shootout win to advance, which handed the Lions an improbable home-field advantage for the rest of the conference’s postseason. That’s how Orlando ended up drawing nemesis Atlanta as an opponent in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Atlanta had to feel confident after knocking mighty Miami and its ex-Barcelona brigade out of the playoffs. The fact that United swept the season series from Orlando City also likely had the visitors feeling good entering the Eastern Conference semifinal match at Inter&Co Stadium Nov. 24.

On the plus side for Orlando, the Lions no doubt still felt a bit of anger over the Decision Day loss, which could serve as some extra motivation for Oscar Pareja’s team. In addition, this was the first time Orlando City would have its starting central midfield duo against Atlanta in 2024. Wilder Cartagena had missed both regular-season meetings with United due to suspension, while double-pivot partner Cesar Araujo missed the match in Atlanta with an ankle injury. Both booking-prone midfielders managed to get through Charlotte in three matches without earning a suspension. Atlanta had to face a first-choice Pareja lineup for the first time in the year’s three matches.

The winner of the match was going to the Eastern Conference final — in Orlando’s case, it would host the match if it could get past Atlanta. As an added bonus, the victor would also end its rival’s season. The stakes had never been higher throughout the series.

Both teams entered with momentum. Atlanta was no doubt still riding the high of knocking Messi and Miami out of the playoffs. Orlando could hardly have turned its fortunes around any later against Charlotte in stoppage time and then dominated the ensuing penalty shootout against perhaps the league’s best shootout goalkeeper.

In front of a sellout crowd of 25,046, the game on Nov. 24 quickly revealed itself. From the opening kickoff, it seemed Orlando City wanted to have the ball and look for an opening in Atlanta’s defense, while the visitors, coached by former USL Lion Rob Valentino, appeared content to wait for the Lions to make a mistake that they could turn into a transition goal.

Orlando tried to jump on Atlanta early, but the usual nerves of such a big game were showing. Facundo Torres sent a free header from Martin Ojeda’s gorgeous cross over the bar in the opening minutes. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson hit the post on a play that was eventually flagged offside anyway moments later. Ramiro Enrique sent a header straight at goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the 10th minute. It was the same lack of sharpness in front of goal that plagued the team early in the year, but at least the Lions were creating chances against a team that hardly seemed to consider posing a scoring threat at all.

Ojeda just missed the corner of the goal on a 23rd-minute volley attempt. Then Araujo missed the target with a header off a good Rafael Santos cross.

The way the match was unfolding, the longer it stayed scoreless, the more it built the pressure on Orlando and helped Atlanta, and it seemed as if we’d reach halftime without a goal. Then things changed suddenly on a set piece.

Ojeda sent in a good ball on a corner kick from the left side. The service bounced off of Atlanta defender Stian Gregersen and fell in the six-yard box, landing right in front of Enrique, who was the fastest to react to the loose ball, slotting it past Guzan to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute.

Things got worse for Atlanta late in the half, when forward Jamal Thiare was forced out of the game with a knock. The Lions went to the lockerroom with a slim 1-0 lead that did not reflect their domination of the action in the first half. Orlando City led in possession (63.8%-36.2%), shots (7-3), shots on target (3-0), and passing accuracy (89.4%-74.9%) in the opening period. 

Atlanta had to come after the game in the second half, and the Five Stripes tweaked some things to get more of the ball. A decent spell of possession early in the second half saw the visitors generate a few shots, but nothing was too menacing due to the play of Orlando’s back line and midfield. The closest the team came to leveling the match was Aleksey Miranchuk’s shot into the outside netting from the left side in the 51st minute. Over the next 10 minutes, the visitors sent a couple of half chances wide of the frame.

Orlando had the better chances in the second half, but neither team managed to get a shot on frame. Pedro Gallese didn’t have to make a save all game for the Lions, but he did make a smart and athletic play to get to a potentially lethal Saba Lobjanidze cross, preventing it getting through to the back post. A flicked shot from Duncan McGuire that went wide was the closest the Lions came to doubling the lead.

Eventually, time ran out and the match was over. Orlando finished with the advantage in possession (50.6%-49.4%), shots (14-8), shots on target (4-0), corners (5-4), and passing accuracy (85.8%-83.6%). Most importantly, however, the Lions had advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time, and they’d done it at the expense of their rivals from the north.

“On that corner and that type of play, I always intend to be ready for that second ball, for that second play,” Enrique said after the game. “When it was hit there, thankfully I anticipated it really well and just got into that space and beat everybody to the ball and was able to convert. Happy for this team and for this club, and to be able to move on in this moment, and to have a part in that by scoring the goal, I think being able to get to the conference final, we’re just really happy.”

It was Orlando City’s first meaningful win in the rivalry, and drawing some postseason blood should only add fuel to it in the future.

The Lions didn’t ultimately reach the MLS Cup final after defeating Atlanta, switching off just once in a tightly contested match against the New York Red Bulls. That was one of the few missteps Orlando City had in the game, but it was one too many in an otherwise strong defensive Eastern Conference final. The Red Bulls went on to lose to the LA Galaxy in the title game.

But Orlando fighting its way deeper into the MLS postseason than ever before, and doing so at the expense of a troublesome Southeast rival, is worth including on our list of the club’s top moments of 2024.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2024 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Previous Top Moments of 2024

10. Orlando City’s massive second-half surge clinches top-four spot in Eastern Conference.

9. The Orlando Pride sign Zambian international striker Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 season.

8. Facundo Torres scores his 47th goal for Orlando City, breaking the Lions’ all-time goal record.

7. Marta’s magical goal pushes the Orlando Pride past Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship.

6. Orlando City wins nervy three-game MLS Cup playoff series to advance past Charlotte FC.

5. Orlando Pride pick up the club’s first-ever playoff win in their first-ever time hosting a postseason match.

4. Orlando Pride rewrite club and NWSL record books throughout 2024 season and playoffs.

Continue Reading

Trending