Orlando City
Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City went on the road to take on FC Cincinnati and left empty-handed after a 1-0 defeat. Pedro Gallese provided stellar goalkeeping, but the Lions just couldn’t create enough chances on offense. Mauricio Pereyra, Joao Moutinho, and Robin Jansson were all absent from the starting lineup for various reasons, which definitely impacted how Orlando attacked in this match. Let’s dive into how each individual Lion performed in this road loss.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — If not for Gallese, the Lions would have been heading into halftime with a massive deficit to overcome. El Pulpo came up with spectacular saves time and time again, denying Nick Haggland from close range twice in the first half and Alvaro Barreal from the top of the area. Another save stopped Luciano Acosta’s deflected attempt, but Gallese couldn’t intercept the ensuing cross after the rebound and his clean sheet was spoiled. His eight saves were the most he’s had in a match this season and the loss doesn’t fall anywhere on his shoulders. His distribution was also solid, connecting on five of his eight long balls and completing 85% of his 20 passes.
D, Thomas Williams, 6 — The 17-year-old started as the team’s left back in place of Joao Moutinho. He had his work cut out for him at times against Brandon Vazquez and Brenner, but held his own with some defensive support from teammates. The Homegrown Player had three clearances and a tackle in 45 minutes of action. It was just his second start of the season and it showed on occasion as he completed just 83.3% of his 24 passes. Williams didn’t have any crosses and was accurate on one of his three long balls. He was subbed off at halftime for Antonio Carlos, ending his appearance on the road.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — The Argentine center back returned from suspension and led his team with six clearances. He also blocked a shot from Luciano Acosta at the top of the box and had three interceptions and a tackle as well. Schlegel could’ve reacted a bit faster on Cincy’s goal, unable to locate Brenner in time after the initial shot. He had a whopping 16 long balls, connecting on six of them. Only 79.7% of his passes were successful, but he attempted a team-high 69 of them as he tried building out of the back and rotating the ball around the field. Schlegel also won three of his four aerial duels to give the Lions some supremacy in the sky. Schlegel’s performance showed that he can hold things down while Carlos continues to ease back into things.
D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Smith started at center back in the first half and then shifted to left back for the second half, showcasing some of the versatility that makes him so valuable for Orlando. Leading the team with five tackles, Smith had another strong game and also contributed five clearances and an interception. Regarding Cincy’s goal, Smith did a good job putting himself in a position to make one of his trademark goal-line saves, but ultimately wasn’t able to get a piece of Brenner’s shot. He also led the Lions with 85 touches and three key passes, including a nice through ball to Ercan Kara. His only cross didn’t find its man, but it did earn the Lions a corner kick late in the match. Smith was accurate on two his five long balls and 82.5% of 57 passes were successful.
D, Ruan, 5.5 — The right back needed to react quicker on Cincinnati’s goal. Acosta shot from outside the box, then raced past Ruan to get his own rebound and assist on the goal. In terms of defensive statistics, Ruan only had one clearance and needed to offer a bit more bite on that side of the ball considering the depleted back line. Although he completed 87.8% of his 41 passes and was accurate on two of his four attempted long balls, neither of his two crosses were successful as he continues to struggle in that area of his game. Ruan also had three unstable touches in a performance he will have to shrug off and move forward from.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had an efficient night, completing 91.2% of his 57 passes to help build possession for Orlando. He did struggle a bit when defending against Acosta, who used some fancy footwork to get two shots off while Araujo was on him. The second of those shots led to Cincy’s goal as Araujo chased down Acosta only for the Argentine midfielder to cut back and find room to shoot. It’s hard to fault Araujo for much of that though and he had two interceptions, two clearances, and a tackle. Offensively, his single shot was blocked but he did a decent job putting the ball into dangerous areas. Four of his six attempted long balls were accurate and one of his two crosses found their mark. This was also his fifth consecutive match without a yellow card, meaning one of his accumulated yellow cards this season is removed due to good behavior.
MF, Junior Urso, 5 — Like most of Orlando’s midfielders, Urso had a rough night. His poor touch trying to wrangle in a pass from Araujo caused the turnover that led to Cincy’s goal. The Bear didn’t have any shots during a match in which Orlando certainly could’ve used them. His only cross of the game was a key pass that gave Jake Mulraney a chance in the box, although far enough from goal that the resulting header needed better power and placement to go in. Urso had two crosses and defensively he contributed an interception and a clearance in 69 minutes on the field. He completed 23 of his 28 passes for an 82.1% completion rate and didn’t attempt any long balls. Urso was dispossessed four times in this one and may be feeling the fatigue of three starts within 10 days.
MF, Andres Perea, 5 — Perea had a tough time trying to fill Mauricio Pereyra’s role on offense. The 21-year-old completed 50 of his 62 passes for an 80.7% success rate that could’ve been a better as he turned the ball over and ended Orlando’s momentum. He had just one key pass and his only cross didn’t connect, although his lone long ball did. Perea was hesitant at times with the ball at his feet, particularly when Cincy closed down on him or when he needed to quickly find an open Lion. He had a good opportunity in the 33rd minute on a counter, but a bad touch while sprinting down the field allowed Cincy defender John Nelson to stop him. It wasn’t all bad though. Perea was defensively sound with two tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions, while also winning six of his seven aerial duels. It’s important to remember just how young Perea is and he had big shoes to fill. But, this match showed that he lacks the skillset to truly pull the strings of Orlando’s offense at this time.
MF, Jake Mulraney, 5 — The Irishman’s only shot came late in the first half from a good opportunity at the top of the box, but his headed attempt was easily handled by Celentano. Mulraney had a rough night in terms of distribution. His lone cross was blocked and he completed just 76.5% of his 17 passes and struggled to beat Ray Gaddis on the left. He did do a solid job dropping back to support Williams on defense though, recording three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. Mulraney was subbed off at halftime for Benji Michel, continuing their competition at the position.
MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 — With Pereyra out, the stage was set for Torres to take the reins of the offense and drive it forward. While he led the Lions with five crosses, connecting on two of them, Torres wasn’t able to get much going on offense. His only shot was a low effort from distance that went wide of goal and neither of his long balls found their target. The Uruguayan had 55 passes at a solid 87.3% success rate, but just one key pass. His two tackles undersell a decent defensive performance, as he hustled all over the pitch to pressure Cincy from start to finish. Although he had 72 touches, Torres was often quickly swarmed by Cincy’s players when he had possession and was fouled a team-high four times. Torres showed plenty of fight in this match, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact on offense as the Lions were shut out.
F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — The Austrian forward only had one shot in 62 minutes of action and that was a poor attempt that harmlessly trickled to Celentano for him to collect it. Kara only had 14 touches and eight passes at a 37.5% success rate, which is a testament to the lack of service and support he received throughout the match. He wasn’t able to really take advantage of set pieces either as Orlando didn’t have a corner kick until he was off the field. Three unstable touch didn’t help things for Kara, as his holdup play wasn’t what we’re used to seeing, although he won three of his four aerial duels. Kara spent his time on the field stranded on an island until he was subbed off for Alexandre Pato right before Cincy took the lead.
Substitutes
D, Antonio Carlos (45’), 7 — The Brazilian center back made his return after his injury in April. While he didn’t have any defensive stats, Carlos helped stabilize things for Orlando and completed all but one of his 31 passes for a strong 96.8% success rate. He also connected on all five of his long balls to pick out players downfield. His only shot was a headed effort sent just wide of goal after a cross from Alexandre Pato in the box. It’s nice to see Carlos back out there, even if his return wasn’t enough to galvanize Orlando towards a result.
MF, Benji Michel (45’), 4 — Michel came on for Mulraney, but made less of an impact with just 14 touches and 10 passes at an 80% success rate despite playing an entire half. Michel had no shots, crosses, or key passes, although he did contribute a tackle on defense. His speed is an asset, but he just wasn’t a factor in this match.
F, Alexandre Pato (62’), 4 — The 32-year-old was sloppy to say the least. Only one of his five crosses was accurate and some of his misses were bad enough that there was no chance of recycling them. None of his three long balls were successful either and he finished with eight passes at a 375% success rate. His only shot went over the bar and a bad touch squandered a golden opportunity in the box on a counter attack. Hopefully this performance was just an anomaly and his quality service returns in future games.
F, Tesho Akindele (69’), 5 — The Canadian forward is still on the hunt for his first goal contribution of the season. Akindele only had three touches and three passes in this match, which isn’t great from a forward you’re hoping adds a spark off the bench. The Lions had a slew of set pieces late in the match while trailing, but poor service prevented Akindele from really capitalizing on them.
That’s how I saw things in Orlando’s defeat at the hands of FC Cincinnati. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to vote for the Man of the Match as well.
Polling Closed
Player | Votes |
Pedro Gallese | 43 |
Kyle Smith | 1 |
Antonio Carlos | 1 |
Cesar Araujo | 0 |
Other (Let us know who in the comments) | 0 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions fare in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss in Atlanta?
Orlando City continued its poor run of form with a 2-0 loss to Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Lions only have one point in four games and have lost their last three MLS matches. It’s the fewest points an Orlando City team has had after four games in club history, dating back to 2011.
Let’s look at how each individual Lion performed in another loss.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Neither of Atlanta’s two goals were Gallese’s fault and he had a pretty solid game. His standout moment came just before halftime when he made two one-handed saves off an Atlanta corner kick, keeping the deficit at one goal. Other than his shot stopping, Gallese completed 72.2% of his 18 passes, including five of his 10 long balls.
D, Rafael Santos, 5 — Santos was active in this game with 78 touches, third-most on the team. He nearly accidentally scored in the eighth minute when an inaccurate cross hit the crossbar. However, he was at the heart of both goals. In the ninth minute, he was beaten by Saba Lobjanidze for the first goal. Brooks Lennon beat him down field and caused him to hit the turf with a cutback, while setting up the second. Apart from the two goals, Santos completed 93.8% of his 64 passes, one of his five crosses, and four of his six long balls. Defensively, he had one tackle.
D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 (MotM) — Jansson was the most active Lions defensively in this game, recording three tackles, two clearances, and one blocked shot. He completed 91.7% of his 48 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He wasn’t at fault for either of the two Atlanta goals, though he shied away from the second in the 71st minute.
D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Similar to Jansson, Brekalo had a strong game. He finished with a team-leading three clearances and one tackle. Going forward, he completed 93.2% of his 59 passes, including a key pass and four of his seven long balls. However, I knocked him down half a point because he failed to close down Giorgos Giakoumakis at the top of the box on the second.
D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson started on his usual right side of the back line, but also ventured into the central midfield. He completed 87.5% of his 40 passes, one of his three crosses, and neither of his two long balls. His only shot was off target, but he had a team-high four successful dribbles. Defensively, the fullback added two tackles and one clearance on the night. His night ended in the 87th minute when he was replaced by Mikey Halliday.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 5.5 — Ojeda only had 36 touches in the game, by far the lowest number in the four-man midfield. He completed 78.6% of his 28 passes and didn’t complete any of his three crosses, but connected on his one long ball and had a key pass. His only shot came in the 19th minute when he tried to beat Brad Guzan to his near post. However, the veteran goalkeeper blocked it out for a corner kick. He was replaced in the 74th minute by Facundo Torres.
MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6 — Lodeiro was the most active attacking midfielder, recording a team-high 85 touches. He completed 91.9% of his team-high 74 passes, but failed to connect on any of his six crosses or two long balls. Additionally, he took one off-target shot and had a tackle defensively. He was replaced by Shak Mohammed in the 87th minute.
MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith started in the midfield in this game, usually sitting between the back line and the three attacking midfielders. His 79 touches were second-most on the team and he completed 90% of his 60 passes, also second-most on the team, including three of his five long balls. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and one clearance in his new role.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had 70 touches in this game, fourth-most on the team. He completed 84.6% of his 52 passes, including a team-high two key passes, but only connected on one of his five crosses. His three successful dribbles were second on the team behind Thorhallsson and his only shot was off target.
F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Muriel was the most effective of the two starting forwards, recording 60 touches and putting two of his four shots on target. In the sixth minute, his shot was tipped over the crossbar by Guzan and an excellent individual effort in the 42nd minute forced the Atlanta goalkeeper into a diving stop. He completed 70.3% of his 37 passes with one key pass and one of his two crosses but failed to connect on his only cross. He also had a team-high four tackles. The forward was replaced in the 81st minute by Jeorgio Kocevski.
F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — The Lions could have used a quality performance by McGuire, but he was largely absent. He only had 29 touches in 90 minutes and failed to put either of his two shots on target. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes and had one key pass while failing to complete his only cross. He also had two tackles on the night.
Substitutes
MF, Facundo Torres (74’), 5 — Torres came off the bench as he continues to return from a shoulder injury. He had 15 touches in 16 minutes, completing only 63.6% of his 11 passes. However, he had a key pass and connected on two of his three crosses. Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja was hoping for an offensive spark from the Uruguayan, but he didn’t get off any shots.
MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (81’), 5.5 — The rookie’s 21 touches were the most of any Orlando City substitute in this game as he made his MLS debut. He completed 83.3% of his 18 passes, but failed to complete his only cross or either of his two long balls. He added a dribble and tackle to his final totals.
F, Shak Mohammed (87’), N/A — Mohammed had a team-low seven touches and completed 83.3% of his six passes. He was fouled once and didn’t have any other statistics.
D, Mikey Halliday (87’), N/A — Halliday had eight touches in his minimal minutes while completing three of his six passes. He didn’t complete his one cross and his only shot was off target. Meanwhile, the defender didn’t record any defensive stats.
This is how I saw Orlando City’s tough Sunday night loss in downtown Atlanta. Let us know what you thought of the performances and vote for your Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City at Atlanta United FC: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-0 loss at Atlanta.
Orlando City traveled North to the unfriendly confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and unfortunately the Lions’ early season woes continued as Orlando City fell 2-0 to their Eastern Conference rival. What did we learn from the disappointing third loss of the MLS regular season?
Troubling Transition Defending
Orlando City employed a high press to start the match, and the defense often didn’t recover well enough to keep Atlanta honest. The first goal the Lions gave up came on a quick break by Atlanta that saw Saba Lobjanidze beat Rafael Santos and Pedro Gallese to score the first goal of the match. There were several other times that Atlanta moved the ball quickly into the attack, though Robin Jansson was able to sniff out the others in the first half. Atlanta didn’t stop that type of attack, and a second goal resulted.
Double Volley Saves
Pedro Gallese made back-to-back reaction saves to keep Atlanta from getting a second goal to end the first half. Gallese also made other saves that weren’t credited because a foul preceded the save. He may have been caught flat-footed on the first goal, but he had his near post covered, and after that, he was quite good. It was funny seeing the reactions online after the first goal calling for him to be replaced. Thankfully, Oscar Pareja isn’t checking social media during matches and taking his directives from frustrated fans. Gallese had no chance on Atlanta’s second goal.
Beefy Swede Comes Up Big
Jansson was an absolute beast. He singlehandedly stopped multiple Atlanta United attacks in the first half and to start the second half. He did receive a yellow in the 49th minute, as the opposition prevented him from restarting the match quickly and he grew frustrated trying to grab the ball. But then he kept doing everything Orlando City needed. Of course, it’s easy to see the defending he does, but it’s all the other things as well — his passing to work the ball out of the back, and his leadership to organize the defense and, ultimately, the rest of the team. He was a commanding and calming captain in this match.
Possession Schmosession
Orlando City had the advantage of possession in the match. For long stretches, the Lions looked to be in control of the match. Two moments were all Atlanta United needed to ensure that Orlando City went home with no points. The Lions took a bit to grow into the match, but even once they did, the last bit of quality was missing. Duncan McGuire was a step too late on a couple of opportunities. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson took an extra touch when Muriel dropped a ball for him in the box. It was another frustrating night on offense.
The Missing Midfield
Have no doubt that the absence of Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena made a difference in how this match played out. Sadly, I predicted that with Orlando City’s two starting defensive midfielders out, Pareja might employ Kyle Smith in the role. I wish I had been wrong. It’s not that Smith was particularly bad, but without the normal excellent double pivot combo of Araujo and Cartagena, Orlando City was out of sorts. Cartagena will be back, having served his red card suspension, and we wait on Araujo’s injury to heal up as he continues to be listed as questionable.
That is what I saw in the loss to Atlanta United. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 3/18/24
Orlando City falls to Atlanta United, the Pride get a late result at Louisville, OCB wins tops Atlanta United 2, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers. I hope you all had an excellent St. Patrick’s Day weekend. It was a mixed one for our teams, as OCB won, the Pride fought back for a draw, and the Lions suffered another loss. This weekend, I was busy at work between Under Armour and covering high school lacrosse. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links, but first, join us in wishing a happy 32nd birthday to Orlando Pride fullback Kylie Strom.
Orlando City Falls to Rival Atlanta United
Orlando City lost 2-0 to Atlanta United on the road on Sunday and will have to wait for Saturday against Austin FC to get another chance at its first win of the MLS season. Saba Lobjanidze and Georgios Giakoumakis scored for the Five Stripes. Orlando City is now winless in five consecutive matches across all competitions. The Lions have also given up 10 goals in four league matches and are in the 14th place in the Eastern Conference with one point. Michael Citro has your match recap.
Orlando Pride Battle Back for 2-2 Draw at Racing Louisville
The Orlando Pride overcame a two-goal deficit to escape Lynn Family Stadium with a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville in their season opener Saturday. The Pride also went down to 10 players when Strom was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. The Pride were down 2-1 late when Summer Yates scored her first career goal from a set piece to even the match. The Pride are winless in season openers, but earned their third opening day draw in NWSL play. Orlando also secured its first ever point in four road matches in Kentucky. The Pride return to action Friday in their home opener against Angel City FC.
OCB Opens Season with 3-2 Road Win Over Atlanta United 2
Orlando City B won its MLS NEXT Pro season opener on the road, beating Atlanta United 2. The Young Lions trailed 1-0 early in the first half but kicked on from there and won 3-2. Jhon Solis equalized with a penalty kick goal and Orlando City 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Yutaro Tsukada scored on a great free kick to give the Young Lions a 2-1 advantage going into halftime. OCB struck quickly in the second half thruogh Colin Guske. Atlanta United 2 made things interesting with a late goal, but OCB held on. This is the third consecutive year the Young Lions have started a season with a win. OCB’s next match will again be on the road, as the Young Lions face Huntsville City FC on Friday.
Manchester United and Chelsea Win, Advance to FA Cup Semifinals
It was a seven-goal thriller at Old Trafford as Manchester United edged out Liverpool 4-3 after extra time in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The Red Devils were down 2-1 late in the second half before Antony scored the equalizer to tie the match 2-2. Liverpool took the lead in extra time, but Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo scored to put this match away for United. In another thrilling match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea and Leicester City were tied 2-2. Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke scored for the Blues deep in stoppage time and secured a 4-2 victory. Manchester City will take on Chelsea, while Manchester United will face Coventry City in the FA Cup semifinals.
Free Kicks
- Christian Pulisic’s scoring streak continues as he added another goal to make it four consecutive matches with a strike for AC Milan. His goal helped Milan win 3-1 against Hellas Verona. Pulisic has scored 12 goals so far across all competitions for AC Milan.
- USMNT forward Ricardo Pepi came off the bench for PSV Eindhoven and scored the winning goal in stoppage time for a 1-0 victory against FC Twente.
- AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud has hinted at a possible moved to Major League Soccer this summer if he decides not to renew his contract at the end of the season.
- Due to injury, Josh Sargent and Luca de La Torre will miss the U.S. Men’s National Team’s upcoming Concacaf Nations League semifinal match against Jamaica. Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright were added as their replacements to the USMNT roster.
- Bay FC won its first NWSL match as an expansion club, beating fellow California side Angel City 1-0.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
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