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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 2-1 win on the road against Atlanta United?

Published

9 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City went on the road and beat Atlanta United 2-1 to capture a big win before the Leagues Cup. Atlanta United took the lead in the first half, thanks to a goal from Caleb Wiley, but Orlando immediately responded with a rare set piece goal, courtesy of Antonio Carlos’ head. Duncan McGuire then scored his eighth goal of the season to give Orlando the lead, and the defense held on for all three points. It was a physical rivalry match that featured 31 fouls and eight yellow cards.

Here’s how each Lion individually performed in Orlando’s fifth road win of the season.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese’s pair of saves weren’t until late in the match, with one of the biggest in his Orlando career coming late in stoppage time. On a free kick from Thiago Almada in a dangerous area, Gallese initially stepped to his right and then quickly shifted course to dive in the opposite direction and parry it away. El Pulpo wasn’t able to make the save on Atlanta’s goal, but it’s hard to pin much blame on him considering the awkward bounce the shot took to hop over his leg. Antonio Carlos swept it off the line but Gallese had no chance of stopping Wiley’s follow-up shot. Gallese completed 57.9% of his 19 passes and seven of his 15 long balls were successful. He also did his part in burning time off the clock, although he was booked for wasting time while organizing his defense right before making that memorable save.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — The left back was caught in no man’s land on Atlanta’s goal. He came inside to help defensively but then at the last second he left the loose ball for Cesar Araujo. That left Santos out of position and too far from Miguel Berry to stop his pass, while being totally absent from his area of responsibility, where Machop Chol put the initial shot on goal. Santos simply stopped at the top of the box and became a spectator as it all unfolded. His only cross was inaccurate, although he did complete five of his eight long balls. Regardless, he only completed 69.7% of his 33 passes and wasn’t able to get much going with his 52 touches. He had a chance to break up the buildup to Atlanta’s goal but left it for Cesar Araujo to deal with even though he had the better angle to knock it away. He was defensively solid with two tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Beefy Swede locked in following Atlanta’s goal, finishing the match with six clearances to help the Lions take all three points back to Orlando. He seemed to get better as the match wore on, using his size to head away the danger. Along with Carlos and Rodrigo Schlegel, Jansson did well to keep Giorgos Giakoumakis quiet once he came on in the second half. Jansson had 32 passes at a 78.1% success rate and completed three of his seven long balls. He was booked for dissent before going to the tunnel for halftime, so hopefully this isn’t the return of that habit from him.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7.5 (MotM) — Carlos scored his first goal of the season with a powerful header, connecting with a free kick from Pereyra to beat Brad Guzan. It was great to see the center back score off of a set piece after watching him come close all season long. His goal came just minutes after Atlanta’s goal, in which Carlos hustled to clear the ball off the line only for Wiley to put away the rebound. Carlos was indomitable on defense, putting out fires from start to finish and ending the game with six clearances, an interception, and two blocked shots. He was accurate on 90.6% of his 32 passes and connected on two of his four long balls. Carlos picked up a yellow card late in the match that gave Atlanta a free kick, but he certainly deserves Man of the Match honors for keeping Orlando alive on both ends of the pitch.

D, Kyle Smith, 4.5 — The right back was tough to watch. Smith was often in a poor position and just did not have the speed to contend with 18-year-old Caleb Wiley for most of the match. On Atlanta’s goal, Smith was far too slow to react to the rebound and Wiley had no issue at all beating him to the rebound. Smith’s four tackles were the most on the team, and he had a clearance as well. On offense, he tended to drift towards the middle of the field to provide space for Torres on the right wing, but several of his pass attempts were poor efforts easily cut out by the defender in front of him. Smith led the team with 62 touches and 42 passes, completing 76.2% of the latter. His lone cross was unsuccessful, as it was too low and easy to clear, and he was accurate on one of his three long balls. He and Wilder Cartagena combined to turn the ball over on a routine throw-in, which led to Atlanta’s only goal. He also had a shot that was off target, but a good effort from distance that just needed to dip.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the Peruvian put in another decent shift in the midfield, keeping a dangerous opponent mostly quiet. A yellow card right before halftime may have prevented him from playing as physically as he did in the first half, but Cartagena was an important part of Orlando’s defensive stand and blocked a shot from Almada that could’ve spelled trouble late in the match. Cartagena also had two tackles, an interception, and 36 passes at an 83.3% success rate. However, he was partially at fault on the throw-in turnover that eventually led to Atlanta’s goal due to his soft back pass to Smith. While he didn’t have a shot, he had two key passes and was accurate on two of his four long balls. Cartagena was fouled five times and committed three fouls himself.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — The midfielder was all over the pitch in this one, racing back to break up a play in the nick of time one moment and crashing the box to put a header on target the next. That header was his only shot of the match, and didn’t have much on it to trouble Guzan. Araujo’s passing wasn’t awful, but could have been a bit better considering he had 35 passes at a 74.3% success rate, and he was accurate on two of his six long balls. Araujo won the foul from Santiago Sosa that set up Orlando’s goal off the ensuing free kick. However, he was also part of the defending confusion on the Atlanta goal. He was trailing the play, but close enough that Santos pulled out of a seemingly easier challenge, leaving it for Araujo. Berry was quicker than the Uruguayan and beat Araujo to the ball, which was a key part of the sequence that led to Atlanta’s goal. Apart from that, he was defensively sound, contributing three clearances and two tackles to help Orlando secure the win on the road. Like Cartagena, he was fouled five times and did well doing the gritty things to close out the game.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo’s only shot was a good strike from distance following some skilled dribbling and a one-two with Pereyra. It was a good effort but skipped just inches wide of the post. Although he didn’t end up with a goal or an assist, Angulo kept defenders on their toes and was successful on three of his four attempted dribbles. The winger completed 83.3% of his 18 passes and didn’t have any crosses. His quickness was useful as Atlanta pushed harder to score, but the Lions had a hard time heaving the ball up field for him all too much. He was booked for booting the ball after a foul was called, and was subbed out for Felipe in stoppage time.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — The captain provided the assists on both of Orlando’s goals and led the team with three key passes. On Orlando’s first goal, Pereyra did well to put the ball in a spot where Carlos could reach it in traffic. Pereyra then slipped a great ball past Atlanta defenders after drawing attention, finding McGuire’s run for him to score the winner. The Uruguayan wasn’t perfect, completing 74.3% of his 35 passes, but was exactly what the doctor ordered to mend the offense after last week. Both of his crosses found their mark, he was accurate on two of his three long balls, and he had some deft touches and good movement to keep the offense running smoothly. His only shot of the match came within the first minute, after some nice passing between him, McGuire, and Torres. It was on target, but a heavy touch before the shot allowed Guzan to come off his line to cut down the angle and he wasn’t able to make the most of the chance. Still, it was a good outing from Pereyra, who was subbed out for fresher legs in the 73rd minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — Atlanta kept Torres pinned to the right wing for a majority of his time on the field, wasting little time to close down his options once he had the ball. As a result, Torres had to provide most of his service from awkward positions out wide and was successful on just one of his five attempted dribbles. Although less effective, he still did well and completed all 20 of his passes. Torres also had a pair of key passes and completed two of his three crosses. His most notable contribution was in the second half when he whipped in a venomous cross on his weaker right foot that was met by Ramiro Enrique’s diving header, which smacked the post. His only shot of the match was an attempt from outside of the box that went into the stands. Defensively, Torres applied plenty of pressure and helped out with three tackles.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7 — McGuire scored the winner with a nice finish into the bottom left corner with a defender breathing down his neck. It was one of many great runs from the rookie, as he utilized strength and elusiveness to get past Atlanta players and into open space while on the field. His goal was one of two shots in the match, the other a daring try from midfield that lacked some oomph and accuracy to punish Guzan for being off his line. In his 64 minutes of action, McGuire completed six of his nine passes and had a key pass early on to set up a solid chance for Pereyra. He received his second yellow card of the season right before being subbed off. It was another strong performance from McGuire, and a nice response following last week’s shutout.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (65′), 6.5 — Enrique nearly made an immediate impact, diving to get his head on the end of a cross from Torres and hitting the post. It was Enrique’s only shot of the match, coming off the bench shortly after Orlando took the lead. He contributed in other ways, winning seven of his nine aerial duels despite his size. He had 15 touches and 12 passes, albeit at just a 33.3% success rate.

MF, Martin Ojeda (74′), 5.5 — Ojeda didn’t see much of the ball while on the field, ending up with only five touches and three passes, completing two. He was successful on his only long ball attempt and helped out defensively with an interception and blocked a couple of passes that could have led to something dangerous. Although he wasn’t able to get the Lions an insurance goal, his fresh legs and hustle helped Orlando hold on.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (75′) 6 — Thorhallsson came on to replace Smith as right back and had his share of difficulties against the opposition as well. But he settled in and wound up with three tackles and two clearances. He had 10 touches and completed one of his two passes. With Michael Halliday out and Smith struggling, Thorhallsson’s versatility was useful to shore up the defense.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (75′) 6.5 — The center back came in and did his job, making two tackles and three clearances to maintain Orlando’s lead. He also got under Giakoumakis’ skin, with the Greek forward earning a yellow card for shoving Schlegel down. He had eight touches and completed his only pass. Once again, Schlegel showed the value of having a more-than-capable center back on the bench to come in and make the defense that much harder to beat.

MF, Felipe (92′) N/A — The midfielder came on for Angulo to further fortify things with the game winding down and to help waste a few seconds. However, he didn’t have any touches and wasn’t on the field long enough to warrant a grade.

That’s how I saw each player’s performance in the road victory. Many Lions did well in this one, so be sure to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match. Let us know what you think in the comments below as well.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/24

Ivan Angulo makes Team of the Matchday bench, Americans in action, Sergino Dest to miss Copa America, and more.

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32 mins ago

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April 23, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an excellent weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three sides took seven of the nine points on offer. There’s no rest for the wicked this week as the Orlando Pride travel to play the Washington Spirit on Friday, Orlando City hosts Toronto FC on Saturday, and Orlando City B finishes things up at home against Toronto FC II on Sunday. Let’s take a look at today’s links.

Ivan Angulo Earns Recognition

Ivan Angulo has been named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. The Colombian got the start on Saturday up in Montreal, and had a good game, going the distance and completing 82% of his passes and putting one of his two shots on target. That shot was an important one, as it gave the Lions a late equalizer and helped them salvage a valuable point on the road. Sean Rollins gave him a grade of 6 in his player grades from the match, a rating that likely would have been higher had Martin Ojeda’s pass been accurate enough to allow Angulo to grab a possible winner just a few minutes after he equalized. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in big games this week, and the good people over at Stars and Stripes FC have you covered with the whole rundown. First up, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus will try to advance to the Coppa Italia final this afternoon, as they enter the second leg of the semifinal against Lazio with a 2-0 lead on aggregate. Tomorrow sees Monaco and Folarin Balogun meet Lille in Ligue 1 action, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Newcastle United in the Premier League. Things wrap up on Friday in Serie B when Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessman, and third-place Venezia face Cremonese as they try to overtake Como and finish in one of Serie B’s two guaranteed promotion places.

Sergino Dest Sidelined Long Term

Following up on a story from yesterday’s Lion Links, The Athletic is reporting that the knee injury suffered by Sergino Dest will keep him out of Copa America, and sideline him for the rest of the year. That would be a big blow for the United States Men’s National Team, as Dest has been the nailed-on starter at right back since winning a place in the team during the qualifying cycle for the 2022 World Cup. The Yanks aren’t without options at the position, as Joe Scally could step in for Dest, or Gregg Berhalter could try deploying Weah there, but neither of the two possesses Dest’s level of offensive threat.

Inter Milan Wins Serie A

Inter Milan dispatched rival AC Milan 2-1 guaranteed that Inter will win its 20th Serie A title in club history. Fikayo Tomori’s goal in the 80th minute was the closest Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah’s club could get to leveling the score, and Inter is now a whopping 17 points clear of AC Milan with five games left to play. Inter has been imperious on its way to a 20th Scudetto, scoring the most goals in the league while also conceding the fewest and losing only once this season.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride and Orlando City hosted a clean-up effort in honor of Earth Day on Monday.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with CF Montreal?

Published

21 hours ago

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April 22, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Mark Thor

Orlando City scored in second-half injury time for the second consecutive weekend to claim points. However, this time it was an equalizer as the Lions drew CF Montreal 2-2 north of the border. The Lions ended their two-game road trip with four points and extended their points streak to four games after dropping three straight. It’s an improvement as they look to climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances in the draw.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese conceded a pair of goals in this game, though neither were necessarily his fault. The first was a breakaway after Robin Jansson kept Mason Toye onside and the second was blocked wide, but Kyle Smith was caught flat-footed. However, he did concede twice while saving three of Montreal’s five shots on target. Additionally, the Lions’ goalkeeper completed 55.6% of his 27 passes, including eight of his 20 long balls.

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Smith had a solid game other than one specific play. The left back had a team-high 86 touches and completed 78.3% of his 60 passes, including five of his 12 long balls. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, two clearances, an interception, and a blocked shot. Unfortunately, his most impactful play was getting caught watching on a Gallese block while Ariel Lassiter beat him to the rebound to give the hosts a late lead. That play lowers his grade for this otherwise quality performance.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Similar to Smith, Jansson had a solid game apart from one play. He had 72 touches and completed 79.7% of his 59 passes, including a key pass and three of his 14 long balls. He added a tackle, an interception, a blocked shot, and a team-high seven clearances to his stat sheet. But his failure to step up in the 16th minute enabled Toye to get behind the back line and score the opening goal, lowering his grade.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo has proven himself to be the first-choice partner for Jansson and he was arguably the better center back in Montreal. The Slovenian international had 53 touches and completed 85.1% of his 47 passes, including two of his five long balls. The defender recorded two tackles, an interception, and three clearances defensively in a strong performance.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson was in his usual right back position for this game, playing 90 minutes and recording 44 touches. He completed 82.8% of his 29 passes, but only one of his four long balls and neither of his two crosses. He cleared the ball twice and didn’t really get into the attack, but was solid in his defensive duties.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 (MotM) — This was possibly Cartagena’s best performance of the season. His 85 touches were second-most on the team and he completed 76.5% of his team-high 68 passes, including a key pass and two of his six long balls. It was his shielding of Nathan Saliba and strong pass forward for Duncan McGuire that started the last goal, though he didn’t get an assist. The defensive midfielder was also active defensively with five tackles and three interceptions, and he won a pair of aerial duels. His overall performance earns him my Man of the Match.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had a similar performance to Cartagena, but fewer touches and more accurate passing. He recorded 55 touches and completed 93.9% of his 49 passes, including a key pass. He was less active than his partner defensively, recording three tackles, and was booked in the 63rd minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one of his better performances in this one, recording 48 touches and completing 82.1% of his 39 passes. His biggest impact on the game came two minutes into second-half stoppage time, when he connected with an excellent Martin Ojeda cross to even the game at 2-2. He nearly scored a winner five minutes later, but the pass from Ojeda was just a bit too far for him. His goal was one of his two shots and the only one on target.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6 — Lodeiro’s 45 touches were the fewest of the Orlando City midfield, but he did the most with them. The playmaker completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including a key pass, but couldn’t connect on his long ball or either of his two crosses. He was also caught offside and dispossessed twice before being replaced by Ojeda in the 77th minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres’ 65 touches were the most in the Lions’ midfield and the fourth most on the team. He completed 83.7% of his 49 passes, but didn’t connect on his two crosses or four long balls. The attacker took three shots and put one on target. In the 22nd minute, the midfielder stepped up and buried his second penalty of the season and ninth as a Lion, continuing her perfect record from the spot.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — While Oscar Pareja had previously been starting Muriel behind McGuire, the forward got the start alone up top for the second consecutive game. He had 34 touches and completed 68.4% of his 19 passes, including his lone long ball but neither of his two crosses. His biggest impact on the game came in the 20th minute, when he tipped the ball past Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, drawing the penalty that resulted in the first equalizer. He also had a shot of his own, but it was off target.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (63’), 6 — McGuire came on in the 63rd minute for Muriel. He had 16 touches in 27 minutes, completing eight of his 10 passes (80%) with a key pass. His lone shot came in the 90th minute, when Jansson headed the ball over to him and he probably should’ve equalized, but his volley was just wide. The striker also won three aerial duels.

MF, Martin Ojeda (77’), 6.5 — Ojeda came on in the 77th minute for Lodeiro and, similar to Lodeiro last week, made a big difference. He had 15 touches and completed four of his six passes (66.7%), including a key pass. Two minutes into second-half injury time, his excellent cross found Angulo, who touched it in for the equalizer. Five minutes later, he had another great cross that nearly found Angulo for the winner, but was just out of his reach.

D, Rafael Santos (85’), 6 — Santos came on in the 85th minute for Torres as the Lions looked to see out a point. He had nine touches and completed two of his three passes (66.7%), but didn’t connect on his cross or long ball. Coming on to assure the defense, Santos did his job as he recorded a tackle, an interception, and two clearances.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with CF Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/24

Orlando City draws CF Montreal, Pride and OCB win, FA Cup drama, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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April 22, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Orlando City drew, while the Pride and OCB both won over the weekend. I had friends in town, so I went to Wrigley Field to check out a Cubs game and show them around Chicago. Let’s wish former Orlando City midfielder Kaka and Pride defender Brianna Martinez a happy birthday! There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw at CF Montreal

Orlando City again had to overcome a 2-1 deficit on the road when it faced CF Montreal Saturday night. The Lions needed a late stoppage-time goal from Ivan Angulo to walk out of Stade Saputo with a 2-2 draw. Orlando has now picked up points in each of the last four matches. Orlando City will face CF Montreal again on July 26 in the MLS Leagues Cup during the competition’s group stage. The Lions’ next match will be Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium as it takes on Toronto FC.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride shut out the San Diego Wave 1-0 on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium and got their second consecutive win with that same scoreline. Summer Yates scored the lone goal in the first half to seal the win for Orlando. Zambian international striker Barbra Banda made her debut for the Pride, coming off the bench in the second half. The Pride remain undefeated through five league matches and are fifth in the NWSL table with nine points. The team will be on the road to face the Washington Spirit Friday.

OCB Wins on the Road at Crown Legacy FC

Orlando City B got a 2-0 win against Crown Legacy FC at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Friday. Alex Freeman and Shak Mohammed scored for the Young Lions, and Javier Otero made six saves. OCB completed its two-match road trip, securing four out of a possible six points, and has kept its unbeaten streak on the road alive at four matches. OCB is in fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference with nine points, while Crown Legacy is winless in five matches. OCB will be back in action this Sunday as it hosts Toronto FC II at Osceola County Stadium.

Manchester United and Manchester City Advance to FA Cup Final

Manchester United won 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw against Coventry City in the FA Cup semifinals to advance to the final. It was a thrilling match at Wembley as United had a 3-0 lead before Coventry City rallied to get back into the match. USMNT forward Haji Wright scored the equalizer to tie the match 3-3 late into stoppage time. Coventry City thought it scored the game-winning goal late into extra time from Victor Torp, but it was ruled offside after video review. Casemiro missed his penalty for United, while Wright and Torp gave Coventry City a 2-1 advantage. United converted four straight penalties while Coventry City missed two to seal the win for the Red Devils. Manchester City edged past Chelsea 1-0 in their semifinal matchup, with Bernardo Silva scoring the lone goal in the second half. The FA Cup final will be played at the end of May and will feature a Manchester Derby for the second consecutive time.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it, check out this video on Orlando City’s social media page on Ivan Angulo’s equalizer to tie the match in stoppage time against CF Montreal on Saturday.

According to OptaJack, the Pride have secured the most points at home during the regular season since last May, with 26.

  • USMNT defender Sergino Dest suffered a knee injury during training with PSV Eindhoven over the weekend. Dest will miss the remainder of the Eredivisie season and could miss the 2024 Copa America this summer.
  • Real Madrid came back from being 2-1 down to defeat Barcelona 3-2 and stay ahead of its rivals by 11 points with six league matches left.
  • Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 45 matches after scoring a late goal from Josip Stanisic in stoppage time to get a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
  • Serie A side Udinese is reportedly set to hire former Juventus and Real Madrid player Fabio Cannavaro as its next head coach.

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

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