Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls, Round 2: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

9 years ago

on

The Lions have been victimized on the counter-attack many times this inaugural Major League Soccer season. So it was highly satisfying to see Orlando City flip the tables and become the clinical team on the rush.

Carlos Rivas and Kaká kept feeding Cyle Larin and the Canadian international kept putting them in the back of the net. The five goals is a new club MLS record for a road game, breaking the old mark of three set at Chicago in June and equaled at New York City FC.

Here are my player grades from Orlando City’s third consecutive victory (feels good to say that):

Starters

GK, Tally Hall, 6.5 – Hall made three saves on the night and couldn’t do much about the two goals allowed, but I thought he had a chance to get to a few more of those aerial balls that became more dangerous than they needed to be as a result of letting them go. Hall still had a fairly good game, but it wasn’t vintage Tally.

D, Luke Boden, 6 – A mixed night for Bodz, who was asked to shift into an unfamiliar position when Seb Hines was stretchered off. Had a bad early turnover at left back in the 21st but Hines bailed him out with a tackle of Lloyd Sam in the box. Completely lost track of Sam on the second goal. Aside from that, it was a hard-fought shift from Boden who was calm on the ball and looked to clear his lines whenever possible.

D, Aurelien Collin, 7 – Big No. 78 had his hands full marking New York’s attack but he did an admirable job. Was very calm and tried to keep the back line organized with Hines early on and later with Boden next to him. It would have been very easy for the makeshift back line to get disorganized but Collin didn’t let that happen. He was a leader in the back, with the most touches, clearances and interceptions of the back four.

D, Seb Hines, 7 – An unfortunately short night for Hines, who was carried off the pitch after New York scored off a set piece. He was caught in a collision between two attackers and went down hard on his shoulder. While on the pitch, Hines was solid and snuffed out a Lloyd Sam attack in the box in the 21st minute after Boden’s turnover. Completed 82% of his passes and had three long balls in his 33 minutes.

D, Rafael Ramos, 7.5 – Four clearances, three blocked shots and two interceptions for Rafa, who kept Mike Grella relatively quiet and held his ground when one-on-one out wide. Used his speed well defensively. A few misplaced passes and a lack of offensive threat keep his score from being even higher.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 8 – Showed incredible hustle after having a shot blocked in the 43rd minute, tracking all the way back to help with a tackle just above his own penalty area to start the sequence that resulted in Cyle Larin’s second goal. Will unfortunately miss the Montreal match after picking up a yellow card on a mis-timed tackle attempt from behind Sacha Kljestan in the 28th. Higuita just continues to impress, with four tackles, two interceptions and two clearances to go with 92.1% passing accuracy. Drew a game-high five fouls.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 7.5 – The El Salvadoran was all over the pitch. He got on the ball everywhere, making a team-high 51 passes and completing 86% of them. Three interceptions and three clearances. I may be being picky, but I deducted half a point for a number of late decisions that kept him from either completing a pass or intercepting one. Could just be a matter of getting his timing back after being out, but a solid night.

MF/LB, Brek Shea, 7 – Three games and three wins since Shea returned. Was forced to reprise his role at left back after Hines was subbed out for Carlos Rivas. Tied Collin with a team-high five interceptions with two clearances and a blocked shot. Started the play that resulted in Cyle Larin’s third goal with a gorgeous outlet to Rivas. Helped Orlando withstand a lot of pressure from Sam and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

MF, Kaká, 7.5 – The captain’s return was a good one. Aside from missing the net with his shot attempts (none of the four found the target), it was a solid game. Showed great hustle and leadership and was more active defensively than we’ve seen in awhile. Led the team with 94% passing accuracy and had a team-high five key passes, adding two assists — including a perfect service to Larin for the game’s first goal and a touch pass to Bryan Rochez for the final tally.

MF, Lewis Neal, 5.5 – Another typical Lewis Neal outing. Was a step slow to break up some of New York’s midfield play and didn’t do much terribly dangerous on the offensive end, although he did put himself in a good spot in the 48th for a Cyle Larin cross but a deflection allowed Robles to collect it.

F, Cyle Larin, 8.5 (MOTM) – The Canadian scored a hat trick and forced a Damien Perrinelle own-goal with his presence. Three shots, three goals. That’s clinical finishing and he mostly made the right runs with the exception of one time with Kaká leading the break. Didn’t seem to have the rubber legs of the last match. Was a difference maker, completing 83% of his passes, made two key passes…oh, and set the MLS rookie goal scoring mark in style, becoming the first player in league history to net two hat tricks his rookie year.

Substitutes

LW, Carlos Rivas (34′), 8 – It wasn’t a perfect night for the Colombian, who finished the night with two brilliant assists plus the cross that forced the own goal by Damien Perrinelle. He was a deadly force on Orlando City’s counter attack, but he continues to rush his shots (shooting from too far away on one occasion when he could have been in all alone on Luis Robles) or right at the goalkeeper. He also made a few rash challenges and had at least one cheap giveaway. Still, he was such a menace offensively that we’ll forgive that tonight.

MF, Adrian Winter (65′), 5.5 – It was a tough 25 or so minutes for Winter, who squibbed a shot well high and played a few passes too late and got them intercepted as a result. Still, he worked hard during his shift and generally got in the way defensively as New York looked for a way back into the match.

MF, Bryan Rochez (76′), 8 – What an eventful 14 minutes for the Honduran U-20 star. Rochez came on and immediately got involved, getting behind Matt Miazga in the 77th and forcing the Red Bulls defender to grab him from behind, earning him a second yellow and a sending off. Was active in the counter attack and finished calmly in the 93rd minute to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Brek Shea 16
Carlos Rivas 36
Kaká 25
Cyle Larin 162
Cristian Higuita 11
Darwin Ceren 9
Aurelien Collin 11
Other (tell us who in the comments section) 1
Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Toronto FC

Get the inside scoop on Toronto FC ahead of Saturday’s match.

Published

6 hours ago

on

April 26, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another Orlando City matchday is almost upon us, and the Lions will try to extend a four-game unbeaten streak Saturday night and finish off an undefeated month of April. OCSC will do so back in the comfortable confines of home, as Toronto FC travels south for the first of two games between the teams this season.

A visit from Toronto means I caught up with Tomas Karageorgos of Waking the Red. As usual, he was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on TFC ahead of the upcoming match.

This is John Herdman’s first year in charge of Toronto. What sort of style does the team play under him?

Tomas Karageorgos: John Herdman plays a variation of a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation that prefers to build plays out of the back. Herdman also relies on his center midfielders to win possession back and push the ball to either flank. German striker Prince Owusu’s constant pressure on opposing defenses has caused some turnovers in TFC’s favor. Owusu’s style of play has not only helped his teammates but himself as well — he has scored five goals in the club’s last six matches.

Run me through some of the additions and departures that took place during the off-season. Who are some new faces to keep an eye on?

TK: The four major additions that the club made was signing defensive midfielders Deiby Flores and Matty Longstaff; Canadian fullback Richie Laryea is back for a third time; and Irish center back Kevin Long. Flores has been described as a dog in the sense of not being afraid to get stuck into tough challenges. Longstaff was signed from Newcastle United and is beginning to play consistent minutes — he still has room to grow as he’s a young player. Long was signed from Birmingham City and has been a rock in the center of the back three. A strong aerial presence and calmness has helped to contribute to Toronto’s six clean sheets across all competitions this season. There’s not much to say about Laryea that hasn’t been said, he’s arguably the best defender in MLS when healthy. Another underrated signing was French defender Nicksoen Gomis from Sheffield United, he has had quiet-yet-consistent performances. Notable departures include Salvadoran goalkeeper Tomás Romero, Norwegian striker Adama Diomande, and club legend Michael Bradley, who retired at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

TFC has quite the list of injured players at the moment. Who has been filling in for the missing faces, and how have they looked?

TK: Lorenzo Insigne, Richie Laryea, and Shane O’Neill continue to miss action due to thigh injuries. Midfielder Brandon Servania is slated to return during the middle of the season as he is recovering from knee surgery. First overall draft pick Tyrese Spicer has filled in for Insigne and has two goals in his account for the club — he has a high work rate on both sides of the ball. Canadian youngster Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is gaining more experience on the right side while Laryea is sidelined. Gomis and Sigurd Rosted have been taking turns covering O’Neill, and Alonso Coello is continuing to build on an impressive first season with the club in the absence of Servania.

Which players will be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

TK: The names I noted above who are injured will be unavailable. Also, attacker Deandre Kerr is listed as questionable.

Predicted starting XI: Sean Johnson; Nickeson Gomis, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted; Tyrese Spicer, Alonso Coello, Deybi Flores, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty; Jonathan Osorio, Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Owusu.

Score prediction: 1-1. 

Thank you to Tomas for his insight into Toronto FC. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/26/24

Orlando City gets ready for Toronto FC, Thiago Silva linked with Orlando, Marta announces international retirement, and more.

Published

9 hours ago

on

April 26, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad it’s Friday. It’s been a bit of a brutal week for me, but the weekend is nearly upon us, and I plan on spending it with my family for my dad’s birthday. I’m also hoping to find some time to read the new book that came out this week from my favorite author, Emily Henry. For now though, let’s enjoy these links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for Toronto FC

After a shaky start to the season, the Lions are unbeaten in their past four games and can make it five when they host Toronto FC Saturday night. Toronto has lost three of its past four games, but is coming off of a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution. In the time since Oscar Pareja took over as head coach, Orlando City has won six of its seven games against Toronto. It will be the first meeting between the two with John Herdman at the helm of Toronto, so we will see if the trend of recent Orlando dominance continues. It should be a great game and is another opportunity for the Lions to climb up the table.

Thiago Silva Linked With Orlando City

Brazilian defender Thiago Silva’s contract with Chelsea ends this summer and Orlando City was mentioned as one of many reported clubs interested in signing him. Beyond the surface-level facts that Silva is an incredibly talented defender and Orlando City is a popular landing spot for South Americans who want to play in MLS, the move would not make much sense. The club signed David Brekalo this off-season and Rodrigo Schlegel is a solid option off the bench as well. Even if Orlando does want Silva, there will be plenty of competition. Returning to Fluminense is the expected choice, but Silva could stay in Europe or make the move to Saudi Arabia.

Marta Will Retire From National Team After 2024

Orlando Pride star Marta announced that 2024 will be her last year playing for Brazil. You will need a translating tool for more of the details from her interview with CNN, but she spoke on how she’s at peace with her decision to stop playing at the international level once the year is over. She made her international debut in 2002 and has since played in five Olympics for Brazil. Marta may play in her sixth this summer, and there would be global attention to see one of the greatest players ever to lead Brazil one last time. Her contract with the Pride also ends after this season, but only time will tell if this is her final season in Orlando.

Orlando’s Academy Teams Get Results Against New England

With the Generations Adidas Cup behind them, Orlando City’s U-17 and U-15 teams earned some important points against the New England Revolution’s youth squads. The U-15 team dominated New England in a 4-1 result that included a hat trick from Jakob Garcia. The match between the U-17 sides was a closer affair, as they split the points in a 1-1 draw. Orlando’s teams will play again tomorrow, with a pair of home games against Nashville SC.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to ensure a victory over Toronto FC Saturday at home?

Published

1 day ago

on

April 25, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a successful, four-point road trip, Orlando City returns from Montreal to the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium to face one of the other Canadian clubs, Toronto FC. The Lions are hoping to add to a four-match unbeaten streak. A win offers the opportunity to take another step up the standings.

What does Orlando City need to do to secure all three points at home against Toronto FC?

No Early Mistakes

In the last three matches, Orlando City has conceded the first goal of the match. Worse than that, each of those goals happened within the first 21 minutes. Yes, coming from behind for two draws and one win is good, but not giving up those early goals may have meant three wins instead.

Last season, Orlando City’s defense was good. We didn’t see nearly so many mental mistakes by the defense, especially so early in the match. What is frustrating is that these mistakes were seemingly preventable. The back line, the defensive midfielders, and Pedro Gallese need to tighten up in the early going so that the Lions are not chasing the match so early on.

Take Advantage of Tired Legs

Toronto FC played a match against Simcoe County Rovers in the Canadian Championship tournament on Wednesday. I’m in no way saying that Toronto trotted out their first choice lineup for the match, but even if only some of the players got a run out, that could create some tired legs for the match against Orlando. Add in the travel from Canada to Florida on short rest and it could be good news for the Lions.

If the Lions can possess the ball and make Toronto FC chase them, or if Orlando can get the first goal (see above) so that Toronto is chasing the match as well, it might pay dividends in the second half. Orlando City is good enough in the passing game to do so, though it will be interesting to see whether Martin Ojeda rejoins the starting lineup or if Nico Lodeiro gets the nod again.

One Down, Two to Go

Facundo Torres was the first of Orlando City’s three Designated Players to score a goal in the regular season. While it didn’t come in the run of play, it might still spark him to add some more since he usually starts slow and then catches fire at about this point in the season. Of course, both Luis Muriel and Ojeda contributed to the scoring against Montreal. Muriel drew the penalty that Torres took, and Ojeda provided the assist to Ivan Angulo.

Now it is time for either Muriel or Ojeda — or both — to join Torres on the scoreboard. Standing in their way will be a good keeper in Sean Johnson. So far this season, he has allowed seven goals and has 22 saves, with three clean sheets. Muriel seems to be getting closer to scoring with each shot taken, and Ojeda has missed some close ones. If all three of Orlando City’s Designated Players can start scoring regularly, this team will become dangerous quickly.

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

Continue Reading

Trending