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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well that was fun! Despite the latter stages being a bit nervy, Orlando City went on the road and got it done against a Philadelphia Union team that had been close to invincible at home for a very long time. What follows are my five takeaways from a satisfying road victory.

Red Hot Start

Orlando came absolutely flying out of the gates in this one. It took just two minutes for Martin Ojeda to open the scoring after he latched onto a ball over the top from Mauricio Pereyra and kept his cool once he found himself 1-v-1 with Joe Bendik. The fun didn’t stop there as the Lions’ newest Designated Player then turned provider when he played a neat little pass behind the Philadelphia defense that put Ivan Angulo clean through on goal. Like Ojeda, Angulo made no mistake and doubled OCSC’s advantage. A lead meant that Orlando was able to do exactly what Oscar Pareja wanted to do: defend with numbers and break quickly when winning the ball to try to catch the Union out on the counter. It didn’t work to complete perfection, but it did work.

Familiar Faces

The Lions found themselves up against two familiar faces in Joe Bendik and Andres Perea. Perea, in particular, was absolutely immense on the night. Not only did he score the Union’s lone goal, but he seemed involved in everything they did going forward. He ended the night with one chance created and six shots, with all but one coming from well inside the box. For a guy who had his moments but never fully clicked in Orlando, it was nice to see him thriving, even if it had to come against his former team. In Bendik’s case, his night was a bit rougher as he was beaten twice, but he still managed to stonewall Ojeda when the Argentine had a chance to ice the game late.

Ojeda’s Opening Night

Speaking of Ojeda, he was my Man of the Match and I thought this was easily the best game he’s played in an Orlando City shirt. Obviously he had a goal and an assist, but outside of that he passed with 80% accuracy, created two chances, took eight shots, blocked three on the other end and had two tackles. While he probably should have had a hat trick given that he failed to take advantage of two excellent chances in the dying stages of the game, he seemed to be involved in most of the good things that the Lions did on the night, and it was fantastic to see what he’s capable of doing. Hopefully this game is just the start of good things for him.

Look Who’s Back

A wild Antonio Carlos has appeared! Sure, it was only for 10 minutes plus stoppage time, but the Brazilian defender made his long-awaited return from injury and helped put the game away for Orlando City. His return is huge, because the Lions don’t exactly have a ton of center back depth outside of Rodrigo Schlegel and Abdi Salim. Schlegel has held the fort down admirably in Carlos’ absence, but a healthy AC and Robin Jansson are one of the better starting center back pairings in the league. His return hasn’t been able to come soon enough, and the fact that it happened on a night when the Lions nabbed a road victory made it even sweeter.

Stopping the Streak

Not only was this a road victory, but prior to this win, the Union had won 12 straight games at home and Philadelphia was undefeated in its last 24 home league games at Subaru Park. The last time the Union had lost at home was Sept. 3, 2021 to the New England Revolution. Sure, the Union were missing Andre Blake, Julian Carranza, Daniel Gazdag, Damion Lowe, Jose Martinez, Richard Odada, Quinn Sullivan, Brandan Craig, and Jack McGlynn, but Orlando had its fair share of absences as well, with Pedro Gallese and Facundo Torres the two biggest names missing. My point is that a win in this game was far from the first thing many people predicted, but the Lions were able to go on the road, get it done, and bounce back from last week’s performance in the process. Now that one streak has snapped, it would be great if OCSC can go start one of its own.


Those are my big thoughts from Saturday’s match. What were your impressions from a hard-fought win? Be sure to have your say down in the comments.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

Free Kicks


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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/26/24

Jack Lynn named to MLS Team of the Matchday bench, Nico Lodeiro and Marta up for weekly awards, USMNT stock watch, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an enjoyable weekend for fans of Orlando soccer as the Lions got in the win column, the Pride stayed unbeaten, and Orlando City B picked up two points by way of a shootout win. As usual, we have plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s dive in.

Jack Lynn Makes Team of the Matchday Bench

Jack Lynn’s efforts in Orlando City’s 2-0 win over Austin FC have earned him a spot on the bench in the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Lynn opened the scoring with a well-finished header in the first half, a tally which was also his very first for the senior side. Aside from his goal, he took another shot that was off target, completed 77% of his passes, and recorded 21 touches. The performance earned him a 6 out of 10 grade from Sean Rollins in his player grades from the match. Lynn’s inclusion in the TotM is well deserved, and hopefully it’s the first of many!

Orlando Players Up for Weekly Honors

Nico Lodeiro’s free kick during Orlando City’s win has been nominated for the MLS Goal of the Matchday. In the 64th minute, with the Lions holding a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Lynn’s goal, the good guys were awarded a free kick due to a handball on the edge of the box. Lodeiro proceeded to deliver the goods, scoring his first league goal for OCSC with a powerful, bending effort that Brad Stuver was unable to keep out of the top corner. Make sure you go and vote for Nico to win this week’s award!

He wasn’t the only Orlando player who had an impressive goal either, as the Orlando Pride’s Marta has been nominated for the National Women’s Soccer League Goal of the Week. It was a well-deserved nomination too, as she leveled the score and rescued a point for the Pride in spectacular fashion. With time ticking down in the 88th minute, she expertly volleyed in a corner kick at home. Go and vote for her to win the honor!

Post-Nations League Stock Watch

Several United States Men’s National Team players either boosted or hurt their stock over the course of last week’s Concacaf Nations League matches. Guys like Giovanni Reyna and Tyler Adams turned in impactful and timely performances. Reyna was named the best player of the tournament at a time when minutes at the club level are tough to come by, while Adams looked great as he continues to work his way back from a long injury layoff. Joe Scally and Folarin Balogun struggled though, with Scally being hooked at halftime against Jamaica and Balogun having a relatively quiet two games while fellow striker Haji Wright was the hero against Jamaica. Nobody’s stock dropped more than Mexico’s though, which has now gone seven games without beating the U.S., and hasn’t scored in almost 500 minutes. *Insert eagle screech here*

Big Names Missing for Euro 2024

The club season won’t be over for a couple more months, but there are a number of big stars who we either already know won’t be appearing at this summer’s Euro 2024, or who have a race against the clock in order to feature. The Real Madrid duo of David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois will both miss the tournament through injury, although Courtois’ rocky relationship with Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco means he may not have been called up anyway. Sven Botman will be unavailable for the Netherlands due to an ACL tear. Ivan Perisic suffered the same fate, sidelining him for Croatia. Then there are the cases of Sandro Tonali and Paul Pogba, who are unavailable for Italy and France, respectively, due to suspensions for off-field issues.

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  • Happy National Athletic Training Month from one AT (me) to another!
  • The young Yanks engineered a late comeback to earn a 2-2 draw with France, with Cade Cowell scoring the equalizer.
  • A vote has reportedly taken place on a new tentative agreeement between PRO and the PSRA.
  • LAFC has reportedly sent a formal contract offer for Olivier Giroud to join the Western Conference side once the Serie A season concludes.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Austin FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-0 win over Austin FC?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City claimed its first win of the 2024 MLS season, defeating Austin FC 2-0. It was undoubtedly the best performance of the young season by the team and an essential result after the worst start to a season in club history.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this much-needed win.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — Stajduhar got the start with usual starter Pedro Gallese on international duty and had little to do in this game. Austin only put one shot on target and it was right to Mason, requiring little effort to stop it. He completed 81.8% of his 11 passes and three of his five long balls while recording his third career clean sheet.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — This was arguably Santos’ best game of the season, recording a team-high 70 touches. He completed 77.8% of his 45 passes and one of his four long balls, while his lone cross was incomplete. He attempted three shots, putting one on target. However, he was most effective on the defensive end with a team-high four interceptions, 10 recoveries, and two clearances. The left back was solid in the back and contributed to the clean sheet.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — It was another strong performance by the Orlando City captain, who touched the ball 48 times on the night. The center back completed 87.5% of his 40 passes, including two of his six long balls. He intercepted two Austin passes and recorded a team-high four clearances.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel got the start in this game with David Brekalo on international duty with Slovenia. The center back has had some tough outings this year, but was solid alongside Jansson. He completed an impressive 88.4% of his 43 passes, including four of his seven long balls. The Argentinian wasn’t as active as Jansson defensively, but recorded a tackle and two clearances. He also had a shot that was off target.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — Thorhallsson had a quality game, both in the attack and defense. His 66 touches were second most on the team and he completed 75.6% of his 45 passes. While he only completed one of his four crosses and one of his five long balls, he had a team-high six key passes, including his perfect cross for Jack Lynn, resulting in the opening goal. His two shots were wildly off target, but he was strong defensively with an interception, three clearances, and a team-high four tackles. He was even involved in the second goal, setting up Nico Lodeiro for the shot that resulted in a handball.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had possibly his best game of the season against Austin. He made the most of his 53 touches, completing 91.4% of his 35 passes, including three key passes. His one shot hit the frame and he had one successful dribble. He also helped out defensively, recording a tackle and a clearance.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 7 (MotM) — Lodeiro was very involved in this game, recording a team-high 70 touches. He completed 87% of his team-high 54 passes, including a key pass and three of his six long balls. He put two of his six shots on target, including a glorious free kick goal, which was created by his shot that went off the arm of a defender. He was also involved in the buildup on the first goal, playing a 1-2 with Thorhallson before the fullback’s cross in to Lynn. He also had two tackles, contributing to the clean sheet. Overall, Lodeiro had an excellent performance and earns my Man of the Match.

MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — For the second consecutive game, Smith lined up just in front of the back line in a role usually occupied by Cesar Araujo. The long-time Orlando City defender touched the ball 47 times and completed 89.2% of his 37 passes, including a key pass and a long ball. However, his biggest impact was on defense, where he recorded three tackles, an interception, and a clearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — While I gave my Man of the Match to Lodeiro, it also could’ve gone to Ojeda. The 25-year-old touched the ball 57 times and completed 97.4% of his 39 passes, including two key passes, one of seven crosses, and all eight of his long balls. Three of his five shots hit the target, though he wasn’t able to find the back of the net. He also added a tackle and came off in the 88th minute for Mikey Halliday.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Muriel played just behind Lynn and in front of the attacking midfield, recording 51 touches on the night. He completed 76.7% of his 30 passes, which included two key passes, and all four of his long balls. He also had three successful dribbles, but both of his shots were off target. While he didn’t help in the scoring, he caused problems for the Austin defense before being replaced in added time by Jeorgio Kocevski.

F, Jack Lynn, 6 — The absence of Duncan McGuire saw Lynn get his first start for the first team. Playing the target striker position, he had 21 touches and completed 76.9% of his 13 passes. However, his biggest contribution was his header in the 42nd minute for the opening goal. It was put on a platter by Thorhallsson, but he still handled it well, heading it down and off Brad Stuver. He had one other off-target shot before coming off in the 74th minute for Felipe.

Substitutes

MF, Felipe (74’), 6 — The defensive midfielder came on for Lynn in a defensive move as the Lions looked to see out the three points. He didn’t do much in the attack, only touching the ball seven times and completing all four of his passes. But he recorded a tackle and an interception in his 16 minutes on the field.

D, Mikey Halliday (88’), N/A — Halliday entered the game for Ojeda in the dying minutes in an attempt to kill some time to see the game out. He only had one touch and one clearance, without attempting any passes.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (90+4’), N/A — Kocevski came on for Muriel four minutes into added time, touching the ball once and completing one pass without recording any other stats.

F, Shak Mohammed (90+4’), N/A — Mohammed came on with Kocevski, replacing Lodeiro. He had two touches, but didn’t see any other action in his short time on the field.


That’s how I saw Orlando City’s huge 2-0 win over Austin FC. Let us know what you thought of the performance and vote on your Man of the Match below.

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