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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Continue to Struggle Offensively

25 shot attempts, but only four on target.

Published

7 years ago

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Orlando City has probably never had a final stats sheet like the one members of the media received after the Lions’ 2-1 home loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps at Orlando City Stadium.

Possession: 72.5%. Shots: 25. Passing accuracy: 84.8% Total passes: 487 — that’s 384 more than Vancouver. The worst passer on the team, statistically — Yoshimar Yotun — still managed 75.4% accuracy. The team fired 40 (!) open-play crosses. And yet, the Lions lost.

But in the end, the Vancouver Whitecaps leave with all the points because again the Lions could not find much quality to go with all of that quantity. Orlando City mustered only four shots on target out of the 25 attempts. Giles Barnes hit the crossbar late in the game. Both goals against were gifts — an own goal by Tommy Redding within the game’s first 10 minutes, and a second-half giveaway that sprung a Vancouver counter, which ended in the eventual winning goal by Brek Shea, because of course it would be Shea.

Cyle Larin’s 10th goal of the season gave the Lions a lifeline but it turned out to be nothing more than consolation in the end.

All of the effort, possession, and scoring chances mean little if the team can’t convert. And on this night, like so many others we’ve seen recently, the end product didn’t match the effort. Orlando City has put together some good performances recently but the Lions sure aren’t getting rewarded for it.

That’s the kind of thing that eventually saps optimism, amplifies a lack of confidence, and leaves fans screaming for a change, when literally any change will do in order to create a feeling that lessens the helplessness of watching a team with one of the best starts in MLS history slowly bleed to death over the course of several months.

A somber Jason Kreis struggled to put into words after the game what it’s like to watch good performances result in so few goals and even fewer good results.

“The effort the guys are putting forward in the last five or six games now is second to none. The belief they have and the willingness to work until the bitter end is fantastic and I can’t be any more thankful for that,” Kreis said. “But for whatever reason, it seems like it’s bad luck after bad luck after bad luck. And to go through a game tonight where we gave them both goals and we weren’t able to finish one of the plethora of chances we had — it’s difficult. A really, really mentally and emotionally difficult time for us.”

“You look at the start of these games and there’s one team really putting the pressure on and in both of them one small error and we’re punished for it,” goalkeeper Joe Bendik said. “That’s the game in the grand scheme but at some point it’s got to go our way a little bit.”

Kreis sent out an interesting lineup, apart from the usual Bendik at the back and the same back four who have played since Jonathan Spector went out with a knee injury a few games ago. Cristian Higuita, Yoshimar Yotun, Giles Barnes, and Kaká provided a more offensive-minded midfield than we’re used to seeing, while Carlos Rivas joined Dom Dwyer in the starting strike partnership and Cyle Larin sat on the substitutes’ bench.

Orlando City gave up only one scoring opportunity in the first half and of course it was enough, as the Whitecaps got on the board when Redding flicked Nicolas Mezquida’s free kick with his head back into his own net just nine minutes after the start. The Whitecaps didn’t even need a shot on goal to take the lead. It was the second time in three games that the central defense partnership conceded an own goal — as Leo Pereira did at New York — and the second time in three games the Lions conceded a first-half goal without allowing a shot on target.

Dwyer nearly got on the score sheet in the 16th minute, when a cross came in that the keeper got a piece of just before Dom’s arrival. The deflection was just enough to put off the striker’s timing.

Orlando’s best opportunity of the opening period came in the 21st minute. From the left corner, Kaká sent a cross to the top of the box that Dwyer allowed to run through to Yotun. The Peruvian one-timed his shot but sizzled it just over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Yotun took a free kick from near the sideline about 10 yards inside of the midfield line. The Peruvian’s kick was headed on by Barnes and landed just over the bar on top of the net, although Stefan Marinovic appeared to have it well covered.

In the 31st minute, Scott Sutter sent a cross in that deflected off Vancouver fullback Jordan Harvey and nearly deflected in just under the bar, but Marinovic was there to tip it over. Two minutes later, off an ensuing corner, the ball pinballed around the Vancouver box after a Rivas shot attempt but no one could get it on frame, although it appeared Higuita was fouled in the process of heading it on goal.

The Lions dominated possession in the opening half (72.6%) and out-shot Vancouver, 15-1, but Orlando only mustered one effort that actually hit the target, and Marinovic stopped that.

The first half was largely an exercise in frustration as Rivas continually failed to do much of anything with conviction. His shots were further off target than usual, including one about five rows into the upper deck. His passes were rarely properly weighted for their recipients. And he wasn’t even able to use his speed to much effect. By halftime, Kreis had seen enough and Larin came on for the Colombian.

Kreis said after the match that his thought with starting Rivas was he wanted to use the Colombian’s willingness to drop into the midfield and to the sidelines to feed Dwyer as he ran into the box, but what occurred during the game was that there weren’t enough bodies getting into the area to provide other options.

The second half was pretty much an exact replica of the first. Orlando controlled the ball for nearly the same amount of time (72.5% rather than 72.6%). Again, Orlando had the ball, the shots, the chances, but could only hit the target three times. And again, a gaffe by an Orlando defender led to a Vancouver goal. This time Pereira ignited a break that ended up with Shea in alone on Joe Bendik and the former Lion chipped the Orlando keeper to give the guests a two-goal lead in the 53rd minute.

Shea’s goal came three minutes after Dwyer smashed a shot just wide of goal.

Larin pulled one back for the Lions at the 62-minute mark, seemingly reigniting the game. Yotun got down the left flank after taking a pass from Higuita and scorched in an inch-perfect cross for the Canadian to nod home to make it 2-1. It was Yotun’s first MLS assist on a night when the Peruvian played extremely well, creating six chances and getting on the ball often — he led all players with 99 touches.

Vancouver nearly made it 3-1 a couple of times. Second-half sub Alphonso Davies got a fortunate deflection on a counter off Higuita and it fell for him to be alone on Bendik, but he shot high in the 69th minute. The Whitecaps somehow completely bungled a 3-on-1 counterattack in the 73rd without even getting a shot out of it. And Higuita made a vital desperation lunge to block a shot attempt in the box on another dangerous counter.

But the Lions had more opportunities than Vancouver. Off a 78th-minute corner kick, Sutter ended up shooting from above the box. The ball fell in front of Larin with Marinovic on the ground. Larin took a touch and then could not get his foot back onto it to knock it into the gaping net. The ball skipped off Barnes’ attempt to knock it in and eventually came to Dillon Powers — making his Orlando City debut as a second-half sub — who fired a shot that deflected off a defender and out of play.

Dwyer nearly got his head to a cross from point-blank range in the 85th but got a punch to the side of the head from Marinovic just as the ball arrived. A minute later, Barnes drove a blast off the crossbar. Larin nodded a corner cross wide of goal in the 89th.

Referee Hilario Grajeda signaled a minimum of four stoppage minutes and with the Lions coming close time after time, it seemed like that might be enough time. But in the end, as usual, even that didn’t go Orlando’s way. Despite repeated time wasting efforts in injury time by Vancouver that drew warnings from the referee, Grajeda still blew the full time whistle a good 10 seconds before the four minutes were up.

To paraphrase a recurring bit from the old 1970s musical comedy show Hee Haw, if it weren’t for bad luck, the Lions would have no luck at all.

“A little bit of a loss for words, honestly, because I just have never felt like I’ve been in such an unlucky situation,” Kreis said. “We just can’t seem to get anything to go our way. I feel like if we get something to go our way right now we can get a lot of good results because we’re performing well and playing well. But the struggle continues.”

Bendik was visibly dejected after the game, lamenting the team paying for every small mistake while not being able to capitalize on its own opportunities.

“Disappointed. It’s a lot of effort, a lot of heart, and to just get punished for these tiny mistakes…last week Cyle runs with a guy on a free kick and heads it away, it hits the side of a guy’s head and goes in the net,” he said. “This week Tommy makes a challenge, wins the ball but can’t get enough on it and I can’t make the save. Really disappointed.”

The season is still mathematically alive, but with Columbus, Atlanta, and even Philadelphia earning points tonight, coupled with the way every break seems to be going this summer, it’s probably best for your sanity to just enjoy the games while we’ve got them and look forward to a good off-season at this point.

The Lions are at New England next Saturday to make up the postponed game from back in March. Hey, we’ll be here to cover it.

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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

5 hours 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!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/24

Duncan McGuire is an Olympic frontrunner, Orlando Pride get ready for the Washington Spirit, Colin Guske signs with Orlando City B, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

on

April 25, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this work week hasn’t been too stressful for you as we get ready for another weekend packed with Orlando soccer. All of the European soccer this week has been enjoyable as well, as teams fight for silverware and survival. It should be a fun next few days, although most of my match following will be digital. I’m hoping to get out to the stadium for a game or two over the next couple of months as well. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Duncan McGuire Likely to Play in Olympics

Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire was listed as one of the frontrunners to join the U.S. for this year’s Olympics. It won’t be much of a shock if McGuire is in Paris this summer, as he’s been impressive in the time since being drafted sixth overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Lions. The 23-year-old has followed up a strong rookie year with three goals and an assist so far this season. It will be interesting to see who McGuire could compete with for minutes in the Olympics, with Ricardo Pepi noted as another possible option up top for the U.S. Overall, it’s nice to see McGuire is doing what’s needed to stay in the contention for Paris. I think that staying in Orlando rather than going to England has definitely helped his case.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride are riding a five-game unbeaten streak and will take it to the nation’s capital for a difficult road match against the Washington Spirit Friday night. The Pride have won their past two games and will face a Spirit side that has won four of its five games this season. Both teams have been defensively sound, each conceding just four goals, so it may come down to moments of individual brilliance to make the difference. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about the difficulty of the matchup, Orlando’s grit this season, and the impact Barbra Banda had in her debut last weekend.

Orlando City B Signs Colin Guske

Midfielder Colin Guske, who joined Orlando City’s academy back in 2020, signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B through this 2024 season. The 17-year-old made his OCB debut in the team’s season opener this year and scored the game-winning goal. He’s carved out a spot in OCB’s midfield this season, starting in four of the team’s five games. Guske has two brothers who have also gone through the club’s academy and played with OCB. A solid year with the Young Lions from Guske could result in a Homegrown Player contract for the senior team.

Columbus Crew SC Wins First Leg Against Monterrey

The Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals are here and the Columbus Crew are the only MLS team still in the tournament. They came up with a big 2-1 home win in the first leg of their matchup against Monterrey. Cucho Hernandez gave the Crew the lead in the first half and 21-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe scored the winner in the second. An away goal by Monterrey could prove crucial though due to the tiebreakers, and the second leg will take place on May 1. The winner of this matchup will take on either Club America or Pachuca in the final on June 2.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Dom Dwyer is reportedly headed out west to sign with Oakland Roots SC in the USL Championship.
  • Toronto FC traded away $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Derrick Etienne Jr. The 27-year-old has not received much playing time this season, and Atlanta could earn another $175,000 in GAM if performance-based metrics are met.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes have reportedly signed Hernan Lopez from Godoy Cruz. It would give a-needed boost to the team, which has just three points from nine games this season.
  • St. Louis City winger Celio Pompeu won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his great strike from outside the box in his team’s 3-3 draw with Sporting Kansas City.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride power rankings, USMNT player news, USWNT will host Costa Rica, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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April 24, 2024

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s that time of the week for some tasty links. Two seven-point weekends for Orlando’s soccer teams is nothing to sneeze at, unlike the pollen that coats my hometown of Tallahassee. It’s the time of the year that I make my money back with the unlimited car wash next to my work. Enough with my weather-related car issues, let’s get to the links.

Lions Move Up (and Down) in Power Rankings

There’s nothing that shows the value of “power rankings” better than when you can compare two different ranking lists for the same week for any given club. We all know Orlando City is undefeated in its last four matches thanks to the late heroics of Ivan Angulo to draw CF Montreal over the weekend. But, did you know that was both good and bad?

In ESPN‘s MLS power rankings, Orlando City dropped a spot from 16th to 17th despite “treading water” with a point on the road in Montreal. Meanwhile, the Lions roared ahead three spots from 21st to 18th in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. So, do you like that Orlando is 17th in the ESPN piece despite the drop? Or do you prefer the positivity of a three-spot jump to 18th in the MLSSoccer.com rankings?

Orlando Pride Rise in Power Rankings

Forget everything I wrote up there regarding power rankings — at least as far as the Orlando Pride are concerned. After starting the season with three draws, the Pride now have two wins in a row. As such, ESPN moved the Pride up three spots from eighth to fifth in its NWSL power rankings. Their move up the list is entirely deserved and the writer was correct in their assessment. Of course, I’m kidding but it’s still nice to see the Pride get recognized for their results. Now, we just need the Pride to continue the winning streak.

Keeping Up With USMNT Players Abroad

As we shared yesterday, Sergino Dest will likely miss this summer’s Copa America thanks to a knee injury suffered during PSV Eindhoven training. That means the USMNT has a right back situation to address and there are quite a few well known candidates to step in for Dest.

Meanwhile, Weston McKennie has reportedly rejected Juventus’ latest extension offer. I can understand his decision given it doesn’t include any additional salary. McKennie has been very good for Juve, with 10 assists on the season. He’s not the only American making a difference, as Tim Weah provided the assist on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal to send Juventus to the Coppa Italia final.

USWNT Olympic Send-Off Match

The United States Women’s National Team will play a match against Costa Rica at Audi Field on July 16. It will be the final match for the USWNT prior to the Olympics that start nine days later against Zambia. New coach Emma Hayes will join the team on June 1, which isn’t a ton of time before the Olympics start, but she has been a part of the process for months.

Free Kicks

  • The New England Revolution have acquired veteran defender Xavier Arreaga from the Seattle Sounders for a 2025 international roster slot, and up to $75,000 in General Allocation Money depending on performance.
  • Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba will be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury. Fortunately, he is expected to be back in time for the match against Orlando City on May 15. Where did I put the sarcasm font?

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s match against the Washington Spirit this Friday, and Orlando City’s match against Toronto FC on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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