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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways

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That’s much more like it! Orlando City rebounded from last week’s disappointing result with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire that was far more dominant than the final score suggested. The Lions already had the upper hand in the first half, and the sending-off of Brian Gutierrez meant that the good guys were able to really pile on the pressure in the second half and get the win. Here are my five takeaways from this one.

Defense Bounces Back

It was excellent to see Orlando earn a clean sheet and get the win at home after shipping four goals to LAFC last weekend. More encouraging was the manner in which the clean sheet was kept. Chicago had two dangerous moments early on when Gutierrez forced Pedro Gallese into a save, and Kacper Przybylko curled a shot over the bar roughly 10 minutes later. Other than that though, Orlando didn’t really give up any further good scoring opportunities. Obviously Gutierrez being sent off changed the game and forced Chicago to sit back more than the Fire already were, but it was still good to see the defense re-assert itself after a shaky and mistake-ridden outing one week ago.

Pato Remains a Cut Above

Re-signing Alexandre Pato currently looks to be the best piece of business Orlando City made in the off-season. Week after week he looks like Orlando City’s best player and Saturday was no exception. He carried a supreme amount of danger, taking a team-high eight shots and putting two on goal, completing two dribbles, and notching an excellent assist on Ercan Kara’s goal. He only passed at a 73% rate, but that number is an improvement from last week and to my eye his passing rate tends to suffer because he tries several passes a game that most players wouldn’t even see. The Duck was once again constantly involved in what Orlando did offensively and he’s absolutely un-droppable at the moment.

Kara Opens His Account

Designated Player Ercan Kara notched his first goal in Orlando City purple and it was a good one. The free kick looked to be one from the training ground as Pato peeled off to the back post to receive the cross and head it back across the box for Kara to nod home. The big Austrian was also pretty involved in the game as a whole, and took five shots on the day. Frankly, he should have had more than one goal, but hopefully now that he’s got his first, the floodgates open up a little bit and he starts knocking them in with regularity. Either way, it was great to see him get off the mark.

Missed Opportunities Galore

Now we come to the elephant in the room. This game should not have ended 1-0. Orlando had three golden opportunities to get another goal and kill off the game and failed to take any of them. First, a Pato shot was saved by Gabriel Slonina, but at the expense of giving up a juicy rebound to Kara. Unfortunately, the striker got his header completely wrong and missed the net entirely. Then, Slonina got caught in no-man’s-land on a Pato cross, leaving Benji Michel with a free header at the back post and a mostly open goal at his mercy, only for Michel to put his header wide. The last chance saw Tesho Akindele make a great early cross for Pato, who settled the ball and smashed it off the bar as Slonina came off his line and made himself big. A win is a win, but this one should have been far more comfortable than it was and the game should have been over with 15 minutes still left to play.

Offense Continues to Gel

With that being said, opportunities continue to be created at a high rate. Orlando took a whopping 21 shots, putting six of those on target and hitting the woodwork on another. Outside of pure numbers though, the eye test says that the team is getting the ball into good areas. Mauricio Pereyra played a great ball over the top for Kara in the first half, with the Striker bringing the ball down well but he couldn’t keep his shot on target. Even before the Fire went down to 10 men, Orlando was controlling the game and creating danger around the box. The finishing will likely come, but the fact that OCSC’s offense continues to look better is nothing but encouraging. This team effectively added three new off-season pieces in Kara, Facundo Torres, and Pato, who only played 106 regular-season minutes last year — 80 of which came in the first game of the year against Atlanta. Chemistry takes time, especially when all three primarily speak a different language, but the Lions’ attack is looking more and more dangerous.


What did you notice from this one? Be sure to have your say down in the comments.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

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  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

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: 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.

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

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