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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 2-0 as Reds Dominate Lifeless Lions

The Lions looked lethargic and lacked any sharpness against Toronto, especially after halftime.

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Scott Carnevale, The Mane Land

Orlando City continued its struggles against Toronto FC in a 2-0 loss that lacked energy or urgency in any part of the field. Except for a decent spell late in the first half, the Reds (5-2-1, 16 points) thoroughly dominated a stagnant and lifeless Orlando squad (3-4-3, 12 points), often anticipating the home side’s next pass better than the Lions themselves.

Jonathan Osorio and Jay Chapman scored in the second half to break open what had been a mostly dull affair and the Reds defended well, even as rumors swirl of the impending arrival of Omar Gonzalez to Toronto. The Lions were shut out for the first time in 2019 as a result.

“Obviously not what we were hoping for or looking for,” said Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor of his team’s performance. “I think first half we seemed to do a decent enough job of limiting them. I think our expectation was the second half to have something similar where we could go and create some similar chances.”

O’Connor’s only change from the New York City FC game was to insert Dom Dwyer into the starting lineup and move Chris Mueller to the bench.

Toronto did a good job of clogging up the middle of the pitch in the first half and pressuring Orlando into moving laterally across the field. The Lions got some half chances but had trouble finding the target or getting them through traffic.

The best early chance came four minutes in when Justin Morrow headed a back-post cross over the bar for Toronto.

Dwyer hit a drive off target in the 11th and Uri Rosell smashed what could have been a spectacular volley off a corner kick cross that was deflected out by the defense. Orlando’s best chance of the opening half came at the half-hour mark when Tesho Akindele sent in a cross to Will Johnson, who smashed it toward the net with his first touch. Quentin Westberg did well to get down and make the save on a ball behind his momentum.

That came in the midst of a flurry of corner kicks that Orlando won but could do nothing with. The Lions finished the first half with eight corners to Toronto’s one, but couldn’t create anything from them. Nani did well just to get a volley shot toward the goal in the 31st. Robin Jansson sent a shot toward the net in the 36th that Chris Mavinga headed off his own crossbar.

But the teams couldn’t score and went to the half without a goal.

Orlando City went to the half with an 11-2 advantage in shots (but only 1-1 on target). The Lions saw five of their shots blocked by the defense and another five sail off frame. Toronto held 56% of the first-half possession to Orlando’s 44% and the passing quality was nearly equal, with the Reds holding a slight advantage (85.3%-83.6%).

Toronto came out the stronger team in the second half and came close to scoring a few times before breaking down the door.

Brian Rowe did well to get to his corner and keep out a Laurent Ciman free kick in the 48th minute and denied Jordan Hamilton in the 57th minute as the Reds continued to keep possession and turn Orlando over repeatedly. Osorio tried his hand in the 60th, but Rowe again made the save. On the ensuing corner kick, Mavinga made an excellent play to pick a ball out of the air and fire it on target, but Rowe was there again to make the stop.

Akindele fired after settling the ball in the 63rd minute but had his shot blocked in one of Orlando’s few second-chance attempts.

Toronto then got the breakthrough in the 65th. Ruan ran up to win a ball in the air but then hesitated and allowed Toronto to play in behind him. The ball ended up with Osorio to the left side. The Toronto midfielder cut around Lamine Sané and Rosell in the box and fired into the back corner to make it 1-0.

“I take my responsibility,” Sané said after the game. “I say it in front of everybody. It’s like that, soccer, and I take my responsibility.”

Four minutes later, Dwyer had an opportunity to pull that goal back, but the striker sent a header wide for the second straight week on an excellent opportunity. Mueller came on moments later, but his introduction didn’t inject any life into a Lions squad without any energy in the second 45.

Rowe did well to stop a shot by Alejandro Pozuelo in the 73rd minute, but the Reds had their second goal four minutes later. Substitute Chapman made an untracked run down the right side, made a wonderful play to bring down the ball with his foot, then sent a shot toward Rowe. The goalkeeper will want that one back, as he stuck out his foot to block it and it went off the back of his foot and into the net to squash any Orlando comeback hopes.

Dwyer nearly scored a consolation goal in the 89th, but Westberg made a tremendous reaction save to preserve the clean sheet.

The five minutes of stoppage time might as well have been 500, because Toronto kept the ball and the Lions couldn’t generate anything, especially when reduced to 10 men with Ruan cramping and getting treatment off the pitch.

Toronto turned around the shot total significantly after halftime, with 11 second-half shots, getting eight of them on goal. Orlando led in shots (18-13) for the game, but the shots on target were lopsided in favor of the Reds, 9-2. Toronto held 58% of the possession to Orlando’s 42% and out-passed the Lions, 87.4%-81.6%.

“I felt that Toronto got the favor in the second half and they could play through us too easy,” Jansson said. “I think our shape wasn’t that good as in the first half and our control of the tempo of the game and when we had the ball. I think we did a great first half and we just need to bring the first half to the second half and continue the whole way.”

“I think when you look at the second half it wasn’t what we were anticipating,” O’Connor said. “I think there was, I would say a lack of quality in decision making about keeping the ball — areas about where to keep the ball, giving it away really cheaply and it compounded things that way.”

“I’m disappointed,” Sané said. “In the second half they beat us in our game. We have to keep the ball and make them run but I think they changed and we ran a lot and lost our energy. For me, it’s like we tie in New York for nothing if we don’t win at home. We had a big game in New York and when you lose at home, it’s like you played for nothing over there. We have to win at home. It’s most important for going to the playoffs.”

O’Connor cited a notable lack of energy, especially after halftime and said the staff will need to look into the reasons why that occurred before he can address it so that it doesn’t happen again.

“Whether that’s down to mentality, whether that’s down to training load — but I think that’s something we’re going to have to look at, and try to figure out, is it a mentality thing where you need to just have more desire to push through? Is it genuinely that they’ve had too much exposure to the sun and are fatigued? So these are questions that I’ve got to sit down and try to look at and get some answers for myself.”


The Lions will go on the road for the next two matches, visiting Atlanta United on May 12 and the Seattle Sounders on May 15.

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls

Get some inside information on the New York Red Bulls ahead of their visit to Central Florida.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Congratulations on making it through the week, and now that you have, your reward is another Orlando City matchday right around the corner. This week sees the Lions welcome the New York Red Bulls into their den, as the good guys will try to make it two wins on the bounce.

A visit from the Red Bulls means I caught up with Mark Fishkin, of the always excellent Seeing Red podcast. Mark was gracious enough to help get us caught up on how the Red Bulls have looked in the 2024 season.

Emil Forsberg was the big off-season signing for the Red Bulls. It’s early, but how has he looked so far?

Mark Fishkin: To date, Forsberg has been as advertised: the veteran, serving as the coach on the field, leading the (mostly) young Red Bulls to a 3-1-1 start. In every conversation with the press, he talks about his desire to win. While off the field he appears to be enjoying himself, a story broke earlier in the week in London’s Daily Mail saying his wife has filed for divorce. How that will impact him going forward remains to be seen.

This is Sandro Schwarz’s first season in charge of the club. How does he want this team to play? Does it differ from what we saw last year under first Gerhard Struber and then Troy Lesesne?

MF: Schwarz has evolved RBNY into a more attractive team in 2024. While the press is always part of the mix, the new New York coach has showed a flexibility to play more of a possession style or even a counter-attacking style if the game state calls for it. Against Miami last week, a lethal counterattack was the key to the Red Bulls’ 4-nil shellacking of the Herons.

Again, its still quite early, but what do you believe the expectations should be for the Red Bulls this season? 

MF: The playoffs are a given with the Red Bulls, who last missed the postseason in 2009. However, given this unexpected start, a top-four finish in the East is the marker…for now.

Are there any players who will be unavailable for selection due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

MF: Assuming all five Red Bulls’ starters  come back from international duty healthy, we’re looking at:

Carlos Coronel; John Tolkin, Noah Eile, Sean Nealis, Kyle Duncan; Frankie Amaya, Daniel Edelman, Emil Forsberg, Lewis Morgan; Elias Manoel, Dante Vanzeir.

Schwarz has the team set up in a 4-2-2-2 or 4-2-3-1.

Given the Red Bulls’ hot start, and Orlando’s struggles, a 2-2 draw or 2-1 New York win are surely possible.


Thank you to Mark for the insight into NYRB. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/29/24

Lions brace for the Red Bulls, Pride take on Chicago, OCB will play Inter Miami II in Bradenton, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! Today marks one year since we here at The Mane Land published our first story here at our new independent home. It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s already been a year. Thank you all for sticking with us or checking us out since our move. That kind of support goes farther than you might think. I joined the team back in October of 2016 as an editor and it’s only just now hitting me that I’ve been here for nearly a quarter of my entire life. Here’s hoping for another great year of independence and Orlando soccer!

Orlando City Set to Host New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s match at home Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls was noted as one of the top matches in the league this weekend. The Lions earned their first win of the MLS season last weekend and will look to build on that momentum heading into tomorrow. The Lions will also get a boost from players returning from international duty, with Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, David Brekalo, and Peruvian duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena back. They’ll have their hands full against a New York team that’s coming off of a 4-0 win over Inter Miami. Lewis Morgan had a hat trick in that match and Orlando’s defense will have to find a way to keep him and the rest of the Red Bulls from running rampant.

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s third match of the NWSL season kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. when they host the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride enter this match following a gritty 1-1 draw against Angel City FC, with Brazilians Angelina and Marta linking up on a corner kick for a late equalizer. One thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s match will be how the Pride’s shorthanded defense can limit Chicago’s attack. The Pride have targeted versatile players while rebuilding, and that proved to be worth it last week as multiple players stepped up to fortify the back line. The last time these two sides squared off in Orlando was in August of last year, with the Pride coming up with a big 5-0 win. Hopefully we get to see a similar result tonight.

OCB Match Will Be Part of Generation Adidas Cup

Tuesday’s MLS NEXT Pro match between Orlando City B and Inter Miami II will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton and will be part of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup. The participating teams of the tournament were invited to attend the match, along with their families, and fans can watch the match for free on the league website. The match will be broadcast in English, but a new AI dubbing platform will be used to instantly translate it into Spanish, French, and Portuguese. It will supposedly maintain voice and tone, so I’m morbidly curious to hear just how artificial it will sound.

Generations Adidas Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Speaking of the Generation Adidas Cup, the youth tournament kicks off tomorrow. All MLS academy teams will compete alongside some of the top youth teams from around the world in both the U-15 and U-17 age groups. Orlando City’s U-15 side was noted as one to watch after a strong run of form this year. Caleb Trombino has been solid defensively and Jakob Garcia has the attacking talent to light it up in this tournament. The team can make a statement when it takes on Arsenal’s U-15 squad at 10 a.m. this Sunday. That match, along with 27 others, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions received some special visitors for their training.
  • Somehow, the Seattle Reign’s Ji So-Yun beat Marta to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

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

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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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