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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Five Takeaways

What we learned from Orlando City’s 2-0 home loss to Nashville.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If only we could chalk this result up to April Fools’ Day shenanigans. Orlando City was back at home against Nashville SC for the first time in the regular season since Decision Day 2021 and the result was less than stellar as the Lions lost, 2-0. Let’s take a look at my five takeaways from a game hopefully soon to be forgotten.

Early Offensive Pressure Falls Flat

For the second weekend in a row, Orlando City did well to start the match as the aggressors and the offense seemed to connect well from the midfield to towards the Nashville goal. Great passes and all the buildup in the world, however, doesn’t change the numbers on the scoreboard and where Orlando City didn’t squander chances in the beginning of the match last week against the Philadelphia Union, within the friendly confines of Exploria Stadium the back of the net seemed to be locked up like Fort Knox. It is still encouraging to see the attack appear to generate more fluidity and chances in open play but if the struggles to find the back of the net continue, then results may be hard to come by.

Defense Caught Flat Footed

The defense did well to squash any momentum Nashville tried to generate in the first 25 minutes of the match, but in the 28th minute Hany Mukhtar played a quick long ball off of an Orlando City foul which fell perfectly at the foot of Fafa Picault. The winger was able to chip Pedro Gallese, who was caught in no man’s land off his line. This play merely caught the back line sleeping and once Nashville had a lead, it changed the complexion of the rest of the match.

Substitutions: Too Little Too Late

The match day lineup against Nashville was more or less the same one that fans saw in Philadelphia, with the exception of the return of Orlando City keeper Gallese. This set up Orlando to bring in some strong offensive pieces off of the bench, namely Designated Player Facundo Torres and MLS draft pick Duncan McGuire, along with Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the midfield. Torres came on at halftime, replacing Felipe, but Orlando City did not make another substitution until the 78th minute, bringing McGuire on for Kyle Smith, and at that point the home squad was already looking at a 2-0 deficit. It would have been interesting to see how the last half hour of the match would have played out with fresh legs in the attacking phase of the game. Would Orlando still have conceded the second goal? Maybe, but by that time the Lions may have already pulled one back.

Mukhtar Breaks Out

Some players just possess the innate ability to hurt certain teams at certain times. It should come as no surprise then to any Orlando City fan that Mukhtar, the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP, could break out and deliver daggers at any moment of the match. Cesar Araujo and the rest of the defensive unit did well for most of the night to keep the lightning in the bottle, but Mukhtar played a direct role in both goals scored for Nashville, assisting on the first and then scoring the second from an obscene angle to secure all three points for the visitors. For anyone following along this season, of course his first goal of the year would come against the Lions.

Dropping Points at Home

There is a tried-and-true recipe to success in Major League Soccer. Protect home field and bite, scratch, and claw your way to as many away points on the road as you can get. Do those two things and a club will more often than not be playing in the postseason. In the 2022 season, Orlando City was hot or cold at home, boasting a record of 9-8-0. Good teams win games at home that they should, while great teams find a way to turn losses into draws at home to save points. For the second straight home game Orlando City lost at home, dropping a potential six points in just two matches. For a team that had four of its first six games at home, the failure to protect home field could be a catastrophic trend for the season if it is to continue.

Bonus Takeaway: Sea Cow Fun

Orlando City leaned heavily into the April Fools’ rebranding of the club into the Orlando City Sea Cows. To the club’s credit it stuck with the shtick longer than I thought it would, while incorporating ocean-themed trivia into the fan engagement periods and debuting an entire Sea Cow merchandise line. Certainly a fun way to engage the fans. The only problem I saw is that — historically speaking — the Sea Cows’ record is just abysmal. It is certainly time for the sea cows to retreat back to the waterways until next year.


Those are my thoughts from Saturday’s match. What were your most important takeaways from a lackluster result at home? Let us know in the comments below.

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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