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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades & Man of the Match

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Winning is fun! It wasn’t necessarily the prettiest win (torrential rain will do that to a soccer game), but Orlando City grabbed a much-needed 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire courtesy of a second-half Benji Michel goal. Let’s have a look at how I rated each player in the win.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 8 (MotM) — The Homegrown goalkeeper takes the honors for this one as he earned his first MLS shutout with a great performance. Our own Sean Rollins mentioned that Mason looks to have much better command of his box than he did during his first few games with Orlando City, and I think that was on display Saturday night. Aside from one occasion where Joao Moutinho headed a ball away that Stajduhar was coming to claim, he was on the same page with his defenders for the duration of the match. He did a good job of judging when he needed to come and claim a ball, and then followed through well on making contact or catching each one of them. He also made two excellent saves, with one in second half stoppage time that preserved all three points for the Lions. Overall, a much deserved Man of the Match.

D, Joao Moutinho, 7 — Joao didn’t have as much influence on the offensive end as he sometimes does, and his shot that went wide of the post in the second half when he was in an advanced position was disappointing, considering that the Lions had numbers forward. With that being said, it’s been good to have him back in the lineup, and while his crossing wasn’t as much of a weapon in this game as it can be, he still put a few very dangerous balls into the box. He was also rock solid defensively and was particularly good at helping provide an outlet when Chicago pressed high. Statistically, he passed at an 89% rate, completed one dribble and won an aerial duel.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — This was another in a long line of good showings for the Swede. He totalled three interceptions, two clearances and a block while being the physical presence in defense that we’ve come to expect of him. I can’t help but feel that a goal is coming for Jansson sooner rather than later, and he wasn’t far away with a fierce left-footed drive from outside the box in the second half that didn’t quite start dipping in time to sneak under the bar. His other numbers going forward included a 95% passing rate with a key pass thrown in for good measure.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7.5 — Like his partner in central defense Jansson, Carlos continues to barely put a foot wrong defensively. He had another great game vs. Chicago with three tackles, two interceptions, a whopping eight clearances and an equally impressive five blocks. One sliding interception/clearance in his own box with the second half winding down was particularly eye-catching but he continues to be a pillar of defensive solidity even when he isn’t making the flashy play. To cap things off he passed the ball at a respectable enough 85% rate. All-Star snub, thy name is Antonio.

D, Ruan, 7 — The thing that impressed me most about Ruan in this game was his crossing. His delivery from wide areas isn’t always the best, and if he can become more consistent in that area then look the hell out. Against Chicago he did just that, with one of his two crosses finding the head of Chris Mueller with the other being met by Benji Michel. Like Moutinho, he didn’t have quite as much of an offensive impact as he sometimes does, although again, like Moutinho he was very good defensively. His numbers of one tackle, five interceptions and three clearances back that up.

MF, Junior Urso, 7 — The Bear did a bit of everything in this game. Defensively he had three tackles, two interceptions and two clearances while putting in his typical shift of hard running and gritty play in the middle of the field. Offensively he had two key passes, a dribble, and a shot. The shot he maybe should have done better with, as it was a header from pretty close range that he could only direct right at Bobby Shuttleworth. It ended up being one of Orlando’s better chances on the night, but with all of the other contributions he made, it’s hard to hold it against him too much.

MF, Joey DeZart, 6.5 — This was definitely a better outing for DeZart than his midweek performance against Nashville. It may be that the 90 minutes he played on Wednesday helped him get up to the speed of the game and get his feet under him, because he did well in his defensive midfield role. The 23-year-old recorded two tackles and an interception while passing the ball at an 85% clip. He didn’t really impact the game offensively, but honestly that’s not exactly what he’s on the field to do and he did well to open up the defense a few times. This was a solid performance from DeZart, and hopefully its one that he can build on.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 7.5 — Van der Water carried the most threat for Orlando on the night and very nearly was involved in two goals. He was desperately unlucky to have his left-footed shot crash off the inside of the far post and stay out, but that chance was a definite sign that he was up for this one. Scarcely a minute later he chased a ball down the right hand side and put a cross into a fantastic area, but neither Tesho Akindele or Benji Michel could convert the chance. His influence waned a little after that, although to be fair it would have been quite a task of maintaining that degree of threat for the remainder of his time on the field. Still, he had three shots, two key passes, two successful dribbles, two interceptions and a tackle. Another impressive game from the Dutchman.

MF, Benji Michel, 7 — Benji made up for failing to take the aforementioned first half chances in the best way possible, by putting away the next chance the fell his way. It wasn’t as easy as it might have looked either, and he did very well to take his time, pick his head up, and absolutely smash his shot low and into the corner where Shuttleworth couldn’t reach it. He also completed a dribble that was a pretty fantastic sequence where he picked up the ball on the left side of midfield, brought the ball past a couple defenders and out to the right side of the field, picked his head up and played a great diagonal ball over the top to Junior Urso. It was good to see him get back among the goals after having some difficulty in front of net in recent games.

F, Nani, 6.5 — The captain’s night was cut short by some muscle tightness that he’s been dealing with lately and all-in-all that was probably a smart move with the MLS All-Star Game right around the corner, followed by a match against Inter Miami just two days later. In his 29 minutes on the field Nani completed two dribbles and passed at a 83% clip, but rather understandably, wasn’t able to make a particularly big impact on the game. However, he showed well enough in the short time he was on the field, and personally I’m hoping that he isn’t given too much to do out at the All-Star festivities.

F, Tesho Akindele, 7.5 — Tesho had himself a damn good game in this one. For one thing, he created the turnover that led to Benji’s goal and also got his career high fifth assist on it. Besides that though, he had two shots, two key passes, two dribbles, was fouled three times, made one tackle and had four clearances. Outside of the numbers though, his hold-up play was excellent and if anyone claims otherwise I’ll happily take you to task on that point. He did a great job of not only winning the balls that were sent up to him, but also finding his teammates once he had done so and bringing them into the game. He also made smart runs and all-around worked hard for the whole game. If not for Mason’s heroics as the game wound down, he would have been my choice for MotM.

Substitutes

MF, Chris Mueller (29’), 6.5 — Cash was brought into the game for Nani and had a bit of a tough task since he didn’t look to get much, if any warmup time. He didn’t play his best game in purple, but by no means was he bad either. He had one shot, one key pass and was fouled once, but didn’t have a ton of impact in the game. He maybe should have done better with his header in the first half, although to be fair to him he had to generate most of the power himself and the ball was slightly behind him. Still, he filled in well enough after being brought on cold, and was effective at holding the ball in the corner and helping the Lions chip away at the clock some.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (79’), N/A — The man with the golden hands was brought on for goal-scorer Benji Michel to help shore things up defensively. He did just that with a blocked shot. An odd statistical quirk is that he apparently did not attempt a pass during the 17 minutes that he was on the field, which seems super weird, but there you go.

D, Emmanuel Mas (85’), N/A — Like Schlegel, Mas was subbed on for van der Water to help lock down the game defensively. He contributed one tackle to the cause and passed the ball at a 75% rate. He’s sneakily a pretty crafty fullback, and I’ve enjoyed watching him play so far.

MF, Raul Aguilera Jr. (85’), N/A — An MLS debut for the Homegrown Player! Aguilera came on for DeZart to help get the game over the finish line and succeeded with two clearances and some hard running in midfield. He didn’t have a ton of time to show what he can do, so he’ll be one to keep an eye out for going forward.


That’s how I saw the grades during this one. Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to vote for who you think should have been the Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mason Stajduhar75
Antonio Carlos12
Benji Michel4
Tesho Akindele4
Other (shout them out in the comments)2

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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