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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Final Score 1-1 as Late Penalty Costs Lions Road Points

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Orlando City was up a goal and a man late in the match but conceded a late penalty and drew the Portland Timbers 1-1 at Providence Park. Junior Urso gave the Lions a second-half lead but Cristhian Paredes equalized from the spot after being fouled in the box by Andres Perea. Orlando (2-1-2, 8 points) were minutes away from three huge road points but Portland (1-1-3, 6 points) took advantage of the mistake.

The Lions remained unbeaten on the road (1-0-2) but have lost some valuable points on controversial plays in the two draws. Orlando took four of a possible six points from their back-to-back west coast trips.

“Our boys had a great plan that we worked during the week against a good team in a difficult place,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “They executed the way we imagined it. They obviously feel that they deserve much more. Collectively, it was a terrific effort.”

Pareja was forced to juggle his lineup due to international call-ups. Mason Stajduhar started in place of Pedro Gallese in goal, behind the usual starting back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Junior Urso were in central midfield behind an attacking line of Benji Michel, Mauricio Pereyra, and Tesho Akindele, with Alexandre Pato up top.

The first half was cagey with the teams probing for an opening and playing mostly between the two penalty areas. A few crosses were sent in but there weren’t many opportunities to get onto them.

The first shot on goal came off of Pato’s foot in the 13th minute but it took a slight deflection and was no trouble for Portland goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. Three minutes later, Urso fizzed a ball into the area that the Timbers were able to cut out before Pato could get to it. Michel nearly got in behind in the 18th minute but he took a touch that was a bit heavy and by the time he got back to the ball, the goalkeeper had come out to smother it.

Pereyra was fouled by Diego Chara — a common theme throughout the first half — giving Orlando a free kick in a dangerous spot. Unfortunately, Pato hit his shot into the wall and Ruan made a mess of his attempt to recycle the ball into the area.

The most dangerous chance in the first half came Portland’s way in the 30th minute. A low, hard cross through the area eluded Stajduhar and Paredes was crashing the net at the far post. But the cross had so much pace on it that Paredes was unable to direct his header toward the gaping net in front of him and it squirted wide

Urso sent a low drive from outside the area on target in the 43rd minute but it was never a problem for Ivacic.

The half started to get a little chippier toward the end of the half. Referee Marco DeOliveira could have booked Chara for his three fouls on Pereyra, but didn’t. And tempers flared between Araujo and Dairon Asprilla along the sideline but nothing came of it.

An uneventful first half came to a scoreless conclusion. Portland held more possession (57.8%-42.2%), won more corners (4-2), and was more accurate in the passing game (86.3%-82.2%). Each team fired five shots toward goal but Orlando got more on target (2-0), although not much troubled either keeper.

The Lions responded well after halftime, getting the ball into the final third and looking for an opener. Pereyra fired a shot right at the goalkeeper shortly after the restart. And not long after that, Orlando finally found a way through the traffic in front of Portland’s goal.

Pato tried to play in Ruan on the right side but his pass was deflected back to him by the defense. He then picked out a late run by Urso and sent him in behind the defense. Urso tapped it past Ivacic to make it 1-0 in the 52nd minute.

Carlos made a couple of big plays at the back to keep Orlando in front. Akindele gave the Lions a chance to double the lead from near the end line on the right, flicking the ball out in front of goal in the 59th minute. No Lions were crashing the net and it allowed the Timbers to clear.

Portland subbed on Sebastian Blanco to try to get back into the game and the dynamic attacking midfielder made a difference, particularly in transition. He put a shot on target that Stajduhar saved in the 64th and he missed a drive toward the right post wide a few minutes later.

Pereyra was stretchered off with an injury in the 73rd minute and Rodrigo Schlegel subbed on to try to give the Lions more stability in response to the Blanco sub. The Argentinian responded with a huge block from a shot at the top of the area on one of his first touches.

Things looked good for Orlando when Pato made a slick move in traffic and Josecarlos Van Rankin pulled him back, drawing his second yellow card in the 76th.

Disaster struck three minutes later, as Perea got a piece of Paredes just inside the top of the area at the same time Carlos was knocking the ball away. A penalty was given and 10-man Portland had their lifeline.

DeOliveira waited so long to make a decision that Paredes slammed the ground angrily. Then DeOliveira signaled for the penalty. He appeared to be in conversation with Video Assistant Referee Edvin Jurisevic, but the referee never went to take a look at it. Paredes then hit his shot right down the middle and Stajduhar couldn’t leave a foot in to deflect it.

“The penalty went down the middle. I went to the side. It is what it is,” Stajduhar said.

The Lions came close to being able to retake the lead in the 83rd minute off a corner kick as the ball skipped tantalizingly toward Urso at the back post but a defender arrived just before the Bear could get on on the ball.

The Lions got a couple of half chances after that but couldn’t get a clean shot at the target, settling for a point after some nervy moments on defense deep in stoppage time.

The Timbers held more possession (52.2%-47.8%), attempted more shots (12-11), won more corners (5-4), and passed more accurately (84.3%-83.6%) but Orlando got more shots on target (4-3).

“I felt that we lost some shape in the middle” Pareja said of the middle part of the second half. They were risking with some good players. We had the opportunity to close the game earlier. There were moments when we had control of the ball but we did not have control of the game. The first half I thought we had control of both.”

“A little frustrated because obviously there was a real chance to actually win that game and take three points on the road,” Stajduhar. “Also a little satisfied that we did everything well and, you know, one moment could turn it the other way.”


The Lions will face their third consecutive Western Conference opponent next Saturday when LAFC visits Exploria Stadium.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions fare in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss in Atlanta?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continued its poor run of form with a 2-0 loss to Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Lions only have one point in four games and have lost their last three MLS matches. It’s the fewest points an Orlando City team has had after four games in club history, dating back to 2011.

Let’s look at how each individual Lion performed in another loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Neither of Atlanta’s two goals were Gallese’s fault and he had a pretty solid game. His standout moment came just before halftime when he made two one-handed saves off an Atlanta corner kick, keeping the deficit at one goal. Other than his shot stopping, Gallese completed 72.2% of his 18 passes, including five of his 10 long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 5 — Santos was active in this game with 78 touches, third-most on the team. He nearly accidentally scored in the eighth minute when an inaccurate cross hit the crossbar. However, he was at the heart of both goals. In the ninth minute, he was beaten by Saba Lobjanidze for the first goal. Brooks Lennon beat him down field and caused him to hit the turf with a cutback, while setting up the second. Apart from the two goals, Santos completed 93.8% of his 64 passes, one of his five crosses, and four of his six long balls. Defensively, he had one tackle.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 (MotM) — Jansson was the most active Lions defensively in this game, recording three tackles, two clearances, and one blocked shot. He completed 91.7% of his 48 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He wasn’t at fault for either of the two Atlanta goals, though he shied away from the second in the 71st minute.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Similar to Jansson, Brekalo had a strong game. He finished with a team-leading three clearances and one tackle. Going forward, he completed 93.2% of his 59 passes, including a key pass and four of his seven long balls. However, I knocked him down half a point because he failed to close down Giorgos Giakoumakis at the top of the box on the second.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson started on his usual right side of the back line, but also ventured into the central midfield. He completed 87.5% of his 40 passes, one of his three crosses, and neither of his two long balls. His only shot was off target, but he had a team-high four successful dribbles. Defensively, the fullback added two tackles and one clearance on the night. His night ended in the 87th minute when he was replaced by Mikey Halliday.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5.5 — Ojeda only had 36 touches in the game, by far the lowest number in the four-man midfield. He completed 78.6% of his 28 passes and didn’t complete any of his three crosses, but connected on his one long ball and had a key pass. His only shot came in the 19th minute when he tried to beat Brad Guzan to his near post. However, the veteran goalkeeper blocked it out for a corner kick. He was replaced in the 74th minute by Facundo Torres.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6 — Lodeiro was the most active attacking midfielder, recording a team-high 85 touches. He completed 91.9% of his team-high 74 passes, but failed to connect on any of his six crosses or two long balls. Additionally, he took one off-target shot and had a tackle defensively. He was replaced by Shak Mohammed in the 87th minute.

MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith started in the midfield in this game, usually sitting between the back line and the three attacking midfielders. His 79 touches were second-most on the team and he completed 90% of his 60 passes, also second-most on the team, including three of his five long balls. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and one clearance in his new role.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had 70 touches in this game, fourth-most on the team. He completed 84.6% of his 52 passes, including a team-high two key passes, but only connected on one of his five crosses. His three successful dribbles were second on the team behind Thorhallsson and his only shot was off target.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Muriel was the most effective of the two starting forwards, recording 60 touches and putting two of his four shots on target. In the sixth minute, his shot was tipped over the crossbar by Guzan and an excellent individual effort in the 42nd minute forced the Atlanta goalkeeper into a diving stop. He completed 70.3% of his 37 passes with one key pass and one of his two crosses but failed to connect on his only cross. He also had a team-high four tackles. The forward was replaced in the 81st minute by Jeorgio Kocevski.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — The Lions could have used a quality performance by McGuire, but he was largely absent. He only had 29 touches in 90 minutes and failed to put either of his two shots on target. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes and had one key pass while failing to complete his only cross. He also had two tackles on the night.

Substitutes

MF, Facundo Torres (74’), 5 — Torres came off the bench as he continues to return from a shoulder injury. He had 15 touches in 16 minutes, completing only 63.6% of his 11 passes. However, he had a key pass and connected on two of his three crosses. Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja was hoping for an offensive spark from the Uruguayan, but he didn’t get off any shots.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (81’), 5.5 — The rookie’s 21 touches were the most of any Orlando City substitute in this game as he made his MLS debut. He completed 83.3% of his 18 passes, but failed to complete his only cross or either of his two long balls. He added a dribble and tackle to his final totals.

F, Shak Mohammed (87’), N/A — Mohammed had a team-low seven touches and completed 83.3% of his six passes. He was fouled once and didn’t have any other statistics.

D, Mikey Halliday (87’), N/A — Halliday had eight touches in his minimal minutes while completing three of his six passes. He didn’t complete his one cross and his only shot was off target. Meanwhile, the defender didn’t record any defensive stats.


This is how I saw Orlando City’s tough Sunday night loss in downtown Atlanta. Let us know what you thought of the performances and vote for your Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Orlando City at Atlanta United FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-0 loss at Atlanta.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City traveled North to the unfriendly confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and unfortunately the Lions’ early season woes continued as Orlando City fell 2-0 to their Eastern Conference rival. What did we learn from the disappointing third loss of the MLS regular season?

Troubling Transition Defending

Orlando City employed a high press to start the match, and the defense often didn’t recover well enough to keep Atlanta honest. The first goal the Lions gave up came on a quick break by Atlanta that saw Saba Lobjanidze beat Rafael Santos and Pedro Gallese to score the first goal of the match. There were several other times that Atlanta moved the ball quickly into the attack, though Robin Jansson was able to sniff out the others in the first half. Atlanta didn’t stop that type of attack, and a second goal resulted.

Double Volley Saves

Pedro Gallese made back-to-back reaction saves to keep Atlanta from getting a second goal to end the first half. Gallese also made other saves that weren’t credited because a foul preceded the save. He may have been caught flat-footed on the first goal, but he had his near post covered, and after that, he was quite good. It was funny seeing the reactions online after the first goal calling for him to be replaced. Thankfully, Oscar Pareja isn’t checking social media during matches and taking his directives from frustrated fans. Gallese had no chance on Atlanta’s second goal.

Beefy Swede Comes Up Big

Jansson was an absolute beast. He singlehandedly stopped multiple Atlanta United attacks in the first half and to start the second half. He did receive a yellow in the 49th minute, as the opposition prevented him from restarting the match quickly and he grew frustrated trying to grab the ball. But then he kept doing everything Orlando City needed. Of course, it’s easy to see the defending he does, but it’s all the other things as well — his passing to work the ball out of the back, and his leadership to organize the defense and, ultimately, the rest of the team. He was a commanding and calming captain in this match.

Possession Schmosession

Orlando City had the advantage of possession in the match. For long stretches, the Lions looked to be in control of the match. Two moments were all Atlanta United needed to ensure that Orlando City went home with no points. The Lions took a bit to grow into the match, but even once they did, the last bit of quality was missing. Duncan McGuire was a step too late on a couple of opportunities. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson took an extra touch when Muriel dropped a ball for him in the box. It was another frustrating night on offense.

The Missing Midfield

Have no doubt that the absence of Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena made a difference in how this match played out. Sadly, I predicted that with Orlando City’s two starting defensive midfielders out, Pareja might employ Kyle Smith in the role. I wish I had been wrong. It’s not that Smith was particularly bad, but without the normal excellent double pivot combo of Araujo and Cartagena, Orlando City was out of sorts. Cartagena will be back, having served his red card suspension, and we wait on Araujo’s injury to heal up as he continues to be listed as questionable.


That is what I saw in the loss to Atlanta United. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/18/24

Orlando City falls to Atlanta United, the Pride get a late result at Louisville, OCB wins tops Atlanta United 2, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope you all had an excellent St. Patrick’s Day weekend. It was a mixed one for our teams, as OCB won, the Pride fought back for a draw, and the Lions suffered another loss. This weekend, I was busy at work between Under Armour and covering high school lacrosse. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links, but first, join us in wishing a happy 32nd birthday to Orlando Pride fullback Kylie Strom.

Orlando City Falls to Rival Atlanta United

Orlando City lost 2-0 to Atlanta United on the road on Sunday and will have to wait for Saturday against Austin FC to get another chance at its first win of the MLS season. Saba Lobjanidze and Georgios Giakoumakis scored for the Five Stripes. Orlando City is now winless in five consecutive matches across all competitions. The Lions have also given up 10 goals in four league matches and are in the 14th place in the Eastern Conference with one point. Michael Citro has your match recap.

Orlando Pride Battle Back for 2-2 Draw at Racing Louisville

The Orlando Pride overcame a two-goal deficit to escape Lynn Family Stadium with a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville in their season opener Saturday. The Pride also went down to 10 players when Strom was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. The Pride were down 2-1 late when Summer Yates scored her first career goal from a set piece to even the match. The Pride are winless in season openers, but earned their third opening day draw in NWSL play. Orlando also secured its first ever point in four road matches in Kentucky. The Pride return to action Friday in their home opener against Angel City FC.

OCB Opens Season with 3-2 Road Win Over Atlanta United 2

Orlando City B won its MLS NEXT Pro season opener on the road, beating Atlanta United 2. The Young Lions trailed 1-0 early in the first half but kicked on from there and won 3-2. Jhon Solis equalized with a penalty kick goal and Orlando City 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Yutaro Tsukada scored on a great free kick to give the Young Lions a 2-1 advantage going into halftime. OCB struck quickly in the second half thruogh Colin Guske. Atlanta United 2 made things interesting with a late goal, but OCB held on. This is the third consecutive year the Young Lions have started a season with a win. OCB’s next match will again be on the road, as the Young Lions face Huntsville City FC on Friday.

Manchester United and Chelsea Win, Advance to FA Cup Semifinals

It was a seven-goal thriller at Old Trafford as Manchester United edged out Liverpool 4-3 after extra time in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The Red Devils were down 2-1 late in the second half before Antony scored the equalizer to tie the match 2-2. Liverpool took the lead in extra time, but Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo scored to put this match away for United. In another thrilling match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea and Leicester City were tied 2-2. Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke scored for the Blues deep in stoppage time and secured a 4-2 victory. Manchester City will take on Chelsea, while Manchester United will face Coventry City in the FA Cup semifinals.

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

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