Tie brings OC to No. 3 in Eastern Conference
Orlando City rose to the No. 3 ranking in the Eastern Conference table after notching a 1-1 draw on the road against Nashville on Wednesday. Here are three things we learned from the match:
1. Defensive lapses
The Lions’ defense has been a point of pride for the team all season, but a major lapse in defensive discipline in the opening of the second half allowed a lesser Nashville team to equalize.
A series of over rotations allowed a dangerous pass into the box. Filling in for injured João Moutinho, left back Kamal Miller rotated too far over and lost track of his mark, Randall Leal, who made the most of his opportunity and buried a shot.
Coach Oscar Pareja said the team was “in a lot of pain” after the match due to frustration from allowing the sloppy goal, which he described as a “mistake.”
It’s hard to harp on this goal, because it was out of character for a defense that has been otherwise sharp for most of this season. However, it’s notable the Lions have recorded only two shutouts in their 13 total matches this year. A brief lapse led to a loss of two points on the road.
The only positive of the surrendered goal was the Lions’ ability to quickly adjust and prevent Nashville from running with the momentum.
The team clamped down defensively, only allowing one more serious chance from Winter Park native Dax McCarty the rest of the match.
“It’s normal in football once a goal gets scored that the team that just scored gets on the front foot, so we didn’t allow them to do that,” Miller said. “We started our pressing again and jumping out of our shape and tried to make it as tough as possible for them to gain momentum. We weathered the storm for a little bit, there was a period where they had most of the ball and then after that storm we were able to get back in our rhythm and string the ball around the pitch.”
2. Adapting during a match
During the MLS is Back Tournament and early in Phase One matches, the team stuck to a style of fervent high pressing that garnered goals and pinned opponents deep into their defensive thirds until the final whistle.
The heavy workload of Phase One has caused Pareja to rest starters and offer more field time to rookies and bench players, including Benji Michel and Daryl Dike. Pareja has also embraced a new tactical approach, shifting into a more defensive lineup to close out matches with a lead.
Late in the Nashville match Wednesday, Orlando City’s fourth game in 11 days, Pareja subbed on Kyle Smith to give his team five defenders on the pitch. The Lions didn’t create a true bunker. They continued to attack, but the presence of an additional defender reinforced the backline and defensive midfield.
However, it relaxed the team’s high press, which in turn kept players from overexhausting themselves or allowing a late goal.
“It’s a different way to accommodate the players,” Pareja said. “I don’t think it’s something rigid. It’s something that the game told us as a group that we needed to mold or become with that model [of a] … team who changed some positions. … Sometimes we do it with two, sometimes we do it with three, but this change in the models allows us to have different control of the other team and at the same time refresh our legs.”
3. Michel plays different role
After an impressive rookie season, forward Benji Michel recorded back-toback standout performances against Atlanta and Nashville, capped with his explosive golazo to open scoring on Wednesday night.
Although Michel is continuing to factor into the attack, Pareja has shifted his expectations for the young striker. Rather than working as a traditional striker, Michel has been moved to a winger position.
He’s being asked to play “in the pocket,” which means Michel is expected to occupy the space between the opponent’s backline and deepest line of midfield. It’s not a position Michel was initially comfortable in, but after Wednesday night’s game, Michel said Pareja is helping him get acclimated.
His adjustment has been aided by the time he spent in the offseason training with Brazilian partner club Athletico Paranaense. Playing in Brazil challenged Michel to improve his on-ball handling skills, making his style more dynamic and less reliant on his pure speed.
The shift to winger allows Michel to flank a pure No. 9 striker — such as Akindele or Dike — alongside fellow wingers Chris Mueller or Nani.
“Benji has energy, desire, commitment,” Pareja said. “Benji is willing to learn a new position where he is feeling more comfortable playing between the lines and in tight spaces. He’s a player who is very linear and normally he has the speed as a great changing factor, but he’s adding things to his game and I’m very pleased to see him growing.”