Moutinho’s absence affecting Lions’ defense
Orlando City earned a point against Atlanta United on Wednesday, settling for a 1-1 draw after the Five Stripes scored a stoppage-time goal. Here are three things we learned from the game:
1. Lions’ defense misses Moutinho
The Orlando City defense has been visibly impacted by the loss of João Moutinho, who is sidelined with a groin injury that will take several weeks to recover. Moutinho’s speed and attacking versatility allow the Lions to press more evenly up both flanks, with the outside back supplying crosses on the offensive and clamping down on transition breakaways.
Kamal Miller, who is filling in during Moutinho’s absence, isn’t really a like-for-like replacement. The last two matches have seen the young defender struggle as he mismanaged the player he was marking to allow a goal inside the box during both draws.
Coach Oscar Pareja said he’s been content with Miller’s performances, noting he needed more time to get into a rhythm with the rest of the back line. But in order to continue the team’s defensive discipline, Miller and the rest of the backline will need to get on the same page and maintain better continuity when they pressure up the field.
“We weren’t compact enough just overall as a team,” Orlando City defender Kyle Smith said. “Our front maybe was disconnected from our back.
“If we’re going to press, [then we need to make sure] that everyone is going together and it’s not ones and twos because then we get opened up and they get in our attack and they get dangerous. We need to make sure that we’re just compact in the closing minutes of the game.”
2. Trouble finishing
After several high-scoring performances, Orlando City struggled to convert early in the match against Atlanta United.
The Lions created eight chances in the first half alone, finishing with 15 total shots. The quality of the chances was particularly strong — open shots from point-blank range, run-on shots from the top of the box, backside crosses that swung a little too wide.
Nani hit the post on a curling free kick in the second half, and in the first half goalkeeper Brad Guzan made a kick save to fend off a shot by Sebas Méndez.
If the Lions had held onto their 1-0 lead, those missed opportunities might have settled as a mild annoyance. But they represented a lost opportunity for the Lions, who traded what could have been a blowout over their rivals at home for a frustrating draw.
“In the first half, we did really well to create a lot of chances and come very close, but sometimes the final pass, the final shot, the final run, something like that may not have gone our way,” rookie Daryl Dike said. “Ultimately, I honestly think it might not have been our day. You give us another day, maybe we put five of those in the back of the net.”
3. Managing expectations
In the past, a draw with Atlanta would have been a seen as a positive result. On Wednesday, it was a major blow to the team.
Pareja said the Lions were “in a lot of pain” in the locker room after the past two draws. That frustration was visible among the players after the match on Saturday. Despite that emotion, however, there are still positives they can take from the match.
The Lions are undefeated during four consecutive matches, suffering just one loss during the past eight regular-season matches. The team is holding onto a No. 3 ranking in the Eastern Conference table, although Orlando City could drop a spot or two, depending on results of upcoming games among other teams.
On the other hand, a win on Wednesday would have propelled the team up to the No. 2 spot in the conference. And the margin to the cutoff
line for the playoffs is still only five points, a reflection of the importance of each match during a season altered by the pandemic.
MLS is expected to announce Phase Two of its post-Disney World bubble competition later this week. The Lions will close Phase One with a rematch against Inter Miami Saturday at Exploria Stadium. Miami is the only team that has defeated Orlando City during Phase One matches.
“They’re mature enough right now to absorb the pain that they have in the locker [room],” Pareja said of his players. “I think we have to just let it go. It’s normal. I don’t want to say things to soften their pain, I think it’s normal. They should be proud of many things, but this is football and we have to have resolution. We have to put the games away when we can.”