ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando City picked up a much-needed three points on Saturday night during a 2-0 win over FC Dallas, reinvigorating the team’s push for its first playoff berth. Here are four things we learned from Saturday night’s game:
Lions take charge without dominating possession
On the stat sheet, it might appear Dallas was the more dominant team throughout the match, holding the ball for long swaths of play. But Orlando City didn’t feel pressure to win possession. Dallas features one of the stingiest defenses in the league, paired with a quick and athletic ability to counter. FC Dallas’ success throughout this season has often relied upon sitting deep and defending for extended periods of time, then ripping off a counter attack in transition to take advantage of an opponent that has shifted high up on the field.
Orlando City played away from this tactic, focusing on neutralizing the transition game, which allowed Dallas to spend more time on-ball. However, the possession time didn’t translate to scoring opportunities for the visitors — despite possessing for more than 65% of the game. Dallas took only 11 shots, two more than Orlando City.
For Orlando City coach James O’Connor, the key to his team’s success was the ability to not only disrupt the Dallas game plan, but also to turn that disruption into immediate positive movement toward the Dallas goal.
“We just needed to manage the game,” O’Connor said. “The biggest thing we wanted to be mindful of is that Dallas transitions so quick into open areas. For us, the biggest thing was managing transition moments and being able to play our way out of it.”
Orlando City avoids a trap game
The Dallas game on Saturday came only three days before one of the biggest matches in the history of the club — Tuesday night’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Atlanta United. Not only is the game an opportunity to advance to a final of a tournament for the first time in club history; it’s also a home contest against one of the club’s fiercest rivals.
With scheduling like this, it would have been easy for the Dallas match to become a trap game, with the Lions emphasizing the Open Cup match too much and letting the Dallas game slip through the cracks. But O’Connor was aware of this risk and made it clear throughout the week that the Dallas game was just as important for Orlando City.
The emphasis was reflected in the starting lineup. Although Nani opened the match on the bench, O’Connor started a full-force rotation, replacing the captain with fellow designated player Dom Dwyer. With playoff contention on the line, Orlando City delivered at home and avoided a letdown.
Ruan flexes speed, midfield versatility
The Lions took the early 1-0 lead due to Ruan’s cut and cross in the 13th minute, but the outside back terrorized the flanks of the Dallas defense for the entire game Saturday.
The assist put Ruan’s agility on display — the defender collected a cross to the right side of the field, and as the defense shifted to the ball’s movement, he noticed a large gap back toward the center of the field. When Ruan cut inside, a clear lane directly into the box opened up, so he took two quick touches into it, lowering his shoulders to drive as hard as possible into the space.
Ruan’s sudden cut tugged in four defenders from every angle to adjust to his speed. As those defenders sagged in, Tesho Akindele checked his defender, then slipped behind him, and Ruan immediately made a blind pass with the outside of his foot to send the ball into the box for the forward to finish.
Bang! Just like that, @Tesho13 nets the first goal of the game. #ORLvDAL pic.twitter.com/F0vujHRxP7
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 3, 2019
The play showcased the threat of Ruan’s first step, which was fast enough to force multiple defenders to step to him. That speed continued to scorch Dallas throughout the night. Ruan made several full-field runs with the ball off long passes from the backline, testing defenders one-on-one. Although he wasn’t able to maintain control long enough to score, these streaking runs showed the speed that the 24-year-old brings to the Orlando City attack and disrupted the Dallas flow of game.
Tesho Akindele steps into leadership role
Akindele wore the captain’s armband for the first time in his senior career Saturday night, a moment the forward said was particularly emotional in front of a home crowd. With Nani and Sacha Kljestan both starting the game on the bench, O’Connor approached Akindele and told him he was ready to become a leader for the team.
This season has been marked by highs for Akindele — he is currently tied with Nani for most goals on the team with a personal-best eight scored so far this year. His performance lifted Orlando City when Dwyer suffered an injury earlier in the season and he continues to provide an edge.
Akindele thrived Saturday, taking five shots and scoring a goal against his former team. Now, in his sixth season in MLS, Akindele said he is hitting his stride as he adjusts to the idea of being a veteran.
“It’s weird, you feel like a rookie for a long time,” Akindele said. “I felt like a rookie even two years ago, like I was a new guy in the league. Now, kids are coming in that are five, six, seven years younger than me [and] I want to guide them and give them the best possible career. I’m happy to embrace that role.”