The second of three games against Orlando City SC this season takes place next Wednesday at 7:30pm at Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, TSN, 98,5fm & TSN Radio 690). Here are 10 things to know on the Lions before their only visit in Montreal in 2016.
Context
Anything can still happen in Orlando. Since Jason Kreis took over as head coach, the Lions’ record stands at 2-2-2. They could have taken a greater reward from this stretch, with four home games out of six, but they still showed their teeth on August 28 with a 2-1 win over second-placed New York City, Kreis’ former employer. Orlando City sits seventh in the Eastern Conference, a mere point away from D.C. United in sixth place, just above the MLS Cup Playoffs red line.
Current form
W-L-D-D-L-W
Head coach
Jason Kreis (2-2-2 as Orlando City SC head coach, 102-90-67 all-time) became Lions head coach on July 19, 2016, and took on his role six days later. A Dallas Burn draft pick from Duke University at the 1996 MLS College Draft, Kreis lifted a U.S. Open Cup and an MLS MVP award with the Burn. He moved to Real Salt Lake in 2005 after nine seasons in Dallas, where he remains the all-time leader in games played and started, minutes played, goals and assists. In Salt Lake, he became the first MLS player to score 100 career goals – he currently ranks sixth in the all-time scoring charts with 108 tallies. Appointed Real Salt Lake head coach on May 3, 2007, Kreis established a well-defined style based on proactive play and widely associated to a diamond midfield. He led the team to an MLS Cup in 2009. Hired by NYCFC for the 2015 season, Kreis departed in November. He joined the Lions after a six-month stint as United States national team assistant coach.
Current top scorer
Cyle Larin (13)
Players to watch
1. Kaká (#10) – He scored or assisted six of the Lions’ last seven goals. Even at 34, Kaká makes the difference.
2. Luke Boden (#14) – He’s the boss on the left. Boden has the heart and lungs required to charge up his flank, which he happily does.
3. Seb Hines (#3) – Three goals. Three headers. Three set pieces played from the right. There’s a trend somewhere in this defender’s attacking play.
Team profile
Only six games into his tenure at Orlando City SC, Jason Kreis is just starting to put his stamp onto the team. While he has attempted not to change too much, too soon, Kreis seems to trust that the Lions can play more into the opposition’s half. Orlando City has done better to take the game to the opponent since Kreis took over but still wields its usual weapons: Cyle Larin’s versatility – he can score in several different ways –, sequences of passing down the middle before widening the play to combine down the flanks or cross the ball, and efficiency on set plays – including an abnormally high goal-scoring rate on throw-ins. Top scorer of the team with 13 tallies, Larin provides a great range of movement to the Lions. Against NYCFC, for example, the Lions created overloads on the right side, but Larin did not shift to that flank; rather, midfielders Pérez García and Molino were joined by Kaká (the nominal left midfielder) while Larin lurked on the left side, waiting to take advantage of potential openings. Although opponents mark them tightly, Kaká and Larin are determined to get close to goal and regularly find a way to the six-yard box – on the flip side, Orlando’s shots from outside the box haven’t done much for them. Defensively, the Lions tend to get caught by balls played behind their backline, especially down the middle and on Boden’s side, as the left back runs forward aggressively. Right back Alston, for his part, has been doing great from open play. Other issues have to be addressed on set plays, as the Lions have been conceding all sorts of set-piece goals.
Tactical formation
Orlando is showing some love to 4-2-3-1. Lineup v. New York City FC (August 28): Bendik; Redding, Aja, Mateos, Boden; Carrasco, Nocerino; Molino, Pérez García, Kaká; Larin.
Most recent games against the Impact
The first game in Orlando earlier this season isn’t a great memory for the Bleu-blanc-noir as Cyle Larin’s second goal confirmed a 2-1 win late on. This result called October 3, 2015, to mind: that night, the Impact could have clinched an MLS Cup Playoffs spot, but Orlando won 2-1 on its home turf instead. Still, Montreal ended up making it to the postseason, unlike the Lions. The debut match between the Impact and Orlando, on March 28, 2015, at Olympic Stadium, had been a 2-2 draw; Kaká and Pedro Ribeiro cancelled out the Impact’s early 2-0 lead in two minutes. Their first meeting at Stade Saputo, on June 20, had featured Donny Toia’s first MLS goal and an insurance tally from Dominic Oduro in a 2-0 win.
Injuries, absences and call-ups (as of September 3)
M Pedro Ribeiro (back – has returned to training)
M Cristian Higuita (hamstring)
M Kevin Molino (Trinidad and Tobago)
F Cyle Larin (Canada)
Next games
LA Galaxy v. Orlando City SC (MLS, September 11)
Orlando City SC v. Columbus Crew SC (MLS, September 17)
D.C. United v. Orlando City SC (MLS, September 24)
