9/5 - ORL vs SDFC

Orlando City vs San Diego FC

Orlando City took all three points against San Diego in the Sunshine State on Saturday night. The California side looked jet-lagged; Orlando was all over them from the first blow of the whistle to the last. Antoine Griezmann's 28th minute strike was the only goal in the contest, but the scoreline doesn't tell the whole story. By all metrics, Orlando were dominant. They doubled San Diego in shots, shots on goal, and big chances created. They had triple the number of touches in opposition box, and quadrupled San Diego's xG figure. It's a marvel that Orlando didn't win by a larger margin given their performance and sheer attacking talent on the field.

Orlando has consistently gone with a 4-4-2 system since Griezmann's arrival to allow the French superstar to operate as a second forward. This is where he is at is best, as he can showcase his finishing prowess as well as his playmaking skills. The 4-4-2 also allows Martin Perelman to be flexible with the personnel he chooses for each match. Justin Ellis, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic all have the ability to line up on the wings or up top in Perelman's system. Young attacker Justin Ellis in particular has impressed of late. He has such a good understanding with Griezmann, and even though he's started on the right wing in the past two matches, he has set up the Frenchman in both of those outings. Striker Daryl Dike doesn't possess that versatility, but he provides what no one else on the roster can: being a reference point up top with his physicality and hold up play. With so many talented forwards, Orlando City will be a very difficult team to defend no matter who plays up top.

Orlando is looking to be just as tough a team to attack against. Out of position, Perelman has instituted a very high line in order to deny box entries. While risky, it's been effective so far, catching many opponents straying offsides. They keep their lines very compact, making it difficult to play through them and almost daring the opposition to play long. Orlando has struggled defensively this season, but these changes have made them tougher to break down. Even more important was the return of captain Robin Jansson to the starting 11. He's such a solid and composed defender, and the Lions are an infinitely better side when he is on the field.

In possession, Orlando sends both of their fullbacks high to provide width. This is where Ivan Angulo is essential to Perelman's system. When the left back goes high, Angulo stays back. Depending where the ball is, he either drops into midfield alongside the holding midfielder(this was Joran Gerbet against San Diego) or covers at left back. Angulo's conservative positioning makes Orlando much less susceptible on counter attacks for two reasons: first, their rest defense is better, as they have more numbers behind the ball. Second, Angulo is freaking fast. However, this tactic has its flaws. If the left back is advanced when Orlando loses possession and Angulo is caught between the midfield and back line, they are vulnerable down the left side. Although Orlando's new defensive strategies come with risks, they have helped solidify the defense. As a result, the Lions are into a playoff position for the first time all year.

For San Diego, it's a very disappointing performance. They looked slow and lacked ideas in the final third. The absence of Jeppe Tverskov, their captain and tempo setting number 6, was palpable. San Diego missed his savvy positioning on defense and his incisive passing in the final third. But even more so, they missed his constant, reliable presence in the middle. He's the metronome. He dictates the game for them, and without him, the Chrome and Azul was unable to control the game. The score would've been a lot worse if it weren't for Manu Duah. The young Ghanaian center back was terrific all night. Whether facing the power of Dike, the explosive speed of Angulo, or the cleverness of Griezmann, Duah answered the call every time. Oh, and he was doing roulettes around strikers. This kid's a joke.

On a team level, San Diego's press was sloppy and uncoordinated. Orlando seemed to build out at ease, whether it was through the middle or down the sides. Dreyer and Achouri would tuck inside to restrict space centrally, so Orlando would play to the perimeter. This is where the press broke down for the Chrome and Azul. If one of the center midfielders went out wide to put pressure on the ball, San Diego didn't shift as a team. This left too much space in the middle of the park for Orlando to play through. On the other hand, if the central midfielder stayed in the middle, it allowed the Orlando wide player to take space and create a 2v1 with San Diego's fullback. Either way, they were being picked apart. San Diego will look to rebound with a home match on Wednesday against San Jose. While they have looked much more like 2025 version since the World Cup break, there is still a lot of work to do. San Diego sits in ninth place in the Western Conference, with just one point separating them from twelfth place. San Diego must function better as a unit if they are to qualify for the postseason.