Previewing Houston Dynamo at Orlando City with The Mane Land
(image via Orlando City SC)
The Houston Dynamo are back on the road, this time for a weekend trip to Florida. We talked to our friend Ben Miller from The Mane Land to get some insight on Orlando City ahead of the match.
Bayou City Soccer (BCS): A lot of Dynamo fans were shocked when the team traded Griffin Dorsey to Orlando right before the season started. How has Dorsey done so far this season for Orlando City?
The Mane Land (TML): Trust me, we were surprised as well. Thankfully for Orlando fans, Dorsey has mostly been good. The team as a whole hasn't defended particularly well, and the new right back has made a few errors, but he's largely been the biggest bright spot on the back line. He even picked an assist in Orlando's loss to Miami. The biggest issue has been that the team simply hasn't looked very cohesive in attack, which has limited some of the best attributes he brings to the table. All the same, he's the unquestioned starting right back when healthy, and if the team can get its act together then I think he'll be an important contributor.
BCS: Orlando City has already gone through a coaching change, parting ways with Oscar Pareja. What went wrong early this season for Pareja and what do you think the next steps are for Orlando, especially as they look ahead to the summer and the arrival of Antoine Griezmann?
TML: Pareja was a victim of a few different things. For one, this roster is a little thin in key areas like center back and left back, at least when it comes to proven understudies to the starters. The front office bet heavily on youth with the acquisitions of Iago, Tiago, and Luis Otavio, and while the idea was to integrate them slowly, injuries to Robin Jansson and Wilder Cartagena meant that the kids have been thrown in the deep end much more abruptly than planned. A new goalkeeper, unfamiliar faces on the back line and midfield, young players adapting to a new league and new surroundings, combined with a tough schedule to start the year and everything sort of snowballed. Reading between the lines, it's also hard not to feel like Pareja wanted additional pieces in the offseason, while the front office felt like the roster was sound and could win as constructed.
First things first, the team just needs to appoint its next permanent manager. Credit Martin Perelman for putting his neck on the line in an extremely unenviable situation, but the team's post-Pareja results have made it pretty clear that Oscar wasn't the problem, or at least not the only one. Players still often don't look like they know where they should be on the field or what they should be doing, and that's on the coaching staff. Go find your permanent guy, let them start instilling some philosophies now, and then drill all of it extra hard when you have the World Cup break in the summer. Based on the evidence of the Columbus game last week, having a healthy Robin Jansson back will help a lot too, but the fortunes of the team simply shouldn't live and die with one center back.
BCS: Orlando has conceded a staggering 24 goals in 7 league matches this season. What has gone wrong defensively and how do they get it fixed?
TML: A lot of it has had to do with inconsistent and inexperienced lineups. Jansson's absence hurt a lot, and Iago, draft pick Nolan Miller, and homegrown player Tahir Reid-Brown have played heavier minutes than is probably ideal. The issue isn't simply that they're young because they all do have talent, but its hard for young players when you aren't consistently playing alongside the same people and building that chemistry and familiarity. In goal, Maxime Crepeau either seems to make incredible saves, or give up head-scratching goals, and the Lions need more of the former and less of the latter.
BCS: With Orlando in the Eastern Conference, Dynamo fans may not get to see a lot of their games. Who are some players that Houston fans may not be familiar with that they should keep an eye on this weekend?
TML: I'll single out winger Ivan Angulo, and midfielders Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta. When Angulo is on form, he's extremely difficult to stop given his speed and dribbling ability. Unfortunately, he's got a tendency to struggle with decision-making and execution in the final third, and his track record in 1v1 situations with the goalkeeper is enough to make one wish for technical difficulties in the telecast. If we get on-form Ivan, then he'll be one of the most dangerous players on the field.
When it comes to Ojeda and Atuesta, Orlando has had a difficult time controlling the middle of the field this season. Atuesta and Ojeda both profile more as box-to-box no. 8's instead of defensive no.6's, but with Wilder Cartagena out due to a hamstring issue, the next most experienced 6's are Colin Guske (19 years old), who has a total of 10 league appearances in two seasons, and Luis Otavio (also 19), who has four. So, you either play your two most experienced central midfielders even though one of them isn't a 6, or pair one of your 8's with a young, fairly inexperienced guy. Since variations of those combinations saw the Lions lose 5-0 and 6-0 to Nashville and LAFC respectively, Perelman has used a 3-5-2 in the last two matches with Martin Ojeda dropping into the midfield. It's seemed to help a bit, but regardless of what the head coach decides to do tomorrow, Orlando needs to be better in the middle of the field. We haven't seen the best from B. Ojeda or Atuesta yet this year, but when on form Ojeda is good at bringing the ball forward, while Atuesta is a very capable deep creative force.
BCS: Does Orlando have any injury or suspension concerns heading into this match? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?
TML: Iago was in concussion protocol for the U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday and Duncan McGuire missed out with a lower body injury. Joran Gerbet is still recovering from an ACL tear, and Cartagena is out with a hamstring injury. As far as I know, everyone else should be good to go.
Best guess at a lineup is:
3-5-2
Maxime Crepeau; David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Nolan Miller; Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Griffin Dorsey; Tiago, Marco Pasalic.
As far as a score prediction goes, I'll say a 2-2 draw.
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We want to thank Ben for his time and wish our friends in Orlando the best of luck tomorrow night.
