Eduard Atuesta Steps Up to Help the Lions in a Tough 2-2 Draw with the New York Red Bulls.
It is never easy to go on the road to the New York City metropolitan area with back-to-back games against New York City F.C. and the New York Red Bulls. Blend that dynamic with your best box-to-box midfielder unavailable due to injury (Cesar Araujo) and you cannot have expected much in yesterday's battle with NYRB. Fortunately, the central midfield duo of Eduard Atuesta and MLS SuperDraft selection Joran Gerbet did more than hold their own. With Wilder Cartagena out for the season, and Araujo unavailable, Atuesta and Gerbet stepped up and put in great shifts. Atuesta was everywhere yesterday. contributing two assists, and Gerbet, making his first start for the Lions, looked very composed on the ball. Here are a few takes on yesterday's 2-2 draw:
I try to stay above the fray with positivity but I will start off this assessment with two negative takeaways.
1. Orlando MUST stop giving the ball away in the middle third. I am not referring to 50/50 challenges but to poor decision-making and passing. In the first seventy minutes, I counted fourteen turnovers in the middle third that resulted from poor passes or the inability to receive the pass. Oscar Pareja must solve this issue quickly as the turnover rate is unacceptable at this level. I understand Orlando City sat back a bit to absorb the NYRB attack, but the inability to successfully play the ball out of the back is alarming. 2. While Pedro Gallese is one of the better shot stoppers in MLS, his antics and injury play-acting are getting old. I understand that he stays down for tactical reasons, etc. Pedro: you are too good of a keeper to behave with that 'cry wolf' behavior. Get on with it and show us your professionalism.
Pareja's substitutions were spot on late in the game. Changing out Martin Ojeda for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson at 68' brought energy to the Lions' attack. Pareja also brought on Ramiro Enrique, David Brekalo, and Rafael Santos at 82', with Duncan McGuire coming on at 87'. We can only wonder if the Lions could have grabbed three points if these subs came on 10-12' earlier?
Martin Ojeda playing at the ten has yielded great results. His tactical awareness and one-time passing ability along with Luis Muriel, Marco Pašalić, and Ivan Angulo provides the Lions with one of the better attacking four in MLS. Duncan McGuire is now healthy which adds a different element to the attack, especially if he is a late game substitution running at tired defenders.
Orlando City has four points after the first four games of the MLS regular season. While they sit at the top of the league in goals scored at nine, they have given up a staggering ten goals, tied for worst in the league with abysmal Toronto F.C. side. The good news is that Orlando City comes back home this Saturday night against one-win D.C. United. Hopefully, Cesar Araujo will be available to team with Eduard Atuesta in the center midfield slots. Duncan McGuire looks to be match fit giving Oscar Pareja some options upfront. The Lions definitely need a win this Saturday night before traveling to Southern California to face the L.A. Galaxy on March 29.
Gary Levitt @gary1123 justmytake.net
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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