Orlando City SC: James O’Connor finds his catalyst

Orlando City SC defeated the New York Red Bulls in Week 4 of the 2019 MLS season. In the process, has James O’Connor found his tactical catalyst?

Formations that use a back three require resolute communication and a strong knowledge of each individual role on the pitch. An increased emphasis is placed on the wing-backs’ abilities to explode forward in attack to create threatening opportunities in the final third, while also assisting to form a resilient defense.

Orlando City SC utilized the back-three formation to full effect in their first win of the season against the New York Red Bulls this weekend. The triumph also ended the club’s poor away record in which they were winless in over 20 MLS matches dating back to last season.

A victory by one goal off a counter-attack may not have been the most inspiring win over the Red Bulls, but it proved Orlando City’s effective execution of a determined defensive plan. Considering the previous struggles for the club, especially in defense, a shut-out away from home exhibits the club’s understanding that it needed adjustments in tactile approaches.

James O’Connor deserves a great deal of credit for the style of play he instructed during the match, and it further presents evidence of the work that has been done in training. O’Connor moved back to a three-man defense after he employed a traditional back four the previous weekend, which resulted in a 3-1 home loss to the Montreal Impact.

The signings of Ruan, João Moutinho, Robin Jansson, and Alex de John all showcased an impressive ability to keep a solid shape and effective communication to frustrate the Red Bulls’ attackers. Ruan and Moutinho were particularly impressive on the counter-attack, with Ruan continually making threatening runs behind the defense on the right side of the pitch and Moutinho recording an assist.

This was perhaps the first game that O’Connor was able to play his preferred players, with the exception of Dom Dwyer, who is on a minutes restriction. It was unfortunate to see de John subbed off early due to an injury, but Lamine Sane came into the game and provided the same level of quality.

The Lions maintained a level of unwavering determination to see out a clean sheet, which was something the team has continually struggled in achieving. There were a few instances that required Brian Rowe to make some wonderful saves, but overall, Orlando prevented the Red Bulls from building any momentum.

They found rejuvenation in the match from the services of Dwyer. While Nani had a relatively quiet night, which could have been exaggerated by the play’s focus on defense, Dwyer immediately had an impact when being subbed on for Santiago Patino. Dwyer’s ability to hold the ball up, which allowed him to find Moutinho leading to the Sacha Kljestan’s goal, provided time for the OCSC wing-backs to push forward.

The area of concern for Orlando City SC is when opposing teams inevitably force City to play through the middle of the pitch. With the back-three formation, the danger areas are out wide and in behind the opposition’s backline. But besides Kljestan, the Lions do not have a true box-to-box midfielder that can link play between the defense and the attackers.

Carlos Ascues and Oriol Rosell are more defensively minded. Will Johnson does create chances and is recovering from a concussion, but he has lacked consistency since arriving at OCSC. He has gotten 25 shots on goal since joining Orlando, resulting in three goals, but he has only managed to assist on three occasions. Though again, Johnson has traditionally been employed with a defensive focus.

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In the end, time will tell if Orlando City SC can adapt to approaching games with a multitude of strategies while still being effective in defense. After a second consecutive offseason of rebuilding the backline, there is a dire need to get it right.

The additions over the course of the offseason were more precise but versatile, which was the opposite of approach implemented by Jason Kreis last offseason. It is, however, difficult to make a significant amount of changes to a squad and expect a rapid level of integration.

Orlando should have already had one away win under their belt coming into Week 4, but a late capitulation against the Chicago Fire’s CJ Sapong prevented a 1-0 win. The Lions are on the right track, but late-game errors are the demise of any side’s playoff chances. This win against NYRB proves that Orlando City SC can be stout defensively and see out tough wins.

Will Orlando use this win to foster a winning streak? Can Kljestan build off of his emphatic game-winning goal to get back to the level of quality he displayed during his time with the very same Red Bulls?

Regardless, James O’Connor should be lauded for his tactical approach last match. Now he has the opportunity to build momentum at home this weekend against D.C. United. The successful display against New York will surely foster a strong aura of confidence amongst the squad. Formation changes can be a catalyst for teams. Time will tell if that is true for O’Connor and Orlando City.