Data Dump: Orlando City B (Home)

With the refrain of “You’re a Mickey Mouse club after all” ringing in my ears, I went home Sunday night, pretty pleased with the result, our spot in the table, and our performance overall. The part of me that wants to be “up three goals in the first 30 minutes even for just a single game” is a loud, annoying part of me that I desperately wish would shut up so I can get back to enjoying the fact that Los Buhos are UNDEFEATED through seven games. We have been tested under tough conditions and shone through each and every time. Love the players, love the team, and love watching them play for each other. Let’s focus on the good and breeze through a light data dump here after a holiday weekend.

1) How about Devin Boyce?

When you make a long run through midfield, deliver a pinpoint cross, and watch it get smashed home for the game winning goal, you’re bound to get some attention, but Devin deserves all the credit for the way he has been playing lately. He’s been great! Let’s admire a couple of charts.

He was everywhere doing everything!

One last thing that stood out to me was this distribution chart. Our center backs generally lead our team in passing stats, Devin was right up there with them in this game.

2) So. Many. Crosses.

We love to cross the ball, and last night was no different, except we actually scored a headed goal off a cross from open play. By my count, that’s the first time we’ve done that all year. The only other headed goal, was JP Scearce’s header against North Texas.

Look at all that action. One other thing I noticed last night was Tyler David up in the box for set pieces instead of at midfield. He did win all five of his aerial duels last night, so he can get up and win a ball. Putting more of our taller players in scoring positions will hopefully help us convert more of these crosses in the future.

3) Can he kick it long?

Mason Stajduhar, Orlando City’s third string keeper, gracefully endure a lot of heckling on Sunday night, including being serenaded tunelessly with the words: “You can’t kick it long, oh, you can’t kick it long.” Friend of the column, Michael S, reminded me of this song on Monday morning and I thought I better look into the veracity of this claim.

Well would you look at that; the supporters were right! Lots and lots of very short passes from the MLS homegrown product getting some minutes in Omaha. While these short passes to the right back are almost certainly by design and not out of a lack of skill or injury induced, it did give the supporters something to heckle about other than player’s favorite rides at Disney World.

Stay tuned for an updated and expanded Elo rankings that will feature some additional columns to help make them easier for folks out of town to understand them. Think of it as Elo for Dummies. Emphasis on the dummies.