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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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Orlando City went on the road to take on FC Cincinnati and left empty-handed after a 1-0 defeat. Pedro Gallese provided stellar goalkeeping, but the Lions just couldn’t create enough chances on offense. Mauricio Pereyra, Joao Moutinho, and Robin Jansson were all absent from the starting lineup for various reasons, which definitely impacted how Orlando attacked in this match. Let’s dive into how each individual Lion performed in this road loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — If not for Gallese, the Lions would have been heading into halftime with a massive deficit to overcome. El Pulpo came up with spectacular saves time and time again, denying Nick Haggland from close range twice in the first half and Alvaro Barreal from the top of the area. Another save stopped Luciano Acosta’s deflected attempt, but Gallese couldn’t intercept the ensuing cross after the rebound and his clean sheet was spoiled. His eight saves were the most he’s had in a match this season and the loss doesn’t fall anywhere on his shoulders. His distribution was also solid, connecting on five of his eight long balls and completing 85% of his 20 passes.

D, Thomas Williams, 6 — The 17-year-old started as the team’s left back in place of Joao Moutinho. He had his work cut out for him at times against Brandon Vazquez and Brenner, but held his own with some defensive support from teammates. The Homegrown Player had three clearances and a tackle in 45 minutes of action. It was just his second start of the season and it showed on occasion as he completed just 83.3% of his 24 passes. Williams didn’t have any crosses and was accurate on one of his three long balls. He was subbed off at halftime for Antonio Carlos, ending his appearance on the road.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — The Argentine center back returned from suspension and led his team with six clearances. He also blocked a shot from Luciano Acosta at the top of the box and had three interceptions and a tackle as well. Schlegel could’ve reacted a bit faster on Cincy’s goal, unable to locate Brenner in time after the initial shot. He had a whopping 16 long balls, connecting on six of them. Only 79.7% of his passes were successful, but he attempted a team-high 69 of them as he tried building out of the back and rotating the ball around the field. Schlegel also won three of his four aerial duels to give the Lions some supremacy in the sky. Schlegel’s performance showed that he can hold things down while Carlos continues to ease back into things.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Smith started at center back in the first half and then shifted to left back for the second half, showcasing some of the versatility that makes him so valuable for Orlando. Leading the team with five tackles, Smith had another strong game and also contributed five clearances and an interception. Regarding Cincy’s goal, Smith did a good job putting himself in a position to make one of his trademark goal-line saves, but ultimately wasn’t able to get a piece of Brenner’s shot. He also led the Lions with 85 touches and three key passes, including a nice through ball to Ercan Kara. His only cross didn’t find its man, but it did earn the Lions a corner kick late in the match. Smith was accurate on two his five long balls and 82.5% of 57 passes were successful.

D, Ruan, 5.5 — The right back needed to react quicker on Cincinnati’s goal. Acosta shot from outside the box, then raced past Ruan to get his own rebound and assist on the goal. In terms of defensive statistics, Ruan only had one clearance and needed to offer a bit more bite on that side of the ball considering the depleted back line. Although he completed 87.8% of his 41 passes and was accurate on two of his four attempted long balls, neither of his two crosses were successful as he continues to struggle in that area of his game. Ruan also had three unstable touches in a performance he will have to shrug off and move forward from.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had an efficient night, completing 91.2% of his 57 passes to help build possession for Orlando. He did struggle a bit when defending against Acosta, who used some fancy footwork to get two shots off while Araujo was on him. The second of those shots led to Cincy’s goal as Araujo chased down Acosta only for the Argentine midfielder to cut back and find room to shoot. It’s hard to fault Araujo for much of that though and he had two interceptions, two clearances, and a tackle. Offensively, his single shot was blocked but he did a decent job putting the ball into dangerous areas. Four of his six attempted long balls were accurate and one of his two crosses found their mark. This was also his fifth consecutive match without a yellow card, meaning one of his accumulated yellow cards this season is removed due to good behavior.

MF, Junior Urso, 5 — Like most of Orlando’s midfielders, Urso had a rough night. His poor touch trying to wrangle in a pass from Araujo caused the turnover that led to Cincy’s goal. The Bear didn’t have any shots during a match in which Orlando certainly could’ve used them. His only cross of the game was a key pass that gave Jake Mulraney a chance in the box, although far enough from goal that the resulting header needed better power and placement to go in. Urso had two crosses and defensively he contributed an interception and a clearance in 69 minutes on the field. He completed 23 of his 28 passes for an 82.1% completion rate and didn’t attempt any long balls. Urso was dispossessed four times in this one and may be feeling the fatigue of three starts within 10 days.

MF, Andres Perea, 5 — Perea had a tough time trying to fill Mauricio Pereyra’s role on offense. The 21-year-old completed 50 of his 62 passes for an 80.7% success rate that could’ve been a better as he turned the ball over and ended Orlando’s momentum. He had just one key pass and his only cross didn’t connect, although his lone long ball did. Perea was hesitant at times with the ball at his feet, particularly when Cincy closed down on him or when he needed to quickly find an open Lion. He had a good opportunity in the 33rd minute on a counter, but a bad touch while sprinting down the field allowed Cincy defender John Nelson to stop him. It wasn’t all bad though. Perea was defensively sound with two tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions, while also winning six of his seven aerial duels. It’s important to remember just how young Perea is and he had big shoes to fill. But, this match showed that he lacks the skillset to truly pull the strings of Orlando’s offense at this time.

MF, Jake Mulraney, 5 — The Irishman’s only shot came late in the first half from a good opportunity at the top of the box, but his headed attempt was easily handled by Celentano. Mulraney had a rough night in terms of distribution. His lone cross was blocked and he completed just 76.5% of his 17 passes and struggled to beat Ray Gaddis on the left. He did do a solid job dropping back to support Williams on defense though, recording three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. Mulraney was subbed off at halftime for Benji Michel, continuing their competition at the position.

MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 — With Pereyra out, the stage was set for Torres to take the reins of the offense and drive it forward. While he led the Lions with five crosses, connecting on two of them, Torres wasn’t able to get much going on offense. His only shot was a low effort from distance that went wide of goal and neither of his long balls found their target. The Uruguayan had 55 passes at a solid 87.3% success rate, but just one key pass. His two tackles undersell a decent defensive performance, as he hustled all over the pitch to pressure Cincy from start to finish. Although he had 72 touches, Torres was often quickly swarmed by Cincy’s players when he had possession and was fouled a team-high four times. Torres showed plenty of fight in this match, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact on offense as the Lions were shut out.

F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — The Austrian forward only had one shot in 62 minutes of action and that was a poor attempt that harmlessly trickled to Celentano for him to collect it. Kara only had 14 touches and eight passes at a 37.5% success rate, which is a testament to the lack of service and support he received throughout the match. He wasn’t able to really take advantage of set pieces either as Orlando didn’t have a corner kick until he was off the field. Three unstable touch didn’t help things for Kara, as his holdup play wasn’t what we’re used to seeing, although he won three of his four aerial duels. Kara spent his time on the field stranded on an island until he was subbed off for Alexandre Pato right before Cincy took the lead.

Substitutes

D, Antonio Carlos (45’), 7 — The Brazilian center back made his return after his injury in April. While he didn’t have any defensive stats, Carlos helped stabilize things for Orlando and completed all but one of his 31 passes for a strong 96.8% success rate. He also connected on all five of his long balls to pick out players downfield. His only shot was a headed effort sent just wide of goal after a cross from Alexandre Pato in the box. It’s nice to see Carlos back out there, even if his return wasn’t enough to galvanize Orlando towards a result.

MF, Benji Michel (45’), 4 — Michel came on for Mulraney, but made less of an impact with just 14 touches and 10 passes at an 80% success rate despite playing an entire half. Michel had no shots, crosses, or key passes, although he did contribute a tackle on defense. His speed is an asset, but he just wasn’t a factor in this match.

F, Alexandre Pato (62’), 4 — The 32-year-old was sloppy to say the least. Only one of his five crosses was accurate and some of his misses were bad enough that there was no chance of recycling them. None of his three long balls were successful either and he finished with eight passes at a 375% success rate. His only shot went over the bar and a bad touch squandered a golden opportunity in the box on a counter attack. Hopefully this performance was just an anomaly and his quality service returns in future games.

F, Tesho Akindele (69’), 5 — The Canadian forward is still on the hunt for his first goal contribution of the season. Akindele only had three touches and three passes in this match, which isn’t great from a forward you’re hoping adds a spark off the bench. The Lions had a slew of set pieces late in the match while trailing, but poor service prevented Akindele from really capitalizing on them.


That’s how I saw things in Orlando’s defeat at the hands of FC Cincinnati. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to vote for the Man of the Match as well.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese43
Kyle Smith1
Antonio Carlos1
Cesar Araujo0
Other (Let us know who in the comments)0

Orlando City

Inside the Numbers: Goal Scoring and Shot Creation for Orlando City, OCB, and the Pride

A comparison among all three Orlando teams on where their goals and chance creation have come from.

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Image of Inter&Co Stadium at night.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Starting next week, all three Orlando teams will be back in season. After playing the most games (15) going into the World Cup break, Orlando City will return having played fewer games than both the Pride (will be at 16 games) and Orlando City B (will be at 19 games). MLS NEXT Pro channeled, fittingly, its inner Junior Senior and said we “won’t stop (won’t stop) won’t stop the beat” and kept playing through the break, hence OCB’s large lead in games played. The Pride returned two weeks ago, and are in the midst of a two-game week to vault them past Orlando City as well.

As of the writing of this article Orlando City had played 15 games, the Pride 14, and OCB 18, and with all teams coming back into action this felt like a good time to have a good time by talking about the most fun part of soccer — creating chances and scoring goals. Goalkeepers might disagree with that statement, but they can take inspiration by what they see when they look left and right on the goal line and pipe down.

The three charts below show every player who has scored at least one goal for any of the three Orlando teams thus far this season, using FotMob’s data for “chances created.” Chances created is FotMob’s category name for the stat also known as key passes (the MLS and MLS NEXT Pro websites track these pretty well, the NWSL’s website not so much), which are classified as the final pass that happened before a player takes a shot.

We’ll start with the Pride, using data through their game against Kansas City on July 10:

PlayerMinutesGoalsGoal ShareChances Created*
Barbra Banda1,0171257%1.59
Haley McCutcheon1,260210%1.29
Hannah Anderson545210%0.17
Marta346210%1.30
Cori Dyke1,24415%0.14
Jacquie Ovalle52015%2.25
Nicole Payne24915%0.72

*per 90 minutes

Barbra Banda’s production continues to be prodigious. She is currently the only player in league history to play more than 1,000 minutes in a season and average more than one goal per 90 minutes (1.06). Her 12 goals accounts for nearly three out of every five scored by the Pride, and she is the only player in the league with a goal share higher than 50%, which says just as much about the rest of the Pride’s offense as it does Banda. Center back Hannah Anderson ranking in a tie for second among goal scorers is also a little concerning.

On the flip side of that concern, however, is a reminder that Marta and Jacquie Ovalle have not even played a combined 900 minutes. When they play, they create shots — in particular Ovalle, who is in the top 10 in the league in chances created per 90 minutes — and Pride fans can continue to imagine what it would be like to see a front line of Banda, Ovalle, and Marta, and to see how they would all create shots and goals for one another.

Moving from one team with a dominant primary scorer to another, Orlando City is up next:

PlayerMinutesGoalsGoal ShareChances Created*
Martín Ojeda1,3131148%1.58
Griffin Dorsey95129%0.85
Marco Pašalić64229%0.70
Duncan McGuire48129%1.12
Tyrese Spicer44029%1.43
Tiago58414%0.46
Justin Ellis53414%1.69
Luis Otávio41714%0.22
Ignacio Gómez1414%0.00

*per 90 minutes

Martín Ojeda’s 48% goal share (it’s actually 47.8%, but I rounded all the goal shares to two digits, which is why that column does not appear to sum to 100%; you can breathe a sigh of relief, the math maths) ranks him just behind the 48.1% of Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers, and those two players are the only two players above 45% in MLS. Orlando City’s pattern looks remarkably similar to the Pride’s, with one player scoring most of the goals and everyone else at two or one. The arrival of Antoine Griezmann and the rumored return of Daryl Dike could, and probably should, change that, but we know that Duncan McGuire will not score any more goals for the Lions and Marco Pašalić is also rumored to be moving on as well, so it likely will be someone else who steps up.

Please someone step up.

When it comes to creating shots, Orlando City does not have a go-to player like Ovalle, but both Justin Ellis and Ojeda are in the top 40 in the league. As will be seen below, Ellis is already an elite creator when playing against players his own age, and in a decent sample of minutes, he has shown he has the talent to compete at the MLS level. The next few weeks will reveal a lot about his ability to continue to contribute, as teams have now had the chance to watch him play in MLS and will have him in their game plans once the season resumes. I think he will continue to excel, especially since in recent weeks he has had a chance to play alongside and learn from Griezmann.

Speaking of Griezmann, Orlando City’s newest Lion created 1.90 chances per 90 minutes in La Liga and 1.86 during Champions League play this past season, so I think it is a safe assumption that Griezmann will immediately create chances at a high level once the season resumes. The big question will be if someone will step up to complement Ojeda as a second scorer. Again, I beg someone to do so.

And now for OCB, a team with plenty of players who have stepped up:

PlayerMinutesGoalsGoal ShareChances Created*
Pedro Leão1,195719%1.51
Harvey Sarajian1,118514%2.01
Gustavo Caraballo895411%2.41
Justin Ellis35638%3.03
Justin Hylton39838%1.13
Matthew Belgodere84738%2.13
Issah Haruna1,17138%1.54
Bernardo Rhein1,42825%1.58
Ignacio Gómez90225%0.50
Nicolas Lasheras25913%0.35
Zakaria Taifi25413%0.35
Jacob Ramírez21813%0.83
Caleb Trombino31613%1.14
Dylan Judelson1,03013%0.61

*per 90 minutes

The Young Lions do not have a single scorer dominating the chart like the other two Orlando teams, but unlike their fellow teams, they have an abundance of players who have scored more than twice this season. Seven different players have scored three or more times and 14 players have scored at least once. As a team, OCB ranks fourth in the league in goals scored per game. No player accounts for more than 20% of the team’s goals, making OCB difficult to defend.

Another reason the Young Lions are difficult to defend is that so many players are constantly looking to set up their teammates for shots and are skilled enough to be able to do so. Four attacking players have created more than two chances per 90 minutes, including the aforementioned Ellis, during his early season games with OCB, and defender Bernardo Rhein creates more shots than almost everyone on Orlando City and the Pride.

The diversity of OCB’s attack, especially as compared to the senior Lions and the Pride, is on display in the chart below, which shows all of the players who have scored at least one goal in league play and their associated chances created per 90 minutes values. OCB’s players are in yellow, Orlando City’s in purple, and the Pride’s in light blue.

Chart showing Orlando City, Pride, and OCB players' goals scored vs. chances created per 90 minutes in league play.

It may be subjective whether you think Florida sits on the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America, but there is also a gulf in Orlando and that is between Banda and Ojeda and the rest of their teammates.

Hopefully, by the time the regular seasons wrap up for all three teams, the gulf is more like a cove, or better yet a stream, as additional scorers have emerged like hot springs for the Lions and the Pride. OCB will be fine if it continues to flood the field with all of its attacking talent. It is the senior teams that need to look deep inside the well to find some additional scorers.

By this time next week, all three seasons will be going again, and with the games coming fast and furious in July and August, we will rapidly see if the second part of the season will look like more of the same, or if that World Cup break will lead to a sea change as the season continues.

Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/16/26

Orlando City wins friendly, Orlando Pride beaten at home, MLS season returns tonight, and much more.

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Image of Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal during Orlando City's 2-1 friendly win at FC Dallas.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

How’s it going, Mane Landers? For those of us in Florida, it looks like some storms could be heading our way this week. While that can be a bit annoying if you have outdoor plans, hopefully it will make some of this oppressive heat a bit more bearable. Both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B are on the road on Saturday, so we may get to dodge some dreaded weather delays as well. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Wins Friendly at FC Dallas

The Lions went to Texas for a friendly against FC Dallas and won 2-1 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium — home of North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS NEXT Pro side. Antoine Griezmann seems to be settling in nicely with the club, scoring yet again in this friendly after doing so a week ago against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Martin Ojeda also got on the scoresheet in the first half and you can check out both finishes below.

While I don’t put too much stock in friendlies, it sure does feel better to be on the winning side of them. This was the final tune-up for Orlando before the Lions hit the road for a match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday in their first league game since May.

Orlando Pride Shut Out At Home

The Orlando Pride hosted the Boston Legacy and weren’t able to get a result in a 1-0 loss at Inter&Co Stadium. Barbara Olivieri scored the game’s only goal in the 17th minute to give Boston the lead. Orlando had its chances to equalize but couldn’t manage to put together a finished product in the end. This was Orlando’s third loss to an expansion side this season (0-3-1) as the Pride picked up only one point out of 12 in four matches against Boston and Denver. It’s been a season of inconsistency for the Pride, but hopefully that means they’ll come back stronger in Saturday’s road match against the Utah Royals.

MLS Season Returns Tonight

MLS is back! While the Lions aren’t in action until Wednesday, the season resumes tonight with an exciting slate of games. Many eyes will be on the match between the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps, as it could include Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut. While it’s a brand new team and league for the forward, he’d be going up against a familiar face in former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Muller, who has helped Vancouver climb to the top of the Western Conference. Other intriguing matchups tonight include a Canadian clash between CF Montreal and Toronto FC and a rivalry game between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. On Friday, Nashville will host Atlanta United before the LA Galaxy and LAFC square off in the latest edition of El Trafico.

Argentina Will Face Spain in World Cup Final

Argentina orchestrated yet another dramatic victory this World Cup, beating England 2-1 to advance to the World Cup final to face Spain. After a scoreless first half, Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute with his first goal of the tournament. England shifted gears and parked the bus to defend its lead, but Enzo Fernandez scored an equalizer in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina its winner in stoppage time. Lionel Messi assisted on both goals, and Argentina is now just one game away from winning its second consecutive World Cup. Sunday’s final should be a great match pitting Argentina’s potent offense up against a Spanish defense that has only conceded once all tournament.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Alex Freeman was noted as one of many players whose stock likely went up due to their World Cup performance. Hopefully, a solid summer translates to more playing time with Villarreal and an eventual transfer for Orlando City to benefit from due to the sell-on percentage.
  • Duncan McGuire wasted no time scoring for his new team, putting the ball in the back of the net early on in the Houston Dynamo’s 2-1 friendly win against America de Cali.
  • The Galaxy added Finnish forward Robert Taylor as a free agent, signing him to a contract through the end of the year with an option for all of 2027 as well.
  • The Philadelphia Union are reportedly finalizing the return of Kai Wagner, who only just left the Union for Birmingham City in January.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Australian forward Luka Jovanovic, who scored 11 goals last season for Adelaide United.

🇦🇺 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes are finalizing a deal to sign Australia youth int'l forward Luka Jovanovic from Adelaide UnitedJovanovic, 21, was co-Golden Boot winner of the A-League with 11g/3a in 1,639 mins last season. Joins on a U-22 initiative deal.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-15T16:58:50.262Z

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/15/26

Daryl Dike’s potential return, Orlando Pride prepare for Boston, World Cup news, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Oh boy, do we have some news for you today. Between the Orlando Pride match tonight, the World Cup this afternoon, and some potential big signings, we have a lot to get to. We also want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B goalkeeper Tristan Himes. Now, let’s get to the links.

The Return of Dike(?)

Forget “It’s coming home,” rather he’s coming home! Per Tom Bogert, Daryl Dike is set to return to Orlando City after his multi-year stint with West Bromwich Albion. Dike had a rough go of it in England, mainly due to injuries he sustained. I figure he just needs some Florida sunshine and the team at Orlando Health to help find the form that made him a terror to Orlando City’s opponents.

It also seems that the departure of Marco Pasalic is not a done deal. There has not been an official bid as of yet, and if Orlando City’s valuation isn’t met, then he may be staying. If he stays, he bolsters the attack. If not, well that’s what Dike is coming back to do and it would supply the Lions with plenty of coin to bolster the roster.

Orlando Pride Set for Boston Legacy

The Orlando Pride host expansion side Boston Legacy FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The Pride will look to avenge a 2-1 loss earlier this season in Boston. After defeating the Kansas City Current over the weekend, Seb Hines’ squad will want to keep the home winning streak going. This may be Barbra Banda’s last match before heading out for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament later this month, so take the opportunity to head to the match if you are in the Orlando area.

World Cup News

France was unable to keep things going as Spain defeated Les Bleus 2-0 on Bastille Day. La Roja now wait to see whether Argentina or England will be the opponent in the final. As they have done so many times this World Cup, the Spanish did not allow a goal and did enough offensively to advance. Lamine Yamal earned a penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home to give Spain a lead in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro added another in the second half and France was unable to muster any magic.

Later today, England and Argentina square off to see which team will play the Spaniards. The amount of history between these teams at World Cups is enough to make most watch the match. I think the bigger question is which team does Gianni Infantino want to win, and will we see the same shenanigans we’ve seen in previous matches featuring these two teams? Don’t worry, England. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

USMNT Reflections

There’s been a bit of space and time for all of us to process the USMNT’s performance at the World Cup and it isn’t all doom and gloom. None other than Carli Lloyd said that despite the way it ended, it was a successful outing for the U.S. Matt Freese is trying to see the positives even though he made a costly mistake that gave up a goal to Belgium. Folarin Balogun said what I was thinking in that a certain phone call about his red card did affect the USMNT’s nerves heading into the match against Belgium. Lastly, the future could be bright thanks to these five USMNT prospects.

Free Kicks

🇨🇱 Atlanta United has signed Chile int'l defedner Paulo Diaz. Versatile but likely to play center back.Joins on a free transfer after spending years at River Plate. Diaz, 31, has 56 caps for Chile.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-14T14:06:23.290Z

That will do it for today. Check back later for our coverage of the Orlando Pride’s match against Boston Legacy FC. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for updates. Vamos Orlando!

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