Orlando City
Orlando City at D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

A goal in the seventh minute by Mauricio Pereyra secured three points away from home for Orlando City in a 1-0 win over D.C. United. It was a strong defensive effort as the team achieved its third clean sheet in the first five games of 2021.
Let’s take a look at how each individual Lion did in the win.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — It’s hard to say anything bad about a goalkeeper in a clean sheet. Gallese had a solid game, though he didn’t have that much work in this one. D.C. United only put one of its 13 shots on goal, forcing Gallese to make one save. When Gallese was called upon to make a decision to come off his line, he made the right one and put an end to the United attack.
D, Kyle Smith, 6 — The return of João Moutinho and the injury to Ruan last week allowed Kyle Smith to move back to his natural right back position. Just as he’s been at left back, Smith was solid in this game. Defensively, the right back led the team with seven tackles and also had an interception and two clearances. Offensively, Smith completed 67% of his 42 passes and made one key pass. He was accurate on two of his three crosses and delivered a great long ball to Pereyra in the box for Orlando’s goal.
D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — While Gallese will be credited with the clean sheet, much of the praise should go to the center backs. D.C. had 13 shots in this game but only one was on target and that was largely because opposing players didn’t have great opportunities. Carlos ended the game with three interceptions and a team-leading 13 clearances. Offensively, the defender completed 79.3% of his 20 passes, including seven of his 11 long balls.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Similar to Carlos, it was a very solid game from the center back. The defender was strong on the back line, ending the game with two interceptions and seven clearances. Going forward, he completed 67% of his 24 passes.
D, João Moutinho, 6 — This game saw Moutinho return to the starting lineup for the first time since Aug. 29, 2020. His performance was what Orlando City fans were hoping to see from the healthy defender as he helped the back line achieve its third clean sheet of the season. While Oscar Pareja utilizes a system with the outside backs often going forward, Moutinho’s biggest impact was when making a sliding block in the first half that kept a shot from reaching Gallese. Moutinho finished the game with one tackle, four interceptions, and two clearances to go along with the block. He completed 58% of his 45 passes, including one key pass, but he was most impactful when helping the team keep D.C. off the scoreboard.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 6.5 — Defending for 83 minutes is a difficult task and the defensive midfielders were key in the Lions’ success. While both Mendez and Junior Urso were terrific, you can’t find a negative in Mendez’s performance. The midfielder completed 93% of his 43 passes, but his biggest impact was on defense. His seven interceptions were the most on the team and key in keeping D.C. from being sending numbers forward.
MF, Junior Urso, 6 — Urso was solid in this game. The seventh-minute goal meant Orlando City was going to need to defend well for most of the game and Urso made his presence felt. He finished the game with two tackles and two interceptions in the midfield. A link to the attack, Urso completed 77% of his 30 passes before being taken off in the 82nd minute for Joey DeZart.
MF, Benji Michel, 5 — Michel was pretty quiet in his 50 minutes in this game. He only had 14 passes, completed 64% of them, and didn’t take any shots. He had an opportunity to make an impact in the final moments of the first half, but a heavy touch saw him lose a chance at a shot on goal. He was a part of a tactical substitution by Pareja in the 51st minute as Robin Jansson came on as a fifth defender.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 (MotM) — Mauricio Pereyra was the key player in this game that Orlando City fans have been used to. The midfielder scored his first goal of the 2021 season in the seventh minute, which ended up being the difference. After receiving the ball from Tesho Akindele, Pereyra did well to shield Drew Skundrich and put it past Jon Kempin with his only shot. Aside from the goal, Pereyra was solid in the midfield once again, completing 86% of his 21 passes, including one key pass. Unfortunately, his last action in this game was a booking, but it was a strong performance by the midfielder.
MF, Nani, 6 — Nani saw his three-game scoring streak end in this one but joined in the defensive effort after Pereyra’s early goal, coming away with two tackles and three clearances. He completed 75% of his 40 passes and all four of his shots were off target. He did nearly score another wonderful goal in the first half, but the curling shot just missed the frame. The captain was successful on two of three attempted crosses.
F, Tesho Akindele, 6 — The role of Akindele for much of this game was keeping pressure on D.C. to help maintain the lead. The forward’s only shot in 82 minutes of play was blocked and he completed 65% of his 17 passes. Most importantly, he assisted Pereyra in the seventh minute for the game’s only goal.
Substitutes
D, Robin Jansson (51’), 6 — Jansson made his season debut as a second-half substitute. He replaced Michel to become the third center back when the Lions went to a five-man back line. Despite playing most of the second half, Jansson only completed two of four passes and made one clearance. However, he did help stop D.C. from scoring as the Lions held onto their third clean sheet of the season. Jansson had two clearances and completed nine of his 11 passes.
MF, Andres Perea (70’), N/A – Perea came on in the 70th minute for Pereyra, but didn’t do much in this one. A defensive change, Perea didn’t have any possession, shots, or defensive stats other than a tackle.
MF, Joey DeZart (82’), N/A – DeZart was a part of a double substitution with eight minutes remaining in the game, replacing Urso. While he didn’t make a huge impact, he did block a cross in the dying moments. DeZart did well to keep his arms at his side, ensuring that a penalty wouldn’t be called.
MF, Chris Mueller (82’), N/A – The biggest note about Chris Mueller’s night was that it was his 100th competitive appearance for the club. The other half of the late substitutions, Mueller came on as fresh legs for Akindele. He was booked in stoppage time for time wasting, had one pass, no shots, and no defensive contributions.
That’s how I saw the individual performances of Orlando City in this game. Let us know what you thought about the players and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
Polling Closed
Player | Votes |
Mauricio Pereyra | 34 |
Pedro Gallese | 2 |
Antonio Carlos | 34 |
Sebas Mendez | 2 |
Other | 11 |
Orlando City
Orlando City Relies on Starters More Than Any Other MLS Team
An analysis of Óscar Pareja’s early lineup choices and substitution patterns and how that compares to the 2024 season.

Legendary swordsman Inigo Montoya, a man who is not lefthanded, once opened a conversation by asking the Dread Pirate Roberts if, by any chance, he had six fingers on his right hand. Nobody will need to prepare to die by the end of this column, but I will ask a similar question: I don’t mean to pry, but did you by any chance happen to realize that we are already more than one-sixth of the way through the MLS regular season? Six fingers, one-sixth of the season…close enough. Let’s go.
Time flies when you are having fun, and somehow Orlando City has already played 540 minutes of MLS soccer this season. I consider 500 minutes played to be a cutoff amount when looking at player and lineup performance, and with the conclusion of the most recent game in Los Angeles, the team has now surpassed that 500-minute threshold.
In looking at the opening 540 minutes, I was surprised to see how much continuity I found in the minutes played, considering how many injuries the Lions have had to work around during these first six games. In just the first six games, Orlando City has already had full games missed due to injury by César Araujo (1), David Brekalo (2), Robin Jansson (2), Duncan McGuire (3) and Nico Rodriguez (5). Brekalo and Pedro Gallese both missed a game for international duty as well. McGuire was not expected back during the first set of games, but all of those other players, with the possible exception of Rodriguez, were expected to contribute during the early part of the season.
These absences led to games where the substitutes list was full of players who will play big minutes for Orlando City B this year, but not players who Óscar Pareja was likely to turn to off the bench unless the game was out of hand or he was absolutely desperate. According to Opta’s tracking through the opening six games, Orlando City ranks last in MLS in the average minutes played by its substitutes, as the average amount of time per appearance for the players off the bench for the Lions is only 12 minutes. For context, 16 teams have an average amount of time per substitute appearance of 20 minutes or greater, and Inter Miami and Toronto are tied with a league-leading 27 minutes per substitute appearance.
The interesting thing about those two teams, Miami and Toronto, is that Miami leads the league in points per match with 2.6 and Toronto is second from the bottom with a scant 0.33 points per match. I think a lot of this data will even out over time, as right now there are several teams, including Miami, that are playing in multiple competitions and trying to keep players fresh for all of their matches.
When it comes to Orlando City, however, that is not the case, and thus far there has just been the standard one game per week on six consecutive Saturdays. The players are rested for each game. The issue has just been that Pareja has not had the depth and variety of players he thought he would have to bring off the bench to protect a lead or chase a deficit.
We often joke in articles or on The Mane Land PawedCast about how “Óscar gonna Óscar,” and once he finds a lineup he likes, he sticks with it. Even with all the injuries he has somehow managed to do this again this season, as you can see from the chart below. I started tracking lineup data last season, and even though the 2025 season is only six games old and there have been so many absences from key players this season, it was striking to see that the 11-man lineup that has played the most minutes together this season already outranks all but two lineups from the entire 2024 MLS season (including the five playoff games!):

Now, it is a little unfair to the one 2025 lineup on the above chart that it has such a negative goal differential per 90 minutes, because if it is only the 10 field players, with goalkeeper excluded, then that lineup has played 215 minutes together and has a +0.84 goal differential per 90 minutes. That group is +4 with Javier Otero in net in 74 minutes together, and removing the goalkeepers from the calculation turns that negative goal differential into a positive.
What that also tells us, however, is that when it comes to the 10 field players, Pareja has played the same unit in the field for 40% (215/540) of the team’s minutes already. Granted it is early in the season, but after six MLS games last season, the lineup that had played together the most had played a grand total of 74 minutes together (14% of all minutes). The top five most used lineups in last season’s opening six MLS games combined to play 302 minutes, or 56% of all minutes, and in 2025 it is 402 minutes, or 80%. My math, and everyone else’s math, says that is a much higher percentage and indicates that the team is focused on continuity early.
That continuity thus far this season has paid dividends, with the Lions earning 10 points from the first six games, twice as nice as last season’s five points after the first six games. Last year, the team was balancing midweek Concacaf Champions Cup games in addition to injuries and an international break during the opening weeks of the MLS season, so there were some good reasons for the lineup rotation and the slow start. This year’s squad will have to navigate two upcoming cup tournaments in the coming months, and so we likely will see a lot of new lineup configurations or more rotation once the U.S. Open Cup starts in May and then again when Leagues Cup starts in July.
Thus far though, Pareja has been able to stick with his starters deep into matches, and has only given playing time to 20 players, which is tied for third fewest across all of MLS. Fan bases often clamor for the coach to “play the kids,” but while Pareja has had young and inexperienced players on the senior roster for every game, he really has only given significant minutes to Alex Freeman from the group of players that could be referred to as “the kids.” Gustavo Caraballo has played nine minutes, which is incredible for a 16-year-old (15-year-old Cavan Sullivan of Philadelphia is the only player younger than Caraballo to have played this season, and he has also played only nine minutes), and new signing Nico Rodriguez (20 years old) has played 11 minutes, but the next three youngest players to play are all at least 22 and were with the senior club last season (Otero and Ramiro Enrique) or came to the club after four seasons of college soccer (23-year-old, but nearly 24-year-old, Joran Gerbet).
The team’s record thus far shows that Pareja has been right to limit the minutes to the small group of players he trusts, and with one game per week for the next six weeks it will be interesting to see if the early trend of starters playing long minutes and only a few players getting all the minutes off the bench continues. The next match is on the road against Philadelphia, which so rudely came into Orlando and defeated the Lions 4-2 in the season opener, and my expectation is that while we likely will not see any players make their season debut in this game, I do think we will see a different starting lineup than the season opener and probably a different one than the game last weekend against the Galaxy.
No matter who the Lions go with, I am sure they will want to avenge the season-opening loss and bring three points back home to Orlando.
As we wish.
Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City at Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Philly?

Orlando City is on the road yet again, this time heading to Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park Saturday night. The Lions will look to get a second road win in a row after the smash-and-grab victory against the LA Galaxy. Things don’t get any easier with the Union sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, but a win would catapult Orlando City above Philadelphia in the standings. Here’s what Orlando City needs to do to earn all three points against the Philadelphia Union.
Tie up Tai
Tai Baribo leads the way-too-early-to-call Golden Boot race with six goals in five matches. The Union striker has taken 13 shots, putting eight on target and the aforementioned six in the back of the net. He scored a brace in the season opener against Orlando to bag a third of those goals. It’s a pretty easy call to say stopping the league leader in goals is an important part of shutting down the Philadelphia attack.
It will be up to Cesar Araujo and whichever center back pairing we get to shut Baribo down. Of course, he’s not the only one the Lions need to worry about since the Union also have striker Mikael Uhre, and midfielders Daniel Gazdag and Jovan Lukic providing goals and assists. The point is that Philadelphia is second only to the Lions in offensive production with 13 goals compared to Orlando City’s 15 goals.
Formation Change
In the last match against the LA Galaxy, the Lions struggled to get things going with Luis Muriel up top, Ojeda at the No. 10 spot and Ivan Angulo on the left. Once Duncan McGuire came on, Muriel shifted back, Ojeda went wide, and Angulo subbed off. That really opened up the attack and allowed the Lions to get the two goals needed to secure the victory.
Perhaps Oscar Pareja could start things off like that against Philadelphia. Angulo hasn’t been great the last few matches, and perhaps some time on the bench will get his head straight. McGuire is still early in his return from injury, but Ramiro Enrique can start up top with Big Dunc coming in later as he has the last few matches. I think making this change could help Orlando City get an early goal on the road.
Vengeance is Thine
When the two teams met on opening day, the Union dropped four goals on Orlando City in Inter&Co Stadium. You would think it a completely dominating performance, but the Lions actually had more shots, more shots on target, and more possession than the Union. Philadelphia simply put each of its four shots on target past Pedro Gallese. That type of luck is unlikely to happen again.
Since that time, the Orlando City defense has stiffened — at least a little bit — and the team has been more difficult to break down. I’m not saying the defense is as stalwart as last season, but it has improved. Orlando City needs to use that four-goal drubbing at the hands of the Union to galvanize the defense to enact revenge with a multi-goal victory of its own.
That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/3/25
Martin Ojeda in the MLS MVP mix early, Orlando Pride players won’t play for Zambia this window, Tierna Davidson out for the NWSL season, and more.

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been going well for you as we gear up for a busy Saturday filled to the brim with soccer to enjoy. Despite my blender’s protests, I’ve finally figured out how to make frozen coconut mojitos and plan on having those get me through the rest of the week. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy 28th birthday to Orlando City legend Rodrigo Schlegel!
Martin Ojeda’s MVP Credentials
Orlando City’s Martin Ojeda placed second in Sacha Kljestan’s MLS MVP power rankings this week. With four goals and three assists so far this season, Ojeda leads the league in goal contributions and is a major reason why the Lions have scored a league-high 15 goals. It’s great to see the 26-year-old take the reins of the offense after Facundo Torres’ departure. Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez tops Kljestan’s rankings, despite only having a goal in five games this season. Tai Baribo, Evander, and Lionel Messi round out the top five in what could be an interesting MVP race this year.
Pride Players Won’t Join Zambia For International Duty
Zambia will be without four NWSL players when it takes part in the Yongchuan International Tournament in China this month. Along with Bay FC forward Rachael Kundananji, Orlando Pride trio Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda, and Prisca Chilufya were withdrawn from international duty, with the Football Association of Zambia stating it was due to additional travel measures by the current U.S. administration. FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga expects the quartet to be available for future matches and both Banda and Kundananji played in friendlies in Zambia in February. Restrictions like this may limit the appeal of the NWSL to foreign players in the future.
Fan Banned For Hateful Language Towards Banda
NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that the fan who directed hateful language towards Banda has been banned following an investigation that included interviewing witnesses and reviewing security footage. The incident took place at the Pride’s match against Gotham on March 23 at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The fan was found to be in violation of the NWSL Code of Conduct and their season ticket was revoked as well. Gotham also encouraged fans to report inappropriate behavior through the team’s encrypted text message service to inform the stadium’s incident management team.
USWNT Defender Tierna Davidson Out for the NWSL Season
American center back Tierna Davidson will miss the remainder of the 2025 NWSL season after tearing the ACL in her left knee in the club’s draw against the Houston Dash. It’s tough news for her, Gotham, and the United States Women’s National Team, as she captains the NWSL club and featured heavily in the Olympics last year. Davidson sustained an ACL injury in her right knee back in 2022, which contributed to her missing out on the 2023 World Cup. Gisele Thompson replaced Davidson for the USWNT’s upcoming friendlies with Brazil, and Pride defender Emily Sams will likely receive more playing time as the team prepares for the 2027 World Cup.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City received $100,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for former academy goalkeeper Zack Campagnolo’s Homegrown Player rights. The Lions will receive another $100,000 in GAM if conditions are met, and they retain a sell-on percentage if Campagnolo is transferred.
- San Diego FC added Milan Iloski on loan from FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark through July of this year. Iloski is a San Diego native and won the USL Golden Boot for Orange County SC in 2022.
- New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his free kick against the New York Red Bulls.
- El Farolito SC, which is named after a burrito chain and bar local to San Francisco, has reached the third round of the U.S. Open Cup for the second straight year. The National Premier Soccer League side took down Monterey Bay FC to reach this point of the tournament.
- Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 to book its ticket to the Copa del Rey final, where it will face rival Real Madrid on April 26.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a terrific Thursday and rest of your week!
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