Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Come From Behind to Earn Road Point
Nani’s penalty wasn’t pretty but it went in and Orlando City finished the season unbeaten in three matches against Toronto.

Old nemesis Jozy Altidore came off the bench and played the hometown hero by giving Toronto FC a second-half lead. But Benji Michel won a penalty (after video review) and Nani did just enough to get his spot kick over the line as the Lions drew the Reds 1-1 at BMO Field. It was Toronto’s first home match in front of its own fans in more than a year. Still, Orlando City (6-3-4, 22 points) finished the season unbeaten in three matches against Toronto FC (2-8-3, 9 points) with two wins and a draw in the season series.
Orlando still has never won in Toronto but the draw was the team’s second straight in the Canadian city.
“I think it was a good reaction from our players today against a good rival who was playing at home again after a long time,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I know their emotions were high and it was not easy to handle players with that energy. Just going on the road and take a point, you should be happy — happier if we would have scored in the couple of options we had at the end. ”
Pareja’s lineup welcomed back starting goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and left back Joao Moutinho, who lined up alongside Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Sebas Mendez got his first start since he left for Copa America in the central midfield with Junior Urso. Benji Michel and Mauricio Pereyra connected the attack to Nani and Tesho Akindele up top. Silvester van der Water didn’t make the trip after picking up a knock on Thursday.
Former Lion Dom Dwyer started up top for Toronto FC.
The Lions played a sloppy first half in their own end, with miscommunication and poor passes leading to possession in the attacking half for Toronto. The Reds failed to capitalize on an early miscommunication on defense between Smith and Jansson when Alejandro Pozuelo fired right at Gallese in the fourth minute. Seconds later, another turnover led to a chip from Yeferson Soteldo into the area that Gallese caught.
Three minutes later, the Reds sent a ball into the box for Dwyer that was cut out and on the recycle, there was a nervy moment when Mendez tried to clear and hit a teammate. Pozuelo fired off target in the eighth minute as Toronto kept the early pressure on.
Orlando’s first opportunity to score came in the 11th minute off a handball by Marky Delgado. Nani took the free kick from distance on the left side and smashed a shot just wide of the near post.
Seconds after the miss, Mendez was stepped on accidentally by Smith and had to be subbed off. It was the second case of friendly fire for the Ecuadorian, who had kicked Michel early in the match trying to line up a shot. Andres Perea came into the match for Mendez officially in the 14th minute.
“Things happened in the first half that obviously made us change some plans,” Pareja said, referring to the unexpected lineup change. “Sometimes one individual changes many connections and the sequence — sometimes you have to modify those. But I think the guys did a good job in that part, just adapting to the situation.”
In the 18th minute, Gallese did well to get off his line and cut off a cross intended for Dwyer on the doorstep. Auro Jr. fired in the 24th minute but it was no trouble for El Pulpo.
A turnover by Urso in the midfield led to a Pozuelo shot that sailed over the net in the 28th minute as the Lions continued to give the ball away cheaply. Urso gave it away again in the 35th minute and ignited a 3-v-1 break for Toronto. Dwyer carried into the box, changed direction, and tried to round a defender, but the touch was a bit heavy and Gallese scrambled off his line to jump on the ball before the former Lion could take a shot.
Pereyra served Nani a great square ball across the top of the six in the 41st minute, but Auro Jr. made a sliding block to force a corner. The Lions took the ensuing corner short and cycled it around the top of the box to Nani, who fired a shot right at Alex Bono in the 42nd.
Toronto fashioned a couple more chances, with Soteldo fizzing a shot wide and Michael Bradley sending a cross in that was just inches too high for Tusaba Endoh to head home in the 44th minute.
Each team had a decent chance late that was wiped out by an offside call and the teams went to the break deadlocked at 0-0. The Lions seemed fortunate to be even at the half, with Toronto creating more danger but not being clinical enough with its chances.
The Reds out-shot the Lions 5-4 (2-1 on target), and held slim advantages in possession (50.3%-49.7%) and passing accuracy (84.4%-84.3%). Orlando had more corners (2-1).
Chris Mueller came on for Akindele at the break. He was able to provide energy and a bit more of an outlet for Smith on the right.
“With Soteldo on the left, in the first half we were missing some company for Kyle,” Pareja said. “He was stretching the field and the field was getting too wide there. But we corrected in the second half, bringing (in) Chris created longer sequences for us and refreshed a little bit more the defensive side. It helped us. We had more energy to take the ball back.”
Just after the break, Perea fired a shot right at Bono in the first look of the second half.
Moments later, Soteldo fired a free kick wide of goal from a dangerous position just outside the penalty area.
Smith got forward in a promising attack in the 56th minute but fired a shot right at Bono, with seemingly better options available.
Soteldo put another shot over the bar in the 57th minute, just before Orlando City fashioned its most dangerous threat of the match to that point.
Michel worked the ball into the area and sent it in front for Mueller. Justin Morrow got a foot on the ball and sent it off the left post before it ricocheted back to Bono.
Altidore came on for Dwyer in the 64th minute and it took him only eight minutes to make an impact. Smith was left to cover two players in an overload situation on Toronto’s left side (Orlando’s right) and Morrow sent a cross into the box. Jansson left Moutinho to deal with Altidore in front and the big striker just overpowered him and smashed a header through Gallese for the opener in the 72nd minute.
Smith did a solid job defending Soteldo all night and it ended up being a second player down that side that did the damage. The veteran fullback took responsibility for not switching quicker, though it would have been difficult for him to have had an effect on the play while keeping an eye on Toronto’s newest Designated Player.
“I was worried about (Soteldo) because, you know, he’s very tricky,” Smith said. “So, I was late on the switch and then the (Morrow) puts in his 2-v-1, but I should switch quicker. They got a cross in and Altidore is a big guy, so he finished it.”
“When we conceded the goal, obviously the team was a bit down,” Nani said. “But we knew we had to come back on our feet and (have) a strong mentality to get back in the game and try to score our goal, and we did well.”
Just a minute after Toronto took the lead, the game changed. Michel went forward after a long ball forward and collided with Bono in the box. The foul was initially given Toronto’s way but Michel had been trying to avoid Bono after getting to the spot first. Referee Marcos de Oliveira went to look at the replay and awarded a penalty to Orlando.
Nani stepped up to the spot, took a stutter step in his approach and smashed a ball more or less toward the middle of goal. Bono appeared to leave his line early and got a hand to the shot but it had too much power on it and it still found its way in for the tying goal in the 77th minute.
“That’s why I kicked a little bit in the middle, and I had to change a little bit at the last second,” Nani said, of seeing Bono leave his line early. “But the most important (thing) is the ball got in the goal and we scored.”
It was Nani’s seventh goal of the season to go along with his three assists in just 11 games (10 starts).
Orlando had some chances down the stretch to go on and win the game. Nani crushed a shot on target in the 79th but hit it right at Bono. A ball into the box in the 89th minute bounced perfectly for Perea, who got his head on it but pushed his shot wide. Auro Jr. did just enough to bother Perea on the play.
Ultimately, that was the last truly good look for either side and after five minutes of stoppage time that grew into more than six, the game came to an end in a 1-1 stalemate.
Orlando finished with more shots (10-9), shots on target (5-3), and corners (3-1). Toronto held more possession (51.4%-48.6%) and passed more accurately (84.9%-82.9%).
“I think it’s a fair result because both teams played well,” Nani said.
The Lions return home next for a Thursday night matchup against the Philadelphia Union.
Orlando City
Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team
Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.
Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.
Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals.
So what changed?
Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.
And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.
Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.
Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.
Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.
The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.
The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.
Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.
The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.
With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.
This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.
First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.
The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.
There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/21/25
Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road
Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.
Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.
Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals
Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.
Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts
Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.
Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home
The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.
Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship
The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.
On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.
On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.
The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Youth Soccer Network announced the integration of the Orlando Pride into its network and plans to launch 11 Orlando Pride soccer schools across Central Florida.
- Inter Miami has acquired an international roster spot from the Portland Timbers for the 2025 season in exchange for $270,000 in General Allocation Money.
- David Blitzer and Ryan Smith’s Smith Entertainment Group have reached an agreement to sell the Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake to former Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and Miller Sports & Entertainment for $600 million.
- LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo announced over the weekend that he will step down from his role with the club at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
- The San Jose Earthquakes have reached an agreement to acquire left back DeJuan Jones from the Columbus Crew; however, the deal still needs to be finalized.
- Leicester City became the second club to be relegated from the Premier League this season after a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 road draw against CF Montreal?

Orlando City played its first international road match of the 2025 season as the Lions faced off against CF Montreal in the club’s third-longest road trip by distance (approx. 1,432 miles). For the third straight week, Orlando boasted a clean sheet, but after facing the bottom dwellers of the Eastern Conference, the Lions were only able to bring one point back to the Sunshine State following a 0-0 draw. In a match without much flow and produced another 10-man finish for OCSC, Orlando appeared to play without much gusto.
Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances to see who made the grade and who can improve heading into the final match of April.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — Gallese stood tall against extended pressure for much of the match against CF Montreal. Facing a desperate squad that had only scored four goals on the season, Montreal looked for multiple breakthrough moments, which El Pulpo was able to sniff out. His distribution left a bit to be desired, as he had a 68.6% passing rate on his 35 attempts while completing 13 of his 24 long balls. He racked up six total saves on the night and showcased quick reactions in the first half on a Dante Sealy attempt, and in the second half he was able to parry away a Caden Clark shot that likely was destined for the back of the net. The end result now marks three straight clean sheets for the Peruvian No. 1.
D, Kyle Smith, 5 — With the suspension of Rodrigo Schlegel, Head Coach Oscar Pareja elected to bring Kyle Smith into the starting lineup at left back and shift David Brekalo to center back. Smith picked up a careless early yellow card early, which likely played a much bigger role in the outcome of the match than met the eye at the time of infringement. He was substituted off at halftime for Rafael Santos in a move designed to protect against picking up that second yellow…the move backfired as Orlando was not destined to finish the match with 11 men and Santos was the player picking up two yellows for aggressive fouls. In 45 minutes of action, Smith touched the ball 31 times and completed 87.5% of his 24 passes but failed to complete either of his two long-ball attempts. Prior to being pulled from the match, Smith recorded one tackle, one interception, and a clearance on the defensive side of the field.
D, David Brekalo, 7.5 — Brekalo was channeling his inner Schlehgel as he played the primary antagonist role to Prince Owusu throughout the match, getting under the forward’s skin and having to be separated from the German-born striker multiple times throughout the match. He logged 60 touches, completed 83.3% of his 48 passes, and completed two of his four long-ball attempts. To speak to the frustrating role that Brekalo played throughout the match, he was fouled a team-high four times while committing only one. Defensively, he added one tackle, three clearances, and blocked a shot. This now marks three straight full match appearances for Brekalo, which is a reassuring sign as the Slovenian has had issues in the injury department during his young tenure in Orlando. With Santos out next Saturday and Schlegel returning, I expect him to slot back into the starting left-back role against Atlanta.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The captain put in a solid effort in the middle of the back line, often functioning as the final safety valve to snuff out the “high-flying” Montreal attack. His body took the toll late in the match as American Caden Clark lowered his shoulder into the chest of the Beefy Sweede during an aerial challenge in front of Gallese. Jansson got back to his feet and was able to see out the match. He logged a team-high 70 touches and completed 80.3% of his team-high 61 passes and six of his 12 long-ball attempts, mirroring Brekalo’s 50% success rate in attempting to unlock the Orlando City attack over the top. Defensively, Jansson recorded two interceptions and a team-high five clearances. If I had one knock on his effort against Montreal, it’s that there were a few careless giveaways when facing the high press of the home squad, which luckily for Orlando City never amounted to much in terms of goal-scoring chances.
D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman had a mostly quiet match against CF Montreal, but settled in throughout the match after being exposed on the outside early by Dante Sealy. He touched the ball 43 times and completed 81.5% of his 27 passes. He logged one key pass and was unsuccessful on all three of his long balls. Freeman did not attempt any crosses against Montreal. Defensively, the young Lion contributed one tackle and two clearances. Offensively, Freeman managed one shot, which was off target. As the offense has ground to a complete halt, there appears to be a clear need for Freeman and Marco Pasalic to regain their chemistry and how they run off of one another down the right side of the field.
MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson reprised his role in the midfield, filling in for Edward Atuesta. I thought after a strong outing last week by Thorhallsson and Joran Gerbet, this week’s match told a different tale, as Orlando struggled to maintain possession and allowed Montreal to control the middle of the pitch. Thorhallsson touched the ball 42 times and completed 87.9% of his 33 passes. Offensively, Thorhallsson did not record a meaningful statistic, and on the defensive side, he tied Gerbet with a team-high four tackles while also contributing two clearances and one blocked shot.
MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — Gerbet, like his counterpart, is getting an extended run in the starting 11, which will hopefully pay off dividends as the season progresses. I thought Gerbet was the more effective of the defensive pivot duo, hence the 0.5 bump on his player grade compared to Dagur Dan. Gerbet logged 53 touches and completed 93.9% of his 33 passes. He logged one shot, which was off target, and he did his best impression of Araujo by suffering three fouls. He tied for the team high in tackles with four and logged an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot. The part of his game that needs improvement is the next-level vision when it comes to his passing ability, a skill which will hopefully continue to develop throughout the season.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo has now turned in back-to-back solid efforts, which is a massive improvement from where his form was just three to four weeks ago. His hustle hasn’t translated into goals yet, but he was the lone offensive piece who played with any type of edge against Montreal. He touched the ball 50 times and completed 82.4% of his 34 passes. He was unsuccessful on his two crosses, completed one of two long balls, and added two key passes. Offensively, he put one of his two shots on target and did well to track back on defense when Montreal looked to get out on the break, contributing two tackles.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda did a lot of little things right but failed to unlock the offense in any meaningful way and was not individually threatening offensively. He logged 47 touches and completed a team-best, 95.2% of his 42 passes. He tied Angulo for the team lead with two key passes and completed three of his four long-ball attempts. Defensively, he logged one clearance, and as mentioned above, offensively did not do much to strike fear into the Canadian club, failing to record a shot attempt. Ojeda was whistled for a team-high two offside infractions and seemed to express moments of frustration where it appeared that he was not on the same page as his teammates.
MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — The early Major League Soccer season has seemed to be all feast or famine for Pasalic, as he opened the season with a brace, failed to score against Toronto and New York City FC, then found the back of the net against the Red Bulls and D.C. United, and is now sporting a four-game drought in the goal-scoring department. It seems like the beginning of his tenure in MLS is progressing the way that many who come from overseas often do, with multiple adjustments needing to be made to gain comfort. Against Montreal, Pasalic touched the ball 40 times and completed a team-worst 58.3% of his 24 passes. Defensively, Pasalic contributed one clearance. Offensively, in 73 minutes of action, Pasalic still led the squad with three shot attempts but only managed to put one on target. I enjoyed seeing him cut the ball back outside and force a tight-angle shot with his right foot, as it is important to sprinkle in some attempts with the right to keep the defenders honest. Hopefully, a return to the friendly confines of Central Florida will help wash away his offensive drought next week against Atlanta.
F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel, like many of his offensive counterparts, appeared to be just ever so slightly off in his timing and positioning, failing to either send in the correct pass or to get onto the end of things in a timely manner. He touched the ball 50 times and completed 69.7% of his 33 passes, which included one key pass. He was unsuccessful on all three of his crossing attempts. Offensively, he managed two shots, which both were off target. The statistics here don’t tell the whole story, as Muriel did not miss by much on one of his attempts, making a perfect delayed run into the box and running onto the end of a brilliant ball that was cut back into the middle of the danger area from the end line. Additionally, for what it’s worth, Muriel also likely earned a penalty kick which was neither called nor reviewed…PRO refs are going to PRO. Defensively, he contributed one clearance.
Substitutes
D, Rafael Santos (46′), 4.5 — I certainly wish I could avoid giving Santos a grade as his dreadful start to the season continued. He was the substitute who was supposed to protect Smith from picking up his second yellow…only to turn around and pick up two yellow cards in 16 minutes. Santos exited the match and forced Orlando to play with 10 men for the final 15 minutes of the game, plus stoppage time. He recorded 18 touches and completed 33.3% of his nine passes. Santos logged two tackles and one interception on defense, but it is his sending off that will be remembered from this match.
F, Duncan McGuire (73′), 5.5 — I thought we might see more of McGuire in this game than we did, but at the same time, the flow of the game took McGuire’s legs out from under him as Santos’ red card came three minutes after the American striker had entered. McGuire was only on the ball eight times and completed 33.3% of six total passes. He likely did far more defending than he planned on, with Montreal attacking to try to earn the win after securing the man advantage. He logged one clearance on defense.
D, Thomas Williams (80′), N/A — Williams made his 2025 season debut in the 80th minute, replacing Muriel as Pareja looked to solidify the defense and at least escape the Great White North with a draw. He played well enough over the final 10 and was not caught out of position while contributing a tackle, one interception, and three clearances.
D, Zakaria Taifi (85′), N/A — Taifi also made his season (and MLS) debut, recording four touches and one clearance, helping see out the match
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s latest scoreless draw. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
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