Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! Orlando City has midweek games throughout this month, which means we get to enjoy some soccer tonight. But before we get into that match and more in today’s links, let’s all wish a happy 18th birthday to Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis! On my 18th birthday, I won $10 on the first scratch-off ticket I could legally buy. I wish him similar good fortune today.

Orlando City Takes On Charlotte FC Tonight

Orlando City’s busy month continues tonight when it hosts Charlotte FC for a midweek matchup at Inter&Co Stadium in one of the more intriguing games of today’s MLS slate. The Lions haven’t lost since March 8, but they have also only won four of their 12 games this season and are a point behind Charlotte in the standings. Orlando’s offense has struggled mightily during this stretch, but may have turned a corner following Martin Ojeda’s hat trick against the New England Revolution on Saturday. The Lions could also benefit from the return of midfielder Eduard Atuesta, who was in training as he works his way back from injury. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s eased back into things though and the club has five more games this month after tonight. Even if Atuesta can’t go tonight, maybe he can get some minutes this weekend.

Marta Returns to Brazilian National Team

Marta was called up by Brazil Head Coach Arthur Elias for friendlies against Japan, which is pretty shocking news, considering she announced her retirement from international soccer last year.

“I was with Marta recently and spoke with her. She said she is available to help the team while she is playing at a high level, as she is now,” Elias told reporters. “Marta has had a great season and has been very important for her club, which is the American League champion.

“Her presence in some call-ups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team.”

Marta’s international career seemed to end in Paris, where she helped Brazil claim the silver medal at the Olympics. The 39-year-old joins Pride teammate Angelina on Brazil’s roster as the team prepares for this summer’s Copa America. It will be interesting to see if Marta will take part in that tournament and it may be worth noting that the 2027 World Cup will take place in Brazil. That’s a couple of years away, but I wouldn’t rule out anything at this point.

U.S. Soccer Unveils New Kits

U.S. Soccer announced two new kits designed in collaboration with Nike and senior players from both the United States Women’s National Team and United States Men’s National Team. The “Brilliant Kit” is white and light blue with star details and celebrates 40 years of the USWNT. The “Heartbeat Kit” is a dark blue with vertical red and blue stripes and is meant to represent the passion of U.S. soccer fans.

I’m also a pretty big fan of the jacket featured as part of this collection. The USWNT will wear both of these jerseys throughout the year, while the USMNT will continue to wear its current white kit and will debut the darker kit on June 7.

USMNT Will Play South Korea and Japan in Friendlies

A pair of friendlies in September were announced for the USMNT, with the Yanks set to take on South Korea Sept. 6 in New Jersey before playing Japan Sept. 9 in Columbus. These will be the USMNT’s first matches following this summer’s Gold Cup and will help the team prepare for the 2026 World Cup. Japan has already qualified for the World Cup, and South Korea is on track to do the same. The USMNT hasn’t played South Korea since winning 2-0 in 2014, while its last match against Japan was a 2-0 defeat in Germany in 2022 before that year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Free Kicks

• Marta and Angelina aren’t the only Pride players called up for international duty, as goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse will join England for UEFA Nations League games.

• Time is running out on joining this year’s Purple Pride 5K on Saturday, so be sure to register if you’ve been meaning to and it slipped your mind.

• Orlando City remained in 12th place in the MLS power rankings following its 3-3 draw with the Revolution.
• The Lions were 11th in Tom Bogert’s “watchability” rankings, which rate teams based on their quality of play, style, and general wow factors. I’m admittedly surprised to see Orlando that high considering the glut of scoreless draws this year
• Former Pride player and USWNT legend Alex Morgan has joined the San Diego Wave as a minority investor. Morgan retired from playing last year in her third season with the Wave and gave birth to her second child earlier this year.
• Santiago Moreno won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his bicycle kick in the Portland Timbers’ 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City.
• Haji Wright and Coventry City drew 1-1 with Sunderland, losing on aggregate in the EFL Championship promotion playoffs. Dan Ballard scored for Sunderland deep in extra time, and Sunderland will face Sheffield United with a spot in the English Premier League on the line.
• The historic Goodison Park will no longer be demolished and will instead serve as the home for Everton’s women’s soccer team, making it the first stadium in England dedicated to a women’s team.
• In lieu of a parade if it wins the Europa League, Manchester United announced that there would be a celebratory barbecue at the club’s training ground. Players are also being restricted to just two free tickets for the Europa League final and club staff did not receive free tickets either.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday and a happy game day. Go Orlando!

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope you’ve been on top of things to start the week, because there’s going to be no time to catch our breath with Orlando City taking on Charlotte FC Wednesday, before facing Inter Miami on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right into the links.

Martin Ojeda Honored

After his starring role in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday, Martin Ojeda has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Ojeda was back in the starting lineup after spending the last few matches nursing a knock and he made the most of his return, scoring all three goals for just the third Orlando City hat trick in the club’s MLS existence and first since 2015. It was a shame that the defense couldn’t help him out on his historic night, but he was Sean Rollins’ clear choice for Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, and it’s nice to see that he’s getting some much deserved wider recognition as well, even though he was snubbed for Player of the Matchday, which went to Emil Forsberg of the New York Red Bulls. Here’s hoping Ojeda’s success continues.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and we have some very high stakes at play. Things start today, when Haji Wright and Coventry City try to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal against Sunderland. AC Milan takes on Bologna Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final, with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah fighting for a chance to lift a trophy. Finally, Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and red-hot Real Betis visiting Rayo Vallecano in La Liga in a game that will have big ramifications on the race for European places.

Rivalry Games on the Horizon

Major League Soccer’s rivalry week is almost upon us, which means we have some heated matchups that we can start looking forward to. First and foremost, as far as we’re concerned, is Orlando City hitting the road to face Inter Miami in a series that is dead even across the board at 5-5-5 in 15 all-time meetings. There’s plenty more though, as El Trafico is the late game on Sunday, and we also get Hell is Real between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew, as well as a Hudson River River Derby that features two teams in wildly different places. The New York Red Bulls hammered the LA Galaxy on Saturday and have won three of their last four in all competitions, while New York City FC was knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup last week, and has lost three of its last four in all competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti to Coach Brazil

Brazil has officially announced that Carlo Ancelotti will take over as the newest coach of the team. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced on Monday that he will leave Real Madrid after the last league game of the season, with his first day on the job for Brazil coming on May 26. Brazil wanted to have a new coach in place for June’s World Cup qualifiers, and Ancelotti will now become the Selecao’s first foreign head coach. As far as Real Madrid is concerned, the club is reportedly finalizing a deal for former player Xabi Alonso to become the new coach as soon as possible. Madrid would ideally like for him to be on the job before the start of this summer’s Club World Cup, and Alonso has already publicly announced that he will not manage Bayer Leverkusen past the end of this season.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City’s Alex Freeman earned an honorable mention as a standout young player from the most recent MLS matchday.
• FC Cincinnati has signed veteran striker Kei Kamara through the end of the 2025 season with an option for 2026.
• Nashville SC supporter group La Brigada de Oro stayed away from Saturday’s match against Charlotte due to fears about members being picked up by a joint operation being run by ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
• David Beckham called on Minnesota United to “show a little respect” after a series of social media posts following Minnesota’s 4-1 victory over the Herons on Saturday.
• Former Pride defender Megan Montefusco gave birth to a son!

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City saw a 2-0 lead wash away just before halftime and took the lead in the second half. It looked like the Lions were on their way to a big three points, but a late penalty and a disallowed goal resulted in a 3-3 draw. It’s a draw that feels like a loss for the Lions.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players did in this disappointing game.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese had a difficult night, though it wasn’t all his fault. He faced six shots and conceded three goals. However, two were primarily because of bad defending, and one was a penalty. He made three saves and blocked away a rocket late.  The Orlando City goalkeeper touched the ball 25 times and completed 77.8% of his 18 passes, including four of his eight long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo had a good game at left back, touching the ball 65 times, second most on the team. He completed 90.7% of his 43 passes, including a key pass. However, his lone cross and long ball were incomplete. The defender took two shots, putting one on target, and nearly had a goal in the 48th minute with a strong run into the box, but a defender deflected it off the woodwork. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, one interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. He was a little late trying to deny Ignatius Ganago’s cross through the box to Ilay Feingold, and his sliding effort to do so took him out of position to deny Feingold’s centering pass for New England’s first goal. It was one of his few missteps of the match, and the effort was there if not the execution. He moved from left back to center back for the closing minutes.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson is usually rock solid on the back line, but he was a liability in this game. He touched the ball 57 times and completed 86.3% of his 51 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He made three clearances and blocked two shots. His poor grade was due to his contribution to two New England goals. He allowed Matt Polster to get goal side in the 44th minute for the equalizer and stuck his foot out in an ill-advised challenge in the 85th minute, resulting in a game-tying penalty. It was a game the Orlando City captain would rather forget.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel is usually the higher-risk player at center back, but he had a good game. He touched the ball 49 times and completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including his lone long ball. He also recorded a tackle, a team-high six clearances, and two blocked shots. Most surprisingly, he managed to end the game without an unnecessary booking. Schlegel’s night ended in the 87th minute when he was replaced by Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5  — Freeman started at his usual right back position, touching the ball a team-high 66 times. He completed 76.7% of his 43 passes and his lone cross but not his long ball. His lone shot was on target and he had three key passes. The 20-year-old was also active defensively, recording two tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo only touched the ball 28 times in this game, but his speed caused problems for the New England back line as he pushed into the attack. The left-sided midfielder completed 82.6% of his 23 passes, including two key passes. He didn’t take any shots, because he was mainly on the wing, but he helped defensively with a tackle and two interceptions. Angulo was replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 74th minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had 57 touches in this game while completing 91.7% of his 36 passes. He had a key pass but failed to complete either of his two long balls. The defensive midfielder took four shots, putting one on target that forced Aljaz Ivacic into a good save. He nearly scored off a corner kick in the 24th minute, but hit the post. Defensively, Araujo had two tackles and a clearance.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 5.5 — Gerbet had an up and down night, making him difficult to grade. He let Alhassan Yusuf get goal side of him in the 38th minute to score New England’s first goal. But his excellent first touch sent Ojeda on a partial breakaway in the 33rd minute for the Lions’ second goal, and his fearlessness earned a penalty for Orlando City’s third goal. The rookie touched the ball 43 times and completed 88.9% of his 36 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots but added an interception defensively. He probably should get a higher grade for participating in two goals, but I can’t get over the defensive midfielder’s error that might’ve cost the Lions two points. Gerbet was replaced in the 69th minute by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic had a solid night, touching the ball 39 times and completing 73.9% of his 23 passes. He had two key passes and completed one of his three long balls. He put one of his three shots on target, but his offensive performance will be remembered for his 20th minute shot, when Luis Muriel headed the ball down perfectly for him and the midfielder sent it over the open goal. Despite the miss, it was a good game for the attacking midfielder, who also had an interception on the defensive side.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel started up top but dropped behind Ojeda as the game progressed. He had 36 touches and completed 73.3% of his 15 passes, including four key passes and three of his four crosses. He should’ve had an assist on Pasalic’s miss, and he should’ve scored, especially in the 68th minute, when he made multiple defenders miss before dribbling the ball into the arms of Ivacic instead of shooting. He added two tackles and would’ve had a higher grade if he had any desire to score.

F, Martin Ojeda, 8.5 (MotM) — There can’t be a question about who the Man of the Match was for this game. In his first league start since April 19, Ojeda led the way. He touched the ball 43 times, completing 84% of his 25 passes with two key passes. He completed two of his five crosses but didn’t connect on his long ball. However, the attacker converted on three of his team-high seven shots, scoring the club’s first hat trick since 2015. His first goal was a thing of beauty, as he rocketed a shot off the bottom of the cross bar, creating no chance for the goalkeeper. The midfielder also took his second goal well and converted the penalty that gave his team the lead in the 55th minute. Defensively, Ojeda added an interception in a clear Man of the Match performance.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (69’), 5.5 — Thorhallsson came on in the 69th minute for Gerbet in the defensive midfield. He touched the ball 13 times, completing all of his 10 passes, though they were all of the shorter variety. He picked up a yellow card late in the match.

F, Duncan McGuire (73’), 5.5 — McGuire came on for Muriel in the 73rd minute with his team up a goal. He touched the ball only five times, completing all three of his passes with a key pass and his lone cross. His only shot was off target and he didn’t add any defensive stats. He should have had an assist with a good ball into the box for Enrique, who made a mess of the shot, firing it high over the goal. Unfortunately, his game will be remembered for the 90th minute, when Enrique’s shot hit his back while the striker was in an offside position. The ball went in, and the flag went up to disallow the goal that would’ve been the game winner.

F, Ramiro Enrique (74’), 5.5 — Enrique entered the game in the 74th minute for Angulo. He touched the ball 14 times and completed 45.5% of his 11 passes without any key passes or crosses. He took one off-target shot (officially) but had a great chance to score in the 90th minute when he received a pass from Pasalic at the top of the box with no one on him. His shot hit the back of an offside McGuire, spoiling a potential late winner.

D, Rafael Santos (87’), 5.5 — Santos replaced Schlegel in the 87th minute as the Lions brought on a natural left back and moved Brekalo to his usual center back position. Despite coming on late, the 10 minutes of stoppage time gave him plenty of action. He touched the ball 12 times and completed 83.3% of his six passes, including one of his three crosses. He didn’t take any shots and didn’t record any defensive stats as the Lions pushed hard for the late winner that never came. On the defensive end, he got roasted by Luis Diaz Espinoza in the second minute of stoppage time, allowing a wicked shot on goal that Gallese was able to parry away awkwardly.

That’s how I saw Orlando City 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution. Let us know what you thought of the performance in the comment below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.