The Lions scored all five goals on Wednesday night, three into Atlanta’s net and two into their own, grabbing an important 3-2 victory on the road against one of the teams chasing Orlando for a spot in the playoffs. Antoine Griezmann continued to make his case for consideration as the most impactful transfer of the season, bagging a brace as well as making the best defensive play of the game, and with that win the Lions are now up to sixth place in in the conference standings.

I have my purple pen out and am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with an Eastern Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 6 — Crépeau was not called on to do a lot during this game, but he made one save on a hard shot by Breel Embolo and claimed two high balls. In the end, he allowed two goals, but both were officially credited as own goals. The Canadian could not have done much on either goal. On the first, the Lions failed to successfully spring the offside trap, so Atlanta had multiple players rushing at him, and eventually the ball bounced in off of David Brekalo. On the second goal, a header took a wicked deflection of Tyrese Spicer’s head into the opposite side of the goal. Outside of the one save and those two own goals, Atlanta did not create much of a threat, so there was little else for Crépeau to do, aside from being an outlet in the back. He completed 77.1% of his passes, but though he kept any Atlanta players from scoring, it was another game with multiple goals allowed for the Orlando netminder.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 6 — The 18-year-old left back once again played a solid game, providing good defensive cover and even getting forward a few times to cause some trouble in the Atlanta defensive third. He completed 46 passes at an 85.2% clip, including a beautiful through ball to Iván Angulo that led to a promising chance for the Lions. He added one tackle and one clearance on the defensive side, but the most impressive part of his performance was how he kept Aleksey Miranchuk from impacting the game in a major way while he was on the field.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede got caught in the failed offside trap and then was a step slow recovering back when play continued, contributing to Atlanta’s first goal. But after that, he was solid in the back throughout the rest of the match. Jansson was one of many Lions that tied for the team lead with five defensive contributions, making one interception and adding four clearances, and whenever the team needed a mess cleaned up or the safe outlet back, he was always there, completing 80 passes at a 96.4% rate. The best of those completions was a gorgeous ball he played over the top to Martín Ojeda that garnered him a secondary assist when Ojeda crossed the ball to Iván Angulo for the goal that gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Despite being the oldest player on the back line, Jansson was the only one who went the full 90, delivering yet another strong defensive performance as well as some excellent passing out of the back, as the Lions held on for the victory.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo’s hustle backfired on him on Atlanta’s first goal, as he tried to get back once the offside trap failed but ended up alone in a crowd of Atlanta players and bundled the ball into his own net. The Slovenian also took a yellow card after missing a tackle and tripping Embolo late in the first half. That yellow card likely contributed to Brekalo coming off in the second half, breaking a string of seven straight games in which he went the full 90 minutes. Despite only playing 79 minutes, he matched his center back partner Jansson with five defensive contributions, all of them clearances, and completed 93.4% of his passes. In a rarity for a center back, he completed more passes in the opposition half than his own half, as he got forward quite a bit in support of the offense.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 6 — After playing the full 90 minutes in four of the last five matches and 77 minutes in the other match, Dorsey finally played a shorter shift on Wednesday night, only going for the duration of the first half. He made his presence felt, however, contributing the secondary assist on Griezmann’s game-tying goal and nearly scoring one of his own after making a full-field sprint. The right back should have done better with his chance in front of goal that Ojeda set up, but he sent his left-footed redirect shot over the bar from extremely close range. Dorsey completed 80.8% of his passes and constantly stretched the Atlanta defense, so much so that Orlando City played more than 40% of its attacks up the right flank during the first half. He did not have make any defensive contributions, but his hustle allowed him to collect five loose-ball recoveries, which led the game at the time of his departure. The man with the bun departed at halftime for Zakaria Taifi, allowing some fresh legs to come on and Dorsey to get some rest with another game coming up on Saturday.

MF, Iván Angulo, 7 — After a near miss against San Diego last weekend, Angulo came through with an empty net on Wednesday, converting a pass from Ojeda for his second goal of the season. He started out on the wing but finished at left back, once again displaying his incredible fitness as he was just as involved at the end of the game as he had been at the beginning. His one misstep was actually a lack of a step, as he was not in sync with the rest of the defense as they tried to step up in unison on an early Atlanta corner, keeping the attacking group onside and leading to the game’s opening goal. Aside from that one play, Angulo was a positive player throughout, completing 91.1% of his passes, scoring a critical goal, and adding one tackle, one interception, one block, and two clearances on defense.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — The Colombian midfielder played a steady game against Atlanta, delivering little in the way of spectacular plays but not making any major mistakes either. He completed 91.2% of his passes, added three defensive contributions, and tied for the team lead with six loose-ball recoveries. The Atuesta-Gerbet partnership in the middle of the field was dominant compared to Atlanta’s central midfield, and though Atuesta did not contribute directly to any goals or deliver any key passes, he was a metronome in the middle of the field, helping move the ball from side to side and forcing Atlanta players to stay with him as he roamed around the field.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 7.5 — Orlando City’s “other” French player also played extremely well in the middle of the field, completing 89 passes at a 93.7% rate and bossing the game throughout his performance. Gerbet was everywhere for the Lions, with a bright orange heatmap from box to box and four defensive contributions as well. His best play was a pass, and what a pass it was, as it was the French connection of Gerbet to Griezmann for Gerbet’s first assist of the season and Orlando’s first goal of the night. If not for his countryman, Gerbet might have taken Man of the Match honors, as he was excellent offensively and defensively throughout his 74 minutes, before making way for Wilder Cartagena in a like-for-like substitution.

MF, Justin Ellis, 7.5 — The 19-year-old midfielder showed increasing command of his new right wing role, going the full 90 minutes for the first time since, coincidentally, the last time the Lions played Atlanta, and leading the team in both key passes and tackles (three of each). One of those key passes turned out to be the game-winning assist, as Ellis and Griezmann once again showed their tremendous chemistry by linking up for a give-and-go in a tight space just outside the top of the Atlanta box. Ellis’ return pass was inch perfect in leading Griezmann right into his shot, and with that assist Ellis is now tied with Angulo for the team lead with nine, despite playing nearly 900 fewer minutes during MLS play. Ellis completed 89.8% of his passes and also went two out of three on his dribble attempts in an all-around performance that showed how valuable of a contributor he is.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 8.5 (MotM) — The superlative well is going to run dry soon if Griezmann keeps this up, as the French superstar bagged two goals and has now scored the second most goals for the Lions during MLS play, even though he has only played in nine of the team’s 24 games. Griezmann demonstrated his love of American sports by scoring his first goal on what looked more like a slide into second base against the Atlanta Braves instead of a sliding shot against Atlanta United. He then gave the Heisman Trophy pose (perhaps something he learned while attending UCF’s season-opening football game last week) after scoring his second goal off of a beautiful play with Ellis. Griezmann’s most acrobatic play was on the other end of the field, as he got airborne to somehow keep an Atlanta header from crossing the goal line, preventing the Five Stripes from grabbing a momentum-shifting goal. He truly did it all against Atlanta, completing 85.7% of his passes, adding five defensive contributions, playing yet another full 90 minutes, and putting the team on his back in yet another Man of the Match performance.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — On another day Ojeda could have had a hat trick, but his touch let him down on several occasions when he was in on goal, and the Argentine was unable to convert any of his team-leading five shot attempts. The Argentine did not let those misses get him down, however, and he continued to put the pressure on Atlanta throughout his shift, eventually picking up an assist on a perfect pass to Angulo in the second half. Ojeda’s movement looked as good as ever, but he is still knocking the rust off with his timing and footwork, and his fitness is clearly getting closer to 100% as he jumped from 10 minutes to 40 minutes to 73, and by next week he may be able to go a full 90 again if needed. He completed 76.7% of his passes, including the assist to Angulo and what was nearly a second to Dorsey, and he also added a tackle and a block on the defensive side of the ball.

Substitutes

D, Zakaria Taifi (46′), 6 — Taifi returned to the right side of the field against Atlanta, coming on at halftime for Dorsey and playing a similar role, though slightly more defensive as the Lions were protecting a lead during most of his shift. The young defender completed 81.8% of his passes, nearly picking up an assist when he made a great run up the sideline and delivered a pass that was just a half-second too late, allowing Atlanta to recover and deflect it away from allowing Griezmann a tap in. Taifi was an active defender as well, picking up four defensive contributions from a tackle, an interception, a block and a clearance.

F, Tyrese Spicer (71′), 5.5 — The Trinidad & Tobago man came on for Rhein but bumped Angulo to left back, and while he had chances to deliver a vintage supersub Spicer performance up the left side, he was unable to convert either of his two shots. The better of the two chances failed as Spicer slipped on the plastic grass, and if that chance had happened at home, I think he would have scored yet another goal after coming off the bench. Spicer completed all three of his pass attempts and added one interception and one clearance, but was unfortunate in that his most memorable play will be one that he accidentally participated in, as a headed ball bounced off of him and past Crépeau for an own goal deep in stoppage time.

MF, Marco Pašalić (74′), 5.5 — Pašalić contributed more defensively than offensively on Wednesday, hustling to get back and help out on the right side and making an interception and a block during his limited minutes on the field. He completed all nine of his passes and beat one defender off the dribble, delivering a solid performance off the bench.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (74′), 7 — The Peruvian midfielder came on for Gerbet and bookended a strong 90 minute performance between the two in the center of the field. Cartagena went a perfect 12/12 on his pass attempts, but his biggest play was when he read where Miguel Almirón was about to play a pass and stepped in to deflect the pass to Griezmann, initiating the play that turned into the winning goal. He also helped in the aftermath of Griezmann’s save off the line, knocking the ball off an Atlanta player, who misplayed it out for a goal kick. Despite only playing 16 minutes, Cartagena racked up five defensive contributions, delivering for the Lions off the bench and helping the team close out a victory on the road.

D, Iago (79′), N/A — Iago came on for his first appearance since the Leagues Cup, and he delivering a towering performance, making five clearances (three with his head) in just 11 minutes plus stoppage time. He also hustled to get involved on Griezmann’s goal-line clearance, putting himself in a great position to block any shot attempt had Atlanta been able to get a shot off after the ball was saved off the line. The Brazilian went seven for eight on his pass attempts and did not look rusty after almost a month in between appearances.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-2 enjoyable win on the road at Atlanta. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Orlando City gave up a pair of own goals, but scored three goals the right way to defeat Atlanta United 3-2 on the road on Wednesday night. Honestly, the Lions made it more difficult than it needed to be, but they were still able to secure all three points against their rival on the road for the first time since 2023. There’s nothing quite like beating Atlanta United, is there?

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

A Brace for Own Goal

Early in the match, we saw the return of the bad back line, which is my least favorite back line. Orlando tried to step up to put Breel Embolo offside off a set piece, but Ivan Angulo evidently didn’t step high enough. I say evidently, because on review it looked offside to me but the video assistant referee disagreed. That left three Atlanta attackers behind the defenders. Maxime Crepeau came out to block Embolo’s shot, but the shot bounced off David Brekalo and in for the Atlanta goal. It wasn’t Brekalo’s only misstep in the first half, but it was his biggest. The second own goal came late in second-half stoppage time off the head of Tyrese Spicer. It was an unfortunate ball that Spicer never saw until it came off his noggin.

The French Connection

Antione Griezmann is good at soccer. He opened the scoring for Orlando City in the 26th minute thanks to a beautiful pass from fellow Frenchman Joran Gerbet. The midfielder started the attack near…well, midfield, passing the ball to Griffin Dorsey. The right back made a nifty outside-of-the-foot pass to give the ball back to Gerbet, who continued his run. Once in the box, Gerbet picked his head up and sent a ball into space for Griezmann, who slid in and redirected the ball past goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos. It was Gerbet’s first assist of the season and the first time the Frenchmen have connected on a goal.

An-Goal-o Makes Good

Ivan Angulo changed his hairstyle this week, and I joked that it probably wouldn’t help change his luck in scoring goals. For the first 58 minutes of the match, I was correct. He had a shot blocked in the first half but found himself running in behind with Martin Ojeda for a long ball from Robin Jansson. Ojeda took the pass and put it across for Angulo, who tapped it in as if he does it all the time. Offside was called on the pitch, and my first thought was, “of course, it was because Angulo scored.” When I watched the replay, I again thought that it was the wrong call, and this time the officials agreed with me. The goal stood and Angulo finally scored a goal to make it 2-1.

Ojeda is Back(ish)

Ojeda got his first start since returning from injury and played 74 minutes, understandably looking gassed by the time he came off. It was a mixed bag for the Designated Player. Ojeda made some very good runs. His timing was impeccable and he did well getting on the ball when the passes came his way. His finishing wasn’t as good. If it had been a bit sharper, he’d be sitting on a brace in this match. That being said, he provided the excellent, calm assist on Angulo’s goal, so I don’t want to be too harsh. He got a good run-out, and it was a performance he can build on.

Grizi Does it All

Am I really featuring Antoine Griezmann in two sections? Absolutely. Grizi scored his second — and, ultimately, the match-winning — goal in the 77th minute. He once again paired up with Justin Ellis for a give-and-go that put him in on goal. With a quick, left-footed toe poke, he earned the brace and gave Orlando City the insurance goal. That is a four-match goal streak, with six goals in those four matches, and seven goals total since joining Orlando City. Oh, and he made a critical goal-line clearance on the other end as well. Spoilers for who my Man of the Match will be on The Mane Land PawedCast.

That is what I saw in Orlando City’s 3-2 victory over Atlanta United. It was a valuable three points as the club tries to make the playoffs for a seventh year in a row. Let us know your thoughts about the Atlanta United match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m feeling pretty good after Orlando City’s win on Wednesday and am hoping the good times keep rolling through this weekend’s games. After a rough August, September has thankfully been kind to Orlando’s soccer teams. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Beats Atlanta United On the Road

The Lions are coming back to Orlando with all three points after winning 3-2 against rival Atlanta United. It looked like it would be a rough night for Orlando after an early own goal, but Antoine Griezmann continues to excel in purple (or gold, as was the case on Wednesday night). Atlanta made it close in the end because of a second own goal, but Orlando ultimately secured the win to climb further up the MLS standings. The Lions will be back in action on Saturday with a home game against Toronto FC before traveling to play the Columbus Crew in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

Orlando’s History as a Soccer City

The United States Men’s National Team will play at Inter.co Stadium later this month in its first match since the World Cup. The soccer-specific stadium has been no stranger to hosting the U.S national teams since opening in 2017 and has also hosted Concacaf Gold Cup and FIFA Club World Cup games, along with the NWSL Championship and NCAA Women’s College Cup final. The City Beautiful has been a place for soccer for decades, hosting World Cup and Olympic soccer while also having club teams at various levels over the years. Orlando City lifting the U.S. Open Cup trophy in 2022 and the Orlando Pride winning the double in 2024 have helped solidify the city’s reputation as a soccer city as well.

U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team Held to Draw

The United States U-20 Women’s National Team drew 2-2 against Japan in its second game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The U.S. struck first thanks to a goal from Ainsley McCammon in the first half, but Japan equalized in the 74th minute. Alex Buck restored the U.S. lead a minute later, but Japan knotted things up again and the Yanks could not find a winner despite some late chances. It’s a tough result for the U.S., which lost its first group game against Italy. It can still qualify for the knockout round, but would need some help from other results even if it wins against New Zealand on Saturday.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

The UEFA Champions League’s league phase is underway this week and there still has yet to be a draw so far. VfB Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirovic was the standout performer from Wednesday’s slate of games, scoring a hat trick within a 12-minute stretch in a 3-1 win against Viking FK. Elsewhere across Europe, Arsenal edged past Napoli in a 1-0 win in Italy, Barcelona got its campaign started with a big 5-1 win against Feyenoord, and Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1.

Free Kicks

• Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda remains an NWSL MVP candidate, although Ashley Sanchez is starting to run away with it with 18 goals so far this season.

• The Portland Thorns and midfielder Deyna Castellanos mutually agreed to terminate her contract and she will reportedly join Tigres in Mexico.
• The Spanish Football Federation announced that players and employees will be able to undergo fertility treatment and freeze their eggs.
• The Washington Spirit has signed forward Clara Luvanga to a four-year contract. She will be the first Tanzanian player in NWSL history and joins the Spirit from Al-Nassr after scoring 24 goals last season in the Saudi Women’s Premier League.
• MLS clubs spent a record $370 million in the transfer market in 2026 and generated $218 million in revenue.
• The Denver Summit signed Cameroonian forward Naomi Eto from Paris Saint-Germain.
• Dick Advocaat’s contract as Curacao’s head coach was extended through 2027. The 78-year-old was the oldest coach in World Cup history this summer.

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