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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades

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10 years ago

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Thank God for Pedro Ribeiro. Orlando City controlled possession, peppered the Crew goal with shots and still needed the Brazilian’s blast in his first game since April 3 to rescue a point that should have come with two more attached to it.

City had everything going its way but still fumbled away chance after chance. I mean, you get points from us for creating chances but we also dock them for not finishing them. Here are tonight’s player ratings against Columbus Crew SC and our Man of the Match. Be sure to vote for yours below.

Player Grades

G, Tally Hall, 7.5 — Made the saves when he should have and really had little chance of stopping either goal, such was the placement of both headers. He pulled players aside and calmed them down when things got heated and after the match, spoke about judging himself harshly and wishing he could have done more.

D, Luke Boden, 6 — Was caught up and too far inside a few times and it cost Orlando, particularly on the first goal and on a good chance for Ethan Finlay. His crosses were fine and he had one corner that led to Michael Parkhurst’s sending off for handball.

D, Sean St. Ledger, 6.5 — Solid, if unspectacular performance. Attacked the ball in the air with gusto (sometimes too much) on corner kicks and did his job for the most part on defense. The two central defenders will be asked questions about Kei Kamara’s goal, as Adrian Heath felt the marking was not as good as it should have been.

D, Seb Hines, 6.5 — Like last week, Hines and St. Ledger were nearly interchangeable and therefore worthy of roughly the same grade. Hines didn’t get to as many balls on the offensive end, but he was solid in defense.

D, Rafael Ramos, 7 — Was turned inside out by Waylon Francis on Kamara’s goal, but gave his own team multiple opportunities to overcome the two goals allowed with outstanding crosses from the right wing. Gave Cyle Larin a sitter at the 18′ mark, but the Canadian couldn’t get it on frame.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 6 – Had a particularly forgettable first half with turnovers and committed a bad early foul to give up a free kick in a dangerous spot, but the Salvadorian settled down nicely after the break and was solid. Had a scorcher of a shot go just high with a chance to tie the game at the 78-minute mark.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 — Was again quiet but effective in breaking up play in the midfield and turning the attack the other way. While he did get called for the foul that started the play which turned into Kamara’s goal, that was a questionable call. Connected the back line to the attacking midfield well.

MF, Carlos Rivas, 6 — Starting in the midfield for the first time in MLS, the Colombian had a mixed performance. He got into some very dangerous spots and worked for coring chances, but his final ball was wanting several times and he shot when he should have passed at least twice.

MF, Kaká, 6.5 — Connected for his best-looking penalty to date, finding the back of the side netting, but he really had a mixed game. He was responsible for a turnover to Federico Higuain early on a promising build-up by holding the ball too long and had a few bad turnovers in the first half. Was more active after halftime and made better passes but passed on a chance to shoot when his team needed a goal, instead opting to send the ball to the end line to a teammate with a worse angle.

MF, Eric Avila, 8 — He had a man-of-the-match type first half, with some outstanding work to send Ramos down the right side a number of times. Avila’s hustle and crosses were outstanding and it was easily his best game as a Lion. His play wasn’t at the same level in the second half, when Orlando started to play more directly for Rivas and Larin and he missed a chance wide.

F, Cyle Larin, 6 — Had a similar game to Rivas in that he made himself dangerous all night but could not produce any quality with his final touch. Had two sitters and sent one wide and the second into goalkeeper Steve Clark. His worst moment came when he completely missed the ball with a dangerous chance in the box at the 59-minute mark. Kamara gave Columbus the lead two minutes later.

Substitutes

F, Martin Paterson (66′), 3 — Failed to make much of an impact on the game. A few folks seemed apoplectic that he dared commit a foul, but so did eight other Lions. His teammates couldn’t find him and were playing more direct balls anyway, which isn’t necessarily where Paterson is his best. He’s more dangerous on through balls, getting the ball on the run.

F, Pedro Ribeiro (72′), 8 — My Man of the Match, despite playing only 18 minutes plus stoppage. Ribeiro was dangerous from the moment he stepped onto the pitch. He provided good hold-up play to bring teammates into the attack, continued his good work with Kaká and may have scored the goal of the year for Orlando in the 89th minute. Nearly stole a win for the Lions on his final shot.

F, Lewis Neal (72′), 5 — Made slightly more of an impact than Paterson with some combination play with Boden and one header chance that went straight at the keeper. Neal said after the game that headers aren’t his strong suit and the ball sailed a bit on him, but still would have liked to find better placement.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Pedro Ribeiro 95
Eric Avila 9
Sean St. Ledger 2
Tally Hall 3
Kaká 17
Cristian Higuita 2
Rafael Ramos 3
Other (please identify your choice in the comments) 2
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Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

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9 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?

Designated Goal Scorers

What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.

Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.

Keep it Clean

There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.

Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Give the Midfield Time

Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.

Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

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12 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

Free Kicks

  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028

The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

Published

22 hours ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach

“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.” 

Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.

With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.” 

As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.

Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.

In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.

Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.

Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)

Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1

Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55

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