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Orlando City

Orlando City vs Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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10 years ago

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It’s like a broken record for Orlando City. Down a man after 35 minutes, again, the team looked competitive until the second half began. Then it all went to hell in a handbasket, eventually ending up with a 5-0 defeat to Toronto.

Here’s our player grades and our Man of the Match from another forgettable game:

Starters

G, Tally Hall, 4.5 (MOTM)– Did what he could to stop the onslaught, but with the team being down a man (and later, two), there wasn’t too much he could do. Big save in the 49th minute shutting down Jonathan Osorio. Tried to cut off Robbie Findley outside of the box, but was dribbled around and eventually Findley earned a penalty.

D, Rafael Ramos, 3.0 — What a welcome back for Ramos. Had a great first 35 minutes after missing the last few games, but was sent off after a challenge on Anthony Morrow. Now the obvious debate is whether it was a straight red or not. It’s tough to say 100% for sure, but Ramos should not have even been going into that challenge in the first place. He made it the referee’s decision to pull the red and Orlando was forced to play down a man for the rest of the match.

D, David Mateos, 3.5 — I gave him the benefit of the doubt last week, since it was his first game. But this one, Mateos doesn’t have that luxury. Seemed slow on most plays and out of position on others, having to make sliding challenges to make up for it. His only good moment was the stop on Giovinco’s shot he had in the 59th minute. Too slow on the third goal for Morrow, which he had a chance of getting to. Still, he played the best out of the back line, which isn’t saying too much.

D, Aurelien Collin, 3.0 — Can’t let up five goals on the road. The whole back line was thrown into turmoil after Ramos was sent off, but for Collin, it was a terrible game. Tried to hold down Michael Bradley on the counter attack leading to the first goal, but went to ground trying to dispossess the ball, allowing Bradley to get the pass off to Delgado for the score. The whole back line seemed to not be on the same page, and with Collin being the veteran back there, a lot of blame needs to fall on his shoulders.

D, Luke Boden, 3.0 — Bodz tried to do anything he could on the left side, but like last week, seemed a step too slow to get anything positive going. Accidentally cleared a ball in the 18th minute to Marky Delgado which luckily led to a goal kick. Great individual effort taking on four TFC players in the 32nd minute. Caught ball watching on Altidore’s second goal, later in the game.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4.0 — Solid performance in the absence of Darwin Ceren. Played physical, kept his composure for the most part and did his best to keep Orlando in the game. Lost that said composure in the 76th minute after he felt that he got fouled and had an animated chat with the ref. Earned a yellow in the 84th minute for a foul on Altidore, leading to his second goal.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 3.0 — Had a moment or two where he tried to play some long balls downfield, but other than that, didn’t play very well. Received a yellow card in the 30th minute.

MF, Lewis Neal, 3.0 — Somewhat of an invisible performance for Neal. Didn’t do anything horrendously bad, but also hardly benefited the Lions. Almost had his first goal of the year, but was deflected in the 61st minute off of a nice Kaká cross. Subbed out for Rochez in the 71st minute.

MF, Kaká, 4.0 — Just like the last two games he’s played, Kaká hasn’t been much of a factor in terms of offense. Of course he was forced to play more defense in the second half, but for the first half, he needed to do more. Had a bad touch on a good counter attack in 43rd minute, after Larin tried to lead him into the box. Showed signs of life in the 61st minute, making a great run down the left side. Subbed out in the 84th minute in order to bring in Ashe for more defense.

MF, Adrian Winter, 2.5 — A terrible day at the office for Winter. Looked to have opportunities in the first half, but all of them went by the wayside. Horrible turnover to start the counter attack for TFC, leading to their first goal. Earned a yellow in the 54th minute for a tackle on Giovinco, leading to his free kick goal. Then to top it all off, earned a second yellow and conceded a penalty. Would have given him a lower score but he was forced to play the second half in a position he doesn’t usually play. Kind of have to understand that. Still, not a good game for Winter.

F, Cyle Larin, 3.0 — Could hardly get anything going on the attack, even less so after the team was down a man. Had a great counter in the 14th minute which unfortunately led to a turnover as well as a counter in the 43rd minute, ending in the same result. Used his strength to body players off the ball, when he got the chance, but there weren’t too many of them. Turned the ball over in the 54th minute which gave Giovinco the ball, who earned the foul and Toronto’s second goal. Had a good chance in the 63rd minute, but took a bad touch in the box and was subsequently subbed out for Rivas.

Substitutes

F, Carlos Rivas (63′), 4.0 — Best shot of the day in the 78th minute off a free kick, one of the only shots challenging goal for Orlando. Tried to use his speed to get behind the defense, but wasn’t able to get a decent run going.

F, Bryan Rochez (71′), 3.0 — Tried to get something going offensively, but the game was too far gone to do anything about it.

D, Corey Ashe (84′), N/A — Played solid defense for the six minutes he was in.

Can’t say too much about this game. Disappointing for the second straight week. Shut out for the second straight week. Reduced to 10 men early on for the second straight week. Not a good run of games for Orlando City.

As always, let us know who you think was the Man of the Match in our poll below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Tally Hall 16
David Mateos 1
Cristian Higuita 20
Kaká 15
Other (tell us who in the comments) 17
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Opinion

Predicting Orlando City’s June Results

It’s time to take a glimpse into the future and predict how Orlando City will fare during the month of June.

Published

16 hours ago

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May 30, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We’re almost to the end of what’s been an extremely packed month of May for Orlando City. After the conclusion of Saturday’s match against the Chicago Fire, the Lions will have played nine matches in the span of 28 days. OCSC has basically played a match every three days, which is an absurd pace. Other than two recent blemishes, Orlando has mostly handled it exceedingly well though, and June presents a much lighter schedule for our brave heroes.

The Lions play just three games next month and will have two weeks off between Saturday’s match against the Fire and their next game. Without any further ado, I will now attempt to peer into the crystal ball and predict the results of Orlando’s three games in June.

Saturday, June 14 — at Colorado Rapids

Orlando will return to action after a two-week layoff by hopping on the purple plane and flying west to take on Colorado. The Rapids are currently eighth in a crowded Western conference table with 22 points, and they are 10 points off the Vancouver Whitecaps at the top of the table. They’ve put together a pretty even season so far with a record of 6-6-4 (W-L-D). The biggest problem for Colorado has been scoring goals, as the Rapids only have 18 goals in 16 games and have been held scoreless five times in the league. They have this week off, and won’t return to action until June 7, when they host Austin FC. I give Orlando City the edge in this match, and hopefully that extra rest will help the good guys hang tough at altitude. The Lions have been defensively sound recently — when they’ve had all 11 men on the field — while also still being able to put the ball in the back of the net several times a game. Shutting down Djordje Mihailovic is going to be key, but I like Orlando’s chances given its recent form and the fact that the Lions will be well rested.

Prediction: Orlando City 3-1 Colorado Rapids.

Wednesday, June 25 — at St. Louis City

I refuse to capitalize every letter in “City” in St. Louis City’s name, because frankly I think it’s a ridiculous stylistic choice. The team also hasn’t been very good this year, so it doesn’t deserve me catering to it in that manner. St. Louis is currently 2-8-5 and only truly woeful campaigns by CF Montreal and the LA Galaxy are saving it from leading the Wooden Spoon race with 11 points. It makes Colorado look like an offensive juggernaut, as it’s only scored 11 goals in 15 games. St. Louis isn’t bad defensively, as it’s only conceded 20 goals, but it’s always going to be a struggle when you average scoring just 0.73 goals a game. Its form was enough to get Head Coach Olof Mellberg fired, and he lasted just over six months on the job. The club hasn’t won since a March 15 match against the Galaxy and has a tricky upcoming slate, with a home match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, an away game against the Portland Timbers on June 8, and a home match against the Galaxy on June 14. With a week and a half between the Colorado match and this one, I once again like Orlando City in this game. Unless St. Louis can find its shooting boots, I don’t see it offering much threat against a rested Orlando defense that has come on strong since a shaky start to the year.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-0 St. Louis City.

Saturday, June 28 — vs. FC Cincinnati

OCSC wraps up June by returning home to play one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference on short rest. It isn’t ideal, but it isn’t the worst thing in the world either. Cincy has been good this year, compiling a record of 9-4-3 and 30 points to sit second in the East. New signings Evander and Kevin Denkey have been as good as you would expect, as Evander has seven goals and five assists in 14 appearances, and Denkey has nine goals in 15 games. As a team, Cincinnati has scored 24 goals and conceded 22, so it’s been a balanced campaign to this point. It’ll be coming to the end of a stretch of three straight road games, as Cincy will be away to the New England Revolution on June 14 and then at CF Montreal on June 25, so it’ll also be traveling on short rest. That said, aside from the Philadelphia Union, Cincy is the toughest team the Lions will have faced in MLS play, and stopping both Evander and Denkey is far from an easy task. This reeks of a draw that has a couple of goals for each team, so that’s what I’ll be going with.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-2 FC Cincinnati.

There you have it. I’ve scrutinized the tea leaves and you now know what the path ahead holds for the Lions. Be sure to check back in at the end of June so you can marvel at how stunningly accurate my forecast was. Until then, feel free to either disagree or tell me how crystal clear my visions are down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/30/25

Orlando City players called up, Orlando Pride sign Simone Jackson, USWNT gets ready to play China, and more.

Published

19 hours ago

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May 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a brutal week, but we’ve made it through. Our reward is an exciting weekend of soccer to enjoy to close out the month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but it should still be a nice next few days. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Lions Called Up For International Duty

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was predictably called up for Peru’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Peru is ninth in the standings and will take on Colombia June 6 before hosting Ecuador on June 10.

Defender David Brekalo was called up by Slovenian for a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matches will help prepare Slovenia for World Cup qualifying this fall against Sweden, Switzerland, and Kosovo.

A few Young Lions are also heading to Europe for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. The U.S. will represent Concacaf at the U-18 tournament, and OCB players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were called up for it.

Orlando Pride Sign Simone Jackson

The Orlando Pride signed forward Simone Jackson to a contract through the 2028 season. Jackson played at the University of Southern California for four years, recording 22 goals and 13 assists in 75 games, and trained with the Pride during the preseason. Internationally, she’s represented the U.S. at various youth levels and scored a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 22-year-old gives Orlando some helpful depth up front and can develop her game learning from some of the best attackers in the sport as well.

USWNT Prepares For Friendly Against China

The United States Women’s National Team will take on China Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in the first of two friendlies during this international window. Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to join a young roster as the team builds a foundation before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Goalkeeper will continue to be a position to watch, as opportunity knocks for Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Mandy McGlynn, and Claudia Dickey to stake a claim as the team’s starter. Following this match, the USWNT will take on Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday before a pair of friendlies against Ireland later in June.

Denver’s NWSL Team Hires First General Manager

Denver’s NWSL team hired Curt Johnson to serve as the club’s first general manager. He will have the opportunity to build the team’s roster and staff from the ground up before the team takes the field as an expansion side in 2026. Johnson left the North Carolina Courage in December and was the chief soccer officer when the club dominated the league in 2018 and 2019. It looks like a solid hire in my opinion and I’m interested to see what kind of team he puts together in Denver.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to secure a victory against Chicago at home?

Published

2 days ago

on

May 29, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City ends May the way it began, with a match against the Chicago Fire. The Lions are coming off a wild and disappointing match against rival Atlanta United. I always worry about a team after such an emotional outing, and on short rest to boot, especially since the Fire were off during the midweek. How the team reacts will determine the result. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from Chicago at home?

Defend this House

Much like the last time, Orlando City will need to deal with Hugo Cuypers and the rest of Chicago’s attack. The Lions likely won’t get the benefit of having Chris Brady sent off in the 36th minute again, meaning they will need to defend more attacks for a longer time. In the last match, Chicago took 16 shots, putting eight of those on target. Limiting those chances will be critical.

I expect to see Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo starting on the back line despite having done so Wednesday night. No cheap giveaways, no errant arms away from the body in the box, just solid defending for 90 plus minutes. The Lions will have to do it without Cesar Araujo, thanks to his sending off against Atlanta. I think they can, but it will be more difficult without him.

Atuesta Ahoy

Eduard Atuesta played the full 90 minutes against the Portland Timbers, and then played limited minutes against Atlanta United. I completely agreed with that strategy, because he did not need to be playing too many minutes so soon after returning. He is also working back to full fitness. He will be rested for this home match, and the pitch conditions will be much better.

We were reminded of how good he is in the attacking midfield in that match against Portland. I need him to provide those slicing passes through tiny windows against the Chicago defense. Joran Gerbet has proven to be a steal in the draft, but he doesn’t yet have that extra bit of quality you see from Atuesta. Look for him to break Chicago’s lines.

Early and Often

Orlando City will come in on three days rest, whereas Chicago will be on six days rest. This match will also be the Lions’ ninth match in May — their seventh in the league and two more in the U.S. Open Cup. To say that tired legs will be a concern is an understatement. As such, Orlando City needs to jump out to an early lead as it did against Atlanta.

Fortunately, there was more rotation in the attack on Wednesday for Orlando City with Ramiro Enrique getting the start. That means Luis Muriel will be fresh for a start on the much nicer grass at Inter&Co Stadium. I’ll take a goal from Muriel, or frankly any Orlando player. Heck, Jansson is due for one, right? Multiple goals will likely be needed to secure a victory.

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

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