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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact, Round 3: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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9 years ago

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Orlando City has won four straight and kept its faint playoff hopes alive for another week with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Impact in front of more than 35,000 fans at the Citrus Bowl. The unlikely hero was Seb Hines, who scored the game winner with less than ten minutes left in regulation.

Things started off with a scary midair collision between starting defenders Tommy Redding and Rafael Ramos. Both were stretchered off and Ramos went to the hospital to deal with a severe laceration on his face after a clash of heads left both players woozy.

So Adrian Heath was forced to make two substitutions very early on and despite that, a goal against that shouldn’t have counted, and the appearance of Didier Drogba, the Lions prevailed.

Here are my player grades from Orlando City’s fourth consecutive victory and first over a Canadian team this season:

Starters

GK, Tally Hall, 7 – Hall only faced two shots on goal but he was alert to the danger all night, coming out early to keep a ball away from Ambroise Oyongo from becoming a problem, stopping a shot from Johan Venegas late in the game, and catching or punching several crosses away from the danger area as the Impact pushed for a late equalizer. Stopped a dangerous ball in the 43rd minute, only to see Dominic Oduro kick it out of his grasp and in for a goal, which is kind of against the rules, but whatevs.

D, Brek Shea, 8 – Shea was excellent, starting on the left side and shifting over to the right after the injuries sidelined Ramos and Redding. Despite being on his weaker side, Shea caused problems down the right side all evening and mostly took care of his defensive responsibilities. Nearly had goal of the week in the 51st minute but smashed a curling effort off the crossbar from distance.

D, Tommy Redding, N/A – An unfortunate early exit for the young Homegrown Player. Officially left in the 11th minute but was down much earlier than that, getting treatment on the pitch for a long time. Not really enough minutes to make an impact.

D, Aurelien Collin, 8 – The Frenchman cleared everything he got his feet on and played an excellent match. Kept Drogba in check once the Ivorian checked in and was strong in the air. He also moved the ball well all night and helped Orlando keep possession for long spells, particularly in the first half and early in the second half.

D, Rafael Ramos, N/A – Like Redding, his night ended much too soon. Hopefully there are no long-term effects, as the club has two weeks to prepare for New York City FC, and will be without both Brek Shea and Kaká, due to yellow card accumulation.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 8 – Fantastic game for the defensive midfielder. Carrasco broke up plays all over the pitch, filling in for the suspended Cristian Higuita. Higuita’s absence wasn’t even noticeable, which is a huge credit to Servando. Registered four tackles, four interceptions and a clearance, completing 85% of his passes, and helped the backline keep Montreal’s attack in check, along with…

MF, Darwin Ceren, 8 – The Salvadoran was all over the pitch just like his counterpart in the defensive midfield, with six interceptions and three tackles. Narrowly missed a goal in the 27th minute with a rocket from distance. Chipped in a couple of key passes, two crosses and several accurate long balls to go with a team-high 65 passes (completing 84.6%). Another outstanding job by Ceren.

MF, Carlos Rivas, 6 – The Colombian continues to delight with his speed and crossing and utterly disappoint with his shots. None of his four shots were on target but he had a team-high eight crosses and continually bothered the Montreal defense with his pace down whichever wing he was on, drawing several fouls.

MF, Kaká, 7 – The captain seemed just a tad off with his touch at times but was still able to show his quality often. Sent in Carlos Rivas late for what should have been an insurance goal. Only one key pass, no shots and a couple of uncharacteristically heavy touches near the end line, but he was dangerous on crosses, serving five into the box. Did a solid job defensively of staying active and applying pressure.

MF, Lewis Neal, 5.5 – Badly scuffed a shot in the box off a Shea pass in the 13th minute in another underwhelming offensive effort. It was his only shot of the night and he had one key pass. He did manage to complete 91.4% of his passes but made only 35 of them. The Lions seemed to actively avoid his side of the pitch when he swapped spots with Carlos Rivas in the second half, sending the Colombian to the right wing.

F, Cyle Larin, 6.5 – The Canadian was just a touch off much of the night but he did score a goal off a bad Montreal giveaway in the 33rd minute and his presence up top was clearly a concern for the Impact defense. Drew only one foul and he seemed to tire midway through the second half.

Substitutes

D, Luke Boden (11′), 6.5 – A bit of a mixed bag for Luke tonight, with several crucial challenges but also turned the ball over leading to Montreal’s goal and got beat a few times late, allowing the Impact to get some dangerous crosses into the box in search of their equalizer. A workmanlike effort and did well to get the ball back into the box on what eventually became Seb Hines’ game-winning goal.

D, Seb Hines (11′), 8 (MOTM) – Seb returned from a dislocated shoulder suffered last week and made it pay off. He and Collin really owned the defensive third. Hines finished with four interceptions, two tackles, a clearance and a blocked shot, to go along with his 80th-minute winning goal. Completed nearly 85% of his passes and was calm on the ball and with the ball pinging around in the box.

F, Bryan Rochez (69′), 5.5 – Replaced Lewis Neal in the 69th minute and wasn’t terribly involved, seeing his three-game goal-scoring streak come to an end. Rochez was good in holdup play but didn’t complete (or attempt) many passes. Did manage a shot on target and played well defensively, heading away a clearance in the late stages.

Those are my player ratings. Vote below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Brek Shea 62
Aurelien Collin 43
Seb Hines 95
Servando Carrasco 25
Darwin Ceren 28
Other (let us know who in the comments section below) 2
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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/5/25

Orlando City rising, Ally Watt is staying, the Challenge Cup looms, and more.

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20 hours ago

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March 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! We’re almost completely back. Orlando City is playing matches, with the Orlando Pride and OCB slated to start their respective 2025 slates this weekend. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. So without further ado, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City on the Rise

It should come as no surprise to longtime readers that I find the idea of power rankings to be the junk food of sports journalism. Sometimes it’s fun to indulge, but ultimately it’s just empty calories. That being said, Orlando City rose six spots in MLSsoccer.com’s rankings this week. The site is also enamored with right back Alex Freeman, making him one of the big stories in MLS in Week 2. They might actually be right on that account.

Ally Watt is Staying

The Orlando Pride announced that the club exercised Ally Watt’s mutual option for the 2026 season. Watt played her part in the Pride’s historic 2024 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship run. Watt produced seven goal contributions last year. Now the attacker will look to increase that production as the club attempts to repeat the success of last season.

The Challenge Cup Approaches

It’s been 102 days since the Orlando Pride last lifted a trophy. Friday, the club will have a chance to do so again in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but this time it features a rematch of the NWSL Championship match between the Pride and the Washington Spirit. The format is supposed to be the Shield winner against the Championship winner, but since the Pride won both, the runner-up gets a shot.

NWSL Roster Moves

The NWSL’s new collective bargaining agreement has changed how the clubs in the league manage their rosters and acquire new talent. Big names like Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) are able to have agency in where they want to play when being traded. There were several big inner-league signings in the off-season, though not all saw a player move. One of the biggest was when the Orlando Pride gave Marta a contract extension. The landscape has changed for the league, and that’s not a bad thing.

Free Kicks

@houstondash.com forward Yuki Nagasato, 2011 World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, has announced her retirement from professional soccer.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-03-03T21:26:32.770Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for all the matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/4/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, U.S. women announce friendlies against China, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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March 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! What a happy Tuesday it is, too, as Orlando City bounced back in a big way to earn its first victory of the season on Saturday. As if that wasn’t enough, the Lions will be back in action again on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will return to competitive action in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit on Friday, and OCB kicks off its season Sunday against Columbus. Before we get started, let’s wish Pride midfielder Ally Lemos a happy 21st birthday! We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get cracking.

Lions Earn Weekly Plaudits

A pair of Lions have been rewarded for their performances in Orlando City’s 4-2 triumph over Toronto FC with places in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Cesar Araujo finds himself in the starting lineup after notching a spectacular goal and assist, while Alex Freeman makes the bench after marking his first senior start with his first professional goal. Freeman also earned a shoutout as one of the standout Young Players of the Matchday. Both men turned in impressive performances during the win, with Sean Rollins grading Araujo a 7.5 out of 10 and naming him the Man of the Match, with Freeman close behind on a 7 out of 10. Congrats and keep up the good work!

U.S. Women Announce China Matches

The United States Women’s National Team has announced that it will play a pair of friendlies against China at the end of spring. The USWNT will play the Steel Roses on Saturday, May 31 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN, and then on Tuesday, June 3 at Energizer Park in St. Louis. While China is the team that the U.S. has played second most behind only Canada, it will be the first meeting between the two nations since the end of 2023. The St. Louis game will also have a pre-match celebration for Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced her retirement at the end of last year.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, with European cup action once again featured prominently. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will host Lille in the Round of 16 tomorrow, while Richy Ledezma and PSV Eindhoven will welcome Arsenal. Thursday sees Tanner Tessman and Lyon traveling to face Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis take on Vitória Guimarães in the UEFA Conference League. Things finish on Friday with the red-hot Josh Sargent and Norwich City hosting Oxford in Championship play, while Mark McKenzie and Toulouse face off against Moncao.

Women’s Club World Cup Could be Delayed

FIFA had intended on starting a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup in 2026, but that plan may be facing delays. While the tournament reportedly has plenty of support within FIFA and its various federations, there are said to be ongoing discussions about pushing the start date back a couple years to allow more time for preparations to be made. Initial plans called for the tournament to take place between January and February 2026, but that date is fast approaching and no concrete plans have been made. A possible solution could be holding a four-team mini-tournament in 2026, with the full 16-team version then debuting later down the road. Who knows, if the Orlando Pride can have a 2025 campaign similar to last year’s, maybe we’ll see them there.

Free Kicks

  • Forgive my language, but Eduard Atuesta positively ran his ass off on Saturday, covering 8.18 miles — the most of any MLS player on Matchday 2.

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

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-2 home win over Toronto FC?

Published

3 days ago

on

March 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City bounced back after a disappointing season opener by defeating Toronto FC 4-2. Alex Freeman scored his first MLS goal and Gustavo Caraballo made history by becoming the youngest player to appear for the Lions’ first team. It’s the first win of the year after the team suffered through a winless preseason and opening night loss.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this heartwarming win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese didn’t have a lot to do in this game because Toronto only put four shots on target. He made two saves on the night, neither of which were particularly difficult. He also conceded two goals, though both would have required outstanding saves to keep out. Additionally, he completed 85% of his 20 passes, including eight of his 11 long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos touched the ball 59 times and completed 86.4% of his 44 passes. His lone cross was incomplete, but he connected on three of his six long balls. The left back wasn’t involved much in the attack of his game without a shot. He recorded one interception and a team-high eight clearances.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel touched the ball 66 times and completed 96.3% of his 54 passes, including one of his three long balls. He wasn’t involved in the attack at all but was the most active defender with a tackle, three interceptions, seven clearances, and a blocked shot. It was a big improvement from the first game.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith had 63 touches in this game while completing 88.1% of his 59 passes, including a key pass and five of his 11 long balls. Smith connected with one of his long balls, resulting in the second goal and an assist for the versatile defender. Defensively, Smith had three clearances.

D, Alex Freeman, 7 — Freeman got his first career MLS start at right back and played well. He had a team-high 74 touches and completed 88.6% of his 44 passes. He took two shots, scoring his first MLS goal in the 35th minute after taking a long ball from Smith well and placing it past Sean Johnson. Freeman was also strong defensively, recording a tackle, three interceptions, and four clearances.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — Atuesta tied Freeman with a team-leading 74 touches. He completed 82.8% of his 58 passes, including a key pass and three of his seven long balls. However, none of his three crosses met their target. Additionally, his lone shot was off target. Defensively, he had two tackles, an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot. Unfortunately, Sigurd Rosted outjumped the midfielder in the 72nd minute for the first Toronto goal,, which hurt his grade a little.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7.5 (MotM) — Araujo touched the ball 61 times and completed 96.4% of his 53 passes, including a key pass for an assist and one long ball. His lone shot was a fantastic free kick in the 33rd minute that caromed off the inside of the post and in. Later, he assisted Martin Ojeda’s 63rd-minute goal with a great through ball into space. Defensively, he had a tackle and an interception. His grade would’ve been a little higher, but he backed out of the play on Rosted’s goal, contributing to it. However, it was a great performance overall and he is unquestionably my Man of the Match.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo had 42 touches and completed 88% of his 25 passes. His only shot was off target, but he contributed defensively with three tackles and a blocked shot. The Colombian wasn’t bad but didn’t make much of an impact before being replaced in the final minutes by Joran Gerbet.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda touched the ball 31 times in this game and completed 85% of his 20 passes, including a key pass and one of his three crosses. His lone shot was his 63rd-minute goal. He did well to force Sean Johnson to make the first move, rounded him, and put it away to make it 3-0. If the Argentine had kept his head while darting down the left, he might’ve found Ramiro Enrique, who had a step on his defender, and recorded an assist. But it was a solid performance overall by the attacker. He was replaced in the 80th minute by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — It’s hard to top a brace in your debut, and Pasalic didn’t. He touched the ball 39 times, completing just 69.6% of his 23 passes. However, he had a key pass and completed one of his three crosses. He also drew the foul that led to Araujo’s free kick goal. Additionally, he recorded two tackles before being replaced by Luis Muriel in the 65th minute.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique touched the ball 37 times while completing 88% of his 25 passes. He didn’t take any shots, but he recorded a secondary assist on Thorhallsson’s 81st-minute goal. He wasn’t detrimental to the team, but he didn’t make much of an impact either.

Substitutes

F, Luis Muriel (65’), 6  — Muriel came on for Pasalic in the 65th minute, touching the ball 17 times. He completed 83.3% of his 12 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He played a beautiful pass for Thorhallsson in the 81st minute that resulted in the fourth and final goal of the game for the Lions. He didn’t take any shots or do anything defensively but made his presence known with his assist.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (80’), 6 — Thorhallsson had the best entrance possible after coming on in the 80th minute. After watching Freeman have a strong performance in his place, the usual starting right back scored less than two minutes after entering on just his second touch of the ball. It was a nice finish after a great ball by Muriel. Other than the goal, Thorhallsson had nine touches and completed 87.5% of his eight passes. The goal was his only real moment of the game, but it was good enough to give him a solid grade.

MF, Gustavo Caraballo (90+7’), N/A — Caraballo entered the game for Enrique in the seventh minute of stoppage time, becoming Orlando City’s youngest-ever player to appear in a league game. But he didn’t have any touches in his short appearance.

MF, Joran Gerber (90+7’), N/A — Gerbet came on for Angulo at the same time as Caraballo and had the same impact on the game, not touching the ball once.

That’s how I saw Orlando City’s first win of the 2025 season. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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