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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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9 years ago

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Orlando City’s home unbeaten streak of more than a year came to an end in emphatic fashion, as the Lions fell 3-1 to Seattle on the strength of a Clint Dempsey hat trick. Missing starter Kevin Molino who tweaked his hamstring in training yesterday, according to Orlando Sentinel reporter Alicia Delgallo, Orlando’s midfield never was able to get much control of the game.

So, Jason Kreis won’t go undefeated as Orlando City’s head coach. Apparently.

It hurts the Lions, who were poised to go above the red line with a draw or better, knocking New England below. Playing a team with only one road win on the season would seem to favor the undefeated home side but after an early goal by Seb Hines it was all Seattle and the chance to move up went wanting.

Let’s get to the grades from tonight’s 3-1 loss.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 -€” Not the busiest night for Joe but he was left all by himself far too often. He made a vital save on Jordan Morris at the top of the box in the 44th minute and stopped a Dempsey flick in the 20th, finishing with two saves on five shots on target. Had some help from his goal posts late against Nelson Valdez.

D, Luke Boden, 5 -€” Bodz really missed Molino on the night, trying to combine with Brek Shea and later with Carlos Rivas, and not really being all that successful. His passing accuracy was 82.5%, besting only Seb Hines among the team’s defenders. He took one curling shot from distance that missed wide and didn’t create any chances. His crosses didn’t find teammates.

D, David Mateos, 4.5 -€” Had a lot of trouble with Seattle’s runners throughout the evening and he and his back line mate Seb Hines struggled with trying to maintain their high line. Nicolas Lodeiro and others were able to pick the central defenders apart by playing passes between and over the pair to Morris and Dempsey.

D, Seb Hines, 5.5 -€” Hines did well to get onto crosses on the night, including his opening goal, however, he missed a golden opportunity to throw the Lions a lifeline in the 71st minute, heading the ball down (as you’re supposed to) but directly at goalkeeper Stefan Frei. The ball bounced off Frei and along the goal line only to hit the right post before it was cleared. He was only 75.5% accurate on passes, but he did try more long balls than his back line mates. He finished with a team high five shots. Nearly sent in Shea all alone in the 65th but put a tad too much weight on the through ball. Like Mateos, he got blistered by the Seattle runners.

D, Kevin Alston, 5.5 – Earned a corner with good hustle in the 12th minute to hound Joevin Jones into a mistake. Had a couple of crosses for Larin that were served just the slightest bit high, forcing the Canadian striker to only be able to get underneath them. Led the back line with an 83.6% passing percentage, creating three chances.

MF Servando Carrasco, 5.5 -€” An extremely quiet night for Servando, which is usually a good thing for a defensive midfielder. He completed a team-high 92.1% of his passes but he was at least partially culpable for allowing Nicolas Lodeiro too much room to operate.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 5.5 -€” Although he continues to look more comfortable every week -€” completing 90.6% of his passes and getting a shot attempt off tonight -€” the Italian doesn’t look comfortable defending in this formation. Even so, with a midfield of Dempsey, Lodeiro, and Ivanschitz to contend with, he led the team with four tackles.

MF, Brek Shea, 5 -€” Just 33 touches for Shea on the evening in 66 minutes of work, as he struggled to find space to play in and was often forced back rather than take on defenders. A switch to the right side helped some, as he started to come into the game more, but unfortunately it was just before he was subbed off. He created one chance and was one of the lowest rated passers on the team.

MF, Kaká, 7 (MotM) -€” The captain had to fight through heavy traffic all night. Without Molino to work with, he had Shea and Hadji Barry instead, and wasn’t able to create as many good opportunities as usual. His cross on the goal was vintage Kaká for his seventh assist on the year. He created three chances and had one shot, which was on target, completing 88.9% of his passes. He just didn’t have enough help in the attacking third. This is one of those “Man of the Match by default” things. He didn’t have a great game by his usual standards but it was solid enough if he’d only had some help.

MF, Hadji Barry, 4.5 – A relatively ineffective night for the rookie, who wasn’t able to use his speed much. A microcosm of his first half was standing and waiting for a pass, allowing Joevin Jones to run around him to reach it first and ignite a dangerous counter attack down the left flank. Had a team-low 15 first-half touches, showing an inability to find space where his teammates could give him the ball. He finished with the fewest touches of any starter. The rookie will have better nights.

F, Cyle Larin, 5.5 –€” The Canadian had trouble getting touches, as the Sounders paid particular attention to him, with both Chad Marshall and Brad Evans marking his every move. His passing percentage of 73.9% wasn’t particularly high and he often failed to read what his teammates were about to do in the final third. Got his head onto a few crosses but they were a tad above the height where he could get on top of them and drive them on goal. His runs were good despite the service lacking a bit and he did manage to win four fouls.

Substitutes

MF, Matias Perez Garcia (55′), 6.5 -€” Making his debut, the Lions’ diminutive new midfielder did make an impact in his time on the pitch after coming on for Barry and finishing with two more touches than the rookie. He made an impact, drawing three free kicks in good spots and creating two chances in his 35 minutes. For only having been with his new team for two days of training, he completed 87.5% of his passes, showing good awareness of space and movement.

F, Julio Baptista (67′), 6 -€” Although The Beast didn’t get a lot of touches in his 23 minutes (just 12), he made them count. His header in the 71st hit the crossbar, which led to Hines’ chance on the rebound. He drew a free kick in a dangerous spot and two free kicks overall in the attacking third down the stretch. He finished with two shots, which was second only to Hines. His passing rate was a tad low (75%) but he was involved.

MF, Carlos Rivas (78′), N/A -€” Wasn’t really able to get involved much after being introduced. He completed both of his passes, but the fact that he attempted only two passes and had only 12 touches says a lot about how little involvement he had. He created no chances and took no shots and really didn’t have much time to make an impression on the game.

That’s the way I saw the match. Let me know what you thought and vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Joe Bendik 12
Seb Hines 9
Kaká 73
Matias Perez Garcia 31
Other 46
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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

10 hours 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

1 day ago

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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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/3/25

Lions defeat Toronto FC, MLS weekend recap, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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March 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I got a break from covering high school sports, and I finally got to see Captain America: Brave New World and catch up on some shows. It was a fantastic weekend for our Lions to get their first win of the 2025 season. This weekend, we have the Lions, Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B are all in action. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Defeat Toronto FC for First Win of MLS Season

Orlando City bounced back from its opening day loss with a 4-2 win against Toronto FC on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium and secured its first win of the 2025 season. Cesar Araujo, Alex Freeman, Martin Ojeda, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson scored for the Lions. Toronto FC scored two late goals in the second half, but Orlando was in control at that point. The Lions scored six goals across their first two matches this season, the most scored in their first two games since the team joined Major League Soccer. Orlando City will have its first road test of the season on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, taking on New York City FC.

Orlando City Signs Three Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against Toronto FC, Orlando City announced that the club had signed midfielders Colin Guske and Gustavo Caraballo and defender Zakaria Taifi to short-term contracts. All three players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut, becoming the youngest player to ever get MLS minutes with OCSC. Taifi and Guske did not get into the game. Guske and Caraballo were signed to short-term contracts the previous week and were on the bench for the Lions’ opening day match against the Philadelphia Union but didn’t play.

MLS Weekend Recap

Week two is in the books after another exciting weekend of Major League Soccer action. Wilfried Zaha scored his first MLS goal and added an assist as Charlotte FC defeated Atlanta United 2-0. Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls won their matches with the Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC, respectively, by the same score. The Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, LAFC, and the Portland Timbers all won 1-0 matches over the New England Revolution, CF Montreal, New York City FC, and Austin FC, respectively. The Philadelphia Union cruised past FC Cincinnati 4-1, while the San Jose Earthquakes edged Sporting Kansas City 2-1. The Colorado Rapids had a 2-0 lead with Rafael Navarro scoring twice, but FC Dallas fought back in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Hugo Cuypers scored twice for the Chicago Fire, but D.C. United grabbed a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw, while San Diego FC and St. Louis City ended scoreless. On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1, while former Lion Nico Lodeiro scored his first goal for the Houston Dynamo, but Inter Miami won 4-1 on the road.

Americans Abroad

Two Americans squared off in the EFL Championship as former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom battled Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United. Aaronson played 72 minutes while Dike came off the bench late in the second half as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. In the FA Cup, Antonee Robinson and Fulham defeated Manchester United 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 16. Matt Turner started in goal, and Chris Richards recorded an assist as Crystal Palace defeated Millwall 3-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Fulham will face Crystal Palace in the quarterfinals on March 29. Ethan Horvath started in goal, but Cardiff City fell 2-0 to Aston Villa while, Tyler Adams’ Bournemouth side defeated Wolverhampton 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and will face Manchester City in the quarterfinals. Johnny Cardoso scored his first league goal in La Liga as Real Betis defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday. Naomi Girma made her debut for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Sunday but suffered an injury and came off the pitch in the second half in a 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride wrapped up their preseason over the weekend. The Pride will open their 2025 season against the Washington Spirit on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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