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Orlando City at New York Red Bulls (Round 3): Player Grades and Man of the Match

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9 years ago

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Interim Head Coach Bobby Murphy rolled the dice with an unconventional lineup that featured 20-year-old defensive midfielder Harrison Heath as the No. 10, little-used left wing Carlos Rivas as a lone striker at the top of his 4-2-3-1, and a DM pairing of two that included Antonio Nocerino for the first time in a while.

It went about as you’d expect when you saw the team sheet. Forget about Cyle Larin’s four goals in two trips to Red Bull Arena, let’s have some fresh Canadian legs up top for that Western Conference opponent on Saturday!

And the match turned into a bigger nightmare than the 2-0 final score. Brek Shea, sitting on four yellow cards, earned another for dissent. Not something you want to see from your (acting) captain. And something you never want to see is Heath on crutches after the match after sustaining a nasty-looking injury to his right knee.

The Lions were never in position to make a game of it, and didn’t register a shot on goal until they were down 2-0 in the second half. As such, do not expect to see very high grades herein.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik 7.5, (MOTM) – Started the game with a huge save on Chris Duvall in the sixth minute. Made a diving save on Bradley Wright-Phillips‘ free kick in the 55th minute and denied Gonzalo Veron one-on-one in the 68th. His heroics allowed the score line to stay somewhat more respectable than it could have been. Not much he could have done on the Connor Lade goal, as his defense failed to deal with a corner. Could perhaps have positioned his wall better for Felipe’s free kick goal, but certainly couldn’t have reached it from his starting position.

D, Luke Boden, 4.5 -€” Not the best night for Bodz, who struggled to provide good service on the offensive end, whether from open play or set pieces. Didn’t do enough to clear balls into the box and sometimes lost track of secondary runners. Seemed to work hard, but didn’t quite get much accomplished for his efforts.

D, Seb Hines, 6.5 – Made two extremely vital plays in the first half, blocking a Mike Grella shot with his face in the 32nd minute, and cut out a cross labeled for Bradley Wright-Phillips in first-half stoppage time. In addition to two blocked shots, Hines finished with a tackle, four interceptions and three clearances. If there was one thing he struggled with it was passing, at just 66.7%. Played safely all night, blasting balls up field rather than taking time on the ball against New York’s high pressure.

D, David Mateos, 6 -€” A bit more clumsy than Hines and also a tad less careful about conceding fouls or clearing aerial balls. The Spaniard did manage four interceptions and three clearances, like his partner. He did pass the ball better though, finishing with a 75.8% rate.

D, Kevin Alston, 5.5 -€” Might have covered the most ground of any Lion in the game. His passing accuracy of 87.5% led the back line and was one of the best on the team and he busted his rear end getting up and down the right flank, often to be ignored by his teammates who missed the switch. Finished with three tackles, four interceptions and two clearances and not a single foul. He was culpable on the first goal, being unaware of how much time he had, he conceded a corner unnecessarily that led to Connor Lade’s goal. Despite a good passing rate, neither of his crosses were very good, though he did have one key pass. A solid night for Kevin that he can hopefully build on.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 4.5 -€” The best thing that can be said about the Italian’s performance is that it didn’t hurt the team, even if it wasn’t entirely helpful either. He did manage a tackle and three interceptions defensively, but his passing rate of 76.5% could have been better. Seems to be getting more comfortable after a decent showing in U.S. Open Cup and not having a nightmarish outing tonight, but there’s still a way to go.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.5 -€” Kind of a typical night for Cristian, who passed at a team high 88.1% (minimum 45 minutes played), completing all four of his long balls. He had two tackles and led the team with six interceptions. However, he was dispossessed three times — second only to Kevin Molino and sometimes stood still while waiting for a pass to arrive, allowing New York players to step in front and take it. That kind of lazy play doesn’t show up on the stat sheet unless you count the lopsided possession numbers. He also took yet another yellow card.

MF, Brek Shea, 4 – He was the only Lion to get a shot off in the first half, although both his efforts were blocked. Earned an early free kick and showed good hustle but he did lose Duvall to set up a great opportunity for the Red Bulls early. Took a silly yellow card for dissent in the 52nd that will keep him out of Saturday’s match at Vancouver. Turned the ball over in his own half in the 58th and then compounded the error by conceding a free kick just outside the box that New York scored on. Won two free kicks in decent spots but conceded four. Not the best night for Brek, who managed the fewest touches of any non-goalkeeper to play 90 minutes.

MF, Harrison Heath, 4 -€” Not a great night for H, who left the game with an apparent right knee injury at halftime. At the time, he was completing only 55.6% of his passes and had touched the ball only 15 times. One of those was a nightmarish bad touch that started a counter attack in the 21st minute. He did manage to earn a free kick in a good spot in the 30th, but overall just not as much quality as on Friday from H. Hopefully his injury isn’t too serious.

MF, Kevin Molino, 4 -€” Yeah, longtime Lions fans will hate this score, but I don’t think this was a very good night for the Trinidadian, who often disappeared in this game. He completed a good amount of his passes (81.6%) and had four key passes, but a lot of his movement was backward or sideways and not challenging defenders. In addition, he was dispossessed a team-high four times and not only led the team in bad touches (8), but had more than twice as many as anyone else on the team. Passed up at least one decent look at goal to make an extra pass and registered no shots. That can’t happen when you’re being counted on for offense. His best contribution was sending Larin in on a 1-v-1, but it wasn’t enough from The Original.

F, Carlos Rivas, 2.5 – The Colombian is simply not wired to play an isolated striker role in MLS. He was useless on balls in the air due to his height disadvantage, so everything above his waist was a turnover either by the defender winning it or from Rivas fouling to try to win it. He was also continually offside by either mistiming his runs or being lazy about getting back on. (Officially he was offside twice but that’s only because he let the ball go a couple other times to avoid the whistle.) It was a wasted start for Rivas, who may have been able to offer more from the left wing. He had a terrible heavy touch on a 30th-minute free kick pass attempt for Boden. In 59 minutes he had just 15 touches and even though he completed 80% of his passes, that was only on five attempts. When he was subbed off in the second half, I’m not even sure he’d touched the ball after the break.

Substitutes

MF, Darwin Ceren, (45′) 5 -€” Came on for Heath at the break and managed to temporarily inject some life into the match for Orlando. He put the Lions’ first shot on goal with a long distance try in the 61st minute and had his typical good passing rate (83.9%) with four of five accurate long balls, but conceded several free kicks seemingly without needing to do so.

F, Cyle Larin (60′) 4.5 -€” In 30+ minutes, Larin got only 13 touches but he did attempt two shots, getting one on frame. For the first time, he failed to score a goal at Red Bull Arena, but he didn’t really get many opportunities coming on as late as he did. He made his runs and battled in the box, but often the play broke down before anyone could get him the ball. He might have done better to shoot high when in alone on Luis Robles in the 76th minute, but in fairness it did take a great save to deny the Canadian a goal.

MF/F, Julio Baptista (65′), 5.5 -€” Put on in an effort to chase the game, The Beast put in a solid 25 minutes. He had one shot on target, completed 93.3% of his passes and played one long ball, which was accurate. He managed 18 touches in his 25 minutes, which is more than Rivas or Heath managed, staying involved in the game.

Well, that’s the way I saw the game. Tell us how you rated the Lions tonight and vote for your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Seb Hines 25
Joe Bendik 88
Cristian Higuita 12
Other 11
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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/6/25

Alex Freeman called up for Concacaf Gold Cup, Orlando Pride get ready for the Houston Dash, Orlando City B plays tonight, and more.

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1 hour ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I’ll be spending this weekend celebrating my birthday by beating my friends at mini golf with no mercy but still hope to catch some soccer over the next few days. I’ve also been on a bit of a movie kick and plan on catching Wes Anderson’s new flick at some point soon. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Alex Freeman Called Up For Gold Cup

Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was officially called up by the United States Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. He’s the only Lion who will be at the tournament and is one of seven uncapped USMNT players on the roster. The 20-year-old could receive more playing time than expected, as right back Sergino Dest is not on the roster so that he can recover over the summer. Left back John Tolkin was added to replace Dest, so Freeman has a real shot at making a claim for the position this month. The U.S. will take on Turkey Saturday in the first of two friendlies before its first Gold Cup match against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15.

Orlando Pride Prepares to Host the Houston Dash

With the international break for women’s soccer over, the Orlando Pride return to action Saturday with a home game against the Houston Dash. It should be a great opportunity for the Pride to ease back into the swing of things against a Dash team that’s only scored 10 goals this season. Pride midfielder Ally Lemos spoke on the benefit of being able to rest heading into this match while maintaining a winning mindset from a 3-1 victory on May 23.

Anna Moorhouse Called Up For 2025 Euros

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was named to England’s final roster for the 2025 UEFA European Women’s Championship. She’s one of three goalkeepers on the squad following Mary Earp’s surprise retirement from international soccer, and she will likely compete with fellow uncapped player Khiara Keating for the backup position behind Hannah Hampton. Moorhouse has started in every game for the Pride this season and was an NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist for her record-breaking season last year. England’s Euro run will begin July 5 against France before other group matches against the Netherlands and Wales.

Orlando City B Takes On Huntsville City FC

The Young Lions are riding high after a 2-1 win over Chattanooga FC and will take that momentum into tonight’s road match against Huntsville City FC. Midfielder Noah Levis scored his first career goal in that home win, with Justin Hylton providing the assist in his OCB debut. Orlando’s offense has been hot and cold this season but has a variety of attacking talent that can create chances in different ways. The Young Lions have only won once on the road, but a win tonight would lift them to third in the Eastern Conference.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA Club World Cup action is coming to the City Beautiful this month and Orlando City legend Kaká spoke on how it’s nice for Orlando to host games.
  • San Diego Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall was named NWSL Coach of the Month. The Wave were undefeated in May, winning three of their four matches to climb to second in the league standings.
  • The NWSL will allow intraleague loans for all teams, with the players needing to consent to the move in order for it to happen. Denver and Boston’s expansion teams will have access to potentially over $1 million in Allocation Money starting on July 1 to build their rosters before the 2026 season.
  • Atletico Madrid is reportedly close to signing American midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis.
  • South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan all qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while China was eliminated from contention. Australia beat Japan 1-0 and will qualify so long as it doesn’t lose heavily to Saudi Arabia on June 10.
  • Spain beat France 5-4 in a wild game to reach the UEFA Nations League final against Portugal on Sunday. Lamine Yamal continues to take the world by storm, but a late rally by France nearly completed a comeback.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

Free Kicks

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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

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