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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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Orlando City’s first road match of the season was a tough one as the Lions fell to the Columbus Crew, 2-0. For a defense that was so promising to start the campaign, the back line struggled to contain a potent Crew attack at times. It’s not easy to win away from home in MLS, and Orlando certainly proved that today, looking a shadow of the team that took six points in its first two matches.

Here are the grades:

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5 — The defense left him out to dry early on, forcing him into a few solo situations with Columbus attackers. He stopped Ola Kamara, who was flagged as offside, but couldn’t duplicate it against Justin Meram, who beat Joe to his left. Meram’s second would have been just as tough for Joe to get to; he did the best he could with what he was given.

D, Will Johnson, 4.5 — His third start at fullback was easily his worst. He was nonexistent for Meram’s first goal and struggled to keep up on the defensive end. When he finally switched back to midfield, his play improved dramatically. He had some of Orlando’s best chances in the final 10 minutes (he led the team with four shots) but couldn’t turn them toward goal. Hopefully next week we’ll see more of Will in midfield.

D, Jonathan Spector, 4.5 — Credit to Spector for being one of the only Lions defenders that played to the whistle on Columbus’ first goal. His sliding challenge wasn’t enough to prevent the inevitable, but the defense as a unit struggled for most of the afternoon. Spector made his fair share of challenges and saving tackles, but it was definitely an off-night for him after some stellar play in the last two matches.

D, Jose Aja, 4 — It wasn’t Aja’s best outing in purple. He and the rest of the back line were consistently tested by the Crew and were often bailed out by the linesman’s flag. Bad went to worse as he exited with a hamstring issue just before halftime and he didn’t have an opportunity to redeem himself after a collectively poor half.

D, Donny Toia, 5.5 — Toia had the best of Orlando City’s opportunities in the first half but the fullback couldn’t make them count. He managed to keep Ethan Finlay at bay for the majority of the match while the Crew did most of their damage through Meram and Ola Kamara. Donny got forward well and did what he could all along the left sideline. The veteran fullback continues to be a solid solo defender, if not a threatening presence on offense.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 4.5 — Servando was hard-done with the booking, but he struggled to make an impact before being taken off. Central midfield was overrun for much of the game. Even though he managed to connect on most of his passes, the majority were lateral or backward. He managed to record two tackles, but couldn’t hold his own against the talented attack of Columbus.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 5 — Nocerino had similar problems to Carrasco, though he was the more positive of the two going forward. It was a sloppy afternoon for the Italian with a few crucial miscues that cost the Lions. Nocerino managed to snag a trio of interceptions and won the ball high up the field in a few instances, but he also gave the ball up cheaply several times.

MF, Matias Perez Garcia, 5 — MPG just couldn’t get anything going this afternoon. His touches in the final third failed to connect, his shot was high over the crossbar. When he got the ball on the counter, he often rushed in without support and was swarmed, losing possession.

MF, Giles Barnes, 6.5 (MotM) — Barnes was the only consistent threat on the offensive end. He ran at defenders, set up his teammates, and had a few goes at goal for himself. Barnes was the only spark for an otherwise lackluster Orlando attack, moving all over the field to try and jump start something. Sent Larin down the left side of the box in the 51st but the Canadian chose to cross instead of shooting. It was futile in the end, but it was another positive showing for Orlando’s newest Designated Player.

F, Carlos Rivas, 5 — The biggest question surrounding Rivas at this point in his career is his consistency. After two great performances to start the year, he fell off in this one. He couldn’t find space to stretch the defense and didn’t have that same creativity we’ve seen from him so far this season. He managed to whip in some of his classic crosses — especially when he was pushed out wide at the end of the match — but we also saw him sky a few balls over the crossbar again.

F, Cyle Larin, 6 — The first half showed some worrying signs of seasons past with Larin growing frustrated and walking back onside. He made up for it in the second half and looked good on the ball, trying to create some things for his teammates. Cyle ended with a disappointing single shot on goal and ended his scoring run at two games.

Substitutes

D, Tommy Redding (43’), 5.5 — The defense didn’t get burned quite as often as it did in the first half, but still struggled to contain the Crew’s attack. Tommy made a couple of clutch tackles that kept things from getting out of hand and stayed composed on the ball.

MF, Cristian Higuita (62’), 5.5 — There wasn’t much energy in midfield until Higuita made his appearance just after the hour mark. He made his presence known in both attack and defense, but couldn’t provide the right touch. His giveaway in midfield on an off-target pass intended for Nocerino sparked the Crew’s second goal, but he was the biggest presence in central midfield for Orlando all afternoon.

D, Scott Sutter (71’), 4 — The Swiss international finally made his debut but it wasn’t pretty. Justin Meram nearly toppled him over for his second goal of the match. He also let a few crosses fly in that made life tough in the penalty area in the short time he was on.

That’s how I saw this afternoon’s match. Let us know what you thought below and be sure to vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Joe Bendik2
Cyle Larin0
Giles Barnes42
Donny Toia10
Carlos Rivas7
Other (tell us who in the comments section)14

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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.

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1 hour 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

22 hours 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.

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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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