Orlando City
Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City remains perfect at its new home after a 2-1 win over the Galaxy, and showed tremendous resolve to battle back from the LA Galaxy’s late equalizer. The team responded immediately after the visitors leveled the game and started creating chances to snatch all three points and that’s exactly what happened. This team simply has an entirely different demeanor in 2017 and there’s a real belief in games, rather than an impending dread that something bad will happen.
The Lions will head to New York City FC next weekend for only their second road match of the year, but before we start talking about that match, let’s rate the individual performances in what was a solid team victory.
Starters
GK, Joe Bendik, 7 – Joe couldn’t do much about Romain Alessandrini’s goal, which was a rocket off the inside of the right post. But he finished with five saves on the day and a few of them were not the easy kind. His best save came in the 77th off a Gio dos Santos attempt that he got his fingertips on to keep the Galaxy off the board to that point. He had another good save in the 70th off a Gyasi Zardes attempt. He came off his line to win a cross in front of Alessandrini by sheer force of will in the 93rd minute and showed the fire we saw after his late save against Philadelphia. All in all, Bendik commanded his box and stopped everything he could get a hand on and that’s all you can ask of your keeper, but I’m knocking half a point off for his 27.3% passing accuracy.
D, Donny Toia, 7.5 – Toia led Orlando City with seven tackles and tied Tommy Redding with a team-high five clearances as he did well to deny Alessandrini the space he likes to attack down the right side of LA’s offense. Alessandrini didn’t start to have true success until he started playing more centrally, as Toia mostly held the DP at bay. Toia also passed well (82.1%) but he did concede three fouls, but that includes a head-scratcher because he was run over in the corner on the play. His foul on Alessandrini led to a good chance for LA, though. Solid day for Donny.
D, Jonathan Spector, 7 – The only thing Spector really did wrong was to overcommit to a shot fake by Alessandrini, who then cut to his right and scored the LA goal. Aside from that he had a good day, again directing his teammates, reading plays to sniff out danger before it manifested itself, and finished with an impressive 91.4% passing accuracy. He had three clearances – one off the goal line on a Daniel Steres effort – two interceptions and blocked a shot
D, Tommy Redding, 6.5 – Tommy had another mostly strong game, including some balls in the air that he can sometimes struggle with (he didn’t technically win any aerials but he did enough to ensure his mark didn’t either). His passing was solid (85.2%), and he tied Toia with five clearances, with a tackle and a blocked shot. At times he was not able to quite cut off the movement of dos Santos, Alessandrini, and Zardes, but marking those players is a lot to ask of anyone.
D Scott Sutter, 7.5 – The Swiss international may have been Orlando’s man of the match in the first half, with two tackles, two chances created, the assist on Will Johnson’s opening goal, and creating much-needed width for the Lions’ attack. He cooled off a bit after the break and only passed at a 65.6% clip, but he combined with Johnson to make Emmanuel Boateng nearly invisible on the day. Boateng owned Orlando in last year’s meeting but he wasn’t able to do much (0 key passes). Sutter continues to settle into the lineup nicely.
MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6.5 – Noce was quite accurate in the first half (92.3%) with his passing and finished at 85.4%, so he didn’t fall off much after halftime. He created a chance for Carlos Rivas, conceded only one foul, with two interceptions and a clearance. Five of his six long balls were accurate, including a scrumptious pass to Rivas in the 35th minute, but the Colombian made a mess of his cross for Cyle Larin. For only training the last couple days of the week, it was a good outing for the Italian. Jason Kreis praised his leadership and work rate after the match.
MF, Cristian Higuita, 6 – Cristian’s passing rate was typically good (82.4%) but he seemed a bit heavy with his first touch at times and was perhaps a tad slow to the ball a few times, but he did manage to avoid a booking and finished with two tackles, committing only one foul (and that came in like the first minute). He had the most bad touches of the non-forwards, who each had one more than his four, and was dispossessed three times. But he put in his usual tough shift and is slowly working his way back to 90-minute fitness.
MF, Will Johnson, 8 (MOTM) – Maybe Will should just keep that captain’s armband when Ricky returns, eh? Johnson had a monster game with a beautiful goal and another assist, and has been spectacular on set pieces defensively, clearing a few out of harm’s way on this day (three in total). On his goal, he worked hard to ensure he got back onside after taking a corner kick, then chested down Sutter’s long ball and hit a gorgeous chip shot into the back post side netting on the half-volley. His corner delivery on Cyle Larin’s winner was as good as the one he had against the Red Bulls. He finished with a team-high three shots (tied with Giles Barnes), two of which were on target, and created two chances. His passing rate of 76.3% could have been better but he did complete five of his six long balls. He tallied two tackles.
MF, Giles Barnes, 6.5 – Taking over for Matias Perez Garcia at the top of Kreis’ diamond midfield, the Jamaican had a solid outing but it could have been so much more. Barnes could have had a brace but was denied twice on last-ditch blocks that may have been avoided had he been able to get his shots up under the bar. He got all three of his shots on frame, however, passed at an 85.7% clip, and won two fouls. Importantly, he moved the ball forward into space by dribbling right at defenders and forcing them to commit, which is a skill not all of his teammates have.
F, Carlos Rivas, 7 – Is there anyone in MLS more snake-bitten than Rivas is right now? He rattled the woodwork twice, made two beautiful passes that resulted in chances, created space down the left, proving to be a nightmare for right back Nathan Smith, and got a shot on frame that was stopped by Clement Diop. There were a few times he still hit the ball poorly and sent the ball into the seats, but this was a much better game than his last couple and he left with cramps in the 75th minute with no goals or assists to show for a good game. He deserved a goal on his 23rd birthday, but the posts took away his presents.
F, Cyle Larin, 5.5 – Until the winning goal, this was not a great night for the Canadian striker, but credit him for keeping his concentration and working hard on the game winner. I saw other sites that rated him high for scoring that goal, and he did put himself in good positions, but there were just too many times when he passed when he should shoot and shot when he should pass. His movement did bother Jelle Van Damme into fouling him repeatedly and taking a booking, but that movement didn’t result in much of an end product. He tried to field a high cross with his foot rather than head it on goal in the second half. He managed two shots, one on target, with the goal, and his passing rate of 80% was fairly high for him, but he did have five bad touches and was dispossessed a team-high five times.
Substitutes
MF, Luis Gil (72’), 6 – It took Luis a few minutes to get into the game but he settled in nicely, completing 92.9% of his 14 passes and helping hold onto the ball in the game’s late stages. He got himself into a good spot to get a header on target off Sutter’s cross in the 84th minute, but didn’t quite get all of it. Finished with a pair of tackles and generally harassed the right side players for the Galaxy over the game’s final stretch. He’s not yet integrated fully into the team, but it looks like Gil will fit in nicely when he finds his rhythm.
MF, Servando Carrasco (75’), 4.5 – Serva didn’t look like he got fully settled after coming on for Rivas. He made a mess of a couple of possessions and was more inaccurate than usual passing the ball (66.7%), managing nine touches in total. Finished with just one tackle despite a lot of Galaxy possession in the attacking third during his time on the pitch.
F, Hadji Barry (90’), N/A – The young striker wasn’t on long enough to do much, touching the ball only twice, but he did have a chance to be a hero. He was on only seconds when a ball fell for him in the box. His first touch was heavy but he gathered it in and had his shot blocked. That was about all for his contributions on the day.
That’s how I saw the individual performances from a solid 2-1 win over the Galaxy. What did you think? Vote for your Man of the Match in our poll.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Joe Bendik | 16 |
| Jonathan Spector | 20 |
| Carlos Rivas | 33 |
| Donny Toia | 3 |
| Scott Sutter | 10 |
| Will Johnson | 174 |
| Other (let us know who in the comments) | 3 |
Orlando City
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Get up to speed on the Pigeons ahead of Saturday’s game, courtesy of someone who knows them best.
Happy Friday, everyone. Orlando City got a week of rest after taking care of business against D.C. United at home, and it returns to the purple palace Saturday night to face a New York City FC team with its back against the wall in the race for a playoff place.
A showdown with the Pigeons means I caught up with Matthew Mangam of New York Soccer Journal. As always, he was helpful in getting us up to speed on NYCFC, and we appreciate his help. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so make sure you check them out over at their place!
Talk me through NYCFC’s summer transfer business. Who’s out, who’s in to replace them, and how have they performed?
Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s summer business wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The club brought in striker Luighi on loan from SE Palmeiras and got back midfielder/defender James Sands, whose loan with St. Pauli ended.
Luighi started off well, bagging four goals in his first seven league appearances. But since then, the 20-year-old is on a five-game drought. To his credit, Luighi started only two of his last five games. As for Sands, this is his third stint at NYCFC, so the versatile 26-year-old was welcomed back with open arms.
The biggest acquisition this summer, though, was Bénie Traoré. The winger joined the club as a Designated Player from FC Basel in Switzerland, but it hasn’t gone well. In 15 league appearances, Traoré has one goal — a penalty kick that hit off the post and went in — and no assists.
The club’s last move that didn’t happen in the summer surprised everyone: adding free agent Matt Miazga. The veteran defender hasn’t made his debut yet, and I’m honestly not sure when he will.
New York City has been a wildly different team since the league restarted after the World Cup. What’s happened to cause the change in form?
MM: I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. There’s so much I could say, but if I did then I’d be here all day. I’ll narrow it down to this: NYCFC can’t play a complete 90 minutes.
NYCFC has conceded six goals in stoppage time this season, is 0-4-12 after falling behind 16 times, and is 4-5-6 at home. So, they can’t hang onto leads — they’ve lost seven points after the 75th minute — they have no come-from-behind wins, and they’re poor at home.
There are other smaller factors, like injuries, individual mistakes from usually solid players (Matt Freese and Sands), and players struggling, but, as I said, it’s a lot.
The playoffs are still in reach, as NYCFC is just two points out of eighth. What needs to happen in order to get above the line and stay there?
MM: Simply put, NYCFC needs to win all four remaining games, or, at the very least, go 3-1-0. Teams around them, like Toronto, Columbus, and Cincinnati, are picking up wins and building separation, so NYCFC is in a do-or-die situation.
Getting Alonso Martínez back and starting again is huge, but you can’t expect him to return from a brutal injury and save the team immediately; it’s not fair. Traoré has to step up and show why the club paid DP money for him — one lone goal that, in my opinion, fortunately went in, and no goals from open play is extremely concerning.
Also, Nico Fernández Mercau hasn’t scored in five matches. He’s getting double- and triple-marked because teams are now well aware of how talented the Argentine is, but he has to find a way back on the scoresheet in this stretch. NYCFC needs him to. So, so badly.
Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?
MM: The only players out are the ones with long-term injuries: Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Arnau Farnós, and Drew Baiera.
Given that NYCFC needs to win or the season is practically over, I expect Head Coach Pascal Jansen to leave it all out there with his best possible lineup:
Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill; Hannes Wolf, Nico Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda; Alonso Martínez.
I think Nico Fernández Mercau and Alonso Martínez score, but it won’t be enough, as Antoine Griezmann gets a brace and both teams settle for a 2-2 draw.
Thank you to Matt for his excellent refresher on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando City prepares for New York City FC, Antoine Griezmann’s impact in Orlando, U.S. will host FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, and more.
Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty nice week for me, as I was able to watch all of Slow Horses and finish reading Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, both of which were brilliant. Attention now turns to this weekend’s soccer, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride playing at home over the next couple of days. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Prepares for New York City FC
The Lions host New York City FC on Saturday in one of the marquee matchups in MLS as the regular season nears its conclusion. Plenty has changed since Orlando’s 5-0 loss to NYCFC on March 7. The Lions have clawed their way up the table while the Pigeons have only won once in their past 13 league games. NYCFC enters this match after a 1-1 draw with LAFC that included an equalizer by former Lion Andres Perea to give the team a valuable point amid the playoff race. Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, Luighi, and Benie Traore are all NYCFC players the Lions will need to keep in check, or else it could end up being another high-scoring affair in the City Beautiful.
Antoine Griezmann’s Impact on Orlando’s Offense
Orlando’s wait for Antoine Griezmann to join in the summer has proven to be well worth it, as he’s transformed Orlando’s attack into a force to be reckoned with just as the playoffs near. Although Griezmann wasn’t able to enjoy a fairytale ending with Atletico Madrid by lifting the Copa del Rey or Champions League trophies this year, he’s breathed life into an Orlando side that struggled mightily prior to his arrival. The 35-year-old has recorded 12 goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances this season. Not only has he excelled when it comes to getting the ball in the net, but he’s done well in terms of defensive metrics and intangibles as well.
U.S. Will Host Women’s Club World Cup
The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be held in the U.S. in January of 2028 with the host cities still to be determined. There will be 19 clubs taking part, with Gotham, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Club America having already qualified along with three other teams so far. This tournament is sandwiched between the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, so there’s plenty of exciting women’s soccer to look forward to in the coming years.
U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team Wins at World Cup
The United States U-17 Women’s National Team won 6-1 against Kenya in the group stage of the FIA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, clinching a spot in the round of 16. Maggie DiMaria scored four goals to bring her total to 10 across just two games. The U.S. will play its final group game on Sunday against China PR, which also won both of its games against Kenya and Samoa to secure a spot in the knockout stage. The winner of this group will get to avoid a match with Spain in the round of 16, so there’s still plenty to play for before the next round gets underway.
Free Kicks
- The first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal between the United States Men’s National Team and Haiti has been moved from Kingston to Miami. Haiti has had to play games outside of the country due to unrest and submitted a request to Concacaf to play in the country of its opponent.
- American center back Naomi Girma is now dealing with a calf injury that may sideline her for a few weeks according to Chelsea Head Coach Sonia Bompastor. She missed out on the team’s recent friendlies against Spain and may be absent for the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador next month too.
- The United States Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team beat Ireland 15-0 to advance to the IFCPF Women’s World Cup final, which takes place today against Australia. Annie Wickett scored five goals with four other players scoring braces.
- The San Diego Wave signed defender Mimi Van Zanten to a contract extension through the 2029 season. She’s made 27 appearances for San Diego during her rookie season, helping the club keep pace in the NWSL Shield race.
- After being stretchered off the field due to a head injury in the U.S. Open Cup final, St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Burki is alert and in good spirits, according to the club.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
Orlando City’s October offensive surge may look like a recent development, but the Lions have been scoring at an impressive rate for months.
We do not watch nearly enough Sesame Street in my house, but ever since the summer we say that A is for Antoine when the show discusses the alphabet. Sadly, this replaced A is for Andrew, which is my name, because Antoine Griezmann is more popular than me in my house. I cannot say that I am surprised, but I can say that it hurts just a little bit. More than a little bit.
For the past few years, O has been for Ojeda, as in Martín Ojeda, the man who is now Orlando City’s all-time leading goal scorer. This October, however, O is for offense, as the Lions have scored 10 goals during their three October matches, and that tally leads all of MLS this month. Orlando City’s offense has actually been on point for several months now, as you can see from the chart below (MLS games only):
| Month | Goals Scored | Games Played | Goals per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| March | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| April | 7 | 5 | 1.4 |
| May | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| July* | 5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| August | 9 | 5 | 1.8 |
| September | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| October | 10 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Total | 58 | 30 | 1.9 |
- *There were no games in June due to the FIFA Men’s World Cup
Griezmann arrived for the July games, but even before that, the offense had started to heat up in May. Although May 1 is an arbitrary date, if we use it as a benchmark it allows us to capture two-thirds of Orlando City’s season, as the first 10 games happened before May and the team has now played 30 in total. Since May, the Lions rank fourth in MLS in goals scored with 46, sitting behind only Miami (54), Philadelphia (52), and St. Louis (47).
In a matter of perfect symmetry, the Lions also rank fourth in goals allowed, and by rank fourth I most certainly do not mean they are among the best defensive teams in the league. Orlando City has allowed 41 goals in the last 20 games, which is an average of more than two goals allowed per game but is also fewer than the 46 the team has scored. I know you already did the math in your head, but 46 – 41 = 5, and that +5 goal differential since May puts the Lions at eighth overall in MLS.
Perhaps we are now in the Inception timeline, because in yet another matter of symmetry Orlando City has also earned the eighth-most points (34) since May 1. This is yet another reminder of how poor of a start the club had this season, with seven losses in those first 10 games.
Since then, however, the 2026 team has performed like the teams of the past few years, but even with a top 10 performance for two-thirds of the season, it has not been able to climb above seventh in the Eastern Conference. This is because four of the five best teams since May are in the same conference, and the ninth and 10th hottest teams, right behind Orlando City, are also in the East. For those of you counting, hopefully in a voice like The Count’s (“Ah, ah,ah!”), that makes seven of the top 10 Eastern teams, so it is no wonder that the Lions are still in a precarious playoff position.
Saturday’s game against New York City FC is, on paper, the easiest of the remaining four games, but then again, the Pigeons did dirty pigeon things all over the Lions in the first matchup, winning that game 5-0. A repeat performance would wipe away the +5 goal differential Orlando has since May, but in addition to the fact that this game will be played on an actual soccer field, there is another pretty major difference between the early season Lions and the current Lions: Griezmann.
The French superstar is up to 12 goals scored and six primary assists (to go with one secondary assist in only 14 MLS games, which is wild), and he and Ojeda make up one of only seven tandems in the league in which both players have at least 12 goals each (Ojeda has 15). Only three tandems have at least 13 goals each (Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey and Evander, and Nashville’s Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar), and with another goal from Griezmann, the two Lions would become the second pair in club history to each score at least 13 goals in a season, joining Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire in 2023.
Marco Pašalić scored in the most recent game, and both Iván Angulo and Justin Ellis have recorded double-digit goal contributions, so let’s hope the team’s recent offensive onslaught continues, because with all the injuries on the back line and some difficult opponents coming up on the schedule, the Lions will likely need to put up multiple goals if they are going to get results and qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
And considering how poor the start to the season was, if they can orchestrate that it would be outstanding. Let’s gooooooooo.
Vamos Orlando!
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
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