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

This game was very strange. Orlando played one of its best 45 minutes of offense of the year in the first half and probably one of its worst 45 minutes in the second half. Jose Aja was at fault for two of Montreal’s three goals, but Jonathan Spector pulled one back in stoppage time to salvage a point at home.
Now, let’s get into the grades.
Starters
GK, Joe Bendik, 6 — It’s been a down last few games for the Orlando keeper. Was beaten near post for the first goal, beaten through his legs for the second, and dropped the ball after the initial save for the third. Jason Kreis mentioned that every goalkeeper goes through ups and downs and right now Bendik just isn’t as solid as he was earlier in the season. Still came out and made some good saves, including one on Hassoun Camara in the 77th minute.
D, Scott Sutter, 7.5 — Did another solid job in the back line. Was fairly aggressive going for the ball as well, leading the team in tackles, with four. Did well getting into the attack and serving balls into the area, but nothing came of them in the end. Finished the game with an 81% passing clip.
D, Jonathan Spector, 8 — It was a bit of a mixed bag for Spector in this one. For most of the match, he did an excellent job holding down the back line and stopping the front two on the counter. He also scored the equalizing goal in the 94th minute. However, on the second and third goals, Ignacio Piatti completely spun him around and basically took him out of the plays. Led the team in clearances and blocked shots and was fourth in passing with 90% accuracy.
D, Jose Aja, 4.5 — This was a night to forget for the Uruguayan. Had a really poor mistake in the 16th minute, giving the ball away to Ignacio Piatti, leading to a Montreal goal. Then followed it up with a missed, over-committed header on the second goal, taking him out of the play. Then he put the cherry on top with another giveaway to Piatti, who scored seconds later. He was subbed out in the 72nd minute.
D, Donny Toia, 7 .5— Against his former team, Toia did really well. Much like Sutter, he got forward often and helped in the attack. He even had a shot in the 18th minute that was deflected just wide. He was third on the team in tackles and clearances. The only knock on him potentially was that he was caught a bit too far forward at times and allowed Montreal to build up in the counter.
MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 — Both Higuita and Johnson had similar games. Did well to win the ball back, committed some silly fouls and did well distributing the ball out wide. Higuita had a 91% passing accuracy, finished third on the team in shots, and led the team in both tackles and fouls with four and five, respectively.
MF, Will Johnson , 7 — Essentially it’s cut and paste with Higuita as far as the breakdown. Johnson had a 92% passing accuracy, was also third on the team in shots, and fourth on the team in tackles. Came out for the last few minutes in favor of Luis Gil.
MF, Matias Perez Garcia , 8.5 (MOTM)— Tonight was a game that has been a long time coming for MPG. He was dynamic on the offensive end and solid defensively. Scored his first Orlando City goal in the eighth minute after some good wing play from Kaká and Barnes. Could have had an assist on the second goal, but Johnson’s shot was blocked and Rivas cleaned it up. Did manage an assist on the Spector goal off the corner, putting it perfectly into the box. Led the team in key passes, fouls earned, and dribbles, second on the team in total crosses, and third on the team in tackles.
MF, Kaka, 7.5 — A solid game for the captain and an impressive first half offensively. Had great chemistry with MPG and Barnes, linking up some great passes and getting into dangerous spaces in front of goal. Notched an assist on the first goal for MPG and continued to be a threat offensively going towards goal. The second half he was less effective, but that was mainly due to Montreal dropping back to defend the lead.
F, Giles Barnes, 8 — Was in very inspired form for this game and it really showed. Set up the first goal with a slotted pass for Kaká in the eighth minute and set up the second goal with his cross into the box. Had a number of good runs towards goal and, as mentioned with Kaká, had great link-up play with him, MPG, and himself. Was fourth on the team with 90% passing accuracy, second on the team in shots, and third in key passes.
F, Carlos Rivas, 7.5 — Once again, Rivas’ speed was a huge factor in this game. Balls over the top for him to chase opened up the offense for Orlando and allowed the Lions to break down the five at the back Montreal played. Scored his third goal of the year with a clean-up strike after Johnson had his shot saved in the 23rd minute. Led the team in both shots (five) and crosses (seven).
Substitutes
D, Tommy Redding (72’), 8 — Came in for Aja to try and calm the back line down and did just that. Was very composed despite the pressure from Montreal and had a few good stops defensively to keep the Impact off the scoreboard.
MF, Luis Gil (88’), N/A, — Came in for Johnson and tried to get something going offensively. Almost had a good play to Higuita in stoppage time, but it was cleared away by Montreal.
That is what the individual performances looked like to me. What did you think? Be sure to vote below for your OCSC Man of the Match.
Polling Closed
Player | Votes |
Giles Barnes | 16 |
Matias Perez Garcia | 131 |
Kaka | 15 |
Carlos Rivas | 6 |
Other | 16 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/24/25
Orlando City’s upward aspirations, Tim Weah reportedly set for transfer, Club World Cup roundup, and more.

Happy Tuesday, everyone. We’ve got a busy week ahead of us with the Club World Cup approaching the end of the group stage, OCB at home on Wednesday, and Orlando City back in action with a pair of games. That means we have plenty to talk about, so let’s get straight into today’s links.
Orlando City’s Lofty Goals
Kyle Smith took some time after training on Monday to speak to the media and shed some light on where OCSC is at right now. The utility player was candid in saying he believes this year’s team is the best one he’s seen since he’s been with the club, and that’s saying something considering he’s the longest-tenured player on the team. Smith said the team is focused on climbing higher in the standings and that the two recent breaks will help the team do just that. He emphasized the importance of handling extra time off between games the right way by making sure the players are taking care of their bodies, getting in the gym, and recovering afterwards. That sort of professionalism paid off in the 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids, so hopefully the same is true of Wednesday’s game against St. Louis City.
Tim Weah Reportedly on the Move
Nottingham Forest has reportedly agreed a deal with Juventus to sign Tim Weah and fellow Juve player Samuel Mbangula for roughly €22 million. That being said, personal terms have not yet been agreed upon with Weah, and that will likely take some time, since he’s playing for them at the Club World Cup, and the Italian side is probably keen to minimize outside distractions. Weah broke out with Lille during a four-season spell with the French side, earning a move to Juventus in 2023 as a result.
Club World Cup Roundup
The Club World Cup continues to roll on, as the tournament entered its final round of group stage games on Monday. Atletico Madrid became the first big name to exit the competition, as it beat Botafogo 1-0 to finish level with the Brazilians on six points but will be going home due to having worse goal difference. Atletico needed to win by at least three in order to overtake Botafogo in the standings and might have managed it if not for some poor finishing. In Group B’s other game, Paris Saint-Germain took down the Seattle Sounders 2-0 to finish top of the group. Seattle was given a brutal draw and accounted itself as well as can be expected, but ultimately, the Sounders exit the competition without picking up a point.
Club World Cup Takeaways
Speaking of the Club World Cup, what are some of the impressions so far of the expanded tournament? There have been plenty of good things, as teams have been taking it seriously with strong lineups, and barring the outlier that is Auckland City, no one team has been consistently getting shelled. On the other hand, making the jump from six teams to 32 simply feels like too much too soon, and that’s probably contributed to fluctuating levels of interest from local fans. High ticket prices and games starting in the heat of the day haven’t helped much either, as weather conditions have been a recurring concern among both fans and players. The competition is still a net positive overall, but there are certainly some things to learn from and improve upon next time around.
Free Kicks
- Check out some of the scenes from the Lions’ training session on Monday.
- The Orlando Pride slid down to fifth in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Three people are dead while a further 81 have been injured following the collapse of a stand at an Algerian soccer match.
- Manchester United has reportedly submitted an improved offer for Bryan Mbuemo.
- Manchester City’s Rico Lewis has had his Club World Cup ban extended for two additional matches.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/23/25
Pride fall to Racing Louisville, Seb Hines and Giles Barnes share insight on path to success in Orlando, USMNT defeats Haiti, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working and catching up with friends over the past week. Before we get started, let’s wish a belated happy birthday to Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter, who turned 41 on Saturday. The Pride was the lone team in action over the weekend, while the Lions and OCB were off. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Fall at Racing Louisville
The Orlando Pride fell to Racing Louisville 2-0 Friday at Lynn Family Stadium. Arin Wright scored the opening goal in the first half, and former Pride midfielder Taylor Flint converted a penalty kick for Racing Louisville. The Pride struggled offensively and failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. Orlando’s struggles in Louisville continue, as the club is winless in five matches at Lynn Family Stadium. The Pride will be on a long break, and their next match will be Aug. 3, taking on the Utah Royals at Inter&Co Stadium.
Seb Hines, Giles Barnes Share Insight on Path to Success in Orlando
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Assistant Coach Giles Barnes were featured in an interview in The Guardian. Both Hines and Barnes shared insight into their longtime friendship, which began with playing in English youth international camps, their different paths to playing in Major League Soccer, and how they became involved in coaching. Hines discussed his time as interim manager of the Pride in 2022 and how he brought in Barnes to help change the club’s culture. Hines and Barnes helped change the perception of the club and led the Pride to winning both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship last season.
USMNT Defeats Haiti to Win Group D in Gold Cup
The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Haiti 2-1 Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, in their final match in the group stage of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The USMNT finished atop its group with three wins and nine points. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman made his third consecutive start and played 90 minutes.
Malik Tillman scored the opening goal 10 minutes into the match to give the USMNT the early lead. Haiti tied the match not long after Tillman’s goal. In the second half, Patrick Agyemang pulled the USMNT back in front. The USMNT advances to the quarterfinals as the group winner and will play its next match Sunday against the Group A runner-up which was the late game Sunday night and had yet to conclude as of this writing.
Club World Cup Weekend Recap
Another weekend of matches from the FIFA Club World Cup is in the books. On Friday, Benfica crushed Auckland City FC 6-0, while Flamengo beat Chelsea 3-1. LAFC was eliminated from advancing to the knockout round after a 1-0 defeat to ES Tunis. Bayern Munich edged Boca Juniors 2-1. On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3. Inter Milan needed a late stoppage-time winning goal from Valentin Carboni to edge Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1. Fluminense beat Ulsan HD 4-2, and River Plate and Monterrey ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, Juventus cruised to a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. Xabi Alonso secured his first win as manager of Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory against Pachuca. Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Hilal played to a scoreless draw, with Manchester City playing Al-Ain in the late match Sunday. Today’s matches feature Atletico Madrid facing Botafogo, the Seattle Sounders hosting Paris Saint-Germain, FC Porto vs. Al Ahly, and Inter Miami taking on Palmeiras.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos and forward Simone Jackson have been called-up to the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team. The U-23 camp will be led by Orlando Pride Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas.
USL Championship side San Antonio FC has signed former Orlando City defender Abdi Salim to a 25-day contract.
San Diego Wave winger Maria Sanchez has reportedly reach an agreement to return to her former club, Tigres of Liga MX Femenil, on a four-year contract.
Paul Pogba is reportedly set to return to playing soccer and has signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
Opinion
Orlando City Has Been Better than Expected Halfway Through the Season
While there was plenty to worry about at the start of the season, Orlando has had a good first half of 2025.

With 18 matches in the books, we’ve moved just past the halfway point of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, and based off my feelings before Orlando City played its opening game of the season, the Lions have performed above expectations so far. There were plenty of valid reasons to be concerned heading into the year. Orlando had sold its all-time leading goal scorer, and there were questions about whether he’d been adequately replaced. There were worries about depth at multiple positions, and the defense was coming off an uncharacteristically poor year. Here we are though, with the Lions sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference, just three points out of second place and seven points out of first. So how did we get to this point?
For one thing, Marco Pasalic has been much better than I (and I think a lot of other people) expected him to be. The Croatian has six goals and four assists across 18 matches, and is second on the team in both categories. He scored 10 goals in 49 appearances in the Croatian first division before coming to Orlando and was extremely one-footed, which was enough evidence to sow real doubt about whether he could adequately replace the impact of Facundo Torres.
So far, it’s mostly been so good. His direct style of play is a good complement to the styles of Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel, and he’s largely hit the ground running in a league that can be difficult to adapt to. It hasn’t been perfect, as he’s still very one-footed, and can sometimes disappear if he’s stringently man marked, but on the whole there’s been much more good than bad.
Speaking of Ojeda and Muriel, they’ve also had strong years. Ojeda in particular has continued his great second half of the 2024 season and has nine goals and five assists in 18 games to show for it. He looks fast, confident, and decisive and is a far cry from the player who struggled frequently during his first year as a Lion. Muriel has cooled off a little after a scorching start to 2025, but he still has six goals and three assists in 18 matches. He looks vastly improved from last year, when he looked a little off the pace of play and quickly lost the starting striker role. He still has a tendency to not be as selfish as he needs to be in front of goal, but he’s been much better than 2024.
I mentioned depth being a big concern, and not just at one position. At the beginning of the season Orlando City was, and arguably still is, thin at striker, center back, defensive midfield, and fullback. Duncan McGuire was injured to start the year and is now injured again, leaving Orlando with two true strikers in Muriel and Ramiro Enrique. There was no true backup left back, only one reliable backup center back, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson starting at right back meant that defensive midfield depth consisted of rookie Joran Gerbet and the Swiss army knife that is Kyle Smith.
Things have mostly worked out though. David Brekalo has supplanted Rafael Santos, meaning the Brazilian is now a proven backup option at the position, and Smith has filled in there as well. That means that in games in which Rodrigo Schlegel or Robin Jansson are unavailable, Brekalo fills in at center back, Santos starts at left back, and Smith is the backup for both positions, so it isn’t a flawless system. Gerbet has been playing better and better and got some valuable minutes when Eduard Atuesta and Cesar Araujo were unavailable. His emergence has been a crucial piece of the puzzle this year. So too has the rise of Alex Freeman, as his locking down the right back role has allowed Thorhallsson to fill in at defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and right back. The situation isn’t perfect, as a couple untimely injuries to the wrong guys would leave the Lions looking pretty threadbare, but so far it’s just about worked.
Another big concern was the defense. The Lions conceded 50 goals in the regular season last year, which was tied for the second-most of any Eastern Conference playoff team and fourth-most of any playoff team. With no defensive signings and the aforementioned depth concerns, there were plenty of reasons to worry about Orlando’s ability to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
Things have looked much better in 2025, though. The 22 goals OCSC has conceded are the fifth-fewest in the league, and Pedro Gallese’s eight clean sheets are tied for most in the league. Aside from a few egregious defensive performances against the Philadelphia Union, Atlanta United, and the Chicago Fire, things have mostly been tidy at the back, and when they haven’t been, El Pulpo has been around to pick up the slack. Again, things haven’t been perfect, as there have been moments where individual and collective errors have hurt the team, but it’s been better.
I thought the Lions would struggle this year. Going into the start of the season, we were talking about a team that lost Torres, arguably didn’t do enough to strengthen the team across the board, was facing depth issues, and was dealing with a leaky defense — all while pretty much every other contender in the East got stronger on paper. Instead, OCSC tied a club-best unbeaten streak and is just three points out of second place.
That being said, the East is so tight that Orlando is only five points above the playoff line, and injuries to the wrong guys could easily topple the fragile ecosystem that is the depth chart, but so far things are going better than I thought they would be. There are still a lot of matches to play, but this isn’t a bad position to be in at the halfway mark.
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