Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! I hope you’re having a good week so far. Just a reminder that we’re only a day away from the USMNT’s Concacaf Nations League match, followed by regular-season matches for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Personally, I love knowing I’ll have matches to watch on three of the next four days. Let’s get to the links.

International Lions

I always have mixed feelings about international call-ups. On one hand, I’m happy for the players to be able to represent their individual countries. On the other hand, I don’t want to lose them for whatever matches they may miss due to being gone. This particular instance sees Pedro Gallese, David Brekalo, and Colin Guske on international duty with Peru, Slovenia, and the USYNT U18s, respectively. OCB’s Justin Ellis also received a call up from the USYNT.

Having Gallese and Brekalo gone when Christian Benteke is coming to town with D.C. United is not ideal. Regardless, I wish them all the best in the upcoming matches and I hope for an injury-free return.

Orlando Pride are a Hit

Following an NWSL opening match record 6-0 victory over Chicago Stars FC, it should be little surprise that three Orlando Pride players made the CBS NWSL Team of the Week — Anna Moorhouse, thanks to the clean sheet; Angelina for midfield excellence; and Barbra Banda for her goal contributions. One of those goals also rightly won the NWSL Goal of the Week.

It’s also entirely unsurprising that the Pride are in the top spot in Sports Illustrated’s NWSL Power Rankings. I know that power rankings are dumb, but I’m not ashamed to admit I like them a bit better when my team is the best.

USMNT Prepares for Panama

The USMNT will play Panama in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal match Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. There have been some roster changes due to injuries. Mauricio Pochettino is replacing Antonee Robinson, Johnny Cardoso, and Auston Trusty with Max Arfsten, Brian Gutiérrez, and, Jack McGlynn. Aside from those changes, the U.S. is bringing the big guns to the match. It’s an opportunity for Pochettino to show what this team can be, especially since he said the U.S. could compete to become the best in the world in as little as five to 10 years.

The Good and Bad of the NWSL

The NWSL is a league that is growing in a sustainable fashion. That is good for teams like the Orlando Pride and for women’s soccer in general. Another example of this growth is the plan for a soccer-specific stadium for the Denver NWSL expansion team. The 14,500-seat stadium will include a public park, surrounding shops, and restaurants.

Of course, there are often growing pains associated with expansion. Pride fans are all too aware of such pains. During the off-season, there were reports of abuse involving Bay FC Head Coach Albertin Montoya. As the NWSL matures as a league, how such matters are addressed will determine the success of the league as a whole.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City jumped up one spot in MLSsoccer.com’s Power Rankings to No. 16. You should all know how serious I take power rankings by now.
• Remember when Mason Stajduhar collided with a New York City FC player and broke his leg? That player was Malachi Jones, who will undergo another procedure to repair the right tibia fracture he sustained in the collision. I hope for the best for Jones since it’s PRO referees I blame for not raising the offside flag.
• Canada Head Coach Jesse Marsch replaced former Lion Richie Laryea with Zorhan Bassong for the Concacaf Nations League match Thursday.
• Despite the growth of the women’s game, there is still a vast disparity between revenue and spending across the board. Hopefully, this gets better with further investment in the various leagues.
• I know of an MLS club that could use an experienced backup center back.

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

Good morning, and happy Tuesday to you all. I hope you’ve sufficiently recovered if you took part in any St. Patrick’s Day festivities yesterday, and if not, you have my deepest sympathies. It was a good weekend for Orlando’s three soccer teams as they combined to go undefeated. If the Orlando Pride could have lent some of the six goals the team scored to Orlando City and Orlando City B, we’d probably be toasting a nine-point weekend, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Before we jump into today’s news, please join us in wishing a happy birthday to Orlando Pride vice-captain Kylie Nadaner! We’ve got a lot to talk about today, so let’s get into it.

Lion Earns Weekly Recognition

Eduard Atuesta played an important role in Orlando City’s 2-2 road draw with the New York Red Bulls, and that performance was rewarded with a starting place in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Not only did he have the primary assist on Marco Pasalic’s goal, but he also had the secondary assist on Martin Ojeda’s opener. Nic Josey awarded him a 7 out of 10 in his Player Grades piece, and it’s nice to see him getting some of that love on the larger stage as well. Here’s hoping for more of the same!

Barbra Banda Up for Weekly Honors

Continuing the trend of Orlando players earning recognition for the efforts over the weekend, Barbra Banda has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. The Zambian finds herself nominated for her second and the Pride’s sixth goal of the day. After picking up the ball about 30 yards from goal, Banda took a couple touches before firing the ball into the top corner to round off an absolute beatdown. It was a difficult piece of finishing that she made look like the simplest thing in the world, and its a deserving nominee.

NWSL Week 1 Storylines

The first week of the 2025 NWSL season is in the books and there’s a lot we need to catch up on. For one thing, the Pride are still pretty damn good. It’s anyone’s guess how good the Chicago Stars will be this year, but a 6-0 score is nothing to turn your nose up at, regardless of who it comes against. Not only did the NWSL have its 1,000th player make her debut, but that player also scored, as rookie Maggie Graham got a goal for the Houston Dash in the team’s 2-1 loss to the Washington Spirit. Finally, international players ran riot, with Banda scoring a brace and adding an assist, Temwa Chawinga netting for the Kansas City Current, and Gia Corley getting things going for the San Diego Wave after just five minutes.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

While most transfer windows aren’t open right now, there are still plenty of stories that we need to keep an eye on. First, Christian Pulisic’s value is said to have ballooned to around $71 million since joining AC Milan, with the Italian team eager to sign him to a new contract. Liverpool is said to be regularly speaking with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, as the Dutch fullback is reportedly looking to move away from the club in the summer. Finally, Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram.

Free Kicks

• Alex Freeman got a shoutout for continuing to hold down the starting right back position for OCSC.
• Orlando City rose one spot to no.19 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• The Orlando Pride unsurprisingly sit no.1 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
• Michail Antonio has promised to return to the playing field after suffering near-fatal injuries in a car crash at the end of last year.
• Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers after sustaining an adductor injury in Inter Miami’s win over Atlanta United on Sunday.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City completed the second of two back-to-back road contests against teams with the word New York in their names in Saturday afternoon’s matchup at the newly minted Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ. Orlando allowed the Red Bulls to enjoy possession but was the first team to strike and took a 2-1 lead into halftime before allowing a quick equalizer to start the second half. While the match ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw, Orlando City will lament the missed chances that may have otherwise resulted in a road win.

Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances and see who impressed and who needs to improve.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese was called into action early, and for the most part he made some bright saves on the afternoon to keep Orlando in the game. He made five total saves and parried away multiple strong attempts from the Red Bulls attack. Up a goal in the first half, an unfortunate video review gifted the Red Bulls a chance at an equalizer. While Gallese guessed correctly, the placement and pace put the penalty kick attempt just out of his reach. The second New York goal was a point-blank redirection from a player the back line completely disregarded. The Peruvian finished with five saves, with his biggest coming on a breakaway by Gjengaar in the 72nd minute. Gallese completed 70% of his 20 passes and was successful on seven of his 13 long balls.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Swiss Army knife Kyle Smith was inserted into the starting lineup for a struggling Rafael Santos and provided the usual defensive effort that we have come to expect from the veteran. Smith touched the ball a team-high 76 times and completed 75.5% of his 49 passes. He was credited with one key pass and was accurate on his lone cross but only three of his eight long balls. The left back was fairly active on defense, recording a team-high five tackles and chipping in seven clearances. Smith was subbed out in the 82nd minute as Orlando looked for a go-ahead goal.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel touched the ball 47 times and completed 68.8% of his 32 passes but only two of his nine long balls. Both Schlegel and Robin Jansson appeared to make concentrated efforts to unlock the offense with balls over the top, but unfortunately, most of Schlegel’s attempts to link up from the back line were just slightly overhit. Schlegel got involved in the offense, logging two shots, which were both off target. He finished with a team-high 12 clearances but did not record a tackle or interception. He was caught ball watching on the tying goal in the 47th minute, failing to pick up Dennis Gjengaar’s run into his side of the box.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The captain started his second match since returning from injury. He touched the ball 49 times and completed 88.6% of his 35 passes, while boasting a much healthier ratio on his long ball attempts, completing six of nine. However, the Swede took some unnecessary risks trying to cut off passes to their intendd targets. One such occurrence resulted in Jansson playing catch-up and tangling with Eric Choupo-Moting in the box near the half-hour mark. While the play was not initially called a foul, Armando Villarreal’s review deemed the contact egregious enough that he overturned his no-call and awarded the Red Bulls a penalty kick. On the second goal, Jansson tracked Gjengaar’s diagonal run through the box, but he ultimately wasn’t able to communicate that danger to Schlegel in time to prevent it. Defensively, Jansson had one interception and nine clearances. Jansson was also lucky to not directly gift the Red Bulls another goal, as he gave the ball away cheaply at midfield in the second half, leading to a breakaway shot for New York that Gallese’s touch sent just wide of the net.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — Steady yet timid is the way that I would summarize Freeman’s afternoon effort against the New York-adjacent Red Bulls. He was involved but didn’t seem to hunt his attacking positions as he recorded 61 touches and completed 86.8% of his 38 passes. The young Lion was credited with two key passes. He seemed reluctant to cross and only attempted one during the match, and while it was successful, it seemed like he passed up multiple chances to send a dangerous ball into the box. Offensively, Freeman did not record a shot, but on the defensive side of the pitch, he recorded three tackles, one clearance, and one blocked shot.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet started his first professional game in place of Cesar Araujo, who did not make the trip north after picking up a knock late in the week. The first-year pro touched the ball 63 times and was the most accurate Lion out of all players who attempted at least 30 passes, completing a team-best 92.3% of his 52 attempts, including one successful long ball on his only attempt. Offensively, he did not attempt a shot, but he did pick up where Araujo usually shines, drawing a team-high four fouls. Defensively, he logged three interceptions. It was a solid first MLS start for the rookie, and it was reassuring to see some additional depth in the midfield.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 7 — Atuesta was all over the field throughout the match and touched the ball 71 times, second on the team only to Smith. He completed 75.9% of his 54 passes, including a team high-five key passes. The Colombian was successful on his lone cross and throughball attempt and connected on two of his six long balls. Offensively, Atuesta notched a secondary assist on the first Orlando goal and a primary assist on Orlando’s second goal. On the latter, he unlocked Designated Player Marco Pasalic with a perfectly timed pass over the top. Defensively, he added two tackles and managed to survive the match without picking up a booking.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — While Angulo’s pace with and without the ball allows for creativity on the pitch, the Colombian is making far too many mistakes with the ball at his feet, which carry the potential to swing the match in favor of the opposition. Angulo had 57 touches and completed 87.5% of his 40 passes. Functioning on the wing, Angulo did not attempt a cross in the match. He also did not attempt a shot against the Red Bulls. His defensive contributions included one tackle, two interceptions, and one clearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda touched the ball 46 times and completed 80.6% of his 36 passes, including two key passes, one of his two crosses, and one accurate long ball on his one attempt. Offensively, Ojeda got Orlando out on the front foot with a howitzer of a shot which streaked past an outstretched Carlos Coronel. It was the second goal for Orlando’s No. 10 in the last three matches. He logged three total shots, but the goal was his lone shot on target. Defensively, he contributed one tackle and was substituted off in the 69th minute for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 7.5 (MotM) — It was truly a three-way coin flip to choose which Designated Player should walk away with Man of the Match honors, and Pasalic ultimately got my nod, thanks to a higher passing percentage and putting more shots on target. He touched the ball 43 times, completing 82.6% of his 23 passes. He had two key passes and was successful on his one long ball attempt. He took three shots and put two on target, including his third goal of the year, which at the time put Orlando ahead 2-1. On the defensive end, he was credited with one clearance. This game left me feeling that Pasalic still has another gear to unlock and I am excited to see that happen as the Croatian grows more comfortable in MLS.

F, Luis Muriel, 7 — Starting his second game in a row, Muriel appears to be growing into the player we all hoped that he could be when he was signed one year ago. He touched the ball 52 times and was involved from the opening kick. He completed 75.8% of his 33 passes, including one key pass — his assist to Ojeda for the first goal of the match. He put one of his two shots on target and could have ended the day with all three DPs scoring, but instead he settled for a single assist. Defensively, he added a tackle and two clearances. It was surprising to see the striker credited with six unstable touches, as I thought his hold-up play was excellent and he was able to spray the ball around in tight places.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (69’), 6 — Thorhallson entered the match with Orlando level at two goals apiece as Head Coach Oscar Pareja tried to steal all three points on the road. He touched the ball 16 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 attempts. Thorhallsson was able to record two clearances but did not have much success creating offensive chances over the final half hour.

F, Ramiro Enrique (82’), 6 — Enrique entered in the waning minutes and nearly had a winner for Orlando City but was thwarted by Coronel. He touched the ball 10 times, completing 75% of his four passes. Defensively, he logged one interception.

D, David Brekalo (82′), N/A — Brekalo returned to action after being out last week against New York City FC. He logged 14 touches and completed 81.8% of his 11 passes, including one key pass. Brekalo attempted one shot, which unfortunately was not on target. Defensively, he did not log a stat as Orlando was the aggressor in the final few minutes of the match.

D, Rafael Santos (82′), N/A — Santos entered the match for Angulo and touched the ball 14 times, completing all of his five passes, which included two key passes and one of his three crosses. Santos logged two shots, which were both on target. Like Enrique, Santos had a chance to be the hero, but Coronel came up with a huge save. Defensively, he logged one tackle and one clearance.

F, Duncan McGuire (87′), N/A — It was a surprise to see McGuire not only on the bench but enter the match much sooner in the season than initially projected after having off-season shoulder surgery. In limited minutes, Duncan made an impact, recording two shots which were off target (one was blocked) and two key passes. His layoff to Enrique should have produced a late winner. It will be exciting to follow along with how his playing time progresses.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s draw against the Red Bulls. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.