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Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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8 years ago

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Shockingly, when two teams play in the afternoon Florida sun after playing Wednesday night, the game is not played as crisply as you’d like. Both Orlando City and FC Dallas came into a Saturday afternoon match at Orlando City Stadium on short rest and both coaches opted to play basically the same side as the midweek team. The result was sloppy and final balls were hard to come by — impossible, in fact — as the Lions have still never scored a goal against FC Dallas and the only goal Orlando has against any Texas MLS team is a Tyler Deric own-goal in 2015 against Houston. Weird.

Tired legs make for poor soccer, and both teams were guilty of it, but let’s get to the player grades from a less-than-satisfying 0-0 draw:

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7.5 — He wasn’t called on often but Bendik played well in making five saves and controlling his area throughout the game. It took only four minutes for Joe to make a play, as he got a hand to a Carlos Gruezo shot to knock it over the bar. He made a good save on Tesho Akindele in the 12th minute. Joe was quick off his line to beat Dallas players to entry balls throughout the first half. Made a diving stop in the 30th on a Mauro Diaz free kick. He did spill a Gruezo shot in the 46th but it was nearby and he was able to re-gather. His last big save was probably in the 53rd, when a cross found Diaz at point-blank range and Bendik made himself big to make a sprawling save. His service was even good, connecting on seven of 11 long balls and 81% of his passes.

D, Donny Toia, 7 — It was a good game for Toia, who ran more of the attacking play than usual, playing on Yoshimar Yotun’s side. He led the defense in touches (69) and his 73% passing rate was good considering how many were in the offensive half. He finished with three clearances, one tackle, one interception, and a blocked shot, and committed only one foul. If there was a weakness in his game it was service but everyone’s passing seemed off in this game.

D, Jonathan Spector, 7.5 — With Specs being one of the more rested players on the pitch, he looked a little sharper than many of his teammates. He led the back line with an 85% passing percentage and seven clearances. He also finished with two tackles, two interceptions, and attempted a shot that was deflected in the box. His best moment was knocking the ball away from Maxi Urruti in the 72nd minute on a dangerous cross. Good return for Jonathan.

D, Seb Hines, 7 — Did just enough against Akindele in the 12th minute to keep him from getting in behind. He led the back line and tied for the team lead in shots (3), getting one dangerously on target on a set piece and forcing a good save from Jesse Gonzalez in the 76th minute. He made a vital tackle in the box in the first half to snuff out a chance and defensively he finished with two tackles, an interception, two clearances, and two blocked shots. He could have been called for a handball in the box at 74’ on a Kellyn Acosta shot but the ball was blasted hard and Hines was close to the shooter. The arm was a bit out from the body but not in an unnatural position. It didn’t warrant a review, per VAR Sorin Stoica and later Matt Hedges got away with one from further away and with his arm in a less natural position, so maybe those evened out in the end.

D, Scott Sutter, 6.5 — Of all the players who started three times in seven days, Sutter showed maybe the most wear and tear. His game wasn’t as sharp as we’re used to seeing. He mishit his cross in the 38th minute after Carrasco sent him down the right flank. He made two tackles and three clearances but no interceptions and the more dangerous Dallas crosses seemed to come from his side. He managed only 46 touches and 72% passing accuracy, going 1-for-3 on long-ball accuracy and 1-for-3 on cross accuracy. Worked his way into the box late in the first half and went down with some contact but no foul was awarded.

DM, Servando Carrasco, 6 — After a good match Wednesday, Servando struggled to make a mark in this match. He passed well (94% on 17 attempts) but managed only 19 total touches before being subbed out for Richie Laryea in the 55th minute. He gave up a free kick in a dangerous spot in the 29th minute with a clumsy challenge on Diaz, sweeping the FC Dallas star’s legs. Hit a nice ball over the defense to send Sutter down the right at the 38-minute mark. His lone defensive stat was a single interception. It wasn’t necessarily a bad effort, but Serva just didn’t find much success linking up with his teammates.

LM, Yoshimar Yotun, 8 (MotM) — Like most of the team, Yoshi didn’t seem to have a lot of jump in his legs and it kept him from being dangerous throughout the first half, although he came on strong at the end of the game. He had a shot attempt seven minutes in but it was nowhere near the goal. In the second half he found more freedom and dialed in his passing more. In the 62nd minute he picked out Giles Barnes’ run up the middle and would have sent him in alone on goal had Atiba Harris not been holding the Jamaican’s left arm with both hands (it wasn’t called). Great free kick service in the 77th minute led to a good chance. His 90th-minute corner delivery found Kaká but the captain’s flick on was inches out of Cyle Larin’s reach. Yoshi’s shot in the 93rd went off Gonzalez and hit the post, and three minutes later he crushed one that Gonzalez saved with his face. He finished with three shots (two on target) and a game-high four key passes, drew three fouls, passed at an 84% clip, three tackles, one clearance, and had a game-high 94 touches.

RM, Antonio Nocerino, 6 — The Italian’s game was similar to Carrasco’s in that link-up play was lacking and passing wasn’t always sharp (79%). His 32 touches were more than Serva’s but he also was on the pitch 12 more minutes. Like Carrasco, Noce finished with one interception and had no shot attempts. His work rate was fine but he didn’t accomplish a lot.

AM, Giles Barnes, 5 — The Jamaican had a tough game, especially in the first half, losing the ball repeatedly in traffic and impatiently firing straight at Jesse Gonzalez from distance in the 36th minute as the Lions broke on a 4-on-4, rather than holding up play for his teammates to make runs into the area. His shot in the 77th minute was nowhere near the target. His passing was 76% on only 21 attempts and he had only 35 touches, but just lacked some of the quality he’s shown over the past few matches.

F, Kaká, 5 — Like others, the captain was a bit sloppy. Had a chance to serve up a cross for Dom in the 41st minute but left his pass too close to Gonzalez. His cross in the 71st was over the near-post runner and nowhere near the back-post run. Neither of his two shots were on target, though he did have a nice flicked header on a corner that Larin couldn’t quite reach. His passing accuracy was just 75% on just 35 touches and defensively he made one interception.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6 — While he was active and his work rate was high, as usual, Dom didn’t make too much of a mark on the game and many of his passes to try to send in teammates didn’t quite come off as the defender would often get just the slightest touch to send it off target. He finished with one shot (off target) and one key pass, no defensive stats, and just 60% passing on 20 touches. He wasn’t getting great service regardless of how much pressure he put on the back four for Dallas.

Substitutes

MF, Richie Laryea (55’), 6.5 — The Canadian came on for Carrasco to provide fresh legs in the midfield, taking the right side of the diamond and sending Nocerino back to defensive mid. He was active, getting 25 touches in his appearance, with a shot and a key pass, but had trouble linking up with teammates, passing at a 71% clip. He finished with a tackle, a clearance, and an interception, slotting into the middle of the midfield in a 4-3-3 after Carlos Rivas came on late.

F, Cyle Larin (67’), 4.5 — I was surprised Cyle started on the bench after he did the same in the midweek, considering the short rest. He made little mark on the game with nine touches, although he completed all four of his passes. He was just offside on a promising build-up where he could have played Kaká in on goal. He didn’t register a shot or a key pass and no defensive stats, drawing one free kick. Larin theoretically could have made more of his fresher legs but it just never happened.

F, Carlos Rivas (84’), 5.5 — If the Lions ever needed Rivas’ speed, it was today, but the Colombian didn’t get much of a chance to use it. He made one key pass and sent in the great cross to Larin on the offside play, but he was also dispossessed three times in a short outing and couldn’t do much with the ball in his 12 touches.

That’s how I saw the individual performances. How did you see it? Leave your thoughts below and vote for your Man of the Match in our poll.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Joe Bendik12
Jonathan Spector5
Seb Hines3
Donny Toia0
Yoshimar Yotun21
Other1

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/25

Orlando Pride loan five players out, Orlando City academy players selected for All-Star Team, USMNT beats Guatemala, and more.

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41 minutes ago

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July 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a weird week for me so far, as it’s felt simultaneously like it’s flying by and taking forever for the weekend to get here. All of the soccer has been nice at least, and I’ve been able to get some reading and painting done when not swamped. But enough about me, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando Pride Loan Multiple Players Out

The Orlando Pride loaned out five players for the rest of the 2025 season, with four of them joining USL Super League teams. Forward Amanda Allen, who was loaned to Lexington SC last year and injured her shoulder in December, is headed to her home country of Canada to join Halifax Tides FC in the Northern Super League. As for the players headed to the USL Super League, right back Brianna Martinez will join Carolina Ascent FC, goalkeeper Kat Asman and forward Mariana Larroquette were loaned to Lexington, and Aryssa Mahrt was sent to Spokane Zephyr FC. These loans should provide solid opportunities for minutes for these players, so hopefully they can make some noise with their respective teams.

Orlando City Academy Players Make All-Star Team

The rosters for the 2025 MLS NEXT All-Star Game are out and Orlando City B midfielders Gustavo Caraballo and Dylan Judelson were both selected for the event. The East All-Stars will be coached by Orlando City SC Academy Director Javier Carrillo, who also coached Orlando’s U-18 team to victory in the Generation Adidas Cup this year. Caraballo was named MVP of that tournament’s U-18 age group and scored 16 goals over the course of the MLS NEXT season. Judelson appeared in 32 games for Orlando this season and could factor into Canada’s U-17 World Cup plans come November. The MLS NEXT All-Star Game will take place on July 21 and can be viewed on the MLS YouTube channel.

USMNT Takes Down Guatemala in Gold Cup

The United States Men’s National Team secured a spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup final after winning 2-1 against Guatemala in St. Louis. The Yanks got off to a hot start thanks to Diego Luna’s brace in the first 15 minutes of the match. The offense wasn’t able to extend the lead beyond that though, and a late goal by Olger Escobar made the match a bit more tense the U.S. would have liked. Regardless, the U.S. got the job done in the end and will play in Sunday’s final in Houston.

USWNT Breezes Past Canada in Friendly

The United States Women’s National Team beat Canada in convincing fashion, shutting out its northern rival 3-0 in a friendly. Sam Coffey and Claire Hutton scored in the first half to give the USWNT a nice lead, and Yazmeen Ryan came off the bench to put the nail in the coffin with a late goal. The defense did well to claim its third clean sheet of this series of summer friendlies. Emily Sams didn’t make an appearance for the U.S., and Zara Chavoshi didn’t come off the bench for Canada either.

NWSL Announces Layout For 2026 Schedule

The 2026 NWSL regular season will kick off on March 13 and finish on Nov. 1 according to the league’s announced framework for next year’s action. Although there will be 16 teams next year, the playoff format remains the same and the top eight teams in the standings will qualify, with the 2026 NWSL Championship set for Nov. 21. There will once again be a balanced schedule, with each team playing 30 matches over the course of 27 weeks. The league will also notably be on break for a majority of June due to the FIFA World Cup, citing expectations to accommodate stadium demands in markets where World Cup games will take place

Free Kicks

  • Boston Legacy FC signed American midfielder Annie Karich as its first player ahead of its inaugural season next year. Karich spent the past two seasons with SC Freiburg in Germany and joins Boston as a free agent.
  • San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer was named MLS Player of the Month after recording three goals and six assists in June. He leads the league with 23 goal contributions this season and is a major reason behind San Diego’s rise to the top of the Western Conference standings.
  • Atlanta United bolstered its defense by signing Albanian center back Enea Mihaj to a contract through 2028. The 26-year-old joins as a free agent after spending the past three seasons with FC Famalicao in Portugal top flight.
  • The 2025 Women’s European Championship kicked off in Switzerland, with Finland beating Iceland 1-0 in the first match of the tournament. Switzerland struck first against Norway, but Ada Hegerberg scored an equalizer and an own goal by Swiss defender Julia Stierli gave Norway the 2-1 win.
  • It seems the Concacaf co-hosts for next year’s World Cup will be able to serve suspensions in friendlies rather than missing out on the World Cup.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/25

Big names leave Toronto FC, hot conditions in Club World Cup match, FIFPRO makes ACL recommendations, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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July 2, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Wednesday, everyone. It already feels like it’s been a long week, as I just got home from being out of town traveling up and down the East Coast for the last few days. The soccer world hasn’t stopped in my absence though, and as usual we have a lot to cover today. Let’s wish a happy birthday to OCB defender Tahir Reid-Brown, and jump into today’s links!

Italians Leave Toronto FC

It’s the end of an era at Toronto FC, as the club has parted ways with both Federico Bernardeschi, and Lorenzo Insigne. The Reds used both of their two buyouts of guaranteed contracts this season in order to get the transactions done, so the club was pretty keen to get them out the door. It’s hard to blame the Reds, as Insigne was the second-highest paid player in the league while Bernardeschi was the fifth highest. They didn’t have much to show for it though, as Bernardeschi had 26 goals and 22 assists in 99 games across all competitions, while Insigne had 19 goals and 17 assists in 76 matches. TFC never made the playoffs while the duo was on the team, and the decision to turn the page is an understandable one.

Difficult Conditions in Juventus vs. Real Madrid

The Club World Cup Round of 16 concluded on Tuesday, with Real Madrid knocking off Juventus 1-0 in afternoon match. Kylian Mbappe made his tournament debut for Madrid as a substitute, but it was Gonzalo Garcia’s 54th-minute goal that made the difference in the game. Juve boss Igor Tudor highlighted the difficult conditions in Miami, saying in his postgame press conference that 10 different players asked to come off the field during the game. Tudor didn’t outright blame the loss on the high heat and humidity during the 3 p.m. kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium, but noted that they were among several factors that made the game a very difficult one for his side.

FIFPRO Makes Recommendations to Curb ACL Tears

Amid a rash of ACL injuries to women’s soccer players, FIFPRO has made some recommendations to cut down on the rate at which they occur. Rather than focusing on things that can’t be controlled, the federation has suggested modifying the calendar, number of games, and the playing surfaces. FIFPRO member Alex Culvin is calling for minimum standards in the women’s game relating to pitch conditions and access to physiotherapists. More research around risk factors is also necessary, as is implementing preventative exercises at the youth levels of the game.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Summer transfer business is in full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the hot rumors currently flying around. First up, Arsenal is said to be in the final stages of signing Viktor Gyokeres to a five-year deal. Staying in the Premier League, Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing midfielder Fabian Ruiz from Paris Saint-Germain. Juventus reportedly is close to signing Jonathan David after his contract with Lille expired. Finally, Bayern Munich is reportedly preparing a formal offer for Liverpool for Colombian winger Luis Diaz.

Free Kicks

Apparently a non -#usmnt drone has crashed the training session. US Soccer staff aiming to identify it.

— Jeff Carlisle (@jeffreycarlisle.bsky.social) 2025-07-01T17:25:12.954Z

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/1/25

Pride signings, OCB draws, both U.S. national teams in action Wednesday, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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July 1, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to July, Mane Landers. If you’re like me, you balanced the excitement and dread of the USMNT advancing on penalty kicks the other night. It was one thing watching Guatemala take out Canada but a whole other level of heart palpitating stress while watching the U.S. avoid a similar fate. There’s no time to relax with plenty of soccer to watch as we head towards Independence Day. Before we get to the links, please join us in wishing Orlando Pride/USWNT defender Emily Sams and OCB defender Clovis Archange each a happy birthday.

Orlando Pride Signings

The Orlando Pride announced a pair of transactions Monday. Midfielder Viviana Villacorta and the club have agreed to exercise the midfielder’s mutual option for the 2026 season. Villacorta was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft. The Pride also signed midfielder Ally Lemos to a new contract through the 2027 season with a mutual option for 2028. The Pride selected Lemos with the No. 9 overall pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft. Orlando continues to lock down current players ahead of time. Now, we wait to see if any new players will be added.

OCB Earns a Point on the Road

Orlando City B played Philadelphia Union II to a 1-1 draw in a Monday afternoon match. Unfortunately, the Young Lions lost the end-of-regulation shootout 4-2 and did not get the additional point. Gustavo Caraballo assisted Jackson Platts on the early goal for OCB. Philadelphia equalized early in the second half. Carlos Mercado was the difference maker in the match, recording a career-high 12 saves.

USMNT’s Gold Cup Run Continues vs. Guatemala

The USMNT will face Guatemala Wednesday night in a 2025 Gold Cup semifinal match. The U.S. advanced past Costa Rica on penalties thanks to a stellar performance from goalkeeper Matt Freese. Guatemala stunned Canada with a second-half equalizer and advanced on penalty kicks. Guatemala has been the overachieving underdog of the competition so far. This will be the USMNT’s 17th Gold Cup semifinal appearance.

USWNT Hosts Canada

The USWNT will host Canada in a third friendly of this international window Wednesday at Washington, D.C.’s Audi Field. The U.S. is coming off two 4-0 victories over the Republic of Ireland. Canada should prove a tougher opponent for Emma Hayes’ squad. There is a possibility that the match will feature two Orlando Pride players — Emily Sams for the U.S. and Zara Chavoshi for Canada. Kerry Abello has returned to her club team after picking up a knock.

Free Kicks

Sources: Bayer Leverkusen are finalizing a deal to sign USMNT attacker Malik Tillman from PSV.Deal in region of $40m.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-06-30T20:36:24.359Z
  • Former Orlando Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak has retired from professional soccer.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for Orlando City’s match against Charlotte FC this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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