Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

8 years ago

on

Another beautiful evening in a sold-out Orlando City Stadium was capped by yet another fantastic performance for the boys in purple (or black on this night), who extended their impressive winning streak to four straight. Let’s take a look at how they performed individually on the night:

Starting XI

GK, Joe Bendik, 6.5  — Bendik wasn’t tested much early in the first half, but as San Jose began to up their attacking tempo, Bendik was there to shut it down. He displayed his usual adept skills in positioning and shot blocking, but this match also highlighted an attribute that was missing from last week’s match: the quick second effort to save the loose balls he’s already parried down. Granted, San Jose wasn’t spectacular in the attack on the evening. He did concede a couple goals on corners late in the second half though, and that caused a bit of consternation among the crowd and coaching staff, but ultimately his performance was typical of a Bendik showing: class shot stopping coupled with a few unlucky breaks.

D, Will Johnson, 6 — Johnson was offered yet another opportunity to display his versatility as Head Coach Jason Kreis deployed him at right back. Unfortunately, it seemed that Johnson was a target of San Jose’s pacey attack, as he struggled countless times in keeping up with the opposing wingers. He was involved in the attack though, and his effort in hightailing it back to defend shouldn’t be discounted. His second half, however, was a bit stronger. Multiple tackles won on his flank were deciding factors in not conceding additional goals, and his impact from a position that is not his natural one should not be ignored.

D, Amro Tarek, 6.5 — It’s hard to believe that Orlando City has three in-form, experienced, and consistent center backs (albeit Jonathan Spector has been out for a few matches), but the Lions do, and it’s clear. Tarek has been rock solid in the back through these first two months of the 2018 campaign and tonight was no different. He did allow Danny Hoesen inside him on one occasion. He also found himself involved in a few heated scuffles near the conclusion of the match, and that needs to be avoided (especially when leading by two goals), but his performance was fabulous yet again, and the supporters won’t forget about it anytime soon.

D, Lamine Sané, 8 — Sané has been a godsend since his arrival this summer. His consistency in the back has been a sight to see, and I’ll continue to champion the idea that he’s been the most important addition so far. His slide tacking is second to none in the squad (his height isn’t either), and his leadership shows in his communication with his teammates. Oh, and he was also perfect in his passing in the first half at 100% completed.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 6.5 — Aside from an errant pass early in the opening minutes and a couple iffy crosses, El-Munir was solid in both the attack and in defense on the night. Stefano Pinho and El-Munir displayed wonderful communication and movement, and though the attacks on the left flank often ended disappointingly, they were a constant threat to the back line of San Jose. El-Munir’s interest in getting involved in the attack is what sets him apart in this squad, and it’s only a matter of time before one of his cascading runs ends with the ball finding the back of the net.

MF, Yoshimar Yotún, 7.5 — Yotún was pivotal in the midfield on the night, providing quality passes in the two goal sequences of the first half. His fluidity and versatility allowed him space in various attacking positions despite being deployed as a holding midfielder, and his touch and command of the midfield was highlighted during the match in multiple scenarios as he settled the play down. Had it not been for rookie Chris Mueller’s sensational showing, Yoshi was in the running to be named as Man of the Match. He did see yellow in the 64th minute and that’ll be something to keep an eye on going forward, as a player is suspended upon a fifth booking in a season.

MF, Christian Higuita, 6 — Higuita did a solid job winning multiple fouls throughout the early stages of the first half, and looked quick on the ball as he maneuvered his way through challenges (the few where he wasn’t fouled). Unfortunately, on a few occasions following beating a man he gave away possession a little too easily, with the majority on errant passes or passes that lacked the mustard to make it to the intended target. Other than that, however, Higuita is again establishing himself as a valid option in the midfield for Jason Kreis and the supporters can expect to see more of him in the near future.

MF, Chris Mueller, 8.5 (MotM) — The young man just can’t stop scoring. This time he did it early, as in second minute early. Not only did he notch yet another goal (his third in three games, and the fastest goal to start a game in the club’s MLS history), but he also snagged his first MLS assist as he helped Sacha Kjlestan get on the score sheet. It should be noted that Mueller could have easily taken on that chance, but maturely opted to slide the ball to a teammate for a somewhat easy (sliding) tap-in. His movement and energy was excellent and he continues to show vast improvements in his finishing and his relationship with his teammates. I initially wasn’t a huge fan of the “Cash” Mueller nickname…but if he keeps his name on the score sheet, Cash it is.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6 — The assist king got on the end of a Mueller pass in the first half to add his name to the score sheet on the evening. This was a match that saw Kjlestan take control of several attacking sequences that were seemingly going off the rails. While this was a strength of Kljestan’s performance, there was a clear weakness: being too fancy. On several occasions Kljestan took the route of a flick, back heel, or unnecessarily difficult pass when other options were available. Despite this, he was still solid in the attack and his performance, while not even close to his best, got the job done.

MF, Stéfano Pinho, 5.5 — Pinho had a fairly ugly whiff early in the first half that was a clear opportunity to increase the Lions’ lead. There were multiple times that Pinho would have benefited from being a bit more patient than he was, including an early first-half cross into the penalty area with no Lions making a run into the box. He was active on the defensive side of things though, and he provided much-needed support for left back El-Munir, so that certainly lifts his grade on the night.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 — It’s not often that I find myself saying “Dwyer should have have been greedy there,” but I did say that to myself at least twice on the evening. He still found his way to the net though and his performance on the night was nothing to scoff at. His passing on the night was not quite up to par with what supporters have become accustomed to, but his movement in the attack was efficient and his pace was once again on full display. His goal in the 69th minute is a prime example of how dangerous he can be, even on a somewhat off night. Oh, the young man netted the 100th goal of his pro career, too.

Substitutes

MF, Justin Meram (60’), 6.5 — Meram entered the match at the hour mark and made an instant impact as he slotted a through ball to a sprinting Dwyer for the striker’s 100th career goal. One has to wonder if/when Meram will break back into the starting 11, and this performance may do just that for him in conjunction with Pinho’s lackluster showing. I’m sure he wishes he could have that penalty attempt back, but hey, it happens.

MF, Josué Colmán (78’), N/A— Colmán was brought on in the 78th minute for the star man on the night (Mueller) and didn’t really get to put his footprint on the match. While it was exciting again to see him on the pitch, I can only hope to see Colmán start a match to see what his performances can truly bring to the squad.

MF, Uri Rosell (85’), N/A — Uri was subbed on for an ailing Higuita near the finale of the match. He didn’t see the pitch long enough to make an impact on this one, but it was great to finally see his long-awaited Orlando City debut.

There you have it, Mane Landers. The Lions claimed another impressive win to add to their growing collection (despite the late scare), and Mueller continues to show why the Lions decided to call his name in January. What’d you think of the players’ performances? Let us know in the comment section below!

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Chris Mueller202
Yoshimar Yotún29
Lamine Sané16
Dom Dwyer6
Other5

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Trades Duncan McGuire to Houston Dynamo

The Lions send the 2023 first-round pick to Houston for a pile of Garberbucks.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 10, 2026

By

Image of Duncan McGuire playing the ball against New York City FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando no longer runs on Duncan as Orlando City has traded 2023 first-round draft pick Duncan McGuire to the Houston Dynamo. The big striker with the even bigger smile and the back flips joins the Dynamo, with the Lions receiving $600,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM), $400,000 in 2027 GAM, and $250,000 in 2027-2028 GAM. The return could also include up to $1.15 million in GAM add-ons if certain performance metrics are met. OCSC will retain a percentage of any sell-on by Houston.

It became clear that something was up with McGuire, as he did not dress for Orlando City’s friendly against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

“Duncan has meant a great deal to this club since the day he arrived in Orlando,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “His resilience, determination, and willingness to fight through challenges both on and off the field have earned the respect of everyone throughout our organization. He has played a major role in our success over the last several years, and when the opportunity arose, we wanted to ensure it was a move that made sense for both Duncan and the club. We’re grateful for everything he has given to Orlando City and wish him and his family nothing but success in this next chapter.”

The Lions selected McGuire out of Creighton with the No. 6 overall selection in the first round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. Although he was not a Generation Adidas player, the striker had signed a pre-draft contract with the league, meaning Orlando City didn’t need to spend time agreeing to a contract. The 6-foot-1 forward quickly became a starter for the Lions during his rookie year, and put together back-to-back, double-digit goal-scoring seasons in his first two professional seasons. Now in his fourth pro year, McGuire has appeared in 85 MLS matches (45 starts) for the Lions, scoring 29 goals and adding eight assists. In all competitions, McGuire has contributed 32 goals and nine assists in 109 appearances (55 starts).

Once one of the most promising up-and-coming American strikers in any league after his 24 goals across his first two MLS campaign, Mcguire underwent surgery on both shoulders in separate procedures after the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs, which have restricted his availability, affected his form, and have limited him to just five goals and three assists in his last 29 matches. He has sat behind various other strikers starting in his place the last couple of seasons, including Ramiro Enrique, Luis Muriel, and Justin Ellis.

After his breakout rookie campaign, in which the Omaha, NE native scored 14 goals, he was courted by several teams in Europe. He signed with Blackburn Rovers in 2024, only to see the transfer rejected by the English Football League due to an administrative error by the EFL Championship club. Upon his return, the Creighton product signed his most recent contract on Aug. 22, 2024, locking him down through 2027 with a club option for 2028. That deal now belongs to the Dynamo.

McGuire’s hot start to his professional career had him climbing the U.S. Men’s National Team player pool. Gregg Berhalter called him up to the USMNT for the first time in January 2024 ahead of the team’s friendly against Slovenia. The striker made his first USMNT appearance in that match, coming off the bench to replace Brian White on Jan. 20, 2024, in a 1-0 loss. That is his only cap to date, although he had previously appeared nine times and scored one goal for the U.S. U-23 side.

The 2022 Hermann Trophy winner spent three seasons at Creighton, where he appeared in 24 games (23 starts) in his final (junior) season, logging 1,591 college minutes. McGuire scored 23 goals and added three assists in 2022.

What It Means for Orlando City

It makes sense to deal a striker making a base salary of $600,000 ($921,000 in total guaranteed compensation) if he can’t crack the starting lineup. While some of that comes down to coaching decisions and other players emerging, it didn’t help McGuire that he struggled to regain the consistent form he showed in his first two years in Orlando. In the end, this is a bit of a blow financially to the club, as the initial agreement with Blackburn was for a reported $4 million. He now departs for considerably less money, but his value understandably dropped with his production and the two shoulder surgeries.

McGuire is still just 25 years old, and sitting out after two surgeries means he has fewer miles on his legs than many players his age. He could still regain the form that saw him score 14 times in 2023 and 10 more times in 2024 and had the USMNT and European clubs paying attention. Orlando City will hope that he returns to form, because that will influence how much GAM the club eventually receives for this transaction.

A fan favorite since his arrival, McGuire will be missed, and while the Lions could perhaps have benefitted from getting a player back in return to bolster an area of need, the influx of GAM can help accomplish the same goal.

McGuire’s departure appears to solidify Justin Ellis’ position on the first team, although his play in the first half of the season likely already did that. It may also open up more minutes for Tiago. But the trade also tells us that unless a new striker is brought in, the Lions will play without a traditional target striker for the time being, allowing players who have typically either played as wingers, attacking midfielders, or false nines to have the freedom to fluidly change positions and force defenders out of their comfort zones when it comes to coverage. Martin Ojeda, Antoine Griezmann, Ellis, Ivan Angulo, Marco Pasalic, and the team’s fullbacks will be harder to keep tabs on under such a system.

Whether it will work or if it will further stress the team’s shoddy transition defense (or both) remains to be seen.

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 10, 2022 vs. Inter Miami

Let’s rewind to a match against the Herons that featured the unlikeliest of heroes.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 10, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

With both the United States Men’s National Team and Colombia suffering World Cup exits that were both agonizing in their own right, this summer’s tournament has lost a little luster for me. Don’t get it twisted, I’m still looking forward to the rest of the games, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t going to be a little bittersweet.

Fortunately, Orlando City will be back in action before we know it, and in the meantime we can continue our practice of looking back on Lions matches from years gone by. Last week we relived a 4-0 win over Toronto FC from July 4, 2023. This week we go a little farther into the past to July 10, 2022, and a visit from Inter Miami.

Going into the match with the Herons, OCSC was badly in need of a result. The Lions were in the midst of a summer slump and had won just one of eight matches since squeaking by Toronto FC 1-0 back on May 14. To try to turn things around, Oscar Pareja sent out a lineup of Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Ruan; Junior Urso and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Benji Michel, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in attacking midfield; and Ercan Kara up top.

Orlando’s effort to try to pick up a win had to wait a little longer than originally planned, as kickoff was postponed by close to two and a half hours due to lightning in the area. Once the game eventually started, both Orlando City’s fans and players probably wished it had been delayed a little longer. The Lions came out of the starting blocks slow and were guilty of a number of bad passes and miscommunication that made it difficult to get going offensively.

The bad start nearly cost the home side early, as Pereyra played a bad back pass in the seventh minute that was snagged by Indiana Vasilev, who promptly broke toward goal. Fortunately, his shot smashed into Gallese’s face and went wide of the net to spare Mauricio’s blushes. Speaking of the Uruguayan, Miami seemed to have keyed on him as a player to stop at all costs, because whenever the Lions started to get a rhythm in the final third, the Herons promptly fouled him to break up the flow of things.

It took half an hour for the first decent chances to finally surface for Orlando City. When those opportunities arrived, it was in the form of Urso taking a pop from outside the box that got blocked on the way through, and Michel nearly getting on the end of a training ground corner kick routine, only to be let down by a bad first touch.

That was mostly everything of note in a largely quiet first half. Miami had the more dangerous chances, but there wasn’t much to separate the teams in the end. Miami had a slim lead in possession (50.6%-49.4%), and also had more shots (6-3), shots on target (1-0), and corners (3-2). Orlando City was a shade more accurate in its passing (84.5%-83.6%).

Once the second half started, Miami very nearly got an early goal once again, but Robert Taylor didn’t get good contact on a header attempt and the ball went out harmlessly for a goal kick. Vassilev had a much more dangerous effort in the 49th minute, but he put his shot over the bar and wasted a nice passage of play from the visitors.

Orlando carved out an excellent chance of its own nine minutes later. Ruan played a clever cutback for Michel, but like Taylor, he didn’t get good contact on his shot and sent it tamely right to goalkeeper Drake Callender. Torres and Urso sent shots wide and high shortly afterward, before Miami really should have scored from a 72nd-minute corner kick. Aime Mabika found himself all alone in front of goal after the initial ball was played short, but he put his header wide right.

Tesho Akindele was one of the substitutes brought on, and he flashed his fresh legs by getting on a couple of chances as the game wound towards the 90th minute. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to convert either one, and things looked sure to end in a scoreless draw. Enter an extremely unlikely hero: Jake Mulraney.

In the second of four minutes of stoppage time, the winger sent a hopeful cross into the box with just two men in purple to aim for. The ball had relatively little chance of reaching Akindele, who was bracketed by two defenders, but Damion Lowe tried to clear it and instead sliced it off the underside of the crossbar and into the Miami net making it 1-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, given the state of the game up to that point, neither team managed to muster any real chances after that, and Orlando narrowly came away with three much-needed points.

OCSC ended the game with more possession (54.7%-45.3%) and better passing accuracy (96.6%-82.9%), while Miami took more shots (10-8) and won more corners (6-2). Both sides put just one shot on target, making the final score somewhat unsurprising.

Marcus Mitchell was at the helm for Player Grades in this game, and he gave the outstanding Cesar Araujo the Man of the Match award, with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. The midfielder racked up eight tackles, drew nine fouls, and played a key pass while snuffing out a lot of Miami’s danger before it could truly develop.

Those three points didn’t exactly galvanize the Lions in the short term, as they won just one of their next six games in all competitions, not counting a friendly loss to Arsenal. Fortunately, better times lay ahead in the U.S. Open Cup.

That’ll do it for this week’s edition of Flashback Friday. We’ve only got one more of these before Orlando City returns to action on July 22, so enjoy the reminiscing while you can. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/10/26

Duncan McGuire reportedly being traded, Orlando Pride host Kansas City tonight, Steve Cherundolo named U.S. U-23 men’s coach, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 10, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The Orlando Pride are in action tonight and we also have an Orlando City B game on Sunday to look forward to. It’s been a bit of a hectic week on my end, but it’s at least helped make the U.S.’s World Cup loss feel like old news. Orlando City putting the Tampa Bay Rowdies to the sword in a friendly didn’t hurt either. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Reportedly Trading Duncan McGuire

Forward Duncan McGuire is reportedly being traded by Orlando City to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for $1.25 million in General Allocation Money, with another $1.15 million heading Orlando’s way if performance metrics are reached per Tom Bogert of The Athletic.

🇺🇸🟠 BREAKING: The Houston Dynamo to acquire forward Duncan McGuire from Orlando City, per sources.Orlando acquires $1.25m GAM + $1.15m GAM add-ons. ORL retains sell-on clause.Houston acquires new goal scorer, will fit seamlessly in Dynamo attack. www.nytimes.com/athletic/743…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-09T15:25:31.373Z

Selected by Orlando with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, McGuire has scored 29 goals across four seasons with the Lions. Injuries have plagued him in recent years, but let’s hope he can have a renaissance of sorts with Houston and hit those performance requirements if this move comes to pass. Orlando would be even lighter on options up top, but the money could help the club improve at a few positions.

Orlando Pride Host the Kansas City Current Tonight

Following a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC, the Orlando Pride will look to bounce back tonight when they host the Kansas City Current in the first meeting this season between the past two NWSL Shield winners. The Current are on a three-game win streak, with Michelle Cooper scoring twice in a 3-0 win over the Denver Summit last week. Temwa Chawinga also scored in that match to bring her tally to eight as she closes the distance on Pride forward Barbra Banda in the Golden Boot race. Hopefully the Pride can keep Kansas City’s offense in check and get back on track with a win at home.

Steve Cherendulo Named U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team Coach

U.S. Soccer appointed Steve Cherendulo as the head coach of the United States U-23 Men’s National Team as preparations begin for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Cherundulo is no stranger to success in the City of Angels, leading LAFC to a league title and MLS Cup victory in 2022 before winning the 2024 U.S. Open Cup as well. He represented the U.S. as a player starting at age 18 and played in three World Cups, which should be valuable experience to get these younger players ready to make an impact with the senior team. Tahir Reid-Brown, Justin Ellis, and Colin Guske are a few Orlando City players to keep an eye out for as possible Olympic roster candidates as they develop their games.

France Advances to World Cup Semifinals

France became the first team to secure its spot in the World Cup semifinals, beating Morocco 2-0. After a scoreless first half, Kylian Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the tournament to give France the lead and then provided the assist on Ousmane Dembele’s goal a few minutes later. While the offense is understandably grabbing headlines, the defense has now had a clean sheet in three straight games during this knockout phase. In the semifinals, France will take on whichever nation advances from today’s match between Spain and Belgium.

Free Kicks

  • Less than 24 hours after scoring for Orlando City in a friendly, Antoine Griezmann was in Boston for France’s World Cup match.
  • Crystal Dunn, who set records at Florida State University before her storied professional career, joined the Tallahassee Reckoning’s ownership group. The organization aims to provide more opportunities for youth soccer players and improve the pathway towards playing professionally.
  • English defender Jarell Quanash was given a two-game suspension for the serious foul play that earned him a red card against Mexico. He’ll miss Saturday’s quarterfinal against Norway and also England’s semifinal if it advances.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Pride!

Continue Reading

Trending