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

Published

7 years ago

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In a match that Orlando City held more possession against one of the best possession oriented teams in the league, New York City made the most of its chances and beat the Lions 3-0 in Yankee Stadium. Orlando is now 6-1-0 with Dom Dwyer on the field this year and a woeful 0-5-1 without him. It’s safe to say he needs to get back, or something needs to change.

Here’s how each of the Lions fared individually.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5 — There’s not much that he could have done on any of the goals. The second one he could have done a little more with but ultimately it was not his fault has he looked to have been shielded and there were multiple defenders in front of him that should have cleared the ball. The biggest flaw in his game was a 60% passing accuracy. In a small field like Yankee Stadium the passing has to be better that normal and Bendik gave it up way too often, especially on poor goal kicks.

D, Donny Toia, 4.5 — In the 10th minute Toia played a perfect pass to Josué Colmán that started an Orlando City attack. Nothing came of it in the end though. Toia could have used some help on the goal but ultimately should have done better. He had two players to mark and when Tinnerholm played the ball across to Tajouri-Shradi the left back overcommitted and Tajouri-Shradi cut the ball to the inside and easily powered the ball into the back of the net. 

D, Tony Rocha, 5.5 — Rocha was surprisingly one of the best players on the field, which is highlighted by his game-high five tackles and four clearances. He was confident on the ball and finished with an 87% passing accuracy. He made a few mistakes but overall did well. In the 32nd minute Rocha was caught ball watch and it nearly led to a New York goal. On New York’s second goal, Rocha should have attacked the ball. Instead he didn’t challenge it and the ball ended up in the back of the net. On the third New York City goal, Rocha, as was each of the back four, was caught ball watching as the ball hit the crossbar twice and NYCFC had three distinct chances.

D, RJ Allen, 5 — Allen was pretty quiet on the night and was overall solid. His grade was improved because of the fact that he was playing out of position at center back. A couple of his biggest moments came against his old teammate, David Villa, and he held his own. He finished with no attacking stats at all, but three tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances. On the third New York City goal, Allen, as was each of the back four, was caught ball watching as the ball hit the cross bar twice and NYCFC had three distinct chances.

D, Will Johnson, 4.5 — An overall solid night from Johnson. On the offensive side of the ball he did not do much but he added two tackles, one interception, and three clearances. His one big mistake on the night was ball watching on the final NYCFC goal. Had he run to help Bendik, he could have prevented it, and that drops his rating some.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 4.5 — Uri made a goal-saving tackle in the 32nd minute. His sliding challenge cleared the attack out for a corner after Johnson slipped. He earned a yellow card on a hard tackle in the 78th minute in which NYCFC ended up scoring on the set piece. All Uri had to do was kick it out of bounds but he tried to be too fancy on the ball as no other Lion was near him.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4 — Higuita was surprisingly quiet tonight, not getting in on the attack at all. Defensively he finished with four tackles, two interceptions, and one clearance but the team needed some more from him on the attacking end. He was impressive on the ball, finishing with an 84% passing accuracy on 45 passes — which was the fourth most passes among Orlando City players.

MF, Chris Mueller, 4 — Yet another player that did not do enough. The rookie failed to take a single shot, which is unacceptable from an attacking player. The best part of his night came right after half time. He made a great run to catch the NYCFC defense sleeping in the beginning of the second half. Kljestan played the ball over the top from a throw-in and Mueller was the first player to the ball and won a penalty kick. This seemed to energize Mueller and he won a ball back almost immediately after the missed penalty and then got into the right position down the line, unfortunately though he didn’t get to the ball. He then had a great ball in the 60th minute to feed in Kljestan, that did not end in anything.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 2.5 — Statistically, Kljestan was one of the best players on the field but his night will be remember by his missed penalty. Not only did he fail to tie the game but this was a turning point in the match that gave the hosts all the momentum. The first chance of the game came from a Kljestan turnover. He gave the ball up and NYCFC went on the counter and luckily Higuita was there to slow down the attack. Heads-up play in the beginning of the second half to quickly throw in the ball. He fed Mueller perfectly and won a penalty kick. He took the spot kick and hit the post. In the 60th minute Sacha had Colmán up top or he could have went to goal but he was too slow and ended up passing the ball to NYCFC instead, looking for Meram. The 32-year-old finished with three shots, none on target, and a game high 51 passes.

MF, Justin Meram, 3.5 — Not an awful night from Meram but definitely one in which he should have done more with. Meram was selfish in the 31st minute. He had Colmán making a run down the middle but instead of playing him he kept the ball and killed the attack. He started the second half off strong. He took on two players and got a shot off that went over the bar. Good vision and ball skills in the 55th minute. He beat two players and put a cross in but it was too short and easily defended. In the 67th minute, Meram had a great turn to get free. He then took too long on the ball looking to get closer and closer to goal and get a shot off and luckily he won a free kick but he then took the kick and hit the wall. 

F, Josué Colmán, 6 (MOTM) — Colmán gets the player of the match for all of the work that he put in. He was not the best player statistically but when the rest of the Lions looked to have given up on the match he was still fighting hard to get a goal back. He had some fancy footwork in the 16th minute with three players closing in on him. He got free of them all and won a corner. In the 18th minute, Rocha cleared the ball all the way to the other end of the field and found Colmán wide open behind the New York defense. The Paraguayan cut inside and got his shot blocked but he should have went to goal with it and would have been one-on-one with Sean Johnson. The best chance in the first half for Orlando came from a shot from distance from Colmán that unfortunately hit the post. He hit the woodwork again in the 74th minute. It is questionable if he was shooting but his ball got deflected and he nearly got Orlando on the board from it. He finished with three shots, one on target, and an 88% passing accuracy.

Substitutes

D, Mohamed El-Munir (60’), 5 — El-Munir was one of the best players on the field and brought some much-needed energy to the field when he came in. He got down into the final third a few times and tried to start an attack but he was not given much help from his teammates. His passing could have been much better (69% accuracy) but he tried to create opportunities.

F, Stefano Pinho (67’), 2.5 — In the 23 minutes that Pinho was in, he got no shots off and touched the ball just four times. He had no attacking stats and just one interception on the defensive end. Being on the field for that long he needed to have done more, especially with the team being behind.

MF, José Villarreal (80’), N/A — He got his first action of the season and immediately provided a good ball looking for Pinho, who could not do anything with it. He touched the ball four times, and made three passes, of which just two were accurate. Overall there was not enough time for Villarreal to make much of an impact in his first appearance.

Vote for your Man of the Match or comment your thoughts on these game grades below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Tony Rocha22
RJ Allen2
Josué Colmán47
Mohamed El-Munir3
Other11

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Lion Links: 5/13/25

Martin Ojeda honored, Americans in midweek action, rivalry games on the horizon, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

on

May 13, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope you’ve been on top of things to start the week, because there’s going to be no time to catch our breath with Orlando City taking on Charlotte FC Wednesday, before facing Inter Miami on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right into the links.

Martin Ojeda Honored

After his starring role in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday, Martin Ojeda has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Ojeda was back in the starting lineup after spending the last few matches nursing a knock and he made the most of his return, scoring all three goals for just the third Orlando City hat trick in the club’s MLS existence and first since 2015. It was a shame that the defense couldn’t help him out on his historic night, but he was Sean Rollins’ clear choice for Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, and it’s nice to see that he’s getting some much deserved wider recognition as well, even though he was snubbed for Player of the Matchday, which went to Emil Forsberg of the New York Red Bulls. Here’s hoping Ojeda’s success continues.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and we have some very high stakes at play. Things start today, when Haji Wright and Coventry City try to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal against Sunderland. AC Milan takes on Bologna Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final, with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah fighting for a chance to lift a trophy. Finally, Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and red-hot Real Betis visiting Rayo Vallecano in La Liga in a game that will have big ramifications on the race for European places.

Rivalry Games on the Horizon

Major League Soccer’s rivalry week is almost upon us, which means we have some heated matchups that we can start looking forward to. First and foremost, as far as we’re concerned, is Orlando City hitting the road to face Inter Miami in a series that is dead even across the board at 5-5-5 in 15 all-time meetings. There’s plenty more though, as El Trafico is the late game on Sunday, and we also get Hell is Real between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew, as well as a Hudson River River Derby that features two teams in wildly different places. The New York Red Bulls hammered the LA Galaxy on Saturday and have won three of their last four in all competitions, while New York City FC was knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup last week, and has lost three of its last four in all competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti to Coach Brazil

Brazil has officially announced that Carlo Ancelotti will take over as the newest coach of the team. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced on Monday that he will leave Real Madrid after the last league game of the season, with his first day on the job for Brazil coming on May 26. Brazil wanted to have a new coach in place for June’s World Cup qualifiers, and Ancelotti will now become the Selecao’s first foreign head coach. As far as Real Madrid is concerned, the club is reportedly finalizing a deal for former player Xabi Alonso to become the new coach as soon as possible. Madrid would ideally like for him to be on the job before the start of this summer’s Club World Cup, and Alonso has already publicly announced that he will not manage Bayer Leverkusen past the end of this season.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution?

Published

2 days ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City saw a 2-0 lead wash away just before halftime and took the lead in the second half. It looked like the Lions were on their way to a big three points, but a late penalty and a disallowed goal resulted in a 3-3 draw. It’s a draw that feels like a loss for the Lions.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players did in this disappointing game.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese had a difficult night, though it wasn’t all his fault. He faced six shots and conceded three goals. However, two were primarily because of bad defending, and one was a penalty. He made three saves and blocked away a rocket late.  The Orlando City goalkeeper touched the ball 25 times and completed 77.8% of his 18 passes, including four of his eight long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo had a good game at left back, touching the ball 65 times, second most on the team. He completed 90.7% of his 43 passes, including a key pass. However, his lone cross and long ball were incomplete. The defender took two shots, putting one on target, and nearly had a goal in the 48th minute with a strong run into the box, but a defender deflected it off the woodwork. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, one interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. He was a little late trying to deny Ignatius Ganago’s cross through the box to Ilay Feingold, and his sliding effort to do so took him out of position to deny Feingold’s centering pass for New England’s first goal. It was one of his few missteps of the match, and the effort was there if not the execution. He moved from left back to center back for the closing minutes.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson is usually rock solid on the back line, but he was a liability in this game. He touched the ball 57 times and completed 86.3% of his 51 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He made three clearances and blocked two shots. His poor grade was due to his contribution to two New England goals. He allowed Matt Polster to get goal side in the 44th minute for the equalizer and stuck his foot out in an ill-advised challenge in the 85th minute, resulting in a game-tying penalty. It was a game the Orlando City captain would rather forget.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel is usually the higher-risk player at center back, but he had a good game. He touched the ball 49 times and completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including his lone long ball. He also recorded a tackle, a team-high six clearances, and two blocked shots. Most surprisingly, he managed to end the game without an unnecessary booking. Schlegel’s night ended in the 87th minute when he was replaced by Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5  — Freeman started at his usual right back position, touching the ball a team-high 66 times. He completed 76.7% of his 43 passes and his lone cross but not his long ball. His lone shot was on target and he had three key passes. The 20-year-old was also active defensively, recording two tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo only touched the ball 28 times in this game, but his speed caused problems for the New England back line as he pushed into the attack. The left-sided midfielder completed 82.6% of his 23 passes, including two key passes. He didn’t take any shots, because he was mainly on the wing, but he helped defensively with a tackle and two interceptions. Angulo was replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 74th minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had 57 touches in this game while completing 91.7% of his 36 passes. He had a key pass but failed to complete either of his two long balls. The defensive midfielder took four shots, putting one on target that forced Aljaz Ivacic into a good save. He nearly scored off a corner kick in the 24th minute, but hit the post. Defensively, Araujo had two tackles and a clearance.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 5.5 — Gerbet had an up and down night, making him difficult to grade. He let Alhassan Yusuf get goal side of him in the 38th minute to score New England’s first goal. But his excellent first touch sent Ojeda on a partial breakaway in the 33rd minute for the Lions’ second goal, and his fearlessness earned a penalty for Orlando City’s third goal. The rookie touched the ball 43 times and completed 88.9% of his 36 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots but added an interception defensively. He probably should get a higher grade for participating in two goals, but I can’t get over the defensive midfielder’s error that might’ve cost the Lions two points. Gerbet was replaced in the 69th minute by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic had a solid night, touching the ball 39 times and completing 73.9% of his 23 passes. He had two key passes and completed one of his three long balls. He put one of his three shots on target, but his offensive performance will be remembered for his 20th minute shot, when Luis Muriel headed the ball down perfectly for him and the midfielder sent it over the open goal. Despite the miss, it was a good game for the attacking midfielder, who also had an interception on the defensive side.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel started up top but dropped behind Ojeda as the game progressed. He had 36 touches and completed 73.3% of his 15 passes, including four key passes and three of his four crosses. He should’ve had an assist on Pasalic’s miss, and he should’ve scored, especially in the 68th minute, when he made multiple defenders miss before dribbling the ball into the arms of Ivacic instead of shooting. He added two tackles and would’ve had a higher grade if he had any desire to score.

F, Martin Ojeda, 8.5 (MotM) — There can’t be a question about who the Man of the Match was for this game. In his first league start since April 19, Ojeda led the way. He touched the ball 43 times, completing 84% of his 25 passes with two key passes. He completed two of his five crosses but didn’t connect on his long ball. However, the attacker converted on three of his team-high seven shots, scoring the club’s first hat trick since 2015. His first goal was a thing of beauty, as he rocketed a shot off the bottom of the cross bar, creating no chance for the goalkeeper. The midfielder also took his second goal well and converted the penalty that gave his team the lead in the 55th minute. Defensively, Ojeda added an interception in a clear Man of the Match performance.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (69’), 5.5 — Thorhallsson came on in the 69th minute for Gerbet in the defensive midfield. He touched the ball 13 times, completing all of his 10 passes, though they were all of the shorter variety. He picked up a yellow card late in the match.

F, Duncan McGuire (73’), 5.5 — McGuire came on for Muriel in the 73rd minute with his team up a goal. He touched the ball only five times, completing all three of his passes with a key pass and his lone cross. His only shot was off target and he didn’t add any defensive stats. He should have had an assist with a good ball into the box for Enrique, who made a mess of the shot, firing it high over the goal. Unfortunately, his game will be remembered for the 90th minute, when Enrique’s shot hit his back while the striker was in an offside position. The ball went in, and the flag went up to disallow the goal that would’ve been the game winner.

F, Ramiro Enrique (74’), 5.5 — Enrique entered the game in the 74th minute for Angulo. He touched the ball 14 times and completed 45.5% of his 11 passes without any key passes or crosses. He took one off-target shot (officially) but had a great chance to score in the 90th minute when he received a pass from Pasalic at the top of the box with no one on him. His shot hit the back of an offside McGuire, spoiling a potential late winner.

D, Rafael Santos (87’), 5.5 — Santos replaced Schlegel in the 87th minute as the Lions brought on a natural left back and moved Brekalo to his usual center back position. Despite coming on late, the 10 minutes of stoppage time gave him plenty of action. He touched the ball 12 times and completed 83.3% of his six passes, including one of his three crosses. He didn’t take any shots and didn’t record any defensive stats as the Lions pushed hard for the late winner that never came. On the defensive end, he got roasted by Luis Diaz Espinoza in the second minute of stoppage time, allowing a wicked shot on goal that Gallese was able to parry away awkwardly.

That’s how I saw Orlando City 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution. Let us know what you thought of the performance in the comment below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/25

Lions and Pride each draw, Pride wins 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence, MLS weekend recap, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I’ve been busy at work and catching up with friends all week. Our Lions and Pride both picked up draws over the weekend, while OCB was off.  We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw New England Revolution at Home

Orlando City blew a lead twice and ended up settling for a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a great start as Martin Ojeda scored two goals in the first half. The Revolution replied with two goals to tie the match just before halftime. Ojeda added a penalty kick goal in the second half to secure his first hat trick of his career. It was also the first hat trick for Orlando in a decade, and he joins former Lion Cyle Larin as the only players in club history to score a regular-season hat trick.

However, late in the second half, the Lions conceded a penalty to New England, and Carles Gil converted from the spot to get the equalizer as the teams split the points. The Lions will have a quick turnaround with their next match on Wednesday at home against Charlotte FC.

Pride Draw North Carolina Courage on the Road

The Orlando Pride needed a late equalizer to escape WakeMed Soccer Park with a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. The Courage struck first, but Prisca Chilufya scored her first goal of the NWSL season late in stoppage time to secure a draw and keep Orlando from losing two matches in a row. The Pride grabbed a crucial point on the road and are second in the NWSL standings. The next match for the Orlando Pride will be Friday as they face the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium.

Orlando Pride Wins 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence

The Orlando Pride were named winners of the Downtown Orlando Partnerships 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence on Friday for the club’s historic 2024 NWSL Championship season and downtown victory parade. The Pride broke the league record for the most points (60), most wins in a season (18), and most clean sheets (13), while finishing the 2024 season unbeaten at home. Orlando Pride President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon expressed his thoughts on Pride winning this award.

“On behalf of our entire Club, I’d like to thank the Downtown Orlando Partnership and its Board of Directors for selecting our organization for this incredible award,” said Orlando Pride President of Business Operations, Jarrod Dillon. “We are incredibly honored to receive this award — a testament to the passion, dedication, and excellence that define our team. Our Club is proud to represent this city, and we hope every Orlando resident shares in this moment of pride. There’s no place we’d rather call home than downtown Orlando — the heart of our community and now the home of the best women’s soccer team in the United States.”

MLS Weekend Recap

The weekend’s slate of Major League Soccer matches ended with some notable results. Minnesota United cruised past Inter Miami with a 4-1 win. The Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, San Diego FC, and Nashville SC all won 2-1 matches over Atlanta United, Austin FC, St. Louis City, and Charlotte FC, respectively. Toronto FC defeated D.C. United 2-0 at home, while the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Colorado Rapids 2-0 on the road. Prince Osei Owusu scored the lone goal as CF Montreal beat New York City FC 1-0 and secured its first win of the season. Santiago Moreno scored a late goal in the second half as the Portland Timbers defeated Sporting Kansas City 1-0. Albert Rusnak scored twice as the Seattle Sounders beat the Houston Dynamo 3-1. FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake ended in a 1-1 draw, while the Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew match ended in a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy remain winless through 12 matches this season after getting crushed 7-0 by the New York Red Bulls in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup final. On Sunday, Brian White scored twice as the Vancouver Whitecaps and LAFC match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their moms a surprise phone call on Mother’s Day.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner completed 108 passes on Saturday in their match against the North Carolina Courage, which is the most in Pride history.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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