Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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
| Player | Votes |
| Tony Rocha | 22 |
| RJ Allen | 2 |
| Josué Colmán | 47 |
| Mohamed El-Munir | 3 |
| Other | 11 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/4/25
Haley Carter joins the Washington Spirit, Celtic hires Wilfried Nancy, Philadelphia Union sign Ezekiel Allodah, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a bit of a hectic week for me, but I’ve at least been able to get quite enough done that should take out some of the stress that usually comes around this time of the year.
Haley Carter Joins the Enemy
Haley Carter, who departed the Pride on Nov. 18 to pursue new career opportunities, was announced as the Washington Spirit’s president of soccer operations. She joins an organization that’s come up short in the past two NWSL Championship and one of Carter’s top priorities will be retaining American forward Trinity Rodman. Helping the Spirit get over the hump will be a different kind of task than the rebuild she orchestrated with the Pride, so it will be interesting to see how she does.
Celtic Hires Wilfried Nancy
Wilfried Nancy is officially headed to Europe, with Celtic hiring him as its next manager. The Scottish club signed him to a two-and-a-half year contract and he’ll start today. Nancy leaves MLS after success with CF Montreal and the Columbus Crew, winning the MLS Coach of the Year award with the Crew in 2024. Celtic has won its past five games across all competitions and is currently tied on points with Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership. It will be Nancy’s first time coaching in Europe and we’ll see if he can help Celtic secure a spot in the next round of the Europa League.
Philadelphia Union Sign Ezekiel Allodah
The Philadelphia Union didn’t waste much time adding some firepower to the club’s roster for the 2026 season, signing Ezekiel Allodah from IF Brommapojkarna for a club record fee. The 20-year-old forward joins on a contract through 2028 with options for 2029 and 2030. Allodah has recorded eight goals and added an assist in 32 appearances with Brommapojkarna, which plays in Sweden’s top flight. Although I’m not looking forward to Orlando City having to deal with him on the field, it’s nice to see more young talent coming to the league.
Preparing for the World Cup Draw
The draw for next summer’s World Cup is on Friday and we’ll get to see just how unlucky the United States Men’s National Team is when the groups are revealed. The U.S., like Canada and Mexico, is in the first pot and gets to avoid some of the biggest contenders, but dangerous teams like Croatia, Morocco, and Norway are possible opponents. Drawing Ghana from the fourth pot seems inevitable to me. The lack of clarity in who will advance out of the playoffs adds some mystery and worry to it all as well. Fingers crossed!
Free Kicks
- Jordi Alba was fined an undisclosed amount by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violating the league’s policy regarding hands to the face, head, and neck in Inter Miami’s game against New York City FC.
- American forward Cade Cowell is reportedly set to join the New York Red Bulls on loan from Chivas.
- Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 3-2 win over Union Berlin to help his side reach the quarterfinals of the German Cup.
- Germany was selected as the host for the 2029 UEFA European Women’s Championship, beating a bid by Poland and a joint bid by Sweden and Denmark.
That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/3/25
The Orlando Pride sign Hailie Mace, USMNT announces 2026 friendlies, USWNT news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s a little hard to believe it’s already December, but hopefully the weather will cool off a bit so at least it feels like winter — or as close as we get to it in Florida. We want to wish Orlando City defender David Brekalo a very happy birthday. It might be the off-season, but that doesn’t keep the news from happening, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Sign Hailie Mace
The Orlando Pride signed USWNT and former Kansas City Current defender Hailie Mace to a three-year deal through 2028. Mace brings a ton of experience both internationally and in the NWSL to an already good Pride defensive unit. In her career Mace has played right back, some center back and even forward in college. She is the type of versatile player that Seb Hines loves to have on his roster. Welcome to the Pride, Hailie.
USMNT Friendlies Announced
The USMNT will play four friendlies ahead of the World Cup, facing Belgium, Portugal, Germany, and one opponent yet to be determined. The first two matches will take place in Atlanta against Belgium and Portugal on March 28 and March 30, respectively. Then the team heads to Charlotte for a match on May 31 and finishes the slate against Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 6. Those are some pretty good tests ahead of the World Cup.
USWNT Notes
It’s been quite a year for the Emma Hayes and the USWNT. Hayes has worked on building a deep pool of players for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. She has given so many young players their first caps, including the Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams. Several players made a case for a spot in the friendly against Italy. Hayes is also trying to bolster the U-23 squad so she can build long-term stability in the team.
MLS Technical Staff News
There have been a lot of front office moves in MLS recently. New York City FC hired Todd Dunivant as the club’s new sporting director. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City announced that the club “mutually agreed to part ways” with interim coach Kerry Zavagnin.
Free Kicks
- Chicago Fire FC acquired defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi from South African Premiership side Orlando Pirates.
- Spain defeated Germany 3-0 on aggregate to win the 2025 Women’s Nations League for the second year in a row.
- The Canadian Women’s National Team has been having a rough time of it, losing 3-0 to Japan and ending the season on a five-match losing streak.
- Erling Haaland became the fastest player in EPL history to score 100 goals, breaking Alan Shearer’s old record in Manchester City’s wild 5-4 win Tuesday over Fulham. Shearer’s record of 100 goals in 124 games stood for 30 years before Haaland netted No. 100 in his 111th match.
That will do it for today. It might be the off-season, but we’ll keep bringing you all the soccer-related news in the City Beautiful. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 12/2/25
Robin Jansson signs new contract, Orlando Pride roster update, Alex Freeman earns impressive nomination, and more.
Good morning, everyone. I don’t know how we’re in the month of December, and the fact that we are is, quite frankly, a little terrifying. Regardless, we have no time to slow down and smell the roses, because there’s still plenty of things happening. We’ve got some important Orlando City and Orlando Pride news to cover today, so let’s get into the links.
Robin Jansson Returns
Orlando City announced on Monday morning that the team has re-signed captain Robin Jansson. The center back inked a deal that will keep him in an Orlando jersey through 2027 after the team declined his 2026 option at the end of this season. His return handles one piece of pending business for the Lions, with the team now only needing to wrap up negotiations with Kyle Smith over a new contract, before it can fully turn its attention to other areas of the roster. That being said, while Jansson remains a capable MLS starting center back, other positions around him need to be strengthened. OCSC’s spine needs reinforcing after the departure of Cesar Araujo, and Jansson could use a quick and athletic partner next to him in central defense as he climbs into his mid-30s. For now though, it’s simply good to see him back.
Orlando Pride Postseason Roster Update
Continuing the theme of a busy news day, on Monday afternoon the Orlando Pride announced the club’s roster update following the conclusion of the NWSL season. A lot of contract negotiations were completed during the season, as Zara Chavoshi, Ally Lemos, Luana, Haley McCutcheon, Anna Moorhouse, and Rafaelle all had their contract situations handled over the course of the season. Meanwhile, Amanda Allen, Simone Charley, Elyse Bennett, Mariana Larroquette, Aryssa Mahrt, Morgan Gautrat, Carson Pickett, and Bri Martinez are all out of contract, while Ally Watt is joining the Denver Summit. The Pride did not announce that negotiations are happening with any players who are out of contract with regards to a new deal.
Alex Freeman Garners Big Nomination
The year of Alex Freeman continues, as Orlando City’s young fullback has been nominated for the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year! The right back seized his chance with both hands in OCSC’s season opener all the way back in February and never looked back, as he locked down a starting spot with the Lions, earned a first United States Men’s National Team call-up, continued to earn more, and capped his year off by scoring his first two goals with the national team. The other nominees for the honor are Max Arfsten, Matt Freese, Chris Richards, and Malik Tillman, so Freeman is up against some stiff competition (particularly from Arfsten and Richards, in my opinion). Regardless, it’s damn good to see him getting more of the recognition he so rightly earned this year.
USWNT Completes Sweep of Italy Friendlies
After blanking the Italians 3-0 in Orlando on Friday, the United States Women’s National Team completed the sweep with a 2-0 win over Italy in Fort Lauderdale Monday night. Cat Macario and Jaedyn Shaw scored the goals in the first half, and the U.S. hit the crossbar twice. Lily Yohannes put the ball in the net but was correctly deemed offside on the play, and Macario should have had a second if not for a dubious whistle chalking off what would have been a second brace in the window. It was a dominant final window of 2025 for the U.S. women, as Emma Hayes got looks at a lot of young players.
Americans in Midweek Action
As usual, there are a number of American players who will be playing games during the working week, with league and domestic cup action being the overarching theme. Things get started later today when Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid travel to Barcelona for a big La Liga match, while Weston McKennie and Juventus host Udinese in the Coppa Italia. Chris Richards and Crystal Palace have a Premier League road match against Burnley on Wednesday, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan square off against Lazio in the Coppa Italia on Thursday, and things finish up on Friday with Folarin Balogun and Monaco taking on Brest in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Free Kicks
- Christian Benteke has announced he’s leaving D.C. United, although Tom Bogert says D.C. hopes to pull a Jansson and re-sign him after declining his option.
- Mr. Scoops also reports that CF Montreal is finalizing a deal to sign defender Brayan Vera from Real Salt Lake for a hefty sum of General Allocation Money.
- Bogert also reports that Michael Bradley is the favored candidate for the New York Red Bulls’ vacant head coaching position.
- The Chicago Stars have signed midfielder Brianna Pinto to a two-year deal.
- Garth Lagerway will reportedly not return as CEO of Atlanta United next season.
That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!
2025 Orlando Pride Season In Review: Haley McCutcheon
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