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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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Hoo boy. As far as games go, the one I just watched Orlando City SC play was…rough, to say the least. The Lions dropped their eighth straight game and did so by an ugly scoreline. It was not a good performance overall by the team, and the players rated individually as follows:

Starters

GK Joe Bendik, 5 — It was a rough night for every player on the field and sadly Bendik was no exception. Out of six Atlanta shots on target Joe managed two saves and while his defenders didn’t do him any favors on the first goal, and Barco was helped by a lucky bounce on the third, he’ll surely want the second and fourth goals back. On the first he almost certainly should have been quicker off his line, and on the fourth he was beaten through his legs at his near post.

D, Jonathan Spector, 4.5 — Perhaps he wasn’t helped by two small deflections on the first Atlanta goal, but the captain allowed Josef Martinez in behind him for the easiest goal of the Atlanta striker’s life. He was then caught out of position and subsequently failed to slow down or foul Miguel Almiron on the fourth Atlanta goal. Not his best game.

D, Lamine Sané, 5 — He had some good moments when bringing the ball out of defense, but the defender, although perhaps thrown off by a deflection off Amro Tarek, failed to clear the cross that eventually found Martinez. He was also slow coming out to challenge Miguel Almiron, which allowed the striker to get off the shot that eventually led to the third goal.

D, Amro Tarek, 6 — Tarek had a reasonably good game considering the eventual scoreline. He does lose points for failing to clear the cross on the first goal, and probably should have closed down Almiron faster for his second goal. Like Sané though, he did good work in the attack, often popping up alongside Mohamed El-Munir on the left flank, as well as narrowly heading wide and being denied on the goal line by Mikey Ambrose.

WB, Mohamed El-Munir, 6 — He was caught very much out of position on the pass that led to Almiron’s first goal, and then didn’t take the best line to track back and try to stop the goal. Aside from that though, he generally defended well and found himself up the field on numerous occasions, and had some joy in 1-v-1 situations, with five successful dribbles. Other than that though, he wan’t able to make his presence felt further.

MF, Will Johnson, 4.5 — Johnson was his usual hard-working self but failed to capitalize on Orlando’s best chance of the game, spooning a shot wide of the open net after Oriol Rosell forced a save from Brad Guzan. He made some good tackles, but an early yellow card saw him subbed off for Richie Laryea with Bobby Murphy trying to change the game.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — Rosell looked fairly composed in midfield, passing the ball well, making a few good tackles, and winning all three of his aerial duels. However, he and Johnson found themselves unable to contain the dynamic trio of Ezequiel Barco, Hector Villalba, and Almiron. His shot from range forced Guzan to give up the rebound that Johnson was unable to put away, but too often Atlanta’s players had too much time on the ball in midfield.

WB, Scott Sutter, 5 — He might have done more to try to stop Martinez during the break for Atlanta’s second goal but it was a difficult scenario to get right. Sutter’s rating is rather a result of failing to make much an impact in the final third. As accurate as Sutter’s crossing normally is, it was a skill that was not on display often enough during the game. Especially considering he was deployed on the wing, his lack of contribution to the offensive effort was disappointing.

MF/F Sacha Kljestan, 5 — Deployed in the hole behind Chris Mueller and Dom Dwyer, Kljestan found it difficult to make his influence felt on the game. It was always going to be a difficult task given the opposition was of Atlanta’s caliber, but Kljestan’s passing lacked crispness and at times his legs seemed heavy. Granted, he and other members of the squad have played a lot of minutes recently, but it has to be better from a player who was one of the league’s best last year.

F, Chris Mueller, 6 (MotM) — Mueller was the best source of Orlando energy on the field. As fans have become accustomed to seeing, he ran all night long. While his passing wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, he made up for it by completing several dribbles, winning the corner and the resulting header that led to Tarek’s goal line chance. His stats don’t necessarily jump off the page but he certainly gave his all and gets the MotM nod for just how damn hard he worked.

F, Dom Dwyer, 4.5 — It’s never good when your best striker doesn’t take a single shot all night, and that was exactly the case with Dom. While it wasn’t all his fault, as the service wasn’t exactly pouring in from all directions, it’s still an ugly stat, and his passing wasn’t accurate enough to make up for it. He did what he could, but it was a night to forget for him.

Substitutes

MF, Richie Laryea, (63’), 4 — Brought on for Will Johnson with Orlando down three goals, Richie passed well enough and managed a shot, but didn’t do the best job of containing Mikey Ambrose before the ex-Orlando player fed Almiron to score his third goal. Ultimately he was unable to provide the necessary spark off the bench.

MF, Stefano Pinho, (68’) 4.5 — Pinho replaced Lamine Sané as Orlando looked to throw the proverbial kitchen sink at their opponents. Spoiler alert, it didn’t work, with Pinho only able to fire wide during stoppage time after Mueller did well to find him. The Brazilian worked hard enough, but wasn’t able to produce an end product.

D, RJ Allen, (68’) 4.5 – Allen replaced Scott Sutter, who is still working his way back to full fitness following a spell on the sidelines with injury. Allen didn’t make any horrific errors, but also didn’t do anything of particular note. A quiet night for him on a difficult night for the team.

Rough grades for a rough performance. Vote in the poll and let us know who you think was the best on a bad night.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Amro Tarek52
Chris Mueller36
Oriol Rosell5
Mohamed El-Munir3
Other (Let us know who in the comments)14

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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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25 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.

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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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