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Orlando City

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

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7 years ago

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It was a great performance for Orlando City tonight, beating New York City FC 4-2 on the woodwork challenge. The Lions did, however, do a poor job in the soccer game itself, losing 2-0 at home. They took 21 shots but only five hit the target and NYCFC scored two goals in five minutes at the end of the first half to come away with all three points.

Starters

GK, Earl Edwards, Jr., 6 — Edwards was not at fault on either of the goals. After leaving the previous game with an ankle injury, he did what he had to do tonight, making three saves. His distribution was typical for what has been expected from the Landlord, although he did have a few turnovers, and the defeat says nothing of his performance. In the fifth minute, Edwards made a spectacular double save. Maxi Morález was on a breakaway after a turnover. Edwards made the first save and the ball fell right back to Morález, and the Landlord kept it out.

D, PC, 2 — By far the worst player on the field tonight and it started out early on. A bad pass in the fifth minute led to the NYCFC opportunity that needed an Edwards double save. He missed a great chance to open the scoring in the 17th minute from about 10 yards out. New York City’s second goal was PC’s fault, as he mistimed his challenge in the box, sliding into next year, as Anton Tinnerholm easily got past him, shot, and scored. PC did almost create a goal in the 50th minute after good ball movement and ran up the field but the chance ended with a turnover in the final third. New York City got a goal that was called back for an offside in the 75th minute but PC got lucky as he was caught ball watching and Morález was wide open. In the dying minutes, he kept two NYCFC players onside. Luckily he made the tackle to stop the attack, but it could have been called for a foul. In his second start of the year, PC finished with 75% passing accuracy and three tackles.

D, Chris Schuler, 4.5 — Overall, the center back did not have a bad day. He made a few mistakes and it was not his best performance but not awful at all. In the fifth minute his poor touch from a PC back pass led to a one-on-one with Edwards. On the visitors’ first goal he had some poor defending and missed timed his tackle on Rodney Wallace, who took a shot and scored. He also hit the crossbar in the 78th minute on a deflected shot and finished the game with three tackles, one clearance, and one block.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6 — O’Neill was the best player on the field, and then he got himself sent off. He was the clear choice for the Man of the Match but he got ejected after video review for a tackle on Morález in the 83rd minute. It was a late challenge and Morález left the game afterwards. He made a great run down the field in the 43rd minute but was unable to control the ball after playing a one-two with Yoshi. He also made an absolute perfect sliding tackle in the 70th minute to save a golden opportunity for Tinnerholm to get a brace. O’Neill played 83 minutes, making two tackles, two interceptions, three clearances, and even got off two shots, albeit neither on target.

D, RJ Allen, 6.5 (MotM)— Allen was effective on both ends of the field. Defensively, he made two tackles and one clearance. He also provided three key passes, and put in six crosses, finishing with an 81% passing accuracy. In the 35th minute he stopped an NYCFC attack in the box after a Yoshi turnover. He was on the end of a late tackle from Ben Sweat around the 50th minute. The sliding challenge looked to have broken his leg but after receiving some treatment Allen ran back onto the field. He got down the field in the attacking end and then minutes later tracked all the way back to cover when PC got beat yet again.

MF, Will Johnson, 6.5 — Solid overall performance from Johnson. He did not make any clear errors tonight but he was also pretty quiet. He played central defensive midfield for the most part which helped him get a game high of five tackles while also adding an interception and two clearances. Johnson’s passing accuracy of 74% could have been better.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 5.5 — Higuita made a great pass in 17th minute. He faked a shot then played a great ball to PC, who couldn’t finish. The midfielder also had some great hustle in the 64th minute to get on the end of a loose, deflected ball. He got a head on it and looked to have been fouled but the ball went out for a goal kick and there was no call. That was his last kick of the game, as James O’Connor substituted the midfielder out for Tony Rocha. Higuita finished with a 79% passing accuracy.

MF, Chris Mueller, 4.5 — The rookie did not have many chances in the game and the ones that did come to him he did not do well with. It was a disappointing game. He should have scored in the 58th minute but took just a half second too long and Alex Ring was able to come back to defend it out for a corner. He was not even credited with a shot there and finished the game with no shots at all and just 23 touches and eight passes.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6.5 — Kljestan drifted around a lot tonight and ended up on the ball a lot. He made a game-high five key passes, took two shots, and finished with an impressive 91% passing accuracy. Statistically, he was one of the best players on the field, and it certainly was a better performance today then he has had in many games this season, but he still needs to do more. He had a great chance at goal in the 47th minute but he opted to pass it out wide to Mueller instead of shooting and the opportunity was wasted.

MF, Yoshimar Yotún, 5 — Yoshi tried the same thing the entire game — shooting from distance — and it did not work once. Over and over he took long-range shots and most of his seven attempts were blocked. He hit the crossbar in 38th minute off a curling left-footed shot from distance. After a great spell of possession in the 61st minute, Yoshi ended up with the ball at the six-yard box. He should have scored but instead hit the post and then New York City went straight onto the counter. He ended the game with a game high 108 touches but did not have a big enough effect on the match. His turnover led to the second NYC goal.

F, Dom Dwyer, 5— Dwyer was extremely quiet tonight. He failed to score on six shots, of which just half hit the target, and it took until the 33rd minute for his first shot to come. He had a one-on-one with Sean Johnson in the 63rd minute, with all the time in the world, and hit the ‘keeper in the middle of the chest on what should have been an easy goal.

Substitutes

MF, Tony Rocha (67’), 4 — Simply put, Rocha came on to change the game and there was no difference from his entrance and it was essentially a waste of a substitute. He played 23 minutes, did not get off any shots nor make any tackles, and connected on just seven passes.

MF, Stéfano Pinho (71’), 5— The effort was there from Pinho tonight but that was about all. He made a good tackle right when he came on to stop Ismael Tajouri-Shradi from getting into a good position. He created two chances and had a passing accuracy of 90% on 10 passes.

MF, Josué Colmán (82’), N/A — Seven minutes after coming on Colmán joined in on the fun and hit the crossbar after his ball deflected off of Sweat. He also made two key passes in just eight minutes, which was tied for the third most on the team. He was able to get into the box often but was unable to produce anything from his attempts.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Earl Edwards, Jr. 16
Shane O’Neill23
RJ Allen7
Sacha Kljestan21
Will Johnson4
Other15

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/14/25

Luana signs new contract, Orlando Pride prepare for semifinal, Marta and Jacquie Ovalle nominated for FIFA Marta Award, and more.

Published

2 hours ago

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November 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! The international soccer this week has been pretty nice to watch, with teams all over the world trying to secure a spot in the greatest tournament in sports — the World Cup. The NWSL playoffs return Saturday, making it a nice time to be a soccer fan. I’ll be spending most of the weekend watching soccer and trying to make a pumpkin pie cheesecake. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Re-Sign Luana

Midfielder Luana has signed a new contract with the Orlando Pride that will last through 2026, with a mutual option for 2027. This news comes after Luana scored her first goal for the Pride one week ago, converting a late penalty kick to seal the win against the Seattle Reign. Luana joined the Pride prior to the 2024 season but missed a majority of that season and the 2025 campaign after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and undergoing treatment and recovery. The Pride’s midfield is now fairly set for the 2026 season, with Luana, Angelina, Haley McCutcheon, and Viviana Villacorta all under contract.

Orlando Pride Prepare for NWSL Semifinal

The Orlando Pride will host NJ/NY Gotham FC Sunday in the semifinals of this year’s NWSL playoffs. It will be a clash between the two most recent NWSL champions, with Orlando winning last year and Gotham winning in 2024. Orlando will have to find a way to get past 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year Ann-Katrin Berger, while also keeping Gotham’s many talented attacking players from making too much noise. It will be the last Pride game at Inter&Co Stadium this season, so make sure to get out and support the team for this massive game if able to do so.

Marta and Jacquie Ovalle Nominated for Marta Award

The nominees were revealed for this year’s FIFA Marta award, which celebrates the best goal in women’s soccer, and Orlando Pride teammates Marta and Jacquie Ovalle made the list. I’m not surprised to see Ovalle’s “shrimp” goal that she scored while with Tigres nominated, as I’ve never seen anything quite like it and it took some impressive acrobatic skill.

Marta, who won last year, was nominated this year for her goal against the Kansas City Current on Nov. 17, 2024. She sent a pair of Current defenders sliding with a nice cutback move in the box before dribbling around goalkeeper Almuth Schult and scoring to push the Pride into the NWSL Championship.

American midfielder Ally Sentnor was nominated for her screamer for the U.S. during the SheBelieves Cup. While I think Ovalle’s goal is the best of the bunch, there are some pretty good options from around the world so make sure to check them out and vote!

MLS Officially Changes Competition Calendar

A major shift is coming to MLS, as the league’s MLS Board of Governors voted to change the competition calendar to run from summer to spring like most European leagues. This new format is set to start in the summer of 2027, with the league kicking off near the end of July. Prior to that, there will be a 14-game transition season in 2027 from February to May to determine qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup, U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup. This is one of the biggest changes in league history and I’m curious about how jarring the breaks in the winter and summer will end up being. Hopefully the benefits regarding the transfer market pan out though!

MLS Season Pass Will End After 2025

Starting in 2026, MLS games will be part of Apple TV’s streaming service at no additional cost to subscribers. As a result, MLS Season Pass will conclude after this year. It’s pretty great news for fans, especially those of us already paying for an Apple TV subscription. Another part of this news is that an Apple TV subscription will be part of full-season ticket packages in 2026. MLS games have been streamed on MLS Season Pass since 2023 as part of a 10-year broadcasting deal between the league and Apple.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Kevin Molino scored a late equalizer in Trinidad & Tobago’s 1-1 draw with Jamaica in World Cup qualifying. Orlando City’s Tyrese Spicer also started in the match and was denied a goal on a great save in the first half by Andre Blake.

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

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Orlando City

2025 Orlando City Season In Review: Robin Jansson

The captain’s play declined slightly, but he was still a first-choice player when healthy.

Published

22 hours ago

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November 13, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Robin Jansson back in early March of 2019, and he has been a starter at center back ever since. There is no question that he is one of the club’s all-time great players, and he is also on the list of all-time fan favorites as well. The team recognized his efforts with a new contract before the 2024 season that went through the 2025 season with a club option for the 2026 season, and as of this writing, we do not know the status of that club option.

Let’s take a look back at the Beefy Swede’s seventh (!) season in purple.

Statistical Breakdown

Jansson’s total games played decreased for the third straight season, partially due to the early playoff exit and also due to a few injuries. When healthy, he started nearly every game though, slotting in as the left center back in Orlando City’s usual back four alignment.

In MLS regular-season play, Jansson appeared in 30 of Orlando’s 34 matches, starting all 30 and playing a total of 2,614 minutes —the fourth-most minutes of any player. He scored one goal, making it four out of the last five seasons that he has scored from his center back position, and added one assist. He attempted seven shots and put four on target. Jansson completed 88% of his passes, including career-high completion percentages on short (96%) and medium (95%) passes, and contributed five key passes. On the defensive side, he compiled 25 tackles, 24 interceptions, 136 clearances, and 20 blocks. He committed 20 fouls and suffered 23, and he received eight yellow cards but no red cards.

Orlando City went with its usual back four in the Eastern Conference wild card game, and even though Jansson was not 100% healthy, he started and went the full 90 minutes. He did not take any shots or contribute to a goal, completing 83% of his passes with no key passes. He added one tackle and three clearances on defense and committed zero fouls while suffering one. He was not booked.

The Beefy Swede only played one game in the U.S. Open Cup, starting against Nashville and playing all 90 minutes. He did not take any shots or record any goal contributions, but he completed 93% of his passes with two key passes. Defensively, he did not have any tackles but tallied six clearances and blocked one shot. He committed three fouls, drew two on the opposition, and was not booked.

Jansson played every minute during the first five Leagues Cup games, starting all five and playing until the final whistle (this will be important later in this paragraph) for a total of 450 minutes. He did not take any shots or have any goal contributions, though he converted his spot kick attempt in the game against Toluca that went to a penalty shootout. Jansson completed 85% of his passes with one key pass. On defense, he contributed one tackle, five interceptions, 21 clearances, and five blocks. He committed one foul but suffered six, and received one yellow card during game action and one red card after the conclusion of the semifinal game against Miami, due to the language he used when talking to the officials. That resulted in a suspension that forced him to miss the road game at the LA Galaxy.

Best Game

While he scored his only goal of the season against New York City FC and chipped in his only assist against Miami, I think Jansson’s best all-around game was in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory over Charlotte on May 14. The big man turned back the clock in this one, leading the team in tackles (4), interceptions (4), and clearances (5), while also recovering four loose balls and blocking a shot. He brought his offensive boots as well, completing a team-leading 72 passes at a 95% completion rate, and going 49-for-52 (94%) on medium and long passes. It was his long ball over the top to Alex Freeman that set up Orlando City’s second goal, and while he did not receive an assist, that goal would not have happened without his inch-perfect 50-yard bomb, which made Freeman look more like his wide receiver dad Antonio as he “caught” a long pass down the sideline. The Beefy Swede was excellent in helping the team secure all three points against Charlotte in a game that took Orlando City’s streak to 10 straight MLS games without a loss.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Jansson a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2025 season, which is a decrease from the 7.5 out of 10 that he received in 2024, and tied for the lowest he has ever received from our site (6.5 in 2019, 7 in 2020, 7.5 in 2021, 7 in 2022, and 8 in 2023). Father Time robbed Jansson of somewhere between a quarter-step and half-step during 2025, and with a slight decrease in speed, Jansson stayed home on defense more often, decreasing his progressive carries from seven in 2023 and 2024 to zero in 2025. The captain was still a more-than-capable MLS center back, but there was a slight dip from 2024 to 2025 — something not unique specifically to him — and that is reflected in our grade.

2026 Outlook

As mentioned, the decision on Jansson’s 2026 club option has not been publicly announced, but if he wants to return to Orlando, the Lions will likely do everything they can to make that happen. Jansson is the club’s all-time leader in appearances with 238 and probably would surpass 250 during the initial months of 2026 if he returns, further cementing his status as a club legend.

He may have lost a little of his speed, but as is reflected in our final grade and in positional rankings, like this one from American Soccer Analysis (he ranked 53rd out of 124 qualified center backs), Jansson is still an MLS-caliber center back and would have the inside track on a starting role in 2026.

With several other players out of contract and likely to depart, it is logical that the club would want to keep some stability in the middle of the defense, so the Lions are likely to either trigger his club option or sign him to a new contract — probably a one-year deal with an option for the 2027 season — at a lower salary than his current guaranteed compensation of $996,667. Triggering his club option probably would push his salary above $1,000,000, so I think the club will go the new contract route instead of the club option route since he declined this past season and is in the latter part of his career. I expect him to return though, and to continue to be a fan favorite for his passionate play on defense, great hair, and the leadership he shows during every minute of every game.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/13/25

Wilder Cartagena agrees to new Orlando City contract, Inter&Co Stadium hosts food drive, Carson Pickett chosen for NWSL Skills Challenge, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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November 13, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope you all enjoyed the cold weather, as it looks like things will be warming up pretty soon. It’s been pretty nice to exist outside without sweating, and hopefully that trend continues this weekend since it includes an Orlando Pride playoff match in the City Beautiful on Sunday. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links!

Wilder Cartagena Will Stay In Orlando

Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena agreed to a new contract with Orlando City that will last through 2026 with a club option for 2027. The 31-year-old was a key part of Orlando’s midfield in 2024 but missed the entirety of the 2025 season due to an Achilles injury sustained during the preseason. With the status of many defensive players up in the air this off-season, it’s nice knowing that at least Cartagena will be a familiar face holding things down in 2026.

Community Food Drive at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are teaming up with The Ruckus for a food drive to help ensure families have essential items for the holidays. Donations of shelf-stable and nonperishable food items will be accepted Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Nov. 26, with locations at the club’s front office and the Gate D lobby at Inter&Co Stadium. This will coincide with other annual food drives to address food insecurity in the community. The holidays can be a rough time for many of us, so let’s make sure to check out ways we can help each other if able.

Carson Pickett Selected for NWSL Skills Challenge

The NWSL unveiled details about this year’s NWSL Skills Challenge, and Orlando Pride defender Carson Pickett is one of seven players slated to participate. Players who are set to play in the NWSL Championship won’t take part in the event though, so hopefully that’s the case for Pickett. Other players set to participate include Croix Bethune and Racheal Kundananji, with the rosters for each of the two competing teams set to be revealed later. The winning team of the Skills Challenge will get $30,000 of prize money to split and this year’s competition will feature a crossbar challenge, a relay race, and a gauntlet involving scoring on mini goals.

Atlanta Officially Receives an NWSL Team

The NWSL officially awarded an expansion club to Atlanta and the club will be owned by Arthur Blank, who also owns Atlanta United. This team in Atlanta will be the closest one to the Pride in terms of distance, so we’ll see if a rivalry of sorts develops between the two. It’s all still a few years away though. The club is set to begin play in 2028 and will play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with modifications expected and a capacity of about 28,000 people. The NWSL’s expansion has been steady, with the Denver Summit and Boston Legacy set to take the field for the first time next year. I’ve been enjoying the balanced schedule in the league in recent years but am curious how the league will adjust to having Atlanta and possibly another team in the mix in 2028.

Free Kicks

  • American defender Walker Zimmerman’s time in Nashville will reportedly come to a close once his contract expires this winter. I can think of one team that could use some help at center back.

🇺🇸 BREAKING: Club legend Walker Zimmerman will depart Nashville SC this winter when his contract expires, per sources.Zimmerman is a two-time MLS Defender of the Year winner. Joined ahead of inaugural season. Lifted U.S. Open Cup this year.www.nytimes.com/athletic/680…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-11-12T17:10:38.546Z
  • San Jose Earthquakes winger Cristian Espinoza is reportedly a free agent as well. The MLS veteran had four goals and 12 assists this year and is a creative player to keep an eye on as teams look to keep up in the league-wide arms race for talented attackers.

🇦🇷 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes star Cristian Espinoza is a free agent, as club didn't pick up his 2026 option before contract's deadline passed.Quakes made a new contract offer to Espinoza, who prefers to stay in MLS but is open abroad too.www.nytimes.com/athletic/680…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-11-12T19:37:01.515Z
  • MLS owners are once again expected to vote on changing the league schedule to run from fall to spring. As an avid romance novel reader, I’m used to this “will they, won’t they” rigmarole from the league about this and won’t believe anything until the Lions are up to their manes in snow for a January game in Colorado.

MLS owners are *expected* to vote on flipping to fall-spring calendar at Thursday's BOG meeting. Changes to competition format also expected.Let's see if it actually comes to a vote, but implications are enormous. Exclusive details with @tombogert.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/680…

— Paul Tenorio (@paultenorio.bsky.social) 2025-11-12T19:13:19.622Z
  • Wolverhampton hired Rob Edwards as its next manager and he has his work cut out for him. Dead last in the English Premier League, Wolverhampton has yet to win a game this season and has only scored seven goals in 11 matches.
  • World Cup qualifying is back and many eyes will be on Victor Osimhen as he aims to lead Nigeria towards qualification. Nigeria will take on Gabon in a semifinal today, with the winner taking on whichever team prevails between Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • The 2028 Euros will be hosted across the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the opener taking place in Cardiff City and the semifinals and final set for Wembley Stadium in London.

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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