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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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Orlando City gave up a lead on the road again, this time falling to the LA Galaxy, 4-3 in a tough loss. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat trick to lead the Galaxy to victory as Orlando just was not able to keep up in the slugfest. In spite of not getting a result, the Lions played well offensively and here is how each Lion rated individually in the match.

Starters

GK, Earl Edwards Jr., 6.5 — Started the match strong and had his first real taste of the Galaxy attack in the seventh minute on an Ibrahimovic shot directly at him. Earl had an amazing cross-hand save in the 43rd minute on a header from Ola Kamara. He had numerous great saves against Zlatan, but possibly none better than the one-on-one save after Zlatan striped the ball away from Chris Schuler in the box and ended up alone with just Edwards to beat. Not a lot Earl could do on most of the goals as the back line left him high and dry.

D, Victor “PC” Giro, 5.5 — Starting at the left back position again, PC looked extremely shaky in the first half. He did get forward on the wings and was able to track back when required, the chaos of the back line left him isolated numerous times with Zlatan, who he stood up well once but could not out-jump him on the Galaxy’s second goal. His defensive positoning was questionable, but I am not sure if it was all on him, or simply a byproduct of the lack of cohesion on the back line. Also, 93% passing.

D, Amro Tarek, 5 — Tarek was beaten in the air on the buildup to Zlatan’s second goal and then got beat in a race into his own area by Ibrahimovic, who finished a diving header off of Kamara’s cross. Had a great chance in the later stages of the match on a set piece, but could not get his header down. Unfortunately, his clearance header in the 71st minute went to a wide open Zlatan for his third, and the goal that gave the Galaxy the 4-3 lead.

D, Chris Schuler, 5 — Rough night for the defensive line, and Schuler certainly showed it. Although he finished the match with an 88% passing success, he was slow to recover on the dangerous Galaxy counters, was out of position too often, and the failed pass attempts were in dangerous positions and most led to LA chances. He also failed to get much distance on his headed clearances, leading to more sustained LA pressure in the second half.

D, Scott Sutter , 5.5 — It is certainly good to have Sutter back in the starting XI, but his lack of minutes was apparent. It was a bit quiet on the right side for the Lions, in fact the match, as most of the action was focused on the Lions’ left. He was the typical workhorse we have come to expect, but he started to look a bit tired after about the 65th minute.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 — How long will we be discussing that 18th minute passing and goal? Higuita was a man possessed on the pitch, leaving little open in the middle, with his one misstep seen in the challenge on Giovani Dos Santos at the top of the box in the 63rd minute It is amazing to watch his growth and progression, and you could certainly see the positive strides he has made in skill and attitude, plus a goal, 91% passing, and two shots.

MF, Tony Rocha, 6 — Played very well in the middle, completing 93% of his passes and three successful tackles. As with many of the other defensive-minded players, there were moments of being caught out of position and Rocha was not immune to this. Also, Rocha had a shot blocked in the 67th minute when he should have pushed the ball out to the left into wide open space. That block allowed a dangerous LA counter.

MF, Mohamed El-Munir, 7 — Although he has openly said it is not his favorite position to play, El-Munir looked like a natural playing the left midfield spot. Between the overlaps with PC, the interchange with Kljestan and Yoshi, and driving the end line, looking for Dom, as well as getting back to help the defense, it was also refreshing to see a Lion have no problem taking a shot on goal, and El-Munir ended the match with four shots, one on target with two blocked, and an assist.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 7.5 (MotM) — As stated above, how long will we be talking about the interplay between Kljestan and Higuita on that first goal? That is what we have been waiting for from the league assist king, and he certainly showed up. Cannot argue that he got a bit lucky on the Michael Ciani own goal as he honestly should have put his laces through the ball and taken the shot, but if not for Ciani’s own goal, his pass would have hit Yotún in stride. He finished with just 81% passing accuracy, but held almost six percent of the Lions’ possession, and certainly helped to drive the offense. This was easily his best match in a long time, even on those tired legs.

MF, Yoshimar Yotun, 7 — Still running around on the pitch like a man with a chip on his shoulder, Yoshi started this match on the right side of the midfield, but didn’t play there the entire match. In fact, he seemed to be on the left infinitely more than on the right. His passing accuracy was a bit lower than normal at 83%, but he also held almost seven percent of the Lions’ possession. He was easily one of the most dangerous players for the Lions and it was obvious that the Galaxy were marking him closely.

F, Dom Dwyer, 7 — Dwyer was barely mentioned or seen in the first half, but the second was a completely different story. In the 54th minute, Dom was able to get that separation he is known for, rising for a cross from El-Munir, and burying a header in the back of the net, leaving David Bingham flat-footed. Possibly the biggest moment for Dom was in the 85th as he was pulled back in a two-armed bear hug trying to get under a ball in the box with no call. It was the perfect opportunity for a review, as it certainly looked like Dom was fouled.

Substitutes

M, Will Johnson (74’), 6.5 — Johnson came on for Huigita and had the same tireless work ethic we have come to expect. Completed all eight of his passes and made one tackle.

F, Stefano Pinho (79’), 5 — Pinho came on with about 10 minutes left in the match to try to inject some energy in the offense. He had a great chance in the 88th on a cross from Yoshi that should have been on frame, but he headed it over the bar. The hustle was there, but the quality just has not surfaced yet.

M, Josué Colmán (84’), N/A — Dangerous from the moment he stepped on the pitch. It is almost impossible to grade him in the time allowed, but he certainly made every effort to positively affect the match, and certainly made the right side dangerous despite flubbing a late cross from Kljestan that he should have been able to send back across the box.

That is how I saw it, with a little help, and suggestions, from fellow contributors. It was an exciting match, and one that the Lions should have secured points in, but the hectic July schedule may have just caught up to them in the second half. How would you rate the players this match, and who was your Man of the Match? Vote below, and let me know how you rated the squad in the comments.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Dom Dwyer1
Cristian Higuita45
Earl Edwards Jr.28
Sacha Kljestan35
Yoshimar Yotún7
Other10

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

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14 minutes ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

Free Kicks

  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028

The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

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10 hours ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach

“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.” 

Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.

With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.” 

As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.

Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.

In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.

Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.

Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)

Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1

Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55

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Lion Links

Lion Links 4/16/25

Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.

All the Rankings

With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.

OCB Falls to Inter Miami II

Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.

Generation Adidas Cup Matchups

Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.

U.S. Eyes Gold Cup

We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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