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Orlando City

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

Published

7 years ago

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Our neighbors from the north came to visit again, for the third of three match-ups. It was a prime time battle on ESPN for Rivalry Week. I guess this is now a rivalry since it was scheduled during Rivalry Week, promoted heavily, and had a national televised audience. Now I will be super curious how things unfold if Miami ever actually gets its act together and enters MLS.

It was a good match, one that you would expect from a rivalry, and an unfortunate loss for the Lions, who I thought played really well for the majority of the match. Without further ado, let’s see how the Lions rated individually in the tough 2-1 loss to Atlanta United.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5 — Only four minutes into the match and Joe had to go low quickly to stop a shot from distance, then it somewhat fell apart in the 21st minute when he fumbled the free kick from Ezequiel Barco, with the ball falling to Leandro González Pirez, who forced it in. His distribution was much better this match, with a few questionable moments, but generally an improvement. He came out, got big, but found himself on the ground too early on the historic Josef Martínez goal.

D, Victor “PC” Giro, 6 — Many were shocked to see PC start this match, and hopefully he put some of the vitriol to bed. He was caught out a few times, but this was another match were he and the other back were asked to play end line to end line. In a lovely counter in the 14th minute, Dom Dwyer found Chris Mueller, who attacked the box, and left PC a nice little back heel pass, which he took and fired a shot on goal, forcing a save from Brad Guzan. He had 86% passing accuracy, three tackles, and the one shot on frame.

D, Shane O’Neill, 5.5 — Good performance from one of the newest Lions, once again. It was good to see him side by side with Spector, although there were moments where you could tell the pair needed more time together. There were so many opportunities to take two steps forward and leave Atlanta offside.

D, Jonathan Spector, 5 — Every time Specs heads the ball it gives me chills. Great to see him back, wearing the captain’s armband, but his time off the pitch was apparent. He looked a little rusty, but that could be expected. He did have two tackles, but was only able to complete 79% of his passes. Spector went with Almiron when he should have stayed with Martinez on the second Atlanta goal, but that is easy to say watching it the next morning.

D, Scott Sutter, 7 (MotM) — Quick breakdown of some facts from the match: 84% passing accuracy, two successful dribbles, two aerials won, and two tackles. He was a force on the right, playing well from end line to end line, and well, what about that shot? That might have been one of the purest strikes I have seen from a Lion this season.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6.5 — Uri had another good match, and was high on the list for MotM for me. He had four successful tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions. He paired extremely well with the newest Lion, who we will discuss in a minute, and helped to lead a pretty solid defensive effort, one that seemed to frustrate Atlanta for a good portion of the match.

MF, Carlos Ascues, 6.5 — Debut match for Carlos, and one that should have endeared him to all the fans. His is a large presence on the pitch, but his touch, his skill, and his vision were an even bigger present. He crisscrossed the pitch, made forward runs when space was available, and had that nice little cross to Mueller to start the run of play that led to the Sutter goal. He played two thirds of the game, finishing with 93% passing accuracy and two tackles, and I certainly hope he will be a permanent new addition to the team. His presence and ability open up a number of opportunities.

MF, Josué Colmán, 5 — A tough night for the club’s Young Designated Player. He was 89% accurate on passes, but had no real success taking on opponents with the ball. He did manage two shots during the match, but neither were on target.

MF, Will Johnson, 6 — Two weeks on from that tackle, which led to that play in D.C., Will got a chance to start in, once again, a different position in the starting XI. One thing about Will is that he leaves it all on the pitch, and he did so again against Atlanta. He finished with 90% passing accuracy, an interception, three chances created, and an assist for his nice little flick to Sutter.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Hearing the stadium PA blast Wu Tang Clan’s C.R.E.A.M. during warm-ups had me convinced that we would see a big performance from Cash Mueller, and he certainly put forth a notable effort. He had the most successful take-ons of any player on the pitch, at four, but his passing accuracy was a bit low at 81%. It was good to see him being a little more “selfish” on the ball and driving the box in the offensive end. He still needs to generate more shots, finishing without one on the night.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6 — Again, Dom was marked and sandwiched by the two Atlanta center backs from the first whistle. His trap, spin, and pass to Mueller who drove the box and eventually left it for PC to shoot was a lovely run of play. Also, big save for Dom in the 60th minute after the free kick led to three Atlanta shots, two saved by Bendik, and the final one saved by Dom, who maintained his near post position. His one shot was on target.

Substitutes:

MF, Pierre Da Silva (61’), 5.5 — PDS came on with about 30 minutes left in the match, and showed some flashes of that ability we have seen from him, but it will be a little hard to grade him due to Orlando not really having much possession during his time on the pitch. His passing (55.6% on just nine attempts) must be better, but he did have a tackle and an interception.

MF, Stefano Pinho (67’), 5 — Subbed on for Ascues, which had a number of us wondering what effect it would have on the run of play. He certainly did not have the effect that the player he replaced had on the match.

MF, José Villarreal (87’), N/A — Villareal didn’t see the field long enough to make much of an impact.

That is how I saw it folks, so lets hear your opinions. Let us know in the poll below who you thought was the Man of the Match, and leave me some comments on how you graded the squad.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Will Johnson2
Carlos Ascues43
Oriol Rosell3
Scott Sutter42
Chris Mueller6
Other7

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/10/25

Get to know an Orlando City Homegrown Player, Angelina and Marta called up, scouting Switzerland, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

on

June 10, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Tuesday, gang. It was a good weekend for Orlando soccer, as Orlando City B and the Orlando Pride both picked up wins. The games will come thick and fast this week, as OCB, the Pride and Orlando City will all be in action over the course of the next few days. We have plenty to discuss today, so let’s get right into it.

Get to Know Zakaria Taifi

With Orlando City in the midst of a small break in between games, now is a good time to familiarize yourself with one of the Lions’ Homegrown players. Zakaria Taifi is the first player to advance through the full gamut of OCSC’s youth development pathway, as the 19-year-old started out at the U-9 Orlando City Soccer school before advancing to the club’s academy, then Orlando City B, and finally signing a Homegrown Contract with the first team. In my opinion, one of the highlights of his conversation with the club’s website is a picture of Taifi with all of his jerseys from each step in his pathway to the first team. He remembers standing outside Inter&Co Stadium when it was still being built, and spoke about how he wants to set a good example for other young players in the Lions’ youth teams.

Angelina and Marta Called Up

Angelina and Marta have both been called up to represent Brazil in this summer’s Copa America Femenina. The pair have been key performers for the Orlando Pride this year, with Marta playing in every game for the team while Angelina has appeared in all but one. Brazil is the defending champion of the tournament and will begin play on July 13 when it faces Venezuela. It will also have group games against Bolivia, Paraguay, and Colombia. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, while the two third-place finishers will go to the fifth-place match.

Scouting Switzerland

The United States Men’s National Team will conclude its preparations for the Gold Cup by taking on Switzerland in Nashville tonight. The Swiss are currently ranked 20th in the world and made it to the quarterfinals of last summer’s European Championship. The team is littered with guys playing in Europe, and features familiar names like Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Granit Xhaka. Head Coach Murat Yakin has been setting his team up in a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 and emphasizes both man marking and pressing. That’s something that could prove difficult for the USMNT, as both goals it conceded against Turkey came as a result of being unable to successfully play out of the back and break the opposition’s smothering press. If nothing else, the game should provide an opportunity to show what, if anything, was learned from Saturday’s 2-1 loss. The U.S. will be without Tyler Adams though, as he’s dealing with a foot problem and will potentially miss the start of the Gold Cup.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

There are plenty of transfer market whisperings bouncing about this time of year, so let’s take a minute to run through a few of them. Of chief interest to USMNT fans is a reported move to Lyon for Matt Turner, who is in desperate need of regular minutes. Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag reportedly wants to sign Jack Grealish as a replacement for Florian Wirtz. Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing one of Marc-Andre ter Stegen or Lucas Chevalier to replace Andre Onana. Finally, Liverpool is said to have joined Chelsea in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to a pair of Orlando City youth teams for winning some silverware!
  • We’re starting to get a clearer idea of who will be on the roster for the MLS All-Star Game.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/9/25

Lions on international duty, Duncan McGuire undergoes shoulder surgery, Pride and OCB win, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

June 9, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering sports around the Chicago area. Before we get started, let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Prisca Chilufya, who turned 26 on Sunday. Our Lions were off this weekend, but the Pride and OCB picked up wins. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions on International Duty

Several Lions were in action over the weekend on international duty. Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese earned a clean sheet for Peru in a scoreless draw against Colombia Friday in a Conmebol World Cup qualifying match. Peru will face Ecuador on Tuesday.

Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic delivered a nice assist to set up Ivan Perisic’s goal in his country’s 7-0 win over Gibraltar in UEFA World Cup qualifying Friday. Croatia will face the Czech Republic later today.

Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time for the U-18 U.S. Men’s National Team to beat Australia 3-2 in the UEFA Friendship Cup and remain undefeated in the group stage.

Duncan McGuire Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

Orlando City announced Friday that striker Duncan McGuire had undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. McGuire will be out for a considerable amount of time, and the club has not provided a timeline for the striker’s recovery. He had played in 12 matches, started three, and scored one goal in the regular season, adding an assist. The striker position was already thin for Orlando, and with McGuire sidelined, Oscar Pareja will have to make adjustments. We’ll have to wait and see if Orlando City decides to add another striker when the MLS Secondary Transfer Window rolls around on July 24. We at The Mane Land wish McGuire a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the pitch soon.

Pride Blank Houston Dash at Home on Late Goal

The Orlando Pride defeated the Houston Dash 1-0 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The match went down to the last second as Cori Dyke scored her first professional goal for the Pride at the death to seal the win. Orlando has won back-to-back matches and is second in the NWSL table with 22 points. The Pride will begin a two-match road trip starting Friday, taking on Bay FC.

OCB Stuns Huntsville City FC on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Huntsville City FC 3-2 Friday at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Young Lions struck first as Hayden Sargis scored the opener. Huntsville City FC answered with two goals to take a 2-1 lead. OCB overcame a 2-1 deficit and scored two late goals from Jhon Solis and Dyson Clapier to take home the three points. The win lifted the Young Lions to third in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference standings with 20 points. OCB has won two straight and will be back on the road Wednesday to take on Carolina Core FC.

Despite Early Goal, USMNT Falls to Turkey in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 2-1 to Turkey Saturday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT in a friendly. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman made his debut for the USMNT, starting the match and playing 90 minutes. Jack McGlynn scored the opening goal in 59 seconds to give the USMNT the early lead. However, Turkey scored back-to-back goals later in the first half to take a 2-1 lead — the first on a howler of a mistake by Johnny Cardoso — and held on for the win. It’s the third straight defeat for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad as we’re nearly a year away from kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The USMNT will look to bounce back with another friendly Tuesday against Switzerland in Nashville. The USMNT’s first match in the Concacaf Gold Cup is June 15 against Trinidad & Tobago.

Portugal Wins Second UEFA Nations League Title

Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw to win a second UEFA Nations League title. Portugal was down 2-1 in the second half before Cristiano Ronaldo scored the equalizer. It was Ronaldo’s 138th career international goal. After no goals in extra time, the match went to penalties. Tied 3-3 after three rounds, Nuno Mendes converted from the spot for Portugal, while Alvaro Morata of Spain saw his shot saved in the fourth round. Ruben Neves put it away in the final round of penalties to claim the UEFA Nations League trophy.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Nani and his Nani FC side fell 2-1 to Concafa SC in the quarterfinals of The Soccer Tournament Saturday. Another former Lion, Brek Shea, scored the winning goal for Concafa SC to book a spot in the semifinals.
  • The National Women’s Soccer League announced its Best XI for May and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was honored on the squad after scoring the Pride’s first-ever hat trick against the Utah Royals on May 23.
  • Chelsea forward Mia Fishel is reportedly in discussions with multiple NWSL clubs as she seeks a summer transfer move. Fishel was drafted by the Orlando Pride in 2022 but didn’t sign with the club at the time, instead signing with Tigres in Mexico.
  • Luciano Spalletti announced during a press conference Sunday that he has been fired as manager of the Italian National Team. Italy began its 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-0 loss to Norway over the weekend.
  • France defeated Germany 2-0 to win the third-place match in the UEFA Nations League.
  • Major League Soccer and its players union have been unable to come to an agreement as talks continue over the Club World Cup prize money and player compensation.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City Striker Duncan McGuire Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

It’s the other shoulder this time, but Big Dunc is on the shelf for awhile again after undergoing surgery.

Published

4 days ago

on

June 6, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City announced today that Duncan McGuire has undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery was performed by Orlando City Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Mintzer of the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute performed the surgery. Mintzer previously repaired the labrum and rotator cuff in McGuire’s right shoulder back in December for an injury he sustained in Orlando City’s playoff match against Charlotte FC Nov. 9 when he was pulled down by Djibril Diani.

The club’s press release said the 24-year-old striker’s return to play is expected “later this year.” The recovery given for his right shoulder surgery in late 2024 was listed as four to five months, but McGuire was able to come back and play much earlier than expected, appearing for the first time in 2025 in Orlando’s March 15 against the New York Red Bulls — at least a month before the earliest initial projection — however, this time there was no mention of damage to the rotator cuff.

Regardless, the Lions will be without the big target striker for a considerable amount of time.

McGuire had appeared in 12 matches during the regular season in 2025, starting three and scoring one goal and adding an assist. His goal came recently, serving as the game winner in Orlando’s 1-0 home victory over the Portland Timbers on May 24. He was recently listed as questionable on the club’s availability report ahead of the team’s most recent match against the Chicago Fire.

Orlando City drafted McGuire in the first round (No. 6 overall) in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. After a breakout rookie campaign, in which the Omaha, NE native scored 14 goals, he was courted by several teams in Europe, signing with Blackburn Rovers, only to see the transfer rejected by the English Football League due to an administrative error by the EFL Championship club. After returning to Orlando, McGuire signed a new deal on Aug. 22 to remain a Lion. The new contract runs through 2027 with a club option for 2028. McGuire scored 10 goals and added three assists in 2024. For his Orlando City career, McGuire has appeared in 88 games (46 starts) across all competitions, scoring a total of 28 goals to go along with seven assists.

What It Means for Orlando City

McGuire appeared to be just finding his form, so this injury is unfortunate. The club didn’t put a timeline on McGuire’s recovery this time, but shaving a little off his 2024 recovery estimate, it’s likely that he’ll be out until at least some time in September.

Oscar Pareja has been favoring a 4-4-2 with Luis Muriel and Martin Ojeda up top in recent weeks, with Ramiro Enrique — who is also finding his form — typically spelling one of them when needed. Not having McGuire will affect Pareja’s late-game substitution pattern when Orlando is trailing, as he likes to put Enrique and McGuire both on the field when chasing the game. It also takes the team’s best target striker option out of the lineup when dealing with back lines with lots of height.

McGuire brings size and strength and an ability to occupy center backs that others on the roster can’t replicate. There are times when Enrique’s game is better suited to the opponent, but without McGuire there will be no ability to pivot. With Jack Lynn’s off-season retirement, that leaves the striker pickings mighty slim on the Orlando City bench. That might change Ricardo Moreira’s approach to the MLS Secondary Transfer Window.

Losing a scorer of McGuire’s caliber is always difficult, but this season it could be the difference between finishing high in the table and simply getting into the postseason in a strong Eastern Conference field.

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