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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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It was bound to be a storyline for the ages. Player is traded to Orlando City, things go south after a time, player is traded back to original team, he returns to Orlando to thunderous boos, and then something happens. Well, per a couches decision, that didn’t happen, but what did happen was Orlando snapped a winless streak at about the last, and best possible time.

All things considered, how did the Lions rate in tonight’s 2-1 defeat of Columbus Crew at home in the last of the home matches at Orlando City Stadium?

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 6.5 — The young keep played well, and by played well I mean kept Orlando City in this match. He leapt off his line when it was needed. His distribution was solid, his decisions to come off the line were good. For my vantage point in the stadium, there was not much he could have done on the free kick as it was struck about perfectly. His three saves were absolutely solid, and he he worked well with the back line to limit everything the road team threw at them.

D, Scott Sutter, 7 — Again, another solid outing for Mr. Consistent. He had an 86% passing accuracy and three solid shots (though none officially on goal), including one that rattled off the frame in the 90th minute. Sutter has been one of the bastions of light all season when he’s been healthy. His play was not perfect, but he certainly left nothing on the pitch.

D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — Another of the silent warriors, Shane held his own, and helped the back line limit the visitors to only eight shots. If you were not watching, Shane was that back-line figure who snuck up deep into the offensive half during the second half, including some cheeky footwork to get forward. His 89% passer rating from the defensive third was a bonus as well. He had a vital blocked shot in the 27th minute after a giveaway by Mohamed El-Munir, plus a tackle and two interceptions. However, he also conceded the foul that led to the Crew’s free kick goal.

D, Lamine Sané, 7 — The club started in a bit of a 3-5-1, that morphed throughout the game, with Sané at the center of that back line. All things considered, the defensive effort was solid, with Sané anchoring a line that was hell bent on giving the home crowd an effort to be proud of. He had an 88% passer rating and a team high five clearances, and it certainly looked as though he was the target of numerous corners, but at the end of the match, what matters most is the fact that he helped to anchor a back line that held the visiting team to half the number of the shots that City had.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 7 — I was really glad to see El-Mo in the starting XI with certain other starters tonight. I make no secret of the fact that he is who I want on the left side, either as the left back or left winger, as he is the strongest player to hold that position to date (fight me). He isn’t perfect, but a 90% passer rating, and the hustle on defense means everything, and that everything is something that El-Mo has given since joining the Lions. He did pass up some offensive opportunities, particularly in the 50th minute, and had that previously mentioned giveaway in the 27th, but he also tracked back well and had one tackle, three interceptions, and two clearances. He took four shots (one on frame) and created one chance.

MF, Carlos Ascues, 7 — Definitely making his case for acquisition of the year, Ascues was a terror in the defensive end. He was all over the pitch, sometimes getting forward, and played somewhere between his starting DM roll and what morphed into being a back/center back, and he certainly owned it. A 92% passer rating as a defender who pushed as far forward as he did throughout the match doesn’t hurt. He created one scoring chance, finishing with two tackles, an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — Uri started in a midfield full of defensive mids and had a solid match overall. He mustered an 88% passer rating, and solid numbers on both the defensive and offensive side of the match (one aerial won, one tackle won, one key dispossession, and two shots — though neither on goal). There were a couple scary moments, and he did fail to jump as part of the wall when he could have been the man to block Federico Higuain’s shot attempt on the free kick. But, all-in-all, it was a solid performance from the man asked to anchor the central defensive area of the pitch.

MF, Will Johnson, 7 — He got called out, sort of, by a fellow writer this weekend, but Will could possibly be one of the most consistent players for City all season. Sure, keep bringing up that D.C. United match all you want, but let’s see how you handle that situation after 90 plus minutes running — a man down during some of it. His 77% passer rating may not be the best, but his three aerials won, as not one of the tallest Lions, certainly helps to make up for it. Both of his shots were on target and forced good saves from Zack Steffen and he created a scoring chance. Defensively, he had a tackle, an interception, and a clearance. Also, it was another match where he left everything on the pitch.

MF, Sacha Kljestan. 6 — Thank you, Sacha, for burying that penalty kick in the back of the net, because without that I might be roasting you right now. One thing I certainly do not want to see out of any player in the number 10 spot is a 79% passer rating, nor do I want to tell you how many times I found myself screaming from the seats to get Sacha to run, but it was numerous, and far too numerous for a player in the position he was slated to play. He finished with two tackles and a clearance on the defensive end, created three scoring chances, had a potential goal blocked by a defender and scored the game-winner.

MF, Yoshimar Yotun, 8 (MotM) — Yoshi is what Yoshi does. I do not know any other way of expressing what this man has brought to the starting XI. Starting on the left side of the attacking midfield and generally playing wherever he wanted, Yotún was the Lions’ Juggernaut on the pitch. He led the team in touches (93), had a 92% passer rating and filled the stat sheet on both the offensive and defensive end. He created six scoring chances for Orlando City, fired two shots (both on goal), switched the field with pinpoint accuracy (13/17 on long balls), and had one tackle and one clearance. It was a breath of fresh air to have the Peruvian back from international play and suspension. It seemed as though almost everything he touched was golden, and the players around him sensed the Midas touch and adapted to it.

Also, that penalty kick was nasty. N. A. S. T. Y. Nasty, to the point I received messages from friends around the U.S. and internationally, asking if what they saw on the replay was real, because that chip was just filthy.

F, Dom Dwyer, 6 — Although the grade may be harsh, I have to look at things honestly, and of all the starters tonight, Dom may be the one I have the most criticism of. The criticism may not be simply because he played to a lower level than his teammates, but because he is still on an island, playing a role he should not be playing, and because of this may be trying too hard. Center backs in MLS know how to mark Dom, and the PRO refs are also watching. Although much of his game went 50/50, it almost seems as though people are watching, and expecting certain behaviors. He took a few hard fouls early and allowed it to get the best of him by taking a silly yellow by throwing a shoulder at Jonathan Mensah. Dwyer failed to get a shot attempt away, created no scoring chances, and passed at only a 70% rate.

Substitutes

D, Amro Tarek (58’), 7 — Substituting in for Ascues (quad tightness) left some mighty big shoes to fill, but Amro did exactly what was needed, and filled those shoes well. He held a 91% passer rating with two crucial tackles, and two clearances. On the heels of international duty, Amro certainly seemed to want to make a statement to the home crowd, and did in my opinion.

MF, Chris Mueller (72’), 6 — Maybe not the best overall night for Cash, but certainly an evening where the hard work paid off. He was dispossessed four times, only held an 82% passer rating, and tried like hell to make a difference every second he was on the pitch. Kids, when your little league coach gives you the hustle speech, this game is why. Mueller may not have had his best night, but he hustled every second he was on the pitch, and it eventually paid off in the dying seconds when he was double teamed and taken down in the box by Wil Trapp. Absolute hustle got City that PK, make no mistake.

That is how I saw the final home match from my soon to be vacant seats. Myself and some friends will be moving a bit closer to the pitch next season, to try to get a better vantage point for grades and predictions. I am curious to know how you, the reader, graded everyone and who you picked as Man of the Match. Vote in the poll below and let me know in the comments where you agree, or disagree, with everything above.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Scott Sutter7
Carlos Ascues0
Yoshimar Yotun68
Lamine Sané3
Mohamed El-Munir0
Other6

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids?

Published

4 hours ago

on

June 16, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City used a professional performance to defeat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 near the Mile High City. It’s a big win for the Lions after two consecutive losses to Atlanta United and the Chicago Fire. It also gives the team some good vibes heading into next week’s international break.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this big win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — Gallese had a massive game for his eighth clean sheet of the season. The shot stopper was credited with two saves and they were both quality. In the 50th minute, he made a one-handed save on a Rafael Navarro header and pushed Djordje Milhailovic’s shot wide while defending his near post in the 72nd minute. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese touched the ball 32 times, completing 38.5% of his 26 passes, including four of his 20 long balls. He was also credited with three clearances.

D, David Breaklo, 6 — The starting left back touched the ball 63 times and completed 91.8% of his 49 passes. He completed two of his three long balls, but his lone cross was incomplete. Brekalo also recorded one interception, won an aerial duel, and had eight clearances defensively. He didn’t have any attacking statistics, contributing to the clean sheet.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson had 65 touches, completing 93.1% of his team-high 58 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He won one tackle and had four clearances defensively. The center back was a bright spot early, making a couple of huge challenges to keep Colorado from getting free chances on goal. Overall, it was a strong performance by the captain.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel got a first-half booking that sees him suspended for the next game, but the center back was a monster in this game. He had a team-high 86 touches and completed 87.5% of his 56 passes but only one of his five long balls. However, his strength was defensively, where Schlegel recorded an interception and two blocked shots, won three aerial duels, and had an astounding 21 clearances. Despite defending for most of the game, the center back put a shot on target as well.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson had 38 touches, completing 85.7% of his 21 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. The right back added two clearances and a blocked shot defensively. He made some mistakes in his own half that created some issues and didn’t get into the attack at all in this game before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo touched the ball 39 times, completing 83.3% of his 30 passes but didn’t attempt any crosses. The midfielder didn’t attempt any shots either. Defensively, Angulo added a clearance and won an aerial duel, but it was largely an invisible night by the speedster.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta had 65 touches and completed 77.6% of his 49 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots, but the defensive midfielder’s focus was on defense. He recorded one tackle, two aerial duels won, three interceptions, and two clearances in a strong performance. He was replaced by Colin Guske in second-half stoppage time.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet got the start over Cesar Araujo in this game due to back spasms for Araujo, touching the ball 57 times. The rookie completed 88.4% of his 43 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. Like Atuesta, his job was defensive as he had three interceptions, won two aerial duels, and logged five clearances in 90 minutes of action.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 7 — Pasalic was trouble for the Rapids defense. He touched the ball 31 times and completed 86.4% of his 22 passes, including three key passes and his lone long ball. The midfielder’s most significant moment came in the 24th minute, when great vision and a good pass found Martin Ojeda for the game’s long goal. Pasalic took two shots, putting one on target. The attacker left the game in the 72nd minute, replaced by Ramiro Enrique.

F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 26 touches, completing 80% of his 15 passes with a key pass. The forward took two shots, putting neither on target. He also helped defensively, winning an aerial duel, recording a tackle, and adding a clearance before being replaced by Araujo in the 58th minute. Overall, it wasn’t an impressive performance by the Designated Player.

F, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda was a game-changer, touching the ball 52 times and completing 90.9% of his 44 passes with a key pass, and connecting on one of his two crosses and his lone long ball. He put one of his two shots on target, a hard attempt that went off the hands of Nico Hansen and in for the game’s only goal. It was a good performance for Ojeda, who came off in second-half stoppage time for Nico Rodriguez.

Substitutes

MF, Cesar Araujo (58’), 6 — Araujo replaced Muriel in the 58th minute as the Lions looked to defend their 1-0 lead. The defensive midfielder had 34 touches and completed 96.4% of his 28 passes, including one key pass. He added a tackle and blocked shot in 32 minutes of action, helping to secure the clean sheet.

D, Kyle Smith (72’), 6 — Smith came on for Thorhallsson in the 72nd minute, touching the ball 23 times at right back. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes with an incomplete long ball and through ball. However, Smith’s contribution came on defense, where he added a tackle, four clearances, and two successful aerial duels to help secure the three points.

F, Ramiro Enrique (72’), 6.5 — Enrique came on for Pasalic in the 72nd minute and was solid in his 18 minutes. He had 10 touches and completed 75% of his eight passes without taking any shots. However, he did precisely what his team needed, holding up the ball, winning an aerial duel, and keeping possession late. His wise decision-making is why he gets such a high grade.

MF, Colin Guske (90 + 1’), N/A — Guske came on for Atuesta in the dying minutes to kill some time. He got booked right after coming on, touching the ball only three times and adding a clearance.

MF, Nico Rodriguez (90 + 1’), N/A — Rodriguez came on with Guske for Ojeda and had nearly an identical performance minus the booking. He touched the ball three times, won an aerial duel, and had a clearance defensively.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this crucial win for the Lions. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/16/25

Lions and Pride win, USMNT beats Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup opener, FIFA Club World Cup weekend recap, and more.

Published

7 hours ago

on

June 16, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you and belated happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. The Lions and the Pride both won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Colorado Rapids on the Road

Orlando City defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Martin Ojeda scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to snap their two-match winless streak. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves and earned his eighth clean sheet of the season. With the win, Orlando moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 30 points. Orlando City will be off this weekend but will be return to action June 25 on the road at St. Louis City.

Banda’s Goal Lifts Pride Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 1-0 Friday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. After a scoreless first half, Barbra Banda scored the only goal in the match — her eighth goal of the season — and the Pride held on for the win. It’s the team’s third straight 1-0 victory over Bay FC, and the Pride also claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season. Orlando has won three matches in a row and remains second in the NWSL table with 25 points. The Pride will be on the road to take on Racing Louisville Friday.

USMNT Dominates Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup Opener

The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 Sunday in the opening match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at PayPal Park. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. Malik Tillman scored twice, and Patrick Agyemang added one to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead before halftime. In the second half, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright each added a goal to extend the USMNT’s lead to 5-0. With the win, the Yanks snapped a four-match winless streak. The USMNT will take on Saudi Arabia Thursday night at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX.

FIFA Club World Cup Weekend Recap

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday, with Inter Miami and Al Ahly playing to a scoreless draw in the opening match of the group stage. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made eight saves, including a penalty kick saved in the 43rd minute against Trezeguet of Al Ahly as the teams split the points. On Sunday, Jamal Musiala scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10-0, Paris Saint-Germain routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Palmeiras and FC Porto ended in a scoreless draw. The Seattle Sounders battled Botafogo in the late match. Today’s matchups feature Chelsea taking on LAFC, Boca Juniors facing Benfica, and Flamengo taking on Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Tampa Bay Sun Wins USL Super League Championship

The Tampa Bay Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 after extra time to win the inaugural USL Super League championship on Saturday at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. Former Pride players Jordyn Listro and Erika Tymrak were part of the squad’s stellar run to its first championship title in the inaugural season of the USL Super League. After no goals came from either side during the 90 minutes of play, the match went to extra time, and Cecilie Floe scored the winning goal for the Sun. Sydny Nasello was named the 2025 USL Super League Final MVP.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their dads a surprise phone call on Father’s Day.
  • PayPal Park will host the 2025 NWSL Championship match on Nov. 22.

From the home of legends to the stage of champions 🏆The 2025 NWSL Championship presented by Google Pixel is coming to the Bay Area and PayPal Park.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-13T12:14:48.657Z

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 at Colorado Rapids: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 1-0 road victory over the Colorado Rapids.

Published

1 day ago

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June 15, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City traveled to Denver to take on the Colorado Rapids. The Lions were able to secure a 1-0 win over the Western Conference opponent thanks to a first-half goal from Martin Ojeda. The victory snapped the team’s two-match losing streak, allowing Orlando City to keep pace in the Eastern Conference. Here are my five takeaways from Saturday night’s match.

Oh-Yay-Da

For too many seasons it seemed like Orlando City wasn’t getting the most out of the club’s Designated Players. That hasn’t been the case this year, nor was it in the match against Colorado, at least for two of the DPs. Marco Pasalic made a nice pass to Martin Ojeda in the box to get the assist on Orlando City’s first goal. For his part, Ojeda hit it low, hard, and on target. Sometimes that is all you need. Despite getting a hand on it, goalkeeper Nico Hansen wasn’t able to keep it out, and the Lions took the lead.

An Expected Yellow

Most of you are not in the internal Slack chat for The Mane Land, but we discussed that there was a high probability that at least one of Orlando City’s center backs would get a yellow card, making that player unavailable for the next match. Rodrigo Schlegel proved us correct in the 31st minute when he fouled Djordje Mihailovic just outside the box. Fortunately, the foul was outside the box, and Colorado wasn’t able to capitalize on the opportunity. Hopefully, it won’t have an ill effect on the next match.

Early Defensive Shell

On the road with a one-goal lead and Schlegel on a yellow, Oscar Pareja got defensive early in the second half. We saw the return of Cesar Araujo — who did not get the start and, according to Pareja’s postgame comments, nearly didn’t make the trip because of back spasms this week — in the 58th minute for Luis Muriel. As Muriel hadn’t contributed much to the match, it was important to get fresh legs and an experienced player to help fend off the constant Colorado pressure. Orlando didn’t park the bus, but definitely went into game management mode, hoping to hit on the occasional counter.

Primo El Pulpo

Pedro Gallese was only credited with two saves in the match, but he definitely contributed much more than that. There was about a 10-minute a stretch of time from the 50th minute on that Colorado was creating more chances in and around the box. Pedro made one of his saves, blocked a couple of dangerous crosses that would have gone in without his play, and at least a few clearances. He added his second save, and generally did well to control his area. The two saves were both good ones. He’s not going to get a save-of-the-week award from MLS, but it was enough for me. It’s hard to argue with a clean sheet.

Attitude over Altitude

The early goal was important, as it allowed Orlando City to slow the match down and conserve energy as the minutes ticked by. This was especially noticeable after Araujo came on in the second half. The importance of the goal really showed late in the match, as many of the starters bounced up against the wall created by the altitude, as teams typically run out of gas in Colorado between the 60th and 75th minutes. The late subs, including youngsters Colin Guske and Nico Rodriguez, were able to help see it out despite Colorado pressing for the equalizer.

That is what I saw in the road victory. Let us know your thoughts about the Colorado match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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