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

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7 years ago

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In a match that largely started off slowly and then picked up around the 60-minute mark, Orlando City looked largely content to search out the draw and one point until the match opened up after the first Toronto FC goal. A tough road match against a side that Orlando has always had issues against ended 2-1 after Orlando conceded a late goal in the 87th minute.

So, how did the Lions rate individually?

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 6 — Joe came out to claim through ball early, and made another fine save on Toronto’s first shot on goal. He came out quickly on the first goal and got enough pressure to have the shot go off the post, but there wasn’t much he could have done on the follow-up. Again on the second goal, there wasn’t much he could do on a half-volley from Ryan Telfer about 12 yards away.

D, Mohamed El-Munir, 5.5 — Very active in the attack and made some solid tackles. He did get beat again on a backside run —his Achilles heel — in the 32nd minute but it didn't come to any consequence. On the first goal he was found in no man’s land as the trailing attacker scored. It was his work going forward that did lead to the tying goal. But again he was involved in a conceded goal as he misplayed the winger and allowed the game winning cross.

D, Amro Tarek, 5 — Tarek had a quiet first half with some basic challenges. A quiet game from a center back isn't necessarily a bad thing but there was nothing memorable here. Just a solid match.

D, Lamine Sané, 5 — I feel as if he’s marking more space than man and it caused the first Toronto chance. He missed a header late in the first half that wasn't necessarily easy. But some good challenges and recovery at times. He was beat in that aforementioned manner for the 1-v-1 that led to the first goal.

D, Will Johnson, 4 — Defensively, Johnson seemed a bit off early in positioning and giving up some runs past him. Telfer pretty well abused him as he looked like Toronto’s best player. He was better in the second half but came in on an unnecessary challenge for his fourth yellow of the season. Telfer ultimately scored the winning goal as he was unmarked on the back side.

MF, Uri Rosell, 5.5 — Uri found the right ball to relieve pressure consistently. Had a nice 40-yard ball to Meuller in the 31st that was wasted. But in the second half he was largely quiet to the point he was subbed off in the 89th minute as he continues to build up to 90-minute fitness — his previous longest outing of the season was 45 minutes just five days ago.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.5 (MOTM) — Cristian made good challenges throughout the night but when he didn't play simple he got into trouble. A careless challenge, a typical Higuita move, in the 35th minute just outside the area could have been worse. He made a nice challenge in the 36th to take the ball from Michael Bradley, but he rushed the attack and made a poor shot. His goal was a great, low shot on a nice trailing run. A tough, physical game by him with a lot of quality, including one or two saving challenges in the penalty area.

MF, Justin Meram, 4.5 — Meram was very active early with a first-half chance down the wing and continually looking to drive forward. But whether due to no help or just on his own, he lost the ball frequently. Unforced errors plagued him continually in the second half, losing the ball in his feet and missing passes. He couldn't find a quality shot off a great ball from Colmán in the 85th minute.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 5 — Nothing spectacular from Sacha on this night, but no memorable mistakes either. His first pass in the second half led to a decent Chris Mueller shot. But he often went backwards as he didn't seem to trust the attack. You can't have that from your No. 10 role.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6.5 — The rookie was active as usual. He found his way inside a bit more than normal and provided some good defensive work and counters late in the first half. He made some nice passes to Stefano Pinho that ended in nothing. He was arguably the team’s best player in the first half. His cross in the 68th minute led to one of the best chances in the second half but Alex Bono made a nice save on Meram’s header.

F, Stéfano Pinho, 3 — Pinho had a rough first half with nearly every touch being lost, losing physical battles, and not really being any factor. He was weak with his hold-up play, was easily knocked down or dispossessed, and failed to give his attacking teammates time to get into the final third to help out. He didn’t do much in the second half either before he was subbed out in the 64th minute, whiffing on a good opportunity in the penalty area.

Substitutes 

MF, Josué Colmán (64’), 5.5 — He came in as a false nine and made an impact. One of his first touches was a cross to Kljestan for a shot on goal. He collected a deflection off Mueller and made a great layoff to Higuita for the Orlando goal. Josué gave a nice ball in the 85th minute to Meram on the counter attack that wasn't converted. Against a physical Toronto defense, he still found space to create opportunities.

MF, Richie Laryea (83’), N/A — The Toronto native came on for Chris Mueller late but ultimately had no effect on the match except a missed opportunity to find the right space in stoppage time on a pass from Colmán.

MF, Dillon Powers, (89’), N/A — In his first appearance of 2018, Powers didn’t have time to impact the match.

Vote for your Man of the Match or comment your thoughts on these game grades below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Cristian Higuita48
Chris Mueller11
Mohamed El-Munir8
Other10

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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16 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

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3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

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