Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Player Grades and Man of the Match

It was a short week for the club, and the starting XI certainly showed as such. It would be easier to list the players and positions that didn’t change from the Atlanta match versus which ones did. The player rotation from Head Coach James O’Connor was so deep that every position, even the goalkeeper spot, saw a different player from the previous lineup. Some players even got to see their first minutes in MLS. So how did the Lions do in the trip out west to Seattle?
Starters
GK, Greg Ranjitsingh, 7 (MotM) — In his first start in MLS, Ranjitsingh turned in a good effort. His positioning on the first goal could be critiqued as being a little too deep towards goal, but the fact of the matter is, he was more than likely protecting the near post and leveraging the back line to take care of the rest. He was quick to come out, and made good choices throughout the evening. He certainly looked much more comfortable in the second half, and ended the match with one save and one tackle. He gets my vote for Man of the Match as he helped keep this team in the fight with how quickly, and correctly, he came off his line and stopped chances before they became dangerous.
D, Danilo Acosta, 5 — Acosta started in place of Joao Moutinho, and played well. He saw plenty of touches, and certainly was involved in the offense and the defense. He ended the night with one shot and a 93% passing success rate. One tackle accounted for all of his defensive statistics and he lost track of Handwalla Bwana on the second goal but it was otherwise a fairly solid outing.
D, Shane O’Neill, 6.5 — Although he had a somewhat quiet first half, aside from being late to close down Raul Ruidiaz on the first goal, O’Neill was a force in the second half, anchoring a brand new defensive line against a very potent Seattle attack. Were there some mistakes? Yes, but for the most part, I thought it was a very solid outing. He had three aerials and two tackles won, plus that double stop in the box late to keep the Lions in the match.
D, Lamine Sané, 6 — The short answer would be to just read O’Neill’s review above. The slightly longer answer would be a good outing. Sané led the match with a 95% passing success rate, as well as winning two aerials and two tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances. He communicated well with O’Neill for the most part and even had a shot on the offensive side. In fact, watching him move up and call for the ball as an extra attacker in the waning moments of the match should be a motivational moment for all.
D, Kyle Smith, 6 — There were some hiccups but overall it was a pretty good outing for Smith, considering that Seattle pushed Orlando’s right side more than the left. He ended the night with one aerial won and a passing rate of only 84%, but the three tackles and four clearances were key. He did struggle with Brad Smith and Harry Shipp’s quick 1-2 passing at times though, including on the opening goal.
MF, Uri Rosell, 7 — Rosell was almost on another level today, and was a top contender for some for the MotM honors. He was all over the midfield, running box to box, and showing the textbook example of a “professional foul” that led to a yellow card for him after a Moutinho turnover put the Lions in a bad spot. Without that foul, Seattle was on a counter attack and had numbers forward. He tied with Chris Mueller for most shots (2) and ended the night with a 91% passing rate, two aerials, two tackles, and was 7/7 on long ball passes.
MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6 — It was an up and down night for Kljestan, but it certainly was more up than down. The one really bad spot was the 81% passing percentage. This could be somewhat be explained by the new players around him, the fact that Seattle flooded the midfield, and perhaps some rust. Sacha looked a little slow at times, but don’t let that get in the way of the fact that he completed all of his long ball passes (5/5), won five aerials, and had four tackles, a key pass, and a shot.
MF, Dillon Powers, 6.5 — Every player wants to make a positive impact, especially after making a mistake. Powers showed just how important it is to shake off a mistake that led to the second Seattle goal, and pushed that must harder to make up for it. He did by logging an assist on the Lions’ goal. He also logged one shot, two tackles, an interception, a clearance, and an 86% passing rating, including being 5/7 on long balls.
F, Josué Colmán, 6 — I was really excited to see Colmán start, and I still am. Although the grade is about average, Colmán showed moments of pure brilliance. Unfortunately, there were times where he held onto the ball two touches too many and either lost it or had passes deflected. His 82% passer rating reflects this, although he did have three key passes. He completed just 40% of his dribble attempts, had one shot, and two tackles. With more minutes, I think there is potential there for Colmán to truly break out and help be that creative force in the midfield.
F, Santiago Patino, 5.5 — The first half was a bit quiet for Patino, but the effort was certainly there. The hold-up play was a bit lacking, but it was tough for all of the forwards. He had one shot attempt and two tackles, showing his commitment to drop back and defend when needed.
F, Benji Michel, 5.5 — It was a decent night for Michel, who provided the hustle we knew he would bring. Although the end result wasn’t there, he was a bit of a terror for the Seattle back line at times. He had a solid 90 minutes no matter how you look at it, and showed some sparks at times. Also, he did well when asked to drop back into defense.
Substitutes
F, Dom Dwyer (63’), 5.5 — It looked like the night when Dwyer was finally going to break out, but it never seemed to come. Defenders know how to handle him, and refs do not want to give him calls. He still shows no fear attacking balls in the box, but last night was another night that just wasn’t his. Dom also picked up another yellow card, which puts him dangerously close to a suspension.
F, Chris Mueller (69’), 7 — Cash Rules Everything Around Me. Is there anything that this kid can’t do? After being on the pitch for a massive six minutes, he took a pass from Powers, marched it across the top of the box, and fired a left footed shot that left Stefan Frei completely flat footed. Once again, Mueller hit the pitch as a sub and had a massive impact. It could have been slightly better, however, as he had only been on the field a few moments when he was set up nicely in front of goal but fired over the bar.
D, Joao Moutinho (85’), 6 — Coming in a bit late, Moutinho was still an impact player. As the Lions continued to push for the equalizer, they continued to try to stretch the field and utilize the wings, and Moutinho was key on the left. It was about a 13-minute shift due to eight minutes of stoppage, and he put forth a solid effort with 93% passing, a tackle, and an interception.
That is how i saw it in the late hours of Wednesday evening. How would you rate the Lions in this match, and who would you give the MotM nod to? Let us know in the poll below.
Polling Closed
Player | Votes |
Shane O’Neill | 4 |
Uri Rosell | 24 |
Greg Ranjitsingh | 11 |
Chris Mueller | 43 |
Sacha Kljestan | 1 |
Other | 2 |
Orlando City
Orlando City Showing Signs of Adjusting to Eduard Atuesta’s Absence
The Lions have looked much better on offense the last two games, and there’s a couple of reasons why.

Much has been made of Orlando City’s difficulties in creating chances and scoring goals when Eduard Atuesta has been unavailable due to injury. It’s not hard to understand why either. The Colombian was unavailable for three of Orlando’s four scoreless draws this year, and he only played nine minutes as a substitute in the stalemate against the New York Red Bulls on April 12.
When he was healthy and got the start against Atlanta United two games later, the Lions won 3-0 and he created the most chances of anyone in the game with three. Orlando then promptly reverted to being offensively stunted in the following game against the Chicago Fire, and was only able to manage its fourth scoreless draw of the year, despite playing over a half the game with a man advantage.
There certainly seemed to be plenty of evidence pointing towards Atuesta being the missing cog in Orlando City’s offense. While he only has two assists in eight games, he does a ton of work in linking the defense to the attack and is great at finding attacking players in dangerous areas, as evidenced by his 17 key passes. In the 0-0 draws with the Philadelphia Union, CF Montreal, and the Fire, Orlando just didn’t look right without him, although the Red Bulls game was a much better performance that was ultimately derailed by Rodrigo Schlegel’s sending off.
While he hasn’t played in either of Orlando’s last two league matches, a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution, and a 3-1 win against Charlotte FC, the offense clearly hasn’t had any problem creating chances. If anything, the Lions should have scored more goals if not for a couple instances of less-than-crisp finishing in each match.
So, why the sudden change?
Well for one thing, the Designated Players are firing on all cylinders again. Martin Ojeda scored a hat trick against New England, and he and Luis Muriel scored Orlando’s first two goals against Charlotte. Ojeda didn’t start either of the two games against Atlanta and Chicago because he was dealing with a minor injury, but now that it’s in the rearview mirror, he’s been a man possessed. Muriel probably should have had at least one goal of his own against the Revs but seemed oddly reluctant to shoot, although he still completed three dribbles and delivered three key passes. The Charlotte game was then his turn to come out of the gate swinging, as he narrowly had a goal ruled out for offside just two minutes in, before hammering a venomous shot from distance just six minutes later that gave Kristijan Kahlina all sorts of trouble and opened the scoring.
It isn’t just getting contributions from the big guns though, because we need to acknowledge the play of rookie Joran Gerbet in these last two games. He’s the man who’s been asked to fill in for Atuesta next to Cesar Araujo, and he’s getting more and more comfortable in that role. Against the Revs he had an interception, a key pass and an assist, and completed a long ball and a through ball while recording a passing accuracy of 86.5%. Against Charlotte, he recorded an interception, three clearances, a completed dribble, and two successful long balls, and he had an outstanding passing accuracy of 98%. They weren’t all simply backwards or sideways passes either. There were plenty of times when he progressed the ball upfield to an attacking player and helped keep the Lions moving forward, and that’s exactly what you want out of the guy playing that position.
He still has a way to go before reaching Atuesta’s level, but that’s to be expected for a guy that’s playing the first professional season of his career. What’s most important is that he’s getting more comfortable, contributing, and proving that he can be a legitimate option to rotate into the starting XI when Atuesta is unavailable or when fixture congestion dictates changes to the lineup.
It’s worth mentioning the caveat that the last two games haven’t been against the strongest opposition the league has to offer. The Revs were on a four-game winning streak before playing Orlando, but three of those four wins were against weak or shaky teams in Atlanta, Toronto FC, and Charlotte, while the fourth team (NYCFC) has been difficult to get a read on. I’m not saying the Revs are a paper tiger, but it’s tough to know how good they really are despite a good run of recent form. Then you have Charlotte, which was above the playoff line but also on a three-game losing streak coming into the match that has now been convincingly extended to four.
At the end of the day, you can only beat who’s in front of you, but I’d encourage us all to not get too carried away until we see the same results against sterner opposition. For better or worse, that’s exactly what we’ll get in the Lions’ next three matches, which will be against a capable, albeit flawed, Inter Miami side on the road, at home in the U.S. Open Cup against a Nashville SC team that’s fourth in the East, and at home against the Portland Timbers, who are currently fourth in the West.
Ultimately, we can only judge this team on what we’ve seen from it, and over the last two games we’ve seen a side that’s had no trouble creating chances. Despite the continued absence of the important Atuesta, the Lions are adjusting thanks to contributions from their heavy hitters and the improving play of the rookie Gerbet. Only time will tell if those improvements are sustainable, but for now its a hell of a lot of fun to enjoy.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/16/25
Orlando City players make MLS Team of the Matchday, Luis Muriel focused, Orlando Pride plays tonight, and more.

Happy Friday! I’ve had a pretty good week so far and am looking forward to three straight days of Orlando soccer. The Orlando Pride will get us started tonight and then we have Orlando City B on Saturday before Orlando City plays on Sunday. It should be a fun next few days, and hopefully one filled with celebrations too. Let’s dive into today’s links!
Lions Make MLS Team of the Matchday
There’s plenty of purple in the latest MLS Team of the Matchday following Orlando City’s 3-1 win over Charlotte FC. Martin Ojeda and David Brekalo were both selected, while Oscar Pareja was chosen as the top coach from the midweek slate. Ojeda’s strike in the first half is also up for Goal of the Matchday as his strong run of form continues. The only outfield player on this Team of the Matchday that didn’t score is Brekalo, who had two assists, so it’s nice to see him receive deserved recognition for an excellent performance that included a great setup on Orlando’s third goal. Pareja has the Lions on an 11-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and is managing things well so far during this busy May.
Luis Muriel Staying Focused in Sophomore Season
With five goals so far this season, Orlando City forward Luis Muriel has already mirrored his scoring total from all of last season. Staying mentally prepared has been key for the 34-year-old in his second year with Orlando, and he spoke about what’s changed for him after not quite reaching expectations in his first year.
“Coming to a league like this isn’t easy. A lot of times from the outside, you aren’t able to measure up or really see what the league is. Sometimes you can underestimate things, thinking it’s easy,” Muriel said. “That leads you to take things on in a different way, the work, the matches.
“When you go into ‘MLS Mode’ you realize how good the league is, how competitive it is, how demanding the league is to be able to do things well. That’s when things start to flow, to go well. I think that’s the difference between this year and last.”
He’s finding his footing in the league now and was a force to be reckoned with against Charlotte on Wednesday. Muriel is aware that the Lions will need him to be at his best when they travel to take on Inter Miami on Sunday for an important rivalry clash.
Diving Into Justin Ellis’s Ascent
Victor Olorunfemi of Top Drawer Soccer gave a great profile on Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis and his growth with the club. Ellis, who just celebrated his 18th birthday on Wednesday with his MLS debut, is having a great year after a solid season with OCB last year. The high school senior was the top scorer at this year’s Generation Adidas Cup with six goals to help Orlando’s U-18 team win the tournament. He can create chances just as well as he can convert them and is quick to give credit to the coaches and staff that have helped him develop. The U.S. youth pool is deep, but Ellis could be a name to keep an eye out for ahead of the U-20 World Cup in September.
Orlando Pride Match Headlines NWSL Weekend
The Orlando Pride’s match tonight against the Kansas City Current is the premier matchup this week in the NWSL. While I wouldn’t call it a rivalry just yet, these two teams had great games last year. The Current are still out for revenge after Orlando beat them while shorthanded last summer and won again in the NWSL playoffs in Orlando before winning the NWSL Championship in Kansas City. First place in the league is on the line and it should be a thrilling match featuring the league’s top two defenses and attacking threats like Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Marta, and Debinha.
NWSL Contenders and Underperformers
We’re about a third of the way into the NWSL season and ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf dove into how each team is meeting its expectations so far. Despite their stumbles in recent weeks, the Pride are near the top of the table and have plenty of time to get things firing on all cylinders. Two of the California teams are enjoying surprising success so far, with the San Diego Wave up in fourth while Angel City FC is in fifth and could become a real contender once Alexander Straus takes over as head coach. NJ/NY Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage are sleeping giants of sorts, so it will be interesting to see when they start climbing up the table.
Free Kicks
- You’ll need a paid subscription for the full details, but Orlando City right back Alex Freeman continues to impress this season. Freeman is finding success in a way different from his father Antonio Freeman, who led the NFL in receiving yards for the Green Bay Packers in 1998.
- This year’s MLS pre-match jerseys to celebrate Pride month are out and they’re a vibrant and funky design.
- Esther Gonzalez leads the NWSL with seven goals this season and has agreed to a contract extension with Gotham FC that will last through 2027.
- FIFA representatives, including FA Chair Debbie Hewitt and UEFA President Alexander Ceferin, walked out of FIFA’s annual congress in protest of FIFA President Gianni Infantino arriving three hours late. Infantino has spent this week in the Middle East visiting leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar with Donald Trump.
- FC Barcelona officially won this year’s La Liga title after a 2-0 win over Espanyol. Phenom Lamine Yamal scored a sensational goal in the match, which is fitting considering how crucial he was to Barcelona winning the league this year.
- Predictable names like Luis Enrique and Antonio Conte are on the list of top European coaches this year, but this article also shines a light on coaches who navigated tough waters in small boats. Alexander Blessin has St. Pauli on the verge of survival in the Bundesliga and Filippo Inzaghi improved Pisa by 30 points in Serie B to secure promotion.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Lions need to do to secure a victory in Sunday’s edition of Tropic Thunder?

The first Tropic Thunder match of the season is here. As I recently said on The Mane Land PawedCast, I am both looking forward to and dreading this match. I think that is an appropriate feeling. Orlando City is in the midst of a congested May schedule, but every match matters.
Inter Miami tops my list of hated teams at this point. As such, I very much want the Lions to win and for Florida to be purple. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points on the road against their in-state rivals?
Pocket Messi
Orlando City must keep Lionel Messi from having too big of an impact on the match. There are plenty of other players that the defense will need to worry about, and I’ll get to them. What I’m looking for is a frustrated Messi — Messi that feels he should be getting calls on the lightest of touches but is not.
The pair of players that I’m expecting to keep an eye on Messi are Cesar Araujo and Rodrigo Schlegel. The lion’s share of that burden will fall to Araujo. I want him to be hounding Messi every time he gets the ball. If Messi is able to get past Araujo, I want Schlegel to be right in his face. We’re all sick of MLS and Apple TV putting his smug mug in our faces at every opportunity. It’s time for two of Orlando’s defenders to take the shine off of Messi.
Deal with the Rest
Assuming Araujo can limit Messi, Orlando City still has to deal with Miami’s talented attacking players not named Messi. Miami and Orlando entered Wednesday night’s game with the same number of goals scored (21) and allowed (15) this season, although the Herons conceded more at San Jose (3) than the Lions (1) did at home against Charlotte. Each scored three times on Wednesday. However, the memory of the last time the Lions faced Miami at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale is a 5-0 loss. That isn’t something we want to see again.
Theoretically, no match is more important than another, although an argument could be made that Tropic Thunder is no mere match. I fully expect a starting back line of Alex Freeman, Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo in front of Pedro Gallese to stop Miami’s attack. A clean sheet is the objective.
Alex vs. Alba
As you can tell, this is a very defensive heavy Three Keys, but given what happened in this fixture last year, I don’t think it’s out of line. Alex Freeman has been good this season. He has secured the starting spot at right back and seems unlikely to give it back. One of the things he is good at is getting into the attack with Marco Pasalic. That isn’t what I’m looking for from him this weekend.
Miami’s Jordi Alba is a dangerous player that Freeman will be expected to help contain. Alba has five assists, seven successful crosses, and 13 key passes so far this season. If Freeman is still getting up the pitch to assist in the attack, he will need to make sure he isn’t allowing Alba free rein to get behind him and serve as a provider in Orlando’s half of the field.
That is what I will be looking for Sunday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
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