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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 5-1 as Nani, Tesho Akindele Lead Lions’ Romp

The Lions fell behind in their first ever match against Cincinnati, but roared back for an easy win.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City fell behind in the first half but broke its losing streak in convincing fashion with a 5-1 destruction of FC Cincinnati (3-8-2, 11 points) in front of an announced crowd of 22,341 on a hot day at Orlando City Stadium. The Lions got braces from Nani and Tesho Akindele and a header from Dom Dwyer to run the MLS newcomers out of the City Beautiful.

It was only the third time all season that Orlando (4-6-3, 15 points) had scored more than one goal in a game and it was the team’s first victory by more than one goal in 2019. The win broke a three-game losing streak and a four-match winless skid. The 5-1 win was Orlando’s second-biggest MLS win only to a 6-1 home win over New England on Sept. 27, 2017 — a game in which the Revs were a man down for much of the night.

James O’Connor praised his team’s mentality after the match for coming back after conceding the first goal in the team’s third game in eight days.

“Obviously very pleased — not just with the result,” O’Connor said after the game. “I thought overall the mentality of the players was excellent. To play at three o’clock in Florida is a mental test.”

O’Connor rotated 10 of the 11 spots from Wednesday’s game, leaving only Lamine Sané in the starting XI from the midweek match in Seattle.

The game was mostly a plodding affair before Cincinnati opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Up to that point, neither team seemed particularly adept at getting into the opposing team’s penalty area, instead passing the ball around the perimeter and either turning it over or sending in a hopeful cross.

The only real chance of the game had come from a shot by Emmanuel Ledesma in the 21st minute that rattled off the crossbar.

That warning shot failed to wake up Orlando, which had started to concede more of the possession after dominating the ball early, and it proved costly moments later.

Darren Mattocks’ opener came out of nowhere. The Lions were in excellent shape defensively, but seemed mesmerized by the Cincinnati attacker, who faked one way, went the other and fired his shot into the back of the net with the two center backs right in front of him and several other players in the neighborhood just watching the play happen.

The goal was exactly what the game needed as the match sprung to life after Mattocks’ strike. Will Johnson nearly pulled back the goal after taking a pass from Chris Mueller in the 30th minute, but he saw his effort blocked. Cristian Higuita followed with a narrow miss two minutes later from the top of the area.

Akindele tied things up in the 37th minute. Johnson took a pass from Joao Moutinho and played in Akindele with a nice through ball, and the Canadian fired home to make it 1-1.

“I saw Will making a run though,” Akindele said. “They fired the ball into him. I kind of was asking for the flick and he played a really good pass kind of around the corner. I took a good first touch, I thought, and then just tried to put it on target…I think the play was really well done by our team.”

The game remained open the rest of the half. Nani’s cross in for Johnson in the 41st minute provided a good opportunity, but the ball was deflected out for a corner. Mueller fizzed a ball in for Akindele in the first minute of stoppage time that was just inches too far in front for a deflection. Johnson had a go from distance moments later, but he didn’t hit it with much power and it was right at Spencer Richey for an easy save.

The last good opportunity for Cincinnati came off a set piece that was headed across goal, where Mathieu Deplagne got a head on it and forced a last-second save from Brian Rowe.

Orlando then finished with a set piece from the left that Cincinnati deflected off the outside netting and the teams went to the break tied at 1-1.

Orlando City led in shots, 7-3 (2-2 on target), possession (61.9%-38.1%), and passing accuracy (90.1%-81.1%).

The Lions came out of the break like a different team. Mueller and Nani each forced diving saves from Richey in the first two minutes of the second half. Shortly after the latter, Sebas Mendez was called for a foul, and during that stoppage, referee Nima Saghafi indicated he was going to video review. Replays showed that Kendall Waston had grabbed Sané from underneath both arms and took him down in a wrestling move during an Orlando corner kick. Saghafi didn’t review the play long and returned to the field, indicating a penalty to Orlando for Waston’s WWE move.

Nani took the spot kick but didn’t hit it well. Richey saved it, but the rebound fell right back at the feet of the Portuguese star, who calmly slotted home to make it 2-1 in the 50th minute.

Nine minutes later, Nani extended the lead to 3-1. Ruan worked a quick give-and-go with Akindele and made a lightning-quick dash down the right channel and cut in toward goal before crossing. Nani was there to stab home the cross in the 59th minute, scoring the 200th goal in Orlando City’s MLS history.

Orlando continued to press forward in the attack. Mueller won a free kick to the left of the area but sailed his set piece delivery over the bar in the 62nd minute. Two minutes later, the Lions struck again. Orlando won a corner kick and Mueller served in a corner kick cross that fell in the box and bounced off Sané. Akindele took it out of the air with the first touch and slotted it into the net to make it 4-1. With four goals on the season, it is the Canadian’s highest goal total since he scored four in 2017 across 29 appearances. It was also his first brace since July 4 of last year, when he got both of his goals on the season in a 3-2 win over Atlanta United while playing with FC Dallas.

“I think we got a little bit unlucky in the past on some of the chances we missed and I think maybe we got a little bit lucky today on some of the ones we scored,” Akindele said. “It kind of balances out in the long run as long as you’re creating chances, which we’ve been doing all year.”

City got a bit sloppy after that and failed to track second-half sub Fanendo Adi on a set piece. He brought the ball down in the area but couldn’t make good contact, sending a weak dribbler toward Rowe.

Dwyer came on for Nani and started to get things moving back in the other direction. He fired high from distance in the 73rd minute, but his injection into the middle of the attack began causing issues for the Cincinnati defense as the visitors tried pushing numbers forward to get back into the match.

After Ruan won a corner in the 81st minute, Dwyer broke his scoreless streak with a well-placed header off Josué Colmán’s corner kick cross. It must have come as a relief to the veteran striker and it was touching the way his teammates celebrated after the goal.

As time wound down, the Lions got a bit more lackadaisical in their own half and that nearly resulted in a cosmetic goal for Cincinnati. Ledesma fired just inches wide of goal in the 91st minute in what would have been a bit of a letdown for the team as well as the crowd. Instead, the Lions saw out the four minutes of stoppage and got a much-deserved victory.

Orlando City finished with a 17-5 advantage in shots (9-3 on target), a 61.1%-38.9% edge in possession, more corners (11-4), and a better passing accuracy (88.9%-83.5%).

“There were a couple of things I thought we just needed to be a little bit sharper on and areas we that needed to try to play in,” O’Connor said of his halftime adjustments. “The quality of the players started to come through. Again, I think the players deserve enormous credit for the mentality and the way they went on performed second half. I thought they were excellent.”

Akindele underscored the importance of the victory after the match.

“It was really important, especially to do it at home. The fans…they deserved that,” Akindele said. “They come out all the time. They support us. They’re making noise. And I’m so glad we could give them that win and they could experience that with us.”


Orlando City is back in action Friday night when the LA Galaxy come to town for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

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.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

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.

Love lifts us up 💜The new 2025 Pride Pre-Match Jerseys are here!🛒 orlsoccer.co/fbpri

Orlando City SC (@orlandocitysc.com) 2025-05-15T18:56:08.764Z
  • 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!

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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?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Mark Thor

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory over Charlotte FC?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The Lions kept their recent pattern going, as they came into the game on the back of a five-game stretch that went D-W-D-W-D and they went out and added a W to that pattern with a 3-1 victory over Charlotte FC. It was a chippy game with referee Sergii Boiko letting both teams play, and in the end, Orlando City did the better playing and put three balls into the net for the second straight MLS game — and this time their three goals helped them earn three points.

I have my purple pen out, and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Through no fault of his own there was very little for Gallese to do in this match, as Charlotte only took eight shots and only put one on target, and despite a great effort, El Pulpo was unable to keep Wilfried Zaha’s well-struck ball out of the net. For the rest of the game Gallese basically served as a communicator and passer. He was called into action on a second-half corner kick and tipped a headed ball off the crossbar, but there was a foul before the shot, so he did not get credit for a save. It was a quiet night for the Peruvian, but I am sure he did not complain about it. Gallese completed 80% of his passes, including three of his six long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 7 (MotM) —At this point, there is no more settling in, Brekalo is the first-choice left back and he looks excellent in that role. His most memorable contribution was breaking the press with a quick outside-in move before playing a perfect through ball to Ramiro Enrique that turned into the back-breaking third goal, but he was solid all game long on both offense and defense. The Slovenian completed 91.7% of his passes on the night, including the one key pass to Enrique, and a headed pass to César Araújo that turned into a secondary assist when the next pass went to Luis Muriel, who then scored the game’s opening goal. Brekalo added three tackles, two interceptions and four clearances on defense and closed out the game pairing with Robin Jansson at center back after Rodrigo Schlegel was subbed off for the final few minutes. He also attempted two shots, one of which was off target and the other was blocked. Brekalo was composed and engaged throughout the game, and for me the combination of his contributions on offense and how he thwarted Charlotte defensively made him the man of the match.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Beefy Swede was in clean-up mode during this match, as he unleashed his trademark slide into a clearance multiple times when Charlotte tried to play long balls forward. Jansson was active throughout, leading the team in tackles (4), interceptions (4), and clearances (5), and he also blocked a shot. There were some nervy moments in the back throughout the game, as Charlotte did a good job getting crosses off into the middle of the field, but the center of Orlando’s defense did well to win most of those balls and get them out of danger. Jansson did get bailed out by Pep Biel hitting a ball over the bar from close range when he should have stayed with Biel, but instead he was just standing and ball-watching and allowed the Charlotte attacker to have a great opportunity to tie the match. On the whole, it was a solid game for Jansson though, with 91.7% passing on a team-leading 72 completions, including a beautiful long ball to a streaking Alex Freeman that helped create the second goal, and helping to hold Charlotte to only one shot on target.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — I went back and forth between 5.5 and 6 for Schlegel in this match, as he was the primary defender on Zaha when he scored Charlotte’s goal and he definitely should have been at least one step closer to the Ivorian and not allowed him the space to turn and shoot. On the other hand, Zaha is an elite attacker, a former starter for years in the Premier League, and for the most part Schlegel and the rest of the Orlando City defense kept him quiet. In the end, I thought Schlegel’s one moment of a loss of focus was offset by a generally solid game defensively, as even though he did not have any tackles or interceptions he did add two clearances and won one aerial duel, and he completed 95.1% of his passes when he had the ball.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — He did not get credit for an assist, primary or secondary, but Freeman contributed heavily to Orlando City’s second goal when he made a tremendous run up the sideline to beat Tim Ream off the dribble and crossed the ball into the middle. The cross was not great, but he did put the ball in front of the goal, where good things often happen, and that ball soon was in the net after Martín Ojeda hit it approximately 7,000 miles per hour once it bounced out to him. Freeman was dangerous throughout, and while he and Marco Pašalić did not have the connection they often have had this season, he still pushed up the field like few right backs in the league are able to do and ended up with Orlando City’s third most touches in Charlotte’s penalty area. As is often the case Freeman’s attacking mindset meant that Charlotte more frequently attacked on his side of the field than Brekalo’s, and the visitors were able to get a good amount of crosses into the middle while doing so. Nothing came of them though, and in the end it was another positive game for the Homegrown right back. He tallied one tackle, one interception, and three clearances on defense, and completed 92.7% of his passes on offense, joining the other three starting defenders in completing at least 90% of their passes.

MF, César Araújo, 6.5 — This game hit many items on an Araújo Bingo card, as he led the team in completed passes (72, while completing 94.7%), hustled and pressed all over the field, got in the opposition’s face after a whistle, committed multiple fouls, received a yellow card, played the full 90 minutes, and brought unparalleled energy on a hot evening. In addition, he also earned an assist when he flicked a ball behind him right into the path of Muriel, who then turned and hit a dipping shot that snuck past Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. About the only thing that the Uruguayan did not do that he normally does was suffer multiple fouls, as he was only fouled once.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — This match was another one in which I had to remind myself that Gerbet is a rookie, and it was only his 10th professional match. I thought the former Oregon State Beaver and Clemson Tiger was excellent, particularly on defense, as there were several Charlotte crosses into the box that looked dangerous, except that the player who got himself onto the end of those crosses time after time was Gerbet, and then he was able to get the ball to a teammate and out of danger. According to the tracking on mlssoccer.com, he completed every pass but one on the night for a cool 98% completion rate on 51 pass attempts. Eduard Atuesta may be back soon from his injury, but Gerbet has more than held his own in Atuesta’s absence, and he continues to look like another excellent Orlando City draft pick.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — Angulo joined Jansson in his major relief when Biel hit that ball over the bar from close range, because it was the Colombian winger who was initially beaten and allowed the ball to be played across the goalmouth to Biel. That play was not indicative of the entire night for Angulo, but it was one of several instances of a poor performance in the box — both the attacking box and defending box. The midfielder just seemed a little bit off in this match, completing only 61.3% of his passes and not having the tightest of touches when he had the ball at his feet. He counteracted that to some extent with his incredible fitness, making several lung-busting runs to recover back on defense or to try to get an attack going, and while the final product was not there for him, it was not due to lack of effort. Angulo made way for Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute in a swap that was like-for-like positionally, though few would confuse Smith’s brand of left wing play for Angulo’s.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 5.5 — It was another quiet game for the Croatian winger, though he did contribute directly to Orlando City’s second goal as it was his shot that was blocked up into the air that then turned into Ojeda’s blast into the lower corner of the net. Pašalić will not get credit for an assist, but that goal does not happen without his shot. Aside from that, his main contribution was to remind everyone that he should be considered one of the best dribblers in club history. He beat another two defenders off the dribble in this game and almost had a play where he beat two defenders on one play on one move, but we are now talking about more highlight-reel type plays that drew “oohs” from the crowd rather than plays that contributed to winning. I think Pašalić’s presence on the right side drew defensive attention and allowed Freeman some extra space to operate, but in this game that did not lead to anything for Pašalić himself. He completed 72% of his passes, including one key pass, and came off for Dagur Dan Thórhallsson after a pretty empty 67 minutes.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — On another day, Muriel could have equaled his strike partner Ojeda’s weekend performance and had a hat trick of his own, but he was a half step offside on an early chance, negating a ball he put into the net. In addition, he could not finish another chance after dribbling all the into the six-yard box and taking too many touches, he was not awarded a penalty although he may have been fouled in the box trying to finish a cross, and he put another shot on target but right at the goalkeeper. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but did not, but what he did do was rip a ball with a lot of topspin that slipped by Kahlina for the game’s opening goal, and he was aggressive throughout his time on the field, making runs with and without the ball and looking completely comfortable with his role in Orlando City’s offense. He did not have the best passing day, as he only completed 10 passes and at a low 55.6% completion rate, but he was a threat throughout and definitely delivered a top-tier work rate before being replaced by Enrique in the 72nd minute.

F, Martín Ojeda, 7 — I want to know the speed of Ojeda’s shot for Orlando City’s second goal, and I want to know if it was faster than his opening goal in the prior game against New England. Both of those goals were absolute missiles, and the Argentinean Designated Player is in top form right now, looking like one of the league’s best attacking players. In addition to his goal contribution, Ojeda completed 90.9% of his passes, including four accurate long balls and three key passes, and he also beat three defenders off the dribble. The partnership of Muriel and Ojeda up front was excellent, with both players looking for one another and playing off each other very well, and it is a testament to their talent together that Orlando City is primarily playing a 4-4-2 at the moment, after years of Coach Óscar Pareja going with a 4-2-3-1.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (67’), 6 — Thórhallsson continued his season-long trend of contributing all over the field, this time subbing in for Pašalić and playing as the right wing midfielder. The Icelandic midfielder/defender/KyleSmither completed 13 of his 14 pass attempts, added one clearance, and delivered a solid defensive effort in helping the Lions hold and then extend the lead during his 23 minutes on the field.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (72’), 6 — The Argentinean did two things in this game: hustle like crazy and score an excellent first MLS goal of the season. He timed his run perfectly to reach full speed as he caught up to Brekalo’s well-placed through ball and then cut back to avoid Tim Ream before slamming the ball past Kahlina and salting away the game for the Lions. Aside from that goal, he completed zero passes and did not tally any defensive statistics, but that goal effectively ended the game and made it two goals in the last three games in all competitions for Enrique, who has been known to get on hot streaks in the past.

MF/D, Kyle Smith, (72′), 6 — The Accountant may just be showing off at this point, as he came on and played out on the left wing in this game, joining left back, center back and center defensive midfield as positions he has played already this season. And if adding a new position was not enough, Smith then dropped back to left center back for the final minutes of the game, showing off the versatility that has defined his game ever since he joined Orlando City. Smith completed 85.7% of his passes while playing those two positions and added two clearances.

MF/D, Rafael Santos (88′), N/A — Santos came on for Schlegel, but instead of playing his usual left back role he came on as a left winger, pushing Kyle Smith back to left center back in a five-man line with Brekalo moving over to center back. He won one key aerial duel, snuffing out a Charlotte attack on a long ball into the box, and he also completed his only pass attempt.

F, Justin Ellis (88′), N/A Ellis made his MLS debut in the dying minutes of the game, celebrating his 18th birthday by subbing in and partnering with Ramiro Enrique as the striker tandem. He had four touches and completed his only pass for a perfect 100% completion percentage. He also added one interception on defense and received one hug and the game ball from Muriel in the locker room after the game in celebration of his debut.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory at home against Charlotte FC. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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