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Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

7 years ago

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Full disclosure, this is my first time grading our lovely Lions in the few years I’ve been here. I was pretty pleased with the result to be honest. Head Coach James O’Connor rested a lot of his players, walked into Providence Park with a game plan, and executed it well for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers. There were some questionable decisions in the lineup and O’Connor had to adapt on the fly but ultimately Orlando City walked out of yet another road game with a result. But enough about O’Connor, here are your player grades from a strong defensive effort in Portland.

Starters

GK, Greg Ranjitsingh, 5 — Ranjitsingh’s performance was worrying. Watching him get anywhere near the ball made me hold my breath in fear things were going to go wrong. He was late in clearing balls and had a very uneasy moment where he nearly had an own goal in the first half. That being said, he’s on the road playing against some of the best forwards in the league and held them scoreless until the 82nd minute when he allowed a goal he really didn’t have a chance to save.

D, Danilo Acosta, 4 — It wasn’t a great night for Acosta who honestly didn’t have much to deal with on his left side of the pitch. He was defensively stout when the ball did come his way, but was caught ball watching on the goal. On the offensive side of things he was abysmal. Between giving the ball away or just blindly dribbling forward into traffic, it was easy to see why O’Connor prefers other options at the position.

D, Alex De John, N/A — In his little time on the field, De John did well clearing a corner and using his height to really impose himself over the smaller forward of Portland. But in the eighth minute a scary moment came as he went in to clear a low cross and was struck in the head by Brian Fernandez’s boot, immediately falling unconscious. It was tough to watch and he was taken out promptly after.

D, Kamal Miller, 6.5— Portland’s goal really soured a strong performance by Miller, who was able to get his head onto practically every cross that Portland had in their arsenal. At just 22 years old, he led that back line with authority and completing 21 of 23 passes (87.5%) put him in a tie for second in passing percentage with Robinho, just behind Uri Rosell (88.4%).

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — After De John came off, Smith had to shift more to a central defending role since O’Connor decided to leave his other center backs at home and boy did Smith step up to the plate. He was a force in the air and on the ground, making things difficult for Portland’s forward and backing up Will Johnson well on the right side, which got hammered all night long. He and Johnson tied for a game-high nine clearances each. Yes, his marking could have been better on Portland’s goal, but it shouldn’t overshadow a stellar night adapting to center back in Providence Park.

MF, Dillon Powers, 5.5 — It was a quiet night for Powers, which is never a bad thing for a midfielder in a defensive game plan. He served as rescue in a lot of cases, either making himself an outlet for the defense or a safety net for Robinho and Santiago Patino when needed.

MF, Uri Rosell, 7 (MotM)— It was another quality performance for Rosell, who seems right at home in the defensive system O’Connor likes to run when rotating the squad. He gummed up passing lanes, made life difficult for Portland’s forwards, and was so imposing that the Timbers had to play around him in most cases. The loss of De John brought him back often to support Smith and Miller and the trio became a wall in the center of the defense that the Timbers had to shoot over or around, making them send 16 shots off target. He led the club in passing percentage as noted above, hit eight of his nine long ball attempts, and had a team-high four interceptions to go with six clearances.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 5.5 — The captain led Orlando in both touches (74) and passes (50), but it still didn’t seem like he had much of an impact in the match. Given the lineup and lack of offensive weapons for him to use, it’s understandable how he was kept quiet for most of the game. After all, Orlando barely had a third of the possession. Regardless, he wasn’t able to unlock Portland’s defense when the opportunity did come along.

F, Robinho, 6 —  It was honestly a rough outing for the newest Lion in his first 40 minutes or so. He wasn’t a dangerous presence or a threat, but was a presence nonetheless late in the first half when he caught Portland sleeping, turned over Zarek Valentin, and served up the cross that led to Orlando’s goal. After that, he became noticeably more comfortable on the ball as he settled in. He seems like the type of winger who will take a mile for every inch given, but can struggle to make opportunities himself. It speaks well of him that he completed 87.5% of his passes to his brand new teammates in his first ever game as a Lion.

F, Santiago Patiño, 5 —  The goal scorer, Patiño did his job of being in the right place at the right time as center forward. Credit goes to him for doing his job and being the most threatening of the three forwards, but there wasn’t anything really spectacular from him. Which is more than fine, especially considering he scored. But it becomes less fine when paired with his turnover late that led to Portland scoring. He was a nuisance for the Timbers defense, but struggled to do much of anything with the ball at his feet.

F, Benji Michel 4.5— Michel must have gone to the Acosta school of offense because he dribbled into traffic on multiple occasions. Those failed attacks were coupled with being knock downs and hard falls as the Timbers defense was physical all night long. Maybe he thinks he’s faster than he actually is or maybe the turf hurt a little harder than he expected, but it was a tough night for the Homegrown product, who put in a full 90 on the road after doing the same on Saturday against Columbus.

Substitutes

D, Will Johnson (12’), 6.5 — Forced to come on for De John early in the game, his versatility was certainly leaned on as he filled a loose right back position. He did well for the most part, keeping the trio of Fernandez, Sebastian Blanco, and Diego Valeri from causing too much havoc. He gets bonus points for running hard to keep track of those quick Portland forwards, although his exhaustion started to show as the game wore on. He deserves a nice, long nap home after making nine clearances to go with two tackles, three interceptions, and two blocked shots. He also had one of Orlando’s two shot attempts in the game.

F, Tesho Akindele (80’), N/A —  It’d be a little unfair to grade Akindele on just 10 minutes of work (plus stoppage time) but he provided just what Orlando needed to see the game out. With height, a talent for holding the ball, and a willingness to put his body on the line, he gave a nice boost to Orlando.

MF, Sebas Mendez, (64’) 6 — Coming on for Robinho, Mendez was a needed boost to the defense on the right side. He helped slow down the tempo of the game and eased some of the pressure off Johnson. Like most players last night, Mendez’s contributions were quiet and understated given how much defense was focused on.

I think that’ll do it! Who was your Man of the Match? Be sure to vote in the poll and let us know why in the comments!

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Uri Rosell61
Kyle Smith27
Kamal Miller23
Santiago Patino12
Will Johnson36
Other (tell us who in the comments!)1

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

12 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 4, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

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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