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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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The Lions got mauled in San Jose last night and although I don’t disagree with James O’Connor’s assessment that it was like the team never left the dressing room for the first half, the perspective of a partial night’s sleep has me thinking that maybe the Western Conference’s second-place team is just that good.

San Jose has now gone 12 straight home games without a loss. The California side moves the ball with impressive speed and accuracy through the middle of the pitch and Orlando struggled to deal with that in the first 45 minutes of the match. By the time the Lions made some lineup changes and came out for the second half, the damage was done.

We know how the Lions did as a team. Here’s how I saw them individually:

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 6 — I didn’t think Rowe did anything particularly wrong. He made the saves he generally should make. He just didn’t provide the spectacular on a night when his teammates needed it. His best save of the six he made might have been kicking away a Cristian Espinoza left-footed effort in the 32nd minute after the Argentine had slickly bypassed a sliding Robin Jansson. He did manage to get a hand on Chris Wondolowski’s first goal but didn’t get enough of it to knock it off line. His distribution on the night was solid, hitting four out of seven long-ball attempts and his passing rate of 88% was good. Rowe didn’t get a lot of help. I strongly considered him for Man of the Match despite allowing three goals, which tells you what kind of night it was.

D, Kamal Miller, 5 — The Canadian rookie had been playing well but the Earthquakes took advantage of him last night. He was walked around by Espinoza a few times, leading to dangerous opportunities. He provided one tackle, two clearances, and a blocked shot defensively. His passing rate was poor (68%), but he did create two chances — one that Carlos Ascues wasted with a wide shot when he perhaps had better options — but he also had an impatient early cross as one of Orlando’s best counter-attacks was developing that fizzled out the chance.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The beefy Swede let his countryman, Magnus Eriksson, walk right past him for the opening goal. In fairness, Eriksson made a nice feint that got Jansson to hesitate only for a split second, but it was enough to put the Designated Player in on goal. Espinoza likewise got the better of Jansson on the chance described above in the Rowe section. Aside from those two individual moments, Jansson was generally his usual self, finishing with two tackles, an interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. His passing rate was a bit lower than usual (83%) but he hit three of his four long balls and he tried to pitch in offensively, tying Dom Dwyer for the most shot attempts on the team (2), although neither was on frame.

D, Lamine Sané, 6 — Like Jansson, Sané made a few individual mistakes in an otherwise decent game. Of course, when you play center back, a couple of mistakes can be killers or at least stick out in the memory more than the errors further up the pitch. Sané was culpable on both of Wondolowski’s goals — only partially on the first but much more blatantly on the second. On the first, he stepped up but Wondo beat the trap because not everyone on the back line was in sync. On the second, he was left marking air and watching the ball while the league’s all-time leading goal scorer stood unmarked a few yards away for an easy finish. With no one else in the area, Sané must make sure that pass doesn’t get to Wondo. But despite that, it wasn’t all bad. Sané actually finished as the team’s co-leader in chances created (2) and led the back line with a 91% passing accuracy. He finished with three interceptions, a team-high five clearances, and a blocked shot. He was by far the most active defender in the game for Orlando with 18 more touches than his nearest back line teammate.

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — While Smith has become a reliable defender in Ruan’s absence, he has a long way to go on the offensive end. You’d take his 82% rate if he at least provided a key pass or two, but he didn’t produce any, nor did he register an accurate cross on the meager two attempts. But, as usual, he was active in his own end, recording four tackles — tied for the team high — two interceptions, and three clearances. With three defensive midfielders playing in the 4-3-3, more is needed in the attacking end from the fullbacks.

MF, Will Johnson, 6.5 (Man of the Match)— When you don’t notice a defensive midfielder, it generally means he did his job. Johnson’s night wasn’t perfect. He had an awful turnover that produced a San Jose scoring chance, although Rowe bailed him out on it. His 92% passing accuracy led all starters and he created one scoring chance and attempted one shot, which was blocked. His four tackles co-led the team, and he added an interception and a clearance. I selected him as MotM but it was honestly just about a coin flip between Johnson and Uri Rosell — mostly as the two players who did the least amount wrong while being involved in the game.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6.5 — Rosell put in the work in his own end, recording one tackle, three interceptions — tying Sané for the team lead — one clearance, and one blocked shot. He registered the team’s only shot on target, although he didn’t get all of his 13th-minute effort that he sent toward the back post from outside the area. His passing rate of 83% needed to be better but he did hit four of his seven long balls and a few of those sprung the Lions for what should have been more threatening attacks. Two of those were notable in the 19th and 29th minutes. He earned his 90th-minute yellow card.

MF, Carlos Ascues, 4 — Although the Peruvian has played well in recent games, I thought Ascues looked a bit slow and lethargic last night. He touched the ball only 15 times in the first half before being subbed out at the break. His passing rate of 88% wasn’t bad but came on just eight attempts. His best contribution was a shot wide of the near post but he perhaps had more time and space than he realized and could have picked out a better option in the box. Ascues registered a clearance and a blocked shot defensively but he was more of a passenger on the night. James O’Connor wasn’t happy and his halftime interview indicated there were people not giving the effort he wanted in the first 45 minutes. Subbing Ascues out gives an indication of one of the players he felt weren’t giving enough.

F, Nani, 5 — The captain had a frustrating night that ended in an injury of unknown severity at 71 minutes. The Earthquakes seemingly always had two men ready to mark him when Orlando was on the ball and that contributed to a sloppier than usual night with just a 63% passing rate and he lost the ball seven times. He created one scoring chance, got nine crosses into the area (two accurate), but attempted no shots. Defensively, he added a clearance and a blocked shot. While I think much of his lack of quality on the night was related to how he was being marked without Mauricio Pereyra on the pitch, the Lions still needed more from their captain and Designated Player.

F, Dom Dwyer, 4.5 — Starved of service throughout the match, there was little Dwyer could do to affect the match. He had two shot attempts, neither on target, but at least he did the job of trying to score on the few opportunities he had. He was shown the softest of all yellow cards in the 65th minute. While Dwyer can be an agitator and initiate contact, this card came from the most innocuous of bumps with the goalkeeper as he was coming down from a jump for a cross that Daniel Vega cut off. The incidental contact was perhaps a foul — and Vega sold the hell out of it — but hardly worthy of the usual Dwyer booking. His hold-up play wasn’t great but there generally were few options for him anyway and he passed at a 73% rate. He won two aerials, blocked a shot on the defensive end, and finished the night with just 35 touches.

F, Benji Michel, 4 — Like Ascues, Michel came off at halftime, indicating a position that O’Connor wanted more out of. The rookie managed just 16 touches and passed at only a 50% rate (on just eight attempts, like Ascues), although he tied Dwyer for the team lead in aerials won (2). Michel failed to record any defensive statistics, which is unusual for a player who usually displays more desire and energy when pressing and getting into passing lanes. He produced no crosses, shots, or scoring chances and — again, like Ascues — was more of a passenger during his 45 minutes than a driver.

Substitutes

MF, Cristian Higuita (46’), 5.5 — The Colombian finally returned to make his 100th MLS appearance after about a three-month absence and generally played well. He led all Lions with a 97% passing rate and connected on both of his long-ball attempts. Surprisingly, Higuita registered no defensive statistics. He committed two fouls, though his booking was nearly as soft as Dwyer’s and happened right after Jackson Yueill should have gone in the books for cleaning out Akindele with his studs showing. Higuita attempted one shot, which Orlando players felt should have drawn a handball. I can’t say whether it was a good no-call or not because the broadcast literally never showed a replay. It was a decent 45-minute return for Higuita, who will be relied upon more heavily in the upcoming LAFC match.

F, Tesho Akindele (46’), 6 — The Canadian added some quality and hold-up play, finishing with a dribble and two chances created, but did disappear from the game at times. An 84% passing rate wasn’t bad considering his position and where those passes took place (all but two of the 19 were in the attacking half and all but seven were in the final third). He had one tackle and one clearance defensively and was generally decent in his 45 minutes, although an extremely heavy touch wrecked one of Orlando’s more promising buildups of play of the last half hour.

F Chris Mueller, (71’), 5 — Like other players, Mueller struggled with the Avaya Stadium pitch, but he had more trouble than many of his teammates. A couple of slips ruined potential attacks and it was a problem for Orlando players all night that never seemed to get resolved. Mueller failed to get his one shot attempt on target from a decent area in the box and just generally struggled to produce anything in the attack over the final 20 minutes despite getting on the ball 17 times. He had one dribble but created no chances. His 88% passing sounds pretty good until you look at a snapshot of his attempts.

That’s how I viewed the individual performances but, since we all see the game differently, how did you see it? I wouldn’t say that anyone stood out as amazing on the night and I had difficulty picking a Man of the Match on a night when the entire team fizzled. Defenders had lapses, midfielders turned over the ball, and forwards were isolated. It was a complete team loss. But hey, vote for your MotM below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Brian Rowe4
Uri Rosell1
Will Johnson8
Cristian Higuita16
Tesho Akindele0
Lamine Sané1
Other (please tell us who in the comments section below)4
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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-0 home win against Toronto FC?

Published

6 hours ago

on

September 14, 2026

By

Image of Antoine Griezmann's sliding volley goal against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City picked up a 3-0 home win over Toronto FC on Saturday night, a result that was tighter than the scoreline suggested but stretched the Lions’ unbeaten run to five games (4-0-1) and snapped Toronto’s own seven-match unbeaten streak. Antoine Griezmann’s first-half strike put Orlando in front before substitute Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo added late goals that made the final margin more comfortable than the run of play for much of the night.

Let’s take a look at how the Lions fared in their shut out of an in-form Toronto side.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5  — Crepeau came up with some big saves to help earn Orlando’s clean sheet. He got down quickly to deny Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 14th minute, produced another key stop on Markus Cimermancic right after the second-half restart, and closed the door in stoppage time with a strong reaction save to keep out Raheem Edwards. He also chipped in with the ball at his feet, completing 29 of his passes (79.3%) with three of eight long balls finding a teammate.

D/MF, Ivan Angulo, 7.5 (MotM)  — Angulo was not only his usual relentless force on the pitch all night, but his final product was spot on. If not for a glaring miss by Daryl Dike, he would have an assist in addition to his well-taken goal. Deployed at left back to start the game before moving forward when Bernardo Rhein entered in the second half, he covered ground at both ends all night: snuffing out dangerous attacks and creating his own. He was beaten down his flank a few times, particularly when players used his momentum against him and cut back underneath on the defensive end. Luka Gavran denied an Angulo 1-v-1 effort in the 79th minute, but Angulo got his goal in the end, fighting past the Toronto defense and finishing off a flowing move from substitute Justin Ellis to make it 3-0 in the 96th minute. Angulo has no quit in him, seeming to have more in the tank than everyone else on the pitch. He finished with two shots, putting both on target, two key passes, 81.6% passing accuracy on 49 attempts, three tackles, and an interception.

D, Iago, 6.5  — Iago was a menace defending the Lions’ 18-yard box. He led the back line with six clearances, blocked two shots, passed at a 93.1% rate on 72 attempts, and logged four tackles. He cut out a dangerous ball in the 58th minute and shut down a late Josh Sargent-led break in the 86th. He had a couple of uncomfortable moments in buildup, twice playing loose passes out of the back to an under pressure Otavio, that could have easily resulted in turnovers just outside Orlando’s 18-yard box. Overall, however, this was a dominant performance.

D, David Brekalo, 6  — It was a solid night at center back for Brekalo. He did a competent job without standing out in any major way and, importantly, not making any glaring errors. This last point shouldn’t be overlooked, as center backs usually have the game coming at them, and staying calm and making the right decision is not always easy. The Slovenian international completed 91.9% of his 62 passes, chipped in three clearances, and completed one of four long-ball attempts.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 6  — It was a bit of a boom-and-bust night for Taifi. He was caught out in a couple of first-half moments — a misplaced pass in a dangerous spot in the 20th minute and a lapse in the 37th that nearly let Derrick Etienne Jr. in behind — and wasted a cross into empty space in the 45th. But he made up for two earlier impatient passes without any Orlando numbers in the box by whipping in a perfect cross that Griezmann finished for the opener in first-half stoppage time. He then settled into a more disciplined second half, working hard to defend the box in the 50th, helping the buildup in the 56th, and winning a block in the 75th. He finished with two key passes, 78.1% passing accuracy on 32 attempts, one accurate cross on two tries, two long balls, a tackle, and two clearances.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 5  — Spicer’s final passing numbers — 46.2% on just 13 attempts — were the lowest on the team, but he had his moments, showing good footwork and effort in the 25th minute and hustling Richie Laryea out of bounds in the 48th before making way for Bernardo Rhein in the 64th. He also chipped in two tackles, two interceptions, and a clearance defensively. He took one off-target shot, completed one cross, and missed on his one long ball attempt. It wasn’t quite the performance we’ve come to expect from Spicer, as he was absent at times and managed only 24 touches in more than an hour, but he helped to advance the ball and put pressure on his old team in his time on the pitch.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 5.5  — Gerbet’s evening ended at halftime, likely due to his 27th-minute yellow card and to keep the starter fresher for Wednesday’s match in Columbus. He was subbed off for Wilder Cartagena at the break. He did well to help create attacking opportunities, but had an unfortunate backpedaling fall in the 19th minute that could have cost the Lions if not for Angulo’s speed. Playing with a new central midfield partner, Gerbet did well to connect the lines and was the more composed of the Lions’ two men in the middle. He completed 90.6% of his 32 passes and made one tackle.

MF, Luis Otavio, 5.5  — Otavio was shown a yellow card in the 20th minute for a foul that gave Toronto a dangerous set piece. He was too passive on the play, waiting for the ball to come to him while under pressure. His offside positioning wiped out a 32nd-minute own goal by Walker Zimmerman, with the video review ruling he interfered with play during Griezmann’s free-kick delivery. Otavio did well to read a pass and push play forward to Marco Pasalic in the 71st minute, though a careless giveaway deep in stoppage time, in the 95th minute, was a reminder of his rougher moments. He completed 93.2% of his 59 passes, tied for the most on the team, and was a solid defensive presence with three tackles, an interception, and two clearances. He also completed three long ball attempts.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5  — Pasalic struggled through a rough stretch early in the game, failing to connect in tight spaces with teammates. He also should have done better defending a ball over the top in the 49th minute. He turned defense into offense to help set up an Ojeda chance in the 56th minute, linked up well with Justin Ellis in the 71st and 72nd minutes, and sent a beautiful nutmeg pass through a defender for Angulo’s saved effort just before he was subbed off for Sarajian in the 80th minute — it was one of his team-high three key passes on the night. Pasalic passed at an 88.1% rate, took one shot that was blocked, and completed his one long ball attempt. Defensively he logged one tackle and one interception.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 7.5  — Griezmann was at the center of two of Orlando’s best moments before he was withdrawn. His free-kick delivery in the 32nd minute deflected in off Walker Zimmerman for what looked like a Toronto own goal, only to see it overturned on video review. He wasn’t denied for long, executing a difficult sliding volley finish on a glorious Taifi cross early in first-half stoppage time to put the Lions in front. He also played a perfect ball over the top to spring Angulo down the left in the 68th minute before making way for Justin Ellis in the 70th. He finished with two shots on target, attempted three crosses that didn’t connect, and completed his one long-ball attempt. He passed with 84.9% accuracy on 33 attempts and added one tackle.

F, Martin Ojeda, 5.5  — Ojeda’s biggest moment came in the 49th minute, when he pounced on a poor back-pass from Richie Laryea and appeared to draw a penalty, only for the call to be overturned on review after replays showed goalkeeper Gavran got a touch on the ball before the contact. He exhibited his excellent skill and I.Q. in possession, helping to build up in the attack and calmly deal with Toronto’s press, but still has just a slight bit of rust on him, leftover from his long injury absence. He couldn’t quite find the killer pass in this match, as he often does. Ojeda was subbed off for Daryl Dike in the 64th minute having put up two shots, one on target, 77.4% passing accuracy on 31 attempts, three long balls and no defensive stats.

Substitutes

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 (46′)  — Cartagena came on for Gerbet at halftime and made his presence felt late, blocking a Dániel Sallói effort in the fourth minute of stoppage time and another from Josh Sargent a minute later. He completed a team-best 95.5% of his 22 passes to go with a tackle and two clearances. Cartagena put his one shot attempt on target, forcing a diving save from Gavran on a well-placed blast that was headed just inside the left post, and he completed both of his two long-ball attempts.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 6 (64′)  — Rhein came on and pushed Angulo up to left wing in the second half and solidified his side of the field, helping calmly break lines and making the safe play to help see out the win. The left back tracked back well to snuff out a Toronto counter in the 81st minute and whipped in a dangerous cross for Daryl Dike in the 93rd. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes, including one key pass and one completed long-ball attempt. Defensively, he added one blocked shot.

F, Daryl Dike, 5 (65′)  — It was a rollercoaster match for Dike. He badly fluffed a golden chance while trying to reset his feet in the 71st minute, stepping over the ball with the goal gaping after a well-worked move from Ellis and Angulo. He atoned a bit in the 81st minute, combining with Sarajian to unselfishly set up the second goal despite having space to shoot. He missed another good look in the 93rd minute and had a couple of sloppy touches trying to control the ball, though one of them still won a corner. He finished with a shot, a key pass, and two of four passes completed.

MF, Justin Ellis, 7 (70′)  — Ellis made an instant impact after replacing Griezmann, combining well with Pasalic in the 72nd minute and continuing to link the attack the rest of the way. He collected a pass from Angulo and found Rhein in the 93rd minute for his cross to Dike, then fed Angulo for the clinching third goal in the 96th to bag another assist. He finished with a shot on target, two key passes, and 77.8% passing accuracy on 18 attempts.

F, Harvey Sarajian, 7 (80′)  — While most players don’t receive grades for such short appearances, the rookie didn’t need much time to leave a mark on this match. His hustle and hard work won the ball that allowed him to combine with Dike before slotting home his first MLS goal in the 81st minute. Not only did he make the best of his chance, but he had to fight hard for it, bringing down a difficult ball and winning two challenges from the Toronto defense in the process. He kept contributing the rest of the way as well, helping in the buildup play and working hard to win possession as the match ground on. He finished with a shot on target, a key pass, and 83.3% passing accuracy on his six attempts. More importantly, he brought a great deal of energy and scored a badly needed insurance goal late.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in the match. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/14/26

Lions shut out Toronto FC, Pride draws at Kansas City Current, OCB wins, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

on

September 14, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian working past a Toronto FC II defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work, but I tried to catch some soccer games to watch over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic, who turns 27 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Shut Out Toronto FC

Orlando City defeated Toronto FC 3-0 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, keeping a clean sheet and earning three vital points. Antoine Griezmann scored the opener just before halftime. Late in the second half, Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo each scored for Orlando to close out the match. The Lions extended their unbeaten streak to five matches (4-0-1) and won their third straight. Next for Orlando City is a road match against the Columbus Crew in the semifinals of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Foxborough to face the New England Revolution on Saturday.

Daryl Dike Shares Insight on Soccer Journey and U.S Open Cup

Orlando City forward Daryl Dike was interviewed on the U.S. Soccer Podcast, where he shared insight into his soccer journey and the Lions’ upcoming U.S. Open Cup matchup against Columbus. Dike also discussed what it meant to represent Oklahoma, where he excelled with the OKC Energy FC youth program and was named the 2017-2018 Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Soccer Player of the Year. The 26-year-old also discussed his on-field success, his time at West Bromwich Albion dealing with multiple injuries, and why he decided to return to Orlando City. Dike concludes the interview by sharing what the Open Cup tournament means to him and more, as he looks forward to making his first appearance for the Lions in the competition on Wednesday.

Pride Blow Two-Goal Lead in Draw at Kansas City Current

The Orlando Pride could not hold onto a two-goal lead on the road and had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Kansas City Current on Friday. Barbra Banda scored twice to give Orlando a 2-0 lead. However, Kansas City responded with goals from Temwa Chawinga and Elizabeth Ball in the second half to level the match, and both teams walked away with one point. That result means Orlando remains the only NWSL team to be undefeated at CPKC Stadium. The Pride will face the Portland Thorns at home on Saturday.

OCB Takes Step Toward Playoffs with Win vs. Toronto FC II

Orlando City B defeated Toronto FC II 3-1 on Sunday night at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions got off to a great start as Ignacio Gomez scored to give OCB the lead. Gustavo Caraballo doubled the Young Lions’ lead just before halftime. In the second half, Sarajian scored for the second straight night to extend OCB’s lead to 3-0. Toronto pulled one back late in the match from the penalty spot, but the Young Lions picked up a crucial three points and extended their winning streak to three consecutive matches. Issah Haruna had two assists in the game. The win improves OCB sits eighth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with 44 points. The Young Lions will host Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day on Sunday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action in Europe. Christian Pulisic made his first appearance of the season for AC Milan and recorded an assist in a 2-2 draw against Lazio on Saturday. Antonee Robinson played a full 90 minutes for Fulham in a scoreless draw against Liverpool. Sebastian Berhalter played a full 90 minutes and scored twice for Middlesbrough in a 4-3 win against Norwich City. Jack McGlynn scored his first goal in the EFL Championship for Stoke City in a 2-1 win against Watford.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship, scored a stellar bicycle kick in a 3-0 win against Sporting Club Jacksonville on Saturday. If you missed it, check it out below.
  • The Houston Dash have reportedly parted ways with head coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila Kilgore.

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 vs. Toronto FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 3-0 home win against the Reds.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 13, 2026

By

Image of Iago passing the ball against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City picked up another critical three points at home on Saturday night, shrugging off two overturned calls from video review and continuing its march back into the playoff picture with a 3-0 victory. It was nervy for a while, but the defense held firm and the offense finally converted two late chances, and everyone in purple went home happy, just the way we like it.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Defensive Starters Bought All the Vowels

With the U.S. Open Cup semifinal coming up on Wednesday, Martín Perelman rotated the back line, dropping Iván Angulo from the wing to left back and bringing in Zakaria Taifi and Iago to replace Griffin Dorsey and Robin Jansson, respectively. David Brekalo kept his starting role in his normal right center back slot. Between Maxime Crépeau and the four starters on the back line, that group of five used all five vowels and went five for five on last names (Iago is a mononym, so we’ll call that a last name) ending in a vowel. The defenders played well for most of the game, getting a little lucky that Toronto blazed a few good chances off target or off the woodwork but holding their own for the most part. In the end, they pitched a shutout (the number zero looks a lot like the vowel “o,” am I right?) — their second in the last three games.

Z to A Works, Too

Orlando City’s opening goal came on a beautiful play between Zakaria Taifi and Antoine Griezmann, as the French attacker signaled to the young defender that he was making a run into the box and Taifi then delivered a perfectly placed cross to Griezmann, who finished it with style off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net. Griezmann is a savant on the field, drawing the best out of all his teammates, and while Taifi played a perfect pass, the whole play was set up by Griezmann, as he essentially cut backdoor while calling for an alley-oop, and then hammered in soccer’s version of a dunk to finish the play and put the Lions in the lead.

Harvey Pulled a Rabbit Out of His Hat

The Lions held the lead for the first 35 minutes of the second half, but Toronto actually took the lead on the expected goals tracking early in the second half and came close to tying the game several times. Perelman used his final sub in the 80th minute, sending on Harvey Sarajian. Just two minutes later, Sarajian doubled Orlando City’s lead through an incredible individual effort. The rookie attacker leapt high in the air to bring a ball down, lost control of it briefly but sprinted to get it back, blew through two Toronto defenders like a bull in a china shop to get a pass to Daryl Dike, and then kept going towards goal. Dike gave Sarajian a return pass, and the rookie rewarded the striker with an assist, scoring his first MLS goal by placing his shot into the far corner. The Wake Forest product celebrated his goal with a backflip that would have made former Lions Dom Dwyer and Duncan McGuire proud, and that goal finally gave the Lions some breathing room.

Ellis Changed the Game

For the first time since he joined Orlando, Griezmann was actually subbed off during a game, but unfortunately for Toronto, he came off for Justin Ellis. The well-rested Ellis absolutely bossed the game during his 20-minute shift. The young American was in complete control throughout, playing slicing balls through gaps in the Toronto defense and taking the ball wherever he wanted to take it when he decided to dribble. He had one assist and probably should have had more, and he also had 10 progressive plays (six passes and four carries) during his short stint on the field. It is not a coincidence that the Lions were +2 during his time on the field. Toronto’s defenders looked sapped from the hot Florida night, and Ellis came on fresh and made play after play, helping Orlando City to secure all three points in the final minutes of the game.

Well-Rested for the U.S. Open Cup

The ABCs of Angulo, Brekalo, and Crépeau played the full 90 against Toronto (I am not sure if Angulo is human — he was still running at his top speed when he scored his goal in stoppage time). But among the likely starters for the Lions in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal, they were the only three to do so. Eduard Atuesta, Dorsey, and Jansson did not feature, Ellis played 20 minutes, Bernardo Rhein played 26 minutes, Gerbet 45 minutes, Ojeda 64 minutes, and Griezmann 70. It was a gamble to try to rotate while still in the thick of a playoff race, but the players who started instead of the usual starters delivered, and now the Lions will be positioned about as well as they could be for a midweek road game for a spot in a cup final.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s 3-0 home win against Toronto. The Lions have picked up 13 points from their last five games, and join the Philadelphia Union as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. They will head to Columbus for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday, and if they can extend their hot streak into that tournament and get a win on the road, they will host the championship game on Oct. 21.

Let us know your thoughts about the Toronto match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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