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

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7 years ago

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Orlando City was a goal post away from putting the eventual Supporters Shield winners away in last night’s 2-2 draw against Los Angeles FC. But that pesky woodwork denied Santi Patino a goal that would have pushed the Lions’ lead to 3-1 and a minute later, Diego Rossi made good on one of his rare opportunities in the game to level things.

Draws are funny things, because how you feel about them is often related to the order in which the goals were scored. If LAFC scored the first two, Orlando fans would be ecstatic with the point. If the Lions had even scored just the last goal in the draw, supporters go home much happier. But when the other team gets the last licks in, it doesn’t feel quite as good, and the later that goal is scored, the worse it feels.

I went into this one expecting no points, Carlos Vela or no Carlos Vela, so a point was a nice surprise for me. Anyway, the Lions gained a point on New England. Let’s see how the individual performances graded out.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 5.5 — Rowe got a hand on both LAFC goals but it would be unfair to say he should have stopped them. Adrien Perez’s goal took a deflection just in front of him and Diego Rossi’s 15th of the season was a 1-v-1 and just had too much on it to keep it out from that range. He didn’t have what you’d call a difficult save to make on either of the two that he stopped. His distribution was awful early in the game, as he sent two free kicks straight out of bounds and sending a long ball over everyone to opposing goalkeeper Tyler Miller. Rowe, who finished with just a 29% passing rate, has been better and he’s been worse this season. It was an OK game. He didn’t cost the team any points, nor did he earn the Lions any.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith just continues to play solid soccer. His offensive shortcomings are obvious — he hasn’t been a good crosser this year and he seems to get cut off when he gets to the corner and encounters traffic. But when he releases the pass early it’s usually pretty good and he’s been a workhorse on the defensive end. Last night, Smith was an 83% passer to lead the back line, led the team in tackles (5), and finished with two interceptions and five clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — I like what the Swede brings to the team. Last night he was solid if unspectacular. He led the Lions in clearances (6) but failed to record any tackles or interceptions. He got beat by Rossi’s speed on the tying goal. The back line could have stepped up before the pass or they’ve got to track Rossi and they did neither. His 83% passing was just a couple of tenths of a percentage point behind Smith. He attempted one shot but it was blocked.

D, Lamine Sané, 7 — Sané seemed right on the edge all night. He got caught on an early LAFC break but luckily after Perez rounded Rowe, he was too wide and Rowe smothered the pass attempt. Sané led the team in interceptions (6) and pitched in five clearances, two tackles, and two blocked shots. He did tee up the first goal for Perez but that was bad luck. He stretched out to get a toe to a dangerous cross and couldn’t get any power to clear it and it unfortunately fell perfectly for the LAFC forward. His passing was decent at 78%.

D, Ruan, 8 (MotM) — It was good to have the Brazilian speedster back on the pitch. He adds a dimension to the attack that doesn’t exist without him and could have made more plays had his teammates looked for him a bit more. There were opportunities to play him in that went ignored. He still sent a perfect ball to Benji Michel for the second goal to earn his assist. He was a 73% passer and created one chance. Sometimes he makes a great move to split two guys and then inexplicably dribbles right at a third defender, which is a bit maddening, but he’s always entertaining. He finished with three tackles, two clearances, and two interceptions and made some plays tracking back that no one else on Orlando could make just because of his speed. He even showed he was faster than a fresher Mohamed El-Munir late in the game, winning a race to a loose ball.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 8 — I had a tough time deciding between Higuita and Ruan for Man of the Match. The Colombian lost out by the slimmest edge for me. He was involved in both goals and the space LAFC had in Orlando’s end widened considerably after he tired and eventually left the game. I had to triple check his passing accuracy because I couldn’t believe it was only 56%, but he played in the final third a lot more than usual and was asked to facilitate the attack in ways he rarely is. He got a hockey assist on Michel’s goal and was a slight deflection from a primary assist on Nani’s. He sent in the cross that ended in Uri Rosell’s disallowed goal after Michel and Miller collided. He won an aerial, had three tackles, and made two interceptions.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6.5 — It was tough watching Rosell’s goal waved off as the midfielder has worked hard and fought for Orlando City this year and it would have been a nice reward for him. The Spaniard put in a good shift, with an interception and a clearance and he took one for the team when he was booked for a professional foul to prevent a break when Smith slipped on the play. His 84% passing was the highest among non-defensive starters except Michel, although Uri had 36 more attempts. Only Nani and Smith had more than his 51 touches.

MF, Dillon Powers, 6 — It was the kind of quiet night you need from a defensive midfielder. Powers was a 79% passer and had two tackles, two interceptions, and a clearance. He even tied Nani as the team’s best long passer, connecting on four of his five long-ball attempts. As a guy who hadn’t played much in recent weeks, it was no surprise that his energy level dropped late in the game and he wasn’t closing down as quickly as he had earlier in the match.

F, Nani, 7.5 — The captain was active against LAFC, scoring his first non-penalty goal since May 19 with a lovely chip over Miller. He also participated in the buildup on Michel’s goal, giving the ball to Higuita at the start of the sequence. His cross nearly ended up in a goal in the 77th minute but Patino hit the post. Nani hit four of his five long balls like Powers, passed at a 78% rate, made three key passes, and chipped in defensively with an interception and a clearance.

F, Dom Dwyer, 5.5 — It was a quiet night for Dwyer, who didn’t receive great service and didn’t manage a shot attempt. He did chip in with solid hold-up play and he was pesky without crossing the line. He won three aerials, drew three fouls, passed at 80% and had one tackle and tried to block Perez’s 12th-minute shot but didn’t get enough of it.

F, Benji Michel, 6.5 — The rookie made no mistake on his go-ahead goal, scoring on his only shot attempt. His 89% passing rate was good but it came on just nine attempts. He chipped in a clearance and an accurate long ball. The only blemish to his game was that he was dispossessed four times on the night as the young Homegrown Player has to learn how to use his body better in traffic.

Substitutes

F, Santiago Patino (67’), 6 — In 23 minutes plus five more in stoppage time, Patino only managed 11 touches. He was nearly a hero in the 77th but his lone shot attempt of the night bounced back off the right post. He connected on all four of his pass attempts and showed good touch on his hold-up play. He contributed a tackle and two clearances defensively.

MF/F, Chris Mueller (73’), 6 — Despite coming in late, Mueller didn’t seem to have the usual jump in his legs against the players who had been on the pitch for most of the game. He did have a tackle and a clearance on defense and was an 88% passer. He was credited with two shot attempts, but neither was on target. He had just 16 touches and no key passes.

F, Robinho (87’), N/A — There wasn’t really enough time to give Robinho a fair grade. He only touched the ball seven times, though he did complete all three of his pass attempts. That about sums up his few minutes on the pitch.

That’s how I saw the individual performances as the Lions grabbed a vital point. What did you think? Vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below and let us know in the comments section where you think I went wrong.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Ruan27
Cristian Higuita25
Nani6
Benji Michel1
Lamine Sané2
Kyle Smith2
Other (Tell us who in the comments)0

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Lion Links: 6/15/26

OCB beats Huntsville City, OCB signs Parker Amoo-Mensah, USMNT defeats Paraguay in World Cup, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

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June 15, 2026

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Image of Matthew Belgodere of OCB against Huntsville City.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work but tried to catch as many World Cup matches as possible. I did get to check out the Mumford & Sons and Rufus Du Sol concerts at Wrigley Field up here in Chicago. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

OCB Defeats Huntsville City FC on the Road

Orlando City B completed the comeback, overturning a 1-0 deficit to beat Huntsville City FC 2-1 at Wicks Family Field Saturday. Huntsville struck first to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Matthew Belgodere buried the equalizer for the Young Lions. Jacob Ramirez scored the final goal of the match for OCB to seal the win on the road and extend its winning streak to four games. That result lifts the Young Lions to third in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 28 points. OCB will return home to face Philadelphia Union II Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

OCB Signs Parker Amoo-Mensah

Orlando City B has signed academy defender Parker Amoo-Mensah to an MLS NEXT Pro contract. The club announced the signing Friday with the deal running through the 2028 season. Amoo-Mensah has made 12 appearances for the Young Lions during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season, starting eight matches, and has one assist.

USMNT Defeats Paraguay in World Cup Opener

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, to win its opening match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Former Lion Alex Freeman played a full 90 minutes and recorded an assist in the match, while Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda was on Paraguay’s bench but did not play. The USMNT’s opening goal was an own goal from Paraguay midfielder Damian Bobadilla to give the Yanks the lead in the first half. Falorin Balogun scored twice for the U.S to take a 3-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Paraguay pulled one back, but Gio Reyna added the insurance goal. The USMNT will face Australia in its second group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Lumen Field in Seattle on Friday.

2026 FIFA World Cup Recap

On Friday, Canada drew Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1. Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau started the match and had two clutch saves while former Lions Cyle Larin and Richie Laryea were also in action. Larin scored the equalizer for the Canadian Men’s National Team, securing a draw and earning its first-ever point in a World Cup match. On Saturday, Qatar and Switzerland played to a 1-1 draw, Brazil and Morocco settled for a 1-1 draw, Scotland secured its first World Cup win in 36 years with a 1-0 victory over Haiti, and Australia defeated Turkey 2-0. On Sunday, Kai Havertz scored twice for Germany in a 7-1 win over Curacao, Japan trailed twice and fought back for a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, Amad Diallo scored a late winner for Ivory Coast in a 1-0 win over Ecuador, and Sweden and Tunisia kicked off late. Today’s matches will feature Spain facing Cape Verde, Belgium taking on Egypt, Saudi Arabia facing Uruguay, and Iran taking on New Zealand.

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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

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

Published

3 days ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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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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