Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Well, I spent my Saturday night after a long “Meet the Teacher” Friday watching the Lions draw in Toronto on the road. I mean, obviously better than a loss, but the draw on the road still stings and really isn’t what Orlando City needed. Here’s how I thought the Lions rated individually:
Starters
GK, Brian Rowe, 6.5 — Rowe was tested repeatedly in the second half and finished with four saves on Toronto’s five shots on target, plus three clearances and a 68% passing accuracy. He had a couple nice long throws to try to jump-start the offense. Mullins was the only Red to reach the back of the net on a chaotic play in front.
D, Kamal Miller, 6.5 — It was not a bad night for Miller in his hometown. He sent a beautiful long ball up to Dom Dwyer in the 33rd minute that was just too far for Dwyer to connect. The Canadian finished with three tackles, two clearances, and a 90% passing accuracy, and made one of the best plays of his short career so far when he dispossessed Toronto on the counter-attack in the 33rd minute.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Perhaps the most consistent on defense, Jansson registered one tackle, one interception, three clearances, two blocked shots, and an 88% passing accuracy. The ESPN+ announcers kept referring to him as a brick wall.
D, Lamine Sané , 6 — Sané’s defending saw two interceptions, five clearances, and a yellow card. I’m a bit surprised we didn’t see a call for his boot to a Toronto player’s face as he unintentionally slid into him on a play.
D, Kyle Smith, 7.5 (MotM) — Kyle Smith has quite the fan base in the ESPN+ announcers for Toronto FC. To hear them call the match, you almost wouldn’t know anyone else was playing, except for maybe Miller. He made a nice play in the 58th minute to head a cross from Richie Laryea away from Jozy Altidore. The defense that is normally a Sané and Jansson showcase didn’t stand a chance with Smith on the field tonight. Smith finished with three tackles, a team-high eight clearances, and a blocked shot. His crosses weren’t always accurate but he did some nifty things on the offensive end too.
MF, Carlos Ascues, 6 — Ascues started the night pretty strong but seemed to fade into the background after that, save for the handball in the offensive penalty area in the 42nd minute. He produced one clearance and a dribble, as well as an 89% passing accuracy on 35 attempts on the night.
MF, Nani, 7 — The captain took a shot in the 22nd minute two work goalkeeper, Quentin Westberg into a diving stop, although the effort was drifting just wide. A rough challenge saw the captain go down for a bit shortly before the second half, but he was able to get up and play on after being looked at by trainers. Shortly after, Nani took a shot that sent the ball wide. Nani’s 50 attempts produced an 84% passing accuracy, while defensively he had one tackle, one interception, and a foul. He’s a Lion on the field taking chances.
MF, Uri Rosell, 6 — Rosell combined with Chris Mueller to beautifully dispossess Laryea in the 13th minute, only for Uri to misplace the ensuing pass. With space and a dying clock, Rosell took a shot in the 93rd minute, but sent it way over. Defensively, Uri had three tackles, two interceptions, and a clearance while his team-high pass attempts (66) produced an 86% passing accuracy.
F, Chris Mueller, 7 — Mueller had a rough time as Laryea seemed to outrun him and outplay him much of the night. He started out OK defensively, getting into passing lanes, but really struggled in the attack at times in the first half. Then he had that beautiful assist on the Benji Michel goal. He seemed to have taken some time to warm up to this game. Defensively, Mueller had three tackles and five interceptions, while his passing accuracy on 66 attempts clocked in at 87%.
F, Dom Dwyer, 6.5 — His time on the field was reminiscent of the Dwyer we all know and love. He was alert, hungry, and seemed ready to do what it takes. He cleared a corner in the first half, smashing the ball out of danger with authority. You won’t convince me that he wouldn’t have scored on the set piece had he not been held down and unable to jump — even the Toronto announcers were saying it was a clear and obvious penalty kick that went uncalled for the Lions. Dom playing the ball into space for Mueller helped set up the goal, although he didn’t get the hockey assist for some reason. Is it possible that Dom’s defensive stats are better than his offensive stats this match? The striker made two clearances and had one shot on target, and a 78% passing accuracy.
F, Robinho, 6 — Not a particularly amazing outing for one of the newest Lions. We finally saw a nice bit of play from Robinho only to see the buildup fizzle out. His time in the game saw one tackle, two interceptions, and a foul. Additionally, his 25 attempts saw just an 80% passing accuracy.
Substitutes
F, Benji Michel (68’), 6.5 — I mean, what do I even have to say? His first contact with the ball after being on the pitch for a minute and the kid scores his second career MLS goal. It quickly took a dark turn when Michel fouled Laryea in the 74th minute and it was originally ruled a penalty kick. After going to video review, it was quite rightfully changed to a free kick just outside the box, only to see Toronto score anyway. Do those two events cancel each other out? Asking for a friend who has to do grades.
F, Tesho Akindele (78’), 5.5 — A nice play from Ruan got the ball in the area to Tesho, who couldn’t quite get the touch he needed on it and he flicked the ball wide. I think it’s a trend, but I’m not actually tracking the data, so someone let me know if I’m way off here, but Tesho’s first touches, for the most part, seem to be his downfall game recently. In the eighteen-ish minutes he played tonight he looked tired and slow.
MF, Ruan (86’), N/A — He was only in for a few minutes — not quite long enough to fairly grade — but Ruan made his presence known. After beating his man down the right, Ruan sent it into the area where Tesho had a chance on goal. He was able to get in a tackle and connected on both of his pass attempts.
That’s how I saw the match unfold player by player. What are your thoughts on the draw away from home? Be sure to tell us that and vote in the poll below for your Man of the Match!
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Kyle Smith | 54 |
| Chris Mueller | 7 |
| Nani | 7 |
| Uri Rosell | 5 |
| Benji Michel | 14 |
| Other (Be sure to tell us who and why) | 5 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/14/26
The Orlando Pride hire a new GM, Luis Muriel departure rumors heat up, USMNT news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It has felt like the off-season has been in slow motion despite several signings. Recent developments make it feel like things are going to start speeding up. So keep your head up as the preseason is underway, and the season is just around the corner. For now, let’s get to the links.
Orlando Pride Name Caitlin Carducci VP & GM
The Orlando Pride hired Caitlin Carducci as the club’s new vice president of soccer operations and general manager. Carducci was most recently the general manager for the Kansas City Current. Like the recently departed Haley Carter, Carducci is proven commodity, having built trophy-winning teams. She has an impressive resume, having worked at multiple levels of soccer including with U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and as an attorney and former compliance officer. This is a move that proves the commitment of the Wilf family regarding the Orlando Pride.
Muriel Exit Rumors Heat Up
It’s one of those things where everyone knows something is coming, but we still have to wait for it to actually happen (see Carlos Coronel). It’s a known secret that Orlando City and Luis Muriel want to mutually move on from each other, and now it looks like it might be happening. Of course, we don’t have anything confirmed by the club yet, but when Tom Bogert posts something like this, it’s usually a good indication.
USMNT News
Josh Sargent has been doing very well with Norwich City scoring 13, 16, and 15 goals for the Canaries in the last few seasons. Now, he may be on his way to MLS as Toronto FC is trying to bring him to North America for an $18 million fee. In other news, Timothy Weah spoke out about the costs of World Cup tickets being too high. It’s not exactly a hot take, but good on him for addressing the issue.
NWSL Notes
Now that the Orlando Pride have a new general manager, we eagerly await the new player signings. Until then, let’s check out other NWSL happenings. Seattle Reign FC signed head coach Laura Harvey to a new contract through the 2028 season. Angel City decided that having Emily Sams wasn’t enough, so the club signed rookie forward Riley Tiernan to a contract extension through the 2028 season. The disturbing trend of Brazilian players signing with clubs other than Orlando City continued, as Ludmila was traded by Chicago to the San Diego Wave for $800,000 in transfer fee funds and up to an additional $200,000 in conditional transfer fee. She signed a three-year contract with the club.
Free Kicks
- I think we may get the 2026 NWSL season schedule on Thursday, but I’m just speculating.
- Manchester United has signed former player Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season.
- FC Cincinnati signed forward Kristian Fletcher through the 2026 season with options through the 2027-2028 MLS season.
- If you’re feeling bad about what Orlando City is or is not doing this off-season, at least the Lions haven’t messed up like this:
- It’s called the City Beautiful for a reason.
- Orlando City had a special guest at training, as Brazilian legend Zico stopped by to visit.
That will do it for today. Check back with The Mane Land as there’s going to be plenty of news as the new seasons for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride get closer. Vamos Orlando!
Opinion
An Orlando City 2026 Preseason Wishlist
Here are three things that I’m hoping to see during Orlando City’s preseason preparations.
The preseason has begun, and we know about Orlando City’s four tuneup matches during the 2026 training camp. The season opener is just over six weeks away on Feb. 21. This seems like a good time to discuss a few things that I’m hoping for from this edition of the Lions’ preseason.
A Clean Bill of Health
I would trade every other item on this list if it means getting through the preseason without any injury setbacks like the one the Lions experienced last year. When Wilder Cartagena tore his left Achilles tendon against Atletico Mineiro on Jan. 25, it broke up the previously established and successful duo of himself and Cesar Araujo and had a big impact on the start of the season. Of course, OCSC pivoted magnificently as Eduard Atuesta was signed just a little over two weeks later on Feb. 10, but the timing of Cartagena’s injury and Atuesta’s subsequent arrival meant that he was playing catch-up when it came to integrating with his new teammates. The Colombian still put together a solid season with seven assists (good for third-best on the team), but not having Cartagena in 2025 was a blow, particularly when considering his versatility in being able to play at midfield or center back. If the Lions can get to opening day this year with no repeats of that incident or Yutaro Tuskada’s 2025 season-ending knee injury, then I’ll be a very happy man.
Timely Reinforcements
It’s been pretty well established that more additions need to be made to the roster before it’s ready for opening day. Luis Muriel is likely about to be moved and at least one striker will be needed to replace him, while convincing arguments can be made for signing a left back, a couple of center backs, and a right back. Not only would I love those signings to be made, but there’s also a lot to be said for any new arrivals to join up with the team sooner rather than later. Some of that is out of the Lions’ hands, particularly in the case of using the Designated Player spot if/when Muriel exits, but the more time any new faces have to begin integrating with their new teammates, the better. Of course, there’s also something to be said for Orlando doing its homework and ensuring that it makes the correct call when pulling the trigger on a new signing, but with how tough the Eastern Conference was last year, a fine balance is going to need to be struck between patience and urgency to ensure OCSC isn’t playing catchup in the standings.
Continued Chances for Young Players
It’s no secret that a big storyline for Orlando City during 2025 was the eye-wateringly fast rise of Alex Freeman. He’s a shining example of what MLS teams want to get out of their academies — rising up through the youth systems, starring for the reserve side, earning a spot on the first team, and going even farther beyond that. The big question now is whether or not other young players can follow in his footsteps. It would be unreasonable to expect other Young Lions to hit the heights that Freeman did in 2025, but there’s no reason that guys like Gustavo Caraballo, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Colin Guske can’t earn some more minutes after making their debuts last season. Likewise, as Sean Rollins noted several days ago, there are some current Orlando City B players who could realistically make their senior debuts this year. That process begins during the preseason, when the coaching staff is trying to get a good sense of what it has to work with, and if any of the youngsters show well, then Oscar Pareja and his staff have shown themselves to be more than willing to hand them opportunities. Hopefully, some of the more promising young faces get plenty of chances to prove themselves.
There you have it. If Orlando City can keep everyone healthy, get new signings in the door sooner rather than later, and hand promising youngsters the chance to show what they can do, then I’ll be a happy man during this preseason. Keep your fingers crossed, people. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/13/26
Orlando City opens preseason training, Orlando City B signs a striker, MLS transfer news, and more.
Good morning, everyone! As strange (and soon) as it seems, we’ve now got day one of Orlando City’s preseason in the rearview mirror. The season opener will be here before we know it, but for now we’ve got a lot of things to talk through today. Let’s wish a happy birthday to OCSC goalkeeping coach Cesar Baena, and get started on today’s links!
Orlando City Begins Preseason Training
Things looked a little different than they did the last few years when Orlando City opened preseason training on Monday. The new faces include Maxime Crepeau, Braian Ojeda, and Tiago, but the team is more than ready to get to work despite the off-season changes. Oscar Pareja says the club has high expectations for the year and took a moment to acknowledge all the people at the club who helped make the Lions into a playoff staple over the last six seasons, saying, “We’re ready to keep pushing with this journey, and it looks different, for sure, because we have had those players who have been here for many years and have brought a long, big, big history here. So again, our respect to them, and we promise that we will keep pushing together, because the most important thing is the team.” Of the new signings, Luis Otavio was the only one not present at Monday’s training, while several Orlando City B players were training with the first team, with Justin Ellis, Titus Sandy Jr., and Juan Rojas among them.
OCB Adds Brazilian Striker
Not to be outshone by the senior side, Orlando City B got the week started on a strong note by announcing the signing of striker Pedro Leao from Flamengo’s U-20 team. Leao came up through Flamengo’s academy before making his debut for the U-20 team in August of 2024. He then proceeded to score 20 goals and provide six assists in over 3,000 minutes for the U-20 side, and helped it win the 2024-2025 iteration of the U-20 Intercontinental Cup. The striker was also called up three times to represent Brazil’s U-16 side, logging three assists across those friendly matches. Welcome to Orlando!
MLS Transfer Moves
With the beginning of the Major League Soccer season creeping closer and closer, teams are completing transfer business in every direction you look. We start with FC Cincinnati, which has signed free agent forward Tom Barlow on a contract that runs through the end of 2027. Continuing the theme of free agent signings, the New York Red Bulls have signed defender Robert Voloder, with the former Sporting Kansas City player joining on a deal that runs through the end of 2028. The Houston Dynamo signed midfielder Agustin Bouzat from Velez Sarsfield on a deal that runs through June 2028 and has an option through June 2029. Up north, 38-year-old Maxi Moralez is back yet again for New York City FC, as he has signed a new contract that runs through the 2026 season. Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes are said to be closing in on a deal to sign Timo Werner as a Designated Player.
Americans in Midweek Action
As usual, a number of American players will be in action during the working week, so let’s take a look at some of the matchups. Things get going today when Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen travel to Hamburger SV in Bundesliga action. Gio Reyna, Joe Scally, and Borussia Monchengladbach hit the road to take on Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Wednesday, while Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg host James Sands’ St. Pauli side in the same competition. Thursday has Christian Pulisic and AC Milan in a road tilt against Como in Serie A play, and the week finishes up Friday with Folarin Balogun and Monaco squaring off against Lorient in Ligue 1.
Free Kicks
- Check out some of the scenes from the first day of preseason training.
- Minnesota United has promoted Cameron Knowles to be its new head coach.
- United States Women’s National Team captain Lindsey Heaps has signed with Denver Summit FC.
- Utah Royals FC has traded the Washington Spirit $180,000 in Allocation Money for midfielder Narumi Miura.
- Xabi Alonso is no longer the coach of Real Madrid, with Alvaro Arbeloa announced as his successor.
- Paris FC eliminated Paris Saint-Germain from the Coupe de France.
That’s all I’ve got for today. Vamos Orlando!
SkoPurp Soccer Episode 112: Emily Sams Traded, Pride Name Caitlin Carducci VP and GM, and More
Lion Links: 1/14/26
An Orlando City 2026 Preseason Wishlist
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