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Orlando City

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

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5 years ago

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After a strong performance in the MLS is Back group stage, Orlando City dominated the Montreal Impact in a 1-0 win in the round of 16. Despite the narrow scoreline, Montreal had few good chances on goal while the Lions created several chances throughout the night. The win sees them advance to the quarterfinals on Friday night.

While the shots on goal were pretty close at 10-7, Orlando City dominated with 57% possession. This was especially impactful in the attacking end, where Chris Mueller, Nani, and Sebas Mendez helped create several opportunities throughout the night.

Let’s look at how Orlando City’s players did individually in this important win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — It was a pretty easy game for Pedro Gallese as he didn’t have much trouble throughout the night. Only one of Montreal’s seven shots was on target, resulting in the need for only one save for Gallese. He did have to come out to punch a ball late in the game, which he missed, but it was cleared away. The fact that he got his second clean sheet of the season is worthy of a high grade but there will be games where he’ll be called upon much more to help the team.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — The pressure on the right side of the field by Montreal meant that Moutinho was called upon more frequently than he probably would’ve been otherwise. With Ruan needing to stay further back than he usually does, Moutinho ended up in the attack throughout much of the game. While there were a couple of passes that didn’t reach the intended target, Moutinho was responsible for a key pass and took an off-target shot. Defensively, it was a solid performance by the back four, Moutinho included. Even when Montreal looked to be building up an attack, the back four were able to clear.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Antonio Carlos made the biggest impact of any defensive player in this game for Orlando City. He was very solid throughout the game, making four interceptions and seven clearances at center back. This was one of the primary reasons why Gallese’s night was so easy. He didn’t go forward very often, leaving that to Robin Jansson, but stayed back and kept the Impact from getting any dangerous shots on goal.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Similar to Carlos, Robin Jansson had a strong defensive game, keeping the Impact from threatening the Lions’ goal. He went forward more than Carlos in this game, helping build the attack from the back and allowing Mendez to push further forward into the attack. However, it was his defensive play that was largely on display in this game. While communication has been a problem for Orlando City in the past and the two starting center backs had a language barrier to cross to start the season, they worked well together this night in keeping the Impact from creating any dangerous chances on goal.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Typically, Ruan’s offense is quite noticeable but that wasn’t the case in this game, though he and Mueller did enough down the right to force Montreal to change shape at the break. The Impact continually tried to attack the Lions down the left, forcing Ruan into greater defensive responsibilities, particularly in the second half. The right back came up with a strong performance in this game, keeping some of the Impact’s most dangerous attackers at bay. He was credited with two tackles, two interceptions, and a blocked shot but it was the ineffectiveness of Montreal on his side that really stood out.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6.5 — This was probably Mendez’s best performance of the year so far. While his defensive midfield partner, Uri Rosell, stayed further back, Mendez was able to push forward into the attack at multiple points throughout the game. He created multiple opportunities for the Lions, especially in the second half, and his quick passing and long run helped to create the game’s lone goal. In his 82 minutes, he ended up with four shots of his own, and forced Rod Fanni into an errant back pass for an easy tap-in by Tesho Akindele.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — When you have a defensive midfielder push forward as Mendez did, the other one needs to play a defensive role. That was what Uri Rosell did in this game. He completed 81 passes on the night, second on the team only to Moutinho. His pass accuracy rating of 97.5% was the highest of any starter. That’s even more impressive since he played 10 long balls forward, with nine reaching their intended target. It was yet another strong performance by the Spanish midfielder.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Chris Mueller has earned his spot in the Lions’ starting lineup during the MLS is Back Tournament and he showed why he starts again last night. In the first half, Mueller was very problematic for the Impact as he created chance after chance for the Lions. The one glaring play in the game was when he had a golden opportunity for the opening goal. The ball rolled right in front of him with an empty net but the young midfielder was unable to put it away. That could’ve been a deciding moment had the Lions not finally converted in the second half. Despite the miss, it was a quality performance for the midfielder.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — This wasn’t one of Mauricio Pereyra’s best performances since he joined Orlando City last season. That’s partly because he’s such a quality player that he has higher expectations than others. He only completed 84.2% of his 57 passes in 74 minutes of play. Similar to Mueller, the most noticeable moment for Pereyra could’ve been a mistake early in the game. He found himself with some space in the box but hit the ball off target. As a quality attacking player, that’s one he has to get on goal and could’ve been costly in the end.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — While it wasn’t the dominant performance that Orlando City fans have seen in the past, Nani put in a good shift for the Lions. This was especially so in the first half. Along with Mueller, Nani created havoc for the Montreal defense, creating several chances for teammates and nearly helping the Lions get on the board. The two closest chances in the first half were both set up by Nani. The first was the shot off target by Pereyra — after a slick back heel pass from Nani — and the second was a good cross on Mueller’s mistake in front of goal. The Portuguese midfielder could’ve had a pair of assists on the night.

F, Tesho Akindele, 7 (MotM) — This was a very good performance by Tesho as the Canadian scored the lone goal and nearly had an assist. Just before halftime, a one-two between Akindele and Mendez saw the latter tap home the go-ahead goal. However, Akindele was judged to be offside. Replays of the controversial ruling appeared to show the striker slightly onside but the flag went up during the play. In the 60th minute, Akindele got the lone goal in this 1-0 win. It may have been a tap-in after a good run by Mendez, but similar chances were squandered earlier in the game. If not for the finish, the Lions could’ve been heading out of the tournament.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (75’), 5 — Andres Perea was the first player brought on by Orlando City as he took part in the final 15 minutes. Replacing Pereyra, Perea didn’t play that poorly, completing 84.6% of his 13 passes. Coming on as a midfielder with a one-goal lead, Perea’s role was to help keep possession and secure the victory. While the Impact didn’t score in the late stages of the game, Perea could’ve done better with his possession.

F, Daryl Dike (75’), 4 — Coming on for the final 15 minutes of the game, it was a difficult performance for rookie Daryl Dike on his debut. The young striker found himself with the ball in the box on multiple occasions but was unable to do anything with it. In some cases, Dike lost the ball before being able to reach a teammate. On other occasions, he committed a foul during an attack, effectively ending the chance. He only had one off-target shot but committed three fouls and picked up a yellow card for shooting the ball after the whistle.

MF, Joey DeZart (83’), N/A — Joey DeZart came on for Mendez with just seven minutes left and didn’t have time to make much of an impact. He only had nine touches and one interception, but did help secure the win.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (83’), N/A — Rodrigo Schlegel came on for Mueller as a defensive change to help see out the game. He only had six touches in seven minutes as the Lions simply looked to hold onto the ball. He did record one tackle and one clearance in those seven minutes and drew a foul on a frustrated Romell Quioto.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — Kyle Smith was the final change for the Lions, coming on for Ruan in the dying minutes. He had a bigger impact in fewer minutes than DeZart and Schlegel, with 13 touches, two clearances, and a tackle credited to his name. The most important thing was, like DeZart and Schlegel, he helped to see out the 1-0 win.

Overall, there’s not much to be displeased with in this game. The Lions came into this tournament with questions of if they would be able to get out of their group. The 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact puts them in the quarterfinals Friday night against the winner of Seattle and LAFC.

While many thought the Lions would be home by now, Orlando City fans have the luxury of enjoying the remaining round of 16 games and waiting to see who their team will play. This is how I saw the game. How do you feel about the individual performances? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Antonio Carlos9
Robin Jansson3
Sebas Mendez38
Tesho Akindele15
Ruan 6
Nani4
Other4

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/26

The Orlando Pride return to training, Facundo Torres returning to MLS, U.S. National Team news, and more.

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2 hours ago

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January 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! I hope you’ve been staying warm, though I assume it’s been a bit cooler up here in Tallahassee than it has been for those of you who reside in or near Orlando. Personally, I love this weather. I get that I live in Florida, but I should be able to wear jackets and sweaters during January and February at the very least. I appreciate you reading my short weather rant. Now, let’s get to the links.

The Orlando Pride Are Back

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is indeed the case, then I wonder how many words a video is worth? Since we don’t have any articles detailing the return of the Orlando Pride to training on Tuesday, the club’s social media pictures and videos will have to suffice to let us know how it went.

Torres Returns to MLS

Facundo Torres’ time with Palmeiras is over. The former Lion is reportedly headed back to MLS to sign with Austin FC. Assuming that Tom Bogert’s information is correct, Orlando City will pocket an almost $1.5 million sell-on fee for Torres. That money plus the $14 million the Lions got in the transfer to Palmeiras is a good chunk of change for the left-footed attacker. If anyone knows his strengths and weaknesses, it will be Orlando City.

MLS Transfer News

The rest of MLS is not sitting around waiting for the season to begin. There have been more signings from across the league. The Houston Dynamo acquired forward Nick Markanich on loan from Spanish side CD Castellón. The LA Galaxy signed Johnny Nelson to a new contract through the 2027-2028 season.

Atlanta United transferred midfielder Edwin Mosquera to Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe. Meanwhile, the New England Revolution signed Griffin Yow from Belgian Pro League side KVC Westerlo through the 2027-2028 MLS season.

U.S. National Team News

Every day we get a little closer to the 2026 World Cup, although we’re still a way off from Mauricio Pochettino naming his World Cup roster. That being said, there are still some obvious front runners for those spots, including Orlando City’s Alex Freeman. Once the MLS season starts, the selection process will really begin, as all the potential players will be playing for their respective clubs in the hopes of playing for their country. Ricardo Pepi might be with a different club despite a recent broken arm. The PSV striker has interest from English Premier League sides like Fulham. Also, check out this goal from Haji Wright.

On the women’s side, Emma Hayes is doing some evaluations of her own. The USWNT coach is using the January camp to look at how deep the player pool for the U.S. really is. The first chance for players to shine comes Saturday against Paraguay. The second match will be Tuesday against Chile.

Free Kicks

  • The Canadian Premier League will institute Arsene Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule this season. This is a trial of the new rule to see how it plays out in actual matches and not just in theory. If it works it could pave the way for broader adoption.
  • You probably saw the video of Moroccan ball boys trying to take a towel away from Senegal’s backup goalkeeper. This is worse and indicative of how out of control the match really was.

That will do it for today. We very much appreciate you reading our content so please feel free to provide feedback in the comments of any of our articles. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/26

New signing for the Orlando Pride, MLS transfer happenings, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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1 day ago

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January 20, 2026

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Image of the Orlando Pride starting XI prior to the 2025 NWSL semifinal against Gotham FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. If you were lucky enough to have Monday off from work, I hope you’re feeling rested and ready to tackle the week. If you weren’t so fortunate, take solace in the fact that you’re one day closer to the weekend. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, but before we get into the links, we want to welcome Josh Simon as a subscriber member of The Mane Land . If you’d like to subscribe and receive extra perks, please consider signing up at our Buy Me a Coffee site (or just check it out and swee what’s on offer) at buymeacoffee.com/themaneland. OK, now let’s get into the links!

Orlando Pride Add a Forward

The Orlando Pride kicked off the week by announcing the signing of Jamaican international forward Solai Washington on Monday afternoon. The 20-year-old FSU product joins on a deal that runs through the 2027 season and contains a mutual option for the 2028 campaign. At the international level, Washington has played five times for Jamaica, including three appearances at the 2023 Women’s World Cup when she was only 17. While she has yet to make her professional debut, she’s a young player with plenty of upside, and the Pride have been sorely in need of depth when it comes to the team’s group of attackers. She’s got some excellent players to learn from, and a contract that runs through next season means she should have a couple of years to do so. Welcome to Orlando!

MLS Transfer Roundup

With the beginning of the new Major League Soccer season drawing nearer by the day, the transfer business in and around the league is showing no signs of slowing down. We begin with Inter Miami, which has fully signed Tadeo Allende from Celta Vigo after he spent 2025 on loan with the Herons. Allende is now under contract through June of 2030. Next, there’s the Houston Dynamo, who Tom Bogert says are finalizing the signing of Mateusz Bogusz from Cruz Azul that has been rumored for awhile now.

Mr. Scoops also says that LAFC is putting the final touches on a deal to acquire midfielder Amin Boudri as an MLS U22 Initiative signing.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a whole slew of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and the Champions League is a recurring theme. Things get going later today when Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen take on Real Madrid, while Folarin Balogun’s Monaco side hits the road to face Real Madrid. Wednesday has Yunus Musah and Atalanta squaring off against Athletic Bilbao, while Tim Weah and Marseille host Liverpool. Attention shifts to the Europa League on Thursday when Auston Trusty and Celtic visit Bologna, while Tanner Tessman and Lyon face Young Boys. Things wrap up on Friday when Damion Downs and Hamburg play James Sands and St. Pauli in the Bundesliga, while West Brom and former Lion Daryl Dike have a road game against Patrick Agyemang and Derby County in the Championship.

AFCON Final Fallout

Saying that the AFCON final was a chaotic affair is an understatement, and now that the dust is settling after the end of the tournament, some of the fallout from the match is beginning to be felt. FIFA President Gianni Infantino criticized the scenes at the final as “unacceptable” and stated his belief that the Confederation of African Football will take disciplinary measures. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation stated that it will file complaints with both FIFA and CAF regarding the bulk of Senegal’s team withdrawing to the locker room after Morocco was given a late penalty kick. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw could be in line to receive match bans for his role in leading Senegal’s players off the field, although its unknown whether any ban would only be for CAF competitions or would come into play at this summer’s World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Cesar Araujo looks to be close to joining a new team.
  • Senegal’s backup goalkeeper didn’t play in the AFCON final but was still extremely active during the game.
  • Charalampos Kostoulas scored a ridiculous goal to help Brighton and Hove Albion rescue a late point against Bournemouth.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Three Biggest Current Roster Questions

What are the three most concerning issues for Orlando City this preseason?

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2 days ago

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January 19, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has begun its preseason training as the 2026 MLS season nears. The last few weeks have seen signings and departures that have given fans a closer look at what the team will look like when the Lions take on the New York Red Bulls on Feb. 21.

In some cases, the team has made moves that will secure positions that were questionable during the off-season. The two most notable are the signing of Maxime Crepeau as the starting goalkeeper and Martin Ojeda signing a new deal through the 2028-2029 season.

But there are also some questions still to be answered. Let’s take a look at some of the most concerning issues with the current roster.

Who Will Start at Left Back?

Rafael Santos became Orlando City’s starting left back for the 2023 MLS season after the departure of Joao Moutinho.  The Brazilian was a regular in the lineup until early last season when he was relegated to the bench in favor of David Brekalo. The club ended up trading Santos to the Colorado Rapids on Aug. 15, 2025.

Despite not being a natural left back, Brekalo started in the position for the majority of last season until the final three games, when Adrian Marin started in the role. Brekalo started two of the last three games at center back and was away on international duty for the other.

Marin was less than impressive in his first starts for the club. Even though he’s really a center back, Brekalo seemed better at the position than the newer arrival. However, that might not be an option this season and isn’t an ideal situation in any case.

Orlando City sold starting center back Rodrigo Schlegel to Atlas FC on Dec. 16. The decision seemingly forces Brekalo back into the center of the field, where he’ll start alongside club captain Robin Jansson. Even if the club complete the rumored acquisition of Brazilian defender Iago, the departures of both Schlegel and Thomas Williams mean Brekalo will likely need to play his natural position.

That leaves the question of what to do at left back. At this point, Marin starting makes the left back position the weakest of the four. The club doesn’t have any dependable options after Kyle Smith departed the club this off-season. Right now, it will be either Marin or Brekalo, which will cause concerns at the position or leave depth issues at center back. Regardless, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed as the season gets closer.

However, it bears mentioning that Marin had to adjust midseason to a new team on a new continent. It’ll be up to him to settle in during preseason camp and be ready when the season starts.

What Will Happen With Alex Freeman?

The left fullback position isn’t the only potential problem on the back line. A Homegrown product that came through the Orlando City academy and Orlando City B, Freeman made himself a household name last year. The right back quickly took the starting role from Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and started at right back for the U.S. National Team over the summer.

However, his stellar play has also led to interest from clubs overseas. Freeman has publicly stated his desire to play in Europe and he’s currently on a club option year for 2026. If he refuses to re-sign with the club, Orlando City might look to sell him before the European transfer window closes in early February or this summer in the MLS secondary transfer window to avoid losing the 21-year-old for free.

That would leave the Lions with a very serious problem at right back. The Lions traded Thorhallsson to CF Montreal this off-season and, as previously stated, Smith is gone as well. At this point, the starter if Freeman departs would probably be Zakaria Taifi. While the 20-year-old has shown quality for OCB and the first team, he’s still raw with little MLS experience.

As of now, Freeman will be the starter when the season begins and could end up extending his contract with the club, especially since playing in MLS hasn’t hindered his ability to get into the senior national team. But if contract negotiations don’t look positive in the near future, the club will have to figure out what to do with the future of that position.

Will Duncan  McGuire Solidify His Spot Up Top?

The defensive midfield and attacking midfield positions are pretty well set for the 2026 campaign. However, there are definitely some questions when it comes to who will play up top.

The position wasn’t exactly in a great state late in the 2025 season. The two top goal scorers on the team last year were midfielders in Ojeda and Marco Pasalic. Luis Muriel and Ramiro Enrique both scored in double digits in all competitions, but neither is with the club anymore.

The Lions sold Enrique to Saudi side Al-Kholood on Sept. 8, and sold Muriel to Colombia’s Atletico Junior on Jan. 15. That leaves McGuire as the club’s only striker with any considerable experience.

A first-round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, McGuire had a strong rookie campaign that saw him score 15 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions. He nearly left the club following the season — even traveling to England to finalize the deal — but a clerical error on Blackburn Rovers’ part saw the move fall through.

McGuire’s contributions dipped slightly in 2024 as he scored 11 goals in 37 appearances and it got worse when he suffered a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs that required surgery.

The 2025 season was McGuire’s worst since turning professional as he sustained an injury to his other shoulder and watched Muriel and Enrique carry the attacking position until Enrique’s departure. Even when Oscar Pareja put two players up top, he usually paired Ojeda with Muriel rather than McGuire. McGuire only appeared 23 times in 2025 with seven starts in all competitions, scoring just three goals. However, with Muriel’s departure this off-season, McGuire is the only experienced natural striker on the roster.

The main question for McGuire this season will be his health. The attacker has had trouble staying on the field with the back-to-back shoulder injuries. The recent departures and lack of additions into the squad mean he’ll likely be expected to start when the season begins. It could be a bounce back season if he can stay healthy.

However, that’s still a big question. In the meantime, the club still needs depth at that position, regardless of McGuire’s health. It’s something that must be addressed during the preseason. The club does, however, have an open Designated Player slot available.

This off-season has been somewhat troubling for Orlando City fans. The club saw some key departures and not enough additions to feel confident about the upcoming season, but there is still a month before opening day.

As the team goes through preseason training and the first regular-season game gets closer, there are still some issues that must be addressed if the team wants to improve on last year’s disappointing finish. These three questions are the most concerning.

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