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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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The Herons earned their first MLS win and in true 2020 fashion, it was against Orlando City. Same-day travel and first away game under the new pandemic guidelines, combined with a noticeable lack of sharpness, found the Lions chasing the match. While Nani’s 80th-minute goal gave everyone hope, in the end it wasn’t enough.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo did what he could to keep Miami at bay, but was beaten three times. One crucial save wasn’t enough to keep the team from Fort Lauderdale from getting their first MLS win.

DJoão Moutinho, 6 — Moutinho created a nice chance in the 68th minute when he sent a beautiful cross into the area but it was just a bit too far in front of Chris Mueller. He had a shot and did well to work with what he could.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — The beefy Swede had a few nice clearances and prevented a corner kick late in the match. He committed three fouls. He mistimed his jump on the second goal, allowing the cross to reach Julian Carranza. Like many other players this match he didn’t seem to have the spark he usually does on the back line.

D, Antonio Carlos, 5 — I was impressed by Carlos during the MLS is Back Tournament but felt he left a bit to be desired in this match. He suffered three fouls and that’s about it for the defender.

D. Ruan, 5 — Ruan was the first name in the book for this match as he earned a yellow in the 31st minute. The rest of the night was a quiet one for Ruan as Miami worked really hard to shut him down and take away his super speed. He had a couple of decent crosses that didn’t connect and played a role in the buildup on Orlando’s second goal.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 5 — Mendez’s fancy pass attempt led to a turnover, resulting in Carranza’s game-opening goal in the 12th minute. Otherwise, he was mostly fine.

MF, Oriol Rosell, 6 — A quiet night for Uri found him subbed off in the 68th minute as Tesho Akindele came on in attempt to up the attacking power for Orlando.

MF, Júnior Urso, 5 — The Bear didn’t have his greatest showing in the opening half of the match. Urso didn’t come back in after the halftime break.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Pereyra had a hard time getting a clean touch throughout the match as Miami continued to tug and pull him until Matias Pellegrini was finally booked in the 62nd minute for one chop too many.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — The Lions finally got a Nani goal in the 80th minute off a cross from Mueller, after a nice, calm play from Daryl Dike. The captain had another chance in stoppage, hitting the woodwork from the right. He wasn’t able to will his team to the equalizer late in the match, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. In the end, he led the team in shots (5) and shots on goal (3)m and scored the goal that gave OCSC some hope.        

F, Daryl Dike, 7.5 (MotM) — Dike not only got his first start as a Lion, but also scored his first goal in purple as well, providing perhaps the highlight of the match in the 18th minute. Dike did well to stay with the ball in the area, despite a team of Miami defenders trying to bully him off the ball. A last-ditch effort resulted in the equalizer for the Lions, when he played like a veteran, holding off a defender and laying off to Mueller in the buildup to the second goal. With the goal, two of his three total shots on goal, and the hockey assist, Dike was my Man of the Match in what was his best outing as a pro so far.

Substitutes

F, Chris Mueller (46’), 6.5 — Cash Money Mueller came on at the half for Urso. In the first 30 seconds of the second half, Mueller had a chance at what looked like it would be the Lions’ second goal, nearly getting in behind alone, but the ball was knocked out for a corner. He created opportunities and made the defense work, nearly getting a goal on a sliding attempt. The Lions’ attack was more dynamic after the Money Badger entered.

F, Tesho Akindele (68’), 5 — Tesho came on for Uri Rosell in the 68th minute of the match. The game seemed to pick up once Tesho took the pitch, as the Lions were chasing a draw down by two. He had a decent cross that nearly set up Mueller, but didn’t manage a shot attempt in his 22 minutes.

F, Benji Michel (81’), N/A — Michel came on for Ruan in the 81st minute and didn’t have enough time to warrant a grade.

MF, Andres Perea (81’), N/A — Perea came on for Mendez in the 81st minute and didn’t have enough time to warrant a grade. .

MF, Robinho (90’), N/A — It has been a while since we saw Robinho. The Brazilian made his first appearance of the season for the Lions coming on for Mauricio Pereyra in the 90th minute. He had one shot in his one minute of play, so there’s that.


That’s how I saw it, anyway. Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Daryl Dike60
Nani3
Mauricio Pereyra0
Chris Mueller4
Other (be sure to tell us who in the comments)2

Opinion

Orlando City’s Start to the Season a Pleasant Surprise So Far

The Lions have started the new season well enough, but we shouldn’t get too carried away just yet.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City didn’t have a ton of roster turnover to deal with during the off-season, it was really anybody’s guess as to what sort of start the Lions would make to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. There was obviously the loss of all-time leading goal scorer Facundo Torres to deal with, then Wilder Cartagena was lost for the year in preseason, although the club did a great job in landing Eduard Atuesta to replace him. There were also questions about depth at left back, center back, and central midfield. It was anyone’s guess on how Marco Pasalic would adjust to life in MLS, and there were serious questions about whether the Lions had enough firepower up front with Duncan McGuire unavailable to start the season while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

While the club returned the vast majority of the guys who played key roles in helping reach the Eastern Conference final, on paper, the roster didn’t improve and arguably got weaker, so was it truly realistic to expect the team to go a step farther and make the final this year?

Despite all of those concerns, and despite a confidence-shaking 4-2 opening game loss to the Philadelphia Union, Orlando has largely made a good start to the campaign. The Lions have compiled a respectable 3-2-3 record and have 12 points to show for it, currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the first-place Columbus Crew.

Even in the two losses, it’s hard to make the argument that OCSC played truly bad games on the whole. Rather, the Lions were undone by moments of bad defending and losses of concentration that led to silly mistakes, particularly against the Union. The shaky defending has certainly been one of the bigger concerns, especially on an Oscar Pareja-coached team, but things have begun to look better after keeping two straight clean sheets.

Ironically, even though the offense seemed to be most people’s biggest concern before the season started, it’s been the part of the team that has consistently functioned at the highest level. Before the two 0-0 draws, Orlando had scored the most goals in the league, and despite being held scoreless twice in a row, they still have the third-most goals scored. Out of OCSC’s six games played with a first choice XI, the Lions have scored more than one goal four times. Even in the games when they haven’t been as prolific, or have largely been on the back foot, the Lions have still managed to carve out a healthy number of chances. While their finishing has let them down at times, they’ve still managed to get several good looks at goal in every game, and that’s half the battle.

All in all, it’s been a perfectly respectable start to the season, and the team honestly has performed higher than my (probably slightly pessimistic) expectations. While the start hasn’t been white hot, it’s been nice to not see the sort of slow start that so often has seemed to plague this club during Pareja’s tenure at the helm.

That being said, I think it’s important to place the beginning of the year in the proper context. It’s worth noting that of the teams that Orlando has played to this point, Philadelphia is the only one currently above the playoff line (although the New York Red Bulls occupy the last play-in spot). The Lions have beaten an LA Galaxy team that is the worst in the West; Toronto FC, which is second from the bottom in the East; and D.C. United, which is third from the bottom in the East. They drew the fifth-place Union on the road, and lost to NYCFC at the baseball stadium. But it has to be said that Orlando has faced a noticeable lack of top shelf opponents so far.

Essentially, Orlando has played three bad teams, two decent ones, and one that started very well but has cooled off in recent weeks (twice). Of course, OCSC can’t do anything about that, but it’s worth asking if the solid start to the season is due to the Lions legitimately being a good team, or if it’s more of a paper tiger situation where they just haven’t had to play many tough opponents yet.

There isn’t really any way of knowing for sure, and there won’t be any hints for awhile. With the way the standings currently look, Orlando won’t face a team above the playoff line until they go up against Charlotte FC on the road on May 14. I don’t bring all of this up to try to dampen the mood, but I just don’t think we have a truly accurate idea of this team’s level yet. Which is fair and totally fine, after all we’re only eight games into the season.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t give OCSC its due for a solid start to the year. It hasn’t been perfect by any means, but the team has done more good than bad, and the Lions’ current place in the standings reflects that. We should still keep things in perspective and resist the urge to dole out too much praise just yet, but we can be happy with what we’ve seen so far.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

Free Kicks


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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Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?

Designated Goal Scorers

What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.

Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.

Keep it Clean

There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.

Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Give the Midfield Time

Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.

Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.


That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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