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

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5 years ago

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I’ll admit that I didn’t know what to expect from the lineup that Oscar Pareja sent out against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. On the one hand, I knew he had to rotate the squad some, but it was a little surprising to see Tesho Akindele held out again and for Mauricio Pereyra not to be available off the bench if needed. The linchpin in the middle of the attack was Junior Urso and both of his wingers and his forward were young guys. The lineup didn’t seem like one that would go on to score three goals and narrowly miss on a couple other opportunities, but it got the job done.

Let’s look at the individual performances from an exciting 3-1 road win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — El Pulpo faced only four shots on target and he made a wicked save on the first of those, robbing Brooks Lennon blind in the eighth minute. He made a couple of comfortable saves and was sharp in reacting to a long-range Ezequiel Barco blast that may have been able to sneak in under the bar. There weren’t a ton of opportunities for him to flash, owing largely to his back line and defensive midfield, but when he did, he had it covered. There wasn’t much he could do about Lennon’s looping header late in normal time. However, there may have been an opportunity for him to do more to call off Joao Moutinho and avoid what could end up being a critical injury. Mendez nodded down a ball that Gallese easily could have reached and picked up, but Moutinho smashed an emphatic clearance and hurt himself on the play. It appeared Gallese was shouting at him but, whether he couldn’t get through to the Portuguese left back or Moutinho simply didn’t want to take chances, is unclear. Better communication there would have avoided what might turn out to be a costly injury for the Lions.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6.5 — It was another good night for Moutinho, although with the short turnaround he didn’t get forward nearly as much as we’re used to seeing. He defended well, finishing with three clearances. He passed well (85.4%) and went 4/5 on long balls. He won two aerials, including one on a Brad Guzan free kick that ended up going the other way for Chris Mueller’s goal. He also helped put out a fire early in the second half by helping stop Pity Martinez from getting in alone. Now we wait and hope his injury isn’t serious.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The beefy Swede bounced back after conceding in each of the last two matches. He wasn’t asked to do as much building out of the back and had more of a green light to knock the ball away in this one, but he still passed at an 85.7% rate and completed one of his two long-ball attempts. He made one tackle — a vital one in the 49th minute to deny a breakaway — and three clearances, and tried to tuck a flick inside the back post on his one shot but it skipped just wide.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Carlos returned to the lineup after a match off and was steady, if unspectacular. He gave up a dangerous free kick late in the game and was reviewed for a potential penalty in stoppage time, but was otherwise solid. He had a co-team-high five clearances and two interceptions, with 80% passing and 2/2 long-ball accuracy. He got hung up a bit in traffic on an Orlando free kick, which kept him from being able to get his lone shot attempt on frame.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5— Smith led the team in touches (65) and, despite conceding three free kicks — including two dangerous ones — did a fairly solid job slotting in for Ruan. He finished with one key pass, a dribble, three tackles, three interceptions and tied Carlos with five clearances. He might have gotten a higher grade if not for the 76.3% passing rate, long ball inaccuracy (2/7), and the trouble he had getting in crosses (and having his one cross attempt blocked by the first defender). He shifted to the left side, just inside Kamal Miller, late in the match when Orlando went to five in the back to see out the match.

MF, Uri Rosell, 6.5 — The Lions have been quietly getting a fantastic year from the Spaniard. Rosell ran his tail off and connected the lines as usual, doing the little things the team needs but which don’t typically get the glory. His 86.8% passing rate was best on the team and he connected on 3/6 long balls. He won two tackles with an interception and a clearance before making way in the second half for Sebas Mendez.

MF, Andres Perea, 6.5 — The Colombian teenager had a mixed night but it was a workmanlike effort that could have been a lot more glorious. He led Orlando in tackles won (4), and passed well (82.8%), hitting 1/2 on crosses and 1/2 on long balls, and creating two scoring chances. Perea absolutely should have scored in the 42nd minute, getting a free running header on the back side after a good job of Orlando disguising its corner kick strategy. Two runners cleared everyone out and all Perea had to do was hit the target, but instead it went wide.

MF, Chris Mueller, 8.5 (MotM) — The Money Badger was outstanding and even though he could have shared this honor with Urso, for me he just nips this award by a whisker. But rather than me spelling out everything about his accurate set piece delivery, smart decisions on passing and continuing runs, and his endless energy, let’s hear from someone else:

Plus, it was Mueller’s birthday, so that should break the tie anyway, right?

MF, Junior Urso, 8.5 — The Bear was about as good as Mueller in this match, and in his postgame comments he said he wanted to show who Junior Urso is, and that he thought he played his best in this match. It’s hard to argue. Urso was snakebit on his shot attempts Wednesday but powered a header through Brad Guzan on the early corner for his first goal. He won the ball back with his tenacity, with two tackles, an interception, and one clearance defensively. He passed at an 81.3% rate and went 2/2 on long balls. But his best play of the night came shortly after Atlanta pulled within a goal. He pressured Martinez, stole the ball, and fed Nani for an easy finish to put the Five Stripes away. Fantastic night for the Bear.

MF, Benji Michel, 6.5 — I’ve used this score a lot in this piece but it’s my honest opinion. Early in the game, I honestly thought Michel looked a step slow in closing down or getting to loose balls, and a half a tick slow to react. But he turned that around nicely. He made a huge heads-up play to find Mueller for the easy tap-in on the second Orlando goal to earn his assist. He passed at an 83.3% rate and was 2/3 on long-ball accuracy. He didn’t register a shot attempt but he chipped in two tackles and a clearance on the defensive end.

F, Daryl Dike, 6 — The rookie didn’t score a goal for the first time when starting an MLS match but he was a factor. He kept the center backs occupied, won a couple of corner opportunities and fired two shots. Dike doesn’t officially get credit for a key pass but he is the one who slipped Michel in on the play that ended in Mueller’s goal and picked up the hockey assist. He only passed at a 72.7% rate and struggled with his touch a few times, but for playing his third match in eight days, he still looked good. He hustles and even chipped in a pair of clearances on the defensive end.

Substitutes

MF, Nani (62’), 7 — While the captain’s passing wasn’t great (66.7%), it was on only 12 attempts and he registered a key pass. He was whistled for three fouls but two of them were attempts to waste time with Atlanta in possession and one was complete crap — he had just been elbowed in the mouth by Cubo Torres before preventing the Atlanta forward from reaching a ball going out of play. That should have been an Orlando free kick. As we saw with Dike on Wednesday, nobody makes the Lions bleed their own blood (nobody!). Nani finished off Atlanta by getting into position for Urso’s assist late. It was Nani’s only shot attempt. He also added a tackle and a blocked shot.

MF, Sebas Mendez (62’), 6 — The big contribution from Mendez was to provide fresh legs for Rosell and continue his strong work in the midfield. He did that, with the Ecuadorian winning three tackles. He passed at an uncharacteristic 70% but that was on only 10 attempts and at a time in the game when the team had an “anywhere will do” mentality.

MF, Ruan (74’), 5 — I thought Ruan would be the player to finish off Atlanta, bringing on that speed late in the game with the hosts pushing forward, but the Brazilian Flash was quiet in his reserve role. None of his three pass attempts found its mark. His only defensive stat was a clearance and he attempted one shot, which was off target.

D, Kamal Miller (78’), N/A — The Canadian came on in relief of Moutinho after the injury. He got abused a bit by Jurgen Damm on Atlanta’s goal but managed only five touches. Despite being on for 22 minutes (10 of it stoppage time), it is difficult to assign a grade for the performance and I’m going to hide behind N/A on this one, as is my prerogative.

That’s the way I saw things in the Lions’ first win over Atlanta. Be sure to vote in the poll below for your pick for Man of the Match and if you have some disagreements, let me hear it in the comments section below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese3
Uri Rosell10
Chris Mueller35
Junior Urso90
Nani0
Other2

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Opinion

Four Games I Have Circled on Orlando City’s 2026 Schedule

Let’s have a peek at some games that I’m really looking forward to in 2026.

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1 day ago

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December 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City’s 2026 schedule has been out for a little over two weeks now, and I’ve had ample time to look over it, analyze it, and zero in on some games that I’m really looking forward to next year. There are always the usual suspects in the mix like home rivalry matches against the likes of Atlanta and Miami, but I didn’t want to focus on those obvious ones, so they won’t be included here.

Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s streak of playing a home match to open the season will somehow reach 12 seasons in a row when the Lions kick off the 2026 season against the New York Red Bulls. It’ll be our first chance to see OCSC in a competitive game during the new season, and after an off-season that will likely contain a fair amount of turnover, I for one will be even more anxious than usual to get a look at what sort of product we’ll be seeing on the field. The Red Bulls will also look different, as they’ll have a new manager and a good amount of new players after missing the postseason for the first time since 2009. This is probably my most obvious choice of the bunch, but I think it’s hard to fault me for being excited about a new season!

TBD U.S. Open Cup Match

There’s only a 50% chance that this will be a home game, but personally I’m just glad to see Orlando City in the U.S. Open Cup again. There’s obviously some good history with the club in the competition, but aside from that, I just generally think that the tournament should get more love and a bigger platform than it currently does. While I’d have obviously been thrilled if OCSC had managed to win Leagues Cup in 2025 and come away with a trophy, I’d have much preferred the Lions to make a deep run in the Open Cup, considering the rich history of the competition as a whole, in addition to what it means to Orlando specifically. The fact that defending champion Nashville SC isn’t in the field is mind boggling to me, but I’m damn happy that the Lions are.

Saturday, Sept. 12 vs. Toronto FC

Now I can understand why you might be surprised by this one, as Toronto isn’t exactly considered one of Orlando City’s rivals. This year’s Decision Day match left a bad taste in my mouth though. Was it less about what Toronto did on the field, and more about OCSC basically neglecting to show up to the field to begin with? Maybe. Do I care? No. Do I want vengeance and the ability to erase a pitiful performance from my mind all in one fell swoop? Absolutely. I need the scales to be balanced and for my own personal demons from the final day of the season to be exorcised, and the fact that I’ll be able to be in the stands to have that chance is all the more appealing.

Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. New England Revolution

Decision Day is (usually) a fun affair regardless of whether the match is home or away. Wild swings in the standings from minute to minute, nerves, and hopefully reason to celebrate when it’s all over. There’s just something about having all that happen at home, though. I’ve been in The Wall for plenty of Decision Days at this point, and the energy is just a little different than a normal regular-season game. Similar to home openers, the air almost crackles with the excitement of possibility and anticipation of what things are going to look like when the dust settles. Of course, there’s always the possibility of things going wrong and the Lions ending up low in the playoff standings or out of the postseason altogether, but we’ll cross that bridge if/when we come to it.

What games are you especially looking forward to next season? Be sure to let us know down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/5/25

Format for 2025 U.S. Open Cup revealed, Orlando Pride players land on top 100 list, Bay FC hires Emma Coates, and more.

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1 day ago

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December 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! We’ve already made it to the first weekend of December, which is either good news or a worrying reminder that less than four weeks remain of 2025. I’ll be spending the next few days working and getting some more shopping done, but I’m hoping to enjoy some rest and relaxation along the way. Let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

U.S. Open Cup Format Shrinks for 2026

The layout for next year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was announced and Orlando City will once again be participating. Orlando is one of 16 MLS teams in the tournament, which has been reduced to just seven rounds instead of eight. As a result, only 48 professional teams from around the country will be included and MLS teams join the fray in the round of 32. Orlando City and FC Naples are the only professional Floridian teams taking part next year and it will be weird not seeing the Lions beat the brakes off of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Also, FC America CFL Spurs, which is based in Orlando, is one of three amateur sides from Florida to keep an eye out for when the first round kicks off in March.

Orlando Pride Trio Make Guardian’s Top 100 Players List

The Guardian released its annual list of the top 100 women’s soccer players in the world and Orlando Pride stars Barbra Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle all made an appearance on it. Banda was 14th and only second to Temwa Chawinga, who placed sixth, among NWSL players on this year’s list. Marta isn’t far behind in 19th, which is eight spots higher than last year. Ovalle’s still settling in with Orlando after dominating with Tigres and was 94th on the list.

For the data addicts out there, you can see how voting for this list shook out, but it’s not much of a surprise at this point that the judges valued players plying their trade in Europe highly. Of the Americans listed, Arsenal’s Emily Fox and OL Lyonnes’ Lindsey Heaps were ranked the highest at 24th and 27th, respectively. The Kansas City Current had one of the best seasons in NWSL history, but only four players made the list and Chawinga is the only one in the top 50. Still, it’s cool to keep up with some of the biggest names across the pond, especially with a Women’s World Cup on the horizon.

Bay FC Hires Emma Coates as Head Coach

Bay FC announced Emma Coates as its next head coach, with Gemma Davies joining as an assistant coach. Coates has been the manager of England’s U-23 team since 2023, developing players for the senior team while excelling in the U-23 European League. She and Davies were part of England’s extended technical staff for the past two Euros and the 2023 World Cup. Bay FC missed the playoffs this year and finished the season on an 11-game winless streak, so Coates will have her work cut out for her in regards to turning things around.

NWSLPA Files Grievance Against the League

The NWSL rejected a contract offer by the Washington Spirit to Trinity Rodman and the NWSL Players’ Association has filed a grievance with the league, alleging that the denial violates the collective bargaining agreement.

“Trinity Rodman agreed to a compensation structure in good faith that would allow her to remain loyal to her first professional club, consistent with both the CBA and NWSL Competition Rules,” union executive director Meghann Burke said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Thursday. “The NWSLPA has challenged the League’s rejection of this agreement on the grounds that it violates her free agency rights, but this isn’t about Trinity Rodman. If NWSL can deny her free agency rights, they can deny anyone’s. The NWSLPA will not allow it.”

The deal offered by the Spirit is reportedly for four years, with backloaded compensation for 2028 and 2029. Rodman is a free agent after five seasons with the Spirit and there’s worry that she will be the latest young American to leave the NWSL for Europe. The league’s position in rejecting the deal was that the offer violated the spirit of the NWSL salary cap.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s a preview of Saturday’s MLS Cup final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami. From the star players to the unsung heroes, it should be a good match to end the MLS season.
  • Hugo Lloris signed a contract extension with LAFC through 2026, with an option for 2027. The 38-year-old has made 91 appearances across all competitions for LAFC since joining the club.
  • The North Carolina Courage have signed forward Ally Schlegel to a three-year contract. Schlegel scored eight goals for the Chicago Stars during the 2025 season.
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC announced its end-of-season roster decisions and forward Ella Stevens is a free agent and not re-signing with the club. Midge Purce is also a free agent, but she and Gotham are in negotiations for her return.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/4/25

Haley Carter joins the Washington Spirit, Celtic hires Wilfried Nancy, Philadelphia Union sign Ezekiel Allodah, and more.

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2 days ago

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December 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a bit of a hectic week for me, but I’ve at least been able to get quite enough done that should take out some of the stress that usually comes around this time of the year.

Haley Carter Joins the Enemy

Haley Carter, who departed the Pride on Nov. 18 to pursue new career opportunities, was announced as the Washington Spirit’s president of soccer operations. She joins an organization that’s come up short in the past two NWSL Championship and one of Carter’s top priorities will be retaining American forward Trinity Rodman. Helping the Spirit get over the hump will be a different kind of task than the rebuild she orchestrated with the Pride, so it will be interesting to see how she does.

Celtic Hires Wilfried Nancy

Wilfried Nancy is officially headed to Europe, with Celtic hiring him as its next manager. The Scottish club signed him to a two-and-a-half year contract and he’ll start today. Nancy leaves MLS after success with CF Montreal and the Columbus Crew, winning the MLS Coach of the Year award with the Crew in 2024. Celtic has won its past five games across all competitions and is currently tied on points with Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership. It will be Nancy’s first time coaching in Europe and we’ll see if he can help Celtic secure a spot in the next round of the Europa League.

Philadelphia Union Sign Ezekiel Allodah

The Philadelphia Union didn’t waste much time adding some firepower to the club’s roster for the 2026 season, signing Ezekiel Allodah from IF Brommapojkarna for a club record fee. The 20-year-old forward joins on a contract through 2028 with options for 2029 and 2030. Allodah has recorded eight goals and added an assist in 32 appearances with Brommapojkarna, which plays in Sweden’s top flight. Although I’m not looking forward to Orlando City having to deal with him on the field, it’s nice to see more young talent coming to the league.

Preparing for the World Cup Draw

The draw for next summer’s World Cup is on Friday and we’ll get to see just how unlucky the United States Men’s National Team is when the groups are revealed. The U.S., like Canada and Mexico, is in the first pot and gets to avoid some of the biggest contenders, but dangerous teams like Croatia, Morocco, and Norway are possible opponents. Drawing Ghana from the fourth pot seems inevitable to me. The lack of clarity in who will advance out of the playoffs adds some mystery and worry to it all as well. Fingers crossed!

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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