Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City hosted Inter Miami CF for the first time in Exploria Stadium to finish Phase 1 of the MLS restart. The Lions finally got more than a few days to rest in between matches, while Miami had a Wednesday match against Atlanta United FC. In the end, the rest paid off as the Lions earned all three points, defeating their Ft. Lauderdale rivals, 2-1. Óscar Pareja gave iron man Uri Rosell a rest after an exhausting five-game stretch. Robin Jansson and João Moutinho were also absent from the 18, as the former picked up a knock in training, and the latter is out for a few weeks with a groin injury. Otherwise, Pareja went with his typical first-choice lineup.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5— El Pulpo made two saves and three clearances against Miami, and the header that former Lion Brek Shea scored just went past Gallese’s outstretched body. He was fouled twice and the goal post almost took him out, but he did enough to give the Lions the win. He attempted 22 passes, had a 72.7% passing rate, and completed four long balls.
D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith actually had one of his better matches as a Lion. I’m not sure what was worked on in training, but he pushed forward like Moutinho usually does and was generally able to track back on defense. He made a great clearance in the 57th minute that kept Miami off the scoreboard. Defensively he made three tackles and two clearances. Smith attempted 45 passes, had a 75.6% passing rate, and completed one long ball.
D, Antônio Carlos, 7 — I’m not sure if Carlos has been watching Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, or Bruce Leroy in The Last Dragon but he had two kung fu kicks to stop a pair of dangerous long balls put forward by Miami. Carlos continued to show his quality despite missing his usual center back partner, Jansson, although he did get beat in the air by Shea for the goal. He made one tackle, four interceptions, five clearances, one block, and committed one foul. Carlos attempted 50 passes, with a 76% passing rate, and completed two long balls.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel got the start since Jansson picked up a knock in training on Friday. The entire drama late in the second half surrounding Schlegel might be the oddest thing I’ve seen all week. A non-call turned into a foul that resulted in a second yellow for Schlegel, before it was overturned as the player he fouled was ruled offside before the tackle was made. It was an interesting few minutes for the young defender. The entire sequence is sure to be a brick in the building of this new rivalry. Aside from that, Schlegel played well. He made seven clearances, one block, committed three fouls, and earned only one yellow card. Schlegel attempted 47 passes at a 93.6% passing rate, and completed four long balls.
D, Ruan, 5.5 — While Ruan did his usual speed things on the right side, he also gave up the ball in the 67th and 83rd minutes in Orlando’s half, creating opportunities for Miami. It certainly isn’t what we usually see from the young defender, and as such he didn’t earn as high a grade as he usually does. On defense he had seven tackles, four clearances, and one foul. Ruan attempted 25 passes and had an 84% passing rate.
MF, Sebas Méndez, 5.5 — Sebas was effective in the midfield with Junior Urso, and for the first half the pair did well in controlling Miami’s attack. While it broke down a bit after Miami made some changes, he still played pretty well if not spectacular. He made four tackles, committed four fouls, and suffered two fouls. He attempted 54 passes and had a 90.7% passing rate. Mendez attempted one shot but it was off target.
MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — Urso put in a very good shift. He did well connecting the defense to the offense, helping to create chances, and harassed Miami throughout the midfield. He attempted 47 passes with a 91.5% passing rate. He made one key pass, and completed five long balls. Urso attempted two shots, though one was from distance and skipped low along the grass for Robles to make the easy save. On defense he made two tackles, and committed one foul.
MF, Chris Mueller, 7— Mueller’s assist was nearly perfect, as he split two defenders and put it past another to set up Pereyra’s goal. The Money Badger showed his usual energy in Orlando City’s offense, making several good passes and helping to create opportunities for his teammates. Mueller had one assist, and took one shot that was on goal. Defensively, he suffered two fouls, made one tackle and one interception. Mueller only attempted 22 passes with a 90.9% passing rate and one key pass.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7.5 (MOTM) — Pereyra continues to show why he is one of the best in MLS with the ball at his feet. He consistently eludes multiple defenders, recovers the ball, and puts his teammates in positions to succeed. He took the free kick that resulted in Andrés Reyes’ own goal that gave Orlando City the lead in the 34th minute. He then completed his run to put away a goal for himself off of Mueller’s assist in the 69th minute. His goal came on one shot. Defensively, he ended with one tackle, two interceptions, one clearance, and committed two fouls. His second foul resulted in a yellow card, though it looked a bit light to me. He attempted 30 passes with a 63.3% passing rate, and completed two long balls.
MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain continued his free kick woes, as he once again hit one off the crossbar, and the other was kept out by an outstanding save from Luis Robles. While he was supposedly only fouled once, Inter Miami made sure to put as much pressure on Nani as possible, and frankly there could have been more calls go his way. It is good to remember that when teams feel the need to focus on Nani, it can open up chances elsewhere. Statistically he took two shots, made one tackle, and committed no fouls. Nani attempted 44 passes with an 81.8% passing rate, with two key passes and four successful long balls.
F, Daryl Dike, 6 — Dike played well with his back to goal, and was able to turn well when he received the ball. It is telling how clubs are trying to deal with Dike by putting multiple players on him. Dike had a nice advancing header on a long ball to Mueller during a counter attack. His one shot, was unfortunately when he was falling down and he couldn’t get his power behind it. Despite being fouled four times, he probably deserved more, but they weren’t called. He also committed one foul and made one tackle. He attempted six passes with a 66.7% passing rate.
Substitutes
MF, Andrés Perea (79’), 6 — Perea came on for Dike, but his greatest impact was on defense. His block in the 80th minute kept Shea from getting a brace, and helped preserve Orlando City’s lead. Statistically, he made two clearances, and attempted eight passes with an 87.5% passing rate, in addition to the block.
F, Benji Michel (79’), N/A — Benji completed two passes, had one tackle, had one foul, and was caught offside once. There wasn’t enough time or involvement to give a grade.
MF, Alex De John (84’), N/A— Despite being on the pitch for over 10 minutes De John only touched the ball twice.
F, Tesho Akindele, (90’+2), N/A — Tesho connected on his only pass, though he wasn’t really in the match long enough to have an impact.
MF, Joey DeZart, (90’+2), N/A — DeZart managed one touch in his MLS debut after coming on late in the match.
That was how I saw it. Vote for your Man of the Match in the poll, and comment below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 83 |
| Antônio Carlos | 4 |
| Junior Urso | 2 |
| Chris Mueller | 5 |
| Nani | 0 |
| Other (put in comments) | 1 |
Orlando City
A Look at Left Back for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride
How does the left side of Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s defense stack up?
Left back seems to be an issue for many teams in many leagues. Right backs are a dime a dozen. I suppose left-footed players are harder to come by, making good ones all the more valuable. There have been challenges for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride when it comes to filling the role. Let’s look at the current state of things for both teams.
Orlando City
Oscar Pareja prefers to have one or both of his fullbacks move forward into the offense. For two years, Orlando City tried to have Rafael Santos shore up the left side of the back line. He was quick enough, and effective enough on offense to play the position in Pareja’s system. However, the results were mixed. It took Santos quite a bit of time each season to round into form, making him a liability early in the year. He would then start to show signs of improvement, even having the occasional excellent performance. Sadly, it wouldn’t last. He was inconsistent and eventually lost the starting role in 2025 to center back David Brekalo. He lost the starting role to a player whose primary position was not left back.
Brekalo was a defensive improvement over Santos, which Orlando City needed, but he was not as effective moving forward. The added problem of having him at left back was that it diminished the depth at center back. It forced Rodrigo Schlegel into the starting role, meaning you never knew if you were getting good Rodri or bad Rodri, but you were always guaranteed a booking. With his departure, it looks like Brekalo will have a chance to earn a starting spot next to Robin Jansson at center back.
That paves the way for Adrian Marin to assume the starting role at left back. Marin was brought in last season for that reason, but joining a club mid-season often presents challenges. As such, Pareja stuck with Brekalo more often than not. It will be Marin’s spot to lose. That puts Homegrown Tahir Reid-Brown as a potential back up, but Pareja might still utilize Brekalo if necessary. There is still a need for more depth.
Orlando Pride
Things are a little more stable on the Orlando Pride side of the ledger. Kerry Abello has been, and continues to be, the starting left back. Abello is a solid if not spectacular defender. After that, there are a bunch of right backs and a center back who can play on the left. Kylie Nadaner has player there but is more likely to be at center back. More importantly, she won’t be available until summer after her baby is born.
Oihane is the starting right back. Cori Dyke has also spent time as a backup on the left, but her natural position is on the right. The list of defenders who could play on the left also includes Hailie Mace, Zara Chavoshi, and Hannah Anderson. Again, none of these players are natural left backs. I know that Seb Hines loves players who are versatile, but perhaps a natural left back to challenge or at least back up Abello would be better. We will have to see what Caitlin Carducci has up her sleeve with all that money from the Emily Sams deal.
I know that my being left-handed has nothing to do with the lack of depth on the left side of the defense, but it still feels like right-handed bias. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/22/26
Orlando City B’s 2026 schedule is out, MLS unveils General Allocation Money totals, Adrian Heath reveals details of kidnapping nightmare, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m getting pretty excited for soccer to return to the City Beautiful, and it won’t be much longer until we can see our favorite players in purple once more. Until then, enjoy today’s links from around the soccer world!
Orlando City B Announces 2026 Schedule
We now know the schedules for all three of the club’s soccer teams, as Orlando City B unveiled its MLS NEXT Pro schedule for 2026. The Young Lions will open the season on a Monday when they host Huntsville City FC on March 2. They’ll follow that match with another home game on March 8 against Chicago Fire FC II. OCB’s schedule will include 28 games yet again, with the league staying in action while the World Cup is going on. Decision Day will take place on Sept. 20 against Atlanta United 2, with all Eastern Conference teams playing at 2 p.m. Hopefully the Young Lions can return to the playoffs after missing out last year.
MLS Unveils General Allocation Money Totals
MLS released information on how much 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM) each club has heading into the upcoming season. As of Jan. 20, Orlando City’s total comes to $3,518,514, which is a bit low compared to other clubs. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that roster moves are still being made that could easily change these totals, such as former Lion Facundo Torres’ reported move to Austin FC that will give Orlando some money due to the sell-on percentage. Clubs who choose the MLS U22 Initiative roster construction path will also receive another $2 million in GAM once the roster compliance deadline passes.
Minnesota United has the most 2026 GAM in the league and is the only club with over $7 million of it. The award for the lowest amount goes to Austin, which has roughly $2.5 million and is the only club under the $3 million mark according to the league.
Adrian Heath Was Held at Knifepoint in Morocco in 2024
You will need to get past the paywall for the full details, but former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath spoke to The Athletic about being kidnapped and held at knifepoint in Morocco in 2024. Heath flew to the country for a management opportunity in Saudi Arabia that turned out to be a sham, with men holding him captive in exchange for money. Heath thankfully made it back to the United States thanks to help from his wife Jane, his son and former Lion Harrison Heath, and Harrison’s wife and soccer analyst Kaylyn Kyle (formerly with the Orlando Pride). It’s a harrowing story that’s worth checking out, and hopefully Heath coming forward about this helps keep other coaches safe.
UEFA Champions League Roundup
The penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase is complete and the tournament’s bigger teams cruised for the most part. English clubs Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle all had shutout wins, Harry Kane scored a brace in Bayern Munich’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, and Barcelona rallied to beat Slavia Praha 4-2. The match of the day though was in Azerbaijan, as Qarabag scored a late equalizer and then a winner in stoppage time to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2. While Frankfurt has been in dire straits this tournament and is eliminated, it’s still an impressive result from Qarabag.
The last round of matches in the league phase is next week and there’s plenty to play for for most teams as they jockey for position to qualify for either the knockout phase or the round of 16.
Free Kicks
- The cinematography on these videos of the Orlando Pride training this preseason is pretty top notch if I do say so myself.
- The LA Galaxy are reportedly aiming to acquire St. Louis City forward Joao Klauss in exchange for around $2 million. Klauss scored 10 goals last season and would reportedly fill the Designated Player slot opened up in LA by Riqui Puig’s injury.
- The Josh Sargent transfer saga has reportedly escalated as he pushes for a move from Norwich City to Toronto FC.
- Barcelona midfielder Pedri sustained a hamstring injury and had to be substituted out in the second half of his team’s Champions League win.
- Manchester City’s captains will refund the tickets of nearly 400 fans who paid to watch the team lose 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.
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.
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
- We now know the where the Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals and final will be played. You’ll need your passport if you want to attend.
- Your might have seen the Orlando Pride’s schedule drop video last Friday. I felt it was a bit Full House (the television show) in presentation. Here is a compilation of the other club’s schedule announcement efforts.
- It seems that Haley Carter is busy spending Michelle Kang’s money up in the nation’s capital. The Washington Spirit have signed Claudia Martinez from Club Olimpia.
- 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.
- Anyone that fights against the obvious graft and corruption surrounding FIFA is all right in my book. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is looking into ways for his residents to have watch parties since most average citizens have been priced out of World Cup tickets.
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!
A Look at Left Back for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride
Lion Links: 1/22/26
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