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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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Orlando City’s first home win over the Chicago Fire took a long time to get here and I’m pretty sure nobody envisioned it happening in quite the way it did when the Lions walked off the field with a 4-1 victory last night. After all, you don’t normally see a team get two penalty kicks and have two goals wiped out after video review in the same game. It’s almost like the universe tried to correct all the bad mojo it’s heaped on Orlando City over the previous five years in one fell swoop.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances and hand out some player grades.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — El Pulpo faced 19 shots and made two saves on three shots on goal. However, he both of his saves were absolutely filthy stops in last night’s match. The first came on a first-half penalty attempt by Alvaro Medran in the 36th minute. The second was in the 54th minute when he denied Gaston Gimenez with his outstretched arm on a one-time attempt. The match was 2-1 at that point. Those two saves were enormous in keeping the Lions out front and his teammates eventually helped him out by putting two more past Bobby Shuttleworth at the other end. It wasn’t a perfect night, as Gallese spilled a cross that was nearly put back in by Ignacio Aliseda in the 20th minute, but it’s the kinds of saves that El Pulpo made when he had to that make all the difference.

D, Kamal Miller, 6.5 — The Canadian had a much better outing in his return to the starting lineup Saturday night. He got up the field more, provided an outlet when attacks stalled, helped retain possession, and defended more effectively out on the edge. He finished with two tackles, two clearances, an interception, and a blocked shot. He also passed at a 91.3% rate. He didn’t manage any shots or crosses, but that’s not what he’s being asked to do. He provided 45 solid minutes and was subbed off at the break.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The beefy Swede returned from injury and was often caught by surprise by the speed of the Chicago attackers. Perhaps it was a bit of rust, but he made no tackles or interceptions, finished with just one clearance, and blocked one shot. His 85.3% passing rate was decent but he was only 1/3 on long balls and marking by everyone on set pieces and in the box during play was a bit lacking on the night.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Carlos once again towered over everyone on a set piece to get his head on the ball — in the 82nd minute — but it was off target. He’s going to score one of these days. Carlos was decent on the night, providing two tackles, two interceptions, four clearances, and a blocked shot, with an 88.9% passing rate and 2/4 long ball accuracy.

D, Ruan, 7 — Although he conceded a penalty — with a ball going off his hand when he was tracking a runner — and was shaky at times defending out wide, allowing runners to get by him both outside and inside on the night, the speedy Brazilian still did a lot right. He was threatening all night on the counter and in the general attack up the right side. He created two scoring chances, took one shot (which was on target), and passed at an 87.9% clip. His dime to Nani nearly created a goal in the 81st minute on a pass that deserved to be an assist. In his own end, he had a tackle, an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 5 — For me, Mendez looked a bit off against the Fire. He gave the ball away with several unforced errors and conceded dangerous set pieces. He made two tackles and a clearance but uncharacteristically had no interceptions. He attempted no shots and his passing accuracy was lower than usual, at just 81.5% and created no scoring chances. Mendez also got booked walking off the pitch during a substitution. He did manage to hit three of his four long balls.

MF, Junior Urso, 7.5 — It was a good night for the Bear, who scored his second goal of the season in the 78th minute, giving the Lions some breathing room. He was a key part of the buildup on Mueller’s opening goal as well. With 90.9% passing, four out of four accurate long balls, a chance created, two shots (one on target), two tackles, and a clearance, Urso was a key factor in the match for the Lions.

MF, Nani, 8 (MotM) — The captain did captain things again, making himself a threat throughout the night. His headed goal was well-placed in the 24th minute and his excellent vision led to his assist on Benji Michel’s goal in stoppage time. He also led all players with six shot attempts and five chances created. He only put one of his shots on frame, but a few others didn’t miss by much. He led Orlando with 69 touches. His 72.2% passing is misleading because there multiple passes he saw that his teammates didn’t and they either didn’t go into the space Nani saw or they were late to recognize it and were second to the ball, but his vision was on display throughout the game. Nani won the free kick that led to Urso’s goal and he sent the ball to Urso to set up Mueller’s goal. He drew two fouls, made three dribbles, and made an incredible move in the 42nd minute to chip the ball past his defender and in on goal but his shot skipped wide.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Like Nani, Pereyra made a couple of passes in this match that he saw but his younger teammates didn’t, which affected his 82.1% passing accuracy. He created a scoring chance and got a secondary assist on Nani’s goal. He connected on both of his long ball attempts and both of his cross attempts. He didn’t record any defensive statistics but was always there to turn back a would-be counter or force the Fire to play the ball backward.

MF, Chris Mueller, 8 — Cash took full responsibility for conceding the penalty to start the second half, though in truth, I didn’t think there was much in that call. He opened the scoring with a good cut inside. I guess the fact that his shot was deflected by Medran erased assists for Urso and Nani, but oh well. He gave Nani a goal on a plate with his assist in the 24th minute. He made three dribbles, created three chances, and took two shots (one on target). He almost certainly would have picked up a second goal in the 38th minute if he could have kept his balance after slicing through seemingly the entire Chicago team. He was a 94.4% passer but his defensive work was a bit lax at times, as he finished without a tackle or interception and trailed Chicago’s late runners a couple of times (including on the penalty).

F, Daryl Dike, 6.5 — The rookie has come back down to earth as far as scoring, but Dike is still doing a lot of good things. He attempted two shots — one on goal — and completed just 70% of his passes, but he did win three aerials, moved well without the ball, and held play up pretty well. On the defensive end he chipped in two clearances.

Substitutes

D, Kyle Smith (46’), 6 — Smith replaced Miller at halftime and did about as well, although he was more able to get forward when the Lions attacked. He got into a good position in the 68th minute but sent a cannon shot wide to the right of goal. He was an 80% passer but did struggle with his long ball accuracy, going 0/4. He made one clearance on the defensive end.

F, Tesho Akindele (67’), 5 — The Canadian international was brought on to spell Dike and his hold-up play was pretty decent even though he had a couple of heavy touches. He created one scoring chance, passed at a 78.6% rate, and made one tackle.

MF, Andres Perea (67’), 6.5 — The Colombian teenager was quite active in his run-out Saturday in relief of Mendez. He seemed to be around the action, passing at an 84.6% rate, firing one shot (on target) in the 93rd minute, and setting up Urso’s goal.

MF, Joey DeZart (75’), 6 — The rookie finished with 13 touches and a shot (not on target) after coming on for Pereyra. He completed all six of his pass attempts and recorded one interception.

MF/F, Benji Michel (75’), 7 — Michel looked dangerous from the time he stepped on the pitch, using his pace to put pressure on Chicago. His third goal of the season in the 95th minute came on his only shot attempt. He completed two of his three pass attempts. He made one dribble and drew a free kick just outside the penalty area in the 86th minute.

That is how I saw Orlando City’s performances on Saturday night against the Fire. Who stood out to you? Make sure you vote in our poll below and let me know in the comments if you have some thoughts on where I went wrong.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese76
Junior Urso2
Nani 14
Chris Mueller22
Ruan0
Other3

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

10 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 4, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

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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