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

Published

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

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Orlando City

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

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Published

1 day ago

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May 11, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey trying to send the ball upfield against a Montreal defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If you play Football Manager enough, you play plenty of games where the after-match comment is “a bore draw.” That appeared to be where Orlando City’s road game at CF Montreal was headed until a mistake by Robin Jansson in added time led to a penalty which opened the scoring for the hosts. They tacked on another late in stoppage time and the Lions will return home for a three-game set (one of them in the U.S. Open Cup) sore from Saturday’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with the Quebecois.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — With 25 shots by Montreal, one would’ve figured Crepeau was busy. Not really — he finished with three saves. A goalkeeper is almost never responsible for being scored on from the penalty spot, but Dagur Dan Thorallsson’s goal at the death is one Crepeau will want back, although in fairness it was perfectly placed. The Canadian goalkeeper finished with a 72.7% passing rate and was helped out after being rounded by Prince Owusu in a 1-v-1 opportunity that his teammates should never have allwoed for what would have been a goal if not for Iago’s sliding block to clear it off the line.

D, Adrián Marin, 5.5 — Marin got caught ball-watching in the 34th minute to allow a Wiki Carmona rocket that just went wide. Otherwise, he just didn’t impact the game one way or the other. Marin completed 87.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one block, and three clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson played his normal emergency role all game. Unfortunately, he got put off-balance in the first minute of added time in the second half and fell into the legs of Luca Petrasso, giving a penalty. It was a rough ending for the captain, but Orlando left the door open for Montreal and the hosts took it. The Swede also couldn’t close down Thorhallsson to prevent the second late Montreal goal. Jansson completed 78.7% of his passes, with one tackle, 10(!) clearances, and one block.

D, Iago, 6 — We saw both sides of Iago. He had a really nice pass in the 17th minute to free up Eduard Atuesta on goal but the Colombian missed the target to waste Orlando’s best chance of the game. The Brazilian’s biggest highlight moment was in the 76th minute, when Owusu dribbled past Crepeau for an open look at goal but Iago was there to clear it off the line. On the flip side, he also had a dangerous header defending a corner that almost created an own goal, instead hitting the left post. He got pulled wide in the first minute of the second half, allowing a dangerous shot by Owusu. On the offensive end, he got on the end of a corner but headed it right at Thomas Gillier. He was all over the place, which you can expect from a young player. He would’ve gotten a higher grade had the game finished scoreless because of his goal-line clearance and a couple of sparkling long balls that should have led to more. Alas. He finished with zero interceptions or tackles, three blocks, six clearances, and a 92.3% passing rate. He also picked up a yellow card in the sixth minute of added time in the second half preventing a counter on one of his attacking teammates’ many turnovers.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5— While Orlando City was heavily weighted to the left side all game, when the Lions went down the right, it was through Dorsey. He led the break down that side multiple times but had trouble connecting. Dorsey finished with one tackle, three clearances, and one cross while passing at a 79% rate.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — When Angulo whiffed on a ball in the second minute which caused a Montreal counter, it was an indicator of the night to come. He was sloppy all game long and, by The Mane Land’s unofficial tally, turned the ball over eight times, with the majority of those coming in his own defensive half. It was an ugly night that looked a touch better when Tyrese Spicer departed, changing Angulo’s duties, but it didn’t wipe out a forgettable match. He finished with 90.2% passing, despite being loose with the ball. He was two out of six for successful dribbles and two out of seven in winning ground duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — A major part of the toothlessness of the Lions in the match was the midfield play. While Atuesta had a 95% passing rate, the only real impact he had was in the 17th minute, when Iago broke him free with a great pass. Atuesta made a well-timed run, but he ended up doing nothing with it when he sent his shot wide of goal. He had a turnover in the fourth minute to leave Montreal with a 3-on-2 break, leaving me to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights for him. Luckily no, but there was no real contribution either. He picked up a yellow card in the 62nd, was dispossessed once, and committed four fouls.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5— Atuesta’s midfield partner also had trouble linking the play but contributed a touch more defensively. His sloppy handling in the 41st minute allowed Montreal to keep possession and created a corner. In the end, he finished with one tackle, one block, one clearance, and a 90% passing rate.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6— Unfortunately, most of Spicer’s contributions came on the defensive end this game because he could never get himself in the flow offensively. While he was 10-for-11 passing, he attempted two shots, one right at the goalkeeper and the other that missed so badly it almost went behind the net without hitting anything. He had just two touches in the opposition box. His biggest highlight was a tackle in the 23rd minute to end a dangerous Montreal possession. He was replaced in the 67th minute by Duncan McGuire. Spicer finished with a 91% passing success rate, led the team in tackles with four, and added two interceptions.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5 — This grade may be a bit harsh. However, when you are a Designated Player, you have to contribute, and Martin Ojeda was invisible at best. With 44 total passes, he was the one having to compensate for the lack of midfield control and it showed by his lack of offensive contribution. He had zero touches in the opposition box, which is not going to be a recipe for Orlando City success. Martin took one shot that was on target and passed at a 91% rate.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM)— Someone has to win Man of the Match. Ellis almost wins it by default as his overall play was the only positive thing all game. While his stats were mediocre, and there was not one moment you can pick to point to, he was the most talented when on the ball, tracked back to collect the ball occasionally, did more to link play than the midfield did, and just didn’t have a negative impact. He was replaced in the 80th by David Brekalo and finished with a 94% passing rate, was four-for-four on successful dribbles, and went five-for-six on ground duels won.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (67′), 5— McGuire started out playing out of position on the wing and while asked to pick up the offense, McGuire was unable to show anything of promise. Dorsey found him in the 88th minute with a cross, but McGuire turned down a quick shot and held the ball too long while deciding, and he ended up taking a low angle shot that had been there from the beginning that ended up harmless. He passed at a 75% rate and had three touches in the opposition box, turning those into a measly 0.05 expected goals. One of his touches on a promising attack was heavy and wasted the opportunity to get a shot off late in the game.

D, David Brekalo (80′), N/A — Brekalo came on for Ellis with a few minutes remaining, maybe a tactical choice to see out the draw. He completed all seven of his passes and had one clearance. He was not able to do anything to prevent Montreal’s two late goals, but he wasn’t the only one.

MF, Tiago (90′+5), N/A — Tiago entered right after the penalty to try to claw back a goal. Unfortunately, he whiffed on a 50/50 ball just moments before Thorhallsson ended up scoring the game’s second goal. He wasn’t on long enough to issue a grade, however.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90′+5), N/A — The best thing you can say about Taifi’s time is that he didn’t turn the ball over conceding a goal in the five minutes he was on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s loss to CF Montreal. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

Lions fall to CF Montreal, Pride defeat North Carolina Courage, OCB beats Atlanta United 2, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda taking a shot against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida, and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I spent the weekend in Texas catching up with friends and family. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who turns 32 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

Orlando City fell 2-0 to CF Montreal at Stade Saputo Saturday on a pair of late goals. After a scoreless first half, the Lions were minutes away from escaping with a point on the road but conceded twice in stoppage time, with former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson adding the insurance goal for Montreal as Orlando City left Canada with zero points. The Lions could not capitalize on their few scoring chances throughout the match. Orlando City returns home for its next match on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium.

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday, as Barbra Banda scored the lone goal late in the second half to help the Pride secure a much-needed win, snapping their two-match losing streak. Banda scored her eighth goal of the season, and she has scored five goals in the last three matches. The Pride will be on the road this week, facing the Boston Legacy Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, followed by another match Saturday against the Denver Summit at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Atlanta United 2 with a goal in each half, winning 2-0 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA Sunday. Gustavo Caraballo scored the opening goal from the spot to give the Young Lions the early lead. In the second half, Issah Haruna added another goal for the Young Lions to put it away and take three points. OCB will be back on the road Sunday to face New England Revolution II at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI.

Americans Abroad

Austin Trusty played a full 90 minutes as Celtic won its sixth consecutive match across all competitions 3-1 against Rangers. Gio Reyna scored his first goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach to snap his 16-month goal drought at the club level, but his side fell 3-1 to FC Augsburg. Weston McKennie played 86 minutes for Juventus in a 1-0 win against Lecce. In the Women’s FA Cup semifinals, Alyssa Thompson played 78 minutes for Chelsea, but her side fell 3-2 to Manchester City after extra time. Lindsey Heaps scored for OL Lyonnes while Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader were also in action in a 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Coupe De France trophy. Later today, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players writing letters to their moms for Mother’s Day.
  • James Rodriguez will reportedly leave Minnesota United this week and will not return to the club after the World Cup concludes this summer.
  • Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik stated that the club will impose a lifetime ban to fans who invaded the pitch as the club was minutes away from defeating rivals Sparta Prague Saturday to win the Czech First League title before the match was abandoned.
  • Leandro Trossard scored a late winner in the second half to help Arsenal beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep its five-point lead over Manchester City and pull a step closer to clinching the English Premier League title.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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