Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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
| Player | Votes |
| Pedro Gallese | 76 |
| Junior Urso | 2 |
| Nani | 14 |
| Chris Mueller | 22 |
| Ruan | 0 |
| Other | 3 |
Orlando City
Inside the Numbers: Goal Scoring and Shot Creation for Orlando City, OCB, and the Pride
A comparison among all three Orlando teams on where their goals and chance creation have come from.
Starting next week, all three Orlando teams will be back in season. After playing the most games (15) going into the World Cup break, Orlando City will return having played fewer games than both the Pride (will be at 16 games) and Orlando City B (will be at 19 games). MLS NEXT Pro channeled, fittingly, its inner Junior Senior and said we “won’t stop (won’t stop) won’t stop the beat” and kept playing through the break, hence OCB’s large lead in games played. The Pride returned two weeks ago, and are in the midst of a two-game week to vault them past Orlando City as well.
As of the writing of this article Orlando City had played 15 games, the Pride 14, and OCB 18, and with all teams coming back into action this felt like a good time to have a good time by talking about the most fun part of soccer — creating chances and scoring goals. Goalkeepers might disagree with that statement, but they can take inspiration by what they see when they look left and right on the goal line and pipe down.
The three charts below show every player who has scored at least one goal for any of the three Orlando teams thus far this season, using FotMob’s data for “chances created.” Chances created is FotMob’s category name for the stat also known as key passes (the MLS and MLS NEXT Pro websites track these pretty well, the NWSL’s website not so much), which are classified as the final pass that happened before a player takes a shot.
We’ll start with the Pride, using data through their game against Kansas City on July 10:
| Player | Minutes | Goals | Goal Share | Chances Created* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra Banda | 1,017 | 12 | 57% | 1.59 |
| Haley McCutcheon | 1,260 | 2 | 10% | 1.29 |
| Hannah Anderson | 545 | 2 | 10% | 0.17 |
| Marta | 346 | 2 | 10% | 1.30 |
| Cori Dyke | 1,244 | 1 | 5% | 0.14 |
| Jacquie Ovalle | 520 | 1 | 5% | 2.25 |
| Nicole Payne | 249 | 1 | 5% | 0.72 |
*per 90 minutes
Barbra Banda’s production continues to be prodigious. She is currently the only player in league history to play more than 1,000 minutes in a season and average more than one goal per 90 minutes (1.06). Her 12 goals accounts for nearly three out of every five scored by the Pride, and she is the only player in the league with a goal share higher than 50%, which says just as much about the rest of the Pride’s offense as it does Banda. Center back Hannah Anderson ranking in a tie for second among goal scorers is also a little concerning.
On the flip side of that concern, however, is a reminder that Marta and Jacquie Ovalle have not even played a combined 900 minutes. When they play, they create shots — in particular Ovalle, who is in the top 10 in the league in chances created per 90 minutes — and Pride fans can continue to imagine what it would be like to see a front line of Banda, Ovalle, and Marta, and to see how they would all create shots and goals for one another.
Moving from one team with a dominant primary scorer to another, Orlando City is up next:
| Player | Minutes | Goals | Goal Share | Chances Created* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martín Ojeda | 1,313 | 11 | 48% | 1.58 |
| Griffin Dorsey | 951 | 2 | 9% | 0.85 |
| Marco Pašalić | 642 | 2 | 9% | 0.70 |
| Duncan McGuire | 481 | 2 | 9% | 1.12 |
| Tyrese Spicer | 440 | 2 | 9% | 1.43 |
| Tiago | 584 | 1 | 4% | 0.46 |
| Justin Ellis | 534 | 1 | 4% | 1.69 |
| Luis Otávio | 417 | 1 | 4% | 0.22 |
| Ignacio Gómez | 14 | 1 | 4% | 0.00 |
*per 90 minutes
Martín Ojeda’s 48% goal share (it’s actually 47.8%, but I rounded all the goal shares to two digits, which is why that column does not appear to sum to 100%; you can breathe a sigh of relief, the math maths) ranks him just behind the 48.1% of Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers, and those two players are the only two players above 45% in MLS. Orlando City’s pattern looks remarkably similar to the Pride’s, with one player scoring most of the goals and everyone else at two or one. The arrival of Antoine Griezmann and the rumored return of Daryl Dike could, and probably should, change that, but we know that Duncan McGuire will not score any more goals for the Lions and Marco Pašalić is also rumored to be moving on as well, so it likely will be someone else who steps up.
Please someone step up.
When it comes to creating shots, Orlando City does not have a go-to player like Ovalle, but both Justin Ellis and Ojeda are in the top 40 in the league. As will be seen below, Ellis is already an elite creator when playing against players his own age, and in a decent sample of minutes, he has shown he has the talent to compete at the MLS level. The next few weeks will reveal a lot about his ability to continue to contribute, as teams have now had the chance to watch him play in MLS and will have him in their game plans once the season resumes. I think he will continue to excel, especially since in recent weeks he has had a chance to play alongside and learn from Griezmann.
Speaking of Griezmann, Orlando City’s newest Lion created 1.90 chances per 90 minutes in La Liga and 1.86 during Champions League play this past season, so I think it is a safe assumption that Griezmann will immediately create chances at a high level once the season resumes. The big question will be if someone will step up to complement Ojeda as a second scorer. Again, I beg someone to do so.
And now for OCB, a team with plenty of players who have stepped up:
| Player | Minutes | Goals | Goal Share | Chances Created* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro Leão | 1,195 | 7 | 19% | 1.51 |
| Harvey Sarajian | 1,118 | 5 | 14% | 2.01 |
| Gustavo Caraballo | 895 | 4 | 11% | 2.41 |
| Justin Ellis | 356 | 3 | 8% | 3.03 |
| Justin Hylton | 398 | 3 | 8% | 1.13 |
| Matthew Belgodere | 847 | 3 | 8% | 2.13 |
| Issah Haruna | 1,171 | 3 | 8% | 1.54 |
| Bernardo Rhein | 1,428 | 2 | 5% | 1.58 |
| Ignacio Gómez | 902 | 2 | 5% | 0.50 |
| Nicolas Lasheras | 259 | 1 | 3% | 0.35 |
| Zakaria Taifi | 254 | 1 | 3% | 0.35 |
| Jacob Ramírez | 218 | 1 | 3% | 0.83 |
| Caleb Trombino | 316 | 1 | 3% | 1.14 |
| Dylan Judelson | 1,030 | 1 | 3% | 0.61 |
*per 90 minutes
The Young Lions do not have a single scorer dominating the chart like the other two Orlando teams, but unlike their fellow teams, they have an abundance of players who have scored more than twice this season. Seven different players have scored three or more times and 14 players have scored at least once. As a team, OCB ranks fourth in the league in goals scored per game. No player accounts for more than 20% of the team’s goals, making OCB difficult to defend.
Another reason the Young Lions are difficult to defend is that so many players are constantly looking to set up their teammates for shots and are skilled enough to be able to do so. Four attacking players have created more than two chances per 90 minutes, including the aforementioned Ellis, during his early season games with OCB, and defender Bernardo Rhein creates more shots than almost everyone on Orlando City and the Pride.
The diversity of OCB’s attack, especially as compared to the senior Lions and the Pride, is on display in the chart below, which shows all of the players who have scored at least one goal in league play and their associated chances created per 90 minutes values. OCB’s players are in yellow, Orlando City’s in purple, and the Pride’s in light blue.
It may be subjective whether you think Florida sits on the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America, but there is also a gulf in Orlando and that is between Banda and Ojeda and the rest of their teammates.
Hopefully, by the time the regular seasons wrap up for all three teams, the gulf is more like a cove, or better yet a stream, as additional scorers have emerged like hot springs for the Lions and the Pride. OCB will be fine if it continues to flood the field with all of its attacking talent. It is the senior teams that need to look deep inside the well to find some additional scorers.
By this time next week, all three seasons will be going again, and with the games coming fast and furious in July and August, we will rapidly see if the second part of the season will look like more of the same, or if that World Cup break will lead to a sea change as the season continues.
Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/16/26
Orlando City wins friendly, Orlando Pride beaten at home, MLS season returns tonight, and much more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? For those of us in Florida, it looks like some storms could be heading our way this week. While that can be a bit annoying if you have outdoor plans, hopefully it will make some of this oppressive heat a bit more bearable. Both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B are on the road on Saturday, so we may get to dodge some dreaded weather delays as well. But for now, let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Wins Friendly at FC Dallas
The Lions went to Texas for a friendly against FC Dallas and won 2-1 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium — home of North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS NEXT Pro side. Antoine Griezmann seems to be settling in nicely with the club, scoring yet again in this friendly after doing so a week ago against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Martin Ojeda also got on the scoresheet in the first half and you can check out both finishes below.
While I don’t put too much stock in friendlies, it sure does feel better to be on the winning side of them. This was the final tune-up for Orlando before the Lions hit the road for a match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday in their first league game since May.
Orlando Pride Shut Out At Home
The Orlando Pride hosted the Boston Legacy and weren’t able to get a result in a 1-0 loss at Inter&Co Stadium. Barbara Olivieri scored the game’s only goal in the 17th minute to give Boston the lead. Orlando had its chances to equalize but couldn’t manage to put together a finished product in the end. This was Orlando’s third loss to an expansion side this season (0-3-1) as the Pride picked up only one point out of 12 in four matches against Boston and Denver. It’s been a season of inconsistency for the Pride, but hopefully that means they’ll come back stronger in Saturday’s road match against the Utah Royals.
MLS Season Returns Tonight
MLS is back! While the Lions aren’t in action until Wednesday, the season resumes tonight with an exciting slate of games. Many eyes will be on the match between the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps, as it could include Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut. While it’s a brand new team and league for the forward, he’d be going up against a familiar face in former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Muller, who has helped Vancouver climb to the top of the Western Conference. Other intriguing matchups tonight include a Canadian clash between CF Montreal and Toronto FC and a rivalry game between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. On Friday, Nashville will host Atlanta United before the LA Galaxy and LAFC square off in the latest edition of El Trafico.
Argentina Will Face Spain in World Cup Final
Argentina orchestrated yet another dramatic victory this World Cup, beating England 2-1 to advance to the World Cup final to face Spain. After a scoreless first half, Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute with his first goal of the tournament. England shifted gears and parked the bus to defend its lead, but Enzo Fernandez scored an equalizer in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina its winner in stoppage time. Lionel Messi assisted on both goals, and Argentina is now just one game away from winning its second consecutive World Cup. Sunday’s final should be a great match pitting Argentina’s potent offense up against a Spanish defense that has only conceded once all tournament.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Alex Freeman was noted as one of many players whose stock likely went up due to their World Cup performance. Hopefully, a solid summer translates to more playing time with Villarreal and an eventual transfer for Orlando City to benefit from due to the sell-on percentage.
- Duncan McGuire wasted no time scoring for his new team, putting the ball in the back of the net early on in the Houston Dynamo’s 2-1 friendly win against America de Cali.
- The Galaxy added Finnish forward Robert Taylor as a free agent, signing him to a contract through the end of the year with an option for all of 2027 as well.
- The Philadelphia Union are reportedly finalizing the return of Kai Wagner, who only just left the Union for Birmingham City in January.
- The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Australian forward Luka Jovanovic, who scored 11 goals last season for Adelaide United.
- Enjoy this comprehensive list of United States Men’s National Team head coach candidates should Mauricio Pochettino find a new gig.
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: 7/15/26
Daryl Dike’s potential return, Orlando Pride prepare for Boston, World Cup news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Oh boy, do we have some news for you today. Between the Orlando Pride match tonight, the World Cup this afternoon, and some potential big signings, we have a lot to get to. We also want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B goalkeeper Tristan Himes. Now, let’s get to the links.
The Return of Dike(?)
Forget “It’s coming home,” rather he’s coming home! Per Tom Bogert, Daryl Dike is set to return to Orlando City after his multi-year stint with West Bromwich Albion. Dike had a rough go of it in England, mainly due to injuries he sustained. I figure he just needs some Florida sunshine and the team at Orlando Health to help find the form that made him a terror to Orlando City’s opponents.
It also seems that the departure of Marco Pasalic is not a done deal. There has not been an official bid as of yet, and if Orlando City’s valuation isn’t met, then he may be staying. If he stays, he bolsters the attack. If not, well that’s what Dike is coming back to do and it would supply the Lions with plenty of coin to bolster the roster.
Orlando Pride Set for Boston Legacy
The Orlando Pride host expansion side Boston Legacy FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The Pride will look to avenge a 2-1 loss earlier this season in Boston. After defeating the Kansas City Current over the weekend, Seb Hines’ squad will want to keep the home winning streak going. This may be Barbra Banda’s last match before heading out for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament later this month, so take the opportunity to head to the match if you are in the Orlando area.
World Cup News
France was unable to keep things going as Spain defeated Les Bleus 2-0 on Bastille Day. La Roja now wait to see whether Argentina or England will be the opponent in the final. As they have done so many times this World Cup, the Spanish did not allow a goal and did enough offensively to advance. Lamine Yamal earned a penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home to give Spain a lead in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro added another in the second half and France was unable to muster any magic.
Later today, England and Argentina square off to see which team will play the Spaniards. The amount of history between these teams at World Cups is enough to make most watch the match. I think the bigger question is which team does Gianni Infantino want to win, and will we see the same shenanigans we’ve seen in previous matches featuring these two teams? Don’t worry, England. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
USMNT Reflections
There’s been a bit of space and time for all of us to process the USMNT’s performance at the World Cup and it isn’t all doom and gloom. None other than Carli Lloyd said that despite the way it ended, it was a successful outing for the U.S. Matt Freese is trying to see the positives even though he made a costly mistake that gave up a goal to Belgium. Folarin Balogun said what I was thinking in that a certain phone call about his red card did affect the USMNT’s nerves heading into the match against Belgium. Lastly, the future could be bright thanks to these five USMNT prospects.
Free Kicks
- Atlanta United has signed Chilean defender Paulo Diaz on a free transfer. I didn’t realize a team could improve the defense with signings.
- As I alluded to above, Ismail Elfath will lead an all-U.S. Soccer referee crew for the match between Argentina and England. I’m curious to see how it plays out.
- If you want to watch the Bundesliga, you may need to get another streaming service as the U.S. rights are moving from ESPN to USA Network & Fandango.
- Charlotte FC is ending the practice of charging Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) in an effort to stem declining attendance and slower ticket sales. I’m glad that was an experiment that failed in MLS even if it is standard in other American professional sports.
- The New England Revolution have signed 18-year-old Peyton Miller to a contract extension through the 2028-2029 season.
- Former Orlando City B defender Nabi Kibunguchy has signed with USL Championship side Indy Eleven. We wish him luck with his new team.
That will do it for today. Check back later for our coverage of the Orlando Pride’s match against Boston Legacy FC. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for updates. Vamos Orlando!
Inside the Numbers: Goal Scoring and Shot Creation for Orlando City, OCB, and the Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Five Takeaways
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