Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City traveled to Georgia to take on their northern rival, Atlanta United FC. With so many injuries and international absences, Óscar Pareja was forced to make numerous changes to his preferred starting lineup. Pedro Gallese, and Sebas Méndez are away on international duty. João Moutinho, Uri Rosell, Mauricio Pereyra, Tesho Akindele, Dom Dwyer, and Ruan are all out with injuries. With a potential 10-match unbeaten streak on the line, Pareja needed the youngsters to step up. Let’s see how they did!
Starters
GK, Brian Rowe, 6.5 — Brian Rowe is exactly the backup keeper any team would want. He lost the starting job, but continued to work hard and was ready when called to start. He made a huge reaction save in the 18th and 71st minutes to keep a clean sheet. He finished with three saves, attempted 19 passes, had an 89.5% passing rate, and completed one long ball.
D, Kamal Miller, 7 — Miller did a very good job dealing with Brooks Lennon on the left side all match. He deservedly earned a yellow card in the 77th minute on a late challenge, but otherwise played very solid defense. He had four tackles, two clearances, five interceptions, and committed the one foul. He attempted 75 passes and had an 86.7% passing rate.
D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson put in his usual solid shift leading the defense. He also made a point perfect long pass to Nani that almost resulted in a goal. He recovered well when in defensive transition throughout the match. He made three clearances, one tackle, and committed one foul. Jansson attempted 71 passes at a 91.6% passing rate, and completed two long balls.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel has grown into his role as one of three center backs for Orlando City. In conjunction with the Beefy Swede, Schlegel helped keep Atlanta off the scoreboard. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, two clearances, and committed one foul. Schlegel attempted 77 passes, with a 90.9% passing rate, and completed one long ball.
D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Smith has been Pareja’s multi-purpose tool this season. He again showed a willingness to get forward into the attack even if he couldn’t do it as quickly as Ruan. As such, he had a perfectly placed cross in the 11th minute that Daryl Dike got a diving header on, but was unable to finish. Smith also took a long distance shot in the 30th minute though Brad Guzan was up to the task. Defensively he made one tackle, one clearance, and committed one foul. Smith attempted 29 passes, had an 89.7% passing rate, and put in a total of three crosses.
MF, Joey DeZart, 6 — DeZart got his first start for the Lions, thanks to the number of injuries Orlando City is dealing with at this point in the season. The rookie did well given the amount of playing time he’s had. His performance wasn’t mistake free, but he accorded himself well. He took one shot at goal in the 91st minute but Guzan was able to grab it. He attempted 61 passes with an 83.6% passing rate, and attempted one long ball.
MF, Junior Urso, 7 — Urso put in a good shift, and battled Franco Escobar the entire time he was in the match. The Bear drew three fouls, including one just before being subbed off. He attempted 32 passes with a 93.8% passing rate, made two key passes, and attempted two long balls. Urso attempted two shots, with one on target, nearly scoring late in the match. On defense he made three tackles, one interception, and one clearance.
MF, Andrés Perea, 7.5 (MotM) — Perea had one of his best shifts as a Lion. He took five shots with one on goal. Perea made a nice run into the left side of the box after taking it off the foot of an Atlanta player, but with no help available he turned it into a corner kick. He made two tackles, two clearances, and committed one foul. He attempted 23 passes, had a 91.3% passing rate, and put in three crosses.
MF, Robinho, 4 — It was quite obvious that Robinho has not had a ton of minutes so far this season. While he started the game brightly, hitting the post on a good scoring opportunity, he fell off pretty quickly. He had a muffed corner kick attempt that went high and behind the goal and then he had a cross that also went high and behind the goal. He held onto the ball too long too many times, and just didn’t seem to be able to get into the flow of the match. Robinho was credited with two shots, with one on target, seven crosses, committed two fouls, and suffered two fouls. He attempted 25 passes with an 80% passing rate, and completed one long ball.
F, Daryl Dike, 6.5 — Dike might have gotten the start since he’s the only striker available, but he again showed that even when he doesn’t score he’s putting in the work. He almost made a massive header from a Smith cross in the 11th minute, but Guzan was able to make the save. He continued his excellent hold-up play, using his size to his advantage, including drawing three fouls. Statistically, he took one shot (on target), made one tackle, and committed no fouls. Dike attempted 16 passes with a 62.5% passing rate, and one key pass. Defensively, he made one tackle, two clearances, and committed two fouls.
F, Benji Michel 5 — It was a quiet night for Michel, as he only had 23 touches. He had one shot, was dispossessed three times, and committed one foul. It’s rare that Michel disappears quite as much as he did, but it was that kind of game. He only attempted nine passes with a 66.7% passing rate, and attempted one long ball, often struggling with his first touch.
Substitutes
MF, Chris Mueller (59’), 5.5— Mueller came on for the struggling Robinho. He only managed 18 touches despite coming on with nearly 30 minutes to play. Statistically, he made two clearances, and attempted 10 passes with a 90% passing rate, one key pass, and three crosses.
D, Alex De John (59’), 6.5 — De John came on for Smith. He made a great block in the 85th minute, and also had one clearance. He made 12 passes with an 83.3% passing rate, with one key pass.
MF, Nani (70’), 6.5 — Nani’s woodwork woes continued when a shot in the 78th minute deflected off an Atlanta defender and bounced off the crossbar. The captain took two total shots (neither on target), and made one key pass. He made eight passes with an 87.5% completion rate. Despite coming on late he still had an impact on the match.
MF, Antônio Carlos, (87’), N/A — Carlos came on late, and only had five touches, each of which was a pass for a 100% passing rate.
That was how I saw it. Vote for your Man of the Match in the poll, and comment below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Andrés Perea | 4 |
| Junior Urso | 4 |
| Kamal Miller | 4 |
| Brian Rowe | 50 |
| Robin Jansson | 2 |
| Other (put in comments) | 4 |
Orlando City
Orlando City Taking Risk with No Immediate Plan to Hire New Head Coach
Ricardo Moreira is showing a lot of faith in a coach who has not yet been able to solve the team’s problem conceding goals.
When a team that has made the postseason for six consecutive years is 4-6-2 under a head coach, as Orlando City is under interim head coach Martin Perelman, one of the last things the fan base will want to hear is that the club is not taking advantage of a six-week break in the schedule to install a new coach. On paper, it was always a great spot to make the change, giving plenty of time for a search prior to the break. During the break, it could give most of the team the time to get to know the new gaffer, as it could almost become a second preseason.
It’s understandable for the club to give Perelman a chance to turn things around. Perelman, however, had hardly distinguished himself in terms of wins and losses while in charge of the club’s reserve side, Orlando City B. In his two full seasons of 2022 and 2023, Perelman’s side missed the playoffs his first year and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference in his second, getting eliminated by Columbus Crew 2 in the first round of the 2023 postseason. His two-year record was 19-23-10 with five shootout wins, though he improved the team from a 6-13-5 mark in the 24-game 2022 season to 13-10-5 in a 28-match 2023. The improvement was good, but the roster was also better, led by Jack Lynn’s standout season of 19 goals and six goal contributions by a young fullback named Alex Freeman.
He then became an assistant with the first team under Oscar Pareja in early 2024.
This season, Perelman inherited an Orlando City team that was 0-3-0 and had been outscored 11-3. Since taking over, Perelman has led the Lions to the aforementioned 4-6-2 record in MLS games and Orlando City has been outscored 33-20. On the other hand, Perelman has managed to navigate through three U.S. Open Cup matches to get Orlando into the semifinals, but did that by squeaking past a third-division team, having to come from behind in a wild 4-3 match against what was essentially a developmental side and two aging veterans for New England, and then finally looking like the better side against an Atlanta United side — one of the few teams that has struggled worse than Orlando this season — that stayed on the road an extra three days to play in Orlando twice in a week.
Getting this far in a knockout competition isn’t nothing, but it is fair to point out that the Lions didn’t beat a murderer’s row to get there.
So, it’s understandable if some fans are raising eyebrows over Perelman continuing on as Orlando City’s coach for now, which is something Sporting Director and General Manager Ricardo Moreira recently said is happening, as reported by WESH.
Here is what Moreira said in the WESH story:
“I can confirm that Martin will continue to be the interim head coach of the team when the MLS season resumes after the break,” Moreira said. “We believe that this stability is really important for us right now, especially in the middle of the season and especially with bringing in someone like Griezmann.”
Moreira added: “We understand that bringing someone like Griezmann changes the whole landscape of the club. Integrating him into an existing group and a locker room that already has its own identity is really important. We want to maintain continuity and stability, and we believe Martin brings that to the club.”
Bringing in a star player like Antoine Griezmann makes it even more important to get the coaching situation sorted out. Moreira’s remarks about an identity are true, but the identity of a team is largely dictated by the head coach, while the style of play the club wants is dictated by the front office hiring the kind of coach who excels at whatever kind of soccer that is. If you want a run-and-gun style, you don’t hire Diego Simeone or Jose Mourinho. If you want your club to squeeze the life out of opponents defensively and grind them to bits, you’re not seeking the next Johan Cruyff. Those styles don’t align.
Moreira seems to want a more fluid attack than what Orlando had under Pareja. That’s fine. We all love seeing the team score goals. Perelman’s Lions have scored 20 goals in 12 MLS games, reaching four goals in four of those matches. That’s exciting.
Yet the same team continues to look completely inept on the road, with a record of 1-6-1 (1-5-1 under Perelman) away from Orlando. The Lions have been shut out three times on the road under Perelman and have been outscored 23-5 in the six non-wins and 27-8 in all road games under their interim manager. In only one match away from home has Orlando City held its opponent to fewer than two goals, and that was a 1-1 draw at Columbus in which the Lions led from the 14th minute until Diego Rossi’s equalizer in the 80th.
Perelman has yet to show he’s the guy who can get that done without completely throwing Pareja’s noted stability in the back into a wood chipper. The identity of the current Lions seems to be “score at least two or three goals just to have a chance.”
Pareja’s team gave up an uncharacteristic 11 goals in the first three games, which is terrible, but the Lions also played those matches without captain Robin Jansson on the back line, and with rookies, youngsters, and new arrivals were playing in front of the club’s new goalkeeper. One of those three games was also played a man down for 84 minutes. It was the worst start in club history but also a small sample size. Could Orlando have turned things around under Pareja? We’ll never know.
Under Perelman, the team has suffered losses of 5-0 (at Nashville), 6-0 (at LAFC), and 6-2 (at Cincinnati). Three of the worst outings in club history came in just a 14-game span and one of those was the team’s most recent game. The Lions also shipped two goals late in a 3-2 road loss to D.C. United, conceded three times to mainly MLS NEXT Pro players in a 4-3 U.S. Open Cup win against New England, gave up three goals in a half at Inter Miami before an astonishing and historic comeback win for their only road victory of the season to date, and conceded three times in a 4-3 home win against an offensively challenged Philadelphia Union team vying for the MLS Wooden Spoon.
There have been a few good performances as well, with the team’s most competent soccer coming in half a game against Miami, in a 4-1 home win over Charlotte, and in a 4-1 U.S. Open Cup win over an Atlanta United side that is struggling in its own right. But there hasn’t been enough quality to suggest that things are getting better, aside from the team’s offense at home. It’s only a matter of whether Orlando City scores enough goals to have a chance to win, because when the offense doesn’t score at least two times, this team hasn’t won a league game. It seems incapable of keeping a clean sheet, with even the one it kept in a U.S. Open Cup match against FC Naples perhaps coming only due to a lack of video review of a potential equalizer.
Perelman’s Lions are conceding an average of 2.75 goals per game in MLS play over 12 matches. That’s a much larger sample size than Pareja’s three games and Perelman has had a healthy Jansson and David Brekalo for most of his run and has had the benefit of Griffin Dorsey, Iago, and Braian Ojeda all having spent more minutes on the pitch with their teammates.
Even when it seemed the defense was starting to figure it out, having “only” conceded seven goals in a four-match span (all competitions) — soaring to new heights of allowing just 1.75 goals per game in that time — Orlando was embarrassingly torched for six goals by FC Cincinnati in the final match before the World Cup break.
Replacing Perelman doesn’t guarantee better defensive performances, but it’s hard to imagine them getting worse than the league-history-making pace with which the team is conceding goals through the first 15 matches.
While Moreira didn’t promise the job to Perelman or say he won’t hire a new coach, Orlando City fans will want improvement quickly when play resumes, because the remaining season is slipping away.
“We’re going to support Martin and stick with him,” Moreira said. “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t monitoring the market and understanding the full landscape of available coaches. There are a lot of coaches who have been discussed, and we’re aware of every situation. I’m very active in my networking and my knowledge of the market, and we’re well aware of the coaching landscape and the status of coaches who may be available. But the decision right now is to keep Martin.”
To be fair to Moreira, there is no doubt some coaches that are perhaps on his radar may not become available until after the World Cup, and they may also want a break before diving into their next challenge. That would mean not coming in until at least September, at which time Griezmann may or may not be able to make a difference in the playoff race on a team that can’t stop leaking goals. The Frenchman’s presence, work rate from end line to end line, and ability to make those around him better can help, but only so much.
Other available coaches may be better suited coming into the club in the off-season to lay their foundation. As we saw with Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous spell at Celtic, sometimes you can’t fix or change things on the fly.
Moreira undoubtedly knows when those on his list of potential coaches might become available, and that may be the driving force for the moment in continuing with the status quo. And yet, Perelman may still yet prove to be the right coach in addition to being a good soldier for Orlando City by ultimately turning the ship around. It hasn’t looked likely yet, but it’s still possible.
At this point, there have been few signs Perelman can find any sustained success — at least with the current roster. There is a lack of balance, and it’s hard to discern whether the players aren’t good enough, if Perelman’s system isn’t capable of providing a competent transition defense, if the pairing of Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta is simply not able to provide coverage to the back line, or if it’s a combination of some or all of those things.
One thing we know is that the team’s lack of success will continue if the defense doesn’t improve while maintaining the attacking capability it has shown since late April.
Moreira may have handcuffed himself to Perelman in a way that makes it hard for ownership to avoid changing general managers if things continue the way they’ve been. The team can’t just bounce around in positions 10 through 13 in the Eastern Conference and hope Griezmann can get the Lions over the hump. Defensive solutions must be found, especially on the road, where scoring goals is tougher, because the club isn’t on pace to just break the league’s record for goals conceded — it is on pace to destroy the record. The Lions can’t keep getting embarrassed in every stadium not colored purple.
The coming months are among the most critical in club history, as they will dictate whether Orlando City remains a perennial playoff team or squanders one of the biggest signings in MLS history.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/10/26
Martin Perelman is staying, Matthew Belgodere recognized, England visits Inter&Co Stadium, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. We are one day away from the start of the World Cup and only two days away from the USMNT’s first match against Paraguay. If you can’t wait for a day or two, England is playing Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium this very afternoon. Despite the MLS and NWSL breaks, there is so much soccer to watch, and I love it. Let’s get to the links.
Perelman is Staying…For Now
You might think that Orlando City’s record and goals allowed would mean the coach might not be back after the World Cup break, and you’d be correct to think that is what it should mean. However, despite Orlando City having good reasons to bring in another coach, Martin Perelman will remain interim head coach when the season resumes. Perhaps there is a coach who isn’t available until the end of the season. Or maybe the club is giving Perelman even more time to “earn” the permanent job. Ricardo Moreira is monitoring potential coaches, but there doesn’t seem to be an active search based on his comments.
OCB’s Belgodere Honored
Matthew Belgodere earned MLS NEXT Pro honors thanks to his monstrous goal in OCB’s comeback 3-2 victory over Carolina Core. He is the fourth Orlando City Academy player to win the Rising Star Acolade this sesaon. It was Belgodere’s first professional goal and it came at a great time for OCB. In case you missed it, here it is.
Former Lions in the News
You may not have heard of Canada’s Sigma FC youth development program, but you have heard of Cyle Larin and Richie Laryea. The two former Orlando City players were products of that system and are regulars with the Canadian National Team. Meanwhile, Alex Freeman is flaunting his style in the latest issue of Flaunt. The meteoric rise of Orlando City’s former defender continues. Finally, Pedro Gallese did not have a good time in goal in Peru’s 3-1 loss to Spain. That was especially true with this own goal.
Inter&Co Stadium Welcomes International Competition
England takes on Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium in a final World Cup tune-up for the Three Lions. England Coach Thomas Tuchel will have his full roster available for the friendly. Tickets should still available for the match if you are able to make the 4 p.m. kickoff. The England squad is preparing for the heat during the World Cup. Of course, we know that they may have to deal with rain and lightning like Orlando teams do all the time.
USWNT Defeats Brazil
The USWNT and the Brazil Women’s National Team picked up right where they left off after the last friendly — by not being very friendly. To say this match was chippy in the first half is a massive understatement. Players were dragged down left and right on both sides. The U.S. was able to finally break through in the second half on what was originally scored as a goal by Sophia Wilson but was ultimately given as an own goal by Isabela Chagas. Before the end, several of Brazil’s staff were sent off, as was Beatriz Joao and Tarciane. After the final whistle, two more red cards were shown to Brazil. Ultimately, the U.S. was able to earn a 1-0 victory in a very wild match to watch.
Free Kicks
- Bad news for the Colorado Rapids. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen is likely out for the season due to shoulder surgery.
- Former OCB player Joe Gallardo celebrated 100 appearances in USL League One. The latest was with his current club, Spokane Velocity FC.
- We have more evidence of how messed up the World Cup is as FIFA has revoked Iran’s ticket allocation at the team’s three World Cup games in the U.S. Supposedly, FIFA is working the IR Iran Football Federation to provide opportunities for Iranian supporters to attend other matches, presumably in Canada or Mexico.
- We’re coming up on the 10th Anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. The rainbow seats in Inter&Co Stadium are a consistent reminder that as a club and a community we remain united even during the most horrific tragedies.
That will do it for today. Are you excited for the World Cup to start? Are you planning on going to the watch parties? Let us know in the comments below. Vamos Orlando and Go USA!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/9/26
Emma Hayes wants more grit in Brazil rematch, USMNT health update, Jim Curtin takes Austin job, and more.
Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a restful weekend, but there’s no time to gently ease into this week. The United States Women’s National Team plays tonight, the United States Men’s National Team plays its first group game of the World Cup on Friday, and Orlando City B returns to action on Saturday. We’ve understandably got lots to talk about today, so let’s have a look at the links.
Emma Hayes Wants More in Brazil Rematch
The USWNT will run it back against Brazil tonight, after losing the first of two friendlies against the South American nation 2-1 on Saturday. USWNT manager Emma Hayes said that her team needs to get a little more uncomfortable and accustomed to playing in conditions that aren’t perfect, and she sees the two matches against Brazil as the perfect opportunity to do just that. Hayes called on her team be tougher in tonight’s rematch and encouraged the players to accept difficult conditions or calls that are out of their control. She also declined to discuss tactics or lineups for the match, as she’s treating it as a psuedo-World Cup run and won’t be discussing those things during the tournament either.
USMNT Health Update
We got a positive update when it comes to the health of the United States Men’s National Team on Monday, as center back Chris Richards was a full participant in training for the first time since joining up with the team. Richards has been dealing with an ankle injury since May 17 that kept him from playing in the USMNT’s warm-up friendlies against Senegal and Germany. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino did not provide any clues as to whether or not he will be ready to start in the team’s World Cup opener on Friday, but this is a good step. Additionally, Tyler Adams did not participate in the training session, which was a “load management” decision, and probably a wise one considering he’s the glue holding the midfield together.
Jim Curtin Takes Austin Job
Jim Curtin will become the new head coach of Austin FC at the end of the 2026 MLS season, with Tom Bogert breaking the news on Monday afternoon before the club confirmed it shortly afterwards. Davy Arnaud will continue as interim coach until the end of the season, and the club is still looking for a new sporting director. Curtin had been out of a job since being fired by the Philadelphia Union at the end of the 2024 season, bringing to an end an 11-season spell with the team. Bogert provided some nice additional nuggets like the Portland Timbers reportedly being a team that had interviewed Curtin for its managerial vacancy.
Pre-World Cup Friendlies Continue
The World Cup is almost upon us, but there are still a few more tune-up friendlies taking place before the big dance arrives. France beat Northern Ireland 3-1 on Monday thanks to a Michael Olise hat trick, while The Netherlands used a Cody Gakpo brace to ease by Uzbekistan 2-1. Today will see Senegal face Saudi Arabia, while Argentina takes on Iceland. Things then wrap up on Wednesday with Portugal playing Nigeria, Algeria squaring off against Bolivia, and England playing Costa Rica.
Free Kicks
- Orlando’s sports teams have launched a new shirt that honors the 10-year anniversary of the creation of the Orlando United program.
- Christian Eriksen is recovering at home with his family after collapsing while playing for Denmark on Sunday.
- Somalian referee Omar Artan has been denied entry into the U.S. and will not be an official at the World Cup.
- Brazil announced that Neymar is making “good progress” in his recovery from a calf injury.
- Rafael Leao has defended punching Chilean defender Ivan Roman in the face during a friendly between the two teams on Saturday, saying that he simply intended to help teammate Joao Cancelo.
That’ll do it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City Taking Risk with No Immediate Plan to Hire New Head Coach
Lion Links: 6/10/26
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