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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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Orlando City returned to its winning ways last night with a 4-1 victory against Atlanta United. It was the Lions’ first win at home over their rivals and there was some added sweetness as the result all but eliminated Atlanta from playoff contention.

Rookie Daryl Dike was a force in the match, with both a goal and an assist, and Chris Mueller scored a beauty off a free kick for his ninth of the regular season. Here’s how all of the Lions rated in the big win, as well as who was crowned Man of the Match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — The Peruvian looked right at home for most of the match in his first game in Exploria Stadium since Oct. 3. Gallese came up with a full-stretch save in the third minute of the match as Atlanta put the pressure on early. Before the end of the first half, he showed discomfort after landing awkwardly, but didn’t seem to have any issues carrying on. He got a touch on Erick Torres’ point-blank headed shot at goal in the 87th, but it wasn’t nearly enough to save it. Gallese didn’t get the clean sheet, but did finish with two saves as he gets back in the swing of things.

D, Kamal Miller, 5 — Filling in for the injured João Moutinho, Miller struggled in this one. There was a scary moment when Jürgen Damm sent him running the wrong way and got a free shot on goal that went just wide. Defending against Damm in space is a tall order, but Miller was partly responsible on Torres’ goal in the waning moments of the match. The Canadian did finish with a team-leading 64 touches and was second in passes with a total of 49. Still, he’s had much better nights.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — After his unfortunate own goal in the loss against Inter Miami, Jansson hardly had a mistake in this one. The Swede proved why he has started nine straight games for the Lions, serving as an anchor on defense against Atlanta. Had he been able to jump a bit higher when defending against Torres’ goal then Orlando would’ve walked away with a clean sheet. The offense stole the show and the late goal ruined the shutout, but it was yet another solid performance from Jansson that included three clearances.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Carlos came up big time and time again for the Lions, with a whopping nine clearances. His partnership with Jansson continues to grow as the pair played all 90 minutes together. Carlos was decisive both in the air and on the ground, rising up to meet Atlanta’s many corner kicks as well as making an expert sliding tackle in the box to deny Atlanta and defend Exploria Stadium.

D, Ruan, 7 — The right back did what he does best, forcing opponents to deal with his speed and creating opportunities on offense. His best moment came on Orlando’s first goal as he delivered a perfect ball to Dike in the box for his fourth assist of the season. Ruan continues to excel in Oscar Pareja’s system and ended the game with two tackles, 51 touches, and 35 passes.

MF, Joey DeZart, 5.5 — The rookie looked lost at times with his marking and there were a few moments where he didn’t seem all too aware of the players around him. That being said, DeZart still held his own in the midfield with the usual starters absent. The midfielder didn’t have a single shot, but finished with 34 passes at a strong 91% completion rate.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — Although Urso didn’t finish with a goal or an assist after playing all 90 minutes, he did fairly well on both sides of the ball. He nearly scored on a volley to double Orlando’s lead in the first half, but his attempt went just wide. Urso led the team with four shots, 50 passes, and had the second-most touches with 63 to keep Atlanta from capitalizing on possession in the midfield.

MF, Chris Mueller, 7.5 — After spending the first half constantly fouled by Laurence Wyke, Mueller made him pay for it right before halftime. Covered in grass from the foul, Mueller waved Nani off the ball for the free kick and curled it into the net for one of his best goals as a Lion. As far as the rest of his night, Mueller did have some rough crosses here and there, but finished with three key passes and 55 touches as he continues his best year yet in Orlando.

MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain had a bit of a quiet night, pulling the strings of Orlando’s offense when he could. It was his pass to Ruan that got things going for Orlando’s first goal and he found Tesho Akindele open in the box soon after to make sure the Lions kept riding that momentum. Nani was subbed out in the second half for some rest as Orlando’s other offensive players stepped up.

F, Daryl Dike, 8 (MotM)— The rookie got his sixth consecutive start and sixth goal of the season, turning and scoring in front of goal to give Orlando the lead in the 29th minute. Dike’s confidence after scoring showed as he continued to muscle past defenders and give Atlanta nightmares. He was frankly unstoppable when running at goal and that helped him find Tesho Akindele in front of goal to log his fourth assist of the season.

F, Tesho Akindele, 7.5 — In his first start in over a month, Akindele worked alongside Dike up top and the pair wreaked havoc on offense. The Canadian scored right in front of goal after playing a bit of give-and-go with Dike in the second half and he freed up needed space on Dike’s goal. Akindele was subbed off after his goal and finished with two shots, two key passes, and his third goal this season. It was a great performance and showcased a new look to Orlando’s offense with Mauricio Pereyra out.

Substitutes

F, Andres Perea (62’), 6 — He came onto the field after Akindele’s goal with the Lions up 3-0 and was hungry for more, linking up with Benji Michel and Urso to keep Atlanta on their toes. Perea nearly opened his account for the Lions in the 71st minute with only Guzan to beat, but his shot was a bit awkward and went wide. Still, he’s growing confidence and looked a bit more at ease playing with a lead.

F, Benji Michel (62’), 6 — Like Perea, Michel came on the field swinging, with two shots within two minutes of coming onto the field. Guzan had to save the first, despite Michel taking it from a tough angle, and the second was a header that went wide. Michel set Perea free in the box although the midfielder couldn’t finish. He picked up a yellow card in the 88th minute and got quite a bit done with only 11 touches in the game.

MF, Sebas Mendez (68’), 7 — The Ecuadorian may have only played for a little over 20 minutes, but he was efficient during that time. Mendez may not officially be credited for the goal at the end of the match, but his free kick wound up in the back of the net to put the cherry on top of Orlando’s big win. Mendez also finished with 23 passes at a 100% completion rate, which is pretty impressive to say the least.

F, Matheus Aias (79’), N/A — Aias only had seven touches in his second game for Orlando, but he made them count. Mendez’ free kick deflected off of him and it was just enough to stop Guzan from keeping it out for his first official goal as a Lion. It was also nice to see him sprinting towards goal on that play to ensure his team scored, even though the win was in hand.

F, Alexander Alvarado (79’), N/A — The winger made his debut for Orlando City at the end of the match, coming on for Mueller. He put fresh legs to good use and drew fouls, including the one that led to Orlando’s final goal off the ensuing free kick.

That’s how I saw how things play out. What about you? Let us know in the comments how you thought the Lions did and vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra127
Chris Mueller6
Andres Perea3
Kyle Smith24
Antonio Carlos5
Tesho Akindele0
Other (write in comments)2

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Two teams still smarting from midweek U.S. Open Cup defeats look to get back in the win column.

Published

11 hours ago

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May 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your preview and match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (6-2-6, 24 points) and the Portland Timbers (6-3-5, 23 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s the only scheduled meeting between the cross-conference opponents in 2025 and the first time the teams have met since the 2022 MLS season.

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

History

The Lions are 3-1-2 against the Timbers in the regular season since joining Major League Soccer and 3-2-2 in all competitions. Orlando holds a record of 2-0-0 at home in the series.

The last time the teams met was at Providence Park on March 27, 2022, when they played to a 1-1 draw. Orlando City was ahead on a second-half goal by Junior Urso and up a man after Josecarlos Van Rankin picked up a second yellow card in the final quarter of an hour. However, Andres Perea committed a foul in the penalty area, allowing Cristhian Paredes to equalize from the spot just 10 minutes from the end of full time.

Prior to the 2022 meeting, the teams played for a trophy in the championship match of the MLS is Back Tournament on Aug. 11, 2020. The Timbers were successful on two set pieces in a 2-1 win over the Lions. Center backs Larrys Mabiala and Dario Zuparic got on the end of those set pieces to score, and Mauricio Pereyra put one in the net for Orlando on a wasteful night by the Lions, who put only one of their 14 shots on frame against the Timbers’ low block defensive formation.

The two sides also met on July 18, 2019 at Providence Park, with a largely second-choice Orlando lineup playing to a 1-1 draw against a mainly full-strength Portland side. The Lions were outshot 26-2 but managed the road point anyway, thanks to a Santiago Patino goal that was offset by a late Jeremy Ebobisse equalizer.

The last time the teams met in Orlando’s home stadium saw Orlando City rally with three goals in seven minutes to erase a 2-0 deficit and win, 3-2. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer scored in the 80th, 82nd, and 87th minutes, respectively, to overcome a hole created by goals from Portland’s Diego Valeri and Bill Tuiloma.

The Lions’ only regular-season loss in the series came at Providence Park in a game they’d rather forget, as they ended up getting two men sent off on the way to a 3-0 loss to Portland in 2018. Goals from Valeri (twice) and Darren Mattocks got Timber Joey’s chainsaw heated up. Jonathan Spector got sent off for two yellow cards and PC saw a straight red.

In 2016, Orlando City thumped the defending MLS champion Timbers, 4-1, with four different Lions scoring — Seb Hines, Kaká, Kevin Molino, and Brek Shea. Joe Bendik stopped a Fanendo Adi penalty kick, but Jack McInerney’s late goal spoiled the shutout.

Orlando won the inaugural MLS meeting in 2015 at Providence Park, 2-0, with Cyle Larin scoring the first of his league rookie record 17 goals, chesting home a wicked cross from Molino. Kaká scored the second goal from the spot to provide the final margin after Carlos Rivas drew the first penalty in Orlando City’s MLS history.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a frustrating 3-2 home loss to Nashville SC Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup. Marco Pasalic opened the scoring and Ramiro Enrique equalized after the Lions fell behind on two poor goals by the defense, but a legitimate penalty shout against Nashville for a handball was ignored and the visitors got a late goal from fullback Wyatt Meyer to knock Orlando out of the competition. That snapped the club’s 12-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. However, the Lions still enter tonight on an 11-match unbeaten run in MLS games.

The Lions are 4-1-2 at home in the regular season. However, to improve upon that record, Head Coach Oscar Pareja must ensure his team has more legs under it tonight than it had on Wednesday, when multiple players — notably, Martin Ojeda, David Brekalo, and Cesar Araujo, among others — appeared sluggish after playing heavy minutes in Sunday’s emotional road win at Inter Miami. This is Orlando’s third match in seven days, so running the mostly the same lineup out there against Portland is likely not the best idea.

At the same time, it should be noted that the Timbers are playing their third match in eight days, with the most recent of those — a Tuesday night 1-0 loss after extra time to San Jose in the U.S. Open Cup — on the road. Portland is one extra day removed from both USOC play and MLS play than the Lions, but the Timbers have logged some travel miles, flying to both San Jose and Orlando.

Portland’s most recent league match was a hard-fought 1-1 home draw in the Cascadia Cup rivalry against the Seattle Sounders. The Timbers are 0-1-2 in their last three games in all competitions, but they sit fourth in the Western Conference and have been good on the road, taking points in five of seven away league matches with a 3-2-2 mark away from Providence Park.

Tonight’s visitors have multiple players who can inflict damage in the attack. Four players have at least four goals, led by Felipe Mora’s five, while Antony has scored four times and is tied for the Portland lead in assists, with seven. Kevin Kelsy and Santiago Moreno also have four goals apiece, with David da Costa sitting on two goals to go along with his seven assists.

Orlando must battle fatigue as well as the varied Portland attack. At the same time, the Lions must take their chances better than they did on Wednesday, as the Timbers have conceded more goals (20) than all but four teams in the Western Conference.

“Portland is a team that has been growing in this season. We don’t play in the same conference, but we have seen their growth lately,” Pareja said ahead of the match. “The preparation has been intense for us in such a short period of time. Knowing that they [Portland] have that game model that has been growing lately. We respect them and we’ll be ready.”

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Nico Rodríguez (thigh), and Yutaro Tsukada (knee), while Eduard Atuesta (neck) and Gustavo Caraballo (lower leg) are questionable. The Timbers will be without Diego Chara (lower body), Zac McGraw (back), and James Pantemis (leg), while Jonathan Rodriguez (lower body) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Bench: Javier Otero, Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Zakaria Taifi, Joran Gerbet, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Shak Mohammed, Martin Ojeda, Ramiro Enrique.

Portland Timbers (5-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Omir Fernandez, Jimer Fory, Finn Surman, Dario Zuparic, Juan Mosquera.

Midfielders: Santiago Moreno, Cristhian Paredes, David Ayala, David da Costa.

Forward: Kevin Kelsy.

Bench: Trey Muse, Kamal Miller, Claudio Bravo, Ian Smith, Eric Miller, Joao Ortiz, Ariel Lassiter, Antony, Felipe Mora.

Referees

Ref: Jair Marrufo.
AR1: Eric Weisbrod.
AR2: Kevin Klinger.
4th: Ricardo Montero Araya.
VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.
AVAR: Joshua Patlak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

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 game. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Three Keys to Victory

If the Lions can check these three boxes, then they should be in a good position to win Saturday night.

Published

1 day ago

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May 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Coming off a midweek U.S. Open Cup match that I think we’d all rather not talk about too much, Orlando City will try to continue a good run of form in league play tomorrow when it faces the Portland Timbers at home. Both teams will be coming off a short week and need wins to keep pace at the top of crowded Eastern and Western conferences. What follows are three things I believe will go a long way towards helping OCSC pick up the win.

Balance the Lineup

Hindsight is of course 20/20, but playing a mostly first-choice lineup on Wednesday coming off short rest on Sunday after an emotional win hurt Orlando City dearly in the end. Nashville SC looked like the fresher team, and several Lions simply seemed to hit physical walls in the second half, which wasn’t surprising considering the amount of minutes that have piled up on their legs over the course of May. Playing a lineup of all the guys who started on Wednesday would be tantamount to suicide, but Oscar Pareja is going to need to strike the right balance between calling on his best XI and getting some fresh legs in. Alex Freeman, Martin Ojeda, Cesar Araujo, and Joran Gerbet could surely do with some rest, and the health of Eduard Atuesta will surely have a big impact on how the starting lineup looks Saturday night. Either way, Papi is going to need to a good job of walking the tightrope.

Focused for the Full 90

Two of the three goals that Nashville scored on Wednesday were in large part due to the Lions being far too lackadaisical in their defending. Whether it was switching off because they were expecting a whistle that never came, or simply allowing an opposition player to have far too much time and space on the ball, moments where OCSC let its collective focus slip came back to haunt the club in a big way. Like Nashville, Portland is a strong side that’s more than capable of punishing mistakes and lapses of concentration. Tired legs and a possible emotional hangover from the Inter Miami victory likely contributed to Orlando delivering an uncharacteristically unfocused performance, but if the Lions can put those issues in the past, it’ll go a long way towards picking up all three points.

Finish Your Chances

While Orlando has been in (mostly) strong form lately, a recurring theme has begun to emerge of the team not finishing some of the best chances that it creates. Andrew DeSalvo spoke about this at length in an excellent piece, and drew upon OCSC’s 3-0 victory over Miami as a prime example of the Lions leaving goals on the table. Yes, the team has still been getting results, but the margins are so small in the game of soccer that repeatedly spurning chances to score will come back to bite you sooner or later. Plus, there’s plenty of danger going into this game: the Lions will be on short rest, with extra tired legs, against one of the best teams in the west. Any and all high-quality chances that the good guys can carve out need to be finished emphatically, and if they are, then don’t be surprised if OCSC comes out with a win.

There you have it, people. If Orlando comes out with a balanced lineup, maintains razor-sharp focus for the entirety of the game, and is ruthless about finishing off great chances to score, then the Lions should be in a great position to get the win at home. All they need to do is go out and make it happen. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/23/25

Tonight’s OCB match moved to Sunday, Alex Freeman makes USMNT roster, FanDuel Sports Network will stream Orlando Pride games, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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May 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! A long weekend is ahead of us and there is plenty of Orlando soccer to enjoy as well. I’ll be celebrating my nephew’s first birthday this weekend, so it should be a nice next couple of days visiting family. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

OCB Match Moved to Sunday in Kissimmee

As a heads up, Orlando City B is no longer playing today. OCB’s match against Atlanta United 2 was originally scheduled for tonight in Atlanta, but it was instead postponed to 7 p.m. Sunday and relocated to Osceola Heritage Park rather than Fifth Third Stadium in Georgia. Stadium availability was cited as the reason for the change, and the match will be played behind closed doors, although it will still be streamed live. The Young Lions are coming off of a 3-0 win over Inter Miami II and will face an Atlanta team that has drawn its last four games.

Alex Freeman Makes USMNT Training Camp Roster

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was named to the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp roster ahead of friendlies next month against Turkey and Switzerland. The 20-year-old is one of five uncapped players on the roster and one of 16 MLS players. He’ll likely be behind Sergino Dest on the depth chart, but Joe Scally was not called up for this window. There are many notable players absent, opening the door for players like Freeman across multiple positions to stake their claim to participate in this summer’s Gold Cup and the World Cup next year.

FanDuel Sports Network Will Stream Select Pride Games

The Orlando Pride will have eight of its remaining games streamed on FanDuel Sports Network, including tonight’s road game against the Utah Royals. The regional network, which used to be called Bally Sports before rebranding, is available on various providers throughout Florida and there is an app for streaming as well. Personally, I find this as just another cog in a messy machine of NWSL coverage options, but I imagine this is handy for those out there who are already accustomed to using the network to watch other Floridian pro sports teams.

Winter Garden Lands USL League One Team

Another pro soccer team is coming to Central Florida, as the United Soccer League announced its intent to bring a USL League One team to the area. Central Florida Pro Soccer’s ownership group has plans for a development in Winter Garden that would include a 5,000-seat multi-purpose soccer stadium. The plans also include recreational fields, a hotel, parks, and a walking trail. The group will gather input from the community in the coming months to help determine the team’s colors, badge, and name.

Free Kicks

  • Kansas City Current defender Alana Cook was placed on the season-ending injury list due to a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus sustained in the club’s match against the Orlando Pride.
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC and Tigres will square off in the Concacaf W Champions Cup final on Saturday. The winner will earn a spot in the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup and the 2028 Women’s Club World Cup.
  • Luka Modric penned a farewell to Real Madrid fans as his time with the club has come to an end. I don’t know where his next stop will be, but I sure hope it’s not with a team the Lions still have to face this year.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your holiday weekend!

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