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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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In a game that was a rollercoaster of emotions, Orlando City won 2-1 over the Columbus Crew to secure a spot in the top four of the Eastern Conference. The win also maintained Orlando’s unbeaten streak in Exploria Stadium this season and was the fourth-straight victory over the Crew. Chris Mueller and Benji Michel scored for Orlando, with Mauricio Pereyra assisting on both occasions.

However, Nani was ejected after a questionable red card and unless it’s rescinded he will miss Orlando’s final regular season game on Sunday against Nashville SC. Here’s how the Lions performed in a game filled with ups and downs.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — The goalkeeper did well in the first half, snuffing out the Crew’s attempts to counter attack. Of his three saves, the toughest was coming out and going to ground to stop Luis Diaz’ run at goal as the last line of defense. There wasn’t much he could’ve done on Harrison Afful’s goal — his strike far too fast and well placed for Gallese. Although he didn’t get a clean sheet, Gallese did walk away with the win.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith was great in this one, showing once again how well he fits in Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s system. Defensively, he led the team with four tackles and five clearances as the Crew targeted his side of the field throughout the night. Offensively, only heroics from Eloy Room kept Smith off of the score sheet after the left back had two shots on target stopped in the 30th minute. He could’ve been a bit more clinical in those opportunities but it was still great to see from him in the left back position.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The Swede had a decent night against the Crew’s arsenal of offensive weapons. He had the fewest touches (51) among the players who played the full game, but that’s hardly a bad thing for a center back and Jansson had two clearances. His best moments came late in the match when Orlando led while down to 10 men. Unlike earlier in the match when he received a yellow card for dissent, Jansson played it cool to anchor the defense and made sure the Lions finished with all three points.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — As always, Carlos was a force in the air and finished with two clearances and a tackle to help defend Exploria Stadium yet again. He came up with a big block on a shot on goal from Lucas Zelarayan in the 40th minute, not only standing strong in the face of the Argentine’s shot, but also getting enough of his literal face behind it to stop any shenanigans with a deflection towards goal. He wasn’t able to close down on Pedro Santos quickly enough to stop him from making the final pass on Columbus’ goal, but it was a strong performance for Carlos.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Yes, the right back is one of the fastest players in the league. But it is what he did with that speed that made him so effective in Orlando’s win. Defenders have to put in just that extra bit of effort they aren’t used to in order to deal with him and get to loose balls, which adds up over the course of a game. Ruan won free kicks, forced corners, played well defensively, and was able to help make up for the missing Lion on the field.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 8.5 (MotM) — Let’s just start with the stats. Pereyra had assists on both goals and led the team with 88 touches, 67 passes — at a 94% success rate — and six key passes. The game completely changes when the ball is at his feet and that showed on Mueller’s goal as Pereyra fizzed a perfectly weighted ball in front of the net in the blink of an eye. After picking up a yellow card in the second half that suspends him from playing in Orlando’s last game of the season, Pereyra’s final touch of his regular season was a beauty to Michel for the game-winner. It was a masterful performance from Pereyra and it’s clear that he is one of the premier playmakers in the league.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear was great at finding the open areas on offense, but struggled when it came to actually finishing those chances. Urso had an open look in the 14th minute that he sent just wide and had another blocked in the 24th. His emotions ran high after Nani’s red card and the Crew scored during the chaos, but he settled in more as the match wore on. The poor finishing is becoming a trend, but he continues to deliver when it comes to midfield performance with 41 passes at a solid 88% success rate in this match.

MF, Andres Perea, 7 — The midfielder finished with 53 touches, 44 passes, and had a key pass for finding Nani in the first half for a shot that was deflected for a corner. Other than Gallese and the defenders, Perea was the only starter to go the distance in this one. The 19-year-old was calm, cool, and collected throughout the match and that was needed when emotions started to run high. It’s a good sign to see from the young player, especially with Pereyra out this weekend.

MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — After a missed opportunity early in the match, Mueller delivered in the 27th minute by scoring his 10th goal of the season. An error by the Crew defense due to Orlando’s high press sparked the play, but Mueller’s ability to be in the right place at the right time paid off yet again. He was substituted off after the Crew’s goal, spoiling what was setting up to be a great night for him.

F, Nani, 6— The captain looked lively in the first half, fooling defenders with skill plays and creative passes. He took a hard foul in the the first half but continued on without much of an issue. Things went awry in the second half though after he made a tackle in the 49th minute. The referee initially issued a foul and yellow card but escalated to a red card after checking video review. Nani left the game in tears, finishing the night with two shots, 38 touches, and 26 passes.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6.5 — The big man made a great run to occupy a defender so that Mueller had time to pick out his shot and score. Akindele didn’t score, but continues to do well when holding up play for the other offensive playmakers to shine, making two key passes. He also chased down defenders and put his all into fighting for possession after Nani’s red card before being subbed off for Benji Michel.

Substitutes

MF, Sebas Mendez (58’), 6 — Mendez came on in the 58th minute for Mueller after the Crew’s goal in an attempt to stabilize things. The Ecuadorian did just that, bringing structure to the midfield and making sure Orlando wasn’t as frazzled. Mendez had 29 touches, 22 passes at an 82% success rate, and led the team with four interceptions.

F, Benji Michel (69’), 7 — The Homegrown Player may have had his most defining moment as a Lion. Michel came in with the Lions down a man and the score level and did the impossible in the 84th minute. After taking a fantastic first touch on Pereyra’s final pass, Michel spun to shake his defender and sprinted after the ball to tuck it past Room for the game-winner. While amazing, don’t let the goal overshadow the amount of work he put in as the lone forward to keep defenders honest. He had 16 touches in the match and he made sure they counted.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (88’), N/A— He only had four touches in the game and his first was a header to see out a dangerous set piece. It was a short shift but an efficient one, with another clearance late and doing enough to stop Columbus from capitalizing on crosses.

MF, Joey DeZart (88’), N/A — The rookie looks better and better each outing. Brought on late after Orlando took back the lead, DeZart ate up time with Ruan and cut off a pass in the final moments to ensure Orlando’s victory.

That’s how I saw 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/25/26

Lions fall to FC Cincinnati, Pride and OCB win, USMNT World Cup roster leaked, and more.

Published

2 hours ago

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May 25, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda fighting for the ball against LAFC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Memorial Day, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work over the holiday weekend, covering high school lacrosse playoff games. The Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend, and the World Cup is less than three weeks away. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get into the links.

Lions Suffer Heavy Defeat at FC Cincinnati

Orlando City fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium Saturday in another embarrassing road display. Martin Ojeda scored the opener for the Lions in the first half before Cincinnati scored twice to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. Ojeda equalized for Orlando early in the second half. However, it was all Cincinnati from that point as Evander scored his second goal of the match and added three assists as Orlando suffered a heavy defeat on the road for the fourth time this season. The loss snapped the Lions’ three-match unbeaten streak. Orlando City will be off until late July due to the MLS World Cup break. The Lions’ next match will be on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on July 22.

Payne’s Goal Lifts Pride over San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium Sunday and snapped their two-match losing streak. Nicole Payne scored the lone goal in the match for Orlando, which moved above the Seattle Reign on goal difference to eighth in the NWSL table with 14 points. The Pride will return home Friday to take on Bay FC at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Beats Inter Miami II

Orlando City B defeated Inter Miami II 4-1 at Osceola County Stadium on Sunday. The Young Lions got off to a flying start in the first half as Ignacio Gomez scored the opening goal. Bernardo Rhein added another, and OCB got an own goal by Miami defender Daniel Sumalla to take a 3-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Zakaria Taifi scored for OCB and Miami pulled one back, but the Young Lions had the match wrapped up by then. OCB will take on Chattanooga FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

USMNT World Cup Roster Leaked

According to Jeff Rueter and Pablo Maurer at The Guardian, the full 26-man U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was leaked over the weekend, just days before the official announcement. Former Lion Alex Freeman, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Tim Weah were notable mentions, while other players reportedly making the cut include Alejandro Zendejas, Gio Reyna, Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson, Mark Mackenzie, and goalkeeper Matt Turner. Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, and Aidan Morris were left out of the squad. The U.S. Soccer Federation will officially announce the USMNT roster Tuesday, while the final deadline to submit the roster to FIFA for the World Cup is June 1.

Free Kicks

  • Wilfried Zaha will reportedly depart from Charlotte FC this summer when his loan deal expires.
  • Josef Martinez will reportedly become a free agent after reaching an agreement to part ways with Liga MX side Tijuana.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 6-2 loss to FC Cincinnati.

Published

22 hours ago

on

May 24, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda taking a free kick against FC Cincinnati as Eduard Atuesta looks on.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads into the World Cup break having given up all the goals in a 6-2 road loss to FC Cincinnati. It started out pretty well, but I don’t think there was ever really a chance with how many matches the Lions had played in such a short time in the lead-up to this match. Now the team will have the opportunity to think about what they’ve done.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

The Accountant Pays

So often it’s a former player that hurts an Orlando team. Fortunately, Kyle Smith would never hurt us — at least now that he doesn’t play for the Lions. One might think he was a Manchurian candidate thanks to the foul he committed in the box against Tiago. It was exactly the type of call that usually goes against Orlando City, so I was happy to see it called correctly in this case. Martin Ojeda put away the penalty to give the Lions the early lead. Thank you for your service, El Soldado.

Can’t Keeper it Clean

Let me be very fair from the jump. The header scored by Kenji Mboma Dem was perfectly placed, and I don’t blame Maxime Crepeau for not saving it. The second goal wasn’t really his fault either. His defense gave the ball away cheaply in their own half and the Lions paid for it. He wasn’t getting to the third goal either. Braian Ojeda was so far behind Evander in defense that I don’t think he made it into frame until the ball was in the back of the net. I don’t have the heart to go through the other three goals conceded.

OMG Ojeda

Orlando City needed to score the first goal of the second half if the Lions were to have any chance — they did not have any chance — to win the match. Orlando City pressed into the attack and earned a free kick outside the box. Martin Ojeda stepped up to take it. I knew he was taking it, you knew it, and Roman Celentano knew it. Knowing and stopping a perfectly placed free kick goal are two very different things, and this goal should be up for Goal of the Matchday. It won’t win because of Orlando City reasons, but it should.

Tired Legs

Five matches in 15 days takes a toll. That toll was six goals conceded by Orlando City. The Lions pressed effectively for the first 15 minutes or so of the first half. They also did well the first five minutes of the second half. Other than that, it was obvious that Cincinnati was the team with the fresher legs. If it wasn’t obvious, even Ivan Angulo couldn’t outrun the competition, begging the question of why there wasn’t more rotation over this brutal stretch of May. Once the team was down a goal and then two, and then three, the Lions did not have the legs to chase the match effectively.

Still No Defense

Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman has tried a few different formations, different lineups, and assorted player combinations, and he still hasn’t found an effective defense. I will concede — much like the defense — that shutting down an offense like FC Cincinnati’s is not easy, especially given the tired legs. However, it shouldn’t be hard to keep any team to — let’s say four goals instead of six. This was the fifth time this season the Lions have allowed an opponent to score four or more goals. They only did that three times in each of last two seasons, and in neither season did they allow six in a single match, which they have now done twice this season. It is unacceptable, and changes need to happen.

That is what I saw in the disappointing but predictable loss to FC Cincinnati. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 6-2 as Leaky Lions Suffer Another Heavy Road Loss

Martin Ojeda provided an early lead but Evander tallied five goal contributions as the Lions were embarrassed on the road again.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 23, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey dribbling up the side past two FC Cincinnati defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a disastrous start to the season, Orlando City entered tonight’s match at FC Cincinnati looking to enter the World Cup break with only one loss in the past six games. However, the Lions also had only won one away game all season. This wasn’t the game for them to get another one as Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati (5-5-5, 20 points) at TQL Stadium.

Thus, the Lions end the first part of the season as they started it.

Evander scored twice and assisted on three other goals to lead the rout, despite Martin Ojeda giving Orlando City the early lead in the first half and tying the game at 2-2 shortly after halftime. After the second of those goals, it was all FC Cincinnati, ripping apart a passive midfield and back line. Kenji Mboma Dem added a brace for the hosts and Kevin Denkey and Tom Barlow also scored.

“The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “They have talented players and take advantage of the mistakes we made. One thing everybody can be sure is that we gave everything on the field, maybe making some mistakes, but we gave everything.”

Perelman switched very little from the side that played four days ago in Orlando in the U.S. Open Cup match against Atlanta United, and one of the few changes was to start Maxime Crepeau in goal, after starting Javier Otero on Tuesday, behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda manned the middle inside of wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, as Marco Pasalic started the game on the bench ahead of his World Cup journey with Croatia. Justin Ellis and Martin Ojeda led the attack up front. That means most of the starting XI was playing its third game in seven days and it looked like it after an energetic opening 15 or 20 minutes.

Orlando City came out in a high press and was able to keep the ball trapped in the Cincinnati end for the first four minutes, winning a pair of free kicks, including one from 30 yards out in the fifth minute. Martin Ojeda tried to find some on the far post but overhit it. However, just one minute later, Tiago poked the ball away from Samuel Gidi, right to Martin Ojeda in the box, which he put in the back of the net. However, Ojeda was offside when Tiago poked the ball to him, nullifying what would have been the opener.

Once Cincinnati was able to survive that initial onslaught, the hosts were able to possess the ball a bit more in the midfield. Some of the passing was loose enough to entice the Lions to challenge aggressively and Marin went into a challenge on Kenji Mboma Dem awkwardly and picked up a yellow card in the 10th minute.

Orlando City’s pressure kept unsettling Cincinnati and in the 13th minute Dorsey crossed the ball into the box. Former Lion Kyle Smith got to it first to cut it off, but he took a heavy touch. That enabled Tiago to close him down and slip in between Smith and the ball. Smith caught Tiago’s leg, tripping the Brazilian in the box and handing his old team a penalty kick.

Martin Ojeda took the penalty kick and stutter-stepped enough to force goalkeeper Roman Celentano to move, and then he calmly slotted it down the middle, scoring his 10th goal of the MLS season and giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.

The teams exchanged possession for the next six minutes, and Orlando became less aggressive on the press after scoring the first goal. At the 24-minute mark, Bryan Ramirez was sent free on a long ball down the left side and put a great cross into Denkey to put him behind the defense, but Marin slid in at the last minute and knocked the ball out for a corner. FC Cincinnati piled on the pressure over the next six minutes, totaling six different attempts with an expected goal value of just 0.8. Orlando City could not possess the ball for any amount of time with FC Cincinnati starting to press higher, but the Lions withstood the pressure.

In the 32nd, Atuesta suffered a nasty tackle from behind, earning Gerardo Valenzuela a yellow card. The Lions got a bit better at possessing the ball but still had to defend more than they would like. It led to the eventual tying goal in the 42nd minute when an Evander corner found Mboma Dem, who beat Brekalo in the air and put arc on the header, sending it just inside the far post out of Crepeau’s reach. The placement couldn’t have been more perfect for Cincinnati.

Orlando City appeared like the team that had a game Tuesday playing against a fully-rested team. The Lions couldn’t possess for long stretches and kept giving away opportunities. In the second minute of first-half injury time, Martin Ojeda was slow reacting to an underhit Jansson pass, allowing Pavel Bucha to intercept it and start a counterattack. He switched field to an open Evander, who slotted it home at the far post.

Losing the lead seemed to get Orlando City focused a little more for the final few minutes, earning the team a corner, but it was deflected out on the recycle and halftime was called instead of giving the Lions a second set piece. As befits a half that saw Orlando City jump out with force but then lose energy, the Lions trailed in all stats as well. FC Cincinnati led in shots (13-6), shots on target (6-1), possession (53%-47%), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (90.9%-82.#%). With such a disparity in statistics, Orlando City was lucky to only be down one entering halftime despite a strong start.

Tyrese Spicer came on for Tiago at the break and Orlando City came out on the front foot again. The Lions kept Cincinnati trapped in their end and, one minute in, Atuesta intercepted a ball and was pulled back by Matt Miazga at the top of the box. Martin Ojeda took the ensuing free kick and placed it perfectly over the wall and into the top corner to even the game in the 48th minute. Ojeda’s 11th of the year in just 15 games puts him just five behind his MLS total of 16 in 33 games a year ago.

The fireworks were just beginning. Cincinnati pushed possession into the Orlando half and Mboma Dem got his head on another Evander corner but hit the crossbar. The rebound fell to Miazga, who couldn’t get enough on it to push it past Crepeau, who deflected it wide. However, just two minutes later, Evander found Mboma Dem in the box and the forward finished it cleanly to pick up his brace, restoring Cincinnati’s lead in the 52nd minute.

Orlando City tried to push fresh legs on in the 57th minute, subbing in Marco Pasalic for Ellis, who had a moment or two of interest but was not his best self. One minute later, the midfield let Evander carry the ball 30 yards forward, so he took them up on their offer and cracked one home from the top of the box in the 58th minute.

The Lions were able to re-establish their share of possession over the next eight minutes, leading to a series of corners that didn’t turn into anything dangerous. Eventually, Cincinnati was able to break through for a spell and Brekalo stepped up strongly on an Evander advance after a turnover by Pasalic and picked up a yellow card for his tactical foul in the 70th minute.

After Evander missed the following free kick, Orlando City subbed in Duncan McGuire for Marin and Wilder Cartagena for Dorsey. Two minutes later, FC Cincinnati brought in Brian Anunga for Obinna Nwobodo.

The subs didn’t bring any additional energy for Orlando City as, in the 77th minute, Evander dribbled in front from the left past multiple Lions and slipped a ball through the defense to Denkey in the box. Denkey had beaten Cartagena goal-side and pushed it past Crepeau to make the score 5-2 in the 77th minute.

Orlando City was able to apply pressure as Cincinnati seemed content with its allotment of goals and earned a couple of corners that went begging. Cincinnati brought on two more subs in the 83rd minute, pulling out Mboma Dem and Valenzuela for Tom Barlow and Ender Echenique. Atuesta showed a touch of skill one minute later, beating the defenders and hitting the far post with his attempt. Luis Otavio was brought on as Orlando City’s final sub in the 85th minute for Braian Ojeda.

Orlando City was able to apply a little more pressure as regulation time wore down, with Spicer getting a header blocked and Angulo getting his shot in the 90th minute saved. It eventually wore down though as, one minute later, Echenique chipped a pass to his sub mate Barlow, left unmarked by Brekalo and Otavio, and the forward was able to volley it home in the first minute of stoppage time.

Pasalic added one final moment of excitement as his left foot cannon unleashed a shot at the far post that Celentano was just able to tip wide. That was it for the game and the Lions now have some questions to answer regarding everything about the team and what it will look like when Antoine Griezmann joins the club after the break. An attack that is already decent will get better, but there are clearly some issues with the defense.

“It’s a bad mood in the dressing room, because we started the game really good,” Pasalic said. “We conceded a lot of goals this season but I cannot blame the defense. If you start to blame each other, it’s not good and you’re not going to end good.”

Orlando City was able to finish ahead in one statistic with the late push by leading in corners (8-6). FC Cincinnati again led all the rest: shots (23-20), shots on target (11-9), possession (57%-43%), and passing accuracy (89.8%-83.5%).

Orlando City now will be off until late July for the MLS World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 22 at the San Jose Earthquakes.

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