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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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Orlando City won its first game of the 2021 MLS season after a dominant 3-0 win over FC Cincinnati. Tesho Akindele scored within the first minute of the game and Nani doubled the Lions’ lead with perhaps his best goal yet for Orlando. Junior Urso scored in the second half to put the game on ice as the Lions secured their second clean sheet at home.

Let’s look at how each individual Lion performed in this game and who earned the title of Man of the Match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — El Pulpo didn’t have much to do in this one as Cincy’s best chances of the night were either blocked shots, missed headers from open looks on set pieces, or called offside. He didn’t record a save, but he did get his fingertips on an attempted chipped shot that was waved off for offside. Gallese was as comfortable as ever with the ball, with 27 touches and completing 18 of his 22 passes in his second clean sheet in three outings this year.

D, Ruan, 6 — The right back actually led the team with four key passes and all three of his crosses were accurate. He was much better creating chances in this game compared to last week, but there is still some improvement needed in that part of his game as he had an opportunity in the 72nd minute with other Lions in the box but couldn’t make anything of it. Still, Ruan’s work on offense with Chris Mueller is like clockwork at this point and he did well forcing defenders to deal with him. He had 51 touches, two interceptions, a tackle, one shot (on target) and completed 31 of his 39 passes for a 79% passing rate.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Carlos was as solid as always, limiting Cincinnati’s opportunities throughout the match. His biggest moment came in the 46th minute when Cincy was on the counter. Carlos got in good position to cut off Ronald Matarrita’s passing lanes and then deflected the ensuing shot that would’ve given Gallese trouble. The center back had two interceptions, a clearance, and got his head on a corner kick but sent the shot high. The Brazilian also did well building play out of the back, with 64 touches and he attempted 57 passes at a 91% success rate.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — The Argentine center back continues to impress as a starter, making smart and strong tackles to end Cincy’s counter attempts. Schlegel used his head almost as much as his feet, leading the team with two aerial duel wins and recording a shot with a header directed right at Cincinnati goalkeeper Przymeslaw Tyton. Although he had no tackles, he had an interception, blocked a shot, and led the team with four clearances. He made 41 passes with a great 95% completion rate and had 49 touches in another solid start while Robin Jansson recovers.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Still filling in at left back for the recovering João Moutinho, Smith had a decent outing. Defensively, he did well snuffing out Cincy’s chances, logging two tackles, an interception, and two clearances. However, there were a few mistakes as well as he turned the ball over in dangerous positions on occasion. On offense, Smith’s chemistry with Nani led to good chances for the Lions and Smith seems to be getting more and more comfortable crashing the box. Playing all 90 minutes, he finished with 69 touches and 48 total passes, both of which were third best on the team. Of those 48 passes, 42 found found their target for a decent 88% passing rate and one was a key pass. He attempted two crosses, completing one.

MF, Junior Urso, 7 — Although he missed an early header, Urso ended up scoring Orlando’s third and final goal of the match due to his penchant for being in the right place at the right time. In the 80th minute, the Bear got on the end of the ball right in front of goal to send it into the bottom left corner for his fourth goal as a Lion. Urso benefitted greatly from Cincinnati practically surrendering the midfield and he had a decent 88% passing rate from 34 passes. Defensively, he led the team with three interceptions and had two tackles. He had two shots, 45 touches, and committed a team-high three fouls within the first 10 minutes of the game.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 7 — Orlando City’s engine was at full steam in this match, leading the team in touches (85), passes (71), and tackles (three). He also had two dribbles in the match, tying Nani for most on the team, and his passing rate was a superb 94% as Mendez was given free reign in the midfield. He also had two interceptions, two clearances, and a yellow card after a miscued tackle. Mendez also had some work on offense, finishing with two shots from distance, a key pass, and an unsuccessful cross.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6.5 — Mueller notched his second assist of the season, finding Nani before the captain’s golazo. He was certainly hunting for his first goal of 2021, although three of his four shots were off target. His best chance to score came at the start of the second half when Nani found him open in the box, but his shot was deflected by a sliding Matarrita. While he didn’t score, Mueller’s assist was one of three key passes and he was successful on three of his five crosses. He also had a 90% passing rate from 21 total passes. Mueller had 37 touches in the match and a yellow card for a professional foul to make sure Cincinnati couldn’t capitalize on a counter.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — It took some time for Pereyra to get going in his return to play after serving a two-game suspension. He had a chance to score in the 32nd minute after Nani snuck a pass to him in the box, but was tackled before he could shoot and stayed down after being stepped on. It ended up not being much to worry about and he carried on, creating more opportunities as the night went on. In the second half, his passes were lethal and reminiscent of those from last year as he found Lions in open space with pinpoint accuracy. Subbed off in the 59th minute, Pereyra finished his first match of the year with a 78% passing rate from 41 total passes, three of which were key passes. He had a corner kick and a cross seconds after it and both were successful although Orlando didn’t score. His one shot was sent into the stands and he had 52 touches.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6.5 — In his 100th MLS start, Akindele found the back of the net just 33 seconds into the match. The Canadian pressured Cincy defender Nick Haggland into an errant pass and then pounced on the loose ball in the box, slotting it home in the bottom right corner for his first goal of the season. After his goal, there was clear hunger and energy to Akindele as he hounded defenders and took chances. He used his large frame to win the ball often and then create opportunities for others with a notable two key passes. He had 24 touches, was accurate on nine of his 12 total passes, and had four shots, his goal being the only one on target.

F, Nani, 7.5 (MotM) — Just a week after his backheel goal, Nani scored another beauty for Orlando’s second goal of the game. At the top of the box, Nani spun and then cut back to send a defender sliding the wrong way for space to shoot. His strike was sublime, the ball sailing past Tyton for Nani’s second this year. The captain was a force all night long, nearly getting another with a header that beat Tyton but hit the woodwork. Nani led the team with six shots, two on target, and had two key passes. He was successful on three of his five crosses and finished with a 76% passing rate on 46 total passes after playing all 90 minutes. For the second consecutive match, Nani is our Man of the Match as Orlando was most dangerous when the ball was at the captain’s feet, which was often considering his 71 touches only trailed Mendez.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (59’), 6.5 — The 20-year-old came on for Pereyra and helped keep Orlando’s offense running smoothly. Although Benji Michel will get credit for the assist on the score sheet for Urso’s goal, Perea’s headed pass in the box was excellent to give Michel a clear chance to score. He was composed and unselfish, with a chance to score his first goal as a Lion but opting to pass in that moment. All in all, it was a nice outing for Perea with 17 passes at a 94% rate and 21 touches.

F, Benji Michel (70’), 6 — Michel got his third assist as a Lion in bizarre fashion as his attempt to score wound up with the ball at Urso’s feet and then in the net. Regardless, he deserves some credit for being in position and drawing Tyton’s attention to give Urso a clear look. He only had nine touches in the game and completed all five of his passes.

D, João Moutinho (84’), N/A — In his first appearance since August, Moutinho was welcomed back with applause. He had nine touches and all nine of his passes were accurate. Hopefully we will see more of him soon.

MF, Joey DeZart (84’), N/A — DeZart only had two touches and completed both of his passes after coming on for Urso. His shift wasn’t long enough to warrant a grade in this one.

MF, Silvester van der Water (84’), N/A — Coming on late with Orlando up 3-0, van der Water played as if the score was reversed. He sprinted after the ball when tracking back on defense to make life even more difficult for a tired Cincinnati side that just wanted to go home. Van der Water completed one of his two passes and had a shot that went just wide.

That’s how I saw the individual performances of the Lions in their first victory of the 2021 season. Let us know what you thought and make sure to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Nani52
Sebas Mendez5
Tesho Akindele4
Junior Urso3
Rodrigo Schlegel1
Other (write in comments)1

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

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

Published

18 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

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

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

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

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

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

Americans in Midweek Action

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

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

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

Transfer Rumor Roundup

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

Free Kicks

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

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

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Orlando City

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

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

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

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

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

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

Starters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Substitutes

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

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

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

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

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

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

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

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

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

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

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

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

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

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

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

Americans Abroad

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

Free Kicks

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

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

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