Orlando City

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

Published

5 years ago

May 23, 2021

Orlando City extended its unbeaten streak to six matches after winning 1-0 over Toronto FC. Tesho Akindele scored in the 12th minute and the defense continued its dominant form despite injuries. Here is how each individual Lion performed in the win, as well as who earned the title of Man of the Match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — The Peruvian goalkeeper secured his fourth clean sheet of the season, already surpassing his total from a shortened 2020 season. It was a busy night for El Pulpo, making five saves throughout the match, including a pair late in stoppage time to put the game on ice. Gallese also had a great save in the first half after a shot was deflected while he was already motioning to his left. In what couldn’t have been more than a second, he readjusted for a kick save to send the ball out of harm’s way. He was beaten by a terrific chipped touch by Yeferson Soteldo in the first half, but his defense was there to keep Toronto from scoring. As usual, Gallese was confident and calm when the game was on the line. He’s our Man of the Match for making difficult saves and standing tall in the game’s biggest moments.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — With neither Ruan nor João Moutinho on the roster as they’re being eased back into things, Smith played at right back. He struggled to deal with Soteldo, who wreaked havoc all night long on Smith’s side of the field. That being said, Smith wasn’t terrible defensively by any means as he led the team with a whopping nine tackles. He also had two interceptions and a clearance. On offense, his one shot was on target but gobbled up by Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono. He had three crosses but none found their target. Smith played every minute of the match with 63 touches, but only had 27 passes at a 78% success rate. Although he didn’t have a key pass, Smith delivered a great ball down the right side to Silvester van der Water in the play that led to Orlando’s goal for a secondary, or “hockey,” assist.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — It was up to Carlos to put out the fires when Soteldo or other attackers came charging into the box. The Brazilian did just that, leading the Lions with six clearances to snuff out Toronto’s chances. Carlos also had a tackle and three interceptions to help ensure Orlando’s clean sheet. He continues to be the target on set pieces and nearly scored on a corner kick but his headed effort went just over the crossbar. That area of his game seems to be improving and is something to watch for moving forward. Carlos finished with 61 touches and completed 83% of his 47 passes to help build out of the back.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — In his first start of the season, Jansson’s biggest moment on defense came in the 32nd minute when he stopped Soteldo’s attempt after the winger got past Carlos and Gallese. With Carlos often drifting over to help Smith, Jansson had to be the backbone of Orlando’s defense and did well in that role. He also pitched in offensively with a key pass in the 67th minute to give Akindele a chance to double Orlando’s lead. In his return to the starting lineup, Jansson had a tackle, two interceptions, two clearances, 60 touches, and 53 passes at an 81% success rate.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — After doing a great job as center back for the first five games this season, Schlegel was moved to left back and continued to impress. He had a tough assignment against former Lion Richie Laryea and was definitely scorched on occasion. In the 71st minute, Jacob Shaffelburg raced around Gallese to shoot from a tough angle and it looked like the ball would trickle into the back of the net. But Schlegel was there to cover for his goalkeeper, running back and getting in position to make a clearance on the goal line. Schlegel finished second on the team in both touches (79) and passes (59 at an 80% rate). Defensively, he had a tackles three interceptions, and a clearance. Schlegel showed his versatility by moving to left back and preventing Laryea from abusing the right wing.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6.5 — The Ecuadorian midfielder had another great outing in his sixth-straight start this season. Mendez went the distance yet again, playing every minute and leading the Lions with 86 touches and 65 passes at a great 95% rate. He was a force defensively as well, racking up five tackles, three interceptions, and three clearances as he helped out all over the field. Mendez didn’t have any shots or key passes, but it was still a solid performance.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear may have only had 50 touches in this one, but he put most of them to good use. Urso played all 90 minutes and had one shot that went into the stands, a key pass, three clearances, two interceptions, and blocked shot a shot from Jozy Altidore. It wasn’t his best night as he mostly dueled with Michael Bradley in the midfield, but he did help keep Altidore quiet by clogging up lanes in the midfield. Urso was dispossessed twice and only completed 23 of his 31 passes.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 6.5 — The Dutchman had an assist in his first start as a Lion. After rushing down a great ball by Smith, the winger cut back and then whipped the ball in with his left foot to serve Akindele the ball on a silver platter for his only cross of the match. Van der Water plays with a clear hunger to score goals, leading the team alongside Akindele with three shots, although only one was on target. Using quick bursts of speed to suddenly change direction or chase down the ball, he’s a dynamic player and showed plenty to be excited about in the future. In 58 minutes of action, van der Water had 28 touches, two tackles, a successful dribble, and completed 10 of his 13 passes.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — With Nani suspended, it was up to Pereyra to create chances for the Lions. Pereyra was great at stringing passes together on offense and had two key passes. In the first few minutes of the second half, Carlos found him in open space and in a moment he sent the ball forward to give Akindele a golden opportunity to score that was squandered. But for most of the night, Toronto was all over Pereyra. He was dispossessed three times and had 46 passes at a 76% rate. Neither of his two crosses in open play found their target, but he was successful on two of his five crosses from set pieces. In 87 minutes on the field, Pereyra had 63 touches as he often had to become an outlet for Lions to get out of trouble.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — It was a tough night for Mueller, but mainly because he was dueling with former Lion Richie Laryea for most of it. Although he didn’t have any crosses or shots, Mueller showcased incredible vision on the left side of the pitch and led the team with three key passes. His best was in the 30th minute when he found van der Water in open space, but the shot went right at Bono. Mueller’s biggest issue remains dribbling into trouble as he was only successful on one of his five attempted dribbles. Mueller pitched in on defense with an interception and two clearances, often tracking back to help out. He completed 26 of his 29 passes and had 42 touches in a 70 minute shift.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6.5 — The Canadian scored his second goal of the season, getting his head on the end of van der Water’s cross to give Orlando an early lead. Akindele had another chance at the start of the second half after Pereyra sent him in on goal with only Alex Bono to beat, but his shot went wide. He had a similar opportunity later on, but just couldn’t get enough on his shot as he was closed down from behind at the last second. With Alexandre Pato injured and Daryl Dike on loan, Akindele has been under a bit of a microscope this season. He definitely had opportunities to put the game out of reach, but that shouldn’t overshadow him scoring the game’s only goal and keeping the pressure on Toronto. Akindele finished with three shots (two on target), 31 touches, and 24 passes at a 79% success rate.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (58’), 6 — Coming on for van der Water, Perea did well solidifying the midfield to help Smith on the right side. He had 14 touches, two dribbles, completed eight of his nine passes. He also had a key pass, using his vision to send the ball to Benji Michel in a perfect spot to score. His versatility continues to matter as he’s able to come on and fulfill whatever role is needed of him in the midfield.

F, Benji Michel (69’), 6 — Michel nearly scored in the 84th minute. Perea put the ball in open space for him to run down and he took a great first touch with his chest to then shoot with his left foot. Bono managed to make a good save to keep Michel off the scoresheet, but it was nice seeing him make a familiar impact as a substitute. He had 11 touches and was successful on all six of his passes.

MF, Joey DeZart (85’), N/A — It was another late cameo for DeZart and there wasn’t enough shown in his brief appearance to warrant a grade. Regardless, DeZart did well late in the match to break up plays, including chasing down Ayo Akinola in a dangerous position. Throughout all six minutes of stoppage time, DeZart was there, working hard.

MF, Alexander Alvarado (85’), N/A — It was Alvarado’s first appearance since the season-opener and he was the epitome of fresh legs. The Ecuadorian kept plays alive on the wing, had a clearance on a set piece, and made a crucial block to end the game. With Nani out again next week, it will be interesting to see if he will get more minutes after a decent outing in this one.

That’s how I saw the individual performances of the Lions in this game. Let us know what you thought about the players and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Pedro Gallese	62
Antonio Carlos	10
Robin Jansson	5
SIlvester van der Water	22
Rodrigo Schlegel	2
Sebas Mendez	7
Other	2

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Orlando City

Inside the Numbers: Goal Scoring and Shot Creation for Orlando City, OCB, and the Pride

A comparison among all three Orlando teams on where their goals and chance creation have come from.

Published

1 hour ago

July 16, 2026

S. Andrew DeSalvo

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Starting next week, all three Orlando teams will be back in season. After playing the most games (15) going into the World Cup break, Orlando City will return having played fewer games than both the Pride (will be at 16 games) and Orlando City B (will be at 19 games). MLS NEXT Pro channeled, fittingly, its inner Junior Senior and said we “won’t stop (won’t stop) won’t stop the beat” and kept playing through the break, hence OCB’s large lead in games played. The Pride returned two weeks ago, and are in the midst of a two-game week to vault them past Orlando City as well.

As of the writing of this article Orlando City had played 15 games, the Pride 14, and OCB 18, and with all teams coming back into action this felt like a good time to have a good time by talking about the most fun part of soccer — creating chances and scoring goals. Goalkeepers might disagree with that statement, but they can take inspiration by what they see when they look left and right on the goal line and pipe down.

The three charts below show every player who has scored at least one goal for any of the three Orlando teams thus far this season, using FotMob’s data for “chances created.” Chances created is FotMob’s category name for the stat also known as key passes (the MLS and MLS NEXT Pro websites track these pretty well, the NWSL’s website not so much), which are classified as the final pass that happened before a player takes a shot.

We’ll start with the Pride, using data through their game against Kansas City on July 10:

Player	Minutes	Goals	Goal Share	Chances Created*
Barbra Banda	1,017	12	57%	1.59
Haley McCutcheon	1,260	2	10%	1.29
Hannah Anderson	545	2	10%	0.17
Marta	346	2	10%	1.30
Cori Dyke	1,244	1	5%	0.14
Jacquie Ovalle	520	1	5%	2.25
Nicole Payne	249	1	5%	0.72

*per 90 minutes

Barbra Banda’s production continues to be prodigious. She is currently the only player in league history to play more than 1,000 minutes in a season and average more than one goal per 90 minutes (1.06). Her 12 goals accounts for nearly three out of every five scored by the Pride, and she is the only player in the league with a goal share higher than 50%, which says just as much about the rest of the Pride’s offense as it does Banda. Center back Hannah Anderson ranking in a tie for second among goal scorers is also a little concerning.

On the flip side of that concern, however, is a reminder that Marta and Jacquie Ovalle have not even played a combined 900 minutes. When they play, they create shots — in particular Ovalle, who is in the top 10 in the league in chances created per 90 minutes — and Pride fans can continue to imagine what it would be like to see a front line of Banda, Ovalle, and Marta, and to see how they would all create shots and goals for one another.

Moving from one team with a dominant primary scorer to another, Orlando City is up next:

Player	Minutes	Goals	Goal Share	Chances Created*
Martín Ojeda	1,313	11	48%	1.58
Griffin Dorsey	951	2	9%	0.85
Marco Pašalić	642	2	9%	0.70
Duncan McGuire	481	2	9%	1.12
Tyrese Spicer	440	2	9%	1.43
Tiago	584	1	4%	0.46
Justin Ellis	534	1	4%	1.69
Luis Otávio	417	1	4%	0.22
Ignacio Gómez	14	1	4%	0.00

*per 90 minutes

Martín Ojeda’s 48% goal share (it’s actually 47.8%, but I rounded all the goal shares to two digits, which is why that column does not appear to sum to 100%; you can breathe a sigh of relief, the math maths) ranks him just behind the 48.1% of Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers, and those two players are the only two players above 45% in MLS. Orlando City’s pattern looks remarkably similar to the Pride’s, with one player scoring most of the goals and everyone else at two or one. The arrival of Antoine Griezmann and the rumored return of Daryl Dike could, and probably should, change that, but we know that Duncan McGuire will not score any more goals for the Lions and Marco Pašalić is also rumored to be moving on as well, so it likely will be someone else who steps up.

Please someone step up.

When it comes to creating shots, Orlando City does not have a go-to player like Ovalle, but both Justin Ellis and Ojeda are in the top 40 in the league. As will be seen below, Ellis is already an elite creator when playing against players his own age, and in a decent sample of minutes, he has shown he has the talent to compete at the MLS level. The next few weeks will reveal a lot about his ability to continue to contribute, as teams have now had the chance to watch him play in MLS and will have him in their game plans once the season resumes. I think he will continue to excel, especially since in recent weeks he has had a chance to play alongside and learn from Griezmann.

Speaking of Griezmann, Orlando City’s newest Lion created 1.90 chances per 90 minutes in La Liga and 1.86 during Champions League play this past season, so I think it is a safe assumption that Griezmann will immediately create chances at a high level once the season resumes. The big question will be if someone will step up to complement Ojeda as a second scorer. Again, I beg someone to do so.

And now for OCB, a team with plenty of players who have stepped up:

Player	Minutes	Goals	Goal Share	Chances Created*
Pedro Leão	1,195	7	19%	1.51
Harvey Sarajian	1,118	5	14%	2.01
Gustavo Caraballo	895	4	11%	2.41
Justin Ellis	356	3	8%	3.03
Justin Hylton	398	3	8%	1.13
Matthew Belgodere	847	3	8%	2.13
Issah Haruna	1,171	3	8%	1.54
Bernardo Rhein	1,428	2	5%	1.58
Ignacio Gómez	902	2	5%	0.50
Nicolas Lasheras	259	1	3%	0.35
Zakaria Taifi	254	1	3%	0.35
Jacob Ramírez	218	1	3%	0.83
Caleb Trombino	316	1	3%	1.14
Dylan Judelson	1,030	1	3%	0.61

*per 90 minutes

The Young Lions do not have a single scorer dominating the chart like the other two Orlando teams, but unlike their fellow teams, they have an abundance of players who have scored more than twice this season. Seven different players have scored three or more times and 14 players have scored at least once. As a team, OCB ranks fourth in the league in goals scored per game. No player accounts for more than 20% of the team’s goals, making OCB difficult to defend.

Another reason the Young Lions are difficult to defend is that so many players are constantly looking to set up their teammates for shots and are skilled enough to be able to do so. Four attacking players have created more than two chances per 90 minutes, including the aforementioned Ellis, during his early season games with OCB, and defender Bernardo Rhein creates more shots than almost everyone on Orlando City and the Pride.

The diversity of OCB’s attack, especially as compared to the senior Lions and the Pride, is on display in the chart below, which shows all of the players who have scored at least one goal in league play and their associated chances created per 90 minutes values. OCB’s players are in yellow, Orlando City’s in purple, and the Pride’s in light blue.

Chart showing Orlando City, Pride, and OCB players' goals scored vs. chances created per 90 minutes in league play.

It may be subjective whether you think Florida sits on the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America, but there is also a gulf in Orlando and that is between Banda and Ojeda and the rest of their teammates.

Hopefully, by the time the regular seasons wrap up for all three teams, the gulf is more like a cove, or better yet a stream, as additional scorers have emerged like hot springs for the Lions and the Pride. OCB will be fine if it continues to flood the field with all of its attacking talent. It is the senior teams that need to look deep inside the well to find some additional scorers.

By this time next week, all three seasons will be going again, and with the games coming fast and furious in July and August, we will rapidly see if the second part of the season will look like more of the same, or if that World Cup break will lead to a sea change as the season continues.

Vamos Orlando!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/16/26

Orlando City wins friendly, Orlando Pride beaten at home, MLS season returns tonight, and much more.

Published

7 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Marcus Mitchell

Image of Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal during Orlando City's 2-1 friendly win at FC Dallas.

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

How’s it going, Mane Landers? For those of us in Florida, it looks like some storms could be heading our way this week. While that can be a bit annoying if you have outdoor plans, hopefully it will make some of this oppressive heat a bit more bearable. Both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B are on the road on Saturday, so we may get to dodge some dreaded weather delays as well. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Wins Friendly at FC Dallas

The Lions went to Texas for a friendly against FC Dallas and won 2-1 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium — home of North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS NEXT Pro side. Antoine Griezmann seems to be settling in nicely with the club, scoring yet again in this friendly after doing so a week ago against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Martin Ojeda also got on the scoresheet in the first half and you can check out both finishes below.

A COOL FINISH FROM @AntoGriezmann 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/DkAH2t27q4
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) July 16, 2026

T1NCH0 🪄 pic.twitter.com/jEv8O8YXsL
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) July 16, 2026

While I don’t put too much stock in friendlies, it sure does feel better to be on the winning side of them. This was the final tune-up for Orlando before the Lions hit the road for a match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday in their first league game since May.

Orlando Pride Shut Out At Home

The Orlando Pride hosted the Boston Legacy and weren’t able to get a result in a 1-0 loss at Inter&Co Stadium. Barbara Olivieri scored the game’s only goal in the 17th minute to give Boston the lead. Orlando had its chances to equalize but couldn’t manage to put together a finished product in the end. This was Orlando’s third loss to an expansion side this season (0-3-1) as the Pride picked up only one point out of 12 in four matches against Boston and Denver. It’s been a season of inconsistency for the Pride, but hopefully that means they’ll come back stronger in Saturday’s road match against the Utah Royals.

MLS Season Returns Tonight

MLS is back! While the Lions aren’t in action until Wednesday, the season resumes tonight with an exciting slate of games. Many eyes will be on the match between the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps, as it could include Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut. While it’s a brand new team and league for the forward, he’d be going up against a familiar face in former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Muller, who has helped Vancouver climb to the top of the Western Conference. Other intriguing matchups tonight include a Canadian clash between CF Montreal and Toronto FC and a rivalry game between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. On Friday, Nashville will host Atlanta United before the LA Galaxy and LAFC square off in the latest edition of El Trafico.

Argentina Will Face Spain in World Cup Final

Argentina orchestrated yet another dramatic victory this World Cup, beating England 2-1 to advance to the World Cup final to face Spain. After a scoreless first half, Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute with his first goal of the tournament. England shifted gears and parked the bus to defend its lead, but Enzo Fernandez scored an equalizer in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina its winner in stoppage time. Lionel Messi assisted on both goals, and Argentina is now just one game away from winning its second consecutive World Cup. Sunday’s final should be a great match pitting Argentina’s potent offense up against a Spanish defense that has only conceded once all tournament.

Free Kicks

Former Lion Alex Freeman was noted as one of many players whose stock likely went up due to their World Cup performance. Hopefully, a solid summer translates to more playing time with Villarreal and an eventual transfer for Orlando City to benefit from due to the sell-on percentage.
Duncan McGuire wasted no time scoring for his new team, putting the ball in the back of the net early on in the Houston Dynamo’s 2-1 friendly win against America de Cali.

23 making it look easy 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zioKkZ7U6w
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) July 16, 2026

The Galaxy added Finnish forward Robert Taylor as a free agent, signing him to a contract through the end of the year with an option for all of 2027 as well.
The Philadelphia Union are reportedly finalizing the return of Kai Wagner, who only just left the Union for Birmingham City in January.

🇩🇪 Sources: The Philadelphia Union is finalizing a deal to sign left back Kai Wagner from Birmingham City, as @thegoalkeeper first reported.

Shock return for Wagner, the club's all-time assists leader.

Wagner, 29, started all 16 matches he was available for with Birmingham. pic.twitter.com/OIH1f00yPK
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 15, 2026

The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Australian forward Luka Jovanovic, who scored 11 goals last season for Adelaide United.

Enjoy this comprehensive list of United States Men’s National Team head coach candidates should Mauricio Pochettino find a new gig.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/15/26

Daryl Dike’s potential return, Orlando Pride prepare for Boston, World Cup news, and more.

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

David Rohe

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Oh boy, do we have some news for you today. Between the Orlando Pride match tonight, the World Cup this afternoon, and some potential big signings, we have a lot to get to. We also want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B goalkeeper Tristan Himes. Now, let’s get to the links.

The Return of Dike(?)

Forget “It’s coming home,” rather he’s coming home! Per Tom Bogert, Daryl Dike is set to return to Orlando City after his multi-year stint with West Bromwich Albion. Dike had a rough go of it in England, mainly due to injuries he sustained. I figure he just needs some Florida sunshine and the team at Orlando Health to help find the form that made him a terror to Orlando City’s opponents.

🟣🇺🇸 BREAKING: Orlando City is finalizing a deal to sign forward Daryl Dike, bringing the American back to the club he broke out with, per sources

Dike left West Brom this summer. He joined West Brom from Orlando for a deal worth around $9.5 million https://t.co/wmm4i08ojA
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 14, 2026

It also seems that the departure of Marco Pasalic is not a done deal. There has not been an official bid as of yet, and if Orlando City’s valuation isn’t met, then he may be staying. If he stays, he bolsters the attack. If not, well that’s what Dike is coming back to do and it would supply the Lions with plenty of coin to bolster the roster.

Orlando Pride Set for Boston Legacy

The Orlando Pride host expansion side Boston Legacy FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The Pride will look to avenge a 2-1 loss earlier this season in Boston. After defeating the Kansas City Current over the weekend, Seb Hines’ squad will want to keep the home winning streak going. This may be Barbra Banda’s last match before heading out for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament later this month, so take the opportunity to head to the match if you are in the Orlando area.

World Cup News

France was unable to keep things going as Spain defeated Les Bleus 2-0 on Bastille Day. La Roja now wait to see whether Argentina or England will be the opponent in the final. As they have done so many times this World Cup, the Spanish did not allow a goal and did enough offensively to advance. Lamine Yamal earned a penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home to give Spain a lead in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro added another in the second half and France was unable to muster any magic.

Later today, England and Argentina square off to see which team will play the Spaniards. The amount of history between these teams at World Cups is enough to make most watch the match. I think the bigger question is which team does Gianni Infantino want to win, and will we see the same shenanigans we’ve seen in previous matches featuring these two teams? Don’t worry, England. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

🚨🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚:

The semi-final between England and Argentina will be officiated by MLS referee Ismael Elfath.

Since Messi joined Inter Miami, they have a 100% win record under him and also won the Leagues Cup final. 😳

England have been robbed even before the game has… pic.twitter.com/O60pAhIwCM
— The Touchmine | 𝐓 (@TouchmineX) July 14, 2026

USMNT Reflections

There’s been a bit of space and time for all of us to process the USMNT’s performance at the World Cup and it isn’t all doom and gloom. None other than Carli Lloyd said that despite the way it ended, it was a successful outing for the U.S. Matt Freese is trying to see the positives even though he made a costly mistake that gave up a goal to Belgium. Folarin Balogun said what I was thinking in that a certain phone call about his red card did affect the USMNT’s nerves heading into the match against Belgium. Lastly, the future could be bright thanks to these five USMNT prospects.

Free Kicks

Atlanta United has signed Chilean defender Paulo Diaz on a free transfer. I didn’t realize a team could improve the defense with signings.

As I alluded to above, Ismail Elfath will lead an all-U.S. Soccer referee crew for the match between Argentina and England. I’m curious to see how it plays out.
If you want to watch the Bundesliga, you may need to get another streaming service as the U.S. rights are moving from ESPN to USA Network & Fandango.

⚽️🇩🇪📺🎟️NEWS: Germany's Bundesliga's US rights are moving from ESPN to USA Network & Fandango, The Athletic has learned.

What are the financials and the changing landscape of live sports rights. (w/@SebSB)https://t.co/OuZf3BHX9b
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 14, 2026

Charlotte FC is ending the practice of charging Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) in an effort to stem declining attendance and slower ticket sales. I’m glad that was an experiment that failed in MLS even if it is standard in other American professional sports.
The New England Revolution have signed 18-year-old Peyton Miller to a contract extension through the 2028-2029 season.
Former Orlando City B defender Nabi Kibunguchy has signed with USL Championship side Indy Eleven. We wish him luck with his new team.

That will do it for today. Check back later for our coverage of the Orlando Pride’s match against Boston Legacy FC. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for updates. Vamos Orlando!