Orlando City
Orlando City at Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City returns from Canada with a point after a tough 1-1 draw with Toronto FC. Despite the week of rest, the Lions struggled to get much going but managed to hang in there and grind out a result to avoid a third straight loss. While it’s disappointing that Orlando hasn’t won a game this July, the team deserves some credit for battling back after falling behind late in the match.
Let’s dive right into how each of your favorite Lions rated in this road match.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — It was nice to have Gallese back between the sticks. The Peruvian goalkeeper looked as calm as ever in his return after the Copa America, making two saves. On Toronto’s goal, Gallese had a good read on where Jozy Altidore was going to place his header but couldn’t react in time to stop the powerful header from point-blank range. He was accurate on 90% of his passes, with two of his three long balls finding their mark.
D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — Maybe the best news from Moutinho’s performance is that he played all 90 minutes. Given his injury history and Oscar Pareja’s efforts to ease Moutinho back into the swing of things, it was a great sign to see him go the distance on the road. He also turned in a great performance, leading the team with 86 touches and 74 passes. Of those, 82% were successful, which is pretty good considering the distance of some of his attempts. He was left out to dry on Toronto’s goal and was unable to best Altidore in an aerial duel in front of goal. Defensively, Moutinho just had an interception. On offense, he had no shots or crosses.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was caught in a bad position by a great cross from Justin Morrow that went right over his head for Altidore to head it home, but could have done more to help Moutinho with the big striker on that play. As one of the only Lions on the field capable of beating Altidore in the air, Jansson needed to be a bit more aware of the danger. The Beefy Swede responded perfectly just a minute later though, sending a long ball deep that Toronto defender Auro Jr. couldn’t cleanly deal with. The ball was dangerous enough with Benji Michel hustling after it that Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono committed a penalty trying to snuff it out. Defensively, Jansson made two interceptions and won two of his three defensive aerial duels. He ended the game with 47 touches and completed 86% of his 43 passing attempts.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — With Antonio Carlos still out, Schlegel stepped in as center back and made two clearances and a tackle. Although he only had 44 touches and 38 passes, he was successful on 89% of those passing attempts, including a key pass as Orlando tried to create opportunities with long balls downfield. He didn’t have any shots or make much of an impact on set pieces. While he was defensively sound, he did pick up a yellow card and committed a team-high five fouls, including two in dangerous areas for the opposition.
D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 (MotM) — Playing at right back, Smith did a great job defending Designated Player Yeferson Soteldo, who was the most dangerous player on the pitch. The two dueled throughout the match and Soteldo certainly got the better of him on occasion with some fancy footwork, but Smith put a stop to many plays that could’ve ended up causing trouble. On Toronto’s goal, he made a good effort to stop Morrow’s cross but was a step behind due to Soteldo’s presence. Still, Smith led the team with four tackles and had a clearance as he put out fires on his preferred right side of defense. Offensively, Smith sent one of his two shots into orbit and the other went straight at Bono for an easy save. He was only successful on two of his five crosses, but he did lead the team with two key passes. It was certainly a busy night for Smith as he had 72 touches and was accurate on 75% of 48 passes. After a rough time last week against the Chicago Fire, Smith rebounded with a good performance and stopped Toronto’s best player from running rampant.
MF, Junior Urso, 4.5 — It was a rough night for Urso. Although he completed 83% of his 41 passes, he was dispossessed a team-high three times and was only successful on two of his four attempted dribbles. While he had 55 touches, Urso also had no shots, key passes, or crosses. The midfielder spent a majority of the match chasing down Soteldo and Alejandro Pozuelo and finished the game with a tackle and two clearances. Urso has started every game this season and the schedule is only going to get more congested in the coming weeks.
MF, Sebas Mendez, N/A — The Ecuadorian was forced off in the 14th minute due to an ankle injury. Smith accidentally stepped on Mendez’ ankle when both of them went for the ball. Mendez had to be helped off the field and was unable to put any weight on that right foot. Hopefully the injury doesn’t end up being too serious. In a short shift, Mendez finished with nine touches, a tackle, a clearance, and was accurate on five of his seven passes (71%).
MF, Benji Michel, 6 — The Homegrown Player was bullied off the ball by Toronto’s defense during most of the game, but did find success when using his speed to beat defenders. In the 73rd minute, Michel turned on the jets to chase down a long ball into the box. Before Michel could make a play on the ball, Bono slammed into him and the referee awarded a penalty after checking with the Video Assistant Referee and reviewing the play on the monitor. Michel didn’t have any shots or key passes in the match and only had 25 touches, but he influenced the game nonetheless. He was successful on 79% of his 14 passes and didn’t attempt any crosses.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — The Uruguayan pulled the strings on offense in a midfield that was crowded by Toronto players all game long. Pereyra had one key pass in the match, sending a nice, low ball to Nani right in front of goal, but the ensuing shot was deflected. In 81 minutes of action, Pereyra had 68 touches, two tackles, a clearance, and completed an impressive 88% of his 60 passes. It wasn’t his best game by any stretch, but he did a decent job hustling on defense and finding open players.
MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain has now scored in four of his last five starts. His goal against Toronto came from a penalty that wound up in the back of the net despite Bono getting a hand to it. Had it been stopped, it would have been retaken, as Bono was well off his line. Nani led the team with six shots, putting three of them on target. Toronto really didn’t give Nani much room to breathe and he was dispossessed twice, caught offside twice, and only successful on one of his four attempted dribbles. On offense he led the team with six shots, putting three of them on target, and made a key pass. None of his four crosses ended up finding their target and he finished with 34 passes at an 85% passing rate. Defensively, Nani had a tackle, an interception, and a clearance.
F, Tesho Akindele, 4.5 — While Akindele did well winning the ball up field and in hold-up play, he wasn’t much of a threat offensively. The Canadian striker had no shots or key passes and was substituted off at halftime. He had 16 touches and attempted 15 passes at an 80% success rate. With Daryl Dike at the Concacaf Gold Cup and Alexandre Pato still recovering, Akindele needed to be more efficient in this one.
Substitutes
MF, Andres Perea (13’), 6.5 — Brought on in place of Mendez early in the match, Perea did a good job on both sides of the ball. He made a few important defensive plays by intercepting a dangerous pass from Soteldo and later executing a crucial tackle on Soteldo in the box from a tough position without conceding a penalty. Perea nearly stole all three points in the 89th minute but just couldn’t get enough on his header on a tough ball and tougher defending that may have needed some video review. His only other shot in the match was on target, but didn’t give Bono much trouble. Perea was successful on both of his attempted dribbles, was dispossessed twice, and led the team with five interceptions. He made 60 touches and was superb when passing, with 91% of his 43 passes ending up successful.
F, Chris Mueller (45’), 5.5 — Coming on for Akindele at halftime, Mueller brought some needed energy to the team. His hustle nearly resulted in a goal in the 58th minute as he hunted down a loose ball in the midfield. After a series of nice passing with Michel, Mueller had a chance to shoot but Morrow broke up the play and the ball nearly snuck into the goal but hit the post. Mueller cooled off a bit but worked well in the midfield and made a few good runs. Like Akindele, he didn’t take a shot but he did at least make a key pass. Mueller was accurate on 74% of his 23 passes and had 28 touches.
MF, Uri Rosell (80’), N/A — After Orlando’s equalizer, Rosell was brought on to replace Pereyra and helped shift the midfield into a more defensive mindset. He didn’t play enough to earn a grade, but Rosell had two interceptions to help see the game out. The Spaniard had seven touches and completed both of his passes.
MF, Alexander Alvarado (90’), N/A — It was another late cameo for Alvarado, who had no touches, passes, or defensive stats in this one.
MF, Joey DeZart (90’), N/A — Like Alvarado, DeZart came on late to give the team some fresher legs. He committed a foul but it was deep in Toronto’s half after he tried slowing the game down. DeZart was successful on one of his two passes and had three touches.
That’s how I saw things play out in Canada. Make sure to weigh in how you feel about the grades in the comments and to vote for you who you think deserved the title of Man of the Match.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Kyle Smith | 21 |
| Nani | 8 |
| Andres Perea | 2 |
| Pedro Gallese | 4 |
| Other | 1 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 4-1 as Griezmann Leads Lions to Win
Antoine Griezmann scored two goals and assisted on another as the Lions picked up three valuable points at home.
Antoine Griezmann was transcendant scoring two goals and setting up a goal-of-the-year candidate for Martin Ojeda as Orlando City defeated D.C. United 4-1 tonight at Inter.co Stadium. Marco Pasalic added a late insurance goal as the Lions (12-13-5, 41 points) responded well to conceding late in Wednesday’s 3-3 draw at Toronto by avenging their loss earlier in the year to D.C. (7-10-12, 33 points).
Designated Players scored all four goals in the match. It was the first time all three Orlando City DPs scored in the same game since Orlando’s home win over Inter Miami on Aug. 10, 2025 — also a 4-1 victory. Tai Baribo scored from the spot late in the first half for D.C. United’s only goal.
“Today was a tough game,” Orlando City interim coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “We had to to battle, to fight, and play when we could. Fortunately, we won, which is very important at home. And now thinking (about) the next one.”
Perelman started Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Zakaria Taifi, Iago, David Brekalo, and Ivan Angulo. Wilder Cartagena and Luis Otavio started in central midfield between Martin Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta, with Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann up top.
The Lions looked to get into the flow early and created a shot for Ojeda outside the area just 30 seconds in. Ojeda had a good look and hit his shot hard, but it fizzed over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Angulo got an open look on the right from the top of the box but hit it right at D.C. goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
D.C. started to settle into the match a bit after that, beating Iago over the top with a long ball in the seventh minute. Tai Baribo tried to shoot on the half volley but couldn’t direct his shot near the target. A minute later, Crepeau was called on to make a pair of huge saves to deny Joao Peglow from point-blank range and Silvan Hefti’s follow-up from near the top of the box on a play that started with a long throw-in by United. D.C. coudn’t pay off a couple of corner kicks in quick succession, with Kye Rowles sending a header wide on the second.
Orlando won a free kick from long range in the 12th minute and tried something off the training ground but it didn’t come off as Brekalo tried an overhead kick that came off his own arm.
Griezmann put the Lions ahead in the 15th minute, finishing a brilliant team goal that started with Cartagena heading down an aerial ball on a D.C. clearance attempt. Griezmann got there first and knocked it to Dike, who gave it right back to the Frenchman, who sent it toward Ojeda in the middle. Ojeda knocked it right back into Griezmann’s path and he slotted home to make it 1-0 in the 15th minute.
D.C. tried to get right back in the game by attacking immediately and winning a set piece, but Rowles again headed off target in the 19th minute.
If Orlando’s first team goal was beautiful, the second put it to shame. The play started on Orlando City’s attacking right and found Atuesta in the middle. Atuesta picked out Ojeda, who found Taifi near the right corner of the box. Taifi sent it to Griezmann, who sent a first-touch cross into the middle. It was behind Ojeda, so he backheeled it just inside the left post to make it 2-0 in the 22nd minute.
“I think Grizi, Martín, they have a big talent, and they make everybody better,” Perelman said. “So, I think for us it’s about help them, work to support them, and they do what they do because they are top players. My reaction (to Ojeda’s goal) was ‘Que golazo!'”
“”It was a crazy goal,” Pasalic added. “I have to say to Tincho congratulations, it was nice. But yeah, these goals you don’t see every weekend or every game, so I think this is something you have to watch like 100 times, maybe not like 10 times like my goal. (laughs)”
D.C. again tried to come right back down to pull the goal back, moving quickly and winning a corner off an Iago turnover. Moments later, a cross into the area found Baribo, but his header skipped wide.
Otavio picked up a yellow card in the 38th minute and will miss the next game due to accumulation.
The Lions got sloppy down the final stretch of the first half and it was costly. The warning shot came in the 40th minute when Baribo was left alone in front, but he mistimed his volley attempt and missed the ball completely as the cross came in.
Four minutes later, Atuesta blocked a cross but conceded a corner and it threw D.C. a lifeline. Cartagena wrapped up his man as the cross came in and was immediately called for a foul in the box, conceding a D.C. penalty. Baribo took the kick and fired toward the left post. Crepeau guessed correctly and had a shot of stopping it but couldn’t keep it out. He was visibly frustrated with it after the shot.
That was it for the scoring chances in the first half and the Lions took a one-goal edge into halftime.
At the break, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (58.7%-41.3%), and passing accuracy (85.7%-80.4%). D.C. led in shots (10-5) and corners (5-0), with both teams putting three shots on target.
D.C. put the ball in the net moments after the restart but the play was obviously offside. Despite that, there was a lengthy video review before the call was confirmed and play resumed.
Three minutes later, Orlando nearly scored in transition, but Dike hit his shot poorly, sending it wide. Ojeda started the play with a gorgeous curling long ball to send Griezmann down the left. He sent it into the area, where Angulo got a flicked touch that may have thrown Dike off. Regardless, the Lions added a goal seconds later.
Rowles sent a poor ball out of the back straight at Griezmann, who slotted it just inside the right post to make it 3-1 in the 50th minute with his third goal contribution of the night.
United kept coming, and when no one closed down Jackson Hopkins in transition in the 54th minute, he fired from distance but hit his shot badly wide to the right.
Two minutes later, Dike got down the right channel but couldn’t get around his cross attempt and hit it into the outside nettting. The Lions could have put it to bed in the 59th minute when a great Atuesta ball across set up Angulo, but his shot was blocked. The ensuing corner was sent between Iago and Brekalo who came together and sent it wide off one of them.
Griezmann’s best attempt to complete a hat trick came in the 77th minute. Second-half sub Justin Ellis picked out the Frenchman, who inside-outed his shot, which was heading toward the top left corner, but it didn’t have enough power on it to beat Johnson from the top of the area.
United threw numbers into the attack to try to climb back into the game, while Orlando looked dangerous on the counter but struggled to create a clear-cut chance. Angulo was pulled back in transition, leading to Kimito Nono picking up a yellow card. Ojeda was a bit too selfless in the final third and tried to set up a teammate on another opportunity. Ellis got his shirt pulled for a good 10 yards after a D.C. corner in the 81st minute, and just as he released a pass that would have sent sub Braian Ojeda in alone on goal, the referee blew the whistle and booked Hopkins for the foul, despite Orlando having a clear advantage.
United kept creating set pieces in the final minutes, but the Lions continued to defend them. D.C.’s best chance came on a Baribo shot from the top of the area after Joran Gerbet’s clearance attempt hit a D.C. player out top. The striker sent his effort over the crossbar in the third minute of stoppage.
Moments later, Pasalic put the game away. Brekalo knocked the ball forward to Ellis, who sent a great diagonal ball to put the Croatian behind the defense on the left. Pasalic approached the net in the clear and blasted a shot past Johnson and in to make it 4-1 with nearly the last kick of the game.
“I’m happy that the guys did well today, and even happier that I could help the team and did my part when I came in and scored the goal,” Pasalic said. “And I think it’s really important for the team now. It’s a nice feeling.”
At full time, Orlando City held the edge in possession (58.6%-41.4%), passing accuracy (87.7%-83.1%), and shots on target (7-4). D.C. attempted more total shots (16-14) and won more corners (8-1).
“It was important,” Pasalic said about the result. “We saw that we struggled in the last game with the draw, and it was unfortunate that we don’t win the game (Wednesday). And the game before, the Columbus game, was important, so I think every win now is important in this period of time in the qualification for the playoffs. So, I think we can be happy about the three points.”
The Lions have a week to prepare for New York City FC, which visits Orlando a week from tonight.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions find themselves shorthanded at the back again as D.C. United visits in a critical home match for Orlando.
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (11-13-5, 38 points) and D.C. United (7-9-12, 33 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the second of the two scheduled MLS matches this season between the Lions and the Black and Red.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 9-10-3 against D.C. in the all-time league series since the club joined MLS, and 9-10-4 in all competitions. Orlando is 6-4-1 at home in MLS games against D.C. and 3-5-3 away in all competitions against United.
The most recent meeting between the sides took place on D.C. United’s home grounds back on April 25, when the hosts beat the Lions 3-2. Jackson Hopkins’ early goal put D.C. up 1-0 at the break, but Justin Ellis and Tyrese Spicer scored after halftime to put the Lions out front. However, the team’s leaky defense couldn’t hold the advantage, giving up goals to Louis Munteanu and Kye Rowles in the final six minutes of normal time to hand D.C. the win.
The final meeting of last season also took place at Audi Field on Sept. 13, 2025. Hopkins and Alex Freeman exchanged goals on either side of halftime but the Lions could not take advantage of 33 minutes with a man advantage after Lukas MacNaughton was sent off and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The other meeting last season took place in Orlando on March 22. All three of Orlando City’s Designated Players — Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic — scored goals, as did Freeman, and Javier Otero won 4-1 in his first MLS start. However, a MacNaughton goal in stoppage time spoiled Otero’s shutout bid.
Orlando City swept the season series in 2024. The teams met on July 6 in Orlando, with the Lions running roughshod over visiting United in a 5-0 win on the night when Kaká became the first player inducted into the Legends Terrace at Inter&Co Stadium. Ojeda, Robin Jansson, Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, and Ramiro Enrique all got on the scoresheet, with three of those goals coming before United center back Lucas Bartlett was sent off for denying Angulo a goal-scoring opportunity late in the first half.
The Lions visited Audi Field on April 13, 2024. United went ahead twice in the match on goals by Christian Benteke and Gabriel Pirani and led the game late. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson equalized in the first half, and David Brekalo made it 2-2. Duncan McGuire’s well-timed breakaway goal in stoppage time lifted Orlando to a 3-2 road win.
Prior to Orlando’s 2024 sweep, the Black and Red had managed four consecutive results in the series (3-0-1). The last meeting in 2023 took place in Orlando on April 22, 2023, with D.C. scoring twice in the second half to snap a 1-1 deadlock and win, 3-1. Taxiarchis Fountas, Donovan Pines, and Benteke scored for D.C. to more than offset McGuire’s strike.
These teams squared off just a few weeks before that in D.C., splitting the points in a 1-1 draw on March 11. McGuire scored his first MLS goal but Chis Durkin leveled things late in a match that was sandwiched between Orlando City’s two legs of Concacaf Champions League play against Tigres UANL.
D.C. swept the season series in 2022, despite being a terrible team that “won” the league’s Wooden Spoon by no small margin. The meeting in D.C. that year took place July 31 and saw Orlando City dominate the first half but miss multiple chances to put the game away early. The Lions were wasteful, taking only a 1-0 lead into stoppage time thanks to Junior Urso’s first-half goal, only to fall 2-1 on stoppage-time strikes by Durkin and Fountas.
The teams also met on Independence Day at Exploria Stadium that season, with D.C. putting together a performance out of nowhere in a 5-3 road win. Fountas netted his first MLS hat trick and Kimarni Smith and Nigel Robertha added their first goals. Torres, Ercan Kara, and Alexandre Pato scored for Orlando, threatening to bring the Lions back, but Orlando could never get on level terms.
The teams met twice in 2021, including Oct. 2 at Exploria Stadium. Daryl Dike scored deep in stoppage to lift the Lions to a 2-1 home victory. Jansson scored a first-half goal off a corner kick scramble to offset an early Julian Gressel strike. The first match of 2021 took place on May 16 in D.C., with the Lions winning 1-0 on an early Mauricio Pereyra goal. That win snapped United’s 3-0-1 streak in the series in league play and 3-0-2 in all competitions dating back to City’s previous most recent win over D.C. back in 2017.
The teams did not meet in what was an odd 2020 season.
D.C. United swept the season series in 2019, winning 1-0 at Audi Field back on June 26, 2019. Wayne Rooney’s wondergoal from his own half of the pitch caught Brian Rowe napping. The Lions fell 2-1 at home on March 31, 2019, with set pieces ruining the night for Orlando. You might recall the controversy that surrounded the winning goal, with then-coach James O’Connor visibly upset after the match. Steve Birnbaum scored the first on a set piece and Rooney scored the second on a free kick that he took from wherever the hell he wanted rather than where the foul occurred. Frederic Brillant bulldozed Rowe on the play as the ball sailed into the net.
D.C. was 1-0-2 in three total meetings (two in league play) in 2018. Orlando swept the two league meetings in 2017, the teams split two lopsided games in 2016 — with each team winning at home — and the Black and Red went 2-1-0 in the first three meetings back in 2015.
Overview
Orlando City is coming off a disappointing 3-3 road draw at Toronto FC on Wednesday. A win was moments away after the Lions came back from two deficits on goals by Martin Ojeda (from the spot) and Antoine Griezmann, and a late goal by Dike seemed like it might lift the Lions to a rare road win. However, Orlando conceded late, as it has done so many times, allowing Matheus Pereira an easy rebound goal on the cusp of stoppage time. It was a costly two dropped points, as the Lions had a chance to further distance themselves from the teams below the line and didn’t use all available subs despite playing the second of three games in eight days.
Orlando is 8-4-2 at home, having won its last four in the purple palace, and the Lions will need the home crowd support tonight as they try to go eight points clear of 12th-place D.C. and keep pace with the teams chasing them for the last spot in the top seven — the playoff places that avoid the MLS Wild Card play-in game.
D.C. enters tonight off a 2-1 home win over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday despite playing the final 22 minutes down a man after Lucas Bartlett picked up his second yellow card. Tai Baribo scored early from the spot and Silvan Hefti struck deep in first-half stoppage time to snap D.C.’s four-game winless skid (0-2-2). United enters just 2-4-7 on the road and 0-3-4 in the last seven matches away from home. However, the lack of wins on the road draws attention away from the fact that teams have often been held to a single point in their own building against tonight’s opponent.
Baribo is by far D.C.’s biggest weapon with 15 goals and an assist on the season, and he’s had success previously against Orlando while with the Philadelphia Union. Orlando will have to do a better job of tracking runners than it has in several recent games or Baribo will eat alive a back line that will be missing Jansson (foot surgery), Griffin Dorsey (back), and Vinicius Nogueira (shoulder). Whoever plays at the back will need to be calm and decisive on the ball and pass accurately against D.C.’s press and must transition to defensive responsibilities quickly if the ball turns over.
The Lions will be without the aforementioned Jansson (foot), Dorsey (back), and Nogueira (shoulder) in addition to Spicer (foot). D.C. will be without Bartlett (suspension), Munteanu (lower body), Hosei Kijima (lower body), and Gabe Segal (lower body).
Match Content
- Our most recent episode of The Mane Land PawedCast includes our match preview, key matchups, and predictions for the game.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Iago, David Brekalo, Ivan Angulo.
Midfielders: Martin Ojeda, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta.
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.
Bench: Javier Otero, Adrian Marin, Nolan Miller, Braian Ojeda, Joran Gerbet, Tiago, Harvey Sarajian, Marco Pasalic, Justin Ellis.
D.C. United (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson.
Defenders: Keisuke Kurokawa, Kye Rowles, Sean Nealis, Silvan Hefti.
Midfielders: Joao Peglow, Andre Dozzell, Kimito Nono, Jared Stroud.
Forwards: Tai Baribo, Brandon Servania.
Bench: Alex Bono, Matti Peltola, Nikola Markovic, Kamil Castillo, Gavin Turner, Conner Antley, Nathan Ordaz, Jackson Hopkins, Oscar Avilez.
Referees
REF: Pierre-Luc Lauziere.
AR1: Jeremy Kieso.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Chris Penso.
VAR: Younes Marrakchi.
AVAR: Kathryn Nesbitt.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.
TV/Streaming: Apple TV.
Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).
Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at our Bluesky Social account (@themaneland.bsky.social), as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the match. Go City!
Opinion
Wednesday’s Decisions May Haunt Orlando City During Season’s Home Stretch
In-game decisions proved costly during Wednesday’s loss and may have an effect as the season winds down.
Orlando City sits seventh in the Eastern Conference, and while five points separate the Lions and the three teams immediately outside the playoff picture, things are far from comfortable. OCSC just battled one of those teams, Toronto FC, to a draw, and will welcome the other two, D.C. United and New York City FC, to Inter.co Stadium on back-to-back Saturdays.
There are six teams within six points of Orlando, and while OCSC has five more games to play, two of its opponents (FC Cincinnati and D.C. United) have a game in hand. All this is to say that at this stage of the season, small moments, decisions, and mistakes can have a huge effect on the outcome of the campaign. Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Toronto FC provided an ample reminder of that fact.
The starting lineup for that game was an interesting one to say the least. With Robin Jansson unavailable due to a knock, and Griffin Dorsey out with a lingering back issue, Iago started next to David Brekalo at center back, while Ivan Angulo got the start at right back. I have no issue with Iago getting the start, as this roster isn’t exactly overflowing with proven options at center back. Angulo playing right back was the much more curious of Martin Perelman’s decisions for me, and not because I have anything against Angulo. He has not so quietly taken over Kyle Smith’s role as a guy who has played just about every position this year, and for the most part has done anywhere from good to serviceable in the process.
Rather, why put Angulo in that position when you have Zakaria Taifi, a right back by trade, ready and available? The 21-year-old hasn’t been perfect with the senior team this year, but he’s actually used to playing the position, and that counts for something. Angulo is at his best when using his speed to chase guys down and recover the ball, but tends to struggle defending 1-v-1 and with his defensive positioning because, well, he’s a winger by trade. Playing Taifi at fullback and Angulo in the midfield would have freed up the Colombian to make more of an impact higher up the field. Plus, the man tasked with covering when the right back went forward, Eduard Atuesta, isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess either. Putting Angulo and Atuesta on the same side and saddling them with a lot of defensive responsibilities created a vulnerability in the Orlando lineup, and it isn’t remotely surprising that all three of Toronto’s goals either started or were finished on the Lions’ right flank.
To be fair, it’s possible that playing Taifi at right back wouldn’t have made a difference. After all, the defense has been giving away goals at an alarming rate regardless of who’s back there this season. I just struggle to get on board with the decision to not deploy a natural right back, particularly one that’s played just under 850 league minutes this year.
The other thing that stuck out to me was the substitution patterns, particularly during the later stages of the game. While I liked the decision to bring on Daryl Dike with the team chasing the game, as well as throwing Braian Ojeda on after the Lions went ahead in an attempt to inject fresh legs into the midfield, I have questions about how things went the rest of the way. For one thing, while Taifi eventually entered the game in place of Atuesta after Toronto had equalized, why not make that change immediately after Orlando took the lead? I understand wanting to keep Atuesta on while chasing a winner, but with how shaky OCSC looked on its right flank, effectively closing down the game was probably going to take more than simply bringing on Ojeda.
Then there’s the fact that two substitutions went unused altogether, basically three if you account for the fact that Atuesta came off in the fourth of five minutes of stoppage time. Orlando is in the midst of playing three games in eight days and may not have Justin Ellis or Jansson available at the weekend after both missed out on the midweek game. With a massive game against D.C. United looming large on the horizon, you want to be as fresh as possible, but Harvey Sarajian is the only player who got any meaningful sort of rest after coming off in the 67th minute. The Lions didn’t have the strongest possible bench with Tyrese Spicer, Marco Pasalic, Ellis, Jansson, and Dorsey all unavailable for various reasons, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing the likes of Joran Gerbet, Bernardo Rhein, or Tiago make appearances to spell some of the starters—especially once Dike’s goal hit the back of the net.
At the end of the day, while a road draw perhaps isn’t the worst result in the world considering the team’s struggles away from home this season, the fact that Orlando dropped two points late is brutal, however you slice it. Those two extra points would have given the Lions four points of breathing room between the Lions and the chasing pack, and to keep the majority of the starters on for so long but still end up dropping points is an extra kick in the teeth. It’ll hurt even more if the team looks tired and flat on Saturday and can’t get the job at home against a D.C. United side that’s breathing down its neck.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that in soccer, as in life, there are no guarantees. We have no way of knowing whether starting Taifi would have fixed Orlando’s issues on the right side, or if he and other defensive subs coming on immediately after Dike’s goal would have prevented Toronto’s winner. We should have a better idea Saturday night if leaving two subs in the chamber was a bad idea, but it’s also possible that if Orlando does use all of its changes that the team doesn’t claw itself out of the 2-1 hole it was in. Regardless, I think there’s something to be said for putting yourself in the best possible position to succeed at this point in the year. I don’t think OCSC did that during Wednesday’s game, and the decisions made during that contest could well hurt the Lions on Saturday as well. Here’s hoping that isn’t the case. Vamos Orlando!
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