Connect with us

Orlando City

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

Published

5 years ago

on

Orlando City couldn’t capitalize on its chances in a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami at Exploria Stadium. Center back Antonio Carlos scored Orlando’s only goal, but Miami equalized in the second half and Orlando couldn’t find a winner.

Let’s dive right into how each of your favorite Lions rated in this draw at home against a rival.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — It was a fairly quiet night for Stajduhar in his second MLS start as he only faced four shots and had no saves. Two of those shots were on target, with the first coming in the 52nd minute as Robbie Robinson stormed into the box after beating Rodrigo Schlegel and Robin Jansson. Stajduhar rushed to close down the angle, but Robinson’s shot went over him, although Kyle Smith was there to save the day. On the goal, a good cross in the box found Kiernan Gibbs’ header at an odd angle that made it difficult for Stajduhar to get to. It’s hard to blame Stajduhar for the goal given the speed and placement of the header and it’s frustrating to see another Orlando clean sheet slip away. The important thing is that Stajduhar didn’t let the goal affect him all too much as a minute later he confidently snuffed out a dangerous opportunity from Lewis Morgan in the box. In terms of distribution, Stajduhar completed 10 of his 11 passes and his one long ball was inaccurate.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Playing at left back for the majority of the game, Smith did well on both sides of the ball. His best moment came in the 52nd minute when he got in position to make a goal-saving block after Robinson chipped his shot over Stajduhar. He did a good job making life difficult for Miami winger Morgan, although he did concede a few corners in the process and made an almost deadly error on an errant back pass that sent Morgan in on goal. On offense, his only shot was from a similar position to his goal against Atlanta United, but his header from Nani’s corner went just wide. Smith completed 90% of his 51 passes, but was only accurate on one of his four crosses. When Emmanuel Mas came on for Ruan in the 81st minutes, Smith switched to his preferred right back position and nearly provided the game-winning moment late in the match, but the video assistant referee had match referee Armando Villarreal take another look and, after reviewing the play, he ruled Tesho Akindele offside. Smith had a clearance and 69 touches, third most on the team.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The masked Swede was able to keep Gonzalo Higuain and Rodolfo Pizarro quiet in terms of scoring. Jansson was a brick wall that Miami had to work its way around and he had two interceptions and two clearances. Miami often went wide with its attack and Jansson wasn’t able to do much about the goal. The trio of Jansson, Smith, and Andres Perea did well to stop Miami on the left side of defense for the most part. All in all, it was a solid performance from Jansson and he finished with 66 touches and 58 passes at a 79% success rate.

One interesting thing from the match was Jansson’s involvement on corner kicks as he often lurked at the top of the box. It set up his only shot of the match, which he mishit on the volley and sent wide. On the other attempts, he tried passes over the defense but it never seemed to work. It’s unclear if this has anything to do with his face injury, but his size wasn’t used as a target in the box.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Throughout the season, Carlos has been a threat on corner kicks and his headers have been getting closer and closer to goal with every attempt. His breakthrough finally came in this game as Carlos made perfect contact with his head to give Orlando the lead before halftime. It was his first goal of the season and first with his head as a Lion.

Unfortunately, his head collided with Kelvin Leerdam’s seconds after his shot and he was sent to the ground in a scary moment that needed immediate medical attention. It certainly makes highlights of his goal harder to watch, but Carlos was able to walk off the field with no assistance. He didn’t return for the second half out of an abundance of caution and finished with a tackle, a clearance, 42 touches, and also won all three of his aerial duels. Carlos was also successful on 92% of his 38 passes as he helped the Lions build out of the back.

D, Ruan, 6 — The right back was engaged in an entertaining duel with former Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs. Ruan had to put in more defensive work than usual as a result, leading the team with five clearances and tying Junior Urso for a team-high three interceptions as well. Gibbs got the better of Ruan on his goal, easily getting across the front of the smaller defender to get a header on goal. On offense, Ruan had a key pass and one of his two crosses found their target. He had a great opportunity in the 51st minute but the ball he whipped in front of goal was deflected. Ruan had 63 touches and was successful on 82% of his 39 passes. While dangerous when sent forward, he didn’t spend as much time in the attacking third as he did against Atlanta United.

MF, Junior Urso, 5 — The Bear had a rough time in his first start since July 17. Urso battled against Gregore and Blaise Matuidi in central midfield and was a fouled a whopping five times. Miami committed a total of 19 fouls in the match and most were tactical decisions to interrupt Orlando’s flow of play in the midfield. Urso was a frequent victim of this and frustrated for most of the game as he couldn’t get much going. In 76 minutes of action, he completed 34 of his 38 passes for an 89% success rate and had 58 touches. Urso wasn’t much of a factor on offense, with no shots and one key pass. He did well defensively though, coming up with three tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances. He picked up a yellow card and was dispossessed twice in a performance he’ll shrug off despite some bumps and bruises.

MF, Andres Perea, 6.5 — Perea did much better in this match compared to his last performance against Atlanta United. Partnered with Urso in central midfield, he had stats similar to what we’ve seen from Ecuadorian midfielder Sebas Mendez. Perea led the Lions in touches (80), tackles (four), and passes (67). Only one of those 67 passes was inaccurate, resulting in an excellent 99% success rate. That being said, none of his passes were particularly threatening as he spent more time connecting Orlando’s defense and offense rather than creating chances. That’s not to say he wasn’t present on offense though. He had three shots, sending two off target while the other was blocked. Perea’s proven himself to be versatile in the midfield and seemed to do better in a more defensive minded role in this match.

MF, Benji Michel, 5 — For most of the match, Orlando’s offensive plays tended to end once Michel got involved. Michel wasn’t always at fault for this as he was often given daring balls in on goal by Pereyra, but his touch was heavy and he couldn’t seem to get past defenders. Although he played 75 minutes, Michel only had 18 touches and eight passes at a 75% success rate. It is worth noting that he posed enough danger running down a ball in the box that Leerdam desperately played it out for the corner that resulted in Orlando’s goal. Defensively, he did well securing goal kicks by using his body and had an interception. Michel had no shots or crosses and needed to make much more of an impact against Miami.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — In the 19th minute, Pereyra sent a nice ball from deep in the midfield over the top of Miami’s defense, but Nani’s resulting header didn’t give Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman much trouble. That ball was one of his two key passes during a full shift and it was Orlando’s first real chance of the game. Most of the maestro’s conducting was done from similar spots deep in the midfield rather than at the top of the box. His quality was on display all night long as he was able to cut through Miami’s defense with a single touch on multiple occasions. However, most of his created chances ended up as corners rather than goals as attacking Lions had tough positions to score from. He put one of his two shots on target, but it was fired right at Marsman. Pereyra finished the game second on the team in touches with 75 and he was successful on 85% of his 53 passes, which isn’t too bad considering most of his unsuccessful passes were lengthy and in Miami’s half. He was dispossessed twice, including a late turnover that could’ve ended up badly, and also chipped in defensively with three tackles. It was a strong outing from Pereyra and he’ll certainly benefit once Orlando’s strikers are more frequently on the field.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5 — Mueller’s struggles on offense continued as he had no shots or key passes over the course of 66 minutes of play. He was successful on one of his three crosses and completed 19 of his 21 attempted passes for a strong 90% success rate. Mueller was also successful on his single attempted dribble, but was dispossessed three times. It was far from his best game, but Mueller did the little things well as he hustled on defense and won four fouls. Mueller has definitely been overshadowed by Orlando’s other offensive players in recent weeks and only has one shot in his past five appearances.

F, Nani, 7.5 (MotM) — The captain led Orlando with five shots, with two on target and another two blocked. None were particularly easy and he did decent enough with the opportunities even though he wasn’t able to find the back of the net. His cross from a short corner to find Carlos in the box was picture perfect, the ball placed in the best spot possible for his sixth assist of the year. That cross was his only successful one from three attempts in open play, but he also led the Lions with five key passes. Nani took six of Orlando’s seven corners and found his target on all but one as he continues to make an impact from those dead-ball situations. He was also very efficient with the ball at his feet, only being dispossessed once and completing 40 of his 43 passes for a great 93% success rate. Nani is our Man of the Match for creating multiple chances for Orlando while taking care of the ball. He had 63 touches, committed no fouls, was successful on two of his three attempted dribbles, and looked threatening for most of the game.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (45’), 6 — Schlegel came on at halftime in place of the injured Carlos. He got himself out of position on Robinson’s chance, pushing forward to pressure Higuain and then losing the foot race against him after pressing high. He does get some style points for a neat somersault of sorts to keep his momentum when slipping to stay in the play. It wasn’t his most dominant performance, but he did have three clearances and won all three of his aerial duels to limit Miami’s chances. Schlegel completed 90% of his 21 passes and had 25 touches as well.

MF, Silvester van der Water (67’), 6.5 — The Dutchman came on to give the Lions an edge on offense after Miami equalized. His only shot was in the box, but he wasn’t able to get all of his weaker right foot on it to put it on target. Van der Water did well finding dangerous areas to operate in and had a brilliant pass out wide to Smith in the same motion he fashioned to take a shot to fool the defense. Had Akindele not been offside, that would have been an important part of the buildup to a game-winning goal. Van der Water provided the needed urgency the Lions lacked during the match and was hungry in the half hour he spent on the field. He completed all eight of his passes and had 13 touches in another efficient shift.

F, Tesho Akindele (75’), 5.5 — It looked like the Canadian scored the game-winner but his goal was ruled offside after review. Apart from that moment, he didn’t make much of an impact in the match beyond his diligent pressing, which shouldn’t be overlooked. Akindele was accurate on all four of his passes and had a total of eight touches.

MF, Uri Rosell (76’), 6 — Like Urso, Rosell had a frustrating time in the midfield. He committed two fouls that gave Miami free kicks in dangerous areas, picking up a yellow card in the process. While he didn’t have any tackles, interceptions, or clearances, Rosell completed 22 of his 23 passes and had 23 touches to help stabilize the midfield.

D, Emmanuel Mas (81’), 6 — The left back came on late to relieve Ruan and racked up 20 touches in a brief outing. Defensively, Mas had a clearance, an interception, and won both of his aerial duels. His only cross didn’t find its target, but he did a good job making sure Miami couldn’t get much going on his side of the field. Mas completed nine of his 12 passes for a 75% success rate and is looking like a solid acquisition for Orlando.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s draw over its rival. Make sure to weigh in on how you feel about the grades in the comments below and to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Nani12
Mauricio Pereyra6
Antonio Carlos10
Kyle Smith8
Andres Perea1
Other (tell us who in the comments)0

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 3, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 3, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

Free Kicks

  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

July 2, 2026

By

Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.🇧🇷 Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.➕ Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

Trending