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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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5 years ago

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That sucked. Orlando City went up north to Atlanta but forgot to bring any energy, limping to a 3-0 drubbing. Nobody for the Lions had a good night, but let’s see how each player fared in a night to forget.

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 5.5 — He played exactly as well as you’d expect. Grinwis did make three decent saves and there wasn’t much he could do about the goals. One was a header off the turf into the corner, one was a deflection by his own man, and the other was a free shot from the top of the area just inside the other post. He made two huge saves in the final minutes of the game on Brooks Lennon and George Bello to keep the score from getting completely out of hand. Grinwis completed 12 of 15 passes, but was inaccurate with all three long ball attempts.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5 — Moutinho had some decent moments in this game, including a tackle and an accurate cross, but he didn’t have his best showing. He completed 48 passes at 86%, and one was key pass. Defensively he was largely overmatched by Luiz Araujo at times and didn’t do a great job. He completed a tackle, made an interception, and had five ball recoveries.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — I thought Jansson was the better of the two center backs, but neither was great. He did a decent job stepping up at times when the midfield was overrun, but gave too much space for Atlanta to attack. He made two tackles, a clearance, and four ball recoveries in his 90 minutes of action. With the ball he was fine, completing 31 of 35 passes.

D, Antonio Carlos, 4.5 — This was one of Antonio Carlos’ weaker performances for Orlando. He got beat at times and made more mistakes than usual. He made three clearances. an interception, and seven ball recoveries. He completed 76% of his passes and conceded a pair of fouls, including a yellow card.

D, Ruan, 4 — Ruan was almost invisible all game. Nothing noteworthy to report offensively, with just 20 pass attempts, although he completed 16 of them. But he contributed no real offensive moments. Defensively he was even worse, losing all of his duels, giving away three fouls, and making zero defensive actions except three ball recoveries.

MF, Joey DeZart, 3.5 — Orlando was really bad in the middle of the park Friday and these grades reflect it. DeZart was too slow and sloppy in possession. Even though he completed 93% of passes, his passing was mostly conservative and the few times he tried progressing the ball he turned it over. He got dispossessed twice and had no answers for Atlanta’s dribblers, sans one foul and one tackle. He also made six ball recoveries. Nowhere near good enough in central midfield.

MF, Andres Perea, 4 — Perea was better than DeZart, but still not particularly good. In possession he was ok, completing 39 passes at 87%, but he made mistakes and didn’t link the lines or find Orlando’s playmakers consistently. Defensively he put up a lot of numbers — three tackles, an interception, a clearance, and eight ball recoveries — but, like with DeZart, it was too easy for Atlanta to progress the ball. Perea was also dispossessed twice and completed a dribble.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 (MotM) — Pereyra was pretty good, all things considered in this game. When he got on the ball, he was mostly effective, completing 34 passes at 83% including six of seven long balls and a key pass. He also completed a dribble, drew four fouls, made a tackle had one interception.

MF, Benji Michel, 4.5 — A pedestrian performance for Benji Michel. He showed flashes progressing the ball, but wasn’t dangerous in the final third and was sloppy, particularly with giveaways early in the game. Michel was dispossessed twice, completed no dribbles, and hit on nine of his 11 passes (82%). He had one shot after Moutinho set him up in a good spot but he fired off target with his left foot. That was it in terms of attacking output. He also registered a tackle, an interception and six ball recoveries.

F, Nani, 5.5 — Neither Designated Player was particularly at fault for Orlando’s lackluster performance. Nani was one of the few creative sparks for the Lions, finishing with two key passes and one of the team’s two shots on target. The quality wasn’t quite there, especially with his crossing, with only one of his seven crosses finding a target. He completed 24 of 33 passes (72.7%), and dropped deep to try to orchestrate play, while also finishing with two successful dribbles and two shots. His lack of defensive effort allowed plenty of room for the cross on Atlanta’s first goal. Defensively, he finished with three ball recoveries.

F, Daryl Dike, 4.5 — It’s hard to judge whether the team did a bad job feeding Dike or if Dike wasn’t good enough to impact the game. Either way, the striker had a poor game. The own goal off an Atlanta set piece is the obvious lowlight, although it hit off Nani first and he couldn’t do much about it, but his lack of offensive impact is what did the Lions in. He had only 21 touches, with no shots or key passes. He completed just six passes (66.7%) and made one dribble. Defensively he made a clearance and a ball recovery. Not all his fault since the service was largely non-existent, but his hold-up play and first touch wasn’t good enough.

Substitutes

F, Silvester van der Water (68’), 5.5 — The Dutch winger had some flashes of creativity but didn’t create much of a tangible impact. He completed just three passes, was dispossessed once, and his lone shot was off target. He also made three ball recoveries.

MF, Uri Rosell (68’), 6 — If Rosell started this game, it might have gone a lot better for Orlando City. He was much sharper with the ball, completing 97% of his passes and making relatively few mistakes. He also had a shot, made an interception and six ball recoveries. He was the only midfielder that made Atlanta uncomfortable enough to play negative balls in his short time on the pitch.

F, Tesho Akindele (74’), 5 — Not much to report on Tesho’s game with just eight touches in 16 minutes of action. To his credit, one of those was a key pass. He finished with two complete passes and was dispossessed once.

F, Chris Mueller (74’), 5 — He attempted — and whiffed on — a bicycle kick and killed a potentially dangerous attack where he was offside. He tried at least, but didn’t do much. Mueller completed six of eight passes including a key pass, and was dispossessed once.

D, Kyle Smith (83’), N/A — A brief cameo appearance for Smith, but he did have a decent cross. He completed three of five passes and made two ball recoveries in his brief time on the pitch.

That’s all I’ve got for this one. Leave your thoughts below and vote for your Man of The Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra5
Uri Rosell11
Nani2
Other (Comment Below)7

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

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3 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

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7 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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

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Lion Links: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

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

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