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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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Orlando City couldn’t hold onto a two-goal lead as the New England Revolution’s Adam Buksa scored a late brace in a 2-2 draw. While it was a frustrating result considering Orlando was capable of taking all three points against the best team in MLS, the draw extends Orlando’s unbeaten streak to five games.

Let’s dive right into how the Lions individually performed in this draw at Exploria Stadium.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — El Pulpo wasn’t able to do much on either of Buksa’s goals as both were hit at such close range that there was no chance to react in time. Gallese only had one save in the match and it was one of his best for Orlando as he somehow got a hand to a low shot that seemed destined for goal. He was successful on 68% of his 19 passes and completed six of his 12 attempted long balls. Gallese had a fairly quiet night until the Revolution’s stars pushed for a result late in the match. He will aim for a clean sheet when the Lions hit the road to take on the Columbus Crew this Wednesday.

D, Joao Moutinho, 6.5 — After missing the past two games, Moutinho returned to the starting line-up and did well on both sides of the ball. His assist was a great one as he delivered a cross into the box for Nani to get on the end of in a crowded box. It was the only successful cross of his four attempts, but he certainly made it count. Moutinho was subbed off at halftime, finishing with a whopping 62 touches and 41 passes at an impressive 93% success rate. Defensively, he had a tackle, two interceptions, a block, and a clearance as he hustled to stop the Revs. It was a great showing from Moutinho as he eases himself back into the swing of things.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — For a majority of the match, Schlegel did a great job filling in for the injured Robin Jansson. He had two tackles, two blocks, an interception, and two clearances to bolster Orlando’s defensive performance. Schlegel’s best play came in the 62nd minute as he made a massive block in front of goal to keep a shot from troubling Gallese. His only shot was deflected and he finished with 56 touches and 44 touches at a 91% success rate. He couldn’t stop Buksa from scoring twice as the forward used nice runs and overwhelming size to equalize.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Carlos was solid throughout the game, stopping the Revolution dead in their tracks on multiple occasions. The center back led Orlando with five clearances and also had three tackles. With Jansson out, Carlos served as the team’s defensive leader and did well putting out fires. He ended the game with 67 touches and 57 passes at an 89% success rate as he helped build possession out of the back. Orlando will need Carlos at his best in the final three games this season to limit the opposition’s scoring chances.

D, Ruan, 5.5 — Both of the right back’s crosses were unsuccessful, but he did have a key pass to set up a shot for Mauricio Pereyra. Ruan’s speed allowed him to chase down loose balls that other players simply wouldn’t be able to get to in time. Defensively, he had a tackle and two interceptions as he tried to fight off the Revolution’s comeback attempts. Ruan had 59 touches, 42 passes at a 92% completion rate, and drew two fouls in potentially dangerous areas. Given Orlando’s many attacking players in this game, it’s understandable that Ruan wasn’t too involved on offense.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear had a busy night, leading the team with 81 touches and 72 passes at a great 93% success rate. He had two shots in the match, sending one over the bar and having the other deflected. Urso was patient with the ball at his feet in the attacking third to try and find open Lions, making two key passes. He also did a good job chasing the ball down to then set up Moutinho’s cross. On the defensive side of things, he had two tackles, an interception, and a clearance. It was his eighth straight start and he’s played more minutes than any other Lion this season so it will be interesting to see if he will continue to play every minute of Orlando’s final three games as well.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6 — The Ecuadorian midfielder had a few turnovers early in the match, but settled into his usual rhythm as the match wore on. Mendez had 72 touches, two interceptions, a clearance, and was successful on 92% of his 64 passes as he helped connect Orlando’s defense with its offense. While he didn’t have a shot or key pass, he did make a nice run into the box in the 73rd minute but no one reached his resulting cross.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Pereyra had a great opportunity in the first half after Carlos found him open in the box, but he slipped in the heavy rain before he could take a shot. Pereyra had two key passes and completed 94% of his 54 passes to fuel Orlando’s offense and maintain possession. His only shot was off target, but not terribly so, and his only corner kick whipped into the box rather than played short was successful. Pereyra led the team with four tackles and also had 72 touches in 79 minutes of action. His next assist will be his 11th this year and would break Orlando’s single-season record, but he hasn’t had an assist or goal during this five-game unbeaten run.

MF, Chris Mueller, 6 — Mueller paired well with Daryl Dike in the attack, using his speed to drive forward and create space for the center forward. He led the team with four shots but wasn’t able to score as one attempt hit the post, another was deflected, and his only one on target was saved by Matt Turner. His only cross was successful, although it was mostly because the defender misjudged it for Nani to collect the ball near the corner flag. Mueller came off in the 67th minute for fresher legs to help see the game to its conclusion. He ended the game with 49 touches and completed 78% of his 36 passes while chipping in on defense with a tackle and a clearance. Mueller has done well in these recent home games for Orlando and his last regular season game at Exploria Stadium will come on Halloween against Nashville SC.

MF, Nani, 7 (MotM) — Orlando City’s captain scored for the first time since Aug. 7 as he got his head onto a great cross from Moutinho in the 39th minute. Nani bested Turner with a smartly placed header that took a bounce off the wet pitch. His only other shot in the match was blocked in the box. In the second half, Nani did well to earn a penalty with a cutback in the box and Dike converted from the spot to give Orlando a 2-0 lead. The winger had two key passes and served a great cross to Dike early in the match that nearly resulted in a goal if not for some decent defending. Nani had 77 touches and 57 passes at an 81% success rate before coming off in the 79th minute. He’s our Man of the Match for giving Orlando a lead and helping to double it by winning a penalty. It was a great performance from the Designated Player and hopefully more goals are on their way as Orlando aims to clinch a playoff spot .

F, Daryl Dike, 6.5 — The center forward’s strength was on full display in this match as he did well winning the ball and beating defenders. However, he only had two shots and one of those was the penalty he converted after the Orlando faithful chanted for him to take the kick. Dike slotted the ball out of Turner’s reach and into the bottom right corner and there shouldn’t be much debate on who will take penalties moving forward. Dike’s other shot was a header in the box that went straight at Turner. He attempted eight dribbles throughout the match and was successful on five of them as he worked his way into dangerous areas. Dike played every minute and had 44 touches, two key passes, a tackle, a clearance, and 15 passes at a 73% success rate.

Substitutes

D, Emmanuel Mas (45’), 5.5 — The left back came on for Moutinho after halftime, but wasn’t able to make as much of an impact as who he was replacing. Mas only had 22 touches and 13 passes at a 77% success rate while not attempting any crosses. He did a decent job dealing with Tajon Buchanan once the Canadian phenom came on and he also had a tackle in the match.

MF, Benji Michel (67’), 5 — The Homegrown Player had a chance to put the game away in the 90th minute, but his shot was blocked. It was his only shot of the match, although he had the chance for one in the 83rd minute only to be dispossessed as the Revs quickly went on the counter. Michel had a key pass as well, cueing Andres Perea up for a shot that was blocked. His scoring drought continues and he certainly could’ve done better in the attacking third. Michel finished the game with 11 touches and completed all five of his passes.

MF, Andres Perea (79’), N/A — Coming on for Pereyra, Perea slotted into central midfield and did fairly well with his 12 touches. He had three tackles to disrupt the Revolution and completed all six of his passes. His only shot was blocked, but it was a decent outing as he received some minutes to shake some rust off, even if Orlando gave up its lead.

F, Tesho Akindele, (79’) N/A — While he didn’t have a shot, his key pass to send Michel in on goal in the 90th minute could have put the game on ice. The Canadian striker had 10 touches and completed six of his eight passes for a 75% success rate. Akindele also had a tackle as he hustled around the field.

MF, Joey DeZart (89’), N/A — Brought on late, DeZart had no touches or defensive stats. We may only see him in these brief appearances for the rest of this season given how Orlando’s midfield is getting healthy.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution . 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
Nani15
Daryl Dike13
Joao Moutinho0
Antonio Carlos1
Other (put in the comments below)1

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Lion Links: 5/13/25

Martin Ojeda honored, Americans in midweek action, rivalry games on the horizon, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

on

May 13, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope you’ve been on top of things to start the week, because there’s going to be no time to catch our breath with Orlando City taking on Charlotte FC Wednesday, before facing Inter Miami on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right into the links.

Martin Ojeda Honored

After his starring role in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday, Martin Ojeda has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Ojeda was back in the starting lineup after spending the last few matches nursing a knock and he made the most of his return, scoring all three goals for just the third Orlando City hat trick in the club’s MLS existence and first since 2015. It was a shame that the defense couldn’t help him out on his historic night, but he was Sean Rollins’ clear choice for Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, and it’s nice to see that he’s getting some much deserved wider recognition as well, even though he was snubbed for Player of the Matchday, which went to Emil Forsberg of the New York Red Bulls. Here’s hoping Ojeda’s success continues.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and we have some very high stakes at play. Things start today, when Haji Wright and Coventry City try to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal against Sunderland. AC Milan takes on Bologna Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final, with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah fighting for a chance to lift a trophy. Finally, Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and red-hot Real Betis visiting Rayo Vallecano in La Liga in a game that will have big ramifications on the race for European places.

Rivalry Games on the Horizon

Major League Soccer’s rivalry week is almost upon us, which means we have some heated matchups that we can start looking forward to. First and foremost, as far as we’re concerned, is Orlando City hitting the road to face Inter Miami in a series that is dead even across the board at 5-5-5 in 15 all-time meetings. There’s plenty more though, as El Trafico is the late game on Sunday, and we also get Hell is Real between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew, as well as a Hudson River River Derby that features two teams in wildly different places. The New York Red Bulls hammered the LA Galaxy on Saturday and have won three of their last four in all competitions, while New York City FC was knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup last week, and has lost three of its last four in all competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti to Coach Brazil

Brazil has officially announced that Carlo Ancelotti will take over as the newest coach of the team. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced on Monday that he will leave Real Madrid after the last league game of the season, with his first day on the job for Brazil coming on May 26. Brazil wanted to have a new coach in place for June’s World Cup qualifiers, and Ancelotti will now become the Selecao’s first foreign head coach. As far as Real Madrid is concerned, the club is reportedly finalizing a deal for former player Xabi Alonso to become the new coach as soon as possible. Madrid would ideally like for him to be on the job before the start of this summer’s Club World Cup, and Alonso has already publicly announced that he will not manage Bayer Leverkusen past the end of this season.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution?

Published

2 days ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City saw a 2-0 lead wash away just before halftime and took the lead in the second half. It looked like the Lions were on their way to a big three points, but a late penalty and a disallowed goal resulted in a 3-3 draw. It’s a draw that feels like a loss for the Lions.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players did in this disappointing game.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese had a difficult night, though it wasn’t all his fault. He faced six shots and conceded three goals. However, two were primarily because of bad defending, and one was a penalty. He made three saves and blocked away a rocket late.  The Orlando City goalkeeper touched the ball 25 times and completed 77.8% of his 18 passes, including four of his eight long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo had a good game at left back, touching the ball 65 times, second most on the team. He completed 90.7% of his 43 passes, including a key pass. However, his lone cross and long ball were incomplete. The defender took two shots, putting one on target, and nearly had a goal in the 48th minute with a strong run into the box, but a defender deflected it off the woodwork. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, one interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. He was a little late trying to deny Ignatius Ganago’s cross through the box to Ilay Feingold, and his sliding effort to do so took him out of position to deny Feingold’s centering pass for New England’s first goal. It was one of his few missteps of the match, and the effort was there if not the execution. He moved from left back to center back for the closing minutes.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson is usually rock solid on the back line, but he was a liability in this game. He touched the ball 57 times and completed 86.3% of his 51 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He made three clearances and blocked two shots. His poor grade was due to his contribution to two New England goals. He allowed Matt Polster to get goal side in the 44th minute for the equalizer and stuck his foot out in an ill-advised challenge in the 85th minute, resulting in a game-tying penalty. It was a game the Orlando City captain would rather forget.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel is usually the higher-risk player at center back, but he had a good game. He touched the ball 49 times and completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including his lone long ball. He also recorded a tackle, a team-high six clearances, and two blocked shots. Most surprisingly, he managed to end the game without an unnecessary booking. Schlegel’s night ended in the 87th minute when he was replaced by Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5  — Freeman started at his usual right back position, touching the ball a team-high 66 times. He completed 76.7% of his 43 passes and his lone cross but not his long ball. His lone shot was on target and he had three key passes. The 20-year-old was also active defensively, recording two tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo only touched the ball 28 times in this game, but his speed caused problems for the New England back line as he pushed into the attack. The left-sided midfielder completed 82.6% of his 23 passes, including two key passes. He didn’t take any shots, because he was mainly on the wing, but he helped defensively with a tackle and two interceptions. Angulo was replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 74th minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had 57 touches in this game while completing 91.7% of his 36 passes. He had a key pass but failed to complete either of his two long balls. The defensive midfielder took four shots, putting one on target that forced Aljaz Ivacic into a good save. He nearly scored off a corner kick in the 24th minute, but hit the post. Defensively, Araujo had two tackles and a clearance.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 5.5 — Gerbet had an up and down night, making him difficult to grade. He let Alhassan Yusuf get goal side of him in the 38th minute to score New England’s first goal. But his excellent first touch sent Ojeda on a partial breakaway in the 33rd minute for the Lions’ second goal, and his fearlessness earned a penalty for Orlando City’s third goal. The rookie touched the ball 43 times and completed 88.9% of his 36 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots but added an interception defensively. He probably should get a higher grade for participating in two goals, but I can’t get over the defensive midfielder’s error that might’ve cost the Lions two points. Gerbet was replaced in the 69th minute by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic had a solid night, touching the ball 39 times and completing 73.9% of his 23 passes. He had two key passes and completed one of his three long balls. He put one of his three shots on target, but his offensive performance will be remembered for his 20th minute shot, when Luis Muriel headed the ball down perfectly for him and the midfielder sent it over the open goal. Despite the miss, it was a good game for the attacking midfielder, who also had an interception on the defensive side.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel started up top but dropped behind Ojeda as the game progressed. He had 36 touches and completed 73.3% of his 15 passes, including four key passes and three of his four crosses. He should’ve had an assist on Pasalic’s miss, and he should’ve scored, especially in the 68th minute, when he made multiple defenders miss before dribbling the ball into the arms of Ivacic instead of shooting. He added two tackles and would’ve had a higher grade if he had any desire to score.

F, Martin Ojeda, 8.5 (MotM) — There can’t be a question about who the Man of the Match was for this game. In his first league start since April 19, Ojeda led the way. He touched the ball 43 times, completing 84% of his 25 passes with two key passes. He completed two of his five crosses but didn’t connect on his long ball. However, the attacker converted on three of his team-high seven shots, scoring the club’s first hat trick since 2015. His first goal was a thing of beauty, as he rocketed a shot off the bottom of the cross bar, creating no chance for the goalkeeper. The midfielder also took his second goal well and converted the penalty that gave his team the lead in the 55th minute. Defensively, Ojeda added an interception in a clear Man of the Match performance.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (69’), 5.5 — Thorhallsson came on in the 69th minute for Gerbet in the defensive midfield. He touched the ball 13 times, completing all of his 10 passes, though they were all of the shorter variety. He picked up a yellow card late in the match.

F, Duncan McGuire (73’), 5.5 — McGuire came on for Muriel in the 73rd minute with his team up a goal. He touched the ball only five times, completing all three of his passes with a key pass and his lone cross. His only shot was off target and he didn’t add any defensive stats. He should have had an assist with a good ball into the box for Enrique, who made a mess of the shot, firing it high over the goal. Unfortunately, his game will be remembered for the 90th minute, when Enrique’s shot hit his back while the striker was in an offside position. The ball went in, and the flag went up to disallow the goal that would’ve been the game winner.

F, Ramiro Enrique (74’), 5.5 — Enrique entered the game in the 74th minute for Angulo. He touched the ball 14 times and completed 45.5% of his 11 passes without any key passes or crosses. He took one off-target shot (officially) but had a great chance to score in the 90th minute when he received a pass from Pasalic at the top of the box with no one on him. His shot hit the back of an offside McGuire, spoiling a potential late winner.

D, Rafael Santos (87’), 5.5 — Santos replaced Schlegel in the 87th minute as the Lions brought on a natural left back and moved Brekalo to his usual center back position. Despite coming on late, the 10 minutes of stoppage time gave him plenty of action. He touched the ball 12 times and completed 83.3% of his six passes, including one of his three crosses. He didn’t take any shots and didn’t record any defensive stats as the Lions pushed hard for the late winner that never came. On the defensive end, he got roasted by Luis Diaz Espinoza in the second minute of stoppage time, allowing a wicked shot on goal that Gallese was able to parry away awkwardly.

That’s how I saw Orlando City 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution. Let us know what you thought of the performance in the comment below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 5/12/25

Lions and Pride each draw, Pride wins 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence, MLS weekend recap, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I’ve been busy at work and catching up with friends all week. Our Lions and Pride both picked up draws over the weekend, while OCB was off.  We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw New England Revolution at Home

Orlando City blew a lead twice and ended up settling for a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a great start as Martin Ojeda scored two goals in the first half. The Revolution replied with two goals to tie the match just before halftime. Ojeda added a penalty kick goal in the second half to secure his first hat trick of his career. It was also the first hat trick for Orlando in a decade, and he joins former Lion Cyle Larin as the only players in club history to score a regular-season hat trick.

However, late in the second half, the Lions conceded a penalty to New England, and Carles Gil converted from the spot to get the equalizer as the teams split the points. The Lions will have a quick turnaround with their next match on Wednesday at home against Charlotte FC.

Pride Draw North Carolina Courage on the Road

The Orlando Pride needed a late equalizer to escape WakeMed Soccer Park with a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. The Courage struck first, but Prisca Chilufya scored her first goal of the NWSL season late in stoppage time to secure a draw and keep Orlando from losing two matches in a row. The Pride grabbed a crucial point on the road and are second in the NWSL standings. The next match for the Orlando Pride will be Friday as they face the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium.

Orlando Pride Wins 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence

The Orlando Pride were named winners of the Downtown Orlando Partnerships 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence on Friday for the club’s historic 2024 NWSL Championship season and downtown victory parade. The Pride broke the league record for the most points (60), most wins in a season (18), and most clean sheets (13), while finishing the 2024 season unbeaten at home. Orlando Pride President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon expressed his thoughts on Pride winning this award.

“On behalf of our entire Club, I’d like to thank the Downtown Orlando Partnership and its Board of Directors for selecting our organization for this incredible award,” said Orlando Pride President of Business Operations, Jarrod Dillon. “We are incredibly honored to receive this award — a testament to the passion, dedication, and excellence that define our team. Our Club is proud to represent this city, and we hope every Orlando resident shares in this moment of pride. There’s no place we’d rather call home than downtown Orlando — the heart of our community and now the home of the best women’s soccer team in the United States.”

MLS Weekend Recap

The weekend’s slate of Major League Soccer matches ended with some notable results. Minnesota United cruised past Inter Miami with a 4-1 win. The Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, San Diego FC, and Nashville SC all won 2-1 matches over Atlanta United, Austin FC, St. Louis City, and Charlotte FC, respectively. Toronto FC defeated D.C. United 2-0 at home, while the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Colorado Rapids 2-0 on the road. Prince Osei Owusu scored the lone goal as CF Montreal beat New York City FC 1-0 and secured its first win of the season. Santiago Moreno scored a late goal in the second half as the Portland Timbers defeated Sporting Kansas City 1-0. Albert Rusnak scored twice as the Seattle Sounders beat the Houston Dynamo 3-1. FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake ended in a 1-1 draw, while the Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew match ended in a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy remain winless through 12 matches this season after getting crushed 7-0 by the New York Red Bulls in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup final. On Sunday, Brian White scored twice as the Vancouver Whitecaps and LAFC match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their moms a surprise phone call on Mother’s Day.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner completed 108 passes on Saturday in their match against the North Carolina Courage, which is the most in Pride history.

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

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