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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City went on the road and lost 3-2 against the Columbus Crew in an important match for both sides. The Crew avoided elimination from playoff contention while the Lions will have much more pressure on them in their final two matches. Columbus scored off of two set pieces in the first half and then Lucas Zelarayan scored a golazo that ultimately sank Orlando.

Let’s dive into how each player performed in the loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo was able to get a hand to Miguel Berry’s strong header but not enough to keep the ball out of the back of the net as the Crew took the lead in the 20th minute. On the Crew’s second goal, Gallese misjudged a corner kick lofted towards the back post and couldn’t make a play on the ball as it landed at Derrick Etienne’s foot and he put it into the net. There wasn’t much he could do about Zelarayan’s strike from distance as the swerving ball was perfectly placed and dipped under the crossbar. Gallese finished the match with two saves, including a great effort to keep Zelarayan from scoring off of a free kick. The Peruvian goalkeeper didn’t attempt any long balls but was successful on all 12 of his passes.

D, Kyle Smith, 4 — In his first start since Sept. 19, Smith struggled at left back with Joao Moutinho unavailable and Emmanuel Mas on the bench. After conceding a corner, his poor clearance served the ball on a silver platter back to Zelarayan, the one player on the Crew you don’t want to give time and space to pick out a cross. Zelarayan whipped a good second ball in and Berry scored for the Crew’s first goal. Smith completed 84% of his 37 passes and didn’t make much of an impact on offense as his lone cross was unsuccessful. He had 48 touches, two tackles, an interception, and three clearances in 73 minutes of action. He also received a yellow card after getting turned inside out by Etienne and fouling him right outside the box, giving Zelarayan a dangerous opportunity that forced a save from Gallese. It was far from Smith’s best game in purple to say the least.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 (MotM) — Jansson scored his third goal of the year by hustling down the field and making a great run to get on the end of a cross by Tesho Akindele and tuck the ball into the far corner. He also had a key pass in the match, delivering a cross that Dike headed wide. Only Mauricio Pereyra had more than Jansson’s 74 touches and he completed 91% of his 65 passes — the most on the team. While he didn’t have any tackles as the Crew built their attack through the wings, Jansson had an interception and two clearances to take care of most issues that came his way. He perhaps could have done more against Berry on the first goal after switching men with Antonio Carlos, but it was an outswinging ball for the 6-foot-3 Berry. Jansson’s overall game and ability to keep the Lions in it thanks to his goal and some sound defending earns him the title of Man of the Match.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Like Jansson, Carlos didn’t have any tackles over the course of the match, but he did lead Orlando with three interceptions and also had three clearances and a pair of blocks. Carlos had 58 passes at an 81% success rate and his 72 touches were third most on the team. He and Jansson continue to play well together as the backbone of Orlando’s defense and he couldn’t do much about the Crew’s goals.

D, Ruan, 5 — The right back gave up an unnecessary corner kick that led to the second Crew goal when he seemed to have plenty of room to have instead headed it upfield or out for a throw, and then he compounded his own problem. Ruan simply had to do better when defending the back post on the Crew’s second goal as Etienne had little trouble tapping the ball into the net after it sailed over Gallese. He had inside position on his man and failed to track his movement or the flight of the ball on the play. Doing either one could have kept it a one-goal game. Columbus did a good job limiting Ruan’s offensive capability by keeping him pinned back in defense. The right back led the team with five clearances as he sprinted around to put out fires and he also had a tackle and an interception. He didn’t have any key passes and was successful on one of his three crosses. Ruan had 62 touches and completed 83% of his 36 passes as the Crew kept the wings crowded.

MF, Andres Perea, 4 — The 20-year-old was kept busy defensively by the Crew throughout the game. Perea had three tackles, four clearances, and an interception, but he was part of a midfield that was completely overrun in the match. He switched from Zelarayan to take Steven Moreira and that left the DP open to score the eventual game winner, though Perea should have had some help — likely from Benji Michel, who didn’t track back to defend — on that play, because he was forced to cover two men. Hey, when in doubt, cover the bigger threat who is more centrally located.

Perea played every minute of the match and only had 58 touches while completing just 35 of his 45 passes for a mediocre 78% success rate. Like Mauricio Pereyra, Perea tried to force passes into congested areas, wasting attacking buildup. He had no crosses or key passes and his only shot went over the crossbar from long range when he had more dangerous options he could have picked out. It was a rough outing for the young midfielder.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 5 — With Orlando trailing at halftime, Mendez was subbed off in favor of Tesho Akindele for the Lions to hunt goals in the second half. The yellow card Mendez picked up in the 13th minute also likely contributed to Oscar Pareja’s decision to take him off at the half. Mendez had one shot in the match, sending the ball high into the stands in an attempt from outside the box. He finished with 33 touches and 27 passes at an 89% success rate and helped out defensively with two tackles.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5 — All three of Mueller’s shots were headed efforts at goal. His best chance to score came in the 63rd minute as he received a cross in front of goal at close range but he headed the ball right into the hands of Eloy Room. It was his only shot on target and his header in the 26th minute robbed Carlos from getting to it from a better position (although he couldn’t have known that at the time). Mueller also had a key pass in the match, setting Mendez up for a shot after a corner. His only attempted cross was deflected out for a corner. Mueller had 32 touches before being subbed off in the 73rd minute and completed 86% of his 21 passes.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — The Designated Player led the Lions with three key passes, including two nice crosses from free kicks that easily could’ve ended up as assists for the Uruguayan if they’d been finished better. While Pereyra did well creating chances from free kicks, he had a tougher time from the corner flag as he was successful on just one of the team’s four. He led the team with 78 touches but was only successful on 45 of 59 passes for a 76% success rate. While many of those 14 inaccurate passes were long attempts while dealing with a crowded midfield, Pereyra was brought to Orlando to find those tighter spaces that spring players into dangerous areas and he struggled repeatedly to do so in this match. Defensively, he had two interceptions and a block. It was Pereyra’s sixth straight appearance without a goal or an assist and the DP will need to end that drought soon as the Lions hunt for a playoff berth.

MF, Nani, 5 — Orlando’s other Designated Player wasn’t able to get much going and was subbed off at halftime. Nani didn’t have any shots and just one key pass — a low cross that Dike couldn’t get on target from a tough angle. It was his only cross in the match and he drifted into the midfield once Orlando was trailing to try to make more of an impact. Nani finished with 30 touches and 23 passes at an 83% success rate while chipping in on defense with three tackles. The captain is capable of bending a match to his will, but was fairly ineffective on the road in Ohio and may have been replaced down two goals to save his legs for Sunday more than for his performance.

F, Daryl Dike, 5.5 — The forward’s only shot on target was the penalty he converted early in the first half. Dike’s first attempt was saved by Room, but the goalkeeper came off his line early and the kick had to be retaken. Despite the pressure of retaking a kick that was initially saved, Dike was cool as can be and fired his shot in practically the same spot to power it past Room for Orlando’s first goal. His other two shots came from crosses into the box but he wasn’t able to get either on frame. Dike dueled with Jonathan Mensah throughout the match and had an understandably hard time breaking through. Regardless, he had just 28 touches and 10 passes at an 80% success rate in a match where the Lions spent most of their time trailing. Some of his holdup play was marred by heavy touches, and, while it’s great that Dike’s proven himself as a more than capable penalty taker, three of his past five goals have come from the spot and Orlando needs to find a way to get him more involved in open play moving forward.

Substitutes

MF, Benji Michel (45’), 4.5 — Michel may have only had one shot, but it was a notable one as his attempt just a few minutes into the second half was blocked by a hand ball from Mensah. Apart from that, Michel didn’t have much of an influence on the match despite playing an entire half. The Homegrown Player had no key passes, one unsuccessful cross, 18 touches, and just nine passes at an 89% success rate. He also had no defensive stats and didn’t track back in time to stop Zelarayan from setting up his goal from range. Brought on to give the Lions some energy and firepower while trailing 2-0 at halftime, Michel wasn’t able to use his speed to really test the Crew’s defense. Michel hasn’t had a goal or an assist since scoring on Aug. 21

F, Tesho Akindele (45’), 5.5 — Although he didn’t have a shot, Akindele came up with a nice assist late in the match. After finding some space with the ball, the Canadian spotted Jansson’s run into the box and whipped a nice ball over the defense for him to score. He had 21 touches and 18 passes at a 78% success rate after coming on for the second half. It was the longest Akindele’s been on the field since his start on Sept. 19 and the assist was his sixth of the year.

MF, Alexandre Pato (73’), 4.5 — Coming on for Mueller, Pato played a central attacking role in the midfield in an effort to help the Lions claw their way back into the match. His only shot was on the volley and came deep into stoppage time with Orlando trailing by just a goal, but the shot was blocked. He finished the game with 11 touches and completed five of his eight passes for a 63% success rate. It was Pato’s third appearance this season after missing most of the year due to the injury and these were some valuable minutes for him, even if he wasn’t able to influence the match much.

D, Emmanuel Mas (73’), 5.5 — The left back replaced Smith as the Lions searched for goals. Mas had a key pass by setting up the transition opportunity that ended in Perea’s shot and he also fed Akindele the ball before the latter’s assist. Mas had 20 touches, a tackle, no crosses, and completed eight of his 13 passes for a 62% completion rate. An argument can certainly made that he should’ve been brought on sooner or that he should’ve started in the first place.

That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 3-2 loss to the Crew. 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
Robin Jansson18
Daryl Dike7
Antonio Carlos0
Other (put in the comments below)1

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Opinion

Orlando City’s Start to the Season a Pleasant Surprise So Far

The Lions have started the new season well enough, but we shouldn’t get too carried away just yet.

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12 hours ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City didn’t have a ton of roster turnover to deal with during the off-season, it was really anybody’s guess as to what sort of start the Lions would make to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. There was obviously the loss of all-time leading goal scorer Facundo Torres to deal with, then Wilder Cartagena was lost for the year in preseason, although the club did a great job in landing Eduard Atuesta to replace him. There were also questions about depth at left back, center back, and central midfield. It was anyone’s guess on how Marco Pasalic would adjust to life in MLS, and there were serious questions about whether the Lions had enough firepower up front with Duncan McGuire unavailable to start the season while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

While the club returned the vast majority of the guys who played key roles in helping reach the Eastern Conference final, on paper, the roster didn’t improve and arguably got weaker, so was it truly realistic to expect the team to go a step farther and make the final this year?

Despite all of those concerns, and despite a confidence-shaking 4-2 opening game loss to the Philadelphia Union, Orlando has largely made a good start to the campaign. The Lions have compiled a respectable 3-2-3 record and have 12 points to show for it, currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the first-place Columbus Crew.

Even in the two losses, it’s hard to make the argument that OCSC played truly bad games on the whole. Rather, the Lions were undone by moments of bad defending and losses of concentration that led to silly mistakes, particularly against the Union. The shaky defending has certainly been one of the bigger concerns, especially on an Oscar Pareja-coached team, but things have begun to look better after keeping two straight clean sheets.

Ironically, even though the offense seemed to be most people’s biggest concern before the season started, it’s been the part of the team that has consistently functioned at the highest level. Before the two 0-0 draws, Orlando had scored the most goals in the league, and despite being held scoreless twice in a row, they still have the third-most goals scored. Out of OCSC’s six games played with a first choice XI, the Lions have scored more than one goal four times. Even in the games when they haven’t been as prolific, or have largely been on the back foot, the Lions have still managed to carve out a healthy number of chances. While their finishing has let them down at times, they’ve still managed to get several good looks at goal in every game, and that’s half the battle.

All in all, it’s been a perfectly respectable start to the season, and the team honestly has performed higher than my (probably slightly pessimistic) expectations. While the start hasn’t been white hot, it’s been nice to not see the sort of slow start that so often has seemed to plague this club during Pareja’s tenure at the helm.

That being said, I think it’s important to place the beginning of the year in the proper context. It’s worth noting that of the teams that Orlando has played to this point, Philadelphia is the only one currently above the playoff line (although the New York Red Bulls occupy the last play-in spot). The Lions have beaten an LA Galaxy team that is the worst in the West; Toronto FC, which is second from the bottom in the East; and D.C. United, which is third from the bottom in the East. They drew the fifth-place Union on the road, and lost to NYCFC at the baseball stadium. But it has to be said that Orlando has faced a noticeable lack of top shelf opponents so far.

Essentially, Orlando has played three bad teams, two decent ones, and one that started very well but has cooled off in recent weeks (twice). Of course, OCSC can’t do anything about that, but it’s worth asking if the solid start to the season is due to the Lions legitimately being a good team, or if it’s more of a paper tiger situation where they just haven’t had to play many tough opponents yet.

There isn’t really any way of knowing for sure, and there won’t be any hints for awhile. With the way the standings currently look, Orlando won’t face a team above the playoff line until they go up against Charlotte FC on the road on May 14. I don’t bring all of this up to try to dampen the mood, but I just don’t think we have a truly accurate idea of this team’s level yet. Which is fair and totally fine, after all we’re only eight games into the season.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t give OCSC its due for a solid start to the year. It hasn’t been perfect by any means, but the team has done more good than bad, and the Lions’ current place in the standings reflects that. We should still keep things in perspective and resist the urge to dole out too much praise just yet, but we can be happy with what we’ve seen so far.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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15 hours ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

Free Kicks

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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Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?

Designated Goal Scorers

What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.

Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.

Keep it Clean

There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.

Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Give the Midfield Time

Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.

Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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