Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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
| Player | Votes |
| Robin Jansson | 18 |
| Daryl Dike | 7 |
| Antonio Carlos | 0 |
| Other (put in the comments below) | 1 |
Orlando City
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Get up to speed on the Pigeons ahead of Saturday’s game, courtesy of someone who knows them best.
Happy Friday, everyone. Orlando City got a week of rest after taking care of business against D.C. United at home, and it returns to the purple palace Saturday night to face a New York City FC team with its back against the wall in the race for a playoff place.
A showdown with the Pigeons means I caught up with Matthew Mangam of New York Soccer Journal. As always, he was helpful in getting us up to speed on NYCFC, and we appreciate his help. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so make sure you check them out over at their place!
Talk me through NYCFC’s summer transfer business. Who’s out, who’s in to replace them, and how have they performed?
Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s summer business wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The club brought in striker Luighi on loan from SE Palmeiras and got back midfielder/defender James Sands, whose loan with St. Pauli ended.
Luighi started off well, bagging four goals in his first seven league appearances. But since then, the 20-year-old is on a five-game drought. To his credit, Luighi started only two of his last five games. As for Sands, this is his third stint at NYCFC, so the versatile 26-year-old was welcomed back with open arms.
The biggest acquisition this summer, though, was Bénie Traoré. The winger joined the club as a Designated Player from FC Basel in Switzerland, but it hasn’t gone well. In 15 league appearances, Traoré has one goal — a penalty kick that hit off the post and went in — and no assists.
The club’s last move that didn’t happen in the summer surprised everyone: adding free agent Matt Miazga. The veteran defender hasn’t made his debut yet, and I’m honestly not sure when he will.
New York City has been a wildly different team since the league restarted after the World Cup. What’s happened to cause the change in form?
MM: I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. There’s so much I could say, but if I did then I’d be here all day. I’ll narrow it down to this: NYCFC can’t play a complete 90 minutes.
NYCFC has conceded six goals in stoppage time this season, is 0-4-12 after falling behind 16 times, and is 4-5-6 at home. So, they can’t hang onto leads — they’ve lost seven points after the 75th minute — they have no come-from-behind wins, and they’re poor at home.
There are other smaller factors, like injuries, individual mistakes from usually solid players (Matt Freese and Sands), and players struggling, but, as I said, it’s a lot.
The playoffs are still in reach, as NYCFC is just two points out of eighth. What needs to happen in order to get above the line and stay there?
MM: Simply put, NYCFC needs to win all four remaining games, or, at the very least, go 3-1-0. Teams around them, like Toronto, Columbus, and Cincinnati, are picking up wins and building separation, so NYCFC is in a do-or-die situation.
Getting Alonso Martínez back and starting again is huge, but you can’t expect him to return from a brutal injury and save the team immediately; it’s not fair. Traoré has to step up and show why the club paid DP money for him — one lone goal that, in my opinion, fortunately went in, and no goals from open play is extremely concerning.
Also, Nico Fernández Mercau hasn’t scored in five matches. He’s getting double- and triple-marked because teams are now well aware of how talented the Argentine is, but he has to find a way back on the scoresheet in this stretch. NYCFC needs him to. So, so badly.
Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?
MM: The only players out are the ones with long-term injuries: Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Arnau Farnós, and Drew Baiera.
Given that NYCFC needs to win or the season is practically over, I expect Head Coach Pascal Jansen to leave it all out there with his best possible lineup:
Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill; Hannes Wolf, Nico Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda; Alonso Martínez.
I think Nico Fernández Mercau and Alonso Martínez score, but it won’t be enough, as Antoine Griezmann gets a brace and both teams settle for a 2-2 draw.
Thank you to Matt for his excellent refresher on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando City prepares for New York City FC, Antoine Griezmann’s impact in Orlando, U.S. will host FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, and more.
Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty nice week for me, as I was able to watch all of Slow Horses and finish reading Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, both of which were brilliant. Attention now turns to this weekend’s soccer, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride playing at home over the next couple of days. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Prepares for New York City FC
The Lions host New York City FC on Saturday in one of the marquee matchups in MLS as the regular season nears its conclusion. Plenty has changed since Orlando’s 5-0 loss to NYCFC on March 7. The Lions have clawed their way up the table while the Pigeons have only won once in their past 13 league games. NYCFC enters this match after a 1-1 draw with LAFC that included an equalizer by former Lion Andres Perea to give the team a valuable point amid the playoff race. Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, Luighi, and Benie Traore are all NYCFC players the Lions will need to keep in check, or else it could end up being another high-scoring affair in the City Beautiful.
Antoine Griezmann’s Impact on Orlando’s Offense
Orlando’s wait for Antoine Griezmann to join in the summer has proven to be well worth it, as he’s transformed Orlando’s attack into a force to be reckoned with just as the playoffs near. Although Griezmann wasn’t able to enjoy a fairytale ending with Atletico Madrid by lifting the Copa del Rey or Champions League trophies this year, he’s breathed life into an Orlando side that struggled mightily prior to his arrival. The 35-year-old has recorded 12 goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances this season. Not only has he excelled when it comes to getting the ball in the net, but he’s done well in terms of defensive metrics and intangibles as well.
U.S. Will Host Women’s Club World Cup
The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be held in the U.S. in January of 2028 with the host cities still to be determined. There will be 19 clubs taking part, with Gotham, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Club America having already qualified along with three other teams so far. This tournament is sandwiched between the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, so there’s plenty of exciting women’s soccer to look forward to in the coming years.
U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team Wins at World Cup
The United States U-17 Women’s National Team won 6-1 against Kenya in the group stage of the FIA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, clinching a spot in the round of 16. Maggie DiMaria scored four goals to bring her total to 10 across just two games. The U.S. will play its final group game on Sunday against China PR, which also won both of its games against Kenya and Samoa to secure a spot in the knockout stage. The winner of this group will get to avoid a match with Spain in the round of 16, so there’s still plenty to play for before the next round gets underway.
Free Kicks
- The first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal between the United States Men’s National Team and Haiti has been moved from Kingston to Miami. Haiti has had to play games outside of the country due to unrest and submitted a request to Concacaf to play in the country of its opponent.
- American center back Naomi Girma is now dealing with a calf injury that may sideline her for a few weeks according to Chelsea Head Coach Sonia Bompastor. She missed out on the team’s recent friendlies against Spain and may be absent for the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador next month too.
- The United States Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team beat Ireland 15-0 to advance to the IFCPF Women’s World Cup final, which takes place today against Australia. Annie Wickett scored five goals with four other players scoring braces.
- The San Diego Wave signed defender Mimi Van Zanten to a contract extension through the 2029 season. She’s made 27 appearances for San Diego during her rookie season, helping the club keep pace in the NWSL Shield race.
- After being stretchered off the field due to a head injury in the U.S. Open Cup final, St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Burki is alert and in good spirits, according to the club.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
Orlando City’s October offensive surge may look like a recent development, but the Lions have been scoring at an impressive rate for months.
We do not watch nearly enough Sesame Street in my house, but ever since the summer we say that A is for Antoine when the show discusses the alphabet. Sadly, this replaced A is for Andrew, which is my name, because Antoine Griezmann is more popular than me in my house. I cannot say that I am surprised, but I can say that it hurts just a little bit. More than a little bit.
For the past few years, O has been for Ojeda, as in Martín Ojeda, the man who is now Orlando City’s all-time leading goal scorer. This October, however, O is for offense, as the Lions have scored 10 goals during their three October matches, and that tally leads all of MLS this month. Orlando City’s offense has actually been on point for several months now, as you can see from the chart below (MLS games only):
| Month | Goals Scored | Games Played | Goals per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| March | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| April | 7 | 5 | 1.4 |
| May | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| July* | 5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| August | 9 | 5 | 1.8 |
| September | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| October | 10 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Total | 58 | 30 | 1.9 |
- *There were no games in June due to the FIFA Men’s World Cup
Griezmann arrived for the July games, but even before that, the offense had started to heat up in May. Although May 1 is an arbitrary date, if we use it as a benchmark it allows us to capture two-thirds of Orlando City’s season, as the first 10 games happened before May and the team has now played 30 in total. Since May, the Lions rank fourth in MLS in goals scored with 46, sitting behind only Miami (54), Philadelphia (52), and St. Louis (47).
In a matter of perfect symmetry, the Lions also rank fourth in goals allowed, and by rank fourth I most certainly do not mean they are among the best defensive teams in the league. Orlando City has allowed 41 goals in the last 20 games, which is an average of more than two goals allowed per game but is also fewer than the 46 the team has scored. I know you already did the math in your head, but 46 – 41 = 5, and that +5 goal differential since May puts the Lions at eighth overall in MLS.
Perhaps we are now in the Inception timeline, because in yet another matter of symmetry Orlando City has also earned the eighth-most points (34) since May 1. This is yet another reminder of how poor of a start the club had this season, with seven losses in those first 10 games.
Since then, however, the 2026 team has performed like the teams of the past few years, but even with a top 10 performance for two-thirds of the season, it has not been able to climb above seventh in the Eastern Conference. This is because four of the five best teams since May are in the same conference, and the ninth and 10th hottest teams, right behind Orlando City, are also in the East. For those of you counting, hopefully in a voice like The Count’s (“Ah, ah,ah!”), that makes seven of the top 10 Eastern teams, so it is no wonder that the Lions are still in a precarious playoff position.
Saturday’s game against New York City FC is, on paper, the easiest of the remaining four games, but then again, the Pigeons did dirty pigeon things all over the Lions in the first matchup, winning that game 5-0. A repeat performance would wipe away the +5 goal differential Orlando has since May, but in addition to the fact that this game will be played on an actual soccer field, there is another pretty major difference between the early season Lions and the current Lions: Griezmann.
The French superstar is up to 12 goals scored and six primary assists (to go with one secondary assist in only 14 MLS games, which is wild), and he and Ojeda make up one of only seven tandems in the league in which both players have at least 12 goals each (Ojeda has 15). Only three tandems have at least 13 goals each (Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey and Evander, and Nashville’s Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar), and with another goal from Griezmann, the two Lions would become the second pair in club history to each score at least 13 goals in a season, joining Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire in 2023.
Marco Pašalić scored in the most recent game, and both Iván Angulo and Justin Ellis have recorded double-digit goal contributions, so let’s hope the team’s recent offensive onslaught continues, because with all the injuries on the back line and some difficult opponents coming up on the schedule, the Lions will likely need to put up multiple goals if they are going to get results and qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
And considering how poor the start to the season was, if they can orchestrate that it would be outstanding. Let’s gooooooooo.
Vamos Orlando!
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
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