Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Heartbreaking. This took forever to write because it took me a while to cool off after what should’ve been an iconic Orlando City victory. But the result is what it is, and the Lions earned a 1-1 draw against a very good Nashville SC side in a match where Orlando played well and could’ve won long before the dramatic final moments.
How did each player fare in the penultimate match of Orlando City’s regular season?
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — El Pulpo had a strong night between the sticks, making seven saves, including a few great saves at close range. His handling wasn’t always great, giving up a few long rebounds, but it didn’t really cost anything. He was fine in passing as well, completing 17 of 21.
D, Emmanuel Mas, 7 — I liked Mas’ performance in this game. He was good defensively, including six interceptions, and was always popping up along the left flank trying to create. He finished with two key passes, two completed dribbles, and had a shot blocked. His crossing wasn’t great, but he was always active. He also completed 58 of 67 passes (86.6%).
D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — To me, Jansson had one of the weaker performances for Orlando. He got caught in bad positions multiple times and was arguably at fault on Nashville’s goal. His willingness to get forward and aggressively contest balls into midfield is admirable, but sometimes can get him into trouble. He did well in possession, completing 58 of 62 passes (93.6%). Defensively, he finished with five clearances, eight ball recoveries and an interception.
D, Antonio Carlos, 7.5 — It was a strong defensive performance for the Brazilian. He put up big defensive numbers with a tackle, two interceptions, eight ball recoveries, and he won a massive 10 of 12 aerial duels. AC was a massive presence in the back, helping put out fires when Nashville got into the final third. With the ball, he completed 61 passes (88.4%), including a key pass.
D, Ruan, 7 — It was another decent game from Ruan. A lot like Mas, he got into a lot of promising areas out wide, completing two crosses and finding a key pass. He wasn’t super involved with the ball, with only 25 completed passes (86.2%). Defensively, he wasn’t perfect and didn’t make much impact statistically with two ball recoveries and no tackles or interceptions.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 7 — Mendez played a good game. At his best, his game can be subtle or even hard to notice, and this was another one of those performances. He completed 60 of his 62 passes (96.8%), including a key pass, and cleaned up defensively with eight ball recoveries and an interception. Mendez did also pick up a yellow card.
MF, Junior Urso, 7.5 — The Bear delivered another great all-around game against Nashville. Urso completed 56 of 61 passes (91.8%), including a key pass, and was constantly driving the ball upfield, including a successful dribble. He was active around the box as well, with two shots, including one that hit the post and a great opportunity late in the match that he should’ve put on frame. Defensively, he was active with a tackle, two interceptions and seven ball recoveries.
MF, Nani, 8 (MotM) — Admittedly I’m probably being generous in giving Nani Man of the Match, but he looked like the best player on the pitch and did a lot of really good things. He was combining well and did a good job of distributing into the final third, as well as looking to play the final ball. He finished with two key passes and completed 44 of 52 passes (84.6%), as well as a team high four completed dribbles. Nani even chipped in defensively with two tackles, an interception, and four ball recoveries.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra was active in this game, but it didn’t yield a lot of end product. He finished with only one key pass, but he was active in possession with 39 accurate passes (only 78% completion percentage though). He did also finish with two shots (one on target) and a successful dribble. Pereyra also chipped in a little defensively with a tackle and three ball recoveries. While it wasn’t his best outing, he still made an impact.
MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — A lot like Pereyra, Mueller was very active in this game with little to show for it. He got on the ball and tried to make things happen, but it didn’t really sync up. He had two shots and a key pass, and he did get the assist on Daryl Dike’s goal. Outside of that one moment though, there were no clearcut opportunities for Mueller. He finished with 21 of 25 passes completed (84%), one interception and a ball recovery in over 70 minutes of action.
F, Daryl Dike, 7.5 — Dike’s performance is clouded by the end of the game (not through any fault of his own), but it was another quality overall performance from the young striker. He got yet another goal, and his overall play, especially in the first half, was good. He was an outlet with the ball and a solid holdup option up top. He wasn’t the cleanest with the ball — one of two on dribbles and he was dispossessed four times — but he gave Walker Zimmerman and company fits. Dike finished with three shots (one on frame) and even a key pass, one of his six completed passes (75%), for the match. The end of the game foul is a killer, but in no universe was that a foul, especially on replay, so I’m not going to give Dike any grief for that.
Substitutes
F, Benji Michel (74’), 5.5 — This feels harsh, but frankly Michel didn’t do much of anything in just under 20 minutes of action. He had only five touches, completing three passes, and was dispossessed and gave up a foul. Michel was unable to bring the heroics against Nashville this time around.
F, Alexandre Pato (86’), 7.5 — Pato didn’t actually play enough minutes to typically qualify for a full grade, but he almost pulled out one of the most incredible moments in Orlando City history, so he gets a high grade anyway. If that free kick is an inch lower or that foul isn’t called and Perea’s rebound counts, Pato is an instant cult hero. But alas. He also finished with two completed passes.
MF, Andres Perea (90’+1), 7.5 — Same situation as above. Perea was robbed of an incredible, heroic moment by appalling officiating. He made the good effort play to follow up on the loose ball in the box and slotted it home. In a better universe, he’s man of the match and Orlando clinches a playoff spot. But here we are. Perea also completed all three of his passes.
MF, Silvester van der Water (90’+1), N/A — It was just a cameo appearance for the Dutchman. He completed one pass and it was his only touch of the match.
D, Kyle Smith (90’+1), N/A — Another cameo appearance. I did notice Smith trying to push forward when the Lions were pushing for the winner, but he didn’t really impact the match much in his limited action. He completed two of three passes as well.
Those were my thoughts. Make sure to leave your grades below and vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Nani | 1 |
| Daryl Dike | 18 |
| Junior Urso | 5 |
| Antonio Carlos | 4 |
| Other (Comment Below) | 2 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/7/26
Orlando City players on international duty, the Pride hire some coaches, the USMNT defeats Canada, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. What an international break it was for the USMNT, going undefeated in four matches by defeating Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. The Yanks outscored their opponents 12-3 across the four matches, with Orlando City’s Justin Ellis scoring two goals in his two starts. There’s plenty to digest today, so let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Players on International Duty
Several Orlando City players were on international duty on Tuesday, including Ellis for the USMNT. He scored a goal against Canada (see below) but also picked up a knock that saw him limping for all too long and forcing him off at halftime. Hopefully, he will be able to go this weekend for Orlando City. Marco Pasalic did not get any minutes for Croatia in the team’s 2-1 loss to Spain. Meanwhile, David Brekalo got the start and played the entire match for Slovenia in a 2-1 win over Scotland.
Orlando Pride Add to Coaching Staff
The Orlando Pride hired Mykell Bates and Lewis Amos as assistant coaches and Brian Periman as goalkeeper coach. The trio joins interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’s coaching staff, and the timing of these hires is interesting, given there are only three matches remaining in the season and there’s been no indication that the interim tag is being removed from Thomas. These hirings raise a lot of questions, like, are these short term signings through the end of the season? If not, do they indicate Thomas will be given the permanent position, or are have they been hired knowing there is another head coaching announcement coming?
USMNT Defeats Canada
If you thought a match between the U.S. and Canada wouldn’t be very Concacaf-y, you’d be wrong. So many non-calls, lots of chippiness, and a few injuries proved otherwise. Fortunately, the USMNT was able to see out a 1-0 victory following a goal from Orlando City’s Ellis that gave the Yanks the lead in the 29th minute.
Oh, what could have been if Alex Freeman stayed in Orlando. The win capped a successful run for the start of Maurcio Pochettino’s new contract. We also saw a ton of younger players across the four matches, including three appearances from Ellis.
USWNT to Face Spain
The USMNT is done for the moment, but now we get to see how the USWNT does in a pair of friendlies against reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Spain. NWSL Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez is getting back up to speed with the team after she was called up for the pair of friendlies. As was previously reported, Naomi Girma is out due to injury, but Emma Hayes intends to work with Chelsea to manage her recovery. A new camp means opportunities for different players, so which players’ stock is up or down?
Free Kicks
- The Orlando Pride’s 12th-place spot in SI.com’s power rankings seems to be fair to me. I’m looking forward to the rebuild.
- Here is the information on when the seven Orlando Pride players who were called up will be playing for their respective national teams.
- UCF’s soccer teams unveiled new ‘“‘Fright Mode’ kits. I like the prominent “Orlando” across the chest.
- Gianni Infantino is traveling around the world, trying to garner enough support to win the votes needed to stay in power as the president of FIFA. He currently has 87 endorsements, though 49 other federations have come out in opposition to Infantino.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City match on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/6/26
International call-ups for Pride players, scouting report on Canada, roster changes for the USWNT, and more.
Good morning, everyone. The end of the men’s international break is almost upon us, but the women’s break will immediately follow. That means that Orlando City will return to play on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will have some time off before their next game. We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Orlando Pride International Call-Ups
Three more Orlando Pride players have been called to represent their nations during the October international window, joining Oihane, who will be with Spain for its matches against the USWNT. First up is Barbra Banda, who will represent Zambia in the team’s Olympic qualifying games against Uganda.
Then there’s Jacquie Ovalle and Solai Washington, who will be facing off against each other in back-to-back games. Ovalle has been called up for Mexico, while Washington will represent Jamaica.
At the U-23 level, Ally Lemos will be with the U.S. and Sanne Lekven will be with Norway during this window.
Scouting Canada
The United States Men’s National Team will play its final game of the October international window when it takes on Canada tonight in Saint Paul, MN. Jesse Marsch’s current roster has a number of notable absences, including Alphonso Davies, Jayden Nelson, Alistair Johnson, and Ismael Kone; while Derek Cornelius, Jeevan Badwal, and Alfie Jones left the team during the break because of injuries. Canada typically sets up in a 4-4-2 and will employ a high press paired with a vertical style of play that aims to win the ball and then quickly get it forward to the team’s dangerous attackers. Jonathan David and Tany Oluwaseyi provide that danger up front, while Stephen Eustaquio runs things in the middle, and Richie Laryea provides danger up and down the left flank.
United States Women’s National Team Roster Tweaks
The United States Women’s National Team has made a pair of changes to the squad that will take on Spain in a pair of friendlies this month. Utah Royals defender Kate Del Fava has been named as the replacement for the injured Naomi Girma, after it was announced last week that the center back would be unavailable for this window. Del Fava was going to be one of the overage players at the USWNT U-23 training camp also taking place this month, but now has an opportunity to make her first appearance for the senior side. Additionally, midfielder Jaelin Howell will replace Sam Coffey, after the latter was injured during Manchester City’s win over the weekend. Howell has made six appearances for the USWNT, with the most recent one coming in a 2-0 victory over Italy during the team’s final game of 2025.
UEFA Nations League Roundup
Monday marked the penultimate round of UEFA Nations League play during the current international window, and we were treated to some doozies. The highlight of the day was a five-goal thriller that saw France score four goals in the final 15 minutes to overturn a one goal deficit and beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France. Italy knocked off Turkiye 3-1 to climb to second place in Group A1, while the result sees Turkiye remain winless and anchored to the bottom of the table. Finally, Ukraine looked to have rescued a point with Roman Yaremchuk’s 83rd-minute goal, only for Mark Csinger to bag a winner for Hungary just two minutes later. The 2-1 result means Hungary is second in Group B2 with seven points, while Ukraine is third with four points.
Free Kicks
- The Pride dropped three spots to no.13 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Alex Freeman flexed his pipes and sang Happy Birthday to USMNT coach Jesus Perez during Monday’s training session.
- We now know the key dates for the 2026-2027 season of MLS NEXT.
- Check out this list of some of the 2026-2027 season’s most eye-catching kits (for better or worse).
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/5/26
Pride fall to San Diego Wave, Tyrese Spicer has successful foot surgery, USMNT beats Mexico, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school soccer and flag football throughout the week. We only had the Pride in action over the weekend, but we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Fall to San Diego Wave at Home
The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave on Friday at Inter.co Stadium in the latest in a series of games that they had to have. Orlando trailed 2-0 in the first half, conceding twice on defensive errors. In the second half, Barbra Banda pulled the Pride within one after she buried a penalty kick that she won herself. However, it wasn’t enough, as Orlando couldn’t find a late equalizer and San Diego took all three points. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will return to action on Oct. 18 to face the Houston Dash on the road.
Tyrese Spicer Has Successful Foot Surgery
Orlando City forward Tyrese Spicer underwent successful foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, the club announced on Friday. Spicer had suffered the injury while away on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago in a Concacaf Nations League match against Haiti on Sept. 24. We at The Mane Land wish Spicer a speedy recovery, but his 2026 MLS season is likely over.
USMNT Shuts Out Mexico in Friendly
The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-0 on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Orlando City forward Justin Ellis came off the bench to make his second USMNT appearance in the second half, playing 25 minutes. Former Lion Alex Freeman started and played 90 minutes. Julian Hall scored the opener in the first half for the Yanks. In the second half, Cavan Sullivan doubled the Americans’ lead to become the USMNT’s youngest scorer in team history just four days after Mathis Albert set that mark with his goal against Chile on Tuesday. Malik Tillman added the final goal as the Yanks have won three consecutive matches during the international break. The USMNT will close out this round of friendlies on Tuesday, taking on Canada at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN.
Other Lions on International Duty
Multiple Orlando City players represented their national teams over the weekend during the international break. Forward Marco Pasalic was on the bench but did not play for Croatia in a 7-0 defeat to England in a UEFA Nations League match on Saturday. Croatia will face Spain on Tuesday. Lions defender David Brekalo was on the bench but came on after halftime and played 45 minutes for Slovenia in a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. Slovenia will take on Scotland on Tuesday. Midfielder Wilder Cartagena started and played 45 minutes for Peru, while former Lion Yoshimar Yotun was also in action in a 2-0 loss to Canada in a friendly. Peru will play Colombia on Tuesday in another friendly match.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, notched another assist over the weekend in a 3-1 win against Brooklyn FC in the USL Championship.
- Check out this piece on the Orlando City website featuring Head of Player Care Pedro Cox and Team Administrator Danny Quesada, who help welcome new players and their families, get acquainted with the club, ensure their needs are met, and thrive off the field.
- The Lions were at Osceola Heritage Park on Saturday and spent time with the Orlando City U-12 squad during training.
- Arsenal will reportedly not move forward with plans to expand the Emirates Stadium beyond its current capacity and will instead focus on improving hospitality, retail, and the fan matchday experience.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
SkoPurp Soccer Episode 141: San Diego Wave Rewind, Listener Mail, and More
Lion Links: 10/7/26
PawedCast Episode 554: USMNT, Spicer’s Surgery, Columbus Preview, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Get Pounded in Philly
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 9/23/26
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 9/24/26
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Lion Links1 week agoLion Links: 9/30/26