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Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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Orlando City came into Decision Day needing a result on the road against CF Montreal to clinch a playoff spot. In a tense match, both sides traded punches early before Orlando City took some control with an incredible finish from Sebas Mendez. Daryl Dike put the game on ice with a late goal after Montreal went down a man.

It was tense, but in the end it was a strong, decisive 2-0 victory that clinched back-to-back postseasons for Orlando City. How did each Lion perform in Sunday’s regular season finale?

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — Gallese was a hero early in the game, making some big saves and securing loose balls — including what should have been an easy tap-in for Montreal — to keep a clean sheet in the first half. He wasn’t asked to do as much down the stretch, but was his usual, great self in this game. El Pulpo finished with three saves, eight ball recoveries, 20 passes at a 45% completion rate, and was successful on nine of his 19 long balls.

D, Emmanuel Mas, 6 — I wasn’t impressed with Mas’s overall performance, especially his defensive work. Montreal was routinely attacking down his side of the field, creating plenty of dangerous chances and Mas wasn’t doing much to negate it. To his credit, he was strong in possession and going forward, completing 35 of 47 passes for a 74% success rate and also completing a dribble, although he did not attempt a cross. He also finished with three tackles, an interception, a block, two clearances, and six ball recoveries.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — Jansson was massive in this game, especially early. He made big plays defensively and was opportunistic going forward, even hitting the post from a long-range free kick on one of his two shots (the other was blocked). Jansson also aided in possession with a handful of line-breaking deep balls. The Swede completed 83% of his 36 passes and was huge defensively with five clearances, two tackles, two interceptions, two blocks, and two ball recoveries.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — It was a solid defensive performance from Carlos. He kind of struggled with the ball, completing only 15 of 27 passes for a mediocre 56% success rate, but he was a force cleaning up defensively. He had six clearances, six ball recoveries, two interceptions, and two tackles. Even if it wasn’t his strongest game, the Brazilian center back came up big on the back end, making enough plays to protect the clean sheet.

D, Ruan, 7 — The Brazilian was quiet for most of the game, with no defensive stats beyond one ball recovery. He didn’t make much of an impact on offense as he was unsuccessful on all four of his attempted crosses, but he did have an assist on Dike’s goal. Ruan ripped through Montreal’s defense and delivered a nice ball through to Dike in space for the goal that all but guaranteed Orlando’s place in the postseason. The right back was successful on 16 of his 21 passes for a 76% success rate

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra started this match very well, looking clever and quick with the ball. Even as he faded down the stretch, it was a decent outing for the Uruguayan. He led the team with three key passes and completed 36 of his 46 passes for a 78% completion rate. His only shot was from a free kick and it was taken well enough that Sebastian Breza had to make a diving save that went out for a corner. Pereyra also got it done with the ball, completing three of his four attempted dribbles. He was a touch sloppy and at times out of sync with the players around him, but it was overall a strong game. He also finished with an interception and seven ball recoveries, defensively.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 7.5 — It was a moment of absolute brilliance from Mendez that opened the scoring for Orlando City as he scored his first goal for the club. The perfectly placed curler beat the keeper from range and I didn’t know he had this shooting ability in his locker. His overall game was pretty strong, cleaning up defensively and keying possession from defense to attack. Mendez completed 47 of 49 passes for an excellent 96% completion rate and he had a tackle, two clearances, a block, and seven ball recoveries. The goal overshadowed everything else, but it was another strong performance from the Ecuadorian.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — This was one of Urso’s quieter performances in recent weeks. He was his usual, active self, but he made some mistakes with the ball that gave Montreal opportunities that fortunately didn’t amount to much. Urso completed 85% of 34 passes and had his only shot blocked. Defensively, he had two tackles, an interception, five ball recoveries, and a clearance.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 5.5 — The Dutchman had some promising moments, but it was a lackluster half of action for van der Water. At times, he looked good on the ball and threatening going forward, but he made too many mistakes and didn’t have any shots or crosses in open play. He did have a key pass and was successful on one of his two set pieces. Van der Water completed just eight of 12 passes and had one successful dribble. He did little defensively, finishing with a tackle and one ball recovery.

F, Benji Michel, 5.5 — Maybe this is a little harsh, but Michel wasn’t particularly sharp in this game. He was gritty and had flashes, but he was consistently one of the weaker links in Orlando City’s attack. His lone shot was off target and he didn’t have any crosses. Michel completed 16 of 20 passes, had a key pass, completed two dribbles, was dispossessed twice, and also had an interception, a clearance, and three ball recoveries. His hustle defensively helped support Mas as Montreal attacked down its right side much of the game.

F, Daryl Dike, 8 (MotM) — The big highlight was the late goal, with an excellent run and finish to ice the game, but his overall impact was immense. He was a constant outlet in possession — even if his touch was inconsistent — and he was a nuisance in the press. Multiple times he was in good spots upfield, but there was nobody around him in support. By the end of the match, his hustle and physicality were too much for Montreal to match, contributing to a Montreal red card from Rudy Camacho’s slide tackle against him.

The American striker completed 13 of 18 passes for a 72% success rate and his other shot apart from the goal was a header flicked off target. Dike had a key pass, made a successful dribble, drew five fouls, and also had a tackle and a clearance. In the biggest moment of the season, Orlando’s brightest young star made a splash.

Substitutes

MF, Andres Perea (45’), 6 — Perea came in at halftime for van der Water to help shore up the midfield and I think he did a good job of that. Once Perea got on the field, Orlando felt more solid defensively and wasn’t nearly as exposed as in the first half. He only completed six of 11 passes for a 55% completion rate and also had a completed dribble. Defensively, he had three tackles, a clearance, a block, and three ball recoveries.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — The wave of substitutes came in after the second goal and nobody had to do much of anything in their cameos. Kyle Smith completed both of his passes while on the field, won a corner, and wasn’t asked to do much defensively.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (87’), N/A — Schlegel came in to add more defensive bodies on the field and helped keep things solid in the final stages. He had a clearance, completed both of his passes, and made a ball recovery.

F, Tesho Akindele (87’), N/A — Akindele completed all four of his passes and made an interception in his brief appearance late in the match.

MF, Uri Rosell (89’), N/A — Rosell helped out in the midfield during stoppage time and had an interception and a ball recovery.


That’s how I judged things. Make sure to leave your thoughts below and vote for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Daryl Dike17
Sebas Mendez36
Robin Jansson10
Other (Comment Below)2

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 loss against the Chicago Fire?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City turned one loss into two heading into the international break. The Lions gave up three first-half goals and lost 3-1 at home to the Chicago Fire. A determined but ineffective offense wasn’t able to make up for lapses on the defensive end. The break is about a week late, but perhaps the players can get some rest. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo literally had the ball slip through his hands on Philip Zinckernagel’s early goal. The other two goals weren’t on him, but it’s hard to forgive the first howler. He recorded one save and one clearance. It was not a great night from Gallese, but every keeper has one like that occasionally. He had 22 touches, completing 89.5% of his 19 passes and five of his seven long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 —Brekalo started at left back as usual, but after Rodrigo Schlegel subbed off he moved inside with Robin Jansson. He was busy in both halves of the pitch as he pressed into the attack when at fullback. He didn’t push forward quite as much after moving to center back, though he did still contribute as Orlando chased the match. He recorded 71 touches, completing 86.2% of his 58 passes. Brekalo also completed four of his five long balls. Like many, he managed one shot, though it wasn’t on target as his effort off a corner kick was blocked. Defensively, he tallied three interceptions and one tackle.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The captain let his emotions get the better of him in the first half. He was battling Hugo Cuypers all night, and given Cuypers scored a brace, I can’t say Jansson won the matchup. His frustration resulted in a yellow card in the 45th minute. After the half, he was able to get back on track, though the damage was done. Jansson had 70 touches, completing 100% of his 59 passes. He had one key pass and even took one shot, though it wasn’t on target. Defensively, he recorded three clearances and one tackle.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4.5 — It was not a good night for Schlegel. He lost Cuypers on the second and third Chicago goals, and it’s not recommended to allow the opposition’s best goal scorer to be alone in the box or to get in behind the back line. Defensively, he only contributed two tackles and recorded no interceptions or clearances. He managed 30 touches and completed 88.9% of his 27 passes. Schlegel committed two fouls and received a yellow card in the 49th minute. He was subbed off in the 54th minute for Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman scored Orlando’s only goal in the 39th minute, putting a header off the corner kick on target and into the back of the net by way of a deflection in front. It was his lone shot on target in two attempts. The right back recorded 77 touches, completing 78.4% of his 51 passes, including five crosses and one key pass. Defensively, he recorded three interceptions, one clearance, and one tackle.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo still doesn’t have a goal in 2025, which isn’t surprising given his one shot on goal was well off target. He wasn’t bad in this match, but he also didn’t play very long, as he only touched the ball 19 times. He got lost defensively on the second Chicago goal as there was poor communication and he strayed inside, leaving Zinckernagel out wide alone for an easy cross to Cuypers. His best moment in the match came after tracking back to help recover the ball in his own end before making an incredible long run deep into the attacking box and backheeling a pass to Luis Muriel, who dropped it to Marco Pasalic for a good scoring chance. Angulo completed all of his 12 passes. He came off at halftime for Ramiro Enrique, but he was one of the few players who appeared to have a lot of jump in his legs in the first half.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 (MotM) — Atuesta showed how important he is to Orlando City club in this match. His vision and ability to connect passes put teammates in dangerous places, even if they couldn’t convert those chances. He continued to make good passes in and around the box trying to get Orlando’s offense going. Atuesta had a team-high 94 touches, completing 89.7% of his 78 passes, including two key passes. He connected on five of his seven long balls and one of his seven crosses. Atuesta attempted two shots, though neither was on target. Defensively, he contibuted one tackle.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet started in place of the suspended Cesar Araujo and continues to have some rookie struggles midway through the season. If he hadn’t been so good earlier in the season, it wouldn’t seem like he’s having difficulty lately. Like others, he got a little bit better as the match went on, though he came off in the 77th minute for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Gerbet had 44 touches, completing 93.8% of his 32 passes, winning one aerial, and recording one key pass. Defensively, he contributed four tackles, and one interception,

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — Pasalic was active if ultimately ineffective in Orlando’s attack with four shots, though he only put one on target. He recorded 63 touches, completing 82.2% of his 45 passes, including two of his four long balls. Pasalic contributed two key passes and connected on one of his five crosses. He took a nasty tumble, hitting the back of his head when he landed, though he was able to continue. He exited in the 88th minute for Gustavo Caraballo.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — It was Ojeda’s corner kick that found the head of Freeman to give Orlando its only goal. He wasn’t able to contribute a goal in this match, though not for a lack of trying. He took four shots with one on target, led the team with eight key passes, and recorded the assist. Ojeda touched the ball 62 times, completing 90.6% of 32 passes. He was fouled three times, one of which earned a free kick outside the box in the 58th minute. He even contributed on defense with two tackles and an interception.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — On another night Muriel has at least a brace. He took six shots with none on target, though he had a free kick that went into the wall 59th minute, and he hit the crossbar in the 64th. If that ball is two inches lower, Orlando maybe climbs back into the match. He still dribbled into blind alleys and gave the ball away to the opposition, though not as much as in some other matches. He had 65 touches, completing 80% of his 35 passes, including one cross and two key passes.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique, (45′), 6 — Enrique came on for Angulo to start the second half as the Lions pushed for a comeback. He was fairly accurate, putting two of his four shots on target. One shot in the 62nd minute went right to the keeper, though the other shot was saved it was a very well taken chance on the outside of his right foot as he moved towards the goal. He also made a great tackle in the 86th minute to take the ball back from Jonathan Bamba. He did all of that on only 19 touches, completing 88.9% of his nine passes, including one key pass.

D, Rafael Santos, (54’), 5.5 — With both Schlegel and Jansson on yellow cards, Santos came on to replace Schlegel to allow Brekalo to move inside with Jansson. Perhaps it was because of the desperation with which Orlando City was playing, but it wasn’t too bad of an outing for Santos. He was active on the left side, putting in five crosses, but he completed just one. Santos tried to combine with his teammates while looking to break down the Chicago defense. He had 34 touches, completing 95.8% of his 24 passes. Defensively, he had one clearance.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, (77’), 6 — I feel like Dagur Dan could have started in place of Gerbet rather than subbing on. His motor was obviously better than those that had played more minutes during the month of May. He was persistent in trying to win the ball back when Chicago tried to counter attack. He only managed nine touches, completing 100% of his six passes. His individual effort in stoppage time was a highlight, as he did well to win the ball back and jumpstart the counter, but ultimately Enrique not only strayed offside prior to the pass but also fired his shot off target anyway.

MF, Gustavo Caraballo (88′), N/A — The youngster came on late for Pasalic. He only managed six touches, completing 80% of his five passes. The four he completed were all back passes. He made some runs into the box, but the ball never arrived for him to get a chance.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s disappointing 3-1 loss at home against Chicago. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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