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

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4 years ago

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Orlando City hosted Eastern Conference foe Columbus Crew on Saturday night. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Lions allowed the Crew to get right back into the match in the second half. Fortunately, Júnior Urso decided he really wanted a goal and the win in Exploria Stadium, and scored his third of the season.

Just a note for those who read our player’s grades: Each staff member has their own scale on how they grade players. My grading involves not just stats and key moments, but also how the player performs against my expectations. If you disagree with how I, or any of our staff, approach our grades, I sincerely encourage you to join The Mane Land staff so you can use your own criteria. Now, let’s see how the Lions did in the win over Columbus.

Starters

GK, Adam Grinwis, 6 — In his first start since coming back to Orlando City, Grinwis allowed two goals, but also made two saves, including a huge one in the 36th minute on Lucas Zelarayan. He made two clearances including a key play to punch the ball out of the box in the 22nd minute. He attempted 23 passes at an 82.6% passing rate with 10 long balls and six of those on target. In the end, the Grinch did enough to help Orlando City secure three points.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Ruan brought his trademark speed to both the offensive and defensive ends of the pitch against the Crew. He stretched the Crew defense, creating space for Silvester van der Water and other attackers. Offensively, he made two key passes, two of three successful long balls, and one successful dribble. Defensively, he made one clearance, though he also ran down the ball to keep the Crew out of the attack on several occasions. Ruan attempted 35 passes and had an 82.9% passing rate. He made one cross and provided the assist on the van der Water’s goal. Ruan came off in the 77th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Antonio Carlos, 5.5 — Just a few weeks after he scored a goal with his head, Carlos did it again, but for the opposition. In the 52nd minute, he scored the first own goal for or against the Lions this season. It was the first goal for Columbus. It might sound funny, but other than that, he had a decent game. He attempted 51 passes and had a 92.2% passing rate, while completing 11 of 14 long balls. He made four clearances, had one blocked shot, two tackles, and committed one foul. If not for gifting the Crew a goal, Carlos might have earned a higher grade.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson put in a good shift for the Lions as usual. As he has recently, Jansson continued to push further up the pitch into the offense when it made sense. In the 25th minute, he nearly made it to the opposition’s box before losing the ball. He attempted 34 passes and had an 82.4% passing rate, while completing one of five long balls. He had two tackles, three clearances, and two blocked shots.

D, João Moutinho, 6 — Moutinho put in a full 90-plus minutes for Orlando City and generally did well. While not playing as much of a forward position as Ruan, he did still factor into the attack on the left as usual. Offensively, João took one shot, though not on target. On defense he had one tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. Moutinho attempted 51 passes and had a 72.6% passing rate with two key passes, and was successful on one of five long balls.

MF, Joey DeZart, 6 — With Uri Rosell on the bench and Sebas Mendez still not available, DeZart got the start once again. Defensively he made one interception, one blocked shot and committed two fouls. One of those fouls was a professional foul to keep the Crew from breaking through the Lions’ defense. He attempted 43 passes and had a 90.7% passing rate, and one successful long ball. DeZart continues to be a solid if not spectacular presence in the midfield.

MF, Júnior Urso, 7.5 — Urso put in a full shift, providing service for the offense, as well as a goal. Additionally, he patrolled the midfield like the bear that he is, creating havoc for the opposition. This was perfectly illustrated when he stole the ball from Pedro Santos to start the second half and nearly gave the Lions a third goal. Unfortunately, the ball was saved by Eloy Room and pushed wide of the goal. He did better in the 69th minute when Daryl Dike teed up a perfect ball for Urso to score and reclaim the lead for Orlando City. Offensively, he took two shots, both of which were on target. On defense he had two tackles, three interceptions, and committed one foul. He earned a yellow card in the 42nd minute and will be out for Orlando City’s next match. The Bear was a strong candidate for Man of the Match.

MF, Silvester van der Water, 7 — Van der Water is truly settling into the right side of Orlando City’s offense. In the 29th minute, van der Water put Orlando City up two goals by sending a ball into the box that went past Chris Mueller, Junior Urso, and the Crew’s keeper. It may have been a service into the box, but perhaps he simply meant to score. He also made a nice steal in the 50th minute, but Orlando couldn’t convert. Van der Water took only one shot, which was on target for the aforementioned goal. He attempted 16 passes with only a 62.5% passing rate, but he also made one key pass, and one cross. He committed one foul, and suffered one foul. He was taken off in the 57th minute for Benji Michel.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5.5 — Mueller is trying. He really is, but just like most of the season, the last bit of quality needed has eluded him. Offensively, Cash took three shots, but was unable to put any of them on target. One of them probably still hasn’t landed. He made one successful dribble, and suffered four fouls. Defensively, he made one tackle and committed one foul. He attempted 33 passes with an 87,9% passing rate, with one unsuccessful long ball. Mueller was subbed off in the 87th minute for Rodrigo Schlegel.

F, Daryl Dike, 7.5 (MotM) — In his first match back from injury, Daryl Dike only took 26 minutes to remind Orlando City supporters of why he’s the most exciting striker to come through this city in years. Nani sent a ball forward to the big guy while falling down. Dike settled it, turned on the defender who couldn’t handle his physicality, and pressed forward into the box. After a little footwork he sent the ball straight into the top of the net past Room for the Lions’ first goal. Dike also provided an assist on Urso’s goal in the 69th minute. Offensively, Dike took three shots, with two on target, had two successful dribbles, He committed one foul, suffered two fouls, and made two clearances. Dike attempted 12 passes with a 66.7% passing rate, made one key pass, and attempted one long ball. He came off in the 77th minute for Tesho Akindele. Providing a goal and an assist in his first start since coming back made it (fairly) easy to name Dike our Man of the Match.

F, Nani, 6 — Nani gave his typical effort, taking shots, harassing the opposition, and generally creating space for himself and others. He did provide the outlet assist to Dike for Orlando City’s first goal. Offensively, he had two shots, with one on target. Defensively, Nani made one clearance. He attempted 27 passes with a 74.1% passing rate, and had one cross. He also connected on four of four long balls on the night. Nani came off in the 57th minute for Mauricio Pereyra.

Substitutes

MF, Mauricio Pereyra (57’), 6.5 — Pereyra was brought on to provide a change of pace and to add some stability for the Lions. The DP did just that. In fact, Magic Mo sent Akindele on with a perfect through ball, but Tesho wasn’t able to finish it. Pereyra attempted 23 passes with an 82.6% passing rate, completed two of two long balls, and had one key pass. Defensively, he made one interception, and committed two fouls. Pereyra is still working his way back into match shape, but made the most of his time in this match.

F, Benji Michel (57’), 6 — Michel had one successful dribble, and made one cross. He attempted 10 passes with a 90% passing rate. Despite being on the pitch for much of the second half, he wasn’t much able to get involved in the attack, and was a bit invisible. Fortunately, he didn’t do anything to hurt the Lions either.

F, Tesho Akindele (77’), 5 — Akindele had a perfect chance to put the match away when Pereyra put him through and past the Columbus defense. Unfortunately, he put it wide right with no touch by the keeper. As is usual, he did the other little things that keep him in Pareja’s good graces, but with a healthy Dike, Akindele is likely relegated to late-game appearances to see out games and to provide rotational rest during fixture congestion.

D, Kyle Smith (77’), 6 — There was a time when Smith started all the matches for Orlando City. Obviously, he wasn’t the first choice, but El Soldado was ready when called on off the bench. He worked as hard as he ever does. He did manage to make some excellent defensive plays as the Lions tried to see the game out. He attempted six passes with a 33.3% passing rate, and was successful on one of three long balls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (87’), N/A— With three minutes left in the second half, Orlando City went to five at the back, and that meant bringing on the Lions’ third center back. His first touch was a clearance header to keep Columbus out of the box, and he also had two interceptions.

That is how I saw the game. How do you feel about the individual performances? Tell us by commenting and voting on the Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Silvester van der Water4
Daryl Dike40
Junior Urso26
Robin Jansson2
Other: Put answer in the comments0

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

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3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

Free Kicks

  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.🇧🇷 Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.➕ Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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