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

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3 years ago

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Orlando City was dominated north of the border as the Lions dropped a 4-1 result to CF Montreal. Three of the four goals came off of bad giveaways in the back during a poor showing in Canada. Even though the Lions scored a second-half goal, they were never a threat to claim any points in this one.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances in this tough loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Conceding four goals might seem like a poor showing from a goalkeeper, but Gallese kept the Lions in this game into the second half. The Peruvian made multiple big saves to keep the game scoreless and then within a goal during the first 45 minutes. Additionally, most of the goals weren’t his fault as bad giveaways put players in one-on-one with the goalkeeper. In the end, Gallese made six saves despite conceding four times.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5.5 (MotM) — Moutinho was very involved in this game, recording a team-high 79 touches. The left back completed 75% of his 56 passes and attempted two crosses, though neither was successful. However, he beat the Montreal defenders to get his head to a Mauricio Pereyra cross, making the game 2-1 in the 72nd minute. Defensively, Moutinho wasn’t as effective, recording one tackle and two interceptions in the game.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — It was a tough task for the center backs in this game with Antonio Carlos out due to injury and Robin Jansson suspended. Schlegel was the veteran alongside his 17-year-old partner. The Argentine recorded three tackles, one interception, one clearance, and two blocked shots. On the attacking side, he completed 95.4% of his 43 passes and successfully completed four of his six long passes.

D, Thomas Williams, 4.5 — It was a tough game for the 17-year-old Homegrown product in his first senior team start. Williams ended the game with two tackles, one interception, and two clearances. However, he was mainly at fault for Montreal’s third goal in the 81st minute. First, Williams did well to shield Kei Kamara out of play, but gave up, thinking the ball was out. That allowed the hosts to recycle the play. Then he left Joaquin Torres with too much space, allowing the attacker to turn and put it past Gallese. Despite that poor sequence, Williams did complete 90.9% of his 44 passes and two of his four long balls.

D, Ruan, 4 — Ruan is either heavily involved in play or disappears. The right back was barely in this game, only recording 33 touches. In addition to one tackle and interception, he did have four clearances. Unfortunately, the Brazilian wasn’t very careful with the ball. He only completed 84.2% of his 19 passes, which included some poor giveaways in the back. This included an early giveaway that nearly resulted in the opening goal for Montreal.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 5 — While Mendez didn’t have a great game, he was far from the worst performer for the Lions. The defensive midfielder recorded 52 touches — tied for fourth on the team. He didn’t do anything offensively, but Mendez had two tackles to go with one interception, a clearance, and a blocked shot.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 5 — Araujo has been one of the best players for Orlando City this season, providing needed support to the center backs. However, he wasn’t very involved in this game. He had three more touches (55) than Mendez, but wasn’t that involved in the defense. He also only completed 84.1% of his 44 passes and had one incomplete long ball.

MF, Benji Michel, 3.5 — The only contribution Michel had in this game was giving up the first goal. The midfielder only touched the ball 15 times and none of them were threatening. He attempted six passes, but only completed three (50%). His main play came in the 21st minute, when he chested a Montreal corner kick facing his own goal. The ball went directly to Joel Waterman, who put it past Gallese for the opener. He was replaced by Jake Mulraney in the 57th minute, but it’s surprising Oscar Pareja let him go that long.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — It wasn’t a great game by the Orlando City captain, but he did have a positive contribution. The Uruguayan had 46 touches and completed 83.8% of his 37 passes. However, he gave the Lions their lone key pass in the 72nd minute when his lovely cross met the head of Joao Moutinho for the team’s only goal. He contributed two tackles and a blocked shot, defensively.

MF, Facundo Torres, 4.5 — This was probably Torres’ worst game since joining Orlando City prior to this season. The Uruguayan international had 50 touches but only completed 69.7% of his 33 passes — the second-lowest pass completion percentage, behind Michel. The midfielder only attempted one unsuccessful cross and took one off-target shot. Torres is often depended upon to create chances for the Lions but he didn’t do that in this game.

F, Alexandre Pato, 4.5 — Similar to Torres and Michel, Pato was barely visible in this game. The forward only touched the ball 17 times and only attempted 10 passes. However, he did complete nine of those (90%). He was also dispossessed a team-high three times in this game.

Substitutes

MF, Jake Mulraney (57’), 5 — Mulraney came on for Michel in the 57th minute to provide some attacking punch but didn’t do much. He touched the ball 14 times but didn’t do much with it. The Irishman did complete eight of his 10 passses (80%) but none put the Lions into a dangerous position, though he did win the corner that led to Orlando’s only goal.

F, Ercan Kara (57’), 5 — In his 33 minutes on the field, Kara didn’t have the impact Pareja wanted. The Austrian striker came on for the ineffective Pato and wasn’t much better. He touched the ball 12 times and completed 80% of just five passes, but didn’t get off any shots. However, he did get involved on the defensive end with two clearances.

MF, Junior Urso (57’), 5 — Junior Urso came on for Mendez for the final 33 minutes. He had 12 touches in that time and completed 88.9% of his nine passes. Despite usually being a little more attacking, Urso helped out on the defensive end with one tackle and one interception.

MF, Andres Perea (76’), 3.5 — Perea came on for Pereyra in the 76th minute and only took eight minutes to make an impact — but it wasn’t the one that Orlando City was looking for. Just three minutes after Montreal made it 3-1, Perea mishandled an easy Williams pass, immediately giving it up to Zachary Brault-Guillard. A quick one-two with Torres set up a nice goal from a tough angle for Bault-Guillard, but Montreal wouldn’t have had the chance without the bad touch by Perea. The midfielder ended up with 12 touches and completed 87.5% of his eight passes, but that bad play was his primary contribution.

D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — Smith came on for Moutinho in the final minutes. He only had nine touches and completed 83.3% of his six passes. He also had a clearance but, already down 4-1, he wasn’t on the field enough to make a difference.

That’s how I saw the players’ performances in Orlando City’s 4-1 loss in Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments section and vote on your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese8
Joao Moutinho15
Mauricio Pereyra0
Sebas Mendez0
Other (let us know in the comments)4

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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22 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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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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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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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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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.

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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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3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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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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