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Orlando City

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

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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5 hours ago

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April 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

Published

1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

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That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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