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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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Orlando City took an early lead on the road and then held on for a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United. It was a bit of a disjointed performance from the Lions as they were defensively solid but struggled to get much going on offense. Mauricio Pereyra scored his first goal in over a year and Pedro Gallese came up with big saves yet again to help Orlando get another result on the road.

Let’s dive into how each Lion individually performed against Atlanta.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) β€” El Pulpo had three saves in this match and they were all stellar. The best of the bunch came in the 82nd minute, as he leapt to stop former Lion Dom Dwyer’s shot that seemed destined for the back of the net. He came up with a nice reaction save to tip a headed effort over the bar in the 38th minute and made a crucial save to deny Luiz Araujo during a dangerous 2-on-1 situation in the 82nd. The shot in stoppage time from Josef Martinez that hit the post may be looked at as a lucky break, but Gallese did well, making himself big to force Martinez to shoot from a tough angle. There wasn’t much he could do about Atlanta’s goal, as Juan Jose Purata had a free header right in front of the net. Gallese’s distribution could’ve been a bit better, completing 70% of his 20 passes while connecting on seven of his 13 long balls. Still, Gallese is our Man of the Match for his impressive saves on the road against a rival side that threw the kitchen sink at him

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 β€” The versatile defender started at left back in place of Joao Moutinho and Atlanta found success attacking his side of the field. In the 42rd minute, Marcelino Moreno beat Smith near the end line and surged into the box. Smith did well to recover and apply pressure though, with Moreno going to ground in hopes of drawing a penalty that was ultimately not given. Regardless, it was a nervy moment in the match. On offense, Smith didn’t have any crosses but was successful on both of his long balls. Smith did fairly well when passing, completing 85.2% of his 27 passes, but he had an errant pass in the second half that ended a nice run of possession from Orlando in the attacking third. He played for 67 minutes before being substituted off, finishing the game with four clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 β€” It was a decent performance from Jansson, who played every minute of the match and recorded a tackle, an interception, and a clearance. His best moment of the match came in the 79th minute when he made a fantastic sliding effort to block a cross from Moreno right in front of goal. Atlanta mostly attacked in ways he couldn’t make much of an impact, either by going through the wings or setting up shots from distance, and he didn’t participate in any aerial duels. Offensively, he completed six of his 11 long balls and was successful on both of his dribbles. Of his 33 passes, 75.8% were accurate and he conceded a corner by making a bad back pass that went right out of play. For what it’s worth, it was also Jansson’s fourth league match in a row without committing a foul or being booked.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 β€” Schlegel returned to the starting lineup and put in a solid defensive shift on the road. He led the Lions with seven clearances and two blocked shots to help stop Atlanta’s onslaught throughout the match. Of Schlegel’s 33 passes, 78.8% of them were successful and three of his six long balls found their mark as well. The Argentine defender chatted with Atlanta’s players all game long and did a good job backing it up with some nice plays on defense.

D, Ruan, 6 β€” Atlanta’s offense went after Ruan early and often in this match. As a result, he led the Lions with five tackles and did a great job to put out a dangerous fire in the box in the 17th minute before Moreno could get a shot off. That being said, there were times when his defending was frantic and desperate as he constantly conceded corners to the opposition. Along with his five tackles, he had two clearances, an interception, and blocked a shot. Ruan also led the Lions with 56 touches and completed 74.1% of his 27 passes. His speed was once again an asset on offense, especially late in the match when it looked as if Orlando would find a winner. However, he only completed one of his four crosses and had four unstable touches. Two of his four long balls were accurate and he was successful on one of his two attempted dribbles.

MF, Jake Mulraney, 5.5Β  β€” Mulraney started on the left wing and looked good early on when taking on defenders. While both of his two crosses were unsuccessful, they were decent balls served into the box towards the far post. The Irishman quickly cooled off though, not making much of an impact beyond drawing three fouls. Mulraney had three unstable touches and just seven passes at an 85.7% success rate. He did contribute defensively with three tackles and a clearance before being subbed off in the 55th minute for Benji Michel. More consistency from Mulraney would have been great as he didn’t have a cross after the fifth minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7.5 β€” It was yet another strong game from Araujo. He saw plenty of the ball, with 53 touches and a team-high 41 passes at an excellent 95.1% success rate. The 21-year-old was great when defending throughout the match, but his best moment came in the 64th minute as he chased down Atlanta on a fast break to make a critical tackle. It was one of four tackles for Araujo in the match as he helped support the back line. Both of Araujo’s long balls were successful and his lone shot was blocked. Araujo played every minute of the match and it was the first time since May that he wasn’t fouled.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 β€” The Bear was all over the pitch in this match, applying pressure and chasing down loose balls. The 33-year-old showed some tired defending at times as the match wore on, but he delivered a beautiful pass in stoppage time to set up Ruan right in front of goal. All three of his attempted dribbles were successful and he was never dispossessed in the match as he tried to build Orlando’s possession. His three long balls were all accurate and he completed 85.7% of his 35 passes. Urso committed four fouls in this one and was booked for the second consecutive match. Defensively, he finished with two tackles and two clearances. It was the third straight match in which Urso played every minute, so we will see how his minutes are managed in the future.

MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 β€” Torres had a difficult time dealing with Atlanta’s press, making five unstable touches and being dispossessed five times. Neither of his two crosses were accurate and both of his two long balls were unsuccessful as well. He had 25 passes at an 80% success rate and just wasn’t able to provide much of an offensive spark that was desperately needed to keep Atlanta on its toes. Torres’s biggest contribution was winning the foul that led to Pereyra’s goal from the ensuing free kick. He was subbed off in the 67th minute while Orlando still had a lead. All in all, it was far from the Designated Player’s best performance and he’ll have to shake it off as the team continues its hectic July schedule.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 β€” Pereyra found the back of the net for the first time in 2022, scoring off of a free kick just outside the box. Poor goalkeeping by Rocco Rios Novo left the goal wide open, but that shouldn’t take away from a superb strike from Pereyra that curled into the side netting. He fouled Caleb Wiley while chasing down a loose ball and the following set piece resulted in Atlanta’s goal. Pereyra completed 81.8% of his 22 passes and was accurate on just one of his five crosses. He helped out on the defensive side of things with four tackles and a clearance before being subbed off in the 85th minute.

F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 β€” The Austrian spent another match without much service, although the game’s flow definitely played a part as Atlanta dominated possession. In 54 minutes of action, Kara had 15 touches, seven passes at a 57.1% success rate, and didn’t take part in any aerial duels. The team certainly needed to find ways to get Kara more involved on offense, and some of that does fall on his shoulders. Kara did find ways to make an impact on defense though, coming up with four clearances and a tackle to limit Atlanta’s chances from set pieces. He didn’t have any shots in this match and that will have to change in the future.

Substitutes

F, Tesho Akindele (54’), 6 β€” Akindele came on for Kara and made some runs out wide to receive passes. One such run came in stoppage time as he won the ball down the wing, held up play, and then made a key pass to Pato for a shot that hit the post. The Canadian also did his part on defense to preserve Orlando’s point, making three tackles and two clearances. He completed 10 of his 12 passes for an 83.3% success rate, won one of his two aerial duels, and had 20 touches in a decent outing.

MF, Benji Michel (55’), 5 β€” The Homegrown Player replaced Mulraney, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact on the left wing either. He transitioned into more of a wingback role when Orlando brought on Antonio Carlos. He had just 12 touches and seven passes at an 85.7% success rate, finishing without any shots or crosses as Orlando had to spend most of the second half defending. Michel had one tackle and his speed allowed him to sprint ahead in transition while still being able to get back to defend when needed. He received a yellow card for a clumsy foul that gave Atlanta a free kick in a dangerous area, but Orlando cleared it.

D, Antonio Carlos (67’), 6.5 β€” Carlos came on to defend Orlando’s lead, but Atlanta scored just a few minutes later. During a free kick, Andres Perea kept Juan Jose Purata onside and Carlos appeared to expect Perea to stay with him. As a result, Carlos didn’t pick him up and he was unable to make a play on the ball. Carlos also had a bad pass that turned the ball over and required some heroic defending from Jansson to stop the threat. The Brazilian center back wasn’t able to wrestle Martinez off the ball in stoppage time, but he did help force the forward to shoot from a tougher angle with the match on the line. Carlos finished the game with four clearances, a tackle, an interception, and a blocked shot. Six of his seven passes found their target for an 85.7% success rate and he won his lone aerial duel.

MF, Andres Perea (67’), 5 β€” Perea kept Purata onside on his goal and wasn’t able to prevent the defender from having a free header. He had eight passes at a 62.5% success rate and neither of his two long balls connected. The 21-year-old did play a part in Orlando’s late surge for a winner in stoppage time. His three tackles definitely helped Orlando out on defense, but it was a fairly quiet game from Perea during a match where Orlando could have used some stability in the midfield.

MF, Alexandre Pato (85’), N/A β€” Pato wasn’t on the field very long, but he almost gave Orlando a winner with a nice shot outside the box that beat the goalkeeper but struck the post. He had 11 touches, eight passes at a 62.5% completion rate, and completed one of his two long balls. It wasn’t a fantastic game from him, but it was nice to see Pato look threatening after a rough start to this month.

That’s how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances in the team’s 1-1 draw with Atlanta United on the road. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese32
Cesar Araujo5
Rodrigo Schlegel2
Mauricio Pereyra4
Other (Let us know who in the comments)2

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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.

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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.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• 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.

Free Kicks

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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