Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City defeated Toronto FC 4-0 at Exploria Stadium on Saturday night. It was a dominating performance from the Lions heading into the international break. Earning all three points at home was a big help as Orlando City is looking to make the playoffs for a third season in a row. It was also the most goals scored by the Lions during the 2022 regular season.
Let’s look at how the Lions performed individually in the win.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — El Pulpo didn’t have a lot to do on the night since Toronto only took 11 shots, and only three of those were on target. His toughest challenge of the night came on a reaction save in the 88th minute. This was Gallese’s ninth clean sheet in the regular season, and his first since the 1-0 over New York Red Bulls on Aug. 13.
D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — It was another solid outing from Moutinho. On defense, he made two tackles, three clearances, and committed two fouls. He stood up former Lion Richie Laryea in the 61st minute, taking the ball right off his foot. He did receive a yellow card in the 38th minute for a hand to the face as he tried to create some separation. Moutinho sent in six crosses on the night with the one in the 48th minute resulting in an own goal by Lukas MacNaughton.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel showed why he’s the best backup center back in MLS. He had two tackles, seven clearances, and one blocked shot. He passed the ball at an impressive 91.7% rate and completed five of eight long balls on the night. Long balls like those are something that Orlando City has missed with Robin Jansson out due to injury, so it was nice for Schlegel to provide that for the Lions.
D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — Carlos was determined to get into the attack against Toronto. He took two shots — one on target — and provided the nifty back heel pass to Facundo Torres that led to the first goal. He was his typical efficient self on defense with two tackles, six interceptions, and two clearances. He passed at an 84.4% rate and was successful on one of four long balls.
D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan was his typical self. He played pretty well in defense with one tackle, one interception, and one blocked shot in the 73rd minute that saved a goal. He attempted two crosses, one of which actually made it into the 6-yard box, though Kara wasn’t able to do anything with it. He subbed off for Kyle Smith in the 80th minute.
MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena did exactly what he was brought in to do — be an effective backup for César Araújo. He made three tackles and two interceptions on defense. He also got involved in the offense, taking one shot and making two key passes. He passed at an 88.9% rate and completed five of seven long balls. This was a very solid performance from the Peruvian.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — The captain once again played a little deeper in the midfield providing more defense while still directing the offense. Defensively he made one tackle and had two interceptions. Offensively, he did not take any shots but did have two key passes, including a perfect through ball to Kara for Orlando City’s second goal. He completed 84.4% of his passes, including five of five long balls. He was subbed off for Andres Perea in the 71st minute.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 8 (MotM) — From the start, Iván Angulo was all over the pitch on both offense and defense. Angulo led the team with five shots — two on target — and contributed two key passes. He had a team-high 92.6% passing rate on 27 passes, with one cross. He completed his only long ball, and his only through ball provided the assist on Tesho Akindele’s goal. On defense, he made two interceptions, and on clearance. Most importantly, his work rate was outstanding. He was everywhere along the left side, and seemed to be completely in tune with Torres. He figured in three of the four goals, getting a primary assist on Akindele’s, a secondary assist on Torres’ opener, and his pass sent Moutinho to the end line on the play that resulted in the own goal. This was Angulo’s best match so far as a Lion and as such it was deserving of our pick for Man of the Match.
MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear put in his normal efficient shift. He sniffed out trouble in Toronto’s half before it could develop. He had three dribbles and worked well with Pereyra and Torres in attack. His only shot was on target, but it was saved. He passed at an impressive 91.2% rate, with two key passes, and connected on three of his four long balls.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Torres continued his run of good form scoring the first goal of the match in the 9th minute. After receiving the back heel pass from Carlos, he moved from the right side, along the top of the box, and finally smashed the ball inside the near post with his left foot. It was such a perfect shot that he froze Toronto keeper Quentin Westberg. As I mentioned, he and Angulo were seemingly reading each other’s minds. He almost scored a brace on a pass from Angulo, but he hit the left post. To be especially fair, the angle on that shot wasn’t great. He finished with three shots — one on target — and one key pass. He drew four fouls, and made one interception. He wasn’t perfect, as he passed at an 81.2% rate, and had a giveaway in the 60th minute that was the result of poor communication with Urso. Regardless, this was another excellent performance from the Young Designated Player.
F, Ercan Kara, 6.5 — Kara showed what he can do when given proper service. His run on Pereyra’s assist in the 22nd minute was perfectly timed and his finish was clinical. He almost added an assist when he chested the ball in the box to Angulo for shot that resulted in a corner kick rather than a goal. Kara’s second shot was not on target and seems to have been an homage to Carlos Rivas, as it hit the Heineken sign. Kara actually assisted on the defensive end as well, making one interception. He was subbed off in the 71st minute for Benji Michel.
Substitutes
F, Benji Michel (71’), 5 — Michel only had six touches after coming on for Kara, and two of those were aerials he won. The other four touches were passes, but he only completed one of them. He probably should have won a free kick and a red card on Shane O’Neill for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity on a late potential breakaway but the foul wasn’t given. The important thing is he didn’t do any harm and helped the team see out the victory.
MF, Andrés Perea (71’), 6 — Perea was pretty active after he came on for Pereyra. He took two shots, including a header that went wide in the 95th minute. He passed at an 83.3% rate, with one key pass, and he completed one of two long balls. Defensively, he made four tackles, one interception, and committed two fouls. A very solid night for the young man.
D, Kyle Smith (80’), 5.5 — The Accountant didn’t have any last-minute heroics in this match, and that is fine. The match was well in hand before he entered the match, and he helped see it out. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, and one clearance. Smith made one key pass — a good ball to Perea that was headed wide — and one cross.
F, Tesho Akindele (80’), 6.5 — Akindele scored his third goal of the season in the 84th minute to really emphasize how over the match was at that point. He made a nifty little move to run onto the pass from Angulo, and one-timed the ball inside the far post. Akindele also contributed a key pass.
MF, Nicholas Gioacchini (85’), N/A — Gioacchini came on late for Cartagena. He only had three touches, and passed at a 33.3% rate.
That’s how I saw the individual performances for Orlando City in this Eastern Conference bout. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Facundo Torres | 17 |
| Ercan Kara | 0 |
| Ivan Angulo | 29 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 0 |
| Other (Tell us in the comments below) | 0 |
Opinion
Likes and Dislikes from the Second Week of Orlando City Preseason
Lets go through some positives and negatives from Orlando’s second week of preparations.
Another week of preseason preparations for Orlando City are in the books, so I’m back once again to bring you things what I liked, and what I didn’t from the week that was.
Likes
The Rumored Pursuit of Iago
Tom Bogert started the week off on a good note for OCSC fans with the news that Orlando City is reportedly well along in talks to sign a center back.
On the face of it, there’s plenty to like about this rumored signing. Iago is a young player with lots of upside, but who’s already captained a Brazilian youth side at an international tournament. He would also fill a position of need for the Lions, as center back depth is practically non-existent at the moment following Orlando’s off-season moves. If he does get signed, then more work would still need to be done to address the position, perhaps by signing a proven MLS-level player, but it’s a good rumor to hear right now.
Sarajian Signs
Technically, this happened last Friday, but it was after my column published. It’s still good to see Orlando sign Harvey Sarajian, its first selection in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The young midfielder was the first of four first-round selections for OCSC this year and the first of the picks to be signed. While he likely represents a more longterm project rather than an immediate contributor, he’s still pretty young and should get plenty of time with Orlando City B and potentially some reserve minutes with the first team as well. The Lions have a solid history with draft picks under Oscar Pareja, and whether Sarajian follows in that mold or not, it’s still nice to see that he showed enough to land himself a place in the Orlando City setup for the foreseeable future.
Dislikes
No U22 for Alex
The downside of the rumored Iago signing is that if he does join the team as an MLS U22 Initiative player, then it almost certainly scuppers the possibility of putting Alex Freeman on a U-22 deal. In turn, that makes the young USMNT fullback signing a new contract with the team unlikely. Make no mistake, if Freeman continues his level of play from 2025 or improves on it, then he won’t be in Orlando much longer — and rightfully so. That being said, if he’s on a longer-term deal, then it increases the amount of money that the Lions would get in a potential sale. The nightmare scenario would be losing such a talented player for free, although I think the most likely case is that he gets a move in the summer, especially if he makes the World Cup roster and shows well on a global stage. Either way, his contract status and how it affects an eventual sale is something to watch, and not having him on a new or extended deal is a blow.
Torres Goes to Texas
While nothing is official yet, it looks like Facundo Torres will be coming back to Major League Soccer…to join Austin FC.
Now, it’s not that I necessarily wanted Torres to return to Orlando City. Marco Pasalic had a solid first year as his replacement, and given how one-footed they both are, there isn’t much chance of one of them moving to the left wing. It’s still going to be odd seeing him playing for Austin though —sort of like seeing your ex with a new significant other for the first time. Just because you don’t want them back doesn’t mean you don’t get a weird feeling about it. Plus, the $9.5 million fee is significantly less than the $25-30 million that was getting tossed around last week when he was linked with a move to Benfica. The Lions still stand to net around $1.4 million due to the sell-on fee that was negotiated when he was sold to Palmeiras, but if 15% of 30 million was on the table…well, you do the math. This is just a strange one all around, and I’m glad Orlando and Austin aren’t set to play each other this year.
There you have it, folks. I’ll see you back here next week, and hopefully we’ll have a lot of good things to talk over. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/23/26
Inter&Co Stadium announces premium seating improvements, MLS transfer window changes, USWNT prepares for Paraguay, and more.
Happy Friday! This Florida winter has some whiplash in store for us, as temperatures are expected to rise this weekend before plunging again next week. I’ll be spending the weekend baking in preparation for a competition in a couple of weeks, but am hoping to enjoy the warm weather outdoors here and there as well. Let’s get to the links!
Inter&Co Stadium Upgrading Premium Seating
Changes are coming to Inter&Co Stadium’s premium seating options ahead of Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s seasons. The West Club will have renovations, including an increase in its seating capacity and upgrades to its interior. The dining will also be revamped to focus on live cooking stations and all-inclusive selections. There will also be two open-air seating areas called Concourse Boxes added to the east side of the stadium. Sideline Social, a 245‑seat area with swivel seats and armrests, is also a new addition for 2026. While I don’t think I’ll be enjoying a game in this kind of comfort anytime soon, it’s nice to know what my options would be if I won the lottery.
MLS Announces Transfer Window Changes
MLS announced the transfer window dates and amendments to the league’s roster rules and regulations for the 2026 season. The secondary transfer window in the summer will now notably last through Sept. 2, which lines up with some of the world’s top leagues to help give MLS clubs a better opportunity to bring in players in the summer. The primary transfer window will run from Jan. 26 to March 26, with the roster compliance deadline date set for Feb. 20. Changes to the rules include removal of the limitations on how many times clubs can make cash for player trades and intraleague loans each season.
USWNT Gets Ready to Face Paraguay
The United States Women’s National Team will take on Paraguay on Saturday night in California in the first of two friendlies this month. This will be the third meeting between the two nations, with the U.S. beating Paraguay twice in September of 2021. While there are some notable names missing from Paraguay’s roster, it does include 18-year-old attacker Claudia Martinez. She scored six goals at last year’s Copa America Femenina and is reportedly joining the Washington Spirit for a $950,000 transfer fee. Following Saturday’s friendly, the USWNT will play Chile on Tuesday to close out its January camp.
Trinity Rodman Re-Signs With the Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit signed American forward Trinity Rodman to a new contract that will last through 2028, ending one of the biggest sagas of the off-season regarding whether or not she would stay in the league. The deal will reportedly make Rodman the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world. Selected by the Spirit with the second overall pick in the 2021 NWSL College Draft, Rodman was named Rookie of the Year and helped Washington win the NWSL Championship that year. Washington Spirit President of Soccer Operations Haley Carter, who left the Pride this off-season to join the Spirit, confirmed that the league’s new High Impact Player played a factor in the contract as well.
Keeping Up With the Europa League
The league phase of this year’s Europa League is nearing its conclusion and we’re getting a better idea on how the field will shake out. Aston Villa secured its spot in the round of 16 after a 1-0 win over Fenerbahce, with Jadon Sancho scoring the game’s only goal. Lyon is the only other team already through to the round of 16, winning 1-0 against Young Boys. Elsewhere across Europe, Niccolo Pisilli scored a brace in Roma’s 2-0 win over VfB Stuttgart, PAOK beat Real Betis 2-0 in Greece, and RB Salzburg stayed in contention with a 3-1 win over Basel.
Rangers and Nice finally won their first games of the tournament but were eliminated regardless. Celtic scored twice, went down to 10 men, and then held on for dear life in a 2-2 draw against Bologna. Despite its rollercoaster of a campaign, the Scottish side will qualify for the knockout phase with a victory against winless Utrecht next week.
Free Kicks
- Inter&Co Stadium is hosting Orlando Storm games for their inaugural season in the United Football League, and their season will kick off at home on March 29 against the Columbus Aviators.
- The New York Red Bulls are reportedly close to signing American goalkeeper Ethan Horvath from Cardiff City.
- Inter Miami signed goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo to a permanent deal after he spent last season on loan from Lanus in Argentina’s top flight. The 23-year-old replaced Oscar Ustari down the stretch for the Herons and started in the MLS Cup final.
- The Houston Dash signed goalkeeper Caroline DeLisle, who played collegiately at the University of Central Florida. DeLisle’s 31 shutouts are the most in UCF program history.
- Manchester United announced that Brazilian midfielder Casemiro will leave the club following this season. Signed by United in 2022, Casemiro scored 21 goals in 146 appearances and helped United win the 2024 FA Cup and 2023 EFL Cup.
- Schalke signed forward Edin Dzeko from Fiorentina, giving the club a boost up top as it aims for promotion. The 39-year-old should get some more playing time in Germany to prepare for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup qualifier against Wales in March.
- We’ll end our links with some Jeopardy!, since the game show had a category devoted to MLS. Not only did each contestant get at least one question correct, but there were no wrong answers. Kudos to them and best of luck playing along.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
A Look at Left Back for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride
How does the left side of Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s defense stack up?
Left back seems to be an issue for many teams in many leagues. Right backs are a dime a dozen. I suppose left-footed players are harder to come by, making good ones all the more valuable. There have been challenges for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride when it comes to filling the role. Let’s look at the current state of things for both teams.
Orlando City
Oscar Pareja prefers to have one or both of his fullbacks move forward into the offense. For two years, Orlando City tried to have Rafael Santos shore up the left side of the back line. He was quick enough, and effective enough on offense to play the position in Pareja’s system. However, the results were mixed. It took Santos quite a bit of time each season to round into form, making him a liability early in the year. He would then start to show signs of improvement, even having the occasional excellent performance. Sadly, it wouldn’t last. He was inconsistent and eventually lost the starting role in 2025 to center back David Brekalo. He lost the starting role to a player whose primary position was not left back.
Brekalo was a defensive improvement over Santos, which Orlando City needed, but he was not as effective moving forward. The added problem of having him at left back was that it diminished the depth at center back. It forced Rodrigo Schlegel into the starting role, meaning you never knew if you were getting good Rodri or bad Rodri, but you were always guaranteed a booking. With his departure, it looks like Brekalo will have a chance to earn a starting spot next to Robin Jansson at center back.
That paves the way for Adrian Marin to assume the starting role at left back. Marin was brought in last season for that reason, but joining a club mid-season often presents challenges. As such, Pareja stuck with Brekalo more often than not. It will be Marin’s spot to lose. That puts Homegrown Tahir Reid-Brown as a potential back up, but Pareja might still utilize Brekalo if necessary. There is still a need for more depth.
Orlando Pride
Things are a little more stable on the Orlando Pride side of the ledger. Kerry Abello has been, and continues to be, the starting left back. Abello is a solid if not spectacular defender. After that, there are a bunch of right backs and a center back who can play on the left. Kylie Nadaner has player there but is more likely to be at center back. More importantly, she won’t be available until summer after her baby is born.
Oihane is the starting right back. Cori Dyke has also spent time as a backup on the left, but her natural position is on the right. The list of defenders who could play on the left also includes Hailie Mace, Zara Chavoshi, and Hannah Anderson. Again, none of these players are natural left backs. I know that Seb Hines loves players who are versatile, but perhaps a natural left back to challenge or at least back up Abello would be better. We will have to see what Caitlin Carducci has up her sleeve with all that money from the Emily Sams deal.
I know that my being left-handed has nothing to do with the lack of depth on the left side of the defense, but it still feels like right-handed bias. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Reading (Into) the Minutes: How The Pride Might Allocate Playing Time This Season
Likes and Dislikes from the Second Week of Orlando City Preseason
Lion Links: 1/23/26
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City Will Probably Look South To Replace Luis Muriel
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City Parts Ways with Designated Player Luis Muriel
-
Opinion2 weeks agoAn Orlando City 2026 Preseason Wishlist
-
Lion Links1 week agoLion Links: 1/14/26
-
Orlando Pride1 week agoOrlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 1/12/26
-
Podcasts2 weeks agoPawedCast Episode 515: Orlando City Transfers, Preseason Schedule, OCB Signings, and More
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 1/13/26