Orlando City

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

Published

3 years ago

March 12, 2023

In Orlando City’s first road match of the 2023 MLS season, the Lions went to Audi Field and left with a point in a 1-1 draw. Duncan McGuire became the first 2023 MLS SuperDraft pick to score this season. However, Chris Durkin scored the first goal against Orlando this year to ruin what would have been a nice road win. Like last weekend, Orlando went with a rotated squad in preparation for its Concacaf Champions League match against Tigres this Wednesday. Here’s how each Lion individually performed in the draw.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — Gallese’s great run of form continued in this match, as he came up with four saves. His best save of the night came in the 26th minute as he denied Christian Benteke’s shot directly in front of goal. The Belgian forward’s shot could’ve been better, but it was still a fantastic stop from El Pulpo. Minutes later, he came up with another great save to parry away a quick shot from Theodore Ku-DiPietro. The Peruvian also did well to get his hand to a few dangerous crosses early in the match, including one from former Lion Ruan. However, his clean sheet was ruined in the second half as he couldn’t keep out a curling shot from Durkin that got past him and in. His distribution could have been a bit better, as he was accurate on just one of his nine long balls and completed 60% of his 20 passes. Still, Gallese made huge saves and snuffed out chances that could have led to more.

D, Abdi Salim, 5.5 — Like last week against FC Cincinnati, Salim played as one of three center backs for Orlando City. The 21-year-old’s night included both ups and downs and he was subbed off at halftime as the Lions switched to a four-man back line. His lowest moment was when he whiffed on a header in the box, leaving Benteke alone in front of goal with all the time in the world to set up his shot. Overall, it was still a decent outing from the defender as he put out a few fires on his side of the field. D.C. often targeted the left side of Orlando’s defense though, which is partly why Salim finished with just a tackle and a blocked shot. He completed all but one of his 12 passes and his lone cross found its mark as well. With Orlando already rotating its roster this season and its lack of depth at center back, these were valuable minutes from the draft pick.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — The center back anchored Orlando City’s back line and led the team with 10 clearances. Although he only won two of his six aerial battles, Schlegel did well putting a body on Benteke so that he couldn’t get much power or accuracy behind his headers. He and Kyle Smith each had an opportunity to break up the play down the flank that led to the equalizing goal but couldn’t gain control. He played every minute of the match and finished with a tackle, an interception, and a blocked shot. Although none of his three long balls found their target, he had 30 passes at a decent 86.7% success rate. It was a strong whistle-to-whistle performance from the Argentine center back while Antonio Carlos works his way back from injury.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Playing as one of Orlando’s center backs for the first half and at right back in the second, Smith did well to limit D.C United’s game plan of whipping in crosses for Benteke. While he doesn’t rival Benteke in size, Smith still did well to make life difficult for the forward in the air. He won four of his six aerial duels and contributed four tackles and two interceptions before being subbed off in the 84th minute. Three of his seven long balls were accurate and one of his two crosses was successful. However, that successful cross was a secondary assist as it found Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who then served it to Duncan McGuire on a silver platter. Smith also completed 74.4% of his 43 passes and picked up a yellow card in the 77th minute. He could have done better to stop the buildup to Durkin’s goal.

WB/MF, Rafael Santos, 6 — The Brazilian made his Orlando City debut and saw plenty of the ball, leading the Lions with 69 touches. His passing could have been a bit better as he only completed 69.8% of his 43 attempts. Despite playing out wide, Santos didn’t have many crossing opportunities, succeeding on one of his two attempts. He was credited with a key pass for setting up Wilder Cartagena’s shot from distance, and one of his four long balls was accurate. For the most part, he was solid defensively. While Ruan’s speed gave him trouble and he was spun around a few times, Santos finished with six clearances, four tackles, an interception, and won both of his defensive aerial duels. More time in the league playing alongside his teammates may help him better defend near the endlines to limit the kind of chances D.C. was able to create, and he’ll rarely have to deal with someone with Ruan’s pace.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5.5 — It was a decent, albeit unspectacular, performance from the Peruvian midfielder. His 45 passes were a team-high and he completed them at an 80% rate, while connecting on two of his four long balls. On the defensive side of things, Cartagena recorded a blocked shot, three clearances, two interceptions, and three tackles. He also committed three fouls to help slow down D.C. without receiving a booking. Cartagena’s lone shot of the match was a try from a mile out that was blocked. He did have some trouble in the air though, only winning one of his six aerial duels. There was a worrying moment where a penalty was called for a handball by him in the box, but he did well to tuck his arm behind his back in the heat of the moment and the right call was made after review.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5 — The captain provided danger on occasion, but wasn’t able to deliver some of the game-breaking passes we’ve seen from him over the years. Pereyra had one key pass and no shots as Orlando’s offense continued to struggle for most of the match. However, he did set up a nice chance for Facundo Torres in the first half after a series of passes between the two. In 63 minutes of action, he had just 24 passes at a 75% success rate, completed his single long ball, and was inaccurate on his one cross. Pereyra helped out defensively with four tackles. Considering he had a middling performance with a rotated squad last weekend as well, he may just need some time to find how he can best pull the strings in this formation.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7 — The Icelandic midfielder had a great game, notching his first assist as a Lion. Thorhallsson did well to not only get on the end of a cross by Smith, but also redirect it right at McGuire for the easy tap-in. He also had two shots of his own, although the one he put on target did little to trouble Tyler Miller. Although he could have been more clinical at times, he did well with the ball at his feet and was successful on all four of his dribbles. Thorhallsson completed 84.9% of his 33 passes, missed on his single cross, and had a tackle.

WB/MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo was provided plenty of room to work with on the right wing, but ultimately wasn’t able to provide much of an offensive impact beyond good positioning and collecting loose balls. That being said, his only cross of the match was accurate and a key pass as it connected with Torres’s head in front of goal. He was successful on two of his four dribbles and had three unstable touches. Of his 26 passes, 76.9% of them were completed and he had a tackle, a clearance, and an interception on defense. The statistics won’t reflect his hustle up and down the wing to make himself an outlet if needed and get back defensively. Despite his speed on the field, he’s having a slow start to 2023.

F, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres was often swarmed by D.C. players when the ball came his way. As a result, he often had to make quick passes and then sprint into a better position rather than dribbling. He had a good opportunity late in the first half after one such case of link-up play, connecting with Pereyra to weave through traffic. However, his touch was too heavy in the end and Miller was there to gather the ball before he could get back to it. His only shot of the match was a header in the box, but it lofted over the goal. Torres had one key pass as well, setting up a shot for Thorhallsson. Only 76.2% of his 21 passes were successful and he didn’t have any crosses or defensive statistics. Although he wasn’t able to bend the game to his will, Orlando’s best offensive moments in the first half usually involved him. He was subbed off at halftime for some rest before Wednesday.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — There aren’t many better things to do in your MLS debut than score and McGuire did just that. After a cross from Smith zipped past him, McGuire did well to stay alert and get in a good position to put away a pass back towards him from Thorhallsson. There was some disconnect between him and Torres early on, but it improved as the match went on and they teamed up for a chance right before halftime. Torres headed a great pass into space for him, but his left-footed cross was deflected out for a corner. He showed plenty of hustle while on the field as well, racing back to defend and contributing three clearances. He played every minute of the match, but his goal was his only shot and he didn’t have a key pass. In the first half, the team’s offensive struggles limited his touches, as they have for everyone who has played up top so far this season, but the game opened up a bit after Orlando changed formations at halftime. McGuire won three of his 11 aerial duels and had 25 passes at a 60% success rate. His goal overshadows some of the other aspects of his performance, but it was his first start and he will only improve as time goes on.

Substitutes

D, Robin Jansson (45’), 6.5 — The center back may have only played for the second half, but he was constantly involved, with 30 touches. His 63.6% success rate on 22 passes could have been better, but he had a team-high five successful long balls from 11 attempts. The Beefy Swede blocked a shot and made six clearances to help ensure Orlando left D.C. with a result. He also had a shot from a free kick designed to deliver a low cross for him to run onto, but the ball skipped along the field and he couldn’t keep from sending it into the stands.

MF, Martín Ojeda (45’), 6 — Ojeda led the Lions with three shots, but none were particularly threatening. He put two of them on target, but all three were taken from outside the box and didn’t force tough saves from Miller. His two key passes were also a team high, although not much came from the ensuing shots. While he only had 19 passes at a 73.7% success rate, and neither of his long balls found their mark, it was nice to see Ojeda take some chances and create some others. He also contributed on defense with a pair of clearances and clogged up some of D.C.’s passing lanes.

MF, Cesar Araujo (63’), 5.5 — Coming on for Pereyra in the second half, Araujo brought some stability to the midfield as Orlando aimed to keep its lead. He had 17 passes at an 82.4% success rate, was accurate on his only long ball, and had a key pass by teeing up a shot for Ojeda. Araujo also had three clearances, a tackle, and an interception to help Orlando’s back line. On D.C.’s goal, he overcommitted when Durkin seemed poised to shoot with his right foot, only to be out of position when the D.C. attacker cut back to his left foot. Although Orlando couldn’t hold onto its lead, Araujo helped Orlando handle a chaotic second half.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (67’), 4.5 — The winger only had 13 touches and completed just three of his four passes in a performance that could have been better coming off the bench with fresh legs. Gonzalez committed three fouls and was not able to make an impact on offense, with neither of his crosses finding their target. However, he did win a foul in a dangerous position for Orlando by fighting for a loose ball with Ruan and had a clearance.

D, Michael Halliday (83’), N/A — The right back came on for Smith late in the match and had seven passes at an 85.7% success rate. He contributed a clearance on defense and shored up the right side of the field for Orlando. While he didn’t have a cross, he did well when needed for Orlando not to end the match empty-handed.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando’s second draw of the season. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Robin Jansson	50
Duncan McGuire	19
Martín Ojeda	23
Michael Halliday	0
Facundo Torres	0
Other (Tell us in the comments below)	0

Related Topics:Player Grades SBN_migrated

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

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Orlando City

Why Three Could Be Greater Than Four In Orlando City’s Back Line

An analysis of MLS teams using three, four, and five-man back lines and whether it would benefit Orlando City to use a three-man grouping going forwards.

Published

30 minutes ago

April 16, 2026

S. Andrew DeSalvo

Orlando City starting lineup vs New York Red Bulls

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City rolled out a three-man back line during last Sunday night’s game against Columbus, and while that formation alone is not responsible for the Lions leading for most of the game and getting their first point of the season on the road, it definitely played a role. During the Óscar Pareja era, Orlando City nearly always played with a four-man back line, but with a lot of roster turnover from last season and new leadership on the sideline, it could be time to give the three-man group a look, as the Lions try to climb out from the bottom of the standings and make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.

We will explore whether a three-man back line is worth pursuing below, but making the playoffs is definitely a five-star idea and highly recommended.

Soccer back lines, and formations in general, are fluid. Baseball is static before every play, so you can see exactly where every fielder (defender) was and evaluate offensive and defensive performances against shifts or alignments. American football is not exactly static, but it is closer to baseball than soccer, with most players being still as the play is initiated. Soccer is most similar to hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, where even though players are nominally playing set positions, those positions can constantly change throughout a play and throughout the entirety of the game.

That said, most players generally play in a specific position for much of the game, so we can look at some tracking data and make generalizations about the formations. Opta’s tracking analysts list a primary formation for each team in every game, and while it is not perfect, it is correct more often than not for the general formation used by that team in that game.

Opta’s tracking on fbref.com gives the following table for every formation used in MLS play so far this year, and I have added the associated points earned, goals scored, and goals allowed by each team while in that formation. Make sure you are taking the formation with somewhere between a grain of salt and the bottom third of the salt shaker, but this is the unedited data:

Formation	Games Used	Avg. Points Earned	Avg. Goals For	Avg. Goals Allowed
4-2-3-1	77	1.58	1.74	1.44
4-3-3	48	1.35	1.67	1.65
4-4-2	32	0.97	0.84	1.41
3-4-3	30	1.47	1.57	1.83
3-5-2	7	1.43	1.57	1.57
5-4-1	4	1.25	1.25	0.75
4-1-4-1	3	1.33	1.67	1.33
3-4-1-2	3	1.67	2.00	1.67
3-5-1-1	1	3.00	4.00	3.00
4-4-1-1	1	0.00	0.00	3.00

I think it is probably easier to just bucket the different formations into simpler sets, using the number of defenders to segment the formations:

Back Line	Games Used	Avg. Points Earned	Avg. Goals For	Avg. Goals Allowed
Three-man	41	1.51	1.66	1.81
Four-man	161	1.38	1.53	1.50
Five-man	4	1.25	1.25	0.75

Most teams in MLS, and also around the world, utilize four-player back lines. Coaches are pragmatists, and some combination between using a lineup that feels more secure (i.e. usually one with more defenders) and one that will not get ridiculed by players, pundits, fans, owners, and writers (the audacity of someone to analyze and comment on lineup choices, how dare they?) drives a hefty portion of the decision making for those making lineup decisions.

Orlando City used a three-man back line in the game against Columbus, though there were parts of the game when it looked much more like a five-man back line with Griffin Dorsey and Iván Angulo dropped all the way back on defense. The sofascore.com heatmaps for all five (Angulo, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Dorsey) are listed below in order from left to right, and you can see where all five have a good amount of touches in the defensive third. Angulo and Dorsey played far higher than the middle three, however, which is why the formation Opta assigned to Orlando City was a back three. Imperfect, but directionally it makes sense.

Heat maps of Orlando City's defensive players against Columbus.

With the players on the current roster, a back three may well be the right lineup to use until the next transfer window. There is a not a lot of blazing speed among Orlando City’s defensive group, but most of the defenders have decent size and are good in the air, so protecting the heart of the defense with Brekalo, Jansson, and Iago as the starters and Adrián Marín and Tahir Reid-Brown as backups gives the team some decent depth without sacrificing size. Alas, this comes one year too late for former Lion Thomas Williams, who probably would have been better suited to a back three than a back four.

In addition to having a good set of center back candidates, Angulo, Dorsey, Zakaria Taifi, and Marín are all good wingback options as well, and players who have the skills and pace to get up into the attack while also recovering back to help out the defensive line.

Orlando City’s current personnel fits the three-man back line well, and considering most teams in MLS are using four-man back lines, that decision also bodes well considering how three-man back lines have done this season when playing against four- or five-man back lines. Three-man back lines have been used against four- or five-man back lines 31 times thus far this season, and those teams are earning 1.58 points per match during those games. That amount of points per match would have been in the top half of MLS last season (13th), right above the actual 2025 Orlando City team, which finished on 1.56 points per match.

Orlando City hosts Houston this weekend, and the Dynamo have primarily used a four-man back line (featuring former Lion Antonio Carlos) thus far this season. On Saturday night we will see if the three-man back line was just for the Columbus game or if it is something that the Lions will trot out again in hopes of continuing the league-wide trend of teams finding success when playing three in the back against teams playing four in the back.

I do not really care whether it is three or four in the back, as long as that by the end of the game Orlando City has done better than Houston at putting more in the back…of the opposition’s net.

Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points against the Dynamo this weekend?

Published

2 hours ago

April 16, 2026

David Rohe

Image of Eduard Atuesta looking for a teammate to pass to.

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City returns home to Inter&Co Stadium to take on the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. The Lions are coming off a 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew on Sunday, and a 1-0 road win against FC Naples in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday in a busy week. Hopefully, Orlando City can keep the good time rolling with another positive result this weekend. What must the Lions do to earn all three points against Houston Saturday night?

The Midfield (Part 1)

Houston has a pretty good midfield with Hector Herrera, Mateusz Bogusz, and Lawrence Ennali. Ennali has two of the Dynamo’s 10 goals this season. Controlling these players and thus controlling possession in the middle of the pitch will make a difference in how the match plays out. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta are not midfield destroyers and that has hurt Orlando City this season. If at all possible, the Lions need to be more physical in the defensive midfield to limit Houston’s ability to build the attack.

More on Herrera: In his first stint with the Dynamo he was a Designated Player and considered one of the best midfielders in the league. He helped lead Houston to a U.S. Open Cup title in 2024. Despite having only played limited minutes this season, he already has two assists and will present problems in the midfield.

The Midfield (Part Deux)

Traffic flows both ways on a soccer pitch, and while Orlando City hasn’t been good about taking on and stopping attacks in the defensive midfield, the players have also struggled to break through the opposition’s lines. This has been in large part due to very poor passing, and I’m not certain how to fix “stop passing the ball to the opponent,” but that is what the team will need to do.

Having Robin Jansson as the safety outlet for the others on the back line, and by extension the midfield, helps, as does his ability to send accurate long balls down the field. It would also be good if the rest of the players could connect on their passes. Not only will it allow Orlando City to move the ball down the pitch and connect the defense to the attack, but it will limit the amount of time Houston is on the ball. Passing shouldn’t be a key I write about, but here we are.

Finish Them

Orlando City struck first against the Columbus Crew and then wasted every other chance — that is, while there were chances still being created. It was like a switch was turned off. “Hey, we got a goal. Let’s go back to how we were playing when we weren’t scoring goals,” is how I think it went. That cannot happen against Houston — or any team for that matter. I’m not even talking about how sometimes a team will get more defensive with a lead, or the other team makes adjustments. There was some sort of mentality switch, and it needs to be fixed.

If Orlando City is able to score first, then someone needs to get a second goal. The Lions have only scored two goals in a match twice this season. The first was against Inter Miami, and we know what happened in that one. The other time was against CF Montreal — Orlando City’s only win so far. Houston isn’t as good as Miami but is probably better than Montreal. My point is the Lions most likely need multiple goals to win this match, and it starts with finishing.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/16/26

Orlando City wins against FC Naples, U.S. Open Cup results, USWNT takeaways following loss, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Marcus Mitchell

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

This Thursday might feel a little more like a Friday thanks to Orlando City winning a game last night. Sure, it was more like the Lions failed to complete an implosion, but we’ll take what we can get at this point. Another MLS match is on the horizon this weekend, so if you crafted any lucky charms, make sure to keep them out for a few more days. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Wins U.S. Open Cup Match

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but Orlando City went on the road and beat FC Naples 1-0 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to advance to the round of 16. The Lions opted for a fairly young roster to start and managed to take the lead in the first half. The defense started to fall apart as the match wore on, but it managed to hold on by a matter of inches against the USL League One side for its first clean sheet of the year. Orlando is the last Floridian team standing in the tournament and its next match will be on the road against the New England Revolution on either April 28 or 29.

MLS Mostly Avoids Cupsets in Round of 32

There weren’t too many shocking results in the round of 32 of this year’s U.S. Open Cup, with the MLS clubs taking care of business for the most part. Charlotte FC crushed the Charlotte Independence 6-0, the Columbus Crew shut out the Richmond Kickers in a 3-0 win, and the New York Red Bulls beat the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-1. St. Louis City and the Houston Dynamo also cruised to comfortable wins. D.C. United was defeated though, losing the penalty shootout to One Knoxville SC after a thrilling game. Last year’s tournament didn’t include any teams from outside MLS in the quarterfinals. The Colorado Springs Switchbacks and Louisville City also managed to take down their MLS opponents earlier this week, so we’ll see if they can keep making noise later this month.

Takeaways From USWNT Loss to Japan

The United States Women’s National Team lost 1-0 to Japan in the second of three friendlies between the two this month, snapping its 10-game win streak. Head Coach Emma Hayes went with a young roster, with 20-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton becoming the team’s youngest captain since 2001. The team’s inexperience showed at times, particularly when it came to struggling to produce chances despite plenty of possession, but these were valuable minutes against one of the top teams in the world. We’ll see how the team responds on Friday when the two play again in Denver.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Set

Only four teams remain in the UEFA Champions League after an exciting series of quarterfinals. Bayern Munich advanced after beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a rollercoaster of a match that included five goals in the first half. Arda Guler had a brace within the first 30 minutes, but Bayern kept things close and then scored two late goals after Eduardo Camavinga was shown a red card in the 86th minute. The match between Arsenal and Sporting was a quieter affair, with Arsenal advancing on aggregate after a scoreless draw.

The semifinals don’t feature any teams from the same country and should be a fun round of matches. Atletico Madrid will square off against Arsenal, while Bayern will play against Paris Saint-Germain.

Free Kicks

LAFC midfielder Jude Terry won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curled shot from outside of the box against the Portland Timbers. It was the 17-year-old’s first goal in MLS and a pretty impressive way for him to open his account.
In case you missed it, LAFC drew 1-1 against Cruz Azul to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Nashville SC also advanced, beating Club America 1-0 at the Azteca in a huge win.
You’ll need to get past the paywall for the full details, but the NWSL is reportedly working on a league-wide exposure agreement policy that would force players to cover up logos of non-sponsored brands.
New Zealand qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after winning 1-0 against Papua New Guinea.
French forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup due to a leg injury sustained during Liverpool’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.