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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions rate individually in a tough 2-0 loss to Nashville?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well, that wasn’t a very fun game. Orlando City had its chances, but was caught out twice and lost 2-0 to Nashville SC at home. It was another game that will sting for supporters as the Lions weren’t bad by any means, but failed to capitalize on the chances they created while the visitors were extremely ruthless. Here’s how I saw the individual performances in OCSC’s second straight home loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — This maybe feels a little harsh on El Pulpo, but on a night when he didn’t face many shots, he wasn’t able to keep out the majority of the ones that he did see. He finished with one save on the three shots on target that Nashville produced on the night, with the other two finding a way past him. He was caught in no man’s land on the opening goal, and while a cruel deflection took Hany Mukhtar’s shot past him, it’s still not great to get beat from such an acute angle. His 59% passing accuracy left a bit to be desired, even as a goalkeeper, but it’s hard to hold that against him too much. In the end, it just wasn’t his night.

D, Luca Petrasso, 5.5 — Preferred to Rafael Santos in the starting left back role, Petrasso had a fairly quiet night. His passing was the highlight of his performance as he was extremely accurate, completing 93% of them, while also contributing two key passes. His cutback pass to Ramiro Enrique should have resulted in more than it did, but it was that kind of night across the board for the Lions. He also completed one dribble and committed two fouls before being withdrawn as OCSC was chasing the game.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson recorded one tackle, one interception, four clearances, and four long balls while passing with 92% accuracy. I particularly enjoyed the excellent curled ball he played up the sideline just two minutes into the game. While he wasn’t as culpable as Rodrigo Schlegel on Fafa Picault’s opening goal, he wasn’t blameless either, and neither player covered themselves in glory on the sequence. He did commit one foul but avoided picking up a yellow card, which isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion for him, so that was some silver lining.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel partnered Jansson in defense as he has for most of the young season. He was busy on the stat sheet with two tackles, four clearances, and 84.6% passing accuracy with one long ball. Unfortunately, his most high profile contribution to the game came on Nashville’s opening goal when he fell asleep and allowed Picault to get in behind him to open the scoring. It was not good defending from him, and while he was mostly solid afterward — though it’s not clear how much his sliding challenge distracted Gallese on the second goal — his first lapse ended up costing the Lions dearly. He also picked up a yellow card shortly after the halftime break and had to play more carefully as a result.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Like Petrasso, it was a fairly anonymous performance from The Accountant. He passed with 86% accuracy and completed three key passes, and it was nice to see him making that contribution offensively, although he was only one-for-five on his crossing attempts. He won two aerial duels, and made one tackle, while being fouled once and picking up a yellow card for a shoving match with Picault in the second half.

MF, Felipe , 5.5 — Felipe was given the start and asked to play the double pivot in deep central midfield alongside Cesar Araujo, presumably in an effort to gum up the play of the always dangerous duo of Mukhtar and C.J. Sapong. It worked to a degree. He recorded a tackle, an interception, a shot and a completed dribble while passing at an 84% clip. With that being said, he was the one who committed the foul on Mukhtar which led to the Nashville goal. The foul in itself wasn’t a cardinal sin as it stopped a Nashville break, but he maybe should have tried to get in front of the German playmaker and tried to delay the set piece being taken as quickly as it was, though he was by no means the worst offender on that particular goal conceded.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo did plenty of dirty work in the match, but was able to flash an offensive side of his game as well. He passed with a whopping 99% accuracy, recorded two tackles, one clearance, two shots, a completed dribble and was fouled three times while committing three of his own. It was a shame he was unable to stay on his feet when the ball found him in the box in the first half, as he had a good opportunity to shoot, but his slip was fairly emblematic of Orlando’s night as a whole.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Pererya was largely freed of defensive responsibilities with Felipe deployed as the eight, and that was reflected in his stat line. The captain took one shot, passed with 84% accuracy, had three key passes, two long balls, was fouled twice, and chipped in with two tackles defensively. Unfortunately, he and the rest of his offensive teammates couldn’t find the final ball to unlock Nashville defensively, especially once the first goal went in and the visitors started to bunker more heavily.  

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — As has become customary for him, Ojeda took the most shots out of anyone in an Orlando City shirt, with six. Two went on target, one was blocked and the other three were off target, but he isn’t shy about having a pop when the opportunity presents itself. He also passed with 88% accuracy, had one key pass and one interception while committing one foul. For the most part, the final ball just wouldn’t present itself for anyone in a purple shirt, and he was no exception.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 (MotM) — Angulo was his usual active self in this one. He had Orlando’s best chance of the game in the 17th minute when he turned on a ball in the box and fired a low shot towards the far corner that forced Joe Willis into an excellent kick save. He took three shots on the night, putting one on target, one off, and having the final one blocked. He also passed with 89% accuracy and had a key pass, and he won a lone aerial duel and made one clearance. On the disciplinary side of things he was fouled once and committed one foul of his own.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique was given the start up top and was not shy about running and using his high energy levels. Defensively he contributed one clearance and committed a foul. On the offensive end of things he took two shots, putting one on target and had the other one blocked, while also passing with 88% accuracy and notching a key pass. He had a great chance to get Orlando level when Petrasso’s cutback found him in the second half, but he could only fire low into Joe Willis’ body with a shot he really should have done better with.

Substitutes

MF, Facundo Torres (45′), 6 — Deployed only as a second half substitute, Torres still managed to get involved. He finished his night with two shots, one on target and one off target, and also had a key pass and drew a foul on the offensive end. He passed with 89% accuracy, completed two long balls, and contributed one tackle and one interception on the defensive end. His introduction gave the Lions a spark, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to get them on the scoresheet.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (78′), N/A — Gonzalez came in with under a quarter of an hour to play as Oscar Pareja threw the kitchen sink at Nashville to try to get a result. He didn’t record any defensive statistics but passed with 78% accuracy, was fouled once, and completed one dribble.

MF, Duncan McGuire (81′), N/A — Like Gonzalez, McGuire entered the fray late to try to help chase a result. He completed all three of his passes, one of which was a key one, won one aerial duel, and took one headed shot, which he put on target.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (82′), N/A — Thorhallsson was another sub late with OCSC chasing the game. He completed all three of his passes and committed two fouls, but was otherwise unable to impact proceedings.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in the tough home loss to Nashville SC. Let me know how you saw things in the comments, and be sure to vote in the Man of the Match poll below.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Striker Duncan McGuire Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

It’s the other shoulder this time, but Big Dunc is on the shelf for awhile again after undergoing surgery.

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2 days ago

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June 6, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City announced today that Duncan McGuire has undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery was performed by Orlando City Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Mintzer of the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute performed the surgery. Mintzer previously repaired the labrum and rotator cuff in McGuire’s right shoulder back in December for an injury he sustained in Orlando City’s playoff match against Charlotte FC Nov. 9 when he was pulled down by Djibril Diani.

The club’s press release said the 24-year-old striker’s return to play is expected “later this year.” The recovery given for his right shoulder surgery in late 2024 was listed as four to five months, but McGuire was able to come back and play much earlier than expected, appearing for the first time in 2025 in Orlando’s March 15 against the New York Red Bulls — at least a month before the earliest initial projection — however, this time there was no mention of damage to the rotator cuff.

Regardless, the Lions will be without the big target striker for a considerable amount of time.

McGuire had appeared in 12 matches during the regular season in 2025, starting three and scoring one goal and adding an assist. His goal came recently, serving as the game winner in Orlando’s 1-0 home victory over the Portland Timbers on May 24. He was recently listed as questionable on the club’s availability report ahead of the team’s most recent match against the Chicago Fire.

Orlando City drafted McGuire in the first round (No. 6 overall) in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. After a breakout rookie campaign, in which the Omaha, NE native scored 14 goals, he was courted by several teams in Europe, signing with Blackburn Rovers, only to see the transfer rejected by the English Football League due to an administrative error by the EFL Championship club. After returning to Orlando, McGuire signed a new deal on Aug. 22 to remain a Lion. The new contract runs through 2027 with a club option for 2028. McGuire scored 10 goals and added three assists in 2024. For his Orlando City career, McGuire has appeared in 88 games (46 starts) across all competitions, scoring a total of 28 goals to go along with seven assists.

What It Means for Orlando City

McGuire appeared to be just finding his form, so this injury is unfortunate. The club didn’t put a timeline on McGuire’s recovery this time, but shaving a little off his 2024 recovery estimate, it’s likely that he’ll be out until at least some time in September.

Oscar Pareja has been favoring a 4-4-2 with Luis Muriel and Martin Ojeda up top in recent weeks, with Ramiro Enrique — who is also finding his form — typically spelling one of them when needed. Not having McGuire will affect Pareja’s late-game substitution pattern when Orlando is trailing, as he likes to put Enrique and McGuire both on the field when chasing the game. It also takes the team’s best target striker option out of the lineup when dealing with back lines with lots of height.

McGuire brings size and strength and an ability to occupy center backs that others on the roster can’t replicate. There are times when Enrique’s game is better suited to the opponent, but without McGuire there will be no ability to pivot. With Jack Lynn’s off-season retirement, that leaves the striker pickings mighty slim on the Orlando City bench. That might change Ricardo Moreira’s approach to the MLS Secondary Transfer Window.

Losing a scorer of McGuire’s caliber is always difficult, but this season it could be the difference between finishing high in the table and simply getting into the postseason in a strong Eastern Conference field.

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Opinion

Orlando City Must Learn from May’s Mistakes

The Lions can learn some valuable lessons from the three losses they suffered in May.

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2 days ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City hadn’t quite achieved juggernaut status as the Major League Soccer season turned from April to May, but a 12-match unbeaten run in the league is nothing to sniff at, despite there being a healthy number of draws interspersed with the victories. Things turned sour as May drew to a close though, as the Lions lost three of their final four matches of the month and entered a two-week break with a whimper rather than a roar.

Losing is never fun, but in this case those three defeats don’t need to be entirely negative experiences, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned from those three bitter losses that will hold Orlando in good stead if it can implement the proper solutions.

More Squad Rotation

One of the biggest factors in Orlando’s rough finish to May was a lack of squad rotation. Oscar Pareja has always been a coach that likes to find his first-choice XI and stick to it almost religiously. He doesn’t normally tweak his lineups or tactics according to whatever opponent is on the slate, and very much values consistency. In periods of fixture congestion, that tendency can be to Orlando’s detriment, and that was very much the case against both Nashville SC and the Chicago Fire.

After beating Inter Miami 3-0 in an emotional rivalry match on May 18, Pareja made just one change for a U.S. Open Cup match against Nashville SC three days later. Ramiro Enrique slotted in for Luis Muriel up top, but every single other starter from the Miami game also got the nod midweek. With Nashville deploying a heavily rotated lineup mostly filled with backups, the gamble was a simple one: hope that OCSC’s A-team can open up a big first-half lead against Nashville’s B-squad before bringing mass changes in the second half to get guys some rest. Hindsight is, of course, 20/20, but the strategy backfired badly as the Lions lost 3-2. Orlando started well with Marco Pasalic’s 17th-minute strike, but the team faded badly afterwards and gave up a couple of very uncharacteristic goals to lose the game. Lapses in concentration and tired defending cost OCSC the game, and that isn’t something we can normally say about this team.

Then, after losing to Atlanta United 3-2 on May 28 due in no small part to Cesar Araujo’s red card, Pareja made two changes for a match against the Chicago Fire on May 31, with Muriel coming in for Enrique, and the other change being a forced one, as Eduard Atuesta replaced the suspended Araujo. Those starters looked noticeably gassed during the resulting 3-1 loss, and the fatigue manifested itself by players missing chances that would normally be converted or in sloppy, mistake-ridden defending.

May was a packed month with a whopping nine matches in 31 days, and most months won’t be that busy. August is set to be the busiest remaining period of the year with six games in 31 days, although that number could rise higher if the Lions make a run in Leagues Cup. The bottom line is that guys are going to need more rest as the season goes on. If the coaching staff doesn’t trust some of the guys currently available as backups, then they need to dip into the transfer market in one way or another and get some players that they do trust, because if the starting XI gets run ragged during busy periods it’s going to cost Orlando, plain and simple.

Cool Heads Usually Prevail

Orlando City has received three red cards on the season, which is tied for the second-most in the league. Unsurprisingly, the Lions are winless in games in which they’ve had a man sent off, with draws against the New York Red Bulls and CF Montreal and a loss to Atlanta United. The results against the Red Bulls and Atlanta were particularly difficult to swallow, as before going down to 10 men, Orlando had looked on track to get three points in each game.

Araujo’s red card against Atlanta was especially frustrating, as he allowed Mateusz Klich to get under his skin, grabbed him by the throat, and reduced his team to 10 men when OCSC was nursing a 2-1 lead on the road. It was completely unnecessary and was also the sort of thing that Orlando had looked to put in the rearview mirror after keeping its collective composure and not picking up any bookings in the 3-0 road win against Miami, while the Herons picked up four and looked noticeably rattled in the process.

It should go without saying, but the Lions can’t afford to get key players sent off. Six extra points could make a big difference in the standings at the end of the year, and that number could rise even higher if OCSC can’t put its disciplinary issues to rest once and for all.

Focus for the Full 90

There were moments in each of Orlando’s three May losses that the team committed bad defensive lapses or mistakes. Whether it was not playing to the whistle on Nashville’s third goal, Atuesta’s bad turnover against Atlanta, or the Lions collectively allowing Chicago to stroll through midfield to score a third goal, there were plenty of examples of bad breakdowns that were largely absent during the team’s unbeaten run. Can some of that be attributed to tired minds and tired legs? Maybe so — it’s a lot harder to play crisp and focused when the minutes have piled up. Regardless, its something that can’t continue to happen going forward. It’s possible that having more rotation in the squad will help that a lot, but it’s also on the players on the field to stay as mentally sharp as they can when they’re out on the pitch.

Clearly, a recurring theme here is that fresh legs and balanced squad rotation are top of my list of things I want to see change. I’m all for riding the hot hands, but tired legs make for tired minds, and tired minds make mistakes and are easier to rile up. Whether reinforcements come from the bench or an outside source, using more bodies will go a long way towards solving some of the issues that we saw in May’s three losses. All we can do now is wait and see what happens once the team returns from its break. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/6/25

Alex Freeman called up for Concacaf Gold Cup, Orlando Pride get ready for the Houston Dash, Orlando City B plays tonight, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I’ll be spending this weekend celebrating my birthday by beating my friends at mini golf with no mercy but still hope to catch some soccer over the next few days. I’ve also been on a bit of a movie kick and plan on catching Wes Anderson’s new flick at some point soon. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Alex Freeman Called Up For Gold Cup

Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was officially called up by the United States Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. He’s the only Lion who will be at the tournament and is one of seven uncapped USMNT players on the roster. The 20-year-old could receive more playing time than expected, as right back Sergino Dest is not on the roster so that he can recover over the summer. Left back John Tolkin was added to replace Dest, so Freeman has a real shot at making a claim for the position this month. The U.S. will take on Turkey Saturday in the first of two friendlies before its first Gold Cup match against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15.

Orlando Pride Prepares to Host the Houston Dash

With the international break for women’s soccer over, the Orlando Pride return to action Saturday with a home game against the Houston Dash. It should be a great opportunity for the Pride to ease back into the swing of things against a Dash team that’s only scored 10 goals this season. Pride midfielder Ally Lemos spoke on the benefit of being able to rest heading into this match while maintaining a winning mindset from a 3-1 victory on May 23.

Anna Moorhouse Called Up For 2025 Euros

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was named to England’s final roster for the 2025 UEFA European Women’s Championship. She’s one of three goalkeepers on the squad following Mary Earp’s surprise retirement from international soccer, and she will likely compete with fellow uncapped player Khiara Keating for the backup position behind Hannah Hampton. Moorhouse has started in every game for the Pride this season and was an NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist for her record-breaking season last year. England’s Euro run will begin July 5 against France before other group matches against the Netherlands and Wales.

Orlando City B Takes On Huntsville City FC

The Young Lions are riding high after a 2-1 win over Chattanooga FC and will take that momentum into tonight’s road match against Huntsville City FC. Midfielder Noah Levis scored his first career goal in that home win, with Justin Hylton providing the assist in his OCB debut. Orlando’s offense has been hot and cold this season but has a variety of attacking talent that can create chances in different ways. The Young Lions have only won once on the road, but a win tonight would lift them to third in the Eastern Conference.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA Club World Cup action is coming to the City Beautiful this month and Orlando City legend Kaká spoke on how it’s nice for Orlando to host games.
  • San Diego Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall was named NWSL Coach of the Month. The Wave were undefeated in May, winning three of their four matches to climb to second in the league standings.
  • The NWSL will allow intraleague loans for all teams, with the players needing to consent to the move in order for it to happen. Denver and Boston’s expansion teams will have access to potentially over $1 million in Allocation Money starting on July 1 to build their rosters before the 2026 season.
  • Atletico Madrid is reportedly close to signing American midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis.
  • South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan all qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while China was eliminated from contention. Australia beat Japan 1-0 and will qualify so long as it doesn’t lose heavily to Saudi Arabia on June 10.
  • Spain beat France 5-4 in a wild game to reach the UEFA Nations League final against Portugal on Sunday. Lamine Yamal continues to take the world by storm, but a late rally by France nearly completed a comeback.

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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