One game is a random event, but two games is the beginnings of the trend, and I am hopeful that Orlando City nips this trend in the bud, because the Lions once again failed to score a goal, drawing the New York Red Bulls 0-0 at home. It was a tale of two halves, with Orlando City dominating the first half but squandering chances before needing to defend for nearly the entirety of the final 35 minutes after going down to 10 players because of a second yellow to Rodrigo Schlegel, which equals a red card.

After a blistering start to the season offensively, it is now the defense that looks strong while the offense is searching for answers, and the Lions did not find those answers in this match. Hopefully a trip to CF Montréal and the chilly northern climate next week will provide a little shock to the system, and the Lions will warm themselves up with some goal celebrations.

I have my purple pen out and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Even though the Red Bulls were up a man for nearly one-third of the game, they really did not generate on-target opportunities, and so while El Pulpo was under duress for most of the second half, he actually did not have to do very much. I do not mean to discount the communication and presence he provided, but New York was only able to force him into making one save, and that one shot was not struck very well and was right at him. Credit to him for being in position, but it was not a save that will go on any highlight reels. Gallese was able to successfully milk a lot of clock in the late minutes of the game without receiving a yellow card, and he almost was able to put Duncan McGuire in with a well-placed long ball on a quick counter.

D, David Brekalo, 6— The Slovenian looks to have taken over as the first choice left back, but because of Schlegel’s sending off, he shifted to right center back in the second half on Saturday, and he will likely be in that same role Saturday. Then we’ll see what happens when Schlegel returns in the match after that. Brekalo continues to impress in a position he is still learning, and New York could not really muster any significant attacks during the minutes while Brekalo was out on the left. With Schlegel’s exit he moved over to the middle, playing in the right center back spot, and continued his solid play for the final minutes. He completed 73.3% of his passes on the afternoon and had one shot attempt on a header, but his more critical contributions were his four tackles, four clearances, and one interception on defense.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The Beefy Swede looks back to himself, as he was excellent in the center of the defense, keeping the Red Bulls from generating any significant opportunities throughout the match. I expect he will replay his one major foray into the offensive area over and over in his head though, as he stayed forward after a corner kick and placed himself perfectly to receive a whipped in cross from Martín Ojeda, only to send the well-struck header directly at New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. Jansson did not have any tackles, but he finished with one interception, two clearances, and one block, and completed a team-high 46 passes at a 95.8% completion rate.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4.5 — There is no way around the fact that Schegel’s dismissal for a second yellow card changed the game, and it is frustrating because both of his fouls were unnecessary. The first half yellow card was perhaps a bit harsh from a referee who was letting players be physical for most of the match, but the second one was deserved and was not a good decision by a player who should have known better since he was already on a yellow card. Schlegel had been playing well, with a 92.3% completion rate on his passes and not many defensive statistics since the Lions had dominated most of the game, but his departure changed everything and turned a very winnable game into one in which Orlando City had to grind out to get a draw.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — Freeman is a right back, but when a right back’s average position on the pitch (according to our friends at whoscored.com) is in the opposing half of the field, is he still a right back? I thought the Homegrown Player was outstanding again, marauding forward in partnership with Marco Pašalić and creating several chances that Orlando City just could not finish. Freeman had some chances himself as well but just could not get everything lined up, however, he remains an absolute threat on the right side of the field and one that I am very glad plays for Orlando City and not another team. He completed 77.1% of his passes, including going five for five on long balls, and had one interception, three clearances, and one blocked shot on defense.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 7 (MotM) — The rookie midfielder started his second consecutive game for the Lions, but in this match he did not look like a rookie at all. Gerbet looked confident and poised in partnering with Dagur Dan Thórhallsson to boss the center of the midfield, and I thought it was telling that it was Thórhallsson and not Gerbet that came off the field when Eduard Atuesta came on in the 79th minute, although it was a like-for-like swap at the No. 8 position. The French midfielder also snuffed out a great opportunity late in the match when a through ball got in behind Rafael Santos, and a ball was crossed right in front of the goal. Gerbet was positioned perfectly and intercepted the ball and immediately got it on a highway right out of the danger zone. Gerbet was second on the team with 42 completed passes at a strong 93.3% completion rate, and he also led the team with five tackles.

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 6.5 — Thórhallsson is a huge asset to have on this roster, as he once again started as a defensive midfielder and played perhaps his best game of the season in this match against New York. The Icelandic Army knife showed off his versatility by seamlessly switching to left back for a few minutes right after Schlegel departed and then casually returned right back to the middle of the field like he had never been gone when Santos entered to take over on the left side of the back line. His partnership with Gerbet looked like one of two players who had been playing together for months, and not one that is only days in the making since right before last week’s game against Philadelphia. Thórhallsson gave his trademark maximum effort while on the field and made way for Atuesta for the final minutes when Óscar Pareja wanted to get some fresh legs on the field to close out the game. He completed 92.3% of his passes and had two clearances on defense, but his major contribution was in keeping New York from generating much of a threat at all down the middle.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one of his better games of the season against New York, but he had the opportunity to make it his best game and just could not close the deal. He had a great opportunity in the first half but pushed his shot wide right, and in the second half he just could not control a seeing-eye pass from Ojeda that could have put him in on goal. In the end, he only got off a deflected shot that turned out to be harmless at the end of the latter play. I thought he looked a lot better than previous weeks though, and in a game when Orlando City was down a player, Angulo’s ability to track back and defend made a big difference in keeping the Red Bulls off the scoreboard. The Colombian completed 72% of his passes, including one key pass, and added one tackle on the defensive side before making way for fresh legs for the final minutes of the game.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Schlegel’s red card held back Ojeda from being my Man of the Match, because up until that moment the Argentinean Designated Player was clearly the best player on the field and creating opportunities all across the pitch for everyone. Ojeda still ended up with an incredible six key passes, and I am certain that he would have had even more had Orlando City played 11 on 11 for the full game. As it was, Ojeda was outstanding, and even though his passing completion rate (54.3%) was ugly, the offense he created with those completed passes and four successful take-ons should have netted the Lions at least one goal. He came off the field in a defense-for-offense substitution in the final minutes, and it is a shame he did not leave the field with a goal contribution to his name.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — The Croatian is a great match with right side partner Freeman, and had they had more time together on the field, there is a good chance they would have created at least one goal in this game. Unfortunately, Pašalić had to make way for Santos due to the red card and the need for a defensive focus, because up until that point he was getting shots off and looking dangerous. Only one of his shots was on target, but another was just wide and it felt to me that he was the player on the field most likely to break on through and put a ball on the other side of Coronel in net. Pašalić completed 79.3% of his passes and also added two tackles and one interception before departing for Santos in the 61st minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — One of the first articles I wrote for The Mane Land was about how Muriel is more of a playmaker than a finisher, and unfortunately that was on full display against New York. Muriel had several great chances in the box, and all of them ended up either shot right at Coronel or no shot was taken at all. The Colombian is one of the most talented and skilled players to ever wear the purple of Orlando City, but I was left wondering if we will see McGuire in a starting role sooner rather than later, with Muriel dropping back into a role behind him, because Orlando City needs a finisher up top and Muriel is a better provider than finisher. Muriel contributed four key passes against New York, showing off his incredible vision and playmaking touch, but when the Lions needed him most, he could not convert his chances into a goal.

Substitutes

D, Rafael Santos (62′), 5.5 — Santos entered the game a few minutes after Schlegel’s red card, assuming his preferred left back role and pushing Brekalo to center back next to Jansson. With Orlando City down a man, he did not have any chances to run forward and contribute his normal output of crosses whipped into the box, and he spent most of his time in a defensive stance and working to get the ball out of dangerous areas. He got beat on dangerous through ball in the 87th minute and was lucky that the ensuing ball into the middle was intercepted by Gerbet. On the day, he completed two of his five pass attempts and contributed two tackles, and he helped Orlando City successfully close out the final minutes without giving up a goal. However, much of New York’s attack notably shifted to Santos’ side until the late insertion of Kyle Smith stabilized Orlando’s defensive left.

F, Duncan McGuire (68′), 5.5 — McGuire was a man on an island for most of his minutes on the field, as even though he played more than 20 minutes, he only was able to touch the ball six times. As always, he worked extremely hard all across the field, making runs and trying to find space, but with Orlando City down a man and focused nearly exclusively on being compact defensively, there just was not a lot for him in this game. The MLS website did not give him credit for any completed passes, but he did complete one of his three attempts, and his main contribution was keeping New York’s defenders busy and not letting them advance up the field to press their man advantage.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, (79’), N/A — The Colombian entered the game for Ojeda, but he really came in for Thórhallsson, taking over his role as a defensive midfielder. Atuesta did not have an opportunity to do very much, as the Red Bulls had the ball for most of his time on the field, but he did make one mistake, conceding an unnecessary free kick late from a good position. He completed three of his four passes and had one interception on defense.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (79’), N/A — Enrique came on for Thórhallsson but played as more of an attacking midfielder, as Orlando City went to what almost looked like a 5-2-2 or a 5-2-1-1 formation in the final minutes, with Enrique and McGuire as the two players who played most forward. His main contribution was his hustle, as he only had five touches and did not complete any passes.

D, Kyle Smith, (79′), N/A — The Accountant entered the game for Angulo, but dropped back into a role as a center back playing in between Santos and Jansson, as Orlando City went to five in the back to try to keep New York off the score sheet in the final minutes. He contributed one tackle and two clearances, and completed one of his two passes.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at home against the Red Bulls. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great weekend. I’ve been very busy at work throughout the past week. Let’s wish a happy birthday to former Orlando City forward Facundo Torres, who turned 25 on Sunday. Our Lions picked up a draw, and the Pride extended their winning streak while OCB was off this weekend. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw New York Red Bulls at Home

Orlando City and the New York Red Bulls fought to a scoreless draw on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s the first time the Lions have had two consecutive draws since the 2023 season after picking up a scoreless draw on the road the previous week against the Philadelphia Union. Orlando had chances early on, but the match changed in the second half when Rodrigo Schlegel picked up his second yellow card, and the Lions had to play the rest of the match down a man, holding on to preserve a point. Orlando City extended its unbeaten run to five matches but is winless in its last two matches. The Lions’ next match will be on the road on Saturday to take on CF Montreal at Saputo Stadium.

Pride Beat Seattle Reign on the Road

The Orlando Pride defeated the Seattle Reign 1-0 on Saturday at Lumen Field. Barbra Banda scored the lone goal in the match to seal Orlando’s fourth consecutive win to start the 2025 NWSL season. It’s the fourth time this season that the Pride have scored first in a match. Oihane Hernandez came off the bench to make her debut for the Pride in the second half. With another three points, the Pride remain atop the NWSL table with 12 points, edging the Kansas City Current on goal differential. After the match, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines shared his thoughts on the players’ performance and the challenge of getting three points on the road.  

The Pride return home to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on the Washington Spirit in a rematch of the 2024 NWSL final.

Orlando City U-18 and U-16 Teams Pick Up Wins in Generation Adidas Cup

The Orlando City U-18 squad defeated Inter Milan 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in its first match in the group stage over the weekend in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. The Lions trailed 1-0 in the first half, but Justin Ellis found the back of the net for the equalizer to tie the match with Gustavo Caraballo adding the assist. Colin Guske and Clovis Archange also played in that match.

The U-18 squad followed that up by beating the Columbus Crew 2-1 on Sunday, with goals from Caraballo and Ellis. Later today, the U-18 squad will face LAFC in the final group stage match at 4:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the U-16 squad got off to a good start over the weekend, beating Ulsan HD FC 5-0 in the opening matchup. Brady Kendall and Jose Segura scored two goals each, along with an own goal, to seal the win.

The U-16 squad also defeated the Columbus Crew 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

The U-16 team will conclude its final group stage match against LAFC at 11:30 a.m. today.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on how some Americans did abroad in Europe over the weekend. Christian Pulisic provided an assist in AC Milan’s 4-0 win over Udinese. Gianluca Busio played 85 minutes as Venezia defeated Monza 1-0, boosting its survival hopes in Serie A, being just two points behind Lecce in 17th to get out of the relegation zone. Cameron Carter-Vickers scored a stellar goal as Celtic cruised to a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock. In the women’s FA Cup, Phallon Tullis-Joyce made four saves as Manchester United defeated Manchester City 2-0. Catarina Macario and Chelsea edged Liverpool 2-1 and will meet Manchester United in the women’s FA Cup final on May 18. Later today, we’ll have two U.S. Men’s National Team players do battle as Bournemouth and Tyler Adams face Fulham and Antonee Robinson at Vitality Stadium.

Free Kicks

• USMNT and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie is reportedly among 13 soccer players under investigation by Italian authorities for placing illegal online bets on other sports.
• Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White scored a club-record four goals as his side dominated Austin FC 5-1 on Saturday. White also became the first player in Whitecaps history to score 50 career regular-season goals.
• The Philadelphia Union have traded midfielder Daniel Gazdag to the Columbus Crew for a guaranteed $4,000,000. The club could also acquire an additional $500,000 in the deal if Gazdag meets certain performance metrics.
• Sevilla fired manager Javier Garcia Pimienta after a 1-0 defeat against Valencia over the weekend. Sevilla is 13th in the La Liga table and has lost four consecutive matches.

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

After capturing four out of six points during a modest, two-game road swing, Orlando City returned home riding a four-game unbeaten streak. Entering Saturday afternoon’s match even on points and record with the New York Red Bulls, it was a chance for the Lions to get a leg up on one of their Eastern Conference competitors and extend the streak to five.

Things changed early in the second half that left Orlando with a tall order just to scratch and claw for a single point, which the Lions did, making it a five-game unbeaten run (2-0-3) with a 0-0 home draw against New York.

What follows are my five takeaways from the match.

Improved Midfield Engine

Although Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta were upgraded to questionable after missing last week’s match, both starting central midfielders were on the bench at the start of Saturday’s game. Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson started together for the second straight game. Their growing comfort level showed against the Red Bulls, as they not only helped the Lions lock things down on the back line, but they also did a far better job of turning takeaways into transition opportunities than they had at Philadelphia a week ago. Finding ways to turn defense into offense is crucial to Oscar Pareja’s system, and while the young duo were understandably defense-first-minded against the Union, they showed more confidence against New York. Orlando finished with more possession, shots, shots on target, and corners won, despite being down a man for almost the entire second half. That’s a good sign, even if the team ultimately didn’t win.

Lions Lack Lethality

Carlos Coronel is a difficult goalkeeper to beat for a goal, but (like any goalkeeper) he’s impossible to beat if your shots aren’t on target. The Lions generated a few top-notch scoring chances against the Red Bulls — far more than they typically have over the past few years. Marco Pasalic, Luis Muriel, and Ivan Angulo all had good looks at goal in the first half from in and around the box, only to miss the target. Martin Ojeda put his best chance on frame, but he unwisely tried to beat Coronel from the left with a near-post shot with far more room to put it inside the far post. That lack of precision was costly, as when the game changed early in the second half, the Lions were even instead of leading.

Schlegel Gonna Schlegel

Whether Orlando City would have eventually found a way to put the ball in the net, we’ll never know. Rodrigo Schlegel saw to that when he took a second unnecessary yellow card in the 56th minute. The Lions had been dominating territorially and conceding almost no space at all for New York’s attack to work in to that point in the match. Orlando City had come close to opening the scoring several times, and it seemed to be one of those nights when either the Lions would eventually get that all-important goal or the Red Bulls would find a way to eke out a smash-and-grab a road victory. But this night ended differently when Schlegel was booked for a high boot early in the second half on a routine throw-in. It did not seem like referee Chris Penso was initially going to book him for it, but when he examined Eric Choupo-Moting, he pulled out his cards and the Lions had to play a man down for about 40 minutes.

There was no reason for Schlegel to be so aggressive that far from goal on a throw-in, especially when he was already on a yellow from an unnecessary pull-back of Emil Forsberg in the 31st minute. That foul was let go by Penso to see who gained advantage, but when Schlegel made a good, clean, sliding tackle to break up New York’s attack seconds later, Penso halted play, gave Schlegel his first yellow card, and awarded a free kick. Neither foul was necessary in the moment, and while the sending off didn’t prevent Orlando from having a few moments of attacking promise, it severely crippled the Lions’ momentum and chances of taking all three points. Schlegel is a capable defender, but even in the midst of a good run, such as the 2023 MLS playoffs against Columbus, he’s prone to making critical errors that cost his team.

Find the Balance

Orlando City’s offense came out of the gates flying in 2025, but the defense did not look up to snuff. For the second consecutive match, the Lions looked more like themselves defensively against New York. The visitors were frustrated repeatedly into trying hopeful, long-range shots. A single redirect in front of goal that Pedro Gallese saved was the only spot of danger from the Red Bulls all night. However, for the second straight game, a defensive clean sheet was matched by the offense producing no final product. There was the aforementioned improvement, however. The Lions generated shots and chances to the tune of 1.4 expected goals to just 0.7 for New York. Whether intimidated into trying to be too perfect against Coronel or simply a bit off their game, the attacking players failed to show the clinical finishing that helpd the Lions to jump out to a league-best 15 goals scored through the first six games. The return of the starting central midfielders should help create better opportunities for the front four, but the team must also find its balance between offense and defense to take the next step forward.

Getting Something from the Game

Considering the game circumstances — playing a man down for almost the entire second half and still using Pareja’s fourth and fifth choices in central midfield (though Atuesta did come on as a sub in the second half) — it was important for the Lions to take something from the match. Orlando City scratched and clawed for a single point with the odds heavily stacked in New York’s favor. It’s a testament to the recent defensive improvements that the visitors weren’t able to generate much danger either before or after going up a man early in the second half. The back four did just enough to see out the clean sheet, and while things got a little dicey on Rafael Santos’ side once he came on to slide David Brekalo into Schlegel’s hole at center back, the introduction of Kyle Smith helped calm things down a bit. Getting anything from a match in which a player is sent off is just as good as finding a way to eke out a road point was last week. These are the kinds of points that allow the team to progress forward when it’s not the Lions’ best night. As long as the team can take advantage and get all three when the situation is more favorable, Orlando City can continue to make progress as a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s best performance (if not best result) against the New York Red Bulls in quite a while. Keeping all 11 players on the pitch may have yielded a better result, but for now, the Lions will take a point through adversity and try to make up for dropping two points by focusing on a critical away match against CF Montreal on Saturday.

What stood out to you? Let us know in the comments below.