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Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy at home?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was able to give its supporters plenty to cheer about in a 2-0 win against the LA Galaxy at Exploria Stadium Saturday night. Ercan Kara scored his first goal of the regular season and Facundo Torres scored another in a match that showcased how Orlando’s trio of Designated Players can work alongside one another. Of course, there is more to this team than its stars and many players put in strong performances. Let’s dive into how each individual Lion did their part in the shutout victory.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — The Peruvian goalkeeper didn’t see much action throughout the match, but came up with a fantastic save to deny Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez late in the match and preserve his clean sheet. His only other save of the match was in the 24th minute, when he swallowed up a driven shot from Tyler Boyd in the heavy rain. Gallese finished the game with 28 passes at a 78.6% success rate and was accurate on five of his 11 long balls. There were a few nervy moments late while trying to play out of the back, but Orlando put out the potential fires and secured the shutout.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith returned to the starting lineup, playing at left back along Orlando’s back line while Luca Petrasso recovers from injury. He quietly led the Lions with 82 touches and a whopping 75 passes at a solid 85.3% completion rate. While there were a few giveaways, Smith did well to collect the ball out wide and either find Ivan Angulo on the left wing or calmly get it into the center of the field. He wasn’t exactly a stalwart in defense, only recording one tackle, but he did enough to strengthen Orlando’s back line so it wasn’t burned by counter attacks. He was definitely the more conservative fullback, not getting involved on offense beyond lurking outside the box for possible shots. His lone cross was inaccurate and he was successful on three of his long balls. One of those was a first-half beauty to unleash Michael Halliday down the right flank. It should have led to a scoring chance with Kara beating the defense in the middle but a heavy touch by Halliday spoiled the opportunity. It was a solid outing for Smith, considering he hasn’t seen many minutes recently and he’s more natural at right back, although his versatility has been proven enough at this point in his career.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — Jansson was a brick wall in the heart of Orlando’s defense, living up to the design of the team’s kit this year. The Beefy Swede’s four blocked shots were the most on the team and he had two clearances as well. If there was a loose ball in the box, Jansson was there to at least get a piece of it. The clearest example came in the second half, when he recovered well after a good touch from Chicharito in the box seemed to have beaten him only for him to stretch and deflect the shot out for a corner. There were many moments like that, as Jansson also cut off a clever pass in the rain at the center circle before it could reach Chicharito in transition and took care of business while defending a dangerous two-on-one. Jansson was great with the ball at his feet as well, completing 93.1% of his 58 passes and finding his mark on four of six long balls. The 31-year-old was a large reason why Gallese didn’t have to make too many saves.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — Carlos was just as impressive at center back as Jansson, leading the team with five clearances and blocking a shot as well. He won both of his aerial duels and made sure to make life difficult for Galaxy players who wanted to gain possession in Orlando’s final third. The Brazilian also made an impact on offense, completing nine of his 12 long balls. The best came on Orlando’s first goal, as he sent a weighted ball forward for Michael Halliday to get onto before it reached the end line for an assist. Carlos completed 85.4% of his 48 passes and looked right at home playing with four at the back alongside Jansson.

D, Michael Halliday, 6.5 — Halliday returned from injury and the Galaxy gave him plenty of space to run on the right wing — mainly in the first half — and he did a great job working his way into dangerous areas with speed and positioning. Heavy touches and subpar crossing led to a shaky start, but he settled in as the match went on. The 20-year-old notched his first MLS assist in the 38th minute by chasing down a long ball from Carlos and zipping a pass towards Kara at the near post. Defensively, he had two tackles, an interception, a clearance, and a blocked shot. The Galaxy took advantage of his time up the field on occasion, but he was resolute enough in the second half to keep Orlando in front. Although neither of his two crosses ended up being successful and he only completed 75.9% of his 29 passes, Halliday showed that he can make the types of runs to cause problems on offense. Orlando’s fullbacks have struggled with consistency so far this season, but this was a promising performance from the Homegrown Player if he can execute better going forward.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — With Mauricio Pereyra injured, Cartagena got the start in Orlando’s midfield. There was some rust to shake off early on, but he found his rhythm and had 48 passes at a 93.8% success rate. Cartagena was also accurate on all four of his long balls and did well switching the angle of the attack or finding those tight areas to slip passes through a crowded midfield. He could’ve afforded to get forward a bit more to take shots when plays broke down, but he understandably played it safe and left most of the attacking to the Designated Players in the center of the field. His only shot was deflected and he had a key pass as well.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo also did well in Orlando’s midfield, completing 88.5% of his 61 passes and connecting on eight of his 11 long balls. He helped pull LA’s defense apart like dough and had a key pass by setting up a shot for Martin Ojeda outside the box. He also gave Orlando some bite in the midfield with a team-high three tackles and a clearance. What looked to be his first goal of the season was disallowed due to a handball from Torres in the build-up. While it didn’t count, it was a nice bit of finishing from the defensive midfielder. The five fouls he won are not to be overlooked either.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7 — Angulo provided a needed spark on offense along the left wing, particularly in transition. On Orlando’s second goal, he quickly found space to receive a pass forward and then slipped the ball into the center of the field before sprinting towards goal to give the attack another runner if needed. There was a similar moment in the first half when he shook a defender and used his speed to surge forward and create a chance for Ojeda. His execution could’ve been better in that moment to lead Ojeda forward with his pass, but his decision making was great overall. Angulo was accurate on all four of his long balls, one of his two crosses, and all but one of his 36 passes for an excellent 97.2% success rate. His only shot was blocked and he had three dribbles. Angulo also flitted around the field to help out on defense and apply pressure, recording two tackles, a clearance, and a blocked shot in 78 minutes of action. If he can make performances like these each week with consistency, it will go a long way towards Orlando’s attack.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7 — Torres scored his second goal of the season by capping off some interplay between Orlando’s Designated Players. His shot could have had more bite to it and Jonathan Klinsmann got a touch to it, but there was enough behind it to reach the far corner and go in. He looked most lethal when on the right wing and grew into the position as the match wore on, while Halliday hung back to solidify the defense after LA changed shape. His preference for his left foot and some hesitation with the ball at his feet due to LA’s pressure in the center of the field made for a few awkward chances, and he had four unstable touches. His goal was also his only shot of the match. However, he led the Lions with three key passes and showed some better chemistry with his teammates in this one. The 23-year-old was successful on 80% of his 40 passes, while connecting on three of his four long balls and one of his two crosses. It was a strong performance from Torres and hopefully a sign of more to come in the future.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda had an assist for the second straight match after delivering a nice pass between defenders to Torres in transition. He also led the Lions with six shots, putting two of them on target and having another blocked. His best chance was in the first half on a counter with plenty of time to pick out his shot. The shot was well taken, but Klinsmann made a great save to push it inches wide and out for a corner. He had a nearly identical opportunity in the second half, sending the curler inches wide of the far post. Ojeda had two key passes and both of his crosses found their target. None of his three long balls were successful and he completed 71.8% of his passes, but he still looked fairly in tune with his teammates.

F, Ercan Kara, 7.5 (MotM) — The Austrian striker started up top for Orlando and scored his first goal of the season. Kara made a nice cut in the box to dart towards the near post just in time to poke a low cross from Halliday into the goal from a tight angle. It was one of many great runs from Kara during the match, as he tested the Galaxy’s defenders and opened up some space for teammates. Kara put three of his four shots on target, with the exception being an ambitious and acrobatic attempt to bury a cross that was a tad behind him. It could be argued he should’ve chested it down for Angulo, but he was ultimately brought to Orlando to put the ball in the net. He was also given an assist for his part in Orlando’s second goal, redirecting the ball into Ojeda’s path with a smooth backheel so he could take it in stride. In terms of his hold-up play, Kara won three of his five aerials duels, completed 57.1% of his 14 passes, and won a foul from a great position late in the match. The Galaxy’s defense was built around clogging up the passing lanes in the center of the field and allowing space out wide. It was a scheme designed to stop center forwards like Kara from running rampant. It didn’t.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (78′), 6 — The Icelandic midfielder was decent coming off the bench. He completed all seven of his passes and was patient with the ball during a potential counter, waiting for Galaxy defenders to make their commitments before getting the ball out wide to Torres. He did commit a foul on Raheem Edwards that gave the Galaxy an opportunity, but the Lions took care of it.

F, Gaston Gonzalez (78′), 5.5 — The winger didn’t have much to do on Orlando’s left side as the Lions focused on holding on for the win. He had just two touches, both of his passes were successful, and his single long ball found its mark.

F, Ramiro Enrique (85′), N/A — Enrique had just just two touches in the match and completed his only attempted pass. He didn’t have any defensive stats, but helped see the game out with fresh legs to keep Galaxy defenders honest.

MF, Felipe (85′), N/A — The veteran midfielder had one touch, which was an unsuccessful cross into the box. There weren’t enough minutes from Felipe to properly grade him, but he didn’t commit any needless fouls or make any other kind of mistakes.

D, Alex Freeman (92′) N/A – The Homegrown Player made his MLS debut by coming on in stoppage time. Freeman didn’t see any of the ball, but it was still nice to see the 18-year-old defender coming off the bench.

That’s how I saw each performance from the Lions in their 2-0 win at home against the LA Galaxy. It was certainly a team effort, and a needed one, as Orlando gets ready for six matches next month. Who was your Man of the Match? Make sure to vote in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments!

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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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1 day 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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1 day 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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