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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in the 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on the road?

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City’s road trip continued with a visit to Eastern Conference foe Columbus Crew. Unlike the last two matches, the Lions were able to earn a point on the road, thanks to a two-goal second half comeback with goals from Ercan Kara and Duncan McGuire.  Let’s look at how each individual Lion did in the come-from-behind 2-2 draw.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Orlando City once again conceded two goals, but neither was Gallese’s fault. Gallese came up with some good saves — five to be exact. He knocked the ball down in the 55th minute and secured it before anyone could cause trouble. He got a little cheeky with the ball at his feet in the 58th minute with a defender in his face. Gallese made a huge instinctive save in the 94th minute, slapping the ball with his right hand and salvaging the point for Orlando City.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — With Oscar Pareja returning to the three-man back line, Schlegel got the start. He had some good plays, like his great interception in the 17th minute, however he wasn’t able to close down Alexandru Matan on the first goal, and got beat by Mohamed Farsi on the second goal. He passed at an 87.5% rate on 16 passes, with two tackles, four clearances, and one foul. He came off in the 57th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson put in an excellent shift on the back line. While he didn’t make much noise on offense, defensively he was solid. He showed his deceptive speed tracking back in the 38th minute to take the ball off the foot of an attacker. He completed just 62.9% of his 35 passes, and wasn’t his normal accurate self on his long balls either, completing only two of 11. On defense, Jansson made two tackles, two interceptions, three clearances, four blocked shots, and committed one foul. Still, he was the best of the center backs.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Carlos earned a yellow card in the 14th minute fouling Cucho Hernandez from behind. Getting the card so early meant he had to be careful He got beat by Jacen Russell-Rowe on the Crew’s second goal. Carlos wasn’t all bad, as he completed 76.9% of his 26 passes, with one successful long ball on two attempts. Carlos did take one shot but it was not on target. Defensively, he blocked two shots, had one interception, and made six clearances. He only committed one foul but it resulted in the yellow card.

WB, Gaston Gonzalez, 5.5 — Gonzalez played a different role for Orlando City sliding back into the left wingback position. He finished with two tackles, one interception, and two clearances in his deeper position. He did commit one foul along Orlando’s touchline, that fortunately amounted to nothing on the resulting free kick. He made one key pass and completed 65.4% of his 26 passes, but he struggled on crosses, with only one accurate cross on his five attempts. 

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — It was a typical night for Araujo as he quietly went about the business of being Orlando City’s first line of defense. He did have a bad giveaway in the 95th minute but the Crew weren’t able to capitalize on it. Even though I think he’s been a little quick to look for a foul lately, Araujo did draw four fouls on the night. Defensively, he made two tackles, one interception, and two clearances. He passed at an 81.6% rate on 38 passes. Araujo was excellent on his long balls, completing six of seven.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5.5 — Cartagena attempted to chip the keeper in the third minute but it went wide of goal as so many of the Lions’ shots did. He disappeared at times while Orlando City absorbed the Crew’s attack. He did, however, commit two fouls, one of which earned him a yellow card in the 73rd minute. He contributed two tackles and one clearance and completed 81.8% of 22 passes, with one of three long balls finding his target. He subbed off for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 75th minute.

WB, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo slotted in as the right wingback to start the match. As such, he played a deeper defensive position and on the right rather than his usual position on the left. He didn’t do poorly, making three tackles, one clearance, and one interception. He should have been covering the back post on the Crew’s first goal, but then he wasn’t the only one. After a personnel change, he was back on the left wimg, where he was more comfortable. Angulo was quiet compared to normal, taking no shots, and none of his three crosses found the target. He completed 72.2% of his 18 passes, including one successful long ball on three attempts. 

MF, Facundo Torres, 7 (MOTM) — Torres looked much sharper this match. His excellent pass to Kara earned him an assist on Orlando City’s first goal. It was his free kick (which he won) in the 92nd minute that dropped for McGuire to get the equalizer. He made four key passes on the night, passing at an 84.9% rate on 33 attempts and was successful on four of his five long balls. He was effective in making space for himself in the opponent’s half with four dribbles, and drawing five fouls. He even contributed two tackles on defense. It was a good night for the Young Designated Player, and his involvement in both goals earns him our Man of the Match.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5.5 — Ojeda was a bit sloppy on the night with bad giveaways in the 11th and 54th minutes. He almost made something of his corner in the third minute, but the shot curved outside the near post. Ojeda made one key pass in the match, completing 61.9% of his 21 passes. He completed one of his three long balls, and put in two crosses — one of them accurate. 

F, Ercan Kara, 6.5 — Kara made good runs all night, getting behind the Crew’s defense time and time again while only being called offside twice. He took four shots, but only managed to get one on target. His header in the fourth minute and his shot in the 21st minute both went high, but Kara finally broke through in the 49th minute on a give-and-go with Torres. The striker continued his run, sliding past the defense as Torres’ pass found his feet. Kara did well to get control of the ball, pick up his head and calmly put it past Patrick Schulte into the right hand side of the goal. He almost got a second goal just minutes later but the shot went just wide right of the far post. Kara only made 10 passes on the night, but completed nine (90%) of them. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, and one clearance. Kara came off in the 75th minute for McGuire.

Substitutes

D, Kyle Smith (57′), 6 — Smith came on for Schlegel, assuming the left center back role. He put in his typical reliable performance off the bench. He was steady in defense as the Lions pushed for the result. He made two tackles, two interceptions, and one clearance, while committing one foul. He connected on one of his four long balls, completing 66.7% of his 15 passes.

WB, Michael Halliday (57′), 5.5 — Halliday came on for Ojeda to shore up the defense and he only managed nine touches. He completed 80% of his five passes and made one tackle. It was a quiet night for the youngster, but he didn’t give the ball away which was an improvement from the last match. He had a chance to score his first goal on a great opportunity but missed the target.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (75′), 5.5 — Thorhallsson came on for Cartegena following his yellow card in the 73rd minute. He managed to do nearly as much as Halliday despite fewer minutes. Thorhallsson had seven touches, completing 80% of his five passes, adding a clearance on defense. 

F, Duncan McGuire (75′), 6.5 — Orlando City’s leading scorer added to his total in typical McGuire fashion. His fortunate positioning and nose for goal gave the Lions the point on the road thanks to his 92nd-minute goal. He was his typical energetic self, harassing the defense and looking for opportunities. He only made three passes but completed them all. It was another good performance from the rookie.

MF, Ramiro Enrique (85′), N/A — Enrique came on for Angulo as Orlando City was looking for the equalizer. He took one shot, and it was on target, but he wasn’t able to put it in the back of the net. He only attempted four passes, completing one. Enrique didn’t have much time to impact the match.

That’s how I saw each performance from the Lions in their 2-2 draw at Lower.com Field against the Columbus Crew. The Lions got (partially) back on track following two losses with this result. 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/7/26

Orlando City players on international duty, the Pride hire some coaches, the USMNT defeats Canada, and more.

Published

11 hours ago

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October 7, 2026

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Image of Justin Ellis playing the ball against Charlotte.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. What an international break it was for the USMNT, going undefeated in four matches by defeating Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. The Yanks outscored their opponents 12-3 across the four matches, with Orlando City’s Justin Ellis scoring two goals in his two starts. There’s plenty to digest today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Players on International Duty

Several Orlando City players were on international duty on Tuesday, including Ellis for the USMNT. He scored a goal against Canada (see below) but also picked up a knock that saw him limping for all too long and forcing him off at halftime. Hopefully, he will be able to go this weekend for Orlando City. Marco Pasalic did not get any minutes for Croatia in the team’s 2-1 loss to Spain. Meanwhile, David Brekalo got the start and played the entire match for Slovenia in a 2-1 win over Scotland.

Orlando Pride Add to Coaching Staff

The Orlando Pride hired Mykell Bates and Lewis Amos as assistant coaches and Brian Periman as goalkeeper coach. The trio joins interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’s coaching staff, and the timing of these hires is interesting, given there are only three matches remaining in the season and there’s been no indication that the interim tag is being removed from Thomas. These hirings raise a lot of questions, like, are these short term signings through the end of the season? If not, do they indicate Thomas will be given the permanent position, or are have they been hired knowing there is another head coaching announcement coming?

USMNT Defeats Canada

If you thought a match between the U.S. and Canada wouldn’t be very Concacaf-y, you’d be wrong. So many non-calls, lots of chippiness, and a few injuries proved otherwise. Fortunately, the USMNT was able to see out a 1-0 victory following a goal from Orlando City’s Ellis that gave the Yanks the lead in the 29th minute.

Oh, what could have been if Alex Freeman stayed in Orlando. The win capped a successful run for the start of Maurcio Pochettino’s new contract. We also saw a ton of younger players across the four matches, including three appearances from Ellis.

USWNT to Face Spain

The USMNT is done for the moment, but now we get to see how the USWNT does in a pair of friendlies against reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Spain. NWSL Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez is getting back up to speed with the team after she was called up for the pair of friendlies. As was previously reported, Naomi Girma is out due to injury, but Emma Hayes intends to work with Chelsea to manage her recovery. A new camp means opportunities for different players, so which players’ stock is up or down?

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City match on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/6/26

International call-ups for Pride players, scouting report on Canada, roster changes for the USWNT, and more.

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1 day ago

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October 6, 2026

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Image of Solai Washington attacking against Chicago.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Good morning, everyone. The end of the men’s international break is almost upon us, but the women’s break will immediately follow. That means that Orlando City will return to play on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will have some time off before their next game. We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando Pride International Call-Ups

Three more Orlando Pride players have been called to represent their nations during the October international window, joining Oihane, who will be with Spain for its matches against the USWNT. First up is Barbra Banda, who will represent Zambia in the team’s Olympic qualifying games against Uganda.

Then there’s Jacquie Ovalle and Solai Washington, who will be facing off against each other in back-to-back games. Ovalle has been called up for Mexico, while Washington will represent Jamaica.

At the U-23 level, Ally Lemos will be with the U.S. and Sanne Lekven will be with Norway during this window.

Scouting Canada

The United States Men’s National Team will play its final game of the October international window when it takes on Canada tonight in Saint Paul, MN. Jesse Marsch’s current roster has a number of notable absences, including Alphonso Davies, Jayden Nelson, Alistair Johnson, and Ismael Kone; while Derek Cornelius, Jeevan Badwal, and Alfie Jones left the team during the break because of injuries. Canada typically sets up in a 4-4-2 and will employ a high press paired with a vertical style of play that aims to win the ball and then quickly get it forward to the team’s dangerous attackers. Jonathan David and Tany Oluwaseyi provide that danger up front, while Stephen Eustaquio runs things in the middle, and Richie Laryea provides danger up and down the left flank.

United States Women’s National Team Roster Tweaks

The United States Women’s National Team has made a pair of changes to the squad that will take on Spain in a pair of friendlies this month. Utah Royals defender Kate Del Fava has been named as the replacement for the injured Naomi Girma, after it was announced last week that the center back would be unavailable for this window. Del Fava was going to be one of the overage players at the USWNT U-23 training camp also taking place this month, but now has an opportunity to make her first appearance for the senior side. Additionally, midfielder Jaelin Howell will replace Sam Coffey, after the latter was injured during Manchester City’s win over the weekend. Howell has made six appearances for the USWNT, with the most recent one coming in a 2-0 victory over Italy during the team’s final game of 2025.

UEFA Nations League Roundup

Monday marked the penultimate round of UEFA Nations League play during the current international window, and we were treated to some doozies. The highlight of the day was a five-goal thriller that saw France score four goals in the final 15 minutes to overturn a one goal deficit and beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France. Italy knocked off Turkiye 3-1 to climb to second place in Group A1, while the result sees Turkiye remain winless and anchored to the bottom of the table. Finally, Ukraine looked to have rescued a point with Roman Yaremchuk’s 83rd-minute goal, only for Mark Csinger to bag a winner for Hungary just two minutes later. The 2-1 result means Hungary is second in Group B2 with seven points, while Ukraine is third with four points.

Free Kicks

  • The Pride dropped three spots to no.13 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
  • Alex Freeman flexed his pipes and sang Happy Birthday to USMNT coach Jesus Perez during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/5/26

Pride fall to San Diego Wave, Tyrese Spicer has successful foot surgery, USMNT beats Mexico, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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October 5, 2026

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Image of Haley McCutcheon wearing a protective mask on her face playing against San Diego.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school soccer and flag football throughout the week. We only had the Pride in action over the weekend, but we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall to San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave on Friday at Inter.co Stadium in the latest in a series of games that they had to have. Orlando trailed 2-0 in the first half, conceding twice on defensive errors. In the second half, Barbra Banda pulled the Pride within one after she buried a penalty kick that she won herself. However, it wasn’t enough, as Orlando couldn’t find a late equalizer and San Diego took all three points. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will return to action on Oct. 18 to face the Houston Dash on the road.

Tyrese Spicer Has Successful Foot Surgery

Orlando City forward Tyrese Spicer underwent successful foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, the club announced on Friday. Spicer had suffered the injury while away on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago in a Concacaf Nations League match against Haiti on Sept. 24. We at The Mane Land wish Spicer a speedy recovery, but his 2026 MLS season is likely over.

USMNT Shuts Out Mexico in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-0 on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Orlando City forward Justin Ellis came off the bench to make his second USMNT appearance in the second half, playing 25 minutes. Former Lion Alex Freeman started and played 90 minutes. Julian Hall scored the opener in the first half for the Yanks. In the second half, Cavan Sullivan doubled the Americans’ lead to become the USMNT’s youngest scorer in team history just four days after Mathis Albert set that mark with his goal against Chile on Tuesday. Malik Tillman added the final goal as the Yanks have won three consecutive matches during the international break. The USMNT will close out this round of friendlies on Tuesday, taking on Canada at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN.

Other Lions on International Duty

Multiple Orlando City players represented their national teams over the weekend during the international break. Forward Marco Pasalic was on the bench but did not play for Croatia in a 7-0 defeat to England in a UEFA Nations League match on Saturday. Croatia will face Spain on Tuesday. Lions defender David Brekalo was on the bench but came on after halftime and played 45 minutes for Slovenia in a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. Slovenia will take on Scotland on Tuesday. Midfielder Wilder Cartagena started and played 45 minutes for Peru, while former Lion Yoshimar Yotun was also in action in a 2-0 loss to Canada in a friendly. Peru will play Colombia on Tuesday in another friendly match.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, notched another assist over the weekend in a 3-1 win against Brooklyn FC in the USL Championship.
  • Check out this piece on the Orlando City website featuring Head of Player Care Pedro Cox and Team Administrator Danny Quesada, who help welcome new players and their families, get acquainted with the club, ensure their needs are met, and thrive off the field.
  • The Lions were at Osceola Heritage Park on Saturday and spent time with the Orlando City U-12 squad during training.

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

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