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Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 2-0 win at home against the Colorado Rapids?

Published

2 years ago

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City extended its unbeaten run to six games after a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Exploria Stadium. Colorado finished the match with just nine men due to a red card to Braian Galvan and a pair of yellow cards for Lalas Abubakar. Facundo Torres and Ramiro Enrique both came up with goals in the second half to give Orlando its first home win since April. Here’s how the Lions individually played in a nice win in Orlando.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese had a fairly quiet night in his 100th appearance as a Lion. His first save of the match was a comfortable one as he swallowed up a shot from distance by Cole Bassett. His second, and last, was a bit more difficult, as he had to go low to stop Darren Yapi’s shot from the top of the box. As for his distribution, two of his six long balls found their mark and he completed 77.8% of his 18 passes. El Pulpo may not have seen much of the ball in this game, but I doubt he’s complaining about a clean sheet.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — Although only three of his 13 crosses reached their target, many of them were still delivered into dangerous areas. He looked lethal with time to work his magic out wide and often switched up his placement to keep the Rapids on their toes. Santos was also accurate on one of his two long balls and had 42 passes at a solid 83.3% success rate. He had a shot early on that was blocked and one of his crosses found Ercan Kara’s head for a key pass. The left back was on the same page with Ivan Angulo for most of the match as well, freeing him into open space and sneaking into good areas to cross from when Angulo was on the ball. Santos was defensively sound too, finishing the match with four tackles, a clearance, and a block. This was perhaps his best performance as a Lion.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede put out fires as they came up, ending the game with two clearances, a tackle and a block. Jansson had 66 passes and completed all but three of them for a fantastic 95.5% success rate. He was also accurate on three of his four long balls to kickstart things offensively. Even when taking Colorado’s red cards into account, it was a great performance from Jansson.

D, Antonio Carlos, 6.5 — In 45 minutes of action, Carlos did well to defend Exploria Stadium and had two clearances. His distribution was excellent as well, as he was accurate on all six of his long balls and completed 93.9% of his 33 passes. He was booked for a sliding tackle to stop Kevin Cabral from charging downfield during a counterattack, meaning he will miss Orlando’s next match. That booking was why he was subbed off for Rodrigo Schlegel at halftime, per Oscar Pareja’s postgame presser.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Playing at right back, Smith did well on both sides of the ball in this match. Although neither of his two long balls were successful and he completed just one of his two crosses, Smith had two key passes. The first was in the first half’s stoppage time as he skipped a cross in for Mauricio Pereyra, while the second was a patient pass to give Torres an opportunity. Smith made great overlapping runs with Torres and looked comfortable dribbling forward and picking out passes. The 31-year-old had four tackles on the defensive side of things as well before being subbed off in the 77th minute. Unfortunately, like Carlos, Smith will miss Orlando’s next match after receiving a yellow card.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — It was another great performance from Araujo in the heart of Orlando’s midfield. The 22-year-old led the Lions with 81 touches and completed 97.3% of his team-high 73 passes. His only mistake may have been his shot from distance, which was blocked with ease and sent Colorado on the break. Orlando’s playmakers carried most of the load offensively, but Araujo still had a key pass and completed one of his two long balls. He helped out defensively with a tackle and an interception as well. All in all, it was another strong outing from one of the league’s best defensive midfielders.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — The Peruvian midfielder had a couple of worrying turnovers, but was otherwise solid. He was accurate on 85.3% of his 34 passes, completed his only long ball, and had a key pass to set up a shot for Angulo before halftime. While going for a loose ball in the first half, he was struck by Galvan’s high boot and the Rapids player was sent off with a red card. Cartagena was taken off at halftime for Martin Ojeda to give Orlando more of an attacking edge in the second half.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — The quick winger saw plenty of the ball while attacking along Orlando’s left wing. Of his two shots, one was deflected and collected by Marko Ilic and the other was sent wide from a tough angle. His speed gave Orlando a way to stretch Colorado’s defense, as well as apply constant pressure defensively. He chipped in on defense with a tackle and an interception. Angulo had a key pass, completed 93.9% of his 33 passes, and was accurate on one of his two crosses. He gave Abubakar headaches and turned the defender inside out so badly that Abubakar picked up a second yellow card trying to stop him.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 (MotM) — Although a deflection played a large part in his goal, Torres did well to quickly set up his shot and put it on frame. It was also a testament to how well his movement is off the ball, as he went from the center of the box to open space outside of it in the blink of an eye. He also came up with his third assist of the year, finding Enrique open against a shorthanded Colorado defense. Of his three other shots, one was fired right at Ilic and the other two were blocked — one of which was barely deflected inches wide. Torres had two key passes, was accurate on both of his long balls, completed two of his three crosses, and finished with 51 passes at a great 90.2% success rate. He’s our Man of the Match for contributing to both goals against Colorado’s low block and fueling Orlando’s offense from start to finish

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — Pereyra notched his fourth assist of the season by cycling the ball over to Torres at the top of the box. It was one of his two key passes and he also connected on all five of his long balls. Neither of his two crosses were successful, and he was successful on 85.9% of his 64 passes. He put a shot on target right before halftime, but Ilic came up with a good save to deny him. Ilic stopped him again in the second half by getting enough on his strike from distance. Pereyra was also successful on three of his five attempted dribbles to weave his way through Colorado’s defense.

F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — He had 16 touches and completed half of his 10 passes in 90 minutes on the field. Kara received decent service, particularly aerially, but Colorado’s center backs were stuck to him like glue to make it hard for him to put a header on frame. None of his three shots were on target, including a chance from distance that went wide. Colorado’s first red card led to more defenders in the box to stop some crosses from reaching him, and Kara made a few great runs that weren’t serviced, and he helped Enrique on the second goal by luring defenders deeper into the area. Kara won three aerial duels, and the attention he drew helped free up space outside the box for Orlando’s other attackers.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (45′), 6 — Ojeda gave Colorado’s defense another thing to worry about in the second half, as he made clever runs and looked threatening when on the ball. He had a key pass, queuing up a shot for Angulo, and was accurate on one of his four crosses. Of his 19 passes, 89.5% were successful, and he had a clearance as well. It would have been nice to see him take control of a match against a shorthanded Colorado side, but it was far from bad from the Designated Player.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (45′), 7 — All three of Schlegel’s tackles were great, as he stopped Colorado’s counters in their tracks with stingy one-on-one defending. Schlegel also completed every single one of his 37 passes to help the Lions build out of the back. He hardly put a foot wrong and it was a nice way for him to get his feet wet, considering he will have to fill in for Carlos next week as well.

F, Ramiro Enrique (77′), 6.5 — The 22-year-old scored his first goal for Orlando with a nice strike into the bottom right corner. It was the best moment of Enrique’s brief appearance, which also included four passes at a 100% success rate. Hopefully this goal helps him get things going as a super sub this season.

MF, Felipe (83′), N/A  — Felipe gave Orlando some fresh legs and consistency in the midfield, completing nine of his 10 passes. He was credited for a key pass for getting the ball to Kara before his try from range. Ultimately, we didn’t see enough of the midfielder to accurately grade him.

MF, Alejandro Granados (89′) N/A —Signed to a short-term agreement earlier this week, Granados made his Orlando City debut with a late cameo. The 17-year-old had 10 touches, completed seven of his eight passes, and took a shot that was blocked.

That’s how I saw each performance from the Lions in their 2-0 win at home against the Colorado Rapids. The red cards certainly played a part, but many of the Lions did well. 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: 5/13/25

Martin Ojeda honored, Americans in midweek action, rivalry games on the horizon, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

on

May 13, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope you’ve been on top of things to start the week, because there’s going to be no time to catch our breath with Orlando City taking on Charlotte FC Wednesday, before facing Inter Miami on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s jump right into the links.

Martin Ojeda Honored

After his starring role in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution on Saturday, Martin Ojeda has been named to the starting XI of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Ojeda was back in the starting lineup after spending the last few matches nursing a knock and he made the most of his return, scoring all three goals for just the third Orlando City hat trick in the club’s MLS existence and first since 2015. It was a shame that the defense couldn’t help him out on his historic night, but he was Sean Rollins’ clear choice for Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, and it’s nice to see that he’s getting some much deserved wider recognition as well, even though he was snubbed for Player of the Matchday, which went to Emil Forsberg of the New York Red Bulls. Here’s hoping Ojeda’s success continues.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and we have some very high stakes at play. Things start today, when Haji Wright and Coventry City try to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal against Sunderland. AC Milan takes on Bologna Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final, with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah fighting for a chance to lift a trophy. Finally, Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and red-hot Real Betis visiting Rayo Vallecano in La Liga in a game that will have big ramifications on the race for European places.

Rivalry Games on the Horizon

Major League Soccer’s rivalry week is almost upon us, which means we have some heated matchups that we can start looking forward to. First and foremost, as far as we’re concerned, is Orlando City hitting the road to face Inter Miami in a series that is dead even across the board at 5-5-5 in 15 all-time meetings. There’s plenty more though, as El Trafico is the late game on Sunday, and we also get Hell is Real between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew, as well as a Hudson River River Derby that features two teams in wildly different places. The New York Red Bulls hammered the LA Galaxy on Saturday and have won three of their last four in all competitions, while New York City FC was knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup last week, and has lost three of its last four in all competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti to Coach Brazil

Brazil has officially announced that Carlo Ancelotti will take over as the newest coach of the team. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced on Monday that he will leave Real Madrid after the last league game of the season, with his first day on the job for Brazil coming on May 26. Brazil wanted to have a new coach in place for June’s World Cup qualifiers, and Ancelotti will now become the Selecao’s first foreign head coach. As far as Real Madrid is concerned, the club is reportedly finalizing a deal for former player Xabi Alonso to become the new coach as soon as possible. Madrid would ideally like for him to be on the job before the start of this summer’s Club World Cup, and Alonso has already publicly announced that he will not manage Bayer Leverkusen past the end of this season.

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

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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution?

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City saw a 2-0 lead wash away just before halftime and took the lead in the second half. It looked like the Lions were on their way to a big three points, but a late penalty and a disallowed goal resulted in a 3-3 draw. It’s a draw that feels like a loss for the Lions.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players did in this disappointing game.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Gallese had a difficult night, though it wasn’t all his fault. He faced six shots and conceded three goals. However, two were primarily because of bad defending, and one was a penalty. He made three saves and blocked away a rocket late.  The Orlando City goalkeeper touched the ball 25 times and completed 77.8% of his 18 passes, including four of his eight long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo had a good game at left back, touching the ball 65 times, second most on the team. He completed 90.7% of his 43 passes, including a key pass. However, his lone cross and long ball were incomplete. The defender took two shots, putting one on target, and nearly had a goal in the 48th minute with a strong run into the box, but a defender deflected it off the woodwork. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, one interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. He was a little late trying to deny Ignatius Ganago’s cross through the box to Ilay Feingold, and his sliding effort to do so took him out of position to deny Feingold’s centering pass for New England’s first goal. It was one of his few missteps of the match, and the effort was there if not the execution. He moved from left back to center back for the closing minutes.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson is usually rock solid on the back line, but he was a liability in this game. He touched the ball 57 times and completed 86.3% of his 51 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He made three clearances and blocked two shots. His poor grade was due to his contribution to two New England goals. He allowed Matt Polster to get goal side in the 44th minute for the equalizer and stuck his foot out in an ill-advised challenge in the 85th minute, resulting in a game-tying penalty. It was a game the Orlando City captain would rather forget.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel is usually the higher-risk player at center back, but he had a good game. He touched the ball 49 times and completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including his lone long ball. He also recorded a tackle, a team-high six clearances, and two blocked shots. Most surprisingly, he managed to end the game without an unnecessary booking. Schlegel’s night ended in the 87th minute when he was replaced by Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5  — Freeman started at his usual right back position, touching the ball a team-high 66 times. He completed 76.7% of his 43 passes and his lone cross but not his long ball. His lone shot was on target and he had three key passes. The 20-year-old was also active defensively, recording two tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo only touched the ball 28 times in this game, but his speed caused problems for the New England back line as he pushed into the attack. The left-sided midfielder completed 82.6% of his 23 passes, including two key passes. He didn’t take any shots, because he was mainly on the wing, but he helped defensively with a tackle and two interceptions. Angulo was replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 74th minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo had 57 touches in this game while completing 91.7% of his 36 passes. He had a key pass but failed to complete either of his two long balls. The defensive midfielder took four shots, putting one on target that forced Aljaz Ivacic into a good save. He nearly scored off a corner kick in the 24th minute, but hit the post. Defensively, Araujo had two tackles and a clearance.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 5.5 — Gerbet had an up and down night, making him difficult to grade. He let Alhassan Yusuf get goal side of him in the 38th minute to score New England’s first goal. But his excellent first touch sent Ojeda on a partial breakaway in the 33rd minute for the Lions’ second goal, and his fearlessness earned a penalty for Orlando City’s third goal. The rookie touched the ball 43 times and completed 88.9% of his 36 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots but added an interception defensively. He probably should get a higher grade for participating in two goals, but I can’t get over the defensive midfielder’s error that might’ve cost the Lions two points. Gerbet was replaced in the 69th minute by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic had a solid night, touching the ball 39 times and completing 73.9% of his 23 passes. He had two key passes and completed one of his three long balls. He put one of his three shots on target, but his offensive performance will be remembered for his 20th minute shot, when Luis Muriel headed the ball down perfectly for him and the midfielder sent it over the open goal. Despite the miss, it was a good game for the attacking midfielder, who also had an interception on the defensive side.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel started up top but dropped behind Ojeda as the game progressed. He had 36 touches and completed 73.3% of his 15 passes, including four key passes and three of his four crosses. He should’ve had an assist on Pasalic’s miss, and he should’ve scored, especially in the 68th minute, when he made multiple defenders miss before dribbling the ball into the arms of Ivacic instead of shooting. He added two tackles and would’ve had a higher grade if he had any desire to score.

F, Martin Ojeda, 8.5 (MotM) — There can’t be a question about who the Man of the Match was for this game. In his first league start since April 19, Ojeda led the way. He touched the ball 43 times, completing 84% of his 25 passes with two key passes. He completed two of his five crosses but didn’t connect on his long ball. However, the attacker converted on three of his team-high seven shots, scoring the club’s first hat trick since 2015. His first goal was a thing of beauty, as he rocketed a shot off the bottom of the cross bar, creating no chance for the goalkeeper. The midfielder also took his second goal well and converted the penalty that gave his team the lead in the 55th minute. Defensively, Ojeda added an interception in a clear Man of the Match performance.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (69’), 5.5 — Thorhallsson came on in the 69th minute for Gerbet in the defensive midfield. He touched the ball 13 times, completing all of his 10 passes, though they were all of the shorter variety. He picked up a yellow card late in the match.

F, Duncan McGuire (73’), 5.5 — McGuire came on for Muriel in the 73rd minute with his team up a goal. He touched the ball only five times, completing all three of his passes with a key pass and his lone cross. His only shot was off target and he didn’t add any defensive stats. He should have had an assist with a good ball into the box for Enrique, who made a mess of the shot, firing it high over the goal. Unfortunately, his game will be remembered for the 90th minute, when Enrique’s shot hit his back while the striker was in an offside position. The ball went in, and the flag went up to disallow the goal that would’ve been the game winner.

F, Ramiro Enrique (74’), 5.5 — Enrique entered the game in the 74th minute for Angulo. He touched the ball 14 times and completed 45.5% of his 11 passes without any key passes or crosses. He took one off-target shot (officially) but had a great chance to score in the 90th minute when he received a pass from Pasalic at the top of the box with no one on him. His shot hit the back of an offside McGuire, spoiling a potential late winner.

D, Rafael Santos (87’), 5.5 — Santos replaced Schlegel in the 87th minute as the Lions brought on a natural left back and moved Brekalo to his usual center back position. Despite coming on late, the 10 minutes of stoppage time gave him plenty of action. He touched the ball 12 times and completed 83.3% of his six passes, including one of his three crosses. He didn’t take any shots and didn’t record any defensive stats as the Lions pushed hard for the late winner that never came. On the defensive end, he got roasted by Luis Diaz Espinoza in the second minute of stoppage time, allowing a wicked shot on goal that Gallese was able to parry away awkwardly.

That’s how I saw Orlando City 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution. Let us know what you thought of the performance in the comment below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 5/12/25

Lions and Pride each draw, Pride wins 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence, MLS weekend recap, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 12, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I’ve been busy at work and catching up with friends all week. Our Lions and Pride both picked up draws over the weekend, while OCB was off.  We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw New England Revolution at Home

Orlando City blew a lead twice and ended up settling for a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a great start as Martin Ojeda scored two goals in the first half. The Revolution replied with two goals to tie the match just before halftime. Ojeda added a penalty kick goal in the second half to secure his first hat trick of his career. It was also the first hat trick for Orlando in a decade, and he joins former Lion Cyle Larin as the only players in club history to score a regular-season hat trick.

However, late in the second half, the Lions conceded a penalty to New England, and Carles Gil converted from the spot to get the equalizer as the teams split the points. The Lions will have a quick turnaround with their next match on Wednesday at home against Charlotte FC.

Pride Draw North Carolina Courage on the Road

The Orlando Pride needed a late equalizer to escape WakeMed Soccer Park with a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. The Courage struck first, but Prisca Chilufya scored her first goal of the NWSL season late in stoppage time to secure a draw and keep Orlando from losing two matches in a row. The Pride grabbed a crucial point on the road and are second in the NWSL standings. The next match for the Orlando Pride will be Friday as they face the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium.

Orlando Pride Wins 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence

The Orlando Pride were named winners of the Downtown Orlando Partnerships 2024 Golden Brick Award of Excellence on Friday for the club’s historic 2024 NWSL Championship season and downtown victory parade. The Pride broke the league record for the most points (60), most wins in a season (18), and most clean sheets (13), while finishing the 2024 season unbeaten at home. Orlando Pride President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon expressed his thoughts on Pride winning this award.

“On behalf of our entire Club, I’d like to thank the Downtown Orlando Partnership and its Board of Directors for selecting our organization for this incredible award,” said Orlando Pride President of Business Operations, Jarrod Dillon. “We are incredibly honored to receive this award — a testament to the passion, dedication, and excellence that define our team. Our Club is proud to represent this city, and we hope every Orlando resident shares in this moment of pride. There’s no place we’d rather call home than downtown Orlando — the heart of our community and now the home of the best women’s soccer team in the United States.”

MLS Weekend Recap

The weekend’s slate of Major League Soccer matches ended with some notable results. Minnesota United cruised past Inter Miami with a 4-1 win. The Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, San Diego FC, and Nashville SC all won 2-1 matches over Atlanta United, Austin FC, St. Louis City, and Charlotte FC, respectively. Toronto FC defeated D.C. United 2-0 at home, while the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Colorado Rapids 2-0 on the road. Prince Osei Owusu scored the lone goal as CF Montreal beat New York City FC 1-0 and secured its first win of the season. Santiago Moreno scored a late goal in the second half as the Portland Timbers defeated Sporting Kansas City 1-0. Albert Rusnak scored twice as the Seattle Sounders beat the Houston Dynamo 3-1. FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake ended in a 1-1 draw, while the Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew match ended in a 2-2 draw. The LA Galaxy remain winless through 12 matches this season after getting crushed 7-0 by the New York Red Bulls in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup final. On Sunday, Brian White scored twice as the Vancouver Whitecaps and LAFC match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their moms a surprise phone call on Mother’s Day.
  • Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner completed 108 passes on Saturday in their match against the North Carolina Courage, which is the most in Pride history.

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

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