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

How did your favorite Lions perform in a difficult 3-1 loss on the road against the New England Revolution?

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

It might not have been a particularly surprising result for Orlando City to lose 3-1 on the road against the New England Revolution, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to see. The Lions’ six-game unbeaten run and modest two-game winning streak came to an end in a game where OCSC didn’t offer very much threat going forward until it was already too late.

Here’s how I rated the Lions’ individual performance during a soggy loss in Gillette Stadium.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 5 — It was a difficult night for Mason, and while he was largely helpless for all three Revolution goals, if three balls go in the net, then the score isn’t going to be a high one. New England put four shots on target and Mason made one save, while passing with 56% accuracy and flashing his rocket of an arm with a throw in the second half that easily cleared the center circle. Other than that, it was a night to forget, but he holds little blame for the final scoreline.

D, Rafael Santos, 5 — Santos had a busy night defensively, and recorded five tackles, four clearances and won an aerial duel. He also passed with 77% accuracy and completed a key pass. However, Gustavo Bou found it far too easy to get inside him onto his left foot for the Revs’ second goal, so he loses points for that. He also wasn’t able to do much when getting forward into the attack and he was guilty of putting more than one cross directly into the arms of Earl Edwards Jr. Overall, it was not the kind of performance he’ll want to look back on, although he did make a nice 1-v-1 defensive play in the 29th minute to dispossess Brandon Bye in the open field.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5— All things considered, it was one of the Swede’s quieter performances. He had two tackles, two blocks and six clearances, which was the most of anyone on the team. He passed with 77% accuracy, but wasn’t able to do as much with his three completed long balls as we’ve seen at times. He suffered one foul, but managed to keep himself away from the yellow cards, which is always a nice bonus with him.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Stepping in for the suspended Antonio Carlos, Schlegel also had a fairly quiet night. He finished with one interception, three clearances and was fouled once. He passed with 78% accuracy and completed four long balls. It wasn’t a bad outing, but it wasn’t an especially good one either.

D, Mikey Halliday, 5.5 — It was a mixed bag from Mikey. He did some good things, like notching an assist, winning an aerial duel, and finishing with a successful tackle. Aside from one early occasion where he wasn’t making the run up the wing that Ercan Kara thought he would be, he was more than willing to get forward into the attack. The problem for much of the night was his passing, particularly his crossing of the ball. On several occasions he was in a good area but could only send his cross straight to Earl Edwards Jr. or out of play entirely. His decision to cross directly into a group of defenders when presented with a look at goal in second-half stoppage time was maddening. With that being said, he did put in a great ball to Duncan McGuire for Orlando’s goal, and was smart to not pick up another booking after receiving a yellow card early in the first half.

MF, Felipe Martins, 5 — Felipe got the start next to Cesar Araujo in defensive midfield with Wilder Cartagena on international duty. He was plenty involved and ended the night with one clearance and four shots, putting two on target, one off target and having the other one block. However, he was dispossessed twice, and dribbled five times, which is never a stat you love to see. He also drew three fouls and completed two long balls while passing with 79% accuracy.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — The 22-year-old picked up a yellow just minutes into the game but showed good poise to toe the line for the rest of his time on the field. He ended with two tackles, one interception, two completed dribbles, one foul drawn and took two shots, with both going off target. He also passed with 91% accuracy but committed four fouls, including the aforementioned yellow card offense, which I frankly thought was a little soft.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Lively and energetic as usual, Angulo was plenty willing to track back and help defend. He stopped a mazy run from Gil in the box 10 minutes into the first half. He made two tackles, two key passes, one cross, completed one long ball and drew two fouls while passing at an 82% clip. He was also dispossessed twice, dribbled three times, committed one foul and put both of his two shots off target from promising areas. It was a performance with moments of promise but ultimately not enough precision and composure when it was needed.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — His rust was evident during the first half as he had more than one moment of sloppiness. However, he did get going, particularly on the offensive end. His night finished with one foul drawn, two completed dribbles, three complete long balls and five key passes while distributing the ball with 75% accuracy. He was also guilty of being dispossessed twice and dribbled once. He ultimately wasn’t able to have the kind of impact Orlando needed him to, although he’s far from the only one in purple who that was true of in this game.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5.5 — As we’ve come to expect, Ojeda was not shy about shooting the ball, but the problem is that he only put one of his five shots on target, with the other four going wayward. The lone effort he put on goal was an excellent one though, and he was only denied a goal by a superb stop from Edwards Jr. He passed with 83% accuracy while completing two key passes and a long ball, won an aerial duel, made one tackle and was dispossessed once. He’s willing and works hard, but it still isn’t quite clicking for him yet.

F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — It was a mostly quiet night for the Austrian target man. He often found himself isolated up top with New England having so much of the ball, and while he put in a good shift, particularly with his hold-up play, he was never able to really get going. He passed with 67% accuracy, won an aerial duel and a corner, but that was mostly it for him on the night.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (46′) 6.5 (MotM) — Brought on at halftime to give the Lions a different look. For most of the half he wasn’t able to provide too much, although he worked as hard as he always does. His moment came with just under 10 minutes remaining though, and he did a great job to put power on his header to score, giving the Lions fleeting hopes of stealing a point. He finished with two shots, one of which was on target and the other blocked, one tackle, and one corner won. He continues to be able to make an impact during limited minutes on the field and his header was an impressive piece of work. He takes Man of the Match honors for this one.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (79′) N/A — The Icelandic midfielder entered the game with a little over 10 minutes left as a replacement for Pereyra. He took one shot, which he put over the bar, passed with 100% accuracy and committed one foul.

D, Luca Petrasso (79′) N/A — Brought on to replace Felipe with just over 10 minutes remaining, Petrasso wasn’t super involved, as he only had seven touches of the ball. However, he passed with 83% accuracy and recorded a key pass.

MF, Juninho (90′) N/A — Brought on during stoppage time for his first appearance with the senior side, Juninho passed with 50% accuracy during his brief time on the field but did well to create a shooting opportunity for himself and flashed the ball just wide.

F, Ramiro Enrique (90′) N/A — Another stoppage time substitute, Enrique had one touch of the ball but didn’t record any other statistics during his brief time on the field.

That’s how I saw the performances in a pretty dispiriting road loss against the Revs. The absences of several key starters certainly didn’t help Orlando’s cause in this one, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Make sure to cast your vote for this game’s Man of the Match in the poll below, and tell us your thoughts about this one down in the comments.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/11/26

New Orlando City kit drops, Orlando City and Orlando Pride preseasons, MLS club valuations, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

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February 11, 2026

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Image of Haley McCutcheon scoring the opening goal in Orlando's home playoff win over Seattle.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit anxious about the upcoming season. I think it’s because we don’t know much of what is going on. We’re only a few weeks away from the first match for goodness sake. Hopefully, we’ll see some more signings for both clubs, but until then let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s New Kit

Orlando City dropped the new Sunken Treasure secondary kit yesterday, and it is a stunner. This is the first time the club has used gold as the primary color on a jersey. It looks great with the purple shorts, and the purple stripes. There are some great details like the coin on the collar and sublimated lion head on the chest. This is truly one of the better kits that Orlando City has introduced. The club produced a great reveal video. Check it out.

Orlando Preseasons

There’s not a ton of information to convey regarding Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s preseasons. That seems to be purposeful on the part of the club, but a little news did slip out via social media. New center back Iago is fully participating in practice.

We also learned that goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau is back in training after missing last week. Of course, the Pride got in the action as well with various players trying to run drills. I’ll let you judge how well they did.

MLS Club Valuations

MLS clubs are increasing in value, including Orlando City. Sportico released the list of all MLS club valuations (paywall). Unsurprisingly, the top five were all big market teams with Inter Miami leading the way. When the Wilf family purchased Orlando City, they paid between $400 and $450 million. Now it is estimated to be worth approximately $565 million. That’s pretty good growth.

Chris Mueller’s Lost Year

We missed this last November, but former Orlando City attacker Chris Mueller had a tough time of things in 2025. The player was diagnosed with pericarditis. It meant that he couldn’t sleep laying down, let alone play or practice. He is now on the other side of it and has a new contract. It was a year of lessons for Mueller, and in typical fashion he has bounced back stronger.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today, me hearties. I hope you have a wonderful day. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Unveils 2026 ‘Sunken Treasure’ Kit

Orlando City unveils the first primarily gold kit in club history.

Published

2 days ago

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February 10, 2026

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Image of Marco Pasalic modeling the new Sunken Treasure Kit.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The 2026 Lions will be golden. Orlando City unveiled the club’s new ‘Sunken Treasure’ kit ahead of the 2026 Major League Soccer season — to be worn through the 2027-2028 season.
Soccer season. For the first time, Orlando City has used its secondary color as the primary color of a jersey, going primarily gold.

According to the club, the new kit pays homage to the state’s famed Treasure Coast:

The Sunken Treasure Kit draws inspiration from the legend, mystery and enduring allure of Florida’s Treasure Coast, a region known for stories of lost gold and shipwrecked riches. Stretching along Florida’s east coast, the area takes its name from the legendary 1715 Treasure Fleet, a convoy carrying New World wealth back to Spain before a hurricane sank 11 of its 12
ships. Millions of dollars in gold, silver and jewels have been recovered from the wrecks since the 1960s, and coins still occasionally wash ashore today. That sense of history, discovery and lingering mystery anchors the Sunken Treasure Kit’s identity.

“We’re incredibly excited to unveil the first kit in club history to be predominantly Florida Gold, an iconic color inspired by a truly unique and authentic Florida story that reflects the rich history of our home state,” Orlando City Chief Marketing Officer Pedro Araujo said in a club press release. “This kit is a tribute to our fans and supporters, who are the true treasure of this club. It represents the memories we create together each season — moments that endure across time, much like the legends of Florida’s Treasure Coast. For us, real treasure isn’t found beneath the waves; it lives in the stands, in our community, and in the shared moments our players and fans bring to life every time we take the field.”

The gold kit’s accents are in the club’s traditional deep purple primary hue as well as white. Whereas the jersey is gold with the iconic three Adidas stripes in purple on the shoulders, the shorts are purple with gold Adidas stripes. While you need to be up close and personal with the kit to see it, a lion motif stretches across the kit, a touch inspired by old-time ship figureheads.

A coin on the back of the neck symbolizes Spanish doubloons, bearing the words “The treasure is the memories we make.” Another saying adorns the front hem jock tag around the outline of an ornate nautical compass bearing the year 2026: “Our anchors we will weigh, our sails we will set, 90 minutes with our City family we shall never forget.”

As usual, Orlando Health is the jersey sponsor, continuing a partnership dating back to 2011, the club’s first year in the USL.

The Sunken Treasure Kit is available at the Major League Soccer online store (MLSStore.com) and at OCMobileShop.com, with in‐person pickup at The Den at Inter&Co Stadium beginning Wednesday. Fans will have their first opportunity to purchase the kit at the club’s official jersey launch at The Final Whistle at Thornton Park Pub tonight, with the festivities starting at 6 p.m. There will also be live music, giveaways, player appearances, and a visit from club mascot Kingston. Attendees who purchase the jersey at tonight’s event will receive an exclusive CITYiD patch (while supplies last), along with a limited-edition coin (also while supplies last). The coin is inspired by the new kit. It will be a big year for coin collectors, as today’s is one of five exclusive coins the club is giving away as part of a campaign throughout 2026.

You can check out the kit in all its glory in the gallery of images below:

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/10/26

Harvey Sarajian interview, checking in on former Lions, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 10, 2026

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Image of Harvey Sarajian and Ricardo Moreira posing with an Orlando City jersey.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It’s hard to believe that we’re under two weeks away from the start of the Major League Soccer season, but time shows absolutely no sign of slowing down anytime soon. We’ve got a whole lot of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get right into the links.

Getting to Know Harvey Sarajian

Harvey Sarajian was born in Naples, and the first professional soccer game that he ever went to was when Orlando City took on the Chicago Fire all the way back in 2015. After becoming Orlando’s first pick in this year’s MLS SuperDraft, he’s now earned a contract with the team he watched 11 years ago, and he did so just four days after starting to train with the Lions. He spent a lot of time as a left winger in college, and spoke about his desire to beat defenders out wide and either get service into the box or cut onto his right foot and try to score. He also highlighted Duncan McGuire and Tyrese Spicer as two individuals who have helped him as he settles into his new surroundings.

Monitoring Former Lions Abroad

It’s been a busy few days for some of Orlando City’s former players who have taken their talents overseas. Cyle Larin got his debut for Southampton started with a bang on Saturday, as he entered the game as a substitute in the 67th minute and promptly scored the game’s only goal just three minutes later to lift the team to victory over Watford. The more recently departed Alex Freeman made his debut for Villareal on Monday, when he entered the game in the 73rd minute of a 4-1 win over Espanyol in La Liga action. Finally, Benji Michel has seemingly concluded his time with Finnish side HJK Helsinki, as he posted a farewell to the club on his Instagram page.

Americans in Midweek Action

As is usually the case, there are a number of American players taking part in games during the working week. Things will get started today when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds face Chelsea in the Premier League. Action in England rolls on Wednesday when Antonee Robinson and Fulham face Manchester United, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace take on Burnley. The Wednesday action concludes when Alejandro Zendejas and Club America attempt to maintain their 2-1 first leg advantage over CD Olimpia, and advance to the next round of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Things then finish up on Friday when Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Nantes in Ligue 1 action.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Monday brought a fresh wave of movement in the transfer market for Major League Soccer, so let’s catch up on what happened. CF Montreal has signed forward Noah Streit from FC Basel on a deal that runs through the 2028-2029 season, with an option for 2029-2030. Moving to the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake signed defender Juan Jose Arias on loan from Atletico Nacional as an MLS U22 Initiative signing. The center back’s loan runs until July 13 and contains a purchase option. San Diego FC has signed free agent midfielder Bryce Duke on a contract that runs through June of 2027 and contains options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. Finally, Nashville SC has signed center back Jeisson Palacios to a contract extension through the 2027-2028 season, with an option for the 2028-2029 campaign.

Free Kicks

  • Take a look at the Orlando Pride’s continuing preseason preparations.
  • We got another teaser from OCSC ahead of today’s jersey release.
  • The Young Lions have been getting in some preseason preparations of their own.
  • Orlando City youth player Lennox Alvarado got a callup to the U-16 National Team training camp.

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

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