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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions grade out in a draw against the Union?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City hosted the Philadelphia Union for a midweek matchup and walked away with a 2-2 draw after giving up a two-goal lead late. With multiple players still missing for international duty, Orlando City suffered a late gut punch and as a result many great individual efforts felt hollow on the evening. Here is how each Lion performed at Exploria Stadium.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — In his second straight start, Stajduhar came up with three saves on the evening. Sporting a clean sheet for the first two thirds of the match, Stajduhar came up with a stellar save on Julian Carranza in the 51st minute as he slid across the goal to deny a point blank opportunity. Just a few minutes later, Philadelphia found their breakthrough goal as Stajduhar allowed a long cross to squeak past him in the 60th minute as he was slow to react to the cross sailing too high and heading for the back post. There was nothing he could do about Jose Martinez’s blast from 30-35 yards out that screamed past him off the inside of the post. Stajduhar was accurate on 12 of his 21 passes (51.7%) and drew two yellow cards on the opposition on the night, earning one of his own.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — The left back completed 24 of his 32 passes (75%) in 80 minutes. It felt like a quiet night for the defender as the attack seemed to be more direct, although in the second half, Santos was able to make more overlapping runs. On the defensive side of the pitch he recorded two tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances, but when he was able to get involved on the offensive side, his crosses did not find the mark as he went 0-for-3 and connected on just two of seven long balls. He was dispossessed twice and sent poor passes straight to Union players multiple times while trying to play out of the back.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — After missing the weekend match due to yellow card accumulation, Carlos was back in the starting line up. AC completed 22 of his 26 passes (84.6%), going 2-for-3 on long balls, and recorded one shot on frame that required an alert save by Joe Bendik to keep it from sneaking under the bar off a corner kick cross. On defense, Carlos recorded two tackles, an interception, and eight clearances, and he won four aerial duels. One of Carlos’ eight clearances was unfortunate a little too good, as if it had fallen at 20 or 25 yards, Dagur Dan was in position to get onto it and help move it up the field. Instead, it traveled 30+ yards out and found the foot of Martinez. The fact that Philadelphia was rarely dangerous inside the 18-yard box is a tribute to the play of Carlos and his central defense partner.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Swedish center back also played a solid match. Jansson completed 21 of his 26 passes (80.8%), completed three of six long balls, and had one successful dribble, making one of his patented upfield runs in the second half. On the defensive side, Jansson’s night seemed quieter, as he did not record a tackle and only was credited with one interception, an aerial won, and two clearances.

D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Also rejoining the starting lineup after missing the past match due to yellow card accumulation, Smith was unimpressive in 68 minutes of action. He only completed 19 of his 31 passes (61.3%), went 0-for-2 on crosses and 1-for-4 on long balls, and was dispossessed once. Smith recorded one tackle and three clearances. He attempted one shot, which was blocked, and did not contribute a key pass before being subbed off.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — The Uruguayan didn’t have his best night passing, but he quietly helped connect Orlando’s defense with its offense, completing a below-the-norm 32 of his 42 passes for just a 76.2% success rate. He didn’t attempt a shot but did pick up a secondary assist on the goal credited to Martin Ojeda. He will lose that assist if Opta changes the goal to McGuire. His only cross was off target and he completed only two of five long balls. Araujo helped out defensively with one interception and two clearances while winning both of his aerial duels. It was a sloppier performance than usual from the reliable midfielder in possession but at least he was able to frustrate the Union defensively.

MF, Felipe, 5 — The 32-year-old started his second straight match and had a problematic night. He wasted a set piece in a dangerous area by seemingly not knowing where his teammates were going, crossing it over the end line harmlessly for a goal kick. He completed 24 of his 30 (80%) passes on the night, but the ones he missed on helped jumpstart Philadelphia’s counter, as he gave the ball to the opposition in the middle of the pitch or in the defensive end multiple times. He completed two of his three long balls. His only shot attempt was blocked. On the defensive side of the field, Felipe contributed one tackle, an interception, and two clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Oh what could and should have been. Angulo had a potential winning (or insurance) goal in the later part of the match overturned after video review which would have seen Orlando up 3-1. The Colombian completed 25 out of 27 passes for a team-high 92.6% success rate and assisted on Ojeda’s goal. Angulo completed two dribbles and recorded two shots with one on frame. Unfortunately, the one that wasn’t on frame was a sitter served up on a platter by McGuire from eight yards out in front of an empty net. His lone cross was unsuccessful and he completed one of his two long balls. He also chipped in two interceptions. The missed sitter ultimately helped prevent the Lions from putting the game away or his score would be higher and perhaps prevented him from being our Man of the Match.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — The captain anchored the center of the field for the Lions and had 55 total touches on the night. He completed 38 of his 44 passes (86.4%) and recorded a team-high three key passes while going the full 90. Pereyra looked spry on the field for the most part and was able to find himself in good spaces to distribute to his teammates. He was credited with a secondary assist on Duncan McGuire’s goal in the 13th minute. He did not attempt a shot but was successful on one dribble and drew two free kicks. He also contributed an interception and a clearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7.5 — Ojeda was Orlando’s lone Designated Player on the pitch for the first two-thirds of the match. He was seemingly everywhere on the pitch. His cheeky flick was a perfect setup for McGuire’s opening goal, unlocking the defense with one quick movement. His only shot attempt was brilliant, as he cut inside to use two defenders and McGuire as a screen and sent a shot inside the back post that took a minor deflection off the rookie striker. Who ultimately gets the credit for the goal isn’t important, but McGuire knew little about it. Ojeda completed 18 of his 22 passes (81.8%) and contributed two key passes. He connected on two of his four long balls but only one of his four crosses. The Argentine also won an aerial duel and contributed a tackle. He was subbed off in the 74th minute for fresh legs but he showed how dangerous he can be.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7.5 (MotM) — McGuire is in impeccable form right now. His opening goal was imperfect, as his heavy touch nearly derailed the entire play. Fortunately, his hustle and body control on a sliding recovery allowed him to keep from turning it over and he was able to get back up and score in the 13th minute. Throughout the match, McGuire’s holdup play allowed the Lions to find players in space and work through the center of the pitch. He completed 11 of his 17 passes (64.7%), completing his only long ball, and was credited with a key pass on his pass that Angulo fired over the bar. McGuire tracked back defensively to help out as best he could and recorded one interception and three clearances while winning four aerial duels.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (68’), 6 — Orlando City elected to move to three center backs in an attempt to preserve their lead and brought Schlegel on for Smith in the 68th minute. Schlegel recorded two clearances and completed two of his three pass attempts while helping Jansson and Carlos keep the box clear of danger. Unfortunately, the Union created danger from outside the area.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (68’), 6 — The midfielder provided fresh legs for Felipe and provided his usual burst of energy, completing 12 of his 14 (85.7%) passes in 22 minutes. He also completed one successful dribble and was dispossessed once. He could have done a better job of closing down crossers a few times, but for a player not seeing regular minutes it was a decent shift.

MF, Ramiro Enrique (74’), N/A — Coming on for Ojeda, Enrique did a little bit of everything in a quarter hour on the pitch. He completed two of his three passes, logged one shot — a potential game-winner that instead crashed off the crossbar in the 94th minute — and recorded a tackle. His only cross was unsuccessful. In the 82nd minute Enrique was booked for time wasting.

F, Ercan Kara (80’), N/A — Kara came on late for a cramping McGuire and seemingly put the game away as he fought off Union defenders and rumbled down the pitch before laying off a ball for Angulo to tap into the back of the net. Martinez did Martinez things as he took a dive hoping to be rewarded with a foul in the buildup to the goal and he was rewarded, as Kara was ultimately called for a foul after video review, and the assist that Kara would have had was wiped off the scoresheet.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (80’), N/A — Coming on for Santos late, Gonzalez functioned as a wingback and completed one of his two passes and won his lone aerial duel. He was unfortunately injured and left the Lions (who were out of subs) down a man in the late going.

That is how the players graded out in another frustrating late draw. Vote for your Man of the Match in our poll below, and let us know in the comments below your thoughts on who stood out to you.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Showing Signs of Adjusting to Eduard Atuesta’s Absence

The Lions have looked much better on offense the last two games, and there’s a couple of reasons why.

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2 days ago

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May 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Much has been made of Orlando City’s difficulties in creating chances and scoring goals when Eduard Atuesta has been unavailable due to injury. It’s not hard to understand why either. The Colombian was unavailable for three of Orlando’s four scoreless draws this year, and he only played nine minutes as a substitute in the stalemate against the New York Red Bulls on April 12.

When he was healthy and got the start against Atlanta United two games later, the Lions won 3-0 and he created the most chances of anyone in the game with three. Orlando then promptly reverted to being offensively stunted in the following game against the Chicago Fire, and was only able to manage its fourth scoreless draw of the year, despite playing over a half the game with a man advantage.

There certainly seemed to be plenty of evidence pointing towards Atuesta being the missing cog in Orlando City’s offense. While he only has two assists in eight games, he does a ton of work in linking the defense to the attack and is great at finding attacking players in dangerous areas, as evidenced by his 17 key passes. In the 0-0 draws with the Philadelphia Union, CF Montreal, and the Fire, Orlando just didn’t look right without him, although the Red Bulls game was a much better performance that was ultimately derailed by Rodrigo Schlegel’s sending off.

While he hasn’t played in either of Orlando’s last two league matches, a 3-3 draw against the New England Revolution, and a 3-1 win against Charlotte FC, the offense clearly hasn’t had any problem creating chances. If anything, the Lions should have scored more goals if not for a couple instances of less-than-crisp finishing in each match.

So, why the sudden change?

Well for one thing, the Designated Players are firing on all cylinders again. Martin Ojeda scored a hat trick against New England, and he and Luis Muriel scored Orlando’s first two goals against Charlotte. Ojeda didn’t start either of the two games against Atlanta and Chicago because he was dealing with a minor injury, but now that it’s in the rearview mirror, he’s been a man possessed. Muriel probably should have had at least one goal of his own against the Revs but seemed oddly reluctant to shoot, although he still completed three dribbles and delivered three key passes. The Charlotte game was then his turn to come out of the gate swinging, as he narrowly had a goal ruled out for offside just two minutes in, before hammering a venomous shot from distance just six minutes later that gave Kristijan Kahlina all sorts of trouble and opened the scoring.

It isn’t just getting contributions from the big guns though, because we need to acknowledge the play of rookie Joran Gerbet in these last two games. He’s the man who’s been asked to fill in for Atuesta next to Cesar Araujo, and he’s getting more and more comfortable in that role. Against the Revs he had an interception, a key pass and an assist, and completed a long ball and a through ball while recording a passing accuracy of 86.5%. Against Charlotte, he recorded an interception, three clearances, a completed dribble, and two successful long balls, and he had an outstanding passing accuracy of 98%. They weren’t all simply backwards or sideways passes either. There were plenty of times when he progressed the ball upfield to an attacking player and helped keep the Lions moving forward, and that’s exactly what you want out of the guy playing that position.

He still has a way to go before reaching Atuesta’s level, but that’s to be expected for a guy that’s playing the first professional season of his career. What’s most important is that he’s getting more comfortable, contributing, and proving that he can be a legitimate option to rotate into the starting XI when Atuesta is unavailable or when fixture congestion dictates changes to the lineup.

It’s worth mentioning the caveat that the last two games haven’t been against the strongest opposition the league has to offer. The Revs were on a four-game winning streak before playing Orlando, but three of those four wins were against weak or shaky teams in Atlanta, Toronto FC, and Charlotte, while the fourth team (NYCFC) has been difficult to get a read on. I’m not saying the Revs are a paper tiger, but it’s tough to know how good they really are despite a good run of recent form. Then you have Charlotte, which was above the playoff line but also on a three-game losing streak coming into the match that has now been convincingly extended to four.

At the end of the day, you can only beat who’s in front of you, but I’d encourage us all to not get too carried away until we see the same results against sterner opposition. For better or worse, that’s exactly what we’ll get in the Lions’ next three matches, which will be against a capable, albeit flawed, Inter Miami side on the road, at home in the U.S. Open Cup against a Nashville SC team that’s fourth in the East, and at home against the Portland Timbers, who are currently fourth in the West.

Ultimately, we can only judge this team on what we’ve seen from it, and over the last two games we’ve seen a side that’s had no trouble creating chances. Despite the continued absence of the important Atuesta, the Lions are adjusting thanks to contributions from their heavy hitters and the improving play of the rookie Gerbet. Only time will tell if those improvements are sustainable, but for now its a hell of a lot of fun to enjoy.

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Lion Links: 5/16/25

Orlando City players make MLS Team of the Matchday, Luis Muriel focused, Orlando Pride plays tonight, and more.

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2 days ago

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May 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday! I’ve had a pretty good week so far and am looking forward to three straight days of Orlando soccer. The Orlando Pride will get us started tonight and then we have Orlando City B on Saturday before Orlando City plays on Sunday. It should be a fun next few days, and hopefully one filled with celebrations too. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Lions Make MLS Team of the Matchday

There’s plenty of purple in the latest MLS Team of the Matchday following Orlando City’s 3-1 win over Charlotte FC. Martin Ojeda and David Brekalo were both selected, while Oscar Pareja was chosen as the top coach from the midweek slate. Ojeda’s strike in the first half is also up for Goal of the Matchday as his strong run of form continues. The only outfield player on this Team of the Matchday that didn’t score is Brekalo, who had two assists, so it’s nice to see him receive deserved recognition for an excellent performance that included a great setup on Orlando’s third goal. Pareja has the Lions on an 11-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and is managing things well so far during this busy May.

Luis Muriel Staying Focused in Sophomore Season

With five goals so far this season, Orlando City forward Luis Muriel has already mirrored his scoring total from all of last season. Staying mentally prepared has been key for the 34-year-old in his second year with Orlando, and he spoke about what’s changed for him after not quite reaching expectations in his first year.

“Coming to a league like this isn’t easy. A lot of times from the outside, you aren’t able to measure up or really see what the league is. Sometimes you can underestimate things, thinking it’s easy,” Muriel said. “That leads you to take things on in a different way, the work, the matches.

“When you go into ‘MLS Mode’ you realize how good the league is, how competitive it is, how demanding the league is to be able to do things well. That’s when things start to flow, to go well. I think that’s the difference between this year and last.”

He’s finding his footing in the league now and was a force to be reckoned with against Charlotte on Wednesday. Muriel is aware that the Lions will need him to be at his best when they travel to take on Inter Miami on Sunday for an important rivalry clash.

Diving Into Justin Ellis’s Ascent

Victor Olorunfemi of Top Drawer Soccer gave a great profile on Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis and his growth with the club. Ellis, who just celebrated his 18th birthday on Wednesday with his MLS debut, is having a great year after a solid season with OCB last year. The high school senior was the top scorer at this year’s Generation Adidas Cup with six goals to help Orlando’s U-18 team win the tournament. He can create chances just as well as he can convert them and is quick to give credit to the coaches and staff that have helped him develop. The U.S. youth pool is deep, but Ellis could be a name to keep an eye out for ahead of the U-20 World Cup in September.

Orlando Pride Match Headlines NWSL Weekend

The Orlando Pride’s match tonight against the Kansas City Current is the premier matchup this week in the NWSL. While I wouldn’t call it a rivalry just yet, these two teams had great games last year. The Current are still out for revenge after Orlando beat them while shorthanded last summer and won again in the NWSL playoffs in Orlando before winning the NWSL Championship in Kansas City. First place in the league is on the line and it should be a thrilling match featuring the league’s top two defenses and attacking threats like Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Marta, and Debinha.

NWSL Contenders and Underperformers

We’re about a third of the way into the NWSL season and ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf dove into how each team is meeting its expectations so far. Despite their stumbles in recent weeks, the Pride are near the top of the table and have plenty of time to get things firing on all cylinders. Two of the California teams are enjoying surprising success so far, with the San Diego Wave up in fourth while Angel City FC is in fifth and could become a real contender once Alexander Straus takes over as head coach. NJ/NY Gotham FC and the North Carolina Courage are sleeping giants of sorts, so it will be interesting to see when they start climbing up the table.

Free Kicks

  • You’ll need a paid subscription for the full details, but Orlando City right back Alex Freeman continues to impress this season. Freeman is finding success in a way different from his father Antonio Freeman, who led the NFL in receiving yards for the Green Bay Packers in 1998.
  • This year’s MLS pre-match jerseys to celebrate Pride month are out and they’re a vibrant and funky design.

Love lifts us up 💜The new 2025 Pride Pre-Match Jerseys are here!🛒 orlsoccer.co/fbpri

— Orlando City SC (@orlandocitysc.com) 2025-05-15T18:56:08.764Z
  • Esther Gonzalez leads the NWSL with seven goals this season and has agreed to a contract extension with Gotham FC that will last through 2027.
  • FIFA representatives, including FA Chair Debbie Hewitt and UEFA President Alexander Ceferin, walked out of FIFA’s annual congress in protest of FIFA President Gianni Infantino arriving three hours late. Infantino has spent this week in the Middle East visiting leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar with Donald Trump.
  • FC Barcelona officially won this year’s La Liga title after a 2-0 win over Espanyol. Phenom Lamine Yamal scored a sensational goal in the match, which is fitting considering how crucial he was to Barcelona winning the league this year.
  • Predictable names like Luis Enrique and Antonio Conte are on the list of top European coaches this year, but this article also shines a light on coaches who navigated tough waters in small boats. Alexander Blessin has St. Pauli on the verge of survival in the Bundesliga and Filippo Inzaghi improved Pisa by 30 points in Serie B to secure promotion.

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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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to secure a victory in Sunday’s edition of Tropic Thunder?

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3 days ago

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May 15, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Mark Thor

The first Tropic Thunder match of the season is here. As I recently said on The Mane Land PawedCast, I am both looking forward to and dreading this match. I think that is an appropriate feeling. Orlando City is in the midst of a congested May schedule, but every match matters.

Inter Miami tops my list of hated teams at this point. As such, I very much want the Lions to win and for Florida to be purple. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points on the road against their in-state rivals?

Pocket Messi

Orlando City must keep Lionel Messi from having too big of an impact on the match. There are plenty of other players that the defense will need to worry about, and I’ll get to them. What I’m looking for is a frustrated Messi — Messi that feels he should be getting calls on the lightest of touches but is not.

The pair of players that I’m expecting to keep an eye on Messi are Cesar Araujo and Rodrigo Schlegel. The lion’s share of that burden will fall to Araujo. I want him to be hounding Messi every time he gets the ball. If Messi is able to get past Araujo, I want Schlegel to be right in his face. We’re all sick of MLS and Apple TV putting his smug mug in our faces at every opportunity. It’s time for two of Orlando’s defenders to take the shine off of Messi.

Deal with the Rest

Assuming Araujo can limit Messi, Orlando City still has to deal with Miami’s talented attacking players not named Messi. Miami and Orlando entered Wednesday night’s game with the same number of goals scored (21) and allowed (15) this season, although the Herons conceded more at San Jose (3) than the Lions (1) did at home against Charlotte. Each scored three times on Wednesday. However, the memory of the last time the Lions faced Miami at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale is a 5-0 loss. That isn’t something we want to see again.

Theoretically, no match is more important than another, although an argument could be made that Tropic Thunder is no mere match. I fully expect a starting back line of Alex Freeman, Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo in front of Pedro Gallese to stop Miami’s attack. A clean sheet is the objective.

Alex vs. Alba

As you can tell, this is a very defensive heavy Three Keys, but given what happened in this fixture last year, I don’t think it’s out of line. Alex Freeman has been good this season. He has secured the starting spot at right back and seems unlikely to give it back. One of the things he is good at is getting into the attack with Marco Pasalic. That isn’t what I’m looking for from him this weekend.

Miami’s Jordi Alba is a dangerous player that Freeman will be expected to help contain. Alba has five assists, seven successful crosses, and 13 key passes so far this season. If Freeman is still getting up the pitch to assist in the attack, he will need to make sure he isn’t allowing Alba free rein to get behind him and serve as a provider in Orlando’s half of the field.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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