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Orlando City vs. Seattle Sounders: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 0-0 draw on the road against the Seattle Sounders?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

In a match that saw Orlando City pass the ball wherever and whenever it wanted, only to squander multiple scoring chances, the Lions ultimately drew 0-0 at the Seattle Sounders. The Lions struggled to find the frame, putting only three of 13 shots on target. The old adage says “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” but I would argue some of those shots just weren’t worth taking and some were flubbed so badly that I wish they weren’t taken either.

Here’s how I rated Orlando City’s individual performances at Lumen Field.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — It is always great to get your first-choice goalkeeper back in the net. And you really remember how much you missed him once he’s called to action in the opening minutes. In total, Pedro made a couple saves across the course of 90 minutes and held the Sounders scoreless in a match that saw him face a 1.22 expected goals against stat line. His 30 passes only found their mark 43% of the time, which isn’t great for a team that usually depends on him to spring a counterattack. For his efforts keeping the ball out of the net and being an outlet for a drop ball to relieve the high pressure, El Pulpo was good enough, but didn’t need to be spectacular. His best save came in the first minute against Heber.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos was the cause of the aforementioned Gallese save in the first minute. He must have been worried about something he left on the team bus because Heber made it look like he still hadn’t gotten off of it to start the match. But perhaps that was the exact wake-up call that he needed. Santos had a decent defensive performance against the Sounders but struggled in the attack. Defensively, he recorded two tackles and a clearance while only giving up one foul. Offensively, he found himself on the ball 80 times, completing 81% of his 60 passes. He found his man with only one of his five long balls and was inaccurate on all three of his crosses. Ultimately, he defended well against those coming down his left wing. Overall, I think Santos can give himself a pat on the back as he boards the plane back to the east coast.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Sometimes we look back at the statistics from a match to try to help us remember what a player did that was notable. For Jansson, it is rare to not think of a single key moment where the Beefy Swede stepped up big for the team, but it wasn’t really required. With zero tackles or interceptions on the night, Jansson only offered a clearance, a pair of blocked shots, and a foul conceded. He completed 92% of his 39 passes, with three of five long balls also being accurate, and he also drew a yellow card on Cody Baker. The center back wasn’t the cause for a goal against or booked in the match, so that in itself is noteworthy.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — As the match came to a close and players began to shake hands, we saw the camera pan to Antonio Carlos sitting on the pitch with a trainer and players next to him. Hopefully, this was just the picture of a man disappointed to only draw after all his efforts and nothing more serious, but I think it was also a good depiction of what Carlos gave in the match. He used his body to block two shots and was hacked down once for a foul. The Brazilian had three clearances and won two aerial duels. With 51 touches, he passed at an 84% success across 45 attempts and was one-for-two on his long balls. Perhaps at the end of the match he was just feeling a bit tattered and torn for having gone the distance against a potent attack of Heber, Nicolas Lodeiro, Leo Chu, and Albert Rusnak.

D, Michael Halliday, 6 — The 20-year-old right back drew a tough assignment by having to keep up with Chu down the flank all night. Early on, it looked as if Chu made a meal of Mikey by drawing a penalty, but thankfully he was offside on the play. In the 48th minute, Chu created another opportunity getting behind Halliday and swinging in a dangerous cross. Aside from that, Halliday mostly held firm on the right side of the defense. With 48 touches, Halliday had one key pass in his 26 attempts (84% accuracy). He was accurate on one of three crosses, made four tackles, and added a clearance. Unfortunately, his night came to a close in the 70th minute when he pulled up mid-dribble, grabbing his hamstring in obvious pain. Hopefully, the severity of the injury won’t turn out to be too serious.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Only seven minutes in, we almost witnessed the spectacular. Araujo tried to channel his inner Jose Martinez from the midweek Philadelphia Union match and go full volley at the back post. For Araujo though, he realized just how rare it is for a defensive midfielder to convert on those, as his attempt hit the side netting on the wrong side of the post. For the rest of the match, Araujo was his regular workhorse self. He made a tackle, won an aerial, and intercepted the ball once, but was booked with his only foul in the match. He had 69 touches, attempted 53 passes (81% accuracy), missed both of his crossing attempts, and completed only one of his three long ball attempts. But he maintained his positioning well and Seattle created very little up the middle.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7.5 (MotM) — The Peruvian returned from international duty and put in a solid shift. During his absence, there was a distinct piece missing defensively in the midfield. While the statistics show he only made two tackles, won an aerial duel, and cleared once, Cartagena does so many little things off the ball that it is hard to mention them all. He subtly finds attackers like Rusnak coming through and cuts down passing lanes or offers a bit of his body to them as they try to collect a pass. While these things do not make the stat sheet, they do matter. A key pass, a dribble, and a foul conceded won’t get you in the conversation for Man of the Match alone — but 100% passing accuracy will on 41 attempts and going seven-for-seven on long balls in a crowded and talented Seattle midfield. Welcome back, Wilder Cartagena. You were missed.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Fresh off a loan extension, Angulo was once again lively and hoping to make an impact. He appeared to be a bit more of himself this match and perhaps understands how to handle the turf a little bit better now. His pace didn’t seem to be hampered and made good runs into the channels playing alongside Santos. He won a corner kick in the 35th minute that nearly turned into an Orlando City goal, but a great effort by Stefan Frei kept it out. Defensively, he only made two interceptions. Offensively, he made one key pass, one cross, one dribble, and passed at a 92% clip on 38 attempts.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Facu was everywhere on the night. If he had found the net, he would be a shoo-in for Man of the Match. But ultimately, his lack of finesse left me wanting just a little bit more and while his grade ties Cartagena, I’m docking the nod at the award from him for it. In the 76th minute, he forced Frei to make a save with no chance to control the rebound, but the Lions missed a sitter off the deflection. In the 89th minute, Torres slid a shot wide of the far post. His night finished with one foul drawn, 100% completion on his two long balls, four of six on crossing accuracy, and four key passes, while distributing the ball with 79% accuracy on 39 attempts. Only one of his four shots ended up on target, and he earned himself a yellow card for something off camera in the 41st minute without committing a foul in the match.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — For me, I thought Oscar Pareja couldn’t bring on Mauricio Pereyra soon enough. Ojeda was definitely on the pitch, but he wasn’t doing anything out there that made me want to see him play for a full 90 minutes. He blasted two shots, with neither on target, and was dispossessed twice. He only found himself on the ball 39 times, which is the second lowest among outfield starters. He passed 22 times at a 68% accuracy, with one key pass. Only two of eight crosses were successful, however, his saving grace might be that he was four-for-four on his long ball attempts. I’m still not seeing a great return on investment for Orlando’s latest Designated Player, but I’m willing to be patient. I just think he needs to earn his starting minutes still.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7 — The MAC Hermann Trophy winner continues to be the spark the club needs in the attack. He has great holdup play and can create chances for himself. His imposing size allows him to win balls in the air. This was once again proven in the 35th minute as he put a header on target in the bottom left corner. A great save by Frei is the only thing that kept McGuire off of the scoresheet. Frei made a save on another McGuire header in the 65th minute before he made way for Ramiro Enrique in the 70th minute. Duncan found himself on the ball 24 times, won two aerial duels, put both his shots on target, and attempted 11 passes at a 63% completion rate. He also offered a tackle, two clearances, and two fouls conceded.

Substitutes

MF, Mauricio Pereyra (57′), 6.5 — Brought on to maestro the midfield where Ojeda left the team lacking, Pereyra was eventually able to create some dangerous chances with his pinpoint passing. His vision and quality were on full display as he split the back line in the 89th minute to give Torres a free chance at goal. Torres ultimately pushed the shot wide, which seemed only fair after Pereyra missed his own tap-in that Facu created in the 76th minute. Pereyra had 34 touches (only five fewer than Ojeda) in his time on the field. He had two key passes and a badly missed shot. He passed 26 times with 80% accuracy and even added three interceptions defensively.

F, Ramiro Enrique (70′) 5.5 — There are certain truths in the world and one of them seems to be Ramiro Enrique’s lack of real impact coming off the bench. Why Kara wasn’t chosen after we saw McGuire use his body in the air to relevant success throughout the match is something I don’t understand. However, Pareja called up on the services of Enrique. For that, we witnessed 15 touches, one way-off-target shot, and a 70% passing accuracy on 10 attempts. Surprisingly, he won three aerials, so perhaps even the smaller stature Enrique has picked up a thing or two from the big men on the training ground.

D, Kyle Smith (70′) 6.5 — Brought on to replace an ailing Halliday, Smith didn’t miss a beat. He recorded 21 touches, a key pass, a dribble, a tackle, and two clearances. He completed just 61% of his 13 passes, going one-for-one on crosses and was accurate once on two attempted long balls.

MF, Felipe (83′) N/A — The changes in the 83rd minute were likely Pareja wanting to hold onto the point the Lions had earned on the road. Felipe won an aerial duel and added a tackle in his time on the pitch. He completed eight of his 10 passes but was inaccurate on his only long ball attempt.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (83′) N/A — Dagur Dan was able to muster one shot and a tackle in his brief time on the field. Aside from that, he completed six of his eight passes.

That’s how I saw the performances in a draw against the Seattle Sounders on quick turnaround. It was great to have our Peruvians back, with one of them getting my personal Man of the Match honors. Be 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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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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