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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 3-1 victory at home against the Chicago Fire?

Published

3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It was a dominating performance across the board for Orlando City’s players. With the team outshooting the Chicago Fire 19-8 and creating a number of quality chances, there was never a question in my mind if the Lions would finish with a win. It was, “by how many?” Facundo Torres and Ramiro Enrique led the way in answering that question to the tune of a 3-1 victory. Even then, the scoreline likely favors the Fire as it could have been much worse while Orlando’s defense put in a great shift keeping Kei Kamara and Fabian Herbers at bay.

Here’s how I rated Orlando City’s individual performances at Exploria Stadium.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — When Kamara comes to town, it doesn’t matter what team he is playing for. The man just loves to score against Orlando City. For Pedro Gallese, he was sure to ruin Kamara’s night and stifle and record-chasing performances for the striker. Perhaps Gallese’s finest moment of the match came in the 51st minute, as Kamara forced a header on goal from a corner kick and the keeper made a diving save to keep it off the goal line. In total, Pedro made a couple saves across the course of 90 minutes and conceded just one — from the penalty spot — in a match that saw him face 2.2 expected goals against. His 15 passes found their mark 86.7% of the time and he was accurate on one of his three long balls when trying to spring a quick counter.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — Santos entered the match up for the task against Chicago’s attack. The Brazilian was rarely beaten down the left side and was able to find space to swing in a few fiery passes from distance while even taking the time to complete a pair of dribbles and put a shot on frame in the 40th minute. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and an aerial duel won, while conceding two fouls. Offensively, he found himself on the ball 61 times, completing 86% of his 44 passes. He found his man with five of his eight long balls but was inaccurate on all three of his crosses. Ultimately, he defended well against those coming down his left wing.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — If there were such things as assists for forcing penalty kicks, Jansson would have earned himself a nice statistic on the match sheet. To be fair, Fabian Herbers should have felt hard done as the Beefy Swede clipped the ball up and into his elbow which he was trying to pull back within his body’s silhouette. Nonetheless, this attempt towards goal led to Facundo Torres’ brace, as he collected another to his tally from the spot. From a defensive standpoint, you can tell the task was to follow Kamara absolutely everywhere he went on the pitch. Early into the match, Jansson could even be spotted in the attacking third as he trailed Kamara, who was dropping deep to try to find the ball. While he recorded zero tackles or interceptions, Jansson made his presence known. He offered a clearance, a foul, and a yellow card. With his 55 touches, the center back completed 87% of his 48 passes, with two of seven long balls also being accurate, and he drew two fouls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7.5 — Stepping in for first-choice Antonio Carlos, Rodri once again stood tall for Papi. The Argentinian defender almost even scored one of his own in the 32nd minute as he flicked a header towards goal from a corner kick forcing Chris Brady to make a save. In total, Schlegel attempted two shots with one on target. With 48 touches, he passed at an 89% success rate across 38 attempts but was incomplete on both of his long balls. While he didn’t have a tackle or interception, he certainly made the night easier on Gallese with his six clearances and won an aerial duel.

D, Kyle Smith, 7.5 — The 31-year-old utility man from Transylvania University slotted into the right back position. As always, Smith was his usual workhorse self and was rewarded with an assist that opened the scoring for the Lions. Picking out the most unlikely Orlando player to score with his head, Smith dropped a cross right on top of Facundo Torres in the 32nd minute. Smith should have easily had another assist prior to that, as Martin Ojeda missed from a quality position in front of goal. If it weren’t for Smith getting beaten badly and conceding the penalty kick that gave the Fire their only goal of the night, he would have made a real case for my personal Man of the Match honors. With 45 touches, Smith took a shot and had two key passes in his 34 attempts (64% accuracy). He was accurate on one of three crosses, one of six long balls, one through ball, made one tackle and one clearance, and added a foul. While these stats don’t typically scream “best player on the pitch,” Smith continues to show sparks and has the intangibles that I appreciate and respect.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 8 — The Peruvian picked up right where he left off against Seattle’s attackers. This time he was challenged with the likes of Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri. And while Shaqiri did end up on the scoresheet, it was only due to a penalty kick. Cartagena consistently puts in great defensive shifts and even made the highlight reel, clearing the ball off of the goal line in the 51st minute. While the statistics state he only made two tackles, he also won an aerial duel, had an interception, a crucial clearance, a blocked shot, and four fouls conceded, while drawing one himself. Cartagena was on the ball 52 times, completing 86% of his 43 passes. He missed his only cross but was perfect on his three long ball attempts.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — With Cesar Araujo out for the match on bad behavior, El Capitan was relegated to a deep-lying position on the pitch. Similar to what we saw Head Coach Oscar Pareja experimenting with last year, it once again just didn’t do it for me. Pereyra is a maestro on the ball and in the attacking third, but when it comes to connecting from the back all the way to the front, it just isn’t his specialty. His play is much more fruitful clipping the final ball behind the back line or threading tough seams with pinpoint accuracy. Offensively in the match, he was fouled three times and gave shouts for a possible penalty but went to ground too easily and didn’t earn the call. From a defensive standpoint, he offered two interceptions and a foul. He had 43 touches, attempted 33 passes (84% accuracy), completed one of his two crossing attempts, and completed two of his four long ball attempts.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 8.5 — I love the play and tenacity of Angulo. The Colombian winger uses his pace in a way that would be utterly terrifying to line up against. This rang true for Arnaud Souquet, who had to foul Angulo twice in the same play just to stop from being embarrassed down the sideline and earned himself his first of two yellow cards on the night in the 20th minute. In the 75th minute, Enrique was about to ruin what would ultimately be his scoring play by chasing down a pass in the channel from an offside position. Instead, it was a smart play from Angulo — once again using his pace — to run over and collect the ball, then passing it to Enrique and earning the assist. Defensively, he made two tackles and an interception while conceding three fouls. Offensively, he used his 39 touches to take two shots, putting one on goal and tallying an additional two key passes. He completed two dribbles and drew three fouls. Of his 23 passes, 87% hit their marks, as did his only long ball and through ball attempts.

MF, Facundo Torres, 9 (MotM) — This match was all about the resurrection of last year’s Torres. If the whole season has been building up to this moment, I feel like the first meeting with the Chicago Fire was the tipping point. With a headed goal in the 36th minute, what could have easily been an earned penalty in the 42nd minute, converting a penalty in the 55th minute, and a couple other genuine chances throughout the match, Torres made a meal of the Fire defenders. His night finished with three of six shots on target, two key passes, two dribbles, and an aerial won on 55 touches. Torres drew two fouls and completed his long ball but missed both crossing attempts, while distributing the ball with 85% accuracy on 35 passes.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — The past few matches have equated to Ojeda and Pereyra exchanging minutes in the No. 10 role. With Araujo forcing Pereyra into a deeper position, this was Ojeda’s moment to step up and show why he deserves the weekly start. Early on in the first half, Ojeda had a couple scoring opportunities and even forced a good save from Brady after rifling a strike at goal, but he also missed what should have been a tap in. Despite only putting one of two shots on target, Ojeda did create three key passes with his 44 touches. His 22 passes came at a 90% rate, and he was pinpoint on his one long ball, but he found the target on only four of 12 crosses. Defensively, Ojeda conceded a foul but also tallied an interception and a tackle.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — The rookie striker didn’t live up to his own high standards on the night. Don’t get me wrong though, McGuire was fine. But he wasn’t “outstanding.” There was no real danger created by the forward, and he only found himself on the ball 13 times in 66 minutes. With those touches, he only completed three of four passes, so he wasn’t exactly creating for others either. His only shot was off target, and his only defensive stat was a conceded foul.

Substitutes

MF, Felipe (67′), 7 — Brought on to rotate the defensive midfield with another game soon to be played, Felipe came on and helped see out the win. He likely should have done better in the dying moments as Orlando greatly outnumbered the Fire on a counter attack but he left his shot close enough to Brady for him to make a save. With 39 touches, Felipe completed his 36 passes at an astounding 97% rate and was accurate with his only long ball.

F, Ramiro Enrique (67′), 7.5 — Literally just last match I put the sentence, “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.” into Ramiro Enrique’s player grade segment. Well, the 22-year-old Argentine took it to heart because he was determined to get in behind and score against Chicago. Right from the jump, Enrique was finding balls played into the channel and speeding past the defensive line. For his efforts, Enrique found himself open at the top of the box to finesse the ball across goal and into the net in the 75th minute. We witnessed 10 touches, one of two shots on target, and a 100% passing accuracy on six attempts. Go on, Enrique. Let’s see more of this and I’ll eat my hat.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (88′) N/A — Dagur Dan was able to find the ball 12 times in his brief stint on the field. He fed Petrasso an exquisite cross shortly after coming on, but Petrasso blasted the volley high. Dagur Dan seemed to be begging for a card and earned himself one as time expired. Aside from that, he completed all eight passes, one of two crosses, a tackle, and two fouls conceded.

D, Luca Petrasso (88′) N/A — Aside from wasting Dagur Dan’s cross, we didn’t see much of Petrasso in his few minutes back on the pitch. He recorded seven touches, a key pass, and a clearance. He completed just 60% of his five passes.

MF, Favian Loyola (90+3′) N/A — Making the most of the nine minutes of stoppage time, Loyola made his MLS debut and ran everywhere to try and get some touches. In the dying moments, he got on the ball six times, completed all six of his passes, turned one of those into a key pass, and conceded a foul.

That’s how I saw the performances in 3-1 home win against the Chicago Fire. Congrats to Homegrown attacker Favian Loyola for making his senior team debut. The best is yet to come for you! 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/1/26

Pride and OCB win, Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau called up, USMNT beats Senegal, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

on

June 1, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work and just wrapped up covering high school spring season sports for the school year up here in Chicago. We had the Pride, OCB, and the USMNT all in action, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Beat Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday. Barbra Banda scored the opener early in the first half for Orlando, but Bay FC’s Caroline Conti scored the equalizer. In the second half, Banda scored her second goal of the night and added an assist on Cori Dyke’s goal in the 55th minute. Banda went down with an injury late in the match and had to leave the pitch. Since Orlando had already used all its substitutions, the team had to play the final 15 minutes of the match, including stoppage time, down to 10 players, but the Pride held on for the win. Banda has been called up to the Zambia Women’s National Team for the Four Nations Tournament, with the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations set to kick off next month in Morocco.

The Pride will be off until early July due to the NWSL World Cup break. Their next match will be on the road at BMO Stadium against Angel City FC on July 3.

OCB Defeats Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B defeated Chattanooga FC 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Ignacio Gomez scored for the Young Lions six minutes into the match. Chattanooga FC responded with two goals later in the first half to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, it was all OCB as Pedro Leao, Harvey Sarajian, and Justin Hylton each added a goal to extend the Young Lions’ lead to 4-2. Leao added a penalty kick goal as OCB secured back-to-back wins in league play and moved to fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 22 points. OCB will face Carolina Core FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau Called Up

Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau have been called up to their respective national teams. Reid-Brown will be joining the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for upcoming friendlies against Georgia and North Macedonia in Bulgaria.

Crepeau will be with the Canadian Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Canada has two international friendlies this week, facing Uzbekistan today and taking on Ireland Friday. Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch stated that he has not yet decided which goalkeeper will start in his team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, but Crepeau and Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair will split time in goal against Uzbekistan.

USMNT Defeats Senegal in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Senegal 3-2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, Sunday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 45 minutes. Sergino Dest struck first to give the Yanks an early lead, and Christian Pulisic scored his first international goal since November 2024 for the U.S. to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. Sadio Mane pulled one back for Senegal to make it 2-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Mane added another goal to level the match, but Folarin Balogun came off the bench and scored the final goal of the match to seal the win for the Americans. The USMNT will face Germany Saturday in another international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, before opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, taking on Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Paris Saint-Germain Repeats as UEFA Champions League Winner in Penalties

Paris Saint-Germain edged Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw Saturday at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, to win the UEFA Champions League title for the second time in a row. Kai Havertz scored the first goal six minutes into the match to give Arsenal the lead in the first half. However, in the second half, Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, resulting in a penalty for Paris Saint-Germain. Ousmane Dembele converted from the spot to tie the match. After 120 minutes of play, the match went to penalties, where Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made one save, but Paris Saint-Germain still scored four goals. In the final round, Arsenal defender Gabriel sailed his shot over the net, and Paris Saint-Germain became just the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era, since 1992. The other club was Real Madrid, which won three consecutive titles from 2015-2016 through 2017-2018.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando City Academy U-14 squad defeated Inter Miami 3-1 Sunday to win the MLS Next Cup.
  • According to Sportico, Major League Soccer viewership has risen significantly in the first three months of the season.

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

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Orlando City

An Early Look at Orlando City’s Contract Decisions

Here is an early look at the decisions the club will have to make regarding the roster at the end of the 2026 season.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 30, 2026

By

Image of Wilder Cartagena controlling the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we head into a dead period of Major League Soccer with the arrival of the World Cup break, it’s worth looking into the future to see how the roster may look in the future. Orlando City has one player out of contract after the 2026 season and several that are on the last guaranteed year of their deal but have option years the club could exercise. Let’s take a look at the decisions Orlando City has to make at season’s end.

Ivan Angulo — Attacking Midfielder

The Colombian midfielder has been a tireless worker and a good soldier for Orlando City since his arrival in July of 2022. Regardless of what you think of his finishing (and it hasn’t been good the last two years after back-to-back seasons with five goals in 2023 and 2024 and 15 total goal contributions in the latter of those years) or those games in which he turns the ball over repeatedly, Angulo has generally been an asset to the team. What he lacks in goal production he makes up for in important hustle plays to break up opposition attacks and with his high pressure.

Angulo is out of contract after the 2026 season after signing through the 2025 season in January of 2024. Orlando City exercised his option year for 2026 last November. He could leave on a free transfer and there will be clubs interested in the 27-year-old, who will likely be one of the fastest players in whatever league he’s in for the next several seasons. At a total guaranteed compensation of $582,656, he’s not terribly expensive for a starting-caliber winger. Orlando City should re-sign Angulo or upgrade the position, and perhaps the club wants Tyrese Spicer to show he can take that spot. Spicer has been inconsistent as a starter but generally better off the bench. He hasn’t yet shown himself to be an everyday option.

Wilder Cartagena — Midfielder

The Peruvian midfield stopper has, like Angulo, been a solid performer for the Lions since signing with Orlando City in August of 2022. Last season’s Achilles injury derailed the club’s best-ever midfield double pivot, as Cartagena and Cesar Araujo combined to make life miserable for Orlando’s opponents and did a great job of shielding the back line. He even filled in admirably on the back line whenever Oscar Pareja went to five at the back as an extra center back. Cartagena suffered another injury in the 2026 season opener and is just getting back up to speed, but it seems as if he’s having difficulty breaking through to get enough minutes to round back into form.

Cartagena is on a contract through the end of 2026, which he signed last November, but there is an option year on his deal. At 31 years old and making a guaranteed $530,250 per year, it may be time to move on from the veteran defensive midfielder unless he can regain his form before the end of the season. The hope is that Luis Otavio can develop into a similar midfield stopper and the club has invested in the Brazilian. The Lions also seem more interested in the kind of offense that favors more attack-minded players in the central midfield, which has proven successful in scoring goals so far this year but has failed miserably at preventing them.

Joran Gerbet — Midfielder

The French-born product out of Clemson University signed in February 2025 after being drafted in the first round (No. 27 overall) in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. He had a promising rookie campaign going until sustaining a serious knee injury last October against Columbus and had season-ending surgery. Gerbet will likely be able to return to game action after the World Cup break, and perhaps he could even play some games with OCB during the pause.

He’ll be out of contract at the end of 2026 but there are options for 2027 and 2028 on his rookie deal. If he can return to full speed and produce, the club would likely bring him back. With total guaranteed compensation of $113,400, Gerbet is an inexpensive piece of the roster, and he’ll be eager to earn a new deal. Plus, he’ll have at least one new French-speaking teammate as soon as Antoine Griezmann arrives. Gerbet’s return could mitigate the loss of Cartagena if the club parts ways with the Peruvian international.

Adrian Marin — Defender

The Spaniard arrived in August of 2025 on a deal through this season with a club option for 2027. He wasn’t able to quite jell or acclimate well to Major League Soccer over the course of last season. He entered 2026 looking to lock down the starting left back spot and can play as a center back in a three-man back line, but so far this season he’s been inconsistent at best. While he can send the occasional excellent cross or long ball in to create a scoring chance, contributing three assists already this season, he’s not been quite able to consistently operate at an MLS level.

A good left back can be pricey, so his guaranteed pay of $577,972 isn’t terrible, but he’s not quite lived up to it either. It will be interesting to see if Marin can finish out the 2026 campaign strong and if it’s enough to warrant picking up his contract option or offering him a new deal.

Nolan Miller — Defender

The rookie out of Michigan had a strong start to his first professional year but then showed some growing pains. He signed through the 2026 season back in early February but the club holds options for Miller for the 2027 sprint season, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029. Miller most recently played with Orlando City B on Sunday, helping the Young Lions defeat Inter Miami CF II 4-1 at home. There’s a lot of season left for Miller to make his mark, and playing with OCB during the World Cup break is a good way to get him minutes in a developmental setting.

All indications from the club are that the technical staff believe Miller has enough upside to potentially become an MLS starter. The 22-year-old will be given an opportunity to develop, and it seems likely Orlando City will exercise his option unless the player asks for his release to pursue other opportunities.

Javier Otero — Goalkeeper

If there’s one thing that’s been clear for years, it’s that Orlando City likes to have one primary goalkeeper and a young, inexpensive backup who plays only sparingly, whether it’s Mason Stajduhar, Adam Grinwis, or Otero. The Lions signed Otero to a new contract through 2026 just a year ago in May 2025, with option years for 2027 and 2028. Otero has played well at times and gotten shelled a few times in his MLS career, but he’s filled his role well and is inexpensive at $163,750 in guaranteed annual compensation. Orlando will likely exercise the option on Otero’s deal unless the 23-year-old Venezuelan wants to go elsewhere.

Nicolas Rodriguez — Attacking Midfield

While not technically out of contract, the club may have to do something with Rodriguez, who is currently on loan with Atletico Nacional in Colombia through 2026. The Colombian side has an option to purchase, but it’s unclear whether that will be exercised. The former MLS U22 Initiative signing was suspended in March for an alleged sexual assault earlier this year — charges that Rodriguez denies. He returned to the pitch in May in a loss to Once Caldas.

With the commitment Orlando City made to Otavio, Iago, and Tiago, it’s unlikely the club will bring back Rodriguez unless one of the Brazilians is sold. Rodriguez struggled to get on the pitch with the first team last year, and Tiago seems light years ahead of the Colombian in his development. It seems likely the club will hope Nacional purchases Rodriguez, and if not, the Lions will probably try to sell him or loan him out again. Rodriguez’s contract expires at the end of 2027.

Zakaria Taifi — Fullback/Midfielder

Homegrown defender/winger Taifi is signed through 2026 with club options for 2027, 2028, and 2029. The 20-year-old has shown great promise and made the jump to the first team midway through 2025, although he played sparingly. Taifi already has career highs with the first team in 2026 in games played (10), starts (3), and assists (2). If not for Griffin Dorsey’s play, Taifi might otherwise be seeing regular minutes, although there is work to be done in developing his defending. At present, he projects more as a wingback than a fullback, but the same was once true of Alex Freeman, who improved his one-on-one defending by leaps and bounds.

As a Homegrown Player starting to bear fruit, it is a no-brainer for the club to pick up Taifi’s option after the 2026 season.

Yutaro Tsukada — Attacking Midfielder

Orlando City selected Tsukada with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft in December of 2023. The club signed Tsukada to an MLS NEXT Pro deal through 2024 and then signed him through 2025 with option years for 2026 and 2027, so he’s currently in the first of those two option years.

The young winger has shown some glimpses of quality in both dead-ball delivery and his crafty one-on-one moves out wide, but he’s not been able to break through just yet and he was left off both the senior team and OCB matchday rosters since April 26, despite a club spokesman telling me he wasn’t injured. Tsukada’s budget charge isn’t big ($113,400), but at 24, he’s entering his prime years and hasn’t yet developed into an MLS player. Whether he’s back next year may be up to the player in Tsukada’s case.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: May 31, 2017 vs. D.C. United

Hop in the time machine and relive a wet, weird Orlando City game from almost nine years ago.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 29, 2026

By

Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

With no Orlando City match to entertain us for almost two months during the World Cup break, this is an optimal time to reflect on some of the team’s history and enjoy a trip down memory lane. We’re taking one hell of a trip today, as we go almost nine years into the past to reminisce on the Lions taking on D.C. United all the way back on May 31, 2017.

Just how different were things as OCSC got ready to take the field against D.C. that Wednesday? Well for one thing, the ground now known as Inter&Co Stadium had just opened a little over two months previously, and it was still called Orlando City Stadium. Jason Kreis had the reins as the team’s second full-time head coach, and teams were only allowed to make three substitutions per game instead of five.

Kreis set up his team in a 4-4-2 that had Joe Bendik in goal, a back line of Scott Sutter, Jose Aja, Jonathan Spector, and Donny Toia; Matias Perez Garcia, Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, and Luis Gil in the midfield; and Cyle Larin alongside Carlos Rivas up top.

The defining characteristic of the game in the first half was the conditions in which it was played. The stadium was pounded by rain in the leadup to kickoff, and the wet weather continued during the opening 45 minutes. The Lions had the better of things in the first half, but things could have been different if Larin had been called for a handball in the box in the 15th minute, but the referee didn’t see it, the D.C. players didn’t call for it, and video review wouldn’t be introduced to MLS until later in the season.

D.C. went close through Julian Buscher in the 43rd minute when he turned well at the top of the box and sent a left footed shot toward goal, but Bendik did well to get down and push the ball away with his right hand. Orlando’s best chance of the half came as the first 45 minutes were winding down, when Gil sprung Larin on the break, but the Canadian had to shoot from an angle and Bill Hamid was able to deal with it fairly comfortably in the D.C. net. Before the half could end, OCSC had a penalty shout of its own as Sutter felt he was clipped from behind by Buscher in stoppage time, but referee Allen Chapman disagreed and the game went to halftime scoreless.

The Lions finished the first half with 59% possession and took nine shots but only put three on target, while D.C. totaled three shots with two on target, and 41% of the ball.

The rain mercifully subsided at halftime, but the game continued to be a sloppy affair as the second half got underway. D.C really should have opened the scoring in the 56th minute when a ball played down the right found Lamar Neagle near the penalty spot. He turned and played a great pass into space for Buscher, who was unmarked roughly 10 yards from goal on the left side of the box. Luckily for the Lions, with just Bendik to beat, the midfielder somehow contrived to blast his first-time shot over the bar so badly that it just missed the Heineken sign by a couple of inches.

That scare spurred Kreis into action, as he brought on Giles Barnes for Gil just three minutes later. It proved to be an inspired move, as the Jamaican provided an immediate spark and won a free kick in a dangerous area in the 65th minute after slaloming through several defenders. It fell to Johnson to take the resulting set piece, and he dialed up a doozy, curling a ball to the edge of the six-yard box, where Larin fought through heavy contact from Steve Birnbaum and headed the ball into the net beyond a helpless Hamid to open the scoring for Orlando.

The strike ended a scoreless drought of 266 minutes for Orlando, and the team continued to look invigorated after the introduction of Barnes. He played a great cutback pass for Larin just two minutes after the goal, and the Canadian might have scored had D.C. not gotten bodies in the way and blocked it. He then played Rivas in on goal in the 71st minute, but Kofi Opare made a great last-ditch tackle to prevent a shot and MPG wasn’t able to bundle the loose ball over the line as Hamid came out to contest.

That was Perez-Garcia’s last meaningful action of the evening, as he made way for Tony Rocha two minutes later.

In the 74th minute, Orlando had another almighty scare and D.C. wasted its second excellent chance of the game. Aja played a badly underhit pass back to Bendik, and Neagle got to it first as the goalkeeper charged out to try to clear the danger. Neagle took it around him and had only Spector to beat as the last man back, but he put his shot entirely too close to the center back, who was able to make himself big and keep the effort out. The rebound then spun into the air and looked to be falling kindly for Sebastien Le Toux to head into the empty net, but Bendik parachuted in at the last second and acrobatically punched the danger clear.

The two teams then traded decent chances over the next 10 minutes, but a combination of blocks, misses, and a Bendik save kept things at 1-0. Kreis then made his final move of the game in the 83rd minute when Antonio Nocerino entered the game for Rivas.

OCSC looked all set to go more conservative and try to escape with a 1-0 win when it got a fortunate break just two minutes from the end of regulation. Barnes lined up a shot from roughly 25 yards out, and while it was hit with venom, it looked to be straight at Hamid and relatively straightforward. That made it all the more surprising when D.C.’s goalkeeper got two hands on it but either fluffed his attempt at a catch or whiffed on a punch, and the ball squirted past him into the back of the net. Barnes was rewarded for an energetic, game-changing substitute appearance, and the Lions got an insurance goal.

Four minutes of stoppage time passed without incident, and the Lions finished a dominant, but ultimately slightly nervy, performance with a 2-0 victory. Orlando ended the game with an edge in possession (57%-43%), shots (20-10), shots on target (5-4), and passing accuracy (81%-71%).

Current Orlando City staffer Austin David was on our staff and handed out player grades for the game, and he gave Barnes the Man of the Match award with an 8 out of 10. The other high performers on the night were Bendik and Spector, who were both awarded a 7.5 out of 10.

Larin’s goal was his eighth of the campaign, and the victory ended a six-game winless run for Orlando. Sadly, it wasn’t a sign of good things to come, as OCSC immediately endured another five-game winless run that included the infamous 3-1 loss to Miami FC that saw a Stefano Pinho hat trick earn him a move to the Lions at the end of the season. Orlando went on to win just three games the rest of the season, and finished 10th in the 11-team Eastern Conference with 39 points, ahead of only D.C. United.

With any luck, this season will follow a much different arc. Antoine Griezmann will be here before we know it, and the Lions have some time to make some tweaks to the roster, work on things in training, and will have an opportunity to make a cup final in the fall. Here’s to remembering the good parts of the past, and not repeating the bad ones. Vamos Orlando!

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