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

How did your favorite Lions perform during Orlando City’s 3-1 road win over the Chicago Fire?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City returned to league play in style as the Lions went on the road and executed a comeback win against the Chicago Fire. OCSC rallied from an early second-half deficit and did its scoring in quick succession to keep pace in the race for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The goals came from Wilder Cartagena, Ivan Angulo and Facundo Torres as Orlando continued its good road form in 2023.

Here are how the individual players performed during a fun Sunday night match out in the Midwest.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Pedro was his usual reliable self in this one. He was largely helpless on Chicago’s goal, as the ball was blasted by him at close range, but he took care of everything else that came his way. He made three saves on the night, including an excellent one in the first half to deny Xherdan Shaqiri. He also passed with 67% accuracy and completed three long balls. His distribution was a little off at times but it was a decent night for El Pulpo.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a solid, if slightly unspectacular outing. His five clearances were the most on the team and he also chipped in with an interception on the defensive side of things. He completed three long balls and one cross while passing with 91% accuracy, and the whipped ball that he delivered that led to Ivan Angulo’s goal was an absolute peach.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Beefy Swede quietly put together a good game against the Fire. He ended the night with one interception, one clearance, and one block and took a shot that ended up off target. He completed four long balls and a through ball while passing with 93% accuracy, which was the highest on the team excluding substitutes Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — It feels a little harsh grading him like this when the team won, but Schlegel was not at his best tonight. While Chicago’s first goal was disallowed and saved his bacon, he completely left his man and went out of position, which led to a gap big enough to drive a truck through and created the Fire’s chance. He also got sucked out of position on Chicago’s actual goal, pushing up to challenge for a ball that Cesar Araujo was already contesting, and leaving space in behind as a result. Still, he finished with two tackles, three clearances, and one successful dribble while committing two fouls and picking up a yellow card. He also passed at a 74% clip, including a completed long ball. His offensive contribution was pushing up the field and winning a corner that led to Orlando City’s first goal.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — Oscar Pareja threw a bit of a curveball and gave Dagur Dan the start at right back over Kyle Smith, as Mikey Halliday continued working his way back after being sidelined by injury. But Orlando played mostly as a back three with Thorhallsson occupying higher spaces and sometimes adding a body to the midfield. He did a good job getting forward and passed with 83% accuracy, and completed a long ball and two dribbles. He drew the foul in the box that Torres turned into the Lions’ third goal from the spot, and recorded a clearance and a block defensively while also committing three fouls.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7.5 — Cartagena has been a revelation this year and he had himself an excellent game in this one. He took two shots and put them both on target, and was only denied a brace by a fantastic Spencer Richey save to deny what would have been an absolute worldie. He wouldn’t be denied though, and his goal got OCSC back in the game straight away. He finished with an interception, a clearance, one foul drawn and one completed dribble. He passed with 91% accuracy, completed two long balls, and continued to be a boundless well of energy next to Cesar Araujo. A really great performance from him.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Surprise, surprise, Araujo had a good game for Orlando City, what else is new? He and Cartagena did a great job of keeping Shaqiri in check for the most part, and he’s going to make the Lions a nice little payday when he eventually leaves. He finished with one interception, one block, two key passes, three fouls drawn, one completed dribble, and the assist on Angulo’s goal. He committed three fouls but avoided a booking and passed with 82% accuracy while also completing a long ball.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7.5 — Angulo gave Chicago plenty of problems down the left hand side and did really great to wriggle his way through the defense and fire off a wicked shot that was saved by Richey. That was one of the two shots he took, with the other being the header that gave OCSC the lead. He completed two dribbles, drew a foul, completed a long ball, passed with 85% accuracy and chipped in with a clearance on defense. He had a couple of poor giveaways in the first half but rebounded nicely from them.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Mauricio didn’t do anything spectacular but still had a solid outing. He completed five long balls, a through ball, and a key pass while distributing the ball with 74% accuracy. He also completed one dribble, drew four fouls while committing one himself, and chipped in with one clearance on the defensive end. It was nice that he was able to come off with a little over 10 minutes left to get some rest with Orlando in a secure position.

MF. Facundo Torres, 8 (MotM) — Facu was excellent and picked up right where he left off as far as tormenting the Fire is concerned. He took three shots, one of which was on target, one of which was off target, and one which was blocked. He scored his penalty emphatically and picked up the assist on Cartagena’s goal, but his involvement went farther than that. He completed one dribble, drew five fouls, made two key passes, completed two crosses and a long ball, and passed with 70% accuracy. He contributed one tackle on defense and committed four fouls and picked up a yellow card, which was the only black mark on an otherwise sterling report card.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — Big Dunc didn’t get on the scoresheet but he worked hard and made some notable contributions. His one shot came after some hard work to chase down a second ball during the first half and it was blocked behind for a corner by a Chicago defender. He also had a key pass, a clearance, one tackle, and one foul while passing with 89% accuracy. He found it a little difficult to get involved and only finished with 19 touches, but it wasn’t a bad performance overall.

Substitutes

D. Kyle Smith (71′), 6 — Smith wasn’t on the field for a particularly long time, but got plenty involved with three clearances. His passing accuracy of 33% is a pretty ugly number, but he only attempted three, so don’t hold that against him too much.

F, Ramiro Enrique (71′), 6 — Ramiro also found plenty to do in his relatively short time on the pitch. He did well to control the ball and carve out space for the lone shot he took, but he blasted the ball well over the goal and will have wanted that attempt back. He also had one tackle, one interception, and one clearance while committing a foul and accurately delivering all four of the passes that he attempted.

MF, Junior Urso (79′), N/A — It was a fairly brief appearance, but damn is it good to see Junior Urso wearing an Orlando City jersey again, even if it might take some adjusting to him wearing no. 21. Urso was his typically industrious self and finished with a tackle and won one aerial duel while passing with 55% accuracy on 11 total attempts.

MF, Martin Ojeda (79′), N/A — Ojeda helped the Lions see out the game and accurately delivered all four of his passes to their targets, one of which was even a key pass for good measure.

D, Michael Halliday (89′), N/A — It was great to see Halliday make his return from injury after not having appeared for the Lions since June. He didn’t record any statistics during his time on the field, but I’m just happy to have him back.

That’s how I saw each player’s performance in the Lions’ first match in a little over two weeks. Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below, and share your thoughts on the fellas’ performances down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

Who was your Orlando City Man of the Match in the Lions' 3-1 road win at the Chicago Fire?
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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/10/25

Orlando City’s transfer needs, Orlando Pride get ready for the Seattle Reign, Orlando City B wins at home, and more.

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April 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

How’s it going, Mane Landers? Yesterday was the anniversary of adopting my cat, so I spent most of the day giving him whatever he wanted. Thankfully, that turned out to just be quite a bit of napping for both of us. It’s been nice to just hang out with him and enjoy some soccer throughout the week. We have even more soccer to look forward to this weekend, but let’s get this Thursday started with today’s links!

Transfer Priorities for Eastern Conference Teams

The current transfer window is open until April 23 and Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport dove into what MLS Eastern Conference teams should focus on this window and in the summer. While he noted that adding some depth at center back would be nice, for Orlando City, he chose re-signing midfielder Cesar Araujo as the biggest priority before his contract expires at the end of the year. The 24-year-old has been an integral part of Orlando City’s turnaround under Head Coach Oscar Pareja, so it will be interesting to see if he sticks around in the City Beautiful after this season.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Seattle Reign

With the international break now over, the Orlando Pride will hit the road for a match against the Seattle Reign on Saturday. The Pride have won their first three matches of the year, conceding just once in the process. Meanwhile, the Reign will aim to right the ship at home this weekend after a 2-1 loss on the road against Angel City FC last month. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how winning in Seattle is difficult, even if the team is undergoing a rebuild of sorts.

Pride midfielder Summer Yates, who is a Washington native and played collegiate soccer in Seattle, also spoke on what it will be like to return to her home state for this match. She also discussed the team’s depth, which is a strength for the Pride as players return from international duty.

Orlando City B Beats New England Revolution II

Orlando City B picked up a win at home Wednesday night, beating New England Revolution II 1-0, thanks to a late goal from Shak Mohammed. Great passing sent Mohammed in on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, and he handed New England its first conceded goal of the season. That goal proved to be the difference, as the Young Lions did well defensively to secure their third win and second clean sheet this season. OCB’s next game will be Tuesday against Inter Miami II at IMG Academy in Bradenton.

Philadelphia Union Reportedly Trading Daniel Gazdag

Despite a strong start to the season, the Philadelphia Union are reportedly set to trade away one of their best players to a fellow Eastern Conference team. Designated Player Daniel Gazdag will reportedly be traded to the Columbus Crew for cash. I don’t entirely hate the trade. Trading away a 29-year-old on the last guaranteed year of his contract while undergoing a rebuild makes sense. It also opens the door for Cavan Sullivan or David Vazquez to earn valuable minutes, with Indiana Vassilev available as well. However, Gazdag is the club’s all-time leading scorer and already has two goals and two assists this year. Trading him within the conference to an unbeaten Crew team this early in the season feels a bit like a white flag in regards to Philadelphia’s aspirations this year.

Free Kicks

  • The Europa League quarterfinals kick off today, with Manchester United taking on Lyon and Tottenham facing off against Eintracht Frankfurt. Bodo/Glimt, which leads the tournament so far with 24 goals, will play Lazio, and Rangers will host Athletic Club in Scotland.
  • Following talks with its fan advisory board, Manchester City announced that it will freeze ticket prices for next season.
  • Fabio Cannavaro was fired by Dinamo Zagreb after just 14 competitive matches. The Italian soccer legend was Zagreb’s third coach this season and won five of his 10 league matches at the helm in Croatia.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/9/25

Get to know Rodrigo Schlegel, Citrus Kit reimagined, USWNT falls to Brazil, and more.

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April 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. We’re neck deep into a busy week of soccer with the USWNT late Tuesday night, Orlando City B playing tonight, and Orlando City and the Orlando Pride on the Saturday schedule this weekend. Don’t you love this time of the year? I love that there’s almost always a soccer match available to watch. Let’s get to the links.

Focus on Rodrigo Schlegel

Orlando City continues the Lion’s Den Walk and Talk series of interviewing players with a look at center back Rodrigo Schlegel. This is your opportunity to get to know the Argentinian defender. He speaks of his childhood, his family, and his time with Orlando. My favorite part is when he speaks of the matches that have helped define him.

Citrus Kit Fashion

Since 2022, the Orlando Pride have collaborated with artists to create concept kits from the club’s current kit. This season, the club partnered with Sophie Hird on the Citrus Kit. Hird is a British designer and graduate of London College of Fashion. The result has a western flair seen here modeled by Pride defender Cori Dyke.

This is the fourth kit collaboration for the club. The collection is on display at Orlando Health facilities in Central Florida.

OCB Hosts New England Revolution II

Orlando City B welcomes New England Revolution II to Osceola Heritage Park tonight. The Young Lions will try to rebound from their 2-0 loss to Chattanooga FC Saturday. It won’t get any easier against Revs II, who sit just above OCB in the MLS NEXT Pro standings. Revs II haven’t conceded any goals so far this season, and have scored just as many goals as the Young Lions. The match start time is 7 p.m. and can be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com.

Brazil Defeats USWNT

The Brazilian Women’s National Team defeated the USWNT 2-1 Tuesday night scoring the winning goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. The U.S. got things started early on a goal in the first minute from Catarina Macario, but was unable to add to that later in the match. The Pride’s Angelina got the start for Brazil, but Emily Sams did not appear for the USWNT. Maybe if Sams in subbed on then Amanda Gutierres doesn’t get that winning goal. We’ll never know.

USMNT Players Abroad

Several USMNT players were in action, including former Lion Daryl Dike, who saw action in West Bromwich Albion’s 2-1 loss at Bristol City. Dike subbed on in the 65th minute for the Baggies. It’s been a month since he returned to action following his second torn Achilles tendon. Elsewhere, Brenden Aaronson’s Leeds United defeated Aidan Morris’ Middlesbrough 1-0.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Dom Dwyer scored for Mansfield Town in EFL League One in a match against Leyton Orient, extending his goal-scoring streak. Seems he finally wanted to score.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/8/25

Orlando City academy roundup, Americans in midweek action, UEFA Champions League preview, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, gang. It was a quiet weekend for Orlando soccer as Orlando City drew on the road and Orlando City B suffered its first loss of the young season. Things pick back up this week though, as the USWNT battles Brazil tonight, OCB plays Wednesday night, and OCSC and the Orlando Pride will be in action once the weekend rolls around. We have a bevy of things to talk through today, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Academy Roundup

The 2025 Generation Adidas Cup is right around the corner, and one of Orlando City’s youth talents has been identified as someone to watch in the tournament. Center back Clovis Archange has been named in this year’s Rising XI, with his passing range and athleticisim garnering specific praise. Continuing the theme of youth action, Orlando had six different academy teams in action over the weekend, and it was a largely successful time for them, as all but one was victorious in their games.

We’ve also got the schedule that Orlando City’s U-16 and U-18 teams will play in the Generation Adidas Cup, so make sure you keep an eye on all the action this week.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are multiple American players who will be taking part in games during the working week, with cup competition being a recurring theme. Things get started this afternoon with some American-on-American violence when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough meet Brenden Aaronson and Leeds in the Championship. Then tonight has Alex Zendejas and Club America taking on Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions League. Tomorrow’s big match has Gio Reyna and Dortmund facing Barcelona and Diego Kochen in the UEFA Champions League. Thursday then has Tanner Tessman and Lyon squaring off against Manchester United in the Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok in the Conference League.

UEFA Champions League Preview

As mentioned above, the UEFA Champions League makes its return this week, so let’s refresh on where we stand heading into the quarterfinals. Today has Inter Milan facing Bayern in Germany and Arsenal squaring off against Real Madrid in London. Bayern has only lost twice this calendar year and is probably the favorite at home, but Inter is top of Serie A and has had plenty of recent success in the competition. Real Madrid is almost always favored in the Champions League, but Arsenal has the luxury of being able to put the majority of its focus on the UCL with the Premier League title essentially out of reach, and Thibaut Courtois admitted his side is aware of the threat the Gunners pose from set pieces. Wednesday has Aston Villa taking on Paris Saint-Germain, and the English side will need to find a way to quiet Ousmane Dembele, who has been fantastic since the turn of the calendar year. Barcelona is top of La Liga and the favorite against Borussia Dortmund, but the German side has been in good form in the UCL this year as opposed to a league campaign its fans would probably rather forget.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Regardless of if the windows are open or not, transfer season never truly stops, so let’s have a look at what’s been in the headlines lately. Liverpool is said to be searching for alternatives to Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, with Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko reportedly identified as more cost-effective options than Alexander Isak. Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Arsenal also in hot pursuit of the Brazilian. Newcastle is reportedly interested in signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, with Toon boss Eddie Howe apparently a big fan of the England international. Finally, Ansu Fati is reportedly ready to leave Barcelona, as he has not been playing a big part under Hansi Flick since returning from his loan at Brighton last season.

Free Kicks

That’s it for me today. Enjoy your day, and as always, vamos Orlando!

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