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Orlando City vs. St. Louis City SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform during Orlando City’s 2-1 home win over St. Louis City SC?

Published

2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City triumphantly returned to the friendly confines of Exploria Stadium against the debutants of the MLS Western Conference, St. Louis City SC, with a 2-1 victory. OCSC took the lead early in the second half before finding the winning goal in stoppage time to put out a red hot St. Louis City SC squad, which included former Orlando City forward Nicholas Gioacchini.

Here are how the individual players performed during Saturday night’s match in front of the home supporters.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — Gallese was reliable and engaged throughout the match as he demonstrated a great connectiveness with the players in front of him directly and further up the field. He was directly responsible for multiple breakouts throughout the match, when his long balls sprung attacking players or wingers in great position. His fault was limited on the goal he surrendered in the 79th minute, as a redirection from point-blank range gave him virtually no reaction time. He made one save on the night, recorded a clearance, passed with 89.3% accuracy and completed of his six three long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos has quietly grown into the role of reliable left back quite well. What were once concerns with giveaways and positioning earlier in his tenure have made way for solid defensive play and, at times, lethal crosses into the box. The latter was an issue in this game, as he went 0-for-5 on crossing accuracy. Defensively, he contributed two clearances. He completed three of his eight long balls while passing with 84.9% accuracy. He successfully completed two dribbles and won an aerial duel, while being a constant pain in the St. Louis City side. It was a cannon shot from Santos on his lone attempt of the match that earned Orlando City the game-winning penalty kick in the 90th minute, after a Joseph Dickerson overturned his initial corner kick decision for a handball on Anthony Markanich.

D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — The Beefy Swede put together one his better efforts on the season against one of the top squads from the west. Without fellow starting center back Antonio Carlos, the leader of the back line held up strong against numerous challengers. His stalwart defensive effort included tracking Gioacchini on multiple vertical runs down the field, using his superior positioning or height to parry away the incoming ball. He contributed two clearances on the defensive end and played safety first on St. Louis transitions by knocking a few other balls out of play, allowing his teammates to get back. He completed six of his 11 long balls, while passing with 88.7% accuracy. He wasn’t able to track Rasmus Alm’s diagonal run on the visitors’ goal, which started on Jansson’s side but finished right behind Rodrigo Schlegel, who should have done more to deny the entry ball. Against one of the most lethal offenses in MLS, Jansson was the glue that held the entire back line together on the evening.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — After a rocky first half in the last outing against the Chicago Fire, Schlegel continued to find his legs against St. Louis and did all the “things,” that fans have come to know and love him for on the pitch. He finished with one tackle, one clearance, and one interception. He also passed at a 80.4% clip, including four succesful long balls on nine attempts. His biggest mistake on the night was failing to cut off the cross to Alm in the 79th minute, allowing St. Louis to equalize. He became a bit too focused on the ball on the play and wasn’t alert to the opposing forward making the diagonal run in behind him.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7 — Starting his second straight match at right back, but often drifting farther up field into the attack, Thorhallsson showcased that he can not only break an attack wide open, but also stop one dead in its tracks. He did a good job getting forward and passed with 88.2% accuracy, completing three of his four long balls. He also recorded an assist on his one key pass on the evening and had two successful dribbles. His only shot attempt should have been better, as it landed in the upper deck. He allowed his countryman, Nokkvi Thorisson, to get in the cross that led to the tying goal, but defended it pretty well, as about 90% of the ball was over the end line prior to the pass. While Orlando waits for one of their more traditional right backs to come back into the frame, Thorhallsson has provided a unique option on the field which has caught the opposition off guard at times.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Cartagena continued his great run of form, doing well to keep attacking midfielder Eduard Lowen quiet, forcing the opposition’s No. 10 to drop deeper to get on the ball. He passed at 83.6% on the night and was successful on three of six long balls. He committed three fouls while picking up an arguably soft yellow card. He recorded two tackles and logged an interception and two clearances, winning a team-high three aerials. At this point in the season, Cartagena and partner in crime Cesar Araujo go together like peanut butter and jelly.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Speaking of jelly, Araujo had a solid game for Orlando City in the defensive midfield. He continued to build on his team-high number of fouls suffered, drawing a match-high five fouls on the night. He finished with three tackles and one aerial won while passing at a 77.4% accuracy, with an impressive seven completions on 10 long balls. He attempted two shots on the night but was unable to get either on frame.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one his quieter nights on the left side of the field and swapped with Facundo Torres multiple times as the pair of wingers attempted to find space in the final third. The speedster completed 81.3% of his passes on the night, was unsuccessful on his only long ball, and registered one shot, which was blocked. On the defensive side of the ball, Angulo had one successful tackle. He committed one foul while drawing two.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — Orlando City did not get the best version of their captain on a night where it needed crisp and quick passing to unlock a strong St. Louis City side. The midfielder passed with 75.6% accuracy on the night and missed multiple chances to string together the final ball in the buildup, especially in the first half. He just seemed a bit slow in recognizing pressure and finding the next pass quickly. Pereyra did register a secondary assist on Orlando’s goal just a few minutes into the second half. He logged four key passes, despite being successful on just one of five crosses and completing three of his six long balls. The captain missed the target on his lone shot attempt, although it was a difficult attempt on a spinning ball on the volley. He was dispossessed twice while dribbling in the open field and on defense contributed two tackles while picking up a yellow card.

MF. Facundo Torres, 8 (MotM) — For the second match in a row, Torres was exactly what Orlando City needed him to be — the difference maker. The Designated Player recorded a brace in the second half. His first came on a trademark left-footed shot from inside the box. His second goal came from the penalty spot, which clinched the match for Orlando early in stoppage time. He completed 89.7% of his passes on the night. Three of his four long balls were successful but he went 0-for-3 on crosses and did not register a key pass in the match. Although his assists total is down from last season, this is exactly the run of form that Orlando needs from Torres.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5  — The rookie striker failed to find the back of the net, but not for lack of trying. McGuire’s hustle and motor does not always translate to statistical values, but it sure is fun to watch and can quickly frustrate the back line of opposing defenses. St. Louis did well to mark him mostly out of the match, limiting the rookie to just eight touches in just over an hour of game time. However, he tried to make the most of them, completing all three of his passes and two of them were key passes, including the setup that Pereyra was unable to finish. He put his lone shot attempt on frame, which until the Torres goal had been the best scoring attempt Orlando had mustered. Unfortunately, Roman Burki did well to get off his line aggressively and get a piece of the shot.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (65′), 5.5 — Enrique substituted on for McGuire and had a mixed showing as he attempted to use his speed to get in behind the defensive back line. His best scoring opportunity came in the waning moments of the match, as he had beaten the final defender only to be tackled from behind inches outside of the box by Jake Nerwinski. For his efforts, Nerwinski was sent off for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, and Orlando awarded a free kick. Two of his three passes were successful and he recorded on tackle defensively. He did not register a shot, was dispossessed once, and two of his 10 touches were unstable in a little over 30 minutes of action. His biggest contributions were the three fouls he won.

MF, Junior Urso (65′), 6 — The bear has returned to Orlando and everything is right in the world. What a luxury it is now to bring Urso in off the bench to be able to spell Araujo or Cartagena to close out matches. Urso completed 73.3% of his passes and his only long ball, and he earned Orlando a corner when a pass attempt in the box was deflected out of bounds. Defensively, he recorded one clearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda (76′), N/A — Ojeda arrived on the pitch with fresh legs and was able to put his lone shot attempt on target on a 100th-minute free kick, while completing 62.5% of his eight passes, one of which was a key pass. The DP also contributed one tackle on the night.

D, Michael Halliday (86′), N/A — Halliday came in off the bench to help put away the game for the second week in a row as he works his way back into form from injury. The Homegrown recorded one successful dribble but ultimately he only touched the ball four times, helping waste time in the right corner. He completed both of his pass attempts.

F, Jack Lynn (86′), N/A — Looking to find the game winner, Pareja opted to bring Lynn in off the bench. Seeing his first regular-season minutes since March, Lynn won two aerials while completing 60% of his five passes, including two of his three long balls. His biggest contributions came on the defensive end, where he made one interception and recorded two clearances. His inch-perfect outlet pass to Enrique led to Nerwinski being sent off and a dangerous free kick for the Lions. The second-year pro made the most of his second MLS appearance of the season in limited time.

That’s how I saw each player’s performance in the Lions’ first home match in what seems like a lifetime. Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in the poll below, and share your thoughts on the squad’s performances down in the comments.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look for their missing scoring boots as Atlanta United visits.

Published

4 hours ago

on

April 26, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (3-2-4, 13 points) and Atlanta United (2-4-3, 9 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:15 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FOX, FOX Deportes). It’s the first of two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, with the Lions’ return trip to Atlanta scheduled for May 28.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

The Lions are 4-10-7 in the all-time series against Atlanta in league play and 2-6-3 at home. Those numbers are 5-11-7 and 3-7-3 in all competitions.

The teams last met in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Lions eking out a 1-0 home victory on Nov. 24, 2024. Ramiro Enrique provided the game’s only goal and the defense was dominant, allowing the visitors just seven total shot attempts — none on target. That win pushed the Lions into their first-ever conference final.

Prior to their postseason meeting, these two teams met on Decision Day 2024, with Atlanta scoring two early goals and holding on for a 2-1 win on Oct. 9. Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal Thiare gave the visitors an early lead. Martin Ojeda pulled one back and Duncan McGuire appeared to tie the game late, but the latter goal was overturned on video review for a handball. The teams also met last year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 17, when Orlando City fell 2-0 on goals by Lobjanidze and Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The last meeting of 2023 took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Orlando City capturing a 2-1 away win. Atlanta took the lead through Caleb Wiley, but Antonio Carlos and McGuire scored to lead the Lions’ comeback.

The southeast rivals also met in Orlando on May 27, 2023, at then-Exploria Stadium and played to a 1-1 draw. It was a heartbreaking dropped two points for the Lions, who took the lead through Kyle Smith at the half-hour mark and held that advantage until four minutes from full time, when Tyler Wolff pounced on a fortunate rebound in the box and equalized.

Atlanta went 1-0-1 in the season series in 2022. On Sept. 14 at Exploria Stadium the Five Stripes won 1-0 on a Thiago Almada goal despite the Lions out-shooting Atlanta 20-10. The sides played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting of that year on July 22 in Atlanta. Mauricio Pereyra staked the Lions to an early 1-0 lead on a beautiful free kick. Juan Jose Purata equalized in the second half, but Atlanta bombarded Orlando the majority of the game and completely controlled the midfield, outshooting the Lions 18-3 in the match.

Orlando had a six-match unbeaten streak in the series (3-0-3) snapped on Sept. 10, 2021, as the Five Stripes won 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. George Campbell and Ezequiel Barco scored for Atlanta, sandwiched around a Daryl Dike own goal to hand Gonzalo Pineda his first win as manager for United.

The second of three 2021 meetings took place July 30 at Exploria Stadium, with the Five Stripes taking the lead twice on goals by Josef Martinez and Marcelino Moreno, but the Lions not only fought back twice on strikes by Smith and Silvester van der Water, but Nani scored a late game winner by heading in VDW’s cross in Orlando City’s 3-2 win. The first meeting of that season between the two rivals came on opening day — April 17 — and they played to a 0-0 draw. It was an evenly matched game, with each team firing 11 shots and getting three on frame.

The final meeting of 2020 came on Oct. 28, when Orlando City ran away with a 4-1 win over Atlanta at Exploria Stadium. Dike, Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias — his first in MLS — scored the goals for the Lions, with Cubo Torres preventing a shutout with a late goal for the visitors. Prior to that, the teams met in Atlanta on Oct. 7, 2020 and played to a 0-0 draw. Robinho and Nani each hit the woodwork and Brad Guzan stood on his head to prevent Orlando from taking a deserved three points in that one, while Brian Rowe held down the fort at the other end to earn a shutout in Pedro Gallese’s absence.

Back on Sept. 5, 2020, a late, unforced turnover by Kamal Miller led to Adam Jahn’s 92nd-minute tying goal that offset a Benji Michel goal in a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City finally got on the board in the series against Atlanta United with a 3-1 win on the road on Aug. 29, 2020. Junior Urso, Mueller, and Nani supplied the offense to more than counter a Brooks Lennon headed goal. That three-goal explosion snapped a three-match scoreless streak against the Five Stripes for Orlando.

Orlando City created an incredible 17 scoring chances on Aug. 23, 2019, yet finished none of them in a 1-0 home loss. Martinez scored the game’s only goal in the second half. Only 17 days earlier at Exploria Stadium, Orlando also failed to score and lost 2-0 to Atlanta, getting bounced from the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. On Mother’s Day of 2019, Atlanta United claimed a 1-0 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pity Martinez scored the goal.

Atlanta won at the building then known as Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 24, 2018 by a 2-1 final score. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez bundled home a rebound off Joe Bendik, who misplayed Barco’s free kick to open the scoring just 21 minutes in. Scott Sutter tied the game just before the half, but Josef Martinez broke the deadlock in the second half, with only 16 minutes remaining in normal time.

Atlanta easily claimed the June 30, 2018 meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 4-0. Josef Martinez and Barco each scored a goal and Miguel Almiron added a brace. Orlando lost the first matchup of 2018, 2-1, on May 13. An early penalty on a Cristian Higuita foul gave the visitors a leg up on a Josef Martinez goal from the spot and Barco doubled the lead before halftime. Justin Meram scored his first goal as a Lion to pull one back, but Orlando could get no closer. The unfortunate ending included a shower of debris coming out of the stands due to dissatisfaction with referee Alan Kelly’s decisions that night.

Hector Villalba’s two late goals in the first two meetings turned what could have been an Orlando draw and a win into a loss and a draw. The two teams kicked off their series with Orlando suffering a late 1-0 loss at home on July 21, 2017. Villalba found the net late. Villalba then scored a stoppage-time tally to rescue a 1-1 draw for Atlanta in the second meeting on July 29, 2017. Kaká scored one of his best goals as a Lion in that match to provide Orlando’s lone score.

Orlando City became the first visiting team to take any points out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 3-3 draw in Atlanta that September. Dom Dwyer scored his first brace as a Lion (in MLS, anyway) and also assisted on Cyle Larin’s goal. Josef Martinez’s hat trick spoiled Orlando’s bid to take all three points.

Overview

Orlando is coming off three consecutive scoreless draws and has played a man down in each of the last two. The Lions played well enough to win all three of the 0-0 draws, but have not capitalized on their chances, with the most recent pair of games ruined by a defender picking up a second yellow card. The most recent of those was a week ago at CF Montreal. Orlando didn’t allow the hosts much of an attack until the late stages, after Rafael Santos was sent off with a second booking.

The Lions are 2-1-1 at home, with a 2-0-1 mark since falling in the season opener.

Atlanta United is coming off a 3-0 drubbing at Philadelphia a week ago, dropping the Five Stripes to 0-2-1 on the road in 2025. However, that team from up north swept the season series from Orlando City in the 2024 regular season, including the aforementioned Decision Day victory. Although the Lions got the last laugh by winning the playoff matchup, Atlanta has had far too much success in Orlando over the years.

Orlando City’s defense will have to keep tabs on Lobjanidze, who led Atlanta in goals (9) and was second in assists (7) a year ago. He’s off to a slow start in 2025, but he’s plagued Orlando in the past, so he’ll bear watching. At least the Lions won’t have to deal with former Middlesbrough man Emmanuel Latte Lath, who has five goals and an assist on the season. The Ivorian is suspended for yellow card accumulation. Forgive us for not realizing that during this week’s PawedCast or David Rohe’s Three Keys to Victory piece, as we don’t normally see accumulation suspensions by Matchday 10. Not even Robin Jansson or Cesar Araujo has pulled that off. Miguel Almiron is back with Atlanta and is always a threat, and Jamal Thiare has also had success in the past against Orlando City.

“The context of the situation for both teams is that we are urgent to win games,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “I think we have had good results, but we know that adding three points is what’s going to make us escalate [ourselves] in the tournament and put [ourselves] in the place that we want. Despite playing good games away, we’re doing all [the work] we can do. It’s an important game for both sides, and the players understand that as well. I like that they understand that we need to escalate. Atlanta United FC is in the same position.”

Orlando City will be without Rafael Santos (suspension), Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Yutaro Tsukada (knee), and Favian Loyola (thigh), while Araújo (lower leg), Eduard Atuesta (thigh), Ramiro Enrique (upper extremity), and Joran Gerbet (lower leg) are all listed as questionable. Atlanta will be without Derrick Williams (hamstring), Tristan Muyumba (adductor), Emmanuel Latte Lath (suspension), and Stian Gregersen (quad).

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Kyle Smith, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

Atlanta United (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan.

Defenders: Brooks Lennon, Luis Abram, Noah Cobb, Pedro Amador.

Midfielders: Ajani Fortune, Saba Lobjanidze, Bartosz Slisz, Miguel Almiron.

Forwards: Aleksey Miranchuk, Jamal Thiare.

Referees

REF: Marcos DeOliveira.
AR1: Andrew Bigelow.
AR2: Tyler Wyrostek.
4TH: Matt Thompson.
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic.
AVAR: Jozef Batko.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:15 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FOX, FOX Deportes.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Opinion

Pedro Gallese’s Recent Form No Surprise

Pedro Gallese’s recent solid form isn’t anything new, you just need to know where to look.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 25, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

One of the more frustrating narratives surrounding Orlando City at the beginning of the season was the assertion that goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was playing poorly and was costing the Lions points. The main point of emphasis from the detractors was the Lions’ 4-2 opening day loss to the Philadelphia Union, although he also got a lot of flak for his performances against Toronto FC, and during the 2-1 loss to New York City FC. That criticism has started to get quieter in recent weeks, particularly after he made the bench of the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday, but I don’t think he was playing nearly as poorly as some people made him out to be at the start of the season, and his recent performances haven’t come out of nowhere.

So let’s talk about those two big supposed “black marks” on his 2025 resume. Most of the chatter came from the opening game against the Union, with him coming in for criticism in two instances here, and here. I want to specifically address the mention of Gallese allowing six goals on 2.9 post-shot expected goals. Listen, I don’t actually have a problem with the xG stat the way some people do, and I truly think it can be incredibly useful when used properly in certain contexts. I just don’t think the numbers tell the full story here.

Against the Union, three goals came from inside or on the edge of the six-yard box, and were one-touch finishes. Gallese realistically had no chance on two of them (the first and fourth goals), and while the other one came from an acute angle and was mostly right at him, the ball is still coming so fast and from such a short distance that it still feels a bit nitpicky to place the blame entirely on him. Yes, he arguably could have done better, but there are plenty of goalkeepers in this league that aren’t saving that.

The other goal of the night came from a Rodrigo Schlegel error and a first touch shot from the edge of the box that came as El Pulpo was already moving laterally across his goal to shift with the rest of his defense, only for the shot to be heading for the opposite side of the net. Despite the distance the shot is coming from, that one also feels harsh to blame him for in my book. Again, I love xG when it’s used properly, but I just don’t think this is a fair application, as it doesn’t take into account where Gallese is at the time of the turnover-produced shot — only the shooter’s location. I find it pretty hard to look at each one of those goals and honestly say that he should save them. To me, there’s a big difference between something a goalkeeper could do more to save and something they should do more to save.

The other two goals out of the aforementioned six came against Toronto FC, and honestly it’s hard for me to put a ton of blame on him for either of them. The first came off a corner and was a header from inside the six-yard box, and although he should maybe do better considering the angle of the shot and his placement in the goal, the final shot comes from about three yards away. I’m sorry, but that just requires excellent reaction time, and while it’s the sort of shot that we do see saved in MLS sometimes, I’m not sure it’s one that we should expect to see saved. TFC’s final goal of the night was a great strike from distance in the bottom corner that also came through a few bodies, which meant Gallese didn’t see it until fairly late on. Again, to me this is a shot that he could do more to save, but not one that he should do more to save, and that’s an important distinction.

Honestly, the most justified criticism I’ve seen probably comes from here, when speaking about the 2-1 loss to NYCFC. Gallese gave up a huge rebound for the hosts’ second and eventual game-winning goal. Frankly, it wasn’t great at all and it ended up costing Orlando City a point. That being said, he did still make seven saves in that game and kept the Lions in it with a chance to salvage a late point.

Aside from the error against NYCFC though, El Pulpo has largely been mistake free and pretty blameless for the three goals he’s conceded. One was a penalty kick against the New York Red Bulls, and the second was a one-touch finish from about three yards away which also came against the Red Bulls. Go back and watch the film, and you won’t be shocked to hear that I hold him blameless for both. The goal he surrendered against the LA Galaxy wasn’t great, as Christian Ramirez’s flick isn’t exactly traveling at light speed. But, the shot also goes the opposite way of which Gallese’s momentum is already carrying him, so that’s something to consider. Aside from the rebound against NYCFC, this is the one goal he’s given up in 2025 that I really think he should have done better with.

The Peruvian has gotten a lot of praise (and rightly so) for the three straight clean sheets he’s kept in Orlando’s last three games. He’s made 11 saves during that time and got absolutely peppered late against Montreal, when Orlando went down to 10 men (again!). But he’s been making saves all year long, and the one game he didn’t register any (the season opener), was also a game where you can make a real argument that he couldn’t have done a better job of attempting to stop the ball going in than he already did. His save percentage of 73% is 19th out of 33, which is close to bang average; and his clean sheet percentage of 37.5% is tied for ninth.

Oh, and if we want to bring post-shot expected goals back into this, then let’s look at his post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed (PSxG-GA). PSxG-GA uses expected goals to provide a stat that is based on how likely a goalkeeper is to save a shot. The number can be either positive or negative, with a positive number suggesting either a better-than-average shot-stopping ability, or a goalkeeper that’s been luckier than most. Gallese’s PSxG-GA of 1.7 is tied for 13th out of 49 goalkeepers, which ain’t half bad, is it? It’s worth mentioning that some of the rankings are skewed by keepers who only spent a small amount of time on the field and either let in a ton of goals or very few, but that’s the funny thing about raw stats — they need context.

At the end of the day, I’m not trying to sit here and say that Gallese has been flawless this season, is completely blameless for each and every one of the goals he’s conceded, and that every ounce of criticism that’s come his way has been unfair. There are absolutely goals that he should have done a better job on, but even at the time they were written, I think some of the assertions that he was a massive weak point for the Lions were overblown and not properly justified. He’s had a few shaky moments, like any keeper, but the defense in front of him wasn’t doing him any favors at times, and he was still regularly making saves to keep Orlando City in games. While it’s nice that he’s finally getting some plaudits, he’s had himself a perfectly fine 2025 season for the most part. You just have to take the time to look.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/25

Orlando City gets ready for Atlanta United, Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira promoted, NWSL MVP candidates, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 25, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! Today starts three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, so make sure to plan your weekend accordingly. It was a fairly fast week for me, and I was able to read three books somehow. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a very happy 21st birthday to Orlando City winger Nicolas Rodriguez!

Orlando City Gets Ready for Rivalry Match

The Lions are back in action Saturday night against rival Atlanta United in what should be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. Both teams are looking for answers on offense heading into this match, as Orlando is coming off of three straight scoreless draws and Atlanta hasn’t won since March. Taking on a rival at home could be just what’s needed for the Lions to jumpstart their attack and return to the form they had earlier this season. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how it’s an important game to win for Orlando, as well as how the offense needs to exercise some calmness to finish its chances.

Orlando City Promotes Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira

Luiz Muzzi and Ricardo Moreira were both promoted by Orlando City, with Moreira taking over as the club’s general manager and sporting director and Muzzi becoming senior advisor to ownership, global soccer ventures. It’s a natural step up for Moreira, who joined the club in 2018 and has helped build a competitive roster that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons. Muzzi’s new role is a bit of a mouthful, but he’ll be taking on an advisory role focused on the growth of the club while working closely with ownership.

“I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as Orlando City Soccer Club’s EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager for seven seasons, and I am excited to continue my journey with the club in this new role,” said Luiz Muzzi. “I look forward to working alongside the Wilf family and the leadership team to help shape the future of the club and its continued success, both on and off the field, and I know Orlando City’s Soccer Operations will be in great hands under Ricardo’s leadership.”

Orlando Pride Players in the NWSL MVP Hunt

Now that we’re over a month into the NWSL season, ESPN‘s Jeff Kassouf highlighted the league’s early MVP candidates, and there are a couple of familiar faces in his rankings. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is predictably in the mix in sixth on the list, as she has three goals and an assist to her name so far. But a surprise inclusion is midfielder Haley McCutcheon, who has impressed on both sides of the ball to earn ninth place in the rankings. While I think the MVP race will ultimately be between scorers like Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Ashley Hatch, and Debinha, it’s pretty great to see McCutcheon receive deserved praise for her performance this year.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The transfer deadline may be over for MLS clubs, but deals that crossed the finish line are still coming in. The Columbus Crew added yet another forward by sending up to $1.2 million to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Aliyu Ibrahim. The 23-year-old will maintain his U22 Initiative Player status in Columbus and recorded 12 goals and nine assists across 90 appearances for Houston. LAFC signed 26-year-old midfielder Ryan Raposo, who spent the past five seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was a free agent this year. St. Louis City also made things official with Simon Becher by making his loan move a permanent one so that he stays with the club.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. Mother’s Day is less than a month away, just as a warning. If the mothers in your life like romance books and you’re looking for a gift, I can’t recommend The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center enough. Have a great Friday!

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