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Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando’s 3-0 home win over CF Montreal?

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City returned to its winning ways with a convincing 3-0 victory at home against CF Montreal. An own goal by Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois got the scoring started in the first half. Facundo Torres and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson each scored nice team goals in the second half as the Lions cruised to victory against a Montreal side that hasn’t won since Aug. 26. The win set club records for both most points (54) and most wins (15) in a season since the Lions joined MLS in 2015.

Here’s how I saw each individual performance in Orlando’s dominant win at Exploria Stadium.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — The Peruvian had one of his quietest nights of the season and didn’t have to make a save until the second half. That first save was a great one though, as he parried away a sudden shot from Mason Toye with little room to spare in the 76th minute. His only other save was an easy catch shortly after off of a Mathieu Choiniere from outside the area. Gallese completed 61.8% of his 34 passes and seven of his 20 long balls found their man. El Pulpo likely won’t have many complaints about a slow night at the office as he earned his ninth clean sheet of the season, which ties his high in an MLS season, set last year.

D, Rafael Santos, 7.5 — The Brazilian left back was dangerous from start to finish in one of his best games as a Lion. He notched his third assist of the campaign with a low cross that zipped through traffic and found fellow fullback Thorhallsson’s run. It was a chance he sparked himself by winning the ball in the midfield before booking it out wide. His cross on the first goal was just as good, as he was both patient and clinical to find Torres open in the box. Of his four crosses, two were successful and the misses had some venom on them as well. He also completed three of his five long balls and had 51 passes at an 82.4% success rate. Santos was defensively sound, leading the Lions with four tackles, making an interception as well, and winning two of his three aerial duels. Santos flourished once Orlando had its wingers switch sides, allowing him to work in tandem with Torres with overlapping runs and room to work.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede was as strong as always in the center of Orlando’s defense, although he didn’t have to put out as many fires in this one thanks to his defensive midfielders. Jansson had a tackle, an interception, and a clearance as he broke up plays and kept Montreal’s offense in check. His only miscue was a worrying turnover in the second half that he promptly rectified with a surgical sliding tackle in the box. A few charges forward and connecting on four of his nine long balls kept Montreal’s defense on its toes as well. He completed 86% of his 50 passes and didn’t commit a single foul in an efficient outing.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel bounced back from a few underwhelming recent performances with a solid game in this shutout. His four clearances were the most on the team and he won both of his aerial duels. The center back also had a tackle and blocked a shot to make sure Montreal couldn’t get back in the match. His 62 passes were the second-most on the team and he completed 88.7% of them, while also succeeding on two of his four long balls. It was nice to see him calm, cool, and collected as he continues to fill in for Antonio Carlos.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7.5 — Thorhallsson got the start again at right back and spent plenty of time in Orlando’s attack. That was more than evident shortly after halftime, when he made a superb run to bury a ball that skipped across the front of goal to double Orlando’s lead. He was credited with one shot (on target) but what must have been ruled a cross from a tight angle also appeared to be an on-target shot. The versatile player is improving with each match played at right back and completed all but one of his 33 passes for an excellent 97% success rate. Although neither of his two crosses were accurate, his lone long ball found its mark and he had a key pass as well. Defensively, he had just one interception, which is in part because of how much time he spent in the thick of things on offense. It was a great game from Thorhallsson, who was subbed out in the 82nd minute for Michael Halliday.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7.5 — Araujo was a Swiss army knife of sorts for Orlando, doing a little bit of everything to give the Lions an edge all over the field. The 22-year-old directed traffic while on the ball, covered for his defenders as needed, and won a team-high four fouls. His lone shot was a headed effort that went wide, but he got involved on offense by succeeding on four of his nine long balls, with two of those marked as key passes. Araujo’s 76 touches were the most on the team and he was accurate on 88.1% of his 59 passes. He served the role of defensive midfielder well, helping out with two tackles, an interception, a clearance, and plenty of pressure to make life as difficult as possible for Montreal.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7.5 — Cartagena did well on both sides of the ball. The Peruvian was credited with an assist for springing Ivan Angulo forward on the third goal, and he had a key pass for setting Torres up for a chance on the volley soon after that with a quick ball out wide. He almost had a goal himself when a free kick found him open in the box, but his header went high for his only shot of the evening. Cartagena’s 63 passes were the most on the team and he completed 93.7% of them while also connecting on four of his five long balls. Defensively, Cartagena didn’t give Montreal’s players much breathing room and blocked a shot.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — The winger struggled when attacking for a majority of his time on the field before coming off in the 64th minute. A lack of vision and execution while on the ball, particularly in the first half, led to some squandered chances that Orlando didn’t end up regretting in the end. Both of his shots were in quick succession, the first saved in a chance he should have done better with and the second fired wide from outside the box with better options available. He scored an easy header on a play from an obviously offside Torres that was correctly flagged after the ball went in. It was far from horrendous from the Colombian though, as he often put himself in good positions to jump on errant passes, provide an outlet for teammates, or demand attention from Montreal’s defenders. His assist came in the second half after he made a nicely timed run and then unselfishly laid the ball off for Torres rather than going for goal himself. It salvaged a fairly forgettable performance that included 38 touches and 28 passes at a strong 89.3% success rate, and an inaccurate cross.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — The captain was often swarmed when on the ball and had little room to make some of the backbreaking passes he’s shown over the years. He completed four of his five long balls, one of his three crosses, and 83.7% of his 43 passes. Pereyra didn’t have any shots himself, but had two key passes and did well as a facilitator in tight areas to keep Orlando in possession. His free kick that found Cartagena’s head in the box was a good one and he was subbed off for fresher legs while leading.

MF, Facundo Torres, 8 (MotM) — Torres played like a man possessed, doing everything right and more in a dominant performance. Torres’ first of a team-high four shots (two on target) ended up with the ball in the back of the net, as his strike hit the post and then bounced off Sirois and in for an own goal. On his goal, he did well to control Angulo’s pass and slot it past Sirois for his 13th of the season. His movement in the buildup of Thorhallsson’s goal was also commendable, as he made a good run, quickly circled back onside, then slowed the pace of the play down for Santos to make his overlapping run before feeding him. Between those attacking moments and chasing down opponents while up three goals, it was easy to see why European teams are keeping an eye on him. He completed 82.8% of his 29 passes and connected on two of his four crosses, while both of his long ball attempts were unsuccessful. It’s hard to believe he only had 44 touches given the massive impact he had on the field.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7 — The rookie put in a strong performance up top and was credited with an assist for a subtle touch on Thorhallsson’s goal. McGuire made a cutting run to peel Gabriele Corbo towards the end line and then flicked Santos’s cross into the path of charging runs by Angulo and Thorhallsson. He also chested down a long ball from Gallese to Cartagena in transition to help set up Torres’ goal. His only shot of the match was flicked wide, but he had two key passes and showed some prowess in making small passes in the box for his teammates to have open looks. He had 19 touches and 12 passes at a 58.3% success rate, doing well enough in terms of hold-up. McGuire made great runs to keep defenders on their toes, applied pressure to pin Montreal in its own half, and helped out defensively by blocking a shot and clearing the ball on a corner kick.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (64′), 6.5 — Ojeda came off the bench with Orlando up three goals and did his part in keeping Montreal’s defense honest, even if he didn’t wind up on the scoresheet. He completed all 15 of his passes and was accurate on both of his long balls. His only shot of the game was an attempt to get the better of Sirois from a tight angle in the box, but the goalkeeper came up with the save. All in all, it was an efficient outing from the Designated Player off the bench.

F, Ramiro Enrique (64′), 6.5 — Enrique came on alongside Ojeda and brought plenty of energy with him to keep the Lions in the driver’s seat. Both of Enrique’s shots were from outside the box, with one blocked and the other saved by Sirois. He completed four of his seven passes and finished the game with 13 touches. Despite his size, he won two of his three aerial duels as well. Enrique received a curious yellow card after beating Nathan Saliba to a sliding challenge and winning the ball.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (75′), 6 — The winger received some more minutes and did well enough while on the field. He had eight touches and completed all three of his passes. Although he didn’t have any shots, crosses, or long balls, he did record a key pass for setting up a shot for Enrique. He didn’t make many runs forward, likely due to Orlando’s lead, but looked strong on the ball when he did and wasn’t afraid to take defenders on.

D, Michael Halliday (82′), N/A — The right back replaced Thorhallsson and did well on both sides of the ball. Halliday made a few sprints upfield to give Orlando’s attack another option, but was resolute on the defensive end, even though he didn’t record any stats for his efforts there. He was accurate on three of his four passes and finished with seven touches.

MF, Junior Urso (83′), N/A — The Bear made another cameo off the bench for Orlando. He had six touches and was successful on four of his six passes. Urso wasn’t on the field long enough to warrant a grade, but it was nice to see him get a run out at Explorias Stadium with just one home game remaining.

That’s how I saw the individual performances by the Lions. Let me know where you agree and disagree in the comments below and make sure to vote for your Man of the Match in our poll below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/5/26

Pride fall to San Diego Wave, Tyrese Spicer has successful foot surgery, USMNT beats Mexico, and more.

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4 hours ago

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October 5, 2026

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Image of Haley McCutcheon wearing a protective mask on her face playing against San Diego.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school soccer and flag football throughout the week. We only had the Pride in action over the weekend, but we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall to San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave on Friday at Inter.co Stadium in the latest in a series of games that they had to have. Orlando trailed 2-0 in the first half, conceding twice on defensive errors. In the second half, Barbra Banda pulled the Pride within one after she buried a penalty kick that she won herself. However, it wasn’t enough, as Orlando couldn’t find a late equalizer and San Diego took all three points. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will return to action on Oct. 18 to face the Houston Dash on the road.

Tyrese Spicer Has Successful Foot Surgery

Orlando City forward Tyrese Spicer underwent successful foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, the club announced on Friday. Spicer had suffered the injury while away on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago in a Concacaf Nations League match against Haiti on Sept. 24. We at The Mane Land wish Spicer a speedy recovery, but his 2026 MLS season is likely over.

USMNT Shuts Out Mexico in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-0 on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Orlando City forward Justin Ellis came off the bench to make his second USMNT appearance in the second half, playing 25 minutes. Former Lion Alex Freeman started and played 90 minutes. Julian Hall scored the opener in the first half for the Yanks. In the second half, Cavan Sullivan doubled the Americans’ lead to become the USMNT’s youngest scorer in team history just four days after Mathis Albert set that mark with his goal against Chile on Tuesday. Malik Tillman added the final goal as the Yanks have won three consecutive matches during the international break. The USMNT will close out this round of friendlies on Tuesday, taking on Canada at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN.

Other Lions on International Duty

Multiple Orlando City players represented their national teams over the weekend during the international break. Forward Marco Pasalic was on the bench but did not play for Croatia in a 7-0 defeat to England in a UEFA Nations League match on Saturday. Croatia will face Spain on Tuesday. Lions defender David Brekalo was on the bench but came on after halftime and played 45 minutes for Slovenia in a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. Slovenia will take on Scotland on Tuesday. Midfielder Wilder Cartagena started and played 45 minutes for Peru, while former Lion Yoshimar Yotun was also in action in a 2-0 loss to Canada in a friendly. Peru will play Colombia on Tuesday in another friendly match.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, notched another assist over the weekend in a 3-1 win against Brooklyn FC in the USL Championship.
  • Check out this piece on the Orlando City website featuring Head of Player Care Pedro Cox and Team Administrator Danny Quesada, who help welcome new players and their families, get acquainted with the club, ensure their needs are met, and thrive off the field.
  • The Lions were at Osceola Heritage Park on Saturday and spent time with the Orlando City U-12 squad during training.

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

Flashback Friday: Oct. 2, 2021 vs. D.C. United

Take a trip down memory lane and relive a game that took place five years ago today.

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3 days ago

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October 2, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Having suffered three losses in a row in all competitions, Orlando City’s recent results haven’t exactly made for pretty viewing. Fortunately for us, the Lions don’t return to action until Oct. 10, meaning that we have a brief reprieve from the torment that has been visited upon us for the last 270 minutes. Even more fortunately, we have the ability to reminisce on much happier footballing times in the City Beautiful, and all we have to do is hop into our time machine and rewind to four years ago.

The day was Oct. 2, 2021, and with the Lions sitting seventh in a jam-packed Eastern Conference, the men in purple badly needed points in order to keep pace in the race for the playoffs. The good guys were in the midst of a five-game winless streak, and the season was starting to get dangerously close to going off the rails. Enter D.C. United, a team that Orlando had already beaten earlier in the year but was in the thick of the fight for a postseason place right alongside the Lions.

Oscar Pareja ran out a lineup that featured Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan; Sebas Mendez and Junior Urso in defensive midfield; Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Benji Michel ahead of them; and Daryl Dike leading the line.

Things did not get off to a good start for Orlando. D.C. won the ball in OCSC’s half and got it forward quickly to Julian Gressel in the half-space on the right. He took a shot from distance that Gallese might not have been expecting, and it flew past the Peruvian to open the scoring after just six minutes had been played.

Orlando responded well, with Nani having a shot blocked and Dike putting a decent look over the bar in the 14th minute. Ruan nearly forced an own goal just a couple minutes later, but the corner kick that was awarded when a deflected ball skittered just wide of D.C.’s post proved to be the Lions’ salvation. Pereyra put a high, looping ball into the area that Urso headed toward goal, and Bill Hamid did well to get down and keep the ball out. The rebound was a juicy one though, and Jansson was well placed to pounce and thwack the ball high into the net to level the score with 17 minutes gone.

The rest of the first half was a mostly quiet affair, aside from the 35th minute, when OCSC probably should have gone ahead. Nani played a great ball that put Michel through on the left side of the box, but he curled his shot just wide of the far post after cutting back onto his right foot. The Lions dominated every statistical category but the scoreline at the break, with edges in possession (64.7%-35.3%), shots (7-4), shots on goal (2-1), and passing accuracy (87.1%-76.7%).

Emmanuel Mas came on for Moutinho at the half, and it’s possible that the switch unsettled Orlando slightly, because the team was on the back foot to start the second half thanks to a combination of some bad giveaways and difficulty dealing with the high tempo that D.C. brought out of the break. Paul Arriola put a shot just over the bar three minutes after the restart, and there were some hairy moments after that which forced Urso into a goal-line clearance to keep the game level.

The game evened out after the shaky start to the second half, but both teams found dangerous chances difficult to come by until the late stages. D.C. made a goal-line clearance of its own in the 88th minute. Silvester van der Water and Dike combined, and while Dike couldn’t get a shot off, he did find Tesho Akindele, only for Hamid to save the Canadian’s effort, which was cleared before van der Water could pounce and put it home.

Ultimately though, OCSC got the late goal it was looking for. The Lions won a corner in front of The Wall deep in stoppage time, and Chris Mueller whipped in a dangerous ball for Dike, who made a run across the near post. The big striker flicked his head at it, and the ball nestled into the side netting at the far post with Hamid helpless. Cue the bedlam in the purple palace.

That proved to be the last action of the game, as the Lions ran out 2-1 winners to put an end to the winless streak and pick up a valuable three points. Similar to halftime, Orlando finished the game with more shots (12-11), shots on target (4-2), corners (9-5), possession (64.8%-35.2%), and passing accuracy (86%-75.3%). Marcus Mitchell was on hand for Player Grades, and he gave the Man of the Match honors to Jansson with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high performers included fellow center back Carlos, who also graded as a 7.5 out of 10, while Mendez and Dike both received a 7 out of 10.

The three points proved to be valuable ones, as the Lions shot from seventh all the way up to third in the Eastern Conference, although they would ultimately finish sixth and exit the playoffs in the first round after a road loss against Nashville SC.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/2/26

Orlando Pride host the Wave, Orlando City’s kit room carousel, analyzing Mexico ahead of U.S. match, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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October 2, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! Sports are in full swing this time of year and we have plenty of soccer to look forward to over the next few days. Apart from working and enjoying the upcoming games, I plan on heading to the movie theater to check out the Primetime movie, as I’ve heard nothing but great things. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take on San Diego Tonight

The Orlando Pride host the San Diego Wave tonight in a crucial home game as the season winds down. While the Pride are fighting to remain in the playoff hunt, the Wave will aim to close the gap with Gotham FC in the NWSL Shield race. Orlando enters this match on a short turnaround after traveling back from its 3-1 win against Bay FC on Sunday on the other side of the country. Interim head coach Yolanda Thomas spoke on the team’s preparations to deal with San Diego’s pressure and energy ahead of tonight’s home game.

Orlando City Director of Equipment Operations Heads to England

Charles Raycroft is leaving Orlando City as its director of equipment operations after 11 years with the club to become Liverpool’s Head of Kit Operations. He’s been with Orlando since 2016 and the club sent him off in style with a jersey and plenty of thanks for his time in the City Beautiful. With Raycroft heading across the pond, Chafik Tounzit was promoted to become the club’s new director of equipment operations. We wish both the best of luck in their new roles!

Analyzing Mexico Ahead of USMNT Match

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Mexico on Saturday in the first match between the two rivals since the World Cup. It will also be the first time Rafael Marquez will take on the U.S. as Mexico’s head coach rather than as a player. Many eyes will be on 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora, who has already scored once this window, but Luis Romo and Erik Lira are other players the Yanks will need to keep from creating too many chances. MLS players Chucky Lozano and Germán Berterame are attacking options at Mexico’s disposal as well.

Naomi Girma Will Miss U.S. Friendlies

Center back Naomi Girma will be unavailable for the United States Women’s National Team’s matches against Spain this month after sustaining a muscle injury with Chelsea. The injury bug continues to bite Girma, who has yet to play for Chelsea this season. Hopefully she’ll be able to get back to full fitness before the USWNT’s match against El Salvador in the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinals on Nov. 27. Girma’s replacement on the current roster will be named at a later time, so we’ll see if this opens the door for former Pride defender Emily Sams to join the team after not being initially called up.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride moved up a spot to 11th in All For XI‘s NWSL power rankings after winning 3-1 against Bay FC.
  • American defender Jordyn Bugg signed a new contract with the Seattle Reign that will last through the 2030 season.
  • Ashley Sanchez was named NWSL Player of the Month for the second month in a row after scoring five goals in four games for the North Carolina Courage in September. She now has 20 goals this season, tying the league record.
  • Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in the UEFA Nations League without Cristiano Ronaldo and Head Coach Jorge Jesus spoke on how one player is not bigger than the national team.
  • We’ll end today’s links with an incredible goal from Detroit City’s Kobe Hernandez-Foster deep in his own half. While it was scored on an empty net, it’s no small feat to get that much accuracy and power on a shot from that far out.

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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