The Lions jumped out to an early lead against Atlanta United on Saturday, but a late equalizer came calling again to square the match, resulting in a 1-1 draw between the two rival clubs. Let’s take a look at how the Orlando City players performed individually in this match.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5 — Crepeau’s best save came in the 39^th minute as Saba Lobjanidze fired a shot from the corner of the box that the Canadian saw late through traffic. He had no chance on the late tying goal. Crepeau finished with five saves, a 76% passing rate, and a yellow card in the 83^rd minute for time wasting that was maybe a bit harsh without a warning.

D, Adrian Marin, 6 — Usually, if a player is invisible on the field for a majority of the game, that’s a negative. For Marin, who seems to stack up bad plays at times, they just weren’t there in this game. He started the play that led to the Orlando goal and had no major visible lapses. Marin registered a tackle and four clearances, won four out of five duels, and completed 87% of his passes.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson held down the middle of the defense as usual but showed some discomfort in his leg after being knocked to the ground on a set piece toward the end of the first half and did not return for the second. Jansson exited with a 90% passing percentage and a single tackle.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — My preference for Brekalo is for him to be in the same role as last year — the de facto left fullback playing in a hyrbrid three-in-the-back formation with the right fullback forward in possession. Against Atlanta, the Slovenian was more central (but on the right when they played three wide), which is when he tends to get exposed, but he played a clean match. Brekalo was active all night with a team-high 14 defensive contributions, finishing with nine clearances, two tackles, and three blocks.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 7.5 (MotM) — The veteran dynamo who arrived just before the 2026 season from Houston is enjoying his best stretch of time in Orlando with two goals in the past week. He finished a tap-in on an assist from Ivan Angulo and sent a curling cross to Martin Ojeda in the 65^th that was blocked. He perhaps should have done better with his other shot in the 72nd minute, missing the target from a good position in the box. His one lapse was in the 71^st minute, when he misjudged a cross that could’ve created a dangerous shot but for a mistouch. Dorsey regularly made runs in front of goal and, while I usually criticize Zakaria Taifi for getting out of position, Dorsey does the same but shows significantly more effort getting back. He even had a potentially goal-saving clearance in the 75^th minute. Dorsey finished with one goal, two shots, one tackle, two blocks, three clearances, and an 88% passing rate to go with his goal.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo was a little cleaner than last weekend against Montreal. His assist to Dorsey was spot on, but the duality of Angulo showed up in the 77^th minute. He lost possession on a bad dribble and then hustled and stole it back to cross it in. He finished with one assist and completed 89% of his passes, but he only won two of his nine duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta played the role of linking everyone together, with the second-most touches, behind only Brekalo. He had one moment of a lapse of concentration in the 34^th minute when he was marking Aleksey Miranchuk and let the Atlanta attacker slip by him to receive a pass for a one-on-one with Crepeau that the goalkeeper covered well. Atuesta followed the rebound with a dangerous block that might have brought a penalty. He was replaced by Luis Otavio in the 69^th minute to try to get some fresh defensive legs in. He completed 83% of his passes, was only dispossessed once, and added two tackles.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 6 — Braian Ojeda had one moment in the 24th minute when he intercepted a dangerous pass in the box. Other than that, he wasn’t memorable in this game. He was replaced at the 82^nd-minute mark by Wilder Cartegena. Braian exited with no tackles and passed at an 85% clip.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — Pasalic started for the first time since returning from injury and looked a bit rusty. The Croatian is always going to be invisible for stretches, but his moments of brilliance often lead to goals. One of those moments almost came in the 21^st minute when Pasalic so confounded Elias Baez at the side of the box that the Atlanta man ended up on the ground, but there was no one available to pass to. He was booked in the 28^th minute for a sloppy tackle. Pasalic was replaced in the 59^th minute by Tyrese Spicer and finished with one chance created and an 84% passing rate but no shot attempts.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Martin Ojeda showed a little of the inconsistency we’ve seen from him this season. On one hand, a brilliant secondary assist to free up Angulo for his assist to Dorsey. On the other, missed opportunities time and time again. Martin finished with two shots on target, two more that were blocked, an 80% passing percentage, and one wicked curling nutmeg to set up Angulo to pass it to Dorsey for the only goal.

F, Justin Ellis, 6 — Ellis’ best moment was in the 52^nd minute when he slipped a pass to Martin Ojeda that the Argentinean was unable to finish. It’s not unusual for an Orlando City striker of late to not have a big impact, as service has regularly been lacking, but Ellis spent a lot of this game floating back to get the ball. He was subbed off for Duncan McGuire in the 69^th minute. Ellis finished the game with one big chance created, an 81% passing rate, but no shots.

Substitutes

D, Iago (46′), 6 — Iago came on to start the second half in place of Jansson. My comment to myself at that moment was “let’s see how much he’s grown.” When he was thrown into the lineup to start the year, he was overwhelmed and out of place regularly. We’ve seen improvement, but he’s also had Jansson to help cover mistakes and get him in the right spots. He let Miranchuk slip by him in the 61^st minute for a attempt at goal that the Russian pushed wide and was late to get to Jay Fortune for the tying goal, though it wasn’t necessarily his mark. Iago was perfect on his passes — 23 out of 23 — but that was literally his only stat.

MF, Tyrese Spicer (59′), 5.5 — Spicer’s usual pace and activity wasn’t as visible in this game. He finished with only 10 touches and was only two-for-four on his passes.

MF, Luis Otavio (69′), 5.5 — Unfortunately, I have Otavio as the primary player responsible for the Fortune goal as he drifted way out of position to double someone already covered. Otavio had one tackle, won both his duels, and passed at a 77% clip.

F, Duncan McGuire (69′) 6 — McGuire had a slick pass to Dorsey three minutes after joining the action but Dorsey couldn’t finish it. In his short time, he created one chance and completed six out of 10 passes, but he only had one touch in the Atlanta box.

F, Wilder Cartagena (82′) N/A — Cartagena wasn’t on long enough to garner a grade but was four-for-four passing and added a tackle, though he too was late seeing the danger on Fortune’s goal. Hopefully, these minutes before the break will help him round back into form.

That’s what I’ve got for grades as the Lions dropped points late in the draw against Atlanta. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve had a busy week covering high school playoff water polo and soccer. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Atlanta United

Orlando City drew Atlanta United 1-1 Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. Griffin Dorsey scored the opener for the Lions in the first half. Orlando was moments away from securing back-to-back wins. However, the Lions could not hold onto the lead, as Jay Fortune scored a late equalizer for Atlanta, and both teams ended up with a point. It will be a busy week for Orlando City, facing Atlanta United again Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup at home, followed by a road trip to take on FC Cincinnati Saturday at TQL Stadium.

Pride Fall to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride fell 3-1 in their first road match against Denver Summit FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday. It’s the second consecutive match in a week the Pride have lost to a 2026 NWSL expansion team on the road, following a defeat to Boston Legacy FC on Tuesday. Orlando conceded the first goal and trailed 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, Janine Sonis scored a penalty kick goal to give Denver a 2-0 lead. Angelina was sent off with a red card before Barbra Banda pulled one back, but Sonis added her second goal immediately after the Pride scored to put away Denver’s first-ever home win. The Pride will look to bounce back on the road, taking on the San Diego Wave Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

OCB Concedes Late in 1-0 Road Loss to New England Revolution II

Orlando City B fell 1-0 to New England Revolution II on the road Sunday at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI. Both teams struggled to score throughout the match, and it looked like the match was heading to a 0-0 draw and a shootout. However, Judah Siqueira scored a winner for New England in the dying moments of the match for the hosts. The result ends the Young Lions’ four-match points streak. OCB will return home to face Inter Miami II Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Americans Abroad

Auston Trusty played a full 90 minutes and helped Celtic overturn a 1-0 deficit to complete the comeback and defeat Hearts 3-1 to secure the club’s fifth straight Scottish Premiership title. Antonee Robinson scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham in a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chris Richards came off the bench and played 29 minutes for Crystal Palace in a 2-2 draw against Brentford but suffered an ankle injury toward the end of the match. Christian Pulisic made his return to AC Milan after being sidelined with a lower back injury and came off the bench in the second half in a 2-1 win against Genoa. Ricardo Pepi scored for PSV Eindhoven in a 5-1 win against FC Twente. George Bello and Sam Adeniran helped LASK capture its first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965, defeating Austria Vienna 3-0 and booking a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League playoff round.

Manchester City Defeats Chelsea to Win FA Cup

Manchester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium Saturday to win the English FA Cup. After a scoreless first half, Antoine Semenyo’s lone goal in the second half was enough to pull Manchester City to victory and keep the club’s domestic treble hopes alive. It’s Manchester City’s second FA Cup trophy in four years.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City midfielder Gustavo Caraballo has been called up to the Venezuela U-20 Men’s National Team for the upcoming Maurice Revello Tournament in France.

• Orlando Pride defender Kylie Nadaner gave birth to her first child over the weekend.

• Former Lion Daryl Dike will be leaving EFL Championship side West Bromwich Albion after four years when his contract expires this summer.

• The Columbus Crew fired head coach Henrik Rydstrom Sunday after 14 league matches. Laurent Courtois has been named interim head coach.
• The U.S. Soccer Federation and the National Women’s Soccer League, USL Super League, and WPSL Pro have reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions about an interleague competition that could start as soon as 2028.
• Chelsea has appointed former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso as its new manager on a four-year contract.

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

Orlando City could not see out a game it had led since early in the first half, as Atlanta attacked the Lions relentlessly in the second half and finally scored to tie the game in the final minutes. The Lions will rue some great chances that they did not convert, and this one will feel more like two points lost than one point gained in a 1-1 draw.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Dorsey Was On His Horsey

Griffin Dorsey has taken a big step forward in recent weeks, and has now scored three goals in his last five games in all competitions. He scored the third of those against Atlanta, sprinting all the way forward to get on the end of a cross from Iván Angulo and finishing from close range to put the Lions ahead. Dorsey was one of Orlando’s leading attackers on Saturday night, constantly getting forward and into threatening positions, and he probably should have scored a second goal when he shot just wide from a pass from Duncan McGuire late in the second half. The 2026 acquisition delivered on defense as well, finishing second on the team with seven defensive contributions, and his efforts up and down the right side of the field were among the best from any Lion.

Fresher Legs Made A Difference

It was clear in the second half that one team looked much more energetic than the other, and an obvious reason for that is Atlanta had not played since last weekend while Orlando City had played on Wednesday night. Atlanta attacked in waves and threatened Orlando’s goal repeatedly, outshooting the Lions 16-4 in the second half and finally finding the equalizer late in the game. Orlando City rotated a few players in its starting lineup to try to offset the short turnaround time between games, but Robin Jansson suffered an injury in the first half and had to come off at halftime, and Marco Pašalić looked gassed at the end of the first half but gamely pushed on into the second half, trying to reduce the minutes Tyrese Spicer would need to play after he started last weekend and played more than 30 minutes (including stoppage time) on Wednesday. Braian Ojeda finally came off for the first time this season during MLS play, and at the end of the game all of Orlando City’s players looked exhausted, while Atlanta’s players looked like they could have gone for a while longer.

More Dribbling Than the Orlando Magic

Orlando City has some players that are adept at dribbling, but the Lions leaned heavily on the dribble against Atlanta and probably should have looked to pass more and dribble less. The Lions attempted to dribble by 18 players and were only successful eight times, losing several promising attacks because players went one-on-one with their defender instead of moving the ball. Against Philadelphia on Wednesday, they were more successful, going 13 of 22, so perhaps they were emboldened by that performance or perhaps it was part of the game plan. However, they turned the ball over on the dribble 10 times, which was as many times as Atlanta even attempted to take on an Orlando defender (Atlanta’s players were successful four times). Passing is generally more effective than dribbling, as it can move the ball farther and faster than a dribble can, but Orlando passed 72 fewer times than Atlanta and tried to beat defenders nearly twice as often, which contributed to why Atlanta constantly seemed to be on the attack over the final 60-ish minutes.

Another Dirty Sheet

As the clock ticked past 80 minutes, it seemed that the unlikely was finally about to happen, and Orlando City was going to keep its first clean sheet in an MLS game since shutting out Colorado in June of 2025. The soccer gods said “not today,” however, and Jay Fortune curled a shot past Maxime Crépeau and there was no longer a zero on the scoreboard next to Atlanta. The Lions have one MLS game remaining before the World Cup break, and unless they shut out FC Cincinnati on Saturday, their non-shutout streak in MLS games will extend past a full calendar year, as their next game after Cincinnati is not until late July.

Crepéau Saved a Point

The Canadian gave up that goal late in the game but he made up for it just a few minutes later, as he flew to his left to save a Matías Galarza shot from just outside the box that was headed for the top corner. That shot was literally the last play of the game, so Crépeau saved the Lions from earning nothing on the night despite leading for nearly 70 minutes. He finished the game with four saves, but none were bigger than that one at the death, which clinched one point for Orlando City.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Atlanta. Coincidentally, the two teams will meet again on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup, with a berth in the semifinals on the line. Hopefully Orlando City will get a lead and hold it until the final whistle this time and take one more step towards winning its second cup.

Let us know your thoughts about the Atlanta match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!