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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando’s 1-0 victory in the Music City?

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continued its winning ways with a 1-0 businesslike road victory against Nashville SC. With shots and scoring opportunities scarce throughout the match, Orlando City made the most of its limited chances late in the first half as Duncan McGuire returned to the scoresheet. The club then put on a defensive clinic throughout the second half and turned away Nashville time and again, allowing just two second-half shots (and blocking both). The win continued to build on a record-setting season for the club for both most points (57) and most wins (16) in a season since the Lions joined MLS in 2015.

Here’s how I saw each individual performance in what may have been a preview of Orlando’s first round playoff matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — For the second match in a row, the Peruvian goalkeeper found himself with little to do, earning a clean sheet without having to make a save. Gallese faced no shots on target on the night and completed 65.4% of his 26 passes, including eight of his 16 long balls. El Pulpo set a new personal single season record for clean sheets in a season, recordeing his 10th on the year, surpassing his previous high of nine, which he set last year. He came off his line to punch away a cross or two but largely wasn’t given enough to do to earn a higher grade.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — The Brazilian left back put in another solid effort on both ends of the pitch against a dangerous Nashville attacking front. On the offensive side of the ball, Santos logged a key pass and one successful dribble. He completed his lone crossing attempt on the night, but none of his three long balls found their target. He passed 51 times at an 88.2% rate. Santos was defensively solid, recording two tackles, making an interception, winning an aerial duel, and logging one clearance. Santos committed one foul and ultimately continued to prove his worth on the back line.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede was cooking all night long as the heart and soul of Orlando’s defense. He also got more into the attack than in matches past, making several lung-busting runs down the field, where he logged one successful dribble. Jansson had a tackle and a team-high four clearances as he broke up plays left and right, especially when Nashville was hunting for an equalizer. Fans held their collective breaths when Jansson went down in the first half after the full weight of Sam Surridge unintentionally found the top of his boot, but after some attendance from the training staff Jansson was able to soldier on. He completed 84.4% of his 64 passes, including two of his seven long balls, committed one foul, and won an aerial duel.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 (MotM) — Schlegel did his usual Schlegel things in this match, seemingly getting under the skin of the Nashville attacking players from the jump. He logged one tackle, one interception, and three clearances while also recording a team-high three blocked shots, including a vital one on Hany Mukhtar late in the second half. The center back committed two fouls. He attempted 60 passes, completing 90% of them, but was only successful on one of his seven long balls attempted. There is something to be said about the luxury of having Rodri fill in during Antonio Carlos’ extended absence and Schlegel deserves a lot of credit for being prepared match after match.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Smith got the nod to start during the midweek fixture, replacing Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. The accountant played a solid but ultimately unremarkable game while fighting off attempts from Nashville. Smith recorded one successful dribble but was unsuccessful on both of his crossing attempts. Defensively, he had just one tackle, but two clearances, and he won an aerial duel. Smith completed 88% of his 50 passes and was accurate on four of his seven attempted long balls. He was subbed off in the 85th minute when Orlando brought on Thorhallsson and Carlos in an attempt to protect the one goal lead.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo did a little bit of everything throughout the match. The 22-year-old led the Lions with a team-high 84 touches and 75 attempted passes, and completed 92% of his attempts. He earned two fouls for the Lions while committing none. Along with his defensive midfield partner, Wilder Cartagena, Araujo did a fine job of keeping former MVP Hany Mukhtar in check. The Uruguayan contributed one tackle, one interception, and one clearance while pestering Nashville.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Like Araujo, the Peruvian was given the tall task of defending Mukhtar and did well to be in the right place to alter runs or stymie the buildup. Cartagena was fouled twice on the night and committed two fouls as well, picking up a yellow card. Surprisingly, he did not record a tackle, interception, or clearance but he did record one blocked shot. He won two aerial duels and completed 89.1% of his 64 passes while also connecting on one of his two long balls.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — The Argentinian Designated Player got the start for the midweek clash. Ojeda has quietly put together a solid first year in MLS and built upon it by logging his 10th assist across all competitions on the winning goal for Orlando City. Sprung down the left side on a ball by Mauricio Pereyra, Ojeda curled a key pass to a streaking McGuire, who flicked it off the near post and in to put Orlando ahead just before halftime. Defensively, Ojeda contributed one tackle and a clearance. He was successful on 73.3% of his 30 passes and landed one of his two long balls and one of two crosses. It was a solid outing for the DP, who keeps adding to his season totals in goals and assists.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — The captain had little room to work most of the night but was responsible for unleashing Ojeda right before Orlando scored. He missed on both of his long ball attempts and completed 80.6% of his 36 passes. Defensively, he contributed a tackle and an interception on an otherwise pedestrian night for the leader of the squad.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Speaking of quiet nights, Torres was coming off of one of his most dominant performances of the season, but he struggled to find the same impact against an aggressive Nashville defense. In defense of Torres, if would have been slightly easier to get water from a stone than to get any type of clean touch on the ball when he was constantly shoved in the back on almost every touch. Torres did not record a tackle, clearance, or interception and logged two successful dribbles while being fouled once (officially). He completed 81.8% of his 33 passes and his lone cross attempt from the endline sheepishly found the side of the net without posing much of a threat. Torres was subbed off in the 71st minute and thanks to missing out on 11 minutes of stoppage time was able to get some extra rest during a congested week.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7 — The rookie logged his 10th goal of the MLS season to provide the winning margin. There was a lot of talka bout whether he was onside, but the flag stayed down and video review showed that his run was in line with Ojeda’s pass. Besides finding the back of the net on his only shot attempt, McGuire completed seven of his 10 passes (70%) and completed one successful dribble while winning a foul and committing one. McGuire won a team-high three aerial duels.

Substitutes

MF, Ivan Angulo (65′), 5.5 — Oscar Pareja elected to bring on straight speed in the 65th minute by introducing Angulo and Ramiro Enrique into the match. While neither had a direct impact on the score sheet, their pace proved to be a issue for Nashville throughout the final half hour. Angulo completed all nine of his passes and logged one clearance and one interception. Based upon the congestion of fixtures this week, I expect Angulo to be back in the starting lineup for the home finale.

F, Ramiro Enrique (65′), 5.5 — Enrique came on alongside Angulo and brought plenty of energy with him. Enrique’s pace was a problem for the Nashville back line, but despite having at least two quality chances to go to goal, Enrique held up his attack to look for teammates, which ultimately resulted in the attack fizzling out. He completed 72.7% of his passes, won an aerial duel, and was fouled once.

MF, Junior Urso (72′), 6 — The Bear made another cameo off the bench for Orlando, this time spelling Torres. He had one successful dribble and was fouled once, and technically recorded a shot, which he tried from approximately the next county over. It was one of only two attempts all night by Orlando, though. Defensively he had one tackle and a clearance. Urso completed 72.2% of his 18 passes over the final third of the match and frustrated Nashville’s comeback efforts by winning a bunch of throw-ins and moving the ball quickly to his teammates.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (85′), N/A — The converted defender got some midweek rest before being called in to close out the match. Thorhallsson completed 50% of his four passes in limited action on the pitch. I would anticipate that he will be back in the starting lineup this Saturday.

D, Antonio Carlos (85′), N/A — A welcome sight for any Orlando City fan — and surely for the back line and Gallese as well — Carlos made his return to the field after an extended absence due to injury. The Brazilian center back got right to work, recording two clearances in quick succession and completed his lone pass on the night.

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

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Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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16 hours ago

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February 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

Free Kicks

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Colombian International Midfielder Eduard Atuesta

The Lions add a proven quality central midfielder to cover for Wilder Cartagena’s injury absence.

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1 day ago

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February 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions took a necessary roster-building step today with the acquisition of central midfielder Eduard Atuesta via transfer from Palmeiras in Brazil’s Serie A. The contract runs through 2025 with a club option for 2026. Details of the transfer were not released. Atuesta can join the Lions pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. The Colombian international will wear jersey No. 20 for Orlando City.

“We’re very excited about bringing Eduard here to Orlando, as a player that is in the prime of his career, has proven himself previously here in Major League Soccer and knows our league,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s a great midfield talent that has the ability to organize the team throughout the game, but most importantly, he’s a title winner at each of his previous clubs. We have confidence in him and his ability to help us achieve the goals we have here at this club.”

This played out publicly as a difficult one, with Orlando City seemingly close to a deal at times, while at others there seemed to be sticking points about such details as whether it would be a sale or loan, how much (if any) of Atuesta’s salary Palmeiras would pay, and the size of the transfer fee. Orlando was limited in what it could spend due to having to fit the player under the Designated Player threshold (salary plus transfer fee amortized over the length of the contract) as all three slots are full.

“I’m very excited to be here, to join this great team and live in this beautiful city,” Atuesta said in the club’s release “I can’t wait to step out into the stadium filled with our fans, to win games and to fight for the titles that this city deserves.”

Atuesta’s arrival is expected to mitigate the loss of Wilder Cartagena to a lower leg injury that recently required surgery. Cartagena was injured in the preseason opener against Atletico Mineiro, and although the club has yet to make an official announcement about it, Cartagena shared on his Twitter account that he had surgery in late January.

Atuesta’s season in Brazil is off to a slow start, with just three appearances and 42 minutes played so far without a goal contribution. The Colombian spent the 2024 season on loan with LAFC, where he made 28 appearances (25 starts), playing 2,197 minutes, scoring four goals, and adding six assists. In five MLS seasons with LAFC dating back to 2018, Atuesta has appeared in 124 matches, starting 109 of them, and playing 9,790 minutes. He has scored 11 goals and added 29 assists, attempting 172 shots and putting 53 on target. Atuesta has passed at an 85.9% rate with 155 key passes. He has amassed 27 yellow cards and one red card in MLS play.

The 27-year-old native of Vélez, Colombia has appeared in seven MLS playoff games (four starts), playing 428 postseason minutes, providing two goals and an assist while putting three of his six shots on target and logging eight key passes.

During his time in Los Angeles, Atuesta was part of the 2019 Supporters’ Shield-winning squad and helped the club win the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.

Prior to joining LAFC, Atuesta was with Independiente Medellín, where he started his professional career in 2016. He won the 2016 Categoría Primera A title with Medellín, playing 44 matches with The Paisa Red.

Since 2022, Atuesta played 26 matches with Palmeiras, scoring one goal and helping the team win the 2022 and 2023 Brazilian championships, 2023 Supercopa do Brasil, and 2022 Recopa Sudamericana.

On the international stage, Atuesta has represented Colombia at the U-20, U-23, and senior levels, with two caps for his national team since 2022.

What It Means for Orlando City

Atuesta wasn’t the least expensive option on the market at central midfield, but this signing shows that the club is serious about avoiding a drop-off in the middle of the pitch with Cartagena sidelined. Atuesta brings more offensive capabilities with him than Cartagena or Cesar Araujo possess, and he’ll likely be deployed as the No. 8 in Oscar Pareja’s usual 4-2-3-1.

If Atuesta can find the same kind of chemistry with Araujo that Cartagena has, the Lions should see continued standout play in central midfield. The duo will be tasked with protecting the back line and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, forcing play wide and limiting opposing shots to lower-percentage attempts. Meanwhile, his ability to pick out a key pass should improve the Orlando attack, which will be trying to fit a Marco Pašalić-shaped peg into a Facundo Torres-shaped hole and that still hasn’t found a depth forward to replace Duncan McGuire for the months he’ll miss this season.

This was a necessary move by Muzzi if the Lions are going to try to take the next step after reaching the conference final in 2024. The window may be closing on this core of Orlando City players, as several contracts are either set to expire or will require options picked up after the 2025 season among that group.

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Orlando City’s Offensive Struggles Raise Questions as Regular Season Approaches

Orlando City is once again struggling to find the net and the games that matter are quickly approaching.

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1 day ago

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February 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The 2025 MLS regular season is drawing near, so we have a much better idea of where each team stands. Orlando City has now played four preseason games, one in front of its home fans and one in front of season ticket members only. That should provide excitement about the upcoming season, but it’s actually produced some concern.

The 2024 season saw the Lions have their best postseason run since joining MLS in 2015. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference final before falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls on home turf. The experience created a lot of optimism heading into 2025.

Unfortunately, it’s been a rough go so far. The club transferred last season’s top goal scorer — and the club’s all-time leading goal scorer — Facundo Torres to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. Additionally, striker Duncan McGuire is out after having shoulder surgery during the off-season and his return date is unknown.

The first preseason game against Atletico Mineiro on Jan. 25 was less than inspiring. Neither team threatened the opposition goal much in a rather boring scoreless draw and, to make matters worse, Luis Muriel appeared to pick up a knock late in the first half. Preseason had just started for both teams, so you can chalk that one up to shaking off the rust.

The Lions followed up that performance with a trip to Mexico, where they played to a scoreless draw against Canadian side Forge FC. After a third preseason game against Atlanta United in Bradenton — which actually saw a goal by Alex Freeman — the Lions returned home Saturday night to face CF Montreal with season ticket members in attendance, filling most of the seats on the lower level on the stadium’s east side.

Orlando City was unquestionably the more dangerous team during the first 90 minutes of the 120-minute contest. Joran Gerbet hit the crossbar in the first half and Freeman hit the inside of the post in the second. Additionally, the Lions sent players free on goal no less than three times in the game. However, they didn’t score until Nico Lodeiro converted a free kick in the dying seconds.

To be fair, the Lions weren’t at full strength. Neither Ramiro Enrique nor Muriel, two players who will be depended on to provide goals, played in the game. Instead, Shak Mohammed started up top and was replaced by teenager Justin Ellis in the 65th minute.

Also, it’s not as if Orlando City’s leading scorer is typically a striker.

In the team’s first 10 years of MLS action, a striker has led the Lions in scoring six times, and three of those were Cyle Larin in the first three seasons. Since he departed following 2017, strikers have only led the Lions in goals in 2018 (Dom Dwyer), 2021 (Daryl Dike), and 2023 (McGuire). The most goals in those seasons were scored by McGuire, who had 15 in 2023 in all competitions.

The big question heading into this preseason was how would the Lions replace the goals scored by Torres. The Uruguayan international was coming off the most prolific season of his career, scoring 20 goals in all competitions. It was the first time an Orlando City player reached 20 goals in a season since the club joined MLS and only the second time in club history. Previously, Kevin Molino scored 22 goals during the 2014 USL Pro season.

Orlando City fans were hoping they would have a better idea at this point about who would provide the goals. Instead, they’re left with even more questions heading into the season.

This doesn’t mean someone won’t step up. As mentioned, Enrique and Muriel didn’t play against Montreal. The club also signed Marco Pasalic as a Designed Player. The Croatian made his first appearance Saturday night. He is a player who could potentially provide the goals Orlando City so desperately needs.

There was a lot of optimism around Orlando City heading into 2025 after a successful 2024 campaign. However, while the Lions have played well defensively, they’ve struggled in the attack. There are only two more preseason games remaining and one in front of fans, although it’s outside Orlando — a rivalry game against Inter Miami CF Friday night in Tampa. That will lead into the season opener Feb. 22, when City hosts the Philadelphia Union.

The departure of Torres in December created questions about who will provide the goals. McGuire’s absence during his recovery from injury exacerbates the situation for the first few months of the season. After four preseason games, the questions still exist. It’s a concern for a team that will be expected to make another postseason run this year.

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