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Orlando City vs. the New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando’s 3-2 home win over the New England Revolution?

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3 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City finished off its home campaign with an exciting 3-2 victory against a New England Revolution squad that has too often enjoyed joyful results at the expense of the Lions. The Revs came into town five points behind Orlando City but ended the night eight points adrift of the Lions, who secured the second seed in the postseason — the highest finish in club history.

Here’s how I saw each individual performance in Orlando’s win over the former poster boys of the Eastern Conference.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — This is a rare departure from the regular match grade for El Pulpo. The Peruvian number one uncharacteristically spilled a goal from distance, allowing the Revolution a sliver of hope before giving up a second on a redirection that he could not do about about in the final seconds of stoppage time. Neither goal ultimately affected the outcome of the game, but they certainly could have if Orlando hadn’t outscored its competition. Gallese did well to deny Carles Gil from point-blank range with an acrobatic save before New England found its garbage time goal. He completed 62.9% of his 35 passes, including only one accurate long ball out of 14 chances.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — The Brazilian left back put in another solid performance. Santos recorded 62 touches on the night and completed 95% of his 40 passes. He logged two key passes and was accurate on three of his four long balls. On the offensive side of the pitch, Santos logged four shots, which all missed the mark but did include a howitzer that just missed the top of the crossbar. Santos also recorded one successful dribble. His best moment of the night came when he earned the assist setting up Ivan Angulo for a goal giving Orlando a 3-1 lead.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The heart and soul of the Orlando back line put in another strong effort against numerous efforts from New England especially in the beginning of the match. Jansson completed 86.9% of his 61 passes and recorded 65 touches on the night. He also completed five of his 10 long ball attempts. On defense, Jansson was credited with two clearances, one interception, and an aerial duel won but did not record a tackle on the night. He picked up two fouls and ultimately both goals that New England scored were of the fluky nature and the center back could do little to stop either one.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — We talk at length about what a luxury it is to have such a quality third center back on the roster and Schlegel has done admirably filling in as Antonio Carlos continues to work his way back into the lineup. Schlegel had 56 touches on the night, and completed 91.3% of his 46 passes and one of three long ball attempts. Schlegel blocked two shots and recorded two clearances while committing one foul. City fans also got a rare Schlegel shot as the defensemen recorded one shot on the night which failed to find the target.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7.5 — Thorhallsson found himself back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench during the midweek fixture. The converted defender truly opens up options on the right side of the field that were lacking earlier in the season. The Icelandic international enjoyed a team-high 76 touches and completed 94.7% of his 57 passes. Thorhallsson filled the defensive stat sheet by winning two aerial duels and logging one interception, one blocked shot, and one successful tackle, as well as a team-high three clearances. He completed one of two crosses and also logged a key pass. Offensively, Thorhallsson completed two successful dribbles, and he picked up the first assist of the game on a cross that found Duncan McGuire. He also logged two shots which were not on target.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo directed traffic throughout the match and did a solid job of keeping New England out of rhythm offensively — in the second half especially. Araujo recorded one successful aerial, and also recorded a shot during the match. He completed 94% of his 50 passes on the night and two key passes while successfully completing three long balls on four attempts. Araujo chipped in with two interceptions and one tackle while suffering four fouls.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Cartagena and Araujo just work seamlessly together in the defensive midfield. Against the Revs, Cartagena completed 94.4% of his 54 passes, including both of his long ball attempts. Defensively, Cartagena picked up a team-high four tackles with one interception and a clearance. Cartagena also committed a team-high three fouls on the night. Offensively, the Peruvian put his lone shot attempt on target.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 8 (MotM) — Angulo may have just enjoyed his best game as a Lion. The Colombian was all over the pitch and made his presence known throughout the match. Angulo completed 81.5% of his 27 passes and logged three key passes on the night. He used his speed to frequently get in behind the New England back line and successful completed one of his three crossing attempts. The lone successful cross led to the second goal for Orlando as Angulo crossed the ball to the far end of the box to Facundo Torres in the 37th minute, earning an assist. Angulo later found the goal himself, scoring just before halftime on a strong pass from Santos. He also completed one successful dribble and chipped in with two tackles on the night.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7 — The captain enjoyed a bounce-back performance for a mundane outing in Nashville. Pereyra completed 93.3% of his 45 passes and was successful on four of six long balls and one of four crosses. Pereyra was credited with a team-high five key passes as he often found himself unlocking the New England defense. He attempted one shot, which was blocked just in front of goal by the Revs. Defensively, the captain contributed two tackles. Pereyra was subbed off in the 66th minute for Junior Urso.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5— Torres has lived up to the lofty expectations of fans and pundits throughout the second half of the season and Saturday’s performance continued his great run of form. Torres completed 92.3% of his 26 passes, including one successful cross on two attempts, while failing to complete his lone long ball attempt. Torres added to his team-high goal total on the season by smashing a shot past former Orlando City keeper Earl Edwards Jr. in the 37th minute to put Orlando up 2-0. Both of Torres’ shot attempts on the night were on target. After three matches in eight days, Torres was fortunate to get some much-needed rest after a solid 66-minute shift.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7.5 — At this point in the season, there is not a single defensive center back pairing who should be surprised by McGuire’s presence on the field and yet the rookie continues to find space to score. McGuire opened up the scoring in the 31st minute, finding a quality cross from Thorhallsson and calmly heading it into the back of the net. It was McGuire’s 11th goal on the season. McGuire won two aerial duels and completed 70% of his 10 passes. Defensively, McGuire chipped in with a clearance. He was part of the triple sub in the 66th minute, when he was replaced by Ramiro Enrique.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (66′), 6.5 — Ojeda came off the bench with Orlando up 3-1 and did his part in keeping Orlando City on the front foot. Ojeda won one aerial duel and completed 90% of his 10 passes. He completed both long ball attempts and two of his five cross attempts. In a little over a half hour the DP also racked up four key passes. Defensively, he contributed two clearances. Ojeda attempted two shots while on the field but both were off the mark.

F, Ramiro Enrique (66′), 6 — Enrique came on to provide energy. He completed all eight of his passing attempts and three dribbles, and he attempted three shots, which were all off target.

MF, Junior Urso (66′), 6 — The Bear came on to replace Pereyra and provide some additional defensive presence as Orlando looked to close out the match. He completed all of his 17 passing attempts and logged two tackles and a clearance. In limited time, Urso also attempted two shots, which failed to find the mark, and completed one dribble.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (85′), N/A — The winger continues to work his way back into game shape and got a quick run-out to close out the match. He completed all four of his passes but was unsuccessful in his lone crossing attempt.

MF, Felipe (85′), N/A — Felipe replaced Araujo in the defensive midfield and racked up a significant amount of touches and passes in limited minutes. He was credited with 20 touches and comleted all 19 of his passes. Defensively, Felipe failed to register any stats.

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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Orlando City

Daryl Dike Returns to Orlando City, Signs Deal Through 2027

Daryl Dike is back with the Lions after being out of contract with West Bromwich Albion.

Published

11 hours ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image of Daryl Dike posing in his Orlando City kit after re-signing with the club on July 17, 2026.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Striker Daryl Dike has returned to the club that gave him his professional start. Orlando City announced today that it has signed Dike as a free agent through the 2027 MLS “sprint season” with an option for 2027-2028. The club also had to send $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority and could owe the Western Conference side another $75,000 in GAM if Dike meets undisclosed performance metrics.

The signing gives Dike a new start after an injury-plagued career at West Bromwich Albion.

“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed, and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack, and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.” 

Dike, who will wear No. 9 for the Lions, returns nearly five years since Orlando City sold him to West Brom on Jan. 3, 2022, for a fee reported by The Athletic to be around $10 million.

The Edmond, OK native was Orlando City’s first-round selection with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. As a rookie, he started to see minutes on the pitch during the MLS is Back Tournament, making his professional debut against the Montreal Impact in the competition’s round of 16. From there, the striker out of the University of Virginia blossomed, playing in 35 regular-season matches with Orlando, including 30 starts, for a total of 2,547 minutes. He contributed 18 goals and seven assists on 63 shots, getting 27 on target. He passed well (71.1% in 2020 and 72.1% in 2021), providing 14 key passes. Dike drew 71 fouls while committing 40 and was never booked during the regular season in his time in MLS.

He also played in all three of Orlando City’s playoff games during his first stint with the club, starting all three and scoring one goal on five total shots (two on target). He suffered seven fouls and committed four, and picked up one yellow card in the 2020 postseason.

Following his rookie season, Dike went on loan to Barnsley, where he scored nine goals in 22 matches from February to May of 2021.

Dike’s play with the Lions in his first two professional seasons quickly put him on the USMNT radar and before he was sold to West Brom he made eight appearances and scored three goals for the United States at the senior level. He has added two more caps since for a total of 10.

After his sale to West Brom in the EFL Championship, Dike struggled to stay on the pitch, dealing with Achilles injuries that kept him off the pitch for long stretches. Dike managed to score 11 goals in 68 matches when healthy. He scored twice and added an assist in 24 matches in 2025-2026, starting six times, as he was finally able to get a stretch of games in.

“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started,” Dike said in the club’s press release. “Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home. From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.” 

What It Means for Orlando City

Dike fills a hole vacated by the trade of Duncan McGuire to the Houston Dynamo a week ago. It will be interesting to see where his salary slots in when the MLS Players’ Association reveals its next salary information. McGuire, who had his own injury struggles in recent years, made a base salary of $600,000 and a total guaranteed annual compensation of over $920,000.

The hope will be that Dike can both stay healthy and contribute at a higher level than McGuire was prior to his trade to Houston. The new scenery may do McGuire good and a return to familiar surroundings may similarly help Dike regain his footing. At just 26 years old, Dike is still in his prime years and there are plenty of miles left in Dike’s legs if he can stay on the pitch. Fans will remember how he tossed center backs around like rag dolls during his two previous seasons in Orlando. That kind of physicality will open a lot of room underneath for Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda.

With just a year and a half on the base deal, this is a low-risk and potentially very high-reward signing for the Lions.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 15, 2023 at Atlanta United

Let’s rewind to a tense battle up in Atlanta that took place a little over three years ago.

Published

18 hours ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well everyone, Major League Soccer is officially back. The league returned from its summer hiatus with three games Thursday night (four were scheduled but air quality from the Canadian wildfires caused Chicago vs. Vancouver to be postponed), and two more games are set to be played later today. Orlando City won’t take the field until Wednesday night against the San Jose Earthquakes though, so that means we have time for one more trip down memory lane. Last week, we went four years into the past and reminisced on a weird 1-0 win over Inter Miami that came courtesy of a Damion Lowe own goal. Today, we go back to mid-July 2023 and a road trip against Atlanta United.

Orlando had been in mostly good form heading into the team’s trip up I-75 to take on the Five Stripes but had hit a sizable bump in the road in the previous match in the form of a 4-0 hammering out west against Real Salt Lake. Oscar Pareja went to his usual 4-2-3-1 in an effort to get back to winning ways, with Pedro Gallese in goal; Rafael Santos, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Kyle Smith at the back; Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena at the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in attacking midfield, and Duncan McGuire leading the line.

The Lions seemed determined to put the previous game’s woes behind them and fashioned a chance with not even a minute played. McGuire played a slick pass behind the defense for Pereyra, but a poor first touch let him down and Brad Guzan came off his line well to save from point-blank range. Torres, McGuire, and Araujo then tried shots in the fifth, sixth, and eighth minutes, respectively, but none of them troubled Atlanta’s goalkeeper.

Orlando then took its foot off the gas a bit after trying to come out of the gates and overwhelm the hosts, but some self-inflicted errors gave the Five Stripes some life and eventually led to them opening the scoring. The Lions took a poor throw-in during the 22nd minute which turned the ball over deep in their own defensive third. Miguel Berry drew four OCSC players to him before flicking a ball over the top for Machop Chol. Carlos saved Chol’s deflected shot off the line but Caleb Wiley was first to the loose ball and did well to lift his shot into the net over a recovering Gallese.

Fortunately, the good guys were able to find a quick response. Orlando had a dangerous free kick just three minutes after conceding, and Pereyra curled in a dangerous ball toward the penalty spot. Carlos rose highest and powered a vicious header into the far corner with Guzan left helpless.

Leveling the game gave Orlando a needed injection of belief. McGuire tried his luck at catching Guzan off his line in the 35th minute, and Angulo put a powerful shot just outside the post two minutes later. Smith even had a pop from distance in the 42nd minute, but it went high and that was the last meaningful action of the half.

Atlanta ended the opening 45 minutes with more of the ball (52.1%-47.9%) and more corners (2-0), while OCSC took more shots (7-5) put more shots on target (3-2), and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The two teams traded chances after a slow start to the second half, with a deflected ball trickling just wide of the Atlanta net in the 51st minute, before Santiago Sosa put a ball onto the roof of Gallese’s goal four minutes later.

Orlando then went ahead in the 60th minute. Pereyra split Atlanta’s center backs with a great ball for McGuire, who held off Luis Abram’s recovery efforts, and put a low shot past Guzan and into the side netting.

The good guys really should have bagged an insurance goal in the 68th minute, but Ramiro Enrique’s diving header went off the post and out after a great cross from Torres. Pareja then switched to five at the back to try to see out the game, and Atlanta managed to generate some chances. Thiago Almada and Matheus Rossetto had chances in the 88th and 90th minutes, but nothing came of them. The most dangerous moment occurred deep in stoppage time. Atlanta had a dangerous free kick in the 98th minute, and Almada sent a wicked-looking effort on net, but Gallese got over well and put two strong hands on it to parry away.

Atlanta took the resulting corner, but the Lions cleared successfully and the final whistle blew to give the visitors a 2-1 win and all three points.

Atlanta finished with more possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but each side put four shots on target. The hosts were also more accurate when it came to passing the ball (84%-76.3%).

Marcus Mitchell was on Player Grades for this one, and he gave Carlos the Man of the Match nod with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high scorers on the evening were Pereyra and McGuire, who each earned grades of 7 out of 10.

Here’s hoping the Lions can pick up some road points in a similar fashion when they return to play next Wednesday. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/17/26

Toluca reportedly makes an offer for Martin Ojeda, Orlando City signs Tristan Himes, Orlando Pride add Zoe Matthews, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! While we’re still waiting for Orlando City to return to action, we have Orlando Pride and Orlando City B games to look forward to on Saturday. There’s also the last bit of World Cup soccer for us to enjoy this weekend as well. Between all the soccer and work this week, I’ve managed to read three books to put a dent in my reading goals this year and highly recommend “Main Characters” by Bobby Palmer. It even has a couple of soccer references. Let’s get to the links!

Toluca Reportedly Makes Offer for Martin Ojeda

Liga MX club Toluca has reportedly made a $12 million verbal offer to Orlando City for attacker Martin Ojeda. The 27-year-old has been a powerhouse for the past couple of years for Orlando, recording 16 goals and 15 assists last season and scoring 11 goals in the club’s 15 games so far this season.

In January of this year, he signed a new contract with the club that lasts through the 2028-2029 season, with a club option for 2029-2030. While a $12 million transfer fee is nothing to sneeze at, a higher amount seems appropriate for one of the club’s best players to be transferred in the middle of the season. He’s been a revelation in purple and I’ve been excited to see how he combines with Antoine Griezmann as the Lions hunt for silverware.

Tristan Himes Signed to Homegrown Player Contract

Orlando City has signed Orlando City B goalkeeper Tristan Himes as the club’s 20th Homegrown Player, with a new first-team contract lasting through the shortened 2027 season and including club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. After developing through the club’s academy, Himes made his OCB debut in July last year and has made 11 appearances for the team. He also played collegiately at the University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University before returning to the club. Hopefully the 22-year-old can continue to improve his game with OCB this year as the Young Lions fight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference of MLS NEXT Pro.

Orlando Pride Add Midfielder Zoe Matthews

The Orlando Pride have signed 19-year-old midfielder Zoe Matthews to a contract through the end of this season. Matthews was the youngest signing in Houston Dash history when she joined the club at 17 in 2024, making her league debut that October. She then had stints in Europe with Dux Logrono in Spain and Benfica in Portugal before returning to the U.S. to become a member of the Pride. Matthews has also represented both the U.S. and Jamaica at the youth levels.

Colin Guske Called Up for Concacaf U-20 Championship

Orlando City midfielder Colin Guske was one of 21 players called up for the United States U-19 National Team roster for the Concacaf U-20 Championship that starts later this month. The 19-year-old was signed as an Orlando City Homegrown Player in late 2024 and has made six appearances for the first team this season, starting twice. He’s been consistently called up for the U.S. U-19 team in preparation for this tournament, which will also serve as qualifying for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2028 Summer Olympics, and 2027 Pan American Games. The U.S. will first take on Haiti on July 25 before playing El Salvador on July 28 and Cuba on July 31.

Free Kicks

  • A mural of Antoine Griezmann now graces East Colonial Drive to welcome the French superstar to the city. Artist Steven Teller knocked it out of the park in my opinion, so be sure to check it out.
  • Nashville SC added Tunisian winger Elias Saad on loan from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. Saad played for Tunisia at this summer’s World Cup and could provide some more firepower to a league-leading Nashville side.
  • More details on Kai Wagner’s reported return to the Philadelphia Union have emerged, with the Union paying much more to bring him back compared to what they sold him to Birmingham City for and making him a Designated Player to boot.

🇩🇪 Sources: The Philadelphia Union will pay a fee of under $4m to re-acquire left back Kai Wagner from Birmingham City.Wagner returns to Philly as a Designated Player.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-16T14:35:31.865Z

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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