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

How did your favorite Lions rate in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over Nashville SC up in the Music City?

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is on to the Eastern Conference semifinals! Another 1-0 win over Nashville SC was enough to get the job done, as Ivan Angulo scored early and the Lions controlled the game the rest of the way. The game won’t win any awards for being high octane, but no one will be complaining about a professional performance against a very difficult team. What follows are my player ratings for OCSC’s Game 2 win up in Tennessee.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — It was a relatively calm night for El Pulpo, as he recorded his third shutout against Nashville in his last three tries. He made four saves, controlled his box well, and drew a couple of fouls that helped slow the game down, preventing Nashville from getting into a good rhythm. He completed nine of his 27 long balls, and while his 50% overall passing accuracy wasn’t great, for much of the game he was just lumping the ball down the field to help the defense clear its lines.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — The left back didn’t find himself as involved offensively as he’s been at times this year, but that’s not altogether surprising, given that the Lions took an early lead and didn’t necessarily need to bomb forward. Still, he completed the one dribble that he attempted, although his 65% passing accuracy left a lot to be desired, and then some. Defensively, he chipped in a whopping six clearances, which were the second most on the team, and did a very good job of containing Fafa Picault down the left hand side. He picked up a yellow card which was a blemish on his night, but it was a solid outing overall.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7.5 (MotM) — Rodrigo was immense in this game, as he has been for much of the year when deputizing for Antonio Carlos. His 41% passing accuracy was downright ugly but that just wasn’t what he was on the field to do. He is there to be a rock defensively and that’s exactly what happened. He had a tackle, an interception, won a team-high five aerials, and had an absurd 11 clearances. He seemed to find his way to every ball and even won two fouls, although he also picked up a yellow card, which was basically the only thing he did wrong all night. He also got under several Nashville players’ skin, making them think about him rather than the game.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson was his typically steady self during this one. He had one shaky moment in the first half when he and Gallese had a mixup that resulted in Hany Mukhtar putting the ball in the back of the net, but the offside flag saved any potential blushes. He won two aerial duels, had three clearances, and drew two fouls while passing with 78% accuracy and connecting on four long balls. He and the rest of the defense will be very satisfied with yet another clean sheet.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson found himself getting forward a little more than Santos on the other side of the back line. He completed a dribble, put one shot on target that was blocked, and had an 83% passing rate. He did the work defensively too, as he won two aerial duels, made one tackle, and had two clearances. He did commit two fouls, but kept his nose clean and avoided picking up any bookings for them.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Cartagena had a very good game. He was a constant and reliably tough presence in the midfield, something that we’ve long since become accustomed to seeing. The stats back that up, as he won an aerial duel, had a team-high six tackles, one clearance, and one interception. He passed with 78% accuracy, and took one shot from the top of the box on the volley, which he missed, but not by a lot. He also committed two fouls and picked up a yellow card. Still, it was a night that he should be plenty proud of.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7 — Araujo and Cartagena are just plain formidable. As good of a game as Cartagena had, Araujo’s may have been a touch above. He also played a great defensive game with four tackles, a clearance, a block, and two won aerial duels. He carried more of a threat going forward than we’re often used to seeing, and that’s what gets him a slightly higher rating. Cesar passed the ball with 90% accuracy, and played two key passes and four successful long balls on four attempts. He also drew three fouls while not committing any of his own, something that was very good to see from a player who’s struggled with bookings at times.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7.5 — Aside from the obvious point of scoring a goal, Angulo had a very good game. He took four shots, putting three on target and having the remaining one blocked, and it took a strong save from Joe Willis to deny him a brace in the first half. Aside from that, he passed with 91% accuracy, provided two key passes and completed a dribble when it came to attacking contributions. He also popped up on defense several times, and had an interception and a tackle.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — The captain was involved in a lot of Orlando’s play during the time that he was on the field. He did a particularly good job of finding the spaces of the Nashville defense and getting onto the ball to orchestrate things in the attacking half. He took two shots, one of which was blocked and the other off target. He passed the ball with 86% accuracy, contributed two key passes, and completed a successful dribble. He wasn’t quite able to find the pass to fully break open the home side, but that’s been the case for more than one player against Nashville over the years. If there was a knock on his evening it was that he was caught from behind in possession a couple of times when he had plenty of time and space to release the ball to an open teammate.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Facu didn’t have his best game in an Orlando shirt, but it wasn’t a horrible night from him. The good things include 90% passing accuracy, a completed cross, a completed long ball (on two attempts), four key passes, and three shots. He only put one of those three on target though, and his reluctance to use his right foot remains a sticky wicket in his game offensively — although he did take one of his shots with his right. Still, had Angulo’s finishing been better, he likely would have picked up an assist and he still found ways to be involved when he wasn’t at his best.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — Like Facu, Duncan didn’t have his most potent offensive game. He only took one shot on the night and had it blocked, and also committed one foul. That being said, he made two tackles, drew two fouls, and played three key passes, while passing with 83% accuracy and winning one aerial duel. He hasn’t been as offensively involved as he’s capable of in the playoffs to this point, but that just means that he’s due for a big game.

Substitutes

MF, Junior Urso (68’), 6 — Urso entered the fray to replace Angulo with just over 20 minutes left in the game. He didn’t record any defensive stats but was pretty active on offense during his short time on the field. He passed with 95% accuracy, took two shots, both of which were off target, and completed a pair of dribbles. One of those dribbles was a fantastic run through the Nashville defense, and only a last-gasp challenge by Sean Davis prevented what almost certainly would have been a goal for The Bear. Overall, it was a nice body of work in a brief appearance.

MF, Martin Ojeda (68’), 6 — Ojeda subbed on for Mauricio Pereyra and helped to close the game out while still giving Orlando some threat going forward. He took two shots, one of which was a positively wicked drive from distance that Joe Willis was able to fight off, but he didn’t record any other stats besides his 84% passing accuracy.

D, Kyle Smith (72′), 6 — Smith is so often Mr. Reliable for this team, and that’s what he was in a brief substitute appearance. He passed at an 80% clip and chipped in with one tackle, but a lot of the work that he did to help close the game down and run out the clock won’t show up on the box score, and he didn’t put a foot wrong.

D, Antonio Carlos (80′), N/A — Carlos was brought on with 10 minutes left to play as Oscar Pareja moved to a back five to shut up shop and secure the result. He won two aerial duels but didn’t record any other stats as he helped provide a steady presence at the back to see out the game. His presence also allowed Schlegel to range out and provide help in the defensive midfield or out wide to the left, preventing Nashville from creating much in the dying minutes.

F, Ramiro Enrique (80′), N/A — Ramiro came on for Duncan McGuire to provide a speedy release valve up front as the Lions went more defensive to end the game. He connected on two of his three passes for 66% accuracy, provided a key pass, won an aerial duel, and drew a foul while committing one of his own.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this game. It might not have been the flashiest win either statistically or on the scoreboard, but it was a game that Orlando was in pretty comfortable control of from start to finish. How did you see the performances in this one? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and to vote for your Man of the Match. Vamos Orlando!

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2025 Orlando City Season in Review: Luis Muriel

The Colombian forward showed more quality in his second season in Orlando, but his form faded down the stretch.

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6 hours ago

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November 8, 2025

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Image of Luis Muriel dribbling up the field against Charlotte.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Colombian forward Luis Muriel as a Designated Player on a three-year contract through 2026 on Feb. 15, 2024. Muriel had some growing pains in adjusting to his new surroundings during his first season in Orlando, showing glimpses of the player fans thought the club was getting from Italian Serie A side Atalanta, but never really seizing a starting position with the club or showing enough consistency to be relied upon as an offensive threat.

His five goals and seven assists in 33 appearances (14 starts) during his first year in purple were not exactly the DP-level numbers anyone expected, but he was part of a good Orlando side that finished in the top four in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference semifinal in the playoffs. With a full season in the league behind him, it was reasonable to expect more from the crafty attacking player in his sophomore season in the City Beautiful.

His season started off brightly enough and he seemed to hit his stride in August, when he scored five goals over two matches, but Muriel’s performance tailed off at the end of the season. He was by no means the only Lion who seemed to run out of steam in the final two months of the year, but the drop-off in his scoring was partly responsible for Orlando’s tumble from fourth to ninth in the final standings.

Let’s take a look back at Muriel’s second season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Muriel played in all four of the Lions’ competitions in 2025. He again appeared in 33 of Orlando City’s 34 regular-season games, but he started 25 times during his second year as a Lion, nearly doubling his total from the previous season, and played a total of 2,114 minutes — an increase of 532 minutes year over year. The 34-year-old scored nine goals and added nine assists. It was reasonable to expect double digits in both columns as he entered September needing just one goal and three assists to reach those totals, but he notched only two assists without a goal after Aug. 23. Muriel completed 72% of his 653 passes in 2025 — a surprising drop from his 81% passing in 2024 on three fewer attempts (despite playing 500+ more minutes), but he increased his number of key passes from 37 a year ago to 42 in 2025, with 13 successful crosses and 14 completed long balls. Defensively, Muriel chipped in 32 tackles, four interceptions, and a blocked shot. He committed 26 fouls, suffered 22, received one yellow card and was sent off once with a straight red.

The veteran attacker came off the bench in Orlando City’s playoff match against the Chicago Fire, playing 21 minutes without a goal contribution, a key pass, or a shot attempt, completing 71% of his 14 passes, although he was accurate on his one long ball. Muriel did not record any defensive stats in the match, did not commit a foul, and was not fouled or booked.

In the club’s U.S. Open Cup run, Muriel appeared in one match off the bench — the Lions’ 3-2 home loss to Nashville on May 21 — playing 29 minutes. He did not contribute to a goal, creating one scoring chance on 64% passing (7/11) with an accurate cross on his lone attempt. On the defensive end, Muriel contributed two clearances. He committed one foul and drew one on Nashville and was not booked in the match.

Muriel made appearances in all six of Orlando City’s 2025 Leagues Cup matches, starting the last four and playing 310 minutes in the competition. He scored three goals and added one assist in the Lions’ Leagues Cup run, putting five of his seven shots on frame. Muriel completed 71.7% of his 99 passes in the tournament with six key passes and one successful cross on three attempts. Defensively, he contributed seven tackles, three clearances, and one block. Muriel committed two fouls, suffered one, and was not booked in the competition.

Best Game

It’s hard not to select Muriel’s first-half hat trick in Orlando City’s 5-1 Leagues Cup win over Necaxa on Aug. 6. It was just the fourth hat trick in the club’s MLS era, joining Martin Ojeda’s from earlier in the season and the two Cyle Larin scored in 2015. However, that was a comfortable win for the Lions and it’s likely Orlando would have won big with a different player in that spot.

Where I think Muriel made a difference in the outcome of the match was his next appearance for the club, City’s 4-1 home win over Inter Miami on Aug. 10. Muriel picked up where he left off against Necaxa, scoring just two minutes into the match on his way to a brace, adding an assist as the Lions swept their Tropic Thunder rivals from South Florida. His first goal of the game was one of Orlando’s best team goals of the season, with Muriel taking a pass from Alex Freeman that Ojeda allowed to go through his legs. Muriel and Ojeda then worked a beautifully timed give-and-go before the Colombian held off a defender and slotted past Oscar Ustari to open the scoring.

After Miami had tied the game, Muriel untied it in the 50th minute. Accepting a short corner from Ojeda, Muriel made a sweet move at the end line to get around a well-positioned defender and then fired a shot from a tight angle that Ustari couldn’t handle, restoring Orlando’s lead.

After scoring Orlando’s first two goals himself, Muriel turned playmaker on the third, sending Ojeda down the right side. Ojeda used his defender as a screen and blasted a shot just inside the near post to make it 3-1.

Muriel came within inches of scoring hat tricks in consecutive games, and the one that didn’t go in would have been a dandy. The Colombian volleyed a poor Ustari clearance toward goal from near midfield in the 20th minute. The shot sliced to the right and hit off the post, denying him consecutive hat tricks. However, it was still his best overall performance of the season. He put four of his five shots on target — his only off-target attempt hitting the post — passed at an 81.3%, created three scoring chances for his teammates, and finished with goal contributions on three of Orlando’s four against the team’s most bitter rival. For his efforts, our Sean Rollins correctly named him Man of the Match in our Player Grades post for the game.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded Muriel a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for his 2025 season. This is half a point higher than his 2024 rating of 6. There’s no doubt that Muriel took a step forward in 2025, and he was a dominant player a few times. In August, he was playing his best soccer and it looked like Orlando City might even make a run at the Supporters’ Shield. However, like a few others, Muriel tailed off. Unlike those others, he faded more dramatically down the stretch, earning just a 4.5 rating in three of his last six matches of the year. While the back-to-back games in which he totaled five goals and an assist was perhaps an unsustainable level of form, he largely lived up to the expectations that come with his Designated Player tag up to that point in the season. After August, he hardly played at the level one might expect of a TAM player. Again, he wasn’t the only one who slipped in form, but the team didn’t look as dangerous with him as it did without him over the final six weeks of the season, which prevented a higher grade.

2026 Outlook

Muriel is under contract for one more season, but it might be in the club’s best interests to try to transfer him out before that deal expires. At 34, Muriel’s best years are behind him, and although he was downright lethal at times in 2025, Orlando City might better be served by freeing up that Designated Player slot and using it on someone who can more consistently provide the game-changing plays that the club needs from its DPs. Ojeda and Marco Pasalic (if the latter doesn’t transfer out with reported interest from the Bundesliga) both scored more goals than Muriel and lived up to DP expectations more consistently despite making far less money than Muriel’s $2.5 million base salary and $4 million guaranteed total compensation.

He showed what he can do when he’s at his best, and when he’s at that level, he’s worth being the club’s most expensive player. But if Muriel returns for 2026, the Lions will need him to maintain his form and his consistency during the critical final weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. Otherwise, that is money that could be better spent.

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2025 Orlando City Season in Review: Duncan McGuire

The MLS SuperDraft pick was limited by injuries during his third year in purple.

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1 day ago

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November 7, 2025

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Image of Duncan McGuire celebrating his winning goal against Nashville SC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City chose Duncan McGuire with the sixth overall selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He then spent his rookie year locking down the starting striker position and played well enough to get a contract offer from Blackburn Rovers, only for the deal to never materialize due to some issues with the paperwork.

Blackburn’s loss was Orlando City’s gain during the 2024 season, as McGuire contributed 10 goals and three assists to the cause, and earned a new contract in the process. He suffered a shoulder injury in the playoffs that required off-season surgery, meaning that he started the 2025 season on the sidelines as he worked his way back to full fitness. Unfortunately, he then had another shoulder surgery in June of this year, which kept him out until late August.

Let’s take a look at Big Dunc’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

McGuire made 18 regular-season appearances for Orlando in 2025, with six of them coming as a starter, and accumulated 726 minutes on the field. That limited time in action meant that his numbers took an understandable dip, and he finished with three goals and two assists. He attempted 19 shots and put five of them on target. The big striker passed the ball with 72% accuracy while completing 19 key passes, one cross, and one long ball. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and 13 clearances. He also committed eight fouls while suffering 12 and picked up one yellow card.

McGuire started the wild card game up top alongside Martin Ojeda in a 4-4-2, and went the full 90 minutes. He took one shot, which he put on target, and passed the ball with 75% accuracy while also completing one key pass. Defensively, he contributed one clearance and drew one foul.

He appeared in both of Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup matches as a substitute, compiling 51 minutes on the field. He scored one goal, which came in the 5-0 rout of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and took two shots (one on target). He contributed one interception and passed with 94.5% accuracy. McGuire committed one foul and was not booked.

The striker made two substitute appearances in Orlando’s Leagues Cup campaign and totaled 23 minutes of action. He took one shot, which was off target, and provided a key pass while distributing the ball with 83.5% accuracy. He contributed one clearance but did not record any other defensive stats.

Best Game

McGuire got his first league goal of the season in a 1-0 home win over the Portland Timbers on May 24. The big forward started up top alongside Luis Muriel and was withdrawn in the 67th minute after smashing a 39th-minute game winner past Maxime Crepeau with authority.

Aside from the goal, McGuire took two shots on the night (one on target), completed one dribble, and passed with 77.8% accuracy while delivering a key pass. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and one clearance.

That performance earned him a grade of 7.5 out of 10 from our Nic Josey in his Player Grades piece, and he narrowly missed out on the Man of the Match award to Eduard Atuesta, who also earned a score of 7.5.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded McGuire a composite grade of 6 out of 10 for the 2025 season, which is a point lower than he earned in 2024, and a point-and-a-half lower than 2023. That being said, context is very important here, as McGuire played almost 900 fewer regular-season minutes than he did in the Lions’ previous campaign. While some of that can be attributed to Luis Muriel keeping him out of the team during a hot start to the campaign, the two months he spent recovering from injury are an extenuating circumstance that can and should be considered.

2026 Outlook

We know that McGuire is under contract with the club through the 2027 season, so barring a sale or trade, he will be in an Orlando City uniform next season. As things currently stand, the striker position isn’t very deep following the departure of Ramiro Enrique, and it could get even shallower if the front office decides to move on from Muriel. The club will presumably target attacking help during the off-season, but McGuire is a known quantity to Oscar Pareja and has shown himself to be capable of scoring goals across multiple seasons, so he figures to have a role to play in the team’s plans at striker.

The biggest question with Duncan right now is whether or not he can stay healthy. Having labral repairs in both shoulders inside a calendar year isn’t exactly a common occurrence, but it’s still never good for a guy to spend that much time on the shelf. He’s been able to score when he’s getting consistent minutes on the field, and that’s the key for him next year. Stay healthy and available, and the goals will likely come.

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Lion Links: 11/7/25

Alex Freeman called up, Orlando Pride host Seattle tonight, Pride players nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s 11, and more.

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1 day ago

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November 7, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Not only is it Friday, but it’s also game day! The Orlando Pride’s playoff campaign kicks off tonight and I’m a bundle of nerves and excitement. If you’re headed to the stadium for tonight’s game, make sure to stay warm and hydrated. Have fun too! Let’s get to the links.

Alex Freeman Called Up for Friendlies

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was one of 25 players called up by United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino for friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay this month. Freeman has made 11 appearances for the USMNT this year, but we’ll see how much action he sees with both Sergino Dest and Joe Scally returning to the fold. Giovanni Reyna is also back with the team, while Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah are a few of the notable omissions. The USMNT will take on Paraguay in Pennsylvania on Nov. 15 before coming to Florida for a friendly against Uruguay in Tampa on Nov. 18.

NWSL Playoffs Kick Off Tonight

The Orlando Pride host the Seattle Reign at 8 p.m. tonight in the first game of this year’s NWSL playoffs. Although the Kansas City Current are the favorites heading into the postseason, any team can make a run at lifting the trophy. The defending champion Pride enter tonight’s game on a five-game unbeaten run with some needed momentum for a tough match against a Reign side that has found results despite struggling to create chances this year. Orlando will need to be at its best this month in order to win it all for the second year in a row.

Pride Players Nominated for FIFA Awards

The Pride’s Barbra Banda, Marta, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse were all nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s 11, which honors the top performers in the world from Aug. 11 of 2024 to Aug. 2 of this year. The Pride had a historic season last year, with Banda, Marta, and Sams all being named to the 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines is nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach as well, while Moorhouse is also nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper. Make sure to vote!

Bradley Carnell Named MLS Coach of the Year

Speaking of awards, Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell was announced as the winner of the 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Award. In Carnell’s first year as head coach, the Union won a club-record 20 games this season and won the Supporters’ Shield. Philadelphia’s defense conceded just 35 goals this season and the team only lost once at home. Carnell garnered 37.78% of the total vote to win the award, with Vancouver Whitecaps Head Coach Jesper Sorensen coming in second with 26.53% and San Diego FC Head Coach Mikey Varas finishing third with 19.82%.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City defender David Brekalo was called up for Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden this month. Slovenia is third in the group and will need a win against Kosovo on Nov. 15 to remain in contention to qualify.

That’s all I have for you all this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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