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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions rate in Orlando City’s 2-0 defeat in the conference semifinal against the Crew?

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It is with a heavy heart that I bring to you the final player grades article of the season. After an outstanding regular season, the best by any margin in team history, the Lions fell 2-0 to the Crew in front of a sold-out Exploria Stadium, exiting the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs in the conference semifinal round. There were individual moments of strong technique but ultimately finding the back of the net which had plagued Orlando City at various times throughout the year turned out to be the difference between joy and sorrow.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in the last match of the 2023 season.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 (MotM) — It’s not often you give a good score and Man of the Match honors to the losing goalkeeper, but without several herculean saves by El Pulpo, the match may very well have never made it to extra time in the first place. For the vast majority of the match, his positioning was spot on, and he did well coming off of his line to win several balls from Crew corner kicks. The first goal was a bouncer through the six yard line across his box and while he initially got a touch on it, the rebound unfortunately was too close to the onrushing Christian Ramirez, who was able to get just enough of it to bundle it home. For the second goal, Gallese was about as far off his line as a keeper could be, but to no fault of his own. The minutes were winding down and with City down a man and a goal, the Lions had to push numbers forward and use him as a sweeper. Gallese’s distribution could have been better, as he passed at a 67.6% rate and only completed eight of his 20 long balls. He also recorded a clearance and was credited with five saves on the evening.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — This game seemed like a bit of a mixed bag for the young Brazilian defender. He got forward and tried to build the attack with either Ivan Angulo or Facundo Torres but his crosses more often than not sailed over heads and were far from threatening. Defensively, he was sound, nothing flashy, but put in a decent shift. He was 0-for-5 on crossing accuracy and just one of his seven long balls found its target. His passing rate was 71.4%. Defensively, he contributed two interceptions, two clearances and a tackle.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson put in the type of performance that Orlando City fans have grown to expect match in and match out. That is not to say that it was a perfect performance as the Beefy Swede found himself out of position a few times which luckily amounted to nothing from the Columbus attack. Jansson passed well at 87% and 10 of his 17 long balls were accurate. Jansson led the team in touches (90) and total passes attempted (77) which probably goes a long way to speak to how the game was played from the Orlando perspective. Defensively, he recorded two tackles and three clearances and three blocked shots. Jansson was also credited with one shot, which was not on target and suffered one foul while not committing any.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — Schlegel went full Schlegel in this one and you never want to go full Schlegel. The center back, who had been a staple of the starting 11 throughout the second half of the season, got the nod once again next to Jansson after the extended time off during the international window. After picking up a yellow card in the 16th minute of the match, Schlegel did well not to draw another serious call for 61 minutes. The problem is that the match still had 13 minutes to go and Schlegel was shown a second yellow for dragging down Diego Rossi to prevent him from getting to a long ball. Prior to being sent off, Schlegel led the team in passing accuracy by completing 94.1% of his passes while completing one of his three long ball attempts, and he was credited with a key pass. Defensively, he led the team in clearances, with five, and logged one interception, one tackle, two aerials won, and two blocked shots.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — I am not sure what the Icelandic national did prior to the match to the referee but it seemed clear that the two were not fans of one another and probably won’t be following each other on Myspace any time soon. Thorhallsson grew into the fullback role quite well throughout the season and had what could be his best defensive moment of the year, when he broke into a full sprint to catch up and deflect a breakaway opportunity. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, a blocked shot, and three clearances. He passed at a 79.3% rate, and he was successful on one of two crosses and two of six long balls. He was shown a yellow in the 104th minute for subtly disagreeing with a foul call that went against him.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — It was another solid night from the Uruguayan who was tasked with silencing both Rossi and Cucho Hernandez. His passing was a solid 88.9%, including a perfect three for three on long ball attempts, and he recorded one shot which was off target. The defensive midfielder recorded a team-high six tackles and one blocked shot. Araujo committed four fouls on the night and was issued a yellow in the 71st minute for persistent infringements. He was partly responsible for the Crew’s opening goal by not getting rid of the ball, but to be fair to the Uruguayan, he appeared to get caught for a foul that wasn’t given on the turnover that led to Ramirez’s goal.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — The second part of the Lions dynamic defensive midfield duo failed to leave as much of a mark against Columbus as he did against Nashville. Cartagena passed at an 85.7% clip, contributing a key pass and completing four of his five long balls. He recorded one interception and one blocked shot while committing a team-high five fouls. Oscar Pareja, perhaps afraid of going a man down if Cartagena picked up a second yellow, sacrificed him in the 62nd minute to send more fire power onto the pitch by introducing Designated Player Martin Ojeda.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo got into several dangerous places throughout the night using his speed as a weapon but failed to connect the dots when he could have put City on the front foot and in the lead. Despite getting a clear-cut breakaway, Angulo was not credited with a shot. He passed at a 90.9% rate, which was the best percentage of all midfielders. He was credited with one key pass, setting up an early chance for Facundo Torres, and did not attempt a cross or long ball. Defensively, he chipped in with two tackles. Angulo was subbed off in the 82nd minute as the Lions looked to shore up their defensive shape after going a man down.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — The captain was unspectacular throughout much of his time on the pitch, especially in the first half, when it seemed like Columbus was running free through a large expanse of the Orlando midfield. Offensively, he did not attempt a shot and completed 78.1% of his passes. He was unsuccessful on his lone crossing attempt, completed two of his three long balls and was credited with a key pass. Pereyra won two aerial duels. He chipped in one interception while committing two fouls and drawing two as well. Pereyra came off in the 72nd minute for Junior Urso.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres had the best early chance to put Orlando ahead in what was otherwise an ugly first half when he recieved a pass from Angulo and then peppered the ball just a few inches above the crossbar. He nearly set up a game-winning goal for Martin Ojeda, but his fellow DP just missed the net deep in stoppage time. Facu contributed two shots, which were both off target, and recorded two key passes while passing at an 82.6% rate, completing two of his three long balls. He won an aerial duel and was fouled once. Defensively, he contributed two tackles and one clearance.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — The breakout star from the 2023 campaign failed to leave much of a mark on the final game of the year. In a win-or-go-home scenario, one shot which failed to even fall on frame doesn’t cut it. His passing rate of 66.7% was lowest out of the starters and he only won one aerial duel. He did manage to draw three fouls and contributed one tackle and once clearance. McGuire was subbed off in the 71st minute for Ramiro Enrique. His next task will potentially be the toughest of his young career…proving that a 13-goal, three-assist year was no fluke once the calendar turns to 2024.

Substitutes

MF, Martin Ojeda (62′), 6 — Orlando City fans will be left wondering what could have been as the DP super sub took a great through ball from Torres in stoppage time and shot it just wide of the corner post. Ojeda passed at a 68.8% rate and despite coming on as a substitute was credited with a team-high three key passes. Ojeda completed three of six crosses and one of three long balls. Defensively, he contributed one interception.

F, Ramiro Enrique (71′), 6.5 — Arguably the most potent of the substitutes, Enrique was brought on as fresh legs in an attempt to unlock the over-the-top game. Both of his shot attempts were on target (which now that I realize it, is the first time that I am writing that tonight) and he won four aerial duels. He completed 50% of his 10 passes and was not accurate on his lone crossing attempt. If not for some outstanding goalkeeping, Enrique may have once again been the sparkplug that Orlando desperately needed. On defense, the forward contributed one tackle and two clearances.

MF, Junior Urso (72′), 6 — The bear subbed on for the captain with a little less than 20 minutes to go in the match but wound up playing for nearly a full hour when extra time was taken into account. He demonstrated strong ball control and did well in his time on the pitch. He passed a a 79% success rate and was credited with a key pass, which should have unlocked god-tier Kyle Smith if not for an outstanding save from the Crew keeper. Urso was unsuccessful on both of his crossing attempts and on defense was credited with a lone tackle.

D, Antonio Carlos (82′), 6.5 — AC came onto the pitch with Orlando down a man, looking to desperately force the game into extra time, and he helped accomplish just that. Carlos completed 76.7% of his passes, including two out of four long ball attempts. Offensively, Carlos logged two shots, both which missed the target, and was fouled twice. Defensively, the Brazilian added two interceptions and two timely clearances while winning a team-high five aerial duels.

D, Kyle Smith (82′), 5.5 — The American defender had a terrific chance to bring Orlando level and hit a shot after a brilliant run with pace in the 100th minute. Unfortunately, Patrick Schulte was able to make the save to keep Columbus ahead. On the defensive side, Smith was caught up in the play which led to the first goal of the match, as he was just a step slow at being able to poke the ball out of bounds for a Crew corner kick instead of a Crew goal. He completed 84% of his passes in a little over 40 minutes of action but failed to connect on either of his two crossing attempts and only completed one of his four long balls. Defensively, Smith recorded one tackle and one clearance.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Saturday night as Orlando City was eliminated at the hands of the Columbus Crew. Let me know what I got right and wrong in your opinion. Be sure to vote for your Man of the Match in our poll below and provide your thoughts in the comments section.

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s road loss to the New England Revolution?

Published

14 hours ago

on

September 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was minutes away from drawing the New England Revolution Saturday night, which would’ve been a big point in the Lions’ quest for the postseason. But two second-half injury-time goals saw that point dissipate. Instead, they followed their U.S. Open Cup semifinal defeat with a crushing 4-2 loss.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players fared in the disappointing result.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 5 — None of the four goals were specifically Crepeau’s fault, with one being a deflection and the other three coming from poor defense. But the goalkeeper’s four goals conceded matched his number of saves. It can also be argued he should’ve come out earlier on some of the goals to cut down the attacker’s angle. In addition to his four goals conceded and four saves, he ended the game with 39 touches and completed 74.1% of his 27 passes, including seven of his 14 long balls.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 5.5 — The teenager got the start at left back in this game, touching the ball 58 times. He completed 83.3% of his 42 passes, but neither of his two long balls nor his lone cross. Defensively, Rhein recorded a tackle and a blocked shot before being replaced in the 77th minute by Harvey Sarajian in an attacking change.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The Orlando City captain had 65 touches in this game and completed 98.1% of his 53 passes, including three of his four long balls. Defensively, he had an interception, a team-high six clearances, and an aerial duel won. But his age showed as he was unable to keep up with the counterattacks the other way. While it wasn’t a bad game for Jansson, I can’t give a higher grade to a key component of a back line that conceded four times.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Jansson’s center back partner had 52 touches and completed 95% of his 40 passes, including one of his two long balls. He took one shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, Brekalo recorded a tackle and six clearances, and won two aerial balls. Similar to Jansson, Brekalo wasn’t necessarily bad, but was part of a center back pairing that helped concede four goals.

D, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo started this game at right back and moved to left wing and left back as the game progressed. As you would expect, the Colombian pushed forward quite a bit. He ended the game with 69 touches and completed 81.3% of his 48 passes, including one of his three long balls. His most impactful play came in the 62nd minute, when he shielded his defender to tuck away the Lions’ first goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1. That was his lone shot of the night. Defensively, he added five tackles and two interceptions, providing one of the team’s best performances.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 5 — In the team’s third game in eight days, Spicer got the start in the midfield. He touched the ball 20 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 passes, including his lone long ball. Other than that, he did little offensively before being replaced by Zakaria Taifi at halftime, allowing Angulo to go forward. Defensively, he added a tackle and an interception, but the Lions could’ve used much more from the speedster.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet once again was in the lineup for the Lions, playing his typical defensive midfield role. The Frenchman had a team-high 72 touches and completed 98.5% of his 67 passes, including two key passes and both of his long balls. The midfielder’s only shot was blocked, but it bounced off Peyton Miller’s hand for a penalty. He also contributed defensively with a tackle and an interception. Gerbet was replaced by Tiago in second-half stoppage time to bring on an attacker after the team fell behind again.

MF, Luis Otavio, 5.5 — The quick turnaround gave Otavio a chance to start, though he only played 45 minutes. The Brazilian had 21 touches and completed 94.1% of his 17 passes, including one of his two long balls. He didn’t contribute any shots in the attack and only recorded a clearance defensively in what was a rather forgettable performance. His night ended at halftime when he was taken off for regular starter Eduard Atuesta.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — With Antoine Griezmann injured, Pasalic got a rare start. He touched the ball 35 times and completed 91.7% of his 24 passes, including one of his two long balls. The attacking midfielder took two shots and put one on target. Defensively, he recorded two tackles and a clearance before being replaced by Daryl Dike in the 71st minute.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6 (MotM) — Ojeda is starting to look more like his old self since returning from injury and was the primary attacker for the Lions in this game. The Argentinian had 59 touches and completed 79.6% of his 44 passes, including a key pass, two of his three long balls, and two of his four crosses. He also put two of his three shots on target. Ojeda was instrumental in the attacking movement that ended with Angulo’s goal, working a give-and-go straight up the middle with Justin Ellis. In the 88th minute, he converted the game-tying penalty, keeping his record from the spot perfect and pulling him to within one goal of Facundo Torres for the club record. He was the best player for me and earned my Man of the Match.

F, Justin Ellis, 5.5 — Ellis was active in this game, touching the ball 67 times and completing 76.1% of his 46 passes, including one of his two long balls and one of his two crosses. His only shot was off target. The forward added two tackles in his last game before heading out on international duty.

Substitutes

D, Zakaria Taifi, 5.5 (45’) — Taifi came on at halftime for Spicer, allowing Angulo to move forward into his natural position. The Homegrown Player had 24 touches in his 45 minutes while completing 85.7% of his 14 passes. He had three key passes, completed his lone cross, and didn’t complete either of his two long balls. The defender didn’t do anything else offensively, but added a tackle and a clearance.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 (45’) — A regular starter, Atuesta got the first half off before coming on for Otavio. The Colombian touched the ball 41 times and completed 94.1% of his 34 passes, including a key pass and two of his three long balls, but neither of his two crosses. Additionally, his only shot was on target. Defensivley, Atuesta didn’t record any statistics.

F, Daryl Dike, 4.5 (71’) — Dike came on for Pasalic in the 71st minue with the Lions looking for a goal. It was another disappointing performance for the striker, who only had six touches and completed two of his four passes. Despite coming on to score, his only shot was off target and he didn’t contribute anything defensively.

F, Harvey Sarajian, 5 (77’) — Sarajian came on for Rhein in the 77th minute, another move aimed towards finding an equalizer. The rookie had seven touches in 13 minutes while completing 83.3% of his six passes. Sarajian also didn’t contribute much in this game, failing to take a shot or build an attack.

MF, Tiago, N/A (90+5’) — Tiago came on in the dying minutes for Gerbet after Orlando CIty fell behind again. The attacker only recorded three touches, completed his lone pass, and drew a foul in his brief stint on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this disappointing loss. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/21/26

All of Orlando’s soccer teams lose, Lions unveil Vinicius Nogueira, and more.

Published

17 hours ago

on

September 21, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda playing the ball against Inter Miami.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Cori Dyke, who turned 26 on Sunday, and a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Bernardo Rhein, who turns 19 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Concede Two Late Goals in Loss at New England

Orlando City fell 4-2 to the New England Revolution on the road on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, conceding twice in stoppage time to drop a point. After trailing 2-0, the Lions came back with second-half goals from Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda, with the latter from the penalty spot just before the 90 minutes were up. However, in stoppage time, the Lions imploded, with Peyton Miller and Carles Gil closing out the night with two goals each for the Revolution. The loss snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten streak in league play, and the Lions left Foxborough with no points instead of at least one. Orlando City will be back on the road for its next match on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.

Lions Unveil Vinicius Nogueira

Orlando City unveiled left back Vinicius Nogueira on Friday with a photo shoot at Inter.co Stadium.

The Lions signed Nogueira on Aug. 27 on loan from Bulgarian First League side PFC Ludogorets through the end of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, with an option to make the move permanent. The 24-year-old Brazilian was on the bench during Orlando City’s match against the New England Revolution on Saturday but did not play.

Pride Fall at home to Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride lost 4-1 to the Portland Thorns on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, and while the team is still mathematically alive for the postseason, the home defeat made things even more of a longshot than they were. The Pride started slowly and were down 2-0 before Ally Lemos pulled one back in the first half. Orlando missed several scoring chances, and in the second half, Portland scored two goals to put the match away. Orlando will travel to the West Coast to take on Bay FC on Sunday.

OCB Falls to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day

Orlando City B lost 4-2 to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day Sunday at Osceola County Stadium, falling all the way to 10th and out of the playoff places. Atlanta struck first early before Issah Haruna tied it up for the Young Lions. However, Atlanta got an own goal when Tristan Himes punched a set piece deliver in off Harvey Sarajian to retake the lead, and Ignacio Saurez-Couri added another to make it 3-1. Justin Hylton scored for OCB to cut the deficit to one before halftime. In the second half, Dominik Chong-Qui scored the final goal to secure Atlanta’s win. For the Young Lions, the season ends in disappointment again, missing the MLS NEXT Pro postseason for the second straight season.

Free Kicks

  • Just two days after Gabi Nunes and the Orlando Pride mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nunes signed with Liga F side Atletico de Madrid Femenino on Friday.
  • New York City FC is reportedly signing defender Matt Miazga after he was waived by FC Cincinnati earlier this month.

🇺🇸 BREAKING: NYCFC set to sign center back Matt Miazga, per sources.- Miazga waived by FC Cincinnati earlier this month- Miazga, 31, is former MLS Defender of the Year. Boosts defensive options for NYCFC down the stretchwww.nytimes.com/athletic/760…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-09-18T13:17:04.926Z

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 4-2 loss in New England.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 20, 2026

By

Image of Marco Pasalic on the ball against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City seemed in position to come away with a point on the road against a good New England squad, but the Lions fell apart in stoppage time, giving up two goals in the final minutes and losing 4-2.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Crépeau Caught Out

Maxime Crépeau was beaten over his head for the only goal of the first half, and initially it looked like he had somehow been chipped from just outside of the box. The play-by-play announcer, who the less is said about the better, indicated that Carles Gil had scored a dipping wondergoal, but after watching the replay, the ball clearly deflected off of David Brekalo and wrong-footed Crépeau. The Canadian perhaps was a foot or two too far off his line regardless, but we will never know if he was well-positioned for the original attempt, since once the ball was deflected, everything changed. The Lions ended up shipping four goals to the Revolution, but of all four, this goal was the one that Crépeau could have done the least about, and it left the Lions down 1-0 for the second straight game.

Speed Kills

This axiom reared its ugly head once again, as New England’s Peyton Miller outran everyone wearing Orlando City gold to score two times on Saturday night. On the first goal, he burst down the left side of the field, and on the second, he went down the right side. On each shot, he beat Crépeau by keeping his shot low toward the opposite side of the goal, placing it well. Orlando City’s fullbacks have decent speed, but the center backs do not, and when the fullbacks get caught up the field, as Zakaria Taifi was on the first goal and Iván Angulo was on the second, the defense is often in serious trouble. Earlier in the game, Angulo was able to use his own speed to beat his man to a loose ball in the box and score in his third consecutive MLS game, but when stoppage time arrived, he looked exhausted and Miller did not, and without any other top-end speed on the field for the Lions, they were punished for their inability to recover quickly enough.

Hey, a Call Went Orlando’s Way

VAR is the name for the video assistant referee. It is also often a three-letter acronym that feels like a four-letter word when it comes to Orlando City, but a call actually went the Lions’ way against New England, even though there were no angles on the broadcast that seemed to show that the referee made a clear and obvious error. The call in question was a handball by Miller, and the referee had to determine whether it was actually a handball and if it was in the box. Surprisingly, the decision went Orlando City’s way on both counts, and at least the “in the box” part appeared correct from the replays shown. Martín Ojeda stepped up and scored his 12th goal in MLS play by converting the ensuing penalty kick. Ojeda is now four for four on penalties this season, and those four goals put him into a tie with Kaká for the second most converted penalties in a single season.by a Lion. It was Ojeda’s second game in a row with a goal in all competitions, so that’s at least a good sign that Orlando’s No. 10 is finding his form.

The Wing(er)s Were Clipped

Martín Perelman went with Marco Pašalić and Tyrese Spicer on the wings to start, and both were mostly anonymous.. The most noteworthy aspect of Spicer’s performance was that the announcer on the broadcast thought that Spicy T was Canadian instead of from Trinidad & Tobago. And, while Pašalić played better in the second half than the first, he just looked out of sorts and like he did not fit with the offense. Harvey Sarajian came on in the second half but did not contribute a ton, and both Angulo and Justin Ellis played some minutes on the wings as well, with only Angulo finding much success. Griffin Dorsey’s back injury forced Angulo to play a lot of minutes as a defender instead of winger and Spicer to start instead of coming off the bench, and that combination was not a good one for the Lions.

No Griezmann, Yes Problem

Orlando City clawed back into a 2-2 tie late in the game, but its two goals came on a pass that was deflected right into Angulo’s path and a penalty kick. The offense did not look good, generating only 1.40 expected goals, and that includes the penalty kick which accounted for 0.77 of that 1.40 (55%). During the rest of the game, the Lions rarely looked threatening, taking fewer than 10 shots, completing 78 fewer passes in the opposition half, garnering 10 fewer touches in the opposition’s box, and just mostly looking disjointed and without a conductor to lead the offensive orchestra. This performance came after a similarly poor one during the portion of the game after Antoine Griezmann was forced off with an injury against Columbus in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, and if the Lions are to get back on a roll after consecutive losses, they need Griezmann to return to full health quickly.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s 4-2 road loss to New England. The Lions fought back to even the game but collapsed in stoppage time and now have a week to recover before a massive six-pointer against a red-hot Philadelphia team next week.

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

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