Orlando City went on the road Saturday and came away with a huge 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati. The three points secured a top-five spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, placing the Lions in a good position to get through the first round. It was a surprising result for the Lions, defeating a top-three team in the conference for the first time this season.

It was a strong performance by the squad, but some players were better than others. Let’s take a look at how the Lions performed individually in this win and issue some grades.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — This wasn’t the hardest game for Gallese, despite the number of shots he faced. FC Cincinnati put six shots on target, scoring once from long range. Gallese made five saves on the night, but most were right at him. However, he did make a nice stop late in the game, diving to his right and keeping the two-goal lead. In addition to his shot-stopping, Gallese completed 72% of his 25 passes, including eight of his 15 long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos’ 66 touches were second on the team in this game and he completed 82.1% of his team-high 56 passes, including three of seven long balls. Other than his passing, Santos wasn’t involved much offensively but had a team-high four tackles. He also added a clearance in a strong performance by the left back.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — As you might expect from the captain, Jansson was a rock on the back line for the Lions. His 65 touches were third most on the team and he completed 85.2% of his 54 passes, including eight of his 14 long balls. The center back stood strong defensively with two interceptions and a team-high seven clearances.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel’s been a liability at times this year, but he had one of his better games in this one. He had 43 touches and completed 84.9% of his 33 passes, including three of his seven long balls. His five clearances were second on the team behind Jansson and he added an interception in a strong performance.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith made his presence known early in this game with a wonderful ball to Enrique in the 10th minute for the first goal. He added a second assist in the 66th minute on the buildup that gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Statistically, Smith had 51 touches and completed 68.8% of his 32 passes, including a key pass, two of his three crosses, and one of his six long balls. Defensively, the right back had a tackle, clearance, and a team-high four interceptions before coming off for Mikey Halliday in the 81st minute.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena was excellent in the defensive midfield, touching the ball a team-high 73 times and completing 78.2% of his 55 passes, including three of his five long balls. The Peruvian was everywhere for the Lions defensively, recording a team-high four tackles, three interceptions, a clearance, and a blocked shot. Unfortunately, he got booked in the game and will miss the season finale.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Similar to Cartagena, Araujo had a solid performance against Cincinnati. The defensive midfielder touched the ball 65 times and completed 88.9% of his 45 passes, including one of his three long balls. Defensively, Araujo recorded three tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances. I lowered his grade a little because he was one of two players who didn’t close down Luciano Acosta in the 45th minute, enabling him to score Cincinnati’s lone goal.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo’s inclusion in the starting lineup was somewhat of a surprise after he was substituted at halftime against Philadelphia. However, he had a great game, scoring the team’s second goal and assisting on the third. He ended up with 46 touches and completed 83.9% of his 31 passes, including a key pass and his only long ball. His only shot was the goal and he helped defensively, recording a team-high four tackles. If there’s a knock on his game it was that he was a bit loose with the ball in his own half at times. The attacker came off for Felipe in the 81st minute.

MF, Luis Muriel, 6 — While he wasn’t as impactful as Wednesday night, Muriel had another strong performance in this game, starting in place of Martin Ojeda. He had 49 touches and completed 81.4% of his 43 passes, including a key pass and one of his five long balls. He didn’t take any shots in the game and added a tackle defensively before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro in the 73rd minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 5.5 — Torres had 58 touches in this game and completed 79.6% of his 44 passes, including a key pass. However, he didn’t connect on his cross or either of his two long balls. He had one shot that was on target and helped defensively with three tackles and an interception, but his failure to close down Acosta in the 45th minute contributed to Cincinnati’s goal.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 7.5 (MotM) — There’s no question who the Man of the Match was in this game, as Enrique had two goals and an assist, figuring in all three Orlando goals. He had 35 touches and completed 70.6% of his 17 passes, including a key pass. Three of his four shots were on target, and he netted a brace while doing well to tap the ball down for Angulo on the second goal. It was an excellent game for the striker — probably his best for the team.

Substitutes

MF, Nico Lodeiro (73’), 6 — Lodeiro came into the game in the 73rd minute for Muriel, providing some defensive support right after the Lions took a 3-1 lead. He touched the ball 18 times and completed 84.6% of his 13 passes, including a key pass. However, he didn’t complete his lone long ball. The midfielder also won a pair of tackles, helping his team to see out the win.

D, Michael Halliday (81’), N/A — Halliday came on in the 81st minute for Smith and didn’t do much. He only touched the ball three times and completed his only pass without adding any defensive statistics.

MF, Felipe (81’), N/A — Felipe wasn’t very involved after coming on for Angulo in the 81st minute, but did his job. He touched the ball nine times and completed 66.7% of his six passes, but his real contribution was defensively where the Brazilian had a tackle and clearance in the final minutes.

F, Jack Lynn (87’), N/A — Lynn came on for Enrique in the 87th minute, touching the ball 10 times and completing 66.7% of his six passes. He drew a foul but was dispossessed once in the final minutes of the game.

MF, Martin Ojeda (88’), N/A — Ojeda came on in the 88th minute for Torres to waste some time and see the game out. He touched the ball 10 times and completed 83.3% of his six passes. However, his only cross was incomplete.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances in the Lions’ 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and spent my birthday yesterday catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. For our clubs in action, Orlando City and the Orlando Pride won, while OCB lost over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Beat FC Cincinnati On the Road

Orlando City defeated FC Cincinnati 3-1 at TQL Stadium on Saturday. Ramiro Enrique scored early on, but FC Cincinnati equalized just before halftime. Ivan Angulo scored for Orlando in the second half, and Enrique added his second of the match to secure all three points for the Lions. It was Orlando’s third straight win and the team is fourth in the Eastern Conference table with 52 points. The Lions are off this weekend but will return to action on Oct. 19 at home against Atlanta United for their final game of the regular season.

Ramiro Enrique Up for Player of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Ramiro Enrique was nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday for his performance in Cincinnati.

Enrique scored two goals and also assisted on Angulo’s goal to lift the Lions to victory against one of the league’s best teams. The 23-year-old has scored in three of Orlando’s last four matches and has eight goals to his name this season. Other players in the running for MLS Player of the Matchday are Cucho Hernandez of the Columbus Crew, Simon Becher of St. Louis City SC, and Santiago Rodriguez of New York City FC.

Orlando Pride Win the NWSL Shield

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 2-0 at Inter&Co Stadium to clinch the NWSL. It’s the first trophy in club history and the Pride extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches as well. After a scoreless first half, Marta scored from the penalty spot to put the Pride in front and an own goal by defender Tara McKeown off a shot from Adriana gave the Pride a 2-0 lead to seal the win. Orlando is atop the NWSL table with 57 points and has a 10-point cushion over the Spirit with three games left this season. The Pride’s next match will be on the road against the Portland Thorns on Friday. Enjoy this moment of the Pride celebrating winning the NWSL Shield as their historic season continues.

Pride Players Named to NWSL Best XI of the Month

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, defender Emily Sams, and forward Marta were named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for September. This is the second time that Moorhouse has been named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month this season. She registered four clean sheets in five matches last month and made 18 saves as well. Moorhouse also set a new league record with 12 shutouts. Sams also made her second appearance on the NWSL Best XI of the Month. She played in all five matches, won five tackles, and had six interceptions in 450 minutes of play. It’s Marta’s first time on the NWSL Best XI this season, and she scored twice in September to keep Orlando’s offense rolling. All three played vital roles throughout the season to help the Pride keep their unbeaten streak alive.

OCB Falls to FC Cincinnati 2 On Decision Day

Orlando City B lost 3-1 to FC Cincinnati 2 at TQL Stadium on Sunday, falling short of clinching a home playoff match. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime before Alex Freeman pulled one back in the second half. Gerardo Valenzuela completed his hat trick to give Cincinnati its third goal and the win. With OCB’s defeat, Inter Miami CF II took the Southeast Division title, and OCB dropped from third to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. With the regular season over, the Young Lions will have to wait and see if Cincinnati, Philadelphia Union II, or Miami will choose them as their opponent in the first round of the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. If OCB isn’t chosen, it would travel to face Chicago Fire FC II, which finished fourth in the East.

Free Kicks

• Marta’s contract with the Pride expires at the end of the season, and she told The Athletic ($) she wants to continue playing professional soccer for at least two more seasons.

• USMNT and Borussia Dortmund winger Giovanni Reyna is dealing with a setback in his recovery from a groin injury suffered last month. There is currently no timetable for his return.
• Tanner Tessmann, Brandon Vazquez, and Alex Zendejas were called into camp for the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies against Panama and Mexico. Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, and Tim Weah have all withdrawn from the team due to injuries.
• Christian Pulisic scored another goal for AC Milan, as he found the back of the net in his team’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Serie A action. Pulisic has scored six goals across all competitions for Milan this season.

• Austin FC announced that the club has parted ways with its head coach, Josh Wolff.

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

Orlando City traveled to Ohio to take on third-place FC Cincinnati looking to maintain its fourth-place spot. Cincinnati had lost two straight coming into the match, and the Lions made it three in a row thanks to a 3-1 win on the road.

Here are my five takeaways from an impressive win against a top-three club.

The Accountant Makes it Count

FC Cincinnati was doing well in taking the game to Orlando City, though the Lions were getting the occasional foray into Cincy’s half. It was on one such push that Ramiro Enrique received the ball and passed it wide to Kyle Smith coming up the right. Smith, a Cincinnati native, decided to show his hometown that he was worthy of the start. He took one touch and then put in a curling cross back to Enrique, who did well on a difficult strike to give Orlando the early lead. Smith also added a secondary assist on Ivan Angulo’s goal in the second half.

PRO Gonna PRO

Referee Filip Dujic was less than great most of the night. There are some who will say he “let them play” without calling every little thing. I am of the mind that he let too much go. There were several card-worthy fouls that were not even called as fouls. It’s fortunate that he didn’t impact the match in a negative way for Orlando City. PRO Referees have done so in the past, so I was expecting it early on from Dujic. Thankfully, he didn’t.

Acosta Will Cost Ya

It turns out that the reigning MLS MVP is pretty good at soccer. Orlando was hoping to to get to halftime with the lead, but Acosta had a different idea. Like he has done so many times before, he struck an excellent shot from outside the box to beat Pedro Gallese. To be fair, Gallese had a couple of defenders in front of him, and had cheated a bit to his left, making it to difficult to go back to his right to make the save, but the Lions could have closed down the space better on that play.

Go On, Angulo

As of late, Ivan Angulo hasn’t been great. He hasn’t necessarily been bad, but not as good as we expect. Even in this match, he looked better, but not great. That changed in the 66th minute when he put the Lions back on top with a shot that squibbled — yes, I made up that word, but it’s the right word — past Roman Celentano and into the back of the net. Angulo wasn’t satisfied with just a goal, as he added an assist a mere six minutes later. FC Cincinnati defender Luca Orellano played a poorly weighted pass back to the keeper, allowing the speedy Angulo to take the ball and tap it over to Enrique for goal number three. It was a much better second half for Angulo.

Clinical Scoring

Orlando City has been scoring in bunches over the last seven matches. The Lions have scored 19 goals in that timeframe. The team was particularly clinical against Cincinnati. Orlando City took six shots, putting five on target and three in the back of the net. That is 83% of shots on target, and 50% scoring. If the Lions can be even half as efficient going forward, the playoffs could be pretty fun.

That is what I saw in the 3-1 victory. What were your biggest takeaways from the game? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!