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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions rate in a dramatic 3-2 win over the Union?

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2 years ago

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Image of Luis Muriel playing against Philadelphia.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Great googly moogly, that was the dictionary definition of a stressful game! Orlando City conceded yet another early goal, but scored three straight and hung on by the skin of its teeth to run out of Subaru Park 3-2 winners over the Philadelphia Union. Let’s take a look at how each individual Lion performed in a wildly eventful affair on the north bank of the Delaware River.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 β€”Β Gallese was left largely helpless on Philadelphia’s early goal, as the defenders in front of him allowed the ball to get into the box in a good shooting position. He made an excellent save from open play in each half, with the first keeping Philadelphia from doubling its lead, and the second stopping what would have been the equalizing goal. His best of the night was reserved as the clock ticked down though, as he saved Daniel Gazdag’s late penalty to preserve Orlando’s slim lead, getting revenge for Gazdag’s earlier tally from the spot. His 67% passing accuracy left a little to be desired, but he finished with four saves and ultimately preserved three big points for the good guys.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 β€” Jansson was his typically steady self during his time on the field. Like the rest of his partners in defense, he probably could have been quicker to close down on the Union’s first goal, but frankly no outfield Lion will want to watch that goal back, given the ease with which the whole team was carved open on the recycled ball in. Jansson’s final numbers include one block, six clearances, one tackle, three completed long balls on 11 attempts, 59% passing accuracy, and one aerial duel won. The big news though, was Jansson’s night ending early after suffering what looked to be a non-contact injury.

D, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 β€” Deployed as the middle center back of the 3-5-2, the Peruvian did pretty damn well considering the unfamiliar position in which he found himself. Like Jansson and the rest of the team, he didn’t cover himself in glory on the first goal, but he looked more comfortable afterwards. He recorded six clearances, two tackles, three blocks, two completed long balls on four tries, and a team-best 87% passing accuracy, while committing a foul. He also took two shots, one of which was off target and one that was blocked.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 β€” The Slovenian was the only true center back that OCSC finished the game with, and he put in a solid shift during this one. He provided the glue on the back line, and even found himself leading the break at one point in the second half. He totaled two interceptions, five clearances, one shot which was off target, and 68% passing accuracy while drawing one foul.

WB, Ivan Angulo, 6 β€” Angulo wasn’t as involved as he usually is offensively when the team lines up in a 4-2-3-1, he had to do a lot of tracking back as one of the wide midfielders/wingbacks. Still, he completed two dribbles and passed with 79% accuracy on the night, and committed one foul while not recording any defensive statistics. He was perhaps softly penalized for a foul at the back post that gave Philadelphia a chance to tie the game, but if his marking had been better then he wouldn’t have been in that position to begin with. His biggest contribution on the night was the hustle play that resulted in a steal in the attacking third that led to Luis Muriel’s first goal. Angulo got a secondary assist on the play, finding Nico Lodeiro, who in turn gave the ball to the Colombian for the strike.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 β€” Araujo was asked to provide the steel in midfield with Cartagena dropped deeper playing center back. He did just that and finished the game with one interception, one block, three clearances, a foul committed and a foul drawn, a yellow card, a completed dribble, and a passing accuracy of 96%. He didn’t do a lot of sexy things, but a lot of his dirty work went into the Lions getting the result in this one.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5 β€” It wasn’t Ojeda’s busiest night in an Orlando City shirt, but he kept the ball moving from his place in the middle of the park. Defensively, he committed two fouls and recorded two clearances, while going forward he took one shot, which was off target, completed two long balls (on two attempts) and two key passes, passed with 80% accuracy, and won an aerial duel. He was the man sacrificed for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson as Oscar Pareja tried to make his team more defensive to protect what was a 3-1 lead at the time.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 8 β€” It was a positively commanding performance from Lodeiro in midfield, as he assisted on all three of Orlando City’s goals. He didn’t have a ton to do with the second goal, but was directly responsible for creating the first and third by way of a great cross and an inch-perfect through ball, respectively. He was unlucky to be called for the handball that got Philly back into the game, as the flick happened from close range and there wasn’t much he could do about it. One of his three shots was off target, while the other two were blocked, and he passed with 87% accuracy, provided a team-high four key passes, had three assists, and completed two crosses, two long balls (on three attempts), and a through ball. On many other nights he would have been Man of the Match, and if he keeps turning in performances like that then he’ll surely have the award coming his way before too long.

WB/MF, Facundo Torres, 6 β€” As has been the case for much of this season, Facu struggled to really make his mark on the game. He was unlucky that the ball which found him in the fifth minute was just a little too far in front of him, and he could only hit the post while stretching for it. That was his last major involvement though, and while he wasn’t bad, he also wasn’t the talismanic force that we know he can be. Some of that likely had to do with extra defensive responsibilities, as he started the game at left wingback in the 3-5-2, moving into the attack in the 61st minute when Thorhallsson replaced Ojeda. Torres had two clearances and one off-target shot. He also drew three fouls, completed three long balls (out of four attempts), passed with 78% accuracy, and won four aerial duels, which might be the weirdest statistic of the night.

F, Luis Muriel, 8.5 (MotM) β€” This game was Muriel’s coming-out-party in a big way, and each of his goals were sublimely taken in their own right. The first showcased pure power and elite placement as he hit a howitzer with his left foot into the top corner at the far post from outside the box, while his second was all about the awareness to let the ball run across his body, a great touch to set himself up, and a cool and precise finish low into the side netting with his right foot. His night finished with three shots, two of which were on target, two goals, a game-high five completed dribbles, two tackles, two key passes, and 83% passing accuracy. He wasn’t as heavily involved in the second half as he was in the first, but every time the ball came to him while he was on the field, he was brimming with danger. It’s a well-deserved Man of the Match award, and hopefully the first of many.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 β€” McGuire got things going for the Lions with a well-taken header, but he also did a ton of dirty work when it came to hold-up play and giving Orlando a physical outlet to clear its lines. Like Muriel, he wasn’t quite as involved in the second half, but he ran his guts out for the full 108-ish minutes of play, and he constantly stretched the Union’s back line. Offensively, he put both of his shots on target, scored the aforementioned goal, completed 71% of his passes, provided two key passes, completed one cross and one long ball (on three attempts), and drew a foul. On defense, he recorded one clearance, one interception, and one foul committed, while winning four aerial duels.

Substitutes

WB, Dagur Dan Thorhallson (61′), 6 β€” The Icelandic midfielder was brought on for Ojeda and settled into the game nicely at right wingback. He didn’t record any offensive statistics, but finished with three clearances and a block, while committing one foul and accurately delivering 71% of his passes.

D, Kyle Smith (65′), 6.5 β€” Smith entered the fray for the injured Jansson, and delivered a steady performance in the Swede’s stead. The Accountant completed 75% of his passes, won two aerial duels, made one block, and was the third Lion to record six clearances. Depending on how Pareja decides to line up in the future, Smith is a guy we may be seeing a lot more of going forward.

MF, Felipe (85′), N/A β€” Brought on in the dying minutes of regulation, Felipe didn’t get enough time to earn a fair grade. He also didn’t stuff the stat sheet, as he completed one long ball on his lone attempt, accurately delivered both of his two passes, and made one clearance. I couldn’t help but laugh at the timing of his substitution, as it came almost immediately after Damion Lowe started to get hot under the collar, and it almost seemed as if Pareja jumped at the chance to send on the Lions’ resident shithouser. He did his job and helped see the game out.

What did you think of the individual performances from this wild win up in Pennsylvania? Be sure to have your say down in the comments, and cast your vote for who should be Man of the Match. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

Free Kicks

  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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