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Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions rate in Orlando City’s win on the road?

Published

2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions went across the country to face the San Jose Earthquakes and will return to Orlando with all three points after a 1-0 win. Jack Lynn, who came on in the first half for an injured Duncan McGuire, scored the only goal of the game. Here’s how I saw each individual Lion’s performance in Orlando’s win on the road.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — El Pulpo came up with four saves in the shutout, with three of them coming within the span of a few minutes in the first half. Gallese wasn’t tested as much in the second half, but he did make a big save to deny Jack Skahan late in the match. In terms of distribution, eight of his 19 long balls were accurate and he completed 60.7% of his 28 passes. All in all, it was another strong outing from the Peruvian.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel did well as part of Orlando’s defense, recording four clearances, two tackles, and an interception. He won two of his three aerial duels as well, playing physically without committing any fouls. The Argentine defender was accurate on three of his 10 long balls and had 46 passes at a 73.9% success rate. He had a solid game and will return to Orlando with a few bumps and bruises along with the team’s clean sheet.

D, Wilder Cartagena, 7.5 — The Peruvian started as a center back for the Lions and looked the part once again. Cartagena was patient and clinical when it came to his defending, leading the Lions with five tackles and stopping some of San Jose’s most dangerous attacks. He also had four clearances and two interceptions in an excellent defensive performance. Cartagena completed 86.1% of his 43 passes and two of his seven long balls found their mark.

D, David Brekalo, 7.5 (MotM) — Brekalo did a great job putting out fires in Orlando’s defense, leading the team with eight clearances. He won five of his seven aerial duels, and had two interceptions and a tackle as well. Although only one of his nine long balls was accurate, he had a key pass for setting up a shot by Martin Ojeda that was deflected out for a corner. He also did well winning a foul in the first half that stopped a potential San Jose counter and gave Orlando a set piece in a good area. Brekalo finished the game with 46 passes at an 80.4% success rate and is our Man of the Match for anchoring Orlando’s defense in a shutout.

WB, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres didn’t have a shot in the match, but he did have two key passes to generate some offense. Although only one of his five crosses was accurate, he still did well putting the ball into open areas in the box. His only attempted long ball wasn’t successful, but he did complete 91.9% of his 37 passes. Torres spent most of his time attacking through the wings, and didn’t contribute too much defensively beyond a clearance and sprinting back to give the back line support when needed.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 7 — Angulo applied plenty of defensive pressure throughout the match, but still had enough left in the tank to assist on Orlando’s winning moment. The Colombian raced down the left wing on a counter and then picked out Ojeda in the box, whose mishit volley wound up with Lynn scoring. Angulo nearly had another assist for his cutback cross that found Dagur Dan Thorhallsson open as well. He completed 90.9% of his 44 passes and two of his three crosses were accurate. Defensively, he had three tackles and a clearance as well. This game was a testament to how much of an impact the speedy Lion can have on a match.

MF, Felipe, 6.5 — Felipe replaced the suspended Cesar Araujo in the starting lineup and did fairly well, shutting down San Jose’s passing lanes and plugging holes in Orlando’s defensive shape as needed. He had a team-high three interceptions along with four tackles and two clearances. The midfielder had 40 passes at a strong 90% success rate and one of his three long balls was accurate. It was a fairly quiet night from the veteran, which isn’t the worst thing for a defensive midfielder, and he did well filling in for Araujo.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 6.5 — Lodeiro led the Lions with 94 touches and 75 passes, directing things while Orlando had possession. He was successful on 84% of those passes and two of his three long balls, though none of his five crosses found their man. Lodeiro’s lone shot went high and off target, but he did have two key passes to set up a pair of chances for Luis Muriel. He chipped in defensively with two tackles, an interception, and a clearance as well. Even though he wasn’t able to replicate the offensive output he showed against the Philadelphia Union, Lodeiro did well in his third straight match, playing the full 90 minutes.

WB, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson returned to the starting lineup for the first time since May 4. There were a few nervous moments when he was tasked with marking players lurking at the back post, but San Jose wasn’t able to make Orlando pay for it. He had three clearances and two tackles before being subbed out in the 78th minute. Offensively, he did well to find open space, but wasn’t able to capitalize on his chances as neither of his two shots were on target. Thorhallsson’s best chance came when a cutback cross from Angulo found him with all the time in the world to pick out his shot in the box, only to send it wide. His passing could’ve been a bit tidier, as he had 30 passes at a 76.7% success rate, neither of his two long balls were accurate, and just one of his four crosses was successful. Regardless, it was nice to see Thorhallsson back in the swing of things after missing time.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — The forward continued to look dangerous with the ball at his feet and had three shots in the match. Of his three shots, one forced a good save out of San Jose goalkeeper William Yarbrough, one was blocked before it could test Yarbrough, and another was sent off target from distance. He may have only been successful on one of his five attempted dribbles, but Muriel also had a key pass and both of his long balls were accurate. Muriel was fairly involved, with 58 touches, he won all three of his aerial duels, and he helped out on defense with two tackles and a clearance.

F, Duncan McGuire, N/A — McGuire had to be subbed out in the 16th minute due to a shoulder injury after being undercut by Bruno Wilson while in the air. The Lions played with 10 men for a few minutes while the medical staff looked him over, but Lynn ultimately replaced him on the field. McGuire had eight touches and completed three of his four passes while also recording a clearance before his early exit.

Substitutes

F, Jack Lynn, (16′), 6.5 — Lynn came into the match to replace McGuire and scored the winner late in the match to give the Lions all three points on the road. The 24-year-old maintained focus when Ojeda didn’t strike the ball cleanly and buried the bouncing ball into the back of the net. His goal was his third and final shot of the match after sending a glancing header wide and having another header saved at point-blank range moments before the goal. Lynn may have only won one of his five aerial duels, but his hold-up play was decent. He had 18 passes at a 66.7% success rate and 33 touches before being subbed off in stoppage time after scoring. Lynn was a bit sloppy at times, but he ultimately gave the Lions an unlikely win.

MF, Martin Ojeda, (79′), N/A — Ojeda was credited with an assist for his role in Lynn’s goal, even if he fully intended on scoring himself with his attempt. While there was luck involved, he deserves credit for getting in a good position and taking a crack at goal. His other shot was a try from distance that was deflected out for a corner kick. He completed all but one of his seven passes on 13 touches, but neither of his two crosses connected.

WB, Rafael Santos, (79′), N/A — Santos came into the match for Torres and it didn’t take long for him to make his presence known. He whipped in a pinpoint cross for Lynn in the 82nd minute that the forward should have done better with. It was a key pass for Santos and one of his two successful crosses in his limited time on the field. He completed four of his passes, and he helped secure the clean sheet with an interception and a clearance on the defensive end.

WB, Kyle Smith, (90’+2), N/A — Smith came on in stoppage time to give the Lions some fresh legs and another defender to help see out the match, although he didn’t have any touches in his brief cameo.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski, (90’+2), N/A — The rookie made his first appearance with the first team since March. He also didn’t have any touches or contributions in his short time on the field, although it was still nice to see Kocevski get some playing time.

How did you see the individual performances in this game? Make your voice heard down in the comments, and be sure to vote in our Man of the Match poll.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 1-0 victory over San Diego FC.

Published

15 hours ago

on

September 6, 2026

By

Image of Maxime Crepeau looking for someone to pass to vs. San Diego.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City defeated San Diego FC 1-0 in the first-ever match between the two clubs at Inter.co Stadium Saturday night on Antoine Griezmann’s goal. Despite a bevy of chances, the Lions were only able to score the one goal. Thankfully, it was enough for Orlando City to earn all three points and to move up to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Back-and-Forth First Half

Orlando City and San Diego played similar styles in the first half. It started with the Lions on the front foot, pressuring San Diego’s back line. When it went the other way, Orlando City had to absorb the pressure. It went back and forth through the entire first half with San Diego having the advantage in possession and Orlando City the advantage in shots and shots on target. It felt like either team could get the opening goal. Fortunately, it was Orlando City that struck first.

Grizi Strikes Again

Orlando City struck first (and last, as it turned out) with Antoine Griezmann finishing off a beautiful team goal for Orlando City in the 28th minute. It was his fourth goal in the last three matches. Robin Jansson sent one of his distinctively accurate long balls to Daryl Dike in the right side of the box. Dike turned and quickly laid it off to Justin Ellis, who deftly pushed it forward to the oncoming Griezmann. He took one touch with his left foot to settle it and then took the shot with his right foot, putting it into the bottom left corner of the goal. It is the type of goal that is becoming more common for Orlando City, thanks to the quality Griezmann brings to the attack.

Recovery Defense

San Diego typically enjoys having the ball, and the visitors held 54% of the possession in the match, but it wasn’t enough. Orlando City did a good job of disrupting San Diego in the midfield, and often in San Diego’s half. The Lions were quick to recover whenever the ball was turned over. It was that tenacity that kept San Diego from being able to keep the ball for extended periods of time and limited their opportunities to create chances.

Darn Duah

There were many opportunities that went wanting for the Lions, including Wilder Cartagena’s shot in the 89th minute that hit the crossbar and went straight down but didn’t cross the line for a goal. However, if it wasn’t for San Diego’s Manu Duah, Orlando City may have scored five or more goals. The young defender finished with two tackles, four interceptions, three clearances, and one blocked shot. Even though I know it wasn’t the case, it felt like every one of those interventions came during a potential scoring opportunity for Orlando City. Thankfully, the Lions didn’t need a second goal to take all three points.

A Clean Sheet

Orlando City did just enough on defense to earn the first clean sheet since the 1-0 win over Nashville on July 25. Maxime Crepeau didn’t have too much to do as San Diego only managed seven shots, with only two of those on target, but he kept them all out of the back of the net. It was an emotional night for Crepeau who lost his father Rémi Crepeau earlier in the week. There was a moment of silence for his father before the match, and the team wore black armbands during the match to honor him. I’m always happy when Orlando City manages a clean sheet, but I’m very glad that Crepeau was able to earn one on this night in particular.

That is what I saw in Orlando City’s 1-0 victory over San Diego FC. It was a valuable three points as the club tries to overcome the pre-World Cup hole the Lions dug to start the season. Let us know your thoughts about the San Diego match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Final Score 1-0 as Griezmann’s Goal Enough for Lions Win

Antoine Griezmann’s first-half goal and a stout defensive effort lifted the Lions to a hard-fought home win.

Published

1 day ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau giving his team instructions.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Antoine Griezmann’s first-half goal was all that separated Orlando City and San Diego FC in their first-ever meeting. The French superstar’s teammates had numerous chances to double the lead for Orlando (8-11-4, 28 points), coming within inches at times, but that one strike was enough for a victory over San Diego (8-9-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium.

Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who lost his father just days ago, made two saves, and a defense that has struggled at times, held firm against San Diego to keep a clean sheet. The club held a moment of silence for Crepeau’s father before the match started.

“My respect for (Crepeau), for his family. We are proud of him in the way he faced this situation, and we support him like the family we are,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “We should finish the game earlier. We couldn’t, but we defended. We fight. The players did an amazing effort, and now we’re thinking of the next (game).”

Perelman’s lineup featured Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Joran Gerbet and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Justin Ellis with Griezmann and Daryl Dike leading the attack.

The Lions started brightly, creating the first chance just a few minutes after kickoff. Griezmann found Ellis with a nice ball forward. The young attacker got to the ball first but misfired on his initial shot. Ellis eventually regathered and shot but sent his effort wide in the fourth minute. Three minutes later, Griezmann fired from the right channel, but San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos made a good diving save, getting his right hand on it to keep the game scoreless.

Referee Joe Dickerson let the game get physical, ignoring Atuesta getting upended at midfield and a ball that might have had Dike in behind the defense had he not been grabbed and clipped. The big striker didn’t get a clean look at goal as a result of the no calls.

San Diego started to settle into the game as it reached the quarter-hour mark, seeing more of the possession and starting to build some looks at goal. The visitors had the ball in the net off a recycled corner kick in the 13th minute but the play was offside.

A free header by Onni Valakari went wide in the 17th minute as San Diego continued to gain rhythm and look for openings in the Orlando defense.

The Lions started looking more for transition opportunities with San Diego pressing high. One such play nearly came off in the 18th minute. Dorsey sent a ball to the back post on the counter with perhaps better options trailing. Angulo collected it on the left and sent it back in for Griezmann, who tried a bicycle kick but just missed getting onto it. The ball fell to Dorsey for a shot that deflected to Dike. The striker stuck a toe out and made contact with it but couldn’t direct it on frame.

Crepeau made a big save at the near post to deny Anders Dreyer in the 22nd minute, blocking it behind for a corner. Orlando dealt with the set piece and broke the other way. Dorsey had options in transition but he tried to pick out Griezmann and San Diego’s defense headed it behind for an Orlando corner. The ball pinged around off of various heads on the ensuing set piece until Dike was called for a foul on Oscar Verhoeven on an aerial duel.

The Lions broke the scoreless deadlock in the 28th minute. Jansson sent a great long ball over the top for Dike, who turned on the jets and got to it first on the right side of the penalty area. Dike slipped the ball past a defender to Ellis, who turned and found Griezmann. The Frenchman fired a right-footed shot from the right side that found the inside of the left post to make it 1-0. Ellis and Dike picked up assists on Griezmann’s fifth MLS goal in just eight matches.

“I think we just noticed that they’re playing this high line, even when there was no pressure on the ball,” Ellis said. “And when we have center backs like this on the ball, like Robin, David, when you give them time and space, it’s an opportunity, you know. And then (Jansson) puts a nice ball to Daryl — and adding Daryl to the squad and to the team is crucial, you know, because we didn’t really have that threat in behind. But me and Grizi (Griezmann), we like the ball at our feet, but Daryl has like this physical presence, and you know, he got in behind and kept calm, played me, and then I just checked my my shoulder, saw Grizi, and then…I mean every single time I pass him the ball, I have a feeling like he can do something. So that’s why I’m always looking for him. And it was a nice finish.”

The teams paused for a hydration break moments after the goal, and the action slowed as time wound down on the first half. San Diego fired into the side netting in the 38th minute but the play was offside anyway. Orlando’s best opportunity came when Ellis made a good run through traffic a minute later, but the play broke down when he unselfishly tried to slip the ball through traffic to Griezmann and the defense knocked it away.

That was it for the big moments in the opening period and after four minutes of added time, Dickerson blew the halftime whistle.

At the break, San Diego held the advantage in possession (55.6%-44.4%), passing accuracy (92.9%-90.1%), and corners (2-1). The Lions attempted more shots (6-3) and put more on target (2-1).

The teams opened the second half cautiously, with San Diego continuing to press high in the attacking end. Perelman made his first substitution in the 51st minute, sending Martin Ojeda in for Rhein, who played well in his return from a thigh injury.

Ellis made a good move to lead Orlando on the break in the 53rd minute. Dike fired from the right but Ian Murphy deflected it wide for a corner, but the Lions didn’t threaten from the set piece.

Ojeda worked himself free for an open shot just outside the box in the 59th minute but dos Santos went down to make a diving stop.

Atuesta won a corner on the recycled attack but again Orlando couldn’t pay it off.

Gabriel Pirani shot wide of the right post from the left for San Diego in the 69th minute on a shot that had little on it. Crepeau simply watched it roll gently out for a goal kick.

The Lions should have doubled the lead in the 72nd minute. Ojeda found Angulo in transition, putting the speedy attacker in on goal. Angulo rounded dos Santos despite a heavy touch and had a wide-open net. He went down from a light tug on the shoulder as he shot but got nothing on his effort, which Kieran Sargeant blocked on the line. Angulo wanted a penalty but it wasn’t much of a tug and he still should have scored. A yellow card was shown to the Orlando bench at the next stoppage for dissent.

Orlando had a couple of other near misses down the stretch. Ojeda showed he isn’t quite game sharp yet, as he and Griezmann nearly connected in the 84th minute. The Lions managed to win a corner off of it but couldn’t connect on the set piece. Substitute Luis Otavio picked up a yellow card to break up a potential counter off of the corner.

Substitute Tyrese Spicer got down the left flank in the 87th minute and sent a tantalizing low cross that somehow failed to find Ojeda or Marco Pasalic in the middle. Griezmann picked it up on the far right but dos Santos blocked his shot behind for another corner.

Midfielder Wilder Cartagena thought he’d scored on the ensuing set piece. The ball fell for him near the top of the area and he fired it toward goal. The ball looked like it hit the crossbar and then came off Manu Duah’s rear end and fell at the goal line. Part of the ball was across, but not the whole ball, and the spin carried it back out for San Diego to clear.

Nine minutes of stoppage time seemed like a lot, but there was little of note in those added minutes. San Diego’s best chance at an equalizer fell to Dreyer just outside the area right in the middle. The Designated Player fired a shot that hit the right post and stayed out, skipping out of play for a goal kick. After a late set piece, the match was over.

At full time, San Diego held the advantage in possession (54.2%-45.8%) and passing accuracy (91.5%-88.3%). Orlando City finished with more shots (15-7), shots on target (5-2), and corner, kicks (6-4).

“The win was very important,” Crepeau said. “We started the game confidently with the ball. Obviously, we were able to to hit them when their line was high sometimes, and then they were dangerous in transition in a couple of those moments, but we were able to shut the dangerous plays, and then the second half it was about finishing the game strong.”

It was obviously an emotional shutout win for the Canadian goalkeeper, which was visible when the final whistle blew.

“I’m grateful to be in a place where I’ve had so much support and love from my teammates, the staff, everybody in the organization, the city of Orlando,” Crepeau said. “I’ve had so many messages from all around the world, former teammates, even guys that I’ve played against, from Canada to the U.S., coast to coast. I’ve received so many messages. So, thank you to every single one of of the people that reached out. It’s something that I’m grateful (for), and I don’t take that support for granted.”

The Lions have a short turnaround with a road match Wednesday night in Atlanta.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

2 days ago

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September 5, 2026

By

Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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