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Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-0 loss against Sporting Kansas City?

Published

7 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well, that was simply altogether unpleasant. With a chance to extend its unbeaten streak to six MLS matches and nine games in all competitions, Orlando City simply failed to show up to compete on Saturday night, and was dominated 3-0 by a Sporting Kansas City team that came into the match ranked 26th in the MLS standings. Yuck.

I usually like to grade with my purple pen, but after that performance I am going to have to dishonor the original Orlando City colors by getting the red pen out of storage, and I may run out of ink. I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their road matchup against a Western Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Saturday night’s match started brightly for El Pulpo, with a few big saves in the first half, but in the end, three goals did go by him into the net. He will likely feel that he could have saved all three, but I do not fault Gallese directly for any of the three goals. The first and third were in the corners out of reach, and the second goal was well struck with power from inside the box on a fast break. He passed at an 83.3% rate and connected on two of his five long balls.

D, Kyle Smith, 5 — The back-and-forth battle for the starting left back spot between Kyle Smith and Rafael Santos went to Smith for this match, but that win was short-lived, because Smith only played the first 45 minutes before coming off at halftime. He completed the most passes of any player on the field during the first half and he was active on both sides of the field. Smith created a great chance for the Lions with a header across the box that was almost tapped in, but also could (should?) have gone for goal from that position. However, he was burned by Erik Thommy, allowing a good scoring chance in the 27th minute that required a good save by Gallese. He also had a chance to stop the attack that led to the opening goal for Sporting but was unable to win the ball, even with help from Cesar Araujo. In the end, it was a middling night for Smith, and the left back battle will surely continue during practice throughout the upcoming week . 

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — None of the goals scored by Sporting KC were scored on or around Jansson. On the cross that led to the third goal, he was the primary defender, but he forced the cross to go all the way back to about 20-25 yards away from the goal, so I do not think that the goal was on him so much as it was the rest of the defensive grouping for not being able to stop that shot from happening while playing a man up. Despite being second on the team in touches (67) and completed passes (57), I felt like Jansson was mostly invisible in this game. He did not have any interceptions or blocked shots and he only won one aerial duel. He completed 85.1% of those 57 passes and gave his trademark effort, but Saturday night’s match was not one he will look back fondly on in the future.

D, David Brekalo, 5 — The Slovenian international got his first MLS start since June 1 but he did not play well enough to show that the decision to switch from Rodrigo Schlegel to him in MLS matches was the right call. All three goals happened around Brekalo, with the first goal happening after his lunge attempt did not thwart Jake Davis. The second goal happened after he slowed down Thommy but the Kansas City attacker was able to pass the ball into space for Salloi to finish, although that was more of a numbers game for the hosts. The third goal happened because Brekalo (and the other players in the middle for Orlando City) did not come out to close down Remi Walter and allowed him to tee up a blast into the net. Brekalo definitely deserves some of the responsibility for all three of these goals, but on none of them do I think he was singularly the reason why the goal happened. On the attacking side of the ball, Brekalo was third on the team in completed passes (at just a 79.7% rate) but contributed little else, and though he did work hard during his 90 minutes, with five recoveries, three tackles, two clearances, one interception, and one blocked shot.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 4 — Thorhallsson struggled to get into the attack on the right for much of the game, leading to a quiet night for Facundo Torres, who didn’t have his usual attacking flank partner to team up with, as Tim Liebold had a strong game. When the attack went up the left, Thorhallsson tried to push up and help on the back side, but then he was caught upfield as a result. This was particularly evident on the second goal, which started with a good cross in from Orlando’s attacking left that Torres couldn’t get a touch to. Thorhallsson attempted to get to the loose ball but was beaten to it by the defense, and the resulting clearance ended up with Salloi scoring from exactly where a right back should have been. Thorhallsson also had an uncharacteristically poor passing performance in this game at just a 64.3% completion rate, and he did not provide any offensive threat aside from one key pass. Not a game to look fondly back on for the Icelandic defender,

MF, César Araujo, 5 — It was a muted performance on the night for Araujo, as the midfield destroyer that we often see in the middle of the field for the Lions did not make an appearance in Kansas City. Araujo had fewer touches than every defender except Thorhallsson, and while he led the team in passing completion percentage (92.3%), few of his passes advanced the ball in any significant manner. Araujo also had zero tackles, a rarity for a player who came into the game averaging nearly three tackles per 90 minutes. He came off in the 72nd minute in an offense-for-defense swap for Nico Lodeiro.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — Cartagena had a few good moments in this game, but on the whole it was not one of his better games. It was, however, one of the better performances by any Orlando City player on Saturday night, which is indicative of the overall showing by the Lions. Cartagena made up for his midfield partner Araujo’s lack of tackles by leading Orlando City with four tackles, and he also added five recoveries, four aerial duel wins, four blocks, and two interceptions. He helped create one of the best chances on the night offensively as well, winning a ball in the box that then turned into a shot from Ojeda from close range, but unfortunately the left footed Carlos Rivas Ojeda put his shot high into the seats. The lasting image of Cartagena for me from this match though will be his slow walk during the sequence that led to the opening goal, as the action was happening right in front of him and he was just slowly walking and watching the play, and then shortly thereafter Sporting went up 1-0.

MF, Iván Angulo, 3.5 — This match will be one to forget for Angulo, as he struggled throughout, and I think he was lucky to not have been subbed off during the first half or at halftime. There were several uncharacteristically wayward passes from Angulo, including some deep in the defensive third of the field, and he did not seem to have his usual burst of speed available to him to create chances or win loose balls. He only completed 74% of his passes and did not contribute anything of note on offense. He will want time to fly to get to the next match, so he can put this one behind him. 

MF, Martín Ojeda, 5 — Ojeda was involved in several big chances during Saturday night’s match, but nothing came from any of them. He will particularly rue the shot he blasted over the net from close range in the first half, as a player of his caliber should at a minimum hit that on goal and he really should have put it away to give Orlando City an early lead. He also hit a wonderful free kick that Smith headed back across, just past the outstretched leg of Ramiro Enrique, inches away from garnering him a hockey assist from that free kick. Ojeda made way in the 60th minute as part of a double substitution that brought on Duncan McGuire and Luis Muriel, ending a night where the final product was just not good enough. 

MF, Facundo Torres, 5 — If you asked a random to fan to name the Designated Players on Orlando City’s roster just by watching this match, I do not think they would have selected Torres, as he struggled to demonstrate much of his skill. There were multiple chances for him to do so, but he failed on all of them, and his whiff on a cross in the second half led directly to to a counterattack and the second goal for Sporting. Torres also could not properly time his run on a 3-v-1 break, receiving a pass in an offside position that negated an Enrique goal that could have cut the lead to 2-1. He made an excellent pass to set up that goal, but it was for naught due to the offside call. I think a stat that tells you all you need to know about Torres’ night is that he had the same number of touches (49) as Smith, who only played during the first half. Torrs made way for Yutaro Tsukada in the 82nd minute and will probably wish that he could have had a few of those chances back when he watches the game film.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 6.5 (MotM) — The goal-scoring streaks for Enrique are now completely over, as he has not scored in his last two matches, so the all-competition and MLS-only streaks are both now done. Enrique was by far the most active Orlando City attacking player on Saturday though, but he was unable to finish any of his chances except one — the aforementioned offside play. It was a great shot, but if a shot happens after an offside situation, did it happen at all? Enrique led the team with five shot-creating actions and had the only shot on target (the team put only one of its 12 total shots on target, the math on that is bad). He was inches away from a sliding left footed finish on Smith’s header back across the box, but inches away does not show up in the stat line. I thought Enrique impressed in both his role as striker and then also when he shifted out the wing when McGuire came on, and I expect that we will continue to see him playing significant minutes here on out this season.

Substitutes

D, Rafael Santos (46′), 5 — Santos subbed in at halftime with the Lions trailing by one and he brought more of an offensive threat than Smith had in the left back position, but that threat was limited as opposed to major. Santos was third on the team in progressive passes attempted with 10, and he completed seven of those passes. He also had one key pass and one successful take-on where he beat his defender off the dribble. He had some culpability on the third goal as well, as the throw in that initiated the play went to the player he was marking and he allowed a pass that turned into the cross that was finished to put the game to bed at 3-0. I do not know who has the edge between Smith and Santos for the start next week. Neither seized the opportunity in Kansas City, but I thought Smith was slightly better. My prediction as of right now is…Luca Petrasso.

F, Duncan McGuire, (59’), 5 — Duncan was starved of service in this game, despite playing all of his minutes while Orlando City was trailing and most of his minutes with an extra man on the field. Duncan only had 11 touches during what amounted to approximately 42 minutes (including stoppage time) on the field, and with so few touches and no service he was unable to even get one shot off during his shift. He had a chance to change the game when he received a pass from Muriel and initiated a 3-v-1 counterattack, but he played the ball to an offside Torres instead of driving the ball himself or playing the onside Enrique. While I blame Torres more than McGuire for the offside call, that was a huge chance for Orlando City to get back in the game and the Lions squandered the opportunity. The ball was well played, but for all intents and purposes, it never happened. I do not think McGuire did enough in this game to supplant Enrique as the starter for next week’s match against Nashville, but Óscar Pareja did roll out a lineup that had both on the field at the same time for 30 minutes, so perhaps they will consider that for next week with Angulo, Ojeda, or Torres on the bench.

MF, Luis Muriel (60′), 5 — Muriel provided an excellent pass to McGuire that should have been a goal-initiating play, but he also had two needlessly launched 25+ yard shots that were well off target. That tells the story again for a player who simply has not consistently played well for Orlando City this season. There are moments of brilliance, and soccer is a game where it generally takes only a few moments of brilliance to determine a winner and loser, but it just has not been a good fit between his style and Orlando City’s style. Orlando City was up a player for most of his minutes on the field, and yet he could not unlock anything of real significance. He only completed 76.5% of his passes and had one shot-creating action. The expectations are high in MLS when you are a Designated Player, and the execution was not there on Saturday night.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (73′), 6 — Nico was one of the few bright spots for Orlando City during his limited minutes. From the moment he entered the match, he was completing passes and trying to initiate offense for the Lions. He completed 25 passes at an 86.2% completion rate, and though ultimately nothing came of it, he seemed more threatening during his minutes than some of the other starting attacking players were during theirs. It helped that he played all of his minutes in an 11 vs. 10 situation, but Lodeiro leads the team in assists in MLS play for a reason, and I thought he looked lively and effective on Saturday night.

MF, Yutaro Tsukada (82′), N/A — Tsukada came in for Facundo Torres and brought excellent energy to the field —so much so that he almost earned a grade from me rather than N/A, despite playing limited minutes. I thought he looked comfortable on the field, and he completed six of his seven passes and also beat one defender off the dribble.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Saturday night. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy?

Published

5 hours ago

on

March 31, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City capped off its March slate of matches with a cross-country bout against the 2024 MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy. In what was the longest commute that the Lions will register in the 2025 season, Orlando looked out of sync for much of the match, especially when contrasted with the squad that stomped D.C. United at home last week. Miraculously for the fans that stayed up past their bedtimes back on the East Coast, the Lions shocked the reigning champions and stole all three points with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the final quarter hour of the match.

Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances to see who made the grade and who can improve as the calendar turns to April.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese returned for Orlando after missing time while representing Peru during World Cup qualifiers. For the most part, he did well against the pressure of an agressive attack from the Galaxy. In the end, he was credited with just one save, which was a massive righthanded block of a shot by Gabriel Pec that could have put the game away for the home side. It isn’t worth entertaining a discussion about Gallese “letting another one in,” as the goal that the Galaxy scored was off a point-blank redirection back against his momentum, and it should have at the bare minimum warranted a second look for a potential offside ruling. His distribution was mostly solid, and he had an 81.8% passing rate on his 11 attempts while completing three of his five long balls. He was booked in the waining moments of the match for time wasting — although it was Rodrigo Schlegel who kicked the ball away without being spotted, and Gallese was merely retrieving it.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — Santos had a few bright moments throughout the match, with an emphasis on the word few. I did think that he was better at getting into the attack and sent several balls across the net that had the potential to be dangerous. On the defensive end, there were just too many mistakes for my liking, whether that be careless turnovers, poor positioning, or falling asleep on the back side of the play. He and Ivan Angulo were both at fault on LA’s goal, as neither picked up Miki Yamane’s run. Santos was also overpowered twice by Pec. The Brazilian touched the ball 48 times, provided two key passes, one successful cross (on five attempts), and a passing rate of 76.9%. Defensively, he provided two tackles and three clearances. Offensively, Santos recorded a shot that was not on target. The left back currently benefits from a lack of depth pushing him for his starting minutes but will need to improve if Orlando is to continue its winning ways. He was replaced by David Brekalo in the 66th minute.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel had a productive and technically sound evening for the Lions. Defensively, he contributed one interception, a team-high seven clearances, and two blocked shots. He passed at a 93.6% rate, while touching the ball a team-high 88 times, and completed five long balls (on eight attempts). He didn’t register an offensive statistic during the match, but he played well and I thought that he had solid positioning throughout the night when the Galaxy sent balls into the box.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Something just seems off right now with Jansson, as the output from the captain simply feels less than what we have come to expect. Nonetheless, Jansson went the full 90 and recorded 65 touches. He completed 94.8% of his passes which included a team-best seven accurate long balls on nine attempts. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and three clearances. Christian Ramirez beat Jansson on the lone goal for the Galaxy.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — Freeman continues to put in the work for Orlando City. While his first West Coast trip was not fruitful in terms of goal-scoring contributions, the young Lion still managed to affect the game in a myriad of ways. He recorded 69 touches and completed 93.3% of his passes, which included two key passes and one accurate cross. Defensively, he added a team-high four tackles and two clearances. Offensively, Freeman tied Martin Ojeda for the most shots taken on the night (three) but was only able to put one on target. Freeman continues to showcase a solid motor that is helping to drive the offense, and he has shown strong chemistry with Marco Pasalic as well, but the most impressive aspect of his game against the Galaxy for me was the job he did in space defensively against Joseph Paintsil when the speedster entered the match in the second half.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — This felt like a classic Araujo performance and the Uruguayan was seemingly everywhere on the pitch. He logged 63 touches and completed 90% of his passes but was only successful on one of his five long-ball attempts. Defensively, he contirbuted two tackles, one interception, and two clearances. Offensively, Araujo did not record a stat but did suffer a team-high three fouls. Araujo was able to defend without being booked against the Galaxy, and he has shown signficant improvement this season so far in not picking up careless yellow cards.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 7.5 (MotM) — The former member of LAFC became the catalyst for the late offensive turnaround against what used to be his crosstown rival by earning a penalty in the 77th minute. He recorded 75 touches and completed 89.8% of his passes, which inlcuded two key passes, four accurate long balls on five attempts, and two succesful crosses on two attempts. Offensively, he attempted two shots, one which nearly put Orlando City in the lead when it hit the right post. Defensively, he contributed one tackle and two clearances. Atuesta benefitted from the insertion of Brekalo and Duncan McGuire, pushing forward into the attack, and without his effort, Orlando City likely would not have earned all three points. He was replaced by Joran Gerbet in stoppage time as part of a time-wasting, like-for-like substitution to see out the match.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — To put it bluntly, Angulo is not in great form right now. The speedy Colombian is failing to challenge opposing back lines in the attack and has become a liability on the defensive side of the ball. The pairing of Angulo with Santos on the left has become a favorite area for the opposition to attack, and he was partly culpable in letting Yamane sneak in toward the back post on LA’s goal. He recorded 37 touches and completed 90.5% of his passes, which included one key pass. Defensively, he chipped in one tackle and one interception. Offensively, Angulo was dispossessed a team-high four times, as the careless giveaways — often in Orlando’s defensive half — continue to pile up. Orlando clearly needs more from the left wing, who was replaced in the 66th minute by McGuire, with Oscar Pareja pushing Ojeda to the left and playing Luis Muriel as the No. 10.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda did not allow another Lion to even remotely consider taking the penalty as he quickly stood over the spot, ball in hand, and then calmly converted the PK to pull Orlando level. Ojeda has now tied his goals total (four) from the 2024 season in only the sixth game of the year. Ojeda touched the ball 56 times and passed at a 90.5% rate while providing one key pass and four accurate long balls out of five attempts. Ojeda could have stood to improve his crossing, as he was only accurate on one of his five attempts. Offensively, Ojeda took three shots (tied with Freeman for the most on the team) but put just one on target (the penalty that he converted). He badly scuffed his first shot and his second was just off target in the first half. Defensively, he didn’t contribute a meaningful statistic, which was surprising, and it kept him just a rung below Atuesta when it came to Man of the Match honors.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic showcased several individual moments of brillance in the first half when the game was moving quickly end to end. Unfortunately for the Croatian winger, those moments failed to result in a change to the scoreboard. He touched the ball 39 times and completed 81.5% of his passes, including all four of his long balls. Defensively, like Ojeda, Pasalic did not record a meaningful statistic. Despite not scoring against the Galaxy, Pasalic continues to flash his skill with the ball and has been one of the main driving forces behind the strong offensive start to the season. He was replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 82nd minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 7 — Did Muriel score or did John McCarthy botch the play? Both, but who cares? Muriel’s long-distance free kick in the 90th minute found the back of the net, and the placement of the shot contributed to McCarthy’s mistake, as the Colombian sealed the victory and three important road points for Orlando City. A play reminisent of when fellow Designated Player Ojeda hit the equalizer from practically midfield against Charlotte FC back in 2023, Muriel stepped up to a free kick well outside the box and sent a shot towards the top left corner of the net. The goal capped a well-rounded performance for Muriel, who continues to play his best soccer in an Orlando City kit. Muriel finished with 37 touches and completed 88% of his passes, including a key pass. Offensively, he registered two shots with the one that mattered being on target. His other shot was a laser through traffic that barely missed just outside the left post on a set piece. Defensively, the striker contributed a tackle. Kyle Smith replaced him in the third minute of stoppage time.

Substitutes

D, David Brekalo (66’), 7 — I thought Brekalo put in some of his best minutes of the year as he entered in the 66th minute for Santos. It was an unexpected substitution, as Brekalo is a central defender. Regardless, the Slovenian played strong and sound defense, snuffing out multiple attacking runs by Pec. He racked up three tackles and three clearances on defense and put in several eye-opening efforts in the attack as well, as Orlando looked to get back into the match. He completed 90.9% of his passes, and while he did not record a shot, he was quite active around the box and made multiple runs off of his attacking counterparts. Brekalo at left back might be something to keep an eye on, as Pareja has been looking for someone to play consistently well there early in the season. Time will tell.

F, Duncan McGuire (66’), 6.5 — McGuire secured his longest stint since his off-season shoulder surgery and looked agressive over the final moments of the match. He opens up the field in a way Muriel is physically not able to at this point in his career, as the American got in behind the back line multiple times and pulled it out of shape for his teammates to exploit. He recorded three shots, which were all off target, but it is only a matter of time before the forward finds the back of the net. He completed 80% of his five passes and was credited with a key pass.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (82′), N/A — Thorhallsson came on in relief of Pasalic and did well over the final moments of the match. The insertion of Brekalo, McGuire, and then Thorhallsson allowed Orlando to be the more dangerous side over the last 20 plus minutes of game time. He completed 83.3% of his passes and was credited with two key passes. Defensively, the product of Iceland added two clearances, and he did well to track back and help Freeman keep Paintsil bottled up.

D, Kyle Smith (93′), N/A — Smith came in following the long-distance goal by Muriel to help see out the victory.

MF, Joran Gerbet (93′), N/A — Like Smith, Gerbet was inserted to help see out the road win in stoppage time but also came into the match for Atuesta who was on a yellow card.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s come-from-behind win over the Galaxy. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 3/31/25

Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

on

March 31, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road

On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.

NWSL Weekend Recap

The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
  • Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
  • 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. LA Galaxy: Five Takeaways

What did we learn from a comeback victory over the defending MLS champion LA Galaxy?

Published

1 day ago

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March 30, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City went on the road on a Galaxy quest, and will fly back across the country with three points after a snatch-and-grab second-half performance earned the Lions a 2-1 victory. The Lions joined the Pride in defeating California opponents via that scoreline on Saturday, and in an even greater coincidence, both teams scored a goal on a penalty kick in the 76th minute. To quote another California icon, Ice Cube, it was a good day. Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Early Sluggishness Led to an Early Deficit

Orlando City certainly looked the part of an East Coast team playing at 10:30 p.m. with the players on their normal body clock to start the game, as LA dominated possession during the opening minutes and took advantage by scoring the game’s opening goal. To be fair, LA is a team that likes to have the ball (70%, 53% and 56% possession in the three preceding games, according to Opta’s tracking) and the official stats that Apple showed on the broadcast around 20 minutes into the first half indicated that the Galaxy had 60% of the possession during the opening portion of the game. The goal the Galaxy scored felt inevitable with how they, and Orlando, were playing, and it seemed that the goal jolted the Lions into waking up and getting into the game.

VAR taketh away, but then VAR giveth

There are no fan bases in the world, save perhaps fans of Duke men’s basketball, who think that referees are generally fair when it comes to making calls during their team’s games. That said, the fact that there was not even a trip to the monitor to review Christian Ramirez’s goal was hard to fathom. We do not get to see all the angles that the officials reviewing the play do, but with the angles that we were shown, it looked pretty clear that Ramirez was in an offside position. Referee Jon Freemon surprisingly did not go to the monitor, and the goal stood. As the game went on, it seemed like once again Orlando City was going to suffer from “PRO gonna PRO,” but then Eduard Atuesta (the Man of the Match in my eyes) was fouled in the box and the Lions received a penalty kick. It seemed certain that the call would be overturned, as the contact did not look significant and Orlando City historically has not benefitted — ever — from PRO reviews, but once again Freemon did not even go to the monitor and the penalty kick stood. Ojeda converted, and the Lions had new life.

The Left Side Was Not Right…Until it Was

Oscar Pareja made a double change in the 66th minute, removing both Iván Angulo and Rafael Santos, and he probably should have made that change even earlier. Aside from hustle, which both players showed in abundance, neither left-sided starter brought much else to the table and both were responsible for Ramirez’s goal via a complete lack of awareness of the run by Miki Yamane into the box. There were scary moments in the back throughout the time when Angulo and Santos were on the field, and while the Galaxy’s Gabriel Pec is an elite talent, he did not have to work especially hard to create some of his opportunities down the right side. The tracking at whoscored.com showed 40% of the Galaxy’s attacks were down the right side of the field, and it seemed like 100% during the minutes when Angulo and Santos were on the field. David Brekalo entered the game for Santos and took over as left back, and he played quite well in an unfamiliar role, helping to shore up the left side of the defense and give Pareja another lineup configuration to consider for future weeks.

Orlando May Soon Run on Duncan Again

Duncan McGuire played his longest shift of the season in this match, and while he did not get on the scoresheet, he looked almost back to the terrifying freight train of a striker that we have seen in purple for the last two seasons. His speed and power were there, and though his touch let him down, he still was getting himself into great positions and pulling the back line apart, and the touch will surely return soon as well. His entrance into the game allowed Muriel to drop into a central attacking role and pushed Ojeda out wide to the left, and the game really changed once that lineup was on the field together. The Lions took 10 of the game’s next 12 shots and scored two goals to take the lead.

Sometimes It Is Better To Be Lucky Than Good

I will admit that I did not think it was a good idea for Luis Muriel to shoot when taking the free kick that turned into the second goal, as I thought it would have been a much better idea to play a ball into the box and try to get a header or a shot off a pinball situation inside the box. Muriel went ahead and took a shot anyway, and there is no other way to say it than Orlando City received a gift, as Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made a mess of the shot and let it drop into his net. Muriel struck the ball with pace, but it looked like while McCarthy’s positioning let him down a little bit, his hands let him down a lot. Perhaps the karmic gods were evening out Rodrigo Schlegel’s unfortunate touch from the season opener that gifted Philadelphia a goal, or perhaps Orlando City was just due for some luck, but either way, it was an unlikely goal. They all count the same though, and this one gave the Lions two on the scoreboard and then three in the points column.

Those are my takeaways from a game that seemed headed for disappointment but then turned on its head with two late goals. Orlando City’s Designated Players added two more goals to their tally, as the M&Ms (Marco, Martín and Muriel) now have 11 between them. The team still leads the league in goals scored, and the Lions will have a chance to avenge their season-opening loss when they visit Philadelphia in their next match on April 5.

Let us know your thoughts about the match in the comments below.

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