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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-0 victory over Nashville SC?

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City rebounded from a bad loss a week ago, defeating Nashville SC 3-0 in a big home victory. The Lions scored twice in four minutes early in the first half to change the nature of the match. Orlando City weathered Nashville’s press to get back on the winning side of the ledger.

 Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in a home matchup against an Eastern Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese started the match with a huge one-on-one save in the eighth minute to deny Alex Muyl. He almost had a horrible giveaway when trying to chip ball past Surridge while next to the right post, but it rebounded into his arms. Fortunately, Nashville only got one shot on target, but Gallese did what was needed to keep the clean sheet.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — Santos was not his worst, but he was far from his best on the night. He left Muyl alone on Nashville’s first corner. A little later he allowed Sam Surridge to beat him to the back post. Fortunately, the post made the save to keep Nashville off the scoreboard. He had a bad giveaway in 30th minute, and failed to settle an easy pass in 33rd minute ruining a promising attack. Santos also earned a yellow card to start the second half. The Brazilian led the team with 82 touches, completed 85.3% of his 61 passes, and was accurate on five of his 10 long balls, with one cross. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, and four clearances. He committed three fouls, including the aforementioned yellow card. He was subbed off for Kyle Smith in the 82nd minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson almost got a rare goal but missed his header, which was set up by a Facundo Torres header in the 26th minute. Like plenty of others on Orlando City, he earned a dumb yellow on a bad challenge. Jansson did make a good header to clear the ball on one of Hany Mukhtar’s many free kicks. The captain had 63 touches, completed 87.7% of his 57 passes, and was accurate on two of his seven long balls. Defensively, he had two clearances and one blocked shot. His one shot was not on target, he committed one foul, and he suffered one foul. Jansson did well after his yellow card to play smart down the stretch.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — Schlegel started the match with a good clearance in the fifth minute but got too high up the pitch, allowing Muyl a run at goal shortly after. He only had 22 touches, including 18 passes at a 72.2% rate, and was successful on one of his five long balls. Defensively, he made four clearances. Schlegel also earned his obligatory yellow card for kicking the ball after a foul was given against Nashville in the 17th minute. It was a bit of a forgettable night for the center back and he was subbed off at the half.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson reverted to form following a poor performance in the last match, though it took a bit to settle in. He fouled Muyl in the sixth minute to give Nashville a free kick. He had a bad giveaway after a good interception in the 30th minute. I know it might not sound like he had a great night, but that was most of the bad, and he provided the assist on Torres’ first goal. Thorhallsson had 54 touches and completed 80.7% of his 31 passes and two of his five long balls. He made two crosses, with one key pass, and drew two fouls. Defensively, he recorded one interception, six clearances, and one foul committed. He was one of the few Lions who didn’t earn a yellow card.

MF, César Araujo, 6 — Araujo was his normal self in the defensive midfield. He finished with one tackle, two clearances, and one foul committed, which resulted in a yellow card. Normally, defensive midfielders earn fouls and sometimes yellow cards. They also earn fouls for their team, and Araujo earned five fouls for Orlando City. He had 57 touches and completed 84.4% of his 45 passes. He made two key passes and completed one of his two long balls.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — Cartagena was a bit undisciplined in this match, though he was active with 72 touches. He and Mukhtar battled all night, with Cartagena committing four fouls, and finally earning a yellow card after several warnings. Defensively, he made five tackles, one interception, and one clearance. He completed 91.1% of his 56 passes and was successful on his one long ball. He also drew two fouls. I’m a little surprised he got away with as much as he did, but ultimately he frustrated Nashville, which is his job.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo couldn’t have started things off any better than he did, being in the right place at the right time to take Martin Ojeda’s pass inside the box, turn, and put the ball in the back of the net. It was one of his two shots on the night. He roamed up and down the pitch like his normal self. Angulo had 52 touches, completed 75% of his 40 passes, including one key pass and one cross. He was subbed off in the 82nd minute.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda had a good night. He was elusive and proficient with the ball at his feet. He set up the first goal when he intercepted Joe Willis’ bad pass, and one-timed it to Angulo to put it in the goal. He also started the attack on the second goal when he nutmegged his defender to get the ball into the attack. He sent the ball into the box on a free kick that ultimately ended up on Jansson’s head, but not in the back of the goal. His one foul wasn’t really a foul though it resulted in a free kick for Nashville. Ojeda had 42 touches, completing 88% of his 25 passes, including one of his two long balls, and three key passes. He also took one shot that was on target, though he didn’t get the goal. He did get the assist on Angulo’s goal.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 (MotM) — Scoring a brace was more than enough for Torres to earn Man of the Match honors. On his first goal, he took the pass from Ojeda, sent it forward to Thorhallsson, and then made his way to the other side of the box to receive the cross for the second goal of the match. It was Torres who gave Jansson a chance to score off the free kick with a header. He was wide open on his second goal, but he couldn’t have taken it better, putting the ball over Willis and just under the crossbar for the goal. Torres had 52 touches, completed 90.2% of his 42 passes, one of his two long balls, and two key passes. He took five shots, with three on target, and put two in the back of the net. It was an excellent night from the Designated Player.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 6 — You could tell that Enrique wanted to score in this match. He managed one shot, which was on target. Unfortunately, Willis got enough of the ball to have the shot hit the post. His tenacity resulted in a dumb yellow foul in 20th minute when he was trying to get the ball back. Enrique had 23 touches, and completed 80% of his 15 passes. Defensively, he made one tackle, had one blocked shot, and committed one foul, resulting in a yellow card. It was a good night for the youngster despite not getting a goal. He subbed off in the 68th minute.

Substitutes

D, David Brekalo (46′), 6.5 — Brekalo came on as a halftime substitute for Schlegel, who was on a yellow card. He had two chances on goal, including one on a set piece in the 61st minute, but he couldn’t direct his back heel attempt on frame. He also made a good clearance in the 67th minute. He actually didn’t commit any fouls or receive a yellow card. Brekalo had 27 touches, and completed 80% of his 15 passes. Defensively, he made two tackles, one clearance, and one interception, and he blocked two shots. He did enough to get the start in Orlando City’s next match.

F, Duncan McGuire, (68’), 6.5 — McGuire didn’t get the start, but he put in the effort once he came on. He made a good run in the 73rd minute, but couldn’t get past the defenders to get a shot, though he did win a corner kick. McGuire provided the assist on Torres’ second goal. He had 17 touches and completed 44.4% of his nine passes with one key pass.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, (69’), 6 — Lodeiro helped Orlando City see out the match after coming on for Ojeda. He had 20 touches, completing 88.2% of his 17 passes, including three key passes, including a secondary assist on the third goal. He attempted one shot, though it wasn’t on target.

MF, Luis Muriel (82′), N/A — Despite only managing 16 touches, Muriel got a shot off. The shot was from outside the box, and it sailed over the crossbar. He completed 88.1% of his 11 passes. Muriel made one tackle, committed one foul, and suffered one foul. He wasn’t on long enough to earn a grade.

D, Kyle Smith (82′), N/A — Smith finished with 18 touches in his short time on the pitch. He completed 78.6% of his 14 passes, including one successful long ball. Defensively, he made one tackle. As with Muriel, Smith’s time on the pitch was too short to warrant a grade.

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 Colorado Rapids: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Drop Final Preseason Scrimmage

Final preseason scrimmage opens questions about the season ahead.

Published

11 hours ago

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February 14, 2026

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Image of Tyrese Spicer attempting a cross against Colorado in a preseason friendly.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City entered the last game of the preseason with a number of questions still hanging out there. What does the back line look like with three off-season departures and the injury to Robin Jansson? How do you replace a unicorn like Alex Freeman? What does the goal mouth look like without El Pulpo there? How is the attack shaping up with Luis Muriel and Ramiro Enrique off playing elsewhere?

The short answer: there’s a long way to go. The back line has problems. Ivan Angulo didn’t appear to be a great replacement, but that may have been an injury replacement. Maxime Crepeau was fine but nothing stood out. The attack is, at best, an incomplete because Martin Ojeda was a late scratch for an illness.

The lineup was a mix of long-time starters and new faces in new places. Crepeau started in goal, with David Brekalo and Iago in the middle of the back line. New possible starters on the defensive wings were Adrian Marin at left back and Ivan Angulo at right back. Wilder Cartagena came back into his familiar role at defensive midfielder, behind Eduard Atuesta, who was flanked by Braian Ojeda and Marco Pasalic. Tyrese Spicer and Tiago played up top.

“(Angulo’s) a winger and we’re trying to fill a spot.” Pareja said after the match. “We have (Zakaria) Taifi who had some difficulties in the week…so we were trying to come up with some solutions.”

Martin Ojeda sat out the game with an illness. Luis Otavio continues to recover from injury while Joran Gerbet will be out for a while after knee surgery.

“Tincho wasn’t available today. He had a fever…so tonight, he couldn’t go. On my drive in, my thought was ‘this may be good. let’s see it that way.'” Pareja said regarding Martin Ojeda. He added that Ojeda had an outstanding preseason, so it was good to see what the team could do without him.

The opening stretch featured a lot of back and forth as the teams felt each other out and probably were still adjusting within their own shapes. Atuesta played as the 10 significantly more than in the past, filling Martin Ojeda’s role. That left Cartagena as the defensive shield in front of the back line.

The Lions put together a few good offensive looks after the first 10 minutes. There was a nice diagonal from Cartagena that turned Spicer loose. Spicer laid it off to Atuesta, who seemed to be of two minds whether to shoot while open or connect with Tiago. At the 12-minute mark, Pasalic slipped a through ball to Tiago who got walled off by Colorado’s Lucas Herrington.

Two minutes later, Atuesta put in a dangerous corner that Iago couldn’t put a head on.

Colorado opened the scoring in the 19th minute as the left attacking side opened up for them and a dangerous cross was slotted home by Rafael Navarro.

Spicer continued to be dangerous and continues to look like someone that can open up the defense with his speed and size. He made multiple runs into space — it’s now a question of turning those runs into assists and goals.

In the 28th minute, Zack Steffen got caught on a backpass with Tiago and Spicer almost in position to take it from him and put it home. In the 33rd, Marin turned Spicer loose in the box but he was knocked off balance and scuffed the shot wide.

Cartagena drew a foul 35 yards out in the 35th. Pasalic was able to deliver the free kick into Marin but Colorado knocked it out for a corner. Spicer got to a ball popped up off the corner but couldn’t put it under the crossbar.

Colorado got a second goal against the run of play with a long cross by Darren Yapi to the head of Navarro. Iago could’ve done more to prevent it but he’s also playing into form with a new team.

The first half ended with a whimper as neither side really threatened to close out the first 45. The only passion shown in the last few minutes was a shoving match after the whistle that got both teams involved. There had been some shoving in earlier corners between Yapi and Iago, so it may have come off of that.

Colorado’s first-half goals were a result of transition play and is exactly the kind of weakness you would expect from a new defensive unit. There’s a lot to put together on the defensive end for a team a week away from opening day. The right side of the defense is where both goals originated from, but it’s way too early to figure out if that’s due to leaning on Angulo playing fullback or the rest of the defense adjusting.

Being a preseason game, we don’t have official stats but Orlando definitely took more shots, probably on the order of 7-4. However, none of Orlando’s shots were on target and Colorado put two in the net, which is the point of the game. Offensively, it feels similar to last year, although you can see where Martin Ojeda was missed today as Atuesta didn’t quite present the same offensive threat.

As in the first half, both teams came out in the second half a little disconnected. In the 53rd, Braian Ojeda won a free kick 40 yards away. Pasalic sent it in but the attacking line was offside. Pasalic had a good game with how dangerous his free kick service was.

Duncan McGuire came on right after, replacing Tiago.

In the 60th, Spicer raced to intercept a pass at the top of the offensive box and was tripped, drawing a dangerous free kick opportunity. Pasalic and Atuesta lined up over it and Atuesta curled the kick around the wall and found the inside of the far post to make it 2-1.

“Marco asked me if I wanted to shoot. I asked him if he was seeing the same thing I was about the first or second post,” Atuesta said. “When I saw one of the players going to the first post…he chose for me.”

“It was perfect because he (Steffen) couldn’t see because of the two players from us, so he (Atuesta) did a good job,” Pasalic added.

Colorado quickly responded. Yapi was turned loose behind the defense and Crepeau came out to try to cut down the angle and left Yapi with a fairly simple goal to restore the two-goal advantage.

Orlando City suffered, as is a familiar refrain, from attacking flash with no real service to the strikers. Tiago was mostly invisible and McGuire was never in a position to do anything with a ball.

Yutaro Tsukada came on for Spicer at the 70th minute mark. Spicer’s night ended with flashes of something but there will need to be more precision.

McGuire finally found himself on the end of a through ball but couldn’t get anything on it. He then ran down a long ball but his touch took him a bit wide and didn’t leave him a great angle to covert.

Colorado was then given a free kick at the top of the 18 off a foul after a bad clearance. Paxten Aaronson tapped the ball to Dante Sealy, who deflected it off the scrum and Crepeau made a good save to turn it around the post. Orlando City couldn’t gain possession in the ensuing play and eventually Aaronson sent in a corner that Herrington was able to use his height to get to and put it in the back of the net to close out the scoring.

Orlando City started to dump the bench with youth as Justin Ellis, Nolan Miller, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Carabello came on for Atuesta, Angulo, Cartagena, and Pasalic over a five-minute span.

The only bright spot of the youth movement was a wonderfully curved long ball from Miller to McGuire, whose touch failed him again but he was able to turn it into a corner.

The game ended with a whimper as the time ran out. The Lions have a lot of questions to answer. Both Pasalic and Atuesta commented after the game that the loss could be seen as good as it gives them things to fix and keeps them focused after two positive results earlier in the preseason.

With the preseason complete, Orlando City opens MLS play next Saturday at 7:30 p.m., against the New York Red Bulls.

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Opinion

Likes and Dislikes from the Fifth Week of Orlando City Preseason

Let’s examine some good and some bad from this week of Orlando City’s preseason preparations.

Published

2 days ago

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February 13, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We’ve (almost) made it to the end of another week, with Orlando City’s final preseason match against the Colorado Rapids looming large Saturday night. The season opener will be here before you know it, and things will only speed up from there. For the final time this preseason, let’s take a look back at the week that was and talk about what I liked, and what I didn’t.

Likes

A New Signing

Orlando City announced the long-awaited signing of Brazilian center back Iago on Saturday, making him the third and presumably final MLS U22 Initiative arrival of the off-season. While he’s only 20 years old, he’s likely to be one of the two starting center backs on opening day alongside David Brekalo, so him getting a couple weeks of preseason to get settled in is vital. It of course would have been ideal for him to have even more time, but transfer dealings with Brazilian clubs rarely seem to be straightforward affairs, and two weeks is better than none at all. Crucially, Iago played over 5,000 minutes for Flamengo’s senior and U-20 sides, so he’s no stranger to the professional game, and hopefully that helps him to hit the ground running as a Lion.

A New Kit

Continuing the trend of shiny new things, the Lions unveiled their new away kit on Tuesday. It’s a gold jersey with purple shorts that’s been dubbed the ‘Sunken Treasure’ kit, and it’s the club’s first jersey to heavily use the team’s secondary color of gold. All things considered, I quite like the new threads. As with a lot of jerseys these days, the finer details like the Lion in the background of the front and the two patches, won’t be visible unless you’re up close to it. That being said, those details look pretty nice in the close-up shots of the jersey that the club provided, and when viewed from a distance, the shirt is striking. I also like the decision to go with purple shorts, as I think going with gold all the way would be a bit too much.

Dislikes

All Quiet on the Rumor Front

Things have gone a little quiet when it comes to transfer rumors regarding Orlando City. The club still has a Designated Player slot that it intends to use on an attacker, but we haven’t seen any hints as far as who the brass might be looking at. It’s not necessarily a reason to panic, as the team has made it a habit to be methodical in the transfer window and hasn’t been afraid to take its time pursuing players it thinks will be the right fit, rather than rushing business and potentially making an unwise signing as a result. All the same, it’s always nice to hear that a specific name is being pursued, particularly when OCSC still has a DP slot burning a hole in its proverbial pocket in addition to some areas of the field that need to be strengthened with additional depth. I trust the business to get done and done well, but I’m also not going to pretend I wouldn’t love a juicy signing rumor or two right about now.

With a little luck, next week will bring a couple of positive transfer rumors and three points to start the season off on a strong note. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/13/26

Hannah Anderson challenging herself in Orlando, Luana called up by Brazil, broadcasting changes ahead of MLS season, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 13, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Today is Friday the 13th, so make sure to steer clear of black cats, ladders, and any other bad omens out there. Orlando City’s season opener is next weekend and the last thing we need to do is accumulate bad luck before the Lions take the field. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and dive into today’s links!

Hannah Anderson Prepares for First Season in Orlando

Defender Hannah Anderson was drafted by the Chicago Stars in the third round of the 2024 NWSL Draft and spent two seasons there before the Pride traded for her in January for $70,000 in intraleague funds. Chicago conceded twice as many goals as Orlando last season, and now Anderson is challenging herself with an opportunity to improve as a defender with the Pride.

“I don’t really look at it as pressure, I think it’s an opportunity,” she said. “The challenge is what’s going to help me grow. When you’re never challenged, you can’t grow. It’s kind of like how you see that challenge. Yeah, it could be pressure, but I also think it’s exciting to be a part of a group that’s been there, because the experience will help you get there again.”

The 24-year-old also spoke on what it’s like to go up against Orlando’s attacking stars in training, as well as her decision to join the Pride while engaged to Chicago Cubs pitcher Jack Neely. With Emily Sams on the other side of the country, hopefully Anderson can have a breakout year to help fill the void.

Luana Returns to Brazil National Team

Orlando Pride midfielder Luana was called up for Brazil’s friendlies against Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Mexico in a few weeks. It’s great to see her back with the national team after all she’s been through and Head Coach Arthur Elias spoke on her return.

“Calling up Luana is a joy, but the greater joy was when she overcame cancer, a disease diagnosed during a period with the National Team. It was a huge shock for all of us. Luana has an incredible history in football, she is a woman of great strength, who showed this and set many examples for those around her,” he celebrated.

She will bring some experience to a Brazil roster that doesn’t include any other Pride players, although former Pride player Adriana was called up. Brazil has already secured qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup as its host, so the focus will be on playing quality opponents until then.

Getting Ready for More MLS on Apple TV

We’re gearing up for the fourth MLS season streamed through Apple TV and the biggest difference this time around is that MLS Season Pass is a thing of the past. It’s a major boon for fans, as all games will be through an Apple TV subscription rather than a separate platform at an additional cost. For those of us who like to watch MLS games at our favorite bar, an agreement with EverPass Media should increase the reach of the league in commercial venues. Saturday night matches with increased production value, announcers returning to the actual stadiums to call games, and the removal of the Spanish version of MLS 360 are some of the other notable changes heading into this season.

Nottingham Forest Fires Manager…Again

Just a day after Thomas Franks was fired by Tottenham, Nottingham Forest sacked Sean Dyche following the club’s scoreless draw with Wolverhampton this week. Dyche joined the club in October and was just nominated for Manager of the Month for his team’s results in January. However, Forest is just three points above the relegation zone and has now fired its third coach of the season. Vitor Pereira will reportedly replace Dyche as the club’s fourth coach of the season, which would be a league record. ESPN dove into how English Premier League teams that made multiple firings in the same season performed and it’s grim news for Forest.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau went under the microscope to field a variety of questions. I’m pretty interested in why Duncan McGuire would be the first person he’d call if he found a dead body in his hotel room.
  • Construction is underway at Camping World Stadium as it begins its $400 million renovation to expand seating and improve the facilities.

That’s all I have for you on this fine Friday. I hope you all have a lucky day and that all of your Valentine’s Day plans this weekend go off without a hitch!

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