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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-3 loss to the Columbus Crew?

Published

2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Despite the opposition making seven changes in preparation for their Campeones Cup game Wednesday night, Orlando City fell in a crucial match, 4-3. The Lions went down 3-0 in the 71st minute and made a valiant attempt to come back, but a late strike by Columbus was too much to get anything from the game.

Let’s have a look at how the team did individually in this disappointing performance.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — While none of the goals were solely Gallese’s fault, the Lions’ number one faced five shots and conceded four goals, making only one save. He touched the ball 27 times and completed 57.1% of his 21 passes, including four of his 12 long balls. His poor grade comes down to getting beat on nearly every shot Columbus put on target. The first took a deflection after he committed and took an unfortunate angle just inside the far post and out of reach. The second was a powerful, point-blank header. The third was a blast from about eight yards out by a league MVP candidate, and the fourth was another wide-open shot inside from inside the box just inside the post. His save was a good one, as Columbus again got behind the defense late, but he did well to deny Andres Herrera in the 89th minute.

D, Rafael Santos, 4.5 — It was a tough night for Santos, who wasn’t very good offensively or defensively. He had 51 touches and completed 64.7% of his 34 passes, but neither of his two crosses or any of his eight long balls. He had a minor impact defensively, recording a tackle and a clearance, but his most impactful play was getting beat by Christian Ramirez to Max Arfsten’s cross for Columbus’ second goal.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Jansson was the best defender for the Lions in this game because he was the only one not at fault for a goal. The captain touched the ball a team-high 52 times and completed 86.4% of his 44 passes, including a key pass and three of his seven long balls. He was also active defensively with a tackle, two interceptions, and three clearances. He was unlucky on the first Crew goal, as his attempt to block Diego Rossi’s shot deflected off his leg and the redirection gave Gallese no chance to keep it out.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — Schlegel almost gave the Lions the lead in the 13th minute, but his header hit the post. That was the high point offensively for the center back, who had 31 touches and completed 95.2% of his 21 passes. He was strong defensively for most of the night, recording three tackles — all of them vital — and four clearances, but he let Cucho Hernandez get behind him for the third goal and he got caught cheating upfield on the play that resulted in Christian Hernandez’s goal.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5 — Similar to Schlegel, Thorhallsson nearly had a great start to the game and ended up at fault on the defensive end in the loss. The right back had 41 touches and almost gave the Lions the lead in the eighth minute when his shot hit the left post. He went on to complete 88% of his 25 passes but not his cross or long ball attempt. He recorded two tackles, three interceptions, and a clearance that would’ve given him a good grade. However, he missed a tackle attempt on Aziel Jackson on the counter that ended with the Crew’s third goal and he was not ready for a soft layoff from Felipe on the fourth and decisive goal. He was put in a bad spot by Felipe, but it was a combined mistake.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — With Cesar Araujo suspended for this game, it wasn’t a surprise that Cartagena was the best defensive midfielder on the team. The Peruvian had a good game with 42 touches and completed 89.7% of his 29 passes. He also completed three of his five long balls. Defensively, he won a team-high five tackles before being replaced by Felipe in the 83rd minute, a questionable substitution for one of Orlando City’s best players on the field.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski, 5 — This was Kocevski’s first start for Orlando City in a competitive game and it was ultimately one to forget, although it started brightly with some good early one-touch passing. The defensive midfielder faded however and had little impact on the game, touching the ball 20 times and completing 73.7% of his 19 passes. That would’ve been fine if he had a strong defensive effort, but he only had one interception. The rookie was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 58th minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo started on the left side of the midfield and touched the ball 38 times in this game. He completed 80% of his 30 passes, but didn’t have a key pass. He was given a brilliant pass by Muriel to send him in alone on goal in the 71st minute, but he missed his shot off the post. Luckily for Orlando, the rebound resulted in a tap-in for Ramiro Enrique. He also drew the foul in the box in the 77th minute by being in the right place, giving the Lions a penalty that Muriel converted. However, he continues to spoil counterattacking opportunities with his heavy touches since league play restarted, doing so twice in this game.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 5 — Ojeda got the start again at the 10 for the Lions and the attacking midfielder had 26 touches. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes, including a key pass, one of his two crosses, and his lone long ball. Unfortunately, his biggest impact on the game was a giveaway in the back in the 30th minute on an unnecessary no-look pass attempt that resulted in Columbus’ first goal. He was replaced by Nico Lodeiro in the 58th minute.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres was the best attacking starter in this game, making 35 touches and completing 83.3% of his 24 passes with one key pass. His lone cross was incomplete, but his ball into the box in the 77th minute enabled Angulo to draw a penalty when Yaw Yeboah shoved the Colombian to prevent a header opportunity. He also recorded an assist on Muriel’s second goal, though the goal was mostly an individual effort by the Colombian. Additionally, he had one shot that was too close to Patrick Schulte. The main blemish on Torres’ performance came in the opening minutes when the ball landed at his feet with an open net. Since Torres rarely shoots with his right foot, he allowed defenders and Schulte to get back into position rather than scoring the opening goal. He was also offside on a set piece that would have resulted in an Orlando penalty while the game was still scoreless. Being offside negated a handball seconds later on Malte Amundsen that blocked a Duncan McGuire shot.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5 — McGuire got the start over Enrique after scoring in each of the last two games off the bench. However, he was less effective in this one, only touching the ball 12 times and taking one off-target shot. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes and won an aerial duel before being replaced by Ramiro Enrique in the 58th minute. As mentioned above, he would have drawn a penalty on Amundsen had Torres remained onside.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique (58’), 7 — Enrique was one of the substitutions in the 58th minute that completely changed the game. Replacing McGuire, the forward touched the ball 14 times and completed 71.4% of his seven passes. He put himself in a great position to get on the end of Angulo’s shot off the post in the 74th minute, getting the Lions on the board. He also had a steal in the attacking third set up Nico Lodeiro for what would have been a tying goal at 3-3, but the Uruguayan’s shot was blocked just wide. He also had another shot in the box blocked late in the match.

F, Luis Muriel (58’), 7.5 (MotM) — Despite only being on the field for 32 minutes, Muriel was the best player for the Lions. He came on for Kocevski in the 58th minute and had arguably his best game in purple. The forward touched the ball 23 times and completed 69.2% of his 13 passes with one key pass. However, he was involved in all three Orlando goals. In the 71st minute, it was his beautiful pass forward for Angulo that set up the first goal. He converted a penalty in the 77th minute to make it 3-2 and scored from long distance in the final minute of stoppage time to make it 4-3. It likely would’ve been a blowout without the attacker, making him my Man of the Match.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (58’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 58th minute and did well with his 26 touches. The midfielder completed 95.7% of his 23 passes, including a key pass. His only shot was blocked, so it wasn’t officially on target, although it came off a leg and ended up skipping just wide on what would have been a tying goal, and he had a successful tackle to win the ball back.

D, Kyle Smith (81’), 5 — Smith came on as a defensive change in the 81st minute but wasn’t as impactful as the three previous subs. His first involvement was being too slow when first to a ball, losing it, and then conceding a set piece and drawing a yellow card for it after being on the field for only a few seconds. The defender touched the ball 16 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 passes, including his only long ball. Defensively, he only had one tackle and was otherwise invisible while on the field.

MF, Felipe (83’), 4.5 — Felipe came on for Cartagena in the 83rd minute and had a poor outing. He touched the ball 10 times and completed all eight of his passes, but one of those was a weak ball back to Thorhallsson. While the pass was technically complete, it was too soft and put the fullback in a bad spot, allowing Hernandez to take the ball off the right back and set up the fourth and, ultimately, decisive goal.

That’s how I saw Orlando City’s individual performances against the Columbus Crew. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey trying to send the ball upfield against a Montreal defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If you play Football Manager enough, you play plenty of games where the after-match comment is “a bore draw.” That appeared to be where Orlando City’s road game at CF Montreal was headed until a mistake by Robin Jansson in added time led to a penalty which opened the scoring for the hosts. They tacked on another late in stoppage time and the Lions will return home for a three-game set (one of them in the U.S. Open Cup) sore from Saturday’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with the Quebecois.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — With 25 shots by Montreal, one would’ve figured Crepeau was busy. Not really — he finished with three saves. A goalkeeper is almost never responsible for being scored on from the penalty spot, but Dagur Dan Thorallsson’s goal at the death is one Crepeau will want back, although in fairness it was perfectly placed. The Canadian goalkeeper finished with a 72.7% passing rate and was helped out after being rounded by Prince Owusu in a 1-v-1 opportunity that his teammates should never have allwoed for what would have been a goal if not for Iago’s sliding block to clear it off the line.

D, Adrián Marin, 5.5 — Marin got caught ball-watching in the 34th minute to allow a Wiki Carmona rocket that just went wide. Otherwise, he just didn’t impact the game one way or the other. Marin completed 87.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one block, and three clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson played his normal emergency role all game. Unfortunately, he got put off-balance in the first minute of added time in the second half and fell into the legs of Luca Petrasso, giving a penalty. It was a rough ending for the captain, but Orlando left the door open for Montreal and the hosts took it. The Swede also couldn’t close down Thorhallsson to prevent the second late Montreal goal. Jansson completed 78.7% of his passes, with one tackle, 10(!) clearances, and one block.

D, Iago, 6 — We saw both sides of Iago. He had a really nice pass in the 17th minute to free up Eduard Atuesta on goal but the Colombian missed the target to waste Orlando’s best chance of the game. The Brazilian’s biggest highlight moment was in the 76th minute, when Owusu dribbled past Crepeau for an open look at goal but Iago was there to clear it off the line. On the flip side, he also had a dangerous header defending a corner that almost created an own goal, instead hitting the left post. He got pulled wide in the first minute of the second half, allowing a dangerous shot by Owusu. On the offensive end, he got on the end of a corner but headed it right at Thomas Gillier. He was all over the place, which you can expect from a young player. He would’ve gotten a higher grade had the game finished scoreless because of his goal-line clearance and a couple of sparkling long balls that should have led to more. Alas. He finished with zero interceptions or tackles, three blocks, six clearances, and a 92.3% passing rate. He also picked up a yellow card in the sixth minute of added time in the second half preventing a counter on one of his attacking teammates’ many turnovers.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5— While Orlando City was heavily weighted to the left side all game, when the Lions went down the right, it was through Dorsey. He led the break down that side multiple times but had trouble connecting. Dorsey finished with one tackle, three clearances, and one cross while passing at a 79% rate.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — When Angulo whiffed on a ball in the second minute which caused a Montreal counter, it was an indicator of the night to come. He was sloppy all game long and, by The Mane Land’s unofficial tally, turned the ball over eight times, with the majority of those coming in his own defensive half. It was an ugly night that looked a touch better when Tyrese Spicer departed, changing Angulo’s duties, but it didn’t wipe out a forgettable match. He finished with 90.2% passing, despite being loose with the ball. He was two out of six for successful dribbles and two out of seven in winning ground duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — A major part of the toothlessness of the Lions in the match was the midfield play. While Atuesta had a 95% passing rate, the only real impact he had was in the 17th minute, when Iago broke him free with a great pass. Atuesta made a well-timed run, but he ended up doing nothing with it when he sent his shot wide of goal. He had a turnover in the fourth minute to leave Montreal with a 3-on-2 break, leaving me to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights for him. Luckily no, but there was no real contribution either. He picked up a yellow card in the 62nd, was dispossessed once, and committed four fouls.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5— Atuesta’s midfield partner also had trouble linking the play but contributed a touch more defensively. His sloppy handling in the 41st minute allowed Montreal to keep possession and created a corner. In the end, he finished with one tackle, one block, one clearance, and a 90% passing rate.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6— Unfortunately, most of Spicer’s contributions came on the defensive end this game because he could never get himself in the flow offensively. While he was 10-for-11 passing, he attempted two shots, one right at the goalkeeper and the other that missed so badly it almost went behind the net without hitting anything. He had just two touches in the opposition box. His biggest highlight was a tackle in the 23rd minute to end a dangerous Montreal possession. He was replaced in the 67th minute by Duncan McGuire. Spicer finished with a 91% passing success rate, led the team in tackles with four, and added two interceptions.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5 — This grade may be a bit harsh. However, when you are a Designated Player, you have to contribute, and Martin Ojeda was invisible at best. With 44 total passes, he was the one having to compensate for the lack of midfield control and it showed by his lack of offensive contribution. He had zero touches in the opposition box, which is not going to be a recipe for Orlando City success. Martin took one shot that was on target and passed at a 91% rate.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM)— Someone has to win Man of the Match. Ellis almost wins it by default as his overall play was the only positive thing all game. While his stats were mediocre, and there was not one moment you can pick to point to, he was the most talented when on the ball, tracked back to collect the ball occasionally, did more to link play than the midfield did, and just didn’t have a negative impact. He was replaced in the 80th by David Brekalo and finished with a 94% passing rate, was four-for-four on successful dribbles, and went five-for-six on ground duels won.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (67′), 5— McGuire started out playing out of position on the wing and while asked to pick up the offense, McGuire was unable to show anything of promise. Dorsey found him in the 88th minute with a cross, but McGuire turned down a quick shot and held the ball too long while deciding, and he ended up taking a low angle shot that had been there from the beginning that ended up harmless. He passed at a 75% rate and had three touches in the opposition box, turning those into a measly 0.05 expected goals. One of his touches on a promising attack was heavy and wasted the opportunity to get a shot off late in the game.

D, David Brekalo (80′), N/A — Brekalo came on for Ellis with a few minutes remaining, maybe a tactical choice to see out the draw. He completed all seven of his passes and had one clearance. He was not able to do anything to prevent Montreal’s two late goals, but he wasn’t the only one.

MF, Tiago (90′+5), N/A — Tiago entered right after the penalty to try to claw back a goal. Unfortunately, he whiffed on a 50/50 ball just moments before Thorhallsson ended up scoring the game’s second goal. He wasn’t on long enough to issue a grade, however.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90′+5), N/A — The best thing you can say about Taifi’s time is that he didn’t turn the ball over conceding a goal in the five minutes he was on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s loss to CF Montreal. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

Lions fall to CF Montreal, Pride defeat North Carolina Courage, OCB beats Atlanta United 2, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda taking a shot against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida, and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I spent the weekend in Texas catching up with friends and family. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who turns 32 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

Orlando City fell 2-0 to CF Montreal at Stade Saputo Saturday on a pair of late goals. After a scoreless first half, the Lions were minutes away from escaping with a point on the road but conceded twice in stoppage time, with former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson adding the insurance goal for Montreal as Orlando City left Canada with zero points. The Lions could not capitalize on their few scoring chances throughout the match. Orlando City returns home for its next match on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium.

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday, as Barbra Banda scored the lone goal late in the second half to help the Pride secure a much-needed win, snapping their two-match losing streak. Banda scored her eighth goal of the season, and she has scored five goals in the last three matches. The Pride will be on the road this week, facing the Boston Legacy Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, followed by another match Saturday against the Denver Summit at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Atlanta United 2 with a goal in each half, winning 2-0 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA Sunday. Gustavo Caraballo scored the opening goal from the spot to give the Young Lions the early lead. In the second half, Issah Haruna added another goal for the Young Lions to put it away and take three points. OCB will be back on the road Sunday to face New England Revolution II at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI.

Americans Abroad

Austin Trusty played a full 90 minutes as Celtic won its sixth consecutive match across all competitions 3-1 against Rangers. Gio Reyna scored his first goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach to snap his 16-month goal drought at the club level, but his side fell 3-1 to FC Augsburg. Weston McKennie played 86 minutes for Juventus in a 1-0 win against Lecce. In the Women’s FA Cup semifinals, Alyssa Thompson played 78 minutes for Chelsea, but her side fell 3-2 to Manchester City after extra time. Lindsey Heaps scored for OL Lyonnes while Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader were also in action in a 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Coupe De France trophy. Later today, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players writing letters to their moms for Mother’s Day.
  • James Rodriguez will reportedly leave Minnesota United this week and will not return to the club after the World Cup concludes this summer.
  • Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik stated that the club will impose a lifetime ban to fans who invaded the pitch as the club was minutes away from defeating rivals Sparta Prague Saturday to win the Czech First League title before the match was abandoned.
  • Leandro Trossard scored a late winner in the second half to help Arsenal beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep its five-point lead over Manchester City and pull a step closer to clinching the English Premier League title.

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

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