Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union?
It was a bit of a nervy finish — ok, fine, a very nervy finish — but when the whistle blew on Orlando City’s 2-1 home victory over the Philadelphia Union Wednesday night, the Lions had earned a win for the fifth time in their last six matches and kept their spot in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The first half was not one that anyone will want to watch again, aside from maybe the opening 10 minutes, but the second half was exciting, and Luis Muriel continued his torrid play of late with assists on both goals.
I have my purple pen out and 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 matchup with an Eastern Conference opponent.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — The Union took 16 shots during the match but only put three on goal; El Pulpo saved two and really did not have much of a chance on the goal by Quinn Sullivan as he was screened by the defense and it was very well struck off the underside of the crossbar. I thought there were several balls in the air that he could have claimed but he instead stayed home on his line, but none of them came back to bite him and the Union ended the game with only the one goal. Gallese completed 12 of his 15 pass attempts for an 80% completion rate, and despite being knocked down hard several times, he got up every time and helped the defense close out the win when the Union were throwing bodies forward to try to snatch a tie late in the game.
D, Rafael Santos, 6.5 — Santos was one second too late from getting in front of Sullivan on the Union’s one goal, but that goal was not completely on him (I’m looking directly at you, referee Armando Villareal and your incorrect decision to give the Union a throw-in) and should not detract from what was an otherwise solid game from the Brazilian left back. Santos led the game with 83 touches while completing 52 of his 61 passes for a 85.3% completion rate, and he got a shot off late in the game that left Andre Blake rubbing his wrists and perhaps wishing that he had not made that save. Santos also contributed six recoveries, three clearances, two interceptions, one block and one tackle, and in the face of a Union attack that was 43% on his section of the field, he held his own against a team that had scored 10 goals in their last three games.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The captain played his usual composed and calm game in the back, but had Wilder Cartagena played him a pass instead of shooting in the 51st minute, we may have seen that calm demeanor disappear in wild celebration as the Viking was perfectly positioned to open the scoring. Jansson was involved in the offense a little more than usual, ranking second on the team in completed passes (53) and completing them at a 96.4% rate, including seven of nine on long balls. On defense, his presence helped push the Union to primarily attack the box away from him and towards the side defended by Rodrigo Schlegel and Kyle Smith, which led to Jansson not registering any tackles, but he did have five recoveries, two clearances and two interceptions.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Alas, there was not a second match in a row with a Schlegoal, but the Argentinean defender played well in the middle of the defense, which is his primary responsibility. He got caught ball-watching and/or a step out of position a little more than normal in this match, particularly on a corner kick in the 79th minute where Nathan Harriel from the Union slipped right behind him and had the goal at his mercy, but thankfully did not head the ball cleanly and tie the game up, although the center back was not the primary defender on Harriel on that play. Schlegel picked up a yellow card while hustling back to slow down a 2-v-2 break, but aside from that he had a perfect 100% completion rate on his 26 passes and added three clearances, one block, and one recovery.
D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — There were times during the match when I thought the Accountant looked gassed, but that was directly due to the fact that he was tracking up and down the right side of the field all game long, and giving maximum effort while doing so. Smith was involved in the Union’s one goal, as he left Daniel Gazdag for a second to try to double-team the ball and Gazdag cut behind him. Smith’s sliding attempt to block Gazdag’s cross was one millisecond too late and the Union capitalized. Aside from that one play, I thought Smith was solid in his second straight match starting at right back, as he completed 83.3% of his passes and also added three clearances and one recovery on defense.
MF, César Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo is on a hot streak again, which sounds great until I define that as a hothead streak, as he picked up a yellow card in his third straight match and second since consecutive game after returning from a yellow-card suspension. Yellow card aside, the Uruguayan was solid, completing 90.5% of his passes and producing a heatmap of plays all over the field. In a bit of a surprise to me, he was selected to take a free kick from a dangerous area in the first half. It didn’t go well, as his initial attempt hit the wall. Although he hit the rebound squarely and with full power, he just got under the ball and put that shot right into The Wall behind the goal. Araujo also contributed defensively and with his hustle stats, as he had six recoveries, one block, one clearance, and one interception.
MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena led the team offensively, with 55 completed passes, and defensively, with seven recoveries, but it was a quieter game than usual for him in his midfield role. He put a shot into Carlos Rivas territory (read: way, way over the bar) in the first half and took a shot (on goal) when he should have passed in the second half, but aside from that, he had most of his touches on the defensive side of the field and served more to move the ball with short and medium passes. His defensive partnership with Araujo helped push the Union to attack more out wide than through the middle, as evidenced by whoscored.com’s heatmap below, showing the location of the Union’s touches.
MF, Iván Angulo, 5 — In what has become a bit of a familiar pattern, Angulo hustled and gave maximum effort throughout his minutes on the field but did not have the touch to match his effort. He had multiple giveaways in the opening 25 minutes and had a wonderful opportunity to open the scoring in the 37th minute but put his shot well over the bar. The Colombian completed 21 passes at an 80.8% completion rate and had one recovery and one block on defense, but he was replaced at halftime by Muriel, and the game completely changed immediately after that, which was likely not a coincidence.
MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Even though he only played 60 minutes of the match, Ojeda was one of the best players on the field, and I was a little surprised it was he who came off at the time that he subbed out. He was really the only bright spot on the field during the first half of the game, and then in the second half he continued to deliver as the central playmaker for the offense, eventually picking up his 13th assist of the season by playing the initial ball to Muriel that was then played off to Torres for the opening goal of the match. He completed 89.7% of his passes, including four key passes, six of his seven long ball attempts, and four of his seven crosses.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Hot Facu Summer continued against Philadelphia, as the winger scored for the fourth time in the last five games on a ball struck so well that Blake could only get his hands on it but could not keep it out of the net. Torres also completed all 32 of his passes, including one key pass, and led the team by drawing four fouls by Union defenders. As he usually does, Torres had touches all over the field and led the team with nine successful progressive passes (passes of 10+ yards on the attacking side of the field) received, and his interplays with Ramiro Enrique, Muriel and Ojeda were fun to watch throughout the match.
F, Ramiro Enrique, 6.5 — It was an active night for Enrique as he got five shots off, but he was unable to get any of them on target, so he couldn’t make it three games in a row on the scoresheet. His presence and hustle was definitely felt by the Union throughout his 77 minutes on the field though, and he helped play a role in the opening goal as Muriel initially targeted him with a pass before eventually playing the ball to Torres, and then he was also involved in the second goal as he shielded off a Union defender to allow Muriel to pick up the ball and go up the sideline before playing Duncan McGuire in on a through ball. Enrique also played the final part of his shift out on the wing with McGuire up top — the second time the Lions have used that lineup recently instead of just interchanging he and McGuire directly. I thought he played well in both positions and had a solid game overall.
Substitutes
MF, Luis Muriel (46′), 8 (MotM) — The NBA season may be yet to start but there was definitely some magic in Orlando on Wednesday, because when Muriel came in, he made an ineffective offense disappear and then come back into view as the offense we had seen from Orlando City since the beginning of the summer. Muriel assisted on both goals — one by playing the simple ball to lead Torres right into a smashed shot and the other by playing a perfectly curved through ball to McGuire, who then finished on the breakaway. He should have had a third assist deep in stoppage time, but McGuire couldn’t beat Blake on his second breakaway. Muriel looked a cut above everyone on the field during the second half, as his touch was exquisite and his passing was outstanding. I compared Muriel to Chris Paul while writing the grades during the FC Dallas match, and the dust has not even settled on that comparison before I am bringing it out again for this match. Muriel was outstanding at initiating the offense and delivering the pass exactly where it needed to go. Hopefully, Jalen Suggs was watching and taking notes.
F, Duncan McGuire (61′), 6.5 — The backflip was back in this match, as Big Dunc came on in the 61st minute and was showing off his finishing ability and high-level athleticism just three minutes later after running onto Muriel’s through ball and finishing past Blake. While the final 26 minutes of his shift did not contain any moments as exciting as that goal, Duncan brought his normal high work rate and had some good hold-up play as well. There were just two downsides. The first was that he picked up a late yellow card, meaning he will be suspended for the next match at FC Cincinnati. The second was that he couldn’t reward Muriel for his final seeing-eye pass in the game by finishing it. It was a strong performance off the bench and a reminder that Orlando still runs on Duncan.
MF, Nico Lodeiro, (77’), N/A — Lodeiro came in as part of a double substitution and took over from Torres out on the right wing. He was engaged throughout his time on the field, getting 14 touches on the ball and completing all 12 of his passes, including two key passes.
MF, Luca Petrasso, (77’), N/A — Petrasso was the other player who entered as part of the double substitution, and he replaced Enrique, who had shifted out to the left wing when McGuire subbed in for Ojeda. The Canadian did not see a lot of the ball, but he did get a shot on target and was able to complete four of his six passes. He started the late corner kick covering Harriel but completely lost track of the Union fullback, which could have been costly.
D, Michael Halliday, (80’), N/A — Orlando City’s final substitute was Halliday, who replaced Smith in a like-for-like change, taking over at right back. It was his first game since early May, but in a high pressure situation while helping to protect a one goal lead, he did not look rusty, completing five of his seven passes and recording one clearance.
That’s how I saw the individual performances on Wednesday 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.
Orlando City
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Get up to speed on the Pigeons ahead of Saturday’s game, courtesy of someone who knows them best.
Happy Friday, everyone. Orlando City got a week of rest after taking care of business against D.C. United at home, and it returns to the purple palace Saturday night to face a New York City FC team with its back against the wall in the race for a playoff place.
A showdown with the Pigeons means I caught up with Matthew Mangam of New York Soccer Journal. As always, he was helpful in getting us up to speed on NYCFC, and we appreciate his help. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so make sure you check them out over at their place!
Talk me through NYCFC’s summer transfer business. Who’s out, who’s in to replace them, and how have they performed?
Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s summer business wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The club brought in striker Luighi on loan from SE Palmeiras and got back midfielder/defender James Sands, whose loan with St. Pauli ended.
Luighi started off well, bagging four goals in his first seven league appearances. But since then, the 20-year-old is on a five-game drought. To his credit, Luighi started only two of his last five games. As for Sands, this is his third stint at NYCFC, so the versatile 26-year-old was welcomed back with open arms.
The biggest acquisition this summer, though, was Bénie Traoré. The winger joined the club as a Designated Player from FC Basel in Switzerland, but it hasn’t gone well. In 15 league appearances, Traoré has one goal — a penalty kick that hit off the post and went in — and no assists.
The club’s last move that didn’t happen in the summer surprised everyone: adding free agent Matt Miazga. The veteran defender hasn’t made his debut yet, and I’m honestly not sure when he will.
New York City has been a wildly different team since the league restarted after the World Cup. What’s happened to cause the change in form?
MM: I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. There’s so much I could say, but if I did then I’d be here all day. I’ll narrow it down to this: NYCFC can’t play a complete 90 minutes.
NYCFC has conceded six goals in stoppage time this season, is 0-4-12 after falling behind 16 times, and is 4-5-6 at home. So, they can’t hang onto leads — they’ve lost seven points after the 75th minute — they have no come-from-behind wins, and they’re poor at home.
There are other smaller factors, like injuries, individual mistakes from usually solid players (Matt Freese and Sands), and players struggling, but, as I said, it’s a lot.
The playoffs are still in reach, as NYCFC is just two points out of eighth. What needs to happen in order to get above the line and stay there?
MM: Simply put, NYCFC needs to win all four remaining games, or, at the very least, go 3-1-0. Teams around them, like Toronto, Columbus, and Cincinnati, are picking up wins and building separation, so NYCFC is in a do-or-die situation.
Getting Alonso Martínez back and starting again is huge, but you can’t expect him to return from a brutal injury and save the team immediately; it’s not fair. Traoré has to step up and show why the club paid DP money for him — one lone goal that, in my opinion, fortunately went in, and no goals from open play is extremely concerning.
Also, Nico Fernández Mercau hasn’t scored in five matches. He’s getting double- and triple-marked because teams are now well aware of how talented the Argentine is, but he has to find a way back on the scoresheet in this stretch. NYCFC needs him to. So, so badly.
Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?
MM: The only players out are the ones with long-term injuries: Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Arnau Farnós, and Drew Baiera.
Given that NYCFC needs to win or the season is practically over, I expect Head Coach Pascal Jansen to leave it all out there with his best possible lineup:
Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill; Hannes Wolf, Nico Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda; Alonso Martínez.
I think Nico Fernández Mercau and Alonso Martínez score, but it won’t be enough, as Antoine Griezmann gets a brace and both teams settle for a 2-2 draw.
Thank you to Matt for his excellent refresher on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando City prepares for New York City FC, Antoine Griezmann’s impact in Orlando, U.S. will host FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, and more.
Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty nice week for me, as I was able to watch all of Slow Horses and finish reading Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, both of which were brilliant. Attention now turns to this weekend’s soccer, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride playing at home over the next couple of days. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Prepares for New York City FC
The Lions host New York City FC on Saturday in one of the marquee matchups in MLS as the regular season nears its conclusion. Plenty has changed since Orlando’s 5-0 loss to NYCFC on March 7. The Lions have clawed their way up the table while the Pigeons have only won once in their past 13 league games. NYCFC enters this match after a 1-1 draw with LAFC that included an equalizer by former Lion Andres Perea to give the team a valuable point amid the playoff race. Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, Luighi, and Benie Traore are all NYCFC players the Lions will need to keep in check, or else it could end up being another high-scoring affair in the City Beautiful.
Antoine Griezmann’s Impact on Orlando’s Offense
Orlando’s wait for Antoine Griezmann to join in the summer has proven to be well worth it, as he’s transformed Orlando’s attack into a force to be reckoned with just as the playoffs near. Although Griezmann wasn’t able to enjoy a fairytale ending with Atletico Madrid by lifting the Copa del Rey or Champions League trophies this year, he’s breathed life into an Orlando side that struggled mightily prior to his arrival. The 35-year-old has recorded 12 goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances this season. Not only has he excelled when it comes to getting the ball in the net, but he’s done well in terms of defensive metrics and intangibles as well.
U.S. Will Host Women’s Club World Cup
The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be held in the U.S. in January of 2028 with the host cities still to be determined. There will be 19 clubs taking part, with Gotham, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Club America having already qualified along with three other teams so far. This tournament is sandwiched between the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, so there’s plenty of exciting women’s soccer to look forward to in the coming years.
U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team Wins at World Cup
The United States U-17 Women’s National Team won 6-1 against Kenya in the group stage of the FIA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, clinching a spot in the round of 16. Maggie DiMaria scored four goals to bring her total to 10 across just two games. The U.S. will play its final group game on Sunday against China PR, which also won both of its games against Kenya and Samoa to secure a spot in the knockout stage. The winner of this group will get to avoid a match with Spain in the round of 16, so there’s still plenty to play for before the next round gets underway.
Free Kicks
- The first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal between the United States Men’s National Team and Haiti has been moved from Kingston to Miami. Haiti has had to play games outside of the country due to unrest and submitted a request to Concacaf to play in the country of its opponent.
- American center back Naomi Girma is now dealing with a calf injury that may sideline her for a few weeks according to Chelsea Head Coach Sonia Bompastor. She missed out on the team’s recent friendlies against Spain and may be absent for the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador next month too.
- The United States Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team beat Ireland 15-0 to advance to the IFCPF Women’s World Cup final, which takes place today against Australia. Annie Wickett scored five goals with four other players scoring braces.
- The San Diego Wave signed defender Mimi Van Zanten to a contract extension through the 2029 season. She’s made 27 appearances for San Diego during her rookie season, helping the club keep pace in the NWSL Shield race.
- After being stretchered off the field due to a head injury in the U.S. Open Cup final, St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Burki is alert and in good spirits, according to the club.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
Orlando City’s October offensive surge may look like a recent development, but the Lions have been scoring at an impressive rate for months.
We do not watch nearly enough Sesame Street in my house, but ever since the summer we say that A is for Antoine when the show discusses the alphabet. Sadly, this replaced A is for Andrew, which is my name, because Antoine Griezmann is more popular than me in my house. I cannot say that I am surprised, but I can say that it hurts just a little bit. More than a little bit.
For the past few years, O has been for Ojeda, as in Martín Ojeda, the man who is now Orlando City’s all-time leading goal scorer. This October, however, O is for offense, as the Lions have scored 10 goals during their three October matches, and that tally leads all of MLS this month. Orlando City’s offense has actually been on point for several months now, as you can see from the chart below (MLS games only):
| Month | Goals Scored | Games Played | Goals per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| March | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| April | 7 | 5 | 1.4 |
| May | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| July* | 5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| August | 9 | 5 | 1.8 |
| September | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| October | 10 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Total | 58 | 30 | 1.9 |
- *There were no games in June due to the FIFA Men’s World Cup
Griezmann arrived for the July games, but even before that, the offense had started to heat up in May. Although May 1 is an arbitrary date, if we use it as a benchmark it allows us to capture two-thirds of Orlando City’s season, as the first 10 games happened before May and the team has now played 30 in total. Since May, the Lions rank fourth in MLS in goals scored with 46, sitting behind only Miami (54), Philadelphia (52), and St. Louis (47).
In a matter of perfect symmetry, the Lions also rank fourth in goals allowed, and by rank fourth I most certainly do not mean they are among the best defensive teams in the league. Orlando City has allowed 41 goals in the last 20 games, which is an average of more than two goals allowed per game but is also fewer than the 46 the team has scored. I know you already did the math in your head, but 46 – 41 = 5, and that +5 goal differential since May puts the Lions at eighth overall in MLS.
Perhaps we are now in the Inception timeline, because in yet another matter of symmetry Orlando City has also earned the eighth-most points (34) since May 1. This is yet another reminder of how poor of a start the club had this season, with seven losses in those first 10 games.
Since then, however, the 2026 team has performed like the teams of the past few years, but even with a top 10 performance for two-thirds of the season, it has not been able to climb above seventh in the Eastern Conference. This is because four of the five best teams since May are in the same conference, and the ninth and 10th hottest teams, right behind Orlando City, are also in the East. For those of you counting, hopefully in a voice like The Count’s (“Ah, ah,ah!”), that makes seven of the top 10 Eastern teams, so it is no wonder that the Lions are still in a precarious playoff position.
Saturday’s game against New York City FC is, on paper, the easiest of the remaining four games, but then again, the Pigeons did dirty pigeon things all over the Lions in the first matchup, winning that game 5-0. A repeat performance would wipe away the +5 goal differential Orlando has since May, but in addition to the fact that this game will be played on an actual soccer field, there is another pretty major difference between the early season Lions and the current Lions: Griezmann.
The French superstar is up to 12 goals scored and six primary assists (to go with one secondary assist in only 14 MLS games, which is wild), and he and Ojeda make up one of only seven tandems in the league in which both players have at least 12 goals each (Ojeda has 15). Only three tandems have at least 13 goals each (Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey and Evander, and Nashville’s Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar), and with another goal from Griezmann, the two Lions would become the second pair in club history to each score at least 13 goals in a season, joining Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire in 2023.
Marco Pašalić scored in the most recent game, and both Iván Angulo and Justin Ellis have recorded double-digit goal contributions, so let’s hope the team’s recent offensive onslaught continues, because with all the injuries on the back line and some difficult opponents coming up on the schedule, the Lions will likely need to put up multiple goals if they are going to get results and qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
And considering how poor the start to the season was, if they can orchestrate that it would be outstanding. Let’s gooooooooo.
Vamos Orlando!
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Lion Links: 10/23/26
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