Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at Philadelphia?

Published

1 year ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

In a matchup of the two highest-scoring teams in Major League Soccer, of course there were zero goals between the two teams as Orlando City went on the road and took one point home after a hard fought and physical 0-0 draw against Philadelphia. The Lions earned that point without their normal starting central defensive pairing, and while they had some excellent chances to get a goal and take all three points, they will likely be quite happy with the road draw.

It was not a pretty game and will not be a game anyone is likely to want to tell their grandkids, or kids, or friends, or coworkers about, but all road points are important, and Orlando City added another one at Subaru Park.

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 Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 (MotM) — This was El Pulpo’s best game all season, as he was in command of the box all night long and kept Orlando City in the game with his four saves and quick reactions to come off his line. Philadelphia had several chances from close range, and while they may not have taken those chances as well as they would have liked, they did take them from areas that led to 2.04 expected goals (according to fotmob.com), but thanks to the Peruvian netminder, instead of two goals, the Union scored zero goals — the first clean sheet of the season for both Gallese and Orlando City. The one drawback was that Gallese once again received a yellow card for time wasting, but it was probably worth it, as Orlando City needed every second they could get towards the end of the game.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo played left back for the second game in a row, but this time in a starting capacity, and the Slovenian international was solid, though not spectacular. His role was a hybrid one, as the Lions looked to get Alex Freeman high when possible, with Brekalo playing as a standard left back at times and as a left center back when needed. There were a few scary instances in the second half when Martín Ojeda shifted out to the left. Ojeda is less adept at playing wing defensively than ivan Angulo and he and Brekalo sometimes weren’t communicating effectively, allowing the Union to get down the wing. Pareja recognized that and inserted Kyle Smith, which stabilized things. Brekalo looked much more at ease once he moved into the middle as part of a center back triumvirate, and he played well to see out the final minutes and earn the Lions their first shutout of the season. He finished with two tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block on defense, and he completed 76.5% of his passes, which was second highest on the team.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain looked more himself in this match, and while he still does not seem fully back to his regal Beefy Swede-ness, this was a solid game for Jansson in the back. He will owe his goalkeeper a massive thank you, however, for saving him in the early minutes of the second half, when he and defensive partner Rodrigo Schlegel let Bruno Damiani split them and have a chance from right in front of the net. Jansson had nearly identical defensive stats as Brekalo, with two tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block on defense, and on offense he was second on the team with 31 completed passes, completing them at a 73.8% clip. He also received a yellow card near the end of the first half but did not let that affect his play, as he completed the full 90 minutes without another issue.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — The Argentinean made the play that brought the biggest smile to my face, as after Mikael Uhre tried to draw a penalty in second-half stoppage time, Schlegel got right in his face to call him out for flopping, showing the fiery spirit that he never fails to bring to the field every time he plays. Schlegel was the more active of the two center backs on the night, completing a team-high 34 passes, although at a less-than-ideal 65.4% rate, taking one shot and contributing one tackle and a team-high 13 clearances — more than double the clearances of any other player on the field. Schlegel also suffered a team-high four fouls and showed an immense work rate for the entire match.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — The Homegrown Player continues to impress on the right side of the defense, and there is no more competition anymore for that position. It is clearly his and his alone. With Brekalo in the left back role it allowed Freeman to push forward even more than usual, as there were times in the second half when I wondered if Orlando City was playing five in the back or if the Lions had shifted Freeman up to take on Marco Pašalić’s right side role once the latter had subbed out. As he does nearly every week, Freeman contributed on both sides of the ball, logging four tackles, one interception, four clearances, and one blocked shot on defense, and completing 14 passes, with one key pass on the offensive side of the field. His completion rate was an ugly 43.8%, but none of the turnovers came back to haunt the team, and Freeman’s recovery speed continues to look as fast as anyone’s in the league.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet continues to show that he was another excellent draft pick by the Orlando City front office, as he earned his second start in this match and went the full 90 minutes. The Clemson product led the team with a 78.6% passing completion rate, and his partnership with Dagur Dan Thórhallsson was a solid one in the middle of the field. Gerbet worked hard on the defensive side of the ball, blocking a team-high four shots, and he also contributed two tackles and two interceptions. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta were not on the injury report, but both picked up tightness late in the week, so there was little time for Pareja to prepare his central midfield for this match. It says something that the moment was not too big for him going against the team that had scored the second-most goals in MLS entering the game.

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 6 — Thórhallsson is on pace to play every field position at some point this season, as the Icelandic Army knife stepped in and went the full 90 in his first start with Orlando City as a central defensive midfielder. Thórhallsson acquitted himself nicely next to midfield partner Gerbet, and the two unexpected starters kept the Union off the scoresheet, even though the Union had nearly two-thirds of the possession. Thórhallsson logged two tackles, four clearances, and one blocked shot on defense, as well as picking up a yellow card, and as was to be expected in his more reserved role, he only completed 22 passes, passing at a 73.3% clip.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5 — The Colombian winger brought his usual hustle and effort, but unfortunately also his usual lack of precision, and it was not surprising to see him removed at halftime for Duncan McGuire. Orlando City was clearly playing to try to break out on the counterattack, a style suited to a player of Angulo’s speed, but he could not get anything going while on the field in what was ultimately a forgettable 45 minutes. He contributed three clearances on defense and completed six of his 10 passes, but it was a middling performance, fitting for a player who played the middle amount of minutes of the match.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda was by far the most dangerous Lion on the field against Philadelphia, and on another night he might have bagged at least one and possibly multiple assists. The best chances Orlando City created all came from Ojeda and his darting runs, as in the first half he put a ball in front of Pašalić, and in the second half in front of Luis Muriel, but both put their shots too close to Andre Blake. The Argentinean Designated Player also contributed two tackles and one interception on defense, but when he moved out to the left, there were some moments of confusion or lack of communication between he and Brekalo. Ojeda on the left helps the team play all three Designated Players and McGuire at the same time, but Ojeda with a left back behind him is a little more risky than Ojeda with two defensive midfielders and center backs behind him. He also took one shot that was blocked before making way for Colin Guske, as the Lions went defense-for-offense in the final minutes.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — The Croatian Designated Player had two of the best chances of the game for the Lions, but Blake made a good save on one (albeit because the placement was too central) and Pašalić decided to cross instead of shooting from a tough angle with his weaker right foot on the other. Ojeda’s ball to Pašalić was maybe a quarter step late on the one that led to Blake’s save, but the shot could have been much better. Aside from those two plays, the right winger was pretty quiet on offense, as he only completed 57.1% of his 14 passes and did not make too many attempts to beat defenders off the dribble. He finished with four tackles and three clearances on defense, but in a game when the Lions were struggling for possession and playing without a few key players, it made sense for Pašalić to make way for a defender in the final 20 minutes.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — What could have been for Muriel, as he had a glorious chance late in the game on a ball played perfectly in front of him by Ojeda, and he just did not get all of it or get it aimed properly to get it by Blake. The Union goalkeeper left him a lot of goal to work with, and Muriel just was not precise enough on that shot. Muriel was active and threatening during his minutes on the field, with two shots and also one key pass, but the quality was just not all the way there in Philadelphia, and Blake did not gift him a goal like John McCarthy did in Los Angeles during the previous game. His beautiful flick on a ball out of the back from Jansson sent Ojeda and Pašalić in for Orlando’s only (glorious) scoring chance in the first half. Muriel added one tackle and one clearance, won four aerial duels, and completed 63.2% of his passes before coming off for Ramiro Enrique in the final minutes of regulation.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (46′), 5.5 — McGuire entered the game at the beginning of the second half after subbing in for Angulo and took his customary place at the front of the attack as Ojeda shifted out to the left. The Creighton product was generally starved of service during his 45 minutes on the field, as he only had 15 touches and made more of a contribution on defense with two interceptions and three clearances than he did on offense. He did not get any shots off and only completed four of his nine pass attempts, with one key pass. He made a great back-post run and was open for a header attempt that could have broken the stalemate, but alas Ojeda did not see him and took a shot instead.

D, Kyle Smith, (67’), 5.5 — Smith entered the game as a sub for Pašalić but immediately went all the way across the field and played his minutes as a left wingback, as Orlando City went to five in the back as they tried to grind out a point on the road. The Accountant did not have any tackles but he logged one interception and one clearance on defense. On offense, he got into the box to get a headed ball on target on his one shot attempt, but it was a soft one that went right at Blake. Smith completed four of his seven passes, joining so many of his teammates with a lower-than-usual completion percentage (57.1%).

F, Ramiro Enrique, (83’), N/A — The Argentinean came on late for Muriel but had little influence on that game while on the field. Orlando City was defending for most of his minutes, and he only managed four touches. He did go two-for-two on passes with those four touches, but neither led to anything for the Lions.

MF, Colin Guske, (90’), N/A — Guske made his MLS debut in this game, coming in for the final minutes as a replacement for Ojeda. He did not have any touches, but stayed in good position defensively to help keep the Union from grabbing a late goal.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at Philadelphia. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on the Man of the Match.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

Published

8 hours ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

Published

11 hours ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

June 11, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Continue Reading

Trending