Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 road draw against CF Montreal?
Orlando City played its first international road match of the 2025 season as the Lions faced off against CF Montreal in the club’s third-longest road trip by distance (approx. 1,432 miles). For the third straight week, Orlando boasted a clean sheet, but after facing the bottom dwellers of the Eastern Conference, the Lions were only able to bring one point back to the Sunshine State following a 0-0 draw. In a match without much flow and produced another 10-man finish for OCSC, Orlando appeared to play without much gusto.
Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances to see who made the grade and who can improve heading into the final match of April.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — Gallese stood tall against extended pressure for much of the match against CF Montreal. Facing a desperate squad that had only scored four goals on the season, Montreal looked for multiple breakthrough moments, which El Pulpo was able to sniff out. His distribution left a bit to be desired, as he had a 68.6% passing rate on his 35 attempts while completing 13 of his 24 long balls. He racked up six total saves on the night and showcased quick reactions in the first half on a Dante Sealy attempt, and in the second half he was able to parry away a Caden Clark shot that likely was destined for the back of the net. The end result now marks three straight clean sheets for the Peruvian No. 1.
D, Kyle Smith, 5 — With the suspension of Rodrigo Schlegel, Head Coach Oscar Pareja elected to bring Kyle Smith into the starting lineup at left back and shift David Brekalo to center back. Smith picked up a careless early yellow card early, which likely played a much bigger role in the outcome of the match than met the eye at the time of infringement. He was substituted off at halftime for Rafael Santos in a move designed to protect against picking up that second yellow…the move backfired as Orlando was not destined to finish the match with 11 men and Santos was the player picking up two yellows for aggressive fouls. In 45 minutes of action, Smith touched the ball 31 times and completed 87.5% of his 24 passes but failed to complete either of his two long-ball attempts. Prior to being pulled from the match, Smith recorded one tackle, one interception, and a clearance on the defensive side of the field.
D, David Brekalo, 7.5 — Brekalo was channeling his inner Schlehgel as he played the primary antagonist role to Prince Owusu throughout the match, getting under the forward’s skin and having to be separated from the German-born striker multiple times throughout the match. He logged 60 touches, completed 83.3% of his 48 passes, and completed two of his four long-ball attempts. To speak to the frustrating role that Brekalo played throughout the match, he was fouled a team-high four times while committing only one. Defensively, he added one tackle, three clearances, and blocked a shot. This now marks three straight full match appearances for Brekalo, which is a reassuring sign as the Slovenian has had issues in the injury department during his young tenure in Orlando. With Santos out next Saturday and Schlegel returning, I expect him to slot back into the starting left-back role against Atlanta.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The captain put in a solid effort in the middle of the back line, often functioning as the final safety valve to snuff out the “high-flying” Montreal attack. His body took the toll late in the match as American Caden Clark lowered his shoulder into the chest of the Beefy Sweede during an aerial challenge in front of Gallese. Jansson got back to his feet and was able to see out the match. He logged a team-high 70 touches and completed 80.3% of his team-high 61 passes and six of his 12 long-ball attempts, mirroring Brekalo’s 50% success rate in attempting to unlock the Orlando City attack over the top. Defensively, Jansson recorded two interceptions and a team-high five clearances. If I had one knock on his effort against Montreal, it’s that there were a few careless giveaways when facing the high press of the home squad, which luckily for Orlando City never amounted to much in terms of goal-scoring chances.
D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman had a mostly quiet match against CF Montreal, but settled in throughout the match after being exposed on the outside early by Dante Sealy. He touched the ball 43 times and completed 81.5% of his 27 passes. He logged one key pass and was unsuccessful on all three of his long balls. Freeman did not attempt any crosses against Montreal. Defensively, the young Lion contributed one tackle and two clearances. Offensively, Freeman managed one shot, which was off target. As the offense has ground to a complete halt, there appears to be a clear need for Freeman and Marco Pasalic to regain their chemistry and how they run off of one another down the right side of the field.
MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson reprised his role in the midfield, filling in for Edward Atuesta. I thought after a strong outing last week by Thorhallsson and Joran Gerbet, this week’s match told a different tale, as Orlando struggled to maintain possession and allowed Montreal to control the middle of the pitch. Thorhallsson touched the ball 42 times and completed 87.9% of his 33 passes. Offensively, Thorhallsson did not record a meaningful statistic, and on the defensive side, he tied Gerbet with a team-high four tackles while also contributing two clearances and one blocked shot.
MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — Gerbet, like his counterpart, is getting an extended run in the starting 11, which will hopefully pay off dividends as the season progresses. I thought Gerbet was the more effective of the defensive pivot duo, hence the 0.5 bump on his player grade compared to Dagur Dan. Gerbet logged 53 touches and completed 93.9% of his 33 passes. He logged one shot, which was off target, and he did his best impression of Araujo by suffering three fouls. He tied for the team high in tackles with four and logged an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot. The part of his game that needs improvement is the next-level vision when it comes to his passing ability, a skill which will hopefully continue to develop throughout the season.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo has now turned in back-to-back solid efforts, which is a massive improvement from where his form was just three to four weeks ago. His hustle hasn’t translated into goals yet, but he was the lone offensive piece who played with any type of edge against Montreal. He touched the ball 50 times and completed 82.4% of his 34 passes. He was unsuccessful on his two crosses, completed one of two long balls, and added two key passes. Offensively, he put one of his two shots on target and did well to track back on defense when Montreal looked to get out on the break, contributing two tackles.
MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda did a lot of little things right but failed to unlock the offense in any meaningful way and was not individually threatening offensively. He logged 47 touches and completed a team-best, 95.2% of his 42 passes. He tied Angulo for the team lead with two key passes and completed three of his four long-ball attempts. Defensively, he logged one clearance, and as mentioned above, offensively did not do much to strike fear into the Canadian club, failing to record a shot attempt. Ojeda was whistled for a team-high two offside infractions and seemed to express moments of frustration where it appeared that he was not on the same page as his teammates.
MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — The early Major League Soccer season has seemed to be all feast or famine for Pasalic, as he opened the season with a brace, failed to score against Toronto and New York City FC, then found the back of the net against the Red Bulls and D.C. United, and is now sporting a four-game drought in the goal-scoring department. It seems like the beginning of his tenure in MLS is progressing the way that many who come from overseas often do, with multiple adjustments needing to be made to gain comfort. Against Montreal, Pasalic touched the ball 40 times and completed a team-worst 58.3% of his 24 passes. Defensively, Pasalic contributed one clearance. Offensively, in 73 minutes of action, Pasalic still led the squad with three shot attempts but only managed to put one on target. I enjoyed seeing him cut the ball back outside and force a tight-angle shot with his right foot, as it is important to sprinkle in some attempts with the right to keep the defenders honest. Hopefully, a return to the friendly confines of Central Florida will help wash away his offensive drought next week against Atlanta.
F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel, like many of his offensive counterparts, appeared to be just ever so slightly off in his timing and positioning, failing to either send in the correct pass or to get onto the end of things in a timely manner. He touched the ball 50 times and completed 69.7% of his 33 passes, which included one key pass. He was unsuccessful on all three of his crossing attempts. Offensively, he managed two shots, which both were off target. The statistics here don’t tell the whole story, as Muriel did not miss by much on one of his attempts, making a perfect delayed run into the box and running onto the end of a brilliant ball that was cut back into the middle of the danger area from the end line. Additionally, for what it’s worth, Muriel also likely earned a penalty kick which was neither called nor reviewed…PRO refs are going to PRO. Defensively, he contributed one clearance.
Substitutes
D, Rafael Santos (46′), 4.5 — I certainly wish I could avoid giving Santos a grade as his dreadful start to the season continued. He was the substitute who was supposed to protect Smith from picking up his second yellow…only to turn around and pick up two yellow cards in 16 minutes. Santos exited the match and forced Orlando to play with 10 men for the final 15 minutes of the game, plus stoppage time. He recorded 18 touches and completed 33.3% of his nine passes. Santos logged two tackles and one interception on defense, but it is his sending off that will be remembered from this match.
F, Duncan McGuire (73′), 5.5 — I thought we might see more of McGuire in this game than we did, but at the same time, the flow of the game took McGuire’s legs out from under him as Santos’ red card came three minutes after the American striker had entered. McGuire was only on the ball eight times and completed 33.3% of six total passes. He likely did far more defending than he planned on, with Montreal attacking to try to earn the win after securing the man advantage. He logged one clearance on defense.
D, Thomas Williams (80′), N/A — Williams made his 2025 season debut in the 80th minute, replacing Muriel as Pareja looked to solidify the defense and at least escape the Great White North with a draw. He played well enough over the final 10 and was not caught out of position while contributing a tackle, one interception, and three clearances.
D, Zakaria Taifi (85′), N/A — Taifi also made his season (and MLS) debut, recording four touches and one clearance, helping see out the match
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s latest scoreless draw. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your 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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