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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw against the Chicago Fire?

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10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Twice this season Orlando City players received red cards, and during each occasion the defense was able to buckle down and keep the opponents from scoring while up a player. The Lions returned the favor on Saturday night, allowing Chicago to play down a player for more than half the game without punishment in what ended up as a disappointing 0-0 draw at Soldier Field.

There were not a lot of standout performances in this game, as aside from one major exception the team just seemed to be playing in a bit of a funk — and not the cool James Brown funk, but rather the something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-Illinois funk. To torture a Hamlet metaphor: to grade or not to grade was never a question, but to do it with or without holding my nose definitely was.

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, 8.5 (MotM) — El Pulpo was simply outstanding in this game, recording eight saves, one below his career high in purple (or yellow, as it often has been), and keeping the game scoreless early when Chicago was relentlessly attacking Orlando City’s defense. He made two double saves, one in each half, and really looked to be the only Lion who actually showed up to play in this game. The Peruvian looked in complete command of his area throughout, extending his shutout streak to more than 500 minutes by the conclusion of this game, and Orlando City has Gallese to thank for escaping with a point, despite playing up a man for more than half of the match.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — The Slovenian defender ventured forward more than usual, with the Fire playing down a player and not offering much of an offensive threat, and he did play a few dangerous balls, but — and this will be a theme of many of the grades for this game — nothing came of it. He completed 60 passes on the night at a 92.3% rate, and Óscar Pareja believed he was playing well enough to leave him on the field and withdraw Rodrigo Schlegel when Orlando City started really pushing forward in the final 10 minutes, but that is not saying much on a night when nobody in the defensive back line was having a great game. Brekalo added one tackle and three clearances, and to his credit, he continued to look more comfortable playing in a position (left back) that he had not played prior to this season.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain was his normal steady self, though he did not have many opportunities to contribute with Chicago so rarely attacking in the the final 50 minutes of the game. His biggest positive contribution was playing the long ball over the top to Duncan McGuire that turned into a red card and a man advantage, and he narrowly avoided a calamitous negative contribution as a second half shot that was going to go well wide deflected off him and nearly tucked inside the near post, but it thankfully hit the outside of the post instead. Jansson led the team in completed passes with 62, including one key pass, and completed those passes at a 91.2% rate, but it is telling that he did not make any tackles and only had two defensive clearances, as much of his game was spent watching the “offense” in front of him and providing a release valve as they reset and tried another tactic.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel owes a massive debt of gratitude to Gallese, as twice in the game the Argentinean defender was beaten by Philip Zinckernagel, and only a save at full stretch kept the Lions from going down 1-0. Shortly thereafter, he was beaten over the top on a ball to Jonathan Bamba, but Gallese once again kept the game scoreless. It was not shaping up to be a good day for the Orlando City defense, but the red card changed everything, and from then on, Schlegel did not have a lot to do aside from transitioning balls played back to him to another player. He completed 49 passes on the night, third on the team, connecting on 87.5% of those passes, and he also added one tackle and five clearances.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — I expected Freeman to take full advantage of Chicago playing down a man for more than half the game and he did to a degree, taking three shots and playing two key passes, but the final product was not there and he could not add to his goal contribution tally. Freeman and Marco Pašalić also did not seem to have their usual level of interplay, and according to whoscored.com, the Lions actually attacked up the right side far less often (24% of their possessions) than they did the left side (38%). Freeman was engaged defensively, with two tackles, three interceptions, and one clearance, but as with so many of the Lions on this night, he did not execute well enough on offense to help get the one goal Orlando City needed to walk away with the three points. He also owes Gallese a major thank you, as Zinckernagel picked his pocket in the first half and only a fantastic save kept Freeman from having made the turnover that turned into the opening goal.

MF, César Araújo, 6 — It was nice to see Araújo’s name back in the starting lineup, but I did not think the Uruguayan looked all the way back to 100%. That may have been because early in the game he appeared to pick up some kind of knock, and was limping around for a few minutes, or perhaps because he was not fully back from the injury that had been keeping him out, but this was a pretty muted performance from a player who usually is a midfield destroyer and never stops running when he is on the field. Araújo completed 47 passes at a 94% clip, took three shots, and recorded three tackles, but what I will remember from him from this game is that he was one of several players who took free kicks from very dangerous locations, and just like many of his teammates, he put his free kick right into the wall.

MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — With Eduard Atuesta out, Smith got the start in the midfield alongside Araújo, and gave a solid, workmanlike performance. Smith did not get forward very much and played conservatively, and while he completed 87.1% of his passes, there were very few of consequence. Smith’s biggest contribution was a hustle play, when he got all the way back on defense to deflect a cross away that was headed into a dangerous area. He also added one tackle on defense before making way for Martín Ojeda in an offense-for-defense substitution in the 56th minute.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — The Colombian had a bright start to this game, cutting back into the middle and getting off Orlando City’s first shot of the game, which deflected out for a corner. Later in the first half, he also put a left-footed shot on target, one of only two shots on target for Orlando City all game, but it was not struck with a lot of power and was never really a threat. Angulo also played a fantastic pass to Ojeda that nearly turned into an assist, but Ojeda’s blast hit the post instead of the net. The speedy winger completed 79.5% of his passes on the night, with three key passes, and added one tackle and two interceptions, but on the flip side, he also was dispossessed once in the defensive third, giving Chicago an opportunity, and he also committed the turnover that turned into Gallese’s second-half double save.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — Just when the Croatian winger seemed to finally be getting into the game he was substituted out, and while it was understandable considering how invisible he had been for most of the match, the decision to take off one of the few players who had even threatened the goal was one that I did not agree with. As covered earlier, Orlando City did not attack down the right side very much in this game, and Pašalić had his second-fewest touches in any game this season as a result. He did hit one of his trademark dipping shots from outside the box but did not get quite enough of a dip on it, and it rattled the crossbar but did not ricochet into the net. On the night, he completed 70.8% of his passes and he beat three defenders off the dribble, but he was not able to create much else for himself or his teammates.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel was by far the most active player among Orlando City’s attackers, and while he had several chances himself, he created even more for his teammates with his team-leading nine shot-creating actions, but nobody brought their shooting shoes, and all those chances went begging. Muriel played some absolutely beautiful balls on the night, from a long ball over the top to McGuire, to a back-post cross towards Araújo, to several crosses into the danger area in front of the goal, and on a different day, perhaps he would have had multiple assists. Or, on a different day, he would have scored on some of his chances, as he led the team with five shot attempts but unfortunately could only put one on target, which was saved. The Colombian had four key passes among his 38 completions, and considering he was one of the few players to look lively and engaged, it is not a surprise that he only completed 71.7% of his passes, as he was trying to create offense for his teammates all game long.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — McGuire received another start in this match next to Muriel, and went the full 90 minutes in an MLS match for the first time since June of 2024. Unfortunately, he continued his trend of not receiving a lot of service, as despite playing 90 minutes and Chicago playing down a player, he only had 23 touches. Early in the game he had a decent chance on a ball over the top from Muriel that he hit well but wide, but aside from that, he was unable to get any other shots off. His biggest contribution was earning the red card from Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady, which is not be discounted, especially considering that he gave up his just-recovered-from-injury body to do so, but aside from that, there was not a lot else that he offered in this game. He completed 10 passes at a 71.4% completion rate, but unfortunately for Orlando City, his goal contribution drought continued and left me wondering whether it is time for him to return to the bench and his supersub role instead of starting and playing against fresh defenders.

Substitutes

MF, Martín Ojeda (56′), 6 — With Orlando City up a man, I thought Ojeda would enter the game much earlier, but Pareja still waited until nearly two-thirds of the game was complete to bring in the team’s third Designated Player. Ojeda was inches away from adding another goal to his tally, smashing a shot against the post after a great pass from Angulo, but that was really the only serious contribution he made while he was on the field. He competed 14 passes, including one key pass, at an 87.5% rate and also took two additional shots, but placed neither on target.

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (81’), N/A — The Icelandic midfielder brought some life to the offense when he entered in an offense-for-defense substitution for Schlegel but was unable to create any serious chances. He completed six of his seven passes and was able to get a shot off, but that shot was not on target.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (81’), N/A — Enrique entered in a like-for-like swap with Pašalić but really did not have much of an opportunity to contribute to the match as he only had three touches.

D, Rafael Santos, (81′), N/A — The Brazilian replaced Angulo on the left side but was unable to get a chance to play any of his trademark whipped crosses towards the danger zone, and though he completed four passes, nothing came of them.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw on the road against the Chicago Fire. 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: 2/17/26

Predictions for the 2026 MLS season, UEFA Champions League returns, transfer rumor roundup, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

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February 17, 2026

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Image of Adrian Marin dribbling the ball against the Columbus Crew.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

It feels a little strange to be saying this after what feels like a couple minutes since the end of last season, but happy match week everyone! The Lions are set to take on the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, and hopefully the final preseason match was simply Orlando City’s time to get out all of the mistakes when the games don’t matter. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

MLS Preseason Predictions

With the 2026 MLS season due to get underway this weekend, now is a good time to make predictions on how the various teams will fare this year. When it comes to Orlando City, a lot of the on-air talent at Apple TV who cover the league don’t seem particularly positive about the Lions’ chances. The general consensus has the Lions finishing the year at ninth in the Eastern Conference, although a couple individuals have them sinking as low as 12th, and Max Bretos has the good guys as high as third. Inter Miami and LAFC are the picks to win their respective conferences, while CF Montreal and Sporting Kansas City occupy the cellar spots.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League is back this week as the play-off round kicks off later today. The Tuesday slate of games is highlighted by Benfica hosting Real Madrid in a rematch of the dramatic game on matchday eight that saw the Portuguese outfit sneak into the knockout round with a last-minute goal. The match between Weston McKennie’s Juventus team and Galatasaray should also be a great spectacle, and the Istanbul outfit’s intimidating atmosphere could make the difference against the Italian side. Wednesday sees Bodo/Glimt host Inter Milan in its frozen home above the Arctic Circle, while Club Brugge will try to use its own home-field advantage to grab a result against Atletico Madrid.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The winter transfer window might be over for European teams, but that isn’t stopping the transfer rumors from continuing to fly. We start with Manchester United, as the Red Devils are reportedly eyeing up a move to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Liverpool this summer to help solve some of their midfield struggles. Meanwhile, Brighton and Hove Albion is said to have made another offer to sign promising young winger Said El Lama from FC Koln, despite the German team’s reluctance to sell him. Elsewhere in England, Chelsea and Tottenham are both reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-Jae. Finally, Tom Bogert says St. Louis City is close to signing forward Sergio Cordova on loan from BSC Young Boys.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/2023415011188916575

FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

The draw has been completed for the fifth round of the FA Cup, and it’s thrown up some intriguing matchups. The one that’s grabbed a lot of the headlines is Wrexham hosting Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground after making it to the round of 16 for the first time in 29 years. Newcastle United will host Manchester City in another big clash, while West Ham United will take on a Brentford side that was given a real scare by National League side Macclesfield Town on Monday in a 1-0 win that took an own goal to send the Bees through. League One side Mansfield Town has been given a tortuously tough test in Arsenal, but the lower division outfit does have the benefit of playing the match at home.

Free Kicks

  • Despite being the new away jersey, Orlando City will be wearing the Sunken Treasure kit when it kicks off the season at home on Saturday.
https://twitter.com/OrlandoCitySC/status/2023511311402103093
https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/2023511459079348344

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Start manifesting all three points and a winning start to the season on Saturday, or I’ll send Kingston after you. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Robin Jansson’s Availbility Critical For Orlando City This Season

Orlando City’s lack of center back depth and experience makes Robin Jansson’s availability crucial to the team’s success this season.

Published

1 day ago

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February 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played its final preseason game Saturday night, falling 4-1 to the Colorado Rapids. There were plenty of takeaways from this game, but one stands out above the rest.

Robin Jansson has been a mainstay in the Lions’ starting lineup since arriving at the club in 2019. The Swede was a key component as the club qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in 2020 — and every year since. He eventually became vice captain and captain when Mauricio Pereyra’s time in Orlando ended.

Early in his Orlando career, Jansson was quite frustrating for fans. He would inevitably get into altercations with referees resulting in unnecessary yellow cards. The center back was commonly suspended due to yellow card accumulation, making him a potential liability in big games.

However, the 34-year-old has mellowed with age. His ability to keep his calm has made him a much more reliable defender and the obvious choice as Oscar Pareja’s captain when Pereyra departed the club following the 2023 season.

Over the last couple of years, Jansson’s importance to Orlando City has been apparent. Rodrigo Schlegel and David Brekalo were the center back pairing when the captain was missing and his absence was noticeable. While the other options were dependable (most of the time) the back line seemed unstable and disorganized without its leader.

We saw that again on Saturday night.

Jansson is out after undergoing foot surgery earlier this preseason, making Brekalo and Iago the only first-team center backs available with top flight experience. The veteran is expeccted to return later this spring, but Breako and Iago will likely be the starting center backs when the regular season begins Saturday night.

While Brekalo is entering his third season in Orlando, the club signed Iago — a 20-year-old Brazilian — from Flamengo on Feb. 7, making him the club’s newest player.

Just a week after joining his new club, Iago had the most difficult time of all Orlando City defenders against Colorado’s attack. He was beaten twice by Rafael Navarro for goals in the first half, allowing the opposition to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

While the newly signed center back was better in the second half, the pairing still had its troubles. Brekalo got burned by Darren Yapi for the third goal, and the inability of the duo to clear the ball late in the game allowed Lucas Herrington to make it four.

The importance of Jansson is shown not just in his captaincy, but also in the number of games he plays. He’s started at least 30 league games in each of the last three seasons and took part in every MLS contest Orlando City had in 2023. He’s clearly a durable option, but for how much longer?

At 34 years of age, Jansson is past his prime years and might need more time to recover. As a result, Pareja may soon be unable to depend on his captain to play nearly every game.

As we’ve seen over the past few seasons, that could create a significant problem for Orlando City. Regardless of the pairing, the back line has been much weaker when Jansson has not been involved. It’s something that was proven again Saturday night.

This is only one game in a preseason in which the club has produced very little information, so it’s tough to say whether this game is an anomaly or something that should concern fans. But it’s also not like Brekalo and Iago have played much center back.

Brekalo, a 27-year-old Slovenian international, has primarily played left back for the Lions since joining the team two years ago. Despite being a natural center back, only 18 of his 51 starts in all competitions have been in the position. Initially, he was a backup on the bench. Pareja soon preferred Brekalo at left back, resulting in the club trading Rafael Santos to Colorado.

The club signed Adrian Marin from Sporting Braga on Aug. 7, bringing a new left back into the squad. Once acclimating himself to his new home, the Spainard played in the final three games of the regular season. Brekalo started two of those games at center back and was away on international duty for the third. Marin also started Saturday night’s preseason game on the left side of the back line.

Meanwhile, Iago’s lack of experience comes from his age. The 20-year-old came through Flamengo’s academy before joining the first team in 2024. He made 68 appearances for the Brazilian giants’ U-20 and first teams while also captaining Brazil at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

But that experience is minimal compared to the other two center back options. Brekalo has made 65 appearances for Orlando City and played in more professional games for Bravo and Viking. Jansson, on the other hand, has more appearances (237), starts (231), and minutes (20,889) than any player in club history.

While Brekalo and Iago are getting used to regularly playing center back against MLS competition, Jansson has been a regular starter at the position for seven years. That experience allows him to have an unusual knowledge of the league and the opposing attackers in addition to being able to communicate effectively with the rest of his back line.

If Jansson is unable to remain healthy thorughout the coming season or needs more rest than previous years, it could be a problem for the Lions. The team is unlikely to score a large number of goals, making the defensive play essential to Orlando’s success. The captain being out for any period of time is the most troubling scenario.

Orlando City lost multiple starters this off-season, creating questions for the team heading into the season. Some of those include who will start at right back, how will new starting goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau adjust to his new team, and where will the goals come from? But what happens if Jansson is unavailable to play might be the most pressing.

We’ve seen what this back line looks like when the captain is out and it doesn’t look pretty. It’s been a concern over the past few seasons and, judging from the performance Saurday night, is one again this year. Orlando City fans can only hope he’ll be able to be a consistent and healthy part of the team in 2026.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/16/26

Lions fall to Rapids in final preseason match, Pride release preseason schedule, MLS transfer news, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 16, 2026

By

Image of Orlando City's starting lineup prior to a preseason match vs. Colorado.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers, and happy President’s Day! I hope all is well with you down in Florida over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy covering high school playoff basketball and hockey over the past week. Orlando City’s home opener is Saturday, and like many of you, I look forward to seeing what the Lions can do during the 2026 MLS season. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to Rapids in Final Preseason Match

In its final preseason match, Orlando City fell 4-1 to the Colorado Rapids Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime before Eduard Atuesta curled his shot around the wall and into the back of the net to make it 2-1 in the second half. The Rapids quickly responded with a goal from Darren Yapi extend their lead to 3-1. Lucas Herrington scored the final goal of the night for Colorado to seal the victory on the road. Orlando City finishes its preseason and the 2026 MLS season will kick off this weekend as the Lions host the Red Bulls on Saturday night.

Orlando Pride Release Preseason Schedule

The Orlando Pride dropped their preseason schedule Friday, and all matches will be closed-door scrimmages. The Pride have one preseason match in the books, a recent scrimmage against the Washington Spirit Friday, the day they dropped their schedule, but they did not provide information about it, as has become the team’s custom. The club shared some photos of the match on social media.

The Pride’s upcoming preseason matches are Friday against Racing Louisville, Sunday against the University of Florida, and March 1 against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Orlando Pride Announce Preseason Fan Events

The Orlando Pride unveiled the list of events ahead of the 2026 season Saturday. Many of the events offer fans opportunities to engage with the team ahead of the Pride’s home opener on March 15 against the Seattle Reign at Inter&Co Stadium. The first event is Tuesday with Pour Overs With Pride at Qreate Coffee Creative Village, where fans can interact with Simone Jackson and Nicole Payne as baristas. The Pride will reveal their new secondary jersey at The Final Whistle at Thornton Park Pub on Feb. 26. The Pints with Pride event is March 3 with Summer Yates and Cori Dyke as bartenders, and the club’s annual Scarf the City event is March 10.

MLS Transfer News

Minnesota United has signed defender Kyle Duncan. The 28-year-old previously played eight seasons for the New York Red Bulls and is under contract through 2026 with an option through June 2027. FC Dallas has acquired midfielder Joaquin Valiente from Uruguayan top flight club Defensor SC. The 24-year-old Uruguayan international has signed a deal through 2027-2028 with options through the 2029-2030 season. The Houston Dynamo have loaned midfielder Sebastian Rodriguez to CF Monterrey through the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Atlanta United is reportedly finalizing the signing of winger Fafa Picault.

Lastly, Nashville SC is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to acquire wingback Reed Baker-Whiting from the Seattle Sounders.

Americans Abroad

Former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench and played 12 minutes, but Villarreal fell 2-1 to Getafe. Johnny Cardoso played 63 minutes, but Atletico Madrid fell 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano. Weston McKennie recorded two assists, but Juventus fell 3-2 to rival Inter Milan over the weekend. Timothy Weah played a full 90 minutes as Marseille secured a 2-2 draw against Strasbourg. Patrick Agyemang scored his 10th goal of the season as Derby County defeated Swansea City 2-0 in the EFL Championship. Later today, we’ll have two Americans square off as Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough take on Haji Wright and Coventry City.

Fourth Round FA Cup Recap

The fourth round of the FA Cup has begun. On Friday, Wrexham beat Ipswich Town 1-0 and advanced to the fifth round for the first time since 1997. Chelsea defeated Hull City 4-0. On Saturday, Mansfield Town edged Burnley 2-1 to move on. Former Lion Daryl Dike was on the bench and did not play as West Bromwich Albion fell 3-1 to Norwich City. Manchester City beat Salford City 2-0, and Liverpool defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0. On Sunday, Leeds United needed penalties to beat Birmingham City 4-2 after a 1-1 draw to advancd to the fifth round. Sunderland defeated Oxford United 1-0, Fulham edged Stoke City 2-1, and Arsenal dominated Wigan Athletic 4-0. Later today, Macclesfield FC takes on Brentford.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Benji Michel has signed a contract with K-League 1 side Ulsan HD FC in South Korea for the upcoming 2026 season.
  • Former Pride forward Ally Brazier (née Watt) set up the first goal for the Denver Summit in its preseason match Sunday. Former Pride defender Carson Pickett was also in action as the Summit defeated the Utah Royals 2-0.
  • The San Diego Wave are reportedly in negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Catarina Macario.

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

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