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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory over Charlotte FC?

Published

8 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The Lions kept their recent pattern going, as they came into the game on the back of a five-game stretch that went D-W-D-W-D and they went out and added a W to that pattern with a 3-1 victory over Charlotte FC. It was a chippy game with referee Sergii Boiko letting both teams play, and in the end, Orlando City did the better playing and put three balls into the net for the second straight MLS game — and this time their three goals helped them earn three points.

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, 5.5 — Through no fault of his own there was very little for Gallese to do in this match, as Charlotte only took eight shots and only put one on target, and despite a great effort, El Pulpo was unable to keep Wilfried Zaha’s well-struck ball out of the net. For the rest of the game Gallese basically served as a communicator and passer. He was called into action on a second-half corner kick and tipped a headed ball off the crossbar, but there was a foul before the shot, so he did not get credit for a save. It was a quiet night for the Peruvian, but I am sure he did not complain about it. Gallese completed 80% of his passes, including three of his six long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 7 (MotM) —At this point, there is no more settling in, Brekalo is the first-choice left back and he looks excellent in that role. His most memorable contribution was breaking the press with a quick outside-in move before playing a perfect through ball to Ramiro Enrique that turned into the back-breaking third goal, but he was solid all game long on both offense and defense. The Slovenian completed 91.7% of his passes on the night, including the one key pass to Enrique, and a headed pass to César Araújo that turned into a secondary assist when the next pass went to Luis Muriel, who then scored the game’s opening goal. Brekalo added three tackles, two interceptions and four clearances on defense and closed out the game pairing with Robin Jansson at center back after Rodrigo Schlegel was subbed off for the final few minutes. He also attempted two shots, one of which was off target and the other was blocked. Brekalo was composed and engaged throughout the game, and for me the combination of his contributions on offense and how he thwarted Charlotte defensively made him the man of the match.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Beefy Swede was in clean-up mode during this match, as he unleashed his trademark slide into a clearance multiple times when Charlotte tried to play long balls forward. Jansson was active throughout, leading the team in tackles (4), interceptions (4), and clearances (5), and he also blocked a shot. There were some nervy moments in the back throughout the game, as Charlotte did a good job getting crosses off into the middle of the field, but the center of Orlando’s defense did well to win most of those balls and get them out of danger. Jansson did get bailed out by Pep Biel hitting a ball over the bar from close range when he should have stayed with Biel, but instead he was just standing and ball-watching and allowed the Charlotte attacker to have a great opportunity to tie the match. On the whole, it was a solid game for Jansson though, with 91.7% passing on a team-leading 72 completions, including a beautiful long ball to a streaking Alex Freeman that helped create the second goal, and helping to hold Charlotte to only one shot on target.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — I went back and forth between 5.5 and 6 for Schlegel in this match, as he was the primary defender on Zaha when he scored Charlotte’s goal and he definitely should have been at least one step closer to the Ivorian and not allowed him the space to turn and shoot. On the other hand, Zaha is an elite attacker, a former starter for years in the Premier League, and for the most part Schlegel and the rest of the Orlando City defense kept him quiet. In the end, I thought Schlegel’s one moment of a loss of focus was offset by a generally solid game defensively, as even though he did not have any tackles or interceptions he did add two clearances and won one aerial duel, and he completed 95.1% of his passes when he had the ball.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — He did not get credit for an assist, primary or secondary, but Freeman contributed heavily to Orlando City’s second goal when he made a tremendous run up the sideline to beat Tim Ream off the dribble and crossed the ball into the middle. The cross was not great, but he did put the ball in front of the goal, where good things often happen, and that ball soon was in the net after Martín Ojeda hit it approximately 7,000 miles per hour once it bounced out to him. Freeman was dangerous throughout, and while he and Marco Pašalić did not have the connection they often have had this season, he still pushed up the field like few right backs in the league are able to do and ended up with Orlando City’s third most touches in Charlotte’s penalty area. As is often the case Freeman’s attacking mindset meant that Charlotte more frequently attacked on his side of the field than Brekalo’s, and the visitors were able to get a good amount of crosses into the middle while doing so. Nothing came of them though, and in the end it was another positive game for the Homegrown right back. He tallied one tackle, one interception, and three clearances on defense, and completed 92.7% of his passes on offense, joining the other three starting defenders in completing at least 90% of their passes.

MF, César Araújo, 6.5 — This game hit many items on an Araújo Bingo card, as he led the team in completed passes (72, while completing 94.7%), hustled and pressed all over the field, got in the opposition’s face after a whistle, committed multiple fouls, received a yellow card, played the full 90 minutes, and brought unparalleled energy on a hot evening. In addition, he also earned an assist when he flicked a ball behind him right into the path of Muriel, who then turned and hit a dipping shot that snuck past Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. About the only thing that the Uruguayan did not do that he normally does was suffer multiple fouls, as he was only fouled once.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — This match was another one in which I had to remind myself that Gerbet is a rookie, and it was only his 10th professional match. I thought the former Oregon State Beaver and Clemson Tiger was excellent, particularly on defense, as there were several Charlotte crosses into the box that looked dangerous, except that the player who got himself onto the end of those crosses time after time was Gerbet, and then he was able to get the ball to a teammate and out of danger. According to the tracking on mlssoccer.com, he completed every pass but one on the night for a cool 98% completion rate on 51 pass attempts. Eduard Atuesta may be back soon from his injury, but Gerbet has more than held his own in Atuesta’s absence, and he continues to look like another excellent Orlando City draft pick.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — Angulo joined Jansson in his major relief when Biel hit that ball over the bar from close range, because it was the Colombian winger who was initially beaten and allowed the ball to be played across the goalmouth to Biel. That play was not indicative of the entire night for Angulo, but it was one of several instances of a poor performance in the box — both the attacking box and defending box. The midfielder just seemed a little bit off in this match, completing only 61.3% of his passes and not having the tightest of touches when he had the ball at his feet. He counteracted that to some extent with his incredible fitness, making several lung-busting runs to recover back on defense or to try to get an attack going, and while the final product was not there for him, it was not due to lack of effort. Angulo made way for Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute in a swap that was like-for-like positionally, though few would confuse Smith’s brand of left wing play for Angulo’s.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 5.5 — It was another quiet game for the Croatian winger, though he did contribute directly to Orlando City’s second goal as it was his shot that was blocked up into the air that then turned into Ojeda’s blast into the lower corner of the net. Pašalić will not get credit for an assist, but that goal does not happen without his shot. Aside from that, his main contribution was to remind everyone that he should be considered one of the best dribblers in club history. He beat another two defenders off the dribble in this game and almost had a play where he beat two defenders on one play on one move, but we are now talking about more highlight-reel type plays that drew “oohs” from the crowd rather than plays that contributed to winning. I think Pašalić’s presence on the right side drew defensive attention and allowed Freeman some extra space to operate, but in this game that did not lead to anything for Pašalić himself. He completed 72% of his passes, including one key pass, and came off for Dagur Dan Thórhallsson after a pretty empty 67 minutes.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — On another day, Muriel could have equaled his strike partner Ojeda’s weekend performance and had a hat trick of his own, but he was a half step offside on an early chance, negating a ball he put into the net. In addition, he could not finish another chance after dribbling all the into the six-yard box and taking too many touches, he was not awarded a penalty although he may have been fouled in the box trying to finish a cross, and he put another shot on target but right at the goalkeeper. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but did not, but what he did do was rip a ball with a lot of topspin that slipped by Kahlina for the game’s opening goal, and he was aggressive throughout his time on the field, making runs with and without the ball and looking completely comfortable with his role in Orlando City’s offense. He did not have the best passing day, as he only completed 10 passes and at a low 55.6% completion rate, but he was a threat throughout and definitely delivered a top-tier work rate before being replaced by Enrique in the 72nd minute.

F, Martín Ojeda, 7 — I want to know the speed of Ojeda’s shot for Orlando City’s second goal, and I want to know if it was faster than his opening goal in the prior game against New England. Both of those goals were absolute missiles, and the Argentinean Designated Player is in top form right now, looking like one of the league’s best attacking players. In addition to his goal contribution, Ojeda completed 90.9% of his passes, including four accurate long balls and three key passes, and he also beat three defenders off the dribble. The partnership of Muriel and Ojeda up front was excellent, with both players looking for one another and playing off each other very well, and it is a testament to their talent together that Orlando City is primarily playing a 4-4-2 at the moment, after years of Coach Óscar Pareja going with a 4-2-3-1.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (67’), 6 — Thórhallsson continued his season-long trend of contributing all over the field, this time subbing in for Pašalić and playing as the right wing midfielder. The Icelandic midfielder/defender/KyleSmither completed 13 of his 14 pass attempts, added one clearance, and delivered a solid defensive effort in helping the Lions hold and then extend the lead during his 23 minutes on the field.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (72’), 6 — The Argentinean did two things in this game: hustle like crazy and score an excellent first MLS goal of the season. He timed his run perfectly to reach full speed as he caught up to Brekalo’s well-placed through ball and then cut back to avoid Tim Ream before slamming the ball past Kahlina and salting away the game for the Lions. Aside from that goal, he completed zero passes and did not tally any defensive statistics, but that goal effectively ended the game and made it two goals in the last three games in all competitions for Enrique, who has been known to get on hot streaks in the past.

MF/D, Kyle Smith, (72′), 6 — The Accountant may just be showing off at this point, as he came on and played out on the left wing in this game, joining left back, center back and center defensive midfield as positions he has played already this season. And if adding a new position was not enough, Smith then dropped back to left center back for the final minutes of the game, showing off the versatility that has defined his game ever since he joined Orlando City. Smith completed 85.7% of his passes while playing those two positions and added two clearances.

MF/D, Rafael Santos (88′), N/A — Santos came on for Schlegel, but instead of playing his usual left back role he came on as a left winger, pushing Kyle Smith back to left center back in a five-man line with Brekalo moving over to center back. He won one key aerial duel, snuffing out a Charlotte attack on a long ball into the box, and he also completed his only pass attempt.

F, Justin Ellis (88′), N/A — Ellis made his MLS debut in the dying minutes of the game, celebrating his 18th birthday by subbing in and partnering with Ramiro Enrique as the striker tandem. He had four touches and completed his only pass for a perfect 100% completion percentage. He also added one interception on defense and received one hug and the game ball from Muriel in the locker room after the game in celebration of his debut.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory at home against Charlotte FC. 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: 1/21/26

The Orlando Pride return to training, Facundo Torres returning to MLS, U.S. National Team news, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

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January 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! I hope you’ve been staying warm, though I assume it’s been a bit cooler up here in Tallahassee than it has been for those of you who reside in or near Orlando. Personally, I love this weather. I get that I live in Florida, but I should be able to wear jackets and sweaters during January and February at the very least. I appreciate you reading my short weather rant. Now, let’s get to the links.

The Orlando Pride Are Back

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is indeed the case, then I wonder how many words a video is worth? Since we don’t have any articles detailing the return of the Orlando Pride to training on Tuesday, the club’s social media pictures and videos will have to suffice to let us know how it went.

Torres Returns to MLS

Facundo Torres’ time with Palmeiras is over. The former Lion is reportedly headed back to MLS to sign with Austin FC. Assuming that Tom Bogert’s information is correct, Orlando City will pocket an almost $1.5 million sell-on fee for Torres. That money plus the $14 million the Lions got in the transfer to Palmeiras is a good chunk of change for the left-footed attacker. If anyone knows his strengths and weaknesses, it will be Orlando City.

MLS Transfer News

The rest of MLS is not sitting around waiting for the season to begin. There have been more signings from across the league. The Houston Dynamo acquired forward Nick Markanich on loan from Spanish side CD Castellón. The LA Galaxy signed Johnny Nelson to a new contract through the 2027-2028 season.

Atlanta United transferred midfielder Edwin Mosquera to Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe. Meanwhile, the New England Revolution signed Griffin Yow from Belgian Pro League side KVC Westerlo through the 2027-2028 MLS season.

U.S. National Team News

Every day we get a little closer to the 2026 World Cup, although we’re still a way off from Mauricio Pochettino naming his World Cup roster. That being said, there are still some obvious front runners for those spots, including Orlando City’s Alex Freeman. Once the MLS season starts, the selection process will really begin, as all the potential players will be playing for their respective clubs in the hopes of playing for their country. Ricardo Pepi might be with a different club despite a recent broken arm. The PSV striker has interest from English Premier League sides like Fulham. Also, check out this goal from Haji Wright.

On the women’s side, Emma Hayes is doing some evaluations of her own. The USWNT coach is using the January camp to look at how deep the player pool for the U.S. really is. The first chance for players to shine comes Saturday against Paraguay. The second match will be Tuesday against Chile.

Free Kicks

  • The Canadian Premier League will institute Arsene Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule this season. This is a trial of the new rule to see how it plays out in actual matches and not just in theory. If it works it could pave the way for broader adoption.
  • You probably saw the video of Moroccan ball boys trying to take a towel away from Senegal’s backup goalkeeper. This is worse and indicative of how out of control the match really was.

That will do it for today. We very much appreciate you reading our content so please feel free to provide feedback in the comments of any of our articles. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/20/26

New signing for the Orlando Pride, MLS transfer happenings, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2026

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Image of the Orlando Pride starting XI prior to the 2025 NWSL semifinal against Gotham FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. If you were lucky enough to have Monday off from work, I hope you’re feeling rested and ready to tackle the week. If you weren’t so fortunate, take solace in the fact that you’re one day closer to the weekend. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, but before we get into the links, we want to welcome Josh Simon as a subscriber member of The Mane Land . If you’d like to subscribe and receive extra perks, please consider signing up at our Buy Me a Coffee site (or just check it out and swee what’s on offer) at buymeacoffee.com/themaneland. OK, now let’s get into the links!

Orlando Pride Add a Forward

The Orlando Pride kicked off the week by announcing the signing of Jamaican international forward Solai Washington on Monday afternoon. The 20-year-old FSU product joins on a deal that runs through the 2027 season and contains a mutual option for the 2028 campaign. At the international level, Washington has played five times for Jamaica, including three appearances at the 2023 Women’s World Cup when she was only 17. While she has yet to make her professional debut, she’s a young player with plenty of upside, and the Pride have been sorely in need of depth when it comes to the team’s group of attackers. She’s got some excellent players to learn from, and a contract that runs through next season means she should have a couple of years to do so. Welcome to Orlando!

MLS Transfer Roundup

With the beginning of the new Major League Soccer season drawing nearer by the day, the transfer business in and around the league is showing no signs of slowing down. We begin with Inter Miami, which has fully signed Tadeo Allende from Celta Vigo after he spent 2025 on loan with the Herons. Allende is now under contract through June of 2030. Next, there’s the Houston Dynamo, who Tom Bogert says are finalizing the signing of Mateusz Bogusz from Cruz Azul that has been rumored for awhile now.

Mr. Scoops also says that LAFC is putting the final touches on a deal to acquire midfielder Amin Boudri as an MLS U22 Initiative signing.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a whole slew of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, and the Champions League is a recurring theme. Things get going later today when Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen take on Real Madrid, while Folarin Balogun’s Monaco side hits the road to face Real Madrid. Wednesday has Yunus Musah and Atalanta squaring off against Athletic Bilbao, while Tim Weah and Marseille host Liverpool. Attention shifts to the Europa League on Thursday when Auston Trusty and Celtic visit Bologna, while Tanner Tessman and Lyon face Young Boys. Things wrap up on Friday when Damion Downs and Hamburg play James Sands and St. Pauli in the Bundesliga, while West Brom and former Lion Daryl Dike have a road game against Patrick Agyemang and Derby County in the Championship.

AFCON Final Fallout

Saying that the AFCON final was a chaotic affair is an understatement, and now that the dust is settling after the end of the tournament, some of the fallout from the match is beginning to be felt. FIFA President Gianni Infantino criticized the scenes at the final as “unacceptable” and stated his belief that the Confederation of African Football will take disciplinary measures. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation stated that it will file complaints with both FIFA and CAF regarding the bulk of Senegal’s team withdrawing to the locker room after Morocco was given a late penalty kick. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw could be in line to receive match bans for his role in leading Senegal’s players off the field, although its unknown whether any ban would only be for CAF competitions or would come into play at this summer’s World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Cesar Araujo looks to be close to joining a new team.
  • Senegal’s backup goalkeeper didn’t play in the AFCON final but was still extremely active during the game.
  • Charalampos Kostoulas scored a ridiculous goal to help Brighton and Hove Albion rescue a late point against Bournemouth.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Three Biggest Current Roster Questions

What are the three most concerning issues for Orlando City this preseason?

Published

3 days ago

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January 19, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has begun its preseason training as the 2026 MLS season nears. The last few weeks have seen signings and departures that have given fans a closer look at what the team will look like when the Lions take on the New York Red Bulls on Feb. 21.

In some cases, the team has made moves that will secure positions that were questionable during the off-season. The two most notable are the signing of Maxime Crepeau as the starting goalkeeper and Martin Ojeda signing a new deal through the 2028-2029 season.

But there are also some questions still to be answered. Let’s take a look at some of the most concerning issues with the current roster.

Who Will Start at Left Back?

Rafael Santos became Orlando City’s starting left back for the 2023 MLS season after the departure of Joao Moutinho.  The Brazilian was a regular in the lineup until early last season when he was relegated to the bench in favor of David Brekalo. The club ended up trading Santos to the Colorado Rapids on Aug. 15, 2025.

Despite not being a natural left back, Brekalo started in the position for the majority of last season until the final three games, when Adrian Marin started in the role. Brekalo started two of the last three games at center back and was away on international duty for the other.

Marin was less than impressive in his first starts for the club. Even though he’s really a center back, Brekalo seemed better at the position than the newer arrival. However, that might not be an option this season and isn’t an ideal situation in any case.

Orlando City sold starting center back Rodrigo Schlegel to Atlas FC on Dec. 16. The decision seemingly forces Brekalo back into the center of the field, where he’ll start alongside club captain Robin Jansson. Even if the club complete the rumored acquisition of Brazilian defender Iago, the departures of both Schlegel and Thomas Williams mean Brekalo will likely need to play his natural position.

That leaves the question of what to do at left back. At this point, Marin starting makes the left back position the weakest of the four. The club doesn’t have any dependable options after Kyle Smith departed the club this off-season. Right now, it will be either Marin or Brekalo, which will cause concerns at the position or leave depth issues at center back. Regardless, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed as the season gets closer.

However, it bears mentioning that Marin had to adjust midseason to a new team on a new continent. It’ll be up to him to settle in during preseason camp and be ready when the season starts.

What Will Happen With Alex Freeman?

The left fullback position isn’t the only potential problem on the back line. A Homegrown product that came through the Orlando City academy and Orlando City B, Freeman made himself a household name last year. The right back quickly took the starting role from Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and started at right back for the U.S. National Team over the summer.

However, his stellar play has also led to interest from clubs overseas. Freeman has publicly stated his desire to play in Europe and he’s currently on a club option year for 2026. If he refuses to re-sign with the club, Orlando City might look to sell him before the European transfer window closes in early February or this summer in the MLS secondary transfer window to avoid losing the 21-year-old for free.

That would leave the Lions with a very serious problem at right back. The Lions traded Thorhallsson to CF Montreal this off-season and, as previously stated, Smith is gone as well. At this point, the starter if Freeman departs would probably be Zakaria Taifi. While the 20-year-old has shown quality for OCB and the first team, he’s still raw with little MLS experience.

As of now, Freeman will be the starter when the season begins and could end up extending his contract with the club, especially since playing in MLS hasn’t hindered his ability to get into the senior national team. But if contract negotiations don’t look positive in the near future, the club will have to figure out what to do with the future of that position.

Will Duncan  McGuire Solidify His Spot Up Top?

The defensive midfield and attacking midfield positions are pretty well set for the 2026 campaign. However, there are definitely some questions when it comes to who will play up top.

The position wasn’t exactly in a great state late in the 2025 season. The two top goal scorers on the team last year were midfielders in Ojeda and Marco Pasalic. Luis Muriel and Ramiro Enrique both scored in double digits in all competitions, but neither is with the club anymore.

The Lions sold Enrique to Saudi side Al-Kholood on Sept. 8, and sold Muriel to Colombia’s Atletico Junior on Jan. 15. That leaves McGuire as the club’s only striker with any considerable experience.

A first-round pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, McGuire had a strong rookie campaign that saw him score 15 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions. He nearly left the club following the season — even traveling to England to finalize the deal — but a clerical error on Blackburn Rovers’ part saw the move fall through.

McGuire’s contributions dipped slightly in 2024 as he scored 11 goals in 37 appearances and it got worse when he suffered a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs that required surgery.

The 2025 season was McGuire’s worst since turning professional as he sustained an injury to his other shoulder and watched Muriel and Enrique carry the attacking position until Enrique’s departure. Even when Oscar Pareja put two players up top, he usually paired Ojeda with Muriel rather than McGuire. McGuire only appeared 23 times in 2025 with seven starts in all competitions, scoring just three goals. However, with Muriel’s departure this off-season, McGuire is the only experienced natural striker on the roster.

The main question for McGuire this season will be his health. The attacker has had trouble staying on the field with the back-to-back shoulder injuries. The recent departures and lack of additions into the squad mean he’ll likely be expected to start when the season begins. It could be a bounce back season if he can stay healthy.

However, that’s still a big question. In the meantime, the club still needs depth at that position, regardless of McGuire’s health. It’s something that must be addressed during the preseason. The club does, however, have an open Designated Player slot available.

This off-season has been somewhat troubling for Orlando City fans. The club saw some key departures and not enough additions to feel confident about the upcoming season, but there is still a month before opening day.

As the team goes through preseason training and the first regular-season game gets closer, there are still some issues that must be addressed if the team wants to improve on last year’s disappointing finish. These three questions are the most concerning.

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