Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Orlando City returned to Major League Soccer action after exiting the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and, more importantly, the Lions returned to their winning ways. In a battle of east vs. west, Orlando City defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0. Despite significant schedule congestion in the month of May, Orlando City has now tied a club record with a 12-game unbeaten streak.

Let’s take a look at how the individual Lions performed in this bounce-back win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese touched the ball 37 times, completing 65.2% of his 23 passes and seven of his 15 long balls. He was credited with two saves on a night when the Timbers could only muster seven total shot attempts. Overall, Gallese was solid once again, aggressively coming out to catch or punch away crosses and helping the Lions earn another shutout, tying Dayne St. Clair of Minnesota United for the league lead in shutouts (7). He was good, but his teammates left little for him to do most of the game. On a busier night with this performance, he would have scored higher.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — Brekalo recorded 43 touches and completed 91.4% of his 35 passes, including one successful long ball on his only attempt. The more defensive-minded of the two outside backs, Brekalo was not afraid to get into the attacking third against Portland and completed multiple runs, which, while not overly successful, did put pressure on the Timbers’ defensive shape. He finished the game with three tackles and two clearances while being whistled for a team-high four fouls. He had one scary moment in the match when he was beaten to the end line by Ariel Lassiter, but the converted center back did well to get his right foot on the ball to knock it out for a corner rather than conceding a penalty.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Orlando City defended for large periods of the second half while Portland searched for an equalizer, which put significant pressure on the center backs, including Jansson. He touched the ball a team-high 64 times and completed 83.7% of his team-high 49 passes. The captain was only accurate on one of his six long ball attempts, as the timing with Duncan McGuire appeared slightly off throughout the match when attempting to unlock passes over the top. Defensively, he contributed two tackles and a team-best nine clearances. Jansson picked up an unnecessary yellow card in the waining moments of the match for dissent.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Much like Jansson, Schlegel saw periods of extended pressure as the Timbers looked to steal a point on the road. He touched the ball 54 times and completed 92.7% of his 41 passes, but was 0/3 on his long ball attempts, again highlighting the difficulty the team had in attempting to release the attacking players with long passing attempts. Defensively, Schlegel did a little bit of everything as he recorded two tackles, one interception, five clearances, and blocked one shot. He was also shown a yellow card near the end of the match, like Jansson for dissent.

D, Alex Freeman, 7 — After seven matches in May, Freeman continues to be Orlando’s Energizer Bunny. The 20-year-old is racking up the minutes and the miles this month as he plays an integral role in both the attack and the defense. Freeman logged 53 touches against Portland and completed 93.9% of his 33 passes. He tied Eduard Atuesta with a team-high three key passes. Offensively, he recorded one successful dribble but was unable to record a shot attempt against the Timbers. He would have registered a goal contribution with an assist if Ivan Angulo had stayed onside just moments after Duncan McGuire opened the scoring for Orlando. Defensively, he logged two tackles, one interception, three clearances, and a blocked one. If he goes the distance against Atlanta and Chicago to end the month, his legs might need to be physically replaced before he joins the USMNT training camp.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — As is usually the case, Angulo contributed his top-notch speed, considerable work rate, and pressure in the match, but struggled in key moments with his precision, wasting opportunities for the Lions to distance themselves from the visiting Timbers. Helping create those opportunities is admirable, but finishing them has been a problem throughout Angulo’s time in Orlando, and providing the final decision and/or ball has been especially problematic in 2025, as he has just two goal contributions nearly halfway through the season. Against Portland, Angulo touched the ball 42 times and completed 82.8% of his 29 passes. He was unsuccessful on his lone cross but was credited with one key pass. Angulo attempted two shots, putting one on target, but he could have done better with that one, as he had a clear-cut breakaway off a Portland corner at the other end. He would have had his first goal of the season in the 42nd minute if he had held his run for a split second. Angulo completed one successful dribble. In the 74th minute, he was careless with the ball again and gave it away in the attacking third, then committed a tactical foul to pick up a yellow card. Defensively, he contributed two tackles and one interception.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo was solid, bouncing back from an inconsistent performance in the midweek and helping the Lions limit the Portland attack throughout the game. He touched the ball 51 times and completed 85.7% of his 42 passes. He also completed one of his three long balls. With Atuesta back in the starting line-up, Araujo was allowed to function in his more defensive-minded role as he did not record an offensive statistic. Defensively, he recorded three tackles, and he slowed the Timbers down when necessary, committing three fouls while avoiding a booking.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 7.5 (MotM) — Welcome back to the fold, Atuesta! After battling injuries over the last month and a half, Atuesta returned to the starting lineup, played the full 90 minutes, and provided just enough offensive spark to help Orlando City secure the victory. He was also involved in helping Orlando win back the ball and prevent Portland from generating clear-cut chances. He touched the ball 59 times and completed 95.7% of his 47 passes, including a successful long ball and through ball. Atuesta tied Freeman with a team-best three key passes, including the assist on McGuire’s goal in the 39th minute. The midfielder logged one shot attempt, which was not on target, and on defense, he chipped in three tackles and one clearance.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — Pasalic touched the ball 44 times, completed 91.7% of his 24 passes, and was unsuccessful on both of his crosses, however, he did record two key passes. He took a team-high four shots but was only able to put one on frame. Defensively, he covered his space well and contibuted one interception and one clearance.

F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel started up top with McGuire in a 4-4-2 but played beneath his strike partner in a role similar to what Martin Ojeda has been playing of late. Muriel’s work rate was good, but he struggled with his final decision and his final product despite working hard to create in the attacking half. There were instances of dribbling into three defenders without dropping the ball off to a nearby teammate, turning down openings to shoot, and failing to hit the target when he did fire. He touched the ball 41 times but completed only 57.1% of 28 passes. While Muriel managed to record two key passes, his overall success rate needed to be better against Portland for the Lions to run the attack through him. His three shots were all off target, but he contributed one successful dribble. Defensively, Muriel did not record a statistic.

F, Duncan McGuire, 7.5 — Orlando runs on Duncan once again! McGuire’s biggest contribution came when he found the back of the net in the 39th minute, taking Atuesta’s excellent through ball and correctly opting to turn on the ball and shoot with his first touch with multiple defenders closing. He touched the ball 29 times and completed 77.8% of his 18 passes while earning one key pass. McGuire put one of his two shots (Orlando’s lone goal) on target — narrowly missing a second goal wide late in the first half — and was credited with one successful dribble. The main knock on McGuire against the Timbers is that he was called for two offside infractions, which seemed to highlight the timing issue that I mentioned earlier, however, it’s understandable that the big striker wasn’t in rhythm, as he has been coming on late in a reserve role in recent weeks. Defensively, McGuire recorded one tackle, an interception, and a clearance. He gave fans a nervy moment on the pitch as he was sandwiched between two defenders and went down hard, holding his wrist. After an off-season shoulder procedure, the contact was enough to prompt evaluation by the training staff, but McGuire was able to continue.

Substitutes

F, Martin Ojeda (67’), 6 — Ojeda came off the bench for Muriel in an attempt to deploy fresher legs for the final 20 minutes of the match. He touched the ball 11 times and completed all seven of his passes, including both of his long balls. Offensively, he put his lone shot attempt on target, forcing a decent save in the 82nd minute. Defensively, he did not record a statistic.

F, Ramiro Enrique (67’), 5.5 — Enrique replaced McGuire up top and provided his usual spark off the bench, picking and choosing his moments to press the back line. He had great jump in his legs and should have brought the team some much-needed energy, but too often he was isolated and reduced to merely heading long balls back to the Portland defense to alleviate pressure. He logged 13 touches, completed just 57.1% of his seven passes, and won a team-high four aerial duels in the final 23 minutes, plus stoppage time. He took one shot, which was blocked by the defense on the rebound of Ojeda’s aforementioned shot on target. Enrique also added a tackle and a clearance while helping Orlando City see out the victory.

MF, Kyle Smith (78’), 5.5 — The human Swiss Army knife was deployed in the midfield, replacing Angulo. Smith touched the ball nine times and completed 83.3% of his six passes, including a well-placed ball which unlocked Ojeda behind the defense. He contributed three clearances on defense. He was solid, but wasn’t able to have much impact on the match at the left wing spot, as the Lions struggled to maintain any possession or break out of their own end in the second half.

MF, Joran Gerbet (78’), 6 — After playing admirably over the last several matches, the 2025 MLS SuperDraft pick came off the bench for Araujo for the final minutes. He touched the ball nine times and completed all eight of his passes. He also contributed one clearance and helped clog up the middle to prevent Portland from creating much danger while chasing the game.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (86’), N/A — Thorhallsson was the final sub of the match, replacing Pasalic in the midfield. He touched the ball eight times, completed all four of his passes and logging one interception. The energy he brought was noticeable, and he could perhaps have been brought on a bit earlier.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers. 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.