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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 loss against FC Cincinnati?

Published

11 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On Saturday night both Orlando City and FC Cincinnati looked like teams playing on a hot summer night after having just played a game a few days earlier on another hot summer night. Unfortunately for the Lions, it was their opponents who were more clinical with their tired legs, defeating the Lions 2-1 in a slow, sluggish game at Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando City has now lost three of its last four games at home, so perhaps it is a good thing that its next game is on the road.

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 home matchup against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — We must start with the game’s opening goal because it changed the complexion of the game, not only because of the score but also because it happened right at the stroke of halftime, altering the halftime talks and game plan adjustments for both coaches just seconds before heading into the locker room. Any time a shot is taken from a location on the field when a goal is scored on one out of every 20-25 shots (the xG on the first goal was 0.04 or 0.05, depending on the tracking system), the goalkeeper probably should have done better, and on this one it definitely looked like Gallese was completely fooled and out of position. He looked like he was exclusively anticipating a cross into the box, and that mindset, combined with the precision and power of Evander’s free kick, gave the Peruvian no chance of making the save. Aside from that goal, Gallese played well, making two saves on difficult shots, particularly the one against Kei Kamara, which I thought for sure would be a goal, and the other goal he gave up was a shot that few, if any, goalkeepers could have saved off the foot of Evander from the middle of the box. Gallese will likely have that first goal stuck in his head for a while, though. Given the location of the ball for the free kick, few goalkeepers would have really given credence to the idea that Evander would shoot from there, but his positioning ensured he couldn’t stop it.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — It is hard to fault a defender, even one in a great scoring position, for failing to score with his weaker foot but oh my gosh how did that ball in second half stoppage time not find the net, David Brekalo!? That moment at the end of the game was disappointing, but for the rest of the match, the Slovenian defender was solid in the back, winning a team-leading five tackles and adding two interceptions, one clearance, and one block, while also completing 89.4% of his passes. Additionally, he drew two yellow card tackles on Cincinnati. Brekalo also switched from left back to center back during this game and it should not be forgotten how different those two positions are, especially against a team like Cincinnati with Evander, one of the league’s most dynamic offensive players, playing all over the field. Brekalo was in the area for what turned out to be the game-winning goal, and while he did get beat off the dribble on that play, he had busted his lungs to even get back into a position to force Evander to make that move, and he was just a half-step too slow to block it (he was also the only defender not caught behind the ball on that counterattack). Soccer is often a game of inches, and Brekalo’s foot position was slightly off on his missed shot, and Evander’s feint put him slightly off balance on defense before the second goal, but aside from those two plays, I thought he was Orlando City’s best defender on the night. Alas, that will be small consolation after a 2-1 defeat.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson did not have a great game Saturday night, and while he and his central defensive partners did not allow any goals from Cincinnati’s two strikers, he did not seem to have the influence over the game that he often does when in full Beefy Swede mode. He had one tackle, one interception, and one clearance and completed 87% of his passes, but for most of the game he was there but rarely heard from. He was involved in the second goal Orlando City allowed, as he was caught way up the field tracking Kamara near the sideline. He seemingly did not realize how much open space there was behind him with Rafael Santos still in the attacking third. Kamara received the pass and dropped the ball backwards to Pavel Bucha, and then suddenly the next pass was played through to Kevin Denkey, and Cincinnati was on a three-on-one counterattack for 60 yards, with Jansson caught chasing from behind. That goal was by no means the sole fault of Jansson, as teams chasing games leave space behind out of necessity, but he was involved in it, and it left the Lions with a two-goal deficit and a feeling that this was not going to be their night.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — After sitting out Wednesday’s match due to yellow card accumulation, the Argentinean defender returned to the starting lineup and was solid in his return, preventing Cincinnati from creating many chances while he was on the field and staying engaged throughout his shift. He was active defensively, with one tackle, two interceptions, two clearances, and several pushes during the little brouhaha towards the end of the first half. At the time he departed, he had completed the second-most passes in the game with an even 50, at a 90.9% completion rate. Schlegel’s return allowed the Lions to go back to their usual positional alignment on the back line, and they looked good through his 70 minutes on the field, but down a goal, Óscar Pareja decided to go with a more offensive presence out at left back and subbed in Santos, shifting Brekalo into the middle and ending Schlegel’s night.

D, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 6 — Thórhallsson had about as non-descript a game as I can ever remember him having, as even though Cincinnati attacked primarily on his side of the field, he only registered one tackle and did not have any other defensive actions. He made his way forward often and even got one shot off, but he did not put it on goal, and it did not worry Cincinnati’s defense. He completed 93% of his passes, including one key pass, but he had no major standout moments in this game and made way for Kyle Smith in a like-for-like substitution in 80th minute.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5.5 — The short leash for Angulo continued in this game, as after an up-and-down first half he was removed for Luis Muriel. Angulo struggled with his passing, only completing 79% of his passes and giving the ball away rather easily multiple times, including one pass attempt into triple coverage in the defensive third of the field that forced the defense into scramble mode after the turnover. While he was not credited with any tackles, Angulo was active on defense, and his recovery speed came into play when Brekalo missed a tackle but the speedy Colombian was able to track back and take the ball away before any danger occurred. Had Orlando City not fallen behind, Angulo may have gone longer than only 45 minutes, but with the Lions chasing a goal, they went offense for defense and pulled him at halftime. 

MF, César Araújo, 6 — The Uruguayan midfielder usually destroys the opposition and helps Orlando City to own the middle third of the field, but in this game he did not claim victory over the Cincinnati midfield. He only had two tackles and added no other defensive actions, and while on offense he led the team in touches and completed 89.9% of his passes. However, he did not seem to be much of a threat or a force multiplier in the attacking area, as most of his passes were of the short variety and did not unlock much of the Cincinnati defense. The two goals Orlando City allowed were on a long free kick and a quick counterattack, so it was not that the midfield duo of Araújo and Eduard Atuesta were outplayed, but they did not dominate the middle of the field and create counterattacks or much other offense during this game.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta is usually the more offensive of the two central midfield players but in this game, he and Araújo were basically the same players, completing a lot of passes and a high completion rate (65 for Atuesta at 92.9% and 62 for Araújo at 89.9%) but only one key pass each and very little threatening play between them. Atuesta was a little more active on defense, with one tackle, one clearance, and one block, but he seemed to tire late and could not contribute much as Orlando City desperately tried to claw back a point from their two goal deficit. In fairness to him, he played all 90 minutes on Wednesday and did so once again in this game, so he surely had heavy legs in the final minutes. But his absence in the offense was glaring to me, as he just did not have his normal burst and incisive passes.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 7 (MotM) — The Croatian winger was one of only two Orlando City players to put a shot on target in this game and the only one to put multiple shots on target. With his shooting ability, that usually leads to good results as it did late in the second half when he scorched a low bullet into the corner to cut Cincinnati’s lead in half. Prior to that, his previous four shots had all been blocked, as defenders were well prepared for him to cut to his left and shoot, but on this goal he was well positioned and too quick for the defense and there are few goalkeepers in the world who can stop Pašalić from scoring when he gets a clean shot on goal from inside the box. Outside of the goal, he completed 85% of his passes, including two key passes, and added two tackles on defense.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 6 — Enrique came up with deuces again against Cincinnati, but while his deuces on Wednesday were goals scored, on Saturday they were good opportunities missed, with a header and a right-footed shot that he put well off target. He was lively throughout the game, showing no sign of tired legs from the game Wednesday night, but the quality did not match the energy and he could not make it two games in a row with a goal. However, he provided a secondary assist when he hustled to save a ball from going out and headed it back towards Martin Ojeda, who played it to Pašalić for Orlando City’s only goal. He completed 81.8% of his passes and did not put any of his three shots on target, but even though his performance was missing the same quality it had on Wednesday, I think his confidence is growing, as is his comfortability playing alongside Ojeda, and he will be better for it as the second half of the season continues.

F, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Orlando City’s talisman added another assist on Pašalić’s goal, though it was not the prettiest, as he leaped at full extension with his weaker right foot to redirect Enrique’s header into the middle for his teammate to slot home. That goal was an example of how random soccer can sometimes be, as it was that awkward-looking play that garnered him an assist and not any of the other more traditional looking passes. There were plenty more of those, as Ojeda had five key passes in the game — three more than any other player. Ojeda also came about one foot away from putting Orlando City on the scoreboard first, as he loaded up and hit a low rocket in the 19th minute that Roman Celentano was just able to save at full extension. Ojeda completed 86% of his passes on the night and added three tackles before coming off in the final minutes for Nico Rodríguez and his fresh legs.

Substitutes

MF, Luis Muriel, (46′), 6.5 — Muriel looked a completely different player on Saturday than he did Wednesday, engaging in the game immediately and showing off his full bag of dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. His darting run at the end of the game produced the pass to Brekalo that could have tied the game, and he also missed just inches wide towards the end of regulation after beating his defender and lining up a shot from 25 yards. I thought the Colombian was excellent, partnering well with both Brekalo and Santos on the left side during the second half, and on a different night he could have had one or perhaps multiple goal contributions. Muriel completed 79.3% of his passes, with two key passes, and he added two tackles and two interceptions on defense.

D, Rafael Santos (70′), 6 — The Brazilian got his longest stint in weeks and played well off the bench, putting dangerous crosses into the box and showing a good partnership with Muriel on the left side. Cincinnati’s second goal came just minutes after Santos came onto the field, but he was not involved in the play and it is hard to fault him, even though it happened to Orlando City’s defense right after he entered for Schlegel. Santos completed 24 passes at a 92.3% completion rate, including two successful crosses and added two tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

D, Kyle Smith, (80’), N/A — Smith replaced Thórhallsson at right back and looked the more lively player, though in fairness he could play all out knowing that there were only 10 minutes and stoppage time remaining once he entered the game. He completed seven of his eight pass attempts and nearly got to a cross from Santos that could have tied the game had he been able to get his head onto it.

MF, Nico Rodríguez (90′), N/A — The young midfielder came on in the final minutes and was far more engaged than in recent appearances, getting 10 touches and completing eight of his nine pass attempts.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 2-1 loss against FC Cincinnati. 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: 6/1/26

Pride and OCB win, Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau called up, USMNT beats Senegal, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

on

June 1, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work and just wrapped up covering high school spring season sports for the school year up here in Chicago. We had the Pride, OCB, and the USMNT all in action, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Beat Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday. Barbra Banda scored the opener early in the first half for Orlando, but Bay FC’s Caroline Conti scored the equalizer. In the second half, Banda scored her second goal of the night and added an assist on Cori Dyke’s goal in the 55th minute. Banda went down with an injury late in the match and had to leave the pitch. Since Orlando had already used all its substitutions, the team had to play the final 15 minutes of the match, including stoppage time, down to 10 players, but the Pride held on for the win. Banda has been called up to the Zambia Women’s National Team for the Four Nations Tournament, with the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations set to kick off next month in Morocco.

The Pride will be off until early July due to the NWSL World Cup break. Their next match will be on the road at BMO Stadium against Angel City FC on July 3.

OCB Defeats Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B defeated Chattanooga FC 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Ignacio Gomez scored for the Young Lions six minutes into the match. Chattanooga FC responded with two goals later in the first half to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, it was all OCB as Pedro Leao, Harvey Sarajian, and Justin Hylton each added a goal to extend the Young Lions’ lead to 4-2. Leao added a penalty kick goal as OCB secured back-to-back wins in league play and moved to fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 22 points. OCB will face Carolina Core FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau Called Up

Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau have been called up to their respective national teams. Reid-Brown will be joining the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for upcoming friendlies against Georgia and North Macedonia in Bulgaria.

Crepeau will be with the Canadian Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Canada has two international friendlies this week, facing Uzbekistan today and taking on Ireland Friday. Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch stated that he has not yet decided which goalkeeper will start in his team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, but Crepeau and Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair will split time in goal against Uzbekistan.

USMNT Defeats Senegal in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Senegal 3-2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, Sunday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 45 minutes. Sergino Dest struck first to give the Yanks an early lead, and Christian Pulisic scored his first international goal since November 2024 for the U.S. to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. Sadio Mane pulled one back for Senegal to make it 2-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Mane added another goal to level the match, but Folarin Balogun came off the bench and scored the final goal of the match to seal the win for the Americans. The USMNT will face Germany Saturday in another international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, before opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, taking on Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Paris Saint-Germain Repeats as UEFA Champions League Winner in Penalties

Paris Saint-Germain edged Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw Saturday at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, to win the UEFA Champions League title for the second time in a row. Kai Havertz scored the first goal six minutes into the match to give Arsenal the lead in the first half. However, in the second half, Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, resulting in a penalty for Paris Saint-Germain. Ousmane Dembele converted from the spot to tie the match. After 120 minutes of play, the match went to penalties, where Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made one save, but Paris Saint-Germain still scored four goals. In the final round, Arsenal defender Gabriel sailed his shot over the net, and Paris Saint-Germain became just the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era, since 1992. The other club was Real Madrid, which won three consecutive titles from 2015-2016 through 2017-2018.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando City Academy U-14 squad defeated Inter Miami 3-1 Sunday to win the MLS Next Cup.
  • According to Sportico, Major League Soccer viewership has risen significantly in the first three months of the season.

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

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Orlando City

An Early Look at Orlando City’s Contract Decisions

Here is an early look at the decisions the club will have to make regarding the roster at the end of the 2026 season.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 30, 2026

By

Image of Wilder Cartagena controlling the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we head into a dead period of Major League Soccer with the arrival of the World Cup break, it’s worth looking into the future to see how the roster may look in the future. Orlando City has one player out of contract after the 2026 season and several that are on the last guaranteed year of their deal but have option years the club could exercise. Let’s take a look at the decisions Orlando City has to make at season’s end.

Ivan Angulo — Attacking Midfielder

The Colombian midfielder has been a tireless worker and a good soldier for Orlando City since his arrival in July of 2022. Regardless of what you think of his finishing (and it hasn’t been good the last two years after back-to-back seasons with five goals in 2023 and 2024 and 15 total goal contributions in the latter of those years) or those games in which he turns the ball over repeatedly, Angulo has generally been an asset to the team. What he lacks in goal production he makes up for in important hustle plays to break up opposition attacks and with his high pressure.

Angulo is out of contract after the 2026 season after signing through the 2025 season in January of 2024. Orlando City exercised his option year for 2026 last November. He could leave on a free transfer and there will be clubs interested in the 27-year-old, who will likely be one of the fastest players in whatever league he’s in for the next several seasons. At a total guaranteed compensation of $582,656, he’s not terribly expensive for a starting-caliber winger. Orlando City should re-sign Angulo or upgrade the position, and perhaps the club wants Tyrese Spicer to show he can take that spot. Spicer has been inconsistent as a starter but generally better off the bench. He hasn’t yet shown himself to be an everyday option.

Wilder Cartagena — Midfielder

The Peruvian midfield stopper has, like Angulo, been a solid performer for the Lions since signing with Orlando City in August of 2022. Last season’s Achilles injury derailed the club’s best-ever midfield double pivot, as Cartagena and Cesar Araujo combined to make life miserable for Orlando’s opponents and did a great job of shielding the back line. He even filled in admirably on the back line whenever Oscar Pareja went to five at the back as an extra center back. Cartagena suffered another injury in the 2026 season opener and is just getting back up to speed, but it seems as if he’s having difficulty breaking through to get enough minutes to round back into form.

Cartagena is on a contract through the end of 2026, which he signed last November, but there is an option year on his deal. At 31 years old and making a guaranteed $530,250 per year, it may be time to move on from the veteran defensive midfielder unless he can regain his form before the end of the season. The hope is that Luis Otavio can develop into a similar midfield stopper and the club has invested in the Brazilian. The Lions also seem more interested in the kind of offense that favors more attack-minded players in the central midfield, which has proven successful in scoring goals so far this year but has failed miserably at preventing them.

Joran Gerbet — Midfielder

The French-born product out of Clemson University signed in February 2025 after being drafted in the first round (No. 27 overall) in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. He had a promising rookie campaign going until sustaining a serious knee injury last October against Columbus and had season-ending surgery. Gerbet will likely be able to return to game action after the World Cup break, and perhaps he could even play some games with OCB during the pause.

He’ll be out of contract at the end of 2026 but there are options for 2027 and 2028 on his rookie deal. If he can return to full speed and produce, the club would likely bring him back. With total guaranteed compensation of $113,400, Gerbet is an inexpensive piece of the roster, and he’ll be eager to earn a new deal. Plus, he’ll have at least one new French-speaking teammate as soon as Antoine Griezmann arrives. Gerbet’s return could mitigate the loss of Cartagena if the club parts ways with the Peruvian international.

Adrian Marin — Defender

The Spaniard arrived in August of 2025 on a deal through this season with a club option for 2027. He wasn’t able to quite jell or acclimate well to Major League Soccer over the course of last season. He entered 2026 looking to lock down the starting left back spot and can play as a center back in a three-man back line, but so far this season he’s been inconsistent at best. While he can send the occasional excellent cross or long ball in to create a scoring chance, contributing three assists already this season, he’s not been quite able to consistently operate at an MLS level.

A good left back can be pricey, so his guaranteed pay of $577,972 isn’t terrible, but he’s not quite lived up to it either. It will be interesting to see if Marin can finish out the 2026 campaign strong and if it’s enough to warrant picking up his contract option or offering him a new deal.

Nolan Miller — Defender

The rookie out of Michigan had a strong start to his first professional year but then showed some growing pains. He signed through the 2026 season back in early February but the club holds options for Miller for the 2027 sprint season, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029. Miller most recently played with Orlando City B on Sunday, helping the Young Lions defeat Inter Miami CF II 4-1 at home. There’s a lot of season left for Miller to make his mark, and playing with OCB during the World Cup break is a good way to get him minutes in a developmental setting.

All indications from the club are that the technical staff believe Miller has enough upside to potentially become an MLS starter. The 22-year-old will be given an opportunity to develop, and it seems likely Orlando City will exercise his option unless the player asks for his release to pursue other opportunities.

Javier Otero — Goalkeeper

If there’s one thing that’s been clear for years, it’s that Orlando City likes to have one primary goalkeeper and a young, inexpensive backup who plays only sparingly, whether it’s Mason Stajduhar, Adam Grinwis, or Otero. The Lions signed Otero to a new contract through 2026 just a year ago in May 2025, with option years for 2027 and 2028. Otero has played well at times and gotten shelled a few times in his MLS career, but he’s filled his role well and is inexpensive at $163,750 in guaranteed annual compensation. Orlando will likely exercise the option on Otero’s deal unless the 23-year-old Venezuelan wants to go elsewhere.

Nicolas Rodriguez — Attacking Midfield

While not technically out of contract, the club may have to do something with Rodriguez, who is currently on loan with Atletico Nacional in Colombia through 2026. The Colombian side has an option to purchase, but it’s unclear whether that will be exercised. The former MLS U22 Initiative signing was suspended in March for an alleged sexual assault earlier this year — charges that Rodriguez denies. He returned to the pitch in May in a loss to Once Caldas.

With the commitment Orlando City made to Otavio, Iago, and Tiago, it’s unlikely the club will bring back Rodriguez unless one of the Brazilians is sold. Rodriguez struggled to get on the pitch with the first team last year, and Tiago seems light years ahead of the Colombian in his development. It seems likely the club will hope Nacional purchases Rodriguez, and if not, the Lions will probably try to sell him or loan him out again. Rodriguez’s contract expires at the end of 2027.

Zakaria Taifi — Fullback/Midfielder

Homegrown defender/winger Taifi is signed through 2026 with club options for 2027, 2028, and 2029. The 20-year-old has shown great promise and made the jump to the first team midway through 2025, although he played sparingly. Taifi already has career highs with the first team in 2026 in games played (10), starts (3), and assists (2). If not for Griffin Dorsey’s play, Taifi might otherwise be seeing regular minutes, although there is work to be done in developing his defending. At present, he projects more as a wingback than a fullback, but the same was once true of Alex Freeman, who improved his one-on-one defending by leaps and bounds.

As a Homegrown Player starting to bear fruit, it is a no-brainer for the club to pick up Taifi’s option after the 2026 season.

Yutaro Tsukada — Attacking Midfielder

Orlando City selected Tsukada with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft in December of 2023. The club signed Tsukada to an MLS NEXT Pro deal through 2024 and then signed him through 2025 with option years for 2026 and 2027, so he’s currently in the first of those two option years.

The young winger has shown some glimpses of quality in both dead-ball delivery and his crafty one-on-one moves out wide, but he’s not been able to break through just yet and he was left off both the senior team and OCB matchday rosters since April 26, despite a club spokesman telling me he wasn’t injured. Tsukada’s budget charge isn’t big ($113,400), but at 24, he’s entering his prime years and hasn’t yet developed into an MLS player. Whether he’s back next year may be up to the player in Tsukada’s case.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: May 31, 2017 vs. D.C. United

Hop in the time machine and relive a wet, weird Orlando City game from almost nine years ago.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 29, 2026

By

Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

With no Orlando City match to entertain us for almost two months during the World Cup break, this is an optimal time to reflect on some of the team’s history and enjoy a trip down memory lane. We’re taking one hell of a trip today, as we go almost nine years into the past to reminisce on the Lions taking on D.C. United all the way back on May 31, 2017.

Just how different were things as OCSC got ready to take the field against D.C. that Wednesday? Well for one thing, the ground now known as Inter&Co Stadium had just opened a little over two months previously, and it was still called Orlando City Stadium. Jason Kreis had the reins as the team’s second full-time head coach, and teams were only allowed to make three substitutions per game instead of five.

Kreis set up his team in a 4-4-2 that had Joe Bendik in goal, a back line of Scott Sutter, Jose Aja, Jonathan Spector, and Donny Toia; Matias Perez Garcia, Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, and Luis Gil in the midfield; and Cyle Larin alongside Carlos Rivas up top.

The defining characteristic of the game in the first half was the conditions in which it was played. The stadium was pounded by rain in the leadup to kickoff, and the wet weather continued during the opening 45 minutes. The Lions had the better of things in the first half, but things could have been different if Larin had been called for a handball in the box in the 15th minute, but the referee didn’t see it, the D.C. players didn’t call for it, and video review wouldn’t be introduced to MLS until later in the season.

D.C. went close through Julian Buscher in the 43rd minute when he turned well at the top of the box and sent a left footed shot toward goal, but Bendik did well to get down and push the ball away with his right hand. Orlando’s best chance of the half came as the first 45 minutes were winding down, when Gil sprung Larin on the break, but the Canadian had to shoot from an angle and Bill Hamid was able to deal with it fairly comfortably in the D.C. net. Before the half could end, OCSC had a penalty shout of its own as Sutter felt he was clipped from behind by Buscher in stoppage time, but referee Allen Chapman disagreed and the game went to halftime scoreless.

The Lions finished the first half with 59% possession and took nine shots but only put three on target, while D.C. totaled three shots with two on target, and 41% of the ball.

The rain mercifully subsided at halftime, but the game continued to be a sloppy affair as the second half got underway. D.C really should have opened the scoring in the 56th minute when a ball played down the right found Lamar Neagle near the penalty spot. He turned and played a great pass into space for Buscher, who was unmarked roughly 10 yards from goal on the left side of the box. Luckily for the Lions, with just Bendik to beat, the midfielder somehow contrived to blast his first-time shot over the bar so badly that it just missed the Heineken sign by a couple of inches.

That scare spurred Kreis into action, as he brought on Giles Barnes for Gil just three minutes later. It proved to be an inspired move, as the Jamaican provided an immediate spark and won a free kick in a dangerous area in the 65th minute after slaloming through several defenders. It fell to Johnson to take the resulting set piece, and he dialed up a doozy, curling a ball to the edge of the six-yard box, where Larin fought through heavy contact from Steve Birnbaum and headed the ball into the net beyond a helpless Hamid to open the scoring for Orlando.

The strike ended a scoreless drought of 266 minutes for Orlando, and the team continued to look invigorated after the introduction of Barnes. He played a great cutback pass for Larin just two minutes after the goal, and the Canadian might have scored had D.C. not gotten bodies in the way and blocked it. He then played Rivas in on goal in the 71st minute, but Kofi Opare made a great last-ditch tackle to prevent a shot and MPG wasn’t able to bundle the loose ball over the line as Hamid came out to contest.

That was Perez-Garcia’s last meaningful action of the evening, as he made way for Tony Rocha two minutes later.

In the 74th minute, Orlando had another almighty scare and D.C. wasted its second excellent chance of the game. Aja played a badly underhit pass back to Bendik, and Neagle got to it first as the goalkeeper charged out to try to clear the danger. Neagle took it around him and had only Spector to beat as the last man back, but he put his shot entirely too close to the center back, who was able to make himself big and keep the effort out. The rebound then spun into the air and looked to be falling kindly for Sebastien Le Toux to head into the empty net, but Bendik parachuted in at the last second and acrobatically punched the danger clear.

The two teams then traded decent chances over the next 10 minutes, but a combination of blocks, misses, and a Bendik save kept things at 1-0. Kreis then made his final move of the game in the 83rd minute when Antonio Nocerino entered the game for Rivas.

OCSC looked all set to go more conservative and try to escape with a 1-0 win when it got a fortunate break just two minutes from the end of regulation. Barnes lined up a shot from roughly 25 yards out, and while it was hit with venom, it looked to be straight at Hamid and relatively straightforward. That made it all the more surprising when D.C.’s goalkeeper got two hands on it but either fluffed his attempt at a catch or whiffed on a punch, and the ball squirted past him into the back of the net. Barnes was rewarded for an energetic, game-changing substitute appearance, and the Lions got an insurance goal.

Four minutes of stoppage time passed without incident, and the Lions finished a dominant, but ultimately slightly nervy, performance with a 2-0 victory. Orlando ended the game with an edge in possession (57%-43%), shots (20-10), shots on target (5-4), and passing accuracy (81%-71%).

Current Orlando City staffer Austin David was on our staff and handed out player grades for the game, and he gave Barnes the Man of the Match award with an 8 out of 10. The other high performers on the night were Bendik and Spector, who were both awarded a 7.5 out of 10.

Larin’s goal was his eighth of the campaign, and the victory ended a six-game winless run for Orlando. Sadly, it wasn’t a sign of good things to come, as OCSC immediately endured another five-game winless run that included the infamous 3-1 loss to Miami FC that saw a Stefano Pinho hat trick earn him a move to the Lions at the end of the season. Orlando went on to win just three games the rest of the season, and finished 10th in the 11-team Eastern Conference with 39 points, ahead of only D.C. United.

With any luck, this season will follow a much different arc. Antoine Griezmann will be here before we know it, and the Lions have some time to make some tweaks to the roster, work on things in training, and will have an opportunity to make a cup final in the fall. Here’s to remembering the good parts of the past, and not repeating the bad ones. Vamos Orlando!

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