Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory against the Columbus Crew?
Orlando City will end the MLS regular season undefeated under the Friday night lights, as in their one and only Friday game, the Lions came from behind to defeat the Columbus Crew 3-1. The game started an hour late due to inclement weather and the Orlando City offense started an hour late due to reasons that they did not share, but once the game hit the final 30 minutes the Lions roared, scoring three goals in a 20-minute period and giving Columbus its first true home loss of the 2025 season.
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, 7 — El Pulpo probably should have added to his shutout tally during this game, because if not for a cross just barely grazing the hand of Marco Pašalić to give Columbus a penalty kick, he had the goal locked up, putting himself in the perfect position to collect all of the Crew’s non-penalty shots on target. With nearly two-thirds of the possession, Columbus threatened throughout, but Gallese was up to the task, starting in the second minute with a kick save and going all the way into the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time, when he saved a deflected volley, ending with six saves on the night. The Peruvian was quick to come off his line as well, playing an all-around solid game in net. He also completed 61.9% of his passes.
D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — The Crew attacked down their right side on 48% of their possessions, so Brekalo and left side partner Iván Angulo were frequently called on to step up defensively on Friday night. I thought the Slovenian was more good than great on the evening, as the Crew were able to play several threatening balls into the box after going down his side, but he also shut down several promising attacks and made some nice offensive runs up the left side, showing that Alex Freeman is not Orlando City’s only outside back who can contribute offensively. Brekalo was tied for second on the team with 29 completed passes, completing them at an 82.9% rate, and on the defensive side, he led the team with 10 clearances and contributed two tackles, two blocked shots, and one interception.
D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The captain was his usual solid self in the middle of the defense, but he did have one scary moment when he mis-hit a clearance and played a perfectly placed ball on the ground to Jacen Russell-Rowe, who is not a Lion, but thankfully Gallese was up to the task and that poor clearance did not come back to hurt Orlando City. Aside from that, the Beefy Swede delivered defensively, leading the team with three interceptions while logging three tackles, seven clearances, and one blocked shot. He was not as proficient as he usually is with his passes, completing only 81.8% of them, but because Orlando City had very little of the ball, that low completion rate only equated to six incomplete passes, and they did not hurt the team.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Jansson’s center back partner did not have any major misplays that created risk for the defense, but Schlegel did not make as many positive plays either, which is why I rated him a half point lower. He recorded two tackles and seven clearances, but most importantly, he had zero Schlegels, which contributed greatly to the Lions only allowing the one penalty kick goal. Offensively, he completed 90.3% of his passes, mostly short and medium passes, to change the point of attack. His overall collaboration with Jansson helped to keep Columbus from any goals from open play.
D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — As regulation time was winding down, I was thinking that Friday night was going to be one of Freeman’s least impressive games of the season, but then the young right back showed why is so highly thought of, stepping up to intercept a pass, driving forward, and playing a perfectly weighted pass directly onto the left foot of a sprinting Martín Ojeda for the back-breaking third goal. That pass was so good that at first I thought it must have come from Eduard Atuesta, but no, it was the 20-year-old, and it was a beautiful assist. The rest of the game was only so-so for Freeman; Columbus attacked primarily down its right side but had good success down Freeman’s side, and there were several plays when he allowed Crew attackers to cut back inside and take dangerous shots, struggling to contain Max Arfsten. He did not have any tackles, but he contributed one interception and two clearances, and as usual, it was on offense where he made more of a mark, completing 84.4% of his passes with two key passes and one assist.
MF, Iván Angulo, 8.5 (MotM) — Columbus was done in by the Colombian, as Angulo was everywhere, leading the team in tackles with five while also getting the Lions back into the game, and then winning the game, with his two beautiful left-footed assists to Ramiro Enrique. This game was undoubtedly one of his best ever for the Lions, and it could have been even better, as he should have drawn a penalty as well, except that he forgot he was playing for Orlando City so he was never going to get that call. With how often Columbus attacked down the right side, Angulo was involved throughout his 89 minutes, and he delivered both offensively and defensively, helping Orlando City turn the game around after falling behind. He completed 84% of his passes, with both of his key passes becoming assists, and he also had two successful take-ons before coming off for Kyle Smith as Óscar Pareja put in some fresh legs to protect the lead.
MF, César Araújo, 6.5 — The Uruguayan was a quiet contributor against the Crew, playing his role well as he sat in front of the defense and helped connect the defense to the offense. With both Brekalo and Freeman venturing forward, Araújo often looked like a third center back alongside Jansson and Schlegel, and while that prevented him from making any threatening runs on offense, he still led the team in completed passes with 33 on 35 attempts to finish with a 97.1% completion rate. He added one tackle, one clearance, and one blocked shot on defense, playing a solid two-way game.
MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Friday night’s performance was not one of Atuesta’s best, but even when not at his best, he still brought more to the table than he took off. The Colombian completed 85.3% of his passes, and on a different day his two key passes to Luis Muriel and Marco Pašalić could have turned into goals. He also added two tackles defensively, but the Crew’s domination of the ball meant he played deeper and more defensively than usual, and on this night he was not able to kickstart any major counterattacks from that defensive position.
MF, Marco Pašalić, 6.5 — The newly minted MLS All-Star created several chances, but he was unable to convert any of his four shots and was unlucky that Ojeda did not do better after he set him up in a dangerous location right at the end of the first half. Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made a great save on a Pašalić rocket from close range in the second half, and even though he did not contribute a goal or an assist, I thought he played well. While the Croatian is not the defender that his opposite winger Angulo is, he still did well to track back and engage, which unfortunately came back to bite him when a cross just barely tipped his hand in the box, not even changing the flight of the ball, but it was deemed enough to give Columbus the penalty kick that put the Crew on the board. He completed 85.7% of his passes with one key pass before coming off for Zakaria Taifi in the 84th minute.
F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — I imagine that Muriel must feel like he is cursed, as game after game he comes so close but just cannot find the back of the net. On Friday night he burst onto a deflected ball and had only Schulte to beat, but the Columbus goalkeeper made a great save after Muriel just could not get his shot wide enough. The Designated Player did not let it get him down though, continuing to make darting runs and trying to unlock the defense with his passes, but the final product was lacking during his 64 minutes on the field. He completed 64.7% of his passes and contributed one tackle and one clearance, but while he gave a worthy effort, he was not successful, and coincidence or not, the offense did not really get going until he came off for Enrique.
F, Martín Ojeda, 8 — It says a lot about Angulo’s night that Ojeda, with two assists and one goal, was not my choice for man of the match. Ojeda was outstanding though, delivering secondary assists on both of Enrique’s goals, and his through ball that set up Angulo’s second assist was one of the best passes by any Lion this season. The Argentine then received a pass from Freeman that was almost as nice as the one he played to Angulo, and he salted the game away with a blast that beat Schulte to the near post. Ojeda now has 25 goal contributions this season, a club record, and that is with nine games still remaining in the season. He completed 76.7% of his passes, including the two assists, and also added two tackles, one interception, and one clearance.
Substitutes
F, Ramiro Enrique (67′), 8 — Enrique came on and delivered everything a coach could hope for when subbing in a striker in the second half, scoring two goals and completely changing the tenor of the game. The Argentine’s first goal came by getting himself to a dangerous location and using his aerial ability to win the cross and flick it toward the uncovered far post. Just minutes later, he made another perfectly timed run, tracking Angulo’s second straight left-footed cross and finishing it from three yards out. The 24-year-old striker’s pace and energy were contagious, and with respect to Muriel, who played hard and gave his all, the Lions would not have won this game without Enrique changing the game.
MF, Zakaria Taifi, (84′), N/A — Taifi appears to have jumped up on the depth chart, as Friday’s game marked two straight matches in which he was the first choice to come on for one of Orlando City’s wing midfielders to help see out a win. He seemed confident and poised, completing three of his four pass attempts and hustling throughout his minutes on the field.
D, Kyle Smith, (89’), N/A — The Accountant came on in the final minute of regulation, entering for Angulo but playing more of a left back in a five-man back line. He completed one of his three pass attempts and recorded one tackle and two clearances.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew. 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.
Orlando City
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Get up to speed on the Pigeons ahead of Saturday’s game, courtesy of someone who knows them best.
Happy Friday, everyone. Orlando City got a week of rest after taking care of business against D.C. United at home, and it returns to the purple palace Saturday night to face a New York City FC team with its back against the wall in the race for a playoff place.
A showdown with the Pigeons means I caught up with Matthew Mangam of New York Soccer Journal. As always, he was helpful in getting us up to speed on NYCFC, and we appreciate his help. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so make sure you check them out over at their place!
Talk me through NYCFC’s summer transfer business. Who’s out, who’s in to replace them, and how have they performed?
Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s summer business wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The club brought in striker Luighi on loan from SE Palmeiras and got back midfielder/defender James Sands, whose loan with St. Pauli ended.
Luighi started off well, bagging four goals in his first seven league appearances. But since then, the 20-year-old is on a five-game drought. To his credit, Luighi started only two of his last five games. As for Sands, this is his third stint at NYCFC, so the versatile 26-year-old was welcomed back with open arms.
The biggest acquisition this summer, though, was Bénie Traoré. The winger joined the club as a Designated Player from FC Basel in Switzerland, but it hasn’t gone well. In 15 league appearances, Traoré has one goal — a penalty kick that hit off the post and went in — and no assists.
The club’s last move that didn’t happen in the summer surprised everyone: adding free agent Matt Miazga. The veteran defender hasn’t made his debut yet, and I’m honestly not sure when he will.
New York City has been a wildly different team since the league restarted after the World Cup. What’s happened to cause the change in form?
MM: I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. There’s so much I could say, but if I did then I’d be here all day. I’ll narrow it down to this: NYCFC can’t play a complete 90 minutes.
NYCFC has conceded six goals in stoppage time this season, is 0-4-12 after falling behind 16 times, and is 4-5-6 at home. So, they can’t hang onto leads — they’ve lost seven points after the 75th minute — they have no come-from-behind wins, and they’re poor at home.
There are other smaller factors, like injuries, individual mistakes from usually solid players (Matt Freese and Sands), and players struggling, but, as I said, it’s a lot.
The playoffs are still in reach, as NYCFC is just two points out of eighth. What needs to happen in order to get above the line and stay there?
MM: Simply put, NYCFC needs to win all four remaining games, or, at the very least, go 3-1-0. Teams around them, like Toronto, Columbus, and Cincinnati, are picking up wins and building separation, so NYCFC is in a do-or-die situation.
Getting Alonso Martínez back and starting again is huge, but you can’t expect him to return from a brutal injury and save the team immediately; it’s not fair. Traoré has to step up and show why the club paid DP money for him — one lone goal that, in my opinion, fortunately went in, and no goals from open play is extremely concerning.
Also, Nico Fernández Mercau hasn’t scored in five matches. He’s getting double- and triple-marked because teams are now well aware of how talented the Argentine is, but he has to find a way back on the scoresheet in this stretch. NYCFC needs him to. So, so badly.
Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?
MM: The only players out are the ones with long-term injuries: Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Arnau Farnós, and Drew Baiera.
Given that NYCFC needs to win or the season is practically over, I expect Head Coach Pascal Jansen to leave it all out there with his best possible lineup:
Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill; Hannes Wolf, Nico Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda; Alonso Martínez.
I think Nico Fernández Mercau and Alonso Martínez score, but it won’t be enough, as Antoine Griezmann gets a brace and both teams settle for a 2-2 draw.
Thank you to Matt for his excellent refresher on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando City prepares for New York City FC, Antoine Griezmann’s impact in Orlando, U.S. will host FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, and more.
Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty nice week for me, as I was able to watch all of Slow Horses and finish reading Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, both of which were brilliant. Attention now turns to this weekend’s soccer, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride playing at home over the next couple of days. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Prepares for New York City FC
The Lions host New York City FC on Saturday in one of the marquee matchups in MLS as the regular season nears its conclusion. Plenty has changed since Orlando’s 5-0 loss to NYCFC on March 7. The Lions have clawed their way up the table while the Pigeons have only won once in their past 13 league games. NYCFC enters this match after a 1-1 draw with LAFC that included an equalizer by former Lion Andres Perea to give the team a valuable point amid the playoff race. Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, Luighi, and Benie Traore are all NYCFC players the Lions will need to keep in check, or else it could end up being another high-scoring affair in the City Beautiful.
Antoine Griezmann’s Impact on Orlando’s Offense
Orlando’s wait for Antoine Griezmann to join in the summer has proven to be well worth it, as he’s transformed Orlando’s attack into a force to be reckoned with just as the playoffs near. Although Griezmann wasn’t able to enjoy a fairytale ending with Atletico Madrid by lifting the Copa del Rey or Champions League trophies this year, he’s breathed life into an Orlando side that struggled mightily prior to his arrival. The 35-year-old has recorded 12 goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances this season. Not only has he excelled when it comes to getting the ball in the net, but he’s done well in terms of defensive metrics and intangibles as well.
U.S. Will Host Women’s Club World Cup
The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be held in the U.S. in January of 2028 with the host cities still to be determined. There will be 19 clubs taking part, with Gotham, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Club America having already qualified along with three other teams so far. This tournament is sandwiched between the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, so there’s plenty of exciting women’s soccer to look forward to in the coming years.
U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team Wins at World Cup
The United States U-17 Women’s National Team won 6-1 against Kenya in the group stage of the FIA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, clinching a spot in the round of 16. Maggie DiMaria scored four goals to bring her total to 10 across just two games. The U.S. will play its final group game on Sunday against China PR, which also won both of its games against Kenya and Samoa to secure a spot in the knockout stage. The winner of this group will get to avoid a match with Spain in the round of 16, so there’s still plenty to play for before the next round gets underway.
Free Kicks
- The first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal between the United States Men’s National Team and Haiti has been moved from Kingston to Miami. Haiti has had to play games outside of the country due to unrest and submitted a request to Concacaf to play in the country of its opponent.
- American center back Naomi Girma is now dealing with a calf injury that may sideline her for a few weeks according to Chelsea Head Coach Sonia Bompastor. She missed out on the team’s recent friendlies against Spain and may be absent for the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador next month too.
- The United States Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team beat Ireland 15-0 to advance to the IFCPF Women’s World Cup final, which takes place today against Australia. Annie Wickett scored five goals with four other players scoring braces.
- The San Diego Wave signed defender Mimi Van Zanten to a contract extension through the 2029 season. She’s made 27 appearances for San Diego during her rookie season, helping the club keep pace in the NWSL Shield race.
- After being stretchered off the field due to a head injury in the U.S. Open Cup final, St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Burki is alert and in good spirits, according to the club.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
Orlando City’s October offensive surge may look like a recent development, but the Lions have been scoring at an impressive rate for months.
We do not watch nearly enough Sesame Street in my house, but ever since the summer we say that A is for Antoine when the show discusses the alphabet. Sadly, this replaced A is for Andrew, which is my name, because Antoine Griezmann is more popular than me in my house. I cannot say that I am surprised, but I can say that it hurts just a little bit. More than a little bit.
For the past few years, O has been for Ojeda, as in Martín Ojeda, the man who is now Orlando City’s all-time leading goal scorer. This October, however, O is for offense, as the Lions have scored 10 goals during their three October matches, and that tally leads all of MLS this month. Orlando City’s offense has actually been on point for several months now, as you can see from the chart below (MLS games only):
| Month | Goals Scored | Games Played | Goals per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| March | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| April | 7 | 5 | 1.4 |
| May | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| July* | 5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| August | 9 | 5 | 1.8 |
| September | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| October | 10 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Total | 58 | 30 | 1.9 |
- *There were no games in June due to the FIFA Men’s World Cup
Griezmann arrived for the July games, but even before that, the offense had started to heat up in May. Although May 1 is an arbitrary date, if we use it as a benchmark it allows us to capture two-thirds of Orlando City’s season, as the first 10 games happened before May and the team has now played 30 in total. Since May, the Lions rank fourth in MLS in goals scored with 46, sitting behind only Miami (54), Philadelphia (52), and St. Louis (47).
In a matter of perfect symmetry, the Lions also rank fourth in goals allowed, and by rank fourth I most certainly do not mean they are among the best defensive teams in the league. Orlando City has allowed 41 goals in the last 20 games, which is an average of more than two goals allowed per game but is also fewer than the 46 the team has scored. I know you already did the math in your head, but 46 – 41 = 5, and that +5 goal differential since May puts the Lions at eighth overall in MLS.
Perhaps we are now in the Inception timeline, because in yet another matter of symmetry Orlando City has also earned the eighth-most points (34) since May 1. This is yet another reminder of how poor of a start the club had this season, with seven losses in those first 10 games.
Since then, however, the 2026 team has performed like the teams of the past few years, but even with a top 10 performance for two-thirds of the season, it has not been able to climb above seventh in the Eastern Conference. This is because four of the five best teams since May are in the same conference, and the ninth and 10th hottest teams, right behind Orlando City, are also in the East. For those of you counting, hopefully in a voice like The Count’s (“Ah, ah,ah!”), that makes seven of the top 10 Eastern teams, so it is no wonder that the Lions are still in a precarious playoff position.
Saturday’s game against New York City FC is, on paper, the easiest of the remaining four games, but then again, the Pigeons did dirty pigeon things all over the Lions in the first matchup, winning that game 5-0. A repeat performance would wipe away the +5 goal differential Orlando has since May, but in addition to the fact that this game will be played on an actual soccer field, there is another pretty major difference between the early season Lions and the current Lions: Griezmann.
The French superstar is up to 12 goals scored and six primary assists (to go with one secondary assist in only 14 MLS games, which is wild), and he and Ojeda make up one of only seven tandems in the league in which both players have at least 12 goals each (Ojeda has 15). Only three tandems have at least 13 goals each (Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey and Evander, and Nashville’s Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar), and with another goal from Griezmann, the two Lions would become the second pair in club history to each score at least 13 goals in a season, joining Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire in 2023.
Marco Pašalić scored in the most recent game, and both Iván Angulo and Justin Ellis have recorded double-digit goal contributions, so let’s hope the team’s recent offensive onslaught continues, because with all the injuries on the back line and some difficult opponents coming up on the schedule, the Lions will likely need to put up multiple goals if they are going to get results and qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
And considering how poor the start to the season was, if they can orchestrate that it would be outstanding. Let’s gooooooooo.
Vamos Orlando!
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
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