Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Cricket is usually the sport that most people associate with games taking place over the course of multiple days, but on Saturday night and Sunday morning, it was soccer that became a two-day game due to extreme weather (read: heavy rain and frequent lightning strikes) in the vicinity of Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando City channeled that lightning into an electric start and a powerful ending, defeating Sporting Kansas City 3-1 to make it four straight victories and six wins in the club’s last seven matches.

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 matchup with a Western Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — El Pulpo was up to the task when he was called upon, making three acrobatic saves and coming aggressively off his line when balls were played over the top. Kansas City’s one goal came on a play when he had to come out, but the Peruvian was unable to push Mason Toye wide enough to prevent him from playing a ball back into the middle for Dejan Joveljic to tap in and tie the game. That goal felt like it had been coming after Orlando City really let down after the opening goal, so  it is hard to fully fault him as Kansas City had been creating good opportunities for nearly 20 consecutive minutes, and the visitors finally converted one. On the whole, I thought it was a strong game for Gallese, as he even added a cool 90% completion rate on his 20 pass attempts. 

D, David Brekalo, 6 — the strain of seven full 90s and one nearly full 90 in his last eight games, plus a game pushed back several hours due to weather, plus a partnership with a player out on the left wing who was more focused on offense than defense made this game a little rougher than ideal for Brekalo, as he looked a little leggy toward the end after a solid performance during the first three-quarters of the match. Without usual partner Iván Angulo on the field, Brekalo sat back a little more than usual, and he needed to, as Kansas City clearly was more focused on attacking down his side early in the game. The Lions had some nervy moments during that time and gave up a goal on a play that started with a through ball in between Robin Jansson and Brekalo, but after that, the Slovenian stepped up his defense and played solidly until he looked gassed in the final minutes of the match and got turned around a few times. He finished second on the team with 75 completed passes at a 90.4% completion rate and with one key pass, and he added one tackle and four clearances. 

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain had a slightly louder game than his center back partner, Rodrigo Schlegel, but not for positive reasons, as it was on his side where Kansas City focused most of its attack, particularly early in the game. Gallese was called into action early after a through ball split Jansson and Brekalo, and just a few minutes later, it happened again, but this time Kansas City converted. The defense improved after those early chances, but the Lions were fortunate to not be trailing. Jansson contributed to the shoring up of the defense after those early concerns, and he eventually matched his center back partner with 95.1% passing accuracy, as well as making one tackle, one interception, and four clearances. 

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Quiet games from center backs usually are a good thing, and through no fault of his own, the Argentine had a pretty quiet game, playing solidly but mostly playing just as a fulcrum to help pass the ball among his back line teammates. He completed a game-high 77 passes at a 95.1% clip, and made two tackles, one block and four clearances during the rare moments when Kansas City was attacking in his vicinity. 

D, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 7 — it was fitting that Thórhallsson took over Kyle Smith’s role in the central midfield during the second half, as he demonstrated his own Smith-like versatility in this game, playing 45 minutes at right back and 45 minutes in the midfield. The Icelandic Dagur-of-all-trades was excellent in both roles, keeping Kansas City from threatening down the attacking left side in the first half and helping the Lions own the center of the field during the second half. He completed 94.5% of his passes and added three tackles and three clearances on defense.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6.5 —  It is hard to open a game better than how the Trinidad & Tobago international opened this one, ripping a volley into the back of the net within two minutes after the opening kickoff. Spicer, who started on the left to give Angulo a break in a multi-match week, showed tremendous pace and dribbling ability on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and his performance probably made Toronto fans scream, “I told you he was being misused!” at their televisions while watching Orlando City in jealous frustration. Spicer was a threat offensively, but getting forward creates spaces behind, so he had some issues tracking back on defense. If he wants to earn consistent minutes for Óscar Pareja, he will need to improve his defense in the future. On this night, his offense was enough though, as in addition to his goal, he made multiple aggressive runs up the left side to help create chances. He completed 72% of his passes, including two key passes, and also led the team in tackles with four. 

MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — with César Araújo out due to yellow card suspension, The Accountant stepped into a starting role, playing the first half as a defensive midfielder. He was an active participant, completing 29 of his 30 pass attempts, and helped out defensively as well, adding two tackles and one clearance. Oscar Pareja talked about spacing issues being a problem in the first half, and the Lions’ energy level certainly dropped significantly after the first 10 minutes, so his solution was to move Thorhallsson to the middle, sacrificing Smith to bring on Alex Freeman, which also served to jumpstart the attack.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Absent his usual midfield partner, Araújo, the Colombian played a litter deeper than usual, though he still was engaged in the offense, completing 20 more passes than any non-back-line player. Atuesta completed those passes at a 93.1% rate, with one key pass, and he also took one shot and put it on target, but it was right at the goalkeeper. He had one tackle and two interceptions on defense as well, before making way in the 86th minute for Joran Gerbet to get a little bit of rest with the Lions up 3-1. 

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — This will not be a game that Pašalić looks back fondly on, as he was unable to get any real threat going on offense and may have been lucky to not be substituted out even earlier than he was. The Croatian took three shots and put two on target, but neither were well struck and both were saved easily. He completed 91.3% of his passes but did not beat any defenders off the dribble, and speaking of defending, he did not contribute any defensive statistics. Perhaps it was due to playing with Thórhallsson instead of his usual partner, Freeman, for most of his minutes on the field, but this was not Pašalić’s night. 

F, Martín Ojeda, 7.5 (MotM) — There are only so many superlatives that I can use before it starts to become repetitive, but once again the Argentinean Designated Player was the talisman and key to the Orlando City offense. His shot/pass off the goalkeeper on Spicer’s goal obviously prevented him from extending his goal contribution streak just minutes into the game. ‘Oh well,’ Ojeda must have thought, ‘I’ll just have to do it again,’ and then he went ahead and did by assisting on Ramiro Enrique’s goal to give Orlando City the lead in the second half. Ojeda was everywhere, and on a different day he might have had a hat trick of assists and perhaps a few goals himself, but his touch was a little off. He completed 82.6% of his passes but had a crazy eight key passes — six more than any other Lion — and he took three shots but was unable to put any on target. The offense ran through him once again, and if he continues at his current pace when people refer to Orlando City’s M. Ojeda, that M just might stand for MVP.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Though he was active throughout his time on the field, the Colombian did not factor into any of the scoring plays. He got himself into position to take three shots but put none on target, squandering one big opportunity on his left foot after a beautiful one-two with Ojeda, shooting it with venom but high and wide left. He only completed 69.2% of his passes, but as is usually the case, he was trying creative and aggressive passes to unlock the defense, so it was not surprising his completion rate was lower than that of the rest of his teammates. 

Substitutes

D, Alex Freeman (46′), 7 — The introduction of the U.S. international at right back invigorated the Orlando City offense, and the team looked completely different (in a positive way) during the final 45 minutes. Freeman’s energy and pace were hugely helpful, and he partnered well with Pašalić and fellow substitutes Angulo and Nico Rodríguez on the right side of the field. He completed 89.3% of his passes, and his shot attempt late in the game was deflected and then corralled by Rodríguez, who turned and fired it into the net. Freeman did not get an assist on the play, but for all intents and purposes he assisted on the third and final goal. He could have done better with a partial breakaway opportunity just moments after Rodriguez’s goal.

MF, Iván Angulo, (71′), 6 — Angulo moved to the bench with the big Leagues Cup game coming up on Wednesday, but just as with Freeman, when he came on he brought energy and pace, and the Lions’ offense accelerated with him zooming around the field. He had a secondary assist on Enrique’s goal, and he almost had a goal himself after being played in behind, but he lifted his shot over the bar. Angulo looked to be running at a different speed than everyone else when he came on, and he provided excellent minutes off the bench after coming on for Pašalić. He completed all five of his passes and tracked back very well to provide defensive cover once Orlando City took the lead.

F, Ramiro Enrique, (71′), 6.5 — The Argentine came on with Angulo, replacing Muriel and Pašalić, and the offense improved with the two subs on for the two Designated Players. Enrique got himself into a dangerous location just minutes after coming on, and when Ojeda cut the ball back into the middle, Enrique was ready, receiving the pass, spinning 180 degrees, and then firing with his weaker left foot, equaling his career high with his eighth goal of the season. He completed four of his five pass attempts, including one key pass, and it was his goal that gave Orlando City the lead back for good.

MF, Nico Rodríguez, (78’), 6.5 — Rodríguez came on for Spicer, sending Angulo over to his favored left side and settling in himself on his favored right side. The Colombian impressed in his 12 minutes plus stoppage time, looking lively and active, and his awareness paid off in the 83rd minute. He alertly controlled a blocked Freeman shot, reacted quickly, and turned and fired, scoring his first career MLS goal and effectively ending the game by putting the Lions up by two. Rodríguez completed seven of his eight passes and put his one shot on target and in the net, and he looked completely comfortable on the field throughout his appearance.

MF, Joran Gerbet, (86′), NA — Gerbet made his return from a long absence due to a thigh injury, coming on for Atuesta to see out the final minutes of the game. He completed all nine of his passes and looked back to full speed, which will be important for Orlando City with a busy next few months ahead.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-1 win against Sporting Kansas City. 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.