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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 1-1 draw at Cincinnati?

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2 months ago

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Image of Eduard Atuesta dribbling the ball past FC Cincinnati forward Evander.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City had the better chances but struggled to finish them on Sunday night. Just when it seemed like the Lions would head home with a loss, Alex Freeman scored his sixth (sixth! as a defender!) goal of the season and the Lions snatched a 1-1 draw from the jaws of a loss.

Earning a point on the road is nice, but Orlando City really should have taken all three points with how many chances it created. One point is better than zero points though, and the Lions now have a chance to put a little daylight between themselves and a play-in spot when they host Columbus next week.

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 an Eastern Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — El Pulpo’s seven saves were the second most he’s had in any MLS game this season, and if he had not been on top form, the Lions definitely would not have brought a point home. The Peruvian made saves with his legs, hands, and chest, and some of his most impressive leaps did not garner him any statistics, as Cincinnati hit several shots that flashed just wide of the net, but in watching the replay, it was clear that Gallese would have had them covered with one of his eight appendages. The one goal that he allowed was struck perfectly by Cincinnati’s Kevin Denkey into the corner, and even so, Gallese just barely missed tipping it wide. I thought it was an outstanding game by Orlando City’s No. 1, and for me he was the Man of the Match.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — The Slovenian left back generally kept Cincinnati from creating much down the attacking right side, as his partnership with Iván Angulo on Orlando City’s left flank was excellent once again, aside from one barnstorming run from Ender Echenique that created a dangerous chance. Brekalo also got forward more frequently than in many other games, and had a great chance in the first half, but he, like several of his teammates, had his shot blocked by Cincinnati’s Nick Hagglund. He completed 91.7% of his passes and recorded one tackle, two interceptions, and one clearance on defense, before making way for Adrián Marín with Orlando City chasing a goal in the game’s final 10 minutes. His yellow card may have contributed to the substitution as well.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — It is rare that the Beefy Swede’s player grade focuses initially on his offense, but unfortunately for him, it has to, because Jansson missed an absolutely point-blank sitter in the second half, coughing up a chance for Orlando City to grab a lead on the road early in the second half. The captain was not the only player to fail to score on a great chance on Sunday, but his was the most egregious of the game. Aside from that, he played a good-but-not-great game on defense, sitting back behind the more aggressive Rodrigo Schlegel and cleaning up messes. He did not have any tackles, but he tallied a team-leading four clearances and blocked one shot, and he completed 78.7% of his passes, including two key passes.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel was everywhere on Sunday, stuffing the stat sheet with three tackles, four interceptions, three clearances, two blocks, and one yellow card, which unfortunately was displayed via the Ref Cam so all of the viewers could see him plead his case that he won the ball before he took out Dominik Marczuk. I thought he won the ball, barely, but referee Rosendo Mendoza disagreed, and he will miss Orlando City’s match Saturday against Columbus due to yellow card accumulation. The Argentine was involved in Cincinnati’s goal, as Evander’s driving run preoccupied his eyes and he did not see Denkey moving into space behind him, but it was teammate Alex Freeman who had the better opportunity to prevent Denkey’s shot. Schlegel completed 97% of his passes and delivered a strong performance overall.

D, Alex Freeman, 7 — Orlando City’s right back rescued a point for the Lions with his late header, capping off another game when he was on the attack from beginning to end, despite lining up nominally as a defender. Freeman tied for the team lead in shots, with five, and put three on target, forcing Cincinnati goalkeeper Evan Louro to make two difficult saves before finally burying his header in the back of the net deep in stoppage time. Freeman was a step slow to get in front of Denkey on Cincinnati’s goal, but he made up for it with his perfect run to meet Tyrese Spicer’s long cross with his head, and he is now one of only two defenders in MLS that have scored more than five goals this season. He completed 75.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one interception, and one clearance on defense.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6.5 — During his minutes on the field I thought Angulo was Orlando City’s best player, as he brought more to the attack than usual, with two key passes, two accurate long balls, and one successful take-on, and his defense was excellent as well, in particular when he blazed back to catch up to Echenique and took the ball away from him, simultaneously stopping a Cincinnati attack and initiating an Orlando City counterattack. The Colombian completed 83.3% of his passes and did well on both sides of the ball throughout his shift, before making way for Spicer as Orlando City went offense-for-defense in an attempt to grab all three points on the road.

MF, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Orlando City’s do-it-all utility man played his minutes in the central midfield on Sunday night and played a solid game, keeping Cincinnati off the scoreboard while he was on the field and hustling box to box throughout his shift. He completed 84% of his passes and took two shots on offense (one blocked, one wide), but as he was playing in the spot where César Araújo usually plays, he was more so focused on defense and delivered one tackle, four clearances, and the aforementioned 70 minutes of middle-clogging play that kept the Orange and Blue scoreless.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 — Atuesta led the team in completed passes, pulling the strings for an offense that generated 23 shots and a season high in expected goals. He completed 87.5% of his passes, with two key passes, and if not for the incredible closing speed of Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson, he likely would have had an assist as his perfectly placed through ball seemed to put Martín Ojeda in on goal all alone. However, Robinson was able to run Ojeda down and allow Louro to come out to deflect the ball away. There were a few times when the Colombian could have shot but followed his instincts as a pass-first playmaker, and in retrospect the shot might have been the better option. In the end, it was a solid game from Atuesta, but he was unable to unlock the Cincinnati defense to create a goal that would have changed the complexion of the game.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6.5 — Freeman’s partner out on the right side of the field played unselfishly, and perhaps overly so, as it seemed that every time he had the ball he was able to run at the Cincinnati defense and find space. He only took one shot, which was blocked, and for a player of his ability he needs to take more shots. He made two key passes, both to Ojeda, and completed 84% of his passes overall. The Croatian also took all of the corner kicks for the Lions from the right side, and all three were well-struck inswinging balls that landed in threatening areas, though his teammates were unable to put any of them on target. The effort was there from Pašalić but nothing materialized from it, and he came off in the 83rd minute for Nico Rodríguez as Orlando City brought on fresh legs to go after the equalizer.

F, Martín Ojeda, 7 — The Argentine was everywhere except on the scoresheet on Sunday night, taking five shots, playing four key passes, and finishing third in completed passes (89.7% completion rate). Alas, he did not bring his finishing shoes with him to Cincinnati, because he had several great chances but was unable to put any of them in the back of the net. It is hard to come down too hard on Ojeda, considering the season he is having and his work rate, but he was unable to get a shot off quickly enough after being played in by Atuesta in the first half, and he did not put a right-footed shot on target after Rodríguez made a great play to set him up in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and based on his season thus far, I thought he was going to score on both of those plays. It was not to be against Cincinnati, but Ojeda had a great game and hopefully he regresses to the mean in the positive direction Saturday against Columbus.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — Orlando City did not run on Duncan on Sunday. Even though the former Creighton Blue Jay took four shots, he could not put any of them in the net. McGuire had two excellent chances in the first half, one on a ball over the top from Ojeda and the other on a short pass inside the box from Ojeda. On the ball over the top, he was unable to dribble by an onrushing Louro, and on the ball inside the box, he took a great first touch, but pushed his left-footed shot just outside of the post. McGuire was active in the first half but disappeared in the second half, recording only 26 total touches and completing seven of his 11 pass attempts. He gave his trademark full hustle for his entire shift, getting all the way back on defense to make two clearances, but he could not capitalize on his chances Sunday.

Substitutes

MF, Tyrese Spicer (70′), 6.5 — The supersub did it again, coming off the bench to help create a late Orlando City goal and earn the team a point. The Trinidad & Tobago international also helped create Cincinnati’s goal with an errant pass to start their attack, but he made up for that with his inch-perfect cross to Freeman for the game-tying goal. Spicer completed five of his eight pass attempts (62.5%) and was not given credit for a shot attempt, but he nearly scored a goal himself when he took what looked to be a shot but must have been coded as a cross attempt off of a pass from fellow sub Marín that Louro had to save. Spicer has been a huge addition since joining Orlando City from Toronto, providing strong depth on the left side of the lineup.

MF, Joran Gerbet, (70′), 5.5 — The rookie midfielder came on for Smith in the midfield and went 10/10 with his passes, helping support the offense as the Lions tried to tie the game after the Denkey goal that occurred just minutes after Gerbet came on. He did not tally any statistics on defense, but he was a deterrent in the middle of the field, and while slotting in behind Freeman as he attacked up the right side, helping to keep Cincinnati from scoring what would have been a backbreaking second goal.

D, Adrián Marín, (79′), NA — Marín was not credited with a secondary assist, but he played the ball ahead to Spicer that became Orlando City’s goal, though Spicer dribbled for a bit before playing his cross, so it was probably the correct decision not to give Marín an official assist. Just moments earlier, the Spaniard almost scored his first goal for the Lions, as his shot flashed just wide after the ball caromed out towards him. Marín looked dangerous on the left side after coming in off the bench, completing 84.6% of his passes (including a team-high seven progressive passes) and partnering well with Spicer, and we may see him in the starting lineup at left back next weekend with Schlegel out.

F, Luis Muriel, (79′), NA — I thought Óscar Pareja waited about 10 minutes too long to bring in Muriel, as the Orlando City offense was struggling to combine at the halfway point of the second half and the Lions could have used the Colombian’s passing ability to help unlock the Cincinnati defense. Orlando then gave up a goal and needed a shot in the arm, and Muriel came in and nearly provided that during his short shift, coming close to scoring the equalizer on a pass from Ojeda that was a bit behind him and hustling all over the field to try help the team get on the scoreboard. He completed both of his pass attempts and looked dangerous with the ball, and I will not be surprised to see him back in the starting lineup next week with Ojeda as Pareja looks to find the hot foot between McGuire and Muriel.

MF, Nico Rodríguez, (83′), NA — The Colombian winger came on for Pašalić in the final minutes of regular time and he was lively, sprinting all over the field and attacking every time he touched the ball. He nearly had an assist after making a nice run deep into the right side of the box and crossing the ball back in to Ojeda, but the Argentine could not convert. He completed one of his two passes, and if he can bring the same energy in future games that he did on Sunday then he will start to earn more minutes from the coaching staff.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw with 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: 11/18/25

Orlando City roster update, a USMNT vs. Uruguay preview, World Cup qualifying galore, and more.

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23 hours ago

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November 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. All three of Orlando’s soccer teams have now finished their seasons, but that doesn’t mean things slow down around here. Off-season machinations are in full swing, the United States Men’s National Team plays later today, and World Cup qualifying is still ongoing. That means we have a lot of things to talk through today, so let’s get into the links. But first, let’s wish Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero a happy birthday.

Orlando City Announces Roster Decisions

Orlando City announced its end-of-season roster decisions on Monday afternoon. For the most part, things look as expected, as we already knew the two biggest departures in the out-of-contract duo of Pedro Gallese and Cesar Araujo. The most surprising bit of news was Robin Jansson’s contract option being declined, although the team is in negotiations with both he and Kyle Smith regarding their returns. Another eyebrow-raising choice was Ivan Angulo’s option year being picked up, particularly after a season in which he did not score a single league goal despite having multiple breakaway opportunities. Currently there are 22 players under contract, although some of those are clear backups, youth players, or currently injured, so the front office is going to have a lot of work to do during the off-season.

Previewing USMNT vs. Uruguay

The United States Men’s National Team will play its final game of 2025 later today, when it takes on Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It will be the 10th meeting between the two teams and the first since Uruguay’s 1-0 win knocked the USMNT out of the 2024 Copa America in the group stage. The mercurial Marcelo Bielsa manages the side and helped guide Uruguay to a fourth-place finish in World Cup qualifying earlier this fall. Uruguay will be without big names like Darwin Nunez, Federico Valverde, and Nicolas Fonseca, but the side still has plenty of star power with the likes of Ronald Araujo, Rodrigo Bentancur, Manuel Ugarte, and of course, former Lion Facundo Torres. Look for Bielsa to use a 4-3-3 with an energetic press and either the fullbacks or wingers inverting.

World Cup Qualifying Results

UEFA’s World Cup qualifying continued on Monday and there were several eye-catching results. Germany dismantled Slovakia 6-0 to secure a first-place finish in Group A and the World Cup spot that comes with it. Not to be outdone, Czechia beat Gibraltar by the same score but only managed to finish second in Group L. The Netherlands beat Lithuania 4-0 to finish top of Group G and also punch a ticket to next summer’s tournament, while Orlando City’s Marco Pasalic was an unused substitute in Croatia’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Montenegro, which ensured his team finished an undefeated run through Group L.

World Cup Qualifying Preview

There’s even more qualifiers taking place today, with both UEFA and Concacaf in action and big stakes on the line. Scotland faces Denmark, and needs to win at home in order to leapfrog the Danes into first and the automatic qualifying spot, while a draw for the Danes will be enough for them to retain the top spot. Austria vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a similar situation, as a draw or win will see Austria stay in first, while Bosnia and Herzegovina must win to overtake the Austrians. In Concacaf, Group C has a ton of drama with three teams still able to secure automatic qualification. Honduras is currently top with eight points and better goal differential than Haiti, which also has eight points, while Costa Rica is in third with six. Costa Rica will play Honduras, while Haiti takes on Nicaragua, and there’s any number of ways this could all shake out.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City Announces Roster Update Following 2025 MLS Season

The club has announced the roster decisions and contract statuses following the 2025 campaign.

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2 days ago

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November 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has finally released the club’s roster status update and let us know the decisions on contract options following the 2025 campaign — the Lions’ 11th season in Major League Soccer. The biggest news had mostly already happened with the departures of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and midfielder Cesar Araujo, who were both out of contract after the season. The writing had been on the wall in terms of both departures.

The most surprising news from today’s announcement is that the club declined the option year on captain Robin Jansson’s contract, but the club is in negotiations with both the veteran center back and out-of-contract defender/midfielder Kyle Smith.

Orlando City already had 14 players currently under contract for the 2026 season: forwards Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel, Marco Pašalić, and Nico Rodríguez; midfielders Gustavo Caraballo, Colin Guske, and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson; defenders David Brekalo, Adrián Marín, Tahir Reid-Brown, Rodrigo Schlegel, Zakaria Taifi, and Thomas Williams; and goalkeeper Javier Otero.

Additionally, the Lions exercised the contract options on Iván Angulo, Tyrese Spicer, and Yutaro Tsukada; midfielders Eduard Atuesta, Joran Gerbet, and Martín Ojeda; and defender Alex Freeman. The club declined Jansson’s option year, as well as options for three players who were regulars for OCB: goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, midfielder/forward Shak Mohammed, and midfielder/forward Favian Loyola.

Smith is out of contract, along with Gallese and Araujo, but it’s not surprising that the Lions are trying to bring him back as he is a versatile depth player who can fill in at a number of spots.

Midfielder Wilder Cartagena was to be out of contract as well, but he signed a new contract five days ago that will keep him in Orlando through 2026 with an option in 2027.

What It Means for Orlando City

If Jansson isn’t re-signed, the Lions will have to go shopping for a top-notch center back. Jansson may have lost a step this season, but he was still the best and most consistent defender on Orlando City’s back line when he was in the lineup. Entering 2026 with a plan to start Schlegel and Brekalo is at best a lateral step to what the club had in 2025, which wasn’t good enough, as the Lions did not record a clean sheet after June 14. The back line wasn’t solely to blame, as Gallese and the central midfield have to shoulder some of that burden, but the critical breakdowns defensively in 2025 occurred more often than in previous seasons.

The biggest surprise to me was the club picking up Angulo’s option. The Colombian didn’t score a single goal in MLS for the first time since 2022, when he only appeared in nine games at the end of the season. It’s not as if Angulo didn’t have multiple golden opportunities to score, as he failed to finish on multiple clear-cut breakaways with only the goalkeeper back throughout the season. At more than $500,000 in annual base salary, the club can afford a defensive-minded player scoring five goals a season — as he did in both 2023 and 2024 — but cannot afford to have a left wing who can’t score a single goal, given the opportunties his speed affords him.

Tsukada and Gerbet are promising young players who are coming off serious injuries, and it’s nice to see the club make a commitment to helping them get healthy and continue their development. Atuesta’s return was made more important by Araujo’s departure, and although Cartagena signed a new deal, more depth will be needed in central midfield.

The club’s biggest off-season need right now is to replace Gallese in goal.

Post-2025 Orlando City Roster Status (Current club players in italics)

  • Iván Angulo: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026
  • César Araújo: Out of contract
  • Eduard Atuesta: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026
  • David Brekalo: Under contract through 2027, with a club option in 2028
  • Gustavo Caraballo: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Wilder Cartagena: Signed new contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Alex Freeman: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026
  • Pedro Gallese: Out of contract
  • Joran Gerbet: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club options through 2028
  • Colin Guske: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Robin Jansson: Option declined – In negotiations
  • Favian Loyola: Option declined
  • Adrián Marín: Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Duncan McGuire: Under contract through 2027, with a club option in 2028
  • Carlos Mercado: Option declined
  • Shak Mohammed: Option declined
  • Luis Muriel: Under contract through 2026
  • Martín Ojeda: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Javier Otero: Under contract through 2026, club options in 2027 and 2028
  • Marco Pašalić: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Tahir Reid-Brown: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Nico Rodríguez: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Rodrigo Schlegel: Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Kyle Smith: Out of contract, in negotiations
  • Tyrese Spicer: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Zakaria Taifi: Under contract through 2026, club options through 2029
  • Dagur Dan Thórhallsson: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Yutaro Tsukada: Under contract through 2025, with club options in 2026 & 2027
  • Thomas Williams: Under contract through 2026, club options in 2027 and 2028

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Lion Links: 11/17/25

Pride fall to Gotham FC in NWSL semifinals, Lions in action abroad, USMNT defeats Paraguay, and more.

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2 days ago

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November 17, 2025

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Image of Anglina preparing to take a shot against Gotham FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work and covering high school basketball. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall to Gotham FC in NWSL Semifinals

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL semifinals Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The match was scoreless for 90 minutes, and it looked like it was heading for extra time. Jaedyn Shaw converted a last-minute free kick for the game-winning goal in stoppage time. The Pride had one last chance towards the end of the match to get a late equalizer when Oihane put her header on goal, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a clutch save to seal the win. Gotham FC will play in the NWSL Championship for the second time in three years. The Orlando Pride’s 2025 season ends just short of making a second consecutive NWSL Championship.

Lions in Action Abroad

Several Orlando City players were in action during the international break. Defender David Brekalo played a full 90 minutes, but Slovenia fell 2-0 to Kosovo in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Forward Marco Pasalic started and played 62 minutes as the Croatians defeated the Faroe Islands 3-1 in UEFA World Cup qualifying and qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Croatia will be in action again later today against Montenegro. Gustavo Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half, but Venezuela fell 2-1 to North Korea in the round of 32 in the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Thomas Williams started for the U-21 U.S. Men’s National Team in its 1-1 draw against Denmark.

Fullback Tahir Reid-Brown came off the bench in the second half for the U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team in a 2-1 win against Costa Rica.

USMNT Defeats Paraguay in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Paraguay 2-1 Saturday at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was in action for the USMNT, coming off the bench and playing 23 minutes. Gio Reyna scored the opener in his return to the starting XI for the USMNT for the first time in 16 months to give the Yanks an early lead. Alex Arce scored the equalizer for Paraguay. In the second half, Falorin Balogun scored the winning goal to help the USMNT edge Paraguay. The Americans are unbeaten in their last four matches. The next match for the U.S. will be Tuesday against Uruguay in Tampa.

Washington Spirit Return to NWSL Championship

In the other NWSL playoff semifinal match from the weekend, the Washington Spirit returned to the NWSL Championship for the second consecutive time, securing a 2-0 win against the Portland Thorns Saturday at Audi Field. Gift Monday and Croix Bethune scored for Washington. Trinity Rodman returned to play for the first time since spraining her right MCL on Oct. 15. Before the match, multiple reports stated that Rodman had received lucrative transfer offers from European clubs as her contract expires next month. The Spirit will face Gotham FC in the NWSL Championship Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja was in Europe over the weekend to watch Maro Pasalic play for the Croatia Men’s National Team, while also checking in with AFC Bournemouth to observe operations, share knowledge on coaching, and check out the club’s front office management as part of the partnership between the two clubs.
  • U.S. Soccer announced its 2026 National Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees, featuring Kevin Crow, Tobin Heath, Heather O’Reilly, Tony Sanneh, Kari Seitz, and Chris Wondolowski.
  • Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway defeated Italy 4-1, qualifying for its first World Cup since 1998.
  • Nigeria fell to Congo DR 4-3 in penalties after a 1-1 draw in the CAF World Cup playoff final and will miss a second straight World Cup.
  • One Knoxville SC defeated Spokane Velocity 2-0 to win the USL League One Championship.

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

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