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Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s home loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps?

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9 months ago

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Image of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson celebrating his goal against Vancouver with teammate Duncan McGuire.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

In its final home game of the MLS regular season, Orlando City hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps and fell 2-1 after holding onto a lead for a majority of the match. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson put the Lions in front after some good team play, but the Whitecaps rallied late to take all three points. An unlucky goal scored into his own net off Nelson Pierre by Kyle Smith leveled things and Thomas Muller found a winner deep in stoppage time.

Let’s dive into how each Lion performed in this disappointing loss at home.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5— Gallese had seven saves in this match, including two right on the goal line. There wasn’t much he could do about Vancouver’s first goal, as the ball smacked the post and then Smith’s attempted clearance bounced off Pierre and into the net. He got a touch on Muller’s winner in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to keep it out of the net. There was a scare in the second added minute when he spilled Sebastian Berhalter’s shot on the line, which may have crossed but it was called no goal on the field and video evidence was not sufficient to overturn it. In terms of distribution, he had a whopping 23 long balls and 11 were successful. His 31 passes were the second most for the Lions and he completed 61.3% of them. Gallese’s 47 touches were also notably the second most on the team, which goes to show just how pinned back the Lions were.

D, Adrian Marin, 6 — With David Brekalo on international duty, Marin started again for Orlando. He provided one of Orlando’s few shots, curling a good effort towards goal that was deflected out for a corner. Vancouver’s Edier Ocampo wreaked havoc on Marin’s side of the defense, particularly in the first half and late in the match, but Marin put out fires here and there. Ryan Gauld eased past him on Vancouver’s first goal, although Gauld’s impact on the play was mostly just getting a piece on the rebound off the post to bounce the ball in the center of the box before Smith knocked it in off Pierre. Marin’s eight clearances and four interceptions led the Lions in both categories, and he blocked a shot as well. Orlando’s inability to build possession and Jansson’s injury prevented him from getting too involved on offense and he finished with 40 touches, two unsuccessful long balls, and 22 passes at a 72.7% success rate.

D, Robin Jansson, N/A — The captain’s night unfortunately ended in the 18th minute after getting injured while stopping Daniel Rios from teeing up a shot on goal. He tried to carry on by testing his leg on the sideline but ultimately had to head to the locker room. He had four touches before coming off, completing both of his passes. Hopefully it’s a minor knock as the Lions will need him for the playoffs. However, it did not look good.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel returned to the starting lineup after serving his suspension for yellow card accumulation last week. He kept Muller from dealing damage until he didn’t, as the Argentine defender was not able to close down on him in time to stop his shot while marking Gauld. It was a tough ask on tired legs as Muller breezed past Eduard Atuesta to create space. Schlegel blocked two shots and had four clearances while winning three of his four aerial duels. He picked up a yellow card for a foul in a dangerous area, but Vancouver skied the free kick. Of his 10 long balls, five were successful and he completed 76.7% of his 30 passes.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 (MotM) — With the Lions a bit shorthanded, Thorhallsson got the start at right back — moving to the midfield after Jansson’s injury — and scored Orlando’s only goal of the game. He did well to slip the ball to Ojeda with room to run on a counterattack and then raced into the box himself, getting the ball nodded back to him by Duncan McGuire and putting the ball in the net with a nice finish. He finished with seven clearances, three interceptions, and a tackle over the course of the game. In hindsight, it might be easy to say he should’ve pressured Muller before he could score, and his reaction afterwards indicated he probably thought he should have, but Thorhallsson was trying to cut off passing lanes as Muller carried the ball across the top of the box with bodies in front of him. None of his three long balls were successful, and he completed 72% of his 25 passes, but he’s our Man of the Match for starting and finishing one of Orlando’s few attacks in the game. Even though the Lions didn’t win or draw, they needed a guy like Thorhallsson to step up for a chance at points while dealing with so many absences.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo didn’t have many opportunities to get involved offensively in this game, as he moved to a wingback position after Jansson’s exit. Angulo often dueled with Emmanuel Sabbi and did a pretty good job. There were hiccups here and there, but Angulo stopped a cross from reaching Sabbi in the box during a crucial moment and later won the ball off him to create an opportunity as well. Angulo’s speed is often talked about, but his physicality was notable in this game. He ended up seeing a yellow card for one of the more polite professional fouls I’ve seen as he harassed Sabbi on a counterattack. Angulo led the Lions with three tackles and added a clearance. He also took care of the ball, completing 92.3% of his 26 passes and succeeding on his lone long ball attempt. This wasn’t Angulo’s first time at wingback, and he looked solid in that role during this game, spending time on both wings.

MF, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Smith started the game as a central midfielder but moved to the back line to fill in for Jansson after the Beefy Swede’s injury. It’s unfortunate that his clearance on Vancouver’s first goal only went as far as Pierre, with the deflection resulting in an equalizer for the Whitecaps. He had to deal with dangerous runs from Daniel Rios throughout the match and was bailed out by Gallese on one occasion after losing a foot race to Rios on a ball over the top. Smith managed to block Rios from close range though in a moment that would have almost certainly resulted in a goal if not for his intervention. Smith had six clearances to help see out the danger when it arose. In terms of his passing, two of his six long balls were accurate, his lone cross missed its mark, and he had 25 passes at an 80% success rate. His versatility has been helpful as Orlando deals with absences, but it showed at times that he was not in his preferred position. He has to lose some points for breaking the ice for Vancouver.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — It was an off night for Atuesta, who led the Lions with 53 touches but struggled to build much in the way of possession. That’s not entirely on him, especially considering how deeply he and Thorhallsson were having to play at some points, but he was dispossessed five times and won just one of his three aerial duels. Muller skirted past his attempted tackle en route to scoring the winner, with an obviously fatigued Atuesta unable to get back in front of him in time. Defensively, Atuesta had two clearances and a tackle. He conceded a foul in a dangerous area, but made up for it by blocking the free kick as part of the wall. Long balls were about all he could do to create attacking opportunities, and he was successful on two of his six attempts. His 33 passes were also the most on the team, and he completed 78.8% of them. Vancouver did well to swarm him before he could find open players on counterattacks. A lack of stability in the midfield due to injuries hasn’t made Atuesta’s job any easier and he looked gassed by the end of the game.

MF, Nico Rodriguez, 5 — The MLS U22 Initiative player’s biggest impact on the match came about three minutes in as he sent a free kick towards goal. It’s not clear if it was a shot or cross, but it had enough venom behind it that goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka had to punch it clear. Rodriguez had a few other opportunities while chasing down long balls in transition and won both of his aerial duels, but seemed to fade as the match wore on. In 90 minutes of play before being subbed off, he had just 28 touches and 16 passes at an 81.3% success rate. Neither his one cross nor his two long balls were successful. Moving to more of a wingback position when Orlando changed its shape, Rodriguez helped out defensively with two clearances, a tackle, and an interception. More service may have let him break out a bit more, as he was often making runs or trying to find room to run downfield, but Orlando struggled to get much momentum going offensively.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Muriel’s only shot of the match was a header in the box that was on target, but he was crowded by Whitecap defenders and couldn’t get enough power or direction on it to trouble Takaoka. Muriel played every minute of the match and had 35 touches while completing 76% of his 25 passes. He dropped back as the game went on to try helping the Lions string some passes together and sparked an attack in the second half by springing Ojeda, but a heavy touch by the latter snuffed out the chance. Of his two long ball attempts, one found its target. On the defensive side of things, he contributed a tackle and a clearance as well.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda didn’t have any shots in this one but was credited with an assist for his pass to find McGuire on Orlando’s goal. There was worry that his lob towards McGuire was too high or behind for him to handle, but it was perfect for McGuire to knock it into the path of Thorhallsson with his head. Ojeda had a chance to score himself in the second half after a good ball from Muriel, but he took a heavy touch instead of firing away with his left foot. The two nearly doubled Orlando’s lead later in the match, but Muriel was offside. Ojeda led the Lions with two key passes and was accurate on two of his three long balls and one of his two crosses. His pressure caused problems for the Whitecaps on a few occasions and he had two tackles and a clearance. Like the rest of the Lions, Ojeda had a hard time building possession and completed 76.9% of his 26 passes.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire, (18’), 6 — The American came on in the first half following Jansson’s injury and played up top alongside Muriel. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact, as he thundered down the field on a counterattack and headed a cross from Ojeda towards Thorhallsson for his second assist of the season. It was nice to see McGuire just get the ball in a dangerous area rather than trying to bring it down himself. He didn’t have any shots himself but his sole long ball was accurate and he was accurate on 94.1% of his 17 passes. His size also helped fill the void left by Jansson, as he had three clearances and won two of his four aerial duels. He limped off as a substitute himself in the 86th minute, so hopefully that’s just the wear and tear of a long game and nothing serious.

D, Zakaria Taifi, (86′), N/A — The 20-year-old came on late as a right back to give the Lions some fresher legs. Vancouver didn’t go after him much and he had three touches and no passes. It was Taifi’s sixth appearance this season, and he didn’t feature enough in this game for us to give him a grade.

MF, Shak Mohammed, (90′), N/A — Orlando City B’s season is over and Mohammed was available as a substitute, coming on to relieve Rodriguez. His only touch of the game was collecting a loose ball and passing toward the sideline for Thorhallsson to run onto to help see out the game. Unfortunately, Vancouver succeeded on the tackle against Thorhallsson and scored shortly after.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 2-1 loss at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Lions are at risk of having to play in the wild card round of the playoffs and will wrap up their regular season on Saturday on the road against Toronto FC. Make sure to let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 7/20/26

Pride fall to Utah Royals, OCB draws Chattanooga FC, Orlando City signs Clovis Archange, and more.

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16 hours ago

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July 20, 2026

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Image of Pedro Leao taking a penalty against Carolina Core FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work, but I checked out a Noah Kahan concert and watched the World Cup final while catching up with friends over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Fall at Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Utah Royals at America First Field Saturday night. Narumi Miura scored the lone goal for Utah to secure the win, while the Pride have lost back-to-back matches after losing to Boston Legacy Wednesday. That result also dropped Orlando below the playoff line, as the club sits ninth in the NWSL table with 20 points. The Pride will return home for their next match against the Chicago Stars Friday at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 1-1 Draw vs. Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B drew Chattanooga FC 1-1 on the road at Finley Stadium Saturday. Pedro Leao scored the opener for the Young Lions in the first half. However, in the second half, Chattanooga FC scored the equalizer. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-3 to earn a second point. OCB will be back in action at home Sunday, facing Huntsville City FC at Osceola County Stadium.

Orlando City Signs Clovis Archange to Homegrown Player Contract

Orlando City announced Friday that the club has signed defender Clovis Archange to a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. The deal is a three-year contract lasting through the 2027 calendar year, with club options in 2028 and 2029. Archange has made six appearances across all competitions for OCB during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, there is no movement on the rumored Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s potential transfer to Hull City, but the English Premier League side has reportedly inquired about a loan deal.

The Columbus Crew have signed former Manchester United and Real Oviedo center back Eric Bailly. The contract runs through June 2027, with club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. Liga MX side CF Monterrey is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers.

LAFC has reportedly reached an agreement with Hammarby on a transfer fee to move midfielder Amin Boudri to the Swedish club. Lastly, San Diego FC is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.

🇹🇳 Sources: San Diego FC is finalizing a deal to sign Tunisia int'l winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.Achouri, 27, joins San Diego as a Designated Player. He had 5g/7a in 2,368 mins (37 apps) last year & played in all 3 games for Tunisia at the World Cup

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-18T16:37:04.314Z

Spain Wins World Cup

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday to win the World Cup for the second time since 2010. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time after committing a foul on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. The match went to extra time, and Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the 106th minute. Argentina was unable to find a late equalizer to send the match to penalties. Argentina was looking to repeat as champions but had only two shots in the game (both in extra time) and failed to record a shot on goal. As for the FIFA World Cup awards, Spain midfielder Rodri took the Best Player Award, while France striker Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot Award with 10 goals, the Golden Glove Award went to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, and Cubarsi won the Young Player Award.

Free Kicks

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

Daryl Dike Returns to Orlando City, Signs Deal Through 2027

Daryl Dike is back with the Lions after being out of contract with West Bromwich Albion.

Published

3 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image of Daryl Dike posing in his Orlando City kit after re-signing with the club on July 17, 2026.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Striker Daryl Dike has returned to the club that gave him his professional start. Orlando City announced today that it has signed Dike as a free agent through the 2027 MLS “sprint season” with an option for 2027-2028. The club also had to send $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority and could owe the Western Conference side another $75,000 in GAM if Dike meets undisclosed performance metrics.

The signing gives Dike a new start after an injury-plagued career at West Bromwich Albion.

“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed, and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack, and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.” 

Dike, who will wear No. 9 for the Lions, returns nearly five years since Orlando City sold him to West Brom on Jan. 3, 2022, for a fee reported by The Athletic to be around $10 million.

The Edmond, OK native was Orlando City’s first-round selection with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. As a rookie, he started to see minutes on the pitch during the MLS is Back Tournament, making his professional debut against the Montreal Impact in the competition’s round of 16. From there, the striker out of the University of Virginia blossomed, playing in 35 regular-season matches with Orlando, including 30 starts, for a total of 2,547 minutes. He contributed 18 goals and seven assists on 63 shots, getting 27 on target. He passed well (71.1% in 2020 and 72.1% in 2021), providing 14 key passes. Dike drew 71 fouls while committing 40 and was never booked during the regular season in his time in MLS.

He also played in all three of Orlando City’s playoff games during his first stint with the club, starting all three and scoring one goal on five total shots (two on target). He suffered seven fouls and committed four, and picked up one yellow card in the 2020 postseason.

Following his rookie season, Dike went on loan to Barnsley, where he scored nine goals in 22 matches from February to May of 2021.

Dike’s play with the Lions in his first two professional seasons quickly put him on the USMNT radar and before he was sold to West Brom he made eight appearances and scored three goals for the United States at the senior level. He has added two more caps since for a total of 10.

After his sale to West Brom in the EFL Championship, Dike struggled to stay on the pitch, dealing with Achilles injuries that kept him off the pitch for long stretches. Dike managed to score 11 goals in 68 matches when healthy. He scored twice and added an assist in 24 matches in 2025-2026, starting six times, as he was finally able to get a stretch of games in.

“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started,” Dike said in the club’s press release. “Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home. From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.” 

What It Means for Orlando City

Dike fills a hole vacated by the trade of Duncan McGuire to the Houston Dynamo a week ago. It will be interesting to see where his salary slots in when the MLS Players’ Association reveals its next salary information. McGuire, who had his own injury struggles in recent years, made a base salary of $600,000 and a total guaranteed annual compensation of over $920,000.

The hope will be that Dike can both stay healthy and contribute at a higher level than McGuire was prior to his trade to Houston. The new scenery may do McGuire good and a return to familiar surroundings may similarly help Dike regain his footing. At just 26 years old, Dike is still in his prime years and there are plenty of miles left in Dike’s legs if he can stay on the pitch. Fans will remember how he tossed center backs around like rag dolls during his two previous seasons in Orlando. That kind of physicality will open a lot of room underneath for Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda.

With just a year and a half on the base deal, this is a low-risk and potentially very high-reward signing for the Lions.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 15, 2023 at Atlanta United

Let’s rewind to a tense battle up in Atlanta that took place a little over three years ago.

Published

4 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well everyone, Major League Soccer is officially back. The league returned from its summer hiatus with three games Thursday night (four were scheduled but air quality from the Canadian wildfires caused Chicago vs. Vancouver to be postponed), and two more games are set to be played later today. Orlando City won’t take the field until Wednesday night against the San Jose Earthquakes though, so that means we have time for one more trip down memory lane. Last week, we went four years into the past and reminisced on a weird 1-0 win over Inter Miami that came courtesy of a Damion Lowe own goal. Today, we go back to mid-July 2023 and a road trip against Atlanta United.

Orlando had been in mostly good form heading into the team’s trip up I-75 to take on the Five Stripes but had hit a sizable bump in the road in the previous match in the form of a 4-0 hammering out west against Real Salt Lake. Oscar Pareja went to his usual 4-2-3-1 in an effort to get back to winning ways, with Pedro Gallese in goal; Rafael Santos, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Kyle Smith at the back; Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena at the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in attacking midfield, and Duncan McGuire leading the line.

The Lions seemed determined to put the previous game’s woes behind them and fashioned a chance with not even a minute played. McGuire played a slick pass behind the defense for Pereyra, but a poor first touch let him down and Brad Guzan came off his line well to save from point-blank range. Torres, McGuire, and Araujo then tried shots in the fifth, sixth, and eighth minutes, respectively, but none of them troubled Atlanta’s goalkeeper.

Orlando then took its foot off the gas a bit after trying to come out of the gates and overwhelm the hosts, but some self-inflicted errors gave the Five Stripes some life and eventually led to them opening the scoring. The Lions took a poor throw-in during the 22nd minute which turned the ball over deep in their own defensive third. Miguel Berry drew four OCSC players to him before flicking a ball over the top for Machop Chol. Carlos saved Chol’s deflected shot off the line but Caleb Wiley was first to the loose ball and did well to lift his shot into the net over a recovering Gallese.

Fortunately, the good guys were able to find a quick response. Orlando had a dangerous free kick just three minutes after conceding, and Pereyra curled in a dangerous ball toward the penalty spot. Carlos rose highest and powered a vicious header into the far corner with Guzan left helpless.

Leveling the game gave Orlando a needed injection of belief. McGuire tried his luck at catching Guzan off his line in the 35th minute, and Angulo put a powerful shot just outside the post two minutes later. Smith even had a pop from distance in the 42nd minute, but it went high and that was the last meaningful action of the half.

Atlanta ended the opening 45 minutes with more of the ball (52.1%-47.9%) and more corners (2-0), while OCSC took more shots (7-5) put more shots on target (3-2), and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The two teams traded chances after a slow start to the second half, with a deflected ball trickling just wide of the Atlanta net in the 51st minute, before Santiago Sosa put a ball onto the roof of Gallese’s goal four minutes later.

Orlando then went ahead in the 60th minute. Pereyra split Atlanta’s center backs with a great ball for McGuire, who held off Luis Abram’s recovery efforts, and put a low shot past Guzan and into the side netting.

The good guys really should have bagged an insurance goal in the 68th minute, but Ramiro Enrique’s diving header went off the post and out after a great cross from Torres. Pareja then switched to five at the back to try to see out the game, and Atlanta managed to generate some chances. Thiago Almada and Matheus Rossetto had chances in the 88th and 90th minutes, but nothing came of them. The most dangerous moment occurred deep in stoppage time. Atlanta had a dangerous free kick in the 98th minute, and Almada sent a wicked-looking effort on net, but Gallese got over well and put two strong hands on it to parry away.

Atlanta took the resulting corner, but the Lions cleared successfully and the final whistle blew to give the visitors a 2-1 win and all three points.

Atlanta finished with more possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but each side put four shots on target. The hosts were also more accurate when it came to passing the ball (84%-76.3%).

Marcus Mitchell was on Player Grades for this one, and he gave Carlos the Man of the Match nod with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high scorers on the evening were Pereyra and McGuire, who each earned grades of 7 out of 10.

Here’s hoping the Lions can pick up some road points in a similar fashion when they return to play next Wednesday. Vamos Orlando!

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