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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?

Published

7 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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions return home looking to bounce back from a poor performance in Montreal.

Published

2 hours ago

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May 13, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against the Union.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (3-8-1, 10 points) and the Philadelphia Union (1-8-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs in 2026, with the Lions scheduled to make the return trip to Philadelphia on Sept. 26.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

Orlando City is 7-8-7 in the 22 MLS meetings with the Union since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015, and 8-9-8 in all competitions. The Lions are 3-3-4 against the Union at home in league play, 4-3-4 in their home stadium against Philadelphia in all competitions, and 4-3-5 in the greater Orlando area against the Union, having drawn against Philly in the MLS is Back Tournament.

The two sides last met on April 5, 2025 in Philadelphia and played to a scoreless draw. These two teams also kicked off the 2025 season against each other in Orlando on Feb. 22, with the Union stunning the Lions by scoring on all four of the team’s shots on target, taking advantage of individual mistakes in a 4-2 win. Marco Pasalic scored his first two goals as a Lion in his first OCSC appearance that night, but Tai Baribo scored a brace, with Daniel Gazdag and Mikael Uhre also scoring for Philadelphia. The Lions dominated open play but could not pay off their chances while the Union were lethal. It was Orlando’s first loss on opening day in its MLS existence.

The met in 2024 for the final time on Oct. 2, when the Lions won 2-1 at home. Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire pushed Orlando out to a 2-0 lead. Luis Muriel assisted on both goals. Quinn Sullivan pulled one back but the Lions hung on. The teams met for the first time that year on May 11, with the Lions snatching a 3-2 road win at Subaru Park. Muriel scored his first two MLS goals, McGuire added a strike, and Nico Lodeiro assisted on all three tallies for the Lions to offset an early goal by Uhre and a penalty by Gazdag.

The last meeting of 2023 took place in Orlando on June 21, with the Lions blowing a two-goal lead in a controversial 2-2 draw. McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half, only to see Jack McGlynn score on a cross into the box that missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, followed by a rocket shot by Jose Martinez from distance. Ivan Angulo’s would-be game winner was chalked off after a questionable foul call in the buildup against Ercan Kara.

The teams met in Philadelphia on March 25, 2023 with the Lions jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Angulo and Ojeda. Former Lion Andres Perea pulled one back, but the Lions held on for a 2-1 road win. The victory snapped Philadelphia’s 24-match home unbeaten streak.

The Union put the Lions to the sword in the last meeting of 2022, a dominant 5-1 win by Philadelphia on Sept. 10 of that year. That was Orlando’s first match since winning the U.S. Open Cup title three days earlier. Joao Moutinho’s own goal started the scoring and the Union got goals from Uhre, Gazdag (penalty), Alejandro Bedoya, and Jack Elliott. Perea, who was then still a Lion, scored for Orlando, but the team was trailing by 4-0 at the time.

The Eastern Conference foes met on July 23, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Two controversial video review decisions went against Orlando that night and the Lions were wasteful with their chances in an evenly matched 1-0 Philadelphia win. Gazdag scored the game’s only goal off a set piece.

The teams also met in U.S. Open Cup play on May 10, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-1 at home. Kara and Perea hoisted Orlando to a 2-0 lead. Stuart Findlay pulled one back late, but the Lions saw it out and advanced.

On Sept. 19, 2021 the Union prevailed 3-1 at Subaru Park, largely due to a brace by Kacper Przybylko after he got away with what appeared to be a clear elbow to the face of Rodrigo Schlegel. Instead of being sent off and/or conceding a free kick to Orlando City, the Union scored on the ensuing play and went on to win the match. The teams met in Orlando on July 22, 2021 and the Lions got goals by Benji Michel and Perea on the team’s only two shots on target to win 2-1. Przybylko pulled one back for the visitors but the Lions hung on.

The teams faced each other in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020 in the only meeting to date that did not take place in either side’s home stadium. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after a Mauricio Pereyra goal canceled out a strike by Ilsinho. That draw allowed the Lions to win Group A in the competition and they went on to reach the final.

The Lions and Union tangled in what was then known as Talen Energy Stadium on July 7, 2019, drawing, 2-2. Dom Dwyer and Santiago Patino brought Orlando back from 1-0 down but Przybylko poached a goal in the 90th to capture a share of the points for the Union.

The two teams had met just a few days earlier on July 3, ending in Orlando’s 3-1 home loss to the Union. Chris Mueller and Przybylko swapped goals in the first half before Robin Jansson was sent off just prior to the break. Afterwards, the 10-man Lions gave up two more goals — to Przybylko and Fafa Picault — and then went down another man with Sacha Kljestan seeing red.

In 2018, the teams drew 2-2 on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The Lions prevailed over the Union in Philadelphia on April 13, 2018 by a 2-0 score. Orlando and Philadelphia also met that season in U.S. Open Cup play, with the Union capturing a 1-0 home win back on July 18, 2018 on a goal by Bedoya.

The teams split their two matches in 2017, with the home side prevailing both times. The Lions won 2-1 at Orlando City Stadium on March 18. The rematch was an ugly 6-1 Philadelphia win in the season finale for both teams.

The Lions were 1-1-1 against Philadelphia in 2016. The team’s first road victory in the series came on Oct. 16, 2016, as the Lions roared, 2-0. The teams played to a 2-2 draw on May 25 in Orlando. Tranquillo Barnetta’s free kick gave Philly a 2-1 win.

Orlando drew 0-0 at home and lost on the road, 1-0 (on a penalty kick), against Philadelphia in 2015.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 2-0 loss at CF Montreal Saturday afternoon. The Lions were outplayed for most of the match but were still only moments away from a crucial road point when the roof caved in. Jansson committed a foul in the box, allowing Daniel Rios to give the hosts a late lead. Former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson added the…well, the dagger. Orlando City could not afford to come away without points in the match after a poor start to the season, but that’s exactly what happened.

The same, however, is true for tonight. Philadelphia is the only team below Orlando in the Eastern Conference table. With a 2-3-0 mark at home (which is much better than the Lions’ 1-5-1 away record), nothing but a win will suffice if Orlando City is going to maintain any semblance of contact with the teams circling the final playoff places.

The Union are better on the road than at home, but that’s not saying much, because Philadelphia is 1-5-1 in away matches, earning four of its six points on the road. Philly is 0-2-3 in its last five games, but one of those draws came against Eastern Conference power Nashville. Milan Iloski and Danley Jean Jacques are the Union’s leading goal scorers with just two apiece, while 39-year-old Bedoya leads Philadelphia in assists with three.

Tonight’s game pits two of the league’s worst teams against each other and both will be hungry to try to add points to their total in an attempt to turn around their early season fortunes with the World Cup break quickly approaching. This match kicks off a stretch of three matches in seven days for Orlando City, so the Lions will be especially eager to rebound from the late meltdown in Montreal and start this final stretch out on the right foot.

“This is a process, and I think we have been able to compete better and prepare ourselves better. Now what comes next is consistency in a positive way in terms of results,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “I have no doubt that consistency will come. We are working for that and are proud of the effort from the players and the entire club. We have been working really hard and will continue to do so, so hopefully soon we can find that consistency not only in performance but also in results.” 

Orlando City will be without Joran Gerbet (knee), while Pasalic (thigh) is listed as questionable. Philadelphia will be without Jesus Bueno (ankle), Eddy Davis III (hamstring), Jephet Sery Larsen (shoulder), Quinn Sullivan (knee), and Frankie Westfield (hip), while Andre Blake (knee) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2),

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Andre Blake.

Defenders: Nathan Harriel, Olwethu Makhanya, Geiner Martinez, Olivier Mbaizo.

Midfielders: Cavan Sullivan, Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev.

Forwards: Ezekiel Alladoh, Milan Iloski.

Referees:

REF: Sergii Boiko.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Adam Wienckowski.
4TH: Elvis Osmanovic.
VAR: Joe Dickerson.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/13/26

Orlando City hosts the Philadelphia Union tonight, Orlando Pride defeated on the road, MLS player salary information released, and more.

Published

5 hours ago

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May 13, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Not only have we made it to the middle of the week, but we have Orlando City soccer waiting for us tonight. It’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs this year when it comes to supporting our favorite players in purple, but I’m still excited for some midweek soccer. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Hosts the Philadelphia Union Tonight

After a loss on the road to CF Montreal on Saturday, Orlando City will aim to bounce back when it plays the Philadelphia Union tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Both teams have struggled mightily this year and Philadelphia sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just one win from 12 games. While the Union have only scored a measly 10 goals this season, the Lions have conceded a whopping 34 times. It’s the age-old battle between a movable object and a stoppable force. Tonight’s match will be the first of three consecutive home games across all competitions for the Lions, so hopefully they can start this homestand off with a win.

Orlando Pride Lose Late to Boston Legacy FC

The Orlando Pride don’t have anything to show from a frustrating 2-1 loss on the road to the Boston Legacy. The Pride struck first from the penalty spot and carried that lead into halftime, but Boston equalized in the second half and then scored a penalty kick of its own in stoppage time to win it late. It’s a brutal loss for an Orlando team that has struggled with consistency and has yet to win twice in a row this season. There’s not much time for the Pride to regroup before their next match, as they’re set to take on the Denver Summit on the road on Saturday.

MLSPA Releases Player Salary Information

The Major League Soccer Players Association shared the salary information for players under contract as of April 16. Designated Players Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic are the only Lions with base salaries over $1 million, with each having a salary of $1.6 million. As for some of the new faces in the City Beautiful this year, Braian Ojeda’s salary is $725,000, Maxime Crepeau’s is $600,000, and Tiago’s is $500,000.

There’s no prize for guessing which player has the highest salary in the league, with Lionel Messi’s $25 million salary at more than double that of Son Heung-Min’s $10.3 million. In third is another Miami player, with Rodrigo De Paul’s base salary listed as $7.5 million. It at least makes Orlando’s recent win in Miami feel a bit sweeter.

Orlando City B Makes MLS NEXT Pro Power Rankings

In the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, which only list the top 10 teams in the league, Orlando City B placed eighth. This comes following a 2-0 win over Atlanta United 2 as OCB extended its unbeaten run to four games. Harvey Sarajian and Gustavo Caraballo have led OCB’s attack so far this season, while Issah Haruna has now scored in two consecutive games as well. Goalkeeper Luca Maxim was also stellar between the sticks for his first professional clean sheet in that win against Atlanta. It’s nice to see the Young Lions receive some recognition and they will have a chance to keep their streak going when they play New England Revolution II on the road on Sunday.

Free Kicks

  • San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris underwent successful groin surgery and is expected to miss three or four months. The 20-year-old has been great this season, recording three goals and seven assists while leading the league with 34 created chances.
  • American midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough were beaten 2-1 by Southampton in the playoffs for promotion to the English Premier League. Shea Charles scored in extra time to book Southampton’s ticket to the final against Hull City at Wembley Stadium.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s roster for the World Cup is released later this month and Giovanni Reyna is one of the biggest names on the bubble. A goal for Borussia Monchengladbach this past Saturday likely didn’t hurt his chances.
  • Cristo Fernandez, who you may know as Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso, has signed a contract to play for El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship after a trial with the team. El Paso is life?
  • Arsenal defender Ben White will miss the remainder of the season due to MCL damage and won’t be available for England for the World Cup either.
  • Slavia Prague was handed a 3-0 forfeit loss after its fans invaded the pitch in stoppage time against rival Sparta Prague. The club was also fined and will play its next four home games without fans.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

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