Connect with us

Orlando City

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

1 month ago

on

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.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/18/25

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

Published

20 hours ago

on

November 18, 2025

By

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.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

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.

Published

1 day ago

on

November 17, 2025

By

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

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/17/25

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

Published

2 days ago

on

November 17, 2025

By

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.

Continue Reading

Trending