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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s away loss against Toronto?

Published

8 months ago

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Image of Duncan McGuire reacting to his goal against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City celebrated Decision Day by deciding to play decidedly dreadfully in Toronto on Saturday evening, making the wrong choice over and over and getting blown out 4-2 by one of the worst teams in the league. I was tempted to give the Man of the Match to anyone who sat through the full game without giving up and changing the channel to something else, because from the opening kickoff the Lions seemed slightly off and it never really got any better.

The good news is that once the playoffs begin every team starts with a clean slate, but Orlando City will have a steep climb ahead as with this loss and results in other locations the Lions fell into ninth place and the play-in game.

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 the final game of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 4.5 — Saturday’s game will be on the shortlist for the worst games in El Pulpo’s career, as even octopi have days when it seems like they need more limbs. The Peruvian made two saves during the game. The first and fourth goals were ones that few goalkeepers could have stopped, but had he dived instead of just put his hand out he could have saved Đjorđje Mihailovic’s free kick, and Mihailovic’s second goal, Toronto’s third, was the result of a poor effort by Gallese, who was caught off balance and tried to extend a leg to make the save and could only deflect the ball into his own net. In fairness, the Mihailovic free kick had a ton of curve to it and may have fooled him, and the second Mihailovic goal came through a defender, so he may not have picked it up until he committed too far to his post. Regardless, this will be a match he quickly wants to forget.

D, Adrián Marín, 4.5 — With Robin Jansson out, the Lions shifted around their defensive personnel, and Marín got the start at left back. The Spaniard did not impress, completing only 79.3% of his passes and adding zero defensive statistics. He was taken off after 45 minutes because Orlando City needed goals to get back in the game. Marín has shown that he can play much better than he did on Saturday, but it was telling that he was removed at halftime for more offense when he was supposed to be a fullback who provided an offensive threat.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 —The Argentine moved over from his usual spot at right center back to take over Jansson’s spot at left center back, but the defense certainly missed the Beefy Swede as the partnership between Schlegel and David Brekalo looked just like it was: two players playing positions that they had not played very much this season. Schlegel worked hard and gave his trademark full effort for every minute, but when the opponent puts six shots on target and converts four of them into goals, it means there were issues on the back line. Schlegel got pulled out of position on the third goal trying to help Kyle Smith out wide, which left Brekalo to cover two men in the box by himself. He also left the eventual goal scorer on the fourth Toronto goal, thinking he had help behind him, but he did not. The Argentine completed 55 passes — second on the team — completing them at a 93.2% rate, and he also added one tackle and one clearance.

D, David Brekalo, 6 (MotM) — After playing left back for most of Orlando City’s season, Brekalo played right back for Slovenia during the international break and then started Saturday’s game at right center back, showing some Smith-like versatility. Brekalo also showed off his offensive abilities as well, scoring his first goal of the season by clinically finishing a cross from Marco Pašalić to cut the Toronto lead to 3-1. He completed a team-leading 67 passes at a 94.4% completion rate, and also made two tackles, one interception, three clearances and had one blocked shot. He looked a little rusty playing in the middle of the field but played well overall, and was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise dreary night for the Lions, although he perhaps could have done more to get in front of Mihailovic’s shot on the Designated Player’s second goal, although he was left defending two attackers.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman has put a lot of minutes on his legs this season, and there were moments when he clearly looked a little tired against Toronto, which makes sense since he played the full 90 minutes for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Tuesday evening at altitude in Denver in an important game for his hopes of making next year’s World Cup roster. He then had to fly back across the country and play in another crucial game on Saturday night. He still gutted out a solid performance, and perhaps I am holding him to too high a standard based on his outstanding season, but I thought he just was not at his sharpest against the Reds. He was caught up the pitch on counterattacks multiple times and he often held the ball a little too long while looking for something instead of making a play to keep possession and continue the attack. Still, he completed 83.3% of his passes, including five key passes, and one well-played assist to Duncan McGuire for Orlando City’s second goal. He also added two tackles, two interceptions and one clearance.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5.5 — We saw the full spectrum from the Colombian, from wayward passes and loose touches to explosive driving runs down the side of the field and speedy recoveries to track back and slow down the Toronto offense. The Reds only attacked down Angulo’s side on 27% of their possessions, favoring the other two-thirds of the field for most of the game, but even so, Angulo was still involved in both the first and fourth goals, being a step late to get back to prevent a pass to José Cifuentes, who assisted the first goal, and then not controlling a pass and turning it over to Toronto, which led to Deandre Kerr scoring Toronto’s fourth goal. Angulo is most valuable when Orlando City has a lead, and as the Lions were chasing all game long, I thought he did a good job trying to be more offensive, but that is not his strong suit. He completed 20 of 21 passes (95.2%), including three key passes, and also contributed one tackle and one clearance before coming off for César Araújo after 62 minutes.

MF, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Once again the Transylvania University graduate showed off his well-rounded game, playing the first half as a defensive central midfielder and then the second half as past of what amounted to be a three man back line, with Freeman pushed up even more than usual and Smith playing similar to where Brekalo usually played when he started at left back. Like many of his teammates though, he just was a little off his game, in particular in the first half when he decided to shoot from just outside the box instead of passing to a wide-open Freeman, and in the second half, when tried to muscle Theo Corbeanu off the ball but failed, and then Toronto scored moments later after Corbeanu’s cross made its way to Mihailovic. While it was not one of his better games, he looked better than Marín when he was playing in the back. If Jansson does not return and Araújo is healthy enough to start, I wonder if Smith might get the start at left back in the play-in game. Smith completed 93.2% of his passes and added two tackles, one interception, two clearances, and one blocked shot.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 4.5 — Atuesta’s performance was not as poor as Gallese’s, but I think both were among the poorest of the season for each player, as it seemed like on nearly every 50/50 decision the Colombian chose the wrong play. He was less accurate than usual with his passes, completing 83.9%, and despite having a team-high 0.64 expected goals, he was unable to place any shots on target (usually getting them blocked), let alone score a goal. Defensively he was active, with two tackles, one interception, and two clearances, but he also committed a team-high four fouls and was lucky to not be booked for some fouls that were clearly borne of frustration in the second half. He played 87 minutes before making way for Colin Guske in a like-for-like swap in the game’s final minutes.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — The Croatian gave what he could after flying across the ocean to rejoin the team after the international window before being taken off with the Lions trailing by three goals with approximately 30 minutes left on the clock. During his minutes he was the most dangerous Lion, and had some of his six shots flown just a foot or so differently, he might have had a brace or even a hat trick. Alas he was not clinical enough on Saturday, ending up with no goals. However, he placed a cross on a platter for Brekalo in the second half to pick up an assist. Pašalić was also involved in a play that completely changed the game, throwing a hand up to protect his face and handling the ball while doing so. That is not supposed to be called a handball, but one was called anyway, and Toronto scored on the free kick and doubled its lead. On the whole, he put in a solid shift, completing 75% of his passes, including his one assist, and making one tackle before coming off for Luis Muriel in the 62nd minute.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6 — Orlando City’s leading scorer is in a slump, with only three goal contributions in the team’s last 10 games. Despite taking six shots and making five key passes, he did not contribute to either goal against Toronto. He completed 85.7% of his passes and frequently made runs behind the defense to get open in the left side of the box, but like many of his teammates he did not have his best offensive stuff, although he put a team-high three shots on target on his team-high six shot attempts. Orlando City’s playoff run will be short if he cannot break out of this slump, so hopefully the change from regular season to postseason will energize Ojeda and we will see the player we saw for most of the season when the Lions take the field in Chicago.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — Few forwards in the league play with the energy and passion of the former Creighton player, and that was on display again in this game. Even when his team was down by three goals, he made a lung-busting 60-yard run to get back to try to slow down a Toronto attack. Late in the game he made an excellent run in the box and smashed a pass from Freeman past Sean Johnson to cut the Toronto lead in half. In a game of huge magnitude the coaching staff trusted McGuire to start over Muriel. Based on how both players played, that was the right decision. It could have been even more impactful, but a call in the first half did not go Orlando City’s way after McGuire was brought down in the box. Many penalties have been given for less (often against Orlando City), and had the call on the field been for a penalty, it would have been hard to overturn due to the presence of an arm on McGuire’s back. Alas, that call did not go Big Dunc’s way, but he finished with four key passes and one goal, putting both of his shots on target. He looks back to full health as the calendar turns to playoff season.

Substitutes

MF, Tyrese Spicer (46′), 5.5 — Orlando City turned to Spicer earlier than usual, in hopes that he would once again be a supersub and help the Lions find some offense against his former team. Perhaps there was something he did not like about playing at BMO Field though, because he did not look like the player we have seen in recent weeks, completing only 10 passes at an 83.3% clip and taking three shots (one on target) but never really threatening to score.

F, Luis Muriel, (63′), 4.5 — By the time the Designated Player entered the fray the game was nearly out of hand. Muriel did not bring his “A” game with him to Toronto, completing only eight passes at a 72.7% rate and losing the ball multiple times off the dribble. He was not credited with a secondary assist on McGuire’s goal, but he should be, because his one positive moment was the 1-2 connection with Freeman that led to the second Orlando goal. Muriel generally performs better in longer stints than shorter ones, and that was evident against the Reds as he just never seemed to get into the flow of the game.

MF, César Araújo, (63′), 5.5 — The Uruguayan finally made his return to the field, but the game was effectively over by the time he entered. Despite only playing 28 minutes, Araújo completed 31 passes (at an 88.6% completion rate), putting him on pace for exactly 100 over a full 90 minutes. He only had one defensive contribution, an interception, but he looked healthy, pressing high at full speed and running well in his return from a back injury.

D, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (79′), NA — Orlando City swapped one utility player for another, with Thórhallsson coming on for Smith and taking over on the back line. He had one real opportunity to impact the match, but he was unable to take a pass from Freeman and put it on frame, despite being in a good shooting position. He completed 14 passes during his short stint on the field, connecting on 87.5% of his attempts. Just as with Smith, I wonder if the coaching staff will consider him for a start at left back for Wednesday’s game against Chicago if Jansson is unavailable.

MF, Colin Guske, (87′), NA — The 18-year-old came on for Atuesta for the game’s final three minutes and stoppage time and completed all nine passes to finish with a perfect 100% completion rate.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s disappointing 4-2 loss to Toronto. 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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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

Published

7 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

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10 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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