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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

9 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: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

Free Kicks

  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

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

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.🇧🇷 Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.➕ Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

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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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