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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s wild card loss at Chicago?

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9 months ago

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Image of Tyrese Spicer watching the ball approach him against the Chicago Fire.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The 2025 season came a close on Wednesday night, as the Lions once again forgot to pack their offense when they flew to Chicago and fell flat on their faces, losing 3-1 in a game that was really not even that close. All eyes will now turn to the front office as the club reviews 2025 (started brightly, ended unsightly) and starts to plan for 2026. Before we at The Mane Land move on to our season in review pieces we have one final order of business though, which is our final player grades for the 2025 season.

I have my purple pen out and I am ready to begin, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in the Eastern Conference wild card match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 (MotM) — Playoff Pulpo showed up on Wednesday, and while it may be strange, and a little sad, to see that I chose him as the Man of the Match when the team gave up three goals, I thought he was excellent and was the only reason the Lions did not get laughed off the field. Gallese showed his full range, coming off his line (and even out of his box) to make saves with his feet and going horizontal and getting down low to push away well-struck shots. He was credited with six saves but it felt like more. While the second goal came directly off of his attempted clearance, he was put into a terrible position by César Araújo playing a late and soft back pass, and I think it was more bad luck than a bad play. He was No. 1 in the program and No. 1 in my gradebook, and I just wish his teammates had been as on as he was.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — With the return of Robin Jansson to the starting lineup, Brekalo moved back to left back. While he did not make any tackles, he gave up his body to try to keep the Lions in the game, blocking a game-high four shots and leading Orlando City with six loose ball recoveries. On the flip side, he also allowed Chicago attackers to dribble by him six times, and got caught too far inside on the back-breaking third goal. With Jansson not at 100%, his left side partner had to compensate to help, and it just was not sustainable for 90 minutes. The Slovenian completed 92.2% of his passes on the night but offered little offensive threat, and we all will be left wondering if Orlando City would have been better off had he shifted inside and partnered with Schlegel.

D, Robin Jansson, 4.5 — Credit is due for the Beefy Swede, an Orlando City legend, for gutting out a quick return from a nasty-looking injury, but what he brought in leadership he could not match in fitness. Jansson gave everything he had, but he was perhaps at 80% of his speed and athleticism. His slip that helped Chicago score its first goal was not his fault, as multiple players were falling on the SeatGeek Stadium turf throughout the game, but it kept him from preventing the cross to goal scorer Brian Gutierrez. He went down in apparent pain shortly after the first goal and did not appear able to engage in the way that he normally would. In a game in which he played the full 90 minutes and the opposition dominated the ball, he only recorded one tackle, and that tells you all you need to know about how healthy he was. He completed a team-high 49 passes at an 84.5% completion rate, and while I am sure the team appreciated his effort, the Lions probably would have been better with a replacement for at least some of his minutes on the field.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — The burden was larger than usual for Jansson’s partner in the center of the field, and while Schlegel led the team in tackles with three, it was not one of his better performances. Chicago’s attacking group dominated in Orlando City’s defensive third. and Schlegel was caught upfield multiple times, taking unnecessary chances that left his defensive partner vulnerable on counters. The Argentine was active, logging two interceptions, one block, and a team-high five clearances to his three tackles, but he also picked up a yellow card, so despite being far more healthy than Jansson, it was Schlegel who came off with the Lions chasing from behind and needing to bring on a more attacking player. He completed 95.6% of his passes and was credited with Orlando City’s only shot during the first half (on a set piece cross that grazed his head and skipped out of play well wide of the goal), but it a frustrating final game for one of Orlando City’s spiritual leaders.

D, Alex Freeman, 5.5 — The meteoric rise of Freeman’s season came to a crashing halt, as he brought very little to the table on defense (one interception and two clearances) and on offense (72.2% completion rate, zero key passes). He played the pass to Adrián Marín that led to Marín’s assist. It was a nice turn and switch of the field, but the goal was really more about Marín’s pass than Freeman’s. Orlando City’s right back had multiple opportunities in the box but clearly seemed to be looking to pass instead of shoot, and while there is no guarantee he would have scored, at least he would have given his team a chance. It was an unfortunate end to the season for one of the most impressive young players in Orlando City history, but the final product just was not there for Freeman in Chicago.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5 — Both of Orlando City’s wing players struggled offensively against Chicago. While offense is rarely Angulo’s strong suit, he combined his usual limited offensive contributions with minimal defensive successes as well, and it was of little surprise when he came off early in the second half for Tyrese Spicer. Angulo failed to close down Jonathan Dean on the Fire’s opening goal, allowing him enough space to whip in a dangerous cross, and throughout the game he did not look like his usual electric self. When he is on, the Colombian is usually the fastest player on the field, but he constantly looked to be stuck in the mud, tracking back slower than usual and only once breaking out with an attacking run off the dribble, but even then he didn’t create enough separation for his crosses to get into the box. He completed only 14 passes (77.8%), and with Orlando City down two goals early in the second half, the Lions went offense for defense and brought Spicer on to take over on the left wing.

MF, César Araújo, 5.5 —Araújo joined the aforementioned Jansson in pushing himself to return from an injury. While he too deserves credit for giving his all, he probably had 45 good minutes in his legs, but instead was asked to play 75. The Uruguayan rarely played his aggressive brand of pressing defense (no yellow card and only two fouls committed), and looked a step slower than usual, which of course makes sense since he was coming back from a medium-term injury. He completed 91.9% of his passes, though most were of the short variety, and made way for Colin Guske in a like-for-like substitution with 15 minutes left in the game. His most memorable play won’t be for good reasons, as his soft, short back pass to Gallese led to the second Fire goal when a safer play would have been to send the ball out of play.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — The Lions had very little connectivity between their defense and offense against Chicago. With Araújo a step slow it fell on Atuesta to take on more in the center of the field, but he was unable to shoulder that burden. The Colombian was unable to orchestrate much of an attack, completing only 37 passes (88.1%) with only one completed long ball. He led the team with two key passes, a stat that is telling about the Orlando City offense, and when he had the ball on his feet, it never felt like the next play might turn into a moment of magic. The work rate was strong but the execution was not, continuing a pattern from many recent games.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 5.5 — There were two specific moments when Pašalić looked like the player he had had been for most of the season — a well-struck volley that forced Chicago’s Chris Brady into full extension to palm the ball away and a perfectly placed cross from out on the wing that Duncan McGuire headed on goal. Aside from those two moments, however, Marco was off the marc, sorry, mark, and offered so little that even with the Lions trailing in an elimination game it was he who came off for Luis Muriel with 21 minutes remaining. He only attempted 16 passes, completing 12 (75%) and was not involved for most of the game.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5.5 — The player who made Orlando City go for much of the season never got it going, taking only two shots (both from long distance) and contributing season-lows of one shot-creating action and zero key passes. The interplay that often happened between Angulo and Ojeda on the left side of the attacking third never happened against Chicago, and after such a bright start to the season it is unfortunate that the final memories of his year will be frustrating ones. Ojeda completed 83.9% of his passes and gave 100% effort, but like so many of his teammates, he was unable to unlock the mojo that had made the team go-go for the first two-thirds of the season.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5 — Chicago dominated the ball for most of the game, and while the overall completed pass numbers were similar between the two teams, Orlando City completed nearly 100 fewer passes in the attacking half of the field and had half as many touches in the opposition box as Chicago did. The combination of those two things meant that McGuire had little chance to influence the game. Big Dunc only touched the ball 28 times, the fewest of any starter (and only two more than Spicer, who played only 34 minutes) and was only able to get one shot off, a headed attempt that he put on goal but that never really troubled Brady in Chicago’s net. He completed 80% of his 15 pass attempts, and as always, he played with maximum intensity, but he was starved of service and could not create anything on his own either. He also had trouble knocking long balls down to his own teammates, allowing Chicago to quickly recover and go back on the attack.

Substitutes

MF, Tyrese Spicer (56′), 6 —Spicer provided the only offense for the Lions, blasting a missile past Brady in the final minutes of the game to avoid a shutout. The Trinidadian scored that goal but did not offer much more, completing only seven passes at a 63.6% completion rate and creating zero chances for any of his teammates. He deserves credit for finishing his one opportunity, which is more than any of his teammates can say, but he did not bring enough game-changing offense off the bench as Óscar Pareja might have hoped.

F, Luis Muriel, (69′), 4.5 — The Colombian came on as the Lions were desperately pushing for goals, but he brought little to the game, completing only 10 passes and creating zero shots for any of his teammates. Perhaps I am holding him to unfairly high standard, but he did not play like a Designated Player coming off the bench. For most of his 21 minutes on the field he was invisible, ending the game, and his season, with a whimper.

D, Adrián Marín, (75′), 6 — Marín combined with fellow summer acquisition Spicer to produce the only goal, playing a perfectly weighted through ball to set up his teammate for his howitzer of a shot. The Spaniard was energetic and attack-minded during his 15 minutes, begging the question of why Pareja waited so long to bring on a more threatening player to play out of the back. He completed 10 of his 11 pass attempts, including his assist, and was one of the few bright spots for Orlando City on Wednesday night.

MF, Colin Guske, (75′), N/A — Guske played his longest shift in MLS play, replacing Araújo both physically and spiritually, as evidenced by the team-leading three fouls he committed in only 15 minutes. He completed eight of his nine pass attempts, adding two interceptions on defense and showing that even though he was Orlando City’s youngest player on the field, he was not in over his head.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s season-ending loss against Chicago. 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.

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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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