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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?

Published

7 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

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

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

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

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

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2),

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

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

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

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Andre Blake.

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

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

Forwards: Ezekiel Alladoh, Milan Iloski.

Referees:

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

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

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

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/13/26

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

Published

11 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

Orlando City Hosts the Philadelphia Union Tonight

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

Orlando Pride Lose Late to Boston Legacy FC

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

MLSPA Releases Player Salary Information

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

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

Orlando City B Makes MLS NEXT Pro Power Rankings

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

Free Kicks

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

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

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

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

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

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

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

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

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

Americans in Midweek Action

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

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

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

Transfer Rumor Roundup

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

Free Kicks

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

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

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