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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 5-0 away loss against Nashville?

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2 months ago

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Image of Martin Ojeda with the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was taken behind the woodshed on Saturday night (there are definitely woodsheds in Tennessee, and Orlando City players will be able to describe one near Geodis Park in intimate detail), as they were flogged 5-0 by a rampant Nashville SC squad. There were not a lot of positives to take away from this game, but a lot of young players were forced to play due to injuries, so hopefully those minutes will pay off down the road. Thankfully, there is no relegation to worry about in Major League Soccer, and the Lions now have nearly two weeks until their next game to regroup and get on the same page.

I have my purple pen out but I am going with the red one again, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in an Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — Crépeau went the full 90 minutes on Saturday night, but he may wish that he had been red carded again after facing wave after wave of Nashville attackers all evening. The Canadian was badly beaten for Nashville’s first goal, a Cristian Espinoza cross that was mis-hit and turned into a shot that beat Crépeau where you never want to be beaten as a goalkeeper — at the near post. Aside from that shot, Crépeau was basically hung out to dry by the “defense” in front of him, as he had little to no chance to save any of the other four goals that Nashville put into the back of his net. He made four saves on the night, with another two coming after offside calls so they were not counted in the stats. He completed 64.7% of his passes, including all of his short passes, and if not for some big saves, Orlando City could have set a club record for goals allowed with how poorly the team played defensively.

D, Adrián Marín, 4.5 — The Spaniard was ineffective on both sides of the ball on Saturday night, with his best contributions coming on loose ball recoveries (6) and clearances (3). He brought little to the attack, completing only 70.6% of his passes and most of those were the short or backwards variety. He completed one long ball and did not have any crosses, and even though Nashville made 48% of its attacks up his side of the field, he only had one tackle and one interception. It was not a surprise when he came off in the 59th minute, and he will need to improve his play in future weeks if he wants to hold down the starting left back spot.

D, Iago, 4.5 — Nashville dominated possession, took nearly 20 shots, scored five goals, and despite playing the full 90 minutes, Iago did not make a tackle and had his only defensive contributions as one interception and six clearances. It is clear that the big Brazilian defender is skilled and has a lot of potential, but he is too tentative and slow with his decision making right now on the field as he adapts to playing against veteran professionals instead of mostly youth players. With all the injuries Orlando City is dealing with, he is going to have to continue this trial by fire, and he was burned badly against Nashville. He completed a team-high 54 passes at a 90% completion rate, but aside from that it was a difficult night.

D, Nolan Miller, 4.5 — Miller’s evening was not much better than his center back partner’s, and arguably was worse as he directly created Nashville’s second goal with a silly shirt pull in the box that led to a penalty kick. The MLS SuperDraft pick made one tackle and logged four clearances while completing 87.5% of his passes, but the shirt pull and a lack of communication with Griffin Dorsey that led to both defenders playing the same man while leaving Sam Surridge (the league’s leading scorer) wide open will be brutal reminders of the difference between playing defense at the MLS level vs. the NCAA level. He left a clear path for Cristian Espinoza’s easy assist on Surridge’s third goal as well, closing on the man with the ball, who Iago was already tracking. Mistakes led to two goals, on a rough night for the young center back.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5 — Dorsey’s best contribution on the night might have been the fire he showed in the post-game interviews (you can read his spicy comments in our game recap), but on the field he was also one of the top performers for Orlando City. He nearly scored a great goal after been put in by Duncan McGuire, but his shot hit the left post and came back into play. The right back made several driving runs up the field to try to create some attacks, but the partnership with Marco Pašalić still is not there, and no major chances came from those runs. On the defensive side, Dorsey had a game-leading four tackles while adding one interception and one block, and he completed 64.5% of his passes before coming off in the second half for Yutaro Tsukada.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 (MotM) — The Colombian gave the best among a set of mediocre-to-decent performances, earning my Man of the Match for this game. His speed created several chances up the left side of the field, and his left-footed shot attempt in the first half was one of the best shots Orlando City took all game. After Orlando City made some subs he flipped over to the right side of the field as a wingback, and nearly had an assist on a great pass to Tiago, but the Brazilian was just barely offside. Angulo recorded two tackles and one interception on defense, and went the full 90 at full speed, even though by the game was far out of reach by the end. He completed 88.6% of his passes, including one key pass, and gave one of the few performances that looked like that of the Lions from the last few seasons.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5 — Defensive Ojeda once again delivered a strong work rate, but aside from his hustle there was very little that stood out about his play. He completed 86.7% of his passes, including one key pass, and stuffed the defensive stat sheet with one tackle, three interceptions, one block, and one clearance. Nashville overran Orlando City’s defense whenever it wanted, however, and despite the hustle and work rate from Ojeda and the other midfielders and defenders, Nashville had 58% of the possession and it really felt like a lot more. Ojeda has not been able to develop any chemistry with his midfield partners because they keep changing every game, and until that can change Orlando City will be at risk of more games like Saturday’s, with Ojeda just in chase mode for his entire time on the field.

MF, Luis Otávio, 4.5 — Perhaps it is bad luck or perhaps it is that he has only started on the road against strong opponents, but in both of Otávio’s starts he has shown only flashes of potential and mostly seems to not be on the same page with his midfield partner or with the defenders he is supposed to be shielding as a defensive midfielder. The Brazilian completed 10 passes at a 66.7% completion rate and added one clearance during his 45 minutes, and even though Orlando City only gave up two goals while he was on the field and three while Colin Guske was on the field, the Lions looked much better with Guske than they did with Otávio. He nearly compounded the issues by picking up a card, as the referee had to stop the game to deliver him a stern talking to, and it was not a surprise to see him be substituted for the second half, especially after a terrible giveaway that nearly led to a goal during first-half stoppage time.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 5.5 — The Croatian was engaged and active, and nearly put one away early in the second half that could have cut the score to 2-1. It was partially blocked and went out for a corner, and a few minutes later, Surridge scored again and the Lions never were in the game again. Losing Alex Freeman certainly hurt, but the double whammy is that even though Dorsey has been pretty good, he has not been Freeman, and he and Pašalić have yet to figure out a symbiotic partnership, so Pašalić is struggling to contribute as well. The effort was definitely there even though the final product was not, and the Croatian was among the few somewhat bright spots on a dreary night. He completed 80.7% of his passes with one key pass and logged two interceptions and one clearance on defense while going the full 90 minutes for the first time this season.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5.5 — Saturday night was one of Ojeda’s poorest performances in a while, and even though the stat sheet shows that he completed 83.7% of his passes with three key passes, it did not feel like he had any real influence on the game. Both shots he took were off target, and while one would have been a spectacular goal off a bouncing ball, the other was on a free kick, and the Argentinean just did not aim it well enough and put it several feet wide. Even when he is playing poorly the offense generally runs through Ojeda, and it did against Nashville as well, but it is not a coincidence that a quiet and inconspicuous Ojeda led to a mostly quiet and inconspicuous offensive evening for the Lions.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — McGuire finally got a little bit of service on Saturday but he could not convert his one big chance, going high with his shot and putting it right into the hands of Brian Schwake. It was not a clear breakaway, but Big Dunc still could have done better with his shot, and had that gone in, the whole complexion of the game could have changed. McGuire also played a great pass to Dorsey to set up his shot that rocketed off the post, so while he had a goose egg on goal contributions, he was involved in some of the best chances that Orlando City had. In the end there were not enough chances and they did not convert the ones they had, and McGuire came off for Tiago for the final third of the game. He completed 92.9% of his pass attempts, with one key pass, put his one shot attempt on target, and did not have any defensive contributions.

Substitutes

MF, Colin Guske (46′), 5.5 — Guske did not play an outstanding half, but he played better than Otávio after coming on for him after halftime. We do not know what was asked of the two center midfielders by the coaching staff, but Guske held down the middle of the field better than the Brazilian did and was much more active when the Lions were in possession, completing 26 passes at an 89.7% completion rate to his counterpart’s 10 passes at 66.7%. The young midfielder perhaps could have dropped deeper and thwarted Nashville’s third goal, which happened a few feet in front of him, but that goal was not on him and neither were the other two scored by the home team while Guske was on the field.

D, Zakaria Taifi, (59′), 5.5 — The Homegrown defender came on for Marín with 31 minutes to go, and had a chance to show his abilities at left back for the first time this season. Taifi was active during his shift, completing 88.9% of his passes and making more threatening runs than Marín did during his time on the field, but he also was responsible for the turnover that led to Nashville’s fourth goal, when he was a little slow to corral a loose ball and then was muscled off the ball by Espinoza, who then made a driving run that led to a Nashville goal. I thought Taifi’s performance was decent overall, both offensively and defensively (one tackle, one excellent block, and one clearance) and after two straight good shifts off the bench he will be in serious contention to get a start for the Lions in their next game.

F, Tiago, (59′), 5.5 — The young Brazilian came on for McGuire, but he was not able to unlock Nashville’s defense either. He completed all six of his pass attempts and drew two fouls, but he could not get himself free to take any shots (aside from when he was offside, though that shot did go into the back of the net) and he did not create any good chances with his passes either. Orlando City’s offense created more chances with Tiago on than the field than with McGuire, but Nashville was also far ahead by that time and playing more of a prevent defense than playing with the same intensity as during the first two-thirds of the game.

MF, Yutaro Tsukada, (72′), 4.5 — Tsukada made his first appearance of the season and his first since 2024, completing all four of his pass attempts and attempting to create attacks with the ball every time he received it. He was only successful on one of his four one-on-one attempts but he brought some energy out on the left side of the field after coming on for Dorsey.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s ugly 5-0 loss at Nashville. 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

5 hours ago

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May 13, 2026

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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

8 hours ago

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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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