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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 3-2 road loss to D.C. United.

Published

5 months ago

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Image of Ivan Angulo playing against D.C. United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions gave away an early opening goal, stormed back in the second half to take the lead, and then gave the game away in the last few minutes in a 3-2 road loss Saturday night at D.C. United. Once again, Orlando City led possession, keeping the ball 58.1% of the time to D.C.’s 41.9%, but it wasn’t enough to put a result on the board. Martin Perelman chose to roll out a repeat of Wednesday’s lineup, but the lack of focus cost the Lions at the end.

How did each player perform? Let’s dive in on how Orlando City’s players rated individually in a matchup with Houston.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — Three goals allowed is never a good night for a goalkeeper, but it’s hard to fault him for any of them. He couldn’t really pick up the ball until it was on the way for the first one and it was perfectly placed, the second was a deflection, and he had no chance on the third with how it came in from point-blank range. You want to see an experienced goalkeeper prevent one of those, but he also had three others that he had to work to save. He finished with 82% passing (but 0-for-3 on long balls) and three saves, but the team needed a moment of brilliance that never came from him to preserve a result.

D, Adrian Marin, 5.5 — Marin was mostly responsible for the opening goal as he tried to hand off Jackson Hopkins to Robin Jansson but left Hopkins too much room. He also gave away an attack in the 19th minute by trying to head the ball on a promising switch instead of controlling it. Regularly, he was beaten down his side, leading to dangerous crosses or shots. In one moment of light, his through ball in the 67th minute opened up Tyrese Spicer for a goal from a bad angle. If we add one assist to being responsible for the first goal, those wash at best, and we’re left with the rest of the game, which wasn’t notable. Marin finished with two tackles, one block, an assist, and 84% passing for the night.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Jansson wasn’t able to react to Hopkins in time to close him down for the opening goal. Other than that, Jansson wasn’t asked to emergency defend as much this game, but three goals went in, so no one gets any kudos on the defense for this match. Jansson was accurate as usual with his passing at 94% but only contributed one block and no tackles. He’s also credited with a secondary assist on the Spicer goal, but it wasn’t a particularly insightful pass.

D, Iago, 5.5 — Iago picked up a yellow card in the fourth minute for a professional foul breaking up an attack, which is a rough way for a central defender to live for the rest of the game. He was a little slow reacting to Louis Munteanu’s run in the 80th, allowing the forward a crack at goal that went just wide. Iago is going to grow into a problem for opposing set-piece defenses as he gets more experience, because he’s definitely able to use his big frame to work his way open on corners. He’ll need to be more clinical with them though. Iago finished with one block, two tackles, a 92% passing rate, and, oddly, five touches in the opposition box — the most on the team.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 5 — The most I can say about Taifi is that he was subbed out at halftime for Griffin Dorsey. D.C. United tested him regularly in the first half and, while he didn’t fail the test, at best he gets a “present” grade. He’s been inconsistent at right back, which is not unusual for a younger player, but seeing Dorsey come in for the second half was a relief. Taifi finished with a 70.6% passing rate and one tackle.

MF, Tiago, 5.5 — It wasn’t Tiago’s night, and he made a quick exit in the 61st minute, giving way for Spicer. Tiago turned the ball over in the 27th minute in the defensive third, leading to a promising attack by Munteanu that he didn’t get enough on to worry Crepeau. The Brazilian also dribbled himself into trouble in the 33rd on a promising break and turned it over. He never found himself in a place to put any pressure on D.C. He found himself with no shots, only two touches in the box, two tackles, and an 88% passing percentage.

MF, Luis Otavio, 5.5 — The most excitement Otavio brought to the game was in the 74th minute with a two-footed tackle that almost brought out a red card. He later had another two-footed tackle but got the ball cleanly. He’s going to need better form or he will start seeing red cards. His deflection on the second goal wasn’t really his fault, as he was trying to close down an open Munteanu and block the shot. He made way for Wilder Cartagena in the 88th minute and finished with two tackles and 83% passing accuracy.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5 — Braian was not as visible as he has been the past couple of games. He’s usually breaking up plays and coordinating through the midfield, but it just wasn’t as apparent in this game. Ojeda was pulled out of position in the 27th minute, allowing Munteanu an open crack at goal that Crepeau had to parry away. For D.C.’s second goal in the 84th minute, he let Munteanu get space, which caused Otavio to scramble to try to block it. The deflection by Otavio fooled Crepeau enough to allow the ball into the net. As befits a mostly invisible performance, he passed at an 88% rate and logged one tackle and two interceptions.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Hermann Hesse in Steppenwolf (the book, not the band) said “There is in every one of us…a terrible inner duality, a battle between the angel and the devil.” Thus is the situation with Angulo almost every game. He will make intelligent passes and runs with his hustle, opening up a defense like a surgeon, and then have a heavy touch here or a sloppy tackle there to cause problems for his own team. His skill opened up the D.C. defense for Justin Ellis’ goal in the 57th minute. Digging into the numbers, Angulo finished with 78% passing, one tackle, and two interceptions. The box score doesn’t credit him with an assist on the Ellis goal, but that goal doesn’t happen without his involvement, as he made a great move to get to the end line and sent the ball across for Dorsey to head on goal. Sean Johnson’s save rebounded to Ellis for the finish. On the other side, while we don’t have giveaway stats, he was dispossessed once and was only successful on two of his four attempted dribbles.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM) — Ellis is starting to grow more comfortable in MLS and we’re seeing some hold-up play abilities in only a six-foot frame, which brings something that is missing when Duncan McGuire isn’t on the field. He also has some poacher instincts, finding spaces to pounce on the ball. He kept himself onside and was able to hold off the defender to control the rebound off Dorsey’s header and score his first MLS goal in the 56th minute, tying the game at the time. He tested Johnson in the 78th with a near-post blazer that he created with his own pace and hustle. A forward doesn’t show up on the stat sheet as much as other players — you want them to show up on the score sheet — but Ellis finished with one goal, 68% passing, and three shots on target.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5.5 — This may have been a game to get Ojeda a rest as he was loose with the ball most of the game and didn’t have his normal impact. He turned the ball over in the 80th with a switch that led to a great shot by Munteanu that he squeezed just wide. It was the best pass of the night for Ojeda, just to the wrong team. He finished with 82% passing and one shot (off target), which is a small stat line for someone who usually drives the attack. He scored a goal that would have made it 3-1, but an offside in the buildup was called.

Substitutes

MF, Griffin Dorsey, (46′), 5.5 — Dorsey came in at the halftime break for Taifi and, not five minutes later, dribbled his way through the defense to create an opening and earn a corner. He got caught up too high on the field in the 55th minute, allowing D.C. a break in the gap left by him, but it didn’t lead to a goal. It was Dorsey’s header in the 56ht minute that Sean Johnson saved but to Ellis for the first goal. Unfortunately, on the other side, it was Dorsey’s mark, Kye Rowles, that found space in the 90th to head home the winning goal. Dorsey let him get ball-side and Rowles headed in the winner. The veteran fullback gets a significant downgrade for that mistake but otherwise had a positive impact on the game. He finished with one shot and two tackles to go with 73% passing.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, (61′), 5.5 — Spicer brought his pace in for Tiago. His impact was immediate. He kept himself onside and sent a rocket to the far post for Orlando City’s second goal in the 67th minute and, just two minutes later, carved D.C. open again, eventually leading to Martin Ojeda’s goal that was called back for Spicer not quite staying onside. He burned the D.C. defense and delivered a cross to Ellis’ head for an open attempt in the 74th. It was a Man of the Match performance in just 30+ minutes until the very end. A D.C. corner went to the far post and Spicer was too passive in trying to flick it over his head to clear. It ended up bouncing off Jacob Murell right to Rowles, who finished off the winning goal. Spicer ended up with one goal, one tackle, and a paltry 33% passing.

D, Tahir Reid-Brown (82′), N/A — Reid-Brown came in for Ellis to add more defense and preserve the lead. He had one instance in the 89th minute where he was 15 yards behind the play when D.C. intercepted a pass but was able to hustle back and break up a cross. That recovery was the only significant stat on his sheet. He didn’t have any of the bad plays we sometimes see from him, but he was only on the field for 18 minutes — not enough to earn a grade — and he made a couple of late mistakes that led to promising attacks fizzling.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (88′), N/A — It was good to see Cartagena back on the field and working his way back to game fitness as the schedule is packed over the next week. Cartagena picked up a yellow card for a high tackle in the eighth minute of added time. Cartagena wasn’t on the field long enough to earn a grade but contributed one tackle and 9-for-12 passing in just 10 minutes. But it’s good that he doesn’t get a grade, because he looked a step slow for the duration he was on the pitch, and it was his unforced turnover via errant pass that turned into the corner kick on which D.C. scored the winning goal. It’ll be interesting to see if Perelman uses him as a starter for the upcoming U.S. Open Cup game mid-week against New England.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-0 loss to Houston. 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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Lion Links

Lion Links 9/22/26

Cosette Morche up for weekly honors, lessons from matchday 27, key players in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and more.

Published

20 hours ago

on

September 22, 2026

By

Image of Cosette Morche during her NWSL debut vs. Washington.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad weekend for Orlando’s three soccer teams, as they all lost and did so by an aggregate score of 12-5. Fortunately, we’ve got lots to talk about this morning, so let’s not dwell any further on the horror show that was the weekend slate, and instead dive into today’s links.

Cosette Morche up for Weekly Honors

Despite the Orlando Pride falling at home against the Portland Thorns, a bright spot has emerged from the game in the form of Cosette Morche being nominated for the NWSL Save of the Week. She made a fantastic triple save in the 17th minute to frustrate both Sophia Wilson and Pietra Tordin and keep the score at 1-0. Unfortunately, the Pride went on to lose 4-1, but Morche continued a trend of strong performances in net since taking over for the loaned-out Anna Moorhouse. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Lessons from Matchday 27

Matchday 27 is in the books for Major League Soccer, and there are plenty of things to be learned from the weekend’s action. A number of young players called up by the United States Men’s National Team turned in impressive performances, as Cavan Sullivan had a goal and an assist, Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre helped Sullivan and the Union overturn a 4-3 deficit against Sporting Kansas City, and Julian Hall scored the winner in the Hudson River Derby. Elsewhere, Nashville clinched a playoff spot and did so in style by knocking off a good Chicago Fire team 3-0. Finally, St Louis City beat Toronto FC 3-1 and now has a mind-boggling 16-game unbeaten streak in the league that grows to 18 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Women’s Champions League Key Players

The UEFA Women’s Champions League kicks off today, so this is an excellent time to familiarize yourself with some of the most important players in the competition. Some of them may be familiar to you already, like Real Madrid’s Colombian attacker Linda Caicedo or Chelsea midfielder Lauren James. Midfielder Patri Guijarro will be an important piece for Barcelona following the summer departures of Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo, while Annamaria Serturini, Remina Chiba, and Redondo are in a similar situation for Juventus. Finally, there are players on less heralded teams, like Uka Modesta for Austria Wien and Lowiese Seynhaeve for OH Leuven.

Granit Xhaka Dropped by Switzerland

We finish our main story section today with an odd one, as Granit Xhaka has been left out of the latest Switzerland squad after he admitted to using a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Amid an investigation into a Swiss doctor who was allegedly producing false certificates for unvaccinated individuals, Xhaka has admitted to using falsified paperwork. Not only has he been left out of the Swiss squad, but he could also face legal repercussions, and the player confirmed that he is currently in the process of speaking to the authorities. Xhaka is Switzerland’s all-time leader in appearances, and has been a key member of the team for a number of years.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City somehow rose two spots to no.10 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
  • The Orlando Pride held fast at no. 12 in the same outlet’s NWSL power rankings.
  • For better or worse, Orlando City will be back in the red kits for Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s road loss to the New England Revolution?

Published

2 days ago

on

September 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was minutes away from drawing the New England Revolution Saturday night, which would’ve been a big point in the Lions’ quest for the postseason. But two second-half injury-time goals saw that point dissipate. Instead, they followed their U.S. Open Cup semifinal defeat with a crushing 4-2 loss.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players fared in the disappointing result.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 5 — None of the four goals were specifically Crepeau’s fault, with one being a deflection and the other three coming from poor defense. But the goalkeeper’s four goals conceded matched his number of saves. It can also be argued he should’ve come out earlier on some of the goals to cut down the attacker’s angle. In addition to his four goals conceded and four saves, he ended the game with 39 touches and completed 74.1% of his 27 passes, including seven of his 14 long balls.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 5.5 — The teenager got the start at left back in this game, touching the ball 58 times. He completed 83.3% of his 42 passes, but neither of his two long balls nor his lone cross. Defensively, Rhein recorded a tackle and a blocked shot before being replaced in the 77th minute by Harvey Sarajian in an attacking change.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The Orlando City captain had 65 touches in this game and completed 98.1% of his 53 passes, including three of his four long balls. Defensively, he had an interception, a team-high six clearances, and an aerial duel won. But his age showed as he was unable to keep up with the counterattacks the other way. While it wasn’t a bad game for Jansson, I can’t give a higher grade to a key component of a back line that conceded four times.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Jansson’s center back partner had 52 touches and completed 95% of his 40 passes, including one of his two long balls. He took one shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, Brekalo recorded a tackle and six clearances, and won two aerial balls. Similar to Jansson, Brekalo wasn’t necessarily bad, but was part of a center back pairing that helped concede four goals.

D, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo started this game at right back and moved to left wing and left back as the game progressed. As you would expect, the Colombian pushed forward quite a bit. He ended the game with 69 touches and completed 81.3% of his 48 passes, including one of his three long balls. His most impactful play came in the 62nd minute, when he shielded his defender to tuck away the Lions’ first goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1. That was his lone shot of the night. Defensively, he added five tackles and two interceptions, providing one of the team’s best performances.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 5 — In the team’s third game in eight days, Spicer got the start in the midfield. He touched the ball 20 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 passes, including his lone long ball. Other than that, he did little offensively before being replaced by Zakaria Taifi at halftime, allowing Angulo to go forward. Defensively, he added a tackle and an interception, but the Lions could’ve used much more from the speedster.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet once again was in the lineup for the Lions, playing his typical defensive midfield role. The Frenchman had a team-high 72 touches and completed 98.5% of his 67 passes, including two key passes and both of his long balls. The midfielder’s only shot was blocked, but it bounced off Peyton Miller’s hand for a penalty. He also contributed defensively with a tackle and an interception. Gerbet was replaced by Tiago in second-half stoppage time to bring on an attacker after the team fell behind again.

MF, Luis Otavio, 5.5 — The quick turnaround gave Otavio a chance to start, though he only played 45 minutes. The Brazilian had 21 touches and completed 94.1% of his 17 passes, including one of his two long balls. He didn’t contribute any shots in the attack and only recorded a clearance defensively in what was a rather forgettable performance. His night ended at halftime when he was taken off for regular starter Eduard Atuesta.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — With Antoine Griezmann injured, Pasalic got a rare start. He touched the ball 35 times and completed 91.7% of his 24 passes, including one of his two long balls. The attacking midfielder took two shots and put one on target. Defensively, he recorded two tackles and a clearance before being replaced by Daryl Dike in the 71st minute.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6 (MotM) — Ojeda is starting to look more like his old self since returning from injury and was the primary attacker for the Lions in this game. The Argentinian had 59 touches and completed 79.6% of his 44 passes, including a key pass, two of his three long balls, and two of his four crosses. He also put two of his three shots on target. Ojeda was instrumental in the attacking movement that ended with Angulo’s goal, working a give-and-go straight up the middle with Justin Ellis. In the 88th minute, he converted the game-tying penalty, keeping his record from the spot perfect and pulling him to within one goal of Facundo Torres for the club record. He was the best player for me and earned my Man of the Match.

F, Justin Ellis, 5.5 — Ellis was active in this game, touching the ball 67 times and completing 76.1% of his 46 passes, including one of his two long balls and one of his two crosses. His only shot was off target. The forward added two tackles in his last game before heading out on international duty.

Substitutes

D, Zakaria Taifi, 5.5 (45’) — Taifi came on at halftime for Spicer, allowing Angulo to move forward into his natural position. The Homegrown Player had 24 touches in his 45 minutes while completing 85.7% of his 14 passes. He had three key passes, completed his lone cross, and didn’t complete either of his two long balls. The defender didn’t do anything else offensively, but added a tackle and a clearance.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 (45’) — A regular starter, Atuesta got the first half off before coming on for Otavio. The Colombian touched the ball 41 times and completed 94.1% of his 34 passes, including a key pass and two of his three long balls, but neither of his two crosses. Additionally, his only shot was on target. Defensivley, Atuesta didn’t record any statistics.

F, Daryl Dike, 4.5 (71’) — Dike came on for Pasalic in the 71st minue with the Lions looking for a goal. It was another disappointing performance for the striker, who only had six touches and completed two of his four passes. Despite coming on to score, his only shot was off target and he didn’t contribute anything defensively.

F, Harvey Sarajian, 5 (77’) — Sarajian came on for Rhein in the 77th minute, another move aimed towards finding an equalizer. The rookie had seven touches in 13 minutes while completing 83.3% of his six passes. Sarajian also didn’t contribute much in this game, failing to take a shot or build an attack.

MF, Tiago, N/A (90+5’) — Tiago came on in the dying minutes for Gerbet after Orlando CIty fell behind again. The attacker only recorded three touches, completed his lone pass, and drew a foul in his brief stint on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this disappointing loss. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/21/26

All of Orlando’s soccer teams lose, Lions unveil Vinicius Nogueira, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 21, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda playing the ball against Inter Miami.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Cori Dyke, who turned 26 on Sunday, and a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Bernardo Rhein, who turns 19 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Concede Two Late Goals in Loss at New England

Orlando City fell 4-2 to the New England Revolution on the road on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, conceding twice in stoppage time to drop a point. After trailing 2-0, the Lions came back with second-half goals from Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda, with the latter from the penalty spot just before the 90 minutes were up. However, in stoppage time, the Lions imploded, with Peyton Miller and Carles Gil closing out the night with two goals each for the Revolution. The loss snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten streak in league play, and the Lions left Foxborough with no points instead of at least one. Orlando City will be back on the road for its next match on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.

Lions Unveil Vinicius Nogueira

Orlando City unveiled left back Vinicius Nogueira on Friday with a photo shoot at Inter.co Stadium.

The Lions signed Nogueira on Aug. 27 on loan from Bulgarian First League side PFC Ludogorets through the end of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, with an option to make the move permanent. The 24-year-old Brazilian was on the bench during Orlando City’s match against the New England Revolution on Saturday but did not play.

Pride Fall at home to Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride lost 4-1 to the Portland Thorns on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, and while the team is still mathematically alive for the postseason, the home defeat made things even more of a longshot than they were. The Pride started slowly and were down 2-0 before Ally Lemos pulled one back in the first half. Orlando missed several scoring chances, and in the second half, Portland scored two goals to put the match away. Orlando will travel to the West Coast to take on Bay FC on Sunday.

OCB Falls to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day

Orlando City B lost 4-2 to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day Sunday at Osceola County Stadium, falling all the way to 10th and out of the playoff places. Atlanta struck first early before Issah Haruna tied it up for the Young Lions. However, Atlanta got an own goal when Tristan Himes punched a set piece deliver in off Harvey Sarajian to retake the lead, and Ignacio Saurez-Couri added another to make it 3-1. Justin Hylton scored for OCB to cut the deficit to one before halftime. In the second half, Dominik Chong-Qui scored the final goal to secure Atlanta’s win. For the Young Lions, the season ends in disappointment again, missing the MLS NEXT Pro postseason for the second straight season.

Free Kicks

  • Just two days after Gabi Nunes and the Orlando Pride mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nunes signed with Liga F side Atletico de Madrid Femenino on Friday.
  • New York City FC is reportedly signing defender Matt Miazga after he was waived by FC Cincinnati earlier this month.

🇺🇸 BREAKING: NYCFC set to sign center back Matt Miazga, per sources.- Miazga waived by FC Cincinnati earlier this month- Miazga, 31, is former MLS Defender of the Year. Boosts defensive options for NYCFC down the stretchwww.nytimes.com/athletic/760…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-09-18T13:17:04.926Z

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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