Connect with us

Orlando City

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

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 4-3 road win at Miami.

Published

5 months ago

on

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

Tropic Thunder was everything we hoped it would be and more on Saturday night, as Orlando City reminded the soccer world that Florida is purple with a 4-3 comeback victory in Nu Stadium, the house that Lionel Messi built but has yet to win in. The first 30 minutes were rough for the Lions, but the last 60 were as enjoyable as any stretch this season, and Orlando City picked up its third victory of the MLS season and its first on the road.

I have my purple pen out and am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with their downstate rival.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 8 — Wow. Orlando City fans will revel in the glory of the second half, but the game would have been out of reach for the Lions if not for the Canadian’s heroics in the first half. Crépeau was officially credited with seven saves, but it felt like a dozen, especially in the opening minutes of the game when the Lions were under siege from Miami. At one point Crépeau made four saves on the same possession, looking more like an octopus than Pedro Gallese, as he seemed to have arms everywhere making saves. While he gave up three goals, it’s hard to fault him for them as one was a free header on a set piece, one was a point-blank redirect, and the other was perfectly placed by Messi. However, it is easy to give Crepeau the plaudits he deserves for keeping Miami to three, which allowed Orlando City to stay in the game and make the incredible comeback that it did. On any other day he almost certainly would have been the Man of the Match, but unfortunately for Crépeau, his teammate had a hat trick.

D, Adrián Marin, 6.5 — The Spaniard did not go forward often in this game, but he did midway through the second half and it led directly to Orlando City’s second goal. Marin juked his way up into the 18 and squared a pass to Martín Ojeda to cut the lead to 3-2 and earn himself his second assist for the season. Marin completed 73.3% of his passes, including the one key pass for his assist, and added one tackle, one block, and one clearance on the defensive side of the ball before coming off for David Brekalo in the game’s final minutes.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson perhaps was inspired by fellow Inter&Co Stadium tenants the Orlando Storm, as after he was dispossessed while dribbling forward, he had to turn and and chase down Messi from behind and eventually tackled him like an American football player. Being that it was Messi in Miami, he was lucky he was not immediately suspended for the rest of the season and only received a yellow card. Perhaps the edge of playing with a yellow card sharpened his focus, because after that play Jansson was solid for the rest of the game. He led all players with nine defensive contributions, racking up three tackles, two interceptions, and four clearances, and he picked up a hockey assist with his header to Justin Ellis that led to Orlando City’s first goal. The Beefy Swede only completed 66.7% of his passes, but his assist was a big one, and he led the defense that clamped Miami down for the final 55 minutes.

D, Iago, 6 — The big man had a rough first half but was much better in the second, and showed once again how dangerous he is in the attack by winning the penalty kick that tied the game at 3-3. Just minutes before he played a great header back into the middle off of a free kick, though it turned out that he had been just inches offside when the ball was played. Iago seems completely settled now alongside Jansson, and though he still makes youthful mistakes, like the foul he committed right after Tyrese Spicer’s goal to give Messi a late free kick from a dangerous position, the positives outweighed the negatives for the Brazilian. He completed 73.3% of his passes, including a pass that started the sequence which gave Orlando City the lead, but more importantly, he finished with one interception, two blocked shots, three clearances, and four duels won.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 6 — Dorsey followed up his excellent U.S. Open Cup performance with another strong game on the right side. His heatmap was bright up the entire right side of the field, as he defended all the way down to his own goal line and then made several strong runs all the way up toward Miami’s goal line as well. Early in the game he made a great run up the right side but elected to keep the ball himself instead of finding an open Martin Ojeda at the top of the box, but after that play, he was unselfish for the rest of the game, looking for teammates on crosses or cutbacks. He completed 68% of his passes and also one nose-to-nose confrontation with Miami’s Telasco Segovia late in the game when both players stood almost directly at midfield and looked like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots ready to throw down after bumping each other for much of the second half. Dorsey turned in a strong defensive game, with two tackles, one interception, and a game-high five clearances, and though he turned the ball over a little more than desired (13 possessions lost) he played a solid game out on the right side of Orlando’s flexible modified 4-4-2.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6.5 — The Colombian was not at his best, or even his normal, self in the first half, but like so many of his teammates, he was much better in the second half. Angulo completed 92.7% of his passes, including a team-high three key passes, but he started off ice cold and it was his poor pass that led directly to Miami’s second goal. After that play, he started to play a lot better, especially defensively, where he led all players with four tackles and tied for the game lead with 10 loose ball recoveries. Angulo’s speed was devastating on those recoveries, as he beat Miami players to the ball time after time to help frustrate its attacks. The last recovery helped run out the clock for Orlando City, as he won the ball and dribbled it about 60 yards up the field, leaving almost no time on the clock for Miami to try to get the equalizer. Absent the opening 20-25 minutes, Angulo was solid in this one and deserves credit for tracking back again and again to help hold Messi off from creating much of anything during the second half.

MF, Luis Otávio, 4.5 — The young Brazilian showed some feistiness in trying to get physical with Messi throughout the first half, but César Araújo he was not as Messi got the better of Otávio with his dribbling and passing. This is not something to be ashamed of, considering Messi’s abilities, but it was not a big surprise that there was a switch at halftime and Eduard Atuesta came on to replace Otávio. While he was on the field, he completed 86.7% of his passes, but he was far more involved on the defensive side of the field, making three tackles and adding two clearances, though he also was dribbled past three times.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 7 — Orlando City’s Iron Man went another full 90 on Saturday night, continuing his streak of playing every minute of every MLS game. Defensive Ojeda was on his game, contributing three tackles, one interception, one block, and one clearance, and he tied Angulo for the most loose-ball recoveries with 10. The Paraguayan also led the team with 39 completed passes at a 95.1% completion rate, and he assisted on the game-winning goal, hitting a long pass on the ground that put Spicer in on goal and the Orlando fans in Nu Stadium into delirium. On the whole, it was one of Braian Ojeda’s best performances in an Orlando City jersey, which rhymed nicely with the performance from Martín Ojeda, who also had one of his best games as well.

MF, Tiago, 4.5 — The fact that Tiago had more tackles (2) than completed passes (1) says everything about the Brazilian’s contribution to this game. He only had 11 touches and five pass attempts and was involved more on defense than offense during his 45 minutes. Miami dominated the ball, so perhaps it was a bit unfair that Tiago was removed at halftime for Spicer, as there was little that he could have done offensively with so few touches and very little service. But given Spicer’s impact on the game, it’s difficult to argue with the decision, too.

F, Martín Ojeda, 9 (MotM) — It was a big day for both of Orlando City’s Ojedas, but in particular for the man they call Tincho, who scored a hat trick to dig Orlando City out of a 3-0 deficit. Messi played well, but his fellow Argentine No. 10 played better, with two rockets during open play and an unstoppable penalty kick goal as well. After a slow start, Offensive Ojeda now has seven goals on the season and joins Cyle Larin as the only two Orlando City players with multiple hat tricks. I am not going to say should, but Ojeda could have become the first Lion to ever score four goals in a game as he had a great chance after cutting the ball back past Maxi Falcón, but his shot just was not quite high enough and bounced off of Dayne St. Clair’s head. Ojeda was outstanding in this game and was the Man of the Match, completing 74.1% of his passes, including two key passes, scoring the three goals, and hustling to block one shot on defense.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 — Orlando City’s academy product had a goal contribution in his fourth consecutive game, as he assisted Martin Ojeda with his goal near the end of the first half. Ellis looked competent and comfortable with the starters and put in a solid shift during his 59 minutes. Orlando City did not have much of the ball, especially in the first half, but the Lions looked dangerous when Ellis was involved in the buildup. He completed 90% of his passes and put his one shot on target, but his big contribution was the assist to Ojeda before he came off for Duncan McGuire for the final third of the game.

Substitutes

MF, Eduard Atuesta, (46′), 6 — Saturday night was by far Atuesta’s best performance of the season, as his arrival in the midfield turned the game around for Orlando City. The Colombian only played 45 minutes but had the second-most defensive contributions, tallying three tackles, two interceptions, one block, and two clearances. Orlando struggled to hold the midfield in the first half but Atuesta and Braian Ojeda locked it down in the second half, changing the flow of the game. Atuesta completed 82.3% of his passes and probably should have had an assist after a deft touch set up Martín Ojeda for a shot, but Ojeda took an extra touch and was unable to put the shot away. Hopefully his health continues to improve and he can extend his minutes to even longer than 45 by next week, as the Lions could use more performances like that in their central midfield.

F, Tyrese Spicer, (46′), 6.5 — Spicer sealed the game with an incredible stoppage time winner, going five-hole to score Orlando City’s fourth goal. Orlando played much better after he entered the game as he contributed on offense and defense, completing six of his seven passes and defending well with two tackles, one block, and two loose-ball recoveries. The big moment was the final one though, as he timed his run perfectly onto Braian Ojeda’s through ball and took it directly to goal before putting the winner past St. Clair.

F, Duncan McGuire, (59′), 6 — Big Dunc made his first appearance after being injured for a few weeks and looked lively, though a little rusty. He put his one shot on target — an ambitious effort to sneak a shot in at the near post — and he looked fully healthy and raring to go during his 31 minutes. He completed six of his eight passes and picked up a secondary assist on the game-winning goal due to hustling to receive a pass from Iago and dropping it back to Braian Ojeda. With three games in a week starting next Saturday, it will be huge for the Lions to have him back on the field.

D, David Brekalo, (87′), N/A — The Slovenian came on for Marin with a few minutes remaining and completed two of his three passes and won his only aerial duel.

MF, Zakaria Taifi (90′), N/A — Taifi entered in stoppage time for Martín Ojeda and did not touch the ball, but he ran his tail off during his few minutes on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s amazing 4-3 win over Miami. 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.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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!

Continue Reading

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.

Continue Reading

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.

Continue Reading

Trending