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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-1 home draw against Atlanta United?

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2 months ago

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Image of Ivan Angulo racing past an Atlanta defender with the ball.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

The Lions jumped out to an early lead against Atlanta United on Saturday, but a late equalizer came calling again to square the match, resulting in a 1-1 draw between the two rival clubs. Let’s take a look at how the Orlando City players performed individually in this match.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5 — Crepeau’s best save came in the 39th minute as Saba Lobjanidze fired a shot from the corner of the box that the Canadian saw late through traffic. He had no chance on the late tying goal. Crepeau finished with five saves, a 76% passing rate, and a yellow card in the 83rd minute for time wasting that was maybe a bit harsh without a warning.

D, Adrian Marin, 6 — Usually, if a player is invisible on the field for a majority of the game, that’s a negative. For Marin, who seems to stack up bad plays at times, they just weren’t there in this game. He started the play that led to the Orlando goal and had no major visible lapses. Marin registered a tackle and four clearances, won four out of five duels, and completed 87% of his passes.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson held down the middle of the defense as usual but showed some discomfort in his leg after being knocked to the ground on a set piece toward the end of the first half and did not return for the second. Jansson exited with a 90% passing percentage and a single tackle.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — My preference for Brekalo is for him to be in the same role as last year — the de facto left fullback playing in a hyrbrid three-in-the-back formation with the right fullback forward in possession. Against Atlanta, the Slovenian was more central (but on the right when they played three wide), which is when he tends to get exposed, but he played a clean match. Brekalo was active all night with a team-high 14 defensive contributions, finishing with nine clearances, two tackles, and three blocks.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 7.5 (MotM) — The veteran dynamo who arrived just before the 2026 season from Houston is enjoying his best stretch of time in Orlando with two goals in the past week. He finished a tap-in on an assist from Ivan Angulo and sent a curling cross to Martin Ojeda in the 65th that was blocked. He perhaps should have done better with his other shot in the 72nd minute, missing the target from a good position in the box. His one lapse was in the 71st minute, when he misjudged a cross that could’ve created a dangerous shot but for a mistouch. Dorsey regularly made runs in front of goal and, while I usually criticize Zakaria Taifi for getting out of position, Dorsey does the same but shows significantly more effort getting back. He even had a potentially goal-saving clearance in the 75th minute. Dorsey finished with one goal, two shots, one tackle, two blocks, three clearances, and an 88% passing rate to go with his goal.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo was a little cleaner than last weekend against Montreal. His assist to Dorsey was spot on, but the duality of Angulo showed up in the 77th minute. He lost possession on a bad dribble and then hustled and stole it back to cross it in. He finished with one assist and completed 89% of his passes, but he only won two of his nine duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta played the role of linking everyone together, with the second-most touches, behind only Brekalo. He had one moment of a lapse of concentration in the 34th minute when he was marking Aleksey Miranchuk and let the Atlanta attacker slip by him to receive a pass for a one-on-one with Crepeau that the goalkeeper covered well. Atuesta followed the rebound with a dangerous block that might have brought a penalty. He was replaced by Luis Otavio in the 69th minute to try to get some fresh defensive legs in. He completed 83% of his passes, was only dispossessed once, and added two tackles.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 6 — Braian Ojeda had one moment in the 24th minute when he intercepted a dangerous pass in the box. Other than that, he wasn’t memorable in this game. He was replaced at the 82nd-minute mark by Wilder Cartegena. Braian exited with no tackles and passed at an 85% clip.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — Pasalic started for the first time since returning from injury and looked a bit rusty. The Croatian is always going to be invisible for stretches, but his moments of brilliance often lead to goals. One of those moments almost came in the 21st minute when Pasalic so confounded Elias Baez at the side of the box that the Atlanta man ended up on the ground, but there was no one available to pass to. He was booked in the 28th minute for a sloppy tackle. Pasalic was replaced in the 59th minute by Tyrese Spicer and finished with one chance created and an 84% passing rate but no shot attempts.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Martin Ojeda showed a little of the inconsistency we’ve seen from him this season. On one hand, a brilliant secondary assist to free up Angulo for his assist to Dorsey. On the other, missed opportunities time and time again. Martin finished with two shots on target, two more that were blocked, an 80% passing percentage, and one wicked curling nutmeg to set up Angulo to pass it to Dorsey for the only goal.

F, Justin Ellis, 6 — Ellis’ best moment was in the 52nd minute when he slipped a pass to Martin Ojeda that the Argentinean was unable to finish. It’s not unusual for an Orlando City striker of late to not have a big impact, as service has regularly been lacking, but Ellis spent a lot of this game floating back to get the ball. He was subbed off for Duncan McGuire in the 69th minute. Ellis finished the game with one big chance created, an 81% passing rate, but no shots.

Substitutes

D, Iago (46′), 6 — Iago came on to start the second half in place of Jansson. My comment to myself at that moment was “let’s see how much he’s grown.” When he was thrown into the lineup to start the year, he was overwhelmed and out of place regularly. We’ve seen improvement, but he’s also had Jansson to help cover mistakes and get him in the right spots. He let Miranchuk slip by him in the 61st minute for a attempt at goal that the Russian pushed wide and was late to get to Jay Fortune for the tying goal, though it wasn’t necessarily his mark. Iago was perfect on his passes — 23 out of 23 — but that was literally his only stat.

MF, Tyrese Spicer (59′), 5.5 — Spicer’s usual pace and activity wasn’t as visible in this game. He finished with only 10 touches and was only two-for-four on his passes.

MF, Luis Otavio (69′), 5.5 — Unfortunately, I have Otavio as the primary player responsible for the Fortune goal as he drifted way out of position to double someone already covered. Otavio had one tackle, won both his duels, and passed at a 77% clip.

F, Duncan McGuire (69′) 6 — McGuire had a slick pass to Dorsey three minutes after joining the action but Dorsey couldn’t finish it. In his short time, he created one chance and completed six out of 10 passes, but he only had one touch in the Atlanta box.

F, Wilder Cartagena (82′) N/A — Cartagena wasn’t on long enough to garner a grade but was four-for-four passing and added a tackle, though he too was late seeing the danger on Fortune’s goal. Hopefully, these minutes before the break will help him round back into form.

That’s what I’ve got for grades as the Lions dropped points late in the draw against Atlanta. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 7/20/26

Pride fall to Utah Royals, OCB draws Chattanooga FC, Orlando City signs Clovis Archange, and more.

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1 hour ago

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July 20, 2026

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Image of Pedro Leao taking a penalty against Carolina Core FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work, but I checked out a Noah Kahan concert and watched the World Cup final while catching up with friends over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Fall at Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Utah Royals at America First Field Saturday night. Narumi Miura scored the lone goal for Utah to secure the win, while the Pride have lost back-to-back matches after losing to Boston Legacy Wednesday. That result also dropped Orlando below the playoff line, as the club sits ninth in the NWSL table with 20 points. The Pride will return home for their next match against the Chicago Stars Friday at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 1-1 Draw vs. Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B drew Chattanooga FC 1-1 on the road at Finley Stadium Saturday. Pedro Leao scored the opener for the Young Lions in the first half. However, in the second half, Chattanooga FC scored the equalizer. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-3 to earn a second point. OCB will be back in action at home Sunday, facing Huntsville City FC at Osceola County Stadium.

Orlando City Signs Clovis Archange to Homegrown Player Contract

Orlando City announced Friday that the club has signed defender Clovis Archange to a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. The deal is a three-year contract lasting through the 2027 calendar year, with club options in 2028 and 2029. Archange has made six appearances across all competitions for OCB during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, there is no movement on the rumored Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s potential transfer to Hull City, but the English Premier League side has reportedly inquired about a loan deal.

The Columbus Crew have signed former Manchester United and Real Oviedo center back Eric Bailly. The contract runs through June 2027, with club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. Liga MX side CF Monterrey is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers.

LAFC has reportedly reached an agreement with Hammarby on a transfer fee to move midfielder Amin Boudri to the Swedish club. Lastly, San Diego FC is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.

🇹🇳 Sources: San Diego FC is finalizing a deal to sign Tunisia int'l winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.Achouri, 27, joins San Diego as a Designated Player. He had 5g/7a in 2,368 mins (37 apps) last year & played in all 3 games for Tunisia at the World Cup

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-18T16:37:04.314Z

Spain Wins World Cup

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday to win the World Cup for the second time since 2010. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time after committing a foul on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. The match went to extra time, and Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the 106th minute. Argentina was unable to find a late equalizer to send the match to penalties. Argentina was looking to repeat as champions but had only two shots in the game (both in extra time) and failed to record a shot on goal. As for the FIFA World Cup awards, Spain midfielder Rodri took the Best Player Award, while France striker Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot Award with 10 goals, the Golden Glove Award went to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, and Cubarsi won the Young Player Award.

Free Kicks

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

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Orlando City

Daryl Dike Returns to Orlando City, Signs Deal Through 2027

Daryl Dike is back with the Lions after being out of contract with West Bromwich Albion.

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3 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image of Daryl Dike posing in his Orlando City kit after re-signing with the club on July 17, 2026.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Striker Daryl Dike has returned to the club that gave him his professional start. Orlando City announced today that it has signed Dike as a free agent through the 2027 MLS “sprint season” with an option for 2027-2028. The club also had to send $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority and could owe the Western Conference side another $75,000 in GAM if Dike meets undisclosed performance metrics.

The signing gives Dike a new start after an injury-plagued career at West Bromwich Albion.

“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed, and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack, and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.” 

Dike, who will wear No. 9 for the Lions, returns nearly five years since Orlando City sold him to West Brom on Jan. 3, 2022, for a fee reported by The Athletic to be around $10 million.

The Edmond, OK native was Orlando City’s first-round selection with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. As a rookie, he started to see minutes on the pitch during the MLS is Back Tournament, making his professional debut against the Montreal Impact in the competition’s round of 16. From there, the striker out of the University of Virginia blossomed, playing in 35 regular-season matches with Orlando, including 30 starts, for a total of 2,547 minutes. He contributed 18 goals and seven assists on 63 shots, getting 27 on target. He passed well (71.1% in 2020 and 72.1% in 2021), providing 14 key passes. Dike drew 71 fouls while committing 40 and was never booked during the regular season in his time in MLS.

He also played in all three of Orlando City’s playoff games during his first stint with the club, starting all three and scoring one goal on five total shots (two on target). He suffered seven fouls and committed four, and picked up one yellow card in the 2020 postseason.

Following his rookie season, Dike went on loan to Barnsley, where he scored nine goals in 22 matches from February to May of 2021.

Dike’s play with the Lions in his first two professional seasons quickly put him on the USMNT radar and before he was sold to West Brom he made eight appearances and scored three goals for the United States at the senior level. He has added two more caps since for a total of 10.

After his sale to West Brom in the EFL Championship, Dike struggled to stay on the pitch, dealing with Achilles injuries that kept him off the pitch for long stretches. Dike managed to score 11 goals in 68 matches when healthy. He scored twice and added an assist in 24 matches in 2025-2026, starting six times, as he was finally able to get a stretch of games in.

“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started,” Dike said in the club’s press release. “Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home. From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.” 

What It Means for Orlando City

Dike fills a hole vacated by the trade of Duncan McGuire to the Houston Dynamo a week ago. It will be interesting to see where his salary slots in when the MLS Players’ Association reveals its next salary information. McGuire, who had his own injury struggles in recent years, made a base salary of $600,000 and a total guaranteed annual compensation of over $920,000.

The hope will be that Dike can both stay healthy and contribute at a higher level than McGuire was prior to his trade to Houston. The new scenery may do McGuire good and a return to familiar surroundings may similarly help Dike regain his footing. At just 26 years old, Dike is still in his prime years and there are plenty of miles left in Dike’s legs if he can stay on the pitch. Fans will remember how he tossed center backs around like rag dolls during his two previous seasons in Orlando. That kind of physicality will open a lot of room underneath for Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda.

With just a year and a half on the base deal, this is a low-risk and potentially very high-reward signing for the Lions.

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Flashback Friday: July 15, 2023 at Atlanta United

Let’s rewind to a tense battle up in Atlanta that took place a little over three years ago.

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3 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well everyone, Major League Soccer is officially back. The league returned from its summer hiatus with three games Thursday night (four were scheduled but air quality from the Canadian wildfires caused Chicago vs. Vancouver to be postponed), and two more games are set to be played later today. Orlando City won’t take the field until Wednesday night against the San Jose Earthquakes though, so that means we have time for one more trip down memory lane. Last week, we went four years into the past and reminisced on a weird 1-0 win over Inter Miami that came courtesy of a Damion Lowe own goal. Today, we go back to mid-July 2023 and a road trip against Atlanta United.

Orlando had been in mostly good form heading into the team’s trip up I-75 to take on the Five Stripes but had hit a sizable bump in the road in the previous match in the form of a 4-0 hammering out west against Real Salt Lake. Oscar Pareja went to his usual 4-2-3-1 in an effort to get back to winning ways, with Pedro Gallese in goal; Rafael Santos, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Kyle Smith at the back; Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena at the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in attacking midfield, and Duncan McGuire leading the line.

The Lions seemed determined to put the previous game’s woes behind them and fashioned a chance with not even a minute played. McGuire played a slick pass behind the defense for Pereyra, but a poor first touch let him down and Brad Guzan came off his line well to save from point-blank range. Torres, McGuire, and Araujo then tried shots in the fifth, sixth, and eighth minutes, respectively, but none of them troubled Atlanta’s goalkeeper.

Orlando then took its foot off the gas a bit after trying to come out of the gates and overwhelm the hosts, but some self-inflicted errors gave the Five Stripes some life and eventually led to them opening the scoring. The Lions took a poor throw-in during the 22nd minute which turned the ball over deep in their own defensive third. Miguel Berry drew four OCSC players to him before flicking a ball over the top for Machop Chol. Carlos saved Chol’s deflected shot off the line but Caleb Wiley was first to the loose ball and did well to lift his shot into the net over a recovering Gallese.

Fortunately, the good guys were able to find a quick response. Orlando had a dangerous free kick just three minutes after conceding, and Pereyra curled in a dangerous ball toward the penalty spot. Carlos rose highest and powered a vicious header into the far corner with Guzan left helpless.

Leveling the game gave Orlando a needed injection of belief. McGuire tried his luck at catching Guzan off his line in the 35th minute, and Angulo put a powerful shot just outside the post two minutes later. Smith even had a pop from distance in the 42nd minute, but it went high and that was the last meaningful action of the half.

Atlanta ended the opening 45 minutes with more of the ball (52.1%-47.9%) and more corners (2-0), while OCSC took more shots (7-5) put more shots on target (3-2), and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The two teams traded chances after a slow start to the second half, with a deflected ball trickling just wide of the Atlanta net in the 51st minute, before Santiago Sosa put a ball onto the roof of Gallese’s goal four minutes later.

Orlando then went ahead in the 60th minute. Pereyra split Atlanta’s center backs with a great ball for McGuire, who held off Luis Abram’s recovery efforts, and put a low shot past Guzan and into the side netting.

The good guys really should have bagged an insurance goal in the 68th minute, but Ramiro Enrique’s diving header went off the post and out after a great cross from Torres. Pareja then switched to five at the back to try to see out the game, and Atlanta managed to generate some chances. Thiago Almada and Matheus Rossetto had chances in the 88th and 90th minutes, but nothing came of them. The most dangerous moment occurred deep in stoppage time. Atlanta had a dangerous free kick in the 98th minute, and Almada sent a wicked-looking effort on net, but Gallese got over well and put two strong hands on it to parry away.

Atlanta took the resulting corner, but the Lions cleared successfully and the final whistle blew to give the visitors a 2-1 win and all three points.

Atlanta finished with more possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but each side put four shots on target. The hosts were also more accurate when it came to passing the ball (84%-76.3%).

Marcus Mitchell was on Player Grades for this one, and he gave Carlos the Man of the Match nod with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high scorers on the evening were Pereyra and McGuire, who each earned grades of 7 out of 10.

Here’s hoping the Lions can pick up some road points in a similar fashion when they return to play next Wednesday. Vamos Orlando!

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