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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 6-2 away loss against FC Cincinnati?

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3 months ago

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Image of Martin Ojeda taking a shot against FC Cincinnati.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City gave up four consecutive goals after tying the game 2-2, turning a competitive game into a 6-2 blowout loss on the road against Cincinnati on Saturday night. The World Cup break may have arrived at the perfect time for the Lions, who clearly need to take a comprehensive look at the roster and the coaching staff and figure out a new plan for the back part of the season.

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 an Eastern Conference rival.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 6 — It may seem odd to see a grade of six when Orlando City allowed six goals, but Cincinnati tore apart the Orlando City defense during the last 60 minutes of the game and few goalkeepers would have kept out any of the six goals that went into the back of the net. Perhaps he could have gotten a hand on some, but Cincinnati shot the ball extremely well and I do not believe he should have saved any of the goals. The Canadian faced 11 shots on target, including nine from inside the box, and did well to make five saves and keep the team from becoming the first Orlando City team to allow seven goals in a single game. His distribution was solid, as he completed 88.9% of his passes, and once again he was one of the best players on the field for the Lions, despite the awful looking number of goals allowed.

D, Adrián Marin, 4 — The Spaniard made one great play, a sliding tackle from behind that robbed Kévin Denkey of a point-blank chance to score, but aside from that, he seemed to primarily be playing some kind of NBA-style drop coverage, where he just kept dropping and dropping as Cincinnati players attacked right at him, instead of stepping up to the ball. This allowed Marin to make three interceptions and to be in position to clear the ball twice, but it is telling that he had zero tackles in a game that was dominated by Cincinnati’s offense. Marin completed the second-most passes on the team (49, at an 87.5% completion rate), but most were of the very short variety and did not create anything offensively.

D, Robin Jansson, 4.5 — The Lions took an early lead thanks to a great ball over the top from Jansson to back line partner Griffin Dorsey, but after that play it was pretty much all downhill for the entire defense. The Beefy Swede put his body on the line, blocking three shots and heading the ball away for two clearances, but he made zero tackles or interceptions and was part of a Lions’ defense that allowed Cincinnati to repeatedly get open chances in the center of the box. He completed 90.4% of his passes, including a healthy amount of passes that moved the ball forward instead of just swinging it side to side, but the Jansson-led defense was far too soft on Saturday night and Cincinnati took full advantage.

D, David Brekalo, 4 — The one positive from Brekalo was that he stepped up and stepped in to make four tackles, but aside from that, it was a night to forget for the Slovenian. He was responsible for Kenji Mboma Dem on Cincinnati’s opening goal but he was beaten to the ball and allowed a free header, and then Evander just had his way repeatedly with the Orlando defense throughout the rest of the game, with the Slovenian often being isolated against the Cincinnati attacker and losing that battle. It is not a shame to be beaten by Evander, who is one the best attacking players in the league, but Brekalo’s name and number were repeatedly shown on the screen in the second half because he had turned his back and was chasing the Brazilian after getting beat. He completed 92.3% of his passes and hustled to get up into the attack more than fellow defenders Jansson and Marin, but he could not put either of his shots on target in what was a rough evening for the center back.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 4.5 — Dorsey’s three-game goal-scoring streak came to an end on Saturday night, though he nearly made it four with an acrobatic attempt to finish a cross with the outside of his right foot. He did not receive an assist, but he contributed directly to the game’s first goal, as it was his cross after a long run up the right sideline that led to a foul on Tiago and a penalty kick for the Lions. Orlando City probably should have looked to go up the right side more often than it did, as Dorsey only had 26 touches and was able to complete nine passes (64.3% completion rate). The man with the bun looked dangerous during the few times he had the ball, but those opportunities were few and far between. Like his other back line teammates, he bears responsibility for Cincinnati’s high-scoring output, as although he made two tackles, he did not have any other defensive contributions and was often caught too far up the field to help as Cincinnati went on the counterattack.

MF, Iván Angulo, 5 — It does not happen often but Angulo looked tired at points on Saturday night, the result of so many games in so few days, but he gamely pushed through it and went the full 90. The Colombian completed 81.5% of his passes but did not threaten often, though late in the game he shook loose and was able to put a shot on target that forced a diving stop from Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano. Angulo’s bigger contributions were, as they often are, on the defensive side of the field, as he made three tackles and intercepted two passes, with one of those interceptions snuffing out a Cincinnati counterattack on which Angulo was the last defender back. Overall, it was a middling game for Angulo, who probably needed a little more of a break in previous games or to come off the bench in this one.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta showed off the full range of his skills against Cincinnati, delivering on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he led the team with eight defensive contributions — a game-high six tackles and two interceptions — and he also led all field players with eight loose ball recoveries. On the offensive side of the ball, he completed a game-high 62 passes at an 86.1% completion rate with two key passes. He suffered four fouls, including the foul that led to the free kick goal that tied the game 2-2, and he showed off some nice dribbling moves to get free and hit a shot that just missed the far corner by inches, bouncing off the far post and back out onto the field of play. It was a solid all-around game for Atuesta, but his partnership with Braian Ojeda needs to improve as Cincinnati owned the center of the field for most of Saturday night.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 4.5 — The Orlando City coaching staff probably deserves responsibility for a portion of Ojeda’s grade, as the Lions played 10 games between April 18 and Saturday night, a period of 35 days, and Ojeda played in 96% of the possible minutes during those games. He did not have the burst to track back quickly enough to disrupt Cincinnati’s attacks, and with Dorsey pushed way up high, as usual, and Ojeda unable to get back, Cincinnati did pretty much whatever it wanted for the final two-thirds of the game. The effort was there but the legs were not, which helped lead to Ojeda committing four fouls as he was desperate to find any way to slow down the opposition’s attack. He made two tackles and added three interceptions and a clearance, and offensively he completed 86.8% of his passes, but only one Ojeda had a positive game on Saturday, and it was not Braian.

MF, Tiago, 5 — After a two-goal performance against Atlanta on Tuesday, Tiago got the start again out on the wing, but Cincinnati bottled him up and he did not create a lot offensively. What he did create he did with his pressing efforts, as he made a great play early in the game to win the ball in the Cincinnati 18 and set up Martín Ojeda for a shot that went into the back of the net, but unfortunately was called back as Ojeda was offside. Tiago then made another great play to earn Orlando City a penalty kick, as he hustled to dispossess Kyle Smith of the ball after Smith stepped in front of a Dorsey cross, and Smith then fouled him to give the Lions a penalty kick. Tiago was active on defense throughout his 45 minutes, with three tackles and an interception, but he brought little else to the attack (he had 25 touches but completed only 57.1% of his passes) and came off at halftime for Tyrese Spicer.

F, Martín Ojeda, 8 (MotM) — There should be little debate as to who the man of the match was for Orlando City in this one, as Orlando’s attacking Ojeda put the ball into the net three times, with two of them accounting for both of Orlando City’s goals. His best finish might have been the tight angled shot that went through Celentano’s legs after Tiago made a great defensive play to get him the shot, but that was the one that did not count as he was offside when the ball was played. The Argentine made up for it with a well-placed penalty kick in the first half and an outrageous free kick in the second half, and he probably should have completed his hat trick after that free kick but for Celentano making a great save on one shot and Ojeda channeling his inner Carlos Rivas (read: skying the ball way over the net) on a close-range opportunity right at the end of the game. Tincho completed 85% of his passes with two key passes, and he was by far the most dangerous Lion on the field throughout the game.

F, Justin Ellis, 4.5 — The Homegrown player saw very little of the ball during his 57 minutes, recording only 20 touches and completing only seven passes at a 53.9% completion rate. Ellis is an adventurous attacker, so his passing completion rate is often low, but completing what amounts to every other pass is too low, especially against a team that can counterattack as well as Cincinnati. The young forward suffered four fouls but didn’t contribute much else, as he looked tired after so many games in a short amount of time and came off for Marco Pašalić with just over 30 minutes remaining.

Substitutes

MF, Tyrese Spicer (46′), 5.5 —Spicer came on at the half for Tiago and did not touch the ball for quite a while into the second half, before he finally got going and ended up leading the team with three key passes. He completed eight of his nine pass attempts and also ripped a shot from close range that forced Celentano to make a good save. Spicer is not the tenacious defender that Tiago is, but he generally creates chances when he is on the field, and although Orlando City did not finish those chances against Cincinnati, the team looked better offensively with him on the field during the second half.

MF, Marco Pašalić (57′), 4.5 — Pašalić was a passenger for the opening minutes of his shift, but he finally warmed up to the competition toward the end of the game, but it was far too little and far too late. He completed 75% of his passes, with eight of those advancing the ball and only one was a short pass, and he ripped a late shot from outside the box that reminded everyone of the lethality in his left foot. Unfortunately, his shot curled back just a little too far and was saved, but those are the shots Orlando City needs the Croatian to take to open up room for the rest of the offense. The team also needs him engaged throughout his time on the field, which he was not on Saturday night.

F, Duncan McGuire (72′), 5 — Big Dunc had very little opportunity to contribute, as he only had eight touches and spent most of his minutes chasing the ball as Cincinnati passed it around. He played in one dangerous cross but none of his teammates could get on the end of it, and he took one shot from outside the box but it did not threaten Celentano. He completed six of his eight pass attempts and hustled as he always does, but had nothing to show for it.

D, Wilder Cartagena (72′), 4 — Cartagena came on as a defender, but he still does not seem fully fit and ready to be back on the field at the MLS level. He got caught too far in front of Denkey and on the wrong side of the Togolese attacker, and Denkey just boxed him out and easily finished for a goal, and then late in the game he was not quick enough to get to Ender Echenique and prevent a cross, and Tom Barlow finished that cross to put a bow on Cincinnati’s dominance of the Lions. Cartagena completed 85.7% of his passes and made one tackle, but hopefully by the time the World Cup break is over he is able to get back the game speed he had before his injuries.

MF, Luís Otávio (85′), N/A — The Brazilian came on late and had a great chance to score but hit his shot right down the middle and Celentano made the simple save. He completed four of his six passes and added one tackle on defense.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s brutal 6-2 loss on the road at Cincinnati. 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: 9/2/26

Orlando Pride’s new direction, Orlando City power rankings, MLS NEXT Pro playoff changes, and more.

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15 hours ago

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September 2, 2026

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Image of Wilder Cartagena playing the ball as Robin Jansson looks on.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s a little odd not having a midweek match this week, but given how congested the schedule is the rest of the month, we should probably enjoy it. Speaking of enjoying things, some have said that season 4 of Ted Lasso hasn’t been as good, but I think that each episode is better than the last. It can be tough to recapture the magic of a beloved show, but I think they’re doing it. Rant over. Let’s get to the links.

Thomas’ Tenure Begins

With the Orlando Pride parting ways with Seb Hines on Monday, Yolanda Thomas begins her stint as interim head coach. Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations & General Manager Caitlin Carducci said that the club believes the pieces are in place to win matches and make the playoffs, and that hopefully Thomas will be able to make that happen. As we said on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, that might be a pretty tall order. In the latest ESPN NWSL power rankings, the Pride have fallen to the 12th spot. To be fair, Hines started as an interim head coach as well, so Thomas should be given the opportunity to earn the permanent position. Her first opportunity to prove she has the right stuff comes Sunday against the Houston Dash in Orlando.

Orlando City Falls

Orlando City is on the edge of the playoffs sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but dropped to 19th in the MLSSoccer.com power rankings after dropping two points to Minnesota United FC in a match that almost saw them drop all three points. I think my feelings on power rankings are well known, but I think they may have gotten it correct this go-around.

MLS NEXT Pro Playoff Changes

With only three matches left until the playoffs begin, MLS NEXT Pro has updated the league’s playoff format for 2026 by adding a play-in round. The top seven teams from each conference on Decision Day will still make the playoffs. The 8th and 9th seeded teams will play for the final spot in the respective conference. The top four teams in each conference will still get to pick their opponent. As of today, the rule change puts Orlando City B one point out of the play-in round.

USWNT Soccer News

The 2027 Women’s World Cup is less than a year away, and while it’s likely that the USWNT will qualify, one shouldn’t take that for granted. Here is what Emma Hayes’ team will need to do to make it. The USWNT lost last time around but are the Yanks once again considered the favorite heading into 2027? We can also take a look at which players Hayes may call up for the World Cup are doing well and which are not. Speaking of call-ups, we now know which players U-17 Women’s National Team Head Coach Katie Schoepfer has chosen for the September training camp.

Free Kicks

  • Gotham has reportedly re-signed Rose Lavelle through 2029 using the High Impact Player rule that allows a team to spend up to $1 million in additional funds outside of the salary cap on a player.
  • The Portland Timbers are reportedly acquiring veteran center back Joel Waterman. Wait a minute. teams can add experienced center backs? Has anyone told Orlando City?

That will do it for today. Check back with The Mane Land as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-3 road draw against Minnesota United?

Published

2 days ago

on

August 31, 2026

By

Image of Antoine Griezmann against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City took a 2-0 lead on the road at Minnesota only to squander it, falling behind 3-2 late in the match. A stoppage-time equalizer from Tyrese Spicer saved a point on the road as the match ended in a 3-3 draw. Goals from Daryl Dike, Antoine Griezmann, and Spicer were the story of the Orlando City attack, but the defense cost the Lions two points. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated in the draw against Minnesota United.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5 — Crepeau almost gave up an easy one early. He was slow and indecisive with Kelvin Yeboah closing him down and his clearance hit the Minnesota striker and went out for a goal kick, though it easily could have deflected in for a goal. He had a big double save in the 21st minute, the first of which he laid out to get his big paw on it, and followed that up with a deflection out for a corner kick. They were the type of saves we’re getting consistently from the Canadian since the World Cup. It wasn’t the last on the night either, as Crepeau made five official saves. He completed 66.7% of his passes including eight long balls.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 5 — Taifi is not a left back, but that is the position he finds himself in with injuries to Adrian Marin and Bernardo Rhein. Minnesota was able to create chances down his side, with the Loons’ opener starting with a switch of play in behind him as he was positioned centrally next to Robin Jansson, allowing acres of space in Minnesota’s right attacking corner. However, given it’s not his normal position I will give him a little grace. He still did some good things, though mostly in the attack. He completed 86.4% of his passes and recorded one tackle, one interception, and two clearances. I can’t fault his lack of effort. He made way for Martin Ojeda’s return in the 81st minute as Orlando City pushed for the equalizer.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — It was not Jansson’s best night, though that could be said of the entire back line. He was caught out and beaten by the Minnesota offense a few times. He also made the bad pass that resulted in Minnesota’s third goal. It’s hard to feel good about his performance, given the number of goals given up. It wasn’t all bad, as he logged one interception and four clearances. He also completed 89.8% of his passes, including four long balls. He has been playing a lot of minutes, but I still expect more from the captain.

D, David Brekalo, 4.5 — Brekalo caused a little bit of consternation on the part of the Minnesota fans in the 62nd minute when he made a light two-handed shove into the back of Anthony Markanich, who went down a bit easily. There was rightly no call either way, and that may have been the best play he made. Then there were the two goals he was culpable on. He got beat by Marcus Caldeira on Minnesota’s goal in the 71st minute, and then on Markanich’s goal three minutes later. Brekalo recorded one tackle and 10 clearances, but he struggled in defending set pieces at times. His passing rate was decent at 85.7% but he didn’t connect on either of his two long balls.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 6 — Dorsey exhibited his speed and tenacity along the right side, getting into the attack again and again. Defensively, he did well most of the night, though he was part of the leaky Orlando back line. He finished with three tackles, an interception, seven clearances, and one blocked shot. His passing rate was a strong 90.9% and he completed his only long ball. His pass in from the right at the end line led to Dike’s opening goal, although he didn’t get credited for an assist because a defender touched the ball after the striker’s initial touch.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo was only officially dispossessed once, which for him isn’t too bad. There was one breakaway in which he did well to hold up play to allow help to arrive rather than giving the ball away as he usually does. He completed 88.5% of his passes without a key pass and was just one of four on long balls, adding five tackles and three interceptions. Despite the pass percentage, it felt like he had trouble connecting through the press. I felt this was a match where he didn’t do any damage either for or against Orlando City.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet had the same troubles as everyone else when it came to dealing with the early press from Minnesota. He contributed two tackles and one interception. He also had a time high 97.2% passing rate. He was better once Orlando City was able to get on the front foot. He was able to contribute without being booked, which is something for a defensive midfielder.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta had an average night, contributing on both sides of the ball. There were some good passes, though like nearly everyone he had trouble dealing with Minnesota’s press at times. He was able to complete 83.3% of his passes without a key pass and hit one of his two long balls. Defensively, he finished with two tackles, one interception, and three clearances. He made way in the 81st minute for Marco Pasalic to bolster the attack.

MF, Justin Ellis, 6.5 — Ellis once again had a good night without scoring a goal. He made numerous slick moves to get the ball past his opponents. His scoop pass on a give and go with Griezmann in the first half was just a little too far in front for the Frenchman to be able to get on the end of it. He managed two key passes including the assist on the give and go with Antoine Griezmann for the second goal. He was part of the buildup on the opening goal and completed 83.9% of his passes, committed one foul, and suffered one foul. He also made one clearance. He was subbed off for Tyrese Spicer in the 72nd minute.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 7.5 (MotM) — Griezmann is so good that I don’t think he had his best match and still he was involved in all three goals. There were times when his passing seemed a bit off, but in the end, the passes he connected on were more important. He kept the ball alive with an overhead kick to start the sequence that ended with Dike scoring the opener. He teamed up with Ellis on a long distance give and go to score Orlando City’s second goal on the night. Finally, he provided the long pass to Spicer for the equalizer in second half stoppage. He scored one goal on two shots, both of which were on target. He completed 84.8% of his passes including two key passes. He also committed two fouls earning a yellow card on one of them.

F, Daryl Dike, 7 — Dike got his first MLS goal since returning to Orlando City, scoing in the 28th minute. It was a very Dike type of goal. He used his body to hold off Michael Boxall, stayed on his feet through a three-way collision with Boxall and Drake Callender, turned, and shot at a very tight angle, but it was on target and with enough juice to find the back of the net. He also contributed on the defensive end a few minutes later, clearing a corner kick. He made the most of his one shot that was on target, recorded one clearance, and completed 57.9% of his 11 passes. He came off in the 59th minute for Harvey Sarajian.

Substitutes

F, Harvey Sarajian (59′), 6 — Sarajian came on for Dike in the 59th minute, though it’s hard to replace Orlando City’s big guy. Sarajian dispossessed Boxall to start the play that led to Griezmann’s goal and his run up the field occupied defenders, giving Ellis to make the pass and Griezmann to get in behind the back line. It was one of his best moments with the first team this season. He also won a free kick and drew a yellow card on Boxall in the 66th minute. Sarajian passed at an 88.9% rate and contributed one tackle.

MF, Luis Otavio (59′), 6 — Otavio came on for Gerbet, who is still working back from injury. He passed at an 84.6% rate, and contributed one tackle, one interception, and one clearance. He was solid if unspectacular, which isn’t bad for a teenager playing central midfield.

MF, Tyrese Spicer (72′), 7 — Super sub Spicer is back! Spicer did what Spicer does off the bench, which is spread the defense, create chances, and, more often than might be expected, scoring late goals. Spicer scored in the third minute of stoppage time to equalize for Orlando City after getting on a ridiculously amazing pass from Griezmann. He contributed an interception and passed at a 77.8% rate.

MF, Martin Ojeda (81′), N/A — Welcome back, Martin Ojeda. Orlando City’s No.10 got a run out at the end of the match while the Lions were chasing the game, coming on for Taifi. He managed one shot that was on target, though it went right to the keeper. He didn’t have enough time to truly impact the match, but I’m happy he got some minutes.

MF, Marco Pasalic (81′), N/A — Pasalic came on for Atuesta as the Lions chased the match. He committed a professional foul earning a yellow card. It was an obvious, if necessary, foul. Pasalic searched several times for a left-footed goal as he worked his way across the top of the box. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make it happen, getting his one shot attempt partially blocked. He made one key pass but his overall success rate of 62.5% on eight attempts is less than stellar.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in the match. 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

Lion Links: 8/31/26

Lions draw Minnesota United, Pride fall to Utah Royals, OCB finally wins, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

August 31, 2026

By

Image of Tyrese Spicer looking to cross the ball against New York.
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 covering high school football. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to OCB forward Gustavo Caraballo, who turned 18 on Saturday, and Orlando Pride forward Julie Doyle, who turned 28 on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw at Minnesota United

Orlando City blew a two-goal lead late in the second half, fell behind on the road, and scored in stoppage time to draw Minnesota United 3-3 on Saturday at Allianz Field. Daryl Dike scored the opener in the first half. Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the second half on a nice transition opportunity. It looked like Orlando was going to win two games in a row, however, Minnesota scored three goals in four minutes to take a 3-2 lead. In stoppage time, Tyrese Spicer buried a late equalizer for the Lions to salvage a road draw. Orlando City will face San Diego FC at home on Saturday.

Pride Fall to Utah Royals at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the Utah Royals on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium after leading at the half. Barbra Banda put the Pride in front just before halftime. Utah equalized just minutes after the restart, and Paige Cronin added another for the Royals, who swept the season series. Orlando’s back line struggled in the second half as the club couldn’t hold on to the lead and slipped to 12th place in the NWSL table. The Pride will take on the Houston Dash at home on Sunday.

OCB Defeat Crown Legacy

Orlando City B defeated Crown Legacy FC 3-2 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium despite falling behind early. Crown Legacy struck first early in the first half, but Issah Haruna leveled the match for the Young Lions just before halftime. Matthew Belgodere and Gustavo Caraballo scored a few minutes apart to give OCB a 3-1 lead early in the second half. Crown Legacy pulled one back through an own goal by OCB midfielder Ignacio Gomez, but the Young Lions held on for the three points and snapped a five-match losing streak. OCB will be on the road for its next match on Friday, taking on Inter Miami II.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

The New England Revolution are reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Daniel Gazdag from the Columbus Crew.

St. Louis City is reportedly close to acquiring forward Rafael Navarro from the Colorado Rapids for a record transfer fee. The New York Red Bulls are close to finalizing a deal with D.C. United to bring back midfielder Caden Clark.

🇺🇸 Sources: Red Bull New York finalizing a deal to acquire midfielder Caden Clark from D.C. United.Clark, 23, broke through with RBNY before moving to RB Leipzig when he was a teenager. Back at the club he started at after time with Montréal and D.C. United in MLS.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-08-29T01:11:02.441Z

EFL Championship side Stoke City has reportedly reached an agreement with San Diego FC to acquire left back Luca Bombino.

🇺🇸🔴 BREAKING: Stoke City has agreed to a deal to sign USYNT left back Luca Bombino from San Diego FC, per sources.Fee is north of $5m.Bombino, 20, made 56 apps the last season and a half for San Diego. Off to England now.www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-08-28T17:25:32.374Z

Lastly, Portland Timbers forward Kevin Kelsy has traveled to Europe to undergo a medical and seal his transfer to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions had fun at the Minnesota Vikings’ training facility before Saturday’s match, where Griezmann showed off his passing game playing quarterback.
  • FK Zalgiris, a Lithuanian women’s first-division club, has reportedly invited Jason Sudeikis, who plays Ted Lasso in the hit Apple TV show, to coach its women’s team in a real game to help bring global attention to the club.

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

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