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Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-0 away win against San Jose?

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4 weeks ago

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Image of Antoine Griezmann in his MLS debut vs. San Jose.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

MLS is back, but more importantly Orlando City was back on Wednesday night in San Jose, as the Lions roared right out of the gate with a 4-0 demolition of the Earthquakes. Maybe the Sunken Treasure kits are on the same schedule as former Lion Facundo Torres and do not get going until the second half of the season, or maybe this was just a one-off, but three points and a plus-four in goal differential are in the books after one of the most enjoyable Orlando City games in a long time.

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 a Western Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau (MotM), 9 — Was it a World Cup bounce? Or, perhaps it was due to being named as an MLS All-Star? Either way, Crépeau was on an absolute heater in northern California, making seven saves that he was credited for and also several others that will not show up on the stat sheet because there was an offside call in the buildup. Canada’s No. 1 (not to be confused with Duke Caboom, Canada’s greatest stuntman) used his entire body to help Orlando City keep its first MLS clean sheet since June of 2025, making a kick save, using each hand to palm away shots, blocking another with his midsection, and even coming out of the box and executing a diving header to clear the ball out of danger. His best save might have been when he flew high to deny a header by Beau Leroux from going into the upper corner, but the fact that his save on that shot was not the clear choice for best save tells the story of how well Crépeau played on this night.

D, Adrián Marin, 5 — After a few games playing as a de facto center back in a back three alignment (it was technically a back four, but with Griffin Dorsey pushing high while Orlando possessed the ball) Marin returned to playing left back in a back four and really struggled throughout first half. He was better in the second half, but during the first half San Jose created nearly all of its chances on his side, as his lack of pace allowed the Earthquakes acres of space to set up their attack. The Spaniard battled, however, and while he often was chasing players down from behind, he always was able to get back and help defend. Marin had seven defensive contributions, split among three tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances, while completing 85% of his passes, and he deserves credit for helping keep a clean sheet.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede had the kind of game that you hope for from your team’s center back — a mostly quiet evening. Jansson did not make any tackles but he had two interceptions and three clearances, spending most of his time organizing the defense and helping clog up the middle, while also beating San Jose players to several balls that could have become a problem had he not arrived first. This frustrated the Quakes, who fouled him twice. He completed 88.9% of his passes, mostly in the defensive half of the field, and led the back line from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

D, David Brekalo, 7.5 —Just as he did against Atlanta in the U.S. Open Cup, Brekalo opened the scoring for Orlando City with a headed goal in the game’s opening minutes off of a set piece delivery from Eduard Atuesta. The Slovenian put another header on target later in the game as well, though it was saved, and his two shots on target led the team. Similarly to his center back partner Jansson he did not make any tackles, but he led the game in defensive contributions with 10 (seven clearances and three interceptions). Brekalo completed 83.8% of his passes, and turned in what was one of his best all-around games in an Orlando City jersey, although he allowed a dangerous Timo Werner chance that Crepeau had to dive to push just wide.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 6.5 — Orlando City’s right back was able to balance marauding up the right flank with recovering quickly enough to prevent San Jose from breaking out on his side of the field. Werner was still able to create chances, including a few excellent ones, but Dorsey held his own against one of the league’s best attacking players. Dorsey had nine defensive contributions, with three tackles, one interception, and five clearances, and though he did not have any goal contributions, he was active offensively with two key passes and an 88.9% pass completion rate. Half of his completed passes came in San Jose territory, and the interplay on the right side of the field between Dorsey and all of Orlando City’s attacking players helped generate a lot of chances for the Lions.

MF, Tiago, 4 — The young Brazilian limped off the field with an injury, and not to kick a player who went down hurt, but it was probably time for him to come off anyway. Tiago’s movement was great, giving him chance after chance to score or to set up his teammates, but he did not deliver on any of them, often making the wrong choice on whether to shoot or pass or delaying so long the choice was taken from him altogether. The most egregious might have been in the first half, when he had Justin Ellis wide open but chose to shoot instead. But then again, maybe it was actually in the second half when he inexplicably slowed down while on a breakaway that Ellis had played him into and allowed the defenders to snuff out his chance. The effort and the hustle were there but the playmaking was not, and hopefully his injury is not serious, because the Lions will need him with a busy month coming up. He completed eight of his 10 passes and added two tackles on defense.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 8 — Atuesta’s performance made him a major contender for Man of the Match, and had his one shot attempt dropped in instead of just being palmed away by Angus Gunn at the last second, that might have tipped him past Crépeau. The Colombian played perhaps his best free kick since joining the Lions early in the game, delivering a line drive of a cross from the right sideline directly onto Brekalo’s head for the game’s opening goal. Later in the first half, he assisted Iván Angulo by playing him into an open pocket of space, and his fellow Colombian did the rest with a hammer shot into the far corner. Atuesta made it a hat trick of assists on the game’s final goal, as he took a short corner from Ellis and dropped a cross into the danger zone in the middle of the box, where Braian Ojeda did the rest by putting a header into the lower corner to make it 4-0 Lions. The one downside from Wednesday was that Atuesta picked up his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he will have to sit out Saturday’s game, but aside from that, he had an excellent all-around game, completing 84.2% of his passes and adding a team-leading four tackles, one interception, and one clearance on defense.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 8 — “Defensive Ojeda” was Defensive and Offensive Ojeda against San Jose, as the midfield destroyer made plays all over the field, including opening his Orlando City scoring account with his headed goal late in the second half. The Paraguayan led the game with nine loose ball recoveries and four interceptions while also adding one tackle, one block, and two clearances on defense. His work rate was part of the reason why neither Brekalo nor Jansson had to make any tackles, as he helped keep San Jose from successfully attacking down the middle of the field. He completed 89.5% of his passes, picking up a secondary assist on Angulo’s goal, and partnered well with all of the Lions who played in the middle of the field at various points of the game.

MF, Iván Angulo, 8 —Maybe he just needed to move off of the left side of the field? Orlando City’s speed burner ostensibly started the game as the right wing, but his heat map shows a player who played all over the field on Wednesday, and the Colombian was outstanding in all facets and across all locations. Angulo’s first half was probably his best half of the season, and he was solid in the second half as well for an excellent all-around performance. His cannon shot in the first half broke a nearly 50-game scoreless streak in MLS regular-season play, and his work rate, as usual, was unmatched. Angulo recorded four tackles and intercepted two passes on defense while also collecting six loose balls and completing 72.4% of his passes before coming off for a well-deserved rest in the 79th minute.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 8.5 — After years of our staff joking publicly about him coming to Orlando, the legendary French superstar actually is officially a Lion, and he celebrated his first official game by living out Denny Green’s famous “they are who we thought they were” quote by being everything we thought he would be. Griezmann was everywhere, from pressing the opposing goalkeeper to defending inside Orlando City’s six-yard box, and his passing vision opened up so many chances for his teammates. He was credited with five key passes, but he probably created at least 10 chances, though not all actually turned into shots. The MLS broadcast team awarded Griezmann its player of the match, and though he did not have gaudy official statistics (78.4% passing completion rate, two defensive contributions, one goal, and zero assists) he was clearly the best all-around player on the field, and it was not particularly close. His first goal with Orlando City gave the Lions breathing room and he showed his maturity in staying onside and calmly beating a defender and the goalkeeper with a well-placed shot. It was only one game, but the entire flow looked different for Orlando City and much of that came directly from Griezmann’s addition to the lineup.

F, Justin Ellis, 8 — The stats only moderately show the impact Ellis had on this game, but make no mistake, he was outstanding. The Homegrown Player displayed intelligent movement, and tremendous vision, and he reminded me often of a post player in basketball with how he would get a defender on his back and still be able to turn and create something offensively. Ellis had two assists — a secondary assist on Atuesta’s cross to Ojeda and a primary assist on Griezmann’s goal — and he could have bested Atuesta’s three assists had other players (in particular, Tiago) been more clinical with their finishing. He finished the game with an 81.8% passing completion rate, and might have gone the full 90 if not for what appeared to be some cramping late in the match.

Substitutes

MF, Tyrese Spicer (59′), 5 — Spicer entered for Tiago in a like-for-like swap, and it was like-for-like in position and also production, as the Trinidad & Tobago winger also was unable to convert, even though he was provided several excellent opportunities. Despite playing more than 30 minutes, Spicer only completed one pass and did not have any defensive contributions, and was mostly just a passenger for his time on the field. His failure to beat the goalkeeper on a clean breakaway cost Griezmann an assist to go with his goal.

D, Bernardo Rhein (79′), N/A — Rhein made his second appearance of the season after signing a short-term agreement earlier in the day and acquitted himself well during his 11 minutes on the field. He completed six of his seven passes (85.7%) and recorded one tackle. He clearly showed more zip in his legs at left back than Marin did.

MF, Luís Otávio (79′), N/A — The Brazilian midfielder came on for Atuesta and quickly engaged in the game, completing 12 of his 13 passes (92.3%) in only 11 minutes of game time. He added one tackle, one interception, and one clearance for a strong performance off the bench.

MF, Harvey Sarajian (79′), N/A — The former Wake Forest player may have been inspired by the golden Sunken Treasure kits, as he made a a play for a Golden Globe with his attempt to win a penalty kick with a dive just moments after coming onto the field. The referee did not fall for it, and gave him a yellow card, but that did not slow Sarajian down, as the rookie competed aggressively for all 11 minutes, and nearly scored on a well-struck left-footed shot that Gunn parried away. He completed all five of his passes, turning in a solid and energetic performance off the bench.

MF, Zakaria Taifi (84′), N/A —Orlando City’s final substitute came on for Ellis but shifted out to play most of his minutes on the right wing. Taifi completed only one pass, but it set up Sarajian’s shot and almost garnered him an assist. He added one tackle on defense and looked comfortable at right wing, even though most of his appearances with the senior team have been on the defensive side of the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s dominating 4-0 win on the road at San Jose. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

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

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

Published

11 hours ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Image of Tyrese Spicer rounding the goalkeeper against Cincinnati.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

With two potent attacks and two struggling, but improving, defenses one reasonably might have expected a high-scoring affair when Orlando City hosted FC Cincinnati on Saturday, but it was not to be. It was a tight match ending in a 1-1 draw, with no shortage of chances.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated in their matchup against FC Cincinnati.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5 — Although Cincinnati took a lot of shots, Crepeau only had to make three saves, including a couple of point-blank shots he did really well to stop. He came off his line when needed to snuff out trouble on a couple of occasions, and was a solid backstop for the Lions. A better defense in front of him is helping the Orlando goalkeeper, but he has looked better on his own following the World Cup break. Statistically, Crepeau attempted seven long balls, completing three, passed at 83.8%, and contributed a clearance as well.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 6 — Rhein had to be substituted out in the 39th minute, following what appeared to be a hamstring issue. The young left back had been performing well up until that point and hopefully he’s able to return sooner rather than later. He was energetic and decisive in his time on the pitch, exhibiting good control, helping to advance the ball in attack, contributing one key pass. Defensively, he compiled two clearances, one interception, and a blocked shot. He attempted two crosses, with one finding its mark, and attempted one long ball that did not connect, while passing with 90.5% accuracy.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain did well overall, but he had a couple of bad passes while not under much pressure that might have turned out worse. Jansson was otherwise solid, and read the game well, snuffing out attacks as usual. He attempted only one long ball that did not connect and had no other offensive contributions. He had a whopping seven clearances though, and passed with 95% accuracy. Jansson sort of just defended his real estate in this one.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — Like Jansson, Brekalo also committed a pretty bad pass from a bad spot in the box late in the match. He was visible throughout the match though, if only on the defensive side of things. Brekalo had zero offensive contributions, but he finished with seven clearances, three tackles, a blocked shot, and 97.4% passing accuracy. He was nearly called for a penalty on Evander, but the attacker initiated the contact and was shown a yellow card for simulation. In any case, it was a solid, if not spactacular, night for both of Orlando’s center backs.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 7 — Dorsey was active in both directions against Cincinnati. He combined well with his teammates on multiple occasions and showed good control in tight spaces. He wasted a good opportunity on a pinpoint lofted ball into the box from Marin, by chesting it down for no one to get onto instead of taking the shot himself. Nevertheless, it was a productive night for the right back. Dorsey managed two key passes, and passed at a respectable 88.4%. He committed one foul and suffered three, but surprisingly attempted no long balls and no crosses. Defensively, he finished with two tackles, two interceptions, and one clearance.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 7.5 (MotM) — This Man of the Match selection was easy for me. Obviously, Spicer got the team’s only goal, but he did so much more. He took six shots, although he put just one on target, and he also made three key passes, attempted five crosses — although none connected — attempted two long balls with one finding a target, and tried one through ball that did connect. He drew two fouls and did not commit any. His passing was the lowest on the team at 72.7%, but he contributed mostly with his intelligent movement and positioning, something that is not so apparent in the statistics, and he was the biggest threat to Cincinnati’s defense.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — Gerbet completed 100% of his 36 passes in this match. That’s a pretty rare figure on that many passes, and it was a decent night for the midfielder. He recorded one key pass, one accurate cross, and three completed long balls on the offensive side of things. He finished with one interception and a block on defense, and he committed one foul and suffered none. His block was a painful one, as he blocked a drive at the top of the area with his face. Gerbet’s return from a longterm injury continued to show progress against a good attacking group from Cincinnati.

MF, Luis Otavio, 7 — In another bright spot on the defensive side of things, Otavio had possibly his best match for the Lions. He did well to read plays and snuff out attacks. He was able to steal the ball on multiple occasions, including from the always dangerous Evander, and was involved all over the pitch. He passed well, especially for being in the middle of the action so frequently, with 86.3% accuracy. He was active on the offensive side, attempting four long balls, with one connecting, finding a key pass, and attempting one cross that did not find a target. Defense is where Otavio really shined however. He contributed six tackles, one interception, and a clearance. He committed two fouls and suffered one.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — It was a “different” night for Angulo in this match. He was his usual active self and did a lot of the things he usually does, and even carved out five key passes. Maybe it’s the fact he put up zero defensive statistics, which is unusual, that stands out. He combined well with his teammates and helped to advance the ball forward on multiple occasions, but very little came from his forays. He made one accurate cross and missed on two long ball attempts. He was fouled three times for his efforts but committed none. His passing was an impressive 87.2%. Angulo came close to threatening Cincinnati’s goal on a couple of occasions, but a heavy touch in the 72nd minute, and a mix-up in the box with Antoine Griezmann kept him from making a greater impact.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 6.5 — Griezmann did his thing and repeatedly helped to build up chances against a Cincinnati defense that was stout on the evening. A lack of sharpness is still apparent among the Lions as a group though, which is not surprising given the short time Griezmann’s been with the Lions and the short rest over the past few weeks, not to mention the absence of Martin Ojeda. But the quality is unmistakable and he continues to impress. He took three shots, putting one on target, and attempted a massive 14 crosses, but only two connected among the tall Cincy defenders. He passed with 81.3% accuracy and attempted three long balls, completing one. As usual, Griezmann was active in defense and contributed a clearance and a block and committed one foul while suffering none.

F, Justin Ellis, 7 — Ellis once again showed his quality in this match. He was usually where he needed to be, and if there’s one aspect of his game that might need improvement it’s finishing, as he was gifted a fantastic opportunity by Dorsey in the 36th minute, but he fired his shot right at the goalkeeper. The young forward took five shots on the night with three on target but none of those troubled Roman Celentano. He also contributed a key pass, and attempted two through balls, with one finding a teammate. His deft touch earned him an assist on Spicer’s goal. He only made 13 pass attempts, completing 84.6%, as Cincinnati tried to keep him off the ball. Ellis had no defensive stats.

Substitutes

D, Adrian Marin (39′), 6.5 — Marin came on for the injured Rhein in the first half and filled in pretty well. The quality at the left back position did not suffer after he came on and he made some key contributions in this one. On offense, his only contribution was one accurate cross, but on the defensive end, Marin logged four clearances and a blocked shot. He committed no fouls and suffered one. His passing was accurate at 95%, although on only 20 attempts. The numbers don’t say it all though, and I have to give Marin a little credit in this match. He made an excellent sliding challenge in the 64th minute on a charging Ender Echenique and sent in a beauty of a lofted ball into the box for Dorsey that the fullback could have done better with. It was a good night and, importantly, improvement for the left back.

F, Marco Pasalic (46′), 5.5 — Pasalic came on for Gerbet at halftime, as the defensive midfielder was on a minutes restriction. It wasn’t a like-for-like, but Pasalic occupied a lot of his normal areas while Angulo temporarily moved back to work with Otavio in the defensive midfield. The Croatian was active and combined well on a few occasions, and he managed to get three shots off, but none were on target and he provided little threat. He attempted one cross that found no one and two long balls, connecting on one. He made no defensive contributions and neither committed nor suffered any fouls. His one long ball was a good one and sprung Angulo, but the chance ultimately went wanting. He had a glorious chance to send a charging Dike in behind but elected not to, opting to hold up play for reinforcements. He also had a slightly bad touch that former Lion Kyle Smith took advantage of, ending a potential Orlando opportunity.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (61′), 7 — Wilder came on for Ellis and made a convincing impact. He shut down several promising Cincinnati attacks, and contributed on offense as well. For not being on the pitch very long, he had a good number of touches (28) and passed at 94.1% on 17 pass attempts. He took a shot from range that was just a little high, but it was a good effort and didn’t miss by much. Cartagena attempted two crosses that were unsuccessful while completing one long ball. Defensively, he recorded two tackles and two clearances and committed one foul.

F, Daryl Dike (82′), N/A — Dike came on for Spicer, and did not have enough time to earn a grade. Of course, his presence could still be felt and he may have had more of an impact had he been played in behind by Pasalic, but it was not to be. He only made two pass attempts, and completed both. He was fouled once and contributed one clearance.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in a close match that could have gone either way. 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: 8/17/26

Lions draw FC Cincinnati, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

on

August 17, 2026

By

Image of Orlando City's starters pose for a pregame photo wearing their Archive Collection third kits.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m back to covering high school sports again for the fall season, with golf, soccer, and football this week. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw FC Cincinnati at Home

Orlando City drew FC Cincinnati 1-1 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium. The Lions trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Tyrese Spicer’s early goal in the second half was enough for Orlando to secure a point at home. Orlando City hasn’t won in its last three matches across all competitions and will need to pick up wins down the stretch, with the club sitting outside the MLS playoff spots in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points. Before the match, Orlando City announced it had signed OCB midfielder Issah Haruna to a short-term contract. Haruna was on the bench but did not play against FC Cincinnati. The Lions have a quick turnaround, with two home matches this week. Orlando City will face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday and Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Pride’s Winless Run Continues with Loss at Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Portland struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the second half. Jacquie Ovalle scored the equalizer for Orlando, but in stoppage time, Caiya Hanks scored a late winner for Portland. Orlando has lost three consecutive matches. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Sunday against the Washington Spirit.

OCB Falls at Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B fell 2-0 to Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday. Robert Turdean scored the opening goal for Chicago in the first half, and the Fire took a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Damyan Villanueva added the insurance goal for Chicago, which won its third in four matches. The Young Lions have lost four consecutive matches. OCB will be on the road to take on Atlanta United 2 on Saturday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action abroad in Europe. Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten were both in action for Middlesbrough in a 2-1 win against Lincoln City on Saturday in the EFL Championship. Ricardo Pepi scored, and Sergino Dest notched an assist for PSV Eindhoven in a 2-1 win over Excelsior in the Eredivisie. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia as his side defeated Modena 3-2 in the Round of 64 in the Coppa Italia. Austin Trusty scored for Celtic, and Cameron Carter-Vickers was also in action in a 4-0 win against Dundee United, as the Scottish Premiership leaders advanced to the quarterfinals in the Scottish League Cup. On Sunday, former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench late in the second half for Villarreal in a 2-2 draw against Racing Santander in La Liga.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who is on loan at Dallas Trinity, scored her first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against the Tampa Bay Sun on Saturday in the USL Super League.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin scored for Southampton, but his side fell 2-1 to Watford on Sunday in the EFL Championship.
  • Atlanta United is reportedly close to signing forward Breel Embolo from Stade Rennes for an $18 million transfer fee.

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

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Image of Luis Otavio playing the ball against FC Cincinnati.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City hosted FC Cincinnati at Inter.co Stadium Saturday night in the new red third kits. This was supposed to be a high-scoring affair between two teams that like to score and also like to give up goals. Naturally, that meant it ended in a low-scoring 1-1 draw. Still, it’s hard to be too upset given Orlando City came from behind and managed to earn a point against a team higher in the standings. Here are my five takeaways from the match.

A Head Injury Goal

FC Cincinnati scored the first goal of the match, but it wasn’t without controversy. Cincinnati passed the ball to the top of the box for Evander. His shot went directly into the face of Joran Gerbet, who dropped like a sack of potatoes. That is the moment that Tori Penso should have blown the whistle to stop the play. You know, for a potential head injury. Instead, Penso allowed the play to continue as the ball rebounded off Gerbet’s head to Pavel Bucha who scored the goal. Fortunately, Gerbet was okay not that Penso was overly concerned in the moment. After the match, she stated the play was not stopped because of an immediate shot by a teammate after the deflection. It took about four seconds from hitting Gerbet in the head from point-blank range until the time Bucha shot, and perhaps four seconds is considered immediate.

Relentless Spicer

Tyrese Spicer continued his run of good form for Orlando City with a good run against the Cincinnati defense. As two defenders closed on him, Justin Ellis made a nifty flicked pass from a ball from Ivan Angulo to a streaking Spicer. The speedy winger held off Bucha shoulder to shoulder to win the ball. Bucha fell down and Spicer rounded the keeper before putting it under the crossbar for the equalizer. It was a hard-earned goal and just what Orlando City needed to get back into the match.

Justice for Brekalo

Kevin Denkey got around Maxime Crepeau and looked certain to score, but he hit the right post. The ball bounced out to Evander. David Brekalo battled to win the ball and Evander went down in the box. Penso immediately called a penalty, but the contact was very light. Then the video assistant referee suggested a call against Orlando City needed to be checked. Penso looked at the replay and rightly said no penalty. On top of that, Evander received a yellow for simulation. Do you believe in miracles? Yes!

Crepeau Continues to Crush It

Crepeau has been playing well since returning from the World Cup. He continued his good form against one of the best attacking teams in MLS. Despite only being credited with three saves, he once again made several saves on shots from offside players that would not have counted, but were still impressive. Additionally, he got better as the match went on. He had good command of the his area, coming out to get the ball, closing down the angles, and being a big contributor to the point at home.

Good Enough

Orlando City’s defense was not great despite holding Cincinnati to one goal, but it was good enough. For a team that gave up nearly three goals per match prior to the World Cup break, allowing an average of one goal per match, including in this game, is much better. On a sadder note, Bernardo Rhein went off injured in the first half. The youngster had supplanted Adrian Marin on the depth chart and now might be out for a bit depending on how bad the injury is. To his credit, Marin played better than he usually does once he came on. Again, the defense wasn’t spectacular, but it did enough to earn a point.

That is what I saw in Orlando City’s result with FC Cincinnati. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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