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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 1-1 home draw against FC Cincinnati?

Published

4 weeks ago

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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: 9/14/26

Lions shut out Toronto FC, Pride draws at Kansas City Current, OCB wins, and more.

Published

45 minutes ago

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September 14, 2026

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Image of Harvey Sarajian working past a Toronto FC II defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work, but I tried to catch some soccer games to watch over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic, who turns 27 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Shut Out Toronto FC

Orlando City defeated Toronto FC 3-0 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, keeping a clean sheet and earning three vital points. Antoine Griezmann scored the opener just before halftime. Late in the second half, Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo each scored for Orlando to close out the match. The Lions extended their unbeaten streak to five matches (4-0-1) and won their third straight. Next for Orlando City is a road match against the Columbus Crew in the semifinals of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Foxborough to face the New England Revolution on Saturday.

Daryl Dike Shares Insight on Soccer Journey and U.S Open Cup

Orlando City forward Daryl Dike was interviewed on the U.S. Soccer Podcast, where he shared insight into his soccer journey and the Lions’ upcoming U.S. Open Cup matchup against Columbus. Dike also discussed what it meant to represent Oklahoma, where he excelled with the OKC Energy FC youth program and was named the 2017-2018 Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Soccer Player of the Year. The 26-year-old also discussed his on-field success, his time at West Bromwich Albion dealing with multiple injuries, and why he decided to return to Orlando City. Dike concludes the interview by sharing what the Open Cup tournament means to him and more, as he looks forward to making his first appearance for the Lions in the competition on Wednesday.

Pride Blow Two-Goal Lead in Draw at Kansas City Current

The Orlando Pride could not hold onto a two-goal lead on the road and had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Kansas City Current on Friday. Barbra Banda scored twice to give Orlando a 2-0 lead. However, Kansas City responded with goals from Temwa Chawinga and Elizabeth Ball in the second half to level the match, and both teams walked away with one point. That result means Orlando remains the only NWSL team to be undefeated at CPKC Stadium. The Pride will face the Portland Thorns at home on Saturday.

OCB Takes Step Toward Playoffs with Win vs. Toronto FC II

Orlando City B defeated Toronto FC II 3-1 on Sunday night at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions got off to a great start as Ignacio Gomez scored to give OCB the lead. Gustavo Caraballo doubled the Young Lions’ lead just before halftime. In the second half, Sarajian scored for the second straight night to extend OCB’s lead to 3-0. Toronto pulled one back late in the match from the penalty spot, but the Young Lions picked up a crucial three points and extended their winning streak to three consecutive matches. Issah Haruna had two assists in the game. The win improves OCB sits eighth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with 44 points. The Young Lions will host Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day on Sunday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action in Europe. Christian Pulisic made his first appearance of the season for AC Milan and recorded an assist in a 2-2 draw against Lazio on Saturday. Antonee Robinson played a full 90 minutes for Fulham in a scoreless draw against Liverpool. Sebastian Berhalter played a full 90 minutes and scored twice for Middlesbrough in a 4-3 win against Norwich City. Jack McGlynn scored his first goal in the EFL Championship for Stoke City in a 2-1 win against Watford.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship, scored a stellar bicycle kick in a 3-0 win against Sporting Club Jacksonville on Saturday. If you missed it, check it out below.
  • The Houston Dash have reportedly parted ways with head coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila Kilgore.

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. Toronto FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 3-0 home win against the Reds.

Published

21 hours ago

on

September 13, 2026

By

Image of Iago passing the ball against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City picked up another critical three points at home on Saturday night, shrugging off two overturned calls from video review and continuing its march back into the playoff picture with a 3-0 victory. It was nervy for a while, but the defense held firm and the offense finally converted two late chances, and everyone in purple went home happy, just the way we like it.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Defensive Starters Bought All the Vowels

With the U.S. Open Cup semifinal coming up on Wednesday, Martín Perelman rotated the back line, dropping Iván Angulo from the wing to left back and bringing in Zakaria Taifi and Iago to replace Griffin Dorsey and Robin Jansson, respectively. David Brekalo kept his starting role in his normal right center back slot. Between Maxime Crépeau and the four starters on the back line, that group of five used all five vowels and went five for five on last names (Iago is a mononym, so we’ll call that a last name) ending in a vowel. The defenders played well for most of the game, getting a little lucky that Toronto blazed a few good chances off target or off the woodwork but holding their own for the most part. In the end, they pitched a shutout (the number zero looks a lot like the vowel “o,” am I right?) — their second in the last three games.

Z to A Works, Too

Orlando City’s opening goal came on a beautiful play between Zakaria Taifi and Antoine Griezmann, as the French attacker signaled to the young defender that he was making a run into the box and Taifi then delivered a perfectly placed cross to Griezmann, who finished it with style off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net. Griezmann is a savant on the field, drawing the best out of all his teammates, and while Taifi played a perfect pass, the whole play was set up by Griezmann, as he essentially cut backdoor while calling for an alley-oop, and then hammered in soccer’s version of a dunk to finish the play and put the Lions in the lead.

Harvey Pulled a Rabbit Out of His Hat

The Lions held the lead for the first 35 minutes of the second half, but Toronto actually took the lead on the expected goals tracking early in the second half and came close to tying the game several times. Perelman used his final sub in the 80th minute, sending on Harvey Sarajian. Just two minutes later, Sarajian doubled Orlando City’s lead through an incredible individual effort. The rookie attacker leapt high in the air to bring a ball down, lost control of it briefly but sprinted to get it back, blew through two Toronto defenders like a bull in a china shop to get a pass to Daryl Dike, and then kept going towards goal. Dike gave Sarajian a return pass, and the rookie rewarded the striker with an assist, scoring his first MLS goal by placing his shot into the far corner. The Wake Forest product celebrated his goal with a backflip that would have made former Lions Dom Dwyer and Duncan McGuire proud, and that goal finally gave the Lions some breathing room.

Ellis Changed the Game

For the first time since he joined Orlando, Griezmann was actually subbed off during a game, but unfortunately for Toronto, he came off for Justin Ellis. The well-rested Ellis absolutely bossed the game during his 20-minute shift. The young American was in complete control throughout, playing slicing balls through gaps in the Toronto defense and taking the ball wherever he wanted to take it when he decided to dribble. He had one assist and probably should have had more, and he also had 10 progressive plays (six passes and four carries) during his short stint on the field. It is not a coincidence that the Lions were +2 during his time on the field. Toronto’s defenders looked sapped from the hot Florida night, and Ellis came on fresh and made play after play, helping Orlando City to secure all three points in the final minutes of the game.

Well-Rested for the U.S. Open Cup

The ABCs of Angulo, Brekalo, and Crépeau played the full 90 against Toronto (I am not sure if Angulo is human — he was still running at his top speed when he scored his goal in stoppage time). But among the likely starters for the Lions in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal, they were the only three to do so. Eduard Atuesta, Dorsey, and Jansson did not feature, Ellis played 20 minutes, Bernardo Rhein played 26 minutes, Gerbet 45 minutes, Ojeda 64 minutes, and Griezmann 70. It was a gamble to try to rotate while still in the thick of a playoff race, but the players who started instead of the usual starters delivered, and now the Lions will be positioned about as well as they could be for a midweek road game for a spot in a cup final.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s 3-0 home win against Toronto. The Lions have picked up 13 points from their last five games, and join the Philadelphia Union as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. They will head to Columbus for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday, and if they can extend their hot streak into that tournament and get a win on the road, they will host the championship game on Oct. 21.

Let us know your thoughts about the Toronto match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Keep Rolling

The Lions are unbeaten in five games after a win over previously red-hot Toronto.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 12, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian celebrating his goal with Zakaria Taifi.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City and Toronto FC battled in a match of two of the hottest teams in MLS at Inter.co Stadium, with the lads in purple coming out on top 3-0 in a game that was both closer than the final score indicated and one that the Lions could have won by a wider margin. Antoine Griezmann gave the Lions (10-11-4, 34 points) a 1-0 lead just before the break, with Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo adding late goals to put it away.

The win extended Orlando City’s winning streak to three games and its unbeaten run to five games (4-0-1). Toronto (6-8-11, 29 points) saw a seven-match unbeaten run end tonight against one of the teams it’s chasing for an MLS playoff spot.

“It was a tough game, but I think the team did a good effort, a huge effort,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “The guys jumped into the field and they fight. We had moments and difficulties during the game, but we were able to solve it and win at home, which is very important for us.”

Perelman’s lineup featured little rotation with Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Angulo, Iago, David Brekalo, and Zakaria Taifi. Luis Otavio joined Joran Gerbet in central midfield between wingers Tyrese Spicer and Marco Pasalic with Griezmann and Martin Ojeda up top.

After a cagey opening 10 minutes, Spicer got the game’s first look at goal, blasting a shot just over the crossbar in the 12th minute. Toronto then went the other way and Josh Sargent headed over a minute later.

Derrick Etienne Jr. smashed a shot from the left moments later but Crepeau fought it off with a kick save in the 14th minute.

Griezmann got his first look at goal in the 15th minute when a ball ricocheted to his feet on the left. He fired quickly, but Luka Gavran made the save. The set piece deflected out of the area to Taifi, who tried to shoot with his first touch but sent it far from the target.

Otavio conceded a free kick in the 20th minute near the left corner of the box, but Niklas Dorsch sent a one-hopper right at Crepeau on the set piece.

The Lions thought they’d taken the lead in the 32nd minute when Griezmann’s set piece delivery was headed into the Toronto net by defender Walker Zimmerman. Instead of an own goal, Jon Freemon went to the monitor and determined Otavio was offside and interfering with Zimmerman on the play.

Toronto nearly broke the deadlock five minutes later with a slick passing move that ended up with Derrick Etienne Jr. behind the defense, but the Toronto forward sent his shot just wide of the right post. Theo Corbeanu fired wide in the 40th minute off a transition attempt as Toronto continued to look dangerous.

Griezmann struck in the first minute of added time at the end of the half. With the ball out wide on Taifi’s foot, Griezmann started a run at the top of the box, pointing out where he wanted the young fullback to deliver it. Taifi delivered it to the perfect spot and Griezmann made a lunging poke at it and sent it past Gavran and into the net. For Griezmann, it was his fifth straight game with a goal, tying an overall club record set by Dom Dwyer across two seasons and established a new club record for consecutive games with a goal in a single season.

“I mean, now that I think about it, it’s kind of like stuff I dreamed of as a kid,” Taifi said of his assist. “You know, it’s Griezmann. I’ve watched him for my whole life. In warmups and training, I always practice that ball with him, because I know he just likes to fly and get his foot, get his head on the ball, and I know he’s going to be there. At first, I saw no one was in there, so I hesitated, and then I took another touch. I see him making the run, and then I just put it in there because I knew he was going to get it.”

As stoppage time wound down, Ojeda got to a ball in the Toronto box and went down after contact with Gavran. Freemon pointed to the spot immediately but then went to the monitor. Gavran had touched the ball prior to contact with Ojeda so the penalty and yellow card to Gavran were wiped out. That was it for the half.

At the break, Orlando held the advantage in possession (58.5%-41.5%), passing accuracy (87.8%-82.7%), and corners (3-2), while Toronto attempted more shots (6-4). Both teams put two shots on target in the opening period.

Perelman made one change at halftime, sending Wilder Cartagena on for Gerbet.

Toronto looked to get the goal back immediately, with Markus Cimermancic forcing Crepeau into a big save just after the restart.

The Reds could do nothing with their ensuing corner to end the threat. The visitors created another moments later with a good switch of play from left to right for Etienne, who fired wide with Crepeau out of position after the goalkeeper dove to try to get a hand to the cross. Sargent then fired over the bar in the 52nd minute on a Toronto 3-v-2 break.

The Lions finally got their first look at goal of the second half in the 56th minute. Ojeda shook free just outside the box and fired but sent his effort straight at Gavran.

Dorsch stole the ball from a lackadaisaical Otavio in the 63rd minute but fired over the bar. The play earned Otavio a tongue lashing from Crepeau after the miss.

Perelman sent Daryl Dike and Bernardo Rhein on for Ojeda and Spicer a minte later.Podcasts

In the 71st minute, the Lions worked a well-worked attack from second-half sub Justin Ellis turned Angulo loose down the left. Angulo sent a good cross in front for a tap-in, but Dike couldn’t set his feet and missed the opportunity. Eight minutes later, Pasalic sent a pass through a defender’s legs to send Angulo down the left, but Gavran made a huge save to keep the game at 1-0.

Three minutes later, the Lions doubled their lead. Sarajian, who came off the bench for Pasalic in the 80th minute, kept a play alive by winning a couple of challenges, then gave the ball to Dike. The big striker gave it back to Sarajian on the right and the rookie slipped his first MLS goal past Gavran inside the left post in the 82nd minute.

“It’s a surreal moment for me,” Sarajian said. “It’s been a long time, me playing with the second team and grinding out there, getting a chance to play with the first team. So, I’m super grateful for Dike’s pass, but I’ve just got to keep working to get a couple more.”

Four minutes after the goal, Gavran made a huge stop to deny a rocket from Cartagena. Toronto then went the other way and Daniel Salloi headed off the crossbar but the play was offside anyway.

Sargent blasted a shot from the top of the area off the crossbar in the third minute of stoppage time as Toronto looked for a way back into the game. A minute later, the Lions survived a dangerous sequence in their own end with a block from Brekalo, a save from Crepeau, and another block from Iago to preserve the 2-0 lead.

Orlando put the game to bed just seconds into the sixth minute of stoppage time. Sarajian found Ellis and the young forward set up Angulo, who finished past Gavran to make it 3-0. It was Angulo’s second straight game with a goal — the first such streak in his Orlando City career .

Moments later, the final whistle blew.

Orlando finished the match with the edge in possession (54.8%-45.2%), shots on target (8-4), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (85.8%-85.6%). Toronto finished with more shot attempts (18-13).

“Every player is very important for us,” Perelman said about the way his younger players stepped up and filled in tonight. “I think in this locker room, in this roster, every player that we have is ready. I respect the players because they do a huge effort giving everything for their teammates.”

Orlando City is back in action Wednesday night with a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match on the road against the Columbus Crew. The next league game will be a week from tonight when the Lions visit the New England Revolution.

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