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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 3-2 win against Atlanta?

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1 month ago

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Image of Joran Gerbet surveying the field against Atlanta United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions scored all five goals on Wednesday night, three into Atlanta’s net and two into their own, grabbing an important 3-2 victory on the road against one of the teams chasing Orlando for a spot in the playoffs. Antoine Griezmann continued to make his case for consideration as the most impactful transfer of the season, bagging a brace as well as making the best defensive play of the game, and with that win the Lions are now up to sixth place in in the conference standings.

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 opponent.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 6 — Crépeau was not called on to do a lot during this game, but he made one save on a hard shot by Breel Embolo and claimed two high balls. In the end, he allowed two goals, but both were officially credited as own goals. The Canadian could not have done much on either goal. On the first, the Lions failed to successfully spring the offside trap, so Atlanta had multiple players rushing at him, and eventually the ball bounced in off of David Brekalo. On the second goal, a header took a wicked deflection of Tyrese Spicer’s head into the opposite side of the goal. Outside of the one save and those two own goals, Atlanta did not create much of a threat, so there was little else for Crépeau to do, aside from being an outlet in the back. He completed 77.1% of his passes, but though he kept any Atlanta players from scoring, it was another game with multiple goals allowed for the Orlando netminder.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 6 — The 18-year-old left back once again played a solid game, providing good defensive cover and even getting forward a few times to cause some trouble in the Atlanta defensive third. He completed 46 passes at an 85.2% clip, including a beautiful through ball to Iván Angulo that led to a promising chance for the Lions. He added one tackle and one clearance on the defensive side, but the most impressive part of his performance was how he kept Aleksey Miranchuk from impacting the game in a major way while he was on the field.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede got caught in the failed offside trap and then was a step slow recovering back when play continued, contributing to Atlanta’s first goal. But after that, he was solid in the back throughout the rest of the match. Jansson was one of many Lions that tied for the team lead with five defensive contributions, making one interception and adding four clearances, and whenever the team needed a mess cleaned up or the safe outlet back, he was always there, completing 80 passes at a 96.4% rate. The best of those completions was a gorgeous ball he played over the top to Martín Ojeda that garnered him a secondary assist when Ojeda crossed the ball to Iván Angulo for the goal that gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Despite being the oldest player on the back line, Jansson was the only one who went the full 90, delivering yet another strong defensive performance as well as some excellent passing out of the back, as the Lions held on for the victory.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo’s hustle backfired on him on Atlanta’s first goal, as he tried to get back once the offside trap failed but ended up alone in a crowd of Atlanta players and bundled the ball into his own net. The Slovenian also took a yellow card after missing a tackle and tripping Embolo late in the first half. That yellow card likely contributed to Brekalo coming off in the second half, breaking a string of seven straight games in which he went the full 90 minutes. Despite only playing 79 minutes, he matched his center back partner Jansson with five defensive contributions, all of them clearances, and completed 93.4% of his passes. In a rarity for a center back, he completed more passes in the opposition half than his own half, as he got forward quite a bit in support of the offense.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 6 — After playing the full 90 minutes in four of the last five matches and 77 minutes in the other match, Dorsey finally played a shorter shift on Wednesday night, only going for the duration of the first half. He made his presence felt, however, contributing the secondary assist on Griezmann’s game-tying goal and nearly scoring one of his own after making a full-field sprint. The right back should have done better with his chance in front of goal that Ojeda set up, but he sent his left-footed redirect shot over the bar from extremely close range. Dorsey completed 80.8% of his passes and constantly stretched the Atlanta defense, so much so that Orlando City played more than 40% of its attacks up the right flank during the first half. He did not have make any defensive contributions, but his hustle allowed him to collect five loose-ball recoveries, which led the game at the time of his departure. The man with the bun departed at halftime for Zakaria Taifi, allowing some fresh legs to come on and Dorsey to get some rest with another game coming up on Saturday.

MF, Iván Angulo, 7 — After a near miss against San Diego last weekend, Angulo came through with an empty net on Wednesday, converting a pass from Ojeda for his second goal of the season. He started out on the wing but finished at left back, once again displaying his incredible fitness as he was just as involved at the end of the game as he had been at the beginning. His one misstep was actually a lack of a step, as he was not in sync with the rest of the defense as they tried to step up in unison on an early Atlanta corner, keeping the attacking group onside and leading to the game’s opening goal. Aside from that one play, Angulo was a positive player throughout, completing 91.1% of his passes, scoring a critical goal, and adding one tackle, one interception, one block, and two clearances on defense.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — The Colombian midfielder played a steady game against Atlanta, delivering little in the way of spectacular plays but not making any major mistakes either. He completed 91.2% of his passes, added three defensive contributions, and tied for the team lead with six loose-ball recoveries. The Atuesta-Gerbet partnership in the middle of the field was dominant compared to Atlanta’s central midfield, and though Atuesta did not contribute directly to any goals or deliver any key passes, he was a metronome in the middle of the field, helping move the ball from side to side and forcing Atlanta players to stay with him as he roamed around the field.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 7.5 — Orlando City’s “other” French player also played extremely well in the middle of the field, completing 89 passes at a 93.7% rate and bossing the game throughout his performance. Gerbet was everywhere for the Lions, with a bright orange heatmap from box to box and four defensive contributions as well. His best play was a pass, and what a pass it was, as it was the French connection of Gerbet to Griezmann for Gerbet’s first assist of the season and Orlando’s first goal of the night. If not for his countryman, Gerbet might have taken Man of the Match honors, as he was excellent offensively and defensively throughout his 74 minutes, before making way for Wilder Cartagena in a like-for-like substitution.

MF, Justin Ellis, 7.5 — The 19-year-old midfielder showed increasing command of his new right wing role, going the full 90 minutes for the first time since, coincidentally, the last time the Lions played Atlanta, and leading the team in both key passes and tackles (three of each). One of those key passes turned out to be the game-winning assist, as Ellis and Griezmann once again showed their tremendous chemistry by linking up for a give-and-go in a tight space just outside the top of the Atlanta box. Ellis’ return pass was inch perfect in leading Griezmann right into his shot, and with that assist Ellis is now tied with Angulo for the team lead with nine, despite playing nearly 900 fewer minutes during MLS play. Ellis completed 89.8% of his passes and also went two out of three on his dribble attempts in an all-around performance that showed how valuable of a contributor he is.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 8.5 (MotM) — The superlative well is going to run dry soon if Griezmann keeps this up, as the French superstar bagged two goals and has now scored the second most goals for the Lions during MLS play, even though he has only played in nine of the team’s 24 games. Griezmann demonstrated his love of American sports by scoring his first goal on what looked more like a slide into second base against the Atlanta Braves instead of a sliding shot against Atlanta United. He then gave the Heisman Trophy pose (perhaps something he learned while attending UCF’s season-opening football game last week) after scoring his second goal off of a beautiful play with Ellis. Griezmann’s most acrobatic play was on the other end of the field, as he got airborne to somehow keep an Atlanta header from crossing the goal line, preventing the Five Stripes from grabbing a momentum-shifting goal. He truly did it all against Atlanta, completing 85.7% of his passes, adding five defensive contributions, playing yet another full 90 minutes, and putting the team on his back in yet another Man of the Match performance.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — On another day Ojeda could have had a hat trick, but his touch let him down on several occasions when he was in on goal, and the Argentine was unable to convert any of his team-leading five shot attempts. The Argentine did not let those misses get him down, however, and he continued to put the pressure on Atlanta throughout his shift, eventually picking up an assist on a perfect pass to Angulo in the second half. Ojeda’s movement looked as good as ever, but he is still knocking the rust off with his timing and footwork, and his fitness is clearly getting closer to 100% as he jumped from 10 minutes to 40 minutes to 73, and by next week he may be able to go a full 90 again if needed. He completed 76.7% of his passes, including the assist to Angulo and what was nearly a second to Dorsey, and he also added a tackle and a block on the defensive side of the ball.

Substitutes

D, Zakaria Taifi (46′), 6 — Taifi returned to the right side of the field against Atlanta, coming on at halftime for Dorsey and playing a similar role, though slightly more defensive as the Lions were protecting a lead during most of his shift. The young defender completed 81.8% of his passes, nearly picking up an assist when he made a great run up the sideline and delivered a pass that was just a half-second too late, allowing Atlanta to recover and deflect it away from allowing Griezmann a tap in. Taifi was an active defender as well, picking up four defensive contributions from a tackle, an interception, a block and a clearance.

F, Tyrese Spicer (71′), 5.5 — The Trinidad & Tobago man came on for Rhein but bumped Angulo to left back, and while he had chances to deliver a vintage supersub Spicer performance up the left side, he was unable to convert either of his two shots. The better of the two chances failed as Spicer slipped on the plastic grass, and if that chance had happened at home, I think he would have scored yet another goal after coming off the bench. Spicer completed all three of his pass attempts and added one interception and one clearance, but was unfortunate in that his most memorable play will be one that he accidentally participated in, as a headed ball bounced off of him and past Crépeau for an own goal deep in stoppage time.

MF, Marco Pašalić (74′), 5.5 — Pašalić contributed more defensively than offensively on Wednesday, hustling to get back and help out on the right side and making an interception and a block during his limited minutes on the field. He completed all nine of his passes and beat one defender off the dribble, delivering a solid performance off the bench.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (74′), 7 — The Peruvian midfielder came on for Gerbet and bookended a strong 90 minute performance between the two in the center of the field. Cartagena went a perfect 12/12 on his pass attempts, but his biggest play was when he read where Miguel Almirón was about to play a pass and stepped in to deflect the pass to Griezmann, initiating the play that turned into the winning goal. He also helped in the aftermath of Griezmann’s save off the line, knocking the ball off an Atlanta player, who misplayed it out for a goal kick. Despite only playing 16 minutes, Cartagena racked up five defensive contributions, delivering for the Lions off the bench and helping the team close out a victory on the road.

D, Iago (79′), N/A — Iago came on for his first appearance since the Leagues Cup, and he delivering a towering performance, making five clearances (three with his head) in just 11 minutes plus stoppage time. He also hustled to get involved on Griezmann’s goal-line clearance, putting himself in a great position to block any shot attempt had Atlanta been able to get a shot off after the ball was saved off the line. The Brazilian went seven for eight on his pass attempts and did not look rusty after almost a month in between appearances.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-2 enjoyable win on the road at Atlanta. 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

Lion Links: 10/21/26

Justin Ellis recognized, the Orlando Youth Soccer Network expands, the USMNT adds a friendly, and more.

Published

21 hours ago

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October 21, 2026

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Image of Justin Ellis dribbling the ball trying to beat a Philadelphia Union defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. The weather is getting a bit nicer. I’m actually able to have the windows open at night, which is delightful. However, the temperatures are rising a bit this week, which I find sad. I know we live in Florida, but gosh darn it, we’re only 10 days from Halloween. I should be wearing sweaters rather than shorts. I appreciate you allowing me to rant, now let’s get to the links.

Justin Ellis Named No. 5 of MLS 22 Under 22

Justin Ellis was rightly named to Major League Soccer’s 2026 22 Under 22 list. The Orlando City striker came in at No. 5 on the list. It’s not surprising, given the year he’s had. He’s busted into the starting lineup for Orlando City, and he has 16 goal contributions so far. He also received his first call-up to the USMNT, scoring a goal in his first match and two goals in the four-game window. He’s joined on the list by fellow USMNT teammates Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall. This is his second accolade in the last week as he was also named 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Pathway Player of the Year.

New Orlando Soccer School Announced

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are expanding the Orlando Youth Soccer Network with the addition of the Orlando Soccer School – Winter Haven. The organization is formerly known as the Winter Haven Soccer Club. The school will provide programming for boys and girls ages 3-19. This is an example of the top-to-bottom pipeline the organization is building to develop players for both the men’s and women’s clubs.

Orlando City B Season in Review

Like the Orlando Pride, Orlando City B did not make the post season in 2026. That doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t a success in other ways. Orlando City B is a developmental squad, and the reserve side did its job in developing prospects this season. Some OCB players made it into the first team, there were a record number of academy debuts, and the team saw several international call-ups. Given how inconsistent the squad was because of all the shuffling around, it’s not surprising the team struggled on the pitch at times. Hopefully, all the younger players getting time will set the team up for success next season.

USMNT to Face Jamaica in December

The USMNT added a friendly against Jamaica on December 13 in Miami. The match takes place outside of the international window, so we can expect Mauricio Pochettino to call up MLS players whose clubs have been eliminated from the playoffs. There’s also a possibility for some European-based players, but clubs are not required to release them. Prior to that, the team will be in action in against Haiti in the two quarterfinal legs of the Concacaf Nations League.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/20/26

Griezmann named Player of the Matchday, Ojeda up for Goal of the Matchday, Pride in the power rankings, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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October 20, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann celebrating with fans and Daryl Dike.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! It was a great weekend for the Lions, while the Pride won but were finally knocked out of the playoffs with Seattle Reign FC’s defeat of the Chicago Stars. Let’s start today off by wishing Pride goalkeeper McKinley Crone a happy 28th birthday. It’s been a busy past few days, so let’s get to the links.

Griezmann, Ojeda Honored

For their efforts (and spectacular goals) in Orlando City’s 4-1 win over D.C. United on Saturday, both Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda have received deserved honors. Griezmann was named MLS Player of the Matchday for his two-goal, one-assist performance, leading the way once again in what has been an impressive start to his career as a Lion. The man they call Grizi is up to 19 goal contributions in 14 matches. Griezmann was obviously also honored with a starting spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday, joining fellow Lion Martin Ojeda, who chipped in a goal and an assist against D.C. And what a goal it was! Ojeda’s crazy, leaping, spinning backheel goal from Griezmann’s chipped pass over the top is deservedly up for MLS Goal of the Matchday. There’s still time to cast your vote on Twitter.

In addition to Goal of the Matchday, Ojeda’s magical moment will likely be up for MLS Goal of the Year. Marco Pasalic’s late insurance goal was also important, and it gave the Lions a goal from all three Designated Players in the same game.

Lions Deemed Powerful, Entertaining

Orlando City is up to No. 9 in the latest version of the ESPN MLS power rankings after Wednesday’s road draw in Toronto and Saturday’s lopsided home win over D.C. United. It’s been a long climb up those power rankings, just like it’s been a long climb above the playoff line after Orlando’s terrible start to the season. The Lions still have a lot to do to secure a postseason spot, but at least at home, they’ve been strong in the second half of the season.

Additionally, the Lions are an entertaining watch, win or lose, according to Joseph Lowery over at the league’s website. Lowery’s argument is compelling, noting that both the Orlando attack and the defense keep things exciting by either scoring or conceding in bunches. He also notes the number of ways the Lions can operate with personnel moving around to give the team multiple attacking options.

Pride in the Power Rankings

The Orlando Pride picked up a 2-1 win in Houston on a big day from Solai Washington, but it wasn’t enough to keep the team in contention for the postseason as Seattle defeated Chicago to seal the Pride’s fate. In addition to the Pride being 11th in the standings after the win, the latest version of ESPN’s NWSL power rankings have them in the same spot, which seems fair. Orlando will play out the string starting Sunday with a matinee against first-place Gotham FC before finishing the season on Nov. 1 at Seattle.

Americans Abroad in European Tournaments

Several Americans will be in action this week, so make sure you’ve got all the games you need to see written down somewhere, so you won’t miss any of the action. Tyler Adams faces Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah in Europa League action Thursday as AC Milan travels to AFC Bournemouth. Chris Richards and Crystal Palace also play in a Europa League tilt against Besiktas, and the defense is being held up as a reason for their struggles. Tanner Tessman is also one to look for in Lyon’s matchup against Hoffenheim in a Europa League tilt. Villarreal heads to Liverpool in Champions League action and we’ll see if the club’s manager continues to ride Alex Freeman’s hot run as he has yet to start a Champions League game.

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That’s the wrapup for today. Check back with us tomorrow for more futbol news.

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-1 home win over D.C. United?

Published

3 days ago

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October 19, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against D.C. United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The offense dazzled while the defense avoided having its customary lapses become costly in Orlando City’s 4-1 home win over D.C. United. Daryl Dike, Martin Ojeda, and Antoine Griezmann combined on the best team goal all season for the opener, while Ojeda got cheeky with the second goal on a scorpion kick.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated in their matchup against D.C. United.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5 — It was a fairly quiet night for the Canadian goalkeeper as he only had to make three saves and the goal against him was from the penalty spot. In the moments when the lapses in the defense showed up, he was out there, correcting the mistakes. Two of his three saves came in the eighth minute on the only significant onslaught from D.C. all night. Crepeau had two successful long balls on the night and 76% passing accuracy.

D, Ivan Angulo, 6 — While Angulo brought all of his usual energy and endurance, his touches and decisions mostly let him down all night. He contributed on the defensive end but was mostly off on the offensive end. That said, even with his touch being off, his presence widens a defense and allows for the type of goals the Lions put in the net all night. Angulo was dispossessed three times and passed at a 91% percent rate while adding five defensive contributions and nine recoveries, showing the work put in on the defensive end.

D, Iago, 6 — It was a standard night for Iago, as he had a great long through ball in the 11th minute to break the defense but also had a bad giveaway at the 26-minute mark. As the central clearing house for the team, he had the most touches at 102 and passed at a 93% clip. He added a tackle, a block, and seven clearances. Of the two center backs, he was the more commanding one over David Brekalo and showed why, if given time, he could turn into a dependable center back.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Brekalo had almost as many touches as Iago but there were multiple instances when D.C. United had free headers from his marks. None of them converted, but that doesn’t let him off the hook. He also had a bad turnover in the 85th minute. He was 86% accurate on his passes with two tackles, one block, and seven clearances.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 6.5 — The lineup was a little more standard with Taifi lining up in his right back role instead of forcing Angulo over there. Taifi didn’t stand out but, in a season of defensive miscues, not standing out can be a good thing. He was a willing runner, spreading out the D.C. defense, and provided a good outlet at times. In one of his aggressive moments, he ended up in the middle of the pitch and acted as an outlet to cycle the ball and got a secondary assist on Martin Ojeda’s goal. He only finished with a 77% passing rate but added two tackles and four clearances.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 8.5 — Orlando City’s all-time scoring leader would win Man of the Match in most games with an assist and an electrifying goal, but Griezmann exists doing Grizi things. Martin looped in a ball on a great give-and-go for the opening goal and then added his own goal in the 22nd minute that should win MLS Goal of the Week and potentially be on the ballot for MLS Goal of the Year. His passing accuracy was 86% and he’s rounding into form at the right time if this team is to do anything in the playoffs.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5 — It was a mixed night for Wilder. He failed to clear a dangerous cross in the 40th minute that fortunately turned into nothing. He then, inexplicably, bear hugged Sean Nealis on a corner kick, which referee Pierre-Luc Laziere awarded as a penalty when Nealis went to the ground. On the other hand, his aerial header forward on a D.C. clearance up the pitch led to the opening goal. Cartagena, who often dropped back as a de facto third center back to allow Angulo to go forward, passed at a 94% clip but that was the only item on the stat sheet. He was replaced by Joran Gerbet at halftime.

MF, Luis Otavio, 6.5 — Otavio continues to grow into his enforcer role in the midfield. While not shining in any moment, he was almost always present when D.C. was trying to move the ball forward and made himself a nuisance. He picked up a yellow card in the 38th minute with a tackle from behind that he thought he got cleanly. He passed at an 87% rate and recorded two tackles and two interceptions. He was subbed out for Braian Ojeda in the 70th minute.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — The team structure didn’t force Atuesta into defensive positions as often at it did in Wednesday’s game against Toronto FC and, as a result, Atuesta had a better game. While he was only 83% accurate with his passes, he tallied three key passes to open up the D.C. United defense. That includes a nice grounded cross that Angulo couldn’t finish. He was replaced by Adrian Marin in the 70th minute as Orlando City shifted into a more defensive shape.

F, Daryl Dike, 6.5 — In a rare start for the target forward, Dike was instrumental in setting up the first goal as he controlled the entry pass before laying it off to Griezmann. It was really his only positive control of the night as he seemed to not have the footwork to combine receiving a pass into an opportunity, but his holdup play was good, as he chested long balls down for his midfielders to run onto. Dike passed at a 61% clip and only touched the ball three times in the box. He was active defensively, chipping in two tackles and four clearances.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 9 (MotM) — The superlatives continue for the Frenchman and he has unofficially taken over Lionel Messi’s hold on the top-rated player in MLS according to FotMob. This game was a masterpiece worthy of the Louvre. A magnificent give-and-go to open the scoring, an excellent pass to Martin Ojeda for the second, and then active pressing work to pick off an errant pass in the D.C. defensive end for the third goal. Two goals, one assist, four key passes, three shots (all on target), and 83% passing all add up to a phenomenal game.

Substitutes

MF, Joran Gerbet (46′), 6 — Gerbet came on at halftime and helped provide more relief through the midfield. He missed just one of his 40 passes for a 98% passing rate but also didn’t add a ton defensively with a single tackle making up all of his defensive contributions.

MF, Braian Ojeda (70’), 6 — The Lions flexed their midfield depth all night as Braian Ojeda came on for Otavio. He was a perfect 15-for-15 on his passes and added a tackle and an interception.

D, Adrian Marin (70′), 5.5  — As Orlando City shifted into a more defensive shape late, Marin came on to act as the left side of the back three for his first appearance in almost two months. It didn’t go much better than his previous stints as he made a bad pass in the 87th minute that almost led to a breakaway. He finished with four defensive contributions, which is impressive in 20-plus minutes but it’s almost always the mistakes that make you wince at Marin.

F, Justin Ellis (70’), 6.5 — Ellis returned after nursing a small injury and continued to show the skills he brings. He logged two key passes in his limited time on the field, including the line-breaker to Marco Pasalic that led to the fourth goal. He connected on nine of his 11 passes and will surely work his way back into fitness to return to the starting lineup.

MF, Marco Pasalic (86’), N/A — Pasalic only played for nine minutes and, as such, won’t receive a grade but that doesn’t diminish his movement in the last action of the game. As Orlando City was clearing D.C. United’s attack, Pasalic went sprinting up the middle, opening a lane for Ellis to place a perfect ball at his feet. Pasalic took it in one-on-one vs D.C. goalkeeper Sean Johnson and slotted it by him. Pasalic is a tough player to figure out how to place in the lineup, as his game is more suited to taking chances throughout a game but, if he can prove a dangerous sub, Orlando City will have plenty of options late in the game.

That’s what I’ve got for the players in a celebration of an evening. 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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