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

Orlando City picked up a 3-0 home win over Toronto FC on Saturday night, a result that was tighter than the scoreline suggested but stretched the Lions’ unbeaten run to five games (4-0-1) and snapped Toronto’s own seven-match unbeaten streak. Antoine Griezmann’s first-half strike put Orlando in front before substitute Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo added late goals that made the final margin more comfortable than the run of play for much of the night.

Let’s take a look at how the Lions fared in their shut out of an in-form Toronto side.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5  — Crepeau came up with some big saves to help earn Orlando’s clean sheet. He got down quickly to deny Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 14th minute, produced another key stop on Markus Cimermancic right after the second-half restart, and closed the door in stoppage time with a strong reaction save to keep out Raheem Edwards. He also chipped in with the ball at his feet, completing 29 of his passes (79.3%) with three of eight long balls finding a teammate.

D/MF, Ivan Angulo, 7.5 (MotM)  — Angulo was not only his usual relentless force on the pitch all night, but his final product was spot on. If not for a glaring miss by Daryl Dike, he would have an assist in addition to his well-taken goal. Deployed at left back to start the game before moving forward when Bernardo Rhein entered in the second half, he covered ground at both ends all night: snuffing out dangerous attacks and creating his own. He was beaten down his flank a few times, particularly when players used his momentum against him and cut back underneath on the defensive end. Luka Gavran denied an Angulo 1-v-1 effort in the 79th minute, but Angulo got his goal in the end, fighting past the Toronto defense and finishing off a flowing move from substitute Justin Ellis to make it 3-0 in the 96th minute. Angulo has no quit in him, seeming to have more in the tank than everyone else on the pitch. He finished with two shots, putting both on target, two key passes, 81.6% passing accuracy on 49 attempts, three tackles, and an interception.

D, Iago, 6.5  — Iago was a menace defending the Lions’ 18-yard box. He led the back line with six clearances, blocked two shots, passed at a 93.1% rate on 72 attempts, and logged four tackles. He cut out a dangerous ball in the 58th minute and shut down a late Josh Sargent-led break in the 86th. He had a couple of uncomfortable moments in buildup, twice playing loose passes out of the back to an under pressure Otavio, that could have easily resulted in turnovers just outside Orlando’s 18-yard box. Overall, however, this was a dominant performance.

D, David Brekalo, 6  — It was a solid night at center back for Brekalo. He did a competent job without standing out in any major way and, importantly, not making any glaring errors. This last point shouldn’t be overlooked, as center backs usually have the game coming at them, and staying calm and making the right decision is not always easy. The Slovenian international completed 91.9% of his 62 passes, chipped in three clearances, and completed one of four long-ball attempts.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 6  — It was a bit of a boom-and-bust night for Taifi. He was caught out in a couple of first-half moments — a misplaced pass in a dangerous spot in the 20th minute and a lapse in the 37th that nearly let Derrick Etienne Jr. in behind — and wasted a cross into empty space in the 45th. But he made up for two earlier impatient passes without any Orlando numbers in the box by whipping in a perfect cross that Griezmann finished for the opener in first-half stoppage time. He then settled into a more disciplined second half, working hard to defend the box in the 50th, helping the buildup in the 56th, and winning a block in the 75th. He finished with two key passes, 78.1% passing accuracy on 32 attempts, one accurate cross on two tries, two long balls, a tackle, and two clearances.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 5  — Spicer’s final passing numbers — 46.2% on just 13 attempts — were the lowest on the team, but he had his moments, showing good footwork and effort in the 25th minute and hustling Richie Laryea out of bounds in the 48th before making way for Bernardo Rhein in the 64th. He also chipped in two tackles, two interceptions, and a clearance defensively. He took one off-target shot, completed one cross, and missed on his one long ball attempt. It wasn’t quite the performance we’ve come to expect from Spicer, as he was absent at times and managed only 24 touches in more than an hour, but he helped to advance the ball and put pressure on his old team in his time on the pitch.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 5.5  — Gerbet’s evening ended at halftime, likely due to his 27th-minute yellow card and to keep the starter fresher for Wednesday’s match in Columbus. He was subbed off for Wilder Cartagena at the break. He did well to help create attacking opportunities, but had an unfortunate backpedaling fall in the 19th minute that could have cost the Lions if not for Angulo’s speed. Playing with a new central midfield partner, Gerbet did well to connect the lines and was the more composed of the Lions’ two men in the middle. He completed 90.6% of his 32 passes and made one tackle.

MF, Luis Otavio, 5.5  — Otavio was shown a yellow card in the 20th minute for a foul that gave Toronto a dangerous set piece. He was too passive on the play, waiting for the ball to come to him while under pressure. His offside positioning wiped out a 32nd-minute own goal by Walker Zimmerman, with the video review ruling he interfered with play during Griezmann’s free-kick delivery. Otavio did well to read a pass and push play forward to Marco Pasalic in the 71st minute, though a careless giveaway deep in stoppage time, in the 95th minute, was a reminder of his rougher moments. He completed 93.2% of his 59 passes, tied for the most on the team, and was a solid defensive presence with three tackles, an interception, and two clearances. He also completed three long ball attempts.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5  — Pasalic struggled through a rough stretch early in the game, failing to connect in tight spaces with teammates. He also should have done better defending a ball over the top in the 49th minute. He turned defense into offense to help set up an Ojeda chance in the 56th minute, linked up well with Justin Ellis in the 71st and 72nd minutes, and sent a beautiful nutmeg pass through a defender for Angulo’s saved effort just before he was subbed off for Sarajian in the 80th minute — it was one of his team-high three key passes on the night. Pasalic passed at an 88.1% rate, took one shot that was blocked, and completed his one long ball attempt. Defensively he logged one tackle and one interception.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 7.5  — Griezmann was at the center of two of Orlando’s best moments before he was withdrawn. His free-kick delivery in the 32nd minute deflected in off Walker Zimmerman for what looked like a Toronto own goal, only to see it overturned on video review. He wasn’t denied for long, executing a difficult sliding volley finish on a glorious Taifi cross early in first-half stoppage time to put the Lions in front. He also played a perfect ball over the top to spring Angulo down the left in the 68th minute before making way for Justin Ellis in the 70th. He finished with two shots on target, attempted three crosses that didn’t connect, and completed his one long-ball attempt. He passed with 84.9% accuracy on 33 attempts and added one tackle.

F, Martin Ojeda, 5.5  — Ojeda’s biggest moment came in the 49th minute, when he pounced on a poor back-pass from Richie Laryea and appeared to draw a penalty, only for the call to be overturned on review after replays showed goalkeeper Gavran got a touch on the ball before the contact. He exhibited his excellent skill and I.Q. in possession, helping to build up in the attack and calmly deal with Toronto’s press, but still has just a slight bit of rust on him, leftover from his long injury absence. He couldn’t quite find the killer pass in this match, as he often does. Ojeda was subbed off for Daryl Dike in the 64th minute having put up two shots, one on target, 77.4% passing accuracy on 31 attempts, three long balls and no defensive stats.

Substitutes

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 (46′)  — Cartagena came on for Gerbet at halftime and made his presence felt late, blocking a Dániel Sallói effort in the fourth minute of stoppage time and another from Josh Sargent a minute later. He completed a team-best 95.5% of his 22 passes to go with a tackle and two clearances. Cartagena put his one shot attempt on target, forcing a diving save from Gavran on a well-placed blast that was headed just inside the left post, and he completed both of his two long-ball attempts.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 6 (64′)  — Rhein came on and pushed Angulo up to left wing in the second half and solidified his side of the field, helping calmly break lines and making the safe play to help see out the win. The left back tracked back well to snuff out a Toronto counter in the 81st minute and whipped in a dangerous cross for Daryl Dike in the 93rd. He completed 89.5% of his 19 passes, including one key pass and one completed long-ball attempt. Defensively, he added one blocked shot.

F, Daryl Dike, 5 (65′)  — It was a rollercoaster match for Dike. He badly fluffed a golden chance while trying to reset his feet in the 71st minute, stepping over the ball with the goal gaping after a well-worked move from Ellis and Angulo. He atoned a bit in the 81st minute, combining with Sarajian to unselfishly set up the second goal despite having space to shoot. He missed another good look in the 93rd minute and had a couple of sloppy touches trying to control the ball, though one of them still won a corner. He finished with a shot, a key pass, and two of four passes completed.

MF, Justin Ellis, 7 (70′)  — Ellis made an instant impact after replacing Griezmann, combining well with Pasalic in the 72nd minute and continuing to link the attack the rest of the way. He collected a pass from Angulo and found Rhein in the 93rd minute for his cross to Dike, then fed Angulo for the clinching third goal in the 96th to bag another assist. He finished with a shot on target, two key passes, and 77.8% passing accuracy on 18 attempts.

F, Harvey Sarajian, 7 (80′)  — While most players don’t receive grades for such short appearances, the rookie didn’t need much time to leave a mark on this match. His hustle and hard work won the ball that allowed him to combine with Dike before slotting home his first MLS goal in the 81st minute. Not only did he make the best of his chance, but he had to fight hard for it, bringing down a difficult ball and winning two challenges from the Toronto defense in the process. He kept contributing the rest of the way as well, helping in the buildup play and working hard to win possession as the match ground on. He finished with a shot on target, a key pass, and 83.3% passing accuracy on his six attempts. More importantly, he brought a great deal of energy and scored a badly needed insurance goal late.

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.