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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Union?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City fell 4-2 to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night at Subaru Park, as a Milan Iloski hat trick powered the hosts to a 4-0 lead by the six-minute mark of the second half. Late goals from Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda trimmed the margin, but the Lions have now conceded 18 goals in their last six road matches and slipped further behind the Union in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Let’s take a look at how the Lions fared in their lopsided loss in Philadelphia.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6 โ€” Crepeau had to face a penalty, and he was left badly exposed on Indiana Vassilevโ€™s finish and on Iloskiโ€™s long-range strike into the top corner. The second Iloski goal is the one he would want back, as the forward got in behind the back line and beat him from the left side of the box in a spot where a stop was possible. Still, it was a good finish, so it’s not like he did anything wrong; he simply got beat. Outside of that, Crepeau was the reason the final score wasnโ€™t far worse. He turned away Quinn Sullivan on a breakaway that was created by an Orlando turnover, stopped Ezekiel Alladoh twice in the closing minutes, and handled a steady diet of Union set pieces, including claiming one corner while under pressure. He finished with five saves, three clearances, 90.9% passing accuracy, and nine of 11 long balls completed.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 4.5 โ€” Rhein produced Orlandoโ€™s first look at goal, cutting in from the left and having his shot blocked by Japhet Sery Larsen. The Lions appealed for a handball, and although the play was checked, no penalty was awarded, as officials judged the ball hit Larsen’s chest first. From there, his night was defined by loose touches that fed into the constant turnovers across Orlandoโ€™s back line, and he was one of three players withdrawn in the 54th minute. He completed 87.9% of his passes and two of three long balls, with two tackles and one shot.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 โ€” Jansson was not the primary culprit on any of the goals, and he blocked two shots โ€” one from Sullivan in the first half and one from Alladoh deep in stoppage time. But as the veteran leader of a defense that looked disorganized for long stretches, particularly on the third and fourth goals, he couldnโ€™t get the group sorted out either. He was bailed out on a bad giveaway in his own third in the 45th minute when the Union made one pass too many and Ojeda intercepted it. Jansson completed 90.5% of his 84 passes and five of 10 long balls, adding two tackles, one interception, and four clearances.

D, Iago, 3.5 โ€” With David Brekalo away on international duty, this was a chance for Iago to make his case. It went the other way. Just before halftime, a poor pass went straight to a Union player and sprang a counterattack. Early in the second half, another pass under pressure gave Philadelphia the ball at the top of the box, and the Union quickly turned it into Vassilevโ€™s goal to make it 3-0. Midway through the half, he lost control in front of his own penalty area and handed Sullivan a clear run at goal that only Crepeauโ€™s save kept out. He was also shown a yellow card in the first half for throwing Bruno Damiani to the ground. He finished with 94.1% passing accuracy, completed all four of his long balls, and logged eight clearances and one blocked shot. The stat sheet canโ€™t capture how costly his two biggest mistakes were, and those weren’t the only giveaways from the Brazilian on the night.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 4.5 โ€” Taifi had a hand in the sequence that produced Philadelphiaโ€™s second goal, trying to thread a pass to Daryl Dike through a Union defender. Dike would have been in with a good pass, and there was ample space to play it into, but the ball was cut out, and two passes later Iloski was in alone on Crepeau. He had a couple of other loose touches, but he also got forward well enough to be the target of a dangerous Antoine Griezmann ball into the box, which Nathan Harriel had to put out for a corner. He was withdrawn in the 54th minute after completing just 66.7% of his passes and two of four long balls, missing on his one cross. He added one key pass, one interception, and four clearances.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6.5 (MotM) โ€” Anguloโ€™s night started poorly, as a careless back pass set up a Union counter that ended in an Iloski shot just wide. He recovered well. He tracked back consistently, helped Orlando play out of pressure, and contributed to several of the Lionsโ€™ better second-half attacks. He also played some right back in the second half. His goal came off a short free kick from Griezmann, which he hammered past Andrew Rick from the right inside the box to make it 4-1. That gives him a goal in four straight MLS matches, the one lasting positive for Orlando to carry out of Chester. He was booked late for a foul on Kai Wagner. He completed 77.8% of his passes, one of two crosses, and two of three long balls, adding three tackles and one key pass, and his goal was his only shot. Angulo was one of Orlandoโ€™s better performers on a rough night. Angulo’s defensive work put him over the top for Man of the Match honors, with Ojeda possibly the only other Lion in the running.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 4.5 โ€” Gerbet blocked a Jesรบs Bueno shot in the opening minute and drew several fouls in the first half, with Damiani repeatedly bringing him down. His evening soured just before halftime when a heavy first touch on a pass from Eduard Atuesta forced him into a tactical foul and a yellow card. But he was part of a central midfield that allowed far too much space to the Union, especially on Iloski’s third goal. He came off at the 54th-minute mark as Martin Perelman tried to change the game, having completed 88.6% of his passes and all three of his long balls, with one tackle, two clearances, and one blocked shot.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 4.5 โ€” Atuestaโ€™s first 10 minutes set the tone for Orlandoโ€™s night. He was dispossessed in midfield, then beaten by Iloski and called for the foul in the box that produced the opening penalty. The decision was debatable, as the contact appeared to come at the edge of the area, perhaps just outside the left side of the box, but he put himself in a position where the referee could make that call. He was booked moments later for dissent. He was better after the break, playing a part in several of Orlandoโ€™s attacking moves, including the buildup to Ojedaโ€™s late goal. He was busy, finishing with 98 touches, 87.7% passing accuracy on 73 passes, going four of eight on long balls with one cross that didnโ€™t find a teammate, one key pass, six tackles, three interceptions, and one clearance. The tackles and interceptions were real contributions, but they donโ€™t outweigh a conceded penalty and a first half full of giveaways.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 โ€” Ojeda was one of the few Lions who looked comfortable on the ball, escaping pressure to launch attacks and hitting a terrific ball over the top for Harvey Sarajian in the second half. But he wasn’t immune to the turnover bug that bit the Lions all night. His finishing was uneven, as he mishit a shot well wide and had two other attempts blocked, but he got his reward late, collecting a feed from Sarajian after a Griezmann dummy and finishing left-footed into the bottom right corner to make it 4-2. He finished with four shots, with one on target, made two key passes, had a 76.9% passing accuracy, and connected on two of three crosses and six of seven long balls.

F, Daryl Dike, 4.5 โ€” Dike got a rare start, and for most of the night he struggled to hold onto the ball. Several poor touches in the first half ended Orlando possessions, and when he got into the box, he forced the play into a defender instead of shooting early or finding Griezmann. In the second half, he lost control in the Union box and was slow to react as Philadelphia cleared. He improved late, holding the ball up more effectively and spinning onto Griezmannโ€™s one-touch pass before being fouled by Sery Larsen just outside the box, which earned the free kick that led to Anguloโ€™s goal. He was replaced by Tiago in the 89th minute after completing 53.3% of his passes and his one long ball, with one shot taken and one blocked shot at the other end.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 6 โ€” Back in the lineup after missing time with a thigh injury, Griezmann was quiet in the first half, and his corner deliveries didnโ€™t trouble Rick. He grew into the match after halftime. He set up Dikeโ€™s shot, combined with him on the move that drew a free kick, and then played the short free kick to Angulo for the assist. His clever dummy also let the ball run through to Ojeda for Orlandoโ€™s second goal. He finished with three shots, but put none on target, with three key passes, three tackles, and 74.5% passing accuracy, though none of his five crosses or three long balls found a teammate. Griezmann’s influence late is a reminder of how much the Lions have missed him, but even he looked a little off for a significant portion of the match. That’s not too surprising, given that he’s coming off a thigh injury, but he did have a bit of a mixed night.

Substitutes

D, Vinicius (54′), 5 โ€” Vinicius made his MLS debut in place of Taifi โ€” with Angulo dropping to right back โ€” and did well defensively for most of his time on the field. He made some efforts at offense as well, sending a half-volley shot over the bar and doing well in the latter stages to win the ball and carry it forward. His worst moment came late, when a careless play out of the back handed possession to Philadelphia and led to one of Alladohโ€™s chances. He completed 80.6% of his passes and one of three long balls, didnโ€™t connect on any of his three crosses, and added one tackle, one interception, and one off-target shot. It was a reasonable first outing in a difficult spot.

F, Harvey Sarajian (54′), 5.5 โ€” Sarajian went in for Rhein and had a good chance to create something when Ojeda found him over the top, but his first touch got away from him and the defense recovered. He made up for it at the end, laying the ball off for Ojedaโ€™s goal and picking up the assist. He completed 75% of his 12 passes with two key passes and one cross that did not connect.

MF, Luis Otavio (54′), 5 โ€” Otavio entered for Gerbet and drew a pair of fouls in the second half, helping Orlando keep the ball in midfield once the game had been decided. He was also involved in the sloppy sequence out of the back that gave Philadelphia a late chance, which Crepeau saved. He completed 80% of his passes and two of three long balls, with three tackles.

F, Tiago (89′), N/A โ€” Tiago came on for Dike in the final minutes of regulation and stoppage time and was involved in a move that won Orlando a late corner. That was not enough time to grade him fairly, so he doesn’t get one for this match.


Thatโ€™s how I saw the individual performances in the match. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and donโ€™t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/7/26

Orlando City players on international duty, the Pride hire some coaches, the USMNT defeats Canada, and more.

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Image of Justin Ellis playing the ball against Charlotte.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. What an international break it was for the USMNT, going undefeated in four matches by defeating Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. The Yanks outscored their opponents 12-3 across the four matches, with Orlando City’s Justin Ellis scoring two goals in his two starts. There’s plenty to digest today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Players on International Duty

Several Orlando City players were on international duty on Tuesday, including Ellis for the USMNT. He scored a goal against Canada (see below) but also picked up a knock that saw him limping for all too long and forcing him off at halftime. Hopefully, he will be able to go this weekend for Orlando City. Marco Pasalic did not get any minutes for Croatia in the team’s 2-1 loss to Spain. Meanwhile, David Brekalo got the start and played the entire match for Slovenia in a 2-1 win over Scotland.

Orlando Pride Add to Coaching Staff

The Orlando Pride hired Mykell Bates and Lewis Amos as assistant coaches and Brian Periman as goalkeeper coach. The trio joins interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’s coaching staff, and the timing of these hires is interesting, given there are only three matches remaining in the season and there’s been no indication that the interim tag is being removed from Thomas. These hirings raise a lot of questions, like, are these short term signings through the end of the season? If not, do they indicate Thomas will be given the permanent position, or are have they been hired knowing there is another head coaching announcement coming?

USMNT Defeats Canada

If you thought a match between the U.S. and Canada wouldn’t be very Concacaf-y, you’d be wrong. So many non-calls, lots of chippiness, and a few injuries proved otherwise. Fortunately, the USMNT was able to see out a 1-0 victory following a goal from Orlando City’s Ellis that gave the Yanks the lead in the 29th minute.

Oh, what could have been if Alex Freeman stayed in Orlando. The win capped a successful run for the start of Maurcio Pochettino’s new contract. We also saw a ton of younger players across the four matches, including three appearances from Ellis.

USWNT to Face Spain

The USMNT is done for the moment, but now we get to see how the USWNT does in a pair of friendlies against reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Spain. NWSL Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez is getting back up to speed with the team after she was called up for the pair of friendlies. As was previously reported, Naomi Girma is out due to injury, but Emma Hayes intends to work with Chelsea to manage her recovery. A new camp means opportunities for different players, so which players’ stock is up or down?

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City match on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/6/26

International call-ups for Pride players, scouting report on Canada, roster changes for the USWNT, and more.

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Image of Solai Washington attacking against Chicago.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Good morning, everyone. The end of the men’s international break is almost upon us, but the women’s break will immediately follow. That means that Orlando City will return to play on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will have some time off before their next game. We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando Pride International Call-Ups

Three more Orlando Pride players have been called to represent their nations during the October international window, joining Oihane, who will be with Spain for its matches against the USWNT. First up is Barbra Banda, who will represent Zambia in the team’s Olympic qualifying games against Uganda.

Then there’s Jacquie Ovalle and Solai Washington, who will be facing off against each other in back-to-back games. Ovalle has been called up for Mexico, while Washington will represent Jamaica.

At the U-23 level, Ally Lemos will be with the U.S. and Sanne Lekven will be with Norway during this window.

Scouting Canada

The United States Men’s National Team will play its final game of the October international window when it takes on Canada tonight in Saint Paul, MN. Jesse Marsch’s current roster has a number of notable absences, including Alphonso Davies, Jayden Nelson, Alistair Johnson, and Ismael Kone; while Derek Cornelius, Jeevan Badwal, and Alfie Jones left the team during the break because of injuries. Canada typically sets up in a 4-4-2 and will employ a high press paired with a vertical style of play that aims to win the ball and then quickly get it forward to the team’s dangerous attackers. Jonathan David and Tany Oluwaseyi provide that danger up front, while Stephen Eustaquio runs things in the middle, and Richie Laryea provides danger up and down the left flank.

United States Women’s National Team Roster Tweaks

The United States Women’s National Team has made a pair of changes to the squad that will take on Spain in a pair of friendlies this month. Utah Royals defender Kate Del Fava has been named as the replacement for the injured Naomi Girma, after it was announced last week that the center back would be unavailable for this window. Del Fava was going to be one of the overage players at the USWNT U-23 training camp also taking place this month, but now has an opportunity to make her first appearance for the senior side. Additionally, midfielder Jaelin Howell will replace Sam Coffey, after the latter was injured during Manchester City’s win over the weekend. Howell has made six appearances for the USWNT, with the most recent one coming in a 2-0 victory over Italy during the team’s final game of 2025.

UEFA Nations League Roundup

Monday marked the penultimate round of UEFA Nations League play during the current international window, and we were treated to some doozies. The highlight of the day was a five-goal thriller that saw France score four goals in the final 15 minutes to overturn a one goal deficit and beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France. Italy knocked off Turkiye 3-1 to climb to second place in Group A1, while the result sees Turkiye remain winless and anchored to the bottom of the table. Finally, Ukraine looked to have rescued a point with Roman Yaremchuk’s 83rd-minute goal, only for Mark Csinger to bag a winner for Hungary just two minutes later. The 2-1 result means Hungary is second in Group B2 with seven points, while Ukraine is third with four points.

Free Kicks

  • The Pride dropped three spots to no.13 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
  • Alex Freeman flexed his pipes and sang Happy Birthday to USMNT coach Jesus Perez during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/5/26

Pride fall to San Diego Wave, Tyrese Spicer has successful foot surgery, USMNT beats Mexico, and more.

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Image of Haley McCutcheon wearing a protective mask on her face playing against San Diego.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school soccer and flag football throughout the week. We only had the Pride in action over the weekend, but we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall to San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave on Friday at Inter.co Stadium in the latest in a series of games that they had to have. Orlando trailed 2-0 in the first half, conceding twice on defensive errors. In the second half, Barbra Banda pulled the Pride within one after she buried a penalty kick that she won herself. However, it wasn’t enough, as Orlando couldn’t find a late equalizer and San Diego took all three points. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will return to action on Oct. 18 to face the Houston Dash on the road.

Tyrese Spicer Has Successful Foot Surgery

Orlando City forward Tyrese Spicer underwent successful foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, the club announced on Friday. Spicer had suffered the injury while away on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago in a Concacaf Nations League match against Haiti on Sept. 24. We at The Mane Land wish Spicer a speedy recovery, but his 2026 MLS season is likely over.

USMNT Shuts Out Mexico in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-0 on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Orlando City forward Justin Ellis came off the bench to make his second USMNT appearance in the second half, playing 25 minutes. Former Lion Alex Freeman started and played 90 minutes. Julian Hall scored the opener in the first half for the Yanks. In the second half, Cavan Sullivan doubled the Americans’ lead to become the USMNT’s youngest scorer in team history just four days after Mathis Albert set that mark with his goal against Chile on Tuesday. Malik Tillman added the final goal as the Yanks have won three consecutive matches during the international break. The USMNT will close out this round of friendlies on Tuesday, taking on Canada at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN.

Other Lions on International Duty

Multiple Orlando City players represented their national teams over the weekend during the international break. Forward Marco Pasalic was on the bench but did not play for Croatia in a 7-0 defeat to England in a UEFA Nations League match on Saturday. Croatia will face Spain on Tuesday. Lions defender David Brekalo was on the bench but came on after halftime and played 45 minutes for Slovenia in a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. Slovenia will take on Scotland on Tuesday. Midfielder Wilder Cartagena started and played 45 minutes for Peru, while former Lion Yoshimar Yotun was also in action in a 2-0 loss to Canada in a friendly. Peru will play Colombia on Tuesday in another friendly match.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, notched another assist over the weekend in a 3-1 win against Brooklyn FC in the USL Championship.
  • Check out this piece on the Orlando City website featuring Head of Player Care Pedro Cox and Team Administrator Danny Quesada, who help welcome new players and their families, get acquainted with the club, ensure their needs are met, and thrive off the field.
  • The Lions were at Osceola Heritage Park on Saturday and spent time with the Orlando City U-12 squad during training.

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

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