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

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.