Orlando City sits seventh in the Eastern Conference, and while five points separate the Lions and the three teams immediately outside the playoff picture, things are far from comfortable. OCSC just battled one of those teams, Toronto FC, to a draw, and will welcome the other two, D.C. United and New York City FC, to Inter.co Stadium on back-to-back Saturdays.

There are six teams within six points of Orlando, and while OCSC has five more games to play, two of its opponents (FC Cincinnati and D.C. United) have a game in hand. All this is to say that at this stage of the season, small moments, decisions, and mistakes can have a huge effect on the outcome of the campaign. Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Toronto FC provided an ample reminder of that fact.

The starting lineup for that game was an interesting one to say the least. With Robin Jansson unavailable due to a knock, and Griffin Dorsey out with a lingering back issue, Iago started next to David Brekalo at center back, while Ivan Angulo got the start at right back. I have no issue with Iago getting the start, as this roster isn’t exactly overflowing with proven options at center back. Angulo playing right back was the much more curious of Martin Perelman’s decisions for me, and not because I have anything against Angulo. He has not so quietly taken over Kyle Smith’s role as a guy who has played just about every position this year, and for the most part has done anywhere from good to serviceable in the process.

Rather, why put Angulo in that position when you have Zakaria Taifi, a right back by trade, ready and available? The 21-year-old hasn’t been perfect with the senior team this year, but he’s actually used to playing the position, and that counts for something. Angulo is at his best when using his speed to chase guys down and recover the ball, but tends to struggle defending 1-v-1 and with his defensive positioning because, well, he’s a winger by trade. Playing Taifi at fullback and Angulo in the midfield would have freed up the Colombian to make more of an impact higher up the field. Plus, the man tasked with covering when the right back went forward, Eduard Atuesta, isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess either. Putting Angulo and Atuesta on the same side and saddling them with a lot of defensive responsibilities created a vulnerability in the Orlando lineup, and it isn’t remotely surprising that all three of Toronto’s goals either started or were finished on the Lions’ right flank.

To be fair, it’s possible that playing Taifi at right back wouldn’t have made a difference. After all, the defense has been giving away goals at an alarming rate regardless of who’s back there this season. I just struggle to get on board with the decision to not deploy a natural right back, particularly one that’s played just under 850 league minutes this year.

The other thing that stuck out to me was the substitution patterns, particularly during the later stages of the game. While I liked the decision to bring on Daryl Dike with the team chasing the game, as well as throwing Braian Ojeda on after the Lions went ahead in an attempt to inject fresh legs into the midfield, I have questions about how things went the rest of the way. For one thing, while Taifi eventually entered the game in place of Atuesta after Toronto had equalized, why not make that change immediately after Orlando took the lead? I understand wanting to keep Atuesta on while chasing a winner, but with how shaky OCSC looked on its right flank, effectively closing down the game was probably going to take more than simply bringing on Ojeda.

Then there’s the fact that two substitutions went unused altogether, basically three if you account for the fact that Atuesta came off in the fourth of five minutes of stoppage time. Orlando is in the midst of playing three games in eight days and may not have Justin Ellis or Jansson available at the weekend after both missed out on the midweek game. With a massive game against D.C. United looming large on the horizon, you want to be as fresh as possible, but Harvey Sarajian is the only player who got any meaningful sort of rest after coming off in the 67th minute. The Lions didn’t have the strongest possible bench with Tyrese Spicer, Marco Pasalic, Ellis, Jansson, and Dorsey all unavailable for various reasons, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing the likes of Joran Gerbet, Bernardo Rhein, or Tiago make appearances to spell some of the starters—especially once Dike’s goal hit the back of the net.

At the end of the day, while a road draw perhaps isn’t the worst result in the world considering the team’s struggles away from home this season, the fact that Orlando dropped two points late is brutal, however you slice it. Those two extra points would have given the Lions four points of breathing room between the Lions and the chasing pack, and to keep the majority of the starters on for so long but still end up dropping points is an extra kick in the teeth. It’ll hurt even more if the team looks tired and flat on Saturday and can’t get the job at home against a D.C. United side that’s breathing down its neck.

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that in soccer, as in life, there are no guarantees. We have no way of knowing whether starting Taifi would have fixed Orlando’s issues on the right side, or if he and other defensive subs coming on immediately after Dike’s goal would have prevented Toronto’s winner. We should have a better idea Saturday night if leaving two subs in the chamber was a bad idea, but it’s also possible that if Orlando does use all of its changes that the team doesn’t claw itself out of the 2-1 hole it was in. Regardless, I think there’s something to be said for putting yourself in the best possible position to succeed at this point in the year. I don’t think OCSC did that during Wednesday’s game, and the decisions made during that contest could well hurt the Lions on Saturday as well. Here’s hoping that isn’t the case. Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City’s sloppy defense continued to play a part in the season as the right defensive flank play cost three goals in a 3-3 draw at Toronto FC. Martin Ojeda scored from the spot while Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike added goals to finish level with the hosts.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated in their matchup against Toronto FC.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6 — Crepeau’s save preceding Toronto’s third goal wasn’t deflected into a great area, but he was making a diving save and made an effort to push it wide. He had no help clearing the deflection. Otherwise, the Canadian stopped a 1-on-1 that eventually led to the second goal but the goal wasn’t on him. He had five saves on the night and completed 91% of his passes.

D, Vinicius Nogueira, 5.5 — Nogueira was unable to clear the follow-up action preceding Toronto’s second goal, but I don’t know that he had much of a chance at it. Otherwise, Nogueira was mostly unnoticeable, which is fine for a fullback. He did muscle Toronto plays off a ball or two showing us a bit of what he can bring. He picked up a yellow in the 82nd minute for a late tackle. He completed 82% of his passes and had two tackles.

D, Iago, 5.5 — Iago showed all of his youth with mistake after mistake but also showed his flashes of potential with his headed assist to Griezmann for the second goal. He wasn’t directly responsible for any of the goals but didn’t show up for them either. He was beaten for the shot that led to the second Toronto goal, but he was put in a bad spot by Ivan Angulo’s soft back pass that Niklas Dorsch picked off. Iago completed 95% of his team-leading 65 passes and had four clearances.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — When playing out of the back, your center backs are going to get a lot of action. Like Iago, Brekalo wasn’t directly responsible for any of the goals but also didn’t help. He had the most defensive contributions at 12, the most touches at 79, and passed at an 89% clip, but he recorded zero tackles. For someone who touched the ball as much as he did, he was mostly invisible, which is fine for a center back — except when the team gives up three goals.

D, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo was responsible for Toronto’s second goal with an ill-advised back pass outside the 18 that Iago couldn’t get to and Toronto capitalized. Angulo slots in at right back when the lineup is pressed for bodies and rarely does it go well. He’s not great at it and, when Eduard Atuesta is his cover, it compounds the problem. It was also Angulo’s man who followed up Crepeau’s save to score the third goal. Throw that in with Angulo’s assist on Dike’s goal and we have difficulty picking a score. Angulo hit 85% of his passes, had one shot on target, and added two tackles and four recoveries. He was good in the attacking end and poor in the defensive end, and his score reflects that.

MF, Harvey Sarajian, 5 — Sarajian battled and made some runs but wasn’t able to convert his one chance early. He was perfect on his 18 passes but had the fewest touches by almost half. The rookie lost the ball five times but he completed his lone long ball. He was subbed out for Daryl Dike in the 67th minute.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5.5 — Cartagena had marks in almost every category on the stat sheet but did not stand out to the casual viewer. He connected well, completing 96% of his passes, and contributed on defense with a tackle, a clearance, and a recovery but did not make his mark on the game. He was subbed out in the 85th minute for Braian Ojeda.

MF, Luis Otavio, 6 — Otavio played a bit more of the enforcer role compared with Cartagena. He made his presence felt in the middle with four tackles and won 55% of his ground duels. He only completed 83% of his passes but helped manage the central midfield. Any problems came from the flanks and weren’t on him.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 4.5 — For some reason, Atuesta was assigned to cover the right defensive flank when Angulo got forward. That proved to be a bad tactic time after time and nowhere more obvious than on the first Toronto goal. Atuesta failed to mark Lewis Morgan — the only attacking player nearby — at the back post, which gave Morgan a free header to put in the back of the net. The veteran midfielder only completed 84% of his passes, when that is arguably his main skill, had zero tackles, and recorded only one interception. He was subbed off in the third minute of extra time for Zakaria Taifi.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda didn’t know much about it, but it was his cross attempt that led to the penalty that he converted himself to score Orlando’s first goal. His cross was a bit lucky to catch Matheus Pereira’s outstretched arm, but that’s why you put the ball into attacking areas. Otherwise, he’s still finding his fit with Griezmann as he wasn’t able to generate much else offensively. He completed 74% of his passes with two key passes, put one of his two shots on target, but had only two touches in the box. He added a clearance on the defensive end.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 7 (MotM) — It’s a little repetitive for Griezmann to be Man of the Match, but he finished with a goal and an assist, had a dangerous pass to Sarajian early, converted the headed pass from Iago for the second goal, and perfectly dummied the ball from Angulo (who had originally received the ball from Griezmann) to give Dike his goal. He hit only 63% of his passes, but three of them created scoring chances. He also made two successful crosses and completed 11 passess into the final third as he continues to pace Orlando’s offense. On the defensive end, he contributed a clearance off a set piece.

Substitutes

F, Daryl Dike (67′), 6.5 — Dike came on for Sarajian and started to show his physical presence. As the season has worn on, fans have started to get a little frustrated with his lack of impact, but that can be the life of a target forward at times. After all, clearing space for Angulo’s game winner Saturday against Columbus doesn’t show up in the box score. Dike finally showed his quality in the 83rd minute, finishing a good pass from Angulo with an unstoppable shot to briefly give the Lions the lead. He connected on six of his seven passes, won all but one of his duels, and had the same number of touches in the opposition box as Martin Ojeda at two in 67 fewer minutes.

M, Braian Ojeda (85’), N/A — It was good to see Braian Ojeda return to the field for the first time since Aug. 1. He was six-for-six passing and added a clearance. His time on the field wasn’t enough to garner a grade, but his return will help the team see out the rest of the season.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90+4′), N/A — Taifi subbed in for Atuesta in the fourth minute of added time to provide an actual right back in that slot, but by then Toronto had equalized. He recorded only two touches and missed his only pass in his brief appearance. There’s no grade for him on such a short cameo, but I’m fairly confident he would’ve earned a higher grade than Atuesta had Taifi started.

That’s what I’ve got for the players in a back-and-forth but eventually disappointing game. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! Today is the 12-year anniversary of the groundbreaking at Orlando City SC’s soccer-specific stadium that took place in 2014. I was last at the stadium in September to see the Orlando Pride play and am still blown away about just how pretty the purple seats look on a sunny day. Let’s jump right into today’s links!

Justin Ellis Named  MLS NEXT Pro Pathway Player of the Year

Orlando City forward Justin Ellis was selected as the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Pathway Player of the Year, an award that honors players who have excelled at multiple levels of the league’s development pathway. While part of Orlando City’s academy, Ellis was named 2025 U-19 MLS NEXT MVP after claiming the Golden Boot with 18 goals and was also the top scorer at the 2025 Generation Adidas Cup to help Orlando win the title. He recorded 12 goals and eight assists in 44 appearances with Orlando City B and made his MLS debut on May 14, 2025. As a Homegrown Player for the senior team this season, he’s racked up 10 assists so far and is one of the league’s top young players.

Antoine Griezmann Makes MLS Team of the Matchday Bench

Orlando City star Antoine Griezmann landed on the MLS Team of the Matchday bench after recording a goal and an assist in the team’s 3-3 draw on the road against Toronto FC. That’s back-to-back inclusions on the Team of the Matchday bench for Griezmann, who also had a goal and an assist in the 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday. The Frenchman is the first MLS player to record a goal or an assist in 11 of his first 13 games. While a weirdly specific record to break, it’s impressive nonetheless as he builds a case for MLS Newcomer of the Year.

Ally Lemos Selected for NWSL Skills Challenge

Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos was chosen to participate in this year’s NWSL Skills Challenge on Nov. 20 during the league’s NWSL Championship Week next month. There’s a $35,000 prize pool at stake for the players taking part in the event, which will take place at a high school in Virginia at 5:30 p.m. but won’t air on CBS and Paramount+ until 2 p.m. on Nov. 28. Lemos has played in all 27 of the Pride’s games this year, recording three assists and a goal along the way. Hopefully she has a strong showing at the event to give Pride fans something to cheer about after a rough year for the club.

Orlando Submits Bid to Host Women’s World Cup

The Greater Orlando Sports Commission has submitted a bid to host games for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The proposal includes both Inter.co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. A joint bid led by the U.S. that also includes Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica is uncontested to host the tournament and is expected to be voted on next month. Orlando hosted six FIFA Club World Cup games in 2025 and a bid was also submitted last month for the two aforementioned stadiums to host the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup as well. If all goes to plan, that summer could end up being an exciting time for sports fans in the City Beautiful.

Free Kicks

• The Pride are all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and it could become official on Saturday if the Denver Summit win against Angel City FC or if the North Carolina Courage win or draw against the San Diego Wave. Of course, the Pride failing to win against the Houston Dash on Sunday will officially end things as well.
• Speaking of the Wave, they signed midfielder Lia Godfrey to a three-year contract extension through 2029. She’s scored six goals and added five assists in 27 appearances for the Wave so far in her rookie season.
• Here’s an insightful dive into the United States Women’s National Team’s struggle to find consistency in the midfield as it prepares for next year’s World Cup.
• Following a pair of losses to Paraguay in friendlies, El Salvador Women’s National Team Head Coach Eric Acuna made contentious comments questioning the players’ commitment. El Salvador is set to face the USWNT next month in the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinals.
• For those of you into weird fun facts, a striker named Justin Seven-Seven scored in the 77th minute for West Brom’s U-21 team in a National League Cup game against Sutton United.
• We’ll end our links with a new contender for worst penalty kick of all time, courtesy of Trayvone Reid in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup. If you hate stutter steps, this may ruin your whole day.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Thanks for reading and have a fantastic Friday!