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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 0-0 draw at Philadelphia?

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

In a matchup of the two highest-scoring teams in Major League Soccer, of course there were zero goals between the two teams as Orlando City went on the road and took one point home after a hard fought and physical 0-0 draw against Philadelphia. The Lions earned that point without their normal starting central defensive pairing, and while they had some excellent chances to get a goal and take all three points, they will likely be quite happy with the road draw.

It was not a pretty game and will not be a game anyone is likely to want to tell their grandkids, or kids, or friends, or coworkers about, but all road points are important, and Orlando City added another one at Subaru Park.

I have my purple pen out and I 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 Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 (MotM) β€” This was El Pulpo’s best game all season, as he was in command of the box all night long and kept Orlando City in the game with his four saves and quick reactions to come off his line. Philadelphia had several chances from close range, and while they may not have taken those chances as well as they would have liked, they did take them from areas that led to 2.04 expected goals (according to fotmob.com), but thanks to the Peruvian netminder, instead of two goals, the Union scored zero goals β€” the first clean sheet of the season for both Gallese and Orlando City. The one drawback was that Gallese once again received a yellow card for time wasting, but it was probably worth it, as Orlando City needed every second they could get towards the end of the game.

D, David Brekalo, 6 β€” Brekalo played left back for the second game in a row, but this time in a starting capacity, and the Slovenian international was solid, though not spectacular. His role was a hybrid one, as the Lions looked to get Alex Freeman high when possible, with Brekalo playing as a standard left back at times and as a left center back when needed. There were a few scary instances in the second half when MartΓ­n Ojeda shifted out to the left. Ojeda is less adept at playing wing defensively than ivan Angulo and he and Brekalo sometimes weren’t communicating effectively, allowing the Union to get down the wing. Pareja recognized that and inserted Kyle Smith, which stabilized things. Brekalo looked much more at ease once he moved into the middle as part of a center back triumvirate, and he played well to see out the final minutes and earn the Lions their first shutout of the season. He finished with two tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block on defense, and he completed 76.5% of his passes, which was second highest on the team.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 β€” The captain looked more himself in this match, and while he still does not seem fully back to his regal Beefy Swede-ness, this was a solid game for Jansson in the back. He will owe his goalkeeper a massive thank you, however, for saving him in the early minutes of the second half, when he and defensive partner Rodrigo Schlegel let Bruno Damiani split them and have a chance from right in front of the net. Jansson had nearly identical defensive stats as Brekalo, with two tackles, one interception, six clearances, and one block on defense, and on offense he was second on the team with 31 completed passes, completing them at a 73.8% clip. He also received a yellow card near the end of the first half but did not let that affect his play, as he completed the full 90 minutes without another issue.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 β€” The Argentinean made the play that brought the biggest smile to my face, as after Mikael Uhre tried to draw a penalty in second-half stoppage time, Schlegel got right in his face to call him out for flopping, showing the fiery spirit that he never fails to bring to the field every time he plays. Schlegel was the more active of the two center backs on the night, completing a team-high 34 passes, although at a less-than-ideal 65.4% rate, taking one shot and contributing one tackle and a team-high 13 clearances β€” more than double the clearances of any other player on the field. Schlegel also suffered a team-high four fouls and showed an immense work rate for the entire match.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 β€” The Homegrown Player continues to impress on the right side of the defense, and there is no more competition anymore for that position. It is clearly his and his alone. With Brekalo in the left back role it allowed Freeman to push forward even more than usual, as there were times in the second half when I wondered if Orlando City was playing five in the back or if the Lions had shifted Freeman up to take on Marco PaΕ‘aliΔ‡’s right side role once the latter had subbed out. As he does nearly every week, Freeman contributed on both sides of the ball, logging four tackles, one interception, four clearances, and one blocked shot on defense, and completing 14 passes, with one key pass on the offensive side of the field. His completion rate was an ugly 43.8%, but none of the turnovers came back to haunt the team, and Freeman’s recovery speed continues to look as fast as anyone’s in the league.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 β€” Gerbet continues to show that he was another excellent draft pick by the Orlando City front office, as he earned his second start in this match and went the full 90 minutes. The Clemson product led the team with a 78.6% passing completion rate, and his partnership with Dagur Dan ThΓ³rhallsson was a solid one in the middle of the field. Gerbet worked hard on the defensive side of the ball, blocking a team-high four shots, and he also contributed two tackles and two interceptions. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta were not on the injury report, but both picked up tightness late in the week, so there was little time for Pareja to prepare his central midfield for this match. It says something that the moment was not too big for him going against the team that had scored the second-most goals in MLS entering the game.

MF, Dagur Dan ThΓ³rhallsson, 6 β€” ThΓ³rhallsson is on pace to play every field position at some point this season, as the Icelandic Army knife stepped in and went the full 90 in his first start with Orlando City as a central defensive midfielder. ThΓ³rhallsson acquitted himself nicely next to midfield partner Gerbet, and the two unexpected starters kept the Union off the scoresheet, even though the Union had nearly two-thirds of the possession. ThΓ³rhallsson logged two tackles, four clearances, and one blocked shot on defense, as well as picking up a yellow card, and as was to be expected in his more reserved role, he only completed 22 passes, passing at a 73.3% clip.

MF, IvΓ‘n Angulo, 5 β€” The Colombian winger brought his usual hustle and effort, but unfortunately also his usual lack of precision, and it was not surprising to see him removed at halftime for Duncan McGuire. Orlando City was clearly playing to try to break out on the counterattack, a style suited to a player of Angulo’s speed, but he could not get anything going while on the field in what was ultimately a forgettable 45 minutes. He contributed three clearances on defense and completed six of his 10 passes, but it was a middling performance, fitting for a player who played the middle amount of minutes of the match.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda was by far the most dangerous Lion on the field against Philadelphia, and on another night he might have bagged at least one and possibly multiple assists. The best chances Orlando City created all came from Ojeda and his darting runs, as in the first half he put a ball in front of Paőalić, and in the second half in front of Luis Muriel, but both put their shots too close to Andre Blake. The Argentinean Designated Player also contributed two tackles and one interception on defense, but when he moved out to the left, there were some moments of confusion or lack of communication between he and Brekalo. Ojeda on the left helps the team play all three Designated Players and McGuire at the same time, but Ojeda with a left back behind him is a little more risky than Ojeda with two defensive midfielders and center backs behind him. He also took one shot that was blocked before making way for Colin Guske, as the Lions went defense-for-offense in the final minutes.

MF, Marco PaΕ‘aliΔ‡, 6 β€” The Croatian Designated Player had two of the best chances of the game for the Lions, but Blake made a good save on one (albeit because the placement was too central) and PaΕ‘aliΔ‡ decided to cross instead of shooting from a tough angle with his weaker right foot on the other. Ojeda’s ball to PaΕ‘aliΔ‡ was maybe a quarter step late on the one that led to Blake’s save, but the shot could have been much better. Aside from those two plays, the right winger was pretty quiet on offense, as he only completed 57.1% of his 14 passes and did not make too many attempts to beat defenders off the dribble. He finished with four tackles and three clearances on defense, but in a game when the Lions were struggling for possession and playing without a few key players, it made sense for PaΕ‘aliΔ‡ to make way for a defender in the final 20 minutes.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 β€”Β What could have been for Muriel, as he had a glorious chance late in the game on a ball played perfectly in front of him by Ojeda, and he just did not get all of it or get it aimed properly to get it by Blake. The Union goalkeeper left him a lot of goal to work with, and Muriel just was not precise enough on that shot. Muriel was active and threatening during his minutes on the field, with two shots and also one key pass, but the quality was just not all the way there in Philadelphia, and Blake did not gift him a goal like John McCarthy did in Los Angeles during the previous game. His beautiful flick on a ball out of the back from Jansson sent Ojeda and PaΕ‘aliΔ‡ in for Orlando’s only (glorious) scoring chance in the first half. Muriel added one tackle and one clearance, won four aerial duels, and completed 63.2% of his passes before coming off for Ramiro Enrique in the final minutes of regulation.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (46β€²), 5.5 β€”Β McGuire entered the game at the beginning of the second half after subbing in for Angulo and took his customary place at the front of the attack as Ojeda shifted out to the left. The Creighton product was generally starved of service during his 45 minutes on the field, as he only had 15 touches and made more of a contribution on defense with two interceptions and three clearances than he did on offense. He did not get any shots off and only completed four of his nine pass attempts, with one key pass. He made a great back-post run and was open for a header attempt that could have broken the stalemate, but alas Ojeda did not see him and took a shot instead.

D, Kyle Smith, (67’), 5.5 β€” Smith entered the game as a sub for PaΕ‘aliΔ‡ but immediately went all the way across the field and played his minutes as a left wingback, as Orlando City went to five in the back as they tried to grind out a point on the road. The Accountant did not have any tackles but he logged one interception and one clearance on defense. On offense, he got into the box to get a headed ball on target on his one shot attempt, but it was a soft one that went right at Blake. Smith completed four of his seven passes, joining so many of his teammates with a lower-than-usual completion percentage (57.1%).

F, Ramiro Enrique, (83’), N/A β€” The Argentinean came on late for Muriel but had little influence on that game while on the field. Orlando City was defending for most of his minutes, and he only managed four touches. He did go two-for-two on passes with those four touches, but neither led to anything for the Lions.

MF, Colin Guske, (90’), N/A β€” Guske made his MLS debut in this game, coming in for the final minutes as a replacement for Ojeda. He did not have any touches, but stayed in good position defensively to help keep the Union from grabbing a late goal.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at Philadelphia. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on the Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

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3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

Free Kicks

  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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