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

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10 years ago

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Orlando City snapped its meager one-game winning “streak” in absolutely horrific fashion, being taken to the woodshed by an under-powered Toronto FC. The Lions are now 0-2 against Toronto and get one more chance in two weeks’ time to avenge both upsetting defeats.

In a game like this there can’t be too much said that would come in the way of positives. There was a lack of energy, a lack of form and, below all else, a lack of fight.

Here are our player grades and our Man of the Match from tonight’s game:

Starters

G, Tally Hall, 6.0 — It is hard to blame Tally for all that transpired tonight when a team lets 21 shots fly. We can pick and choose and say he should have come out quicker on Giovinco’s last goal or maybe positioned the wall better on his free kick, but what can you do when your team is trampled all night?

D, Corey Ashe, 6.5 — Corey played well for his time on the pitch, being subbed in the 62nd. He took space when it was there and his through ball early in the first sent Cyle Larin running in on Toronto’s keeper all alone. There was a slight injury scare to his hand and we are hopeful that all is right in that realm as nobody wants Orlando to lose another player to injury.

D, Seb Hines, 5.0 — Not much can be said about a center back tandem that was thoroughly thrashed all night, except our team was beat 57-38 on duels. Hines started off the night early with a well deserved yellow card and played hesitant the rest of the night while the “Atomic Ant” was all over the back line and could have possibly had four or five goals. Can anyone say “David Mateos?”

D, Aurelien Collin, 6.0 — If Hines played hesitant after his deserved yellow, Collin was the complete opposite after giving up the penalty. I was surprised to see him get away card free with the challenge on Giovinco, who went down with a foot drag, but he continued to get into the mix all night. Now, do not take that as he was getting into the mix and doing a good job of it — he was continually making bad passes and had some bad giveaways that could have led to more goals.

D, Tyler Turner, 5.5 — The problem with Turner is that he is just too young, he plays like he is waiting for something to happen rather than being proactive and making things happen. He was beat on the flank by Giovinco all night, but so was everyone else. It was always going to be a tough task for a 19-year-old, and he proved his age continually tonight. His youthful giveaway up field led to Toronto’s counter that resulted in the penalty to open the scoring. He also turned the ball to concede possession just prior to the second goal.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.0 — Higuita was not himself tonight. Even though he covered ground well, his passes were off the mark and the midfield was dominated from the start. A positive, he had the assist on Luke Boden’s wonderfully taken goal.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 5.5 — When people ask who the unsung hero of Orlando has been all year I always fall back on Ceren. He has probably been the most consistent performer for the Lions all year. Well, tonight was not the case. His constant buzzing and strong tackles, especially the one on Giovinco in the first half showed his fight, but I felt like he was the only one out there willing to put it all on the line. His passing didn’t play up to his motor, as he was continually off the mark. His foul early in the second half drew a yellow card and led to Giovinco’s free kick goal.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 4.5 — It is really hard to rate a player that you only saw a few times throughout the entire 90 minutes. Honestly, did Carrasco play tonight or was Alex Morgan somewhere in the stands? Maybe they were engaged in a good conversation. After showing signs of being a good addition against Columbus, where he moved the ball from side to side so well, Carrasco was a shadow of that player tonight. Seriously, I think his shadow was playing tonight.

MF, Luke Boden, 7.0 (Man of the Match)— Somebody has to get it right, so why not the guy with the only goal? Boden has been a bright spot over the past two matches and tonight, even though all of Orlando may not have gotten off the plane to play in Toronto, Luke was there and had a decent go at it. Congrats Luke, you got Man of the Match with a well struck goal.

MF, Eric Avila, 5.0 — Eric was not playing soccer (or football) tonight. Oh, you wanted analysis; giveaway, giveaway, giveaway, not covering the back post…

F, Cyle Larin, 6.0 — With a chance to break the MLS rookie record tonight of 11 goals in a season, Cyle is leaving Canada with “only” scoring five goals in the past three games. He had a few good chances and kept making nice runs until the 70th minute, when he seemed to tire. His first look may have been the only one he should have put in the back of the net, but I can’t blame a guy who has been so “en fuego” that we stopped really shopping for forwards…or did we?

Substitutes

F, Pedro Ribeiro (62′), 6.0 — Didn’t do much. Showed nice touch, that he can play with his back to the goal, and that he is slower than a…well, OK, he just isn’t fast.

MF, Lewis Neal (62′), 6.0 — Lewis made his return from a nagging Achilles injury tonight — that is a good sign. His play however was always a bit off. He seemed to miss his touch tonight with the other nine field players (two being shadows) running around and he may need some extra time to get back into the swing of things.

Vote in our poll below and let us know who your Man of the Match was. This might be the least competitive poll we’ve had for MotM all season.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Cyle Larin 3
Darwin Ceren 10
Luke Boden 83
Corey Ashe 5
Cristian Higuita 0
Other (please let us know who in the comments section) 5
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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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15 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

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