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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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7 years ago

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Orlando City turned in a performance that was every bit as miserable as the rainy Canadian night, falling to the Montreal Impact, 3-0. The loss took the Lions’ losing streak to six games as Major League Soccer enters a week-long hiatus for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Here’s how the performances looked:

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 5 — A few big saves in the final minutes from Bendik saved the score line from being thoroughly embarrassing, but overall it was a quiet night for Orlando’s goalkeeper.

D, Tony Rocha, 6.5 (MotM) — If there was a positive in this game, it was Tony Rocha. One of Orlando’s most dangerous moments came from Rocha’s attacking play and a dangerous cross that should have been finished by Dom Dwyer. Rocha was attentive to his defensive assignments for the most part, collecting six interceptions and five tackles.

D, Jonathan Spector, 5 — The captain’s continued road to a return to form had a solid but quiet night in Montreal, as Spector returned to the starting lineup in MLS since a long spell on the sidelines due to concussion protocol. While a decent return, this was not the level of performance we have come to expect from the veteran defender. His best moment was forcing Ignacio Piatti wide in a 1-v-1 situation in the second half.

D, Amro Tarek, 4 — While the Lions collectively had a rough outing, Tarek had the worst of it with an own goal and little success marking in the box. The defender missed numerous assignments and was at times lucky not to be punished more for the lapses. The Egyptian will want to put this game behind him in a hurry and work to rediscover the form that earned him a national team call-up to his nation‘s preliminary World Cup squad.

D, RJ Allen, 5 — Watching Allen and Josué Colmán attempt to link up along the right touch line felt symbolic of the challenges that face Orlando City in the midst of this slump. Wing play; featuring overlaps, give-and-go’s, and challenging crosses are meant to be a feature of Orlando’s playing style. Allen, while looking dangerous at times, seemed completely out of tune with Colmán and the rest of the attack. In defense, Allen had zero interceptions and only three tackles. Poor night for the former NYCFC man.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4 — Strange, and poor game from Higuita tonight. The defensive mid conceded an early foul to set up a Piatti penalty kick and later collided awkwardly with the same player to earn a yellow card. The caution hamstrung the Colombian for the rest of the game, rendering him ineffective in the midfield on both the attacking and defensive sides of the ball. The yellow card earned him a game off in two weekends time when these two teams meet again.

MF, Uri Rosell, 5 — As the game entered the late stages and Orlando still looked somewhat hopeful in its efforts to equalize, I felt it would come from Rosell. He looked bright and creative, despite Orlando’s doldrums. The Spaniard produced two key passes and 10 successful passes in the attacking third. A clumsy challenge in the 49th minute saw him survive video review and stay on the field with only a yellow for a tackle that most would agree looked more like a red.

MF, Justin Meram, 4.5 — Another sub-par performance from Meram as Orlando City’s faithful are still looking for the dangerous offensive player who tormented MLS defenses during his time with the Columbus Crew. Tonight, Meram’s decision making in the final third was suspect, as any build-up of play seemed to fizzle at his feet time and time again. Symbolic of Meram’s struggles against Montreal, he lost the ball out of bounds five times and was unsuccessful in two of his three attempts to take on defenders and get into open space.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 4.5 — The struggles of Meram and Kljestan are the story of this game and this six-game losing streak. Sacha still looks unintegrated into the Orlando City offense as he struggles to connect meaningful balls into dangerous areas. In watching this game, it seems as if Meram, Kljestan, Dwyer, and Colmán are desperately out of rhythm with one another, and are collectively complicit in Orlando’s struggles.

MF, Josué Colmán, 5 — While I can’t fault Colmán’s hustle at times, this wasn’t an impressive performance for the attacking midfielder. Invisible and uninvolved for long stretches, and selfish and out of sync with his teammates when he did end up on the ball, this game will go down as another learning experience for the young Paraguayan as he continues to adjust to life in MLS.

F, Dom Dwyer, 5 — I’m not sure how to grade the striker tonight. There were a number of quality chances that an in-form Dom would normally slot easily into the net. Part of me feels the like the lack of cohesion is affecting Dom’s form up top, but another part of me feels that his veteran leadership and ability are such that he should bury his chances and lead the club out of its downward spiral. He nearly did that with one dangerous free kick in the 44th minute, which went teasingly close to the top corner. Whatever happens with this season moving forward, Dom and his attacking midfielders need to collectively find their way or it's going to be a long summer.

Substitutes

M, José Villarreal (57’), 5 — While Jason Kreis was smart to remove Higuita before his night got any worse, the inclusion of Villarreal certainly came as a surprise. The former LA Galaxy man had a decent effort off the bench that might lead to more playing time as Orlando looks to find answers to its slump.

D, Chris Mueller (68’), 5— Mueller’s inclusion brought a bit of energy to the attack without changing the overall lackluster performance from Orlando.

F, Stéfano Pinho (70’), 3 — This game, and Orlando City’s six-game losing streak, could be symbolized by Pinho’s two open goal misses. Unlucky or just awful, a bit of finishing could have helped the Lions turn an awful night into a moral victory, but like all things, it wasn’t in the cards. 

I don’t know where we go from here my friends, but these are dark days indeed. Orlando City returns to action against D.C. United on June 20 in the U.S. Open Cup round of 16.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Uri Rosell5
Tony Rocha48
Dom Dwyer2
Jonathan Spector4
Other14

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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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19 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.

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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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