Following Wednesday’s 3-2 road victory against Atlanta United, Orlando City has quietly put together a run of four games unbeaten and has won three of those four games. Up next is a Toronto team that hasn’t tasted defeat in its last seven matches, and with fixture congestion once again an issue during September, OCSC will need to be at its best if it wants to come away with three points against a direct rival for the Eastern Conference playoff places. What follows are my three keys to victory against the Reds.

Ring the Rotations

Not only will the Lions be coming off short rest following a midweek match, but there’s another extremely important midweek contest looming on the horizon in the form of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal in Columbus. Playing an unrotated XI against both Atlanta and Toronto would be tantamount to suicide, even without the extra game thrown in, but with the semifinal to consider, rotation is going to be key. We saw around this time last year and again in August how difficult it can be to win games when the team either can’t or simply doesn’t rotate, and this stretch of games is too important to keep asking the same 11 guys to play a highly physically demanding style every single match.

A number of OCSC players have begun to look leggy in recent weeks, and I don’t think it was an accident that Griffin Dorsey and David Brekalo didn’t play the full 90 minutes against Atlanta. They’ve barely come off the field this year and absolutely needed a little extra recovery time, but they aren’t the only ones. In an ideal world, we see guys on Saturday who haven’t been starting much lately, like Marco Pasalic, Tiago, Tyrese Spicer, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Zakaria Taifi, and Iago; while guys who are coming back from injury or have lots of minutes on their legs like Dorsey, Robin Jansson, Antoine Griezmann, Joran Gerbet, and Martin Ojeda get some rest to start the game even if they’re subbed on in the second half. No such luck for Ivan Angulo, who will play the full 90 in every game until the end of time.

Be Better on the Back Post

Lately I’ve felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day when watching Orlando City play, because I’m watching the Lions’ defense get repeatedly exposed in the same way: a ball is played in from a wide area, across the defense to the back post, and there’s at least one free man to get on the end of it. That’s how Orlando gave up a goal against Real Salt Lake and how it conceded both goals against Atlanta. If not for some wayward finishing by the Five Stripes, OCSC likely would have given up more goals in a similar fashion during Wednesday’s contest. The word is very much out on how to score against this team: put in either a cross or a diagonal switch that bypasses the nearest part of the defense and requires the team to pick up runners on the back side. That’s it. In theory, it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to fix, but if it isn’t cleaned up — and soon — then teams are going to continue making Orlando pay for that particular flaw and it’s going to cost the Lions points. Toronto is unbeaten in its last seven games and just put a couple goals past the best defense in the league. No need to make the Reds’ job any easier for them.

Clinical Finishing

Assuming that Martin Perelman makes significant changes to his starting XI with an eye on the Open Cup semifinal, we’ll probably be in for a rather disjointed offensive performance on Saturday. That means that quality chances will likely be hard to come by, which puts a huge emphasis on finishing the ones that the Lions create. Even if the offense is creating tons of good chances the way it did against Atlanta, the guys on the field need to do a much better job of finishing those chances. On Wednesday, the Lions created a whopping eight chances with an expected goals (xG) value of .25 or higher, meaning that a player taking that shot would be expected to score roughly 25% of the time. Orlando managed to finish just three of those chances, and a game that never should have been in doubt ended up having a nervy finish once Atlanta pulled a goal back in stoppage time. That sort of profligacy simply can’t happen on Saturday, especially in a contest where chances will probably be at a premium.

There you have it folks. Bring on the fresh legs, clean up the back-side defending, and be lethal finishing in front of goal, and the Lions should have a good chance of taking all three points at home on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

Today is the first of three straight days of games featuring Orlando soccer and hopefully the teams can replicate their impressive results last weekend as they push for the playoffs. Apart from working and enjoying the soccer, I plan on making some pasta by hand, so wish me luck in that endeavor. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Antoine Griezmann Makes Team of the Matchday

Orlando City star Antoine Griezmann was the only Lion to make the MLS Team of the Matchday following Orlando’s 3-2 win over Atlanta United. He scored twice and came up with a crucial goal-line clearance to lead the Lions to victory on the road. Griezmann has now scored in four straight games and already has seven goals so far this season despite only playing nine games. Hopefully he can keep finding the back of the net when Orlando hosts a Toronto FC side that has only lost once since the World Cup break.

Reliving the Pride’s Victory Over Houston

The Orlando Pride released a video of the sights and sounds from the team’s 3-1 win against the Houston Dash. It was interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’ first game at the helm and the team was able to get a win after an emotional week. From the different angles of Orlando’s goals to Thomas’ speech to the team following the win, it’s a great watch. The Pride will aim to make it another three points tonight when they play on the road against the Kansas City Current tonight.

Orlando City Academy Players Head to Camp

There are four Orlando City academy players heading to Georgia for the U.S. U-15 and U-16 boys national teams’ training camps at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center. Goalkeeper Luan Silva and defender Zorian Civil were called up for the U-16 team, while goalkeeper Mario Martinez Reyes and forward Molina Baladi will be joining the U-15 team. Hopefully they’ll all be able to impress at camp as they continue to develop for both club and country.

Uncertainty Looms Over Racing Louisville’s Future

Racing Louisville ranks near the bottom of the NWSL in both attendance and spending and there are questions circling the club regarding its investment and future in the league. Along with this, forward Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from the club this summer and 2025 NWSL Coach of the Year Bev Yanez’s contract is set to end after this season. A sale may very well be in the club’s future, with relocation possibly on the table as well. Louisville made the playoffs for the first time last year, but the club has lost 14 games so far this season and is 13th in the league standings.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride moved up a spot to 11th in the CBS Sports NWSL power rankings after beating the Houston Dash.
• American right back Sergino Dest scored the equalizer in PSV Eindhoven’s 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk.

• Despite Griezmann’s heroics, Philadelphia Union forward Bruno Damiani claimed the title of MLS Player of the Matchday after scoring a hat trick against FC Cincinnati.
• Don Garber was appointed as the chair of Soccer Forward, which is a U.S. Soccer Federation initiative aimed at improving access and investment in the sport.
• James Rodriguez has reportedly agreed to play for Atletico Nacional in Colombia after his brief stint with Minnesota United.

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

The Lions scored all five goals on Wednesday night, three into Atlanta’s net and two into their own, grabbing an important 3-2 victory on the road against one of the teams chasing Orlando for a spot in the playoffs. Antoine Griezmann continued to make his case for consideration as the most impactful transfer of the season, bagging a brace as well as making the best defensive play of the game, and with that win the Lions are now up to sixth place in in the conference standings.

I have my purple pen out and 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 matchup with an Eastern Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 6 — Crépeau was not called on to do a lot during this game, but he made one save on a hard shot by Breel Embolo and claimed two high balls. In the end, he allowed two goals, but both were officially credited as own goals. The Canadian could not have done much on either goal. On the first, the Lions failed to successfully spring the offside trap, so Atlanta had multiple players rushing at him, and eventually the ball bounced in off of David Brekalo. On the second goal, a header took a wicked deflection of Tyrese Spicer’s head into the opposite side of the goal. Outside of the one save and those two own goals, Atlanta did not create much of a threat, so there was little else for Crépeau to do, aside from being an outlet in the back. He completed 77.1% of his passes, but though he kept any Atlanta players from scoring, it was another game with multiple goals allowed for the Orlando netminder.

D, Bernardo Rhein, 6 — The 18-year-old left back once again played a solid game, providing good defensive cover and even getting forward a few times to cause some trouble in the Atlanta defensive third. He completed 46 passes at an 85.2% clip, including a beautiful through ball to Iván Angulo that led to a promising chance for the Lions. He added one tackle and one clearance on the defensive side, but the most impressive part of his performance was how he kept Aleksey Miranchuk from impacting the game in a major way while he was on the field.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Beefy Swede got caught in the failed offside trap and then was a step slow recovering back when play continued, contributing to Atlanta’s first goal. But after that, he was solid in the back throughout the rest of the match. Jansson was one of many Lions that tied for the team lead with five defensive contributions, making one interception and adding four clearances, and whenever the team needed a mess cleaned up or the safe outlet back, he was always there, completing 80 passes at a 96.4% rate. The best of those completions was a gorgeous ball he played over the top to Martín Ojeda that garnered him a secondary assist when Ojeda crossed the ball to Iván Angulo for the goal that gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Despite being the oldest player on the back line, Jansson was the only one who went the full 90, delivering yet another strong defensive performance as well as some excellent passing out of the back, as the Lions held on for the victory.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo’s hustle backfired on him on Atlanta’s first goal, as he tried to get back once the offside trap failed but ended up alone in a crowd of Atlanta players and bundled the ball into his own net. The Slovenian also took a yellow card after missing a tackle and tripping Embolo late in the first half. That yellow card likely contributed to Brekalo coming off in the second half, breaking a string of seven straight games in which he went the full 90 minutes. Despite only playing 79 minutes, he matched his center back partner Jansson with five defensive contributions, all of them clearances, and completed 93.4% of his passes. In a rarity for a center back, he completed more passes in the opposition half than his own half, as he got forward quite a bit in support of the offense.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 6 — After playing the full 90 minutes in four of the last five matches and 77 minutes in the other match, Dorsey finally played a shorter shift on Wednesday night, only going for the duration of the first half. He made his presence felt, however, contributing the secondary assist on Griezmann’s game-tying goal and nearly scoring one of his own after making a full-field sprint. The right back should have done better with his chance in front of goal that Ojeda set up, but he sent his left-footed redirect shot over the bar from extremely close range. Dorsey completed 80.8% of his passes and constantly stretched the Atlanta defense, so much so that Orlando City played more than 40% of its attacks up the right flank during the first half. He did not have make any defensive contributions, but his hustle allowed him to collect five loose-ball recoveries, which led the game at the time of his departure. The man with the bun departed at halftime for Zakaria Taifi, allowing some fresh legs to come on and Dorsey to get some rest with another game coming up on Saturday.

MF, Iván Angulo, 7 — After a near miss against San Diego last weekend, Angulo came through with an empty net on Wednesday, converting a pass from Ojeda for his second goal of the season. He started out on the wing but finished at left back, once again displaying his incredible fitness as he was just as involved at the end of the game as he had been at the beginning. His one misstep was actually a lack of a step, as he was not in sync with the rest of the defense as they tried to step up in unison on an early Atlanta corner, keeping the attacking group onside and leading to the game’s opening goal. Aside from that one play, Angulo was a positive player throughout, completing 91.1% of his passes, scoring a critical goal, and adding one tackle, one interception, one block, and two clearances on defense.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — The Colombian midfielder played a steady game against Atlanta, delivering little in the way of spectacular plays but not making any major mistakes either. He completed 91.2% of his passes, added three defensive contributions, and tied for the team lead with six loose-ball recoveries. The Atuesta-Gerbet partnership in the middle of the field was dominant compared to Atlanta’s central midfield, and though Atuesta did not contribute directly to any goals or deliver any key passes, he was a metronome in the middle of the field, helping move the ball from side to side and forcing Atlanta players to stay with him as he roamed around the field.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 7.5 — Orlando City’s “other” French player also played extremely well in the middle of the field, completing 89 passes at a 93.7% rate and bossing the game throughout his performance. Gerbet was everywhere for the Lions, with a bright orange heatmap from box to box and four defensive contributions as well. His best play was a pass, and what a pass it was, as it was the French connection of Gerbet to Griezmann for Gerbet’s first assist of the season and Orlando’s first goal of the night. If not for his countryman, Gerbet might have taken Man of the Match honors, as he was excellent offensively and defensively throughout his 74 minutes, before making way for Wilder Cartagena in a like-for-like substitution.

MF, Justin Ellis, 7.5 — The 19-year-old midfielder showed increasing command of his new right wing role, going the full 90 minutes for the first time since, coincidentally, the last time the Lions played Atlanta, and leading the team in both key passes and tackles (three of each). One of those key passes turned out to be the game-winning assist, as Ellis and Griezmann once again showed their tremendous chemistry by linking up for a give-and-go in a tight space just outside the top of the Atlanta box. Ellis’ return pass was inch perfect in leading Griezmann right into his shot, and with that assist Ellis is now tied with Angulo for the team lead with nine, despite playing nearly 900 fewer minutes during MLS play. Ellis completed 89.8% of his passes and also went two out of three on his dribble attempts in an all-around performance that showed how valuable of a contributor he is.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 8.5 (MotM) — The superlative well is going to run dry soon if Griezmann keeps this up, as the French superstar bagged two goals and has now scored the second most goals for the Lions during MLS play, even though he has only played in nine of the team’s 24 games. Griezmann demonstrated his love of American sports by scoring his first goal on what looked more like a slide into second base against the Atlanta Braves instead of a sliding shot against Atlanta United. He then gave the Heisman Trophy pose (perhaps something he learned while attending UCF’s season-opening football game last week) after scoring his second goal off of a beautiful play with Ellis. Griezmann’s most acrobatic play was on the other end of the field, as he got airborne to somehow keep an Atlanta header from crossing the goal line, preventing the Five Stripes from grabbing a momentum-shifting goal. He truly did it all against Atlanta, completing 85.7% of his passes, adding five defensive contributions, playing yet another full 90 minutes, and putting the team on his back in yet another Man of the Match performance.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — On another day Ojeda could have had a hat trick, but his touch let him down on several occasions when he was in on goal, and the Argentine was unable to convert any of his team-leading five shot attempts. The Argentine did not let those misses get him down, however, and he continued to put the pressure on Atlanta throughout his shift, eventually picking up an assist on a perfect pass to Angulo in the second half. Ojeda’s movement looked as good as ever, but he is still knocking the rust off with his timing and footwork, and his fitness is clearly getting closer to 100% as he jumped from 10 minutes to 40 minutes to 73, and by next week he may be able to go a full 90 again if needed. He completed 76.7% of his passes, including the assist to Angulo and what was nearly a second to Dorsey, and he also added a tackle and a block on the defensive side of the ball.

Substitutes

D, Zakaria Taifi (46′), 6 — Taifi returned to the right side of the field against Atlanta, coming on at halftime for Dorsey and playing a similar role, though slightly more defensive as the Lions were protecting a lead during most of his shift. The young defender completed 81.8% of his passes, nearly picking up an assist when he made a great run up the sideline and delivered a pass that was just a half-second too late, allowing Atlanta to recover and deflect it away from allowing Griezmann a tap in. Taifi was an active defender as well, picking up four defensive contributions from a tackle, an interception, a block and a clearance.

F, Tyrese Spicer (71′), 5.5 — The Trinidad & Tobago man came on for Rhein but bumped Angulo to left back, and while he had chances to deliver a vintage supersub Spicer performance up the left side, he was unable to convert either of his two shots. The better of the two chances failed as Spicer slipped on the plastic grass, and if that chance had happened at home, I think he would have scored yet another goal after coming off the bench. Spicer completed all three of his pass attempts and added one interception and one clearance, but was unfortunate in that his most memorable play will be one that he accidentally participated in, as a headed ball bounced off of him and past Crépeau for an own goal deep in stoppage time.

MF, Marco Pašalić (74′), 5.5 — Pašalić contributed more defensively than offensively on Wednesday, hustling to get back and help out on the right side and making an interception and a block during his limited minutes on the field. He completed all nine of his passes and beat one defender off the dribble, delivering a solid performance off the bench.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (74′), 7 — The Peruvian midfielder came on for Gerbet and bookended a strong 90 minute performance between the two in the center of the field. Cartagena went a perfect 12/12 on his pass attempts, but his biggest play was when he read where Miguel Almirón was about to play a pass and stepped in to deflect the pass to Griezmann, initiating the play that turned into the winning goal. He also helped in the aftermath of Griezmann’s save off the line, knocking the ball off an Atlanta player, who misplayed it out for a goal kick. Despite only playing 16 minutes, Cartagena racked up five defensive contributions, delivering for the Lions off the bench and helping the team close out a victory on the road.

D, Iago (79′), N/A — Iago came on for his first appearance since the Leagues Cup, and he delivering a towering performance, making five clearances (three with his head) in just 11 minutes plus stoppage time. He also hustled to get involved on Griezmann’s goal-line clearance, putting himself in a great position to block any shot attempt had Atlanta been able to get a shot off after the ball was saved off the line. The Brazilian went seven for eight on his pass attempts and did not look rusty after almost a month in between appearances.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-2 enjoyable win on the road at Atlanta. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.