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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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4 years ago

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Orlando City went to Fort Lauderdale with an opportunity to almost clinch a playoff spot and maintain an opportunity for a playoff home game. Instead, the Lions were embarrassed by Inter Miami 4-1, making Sunday’s game against the Columbus Crew likely a win-or-go-home contest, although there is a less likely scenario in which a draw could get Orlando in.

Let’s take a look at how the Lions did in this devastating loss to Inter Miami.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — It’s hard to give a goalkeeper a high score when he concedes four times. It’s even harder when that goalkeeper doesn’t record a save. But that’s what happened in this game with Gallese. The only goal Gallese probably should’ve stopped was the opening goal inside the first minute, but he was caught well off his line on an unexpected turnover by Kyle Smith. Gallese’s distribution was good, as he completed 88.9% of his 18 passes and seven of his nine long balls.

D, Joao Moutinho, 5.5 — This wasn’t a bad game by Moutinho as he wasn’t at fault for any of the goals — the only defender who can say that. He completed 87.8% of his 41 passes, including two key passes, three of his seven crosses, and two of his three long balls. Defensively, the left back recorded one tackle but no other defensive stats. He also had one off-target shot.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4 — It was a very tough game for Schlegel, who was partly at fault for the first two Miami goals. Inside the first minute, the center back was caught ball watching, allowing Leo Campana to get behind and chip Pedro Gallese. On the second goal, Schlegel got sucked up too far, allowing Indiana Vassilev to play Ariel Lassiter behind him, creating the second goal. His statistics didn’t help much either, as he only recorded two tackles, one interception, and one clearance. He completed 87.2% of his 39 passes, but that wasn’t enough to absolve him from his poor defending.

D, Antonio Carlos, 4 — Similar to Schlegel, Carlos takes some of the blame for three Miami goals. He got caught ball watching on the first, got caught in no-man’s land, as he didn’t commit to either attacker on the second, and got beat by Lassiter, who drew the penalty for the third. He also picked up a booking, which got him suspended for Sunday’s game. Defensively, Carlos only had one tackle and two interceptions. He completed 94.6% of his 37 passes, including all three long balls, but those stats don’t make up for his poor defending on the night.

D, Kyle Smith, 5 — Smith’s pass attempt that was blocked by Robert Taylor inside the first minute helped to spring Campana free for the first goal. However, that was the only one of the four goals for which he can take some blame. He completed 81.5% of his 27 passes and two of his six crosses. The right back had no defensive statistics and was removed at halftime for the more attack-minded Ruan.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo has been one of Orlando City’s best players. It wasn’t his best game but he wasn’t bad either. Araujo had a team-high four tackles and one interception in 90 minutes. He completed 97% of his team-high 66 passes and had one key pass. Most importantly, he wasn’t booked so he’ll be available on Sunday.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 (MotM) — Pereyra was arguably the team’s best player on the night, completing 82% of his 50 passes, including two key passes. He completed all three of his crosses and four of his five long balls. Defensively, Pereyra had two tackles and two interceptions.

MF, Benji Michel, 5 — It was a forgettable game for Michel, who completed 80% of 15 passes, two long balls, and attempted one inaccurate cross. He only got one shot off and that was off target as he took a touch before shooting, which allowed a defender to block it out for a corner. The Homegrown attacker came off at halftime for Ivan Angulo.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — Urso completed 86.4% of his 44 passes in this game, including all six long balls. He made three key passes, including one in the 71st minute to Facundo Torres that allowed the midfielder to set up Ercan Kara for the Lions’ lone goal. Additionally, Urso record two tackles and one off-target shot.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres completed 91.2% of his 57 passes in this game, including three of his four long balls. However, he failed to convert on all three of his crosses and both shots were off target. His primary contribution to the game was a nice turn in the 71st minute, creating enough room to play Kara through for the team’s goal, tallying an assist on the play.

F, Tesho Akindele, 4.5 — Akindele was given the start in this game in place of Kara and the striker didn’t help the team’s cause. He only completed 83.3% of his 12 passes and took three off-target shots.

Substitutes

MF, Ivan Angulo (45’), 6 — Angulo came on for Michel at halftime and was much better. The attacking midfielder completed all of his 10 passes, including four key passes, and two of his five crosses. However, both of his shots were off target.

D, Ruan (45’), 5 — Ruan came on for Smith at halftime to provide some more attack in the team. While he might’ve been a little unlucky, his handball just after halftime gave Miami a penalty, resulting in the Herons’ third goal. He did complete 88.2% of his 17 passes, but only one of his four crosses. One of those poor crosses would have given Kara a late sitter but he left his chip low enough for the goalkeeper to catch.

F, Ercan Kara (45’), 5.5 — Kara came on at halftime for Akindele and, like Angulo, did much better than the starter. Kara only had nine touches and two were unstable, but he converted the team’s only goal in the 71st minute. Additionally, Kara completed both of his pass attempts and his other shot was off target.

D, Mikey Halliday (63’), 5 — Halliday came on in the 63rd minute for Mountinho, who was one yellow card away from a suspension. The appearance by the Homegrown was to ensure that Moutinho didn’t get suspended for Sunday’s regular season finale. Halliday completed 93.3% of his 15 passes and had one incomplete cross. Defensively, he recorded just one tackle.

MF, Wilder Cartagena (63’), 5.5 — Cartagena was expected to come on for Araujo, who was one yellow card away from a suspension. Instead, he came on for Pereryra in the 63rd minute. Cartagena completed 88.6% of his 35 passes, including three of five long balls, but didn’t complete his only cross attempt. He took three shots and all were off target. Defensively, the midfielder had one tackle in his 27 minutes of action.

Some players had decent games but nobody on the team was spectacular. The Lions didn’t look to be in the game from the opening kickoff and were quickly chasing a deficit. As a result, they almost certainly need all three points Sunday against the Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium.

This is how I saw Orlando City’s 4-1 loss to Inter Miami. Let’s us know what you thought of the individual players’ performances in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on the Man of the Match, if there was one.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra2
Ercan Kara2
Facundo Torres8
Junior Urso1
Cesar Araujo2
Other (Let us know in the comments)5

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/16/26

Orlando City’s Open Cup match day, the Summer of Maxime Crepeau, USMNT news, and more.

Published

1 hour ago

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September 16, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau taking a goal kick against Atlanta.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day as Orlando City looks to advance to the final of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. If the Lions are able to win tonight, they will host the final at Inter.co Stadium. That is something I’d greatly like to see again. Hopefully, Orlando City can continue the good run of form for at least another match. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando’s Open Cup Continues

Antione Griezmann got a whole 25 minutes or so of rest in the match against Toronto FC. As such, I know he will be fully rested for the U.S. Open Cup match against the Columbus Crew. Orlando City is one victory away from playing for a second Open Cup trophy. St. Louis City and the Colorado Rapids play in the other semifinal match. Orlando City and the Columbus Crew are both looking for a second title in the competition.

Summer of Crepeau

Maxime Crepeau has professionally had a great summer since the World Cup began. He was the starting goalkeeper for Canada and acquitted himself well. Upon returning to Orlando City, he has been one of the best players on the team. He did, sadly, lose his father earlier this month, and as such, he wasn’t called up for Canada’s fall friendlies. As tough a time as it must be for Crepeau, he has performed admirably for Orlando City.

Orlando Pride News

The Orlando Pride maintained their 11th place in the standings and in the Goal.com NWSL power rankings. Of course, the future is brighter thank to the Pride signing Barbra Banda through 2029. On the back of that good news, season ticket memberships for 2027 are now on sale. Marta made an appearance in the latest match, and she and former Pride striker Alex Morgan, along with Crystal Dunn, sent an open letter to FIFA asking the organization to line up the U-20 Women’s World Cup with the international calendar.

USMNT News

U.S. Soccer has selected TQL Stadium in Cincinnati to host the home leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal round in November. The opponent will be determined following the conclusion of the Concacaf Nations League group stage League A matches. Unfortunately, Diego Luna won’t be available for selection, as he will be out for months due to a knee injury that may require surgery. Over in Europe, other USMNT players are getting ready for the Europa League competition.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for live match updates, and we will also have a recap of the match tonight. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

PawedCast Episode 551: Toronto Rewind, Crew and Revs Previews, OCB, and More

The Lions took care of Toronto and now face the Crew in USOC and the Revs on the road.

Published

22 hours ago

on

September 15, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian celebrating his first MLS goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City picked up its second consecutive home shutout win and third win on the bounce, extending its unbeaten run in the process with a 3-0 blanking of Toronto FC on Saturday. It was an important win, as the Lions had to rotate some players to prepare for Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal match at Columbus, and the kids were more than all right. So was Antoine Griezmann, who scored for the fifth consecutive match, leading to a halftime advantage. Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo put the game to bed late, but there were other good opportunities and although they went wanting, so did all of Toronto’s chances.

We break down a solid home win over a streaking Toronto club, look back at our score predictions, and make our selections for Man of the Match.

Our mailbagbox asked us about Griezmann, our go-to, fast-casual Mexican food orders,Tiago, and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

After the mailbagbox, we discuss OCB’s home win over Toronto FC II on Sunday, in which Sarajian made it two straight nights with a goal in a professional soccer match. He chipped in an assist on Sunday for good measure as the Young Lions won 3-1 and climbed into a playoff position with one match remaining. OCB can finish anywhere from third to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings depending on Decision Day results Sunday, but a win over Atlanta United 2 would ensure a postseason berth.

Finally, we look ahead to two more opponents this week. The Lions will face the Crew on the road, where wins aren’t easy to come by. That game could lead to a home USOC final match if things go well, but the Crew have improved and will be a difficult out. The Lions will then proceed to New England to face a rejuvenated Revolution side that currently occupies third spot in the Eastern Conference. That match takes place in the house of horrors they call Gillette Stadium. We provide our key matchups and score predictions for the latter after reviewing the series history against both clubs.

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next show.

If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how No. 551 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City extended its streak at the expense of Toronto’s.

20:54 – The mailbagbox has had its expectations exceeded.

33:15 – OCB rolls into Decision Day while the senior Lions prepare for two massive matches in the team’s pursuit of a trophy and a playoff spot.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/15/26

Recognition for two Lions, Pride players earn props, lessons from MLS matchday 26, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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September 15, 2026

By

Image of Ivan Angulo controlling the ball between two Atlanta defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Good morning, everyone. It was another solid weekend of action for Orlando’s soccer teams, as Orlando City and Orlando City B picked up victories over Toronto FC and Toronto FC II, respectively, while the Orlando Pride battled to a 2-2 draw with the Kansas City Current on the road. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us, as the Lions have a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match with the Columbus Crew Wednesday night, before all three teams are in action over the weekend. There’s lots to talk about today, so let’s get into the links.

Lions Earn Recognition for Performances vs. Toronto

Orlando City turned in another winning performance on Saturday night, and a couple of Lions are getting some love for their part in securing the three points. Ivan Angulo turned in a Man of the Match performance from left back and left wing, and he would have had an assist to add to his goal if not for a bad miss by Daryl Dike. He’s been rewarded with a starting spot in the MLS Team of the Matchday, and it’s a well-deserved inclusion. Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann scored in a fifth game running, and his diving effort has earned him a nomination for the MLS Goal of the Matchday. Congrats to both men, and keep up the good work!

Praise for Pride Players

Not to be outdone, the Orlando Pride have not one, not two, but three players who are getting some just recognition for their efforts over the weekend. We start with Cosette Morche, who is up for the NWSL Save of the Week thanks to the diving, fingertip save she made in the 29th minute to deny Vanessa DiBernardo.

Then, there’s Ally Lemos, who is up for the NWSL Assist of the Week thanks to the long ball over the top that she played on Barbra Banda’s first goal.

Finally, there’s Banda herself, who is up for both the NWSL Goal of the Week, thanks to the spectacular first goal she scored, as well as the NWSL Player of the Week. Make sure you go vote for all three players!

Lessons from Matchday 26

Major League Soccer’s 26th matchday is done and dusted, and there are plenty of things to take away from the weekend’s action. For one thing, Nashville’s draw with Inter Miami kept the ‘Yotes eight points clear in the Supporters’ Shield race, although the Vancouver Whitecaps’ victory allowed them to make up some ground. Out west, the Colorado Rapids had a busy summer transfer window, and some of their new additions came good in the team’s 1-0 win over CF Montreal. Finally, much closer to home, Griezmann scored his third straight game-winning goal on Saturday, and OCSC is now 6-2-2 since the Frenchman’s arrival.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are plenty of Americans set to take part in games during the working week, so make sure you have some of these highlighted on the calendar. Things get started later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham face West Ham in the Carabao Cup. The action continues tomorrow when Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid take on Osasuna in La Liga, while Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan host Benfica to start their Europa League campaign. The latter part of the week has Alex Freeman and Villarreal playing Malaga in La Liga, with Folarin Balogun and Monaco taking on Lens in Ligue 1 play on Friday.

Free Kicks

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

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