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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Earn Another Road Win

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Kyle Smith’s late flicked header rescued Orlando City from a wasteful performance in the attacking third as the Lions defeated Toronto FC 1-0 at BMO Field. Orlando (6-4-2, 20 points) sent the Reds (3-7-2, 11 points) to their fifth consecutive loss and extended the Lions’ unbeaten streak against Toronto to five matches.

The Lions improved to 3-1-2 on the road in 2022. Orlando City is now 5-8-3 against Toronto FC in the all-time series and 2-4-3 in road games, but this win was the team’s first at BMO Field. The previous “road” win came at Exploria Stadium during the time Toronto was playing in exile during the pandemic last year.

“Congratulations to the players today in such an important match in a difficult place, with that personality and collectiveness that we are pursuing in this project,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I like the way they controlled the game the whole time. I think we imposed our rhythms. We came here to win and the victory is ours and we’re very pleased and happy.”

Pareja’s lineup had just a few changes from Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup lineup. Pedro Gallese returned to the goal behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Andres Perea took up residence in central midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Facundo Torres, Mauricio Pereyra, and Junior Urso, with Ercan Kara up top.

The Lions played the first half like a team that either played a few days ago 1,200 miles south of BMO Field or was assembled two weeks ago. Players failed to connect or read where their attacking partners would go, crosses were poor to the point of not being worthy of MLS-level players, and bad touches cost Orlando City multiple goals.

Torres fired the game’s first shot from long range in the fifth minute but missed wide to the right of goal. This was the theme of the opening 45 minutes as the Lions wasted several opportunities.

In the 12th minute, the first of Urso’s heavy touches cost the Lions a chance to score. He and Pereyra played a nice give-and-go but the first touch by the Bear was heavy and he had to make a sliding effort at a cross. The ball hit off the defender and back off of him for a harmless goal kick. It was a tough way to end a nice spell of attacking pressure set up by a great run up the field by Jansson.

Jordan Perruzza ended up with the ball after Pereyra turned it over in the corner of his own defensive half but the Toronto forward’s shot was blocked in the 15th minute.

Ruan was sent down the right by Urso moments later and had plenty of space to pick out one of his teammates in the box but instead he sent his cross lazily right at goalkeeper Alex Bono in the 17th minute. A minute later, Torres sent a cross over everyone as Orlando continued to waste opportunities in the final third.

Toronto nearly capitalized after the two poor crosses. In the 19th minute, the Reds got the ball in the right corner and a cross went through everyone in the area to find Luca Petrasso. The fullback took a shot but Ruan blocked it to keep it scoreless.

Jesus Jimenez was left all alone from long distance in the 24th minute and he got his shot on target, forcing a diving save from Gallese.

Seconds later, the Lions should have scored. A good line-breaking spell of passing ended up with Urso on the right. He led a 3-v-1 with Kara and Torres to his left and only one defender to beat. However, the Bear took a massively heavy touch and by the time he caught up with it, the chance was gone.

Three minutes later, Urso was served up a golden opportunity at the left post by a Ruan pass. All the ball needed was a touch toward net for the Lions to open the scoring. Urso, however, popped up his deflection over the net from just a few yards off the goal line, continuing the theme of Orlando letting Toronto off the hook.

The Lions lined up a dangerous set piece in the 38th minute when Torres was knocked down by Michael Bradley about 25 yards straight out from goal. Pereyra took the free kick and got it on target but left it too far from the right post and Bono did well to get a hand on it to knock it out for a corner. It was Orlando’s only shot on target of the half.

That was the last decent chance of the half for Orlando, which defended a late corner and went to the locker room tied at 0-0.

Orlando City led in most statistical categories, including possession (52.2%-47.8%), shots (7-3), corners (3-2), and passing accuracy (84%-78.8%). But both teams put just one shot on target, and that’s the only reason the Lions didn’t have at least a two-goal lead at the break.

Toronto sent on Ayo Akinola for Ralph Priso to start the second half and the last 45 minutes were much more wide open.

The Lions quickly won an early corner that was played short and sent to Jansson from about 30 yards out. The defender fired a shot on target but it didn’t have much venom in it and it was right at Bono. Orlando played corners short through most of the match and seemed more likely to concede a goal at times than score one from such set pieces, so the game-winning goal seemed a bit ironic in the end.

A minute after Jansson’s shot, Deandre Kerr sent a shot on frame from distance and Gallese did well to knock it away.

Orlando nearly made a free kick pay off in the 59th minute after Ruan was fouled out on the right wing by Perruzza. Pereyra sent in a good cross on the set piece that found the foot of Perea. The first-time shot was sent just wide of the left post.

The end-to-end action continued with Ruan getting into the box in the 60th minute. The right back fired a shot toward goal but Carlos Salcedo made a sliding challenge to block it behind for a corner. Moutinho flicked a shot on goal moments later but it was blocked. The left back then fired right at Bono from distance in the 64th as Orlando continued to look for the go-ahead goal.

In the 67th minute, the Reds came close to opening the scoring against the run of play. Kerr sent a curling shot in that went just inches wide of the left post. Jansson may have gotten a sliding touch on it but a goal kick was given. Petrasso fired off target moments later as Toronto spent a spell of time simply out-hustling Orlando. That spell included yellow cards for both Moutinho and Schlegel, with the latter being forced into taking a tactical foul.

Moutinho then handed Toronto a good opportunity on a set piece. The Lions did well to clear that and counter but a poor touch by Ruan trying to cut back against a defender wrecked the transition chance.

In the 78th minute, Urso fired a volley shot just over the bar from 25 yards out after a good layoff by substitute Alexandre Pato.

Toronto nearly created something out of nothing in the 81st minute when the Lions couldn’t find the handle on a loose ball in the box. It ended up on Akinola’s foot and he sent a shot that bounced off Schlegel and went wide.

The next few minutes were frustrating ones for Orlando. Second-half sub Jake Mulraney was knocked down from behind in the box but no call was made. In the aftermath of that, Pato took a boot to the leg and again there was no set piece awarded. Moments later, Urso sent a too-heavy pass forward trying to send Ruan in behind.

Toronto got a free kick just outside the left corner of the box in the 88th when Jansson appeared to make a successful sliding challenge to break up a counter opportunity. The Beefy Swede appeared to get the ball and knock it out for a throw before contact with Paul Rothrock, but a foul was called and Jansson was booked on top of it. The Lions cleared but Urso lost control of the ball during the ensuing counter attack.

The match appeared destined to end in a 0-0 draw at that point. However, substitute Smith cracked the door open and then busted it down in stoppage time. Smith sent a good cross into the area in the 91st that was cut out for a corner kick. On the ensuing set piece, Pato sent a hard, low cross toward the near post. Smith made the run and flicked a header toward goal and the ball found inside netting to put the Lions ahead 1-0 in the 92nd minute.

“I was unmarked in the box on the corner, so I knew I wanted to make a near-post run,” Smith said. “Because Pato plays a good ball into the box. It dips. So, that’s what I did. And luckily the ball found me and I just tried to put it on frame. I’m more of a defender, so I don’t get to score often. So, it’s really fun to score goals and I feel really good right now to help the team win on the offensive side for a change.” 

Orlando did well to see out the last couple of minutes of injury time, with Ruan making a nice play to win a corner. Pato nearly scored a late insurance golazo from midfield. He sent a floating shot on target with Bono well off his line, but the Toronto keeper scrambled back to his net just in time to catch it and avoid an embarrassing late goal against in the 95th minute. That was the last action of the match.

Orlando dominated the stat sheet despite scoring just the one goal. The Lions led in possession (52.3%-47.7%), shots (17-8), shots on goal (6-2), corners (9-3), and passing accuracy (84.1%-80.9%).

It wasn’t a perfect performance due to the finishing and some misplaced passes and heavy touches, but the Lions found a way to get all three points and keep a sixth clean sheet on the season.

We accept ourselves in this moment as a team in a growing process in our attacking phase,” Pareja said. “New players, different characteristics. We would like to wait not too much for gluing us together, but the players are united and they’re working hard just to find those connections and that fineness in the final third. We need to grow up, but just knowing how to win this kind of game in a different way just makes us a very serious and important team.”


The Lions will continue their road trip next Sunday night at Austin in the first meeting between the two sides.

Orlando City

Orlando City Was Hot, But Now Is Not — An Explanation

A comparison of the Lions’ start to the season vs. recent form.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Years ago, back during the early days of the new millennium, one of the first websites to ever “go viral” was the matchmaking site AmIHotOrNot.com. I, of course, never visited this site, as I had access to a mirror on the wall and already knew who was the fairest of them all (not me, the mirror was pretty clear about that). But as a college student during those years, I knew of the site and how it quickly was getting millions of views per day. Today’s topic is related to hot and not, but it is the significantly more important topic of Orlando City’s performance on the field during the 2025 season.

During the first six games of the season, the Lions looked better than any previous Orlando City team in the club’s MLS era in terms of early season offensive prowess. The squad led the league in goals scored, the Designated Players were scoring or contributing to nearly every goal, and with Duncan McGuire still to return to add even more firepower, it seemed like there might be the possibility of running out of purple smoke to shoot off in front of The Wall with how many goals Orlando City was scoring.

And then, with apologies to Prince, purple flames were doused by purple rain, and we found out what it sounds like when Lions fans cry. To understand why the offense went from 2.5 goals scored per game to being shut out in three straight matches for the first time since 2018 we need to first consider whether the start to the season was an aberration itself, and had our expectations misaligned for how this team would perform for the rest of the season. Let’s take a look at how the first six games of 2025 compared with the second half of the 2024 regular season (17 games):

Metric2024 Final 172025 First 6
Goals per Game2.52.5
Shots on Target per Game5.65.5
Shots on Target %40%35%
Goal Conversions per Shot on Target44%45%
Medium + Long Passes Completed per Game215208
Medium + Long Pass Completion %81%80%
Completed Crosses + Switches per Game21.421.0
Progressive Carries + Passes per Game64.657.3
Points Earned per Game2.061.67

For the most part it looks like the beginning of the 2025 season picked right up where the 2024 regular season ended (I intentionally excluded the 2024 playoffs from the data because playoff games tend to be played differently than regular-season games). There were some major changes in personnel from 2024 to 2025, but even with the changes in players, the style of play and the formation used by Orlando City remained the same, and most of the offensive stats are nearly exactly the same. Six games is a decent enough sample size to say that those stats from 2025 were not a fluke, and the offensive output that we saw in the second half of the 2024 season could be reasonably expected to continue at a similar pace.

But then it did not. Oh boy has it not. Looking at the same chart, but comparing the 2025 first six games to the 2025 most recent three matches gets an immediate “not hot” vote and is as ugly as a Bubba Sparxxx song.

Metric2025 First 62025 Last 3
Goals per Game2.50.0
Shots on Target per Game5.53.0
Shots on Target %35%31%
Goal Conversions per Shot on Target45%0%
Medium + Long Passes Completed per Game208171
Medium + Long Pass Completion %80%74%
Completed Crosses + Switches per Game21.012.6
Progressive Carries + Passes per Game57.342.0
Points Earned per Game1.671.0

The sharp-eyed observer will note that red cards are not noted anywhere above, and in those last three games Orlando City played nearly 50 minutes with only 10 players. In both of the games when a red card (the ultimate sum of two yellow cards by the same player) was given, Orlando City was ahead in expected goals at the moment the red card was issued, and while those do not count for anything officially, they indicate who was getting shots off from more dangerous locations. I thought Orlando City seemed more likely to score and take all three points in both games up until the dismissal of a player. Instead, of course, the Lions went down a player and immediately had to pivot to a more defensive posture, and with one fewer player on the field, they could not play (or at least maintain) the same style as they had been.

In addition to playing far more conservatively, in both games Orlando City substituted on a defender for a key attacking player within four minutes of the red card, removing Marco Pašalić in the game against New York and Luis Muriel in the game against Montréal. This was effectively a double negative, and not in the way that turns two negatives into a positive. It was more like f(x) = -2x, a function with a slope of -2 and…let me stop right there. It was bad, and hurt the offense to remove a key playmaker and goal scorer.

Another major issue is that the midfield engine of César Araújo and Eduard Atuesta have played a combined 11 minutes in the last three games, and all 11 of those minutes were played by Atuesta in the game against New York and after the red card. Araújo’s absence has definitely been felt, but as he is more of a deep-lying player and defensive destroyer, the team has been able to adequately replace him, but Atuesta’s offensive talents have been sorely missed. Atuesta may not have many goal contributions, but he is second on the team in shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (4.62) and first on the team in goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (1.20). That 1.20 is the highest in club history (fbref.com only has tracking back to 2018, so apologies to the legend Kaká) among players who played at least 500 minutes in a season, and it is nearly 50% higher than the player in second place in that stat, Mauricio Pereyra in 2020, when he averaged 0.82.

Might it be nice to be able to play a player who is creating a goal every 90 minutes? I think so. Joran Gerbet has played well, especially for a rookie, and specially especially (just go with it) for a rookie in the mentally and physically demanding role of a central midfielder. He has a ton of potential, but he is not yet as productive a player as Atuesta and when the Colombian playmaker returns the offense will get back a key cog that will help to create good shots, and in a game like soccer the difference between a goal and a miss is often a matter of inches, and a slightly better delivery on the pass can turn a shot into a shot on target and a shot on target into a goal.

Is it really as simple as just red cards and injuries, and that if Orlando City can keep its full complement of players on the field and get back some injured players, everything will go from not hot to hot again? Perhaps, but I think there is a style of play change that has also been causing some of the recent issues. I included rows on the charts above on the aggregation of completed crosses and switches (as in switches of the field) per game and medium and long passes completed per game, and from that chart you can see that the numbers are much lower in the last three games as compared to the beginning of this season and the final half of last season.

Those drops coincide with Rafael Santos playing only 59 minutes in the last three games, and with Alex Freeman not being able to get into the attack in the same way as he was in the season-opening games. There definitely is some overlap here with playing down a player and needing to keep defensive players back, but Santos’ offensive contributions (he is currently 20th in MLS in completed crosses + switches per 90 minutes), and even just the threat of him playing a long ball across the field to change the point of attack, have been missed by the Orlando City offense with him off the field. David Brekalo is an excellent defender, but his offensive contributions are more tied to his ability to win balls in the air, whereas Santos is among the league leaders in crosses and switches per 90 minutes, with Freeman one of his primary targets.

Brekalo playing left back certainly helped shore up a defense that had been leaking goals, and Santos was a major contributor to that with some poor defensive performances, but that tradeoff has removed a major threat to the Orlando City offense. Freeman’s reduction in offensive contributions has not helped, but I think the loss of Santos’ early crosses, long switches, and overlapping runs contributed more to the nearly 400-minute dry spell without a goal from open play. The Lions need him to find his form again, though he will not be able to do it against Atlanta, as he will be suspended.

Three games without a goal is unpleasant as a fan, but Orlando City battled in all three games and at least came away with a point. The defense is playing well, and despite many injuries, the Lions are still very much in the playoff hunt as the season approaches the one-third mark. There are legitimate reasons for the recent offensive swoon, and Araújo and Atuesta will likely be back shortly, and McGuire also may soon be able to start a game and offer a different offensive look. Ramiro Enrique heated up once spring turned to summer in 2024, and when all four of those players are back to full health, the team will once again have a deep roster full of players aggressively competing for minutes.

Óscar Pareja historically has used the first half of a season to find his preferred lineup for the stretch run of the season, and I believe this is another season when he will be playing the long game and seeing what he has at his disposal. The red cards and injuries provided short-term pain in terms of points dropped, but they will likely also provide long-term gain with the view into how the players play in different positions and combinations.

It is a long season, with two cup competitions still to start, in addition to 25 more regular-season games, and summer does not even start until June. I expect that a lot of the issues from the recent run of games will work themselves out with time. We just need to keep our cool and wait for the inevitable Orlando City late season hot streak.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points against Atlanta United at home?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City returns to Inter&Co Stadium to host Atlanta United on Saturday after a 0-0 draw at Montreal over the weekend. Orlando City’s rivals from the north sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, but that doesn’t ensure a victory. The Lions are coming off three straight scoreless draws and need to get some goals and a win. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against Atlanta United?

Lock Down Latte Lath

I’m not entirely sure how to pronounce Emmanuel Latte Lath’s name. Is it Latte as in the coffee drink and Lath as in bath? I don’t want to get it wrong, but I suppose it doesn’t matter in print. Regardless, the Orlando City defense will need to keep him off the scoresheet.

With Rafael Santos serving a red card suspension and Rodrigo Schlegel returning from a red card suspension, I suspect we will see a back line of Alex Freeman on the right, Schlegel and Robin Jansson at center back, and David Brekalo on the left. That is Orlando City’s strongest back line so far in 2025. The only other defensive question is who will play in the defensive midfield?

Defensive Midfield Shuffle

Will we see the return of Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta? Will Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Joran Gerbet get the start yet again? Who we see in the defensive midfield may determine the outcome of the match.

When healthy, Araujo and Atuesta are first choice, but if one or the other is still unable to start, then it will be up to Thorhallsson and Gerbet to deal with Miguel Almiron and Aleksei Miranchuk on the right side of Atlanta’s attack. If the pair can play like they did against the New York Red Bulls, then another clean sheet is possible. Of course, that isn’t the only assignment.

Find the Attack

It’s been three matches since the Lions conceded a goal. Sadly, it’s also been three matches since Orlando City has scored a goal. That has to change this week. Atlanta has given up 16 goals this season, which is second worst only to D.C. United with 19. There is opportunity here if the Lions can be more clinical around the net.

It will start with whichever players start in the defensive midfield (I told you they had another assignment). After that, it will be up to Orlando City’s playmakers. I feel that the Orlando City attack is better with Duncan McGuire on the pitch, but who do you take off? Ivan Angulo finally found some decent form the last couple of matches, but I still think you put him on the bench.

I’ve been calling for McGuire up top with Luis Muriel dropping deeper and Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic on either side. Put the best players on the pitch at the same time. With Brekalo locking down the left side of the defense, the need for Angulo’s speed is less urgent. I hope that Orlando City’s four best attacking players can break the scoring dam the Lions find themselves in.


That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/25

Orlando Pride prepare for Angel City FC, MLS deadline day deals, OCB slips in power rankings, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a few days since a rough weekend for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. Time heals all wounds, but let’s also hope it heals offenses considering both teams were shut out. Let’s go ahead and manifest some good officiating this weekend as well while we’re at it. That might be a tall order, but I’m feeling optimistic. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride will look to bounce back when they welcome Angel City FC to the City Beautiful for a home game Friday night. Orlando lost its first game of the year and first home game since 2023 last week against the Washington Spirit, falling 1-0. Angel City is also coming off of its first loss of the season, falling 4-0 at home to NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. Pride defender Kerry Abello spoke on how the Pride will need to create better chances compared to last week as they prepare to right the ship with a home victory.

Orlando City B Drops a Spot in Power Rankings

Although OCB fell from third to fourth in the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, the Young Lions are solidly in the top five teams in the league. OCB was on a bye last weekend, so not moving too much in the rankings can be expected. While the Young Lions fell 3-2 in their last league game against Inter Miami II, spirits are likely high with the team due to the Orlando City U-18 team’s success in the Generation Adidas Cup. Let’s hope the Young Lions can ride that momentum into Sunday night’s match with New York Red Bulls II.

MLS Deadline Day Transfer News

The MLS transfer deadline day has come and gone and there were some notable moves to catch up on. Real Salt Lake’s deal with Boavista for forward Robert Bozenik reportedly collapsed, but the club still added striker William Agada from Sporting Kansas City in exchange for $500,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money and another $350,000 in GAM if he re-signs. Inter Miami traded winger Robert Taylor to Austin FC in exchange for up to $750,000 in GAM, with only $50,000 of that being conditional. Atlanta United traded winger Xande Silva to St. Louis City SC for up to $250,000 in GAM as well.

The Houston Dynamo also have a new forward, signing Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish club St. Mirren. The New England Revolution traded Noel Buck to the San Jose Earthquakes for up to $650,000 in cold, hard cash, reuniting the 20-year-old with Bruce Arena. Frankie Amaya is back in MLS, joining LAFC on loan from Toluca. As of this writing, Minnesota United are reportedly in hot pursuit of Miami’s Julian Gressel.

Sources: Minnesota United in advanced talks to acquire Julian Gressel from Inter Miami.Nothing done yet. Still details to figure out. Optimism something gets done, but not there yet.

Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-04-24T00:25:26.971Z

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The race for a place in the English Premier League is heating up in the EFL Championship and Americans are right in the thick of it. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have already secured promotion, along with Burnley. Forward Haji Wright has scored 12 goals for Coventry City this season, and his club currently holds the final playoff spot. Midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough are three points behind, while former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom will need to win their remaining two matches for a shot at sneaking in.

In Italy, Christian Pulisic started in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory over rival Inter to book a spot in the Italian Cup final on May 14. Fellow American Yunus Musah was an unused substitute. Catarina Macario scored twice and Mia Fishel added a goal as well in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, helping their team get ever closer to winning its sixth straight Women’s Super League title.

Free Kicks


That’s it for today’s links! Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to summer. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.

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