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U.S. Open Cup: Orlando City vs. Charleston Battery – Final Score 4-4 as Lions Advance on Penalties (8-7)

The Battery gave the Lions everything they could handle but a Carlos Rivas PK hat trick in regulation and heroic goalkeeping from Earl Edwards Jr. lifts Orlando City into Round 5 of the U.S. Open Cup.

Published

11 years ago

on

Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Danny Mwanga’s penalty kick rolled softly down the middle and into the net, lifting Orlando City past the Charleston Battery and into the fifth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, after one of the craziest soccer games ever.

I mean, how do I even begin to explain this game? Eight goals were scored after a scoreless first half. A player got a hat trick on penalties alone — and then missed one when the game went to PKs. Orlando City had a two-goal lead in extra time and still had to go to spot kicks. The Lions and Charleston Battery went 10 men deep in the penalty shootout.

This game was an idiot, and you’d never believe anything that follows below if you didn’t see it. And you shouldn’t. No one should ever believe the story of this match.

Still, it was the Lions coming from behind twice, blowing a two-goal lead, and then outlasting the Battery in sudden-death penalties in the sweltering heat at Charleston’s Blackbaud Stadium after regular time ended knotted at four.

Earl Edwards Jr. was the star of the spot kicks, denying three Battery strikes, the last a diving two-handed stop of defender Taylor Mueller to set up Mwanga’s winning strike. Edwards also stopped midfielders Dante Marini and Zach Prince just to keep the Lions in it, after Odisnel Cooper stopped Carlos Rivas and Lewis Neal early.

Charleston fought hard, and for long stretches of the game was the better side, against a team of mostly reserves sent out by Adrian Heath for this fixture. Their collective rust showed in a lack of chemistry and ideas in the final third, along with some cheap turnovers.

The only regulars Heath selected in his starting lineup were left back Luke Boden, center back Seb Hines (who hasn’t been starting the last few games), right wing Eric Avila and midfielder Neal, who played in the No. 10 role normally held down by Kaká. Speedy sub Rivas started and played more like a striker than a midfielder, and forward Mwanga served in more of a supporting midfield role.

Tyler Turner got the nod at right back next to rookie Conor Donovan, whose only previous playing time for the Lions was in a friendly. Likewise for goalkeeper Edwards. Harrison Heath played alongside Amobi Okugo at defensive midfield.

The first half was a slow-paced, ugly affair with few chances for either team. Orlando City played like a collection of guys not used to playing together, because that’s what the starting lineup was, basically. The Lions moved slowly, passed the ball slowly, and the only speed on the pitch consisted of Rivas’ occasional forays forward on long balls.

Charleston fashioned the best scoring chances of the first half. Donovan blocked a Maikel Chang shot inside the box eight minutes in. Edwards was forced into a big save on a Dane Kelly smash at the 36-minute mark, and Avila cleared a Ricky Garbanzo header off the line in stoppage time on a scramble off a late corner kick.

Rivas provided the only consistent threat in the opening 45 minutes for Orlando, taking a couple shots from distance and getting to the end line and looking for Mwanga, only to see his pass deflected by keeper Cooper.

Hines had the best Orlando City chance, off a corner kick, but Cooper was able to get to the defender’s header.

Things picked up after the break, with Charleston moving quickly and aggressively, taking the game to Orlando and creating chances and getting lots of corner kicks (10 in all). At the 58-minute mark, the Battery drew first blood on the team’s fourth corner of the half, as Jarad van Shaik got free of Boden and headed the cross past Edwards.

Five minutes later, the Lions drew level, with Neal splitting two defenders and slamming a header past Cooper, off a beautiful long cross by Turner. The defender took an apparent knock to the leg on the play and was replaced by Rafael Ramos, who would factor into the scoring later.

Following Orlando’s goal, Charleston again became the more dangerous side and regained the lead with Kelly getting onto a long ball, sprinting past Donovan and slotting home past Edwards into the far side in the 67th minute. The goal spurred on the Battery’s confidence, and they were by far the better side for about the next 10 minutes.

That’s when a moment of individual brilliance by Ramos led to a tying PK. Ramos sliced down the right, outside of one defender and inside another and into the box, where he was bundled over by Mueller. Rivas stepped up and drilled the spot kick to tie the game in the 76th minute, beating Cooper with a hard shot into the lower left corner. It was only the beginning for Rivas, who finally opened his Orlando City account.

Orlando had a couple of half chances down the stretch, but the game remained even after 90 minutes, plus four more minutes of stoppage time.

Just three minutes into the extra session, Rivas was sent in alone on Cooper, took a touch to blow by the Charleston keeper and was taken down. The Colombian took his second penalty and calmly blasted it into the upper 90 on the right side, exactly the opposite of where his first one went.

Late in the first 15-minute half of extra time, second-half sub Pedro Ribeiro got a nearly identical clean break and his deft touch forced yet another takedown by Cooper, who somehow managed to not get sent off as the last defender on two separate occasions. In fact, Cooper wasn’t even booked for either one. Rivas again went low to the left, completed his PK hat trick, and pushed Orlando’s lead to 4-2.

But the Battery weren’t done. As the first half of extra time was in its dying moments, Harrison Heath gave Justin Portillo about eight yards of space above the penalty area and the Battery midfielder blasted an unstoppable rocket from 25 yards out into the upper 90 to Edwards’ right in the 117th minute. It was a huge goal that boosted Charleston headed into the final 15 minutes.

The Lions couldn’t get off their back foot down the stretch. They defended a number of Charleston forays into the box and Ribeiro was too slow in releasing Rivas for a potential kill shot twice, when disaster struck off what seemed like the billionth Battery corner of the night. Okugo went to ground in a header attempt of a low, sinking ball and handled it in the box. Portillo stepped up and scored from the spot to tie it at 4-4 with just four minutes to play.

Orlando tried a desperate final attack but the whistle blew with absolutely no stoppage time for some reason. The teams went to PKs that seemed would go on forever.

Edwards was easily the man of the match with his shootout heroics, but he also had several key saves throughout the game to keep Orlando in it, including a one-handed stab to deny Kelly just three minutes before Okugo’s blunder in the box.

The Lions will now have to regroup and head to Montreal, where they’ll face the Impact on Saturday night. Most of the regulars should be nice and fresh, but Boden and Neal went the full 120 minutes, Ramos and St. Ledger were called into action as subs, and Avila played an hour before coming off for Ribeiro in the second half. Ribeiro himself played an hour.

The Lions will learn their Round 5 opponents tomorrow with the U.S. Open Cup fifth round draw. The match will take place June 30 or July 1.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

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Orlando City

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

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey trying to send the ball upfield against a Montreal defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If you play Football Manager enough, you play plenty of games where the after-match comment is “a bore draw.” That appeared to be where Orlando City’s road game at CF Montreal was headed until a mistake by Robin Jansson in added time led to a penalty which opened the scoring for the hosts. They tacked on another late in stoppage time and the Lions will return home for a three-game set (one of them in the U.S. Open Cup) sore from Saturday’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with the Quebecois.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — With 25 shots by Montreal, one would’ve figured Crepeau was busy. Not really — he finished with three saves. A goalkeeper is almost never responsible for being scored on from the penalty spot, but Dagur Dan Thorallsson’s goal at the death is one Crepeau will want back, although in fairness it was perfectly placed. The Canadian goalkeeper finished with a 72.7% passing rate and was helped out after being rounded by Prince Owusu in a 1-v-1 opportunity that his teammates should never have allwoed for what would have been a goal if not for Iago’s sliding block to clear it off the line.

D, Adrián Marin, 5.5 — Marin got caught ball-watching in the 34th minute to allow a Wiki Carmona rocket that just went wide. Otherwise, he just didn’t impact the game one way or the other. Marin completed 87.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one block, and three clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson played his normal emergency role all game. Unfortunately, he got put off-balance in the first minute of added time in the second half and fell into the legs of Luca Petrasso, giving a penalty. It was a rough ending for the captain, but Orlando left the door open for Montreal and the hosts took it. The Swede also couldn’t close down Thorhallsson to prevent the second late Montreal goal. Jansson completed 78.7% of his passes, with one tackle, 10(!) clearances, and one block.

D, Iago, 6 — We saw both sides of Iago. He had a really nice pass in the 17th minute to free up Eduard Atuesta on goal but the Colombian missed the target to waste Orlando’s best chance of the game. The Brazilian’s biggest highlight moment was in the 76th minute, when Owusu dribbled past Crepeau for an open look at goal but Iago was there to clear it off the line. On the flip side, he also had a dangerous header defending a corner that almost created an own goal, instead hitting the left post. He got pulled wide in the first minute of the second half, allowing a dangerous shot by Owusu. On the offensive end, he got on the end of a corner but headed it right at Thomas Gillier. He was all over the place, which you can expect from a young player. He would’ve gotten a higher grade had the game finished scoreless because of his goal-line clearance and a couple of sparkling long balls that should have led to more. Alas. He finished with zero interceptions or tackles, three blocks, six clearances, and a 92.3% passing rate. He also picked up a yellow card in the sixth minute of added time in the second half preventing a counter on one of his attacking teammates’ many turnovers.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5— While Orlando City was heavily weighted to the left side all game, when the Lions went down the right, it was through Dorsey. He led the break down that side multiple times but had trouble connecting. Dorsey finished with one tackle, three clearances, and one cross while passing at a 79% rate.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — When Angulo whiffed on a ball in the second minute which caused a Montreal counter, it was an indicator of the night to come. He was sloppy all game long and, by The Mane Land’s unofficial tally, turned the ball over eight times, with the majority of those coming in his own defensive half. It was an ugly night that looked a touch better when Tyrese Spicer departed, changing Angulo’s duties, but it didn’t wipe out a forgettable match. He finished with 90.2% passing, despite being loose with the ball. He was two out of six for successful dribbles and two out of seven in winning ground duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — A major part of the toothlessness of the Lions in the match was the midfield play. While Atuesta had a 95% passing rate, the only real impact he had was in the 17th minute, when Iago broke him free with a great pass. Atuesta made a well-timed run, but he ended up doing nothing with it when he sent his shot wide of goal. He had a turnover in the fourth minute to leave Montreal with a 3-on-2 break, leaving me to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights for him. Luckily no, but there was no real contribution either. He picked up a yellow card in the 62nd, was dispossessed once, and committed four fouls.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5— Atuesta’s midfield partner also had trouble linking the play but contributed a touch more defensively. His sloppy handling in the 41st minute allowed Montreal to keep possession and created a corner. In the end, he finished with one tackle, one block, one clearance, and a 90% passing rate.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6— Unfortunately, most of Spicer’s contributions came on the defensive end this game because he could never get himself in the flow offensively. While he was 10-for-11 passing, he attempted two shots, one right at the goalkeeper and the other that missed so badly it almost went behind the net without hitting anything. He had just two touches in the opposition box. His biggest highlight was a tackle in the 23rd minute to end a dangerous Montreal possession. He was replaced in the 67th minute by Duncan McGuire. Spicer finished with a 91% passing success rate, led the team in tackles with four, and added two interceptions.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5 — This grade may be a bit harsh. However, when you are a Designated Player, you have to contribute, and Martin Ojeda was invisible at best. With 44 total passes, he was the one having to compensate for the lack of midfield control and it showed by his lack of offensive contribution. He had zero touches in the opposition box, which is not going to be a recipe for Orlando City success. Martin took one shot that was on target and passed at a 91% rate.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM)— Someone has to win Man of the Match. Ellis almost wins it by default as his overall play was the only positive thing all game. While his stats were mediocre, and there was not one moment you can pick to point to, he was the most talented when on the ball, tracked back to collect the ball occasionally, did more to link play than the midfield did, and just didn’t have a negative impact. He was replaced in the 80th by David Brekalo and finished with a 94% passing rate, was four-for-four on successful dribbles, and went five-for-six on ground duels won.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (67′), 5— McGuire started out playing out of position on the wing and while asked to pick up the offense, McGuire was unable to show anything of promise. Dorsey found him in the 88th minute with a cross, but McGuire turned down a quick shot and held the ball too long while deciding, and he ended up taking a low angle shot that had been there from the beginning that ended up harmless. He passed at a 75% rate and had three touches in the opposition box, turning those into a measly 0.05 expected goals. One of his touches on a promising attack was heavy and wasted the opportunity to get a shot off late in the game.

D, David Brekalo (80′), N/A — Brekalo came on for Ellis with a few minutes remaining, maybe a tactical choice to see out the draw. He completed all seven of his passes and had one clearance. He was not able to do anything to prevent Montreal’s two late goals, but he wasn’t the only one.

MF, Tiago (90′+5), N/A — Tiago entered right after the penalty to try to claw back a goal. Unfortunately, he whiffed on a 50/50 ball just moments before Thorhallsson ended up scoring the game’s second goal. He wasn’t on long enough to issue a grade, however.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90′+5), N/A — The best thing you can say about Taifi’s time is that he didn’t turn the ball over conceding a goal in the five minutes he was on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s loss to CF Montreal. 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.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

Lions fall to CF Montreal, Pride defeat North Carolina Courage, OCB beats Atlanta United 2, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda taking a shot against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida, and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I spent the weekend in Texas catching up with friends and family. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who turns 32 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

Orlando City fell 2-0 to CF Montreal at Stade Saputo Saturday on a pair of late goals. After a scoreless first half, the Lions were minutes away from escaping with a point on the road but conceded twice in stoppage time, with former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson adding the insurance goal for Montreal as Orlando City left Canada with zero points. The Lions could not capitalize on their few scoring chances throughout the match. Orlando City returns home for its next match on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium.

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday, as Barbra Banda scored the lone goal late in the second half to help the Pride secure a much-needed win, snapping their two-match losing streak. Banda scored her eighth goal of the season, and she has scored five goals in the last three matches. The Pride will be on the road this week, facing the Boston Legacy Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, followed by another match Saturday against the Denver Summit at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Atlanta United 2 with a goal in each half, winning 2-0 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA Sunday. Gustavo Caraballo scored the opening goal from the spot to give the Young Lions the early lead. In the second half, Issah Haruna added another goal for the Young Lions to put it away and take three points. OCB will be back on the road Sunday to face New England Revolution II at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI.

Americans Abroad

Austin Trusty played a full 90 minutes as Celtic won its sixth consecutive match across all competitions 3-1 against Rangers. Gio Reyna scored his first goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach to snap his 16-month goal drought at the club level, but his side fell 3-1 to FC Augsburg. Weston McKennie played 86 minutes for Juventus in a 1-0 win against Lecce. In the Women’s FA Cup semifinals, Alyssa Thompson played 78 minutes for Chelsea, but her side fell 3-2 to Manchester City after extra time. Lindsey Heaps scored for OL Lyonnes while Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader were also in action in a 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Coupe De France trophy. Later today, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players writing letters to their moms for Mother’s Day.
  • James Rodriguez will reportedly leave Minnesota United this week and will not return to the club after the World Cup concludes this summer.
  • Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik stated that the club will impose a lifetime ban to fans who invaded the pitch as the club was minutes away from defeating rivals Sparta Prague Saturday to win the Czech First League title before the match was abandoned.
  • Leandro Trossard scored a late winner in the second half to help Arsenal beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep its five-point lead over Manchester City and pull a step closer to clinching the English Premier League title.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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