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Orlando City vs. NYCFC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Keep Postseason Hopes Alive Thanks to Cyle Larin Brace

In a nerve-wrecking match that went down to the wire, Orlando City managed to scrape out a win over NYCFC to remain in contention for the MLS postseason.

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

It seems like we’ve been saying this for weeks now (because we have), but Orlando City (12-13-8, 44 points) played the biggest game of its inaugural season on Friday night against New York City FC at the Citrus Bowl. Needing three points to keep their perpetually slim playoff hopes alive, the Lions overcame a first-half deficit and registered a 2-1 win over NYCFC (10-16-7, 37 points), thanks to rookie striker Cyle Larin’s brace, to keep the pressure on Montreal as the season draws to a close.

The match got off to a feisty start, with physical play from both sides causing some early stop-and-start action. The first half was characterized by missed opportunities for the Lions, who failed to convert on a number of dangerous chances, most of which were created by left winger Carlos Rivas.

The Colombian — who appeared to have tweaked his ankle in pre-game warm-ups — looked explosive, and used curling left-footed crosses to trouble NYCFC defenders. Rivas created chances for City twice in the first 15 minutes, the best of which was scuffed wide right of goal by Larin after a deflected Rivas through ball found the rookie’s right foot in the box. Perhaps Rivas’ finest play of the half came on 40 minutes, when he sent in another perfectly placed left-footed ball towards Larin, who connected on a header right at the edge of the 6-yard box but could not get any direction on his effort, which went straight into the hands of NYCFC ‘keeper Josh Saunders.

Just three minutes later, Rivas beat two defenders on the left edge of the box and played a nice low cross in front of goal, but once again Larin was barely unable to reach it for what would’ve been a certain goal.

OCSC manager Adrian Heath was understandably pleased with Rivas’ performance following the match, saying that the Colombian “was a problem for them all night.”

Orlando would pay for its missed chances in stoppage time just before half, when an NYCFC corner, which probably shouldn’t have been awarded in the first place, resulted in a deflected shot in the box that landed at the feet of defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe, who slotted home past Tally Hall just before the break to put NYC ahead 1-0 despite being out-performed in the opening 45.

If the first half was marked by missed opportunities, the Lions made up for those missed in the second.

After taking a few minutes to regain their pep following the gut-punch NYC goal that ended the first half, Orlando leveled the score in minute 61, thanks to its rookie sensation, Larin. City right back Corey Ashe made a run up the flank and sent in a beauty of a cross to Larin, who was charging toward the right, about seven yards from the goal. The likely MLS Rookie of the Year redirected a great header toward the far post, easily beating Saunders and sending the City faithful into a frenzy.

Larin notched another less than 10 minutes later, as OCSC took advantage of an injury to NYCFC’s Javier Calle. As the defender lay in NYC’s own 18-yard box, Larin and Winter charged forward on the break. The Canadian played it to Winter on the right, who was stoned by Saunders’ great one-armed save. Unfortunately for the NYCFC stopper, Winter was able to corral the rebound and pull it back in front of goal to a wide-open Larin, who put the ball home and gave Orlando the 2-1 advantage. The prone Calle kept Larin onside.

Heath was adamant about the decision to play on despite Calle being down, noting the circumstances surrounding the game and City’s need for three points, as well as injuries simply being a part of the game.

“It would have been a brave man to have kicked the ball out in the circumstances with us needing to win the game,” he told reporters post-match.

It was an admirable second-half performance by the Lions, who responded well after falling behind on New York’s late first-half goal.

“The response from the players was incredible,” Heath said. “[We were] really unfortunate to go in at the break behind, but we really deserved the win.”

Larin came within inches of another hat trick against NYCFC in the 73rd minute, when he put another ball across the line (or so it appeared), but the backside of defender Jefferson Mena was on top of the ball, obstructing referee Allen Chapman’s view (presumably), and play was allowed to go on after NYC had cleared the ball off the goal line.

With the brace, Larin now sits at 17 goals on the season, six more than the previous rookie scoring record in MLS and level with star NYCFC striker David Villa.

The bad news for City came late on, when Hall went down grabbing his right knee and had to be subbed off in minute 84 as he charged to claim a long ball. If Hall’s injury is serious — he previously tore the ACL in that same knee last season — the Lions will be depending on Josh Ford for the remainder of the season between the posts.

With the victory, Orlando City is guaranteed to finish higher than its expansion counterparts from New York and closes to within a point of Montreal, which plays at New England on Saturday. When asked what he would be doing during the Montreal vs. New England match, Heath responded with a smile.

“I will probably be out to dinner with my wife.”

Heath praised the Orlando City supporters afterwards, as the crowd of 43,179 was City’s second-largest of the season and set a new MLS record for total attendance by an expansion club in its first season.

“We’ve got the best fans in the league. To have this support after one year in MLS amazes me. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric.”

Orlando City

What Orlando City’s First 10 Matches May Indicate for 2025

How Orlando City has performed historically after the first 10 games and a projection for how the 2025 team will do in games 11-34.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

There is no specific reason for why we use a base-10 number system, perhaps because most of us have 10 fingers that can easily be used for counting, but it is clear from many examples in all walks of life that people like to use nice round numbers whenever possible, and in particular like to use multiples of 10 for convenience. Top 10 lists or rankings abound, and often we hear about the performance during the last 10 events. As a mathematician, I like using 10 as a denominator, because it is simple to create a percentage out of 10 and most people can easily understand the significance of a high or low percentage when making an argument.

Significance is a loaded word in mathematics, as is power, as both have specific definitions as it relates to statistics (ask your nerd friends, or ask me, also a nerd, in the comments), but for this case, we are going to use the English major definitions of significance and power and take a look at Orlando City’s results during the team’s first 10 MLS regular-season games to see what the numbers might tell us about what we can expect during the rest of the season.

Below is a table of Orlando City’s points earned per game through games 1-10 during each of the club’s MLS seasons, with 2020 excluded due to the difference in that season due to COVID-19.

SeasonGames 1-10Games 11+
20150.901.46
20161.101.25
20171.900.83
20181.900.38
20191.201.09
2020N/AN/A
20212.101.50
20221.701.41
20231.401.85
20240.901.53
20251.60TBD (ideally, 3.00)

Looking at these comparisons, for the most part, the performance during the first 10 games seems to have little bearing on the results during the rest of the season. These are not even splits. The MLS regular season is 34 games long, so the third column is 24 games’ worth of data while the second column is only 10, but even though the games played totals are different between the columns, we see vastly different performance in the time periods. Hot early starts lead to cold periods later, or vice versa, and in seven of nine seasons, the difference in points per game between the first 10 games and the final 24 was at least 0.29. For context, a drop of 0.29 points per game this season would take Orlando City from eighth to 19th in the overall table, and an increase of 0.29 would move the Lion into fourth.

The sample size of this data is pretty small at just nine seasons, and the reality of sports is that despite the romanticism of teams from the past and how some teams allegedly have winning DNA while others are cursed by teams of yore, the performance of (for example) the 2018 Orlando City team has no bearing on how the 2025 team will perform, since there are no players still with this year’s team from that team and the coaching staff has changed as well. And thank goodness, because in 2018 it was all caps UGLY down the stretch — only two wins in the final 24 games and the Lions were outscored 58-23 in those 24 games. Yuck.

While 2018 thankfully has no bearing on today’s Orlando City, the 2024 team’s performance does have some impact. Many of the key players on this year’s team were also on the team last year, and with the same head coach in place, the team is playing a similar style as it did last season. There are differences in personnel and style though, and even among the players who are back some have improved and some have declined. Additionally, during the opening 10 games of the 2024 season, Orlando City was also playing in the Concacaf Champions Cup, whereas in 2025 the Lions have had a steady one-game-per-week pace since the season opener.

While I would like to see the type of improvement in 2025 that we saw from the Lions in 2023 and 2024, I have some concerns about the fact that based on their opponents’ average points earned per game, the Lions have had the easiest schedule thus far this season and the hardest remaining schedule left. The Lions have played teams that average earning 1.13 points per game so far, and haven’t yet played teams that average earning 1.52 points per game. In particular, Orlando City still has to go to Charlotte, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Miami — all of which average at least 1.90 points per game, and all of those teams and Vancouver (2.30, best in MLS) will come to Inter&Co Stadium before the end of the season.

That is nine games remaining against the teams in first, second, third, fourth, and fifth in MLS, and no other team has a harder set of nine games remaining. That said, even though it may not feel like it due to the recent run of draws, after 10 games, Orlando City is actually tied for eighth overall in MLS in points per game and is fourth overall in goal differential (+6). This early in the season, it also means there are a lot of quirks in the schedule that will be less impactful over time, such as the fact that 40% of Orlando City’s games have been against the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union.

Óscar Pareja’s Orlando City teams have always played solid soccer during games 11-34, and although some seasons did see a slight decline from the performance during games 1-10, it was never a decline down to the level of a team that frequently loses. This year’s team is a strong team with a defense that is gelling already (436 minutes and counting without giving up a goal) and an offense that is one of the most prolific in MLS, even while dealing with a lot of injuries.

I am a little concerned about having dropped points against some teams off to cold starts and also with the difficulty of the remaining schedule, but I think those teams are concerned about having to play Orlando City too. And they should be, because the Lions do not have any glaring weaknesses and, if anything, have actually underperformed, as will happen when you receive two red cards and are forced to play with 10 players in eminently winnable games.

That brings us back to 10, and while I do not give the start to this season a 10 in the style of Billy Bob from Varsity Blues, I do think Orlando City has performed well and is definitely one of the better teams in the league. I do not think that the club’s historical performance in games 11-34 will play any role in where this club finishes, but I think the talent and depth the Lions have already shown will, and I am holding to my prediction from the preseason that this is a top 10 team.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to secure a victory on the road against Chicago?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City hits the road following the 3-0 beatdown of Atlanta United. This week, the Lions head to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Fire. Orlando City is coming off its best performance of the season, in my opinion, and has the opportunity to build on that. Standing in the way is a Chicago club coming off a 7-2 drubbing on the road at the hands of Nashville SC. The Fire will not want a repeat of that defeat. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points on the road from Chicago?

Contain Cuypers & Co.

Hugo Cuypers has seven goals and two assists for Chicago this season. Not only is that good enough for best at Chicago, that’s good enough to lead the league. The current leader for the golden boot will face a club that hasn’t given up a goal in four matches. We need the Orlando City defense to maintain the current level of excellence against Cuypers.

The Lions should have a full-strength lineup for Chicago. Cesar Araujo should be back in the defensive midfield, with David Brekalo and Alex Freeman at the fullback positions. Most importantly, Rodrigo Schlegel and Robin Jansson must be in top form. Cuypers isn’t the only one who is a threat, with Philip Zinckernagel — that is a very fun name — with three goals and four assists. It’s a potent attack that has scored the same number of goals as Orlando City.

All Ahead Atuesta

What a difference Eduard Atuesta made in Orlando City’s 3-0 victory over Atlanta United. He is the engine that drives the offense, the stirrer in Orlando’s cup of coffee, or any other metaphor you want to use. His ability to connect the defense to the offense is a previously underrated aspect of his game. We now know how important he is to this team.

Atuesta will be dealing with a defensive midfield of Kellyn Acosta and Mauricio Pineda. Both are quality defenders, but with the assistance of Araujo behind him, Atuesta can be successful against the Fire. If he can unlock the Chicago defense, the Fire are vulnerable to giving up goals.

Pepper the Goal

Last match, Orlando City took 16 shots with six on target, and the Lions put three in the back of the net. If the Lions can generate a similar number of chances and finish them, then a road victory is more likely. Of course, the Fire allowed Nashville SC 18 shots, with 12 on target, and seven went in the back of the net. They won’t want to do the same two weeks in a row.

Assuming Atuesta is feeding the offense, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire, and Marco Pasalic will need to be clinical in their finishing. The more shots on target generated, the more Chicago’s Chris Brady will be likely to let one in. Orlando City broke the scoring drought last week and that needs to continue against the Fire.


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: 5/1/25

Orlando Pride prepare for the Portland Thorns, Vancouver Whitecaps reach Concacaf Champions Cup final, Lorne Donaldson fired, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to May, Mane Landers! The months are flying by and I’m all for it. I was able to get some belated spring cleaning done this week and have been flexing my interior decorating muscles a bit as well. My cat’s not a fan of all of the furniture being shuffled around, but I’m sure he’ll get used to it. Let’s get this month started with today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando Pride Prep for Portland

The Orlando Pride are back in action Saturday in a road match against the Portland Thorns. Orlando is coming off of a dramatic 3-2 win at home against Angel City FC, which featured the team’s stars and substitutes linking up to come back and win. As for Portland, the Thorns are unbeaten at home so far this season and have scored seven goals across their past two games. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on Orlando’s preparations for this match and how the Pride will need to maintain momentum against a young Portland team that’s finding its groove offensively.

Vancouver Whitecaps Seal Spot in Concacaf Champions Cup Final

The Vancouver Whitecaps went on the road and beat Inter Miami a second time, winning 3-1 to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup final. An early goal by Jordi Alba gave Miami life in the series, but Vancouver scored three unanswered goals in the second half to win 5-1 on aggregate. The star of the show was 23-year-old midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who provided assists on Vancouver’s first two goals before scoring one himself to put the nail in the coffin. The Whitecaps have had a brutal path to reach the final, taking down Monterrey and Pumas UNAM in the previous two rounds. In the final on June 1, they’ll face whichever Liga MX team comes out on top tonight between Tigres and Cruz Azul.

Chicago Stars Fire Lorne Donaldson

Lorne Donaldson’s time as the Chicago Stars’ head coach has come to a close, with the Stars firing him just six games into the season. The Stars have lost five of their six games this year, including a 6-0 defeat to the Orlando Pride to open the season. Donaldson joined the club in December of 2023 and helped the team squeeze into the playoffs in his first year as head coach. Assistant coach Masaki Hemmi will serve as interim head coach while the club hunts for a replacement.

Brian White Wins MLS Player of the Month

Scoring in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals capped off an impressive month for Vancouver forward Brian White, who was named MLS Player of the Month. The American had five goals in league games this April and became the first player in club history to score four times in one game when he did so against Austin FC on April 12. He’s been a major reason behind the club’s ascent to the top of the Western Conference this year. It will be interesting to see how his continued success this year factors into his role at the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it, enjoy this full interview from Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there, as this heat isn’t playing around. Have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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