Orlando City
Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Five Takeaways

Orlando City hosted FC Dallas and fell 3-1 after blowing a lead in the second half. Ercan Kara gave the Lions a lead late in the first half, but mistakes and fatigue plagued the Lions after halftime. Paul Arriola scored a brace and Franco Jara made a difference in the match as he had an assist and a goal within just seven minutes after coming on off the bench. Here are our five takeaways from the match.
Hodgepodge Defense Leaked Goals
Due to an injury to Antonio Carlos and suspension to Rodrigo Schlegel, Kyle Smith filled in as a center back alongside Robin Jansson and had a hard time playing out of position. He tried trapping Jara offside and paid the price as Jara stayed on and chipped a shot over Gallese to give Dallas the lead in the 70th minute. Minutes earlier, Ruan wasn’t able to intercept a cross from Jara that allowed Arriola to drive towards goal uncontested and score. That opportunity was sparked by a poor giveaway from Andres Perea. A rare mistake from Pedro Gallese was the nail in the coffin for the Lions as Arriola completed his brace with a shot that skipped to the far post. All in all, it was just a sloppy defensive performance from the Lions. They have now conceded nine goals across their past four matches. All nine of those goals were scored with one of either Jansson or Schlegel off the field. The Lions lacked defensive stability in this match, which wasn’t helped by the absence of Cesar Araujo, and will have to find ways to get results when their depth is tested.
Orlando Scored and Struggled from Set Pieces
Orlando City’s lone goal of the match came from a free kick as Mauricio Pereyra whipped in a nice cross to find Kara’s head in the box. It was one of many opportunities from dead ball situations for the Lions as they had six corners and were fouled 24 times in the match, many of those fouls taking place in dangerous areas. Orlando is the most fouled team in MLS so it’s important for the team to make the most of the chances allowed by fouls from the opposition. While the goal was nice, the Lions needed to be more clinical with their chances considering the service was fairly good throughout the night. Kara’s miss at point-blank range after an excellent corner kick towards the far post by Alexandre Pato was just one of many moments where Orlando lacked a finishing touch in the box.
Tired Legs Caught Up to the Lions
It was Orlando’s third game in seven days and it showed in this match. The Lions conceded twice within a span of three minutes in the second half and fresh legs in the form of substitutes minutes later weren’t enough to stop the bleeding. Orlando was the protagonist of the match for most of the first hour but didn’t have enough left in the tank to reverse its fortune after Dallas flipped the script with a goal in transition. The Lions entered this match after playing 120 minutes and enduring a penalty shootout on Wednesday and the fatigue from that and a road trip to Austin last Sunday likely played a part in how the team faded down the stretch of this match. The good news is that Orlando has over two weeks of rest to recover before facing the New England Revolution on June 15.
Kara is Heating Up
Make no mistake, Kara absolutely needed to put the ball from Pato’s corner kick in the back of the net. The service was fantastic and it would’ve brought the team level to possibly shift momentum. He was brought to Orlando as a Designated Player and those are the types of chances he must score as a center forward in this league. All of that being said, it was an otherwise solid game from the Austrian. as he scored his fourth goal of the MLS season. His six shots were his most in a match since joining Orlando and he was a constant presence in this match as he used his large frame to win possession and hold up play. It feels as if he’s on the brink of a breakout game and could have had it in this match. He’ll want that missed header back, but there were plenty of encouraging signs surrounding Kara. After a slow start to the year as he acclimates to the league and his teammates, Kara looked comfortable in this match and has scored in three of Orlando’s past five matches across all competitions.
Waiting on the Wings
Once again, Junior Urso played out wide as the team is dealing with injuries to Benji Michel and Silvester van der Water. Jake Mulraney received his first start as a Lion, playing on the left wing. Both players had decent games, but Urso didn’t attempt a cross in the match and Mulraney was accurate on just one of his four. It’s worth noting that I liked Mulraney’s performance in this match. He won five fouls, made some heads-up plays, and should be a solid player for Orlando when needed this season. Facundo Torres came on for the Irishman in the 56th minute but wasn’t able to make much of an impact crossing from the left wing either, completing one of his two attempts. As for the fullbacks, Ruan was inaccurate on both of his crosses and Joao Moutinho only attempted one as well, although both certainly looked dangerous at times. Most of Orlando’s chances either came from Pereyra working his magic or set pieces. Some of it could be blamed on fatigue and injuries, but the fact remains that Orlando lacked production from its wings in this loss and recent matches.
That is what I took away from Orlando’s loss to Dallas at home. Let me know what you thought of the match in the comments below.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/23/25
The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.
Bad Pride, Good Pride
It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.
The (OCSC) Academy Awards
Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.
Pochettino Prepares
The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.
MLS Transfer News
The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped a spot to No. 12 in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. Three 0-0 draws in a row will do that.
- Michael Buxbaum is suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for $100 million because the USWNT didn’t try to win the SheBelieves Cup. I wasn’t happy with the result either, but this is the definition of frivolous.
- Nani and Ali Krieger are both participating in The Soccer Tournament on seven-on-seven soccer teams. The matchups for the $1 million tournament have been set.
- Speaking of Krieger, she is settling in at her new gig at ESPN as an analyst for NWSL matches and co-host of “FutbolW.”
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/22/25
Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.
Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition
Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!
Americans in Midweek Action
A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.
English Promotion Update
Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.
Transfer Rumor Roundup
Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City dropped three spots to no. 15 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- The Orlando Pride dropped all the way to no. 3 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Monday’s four scheduled Serie A matches were postponed following the announcement of Pope Francis’ death, with the games set to be played Wednesday instead.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team
Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.
Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.
Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals.
So what changed?
Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.
And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.
Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.
Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.
Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.
The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.
The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.
Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.
The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.
With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.
This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.
First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.
The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.
There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.
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