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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Five Takeaways

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9 years ago

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We’ve talked before about how calls tend to even out in the long run. If that happens, the end of the 2016 MLS season is going to be lit for Orlando City. PRO officials inserted themselves again in yesterday’s eventual 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution.

Unfortunately, an insane handball call against Servando Carrasco by Baldomero Toledo allowed Lee Nguyen to tie the match in the sixth minute of stoppage time and two more points were pissed away against an Eastern Conference opponent. At least the Lions continue to gain points for the most part, whereas last season these results were generally losses.

Here are my five takeaways from a draw that was just seconds from a win.

PRO Referees Simply Aren’t Good Enough

Look, I’m going to say this right up front: we’re not the only ones unhappy with the officiating this season. Ask Revs fans about their season to date. Ask Portland fans what they thought of the Nigel de Jong tackle on Darlington Nagbe. Brutal calls are a part of the game but they’re happening at an alarming rate in MLS. This section is not meant as a “blame the refs for an outcome” rant, but rather to simply say we as fans are not getting the quality of officiating in general that this game deserves.

The quality of officiating is hurting this league and perhaps it’s time for the United States to firmly step to the forefront of a movement toward using video replay out of necessity. It’s understandable when a referee misses something that happens on the field, because you can’t see everything while running and trying to see through a forest of bodies. However, it’s inexcusable to have a great view of something and call it what it isn’t, as Toledo did with the “handball” on Servando Carrasco that allowed the Revs to pull back a goal at the end.

Here’s the play in stills:

Carrasco’s arm is out from his body but it’s behind him. His chest is between the ball and his arm. It hits him just about in the team crest or slightly above. My understanding of human anatomy is limited but that’s not the hand or the arm.

And here it is in motion:

And here’s your daily dose of controversy. pic.twitter.com/TSHjUNcgSB

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) April 17, 2016

Toledo not only called this a handball when Carrasco’s trailing arm was fully behind him, but he also originally called it outside the area, then later awarded a penalty, which is ludicrous, almost unheard of, and makes me feel stabby [/removes all sharp objects from the room]. This is an official who needs to get a few weeks off and perhaps get his eye prescription checked.

Teal Bunbury gave Tommy Redding a two-handed shove to the back to free himself up for the first Revs goal, off a corner that maybe should have been a goal kick, but again, it’s much more understandable when things get missed than when you fully see something and then incomprehensibly turn it into something else before it gets to your brain.

Brek Shea Can Defend

Orlando’s left back wasn’t perfect by any means, and did have a couple of turnovers, but I thought he did a great job defending down the left side through the first half. Shea didn’t get forward much until the second half, owing mainly to New England’s 58% possession in the first 45 minutes, but Shea made several vital challenges to break up play and protect the Lions from a few Antonio Nocerino turnovers that could otherwise have been much more dangerous. Solid game from a player that continues to get better at left back and he steered clear of anything card worthy.

The Beast Has Arrived

Julio Baptista made a mark just 15 seconds into his first start for Orlando City, spinning between two defenders before being stepped on from behind and earning an early penalty, which Kaká calmly slotted home. Baptista had trouble getting service in the first half, but truly showed his value in the second half after moving to center attacking midfield behind Cyle Larin, with the captain out wide to the left and Molino to the right. Baptista facilitated quite well and the Lions were the much more dangerous team with that shape and lineup. Even when he was gassed, the Brazilian still helped move the ball through the middle and out wide to fullbacks Kevin Alston — making his first Orlando City appearance for an injured Rafael Ramos (hamstring) — and midfielders Kaká and Molino.

Nocerino Hasn’t Arrived

While Baptista was as good as advertised in his first match, Italian midfielder Antonio Nocerino continues to struggle finding his game in MLS. His turnovers are of the most egregious kind and for the second consecutive game he fouled just outside the box to set up a dangerous free kick. He did seem to play better in the second half, however, and nearly atoned for his earlier mistakes with a wonderful curling shot from outside the box that Bobby Shuttleworth was just able to save. Nocerino’s skills have been only rarely glimpsed thus far but if he’s going to remain a first-team selection, he simply must be better.

Kaká is Even Better Left of Center

Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath might have found his best lineup yesterday (aside from the fact that Cristian Higuita was missing due to a groin injury). Once Heath subbed out Adrian Winter and Carlos Rivas for Kevin Molino and Cyle Larin, Lions captain Kaká moved out to the left and Julio Baptista slotted in beneath Larin, with Molino out to the right. This move tilted the field in Orlando’s favor. With three play makers across the attacking midfield, the Lions started finding holes all over the pitch in the New England defense. Kaká particularly became extremely dangerous from the left, looking much more comfortable, and the Brazilian was able to bring Brek Shea forward into the attack for the first time all match long.

Even Darwin Ceren, who had a mostly disappointing day in terms of his passing in the attacking half, started suddenly picking out passes to both his left and right, finding Kaká, Baptista, Molino and Shea with regularity. The offense was clicking and creating. It showed how good the Orlando City attack can be.

Bonus Takeaway: Best Lineup?

As I mentioned above, Sunday’s final 30 minutes may have shown us the best available lineup while waiting for Higuita to return from injury. In addition to pushing Kaká into a more threatening and comfortable position, the substitutions provided Orlando with more dangerous attackers in the penalty area on corner kicks and free kicks, with Larin, Baptista and Seb Hines all giving the team size and strength on set pieces. The Lions were far more dangerous than when Rivas and Winter had been on the pitch. It was a potent lineup and if it started a match, it would allow Rivas and Winter to act as super subs, bringing them on when their energy and pace could be used to their greatest effect. The performance of that XI should at least give Heath something to think about.

Those are my takeaways from the match. What stuck out to you?

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Orlando City

Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028

The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

Published

4 hours ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach

“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.” 

Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.

With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.” 

As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.

Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.

In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.

Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.

Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)

Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1

Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55

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Lion Links 4/16/25

Orlando Pride on top, OCB falls to Inter Miami II, USMNT eyes Gold Cup, and more.

Published

18 hours ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I know I’ve said it before, but I love that I can always find soccer to watch. Whether it’s UEFA Champions League or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, or anything in between, I love it. I’m willing to bet you love it too. Speaking of love, we want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City Designated Player Luis Muriel. Let’s get to the links.

All the Rankings

With the win over the Seattle Reign, the Orlando Pride stayed perfect on the season. It was enough for the Pride to remain on top of the standings and also at the top of numerous power rankings. All for XI kept the Pride at No. 1 with a shoutout to Anna Moorhouse, SI.com did the same, while noting Summer Yates’ injury, and Goal.com completed the sweep. The Pride also landed at No. 8 in Opta’s global power rankings for women’s clubs. Strangely, the Kansas City Current were two spots above on that particular list.

OCB Falls to Inter Miami II

Orlando City B traveled to IMG Academy to take on Inter Miami II Tuesday night. The Young Lions went down early on the road, but were able to equalize thanks to a goal from Tahir Reid-Brown. Unfortunately, Inter Miami scored two more goals before a penalty in second-half stoppage time gave OCB a slight lifeline. It was not enough as the team fell 3-2 to their in-state foes.

Generation Adidas Cup Matchups

Orlando City Academy’s U-18 squad won Group J in the Generation Adidas Cup. Now the team will face St. Louis City SC 2 in the Round of 16. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the younger generations of players in Orlando City’s system, here is your opportunity.

U.S. Eyes Gold Cup

We’re about two months out from the start of the Concacaf Gold Cup and it feels like a must-win for the USMNT given recent results. Winning an eighth Gold Cup title will not come easily. Naturally, all eyes fall on Christian Pulisic to lead the squad, though not everyone thinks he should be the pick for captain. Tyler Adams is looking for more belief from his teammates heading into the competition.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/15/25

Pride players nominated for weekly awards, Americans in midweek action, UEFA Champions League preview, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 15, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was a solid weekend for the two Orlando teams in action, as Orlando City played to a hard-fought scoreless draw against the New York Red Bulls, while the Orlando Pride knocked off the Seattle Reign 1-0 on the road. We have plenty of things to talk through today, so let’s dive right in.

Orlando Pride Players Up for Weekly Awards

A pair of Orlando Pride players have been nominated for weekly awards due to their efforts in the team’s 1-0 win over the Seattle Reign on Saturday. We start with Anna Moorhouse, who was actually nominated for two awards, as she is up for both the NWSL Save of the Week and Player of the Week! Moorhouse stonewalled Reign winger Maddie Dahlien in the 81st minute during a 1-v-1 situation to preserve the Pride’s slender 1-0 lead on the road.

She also racked up five saves on the night, kept a clean sheet, and was hugely instrumental in the Pride winning a fourth straight game to start off the 2025 season.

Summer Yates, meanwhile, has been nominated for the Assist of the Week for her pinpoint pass to Barbra Banda for the game’s winning goal. In the 41st minute, she hit a stepover, glided past Madison Curry on the left side of the box, and played a great cross to Banda in the six-yard box, who made no mistake with the finish.

Make sure you go vote for our nominees!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are lots of American players taking part in games during the working week, so let’s check in on what we have to look forward to. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund have the unenviable task of trying to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League today. Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace travel to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Wednesday. Thursday has Tanner Tessman and Lyon on the road against Manchester United in the Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis hit the road to take on Jagiellonia Białystok in the Conference League. Things wrap up with some American vs. American violence on Friday when former Lion Daryl Dike and West Bromwich Albion travel to play Haji Wright and Coventry City in the EFL Championship.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League returns this week, with the second leg quarterfinal matches set to take place today and tomorrow. Aston Villa will need to actually come out and attack Paris Saint-Germain in Birmingham today, as the Premier League side comes into the match facing a 3-1 aggregate deficit. Borussia Dortmund has a mountain the size of Everest to climb to overturn a 4-0 deficit against a Barcelona team that looked absolutely lethal on the counterattack last week. Real Madrid also finds itself in a big 3-0 hole against Arsenal, and Los Blancos need to look much more dangerous going forward if they want to have a chance against a Gunners team that will surely look to defend and protect what they earned in the first leg. Bayern Munich is in the best position of the teams that trail after the first leg, as Inter Milan’s aggregate lead is only 2-1. That means Bayern can be fairly flexible approaching the second leg, although the Germans will need to do a much better job at finishing chances than they did last week.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

With the end of most European seasons creeping closer and closer, the transfer rumor mill is starting to spin with increasing intensity, so let’s take a look at some of today’s notable stories. We start with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who has 19 goals in all competitions this season and could fetch a price in the range of 100 million euros if he is sold this summer. Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who is likely to leave Southampton this summer after the Saints were relegated this year. Speaking of Manchester United, Red Devils striker Rasmus Hojlund is said to be attracting interest from both Juventus and Inter Milan, and he could be on the move this summer.

Free Kicks

  • Barbra Banda and Marta received their trophies for making the 2024 FIFPRO World XI.
  • Orlando City’s U-18 team enjoyed a successful campaign in group play at the Generation Adidas Cup, earning a spot in the Championship Bracket.
  • The Orlando Pride rightly remained the no.1 team in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
  • Despite dominating the New York Red Bulls while playing most of the second half with 10 men, Orlando City somehow dropped a place below those same Red Bulls in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
  • Chelsea spent the most on agent fees out of all Premier League clubs for a second consecutive year, as they dished out a whopping  £60 million to agents for transfers.

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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