Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Rally from Two Goals Down
Orlando City fell behind two goals through 66 minutes, but the Lions were able to find two late goals, including one from Kevin Molino seconds before the final whistle, to walk away from New York City with a point in hand.
BRONX, NY — It’s not an Orlando City match without a crazy late finish, right?
After falling behind 2-0 midway through the second half, Orlando City was able to rally with a pair of goals in the final 20 minutes, including a late equalizer in stoppage time from Kevin Molino, to leave New York City with a point in hand and a 2-2 draw in their back pocket heading into the two-week Copa America break.
The Lions were down five regular starters heading into the match, with David Mateos and Cristian Higuita both suspended for the game, adding to the injuries of Rafael Ramos and Darwin Ceren, and Kaká’s call-up to the Brazilian national team. But Orlando was still able to manage a result in front of the announced of 25,039 at Yankee Stadium.
“I was delighted with the effort of the players because it was a tough game on the back of what they had just done here (the 3-2 loss to the New York Red Bulls). We knew they’d come out firing,” Adrian Heath said after the game. “So it was a big game for us, considering it was the third game in (nine) days. I thought the players put a great shift in.”
Molino, who scored the second goal for Orlando, also assisted on Julio Baptista’s first MLS goal in the 72nd minute.
Orlando City had its fair share of chances early on. Coming off their match just four days ago against the Philadelphia Union at Camping World Stadium, the Lions were quick to jump out of the gate, looking a lot less like a team that traveled 1,000 miles on short rest — although, I’m sure that will happen when a handful of starters from that lineup against Philly didn’t play in this contest.
Cyle Larin nearly replicated what he did here back in March, coming inches away from putting Orlando City on the board just seven minutes into the match, when he headed a cross whipped in by Adrian Winter on goal, where Josh Saunders was waiting to knock it away just off the goal line.
But after the rocket start, NYCFC started to gain control of the match, and Orlando City, like most teams that visit the Bronx, found it tough to hold possession and build any sort of dangerous attacks.
David Villa was front and center for NYCFC in this one. In the 28th minute, he nearly put his side ahead on a 1-v-1 break past the Orlando City back line, but his shot sailed to the left of Joe Bendik and out of play.
Roughly six minutes later, Larin came up with another good opportunity for Orlando. After taking a through ball from Molino, the Canadian international broke around an NYCFC defender to clear just enough before his shot was blocked in the end.
Larin struggled to be a real threat in the game for Orlando City. The 21-year-old had a couple of key opportunities that he couldn’t put away, and arguably his biggest moment of the game was the assist on Molino’s goal. Heath admitted to almost resting Larin for the match, but because of his goal-scoring ability, he had no choice but to give him start up top.
“On a different day, I expect him to put away a couple of chances that he had,” Heath said of Larin’s tired legs coming into the match.
With the chances coming from both sides, it was New York that broke through first, just minutes before the halftime whistle, when Frederic Brillant headed home a great cross into the box from R.J. Allen to put the home side up, 1-0.
Villa and Andrea Pirlo teamed up to double New York City’s lead in the 66th minute when the Spanish striker brought down a perfectly placed through ball from the Italian and chipped it over Bendik on a volley — a world-class finish from the former World Cup winner — just a few minutes after Larin was denied on the break by Saunders in a 1-v-1 situation.
Controversy was at the front of NYCFC’s chance to put the game away, when Seb Hines was whistled for a handball in the box after he was fouled by Khiry Shelton and fell on top of the ball inside the penalty area. Villa, however, looking for his second goal of the afternoon, slipped on the run-up and sent the ball floating into orbit above the goal, keeping Orlando City in the game.
“I don’t think it was a penalty, so I think justice was served there,” Heath said of the call on Hines.
Off the heels of Villa’s missed opportunity to seal the game, The Lions pulled themselves right back into the match when Baptista took in a delivery from Molino, turned around a defender, and deflected a shot off an NYCFC defender to beat Saunders, making it a one-goal game.
And Orlando City wasn’t done there.
As things headed into stoppage time and the Lions were running out of opportunities to find a late goal, Carlos Rivas sent a cross to the back post, where Larin floated a header into the middle of the penalty box, finding the head of a charging Molino. The Trinidadian ran right through Baptista’s attempt of a bicycle kick to knock in the game-tying goal. The atmosphere at Yankee Stadium, needless to say, changed immediately in the moment from celebration to heart break.
“The players don’t quit. They give us everything they’ve got and they keep going,” Heath said of the team’s resilience. “They have a belief that they can score late because they’ve done it so often. I don’t know how many times this year we’ve scored after the 90 minutes, but it’s a testament to them that they don’t give in and keep going.
“I don’t know why, but I thought we deserved something from the game today so I was pleased with the players.”
For Orlando City, the draw was huge. The team will head into the two-week break having captured five points from the last nine days — enough to keep the Lions in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race. They will take this time to recover and rest up for the next match, which will come in the U.S. Open Cup on June 15, with their opponent yet to be determined between Charleston Battery and the Jacksonville Armada.
Orlando City
Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026
Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.
Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.
“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”
The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.
The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.
Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.
What It Means for Orlando City
Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.
While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.
It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/22/25
Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.
Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International
While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.
Pride Preseason Begins
The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.
USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight
Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.
Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move
USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.
MLS Transfer Updates
Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.
Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.
Free Kicks
- I know you might think that Orlando City has a lot to do personnel-wise as the preseason begins, but evidently, the Lions didn’t make the Top 5.
- EUFA Champions League is in full swing, with big names Liverpool and Barcelona winning yesterday. There’s also more to come today.
- Former Orlando Pride player Alanna Kennedy signed a one-year contract with Angel City FC.
- Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/21/25
Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.
Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.
Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster
Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.
Scouting Costa Rica
The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.
Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades
January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.
Americans in Midweek Action
There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
- Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.
- Toronto FC has signed goalkeeper Luka Gavran to a contract extension that runs through 2027, with an option for 2028.
- Australia Men’s National Team Head Coach Tony Popovic praised MLS as a destination for Australian players, noting the league’s resources and professionalism.
That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026
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