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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-1 as Kaká’s First MLS Brace Lifts Lions

Kaká fired home his first MLS multi-goal game to lead Orlando City over expansion class rivals New York City FC at Camping World Stadium.

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

There’s never a dull moment in the Orlando City-New York City FC rivalry.

The two 2015 expansion clubs met for the third and final time of the year at Camping World Stadium and, in another entertaining and exciting match, it was Orlando City pulling out the 2-1 victory to claim the season series (2-0-1). Kaká scored a goal in each half to lead his team over David Villa’s New York City side, sandwiching his goals around Stiven Mendoza’s second-half strike.

Orlando snapped a two-game home losing streak — and four-game winless streak overall — with its first victory since the 3-1 win over the New England Revolution in Jason Kreis’ coaching debut for Orlando City. Kreis gets a win in his first match-up with the club that let him go at the end of the 2015 season.

“For me, the most important thing tonight was the performance,” Kreis said after the match. “Not necessarily the scoreline or anything else, we continued improvement in the performance, continued improvement in how we’re defending. It wasn’t a perfect night, and we’re after perfect.

“The first 15 minutes of the second half, we were poor and we got punished for it. Credit to the guys, they had a positive reaction to that adversity and they ended up winning.”

Kreis, who was fired by NYCFC last October after just one season, was adamant after the match that beating his former club meant nothing more to him than beating any other team in the league.

“The importance of the win has nothing to do with the opponent to me,” he said. “As I said before last week — and the week before that, and all of this week — it wasn’t about me, it’s about the performance of the team and what the guys are willing to do, so I’m really pleased for the players, they really deserve the credit,”

After dominating the possession through the first 30 minutes of the match, Orlando City finally broke through in 33rd minute.

Vintage Kaká came back to life on the goal, as the Brazilian midfielder muscled his way past NYCFC defender Jefferson Mena, breaking free inside the box to get a shot off on Josh Saunders, who saved the initial effort before Kaká came in to punch it in at the goal line.

The goal came off of a counter attack by Orlando City, starting with Matias Perez Garcia, who stole the ball in the defensive end. Antonio Nocerino recovered the loose ball about 10 yards north of the penalty area. The Italian sent Perez Garcia forward and MPG gave it off to Kaká on the right wing. The captain put in the rest of the work, eventually finishing off the sequence with the ball in the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Roughly 10 minutes into the second half, Mendoza collected a rebound off of Frank Lampard’s shot on Bendik from inside the penalty area and knocked it home to level the score at 1-1.

But Orlando City answered back with a goal of its own from the penalty spot eight minutes later. It was Kaká who drew the penalty kick, going down on an inside run in the penalty area on a foul by Maxime Chanot. And for the first time in, like, ever (seemingly), Kaká went to the right on the PK attempt, beating Saunders to put his side back in front, 2-1.

It was the first time ever in MLS that Kaká has recorded a brace for Orlando City, and against the team versus which he scored his first MLS goal last March in the club’s league debut.

“I’m happy with that as well because I would help my team being effective and scoring,” Kaká said about scoring twice. “But every time I can say that the most important thing is that the team wins, and every time I can help like this, it’s perfect. Special night for me.”

From there, play continued to shift in Orlando City’s favor. Minutes after the PK goal, in the 66th, Nocerino ripped a shot from distance that rolled just wide of the net.

With a chance to pad the Lions’ lead in the 70th minute, Kevin Molino, after beating Saunders, saw his empty net shot denied on the goal line by Ronald Mattarita, who had come flying in to save the shot on a sliding effort before colliding with the goal post.

The final 15 minutes quickly became Orlando’s effort to just keep NYCFC from leveling the score once more to preserve the victory — which the Lions were able to do, avoiding conceding a late goal.

“And it was an important win because of all the teams slightly above us in the standings also won this weekend, so we kept pace, and that’s important for us,” Kreis said.


After three matches in nine days, Orlando City will now get a much-needed break from action with the international break coming up. Cyle Larin and Molino will head off to their respective national teams for World Cup qualifiers while the rest of the group prepares to travel back to Canada to take on the Montreal Impact in a week and a half, on Sept. 7.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/14/24

MLS playoff predictions, Barbra Banda and Marta earn recognition, USMNT takes on Jamaica tonight, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but it’s at least meant I’ve been able to spend more time with my cat and get some reading done when not hacking up a lung. But enough about that, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

MLS Conference Semifinal Predictions

Former Orlando City captain Sacha Kljestan weighed in on which of the remaining eight teams will prevail in the MLS playoffs. He predicts that Atlanta United can lean on its counterattacking and Brad Guzan’s goalkeeping to beat Orlando City when the two rivals face off in Orlando on Nov. 24. A key thing to watch heading into the match is if Head Coach Oscar Pareja switches things up up top given Ramiro Enrique’s slump.

Kljestan predicts a tight match between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, but has NYCFC moving on. He also has both the LA Galaxy and LAFC advancing in the Western Conference, which would set up a playoff edition of El Trafico.

Pride Players Make ESPN’s Top 50

ESPN unveiled its annual list of the top 50 women’s soccer players and a pair of Orlando Pride players made the list. Forward Barbra Banda is ranked third on the list for crushing it in her first year in the NWSL, scoring 13 goals to help the Pride win the NWSL Shield. Marta, who has not been listed in the past two years, ranked 26th for turning back the clock at 38 years old and creating 46 chances for Orlando this season. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati tops the list, with Naomi Girma in second, Caroline Graham Hansen in fourth, and Sophia Smith rounding out the top five. There are many voters for this year’s list from around the world, including Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter.

Steven Moreira Named Defender of the Year

The Columbus Crew’s Steven Moreira was named 2024 MLS Defender of the Year after a strong season. He made 27 appearances for the Crew this season and was a key part of his team’s success in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup this year. Moreira also helped out offensively with two goals and four assists and was an All-Star this year. The 30-year-old beat out Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Seattle Sounders center back Jackson Ragen for the award.

USMNT Takes On Jamaica Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will play its first competitive match under Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino tonight when it takes on Jamaica in Kingston in the Concacaf Nations League. Although the U.S. may be favored in this series, playing on the road in Concacaf is always tough and Jamaica tends to keep things close against the Yanks. Tonight’s match is the first of the two-leg quarterfinals, with the two nations facing off again in St. Louis on Monday. Hopefully Pochettino can get the team firing on all cylinders as it continues to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • In a rollercoaster of a match, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team fell in a penalty shootout to Brazil in the Deaf Pan American Games. The U.S. took the lead in extra time, but Brazil battled back to tie it, winning from the spot to reach the final.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/13/24

Orlando City’s international call-ups, Orlando Pride playoffs preview, NWSL Awards voting opens, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Orlando City might have to wait a week to continue its playoff journey, but the Orlando Pride do not. The Kansas City Current are coming to town this Sunday for the third meeting between these NWSL heavyweights this year, and I will be there. I hope you will make it to Inter&Co Stadium to show this Pride club how much we appreciate all they have done this season in their final home match of the season. For now, let’s get to the links.

Lions on International Duty

Several Orlando City players received call-ups for this international break, including Facundo Torres for Uruguay. Additionally, the following also got the call: David Brekalo with Slovenia, Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena for Peru, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson for Iceland, and Favian Loyola for Chile’s U-20 squad. All we can hope for is they all stay healthy and in form. Orlando City’s next opponent, Atlanta United, also had several players called up.

The NWSL Playoffs Continue

The Orlando Pride will face the fourth-place Kansas City Current this weekend after decimating the Chicago Red Stars Friday. There’s been a lot of drama between these two clubs, making this an intriguing semifinal match. The other match sees the second-place Washington Spirit take on third-place NJ/NY Gotham FC. While we get to enjoy seeing the Pride continue their NWSL playoff run, many clubs are now watching from home and working on next season’s campaign.

NWSL Award Voting Open

The NWSL has opened the “fans voting round” for its 2024 end-of-season awards. There are several Pride players who were named finalists, including Barbra Banda, Marta, Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Anna Moorhouse. Of course, Seb Hines is up for NWSL Coach of the Year in what should be a foregone conclusion. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and submit your vote here. This is your chance to make a difference for Hines and these Pride players who have given so much this season.

Pepi is Ready

The USMNT will play its first competitive match under Mauricio Pochettino against Jamaica Thursday night in the first leg of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series. The U.S. doesn’t have a ton of options at forward, meaning Ricardo Pepi will likely get the start. The PSV striker said he feels he’s “ready to be the man.” It’s been years since anyone locked down the starting role up top for the USMNT. Let’s hope that Pepi is indeed ready.

Free Kicks

  • In unsurprising news, Charlotte FC’s Kristijan Kahlina was named 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Orlando fans are all too familiar with how good Kahlina is in goal. Honestly, Khalina is a very deserving winner.
  • England’s squad will look very different this international window with eight players out due to injury, including Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer.
  • The UScpMNT match scheduled for today has been postponed due to inclement weather.
  • Coventry City has its eye on Frank Lampard as a possible replacement for Mark Robins as manager.
  • We have unfortunately seen the last of Memphis 901 FC. It is a sad day, as we’re unlikely to see such a cool name with whatever Santa Barbara comes up with.
  • We’re sad to share that FC Cincinnati’s Marco Angulo passed away as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and teammates.
  • Finally, I leave you with Ally Watt solving a Rubik’s Cube.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s playoff match against the Kansas City Current. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 11/12/24

Examining Orlando City’s playoff path, what to watch in the Concacaf Nations League, Lily Yohannes declares for the U.S., and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City / Jeremy Reper

Happy Tuesday, everyone! The weekend couldn’t have gone much better for Orlando’s soccer teams, as both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride advanced after their respective playoff games, with the Pride dominating Chicago and the Lions getting a late, dramatic equalizer before winning the penalty shootout. The Pride will return to action Sunday against the Kansas City Current, while the Lions have a slightly longer layoff before they take on Atlanta United. As usual, we have plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City’s Playoff Path

It was a wild weekend for the MLS playoffs as far as the Eastern Conference was concerned, and a slew of upsets suddenly means that the path to the MLS Cup final in the Eastern Conference goes through Orlando. The Lions are the highest remaining seed in the East, and not only will they host Atlanta Nov. 24, but they would also host the Eastern Conference final, should they come out victorious. Oscar Pareja spoke after the game about not wanting the victory over Charlotte FC to be the end of the playoff journey, and says the team intends to chase the MLS Cup. If Orlando does make it that far, the team wouldn’t be likely to host the match, as it would require Minnesota United to come out of the Western Conference in order for the final to be held in Orlando. Stranger things have happened though.

What to Watch For With the USMNT

It seems like we just had an international break, but here we are again with two more United States Men’s National Team games on the docket. These are two important games, as the USMNT squares off against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. Besides the obvious chance to advance to the semifinals, there are plenty of other storylines to keep an eye on. With Josh Sargent and Folarin Balogun both absent due to injury, can Ricardo Pepi seize an opportunity to lay claim to the starting striker role? What sort of impacts can Brendan Aaronson and Weston McKennie have in the midst of good starts to the season for their clubs? Last, but certainly not least, is Christian Pulisic, who has had a fantastic start to the season and will have many eyes on him in the first competitive matches under Mauricio Pochettino.

Lily Yohannes Chooses the United States

The United States Women’s National Team has landed a great young talent, as Lily Yohannes announced on Monday that she has chosen to represent the U.S. over the Netherlands. While she was born in Virginia, Yohannes has lived abroad since the age of 10, making her eligible to play for either country. However, she stated that with the United States being her country of birth, as well as where her extended family lives, she decided to commit to representing Emma Hayes’ team. Yohannes made her debut for Ajax’s senior side in November of last year, and has seven goals in 40 appearances for the Dutch team.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

As always, the transfer rumor mill continues to turn, which means we have plenty of things to catch up on. We start with Major League Soccer itself, where FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta has said he may have played his final game for the club. He cited frustration with falling short of silverware as a possible reason for wanting to move on, so he may change his mind once the sting has faded more. Moving to Spain, Barcelona is reportedly monitoring Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush as an option to replace the aging Robert Lewandowski. Arsenal and Manchester United are said to be interested in Leroy Sane, and will pursue him hard if contract talks with Bayern Munich don’t progress well.

Free Kicks

  • NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman had some friendly words for the Orlando Pride.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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