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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 0-0 as Lions Can’t Score on 10-Man Reds

Well, it’s better than a loss and Orlando didn’t concede four goals.

Published

9 years ago

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Carlos Romero, The Mane Land

Orlando City went to Toronto looking to stop the bleeding after giving up four goals in each of its three consecutive losses. Mission…accomplished?

The Lions didn’t ship any goals and didn’t lose, but the unbeaten streak grew to four games (0-3-1) after an unsatisfying 0-0 draw against Giovinco-less Toronto FC. With D.C. United winning, Orlando fell five points behind the final playoff spot with three games to play in the 2016 regular season.

While a draw on the road against a team that’s tied for the conference lead is usually a good result, the Lions (7-10-14, 35 points) can’t be happy with failing to score a goal against a Toronto team that played the final 20 minutes a man down. The Reds (13-8-10, 49 points) were left shorthanded after Tosaint Ricketts received a second yellow with a dangerous play while attempting a bicycle kick, getting a boot up around Jose Aja’s face.

Orlando has struggled at times while up a man this season. On this night, the Lions controlled the ball but had trouble breaking down the stingy Toronto defense. When they did free themselves up, they failed to capitalize due to a heavy touch or a misplaced shot. In the end, it’s something the team can build on but there’s precious little time left to build anything.

For the first time since his arrival in Orlando, Jason Kreis went with his old, familiar 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation that he’s long been known for.

Neither team could break through in the opening 45 minutes. Toronto had more numerous chances, but Orlando City had a couple of outstanding opportunities as well. Much of the pressure Toronto was able to generate came because of a large number of set pieces in Orlando’s defensive third. The Reds had five corners in the first half and several free kicks around the top and sides of the box.

Toronto got the first good chance off a corner with Tosaint Ricketts heading just over the bar when left unmarked just five minutes in. Orlando City had a great chance in the 11th minute as Brek Shea got a cross in that Kevin Molino mishit and it fell for Cyle Larin, but the Canadian’s shot didn’t have a lot of power on it and Alex Bono made a diving, one-handed stop to keep it scoreless.

Kaká fired over the bar in the 18th minute off a nice build-up, but just a minute later Toronto nearly opened the scoring when Marky Delgado’s cross was just inches out of the reach of Justin Morrow at the back post.

In the 31st minute, Ricketts got in behind the defense – mostly because he was offside – but Bendik came off his line to smother his shot attempt. Moments later, Jozy Altidore appeared to handle the ball in Orlando’s box to settle it but there was no whistle and Bendik was forced to make another save.

Orlando City should have scored in the 38th minute on a counter attack that ended up in a four-on-three break. Kaká opted not to play to Larin, who was splitting two defenders, and instead gave off to Shea. The lefty attacker played in Molino, but he brought defenders with him and so he tried to backheel the ball back to Brek. It didn’t work, and the Lions failed to get a shot out of a promising attack.

By the 40th minute Kreis had seen enough of the 4-4-2 diamond, with the Lions leaving the Reds far too much attacking space. He subbed Cristian Higuita on for Carlos Rivas and returned to the 4-2-3-1. Shortly after that, Orlando managed to get forward and earn a corner and the ball fell for Higuita after Bono punched the cross away, but the Colombian fired high over the bar on the half volley.

Just before the half ended, Shea took a silly yellow card for yelling at referee Alan Kelly, and as a result, he’ll miss Sunday’s match against Montreal.

Toronto should have taken the lead shortly after halftime, as Orlando continues to concede excellent scoring opportunities early in the second halves of games. Michael Bradley chipped in a back-post ball toward Altidore, with Bendik slow to come off his line. The ball fell onto Jonathan Osorio’s head instead, and the Toronto attacker headed over the bar from close range.

The Reds got another good opportunity in the 65th minute, when a cross attempt deflected off an Orlando defender to Delgado at the far side, but Bendik got across and stopped the shot.

Two minutes later, Molino fashioned a half chance, playing a ball behind the defense to himself, but a defender got there first to sweep it away. That came just moments before Ricketts picked up his second yellow, trying to bicycle kick a high, bouncing ball with Aja on his back. Ricketts’ boot got up into the face of Aja – who is not a short man – and just like that the Reds were down a man.

That almost paid off for Orlando just three minutes later. Kaká worked his way around a pair of defenders and was in alone on the left with only Bono to beat. But the captain’s shot was right at the Toronto keeper, who reached up and parried the shot away to end the Lions’ best chance of the second period.

From that point on, Orlando had a series of corner kicks and free kicks but could do nothing with them. Toronto locked down the defensive half and the Lions were too deliberate with passes and runs, failing to create anything dangerous in the final 10 minutes. Toronto, meanwhile, nearly got a gift victory when Luke Boden’s ill-advised clearance attempt fell perfectly for Will Johnson, but the Toronto midfielder fired wide of Bendik’s net in the 92nd minute.

Moments later, the whistle blew on another non-win. It would have been a much more palatable draw had D.C. United and Montreal not both won, but no one’s doing Orlando any favors these days. The Lions will need to win out and hope for some help.

Orlando did manage to earn its first ever point at BMO Field, after two lopsided losses there last season. The Lions are now 1-4-1 all-time against Toronto FC, and finish the 2016 season series 1-1-1.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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10 hours ago

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April 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

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That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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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.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

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That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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