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Orlando City

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

10 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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Naples, U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions start their run in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup on the road but inside the state at FC Naples.

Published

9 hours ago

on

April 15, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda and Ivan Angulo celebrating a goal against Montreal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night Round of 32 U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and FC Naples at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex (7 p.m., Paramount+) in Naples. This is the first time the Lions will face the USL League One side in any competition.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

There is literally no history between these teams. I just told you above that they’ve never met. You didn’t forget, did you?

As far as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is concerned, the Lions have a lengthy history, including winning the competition in 2022. Orlando City is 17-9-5 all-time in the competition, 9-5-5 since becoming an MLS side. Away from Orlando, the Lions are 6-6-2 on the road in the U.S. Open Cup, 3-2-2 since joining Major League Soccer.

FC Naples, which began play in 2025, is an outstanding 4-0-1 in U.S. Open Cup play, with the only blemish being a penalty shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2025, which set up Orlando City’s road match in the I-4 Derby last year.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a 1-1 road draw against the Columbus Crew on Sunday. It was a welcome change from the 5-0 and 6-0 road wins the club racked up in three previous away outings, however, it was not a victory and Orlando City has been outscored 17-1 outside the City Beautiful, posting a 0-3-1 road record.

FC Naples is coming off a 2-0 home win over Sarasota Paradise. The USL League One side sits atop the league table at 4-1-1 with all four victories coming via shutout. Naples is 3-1-1 at home this year in league play and 5-1-1 in all competitions. That includes its two previous U.S. Open Cup matches — a 3-0 win over Red Force FC on March 18 and another 3-0 win over FC America CFL Spurs on March 31.

Christopher Garcia, a 23-year-old winger from El Paso, TX, is the club’s top scorer with three goals in six league matches. He also leads FC Naples in assists with three. Forward Dominick Bachstein is just behind with two goals. Bachstein scored a goal in Naples’ last U.S. Open Cup victory, becoming the sixth different goal scorer for the club in the competition.

To start their 2026 U.S. Open Cup run off on the right foot, the Lions must avoid taking the USL League One side lightly. Naples will be at home, riding a wave of confidence from previous results, and eager to show it can compete with an MLS side — especially one struggling the way Orlando City has this year so far. Interim coach Martin Perelman will likely play a combination of young players and veterans, and it was a bit surprising to see both of the team’s Designated Players and captain Robin Jansson in social media pictures of the team boarding the plane on Tuesday. The Lions could use a confidence-building win, and perhaps that’s the idea. To do that, they’ll have to beat Edward Delgado, the goalkeeper leading USL League One in shutouts (4).

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh) and Joran Gerbet (knee). It’s unknown if Duncan McGuire will be available after being a late scratch over the weekend.

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Nolan Miller, David Brekalo.

Wingbacks/Midfielders: Tahir Reid-Brown, Luis Otavio, Braian Ojeda, Zakaria Taifi.

Forwards: Yutaro Tsukada, Justin Ellis, Tyrese Spicer.

Bench: Maxime Crepeau, Colin Guske, Eduard Atuesta, Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic, Tiago.

FC Naples (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Edward Delgado.

Defenders: Julian Cisneros, Joshua Yoder, Luca Mastrantonio, Max Glasser.

Midfielders: Kevin O’Connor, Marc Torrellas, Aiden Mesias.

Forwards: Jayden Onen, Raul Miglietti, Chris Garcia.

Bench: Joshua Grant, Hudson Gay, Tristen Rose, Ian Cerro, Juan Osorio, Taylor Gray, Dominick Bachstein.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Paradise Coast Sports Complex — Naples.

TV/Streaming: Paramount+.

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/15/26

Orlando City visits FC Naples, Champions League results, World Cup news, and more.

Published

12 hours ago

on

April 15, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s our first tax day with out Kyle “The Tax Man” Smith, but hopefully we’ll still get everything filed on time. What wasn’t in time to be included today was the USWNT friendly against Japan last night since it kicked off at 10 p.m. We will have more on that match tomorrow. Most importantly, it’s match day for Orlando City, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Open Cup Begins

Orlando City is in Naples for the club’s opening match of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are facing USL League One side FC Naples tonight. FC Naples is a good team that currently sits first in USL League One. We can expect a few veterans to make an appearance, but we will likely see younger players like Zakaria Taifi. The team is expecting a sold-out crowd for the home team. Taifi shared his thoughts with the media ahead of the match.

Crocker to Saudi Arabia

Matt Crocker is no longer the sporting director of the U.S. Soccer Federation after taking a similar position with the Saudi Arabia soccer federation. Crocker is the person responsible for bringing in Emma Hayes and Mauricio Pochettino. The main part of his job was implementing a top-to-bottom alignment of the “U.S. Way” across all levels in the U. S. Soccer system. Saudi Arabia reportedly presented an offer that Crocker could not refuse. The timing is interesting given the World Cup is only about two months away.

Champions League Results

It was an eventful day in the UEFA Champions League. Soon-to-be Orlando City attacker Antoine Greizmann’s Atletico Madrid got past Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the semifinals. The USMNT’s Johnny Cardoso made a late appearance to help defend the result. Much to my chagrin, PSG ousted Liverpool 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate). The other two matches are later today with Bayern Munich taking on Real Madrid and Arsenal facing Sporting CP.

World Cup News

Do you remember the feeling you had when it was announced that the World Cup would once again be played in the United States? I remember thinking how cool it was going to be to go to a match even if it meant driving hours to do so. How naive I was. A lot of the news is more like this story about the NJ Transit raising the cost of train tickets seven fold.

Several venues are also not allowing tailgating at the games, including matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. We also now know the full list of referees from all six soccer confederations.

Free Kicks

  • Javier Mascherano is out at Inter Miami. I really hope this sends Inter Miami into a tailspin for the rest of the season, though I doubt it will.

That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our coverage of Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup match. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/14/26

Americans in midweek action, USWNT set to run it back against Japan, Concacaf Champions Cup preview, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

April 14, 2026

By

Image of Martin Perelman celebrating his first MLS win as coach.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. We’ve got an extremely busy week ahead of us, as the United States Women’s National Team plays two matches, Orlando City plays in the U.S. Open Cup and Major League Soccer, and Orlando City B is back home after falling at Chattanooga on Saturday. All of that action means we’ve got a lot to discuss this morning, so let’s have a look at the links.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in matches this week so let’s check in on some of the biggest ones. Things got started on Monday as Brenden Aaronson picked up an assist on the winning goal in Leeds United’s 2-1 win over Manchester United. Tuesday sees Atletico Madrid try to preserve its 2-0 aggregate lead over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, although Johnny Cardoso is out injured. Tuesday also has Alejandro Zendejas and Club America facing Nashville SC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, with the tie level at 0-0. Thursday has Chris Richards and Crystal Palace trying to protect a 3-0 lead over Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League. Things finish up on Friday when Haji Wright and Coventry City travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.

USWNT vs. Japan Part II: Electric Boogaloo

The United States Women’s National Team will play the second of three matches against Japan tonight, with this contest set to take place in Seattle after Saturday’s 2-1 win in San Jose. The first match was all about Rose Lavelle as she scored one goal for the USWNT and assisted on the other, but there are some other areas to watch in this one. Manager Emma Hayes will likely ring the rotations after just two days of rest, so someone other than Lavelle will need to step up and be the difference maker. It was good to see the Yanks pick up a victory after losing to Japan in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, but goalkeeper Claudia Dickey had to make six saves on the night, and Hayes will likely want a stingier performance from the back line. Kickoff is set for 10 pm tonight.

Concacaf Champions Cup Preview

As mentioned earlier, the Concacaf Champions Cup is back tonight, and there are several MLS teams attempting to book passage through to the semifinals. LAFC is in the best position, as it holds a 3-0 lead over Cruz Azul, although the second leg will be played in Mexico. Regardless, grabbing even one away goal should be enough to see the California-based side through to the semis. Nashville is level at 0-0 with Club America but has a tough task ahead with the second leg set to be played at the Azteca. The Seattle Sounders are down 2-0 to Tigres but will play the second leg at Lumen Field and will need their home field advantage to pay off. The LA Galaxy got roughed up 4-2 by Toluca in the first leg but did score two away goals. You’d bet on the Galaxy to score in the comfortable confines of Dignity Health Sports Park, but the trick is going to be holding Toluca scoreless for just the second time in the last 14 matches across all competitions.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be upon us before we know it, so it’s important to stay abreast of all the current rumors. Bayern Munich has reportedly held talks with Anthony Gordon’s representatives about a summer move, although no contact has been made with Newcastle United as of yet. Speaking of Newcastle United, the Magpies could reportedly be involved in a swap deal with Manchester United that would see Manuel Ugarte join Newcastle while Sandro Tonali moves the other way. Moving to Ligue 1, Ousmane Dembele is reportedly stalling on signing a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, and whispers are starting about a move to Saudi Arabia or the Premier League. Finally, Endrick’s loan spell at Lyon has seen him record eight goal contributions in 11 league games, and Real Madrid is reportedly prepared to sell Gonzalo Garcia in order to make room for the Brazilian in the Spanish capital.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City dropped one spot to no.27 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
  • Winners from MLS matchday seven include Julian Hall and German Berterame, while Mikey Varas and Emmanuel Latte Lath found themselves on the other end of the spectrum.
  • A horrible break for the Columbus Crew has been confirmed, as Wessam Abou Ali tore his ACL in Sunday’s match.

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

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