Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 2-0 as Lions Win Final 2016 Road Match
Carlos Rivas and Julio Baptista scored second-half goals to lift Orlando to its first MLS win over the Union.

Orlando City got goals from Carlos Rivas and Julio Baptista and played a solid defensive game to beat the Philadelphia Union, 2-0, at Talen Energy Stadium in the last road game of 2016. The win snapped a five-game winless skid (0-4-1) and the Lions (8-11-14, 38 points) earned their first MLS win against the Union (11-13-9, 42 points) with an outstanding defensive effort and finally burying a couple of chances.
Don’t look now, but Jason Kreis’ club has allowed only one goal in its last three matches as we head toward next weekend’s season finale.
Kreis started a 4-4-2 with a back line left to right of Mikey Ambrose, Seb Hines, Jose Aja, and Rafael Ramos. The midfield selections were Kaká, Antonio Nocerino, Cristian Higuita, and Matias Perez Garcia. Rivas and Cyle Larin operated up top as the strike force.
There were few chances in the first half but most of them were in Orlando City’s favor. But the Lions over-hit several crosses and free kicks as their lack of clinical precision in and around the penalty area continued. Rivas got in behind the defense in the 11th minute and fired a ball across goal from left to right that was either a wide shot or an over-weighted cross for Larin.
Philadelphia tried to play into the box in the 17th and 18th minutes but Aja and Hines were there, respectively, to prevent any danger. C.J. Sapong got a head on a Keegan Rosenberry cross in the 21st minute but he didn’t get much on it and it was well wide of target.
A minute later, Ramos crossed into the box and the ball deflected off Fabinho and nearly found the back post for an own-goal but went just wide for a corner.
In the 30th minute, the Union got the best clear-cut chance of the first half when Fabian Herbers took a pass in the box on the right, but he fired well over Joe Bendik’s goal. Orlando then got a series of long free kicks but didn’t do anything with them, hitting them long and either to goalkeeper Andre Blake or out for a goal kick.
But in the 43rd the Lions were a post away from taking the lead. Kaká sent a cross into the six-yard box that Ken Tribbett deflected off the back post and the ball ricocheted straight to Blake. In first-half stoppage time the Lions got two quick back-to-back chances. Rivas sent Kaká down the left and the captain crossed for Perez Garcia’s one-timer. Unfortunately, Richie Marquez blocked the shot on what would have been a sure goal. Rivas followed off the deflection with a shot on the half volley but his effort was just over Blake’s crossbar.
That was it for the opening period as Ricardo Salazar blew his whistle for halftime seconds later.
The scoreless deadlock lasted through the first half and into the second period before the Lions grabbed a goal in the 59th minute on a play that started with a Philadelphia set piece. Hines hit a thunderous header off a Union corner kick cross that sailed out to Philly defender Fabinho, who showed a charging Rivas too much of the ball.
The Colombian nicked it and sped toward Blake’s goal. A heavy touch allowed Blake to come out and challenge Rivas and the two players collided just as Rivas took a shot. The ball deflected off Blake and back off Rivas before trickling toward the net. Just before it crossed the line, Rosenberry tried to clear it but only succeeded in helping it into the back of the net.
The goal was called an own-goal on the television broadcast but I’m giving it to Rivas because MLSSoccer.com did the same and also because Rivas earned it with his play.
Philadelphia threw numbers forward to look for an equalizer but the Lions continued to get chances. Larin got a head to a corner in the 64th minute but sent it right at Blake. Two minutes later, Sapong put a header on target from a Fabinho cross but Bendik made the save. A minute after that, it was Chris Pontius with a header on frame but Bendik made a diving stop to again hold off the Union.
Perez Garcia was robbed of a goal in the 79th when Rivas sent him in alone down the right. MPG took a touch to allow a defender to fly past and tried to curl it in at the back post but Blake made a spectacular diving save to keep the score at 1-0.
The Union had an opportunity with a free kick from the top of the box in the 84th minute but Tranquillo Barnetta curled in a bouncer right to Bendik. The Lions countered and MPG got to the byline but had his cross back for Kaká cut out by Fabinho.
Barnetta nearly broke Orlando hearts in the fourth minute of stoppage time but his free header skipped just wide of Bendik’s goal. A minute later, Baptista got a breakaway after a ball deflected in behind the Union defense. The Beast took a few touches toward Blake and then hit a power shot that the Philadelphia keeper got a piece of but couldn’t keep out.
Roland Alberg put the final Philadelphia effort just wide in the 97th minute and the Lions held on for the win.
Orlando City out-shot the Union 12-10, with each team getting four attempts on target. Philadelphia held the possession advantage, 56.6%-43.4%, but that got skewed after the Rivas goal, as the Union pushed numbers forward and the Lions often conceded possession to just clear their lines.
The Union remain above the red line because New England lost to Chicago, and Philadelphia more or less has clinched, since the Union are 12 goals better in goal differential than the Revolution. Orlando City jumped Columbus into eighth in the Eastern Conference standings with the Crew losing 3-2 to New York Red Bulls today.
The Lions will finish the season next Sunday when D.C. United visits Camping World Stadium for the finale at 4 p.m.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/15/25
Lions earn weekly recognition, United States Men’s National Team announces friendlies, talking points about the women’s Euros, and more.

Good morning, everyone. I write to you all from the great state of South Carolina, as I continue my summer of frequent and widespread traveling. We have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B’s Tristan Himes and get into today’s links!
Lions Earn Weekly Recognition
A pair of Orlando City players have earned some recognition for their contributions during the Lions’ 1-1 draw with CF Montreal on Saturday. First up is Martin Ojeda, who garnered a nomination for the MLS Goal of the Matchday for this pinpoint, low free kick he scored which gave Orlando a lead in the first half.
We also can’t forget about Alex Freeman, who got a shoutout as a well-performing young player due to another solid performance at right back. Here’s hoping both men keep up the good work!
USMNT Announces October Friendlies
The United States Men’s National Team has announced that it will play friendlies against Ecuador and Australia during the October international window. The USMNT will face Ecuador on Oct. 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX, before playing Australia at Dick’s Sporting Good Park in Commerce City, CO. Both opponents are ranked in the top 25 in the world, and have already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The games are exactly the sort of contests that the U.S. should be scheduling in the buildup to the tournament, and it’ll be interesting to see the performances of whatever roster Mauricio Pochettino chooses to deploy.
Women’s Euro Talking Points
The group stage of the women’s European Championship has come to an end, and there are plenty of things to talk about while we wait for the knockout stages to start later this week. Teams like Italy and Sweden have exceeded the expectations that many people had for them ahead of the tournament starting, while others like the Netherlands and Denmark had poor showings compared to what was expected of them. Alexia Putellas has unsurprisingly shone, and the quarterfinal matchup between France and Germany is the one that many people will have circled on their calendars.
Club World Cup Takeaways
Now that the Club World Cup has come to a conclusion, what did we learn from the tournament? For one, the quality of play was mostly good, as teams certainly took the competition seriously. Lessons need to be learned when it comes to pricing tickets appropriately and not kicking games off in the middle of the day during the heat of summer, but if the right adjustments are made, it could grow into a really fun competition to look forward to. Brazilian fans were one of the highlights of the tournament, while extremely low attendance numbers for some games were more of a blemish. Overall, the tournament is probably a net positive, but there are absolutely things that can and must be improved upon if it’s going to continue in this form.
Free Kicks
- Martin Ojeda has now gone seven straight matches with a goal contribution, which is a new club record!
- Orlando City dropped one spot to no. 11 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- Newcastle United is close to completing a $93.3 million move for Hugo Ekitike.
- Real Madrid has signed left back Alvaro Carreras from Benfica.
- Luka Modric has signed a one-year deal with AC Milan.
That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw against CF Montreal?

A late penalty saw Orlando City drop two points against CF Montreal, drawing 1-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday. It was a disappointing result against a team sitting last in the Eastern Conference and tied for last in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Despite missing two key players in Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson to suspension, the Lions should’ve easily come away with three points. Instead, they’ll see it as a missed opportunity.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this forgettable game.
Starters
GK, Javier Otero, 6 — It’s tough to grade Otero in this game because he didn’t have much to do. Montreal’s goal was a penalty, which you can hardly blame on the young goalkeeper. However, he did well with his feet and showed poise despite seeing few minutes for the first team. Statistically, Otero touched the ball 19 times, completing 93.8% of his 16 passes, including two of his three long balls. Since the penalty was the only shot on target, he didn’t make any saves.
D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Jansson’s suspension moved David Brekalo to his natural center back position, opening left back for Santos. He touched the ball 43 times in his return to the starting lineup, completing 92% of his 25 passes, including one of his two crosses. He logged one interception, three clearances, and an aerial duel won on the defensive end. He didn’t do much with the ball, not taking any shots and being dispossessed twice. He came off in the 76th minute for Kyle Smith.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel had a team-leading 101 touches, completing 94.2% of his 86 passes, including four of his eight long balls. Defensively, he recorded five interceptions, five clearances, and two aerial balls won. He didn’t get into the attack. The Argentine would’ve had an excellent grade, hoowever, he left his leg out in the 81st minute, allowing Prince Owusu to go down, drawing a penalty and allowing Montreal to equalize. The fact that Schlegel single-handedly cost his team two points undoes much of the good he did in the game.
D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo returned center back, touching the ball 58 times. He completed 95.9% of his 49 passes, including one of his three long balls. The Slovenian added two tackles, an interception, three clearances, and two aerial wins. In the attack, Brekalo had one off-target shot, a header late in the first half.
D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman returned from the Gold Cup and had a solid performance. The young right back had 68 touches, completing 85.7% of his 49 passes, including two key passes and one of his three long balls. He had four tackles defensively, won an aerial ball, and took two off-target shots (one of them was blocked on a potential game-winner late in the match).
MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 (MotM) — Ojeda had 56 touches, completing 87.5% of his 40 passes, including two key passes and one of his four crosses. He put one of his three shots on target, scoring on a free kick in the 28th minute. He contributed defensively with two tackles and an interception. He wasn’t far and away the best player, but he played well, and his goal earns him my Man of the Match.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo was active, touching the ball 77 times and completing 89.4% of his 66 passes, including two of his five long balls. He only had one tackle defensively and didn’t do much offensively except drawing a team-high five fouls. The defensive midfielder came off in the 88th minute for Nico Rodriguez with the Lions needing a goal.
MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 — Atuesta’s 91 touches were second on the team, and he completed 97.3% of his 75 passes, including two key passes, his lone cross, and both long balls. Defensively, he logged two tackles, two interceptions, and an aerial duel won. The defensive midfielder didn’t take any shots in one of Orlando City’s few strong performances. Without Ojeda’s goal, Atuesta could’ve very well been my Man of the Match in this game.
MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — Pasalic touched the ball 45 times, completing 84.9% of his 33 passes, including his lone long ball. He didn’t have any key passes or take any shots in a quiet night for the attacker. However, he did add two interceptions defensively, and he drew multiple free kicks in good spots for Orlando, including the one that led to Ojeda’s goal and a late first-half opportunity that was headed off target by Brekalo.
F, Ramiro Enrique, 5 — Enrique had 21 touches, completing 66.7% of his 12 passes without any key passes, crosses, or long balls. His one shot was a late first-half header into the arms of Jonathan Sirois. The forward also didn’t do anything defensively before being replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 76th minute. In addition, he lost the ball trying to dribble through defenders on multiple occasions, which was a factor in Orlando City’s inability to develop much rhythm in possession.
F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 28 touches in this game, completing 66.7% of his 15 passes, including two key passes and his only cross, but neither of his two long balls. His only shot was a 24th-minute attempt that didn’t cause Sirois any trouble. Meanwhile, he had two unstable touches and was dispossessed twice in dangerous positions as he tried to dribble through the entire Montreal defense. While Muriel did have an assist, he doesn’t get much credit because all he had to do was stop the slow-rolling ball for Ojeda to put away. Muriel’s night ended in the 59th minute when he was replaced by Ivan Angulo.
Substitutes
MF, Ivan Angulo (59’), 5.5 — Angulo came on in the 59th minute for Muriel, touching the ball 17 times and completing all nine of his passes. However, none of them were long or crossed. He took one shot that was blocked and did little else to make his appearance noticeable.
MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (76’), 6 — Thorhallsson came on in the 76th minute for Enrique as the Lions looked to hang onto their 1-0 lead. He had 10 touches in his 14 minutes, completing 87.5% of his eight passes. He didn’t have any key passes or take any shots, adding a tackle defensively.
D, Kyle Smith (76’), 6 — Smith came on for Santos in the 76th minute in a defensive change. He touched the ball 15 times, completing nine of his 10 passes, including a key pass. Defensively, he added a clearance. Also, a tip of the cap to Smith who made his 200th appearance across all competitions for the club, becoming the second player to do so.
MF, Nico Rodriguez (88’), N/A — Rodriguez was a late replacement for Araujo as the Lions looked to push forward after Montreal tied the game. He completed three of his four passes and took one shot that was on target. He didn’t have any other stats in his short appearance.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw with CF Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/14/25
Lions draw against CF Montreal, Pride players in action abroad, OCB wins, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work. Our Lions and OCB were both in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Drop Points in Home Draw against CF Montreal
Orlando City picked up a 1-1 draw against CF Montreal on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a good start in the first half as Martin Ojeda scored the opening goal. In the second half, defender Kyle Smith came off the bench and became the second player in club history to make 200 appearances for the club across all competitions.
However, Orlando was unable to hold onto the lead as Rodrigo Schlegel fouled Prince Owusu, and Montreal was awarded a penalty kick late in the second half. Owusu buried his shot from the spot to tie the match as the teams split the points. Orlando is winless in its last three matches and dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 35 points. Orlando City will face New York City FC Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.
Pride Players in Women’s AFCON, Euros, and Copa America
Orlando Pride forwards Barbra Banda and Prisca Chilufya were in action for Zambia in their final group stage match in the 2025 Women’s African Cup of Nations against Congo DR over the weekend. Grace Chanda did not play, but Zambia defeated Congo 1-0 with a goal from Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji to book a spot in the quarterfinals.
Zambia finished second in the group behind host Morocco on goal difference with seven points. The Copper Queens will take on Nigeria Friday in the quarterfinals at Stade Larbi Zaouli. On Sunday, England crushed Wales 6-1 in the third match of the group stage in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench. England finished second in its group and will face Sweden Thursday in the quarterfinals. Lastly, Brazil was in action Sunday in the group stage of the 2025 Copa America Feminina against Venezuela. Orlando Pride forward Marta and midfielder Angelina played as Brazil defeated Venezuela 2-0.
OCB Beats Carolina Core FC at Home
Orlando City B beat Carolina Core FC 3-1 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions struck first with a goal from Justin Ellis. OCB held onto the lead through halftime. In the second half, Orlando City B won a penalty kick, and Ellis converted to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead. Carolina Core FC scored to pull within one, but Thalles scored his first goal for OCB late in the second half to clinch the three points. OCB won its first home match since June 6 and remains unbeaten in its last three matches. The Young Lions will be on the road to face New England Revolution II Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Chelsea Wins the FIFA Club World Cup
Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Chelsea dominated PSG in the first half, as Cole Palmer scored twice and Joao Pedro added one. Palmer also assisted on Pedro’s goal. Palmer scored three goals and recorded two assists throughout the competition and won the Best Player of the Tournament Award. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain forward Desire Doue won the Best Young Player Award, and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia won the Golden Boot, scoring four goals in the tournament.
Free Kicks
- FIFA and the Global Football Players Union have reached an agreement on the need for a mandatory rest period for players.
- La Liga President Javier Tebas has rejected Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ plea to postpone the club’s opening match against Osasuna and give the players more rest following their semifinal exit in the 2025 FIFA World Cup to Paris Saint-Germain last week.
- Former Arsenal and Villarreal midfielder Santi Cazorla has signed a new one-year contract to stay at Real Oviedo as the club returns to La Liga after securing promotion for the first time in 24 years.
- Atletico Madrid has Thiago Almada on its radar, as the club has reportedly made contact for a possible transfer move.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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