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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 0-0 as Nine-Man Lions Hold for a Draw

Ted Unkel sent off Rafael Ramos early and Antonio Nocerino later, but Orlando City still managed to earn a point.

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9 years ago

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Orlando City (7-5-3, 24 points) earned its second straight clean sheet, but it’s safe to say the Lions will probably never earn a more satisfying single point in a match. Referee Ted Unkel put his fingerprints all over this match, sending two Lions off early but Orlando City’s players rallied around one another for a hard-fought 0-0 draw in front of 24,469 at Orlando City Stadium.

Rafael Ramos and Antonio Nocerino both hit the showers while the game was still going on but the Lions still held off league-leading goal scorer Nemanja Nikolic and the high-flying Chicago Fire (7-3-4, 25 points), who entered the game on a four-game winning streak.

“I don’t want to talk about the [referee’s] decisions,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said after the match. “I don’t think it’s fair to the players to bring up a negative point of view. For me, the point of view should only be positive because the work that those guys put in tonight, the togetherness that those guys showed tonight, the commitment level that those guys showed tonight — what they were willing to do for each other, for themselves, and for the fans — was second to none. I just want to say, ‘hats off to our boys.’”

After the game, the referee’s liaison said Unkel refused to respond to questions asked by the pool reporter, who submitted three questions after conferring with the game’s assembled media during the match. This level of petulance isn’t surprising considering the track record of this particular game official.

The game was only 26 minutes old when Ramos was sent off without either side having yet really settled into the match.

Ramos, tracking a ball hit high into the air, stuck out a foot to clear it but did it just as Brandon Vincent arrived. Ramos was tracking the ball’s flight path and it was unlikely he even knew Vincent was bearing down on him, but Unkel judged his play to be “violent conduct” and sent Ramos to the showers early in his first MLS match this season.

“I feel for the referees because they’re asked to interpret things on a second’s notice and they’re asked to interpret so many things,” Johnson said. “I’m sure you could poll a bunch of people and some say it’s a red, some not. I thought we dealt with them well and I think that’s the story we’re taking from it.

“He feels hard done by,” Johnson said of Ramos. “You feel for the kid. He works for three months getting himself fit and healthy and then a call like that comes your way and it’s tough to swallow.”

Johnson took over at right back for the remainder of the first half as Kreis kept his attacking players on the field to try to hit Chicago on the counter. After halftime, Giles Barnes was withdrawn and Scott Sutter took over at right back.

“Asking him to switch positions — which, he hasn’t played right back for a very long time now — he just went in there and did anything and everything that it took tonight to lead this team to a result. He wasn’t the only one. I think everybody that played in this match tonight showed what they’re willing to give to this team, to this community, and to this club.”

Kreis started a young back line, with Ramos giving Sutter a breather — for 45 minutes, anyway — and Leo Pereira and PC spelling Jose Aja and Donny Toia, respectively. The midfield featured Cristian Higuita, Nocerino, Johnson, and Barnes, with Carlos Rivas and Cyle Larin up top in a 4-4-2 that later became a 4-4-1 and then a 4-4-0 as game conditions changed.

Not much happened prior to Ramos’ red card. Johnson had a shot at the top of the box blocked and Rivas sent a free kick over the Heineken sign and into the upper deck from 30 yards out. David Accam, who has torched Orlando in the past, saw Bendik block his shot in the 14th minute. Bastian Schweinsteiger hit a shot over the bar at the 20-minute mark. Rivas hit a rocket in the 24th that forced Matt Lampson to parry it away but then the Colombian fired well wide off a layoff from Nocerino on a short corner that could have worked if he hit it on frame.

Two minutes later, the game was ruined and Orlando City was forced into settling for sporadic counter attacks as the sole source of offense.

Schweinsteiger took the free kick just above the box after Ramos departed but hit his shot over the net. Larin had Orlando’s best scoring opportunity in the 33rd minute, catching Lampson off his line, but the Canadian hit his shot straight at the Chicago keeper rather than chipping him.

A minute after that chance, Johnson made a sliding block to knock a cross out for a corner with a Fire player lurking at the back post for a tap-in. The last dangerous chances of the first half came Chicago’s way. The first happened in the 42nd minute, when Vincent hit a shot that took a deflection and just missed the back post. In stoppage time, Nikolic failed to beat Bendik with a pair of chances.

After the break, Orlando looked to play more defensively, and Chicago became far too deliberate in trying to patiently break down the Lions. The Fire possessed the ball for 70% of the second period but had trouble fashioning good scoring chances. Orlando players dove and slid in front of passes and shots, giving their bodies to the cause in front of Bendik’s goal.

“It helped us in a way, because they have some speed and their guys didn’t adjust well to not having much time and space,” Johnson said of parking the bus.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Orlando City created no shots in the second half.

Michael de Leeuw got a head to a cross in the 56th minute but Bendik was there to collect.

Three minutes later, Kreis sacrificed Rivas for Kaká, making his return from a calf injury. Unfortunately, the captain wasn’t able to have any effect on the offense as the Lions parked the bus in front of Bendik’s net.

In the 67th minute, disaster struck again. An onrushing Nocerino, who hadn’t even committed a foul in the match, stuck out a boot to meet an oncoming airborne ball. Matt Polster moved into his path at the last second and the Italian’s studs found Polster’s rear end instead of the ball. Unkel went straight to the red card again and the Lions were down to eight field players with still 23 minutes plus stoppage to go.

“When you go down to nine, you’re certainly just playing for the draw,” Kreis said. “But when we were down to 10, as you saw, we didn’t bring in Sutter right away. We wanted to shift Will over to the right back. We wanted to keep attacking-minded players out there to see if we could hit them on the break. We weren’t throwing in the towel by any means. At halftime, I’m talking to the coaching staff about how we were going to win the game, not about how we were going to draw the game. So, all of our decisions were bending that way until we get the second ejection and then it’s just like ‘how are we going to hold on?’”

But Chicago continued to be complacent in the attack, although Veljko Paunović tried to instill life in his club by bringing on Arturo Alvarez, Djordje Mihailovic, and David Arshakyan. But most of Chicago’s efforts continued to be from distance above the box or through hopeful crosses into the box that were met time and time again by Spector and Pereira or caught by Bendik. In a last-ditch desperate effort, the Fire sent everyone into the attack and ended up finding the crossbar twice in stoppage time — first Polster, then Arshakyan.

“We needed a little bit of luck there,” Bendik said after the game.

Finally, the whistle mercifully blew and a shattered Orlando City team had earned the hardest point of the season.

“To be down a man for — what were we down a man, at least 60 minutes? — and then two men for as long as we were tonight…it was incredible. Nothing short of fantastic,” Kreis said. “Chicago for me is a very, very, very good team right now, so to be able to get a shutout with 11 players says something, but with nine, says a completely other thing.”

“When you feel like everything’s against you, it kind of rallies you in a way and unites you,” Johnson said. “Our group understood. We have worked in training with numbers down. We were well prepared. We feel united and the support of the fans was also special.”

Orlando City now has kept two straight clean sheets to rebound from a six-game winless streak.

“We’re getting back to who we were,” said Johnson. “We lost our identity, if you will, for a little bit there. We started trying to get a little clever. Now we’re back to who we are and so the shutouts feel good. On a night like tonight, I think the best case scenario was 0-0. You’re never happy not to win at home, but on a night when you have nine guys against 11 at this level, it’s pretty difficult to do any better than a point.”

Orlando City gets a bit of a breather with the international break. The Lions’ next game will be Wednesday, June 14 against Miami FC in U.S. Open Cup fourth round action. The next MLS match for City will be Saturday, June 17 when the Montreal Impact visit Orlando City Stadium.

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Orlando City

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride: Positions Available

Both the Lions and the Pride have positions of need, and they’re more similar than you think.

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1 hour ago

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June 18, 2026

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Image of Wilder Cartagena playing the ball as Robin Jansson looks on.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we eagerly await the arrival of Antoine Griezmann, I got to thinking about positions of need for Orlando City. That led to doing the same for the Orlando Pride, and I came to a realization. The two Orlando sides have very similar positions of need. I’m not saying they are identical, but perhaps a joint shopping trip isn’t the worst idea. Let’s take a look at where the two clubs need some help.

Got Any More of Those Center Backs?

Orlando City has rotated plenty along the back line this season and it’s a big reason why the club is on a record-breaking pace when it comes to conceding goals. Robin Jansson was missing due to injury for the first part of the season, and his return certainly helped, but he is getting older and won’t be around forever. Iago started pretty shakily, and while his performance has improved, he’s not where he needs to be yet. David Brekalo keeps getting moved between center back and left back, depending on the situation, and Nolan Miller is barely seeing time.

The Orlando Pride lost Emily Sams and understandably haven’t been able to replace her yet. I continue to believe that Hailie Mace was the intended replacement, but that experiment has run its course and we’re mostly seeing her at right back. Rafaelle seems to finally be healthy and is the stabilizing force on the back line, but she can’t do it alone. Cori Dyke has been playing in the middle and has been serviceable, but is she a long-term answer at center back?

What both teams have is an experienced, if older, center back paired with a young or out-of -position partner. That is not a recipe for success. When the Pride won the double, they had an excellent pair of center backs. I think both teams need to add another veteran center back to shore up the back line to stop bleeding goals. The Lions are more guilty than the Pride, but both need help.

Same Coin/Different Sides

When it comes to the attack, both squads need another attacker, but the need is the opposite of the other. Orlando City has Martin Ojeda playing well and scoring plenty of goals. The arrival of Griezmann will help Ojeda and the other players create space and get more opportunities. Where the Lions need another body is at striker. In the past, Duncan McGuire looked like he could be that guy, but he hasn’t gotten back to consistent form ever since his back-to-back shoulder injuries. Orlando City needs McGuire to get his mojo back or to add another target striker.

The Pride have a different problem. Barbra Banda is leading the Golden Boot race in 2026 and is often unstoppable. The problem is she isn’t getting much help. We have yet to see Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle play together. That was supposed to become the Pride’s deadly attacking trio, but it hasn’t happened thanks to injuries. If Seb Hines can get all of those players on the pitch together consistently it will crack open defenses. Of course, Marta is unlikely to continue much longer, and even now seems to only be able to provide a limited number of minutes. Her replacement is needed so that the team can have continuity.

Midfield Identity

For a long time, Orlando City counted on Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena to provide one of the best defensive midfields in MLS. Either could go forward or be a destroyer at the back, though I’ll give Cartagena the nod on the destroying end. Braian Ojeda has been serviceable and I’d say improving as of late. Eduard Atuesta has gotten worse in his time with the Lions. The team may need to find another destroyer if Cartagena can’t get back into form — and will need a partner for him even if he does.

I think the midfield issues for the Pride run even deeper. Setting aside Marta, her Brazilian teammate Angelina hasn’t been as effective as years past. Ally Lemos gets all the minutes she wants, but she isn’t producing enough to warrant it in my opinion, and out on the wing, Solai Washington is young and has been injured in recent weeks. Haley McCutcheon is a solid player who has the (very) occasional great game, chipping in a goal here and there. The team is missing the connection between the defense and the offense, and that is why we’ve seen so much route one service to Banda. If Angelina can’t return to form, or if the younger players don’t make the leap, then adding an experienced playmaker to the midfield is crucial if the Pride want more hardware.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/18/26

Marco Pasalic’s journey to the World Cup, analyzing Australia before USMNT game, Angel City FC and Alex Straus part ways, and more.

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5 hours ago

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June 18, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We’re a week into this year’s World Cup and I’ve been enjoying the action so far. The star players have been living up to expectations for the most part, and it’s been fairly competitive in my opinion. Before we get to today’s links from around the soccer world, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle!

Marco Pasalic’s Journey to the World Cup

Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic made his World Cup debut Wednesday, coming off the bench for Croatia and putting a shot on target in his team’s 4-2 loss to England. While not a great result, it’s still a momentous time for Pasalic, who spoke prior to the tournament on his soccer journey. The 25-year-old shared details about his upbringing as part of a refugee family in Germany and the importance of maintaining his connection with Croatia over the years. Pasalic also gave insight on the gratitude he has towards Orlando City for the opportunities he’s had since becoming a Lion.

“You saw it when I played my first game here, that I felt really well, two goals in the first match. No other club did I score in my debut,” he said. “The last season speaks for itself, that I felt really good. I have to be thankful that this club gives me the opportunity to play so many games. I got the recall up for the national team, because I gained it here through the trust of the club, the trust of everybody here, and I could provide it on the field.”

Analyzing Australia Ahead of USMNT Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play Australia on Friday in a pivotal World Cup game with control of Group D on the line. This will only be the fifth match between the two nations, with the most recent match being a 2-1 U.S. win in October. Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach surprisingly started over captain Mathew Ryan and had eight saves in Australia’s 2-0 win over Turkiye, with center backs Alessandro Circati and Harry Souttar doing their part defensively as well. As for Australia’s attack, the U.S. will need to find a way to limit Nestory Irankunda, who scored against Turkiye and can do damage on the counter or from set pieces. At 6-foot-6, forward Tete Yengi is another Australian to keep an eye out for and he could make an impact off the bench.

Angel City FC Parts Ways With Alex Straus

Alex Straus is no longer Angel City’s head coach, with the two parting ways during this break in the league schedule. Angel City got off to a hot start this season, with Straus named NWSL Coach of the Month for March, but has since only won one of its past eight games. Straus officially joined the club in June of last year after winning three consecutive league titles with Bayern Munich, and now his time with Angel City comes to a close just a little over a year later. Leif Gunnar Smerud will serve as Angel City’s interim head coach moving forward while the club searches for its fourth head coach in its short club history.

Gotham FC and Angel City Make Big Moves

Angel City will also be without Kennedy Fuller, as the 19-year-old midfielder was traded to Bay FC in exchange for $500,000 in Intraleague Transfer Funds and $20,000 in Allocation Money. That’s not all Angel City is up to though, as it has reportedly signed American attacker Ally Sentnor from the Kansas City Current for a $850,000 transfer fee as well.

Gotham FC is wheeling and dealing too, trading 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale to the Boston Legacy for $350,000 in Allocation Money and $50,000 in Intraleague Transfer Funds. The Massachusetts native should bolster a Boston defense still searching for its first clean sheet. Gotham is also reportedly set to sign Australian forward Sam Kerr as a free agent. The 32-year-old previously played for Gotham back when the club was named Sky Blue FC and should bring some firepower to a loaded team that’s somehow only scored 12 goals in 11 games this season.

2026 FIFA World Cup Roundup

Harry Kane scored twice in England’s aforementioned 4-2 win over Croatia in Arlington. FC Dallas forward Petar Musa scored an equalizer for Croatia right before the half in an emotional moment, but Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford both scored in the second half to lift England to victory. In Houston, Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo battled to a 1-1 draw. While an unexpected result, the DR Congo is a talented side that eliminated Nigeria, Jamaica, and Cameroon in order to qualify. Ghana beat Panama 1-0 thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi scoring deep in stoppage time in a rainy match in Toronto.

Today’s action features Group A and Group B, with Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau and Canada set to take on Qatar. Fellow co-host Mexico will face South Korea and either nation can qualify for the knockout round with a win if Czechia and South Africa draw in the other Group A game.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s the first look at next year’s biopic about Marta, with Alice Carvalho starring as the legendary forward.

🎥: First look at the Marta biopic, set for release in 2027!The film will follow the remarkable career of Brazilian football icon Marta, with Alice Carvalho—star of The Secret Agent—portraying the legendary forward 🐐🇧🇷📸: Laura Campanella, O GLOBO

— The Women's Game (@womensgamemib.bsky.social) 2026-06-17T14:51:49.053Z

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/17/26

Griezmann signing graded, USMNT news, World Cup results, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 17, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann signing his Orlando City contract.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! We’re into the thick of the World Cup group stage, and so far it’s been undeniably entertaining. My only complaint is that I’m not independently wealthy and still have to work during the day rather than travel to and pay the stupid ticket prices to watch whichever matches I want. Oh well, until that happens let’s get to the links, but not before we wish Orlando Pride midfielder Summer Yates a happy birthday.

Griezmann Signing Graded

There were plenty of big signings this summer transfer window, including Orlando City securing the services of Antoine Griezmann. Unsurprisingly, the Lions earned top marks for bringing the Frenchman to the City Beautiful. You might not know all there is to know about Orlando City’s newest Designated Player and may want more information on him and why he isn’t with France at the World Cup. Obviously, he retired from international football. Fortunately, he didn’t retire from club football.

USMNT vs. Australia

The USMNT plays Australia in the second match of the group stage this Friday at 3 p.m. The U.S. is coming off a dominating win over Paraguay, but Australia managed a pretty good win over a tough Türkiye team. There has been a lot of talk by U.S. pundits before the tournament about Mike Grella’s remark that Australia would be a “layup,” and the Socceroos are using that as bulletin board material. It’s an intriguing matchup since Australia, like Paraguay, favors a low block and attacking on the counter. The U.S. effectively shut down Paraguay when it tried the same thing. Can the U.S. replicate its performance from the first match on Friday? That is why they play the game. If you’re looking for somewhere to watch the match in the Orlando area, here is your guide.

Even More USMNT News

It’s all too often that we get over-hyped after a win like the USMNT over Paraguay, but is that the case this time, or can the team make a deep run into the tournament? With Australia up next, U.S. supporters are concerned about the health of Christian Pulisic. According to Mauricio Pochettino, he’s all good. Meanwhile, Haji Wright remembers scoring a brace against the Aussies when the teams met in a friendly. Wright was an unused sub in the first World Cup match, but perhaps he’ll have a chance on Friday. Wright says that Türkiye came into the match too confident, but the U.S. knows how dangerous Australia is and won’t make that same mistake.

World Cup Results

The two early matches on Tuesday were enjoyable even if the results were a little more what we expected. Kylian Mbappé scored a brace in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal. Bradley Barcola scored France’s second goal and Ibrahim Mbaye scored Senegal’s lone goal. In the second match, Erling Haaland also scored a brace in Norway’s 4-1 victory over Iraq. Aymen Hussein scored Iraq’s only goal. Unfortunately for him, he also scored an own goal for Norway. It is nice that Mbappé and Haaland wanted to emulate Folarin Balogun. Thankfully, the Argentina versus Algeria match was late enough that I did not have to write about it or that Lionel Messi guy.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. We’re only two days from the USMNT versus Australia, and I’m ready to run through a brick wall — metaphorically speaking. We also have OCB this weekend, so make time to watch the Young Lions. Vamos Orlando!

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