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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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It was a moment of brilliance from Atlanta that tipped the scales in favor of the visitors, but for most of the match, those scales were pretty even. With the Hector Villalba strike, it now marks back-to-back home losses for Orlando City as the Lions head to Atlanta for next weekend’s match.

It was very even through most of the match and Orlando held a 14-8 shot advantage, but was stopped by Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan time and time again. The USMNT keeper came up with five total saves on Orlando.

Redemption can come for the Lions next Saturday, but until then, here are our grades from the match.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 7 — Despite being hard done by the one goal, Bendik did his usual thing throughout the game and kept Orlando in it, making five saves. Had a good denial in the 23rd after Yamil Asad got a chance in on goal. Came up with a big stop on a Miguel Almiron shot in the 45th from the top of the box. Had another stop in the 70th minute after sub Brandon Vazquez got past Toia and tried to shoot near post. Came up with his biggest save of the night on an Almiron shot in the 85th minute, getting down to parry it away.

D, Donny Toia, 6.5 — Looked a bit outmatched at times, but had some recoveries trying to mark Julian Gressel most of the night. Had a good recovery run in the 16th minute to prevent a ball into the box from Gressel, who originally beat him down the line. Did a good job running down a ball forward in the attack in the 21st minute and earning a corner. Got the ball stuck under his feet as he tried to clear it in the 40th minute and almost gifted Atlanta a corner, but Bendik was able to knock it away for a throw-in. Had a shot in the 55th minute from outside the box on a volley, but it sailed well wide. Got burned in the 70th minute by Vazquez, but Bendik was able to save the subsequent shot. Led the team in tackles, with three.

D, Jonathan Spector, 7.5 (MOTM) — Specs Got a touch on a ball coming in from the wing and altered it just enough for Bendik to grab. Had a great header on frame in the 39th minute, but Guzan came up with a big save to stop it. Had a huge defensive play with a sliding tackle after Johnson had a gaffe, passing it right to Almiron in front of goal. Got another chance in the second half at a header, but Guzan once again got down to save it. Led the team in clearances, with five, and was second in interceptions, with two.

D, Jose Aja, 6 — Was fairly decent defense-wise up until the Atlanta goal. Had a chance offensively on a corner in the 22nd minute, but his header flashed just wide of goal. Got turned around as Asad got behind him in the 23rd minute, leading to an Atlanta shot on goal. Had a poor header in the 33rd minute as he tried to clear the danger in the box, but Sutter was able to clean up his mess. Committed a foul in the 48th minute on Asad to prevent him getting in on goal. Sagged off on Villalba on the only goal of the game, but that was only partly his fault.

D, Scott Sutter, 7 — A really good match again for Sutter. Did a great job on defense and getting forward in the attacking third. Had a great run in the 25th minute as he volleyed a cross into the box, which was headed away for a corner. Cleared away the danger in the box in the 33rd minute after Aja was unable to properly clear the danger. Finished the game second in interceptions, with two, and clearances, with two.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.5 — A much better game from the midfielder overall. Got into passing lanes and really disrupted the Atlanta offense. Also, did a good job getting forward into the attack. Had a poor one-touch pass in the 11th minute trying to pick out Toia on the other side of the field. Was a bit over aggressive at times and slid into rash challenges. Had a good opportunity in the 73rd minute after burning Greg Garza and putting a ball into the box, which was off by just a bit. Just a minute later, Higuita had another chance to put the ball in off a Kaká feed, but it again was just off. Earned a free kick in the 90th before coming off for Gil. Led the team in interceptions, with three.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6 — Not a very memorable match for Noce. Great job tracking Hector Villalba on a run in the 10th minute. Committed a foul on Almiron in the 12th minute, leading to a free kick for Atlanta. Tied for second on the team in interceptions, with two, and finished with a 69% passing percentage.

MF, Will Johnson, 5.5 — It was a night to forget for Will. Did a solid job trying to play quick passes along the wing, but often didn’t get forward enough in the attack. Had a terrible giveaway in the 41st minute, passing it right to Almiron in the box, but Spector was able to bail him out. Almost had another giveaway and tried to bicycle the ball away in the second half, but instead he kicked Yamil Asad in the head and was promptly shown a yellow. Had a chance to tie the game in stoppage time, but he hit his shot high over the bar after getting past his defender. Finished with an 81% passing accuracy, good for fifth on the team.

MF, Kaká, 6.5 — The captain was really onto something in the early parts of the game, but faded as the match went on. Issued a yellow card in the sixth minute for a late challenge on Yamil Asad after trying to win the ball back. Had an amazing run in the 17th minute as he took on the entire Atlanta defense, before laying it off for Barnes, who just missed. Had another great run in the 20th minute, sprinting right down the middle, before the ball was taken from him. Pushed forward in the 27th minute, laying a ball off to Barnes to play back to him, but it was just in front of the Brazilian. Played a great ball in for Rivas in the 36th minute, which he hit right to Guzan. Had a set piece in the 63rd to Spector, but it was saved by Guzan again. Had a shot in the 87th minute trying to curl one past Guzan, but he was equal to the shot. His grade would have been higher, but he finished the game with the worst passing accuracy of any player on the pitch (64% for the game).

F, Giles Barnes, 6.5 — Did well up top filling in for Larin and created some good chances Had a chance in the 17th minute after a great Kaká run, but missed it just wide. Tried an effort from outside the box in the 32nd minute, but it was right at Guzan. Had another chance at a header in the 44th minute, but he pushed off his defender as his chance went just over the top of the net. Drew a foul in the 63rd minute which led to a free kick. Came off in the 72nd minute for Larin. Finished the match with the most shots on goal, with three.

F, Carlos Rivas, 6.5 — Constantly used his strength to back down his defenders and earn a number of fouls in the process. Had a good run and a powerful strike in the 36th minute, but it was right at Guzan. Made a great run in the 57th towards goal and put a cross in, but it looked to have come off the Atlanta defender’s hand, but nothing was called. Tried an effort from distance in the 79th minute, but he sent it into the second deck. Finished the game with the second highest passing percentage, with 83% and second on the team in shots, with two.

Substitutes

F, Cyle Larin (72’), 6 — Came straight from the airport to the stadium and came on for the final 18 minutes, but didn’t have too much of an impact offensively.

MF, Richie Laryea (88’), N/A — Came in for Nocerino, but only registered two touches.

MF, Luis Gil (90’), N/A — Came in for Higuita in the last moments of the match. Had a few touches, but nothing game-changing.

That’s the way I saw the individual performances on this night. Vote for your Lion of the Match in the poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Carlos Rivas1
Jonathan Spector80
Scott Sutter12
Joe Bendik9
Kaká48
Other8

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 5-0 as Lions Roar Past Rowdies

The Lions destroyed their I-4 Derby rivals at Al Lang Stadium, advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions found their scoring boots tonight at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg and spent much of the 90 minutes applying those boots to the backsides of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Gustavo Caraballo’s brace led Orlando City, with Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson each adding a goal in a comprehensive road victory.

On the other end, Orlando allowed the host Rowdies very little, keeping the team’s sixth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions, although this one was backstopped by Javier Otero rather than Pedro Gallese, who sat on the substitutes’ bench.

“I think scoring today was so healthy for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after his team’s five-goal outburst. “The first objective was trying to keep the pace that we had defensively on being solid, but at the same time, and just move on to that team that is scoring again. So we’re happy in that part, and in between the boxes, we played a good game. We saw the youngsters playing, some of the other players that were not regularly in the lineup, so it was very complete.”

Pareja’s lineup was heavily rotated from the side that played Saturday in Chicago, with Otero starting in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Thorhallsson started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Nico Rodriguez, Martin Ojeda, and Caraballo, with Enrique up top.

It took Orlando City a while to get going, but once the Lions saw the ball in the net once, they looked dangerous for the remainder of the opening half.

Not much happened early for either side, other than some rough challenges by the Rowdies that were (eventually) punished by a single booking, but one in the opening moments to knock Freeman down while trying to get forward in transition would normally draw a yellow card.

Orlando’s first shot came in the ninth minute off a corner kick. The ball fell for Caraballo in the box and his shot hit a defender on the ground. Orlando players appealed for a handball, and it appeared the defender moved his hand on the ground up into the ball’s path, but referee Natalie Simon saw nothing wrong with it.

In the 13th minute, on what was probably the third bookable offense of the game by Tampa Bay, Simon finally showed a yellow card to Daniel Crisostomo for a hard challenge on Ojeda. Moments later, Araujo got his foot stomped on after releasing a pass but no card was given on a nasty challenge.

Enrique got into a good spot in the box in the 23rd minute and fired a shot that defender Forrest Lasso did well to block out for a corner kick. Lasso then cleared the ensuing set piece entry ball. Manuel Arteaga tried to catch Otero off his line from midfield after the clearance but the young goalkeeper wasn’t in danger of being beaten even if the attempt hadn’t been well off target.

Enrique’s flicked effort in the 26th minute was blocked by the defense, and an Ojeda attempt from a tight angle on the left in the 29th minute was well saved by goalkeeper Nicolas Campisi.

Tampa Bay got a rare shot in the 33rd minute from outside the area, but Schlegel blocked it at the top of the box. The ball sailed high into the air and served as catching practice for Otero.

Orlando City broke through a minute later. Ojeda took a good entry ball from Santos down the left and sent a low pass through the box. Caraballo got onto it and blasted it just under the bar to make it 1-0. It was the 16-year-old’s first goal with the first team, and he became the youngest player to score a first-team goal in a competitive match for Orlando City.

“It means a lot. I was able to rise to the opportunity that the coaching staff and my team gave me, and I was able to score in front of all the friends that came a long way to see us play and see us getting that very much important win to send us off to the next round,” Caraballo said.

“Congratulations to Gustavo, to the coaches in the academy, to the program that we have,” Pareja said. “I think that they have done a tremendous job on developing these kids and putting him in the first team for us is a privilege. And not just that, but to see those performances in a kid that is so young, still.”

Caraballo doubled the lead two minutes later. A takeaway in the attacking third ended up on Thorhallsson’s foot. The Icelandic midfielder cut across the box left to right. Just when it seemed he would fire a shot toward goal, he sent a diagonal pass to his right for Caraballo to run onto. The young midfielder slotted his shot just inside the left post to make it 2-0 in the 36th minute.

“I saw that there was space, that the left back wasn’t there, and if I attacked that space, I would be able to get the ball,” Caraballo said. “Thankfully, Dagur was able to see me and (it was) just a normal finish that we practice every day. And I’m just glad I was able to finish it.”

The Rowdies tried to pull one back in the 40th minute. Otero went up to catch a cross from his left and was barrelled over by Arteaga. Otero spilled the ball into his own net, but the whistle had gone for the obvious foul. A minute later, the Rowdies appealed for a penalty when a player went down in the box under contact, but Simon again wasn’t buying it.

Enrique made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute. Araujo sent a beautiful ball over the top that fell perfectly for Santos’ well-timed run. The Brazilian fullback slid a centering pass in front at the top of the six and Enrique flicked it through Campisi and in for the Lions’ third.

The last look of the first half was another good one for Orlando. Santos was sent down the left by Thorhallsson and was in a good position to shoot. The fullback sent a cannon shot over the bar from the left in stoppage time.

The Lions took their three-goal lead into the break. Orlando held the halftime advantage in possession (57.9%-42.1%), shots (9-3), shots on target (4-0), and corners (4-1).

“We needed to be patient just to open the first goal, or to get that first goal, and we scored in the right time, I think,” Pareja said of the team’s final 15 minutes of the half — between the hydration break and halftime. “I think in that moment we pushed the pedal and the other two goals came. But if there is one thing I said about what changed, it was that we moved the ball faster, and the dynamic that the boys had to connect that helped us just to land in the box with more numbers and with more options to score.”

With the three-goal lead, Pareja withdrew Ojeda and Freeman from the lineup before the restart, sending on Duncan McGuire and Colin Guske.

The second half, perhaps as a result of Orlando’s subs and a couple by the Rowdies, was disjointed just after the restart. Tampa Bay was able to stay on the ball a bit more.

Still, the first good look of the second half came in the 57th minute and was created by the Lions. Caraballo fizzed a good cross into the box that found Enrique. The Argentine sent a flicked header on goal, but Campisi made a good save.

The Lions added a fourth two minutes later anyway. McGuire headed down a ball from the back to Rodriguez on the right. The Colombian sent a good return ball over the top for McGuire, who used his strength to hold off his defender before blasting his first goal of the season past Campisi to make it 4-0 in the 59th minute. The pass was Rodriguez’s first assist as a Lion.

“Duncan has been in that long recovery process that he had on his shoulder, and just seeing him now getting his rhythm and his best version and scoring is so healthy for our team,” Pareja said. “And Ramiro similar, too.”

Tampa Bay started to create some half-chances past the hour mark, shortly after both teams had made more substitutions. Orlando withdrew Araujo and Schlegel, replacing them with Zakaria Taifi and David Brekalo.

The first decent look of the half for the Rowdies came in the 67th minute. Woobens Pacius received the ball at the top right corner of the Orlando box and made a good turn, firing a shot for the near post. Otero had the post covered and made a comfortable save.

After the second-half hydration break, the Rowdies put a couple of decent shots on goal but couldn’t beat Otero. The first of those came in the 78th minute from Alexander Rodriguez from the top of the box on the right. The shot had a lot of power on it, but Otero fought it off. A minute later, Smith and Santos were caught up the field, allowing Ollie Bassett to sneak in down the right. He took a pass and blasted a shot that Otero saved.

The Lions had a golden opportunity to add a fifth goal in the 86th minute. Colin Guske intercepted a pass near the top of his own penalty area and dribbled forward in transition. He did well to pick out Enrique making a run slightly right of center. The Argentine carried the ball into the box with McGuire on his left all alone. Enrique slowed and cut back to his left, firing a shot wide of the left post.

Thorhallsson capped the scoring in the 90th minute, getting onto a pass from late substitute Ivan Angulo in the semicircle just outside Tampa Bay’s penalty area and blasting a shot just inside the left post to make it 5-0. It gave Thorhallsson a goal to go with his earlier assist.

After just one minute of stoppage time, Simon blew the full-time whistle on a dominant win over a struggling USL Championship side. The first 30 minutes were tightly contested, but the rest of the match was owned by Orlando City.

In the end, Orlando held the advantage in possession (57.2%-42.8%), shots (15-7), shots on target (7-3), corners (6-2), and passing accuracy (91.8%-89.4%).

“We’re really excited now to put our mind into the next one against New England at home, but today it was a game that we needed,” Pareja said.

The Lions improved to 8-0-0 in all competitions against Tampa Bay.


Orlando City moves on to the Round of 16 to host Nashville SC with a date and time to be announced, but the window for that round is May 20 and 21. The Lions return to action at home Saturday against the New England Revolution.

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Orlando City

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

The I-4 Derby is back as Orlando City starts play in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup at Tampa Bay tonight.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night Round of 32 U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium (7:30 p.m., Paramount+). The I-4 Derby was established before the Lions joined Major League Soccer but this is the second time since OCSC made the jump that the rivalry has real stakes. It’s the third time the teams have met in this competition.

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

History

Orlando City is 7-0-0 in the all-time series as far as “official” records go, but 9-0-1 if you count three preseason friendly meetings since the Lions made the jump to MLS.

The most recent meeting in the series took place on April 20, 2022, with the Lions defeating the Rowdies 2-1 in Orlando City’s 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup opener at Exploria Stadium. After a scoreless first half, Alexandre Pato opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after Benji Michel was fouled in the box by Aaron Guillen. Junior Urso added a second goal in the 63rd minute. Lucky Mkosana pulled one back two minutes after Urso’s goal, but the Rowdies could get no closer.

The I-4 Derby began in 2013, when the Lions and Rowdies met three times. Orlando City was in the third-division USL Pro at the time, while the Rowdies played in the second division’s NASL. The teams first met on Feb. 23, 2013 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports as part of the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. The Lions won that game in the tournament’s consolation bracket 2-0, thanks to a first-minute penalty conversion by midfielder Jamie Watson and a 78th-minute dagger by striker Dennis Chin.

After that initial meeting, the I-4 Derby was established with a pair of home-and-home preseason friendlies. The teams met in Orlando on March 9, 2013, with the Lions capturing a 3-2 win on goals by Watson, James O’Connor, and Jean Alexandre, while Amani Walker and Luke Mulholland scored Tampa Bay’s first goals against Orlando City. The return leg took place at Al Lang Stadium on March 30 of that year and Orlando won 3-2 again. Kevin Molino, Adama Mbengue, and Dom Dwyer provided the offense, with Dwyer’s 91st-minute strike winning the game. Takuya Yamada and Walker scored for the Rowdies.

The I-4 Derby resumed in 2014, with the first game taking place in Lake Buena Vista on April 30, as the Lions played home matches at Disney’s Wide World of Sports that year. Orlando City won 3-0 on goals by Mbengue, Chin, and Brian “Cobi” Span.

The teams then met in the U.S. Open Cup in the first competitive I-4 Derby match-up on May 28, 2014, at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford. The Lions thumped the Rowdies 4-1 in that match, with Molino bagging a first-half brace and Austin da Luz and Mbengue also scoring in the opening 45 minutes. Blake Wagner’s goal just before halftime spoiled the shutout, but the Lions handled their business.

The return leg of the regularly scheduled 2014 I-4 Derby in St. Petersburg didn’t happen until July 6, with Orlando winning by a 3-2 scoreline for the third time in the series. Molino and Darwin Ceren scored on either side of a strike by Tampa Bay’s Georgi Hristov to take a 2-1 lead into the break. Hristov tied the match in the second half, but Corey Hertzog scored the winner for the Lions in the 75th minute.

Since 2014, the teams have met in a few preseason friendlies/scrimmages, and while they aren’t being counted in the overall series, they count in our hearts and live in our memories. The Lions and Rowdies met in the 2017 preseason, playing to a scoreless draw at Sylvan Lake Park in a closed-door scrimmage held on Feb. 11. Three years later, almost to the day, the teams met again in the preseason — this time at Exploria Stadium — on Feb. 12, 2020. Orlando City won 2-1, with Urso and Jordan Bender supplying the offense in a come-from-behind win after Kyle Murphy had put Tampa ahead.

The most recent friendly took place on Feb. 19, 2022, when the Lions again topped the Rowdies in preseason behind closed doors. Tesho Akindele, Mauricio Pereyra (penalty), and Jack Lynn scored for Orlando, while Tampa Bay avoided a shutout thanks to a goal by Jake LaCava.

Overview

Orlando City enters tonight’s match on an eight-game unbeaten run (3-0-5), but the Lions are coming off their fourth 0-0 draw in five outings Saturday in Chicago. The common denominator in the run of scoreless draws seems to be the absence of Eduard Atuesta. The Colombian midfielder played 11 minutes in the second half in the 0-0 game against the New York Red Bulls, and went 90 in the 3-0 win over Atlanta before a neck injury knocked him out of the lineup Saturday. He’s missed the other 0-0 draws entirely. He’s also listed as out for tonight per Orlando City’s game notes, which dropped Tuesday afternoon. Orlando is 1-1-4 on the road this season, with all of those six matches coming against MLS competition.

The Lions are in the midst of fixture congestion throughout the month of May, so tonight’s Orlando City lineup will likely be made up of a mixture of regular starters, backups, and reserve players who have been splitting time between the bench and OCB. That was the case in 2022 when these teams last met. Orlando City fans will be hoping that like that year, opening up against Tampa Bay will jump start a trophy run.

The Lions are 17-10-5 (6-7-2 away) in all U.S. Open Cup matches since 2011 and 9-6-5 (3-3-2 away) in the club’s MLS era. It is, however, noteworthy that if you take away the 2022 USOC run to the championship, during which the Lions went 4-0-2, with all of those games played in their home stadium, OCSC’s record drops to 5-6-3 in U.S. Open Cup play during the MLS years.

Tampa Bay is off to a poor start in 2025. The Rowdies enter tonight just 1-4-1 on the season (0-2-1 at home) and sit in 11th place out of 12 in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings. That’s a little deceptive, because every match the Rowdies have played before has either been a one-goal game or a draw. Tampa most recently drew 2-2 at home Saturday against Birmingham Legion FC. The Rowdies advanced from the Round of 64 after a 1-1 road draw against FC Naples. Burundi international Pacifique Niyongabire put Tampa Bay up in the 26th minute, only to see former Chicago Fire II midfielder Luka Prpa equalize a minute later. When 30 minutes of extra time could not break the 1-1 deadlock, the game went to penalties. The shootout went 10 shooters deep, with Tampa Bay prevailing 9-8 when Julian Cisneros of Naples hit the crossbar.

The Lions will have to keep an eye on Woobens Pacius, who leads the Rowdies with three goals in seven matches. Niyongabire, Daniel Crisostomo, Ollie Bassett, and Leo Fernandes each have one goal for Tampa Bay. He doesn’t have a goal yet this season, but forward Manuel Arteaga is averaging three shots per game, so he’ll be another threat to watch.

“It [Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup] brings back great memories for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “The respect that we have for the Cup is important. We’re facing the game against the Rowdies with all the ambition to win it and keep advancing, so we’re taking it very seriously. It’s a proud moment for us to participate in the tournament and represent our club again.”

In addition to Atuesta (neck), Orlando City will be without season-ending injured players Wilder Cartagena (Achilles) and Yutaro Tsukada (knee), while Joran Gerbet (lower leg) has been upgraded to questionable alongside Favian Loyola (thigh).


Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Attacking Midfielders: Gustavo Caraballo, Martin Ojeda, Nico Rodriguez.

Forward: Ramiro Enrique.

Bench: Pedro Gallese, Zakaria Taifi, David Brekalo, Colin Guske, Ivan Angulo, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Tampa Bay Rowdies (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Nicolas Campisi.

Defenders: Aaron Guillen, Forrest Lasso, Robert Castellanos, Pacifique Niyongabire.

Midfielders: Leo Fernandes, Daniel Crisostomo, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Ollie Bassett.

Forwards: Laurence Wyke, Manuel Arteaga.

Bench: Ethan Bandre, Mateus DeJesus, Blake Bodily, Nathan Worth, Endri Mustali, Alexander Rodriguez, Woobens Pacius.

Referees

Ref: Natalie Simon.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Colin Ashley.
4th: Benjamin Meyer.


How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Al Lang Stadium — St. Petersburg.

TV/Live Stream: Paramount+.

Radio: None.

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 5/7/25

Orlando City takes on the Rowdies, sponsors like MLS, the NWSL is growing, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day as the Lions begin their 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign. I’ve repeatedly said on The Mane Land PawedCast that I want Oscar Pareja to focus on this competition more than another one (*cough* Leagues Cup *cough*). That all starts tonight, and I hope you’re as excited as I am. Let’s get to the links.

I-4 Derby Tonight

Orlando City enters the 2025 U.S. Open Cup tonight against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions make the perilous 112-mile trip along I-4 — which feels approximately like flying to Seattle — to take on an old geographical rival. We’re likely to see a rotated lineup for this match, but Pareja said he has confidence in the younger players to get the job done. If you’re not making the trip to Tampa here is how you can watch the match. We will have our normal match coverage for you tonight.

Nobody Likes Nil-Nil

You know something is going on when Orlando City attracts the attention of the national media. Unfortunately, that thing is the overabundance of 0-0 draws in four out of the last five matches. The theory is that the Lions aren’t getting enough service out of the midfield for the players up top. It may be as simple as players getting healthy for Orlando City to reignite the offense. For the sake of a certain The Mane Land editor’s sanity, I hope that is the case.

MLS News and Notes

Soccer’s popularity is growing in the United States. Are decades of being America’s next big sport finally paying off? It seems to actually be the case, at least when it comes to the sponsors. With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, brands are investing in MLS and soccer in America. EA Sports is in on the action, partnering with MLS and Apple TV to show four live matches within the EA FC mobile gaming app this season

NWSL Keeps Growing

Big things are also happening in the NWSL. The growth has prompted the league to move its headquarters from one New York office to a bigger New York office. Part of that growth comes from owners like the Washington Spirit’s Michelle Kang. The billionaire is investing in the NWSL, U.S. Soccer, and other leagues and countries throughout the world. On a slightly different scale, Mikaela Shiffrin — the most decorated alpine skier of all time — has invested in the Denver NWSL expansion side.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of tonight’s match as well as the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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