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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Fall on the Road Again in Weird Game

Kaká sent off while goofing around with his close friend seems about right at the end of whatever that game was.

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8 years ago

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Nick Leyva,The Mane Land

Where do I even start? I guess we’ll start with the most important part, as Orlando City (8-10-6, 30 points) fell 3-1 on the road against the New York Red Bulls (12-9-2, 38 points). That’s ultimately what matters most.

As for the rest of it…man, I don’t know.

The Lions came out hungry and pressing and looked like a completely different team than the one that took the pitch last weekend at Montreal. But, like they did in that game, they scored first, only to see the other team come back to win.

Carlos Rivas opened the scoring, but an own goal, a transition strike by Bradley Wright-Phillips, and a golazo by Sean Davis upended what was a much better performance from a team that wasn’t passive, wasn’t disinterested, and wasn’t apathetic. This team wanted to win and, more importantly, played like it. It didn’t, but not from lack of effort or generating the chances necessary to do so, as we’ve seen in the past.

But the final scrum in stoppage time saw Kaká give former Lion (and the captain’s good friend) Aurelien Collin a couple of playful face washes to break the tension from a chippy match. Referee Jorge Gonzalez ignored the smiles on both players’ faces upon video review and sent the captain off. He’ll miss a vital game next week against Columbus unless the MLS Disciplinary Committee correctly overturns the red card.

Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis wasted no time getting Designated Player signing Yoshimar Yotun into the lineup, slotting him into the left side of the diamond in his 4-4-2 lineup (despite the club’s graphic below — Kaká was mainly the 10, though the two swapped at times) and removing Cristian Higuita. Kreis raised some eyebrows by playing his two youngest center backs together in Leo Pereira and Tommy Redding with Jonathan Spector (knee) unavailable — likely due to Pereira being a natural left-sided defender while both Redding and Aja are righties. Rivas slotted in for the injured Dom Dwyer (nose surgery). Newbie Dillon Powers was on the bench.

The Lions came out pressing and playing with high energy, closing down the Red Bulls all over the pitch and generally making the hosts uncomfortable. Yotun showed the quality of his service early with a great ball over the top in the second minute to spring Rivas down the left. The Colombian fizzed a cross into the box for Cyle Larin but it was a bit behind. The Canadian went down after contact but no call was made.

Kaká sent Larin in at the six-minute mark but he showed too much of the ball on his right rather than firing with his left and Kemar Lawrence knocked it out for a corner. The Lions subsequently took the first of two frustratingly ineffective short corners.

The first New York opportunity materialized at the 10-minute mark when Michael Murillo headed a set piece cross off target and over the bar. Five minutes later, Alex Muyl headed a Tyler Adams cross well wide.

Two minutes later, Rivas was in all alone on Luis Robles with acres of space after being released by Larin, but he tried a chip shot and missed just a bit over the bar. Rivas made up for the gaffe a minute later after the ensuing goal kick. Will Johnson dispossessed New York’s defense and Larin picked up the ball and dished to Kaká in the middle. The captain sent Rivas in down the left and the Colombian smashed it this time to beat Robles and put the Lions on top at 18’.

Orlando City nearly made it 2-0 six minutes later, when Larin took a cross in the box, spun, and fired on frame to force a diving two-handed save from Robles.

Two minutes after that save, Larin was inches from getting onto Kaká’s free kick in space in the box, missing another opportunity to double the lead. That came back to haunt Orlando a few minutes later.

New York tied the game at the 30-minute mark when an Adams cross into the box was deflected past Joe Bendik by Pereira, who was trying to deny the pass.

The remainder of the first half consisted mostly of both teams building up but not able to quite craft a scoring chance. Redding did well in the 38th minute to make a vital clearance in the box as Wright-Phillips was going in on goal. Redding poked it away from behind and had to get his challenge just right to avoid conceding a penalty.

New York held 60% of the first-half possession, with Orlando owning a 3-2 advantage in shots (2-0 on target). With some new players in the side, the Lions’ passing was just 70% in the opening period. Yotun, however, completed 10 of his first 13 passes as a Lion in the half.

The Red Bulls started the second half by turning up the heat with their pressing and jumped on the Lions out of the break. Bendik was forced into two big saves early in the second half, first on Muyl, who got a fortunate deflection on a ball into traffic that fell perfectly for him. The second came on the ensuing corner kick when Murillo got a free header.

Minutes later, Will Johnson sent a corner kick that pinged dangerously around in the box but no Lion could get onto it. Then Redding nearly put Rivas in on goal in the 53rd minute, but the Colombian had it taken away before he could clear himself to shoot.

Muyl missed a couple decent opportunities in the 56th and 59th minutes, as Orlando struggled to deal with the New York press. A minute after Muyl’s second miss, it paid off.

Another turnover on the left led to a quick transition and a cross found a sliding Wright-Phillips who beat Bendik and collided with the Orlando keeper, stopping the game while Joe’s bloodied cheek was patched up.

Just like that, the hosts had the lead. It nearly became 3-1 at the 65-minute mark as Wright-Phillips made a sensational effort to bicycle kick a cross toward goal, but it hit off the woodwork.

The Lions didn’t sit back, though, to their credit. Orlando City poured forward looking for the equalizer. Felipe, who had been warned earlier in the game for persistent infringement, fouled Rivas to break up an Orlando attack and was shown a yellow card. Gonzalez showed incredible restraint when he didn’t send off Felipe for mocking him with fake applause.

Redding headed a free kick delivery well over the bar in the 70th as the attack resumed. Seconds later, Antonio Nocerino sliced a shot just inches wide of the left post. Then, in the 74th, Kaká nearly had an Olimpico on a corner kick but Muyl cleared it off the line.

A minute after that, Yotun nearly opened his Orlando City account. Rivas got in behind down the right side and his cross deflected out to the top of the box. Yoshi smashed it off the underside of the crossbar and it stayed out.

Just a few minutes later, Davis put the game away with 10 minutes to play on another Goal of the Week candidate.

That goal happened with Giles Barnes and Higuita waiting on the touch line to check in, but ultimately, the subs came too late. Nocerino was visibly tired from his pressing efforts and getting forward in the game. He turned outside and lost Davis on the last goal — as did Redding — and there was no help inside on that play.

Richie Layrea came on a few minutes later and produced the Lions’ final shot on goal, but he didn’t catch all of his shot and Robles got down to make the save.

New York tried to manage the game through possession the rest of the way and in stoppage time, the weirdness happened. Yotun ran into Redding and went down and Adams taunted the Peruvian with mock applause while he was down. Higuita took exception and gave Adams a light shove and the teams came together.

While yapping ensued, mostly fueled by Sacha Kljestan, Kaká spotted his good friend — I’m being serious here, they are really good friends — Collin, the former Lion, in the middle of the fray. With the Brazilian’s trademark grin, he mischievously reached out and rubbed the Frenchman’s face. Collin took exception until he turned around and saw Kaká’s grin, then he too started to laugh. Kaká gave him a second face wash for good measure.

Gonzalez spent several minutes talking to the assistant referee, then went to video review. When he came back, he rightfully booked Higuita and Davis, who came into the scrum, missed Adams somehow, and sent the incredulous captain off.

Seconds later, the final whistle mercifully blew on a performance that deserved more and flattered the home team a bit.

Orlando City returns home to face the Columbus Crew in a crucial Eastern Conference battle next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-0 road win over Inter Miami?

Published

2 hours ago

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May 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City went on the road and claimed a huge three points against Inter Miami CF in Fort Lauderdale last night, winning 3-0. The Lions took advantage of Miami’s poor defending, getting behind the back line and scoring three times. It’s the club’s first win against the South Florida team in over two years.

Let’s take a look at how the individual Lions performed in this big win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — Gallese was awesome in this game, keeping the Lions in it and maintaining their lead. The two most notable saves were a 22nd-minute, one-handed stop on Lionel Messi and a second big save in the 62nd minute on the same player from point-blank range. The Lions’ number one saved all four shots he faced for his sixth clean sheet this season. He touched the ball 36 times, completing 58.6% of his 29 passes and seven of his 19 long balls. His most notable pass came in the 43rd minute, when he assisted Luis Muriel’s goal on a long ball up field. Overall, it was a great night for Gallese.

D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — Brekalo is the more defensive of the two outside backs, allowing Alex Freeman to go further forward. The natural center back was terrific defensively, helping his team earn a clean sheet on the road. He had 45 touches and completed 90.9% of his 22 passes. The left back didn’t have an impact offensively, but he was great defensively. He finished the game with two tackles, a blocked shot, an aerial duel won, and a team-high eight clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Orlando City was on the back foot for much of the game, conceding a significant amount of possession. It put a lot of pressure on the center backs, including Jansson. The Swede had 35 touches in the game and completed 66.7% of his 24 passes, including three of his 10 long balls. He didn’t push into the attack at all but was part of a center back pairing that was excellent. He recorded a tackle, a blocked shot, and five clearances.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — While Jansson was good in this game, Schlegel was the better of the two Orlando City center backs. He touched the ball 30 times and completed 89.5% of his 19 passes, but his lone long ball didn’t find its target. The Argentine also took one off-target shot, but it was his defense that shone. Schlegel ended the game with two tackles, an interception, three clearances, a blocked shot, and two aerial duels won.

D, Alex Freeman, 7 — This was one of Freeman’s best games since joining the first team. He had a team-high 64 touches and completed 83.8% of his 37 passes, including a team-high four key passes and three of his five long balls. The right back put one of his three shots on target and nearly set up a goal in the 88th minute, but Ramiro Enrique hit the post. Defensively, Freeman had an interception, four clearances, two blocked shots, and two aerial duels won while defending primarily Jordi Alba.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo didn’t have much of an impact on this game, only recording 18 touches and completing 80% of his 10 passes. However, he did have a key pass and completed his lone long ball. His only shot was on target, though it was on a breakaway and he perhaps could have done better. He helped defensively with two tackles and a blocked shot before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 61st minute.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — The defensive midfielders played key roles in this game and were one of the team’s strengths. Araujo — the veteran of the two — had 52 touches and completed 85.7% of his 42 passes, including a key pass and two of his five long balls. He didn’t take any shots but was active defensively with a tackle, two clearances, a blocked shot, and two aerial duels won.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 7 — The rookie had a tough task defending Messi in this game and was terrific in doing so. He registered 47 touches and completed 90.9% of his 33 passes, including two key passes and his lone long ball. He didn’t take any shots but was excellent defensively with three tackles, an interception, four clearances, a blocked shot, and an aerial duel won.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic had 33 touches, completing 68.4% of his 19 passes. He was in the right place at the right time and had a little bit of luck in the 53rd minute, when a Martin Ojeda cross was deflected right to him. The midfielder sent a hard shot that deflected off Maximiliano Falcon’s leg and headed right at Oscar Ustari, who should’ve stopped it. But the ball slipped through and in to make it 2-0. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but it was an important one. Pasalic also helped defensively with an interception and was replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 70th minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 7.5 — Muriel had 35 touches and completed 78.6% of his 14 passes, including two key passes and his lone cross, but not his only long ball. He put two of his three shots on target and did well to finish the breakaway in the 43rd minute that gave the Lions the lead. He added a tackle, a blocked shot, and an aerial duel won before being replaced by Enrique in the 70th minute.

F, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda had a good game, touching the ball 37 times and completing 68.2% of his 22 passes, including three key passes, two of his four crosses, and three of his four long balls. He added a tackle and would’ve had a much higher grade if he hadn’t missed two golden opportunities to score. His night ended in the 89th minute when he came off for Duncan McGuire.

Substitutes

D, Kyle Smith (61’), 5.5 — Smith came on in the 61st minute for Angulo and made an impact. He had 14 touches but only completed 28.6% of his seven passes, missing on his lone long ball. However, he got a secondary assist by sending McGuire down the left on Thorhallsson’s late goal. Smith also didn’t record any defensive statistics in his 29 minutes of play.

F, Ramiro Enrique (70’), 5 — Enrique replaced Muriel in the 70th minute. He touched the ball 12 times, completing 60% of his five passes. The striker nearly had a chance in the 78th minute, but his touch was too heavy. In the 88th minute, his shot was saved off the post on what should’ve been the third goal. Overall, it was the missed chances that doomed Enrique’s performance in this game.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (70’), 6.5 — Thorhallsson replaced Pasalic in a double substitution, entering with Enrique. He touched the ball 16 times, completing 90.9% of his 11 passes, though his lone long ball was incomplete. His big moment came in second-half stoppage time, when he placed a perfect McGuire pass behind Ustari to make it 3-0.

F, Duncan McGuire (89’), N/A — It was a short appearance for McGuire, entering for Ojeda just before stoppage time. But the big striker took advantage of his minutes, touching the ball four times. He only had two passes, but he completed both, including a perfect pass across the six-yard box for Thorhallsson, providing the fellow substitute with an easy tap-in. McGuire took one shot of his own, but it was off target.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from an enjoyable 3-0 victory over Inter Miami.

Published

4 hours ago

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May 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After dominating Tampa Bay in the U.S. Open Cup and now Inter Miami in MLS play, I think it is safe to remind everyone that, as we all have always known, Florida is purple. Orlando City thrashed the Herons 3-0 on Sunday night, and the Lions could, and probably should, have scored five or even six goals with all the breakaway chances they squandered during this game. Nevertheless, they still walked away from the greater Miami area with three big, beautiful points, and here are my five takeaways from the latest edition of Tropic Thunder.

El Pulpo Pulverized the Herons

Orlando City fans have come to expect great performances from Pedro Gallese in terms of keeping the ball out of his own net, but on Sunday night El Pulpo not only did that, but he also created the game’s opening goal with a perfectly placed bomb of a pass that looked like it might have been thrown by Dan Marino in his Miami Dolphins heyday. But this was Fort Lauderdale, not Miami, and it was Gallese, not Marino, who arced the ball through the night right onto the foot of Luis Muriel, and Muriel’s first touch was just as perfect as Gallese’s aim. Then the Colombian was off to the races before giving the Lions the lead with a well-placed shot to the far post. Gallese collected his second career assist with that pass and then went back to his standard practice of saving everything, stopping four shots and partnering with the stout back line to shut out Miami — only the second time all season Miami was held without a goal.

Miami Block Party

Speaking of that stout back line, Orlando City’s defenders looked more like the Orlando Solar Bears out there with how they were giving up their bodies all over the field to block shots. Our friends at fotmob.com tracked a season-high nine blocked shots by Orlando City defenders on the evening, and it felt like there were even more. Every starting defender had one block except Alex Freeman, who had two, and Iván Angulo, César Araújo, Joran Gerbet, and Muriel each chipped in one as well. Orlando City’s defenders did an excellent job of keeping their hands behind them or out of the way while blocking all of those shots, and the frustration on the faces of the Miami players was evident, as despite taking 21 shots, they were only able to put four on goal. Sunday night was definitely not the kind of Miami block party the Herons were hoping to attend.

Pašalić Goes Five-Hole

I did not plan to work in multiple hockey references when I started this article, but hey, at least Miami fans can be happy that their NHL team won on Sunday. Their, well, Fort Lauderdale’s team most certainly did not, and Marco Pašalić’s early second-half goal doubled Orlando City’s lead when he took a slightly deflected Martín Ojeda pass and powered it through the legs of goalkeeper Óscar Ustari. All three Designated Players participated in the goal, with Muriel showing some fancy footwork before playing it to Rodrigo Schlegel, who gave it to Ojeda, and then his deflected cross fell perfectly for the left foot of Pašalić, and Orlando City had a two-goal cushion.

Firepower From the Bench

Óscar Pareja has always been a coach who likes to ride a hot lineup, and the same is true for how he chooses who comes off the bench — the hot player gets the first opportunity. Ramiro Enrique had scored more recently than Duncan McGuire, so it was not surprising to see Enrique enter before McGuire in this game, and Enrique nearly made it three goals in his last four games, but a fingertip save by Ustari pushed his shot off the post. McGuire eventually entered in the dying minutes of the game, and he clearly showed his desire to get back up in the pecking order, because he was flying all over the field, and it paid off for him when he sprinted onto a ball from Kyle Smith and played a perfectly weighted left-footed cross to fellow substitute Dagur Dan Thórhallsson for the third and final goal, one where all three goal contributors (secondary assist, primary assist, and goal scorer) were substitutes.

Midfield Did Not Get Messi’d

It is hard to ever write about Inter Miami without writing about Lionel Messi, and while he played well and created opportunities, the Orlando City midfield duo of Araújo and Gerbet more than held their own against Messi. Miami dominated possession (64%), but it was Orlando City that created far more chances, creating eight big chances (defined as chances where the analyst could reasonably expect a player to score) to only two for Miami, according to Fotmob’s tracking. Messi’s heatmap shows a player who played most of the game attacking down the right side of the field, but Angulo, Araújo, Gerbet, and Smith, the four midfielders/defenders — Smith came on for Angulo but was essentially a fifth man on the back line — who played in the middle or on the defensive left all contained him and rarely let him get loose, despite his 97 touches. The Argentinean did take nine shots, but only two were on target, and of course, none went in the goal — a testament to the entire defensive unit. Gerbet continues to impress, not just for a rookie but as a player in general, and when Eduard Atuesta returns from injury, he may find himself coming off the bench if Gerbet continues this run of form.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s 11th straight MLS game without a loss, an excellent and deserved road win that vaulted the team over Miami into fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Let us know your thoughts about the Inter Miami match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/19/25

Lions defeat Inter Miami, Pride fall to Kansas City Current, OCB wins, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 19, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Over the weekend, I was catching up with my former coworkers during Chicago House AC’s home opener against Czarni Jaslo in Midwest Premier League action. Let’s wish Orlando Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman, who turns 26 today, a happy birthday. The Pride lost, but OCB and our Lions picked up wins over the weekend. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Defeats Inter Miami on the Road

Orlando City defeated Inter Miami 3-0 on the road Sunday at Chase Stadium and extended its unbeaten run to 11 league matches. Luis Muriel scored to put the Lions in front just before halftime. In the second half, Marco Pasalic scored and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson added the final goal for the Lions in stoppage time to seal the 3-0 win against their in-state rivals. Orlando moved ahead of Miami in the Eastern Conference standings into fifth with 24 points, while Miami drops to sixth, albeit with a game in hand. Miami has lost five out of its last seven matches. It will be a quick turnaround for Orlando City with a home match on Wednesday as Nashville SC visits Inter&Co Stadium.

Lions Sign Defender Zakaria Taifi to First Team Contract

Orlando City announced Saturday the club has signed Orlando City B defender Zakaria Taifi to a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player. The deal is through the 2026 season with club options for the 2027, 2028, and 2029 seasons. Taifi has made 44 appearances for OCB in MLS NEXT Pro. He has started 23 matches, scored one goal, and added three assists. Taifi was also part of the Orlando City Academy U-17 team that won the MLS NEXT Cup in 2021. Taifi made his first-team debut with Orlando City last month in a scoreless draw against CF Montreal. He also played in the Lions’ 5-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 32 in the U.S. Open Cup.

Pride Fall to Kansas City Current at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Kansas City Current Friday at Inter&Co Stadium. Temwa Chawinga scored the lone goal in the second half to seal the win for Kansas City. The Current have won two in a row, while the Pride have lost their second match at home this season. Orlando is on a three-match winless streak. The Current stayed atop the NWSL table with 21 points, while the Pride dropped to third with 16 points. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Friday at the Utah Royals.

OCB Defeats Inter Miami II at Home

Orlando City B defeated Inter Miami II 3-0 Saturday at Osceola County Stadium. Gustavo Caraballo, Shak Mohammed, and Justin Ellis all got on the scoresheet for the Young Lions. Ellis also added two assists in this match. The win also snapped OCB’s five-match winless streak against Inter Miami II, and now the Young Lions are seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with 14 points. OCB will be on the road to take on Atlanta United 2 Friday.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City defender Alex Freeman has been in stellar form so far this season for Orlando, scoring three goals in 15 matches with one assist across all competitions.
  • The U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer have reached an agreement on a 10-day transfer window beginning June 1. This window will only be for MLS clubs participating in the FIFA Club World Cup.
  • Crystal Palace defeated Manchester City 1-0 Saturday to win the FA Cup and lift its first-ever major trophy in club history. Defender Chris Richards and goalkeeper Matt Turner became the first Americans to win the FA Cup since goalkeeper Tim Howard won it in 2004.
  • Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 to win the Women’s FA Cup. USWNT midfielder Catarina Macario scored, and Sandy Baltimore netted two goals and added an assist to seal Chelsea’s domestic treble this season.
  • Jamie Vardy scored his 200th goal for Leicester City in his final appearance for the club, helping his side beat Ipswich Town 2-0 in the final home match of the season.
  • Angel City FC shared an update on social media, announcing defender Savy King was discharged from the hospital Saturday following her collapse on the pitch over a week ago during an NWSL match against the Utah Royals.

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

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