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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Allow Late Winner

The Lions fell yet again at BMO Field.

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7 years ago

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Deon Cooper, The Mane Land

Orlando City’s biggest headache team didn’t even need Jozy Altidore or Sebastian Giovinco. Two defensive lapses is all it took for Toronto FC to snap a two-game slide and hand the Lions one of their own, beating Orlando 2-1 at BMO Field.

Jay Chapman and Ryan Telfer sandwiched a Cristian Higuita goal, with Telfer’s coming just moments from what would have been a hard-fought draw on the road for the not-quite-Cardiac-Cats. Orlando City (6-4-1, 19 points) did fall behind and then equalize, according to the familiar script, but Jason Kreis will grind his teeth to dust at conceding with just three minutes left in normal time against Toronto (3-6-1, 10 points).

Orlando City is now just 1-7-1 in nine all-time meetings against Toronto FC.

Kreis didn’t have Dom Dwyer (lower body injury) in Canada with him, so he made the simplest switch by plugging Stefano Pinho into the top of the 4-2-3-1 formation. With Pinho moving into the starting lineup, his spot on the bench was taken by Tony Rocha, while Dillon Powers stepped into the 18 for the suspended Yoshimar Yotún.

Toronto came out on the front foot, controlling the first five minutes, while allowing Orlando very little possession. The Lions looked a little nervy early, with Higuita getting cute with the ball in his own penalty area and Joe Bendik eventually taking charge, clearing the danger in the second minute. A minute later, Telfer beat Chris Mueller and Will Johnson down the left side and sent in a cross that Jordan Hamilton should have scored on but he missed the ball and Lamine Sané deflected it out for a corner.

The Lions started to settle into the match about 10 minutes in with their first foray up the field. Justin Meram made a great individual move to get past Michael Bradley and crossed into the box, but the pass was a bit too tall for Pinho and just shy of Mueller, and Gregory Van der Wiel was able to thwart the attack. Sacha Kljestan nearly found Sané with a 15th-minute free kick, but the defense did just enough to keep the French-Senagalese center back from elevating to get a shot on target. Four minutes later, Meram got to the end line and crossed toward the top of the box, but no one for Orlando filled the space. Mohamed El-Munir’s cross was behind everyone a moment after that.

Toronto started getting back on the front foot around the 25-minute mark. Victor Vazquez sent a long ball forward that found Telfer but he didn’t get much on his shot and Bendik made the save on the only shot of the first half to hit the target.

After a Meram drive from distance missed badly in the 28th, the Reds got forward again. A scramble in the box was nearly cleared but lost again, and the ball back in found Telfer offside. Higuita fouled Telfer just outside the box in the 35th but Vazquez sent the free kick into the wall.

The Lions had an outstanding opportunity a minute later. Higuita stepped into a passing lane, took the ball from Bradley, and pushed forward with help in front of him and out on the wings in the forms of Pinho, Meram, and Mueller. But the Colombian grew impatient and opted not to try to find a teammate, instead squibbing a weak shot well wide to the left.

Telfer drew another free kick in the 38th. This time Vazquez tried to connect with a teammate, but the Lions were wise to the play.

The final minutes of the half saw the Lions calm things down a bit more and Mueller found Pinho as the two worked up the right side. Pinho sent it back to Mueller, who played the ball back in, but unfortunately the Brazilian was easily muscled off the ball. That was a factor throughout the opening half, as Pinho could not handle the physicality of Toronto’s defenders, failing to hold up play time and again for his teammates, and losing the ball too easily.

The whistle finally blew on a scoreless and somewhat uneventful first half. Toronto led in shots, 6-3 (1-0 on target), possession (52%), and passing accuracy (88%-87%) in a back-and-forth opening 45 minutes without much danger by either team.

Each team looked for the breakthrough early after the restart. Meram lost the ball when he got up the left and showed too much of it to Auro at the top of the penalty area in the 49th minute. Seconds later, Amro Tarek gambled and lost going after a ball and Hamilton got in behind, but the play was broken up by a back-tracking Higuita.

Good buildup from Higuita and Kljestan led to a chance for Mueller, whose shot skipped just wide. The rookie thought the ball was deflected for a corner but a goal kick was given. Three minutes later, a good pass sent Meram down the left again but he had no help in the attack, was eventually double-teamed, and lost the ball again.

After a couple near chances each way, Toronto broke through in the 63rd minute through Chapman. An unfortunate deflection from Uri Rosell bounced straight to Vazquez, who quickly slotted Tosaint Ricketts in behind Sané. Ricketts’ shot hit the far post but Orlando couldn’t track down the rebound, which found the foot of Chapman, who passed it into the empty net to make it 1-0.

Josué Colmán came on for Pinho just after the goal and immediately impacted the game, crossing to Kljestan, who headed right at Alex Bono in the 65th minute. Three minutes later it was Meram heading one on frame off a Mueller pass, forcing a good save by Bono.

Toronto appeared to double the lead off a corner in the 72nd minute. A second ball in found Ricketts behind the defense but the play was offside and the goal disallowed. There was no video review on the play. The ball came off Sané, but it was played off of him by a Toronto player, so the call looked correct. A minute later, Orlando City equalized.

El-Munir got deep into the penalty area after an outstanding individual effort. Mo was able to send the ball across the box, where it bounced off Mueller, who went down under heavy contact. Colmán picked up the loose ball and found Higuita, who smashed it into the net to make it 1-1 in the 73rd minute. It was Higuita’s second goal of the season, which is his career high in MLS.

Orlando failed to take advantage of two more decent chances as time wound down. In the 78th minute, Mueller worked himself free for a shot but it was deflected and bounced straight to Bono. In the 85th, an outlet pass found Meram, who tried to take the shot with his weaker left foot, but he slipped and the ball ended up going out for a corner off a defender.

Two minutes later, Toronto found the winner out of nowhere. El-Munir had Auro pinned down near the touch line but instead of using the two boundaries as help, he lunged in and Auro made a quick move to get to the end line and beat the Orlando left back. Auro’s cross to the other side found Telfer, with Johnson having drifted too far toward the middle. Telfer hit the cross in the air and it went through Bendik for his first Toronto goal and the ultimate game winner at the 87-minute mark.

The Lions got two half chances in stoppage time. Colmán’s cross for substitute Richie Laryea was just out of reach in the 91st minute and the Paraguayan’s look at goal in the 93rd minute wasn’t well struck and was an easy save for Bono.

Ultimately, Orlando City played well in spurts and mostly defended well but an unlucky deflection off Rosell’s toe and a poor decision by El-Munir late in a tie game cost Orlando what would have been a helpful road point.

Toronto finished with a 14-10 advantage in shots (5-5 on target), with Orlando grabbing 51% of the possession and out-passing the Reds, 85%-84% on 46 more attempts. There were some positives to take from the match, but it was clear that Dwyer’s absence completely changed the attack.

The Lions will try to stop the bleeding next Saturday night at home in the purple palace, hosting the Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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16 hours ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Striker Suddenly a Position of Need for Orlando City

Departures and a key injury mean Orlando City needs a striker heading into the 2025 MLS season.

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2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image Courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 2024, a milestone for the club. The core of the team was locked up through the 2025 season, so there was no reason to believe it needed to add much this off-season. Unfortunately, injuries and departures have created a serious problem for the team.

The group of forwards last year consisted of Duncan McGuire, Ramiro Enrique, and Jack Lynn. McGuire scored 15 goals in 2023 and was expected to depart for Blackburn Rovers before a clerical error allowed the Lions to keep their target man. The team’s primary striker scored 11 goals in 37 games — the same number as the previous season — but split time starting with Enrique. The Argentinian improved greatly in 2024, increasing his total goal tally from four to 12. Even Lynn showed tremendous improvement last year, playing a greater role in the team and scoring his first two MLS goals.

The future also seemed bright for the Orlando City forwards because of their ages. Lynn is the oldest of the trio at just 25 years old. Meanwhile, McGuire and Enrique are only 23, so there was no reason to believe this group couldn’t produce this coming season.

The problem at striker began in the postseason when McGuire was pulled down by Charlotte FC midfielder Djibril Diani in the final first round game of the playoffs. McGuire suffered a shoulder injury during the challenge that required surgery on Dec. 13. It’s expected that the striker could take four to five months to return to action, possibly leaving him out until May or June.

Another blow to Orlando’s attack occurred Saturday when Lynn surprisingly announced his retirement from professional soccer. In just over a month, Orlando City went from having three strikers to having just one as preseason training starts.

With McGuire injured and Lynn gone, one option would be to have Designated Player Luis Muriel play up top. However, the Colombian prefers to play a more withdrawn position and proved to be effective in that role last year. Since Head Coach Oscar Pareja prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Lions need someone up top to control the ball and involve the midfielders in the attack. That’s not Muriel’s game.

The result of these issues is that nobody is currently behind Enrique when the season begins. If the Argentinian gets tired, hurt, or simply needs rest, Pareja is limited in his options. 

Whether there was a lack of strikers or a lack of goals from the position previously, that problem was resolved by the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. Facundo Torres scored 20 goals in 2024, becoming the first player in Orlando City’s MLS history and the second player in club history to do so. He went on to set a new club record for total goals of 47.

However, Orlando City sold its best player to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. It was a gut punch to fans as Torres had signed a new contract on Jan. 10, 2024 that ran through the 2026 season. There had been talk for the last couple of years that the attacker would look for a move to Europe and rumors of a move to South America arose this off-season. Still, it created a huge gap the club has to fill.

There are players on the roster that can make up for the injury and departures. Martin Ojeda had a strong season in 2024, finishing with seven goals and 13 assists. His seven goals ranked fourth on the team and his 13 assists topped the squad alongside Nico Lodeiro. Muriel came on strong later in the season, finishing with five goals and eight assists. But those numbers are a long way from the 20 goals that Torres tallied last year.

Even if you consider all goal contributions, Ojeda and Muriel fall well short of Torres. Ojeda had a total of 20 goal contributions in 2024 while Muriel had 13. In addition to Torres’s 20 goals, he added nine assists for a team-leading 29 goal contributions.

All of this information leads to one undeniable fact — Orlando City needs to sign a striker prior to the season. And there’s not much time for Luiz Muzzi to act. The European transfer window closes on Feb. 3 and many MLS teams have already been filling similar needs. With the season starting in just over a month, the options will be limited if the Lions don’t do something soon.

After the best postseason finish in Orlando City’s MLS history, things were looking good heading into 2025. While the back line and most of the midfield is returning, McGuire’s injury and the departure of Torres and Lynn have left the Lions in a tough spot offensively. If they don’t do something in the next couple of weeks, it could be a long 2025.

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Lion Links: 1/20/25

Orlando City signs Nicolas Rodriguez, Jack Lynn announces retirement, USMNT defeats Venezuela in friendly, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 20, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Over the past week, I’ve been working and covering high school ice hockey. It will be a busy week in Orlando, with the United States Men’s National Team’s match against Costa Rica on Wednesday and Orlando City’s first preseason match against Atletico Mineiro on Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Signs Nicolas Rodriguez

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has signed forward Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza CEIF in Colombia’s top flight. The deal is through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, and Rodriguez will occupy a MLS U22 Initiative slot. Rodriguez made 19 appearances for Fortaleza, recording 1,607 minutes, five goals, and three assists during the 2024 Primera A Clausura season. The Lions add a young attacking player the club can develop and Rodriguez can play on the right wing, the right side of a three-man midfield, or in the No. 10 spot.

Jack Lynn Announces Retirement

Orlando City forward Jack Lynn announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday. Lynn was drafted by Orlando in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He became a regular starter for Orlando City B, scoring a team-record 38 goals in over three seasons with the MLS NEXT Pro side. Lynn also won the Golden Boot with 19 goals during the 2023 season and became the first OCB player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP. He played sparingly with the first team, but he scored twice last season as his role increased. The Lions will likely look to add another striker for more depth up top.

Orlando Pride Acquire Allocation Money in Trade

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced that the club has acquired $50,000 in Allocation Money from the Washington Spirit. In exchange, the Pride sent the Spirit a 2025 international roster spot. The Pride will face the Spirit in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on March 7 at Inter&Co Stadium.

USMNT Defeats Venezuela in Friendly

The USMNT defeated Venezuela 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in a friendly. Jack McGlynn and Patrick Agyemang scored in the first half to give the USMNT a 2-0 lead just before halftime. Matko Milijevic scored the third goal for the Americans in the second half, with Venezuela pulling one back thanks to a goal from Jorge Yriarte. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has led the USMNT to winning four out of its first five matches since he took charge last September. The USMNT’s next match will be against Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Alyssa Naeher Named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

On Saturday, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Naeher won 40% of the vote, while defender Naomi Girma finished in second with 32%. In her final year with the USWNT, Naeher ended 2024 with 18 starts, playing 1,170 minutes and only conceding 11 goals. She played a crucial role with clutch saves to help the USWNT win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, and gold at the Olympics in Paris. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win the award since Hope Solo won it in 2009.

Free Kicks

  • Manchester City forward Erling Haaland has reached an agreement with the club on a record-breaking contract that extends his deal through 2034.

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

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