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Orlando City

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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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.

Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw against CF Montreal?

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

A late penalty saw Orlando City drop two points against CF Montreal, drawing 1-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday. It was a disappointing result against a team sitting last in the Eastern Conference and tied for last in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Despite missing two key players in Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson to suspension, the Lions should’ve easily come away with three points. Instead, they’ll see it as a missed opportunity.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this forgettable game.

Starters

GK, Javier Otero, 6 — It’s tough to grade Otero in this game because he didn’t have much to do. Montreal’s goal was a penalty, which you can hardly blame on the young goalkeeper. However, he did well with his feet and showed poise despite seeing few minutes for the first team. Statistically, Otero touched the ball 19 times, completing 93.8% of his 16 passes, including two of his three long balls.  Since the penalty was the only shot on target, he didn’t make any saves.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Jansson’s suspension moved David Brekalo to his natural center back position, opening left back for Santos. He touched the ball 43 times in his return to the starting lineup, completing 92% of his 25 passes, including one of his two crosses. He logged one interception, three clearances, and an aerial duel won on the defensive end. He didn’t do much with the ball, not taking any shots and being dispossessed twice. He came off in the 76th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel had a team-leading 101 touches, completing 94.2% of his 86 passes, including four of his eight long balls. Defensively, he recorded five interceptions, five clearances, and two aerial balls won. He didn’t get into the attack. The Argentine would’ve had an excellent grade, hoowever, he left his leg out in the 81st minute, allowing Prince Owusu to go down, drawing a penalty and allowing Montreal to equalize. The fact that Schlegel single-handedly cost his team two points undoes much of the good he did in the game.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo returned center back, touching the ball 58 times. He completed 95.9% of his 49 passes, including one of his three long balls. The Slovenian added two tackles, an interception, three clearances, and two aerial wins. In the attack, Brekalo had one off-target shot, a header late in the first half.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman returned from the Gold Cup and had a solid performance. The young right back had 68 touches, completing 85.7% of his 49 passes, including two key passes and one of his three long balls. He had four tackles defensively, won an aerial ball, and took two off-target shots (one of them was blocked on a potential game-winner late in the match).

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 (MotM) — Ojeda had 56 touches, completing 87.5% of his 40 passes, including two key passes and one of his four crosses. He put one of his three shots on target, scoring on a free kick in the 28th minute. He contributed defensively with two tackles and an interception. He wasn’t far and away the best player, but he played well, and his goal earns him my Man of the Match.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo was active, touching the ball 77 times and completing 89.4% of his 66 passes, including two of his five long balls. He only had one tackle defensively and didn’t do much offensively except drawing a team-high five fouls. The defensive midfielder came off in the 88th minute for Nico Rodriguez with the Lions needing a goal.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 — Atuesta’s 91 touches were second on the team, and he completed 97.3% of his 75 passes, including two key passes, his lone cross, and both long balls. Defensively, he logged two tackles, two interceptions, and an aerial duel won. The defensive midfielder didn’t take any shots in one of Orlando City’s few strong performances. Without Ojeda’s goal, Atuesta could’ve very well been my Man of the Match in this game.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — Pasalic touched the ball 45 times, completing 84.9% of his 33 passes, including his lone long ball. He didn’t have any key passes or take any shots in a quiet night for the attacker. However, he did add two interceptions defensively, and he drew multiple free kicks in good spots for Orlando, including the one that led to Ojeda’s goal and a late first-half opportunity that was headed off target by Brekalo.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5 — Enrique had 21 touches, completing 66.7% of his 12 passes without any key passes, crosses, or long balls. His one shot was a late first-half header into the arms of Jonathan Sirois. The forward also didn’t do anything defensively before being replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 76th minute. In addition, he lost the ball trying to dribble through defenders on multiple occasions, which was a factor in Orlando City’s inability to develop much rhythm in possession.

F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 28 touches in this game, completing 66.7% of his 15 passes, including two key passes and his only cross, but neither of his two long balls. His only shot was a 24th-minute attempt that didn’t cause Sirois any trouble. Meanwhile, he had two unstable touches and was dispossessed twice in dangerous positions as he tried to dribble through the entire Montreal defense. While Muriel did have an assist, he doesn’t get much credit because all he had to do was stop the slow-rolling ball for Ojeda to put away. Muriel’s night ended in the 59th minute when he was replaced by Ivan Angulo.

Substitutes

MF, Ivan Angulo (59’), 5.5 — Angulo came on in the 59th minute for Muriel, touching the ball 17 times and completing all nine of his passes. However, none of them were long or crossed. He took one shot that was blocked and did little else to make his appearance noticeable.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (76’), 6 — Thorhallsson came on in the 76th minute for Enrique as the Lions looked to hang onto their 1-0 lead. He had 10 touches in his 14 minutes, completing 87.5% of his eight passes. He didn’t have any key passes or take any shots, adding a tackle defensively.

D, Kyle Smith (76’), 6 — Smith came on for Santos in the 76th minute in a defensive change. He touched the ball 15 times, completing nine of his 10 passes, including a key pass. Defensively, he added a clearance. Also, a tip of the cap to Smith who made his 200th appearance across all competitions for the club, becoming the second player to do so.

MF, Nico Rodriguez (88’), N/A — Rodriguez was a late replacement for Araujo as the Lions looked to push forward after Montreal tied the game. He completed three of his four passes and took one shot that was on target. He didn’t have any other stats in his short appearance.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw with CF Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/14/25

Lions draw against CF Montreal, Pride players in action abroad, OCB wins, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work. Our Lions and OCB were both in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Drop Points in Home Draw against CF Montreal

Orlando City picked up a 1-1 draw against CF Montreal on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a good start in the first half as Martin Ojeda scored the opening goal. In the second half, defender Kyle Smith came off the bench and became the second player in club history to make 200 appearances for the club across all competitions.

However, Orlando was unable to hold onto the lead as Rodrigo Schlegel fouled Prince Owusu, and Montreal was awarded a penalty kick late in the second half. Owusu buried his shot from the spot to tie the match as the teams split the points. Orlando is winless in its last three matches and dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 35 points. Orlando City will face New York City FC Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Players in Women’s AFCON, Euros, and Copa America

Orlando Pride forwards Barbra Banda and Prisca Chilufya were in action for Zambia in their final group stage match in the 2025 Women’s African Cup of Nations against Congo DR over the weekend. Grace Chanda did not play, but Zambia defeated Congo 1-0 with a goal from Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji to book a spot in the quarterfinals.

Zambia finished second in the group behind host Morocco on goal difference with seven points. The Copper Queens will take on Nigeria Friday in the quarterfinals at Stade Larbi Zaouli. On Sunday, England crushed Wales 6-1 in the third match of the group stage in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench. England finished second in its group and will face Sweden Thursday in the quarterfinals. Lastly, Brazil was in action Sunday in the group stage of the 2025 Copa America Feminina against Venezuela. Orlando Pride forward Marta and midfielder Angelina played as Brazil defeated Venezuela 2-0.

OCB Beats Carolina Core FC at Home

Orlando City B beat Carolina Core FC 3-1 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions struck first with a goal from Justin Ellis. OCB held onto the lead through halftime. In the second half, Orlando City B won a penalty kick, and Ellis converted to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead. Carolina Core FC scored to pull within one, but Thalles scored his first goal for OCB late in the second half to clinch the three points. OCB won its first home match since June 6 and remains unbeaten in its last three matches. The Young Lions will be on the road to face New England Revolution II Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Chelsea Wins the FIFA Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Chelsea dominated PSG in the first half, as Cole Palmer scored twice and Joao Pedro added one. Palmer also assisted on Pedro’s goal. Palmer scored three goals and recorded two assists throughout the competition and won the Best Player of the Tournament Award. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain forward Desire Doue won the Best Young Player Award, and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia won the Golden Boot, scoring four goals in the tournament.

Free Kicks


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

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Opinion

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from a 1-1 home draw against CF Montreal.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City welcomed Eastern Conference bottom dwellers CF Montreal to the City Beautiful on a night that fell significantly short of expectations, as the home side was only able to muster one point. The 1-1 draw against the Wooden Spoon candidates from the Great White North, who were also short on rest, is more than likely the lowest point of the Orlando City season to date. What follows are my takeaways from a match which needed to be a victory for OCSC (but wasn’t).

Welcome Back, Alex

Alex Freeman as the Orlando City right back just feels so correct to type, and yet the Orlando City faithful have been without their first-choice attacking defender for over a month, as he has been with the USMNT in the Gold Cup. The young Lion slotted into his usual spot and did well throughout the match to both contain the Montreal attack while trying to contribute from an offensive perspective. There have been whispers about Freeman potentially being sold, but I believe that he will be with Orlando City for the duration of the 2025 season, and fans should feel comfortable in the fact that the connection between Freeman and the other attacking pieces for Orlando will continue to gel as the season progresses.

Set Piece Success

After a largely uneventful first 25 minutes of the match, Orlando City took the lead in the first half on the heels of what appeared to be a well-rehearsed set-piece goal. After a free kick was awarded in the 27th minute, Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel, and Cesar Araujo all lined up over the ball. Ojeda elected to play the ball short and quickly to Muriel, who simply stopped the ball to tee it up for the No. 10, who fired a shot inside the near post, propelling Orlando City to a 1-0 lead. It was a cheeky and quick strike from Orlando City but exactly the type of play that someone would want to see from a team playing a vulnerable away squad. Ojeda became just the third player in club history to record double-digit goals and assists in a single season across all competitions, and the schedule is barely past the halfway point of the MLS season.

Failure to Launch

Orlando City finished the first half up by one goal and looked the part of the attacking home side. The problem was that the Lions were unable to find any additional goals to stretch the lead. Despite having a majority of the possession, the starters or substitutes were just not capable of being clinical enough to break down Montreal and find the back of the net. Without finding a second goal, Orlando allowed itself to be vulnerable to a less-than-ideal outcome as the end of the match approached.

Penalty Kick Misery

Orlando City clung to a 1-0 lead with less than 10 minutes to go in the match when Prince Owusu took the ball into the Orlando City box and dribbled past a few defenders before being met by the thigh of Rodrigo Schlegel in the 80th minute of the match. By the game’s standards to that point, it was a soft foul, and in real time it appeared Owusu had anticipated the contact and started to go to ground before any physical contact was made. There was no ruling of an obvious error, and the call on the field stood. Owusu took the ensuing penalty kick and successfully converted, tying the game at a goal apiece with little time remaining.

Unacceptable Ending

Orlando wound up with a home draw and earned only a single point. Against many other adversaries in the Eastern Conference, that result would be nothing to turn a nose up at. However, against a CF Montreal team that has struggled to find results throughout the whole season, and that Orlando City already played to a draw in Montreal (down a man for part of that match), a home draw is downright unacceptable for a team with playoff aspirations. In two weeks and two consecutive draws, Orlando City has lost ground in the playoff race and hardly appears to the eye test like a team ready to challenge the best of MLS.


Orlando City will face a quick turnaround as the Lions will face New York City FC at home on Wednesday. After Saturday’s result, the stakes are that much higher in a matchup against a strong team that sits directly below Orlando City on the table. The squad must refocus in a narrow window and move forward. Let us know your takeaways in the comments below and as always, Vamos Orlando!

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