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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United FC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions’ Win Streak is Snapped at Six

Lions fall behind again and this time the rally falls short.

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7 years ago

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Carlos Romero, The Mane Land

Orlando City fell behind again but this time the Lions couldn’t climb the mountain. A soft, first-half penalty against Cristian Higuita allowed Josef Martinez to give Atlanta United an early lead and the visitors doubled through Ezequiel Barco in the first half en route to a 2-1 win in front of 24,232 rain-soaked fans at Orlando City Stadium.

On the plus side, Orlando (6-3-1, 19 points) looked like it belonged on the pitch with Supporters’ Shield-leading Atlanta (8-2-1, 25 points) and Justin Meram opened his account with his first goal in purple.

And, sadly, the Lions lost at least 90 seconds worth of time to find an equalizer due to a shower of debris from fans frustrated by the inconsistency of referee Alan Kelly, who had a poor game but was absolutely right in not whistling a late foul when Will Johnson went down in the final third, out wide of the penalty box. Kelly allowed no extra time for the delay and didn’t even wait for the cleanup before ordering Atlanta goalkeeper Alec Kann to restart play, blowing the whistle seconds later.

The club’s six-match winning streak came to an end, as well as the team’s string of six multi-goal games — both Orlando City MLS bests.

“Obviously an emotional, emotional affair tonight — passionate affair from the crowd to the staff, to the players. I think everybody put everything they had into this game,” Head Coach Jason Kreis said after the match. “It’s unfortunate, because the way we played the second half I think on a lot of different nights we walk out of here with a draw. But some things went against us, for sure. Some decisions went against us, and some of our thoughts in the first half surely went against us.”

Kreis went with the same lineup from the win last weekend over Real Salt Lake except Chris Schuler was replaced by Amro Tarek. Schuler was in the 18 and Donny Toia was left off the team sheet.

The game was only nine minutes old when an officiating decision gave the visitors a leg up. Greg Garza went down after contact with Higuita and Kelly deemed it a foul in the penalty area. Higuita did get his hands up on Garza, who went down far too easily. Martinez stepped up and took a cheeky spot kick that put Atlanta up, 1-0.

“I saw Cristian, and he did raise his hands,” Kreis said. “And I don’t know whether there was physical contact or not — let’s hope that there was some contact — but the player went down extremely softly and for me that kind of penalty kick should never be called in a game like this.”

Orlando responded with a long-range attempt by Yoshimar Yotún that went wide, a Mohamed El-Munir effort that was deflected by the defense to Kann, and won a couple of corners. The second of those saw the Lions shouting for handball, and it did look like Atlanta’s attempted clearance came off a defender’s hand during an attempted clearance. No call was given and it was not reviewed.

Atlanta then started making Orlando pay for a few sloppy moments. Jeff Larentowicz sent a training ground set piece wide in the 23rd minute. Eight minutes later, Atlanta doubled its lead after a midfield giveaway. Miguel Almiron sent a ball through to ignite a counter that Higuita failed to deal with and Barco sent it wide to Garza. The Atlanta fullback sent it back to the top of the box, and Barco finished the play off by knocking one in off the crossbar to make it 2-0 at the 31-minute mark.

The Lions got forward a few more times in the late stages of the first half. Dom Dwyer earned a free kick just outside the penalty area, but Kljestan sent the set piece off the wall and out for a corner. The best Orlando City chance came in the 44th minute off a nice buildup that saw Chris Mueller cross for Higuita, who headed the ball right at Kann at point-blank range.

The teams each had five shots, with Orlando getting two on frame to Atlanta’s three. The Lions held 51% of the possession and both teams completed 82% of their passes in what was an evenly played first 45 minutes, but Atlanta’s lightning-fast counter made the visitors the more dangerous side.

If Atlanta was more dangerous in the first half, it was Orlando’s turn after the break. Uri Rosell replaced Higuita to start the second half and it seemed to help calm things down for the Lions.

Dwyer earned a corner in the first minute of the second half, blasting a shot that deflected out. In the 52nd minute, Meram fired toward the near post, forcing a good diving save from Kann to keep it out. But five minutes later, Meram got his goal.

A long shot by Johnson knuckled in on frame and Kann could only fight it off with his fists. Meram beat Miles Robinson to the rebound, stepped around the Atlanta defender, and slotted it past Kann to pull the Lions back into the game in the 57th minute.

“It felt good to silence the haters,” Meram said of the goal. “Obviously I want to score and help the team but I want to win and that’s the main focus on this group. Maybe I should have scored two tonight and helped out. I think I had another chance as well.”

After Orlando’s goal, Atlanta had a brief spell where it tried to put the game away. Martinez nearly did so with a header that he sent wide in the 60th minute.

The Lions regrouped, with Josué Colmán coming on for Mueller in the 66th minute. Two minutes later, Orlando nearly found an equalizer. Dwyer fizzed a cross in for Meram but the defense did just enough to keep Orlando’s goal scorer from making good contact.

Colmán brought something extra to Orlando’s attack, getting down the right wing to send crosses into the box, playing quick passes with Rosell and Kljestan in the middle of the pitch, and earning a few corner kicks.

Meram was feeling his oats with a sneaky half-cross/half-shot that fooled Kann but missed the target in the 72nd minute. But the left wing was getting tired, and his turnover two minutes later allowed Almiron a good scoring chance. Atlanta’s No. 10 shot wide, however. Noted Lion killer Hector Villalba — a second-half sub for Barco — forced a good save from Bendik moments later.

Lamine Sané nearly got onto a corner kick cross in the 81st minute, arriving at the ball at the same time Kann did. Seconds later, Dom scorched a cross through the area that was just a smidge behind substitute Stefano Pinho, who had come on for Meram.

The emotions of the match began to boil over while Darlington Nagbe was down on the pitch and both Villalba and Yotún were booked. Yoshi will miss the Lions’ next match for yellow card accumulation. The emotions weren’t restricted to team vs. team, either. Kljestan and El-Munir barked at each other shortly thereafter and came together momentarily.

Perhaps the most egregious missed call of the evening took place in the 90th minute when Pinho was completely wrapped up and pulled down at the edge of the penalty area. It would have only been a free kick, but it was a definite foul and Kelly opted not to call anything.

Dwyer got his head on a corner in stoppage time but couldn’t get any power behind it and Kann collected it easily. That turned out to be the last opportunity for the Lions, who continued to throw bodies forward, but when Johnson went down to the right of the box and no call was made, the bottles and cups rained down onto the pitch and Kelly opted to call the match complete.

“We can’t be that. We can’t do that,” Kreis said. “We certainly want to be a very, very difficult place to play but we need to show the right amount of restraint at that moment to not be throwing things on the field. We just can’t do that.”

The Lions ended up with 55% of the possession and an 11-8 shots advantage (6-4 on target). Both teams passed well, with Orlando City completing 83% and Atlanta 80%. The fouls were pretty even, with Orlando called for 12 and Atlanta 10, but the disparity in what was called was evident, as Higuita’s obstruction of Garza affected the game just 10 minutes in and several such instances on the other end — not even in the area — went uncalled.

The club released a statement after the match regarding the fan behavior in stoppage time, stating: “Orlando City SC does not support or condone the actions taken by fans at Orlando City Stadium during Sunday’s match against Atlanta United. Fans are strictly prohibited from throwing debris or objects onto the field. The club is using available resources to identify offenders, who will be penalized for their behavior in accordance with Major League Soccer and Orlando City Stadium regulations.

Orlando City SC takes great pride in the passion of its supporters and how they make Orlando City Stadium the most difficult venue to play at in MLS, but the safety of fans, players, officials and staff members is our top priority.”

The Lions will try to bounce back Friday when they visit BMO Field to take on Toronto FC at 8 p.m.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Releases Full 2025 Preseason Schedule

The Lions will face three MLS sides, a Brazilian Serie A club, a USL Championship team, and a Canadian Premier League side this preseason.

Published

10 hours ago

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January 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On the eve of Orlando City’s first preseason friendly of the team’s 2025 camp — and 11 days into training — the club has released its full schedule for the remainder of the preseason. The Lions will play six matches, calling two of them “friendlies” and the other four “scrimmages,” but they all amount to competitive minutes for the squad ahead of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Two of the games are open to the general public, including Saturday’s FC Series friendly against Atletico Mineiro and the Feb. 14 preseason finale against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In addition, season ticket members can access a preseason scrimmage against CF Montreal on Feb. 8. Club staff will reach out to season ticket members with the details for that game. The other three scrimmages will be closed door.

The preseason schedule is similar this year to what the club has had for the last several years under Oscar Pareja, with mostly closed scrimmages and a mixture of MLS and other assorted competition.

After facing the Brazil Serie A side on Saturday, the Lions will head to Mexico for a week of training and team bonding, with one scrimmage against Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League. Orlando City will play three MLS clubs in the preseason, along with one team each from the Canadian Premier League and the USL Championship.

Orlando City will kick off its 2025 regular season at home against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

2025 Orlando City Preseason Schedule

  • Saturday, Jan. 25 — Preseason friendly vs. Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium
  • Sunday, Jan. 26 — Preseason camp opens in Mexico
  • Tuesday, Jan. 28 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Forge FC (Closed Door)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Atlanta United (Closed Door)
  • Saturday, Feb. 8 — Preseason scrimmage vs. CF Montreal (Season Ticket Members Exclusive Match)
  • Tuesday, Feb. 11 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Rhode Island FC (Closed Door)
  • Friday, Feb. 14 — Preseason friendly vs. Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/24/25

Cesar Araujo will reportedly stay in Orlando, USMNT takeaways, MLS transfer news, and much more.

Published

13 hours ago

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January 24, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It should be a pretty decent weekend with plenty of soccer to enjoy both in Orlando and abroad. Orlando City’s first preseason game is Saturday against Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium. While I won’t be in attendance, I’m looking forward to learning how they do. But for now, let’s jump into today’s links!

Cesar Araujo Will Reportedly Stay in Orlando

There have been rumors and reports swirling around regarding midfielder Cesar Araujo leaving Orlando City this off-season. However, the 23-year-old will reportedly stay in Orlando for the 2025 season according to Tom Bogert. Uruguayan club Nacional has reportedly been trying to sign Araujo while he has a year left on his contract.

Sources: Cesar Araujo to stay at Orlando City.Nacional tried to sign him this winter but plan is for Araujo to stay. One year left on his contract and Orlando will still work on a new contract but know the team is better if he stays. Prioritizing 2025 over small transfer fee.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-01-24T01:07:39.303Z

It makes all the sense in the world for Orlando to want to keep Araujo in the center of its midfield for 2025. He’s been incredible since joining Orlando back in 2022 and has been integral to the club’s success in recent years. Clubs were always going to come knocking for Araujo’s talents, but I expect it would take a hefty offer for the Lions to let him go before his contract is up.

Takeaways From USMNT January Camp

While the United States Men’s National Team’s January camp usually isn’t too impactful, this year’s edition had some extra intrigue due to some standout performances across the two friendly wins. Zack Steffen had a statement game against Costa Rica, making a few sensational saves to secure a clean sheet. He needed a game like that to stay in the mix for the starting job after a rough season with the Colorado Rapids. Striker Patrick Agyemang played his first two USMNT games this month and scored in both, making the most of his opportunity. Diego Luna taking an elbow to the face and coming back out to assist on the team’s first goal against Costa Rica is also the kind of moment that could earn him more looks in the future.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS teams other than Orlando City continue to make moves ahead of the 2025 season. The exodus from FC Dallas rolls on, as Alan Velasco was officially transferred to Boca Juniors in Argentina for a reported $12 million transfer fee. Dallas also traded center back Nkosi Tafari to LAFC in exchange for $300,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money and an international roster slot.

The Karol Swiderski era in Charlotte is over, as the club transferred him to Panathinaikos for a reported transfer fee of $2 million. Real Salt Lake added a young striker, signing 20-year-old Ariath Piol from MacArthur FC in Australia. Nashville SC signed American goalkeeper Brian Schwake from CD Castellon in Spain’s second division to provide more depth behind Joe Willis. Austin FC’s busy off-season continued by signing Zan Kolmanic to a new contract through 2026. The club is also reportedly closer to signing forward Myrto Uzuni for a club-record fee.

Europa League First Phase Nears Conclusion

Lazio is the only team to guarantee a spot in the Europa League’s round of 16 so far, doing so after a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad. English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur edged closer to securing a spot. A late winner from Bruno Fernandes gave United a 2-1 victory against Rangers, while Tottenham beat Hoffenheim 3-2 thanks to a brace from Heung-Min Son. The upset of the round belonged to Latvian club FK RFS, which took down Ajax in a 1-0 win at home. Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Midtjylland also picked up wins this week. This phase of the tournament will wrap up with 18 games on Thursday.

Free Kicks

  • Bay FC bought out Deyna Castellanos’ contract, with the midfielder joining the Portland Thorns as a free agent soon after.
  • After a vote approving funds to repair Al Lang Stadium, the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced that they will play there for their upcoming USL Championship season.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/23/25

Orlando City signs Thomas Williams to new contract, Orlando Pride schedule revealed, USMNT wins against Costa Rica, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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January 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

I hope you all are staying warm as we deal with cold weather across Florida. It’s at least been nice to break out some of my heavier blankets and forgotten hot cocoa packets I’ve had stored away. My cat has also been curling up next to me more, which is always a plus. Still, not shivering while waiting for my car to warm up would be great. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Thomas Williams Signs New Orlando City Contract

Orlando City center back Thomas Williams signed a new contract with the club that lasts through 2026, with an option for 2027 as well. Williams joined the club’s academy back in 2015 and became the youngest Homegrown Player in club history when he signed a first-team contract at 16 years old in 2021. The 20-year-old hasn’t featured much for the first team, and he’ll likely spend most of this year with Orlando City B for consistent playing time. Hopefully Williams can take a step forward in his development and provide the Lions some helpful depth at center back in the event of injuries.

Orlando Pride 2025 Season Schedule Unveiled

The NWSL announced its 2025 season schedule Wednesday, and the Orlando Pride will start their title defense season at home against the Chicago Red Stars on March 14. Their first road game will be the following weekend on March 23 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Decision Day returns to the schedule this year, with all 14 clubs in action on Nov. 2. The Pride will close out their regular season at home that day against the Seattle Reign, with the postseason set to begin on Nov. 7. There’s also a break in the schedule in July, with no regular-season games scheduled due to international tournaments like the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Copa America Femenina.

USMNT Shuts Out Costa Rica in Orlando

The United States Men’s National Team beat Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Wednesday night to stay perfect at the home of the Lions and Pride at 7-0-0. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen truly earned his clean sheet, coming up with some great saves to deny Costa Rica. It was also a solid attacking performance from the Yanks, and Patrick Agyemang put a bow on what’s been a great month for him with his second goal in as many games. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has some time to assess things before the USMNT plays Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 20

Keeping Up With MLS Transfer News

San Diego FC added another Designated Player ahead of its inaugural season, signing Danish winger Anders Dreyer from Anderlecht for a transfer fee reportedly near $5 million. He recorded 31 goals and 23 assists in 87 appearances across all competitions for Anderlecht and joins San Diego on a three-year deal. Charlotte FC officially added Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray. He’ll occupy a DP spot and the loan lasts through Jan. 16, 2026, with an option to extend it through June of that year as well.

LAFC made a trade with its rival to strengthen its midfield, acquiring Mark Delgado from the LA Galaxy in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money. The Portland Timbers signed Venezuelan forward Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk as an MLS U22 Initiative player, with FC Cincinnati receiving GAM for his discovery rights. Real Salt Lake, which signed Mason Stajduhar from Orlando City earlier this month, continued to make changes to its goalkeeping group. The club signed veteran goalkeeper Rafael Cabral as a free agent and transferred 19-year-old American Gavin Beavers to Brondby IF in Denmark.

UEFA Champions League Roundup

The penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League’s league phase wrapped up this week. Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City 4-2 in the heavyweight matchup of the round, with all six goals coming in the second half. Joao Neves gave PSG the lead in the 78th minute before Goncalo Ramos put the game on ice in stoppage time. City now needs to win its final game against Club Brugge on Wednesday in order to advance.

Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 win against RB Salzburg to advance, with both Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. scoring braces. Celtic also booked its spot in the next round after a 1-0 win against Young Boys. Feyenoord pulled off an upset by winning 3-0 against Bayern Munich as well. Elsewhere in the tournament, AC Milan won 1-0 at home against Girona, Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0, and RB Leipzig did well in a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP.

Free Kicks

  • American goalkeeper Michelle Betos announced her retirement from professional soccer after a career that included winning the 2016 NWSL Shield with the Portland Thorns and the 2023 NWSL Championship with Gotham. Betos was also named NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year with the Thorns in 2015.
  • Arsenal and Chelsea are among the multiple clubs reportedly keeping an eye on American forward Trinity Rodman, whose contract with the Washington Spirit ends after this year.
https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1882171400481542482

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a great Thursday and rest of your week!

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