Orlando City
Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Remain Winless at Home
Set piece defending did the Lions in against the league leaders.
Orlando City couldn’t rally from a 2-0 hole and eventually saw its comeback attempt fall short in a 2-1 home loss to league-leading D.C. United. The Lions conceded twice on set pieces in the first half and simply couldn’t convert enough chances to come from behind in front of 22,481 fans at Orlando City Stadium.
D.C. United (3-0-1, 10 points) won on the road at Orlando (1-2-2, 5 points) for the first time since 2015, snapping the Lions’ 3-0-1 home streak against the Black and Red. Dom Dwyer pulled a goal back in the second half and City had plenty of good scoring chances to equalize but just couldn’t put a second past Bill Hamid.
The game hinged on two set pieces and each had its share of controversy, although the second was by far the more questionable and it left Head Coach James O’Connor livid in his post-game press conference. Normally someone who downplays questions about officiating, O’Connor was visibly upset about the second goal in particular and it was clear that several of the controversial calls from last year are still on the coach’s mind.
“Since I’ve been here we’ve had it in game after game — Columbus away last year, D.C. had an incident, New York at the start of this year,” he said pounding the table in his postgame press conference. “How many more times? The players go out and give an incredible second-half performance — absolutely incredible — and yet we come off and we lose the game again through no fault of our own. How many more times?
“So for me, when I look at it, it’s like yeah we’ve got VAR, but why bother? They don’t even look. And you look at it and the whole stadium can see. It’s mind boggling stuff.”
O’Connor made only two changes from the starting lineup that won at New York last Saturday, inserting Lamine Sané in for the injured Alex De John and Dwyer for rookie Santiago Patino.
Before some fans had found their seats, the visitors were up 1-0. Robin Jansson was called for a handball out near the sideline on a wicked hard cross attempt that caught his arm on the way in. You know Orlando’s history with handball calls, so you can guess what happened next. D.C. scored on the ensuing free kick as Ruan was overmatched trying to defend Steve Birnbaum, who headed in the Wayne Rooney cross from point-blank range in the sixth minute.
“When you look at the first set piece, we’ve fallen asleep on the set piece,” O’Connor said.
Orlando City should have equalized almost immediately. Dwyer’s cross found a wide-open Nani in the eighth minute but the Portuguese star sent his thunderous header over the bar from less than 10 yards out, squandering an excellent scoring opportunity.
Nani got another header chance in the 17th minute off a corner kick but he sent the attempt straight at goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
D.C. doubled the lead in the 30th minute after a challenge in the corner gave United a free kick. Dwyer had gone out to hound Rooney and swiped at the ball with his right foot. Despite not making contact, Rooney immediately appealed to referee Armando Villarreal and was awarded a free kick.
After the match, Villarreal answered the pool reporter’s written questions about the foul and stated that he viewed Dwyer’s action as an attempt to kick Rooney — not the ball — and awarded the free kick. Although contact isn’t strictly required for a foul to be given, Villarreal avoided the question of whether he saw any contact by petulantly replying “see above answer.”
Rooney himself said Dwyer didn’t make contact with him on the play that led to the goal but he agreed with the referee’s decision of intent.
“I seen him coming and I got out the way because if I didn’t it could’ve been a serious injury and again, as the referee said, it’s intent,” Rooney said. “I’m not stupid enough to stand in there and let him take my knee off. I got out the way. By the way he come into the tackle he’s forced me to lose control of the ball, which is a free kick.”
Rooney set the ball several yards from where the foul was committed — near the corner at the sideline — and actually started his run-up from where the foul occurred, giving himself a little more leverage and a better angle on his delivery, then sent his free kick sailing directly into the net at the back post while Frederic Brillant bowled over Brian Rowe. Rowe would likely not have reached that ball regardless, but you still aren’t allowed to smash into the goalkeeper. Villarreal appeared to discuss the play with the VAR, but the play did not get reviewed.
“I think when you look at the second set piece, it’s embarrassing, really at this stage. I’m at a stage now when players need to be protected because when you look at the foul on Brian Rowe is so obvious. It goes to VAR. Everybody can see it. And for some reason we don’t…what’s the point of having VAR? He didn’t even go and look at it. Yet everyone can see that it’s a foul.”
“It’s unbelievable to be honest,” Dwyer said about the foul call that led to the goal. “After all the hard work we put in tonight, it’s sad we have to look back and that’s one of the turning points. I thought maybe having VAR would help the referees but it seems to be doing the opposite.”
The Lions had the last decent scoring chance of the half when Nani stepped into a shot in first-half stoppage time, but he sent his bullet right at Hamid, and the teams went to the break with the visitors holding a 2-0 lead.
Orlando out-shot D.C. 7-2 in the first half (3-2 on target) and held more of the possession (55%-45%). The visitors were slightly more accurate passers (82%-81%) in the opening half.
The Lions came out more aggressive in the second half, pushing more numbers up the field and just accepting that the occasional counter was the price to pay for trying to claw back into the game. D.C. got the first good opportunity of the second half. Luciano Acosta blasted a shot from above the box that Rowe tipped over the bar in the 49th minute.
From that point on, the game was almost all one-way traffic the other direction. Two minutes after Acosta’s chance, Dwyer sent a ball past Hamid that rolled agonizingly close to the back post but missed just wide. Joao Moutinho — who had a fantastic game at left wingback for City — was too far away to get there before it bounced out for a goal kick. A minute later, Moutinho fizzed a wicked cross through the area that was only an inch or two out of Dwyer’s reach. Moutinho’s attacks continued in the 54th minute with a cross/shot that floated over Hamid and just missed the upper 90 on the right side of goal.
D.C. should have put the game away in the 57th minute off a turnover but Junior Moreno hit the right post on a shot from just inside the top of the box. The ball deflected harmlessly out for a goal kick.
Two minutes later, O’Connor sent Chris Mueller and Sebas Mendez into the game and withdrew Sacha Kljestan and Uri Rosell, and it gave the Lions a big lift. Four minutes after the switch, Mueller took a pass from Nani and drove to the end line to the right of goal, then sent an inch-perfect pass across the six-yard box for Dwyer to head past Hamid, making it 2-1 in the 63rd minute. It was the first goal conceded by D.C. United this season.
“It was fantastic,” Dwyer said of the buildup to the goal. “I think Nani was great all game. Chris brought a tremendous amount of energy when he came on the field. He’s grown every single game. It was a fantastic ball in from him and I’ve just got to put it away and it was pretty simple.”
Orlando pushed hard for the equalizer, with Ruan getting his cross knocked out for a corner just a minute after Dwyer’s goal. The cloud of purple smoke had not yet cleared when Dwyer got a chance in the 65th minute, but he missed the net and all he could do was grab his head in dismay.
From there it was just more near misses the rest of the way. Mueller sent a shot wide in the 75th minute, cutting in from the right. Hamid fought off a Dwyer long-range shot in the 83rd. Jansson shot just wide off a corner kick that somehow landed in the box at his feet. Mueller capped it off with a stoppage-time shot off the left post and a shot just wide in the 93rd minute.
Orlando players collapsed after the final whistle, having done all they could to fight back and take something from the game, but in the end they just weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and they didn’t defend those first-half set pieces well enough.
The Lions out-shot D.C. 16-4 (5-3 on target) and out-possessed the visitors (54%-46%), also holding the edge in passing accuracy (78%-77%). But United leave with three huge points and Orlando is still looking for a home win in 2019 (0-1-2).
“I thought we had a fantastic performance. It’s a shame that the referees keep making a difference,” Dwyer said. “We’re upbeat. The group sees a lot of positives from tonight. We played very well. I think we had a lot of chances and we concede off two set pieces. That’s just how it goes. We’ve got to defend them a little bit better but there’s a lot of positives to take tonight.”
Lost in the shuffle was rookie Benji Michel making his debut, coming on for Nani, who appeared to come off complaining about his leg. He didn’t make much impact though, managing only six touches in his 12+ minutes.
Orlando City will again go for its first home win of 2019 on Saturday night when the Colorado Rapids come to town.
Opinion
Likes and Dislikes from the Second Week of Orlando City Preseason
Lets go through some positives and negatives from Orlando’s second week of preparations.
Another week of preseason preparations for Orlando City are in the books, so I’m back once again to bring you things what I liked, and what I didn’t from the week that was.
Likes
The Rumored Pursuit of Iago
Tom Bogert started the week off on a good note for OCSC fans with the news that Orlando City is reportedly well along in talks to sign a center back.
On the face of it, there’s plenty to like about this rumored signing. Iago is a young player with lots of upside, but who’s already captained a Brazilian youth side at an international tournament. He would also fill a position of need for the Lions, as center back depth is practically non-existent at the moment following Orlando’s off-season moves. If he does get signed, then more work would still need to be done to address the position, perhaps by signing a proven MLS-level player, but it’s a good rumor to hear right now.
Sarajian Signs
Technically, this happened last Friday, but it was after my column published. It’s still good to see Orlando sign Harvey Sarajian, its first selection in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The young midfielder was the first of four first-round selections for OCSC this year and the first of the picks to be signed. While he likely represents a more longterm project rather than an immediate contributor, he’s still pretty young and should get plenty of time with Orlando City B and potentially some reserve minutes with the first team as well. The Lions have a solid history with draft picks under Oscar Pareja, and whether Sarajian follows in that mold or not, it’s still nice to see that he showed enough to land himself a place in the Orlando City setup for the foreseeable future.
Dislikes
No U22 for Alex
The downside of the rumored Iago signing is that if he does join the team as an MLS U22 Initiative player, then it almost certainly scuppers the possibility of putting Alex Freeman on a U-22 deal. In turn, that makes the young USMNT fullback signing a new contract with the team unlikely. Make no mistake, if Freeman continues his level of play from 2025 or improves on it, then he won’t be in Orlando much longer — and rightfully so. That being said, if he’s on a longer-term deal, then it increases the amount of money that the Lions would get in a potential sale. The nightmare scenario would be losing such a talented player for free, although I think the most likely case is that he gets a move in the summer, especially if he makes the World Cup roster and shows well on a global stage. Either way, his contract status and how it affects an eventual sale is something to watch, and not having him on a new or extended deal is a blow.
Torres Goes to Texas
While nothing is official yet, it looks like Facundo Torres will be coming back to Major League Soccer…to join Austin FC.
Now, it’s not that I necessarily wanted Torres to return to Orlando City. Marco Pasalic had a solid first year as his replacement, and given how one-footed they both are, there isn’t much chance of one of them moving to the left wing. It’s still going to be odd seeing him playing for Austin though —sort of like seeing your ex with a new significant other for the first time. Just because you don’t want them back doesn’t mean you don’t get a weird feeling about it. Plus, the $9.5 million fee is significantly less than the $25-30 million that was getting tossed around last week when he was linked with a move to Benfica. The Lions still stand to net around $1.4 million due to the sell-on fee that was negotiated when he was sold to Palmeiras, but if 15% of 30 million was on the table…well, you do the math. This is just a strange one all around, and I’m glad Orlando and Austin aren’t set to play each other this year.
There you have it, folks. I’ll see you back here next week, and hopefully we’ll have a lot of good things to talk over. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/23/26
Inter&Co Stadium announces premium seating improvements, MLS transfer window changes, USWNT prepares for Paraguay, and more.
Happy Friday! This Florida winter has some whiplash in store for us, as temperatures are expected to rise this weekend before plunging again next week. I’ll be spending the weekend baking in preparation for a competition in a couple of weeks, but am hoping to enjoy the warm weather outdoors here and there as well. Let’s get to the links!
Inter&Co Stadium Upgrading Premium Seating
Changes are coming to Inter&Co Stadium’s premium seating options ahead of Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s seasons. The West Club will have renovations, including an increase in its seating capacity and upgrades to its interior. The dining will also be revamped to focus on live cooking stations and all-inclusive selections. There will also be two open-air seating areas called Concourse Boxes added to the east side of the stadium. Sideline Social, a 245‑seat area with swivel seats and armrests, is also a new addition for 2026. While I don’t think I’ll be enjoying a game in this kind of comfort anytime soon, it’s nice to know what my options would be if I won the lottery.
MLS Announces Transfer Window Changes
MLS announced the transfer window dates and amendments to the league’s roster rules and regulations for the 2026 season. The secondary transfer window in the summer will now notably last through Sept. 2, which lines up with some of the world’s top leagues to help give MLS clubs a better opportunity to bring in players in the summer. The primary transfer window will run from Jan. 26 to March 26, with the roster compliance deadline date set for Feb. 20. Changes to the rules include removal of the limitations on how many times clubs can make cash for player trades and intraleague loans each season.
USWNT Gets Ready to Face Paraguay
The United States Women’s National Team will take on Paraguay on Saturday night in California in the first of two friendlies this month. This will be the third meeting between the two nations, with the U.S. beating Paraguay twice in September of 2021. While there are some notable names missing from Paraguay’s roster, it does include 18-year-old attacker Claudia Martinez. She scored six goals at last year’s Copa America Femenina and is reportedly joining the Washington Spirit for a $950,000 transfer fee. Following Saturday’s friendly, the USWNT will play Chile on Tuesday to close out its January camp.
Trinity Rodman Re-Signs With the Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit signed American forward Trinity Rodman to a new contract that will last through 2028, ending one of the biggest sagas of the off-season regarding whether or not she would stay in the league. The deal will reportedly make Rodman the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world. Selected by the Spirit with the second overall pick in the 2021 NWSL College Draft, Rodman was named Rookie of the Year and helped Washington win the NWSL Championship that year. Washington Spirit President of Soccer Operations Haley Carter, who left the Pride this off-season to join the Spirit, confirmed that the league’s new High Impact Player played a factor in the contract as well.
Keeping Up With the Europa League
The league phase of this year’s Europa League is nearing its conclusion and we’re getting a better idea on how the field will shake out. Aston Villa secured its spot in the round of 16 after a 1-0 win over Fenerbahce, with Jadon Sancho scoring the game’s only goal. Lyon is the only other team already through to the round of 16, winning 1-0 against Young Boys. Elsewhere across Europe, Niccolo Pisilli scored a brace in Roma’s 2-0 win over VfB Stuttgart, PAOK beat Real Betis 2-0 in Greece, and RB Salzburg stayed in contention with a 3-1 win over Basel.
Rangers and Nice finally won their first games of the tournament but were eliminated regardless. Celtic scored twice, went down to 10 men, and then held on for dear life in a 2-2 draw against Bologna. Despite its rollercoaster of a campaign, the Scottish side will qualify for the knockout phase with a victory against winless Utrecht next week.
Free Kicks
- Inter&Co Stadium is hosting Orlando Storm games for their inaugural season in the United Football League, and their season will kick off at home on March 29 against the Columbus Aviators.
- The New York Red Bulls are reportedly close to signing American goalkeeper Ethan Horvath from Cardiff City.
- Inter Miami signed goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo to a permanent deal after he spent last season on loan from Lanus in Argentina’s top flight. The 23-year-old replaced Oscar Ustari down the stretch for the Herons and started in the MLS Cup final.
- The Houston Dash signed goalkeeper Caroline DeLisle, who played collegiately at the University of Central Florida. DeLisle’s 31 shutouts are the most in UCF program history.
- Manchester United announced that Brazilian midfielder Casemiro will leave the club following this season. Signed by United in 2022, Casemiro scored 21 goals in 146 appearances and helped United win the 2024 FA Cup and 2023 EFL Cup.
- Schalke signed forward Edin Dzeko from Fiorentina, giving the club a boost up top as it aims for promotion. The 39-year-old should get some more playing time in Germany to prepare for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup qualifier against Wales in March.
- We’ll end our links with some Jeopardy!, since the game show had a category devoted to MLS. Not only did each contestant get at least one question correct, but there were no wrong answers. Kudos to them and best of luck playing along.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
A Look at Left Back for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride
How does the left side of Orlando City’s and the Orlando Pride’s defense stack up?
Left back seems to be an issue for many teams in many leagues. Right backs are a dime a dozen. I suppose left-footed players are harder to come by, making good ones all the more valuable. There have been challenges for both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride when it comes to filling the role. Let’s look at the current state of things for both teams.
Orlando City
Oscar Pareja prefers to have one or both of his fullbacks move forward into the offense. For two years, Orlando City tried to have Rafael Santos shore up the left side of the back line. He was quick enough, and effective enough on offense to play the position in Pareja’s system. However, the results were mixed. It took Santos quite a bit of time each season to round into form, making him a liability early in the year. He would then start to show signs of improvement, even having the occasional excellent performance. Sadly, it wouldn’t last. He was inconsistent and eventually lost the starting role in 2025 to center back David Brekalo. He lost the starting role to a player whose primary position was not left back.
Brekalo was a defensive improvement over Santos, which Orlando City needed, but he was not as effective moving forward. The added problem of having him at left back was that it diminished the depth at center back. It forced Rodrigo Schlegel into the starting role, meaning you never knew if you were getting good Rodri or bad Rodri, but you were always guaranteed a booking. With his departure, it looks like Brekalo will have a chance to earn a starting spot next to Robin Jansson at center back.
That paves the way for Adrian Marin to assume the starting role at left back. Marin was brought in last season for that reason, but joining a club mid-season often presents challenges. As such, Pareja stuck with Brekalo more often than not. It will be Marin’s spot to lose. That puts Homegrown Tahir Reid-Brown as a potential back up, but Pareja might still utilize Brekalo if necessary. There is still a need for more depth.
Orlando Pride
Things are a little more stable on the Orlando Pride side of the ledger. Kerry Abello has been, and continues to be, the starting left back. Abello is a solid if not spectacular defender. After that, there are a bunch of right backs and a center back who can play on the left. Kylie Nadaner has player there but is more likely to be at center back. More importantly, she won’t be available until summer after her baby is born.
Oihane is the starting right back. Cori Dyke has also spent time as a backup on the left, but her natural position is on the right. The list of defenders who could play on the left also includes Hailie Mace, Zara Chavoshi, and Hannah Anderson. Again, none of these players are natural left backs. I know that Seb Hines loves players who are versatile, but perhaps a natural left back to challenge or at least back up Abello would be better. We will have to see what Caitlin Carducci has up her sleeve with all that money from the Emily Sams deal.
I know that my being left-handed has nothing to do with the lack of depth on the left side of the defense, but it still feels like right-handed bias. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Likes and Dislikes from the Second Week of Orlando City Preseason
Lion Links: 1/23/26
A Look at Left Back for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City Will Probably Look South To Replace Luis Muriel
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City Parts Ways with Designated Player Luis Muriel
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 1/9/26
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride Trade Emily Sams to Angel City
-
Opinion2 weeks agoAn Orlando City 2026 Preseason Wishlist
-
Lion Links1 week agoLion Links: 1/14/26
-
Orlando Pride1 week agoOrlando Pride Announce 2026 NWSL Schedule
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoNew Year, Same Coach: It’s Time to Appreciate Óscar Pareja