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Orlando City vs. Minnesota United: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Drop Points Deep in Stoppage

A long throw into the box deflected perfectly for Minnesota to equalize with the Lions just moments from victory.

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6 years ago

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Orlando City was about 120 seconds from its biggest win of the season only to see Abu -Danladi equalize deep in stoppage time in a 1-1 draw against Minnesota United in the Lions’ first trip to Allianz Field. Orlando (9-11-7, 34 points) got a second-half goal from the penalty spot from Nani and would have had a second penalty if Tesho Akindele had been a couple feet further from goal in the dying seconds, but the late goal from Danladi prevented the Loons (12-8-6, 42 points) from falling at home for just the second time all year.

In the midst of a four-match segment against some of the league’s top teams, Orlando could have used all three points against the Western Conference’s second-place team. But instead, the Lions will have to try to build on another standout defensive performance and one of Brian Rowe’s best games of the year. However, the Lions did stretch their current unbeaten streak to four games (2-0-2).

James O’Connor didn’t bring Chris Mueller on the trip, but he did bring Mauricio Pereyra, who came on in the second half to make his MLS/Orlando City debut. The back line in front of Rowe remained the same as it was on Wednesday against Sporting Kansas City. Will Johnson and Sebas Mendez returned to the starting lineup, flanking Nani in the midfield. The forward line consisted of Benji Michel, Dom Dwyer, and Robinho.

Minnesota’s pressure was good in the first half, leading to several turnovers, and the Lions played their part by being sloppy with the ball — even when not under pressure. The Loons sent a warning shot off the crossbar four minutes in. Darwin Quintero, who was well offside, touched over to Ethan Finlay for a blast off the woodwork. The flag didn’t go up, but video review likely would have overturned it had it gone in.

Four minutes later, Angelo Rodriguez scored but the flag was up for offside this time. The play looked close on replay but the Minnesota striker was just offside.

The Minnesota press forced the wings to play deeper and deeper and it isolated Dwyer up top. Any long balls to him were easily knocked away by Ike Opara and Michael Boxall.

Opara nodded wide of goal off a corner kick cross in the 13th minute and Jan Gregus fired wide from distance two minutes later as the Loons continued to probe for an opener. Rodriguez headed wide off a quick free kick after a handball outside the box on Kamal Miller in the 20th minute.

Rodriguez pulled up on a 2-v-2 break with an apparent hamstring injury and was replaced by Danladi in the 28th minute.

A minute later, the Lions finally got their first shot attempt. Benji Michel broke to his right at the top of the area and sent one on goal but right at Vito Mannone, who made the easy save.

Rowe made an incredible save in the 30th minute to deny Quintero and keep the game scoreless.

Moments later, Finlay nutmegged Miller, rounded the rookie and smashed either a cross or a bad shot through the area and out for a throw.

Michel picked out Robinho with a cross in the 34th minute but hit it with so much pace that the Brazilian couldn’t get his shot anywhere near on frame after it took a hop in front of him.

A couple of shots wide by Quintero and Hassani Dotson finished off the first-half chances and the teams went to the locker room scoreless and the Lions were fortunate to be level at the break.

The Loons led in shots (15-3), shots on goal (3-1), possession (52%), and passing accuracy (84%-80%). Orlando was second best all over the pitch and Nani wasn’t able to influence the match at all. In fact, he was part of the problem, with only a 68% passing accuracy in the opening half and even some of the passes that were accurate put his teammates into a bad spot, as they were already closed down when they received it and were dispossessed easily.

Pereyra entered the game at halftime in place of Robinho and took Nani’s spot in the middle, pushing the captain out to the wing, where he immediately looked more comfortable. Just two minutes after the break, he sent in a dangerous cross that Opara got a foot on to prevent a good scoring chance. Another cross in from Nani found Dwyer two minutes later, but the ball bounced just in front of the striker on a brutal area of the field and he couldn’t bring it in. The pitch in front of the “Wonderwall” was coming up all night.

Gregus was invited to shoot from 30+ yards away a couple of times around the hour mark and he obliged, sending a screamer right at Rowe and another shot well wide of the target moments later.

Rowe made his best save of the night in the 65th minute. A Romain Metanire cross deflected perfectly into the path of second-half sub Robin Lod, who got all of the ball on his shot and Rowe went down with one hand to knock it away.

Akindele, who came in for Dwyer, could have been in on goal in the 66th, but he checked up his run for some reason and was eventually dispossessed. But two minutes later, he made up for that decision with an excellent ball that sent Nani in behind the defense. The Portuguese star dribbled into the penalty area and then went down under contact from behind by Opara. A penalty was signaled immediately.

Referee Jair Marrufo consulted with VAR Edin Juresivic but did not go to the monitor himself. There looked to be no clear and obvious error and Opara was curiously shown a yellow card, even though he was the last defender and Nani was denied a scoring opportunity. While the rule changed in recent years to award a yellow instead of a red for many DOGSO opportunities, the rule does state that the player should be sent off if the infraction is for holding, pulling, or pushing. Opara’s foul appeared to be the latter with a forearm to the back.

Nevertheless, the captain calmly stepped to the spot in the 70th minute and beat Mannone, who guessed correctly but there was too much quality on the shot.

It was Nani’s ninth goal of the season to draw him level with Akindele for the team lead. It was also the first goal the Loons have surrendered at home since July 3 against San Jose, after which they posted four consecutive shutouts at Allianz Field.

Orlando was the better side for the next 15 minutes or so, yielding no real threatening chances and keeping the ball a bit better. The Lions nearly doubled the lead in the 84th minute. Akindele got in behind and fired a shot from the right that Mannone was able to parry away to keep the score at 1-0. It turned out to be a huge save.

Minnesota finally got a shot off in the 91st minute when Danladi created some space, turned and fired well off target. But a minute later he got his goal when a seemingly harmless throw-in turned into an equalizer. A long throw-in from Metanire went into the scrum and took a glancing touch off the back of Opara’s head, causing it to slightly change direction. It then hit Robin Jansson’s body before deflecting perfectly to Danladi, who swept it home to tie the game in the 92nd minute.

It was the suckerest of sucker punches to the Lions, who were on the cusp of doing something only one team had ever done — take all three points out of Allianz Field with them as the visitors.

In the dying seconds, Orlando nearly got a break the other way when a ball in to Akindele was passed on for Pereyra and hit Chase Gasper’s hand on the way through the box. A penalty was signaled but the play went to video review, where the replay showed that Akindele was just offside when receiving the previous pass from Pereyra.

Minnesota dominated the stat sheet, out-shooting Orlando, 22-5 (6-3 on target), keeping 54% of the ball, and out-passing the Lions (82%-80%), but the Lions implemented their game plan. It isn’t pretty, but it has been mostly effective. It took a bad hop off of Jansson — who played a magnificent game yet again — for the Loons to level things up just when it appeared that the Lions would finally beat Adrian Heath and finally put together consecutive league wins in 2019.

Alas.

The Lions return home and things get spicier with Atlanta United coming to Exploria Stadium on Friday night.

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Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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2 hours ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

Published

22 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?

Designated Goal Scorers

What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.

Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.

Keep it Clean

There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.

Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Give the Midfield Time

Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.

Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

Free Kicks

  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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