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Flamengo vs. Ajax, Florida Cup: Final Score 2-2 with Flamengo Getting Extra Shootout Point

Published

8 years ago

January 11, 2019

The 2019 Florida Cup opened with a back-and-forth match at Orlando City Stadium, with Flamengo of Brazil’s Serie A fighting back from two one-goal deficits to draw AFC Ajax, 2-2. Flamengo then won a penalty shootout after the draw to grab an extra point in the first day of the tournament.

Diego Ribas, a target of Orlando City — though seemingly now set for a Flamengo return after renewed negotiations with his club — started in the midfield for Flamengo. He played the first half and figured in the scoring on his first visit to Orlando City Stadium.

Ajax began the first half as the sharper of the two teams, but didn’t mount any real threat in the attack. Flamengo seemed content to win the ball in the midfield and try to counter but the Brazilian side looked rusty as ill-timed passes or early runs kept the Rubro-Negro from menacing Ajax goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou.

The scoring began in the middle of the first half, although with no functioning clock visible and no press box announcements, I can’t give you the times. Ajax opened the scoring around the 16-minute mark on a nice give-and-go play. Klaas Jan Huntelaar got a return pass from Vaclav Cerny and slotted it just inside the near post from the left side, beating goalkeeper Diego Alves to make it 1-0.

Flamengo wasted no time getting back into it. Just three minutes after Ajax’s goal, Fernando Uribe made a perfectly timed run to get onto a long ball over the top from Everton Ribeiro. Lamprou came out and Uribe chipped him with a soft shot that bounced once and went in to make it 1-1.

That started a spell where Flamengo began to settle into the game a bit. Ribeiro nicked the ball off an Ajax defender and was in alone but tried his shot from outside the box, firing over the net. Moments later, Vitinho fired a shot from the left side that Lamprou badly misplayed. The ball trickled just wide and Lamprou was able to recover in time to keep Ribeiro from scoring on the follow-up attempt.

About 27 minutes in, Cerny got in on the left side and tried a shot from a tight angle. Alves made the save and Ajax could do nothing with the ensuing corner kick.

The match started to open up at that point and both teams got good scoring opportunities numerous times in the final 13 or so minutes of the half. Ajax regained the lead at 2-1 on a tremendous passing play that built up through at least five solid passes just outside the area. David Neres found Ryan Gravenberch, who touched it over to Zakaria Labyad to fire past Alves around the 31-minute mark. Carel Eiting tried to add another for Ajax two minutes later after a Flamengo turnover in the midfield but he fired wide of goal from the left. Two minutes after that, Rasmus Kristensen sizzled one just wide on the right for Ajax, looking to put the game out of reach.

Ajax continued buzzing. Cerny got to a lovely long ball first and blasted one on frame but Alves fought it off to keep it a 2-1 game. That was a big save and inspired a resurgence by his Flamengo teammates.

Around the 37-minute mark, Vitinho got down the left and smashed a shot on goal that Lamprou saved. Two minutes later, Willian Arão sliced a drive over the bar for the Brazilian side. Just a minute after Arão’s attempt, Diego got the ball above the box and drilled a shot that forced Lamprou to make a diving save. The Ajax keeper couldn’t control the rebound and Uribe got there first to slot it home and tie the match at 2-2.

The teams went into halftime knotted up.

The second half had a lot less flow as both teams substituted liberally. Labyad was the most dangerous man on the pitch for either side, forcing three second-half saves by Alves. Ajax had more scoring chances in the second period and could have taken the game in regulation if not for the outstanding play of Alves in the net for Flamengo.

Around the 76-minute mark Alves made a huge reaction save to deny Victor Jensen from close range, keeping the game tied. Ajax nearly scored the winner at the death with Noa Lang skimming a shot from the right side off the top of the crossbar. Shortly after that, the whistle blew and the game went to spot kicks.

Labyad shot first for Ajax and put the Dutch side ahead. Robert Piris Da Motta used a stutter-step approach and tied it at 1-1 after one round. Lassina Traore restored the Ajax advantage and Rodinei pulled it right back for Flamengo.

In the third round of spot kicks, Dani De Wit and Miguel Trauco both scored and it was 3-3. But Ajax missed its last two penalties. First, Joel Veltman cracked his shot off the left post. Then, after Orlando Berrio roofed a shot to put Flamengo up 4-3 in the shootout, Lisandro Magallan missed his shot badly and sent it sky high into the safe standing section, giving Flamengo the shootout.

Both teams earned a point from the draw with Flamengo taking an extra point in the 2019 Florida Cup standings with the shootout victory.

Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Sao Paulo in the match over at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. The Bundesliga side tops the Florida Cup table after the first night, with three points — just ahead of Flamengo on two points. Ajax is third with a single point, while Sao Paulo is last without a point. The European group has captured four points while Brazil has just two.

The tournament concludes on Saturday with Ajax playing Sao Paulo at 1 p.m. and Flamengo facing Eintracht Frankfurt at 4 p.m. Both matches are at Orlando City Stadium.

Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 140: Bay FC Rewind, San Diego Preview, and More

The Pride keep their playoff hopes alive by eliminating Bay FC but things get tougher with San Diego visiting Friday.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 30, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Jacquie Ovalle dribbling toward the Bay FC defense.

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

The Orlando Pride remained perfect on the road against Bay FC with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Deuces were wild, as Haley McCutcheon, who wears jersey No. 2, scored in the second minute of both halves, and her two goals in California gave the midfielder her second brace of both the 2026 NWSL season and her career. Barbra Banda figured heavily in pulling defenders out of position on two of the three Orlando goals and assisted on Jacquie Ovalle’s right-footed thunderbolt in stoppage time to put the game away. But make no mistake, it’s not as if the Pride played well, turning the ball over often and conceding 28 shot attempts to the hosts.

We break down a road win that may have been more exhausting to watch than to play in (although I wouldn’t bet on it), check back on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.

This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Haley McCutcheon, where to most strongly place the blame for the Pride’s disappointing season, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

Finally, we looked ahead to Friday, when Orlando will host San Diego Wave FC, looking to both complete a season sweep and to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. We look at the series history, provide our key matchups for the contest, and make our predictions for the final score.

Here’s how Episode 140 went down:

0:15 – The Pride improved to 2-1-1 under Yolanda Thomas, but a lot of good Cosette Morche saves were required to get that second win.

20:00- The mailbagbox asks us to play the blame game.

33:36 – The Pride continue to face California-based competition, but Friday’s opponent is much higher in the table than Sunday’s was.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City restarts its 2026 MLS campaign late tonight out west at San Jose.

Published

3 months ago

July 22, 2026

Michael Citro

Image of Braian Ojeda taking a shot in a friendly against FC Dallas.

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a late night midweek matchup tonight between Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points) at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in 2026 and the first time the teams have met since 2024.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.

History

Orlando City is 3-1-3 in the previous seven MLS meetings with the Quakes since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015. The Lions got their only away win in the series in the last meeting and enter tonight 1-1-2 on the road against San Jose.

The teams last met on May 18, 2024, with Jack Lynn coming off the bench to score the game’s only goal. Lynn’s strike in the 89th minute broke the scoreless deadlock and lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory.

The teams met in Orlando most recently way back on June 22, 2021, with the Lions beating the Quakes down, 5-0. Orlando got things started with an early penalty kick goal by Nani, followed by braces from Benji Michel and Daryl Dike to easily put the game away. The lasting memory from the game is Michel’s celebratory dance wearing a cowboy hat that came out of the stands.

Prior to that Orlando City romp, the last time the teams met was on Aug. 31, 2019 when the Lions got freight trained 3-0 at Avaya Stadium, giving the Quakes their first win in the series. San Jose’s offense came via a Chris Wondolowski brace and an early opening goal by Magnus Eriksson. Orlando looked flat and weary out of the gate.

The Lions were victorious in Exploria Stadium in the 2018 meeting on April 21, a 3-2 Orlando win. It was the first win in the series for either side after three straight draws. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer gave the Lions a 3-0 lead before Florian Jungwirth pulled two back in the game’s late stages.

The Lions led all of the first three matches in the second half only to see San Jose pull level, with two of those tying goals coming late. In the 2017 meeting, Carlos Rivas finally broke the scoreless tie and gave Orlando City the lead in the 81st minute, but Wondolowski spoiled the Lions’ night with an equalizer two minutes later as the teams drew at Avaya Stadium, 1-1.

In 2016, the Lions were gut-punched in the 94th minute in an emotional match that ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first home match following the Pulse nightclub tragedy and what appeared to be a storybook ending to a cathartic win turned sour on a last-gasp equalizer by Shea Salinas. Seb Hines — now the Orlando Pride’s head coach — opened the scoring for Orlando, only to see Chad Barrett tie it up. Julio Baptista restored the lead in stoppage time, but Salinas ruined everything.

The two teams also drew in the first meeting, a 1-1 affair at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Lions down to 10 men after Brek Shea was sent off in the first half. Kaká and Wondolowski each scored from the penalty spot four minutes apart in that initial meeting.

Overview

The teams meet tonight to get their post-World Cup portion of the season started. Orlando City has been terrible on the road all season long, keeping only one MLS opponent under two goals all year away from home and allowing five goals twice (at New York City FC and Nashville) and six goals twice (at LAFC and in the team’s most recent match away at FC Cincinnati just before the break).

Orlando City is a putrid 1-6-1 on the road this season, and now the Lions must face the Western Conference co-leaders tonight before coming home to face Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC at home on Saturday. They’ll have to play at least tonight’s game without Martin Ojeda, who is out with a thigh injury sustained some time between his first-half goal a week ago in a friendly against FC Dallas and the time the availability report dropped on Tuesday.

But it isn’t all bad news for the Lions, who should have both Antoine Griezmann and Dike in the lineup. Griezmann was the club’s highly prized and widely publicized summer Designated Player signing, while Dike’s return to Orlando came together more recently, following his departure from West Bromwich Albion. They’ll help the club’s offense, but the attack hasn’t been the issue in 2026 — it’s been the historically porous defense, which is on pace to shatter the MLS record for goals conceded.

Meanwhile, San Jose is one of the first half of the season’s biggest surprises, as the Quakes have been outstanding in 2026. Scoring 34 goals while conceding just 15, San Jose is among the league leaders in goals scored (tied for third), goals conceded (third), and goal differential (+19, third).

The Earthquakes are 4-2-1 at home and are coming off a 3-1 road win at Portland in their last game prior to the World Cup break. San Jose boasts Golden Boot challenger Preston Judd, who leads the Quakes with 11 goals, adding two assists in his 15 appearances. Ousseni Bouda has chipped in five goals and three assists. Niko Tsakiris leads the team with seven assists to go along with his two goals, but he’s still recovering from a lower body injury and is not available tonight. However, the arrival of Timo Werner (four goals and five assists in just seven games) has truly elevated Bruce Arena’s Quakes, and he’ll need to be one of the main focal points for the Orlando defense.

To have any shot at taking something from this game, the Lions will need to play better road defense than they have all season. Orlando can score goals, but with Ojeda out, Griezmann will need to adapt quickly, and someone other than the team’s leading scorer will need to find the net.

The Lions will play without Ojeda (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), Nolan Miller (knee), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archage (international duty). In addition, Marco Pasalic may or may not have returned to the team after the World Cup. He was not in training Monday, although interim head coach Martin Perelman said he expected the Croatian back soon. The Earthquakes will be without Nonso Adimabua (lower body), former Lion Earl Edwards Jr. (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), and Tsakiris (you guessed it, lower body…come on, San Jose).

Match Content

Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer

San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.

Defenders: Jamar Ricketts, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Benjamin Kikanovic.

Defensive Midfielders: Beau Lerouox, Ronaldo Vieira.

Attacking Midfielders: Timo Werner, Nick Fernandez, Ousseni Bouda.

Forwards: Preston Judd.

Bench: Jonathan Gonzalez, Dave Romney, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Jack Jasinski, Ian Harkes, Francesco Montali, Max Floriani, Darius Johnson.

Referees

REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Mike Nickerson.
4TH: Timothy Ford.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10:30 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!