Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Drop Two Points at the Death
Seconds from a rare road win, Orlando allowed 10-man Chicago a last-gasp equalizer.

Orlando City may win a road game or a match against the Fire at some point in the future, but it sure doesn’t seem possible, even under the most favorable circumstances.
Leading by a goal and with a manpower advantage against the 10-man Fire, Orlando threw two points away when CJ Sapong scored on a free header to level the game at 1-1 in the 95th minute at SeatGeek Stadium.
Dom Dwyer had given the Lions (0-0-2, 2 points) a 1-0 second-half lead, and Ruan’s speed forced a Jorge Corrales sending off. Still, Przemyslaw Frankowski was given time in the dying seconds to cross in for Sapong. Defender Shane O’Neill didn’t have tight enough marking and didn’t even jump to try to bother the Fire striker, who gave Chicago (0-1-1, 1 point) a late equalizer.
“That’s totally unacceptable,” James O’Connor said to My65 sideline reporter Jenny Chiu after the match. “You’re winning the game. You’re playing against 10 men. To get that [result]. It’s totally unacceptable.”
Orlando was seconds against snapping a six-game winless streak against Chicago and nabbing its first road win in league play since April 29, 2018. Instead, the Lions are now 0-3-4 in the last seven meetings against the Fire, dating back to Sept. 19, 2015.
The only change in O’Connor’s starting lineup from the opener was to replace Chris Mueller with Nani.
Chicago came out with a lot of energy and tried to jump on Orlando City early. A cross for Nemanja Nikolic should have seen the striker put the Fire on top in just the second minute, but Kamal Miller did just enough to bother the Chicago striker and he wasn’t able to get on the end of the cross, which trickled harmlessly out for a goal kick.
The Fire tried going over the top with diagonal passes behind the wingbacks most of the first half and looked dangerous — especially early — but Orlando eventually settled into the game a bit. Both teams were struggling to defend the wide side on Orlando’s right, with Kyle Smith getting around Corrales a few times and Sapong doing the same behind Smith.
Nikolic missed just wide in the 20th minute on a tap-in given to him on a plate by Aleksandar Katai, who burned Smith badly and fizzed a perfect cross in to the Fire’s forward. He simply missed the net from point-blank range.
Tesho Akindele pulled up with an apparent hamstring issue and Dwyer checked into the game in the 21st minute — much earlier than anticipated. Dwyer nearly sent Nani in behind the defense in the 36th minute, but the Portuguese international was just offside and fired over the bar anyway.
The Lions finally got a decent opportunity in the 40th minute, when Dwyer played a cross off his chest and hit it off the half volley. The shot was headed for the inside of the near post but David Ousted was able to make a sprawling save.
An uneventful five minutes later, the first half was over and the sides headed into the locker rooms scoreless. Chicago held 56% of the first-half possession and out-shot the Lions, 4-1 (1-1 on target). Fouls were 7-3, with the hosts committing more infractions. Each team had one player booked — Smith for Orlando and Djordje Mihailovic for Chicago.
City pounced early in the second half. Nani got on the end of a Danilo Acosta header and blooped a ball over top of the Fire defense. Dwyer ran hard to split the Chicago center backs and arrived just before Ousted, coming out off his line. Dom chipped it with his toe on the second hop over the Fire keeper and into the net for the 1-0 lead at the 47-minute mark.
It was Orlando’s first goal at Chicago since Aug. 14, 2016.
Dwyer got in behind again three minutes later but lost control trying to finesse his way past Ousted; however, the assistant referee’s flag came up anyway.
Ruan was introduced in the 58th minute, coming on for Smith, and his speed impacted the game. Six minutes after coming on for his MLS debut, the Brazilian blazed past Corrales to get onto a slick through ball from Nani. Corrales lunged and brought Ruan down. Robert Sibiga gave a red card and upheld it upon video review, putting Chicago down a man as well as a goal.
Orlando was either unable or unwilling to control the game by possessing the ball. Chicago actually improved its halftime possession numbers, finishing with 59% of the ball, compared to Orlando’s 41%. Chicago continued to try to attack down the wings and cross the ball into the middle. Alex De John did a nice job of clearing out a few crosses into dangerous spots.
The Lions continued to give the ball away too often down the stretch and it finally cost them in stoppage time. Frankowski was given too much time on the ball and picked out a beautiful cross for Sapong. O’Neill was the closest defender and perhaps expected De John to be able to jump up and head it away before it arrived. De John didn’t jump and O’Neill wasn’t tight enough to the Fire forward. He also didn’t jump, giving Sapong a free header to level things in the 95th minute with time essentially up. It was Sapong’s fifth career goal against Orlando City.
“It’s really poor play from us to allow that to happen,” O’Connor told reporters after the match. “I just think our understanding of when we’re playing against 10 men, we need to do a better job of keeping the ball and playing in their half. It’s just very, very annoying for all of us.”
Despite leading for about 48 minutes, Orlando City’s offense was dormant, attempting only two shots in the game, although getting them both on frame. Chicago out-shot the Lions, 7-2 (3-2 on target). The Fire were also the better passing team (80%-72%).
Where last week’s draw may have felt like a win, despite the penalty not given, this one’s surely feels more like a loss.
Orlando will be back in action at home next Saturday, hosting the Montreal Impact at 4 p.m. ET.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/24/25
Orlando City’s upward aspirations, Tim Weah reportedly set for transfer, Club World Cup roundup, and more.

Happy Tuesday, everyone. We’ve got a busy week ahead of us with the Club World Cup approaching the end of the group stage, OCB at home on Wednesday, and Orlando City back in action with a pair of games. That means we have plenty to talk about, so let’s get straight into today’s links.
Orlando City’s Lofty Goals
Kyle Smith took some time after training on Monday to speak to the media and shed some light on where OCSC is at right now. The utility player was candid in saying he believes this year’s team is the best one he’s seen since he’s been with the club, and that’s saying something considering he’s the longest-tenured player on the team. Smith said the team is focused on climbing higher in the standings and that the two recent breaks will help the team do just that. He emphasized the importance of handling extra time off between games the right way by making sure the players are taking care of their bodies, getting in the gym, and recovering afterwards. That sort of professionalism paid off in the 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids, so hopefully the same is true of Wednesday’s game against St. Louis City.
Tim Weah Reportedly on the Move
Nottingham Forest has reportedly agreed a deal with Juventus to sign Tim Weah and fellow Juve player Samuel Mbangula for roughly €22 million. That being said, personal terms have not yet been agreed upon with Weah, and that will likely take some time, since he’s playing for them at the Club World Cup, and the Italian side is probably keen to minimize outside distractions. Weah broke out with Lille during a four-season spell with the French side, earning a move to Juventus in 2023 as a result.
Club World Cup Roundup
The Club World Cup continues to roll on, as the tournament entered its final round of group stage games on Monday. Atletico Madrid became the first big name to exit the competition, as it beat Botafogo 1-0 to finish level with the Brazilians on six points but will be going home due to having worse goal difference. Atletico needed to win by at least three in order to overtake Botafogo in the standings and might have managed it if not for some poor finishing. In Group B’s other game, Paris Saint-Germain took down the Seattle Sounders 2-0 to finish top of the group. Seattle was given a brutal draw and accounted itself as well as can be expected, but ultimately, the Sounders exit the competition without picking up a point.
Club World Cup Takeaways
Speaking of the Club World Cup, what are some of the impressions so far of the expanded tournament? There have been plenty of good things, as teams have been taking it seriously with strong lineups, and barring the outlier that is Auckland City, no one team has been consistently getting shelled. On the other hand, making the jump from six teams to 32 simply feels like too much too soon, and that’s probably contributed to fluctuating levels of interest from local fans. High ticket prices and games starting in the heat of the day haven’t helped much either, as weather conditions have been a recurring concern among both fans and players. The competition is still a net positive overall, but there are certainly some things to learn from and improve upon next time around.
Free Kicks
- Check out some of the scenes from the Lions’ training session on Monday.
- The Orlando Pride slid down to fifth in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Three people are dead while a further 81 have been injured following the collapse of a stand at an Algerian soccer match.
- Manchester United has reportedly submitted an improved offer for Bryan Mbuemo.
- Manchester City’s Rico Lewis has had his Club World Cup ban extended for two additional matches.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/23/25
Pride fall to Racing Louisville, Seb Hines and Giles Barnes share insight on path to success in Orlando, USMNT defeats Haiti, and more.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working and catching up with friends over the past week. Before we get started, let’s wish a belated happy birthday to Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter, who turned 41 on Saturday. The Pride was the lone team in action over the weekend, while the Lions and OCB were off. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Pride Fall at Racing Louisville
The Orlando Pride fell to Racing Louisville 2-0 Friday at Lynn Family Stadium. Arin Wright scored the opening goal in the first half, and former Pride midfielder Taylor Flint converted a penalty kick for Racing Louisville. The Pride struggled offensively and failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. Orlando’s struggles in Louisville continue, as the club is winless in five matches at Lynn Family Stadium. The Pride will be on a long break, and their next match will be Aug. 3, taking on the Utah Royals at Inter&Co Stadium.
Seb Hines, Giles Barnes Share Insight on Path to Success in Orlando
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Assistant Coach Giles Barnes were featured in an interview in The Guardian. Both Hines and Barnes shared insight into their longtime friendship, which began with playing in English youth international camps, their different paths to playing in Major League Soccer, and how they became involved in coaching. Hines discussed his time as interim manager of the Pride in 2022 and how he brought in Barnes to help change the club’s culture. Hines and Barnes helped change the perception of the club and led the Pride to winning both the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship last season.
USMNT Defeats Haiti to Win Group D in Gold Cup
The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Haiti 2-1 Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, in their final match in the group stage of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The USMNT finished atop its group with three wins and nine points. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman made his third consecutive start and played 90 minutes.
Malik Tillman scored the opening goal 10 minutes into the match to give the USMNT the early lead. Haiti tied the match not long after Tillman’s goal. In the second half, Patrick Agyemang pulled the USMNT back in front. The USMNT advances to the quarterfinals as the group winner and will play its next match Sunday against the Group A runner-up which was the late game Sunday night and had yet to conclude as of this writing.
Club World Cup Weekend Recap
Another weekend of matches from the FIFA Club World Cup is in the books. On Friday, Benfica crushed Auckland City FC 6-0, while Flamengo beat Chelsea 3-1. LAFC was eliminated from advancing to the knockout round after a 1-0 defeat to ES Tunis. Bayern Munich edged Boca Juniors 2-1. On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3. Inter Milan needed a late stoppage-time winning goal from Valentin Carboni to edge Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1. Fluminense beat Ulsan HD 4-2, and River Plate and Monterrey ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, Juventus cruised to a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. Xabi Alonso secured his first win as manager of Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory against Pachuca. Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Hilal played to a scoreless draw, with Manchester City playing Al-Ain in the late match Sunday. Today’s matches feature Atletico Madrid facing Botafogo, the Seattle Sounders hosting Paris Saint-Germain, FC Porto vs. Al Ahly, and Inter Miami taking on Palmeiras.
Free Kicks
- Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos and forward Simone Jackson have been called-up to the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team. The U-23 camp will be led by Orlando Pride Assistant Coach Yolanda Thomas.
USL Championship side San Antonio FC has signed former Orlando City defender Abdi Salim to a 25-day contract.
San Diego Wave winger Maria Sanchez has reportedly reach an agreement to return to her former club, Tigres of Liga MX Femenil, on a four-year contract.
Paul Pogba is reportedly set to return to playing soccer and has signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
Opinion
Orlando City Has Been Better than Expected Halfway Through the Season
While there was plenty to worry about at the start of the season, Orlando has had a good first half of 2025.

With 18 matches in the books, we’ve moved just past the halfway point of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, and based off my feelings before Orlando City played its opening game of the season, the Lions have performed above expectations so far. There were plenty of valid reasons to be concerned heading into the year. Orlando had sold its all-time leading goal scorer, and there were questions about whether he’d been adequately replaced. There were worries about depth at multiple positions, and the defense was coming off an uncharacteristically poor year. Here we are though, with the Lions sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference, just three points out of second place and seven points out of first. So how did we get to this point?
For one thing, Marco Pasalic has been much better than I (and I think a lot of other people) expected him to be. The Croatian has six goals and four assists across 18 matches, and is second on the team in both categories. He scored 10 goals in 49 appearances in the Croatian first division before coming to Orlando and was extremely one-footed, which was enough evidence to sow real doubt about whether he could adequately replace the impact of Facundo Torres.
So far, it’s mostly been so good. His direct style of play is a good complement to the styles of Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel, and he’s largely hit the ground running in a league that can be difficult to adapt to. It hasn’t been perfect, as he’s still very one-footed, and can sometimes disappear if he’s stringently man marked, but on the whole there’s been much more good than bad.
Speaking of Ojeda and Muriel, they’ve also had strong years. Ojeda in particular has continued his great second half of the 2024 season and has nine goals and five assists in 18 games to show for it. He looks fast, confident, and decisive and is a far cry from the player who struggled frequently during his first year as a Lion. Muriel has cooled off a little after a scorching start to 2025, but he still has six goals and three assists in 18 matches. He looks vastly improved from last year, when he looked a little off the pace of play and quickly lost the starting striker role. He still has a tendency to not be as selfish as he needs to be in front of goal, but he’s been much better than 2024.
I mentioned depth being a big concern, and not just at one position. At the beginning of the season Orlando City was, and arguably still is, thin at striker, center back, defensive midfield, and fullback. Duncan McGuire was injured to start the year and is now injured again, leaving Orlando with two true strikers in Muriel and Ramiro Enrique. There was no true backup left back, only one reliable backup center back, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson starting at right back meant that defensive midfield depth consisted of rookie Joran Gerbet and the Swiss army knife that is Kyle Smith.
Things have mostly worked out though. David Brekalo has supplanted Rafael Santos, meaning the Brazilian is now a proven backup option at the position, and Smith has filled in there as well. That means that in games in which Rodrigo Schlegel or Robin Jansson are unavailable, Brekalo fills in at center back, Santos starts at left back, and Smith is the backup for both positions, so it isn’t a flawless system. Gerbet has been playing better and better and got some valuable minutes when Eduard Atuesta and Cesar Araujo were unavailable. His emergence has been a crucial piece of the puzzle this year. So too has the rise of Alex Freeman, as his locking down the right back role has allowed Thorhallsson to fill in at defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and right back. The situation isn’t perfect, as a couple untimely injuries to the wrong guys would leave the Lions looking pretty threadbare, but so far it’s just about worked.
Another big concern was the defense. The Lions conceded 50 goals in the regular season last year, which was tied for the second-most of any Eastern Conference playoff team and fourth-most of any playoff team. With no defensive signings and the aforementioned depth concerns, there were plenty of reasons to worry about Orlando’s ability to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
Things have looked much better in 2025, though. The 22 goals OCSC has conceded are the fifth-fewest in the league, and Pedro Gallese’s eight clean sheets are tied for most in the league. Aside from a few egregious defensive performances against the Philadelphia Union, Atlanta United, and the Chicago Fire, things have mostly been tidy at the back, and when they haven’t been, El Pulpo has been around to pick up the slack. Again, things haven’t been perfect, as there have been moments where individual and collective errors have hurt the team, but it’s been better.
I thought the Lions would struggle this year. Going into the start of the season, we were talking about a team that lost Torres, arguably didn’t do enough to strengthen the team across the board, was facing depth issues, and was dealing with a leaky defense — all while pretty much every other contender in the East got stronger on paper. Instead, OCSC tied a club-best unbeaten streak and is just three points out of second place.
That being said, the East is so tight that Orlando is only five points above the playoff line, and injuries to the wrong guys could easily topple the fragile ecosystem that is the depth chart, but so far things are going better than I thought they would be. There are still a lot of matches to play, but this isn’t a bad position to be in at the halfway mark.
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