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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 1-0 as Rooney Wonder Strike Dooms Lions

A 10th-minute strike from the middle of the field was enough to lift D.C. United over Orlando.

Published

6 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

A Wayne Rooney wonder strike downed Orlando City (5-8-3, 18 points) once again as the Lions fell 1-0 to D.C. United (8-4-6, 30 points) at Audi Field. Rooney has tortured the Lions since entering the league, and his ambitious effort from his own half beat a sleepwalking Brian Rowe from distance for the game’s only goal.

James O’Connor was forced to make some changes to his usual lineup as Joao Moutinho (quad) was injured and Dom Dwyer was home with Sydney Leroux, who is expecting their second child. While Dwyer has come off the bench multiple times this season, Moutinho was replaced in the starting lineup by Kyle Smith. Mason Stajduhar made the 18 for the injured Adam Grinwis (quad) and Carlos Ascues stepped in for the injured Cristian Higuita (hamstring).

D.C. dominated the early minutes of the game, creating several good chances. Most of these opportunities came from Orlando City giveaways on the D.C. side of the field. The hosts nearly took the lead in the fifth minute when Rooney played a ball across for Russell Canouse, whose header went just over the crossbar.

In the 10th minute, Rooney continued his tendency of creating memorable moments against Orlando City. Inside the D.C. box, Ascues gave the ball away to Canouse, who quickly played it forward. Two Lions converged on the ball but it slipped through for Rooney. Seeing Orlando City goalkeeper Rowe off his line, Rooney played the ball over his head and into the goal from his own side of the field.

This is the third time Rooney has faced Orlando City and the third time in which he has produced a magical moment. Last year it was a last-minute steal off Will Johnson and stunning cross to Luciano Acosta that produced the game-winning goal for D.C. Earlier this year, it was a free kick that beat the Lions. This will go down as the most spectacular of the three.

Orlando City appeared to wake up following the Rooney goal, creating several opportunities of its own. Most of these came through Ascues and Nani. While Nani was able to get off a few shots that were saved by Bill Hamid, Ascues had trouble pulling the trigger, resulting in multiple buildups ending without a shot being taken, including one where he rounded Hamid wide but didn’t take a shot.

In the 49th minute, Orlando City had its first great chance as Chris Mueller and Tesho Akindele hooked up with a quick one-two. The ball back to Mueller was launched off his left foot and looked to be headed for the inside of Hamid’s near post but the goalkeeper dived to his left and made the stop.

The fast start to the second half provided some confidence for the Lions. In the 57th minute, a pair of crosses into the box were dangerous but couldn’t find the head of a player in white. A minute later, a low cross into the six-yard box for Akindele created a scramble in front of goal before D.C. was able to clear. It was one of many chances that Orlando City would rue in the end.

In the 67th minute, a beautiful cross by Dillon Powers found the head of Mueller but the forward put it just over the crossbar.

Orlando City’s failure to convert on its chances caused devastation in the 73rd minute when a great run by Ulises Segura allowed him to be played through on goal after Lamine Sané lost an aerial duel against Rooney. Rowe came out to cut down the angle but Segura placed it past him well and into the net, apparently doubling the D.C. lead.

After the goal celebration, referee Alex Chilowicz was notified by the video assistant referee to review the play. The quick review showed that Segura was offside when the ball was played and the goal was disallowed, giving Orlando City a lifeline.

In the 82nd minute, Ruan played a great ball across the front of goal but nobody in white was able to get to it before D.C. pushed it out of play. It was another good chance for the Lions in which they were unable to take advantage. That was the last real chance for Orlando City as D.C. did well to drain the clock until the final whistle blew.

Orlando City led United in most statistical categories at the end of the game. The Lions held 54% of the possession and out-shot D.C. 19-15. In the end, it came down to the Lions being unable to take advantage of their opportunities. Only three of their 19 shots were on target. Four of their shots were blocked, as they waited too long to shoot, allowing the defense to close them down.

It will be a quick turnaround as the Lions will now head to Ohio to take on the Columbus Crew Saturday night. They’ll be looking to get back on the winning track as they sit four points behind Toronto FC for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions continue their May grind with a visit to the fake plastic surface of Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on Atlanta.

Published

6 hours ago

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May 28, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (7-2-6, 27 points) and Atlanta United (3-7-5, 14 points) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (7:15 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). It’s the second of the two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals, closing the series for the 2025 regular season.

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

History

The Lions are 5-10-7 in the all-time series against Atlanta in league play and 2-4-4 on the road. The Lions are 6-11-7 against tonight’s hosts in all competitions (regular season, playoffs, and U.S. Open Cup).

The teams just met in Orlando almost a month ago to the day on April 26. The Lions prevailed 3-0 on goals by Luis Muriel (from the penalty spot), Alex Freeman, and Marco Pasalic.

The rivals met in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Lions eking out a 1-0 home victory on Nov. 24, 2024. Ramiro Enrique provided the game’s only goal and the defense was dominant, allowing the visitors just seven total shot attempts — none on target. That win pushed the Lions into their first-ever conference final.

Prior to their postseason meeting, these two teams met on Decision Day 2024, with Atlanta scoring two early goals and holding on for a 2-1 win on Oct. 9. Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal Thiare gave the visitors an early lead. Martin Ojeda pulled one back and Duncan McGuire appeared to tie the game late, but the latter goal was overturned on video review for a handball. The teams also met last year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 17, when Orlando City fell 2-0 on goals by Lobjanidze and Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The last meeting of 2023 took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Orlando City capturing a 2-1 away win. Atlanta took the lead through Caleb Wiley, but Antonio Carlos and McGuire scored to lead the Lions’ comeback.

The southeast rivals also met in Orlando on May 27, 2023, at then-Exploria Stadium and played to a 1-1 draw. It was a heartbreaking dropped two points for the Lions, who took the lead through Kyle Smith at the half-hour mark and held that advantage until four minutes from full time, when Tyler Wolff pounced on a fortunate rebound in the box and equalized.

Atlanta went 1-0-1 in the season series in 2022. On Sept. 14 at Exploria Stadium the Five Stripes won 1-0 on a Thiago Almada goal despite the Lions out-shooting Atlanta 20-10. The sides played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting of that year on July 22 in Atlanta. Mauricio Pereyra staked the Lions to an early 1-0 lead on a beautiful free kick. Juan Jose Purata equalized in the second half, but Atlanta bombarded Orlando the majority of the game and completely controlled the midfield, outshooting the Lions 18-3 in the match.

Orlando had a six-match unbeaten streak in the series (3-0-3) snapped on Sept. 10, 2021, as the Five Stripes won 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. George Campbell and Ezequiel Barco scored for Atlanta, sandwiched around a Daryl Dike own goal to hand Gonzalo Pineda his first win as manager for United.

The second of three 2021 meetings took place July 30 at Exploria Stadium, with the Five Stripes taking the lead twice on goals by Josef Martinez and Marcelino Moreno, but the Lions not only fought back twice on strikes by Smith and Silvester van der Water, but Nani scored a late game winner by heading in VDW’s cross in Orlando City’s 3-2 win. The first meeting of that season between the two rivals came on opening day — April 17 — and they played to a 0-0 draw. It was an evenly matched game, with each team firing 11 shots and getting three on frame.

The final meeting of 2020 came on Oct. 28, when Orlando City ran away with a 4-1 win over Atlanta at Exploria Stadium. Dike, Chris Mueller, Tesho Akindele, and Matheus Aias — his first in MLS — scored the goals for the Lions, with Cubo Torres preventing a shutout with a late goal for the visitors. Prior to that, the teams met in Atlanta on Oct. 7, 2020 and played to a 0-0 draw. Robinho and Nani each hit the woodwork and Brad Guzan stood on his head to prevent Orlando from taking a deserved three points in that one, while Brian Rowe held down the fort at the other end to earn a shutout in Pedro Gallese’s absence.

Back on Sept. 5, 2020, a late, unforced turnover by Kamal Miller led to Adam Jahn’s 92nd-minute tying goal that offset a Benji Michel goal in a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City finally got on the board in the series against Atlanta United with a 3-1 win on the road on Aug. 29, 2020. Junior Urso, Mueller, and Nani supplied the offense to more than counter a Brooks Lennon headed goal. That three-goal explosion snapped a three-match scoreless streak against the Five Stripes for Orlando.

Orlando City created an incredible 17 scoring chances on Aug. 23, 2019, yet finished none of them in a 1-0 home loss. Martinez scored the game’s only goal in the second half. Only 17 days earlier at Exploria Stadium, Orlando also failed to score and lost 2-0 to Atlanta, getting bounced from the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. On Mother’s Day of 2019, Atlanta United claimed a 1-0 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pity Martinez scored the goal.

Atlanta won at the building then known as Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 24, 2018 by a 2-1 final score. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez bundled home a rebound off Joe Bendik, who misplayed Barco’s free kick to open the scoring just 21 minutes in. Scott Sutter tied the game just before the half, but Josef Martinez broke the deadlock in the second half, with only 16 minutes remaining in normal time.

Atlanta easily claimed the June 30, 2018 meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 4-0. Josef Martinez and Barco each scored a goal and Miguel Almiron added a brace. Orlando lost the first matchup of 2018, 2-1, on May 13. An early penalty on a Cristian Higuita foul gave the visitors a leg up on a Josef Martinez goal from the spot and Barco doubled the lead before halftime. Justin Meram scored his first goal as a Lion to pull one back, but Orlando could get no closer. The unfortunate ending included a shower of debris coming out of the stands due to dissatisfaction with referee Alan Kelly’s decisions that night.

Hector Villalba’s two late goals in the first two meetings turned what could have been an Orlando draw and a win into a loss and a draw. The two teams kicked off their series with Orlando suffering a late 1-0 loss at home on July 21, 2017. Villalba found the net late. Villalba then scored a stoppage-time tally to rescue a 1-1 draw for Atlanta in the second meeting on July 29, 2017. Kaká scored one of his best goals as a Lion in that match to provide Orlando’s lone score.

Orlando City became the first visiting team to take any points out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 3-3 draw in Atlanta that September. Dom Dwyer scored his first brace as a Lion (in MLS, anyway) and also assisted on Cyle Larin’s goal. Josef Martinez’s hat trick spoiled Orlando’s bid to take all three points.

Overview

Orlando is coming off a hard-fought 1-0 win at home over the Portland Timbers on Saturday, marking the Lions’ third consecutive win and Orlando’s 12th consecutive result (6-0-6). The 12-game unbeaten streak equaled the club’s record set in 2020. McGuire scored the game’s only goal off a terrific assist by Eduard Atuesta, who returned to action after missing several games with a neck injury.

The Lions are 2-1-4 on the road this season, with the two wins and four draws all coming since a loss at New York City FC on March 8 in the Lions’ first road match of the season.

Atlanta United is coming off the team’s first win since before its visit to Orlando in April. The Five Stripes bested FC Cincinnati 4-2 on Sunday night. That win snapped an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3), as Derrick Williams, Ajani Fortune, Bartosz Slisz, and Jamal Thiare scored.

Atlanta is 3-3-3 at home this season, meaning all of the team’s wins and three of its five draws have come at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as opposed to the team’s dreadful road record of 0-4-2.

Orlando City’s defense will have to keep tabs on Lobjanidze, who led Atlanta in goals (9) and was second in assists (7) a year ago. He’s off to a slow start in 2025, but he’s plagued Orlando in the past, so he’ll bear watching. Former Middlesbrough man Emmanuel Latte Lath has five goals and an assist on the season. Miguel Almiron is also always a threat, with three goals and three assists on the season. Thiare has also had success in the past against Orlando City and is coming off a game in which he scored his second goal of the season.

“We’re feeling very confident and we’re feeling very positive,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “I think the last results have shown in many ways that we are progressing during the year and we can be the team that we want to be, or at least just to keep advancing towards that type of team. It’s true that we’re playing a good rival in Atlanta United, who is coming off their game against FC Cincinnati. We always say one game at a time, and that is our approach. We’re going to play Atlanta with the same desire and commitment that is characteristic of this group.”

Orlando City will be without Nico Rodriguez (thigh), Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), and Yutaro Tsukada (knee), while Gustavo Caraballo (lower leg) is listed as questionable. Atlanta will be without Brooks Lennon (hamstring), Tristan Muyumba (knee), and Stian Gregersen (quad).

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Arajuo, Eduard Atuesta.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Ramiro Enrique.

Atlanta United (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan.

Defenders: Pedro Amador, Luis Abram, Derrick Williams, Matthew Edwards.

Defensive Midfielders: Bartosz Slisz, Ajani Fortune.

Attacking Midfielders: Saba Lobjanidze, Aleksey Miranchuk, Miguel Almiron.

Forwards: Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Referees

Ref: Filip Dujic.
AR1: Walt Heatherly.
AR2: Gianni Facchini.
4th: Abdou Ndiaye.
VAR: Ramy Touchan.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FOX.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish).

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!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/28/25

Orlando City set to face Atlanta, Banda and Sams recognized, USMNT news, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

on

May 28, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It is match day against the rivals from Georgia. Lions against…a common clothing pattern? Needless to say, I’m always ready for a rivalry match, and tonight is no exception. Orlando City is in a good run of form, hopefully that holds true in Atlanta. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Heads North

Orlando City takes on rival Atlanta United tonight in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a place where a lot of people can watch soccer played on turf, making it a sub-standard venue. Just in case you are wondering, here is what the opposition feels Atlanta needs to do to win at home. The Lions climbed up to third in MLSsoccer.com’s Power Rankings following the win over the Portland Timbers. We will have your match preview later today, and you can follow The Mane Land Bluesky account for match updates.

Banda and Sams Recognized

A first-half hat trick from Barbra Banda was enough to earn her a spot on the NWSL Team of the Week at CBS.com. Emily Sams also made the Best XI. In fact, there is still time to vote for Banda for NWSL Player of the Week for the aforementioned hat trick performance. You know what to do.

Orlando Pride Power

The Orlando Pride victory over the Utah Royals wasn’t a marquee matchup, but it still garnered plenty of attention. As such, the Pride held onto the third spot in the All for XI Power Rankings. The club was also third in the Goal.com Power Rankings heading into the international break. You know what I think about power rankings, but I’ll accept recognition for my club when it is presented.

Freeman and the USMNT

It didn’t take long after Orlando City defender Alex Freeman received an undervalued offer from Serie A club Parma for the rumors to start up. Freeman’s services are reportedly wanted by teams being promoted to the English Premier League. Perhaps this is a good time for Luiz Muzzi to sign the young defender to a new contract?

Several Americans made waves in Europe, with excellent performances last season from Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Antonee Robinson, and others. Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final today at 3 p.m.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Make sure you check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/27/25

Eduard Atuesta earns props, lessons from MLS matchday 15, World Cup prep continues, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 27, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone. If you were lucky enough to have Memorial Day off, then I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday! If not, then I hope your week got started off on a good note. As has been the case for most of May, we’ll barely have time to catch our breath before another Orlando City game is upon us, as the Lions travel up to Georgia to take on Atlanta United on Wednesday. Let’s jump right into today’s links.

Eduard Atuesta Earns Recognition

Eduard Atuesta played a crucial role in his first game back from a neck injury, as he supplied the assist on Duncan McGuire’s game-winning goal against the Portland Timbers on Saturday. The Colombian slipped a beautiful ball behind the Timbers’ defense and McGuire made no mistake with his finish. That assist, combined with a defensive performance of three tackles and a clearance, earned him a spot on the bench of the most recent MLS Team of the Matchday. Nic Josey also named him the Man of the Match in his Player Grades piece, so it’s nice to see him getting some wider recognition.

MLS Matchday 15 Lessons

Major League Soccer’s 15th matchday had a ton going on, and there were plenty of things to be taken away from the action. Nashville SC continued its bounce-back from a rough 2024 season with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC, as the team stretched its unbeaten run in MLS play to six matches. The Vancouver Whitecaps also kept things rolling with a 3-2 victory over Real Salt Lake, and they look pretty well prepared for their Concacaf Champions Cup final against Cruz Azul on Sunday. Finally, some of the guys who got the call for the United States Men’s National Team this month had great showings, with Patrick Agyemang and Brian White each scoring braces, and Diego Luna getting a goal as well.

Host Cities Continue World Cup Preparations

The 2026 World Cup will be here before we know it, and that means that cities which will be hosting games are continuing to make their preparations. Host sites with established public transit options like Metlife Stadium have a leg up, while Kansas City is implementing special buses to get fans from the city to the stadium, while also constructing a tram to help ferry people back and forth. Other stadiums have had to make changes to their fields, whether it’s been removing seating in order to widen the pitch, or adding natural grass to a turf surface and letting it grow in naturally over the course of a year and a half. Other changes will happen much closer to the tournament, like existing stadium branding being covered up or replaced and constructing fan zones for spectators to watch games outside the stadium itself. It’s a huge undertaking, and the work won’t stop until balls are being kicked next summer.

Man in Custody after Hitting Spectators at Liverpool Title Parade

Over two dozen people were injured on Monday evening when a car drove into fans at Liverpool’s trophy parade. A reported 27 people were taken to the hospital, and two were said to have “sustained serious injuries.” A man believed to be the driver of the car was taken into custody by the police after the incident, and the police force has urged the public to not make speculations about the nature and intent of the incident. The police have also said that they are not treating the incident as an act of terrorism and are continuing to investigate.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic has been called up to the Croatian Men’s National Team for June.
  • Parma has reportedly put in a lowball offer for Alex Freeman.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

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