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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 3-1 as 9-Man Lions Undone in Second Half

Robin Jansson’s red card late in the first half completely changed the game and Sacha Kljestan’s red in the second half didn’t help.

Published

7 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City just can’t quite seem to find a way to win consecutive games. With yet another good opportunity to start a winning streak, the Lions saw Robin Jansson sent off at the end of the first half for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity in a tie game, and Sacha Kljestan was sent off in the second half for a horror tackle. The first-place Union (10-5-5, 35 points) took full advantage and beat the Lions (6-9-3, 21 points) 3-1 at Exploria Stadium.

It was the first time this season that Orlando scored first and lost. It was also the Union’s first win at Orlando in five tries (1-1-3).

Chris Mueller opened the scoring for Orlando just eight minutes in, but Kacper Przybylko answered later in the first half and added another just after halftime as the Union capitalized on the Lions being down a man.

“We started the game brightly, got a goal and then after the goal I felt like we needed to do a better job of maintaining possession. We allowed them to come back into the game a little bit,” said Head Coach James O’Connor after the match. “They obviously scored a goal but then I think obviously the sending off (of Jansson) was a major impact.”

O’Connor wasted no time inserting some of his internationals back into the lineup. Will Johnson and Sebas Mendez joined Kljestan in the midfield. The forward line and back four remained the same as it was for Saturday’s win at Columbus, with Brian Rowe back in goal. Dom Dwyer made the 18, along with Kamal Miller.

The Lions got on the front foot immediately, with Danilo Acosta getting a couple of crosses into dangerous spots in the first minute. The second found Tesho Akindele, who was denied at point-blank range by a sliding Matt Freese.

Just after Kljestan and Mendez had shots blocked in the area off a corner kick, Orlando broke through in the eighth minute. Mueller took advantage of an Auston Trusty turnover, backed Jack Elliott into his own penalty area, and fired home for the Lions’ earliest goal in a game this season. It was the fifth of the season and the second straight game with a goal for Cash.

“I picked it up and just started driving kind of towards the goal,” Mueller said. “The defender just kind of kept backing off, backing off, backing off until I thought I was close enough to get a good look and I just kept it low and took my shot.”

“I thought we started out really well,” said Akindele. “They’re a good team. We knew it. We knew we had to kind of impose ourselves on the game and we did. Chris scored an amazing goal and I thought we had control of it. They kind of started taking the momentum back.”

Philadelphia started to climb into the match shortly after that. Przybylko fired a shot from range in the 12th minute that Rowe didn’t pick up right away, but he was able to get down with a strong hand and knock it away.

The Union then spent about the next 10 minutes winning several corner kicks but the Orlando defense did well to keep any of them from becoming dangerous. However, Rowe did have to make a save on a clear-cut chance from an angle in the 18th.

Nani had a ball fall for him on the left in the 24th minute but he sent a scorcher over the bar.

Two minutes later, Orlando tried to break on the counter off a Union corner but Haris Medunjanin was booked for a professional foul.

The Union leveled in the 32nd minute when Akindele turned it over in the midfield. He went down under contact but Chris Penso waved play on and Jamiro Monteiro passed to Przybylko, who put a move on Jansson, who went to ground, then fired into the net to make it 1-1.

Disaster struck in the 43rd minute when a ball got in behind and Jansson took down Fafa Picault. He managed to get a touch on the ball first but fell awkwardly and ended up scissoring Picault to the ground. Penso gave him a yellow card initially, before reviewing the video and changing his decision to a straight red.

“I think that obviously completely changes the game,” O’Connor said.

“Obviously the red card was unlucky for us, but you know, it happens sometimes,” Akindele said. “We need to learn from it and we need to go and review what we did wrong and make sure we’re ready to do better in that situation next time.”

The Lions saw out two minutes of stoppage time down a man, but the game changed dramatically with Orlando’s first red card of the season.

Orlando out-shot the Union in the first half, 8-7, with Philadelphia getting more on target (4-3). The Union held a slight edge in passing (89%-88%), with possession split just about 50/50.

The Union wasted no time grabbing the lead, with Przybylko notching his brace just 62 seconds after the restart. A routine ball into the area fell for the Union striker and second-half sub Kamal Miller was too slow in closing him down, allowing him to get off a volley shot that made it 2-1.

Seven minutes later, Picault put the game away with his third goal of the season, roofing a shot toward the near post to make it 3-1 in the 52nd minute. This time Acosta was late tracking back to close down the shooter.

“The first 10 minutes of the second half I think we needed to be sharper,” O’Connor said. “Granted we’re down to 10 men but I think that’s something that we feel as if we needed to start the second half brighter than we did.”

“I think we lost our discipline as a team,” Akindele said. “You need to at that point bunker and not allow a goal in that first couple minutes. And that’s on everyone. That’s on me from the top and our defenders — everybody needs to be better and I think we just need to be a little bit more disciplined in those situations.”

Things got even worse in the 67th minute when Kljestan caught Monteiro with his studs from behind and got Orlando’s second straight red card of the game and the season. It was a terrible challenge and Kljestan will be lucky if he doesn’t receive any additional punishment beyond the suspension for Saturday’s return leg in Philadelphia.

“Obviously Sacha makes a poor decision, goes to ground,” O’Connor said. “Too tired, to be fair to Sacha, and then obviously we’re down another man. I think the game was completely impacted by the sendings off.”

The Lions did try to hit on the counter a few times after going down to nine men, but Akindele and substitute Dom Dwyer couldn’t quite break free. Dwyer nearly scored in the 84th on a corner kick after Johnson headed a ball into the area with an audacious bicycle kick attempt but he hit his screamer over the bar.

After that it was just damage control. Miller blocked a shot that would have made it 4-1 in the 87th minute and seconds later Rowe was forced to make an outstanding stop to deny Medunjanin.

Philadelphia led all statistical categories, including shots (22-13), shots on target (9-3), possession (58%-42%), and passing accuracy (91%-87%). But going down a man and then two goals, then losing another player was too much to overcome against virtually any team, let alone the Eastern Conference leaders.

“The issue for Saturday now is we’ve got a load of guys that have played a lot of minutes and have covered a lot of ground,” O’Connor said. “And then with another game on the Wednesday against New York (City) we’re going to really have to manage the situation.”

These two teams will do it all over again — hopefully without the Orlando red cards — at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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Orlando City

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

The Lions look for healthy bodies on the roster and offense on the field as Charlotte FC visits.

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 22, 2026

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Image of Robin Jansson defending for Orlando against Charlotte FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (1-6-1, 4 points) and Charlotte FC (4-2-2, 14 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of two games on the slate between the Eastern Conference rivals in 2026, with the return fixture in Charlotte scheduled for Oct. 31.

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

History

The Lions are 4-1-3 in the regular-season series and 6-3-3 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 3-1-0 at home in the regular season and 5-1-0 in the City Beautiful across all competitions against the North Carolina-based side. These games are usually close, with all previous non-draws decided by one or two goals.

The teams last met on July 5, 2025, playing to a 2-2 draw at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The hosts took a 2-0 lead on goals by Pep Biel and Bill Tuiloma, but Ramiro Enrique and Marco Pasalic brought the Lions back to earn a point on the road.

Earlier in the 2025 campaign, the teams met on May 14 in Orlando, with Luis Muriel and Martin Ojeda giving the Lions a 2-0 lead inside the game’s first 25 minutes. Wilfried Zaha pulled the visitors within a goal before the break, making for a tight second half, but Enrique’s late goal put the game to bed in Orlando City’s 3-1 home win.

Prior to 2025, the teams met in the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando City claimed two of the three matches, winning the first outright, dropping the second on penalties after a late goal was called offside in the buildup, and advancing after a penalty shootout win following the third match of the best-of-three series.

On Nov. 9, 2024, Facundo Torres’ penalty late in stoppage time canceled out a Karol Swiderski goal and sent the deciding third match to penalties with a 1-1 score. Pedro Gallese made two saves and Orlando City won the shootout 4-1, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The teams played eight days before that in Charlotte, without either side scoring in normal time, as Torres’ strike was disallowed for offside on Nico Lodeiro on Muriel’s through ball. Charlotte won the ensuing penalty shootout 3-1 after the scoreless draw to tie the series at 1-1. That followed Orlando City’s 2-0 home win the previous Sunday. Torres and Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.

The teams met a month and a half prior to their first playoff meeting on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of that year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

In 2022, the teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

Orlando City enters the match adrift in 2026, having won only one time in eight league matches to start the season — easily the worst start to any season in OCSC history. The Lions have managed only one draw to go with the win and are coming off a 1-0 home loss to the Houston Dynamo, squandering a handful of good scoring chances and giving up a late goal to a team that had previously not won on the road in 2026 and had never won in Orlando. The lads in purple are just 1-3-0 at home this season and Orlando City has scored just six goals on the year while conceding a league-worst 25. While the defense has been better the last couple of games since captain Robin Jansson returned, those came against teams not high in the standings.

Charlotte is 1-1-1 on the road this season after beating New York City FC at Citi Field — the Pigeons’ other baseball stadium — on Saturday. Tonight’s visitors have won four of their last five games in all competitions. Biel is off to a hot start with four goals and three assists, while Zaha has added two goals and four assists. Idan Toklomati and Archie Goodwin have three goals apiece, giving Charlotte three players with more goals than Orlando co-leaders Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic, who have each scored twice. Kristijan Kahlina is one of the league’s top goalkeepers, and Orlando City won’t have an easy time against the club that has conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando City will need to be patient to avoid giving up dangerous counterattacks, as they’ve struggled to defend them all year, but the Lions must also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by Kahlina and usually anchored by USMNT center back Tim Ream. However, Ream will miss the match per the latest MLS availability report with a lower body injury.

“I think both teams know each other really well. They have done a good job over the last year,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We respect them like we respect every opponent, and we will have our plan and our strategy. We will be at home with the energy and attitude we want to have. Hopefully we can give the fans some joy and happiness with a result, for our people and for us as well, because we are the first ones who need and want to win. Hopefully we can do it this game, but the attitude will be there.”

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh), Griffin Dorsey (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee),
Duncan McGuire (lower leg), and Pasalic (thigh). Eduard Atuesta (shoulder) and David Brekalo (lower Leg) are listed as questionable. Charlotte will be without Ream (lower body), while Henry Kessler (lower body) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, Tyrese Spicer.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Tiago.

Charlotte FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Harry Toffolo, Morrison Agyemang, Andrew Privett, Nathan Byrne.

Midfielders: Pep Biel, Ashley Westwood, Brandt Bronico.

Forwards: Wilfried Zaha, Idan Toklomati, Rodolfo Aloko.

Referees

REF: Filip Dujic.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Lorenzo Hernandez.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: Joshua Patlak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando.

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!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/26

Orlando City hosts Charlotte tonight, the Orlando Pride prep for Louisville trip, NWSL expansion coming to Columbus, and more.

Published

7 hours ago

on

April 22, 2026

By

Image of Kaka celebrating a goal.
Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day for Orlando City. That’s as much a warning for your mental health as it is a notification if you decide to watch the match tonight. Perhaps you could catch up on Pluribus, or rewatch Ted Lasso. I’m simply saying you have options that might not raise your blood pressure. On a brighter note, join me in wishing Orlando City legend Kaká a very happy birthday. More on him below. Let’s get to the links.

Lions Host Charlotte Tonight

Orlando City is looking to rebound against Charlotte FC tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s no secret that the Lions are having a rough time of it so far this season, and with Charlotte sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, it doesn’t get any easier. That doesn’t stop Martin Perelman and the players from thinking they are getting better and having a plan for the match tonight. What was it Mike Tyson said about everyone having a plan? Can the Lions turn things around on short rest?

Orlando Pride Return to NWSL Play Friday

The Orlando Pride return to action Friday against Racing Louisville FC. The match is at Louisville where the Pride have yet to win. Despite that, the players are ready to pick up where they left off before the international break. The break provided much-needed rest for many of the players. The Pride will play six matches during the month of May before the league takes a break for the World Cup.

Osceola Heritage Park Expansion Funding Moves Forward

Osceola County leaders have agreed to have Orlando City expand the club’s footprint at Osceola Heritage Park. Orlando Sports Enterprises (OSE a.k.a. the Wilf family) will match the $25 million that the county is putting up for the project. OSE will assume repair, maintenance, and operating costs for the facility. A hotel and free-standing restaurant are also in the plans. This is a good investment for the club’s future in the arms race that is professional sports.

NWSL Coming to Columbus

The owners of the Columbus Crew have been awarded an NWSL franchise. The Haslam Sports Group paid a record $205 million expansion fee to obtain the 18th NWSL club. The new club will renovate and play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field downtown. The organization will also build a training center at McCoy Park that had previously been slated to be renovated for local residents, including features that would enable physically disabled people to use the park.

The NWSL called and Columbus answered 📞 Columbus joins the league as team No. 18!

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2026-04-21T19:44:42.987Z

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That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the Orlando City match this evening. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/21/26

Takeaways from MLS matchday eight, USWNT stock watch, transfer rumor roundup, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 21, 2026

By

Image of Ignacio Gomez making his MLS debut with Orlando City vs. Houston.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It was a frustrating weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as Orlando City lost a close game to the Houston Dynamo, and Orlando City B blew a two-goal lead against Carolina Core FC, and had to settle for the two points that come with a shootout victory after a draw. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your viewpoint), OCSC will have a chance to get right back on the horse when Charlotte FC comes to town on Wednesday. We’ve got lots to talk about this morning, so let’s have a look at the links.

MLS Matchday Eight Takeaways

Major League Soccer’s eighth round of matches is in the books, and there are plenty of talking points to go over. The San Jose Earthquakes ended the weekend on an emphatic note by dismantling LAFC 4-1 on the road, adding to an impressive list of scalps that also includes the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Diego FC. They’re tied with Vancouver atop the Western Conference and continue to look like one of the league’s best teams. Meanwhile, Charlotte FC, Orlando City’s next opponent, kept things organized in a 4-4-2 block and scored from two of its three shots on goal to take down NYCFC 2-1. That result puts the club in third place in the Eastern Conference.

USWNT Stock Watch

The United States Women’s National Team wrapped up its three game slate against Japan over the weekend, so let’s check in on how the matches affected the standing of several players. Lindsey Heaps was name-dropped by Emma Hayes as having had a great run of three matches, while 20-year-old Claire Hutton wore the captain’s armband during the series and looked far more poised and ready than one would expect given her age. At the opposite end of the spectrum, winger Emma Sears struggled to make an impact in the final third, and while her speed makes her a tempting option to have in the squad, the depth at her position means she’s always going to face a battle for a place.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be here before we know it, and that means the rumors are already flying thick and fast. We begin with Arsenal, which is said to be interested in signing Julian Alvarez this summer, but will likely face competition from Barcelona. Speaking of Barcelona, club president Joan Laporta has reportedly held talks with Robert Lewandowski about extending his stay with the team, while the Chicago Fire also interested and reportedly having submitted a bid to the striker’s representatives. Liverpool is said to be ready to spend in excess of  €100 million to sign Red Bull Leipzig forward Yan Diomande as a replacement for the outgoing Mohamed Salah. Finally, center backs Hiroki Ito and Min-Jae-Kim could both reportedly leave Bayern Munich this summer if interested teams are willing to meet the German club’s valuations of them.

Jonathan Klinsmann Suffers Broken Neck

American goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann suffered a broken neck while playing for Serie B side Cesena on Saturday. The son of former United States Men’s National Team manager Jurgen Klinsmann, the shot stopper was stretchered off the field after colliding with a Palermo player and was diagnosed with a fractured first cervical vertebra after being taken to the hospital. Klinsmann confirmed on social media that his season is over, which will leave him unavailable for Cesena’s promotion push. The team is currently eighth in the second division, which is the final playoff promotion spot.

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That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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