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Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact, Preseason: Final Score 1-0 as Nani’s Masterful Free Kick Lifts Lions

The first open preseason match goes the Lions’ way thanks to the captain’s sweet free kick.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Nani scored on a free kick in the first half to lift the Lions to a 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact at Exploria Stadium in Orlando City’s first open preseason game of 2020. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, and there will be plenty to clean up, but the team got the W.

“The thing that I liked the most is that I saw a team there, with a ball and without it,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And we’re going to build slowly. It’s normal at this point. We would like many more things better, but we are very content with what we see today,”

Pareja’s starting lineup was Pedro Gallese; Kamal Miller, Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, Ruan; Uri Rosell, Junior Urso, Benji Michel; Mauricio Pereyra, Dom Dwyer, and Nani. The team took on a 3-4-3 look in the attack, with Ruan playing higher than his fellow defenders, who fanned out with Miller out left and Carlos on the right, and with Schlegel in the center. Michel played like a wingback on the left, with Rosell next to him, but sometimes swapping with Urso, and Ruan out right. Pereyra, Dwyer, and Nani patrolled the top of the formation and switched places fluidly in the opening half.

Defensively, Ruan sagged back and the back four tightened up, with Urso and Rosell adding support and everyone tracking back to help.

The first half was a defensive-minded affair with very few scoring opportunities for either side. The teams took a while to settle in, and any progress up the field was ultimately undone by a pass offline. The first shot attempt didn’t come until the 11th minute, when Dwyer got his head to a cross from Rosell in traffic, but it hit Michel and was cleared.

Montreal got a free kick after a Rosell turnover near midfield as Miller committed a tactical foul and took down Orji Okwonkwo, drawing a yellow card. Sapher Taider took the free kick from about 25 yards out, but Gallese made the save comfortably in the 16th minute.

In the 19th minute, Pereyra fired a shot over the bar and in the 28th Dwyer did well to get a piece of a bending cross from Ruan but sent it just wide of goal.

Montreal nearly opened the scoring in the 36th minute as the Impact took the ball down Orlando’s left flank and a ball deflected across the area. A Montreal player shot from close range but Gallese made the save.

“It shows the pedigree, that he has,” Pareja said of his goalkeeper. “And you know the keepers are to stop the ball that we need the most.”

Two minutes later, a nice passing combination sent Nani to the top of the area where he was taken down, setting up a free kick from about 20 yards out. The captain stood over the ball along with Dwyer and Pereyra, but it was Nani who struck it — and struck it well — sending it past Evan Bush to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute.

That was the last decent chance for either side in the opening 45 minutes and the Lions took their lead into the break.

The second half was much less fluid from both teams and there weren’t as many clear-cut chances for Orlando, with Montreal nearly taking advantage of a few mistakes by the Lions. Nani gave the ball away in the 51st minute, leading to a shot by Romell Quioto that was well saved by Gallese. Quioto fired just wide in the 60th from the left side, trying to find the inside of the far post after Ruan gave the ball away in his defensive third.

Montreal should have equalized in the 74th minute when Ballou Tabla was able to sneak in past the defense on the right to get onto a cross, but he fired his shot over Gallese’s goal. The Impact’s best chance came in the 85th minute when Maxi Urruti seemingly weaved through the entire Orlando team and struck a shot off the left post.

Orlando had several half chances to put the game away but couldn’t connect the final ball after getting behind the Montreal defense. Second-half sub Chris Mueller forced a save by Bush in the 90th and the goalkeeper spilled it, but Tesho Akindele couldn’t quite get onto it for the put-back. Moments later, Mueller got down the left side again, but his cutback pass was picked off before David Loera could get there.

After several nervy moments in stoppage time, the whistle blew on a 1-0 victory.

“I think Montreal just moved the ball well and the last 10-15 minutes they created problems for us,” Pareja said. “But we were disciplined and I see the boys battling and trying to win the game despite it being a friendly game.”

“My biggest takeaway is that we got a W,” Michel said. “We can see what we’ve been working on in training all of preseason, the way we want to play and we move the ball and it’s showing in our play. And we were able to get the result. We just need to build off of that, not stay comfortable, and stay hungry.”

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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19 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

Free Kicks

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

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