Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Final Score 3-2 as Herons Get First Win vs. Sloppy Lions

OCSC played like the team with the long layoff and got punished in Round 2 of Tropic Thunder.

Published

6 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Nani’s goal in the 80th minute gave Orlando City a shot, but the Lions couldn’t find an equalizer after falling behind by multiple goals for the first time all season. Round 2 of Tropic Thunder went to Inter Miami, 3-2 at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

It was the first gameday road trip under the new MLS pandemic travel rules for Orlando City (2-2-2, 8 points), and the Lions lacked sharpness in allowing two early first-half goals to Julian Carranza and an early second-half goal to Rodolfo Pizarro, giving Miami (1-5-0, 3 points) its first MLS win. It snapped a three-match league unbeaten streak (2-0-1) for the Lions, with all of those coming in the bubble, and knotted the season series between the two teams at one apiece. Hey, at least rookie Daryl Dike scored a goal (and added a hockey assist) in his first professional start.

After the match Head Coach Oscar Pareja said the Lions, as a group, were not sharp enough in their defensive third and promised the team will get back on track.

“We should defend those crosses better, obviously,” Pareja said of one of his biggest criticisms of the team’s performance. “

Pareja went mostly with his preferred MLS is Back Tournament lineup with two notable exceptions. Dike got his first MLS start up top in the striker position in place of Tesho Akindele (who was, himself, taking Dom Dwyer’s spot). Chris Mueller started on the bench rather than the right wing, with Junior Urso filling in. Aside from that, it was the usual suspects: Pedro Gallese in goal; Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan on the back line; Sebas Mendez and Uri Rosell in the holding midfield; and Nani and Mauricio Pereyra on the attacking midfield line with Urso.

“There’s many games coming and we come in also from a difficult tournament,” Pareja said about his decision to start Dike and Urso in place of Akindele and Mueller. “Unfortunately, I have to say as well that we didn’t feel comfortable. And there was minutes in the game where we wanted to have the ball, but we couldn’t occupy the space defensively. That creates a gap there that Miami took advantage.”

The Lions came out looking like the team with the longer layoff. There was a noticeable lack of sharpness in the midfield with passes either offline or a tad late and getting deflected, leading to Miami turning them over and getting forward. Miami’s first goal came just 12 minutes in, when Mendez tried a fancy back-heel pass in the midfield and picked out Miami’s Pizarro instead of his own teammate. Pizarro held the ball and then released Carranza, who beat Gallese with a hard shot from in close to make it 1-0.

Carranza got another opportunity two minutes later but Jansson made an important block to keep it a one-goal game. Lewis Morgan sent a couple of dangerous crosses through the area as Miami kept pressing forward.

The Lions struck back in the 18th minute. Dike made a nice spin move to beat Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, got down the right and sent a cannon shot that Luis Robles fought off. Dike was the first to react and had a second effort blocked, then he spun around, reset, and sent a shot off Andrés Reyes and past Robles for his first MLS goal, making it a 1-1 game.

“It felt phenomenal,” Dike said of scoring his first MLS goal. “I mean throughout the season, through our preseason, throughout my entire life, you know we’ve always worked super hard. Everyone around me has worked super hard with me to have moments like these.”

The game didn’t stay tied long. Ben Sweat sent a cross into the area in the 23rd minute and it looked like Jansson had it covered. But he either didn’t get enough air or jumped a split second early, allowing Carranza to get onto it and head it back across the face of goal and inside the back post to make it 2-1.

The Lions were better after the hydration break but didn’t create a lot on the offensive end. Without Mueller in the game, Ruan had nobody but defensive midfielders to play off of, as Mauricio Pereyra and Nani dropped deeper to get on the ball. Ruan did make a decent cross in the 44th minute, but Miami got a piece of it and Moutinho got under his volley attempt, sending it high into the Fort Lauderdale night.

Both teams had six shot attempts in the opening half but Miami got more on target (3-2). Orlando City held 63.2% of the ball but it was largely unproductive possession as they Lions continuously allowed themselves to get squeezed once they got to midfield. The Lions were the better passing team (88%-82%) but it was Orlando turnovers that gave Miami its chances.

Unfortunately, Miami added to its lead just moments after the restart. The Lions fell asleep defensively, leaving both Pizarro and Matias Pellegrini all alone on the left side of the penalty area. A simple ball in from Miami’s right side was deflected on and fell to the last guy Orlando wanted to see get onto it. Pizarro had only to pick out his spot to make it 3-1 in the 49th minute.

“With that third goal coming out of nowhere, it hurt us,” Pareja said.

Pizarro nearly put the match out of reach a minute later on a 1-v-1 opportunity with Antonio Carlos but he sent a shot off the far post.

Orlando dodged another bullet in the 55th minute when Rosell blocked a Pizarro cross intended for Victor Ulloa, who was all alone in front of goal, as the Lions continued to look a bit confused defensively.

The Lions then started to claw back into the match, settling down and getting the ball through Miami’s low block and into dangerous areas, working from outside in. Pareja said substituting Mueller on for Urso helped the team start creating more chances and using the wider spaces better against Miami’s low defensive block.

Ruan sent in a good cross in the 56th but Nani couldn’t quite get across the front of his defender to put a head on it. Then Nani sent a good ball through the area in the 60th that Dike tried to flick toward goal but he couldn’t pick it out of the air. Dike then nearly got in alone in the 61st, but Reyes made a vital last-ditch tackle.

Moutinho fizzed a dangerous ball just a bit too far out in front of second-half sub Mueller in the 68th minute. Mueller had a shot blocked a minute later, as the Lions continued to try to find a lifeline in the match.

Mueller nearly got that lifeline in the 74th minute. Akindele, who had only come on a few minutes earlier, sent a good cross through the six and Mueller made a sliding lunge at it but the ball hit Robles and stayed out.

Orlando finally pulled within striking distance in the 80th. Dike took a pass from Ruan in the box on the right side but was walled off by Gonzalez Pirez. Rather than force a bad shot or try to do too much, the rookie made a heads-up play to lay it off for Mueller, who sent a cross to the back post. This time Nani timed it well and got in behind his man, heading home to make it 3-2.

Orlando City kept fighting to find an equalizer. Nani fought off a blatant hold by Dylan Nealis in the 83rd minute and fired a shot right at Robles. He may have been better served getting the free kick at the left side of the box, but that’s easy to say after the shot.

The clock wound down and the final good opportunity came in the 91st minute. Nani sent a deceptive shot toward goal from the right that caught the crossbar and bounced over. The Lions appealed for a corner, but the referee ruled that Robles didn’t get a touch. Moments later, the match was over and Miami had its first win.

Orlando out-shot Inter Miami 12-11 (5-4 on target) for the game, out-possessed the hosts (64.6%), and was the more accurate passing side (88%-78%), but it was the Herons claiming the points in their first ever home game.

The Lions had ample opportunities to score but the difference in the game was some poor passing early in the game and a lack of defensive sharpness at the start of the second half.

On the other hand, this was easily Dike’s best performance of his young career, although the decision to start Urso ahead of Mueller didn’t work out quite as well.

The Lions will try to bounce back Wednesday night at home at 7:30 p.m. in their first-ever meeting with Nashville SC.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

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

The Lions hit the road for the first time in 2026, hoping to turn things around and get their first win of the season.

Published

6 hours ago

on

March 7, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday matinee matchup between Orlando City (0-2-0, 0 points) and New York City FC (1-0-1, 4 points) at Yankee Stadium (2:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of the two scheduled meetings between the Lions and Pigeons this season with the return leg in Orlando set for Oct. 24.

Here is what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 7-11-8 in 26 meetings with NYCFC in the all-time series in MLS play and 7-11-10 including one playoff match and one U.S. Open Cup meeting (remember, games that go to penalty shootouts in knockout competitions officially count as draws). Orlando is 2-8-2 on the road in regular-season games in the all-time series. Things have trended the Pigeons’ way the last few years, as the Lions are 0-5-2 in the last seven meetings between the teams.

The teams met twice last year and NYCFC swept the season series. In the most recent matchup, Orlando City blew a late 1-0 lead at home on July 16 through Robin Jansson’s goal. But Rodrigo Schlegel smashed a clearance attempt off Kyle Smith and into his own net just a few minutes before the end of normal time, tying the game. Alonso Martinez scored the winner on a counterattack in stoppage time to end the game 2-1 in favor of the visitors.

In Orlando City’s first road game of the 2025 season, the Lions fell 2-1 at Yankee Stadium on March 8. Martinez opened the scoring in the second half, with Luis Muriel equalizing. However, just two minutes after Muriel’s goal, Hannes Wolf scored what turned out to be the game winner.

In Orlando, on July 20, 2024, the two 2015 expansion rivals played to a 1-1 draw. Ramiro Enrique and Wolf traded goals five minutes apart in the second half to account for all the scoring. The Lions and Pigeons met at Yankee Stadium on June 28, 2025, with New York City FC winning 4-2. An early Santiago Rodriguez goal opened the scoring and then things went horribly wrong when an obviously offside Malachi Jones collided hard with Orlando goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar. Both players left the game and both had season-ending surgery to repair broken tibias and fibulas. Javier Otero made his MLS debut in goal off the bench and the Lions allowed two goals in first-half stoppage time to let a close game get out of hand. Orlando pulled two goals back through Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Duncan McGuire, but Mounsef Bakrar sealed the game late for NYCFC.

The teams met at Citi Field — a different baseball stadium than NYCFC’s usual one — on Sept. 20, 2023. The Pigeons were rude hosts, winning 2-0 on goals by Bakrar and Talles Magno. It snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten run but the Lions clinched a playoff spot that day anyway due to other results around the league. These teams also met in Orlando on May 17, and with the Lions poised for a 1-0 win, NYCFC eked out a late 1-1 draw with an 89th-minute Gabriel Segal goal out of nowhere. Ercan Kara scored for Orlando City early.

The teams faced off at Red Bull Arena (one of NYCFC’s many homes away from home) on Oct. 2, 2022, with the Pigeons erasing a 1-0 halftime deficit that Facundo Torres provided. The “hosts” got second-half goals from Alex Callens and Magno to complete the comeback and win, 2-1. Earlier in the year at Exploria Stadium, the Lions got a Tesho Akindele goal at the death, stunning NYCFC as Orlando City won 2-1 on Aug. 28, 2022. Junior Urso and Maxi Moralez had scored early in the first and second half, respectively.

Orlando City had a five-game unbeaten streak in the series (1-0-4) absolutely demolished on July 25, 2021 in a 5-0 OCSC loss at Yankee Stadium. The Lions started a makeshift lineup, and it showed, as the Pigeons got goals from Jesus Medina, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, Moralez, Malte Amundsen, and Valentin Castellanos. Why the makeshift lineup? That match was sandwiched between home games against Philadelphia and Atlanta, with quick turnarounds for each. The strategy was sound, as Orlando won the other two games in that nine-day span.

The teams met in Orlando on May 8, 2021 and drew 1-1. Nani smashed a golazo in the second half to put the Lions on top, but Joao Moutinho fouled Tajouri-Shradi in the box and Castellanos scored from the spot to equalize.

The last meeting of the 2020 season happened in the postseason and things got weird. Orlando City ultimately prevailed in penalties after a 1-1 postseason draw on Nov. 21, 2020. Nani put Orlando ahead from the penalty spot, only to see Maxime Chanot equalize on a set piece. Extra time couldn’t settle it, so to penalties we went, and the Lions advanced thanks to a save by Schlegel — after goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was sent off with a second yellow for coming off his line early. Benji Michel’s blast was the difference in the shootout. (Seriously, just click the above link in this paragraph and relive that madness.)

The Lions and Pigeons wrapped the 2020 season series on Oct. 14 at Exploria Stadium, playing to a 1-1 draw. Chris Mueller opened the scoring but Keaton Parks equalized just before halftime. The first meeting of 2020 also took place in Central Florida in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 14, when Mueller’s brace and a late Akindele insurance goal led Orlando to a 3-1 win. Medina scored for NYCFC. That win snapped Orlando City’s 0-4-3 streak in the previous seven competitive meetings with the Pigeons. The last match in that winless streak against NYCFC was a 1-1 draw, with the Lions then dispatching NYCFC from the U.S. Open Cup in a penalty shootout on July 10, 2019. That night has been immortalized for the running of The Wall and Adam Grinwis’ heroics in goal.

The teams drew both regular-season meetings in 2019, 1-1 on April 27 at Yankee Stadium, and 2-2 on opening day at Exploria Stadium. NYCFC took all three meetings in a dismal 2018 season series. The Lions went 2-1-0 against New York City FC in 2017, including a win to christen the stadium now known as Exploria with Cyle Larin scoring the only goal in a 1-0 OCSC win. Orlando was 3-1-2 in 2015 and 2016 in the first six meetings with NYCFC.

Overview

Orlando City opened the season with two consecutive losses for the first time in club history. The Lions have played one good half and one bad one in each match but have yet to put a full 90 minutes together. Perhaps getting away from home would be a recipe to change the energy, but in this case, the club travels to one of its least-successful away venues. Orlando has been a decent road team since Oscar Pareja took over, but Yankee Stadium is still a difficult place for the Lions to pull points out of.

New York City FC, meanwhile, has opened the season unbeaten through two games with a win and a draw, and the Pigeons will be at home for the first time. This start is despite Martinez being out of the lineup due to injury. NYCFC opened the season with a road draw against the LA Galaxy and followed with a 2-1 win at Philadelphia. Like Orlando, the Pigeons have had three different goal scorers through two matches.

The Lions must try to keep Wolf at bay, as he’s hurt Orlando before and has one of his team’s goals already this season. Nicolas Fernández Mercau is another attacking player to watch. Moralez is always a dangerous provider and he too has hurt the Lions in the past. Defensive midfielder Keaton Parks has returned after blood clot issues a year ago and has picked up where he left off. In the back, Matt Freese is one of the league’s top goalkeepers, and Orlando will need to be clinical to beat him.

“First, we know in terms of results that we can bounce back. I think our team, in the last game, already gave us signs of improvement, cohesiveness, and doing what we need much more efficiently in order to win,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “Now we need to keep doing that but win games. And there’s no doubt that we are urgent to get results, and on a field this weekend that is a challenge, but I think we have a good mentality and that the boys are ready.”

Orlando City will be without Colin Guske (suspension), Joran Gerbet (knee), Wilder Cartagena (thigh), and Jansson (foot), while Adrian Marin (thigh) remains questionable. The good news is that center back Nolan Miller, who left last weekend’s game with a knock, is not on the availability report. NYCFC will be without Martinez (leg), Malachi Jones (leg), and former Lion Andres Perea (leg).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Tahir Reid-Brown, Nolan Miller, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

Bench: Javier Otero, Adrian Marin, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Dylan Judelson, Eduard Atuesta, Harvey Sarajian, Tiago, Duncan McGuire.

New York City FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese.

Defenders: Kevin O’Toole, Kai Trewin, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray.

Midfielders: Keaton Parks, Maxi Moralez, Aiden O’Neill.

Forwards: Hannes Wolf, Nicolas Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda.

Bench: Tomas Romero, Nico Cavallo, Drew Baiera, Strahinja Tanasijevic, Raul Gustavo, Jonathan Shore, Maximo Carrizo, Seymour Reid, Talles Magno.

Referees:

REF: Guido Gonzales Jr.
AR1: Gerard-Kader Lebuis.
AR2: Ben Pilgrim.
4TH: Ricardo Montero Araya.
VAR: Geoff Gamble.
AVAR: Tom Supple.

How to Watch

Match Time: 2:30 p.m.

Venue: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY.

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: 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!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC

Get up to speed on this year’s NYCFC team, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

Published

1 day ago

on

March 6, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Another weekend brings another opportunity for Orlando City to pick up its first points of the still-young 2026 Major League Soccer season. To do that, OCSC will need to beat a team that is unbeaten through its first two games, as the Lions are heading to Yankee Stadium to take on New York City FC on Saturday.

A trip to the baseball diamond means I took the time to catch up with Matthew Mangam, who is one of the senior writers over at the independent and always excellent Hudson River Blue. He was kind enough to help us refamiliarize ourselves with the Pigeons, and I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, which you can find over at their place.

Talk me through NYCFC’s off-season transfer business. Who went out the door, and who arrived to replace them?

Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s biggest loss this off-season was Justin Haak, who joined the LA Galaxy as a free agent. Defensive midfielder and center back Kai Trewin joined the club from Melbourne City, serving as the unofficial replacement for Haak. Alonso Martínez, who tore his ACL, and Andrés Perea, who fractured his lower right leg, aren’t official departures but will spend most of the season recovering from their respective injuries. NYCFC also loaned out Julián Fernández and Mitja Ilenič. 

Of those new arrivals, who has been the most impressive through the first two games of the season?

MM: I’m going to cheat a little bit here and say Keaton Parks — he missed most of last season after undergoing surgery to address blood flow issues in his right leg. Since appearing in the season opener and starting the last game against Philadelphia, Parks looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. He’s contributed on both sides of the ball, bringing great energy and consistency. 

Who is an NYCFC player with the potential to be an X factor in this game, and why?

MM: Hannes Wolf. He scored the opening goal against Philadelphia in true Hannes Wolf fashion: opportunistically pouncing on a deflection in the box and burying it in the back of the net. The only issue is that Wolf struggles with consistency, but in his two seasons at NYCFC, he started each year in good form. I would say Nico Fernández Mercau could also be an X-factor, but he’s playing as the No. 9 — not his natural position — which has clearly affected him a bit.

Will anyone be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

MM: Besides Martínez and Perea being out with long-term injuries, NYCFC is healthy. Talles Magno is coming off a calf injury, which happened in preseason, but he will likely play at least 10 minutes off the bench. Jonny Shore is also working back to full fitness, so it’s unclear if he’ll get any time as a substitute on Saturday.

I expect NYCFC to keep its lineup the same from the win over Philadelphia:

Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, Raul Gustavo, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Aiden O’Neill, Keaton Parks; Agustin Ojeda, Maxi Moralez, Hannes Wolf; Nicolas Fernández Mercau.

I think NYCFC wins 2-0, with Wolf and Parks getting on the score sheet.

Thank you to Matthew for the excellent info on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/6/26

Leagues Cup schedule unveiled, Orlando Pride sign Reagan Raabe, USWNT prepares for Colombia, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

March 6, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a hectic week but I’m looking forward to spending the weekend enjoying some soccer and visiting my family for a birthday. Hopefully Orlando City can get a win on the road on Saturday and bring points back to the City Beautiful. Before we get started, we want to give a shout out to “Flip,” the latest subscriber at the TAM Player level in our Buy Me a Coffee membership program. Thanks for your support and welcome to The Mane Land family! Now, let’s jump right into today’s links!

Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Schedule Revealed

The schedule for this summer’s Leagues Cup is out and we now know which Liga MX teams Orlando City will play against. All three of Orlando’s games in the first phase of the tournament will be at Inter&Co Stadium, starting with a match against Monterrey on Aug. 5. The Lions will then take on Club Leon on Aug. 8 before playing San Luis on Aug. 12. Of the 18 MLS clubs taking part in the Leagues Cup, only the top four will advance to the knockout stage. Last year, the Lions went unbeaten across their four matches against Mexican teams before falling in the semifinals and the third-place match.

Orlando Pride Sign Reagan Raabe 

The Orlando Pride signed forward Reagan Raabe to a short-term contract that will last through June of this year. The 24-year-old has been with the club throughout its preseason as a non-roster invitee. Raabe joins the Pride following a collegiate career with the University of Nebraska, recording four goals and six assists in her final season after missing a couple of years due to injury. Hopefully she can continue to impress the coaching staff and make an impact this year.

Analyzing Colombia Ahead of USWNT Match

The United States Women’s National Team will play Colombia on Saturday in the final game of this year’s SheBelieves Cup. Colombia lost 4-1 to Canada in its first match but bounced back with a 1-0 win over Argentina. One of the top nations in South America, Colombia finished second in last year’s Copa America and boasts a versatile attack that does well with possession or in transition. The U.S. will need to limit Real Madrid forward Linda Caicedo as much as possible. The 21-year-old has scored in both of Colombia’s games this tournament and has the talent to create opportunities out of seemingly nothing.

WAFCON Postponed Until July

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which was set to begin on March 17, has been postponed until July 25 and is set to last through Aug. 16. This decision comes amid reports that Morocco wished to withdraw as the tournament’s host and it’s unclear at this time if Morocco will still host it later this year. Many NWSL players are impacted by this change, including Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda, whose Zambian side will face Nigeria, Malawi, and Egypt in the group stage. The tournament doubles as qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the quarterfinalists directly securing a spot in Brazil next summer.

Free Kicks

  • We have some rumored numbers to put to how much Orlando City was offering to pay Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann. Even if the move doesn’t come to pass, I can appreciate the club taking a big swing.
  • Nothing is official yet, but the United States Men’s National Team’s jersey for the upcoming World Cup may have been spotted in the wild. It looks like the Waldo kit with a twist, literally.
  • Toronto FC officially added center back Benjamin Kuscevic on loan from Fortaleza in Brazil’s second division.
  • Walid Regragui stepped down as Morocco’s head coach with only a few months to go before the World Cup. Mohamed Ouahbi will take over for Regragui and it will be his first time coaching a senior team.
  • Relegation is growing into a real possibility for Tottenham, which lost its fifth-straight match after a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
  • Cristo Fernandez, who plays Dani Rojas on Ted Lasso, made a splash with a pair of goals in an exhibition match while training with Chicago Fire II.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending