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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Five Takeaways

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5 years ago

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The Tropic Thunder rivalry is even at one game apiece after Orlando City SC dropped a tough game on the road against Inter Miami CF last night. It wasn’t how anyone was hoping the Lions would resume regular-season play, but there were plenty of things to learn from the team’s second regular-season loss of the year.

Orlando Concedes First Again

Even during its run to the MLS is Back Tournament final, Orlando had a nagging tendency to concede the first goal in games. So it proved again in Fort Lauderdale, as the Lions conceded only 12 minutes into the game when Julian Carranza bagged his first of two goals on the night. While Orlando was able to respond soon after, it continued a worrying trend this year. Playing from behind is never a good thing, no matter how you slice it. Chasing a lead takes any team at least a little out of its preferred way of playing, especially since OCSC’s patient, possession-based style works best when the team doesn’t need to press for a goal and can instead let the match unfold organically.

Tactical Misfire in Midfield

Last night’s game marked the first time that Sebas Mendez, Uri Rosell, Junior Urso, and Mauricio Pereyra all started a match, as Oscar Pareja tried something a little different than the lineup fans often saw during the MLS is Back Tournament. To be fair to Pareja, with the Miami game kicking off an absolutely brutal run of five games in 15 days, Papi is going to have to rotate his team and play with his formations at some point. Unfortunately, the changes to the starting lineup, specifically in midfield…did not work. With Mendez, Rosell, Urso, and Pereyra all best deployed as central midfielders, it was a case of too many cooks in the kitchen and not enough variety in cooking styles among said cooks. Ruan in particular was hurt by the lineup change as he wasn’t really able to combine with Rosell down the right hand side, and as a result, one of Orlando’s biggest threats was mostly neutralized for the first 45 minutes.

Substitutes Provide a Spark

To Pareja’s credit, he realized he had made a mistake, and he fixed the error when he substituted Urso out in favor of Chris Mueller at halftime. While the Lions still didn’t look completely like the team we saw for much of the last month, Mueller instantly made OCSC more creative and threatening in the final third. It wasn’t a coincidence that he provided the assist for Orlando’s second goal while also being heavily involved in the buildup. The third-year man even had a good chance to score shortly after the start of the second half, but his touch was a little too heavy and his shot was blocked. Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel were also energetic once introduced, and Pareja seemed to get a lot right with his substitutions.

Muddled Play in Miami

On the whole however, Orlando City just didn’t look quite right for much of this game. Perhaps it was down to the wealth of central midfielders I mentioned earlier, maybe it was Miami doing a good job of negating what OCSC wanted to do, and maybe it was a mix of both. Either way, for large parts of the game the Lions struggled to break Miami’s press. Even though the team ended the game with 65% possession it really didn’t feel like it at times. OCSC found it difficult to get the ball into dangerous areas of the attacking third for pretty much the entire first half and lengthy periods of the second half as well. Things were tougher once Miami started to bunker after scoring its third goal, but even before that this did not look like the team fans grew accustomed to seeing take the field at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports.

Dike a Bright Spot

Rookie Daryl Dike got his first start of the year in last night’s game, and looked strong in several ways as he went the full 90 minutes. His physical strength and power were on full display while scoring his first goal for the club, and his first shot at Robles probably would have gone through a brick wall. However, he was also able to turn on Leandro Gonzalez Pirez twice, showcasing that he has some finesse to his game. Another thing that was impressive was his ability to bring others into the game. On Orlando’s second goal he boxed out Pirez and held the ball up well while sucking five Miami defenders to him. He then had the vision and presence of mind to drop the ball back for a now-open Mueller, who was left with plenty of time to pick out Nani at the far post. Plenty of people weren’t impressed by what they saw from Dike prior to this game, but let’s remember that before last night he’d only played 77 minutes across three games, with his longest appearance coming in 19 minutes against LAFC. He clearly is a talented player though, and hopefully he gets more chances on the basis of last night’s game and makes the most of them.

As with all things in life, the show must go on, and it’ll be a quick turnaround for the good guys as they face Nashville SC back at Exploria Stadium on Wednesday. What did you guys think of this one? As always I’m very interested to see any comments you have below, so be sure to have your say.

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Lion Links

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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18 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.

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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.

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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.

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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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