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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 3-1 as Daryl Dike’s Brace Leads Lion Comeback

The rookie got his first MLS brace and Chris Mueller scored to erase a 1-0 deficit in the teams’ first-ever meeting.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The Lions fell behind 1-0 off a set piece but roared back behind a Chris Mueller goal and a brace by Daryl Dike to beat Nashville SC 3-1 at Exploria Stadium. Orlando City (3-2-2, 11 points) started a bit out of sync but settled in and handed Nashville (1-4-1, 4 points) its second straight loss in the first meeting between the two teams.

Dike has three goals in his first two starts in back-to-back matches, and Mueller added to his team-leading total (5), equaling his career high for a season, set last year in 29 appearances.

The Lions climbed into the top four in the Eastern Conference on a night when the rest of the league took the night off in protest of the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, WI, earlier this week. Unlike some of the other matches scheduled, Orlando had sold tickets to the match, so fans were in the stands. But the Orlando-Nashville match was also the earliest match and it wasn’t clear to the players or Oscar Pareja what was really happening before phones were already off and the team was preparing to play.

Nani said that the team had “heard some things” but weren’t completely aware of what was going on at other sporting events around the country, as they were in their pregame mode. He said the players heard “nothing concrete” and weren’t aware that the other MLS games had been postponed until afterwards.

Pareja’s lineup for the second match out of five in a 15-day stretch included a few changes. Pedro Gallese started in goal per usual, but Rodrigo Schlegel slotted into the back line in place of Antonio Carlos alongside Robin Jansson, with Ruan, and Joao Moutinho outside. Dike got his second straight start up top with Tesho Akindele not in the lineup at all. Mueller returned to the starting XI, along with Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, Uri Rosell, and Sebas Mendez.

Orlando City wasn’t sharp to start the match with some errant touches and lost dribbles but credit Nashville for getting into passing lanes, closing down quickly, and reading the play well. The first good chance of the game came just four minutes in when Abu Danladi got around Schlegel and fired over the bar. Danladi and Gallese collided in the ninth minute on a ball over the top and the play went to a quick VAR check for a possible penalty but none was awarded.

After a couple of near misses on a corner kick sequence, Orlando got a look in the 12th minute. Pereyra sent Ruan down the right side and the Brazilian speedster centered for Dike, who should have scored but he missed just wide.

Nashville opened the scoring at the quarter-hour mark. Mendez gave up an unnecessary free kick from distance and Hany Mukhtar sent in a ball that found Dave Romney, who nodded home to make it 1-0. The play was reminiscent of the Larrys Mabiala goal in the MLS is Back final against Portland but this time it was in the middle and the ball bounced just in front of Gallese, which kept it just out of his reach.

Orlando nearly pulled that goal back a minute later. Moutinho got forward and found Nani in the box. The captain shot it with his first touch but Joe Willis was there to make the save. But the Lions broke through two minutes later.

Pereyra switched play to Moutinho on the left and the fullback made a sick move to free himself and pick out a cross. Mueller had slipped on the play but was in perfect position to head home Moutinho’s low cross, making it 1-1 in the 21st minute.

The Lions were the better team for much of the remainder of the opening half. Nashville tried to play long balls for Danladi to run onto, including one in the 29th that he got to and crossed for Daniel Rios, but the forward couldn’t get into position to make good contact for the shot.

But Orlando patiently built up its attacks and had some decent looks at goal. Moutinho should have found the Lions’ second goal in the 30th. After making a good hustle play to win the ball back in midfield, Joao continued his run forward. Pereyra sent a pass forward to Dike, who flicked it on for Moutinho, breaking into the area. Unfortunately, the left back fired his shot at Willis, who made the save.

Nani sent Ruan down the right in the 32nd minute, all the way to the end line. The cross back found Pereyra, but the Uruguayan took a touch and that allowed Nashville’s defense to close and block the shot attempt. That was the last good attack of the half, though Moutinho was nearly in behind again but was called for a handball in the buildup just before the break.

Shots were 8-8 (3-3 on target), with Orlando City holding 69.6% of the possession and being the sharper passing club (89%-70%).

The Lions took the lead just seven minutes after the restart. Mueller sent Pereyra down the left and the Uruguayan picked out Dike on the run. The rookie smashed home his second goal in two matches to make it 2-1 in the 52nd minute.

Nashville just about pulled that goal right back 10 minutes later. Randall Leal was allowed too much space above the area and knocked a shot off the right post.

Orlando continued to hold the ball and build attacks. A cross came within inches of making it to Moutinho at the back post but Willis stretched out and was just able to grab it in the 66th minute. Dike won a foul at midfield shortly after that but was caught in the head and had to get checked out by trainers and have his head wrapped up before returning to play.

Dike responded by scoring his second of the night in the 72nd minute. Ruan made a good cross into the area to second-half sub Junior Urso but Willis made a point-blank save on the midfielder’s header. Dike swooped in and cleaned up the scraps to complete his brace.

“We love to see Daryl scoring today,” Pareja said. “We are trying to add some things to his game. Just be more comfortable with the ball, just come in and have a presence where we are creating sequences. I think he’s connecting all these things slowly. I think he’s doing incredible. He’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”

“He’s been improving so fast and everyone sees he has talent,” Nani added about the rookie.

The rookie had an opportunity to complete a hat trick three minutes later when Nani sent him a cross but a defender stuck in a toe at the last second to deny the shot right in front of the net.

Nashville started to see a lot more of the ball after the second Dike goal and turned that possession into a few shots. Substitute Alex Muyl headed over the bar in the 76th minute after getting onto a nice ball over the top.

Urso got a second point-blank opportunity off a corner kick in the 81st minute but again Willis turned him away. After Dominique Badji volleyed a shot over Gallese’s crossbar on the last decent scoring opportunity for either side, the Lions saw out the remaining time and captured all three points.

Orlando led in shots (17-16), shots on goal (8-4), possession (66.1%), corners (5-4), and passing accuracy (88%-80%).

“This evening was was amazing for all of us to see our families, you know, in the stands watching us doing what we love most. It was a great evening,” Nani said. “We had so many fans support. Great opportunity to give a win for them and we feel like things are getting to normal. And as players, that is what we want. And it was a great feeling.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround, with a trip to Atlanta coming up on Saturday. If the current wave of player protests across all sports comes to an end by then, it will be a huge advantage for the hosts, as Atlanta and Miami postponed their match tonight.

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Lion Links: 5/9/25

Orlando City’s next U.S. Open Cup match date revealed, MLS matches to watch, top soccer club valuations, and more.

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1 hour ago

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May 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Friday! I hope the week has treated you well as we get ready for a Mother’s Day weekend packed with soccer. Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are both in action at the same time on Saturday, so make sure to plan accordingly depending on how you want to enjoy the action. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Will Face Nashville in USOC on May 21

Orlando City will officially host Nashville SC on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the U.S. Open Cup’s Round of 16. That match is sandwiched between a road game against Inter Miami on May 18 and a home game against the Portland Timbers May 24, so at least there won’t be much travel during that week during an already jam-packed month. The Lions reached this stage of the tournament after beating the Tampa Bay Rowdies 5-0 Wednesday, while Nashville won 1-0 against the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Tuesday.

What to Watch In MLS This Weekend

We’ll all be tuned in for Orlando City’s match on Saturday against the New England Revolution, but there’s plenty more MLS action to look forward to as well. Before Orlando’s match, Inter Miami will head to St. Paul to take on a Minnesota United team that leads the league with six clean sheets this season. Another notable match this weekend is a clash between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings when the Philadelphia Union host the Columbus Crew. That game has Daniel Gazdag written all over it. Sunday night’s match should be a doozy between two heavyweight Western Conference teams, as LAFC will hit the road to take on the league-leading Vancouver Whitecaps.

MLS Clubs Listed Among World’s Most Valuable

Sportico announced the valuations for the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs in the world, and a whopping 19 MLS teams made the list. The Lions aren’t included, but it’s still neat to see some clubs like Minnesota, Sporting Kansas City, and Charlotte FC listed. LAFC is the highest listed MLS side, coming in at 16th with a $1.28 billion valuation. Real Madrid tops the list at $6.53 billion, and six of the top 10 are from the English Premier League. While valuations aren’t exactly hard evidence of success or influence, I think this is a testament to the growth and parity of MLS through an international lens.

English Clubs Reach Europa League Final

This year’s Europa League final will feature a pair of EPL teams as Manchester United and Tottenham breezed through the semifinals. United overcame a shaky first half to beat Athletic Club 4-1 at Old Trafford, with Mason Mount scoring two of the team’s four goals in the second half. Tottenham avoided an upset in Norway by winning 2-0 against Bodo/Glimt. The final will take place on May 21 in Spain, and there’s both a trophy and Champions League qualification on the line. Both United and Tottenham struggled this season and are respectively 15th and 16th in the league standings, but winning the Europa League is all that matters now.

Free Kicks

  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso played every minute of Real Betis’ 2-2 result against Fiorentina to advance to the Europa Conference League final, where the Spanish club will face Chelsea on May 28. Enjoy this goal from Antony to help his side prevail.
  • In honor of Mother’s Day, AC Milan players will wear their mothers’ last names on the back of their jerseys in today’s match against Bologna. I love this idea and hope more clubs follow suit moving forward.
  • An ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville acquired Salford City of England’s League Two.
  • Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra’s MMA debut will have to wait, as the 43-year-old’s fight set for May 23 in Paris was postponed.
  • We’ll end our links with what looks to be some unexpected Orlando Pride representation in Vatican City!

That’s all I have for you this time around. Have a fantastic Friday and enjoy the holiday weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs New England: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to score some goals and secure a victory against New England?

Published

21 hours ago

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May 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City might have the scoring woes in MLS matches as of late, but the Lions broke out against the Tampa Bay Rowdies Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup match. Of course, the Rowdies are not a very good team this year and are not a top flight team, so take it all with a grain of salt. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points at home against the Revolution?

Stop Gil/Campana

New England has scored eight goals this season. Seven of those goals have come from Carles Gil (5) and Leonardo Campana (2). Gil has also contributed one of New England’s four assists on the season. The vast majority of the Revolution’s offense goes through these two players, meaning stopping the duo is priority number one.

I fully expect Oscar Pareja to field his first-team defense, including a back line of Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo. Orlando City will also need whoever is playing in the defensive midfield to be the first line of defense. Pedro Gallese cannot be expected to have eight saves every match. The defense needs to step up.

Streak vs. Streak

Orlando City is on an eight-match unbeaten streak. New England is on a four-match winning streak in league play and five in all competitions. One of these streaks will end Saturday night. The Revolution have scored six goals in the last four MLS matches with at least one goal in each match without conceding a goal during the streak. The Lions have only scored three goals in the last five MLS matches with all three coming in one match against Atlanta United. Orlando City has shut out five straight MLS opponents and six consecutive in all competitions.

Orlando City has given away too many points during the unbeaten run. The Lions have missed Eduard Atuesta’s ability to create opportunities for his teammates to score. I’m hoping he will be available, but if not, Pareja will need to figure a better adjustment than he has in previous matches.

No More Nil

Orlando City may be on an eight-match unbeaten streak, but the offense has been absent in four of those matches. In those 0-0 draws, Orlando City took 53 shots with only 12 on target (23% rate). Contrast that with the four matches in which they scored, when Orlando City took 68 shots with 25 on target (37% rate). The Lions will need as many chances as possible given New England has only allowed seven goals so far this season. This is a defensively solid team.

Marco Pasalic did not play in the Open Cup victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, meaning he will be well rested and ready to start scoring goals again. He seemed to be dialing in during the Chicago match but he was taken off before he could convert. I want him to pick up where he left off, so he and many others can score goals against the Revolution. Hopefully, the goals scored against the Rowdies will kickstart the offense.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/8/25

Orlando City steamrolls the Tampa Bay Rowdies in I-4 Derby, Orlando Pride aim to bounce back, U.S. Open Cup results, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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May 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s not often we get to celebrate an Orlando City victory in the middle of the week these days, but hopefully it’s a habit we get used to. The Lions took care of business in my neck of the woods, and it’s given some nice optimism to finish this week strongly. Let’s dive into the big win and more in today’s links!

Orlando City Trounces Tampa Bay Rowdies

Take a bow, Gustavo Caraballo! The 16-year-old was the star of the show in Orlando City’s dominant 5-0 U.S. Open Cup win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring twice to jumpstart Orlando’s attack and making history along the way. There’s plenty of scoring to enjoy, so be sure to check out our full recap!

Hopefully this game was a nice shot in the arm for Orlando’s offense and something to build on in league play. It’s always nice to take down the Rowdies and the Lions are now the last Floridian team standing in the tournament. They’ll host Nashville SC in the round of 16 later this month in what should be a good game in the City Beautiful.

Orlando Pride Aim to Bounce Back in North Carolina

After a 1-0 loss on the road to the Portland Thorns, the Orlando Pride will look to return to their winning ways when they face the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. It’s going to be another tough environment for the Pride to play in, although the Courage have lost two of their three home games so far this season. Pride defender Emily Sams spoke on the team’s mentality heading into this match and how the team can raise its level after a disappointing loss in Portland.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Wraps Up

MLS teams mostly cruised in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32, but it was still an exciting round of soccer filled with drama. In a vintage “cupset,” the Pittsburgh Riverhounds beat New York City FC 1-0 thanks to a goal in stoppage time from Orlando native Beto Ydrach. Indy Eleven nearly took down the Philadelphia Union, but the MLS side converted all five kicks in the penalty shootout to advance after a 1-1 draw.

The New England Revolution escaped Pawtucket with a 2-1 road win against Rhode Island FC, with 17-year-old Cristiano Oliveira scoring a late winner. Minnesota United squeezed past Louisville City 1-0, the Chicago Fire put Detroit City to the sword in a 4-0 win, and FC Dallas won 3-1 against USL League One side AV Alta FC.

UEFA Champions League Final Set

Paris Saint-Germain did everything it needed to and more at home against Arsenal, winning 2-1 to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. Great saves by Gianluigi Donnarumma and goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi propelled PSG to victory, with Bukayo Saka providing Arsenal’s only goal of the two-leg series. PSG will take on Inter Milan in the final on May 31 and it should be an interesting matchup at Allianz Arena to close out the tournament. Will PSG lift its first Champions League trophy only a year after Kylian Mbappe left the club, or will Inter come out on top after finishing as runner-up in 2023? I can’t wait to find out.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to United States Women’s National Team star Mallory Swanson and her husband Dansby Swanson, as the couple announced that they’re expecting their first child!
  • Racing Louisville announced that goalkeeper Katie Lund and midfielder Maddie Pokorny will both miss the remainder of the season due to hip injuries. Jordyn Bloomer, who had five saves in Friday’s win over the Houston Dash, will serve as the team’s goalkeeper in Lund’s stead.
  • The Columbus Crew signed Daniel Gazdag to a contract extension through 2027, with a club option for 2028 as well.
  • Arsene Wenger proposed a change to the offside rule so that attacking players are onside so long as any part of their body is lined up with the last defender. We’ll see if anything comes of this, but it could lead to more goals in the future.
  • Here’s what to watch for in the second legs of the Europa League semifinals. Manchester United will host Athletic Club with a three-goal lead in aggregate, while Tottenham will aim to defend its two-goal advantage in Norway against a Bodo/Glimt side that has key players returning from suspension.
  • Tottenham will be without James Maddison, who is out for the rest of the season after a knee injury sustained in the first leg against Bodo/Glimt.

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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