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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Atlanta United

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5 years ago

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The quick turnarounds continue for Orlando City as the team travels north to take on Atlanta United tomorrow. The Lions will try to bag a first ever win over the Five Stripes, and continue the winning ways they got back to against Nashville SC.

Ahead of this one I sat down with David McFarland of SBNation’s Dirty South Soccer, and he was kind enough to let us know how Atlanta’s season has been going. I also answered some of his questions, which you can find over at their place.

Quite a lot was made of Atlanta’s results during the MLS is Back Tournament. What do you believe was the biggest reason behind Atlanta’s short stay at the tournament?

David McFarland: There are quite a few options to pick from, but Frank de Boer is the guiltiest. Last season the cracks were papered over thanks to the lingering effects of Gerardo “Tata” Martino, but Josef Martinez’s injury and poor signings in the off-season ripped the paper away. The static-ness in attack that Atlanta displayed was deeper than just the players on the field, however. De Boer’s preferred 3-4-3 was proven not to work last year in the Dutchman’s first season in charge, but it became apparent that he wouldn’t budge from it this time around. That formation somehow allowed Atlanta to be defensively shaky, get overrun in the midfield, and look completely out of ideas in the final third all at once. It really was spectacular. After the dreadful MLS is Back performance, the only course of action for Darren Eales and Carlos Bocanegra was to backtrack as quickly as possible.

Stephen Glass is currently the interim head coach while a replacement is found for Frank de Boer. It’s a small sample size, but how has the team looked so far under Glass? What seems to be the preferred style of play?

DM: Atlanta’s been in action for a sole 90 minutes under Glass, but the early returns were promising. There may not be a clear style just yet, but multiple aspects of Atlanta’s play were drastically better than what we saw earlier in the year. Offensively, the team looked rejuvenated and played with 10 times more energy than what we saw under de Boer. The 4-3-3 Glass implemented gave Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez much more attacking freedom, while the three-man midfield and back four gave the Five Stripes a solid defensive spine as well. If Glass stays in charge for the rest of the season, which is very likely, a more complex plan could be devised, but until then, going back to the basics is the best option.

What do you think Atlanta has done best this year? What is the strong point of this team?

DM: There’s been no standalone quality just yet. In the final third, lots of the goals have come from Ezequiel Barco and Pity Martinez, but going 270 minutes without finding the back of the net sort of cancels that out. The hope is that those two find their feet out from underneath de Boer, and Pity at least seems to be on that track already. Defensively, Atlanta may have only conceded one goal in each MLS is Back game, but each was due to a very avoidable error. All in all, it’s been quite up and down across the pitch, but some consistency under Glass should expose the biggest weaknesses, and strongest strengths.

Are there any injuries or suspensions that will keep players unavailable for selection? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

DM: Franco Escobar is suspended by the disciplinary committee for an incident against Nashville, while center back Fernando Meza and Ezequiel Barco are injured. That leaves Atlanta a tad short at the back, but Glass still has a solid back four at his disposal. I’m sure you’re sad to hear Josef Martínez is out for the season, of course. As for the game, I think we’ll see a 1-1 draw. Just two points separate these teams, and that will show Saturday in a tight, even 90 minutes. I hope some of the rivalry flair we’ve been used to over the past few years makes an appearance too, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t considering the lack of fans. 

Big thank you to Dave for all of the great info on Atlanta, and vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

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

Orlando City looks to bounce back from throwing away points late in two straight games when the Lions visit their house of horrors, Gillette Stadium.

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28 minutes ago

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July 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (9-6-8, 35 points) and the New England Revolution (6-9-7, 25 points) at Gillette Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the second of the two scheduled meetings between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season.

Here’s what you need to know for the match.

History

The Lions are 5-7-8 in the regular-season series against New England and 6-8-8 in all competitions. On the road, Orlando City is just 1-6-2 against the Revs in the regular season, as Gillette Stadium has been a nightmare venue for the Lions over the years.

The last meeting between the teams resulted in a wild 3-3 draw in Orlando on May 10. After recent matches, this will sound familiar, but the Lions squandered two leads in that match, including a 2-0 advantage. Martin Ojeda scored Orlando’s first hat trick since 2015 in that game, but those three goals were offset by strikes by Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, and Carles Gil. One of Ojeda’s goals and Gil’s were penalties.

Prior to that, the teams met on Sept. 14, 2024, with the Lions completing their first-ever sweep of the Revs with a 3-0 win. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres (from the penalty spot), and Duncan McGuire provided the offense in a dominant performance. The teams previously met on July 13 at Gillette Stadium, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.

The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second goal deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.

New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late, but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.

These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022, and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Matt Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.

New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel, in which the referee was quite lenient with Buksa’s treatment of the Orlando defender in the lead-up to Tajon Buchanan’s cross. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and later won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.

The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.

In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Shortly after Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring, Nani tied things up. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up.

The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.

The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.

The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4.

Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count.

The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.

The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.

Overview

Orlando City is winless in four straight (0-2-2) after throwing away a late lead Wednesday in a 2-1 home loss to New York City FC. Robin Jansson’s first-half goal had the Lions up for most of the match, but a four-minute span including an own goal by Kyle Smith that Rodrigo Schlegel kicked off of him and into the net, and a colossal blunder of a short corner (#BanShortCorners) that turned into a stoppage time winner on the counter, extended Orlando’s skid. The Lions are 4-2-5 away from home this season, but they’re 2-0-1 in their last three on the road. Orlando scored seven goals in those three road matches, which is two more than the five it has tallied in its last five home games.

The Revolution are coming off a meltdown of their own, blowing a two-goal halftime lead Wednesday and giving up five straight in the second half against the New York Red Bulls in a 5-3 road loss. New England is winless in seven matches (0-5-2) entering tonight, so the Revs will welcome a team they’ve beaten many times at home to Gillette Stadium, looking to put a halt to their skid. The Revs are an uncharacteristic 2-5-2 at Gillette Stadium this season.

The team’s weak spot has been offense, with only four teams in the Eastern Conference scoring fewer than New England’s 29 goals on the year. Former Miami striker Leo Campana had a brace in Wednesday’ game, doubling his season total to four goals. Gil, as usual, is the key to New England, as the Spaniard leads his club in goals (8) and assists (7).

“New England Revolution is a direct rival, obviously in the conference. With the change in their structure that we are aware of, we are going to prepare our team for the same, trying to take advantage of opportunities from the vulnerabilities they have and trying to be solid defensively as well,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “They have a few players up front who are good. But we are just planning like always, working out on the pitch so we can prepare the group the best we can.”

Orlando City will be without Joran Gerbet (thigh), McGuire (shoulder), Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), and Yutaro Tsukada (knee). New England will be without Ganago (quad), while Brayan Ceballos (upper body), Ilay Feingold (ankle), and Peyton Miller (ankle) are questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda.

New England Revolution (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Aljaz Ivacic.

Defenders/Wingbacks: Tanner Beason, Keegan Hughes, Brayan Ceballos, Brandon Bye.

Defensive Midfielders: Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster.

Attacking Midfielders: Peyton Miller, Carles Gil, Luca Langoni.

Forwards: Leo Campana.

Referees

Ref: Lukasz Szpala.
AR1: Jeremy Hanson.
AR2: Nick Balcer.
4th: Ricardo Montero Araya.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: Tom Supple.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, MA.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

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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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New England Revolution

Get caught up on the New England Revolution, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

Published

1 hour ago

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July 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City’s recent results haven’t exactly gone the way any of us had hoped they would, the good thing about this time of year is that a chance to get back to winning ways is right around the corner. It won’t be easy though, as the Lions are set to hit the road up to Massachusetts, where they’ll face the New England Revolution.

A match with the Revs means I spoke to Sam Minton, who runs the show over at the always-excellent independent site The Blazing Musket. He was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on New England, and we appreciate his assistance.

 Carles Gil has been his usual self with eight goals and seven assists in 22 games. He’s the only Revolution player with double-digit goal contributions though. Why hasn’t he been getting more help?

Sam Minton: Injuries and a lack of finishing. New England’s forwards have all struggled to stay healthy. Leo Campana, Luca Langoni, and Tomas Chancalay have all had stints on the sidelines. But even when healthy, all three players have struggled to put goals away. All three have been gifted chances from Gil and others in front of goal but failed to put the ball in the net and sometimes simply on target. 

Even though New England suffered a devastating loss to the New York Red Bulls, Campana scored his first goal since May. Langoni has worked well alongside the striker, so the Revs will be hoping that Saturday is the game where they will finally be able to put everything together.

The Revs are in the midst of a seven-game winless run, stretching back to May 31. Have there been any patterns that have emerged during this stretch of games?

SM: Besides the pattern of being unable to win, New England has struggled to close out games and its defending has been questionable. Throughout Caleb Porter’s tenure, the team has been prone to struggles towards the beginning of both halves and Wednesday’s match was a prime example of struggling to see out a win. Allowing five goals in one half is usually a fireable offense for a head coach, but here we are. 

When having a lead, the Revolution play extremely conservatively and allow opponents to rack up possession. The Red Bulls took advantage of this, and if New England grabs a lead at home, Orlando should expect to have a lot of the ball. This also opens up the defense to exploitation, and that is exactly what opponents have done. Brayan Ceballos is the lone bright spot at center back, but he could miss Saturday’s match due to an upper-body injury. That leaves Mamadou Fofana, who has struggled since playing well early on, and second-rate center backs in Tanner Beason, Keegan Hughes, and Wyatt Omsberg.

With just six points separating New England from the last playoff place, the postseason is still achievable. What’s the thing you think needs to change most for the team to make the playoffs?

SM: Honestly, the head coach. New England has talented players, so the fact that the club is struggling is really damaging to Porter. His tactical rigidity has cost New England games in both 2024 and 2025, as he now seems married to starting out matches with three center backs, even when missing a starter. New England’s struggles in the second half are emblematic of a larger problem. 

“But then, I just don’t understand from there why we stopped doing it,” Porter said after the 5-3 loss. “It wasn’t because we wanted to tactically stop doing that […] At the end of the day, we want to play the way we played in the first 30 [minutes], and we just weren’t able to do that. I have to figure out why that happened.”

This is not what you want to hear from a head coach after your seventh straight match without a win. This sounds like players tuning out a coach, but I will note that some bench players were forced to play larger roles, and so far there are no signs of discontent from the locker room.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

SM: Ignatius Ganago is out due to injury while Peyton Miller, Ilay Feingold, and Ceballos are all questionable. Personally, I think that Ceballos will not play and Miller could come off the bench if he appears at all.

Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Aljaz Ivacic, Mamadou Fofana, Tanner Beason, Wyatt Omsberg, Ilay Feingold, Matt Polster, Alhassan Yusuf, Brandon Bye, Carles Gil, Luca Langoni, Leo Campana.

3-2 Orlando win.

Thank you again to Sam for for his information on New England. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 7/18/25

Justin Ellis named U-19 MLS NEXT MVP, Orlando Pride announce historic apparel collection, landing spots for USMNT players, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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July 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Happy Friday! It’s been a long week, but the weekend is nearly upon us. My parents are in town on vacation, so I’m looking forward to having an excuse to go out to brunch. It should be a nice few days with plenty of soccer to keep us all entertained. Let’s get to the links!

Justin Ellis Named U-19 MLS NEXT MVP

Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis was named MLS NEXT MVP for the U-19 age group after a stellar season that included 18 goals for the Lions. The 18-year-old was the top scorer of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup to help his team lift the trophy and helped the team reach the semifinals of the MLS NEXT Cup. In MLS NEXT Pro action, Ellis has recorded seven goals and three assists in 11 appearances for OCB. It’s quite the accolade for the forward and hopefully he can continue to make strides in his development to make an impact with the first team.

Orlando Pride Announce Full-Team Apparel Collection

The Orlando Pride became the first NWSL club to offer a merchandise line featuring every player on the roster after announcing a new apparel collection. The Pride, in collaboration with apparel brand 500 Level, will offer over 500 player-specific items to form the largest player collection across the major U.S. sports leagues. As someone who is usually a fan of the unsung heroes when it comes to sports, I think it’s pretty great that fans are now able to get apparel representing their favorite Pride player no matter who that is.

Ideal Transfer Landing Spots for USMNT Players

ESPN took a stab at identifying the best fits for United States Men’s National Team players with transfer buzz following the Concacaf Gold Cup. Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was listed but could need a bit more time solidifying his game with the Lions before big clubs come knocking. Midfielder Diego Luna had a strong tournament with the U.S. this summer and could fit in well with Celta Vigo’s rebuilding plans. As for other intriguing things to keep an eye on, a move to MLS could give Giovanni Reyna the playing time he desperately needs; Ricardo Pepi may be best off staying at PSV Eindhoven; and Marseille may be just what the doctor ordered for Tim Weah.

England Comes Back to Reach Euro Semifinals

England secured its spot in the Women’s European Championship semifinals in dramatic fashion, advancing on penalties against Sweden after a 2-2 draw. A pair of goals in the first half by Sweden had the Scandinavian nation on top for most of the match, but Lucy Bronze scored in the 79th minute, before 19-year-old substitute Michelle Agyemang scored the equalizer in the 81st. The penalty shootout included nine misses, but the defending champs prevailed in the end. It’s a brutal way for Peter Gerhardsson’s tenure as Sweden’s head coach to come to a close. England will face Italy in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Free Kicks

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

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