Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 4-1 as Lions Win a Wild, Rain-Soaked Match
Nani and Chris Mueller starred again as the Lions finally got a home win over the Chicago Fire, running their unbeaten streak to six games.
Orlando City withstood two Chicago Fire penalties and two goals by the visitors that were overturned by video review to win a crazy, rain-soaked match, 4-1 at Exploria Stadium. Orlando (6-2-4, 22 points) got goals from Chris Mueller, Nani, Junior Urso, and Benji Michel to extend its unbeaten run to six games (4-0-2) and finally beat the Fire (2-7-3, 9 points) at home.
In fact, Orlando is still unbeaten at home in 2020 (3-0-2). The Lions will take it, as they will have to go on the road for the next two matches to close out September.
“I think it was a roller coaster game today with a rival that came here with initiatives and an idea of the game that was very clear,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “From the first minute it was difficult to control, especially with such great players in the middle of the field. But I think we had our own identity and we had courage all the time to overcome the difficult moments.”
Pareja’s lineup in front of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese included the return of Robin Jansson and Kamal Miller to the left side of the starting lineup, alongside Antonio Carlos and Ruan. Urso and Sebas Mendez handled the central midfield with Uri Rosell still unavailable. The attacking midfield was the usual lineup of Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Mueller behind striker Daryl Dike.
The first half was insanely wide open with neither team doing well in defending on the rain-soaked field. The rain poured down throughout the first half, soaking the players and the ball and making conditions tough for both teams, which may have contributed to the wide-open nature of the match.
Dike had a couple of early chances but couldn’t quite get onto a Mueller cross in the second minute, with goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth coming out just enough to distract him. Dike then flicked a header to the back post but Chicago was able to clear.
The Fire came down to the other end for the first time and nearly opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Robert Beric took a shot that deflected off Miller and then hit the crossbar.
Orlando took the lead in the 11th minute. Mueller cut in from the left side and hit a shot that deflected off Alvaro Medran and crossed up Shuttleworth, who could do nothing but watch it trickle over the line for the opening score — Mueller’s seventh of the year.
The Lions continued to buzz around the Chicago penalty area, with both Nani and Dike getting shots blocked in front in the 14th minute. Then Beric nearly equalized in the 18th minute when he got in behind, but he fired off target against an empty net and the offside flag was up anyway.
Chicago came close again in the 20th when a cross in from the right deflected off of Gallese and fell for Ignacio Aliseda, who hit the right post with the bouncing ball.
Four minutes later, Mueller took the ball down the right flank and crossed in perfectly for Nani to finish with a header to make it 2-0 in the 24th.
The Fire appeared to pull a goal back on a free kick in the 27th minute but after video review, referee Nima Saghafi ruled that Elliot Collier obstructed from an offside position and the two-goal lead stood.
The Fire again had a golden opportunity to score in the 34th minute when a ball in the box hit Ruan’s hand and a penalty was awarded. Beric and Medran argued for a couple of minutes over who would take it and eventually Medran did. It didn’t matter though, as Gallese dove to his right and made a spectacular save to keep it a 2-0 game.
“On the penalty I just saw one guy fighting with a bunch of his teammates,” Gallese said through an interpreter. “I was just ready and when he took it I went to the right.”
Mueller should have made it 3-0 in the 38th minute as he sliced through the Chicago defense and freed himself up for an easy finish, but he lost his balance and couldn’t set himself to take the shot. Nani made a slick move in the 42nd minute to get in behind the defense but then hit his shot wide from in close. Dike fired from the top of the box a minute later but didn’t get all of the shot and Shuttleworth made a diving save.
Chicago got the last good chance of the half when a cross found Djordje Mihailovic around the penalty spot but he fired his shot wide. That was it for a wild first half.
Chicago actually attempted more shots (10-7), with Orlando getting more on target (3-1). Orlando was slightly more accurate in passing (87%-86%), while Chicago saw slightly more time on the ball (51.6%-48.4%).
The Fire got one back right after the half on a penalty call on Chris Mueller. He trailed Miguel Navarro into the area and put his hands on the Chicago fullback, who went down immediately on what appeared to be very little contact. Beric hit the ensuing penalty to pull Chicago back into the game in the 48th minute.
“I was a little late to track the guy inside but I don’t feel like I really touched him in the sense of grabbing him,” Mueller said. “I think that when you’re that close to somebody it’s natural — especially when you’re directly behind them — to clip them on the heels and if they feel something and they go down in the box then it’s a penalty. That’s on me for not following my guy right there in the beginning of the second half. I’ve got to be a little bit sharper mentally, a little bit better concentration. And, you know I’m going to learn from it and move forward and focus on the next match.”
The Fire kept coming, with Gaston Gimenez forcing a huge save by Gallese in the 54th to preserve Orlando’s lead.
“I’m always proud of the goalkeepers who keep the team in the game or keep the lead when it’s needed,” Pareja said. “And Pedro’s experience and leadership today will show. I’m proud of Pedro just giving us that energy in the moment when we needed it. He came big and tonight was a great game for him again.”
Boris Sekulic then appeared to tie the game at 2-2 in the 56th minute off a corner kick. The wet ball bounced off several players until it found the foot of the Chicago defender, who fired through traffic and it appeared to hit Jansson before sneaking inside the right post. However, Saghafi again went to video review and ruled that Mauricio Pineda had handled the ball on the initial cross into the box and for the second time in the match the Fire had a goal overturned.
Both teams started using their substitutions and Orlando began to settle down a bit. Kyle Smith, who replaced Miller at halftime, fired wide of goal from the top of the area on a blistering shot in the 68th minute. Ten minutes later, Urso supplied some breathing room. The ball pinged around Chicago’s penalty area and finally fell to substitute Andres Perea, who knocked it into the box, where it bounced around until Urso found it on his foot and fired it in off the right goal post in the 78th minute.
Three minutes after Urso’s goal, the Lions nearly got another. Ruan made a great play to find Nani across the field on the left and the captain fired a blast toward goal but the shot stayed wide of the post. Orlando quickly won another corner and Carlos headed over the bar a minute later.
As time wound down, Nani found substitute Benji Michel in the area. Michel took two dribbles to his left and hit a shot past Shuttleworth to make it 4-1 in the 95th minute on nearly the last kick of the match. It provided the Lions’ highest scoring output on the season and largest margin of victory since Pareja took over.
Shots were even at 19 apiece, but Orlando got more on target (7-3). Both teams passed at an 83% rate, with Chicago holding a slight edge in possession (54.4%-45.6%).
Pareja said after the match that it was Chicago’s midfield players that created so many problems for Orlando City’s defense.
“They gave us a lot of trouble, indeed,” he said. “They have players in the middle that are very technical. They know what they’re doing there. Their idea of the game is very clear.”
“I think we’re happy with the three points for sure, but I do think that there was a lot of areas in our game that we could be much better,” Mueller said.
The Lions now go on the road for their next two matches, visiting Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday and FC Dallas next Sunday.
Orlando City
Inside the Numbers: Goal Scoring and Shot Creation for Orlando City, OCB, and the Pride
A comparison among all three Orlando teams on where their goals and chance creation have come from.
Starting next week, all three Orlando teams will be back in season. After playing the most games (15) going into the World Cup break, Orlando City will return having played fewer games than both the Pride (will be at 16 games) and Orlando City B (will be at 19 games). MLS NEXT Pro channeled, fittingly, its inner Junior Senior and said we “won’t stop (won’t stop) won’t stop the beat” and kept playing through the break, hence OCB’s large lead in games played. The Pride returned two weeks ago, and are in the midst of a two-game week to vault them past Orlando City as well.
As of the writing of this article Orlando City had played 15 games, the Pride 14, and OCB 18, and with all teams coming back into action this felt like a good time to have a good time by talking about the most fun part of soccer — creating chances and scoring goals. Goalkeepers might disagree with that statement, but they can take inspiration by what they see when they look left and right on the goal line and pipe down.
The three charts below show every player who has scored at least one goal for any of the three Orlando teams thus far this season, using FotMob’s data for “chances created.” Chances created is FotMob’s category name for the stat also known as key passes (the MLS and MLS NEXT Pro websites track these pretty well, the NWSL’s website not so much), which are classified as the final pass that happened before a player takes a shot.
We’ll start with the Pride, using data through their game against Kansas City on July 10:
| Player | Minutes | Goals | Goal Share | Chances Created* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbra Banda | 1,017 | 12 | 57% | 1.59 |
| Haley McCutcheon | 1,260 | 2 | 10% | 1.29 |
| Hannah Anderson | 545 | 2 | 10% | 0.17 |
| Marta | 346 | 2 | 10% | 1.30 |
| Cori Dyke | 1,244 | 1 | 5% | 0.14 |
| Jacquie Ovalle | 520 | 1 | 5% | 2.25 |
| Nicole Payne | 249 | 1 | 5% | 0.72 |
*per 90 minutes
Barbra Banda’s production continues to be prodigious. She is currently the only player in league history to play more than 1,000 minutes in a season and average more than one goal per 90 minutes (1.06). Her 12 goals accounts for nearly three out of every five scored by the Pride, and she is the only player in the league with a goal share higher than 50%, which says just as much about the rest of the Pride’s offense as it does Banda. Center back Hannah Anderson ranking in a tie for second among goal scorers is also a little concerning.
On the flip side of that concern, however, is a reminder that Marta and Jacquie Ovalle have not even played a combined 900 minutes. When they play, they create shots — in particular Ovalle, who is in the top 10 in the league in chances created per 90 minutes — and Pride fans can continue to imagine what it would be like to see a front line of Banda, Ovalle, and Marta, and to see how they would all create shots and goals for one another.
Moving from one team with a dominant primary scorer to another, Orlando City is up next:
| Player | Minutes | Goals | Goal Share | Chances Created* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martín Ojeda | 1,313 | 11 | 48% | 1.58 |
| Griffin Dorsey | 951 | 2 | 9% | 0.85 |
| Marco Pašalić | 642 | 2 | 9% | 0.70 |
| Duncan McGuire | 481 | 2 | 9% | 1.12 |
| Tyrese Spicer | 440 | 2 | 9% | 1.43 |
| Tiago | 584 | 1 | 4% | 0.46 |
| Justin Ellis | 534 | 1 | 4% | 1.69 |
| Luis Otávio | 417 | 1 | 4% | 0.22 |
| Ignacio Gómez | 14 | 1 | 4% | 0.00 |
*per 90 minutes
Martín Ojeda’s 48% goal share (it’s actually 47.8%, but I rounded all the goal shares to two digits, which is why that column does not appear to sum to 100%; you can breathe a sigh of relief, the math maths) ranks him just behind the 48.1% of Chicago’s Hugo Cuypers, and those two players are the only two players above 45% in MLS. Orlando City’s pattern looks remarkably similar to the Pride’s, with one player scoring most of the goals and everyone else at two or one. The arrival of Antoine Griezmann and the rumored return of Daryl Dike could, and probably should, change that, but we know that Duncan McGuire will not score any more goals for the Lions and Marco Pašalić is also rumored to be moving on as well, so it likely will be someone else who steps up.
Please someone step up.
When it comes to creating shots, Orlando City does not have a go-to player like Ovalle, but both Justin Ellis and Ojeda are in the top 40 in the league. As will be seen below, Ellis is already an elite creator when playing against players his own age, and in a decent sample of minutes, he has shown he has the talent to compete at the MLS level. The next few weeks will reveal a lot about his ability to continue to contribute, as teams have now had the chance to watch him play in MLS and will have him in their game plans once the season resumes. I think he will continue to excel, especially since in recent weeks he has had a chance to play alongside and learn from Griezmann.
Speaking of Griezmann, Orlando City’s newest Lion created 1.90 chances per 90 minutes in La Liga and 1.86 during Champions League play this past season, so I think it is a safe assumption that Griezmann will immediately create chances at a high level once the season resumes. The big question will be if someone will step up to complement Ojeda as a second scorer. Again, I beg someone to do so.
And now for OCB, a team with plenty of players who have stepped up:
| Player | Minutes | Goals | Goal Share | Chances Created* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro Leão | 1,195 | 7 | 19% | 1.51 |
| Harvey Sarajian | 1,118 | 5 | 14% | 2.01 |
| Gustavo Caraballo | 895 | 4 | 11% | 2.41 |
| Justin Ellis | 356 | 3 | 8% | 3.03 |
| Justin Hylton | 398 | 3 | 8% | 1.13 |
| Matthew Belgodere | 847 | 3 | 8% | 2.13 |
| Issah Haruna | 1,171 | 3 | 8% | 1.54 |
| Bernardo Rhein | 1,428 | 2 | 5% | 1.58 |
| Ignacio Gómez | 902 | 2 | 5% | 0.50 |
| Nicolas Lasheras | 259 | 1 | 3% | 0.35 |
| Zakaria Taifi | 254 | 1 | 3% | 0.35 |
| Jacob Ramírez | 218 | 1 | 3% | 0.83 |
| Caleb Trombino | 316 | 1 | 3% | 1.14 |
| Dylan Judelson | 1,030 | 1 | 3% | 0.61 |
*per 90 minutes
The Young Lions do not have a single scorer dominating the chart like the other two Orlando teams, but unlike their fellow teams, they have an abundance of players who have scored more than twice this season. Seven different players have scored three or more times and 14 players have scored at least once. As a team, OCB ranks fourth in the league in goals scored per game. No player accounts for more than 20% of the team’s goals, making OCB difficult to defend.
Another reason the Young Lions are difficult to defend is that so many players are constantly looking to set up their teammates for shots and are skilled enough to be able to do so. Four attacking players have created more than two chances per 90 minutes, including the aforementioned Ellis, during his early season games with OCB, and defender Bernardo Rhein creates more shots than almost everyone on Orlando City and the Pride.
The diversity of OCB’s attack, especially as compared to the senior Lions and the Pride, is on display in the chart below, which shows all of the players who have scored at least one goal in league play and their associated chances created per 90 minutes values. OCB’s players are in yellow, Orlando City’s in purple, and the Pride’s in light blue.
It may be subjective whether you think Florida sits on the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America, but there is also a gulf in Orlando and that is between Banda and Ojeda and the rest of their teammates.
Hopefully, by the time the regular seasons wrap up for all three teams, the gulf is more like a cove, or better yet a stream, as additional scorers have emerged like hot springs for the Lions and the Pride. OCB will be fine if it continues to flood the field with all of its attacking talent. It is the senior teams that need to look deep inside the well to find some additional scorers.
By this time next week, all three seasons will be going again, and with the games coming fast and furious in July and August, we will rapidly see if the second part of the season will look like more of the same, or if that World Cup break will lead to a sea change as the season continues.
Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/16/26
Orlando City wins friendly, Orlando Pride beaten at home, MLS season returns tonight, and much more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? For those of us in Florida, it looks like some storms could be heading our way this week. While that can be a bit annoying if you have outdoor plans, hopefully it will make some of this oppressive heat a bit more bearable. Both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B are on the road on Saturday, so we may get to dodge some dreaded weather delays as well. But for now, let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Wins Friendly at FC Dallas
The Lions went to Texas for a friendly against FC Dallas and won 2-1 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium — home of North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS NEXT Pro side. Antoine Griezmann seems to be settling in nicely with the club, scoring yet again in this friendly after doing so a week ago against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Martin Ojeda also got on the scoresheet in the first half and you can check out both finishes below.
While I don’t put too much stock in friendlies, it sure does feel better to be on the winning side of them. This was the final tune-up for Orlando before the Lions hit the road for a match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday in their first league game since May.
Orlando Pride Shut Out At Home
The Orlando Pride hosted the Boston Legacy and weren’t able to get a result in a 1-0 loss at Inter&Co Stadium. Barbara Olivieri scored the game’s only goal in the 17th minute to give Boston the lead. Orlando had its chances to equalize but couldn’t manage to put together a finished product in the end. This was Orlando’s third loss to an expansion side this season (0-3-1) as the Pride picked up only one point out of 12 in four matches against Boston and Denver. It’s been a season of inconsistency for the Pride, but hopefully that means they’ll come back stronger in Saturday’s road match against the Utah Royals.
MLS Season Returns Tonight
MLS is back! While the Lions aren’t in action until Wednesday, the season resumes tonight with an exciting slate of games. Many eyes will be on the match between the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps, as it could include Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut. While it’s a brand new team and league for the forward, he’d be going up against a familiar face in former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Muller, who has helped Vancouver climb to the top of the Western Conference. Other intriguing matchups tonight include a Canadian clash between CF Montreal and Toronto FC and a rivalry game between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. On Friday, Nashville will host Atlanta United before the LA Galaxy and LAFC square off in the latest edition of El Trafico.
Argentina Will Face Spain in World Cup Final
Argentina orchestrated yet another dramatic victory this World Cup, beating England 2-1 to advance to the World Cup final to face Spain. After a scoreless first half, Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute with his first goal of the tournament. England shifted gears and parked the bus to defend its lead, but Enzo Fernandez scored an equalizer in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina its winner in stoppage time. Lionel Messi assisted on both goals, and Argentina is now just one game away from winning its second consecutive World Cup. Sunday’s final should be a great match pitting Argentina’s potent offense up against a Spanish defense that has only conceded once all tournament.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Alex Freeman was noted as one of many players whose stock likely went up due to their World Cup performance. Hopefully, a solid summer translates to more playing time with Villarreal and an eventual transfer for Orlando City to benefit from due to the sell-on percentage.
- Duncan McGuire wasted no time scoring for his new team, putting the ball in the back of the net early on in the Houston Dynamo’s 2-1 friendly win against America de Cali.
- The Galaxy added Finnish forward Robert Taylor as a free agent, signing him to a contract through the end of the year with an option for all of 2027 as well.
- The Philadelphia Union are reportedly finalizing the return of Kai Wagner, who only just left the Union for Birmingham City in January.
- The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Australian forward Luka Jovanovic, who scored 11 goals last season for Adelaide United.
- Enjoy this comprehensive list of United States Men’s National Team head coach candidates should Mauricio Pochettino find a new gig.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/15/26
Daryl Dike’s potential return, Orlando Pride prepare for Boston, World Cup news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Oh boy, do we have some news for you today. Between the Orlando Pride match tonight, the World Cup this afternoon, and some potential big signings, we have a lot to get to. We also want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B goalkeeper Tristan Himes. Now, let’s get to the links.
The Return of Dike(?)
Forget “It’s coming home,” rather he’s coming home! Per Tom Bogert, Daryl Dike is set to return to Orlando City after his multi-year stint with West Bromwich Albion. Dike had a rough go of it in England, mainly due to injuries he sustained. I figure he just needs some Florida sunshine and the team at Orlando Health to help find the form that made him a terror to Orlando City’s opponents.
It also seems that the departure of Marco Pasalic is not a done deal. There has not been an official bid as of yet, and if Orlando City’s valuation isn’t met, then he may be staying. If he stays, he bolsters the attack. If not, well that’s what Dike is coming back to do and it would supply the Lions with plenty of coin to bolster the roster.
Orlando Pride Set for Boston Legacy
The Orlando Pride host expansion side Boston Legacy FC at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The Pride will look to avenge a 2-1 loss earlier this season in Boston. After defeating the Kansas City Current over the weekend, Seb Hines’ squad will want to keep the home winning streak going. This may be Barbra Banda’s last match before heading out for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament later this month, so take the opportunity to head to the match if you are in the Orlando area.
World Cup News
France was unable to keep things going as Spain defeated Les Bleus 2-0 on Bastille Day. La Roja now wait to see whether Argentina or England will be the opponent in the final. As they have done so many times this World Cup, the Spanish did not allow a goal and did enough offensively to advance. Lamine Yamal earned a penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home to give Spain a lead in the 22nd minute. Pedro Porro added another in the second half and France was unable to muster any magic.
Later today, England and Argentina square off to see which team will play the Spaniards. The amount of history between these teams at World Cups is enough to make most watch the match. I think the bigger question is which team does Gianni Infantino want to win, and will we see the same shenanigans we’ve seen in previous matches featuring these two teams? Don’t worry, England. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
USMNT Reflections
There’s been a bit of space and time for all of us to process the USMNT’s performance at the World Cup and it isn’t all doom and gloom. None other than Carli Lloyd said that despite the way it ended, it was a successful outing for the U.S. Matt Freese is trying to see the positives even though he made a costly mistake that gave up a goal to Belgium. Folarin Balogun said what I was thinking in that a certain phone call about his red card did affect the USMNT’s nerves heading into the match against Belgium. Lastly, the future could be bright thanks to these five USMNT prospects.
Free Kicks
- Atlanta United has signed Chilean defender Paulo Diaz on a free transfer. I didn’t realize a team could improve the defense with signings.
- As I alluded to above, Ismail Elfath will lead an all-U.S. Soccer referee crew for the match between Argentina and England. I’m curious to see how it plays out.
- If you want to watch the Bundesliga, you may need to get another streaming service as the U.S. rights are moving from ESPN to USA Network & Fandango.
- Charlotte FC is ending the practice of charging Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) in an effort to stem declining attendance and slower ticket sales. I’m glad that was an experiment that failed in MLS even if it is standard in other American professional sports.
- The New England Revolution have signed 18-year-old Peyton Miller to a contract extension through the 2028-2029 season.
- Former Orlando City B defender Nabi Kibunguchy has signed with USL Championship side Indy Eleven. We wish him luck with his new team.
That will do it for today. Check back later for our coverage of the Orlando Pride’s match against Boston Legacy FC. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for updates. Vamos Orlando!
Inside the Numbers: Goal Scoring and Shot Creation for Orlando City, OCB, and the Pride
Orlando Pride vs. Boston Legacy FC: Five Takeaways
Lion Links: 7/16/26
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies: Final Score 6-0 as Lions Run Wild in Friendly on Griezmann’s Debut
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando Pride6 days agoOrlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Lion Links1 week agoLion Links: 7/8/26
-
Lion Links1 week agoLion Links: 7/7/26
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. Angel City FC: Final Score 2-0 As Pride Are Dominated In California
-
Lion Links1 week agoLion Links: 7/6/26