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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Final Score 0-0 as 10-Man Lions Run Unbeaten Streak to Eight Games

The Lions were the better team but after Sebas Mendez got sent off they were forced to battle for whatever they could get in Dallas.

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4 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City probably deserved more than a single point with a good performance against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX, tonight, but after midfielder Sebas Mendez was sent off, the Lions (7-2-5, 26 points) will take the single point and be satisfied with running their unbeaten streak to eight matches (5-0-3) against a stubborn FC Dallas (5-3-5, 20 points) side.

City played well in all phases but had trouble breaking Dallas down in the final third, and when the Lions did create something, the shots were either saved or just a tad off target. The Lions felt they were the better side even though they played down a man for almost half an hour.

“It was a point and we’ll take it,” Orlando City Oscar Pareja said after the match — his first at FC Dallas since leaving that club after the 2018 season. “We’re proud after such effort that the players gave on the field. But knowing that we had the majority of the options and the personality, and the most important consistency during the game, we feel that it was not enough for us, the point.”

“Honestly, we felt like it was two points lost tonight,” Tesho Akindele said. “We were happy to get the point, especially after we went down to 10 men, but I think that we outplayed them for most of the game and probably deserved three points and I think that’s how everybody feels tonight.”

Pareja’s lineup featured fewer changes than expected. Pedro Gallese lined up behind the same back line as Wednesday — Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Ruan — as Antonio Carlos did not make the trip. Mendez and Junior Urso stayed in the central midfield but starters Mauricio Pereyra and Chris Mueller were inserted back into the attacking midfield with Nani. Akindele got his second straight start at striker.

The Lions had a bright start to the game and held most of the early possession. But when Orlando got into the final third, things generally broke down. Ruan put an early cross into the box but split his two teammates and passed directly to the defense. Nani had shots blocked in the third and fourth minutes and then sent a cross through the area that was just a bit too far out in front of Ruan at the back post.

FC Dallas finally got a foot in the game in the 10th minute with a nice buildup that sent Santiago Mosquera in on goal alone but Gallese made a huge stop with his leg to keep the game scoreless.

Mosquera picked up an apparent quad injury and had to be subbed off for Fafa Picault shortly after his golden scoring chance.

Andres Ricaurte took a weak shot in the 19th minute that almost became a problem when it deflected off Jansson, but it skipped just wide of the right post.

The Lions had to make their own injury substitute shortly after that, as Ruan went down on the pitch and came off with what appeared to be a hamstring issue. Kamal Miller checked in and took up the left back position, with Smith moving over to the right.

Pereyra sent in a nice cross for Mueller in the 27th minute but Cash headed his shot right at Jimmy Maurer, who made the easy save. Ten minutes later, the Lions had a good attack building on the counter. Akindele had options to pass to either Nani or Mueller but opted to shoot instead from just outside the area and his shot was blocked out for a corner.

Late in the half Matt Hedges headed just over the bar on an FC Dallas corner and then the Lions got their best opportunity of the half when Pereyra picked out Nani with a gorgeous pass from right to left. The captain headed it to the back post but Akindele couldn’t get to it and by the time Mueller got there he was out of room and headed into the outside netting.

Orlando City held the advantage in shots (8-7) but got only one on frame to FC Dallas’ three. The Lions also had more corners (4-3), and possession (56.1%-43.9%), with both teams passing at an 85% rate.

Dallas fashioned a chance just after the break after an apparent foul on Pereyra went uncalled and Ricaurte fired over the bar. Three minutes later, Nani smashed a shot from distance that forced a good diving save from Maurer. The rebound was tantalizingly close to Mueller but a bit off line for the Orlando forward to pounce on.

Mendez got his marching orders in the 69th minute. He’d picked up a yellow card for time wasting just five minutes earlier, kicking the ball away after a foul was called on Miller. Then he was late into a challenge on Bryan Reynolds, and a bit behind, and was well deserving of his second yellow.

The sending off put his teammates in a hole as it was the first time this season the Lions had played a man down due to a red card. Mendez will miss Saturday’s match against the New York Red Bulls.

Despite being down a man, Orlando continued to play the same way. They pressed when they could, defended well, and looked to counter. Nani smashed a shot just wide of the left post in the 75th minute as the Lions still looked the likelier side to score.

Just after Tanner Tessman’s long-range effort in the 79th minute was easily saved by Gallese, the Lions nearly got their game-winner. The outlet pass from Gallese found Nani on the left side and the captain drew a defender toward him and played a diagonal ball for Urso to run onto. The Bear sent a shot on target that forced a good save by Maurer to keep the game scoreless.

“I saw good space to run in,” Urso said. “I think I made a good shot but I think I can do more power the next time. I just say congratulations to the keeper because he saved his team.”

On the ensuing corner, the ball was played short — as it had been all night, mostly ineffectively — and a good cross came into the area where multiple players took a swing at it as it ping-ponged around, but no Orlando City player could make good contact.

Dallas earned a few late corners but was unable to do anything with them. Orlando defended well and looked to break out. Nani got the last chance of normal time, sending a shot just wide — on the right side this time — in the 90th minute off a throw-in play.

Miller made a rare bombing run forward in the 97th minute and got all the way into the Dallas penalty area, but just as he was freeing himself up for the shot, he had his pocket picked and the final chance evaporated. After one more FC Dallas corner, the game was over.

Orlando finished with more shot attempts (17-14) but Dallas got more on target (4-3). Corners ended up at six apiece, and the extra player allowed the hosts to finish with a slightly better passing rate (83%-82%), while the Lions held more possession (53.4%-46.6%), even though they were a man short for a good chunk of the second half.

“We had the possession, we had the options, and we continued with the ambition of winning. And that says a lot about the character of these guys,” Pareja said.

“I’m very proud of the team because we were running to the end,” Urso said. “And one player less is not easy to play, so I think we did a good job today.”

With the draw, Orlando fell to fourth in the Eastern Conference and Supporters Shield standings due to wins by Philadelphia and Toronto tonight, but the team earned its first-ever point at Toyota Stadium. Orlando City is now 0-2-1 at FC Dallas and 1-3-2 in the all-time series.

Orlando City now gets its longest rest until the one after the penultimate game of the season, with a meeting with the New York Red Bulls set for next Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.

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Orlando City

Orlando City Signs Defender Thomas Williams Through 2026

Orlando City signs Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to a new contract through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

Published

7 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced this morning that the club has signed defender Thomas Williams through the 2026 season with a club option for 2027. The Homegrown Player has been with the first team since 2021 and will continue for at least two more years.

“Thomas is someone whose future we’re still very excited about and we’re happy to get him locked in with us for a couple more years,” Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s shown a lot of growth these last few seasons, continuing to get game action with Orlando City B and proving the importance of our development pathway, and we’re looking forward to having him with us for the foreseeable future.”

The Titusville native joined the Orlando City Academy in 2015 and made his professional debut for the club on Aug. 7, 2020 against New England Revolution II. He played in 13 games that year with 10 starts and recorded 844 minutes. His play on the Young Lions’ back line earned him a first-team contract on June 15, 2021, at just 16 years old, making him the youngest player in club history to sign a Homegrown contract.

The 20-year-old center back made his MLS debut on April 16, 2022 in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew in Ohio. He made five appearances with three starts in all competitions that season, recording 271 minutes. To date, those are the only appearances he’s made with the first team.

Since joining OCB in 2021, Williams has made 69 appearances with 61 starts and recorded 5,132 minutes. He’s been booked 19 times and sent off twice, both times after receiving second yellow cards.

What It Means for Orlando City

Williams is the fourth natural center back for Orlando City on the current squad behind Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Rodrigo Schlegel. He played well early in his OCB and MLS career, but has struggled recently. Last year, he played exclusively with the second team, partnering with Nabi Kibunguchy.

While Williams hasn’t made much of an impact on the first team so far, he’s only 20 years old and still has plenty of time to develop. Extending his contact shows that the club still has faith that he can turn into a key player for the MLS side.

It’s unlikely that Williams will see any time with the first team in 2025 (barring injuries and/or suspensions), considering that he’s also been behind versatile defender Kyle Smith at the center back position. He’ll likely spend the upcoming season with OCB, continuing to develop and earn his spot with the first team. As a Homegrown Player, there isn’t much risk in signing Williams to a new contract, especially if the club’s technical staff thinks he can develop into a quality defender.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/22/25

Orlando City transfer rumors, Orlando Pride preseason begins, USMNT at Inter&Co, and more.

Published

11 hours ago

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January 22, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The ManeLand

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Up here in Tallahassee, I’m waking up to snow/sleet, closed schools, closed government offices, and potentially icy roads. Many people will get an extra day off of work, however, I still get to go to work. I’m sure you can imagine how happy I am about that. Enough of my winter grumbling. Let’s get to the links but not until after we wish Orlando City fullback Michael Halliday a happy 22nd birthday.

Orlando City Reportedly Targeting Croatian International

While I can no longer say that Orlando City hasn’t signed any new players, the club is still moving at its traditionally slow speed as compared to other MLS clubs. We had the signing of Nicolas Rodriguez last week. Now, we have Tom Bogert report of yet another winger prospect for the club in Croatian Marco Pasalic from HNK Rijeka, though it is not a done deal. Hopefully the other targets Bogert mentions are of the striker variety.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881755961125449765?s=46&t=pMoq7Wulqfb35D7C8ydroA

Pride Preseason Begins

The 2024 NWSL champions are back to defend their title. The Orlando Pride returned to training on Tuesday. The club hasn’t needed to add many pieces, though some of the players already here, like Simone Charley and Grace Chanda, haven’t actually played any minutes for the Pride yet. Most of the chemistry is in place for Seb Hines, but reinforcing those bonds will be the challenge as the Pride look to repeat.

USMNT at Inter&Co Tonight

Hopefully you have tickets to the USMNT friendly match versus Costa Rica at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The match starts at 7 p.m. and there are television and streaming options if you’re not going in person. Despite the squad having 14 players with three or fewer caps, Mauricio Pochettino does not consider this an “alternative” squad, nor does he want the players to think of themselves like that.

Girma Reportedly Nearing Completion of Chelsea Move

USWNT defender Naomi Girma is reportedly headed to Chelsea FC Women for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. That is a very big chunk of change for San Diego FC to use to try to replace one of the best defenders in the world. The deal is not complete as of Tuesday evening, but according to the original report from The Athletic, it is close to being done. Girma would be the first women’s soccer player to earn a transfer fee of over $1 million.

MLS Transfer Updates

Other MLS clubs keep on putting pen to paper when it comes to new players. The Chicago Fire are bringing in Jonathan Bamba on a Designated Player deal from La Liga side Celta de Vigo. The Luca de la Torre loan from Spain’s RC Celta de Vigo to San Diego FC is also official.

https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/1881741042904350864

Cucho Hernandez evidently wants to stay with the Columbus Crew, though he is still waiting on a new offer.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1881786193693823104

Free Kicks

https://twitter.com/weareangelcity/status/1881749040863588770?s=12&t=_WZBNG4ILAyRLdwBeB4mpQ
  • Keep your eyes peeled later today for the NWSL schedule drop.
https://twitter.com/nwsl/status/1881749035218042954?s=46&t=pN-YJp3s7ZQlCXqnTAgSfw

That will do it for today. Stay warm out there, my friends. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/21/25

Orlando Pride release preseason camp roster, scouting Costa Rica, women’s soccer transfer grades, and more.

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1 day ago

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January 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! If you had yesterday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then I hope you enjoyed some restful time off. If not, then I hope you got your week started off on a good and productive note. There’s a lot going on around here this week as the United States Men’s National Team is in town, and Orlando City will play its first preseason match on Saturday. That means we have plenty to discuss, so let’s dig into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Drop Preseason Roster

Monday might have been a holiday but the Orlando Pride were busy, as they announced the roster for their upcoming preseason camp. Almost all of the usual suspects from the 2024 season are back, as the Pride return 98% of the player-minutes from last season and every single scorer. Mariana Larroquette is on the list although she’s currently on loan in Argentina, and Amanda Allen is likewise included after her loan at Lexington Sporting Club was terminated due to a torn labrum. The biggest intrigue comes from the trio of non-roster invitees: goalkeeper DeAira Jackson, midfielder Aryssa Mahrt, and forward Simone Jackson.

Scouting Costa Rica

The USMNT takes on Costa Rica on Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium to wrap up the team’s annual January camp. Like the U.S., Costa Rica is bringing a roster devoid of the majority of its important players. Costa Rica also has a new manager at the helm in Miguel Herrera, who will take charge of the team for the very first time on Wednesday. Herrera typically lines his teams up in a 5-3-2 where the wingbacks take on a very important role and the team looks to hit on the counter while staying compact at the back. This will be the last time we see the USMNT in action until the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in early March.

Women’s Soccer January Transfer Grades

January has been a busy time for transfers in the women’s soccer world, so which teams have done the best business? Well, the Orlando Pride received an A grade for signing Marta to a new two-year deal, retaining a player who helped the team win its first ever trophies. Liverpool got an A for signing Julia Bartel on loan from Chelsea. Leicester City made an interesting call by transferring goalkeeper Lize Kop to Tottenham despite just being a point above the relegation zone. The Foxes get a C for the move, while Spurs get a B+ for adding a capable netminder.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in some very important games over the course of this week. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus face Club Brugge today in the UEFA Champions League, while Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Esmir Bajraktarević, Malik Tillman and PSV Eindhoven take on Crvena Zvezda in the same competition. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will play Girona in the UCL on Wednesday, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic take on Young Boys. On Friday, John Tolkin could make his Bundesliga debut when his new team, Holstein Kiel, travels to face Wolfsburg.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride players reported for their preseason physicals on Monday.
  • Meanwhile, Orlando City took on the dreaded beep test during Monday’s training session.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

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