Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 1-1 as Red Bulls Steal Points Deep in Stoppage; Lions Clinch Playoff Spot
Lions were seconds from a huge road victory when disaster struck, but Orlando City still clinched its first-ever MLS playoff berth.

Brian White’s spinning shot trickled just inside the far post in the 95th minute to steal two points from Orlando City in a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena. Nani had put Orlando City (8-2-8, 32 points) ahead on a penalty kick in the second half, and the Lions had only seconds left to see out. They had just cleared a corner kick when the ball found its way to exactly the wrong spot at the wrong time, allowing the New York Red Bulls (7-8-4, 25 points) to equalize.
Orlando was able to clinch its first-ever MLS playoff spot, however, as Toronto FC scored late to beat Atlanta United, giving the Lions enough points to finish above the line in 2020.
Despite now going winless in three games, Orlando is unbeaten in 12 (6-0-6), but a lack of goal scoring and tired legs — without the ability to rotate players — is starting to catch up with the Lions. Orlando finishes the season series 1-0-1 against the Red Bulls and 5-6-2 in the all-time series.
“Well, we can talk about the frustration with what happened in the last minute — the moment when we dropped the points,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “I have to calm down and see all the positive things that the boys did today. Again, they dominated in the first half. The second half was normal, especially at the end, when New York was throwing bodies up front and trying to cross balls and all those things. We tried to settle the game and we couldn’t, but we keep going.”
Pareja used the same lineup as Wednesday’s match vs. New York City FC, with Brian Rowe in goal behind a back line of Kamal Miller, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Joey DeZart and Junior Urso manned the central midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Nani, Andres Perea, and Chris Mueller, with Daryl Dike up top.
The Red Bulls controlled about the first nine minutes of the match, keeping Orlando hemmed in its own half of the pitch. But the Lions did well to defend and break up play, allowing no real chances during that time.
Orlando’s first sustained foray into the attacking third resulted in a half chance, with Nani looping a cross in for Mueller but the ball was played too close to goalkeeper Ryan Meara. Mueller and Meara collided and a foul was given New York’s way.
Caden Clark sent a rocket shot over Rowe’s bar in the 16th minute after he was given too much time and space outside the area. After the Lions couldn’t capitalize on a couple of decent crosses, the Red Bulls worked a corner kick in for Tom Barlow but his header was weakly hit and right at Rowe in the 23rd minute. Daniel Royer fired a weak shot from the top of the box at Rowe three minutes later.
The Lions had a great chance in the 29th after Ruan won a free kick near the right sideline. Nani sent in a gorgeous cross that Mueller was lining up for a free header but Dike came from the other side and tried to get onto it and his presence threw off the shot. Mueller’s header ended up well off target.
A minute later Nani lined up a shot at the top of the area but didn’t get all of it and Meara made a comfortable save.
In the 34th minute, Mueller crossed at the top of the area and Urso corralled it and fired a shot. Unfortunately, the Brazilian didn’t get it all and it skipped weakly wide of goal.
The best chance came in the 41st minute when Jansson launched a perfect long ball for Nani to run onto. The captain broke in alone down the left and blasted a shot but Meara fought it off with a big save.
The Red Bulls got the last shot of the half in the 44th when Ruan’s throw-in was turned over in the Orlando half. Florian Valot tried his luck from outside the area but hit his shot wide, and the teams went to the break locked in a scoreless draw.
Orlando City had more shot attempts (5-4), with each team getting two on target in the opening half. The Lions had more corners (3-1), more possession (54.7%-45.3%), and more accurate passing (78%-72%). But, as the passing rates indicate, it was a sloppy, and defensive-minded first half.
The Lions grabbed the lead 10 minutes after the restart. Dike shredded New York’s defense, slicing through multiple defenders and into the penalty area. Once he got there, he tried to move around former Lion Amro Tarek, who made heavy contact with the rookie striker. Referee Drew Fischer pointed to the spot immediately. Nani stepped up, stutter stepped, then slotted the spot kick home in the 56th minute to put Orlando ahead.
“I turned and I saw that I had some space,” Dike said. “So I kind of decided I wanted to go toward the [end line] to try to get in a cross and fortunately I got fouled. Nani came in, calm, cool, and collected, and had a good penalty and he scored.”
It was the first penalty in league play this season for Orlando City and Nani’s fifth goal of the season, but the rookie’s incisive run set it up.
“What Dike did today is another demonstration of the way he’s progressed as a forward,” Pareja said. “He looked great today. I’m happy for him.”
The Red Bulls turned up the heat after that and threw numbers forward. Center backs Tarek and Tim Parker continually joined in the attack, keeping Orlando from breaking out of its own end. Still, most of the time the Lions were able to turn back New York’s attack without facing a shot.
The Red Bulls got a good opportunity in the 62nd minute when Perea conceded a free kick straight out from goal, but Valot sent his free kick well over the crossbar.
Orlando went looking for a second goal on the counter in the 67th minute with a good buildup on an excellent passing sequence from Dike to Perea to Mueller. Unfortunately, Cash needed a touch to settle the ball and by the time he fired his shot, the defense had recovered in time to block it.
New York kept coming, but Orlando did well to defend crosses and push the Red Bulls into wide areas. There weren’t many dangerous opportunities, but with so much New York possession, it sometimes seemed like it. A chance appeared in the 72nd minute but substitute Samuel Tetteh hit his shot wide.
The Red Bulls then got two more set pieces in good spots on a legit foul on Perea and an extremely soft one on Urso. Nothing happened on the first, but Rowe made a good save on the second in the 77th minute to protect the lead.
Still, the Lions looked to counter when they could and substitute Kyle Smith — who came on for Ruan after the Brazilian took a heavy challenge from Tarek — sent in a cross for Nani, but the captain’s header was off target in the 81st minute.
DeZart joined the parade of injuries just before the end of regular time, leaving the game while holding his hamstring. Alex De John came on for him to try to see out six minutes of stoppage time, which seemed a bit much.
The Lions got the first good scoring opportunity in the added time, with Nani laying off for Urso at the top of the box but the shot was blocked by Parker.
New York got a couple of late corners and Orlando dealt with them, but the last one only protected the lead for a moment. The ball was knocked to the top of the area where a shot was blocked by Urso and bounced out about halfway between the top of the box and midfield, where Jason Pendant tried a desperation long-range shot. Pendant hit the ball poorly, but it ended up at the feet of White, who turned and fired through traffic and the ball slipped through the bodies and inside the back post for the heartbreaking equalizer.
“It was a corner, where we cleared them,” Pareja said. “The guy who hit the ball — he missed the ball. He just kicked it somewhere and it arrived with the forward.”
The Red Bulls immediately pushed for a game winner after the restart, but Orlando turned them over and the Lions were starting a possibly dangerous transition attack when Fischer blew the final whistle at just a few seconds beyond the original six.
Behind all of the pressure they could muster over the final 40 minutes, the Red Bulls turned the box score completely around, finishing with more shots (14-9), shots on target (4-3), corners (6-5), and possession (58.8%-41.2%), and the better passing accuracy (77%-72%).
“New York is not an easy place to come and play on the road,” Miller said. “They really turn up the intensity and it’s really a dogfight here, so for us to come in here and take them all the way to the dying seconds of the game shows how invested we are as a team defensively, everyone working hard, and that’s just football. Sometimes the ball bounces their way and that’s what happened.
“We clinched playoffs but we’re still not happy with the way we clinched playoffs. We feel like we need to start turning these draws into three points.”
Orlando City will be on the road again for its next match as the Lions head south to face Inter Miami on Saturday.
Orlando City
Orlando City Unveils New Perfect Storm Kit Ahead of 2025 MLS Season
The Lions’ new kits are meant to represent the uniqueness and intensity of the Central Florida weather.

Orlando City unveiled the club’s new home “Perfect Storm” kit today. The new home purple kit is meant to evoke the intensity of the Central Florida weather, and features a lightning bolt (called a “thunderbolt” by the club) made out of the Orlando area code, 407, on the back of the neck and a jocktag with a doppler radar storm icon. Per the club, no two kits will have the exact same pattern.
The Perfect Storm kit will be available on MLSStore.com and on OCMobileShop.com, with pick-up at The Den at Inter&Co Stadium starting Thursday during regular business hours.
“This kit is a tribute to our fans who have supported us day in and day out, through everything, rain or shine,” said Orlando City Chief Marketing Officer Pedro Araujo in a club press release. “It is also inspired by our players’ ability to thrive in adverse weather conditions, and a reminder that Inter&Co Stadium is one of the toughest environments in Major League Soccer for visiting teams to compete in.”
The Perfect Storm Kit will be first available to fans at the club’s official jersey launch tonight at 6 p.m. at Canvas (1401 Florida Mall Ave.). Fans can purchase the new shirt and have it customized. The first 200 fans in attendance to purchase the new kit will receive an exclusive CITYiD patch
The Lions will first wear the new kit at their home opener against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Here are some shots of the new kit:

















Lion Links
Lion Links: 2/12/25
Leagues Cup Schedule released, Sams and Moorhouse called up, Champions League results, and more.

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! It’s new home kit reveal day, so get ready to potentially spend some money. I may end up getting one regardless of how it looks. I’ve lost some weight, and while that is good, none of my jerseys fit anymore. I hope it’s a good one.
We want to wish a very happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Jhon Solis. Additionally, I want to wish my son Chris a very happy birthday. Now, let’s get to the links.
Orlando City’s Leagues Cup Fixtures Revealed
The official Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One schedule dropped Tuesday, meaning we now know Orlando City’s first three matches of the competition. All three matches will be played at Inter&Co Stadium against Liga MX squads. The Lions will face Pumas UNAM in the first match on July 30, followed by Atlas FC on Aug. 2, and then Necaxa on Aug. 6. Phase One of the competition is effectively a group stage. If Orlando City can advance out of Phase One, the Lions will head to the knockout rounds.
Pride International Call Ups
The Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams and Anna Moorhouse received call-ups for the USWNT and the England Women’s National Team, respectively. USWNT Coach Emma Hayes included Sams on her 23-player roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The U.S. will play matches against Japan, Australia, and Colombia.
Moorhouse was selected by Lioness coach Sarina Wiegman for the UEFA Women’s Nations League. England’s first two matches are against Portugal on Feb. 21 and against Spain on Feb. 26. After that, the competition continues in April.
MLS Transfer Round Up
With Orlando City finally signing some new players, other MLS clubs continue to make moves in the off-season. Former Orlando City midfielder Junior Urso signed with the Houston Dynamo through 2025 with an option for 2026. Houston is the Bear’s third MLS club.
French second-division side Amiens SC is in a selling mood. The club sent defender Osaze Urhoghide to FC Dallas. Minnesota United FC signed midfielder Owen Gene from Amiens SC to an MLS U22 Initiative contract.
Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Union signed Homegrown forward Eddy Davis III, and D.C. United signed midfielder Brandon Servania. Out west, the San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Daniel to a contract extension, and Nashville SC signed midfielder Matthew Corcoran from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC.
Champions League Results
UEFA Champions League continued Tuesday, with Paris Saint-Germain getting things going with a 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembélé scored a brace in the match to cement the victory. Borussia Dortmund also managed a 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon. All three goals came in the second half, including Serhou Guirassy’s 10th in the competition to equal Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.
Real Madrid scored two goals to come from behind and defeat Manchester City 3-2. Jude Bellingham scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time. Weston McKennie got things going for Juventus in its 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Samuel Mbangula scored the winning goal.
Free Kicks
- Sam Kerr has been found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment in an incident with a Metropolitan Police officer in London on Jan. 30, 2023.
- Lucho Acosta is reportedly headed to FC Dallas. Would have been cooler if he went to Orlando City, but whatever.
- It seems that Lionel Messi will stop ducking Orlando City — at least in the preseason.
That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the new kit. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 2/11/25
Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta
Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.
MLS News Roundup
With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.
Americans in Midweek Action
As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.
Josh Sargent’s Opportunity
Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.
Free Kicks
- Daryl Dike ticked off another box on his road to making his return from injury, as he played for West Bromwich Albion’s under-21 team on Monday.
- The Houston Dash have signed former Orlando Pride midfielder Evelina Duljan.
- USL Championship side Miami FC has signed former USMNT and D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
- Plymouth Argyle’s reward for beating Liverpool in the FA Cup is a trip to face Manchester City.
- Barcelona defender Mapi Leon has been accused of “violating the privacy” of Espanyol’s Daniela Caracas during Sunday’s game between the two teams.
- Finally, the U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team destroyed the Virgin Islands in group play, 22-0, as part of U-17 World Cup qualifying Monday night. The 22-goal win was the largest margin of victory ever by a U.S. team (men’s or women’s) in a qualifier. Chase Adams of Columbus Crew 2 scored 10 goals in the match. The United States will face St. Kitts & Nevis Wednesday before wrapping up Group F play Saturday against Cuba.
That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!
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