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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Final Score 2-1 as Nani Wins it Late for Cardiac Cats

The Lions fell behind early in the second half but rallied in typical dramatic fashion, with the captain netting the winner deep in stoppage time.

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4 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Nani’s goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time lifted Orlando City to a 2-1 win over Inter Miami in the first game of the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Lions fell behind early in the second half on a Juan Agudelo goal, but Chris Mueller and the captain struck in the game’s late stages to give Orlando the first win in the series between the two teams.

It was Oscar Pareja’s first win with Orlando City (1-1-1 on the season, 1-0-0 in the tournament).

“Both teams were very generous with their effort. We saw a lot of soccer there,” Pareja said after the game. “We are proud with the victory. Congratulations to the players and the fans.”

“I think that we look collectively at the goal that we had going into the tournament. I think that going into that first game and winning that and getting those points are crucial,” Mueller said. “Like Nani said, getting to score a goal feels great, but most importantly, the team got the win and I think all in all we’re really proud of the guys. We put in so much work.”

The lineup Pareja sent out for the first match of the tournament included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Uri Rosell and Junior Urso played central midfield behind an attacking line of Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Mueller, with Dom Dwyer up top.

Before the match got underway, there was a powerful moment on the pitch as the teams — as well as members of the Black Players for Change from other teams — took time out to honor the Black Lives Matter movement.

The first match since early March began as cautiously and sloppily as you might expect. Each team had one excellent scoring chance in the first half hour. Agudelo’s flick nine minutes in should have opened the scoring but his touch was poor and it sailed wide of Pedro Gallese’s goal.

Pereyra sent Mueller in at the 23-minute mark, but he left the shot too close to Luis Robles, who made a great save. The ball ping-ponged into Dwyer’s path but the unexpected ricochet caught him mid-step and he couldn’t direct it in.

Each team got a couple of set pieces late in the half but nothing came of them, although Ben Sweat did knock a ball past Gallese and into the net, but he used his fist to do so and was booked for intentionally handling the ball. Neither team got a better look than those early chances and the teams went to the break scoreless.

Each team had three first-half shots, with Orlando getting the only one on target in the opening 45 minutes. The Lions held 62.7% of the possession and the better passing accuracy (83%-72%) but both teams struggled a bit to get into dangerous areas in the attacking half.

It took Miami only two minutes to score after the break. Urso got caught on the wrong side of Matias Pellegrini, who laid off the ball to Victor Ulloa for a cross in to Agudelo, who lost Carlos on his run and tapped it in at the 47-minute mark to open the scoring.

Miami’s Andres Reyes had to be stretchered off in a scary moment less than 10 minutes later. He came together with Dwyer on an aerial ball and Reyes was caught in the throat by the striker’s arm as the two jostled for position. Rodolfo Pizarro subbed on and Miami switched to four at the back. The lengthy delay in the stretcher getting to Reyes and getting him off the field — plus the second-half water break — ultimately left enough stoppage time for Nani’s eventual winner.

Pareja made a double switch at the 63-minute mark, sending on Tesho Akindele and Sebas Mendez for Dwyer and Urso, respectively. The move changed the game a bit as Orlando started getting back into things. Pereyra and Nani fired a couple of long-range efforts over the next few minutes and then the captain combined with Mueller to tie the game in the 70th.

Nani got forward down the left and curled in a perfect cross past Akindele — who had drawn two defenders to him — that found a sliding Mueller. Robles got a piece of it but couldn’t keep it out and the game was tied at 1-1.

Moments later, Mueller nearly took the ball off Robles’ foot but the ball bounced Miami’s way and the South Florida side was able to clear it. Mueller then picked out Tesho with a great cross but the Canadian couldn’t make good contact with it and a good scoring chance melted away.

Nani headed just inches off target off a great cross from substitute Benji Michel in the 86th minute, as Orlando continued to look for a winner. But Miami nearly scored in the 90th minute when a corner kick cross from Lee Nguyen found Jay Chapman, who nodded just inches over the bar.

A cross in from the left deep in stoppage time bounced off a Miami defender and fell for Nani to sweep home in the 97th minute to snap the deadlock and lift Orlando to three vital points to open the competition.

The Lions led in shots (10-8), shots on goal (3-1), possession (58.1%-41.9%), and passing accuracy (82%-74%). But it took grit and resolve to erase the deficit in the late stages of the game to give Pareja his first win as head coach.

“It’s a reward from the players, what they did on the field,” Pareja said. “I thought they were the best team on the pitch and I’m very proud.”

The Lions will have almost a full week off before facing New York City FC next Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/25/24

Duncan McGuire is an Olympic frontrunner, Orlando Pride get ready for the Washington Spirit, Colin Guske signs with Orlando City B, and more.

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1 hour ago

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April 25, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this work week hasn’t been too stressful for you as we get ready for another weekend packed with Orlando soccer. All of the European soccer this week has been enjoyable as well, as teams fight for silverware and survival. It should be a fun next few days, although most of my match following will be digital. I’m hoping to get out to the stadium for a game or two over the next couple of months as well. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Duncan McGuire Likely to Play in Olympics

Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire was listed as one of the frontrunners to join the U.S. for this year’s Olympics. It won’t be much of a shock if McGuire is in Paris this summer, as he’s been impressive in the time since being drafted sixth overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Lions. The 23-year-old has followed up a strong rookie year with three goals and an assist so far this season. It will be interesting to see who McGuire could compete with for minutes in the Olympics, with Ricardo Pepi noted as another possible option up top for the U.S. Overall, it’s nice to see McGuire is doing what’s needed to stay in the contention for Paris. I think that staying in Orlando rather than going to England has definitely helped his case.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride are riding a five-game unbeaten streak and will take it to the nation’s capital for a difficult road match against the Washington Spirit Friday night. The Pride have won their past two games and will face a Spirit side that has won four of its five games this season. Both teams have been defensively sound, each conceding just four goals, so it may come down to moments of individual brilliance to make the difference. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about the difficulty of the matchup, Orlando’s grit this season, and the impact Barbra Banda had in her debut last weekend.

Orlando City B Signs Colin Guske

Midfielder Colin Guske, who joined Orlando City’s academy back in 2020, signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B through this 2024 season. The 17-year-old made his OCB debut in the team’s season opener this year and scored the game-winning goal. He’s carved out a spot in OCB’s midfield this season, starting in four of the team’s five games. Guske has two brothers who have also gone through the club’s academy and played with OCB. A solid year with the Young Lions from Guske could result in a Homegrown Player contract for the senior team.

Columbus Crew SC Wins First Leg Against Monterrey

The Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals are here and the Columbus Crew are the only MLS team still in the tournament. They came up with a big 2-1 home win in the first leg of their matchup against Monterrey. Cucho Hernandez gave the Crew the lead in the first half and 21-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe scored the winner in the second. An away goal by Monterrey could prove crucial though due to the tiebreakers, and the second leg will take place on May 1. The winner of this matchup will take on either Club America or Pachuca in the final on June 2.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Dom Dwyer is reportedly headed out west to sign with Oakland Roots SC in the USL Championship.
  • Toronto FC traded away $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Derrick Etienne Jr. The 27-year-old has not received much playing time this season, and Atlanta could earn another $175,000 in GAM if performance-based metrics are met.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes have reportedly signed Hernan Lopez from Godoy Cruz. It would give a-needed boost to the team, which has just three points from nine games this season.
  • St. Louis City winger Celio Pompeu won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his great strike from outside the box in his team’s 3-3 draw with Sporting Kansas City.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride power rankings, USMNT player news, USWNT will host Costa Rica, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 24, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s that time of the week for some tasty links. Two seven-point weekends for Orlando’s soccer teams is nothing to sneeze at, unlike the pollen that coats my hometown of Tallahassee. It’s the time of the year that I make my money back with the unlimited car wash next to my work. Enough with my weather-related car issues, let’s get to the links.

Lions Move Up (and Down) in Power Rankings

There’s nothing that shows the value of “power rankings” better than when you can compare two different ranking lists for the same week for any given club. We all know Orlando City is undefeated in its last four matches thanks to the late heroics of Ivan Angulo to draw CF Montreal over the weekend. But, did you know that was both good and bad?

In ESPN‘s MLS power rankings, Orlando City dropped a spot from 16th to 17th despite “treading water” with a point on the road in Montreal. Meanwhile, the Lions roared ahead three spots from 21st to 18th in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. So, do you like that Orlando is 17th in the ESPN piece despite the drop? Or do you prefer the positivity of a three-spot jump to 18th in the MLSSoccer.com rankings?

Orlando Pride Rise in Power Rankings

Forget everything I wrote up there regarding power rankings — at least as far as the Orlando Pride are concerned. After starting the season with three draws, the Pride now have two wins in a row. As such, ESPN moved the Pride up three spots from eighth to fifth in its NWSL power rankings. Their move up the list is entirely deserved and the writer was correct in their assessment. Of course, I’m kidding but it’s still nice to see the Pride get recognized for their results. Now, we just need the Pride to continue the winning streak.

Keeping Up With USMNT Players Abroad

As we shared yesterday, Sergino Dest will likely miss this summer’s Copa America thanks to a knee injury suffered during PSV Eindhoven training. That means the USMNT has a right back situation to address and there are quite a few well known candidates to step in for Dest.

Meanwhile, Weston McKennie has reportedly rejected Juventus’ latest extension offer. I can understand his decision given it doesn’t include any additional salary. McKennie has been very good for Juve, with 10 assists on the season. He’s not the only American making a difference, as Tim Weah provided the assist on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal to send Juventus to the Coppa Italia final.

USWNT Olympic Send-Off Match

The United States Women’s National Team will play a match against Costa Rica at Audi Field on July 16. It will be the final match for the USWNT prior to the Olympics that start nine days later against Zambia. New coach Emma Hayes will join the team on June 1, which isn’t a ton of time before the Olympics start, but she has been a part of the process for months.

Free Kicks

  • The New England Revolution have acquired veteran defender Xavier Arreaga from the Seattle Sounders for a 2025 international roster slot, and up to $75,000 in General Allocation Money depending on performance.
  • Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba will be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury. Fortunately, he is expected to be back in time for the match against Orlando City on May 15. Where did I put the sarcasm font?

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s match against the Washington Spirit this Friday, and Orlando City’s match against Toronto FC on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/24

Ivan Angulo makes Team of the Matchday bench, Americans in action, Sergino Dest to miss Copa America, and more.

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2 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an excellent weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three sides took seven of the nine points on offer. There’s no rest for the wicked this week as the Orlando Pride travel to play the Washington Spirit on Friday, Orlando City hosts Toronto FC on Saturday, and Orlando City B finishes things up at home against Toronto FC II on Sunday. Let’s take a look at today’s links.

Ivan Angulo Earns Recognition

Ivan Angulo has been named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. The Colombian got the start on Saturday up in Montreal, and had a good game, going the distance and completing 82% of his passes and putting one of his two shots on target. That shot was an important one, as it gave the Lions a late equalizer and helped them salvage a valuable point on the road. Sean Rollins gave him a grade of 6 in his player grades from the match, a rating that likely would have been higher had Martin Ojeda’s pass been accurate enough to allow Angulo to grab a possible winner just a few minutes after he equalized. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in big games this week, and the good people over at Stars and Stripes FC have you covered with the whole rundown. First up, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus will try to advance to the Coppa Italia final this afternoon, as they enter the second leg of the semifinal against Lazio with a 2-0 lead on aggregate. Tomorrow sees Monaco and Folarin Balogun meet Lille in Ligue 1 action, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Newcastle United in the Premier League. Things wrap up on Friday in Serie B when Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessman, and third-place Venezia face Cremonese as they try to overtake Como and finish in one of Serie B’s two guaranteed promotion places.

Sergino Dest Sidelined Long Term

Following up on a story from yesterday’s Lion Links, The Athletic is reporting that the knee injury suffered by Sergino Dest will keep him out of Copa America, and sideline him for the rest of the year. That would be a big blow for the United States Men’s National Team, as Dest has been the nailed-on starter at right back since winning a place in the team during the qualifying cycle for the 2022 World Cup. The Yanks aren’t without options at the position, as Joe Scally could step in for Dest, or Gregg Berhalter could try deploying Weah there, but neither of the two possesses Dest’s level of offensive threat.

Inter Milan Wins Serie A

Inter Milan dispatched rival AC Milan 2-1 guaranteed that Inter will win its 20th Serie A title in club history. Fikayo Tomori’s goal in the 80th minute was the closest Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah’s club could get to leveling the score, and Inter is now a whopping 17 points clear of AC Milan with five games left to play. Inter has been imperious on its way to a 20th Scudetto, scoring the most goals in the league while also conceding the fewest and losing only once this season.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride and Orlando City hosted a clean-up effort in honor of Earth Day on Monday.

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

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