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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 1-0 as Lions get Road Win on Mauricio Pereyra’s Goal

It’s another shutout for Pedro Gallese as the Lions win in D.C. for only the second time ever and the first time at Audi Field.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Mauricio Pereyra’s goal just seven minutes into the match propelled Orlando City to a 1-0 win over D.C. United at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The Lions (2-0-3, 9 points) are unbeaten in five matches to start the season, which is the team’s best run since joining MLS. It was also just the team’s second road win over D.C. United (2-4-0, 6 points) and first at Audi Field.

Orlando City is now 5-6-1 in the all-time series against D.C. in league play and 5-6-2 in all competitions. On the road, the Lions improved to 2-4-0 on the road against United in league games and 2-4-1 in all competitions. It wasn’t pretty, but the Lions were able to grind out a game in which they were under pressure much of the night.

“I’m very happy, very proud about the effort of the players,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I think today we needed much more than football, and the boys did it. They defended well.”

Pareja made a couple changes to the lineup in front of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. Ruan didn’t make the lineup after picking up a knock last Saturday. Despite assurances that he was available in Friday’s press conference, he made the trip and was seen with an ice pack on his leg on the broadcast. Kyle Smith switched to his natural right side and Joao Moutinho started on the left side of center backs Antonio Carlos and Rodrigo Schlegel. Junior Urso and Sebas Mendez manned the central midfield, with Benji Michel taking Chris Mueller’s spot in the starting XI on the right and Pereyra pulling the midfield strings, as usual. Nani and Tesho Akindele were the attacking force again.

Orlando got a chance early with Nani heading wide on a cross from the right. Then D.C. was able to ugly up the game for a bit.

The Lions then decided to go route 1 to play over the press and it paid off in the opening goal. Smith sent a long ball forward for Pereyra and the Uruguayan chested it down to Akindele. Tesho gave it back to Pereyra, who fought off a defender and fired past Jon Kempin for the opener in the seventh minute.

Pereyra celebrated afterwards by pulling up his jersey to reveal a t-shirt with a photo of a close friend he lost this past February. He had been waiting to honor Santiago García with a goal and the moment was a bittersweet one for him.

“It was a happy and a difficult moment for me,” he said. “I was really waiting for this moment because I lost a really good friend in February. He was a soccer player and we grew up together. We played together since like we were 10-11 years old and then we played in Nacional and we were champions there. So, I have a lot of moments with him and the honor was for him.”

Just moments after what turned out to be the game’s only goal, United nearly pulled it right back. D.C. worked the ball in through the defense to Adrien Perez, but Gallese got there first. The ball got through and was cleared off the line by the defense but Perez had fouled Gallese anyway on the shot attempt.

D.C. started throwing more numbers forward and pressing higher all across the pitch, with the forwards pressuring Schlegel and Carlos and the wingbacks pinching up to press the fullbacks. This forced the Lions to have to be quick, decisive, and accurate with their passes out of the back and they just weren’t on this night. Even a ball only slightly off line was quickly taken away from its intended target.

Gallese made a leaping stop on a headed ball by Drew Skundrich in the 21st minute as the hosts kept attacking, but it wasn’t ruled a save.

Orlando did fashion a few opportunities to double the lead. One of those came in the 22nd minute when Nani shook free on the left side of the box but fired over the net.

D.C. came right back down the pitch and forced a good Gallese save — his only one of the match — on an Edison Flores shot that was smashed toward the near post in the 23rd minute. Seconds later, Perez fired a volley shot over the bar. D.C. quickly regained possession on the ensuing goal kick and Perez’s shot was deflected out for a corner.

Nani fired just over the bar in the 31st minute off a well-worked short corner and I can’t believe I’m typing the phrase “well-worked short corner,” because for years the Lions have made an absolute mess of those plays.

D.C.’s most dangerous chance came off an Orlando set piece. The Lions worked a free kick to the right but Smith’s cross in was short and D.C. quickly cleared and countered with speed. Moutinho ended up with a vital blocked shot on a Paul Arriola attempt to prevent a goal.

As the half wound down, it looked like only a matter of time before Orlando unlocked D.C. with a counterattack. Michel’s heavy touch, however, spoiled two such chances. Just a couple moments from halftime Michel got to a deflected cross first and turned toward goal but let the ball run too far out in front of him and the defense closed and cleared. Then in first-half stoppage time, Michel was in the clear and about to be behind the defense when he took a touch so heavy the ball ran about 25 yards out in front of him and went out harmlessly for a goal kick.

D.C. out-shot Orlando City 6-4 in the first half, with each team getting one shot on target. The hosts also led in corners (4-2). The Lions held more possession (53.6%-46.4%).

“I think in the first half we were able to find our spaces and still play our game,” Moutinho said. “But then in the second half they made it harder for us. I think we were also a little bit tired. But yeah, we stayed together. Didn’t concede that that many chances.”

Out of the break, Arriola nearly equalized for D.C., sending a shot from the right just inches wide of the left post. That was a warning of things to come as Orlando City white-knuckled its way through the second 45 minutes.

Just 11 minutes after the restart Pareja subbed Michel off for Robin Jansson, who made his season debut. The Beefy Swede’s introduction was part of a tactical change that Pareja said was designed to ease the pressure from D.C.’s two pressing forwards and to give some help to Moutinho, who was thrust into a full 90-minute shift for the first time since last summer.

“Joao is coming from a long period with no activity. We didn’t have Ruan neither today. It just gave me a feeling that we were going to need help in the back,” Pareja said. “Because Flores and Perez were very active in the first half. And Antonio and Rodrigo were coming man-to-man with them, and they have ability. So I wanted to add one more player there.

“I did not do it when the half ended, because I wanted to wait at least 10 minutes to see if we could have a couple more rushes from Benji. But when they brought (Julian) Gressel fresh (on Moutinho’s side), we decided just to make the sub and bring in Robin. I thought it was a move that helped us a lot to conquer the three points. They looked stronger. Joao needed help and then they looked more solid.”

It was Moutinho’s foul that set up an opportunity for D.C., but Fredric Brillant headed wide on a near-post header. It looked like Gallese had that post covered anyway.

Moments later, Nani sent a shot on the left side into the side netting from a tight angle.

Still, the hosts kept the pressure on for almost the entire second half, turning the possession advantage in their favor. Despite their possession advantage and an inordinate number of free kicks and corner kicks, the Lions didn’t allow many shot opportunities, and even fewer in good positions.

Perhaps the most dangerous chance came on a free kick in the 72nd minute when a curving, in-swinging cross short-hopped in front of Gallese, but El Pulpo managed to fight it off into the air and then catch it before a D.C. attacker could arrive.

The Lions were able to battle through all of the set pieces and see the game out in the end, capturing that elusive second win of the season and the first on the road.

D.C. ended up with more possession (55%-45%), and more shots (13-6), but neither team put a shot on frame in the second 45 minutes. United also had far more corners (10-2) and was slightly better in passing on a night when neither team really shone in that area (74.7%-72.8%).

Gallese kept his third clean sheet of the season and his sixth as a Lion, moving past Tally Hall into third place behind Joe Bendik (13) and Brian Rowe (8).

“Today the maturity of the team is strong,” Pareja said. “I think we’re getting better defensively. We’re stronger. Offensively we need to get better too.”

“Since the first day that (Pareja) came in, he really taught us that defensive-minded side of the game,” Moutinho said. “He always reinforces that idea, that first we have to defend well, not concede goals, and then, going forward, the things will appear. So I think that the defensive consistency is one of our main focuses. And I think that’s been showing.” 

Pareja mentioned the same-day travel taking its toll on the team and said he’d rather have played a mid-week game like D.C. did and have a normal travel schedule than fly on game day.

“This morning we flew two hours and a half, and then we came to the hotel and we ate. And then we have to come to the stadium,” he said. “So that was, for me, more challenging than others. Today was difficult and that’s why I respect their performance today.”

“Those are the conditions and we didn’t complain and this is a good thing that this team has,” Pereyra said. “Nobody’s complaining. Nobody’s looking at these small things. And now we are having a really good moment. We are happy with the winning. And I think we deserved the win.”


The Lions return home Saturday night when Toronto FC “visits” Exploria Stadium. The Reds have been training and playing in Orlando so they won’t have far to go.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs New England: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to score some goals and secure a victory against New England?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City might have the scoring woes in MLS matches as of late, but the Lions broke out against the Tampa Bay Rowdies Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup match. Of course, the Rowdies are not a very good team this year and are not a top flight team, so take it all with a grain of salt. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points at home against the Revolution?

Stop Gil/Campana

New England has scored eight goals this season. Seven of those goals have come from Carles Gil (5) and Leonardo Campana (2). Gil has also contributed one of New England’s four assists on the season. The vast majority of the Revolution’s offense goes through these two players, meaning stopping the duo is priority number one.

I fully expect Oscar Pareja to field his first-team defense, including a back line of Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo. Orlando City will also need whoever is playing in the defensive midfield to be the first line of defense. Pedro Gallese cannot be expected to have eight saves every match. The defense needs to step up.

Streak vs. Streak

Orlando City is on an eight-match unbeaten streak. New England is on a four-match winning streak in league play and five in all competitions. One of these streaks will end Saturday night. The Revolution have scored six goals in the last four MLS matches with at least one goal in each match without conceding a goal during the streak. The Lions have only scored three goals in the last five MLS matches with all three coming in one match against Atlanta United. Orlando City has shut out five straight MLS opponents and six consecutive in all competitions.

Orlando City has given away too many points during the unbeaten run. The Lions have missed Eduard Atuesta’s ability to create opportunities for his teammates to score. I’m hoping he will be available, but if not, Pareja will need to figure a better adjustment than he has in previous matches.

No More Nil

Orlando City may be on an eight-match unbeaten streak, but the offense has been absent in four of those matches. In those 0-0 draws, Orlando City took 53 shots with only 12 on target (23% rate). Contrast that with the four matches in which they scored, when Orlando City took 68 shots with 25 on target (37% rate). The Lions will need as many chances as possible given New England has only allowed seven goals so far this season. This is a defensively solid team.

Marco Pasalic did not play in the Open Cup victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, meaning he will be well rested and ready to start scoring goals again. He seemed to be dialing in during the Chicago match but he was taken off before he could convert. I want him to pick up where he left off, so he and many others can score goals against the Revolution. Hopefully, the goals scored against the Rowdies will kickstart the offense.


That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/8/25

Orlando City steamrolls the Tampa Bay Rowdies in I-4 Derby, Orlando Pride aim to bounce back, U.S. Open Cup results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s not often we get to celebrate an Orlando City victory in the middle of the week these days, but hopefully it’s a habit we get used to. The Lions took care of business in my neck of the woods, and it’s given some nice optimism to finish this week strongly. Let’s dive into the big win and more in today’s links!

Orlando City Trounces Tampa Bay Rowdies

Take a bow, Gustavo Caraballo! The 16-year-old was the star of the show in Orlando City’s dominant 5-0 U.S. Open Cup win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring twice to jumpstart Orlando’s attack and making history along the way. There’s plenty of scoring to enjoy, so be sure to check out our full recap!

Hopefully this game was a nice shot in the arm for Orlando’s offense and something to build on in league play. It’s always nice to take down the Rowdies and the Lions are now the last Floridian team standing in the tournament. They’ll host Nashville SC in the round of 16 later this month in what should be a good game in the City Beautiful.

Orlando Pride Aim to Bounce Back in North Carolina

After a 1-0 loss on the road to the Portland Thorns, the Orlando Pride will look to return to their winning ways when they face the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. It’s going to be another tough environment for the Pride to play in, although the Courage have lost two of their three home games so far this season. Pride defender Emily Sams spoke on the team’s mentality heading into this match and how the team can raise its level after a disappointing loss in Portland.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Wraps Up

MLS teams mostly cruised in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32, but it was still an exciting round of soccer filled with drama. In a vintage “cupset,” the Pittsburgh Riverhounds beat New York City FC 1-0 thanks to a goal in stoppage time from Orlando native Beto Ydrach. Indy Eleven nearly took down the Philadelphia Union, but the MLS side converted all five kicks in the penalty shootout to advance after a 1-1 draw.

The New England Revolution escaped Pawtucket with a 2-1 road win against Rhode Island FC, with 17-year-old Cristiano Oliveira scoring a late winner. Minnesota United squeezed past Louisville City 1-0, the Chicago Fire put Detroit City to the sword in a 4-0 win, and FC Dallas won 3-1 against USL League One side AV Alta FC.

UEFA Champions League Final Set

Paris Saint-Germain did everything it needed to and more at home against Arsenal, winning 2-1 to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. Great saves by Gianluigi Donnarumma and goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi propelled PSG to victory, with Bukayo Saka providing Arsenal’s only goal of the two-leg series. PSG will take on Inter Milan in the final on May 31 and it should be an interesting matchup at Allianz Arena to close out the tournament. Will PSG lift its first Champions League trophy only a year after Kylian Mbappe left the club, or will Inter come out on top after finishing as runner-up in 2023? I can’t wait to find out.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to United States Women’s National Team star Mallory Swanson and her husband Dansby Swanson, as the couple announced that they’re expecting their first child!
  • Racing Louisville announced that goalkeeper Katie Lund and midfielder Maddie Pokorny will both miss the remainder of the season due to hip injuries. Jordyn Bloomer, who had five saves in Friday’s win over the Houston Dash, will serve as the team’s goalkeeper in Lund’s stead.
  • The Columbus Crew signed Daniel Gazdag to a contract extension through 2027, with a club option for 2028 as well.
  • Arsene Wenger proposed a change to the offside rule so that attacking players are onside so long as any part of their body is lined up with the last defender. We’ll see if anything comes of this, but it could lead to more goals in the future.
  • Here’s what to watch for in the second legs of the Europa League semifinals. Manchester United will host Athletic Club with a three-goal lead in aggregate, while Tottenham will aim to defend its two-goal advantage in Norway against a Bodo/Glimt side that has key players returning from suspension.
  • Tottenham will be without James Maddison, who is out for the rest of the season after a knee injury sustained in the first leg against Bodo/Glimt.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 5-0 as Lions Roar Past Rowdies

The Lions destroyed their I-4 Derby rivals at Al Lang Stadium, advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions found their scoring boots tonight at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg and spent much of the 90 minutes applying those boots to the backsides of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Gustavo Caraballo’s brace led Orlando City, with Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson each adding a goal in a comprehensive road victory.

On the other end, Orlando allowed the host Rowdies very little, keeping the team’s sixth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions, although this one was backstopped by Javier Otero rather than Pedro Gallese, who sat on the substitutes’ bench.

“I think scoring today was so healthy for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after his team’s five-goal outburst. “The first objective was trying to keep the pace that we had defensively on being solid, but at the same time, and just move on to that team that is scoring again. So we’re happy in that part, and in between the boxes, we played a good game. We saw the youngsters playing, some of the other players that were not regularly in the lineup, so it was very complete.”

Pareja’s lineup was heavily rotated from the side that played Saturday in Chicago, with Otero starting in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Thorhallsson started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Nico Rodriguez, Martin Ojeda, and Caraballo, with Enrique up top.

It took Orlando City a while to get going, but once the Lions saw the ball in the net once, they looked dangerous for the remainder of the opening half.

Not much happened early for either side, other than some rough challenges by the Rowdies that were (eventually) punished by a single booking, but one in the opening moments to knock Freeman down while trying to get forward in transition would normally draw a yellow card.

Orlando’s first shot came in the ninth minute off a corner kick. The ball fell for Caraballo in the box and his shot hit a defender on the ground. Orlando players appealed for a handball, and it appeared the defender moved his hand on the ground up into the ball’s path, but referee Natalie Simon saw nothing wrong with it.

In the 13th minute, on what was probably the third bookable offense of the game by Tampa Bay, Simon finally showed a yellow card to Daniel Crisostomo for a hard challenge on Ojeda. Moments later, Araujo got his foot stomped on after releasing a pass but no card was given on a nasty challenge.

Enrique got into a good spot in the box in the 23rd minute and fired a shot that defender Forrest Lasso did well to block out for a corner kick. Lasso then cleared the ensuing set piece entry ball. Manuel Arteaga tried to catch Otero off his line from midfield after the clearance but the young goalkeeper wasn’t in danger of being beaten even if the attempt hadn’t been well off target.

Enrique’s flicked effort in the 26th minute was blocked by the defense, and an Ojeda attempt from a tight angle on the left in the 29th minute was well saved by goalkeeper Nicolas Campisi.

Tampa Bay got a rare shot in the 33rd minute from outside the area, but Schlegel blocked it at the top of the box. The ball sailed high into the air and served as catching practice for Otero.

Orlando City broke through a minute later. Ojeda took a good entry ball from Santos down the left and sent a low pass through the box. Caraballo got onto it and blasted it just under the bar to make it 1-0. It was the 16-year-old’s first goal with the first team, and he became the youngest player to score a first-team goal in a competitive match for Orlando City.

“It means a lot. I was able to rise to the opportunity that the coaching staff and my team gave me, and I was able to score in front of all the friends that came a long way to see us play and see us getting that very much important win to send us off to the next round,” Caraballo said.

“Congratulations to Gustavo, to the coaches in the academy, to the program that we have,” Pareja said. “I think that they have done a tremendous job on developing these kids and putting him in the first team for us is a privilege. And not just that, but to see those performances in a kid that is so young, still.”

Caraballo doubled the lead two minutes later. A takeaway in the attacking third ended up on Thorhallsson’s foot. The Icelandic midfielder cut across the box left to right. Just when it seemed he would fire a shot toward goal, he sent a diagonal pass to his right for Caraballo to run onto. The young midfielder slotted his shot just inside the left post to make it 2-0 in the 36th minute.

“I saw that there was space, that the left back wasn’t there, and if I attacked that space, I would be able to get the ball,” Caraballo said. “Thankfully, Dagur was able to see me and (it was) just a normal finish that we practice every day. And I’m just glad I was able to finish it.”

The Rowdies tried to pull one back in the 40th minute. Otero went up to catch a cross from his left and was barrelled over by Arteaga. Otero spilled the ball into his own net, but the whistle had gone for the obvious foul. A minute later, the Rowdies appealed for a penalty when a player went down in the box under contact, but Simon again wasn’t buying it.

Enrique made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute. Araujo sent a beautiful ball over the top that fell perfectly for Santos’ well-timed run. The Brazilian fullback slid a centering pass in front at the top of the six and Enrique flicked it through Campisi and in for the Lions’ third.

The last look of the first half was another good one for Orlando. Santos was sent down the left by Thorhallsson and was in a good position to shoot. The fullback sent a cannon shot over the bar from the left in stoppage time.

The Lions took their three-goal lead into the break. Orlando held the halftime advantage in possession (57.9%-42.1%), shots (9-3), shots on target (4-0), and corners (4-1).

“We needed to be patient just to open the first goal, or to get that first goal, and we scored in the right time, I think,” Pareja said of the team’s final 15 minutes of the half — between the hydration break and halftime. “I think in that moment we pushed the pedal and the other two goals came. But if there is one thing I said about what changed, it was that we moved the ball faster, and the dynamic that the boys had to connect that helped us just to land in the box with more numbers and with more options to score.”

With the three-goal lead, Pareja withdrew Ojeda and Freeman from the lineup before the restart, sending on Duncan McGuire and Colin Guske.

The second half, perhaps as a result of Orlando’s subs and a couple by the Rowdies, was disjointed just after the restart. Tampa Bay was able to stay on the ball a bit more.

Still, the first good look of the second half came in the 57th minute and was created by the Lions. Caraballo fizzed a good cross into the box that found Enrique. The Argentine sent a flicked header on goal, but Campisi made a good save.

The Lions added a fourth two minutes later anyway. McGuire headed down a ball from the back to Rodriguez on the right. The Colombian sent a good return ball over the top for McGuire, who used his strength to hold off his defender before blasting his first goal of the season past Campisi to make it 4-0 in the 59th minute. The pass was Rodriguez’s first assist as a Lion.

“Duncan has been in that long recovery process that he had on his shoulder, and just seeing him now getting his rhythm and his best version and scoring is so healthy for our team,” Pareja said. “And Ramiro similar, too.”

Tampa Bay started to create some half-chances past the hour mark, shortly after both teams had made more substitutions. Orlando withdrew Araujo and Schlegel, replacing them with Zakaria Taifi and David Brekalo.

The first decent look of the half for the Rowdies came in the 67th minute. Woobens Pacius received the ball at the top right corner of the Orlando box and made a good turn, firing a shot for the near post. Otero had the post covered and made a comfortable save.

After the second-half hydration break, the Rowdies put a couple of decent shots on goal but couldn’t beat Otero. The first of those came in the 78th minute from Alexander Rodriguez from the top of the box on the right. The shot had a lot of power on it, but Otero fought it off. A minute later, Smith and Santos were caught up the field, allowing Ollie Bassett to sneak in down the right. He took a pass and blasted a shot that Otero saved.

The Lions had a golden opportunity to add a fifth goal in the 86th minute. Colin Guske intercepted a pass near the top of his own penalty area and dribbled forward in transition. He did well to pick out Enrique making a run slightly right of center. The Argentine carried the ball into the box with McGuire on his left all alone. Enrique slowed and cut back to his left, firing a shot wide of the left post.

Thorhallsson capped the scoring in the 90th minute, getting onto a pass from late substitute Ivan Angulo in the semicircle just outside Tampa Bay’s penalty area and blasting a shot just inside the left post to make it 5-0. It gave Thorhallsson a goal to go with his earlier assist.

After just one minute of stoppage time, Simon blew the full-time whistle on a dominant win over a struggling USL Championship side. The first 30 minutes were tightly contested, but the rest of the match was owned by Orlando City.

In the end, Orlando held the advantage in possession (57.2%-42.8%), shots (15-7), shots on target (7-3), corners (6-2), and passing accuracy (91.8%-89.4%).

“We’re really excited now to put our mind into the next one against New England at home, but today it was a game that we needed,” Pareja said.

The Lions improved to 8-0-0 in all competitions against Tampa Bay.


Orlando City moves on to the Round of 16 to host Nashville SC with a date and time to be announced, but the window for that round is May 20 and 21. The Lions return to action at home Saturday against the New England Revolution.

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