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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways

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4 years ago

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The New York Red Bulls are no longer the only team to get the better of Orlando City this season as the Lions lost 3-1 against the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field. Although Orlando was able to take the lead in the first half, defensive errors and poor finishing doomed the Lions. Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja gave rest to key players and the starting Lions had a hard time getting a result on the road.

Let’s dive right into what we learned from the Lions’ road loss to the Fire.

An Unfortunate First For Pareja’s Lions

For the first time since Pareja has been at the helm, Orlando City has lost consecutive games. The Lions weren’t able to bounce back after falling 2-1 at home to the New York Red Bulls and they’ve squandered a golden opportunity to reach the top of the Eastern Conference. Orlando was far from full strength during this match, which does take some of the sting out of the loss. But it does put more pressure on the Lions’ next match on July 17 against a Toronto FC side that just won 3-2 on the road against the New England Revolution. While it’s nice that the Lions are still in striking distance of the Revolution for the time being, they are trending in the wrong direction. It is the first losing streak of the Pareja era and the team will have to snap it soon with tough opponents on the horizons.

Substitutes Couldn’t Save Orlando

In the past, Pareja has been able to use weaker lineups on the road and earn results while resting regular starters. It worked well during the shortened 2020 season, but the strategy faltered against the surging Fire. Pareja didn’t make any changes until after the Fire took the lead in the 72nd minute, with Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Sebas Mendez all coming on to try to turn the tide. Chris Mueller came on for Michael Halliday minutes later as well, but Orlando’s second goal never came. There were plenty of chances created once these players came on but it was all too little too late for the Lions.

To me, the strategy seemed to be for Orlando to keep the game close for as long as possible and then bring in these offensive players to ensure a result. If these Lions came on earlier, then Chicago may not have taken the lead as Orlando would’ve likely taken more control of the match. In particular, if Mendez came on sooner for a struggling Uri Rosell then the Lions could’ve better stabilized the midfield. At the end of the day, Pareja got his more creative players the rest they needed after a congested schedule. But in doing so, it definitely cost the Lions important points.

Andres Perea Gets His First Goal

With a heavily rotated starting lineup that lacked many of Orlando’s usual playmakers, Perea stepped up to the plate in the 34th minute to score his first goal as a Lion. Perea’s goal gave the Lions a needed lead, but that was canceled out with the blow of Chicago’s equalizer right before the half. It was Perea’s 35th MLS regular-season appearance and hopefully this will open the gates for more goals to come from the 20-year-old in the future.

Minutes Finally Catch Up With Kyle Smith

Orlando’s back line has been banged up all year long, with Antonio Carlos, Joao Moutinho, Ruan, and Rio Hope-Gund all unavailable for this match. The Lions have heavily relied on fullback Kyle Smith to fill gaps, with the 29-year-old playing every single minute for the Lions this season. While he’s been fantastic for the Lions, Smith had a massive defensive lapse on Chicago’s first goal. In the dying moments of the first half, Smith was caught out of position on a cross to the back post and was unable to mark Boris Sekulic, who easily headed the ball past Brandon Austin. The Fire scored a second goal in the 72nd minute after Smith kept Robert Beric onside during a run and he wasn’t able to close Beric down before the forward slotted it home. It was definitely Smith’s worst game of the season and certainly put an urgency on the returns of Moutinho and Ruan.

The Lions Lacked Killer Instinct

Orlando put nine of its 16 shots on target, but only Perea’s wound up as a goal. For most of the match, the offense was headed by Benji Michel, Silvester van der Water, and Tesho Akindele, with Junior Urso helping out here and there. Van der Water led the team with six key passes and played a beautiful ball right in front of goal but there was just no one making a run to put it away. Michel had five shots but just couldn’t make the most of them despite great opportunities. It was a frustrating night to say the least as players made too many passes in front of goal only to send shots directly at Chicago goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.

Daryl Dike’s absence certainly hinders the Lions’ offense and his lethality could’ve definitely been used in this one. But the Lions have found ways to score without Dike already this season and Alexandre Pato’s return should give the Lions more options on attack.

That’s everything I took away from the Lions’ third loss of the season. What did you see in this one? Were there other areas that Orlando faltered in or some silver linings hidden in defeat? Make sure to let us know in the comments below.

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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23 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

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3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

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