Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways
Orlando City ended its three-game winless streak with a 2-1 win at home against the Philadelphia Union. It was certainly a close match and some late game heroics were needed to secure victory at Exploria Stadium. The Lions stood their ground, came out on top, and ultimately moved up the standings.
Let’s dive right into what we learned from this win over the Union.
Orlando’s Defense Bends, Doesn’t Break
OK, so maybe that’s not entirely true considering center back Robin Jansson broke his nose late in the match. Orlando’s defenders really left it all out on the field. The game certainly changed after Kacper Przybylko scored in the 68th minute, with center back Antonio Carlos coming on just five minutes later to help fortify the back line. It was far from easy as the Union threw everything they had at Orlando for an equalizer, but the defense saw it through. To give you an idea of the onslaught the defense dealt with, Rodrigo Schlegel led the team with a whopping eight clearances while Jansson made seven.
Pedro Gallese made crucial stops when there were lapses in defending, but the best save of the night came from right back Kyle Smith. The fullback has played every single minute for Orlando this season and had to be feeling that in his legs late in stoppage time. With the game on the line, Smith was there at the goal line to stop what was sure to be the equalizer for Philadelphia. The clearance was unorthodox, the ball smacking him in the face, but it was a clearance nonetheless
Mauricio Pereyra Steps Up
Our Topher Adams said it first: Orlando needed more from Designated Player Mauricio Pereyra. The Uruguayan had an up-and-down season but came alive in this game, assisting on Orlando’s first goal and making a good pass to set up Nani’s cross on the second. Pereyra had a chance to score himself after a good series of passes in front of goal with Andres Perea, but his shot went just wide.
While Pereyra has been dubbed El Maestro by many due to the clever ways he pulls the strings on offense, I tend to see him as more of a butcher. He’s capable of finding the best uses of Orlando’s many dangerous weapons and making them outright lethal against the opposition. Time and time again, Pereyra found the Union’s weak spots and carved up their defense as he saw fit. His assist was an example of how he excels in Oscar Pareja’s system and a warning to Orlando’s future opponents. When he catches you sleeping, he makes you pay for it.
No Striker, No Problem
Orlando’s starting lineup didn’t include a striker, but the Lions were still able to find the back of the net twice in this one. DPs Pereyra and Nani provided the assists, but all of Orlando’s offensive players were creative and hungry to score. Perea in particular deserves credit for running upfield and sneaking into dangerous areas. We saw him do this late in Orlando’s previous game against Toronto FC, heading the ball wide and nearly taking all three points on the road. This time, his header was on target when Nani found him in a similar position for his second goal as a Lion. Still, the Lions’ only shots on target were the two goals, despite creating chances in the final third. Daryl Dike is at the Concacaf Gold Cup and Alexandre Pato is still recovering from surgery. When either returns to the action, it should really open up ways for Orlando to score.
Just to be clear, the Lions didn’t go the whole match without a striker on the pitch. Tesho Akindele came on for Michel in the 78th minute and was perhaps the most impactful substitute Pareja made. He was the big body the Lions needed up top, not to score, but to win possession and keep it after the Union’s goal. Akindele also gets some extra love from me for his sprint to deflect a set piece while Jansson was temporarily on the sideline.
Joao Moutinho is Back
Moutinho has been dealing with injuries throughout his career and it’s nearly been a year since his groin injury last August that required surgery in the off-season. While this game wasn’t his season debut, it was the closest he’s resembled the player that was named to the MLS is Back Tournament Best XI. Moutinho led the Lions in touches (92), passes (68), and interceptions (three). He tied Perea with three tackles and made two clearances as well. Offensively, he had no trouble whipping in good crosses and nearly had an assist with a nice ball towards the back post, but no one could get on the end of it. Most importantly, he played two full shifts in a row for the Lions and more time on the field will result in better connections with his teammates. He wasn’t perfect, giving the ball up cheaply a few times, including the turnover that led to Philadelphia getting back in the game, but if he can get in a few more performances like last night’s, he’ll be back to his old self.
An Important Win in Many Ways
The Lions are back in second place in the Eastern Conference standings after this win, jumping over the Union and Nashville SC. There’s something a bit sweeter about leapfrogging the Union by beating them directly. I’ve never been fond of using strength of schedule to determine how good a team is since you can only play the teams you’re scheduled against. But before this match, Orlando only played two games against teams currently above the playoff line and those were 1-1 draws with Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC. This win over the Union proved that the Lions can win against the better teams in the league as well. More tough tests await the Lions later in the season, but Thursday night proved they can handle it.
That’s everything I took away from the Lions’ seventh win of the season. What did you see in this one? Make sure to let us know in the comments below.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Atletico Mineiro, FC Series: Final Score 0-0 (6-5) as Lions Open the Preseason Schedule Strong
The Lions outlasted the Brazilian side from the penalty spot after a scoreless draw at home to open the preseason.
The first game of Orlando City’s 2025 preseason went to penalties after a 0-0 draw in front of an announced crowd of 11,912 at Inter&Co Stadium in the FC Series. The Lions won the postgame shootout 6-5 in seven rounds to claim something called the Inter&Co Trophy against Atletico Mineiro.
Overall, the performance was good, although the finishing wasn’t, as the Lions created more opportunities than the visitors, but two weeks into preseason it was evident that the final bit of precision wasn’t quite there.
“It was great to come back to our place and have a game, and especially against the rival. A good match,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I felt that we took the most out of the game under the circumstances. We just started the preseason, and having this match and the competitiveness that the boys showed today was first class. We’re happy. We’re ready to leave to our camp (in Mexico) and keep going.”
Pareja’s starting lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Rodrigo Schlegel, David Brekalo, Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in midfield behind an attacking line of Yutaro Tsukada, Martin Ojeda, and 16-year-old Gustavo Caraballo, with Luis Muriel up top.
The teams played to a scoreless first half, with the Lions creating the better scoring chances, but the rust was evident as Orlando City wasted multiple good scoring opportunities.
The game’s first few shots came off of Orlando headers. Muriel redirected a cross on target in the third minute but couldn’t generate much power, sending it softly to Atletico Mineiro goalkeeper Everson. A few minutes later, Tsukada got to a bouncing diagonal cross but couldn’t direct it on frame. Brekalo got his head to a free kick cross in the eighth minute, but his shot was also sent directly at Everson.
Mineiro’s first shot of the match came 12 minutes in, when Gustavo Scarpa fired over the bar from well outside the area.
Orlando resumed the attack and Tsukada attempted a shot in the 18th minute from outside the area that deflected off a defender for a corner kick. The initial cross into the area was cleared but the recycled cross found Freeman near the left post, however, the fullback sent his header wide.
Schlegel conceded a pair of dangerous free kicks a few minutes after Freeman’s missed opportunity, but the Brazilian side couldn’t do anything with either of them. The second ended up deflecting off the wall and was picked up on the left by Guilherme Arana, who fired off target.
Caraballo should have scored in the 27th minute as Ojeda did well to get a cross from the left through to the far side. The teenager missed just wide from point-blank range, as the ball appeared to skip up off the turf on him at the last second.
Cartagena went down with an injury off the ball moments later and had to come off. He was helped to the locker room by the training staff. Kyle Smith replaced him in the lineup.
Gallese made his first good save of the game in the 35th minute, diving to keep out a good shot from distance by Fausto Vera.
Muriel set up Ojeda with a nice layoff at the top of the box in the 41st minute, but the midfielder couldn’t get his shot on frame, continuing the theme of the day for Orlando City.
The Lions again should have opened the scoring just seconds into first-half stoppage time. The Lions had a good attack up the left and Ojeda slipped in Ramiro Enrique, who had come on for Muriel late in the half. Enrique fired but Everson did well to make the save. The rebound came straight to Tsukada, with almost the entire net to shoot at, but the young winger sent his shot too close to the goalkeeper, who got a piece of it to keep it out.
Ojeda had the final shot of the half, sending a good effort through traffic but it was right at Everson. The teams went into the break without a goal.
The Lions had more shots (10-5), shots on target (4-1), and corners (4-2) in the first half.
Atletico Mineiro saw more of the ball in the second 45 minutes, but the Orlando City defense held up well, even after several substitutions, as Atletico Mineiro wasn’t able to threaten Gallese’s goal often. However, the Lions also didn’t create as much danger in the second half as they did in the opening period.
One of Orlando’s best opportunities in the second half came just after the restart. Caraballo sent Tsukada down the left but the winger fired wide of the goal in the 47th minute.
Gabriel Menino had one of Atletico’s best second-half chances in the 52nd minute, but he sent his shot over the bar from the top of the 18-yard box. After another long-range effort by the visitors sailed high over the net, Gallese made a save on a one-hopper from the top of the box in the 58th minute for his best stop of the second half.
Enrique fired just over the bar from the top of the semicircle in the 60th minute as the wasteful chances continued for Orlando. The forward had plenty of space to pick out his spot, but he leaned back a bit and his shot stayed high as a result.
There were virtually no chances created between the hour mark and the end of normal time, with both teams subbing often and the players who started noticeably tiring. The most noteworthy action was substitute Dagur Dan Thorhallsson took an accidental high boot to the head and had to come off. Pareja had no updates about Thorhallsson, Cartagena, or Muriel after the match.
“It is hard at this moment where we’re starting the preseason just to see guys coming out of the pitch with pains and things,” he said. “We’re praying that everything is good, but I have no other report.”
With no goals on the board through stoppage time, the game went to penalties after a 0-0 draw.
“We were obviously planning right after the game, who was going to take (penalties), and the boys were so engaged in the competition,” Pareja said. “It’s what they are. They want to compete, regardless of it’s a friendly game. They want to win it. And they were expressing that feeling, we need to win this game.”
Smith took the first shot from the spot in front of The Wall at the north end of the stadium, scoring to put his team ahead. Igor Gomes followed suit for Atletico Mineiro after coming to a complete stop in his run-up for about two seconds.
Enrique restored Orlando’s lead, only to see Brahian Palacios equalize on a stutter-step that clearly moved backward. Brekalo made it 3-2 with a bouncer that skipped over Everson’s outstretched arm, before Rubens made it 3-3 after three rounds.
Second-half sub Ivan Angulo saw Everson stop his penalty attempt in the fourth round, giving Atletico a chance to seize control. However, the Brazilian side’s No. 9, Deyverson, sent his blast over the bar to keep things even after four rounds.
Gallese took matters into his own hands (or feet) by scoring in the fifth round, but his counterpart Everson sent a shot under the crossbar to send the shootout into sudden death.
Freeman, who played the entire game, fired home to put Orlando up again, only to see Otavio equalize, as once again a Mineiro player came to a prolonged stop in his run-up. The teams went into the seventh round tied at 5-5.
“I feel like I didn’t want to take it differently,” said Freeman, who has been a regular penalty taker with OCB in shootouts. “I feel like I just wanted to stay confident. Obviously, there’s more fans, and obviously, there’s a little bit more pressure, but I feel like I did that. I just walked up confidently, and I kind of knew what spot I wanted to go.”
Rookie Joran Gerbet took an unorthodox approach and scored to put the Lions back in front in the seventh round.
“It’s been like something I exercise a lot since the last two, three years at Clemson,” Gerbet said of his penalty. “I was like, the one who was taking (them), so I’m just, like, used to it. So, yeah, it’s just like the routine, I guess.”
Defender Bruno Fuchs fired toward Gallese’s right, but Peruvian guessed correctly and kept the shot out with a strong right hand to win the shootout.
Pareja was able to get a lot of Homegrowns and academy kids into the match against a good Brazilian side.
“At the end of the game, I was seeing a bunch of guys that grew up in our academy,” he said. “And today, they made us feel that they have the case (to be) in the team already. So, I’m very proud for every single one that had minutes today and made us feel that result of the effort and what they’re investing in the academy.”
Here’s the full highlight reel from the match:
Orlando City is off to Mexico for the next week of camp. While there, the Lions will face Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League before returning to Central Florida. The next game open to the general public will be held in Tampa as the Lions face Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 14.
Opinion
Orlando City Needs a Strong Start from its Defense
The defense will need to come together quickly in 2025 for Orlando City to avoid another slow start to the season.
The opening day of the 2025 Major League Soccer season is less than 30 days, and Orlando City is preparing for the opener against Philadelphia. With a full slate of preseason matches that recently dropped, the 2025 Lions will soon take to the field to put the final touches on preparing various tactics for the season ahead. That starts today with a friendly against Atletico Mineiro.
While there are numerous questions regarding the offensive side of the pitch for Orlando City, the defense should be an area of strength for OCSC as the season begins, and it may need to be, as any new attacking pieces brought in this late in the off-season will need time to settle in.
Starting with the dynamic duo of Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena, Orlando once again will have the good fortune of fielding one of the best defensive midfield pairings in all of MLS. While both Araujo and Cartagena are technically sound and strong defenders on their own, there is a noticeable difference in overall team defense when they both play together. Araujo, who has recently been the target of transfer speculation, is now expected to be locked into Orlando City purple for the upcoming season. He and Cartagena have demonstrated a great ability to take opposing star players out of the game plan, and there is little question regarding their importance when it comes to the successful start of the season.
Moving back toward the goal, Orlando City also returns a complete back line consisting of captain Robin Jansson, Rafael Santos, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and either David Brekalo or Rodrigo Schlegel. The tactics employed by Head Coach Oscar Pareja call for the fullbacks to get into the offensive flow as often as the game allows, and both Thorhallsson and Santos have shown that they are capable of attacking. While that part of their game is a bonus, their ability to get back and defend — especially against the counter — will be an early skill to watch as the season begins.
At this point in his career, there will be very few surprises from Jansson, as fans and the coaching staff know exactly what type of effort to expect out of the center back. The only piece of the back line puzzle that will be interesting to watch throughout the early part of the season will be who earns the right to slot in next to Jansson. Due to injury and international duty a season ago, Schlegel wound up winning the starting role from the newly acquired Brekalo. My gut instinct tells me that with an off-season of preparation, we will likely see the younger and more athletic Brekalo get the nod to start the year, with Schlegel the primary backup for both starting center back positions.
Finally, the man who anchors it all, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, will have the benefit of familiarity when it comes to the defenders in front of him. Gallese ended the 2024 season on a hot streak, in great form, showing his quality in the second half of the season and the playoffs, stopping multiple penalty kicks. He tied for fifth place among all goalkeepers with eight clean sheets in 2024 and will undoubtedly look to add to his career club record as the 2025 season begins.
With all of the defensive starters from the 2024 season back for 2025, Orlando City’s defense is expected to be the cornerstone of early season matches while the offense sorts itself out. The success then, especially during those first few matches, will likely live or die on the shoulders of the back seven defensive players.
Do you expect any cracks in the Orlando City defense to start the year or are you feeling confident in their ability to handle the new attacking pieces that have been added to the Eastern Conference? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City Releases Full 2025 Preseason Schedule
The Lions will face three MLS sides, a Brazilian Serie A club, a USL Championship team, and a Canadian Premier League side this preseason.
On the eve of Orlando City’s first preseason friendly of the team’s 2025 camp — and 11 days into training — the club has released its full schedule for the remainder of the preseason. The Lions will play six matches, calling two of them “friendlies” and the other four “scrimmages,” but they all amount to competitive minutes for the squad ahead of the 2025 MLS regular season.
Two of the games are open to the general public, including Saturday’s FC Series friendly against Atletico Mineiro and the Feb. 14 preseason finale against Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In addition, season ticket members can access a preseason scrimmage against CF Montreal on Feb. 8. Club staff will reach out to season ticket members with the details for that game. The other three scrimmages will be closed door.
The preseason schedule is similar this year to what the club has had for the last several years under Oscar Pareja, with mostly closed scrimmages and a mixture of MLS and other assorted competition.
After facing the Brazil Serie A side on Saturday, the Lions will head to Mexico for a week of training and team bonding, with one scrimmage against Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League. Orlando City will play three MLS clubs in the preseason, along with one team each from the Canadian Premier League and the USL Championship.
Orlando City will kick off its 2025 regular season at home against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
2025 Orlando City Preseason Schedule
- Saturday, Jan. 25 — Preseason friendly vs. Atletico Mineiro at Inter&Co Stadium
- Sunday, Jan. 26 — Preseason camp opens in Mexico
- Tuesday, Jan. 28 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Forge FC (Closed Door)
- Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Atlanta United (Closed Door)
- Saturday, Feb. 8 — Preseason scrimmage vs. CF Montreal (Season Ticket Members Exclusive Match)
- Tuesday, Feb. 11 — Preseason scrimmage vs. Rhode Island FC (Closed Door)
- Friday, Feb. 14 — Preseason friendly vs. Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Orlando City vs. Atletico Mineiro, FC Series: Final Score 0-0 (6-5) as Lions Open the Preseason Schedule Strong
Orlando City Needs a Strong Start from its Defense
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