Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Santos Laguna, Leagues Cup: Final Score 1-0 as Toothless Lions Knocked Out of the Tournament
A sloppy performance against a good Santos side results in Orlando City’s quick exit from the Leagues Cup.

Orlando City’s first foray into international competition could have gone better. The Lions nearly scored in the game’s opening seconds, then wasted numerous opportunities before falling 1-0 to Santos Laguna at Exploria Stadium in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Santos advances to play the Seattle Sounders in the semifinals.
The Lions struggled with their touch and passing accuracy all over the pitch, but especially in the midfield and attacking third and managed to get only two shots on frame on 13 attempts.
“Obviously frustrated with the result, but not with the way the boys played today, and the team, I think they showed a lot of personality tonight,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Especially in the first half, where we created those options and we could have walked out of the game with a different result.”
Pareja started pretty much a full-strength lineup (minus a few injured players), with Mason Stajduhar in goal behind a first-team back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Junior Urso and Andres Perea patrolled the central midfield, with Mauricio Pereyra and Chris Mueller facilitating the attack to Nani and Tesho Akindele.
The Lions nearly scored in the opening seconds, getting the ball down the left before Pereyra cut a pass back across the box. It was a bit of a stretch for Mueller to get on it but he was able to direct a shot on target that eluded goalkeeper Gibran Lajud but was cleared off the line by Ronaldo Prieto, sliding across the front of goal.
“If (Mueller) put the ball in there, I believe that would have been a very different game,” Carlos said.
Nani fired over the bar two minutes later after a good pass from Mueller.
The visitors got their first chance in the fifth minute on a shot from Prieto that was partially blocked by the defense and easily scooped up by Stajduhar. A minute later, however, Urso made a bad back pass that was picked off by Juan Ferney Otero at the top of the area, but Stajduhar made a good save.
Nani fizzed a shot just over the bar in the 10th minute off a well-worked short corner as the Lions continued to look dangerous early. Urso tried a long-range effort four minutes later but his shot skipped about five yards wide of the left post.
Orlando nearly got caught on the counter in the 21st minute when Jansson made a run forward into the area before the play broke down. Santos had a 3-on-2 break but Prieto fired off target from just outside the area.
After a couple of set pieces for Santos didn’t amount to much, the Lions got another good opportunity, working the ball to the left side in the 28th minute. Moutinho’s cross found an open Ruan on the right but the fullback’s header was off target.
It was a costly miss, because two minutes later, the visitors opened the scoring.
Winning the ball in the middle of the pitch, a player knocked Antonio Carlos to the ground, but referee Selvin Brown allowed play to continue and Santos Laguna took advantage.
Diego Valdes sent the ball left to Otero, who cut inside and took a shot that skipped a few yards in front of Stajduhar. The bounce, and the spin on the ball, made the shot tough to handle for the young keeper. Stajduhar got a hand to it but couldn’t keep Otero’s shot out and Santos took the lead at the 30-minute mark.
Orlando tried to pull it right back. Ruan sent a cross from right to left in the 34th that Akindele got a foot to, sending it back toward the right post, but it floated just high, skipping off the top of the crossbar.
That was the last decent chance of the half and the visitors took their 1-0 lead into the break. Shots were even at 8-8 but Santos got more on target (3-1). Orlando held more possession (52.1%-47.9%), while Santos won more corners (2-1) and passed more accurately (79.4%-78.6%).
“I thought, especially the first couple minutes we had two really good chances. Chris had a good one, Luis (Nani) had a good one,” Akindele said. “And then after that, we just couldn’t break them down too much. I thought we did well at building out. Our midfielders brought us up into the middle third, and then the final third, but we were just unable to find that final pass sometimes tonight, and I don’t think we created enough shots on target that we would expect from ourselves with the quality that we have.”
The second half was an uphill battle. Santos played more defensively after the goal and that continued in the second half, with the visitors dropping their midfielders to take away space. Orlando was able to get into decent positions but either couldn’t get the final ball right or got swarmed trying to find the next pass. Often the play was too deliberate and the team rarely moved the ball with the one-touch passing that it has used so effectively at times over the past two seasons.
“There (were) some moments in the sequence where the connection needed to be faster,” Pareja said. “We needed to move the ball faster in order to get an advance, or a numerical superiority, and having the numerical superiority in the last third when you play faster, it gives you a better option. We didn’t create those. Not in the volume that we used to have against other teams. Give the credit to Santos. They have good defenders and they recovered or retrieved it fast. But we could have finished those sequences in a better speed, and probably that would open a better option for us.”
Pereyra tried his luck from outside the area in the 48th minute but the shot was deflected out for a corner by the defense. Nani tried a long-range effort in the 64th minute but Lajud fought it off on what turned out to be the final shot on target of the night by Orlando.
The Lions won a number of corner kicks, getting six in the second half after earning only one in the opening 45 minutes. However, they never really created anything off of them.
Substitute Silvester van der Water freed himself up for a shot just outside the area in the 81st minute, but his blast sailed just over the bar. That was the last decent chance for either side in the second half. Santos didn’t do much with their second-half chances on the counter, sending four of the team’s five shot attempts well off target.
A visibly angry and frustrated Urso was shown a straight red card at the end of the match for screaming at the referee.
Both teams finished with 13 shots, with Santos getting more on target (4-2). The Lions had more corners (7-6), more possession (53.2%-46.8%), and slightly better passing accuracy (80.7%-79.8%), but just didn’t have any ruthlessness in the final third.
As well organized as Santos is defensively, it was always an uphill battle after falling behind in the first half.
“I thought we played pretty well overall, and maybe we just needed to score a goal early in the game when we kind of had the momentum with us,” Akindele said.
“I think it’s a game that is going to make us grow,” Pareja said.
The Lions return to league play next Wednesday, Aug. 18 when they travel to Tennessee to take on Nashville SC.
Opinion
Predicting Orlando City’s June Results
It’s time to take a glimpse into the future and predict how Orlando City will fare during the month of June.

We’re almost to the end of what’s been an extremely packed month of May for Orlando City. After the conclusion of Saturday’s match against the Chicago Fire, the Lions will have played nine matches in the span of 28 days. OCSC has basically played a match every three days, which is an absurd pace. Other than two recent blemishes, Orlando has mostly handled it exceedingly well though, and June presents a much lighter schedule for our brave heroes.
The Lions play just three games next month and will have two weeks off between Saturday’s match against the Fire and their next game. Without any further ado, I will now attempt to peer into the crystal ball and predict the results of Orlando’s three games in June.
Saturday, June 14 — at Colorado Rapids
Orlando will return to action after a two-week layoff by hopping on the purple plane and flying west to take on Colorado. The Rapids are currently eighth in a crowded Western conference table with 22 points, and they are 10 points off the Vancouver Whitecaps at the top of the table. They’ve put together a pretty even season so far with a record of 6-6-4 (W-L-D). The biggest problem for Colorado has been scoring goals, as the Rapids only have 18 goals in 16 games and have been held scoreless five times in the league. They have this week off, and won’t return to action until June 7, when they host Austin FC. I give Orlando City the edge in this match, and hopefully that extra rest will help the good guys hang tough at altitude. The Lions have been defensively sound recently — when they’ve had all 11 men on the field — while also still being able to put the ball in the back of the net several times a game. Shutting down Djordje Mihailovic is going to be key, but I like Orlando’s chances given its recent form and the fact that the Lions will be well rested.
Prediction: Orlando City 3-1 Colorado Rapids.
Wednesday, June 25 — at St. Louis City
I refuse to capitalize every letter in “City” in St. Louis City’s name, because frankly I think it’s a ridiculous stylistic choice. The team also hasn’t been very good this year, so it doesn’t deserve me catering to it in that manner. St. Louis is currently 2-8-5 and only truly woeful campaigns by CF Montreal and the LA Galaxy are saving it from leading the Wooden Spoon race with 11 points. It makes Colorado look like an offensive juggernaut, as it’s only scored 11 goals in 15 games. St. Louis isn’t bad defensively, as it’s only conceded 20 goals, but it’s always going to be a struggle when you average scoring just 0.73 goals a game. Its form was enough to get Head Coach Olof Mellberg fired, and he lasted just over six months on the job. The club hasn’t won since a March 15 match against the Galaxy and has a tricky upcoming slate, with a home match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, an away game against the Portland Timbers on June 8, and a home match against the Galaxy on June 14. With a week and a half between the Colorado match and this one, I once again like Orlando City in this game. Unless St. Louis can find its shooting boots, I don’t see it offering much threat against a rested Orlando defense that has come on strong since a shaky start to the year.
Prediction: Orlando City 2-0 St. Louis City.
Saturday, June 28 — vs. FC Cincinnati
OCSC wraps up June by returning home to play one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference on short rest. It isn’t ideal, but it isn’t the worst thing in the world either. Cincy has been good this year, compiling a record of 9-4-3 and 30 points to sit second in the East. New signings Evander and Kevin Denkey have been as good as you would expect, as Evander has seven goals and five assists in 14 appearances, and Denkey has nine goals in 15 games. As a team, Cincinnati has scored 24 goals and conceded 22, so it’s been a balanced campaign to this point. It’ll be coming to the end of a stretch of three straight road games, as Cincy will be away to the New England Revolution on June 14 and then at CF Montreal on June 25, so it’ll also be traveling on short rest. That said, aside from the Philadelphia Union, Cincy is the toughest team the Lions will have faced in MLS play, and stopping both Evander and Denkey is far from an easy task. This reeks of a draw that has a couple of goals for each team, so that’s what I’ll be going with.
Prediction: Orlando City 2-2 FC Cincinnati.
There you have it. I’ve scrutinized the tea leaves and you now know what the path ahead holds for the Lions. Be sure to check back in at the end of June so you can marvel at how stunningly accurate my forecast was. Until then, feel free to either disagree or tell me how crystal clear my visions are down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/30/25
Orlando City players called up, Orlando Pride sign Simone Jackson, USWNT gets ready to play China, and more.

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a brutal week, but we’ve made it through. Our reward is an exciting weekend of soccer to enjoy to close out the month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but it should still be a nice next few days. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.
Lions Called Up For International Duty
Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was predictably called up for Peru’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Peru is ninth in the standings and will take on Colombia June 6 before hosting Ecuador on June 10.
Defender David Brekalo was called up by Slovenian for a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matches will help prepare Slovenia for World Cup qualifying this fall against Sweden, Switzerland, and Kosovo.
A few Young Lions are also heading to Europe for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. The U.S. will represent Concacaf at the U-18 tournament, and OCB players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were called up for it.
Orlando Pride Sign Simone Jackson
The Orlando Pride signed forward Simone Jackson to a contract through the 2028 season. Jackson played at the University of Southern California for four years, recording 22 goals and 13 assists in 75 games, and trained with the Pride during the preseason. Internationally, she’s represented the U.S. at various youth levels and scored a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 22-year-old gives Orlando some helpful depth up front and can develop her game learning from some of the best attackers in the sport as well.
USWNT Prepares For Friendly Against China
The United States Women’s National Team will take on China Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in the first of two friendlies during this international window. Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to join a young roster as the team builds a foundation before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Goalkeeper will continue to be a position to watch, as opportunity knocks for Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Mandy McGlynn, and Claudia Dickey to stake a claim as the team’s starter. Following this match, the USWNT will take on Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday before a pair of friendlies against Ireland later in June.
Denver’s NWSL Team Hires First General Manager
Denver’s NWSL team hired Curt Johnson to serve as the club’s first general manager. He will have the opportunity to build the team’s roster and staff from the ground up before the team takes the field as an expansion side in 2026. Johnson left the North Carolina Courage in December and was the chief soccer officer when the club dominated the league in 2018 and 2019. It looks like a solid hire in my opinion and I’m interested to see what kind of team he puts together in Denver.
Free Kicks
- Racing Louisville forward Kayla Fischer was suspended for an additional two games for pulling Madison Hammond down to the ground by her hair. As a result, she’ll miss Louisville’s game against the Pride on June 20.
- Washington Spirit Head Coach Jonatan Giraldez is reportedly in talks to manage OL Lyonnes.
- The Independent Review Panel rescinded the second yellow card Chicago Fire midfielder Dje D’Avilla received on May 25, meaning he’ll be available for the Fire’s game against Orlando on Saturday.
- AC Milan fired Sergio Conceicao after finishing eighth in the Serie A standings and losing in the Italian Cup final. The club has reportedly reached an agreement with Massimiliano Allegri for him to take over as manager.
- Angel Di Maria will return to his boyhood club of Rosario Central in Argentina’s top flight. The 37-year-old started his career at Rosario in 2005. He’ll still play for Benfica in the Club World Cup this summer.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Lions need to do to secure a victory against Chicago at home?

Orlando City ends May the way it began, with a match against the Chicago Fire. The Lions are coming off a wild and disappointing match against rival Atlanta United. I always worry about a team after such an emotional outing, and on short rest to boot, especially since the Fire were off during the midweek. How the team reacts will determine the result. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from Chicago at home?
Defend this House
Much like the last time, Orlando City will need to deal with Hugo Cuypers and the rest of Chicago’s attack. The Lions likely won’t get the benefit of having Chris Brady sent off in the 36th minute again, meaning they will need to defend more attacks for a longer time. In the last match, Chicago took 16 shots, putting eight of those on target. Limiting those chances will be critical.
I expect to see Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo starting on the back line despite having done so Wednesday night. No cheap giveaways, no errant arms away from the body in the box, just solid defending for 90 plus minutes. The Lions will have to do it without Cesar Araujo, thanks to his sending off against Atlanta. I think they can, but it will be more difficult without him.
Atuesta Ahoy
Eduard Atuesta played the full 90 minutes against the Portland Timbers, and then played limited minutes against Atlanta United. I completely agreed with that strategy, because he did not need to be playing too many minutes so soon after returning. He is also working back to full fitness. He will be rested for this home match, and the pitch conditions will be much better.
We were reminded of how good he is in the attacking midfield in that match against Portland. I need him to provide those slicing passes through tiny windows against the Chicago defense. Joran Gerbet has proven to be a steal in the draft, but he doesn’t yet have that extra bit of quality you see from Atuesta. Look for him to break Chicago’s lines.
Early and Often
Orlando City will come in on three days rest, whereas Chicago will be on six days rest. This match will also be the Lions’ ninth match in May — their seventh in the league and two more in the U.S. Open Cup. To say that tired legs will be a concern is an understatement. As such, Orlando City needs to jump out to an early lead as it did against Atlanta.
Fortunately, there was more rotation in the attack on Wednesday for Orlando City with Ramiro Enrique getting the start. That means Luis Muriel will be fresh for a start on the much nicer grass at Inter&Co Stadium. I’ll take a goal from Muriel, or frankly any Orlando player. Heck, Jansson is due for one, right? Multiple goals will likely be needed to secure a victory.
That is what I will be looking for Sunday night. Let me know your in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
-
Orlando City7 days ago
Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 1-0 as Pride Drop Second Home Game This Season
-
Orlando Pride1 week ago
Orlando Pride vs. Utah Royals: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Romp in South Florida
-
Orlando City1 week ago
Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Player Grades and Man of the Match
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More