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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Blow Two-Goal Lead

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3 years ago

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Orlando City continues throwing away points at Exploria Stadium like they’re junk mail. This time the Lions (12-8-11, 47 points) blew a late two-goal lead at home against Supporters’ Shield winners New England Revolution (21-4-7, 70 points) after an excellent 80 minutes of soccer and lost two vital points in the playoff race.

Nani and Daryl Dike staked the Lions to a 2-0 lead but no one could handle the size of Adam Buksa, who scored in the 81st and 93rd minutes to turn a two-goal lead into another unsatisfying home draw. Both of Orlando’s home games this week end up with a bad taste in the Lions’ mouths after four points dropped from a winning position.

Orlando did manage to run its unbeaten streak to five matches (2-0-3) but the last two draws felt more like losses than wins for a team trying to clinch a spot in the postseason.

“We’re disappointed, obviously, with giving up those two goals at the end and not accomplishing the objective, which is no less than those three points that we were pursuing tonight,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Difficult as well just to recognize we did such good things today that we could put the game away very early again. And then at the end we just finished with a very tight game with them, sending in crosses, and that’s the way they scored the goals.”

Pareja’s lineup was nearly a first-choice starting XI. Pedro Gallese started behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan, with Robin Jansson reportedly suffering from a stiff neck. Junior Urso and Sebas Mendez slotted into the central midfield, with Chris Mueller and Mauricio Pereyra facilitating the attack to Nani and Daryl Dike.

Orlando dominated play in the first half much like Wednesday against Montreal but — also like Wednesday against Montreal — had only a 1-0 halftime lead to show for it. Orlando’s first opportunity came nine minutes in when a fantastic cross from Nani was heading for Dike’s head but Jonathan Bell arrived at the last second to head it away. Nani tried his luck from just inside the top of the box three minutes later but his effort was blocked by the defense.

Mueller tried his luck from just outside the area in the 18th minute but got under the wet ball and hit it well over Matt Turner’s goal. Moutinho got up into the attack in the 28th and fired from the top of the box but his shot skipped right at Turner for the easy save.

The Lions could have opened the scoring in the 34th minute. Urso collected the ball on the left and sent in a cross to Dike but his header was straight at Turner for the save.

On a corner played short, the ball was played around the top of the box and eventually Urso ran it down in the left corner. He passed back to Moutinho, who curled in an inch-perfect cross for Nani to head home to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute. It was the captain’s 10th goal of the season and first since Aug. 7 at FC Cincinnati.

“This is our game. We need to cross the balls, we need to have the players in the box,” Nani said. “The more we cross, the more we have players in the box, we have a chance. We’ve been scoring a lot of goals like that. I think the first half was a great performance from the team. We controlled the game. We were on top of the New England team.”

Nani was shaken up on the play and got a nosebleed but was able to continue.

Orlando had a promising buildup three minutes after the goal that ended on Urso’s foot but the midfielder hit his shot over the bar.

New England won a late corner but committed a foul during the service and the first half ended with the Lions up a goal.

Orlando City led in shots (7-2), shots on target (3-0), possession (67.4%-32.6%), passing accuracy (90.2%-79.9%), and corners (3-2).

Bruce Arena sent Designated Players Buksa and Carles Gil on to start the second half, but unlike the last couple of matches, the Lions didn’t allow their opponents to dictate the game at the beginning of the second half. They did concede a set piece but nothing came of it. Instead, it was Orlando doubling the lead moments later.

Nani was fouled in the box by AJ DeLaGarza, who he had a spirited battle with all evening. Referee Chris Penso pointed to the spot, giving Orlando its third penalty against the Revs in the last three meetings between the teams. Pereyra appeared to be handing the ball to Mueller when Nani got involved and Dike ended up stepping to the spot.

“We players on the field, we are not sure who is going to take it. The players take the ball and ask the others (if they want to take it),” Nani said. “So, what I was telling them in that moment, I said, ‘Just take it. Don’t ask the others if they want to take it.’ Daryl (made) the decision and it was good for us.”

The big forward stepped up and slotted home past Turner just inside the right post to make it 2-0 in the 50th minute. It was Dike’s seventh goal of the season and the second-year player is now two-for-two on penalties.

Four minutes later, Orlando nearly made it 3-0 when a set piece delivery from Nani fell for Mueller at the near post. Mueller redirected it but Turner was able to make a diving save. In the 58th, Dike got to the end line and sent a ball toward the back post that was cleared off the line. It fell near Mueller, who swept it inches wide of the right post.

Just past the hour mark, New England sent on Designated Player Gustavo Bou and Tajon Buchanan to get more attackers on the field.

Orlando helped out the visitors by being more cautious in the attack, not wanting to allow the Revs a dangerous counter. Fewer players made runs in the attack and multiple players passed up opportunities to shoot when presented the opportunity and were eventually closed down after trying to work into a better position. Mendez did make a run to get forward in the 73rd minute and fizzed a cross through the 6-yard box, but no one made a back-post run.

“It’s not that we want to sit back and wait,” Pareja said of the late-game play tonight. “We wanted to control the game and when we have those opportunities, we want to just obviously put the game away.”

New England’s comeback started suddenly. Bou slowed play, lulled Orlando to sleep, and sent in a cross to Buksa who timed his run perfectly and got in behind, heading past Gallese in the 81st minute. The play was close, but looked to be onside.

“He’s a very strong player that’s really strong in the area, and we knew that coming into this game,” Gallese said of Buksa. “It caused problems for us tonight, so we know that we had issues, but we’re going to take a look at it, we’re going to fix it and get stronger moving forward.”

Michel got down the left side in the 83rd but didn’t shoot with his left and tried to dance around a defender. Instead, he ended up losing the ball and New England countered, ending in a shot by Buchanan that went just wide. DeJuan Jones then nearly equalized in the 86th minute but Gallese made a huge stop to preserve the lead for the moment.

Another ball up the left found Michel on the left in the 90th minute with Turner out of his goal. Rather than trying to chip the keeper from out wide, the winger carried into the box and got his shot blocked. The tying goal came three minutes later.

Jones got down the left and sent in a cross. Buksa made a run in between the center backs and got airborne before Schlegel could react. The much larger forward easily flicked in the cross to tie the game at 2-2 in the 93rd minute.

Buksa got another header opportunity in the 95th but missed the target or else the end could have gotten even more sour for Orlando.

The Lions finished with more shots (15-13) and shots on target (5-3), more possession (59.4%-40.6%), and better passing accuracy (88.2%-81.6%), while New England’s late flurry had the Revs ahead on corners (8-5).

“We faced a very strong team tonight,” Gallese said. “We came into those last 15 minutes and weren’t fully up to the task to take them on. In those last 15 minutes they were very direct, and we can learn from a few errors that cost us two points tonight. But moving forward, the thing that we need to realize is that this team is still very good. This team is still very strong. And we move on to the next one.”

“The proximity of the game doesn’t let us get too down,” Pareja said. “We have to move on and try to get the points in the three games that we have left.”

Orlando City will hit the road for the penultimate time in the regular season as the Lions head to Ohio to play the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.

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Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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6 hours ago

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April 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

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That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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