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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 1-1 as Allen Chapman Chalks Off Winning Orlando Goal

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5 years ago

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It looked like the Lions had won it. Andres Perea’s put-back of an Alexandre Pato free kick that hit the crossbar and goalkeeper Joe Willis deep in stoppage time appeared to punch Orlando City’s ticket into the postseason. But referee Allen Chapman went to the monitor and waved off a goal for what he deemed a clear and obvious foul on Daryl Dike, allowing Nashville SC (12-4-17, 53 points) to escape with a 1-1 draw against Orlando (12-9-12, 48 points) as the teams tied for the third time in as many meetings in 2021.

The Lions crept closer to clinching but that disallowed goal could be a killer after Daryl Dike had provided an early lead, only to see Hany Mukhtar equalize in the second half at Exploria Stadium in Orlando’s home regular-season finale.

“It’s a very sad day for the league, a league that has been growing immensely,” an obviously upset Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “There are no explanations on the play that was so evident and destroyed the joy of our people — the people that believe in this project. It’s a very sad day. Allow me not to say more. It is incredible what happened tonight.”

Pareja had nearly a first-choice starting XI for this one, with only left back Joao Moutinho missing of the expected starting lineup. Pedro Gallese slotted in behind a back line of Emmanuel Mas, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Sebas Mendez and Junior Urso took their place in central midfield, behind attackers Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Chris Mueller and striker Dike.

Orlando came out and played a patient opening half, building slowly and methodically when in possession, looking for a way through the organized Nashville defense. The chances were few but the Lions managed to create some. Nani put a good cross into the area to Pereyra in the eighth minute but the Uruguayan opted to flick on for Dike rather than go for goal and the connection didn’t quite come off.

Nashville got a series of corner kicks and came close to cashing in on one when Walker Zimmerman got a good pick and came free, but his header was saved by Gallese in the 10th minute.

Orlando earned a set piece in the 13th minute when Dike was fouled by Jack Maher near the corner. Nani found Pereyra at the top of the area but the midfielder didn’t make good contact on his one-time shot attempt and popped it up over the bar.

The Lions found an opener in the 18th minute on a sustained spell of possession that began with Pereyra winning the ball back in the corner after a set piece. Orlando worked the ball around the top of the area left to right and Nani found Mueller breaking toward the end line. Mueller cut a cross back through the area and Dike redirected it in for his ninth goal of the year.

Nashville started pressing higher after the Orlando goal and the Lions did well to stay patient and composed as the visitors tried to work the ball into a good shooting position. There were a few nervy moments but Nashville couldn’t create a clear-cut opportunity.

Orlando nearly doubled the lead in the 34th minute. Ruan tried to cut a pass back for a teammate but it went off Sapong and deflected out for a corner. The ensuing cross was headed back into the mix at the top of the box by Carlos and fell for Urso, who had his back to goal. Urso sent a spinning half-bike kick attempt toward goal but it hit the post and stayed out. Mas was called for a foul trying to get to the rebound ahead of a defender.

That was it for the good chances in the opening half. Nashville attempted more shots (7-5) and got more on target (4-1) but asided from Zimmerman’s there wasn’t much danger. The Lions held more possession (58.8%-41.2%), and passed more accurately (88.2%-84.4%), while Nashville won more corners (4-1).

Early in the second half, Mukhtar went down after a Carlos clearance looking to get a penalty call. Chapman wasn’t interested and he never looked at the monitor although the VAR certainly looked at the replay and determined there was no penalty. Mukhtar laid on the field for a good while and yet never got a visit from the trainers.

A few minutes later he got his “revenge” for the perceived slight, scoring his 15th goal of the season in the 53rd minute to tie the game. The goal came in transition after Nani tried to flick a pass through to send Dike in behind but didn’t get the touch quite right. Mukhtar milked the moment by preening in front of The Wall on the north end of the stadium.

Two minutes later, it was Orlando’s turn to shout for a penalty. Urso played a ball in behind the defense and would have been through on goal if not for being obstructed by the defense. Chapman immediately waved Urso to get up.

Nashville got a dangerous scoring opportunity in the 58th minute after Alex Muyl clipped Mueller from behind and Chapman not only didn’t make a call but he mimed that Mueller dove. Mueller may have tried to make sure the foul was seen, but replay showed there was clear contact between Muyl’s boot and Mueller’s ankle. Nashville ended up firing a shot on target that Gallese saved. Three minutes later, Eric Miller was able to sneak down the left channel and beat Ruan to a through ball firing a shot at Gallese.

In the 69th minute, it was Nani getting spun around by a defender in the attacking third and again there was no call. Nashville countered and Randall Leal fired wide of the goal on the other end.

Orlando continued to attack. Mas got free on the left but had his shot blocked in the 71st minute and the rebound fell to Mueller, who fired just off target. Two minutes later, Mueller got free at the top of the area but got under his shot and was visibly upset when it sailed over the net. It was Mueller’s last involvement of the game as he was subbed off for Benji Michel. It will be his last moment on the Exploria Stadium pitch unless the Lions somehow get a home playoff match. That’ll be more difficult after Chapman’s final decision in the match.

Pereyra got a good look at the top of the box in the 75th minute but fired a blast straight at Willis. Moments later, Nani drew a foul about 40 yards out from goal but Pereyra’s service was just slightly over everyone. The Lions then forced a turnover on the ensuing goal kick but Urso fired high in the 77th minute.

Nani went for glory from outside the area in the 85th minute and his blast didn’t miss the top right corner by much.

The only talking point that truly matters came in stoppage time. Pato drew a free kick about 25 yards straight out from goal and stepped up to take it himself. He smashed a laser shot that caught the bottom of the crossbar and hit Willis, then bounced off the right post and crawled tantalizingly out in front of the goal. Dike tried to get to the ball first. Alistair Johnston came in from behind and there was contact, with both players ending up in the net. Perea was first to get to the loose ball, scoring the apparent winner.

Exploria Stadium erupted and the Lions were still celebrating when Chapman went to the monitor to look at the play. After a short review, he signaled that there was no goal following replay.

“Orlando player Daryl Dike kicked Nashville player Alistair Johnston’s leg as Johnston was attempting to clear the ball. It was determined to be a foul prior to the goal being scored,” the referee responded to a pool reporter’s question after the match. “In the opinion of the match officials, Daryl Dike prevented Johnston from clearing the ball.”

While the replay shows some contact, it’s questionable at best whether Johnston could clear the ball or if he might even have knocked it into inside netting and there was certainly no intent to do anything but score by Dike. It appears to this writer that Johnston stuck his leg in front of Dike’s as if to prevent the forward from getting to it, rather than trying to make a play to clear it. Either way, it’s a stretch to call this a clear and obvious error.

“There is not any explanation that gets even close to (us) accepting that decision,” Pareja said. “That’s not going to be a resource for us, trying to make the players understand that it was a foul. We can’t get there. There’s no way to do it. I already saw 30 times the clip.”

Both teams ended up with 14 shots, with Nashville getting more on target (7-2). Orlando held more possession (54.9%-45.1%) and passed more accurately (87.7%-84.8%), while the visitors got more corners (7-2).

Orlando will need to regroup after a draw that should have been a win.

“Today was really hard for us because we we did our best on the field and we’re a little bit frustrated to not get three points,” Urso said. “We played well I think but we have to look forward because we need one more point to be in the playoffs.”

“Just put it behind us. It will take obviously certain time. I hope the boys can just shake it off and then refocus on what is coming because that’s our responsibility. I can tell you how disappointed they are with what just happened, and just let them absorb it first, and tomorrow will be another day. This is a beautiful sport and we have to move on and just try to make things happen in Montreal.”

The Lions will close out the regular season one week from today, heading north of the border to take on CF Montreal on Decision Day.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

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8 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

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12 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

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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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