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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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After a lengthy weather delay, Orlando City battled with Inter Miami and won 1-0 thanks to an own goal from Damion Lowe. The shutout was a nice response from Orlando’s defense after conceding five goals to D.C. United earlier this week. All three of Orlando’s Designated Players started, but the offense had a hard time against Miami. Let’s dive into how each individual Lion performed in this win at Exploria Stadium.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — His first and only save of the match was a huge one, making himself big and blocking a shot from Indiana Vassilev with his face in the seventh minute. It was a crucial stop to ensure Orlando didn’t fall into an early hole like it did Monday night. The rest of the night was fairly quiet for Gallese beyond coming out to collect dangerous balls from Miami into the box. His distribution was stellar, completing all but one of his 17 passes for a 94.1% success rate and connecting on four of his five long balls. This clean sheet was Gallese’s seventh of the year and first since May 14.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Playing at left back, Smith struggled at times to contain both DeAndre Yedlin and Vassilev. He wasn’t able to recover quickly enough after a turnover, leading to Vassilev’s shot on Gallese at point-blank range early in the match. He settled in a bit and received some help from Benji Michel to help keep Yedlin in check. Smith played every minute of the match and finished with two interceptions, a tackle, and a clearance. He also won three of his four aerial duels. Only one of his three attempted crosses connected, but it was a key pass that found Tesho Akindele late in the match. None of his four long balls were successful and he completed 83.9% of his 56 passes. The versatile defender has played everywhere along the back line this year, so let’s not forget he’s naturally a right back and is often playing out of position to fill gaps. After a rough game on Monday, this was a nice, albeit unspectacular, response from Smith.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — The Argentine defender’s 88 touches were tied with Robin Jansson for the most on the team. The pair of center backs did well rotating the ball around so that Orlando could find new ways to attack. While he was only successful on one of his five long ball attempts, he did complete 90.5% of his 74 passes. He was solid on defense, contributing four clearances, three tackles, three interceptions, and two blocked shots. His tenacity helped him chase down attackers who got past him and step up and challenge players before they could make a play.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — With Miami putting pressure on the team’s playmakers, Jansson completed 11 of his 16 long balls to help spark things on offense. The center back led the Lions with 75 passes, completing 88% of them, and contributed a key pass to break Miami’s lines and find Pereyra. His six clearances and three interceptions helped stop Miami in its tracks and he blocked a shot as well. It was a strong performance from the defender and he did it all without committing a foul or being booked for dissent.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — The right back was sprinting up and down his side of the field all night long and looked like the key to unlocking Miami’s defense in the second half. Ruan led the Lions with three key passes, using his speed to beat Christopher McVey and set up most of Orlando’s best chances. He should have had an assist after fizzing a ball in front of goal, but Michel couldn’t get his shot in the back of the net. Ruan made a nice run after a long series of possession from Orlando and got his head to the ball in the box, but Callender caught his attempt to center it. Both of his long balls were accurate and he was successful on 82.9% of his 41 passes as well. His quickness made him an asset in transition, but he could’ve done better during those opportunities with some better awareness to find an open teammate. His four unstable touches didn’t help matters on offense. Still, he was Orlando’s best weapon on offense. Ruan also showed plenty of hustle and had two tackles, even if his one-on-one defending could use some work.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7.5 (MotM) — Araujo did a great job lending support on defense and frustrating opponents, leading Orlando with eight tackles and winning nine fouls. His role in the midfield was critical as he snuffed out plenty of Miami’s chances on the counter and hustled from start to finish. If Miami had the ball on Orlando’s side of the field, Araujo was usually there winning the ball back for his team. His passing could have been a bit better at times, but completing 83.7% of 49 passes isn’t terrible by any means and he had a key pass by finding Junior Urso in a dangerous spot at the top of the box. The 21-year-old is our Man of the Match for stopping Miami’s offense in transition and giving the midfield a needed edge.

MF, Junior Urso, 6.5 — The Bear had two shots and they were decent efforts. The first came in the first half and was blocked before going out for an Orlando corner. The second came after some great footwork to set up the shot, but Urso slipped on the wet field before shooting and couldn’t get it on frame. Urso saw plenty of the ball, playing every minute of the game and finishing with 75 touches and 63 passes at a strong 90.5% success rate. While he didn’t have a key pass or a cross, five of his six long balls found their target. He hasn’t scored in league play since March, but he did a good job setting up opportunities for himself to change that in this match.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5.5 — Miami’s game plan was to smother Pereyra with constant pressure whenever the ball was in his vicinity and foul when needed. Lowe often came out to challenge him no matter how deep in the midfield Pereyra received the ball. He had a few miscues early on and made some uncharacteristic mistakes, including a bad giveaway that sent Vassilev in on goal. Pereyra’s only shot of the match was sent into orbit. He settled in a bit in the second half and finished with 41 passes at an 80.5% success rate. Pereyra had two key passes, a successful long ball, and one of his two crosses was accurate. He also contributed two tackles and a clearance to help out defensively.

MF, Benji Michel, 5 — In his 100th appearance as a Lion, Michel played on the left wing and contended with Deandre Yedlin throughout the match. Yedlin was aggressive on that side of the field and Michel often dropped back to help the back line deal with him. Michel had a golden opportunity to score in the 58th minute as he crashed the box and got on the end of a cross from Ruan, only to send the shot directly at Drake Callender. It was Michel’s only shot of the match and Orlando’s only shot on target. His only cross was unsuccessful, although he did a solid job beating his defender and whipping the ball into the box with his weak foot. He only had 20 touches and 11 passes at an 81.8% success rate in 69 minutes of action before being subbed off for Jake Mulraney. Time and time again, Orlando’s possession ended because of Michel losing possession and he finished with five unstable touches.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — The statistics won’t reflect just how active Torres was in this match. On offense, Torres worked hard to make sure he was an outlet for passes, constantly made runs to try unlocking the defense, and had his head on a swivel with the ball at his feet to find the open man. His two shots were tied for a team high, although neither ended up on target. The 22-year-old completed all but four of his 36 passes for a strong 88.9% completion rate. His only cross missed its mark and he didn’t have any key passes, but his one long ball was accurate. Torres supplied plenty of defensive pressure from start to finish and had two tackles. He wasn’t able to bend the game to his will and have the kind of performance needed to break the game wide open, but it was still a solid outing from the Designated Player.

F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — It was a quiet night for the Austrian forward as he wasn’t able to make much of an impact. Kara didn’t receive much service due to Miami’s defensive pressure on Orlando’s playmakers and a lack of crossing from the wings while he was on the field. He also didn’t have any aerial duels at all in the match, although he did have a clearance during one of Miami’s corner kicks. Regardless of the service, Kara needed to find ways to get involved while the team hunted for a goal. It was the first time this season that Kara started a match and didn’t record a shot. He only had 14 touches and completed eight of his 11 passes for a 72.7% success rate before coming off in the 68th minute.

Substitutes

F, Tesho Akindele (68’), 6 — The Canadian forward made some nice runs in the lead up to his first shot of the match. Akindele made a well-timed dash out wide to receive the ball in space and then held up play for Torres and Ruan to catch up and set up a shot for him that he sent wide. His second shot was a headed effort from a good cross by Smith that Akindele couldn’t make clean contact on. He had seven touches, completed one of his two passes, contributed a tackle, and won both of his aerial duels. The 30-year-old is still on the hunt for his first goal this year, but he did well coming off the bench to use fresh legs and his size to win the ball up the field.

MF, Jake Mulraney (69’), 6.5 — Mulraney’s only cross of the match was technically unsuccessful, but it resulted in the lone goal of the match. The Irishman’s cross in stoppage shouldn’t have caused any problems for Miami, but Lowe’s desperate attempt to clear it resulted in an own goal. It’s hard to give Mulraney much credit, but plays like that can’t happen unless the ball is put into the box. Mulraney had nine touches and completed all seven of his passes. It was his first time coming off the bench since May, with Michel getting the start on the wing opposite Torres.

F, Alexandre Pato (78’), N/A — Pato came on for Pereyra late in the match and had five touches, all in the opposing half. He completed two of his three passes, including a nice headed pass to lay the ball off to Urso that eventually led to Mulraney’s cross and the own goal. There weren’t any flashes of brilliance after coming off the bench from Pato in this one as he had no shots or key passes.

D, Michael Halliday (86’), N/A — The 19-year-old came on late and had nine touches while completing all five of his passes. His only cross could’ve been better, but it came after he won the ball in the air and dribbled down the wing himself. After the own goal, Halliday did his part to kill off the game. Halliday looked good when on the ball in this one and a congested schedule this month could mean more minutes for him in the near future.


That’s how I saw each player’s performance in Orlando’s home win over Inter Miami. Make sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below and vote for your Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Cesar Araujo51
Rodrigo Schlegel5
Robin Jansson6
Ruan0
Other (Let us know who in the comments)2

Orlando City

Orlando City vs New England: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to score some goals and secure a victory against New England?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City might have the scoring woes in MLS matches as of late, but the Lions broke out against the Tampa Bay Rowdies Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup match. Of course, the Rowdies are not a very good team this year and are not a top flight team, so take it all with a grain of salt. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points at home against the Revolution?

Stop Gil/Campana

New England has scored eight goals this season. Seven of those goals have come from Carles Gil (5) and Leonardo Campana (2). Gil has also contributed one of New England’s four assists on the season. The vast majority of the Revolution’s offense goes through these two players, meaning stopping the duo is priority number one.

I fully expect Oscar Pareja to field his first-team defense, including a back line of Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo. Orlando City will also need whoever is playing in the defensive midfield to be the first line of defense. Pedro Gallese cannot be expected to have eight saves every match. The defense needs to step up.

Streak vs. Streak

Orlando City is on an eight-match unbeaten streak. New England is on a four-match winning streak in league play and five in all competitions. One of these streaks will end Saturday night. The Revolution have scored six goals in the last four MLS matches with at least one goal in each match without conceding a goal during the streak. The Lions have only scored three goals in the last five MLS matches with all three coming in one match against Atlanta United. Orlando City has shut out five straight MLS opponents and six consecutive in all competitions.

Orlando City has given away too many points during the unbeaten run. The Lions have missed Eduard Atuesta’s ability to create opportunities for his teammates to score. I’m hoping he will be available, but if not, Pareja will need to figure a better adjustment than he has in previous matches.

No More Nil

Orlando City may be on an eight-match unbeaten streak, but the offense has been absent in four of those matches. In those 0-0 draws, Orlando City took 53 shots with only 12 on target (23% rate). Contrast that with the four matches in which they scored, when Orlando City took 68 shots with 25 on target (37% rate). The Lions will need as many chances as possible given New England has only allowed seven goals so far this season. This is a defensively solid team.

Marco Pasalic did not play in the Open Cup victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, meaning he will be well rested and ready to start scoring goals again. He seemed to be dialing in during the Chicago match but he was taken off before he could convert. I want him to pick up where he left off, so he and many others can score goals against the Revolution. Hopefully, the goals scored against the Rowdies will kickstart the offense.


That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/8/25

Orlando City steamrolls the Tampa Bay Rowdies in I-4 Derby, Orlando Pride aim to bounce back, U.S. Open Cup results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s not often we get to celebrate an Orlando City victory in the middle of the week these days, but hopefully it’s a habit we get used to. The Lions took care of business in my neck of the woods, and it’s given some nice optimism to finish this week strongly. Let’s dive into the big win and more in today’s links!

Orlando City Trounces Tampa Bay Rowdies

Take a bow, Gustavo Caraballo! The 16-year-old was the star of the show in Orlando City’s dominant 5-0 U.S. Open Cup win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring twice to jumpstart Orlando’s attack and making history along the way. There’s plenty of scoring to enjoy, so be sure to check out our full recap!

Hopefully this game was a nice shot in the arm for Orlando’s offense and something to build on in league play. It’s always nice to take down the Rowdies and the Lions are now the last Floridian team standing in the tournament. They’ll host Nashville SC in the round of 16 later this month in what should be a good game in the City Beautiful.

Orlando Pride Aim to Bounce Back in North Carolina

After a 1-0 loss on the road to the Portland Thorns, the Orlando Pride will look to return to their winning ways when they face the North Carolina Courage on Saturday. It’s going to be another tough environment for the Pride to play in, although the Courage have lost two of their three home games so far this season. Pride defender Emily Sams spoke on the team’s mentality heading into this match and how the team can raise its level after a disappointing loss in Portland.

U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Wraps Up

MLS teams mostly cruised in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32, but it was still an exciting round of soccer filled with drama. In a vintage “cupset,” the Pittsburgh Riverhounds beat New York City FC 1-0 thanks to a goal in stoppage time from Orlando native Beto Ydrach. Indy Eleven nearly took down the Philadelphia Union, but the MLS side converted all five kicks in the penalty shootout to advance after a 1-1 draw.

The New England Revolution escaped Pawtucket with a 2-1 road win against Rhode Island FC, with 17-year-old Cristiano Oliveira scoring a late winner. Minnesota United squeezed past Louisville City 1-0, the Chicago Fire put Detroit City to the sword in a 4-0 win, and FC Dallas won 3-1 against USL League One side AV Alta FC.

UEFA Champions League Final Set

Paris Saint-Germain did everything it needed to and more at home against Arsenal, winning 2-1 to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. Great saves by Gianluigi Donnarumma and goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi propelled PSG to victory, with Bukayo Saka providing Arsenal’s only goal of the two-leg series. PSG will take on Inter Milan in the final on May 31 and it should be an interesting matchup at Allianz Arena to close out the tournament. Will PSG lift its first Champions League trophy only a year after Kylian Mbappe left the club, or will Inter come out on top after finishing as runner-up in 2023? I can’t wait to find out.

Free Kicks

  • Congratulations to United States Women’s National Team star Mallory Swanson and her husband Dansby Swanson, as the couple announced that they’re expecting their first child!
  • Racing Louisville announced that goalkeeper Katie Lund and midfielder Maddie Pokorny will both miss the remainder of the season due to hip injuries. Jordyn Bloomer, who had five saves in Friday’s win over the Houston Dash, will serve as the team’s goalkeeper in Lund’s stead.
  • The Columbus Crew signed Daniel Gazdag to a contract extension through 2027, with a club option for 2028 as well.
  • Arsene Wenger proposed a change to the offside rule so that attacking players are onside so long as any part of their body is lined up with the last defender. We’ll see if anything comes of this, but it could lead to more goals in the future.
  • Here’s what to watch for in the second legs of the Europa League semifinals. Manchester United will host Athletic Club with a three-goal lead in aggregate, while Tottenham will aim to defend its two-goal advantage in Norway against a Bodo/Glimt side that has key players returning from suspension.
  • Tottenham will be without James Maddison, who is out for the rest of the season after a knee injury sustained in the first leg against Bodo/Glimt.

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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 5-0 as Lions Roar Past Rowdies

The Lions destroyed their I-4 Derby rivals at Al Lang Stadium, advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions found their scoring boots tonight at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg and spent much of the 90 minutes applying those boots to the backsides of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Gustavo Caraballo’s brace led Orlando City, with Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson each adding a goal in a comprehensive road victory.

On the other end, Orlando allowed the host Rowdies very little, keeping the team’s sixth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions, although this one was backstopped by Javier Otero rather than Pedro Gallese, who sat on the substitutes’ bench.

“I think scoring today was so healthy for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after his team’s five-goal outburst. “The first objective was trying to keep the pace that we had defensively on being solid, but at the same time, and just move on to that team that is scoring again. So we’re happy in that part, and in between the boxes, we played a good game. We saw the youngsters playing, some of the other players that were not regularly in the lineup, so it was very complete.”

Pareja’s lineup was heavily rotated from the side that played Saturday in Chicago, with Otero starting in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Thorhallsson started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Nico Rodriguez, Martin Ojeda, and Caraballo, with Enrique up top.

It took Orlando City a while to get going, but once the Lions saw the ball in the net once, they looked dangerous for the remainder of the opening half.

Not much happened early for either side, other than some rough challenges by the Rowdies that were (eventually) punished by a single booking, but one in the opening moments to knock Freeman down while trying to get forward in transition would normally draw a yellow card.

Orlando’s first shot came in the ninth minute off a corner kick. The ball fell for Caraballo in the box and his shot hit a defender on the ground. Orlando players appealed for a handball, and it appeared the defender moved his hand on the ground up into the ball’s path, but referee Natalie Simon saw nothing wrong with it.

In the 13th minute, on what was probably the third bookable offense of the game by Tampa Bay, Simon finally showed a yellow card to Daniel Crisostomo for a hard challenge on Ojeda. Moments later, Araujo got his foot stomped on after releasing a pass but no card was given on a nasty challenge.

Enrique got into a good spot in the box in the 23rd minute and fired a shot that defender Forrest Lasso did well to block out for a corner kick. Lasso then cleared the ensuing set piece entry ball. Manuel Arteaga tried to catch Otero off his line from midfield after the clearance but the young goalkeeper wasn’t in danger of being beaten even if the attempt hadn’t been well off target.

Enrique’s flicked effort in the 26th minute was blocked by the defense, and an Ojeda attempt from a tight angle on the left in the 29th minute was well saved by goalkeeper Nicolas Campisi.

Tampa Bay got a rare shot in the 33rd minute from outside the area, but Schlegel blocked it at the top of the box. The ball sailed high into the air and served as catching practice for Otero.

Orlando City broke through a minute later. Ojeda took a good entry ball from Santos down the left and sent a low pass through the box. Caraballo got onto it and blasted it just under the bar to make it 1-0. It was the 16-year-old’s first goal with the first team, and he became the youngest player to score a first-team goal in a competitive match for Orlando City.

“It means a lot. I was able to rise to the opportunity that the coaching staff and my team gave me, and I was able to score in front of all the friends that came a long way to see us play and see us getting that very much important win to send us off to the next round,” Caraballo said.

“Congratulations to Gustavo, to the coaches in the academy, to the program that we have,” Pareja said. “I think that they have done a tremendous job on developing these kids and putting him in the first team for us is a privilege. And not just that, but to see those performances in a kid that is so young, still.”

Caraballo doubled the lead two minutes later. A takeaway in the attacking third ended up on Thorhallsson’s foot. The Icelandic midfielder cut across the box left to right. Just when it seemed he would fire a shot toward goal, he sent a diagonal pass to his right for Caraballo to run onto. The young midfielder slotted his shot just inside the left post to make it 2-0 in the 36th minute.

“I saw that there was space, that the left back wasn’t there, and if I attacked that space, I would be able to get the ball,” Caraballo said. “Thankfully, Dagur was able to see me and (it was) just a normal finish that we practice every day. And I’m just glad I was able to finish it.”

The Rowdies tried to pull one back in the 40th minute. Otero went up to catch a cross from his left and was barrelled over by Arteaga. Otero spilled the ball into his own net, but the whistle had gone for the obvious foul. A minute later, the Rowdies appealed for a penalty when a player went down in the box under contact, but Simon again wasn’t buying it.

Enrique made it 3-0 in the 42nd minute. Araujo sent a beautiful ball over the top that fell perfectly for Santos’ well-timed run. The Brazilian fullback slid a centering pass in front at the top of the six and Enrique flicked it through Campisi and in for the Lions’ third.

The last look of the first half was another good one for Orlando. Santos was sent down the left by Thorhallsson and was in a good position to shoot. The fullback sent a cannon shot over the bar from the left in stoppage time.

The Lions took their three-goal lead into the break. Orlando held the halftime advantage in possession (57.9%-42.1%), shots (9-3), shots on target (4-0), and corners (4-1).

“We needed to be patient just to open the first goal, or to get that first goal, and we scored in the right time, I think,” Pareja said of the team’s final 15 minutes of the half — between the hydration break and halftime. “I think in that moment we pushed the pedal and the other two goals came. But if there is one thing I said about what changed, it was that we moved the ball faster, and the dynamic that the boys had to connect that helped us just to land in the box with more numbers and with more options to score.”

With the three-goal lead, Pareja withdrew Ojeda and Freeman from the lineup before the restart, sending on Duncan McGuire and Colin Guske.

The second half, perhaps as a result of Orlando’s subs and a couple by the Rowdies, was disjointed just after the restart. Tampa Bay was able to stay on the ball a bit more.

Still, the first good look of the second half came in the 57th minute and was created by the Lions. Caraballo fizzed a good cross into the box that found Enrique. The Argentine sent a flicked header on goal, but Campisi made a good save.

The Lions added a fourth two minutes later anyway. McGuire headed down a ball from the back to Rodriguez on the right. The Colombian sent a good return ball over the top for McGuire, who used his strength to hold off his defender before blasting his first goal of the season past Campisi to make it 4-0 in the 59th minute. The pass was Rodriguez’s first assist as a Lion.

“Duncan has been in that long recovery process that he had on his shoulder, and just seeing him now getting his rhythm and his best version and scoring is so healthy for our team,” Pareja said. “And Ramiro similar, too.”

Tampa Bay started to create some half-chances past the hour mark, shortly after both teams had made more substitutions. Orlando withdrew Araujo and Schlegel, replacing them with Zakaria Taifi and David Brekalo.

The first decent look of the half for the Rowdies came in the 67th minute. Woobens Pacius received the ball at the top right corner of the Orlando box and made a good turn, firing a shot for the near post. Otero had the post covered and made a comfortable save.

After the second-half hydration break, the Rowdies put a couple of decent shots on goal but couldn’t beat Otero. The first of those came in the 78th minute from Alexander Rodriguez from the top of the box on the right. The shot had a lot of power on it, but Otero fought it off. A minute later, Smith and Santos were caught up the field, allowing Ollie Bassett to sneak in down the right. He took a pass and blasted a shot that Otero saved.

The Lions had a golden opportunity to add a fifth goal in the 86th minute. Colin Guske intercepted a pass near the top of his own penalty area and dribbled forward in transition. He did well to pick out Enrique making a run slightly right of center. The Argentine carried the ball into the box with McGuire on his left all alone. Enrique slowed and cut back to his left, firing a shot wide of the left post.

Thorhallsson capped the scoring in the 90th minute, getting onto a pass from late substitute Ivan Angulo in the semicircle just outside Tampa Bay’s penalty area and blasting a shot just inside the left post to make it 5-0. It gave Thorhallsson a goal to go with his earlier assist.

After just one minute of stoppage time, Simon blew the full-time whistle on a dominant win over a struggling USL Championship side. The first 30 minutes were tightly contested, but the rest of the match was owned by Orlando City.

In the end, Orlando held the advantage in possession (57.2%-42.8%), shots (15-7), shots on target (7-3), corners (6-2), and passing accuracy (91.8%-89.4%).

“We’re really excited now to put our mind into the next one against New England at home, but today it was a game that we needed,” Pareja said.

The Lions improved to 8-0-0 in all competitions against Tampa Bay.


Orlando City moves on to the Round of 16 to host Nashville SC with a date and time to be announced, but the window for that round is May 20 and 21. The Lions return to action at home Saturday against the New England Revolution.

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