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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Throw Away Second Road Lead This Week

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4 years ago

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For the second time this week, Orlando City struck first but then produced no offense at all, conceded late, and settled for a 1-1 draw. This time it was against rival Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Lions (8-7-6, 30 points) got an early goal from Mauricio Pereyra, but then struggled to find any possession beyond midfield for the rest of the game, and generated next to nothing in the attack. Atlanta (6-8-6, 24 points) generated plenty but once again Pedro Gallese helped his team at least earn one point after Juan Jose Purata equalized.

β€œA great point for us. Very proud of the work the players did in the field,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. β€œObviously, there is a lot of things that we would like to get better at, but at this stage of the season, this amount of games, the point is very, very valid for us against a rival thatΒ β€” especially in the second half β€” threw all that they had, and we couldn’t keep the ball and keep it away from those attacking sides.”

Pareja’s lineup included Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Junior Urso manned the central midfield behind an attacking line of Jake Mulraney, Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Ercan Kara up top. Joao Moutinho and Adam Grinwis returned to the team sheet on the Orlando bench.

The Lions started quickly and won several early set pieces. They made one pay off 10 minutes in due to a pair of Atlanta mistakes. Torres was losing the ball at the top of the box when George Campbell kicked him with a meaty challenge to draw the whistle. While goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo was setting up his wall on his left, he was still in that position well after the whistle blew and Pereyra smashed a perfect free kick into the inside netting on the opposite side of the goal to make it 1-0.

β€œI was waiting to shoot over the wall and then I listened to the whistle and the keeper stayed on the other post,” Pereyra said. β€œAnd I just kicked the ball. Always in soccer you should be more concentrated and be smarter, and I took advantage of that.”

It was Pereyra’s first goal since May of 2021.

After the goal, the rest of the first half was all Atlanta β€” to the point where I’m not even sure Kara touched the ball again before halftime with the exception of one or two aerial attempts that skipped off his head and to the defense when Orlando sent the ball long.

The hosts had a number of dangerous chances, starting in the 17th minute when a perfect ball from Luiz Araujo found Marcelino Moreno over the top. Rather than shooting first time, Moreno took a touch, which allowed Ruan to knock it free. Jansson did just enough to thwart the second ball in.

Much of the remainder of the opening period was spent in Orlando’s half. Atlanta won a series of set pieces and the Lions looked to counter but were never able to do so. In the 23rd minute, Aiden McFadden got a couple of crosses in. Torres cleared the first one down the pitch and the second was too close to Gallese.

Purata smashed a shot wide from distance in the 27th minute, just moments after Amar Sejdic sent a free kick from the right straight at Gallese.

Torres let Atlanta off the hook for an errant pass in its own third in the 33rd minute by collecting the loose ball and then promptly dribbling into a thicket of three defenders, where he was dispossessed.

Ronaldo Cisneros did well to direct a free kick cross on target while falling away from goal in the 38th minute, however, Gallese was able to tip the shot over the bar and Schlegel cleared the ensuing corner.

There was a scary moment late when Moreno beat Smith at the end line and dribbled into the area. While standing behind the end line the two players tangled and Moreno visibly flopped. There was a loud penalty shout from the crowd β€” less so from the Atlanta players β€” and Victor Rivas held up play for the video assistant referee to have a look, but there was nothing given.

Jansson cleared a late free kick service and that was it for the first half in which the Lions did nothing but defend after their 10th-minute goal.

Atlanta finished the half with more possession (58.1%-41.9%), shots (3-2), corners (2-1), and passing accuracy (86.7%-82.1%). Each team managed one shot on target.

The second half was, if anything, even more lopsided in favor of the hosts than the final 30 minutes of the first. The Lions struggled to string together two passes and could scarcely get out of their own half.

β€œThe strategy since the beginning was to reduce the spaces between the lines of (Atlanta), where they have very crafty players who can use those spaces,” Pareja said. β€œAnd on the other side, we wanted as well to have control of the ball and create some sequences that provide us some chances. I think we did it in the first half. In the second half, we knew the reaction of Atlanta was coming. We were not very clear in keeping the sequences longer, and then it was heavy to maintain our team in a different place on the field. We couldn’t keep the ball.” Β 

Mulraney conceded a free kick in the 49th minute and Ruan followed that up by conceding the first of several corners he gave Atlanta shortly after that. Despite the set pieces, it was Sejdic who got the first real look at goal in the second half, but he fired wide of the left post in the 54th minute.

Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel were sent on for Kara and Mulraney to add fresh legs but not much changed on the field. Atlanta, getting all of the attack and rarely being threatened, threw even more offense on the pitch after that, introducing Josef Martinez and Thiago Almada.

Orlando won a corner on a rare foray up the field in the 64th minute but it was Atlanta that nearly scored off of it. The clearance turned into a transition opportunity and multiple Lions failed to break it up until Araujo finally tracked down the ball and made a good play to prevent a scoring chance.

Pareja sent on Carlos and Perea for Smith and Torres to try to find some more width on the defensive end and create some natural outlets since the team couldn’t get out of its own third. That didn’t work as well as he’d hoped as poor passes and anywhere-will-do clearing nearly always found an Atlanta player instead and in fact the move ended up costing the Lions moments later.

On a long-range set piece, Perea was lined up by Purata and was late stepping up, keeping him onside. Carlos was the next closest defender but expected Perea to have Purata covered. As a result, the Atlanta defender got in alone behind the defense and headed home the service from Almada to make it 1-1 in the 71st minute.

Former Lion Dom Dwyer spelled Cisneros three minutes later and his introduction gave the Atlanta offense an additional boost.

After Orlando defended a few more set pieces β€” and Jansson did well to smother a cross attempt in the six after a turnover by Carlos β€” Martinez fired just wide in transition in the 80th minute after a poor touch by Pereyra turned the ball over near midfield. Two minutes later, Gallese made a huge save to thwart a 2-v-1 opportunity and although the rebound fell to Martinez, the bounce was too much for him to handle. Then, Gallese made an even bigger stop moments later. Dwyer received the ball at the top of the area and was able to turn and smash a hard shot toward the upper left corner. Gallese somehow got over and got a hand to it to keep the game tied in the 82nd minute.

β€œWe are trying to get better in the offensive side and (figuring out) how can we keep the ball longer and how can we create actions since we’re still battling with that side of the game,” Pareja said. β€œWe have been depending a lot on our defenders to maintain us in the games and Pedro is part of them. It’s not what we want when Pedro has to work that much. He is part of our team. He’s doing a good job. Hopefully in the next (games) we don’t make him work that hard.”

The save took its toll on El Pulpo, who had to receive treatment from the training staff after landing on his right shoulder following the acrobatic save.

Martinez nearly single-handedly provided a late winner for the host a few times down the stretch. In the 89th minute, he fired a blast just over the bar. In the 92nd minute, Martinez hit the post on a transition opportunity.

The Lions nearly stole all the points in the 94th minute. Second-half sub Alexandre Pato ended up with the ball just outside the top of the area. He fired a hard, low shot to the right that crashed off the post, coming within inches of finding a winner.

Moreno hit a shot wide in the 95th minute and the Lions had to survive a 97th-minute corner to bring home a point.

Atlanta dominated on the stat sheet as much as it did on the field after the 10th minute, finishing with much more possession (61.9%-38.1%), shots (18-3), shots on target (4-1), corners (10-2), and passing accuracy (88%-80.6%).

This is a game Orlando could have lost by four or five goals if the Five Stripes had been a little more accurate with shots or if Gallese hadn’t come up huge a few times. The Lions were fortunate to get anything from a performance like this, but they’ll take it because it was on the road in a rivalry game. The performance, however, underlined the problems this year’s team has β€” primarily the imbalance between the offensive and defensive ends of the pitch.

β€œIt’s something that we need to keep improving and growing up together,” Pereyra said about Orlando’s league-worst minus-10 goal differential in the final 30 minutes this season. β€œWe know that defending is not just a thing from defenders and the goals are not just a thing for the forwards. It’s a collective thing and we are a group and we try to pull together.”

The Lions are right back in action Wednesday night in a midseason friendly against Arsenal. The next Orlando City regular-season match will take place Saturday when the Lions host the Philadelphia Union at Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

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3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

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3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

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  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

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

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

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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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