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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Final Score 4-1 as Lions in Free Fall with Another Loss

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3 years ago

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Orlando City sank beneath the weight of bad bounces and defensive transition mistakes in an inconceivable 4-1 beatdown loss to Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium. The loss dropped the Lions below the playoff line with one match day remaining.

Starting in the game’s very first minute, awful mistakes cost the team and luck played a little bit of a role as well, as the Lions (13-14-6, 45 points) fell back below .500, fell below .500 on the road (5-6-6), and lost their fourth game in the last five since winning the U.S. Open Cup. Meanwhile, Miami (14-13-6, 48 points) climbed above .500 and clinched a postseason berth for the first time.

Leonardo Campana, Gonzalo Higuain (twice), and Ariel Lassiter did the damage on the scoreboard, but the Lions were honestly their own worst enemies in the first Tropic Thunder match that was decided by more than one goal. Ercan Kara pulled a goal back in the second half but by then the game was effectively over.

“I know what these kinds of games mean for our fans and I’m very disappointed not to perform the way we should,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “In that part, I take responsibility.”

“I want to say sorry to our fans, because they come from Orlando to Miami to to push us and today was not so good for us,” Junior Urso said.

Pareja rotated his lineup somewhat, playing Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo played his customary stopper role next to a deep-lying Mauricio Pereyra, with an attacking midfield line of Benji Michel, Junior Urso, and Facundo Torres, with Tesho Akindele up top.

It took less than a minute for that lineup to break down. Smith somehow knocked a pass attempt off an opponent and the ball squirted in behind the Orlando center backs. Neither Carlos nor Schlegel went to get the ball so Campana ran onto it and chipped Gallese, who was off his line but not nearly far enough out to get to the ball before the Miami forward. Just over 30 seconds into the match, Orlando City trailed. (Warning: sound off is better, so you can avoid Ray Hudson’s overblown, maniacal commentary.)

The Lions didn’t respond well to going behind, despite getting a ton of possession. Orlando looked unsettled, consistently did nothing with set piece opportunities, and broke down in transition when there were chances to get numbers forward. Wayward passes from Torres, Akindele, and Urso and a couple of poor touches from Michel prevented some quality chances from materializing. The Lions did set up some half chances but did nothing with them.

“It’s normal when you start the game in the first minute just conceding the goal and then obviously, the other team with energy and with this momentum that they have, they take advantage of that situation,” Pareja said. “And then from there, our energy was doubtful and we were not precise in the movements, and then we started losing confidence.”

Akindele tried to flick a pass from Smith on target but he didn’t quite pull it off, slowing the ball too much and sending it off target. Smith sent a blistering pass through the six in the 18th minute, but there was no way Akindele could get to it in time and Michel didn’t anticipate the pass quickly enough to get to the back post for the tap-in.

Higuain nearly got in behind in the 21st minute but Carlos did just enough to force him wide and Gallese chased him into the corner and knocked it out of play. Two minutes later, Campana got in for a first-time shot but just missed wide.

Moutinho smashed a shot well wide from the top of the area when a long throw fell to him. A failure to put shots on target was a problem Sunday at New York City FC and it definitely continued into tonight.

The hosts doubled the lead in the 38th minute on a weird transition as Akindele tried to force a pass into traffic. Miami came the other way and Schlegel got caught pressing high, giving the Herons a 2-on-1 break. Ariel Lassiter crossed in early to Higuain and his first touch was a shot past Gallese to make it 2-0.

Akindele ‘s headed flick went just over the bar in the 43rd minute off a corner kick cross, which was the closest the Lions came in the opening half. In the final minute of the half, a good cross found Urso but he swung and missed at it and kicked DeAndre Yedlin instead.

Orlando City held more possession in the half (61.9%-38.1%), had more shots (7-4) and corners (2-1), and passed more accurately (87.3%-78.3%) but Miami got more shots on target (2-0) and both of those went in. It was the second consecutive first half in which Orlando failed to get a single shot on frame and the Lions had only one on target in its last three halves.

The Lions brought on offensive-minded reinforcements to start the second half as Pareja withdrew Akindele, Michel, and Smith, sending Kara, Ivan Angulo, and Ruan onto the pitch. The changes made Orlando seem more dangerous immediately. Angulo got in the box, made a good move to bypass two defenders and took a shot. The Lions screamed for a handball but Victor Rivas did not give it and a check by the video assistant referee maintained the call on the field. The only replay shown on the broadcast was inconclusive.

But Rivas wasn’t opposed to giving Miami a penalty moments later when the Lions were bit again by a bad bounce. A ball in for Lassiter skipped up off the Miami forward’s foot and hit Ruan’s arm at close range. The fullback’s arm wasn’t extended unnaturally, nor was the play intentional, but the call was upheld again and Higuain scored on the ensuing penalty to make it 3-0 in the 53rd minute.

Three minutes later, Lassiter added to Orlando’s misery with a shot just inside the right post, making it 4-0. Don’t ask me why Carlos was trailing on the play, my stream froze a few seconds earlier and started back up right where this video begins.

Things got worse for Orlando City moments after the fourth goal when Carlos was booked, meaning he’ll miss Sunday’s regular-season finale against Columbus with a suspension for yellow card accumulation.

“It’s a little bit soon to answer it but we always have to think about what’s next,” Pareja said when asked if he had formulated a plan for the back line on Sunday yet with Carlos suspended and Robin Jansson injured. “(The booking) was probably the thing that frustrated me the most. It’s the lack of common sense from the referee. It’s unbelievable. Their responsibility is to protect the game and they need to have the context of the players. And it was a very, very, very unnecessary yellow card, and that’s what disappoints me. Not a good call for me, and it affects us not having Antonio, but we have to find a different answer and see how we can set out that back four. Somebody needs to do the job.”

Kara spoiled Miami’s shutout bid in the 71st minute, taking a pass from Torres at the top of the box, then turning and firing a well-placed shot just inside the left post. It was the big Austrian’s 11th goal of the season.

Ruan had a chance to set up Kara for another moments later. With Kara running free to his left, Ruan tried to chip a pass across to him over Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite get the pass high enough and Callender caught it to prevent the easy header at the back post.

Orlando squandered a late series of corner kicks and Ruan got deep into the box but sent a pass behind both of his teammates crashing the net and that was basically the end.

As a product of chasing the game for all but a few seconds of the match, Orlando finished with more possession (60%-40%), shots (16-6), corners (8-1), and passing accuracy (89.1%-83.4%), but Miami got more shots on target (4-1). Every shot on target in the match ended up in the net. The Lions now have one shot on target in each of the last two matches, which is just two on 29 attempts.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Urso said of the lack of precision. “We had good passing, we had good combinations, but like Oscar told us we have to get more confidence in front of the target and to shoot well. I think we have to be more calm in front of the goal, but no excuses for us.”

“We’re going to leave it there, we’re going to make our corrections,” Pareja said. “We’ve got to move on. This is a quick turnaround. We have a possibility at home that nobody gave us. We fought for that one during the season and this opportunity belongs to us. We’ll see. If we don’t beat Columbus then maybe we didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs, but certainly we have a great opportunity at home to get our qualification.”

The Lions have a knockout game in the final match of the regular season on Sunday, when the Columbus Crew visit Exploria Stadium. A draw won’t be good enough unless Cincinnati somehow loses at D.C. United.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Extend Unbeaten Run with Home Win

Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique provided the offense in a complete home win over Charlotte.

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13 minutes ago

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May 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions finally got the balance Oscar Pareja had been looking for since April 26 against Atlanta. at Inter&Co Stadium. Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique scored and the defense held the opposition to one shot on target as Orlando City (5-2-6, 21 points) posted a 3-1 home win over Charlotte FC (6-6-1, 19 points). A Wilfried Zaha goal in the first half prevented the shutout.

The win extended Orlando City’s unbeaten streak to 10 straight in league play (4-0-6) and 11 consecutive in all competitions (5-0-6). Orlando improved to 4-1-2 against Charlotte in the regular-season series and 3-1-0 at home.

“We’re very happy with the three points. We are very happy with the effort of the players,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “In a short time they got back their energy to get that start in the first half, where I think we dominated the other team and the game, but it was a similar feeling in the first half when we conceded that one goal, but then our reaction in the second half was more steady and more solid.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Joran Gerbet started in central midfield with attacking midfielders Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Muriel at forward.

Much of the first half was played between the penalty areas, but the teams both created some good chances, especially the Lions, who could have built a big lead if the attacking players hadn’t kept crossing the ball directly to Charlotte defenders once they got into the final third. Eventually Orlando City settled into the match and put a couple of shots into the net, which prompted a response from Charlotte.

Just two minutes into the match, the Lions thought they’d scored. Pasalic sent a beautiful ball forward to unlock Muriel, who tucked his shot from the right side just inside the left post. However, the Colombian was a step offside and the flag correctly came up.

Four minutes later, Muriel got into the box on a good ball from Araujo. This time, the Designated Player took too many touches and lost the ball to Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. Muriel, however, got his revenge moments later, blasting a shot from distance that Kahlina should have handled, but the ball bounced just in front of the goalkeeper and he let it somehow squirt through and into the net to make it 1-0 in the eighth minute.

Muriel again tried his luck from outside the box in the 10th minute, but this time Kahlina was able to gather up a shot that was directly at him. Five minutes after that, Angulo made a good run down the left but sent in a weak shot or cross directly to Kahlina.

Charlotte’s first threat came in the 21st minute when the visitors pinged the ball around the box but couldn’t create a clear-cut opportunity, as the Lions defense was able to block a couple of attempts and eventually clear.

Ojeda doubled the lead in the 24th minute with another rocket. A Pasalic shot was blocked by the Charlotte defense and caromed out to the left, where the Argentine hit it on the half volley and crushed it, sending it in for a 2-0 lead. It was his eighth goal of the season.

“Martin is one of the most professional, amazing human beings that I’ve ever met,” said Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, one of Orlando’s second-half subs, on seeing Ojeda’s strong play in recent games. “With the talent he has, he can be one of the best players in this league. That’s my opinion. He has everything. He has the shot, he has the passing, he has the vision.”

The two-goal lead lasted 10 minutes. Charlotte started getting more of the possession after the second goal and made it pay off. Zaha got on the ball near the top of the box, turned, and blasted the ball past a sliding Schlegel. The shot was hit with power and pace, finding the inside of the left post to make it 2-1 in the 34th minute.

Brekalo got forward after the restart and fired a shot from the top of the area. The defense blocked it high into the air, giving Kahlina an easy catch. Three minutes later, Angulo blazed down the left and sent in a decent cross for Muriel, but the defense was able to get there and clear it.

Charlotte then had to sweat out a video review, as Muriel went down in the box under some contact from Andrew Privett. The check did not result in a penalty, and it was a fair decision.

Freeman was off balance and sent a backward header in the 44th in his own defensive end that gave Charlotte possession, and the visitors worked the ball for a good scoring chance. Ashley Westwood ended up with the shot but sent it wide.

Charlotte forward Idan Toklomati got a good look in the second added minute, finishing a scramble in the box with a blast wide of the net.

The last look of the half came in the fourth added minute when Pasalic sent a great ball to Angulo, who made a mess of his shot and sent it well off target.

Orlando City had the first-half advantage in possession (52.7%-47.3%), shots (7-5), and shots on target (3-1). Neither team won a corner, and Charlotte passed more accurately (88.3%-87.6%).

In the second half, the game as much more tightly contested, with fewer opportunities for both teams. Tired legs may have played a factor, but so too did Orlando’s willingness to stay compact and try to see out the game without conceding a second goal. The Lions were ultimately able to do that, providing the offensive and defensive balance Pareja has been looking for out of his squad.

Charlotte subbed Patrick Agyemang into the match at halftime and it nearly paid off immediately after the restart. The visitors sent the ball long down the right for the USMNT striker, who cut inside and fired wide of the right post in the 46th minute. Charlotte quickly won the game’s first corner moments later but committed a foul on the set piece, with the whistle coming just as the ball crashed off the crossbar above Gallese in the 50th minute.

Agyemang won a dangerous set piece on a foul by Schlegel in the 71st minute just outside the area. Pep Biel took the free kick but sailed his shot over the goal. Biel then hit the crossbar in the 67th minute as Charlotte continued to push for an equalizer.

Both teams made several changes, and Orlando City ended up with five men across the back trying to see out the match.

A good ball into the box in the 73rd minute on a free kick from the left found Jansson, but the Swede headed his shot right at Kahlina. Freeman quickly won a corner after that and Ojeda sent a good ball to the far side for Araujo. The Uruguayan tried to volley the cross on target, but he didn’t make good contact and the shot floated to Kahlina.

Orlando allowed the visitors to keep most of the ball for the rest of the game, content to try to protect the one-goal lead and hit Charlotte in transition. That strategy worked out in the 82nd minute. Brekalo did well to evade the press with a quick move outside and then back inside, before unleashing a fantastic line-breaking pass for second-half sub Enrique. The Argentine had Tim Ream on him as he entered the box, and Enrique hit the brakes, losing Ream, then cut to his right and blasted his shot past Kahlina to make it 3-1.

“I saw that David had the ball and he hit me a great diagonal pass,” Enrique said. “It was a fantastic ball. As I was coming onto it, the goalkeeper was coming out. He left my weak foot open, so I thought, ‘Hit it with the left,’ and the defender was closing in, and thankfully I was able to (cut back to the right and) hit it and finish it.”

Although Enrique still had some work to do after receiving the ball from Brekalo, it would not have happened without the Slovenian’s work to break Charlotte’s press. When Enrique’s shot went in, it gave Brekalo a primary assist to go along with the secondary one he had on Muriel’s opener.

“I was very satisfied on the defensive work that we did, and David is a protagonist of the system and that performance, too,” Pareja said. “Plus, he’s turning into a left back that can give us the function that we want and that solidness defending, but it seems that we have much more than that. Now he’s going forward. Now he’s more precise in that last third when he can connect better. Last game he had a big opportunity that hit the post, and today he had those assists. So, we’re growing in an area that we thought was going to take more time. David, the way he’s absorbing and the way he’s performing, it’s great. We are seeing a very professional performance from someone who is a worker, and he’s helping us a lot.”

As Orlando City tried to kill the clock, Pareja gave Justin Ellis his MLS debut on his 18th birthday. The Lions were able to bleed the clock, defend a late corner, and hang on for the win.

The Lions finished with the advantage in possession (52%-48%), shots (10-9), shots on target (6-1), and passing accuracy (89.3%-88.3%). Charlotte won more corners (2-1).

“It was an important game for us, an important victory after the tie that we had in the last game,” Enrique said. “And, you know, (I’m) just happy to be able to help the team in whatever way I can to get the win tonight.”

“Just a very solid performance overall, I would say,” Thorhallsson said. “The goal was to go into the game and score some goals and not concede. We conceded one, but three goals, so a win. It’s important. For me, I think we have one of the strongest squads in the whole of MLS, and if we manage to to get the defense and the attack going at the same time and throughout the whole season, for me, there’s no doubt we can do big, big damage in this league. So, I think we just need to believe it a little bit, and then it comes”

The Lions are back in action Sunday at Inter Miami in the first Tropic Thunder rivalry match of the 2025 season.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to get over the draw doldrums and find a victory in a 2024 playoff rematch with Charlotte.

Published

12 hours ago

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May 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (4-2-6, 18 points) and Charlotte FC (6-5-1, 19 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first of two games on the slate between the Eastern Conference rivals in 2025, with the Lions’ return trip to North Carolina scheduled for July 5.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 3-1-2 in the regular-season series and 5-3-2 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 2-1-0 at home in the regular season and 4-1-0 in its own stadium in all competitions against the North Carolina-based side. These games are usually close, as Orlando City all previous meetings decided by either one or two goals.

The teams last met in the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs, with Orlando City taking two of the three matches, winning the first outright, dropping the second on penalties after a late goal was called offside in the buildup, and advancing after a penalty shootout win following the third match of the best-of-three series.

The most recent meeting took place on Nov. 9, 2024, when Facundo Torres’ penalty late in stoppage time canceled out a Karol Swiderski goal and sent the deciding third match to penalties with a 1-1 score. Pedro Gallese made two saves and Orlando City won the shootout 4-1, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The teams played eight days before that in Charlotte, without either side scoring in normal time, as Torres’ strike was disallowed for offside on Nico Lodeiro on Luis Muriel’s through ball. Charlotte won the ensuing penalty shootout 3-1 after the scoreless draw to tie the series at 1-1, because shootout wins are just as important as actual wins in this somewhat baffling format. That followed Orlando City’s 2-0 home win the previous Sunday. Torres and Martin Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.

The teams also met a month and a half prior to their first playoff meeting on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of that year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

In 2022, the teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 3-3 home draw against the New England Revolution on a rainy Saturday night just days ago. Ojeda’s hat trick provided all the scoring for the Lions, but the defense made three costly individual errors allowing the Revs to erase deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to steal a point on the road. The Lions are unbeaten in nine MLS games (3-0-6) and 10 matches in all competitions (4-0-6), but have spilled too many points over that span. In addition to blowing two leads on Saturday, the Lions have played four scoreless draws during this recent stretch despite creating enough good scoring chances to win all of them. Orlando City is 3-1-2 at home this season.

Charlotte is coming off a 2-1 road loss at Nashville SC on Saturday. Liel Abada’s goal wasn’t enough for the visitors to get a result in Tennessee. The club has lost its last three MLS games, although just prior to the Nashville loss Charlotte managed to advance in the U.S. Open Cup with a 4-2 win at North Carolina FC after extra time. Charlotte is 1-4-1 on the road in MLS matches this season.

These teams typically play tight, low-scoring matches against each other and any mistake can be the difference in the game. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina is a difference maker for Charlotte, and he always presents a challenge for the Lions. At the same time, Charlotte has picked up some gifted offensive players in recent years that have fit in well with Dean Smith’s system. Abada leads the attack with four goals on the season, while recent acquisition Wilfried Zaha and Pep Biel have three apiece. Biel also has a team-high six assists — he’s the only Charlotte player with more than one helper — so he’s the primary attacking threat from both a goal and setup standpoint. USMNT pool striker Patrick Agyemang has two goals on the year, but is always a dangerous threat.

Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by Kahlina, who posted 119 saves last season and tied for the league lead in minutes played (3,060). Charlotte also has a strong back line that includes U.S. international Tim Ream and Adilson Malanda. The key to beating Charlotte is usually to get on the scoreboard and force Charlotte into opening up and taking risks, but that’s easier said than done. Both teams will also be fighting fatigue, as the May fixtures have been constant.

“We’re preparing well. The time [we have] to work is not much but I think we have done a lot of repetitions already,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “The team feels that we’re ready and that we’re good. So, this time right now is just trying to freshen them up and then see if we can get the same energy and execute the game plan that we have against Charlotte.”

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (Achilles) and Yutaro Tsukada (knee) as they will be all season. Eduard Atuesta trained Tuesday but he was listed as out on the club’s game notes, as well as Nico Rodriguez (thigh). Charlotte will be without Jahlane Forbes (thigh), Nimfasha Berchimas (foot), Nathan Byrne (neck), Brandon Cambridge (thigh), and Souleyman Doumbia (hamstring), while Biel (hamstring) and Tyger Smalls (knee) are questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Cesar Araujo, Joran Gerbet, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel.

Bench: Javier Otero, Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Colin Guske, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Gustavo Caraballo, Justin Ellis, Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire.

Charlotte FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nicholas Scardina.

Midfielders: Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Pep Biel.

Forwards: Wilfried Zaha, Idan Toklomati, Liel Abada.

Bench: David Bingham, Djibril Diani, Bill Tuiloma, Nicholas Scardina, Iuri Tavares, Eryk Williamson, Kerwin Vargas, Nikola Petcovic, Patrick Agyemang.

Referees

Ref: Sergii Boiko.
AR1: Jose Da Silva.
AR2: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho.
4th: Tori Penso.
VAR: Younes Marrakchi.
AVAR: Fabio Tovar.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links: 5/14/25

Orlando City hosts Charlotte FC tonight, Marta called up by Brazil, U.S. Soccer announces new kits, and much more.

Published

16 hours ago

on

May 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! Orlando City has midweek games throughout this month, which means we get to enjoy some soccer tonight. But before we get into that match and more in today’s links, let’s all wish a happy 18th birthday to Orlando City B forward Justin Ellis! On my 18th birthday, I won $10 on the first scratch-off ticket I could legally buy. I wish him similar good fortune today.

Orlando City Takes On Charlotte FC Tonight

Orlando City’s busy month continues tonight when it hosts Charlotte FC for a midweek matchup at Inter&Co Stadium in one of the more intriguing games of today’s MLS slate. The Lions haven’t lost since March 8, but they have also only won four of their 12 games this season and are a point behind Charlotte in the standings. Orlando’s offense has struggled mightily during this stretch, but may have turned a corner following Martin Ojeda’s hat trick against the New England Revolution on Saturday. The Lions could also benefit from the return of midfielder Eduard Atuesta, who was in training as he works his way back from injury. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s eased back into things though and the club has five more games this month after tonight. Even if Atuesta can’t go tonight, maybe he can get some minutes this weekend.

Marta Returns to Brazilian National Team

Marta was called up by Brazil Head Coach Arthur Elias for friendlies against Japan, which is pretty shocking news, considering she announced her retirement from international soccer last year.

“I was with Marta recently and spoke with her. She said she is available to help the team while she is playing at a high level, as she is now,” Elias told reporters. “Marta has had a great season and has been very important for her club, which is the American League champion.

“Her presence in some call-ups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team.”

Marta’s international career seemed to end in Paris, where she helped Brazil claim the silver medal at the Olympics. The 39-year-old joins Pride teammate Angelina on Brazil’s roster as the team prepares for this summer’s Copa America. It will be interesting to see if Marta will take part in that tournament and it may be worth noting that the 2027 World Cup will take place in Brazil. That’s a couple of years away, but I wouldn’t rule out anything at this point.

U.S. Soccer Unveils New Kits

U.S. Soccer announced two new kits designed in collaboration with Nike and senior players from both the United States Women’s National Team and United States Men’s National Team. The “Brilliant Kit” is white and light blue with star details and celebrates 40 years of the USWNT. The “Heartbeat Kit” is a dark blue with vertical red and blue stripes and is meant to represent the passion of U.S. soccer fans.

I’m also a pretty big fan of the jacket featured as part of this collection. The USWNT will wear both of these jerseys throughout the year, while the USMNT will continue to wear its current white kit and will debut the darker kit on June 7.

USMNT Will Play South Korea and Japan in Friendlies

A pair of friendlies in September were announced for the USMNT, with the Yanks set to take on South Korea Sept. 6 in New Jersey before playing Japan Sept. 9 in Columbus. These will be the USMNT’s first matches following this summer’s Gold Cup and will help the team prepare for the 2026 World Cup. Japan has already qualified for the World Cup, and South Korea is on track to do the same. The USMNT hasn’t played South Korea since winning 2-0 in 2014, while its last match against Japan was a 2-0 defeat in Germany in 2022 before that year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Free Kicks

  • Marta and Angelina aren’t the only Pride players called up for international duty, as goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse will join England for UEFA Nations League games.
  • Time is running out on joining this year’s Purple Pride 5K on Saturday, so be sure to register if you’ve been meaning to and it slipped your mind.
  • Orlando City remained in 12th place in the MLS power rankings following its 3-3 draw with the Revolution.
  • The Lions were 11th in Tom Bogert’s “watchability” rankings, which rate teams based on their quality of play, style, and general wow factors. I’m admittedly surprised to see Orlando that high considering the glut of scoreless draws this year
  • Former Pride player and USWNT legend Alex Morgan has joined the San Diego Wave as a minority investor. Morgan retired from playing last year in her third season with the Wave and gave birth to her second child earlier this year.
  • Santiago Moreno won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his bicycle kick in the Portland Timbers’ 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City.
  • Haji Wright and Coventry City drew 1-1 with Sunderland, losing on aggregate in the EFL Championship promotion playoffs. Dan Ballard scored for Sunderland deep in extra time, and Sunderland will face Sheffield United with a spot in the English Premier League on the line.
  • The historic Goodison Park will no longer be demolished and will instead serve as the home for Everton’s women’s soccer team, making it the first stadium in England dedicated to a women’s team.
  • In lieu of a parade if it wins the Europa League, Manchester United announced that there would be a celebratory barbecue at the club’s training ground. Players are also being restricted to just two free tickets for the Europa League final and club staff did not receive free tickets either.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday and a happy game day. Go Orlando!

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