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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 1-0 as Toothless Lions are Swept in Season Series

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3 years ago

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Orlando City lost on the road for just the second time in 2022 at TQL Stadium — a place that has been more than kind to visitors since it opened. FC Cincinnati (7-7-2, 23 points) got a second-half goal from Brenner to lift the hosts to just their third home win this season, 1-0 over the toothless Lions (7-6-4, 25 points). FC Cincinnati improbably swept the season series after never tasting victory previously against Orlando.

A win would have lifted the Lions to the top of the conference but instead, the Lions reached the halfway point of the season in a precarious position due to having played more games than the teams around them in the standings. That includes Cincinnati, which pulled within two points of Orlando with a game in hand.

“I thought it was a game full of inconvenience for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “We were trying to overcome from warmups with the needs of changing players and things needed to adapt according to our game plan. But with that situation I thought we had a decent first half when we tried to control the ball with not much ambition moving forward, but in certain ways we controlled the ball. That’s something that we like.”

Pareja’s lineup included goalkeeper Pedro Gallese behind a back line of Thomas Williams, Rodrigo Schlegel, Kyle Smith, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Junior Urso were deployed in the central midfield behind an attacking midfield line of Jake Mulraney, Andres Perea, and Facundo Torres, with Ercan Kara up top. Although not on the availability report, Mauricio Pereyra was not in the game day lineup.

An Orlando City spokesman said Mauricio Pereyra is being held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. Additionally, Joao Moutinho experienced pain during warmups and was held out of the match.

However, center back Antonio Carlos did make the bench for the first time since sustaining his thigh injury in early April.

The hosts got the first good chance of the match on a corner in a sixth minute. Haris Medunjanin sent a pass to the top of the area for Brenner, who was open on the set play but fired his shot wide of the right post.

Nick Hagglund had a great chance on a set piece played short in the 14th minute. Geoff Cameron was played to the end line by Ray Gaddis and sent it to Hagglund right in front of goal for a glorious opportunity, but Gallese made a huge save to keep the game scoreless.

Orlando City struggled to break down Cincinnati’s back line, with slow movement, sloppy touches, and a lack of runs allowing the hosts to stay compact and organized. As a result, the Lions never looked a threat to score except during a play in the 31st minute, in which Mulraney was offside in the buildup. That sequence ended with Kara firing a hard shot that Roman Celentano saved. It was a good stop but Kara’s shot was too close to the keeper, giving him a chance. Also…you know…offside on Mulraney.

In the 33rd minute, the Lions did well to clear a set piece and looked to have a great counter opportunity, but Perea spoiled it with an extremely heavy touch in the open field, allowing John Nelson to come over and make a sliding tackle to break things up.

After that brief attacking phase, Cincinnati got two golden opportunities to open the scoring but Gallese thwarted both. Alvaro Barreal was left all alone at the top of the area when he took a pass from Brandon Vazquez. He had plenty of time to line up his shot but Gallese made a big stop to keep it scoreless.

On the ensuing corner kick, Hagglund was all alone at the back post for a free header, shaking free of Williams, but Gallese made his best save of the half from point-blank range, and the Lions cleared the rebound.

Orlando finally got a shot attempt on goal a few seconds into injury time, when Mulraney got his head on a cross near the top of the area. His shot was on target but had little power on it and gave Celentano no trouble. It was the last action of the half.

The Lions held more possession (56.4%-43.6%), but generated next to nothing in the attack despite having much more of the ball. The Lions were also more accurate in the passing game (83.8%-81.4%), while Cincinnati had more shot attempts (5-3), shots on target (3-1), and corners (3-0).

Carlos made his return to start the second half, coming on for Williams. Benji Michel also replaced Mulraney.

Not much changed in the run of play in the second period. Torres did get an opening to go for goal from distance in the 51st but he scuffed the shot and it didn’t trouble goal.

Two minutes later, Gallese again came up huge. Vazquez cut across Schlegel and got a powerful header on target at the near post. Gallese stopped it and then stuck out a foot to deny a rebound opportunity, allowing his defense to clean things up.

Luciano Acosta came on as a sub for the hosts and his movement and passing opened things up for Cincinnati. He bounced a shot in on goal from long range with one of his first touches, that didn’t trouble Gallese, but he was a handful.

The Lions finally got a through ball to Kara in the 60th minute, but like Torres earlier, he scuffed the shot attempt. It ended up on goal but very slowly and easily for Celentano. That was it for Kara, as he was replaced shortly thereafter by Alexandre Pato.

Acosta shook free at the left corner of the box in the 64th minute and fizzed a curling shot just over the bar. But moments later the hosts found a breakthrough. Urso turned the ball over in his half and Cincinnati made the Lions pay for it. Acosta took a shot that deflected toward the near post and Gallese got over to stop it but he couldn’t handle the rebound. Acosta got to it first and sent it in front to Brenner, who got away from Schlegel. Brenner only had to redirect it in from point-blank range to make it 1-0.

“I think I did a good job with those eight saves, but obviously a shame that I wasn’t able to help the team on that one that got through,” Gallese said through a club interpreter. “A little bit of frustration there.”

Pato took a shot from outside the area that buzzed well over the bar in the 66th minute and then the match turned into a spell of Orlando passing it around without generating anything and then falling back to break up Cincinnati counters.

Orlando had a late opportunity to find an equalizer off a set piece. Although the service was poor from Pato and should have ignited a counter, the Lions quickly won the ball back in the attacking third and Pato was slipped in on the right. Unfortunately, the Brazilian had a poor touch that took him wide and his chance at a shot evaporated. He did well to cross it to Carlos at the back post but the defender’s header skipped wide.

The Lions kept coming but Pato’s uncharacteristically poor service on a couple of late set pieces and a wide-open chance to cross during open play from the right prevented any chance to rescue a late point. The latter opportunity was so poor that it ended up in the stands behind the end line rather than coming close to any teammates in the box.

Orlando finished with more possession (54.1%-45.9%) and passing accuracy (83.1%-80.7%) than the hosts, but FC Cincinnati fired more shots (14-7), and more shots on goal (9-2). Each team finished with three corner opportunities.

The Lions wasted Gallese’s stellar night, as the Peruvian international made eight saves, and most of them were difficult ones.

“In the second half I thought our roles changed,” Pareja said. “Cincinnati started having more of the ball. And then after the goal we found the reaction needed to be earlier from us and it was not much up front.”

Pareja took responsibility for the team’s poor movement and lack of ideas in the attacking third, but it seemed obvious that without Pereyra on the field, the Lions on the pitch lacked confidence in either themselves, their teammates, or both.

“As much as Mauro is an important piece of our team and he has that crafty game that opens doors for us in the last 20, 25 yards, we assume the responsibility,” Pareja said. “We have enough players that can create and then once again it could be as well the way I line (the team) up, the way that I present the plan, and I take that responsibility today. I did not feel I could help them to make sure we have that strength up front and where it could be position or just put people in places where they can have more possibilities. We were not creative today in those last 20 yards. Indeed.”

Neither the ball nor the players moved quickly enough to create any gaps in the Cincy defense and no one seemed particularly interested in even trying to beat an opponent 1-v-1. Sometimes decent shots were passed up in an effort to find a perfect one, and more than one opportunity to cross evaporated due to holding onto the ball too long on the wings.

For all his potential as a player somewhere in the Orlando midfield, Perea just isn’t a viable replacement for Pereyra and there doesn’t appear to be one on this current roster, although there is more than one way to create opportunities that don’t rely on a Designated Player’s ability to see passing lanes that are barely visible.

The Lions will next take the field Wednesday, June 29, when they host Nashville SC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. The next Orlando City league game will take place July 4 at home against D.C. United.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/4/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, U.S. women announce friendlies against China, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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7 hours ago

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March 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, everyone! What a happy Tuesday it is, too, as Orlando City bounced back in a big way to earn its first victory of the season on Saturday. As if that wasn’t enough, the Lions will be back in action again on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will return to competitive action in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit on Friday, and OCB kicks off its season Sunday against Columbus. Before we get started, let’s wish Pride midfielder Ally Lemos a happy 21st birthday! We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get cracking.

Lions Earn Weekly Plaudits

A pair of Lions have been rewarded for their performances in Orlando City’s 4-2 triumph over Toronto FC with places in the MLS Team of the Matchday. Cesar Araujo finds himself in the starting lineup after notching a spectacular goal and assist, while Alex Freeman makes the bench after marking his first senior start with his first professional goal. Freeman also earned a shoutout as one of the standout Young Players of the Matchday. Both men turned in impressive performances during the win, with Sean Rollins grading Araujo a 7.5 out of 10 and naming him the Man of the Match, with Freeman close behind on a 7 out of 10. Congrats and keep up the good work!

U.S. Women Announce China Matches

The United States Women’s National Team has announced that it will play a pair of friendlies against China at the end of spring. The USWNT will play the Steel Roses on Saturday, May 31 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN, and then on Tuesday, June 3 at Energizer Park in St. Louis. While China is the team that the U.S. has played second most behind only Canada, it will be the first meeting between the two nations since the end of 2023. The St. Louis game will also have a pre-match celebration for Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced her retirement at the end of last year.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, with European cup action once again featured prominently. Gio Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will host Lille in the Round of 16 tomorrow, while Richy Ledezma and PSV Eindhoven will welcome Arsenal. Thursday sees Tanner Tessman and Lyon traveling to face Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Europa League, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis take on Vitória Guimarães in the UEFA Conference League. Things finish on Friday with the red-hot Josh Sargent and Norwich City hosting Oxford in Championship play, while Mark McKenzie and Toulouse face off against Moncao.

Women’s Club World Cup Could be Delayed

FIFA had intended on starting a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup in 2026, but that plan may be facing delays. While the tournament reportedly has plenty of support within FIFA and its various federations, there are said to be ongoing discussions about pushing the start date back a couple years to allow more time for preparations to be made. Initial plans called for the tournament to take place between January and February 2026, but that date is fast approaching and no concrete plans have been made. A possible solution could be holding a four-team mini-tournament in 2026, with the full 16-team version then debuting later down the road. Who knows, if the Orlando Pride can have a 2025 campaign similar to last year’s, maybe we’ll see them there.

Free Kicks

  • Forgive my language, but Eduard Atuesta positively ran his ass off on Saturday, covering 8.18 miles — the most of any MLS player on Matchday 2.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-2 home win over Toronto FC?

Published

1 day ago

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March 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City bounced back after a disappointing season opener by defeating Toronto FC 4-2. Alex Freeman scored his first MLS goal and Gustavo Caraballo made history by becoming the youngest player to appear for the Lions’ first team. It’s the first win of the year after the team suffered through a winless preseason and opening night loss.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this heartwarming win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese didn’t have a lot to do in this game because Toronto only put four shots on target. He made two saves on the night, neither of which were particularly difficult. He also conceded two goals, though both would have required outstanding saves to keep out. Additionally, he completed 85% of his 20 passes, including eight of his 11 long balls.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos touched the ball 59 times and completed 86.4% of his 44 passes. His lone cross was incomplete, but he connected on three of his six long balls. The left back wasn’t involved much in the attack of his game without a shot. He recorded one interception and a team-high eight clearances.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — Schlegel touched the ball 66 times and completed 96.3% of his 54 passes, including one of his three long balls. He wasn’t involved in the attack at all but was the most active defender with a tackle, three interceptions, seven clearances, and a blocked shot. It was a big improvement from the first game.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Smith had 63 touches in this game while completing 88.1% of his 59 passes, including a key pass and five of his 11 long balls. Smith connected with one of his long balls, resulting in the second goal and an assist for the versatile defender. Defensively, Smith had three clearances.

D, Alex Freeman, 7 — Freeman got his first career MLS start at right back and played well. He had a team-high 74 touches and completed 88.6% of his 44 passes. He took two shots, scoring his first MLS goal in the 35th minute after taking a long ball from Smith well and placing it past Sean Johnson. Freeman was also strong defensively, recording a tackle, three interceptions, and four clearances.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — Atuesta tied Freeman with a team-leading 74 touches. He completed 82.8% of his 58 passes, including a key pass and three of his seven long balls. However, none of his three crosses met their target. Additionally, his lone shot was off target. Defensively, he had two tackles, an interception, two clearances, and a blocked shot. Unfortunately, Sigurd Rosted outjumped the midfielder in the 72nd minute for the first Toronto goal,, which hurt his grade a little.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 7.5 (MotM) — Araujo touched the ball 61 times and completed 96.4% of his 53 passes, including a key pass for an assist and one long ball. His lone shot was a fantastic free kick in the 33rd minute that caromed off the inside of the post and in. Later, he assisted Martin Ojeda’s 63rd-minute goal with a great through ball into space. Defensively, he had a tackle and an interception. His grade would’ve been a little higher, but he backed out of the play on Rosted’s goal, contributing to it. However, it was a great performance overall and he is unquestionably my Man of the Match.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo had 42 touches and completed 88% of his 25 passes. His only shot was off target, but he contributed defensively with three tackles and a blocked shot. The Colombian wasn’t bad but didn’t make much of an impact before being replaced in the final minutes by Joran Gerbet.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 — Ojeda touched the ball 31 times in this game and completed 85% of his 20 passes, including a key pass and one of his three crosses. His lone shot was his 63rd-minute goal. He did well to force Sean Johnson to make the first move, rounded him, and put it away to make it 3-0. If the Argentine had kept his head while darting down the left, he might’ve found Ramiro Enrique, who had a step on his defender, and recorded an assist. But it was a solid performance overall by the attacker. He was replaced in the 80th minute by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — It’s hard to top a brace in your debut, and Pasalic didn’t. He touched the ball 39 times, completing just 69.6% of his 23 passes. However, he had a key pass and completed one of his three crosses. He also drew the foul that led to Araujo’s free kick goal. Additionally, he recorded two tackles before being replaced by Luis Muriel in the 65th minute.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5.5 — Enrique touched the ball 37 times while completing 88% of his 25 passes. He didn’t take any shots, but he recorded a secondary assist on Thorhallsson’s 81st-minute goal. He wasn’t detrimental to the team, but he didn’t make much of an impact either.

Substitutes

F, Luis Muriel (65’), 6  — Muriel came on for Pasalic in the 65th minute, touching the ball 17 times. He completed 83.3% of his 12 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He played a beautiful pass for Thorhallsson in the 81st minute that resulted in the fourth and final goal of the game for the Lions. He didn’t take any shots or do anything defensively but made his presence known with his assist.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (80’), 6 — Thorhallsson had the best entrance possible after coming on in the 80th minute. After watching Freeman have a strong performance in his place, the usual starting right back scored less than two minutes after entering on just his second touch of the ball. It was a nice finish after a great ball by Muriel. Other than the goal, Thorhallsson had nine touches and completed 87.5% of his eight passes. The goal was his only real moment of the game, but it was good enough to give him a solid grade.

MF, Gustavo Caraballo (90+7’), N/A — Caraballo entered the game for Enrique in the seventh minute of stoppage time, becoming Orlando City’s youngest-ever player to appear in a league game. But he didn’t have any touches in his short appearance.

MF, Joran Gerber (90+7’), N/A — Gerbet came on for Angulo at the same time as Caraballo and had the same impact on the game, not touching the ball once.

That’s how I saw Orlando City’s first win of the 2025 season. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/3/25

Lions defeat Toronto FC, MLS weekend recap, Americans abroad, and more.

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1 day ago

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March 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I got a break from covering high school sports, and I finally got to see Captain America: Brave New World and catch up on some shows. It was a fantastic weekend for our Lions to get their first win of the 2025 season. This weekend, we have the Lions, Orlando Pride, and Orlando City B are all in action. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Defeat Toronto FC for First Win of MLS Season

Orlando City bounced back from its opening day loss with a 4-2 win against Toronto FC on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium and secured its first win of the 2025 season. Cesar Araujo, Alex Freeman, Martin Ojeda, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson scored for the Lions. Toronto FC scored two late goals in the second half, but Orlando was in control at that point. The Lions scored six goals across their first two matches this season, the most scored in their first two games since the team joined Major League Soccer. Orlando City will have its first road test of the season on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, taking on New York City FC.

Orlando City Signs Three Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against Toronto FC, Orlando City announced that the club had signed midfielders Colin Guske and Gustavo Caraballo and defender Zakaria Taifi to short-term contracts. All three players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut, becoming the youngest player to ever get MLS minutes with OCSC. Taifi and Guske did not get into the game. Guske and Caraballo were signed to short-term contracts the previous week and were on the bench for the Lions’ opening day match against the Philadelphia Union but didn’t play.

MLS Weekend Recap

Week two is in the books after another exciting weekend of Major League Soccer action. Wilfried Zaha scored his first MLS goal and added an assist as Charlotte FC defeated Atlanta United 2-0. Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls won their matches with the Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC, respectively, by the same score. The Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, LAFC, and the Portland Timbers all won 1-0 matches over the New England Revolution, CF Montreal, New York City FC, and Austin FC, respectively. The Philadelphia Union cruised past FC Cincinnati 4-1, while the San Jose Earthquakes edged Sporting Kansas City 2-1. The Colorado Rapids had a 2-0 lead with Rafael Navarro scoring twice, but FC Dallas fought back in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Hugo Cuypers scored twice for the Chicago Fire, but D.C. United grabbed a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw, while San Diego FC and St. Louis City ended scoreless. On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1, while former Lion Nico Lodeiro scored his first goal for the Houston Dynamo, but Inter Miami won 4-1 on the road.

Americans Abroad

Two Americans squared off in the EFL Championship as former Lion Daryl Dike and West Brom battled Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United. Aaronson played 72 minutes while Dike came off the bench late in the second half as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. In the FA Cup, Antonee Robinson and Fulham defeated Manchester United 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the round of 16. Matt Turner started in goal, and Chris Richards recorded an assist as Crystal Palace defeated Millwall 3-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Fulham will face Crystal Palace in the quarterfinals on March 29. Ethan Horvath started in goal, but Cardiff City fell 2-0 to Aston Villa while, Tyler Adams’ Bournemouth side defeated Wolverhampton 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and will face Manchester City in the quarterfinals. Johnny Cardoso scored his first league goal in La Liga as Real Betis defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday. Naomi Girma made her debut for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Sunday but suffered an injury and came off the pitch in the second half in a 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride wrapped up their preseason over the weekend. The Pride will open their 2025 season against the Washington Spirit on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium in the NWSL Challenge Cup.

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

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