Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 1-0 as a Facundo Torres Penalty Lifts Lions to Opening Day Victory

After a subpar first half, the Lions grabbed their second straight home-opening win.

Published

3 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Facundo Torres scored from the penalty spot in the second half providing all the offense on opening night at Exploria Stadium, as Orlando City defeated the New York Red Bulls 1-0. The Lions (1-0-0, 3 points) got some big saves from goalkeeper Pedro Gallese down the stretch and survived a couple of late free kicks in stoppage time to hold on against the Red Bulls (0-1-0, 0 points).

The team raised a U.S. Open Cup championship banner to the rafters over The Wall prior to the match on an electric night in front of a crowd of 24,088 fans. Red Bulls Head Coach Gerhard Struber called the amosphere β€œbrilliant” and despite that it was a tough slog for the hosts but the Lions ultimately prevailed on Torres’ penalty.

Orlando City remains unbeaten on opening day (3-0-6) and has now won two straight openers. The Lions have not conceded a goal on opening day in four seasons under Oscar Pareja.

β€œA very intense game against a rival that doesn’t give up in any minute,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said of the match. β€œAnd certainly New York, with their pressing and the way they structure their defensive zones in the middle and up front, is very difficult to break. For us, it was a big challenge to find the spaces that we normally do. I think the best part of the game for us was that we kept intensity all the time and in our heart was great today.”

Pareja’s starting lineup included Gallese in net behind a back line of Luca Petrasso, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Michael Halliday. Cesar Araujo and Mauricio Pereyra played in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Facundo Torres, with Ercan Kara up top.

Throughout the first half, New York’s pressure gave Orlando City trouble and the few times the Lions had something going in possession, players split their teammates with passes and sent them straight to the opposition.

Frankie Amaya sent a shot wide in the 10th minute from outside the box and Lewis Morgan followed suit a minute later as Orlando continually lost control of the ball.

The game was 15 minutes old before the Lions got the ball into the opposing penalty area when Petrasso sent in a low cross that Andres Reyes cut out for a throw-in. The Lions then won a corner kick in the 19th minute and played it short. The set play was so poorly executed that the Red Bulls were about a foot away from being able to catch Gallese off his line from midfield, but Angulo poked the ball away at the last moment to deny the visitors the chance.

Morgan blasted a shot right at Gallese in the 22nd minute and that should have served as a warning sign but instead the Lions just kept playing the ball into danger. A turnover in the defensive third just seconds after the save on Morgan’s shot fizzed just wide of the right post.

A minute later, Jansson gave the ball away and then took a yellow card keeping Elias Manoel from breaking in behind the defense. The ensuing free kick was blocked by the wall.

The game settled down a bit after that but Orlando struggled to get the ball past the midway line and once there, could not put an accurate pass on a teammate’s foot. The first half mercifully came to an end without the team conceding but the Lions were completely dominated in the opening 45 minutes.

Orlando City ended up with more possession (60.2%-39.8%), and was slightly more accurate in passing (74.6%-72.5%) but the visitors dominated in shots (7-1). There were no shots on the halftime stats but one was later credited to Torres. Thankfully, of New York’s seven, only Morgan’s effort was on target. Each team won one corner kick.

Pareja said he liked his team’s demeanor even though they were struggling to break through the Red Bulls’ press.

β€œI went in the locker room and I asked, β€˜(assistant coach) Diego (Torres) we haven’t taken a shot, now, have we?’ β€˜No.’ And I said, β€˜And you know what? I like the game. But we haven’t taken a shot.’ And he said, β€˜But we have heart. These guys are a good team and it’s going to be tight. It’s going to be very tight.’”

Not much changed in the opening minutes of the second half, but Orlando did eventually get more control in the match. The Lions continued to be sloppy in possession at times, though.

Araujo gave the ball away in his defensive third in the 47th minute and scrambled back to block the ensuing shot after the giveaway. Five minutes later, Torres sent a poor pass across in the attacking third and New York countered. Morgan ended up firing wide at the end of the play.

Orlando finally fashioned a chance in the 54th minute when Halliday shook free on the right and sent a dangerous cross that skipped just out of Kara’s reach in front. The ensuing corner, however, led to the opener. The cross into the box found Araujo’s head. The midfielder nodded a shot toward goal that bounced up and caught the outstretched arm of Sean Nealis. Referee Guido Gonzales Jr. pointed to the spot immediately. Struber called the penalty a β€œwrong decision” by the referee in his postgame press conference, but the play was reviewed and the call upheld by the video assistant referee, Jose Carlos Rivero.

Torres stepped to the spot and Coronel dove to his left. The shot went slightly the other direction to open the scoring in the 56th minute.

Prior to taking the shot, Torres was standing at the spot having a discussion with Kara and Ojeda.

β€œWe talked and trained penalties yesterday and today. I just felt like I had a ton of confidence,” Torres said. β€œAnd so I told that to my teammates, and thankfully they agreed, and let me take the PK, and thankfully I scored.”

After his goal, Torres celebrated by putting the ball under his shirt to indicate that he and his partner are expecting a child.

β€œI’m going through a very happy time in my life right now β€” not just with my football, but off the field as well,” he said after the match. β€œSo, thankfully we were able to get three points as well against a Red Bull team that’s very difficult and in a game that was incredibly difficult. They’re always running, they all press, and they give you absolutely no space. So to take three points tonight was fantastic.”

Shortly after the goal, Ramiro Enrique replaced Kara, making his MLS/Orlando City debut. His relentless energy helped Orlando win some 50/50 balls as the visitors’ legs grew heavier.

But the Red Bulls kept coming after the equalizer. In the 72nd minute, John Tolkin sent a floating, hopeful ball into the area. Gallese came off his line to punch it away but a shot was immediately sent back toward his goal. From his knees, the Peruvian parried it away and the Lions were able to clear and counter attack, with Enrique winning a free kick on the other end.

In the 80th minute, Enrique was on the end of a good passing sequence up the right and he danced past two defenders before unleashing a shot that was deflected wide.

Orlando seemed to be about to get a free kick just outside the area when Torres was taken down in the 86th minute but the ref allowed play to continue. The Red Bulls countered and Casseres smashed what appeared like an equalizer toward goal but Gallese got his shoulder on the shot and it caromed off the side of his face, but he made the stop.

After shaking off the cobwebs, Gallese was able to continue. He was interfered with on the ensuing corner kick and Orlando was able to take a breath.

Pareja went to a five-man back line down the stretch and Orlando City had eight minutes of stoppage time to survive. The Red Bulls won two dangerous free kicks in injury time but Morgan sent the first of those well over the net and Casseres fired his effort straight to Gallese. That was the last action of the match.

Orlando held slightly more possession (50.6%-49.4%) and earned more corners (4-3), but the rest of the statistics favored the visitors. New York passed more accurately (75.7%-71.7%) and finished with more shots (14-6) and more shots on target (4-1).

β€œIn the second half, we kind of got our groove and once we got that penalty and Facundo Torres put it in the back of the net, we kind of calmed down and settled into the game a bit more,” Petrasso said.

Orlando City improved to 7-9-2 in the all-time series in league matches (8-9-2 in all competitions). The Lions have won three straight against the Red Bulls in all competitions, including consecutive 1-0 decisions in the regular season, and improved to 4-4-1 at home against New York in MLS play β€” 5-4-1 in all competitions.

Orlando City will be back in action at home again next Saturday when FC Cincinnati visits Exploria Stadium.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

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

Published

3 days ago

on

July 3, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

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

Published

3 days ago

on

July 3, 2026

By

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.

Free Kicks

  • 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!

Continue Reading

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.

Published

4 days ago

on

July 2, 2026

By

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.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Continue Reading

Trending