Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Tigres UANL, Concacaf Champions League: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Eliminated on Road Goals Tiebreaker

A late Ercan Kara goal made things interesting but Orlando City is out of the CCL despite a 1-1 aggregate.

Published

3 years ago

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City’s first foray into Concacaf Champions League play was a short one as the Lions drew 1-1 against Tigres UANL of Liga MX at Exploria Stadium in front of 21,112 fans. Even though Tigres couldn’t beat Orlando, the Lions must bow out of the competition due to the dreaded away goals tiebreaker after holding the Mexican side to a 0-0 draw away last week.

The Lions could hardly have had a tougher draw in their first outing and gave a solid effort but came up just short after Ercan Kara’s bicycle-kick goal in the 90th minute evened things up late. Duncan McGuire fired high with the goalkeeper out of position moments later on what turned out to be the last play of the match. The Lions were incensed that it was the last play after Honduran referee Said Martinez gave five minutes of stoppage time and then watched as Tigres players milked those five minutes with the typical dark arts of time wasting. Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja β€” who carries a stopwatch during the match β€” confronted Martinez after the match about not adding more time, but he was shown a red card for his troubles.

Pedro Gallese put on an incredible show in goal to give his team a chance but his teammates simply couldn’t generate anything offensively and wasted the few good chances they did create.

β€œWe are proud of the effort we showed during the game,” Pareja said after the match, discussing what he said to his players in the locker room. β€œThey played against a good rival and we were there. So, we will move on, but we were upset as well.”

Pareja’s lineup included Gallese in goal behind a back line of Luca Petrasso, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Michael Halliday. Cesar Araujo and Mauricio Pereyra were in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Facundo Torres, with Ramiro Enrique up top. Enrique returned to action for the first time since leaving with a minor knock at halftime last Tuesday in Mexico.

The first half chances mainly belonged to Tigres. Although the shots weren’t that uneven in terms of numbers, there was a big difference in the quality of those chances. The visitors got things started in the ninth minute, when Luis Quinones intercepted Ojeda’s cross-field pass attempt and broke the other way. Near the top of the area he stepped into his shot and Gallese got over to make a good save.

The Lions cleared the ensuing corner and looked to break but Pereyra was called for a foul just outside the area and booked for it. Gallese touched the ensuing free kick over the bar but it may have been staying high anyway.

Orlando’s first attacking motion ended badly when Torres chipped the ball into the air and tried to turn and shoot in one motion. He got the movement wrong and fired way off target in the 14th minute.

One minute later, Gallese bailed out his teammates with a huge stop on Nicolas Ibanez’s header in front. Fernando Gorriaran fired just wide on the rebound off the save.

The Lions should have broken the deadlock in the 19th minute. Petrasso’s pass found Angulo in the box and the winger fired but missed just inches wide of the right post.

The miss was costly, as Tigres grabbed the lead moments later. A cross in from Orlando’s right should have been defended by Petrasso, who got caught ball watching. That allowed Sebastian Cordova to chest the ball down to himself and fire past Gallese from close range, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage in the 21st minute. With a road goal in their pocket, it made the uphill climb for Orlando that much harder.

The Lions didn’t respond to the goal well, as Schlegel and Araujo both took unnecessary yellow cards within the next few minutes. Halliday had an opportunity on the break with numbers in the box in the 30th minute but he couldn’t beat his defender with the cross and the ball deflected out.

Orlando didn’t do much with a couple of set pieces in the latter stages of the first half but should have pulled level seconds before halftime. Petrasso’s pass deflected in front to Enrique just a few yards in front of goal but his shot hit goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman in the chest. The Lions thwarted the ensuing counter and that was it for the first half.

The visitors held more possession in the first half (53.5%-46.5%), and had more shots (8-5), shots on target (4-1), and corners (4-1). Orlando City passed slightly more accurately (84.9%-82%).

Orlando City looked more lively to start the second half and fashioned the first chance after the break. Off a Pereyra corner, the ball fell to Enrique’s feet. The forward poked it toward goal but it was blocked behind for another corner.

Gallese made a save on a free kick from distance in the 52nd minute on a ball that eluded the wall and was heading just inside the left post. The Peruvian international kept making big saves as his team pushed numbers forward as time grew shorter. He made vital stops in the 67th, 73rd, and 83rd, robbing Quinones on the last of those. He made another key save in the 84th. It was an unbelievable display as Gallese finished with seven saves and there weren’t many easy ones in the bunch. His save on Ibanez was absolutely filthy.

β€œObviously for us he represents a lot of security,” Pareja said of his goalkeeper, β€œespecially today after we pushed in the second half and the lines were higher and we left the spaces in behind. Very good to see him in a good form.” 

The Lions fought hard to get back on level terms and Torres had an opportunity in the 80th. Kara’s backheel sent the Uruguayan in and he sent a lunging toe poke toward the net. His shot was deflected by defender Igor Lichnovsky up into Guzman’s midsection for an easy save.

Second-half sub Kara was fouled just outside the area late in the match and fellow substitute Dagur Dan Thorhallsson lined up over the ball. His free kick was going just under the bar when Guzman got a touch to it at the last second, pushing it over the bar in the 89th minute. The ensuing corner led to the equalizer.

Torres took the set piece from the left corner and he picked out McGuire at the near post. The rookie’s header was cleared off the line but Kara turned around, tracked it down and sent an overhead kick looping back toward goal and in, tying the match at 1-1 in the 90th minute.

Martinez indicated a minimum of five minutes of stoppage time and Tigres used up nearly every second of it. Kara tried another bicycle kick in stoppage time and there were some shouts for handball but there was no call from the video assistant referee for Martinez to take a second look at it.

Orlando had a series of corners and set pieces but couldn’t get onto them. Guzman came off his line and initiated contact on one, drawing a questionable foul and then milking precious seconds by staying down. Tigres center back Samir was sent off for a second yellow in stoppage time as well.

The last set piece came agonizingly close to providing a winner. Guzman came off his line to try to catch a set piece cross but could only get a hand on it. With the keeper well out of position, McGuire smashed it toward goal but his shot was always rising and fizzed over the bar.

Martinez then signaled the end of the match and Pareja bolted onto the pitch to argue, earning himself a red card.

β€œWe’re not bad losers. We’re respectful, but we’re not stupid,” Pareja said of what happened after the game. β€œWe scored in minute 89 and between 89 and 96:45 it was four minutes, 50 seconds that they did not play the game. They didn’t allow us to play the game. Whether it was because their goalkeeper wasn’t playing β€” not restarting β€” substitutions, and even the celebration of the goal. So they need to understand that. I mean, you give five minutes, but they’re wasting time. They need to add more time.

β€œWe are competing and they need to realize that. So, the two teams were very feisty and it was a great game. I think they needed to reevaluate on the referee how many minutes they need to add. And that’s frustrating.”

The Lions turned around possession in the second half, finishing with the advantage (54.1%-45.9%) as well as a higher passing accuracy (84.4%-81.1%). Tigres had more shots (15-12), shots on target (8-5), and corners (7-6).

It’s a tough way to leave the competition, and the away goals tiebreaker seems rather random, but them’s the rules.

β€œThis team did not give up at all,” Pareja said. β€œWe pushed, pushed, pushed and then we found the game β€” probably later than we want, obviously. And 89 minutes (we scored) but after that I thought we had the energy to score another one, including and that option that Duncan had. But it could be one more or two more. But again, the referee just cut the game.”

β€œI’d definitely say we gave it all and played till the end,” McGuire said. β€œSo, I definitely think from now on the games that we play we have to play the way that we finished that game, giving it all and leaving it all on the field.”

Orlando City wraps up a brutal stretch of five games in 15 days on Saturday when Charlotte FC visits Exploria Stadium in league play.

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