Happy Memorial Day, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work over the holiday weekend, covering high school lacrosse playoff games. The Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend, and the World Cup is less than three weeks away. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get into the links.

Lions Suffer Heavy Defeat at FC Cincinnati

Orlando City fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium Saturday in another embarrassing road display. Martin Ojeda scored the opener for the Lions in the first half before Cincinnati scored twice to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. Ojeda equalized for Orlando early in the second half. However, it was all Cincinnati from that point as Evander scored his second goal of the match and added three assists as Orlando suffered a heavy defeat on the road for the fourth time this season. The loss snapped the Lions’ three-match unbeaten streak. Orlando City will be off until late July due to the MLS World Cup break. The Lions’ next match will be on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on July 22.

Payne’s Goal Lifts Pride over San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium Sunday and snapped their two-match losing streak. Nicole Payne scored the lone goal in the match for Orlando, which moved above the Seattle Reign on goal difference to eighth in the NWSL table with 14 points. The Pride will return home Friday to take on Bay FC at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Beats Inter Miami II

Orlando City B defeated Inter Miami II 4-1 at Osceola County Stadium on Sunday. The Young Lions got off to a flying start in the first half as Ignacio Gomez scored the opening goal. Bernardo Rhein added another, and OCB got an own goal by Miami defender Daniel Sumalla to take a 3-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Zakaria Taifi scored for OCB and Miami pulled one back, but the Young Lions had the match wrapped up by then. OCB will take on Chattanooga FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

USMNT World Cup Roster Leaked

According to Jeff Rueter and Pablo Maurer at The Guardian, the full 26-man U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was leaked over the weekend, just days before the official announcement. Former Lion Alex Freeman, Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Tim Weah were notable mentions, while other players reportedly making the cut include Alejandro Zendejas, Gio Reyna, Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson, Mark Mackenzie, and goalkeeper Matt Turner. Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, and Aidan Morris were left out of the squad. The U.S. Soccer Federation will officially announce the USMNT roster Tuesday, while the final deadline to submit the roster to FIFA for the World Cup is June 1.

Free Kicks

• Wilfried Zaha will reportedly depart from Charlotte FC this summer when his loan deal expires.

• Josef Martinez will reportedly become a free agent after reaching an agreement to part ways with Liga MX side Tijuana.

• Club America Femenil defeated the Washington Spirit 5-3 over the weekend to win the Concacaf W Champions Cup.
• FC Barcelona dominated OL Lyonnes 4-0 Saturday to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the fourth time.
• Harry Kane scored a hat trick for Bayern Munich in a 3-0 win against VfB Stuttgart over the weekend to win the DFB-Pokal Cup.
• Oli McBurnie scored the late winner as Hull City defeated Middlesbrough 1-0 in the EFL playoff final Saturday and earned promotion to the Premier League.
• Tottenham Hotspur avoided relegation from the Premier League with a 1-0 win against Everton Sunday on the final day of the season. West Ham United became the final team to be relegated from the Premier League despite beating Leeds United 3-0 Sunday.

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

Orlando City heads into the World Cup break having given up all the goals in a 6-2 road loss to FC Cincinnati. It started out pretty well, but I don’t think there was ever really a chance with how many matches the Lions had played in such a short time in the lead-up to this match. Now the team will have the opportunity to think about what they’ve done.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

The Accountant Pays

So often it’s a former player that hurts an Orlando team. Fortunately, Kyle Smith would never hurt us — at least now that he doesn’t play for the Lions. One might think he was a Manchurian candidate thanks to the foul he committed in the box against Tiago. It was exactly the type of call that usually goes against Orlando City, so I was happy to see it called correctly in this case. Martin Ojeda put away the penalty to give the Lions the early lead. Thank you for your service, El Soldado.

Can’t Keeper it Clean

Let me be very fair from the jump. The header scored by Kenji Mboma Dem was perfectly placed, and I don’t blame Maxime Crepeau for not saving it. The second goal wasn’t really his fault either. His defense gave the ball away cheaply in their own half and the Lions paid for it. He wasn’t getting to the third goal either. Braian Ojeda was so far behind Evander in defense that I don’t think he made it into frame until the ball was in the back of the net. I don’t have the heart to go through the other three goals conceded.

OMG Ojeda

Orlando City needed to score the first goal of the second half if the Lions were to have any chance — they did not have any chance — to win the match. Orlando City pressed into the attack and earned a free kick outside the box. Martin Ojeda stepped up to take it. I knew he was taking it, you knew it, and Roman Celentano knew it. Knowing and stopping a perfectly placed free kick goal are two very different things, and this goal should be up for Goal of the Matchday. It won’t win because of Orlando City reasons, but it should.

Tired Legs

Five matches in 15 days takes a toll. That toll was six goals conceded by Orlando City. The Lions pressed effectively for the first 15 minutes or so of the first half. They also did well the first five minutes of the second half. Other than that, it was obvious that Cincinnati was the team with the fresher legs. If it wasn’t obvious, even Ivan Angulo couldn’t outrun the competition, begging the question of why there wasn’t more rotation over this brutal stretch of May. Once the team was down a goal and then two, and then three, the Lions did not have the legs to chase the match effectively.

Still No Defense

Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman has tried a few different formations, different lineups, and assorted player combinations, and he still hasn’t found an effective defense. I will concede — much like the defense — that shutting down an offense like FC Cincinnati’s is not easy, especially given the tired legs. However, it shouldn’t be hard to keep any team to — let’s say four goals instead of six. This was the fifth time this season the Lions have allowed an opponent to score four or more goals. They only did that three times in each of last two seasons, and in neither season did they allow six in a single match, which they have now done twice this season. It is unacceptable, and changes need to happen.

That is what I saw in the disappointing but predictable loss to FC Cincinnati. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

After a disastrous start to the season, Orlando City entered tonight’s match at FC Cincinnati looking to enter the World Cup break with only one loss in the past six games. However, the Lions also had only won one away game all season. This wasn’t the game for them to get another one as Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati (5-5-5, 20 points) at TQL Stadium.

Thus, the Lions end the first part of the season as they started it.

Evander scored twice and assisted on three other goals to lead the rout, despite Martin Ojeda giving Orlando City the early lead in the first half and tying the game at 2-2 shortly after halftime. After the second of those goals, it was all FC Cincinnati, ripping apart a passive midfield and back line. Kenji Mboma Dem added a brace for the hosts and Kevin Denkey and Tom Barlow also scored.

“The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “They have talented players and take advantage of the mistakes we made. One thing everybody can be sure is that we gave everything on the field, maybe making some mistakes, but we gave everything.”

Perelman switched very little from the side that played four days ago in Orlando in the U.S. Open Cup match against Atlanta United, and one of the few changes was to start Maxime Crepeau in goal, after starting Javier Otero on Tuesday, behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda manned the middle inside of wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, as Marco Pasalic started the game on the bench ahead of his World Cup journey with Croatia. Justin Ellis and Martin Ojeda led the attack up front. That means most of the starting XI was playing its third game in seven days and it looked like it after an energetic opening 15 or 20 minutes.

Orlando City came out in a high press and was able to keep the ball trapped in the Cincinnati end for the first four minutes, winning a pair of free kicks, including one from 30 yards out in the fifth minute. Martin Ojeda tried to find some on the far post but overhit it. However, just one minute later, Tiago poked the ball away from Samuel Gidi, right to Martin Ojeda in the box, which he put in the back of the net. However, Ojeda was offside when Tiago poked the ball to him, nullifying what would have been the opener.

Once Cincinnati was able to survive that initial onslaught, the hosts were able to possess the ball a bit more in the midfield. Some of the passing was loose enough to entice the Lions to challenge aggressively and Marin went into a challenge on Kenji Mboma Dem awkwardly and picked up a yellow card in the 10^th minute.

Orlando City’s pressure kept unsettling Cincinnati and in the 13^th minute Dorsey crossed the ball into the box. Former Lion Kyle Smith got to it first to cut it off, but he took a heavy touch. That enabled Tiago to close him down and slip in between Smith and the ball. Smith caught Tiago’s leg, tripping the Brazilian in the box and handing his old team a penalty kick.

Martin Ojeda took the penalty kick and stutter-stepped enough to force goalkeeper Roman Celentano to move, and then he calmly slotted it down the middle, scoring his 10th goal of the MLS season and giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.

The teams exchanged possession for the next six minutes, and Orlando became less aggressive on the press after scoring the first goal. At the 24-minute mark, Bryan Ramirez was sent free on a long ball down the left side and put a great cross into Denkey to put him behind the defense, but Marin slid in at the last minute and knocked the ball out for a corner. FC Cincinnati piled on the pressure over the next six minutes, totaling six different attempts with an expected goal value of just 0.8. Orlando City could not possess the ball for any amount of time with FC Cincinnati starting to press higher, but the Lions withstood the pressure.

In the 32^nd, Atuesta suffered a nasty tackle from behind, earning Gerardo Valenzuela a yellow card. The Lions got a bit better at possessing the ball but still had to defend more than they would like. It led to the eventual tying goal in the 42^nd minute when an Evander corner found Mboma Dem, who beat Brekalo in the air and put arc on the header, sending it just inside the far post out of Crepeau’s reach. The placement couldn’t have been more perfect for Cincinnati.

Orlando City appeared like the team that had a game Tuesday playing against a fully-rested team. The Lions couldn’t possess for long stretches and kept giving away opportunities. In the second minute of first-half injury time, Martin Ojeda was slow reacting to an underhit Jansson pass, allowing Pavel Bucha to intercept it and start a counterattack. He switched field to an open Evander, who slotted it home at the far post.

Losing the lead seemed to get Orlando City focused a little more for the final few minutes, earning the team a corner, but it was deflected out on the recycle and halftime was called instead of giving the Lions a second set piece. As befits a half that saw Orlando City jump out with force but then lose energy, the Lions trailed in all stats as well. FC Cincinnati led in shots (13-6), shots on target (6-1), possession (53%-47%), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (90.9%-82.#%). With such a disparity in statistics, Orlando City was lucky to only be down one entering halftime despite a strong start.

Tyrese Spicer came on for Tiago at the break and Orlando City came out on the front foot again. The Lions kept Cincinnati trapped in their end and, one minute in, Atuesta intercepted a ball and was pulled back by Matt Miazga at the top of the box. Martin Ojeda took the ensuing free kick and placed it perfectly over the wall and into the top corner to even the game in the 48th minute. Ojeda’s 11th of the year in just 15 games puts him just five behind his MLS total of 16 in 33 games a year ago.

The fireworks were just beginning. Cincinnati pushed possession into the Orlando half and Mboma Dem got his head on another Evander corner but hit the crossbar. The rebound fell to Miazga, who couldn’t get enough on it to push it past Crepeau, who deflected it wide. However, just two minutes later, Evander found Mboma Dem in the box and the forward finished it cleanly to pick up his brace, restoring Cincinnati’s lead in the 52nd minute.

Orlando City tried to push fresh legs on in the 57^th minute, subbing in Marco Pasalic for Ellis, who had a moment or two of interest but was not his best self. One minute later, the midfield let Evander carry the ball 30 yards forward, so he took them up on their offer and cracked one home from the top of the box in the 58th minute.

The Lions were able to re-establish their share of possession over the next eight minutes, leading to a series of corners that didn’t turn into anything dangerous. Eventually, Cincinnati was able to break through for a spell and Brekalo stepped up strongly on an Evander advance after a turnover by Pasalic and picked up a yellow card for his tactical foul in the 70^th minute.

After Evander missed the following free kick, Orlando City subbed in Duncan McGuire for Marin and Wilder Cartagena for Dorsey. Two minutes later, FC Cincinnati brought in Brian Anunga for Obinna Nwobodo.

The subs didn’t bring any additional energy for Orlando City as, in the 77^th minute, Evander dribbled in front from the left past multiple Lions and slipped a ball through the defense to Denkey in the box. Denkey had beaten Cartagena goal-side and pushed it past Crepeau to make the score 5-2 in the 77th minute.

Orlando City was able to apply pressure as Cincinnati seemed content with its allotment of goals and earned a couple of corners that went begging. Cincinnati brought on two more subs in the 83^rd minute, pulling out Mboma Dem and Valenzuela for Tom Barlow and Ender Echenique. Atuesta showed a touch of skill one minute later, beating the defenders and hitting the far post with his attempt. Luis Otavio was brought on as Orlando City’s final sub in the 85^th minute for Braian Ojeda.

Orlando City was able to apply a little more pressure as regulation time wore down, with Spicer getting a header blocked and Angulo getting his shot in the 90^th minute saved. It eventually wore down though as, one minute later, Echenique chipped a pass to his sub mate Barlow, left unmarked by Brekalo and Otavio, and the forward was able to volley it home in the first minute of stoppage time.

Pasalic added one final moment of excitement as his left foot cannon unleashed a shot at the far post that Celentano was just able to tip wide. That was it for the game and the Lions now have some questions to answer regarding everything about the team and what it will look like when Antoine Griezmann joins the club after the break. An attack that is already decent will get better, but there are clearly some issues with the defense.

“It’s a bad mood in the dressing room, because we started the game really good,” Pasalic said. “We conceded a lot of goals this season but I cannot blame the defense. If you start to blame each other, it’s not good and you’re not going to end good.”

Orlando City was able to finish ahead in one statistic with the late push by leading in corners (8-6). FC Cincinnati again led all the rest: shots (23-20), shots on target (11-9), possession (57%-43%), and passing accuracy (89.8%-83.5%).

Orlando City now will be off until late July for the MLS World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 22 at the San Jose Earthquakes.