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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Blow Two-Goal Lead

Another home match against the Union with Alex Chilowicz as the match referee ends controversially, with a 2-2 draw.

Published

3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City built a 2-0 lead against the Philadelphia Union but ultimately dropped points due to a cross that went in the net after missing its target, a howitzer first goal from a guy who will likely never, ever do that again, and an overturned call that was exceedingly questionable in a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium. The Lions (7-5-6, 27 points) squandered a two-goal lead on a pair of plays that didn’t seem dangerous at the time and drew the Philadelphia Union (9-5-4, 31 points) after match referee Alex Chilowicz had disallowed a third Orlando goal by Ivan Angulo for a perceived foul in the buildup.

City finishes the season series 1-0-1 against the Union but it could have been more.

Duncan McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half (although McGuire may end up with both goals after getting a slight touch on Ojeda’s shot) and things looked good for the hosts, but Jack McGlynn’s cross into the box missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, and then Jose Martinez ran onto a clearance and launched a rocket from distance that left the Homegrown goalkeeper no chance in the 90th minute, as the Lions suffered another late heartbreaking draw at home.

“It was obvious that during the game we were losing energy, but the boys had the personality to overcome and trying to match a good team,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The frustration that I have and probably everybody with the decision is incredible. But I’d rather just control my words and just worry about getting the things we need to control better and concentrate in those key moments that they’re hurting us on our ways here at home. It’s painful, but we keep going.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Mason Stajduhar making his second straight start in goal, behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Felipe started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Ojeda, with McGuire up top.

The first half was a bit of a mess, with both teams having some good spells of possession but not doing much with them. The Lions were a bit more untidy at the back than the visitors, conceding several set pieces that weren’t necessary.

Philadelphia got the game’s first shot in the fifth minute with Joaquin Torres firing right at Stajduhar for the easy save after Araujo gave the ball away easily at midfield. Torres should have done better with the opportunity.

The teams exchanged blocked shots over the next few minutes. Smith had a chance blocked after Orlando’s first decent spell of attacking possession. A block near the top of the box may have prevented Jack McGlynn scoring off a Union set piece in the 11th minute.

The Lions broke through in minute 13. Pereyra sent an incisive pass through the middle to Ojeda, who flicked it into the path of McGuire. The rookie’s first touch was too heavy but he went to ground to win it back, got up, and slotted inside the left post past former Lion Joe Bendik to open the scoring. It was McGuire’s team-leading sixth goal of the season.

“Great ball from Ojeda,” McGuire said. “I took a poor touch but then I saw the defender coming across really hard. So, I thought that if I could slide, he would maybe fall over and I could get up and it worked out perfectly, I guess, so I’ll take it.”

The Union got a series of set pieces after the Orlando goal and nearly paid one off when a cross in for Jack Elliott found the big defender, but he nodded his shot just over the crossbar in the 27th minute.

Three minutes later, the Lions got a corner and Carlos came within inches of doubling the lead. The Brazilian got his head to the cross and headed it down into the ground. The bounce took it over Bendik but he was able to get a touch to it at the last second to knock it over the bar.

The last chance of the half came in the 42nd minute. The Lions built a nice attack that ended in a shot by Angulo from the right side, but his shot was right at the goalkeeper.

First-half possession was nearly equal, with the Union ekeing out a 50.5%-49.5% advantage. Orlando City had more shots (5-3) and shots on target (3-1), and passed a tiny bit more accurately (86.6%-86.5%). The Union racked up twice the corners as the Lions (6-3).

Felipe’s awful giveaway in the early going of the second half nearly gifted Philadelphia a chance but the Union were called for a foul in the attack in the 51st minute. Seconds later, Stajduhar made a huge save to deny Julian Carranza on the break after another Orlando turnover.

Just as the Union appeared to be growing into the game, the Lions scored their second. Ojeda took a pass from Angulo on the right and cut back into the middle, using the defense as a screen and sent a screamer inside the left post that took a minor deflection off McGuire and beat Bendik, making it 2-0 in the 54th minute. As of this writing, Ojeda has been credited with the goal, although a replay clearly shows it took the smallest of deflections off the rookie striker. Either way, it was a crafty move by Ojeda to deny Bendik sight of his shot.

Both players were gracious about who should get the goal.

“I’m not going to take that goal away from Ojeda,” McGuire said.

“I’m not sure who’s going to end up being credited with the goal,” Ojeda said. “It’s kind of divided. If it’s me, it’s me. If it’s Duncan, then it’s Duncan. But I’ll say that Duncan apologized to me afterwards.”

The two-goal lead lasted only six minutes. McGlynn sent a good cross into the box but it fizzed over the heads of his striker and two defenders. Stajduhar realized too late that the ball’s curl would take it inside the post and he reacted late to it, giving the Union life in the 60th minute.

With the Lions starting to look leggy in the final half hour — Orlando City was on short rest compared to Philadelphia, which hadn’t played in 11 days — Pareja switched to a three-man back line, sending Rodrigo Schlegel and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson on for Smith and Felipe. Angulo became the right wingback opposite Santos.

Angulo should have put the game to bed in the 73rd minute. A scramble to the right of the goal had Bendik out of position and McGuire laid off a pass for him to hit into the empty net but from only eight yards out he somehow got under it enough to send it over the bar on a terribly wasteful effort.

Pareja tried to combat tiring legs by replacing Ojeda with Ramiro Enrique, McGuire with Ercan Kara, and Santos with Gaston Gonzalez. McGuire needed attention from the trainers before leaving but walked off under his own power and after the match said he was fine.

The Lions appeared to put the game to bed in the 86th minute as Angulo atoned for his earlier miss. Kara held off Martinez and made a run forward with the ball, muscling past the defense, drawing Bendik out of position, and finding Angulo for the easy goal. The 17,516 in attendance erupted but Chilowicz signaled that he would look at the replay. He came back, disallowed the goal, and booked Kara for fouling Martinez in the buildup. Kara’s arm came up to hold off the midfielder but Martinez made a complete meal of little contact and it was nothing worse than happened a dozen other times in the game.

“I saw the ref already and it is incredible,” Pareja said about the controversial play. “I mean, we need to protect the game. That’s our frustration tonight. It’s happened before. Nothing we can say.”

“I thought it was unfair,” McGuire said of the play. “I thought (the goal) should have been given, but at the end of the day you’ve got to play the game. After that, it’s still game on and you have to finish the game out. I definitely think it should have been a goal but, can’t do anything about it now, sadly.”

Chilowicz, you may recall, was the same official who overturned an offside call on a Daniel Gazdag goal in this exact same fixture last year after reviewing the play and then ruled that a mugging of Carlos in the box at the end of that match was not a penalty because of an exceedingly minor and routine shirt grab happened before the mugging.

Disaster, which has struck now in three of the last four home games, struck again in the 90th minute. The Lions were handling everything Philadelphia threw at them and what appeared to be a routine clearance out of the box off the head of Carlos bounced in front of Martinez. The midfielder smashed a wicked blast off the right post and in, giving Stajduhar no chance. The Lions went from having a two-goal cushion to being level in just minutes.

Without having seen any goals from any of the other games tonight, I’m certain this will be MLS Goal of the Week.

“Unbelievable goal from Philadelphia and not much you can do about that but I think as a whole group we can maybe do a little bit more to take the three points at home,” McGuire said.

Both teams went for the win after Martinez’s equalizer. Enrique had a golden opportunity on the left in the 94th minute but sent his shot off the crossbar. Two minutes later, a ball into the box found Mikael Uhre, who put his attempt off the crossbar at the other end. Moments later, the game was over.

Philadelphia ended up with more possession (55.2%-44.8%), shots (10-8), shots on target (5-4), corners (7-4), and passing accuracy (82.3%-77.2%). Despite the statistical advantages, Orlando City rarely appeared to be in danger of conceding until the two vastly different goals went in.

“For the players, nothing but my respect for that effort tonight,” Pareja said of his side.

“After a game that we definitely think we should have won, I definitely think we are excited and eager to get on the road and play another game to show that maybe tonight was a fluke and we can get three points against a tough Seattle team,” Mcguire said.

The Lions have a quick turnaround, flying out Thursday ahead of Saturday’s match at the Sounders.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Published

1 day ago

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May 11, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey trying to send the ball upfield against a Montreal defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If you play Football Manager enough, you play plenty of games where the after-match comment is “a bore draw.” That appeared to be where Orlando City’s road game at CF Montreal was headed until a mistake by Robin Jansson in added time led to a penalty which opened the scoring for the hosts. They tacked on another late in stoppage time and the Lions will return home for a three-game set (one of them in the U.S. Open Cup) sore from Saturday’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with the Quebecois.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — With 25 shots by Montreal, one would’ve figured Crepeau was busy. Not really — he finished with three saves. A goalkeeper is almost never responsible for being scored on from the penalty spot, but Dagur Dan Thorallsson’s goal at the death is one Crepeau will want back, although in fairness it was perfectly placed. The Canadian goalkeeper finished with a 72.7% passing rate and was helped out after being rounded by Prince Owusu in a 1-v-1 opportunity that his teammates should never have allwoed for what would have been a goal if not for Iago’s sliding block to clear it off the line.

D, Adrián Marin, 5.5 — Marin got caught ball-watching in the 34th minute to allow a Wiki Carmona rocket that just went wide. Otherwise, he just didn’t impact the game one way or the other. Marin completed 87.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one block, and three clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson played his normal emergency role all game. Unfortunately, he got put off-balance in the first minute of added time in the second half and fell into the legs of Luca Petrasso, giving a penalty. It was a rough ending for the captain, but Orlando left the door open for Montreal and the hosts took it. The Swede also couldn’t close down Thorhallsson to prevent the second late Montreal goal. Jansson completed 78.7% of his passes, with one tackle, 10(!) clearances, and one block.

D, Iago, 6 — We saw both sides of Iago. He had a really nice pass in the 17th minute to free up Eduard Atuesta on goal but the Colombian missed the target to waste Orlando’s best chance of the game. The Brazilian’s biggest highlight moment was in the 76th minute, when Owusu dribbled past Crepeau for an open look at goal but Iago was there to clear it off the line. On the flip side, he also had a dangerous header defending a corner that almost created an own goal, instead hitting the left post. He got pulled wide in the first minute of the second half, allowing a dangerous shot by Owusu. On the offensive end, he got on the end of a corner but headed it right at Thomas Gillier. He was all over the place, which you can expect from a young player. He would’ve gotten a higher grade had the game finished scoreless because of his goal-line clearance and a couple of sparkling long balls that should have led to more. Alas. He finished with zero interceptions or tackles, three blocks, six clearances, and a 92.3% passing rate. He also picked up a yellow card in the sixth minute of added time in the second half preventing a counter on one of his attacking teammates’ many turnovers.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5— While Orlando City was heavily weighted to the left side all game, when the Lions went down the right, it was through Dorsey. He led the break down that side multiple times but had trouble connecting. Dorsey finished with one tackle, three clearances, and one cross while passing at a 79% rate.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — When Angulo whiffed on a ball in the second minute which caused a Montreal counter, it was an indicator of the night to come. He was sloppy all game long and, by The Mane Land’s unofficial tally, turned the ball over eight times, with the majority of those coming in his own defensive half. It was an ugly night that looked a touch better when Tyrese Spicer departed, changing Angulo’s duties, but it didn’t wipe out a forgettable match. He finished with 90.2% passing, despite being loose with the ball. He was two out of six for successful dribbles and two out of seven in winning ground duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — A major part of the toothlessness of the Lions in the match was the midfield play. While Atuesta had a 95% passing rate, the only real impact he had was in the 17th minute, when Iago broke him free with a great pass. Atuesta made a well-timed run, but he ended up doing nothing with it when he sent his shot wide of goal. He had a turnover in the fourth minute to leave Montreal with a 3-on-2 break, leaving me to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights for him. Luckily no, but there was no real contribution either. He picked up a yellow card in the 62nd, was dispossessed once, and committed four fouls.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5— Atuesta’s midfield partner also had trouble linking the play but contributed a touch more defensively. His sloppy handling in the 41st minute allowed Montreal to keep possession and created a corner. In the end, he finished with one tackle, one block, one clearance, and a 90% passing rate.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6— Unfortunately, most of Spicer’s contributions came on the defensive end this game because he could never get himself in the flow offensively. While he was 10-for-11 passing, he attempted two shots, one right at the goalkeeper and the other that missed so badly it almost went behind the net without hitting anything. He had just two touches in the opposition box. His biggest highlight was a tackle in the 23rd minute to end a dangerous Montreal possession. He was replaced in the 67th minute by Duncan McGuire. Spicer finished with a 91% passing success rate, led the team in tackles with four, and added two interceptions.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5 — This grade may be a bit harsh. However, when you are a Designated Player, you have to contribute, and Martin Ojeda was invisible at best. With 44 total passes, he was the one having to compensate for the lack of midfield control and it showed by his lack of offensive contribution. He had zero touches in the opposition box, which is not going to be a recipe for Orlando City success. Martin took one shot that was on target and passed at a 91% rate.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM)— Someone has to win Man of the Match. Ellis almost wins it by default as his overall play was the only positive thing all game. While his stats were mediocre, and there was not one moment you can pick to point to, he was the most talented when on the ball, tracked back to collect the ball occasionally, did more to link play than the midfield did, and just didn’t have a negative impact. He was replaced in the 80th by David Brekalo and finished with a 94% passing rate, was four-for-four on successful dribbles, and went five-for-six on ground duels won.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (67′), 5— McGuire started out playing out of position on the wing and while asked to pick up the offense, McGuire was unable to show anything of promise. Dorsey found him in the 88th minute with a cross, but McGuire turned down a quick shot and held the ball too long while deciding, and he ended up taking a low angle shot that had been there from the beginning that ended up harmless. He passed at a 75% rate and had three touches in the opposition box, turning those into a measly 0.05 expected goals. One of his touches on a promising attack was heavy and wasted the opportunity to get a shot off late in the game.

D, David Brekalo (80′), N/A — Brekalo came on for Ellis with a few minutes remaining, maybe a tactical choice to see out the draw. He completed all seven of his passes and had one clearance. He was not able to do anything to prevent Montreal’s two late goals, but he wasn’t the only one.

MF, Tiago (90′+5), N/A — Tiago entered right after the penalty to try to claw back a goal. Unfortunately, he whiffed on a 50/50 ball just moments before Thorhallsson ended up scoring the game’s second goal. He wasn’t on long enough to issue a grade, however.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90′+5), N/A — The best thing you can say about Taifi’s time is that he didn’t turn the ball over conceding a goal in the five minutes he was on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s loss to CF Montreal. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

Lions fall to CF Montreal, Pride defeat North Carolina Courage, OCB beats Atlanta United 2, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda taking a shot against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida, and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I spent the weekend in Texas catching up with friends and family. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who turns 32 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

Orlando City fell 2-0 to CF Montreal at Stade Saputo Saturday on a pair of late goals. After a scoreless first half, the Lions were minutes away from escaping with a point on the road but conceded twice in stoppage time, with former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson adding the insurance goal for Montreal as Orlando City left Canada with zero points. The Lions could not capitalize on their few scoring chances throughout the match. Orlando City returns home for its next match on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium.

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday, as Barbra Banda scored the lone goal late in the second half to help the Pride secure a much-needed win, snapping their two-match losing streak. Banda scored her eighth goal of the season, and she has scored five goals in the last three matches. The Pride will be on the road this week, facing the Boston Legacy Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, followed by another match Saturday against the Denver Summit at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Atlanta United 2 with a goal in each half, winning 2-0 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA Sunday. Gustavo Caraballo scored the opening goal from the spot to give the Young Lions the early lead. In the second half, Issah Haruna added another goal for the Young Lions to put it away and take three points. OCB will be back on the road Sunday to face New England Revolution II at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI.

Americans Abroad

Austin Trusty played a full 90 minutes as Celtic won its sixth consecutive match across all competitions 3-1 against Rangers. Gio Reyna scored his first goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach to snap his 16-month goal drought at the club level, but his side fell 3-1 to FC Augsburg. Weston McKennie played 86 minutes for Juventus in a 1-0 win against Lecce. In the Women’s FA Cup semifinals, Alyssa Thompson played 78 minutes for Chelsea, but her side fell 3-2 to Manchester City after extra time. Lindsey Heaps scored for OL Lyonnes while Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader were also in action in a 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Coupe De France trophy. Later today, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players writing letters to their moms for Mother’s Day.
  • James Rodriguez will reportedly leave Minnesota United this week and will not return to the club after the World Cup concludes this summer.
  • Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik stated that the club will impose a lifetime ban to fans who invaded the pitch as the club was minutes away from defeating rivals Sparta Prague Saturday to win the Czech First League title before the match was abandoned.
  • Leandro Trossard scored a late winner in the second half to help Arsenal beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep its five-point lead over Manchester City and pull a step closer to clinching the English Premier League title.

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

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