Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Pull Off Comeback Road Victory

Antonio Carlos and Duncan McGuire led the Lions to a comeback victory in Atlanta.

Published

3 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City conceded first but goals by Antonio Carlos and Duncan McGuire brought the Lions back for a 2-1 win over Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Caleb Wiley put the hosts ahead but Orlando City (10-6-7, 37 points) showed resiliency to come from behind and then hold off a furious rally attempt late by Atlanta (9-7-8, 35 points).

It was just Orlando’s second road win in the all-time series and paid the Five Stripes back for them stealing a late point at Exploria Stadium back in May. The Lions leapfrogged Atlanta in the Eastern Conference standings and hold a game in hand.

“I saw today a lot of character on the field with a team that had a tough experience over the past weekend,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And today coming to Atlanta this game was important for our confidence. It was important for the standings but for our confidence too.”

Pareja kept the same lineup from the last couple of games, with Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena played central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with McGuire up top.

The Lions started quickly and created a good chance in the first minute. McGuire slipped Pereyra in behind the defense but the captain’s first touch was poor on the carpet and that allowed Brad Guzan to come off his line and challenge the shot. He was able to make the save from close range.

Torres tried a shot from distance but leaned back and got well under it in the fifth minute. McGuire and Araujo sent soft shots at Guzan in the sixth and eighth minutes, respectively.

Santos’ long ball for McGuire looked to put the rookie in behind the defense but he was called for a foul when Juan Jose Purata went down easily, baiting the referee into a call.

Orlando relaxed its pressure after the quick start and Atlanta held more possession and got some rhythm, but mistakes by the Lions created their own biggest problems. A poor pass by Smith was easily blocked by a defender right in front of him and it ignited the break in the 17th minute. Brooks Lennon sent in a dangerous cross through the six but none of his teammates could get onto it.

“It was hard to keep (the press) there all the time, but we really wanted to set the tone of the game in the beginning,” Pareja said.

The hosts took the lead five minutes later on a comedy of errors by Orlando. A poor throw-in play turned the ball over deep in the Lions’ end and when the ball got away, it appeared multiple Orlando players could have intervened and taken possession but no one did. Atlanta retained possession and a shot dribbled through Gallese. Carlos cleared it off the line but it went to Wiley who fired it home in the 22nd minute. Smith was caught ball watching on the play as Wiley was the only dangerous player in his area but he paid him no attention.

The Lions managed a quick response. Pereyra stood over a free kick from the left side and sent a good cross into the box. Carlos was headed toward goal, but changed directions and attacked the ball in the air, winning his battle and powering a header into the back of the net in the 25th minute. It was a rare set piece goal for the 2023 Lions and the first goal by an Orlando City center back this season.

“I am really happy to have scored that goal. It’s a goal that I’ve been after all season for quite some time,” Carlos said through a club interpreter. “I’ve come really close. Some other goalkeepers have made some really incredible saves to deny that goal, but finally it went in. I’m very happy to not only have scored, but to help the team defensively as well. And I’m just thrilled that we were able to pick up all three points.”

The goal seemed to give Orlando confidence. McGuire tried to catch Guzan off his line in the 33rd minute but the rookie’s shot was well off target. Two minutes later, a nice give-and-go ended with a blast by Angulo that skipped just inches wide of the left post.

Smith tried a shot from outside the area in the 42nd minute but it was just over the bar and Guzan let it go when he saw it was rising. That was the last look of the half but Orlando picked up two late yellow cards to Cartagena and Jansson β€” the latter after the halftime whistle.

Atlanta finished the half with more possession (52.1%-47.9%) and corners (2-0), while Orlando City had more shots (7-5) and shots on target (3-2) and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The second half started more cautiously than the first but several of Orlando’s attacks broke down because Smith kept trying to pass the ball through opponents or left crosses short. It was a night of struggles in the attack for the veteran fullback.

The first chance of the second period came off Orlando’s first corner kick of the game, won by Angulo. Pereyra’s ball in hit off of McGuire, took a deflection, and then dribbled slowly toward goal and went inches wide of the right post in the 51st minute.

Just after that chance, Gallese bowled the ball to Smith, who seemed to see Wiley coming up behind him but lost the ball in his own end anyway. Orlando survived the turnover. Atlanta then won a corner and although the Lions cleared the initial danger, Santiago Sosa chipped a ball onto the roof of the net in the 55th minute.

The Lions took the lead at the hour mark. Pereyra sent in a gorgeous ball to send McGuire behind the back line. The rookie held off a defender while slotting home his team-leading eighth goal past Guzan to make it 2-1.

Derrick Etienne Jr. tried to pull McGuire’s goal right back but sent his effort over Gallese’s crossbar.

The Lions came within inches of an insurance goal in the 68th minute. Torres was sent down the right side and used his weaker right foot to send an excellent cross to the top of the six. Substitute Ramiro Enrique got his head to it but smashed it off the left post.

Matheus Rossetto had a go from distance in the 70th minute when Orlando gave him space but his blast was over the bar.

Pareja changed formations to try to see out the game, sending on Rodrigo Schlegel, Martin Ojeda, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson for Pereyra, Torres, and Smith. The hosts, needing a goal, brought on Edwin Mosquera and Designated Player Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Playing a five-man back line, Orlando got pinned back over the final 20 minutes of the game, plus an extreme amount of stoppage time from referee Victor Rivas. The defensive block was pushed too deep but Araujo and Cartagena did a good job of maintaining their concentration whenever league MVP candidate Thiago Almada tried to play the ball into dangerous areas or came forward himself, looking for a shot.

The Five Stripes were able to pile up lots of set pieces down the stretch but the Lions defended them much better than the ones a week ago at Real Salt Lake.

Just past the 80th minute, Atlanta got a couple of looks but Orlando defenders were there to block them and clean up the rebounds. Almada tried to tie the game himself in the 88th minute, working his way inside the top of the box but his shot took a deflection and bounced weakly to Gallese. Rossetto again found some space outside the area in the 90th minute but hit his shot similarly over the bar.

Time wound down and five minuts of injury time were added but Rivas allowed nearly double that amount in the end, despite only one sub being made and a fairly normal amount of time-wasting gamesmanship. That was nearly enough time to allow Atlanta to tie the match.

Although Gallese had little to do in the game but a foul against Almada gave Atlanta a free kick from a dangerous area. Almada went for goal and fired a good shot on target, but Gallese made a huge diving save going to his left to preserve the lead in the 99th minute.

Rivas then allowed Atlanta to take the ensuing corner but Orlando was able to clear it wide and the final whistle mercifully came at last.

The late spell of attacking pressure helped Atlanta take a commanding lead in possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but the Lions equaled the hosts’ four shots on target for the match. Atlanta was also able to build an advantage in passing accuracy (84%-76.3%) as the Lions lumped the ball into space rather than trying to pick each other out in traffic.

“We knew that this was going to be a tough game. We knew that after the goal that Atlanta were going to go after the game. They were going to attack. They were going to go all in on the game,” Carlos said. “

“Obviously in the last 15 minutes we defended more than we wanted,” Pareja said. “All the credit for the players. They showed character. I’m very proud.”

The Lions get a break from MLS play until Aug. 20, when they’ll visit the Chicago Fire. However, Orlando City will be back in action on Friday night at home against the Houston Dynamo in Leagues Cup group stage play. Game time is 8 p.m.

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