Local Soccer Events
Fulham vs. Aston Villa, International Friendly: Final Score 2-0 as Aston Villa Wins Friendly at Exploria Stadium
Aston Villa scored a goal in each half to defeat a wasteful Fulham side in friendly action at Exploria Stadium.
Aston Villa scored a goal in each half to dispatch Fulham 2-0 in a friendly match, as the Summer Series came to Orlando’s Exploria Stadium. Jaden Philogene put Aston Villa ahead in the first half and Moussa Diaby doubled the lead in the second half to lead the Villans past a Fulham side that wasted several good opportunities to get on the scoreboard.
“A strange match tonight,” Aston Villa Manager Unai Emery said. “We started late, and we didn’t get the rhythm like we wanted. We didn’t build up like we were doing on Sunday against Newcastle. We didn’t connect or progress with good passes trying to get in the boxes, but we competed, we won, and we played the game with different players, trying to get our fitness. I am happy but overall it was strange, tonight’s match.”
Marco Silva’s starting lineup for Fulham looked like this:
Emery countered with this lineup for Aston Villa:
A delay for inclement weather pushed kickoff back an hour and 20 minutes. Once the match began, the two English sides played a physical and sometimes downright feisty game for a friendly.
The opening 25 minutes was mostly bereft of clear-cut chances. The best opportunity for either side up to that point was a header just wide off a corner kick by Aston Villa’s Kansa in the eighth minute.
As the first half wore on, Aston Villa started creating more opportunities. Cameron Archer was sent into the box with a good through ball and he was taken down. It was an obvious penalty. Archer took the spot kick himself, but Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno got a hand to it, diving to his right and deflecting it off the woodwork.
Villa worked the ball back into the box to Archer again but this time he sent his shot wide to the left.
Kansa was booked for Aston Villa in the 36th minute for a rough foul as the physical play continued. Shortly after that, however, his side took the lead.
A ball in from the left side from Lucas Digne found Philogene in front and he swept it home to make it 1-0 in the 40th minute.
Just before the break, Fulham put the ball in the net through Carlos Vinicius, but the flag had gone up for offside in the buildup. Villa carried its 1-0 lead into halftime.
Fulham opened the second half looking to get level and creating chances. Substitute Willian won an early free kick but Fulham could do nothing with it. Vinicius was left unmarked moments later but headed over the bar. Sasa Lukic tried an ambitious shot from distance in the 54th minute, but it was always going wide to the right. A minute later, Vinicius had another header attempt but hit this one just outside the upper left corner of the goal frame.
Aston Villa then calmed things down with a good spell of possession, although the Lions couldn’t create any chances from it. Both managers substituted liberally at the hour mark to bring on fresh legs.
Fulham’s best look came in the 71st minute. Willian sent a good diagonal ball that went through traffic and found Harry Wilson in the box. However, the Welsh winger scuffed his shot badly wide to the left.
Two minutes later, Villa scored an insurance goal. A well-weighted ball over the top found a streaking Diaby, who got in behind the Fulham defense and beat goalkeeper Mark Rodak to make it 2-0.
Luke Harris got some late chances for Fulham but he sent his first one straight at substitute goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and the second one Martinez saved, knocking it just wide for a corner in the 80th and 81st minutes.
Jay Stansfield went for goal from outside the area but sent his shot wide on one of Fulham’s last decent looks in the 87th minute.
Villa nearly made it 3-0 in the 89th minute when Ollie Watkins was sent in behind but his touch was just a tad heavy and that allowed Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak to come off his line and intercede.
That was the last good chance and Aston Villa closed out a victory in what was a fairly even match in which Fulham simply couldn’t find the net.
“It was really good,” Silva said of the Exploria Stadium atmosphere. “One of the very good things on this tour and this Summer Series is that we are playing preseason matches, but at the same time, we are playing these types of matches with a good environment, with a good atmosphere in the stadiums. It’s much easier for the players to be motivated when they play with this type of environment in the stadium. One of the good things this Summer Series gives us as a coach, is we don’t need to push them because the environment will give them the boost in terms of the motivation that they need.”
Starting Lineups:
Fulham — Bernd Leno, Kenny Tete, Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson, Tom Cairney (C), Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Kevin Mbabu, Sasa Lukic, Carlos Vinicius, Issa Diop, Luc De Fougerolles.
Aston Villa — Robin Olsen, Konsa, John McGinn (C), Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia, Lucas Digne, Torres, Jaden Philogene, Cameron Archer, Boubacar Kamara.
Scoring:
Aston Villa — Jaden Philogene (40′)
Aston Villa — Moussa Diaby (73′)
Attendance:
16,134
Local Soccer Events
United States Women’s National Team vs. Italy: Final Score 3-0 as USWNT Stays Unbeaten at Inter&Co Stadium
The USWNT remains perfect at games at Orlando City/Exploria/Inter&Co Stadium.
Olivia Moultrie scored inside of 90 seconds and Cat Macario added a second-half brace as the United States Women’s National Team defeated Italy 3-0 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. With the win, the USWNT improved to 9-0-0 at Inter&Co Stadium and has yet to concede a goal, outscoring opponents 27-0 here. The crowd of 14,199 who braved the chilly temperatures represented the city well, as it was the third-largest USWNT crowd at the venue.
With the win, the Yanks are 11-4-1 in the all-time series against Italy.
“Starting fast is one thing, but we’ve often started fast and conceded just as quickly, so a clean sheet means as much to us this evening as as the result and the performance,” USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes said after the match. “I’ve said it many times is they’re so coachable, these players, and malleable, and everything we’re starting to drive in, in terms of the messaging is really sinking amongst them all. And look, if I’m honest, there’s so many areas I still think we have to do better, but I thought was a really good performance.”
Hayes did not start Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams on her club home field, but a couple of other Emilys got to start. Hayes went with a lineup featuring Claudia Dickey in goal behind a back line of Lilly Reale, Naomi Girma, Emily Sonnett, and Emily Fox. Alyssa Thompson, Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton, and Rose Lavelle were the midfield four behind forwards Catarina Macario and Moultrie.
The U.S. struck early, but struggled to finish despite dominating territorially. The Italians were able to create a bit of danger off set pieces and an occasional counter, but other than that, this night belonged to the USWNT.
It took the United States just 67 seconds to take the lead. After a frantic first 60 seconds, Lilly Reale collected the ball on the left and passed forward to Rose Lavelle, who played a quick ball wide to Alyssa Thompson. A good return ball from Thompson sent Lavelle down the left channel and the Gotham FC midfielder found Moultrie in the middle, and the Portland Thorns attacker swept a first-time shot past goalkeeper Laura Giuliana and in to make it 1-0 early in the second minute. It was the fifth time in 2025 that the USWNT scored a goal in the first 90 seconds of a game.
“I always think scoring early helps settle everyone down. For sure, it’s nice to just have that,” Moultrie said.
The Yanks came close to a second goal two minutes later. Cat Macario beat two defenders on the right and chipped a cross over the goalkeeper toward the back post. Thompson was making a run but was well covered and she could not get a touch on the ball to send it into the empty net.
Italy’s first chance came on a corner kick in the ninth minute. The ball skipped off the bodies in front to the left post, where Italy defender Elena Linari was unmarked. She tried to sweep it home but got under her shot and sent it over Claudia Dickey’s crossbar. The Italians nearly had something cooking on a long-range free kick a few minutes later but couldn’t control the entry ball.
The USWNT then enjoyed another spell of control and created shots but wasn’t able to convert. Moultrie picked up a pass in the area and fired, but Lisa Boattin blocked the effort in the 17th minute. Claire Hutton then got into a good position but fired her shot right at Giuliana three minutes later. In the 21st minute, Lavelle unlocked the defense with a beautiful right-to-left diagonal ball that sent Thompson down the left channel. However, her left-footed shot sailed over the crossbar.
In the 30th minute, Dickey finally got something to do as a floating shot by Michela Cambiaghi found its way on target but it was catching practice for the Seattle Reign goalkeeper.
After settling down for a few minutes, the game suddenly turned into a frantic, end-to-end match as it approached the 40-minute mark. Italy sent a good ball into the box that ended up with Chiara Beccari in front of goal, but Emily Sonnett blocked the shot to end the threat in the 37th minute. One minute later at the other end, the defense opened up in front of Lavelle, who blasted a shot on target that Giuliana fought off to keep the game at 1-0. Italy broke down the field in the aftermath of that chance, with Beccari getting behind everyone. Naomi Girma, playing her first international match in 149 days, made a lung-busting run to get back and put Beccari under pressure and preventing a shot.
The USWNT couldn’t do anything with a late corner kick and took its 1-0 lead into halftime.
At the break, the USWNT had the advantage in possession (69.2%-30.8%), shots (7-5), and shots on target (3-1), while each team won one corner in the opening period.
“Obviously Italy is a great team, and we knew that they would pose a different threat for us,” Macario said. “And so, yeah, I think today we just had to be really patient. And, you know, even though we were able to get the goal early on, you know, I think we had to, you know, just remain calm and keep trying to switch the play and really, like, break them down. Obviously, we were a little bit disappointed going into halftime to not have scored more goals, but I think when we came out for the second half, then, yeah, we were able to capitalize on the momentum that we had. And so, I think we did a better job in closing out the game than perhaps a couple previous matches.”
The U.S. came out strong and Lavelle quickly won a corner kick within the first minute but the service on the set piece was poor and the Yanks didn’t get a scoring chance out of it. The Americans thought they’d taken the lead through a Moultrie goal in the 49th minute, but Thompson was ruled offside in the buildup.
The hosts kept the pressure on, with Lavelle sending a good ball to the back post across the box, but a U.S. player couldn’t get to it. Moultrie then fired on target in the 52nd minute but hitting her shot right at the goalkeeper. A minute after that, the ball found Lavelle at the top of the six but her back was to goal. Without a teammate to drop it off to, she tried a cheeky backheel shot, but she didn’t get anything on it and hit it right at Giuliana.
Lavelle had yet another chance in the 54th minute. Moultrie stole the ball just outside Italy’s penalty area and found Lavelle on the left. However she fired over the bar.
Italy quickly came the other way and created a great opportunity, with Cambiaghi getting the ball on the left. She set up her shot well, but Dickey made a good diving save, getting her arm down and then scrambling to cover the loose ball.
The U.S. won a series of corners but did nothing with them. Girma ended up getting a head to a recycled ball into the area in the 58th minute but couldn’t direct it anywhere close to the target. After a couple more corners, Macario got a look at goal in the 63rd minute but fired straight at Giuliana.
The second U. S. goal came a minute later. Coffey sent Macario in on the left with a great through ball. Macario beat Giuilana, tucking her shot inside the right post to make it 2-0 in the 64th minute.
The United States continued to attack. Coffey blasted a shot from outside the box in the 66th minute but once again the shot was sent straight at Giuliana for the save.
Emma Hayes made her first substitutions in the 70th and 71st minutes, sending Jaedyn Shaw and Lily Yohannes into the game for Moultrie and Lavelle.
That, however, didn’t change the U.S. pressure, because within a minute of the changes, Thompson cut inside from the left onto her right foot and fired a shot that Giuliana fought off. Shaw headed the ball out of midair and Giuliana did well to make a good reaction save without spilling it.
Macario tripled the lead in the 76th minute when Yohannes sent a brilliant curling ball from the right sideline, sending the forward to the top of the box, where she blasted a shot into the right top corner to make it 3-0.
After the third goal, Orlando Pride defender Sams checked in for Girma to a strong ovation from the crowd. Jameese Joseph replaced Macario at the same time, making her USWNT debut.
The game got a bit choppy down the stretch after both teams had made several substitutions. Sams made a nice play in the 87th minute to prevent a breakaway for Sofia Cantore as Italy looked for a consolation goal.
Eva Schatzer tried a shot from distance in the 88th minute but it was well wide of the right post.
Moments later, the final whistle blew on a dominant win. The final score was closer than it probably should have been, owing to some wasted shots, but the lopsided win was a fair result.
The USWNT finished with the advantage in possession (68.3%-31.7%), shots (18-7), shots on target (11-2), and corners (7-2). It was a dominant performance, even if the finishing was a little off on this night.
“It was great, great to hear all the fans chanting my name, and just so fun to be able to represent Orlando for the national team,” Sams said after the game. “Great to see so many familiar faces that normally are in Pride gear, and today they’re in the U.S. gear. So, very cool to see all of them.”
“I thought the crowd were tremendous,” Hayes said of the reception it gave Sams. “I said to Emily as I was putting her in, it’s always fantastic when you’re a player who has given so much service to a club that the fans show appreciation like that. And for her to feel seen and valued by the fans and loved by the fans was like really nice moment for her, because she’s such a great team player. And yes, she doesn’t always get a lot of minutes with us, but the way she conducts herself in the environment, the way she contributes to the team and our unity, and just her all round presence, like I always bring it back to she’s a real credit to her parents, because she’s a joy to be around, and someone who definitely deserved the ovation she got tonight.”
The USWNT coach was also complimentary of the stadium and the environment that Inter&Co Stadium provided.
“I loved it. I loved being here,” Hayes said. “I love the tunnel. I like that it creates connection with the fans, and there’s a great vibe. I love that it’s surrounded by lots of other sports teams downtown as well. I think it’s very unique, but it’s intimate. Fans are very, very close to the field. So, I can hear everything they’re saying, which is always great. I love to have a little giggle with them.”
The USWNT and Italy will meet again Monday night in Fort Lauderdale as the teams battle at Chase Field to close out their 2025 schedules.
Local Soccer Events
Juventus vs. Manchester City, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Final Score 5-2 as City Runs Rampant in Orlando
Juventus kept it close for 45 minutes but the EPL side was too much for the Italians on this day.
Manchester City from the English Premier League dominated Italian Serie A side Juventus in a comprehensive 5-2 win in front of an announced crowd of 54,320 at Camping World Stadium on the final match day of Group G play. There were five different goal scorers for the Sky Blues, including an own goal by the Italian side. The scoreline was tight for the first 45 minutes, but City blew the game open after the break.
Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Savinho all scored for City, which also got an own goal from Pierre Kalulu. Teun Koopmeiners and Dusan Vlahovic found the net for Juventus.
With the win, Manchester City wins Group G and will face the runner-up from Group H here Monday night. City won all three matches and look like a contender to take home the trophy if the Premier League side can continue getting performances like this one.
Bernardo Silva got the game’s first good look with an open header in the box on a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri. Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was up to the early challenge, fighting it off. The play may have been offside in the buildup anyway. It was the first salvo in a wide-open start to the game.
Doku put the Engish side ahead just nine minutes in, taking a wonderful through ball from Ait-Nouri, cutting inside Kalulu, and curling his shot past Di Gregorio to make it 1-0 City.
Vlahovic missed a golden opportunity from the penalty spot just seconds after the restart, taking a pass from his right and scuffing his shot wide left.
The miss hardly mattered in the end, because Koopmeiners leveled it after a poor pass from Ederson on the ensuing goal kick. The goalkeeper missed his center back wide and Koopmeiners intercepted, and slotted home to tie the match in the 11th minute.
Kalulu’s nightmare didn’t end with Doku roasting him on the first goal. The French defender scored an awful own goal on a routine cross in from Man City’s attacking right side in the 26th minute, restoring the lead for the EPL giants.
Omar Marmoush nearly made it 3-1 in the 31st minute, shooting through traffic from the left. Di Gregorio was able to get to it, but only because the shot lacked power. More pace on the attempt would have had the English side up a pair of goals just prior to the first-half hydration break.
Man City’s dominance in possession started producing more scoring chances as halftime approached. Silva cut inside left to right in the 39th minute and fired a shot, but he hit it right at the goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Ait-Nouri sent in a bouncing effort toward the back post from the left. Di Gregorio didn’t initially see it but was able to fight it off as the skies opened up and the heavy rain poured down. Marmoush had the last good look at goal and sent a blistering shot toward the right post. Di Gregorio got a diving touch to it to send it inches wide of the post. City could not pay off the corner kick and the half ended with the English side ahead 2-1 on the Kalulu own goal.
Manchester City dominated the halftime stats, holding the advantage in shots (14-3), shots on target (5-1), corners (5-1), passing accuracy (93.4%-77.3%)
Erling Haaland subbed on at the break, raising the star power of the match. Juventus seemed more energized to start the second half, but Man City quickly re-established its territorial dominance.
Doku cut inside from the left and blasted a shot wide at the end of the 50th minute. Haaland got on the scoresheet a minute later. Matheus Nunes got goal side of his defender on the right side. He found a charging Haaland in front of goal, and even though he made a mess of his first touch, the Norwegian international managed to bundle it over the goal line to make it 3-1.
Kenan Yildiz fired wide from the top of the area after a brief spell of Juventus attacking possession shortly after the third Man City goal, wasting an opportunity to pull Juventus back within striking distance. In the 67th minute, Juventus should have found that lifeline back into the game. Vlahovic got in behind the defense and tried to chip Ederson, but the goalkeeper reacted quickly to get his hand up just enough to knock it down and keep it 3-1.
Second-half sub Phil Foden punished Juventus for the miss two minutes later. Haaland played a ball in on right side that Foden couldn’t reach, but it was laid right back onto his foot by Savinho for an easy finish. Foden’s goal made it 4-1 and effectively ended things for Juventus.
Despite the game being more or less out of reach, City wasn’t done scoring. Off a recycled corner kick in the 75th minute, Di Gregorio made a huge save to deny Haaland in close, but Savinho scored on the rebound with a blast from outside the area that hit the bottom of the crossbar and went in to make it 5-1.
Juventus got a consolation goal when Yildiz sent in a fantastic ball to put Vlahovic in on goal. The Serbian blasted his shot past Ederson and in to cap the scoring in the 84th minute. There was a lengthy check to see if Vlahovic was offside, but he was just kept on and the goal stood.
Rayan Cherki got in behind early in stoppage time and should have made it 6-2, but Di Gregorio came up with another big save to prevent further embarrassment for the Italians. Moments later, the final whistle mercifully ended things.
City dominated the final statistics, just as it did at halftime, finishing with more possession (74%-26%), shots (23-7), shots on target (10-3), corners (7-1), and passing accuracy (92.9%-78.5%).
The group stage matches are over in Orlando, but the City Beautiful will host two knockout games. Manchester City will face the Group H runner-up, which will be decided tonight. If there is a winner between Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg, that team would win the group. Al-Hillal is still alive, just two points back, and could win the group with a win over Pachuca and a draw in the other match, depending on the final score.
Local Soccer Events
LAFC vs. Flamengo, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Final Score 1-1 as Teams Exchange Late Goals
It appeared the Group D match between LAFC and Flamengo would end in a scoreless draw, when some late fireworks instead resulted in a 1-1 draw at Camping World Stadium in front of a raucous crowd of 32,933. While they surely weren’t all Flamengo fans, it certainly felt like it.
Denis Bouanga gave LAFC a late lead against the run of play, but Flamengo hit back on Wallace Yan’s goal moments later and nearly had a winner in the span of about five minutes. In the end, the entertaining match ended in a deadlock mainly because of the Brazilian side bashing shots off the goal frame all night.
Neither team scored in the first half, but there was plenty of offense, mostly from Flamengo. The teams combined to hit the woodwork four times in the opening period, with three of those coming from the Brazilians.
The action didn’t take long to get started, as Flamengo won a free kick just to the left of the penalty area. The back-post service found Danilo, who redirected the cross off the right post. The rebound popped out to Luiz Araujo near the top of the area on the right, but he sent his shot fizzing over the crossbar in the fourth minute.
LAFC followed suit five minutes later. A free kick turned into a corner, and the MLS side played it short. Mark Delgado was left in space outside the area, and the midfielder fired a shot from the left toward the right post. The goalkeeper couldn’t quite reach it at full stretch, but it crashed off the right post in the ninth minute.
Two minutes later, Flamengo’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta found space on the left near the top of the area and smashed a shot toward goal that crashed off the crossbar. Flamengo kept the pressure on for much of the rest of the half. Guillermo Varela’s cross nearly forced an own goal in the 15th minute. Evertton Araujo was a late arrival at the top of the box moments later, but his shot was blocked out front by the LAFC defense.
Pedro hit the crossbar in the 30th minute on a play that should have opened the scoring. A good ball in over the top resulted in LAFC defender Eddie Segura, who was tracking Luiz Araujo, crashing into his own goalkeeper. With Hugo Lloris down as the result of friendly fire, the ball found Pedro in front at about the penalty spot, but he sent his effort off the woodwork yet again.
Lloris was down for several minutes getting treatment, but he was able to continue.
LAFC eventually had a prolonged spell of possession, and it turned into a scoring chance. Flamengo goalkeeper Agustin Rossi came off his line to try to punch away a chip pass over the back line. Marlon Santos collected it and slotted just inside the left post, but he was offside on the play and the game remained scoreless.
The closing minutes of the opening half were a bit quiet, and the teams went to the break level.
Flamengo held the halftime advantage in shots (9-2), corner kicks (4-2), and passing accuracy (94.3%-88.6%). Neither side put a shot on target, despite hitting the post and crossbar.
The second half was a bit slower and more cautious. The first real look at goal came in the 50th minute when Pedro fired from distance, but his shot was always going over the bar.
Seven minutes later, Bouanga crafted LAFC’s best chance of the game to that point, getting down the right, cutting inside, and firing a wicked shot toward the near post. The attempt went just wide and found the outside netting instead.
Flamengo came right back the other way and nearly created the opener. Everton took a layoff from De Arrascaeta and blasted it on frame. Lloris was able to fight it off. On the ensuing corner, Pedro sent an acrobatic shot just over the bar that would have made for a spectacular highlight goal had it been a little lower.
The Brazilian side then got its second shot on target in the 64th minute. Luiz Araujo fired from distance, but it was right at Lloris, who fielded it easily on one hop.
De Arrascaeta joined in the parade of shots off the goal frame in the 70th minute when he smashed his effort from the top of the box. Once again, a Flamengo shot came back off the crossbar. Ten minutes later, Leo Ortiz got his head to a free kick delivery in the box, but he popped his effort up high over the goal.
LAFC scored against the run of play in the 84th minute. Timothy Tillman was fouled near midfield in LAFC’s half. The MLS side took the free kick quickly, with Bouanga timing his run perfectly and taking the pass in stride. Alone on goal, he beat Rossi to put LAFC on top 1-0. It was LAFC’s only shot on target of the game.
The lead lasted only two minutes. Second-half sub Yan picked up the ball outside the box and no one closed him down. He sliced through the middle of the LAFC defense and slotted past Lloris to tie the match in the 86th minute.
Allan came within inches of giving Flamengo the lead in the 89th minute, running onto a loose ball at the top of the penalty area and sending a shot just outside the right post.
Neither side could create a clear-cut chance in the four minutes of stoppage time and the teams split the points in an entertaining affair.
Flamengo finished with the advantage in possession (59%-30% with 11% contested possession), shots (18-4), shots on target (3-1), corners (6-3), and passing accuracy (92%-87.4%).
LAFC is out of the competition after going 0-2-1. Flamengo won Group D with a 2-0-1 mark. The Brazilians’ reward for winning Group D is facing Bayern Munich, the runners-up in Group C, on Sunday in Miami.
Camping World Stadium and Orlando have one more group stage match to host on Thursday, and it’s a big one. Juventus will take on Manchester City here at 3 p.m. in a battle for Group G supremacy. Both teams are on six points with +8 goal differentials.
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