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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Complete Season Sweep of Fire

The Lions roared back from 1-0 down and became just the second team to beat the Fire at Soldier Field this season.

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City fell behind early in the second half but rallied to score three consecutive goals in an 18-minute span to douse the Fire 3-1 at Soldier Field. The Lions (11-6-7, 40 points) got goals from Wilder Cartagena, Ivan Angulo, and Facundo Torres — the latter from the penalty spot — to become just the second visiting team to beat Chicago (8-8-8, 32 points) this season. Two would-be Giorgios Koutsios goals for the hosts didn’t count, as the first was overturned for an offside after video review and the second was blown dead for a handball on the Chicago striker.

The Lions improved to 6-3-3 on the road this season and not only completed a season sweep of the Fire, but also completed an Orlando sweep of Chicago on the night, as the Pride had demolished the Red Stars 5-0 at home earlier this evening.

“We’re very happy with the victory, very proud of the players,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The second half, Chicago had a reaction, and after they started leading the score, I thought our boys showed a lot of character and control again of the game, and then we scored goals.”

Pareja had mostly the usual lineup but had to make a couple of changes on the back line. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena played central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.

Antonio Carlos picked up an undisclosed knock late in training late in the week.

Chicago’s defense created problems for Orlando City throughout much of the first half and when it didn’t, the Lions simply passed the ball off line or into areas without teammates. It was a disjointed-looking attack for most of the opening 45 minutes as a result, and it nearly cost Orlando at the other end on transition opportunities.

It started in the first minute when Gallese had to come well off his line to cut off a centering pass after Angulo had given the ball away in the attacking half.

Chicago came close in the 16th minute when Brian Gutierrez got his foot to a cross by former Orlando City SuperDraft pick Jonathan Dean, however, he got under the shot and put it over the bar from about 10 yards away.

The Fire appeared to open the scoring in the 25th minute. Pereyra was swarmed and gave the ball away in the attacking third and Xherdan Shaqiri sent Guitierrez forward into the attack. Schlegel gambled and lost, trying to break up the counter before it started and Gutierrez sent it to his right for Giorgios Koutsias to slip into the empty net. However, the Chicago striker didn’t check his run quite enough and after video review, the goal was overturned for offside by the slimmest margin.

McGuire had a go at goal in the 28th minute after a good long ball from Pereyra was headed on by Torres. The shot was awkward and it was blocked by the defense anyway.

In the 30th minute, Angulo again gave the ball away to ignite the Chicago counter. The defense sagged away from Shaqiri so he fired a shot that forced a diving save by Gallese.

Two minutes later, Cartagena nearly scored a worldie. The Peruvian sent a gorgeous curling ball that was headed into the upper 90 on the right side. Spencer Richey got his fingertips to it and that was just enough to send it inches wide of the top corner.

“That goalkeeper was just so impressive today, and to be able to make that save, it was incredible,” Cartagena said through a club interpeter. “I just kind of wanted to have a hit, and when I saw the way it was going, I was excited. And then he came over and he somehow pulled off that save.”

Koutsias sent a looping header right at Gallese off a Shaqiri cross in the 37th minute as the Fire continued to produce the better scoring chances.

Orlando got a foothold on the match in the dying moments of the opening half. Torres sent a shot over the bar from distance in the 38th minute. Three minutes later, Angulo got down the left side of the penalty area and fired but Richey made the save.

Koutsias embarrassingly missed a shot over the bar in the 45th minute from close range but he was offside on Shaqiri’s pass anyway.

Torres got cleaned out by Richey in the box in stoppage time but because the goalkeeper got a slight deflection to the ball after Torres got to it first, there was no penalty awarded.

Orlando City failed to do anything useful with a couple of late set pieces and the teams went into the break scoreless.

Orlando City dominated possession in the first half (56.6%-43.4%), passed more accurately (87.1%-85.4%), and won more corners (4-1). But the Lions’ sloppiness in the final third allowed Chicago to lead in shots (6-4) on counterattacking opportunities. Each team put two shots on target.

“We felt that we had control in the first half,” Pareja said. “I thought we had the volume and we created some options. But we needed to be more dangerous in the last third. The chat in the half was we can have the control we had, but we need to be dangerous in the box. And the boys started scoring those three goals, showing us that they made things happen, and it’s good because it’s not easy to come to Chicago and score three goals. It’s a very difficult place to play.”

The hosts grabbed the lead just after the restart off a foul by Thorhallsson. There wasn’t much in his challenge but the free kick set up the opening goal. The Lions were able to clear the initial ball after Gallese did well to get down and block a blistering cross/shot from Mauricio Pineda. However, the recycled ball found Pineda again on the right and he smashed an unstoppable shot past Gallese and just inside the left post to make it 1-0 in the 47th minute.

The Lions wasted no time pulling the goal back. Schlegel won Orlando City a corner, roaming forward from his center back position. Torres put in a good cross and the Fire failed to pick up Cartagena right in front. It was an easy matter of heading the cross on target and it had a ton of pace on it to give Richey no shot at robbing Cartagena a second time. It was the Peruvian’s first MLS goal.

“We went down right out of halftime with a goal that we think was kind of against the run of play, that wasn’t necessarily deserved to concede in that way,” Cartagena said. “But then Rodrigo picked his head up, and we were able to win a corner after a great play like that. And then Facu has been hitting the corners really well today, and when he crossed that ball in…obviously a little bit of luck that it just kind of fell to me in the right spot. I was able to get my head on it and get the goal, and just really kind of put confidence back into my teammates going into the rest of the game.”

The Fire tried to pull that goal back quickly, winning a corner just moments after Orlando scored. But Angulo cleared the danger and then one-upped himself moments later. Santos picked up the remnants of a Torres cross that was blocked and sent another dangerous ball into the area. Araujo rose to meet it and knocked it into the path of Angulo, who headed it home to make it 2-1 in the 54th minute.

Torres and Gaston Gimenez exchanged yellow cards over the next few minutes as the game settled down a bit.

Koutsias then thought he’d tied the game in the 60th minute. A ball into the box from Gutierrez found the foot of Angulo, who tried to clear. He knocked the ball off Cartagena, however, and it fell kindly for Koutsias, but it hit his arm as he turned and shot it into the net. The referee blew it dead and the video assistant referee’s check confirmed the call, much to Chicago’s chagrin.

Trailing, the Fire sent Kei Kamara and Fabian Herbers on for more attacking power. But instead, it was Orlando City that got the next goal.

Thorhallsson danced his way into the top of the area and Miguel Navarro got a foot in late, sending the Icelandic fullback/winger to the ground. Lukasz Szpala pointed to the spot and the VAR upheld the call.

Torres stepped up to the penalty spot and smashed a shot into the upper left corner as Richey dove the other way. It was Torres’ third goal against the Fire this season and his first since the Lions beat the Fire at home on July 1.

Herbers came within inches of pulling a goal back in the 72nd minute, sending a shot fizzing just wide of the left post after the Fire had dispossessed Pereyra.

Junior Urso made his season debut for the Lions in the 79th minute, as he and Martin Ojeda replaced Angulo and Pereyra. The Fire also sent on Kacper Przybylko for Gimenez in the same substitution window.

Despite the Fire throwing numbers forward, the best chance to score the rest of the way fell to Orlando substitute Ramiro Enrique. Fellow sub Michael Halliday sent a good ball into the area for Ojeda. The Argentine dropped it off for Enrique, who blasted a shot over the bar in the 90th minute.

Much of the rest of the game was spent with Orlando repelling the Fire before they could get the ball into any dangerous spots. After six minutes of stoppage time, the victory was secured.

With the Lions protecting the lead for much of the second half, the Fire finished with more possession (53%-47%), shots (11-10), and passing accuracy (85.5%-81.8%). Orlando City ended up with more shots on target (5-4), and corner kicks (6-3).

“We’re very happy,” Cartagena said. “We knew going into this game that it was important to get the win, especially after the hit we took in the Leagues Cup. And 15 days of really hard work with this group — I think the group came in with good energy — but it was a win that we feel like we deserved based on the work that we put in these last few weeks. Happy for the goal obviously, but even prouder of the victory as a team.”

Orlando City returns home for its first meeting ever against St. Louis City on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to win back-to-back matches against Atlanta United?

Published

14 hours ago

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May 14, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

This is a two-for-one deal since Orlando City plays Atlanta United in back-to-back matches in a four-day span. First up is a regular-season match at Inter&Co Stadium followed three days later by a U.S. Open Cup match — also at home. The Lions are coming off a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Union. What must the Lions do to earn all three points against Atlanta Saturday evening and advance in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night?

Find a Defense

Atlanta United has scored 13 goals this season. That is the same amount that the Philadelphia Union scored after Wednesday’s match against Orlando City. As I’m certain you remember, the Union scored three goals in that match. It was an indictment on the defense to give up that many goals to the bottom team in the Eastern Conference that had scored just 10 all season entering Wednesday. The Lions now face a similar challenge of stopping a bad offensive team from scoring heaps of goals. Orlando City was not able to do that against Philadelphia.

The biggest challenge for the Lions — other than poor passing — is stopping Atlanta’s top scorer Aleksei Miranchuk. He has scored five goals and added two assists this season. His fellow Designated Player, Emmanuel Latte Lath, has produced only two goals and two assists but is still a threat. This is likely a historically bad Orlando City defense, but the players need to pull it together to win a match they should win and, hopefully, advance to the Open Cup semifinals.

Keep the Offense Rolling

Orlando City has scored 14 goals in the last five MLS matches and 18 goals across all competitions in the last six. As a result, the goal differential which was in the upper 20s at one point is now “only” -17. That is obviously still extremely bad but loads better than before. Given the shoddy defense I mentioned above, it is crucial that Orlando City continues to find the back of the net in these two matches against Atlanta.

Martin Ojeda is tied for fourth in the league with nine goals. Duncan McGuire, Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis, and Marco Pasalic all have three goal contributions so far this season. Scoring four goals against lower ranked opponents isn’t something to brag about, but it is helpful in getting results. Orlando City is likely to give up some goals and will need to overcome that with offensive firepower as the Lions did against Philadelphia.

180 Minutes

Coaches will tell you that they take things one game at a time. That is, of course, coach speak, though at least partially true. However, the idea that coaches don’t plan out farther than one match at a time is ludicrous. If Martin Perelman isn’t at least somewhat combining the planning for these two matches, then that is a problem. While he cannot predict what will happen in the first match, he has hopefully made contingencies for various general outcomes.

Having the two matches be against the same opponent makes the task both easier and more difficult. If the two matches were against different teams, lineups could be adjusted based on the tactics needed to approach the different players and styles of each team. With it being the same team, that is less of an option. There will be some rotation through the two matches, but given there are the same sets of players available — barring injuries or red cards — tactics are likely similar for each match. Orlando City has occasionally put together 45 minutes of decent play. Now, the Lions need to quadruple that.

That is what I will be looking for on both Saturday and Tuesday nights. This is an opportunity to build momentum heading into the World Cup break. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 4-3 home victory vs. Philadelphia.

Published

17 hours ago

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May 14, 2026

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Image of Duncan McGuire celebrating his goal against the Philadelphia Union.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City won a topsy-turvy and very nervy match on Wednesday night, giving away a two-goal lead but rallying to score a late winner and defeat Philadelphia 4-3. The Lions could have put the game to bed several times, but they clearly wanted kids to stay up extra late on a school night. Wins are wins, however, and earning three points is worth staying up all the way until the final whistle.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Ojeda Opened and Closed

Martín Ojeda probably could have scored five goals against the Union, but while he only scored two, the brace was enough to help get the win. Ojeda failed to score on two early breakaways but the third one was a charm, as he ran onto a Justin Ellis through ball and was subsequently fouled by Philadelphia goalkeeper Andrew Rick in the box, earning a penalty kick. The Argentine converted the penalty, giving Orlando City the early lead. Ojeda then had two decent chances to score midway through the second half but failed to convert either, and Philadelphia took that opportunity to score two of its own in rapid succession and tie the game. As the clock ticked toward stoppage time, Ojeda made a near-post run and headed Adrián Marin’s cross past Rick, restoring Orlando City’s lead for good and earning the Lions all three points.

Supersub Spicer Strikes Again

Our Five Takeaways from the previous game against CF Montréal noted that Tyrese Spicer generally performs better off the bench than as a starter, and wouldn’t you know it but the Trinidad & Tobago man came off the bench against the Union and made it four consecutive games with a goal contribution as a sub. Spicer led a three-on-one counterattack with Ojeda on his left and Duncan McGuire on his right, and drew in the defender just enough to open up space for McGuire, who took Spicer’s pass and converted it with a low driving shot to turn that three-on-one on the field into a score of 3-1 on the scoreboard. A dash of Spice was quite nice, as it has been in most of his appearances off the bench since joining Orlando City.

Couldn’t Control Cavan

Philadelphia had to make an early substitution, removing Jovan Lukic and bringing on young phenom Cavan Sullivan. The 16-year-old was electric against Orlando, creating five chances while scoring his first MLS goal and picking up an assist as well. The Lions could not contain him as he attacked down their left flank, and they were lucky that he did not pick up a second assist when Nathan Harriel’s shot beat Maxime Crépeau but was just a bit high and went off the crossbar. Neither David Brekalo or Marin could lock Sullivan down on the left side, and it was easy to see why Manchester City has high hopes for Sullivan in the future. Orlando City did just enough to hold him off and eke out the win, but Sullivan’s entrance changed the game for the Union as they outscored Orlando City 3-2 during his 46 minutes running Philadelphia’s offense.

D&D Played Their Roles Well

I do not play Dungeons and Dragons, but I am familiar with the role-playing game. And speaking of playing their roles, both Griffin Dorsey and Duncan McGuire fulfilled theirs on Wednesday. Dorsey got the start and constantly made aggressive runs up the right side, and could, and perhaps should, have scored two goals on the night. He “only” scored one, but it was a great instinctive play as he took the ball off of Tiago’s foot in traffic and roofed it past Rick to give Orlando City a 2-0 lead. Dorsey stretched the defense in a major way with how he played on the right side, and McGuire did the same when he came on for Ellis. McGuire was all gas during his appearance, scoring his first goal since mid-March and nearly creating a second with a great hustle play to block an attempted clearance from Rick. The D&D boys scored the two non-Ojeda goals and delivered max effort all game long, and if they can produce like this in future games, Orlando City may well be able to get this ship turned around.

Ellis Was On Point

He finished the game with nothing to show for it in the box score, but the Homegrown attacker had one his best games of the season against Philadelphia. Ellis was in complete command of the ball and constantly played dangerous balls to his teammates, giving the Orlando offense a dimension that it did not have early in the season. Ellis created two big chances and three chances total, and had Ojeda not been fouled in the box Ellis would have picked up his third assist, as it was his through ball that put Ojeda in on goal. Speaking of three, the Orlando City Development Academy product produced a moment of magic late in the first half, as he showed all the youthful confidence in the world by beating not one, not two, but three Philadelphia players off the dribble inside his own box (you might say he left them on Ellis Island), and just missed springing a breakaway with the long ball he attempted afterwards. Despite not racking up any goal contributions, Ellis was outstanding, looking completely comfortable running the offense while playing with and against MLS veterans, despite being only 18 years old (until today that is, when he turned 19).

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s “drunk OCB”-esque 4-3 victory over Philadelphia. Congratulations as well to Dorsey, who celebrated his goal with a demonstration that usually indicates a baby is on the way, which he confirmed after the game. The Lions do not have a long break, but at least they will play at home again Saturday night, when Atlanta United comes to Inter&Co Stadium in another matchup of teams currently outside of the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Let us know your thoughts about the Philadelphia match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 5/14/26

Orlando City beats the Philadelphia Union at home, MLS All-Star voting begins, Luan Silva called up, and more.

Published

20 hours ago

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May 14, 2026

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Image of Justin Ellis after he scored a goal against Chicago Fire II.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Justin Glatt

I’m not sure if my heart can take much more of these Wednesday wins by Orlando City, but it will have to persevere if it means the Lions keep winning. Now, if only we could find a way to trick the team into thinking every day is Wednesday. Before we get to today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City forward Justin Ellis! The Homegrown Player started in last night’s game and turns 19 today.

Orlando City Wins in Dramatic Fashion

The Cardiac Cats were back in full force Wednesday night, with Orlando City scoring late to beat the Philadelphia Union 4-3 at home. The Lions never trailed at any point of the match, but it was a rollercoaster of emotions as they created plenty of chances but allowed the Union to come back time and time again. The defense continues to bleed goals, even if against one of the worst offenses in the league this season. Regardless, a win is a win, and Orlando will look to carry this momentum into Saturday’s rivalry match against Atlanta United.

Jeff Radcliffe, Original Voice of Orlando City, Loses Battle with Cancer

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jeff Radcliffe following his passing. Radcliffe was the original broadcast voice of the club, starting in Orlando’s inaugural USL season and continuing for many years across multiple platforms. Radcliffe had fought an initial cancer diagnosis that went into remission, but he soon faced another battle with the disease. We here at The Mane Land were appreciative of Radcliffe’s time and encouragement in our earliest days and we consider him a friend. We are saddened by his loss. The club honored Radcliffe prior to Wednesday night’s win over Philadelphia.

MLS All-Star Voting Begins

Voting for this year’s MLS All- Star team has officially begun and will stay open through May 21. This year’s MLS All-Star Game will take place in Charlotte on July 29 and will once again pit the best in MLS against the best players from Liga MX. Of the 26 players who will make up this year’s team, 11 will be voted in, 13 will be selected by Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith, and the other two will be picked by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Former Lion Alex Freeman was voted in last year and Martin Ojeda may be the Lion with the best chance at earning the honor in 2026. Make sure to vote!

Luan Silva Called Up for International Tournament

Orlando City academy goalkeeper Luan Silva was called up for the United States U-15 National Team’s roster for the 2026 Vlatko Marković International Tournament in Croatia. Silva has been stellar for Orlando’s youth teams and it’s nice to see him continuing to earn international attention as well. The U.S. will face South Korea in the tournament’s group stage on May 19 before facing Switzerland on May 20 and Portugal on May 22. The Chicago Fire’s Alex Bayraktarov is the only other goalkeeper on the roster, so hopefully Silva can get some solid playing time in Europe.

Keeping Up With European Title Races

All of the drama is in Great Britain, with the Scottish Premiership and English Premier League title races coming down to the wire. It looked as if Hearts would’ve clinched things in Scotland with a game to spare after a 3-0 win over Falkirk, but Celtic scored deep in stoppage time after American defender Auston Trusty won a penalty to beat Motherwell 3-2 and remain just a point behind Hearts. Celtic and Hearts play for the title on Saturday.

Manchester City won 3-0 against Crystal Palace to stay two points behind Arsenal in the EPL title race with two games left for both teams. At the other end of the table, the relegation fight between Tottenham and West Ham remains tight. Elsewhere in Europe, Paris Saint-Germain beat Lens 2-0 to clinch the Ligue 1 title, Inter Milan won 2-0 against Lazio to lift the Italian Cup trophy and complete the double, and Barcelona’s ambitious quest for 100 points in a season fell short after a 1-0 loss to Alaves.

Free Kicks

  • Julian Hall became the youngest player in MLS history to score a hat trick, lifting the New York Red Bulls to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew. The 18-year-old now has nine goals so far in this breakout season for him.
  • The NCAA announced that the Division I men’s soccer season will be split so that it takes place in both the fall and spring, starting in the fall of 2027.
  • The Chicago Fire’s new stadium, which is set to open in 2028, will be known as McDonald’s Park after a partnership between the club and the fast-food giant. Forgive the pun, but I think this makes St. Louis City their archrival.
  • Just a few months after resigning from the position due to a family health issue, Dick Advocaat was hired by Curacao once more to serve as its head coach before the World Cup. The 78-year-old will be the oldest head coach in World Cup history when Curacao makes its tournament debut against Germany on June 14.
  • If you’re a tactic fanatic, you’ll love this analytical dive into the impediment of goalkeepers on corner kicks in the EPL. From the graphics to the term “meat wall era,” the article is a fantastic read.
  • FIFA is reportedly axing the single-player walkouts that were done before Club World Cup games, although another new format may be coming. I have no clue why FIFA is intent on fiddling with that part of the proceedings, but I’m sure it will end up being sponsored by the time the World Cup gets here.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a good Thursday and rest of your week!

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