Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. St. Louis City SC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-1 win against St. Louis City SC at Exploria Stadium.

Published

2 years ago

on

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City hosted Western Conference leaders, St. Louis City SC at Exploria Stadium on Saturday night. It wasn’t easy, but the Lions were up for the challenge, defeating the expansion side 2-1 at home. The win keeps Orlando City in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Here’s what I took away from the big home win.

First Half Folly

Right from the first kick, the match was fairly open with each club getting a share of the possession and a share of the chances. Though the match was played end to end, neither team was able to find that last bit of quality to get on the scoreboard. Nicholas Gioacchini barely missed on a ball sent across the front of Pedro Gallese’s goal. For Orlando City, both Duncan McGuire and Mauricio Pereyra had barely missed chances. Neither club was able to score in the first half, but that changed in the second half.

Torres Takes Control

It didn’t take long for Orlando City to jump out to a lead, thanks to Facundo Torres scoring a goal in consecutive matches for the first time since June. As Orlando City moved into the attack, Mauricio Pereyra did well to catch up the ball and lay it off to Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who beat a defender and put it on a platter for Torres to run on to and score the first goal of the match. It’s the type of thing that can give Torres confidence heading into the last part of the season.

A Pair of Interesting Calls

Pereyra got to the ball before a St. Louis player, he then tipped it over Rafael Santos, who sent the ball up the pitch to a streaking Torres. Torres was behind the defense, setting up a one on one with the keeper, but referee Joe Dickerson decided that Pereyra had somehow committed a foul on the play and called it back. There’s no way to know for certain that Torres was going to score, but it seems likely. That was bad call number one.

Bad call number two came on St. Louis City’s goal. The St. Louis player went to the end line and from my perspective at home on replay, Nokkvi Thorisson seemingly crossed the ball after it was over the line, meaning the ensuing goal was no good. That was the call on the field. Video assistant referee Sorin Stoica got involved and Dickerson took a look at the video monitor. In my view, there was nothing clear and obvious to overturn the call on the field from the angles shown, but that is exactly what happened. These two decisions were a potential two-goal swing against Orlando City.

Ball Don’t Lie

Orlando City may have been wronged with some of the officiating decisions, but justice was served when Dickerson changed the call from a corner kick to a handball on St. Louis defender Anthony Markanich, giving Orlando City a penalty kick. Once again it was Torres who took the penalty kick, and for the second match in a row, he finished it perfectly to give Orlando City the win. It was the correct call, but I was still worried that Dickerson would not make the correct decision. Fortunately, he did make the correct call, which gave the home team the chance to regain the lead.

Playing the Odds

Coming into this match, I felt it was very important for Orlando City both to score multiple goals, and to keep St. Louis to one goal or less. As I wrote in the Three Keys to Victory:

“When St. Louis’ opponents have scored two or more goals, the club has a 2-6-0 record. Just as important, 10 of Orlando City’s 11 wins this season saw the Lions score more than one goal. It is of paramount importance that Orlando City score more than one goal against St. Louis…”

The Lions were able to do both, and the result followed. Limiting a high-scoring offense like St. Louis took effort and a little luck, especially down the stretch. A win against the best team in the Western Conference is the type of result the club can use heading into the home stretch of the season.

That is what I saw in Orlando City’s result against St. Louis City SC. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

on

June 5, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

June 4, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

June 3, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

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

Continue Reading

Trending