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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-0 as Lions’ Unbeaten Run Ends with a Thud

The Lions struggled yet again on a baseball field in an awful-looking road loss to NYCFC but clinched a playoff spot anyway.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

New York City is known as the city that never sleeps. It was the Lions who chose to sleep tonight, as the lads in purple turned in a performance as ugly as the pitch at Citi Field in a 2-0 loss to a New York City FC team that hasn’t been able to buy a goal recently. Mounsef Bakrar and Talles Magno scored on either side of halftime to lead the hosts to the win.

Orlando City saw its six-match unbeaten run snapped and fell to 7-8-7 in the all-time series, missing an opportunity to gain points on FC Cincinnati and allowing Columbus to close within two points. However, D.C. United’s draw against Atlanta United clinched the Lions a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs for the fourth straight season.

“We would have loved to celebrate (making the playoffs) with a victory today and a better result and a better performance but we couldn’t. We have no excuses,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We’re responsible for the things we do good and the things that we don’t do good. We played against a good team. I think they had the best chances. We had a few. We were not sharp in that end but we were not sharp in our defensive side either.”

Pareja’s starting lineup was nearly the same as in Saturday’s win over Columbus. Pedro Gallese was in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Wilder Cartagena returned to the lineup, replacing Felipe alongside Cesar Araujo in central midfield. Facundo Torres was also back in the starting lineup, replacing Martin Ojeda on the attacking midfield line with Ivan Angulo and Mauricio Pereyra, while Ramiro Enrique got his second straight start up top.

Despite the strong lineup, the Lions could hardly have had a worse performance or result with a heavily rotated side and now the starters will be tasked with playing their third match in eight days when Inter Miami visits this weekend. On a small pitch, where movement has to be quicker and more precise, the Lions were neither.

The first few minutes of the game consisted of the teams fouling each other in the midfield. The hosts then got the game’s first big chance off of one of those fouls. New York City FC played a long-distance set piece short and worked it to the middle of the field before sending a chipped ball over the top. Orlando’s deefending was awful and two NYCFC players got in behind. Former Lion Andres Perea took a pass from Richie Ledezma and fired a shot from point-blank range. However, Gallese made a huge stop on his former teammate in the fourth minute.

Moments later, Perea whiffed on his initial shot attempt near the top of the area, then sent a half-volley, follow-up shot well over the bar as Orlando City struggled to get into the attacking half, as has often been the case on these baseball fields up north.

Orlando did get forward for the first time in the seventh minute, winning a corner, but Torres left his cross too close to Freese, who knocked it away.

The Lions managed their best attack of the half in the 22nd minute, as the ball was sent from right to left, where it ended up with Torres. The Uruguayan found his countryman Pereyra near the top of the area, but the captain’s first-time shot deflected off a defender and out for a corner. The ensuing set piece found Santos at the near post but his redirected shot hit the outside netting.

NYCFC’s second excellent opportunity came two minutes later. Andres Jasson was well covered near the right sideline but somehow got in an accurate cross and Schlegel lost track of Bakrar, but the home team’s forward headed it over the bar.

The breakthrough went the hosts’ way after an Orlando turnover in the middle of the pitch. Enrique followed Santiago Rodriguez down the left sideline and when the opposing attacker cut into the box, Schlegel came over to close the play down. Before the defender got there, Rodriguez’s foot made contact with Enrique’s. The referee initially gave a goal kick but then took a brief look himself before awarding a penalty.

Gallese made a terrific diving save to stop the Rodriguez penalty, but Bakrar was first to the ball and headed it into the far corner to make it 1-0 in the 37th minute. Orlando players appealed for an encroachment call but the goal stood.

“I got the ball, played it into (Enrique’s) feet and was going to go for a one-two,” Thorhallsson said about the play that led to the penalty. He played it behind me and then he was tracking back and I was right behind him. I didn’t see the penalty but it looked like a penalty. And then Pedro saves the penalty, and I would say me and Rodri made the mistake of not blocking the guy to get the ball. So, just a fiasco and something we need to look into — me and everybody. Me especially.”

Neither team got a clear-cut look for the rest of the half but Torres earned a free kick in a dangerous spot in stoppage time. Pereyra went for goal but fired over the bar on the last chance of the opening period.

Orlando City finished with more first-half possession (56.4%-43.6%) but most of that was kicking it around the back line, looking for a way to break out on the narrow field. The Lions also somehow managed more shot attempts (6-5), although it didn’t seem like it, as most of them were of the non-dangerous variety, won more corners (2-1), and had the edge in passing accuracy (84%-81.3%). However, again, that’s largely due to passing it around the back line and back to Gallese. NYCFC fired more shots on target (3-1).

The Lions nearly equalized two minutes after the restart. A good cross from Santos found its way through traffic to Torres, but the ball was a bit behind him and he couldn’t direct it on frame as it fizzed wide.

Gallese then made a good save in the 51st minute when a shot from outside the box by Bakrar was deflected by Jansson’s foot. Perea got a free header on the ensuing corner but hit his shot right at his former teammate in goal.

Pareja sent fresh attackers on in the 59th minute, introducing Ojeda, Duncan McGuire, and Luca Petrasso for Cartagena, Enrique, and Santos. Seconds later, a ball fell kindly for Pereyra outside the box but he squibbed his shot badly off target.

Orlando appealed for a handball in the 62nd minute off a long throw by Araujo but there was no whistle. The Lions then had a prolonged spell of poor defense. It started with a free look for Magno in the box but he slipped while cutting inside for a better shot. He got his goal three minutes later as he found himself between an inattentive Schlegel and Thorhallsson, with neither player actually marking him.

The Lions learned nothing from the previous open looks by NYCFC and left Perea unmarked on a corner in the 77th minute. The former Lion sent his shot right at Gallese, however. Two minutes after that, Birk Risa was the man free for a header but sent it over the bar with Araujo not paying him closely enough.

Orlando got on the front foot down the stretch but couldn’t create anything dangerous from its possession. Ojeda won a couple of corners. Schlegel sent one of those headed just wide of the right post. Petrasso had a shot blocked late and the game’s last chance was a soft pop-up header by McGuire that went down as just the team’s second shot on target of the night.

There were no late-match heroics on this night.

Orlando City held the final edge in possession (59.5%-40.5%) and passed more accurately (83.6%-78%), but NYCFC finished with more (16-11), way more shots on frame (7-2), and corners (6-5). The only two shots on frame by the Lions couldn’t have been easier for Freese to handle.

“I don’t think we had a spark today, but I think we were a little predictable,” Pareja said. “I thought we had more problems today with dealing with the spaces and trying to put ourselves into the map of the field. We have to be able to do it, but we couldn’t do it. New York neutralized those things. They condensed with many numbers in behind. We tried to do the same but we were not effective.”

“It’s a little bit hard to be happy,” Thorhallsson said about clinching a playoff spot. “We can say sweet and sour emotion but of course it’s a little more sour because we lost the game.”

The Lions have another short turnaround, returning home for a Sunday night Tropic Thunder showdown against Inter Miami at 7:30 p.m.

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Lion Links: 2/11/25

Orlando City signs Eduard Atuesta, MLS news roundup, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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21 hours ago

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February 11, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Tuesday, gang! It was a long weekend for me but an interesting one, as I attended an event at St. Louis City’s Energizer Stadium on Saturday night. It was a fun time, but personally I prefer Orlando City’s home digs. We have plenty of things to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Orlando City Signs Eduard Atuesta

Orlando City has found its replacement for the injured Wilder Cartagena, as the club announced the signing of Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta from Palmeiras on Monday. Atuesta’s deal runs through the end of the 2025 season and also contains a club option for 2026. While the Lions still have some depth issues that need to be addressed at various positions, Atuesta will pair alongside Cesar Araujo in midfield, and if his previous numbers in Major League Soccer are any indication, he may even provide more goal scoring and creation from the position than Cartagena usually did.

MLS News Roundup

With the start of the MLS season under two weeks away, the off-season news is still flying thick and fast. First up, the Colorado Rapids have signed midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United in exchange for up to $1.4 million in cash, with United also maintaining a sell-on percentage in the player. The trade was executed using the league’s cash-based trade system, with Colorado becoming the latest team to make use of the new mechanism. Up next, San Diego FC has signed defender Willy Kumado from Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. The right back joins on a two-year deal that also contains option years for 2027 and 2028. Finally, Tom Bogert is reporting that Joseph Paintsil is expected to be out of action for over a month after sustaining an injury to his quadriceps.

Americans in Midweek Action

As always, there are a number of Americans taking part in games during the working week, and there’s a heavy emphasis on UEFA Champions League play. Things get started later today, as Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus face a PSV Eindhoven side that has all four of Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, Sergino Dest, and Malik Tillman injured. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Borussia Dortmund will travel to face Sporting CP. Wednesday has Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah traveling with AC Milan to take on Feyenoord, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic will be sorely tested at home against Bayern Munich. Thursday will wrap up European play with Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis squaring off against Gent in the Conference League.

Josh Sargent’s Opportunity

Josh Sargent had a difficult end to 2024, as he spent several months on the sideline while recovering from a groin injury that eventually required surgery. There were some natural moments of wondering what he’d be like when he made his return, but he’s hit the ground running since his first game back on Jan. 25, as he has four goals in three games for Norwich City. Not only is he getting his chance at the club level, but with Pepi and Folarin Balogun both currently injured, Sargent looks almost certain to lead the line for the United States Men’s National Team for March’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal matches. Sometimes timing is everything, and right now Sargent’s timing is pretty damn good.

Free Kicks

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City Signs Colombian International Midfielder Eduard Atuesta

The Lions add a proven quality central midfielder to cover for Wilder Cartagena’s injury absence.

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2 days ago

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February 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions took a necessary roster-building step today with the acquisition of central midfielder Eduard Atuesta via transfer from Palmeiras in Brazil’s Serie A. The contract runs through 2025 with a club option for 2026. Details of the transfer were not released. Atuesta can join the Lions pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. The Colombian international will wear jersey No. 20 for Orlando City.

“We’re very excited about bringing Eduard here to Orlando, as a player that is in the prime of his career, has proven himself previously here in Major League Soccer and knows our league,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s a great midfield talent that has the ability to organize the team throughout the game, but most importantly, he’s a title winner at each of his previous clubs. We have confidence in him and his ability to help us achieve the goals we have here at this club.”

This played out publicly as a difficult one, with Orlando City seemingly close to a deal at times, while at others there seemed to be sticking points about such details as whether it would be a sale or loan, how much (if any) of Atuesta’s salary Palmeiras would pay, and the size of the transfer fee. Orlando was limited in what it could spend due to having to fit the player under the Designated Player threshold (salary plus transfer fee amortized over the length of the contract) as all three slots are full.

“I’m very excited to be here, to join this great team and live in this beautiful city,” Atuesta said in the club’s release “I can’t wait to step out into the stadium filled with our fans, to win games and to fight for the titles that this city deserves.”

Atuesta’s arrival is expected to mitigate the loss of Wilder Cartagena to a lower leg injury that recently required surgery. Cartagena was injured in the preseason opener against Atletico Mineiro, and although the club has yet to make an official announcement about it, Cartagena shared on his Twitter account that he had surgery in late January.

Atuesta’s season in Brazil is off to a slow start, with just three appearances and 42 minutes played so far without a goal contribution. The Colombian spent the 2024 season on loan with LAFC, where he made 28 appearances (25 starts), playing 2,197 minutes, scoring four goals, and adding six assists. In five MLS seasons with LAFC dating back to 2018, Atuesta has appeared in 124 matches, starting 109 of them, and playing 9,790 minutes. He has scored 11 goals and added 29 assists, attempting 172 shots and putting 53 on target. Atuesta has passed at an 85.9% rate with 155 key passes. He has amassed 27 yellow cards and one red card in MLS play.

The 27-year-old native of Vélez, Colombia has appeared in seven MLS playoff games (four starts), playing 428 postseason minutes, providing two goals and an assist while putting three of his six shots on target and logging eight key passes.

During his time in Los Angeles, Atuesta was part of the 2019 Supporters’ Shield-winning squad and helped the club win the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.

Prior to joining LAFC, Atuesta was with Independiente Medellín, where he started his professional career in 2016. He won the 2016 Categoría Primera A title with Medellín, playing 44 matches with The Paisa Red.

Since 2022, Atuesta played 26 matches with Palmeiras, scoring one goal and helping the team win the 2022 and 2023 Brazilian championships, 2023 Supercopa do Brasil, and 2022 Recopa Sudamericana.

On the international stage, Atuesta has represented Colombia at the U-20, U-23, and senior levels, with two caps for his national team since 2022.

What It Means for Orlando City

Atuesta wasn’t the least expensive option on the market at central midfield, but this signing shows that the club is serious about avoiding a drop-off in the middle of the pitch with Cartagena sidelined. Atuesta brings more offensive capabilities with him than Cartagena or Cesar Araujo possess, and he’ll likely be deployed as the No. 8 in Oscar Pareja’s usual 4-2-3-1.

If Atuesta can find the same kind of chemistry with Araujo that Cartagena has, the Lions should see continued standout play in central midfield. The duo will be tasked with protecting the back line and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, forcing play wide and limiting opposing shots to lower-percentage attempts. Meanwhile, his ability to pick out a key pass should improve the Orlando attack, which will be trying to fit a Marco Pašalić-shaped peg into a Facundo Torres-shaped hole and that still hasn’t found a depth forward to replace Duncan McGuire for the months he’ll miss this season.

This was a necessary move by Muzzi if the Lions are going to try to take the next step after reaching the conference final in 2024. The window may be closing on this core of Orlando City players, as several contracts are either set to expire or will require options picked up after the 2025 season among that group.

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Orlando City’s Offensive Struggles Raise Questions as Regular Season Approaches

Orlando City is once again struggling to find the net and the games that matter are quickly approaching.

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2 days ago

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February 10, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The 2025 MLS regular season is drawing near, so we have a much better idea of where each team stands. Orlando City has now played four preseason games, one in front of its home fans and one in front of season ticket members only. That should provide excitement about the upcoming season, but it’s actually produced some concern.

The 2024 season saw the Lions have their best postseason run since joining MLS in 2015. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference final before falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls on home turf. The experience created a lot of optimism heading into 2025.

Unfortunately, it’s been a rough go so far. The club transferred last season’s top goal scorer — and the club’s all-time leading goal scorer — Facundo Torres to Brazilian side Palmeiras on Dec. 20. Additionally, striker Duncan McGuire is out after having shoulder surgery during the off-season and his return date is unknown.

The first preseason game against Atletico Mineiro on Jan. 25 was less than inspiring. Neither team threatened the opposition goal much in a rather boring scoreless draw and, to make matters worse, Luis Muriel appeared to pick up a knock late in the first half. Preseason had just started for both teams, so you can chalk that one up to shaking off the rust.

The Lions followed up that performance with a trip to Mexico, where they played to a scoreless draw against Canadian side Forge FC. After a third preseason game against Atlanta United in Bradenton — which actually saw a goal by Alex Freeman — the Lions returned home Saturday night to face CF Montreal with season ticket members in attendance, filling most of the seats on the lower level on the stadium’s east side.

Orlando City was unquestionably the more dangerous team during the first 90 minutes of the 120-minute contest. Joran Gerbet hit the crossbar in the first half and Freeman hit the inside of the post in the second. Additionally, the Lions sent players free on goal no less than three times in the game. However, they didn’t score until Nico Lodeiro converted a free kick in the dying seconds.

To be fair, the Lions weren’t at full strength. Neither Ramiro Enrique nor Muriel, two players who will be depended on to provide goals, played in the game. Instead, Shak Mohammed started up top and was replaced by teenager Justin Ellis in the 65th minute.

Also, it’s not as if Orlando City’s leading scorer is typically a striker.

In the team’s first 10 years of MLS action, a striker has led the Lions in scoring six times, and three of those were Cyle Larin in the first three seasons. Since he departed following 2017, strikers have only led the Lions in goals in 2018 (Dom Dwyer), 2021 (Daryl Dike), and 2023 (McGuire). The most goals in those seasons were scored by McGuire, who had 15 in 2023 in all competitions.

The big question heading into this preseason was how would the Lions replace the goals scored by Torres. The Uruguayan international was coming off the most prolific season of his career, scoring 20 goals in all competitions. It was the first time an Orlando City player reached 20 goals in a season since the club joined MLS and only the second time in club history. Previously, Kevin Molino scored 22 goals during the 2014 USL Pro season.

Orlando City fans were hoping they would have a better idea at this point about who would provide the goals. Instead, they’re left with even more questions heading into the season.

This doesn’t mean someone won’t step up. As mentioned, Enrique and Muriel didn’t play against Montreal. The club also signed Marco Pasalic as a Designed Player. The Croatian made his first appearance Saturday night. He is a player who could potentially provide the goals Orlando City so desperately needs.

There was a lot of optimism around Orlando City heading into 2025 after a successful 2024 campaign. However, while the Lions have played well defensively, they’ve struggled in the attack. There are only two more preseason games remaining and one in front of fans, although it’s outside Orlando — a rivalry game against Inter Miami CF Friday night in Tampa. That will lead into the season opener Feb. 22, when City hosts the Philadelphia Union.

The departure of Torres in December created questions about who will provide the goals. McGuire’s absence during his recovery from injury exacerbates the situation for the first few months of the season. After four preseason games, the questions still exist. It’s a concern for a team that will be expected to make another postseason run this year.

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