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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Claim Game 1 on Wilder Cartagena’s Wondergoal

The Lions take Game 1 thanks to a worldie by Wilder Cartagena and a stout defense.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Alex Corrie

Midfielder Wilder Cartagena scored the goal of his life and the defense made it hold up as Orlando City defeated Nashville SC 1-0 at Exploria Stadium in Game 1 of the Lions’ first-round, best-of-three series in front of a raucous crowd of 19,744. Pedro Gallese came up big when needed but the defense did well to stifle the Nashville counterattack and the Lions officially won their first MLS playoff game (the 2020 match against New York City FC technically counts as a draw, advancing on penalties).

“I thought we had a good game, especially that first half where we we connected much more in the final third and then we created many options,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We could probably have been more precise and opened the game earlier, and they may have a couple goals too. The game is tight, especially against Nashville. They place a lot of players in their final third and it was difficult for us to break it up and it is a test for us to accomplish and just be more precise in that last part of the field so we don’t need to suffer that much.”

Pareja’s lineup was the same as what he mostly used down the final stretch of the regular season. Pedro Gallese started in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.

The Lions started brightly, getting an early flurry in the third minute. Torres and Angulo both saw scoring chances saved by Joe Willis. Torres cut inside in the sixth minute and curled a shot wide. Then, a minute later, Angulo passed up a shooting opportunity and laid off to Torres, who was double-teamed. The ball popped out to Cartagena outside the area but his long-range effort went just wide.

McGuire’s first chance came in the 17th minute but he was on the left and his left-footed effort was well off target.

Nashville should have scored in the 19th minute. A ball in from Jacob Shaffelburg found Sam Surridge all alone in front but the forward hit his point-blank shot over Gallese’s crossbar in a stunning miss.

Two minutes after the Nashville chance, Thorhallsson picked out McGuire in front but the redirection was partially blocked by Walker Zimmerman, allowing Willis to collect. McGuire tried a header off a menacing cross from Santos in the 26th minute but couldn’t direct it on frame.

Hany Mukhtar got a look in the 28th minute but his header was challenged well by Cartagena and he couldn’t put much power on it, allowing Gallese to pick it up.

Thorhallsson sent a curling effort over the bar from long range off a short corner play in the 30th minute as the Lions kept hunting for the opener. Five minutes later, Angulo had a shot blocked by the defense that may have found the corner had it not been deflected. Torres likewise had a shot blocked by Zimmerman in the 38th minute.

Cartagena put the Lions ahead on an absolute banger of a goal. Picking up a ball from Araujo in the middle, the Peruvian drove toward the top of the box. When nobody closed him down, Cartagena smashed a curling shot toward the right that caught the underside of the crossbar and went in, making it 1-0 in the 41st minute.

“It was a great goal. It was a beautiful goal,” Cartagena said through a club translator. “I think it was Cesar that headed it over to me and I found myself in a lot of space, and I decided to just hit it with a lot of confidence. And thankfully I hit it in a spot that was really difficult for the goalkeeper. I’ve been trying to do that the last couple of games and this one finally came off, and it was a great one.”

“I can tell you for me (Cartagena is) one of the most important players in our team defensively,” Thorhallson said. “He does all the dirty work, wins the first and the second ball, and makes other players shine. So, today he scored an amazing goal and I’m just really, really happy for him.”

Nashville nearly pulled the goal back three minutes later. Left alone from about 40 yards out, Mukhtar sent a rocket that got to Gallese before he was ready. The Peruvian international got a touch to it and knocked it off the crossbar to preserve the lead.

The Lions had the last chance on a corner kick that was knocked around the box in stoppage time. The ball deflected toward the back post, but Araujo did not expect it to get through and didn’t make a run for it, watching helplessly as it went out of play.

Orlando City finished the half with more possession (66.1%-33.9%), shots (16-3), shots on goal (3-2), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (87.2%-76.6%).

The Lions were a little more careless with the ball in the second half, turning the ball over cheaply a few times, but the visitors couldn’t make them pay for it. Nashville came out of the locker room looking to quickly get back in the game and controlling the first 10 minutes or so.

Schlegel conceded a corner early in the half and then moments later was forced to take a booking for a tactical foul to stop Mukhtar. The foul gave Nashville a dangerous free kick opportunity but Mukhtar’s shot hit the wall and Orlando escaped the danger.

The Lions appeared poised to double the lead in the 53rd minute but Angulo’s shot was deflected at the last second and went out for a corner. There were shouts for a handball on Zimmerman but play continued without Armando Villarreal going to the monitor.

Schlegel had a chance in the 57th minute off another corner kick but he couldn’t generate enough power on his shot and Willis made a sprawling save.

Two minutes later, Thorhallsson had a chance to pass the ball centrally to an open teammate but instead spun outside and was dispossessed. Mukhtar ended up with the ball and Gallese made a big kick save on the deflected shot to keep Nashville off the board in the 59th minute.

Cartagena went down after the play and the trainers came on to check on him. He was subbed off for Junior Urso after a spectacular hour of work. After the match, Cartagena said he felt some pain but he was able to walk without it and he will get further evaluation, but he indicated that he didn’t believe it’s a serious issue.

Pereyra could have doubled the lead in the 66th minute when he got onto the ball in front of Willis, but the midfielder took an extra touch in the box and that allowed Daniel Lovitz to close him down and block the shot.

Lovitz then served up a beautiful cross in the 75th minute to substitute Teal Bunbury, but the veteran striker couldn’t direct it on target.

Orlando began looking for more opportunities to counter with Nashville chasing the game and holding a bit more possession and it nearly worked. Angulo fired a shot in the 77th minute that was blocked in front of goal by the defense. A minute later, Thorhallsson got in close and fired a shot that deflected just wide of the top right corner off a deflection.

Pareja made a triple substitution that spanned the 78th and 79th minutes, with Antonio Carlos, Ramiro Enrique, and Kyle Smith coming on for Pereyra, McGuire, and Santos. The Lions went to a five-man back line to see out the final 10 minutes.

Gallese made a big stop on a deft Surridge flick in the 80th minute but the forward was offside anyway.

Three minutes later, a frustrated-looking Mukhtar fired well over the bar from outside the area.

Orlando had one more good chance to try to put the game away in the 85th minute. Torres sent Urso down the right side of the box, but the midfielder had a tough angle to shoot from and his sliding effort was blocked by Willis.

Nashville threw more subs on, including Fafa Picault, and the visitors started trying to take advantage of the winger’s pace against Smith on Orlando’s left side. It worked in the 89th minute when Picault blew past Smith and won a corner. However, Nashville could not do anything with the set piece.

From there, the Lions saw out the final seconds and seven minutes of stoppage time. Araujo had one final shot attempt deep in stoppage time but it was well off target.

The final stats didn’t change much from the halftime numbers. Orlando City led in possession (58.4%-41.6%), although Nashville closed the gap somewhat when the Lions took a more defensive posture over the last 20 minutes. The Lions also finished with the advantage in shots (25-7), shots on target (5-3), corners (9-4), and passing accuracy (85.9%-79.8%).

“I think today we were the more aggressive team,” Cartagena said. “We pressed a lot. We were very incisive with our passing. Obviously, they’re a great team that defends really well, and it’s really difficult to to enter the area against them. But I think we’ve got players that are really unbalancing in the way that we like to play the game, and so we were able to create a lot of opportunities and then finish one.”

“Second half I thought we controlled the game,” Pareja said. “We have a couple options too, a few options that could have given us more peace just to control the game and not finish with the game that tight. But we recognize that Nashville were throwing bodies up front. And that line of five in the end just gave us energy. So, happy for this first playoff (win) but we have to get ready for the next one.”

These same two teams will get after each other again in Nashville next Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/17/26

Predictions for the 2026 MLS season, UEFA Champions League returns, transfer rumor roundup, and more.

Published

15 hours ago

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February 17, 2026

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Image of Adrian Marin dribbling the ball against the Columbus Crew.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

It feels a little strange to be saying this after what feels like a couple minutes since the end of last season, but happy match week everyone! The Lions are set to take on the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, and hopefully the final preseason match was simply Orlando City’s time to get out all of the mistakes when the games don’t matter. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

MLS Preseason Predictions

With the 2026 MLS season due to get underway this weekend, now is a good time to make predictions on how the various teams will fare this year. When it comes to Orlando City, a lot of the on-air talent at Apple TV who cover the league don’t seem particularly positive about the Lions’ chances. The general consensus has the Lions finishing the year at ninth in the Eastern Conference, although a couple individuals have them sinking as low as 12th, and Max Bretos has the good guys as high as third. Inter Miami and LAFC are the picks to win their respective conferences, while CF Montreal and Sporting Kansas City occupy the cellar spots.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League is back this week as the play-off round kicks off later today. The Tuesday slate of games is highlighted by Benfica hosting Real Madrid in a rematch of the dramatic game on matchday eight that saw the Portuguese outfit sneak into the knockout round with a last-minute goal. The match between Weston McKennie’s Juventus team and Galatasaray should also be a great spectacle, and the Istanbul outfit’s intimidating atmosphere could make the difference against the Italian side. Wednesday sees Bodo/Glimt host Inter Milan in its frozen home above the Arctic Circle, while Club Brugge will try to use its own home-field advantage to grab a result against Atletico Madrid.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The winter transfer window might be over for European teams, but that isn’t stopping the transfer rumors from continuing to fly. We start with Manchester United, as the Red Devils are reportedly eyeing up a move to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Liverpool this summer to help solve some of their midfield struggles. Meanwhile, Brighton and Hove Albion is said to have made another offer to sign promising young winger Said El Lama from FC Koln, despite the German team’s reluctance to sell him. Elsewhere in England, Chelsea and Tottenham are both reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-Jae. Finally, Tom Bogert says St. Louis City is close to signing forward Sergio Cordova on loan from BSC Young Boys.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/2023415011188916575

FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

The draw has been completed for the fifth round of the FA Cup, and it’s thrown up some intriguing matchups. The one that’s grabbed a lot of the headlines is Wrexham hosting Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground after making it to the round of 16 for the first time in 29 years. Newcastle United will host Manchester City in another big clash, while West Ham United will take on a Brentford side that was given a real scare by National League side Macclesfield Town on Monday in a 1-0 win that took an own goal to send the Bees through. League One side Mansfield Town has been given a tortuously tough test in Arsenal, but the lower division outfit does have the benefit of playing the match at home.

Free Kicks

  • Despite being the new away jersey, Orlando City will be wearing the Sunken Treasure kit when it kicks off the season at home on Saturday.
https://twitter.com/OrlandoCitySC/status/2023511311402103093
https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/2023511459079348344

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Start manifesting all three points and a winning start to the season on Saturday, or I’ll send Kingston after you. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Robin Jansson’s Availbility Critical For Orlando City This Season

Orlando City’s lack of center back depth and experience makes Robin Jansson’s availability crucial to the team’s success this season.

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1 day ago

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February 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played its final preseason game Saturday night, falling 4-1 to the Colorado Rapids. There were plenty of takeaways from this game, but one stands out above the rest.

Robin Jansson has been a mainstay in the Lions’ starting lineup since arriving at the club in 2019. The Swede was a key component as the club qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in 2020 — and every year since. He eventually became vice captain and captain when Mauricio Pereyra’s time in Orlando ended.

Early in his Orlando career, Jansson was quite frustrating for fans. He would inevitably get into altercations with referees resulting in unnecessary yellow cards. The center back was commonly suspended due to yellow card accumulation, making him a potential liability in big games.

However, the 34-year-old has mellowed with age. His ability to keep his calm has made him a much more reliable defender and the obvious choice as Oscar Pareja’s captain when Pereyra departed the club following the 2023 season.

Over the last couple of years, Jansson’s importance to Orlando City has been apparent. Rodrigo Schlegel and David Brekalo were the center back pairing when the captain was missing and his absence was noticeable. While the other options were dependable (most of the time) the back line seemed unstable and disorganized without its leader.

We saw that again on Saturday night.

Jansson is out after undergoing foot surgery earlier this preseason, making Brekalo and Iago the only first-team center backs available with top flight experience. The veteran is expeccted to return later this spring, but Breako and Iago will likely be the starting center backs when the regular season begins Saturday night.

While Brekalo is entering his third season in Orlando, the club signed Iago — a 20-year-old Brazilian — from Flamengo on Feb. 7, making him the club’s newest player.

Just a week after joining his new club, Iago had the most difficult time of all Orlando City defenders against Colorado’s attack. He was beaten twice by Rafael Navarro for goals in the first half, allowing the opposition to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

While the newly signed center back was better in the second half, the pairing still had its troubles. Brekalo got burned by Darren Yapi for the third goal, and the inability of the duo to clear the ball late in the game allowed Lucas Herrington to make it four.

The importance of Jansson is shown not just in his captaincy, but also in the number of games he plays. He’s started at least 30 league games in each of the last three seasons and took part in every MLS contest Orlando City had in 2023. He’s clearly a durable option, but for how much longer?

At 34 years of age, Jansson is past his prime years and might need more time to recover. As a result, Pareja may soon be unable to depend on his captain to play nearly every game.

As we’ve seen over the past few seasons, that could create a significant problem for Orlando City. Regardless of the pairing, the back line has been much weaker when Jansson has not been involved. It’s something that was proven again Saturday night.

This is only one game in a preseason in which the club has produced very little information, so it’s tough to say whether this game is an anomaly or something that should concern fans. But it’s also not like Brekalo and Iago have played much center back.

Brekalo, a 27-year-old Slovenian international, has primarily played left back for the Lions since joining the team two years ago. Despite being a natural center back, only 18 of his 51 starts in all competitions have been in the position. Initially, he was a backup on the bench. Pareja soon preferred Brekalo at left back, resulting in the club trading Rafael Santos to Colorado.

The club signed Adrian Marin from Sporting Braga on Aug. 7, bringing a new left back into the squad. Once acclimating himself to his new home, the Spainard played in the final three games of the regular season. Brekalo started two of those games at center back and was away on international duty for the third. Marin also started Saturday night’s preseason game on the left side of the back line.

Meanwhile, Iago’s lack of experience comes from his age. The 20-year-old came through Flamengo’s academy before joining the first team in 2024. He made 68 appearances for the Brazilian giants’ U-20 and first teams while also captaining Brazil at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

But that experience is minimal compared to the other two center back options. Brekalo has made 65 appearances for Orlando City and played in more professional games for Bravo and Viking. Jansson, on the other hand, has more appearances (237), starts (231), and minutes (20,889) than any player in club history.

While Brekalo and Iago are getting used to regularly playing center back against MLS competition, Jansson has been a regular starter at the position for seven years. That experience allows him to have an unusual knowledge of the league and the opposing attackers in addition to being able to communicate effectively with the rest of his back line.

If Jansson is unable to remain healthy thorughout the coming season or needs more rest than previous years, it could be a problem for the Lions. The team is unlikely to score a large number of goals, making the defensive play essential to Orlando’s success. The captain being out for any period of time is the most troubling scenario.

Orlando City lost multiple starters this off-season, creating questions for the team heading into the season. Some of those include who will start at right back, how will new starting goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau adjust to his new team, and where will the goals come from? But what happens if Jansson is unavailable to play might be the most pressing.

We’ve seen what this back line looks like when the captain is out and it doesn’t look pretty. It’s been a concern over the past few seasons and, judging from the performance Saurday night, is one again this year. Orlando City fans can only hope he’ll be able to be a consistent and healthy part of the team in 2026.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/16/26

Lions fall to Rapids in final preseason match, Pride release preseason schedule, MLS transfer news, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 16, 2026

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Image of Orlando City's starting lineup prior to a preseason match vs. Colorado.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers, and happy President’s Day! I hope all is well with you down in Florida over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy covering high school playoff basketball and hockey over the past week. Orlando City’s home opener is Saturday, and like many of you, I look forward to seeing what the Lions can do during the 2026 MLS season. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to Rapids in Final Preseason Match

In its final preseason match, Orlando City fell 4-1 to the Colorado Rapids Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime before Eduard Atuesta curled his shot around the wall and into the back of the net to make it 2-1 in the second half. The Rapids quickly responded with a goal from Darren Yapi extend their lead to 3-1. Lucas Herrington scored the final goal of the night for Colorado to seal the victory on the road. Orlando City finishes its preseason and the 2026 MLS season will kick off this weekend as the Lions host the Red Bulls on Saturday night.

Orlando Pride Release Preseason Schedule

The Orlando Pride dropped their preseason schedule Friday, and all matches will be closed-door scrimmages. The Pride have one preseason match in the books, a recent scrimmage against the Washington Spirit Friday, the day they dropped their schedule, but they did not provide information about it, as has become the team’s custom. The club shared some photos of the match on social media.

The Pride’s upcoming preseason matches are Friday against Racing Louisville, Sunday against the University of Florida, and March 1 against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Orlando Pride Announce Preseason Fan Events

The Orlando Pride unveiled the list of events ahead of the 2026 season Saturday. Many of the events offer fans opportunities to engage with the team ahead of the Pride’s home opener on March 15 against the Seattle Reign at Inter&Co Stadium. The first event is Tuesday with Pour Overs With Pride at Qreate Coffee Creative Village, where fans can interact with Simone Jackson and Nicole Payne as baristas. The Pride will reveal their new secondary jersey at The Final Whistle at Thornton Park Pub on Feb. 26. The Pints with Pride event is March 3 with Summer Yates and Cori Dyke as bartenders, and the club’s annual Scarf the City event is March 10.

MLS Transfer News

Minnesota United has signed defender Kyle Duncan. The 28-year-old previously played eight seasons for the New York Red Bulls and is under contract through 2026 with an option through June 2027. FC Dallas has acquired midfielder Joaquin Valiente from Uruguayan top flight club Defensor SC. The 24-year-old Uruguayan international has signed a deal through 2027-2028 with options through the 2029-2030 season. The Houston Dynamo have loaned midfielder Sebastian Rodriguez to CF Monterrey through the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Atlanta United is reportedly finalizing the signing of winger Fafa Picault.

Lastly, Nashville SC is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to acquire wingback Reed Baker-Whiting from the Seattle Sounders.

Americans Abroad

Former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench and played 12 minutes, but Villarreal fell 2-1 to Getafe. Johnny Cardoso played 63 minutes, but Atletico Madrid fell 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano. Weston McKennie recorded two assists, but Juventus fell 3-2 to rival Inter Milan over the weekend. Timothy Weah played a full 90 minutes as Marseille secured a 2-2 draw against Strasbourg. Patrick Agyemang scored his 10th goal of the season as Derby County defeated Swansea City 2-0 in the EFL Championship. Later today, we’ll have two Americans square off as Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough take on Haji Wright and Coventry City.

Fourth Round FA Cup Recap

The fourth round of the FA Cup has begun. On Friday, Wrexham beat Ipswich Town 1-0 and advanced to the fifth round for the first time since 1997. Chelsea defeated Hull City 4-0. On Saturday, Mansfield Town edged Burnley 2-1 to move on. Former Lion Daryl Dike was on the bench and did not play as West Bromwich Albion fell 3-1 to Norwich City. Manchester City beat Salford City 2-0, and Liverpool defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0. On Sunday, Leeds United needed penalties to beat Birmingham City 4-2 after a 1-1 draw to advancd to the fifth round. Sunderland defeated Oxford United 1-0, Fulham edged Stoke City 2-1, and Arsenal dominated Wigan Athletic 4-0. Later today, Macclesfield FC takes on Brentford.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Benji Michel has signed a contract with K-League 1 side Ulsan HD FC in South Korea for the upcoming 2026 season.
  • Former Pride forward Ally Brazier (née Watt) set up the first goal for the Denver Summit in its preseason match Sunday. Former Pride defender Carson Pickett was also in action as the Summit defeated the Utah Royals 2-0.
  • The San Diego Wave are reportedly in negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Catarina Macario.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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