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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Sweep First-Round Series

Ivan Angulo’s early goal was just enough as the Lions squeaked past Nashville into the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Ivan Angulo’s early goal was just enough as Orlando City turned in another defensive masterclass to nip Nashville SC 1-0 at Geodis Park. In earning their first-ever road MLS playoff win, the Lions swept Nashville and are through to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“We’d like to start by congratulating the players and a squad that has been very responsible, very professional representing our community and our fans,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I think we’re all very proud of what they do on the field. I thought we played a very complete match, because we were solid in both areas and probably could have scored a couple goals more, but against Nashville it’s not an easy task to do it, defending all those crosses and when they were throwing bodies up front. But we controlled the game. We’re happy. We looked more mature today.”

Pareja’s lineup was unchanged from Game 1. Pedro Gallese lined up in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena played in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.

The Lions started brightly with some early possession. Pereyra fired a shot three minutes in that deflected out for a corner, but Orlando could do nothing with the set piece. Two minutes later, Torres had a go on the break from outside the box but couldn’t get his shot to dip under the bar.

Orlando grabbed the lead in the sixth minute. A poorly weighted back pass by Dax McCarty was closed down quickly by Angulo. He won a 50/50 challenge, survived a tug from behind by McCarty and then sent a shot off the Nashville midfielder that beat Joe Willis over the top to make it 1-0.

“We came out today with the with the intention to run and to really press them high and try to pin them back,” Angulo said through a club interpreter. “And so I just kind of pressed into that area in between the center backs and the holding midfielders that I really like to get in between and forced them to kind of make a bad pass. And thankfully I was able to take the ball off their foot and find myself into a nice spot in their box, and I just figured, ‘Have a hit and see where it goes,’ and thankfully it went in the back of the net.”

“Opening the (scoring) are obviously something we’ll desire, especially when you’re going away,” Pareja said. “We were waiting on reactions from Nashville and surely they were going to give us spaces in the back. We could have been probably more lethal there. But opening the game at that time, early in the game, was very important for us.”

Nashville nearly pulled the goal back in the eighth minute. A bouncing ball kept eluding Orlando’s control and it ended up on Sam Surridge’s foot. The forward turned and fired just wide of the left post. A minute later, there was a lengthy delay for Walker Zimmerman to get treated as he hit his mouth on the back of McGuire’s head and was bleeding. The defender was able to continue.

Alex Muyl fouled Gallese with heavy contact in the box after Thorhallsson’s wayward clearance attempt popped up in the air. Gallese needed treatment, but he too continued.

The game got extremely chippy in the middle stages of the first half. Nashville’s Surridge and Anibal Godoy were booked for challenges on Jansson and Araujo, respectively. Cartagena was booked moments after Godoy, and Pereyra picked one up minutes later, although his was easily the harshest of the four.

The Lions had a penalty appeal in the 30th minute when the ball came off Lukas MacNaughton’s arm, but it was his supporting arm underneath him and no penalty was given as a result.

Shaq Moore headed wide in the 34th minute after sneaking in behind an inattentive Torres at the back post.

The Lions had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 37th minute when McGuire played Torres down the right. The Designated Player opted not to shoot with his right foot — as we’ve become accustomed to. He tried to clear his left for a shot but it was closed down, so he laid it off for Angulo. The speedy winger fired but his shot was saved by Willis.

A minute later, Mukhtar scored but the flag came up immediately. The forward was offside when Daniel Lovitz sent in the initial shot. The offside call saved Gallese, who had uncharacteristically spilled a fairly routine-looking ball in.

Nashville started creating some danger with crosses down the first half stretch run. Mukhtar headed just wide in the 41st minute off one such cross.

Pereyra went for the far right corner from the left in the third of nine minutes of first-half stoppage time but couldn’t curl it on frame.

Nashville sent a handful of crosses into Orlando’s area and the Lions did just enough to clear.

The last opportunity fell to Torres in the eighth minute of stoppage time but he missed his shot badly off target.

Orlando held halftime advantages in possesson (58.2%-41.8%), shots (7-6), shots on goal (2-1), and corners (2-0). Nashville passed more accurately (79.8%-75.9%).

Torres had a chance to double the lead just moments after the restart. He fired a shot with his right foot but hit it right at Willis.

A minute later, it was Nashville getting an early chance. Muyl got to a cross and headed it on frame but Gallese was able to range over and grab it.

Cartagena tried a volley shot in the 54th minute but his swerving effort stayed just over the bar.

The back-and-forth play continued moments later as Araujo did well to cover defensively, successfully winning a vital challenge in his own penalty area against Mukhtar and earning a foul on the Nashville Designated Player.

Angulo had a good look at a brace in the 61st minute when he cut inside from the left onto his right foot. However, he fired his shot right at Willis.

Again the next chance fell for Nashville. MacNaughton got forward into the attack and appeared to foul Pereyra but Allen Chapman allowed play to continue. MacNaughton picked up the loose ball and fired from outside the box. Gallese got over to make a solid save to preserve the lead. Gallese then made a good stop to deny a Jacob Shaffelburg effort in the 69th minute.

Second-half sub Martin Ojeda had a hit from outside the box in the 71st and got all of it, but Willis fought it off and the defense arrived to clear it before a teammate could pick up the loose change. Junior Urso tried his luck three minutes later but his effort was nowhere near goal.

Urso had a chance to put the game to bed in the 79th minute when he slipped in past the defense. Left 1-v-1 against Willis, he started his shot but a sliding Sean Davis got a piece of it and it deflected over the goal.

Nashville’s last gasp was a header wide from Zimmerman in the 90th minute. Neither team got a scoring chance in the four-plus minutes of injury time and the Lions did well to keep winning fouls and throws to see out most of that time. The whistle finally blew to end the series.

Orlando finished the match with the advantage in shots (16-10), shots on target (5-4), and corners (5-0). Nashville turned around the possession to finish with more of the ball (53.3%-46.7%) and passed more accurately (79.7%-78.8%).

“It’s important to know how to play these kind of games where they’re very tight, very intense,” Pareja said. “There is a lot of emotions during the game. The way we handled it today was good. Learning how to play these kinds of games made us a better team. And the boys have shown that we’re ready, but this doesn’t stop here. We’ve got to keep getting better. We have to prepare ourselves for the next one and keep learning from those moments, those games.”


[Editor’s note: the following paragraph has been edited from the original to correct an error created by Major League Soccer’s complete lack of logic.]

The game scheduled for Sunday is off. There’s no need for it. The Lions will await their next playoff opponent as the first round continues to play out. Because MLS makes zero sense whatsoever, Orlando will get the Columbus/Atlanta winner and FC Cincinnati will get either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed, even if No. 6 seed Atlanta advances.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look for their first road win of 2025 in New Jersey against the defensive-minded Red Bulls.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday afternoon Eastern Conference matchup between Orlando City (1-2-0, 3 points) and the New York Red Bulls (1-1-1, 4 points) at Red Bull Arena Sports Illustrated Stadium (2:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season, with the Red Bulls making the return trip to Orlando on April 12.

Here’s what you need to know for the match.

History

The Lions are 8-10-3 in 21 league meetings with the Red Bulls in the all-time series (9-11-3 in all competitions), with a record of 4-6-1 on the road. Goals have been scarce in this series the last couple of seasons.

These two teams last met in the 2024 Eastern Conference final at Inter&Co Stadium on Nov. 30 of last year, with an Andres Reyes set piece goal all that separated the sides in a 1-0 New York win. It was the first-ever playoff meeting between the two clubs.

The teams last met in New Jersey on June 1, 2024, with the hosts coming away with a 1-0 win on a set piece goal from John Tolkin. Orlando City wasn’t in the best run of form at the time, and it was the third shutout the Lions suffered in a five-game span. The first meeting of the season came at Inter&Co Stadium on March 30, with the two sides playing to a 1-1 draw. A Kyle Smith foul in the box allowed Lewis Morgan to put the visitors ahead, but a late own goal by Noah Eile resulted in a stalemate. Ivan Angulo and Jack Lynn combined to force the own goal. So, if you’re counting, the Lions only mustered one goal against the Red Bulls in three meetings in 2024 and it came off a New York player.

Orlando City got the sweep in 2023 and did not concede a goal in the series, winning the last meeting of the year 3-0 at the stadium then known as Red Bull Arena. Facundo Torres scored twice — once from the spot — after Angulo opened the scoring for an easy road win. The two sides met in Orlando on opening day of 2023, with Orlando City winning 1-0 on a Torres penalty kick on Feb. 25. Sean Nealis’ handball allowed the Lions to start the season with a victory.

Orlando City won at Red Bull Arena 1-0 on Aug. 13, 2022, thanks to a Torres goal. That allowed the Lions to split the regular-season meetings and take two of three against New York in all competitions in 2022.

The Lions scored five unanswered goals to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 romp in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on July 27, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Cesar Araujo scored his first two professional goals on set pieces, while Mauricio Pereyra, Torres, and Benji Michel also found the net. Morgan scored New York’s lone goal.

The win in August had allowed the Lions to snap a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) in the regular-season series. The last of those non-wins came on April 24, 2022, when the Lions were walloped 3-0 at home on goals by Luquinhas, Cristian Casseres Jr., and Morgan, and Orlando City failed to get any of its measly three shot attempts on target.

The Red Bulls swept the season series in 2021. The teams met at Exploria Stadium on July 3 of that season with New York taking home a 2-1 win. Casseres opened the scoring just six minutes in, but Chris Mueller pulled the Lions level early in the second half. Fabio’s late goal lifted the visitors. Pereyra’s poor penalty was saved by Carlos Coronel, which cost Orlando City a better result.

The Red Bulls also handed Orlando City its first loss of the 2021 season, a 2-1 affair at Red Bull Arena, on May 29, 2021. Nani was suspended for that match and it showed, as the Lions were sloppy in possession and lacked composure on the ball. New York took the lead on goals by Caden Clark and Casseres, before Silvester van der Water pulled one back late. The Dutchman had a golden opportunity to tie the match moments later but skied his shot well over the bar.

The Lions got a road draw on Oct. 18, 2020, with Brian White equalizing deep in stoppage time in a 1-1 match. Nani had put the Lions ahead in the second half with a penalty kick goal and Orlando clinched its first ever MLS playoff spot despite spilling those late two points. That was the last match in the club’s record 12-match unbeaten streak in MLS play.

Orlando got the better of New York at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 3, 2020, winning 3-1 on goals by Daryl Dike, Junior Urso, and Antonio Carlos. Florian Valot scored for New York.

The Red Bulls won 1-0 at Exploria Stadium on July 21, 2019. White’s goal stood up as Carlos Ascues, Tesho Akindele, and Sacha Kljestan each hit the woodwork in the second half. Prior to that, the Lions eked out a 1-0 win at Red Bull Arena on Kljestan’s goal on March 23, 2019. Before that game, the home team had won each of the previous five games in the series, splitting a pair of matches during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

The teams split two meetings in 2018, with the Red Bulls grabbing a 1-0 result in the 2018 season finale to capture the Supporters’ Shield and the Lions pulling off a 4-3 home victory on March 31, 2018. Each team won at home in 2017 to split the two-game series, with New York winning 3-1 on Aug. 12, and Orlando City opening the season series with a 1-0 win on April 9 behind Servando Carrasco’s goal.

The teams met three times in 2016, with New York going 2-0-1. The teams split two games in 2015, with the road team winning both times, including Orlando City’s 5-2 win in New Jersey behind a Cyle Larin hat trick.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a hard-fought 2-1 road loss at New York City FC a week ago with all of the scoring in the second half. The Lions used their third different back line in three games and individual mistakes again proved costly in an otherwise solid road performance by the defense. It was the first match of the season in which the offense failed to score more than once, although there were enough good chances to get a better result. As a result of last week’s performance, Orlando is 0-1-0 on the road in 2025, but the Lions will try to regain the away form that allowed them to go 8-6-3 away from home last season.

New York is 1-0-0 at home and is coming off a 0-0 road draw at Atlanta United last weekend. The Red Bulls are once again stingy, having allowed just one goal through the first three matches of the season — second only to St. Louis City’s zero. On the other hand, New York has only scored twice this year, with Emil Forsberg and Mohammed Sofo netting those goals.

As has been the case in recent years, the Red Bulls defend well, have a great goalkeeper, and have recently turned matches into rock fights, usually finding ways to eke out enough offense to win low-scoring games.

The Lions will need to take care of the ball and avoid New York’s dangerous transition attack, although today’s hosts will be without offensive talisman Morgan. Forsberg is the player who has taken over as the leader of the offense, however, with nine goals and five assists last year in the regular season. Carlos Coronel is a difficult goalkeeper to beat, so when Orlando manages to create a chance against New York’s stout defense, the Lions will need to be clinical to finish.

“(Today’s) match is a good opportunity for us to bounce back. But it’s an even better opportunity to keep growing as a team and keep gluing together,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “It’s a good chance for the players who are new to come into our game model and make it better and better. We’re good, we’re optimistic. The way we approached the week was trying to put together a good game plan but also trying to spend a lot of time doing the exercises with the guys. So, as I said, the guys can glue in with everybody and find a rhythm and hopefully results too. Results make us more confident.”

Orlando City will be without Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Favian Loyola (thigh), Nico Rodríguez (thigh), and Yutaro Tsukada (knee), while Duncan McGuire (shoulder) and David Brekalo (shoulder) have been elevated to questionable. New York has a considerable number of players on its availability list. The Red Bulls will be without Wiktor Bogacz (back), Ronald Donkor (shin), Kyle Duncan (knee), Cameron Harper (knee), Roald Mitchell (knee), Morgan (knee), Marcelo Morales (knee), and Sofo (groin). Serge Ngoma (abdominal) and Adri Mehmeti (thigh) are questionable.

Match Content


Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Ramiro Enrique.

New York Red Bulls (3-4-1-2)

Goalkeeper: Carlos Coronel.

Defenders: Alexander Hack, Sean Nealis, Noah Eile.

Wingbacks/Midfielders: Omar Valencia, Daniel Edelman, Peter Stroud, Dylan Nealis.

Attacking Midfielder: Emil Forsberg.

Forwards: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Julian Hall.

Referees

REF: Armando Villarreal.
AR1: Jeremy Kieso.
AR2: Meghan Mullen.
4TH: Lorenzo Hernandez.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Robert Schaap.


How to Watch

Match Time: 2:30 p.m.

Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium — Harrison, NJ.

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC). You can also catch our live updates on Bluesky (@TheManeLand.bsky.social).


Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls

Find out what you need to know about this year’s Red Bulls squad, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

An Orlando City game is just over the horizon, and that means the Lions will have a chance to bounce back from a disappointing loss on the road against New York City FC on Matchday 3. Up next is another away match — this time against the New York Red Bulls.

A showdown with the Red Bulls means that I caught up with Mark Fishkin, host of the excellent Seeing Red Podcast. As always, Mark was very helpful in bringing us up to speed on everything we need to know about the Red Bulls.

Take me through New York’s off-season transfer business. Where do you feel this roster stands compared to the one that made the MLS Cup final last year?

Mark Fishkin: New York restocked the attack by bringing in 35-year-old former Bayern striker Erik-Maxim Choupo-Moting and 20-year-old Polish second-division player Wiktor Bogacz, though the latter has yet to play due to injury. Experienced central defender Alexander Hack, who played under coach Sandro Schwarz at Mainz, joined as well. John Tolkin was sold to Holstein Kiel in Germany, and Dante Vanzeir returned to Belgium. Elias Manoel was traded to Real Salt Lake. So far, the team has scored just twice in three matches but has conceded only once, continuing the strong defensive play that served the Red Bulls so well during last season’s playoff run.

Bearing those moves in mind, have there been any changes to the way New York wants to play, or has the team’s identity remained the same?

MF: New York’s principles of play have remained the same…turn over the opponent in their defensive half, and get to goal. Under Schwarz, though, the Red Bulls are much more comfortable holding possession. New York has switched full-time to a three-man back line and usually drive the ball forward through the wings. There isn’t a ton of speed up front with this season’s squad, especially now that Lewis Morgan is out for six weeks after knee surgery.

Obviously it’s very early in the season, but what are your expectations for New York this year? What will be considered a successful season?

MF: The baseline expectation is that New York will extend their long playoff streak for the 16th straight season. After that, who knows? The playoffs are such a crapshoot as the Red Bulls proved last season, advancing to MLS Cup as the seventh seed. Fans don’t want to take a step backwards, but they understand how hard the playoffs are to predict. Coach Schwarz has said that the team will push for deep runs in the U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

MF: The Red Bulls will be without the aforementioned Morgan, as well as right wing Cam Harper, who is recovering from a knee injury. There are quite a few depth players sidelined as well.

The New York lineup could be (3-4-1-2): Carlos Coronel; Alexander Hack, Sean Nealis, Noah Eile; Omar Valencia, Daniel Edelman, Peter Stroud, Dylan Nealis, Emil Forsberg; Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Mohammed Sofo.

The Red Bulls put on a defensive masterclass in Atlanta last week. Orlando scores and concedes a ton. New York does neither. I can see a 1-1 draw.


Thank you to Mark for the excellent primer on this year’s Red Bulls team. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/14/25

Orlando Pride face the Chicago Stars tonight, 2025 NWSL season set to kick off, San Diego FC’s plan to stop discriminatory chant, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! The Orlando Pride’s season starts today to kick off another three straight days of Orlando soccer. Orlando City is in action on Saturday, and then we have Orlando City B to enjoy on Sunday. Before we jump into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Executive OCSC Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi!

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Stars FC Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s first game of the 2025 NWSL season is finally here, with the team set to begin its title defense at home tonight at 8 p.m. against the Chicago Stars. Before the match, the club will raise banners to celebrate a historic season last year that included winning the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. It’s an unfamiliar position for the Pride to start a season from, as the club has undergone quite the transformation in both culture and expectations in recent years.

“It’s going to be such a special moment,” defender and vice-captain Kylie Nadaner said. “I got here when things weren’t great in this club, and there were times where I don’t think that I would ever have predicted that this would be possible. So when that banner is raised, it’s going to be such a special moment, and to see this star on our chest—every time I see it, I’m just so proud and honored to be a part of it.”

The Pride’s season will start with a matchup against a Chicago team they eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs. The Stars won’t be the only team with revenge on their mind when facing the Pride, and Orlando will have to navigate the season with a large target on its back. It’s still a bit surreal to acknowledge that considering where this club was only a few years ago.

2025 NWSL Season Kicks Off Tonight

Tonight’s matches are just the first in what should be an exciting start to the NWSL season across the country. While most of us will likely be watching the Pride, the Washington Spirit are also in action at 8 p.m. tonight when they face the Houston Dash. Saturday’s slate features four games with staggered start times for a nice day of soccer, including an intriguing late match pitting NJ/NY Gotham FC against the Seattle Reign. The weekend wraps up on Sunday night with a Cali clash between Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave. If in need of a refresher on each team after a busy off-season, ESPN provided a nice guide heading into this season.

San Diego FC Launches Plan to Stop Anti-Gay Chant

After the use of a homophobic chant in its inaugural home game earlier this month, San Diego FC has announced a plan for addressing it. Starting as soon as Saturday’s home game against the Columbus Crew, there will be increased communication to fans reinforcing that the chant has no place at the stadium. There will be increased security measures as well, with the plan noting that offenders will be identified and ejected. FIFA’s protocol to abandon the match if the behavior persists is also part of the club’s announced plan. Hopefully this all will help nip the problem in the bud.

Europa League Quarterfinals Are Set

Only eight teams remain in this year’s Europa League after some exciting round of 16 matchups. A hat trick by Bruno Fernandes lifted Manchester United to a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, while fellow English club Tottenham also advanced after a 3-1 home victory against AZ Alkmaar. As for the Italian clubs, an early red card to Mats Hummels doomed AS Roma in its 3-1 loss to Athletic Club and Lazio’s 1-1 draw with Viktoria Plzen was enough to advance. Fenerbahce beat Rangers 2-0, but Rangers ultimately came out on top in the penalty shootout.

In the quarterfinals, Manchester United faces a Lyon side that breezed through the round of 16, and Rangers will battle Athletic Club. On the other side of the bracket, Tottenham plays Eintracht Frankfurt and Lazio is matched up against Bodo/Glimt.

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy this look into the Pride’s history of home openers over the past nine years in the NWSL.
  • NWSL players will be able to decrease their yellow card accumulation through good behavior this season.

NEW 2025 NWSL FEATURE: Yellow card accumulation total can be decreased through “Good Behavior Incentives”

Taylor Vincent (@tayvincent6.bsky.social) 2025-03-13T14:41:34.708Z

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!

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