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Orlando City vs. Minnesota United: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Not Sharp Enough at Either End in Loss

The Lions wasted chances galore and allowed three poor goals at the other end to remain winless in MLS play.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s goal off a routine goal kick deep in stoppage time snapped a 2-2 deadlock and lifted Minnesota United to a 3-2 win over a wasteful Orlando City side in front of an announced crowd of 23,025 at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions (0-1-2, 1 point) got a brace from Duncan McGuire but conceded twice to Teemu Pukki on goalkeeping errors and despite pulling level, allowed the Loons (2-0-1, 7 points) to escape with all of the points.

City created a ton of clear-cut chances throughout the match but repeatedly blew them by either firing them straight at the goalkeeper or missing the target entirely. Even McGuire who scored a goal for the ages to tie the match late, missed a wide-open net on a sitter of a chance.

“(I’m) trying to calm down this point with a game that brought us a lot of emotions, and obviously just dealing with the disappointment of not getting the result,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The volume (of chances) that we had during the game deserved much more than that (result).”

Pareja rotated his lineup a bit from the squad that drew Tigres on Tuesday night. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo was paired with Felipe in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Ramiro Enrique with Duncan McGuire up top. Facundo Torres did not make the matchday squad, as he was questionable with what the club is calling an upper extremity injury.

The Lions wasted no time getting on the scoreboard after being shut out in two straight matches to start the MLS season for the first time. Santos intercepted a pass and carried it up the field before releasing a pass that put McGuire in behind. The big striker slotted home just inside the left post to make it 1-0 just 14 seconds after kickoff, beating Tesho Akindele’s club record of 31 seconds. It also equaled the fifth-fastest goal in MLS history.

Gallese gave the goal back just a few minutes later. Taking a back pass from Santos, the goalkeeper knew Pukki was was charging at him but opted to take a touch before trying to get rid of it. That extra touch allowed Pukki to get close enough to put a foot to it, knocking it down. With Gallese out of his goal, it was an easy play for Pukki to tie the match in the fourth minute.

McGuire nearly scored a second in the 18th minute. Enrique laid off a pass for the striker just in front of foal. McGuire tried to poke it past Dayne St. Clair but didn’t get much on his shot, allowing the Minnesota goalkeeper to make the save.

Two minutes later, Gallese had to be alert to catch a shot from distance by Jeong Sang-Bin.

In the 23rd minute, McGuire got into the box again and St. Clair charged off his line, trying to reach the ball first. McGuire appeared to chip the ball up and the goalkeeper’s foot caught the forward on the follow-through. The ball deflected weakly toward goal, allowing the defense to collect it. Orlando players called for a penalty, and it did look like St. Clair caught McGuire pretty good, but there was no call and at the next stoppage there wasn’t even a delay for a look.

Enrique had a chance to get in on goal in the 26th minute but took too many touches trying to free himself from the defense and lost control of the ball. St. Clair was able to beat him to the loose ball.

Angulo should have had a breakaway three minutes later off a Minnesota corner that was cleared by the defense. With a step on the defense, the speedy Colombian took a wayward touch and that allowed the Loons to dispossess him and prevent a scoring opportunity.

Moments later, Araujo won a free kick and nearly benefitted from it when Ojeda’s cross cleared the goalkeeper on the fly. The midfielder couldn’t get his head on it and bundled it off the ground in front of goal. It popped up and onto the roof of the net.

Two minutes later, Araujo went down without any contact and the trainers came out to look at his knee. The Uruguayan could not continue and was replaced by Wilder Cartagena.

However, while the team was playing with 10 men, Pukki scored again. Picking the ball up near the top left corner of the box, he sent a shot inside the near post and Gallese was too slow to cover it, giving the Loons a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute.

Pukki nearly got his hat trick in the 43rd minute, volleying a cross over the crossbar.

Ojeda had a go with his right foot from the left side but he couldn’t get his shot to curl enough to hit the top right corner in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

The Lions closed the half with two horrible misses from point-blank range. On the first, Thorhallsson sizzled a cross through the six that just needed a touch. Felipe got to it but somehow couldn’t direct it into the gaping net.

A minute later, McGuire laid off a pass for Ojeda near the penalty spot. The Argentine had time to pick out his spot but sent his shot straight at St. Clair, wasting the opportunity.

The whistle blew shortly after the Ojeda miss on a half that should have seen the Lions put about four on the scoreboard.

Orlando City held the halftime edge in possession (51.3%-48.7%), shots (7-6), and passing accuracy (80.2%-79%). Minnesota earne more first-half corners (2-1), while each team put three shots on target. The difference at the break was the two mistakes by Gallese and a few egregious missed chances by Orlando.

Nico Lodeiro replaced Felipe at halftime with the Lions chasing the game.

Moments after the restart, it was Angulo’s turn to fire right at St. Clair from a good position. The Colombian winger took a pass with his back to goal inside the area, turned and fired his shot straight at the goalkeeper. Lodeiro then sent a one-hopper at St. Clair moments later. Enrique finished the hat trick of missed opportunities early in the half when he got to a ball in the box and sent a shot five yards wide of goal in the 54th minute.

Gallese got away with another mistake just before the hour mark. A corner kick cross came straight to him, but the Peruvian opted to punch it away instead of making what appeared to be an easily catchable ball. The Loons were offside on the recycle, nullifying a secondary attack.

Pareja sent Michael Halliday and Luis Muriel into the match for Thorhallsson and Angulo.

The moves came close to paying off immediately. A back-post ball nearly found Halliday in the 60th minute but was just inches out of the fullback’s reach. In the 64th minute, Muriel made a slick move to beat a pair of defenders and sent a cross in for McGuire, who only had to turn it on goal to even the score. Instead, he redirected it inches wide of the left post.

Muriel went for goal on a free kick won by Enrique near the top left corner of the box in the 71st minute, but he couldn’t get any dip on his shot and it sailed well over the bar. Two minutes later, Santos smashed a near-post effort that St. Clair fought off. The ball was gathered by Orlando and sent in for Lodeiro in the box. The Uruguayan redirected the pass but again it skipped wide of goal as the wasted chances continued.

Minnesota nearly put the game to bed in the 80th minute. Halliday stepped up on a ball that he couldn’t get close enough to win in the air and the ball was headed onward. Schlegel tried to shepherd it out of play but Hlongwane abused the Argentine defender, keeping the ball in play, beating Schlegel to it, and then getting in alone on goal. Gallese made the save, knocking it behind for a goal kick.

Three minutes later, McGuire tied the match. Ojeda won a 50/50 ball in the midfield and sprayed it out right to McGuire. With a defender in front of him, McGuire stopped, found a hole, and smashed it inside the far post to tie the game in the 83rd minute. It was McGuire’s second career brace.

“It was a great interchange from Martin and I, switching positions,” McGuire said. “He had his head up and put the ball right where I needed it. I saw the goalie cheating a little bit too hard to the near post, so I saw the back post wide open and let it fly. Luckily, it worked out.”

As the game wound down, Orlando appeared the more likely team to find a winner. Halliday fired off target off a corner kick play in stoppage time, and Cartagena had a half chance moments later. But then the roof caved in on Orlando on a routine play.

St. Clair took a goal kick and Jansson was beaten in the air near midfield. The ball was flicked forward to Tani Oluwaseyi, who then pushed it ahead to Hlongwane, who got in behind Halliday and Schlegel and beat Gallese to make it 3-2 in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

It was a stunning moment in a game that seemed like it would only go the other way or end in a draw at the time.

“We did not match well the first ball,” Pareja said. “And our covering was incorrect. I understand that at that point when you still have a few minutes and you feel the energy and you know that you can win the game, you still have to do your duty and we did not coordinate well. We lost the first ball and the ball got into our right back and center back. We have to have the tools to control that.”

Hlongwane was booked for removing his shirt and stunting in front of The Wall.

Orlando City won a few late corners but couldn’t make them pay off and Mercado blew the full time whistle before the Lions could take a third.

Orlando City dominated the stat sheet, finishing with the advantage in possession (58.9%-41.1%), shots (22-9), shots on target (6-4), corners (9-4), and passing accuracy (80.6%-71.6%).

Cartagena and Minnesota’s Joseph Rosales were both shown red cards after full time following video review by match referee Wilmer Pino Mercado. That means the Lions will be without Cartagena in the next MLS match, and it may be a few days before we get an update on Araujo’s injury. It seems likely Orlando will head to Atlanta without either of its starting defensive midfielders.

“The word that comes to mind is sadness,” Ojeda said. “We created a lot of chances at goal. We scored goals. But at the end of the day, gootball is a game of details, and those details tonight were costly for us.”

Orlando City has another quick turnaround with a trip to Monterrey looming against Tigres on Tuesday night. The next league game is a week from Sunday at Atlanta United.

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Opinion

Orlando City Must Learn from May’s Mistakes

The Lions can learn some valuable lessons from the three losses they suffered in May.

Published

41 minutes ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City hadn’t quite achieved juggernaut status as the Major League Soccer season turned from April to May, but a 12-match unbeaten run in the league is nothing to sniff at, despite there being a healthy number of draws interspersed with the victories. Things turned sour as May drew to a close though, as the Lions lost three of their final four matches of the month and entered a two-week break with a whimper rather than a roar.

Losing is never fun, but in this case those three defeats don’t need to be entirely negative experiences, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned from those three bitter losses that will hold Orlando in good stead if it can implement the proper solutions.

More Squad Rotation

One of the biggest factors in Orlando’s rough finish to May was a lack of squad rotation. Oscar Pareja has always been a coach that likes to find his first-choice XI and stick to it almost religiously. He doesn’t normally tweak his lineups or tactics according to whatever opponent is on the slate, and very much values consistency. In periods of fixture congestion, that tendency can be to Orlando’s detriment, and that was very much the case against both Nashville SC and the Chicago Fire.

After beating Inter Miami 3-0 in an emotional rivalry match on May 18, Pareja made just one change for a U.S. Open Cup match against Nashville SC three days later. Ramiro Enrique slotted in for Luis Muriel up top, but every single other starter from the Miami game also got the nod midweek. With Nashville deploying a heavily rotated lineup mostly filled with backups, the gamble was a simple one: hope that OCSC’s A-team can open up a big first-half lead against Nashville’s B-squad before bringing mass changes in the second half to get guys some rest. Hindsight is, of course, 20/20, but the strategy backfired badly as the Lions lost 3-2. Orlando started well with Marco Pasalic’s 17th-minute strike, but the team faded badly afterwards and gave up a couple of very uncharacteristic goals to lose the game. Lapses in concentration and tired defending cost OCSC the game, and that isn’t something we can normally say about this team.

Then, after losing to Atlanta United 3-2 on May 28 due in no small part to Cesar Araujo’s red card, Pareja made two changes for a match against the Chicago Fire on May 31, with Muriel coming in for Enrique, and the other change being a forced one, as Eduard Atuesta replaced the suspended Araujo. Those starters looked noticeably gassed during the resulting 3-1 loss, and the fatigue manifested itself by players missing chances that would normally be converted or in sloppy, mistake-ridden defending.

May was a packed month with a whopping nine matches in 31 days, and most months won’t be that busy. August is set to be the busiest remaining period of the year with six games in 31 days, although that number could rise higher if the Lions make a run in Leagues Cup. The bottom line is that guys are going to need more rest as the season goes on. If the coaching staff doesn’t trust some of the guys currently available as backups, then they need to dip into the transfer market in one way or another and get some players that they do trust, because if the starting XI gets run ragged during busy periods it’s going to cost Orlando, plain and simple.

Cool Heads Usually Prevail

Orlando City has received three red cards on the season, which is tied for the second-most in the league. Unsurprisingly, the Lions are winless in games in which they’ve had a man sent off, with draws against the New York Red Bulls and CF Montreal and a loss to Atlanta United. The results against the Red Bulls and Atlanta were particularly difficult to swallow, as before going down to 10 men, Orlando had looked on track to get three points in each game.

Araujo’s red card against Atlanta was especially frustrating, as he allowed Mateusz Klich to get under his skin, grabbed him by the throat, and reduced his team to 10 men when OCSC was nursing a 2-1 lead on the road. It was completely unnecessary and was also the sort of thing that Orlando had looked to put in the rearview mirror after keeping its collective composure and not picking up any bookings in the 3-0 road win against Miami, while the Herons picked up four and looked noticeably rattled in the process.

It should go without saying, but the Lions can’t afford to get key players sent off. Six extra points could make a big difference in the standings at the end of the year, and that number could rise even higher if OCSC can’t put its disciplinary issues to rest once and for all.

Focus for the Full 90

There were moments in each of Orlando’s three May losses that the team committed bad defensive lapses or mistakes. Whether it was not playing to the whistle on Nashville’s third goal, Atuesta’s bad turnover against Atlanta, or the Lions collectively allowing Chicago to stroll through midfield to score a third goal, there were plenty of examples of bad breakdowns that were largely absent during the team’s unbeaten run. Can some of that be attributed to tired minds and tired legs? Maybe so — it’s a lot harder to play crisp and focused when the minutes have piled up. Regardless, its something that can’t continue to happen going forward. It’s possible that having more rotation in the squad will help that a lot, but it’s also on the players on the field to stay as mentally sharp as they can when they’re out on the pitch.

Clearly, a recurring theme here is that fresh legs and balanced squad rotation are top of my list of things I want to see change. I’m all for riding the hot hands, but tired legs make for tired minds, and tired minds make mistakes and are easier to rile up. Whether reinforcements come from the bench or an outside source, using more bodies will go a long way towards solving some of the issues that we saw in May’s three losses. All we can do now is wait and see what happens once the team returns from its break. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/6/25

Alex Freeman called up for Concacaf Gold Cup, Orlando Pride get ready for the Houston Dash, Orlando City B plays tonight, and more.

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4 hours ago

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June 6, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! I’ll be spending this weekend celebrating my birthday by beating my friends at mini golf with no mercy but still hope to catch some soccer over the next few days. I’ve also been on a bit of a movie kick and plan on catching Wes Anderson’s new flick at some point soon. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Alex Freeman Called Up For Gold Cup

Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was officially called up by the United States Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. He’s the only Lion who will be at the tournament and is one of seven uncapped USMNT players on the roster. The 20-year-old could receive more playing time than expected, as right back Sergino Dest is not on the roster so that he can recover over the summer. Left back John Tolkin was added to replace Dest, so Freeman has a real shot at making a claim for the position this month. The U.S. will take on Turkey Saturday in the first of two friendlies before its first Gold Cup match against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15.

Orlando Pride Prepares to Host the Houston Dash

With the international break for women’s soccer over, the Orlando Pride return to action Saturday with a home game against the Houston Dash. It should be a great opportunity for the Pride to ease back into the swing of things against a Dash team that’s only scored 10 goals this season. Pride midfielder Ally Lemos spoke on the benefit of being able to rest heading into this match while maintaining a winning mindset from a 3-1 victory on May 23.

Anna Moorhouse Called Up For 2025 Euros

Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was named to England’s final roster for the 2025 UEFA European Women’s Championship. She’s one of three goalkeepers on the squad following Mary Earp’s surprise retirement from international soccer, and she will likely compete with fellow uncapped player Khiara Keating for the backup position behind Hannah Hampton. Moorhouse has started in every game for the Pride this season and was an NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist for her record-breaking season last year. England’s Euro run will begin July 5 against France before other group matches against the Netherlands and Wales.

Orlando City B Takes On Huntsville City FC

The Young Lions are riding high after a 2-1 win over Chattanooga FC and will take that momentum into tonight’s road match against Huntsville City FC. Midfielder Noah Levis scored his first career goal in that home win, with Justin Hylton providing the assist in his OCB debut. Orlando’s offense has been hot and cold this season but has a variety of attacking talent that can create chances in different ways. The Young Lions have only won once on the road, but a win tonight would lift them to third in the Eastern Conference.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA Club World Cup action is coming to the City Beautiful this month and Orlando City legend Kaká spoke on how it’s nice for Orlando to host games.
  • San Diego Wave Head Coach Jonas Eidevall was named NWSL Coach of the Month. The Wave were undefeated in May, winning three of their four matches to climb to second in the league standings.
  • The NWSL will allow intraleague loans for all teams, with the players needing to consent to the move in order for it to happen. Denver and Boston’s expansion teams will have access to potentially over $1 million in Allocation Money starting on July 1 to build their rosters before the 2026 season.
  • Atletico Madrid is reportedly close to signing American midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis.
  • South Korea, Uzbekistan, and Jordan all qualified for the 2026 World Cup, while China was eliminated from contention. Australia beat Japan 1-0 and will qualify so long as it doesn’t lose heavily to Saudi Arabia on June 10.
  • Spain beat France 5-4 in a wild game to reach the UEFA Nations League final against Portugal on Sunday. Lamine Yamal continues to take the world by storm, but a late rally by France nearly completed a comeback.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/5/25

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

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1 day ago

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June 5, 2025

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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!

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