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Orlando City vs. Tigres UANL, Concacaf Champions Cup: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Bounced from Tournament

It was anything but Orlando’s night in Monterrey as the Lions got trounced on the road.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City did not fare as well in its second trip to Estadio Universitario in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico, near Monterrey. Tigres pounced on the Lions early and often, routing Orlando 4-2, despite going a man down for the final 20 minutes at El Volcan. Facundo Torres scored Orlando’s first goal in Mexico and Martin Ojeda added a second one late, but Marcelo Flores, Andre-Pierre Gignac (penalty), Fernando Gorriaran, and Sebastian Cordova all struck for the hosts in a comprehensive win.

Tigres claimed the first victory in the series after the teams drew in their first three meetings and moves on to the quarterfinals of the competition.

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in net behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Wilder Cartagena lined up in central midfield with Felipe behind an attacking midfield line of Ivan Angulo, Nico Lodeiro, and Torres with Luis Muriel up top.

Orlando City got played off the pitch in the early going. Tigres had more energy and gave the Lions fits with their pressure. While the Mexican side was happy to stay back and look for counter chances a week ago, the plan was different at home. Tigres’ fullbacks and central midfielders were much quicker to jump into the attack and the wingers were happy to take on Orlando’s fullbacks. Thorhallsson and Smith struggled with their quickness much of the night, although the former was much better in the second half.

Tigres fired some early warning shots, with a header from the top of the box skipping just wide in the fifth minute and a weak header from Guido Pizarro on a set piece also going wide.

Orlando’s first chance came off a corner kick that pinged around off several heads in the box and fell to Brekalo. The defender stabbed a shot toward goal but hit it straight at goalkeeper Felipe Rodriguez.

A minute later, Tigres took the lead. Thorhallsson allowed Flores to get inside onto his right foot. He unleashed a shot through traffic that Gallese didn’t see at first, and it bounced just in front of the goalkeeper, skipping off the turf and over his outstretched arms and in to make it 1-0.

Things got worse five minutes later. Thorhallsson bumped Flores from behind in the box, and although there wasn’t much in it, referee Ivan Barton pointed to the spot. Gignac sent Gallese the wrong way and made it 2-0 in the 20th minute.

Orlando got a soft penalty of its own two minutes later. Gignac shoved Jansson during a free kick and again Barton pointed to the spot. Facundo Torres blasted an unstoppable penalty past a diving Rodriguez to make it 2-1 in the 24th minute.

Brekalo was stripped of the ball shortly after the restart and Gignac fired a shot just wide at the end of the transition opportunity. Jesús Angulo then fired just wide moments later as Tigres tried to restore momentum. The Lions then took a couple of yellow cards in quick succession as Smith and Lodeiro were cautioned.

Gallese kept the deficit at just one in the 32nd minute with an outstanding stop, however, the goal would not have counted. A free kick conceded by Thorhallsson was sent into the box and flicked on by Tigres center back Samir. It landed in front of goal and Jesús Angulo got to it first. Gallese made himself big and saved the shot, but the flag came up anyway.

That was the last meaningful opportunity for either side in the opening 45 minutes.

Tigres held the statistical advantage in possession (59.9%-40.1%), shots (7-3), and passing accuracy (87.9%-85.3%). Each team put two shots on target.

The early part of the second half consisted of some decent attacks but no clear chances. Orlando should have had a chance in the 56th minute when Muriel did well to find Torres in the box. The Uruguayan tried to dribble past two defenders in the box and was dispossessed when he might have been better served to shoot it with his first touch.

Jansson did well to get in front of a Quinones shot in the 58th minute and then Gallese made a pair of sparkling saves on the ensuing corner that didn’t count because Gignac was offside before either shot.

Thorhallsson tried to lay off a pass for Muriel in the 60th but the pass was a little behind the Colombian and he couldn’t gather it in for a shot.

Gallese stopped a weak Quinones shot in the 62nd minute but Tigres put the game away six minutes later on a play that should never have happened.

Lodeiro turned the ball over with a wayward volley attempt that was unnecessary. He mishit the ball badly and turned it over to Gignac. The Frenchman saw Gorriaran breaking at the far post and Smith wasn’t aware of him in the chaos of the transition break until he was beaten.

Gallese got his hand to the Gorriaran header. It came off his arm and hit the underside of the crossbar and appeared to stay out, but the goal was given. FOX showed only one angle and it wasn’t conclusive, but the goal was given, and Tigres had its two-goal advantage back in the 68th minute.

Orlando caught a potential break four minutes after the goal. Rafael Carioca was sent off for a dangerous challenge when his boot came up and struck Ramiro Enrique in the face. It was a clear red and the Lions had about 20 minutes to make up the two-goal difference.

However, Orlando City was never able to close the gap. Ojeda overcooked a cross to the back post to waste a promising attack in the 75th minute. A minute later, Enrique took a pass at the top of the box that skipped up on him and by the time he tried his shot, Samir had gotten a leg in between his foot and the ball.

The Lions’ chances went from slim to none in the 81st minute after another turnover launched a Tigres counter. Gallese had lost his positioning, straying too far off his line. Sebastian Cordova sent an embarrassing goal over the Peruvian to put an exclamation point on the win for the Mexican club.

After the fourth goal, the Lions fired a couple of shots over the bar and had one deflect over off Samir’s head.

The Lions eventually won a second penalty off a corner that Cartagena headed to Jansson. The defender volleyed his shot off the arm of a defender in front of goal. The penalty was obvious and second-half sub Ojeda sent the keeper the wrong way and made it 4-2 with a consolation goal in the 91st minute.

Tigres had the better looks at goal in the final seven minutes of stoppage time, but no more goals were scored, and Orlando found itself outside the competition with the road loss.

Orlando City closed the gap in the statistical disadvantage, but Tigres finished with the edge in possession (52.9%-47.1%), shots (17-12), shots on goal (8-4), and corners (8-5). The Lions held a slight advantage in passing accuracy (84.5%-83.2%).


Orlando City is out of Champions Cup but returns to MLS action on short rest again as the Lions travel to Georgia to take on Atlanta United on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

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

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

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

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

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

Pride Internationals

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

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

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

FIFA Loves Orlando

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

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

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

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

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

Orlando City B Announces Signings

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

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

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

UEFA Nations League Preview

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

Transfer Rumor Roundup

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

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

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 loss against the Chicago Fire?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City turned one loss into two heading into the international break. The Lions gave up three first-half goals and lost 3-1 at home to the Chicago Fire. A determined but ineffective offense wasn’t able to make up for lapses on the defensive end. The break is about a week late, but perhaps the players can get some rest. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5 — El Pulpo literally had the ball slip through his hands on Philip Zinckernagel’s early goal. The other two goals weren’t on him, but it’s hard to forgive the first howler. He recorded one save and one clearance. It was not a great night from Gallese, but every keeper has one like that occasionally. He had 22 touches, completing 89.5% of his 19 passes and five of his seven long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 6 —Brekalo started at left back as usual, but after Rodrigo Schlegel subbed off he moved inside with Robin Jansson. He was busy in both halves of the pitch as he pressed into the attack when at fullback. He didn’t push forward quite as much after moving to center back, though he did still contribute as Orlando chased the match. He recorded 71 touches, completing 86.2% of his 58 passes. Brekalo also completed four of his five long balls. Like many, he managed one shot, though it wasn’t on target as his effort off a corner kick was blocked. Defensively, he tallied three interceptions and one tackle.

D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The captain let his emotions get the better of him in the first half. He was battling Hugo Cuypers all night, and given Cuypers scored a brace, I can’t say Jansson won the matchup. His frustration resulted in a yellow card in the 45th minute. After the half, he was able to get back on track, though the damage was done. Jansson had 70 touches, completing 100% of his 59 passes. He had one key pass and even took one shot, though it wasn’t on target. Defensively, he recorded three clearances and one tackle.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4.5 — It was not a good night for Schlegel. He lost Cuypers on the second and third Chicago goals, and it’s not recommended to allow the opposition’s best goal scorer to be alone in the box or to get in behind the back line. Defensively, he only contributed two tackles and recorded no interceptions or clearances. He managed 30 touches and completed 88.9% of his 27 passes. Schlegel committed two fouls and received a yellow card in the 49th minute. He was subbed off in the 54th minute for Rafael Santos.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman scored Orlando’s only goal in the 39th minute, putting a header off the corner kick on target and into the back of the net by way of a deflection in front. It was his lone shot on target in two attempts. The right back recorded 77 touches, completing 78.4% of his 51 passes, including five crosses and one key pass. Defensively, he recorded three interceptions, one clearance, and one tackle.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo still doesn’t have a goal in 2025, which isn’t surprising given his one shot on goal was well off target. He wasn’t bad in this match, but he also didn’t play very long, as he only touched the ball 19 times. He got lost defensively on the second Chicago goal as there was poor communication and he strayed inside, leaving Zinckernagel out wide alone for an easy cross to Cuypers. His best moment in the match came after tracking back to help recover the ball in his own end before making an incredible long run deep into the attacking box and backheeling a pass to Luis Muriel, who dropped it to Marco Pasalic for a good scoring chance. Angulo completed all of his 12 passes. He came off at halftime for Ramiro Enrique, but he was one of the few players who appeared to have a lot of jump in his legs in the first half.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 (MotM) — Atuesta showed how important he is to Orlando City club in this match. His vision and ability to connect passes put teammates in dangerous places, even if they couldn’t convert those chances. He continued to make good passes in and around the box trying to get Orlando’s offense going. Atuesta had a team-high 94 touches, completing 89.7% of his 78 passes, including two key passes. He connected on five of his seven long balls and one of his seven crosses. Atuesta attempted two shots, though neither was on target. Defensively, he contibuted one tackle.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet started in place of the suspended Cesar Araujo and continues to have some rookie struggles midway through the season. If he hadn’t been so good earlier in the season, it wouldn’t seem like he’s having difficulty lately. Like others, he got a little bit better as the match went on, though he came off in the 77th minute for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Gerbet had 44 touches, completing 93.8% of his 32 passes, winning one aerial, and recording one key pass. Defensively, he contributed four tackles, and one interception,

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — Pasalic was active if ultimately ineffective in Orlando’s attack with four shots, though he only put one on target. He recorded 63 touches, completing 82.2% of his 45 passes, including two of his four long balls. Pasalic contributed two key passes and connected on one of his five crosses. He took a nasty tumble, hitting the back of his head when he landed, though he was able to continue. He exited in the 88th minute for Gustavo Caraballo.

F, Martín Ojeda, 6.5 — It was Ojeda’s corner kick that found the head of Freeman to give Orlando its only goal. He wasn’t able to contribute a goal in this match, though not for a lack of trying. He took four shots with one on target, led the team with eight key passes, and recorded the assist. Ojeda touched the ball 62 times, completing 90.6% of 32 passes. He was fouled three times, one of which earned a free kick outside the box in the 58th minute. He even contributed on defense with two tackles and an interception.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — On another night Muriel has at least a brace. He took six shots with none on target, though he had a free kick that went into the wall 59th minute, and he hit the crossbar in the 64th. If that ball is two inches lower, Orlando maybe climbs back into the match. He still dribbled into blind alleys and gave the ball away to the opposition, though not as much as in some other matches. He had 65 touches, completing 80% of his 35 passes, including one cross and two key passes.

Substitutes

F, Ramiro Enrique, (45′), 6 — Enrique came on for Angulo to start the second half as the Lions pushed for a comeback. He was fairly accurate, putting two of his four shots on target. One shot in the 62nd minute went right to the keeper, though the other shot was saved it was a very well taken chance on the outside of his right foot as he moved towards the goal. He also made a great tackle in the 86th minute to take the ball back from Jonathan Bamba. He did all of that on only 19 touches, completing 88.9% of his nine passes, including one key pass.

D, Rafael Santos, (54’), 5.5 — With both Schlegel and Jansson on yellow cards, Santos came on to replace Schlegel to allow Brekalo to move inside with Jansson. Perhaps it was because of the desperation with which Orlando City was playing, but it wasn’t too bad of an outing for Santos. He was active on the left side, putting in five crosses, but he completed just one. Santos tried to combine with his teammates while looking to break down the Chicago defense. He had 34 touches, completing 95.8% of his 24 passes. Defensively, he had one clearance.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, (77’), 6 — I feel like Dagur Dan could have started in place of Gerbet rather than subbing on. His motor was obviously better than those that had played more minutes during the month of May. He was persistent in trying to win the ball back when Chicago tried to counter attack. He only managed nine touches, completing 100% of his six passes. His individual effort in stoppage time was a highlight, as he did well to win the ball back and jumpstart the counter, but ultimately Enrique not only strayed offside prior to the pass but also fired his shot off target anyway.

MF, Gustavo Caraballo (88′), N/A — The youngster came on late for Pasalic. He only managed six touches, completing 80% of his five passes. The four he completed were all back passes. He made some runs into the box, but the ball never arrived for him to get a chance.


That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s disappointing 3-1 loss at home against Chicago. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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