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Orlando City vs. Atlanta United: Final Score 2-0 as Early Season Futility Continues for Lions

Lions remain winless in 2024 after another frustrating result.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It was another frustrating night for Orlando City as the Lions were dumped 2-0 by Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Saba Lobjanidze and Giorgos Giakoumakis did the damage but it could easily have been a far worse final score if not for some big saves from Pedro Gallese and some moments of good emergency defending.

Orlando City (0-3-1, 1 point) has never had a worse start to an MLS season after falling to rival Atlanta (2-1-0, 6 points) on the road.

“Obviously frustrated on not getting a result, but the team that was on the pitch today really had a big effort on the game and a commitment to try to do the best possible way that we planned during the week, so I’m very proud of them,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Obviously, the frustration at this point is probably bigger, but we are professionals and we have to move on.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Kyle Smith. Martin Ojeda, Nico Lodeiro, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ivan Angulo started in a midfield behind forwards Luis Muriel and Duncan McGuire.

Atlanta pressed and looked to push the pace early, with the Lions coming in on short rest and having traveled to Mexico for a midweek match. Xande Silva fired a shot over the bar early and the Lions struggled to match the hosts’ energy in the game’s early moments.

Muriel managed to free himself for a blast from outside the area in the sixth minute but Brad Guzan tipped it over the bar. Two minutes later, Santos sent in a cross/shot that caught the crossbar. The Lions paid for that near miss seconds later.

Lobjanidze opened the scoring in the ninth minute as Atlanta unlocked the Orlando defense, which was caught out and rotated to the right. Giakoumakis sent a ball in front with the outside of his boot, putting the Lobjanidze behind Santos and in alone on Gallese. The Peruvian kept his near post covered, but Lobjanidze had a lot of net to shoot at on the far side and slotted it in to put the hosts up early.

That was a problem throughout the first half. The defense got caught multiple times with far too much space to defend.

Ojeda tried to get the Lions level in the 19th minute, trying a near-post shot from the left. Guzan was able to get down and keep it out. The Lions played the ensuing corner short and Angulo floated a perfect back-post cross, but none of his teammates made that run.

Brekalo and Jansson each made key defensive plays to deny Atlanta an easy second goal, but the hosts were bypassing the 4-4-2 midfield easily. Giakoumakis sent an off-balance shot well over the bar from the top of the box in the 34th minute as Atlanta kept coming. Jansson made another huge defensive play in the 38th to stop Brooks Lennon.

Atlanta did pretty much what it wanted on set pieces, easily winning free headers in front of goal. Derrick Williams’ free header was tipped over the bar in the 39th minute and another big stop on Williams on the next corner didn’t count as the defender was called for a foul after climbing over Santos to get to the ball.

Muriel had another good look in the 42nd minute but again Guzan got down to make the save. Thorhallsson tried to cross it back into the area but it was blocked behind for a corner. Muriel then tried a shot with his weaker foot a minute later but it was well off target.

The half ended with an enormous double save by Gallese off another corner, as El Pulpo was able to deny Atlanta twice.

The Lions ended up settling in and keeping more possession in the first half (51.5%-48.5%) and even passed more accurately (90.3%-88%), despite some bad wayward back passes in the defensive third. Atlanta attempted more shots (8-5), with each team getting three shots on target and earning three corners.

Giakoumakis went for glory from long distance just after the restart, but it was an easy bouncer for Gallese to handle.

Moments later, Angulo sent a tantalizing ball through the box that was just inches out of McGuire’s reach.

“It’s definitely frustrating when you have the ball in the opponent’s half that much, and especially in the final third, and not being able to put the final touches on the ball is definitely very frustrating for myself as a striker and for the rest of the guys,” McGuire said. “But knowing that we’ve had that much possession in their half is a good sign, I would say.”

The next 15 minutes were mostly controlled by Orlando City, but the final ball just wouldn’t come off due to a heavy touch, a deflection, or simply a failure to shoot in one case — as Thorhallsson opted instead to lay off a weak pass that was taken away.

In the 62nd minute, Gallese did well to deny Silva with a key save. The Lions then squandered a corner kick won by McGuire and Santos was forced to do some emergency defending to prevent Caleb Wiley from getting a breakaway on the counter. Set pieces were an issue on both ends, as the Lions failed to defend them well and practically none of their own crosses fell anywhere near a friendly face.

Despite there being plenty of time left, Giakoumakis basically put the game away in the 71st minute. Another scramble in the defensive end in transition started with Santos getting beaten by Lobjanidze. Santos then compounded the issue by slipping and leaving too much space for his teammates to cover. Giakoumakis stayed near the top of the box and the ball found him. He fired a shot off the crossbar and in to make it 2-0.

Maybe the only nice moment of the match for Orlando fans came in the 81st minute when Jeorgio Kocevski made his MLS debut. That good feeling was short-lived, however, as Giakoumakis fired over the bar on a dangerous chance seconds later.

Lodeiro had a good look at goal in the 83rd minute off a give-and-go, but he fired his shot over the bar. After another overcooked cross from Angulo — from the right side this time — Kocevski nearly caught a break in the 87th minute, when a ball into the box caromed to him with Guzan out of position. The rookie had to swing high for the ball and caught an Atlanta defender, ending the play in a foul given instead of a debut goal.

Orlando finally found a purple shirt on a corner kick early in stoppage time, but the ball hit off of Smith and bundled wide. Moments later, substitute Michael Halliday had a free run at a back-post cross but he muffed the chance badly and sent it well wide. Angulo sent a late shot into the outside netting from the right and that was that.

The Lions finished with the advantage in possession (54.1%-45.9%), passing accuracy (90.3%-87.9%), and corners (8-5), while Atlanta had more shots (12-11) and shots on target (6-3).

“I’d say we’re obviously disappointed,” McGuire said. “And I feel like it hurts the most, because I feel like we can see ourselves playing the way that we want to play, and just the results aren’t falling our way.”

“There is a bunch of things that we saw today that just left us with the taste that we can bounce back,” Pareja said. “The boys gave 110 percent effort. I saw a lot of good things today. At this point we’re not getting results but what I saw today on the pitch is way different and I’m very optimistic.”

The Lions get their first normal work week in a while as they will prepare to host Austin FC on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. to start a two-game homestand.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/25

The Orlando Pride drop, OCSC Academy awards, USMNT characters, and more.

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20 hours ago

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April 23, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. This weekend we have the most convenient schedule, with the Orlando Pride playing Friday night, Orlando City on Saturday night, and Orlando City B on Sunday night. It’s nice knowing what I’ll be doing each night. Now, I just need all three teams to get back on the winning side of things. Until then, let’s get to the links.

Bad Pride, Good Pride

It might have been the dumbest way to lose a match against the Washington Spirit, but — actually nevermind, there is no “but” about it. We can, however, decide to move forward rather than dwell on it after today. Unsurprisingly, the Pride dropped in the all-knowing power rankings. All for XI only dropped the Pride one spot to No. 2 since everyone has a bad day now and again. The CBS power ranking dropped the team to No. 3. That was the “bad.” The “good” is that we can revisit the puppies that showed up at Inter&Co Stadium. The loss still hurts, but it’s hard to stay mad after looking at the puppies.

The (OCSC) Academy Awards

Assuming you read Lion Links on Monday morning (or listened to The Mane Land PawedCast this week) you know that the Orlando City SC Academy U-18 team won the Generation Adidas Cup. Now we know that three of the very young Lions — Gustavo Caraballo, Jackson Platts, and Justin Ellis — were named to the U18 Best XI. Additionally, Caraballo and Ellis earned MVP and Top Scorer awards, respectively. It was truly the bright spot of an otherwise forgettable weekend.

Pochettino Prepares

The USMNT did not do well in the Concacaf Nations League, falling to Panama and then Canada in the third place match. Now, U.S. Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino has to prepare the team for the Gold Cup. Pochettino said that he needs the “right characters” on the squad, whether they are the most talented or not. He also spoke of the need for the players to fight for the badge and the flag. Former USMNT coach Bruce Arena said Pochettino may not be the right man for the job because he’s not an American. The USMNT’s next matches are friendlies against Turkiye and Switzerland on June 7 and June 10, respectively.

MLS Transfer News

The Columbus Crew are making moves. The club received $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a 2025 international roster slot. The club then sent DeJuan Jones to the San Jose Earthquakes for $425,000 in GAM and a 2025 international roster slot. Elsewhere, Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the full slate of matches coming up.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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April 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

Published

3 days ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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