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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Score Twice Late to Win

Duncan McGuire’s stoppage time goal capped a wild comeback win on the road by the Cardiac Cats.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions flipped the script. After suffering numerous sucker punches at the hands of D.C. United over the years, Orlando City (2-3-2, 8 points) finally turned around the narrative, scoring twice late to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win over D.C. United (2-2-4, 10 points) at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, David Brekalo, and Duncan McGuire scored for Orlando, as the “Killer Ds” did enough to offset goals by Christian Benteke and Gabriel Pirani. The goals by Brekalo and McGuire each came after the start of the 82nd minute. The victory snapped a four-game winless streak against D.C. (0-3-1) for Orlando, which picked up its first road win of the 2024 MLS season and, in fact, scored its first three road goals of the league campaign.

“Obviously very happy with the result, and I want to give all the credit to these players that gave everything and understood how to play it, in many ways that we didn’t want to play,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But we tried to match that model of D.C., of playing a long ball and finding those second balls.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Brekalo, and Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, and Martin Ojeda, with Luis Muriel up top.

The first half was an open affair at times and Orlando nearly unlocked D.C.’s defense three minutes in when Muriel made a nice run up the right side. However, his final pass hit the trailing foot of a defender and ruined the chance. Ojeda then scored a minute later but he was correctly flagged for offside after the ball crossed the line. It was a close play, but Ojeda was a half-step behind the last defender.

That was costly, as D.C. then opened the scoring seconds later.

A good attack up the left side ended with a D.C. cross through the penalty area. Smith did well to play safe and knock it behind for a corner. The hosts scored off that corner when Gallese came off his line to track the ball and ran into a D.C. player, going down hard in his area. While referees blow those kinds of plays dead about 95% of the time, Guido Gonzalez, Jr. swallowed his whistle and Benteke’s looping header into a gaping net put D.C. in front in the fifth minute.

United was buoyed by the goal and continued to attack aggressively. Kristian Fletcher missed the net in the eighth minute, and Benteke tried a flying volley on a bouncing cross from Aaron Herrera in the 16th but missed the target. Two minutes later, Gallese stopped a wicked blast from Herrera to keep it at 1-0. Gallese then collected a weak header from Lucas Bartlett on the ensuing corner kick as it appeared the Lions were in for a long night of suffering.

But Orlando settled into the match after the second D.C. corner. A good spell of possession led to a cross from Smith on the left, but the fullback overcooked his attempt and the attack broke down in the 20th minute. Moments later, Muriel chested down a cross into Ojeda’s path, but the Argentine swung right past the ball while it was still in the air, missing it completely from just above the penalty spot. Torres blasted a shot just inches wide of the right post in the 23rd minute as the Lions kept up the pressure, which finally paid off.

Angulo used a burst of speed to free himself on the left and sent a great cross to the back post. Thorhallsson made no mistake, driving his header low and into the net on one hop to make it 1-1 in the 28th minute. It was Orlando’s first road goal of the season.

“When (Angulo) got the ball, I was like “OK, he’s going to try to go past (his defender),” Thorhallsson said of the play. “In the trainings we’ve been trying to get me there (the back post), so he just ran there and put the ball perfectly on my head. There was nothing more that I could have done than just run on the ball, basically, and put it in goal. So, all credit to Ivan and great to get the first goal of the season.”

After a failed D.C. corner kick, the Lions came close again in the 35th minute when Angulo had a shot blocked in front of Alex Bono by the defense. Torres then sent in a dangerous cross that Connor Antley headed out for a corner, but Ojeda sent the set piece cross right at the goalkeeper.

Muriel nearly opened his MLS account with Orlando City in the 38th minute. An outstanding long ball from Ojeda sent Muriel down the right. He collected the ball and fizzed the ball past Bono but Herrera tracked back to block it.

The chippy nature of the match picked up near the end of the half, with four D.C. players and Cartagena getting booked as time wound down. Neither team could create much in the five minutes of stoppage time, although Muriel blasted a shot that buzzed over the crossbar late in added time. The teams went to the break knotted up at 1-1.

Orlando City finished the first half with the advantage in possession (53.2%-46.8%) and passing accuracy (81.9%-78.9%), while D.C. had more shots (9-5), shots on target (3-1), and corners (4-2).

“I thought the first half we played better with the ball and we had some options,” Pareja said.

The second half continued to be a back-and-forth open affair, with both teams creating some havoc.

Muriel nearly played Angulo in behind shortly after the restart but Bono came out of his box quickly and got there just in time to knock it out of play. Torres then made the first of a couple of bad crosses, sending a ball from the left onto the roof of the net with Ojeda breaking open at the back post.

Torres then won a free kick out on the left side. Ojeda sent in a good cross but Brekalo couldn’t quite get his head onto it in the 51st minute. A minute later, Angulo stole the ball in the attacking half, but Torres again overcooked a cross, sending it over everyone from the left.

Bartlett sent a weak shot wide in the 56th minute off a corner kick that appeared to be a goal kick. D.C. then had a mad scramble in front of Gallese. The Peruvian made a vital save on Benteke, but the big striker was offside anyway.

D.C. got back on the front foot and good pressure and more possession helped the host take control of the match for a while. A wild scramble in front of goal in the 58th minute nearly allowed United to take the lead, but Gallese made a vital stop even though the play was ultimately blown dead for offside on Benteke.

The hosts regained the lead in the 66th minute in transition. It looked as though Muriel was pulled back from behind and the Colombian went to ground, but the referee played on and D.C. punished the Lions. With a defender jumping into the play, United ended up with numbers in the attack. A ball off Benteke’s head in the box found the foot of second-half substitute Pirani, who blasted it past a helpless Gallese to make it 2-1 in the 66th minute.

Moments after the second goal, Smith failed to get his body turned properly in front of a bouncing ball passing through the middle. He was intead called for a handball, gifting D.C. a dangerous free kick straight out from goal. Herrera went for goal and his shot cleared the wall but did not dip back under Gallese’s crossbar.

Pareja made three changes at the cusp of the 73rd minute, sending on Nico Lodeiro, McGuire, and Rafael Santos, and withdrawing Cartagena, Ojeda, and Smith. It proved in the end to be a shrewd set of subs.

McGuire quickly won a free kick near the left corner of the box but Orlando City couldn’t do anything with the set piece.

Lodeiro had a go from outside the box in the 82nd minute. His blast from long range had a lot of movement on it and it was on target, forcing Bono to tip it over the crossbar. That led to the equalizer just seconds later.

Lodeiro delivered the corner kick from Orlando’s attacking right (although the stats sheet said it was Torres) and sent a good ball into the area near the top of the six. It appeared that the ball may have glanced off Benteke’s header attempt, skipped off the back of Brekalo’s head, and nestled into the left corner, tying the match at 2-2 in the 82nd minute. It was Brekalo’s first goal with Orlando City.

D.C. nearly pulled the goal right back in the 84th minute. Off a set piece, the ball ended up with Benteke who headed it toward goal. The shot was blocked by Brekalo and fell for Pirani, who smashed a blast into the outside netting from the left side.

Santos tried to pick out McGuire in the front with a cross in the 89th minute, but it was blocked out for a corner kick. The ball was headed in the air and Angulo attacked it at the top of the box but was called for a foul, ending the attack.

D.C. had a dangerous spell of possession near the top of the penalty area just after that set piece, but the goal ended up going the other way. Orlando picked out an attempted through ball and Angulo sent it quickly to Lodeiro. The Uruguayan turned and sent a perfect ball to McGuire, who had kept his foot on the center line and got in behind the defense. The second-year pro dribbled toward the top of the box and blasted a shot just inside the right post, beating Bono and handing Orlando City a late 3-2 lead in the first minute of stoppage time.

“It’s fantastic for us to have such professional players, whether they come in from the start or they come in from the bench, they’re just giving their heart and they’re giving their soul on the pitch,” Pareja said of his subs. “Nico, when he came on with Duncan, they showed us the unity those players had and the intentions that they have just to put this team on the top again. We’re trying to find our best version still, but it was really encouraging for us to see the response of them when they came from the bench. It helped us a lot.”

There was a lengthy check to make sure the initial call on the field was correct, and the video assistant referee upheld the original call. McGuire’s goal was his third against D.C. United in as many meetings. He has scored in each of the three matchups against United since joining Orlando City.

The Lions had to see out a minimum of 11 minutes of added time, which ultimately grew to nearly 15. That’s when Gallese earned his money.

The Peruvian international made a good reaction save in the 93rd minute to deny Pirani. He denied a cannon shot by Herrera from the top of the box in the 99th minute, preserving the lead once again.

Orlando finally ran out the clock on the match and claimed its first road win of the year. The Lions extended their unbeaten streak to three matches (2-0-1).

United led all over the stat sheet in the end, finishing with the advantage in possession (51.6%-48.4%), shots (20-10), shots on target (6-4), corners (7-4), and passing accuracy (77.4%-76.7%). However, the Lions were more clinical, especially late in the match.

“The second half they gave us a little trouble there with D.C.’s style, but we resolved it and then we found our ways to score, which is fantastic for our team at this moment,” Pareja said. “The most important (thing) is the heart the players showed today. They have done it before but not (getting) results, and we’ve had a result that is very important for us in this moment.”

“I would say it’s a great feeling (in the locker room),” Thorhallsson said. “I feel like we needed that to show a little bit of character. When we get concede a goal, I feel like we’ve been a little bit down and we can’t get out of it. And it shows that no matter the circumstances, if we concede a goal, we can still bounce back, and we did that really well.”

The Lions will be continue their road swing next Saturday at Montreal.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

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10 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

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13 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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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: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

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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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