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Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Final Score 2-2 as Lions’ Transition Defense Fails in Road Draw

For the second straight week, the Lions fell behind twice only to fight back. However, there was no winner this time..

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City came from behind twice for the second consecutive road game. However, this time, there was no late winner in a 2-2 draw against CF Montreal at Stade Saputo in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The teams split the points in both meetings this season, although at least there were goals in this one.

Facundo Torres and Ivan Angulo scored for Orlando (2-3-3, 9 points), offsetting strikes by Mason Toye and Ariel Lassiter of Montreal (3-3-2, 11 points). The Lions are unbeaten in four straight games (2-0-2), although the play of the defense continues to be puzzlingly poor. Orlando conceded multiple goals for the fourth consecutive road match, including another early one.

“We’re happy with the performance and tying the game at the end seems like it could be a good result, but we were eager to win it at the end as well, and we could have walked out with three points against a good team,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “But the game itself was very competitive. I thought we played an excellent first half but we could maybe be clearer in those last actions there, but we really played well. The second half, they got some momentum from (when) they got the goal (late), but after that, I think we dominated the game.”

Pareja’s lineup had only one change from the starting XI that defeated D.C. United a week ago. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena took their usual spots in the defensive midfield behind an attacking line of Angulo, Nico Lodeiro (in for Martin Ojeda), and Torres, with Luis Muriel up top.

Both teams started the match probing the other’s defenses, so much of the play early was between the penalty boxes. Jansson was booked early for something early in the match while looking to restart play after an infraction on Montreal, which seemed to surprise the Swede.

The opening goal came out of nowhere on the first real chance for either side. Montreal’s Samuel Piette was in his own half of the field, but wasn’t closed down. Toye timed his run well and roasted the Orlando City back line, which was caught sleeping. Toye took down the pass from Piette, rounded Gallese, who had come off of his line, and slammed the ball into the empty net from the left. It was the kind of sleepy play from the defense that has been on display since the season started, and it bit the Lions again, putting Montreal on top just 16 minutes in.

Orlando City pulled the goal right back with some help from Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. Lodeiro slipped the ball into the area for Muriel, who arrived at the ball at the same time as Sirois. The Montreal goalkeeper appeared to get a touch to the ball but then got a lot of Muriel in the 19th minute, and referee Jon Freemon wasted no time pointing to the spot. The play was checked and the penalty call was upheld.

Torres sent Sirois the wrong way and blasted the ball into the upper left corner of the net to make it 1-1 in the 22nd minute.

Torres’ goal was the first by an Orlando City Designated Player in 2024, although it was from the penalty spot.

Thorhallsson had an opportunity to put the Lions ahead a minute after the penalty conversion on a ball into the box that ricocheted into his feet. The Icelandic fullback, however, could not find the handle and lost control of the ball right in front of goal. A minute after that chance, Muriel came close to scoring his first MLS goal from the top of the area, sending his shot just wide of the upper left corner.

Montreal defender George Campbell wasn’t closed down from long range in the 29th minute, so he had a hit. Campbell’s shot didn’t miss by much, but it was always high and buzzed the back of the top of the net on the way down.

Smith had a golden opportunity in the 41st minute, getting into the left side of the box. But the fullback hit his shot/cross just wide of the far post and out of play. Orlando had a few set piece opportunities in the later stages of the second half but could do nothing with them.

Similarly, Montreal had a free kick in a dangerous spot, courtesy of an unnecessary foul by Cartagena. Choiniere went for goal or the back post in the 45th minute, but either way it was comfortable for Gallese to stop.

Orlando got a bit sloppy with the ball late in the half, allowing Montreal to get a lot of late possession, but little came of it. The last chance of the half fell to Torres from long range, but the Uruguayan hit his shot poorly and sent it soaring high over the goal.

The teams went to the break all tied up at 1-1. Orlando’s biggest problem in the first half, aside from falling asleep to allow the opening goal, was getting into promising situations and then delivering passes either slighly off line or too close to a defender to easily knock away.

Montreal held a slight edge in possession (50.3%-49.7%), passed more accurately (84.2%-82.3%), and put more of its shots on target (2-1). Orlando City attempted more shots (4-3), and won more corners (2-0).

The hosts held possession for most of the first four minutes of the second half. Montreal played direct more out of the break and nearly created something just seconds after the restart. Smith had to be sharp to knock away a dangerous cross from the left in the 46th minute.

Thorhallsson nearly found Angulo on Orlando’s first attack of the half in the 50th minute. The fullback sent a ball to the top of the six but Sirois got there just ahead of Angulo to smother the chance.

Montreal then attacked quickly and got in behind down the left. Gallese made a vital save with his left hand to deny Lassiter at the other end.

Lodeiro nearly picked out Thorhallsson with a dangerous cross in the 52nd minute but the defense arrived just in time to knock it behind for a corner. The Lions took the corner short and made a complete mess of it.

Jansson provided a vital block in front in the 55th minute to deny a cross getting in to Toye after Thorhallsson lost track of Raheem Edwards on the wing. The corner was headed away by Jansson. Edwards gathered and fired from distance but his shot was well wide of the left post.

Muriel conceded a set piece in the 59th minute, dropping back to help when Orlando was struggling to break out of its own end. The ball in was knocked away by Gallese, but he needed a visit from the trainers at the next play stoppage. The Peruvian was able to continue, and Muriel was subbed out for Duncan McGuire.

A good ball out of the back sprung McGuire down the left in the 69th minute. The striker picked out Torres crashing into the box but the Uruguayan’s shot was blocked by Joaquin Sosa.

Montreal appeared to score the late game-winning goal in the 88th minute and once again it was a direct play that sliced the Orlando defense open. A diagonal ball somehow got through Brekalo, who seemed to have it measured. Instead, it ended up on the foot of substitute Sunusi Ibrahim, who curled back to the top of the area and fired a shot. Gallese got down to parry it away but Smith got caught ball watching and did not have Lassiter marked, allowing him to swoop in and score an easy goal. Montreal led 2-1 with just two minutes remaining in normal time.

“We are trying to have more cohesiveness with the players that are starting or playing the game,” Pareja said of his defense. “Our lines have to be better. Conceding early goals or conceding goals especially in the first half for us is something we need to resolve and we need to figure it out. How can we be more solid? Not just a defender’s problem. It’s a collective problem. We all have to be in charge.”

It didn’t look like Orlando’s night when McGuire missed the net moments later. Off a set piece, the ball was headed by Jansson to his right, where McGuire volleyed it out of the air. His shot looked to be headed inside the top left corner but he missed the net wide by inches in the 90th minute.

No matter though. The Lions scored two minutes into stoppage time instead. McGuire played the ball out to Ojeda on the left and the Argentine drove toward the end line and sent a cross into the area in front of Sirois. Angulo won the race to the ball and put it in the net, scoring his first league goal of the season and tying the game in the 92nd minute.

“I saw ‘Tincho’ bringing it up into space on the left wing,” Angulo said through a club interpreter. “He found himself in a good spot and I saw a space that I could attack. I was able to attack the space right behind the fullback, and thankfully Tincho was able to get me the ball, and all I had to do was to push it in to get that tying goal,”

“The good news is that we are scoring now, that we are overcoming difficult moments, and the forwards are stepping up as well,” Pareja said.

The Lions nearly pulled off a mirror image of that goal five minutes later. Ojeda again got to the end line on the left and sent in a cross toward Angulo. This time the cross was just inches out of Angulo’s reach and skipped through the box.

Orlando ended the game with a series of corner kicks, but could not score on the set pieces and the game ended deadlocked.

Montreal’s stronger second half was reflected on the stats sheet. The hosts held the advantage in possession (53.5%-46.5%), shots (10-8), shots on target (5-2), and passing accuracy (84.6%-81.6%). The Lions won more corners (8-1).

“It was very tough game, very disputed game,” Angulo said. “A bunch of running. The way they like to play, they love to attack through the wings, so there was a lot there. But I feel like we rose to the level of the game. The way we played, we probably deserved three points, but happy to walk out of here with a point tonight.”

“After we have our results at home and we come out to this journey to go two games away against rivals who are direct and difficult rivals, and now we get these four points, just leaves us with the feeling that we are much more like us,” Pareja said. “The team is raising the confidence and everybody’s raising the level, and now we have two games at home where we have a big responsibility to keep adding and keep getting closer to the (top) of the standings.”

Orlando City returns home to face another Canadian side, as Toronto FC visits Inter&Co Stadium next Saturday.

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2025 Orlando City Season in Review: Luis Muriel

The Colombian forward showed more quality in his second season in Orlando, but his form faded down the stretch.

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6 hours ago

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November 8, 2025

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Image of Luis Muriel dribbling up the field against Charlotte.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City signed Colombian forward Luis Muriel as a Designated Player on a three-year contract through 2026 on Feb. 15, 2024. Muriel had some growing pains in adjusting to his new surroundings during his first season in Orlando, showing glimpses of the player fans thought the club was getting from Italian Serie A side Atalanta, but never really seizing a starting position with the club or showing enough consistency to be relied upon as an offensive threat.

His five goals and seven assists in 33 appearances (14 starts) during his first year in purple were not exactly the DP-level numbers anyone expected, but he was part of a good Orlando side that finished in the top four in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference semifinal in the playoffs. With a full season in the league behind him, it was reasonable to expect more from the crafty attacking player in his sophomore season in the City Beautiful.

His season started off brightly enough and he seemed to hit his stride in August, when he scored five goals over two matches, but Muriel’s performance tailed off at the end of the season. He was by no means the only Lion who seemed to run out of steam in the final two months of the year, but the drop-off in his scoring was partly responsible for Orlando’s tumble from fourth to ninth in the final standings.

Let’s take a look back at Muriel’s second season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Muriel played in all four of the Lions’ competitions in 2025. He again appeared in 33 of Orlando City’s 34 regular-season games, but he started 25 times during his second year as a Lion, nearly doubling his total from the previous season, and played a total of 2,114 minutes — an increase of 532 minutes year over year. The 34-year-old scored nine goals and added nine assists. It was reasonable to expect double digits in both columns as he entered September needing just one goal and three assists to reach those totals, but he notched only two assists without a goal after Aug. 23. Muriel completed 72% of his 653 passes in 2025 — a surprising drop from his 81% passing in 2024 on three fewer attempts (despite playing 500+ more minutes), but he increased his number of key passes from 37 a year ago to 42 in 2025, with 13 successful crosses and 14 completed long balls. Defensively, Muriel chipped in 32 tackles, four interceptions, and a blocked shot. He committed 26 fouls, suffered 22, received one yellow card and was sent off once with a straight red.

The veteran attacker came off the bench in Orlando City’s playoff match against the Chicago Fire, playing 21 minutes without a goal contribution, a key pass, or a shot attempt, completing 71% of his 14 passes, although he was accurate on his one long ball. Muriel did not record any defensive stats in the match, did not commit a foul, and was not fouled or booked.

In the club’s U.S. Open Cup run, Muriel appeared in one match off the bench — the Lions’ 3-2 home loss to Nashville on May 21 — playing 29 minutes. He did not contribute to a goal, creating one scoring chance on 64% passing (7/11) with an accurate cross on his lone attempt. On the defensive end, Muriel contributed two clearances. He committed one foul and drew one on Nashville and was not booked in the match.

Muriel made appearances in all six of Orlando City’s 2025 Leagues Cup matches, starting the last four and playing 310 minutes in the competition. He scored three goals and added one assist in the Lions’ Leagues Cup run, putting five of his seven shots on frame. Muriel completed 71.7% of his 99 passes in the tournament with six key passes and one successful cross on three attempts. Defensively, he contributed seven tackles, three clearances, and one block. Muriel committed two fouls, suffered one, and was not booked in the competition.

Best Game

It’s hard not to select Muriel’s first-half hat trick in Orlando City’s 5-1 Leagues Cup win over Necaxa on Aug. 6. It was just the fourth hat trick in the club’s MLS era, joining Martin Ojeda’s from earlier in the season and the two Cyle Larin scored in 2015. However, that was a comfortable win for the Lions and it’s likely Orlando would have won big with a different player in that spot.

Where I think Muriel made a difference in the outcome of the match was his next appearance for the club, City’s 4-1 home win over Inter Miami on Aug. 10. Muriel picked up where he left off against Necaxa, scoring just two minutes into the match on his way to a brace, adding an assist as the Lions swept their Tropic Thunder rivals from South Florida. His first goal of the game was one of Orlando’s best team goals of the season, with Muriel taking a pass from Alex Freeman that Ojeda allowed to go through his legs. Muriel and Ojeda then worked a beautifully timed give-and-go before the Colombian held off a defender and slotted past Oscar Ustari to open the scoring.

After Miami had tied the game, Muriel untied it in the 50th minute. Accepting a short corner from Ojeda, Muriel made a sweet move at the end line to get around a well-positioned defender and then fired a shot from a tight angle that Ustari couldn’t handle, restoring Orlando’s lead.

After scoring Orlando’s first two goals himself, Muriel turned playmaker on the third, sending Ojeda down the right side. Ojeda used his defender as a screen and blasted a shot just inside the near post to make it 3-1.

Muriel came within inches of scoring hat tricks in consecutive games, and the one that didn’t go in would have been a dandy. The Colombian volleyed a poor Ustari clearance toward goal from near midfield in the 20th minute. The shot sliced to the right and hit off the post, denying him consecutive hat tricks. However, it was still his best overall performance of the season. He put four of his five shots on target — his only off-target attempt hitting the post — passed at an 81.3%, created three scoring chances for his teammates, and finished with goal contributions on three of Orlando’s four against the team’s most bitter rival. For his efforts, our Sean Rollins correctly named him Man of the Match in our Player Grades post for the game.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded Muriel a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for his 2025 season. This is half a point higher than his 2024 rating of 6. There’s no doubt that Muriel took a step forward in 2025, and he was a dominant player a few times. In August, he was playing his best soccer and it looked like Orlando City might even make a run at the Supporters’ Shield. However, like a few others, Muriel tailed off. Unlike those others, he faded more dramatically down the stretch, earning just a 4.5 rating in three of his last six matches of the year. While the back-to-back games in which he totaled five goals and an assist was perhaps an unsustainable level of form, he largely lived up to the expectations that come with his Designated Player tag up to that point in the season. After August, he hardly played at the level one might expect of a TAM player. Again, he wasn’t the only one who slipped in form, but the team didn’t look as dangerous with him as it did without him over the final six weeks of the season, which prevented a higher grade.

2026 Outlook

Muriel is under contract for one more season, but it might be in the club’s best interests to try to transfer him out before that deal expires. At 34, Muriel’s best years are behind him, and although he was downright lethal at times in 2025, Orlando City might better be served by freeing up that Designated Player slot and using it on someone who can more consistently provide the game-changing plays that the club needs from its DPs. Ojeda and Marco Pasalic (if the latter doesn’t transfer out with reported interest from the Bundesliga) both scored more goals than Muriel and lived up to DP expectations more consistently despite making far less money than Muriel’s $2.5 million base salary and $4 million guaranteed total compensation.

He showed what he can do when he’s at his best, and when he’s at that level, he’s worth being the club’s most expensive player. But if Muriel returns for 2026, the Lions will need him to maintain his form and his consistency during the critical final weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. Otherwise, that is money that could be better spent.

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2025 Orlando City Season in Review: Duncan McGuire

The MLS SuperDraft pick was limited by injuries during his third year in purple.

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1 day ago

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November 7, 2025

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Image of Duncan McGuire celebrating his winning goal against Nashville SC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City chose Duncan McGuire with the sixth overall selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He then spent his rookie year locking down the starting striker position and played well enough to get a contract offer from Blackburn Rovers, only for the deal to never materialize due to some issues with the paperwork.

Blackburn’s loss was Orlando City’s gain during the 2024 season, as McGuire contributed 10 goals and three assists to the cause, and earned a new contract in the process. He suffered a shoulder injury in the playoffs that required off-season surgery, meaning that he started the 2025 season on the sidelines as he worked his way back to full fitness. Unfortunately, he then had another shoulder surgery in June of this year, which kept him out until late August.

Let’s take a look at Big Dunc’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

McGuire made 18 regular-season appearances for Orlando in 2025, with six of them coming as a starter, and accumulated 726 minutes on the field. That limited time in action meant that his numbers took an understandable dip, and he finished with three goals and two assists. He attempted 19 shots and put five of them on target. The big striker passed the ball with 72% accuracy while completing 19 key passes, one cross, and one long ball. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and 13 clearances. He also committed eight fouls while suffering 12 and picked up one yellow card.

McGuire started the wild card game up top alongside Martin Ojeda in a 4-4-2, and went the full 90 minutes. He took one shot, which he put on target, and passed the ball with 75% accuracy while also completing one key pass. Defensively, he contributed one clearance and drew one foul.

He appeared in both of Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup matches as a substitute, compiling 51 minutes on the field. He scored one goal, which came in the 5-0 rout of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and took two shots (one on target). He contributed one interception and passed with 94.5% accuracy. McGuire committed one foul and was not booked.

The striker made two substitute appearances in Orlando’s Leagues Cup campaign and totaled 23 minutes of action. He took one shot, which was off target, and provided a key pass while distributing the ball with 83.5% accuracy. He contributed one clearance but did not record any other defensive stats.

Best Game

McGuire got his first league goal of the season in a 1-0 home win over the Portland Timbers on May 24. The big forward started up top alongside Luis Muriel and was withdrawn in the 67th minute after smashing a 39th-minute game winner past Maxime Crepeau with authority.

Aside from the goal, McGuire took two shots on the night (one on target), completed one dribble, and passed with 77.8% accuracy while delivering a key pass. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and one clearance.

That performance earned him a grade of 7.5 out of 10 from our Nic Josey in his Player Grades piece, and he narrowly missed out on the Man of the Match award to Eduard Atuesta, who also earned a score of 7.5.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded McGuire a composite grade of 6 out of 10 for the 2025 season, which is a point lower than he earned in 2024, and a point-and-a-half lower than 2023. That being said, context is very important here, as McGuire played almost 900 fewer regular-season minutes than he did in the Lions’ previous campaign. While some of that can be attributed to Luis Muriel keeping him out of the team during a hot start to the campaign, the two months he spent recovering from injury are an extenuating circumstance that can and should be considered.

2026 Outlook

We know that McGuire is under contract with the club through the 2027 season, so barring a sale or trade, he will be in an Orlando City uniform next season. As things currently stand, the striker position isn’t very deep following the departure of Ramiro Enrique, and it could get even shallower if the front office decides to move on from Muriel. The club will presumably target attacking help during the off-season, but McGuire is a known quantity to Oscar Pareja and has shown himself to be capable of scoring goals across multiple seasons, so he figures to have a role to play in the team’s plans at striker.

The biggest question with Duncan right now is whether or not he can stay healthy. Having labral repairs in both shoulders inside a calendar year isn’t exactly a common occurrence, but it’s still never good for a guy to spend that much time on the shelf. He’s been able to score when he’s getting consistent minutes on the field, and that’s the key for him next year. Stay healthy and available, and the goals will likely come.

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Lion Links: 11/7/25

Alex Freeman called up, Orlando Pride host Seattle tonight, Pride players nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s 11, and more.

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1 day ago

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November 7, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Not only is it Friday, but it’s also game day! The Orlando Pride’s playoff campaign kicks off tonight and I’m a bundle of nerves and excitement. If you’re headed to the stadium for tonight’s game, make sure to stay warm and hydrated. Have fun too! Let’s get to the links.

Alex Freeman Called Up for Friendlies

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman was one of 25 players called up by United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino for friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay this month. Freeman has made 11 appearances for the USMNT this year, but we’ll see how much action he sees with both Sergino Dest and Joe Scally returning to the fold. Giovanni Reyna is also back with the team, while Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah are a few of the notable omissions. The USMNT will take on Paraguay in Pennsylvania on Nov. 15 before coming to Florida for a friendly against Uruguay in Tampa on Nov. 18.

NWSL Playoffs Kick Off Tonight

The Orlando Pride host the Seattle Reign at 8 p.m. tonight in the first game of this year’s NWSL playoffs. Although the Kansas City Current are the favorites heading into the postseason, any team can make a run at lifting the trophy. The defending champion Pride enter tonight’s game on a five-game unbeaten run with some needed momentum for a tough match against a Reign side that has found results despite struggling to create chances this year. Orlando will need to be at its best this month in order to win it all for the second year in a row.

Pride Players Nominated for FIFA Awards

The Pride’s Barbra Banda, Marta, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse were all nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s 11, which honors the top performers in the world from Aug. 11 of 2024 to Aug. 2 of this year. The Pride had a historic season last year, with Banda, Marta, and Sams all being named to the 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines is nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach as well, while Moorhouse is also nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper. Make sure to vote!

Bradley Carnell Named MLS Coach of the Year

Speaking of awards, Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell was announced as the winner of the 2025 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Award. In Carnell’s first year as head coach, the Union won a club-record 20 games this season and won the Supporters’ Shield. Philadelphia’s defense conceded just 35 goals this season and the team only lost once at home. Carnell garnered 37.78% of the total vote to win the award, with Vancouver Whitecaps Head Coach Jesper Sorensen coming in second with 26.53% and San Diego FC Head Coach Mikey Varas finishing third with 19.82%.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City defender David Brekalo was called up for Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden this month. Slovenia is third in the group and will need a win against Kosovo on Nov. 15 to remain in contention to qualify.

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

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