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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Win Behind Luis Muriel Brace

Orlando gets two goals from Luis Muriel, another from Duncan McGuire, and three assists from Nico Lodeiro to win in Philly.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Luis Muriel scored his first two MLS goals and Nico Lodeiro assisted on all three Orlando City strikes as the Lions beat the Philadelphia Union 3-2 at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. For Orlando City (3-5-3, 12 points), which also got a goal from Duncan McGuire, it snapped a two-game losing streak and a three-match winless skid, but the Lions had to suffer quite a bit for their points, enduring two penalties, a scary-looking injury to Robin Jansson, an overturned Philadelphia red card, and about 19 minutes of stoppage time in order to beat the Union (3-3-5, 14 points).

Mikael Uhre and Daniel Gazdag (penalty) scored for Philadelphia, but Orlando held on through a nervy finish to claim the points.

“First (I want to) congratulate the players for such an effort today. The bravery that they had and the cooperation that they showed to each other during the game was exceptional,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “Its a very difficult place to come and win, but we’re proud. We really played a very, very good first half, where we created many chances. It’s great for us as well Luis has started scoring. So, many things happened and we’ll keep going. The journey is long.”

Faced with not having starting fullback Rafael Santos and not wanting to rush Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (who was on the bench) back into the fray, Pareja opted to not use anyone who regularly plays fullback in his starting lineup. Michael Halliday wasn’t in the team after picking up a knock late in the week in training.

Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese lined up behind a back line of Jansson, Wilder Cartagena, and David Brekalo. Ivan Angulo and Facundo Torres slotted in at wingbacks on the outside of a midfield that also included Cesar Araujo, Martin Ojeda, and Lodeiro, with Muriel and McGuire up top in a 3-5-2.

“We came here today with a different proposal,” Pareja said of his lineup change. “We extended our line in the back, but not with fullbacks, but with wingers. And I think we put everything that we had on the pitch trying to get the win from the start.”

The Lions started brightly, with a lot of early possession in the attacking third, but the only thing to come from it was Torres hitting the outside of the left post from a tight angle in the fifth minute.

The Union started to get more settled and created a shot on their first real attacking buildup, but Cartagena blocked Jack McGlynn’s effort out for a corner. The Lions dealt with the initial set piece and tried to break on the counterattack, however, Orlando never could gain control of the ball and Philadelphia recycled it into the top of the area before City could regain its shape. Uhre ended up with the ball in the box and slotted home inside the left post to make it 1-0 in the 12th minute.

McGuire was picked out in the box by a great entry ball by Muriel moments later, but the second-year striker was quickly closed down by three defenders. Trying to work his way higher in the box, McGuire went down under contact, but no foul was given and there was no pause for a review on the next stoppage.

Philadelphia should have had a second in the 15th minute, but Gallese robbed Gazdag, who had taken a great layoff from Uhre, who was holding off Cartagena, taking advantage of the midfielder-turned-center back. Gallese did well to keep the deficit at one.

Muriel and Ojeda sent shots over the bar in the 16th and 17th minutes, respectively, as the Lions continued looking dangerous in the attack. That finally paid off in the 21st minute. After playing a corner kick short, the ball was knocked out of the box and recycled to Lodeiro on the left. The midfield maestro got to the end line and sent a great cross into the box. McGuire made a great run to get across his defender and nodded it down and in to make it 1-1 with his fifth league goal of the season.

Muriel conceded a set piece near the touchline in the 22nd minute, giving Philadelphia a chance to get the goal right back, but the Lions cleared the danger and Gallese caught the recycled entry ball to end the threat.

The Union had a great chance in the 29th minute off a short corner. Jose Martinez took the pass and fizzed a laser cross to Bedoya at the top of the six. The veteran midfielder tried to steer it on frame but it had so much pace on it that it deflected out for an Orlando throw.

Philadelphia kept coming. McGlynn sent either a cross or a shot onto the roof of the net in the 33rd minute, and Quinn Sullivan sent a shot just high and just wide right in the 35th. Uhre had a go from a tight angle on the right a minute later but Gallese was well positioned and made the easy save.

The Lions thought they had a penalty in the 40th minute when an entry ball went off Martinez near the edge of his shirt sleeve. Timothy Ford did not call a penalty and on the next stoppage the play was reviewed, but it was close and no obvious error was detected.

No matter. Orlando scored seconds after the review. A bad pass by Martinez was picked off by Angulo, who sent it to Lodeiro. The Uruguayan flicked it to Muriel, who cut inside on his left and sent a rocket shot into the upper left corner for his first MLS goal. The Lions led 2-1 in the 42nd minute.

“It was a situation where we recovered the ball high up the field and really quickly,” Muriel said through a club interpreter. “When I saw Nico making his run, I made sure to just put myself in a good position, and I started to cut inside and just saw an opportunity to hit it. Thankfully, it was a really good strike.”

Again the Union nearly pulled the goal right back as Bedoya nodded a header right at Gallese in the 44th minute, however, the Lions nearly got right back in on goal through McGuire, who was barely beaten to a loose ball in the box by goalkeeper Oliver Semmle to deny a golden chance.

Lodeiro had the last good look for either side in the second minute of first-half stoppage, sending a shot toward goal that deflected just wide by the defense. The halftime whistle came moments later and Orlando held onto a one-goal lead at the break.

Orlando City attempted more shots (9-7) and corners (5-3) in the first half, while Philadelphia finished the opening period with more possession (59.8%-40.2%), shots on target (4-3), and passing accuracy (79.4%-76.9%).

Muriel doubled the lead just after the restart. Lodeiro ended up with the ball at midfield and threaded a through ball up the middle. Muriel timed his run perfectly, put the ball on his right foot, and calmly slipped it past Semmle to make it 3-1 just 20 seconds after the start of the second half. The play underwent a review for offside but was confirmed.

“I was right there in line with the defenders and Nico was able to find me in a great way,” Muriel said. “And so once he put me in on goal, it was easy for me to finish. So, those are two goals that really fill me with confidence today.”

“A very important moment for Luis to come through this way with the team,” Pareja said. “Scoring goals is what he came for and today was a night that he will remember, not just because we won it but he scored those two goals that are very necessary for his confidence, and the whole team as well.”

Philadelphia’s first chance of the half came in the 48th minute, but Jansson was able to block Gazdag’s effort from near the top of the box.

Moments later, at the other end, a good cross from Lodeiro on the left would have fallen for Angulo at the back post if Kai Wagner hadn’t arrived in time to nod it behind for a corner. Brekalo got his head to the ensuing corner cross, but his body was turned sideways from jockeying for position with the defense and he couldn’t steer it on frame.

Sullivan scored in the 54th minute but the flag came up immediately. The Philadelphia attacker and Brekalo were nearly even, but there wasn’t enough evidence for the video assistant referee to overturn the call on the field, and the Lions were spared some blushes from losing an aerial ball in their box that Gazdag knocked down.

McGuire got in behind in the 57th minute and Semmle was caught out of his net. The Orlando striker chipped the ball but it went wide of the left post and the flag came up anyway.

Martinez sent a ball into the Orlando box in the 59th minute but it was close enough to Gallese for him to catch it to end the threat. At this point in the game, the Union were throwing numbers forward and the Lions’ defensive block was getting pushed lower. Another dangerous ball into the box at the hour mark bounced out for a corner off Jansson on a cross in that Orlando didn’t deal with properly.

Pareja made his first substitution before that corner could be taken, sending Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who cleared concussion protocol, onto the pitch for Ojeda, who had a quiet night and was a bit untidy with the ball. Thorhallsson took the right wingback slot, pushing Angulo to the left side and Torres up the pitch into a more advanced position.

On the ensuing corner, Jansson went down as the ball was cleared out and stayed down. He ultimately had to be stretchered off the field and was replaced by Kyle Smith. To make matters worse for Orlando City, the deflected ball changed directions and caught Lodeiro’s hand as he was pulling it in toward his body. Although the ball fell for a half chance for the Union, Ford went to the monitor and deemed it a penalty. Gazdag sent Gallese to his right and scored right down the middle to make it 3-2 in the 66th minute.

It was a tough break for Orlando, as Jansson had been strong up to that point in the match, while Philadelphia was buoyed by pulling within a goal with plenty of time left in the game.

Much of the remainder of the game was spent in Orlando’s half, with the Union trying to play balls in over the top from the wings or work their way into the box from the channels. Lodeiro did well to block a Bedoya cross attempt out for a corner in the 70th minute, and Jakob Glesnes sent his header on the ensuing set piece wide a minute later.

Moments after that, Bedoya passed up a shot to head a cross back to the left post, where Uhre was waiting. The play nearly came off for the Union but Gallese got over and the ball ended up hitting off the woodwork and Uhre and landing on the roof of the net.

The game nearly took a dramatic change in the 74th minute when McGuire was sent in behind and went down due to contact with Damion Lowe. Ford produced a red card immediately for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. However, he then went to the monitor and determined there was no foul because Lowe got a touch on the ball.

Uhre could have tied it in the 78th minute. A direct ball found Uhre over the top and Gallese could probably have gotten to it first but he got caught flatfooted well out of his goal. However, the Peruvian was able to block Uhre’s shot attempt to preserve the lead.

Orlando kept looking to put the game away on the counterattack but simply couldn’t find the final ball. Angulo sped down the left side in the 78th minute but his cross was knocked away by Semmle and the defense cleared. Moments later, Brekalo led the transition break himself, but when the ball got to the Union box, a wayward pass allowed the defense to intercept it and killed the threat.

Glesnes tried his luck from distance in the 80th minute, but his shot was always going wide of the left post.

Orlando’s next counter opportunity in the 84th minute ended when a cross into the box to Lodeiro bounced high and the Uruguayan could only get under his half-volley shot, sending it high.

Ford handed the Union a lifeline in the 86th minute, calling a soft penalty on Angulo. The speedy winger-turned-wingback was on Nathan Harriel, who went down easily, and Ford bought it. After going to the monitor twice before, this time he didn’t, and the call stood.

Gazdag stepped up to take another spot kick, and this time he tried to go to his left. Gallese read the play and the Union’s star man left his shot too close to the middle. Gallese parried it away with a huge save, but it fell back to Gazdag, who sent his rebound attempt over the bar, ending the threat.

It was the first time in MLS play that Gazdag has failed to score on a penalty kick attempt.

McGuire was booked as the game reached the 90th minute and the fourth official put 15 minutes on the board. There were two video reviews and the Jansson injury, but 15 still seemed excessive. That ended up growing to nearly 19 minutes in the end.

Philadelphia came close in the 91st minute, but Felipe, who had come on for Muriel late, did well to get a toe on a cross that almost certainly would have been tucked home in front. A minute later, Brekalo did just enough to bother Lowe’s header attempt, which sailed off target. Brekalo followed that by blocking a Wagner cross in the 93rd minute. Sullivan sliced a shot well wide to the right a minute later.

The Lions managed to kill a few minutes until Lowe jumped up into the play in the 98th minute but sent his long-range shot fizzing over the bar.

The final chance came deep in the 18th minute of stoppage on a Union corner. The ball pinged dangerously around the box off multiple players before flying just over the crossbar. Ford called the match complete at that point, and the Lions could finally breathe easier.

Philadelphia ended up owning the stat sheet, finishing with the advantage in possession (61.5%-38.5%), shots (31-13), shots on target (7-4), corners (7-6), and passing accuracy (80.4%-73.5%).

“We have been getting through hard times and the (team’s) fate is still intact,” Pareja said. “So, we worked very hard today and (the win) was very deserved.”

“It was a great game. I think it was something that we were wishing for coming in after two tough games that we lost, but I think today we deserved this win,” Muriel said. “And with all the work that this group has been putting together, just just very happy for that.”

While Pareja and company wait to see the extent of Jansson’s injury, the encouraging thing for the Lions is that Muriel finally looked every bit the part of the Designated Player from Serie A that he was billed to be. Aside from his two goals, his passing unlocked the defense multiple times. Additionally, Lodeiro had one of his best matches since joining Orlando City, and showed that he still has the quality to create for his teammates.

With the win, Orlando City improved to 6-7-6 in the all-time MLS series against the Union (7-8-6 in all competitions) and is now 4-5-1 in league matches at Subaru Park (4-6-1 in all competitions).

Orlando City has a quick turnaround, returning home to face Inter Miami in the second leg of the 2024 Tropic Thunder rivalry Wednesday night.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/1/26

Pride and OCB win, Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau called up, USMNT beats Senegal, and more.

Published

13 hours ago

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June 1, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work and just wrapped up covering high school spring season sports for the school year up here in Chicago. We had the Pride, OCB, and the USMNT all in action, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Beat Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday. Barbra Banda scored the opener early in the first half for Orlando, but Bay FC’s Caroline Conti scored the equalizer. In the second half, Banda scored her second goal of the night and added an assist on Cori Dyke’s goal in the 55th minute. Banda went down with an injury late in the match and had to leave the pitch. Since Orlando had already used all its substitutions, the team had to play the final 15 minutes of the match, including stoppage time, down to 10 players, but the Pride held on for the win. Banda has been called up to the Zambia Women’s National Team for the Four Nations Tournament, with the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations set to kick off next month in Morocco.

The Pride will be off until early July due to the NWSL World Cup break. Their next match will be on the road at BMO Stadium against Angel City FC on July 3.

OCB Defeats Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B defeated Chattanooga FC 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Ignacio Gomez scored for the Young Lions six minutes into the match. Chattanooga FC responded with two goals later in the first half to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, it was all OCB as Pedro Leao, Harvey Sarajian, and Justin Hylton each added a goal to extend the Young Lions’ lead to 4-2. Leao added a penalty kick goal as OCB secured back-to-back wins in league play and moved to fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 22 points. OCB will face Carolina Core FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau Called Up

Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau have been called up to their respective national teams. Reid-Brown will be joining the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for upcoming friendlies against Georgia and North Macedonia in Bulgaria.

Crepeau will be with the Canadian Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Canada has two international friendlies this week, facing Uzbekistan today and taking on Ireland Friday. Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch stated that he has not yet decided which goalkeeper will start in his team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, but Crepeau and Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair will split time in goal against Uzbekistan.

USMNT Defeats Senegal in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Senegal 3-2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, Sunday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 45 minutes. Sergino Dest struck first to give the Yanks an early lead, and Christian Pulisic scored his first international goal since November 2024 for the U.S. to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. Sadio Mane pulled one back for Senegal to make it 2-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Mane added another goal to level the match, but Folarin Balogun came off the bench and scored the final goal of the match to seal the win for the Americans. The USMNT will face Germany Saturday in another international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, before opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, taking on Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Paris Saint-Germain Repeats as UEFA Champions League Winner in Penalties

Paris Saint-Germain edged Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw Saturday at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, to win the UEFA Champions League title for the second time in a row. Kai Havertz scored the first goal six minutes into the match to give Arsenal the lead in the first half. However, in the second half, Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, resulting in a penalty for Paris Saint-Germain. Ousmane Dembele converted from the spot to tie the match. After 120 minutes of play, the match went to penalties, where Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made one save, but Paris Saint-Germain still scored four goals. In the final round, Arsenal defender Gabriel sailed his shot over the net, and Paris Saint-Germain became just the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era, since 1992. The other club was Real Madrid, which won three consecutive titles from 2015-2016 through 2017-2018.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando City Academy U-14 squad defeated Inter Miami 3-1 Sunday to win the MLS Next Cup.
  • According to Sportico, Major League Soccer viewership has risen significantly in the first three months of the season.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Orlando City

An Early Look at Orlando City’s Contract Decisions

Here is an early look at the decisions the club will have to make regarding the roster at the end of the 2026 season.

Published

2 days ago

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May 30, 2026

By

Image of Wilder Cartagena controlling the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we head into a dead period of Major League Soccer with the arrival of the World Cup break, it’s worth looking into the future to see how the roster may look in the future. Orlando City has one player out of contract after the 2026 season and several that are on the last guaranteed year of their deal but have option years the club could exercise. Let’s take a look at the decisions Orlando City has to make at season’s end.

Ivan Angulo — Attacking Midfielder

The Colombian midfielder has been a tireless worker and a good soldier for Orlando City since his arrival in July of 2022. Regardless of what you think of his finishing (and it hasn’t been good the last two years after back-to-back seasons with five goals in 2023 and 2024 and 15 total goal contributions in the latter of those years) or those games in which he turns the ball over repeatedly, Angulo has generally been an asset to the team. What he lacks in goal production he makes up for in important hustle plays to break up opposition attacks and with his high pressure.

Angulo is out of contract after the 2026 season after signing through the 2025 season in January of 2024. Orlando City exercised his option year for 2026 last November. He could leave on a free transfer and there will be clubs interested in the 27-year-old, who will likely be one of the fastest players in whatever league he’s in for the next several seasons. At a total guaranteed compensation of $582,656, he’s not terribly expensive for a starting-caliber winger. Orlando City should re-sign Angulo or upgrade the position, and perhaps the club wants Tyrese Spicer to show he can take that spot. Spicer has been inconsistent as a starter but generally better off the bench. He hasn’t yet shown himself to be an everyday option.

Wilder Cartagena — Midfielder

The Peruvian midfield stopper has, like Angulo, been a solid performer for the Lions since signing with Orlando City in August of 2022. Last season’s Achilles injury derailed the club’s best-ever midfield double pivot, as Cartagena and Cesar Araujo combined to make life miserable for Orlando’s opponents and did a great job of shielding the back line. He even filled in admirably on the back line whenever Oscar Pareja went to five at the back as an extra center back. Cartagena suffered another injury in the 2026 season opener and is just getting back up to speed, but it seems as if he’s having difficulty breaking through to get enough minutes to round back into form.

Cartagena is on a contract through the end of 2026, which he signed last November, but there is an option year on his deal. At 31 years old and making a guaranteed $530,250 per year, it may be time to move on from the veteran defensive midfielder unless he can regain his form before the end of the season. The hope is that Luis Otavio can develop into a similar midfield stopper and the club has invested in the Brazilian. The Lions also seem more interested in the kind of offense that favors more attack-minded players in the central midfield, which has proven successful in scoring goals so far this year but has failed miserably at preventing them.

Joran Gerbet — Midfielder

The French-born product out of Clemson University signed in February 2025 after being drafted in the first round (No. 27 overall) in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. He had a promising rookie campaign going until sustaining a serious knee injury last October against Columbus and had season-ending surgery. Gerbet will likely be able to return to game action after the World Cup break, and perhaps he could even play some games with OCB during the pause.

He’ll be out of contract at the end of 2026 but there are options for 2027 and 2028 on his rookie deal. If he can return to full speed and produce, the club would likely bring him back. With total guaranteed compensation of $113,400, Gerbet is an inexpensive piece of the roster, and he’ll be eager to earn a new deal. Plus, he’ll have at least one new French-speaking teammate as soon as Antoine Griezmann arrives. Gerbet’s return could mitigate the loss of Cartagena if the club parts ways with the Peruvian international.

Adrian Marin — Defender

The Spaniard arrived in August of 2025 on a deal through this season with a club option for 2027. He wasn’t able to quite jell or acclimate well to Major League Soccer over the course of last season. He entered 2026 looking to lock down the starting left back spot and can play as a center back in a three-man back line, but so far this season he’s been inconsistent at best. While he can send the occasional excellent cross or long ball in to create a scoring chance, contributing three assists already this season, he’s not been quite able to consistently operate at an MLS level.

A good left back can be pricey, so his guaranteed pay of $577,972 isn’t terrible, but he’s not quite lived up to it either. It will be interesting to see if Marin can finish out the 2026 campaign strong and if it’s enough to warrant picking up his contract option or offering him a new deal.

Nolan Miller — Defender

The rookie out of Michigan had a strong start to his first professional year but then showed some growing pains. He signed through the 2026 season back in early February but the club holds options for Miller for the 2027 sprint season, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029. Miller most recently played with Orlando City B on Sunday, helping the Young Lions defeat Inter Miami CF II 4-1 at home. There’s a lot of season left for Miller to make his mark, and playing with OCB during the World Cup break is a good way to get him minutes in a developmental setting.

All indications from the club are that the technical staff believe Miller has enough upside to potentially become an MLS starter. The 22-year-old will be given an opportunity to develop, and it seems likely Orlando City will exercise his option unless the player asks for his release to pursue other opportunities.

Javier Otero — Goalkeeper

If there’s one thing that’s been clear for years, it’s that Orlando City likes to have one primary goalkeeper and a young, inexpensive backup who plays only sparingly, whether it’s Mason Stajduhar, Adam Grinwis, or Otero. The Lions signed Otero to a new contract through 2026 just a year ago in May 2025, with option years for 2027 and 2028. Otero has played well at times and gotten shelled a few times in his MLS career, but he’s filled his role well and is inexpensive at $163,750 in guaranteed annual compensation. Orlando will likely exercise the option on Otero’s deal unless the 23-year-old Venezuelan wants to go elsewhere.

Nicolas Rodriguez — Attacking Midfield

While not technically out of contract, the club may have to do something with Rodriguez, who is currently on loan with Atletico Nacional in Colombia through 2026. The Colombian side has an option to purchase, but it’s unclear whether that will be exercised. The former MLS U22 Initiative signing was suspended in March for an alleged sexual assault earlier this year — charges that Rodriguez denies. He returned to the pitch in May in a loss to Once Caldas.

With the commitment Orlando City made to Otavio, Iago, and Tiago, it’s unlikely the club will bring back Rodriguez unless one of the Brazilians is sold. Rodriguez struggled to get on the pitch with the first team last year, and Tiago seems light years ahead of the Colombian in his development. It seems likely the club will hope Nacional purchases Rodriguez, and if not, the Lions will probably try to sell him or loan him out again. Rodriguez’s contract expires at the end of 2027.

Zakaria Taifi — Fullback/Midfielder

Homegrown defender/winger Taifi is signed through 2026 with club options for 2027, 2028, and 2029. The 20-year-old has shown great promise and made the jump to the first team midway through 2025, although he played sparingly. Taifi already has career highs with the first team in 2026 in games played (10), starts (3), and assists (2). If not for Griffin Dorsey’s play, Taifi might otherwise be seeing regular minutes, although there is work to be done in developing his defending. At present, he projects more as a wingback than a fullback, but the same was once true of Alex Freeman, who improved his one-on-one defending by leaps and bounds.

As a Homegrown Player starting to bear fruit, it is a no-brainer for the club to pick up Taifi’s option after the 2026 season.

Yutaro Tsukada — Attacking Midfielder

Orlando City selected Tsukada with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft in December of 2023. The club signed Tsukada to an MLS NEXT Pro deal through 2024 and then signed him through 2025 with option years for 2026 and 2027, so he’s currently in the first of those two option years.

The young winger has shown some glimpses of quality in both dead-ball delivery and his crafty one-on-one moves out wide, but he’s not been able to break through just yet and he was left off both the senior team and OCB matchday rosters since April 26, despite a club spokesman telling me he wasn’t injured. Tsukada’s budget charge isn’t big ($113,400), but at 24, he’s entering his prime years and hasn’t yet developed into an MLS player. Whether he’s back next year may be up to the player in Tsukada’s case.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: May 31, 2017 vs. D.C. United

Hop in the time machine and relive a wet, weird Orlando City game from almost nine years ago.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 29, 2026

By

Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

With no Orlando City match to entertain us for almost two months during the World Cup break, this is an optimal time to reflect on some of the team’s history and enjoy a trip down memory lane. We’re taking one hell of a trip today, as we go almost nine years into the past to reminisce on the Lions taking on D.C. United all the way back on May 31, 2017.

Just how different were things as OCSC got ready to take the field against D.C. that Wednesday? Well for one thing, the ground now known as Inter&Co Stadium had just opened a little over two months previously, and it was still called Orlando City Stadium. Jason Kreis had the reins as the team’s second full-time head coach, and teams were only allowed to make three substitutions per game instead of five.

Kreis set up his team in a 4-4-2 that had Joe Bendik in goal, a back line of Scott Sutter, Jose Aja, Jonathan Spector, and Donny Toia; Matias Perez Garcia, Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, and Luis Gil in the midfield; and Cyle Larin alongside Carlos Rivas up top.

The defining characteristic of the game in the first half was the conditions in which it was played. The stadium was pounded by rain in the leadup to kickoff, and the wet weather continued during the opening 45 minutes. The Lions had the better of things in the first half, but things could have been different if Larin had been called for a handball in the box in the 15th minute, but the referee didn’t see it, the D.C. players didn’t call for it, and video review wouldn’t be introduced to MLS until later in the season.

D.C. went close through Julian Buscher in the 43rd minute when he turned well at the top of the box and sent a left footed shot toward goal, but Bendik did well to get down and push the ball away with his right hand. Orlando’s best chance of the half came as the first 45 minutes were winding down, when Gil sprung Larin on the break, but the Canadian had to shoot from an angle and Bill Hamid was able to deal with it fairly comfortably in the D.C. net. Before the half could end, OCSC had a penalty shout of its own as Sutter felt he was clipped from behind by Buscher in stoppage time, but referee Allen Chapman disagreed and the game went to halftime scoreless.

The Lions finished the first half with 59% possession and took nine shots but only put three on target, while D.C. totaled three shots with two on target, and 41% of the ball.

The rain mercifully subsided at halftime, but the game continued to be a sloppy affair as the second half got underway. D.C really should have opened the scoring in the 56th minute when a ball played down the right found Lamar Neagle near the penalty spot. He turned and played a great pass into space for Buscher, who was unmarked roughly 10 yards from goal on the left side of the box. Luckily for the Lions, with just Bendik to beat, the midfielder somehow contrived to blast his first-time shot over the bar so badly that it just missed the Heineken sign by a couple of inches.

That scare spurred Kreis into action, as he brought on Giles Barnes for Gil just three minutes later. It proved to be an inspired move, as the Jamaican provided an immediate spark and won a free kick in a dangerous area in the 65th minute after slaloming through several defenders. It fell to Johnson to take the resulting set piece, and he dialed up a doozy, curling a ball to the edge of the six-yard box, where Larin fought through heavy contact from Steve Birnbaum and headed the ball into the net beyond a helpless Hamid to open the scoring for Orlando.

The strike ended a scoreless drought of 266 minutes for Orlando, and the team continued to look invigorated after the introduction of Barnes. He played a great cutback pass for Larin just two minutes after the goal, and the Canadian might have scored had D.C. not gotten bodies in the way and blocked it. He then played Rivas in on goal in the 71st minute, but Kofi Opare made a great last-ditch tackle to prevent a shot and MPG wasn’t able to bundle the loose ball over the line as Hamid came out to contest.

That was Perez-Garcia’s last meaningful action of the evening, as he made way for Tony Rocha two minutes later.

In the 74th minute, Orlando had another almighty scare and D.C. wasted its second excellent chance of the game. Aja played a badly underhit pass back to Bendik, and Neagle got to it first as the goalkeeper charged out to try to clear the danger. Neagle took it around him and had only Spector to beat as the last man back, but he put his shot entirely too close to the center back, who was able to make himself big and keep the effort out. The rebound then spun into the air and looked to be falling kindly for Sebastien Le Toux to head into the empty net, but Bendik parachuted in at the last second and acrobatically punched the danger clear.

The two teams then traded decent chances over the next 10 minutes, but a combination of blocks, misses, and a Bendik save kept things at 1-0. Kreis then made his final move of the game in the 83rd minute when Antonio Nocerino entered the game for Rivas.

OCSC looked all set to go more conservative and try to escape with a 1-0 win when it got a fortunate break just two minutes from the end of regulation. Barnes lined up a shot from roughly 25 yards out, and while it was hit with venom, it looked to be straight at Hamid and relatively straightforward. That made it all the more surprising when D.C.’s goalkeeper got two hands on it but either fluffed his attempt at a catch or whiffed on a punch, and the ball squirted past him into the back of the net. Barnes was rewarded for an energetic, game-changing substitute appearance, and the Lions got an insurance goal.

Four minutes of stoppage time passed without incident, and the Lions finished a dominant, but ultimately slightly nervy, performance with a 2-0 victory. Orlando ended the game with an edge in possession (57%-43%), shots (20-10), shots on target (5-4), and passing accuracy (81%-71%).

Current Orlando City staffer Austin David was on our staff and handed out player grades for the game, and he gave Barnes the Man of the Match award with an 8 out of 10. The other high performers on the night were Bendik and Spector, who were both awarded a 7.5 out of 10.

Larin’s goal was his eighth of the campaign, and the victory ended a six-game winless run for Orlando. Sadly, it wasn’t a sign of good things to come, as OCSC immediately endured another five-game winless run that included the infamous 3-1 loss to Miami FC that saw a Stefano Pinho hat trick earn him a move to the Lions at the end of the season. Orlando went on to win just three games the rest of the season, and finished 10th in the 11-team Eastern Conference with 39 points, ahead of only D.C. United.

With any luck, this season will follow a much different arc. Antoine Griezmann will be here before we know it, and the Lions have some time to make some tweaks to the roster, work on things in training, and will have an opportunity to make a cup final in the fall. Here’s to remembering the good parts of the past, and not repeating the bad ones. Vamos Orlando!

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