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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami: Final Score 0-0 as Lions Get Second Straight Result

In a defensive struggle, the Lions and Herons couldn’t produce a winner in a game that ended scoreless.

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2 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City and Inter Miami played to a scoreless draw in front of a sellout crowd of 25,046 at Inter&Co Stadium that looked every bit the part of two teams playing on short rest. Each side created only a couple of good looks at goal and the goalkeepers took center stage for the few chances that were generated, while the back lines of both teams cleaned up everything else.

Inter Miami (8-2-4, 28 points) has still never won a road game against Orlando City (3-5-4, 13 points), as the Lions are now 2-0-5 in the City Beautiful against their Tropic Thunder rivals. Lionel Messi, who was listed as questionable on the availability report, did not dress for the match and still hasn’t played in Orlando since coming to MLS.

“A very level game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I thought we found two teams that both had options. They could have scored at the beginning of the game, and then through the game we had our options too. We have the sensation that we could have walked off the field with three points, but we have to recognize that was a very tight game for both teams. The effort from the players was extraordinary and we keep on adapting to new things. I’m good with the performance of the team. I think we’re going in a good direction, I think we’re turning things around, and played against a good team who has good momentum. But today, as I say, we could have walked off with three points.”

Pareja went back to a 3-5-2 after it was successful in Philadelphia Saturday, with goalkeeper Pedro Gallese behind a back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Wilder Cartagena, and David Brekalo. Ivan Angulo and Facundo Torres played wingbacks outside of a midfield group of Nico Lodeiro, Cesar Araujo, and Martin Ojeda, with Luis Muriel and Duncan McGuire up top.

Miami started by holding a lot of the early possession and quickly created a couple of excellent opportunities. Just moments after the opening kickoff, Luis Suarez got inside of Brekalo and fired a shot from the left toward the right post. Gallese went to ground and made a huge save to keep the game scoreless.

Franco Negri then was able to sneak in behind the defense in the seventh minute down the left flank. He centered the ball for Robert Taylor, who fired with his first touch. Brekalo got in front of it to block it and Orlando was able to clear the danger.

“Honestly, I was anticipating that the pass was going to be cut back. I thought at that moment that it’s an offside — I still didn’t see that clip — so if it wasn’t, it was it was a good block and well done by me,” Brekalo said with a smile.

The Lions finally produced some chances starting in the 14th minute. Muriel took a free kick outside the penalty area on the left and sent it to McGuire at the near post. The flick was just wide of the upright and hit the outside netting. A minute later, Torres was able to get to the end line, but his cross for Angulo was caught by Drake Callender.

McGuire tried a volley shot off a high cross in the 17th minute but it was deflected out by the defense for an Orlando corner. The cross in from Lodeiro on the set piece was just over Torres’ head at the back post and went harmlessly out for a goal kick. Seconds after that, Orlando took possession and Torres had a go from the top of the area with his right foot but he just missed the top right corner.

Cartagena did well in the air to deny a ball into the box intended for Suarez, conceding a corner, but Miami could do nothing with it.

Orlando’s best chance of the first half came in the 32nd minute. Muriel threaded the needle at the top of the penalty area to send a ball in for Ojeda. The Argentine immediately turned and shot, but Callender did well to get down and make a diving, one-handed save.

A minute later, Callender made another huge save to deny a Muriel shot from the top of the box.

Matias Rojas went for goal in the 35th minute on a free kick conceded by Schlegel near the right corner of the box. Gallese tipped the shot over the bar, and Orlando was able to clear the subsequent corner.

The last look at goal in the first half came in the 41st minute when Marcelo Weigandt jumped into the play from his right back spot. He fired from the top of the area but missed the target badly to the left.

Orlando City finished the first half with the adantage in shots (8-4), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (88.6%-88.2%). Miami had more possession (50.6%-49.4%) and shots on target (3-2).

Neither side generated much offense in the second half, and it got worse as the game progressed, as tired legs caught up to both teams after each played on the road Saturday.

Each team won an early corner in the second half but couldn’t do anything with it as the game settled into a chess match between the penalty areas. Gallese had a scary moment near the hour mark when going high to catch an entry ball from Rojas. Suarez hit the keeper while he was vulnerable and Gallese went down hard and needed the trainers to come on. After a delay, he was able to continue.

Orlando had some of the best transition chances of the second half but could not execute in and around the box. Ojeda failed to get a cross through in the 69th minute on the first of those promising attacks. Muriel started multiple attacks with his footwork, drawing a yellow card on Taylor after dispossessing the Miami winger and being pulled back by his shirt. Later, he took the ball from Sergio Busquets. It looked clean, but the referee called a foul on the Colombian and he was booked after kicking the ball away, angry about the whistle.

Miami’s best chance for a second-half goal came in the 74th minute when a ball from the visitors’ left was sent in front by second-half substitute Jordi Alba. If the pass had reached fellow sub Leonardo Campana, Miami would almost certainly have scored and probably would have won the match, however, Cartagena did well to clear the danger before it could get through.

A minute later, Muriel sent Angulo down the right channel, but the speedy wingback sent his cross straight at Callender, wasting the opportunity. Two minutes later, the Lions broke with numbers. Torres picked out Muriel, but the pass allowed the defense to recover somewhat and when the striker tried to put a move on to free up a shot, he lost control of it and the chance evaporated. Muriel then sent a shot just wide in the 79th minute.

Second-half sub Dagur Dan Thorhallsson marauded down the right flank in the 88th minute but sent his cross/shot into the outside netting.

During the six minutes of injury time, Yutaro Tsukada, one of the team’s 2024 MLS SuperDraft picks, made his MLS debut, coming on for Torres. Tsukada had the chance to play the role of the unlikely hero late, as a ball in the air fell for him in the box. He fired, but hit his shot into the ground and it missed the target on what was the last kick of the ball.

Orlando City finished with the advantage in shots (14-7) and corners (8-4), while Miami held more possession (58.7%-41.3%) and passed more accurately (90.0%-86.6%). Each team officially put three shots on target.

First-place Inter Miami didn’t have Messi, but that takes nothing away from a strong defensive performance by Orlando City. It was just the second time all season the Herons have been shut out, and tonight’s match snapped a run of five consecutive games in which Miami had scored three or more goals.

“Keeping our goals (against) at zero today was a great positive thing for us,” Pareja said. “Again, adapting players to different movements and absences of players who have been regulars…we looked good. That part is positive.”

One of the key reasons for the clean sheet was the play of Cartagena, who may have been the team’s best center back on this night.

“It was a difficult game,” Cartagena said. “Obviously to mark a player like Suarez is very difficult, very complicated, especially with the player that he is and the way that he likes to move, but I think as a group we did a great job defensively. With Rodri, with David, we were really solid and compact. Obviously, we’d love to take a win from today, but I think overall, taking that draw, we feel good about tonight.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround with a match on the other side of the continent Saturday night when they visit the San Jose Earthquakes at 10:30 p.m.

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Lion Links: 6/8/26

OCB beats Carolina Core, Barbra Banda named to NWSL May Best XI, USMNT and USWNT lose, and more.

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3 hours ago

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June 8, 2026

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Image of Matthew Belgodere celebrating his game-winning goal against Carolina Core FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work over the weekend, and like many of you, I’m looking forward to the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicking off later this week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Belgodere’s Late Winner Lifts OCB over Carolina Core FC

Orlando City B overturned a 2-0 deficit to defeat Carolina Core FC 3-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Arnaud Tattevin struck first for Carolina, giving the visitors and early lead. Carolina added another goal to go up 2-0 before defender Jair Caiza received a red card for violent conduct against Issah Haruna in the penalty area, and OCB was awarded a penalty kick. Pedro Leao converted from the spot to pull the Young Lions within one before halftime. In the second half, Leao added another goal to tie the match for OCB. Matthew Belgodere came off the bench and scored the late winner for the Young Lions, who earned all three points at home and extended their winning streak to three games. OCB will be on the road to take on Huntsville City FC Saturday at Wicks Family Field.

Barbra Banda Named to NWSL Best XI for May

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was named to the National Women’s Soccer League Best XI for the month of May. It’s the third monthly Best XI of the year award for Banda this season. She recorded six goals and added one assist in May. Two of those goals were winners against the North Carolina Courage and Bay FC. Banda leads the NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals in 12 matches during the 2026 campaign.

OCB Transfers Jaylen Yearwood to FC Naples

Orlando City B announced Friday that the club has transferred defender Jaylen Yearwood to USL League One side FC Naples. OCB will retain a sell-on percentage if FC Naples transfers Yearwood to another club in the future. Yearwood, Orlando City’s No. 14 overall draft pick in the first round of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, made 10 appearances for the Young Lions during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season, starting six matches, and made two appearances for the Trinidad & Tobago Men’s National Team.

USMNT Falls 2-1 to Germany in World Cup Send-Off Match

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 2-1 to Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, Saturday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 72 minutes. Kai Havertz scored the opening goal two minutes into the match to give Germany the lead. Antonee Robinson scored the equalizer for the Yanks before halftime. In the second half, Leroy Sane added the winning goal for Germany. The USMNT will take on Paraguay Friday in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

USWNT Loses Road Friendly at Brazil

The U.S. Women’s National Team fell 2-1 to Brazil at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday in an international friendly. Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina started the match for Brazil, playing 68 minutes, while defender Rafaelle came off the bench in the second half and played 10 minutes. Orlando Pride forward Marta was on Brazil’s bench but did not play. Sophia Wilson scored her first goal for the USWNT since 2024 early in the first half. However, Brazil scored two quick goals from Taina Maranhao and Bia Zaneratto to take a 2-1 lead and held on for the win. The USWNT will face Brazil on the road again on Tuesday at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it Friday, check out this amazing save by Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau for the Canadian Men’s National Team in its friendly against Ireland.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin is staying with EFL Championship side Southampton after the club announced his loan from Mallorca had been converted into a permanent transfer.
  • NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, a limited partner in the ownership group for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, was interviewed by Yahoo Sports and shared insights into his experience investing in soccer, growing up playing soccer in Northern Virginia, his thoughts on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and more.
  • Major League Soccer announced its First XI players named to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, which will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, on July 29. None were Lions.
  • EFL Championship side Derby County has reportedly reached an agreement with the Vancouver Whitecaps to sign midfielder Sebastian Berhalter.
  • The USL Super League will reportedly flip its calendar to begin play in the spring and end its season in the fall beginning in 2027 to align with the NWSL. The league will play a fall season in 2026 before transitioning to the new calendar.
  • The Iranian soccer federation has accused the United States of “vindictive behavior” after stating that visas were denied to key administrative and managerial officials. The Iranian Men’s National Team will only be allowed to travel to the U.S. on matchdays and must leave the country after each match.
  • Midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during the match for Denmark in an international friendly against Ukraine Sunday. The match was abandoned, and the national team shared an update. We here at The Mane Land wish Eriksen a speedy recovery.

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

Flashback Friday: June 3, 2023 vs. New York Red Bulls

Let’s rewind to an eventful match on the road up in New Jersey that took place just over three years ago.

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3 days ago

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June 5, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

With Orlando City on break for the foreseeable future, it falls to me to keep bringing you fond memories from OCSC games of years gone by. We won’t be going quite as deep into the vault as we did last week, when we rewound to nine years ago and relived a wet and weird win over D.C. United. Today, we’ll go a little over three years into the past to June 3, 2023, when the Lions hit the road to take on the New York Red Bulls.

As Orlando prepared to face the Red Bulls after opening the season against them at home, things were going pretty well for the Lions. They were riding a four-game unbeaten streak that included some solid results on the road and sought to continue that trend up in Harrison, NJ.

To do that, then-coach Oscar Pareja sent out the team in his traditional 4-2-3-1. Pedro Gallese was in net, while Kyle Smith, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Rafael Santos manned the back line. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena sat in deep midfield as the double pivots, Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the tip of the proverbial spear.

By and large, the first half wasn’t the most engaging 45 minutes of soccer that Orlando City has ever graced us with. The first 15 minutes saw a lot of fouls and fairly sloppy play, with the game lacking any real rhythm but featuring plenty of stops, starts, and turnovers. That all changed in the 18th minute when Orlando broke the deadlock through an unlikely source. The Lions managed to break New York’s press, and Cartagena took advantage of an out-of-position John Tolkin to play Angulo behind the defense with a great ball. The Colombian carried the ball into the box, cut onto his left foot to avoid the sliding challenge of Dylan Nealis, and beat goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to score his third goal of the season.

The Red Bulls had a great opportunity to tie the game in the 30th minute after a bad Pereyra giveaway at midfield, but Luquinhas hit a tame shot at Gallese and failed to capitalize. Smith of all people had a crack at goal from inside the box just a few minutes before halftime, but he sent his effort wide of the post when he really should have hit the target. Tom Barlow then wasted another chance to put the game at 1-1 going into halftime but contrived to fire over the bar from the top of the area when all he had to do was hit the empty net.

That proved to be the last action of the half, and it was surprising to see Orlando in the lead based on the stats. Orlando held slightly more possession (52.1%-47.9%) and passed marginally better (76.1%-74.9%) but those were the only categories in which it led. The Lions were outshot (7-2), had fewer shots on goal (2-1), and took no corner kicks while the Red Bulls had one.

Fortunately, the Lions got a break just a couple minutes into the second half. Kara ran onto a ball over the top and New York center back Andres Reyes pulled him back, picked up a deserved second yellow card, and hit the showers early in the 47th minute.

New York cleared the danger from the ensuing free kick, but referee Victor Rivas was advised to go to the monitor and check for a foul during the play. Further examination revealed that Sean Nealis took Jansson down from behind as the ball was in the air, and he rightfully pointed to the spot. Enter Torres, who stepped up and beat Coronel (who guessed the right way), to double Orlando’s advantage despite the Paraguayan trying to get in his head beforehand.

The good vibes were dented slightly when Araujo went down injured in the 57th minute, with Felipe coming on in his place. The Red Bulls kept up their traditional high pressing despite being down a man, and with the Lions continuing to be sloppy in possession, it was hard to blame them. The teams traded chances right after Araujo made his exit, and some close calls for New York spurred Pareja into further changes, with Duncan McGuire and Martin Ojeda entering the fray for Kara and Pereyra in the 62nd minute.

Angulo squeezed off a shot from an acute angle three minutes later and Coronel saved it well, with the game entering a bit of a lull after he did so as the teams traded fouls and McGuire was caught offside.

Things sprang back into life in the 72nd minute. Ojeda cleared his lines and managed to find Angulo in the process, who absolutely torched Frankie Amaya down the left wing. The Colombian carried the ball into the box, drew Tolkin to him, and crossed perfectly for the unmarked Torres, who fired low and hard past Coronel with conviction to put the game away for good.

Despite being down 3-0, the Red Bulls kept up the fight and Jansson was forced into a good block just four minutes after Facu bagged his brace. The Lions spurned a few more half chances as the game wound down, and there was a scary moment in the 82nd minute when Dylan Nealis fell into Gallese’s leg, but the goalkeeper was able to soldier on after getting some treatment, although he looked a little shaky.

That more or less did it for the notable moments of action, as Orlando saw out a healthy eight minutes of stoppage time to make it five games unbeaten. The Lions finished with more possession (51.2%-48.8%) and more shots on target (5-2), but New York was crisper with its passing (79.2%-78%), took more shots (14-7), and won more corners (8-2).

David Rohe was on hand for our Player Grades column in this one, and Angulo took Man of the Match honors with an 8 out of 10 for his one-goal, one-assist performance that also included three completed dribbles, two tackles, and an interception. Torres unsurprisingly also graded out high with a 7.5 out of 10, as did Cartagena, who received the same grade.

The Lions went on to grab one more victory before the undefeated streak ended at six up in Foxborough against the New England Revolution. Fortunately, they started picking up points again immediately afterward and had a largely strong summer and back half of the year that saw them finish second in both the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield race. Hopefully, this year’s side can take some cues from the 2023 squad and start stacking points with more regularity once the season resumes in July. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/5/26

Maxime Crepeau named Canada’s starter, analyzing Germany before USMNT friendly, USWNT prepares for Brazil, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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June 5, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau making a save against the New York Red Bulls.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty hectic week for me, but I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with soccer and celebrating with some friends. It should be a nice next couple of days before the World Cup is here in full force next week. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Canada Chooses Maxime Crepeau as Starting Goalkeeper

Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was named as the starter for Canada for the upcoming World Cup. The 32-year-old has been in a tight battle with Dayne St. Clair for the starting job for quite some time and he’s done well enough for Jesse Marsch to choose him for the role. This will be Crepeau’s first World Cup since he wasn’t able to take part in the 2022 competition due to a broken leg. Canada will play Ireland today in a friendly before hosting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup on June 12.

Analyzing Germany Ahead of USMNT Clash

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Germany on Saturday in Chicago in its final friendly before the World Cup starts next week. This will be the 13th match between the two nations, with the most recent one being a 3-1 loss by the U.S. in October of 2023. Manuel Neuer is Germany’s starting goalkeeper, but he’s dealing with an injury and backup Oliver Baumann could play on Saturday in his place. Hopefully the U.S. can make his life difficult, but Germany has tough defenders in Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck. Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, and Leroy Sane are dangerous attacking threats, while Nick Woltemade brings both height and solid ball movement at the top of the formation. It should be a great test for the USMNT before the games get serious.

USWNT Prepares for Brazil

The United States Women’s National Team is in action on Saturday as well, with the team set to play Brazil in Sao Paulo in the first of two friendlies. Plenty of attention will be on the reunited attacking trio of Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson that combined for 10 goals and five assists in the 2024 Summer Olympics. As for Brazil, the Orlando Pride are well represented, with Marta, Angelina, and Rafaelle all called up for these friendlies. There’s plenty of competing talent on Brazil’s roster, so it will be interesting to see who starts on Saturday. I’m most interested to see how the U.S. defense manages against Brazilian attackers like Ludmila, Dudinha, and Kerolin without having Naomi Girma on the back line.

Liverpool Hires Andoni Iraola as Next Manager

Liverpool didn’t waste much time finding a new manager after firing Arne Slot last week, hiring Andoni Iraola as his replacement. Iraola joins Liverpool after three years with Bournemouth that included securing Europa League qualification for the first time in club history this past season. He now joins a Liverpool team that qualified for the Champions League, but lost 12 league games after winning the league title in 2025. It will be interesting to see how Iraola does at one of England’s biggest clubs, particularly in regards to how his high-octane approach is applied.

Free Kicks

  • While the Pride haven’t provided an injury update on Barbra Banda according to reporter Jeff Kassouf, she did reportedly travel for Zambia’s friendlies against Kenya and Burkina Faso as the team prepares for next month’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

I checked in with the Orlando Pride: no official update on Barbra Banda after sustaining an injury over the weekend in #NWSL play. A spokesperson confirmed that Banda did travel to join Zambia for international duty. Hopefully more answers soon. No NWSL games until July 3.

— Jeff Kassouf (@jeffkassouf.bsky.social) 2026-06-04T19:11:37.433Z

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

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