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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Come Back Twice to Draw 10-Man Charlotte

Lions score twice but the defense flops badly despite being up a man.

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10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City finally scored more than one goal in a game, but at the expense of dreadful defending in a 2-2 road draw against 10-man Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The hosts took the lead early through Kerwin Vargas and withstood a player being sent off late in the first half and a tying goal from Duncan McGuire, before taking a second-half lead in transition. That Brandt Bronico goal was canceled out by Facundo Torres as the Lions (4-8-6, 18 points) split the points with Charlotte (8-6-5, 29 points) despite being a man up throughout the second half and having the ball for what seemed like almost all of that time.

Orlando’s winless streak grew to five games (0-3-2) on another wasteful night in front of goal and a defensive evening to forget. The Lions had clear opportunities to prevent both goals but failed to clear a loose ball on the first and teed up the second ball trying to clear it through the leg of the opposing forward.

“Too early we go (up) with one extra player and Charlotte found a way to score a second goal in the moment that we pushed the most,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Those circumstances made us feel that getting this result at some point it’s going to help us. I think the team made a lot of efforts to win the game, but Charlotte found that second goal and it could have been worse. Humbly today we take the point. We wanted more, but we have some positive things.”

Pareja’s lineup had only one change from the group that lost 3-1 to LAFC Saturday, as Mason Stajduhar started in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Felipe took Cesar Araujo’s spot in the central midfield along with fellow midfielders Ivan Angulo, Nico Lodeiro, and Torres, with Luis Muriel and McGuire up top.

Orlando City made Charlotte’s offense look like Miami’s at times in the first half, letting inferior numbers get good looks at goal. Still, the first chance of the match fell Orlando’s way. Muriel did well to nick the ball in the attacking half and he played McGuire down the right channel. The big striker was at an angle, but had plenty of net to shoot at, yet he missed a few yards wide of the right post in the eight minute.

The hosts scored four minutes later on a play that should never have resulted in a goal. The Lions had plenty of numbers back as Liel Abada took a heavy touch past Jansson down the right channel. Jansson couldn’t handle Abada’s pace and the Charlotte attacker got to the ball first. The Swede tried to block the cutback cross, but it got through. Two Lions were converging on the ball and Angulo swung and completely missed the ball, allowing it to get through. Thorhallsson initially had good coverage on Vargas but got caught ball watching when the winger peeled back to the ball. Angulo’s whiff — possibly thrown off by Felipe’s sliding arrival — and the open space gave Vargas an easy finish to make it 1-0 in the 12th minute. It was Charlotte’s first goal inside the first half hour of a game all season.

On a play indicative of the form Orlando City has been in, Torres took a pass at the top of the 18 in the 15th minute and it just…rolled off his foot. Whether he was caught between passing and shooting, only he knows for sure, but it was a weird play.

Jere Uronen then cut inside from his fullback spot and nearly doubled the lead. Left completely alone, the Finn smashed a shot off the crossbar from long range.

Orlando finally got a shot on frame in the 19th minute when Torres got his head to a high cross and nodded toward goal. It was an accurate shot, but there was little pace on the ball, allowing Kristijan Kahlina to make the save.

Seconds later, Scott Arfield blasted a shot wide from distance with Orlando outnumbering the Charlotte attackers, 6-3 in the final third.

Torres got another look in the 33rd minute but his shot was partially deflected and went straight at Kahlina.

The Lions went up a man moments later. Arfield slid in from behind and caught Felipe on a rough challenge and was initially booked. Allen Chapman went to the monitor while Felipe received treatment and the referee changed the yellow to red, putting the hosts down a player. Felipe was struggling and had to be replaced by Araujo.

The sending off didn’t immediately help the offense, which moved the ball too deliberately over the remainder of the half. Muriel tried a couple of long-range shots. The first was saved by Kahlina at the near post. Adilson Malanda blocked the second with his face and needed treatment, staying off the pitch for the final seconds of the half.

Up two men and with time winding down, Orlando sat on the ball out wide and Chapman blew the halftime whistle.

Orlando City held the halftime advantage in possession (53.9%-46.1%), shots (8-5), corners (1-0), and passing accuracy (93.4%-84.5%), with each team getting three shots on frame.

Martin Ojeda entered for Thorhallsson at halftime and the Lions changed shape to a 3-5-2. For a couple of minutes, the shape change helped.

Torres forced Kahlina to make a good save seconds after the restart. Santos then sent a shot from outside the box high over the bar moments later.

Over the next few minutes, Orlando was careless with the ball, allowing Charlotte to get forward on the counter. Torres was forced to take a tactical yellow card to break up a 2-v-1 created when Jansson gambled and lost in the attacking half in the 50th minute. Stajduhar made a huge save from point-blank range a minute later on the ensuing set piece when it deflected out to Abada. Djibril Diani then sent a header just wide of the top left corner on the corner kick.

Lodeiro put a cross in front for McGuire in the 53rd minute, but the striker sent it wide again. Muriel then had a shot blocked in the 56th as the Lions kept probing.

Orlando gave up another transition chance in the 59th minute after telegraphing a pass at the top of the penalty area. Charlotte broke with speed and Abada cut inside and shot. Jansson blocked it and it went just wide of the right post.

The Lions finally got on the board in the 63rd minute. The play started on the right side of the area with Angulo giving the ball to Muriel at the top of the 18. Muriel did well to spot Torres on the left and delivered a good aerial ball. Torres got under it and headed across the six for McGuire to run onto. The striker flicked it with a deft touch to guide it inside the right post, making it 1-1.

“I saw Facu was in a good spot to head it back and there was a little bit of space front post,” McGuire said about the play that led to his team-leading sixth goal of the year. “So, I had to make myself available and Facu put it right where I needed it to be, and luckily I got it across the goalie back post, so it was a good team goal.”

The Lions hunted for a go-ahead goal but couldn’t quite pull it off. Muriel’s shot was deflected onto the roof of the net for a corner in the 66th minute. Ojeda should have done better with a wide-open header on a good cross from Angulo in the 75th minute but steered his shot well over the bar.

The Lions paid for those near misses in the 77th minute. Orlando was in good position to thwart a counterattack when Jansson got caught on the wrong side of Patrick Agyemang. Santos was there to help but tried to clear the ball away but could only knock it back to Agyemang, allowing a sudden 2-v-1. Stajduhar came off his line but was a little late and Jansson couldn’t get back to the left in time either. Bronico chipped Stajduhar to make it 2-1. It was just the low-scoring midfielder’s seventh career goal in seven MLS seasons.

“In the 50-50 challenges, maybe they’d get the better of the challenges for the most part and they made the most of those opportunities,” McGuire said. “So, I think maybe we need to do a better job at winning the first balls, and being on the second balls, and maybe stopping the counterattack with a tactical foul a little bit more. But that’s what I think they did well.”

“We lost those two duels there, and then they found a way to hurt us,” Pareja said. “We should have been better on controlling (transitions) for sure.”

Orlando pushed forward again and created some looks in the 80th minute. McGuire’s flicked header wasn’t enough to steer a good cross on frame and on the recycle, Ojeda missed the net just wide on a partially deflected shot. On the ensuing corner, the ball fell to Torres on the left. Rather than shoot, Torres centered it for Jansson, who saw his point-blank effort saved by Kahlina, who knocked it over the goal.

Torres tied the game on the following corner kick. Lodeiro, who finished with a game-high 10 chances created, sent the ball into the box and it fell amid the bodies to Torres on the right. The Uruguayan took a touch to settle it and sent a shot through traffic and in to make it 2-2 in the 81st minute. For Torres, it was his third goal of the year and Lodeiro picked up his sixth assist.

Ojeda put a shot just over the bar and onto the roof of the net a minute after Torres equalized. Jack Lynn then subbed on for Muriel moments later. Torres sent a good cross in but Malanda knocked it behind for a corner. The set piece fell to Schlegel who sent a shot that Kahlina pushed off the post.

Two minutes later, a fantastic ball unlocked the defense and sent Lynn down the left channel behind the back line. The young striker, however, slowed up when he got the ball and Malanda caught up to him, forcing him wide, where he shot into the outside netting. Lodeiro then tried to pick out Lynn in the box in the 86th minute but may have been better off shooting from the top of the area without a defender near him.

Jansson’s flick on a set piece was wide of the back post in stoppage time and that was that.

Orlando finished with the advantage in possession (60.6%-39.4%), shots (24-11), shots on target (8-5), corners (11-3), and passing accuracy (92.8%-79.7%), but simply wasn’t sharp enough again offensively and added a leaky defense to the proceedings.

“I think we’re all disappointed with the tie, given that they were down to 10 men very early,” McGuire said. “We had our chances. I definitely had my chances. I missed two I think I should have scored. We were attacking a lot and we think we definitely should have won the game, and we’re very disappointed in ourselves, but we’re going to have to take that one point on the road and take it home to Chicago on Saturday.”

The Lions are back home with another quick turnaround when they host the Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium.

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Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points on the road against Montreal?

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18 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads to the Great White North to take on CF Montreal. The Canadian squad sits in last place in not just the Eastern Conference but also the entire MLS, with only two points from a pair of draws. To say it’s not been a good start to the season is an understatement. Of course, it’s exactly that type of situation that makes it feel like a trap. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points against CF Montreal?

Designated Goal Scorers

What do you do if you haven’t scored a goal in the last two matches? You play a team that has given up 13 goals in eight matches with a -9 goal differential. Montreal doesn’t have the worst defense in the league — I’m looking at you, D.C. United — but it’s not far off. That presents an opportunity for Orlando City to get back on track when it comes to scoring goals.

Through the first six matches of the season, Orlando City was leading the league in scoring with 15 goals. Over the last two matches, the spigot has dried up. The Lions must seize on this opportunity to create and finish their chances. Much like earlier in the season, I want to see Luis Muriel, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic lead the way. If anyone can get the first goal, then I’m hopeful the dam will break and the scoring drought will be over.

Keep it Clean

There is some good news of late when it comes to the Orlando City defense. The club has two clean sheets over the last two matches, and that is without Cesar Araujo. There is also some bad news, given Rodrigo Schlegel will be serving his red card suspension this match. That means David Brekalo will move back to center back with Robin Jansson, and Oscar Pareja will have to employ either Rafael Santos or Kyle Smith at left back. Santos has been less than good so far this season.

Montreal has scored a paltry four goals so far in 2025, but two of them have come from striker Prince Owusu. The defense will also need to deal with Caden Clark facilitating in the midfield. I get that this isn’t a prolific attack. Montreal has not looked very good this season and is looking for both its first win and its first points of any sort at home. That means the hosts may be desperate for a result, and desperate is often dangerous. How well the defense does — in particular, how well Santos does if he plays — may determine if Montreal is able to break out of its slump. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Give the Midfield Time

Before the last match, I was a little worried about the midfield. Having both Araujo and Eduard Atuesta out at the same time seemed to be a concern. Now, after seeing how well Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson worked together against the New York Red Bulls, I’m way less worried. If Araujo and Atuesta need a little more time to get fully healthy, then let them. The Franco/Icelandic combo seems to be a potent one.

Of course, if the normal starters are ready, then by all means bring them back, but maybe not until the 60th minute. Perhaps Pareja could even mix and match. One never knows how yellow card suspensions or minor injuries will affect player availability. This is a good match for Gerbet and Thorhallsson to work their magic.

That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 4/17/25

Oscar Pareja signs new contract with Orlando City, Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, Orlando’s youth teams win, and more.

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22 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I can’t believe we’re already into the back half of April and Easter is right around the corner. There’s plenty of soccer to enjoy between now and then and we also have the draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 this morning at 9:15. MLS teams are finally joining the fray, so we’ll see where the chips fall for Orlando City. Let’s get to the links!

Oscar Pareja Signs New Contract

Orlando City and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have agreed to a new three-year contract that will keep him in the City Beautiful through 2028. Pareja was hired as Orlando’s fourth head coach in its MLS era back in December of 2019 and he’s led the Lions to the playoffs in all five seasons he’s been at the helm.  Under Pareja, the Lions won the U.S. Open Cup in 2022, set club records in points and wins in 2023, and reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time last year. This year was the final one on the contract he signed in December of 2023, so it’s nice to know Pareja will be sticking around in the future.

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride will look to make it five wins in a row when they host the Washington Spirit on Saturday in another rematch of last year’s final. While this is the first match between Orlando and Washington this season, the two clashed in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7 and the Spirit lifted the trophy after a penalty shootout. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team has grown since that game and has benefitted from depth and consistency carried over from last year.

Orlando City Youth Teams Win in Bradenton

Orlando City’s U-18 team won in the Generation Adidas Cup’s round of 16, beating St. Louis City 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Young Lions remain unbeaten in that age group and will take on a Real Salt Lake team that also won its group and just beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw.

Orlando’s U-16 squad didn’t qualify for the Championship bracket, but still advanced in the Premier bracket. After a 1-1 draw with Toronto, Orlando prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout and will play Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Semifinals Are Set

The quarterfinals for this year’s UEFA Champions League are over and only four teams remain in the tournament. Arsenal secured its spot in the semifinals after an impressive 2-1 road win against Real Madrid that included two assists from Mikel Merino. The Spanish club couldn’t muster its usual magic in the tournament and forward Kylian Mbappe exited in the second half due to injury. In Italy, Inter Milan held on for a 2-2 draw against Bayern to advance on aggregate, with defender Benjamin Pavard scoring a crucial goal for Inter against his old team. The semifinals will take place at the end of the month and will feature Arsenal taking on Paris Saint-Germain and Inter going up against Barcelona.

Free Kicks

  • Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
  • The Chicago Fire are reportedly strongly interested in signing star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer. If any Western Conference teams could join the hunt for him, that would be great.

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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Orlando City Extends Oscar Pareja’s Contract through 2028

The most successful coach in Orlando City’s MLS history has signed on for another three seasons.

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1 day ago

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April 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City SC announced today that the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have come to terms on a new three-year contract through 2028. The winningest head coach in club history, Pareja’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire after the 2025 season. With the Lions off to a 3-2-3 start, and coming off the deepest MLS Cup playoff run in the organization’s history — the 2024 Eastern Conference final — the club locked down the veteran coach

“Throughout his career, Oscar has proven to be a coach deeply committed not only to winning and competing for championships, but also to building teams that fans can proudly rally behind,” Orlando City Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Here in Orlando, he’s shown that same passion and dedication — taking immense pride in representing our club with integrity and driving us closer each year to our ultimate goal of winning it all. His unwavering positivity and focus have helped shape a culture grounded in respect and ambition. We’re thrilled to have Oscar continue leading us forward in the City Beautiful.” 

Pareja has led Orlando City to a record of 89-59-55 across all competitions in 203 matches, reaching the playoffs in each of his seasons at the helm of OCSC. He also won the team’s first MLS-era trophy by leading the Lions to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, and he’s guided the club to its first two appearances in Concacaf Champions League/Cup and to the MLS is Back Tournament final in 2020.

With 176 MLS victories, Pareja is No. 5 on the league’s all-time wins list. He ranks second among all active coaches. Orlando City initially hired Pareja, 56, as head coach on Dec. 4, 2019. He succeeded James O’Connor, Jason Kreis, and Adrian Heath as OCSC head coaches in the club’s MLS era. Prior to joining the Lions, Pareja spent one season in Liga MX with Club Tijuana after five successful seasons as head coach at FC Dallas. Pareja started his MLS head coaching career with the Colorado Rapids in 2012, leading the ‘Pids for two seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2013. He also coached the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team from 2007-2008. 

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Mark Wilf, his family, the entire ownership group, and our executive board for their continued trust in the vision and culture we’ve built over the years,” Pareja said in the club’s release. “Their unwavering support is the foundation of everything we strive to achieve each day. Above all, I’m profoundly thankful to our incredible fans and the dedicated staff who pour their hearts into making Orlando City such a remarkable club. Together, we’ve grown stronger with each passing season, moving steadily closer to our shared ambition of bringing more trophies home to this great city. I remain deeply inspired by what lies ahead and look forward to continuing this journey in pursuit of more championships.” 

As a player, Pareja spent 1987-1995 with Independiente Medellin in his native Colombia as a midfielder, appearing in 263 matches and scoring 18 goals. He moved to Deportivo Cali, where he scored 11 more goals in 122 games from 1995-1998 and then joined the New England Revolution, appearing in 13 games that year. He finished his playing career with FC Dallas, scoring 13 goals in 170 appearances from 1998-2005. He also earned 11 caps from 1991 to 1996 with Colombia’s national team, scoring three goals.

What It Means for Orlando City

As I wrote when Pareja re-signed in December of 2023: quite simply, it means the Lions retain their most successful coach since joining Major League Soccer. Pareja has created a culture and an identity that was lacking at the club prior to his arrival. While it’s common for players to say the team feels like a family and a city feels like “home,” the Lions have walked that walk during Pareja’s tenure in the City Beautiful.

Pareja’s challenge for the upcoming season is to improve upon the club’s deepest run in the playoffs and perhaps the fourth-place finish the Lions enjoyed in 2024. That’s not an easy task, and it shouldn’t be held against him if he can’t reach those lofty heights.

In the short term, Pareja’s job is to get the team scoring goals again while maintaining the high defensive standards set over the last two matches.

Pareja’s tenure with Orlando City will ultimately be measured in trophies. So far, he’s won one of them. That’s more than everyone who came before him won with Orlando in the MLS era, but it’s understandable for fans and ownership to ask for more.

Oscar Pareja’s Coaching Record at Orlando City (W-L-D)

Major League Soccer Regular Season: 167 games, 74-48-45
MLS Playoffs: 12 games, 5-6-1 (Note: MLS considers draws losses if they happen in the best-of-three round but if it goes to penalties in a single-elimination game, it’s a draw.)
U.S. Open Cup: 7 games, 4-1-2
Concacaf Champions League/Cup: 6 games, 2-1-3
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 2-2-3
MLS is Back Knockout Stages: 4 games, 2-1-1

Total: 203 games coached, 89-59-55

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