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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 2-2 road draw at Charlotte?

Published

10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

On the road and up a man for much the midweek match, Orlando City was forced to settle for a 2-2 draw. Looking to build off a good effort that unfortunately was coupled with a bad result the last time out, the Lions headed north to challenge one of the best defensive squads in Major League Soccer.

Let’s take a look at how the players performed individually in the draw.

Starters

GK, Mason Stajduhar, 6 — Making his second consecutive start while Pedro Gallese is away representing Peru, the Homegrown goalkeeper put in a mostly solid effort on the night. The first goal he allowed hardly could blamed on Stajduhar, as a save likely required super human reflexes, as a badly missed clearance from the combination of Felipe and Ivan Angulo led to a wide-open opportunity. He was slow to make a decision to come off his line on the second goal, arrived too late and was chipped easily for a late go-ahead goal. He also had some strange tendencies to wander outside his box on plays the defense had covered and unnecessarily headed what was not a back pass out for a Charlotte throw. It’s best not to take chances when unsure, but that play was a toe poke to knock it away from an attacker, not a pass. Stajduhar made three saves on the night, with his biggest coming on a point-blank chance for Liel Abada on a set piece in the second half. He completed all of his nine passes, which included three long balls, and was credited with a clearance.

D, Rafael Santos, 4.5 — Santos had 101 touches in this game, good for third on the team. He completed 95.3% of his 85 passes, which is good, but his crossing was dreadful to watch, as the Brazilian completed only one of nine, overhitting several of them badly and sending a couple completely out of play. His only shot attempt came nowhere close to the goal frame. One of his passes was a key pass. Defensively, Santos recorded one tackle and committed one foul. He should have prevented Charlotte’s second goal, recklessly taking a wild swing at taking the ball from Patrick Agyemang and falling down to leave Robin Jansson to deal with two attackers. Santos exited the match in the 91st minute for fellow defensemen, Kyle Smith.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson was unspectacular on the evening as was a good majority of the defense on the night. The Swedish center back recorded 68 touches and completed 89.8% of his 59 passes, including three of his six long balls. Defensively, he added one interception, two clearances, and one blocked shot while committing one foul. He played a role in both Charlotte goals, getting roasted down the channel to allow Abada’s cross that ended in the opening goal. On the second goal, he was in position to stop Agyemang, but allowed the striker to get past. He almost atoned for his mistakes late, when his shot from point-blank range was saved. It was his only shot attempt of the match and it required a big save from Kristijan Kahlina.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Schlegel was the more sound of the two center backs on the night when he was in position. He was caught up the field a few times, including on the second Charlotte goal. With Cesar Araujo already pushed up, Schlegel was easily beaten by a chipped ball over the top that gave the hosts numbers in transition. The Argentine recorded 62 touches on the night, completing an impressive 97.9% of his 47 passes, including two of his three long balls. Defensively, he contributed a team-high five tackles and one clearance while committing one foul. Offensively, Schlegel added two shots, with one on target that nearly produced a game winner. His shot was saved by Kahlina, who was able to deflect it off the left post.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson started in his usual right back position, but recorded only 25 touches, as the Lions played almost exclusively up the left side. He completed 86.7% of his 15 passes and was unsuccessful on both his lone crossing attempt and his one long ball. Defensively, he added one clearance, two interceptions, and one tackle. Offensively, he recorded one shot, which was not on target. Normally one of the most involved players throughout a match, Thorhallsson’s presence was lacking in this one and he was ultimately sacrificed for a more offensive minded player in Martin Ojeda after halftime.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 (MotM) — Torres got back on the scoresheet in a big way against Charlotte while being involved in all aspects of the match, recording 107 touches. He put all four of his shot attempts on target, completed 96.3% of his 81 passes, including four key passes. If there was one blemish on his effort it was that only two of his 10 crosses were accurate, but he did complete his lone long ball attempt. His pass into the box off of a well-weighted header became an assist on Orlando’s first goal, as Duncan McGuire was able to flick it home. Later in the second half, again trailing by a goal, Torres collected a corner cross from Lodeiro near the back post, took one touch, and calmly picked out the opposite corner to tie the game. This is the type of outing that Torres, the coaching staff, and fans have been waiting to see and hopefully one he can build on over the summer.

MF, Felipe, 5.5 — Felipe slotted into the starting 11, replacing Cesar Araujo. He recorded 24 touches and completed all of his 21 passes, including one long ball. Defensively, he recorded one clearance. His sliding clearance attempt failed to deal with Abada’s cross on the first goal, and whether he mishit it or was distracted by Angulo’s simultaneous arrival, only he can say, but it dropped his grade a bit. Offensively, Felipe added one shot that was off target. The Brazilian was injured after winning the ball and being tackled late and from behind by Scott Arfield, leading to the latter being sent off. Felipe was in visible discomfort after receiving treatment from the training staff, couldn’t continue, and was subbed off for Araujo in the 40th minute.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, 7 — Lodeiro was the most active player in this game and for the second straight match, he recorded a team-high in touches, with 147. He completed 88.6% of his team-high 131 passes, including an incredible 10 key passes. Lodeiro also completed five of his 11 crosses, three of his six long balls, and one of his two through balls, putting on a passing clinic. The midfielder took one off-target shot and logged a successful dribble. Lodeiro logged an assist with his well-placed corner kick in the 81st minute that found Facundo Torres for the equalizer. He could have had a late shot at a winner in the 86th minute but opted to try to pick out Jack Lynn instead. Lodeiro did not log a statistic defensively as he was too busy making the offense run, which was contributed to Orlando’s problems. With only one true defensive midfielder on the pitch, Lodeiro was often up the field when Charlotte broke dangerously in transition.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — The Orlando attack is at its best when Angulo is creating chaos with speed and overlapping runs, yet against Charlotte, there seemed to be less opportunity for the speedy Colombian to stretch his legs. The midfielder had 65 touches. He completed 92% of his 50 passes, including one of his two crosses, a successful long ball and added two key passes. He continues to struggle with decisions and turnovers in the final third, however, and clearly lacks confidence when presented with opportunities to shoot, as he failed to record a shot in the match. Defensively, he contributed two clearances, but he and Felipe both failed to deal with a loose ball on the first goal while not under any pressure from Charlotte in the penalty area. He was replaced by Alex Freeman in the 91st minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — Muriel recorded 54 touches in his active role playing beneath McGuire. He completed 92.9% of his 42 passes, including three key passes. He picked up a secondary assist on Orlando’s first goal when he did well to pick out Torres on the left with a perfect ball. Muriel failed to connect on his one cross but was successful on his only attempted through ball. He was only able to get one of his four shot attempts on target. He was only dispossessed once, however, which is an improvement over previous outings. Defensively, he contributed one tackle and one interception. He was substituted off in the 83rd minute for Lynn.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — McGuire slotted into his usual role as the target man up top, recording 31 touches. He completed 83.3% of his 18 passes, including both of his long ball attempts. He only put one of his four shots on frame, which is a low percentage by his usual standards. McGuire had a gorgeous opportunity early in the match to give the Lions an early lead but smashed a shot wide of the net. It was a chance on which he should have done better, and he had another such opportunity in the second half when he knocked a good cross well wide of the near post with an open Torres making a run behind him. His only shot on target came in the 63rd minute and found the back of the net for his first goal since May 11 to tie the game at one. Ultimately, the timing for McGuire and his runs could have been a tad bit tighter but it was a welcome sign to see Big Dunc find the goal. Defensively, McGuire added two clearances.

Substitutes

MF, Cesar Araujo (40’), 6 — Araujo entered the match in the first half due to Felipe’s injury, and the Uruguayan managed 63 touches. He completed 94.6% of his 55 passes and was accurate on two of his three long balls. He also added three tackles and blocked a shot.

MF, Martin Ojeda (46’), 5.5 — Ojeda came on in the 46th minute for Thorhallsson and was unable to make the immediate impact that he had previously against LAFC, but it allowed the Lions to change shape. The attacking midfielder had 34 touches and completed 95.5% of his 22 passes. Ojeda was only accurate on one of his six crosses but did complete both of his long balls. He recorded three shots, which all failed to find the target, including a header which he certainly should have done better with.

F, Jack Lynn (83’), N/A — Lynn came on with seven minutes to go for Muriel. Orlando was looking for a game-winning goal, but Lynn was unable to help. He was able to get into a few dangerous spots, but his best chance was his only shot attempt, which he sent wide after he was sent in behind the defense. Lynn gathered the ball and slowed for some reason, allowing the defense to recover on the play and preventing him from going more directly to goal. Lynn had three touches on the night and completed his only pass.

D, Kyle Smith (90’ + 1), N/A — Smith came on in stoppage time for Santos to try to help secure the draw. He logged nine touches and completed 88.9% of his nine passes. The Accountant failed to record a defensive stat in limited stoppage time minutes.

MF, Alexander Freeman (90’ + 1), N/A — The young fullback came on in the 91st minute, replacing Angulo. Freeman put his lone shot attempt on target, earned a corner, and ended the game with four touches.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s draw against Charlotte FC. Let us know how you saw the game and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions head north looking to find their offense and continue their recent defensive form.

Published

7 hours ago

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April 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City and CF Montreal at Stade Saputo (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). It’s the first of two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals in 2025. The Canadian side is scheduled to make the return trip to Orlando on July 12.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 8-9-5 against Montreal in the all-time regular-season series and 10-10-5 in all competitions since they joined MLS. OCSC is 4-5-2 in away games against Montreal, 3-5-2 in the city of Montreal, and 4-6-2 in away matches in all competitions, which includes an MLS playoff meeting in 2022. The teams drew both regular-season meetings a year ago, with Orlando going 1-0-2 in all competitions against CF Montreal in 2024.

The teams met most recently in Orlando in the 2024 Leagues Cup competition on July 26 of last year, with the Lions running rampant in a 4-1 home victory. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Facundo Torres, Ramiro Enrique, and Martin Ojeda staked Orlando to a 4-0 lead. Josef Martinez scored for Montreal, although his bid for a brace was denied when Pedro Gallese stopped his penalty kick attempt.

The two sides last met in Montreal on April 20, 2024 trading goals back and forth in a 2-2 draw at Stade Saputo. Mason Toye opened the scoring early but Torres equalized from the spot a few minutes later. Ariel Lassiter appeared to win it late in normal time for the hosts, but Ivan Angulo struck in stoppage time to earn Orlando City a road point. These teams opened the 2024 season against each other in Orlando and played to a 0-0 draw. The Lions dominated the stat sheet but had a goal waved off for offside and simply weren’t lethal enough.

The teams met twice in 2023, completing the season series on Sept. 30, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-0 in dominant fashion. Jonathan Sirois’ own goal opened the scoring, and Thorhallsson and Torres added strikes for Orlando City. That was a good measure of revenge for OCSC, after Montreal defeated Orlando City 2-0 and handed the Lions their first road loss of the 2023 MLS season on May 6 at Stade Saputo. A Robin Jansson own goal got Montreal started in the second half and Romell Quioto added a second goal four minutes later.

These two sides played their biggest game against each other in the 2022 MLS playoffs, with CF Montreal knocking Orlando City out of the postseason by a 2-0 scoreline on Oct. 16, with goals by Ismael Kone and Djordje Mihailovic — the latter coming deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot.

Each team won at home in the two-game, regular-season series in 2022, with Montreal thumping Orlando 4-1 on May 7. Joel Waterman, Mihailovic, Joaquin Torres, and Zachary Brault-Guillard did the damage on the scoreboard and Orlando City managed just two shot attempts, with Joao Moutinho’s goal on a set piece helping the Lions avoid a shutout. Orlando City did not have either starting center back for that match, and it showed. The teams also met on opening day of the 2022 season, when Orlando City captured a 2-0 home win behind second-half goals from Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel.

In 2021, the teams met in Montreal on Decision Day, with the Lions earning a 2-0 road victory at Stade Saputo to clinch a playoff spot. Sebas Mendez and Daryl Dike provided the goals. That season’s matchup in Orlando came on Oct. 20, 2021, with the visitors managing a 1-1 draw. Chris Mueller struck for the Lions just before halftime, but Rudy Camacho answered on a corner kick header shortly after the restart. The first meeting of 2021 took place Sept. 15 in Orlando with the Lions falling 4-2 and finishing the game with just nine men after both Nani and Andres Perea were sent off. Quioto led Montreal with a goal and two assists. Mathieu Choiniere and Quioto put Montreal up 2-0, but despite already being down one man, Jansson and Ruan tied things up. The visitors got two more from Lassi Lappalainen and Sunusi Ibrahim.

The teams met at Red Bull Arena in late 2020 as the team then known as the Montreal Impact played home games in New Jersey due to the pandemic. Orlando City got a Dike goal in the 39th minute to win 1-0 on Nov. 1, 2020. It was the second meeting of the 2020 season, with Orlando also beating Montreal 1-0 in the MLS is Back Tournament knockout rounds on July 25 to advance to the quarterfinals. Tesho Akindele scored the game’s only goal on a Montreal defensive mistake.

Orlando City snapped a six-game winless streak against Montreal (0-5-1) in MLS regular-season play dating back to 2016 when the Lions put the Impact to the sword in a 3-0 drubbing at Stade Saputo on June 1, 2019. Nani (penalty), Akindele, and Will Johnson supplied the offense that day. The Lions fell 3-1 at Exploria Stadium back on March 16, 2019, and Ignacio Piatti was a big reason why, scoring his ninth and 10th career goals against Orlando, adding to a strike by Orji Okwonkwo. Dom Dwyer added a cosmetic goal late for Orlando City to spoil the clean sheet.

Montreal did not allow a goal against the Lions in 2018, sweeping the two-game set from Orlando, and the Impact shut out Orlando City in three of the six meetings in that 5-0-1 run. The lone draw in that time frame was a 3-3 shootout in Orlando in 2017, in which the Impact led deep in stoppage time, only to see Jonathan Spector’s well-placed header steal the Lions a point.

Orlando won the first two meetings in 2016 by a combined score of 6-2. The teams split three meetings in 2015, with each going 1-1-1.

Match Overview

Orlando City enters this match on a five-game unbeaten run (2-0-3). The Lions are coming off two consecutive scoreless draws — at Philadelphia two weeks ago and home against the New York Red Bulls last weekend. The latter of those draws came despite Orlando City being down a man for most of the second half. While the league’s best offense entering play two weeks ago has falledn off a cliff, the most porous defens in MLS has strung together consecutive clean sheets. Orlando will look for a bit more balance tonight, although the back line will need to shuffle slightly with Rodrigo Schlegel’s suspension.

The Lions are 1-1-2 on the road this season, and are playing their fifth road match out of the last seven games.

Montreal sits last in Major League Soccer on just two points from eight matches after a 1-0 home defeat to Charlotte seven days ago. That was, however, the Canadian side’s first home match of the 2025 campaign, after starting the season 0-5-2 on an extended road trip. It is unclear how good or bad Montreal is, but despite being winless on the year, the club has lost one-goal games against contenders Charlotte and Columbus the last two weeks, following a 1-1 draw at Chicago. Only Nashville (3-0) and MLS-leading Vancouver (2-0) have managed to beat Montreal by more than a goal, despite the Canadians scoring only a league-worst four times all year.

With Montreal playing well defensively over the last three matches, Orlando will need to find its scoring boots against a solid unit in front of Sirois that includes center backs Waterman and George Campbell and central midfielder Samuel Piette. Former Lion Luca Petrasso is a starter on the Montreal back line as well, and he’ll no doubt want to show Orlando what it is missing without him. While Montreal has the ball, the Lions will need to track Prince Owusu, who leads his club with two goals. Caden Clark and Sunusi Ibrahim can also be a threat in the attack.

“It’s a tricky moment in the season, where teams are adjusting movements and players, and in this case, with Montréal even changing staff. But we are still serious about approaching the game with our intention to go and win it,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “It is an important match for us and it’s a match that can give us the possibility to add points in the standings. It’s much more important that we keep this road of ascending of the level of the group.”

Orlando City will be without Schlegel (suspension), Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Yutaro Tsukada (knee), Favian Loyola (thigh), while Cesar Araujo (lower leg), Eduard Atuesta (thigh), Ramiro Enrique (upper extremity), and Nico Rodriguez (thigh) are listed as questionable. Per Montreal’s game notes, every player is available.

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Joran Gerbet, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

CF Montreal (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Jonathan Sirois.

Defenders: Luca Petrasso, Joel Waterman, George Campbell, Aleksandr Guboglo.

Midfielders: Samuel Piette, Victor Ioturi, Nathan Saliba.

Forwards: Caden Clark, Prince Owusu, Dante Sealy.

Referees:

Ref: Fotis Bazakos.
AR1: Lyes Arfa.
AR2: Micheal Barwegen.
4th: Mathieu Souare.
VAR: Ramy Touchan.
AVAR: Claudiu Badea.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Stade Saputo — Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English); Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Opinion

Orlando City’s Start to the Season a Pleasant Surprise So Far

The Lions have started the new season well enough, but we shouldn’t get too carried away just yet.

Published

1 day ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

While Orlando City didn’t have a ton of roster turnover to deal with during the off-season, it was really anybody’s guess as to what sort of start the Lions would make to the 2025 Major League Soccer season. There was obviously the loss of all-time leading goal scorer Facundo Torres to deal with, then Wilder Cartagena was lost for the year in preseason, although the club did a great job in landing Eduard Atuesta to replace him. There were also questions about depth at left back, center back, and central midfield. It was anyone’s guess on how Marco Pasalic would adjust to life in MLS, and there were serious questions about whether the Lions had enough firepower up front with Duncan McGuire unavailable to start the season while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

While the club returned the vast majority of the guys who played key roles in helping reach the Eastern Conference final, on paper, the roster didn’t improve and arguably got weaker, so was it truly realistic to expect the team to go a step farther and make the final this year?

Despite all of those concerns, and despite a confidence-shaking 4-2 opening game loss to the Philadelphia Union, Orlando has largely made a good start to the campaign. The Lions have compiled a respectable 3-2-3 record and have 12 points to show for it, currently sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the first-place Columbus Crew.

Even in the two losses, it’s hard to make the argument that OCSC played truly bad games on the whole. Rather, the Lions were undone by moments of bad defending and losses of concentration that led to silly mistakes, particularly against the Union. The shaky defending has certainly been one of the bigger concerns, especially on an Oscar Pareja-coached team, but things have begun to look better after keeping two straight clean sheets.

Ironically, even though the offense seemed to be most people’s biggest concern before the season started, it’s been the part of the team that has consistently functioned at the highest level. Before the two 0-0 draws, Orlando had scored the most goals in the league, and despite being held scoreless twice in a row, they still have the third-most goals scored. Out of OCSC’s six games played with a first choice XI, the Lions have scored more than one goal four times. Even in the games when they haven’t been as prolific, or have largely been on the back foot, the Lions have still managed to carve out a healthy number of chances. While their finishing has let them down at times, they’ve still managed to get several good looks at goal in every game, and that’s half the battle.

All in all, it’s been a perfectly respectable start to the season, and the team honestly has performed higher than my (probably slightly pessimistic) expectations. While the start hasn’t been white hot, it’s been nice to not see the sort of slow start that so often has seemed to plague this club during Pareja’s tenure at the helm.

That being said, I think it’s important to place the beginning of the year in the proper context. It’s worth noting that of the teams that Orlando has played to this point, Philadelphia is the only one currently above the playoff line (although the New York Red Bulls occupy the last play-in spot). The Lions have beaten an LA Galaxy team that is the worst in the West; Toronto FC, which is second from the bottom in the East; and D.C. United, which is third from the bottom in the East. They drew the fifth-place Union on the road, and lost to NYCFC at the baseball stadium. But it has to be said that Orlando has faced a noticeable lack of top shelf opponents so far.

Essentially, Orlando has played three bad teams, two decent ones, and one that started very well but has cooled off in recent weeks (twice). Of course, OCSC can’t do anything about that, but it’s worth asking if the solid start to the season is due to the Lions legitimately being a good team, or if it’s more of a paper tiger situation where they just haven’t had to play many tough opponents yet.

There isn’t really any way of knowing for sure, and there won’t be any hints for awhile. With the way the standings currently look, Orlando won’t face a team above the playoff line until they go up against Charlotte FC on the road on May 14. I don’t bring all of this up to try to dampen the mood, but I just don’t think we have a truly accurate idea of this team’s level yet. Which is fair and totally fine, after all we’re only eight games into the season.

That doesn’t mean that we can’t give OCSC its due for a solid start to the year. It hasn’t been perfect by any means, but the team has done more good than bad, and the Lions’ current place in the standings reflects that. We should still keep things in perspective and resist the urge to dole out too much praise just yet, but we can be happy with what we’ve seen so far.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/18/25

Orlando City set to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Lions reach Generation Adidas Cup semifinals, Angel City hires Alexander Straus, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I hope today finds you well as we gear up for another Saturday filled with soccer to enjoy. I don’t have many plans this Easter weekend beyond working, catching soccer when I can, and playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time if I find some spare hours. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Learns U.S. Open Cup Opponents

Orlando City’s 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign will begin on the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in what will be the latest edition of the I-4 Derby. It will be Orlando’s first game of this year’s tournament, while the Rowdies joined in the previous round and got past FC Naples in penalties. The Rowdies have lost four of their five games so far this season in the USL Championship and fired Robbie Neilson as head coach earlier this month. The Lions also notably would have hosting priority if they reach the round of 16, where they will play either Nashville SC or the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Here’s the full schedule for the round of 32, which includes some interesting matchups across the country. The Tacoma Defiance are the only MLS NEXT Pro side left and will face the Portland Timbers, while the New York Red Bulls will have a long road trip to take on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Lions Advance to Generation Adidas Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-18 team beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Generation Adidas Cup to secure a spot in the semifinals. The Young Lions have won four of their five games of the tournament and will take on Santos Laguna in the semifinal on Saturday. The winner of that match will face whichever team becomes victorious in the other semifinal between Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids.

The U-16 team’s run in the Premier bracket is also going strong after a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, and Orlando will take on the New England Revolution in the semifinals on Saturday.

Angel City FC Hires Alexander Straus

Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus was named Angel City FC’s next head coach and will officially join the club on June 1. The Norwegian coach has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and has Bayern positioned well to make it three straight this season. He’ll join an Angel City team that’s unbeaten in its first four games of the season under interim head coach Sam Laity, who will stay on as an assistant coach once Straus joins.

Europa League Quarterfinals End In Dramatic Fashion

Old Trafford hosted one of the wildest games in Europa League history, with Manchester United and Lyon battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. United scored twice in the first half, then conceded twice in the second, sending the game to extra time. Lyon took the lead despite being a man down and then the teams traded penalty kicks as the madness continued. Casemiro orchestrated Manchester’s victory in the end, assisting on two late goals within a minute of each other to beat Lyon 5-4 and advance. This United fan pretty much sums up just how much of a rollercoaster this match was.

There was also drama in Italy, as Lazio came back in the second leg to force extra time against Bodo/Glimt. The match went to penalties and Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikitka Haikin denied former New York City FC player Taty Castellanos from the spot to book his team’s place in the semifinals. Although Tottenham was without Son Heung-Min, it got the job done in a 1-0 road win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Athletic Club beat Rangers 2-0 in Spain to advance as well. In the semifinals, Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt and Manchester United will take on Athletic Club.

Free Kicks

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

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