Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Pick up Road Win in Canada

The Lions fell behind early again but were able to grind out a road win in Toronto.

Published

2 years ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The Lions conceded in the opening minutes yet again, but this time Orlando City (6-9-6, 24 points) was able to come from behind and take all three points. Martin Ojeda and an own goal forced by Facundo Torres brought the Lions back just before halftime in a 2-1 victory over Toronto FC (7-12-3, 24 points) at BMO Field. Derrick Etienne Jr. had given the hosts the lead just minutes after the opening kick, but the Lions held firm despite several nervy moments in the second half.

“We want to dedicate this game to Mason (Stajduhar), who has suffered this tremendous injury. And I know he’s happy to see us winning, but we want to share this joy with him. So, this is for Mason. We’re all talking about it in the lockerroom,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I want to congratulate the players for such an important resolve in this moment that we need to win games. Today they demonstrated the commitment that they have with the club. So, we’re very proud of this result and the effort that they had on the pitch.”

Pareja’s lineup featured the return of Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Wilder Cartagena was also back in the starting XI, joining Cesar Araujo in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.

Toronto scored on its first shot, as Orlando’s defensive inattentiveness continued. Federico Bernardeschi sent in a cross from the right that Raoul Petretta easily won over Thorhallsson at the back post. He headed it down into the middle of the area where absolutely no Lions were concerned with Etienne Jr., who smashed it past Gallese from point-blank range to open the scoring. It was a ridiculously easy goal for the hosts just five minutes in, and it was the 10th goal conceded by Orlando in the first 15 minutes of an MLS match this season — the 16th in all competitions.

“I think it was a couple of distractions that we had,” Pareja said about the early goal. “It’s something that I need to work on and help them. That’s probably a lack of sharpness or concentration, because after that we just engaged in the game in such a way that we looked as we wanted. But these things cannot happen. It’s something that we have been working on but it seems like it is not enough yet. We all collectively need to be aware that this can’t happen.”

Bernardeschi didn’t miss by much in an attempt to double the lead four minutes later. Marked by Angulo, the Italian made one quick fake and easily cleared himself for a left-footed shot that fizzed just off target.

After a dreadful effort from distance by Cartagena came nowhere near the goal, Orlando fashioned its first decent scoring chance in the 15th minute. Ojeda took the ball away in the attacking third, worked his way from right to left across the top of the box to free himself, and fired a shot on goal. The Argentine couldn’t generate much power on the effort, however, and it was an easy save for Sean Johnson.

Angulo had a couple of crosses blocked in the following minutes, with one getting knocked behind for a corner in the 24th minute. The initial cross was cleared but Orlando nearly created something with the two recycled attacks through Cartagena. The first was fizzed dangerously in front with the Peruvian’s right foot, but Johnson did well to get down and get a hand to it to keep it from getting through, allowing his defense to clear. Another ball came in to Cartagena, and this time he headed it across the box but it didn’t reach the intended target.

Three minutes after that flurry, the Lions equalized. Angulo got his cross through this time and it was a perfect ball for Ojeda to smash home with his head after being left unmarked in front. His second goal of the season tied the match in the 27th minute.

“Of course, I’m happy about the the goal that I was able to convert, but I think more so just overall about this victory that the team needed to get tonight and that we’ve been working so hard to get,” Ojeda said through a club interpreter. “When I saw Facu turn to the other side of the field, the opposite side of where I was, I knew I had to get into the box. That was what I was trying to do to make sure Duncan wasn’t alone in the box. And then, once I saw Ivan out wide in space and Facu played the ball to him, I knew that if I could get into the center, I’d be in a really good spot to make a play on the ball. And thankfully the cross from Ivan was fantastic, and he put it right on my head, where all I had to do was just make the movement towards the ball, and thankfully it went in.”

The Lions continued to control the match for several minutes after the tying goal, winning some set pieces but doing little with them. Thorhallsson scorched a free kick from the left toward goal in the 33rd minute but it hit the wall and deflected out for a corner. On the ensuing set piece, Araujo got a foot to it and knocked it to the left of the goal, where Jansson tried to redirect it but he missed just wide.

Toronto got back on the front foot after that series of chances. A free kick conceded by Araujo near the left sideline was sent in front and headed toward the back post, forcing Gallese to get over and punch it away. The second ball in was cleared out by Jansson’s head, but Toronto maintained possession. Lorenzo Insigne got a step on Thorhallsson moving inside from the left and sent a curling shot just wide of the right post in the 39th minute.

Orlando took the lead on the brink of halftime. A well-worked play starting in the midfield ended up with Torres on the right. The Uruguayan tried to cross in with his right foot. Toronto defender Gomis got a foot on it but only deflected it toward the back post. Johnson couldn’t react in time and the ball bounced in to make it 2-1 Lions in the 45th minute. It was just the second own goal to Orlando’s benefit in 2024.

“It means a lot for the group to see Facu at this level,” Pareja said about his star setting up the winner with his seldom-used right foot. “Today he threatened not just (with) his left cutting inside, but his right, and I think it’s going to give him a lot of confidence because he could do that much more often on receiving the ball and pushing the ball forward on his right. That’s very difficult to mark, and today he tried. He decided to do it, and look at what happened — a cross that was dangerous.”

The three minutes of stoppage time played out without incident and Orlando took its lead into the lockerroom.

The Reds had the halftime advantage in possession (51.7%-48.3%) and passing accuracy (88.3%-87.3%). Orlando finished the half with more shots (8-5), shots on target (2-1), and corners (4-0). The half was evenly played, but the own goal was the difference.

“The first half I liked it a lot,” Pareja said. “I thought we played very well. This is pretty much where we are and we scored goals. And despite that first goal in the first minutes that shouldn’t happen, the reaction was outstanding from the players.”

Neither team was able to find a goal in the second half, although Toronto came closest and fashioned by far the most chances. Orlando struggled to maintain possession and eventually gave up doing anything but trying to stay organized and hit on the counter — something Luis Muriel had two golden opportunities to do but could not.

When the Lions did have chances to get the ball forward, McGuire struggled to win the initial ball or maintain possession, as the striker fought with his first touch most of the evening.

Orlando created the first good chance of the second half just three minutes after the restart as Torres got in on the right and received the ball, but he slipped as he was cutting back to shoot it and ended up getting his attempt blocked as a result of the delay. A minute later, the Lions were in good shape on another transition opportunity but Angulo became indecisive, then made one too many moves, allowing the defense to arrive and dispossess him.

One of McGuire’s turnovers led to a Toronto chance in the 53rd minute as a cross from the left was just inches over Prince Owusu’s head. Three minutes later, Insigne switched play from left to right to Bernardeschi, who sent a dangerous cross through the area but it skipped out the other side for a goal kick.

From that point on, it was primarily about Orlando keeping Toronto from breaking down the door. Jansson did well in the 70th minute to clear the box after Owusu knocked down a dangerous ball to the middle of the penalty area. Gallese caught a high deflection moments later as the Reds continued to rain crosses into the penalty area and the Lions’ block got pushed lower and lower.

Orlando survived a poor header from center back Aime Mabika in the 76th minute when Jansson tripped in the area.

As time wound down, the Lions finally created some opportunities in transition to put the game away. The first came in the 86th minute when Gallese punched the ball out of his area and it was sent up the field for second-half sub Muriel. He had two defenders closing on him, but seeing Johnson off his line, he went for goal from midfield and missed wide to the right. He would have done better to play in fellow sub Ramiro Enrique, who would have been all alone, but perhaps he didn’t see the Argentine.

Kobe Franklin nearly tied the match in the 90th minute. He took a layoff at the top of the area and smashed a shot off Gallese’s crossbar.

Muriel got down the field in the 93rd minute and beat Johnson with his shot but missed inches wide of the left post. Three minutes later, he found himself in a similar situation and missed inches wide of the right post, failing again to seal the deal.

After a few more nervous minutes, the final whistle blew and Orlando had its road win.

Toronto finished with the advantage in possession (56.6%-43.4%), passing accuracy (87.3%-85%), and corners (6-4), while each team finished with 13 shot attempts and Orlando put more on frame (2-1).

“Second half, we defended in the last period of the game very low,” Pareja said. “We couldn’t contain the numbers and the volume of the players that Toronto sent, but we had also some opportunities to put the game (to) 3-1. So, again, we’re happy. This is a good step for us in this moment. Now we’re looking forward to going back home and winning there.”

The Lions won their third straight match at BMO Field and improved to 9-9-3 in the all-time series and 4-4-3 on the road against Toronto, although one of those “road” games came on Orlando’s home field during the Canadian pandemic travel restrictions.

The Reds’ winless skid reached eight matches (0-6-2) after a bright start to the season.

The Lions return home with another quick turnaround as D.C. United visits Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Signs First-Round Pick Harvey Sarajian

The Lions have signed their first pick of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft to a first-team contract.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 16, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian and Ricardo Moreira posing with an Orlando City jersey.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced today that the club has signed first-round selection Harvey Sarajian through the 2027-2028 MLS season, with three additional club option years that could keep him in purple through 2030-2031. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who will soon turn 21, officially joins the first team after multiple departures in the team’s attack.

“We’re really excited to bring Harvey into the fold,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He’s a player we identified early in the draft process as someone who fits our style and developmental pathway. Adding young talent like Harvey is an important part of building depth and ensuring long-term success as we continue into the next iteration of our competitive cycle.”

The Lions selected Sarajian with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest University. It was the first of four picks Orlando City made in the first round this year, and Sarajian is the first of the group to be signed.

The Naples, FL, native, who will wear No. 23 this season, began his collegiate career at Georgia Southern in 2024 before transferring to Wake Forest in 2025. He earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and All-Southeast Region second-team honors his first year before joining one the nation’s top programs.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore scored two goals and added two assists in 17 games last season while putting six of his 19 shots on frame (31.6%). It was a down year for the Demon Deacons, who lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament to SMU and didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

In his two years of collegiate action, Sarajian played 34 games (31 starts), recording 1,921 minutes. He scored six goals and had eight assists for the two schools.

What It Means for Orlando City

Sarajian’s signing is all about development as he likely won’t see much time for the first team in 2026. His primary position is in the number 10 role, a spot already occupied by Martin Ojeda. He can also play on either wing, potentially backing up Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic.

In all likelihood, Sarajian will be at most a reserve for MLS games and will see most of his time with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro. His status on the club will probably be like that of former Lion draftee Shak Mohammed, a fellow former first-round draft pick that plays a similar style and left the club this off-season.

The attacker will only be 21 years old when the season begins, so he still has a lot of room to improve. He wasn’t a star at Wake Forest, so the Orlando City brass clearly sees this as a long-term project who will hopefully pay dividends down the road. If not, the club likely feels comfortable with the attacking options coming through the academy and OCB, like Justin Ellis and Justin Hylton.

Continue Reading

Opinion

Likes and Dislikes from the First Week of Orlando City’s Preseason

There were good and bad things to take away from Orlando City’s first week back at work.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 16, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It seems strange to write considering it feels like the 2025 MLS season only ended yesterday, but week one of Orlando City’s preseason is (almost) fully in the books. With that being the case, let’s talk about the week that was and discuss some good things and not-so-good things about it.

Likes

Married to Martin

Orlando City announced on Thursday that it signed Martin Ojeda to a contract extension that runs through the 2028-2029 season. Given that the Argentine no. 10 had a record-breaking 2025 season, and the fact that there were some rumblings online about interest from Palmeiras and other teams, this is an extremely welcome piece of news. Ojeda was the straw that stirred Orlando City’s drink last year, and losing him after his breakout year would have been a huge blow, despite what undoubtedly would have been a tidy little transfer fee. Instead, Orlando’s talisman is locked down for the long term, and it was also good to hear him speak about how happy his family has been in the City Beautiful.

Moving on From Muriel

On the opposite side of the coin, the Lions also announced on Thursday that the team has sold Luis Muriel to Colombian side Junior FC. Like Ojeda, this is a key move for the club to make as it moves off a Designated Player whose time here probably can’t be called a failure, but certainly can’t be called an outright success either. The forward’s wildly fluctuating inconsistency was what made his time in Orlando so frustrating, because it isn’t like he wasn’t capable of performing at a high level in MLS. One has only to look at his two league performances against Inter Miami during the 2025 season to see that. Ultimately though, he wasn’t consistently clinical enough in front of goal, and he was off form more than he was on. His departure frees up a precious Designated Player slot that OCSC really needs to nail if it wants to have a more successful campaign this year, and we can now enjoy speculating about which player the front office decides to use it on.

Returning Faces

It did my heart good to see the formerly injured duo of Yutaro Tsukada and Wilder Cartagena back training with the full team after suffering season-ending injuries during the 2025 preseason. Cartagena tore his Achilles tendon in the first friendly of the year against Atletico Mineiro, while Tsukada tore his ACL during a friendly with CF Montreal, and both injuries changed Orlando’s season before it even started. The team lost a starting defensive midfielder in Cartagena and a depth piece who had shown promise with Orlando City B when it came to Tsukada, and the year started on a somber note as a result. Not only is it good for the outlook of the team to have them back, but it’s just great for the players themselves to be able to get back out there, and hopefully they’re both able to rebound well this season.

Dislikes

Dearth of Open Practices & Friendlies

Technically we found out about this last week when the preseason schedule was announced, but I just think the lack of open practices and friendlies this year is a damn shame. None of the Lions’ preseason games are open to the general public, and there are no opportunities to go watch the team train. While I do think it’s good that the final preseason match is at least open to season ticket members, as they do deserve something for their extra commitment, it just seems like a missed opportunity. Given how many new faces will be on the team this year, having open practices and friendlies is a great way to get fans excited about the new arrivals and build anticipation for the upcoming season. I have no doubt that the club had its reasons for structuring the preparations in the way it did, but I can’t help feeling disappointed regardless.

All in all it was a pretty good first week of preseason preparations, and I think that’s evidenced in the fact that I could only find one (slightly nitpicky) thing to dislike. Hopefully, the rest of the weeks leading up to the regular season are in the same vein. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/16/26

Orlando City re-signs Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel officially joins Atletico Junior, Orlando Pride’s 2026 season schedule announced, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 16, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! While it feels a little wrong to complain about cold weather here in Florida while other people are shoveling snow up north, I sure can’t wait for things to warm up. I plan on hunkering down with blankets and books over the next few days while putting the candle warmer I got for Christmas through its paces. It was a busy week for Orlando soccer news, so let’s dive right into the links!

Martin Ojeda Re-Signs With Orlando City

The Lions re-signed Designated Player Martin Ojeda to a new contract that will last through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Orlando just exercised the option on Ojeda’s previous contract following the 2025 season, but wasted no time securing his services for the foreseeable future. The Argentine attacker is the club’s all-time leader when it comes to goal contributions, recording 33 goals and 42 assists in 130 appearances across all competitions in the time since joining Orlando before the 2023 season. He was phenomenal last season in particular, providing 31 goal contributions as the team’s best player. This decision comes amid buzz that European and Brazilian clubs were interested in signing him, so it’s nice to see Orlando was able to get a deal done.

Luis Muriel Transferred to Atletico Junior

Orlando City transferred forward Luis Muriel to Atletico Junior in Colombia’s top flight officially on Thursday, opening up a Designated Player slot in the process. This move has been reported on throughout the off-season and seems to be positive for all parties involved. Muriel joined Orlando ahead of the 2024 season and scored 17 goals and provided 18 assists in 84 appearances across all competitions. While his time as a Lion may be looked back at as underwhelming given his Designated Player status, his performance last August when he scored a hat trick against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup and then a brace against rival Inter Miami will be hard to forget. The Lions now get the chance to reload their Designated Player slot with someone who can bring a more consistent impact to the team.

Orlando Pride 2026 Schedule Unveiled

The 2025 NWSL season schedule is out and the Orlando Pride will open their season at home against the Seattle Reign on March 15. The Pride will play 30 games over the course of the longest regular season in league history, playing the other 15 teams twice as part of a balanced schedule. Following their season opener, the Pride will host Denver Summit FC on March 20 in the club’s first-ever match against the expansion side. Orlando’s first match against the other expansion club, Boston Legacy FC, will be on the road on May 12, with Boston playing in Orlando for the first time on July 15. The Pride’s final game of the regular season will be on Nov. 1 against the Reign.

A notable new addition this season is Victory+, a free streaming service that has partnered with the league and will broadcast many games this year. The Pride will have nine games streamed on Victory+, including the first four games of their season.

Benjamin Cremaschi Named U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year

Florida native Benjamin Cremaschi was voted as the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year. The 20-year-old captained the U.S. at last year’s U-20 World Cup in Chile, scoring five goals in the tournament to win the Golden Boot. He started in all five U.S. matches, helping the team win 3-0 against both France and Italy before falling in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Morocco. At the club level, Cremaschi was loaned from Inter Miami to Parma in September and has made three appearances there.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and Zambia were drawn into a star-studded group alongside Nigeria, Malawi, and Egypt in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in March. The four semifinalists of the tournament will earn qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
  • Sporting Kansas City signed forward Calvin Harris as a free agent, with the contract lasting through June of 2027. Harris was drafted second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft and has spent the past three years with the Colorado Rapids.
  • Brazilian club Vasco da Gama has reportedly signed Brenner from Udinese. The 26-year-old spent half of last year on loan with FC Cincinnati, and Cincy was in talks with him following the expiration of the loan regarding his return to the club.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay nice and warm out there and I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

Continue Reading

Trending