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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.

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2 years ago

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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 β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” 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.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

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2 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

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3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

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  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

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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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