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Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and MotM

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-0 road victory at Nashville?

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9 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Lions were on the road for the second time in as many matches, this time in the Music City facing Nashville SC in a rematch of last season’s Major League Soccer playoff series. Orlando continued its strong form on the road, picking up a 3-0 victory, and by doing so, clawed its way back to 500 on the season is are now sporting a positive goal differential.

Two different Lions found the back of the net and an own goal from the face of Alex Muyl led to a fourth straight OCSC win. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — For the second game in a row, the Peruvian No. 1 did not have a lot to do during the match as Nashville’s offensive woes continued and the Lions limited the hosts to just two shots on target. Gallese faced eight total shots on the night but only had to make two saves. A clean sheet is a clean sheet, though. He completed 87.5% of his 24 passes, including eight of his 11 long-ball attempts. Gallese was fouled twice in the match and required the trainers to evaluate his shoulder late in the second half but was able to continue and see out the game.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos rejoined the starting 11 after being on the bench the last several matches. It was clear during the first few minutes of game time that there was some rust that needed to be worked out, as Santos had two dangerous giveaways in the defensive third. The Brazilian also conceded two unnecessary corners in the first half. He completed 80.4% of his 46 passes, including six of 13 long balls. Defensively, Santos contributed a team-high six clearances (which bumped his grade up half a point) and one interception. On the offensive side of the pitch, Santos was mostly absent, with no cross attempts, no key passes, and no shots, and he had one unstable touch. He was substituted out of the match in the 65th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The captain did a little bit of everything against Nashville and was a solid presence in helping to secure the clean sheet. He completed 88.9% of his 45 passes but was only successful on two of his six long-ball attempts. Defensively, he had more of a quiet night with only one clearance, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel while committing one foul. Offensively, he was credited with one shot, which was off target, and he suffered a foul as well. Ultimately, statistical nights like this speak to how well Orlando controlled the midfield and stymied the Nashville attack before it reached the back line.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel continues to start and Orlando continues to win, so for the time being there seems to be no need to change up the formula. Schlegel has expereienced somewhat of a midseason renaissance while fellow center back David Brekalo was away participating in the Euros. Against Nashville, he led the Lions in both touches (64) and passing attempts (55), completing 89.1% of his passes, including four of six long balls. Schlegel also won one aerial duel and contributed two tackles and two clearances, defensively. He committed two fouls without picking up a card and had two unstable touches.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6.5 — Thorhallsson had his hands full defensively dealing with the pace of Canadian international Jacob Shaffelburg all night long. The defensive assignment limited his effectivness in the attack. He completed 32 passes at an uncharactieristically low 75% completion rate, including two of five long balls, and was unsuccesful on his lone throughball attempt. Defensively, he contributed one tackle but did well to frustrate the previously mentioned Shaffelburg throughout the game. He was issued a yellow card in the 22nd minute of the match for a tackle that came through Shaffelburg’s body but instant replay sure appeared to show that he made clean contact with the ball before the player. Offensively, he was credited with two successful dribbles and was fouled once. Like Santos, he had no shot attempts, key passes, or cross attempts.

MF, César Araujo, 7.5 — The Uruguayan defensive midfielder opened up his 2024 MLS account with the first goal of the match in the 19th minute on a long set piece delivered by Martin Ojeda. The goal set the tone early for Orlando City on the road. Araujo completed 86.1% of his 36 pass attempts, including one of his two long balls, while failing to connect on his lone crossing attempt. Defensively, he showed great chemistry with Wilder Cartagena in putting out fires before they started and keeping former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar in check. He contributed two tackles, one interception, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel while comitting two fouls. Offensively, he scored on his only shot attempt and was fouled twice while being dinged for an unstable touch.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Once again the Peruvian defender was all over the field making plays and helping to control the midfield along with Araujo. So much of what Cartagena and Araujo do during the 90 minutes goes unrecognized because it does not show up on the stat sheet, but I thought Cartagena was instrumental in controlling the midfield against Nashville. Wilder completed 86.8% of his 32 passes and connected on all three of his long balls. Defensively, he had a team-high five tackles while adding two interceptions and a blocked shot. Impressively, Cartagena was able to have such an effective night defensively while only being whistled for two fouls. Offensively, he was credited with one shot that was way off target, and he was dispossessed three times with an unstable touch to boot.

MF, Iván Angulo, 7.5 — Angulo might as well just cameo as the Energizer Bunny at this point because the speedy Colombian just never stops moving. Against Nashville, Angulo continued to showcase his strong chemistry with his fellow attacking midfielders. Angulo completed a team-high 94.4% of his 36 passes, and tied Ojeda for most on the team with his four key passes. His speed drew a yellow card on Nashville center back Josh Bauer and set up a dangerous set piece opportunity in the 29th minute. Defensively, Angulo chipped in two tackles and one interception. Offensively, Angulo didn’t attempt a shot but was credited with an assist on the third goal of the match, finding Ramiro Enrique through traffic after picking up a loose rebound.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 8 — Ojeda appears to have cemented his role in the starting 11 for the home stretch of the season after another strong performance. He completed 88% of his 25 passing attempts including both of his long-ball attempts and four of his seven crosses. Like Angulo, he genereated four key passes on the night to lead the team. Ojeda got back to help in the defensive midfield, contributing three tackles. Offensively, Ojeda failed to record a shot, which is probably the most shocking statistic of the entire match, as he is not afraid to pull the trigger, but he was credited with an assist for delivering a perfect ball to Araujo on the Lions’ first goal. It was another dangerous delivery from Ojeda on a set piece that resulted in an own goal from Nashville and a 2-0 lead for Orlando City, and while he won’t officially get credited with an assist, the quality of his delivery from set pieces as of late has been top notch. He also made a sick play to get around Shaq Moore in the left corner to set up a scoring chance.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — The Summer of Facu cooled off only slightly against Nashville in a sense that the DP failed to find the back of the net, but Willis robbed him blind on a 1-v-1 opportunity in the second half. He did almost everything else in the match. Torres completed 82.8% of his 29 passes and was unsuccessful on his lone long ball and lone cross. Defensively, he contributed one interception and a clearance and was issued a yellow card for blocking a Nashville restart in the 64th minute. Offensively, he led Orlando City both in shot attemps (3) and shots on target (2), and was credited with a successful dribble while suffering one foul and being dispossessed once. Of note, Facu failed to leave the field in a timely manner when he was substituted for Luis Muriel in the 77th minute, resulting in Orlando City being forced to play a man down for a brief period due to the new MLS rule.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 8 (MotM) — With the insurance goal in the 81st minute, Enrique now has three goals in three matches, and that is a great sign that the offense is clicking. His goal against Nashville was an absolute rocket, which slammed off the underside of the crossbar. He completed 71.4% of his 21 passes, including one key pass. The striker got back defensively and added one interception and two clearances on the night while committing one foul. Enrique stood out on offense with six aerial duels won and his holdup play showed maturity and composure. His lone shot attempt was the scorcher that put Orlando up 3-0, and he logged one successful dribble while being fouled twice. My only knock on his effort against Nashville was that he had three unstable touches and was called offside on what would have been a good goal-scoring opportunity if he had held his run for a second longer and then picked out a wide open Torres instead of firing the ball directly at Willis.

Substitutes

D, Kyle Smith (65′), 5.5 — Smith was swapped out of the starting 11 against Nashville and replaced Santos in the late stages of the match. The human Swiss Army knife played well in a reserve role but could have done better controlling the ball, where the Accountant only completed 60% of his 15 passes. To his credit, Smith did connect on two of his three long-ball attempts. Defensively, it was a quite night statistically, as Smith did not record a defensive stat. His best moment of the match came on his pass down the line to Angulo, which sprung the Colombian into the attack prior to the third goal of the match.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (65′), 6 — Lodeiro is starting to embrace the super substitute role more, and for a player of his historical quality, I would much rather have 20-30 minutes of fresh legs than see the elder statesman slug his way through an hour plus of game time. Against Nashville, Nico completed 63.6% of his 11 passes, and he recorded a shot attempt which was saved after a nice run into the box. Defensively, he did not conrtibute a measureable statistic.

F, Luis Muriel (75′), 5.5 — The Colombian entered the match with Orlando up by two goals and worked to help see out the result. Unfortunately, Muriel could not capitalize on the momentum that he generated against New England off the bench the match before and largely was ineffective with the ball at his feet in this one. He completed both of his passes, which included a long ball, and was off target with his lone shot attempt, which was blocked in the buildup to Enrique’s goal, while being whistled for offside. Muriel had two unstable touches and was dispossessed once. Defensively, he did not contribute a statistic. It would be nice to see more from the Colombian on a consistent basis.

D, David Brekalo, (87’), N/A — The Slovenian international came on with the Lions up by three goals and helped to ensure a clean sheet. At this point, Brekalo is healthy and has been back from the Euros for a few matches, but I suspect that Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s reason for not starting him has much to do with not wanting to disturb the current chemistry between Jansson and Schlegel. In short reserve action, Brekalo completed all four of his passes, which included one long ball. It will be interesting to monitor the center back pairing moving forward during Leagues Cup and down the stretch of the regular season.

MF, Jeorgio Kocevski (87′), N/A — Jeorgio subbed in alongside Brekalo and was able to get a few minutes of cardio in, but was not on the field long enough to earn a grade. He completed both of his passes.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Wednesday night. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 4/1/25

Barbra Banda’s continued importance, Americans in midweek action, USWNT announces friendly, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

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April 1, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning everyone! It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams as Orlando City and the Orlando Pride both won, meaning that we got treated to a six-point weekend (OCB was off). As always we have plenty to talk through this morning, so let’s get into today’s links.

Barbra Banda Keeps Rolling in 2025

After a wildly successful debut season with the Orlando Pride in 2024, Barbra Banda has showed no signs of slowing down this year. A brace in the season opener meant that she picked up right where she left off last year, and the team has continued to be successful too. The Pride have made it three wins from three to start the 2025 season, and while Banda hasn’t scored since the opener, her blend of pace, power, dribbling, passing, and movement have continuously helped open things up for her teammates, and she drew a penalty that led to the Pride’s game-winning goal Saturday. She isn’t the Pride’s only offensive weapon, but the team clicks into a different gear when she’s at her best.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing in games during the working week, and there are some very important clashes on hand. Things get going later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham visit Arsenal in Premier League play as the Cottagers are in hot pursuit of a coveted European place. Wednesday has Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace facing Southampton, while Tyler Adams and Bournemouth take on Manchester City. Also on Wednesday, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan will face Inter Milan in a Coppa Italia semifinal. Things finish up on Friday as Aidan Morris and Middlesborough travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.

USWNT Announces Canada Match

The United States Women’s National Team has announced another friendly taking place this summer, as the team will face Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C. The match will be the third that the USWNT will play during the window, following a pair of friendlies against Ireland in late June. The neighboring countries will meet at Audi Field with the match designated as the Allstate Continental Clasico, with this being the first time that the match will feature the USWNT. The U.S. faced Canada twice in 2024, with both matches ending in 2-2 draws and the USWNT emerging victorious in shootouts.

Concacaf Champions Cup Preview

The Concacaf Champions Cup returns this week, with the first legs of the four quarterfinal matches set to be played today and tomorrow. Things get started tonight with what should be an exciting match between Club America and Cruz Azul, with the crosstown rivals two of the winningest teams in the competition. Cruz Azul’s Angel Sepulveda leads the CCC’s golden boot race with four tallies. The late game sees the LA Galaxy taking on Tigres as the Galaxy will try to distract themselves from a difficult start to their MLS Cup title defense. Wednesday’s slate has the Vancouver Whitecaps taking on Pumas UNAM in Canada in what will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams. The late game will be an all-MLS affair as LAFC hosts Inter Miami in the first meeting between the two sides in CCC play.

Sporting Kansas City Fires Peter Vermes

The longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer is out of work, as Sporting Kansas City announced the firing of Peter Vermes on Monday morning. It’s an end of an era in Kansas City, as Vermes was the head coach since 2009, back when the team was still called the Kansas City Wizards, and he had been named the club’s technical director three years earlier in 2006. He guided the team to an MLS Cup win in 2013; claimed U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017; and helped the team be consistently competitive for a majority of his tenure. Despite all of that, SKC missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and was mired in the midst of a 13-game winless streak in all competitions that stretched back to Sept. 18 of last year. After being an assistant on Vermes’ staff, Kerry Zavagnin will take over as interim head coach.

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That’s all I have for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy?

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2 days ago

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March 31, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City capped off its March slate of matches with a cross-country bout against the 2024 MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy. In what was the longest commute that the Lions will register in the 2025 season, Orlando looked out of sync for much of the match, especially when contrasted with the squad that stomped D.C. United at home last week. Miraculously for the fans that stayed up past their bedtimes back on the East Coast, the Lions shocked the reigning champions and stole all three points with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the final quarter hour of the match.

Let’s look at the Lions’ individual performances to see who made the grade and who can improve as the calendar turns to April.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese returned for Orlando after missing time while representing Peru during World Cup qualifiers. For the most part, he did well against the pressure of an agressive attack from the Galaxy. In the end, he was credited with just one save, which was a massive righthanded block of a shot by Gabriel Pec that could have put the game away for the home side. It isn’t worth entertaining a discussion about Gallese “letting another one in,” as the goal that the Galaxy scored was off a point-blank redirection back against his momentum, and it should have at the bare minimum warranted a second look for a potential offside ruling. His distribution was mostly solid, and he had an 81.8% passing rate on his 11 attempts while completing three of his five long balls. He was booked in the waining moments of the match for time wasting — although it was Rodrigo Schlegel who kicked the ball away without being spotted, and Gallese was merely retrieving it.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — Santos had a few bright moments throughout the match, with an emphasis on the word few. I did think that he was better at getting into the attack and sent several balls across the net that had the potential to be dangerous. On the defensive end, there were just too many mistakes for my liking, whether that be careless turnovers, poor positioning, or falling asleep on the back side of the play. He and Ivan Angulo were both at fault on LA’s goal, as neither picked up Miki Yamane’s run. Santos was also overpowered twice by Pec. The Brazilian touched the ball 48 times, provided two key passes, one successful cross (on five attempts), and a passing rate of 76.9%. Defensively, he provided two tackles and three clearances. Offensively, Santos recorded a shot that was not on target. The left back currently benefits from a lack of depth pushing him for his starting minutes but will need to improve if Orlando is to continue its winning ways. He was replaced by David Brekalo in the 66th minute.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel had a productive and technically sound evening for the Lions. Defensively, he contributed one interception, a team-high seven clearances, and two blocked shots. He passed at a 93.6% rate, while touching the ball a team-high 88 times, and completed five long balls (on eight attempts). He didn’t register an offensive statistic during the match, but he played well and I thought that he had solid positioning throughout the night when the Galaxy sent balls into the box.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Something just seems off right now with Jansson, as the output from the captain simply feels less than what we have come to expect. Nonetheless, Jansson went the full 90 and recorded 65 touches. He completed 94.8% of his passes which included a team-best seven accurate long balls on nine attempts. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and three clearances. Christian Ramirez beat Jansson on the lone goal for the Galaxy.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — Freeman continues to put in the work for Orlando City. While his first West Coast trip was not fruitful in terms of goal-scoring contributions, the young Lion still managed to affect the game in a myriad of ways. He recorded 69 touches and completed 93.3% of his passes, which included two key passes and one accurate cross. Defensively, he added a team-high four tackles and two clearances. Offensively, Freeman tied Martin Ojeda for the most shots taken on the night (three) but was only able to put one on target. Freeman continues to showcase a solid motor that is helping to drive the offense, and he has shown strong chemistry with Marco Pasalic as well, but the most impressive aspect of his game against the Galaxy for me was the job he did in space defensively against Joseph Paintsil when the speedster entered the match in the second half.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — This felt like a classic Araujo performance and the Uruguayan was seemingly everywhere on the pitch. He logged 63 touches and completed 90% of his passes but was only successful on one of his five long-ball attempts. Defensively, he contirbuted two tackles, one interception, and two clearances. Offensively, Araujo did not record a stat but did suffer a team-high three fouls. Araujo was able to defend without being booked against the Galaxy, and he has shown signficant improvement this season so far in not picking up careless yellow cards.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 7.5 (MotM) — The former member of LAFC became the catalyst for the late offensive turnaround against what used to be his crosstown rival by earning a penalty in the 77th minute. He recorded 75 touches and completed 89.8% of his passes, which inlcuded two key passes, four accurate long balls on five attempts, and two succesful crosses on two attempts. Offensively, he attempted two shots, one which nearly put Orlando City in the lead when it hit the right post. Defensively, he contributed one tackle and two clearances. Atuesta benefitted from the insertion of Brekalo and Duncan McGuire, pushing forward into the attack, and without his effort, Orlando City likely would not have earned all three points. He was replaced by Joran Gerbet in stoppage time as part of a time-wasting, like-for-like substitution to see out the match.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — To put it bluntly, Angulo is not in great form right now. The speedy Colombian is failing to challenge opposing back lines in the attack and has become a liability on the defensive side of the ball. The pairing of Angulo with Santos on the left has become a favorite area for the opposition to attack, and he was partly culpable in letting Yamane sneak in toward the back post on LA’s goal. He recorded 37 touches and completed 90.5% of his passes, which included one key pass. Defensively, he chipped in one tackle and one interception. Offensively, Angulo was dispossessed a team-high four times, as the careless giveaways — often in Orlando’s defensive half — continue to pile up. Orlando clearly needs more from the left wing, who was replaced in the 66th minute by McGuire, with Oscar Pareja pushing Ojeda to the left and playing Luis Muriel as the No. 10.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda did not allow another Lion to even remotely consider taking the penalty as he quickly stood over the spot, ball in hand, and then calmly converted the PK to pull Orlando level. Ojeda has now tied his goals total (four) from the 2024 season in only the sixth game of the year. Ojeda touched the ball 56 times and passed at a 90.5% rate while providing one key pass and four accurate long balls out of five attempts. Ojeda could have stood to improve his crossing, as he was only accurate on one of his five attempts. Offensively, Ojeda took three shots (tied with Freeman for the most on the team) but put just one on target (the penalty that he converted). He badly scuffed his first shot and his second was just off target in the first half. Defensively, he didn’t contribute a meaningful statistic, which was surprising, and it kept him just a rung below Atuesta when it came to Man of the Match honors.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6.5 — Pasalic showcased several individual moments of brillance in the first half when the game was moving quickly end to end. Unfortunately for the Croatian winger, those moments failed to result in a change to the scoreboard. He touched the ball 39 times and completed 81.5% of his passes, including all four of his long balls. Defensively, like Ojeda, Pasalic did not record a meaningful statistic. Despite not scoring against the Galaxy, Pasalic continues to flash his skill with the ball and has been one of the main driving forces behind the strong offensive start to the season. He was replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 82nd minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 7 — Did Muriel score or did John McCarthy botch the play? Both, but who cares? Muriel’s long-distance free kick in the 90th minute found the back of the net, and the placement of the shot contributed to McCarthy’s mistake, as the Colombian sealed the victory and three important road points for Orlando City. A play reminisent of when fellow Designated Player Ojeda hit the equalizer from practically midfield against Charlotte FC back in 2023, Muriel stepped up to a free kick well outside the box and sent a shot towards the top left corner of the net. The goal capped a well-rounded performance for Muriel, who continues to play his best soccer in an Orlando City kit. Muriel finished with 37 touches and completed 88% of his passes, including a key pass. Offensively, he registered two shots with the one that mattered being on target. His other shot was a laser through traffic that barely missed just outside the left post on a set piece. Defensively, the striker contributed a tackle. Kyle Smith replaced him in the third minute of stoppage time.

Substitutes

D, David Brekalo (66’), 7 — I thought Brekalo put in some of his best minutes of the year as he entered in the 66th minute for Santos. It was an unexpected substitution, as Brekalo is a central defender. Regardless, the Slovenian played strong and sound defense, snuffing out multiple attacking runs by Pec. He racked up three tackles and three clearances on defense and put in several eye-opening efforts in the attack as well, as Orlando looked to get back into the match. He completed 90.9% of his passes, and while he did not record a shot, he was quite active around the box and made multiple runs off of his attacking counterparts. Brekalo at left back might be something to keep an eye on, as Pareja has been looking for someone to play consistently well there early in the season. Time will tell.

F, Duncan McGuire (66’), 6.5 — McGuire secured his longest stint since his off-season shoulder surgery and looked agressive over the final moments of the match. He opens up the field in a way Muriel is physically not able to at this point in his career, as the American got in behind the back line multiple times and pulled it out of shape for his teammates to exploit. He recorded three shots, which were all off target, but it is only a matter of time before the forward finds the back of the net. He completed 80% of his five passes and was credited with a key pass.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (82′), N/A — Thorhallsson came on in relief of Pasalic and did well over the final moments of the match. The insertion of Brekalo, McGuire, and then Thorhallsson allowed Orlando to be the more dangerous side over the last 20 plus minutes of game time. He completed 83.3% of his passes and was credited with two key passes. Defensively, the product of Iceland added two clearances, and he did well to track back and help Freeman keep Paintsil bottled up.

D, Kyle Smith (93′), N/A — Smith came in following the long-distance goal by Muriel to help see out the victory.

MF, Joran Gerbet (93′), N/A — Like Smith, Gerbet was inserted to help see out the road win in stoppage time but also came into the match for Atuesta who was on a yellow card.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s come-from-behind win over the Galaxy. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 3/31/25

Lions and Pride win, NWSL weekend recap, FA Cup quarterfinals, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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March 31, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work but will attend the Chicago Cubs’ home opener at Wrigley Field later this week. Our Lions and Pride won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Beats LA Galaxy on the Road

On Saturday, Orlando City fought back from a 1-0 deficit, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Galaxy struck early in the first half to jump on top. In the second half, the Lions were awarded a penalty kick after Eduard Atuesta was taken down in the box, and Martin Ojeda buried the spot kick to tie the match at one. In the 90th minute, Luis Muriel scored the winning goal on a long-range free kick to complete the comeback. Orlando is on a three-match unbeaten streak and beat the LA Galaxy for the third consecutive time. Orlando City’s next match will be on the road Saturday against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride defeated the San Diego Wave 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium and extended their win streak to three matches to start the season. After a scoreless first half, Haley McCutcheon scored to give Orlando the lead. The Wave equalized before Marta converted a penalty kick goal to seal the win for Orlando. The Pride are off to a great start this season, outscoring their opponents 10-1, and are atop the NWSL standings ahead of the Kansas City Current on goal difference. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will be on the road in their next match against the Seattle Reign on April 12.

NWSL Weekend Recap

The National Women’s Soccer League’s third week of matches is in the books. On Friday, the Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC match ended in a scoreless draw. The Washington Spirit defeated Bay FC 2-0, with Ashley Hatch scoring both goals. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Utah Royals 3-0, while the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage match ended in a scoreless draw. On Sunday, the Chicago Stars fell 1-0 to Racing Louisville and remain winless, while Angel City FC edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 to secure its first win of the season.

FA Cup Quarterfinals Recap

The FA Cup quarterfinals wrapped up with thrilling drama as four clubs booked a spot in the semifinals. Crystal Palace cruised to a 3-0 victory against Fulham, while Nottingham Forest edged Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw to advance. Aston Villa dominated Preston North End as Marcus Rashford scored twice to seal a 3-0 win, while Manchester City edged Bournemouth 2-1. The FA Cup semifinals are set for April 26 as Crystal Palace faces Aston Villa while Nottingham Forest will take on Manchester City.

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  • Orlando City GM Luiz Muzzi provided some insight in an ESPN.com article on player transfers and highlighted the importance of building connections with different clubs to facilitate transfers.
  • Former Lion Benji Michel is going to play for HJK Helsinki.
  • That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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