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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Complete Season Sweep of Union

Luis Muriel put on a passing clinic in the second half to lead Orlando City to a home win over Philadelphia.

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7 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire each scored second-half goals off Luis Muriel assists to lead Orlando City to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions (14-11-7, 49 points) started well, then faded badly for what was a mostly sloppy first half for both sides, before starting the second half strong and building a 2-0 lead over the Union (9-13-10, 37 points). A careless bit of defending allowed Quinn Sullivan to pull one back, and Philadelphia should have scored a few times off set pieces, but Orlando was able to hold on for all three points.

The victory keeps the Lions in fourth place in a tight playoff race for home field advantage in the best-of-three first round.

“We are obviously very happy and satisfied with the way the team found a way to win games and put us in this spot in the standings at this time of the season,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Another hard game. Well played, but us, we could have had more precision in certain moments when we could have put the game away from Philadelpha.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena lined up in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres with Ramiro Enrique up top.

Orlando City came out buzzing and Ojeda created several opportunities but none of the other attacking players were nearly as sharp as the Argentine. It started in the third minute, with a great cross in from Ojeda that Enrique flicked on but he didn’t get enough on it and sent it wide of the far post.

Ojeda found Enrique again in the seventh minute but this time his shot was deflected out by the defense. On the ensuing corner kick, Ojeda’s cross was cut out by the defense. Angulo picked it up but quickly turned it over. Ojeda won it back and carried it into the box. He smashed a shross through the six-yard box, but no one could get on it at the back post and it fizzed out of play.

Torres won a free kick near the left corner of the box in the 15th minute and Araujo took it for some reason. The defensive midfielder thumped his shot into the wall. It ricocheted back to him, giving the Uruguayan a second chance, but this time he fired well over the crossbar.

Angulo continued his recent bad habit of giving the ball away cheaply throughout the first half and it cost Schlegel a yellow card in the 19th minute as he took down Mikael Uhre to break up the counter. Daniel Gazdag fired a shot off Santos and out of play moments later.

Philadelphia countered off a poor layoff by Angulo in the 33rd minute and had numbers forward in the attack but could not link up in front of goal, ending the threat. Two minutes later, Tai Baribo was all alone in front of goal but got under his header and sent it over the bar.

Enrique knocked down a cross for Torres in the box in the 37th minute. His shot was blocked and fell to Angulo near the penalty spot, but the Colombian put his shot well over the bar. Cartagena took a turn at getting well under the ball on a layoff near the top of the box in the 39th minute, sending it well over the crossbar.

Orlando looked to have something cooking in stoppage time on a long-range set piece that fell for Torres, but referee Armando Villarreal broke up Orlando’s attack with a poorly timed halftime whistle.

The Lions finished the first half with the advantage in possession (63.7%-36.3%), shots (11-7), and passing accuracy (91.4%-78.7%). Philadelphia won more corners (2-1), and neither team managed to put a single shot on frame.

Pareja sent on Muriel for Angulo at the half. He was part of a press that nearly paid dividends in the first minute of the second period when Enrique took the ball away and cleared himself to shoot but wasted the effort by blasting it over the net.

The Lions got forward in the 51st minute and Cartagena was sent down the left. With two men breaking in front, he could have given a teammate a tap-in but instead he shot from a tight angle and Andre Blake made the stop. Ojeda then found Enrique on a corner kick in the 52nd minute but the Argentine’s shot was wide, missing the target yet again.

Muriel came within inches of sending Torres in alone on goal in the 55th minute. Blake was quick to sprint off his line and got a touch to the ball to prevent a dangerous Orlando chance. However, Muriel got dialed in quickly with that pass.

Muriel found Torres on the left in the 57th minute and the Designated Player slotted home his 45th career goal, becoming the franchise’s all-time scoring leader.

“Luis first got the ball, he tried to play it in to one of our forwards,” Torres said. “I actually told him I was all alone on that, so he could have played me earlier, but thankfully, we were able to recover the ball again. And then he looked up and saw that I was still all alone. So, he played me in, and I was in front of goal, and so I shot it, and you know, the goalkeeper was able to get a touch to it, but thankfully, it still went in anyway.”

“I’m very happy for Facu, very proud of the way he has evolved in maturing and carrying us on his shoulders when we need him the most,” Pareja said. “I see a player who has embraced that responsibility.”

Philadelphia Union defender Jakob Glesnes smashed a shot from distance in the 60th minute that was over the bar.

McGuire checked in at the hour mark, coming on for Ojeda, who had nothing to show for a strong performance. The big striker made his presence felt right away.

Muriel hit a perfect inside-out ball through the center backs for McGuire to run onto in the 64th minute. The striker picked out his spot and slotted it home to make it 2-0.

“I thought that (in) today’s game Luis came and defined in those precise moments with that talent and put us in front of the goal, and it was definitely a fantastic night for him,” Pareja said. “I think the way he’s adapting to us, to the group, has been much, much better. Every day it looks like he’s gelling with what we want. And good timing, also. I’m very happy for him and I know the group is valuing a lot what he’s doing, and he represents the unity that we have.”

Feeling the pressure of falling below the playoff line, the Union turned up the heat after Orlando’s second goal and were the better side over the final 26 minutes of the match, plus stoppage time. Philadelphia was a dangerous team, especially on set pieces for the remainder of the game, creating enough chances to not only draw level, but also to pull ahead. However, the visitors were not clinical enough in front of goal.

The first warning shot was fired in the 70th minute when substitute Nathan Harriel headed a shot that looked to be going wide of the right post off a cross in from the left, but Gallese caught it anyway.

Philadelphia pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute off a throw-in that should never have been awarded to the Union. A cross from the right cleared everyone but Villarreal ruled that it came off an Orlando head. The Lions argued vehemently to no avail. Philadelphia worked the ball to Gazdag off the throw-in and he got to the end line, cutting back a pass to Sullivan in the box. Santos was in the area but was not marking his man tightly enough and a simple redirect put the ball off the underside of the crossbar and in to make it 2-1.

“What changed the story of the game, unfortunately today, is the goal that Philadelphia scored,” Pareja said. “Today (it) was not a throw-in. It was very clear. The referee was 10 yards from that play, and that small detail changed things, and then put the team in stress for us that was very unfair. And after that we just got very tense because it was 2-1, but we were dominating the game. That goal, it shouldn’t be called because it was not a throw-in. It was very evident and I was upset with that.”

The Union should have tied the game in the 79th minute. After substitute Luca Petrasso deflected a cross out for a corner, Harriel blazed past the Canadian on the ensuing set piece, getting a free header right in front. He placed his header wide of the left post, letting Orlando off the hook.

The Lions were fortunate again not to give up a second goal as a turnover off a throw-in in the offensive third ended up with Samuel Adeniran on the counter down the left. Adeniran picked out Uhre at the far post, but he couldn’t direct it on target. Seconds later, a header on the corner was scuffed in front and Gallese grabbed it.

“It’s something that is happening that we don’t want to get through,” Pareja said of his team finding itself under pressure with the lead for the second straigh tgame. “Having control of the game the whole 90 minutes is not an easy task. I prefer to defend higher in the field and put pressure on the other teams and having the ball.”

Orlando had a chance to put the game to bed in the 84th minute when Muriel again tried to play McGuire in behind the defense. The pass was just a touch overweighted as Blake charged out to try to reach it first. It appeared McGuire just managed to get his toe on the ball but he couldn’t steer it past Blake. Three minutes later, second-half sub Nico Lodeiro found Santos on the left. The fullback smashed a shot on target toward the near post but he couldn’t beat Blake, who saved it, knocking it out for a corner.

In the 91st minute, Gallese caught a deflected shot and made a tremendous effort to keep it in play. He appeared to prevent the ball from going over the line, but Villarreal awarded a corner to Philadelphia anyway. Uhre stepped on Gallese’s hand on the play and was fortunate to only see a yellow card. The Lions argued the call and Araujo was booked. Harriel again got a free header on the corner kick but once more he sent the shot off target.

McGuire ran afoul of Villarreal deep in stoppage time. After getting mauled and not getting a call, McGuire was booked. He will be suspended for the match Saturday in Cincinnati. He nearly got the last laugh in the final seconds of the game. Muriel again unlocked the defense with a pass in the 96th minute, sending McGuire behind the Union back line. McGuire tried to beat Blake, who stuck out a hand at the last second and parried the shot away.

“(I’m) happy, because the team was able to win tonight, happy with my two assists, happy because, as I said in my last interview, I’m starting to get involved in the mechanism more and really, really start to feel more comfortable here in the way that we play, and it’s starting to show out on the pitch,” Muriel said.

That was the last action of the match, as Orlando City completed a sweep of the Union.

Orlando finished with the advantage in possession (53.4%-46.6%), shots (20-14), shots on target (6-2), and passing accuracy (88.2%-83.8%). Philadelphia won more corners (8-3).

“All in all, I thought we were the best team in the pitch, and we beat one of the best teams in the league, for me,” Pareja said.

The Lions won their sixth consecutive home game of the regular season and are now 7-0-2 in their last nine at home in all competitions.

The Lions have another quick turnaround with a road match Saturday night at FC Cincinnati.

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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

11 hours 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.

Published

14 hours 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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Orlando City

Orlando City at CF Montreal: Three Keys to Victory

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

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

Designated Goal Scorers

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

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

Keep it Clean

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

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

Give the Midfield Time

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

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

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

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