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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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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New England Revolution

Get to know this year’s New England Revolution team courtesy of someone who knows them best.

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1 hour ago

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May 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City remembered how to score on Wednesday night, as the Lions put five goals past the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the U.S. Open Cup. OCSC will try to carry that sort of offensive performance over to league play Saturday, when the New England Revolution come to town.

A match against the Revs means I caught up with Jake Catanese, one of the writers over at The Blazing Musket. As always, he was extremely helpful in bringing us up to speed on what this year’s version of the Revolution looks like.

Talk me through the Revolution’s off-season transfer business. Who are some of the new names to know?

Jake Catanese: Okay, so some of the new faces are from the end of last year: winger Luca Langoni and midfielder Alhassan Yusuf were both acquired back in August. Yusuf is a Nigerian international and has cemented himself in the lineup as one of the holding midfielders, and Langoni had a great spell at the end of the last year but was dropped to make room for the Revs’ newfangled 5-3-2 wingback setup — more on that in a bit. Also, Tomas Chancalay isn’t a new face but is fresh off the season-ending injury list from an ACL injury last May and is working his way back up to full fitness, and both he and Langoni started the USOC win against Rhode Island (Wednesday) along with MLS veterans Maxi Urruti and Jackson Yueill, who were picked up this off-season.

The big off-season stuff happened up front, with the Revs making a record GAM trade with Miami for Leo Campana and making an interesting short-term loan for Ligue 1’s Ignatius Ganago out of Nantes. In the Revs’ 4-2-3-1 setup to start the year, it was Campana as a lone striker and Ganago in what I’ll call the “Gustavo Bou” winger/striker role, but both have moved up top with the formation change and it’s been fairly successful. Campana did miss a month with a hamstring injury, which did not help the Revs early on, but the strike partnership is starting to blossom with productivity.

The Revs have been the best defensive team in the entire league, with just seven goals conceded in 10 games. What’s been the secret sauce there?

JC: To finish the rest of the question above, the Revs absolutely hit a massive home run with two new center backs in the off-season. Malian international Mamadou Fofana (age 27) and Colombian Brayan Ceballos (age 23) entered the starting lineup together and basically have been there ever since, and they’ve been tremendous. Ceballos got a Team of the Week nod on debut in Week 1 against Nashville and has been a solid aerial presence, which is something the Revs have struggled with in recent years. Fofana is tremendous on the ball and he’s passing at a 90% clip with an over 50% clip on long balls, as well with several deeper, line-breaking passes that have opened up the defense.

League veteran Tanner Beason was added as the third center back to go with Homegrown Peyton Miller and Israeli youngster Ilay Feingold as the wingbacks/fullbacks, and the Revs have pulled off effectively changing over their entire back line in one off-season, which, given the success this group is having, is rather unheard of. Combine that with keeper Aljaz Ivacic having a top season and his back line blocking a lot of shots for him as well, the Revs have a foundation that looks set for many years to come unless some big transfer offers come in.

The opposite side of that coin is the fact that New England has scored the third-fewest goals in the league with nine in 10 games. The Revs have come on stronger in recent weeks though, with six tallies in their last five matches. What’s changed for the Revs that has allowed the goals to start going in a little easier?

JC: Let me explain…no, there is too much, let me sum up. The Revs in a 4-2-3-1 to start the year were horrific. Campana’s injury didn’t help, but they weren’t moving the ball effectively up field to the attacking group, and turnovers often caught the fullbacks too high as well — almost a carbon copy of 2024, when the Revs were second to last in the East and more or less were to start this year as well. The solution was to drop the struggling Langoni and add a third center back and put Ganago into a second striker role, which on paper I had a lot of doubts about. However, Carles Gil is still a magician and the Revs did solve a major problem with the formation switch.

Having the wingbacks allows one of them to get forward without exposing the defense, so New England is able to switch the point of attack easier and not compromise their center back duo, because Beason is there to help put out any fires. Now the Revs get their width and deep support from the wingback spot and are able to use Miller and Feingold more effectively and confidently going forward, because they have enough strength in the back of the formation. It also helps that the two wingbacks have been really good with high passing numbers despite not registering any official assists yet. Feingold essentially had the assist on the Revs’ opener in Toronto last weekend, but his very dangerous initial cross into the box was half-cleared only to have Gil volley it top bins from the top of the box. Feingold isn’t the pure speedster Miller is, but as a duo they complement each other very well and bring back a 1-v-1 element the Revs really haven’t had since Tajon Buchanan.

Now, do I still think that Caleb Porter’s possession system is too slow and hampers the offense? Yes. Do I think the Revs should counterattack a lot more than they do currently? Also yes. Their two goals against Toronto were very direct — a turnover sent out wide to Feingold set up Gil and then a semi-broken play leading to a long through ball to Campana. I think this is when the Revs are at their most dangerous, because they generally have opponents on their back foot and not in an established and/or set back line. But they are improving and against Toronto were generating better chances and doing so more frequently. And despite their win streak, big chances have been a rarity so far this year. If New England is able to consistently counter and create chances inside the box, the defense is going to carry them very far and you will see this team protecting a lot of leads.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JC: No suspensions to talk about, and most of the longterm injuries are off the board as well with Chancalay and Campana back in action. Andrew Farrell and Wyatt Omsberg were listed as questionable last week, but Farrell started in the midweek Open Cup game and Omsberg was on the bench and subbed on for the final 15 minutes. Youngster Malcolm Fry is likely the only person that will still be listed as out come gameday.

5-3-2: Aljaz Ivacic; Peyton Miller, Mamadou Fofana, Brayan Ceballos, Tanner Beason, Ilay Feingold; Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, Carles Gil; Ignatius Ganago, Leonardo Campana.

Same lineup as last week in Toronto — the midfield triangle sees Carles Gil work his magic as the roaming No. 10, so you might see the wingbacks listed with the holding mids in a 3-4-1-2 looking thing. The running joke with the PawedCast demands I predict a 2-2 draw, but given the defensive stinginess of these two teams in the last month or so, I find it highly unlikely this game will have four goals in it…which is exactly why it will happen. We’ll add another to Carles’ tally and I think Mr. Ganago is due for another one. He’s been robbed a few too many times this year.

Thank you to Jake for the excellent primer on this year’s Revolution team. Vamos Orlando!



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Lion Links: 5/9/25

Orlando City’s next U.S. Open Cup match date revealed, MLS matches to watch, top soccer club valuations, and more.

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5 hours ago

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May 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Friday! I hope the week has treated you well as we get ready for a Mother’s Day weekend packed with soccer. Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are both in action at the same time on Saturday, so make sure to plan accordingly depending on how you want to enjoy the action. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Will Face Nashville in USOC on May 21

Orlando City will officially host Nashville SC on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the U.S. Open Cup’s Round of 16. That match is sandwiched between a road game against Inter Miami on May 18 and a home game against the Portland Timbers May 24, so at least there won’t be much travel during that week during an already jam-packed month. The Lions reached this stage of the tournament after beating the Tampa Bay Rowdies 5-0 Wednesday, while Nashville won 1-0 against the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Tuesday.

What to Watch In MLS This Weekend

We’ll all be tuned in for Orlando City’s match on Saturday against the New England Revolution, but there’s plenty more MLS action to look forward to as well. Before Orlando’s match, Inter Miami will head to St. Paul to take on a Minnesota United team that leads the league with six clean sheets this season. Another notable match this weekend is a clash between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings when the Philadelphia Union host the Columbus Crew. That game has Daniel Gazdag written all over it. Sunday night’s match should be a doozy between two heavyweight Western Conference teams, as LAFC will hit the road to take on the league-leading Vancouver Whitecaps.

MLS Clubs Listed Among World’s Most Valuable

Sportico announced the valuations for the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs in the world, and a whopping 19 MLS teams made the list. The Lions aren’t included, but it’s still neat to see some clubs like Minnesota, Sporting Kansas City, and Charlotte FC listed. LAFC is the highest listed MLS side, coming in at 16th with a $1.28 billion valuation. Real Madrid tops the list at $6.53 billion, and six of the top 10 are from the English Premier League. While valuations aren’t exactly hard evidence of success or influence, I think this is a testament to the growth and parity of MLS through an international lens.

English Clubs Reach Europa League Final

This year’s Europa League final will feature a pair of EPL teams as Manchester United and Tottenham breezed through the semifinals. United overcame a shaky first half to beat Athletic Club 4-1 at Old Trafford, with Mason Mount scoring two of the team’s four goals in the second half. Tottenham avoided an upset in Norway by winning 2-0 against Bodo/Glimt. The final will take place on May 21 in Spain, and there’s both a trophy and Champions League qualification on the line. Both United and Tottenham struggled this season and are respectively 15th and 16th in the league standings, but winning the Europa League is all that matters now.

Free Kicks

  • American midfielder Johnny Cardoso played every minute of Real Betis’ 2-2 result against Fiorentina to advance to the Europa Conference League final, where the Spanish club will face Chelsea on May 28. Enjoy this goal from Antony to help his side prevail.
  • In honor of Mother’s Day, AC Milan players will wear their mothers’ last names on the back of their jerseys in today’s match against Bologna. I love this idea and hope more clubs follow suit moving forward.
  • An ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville acquired Salford City of England’s League Two.
  • Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra’s MMA debut will have to wait, as the 43-year-old’s fight set for May 23 in Paris was postponed.
  • We’ll end our links with what looks to be some unexpected Orlando Pride representation in Vatican City!

That’s all I have for you this time around. Have a fantastic Friday and enjoy the holiday weekend!

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Orlando City vs New England: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to score some goals and secure a victory against New England?

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1 day ago

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May 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City might have the scoring woes in MLS matches as of late, but the Lions broke out against the Tampa Bay Rowdies Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup match. Of course, the Rowdies are not a very good team this year and are not a top flight team, so take it all with a grain of salt. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points at home against the Revolution?

Stop Gil/Campana

New England has scored eight goals this season. Seven of those goals have come from Carles Gil (5) and Leonardo Campana (2). Gil has also contributed one of New England’s four assists on the season. The vast majority of the Revolution’s offense goes through these two players, meaning stopping the duo is priority number one.

I fully expect Oscar Pareja to field his first-team defense, including a back line of Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo. Orlando City will also need whoever is playing in the defensive midfield to be the first line of defense. Pedro Gallese cannot be expected to have eight saves every match. The defense needs to step up.

Streak vs. Streak

Orlando City is on an eight-match unbeaten streak. New England is on a four-match winning streak in league play and five in all competitions. One of these streaks will end Saturday night. The Revolution have scored six goals in the last four MLS matches with at least one goal in each match without conceding a goal during the streak. The Lions have only scored three goals in the last five MLS matches with all three coming in one match against Atlanta United. Orlando City has shut out five straight MLS opponents and six consecutive in all competitions.

Orlando City has given away too many points during the unbeaten run. The Lions have missed Eduard Atuesta’s ability to create opportunities for his teammates to score. I’m hoping he will be available, but if not, Pareja will need to figure a better adjustment than he has in previous matches.

No More Nil

Orlando City may be on an eight-match unbeaten streak, but the offense has been absent in four of those matches. In those 0-0 draws, Orlando City took 53 shots with only 12 on target (23% rate). Contrast that with the four matches in which they scored, when Orlando City took 68 shots with 25 on target (37% rate). The Lions will need as many chances as possible given New England has only allowed seven goals so far this season. This is a defensively solid team.

Marco Pasalic did not play in the Open Cup victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, meaning he will be well rested and ready to start scoring goals again. He seemed to be dialing in during the Chicago match but he was taken off before he could convert. I want him to pick up where he left off, so he and many others can score goals against the Revolution. Hopefully, the goals scored against the Rowdies will kickstart the offense.

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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