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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-0 home playoff victory over Charlotte FC.

Published

6 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City kicked off its run in the 2024 Major League Soccer playoffs with a first-round opening victory at home in front of a fiery crowd by a score of 2-0 over Charlotte FC. Much had been made about the contrasting styles of play between the two sides heading into the match, with Orlando sporting one of the best attacks in all of MLS since league play resumed after the Leagues Cup break and Charlotte boasting the second-best defense by goals allowed throughout the regular season.

The Lions ultimately imposed their will on the match and what follows are our five takeaways from a game that Orlando essentially controlled from the opening kick.

Wasteful Opportunities Early

For the first 15 to 20 minutes of the game, Orlando missed multiple golden chances that could have come back to bite the Lions in the behind. Multiple Lions had decent looks on goal and shot wide, high, or directly at Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. Ramiro Enrique’s final touch seemed just a tad off in the early portion of the match, and Orlando failed to find the end of a few strong crosses across the box from Martin Ojeda and Rafael Santos. Luckily, none of the early miscues mattered much at the end of the game, but if the Lions are lucky enough to advance to the next round and a single-elimination game, lacking sharpness could lead to an unfortunate exit from the playoffs.

Torres Breaks Through

It was always going to be Designated Player Facundo Torres who found the net first for Orlando City, because of course, it had to be. Torres grew into the game over the first 30 minutes of the match, and for a few moments I thought he might find the first assist of the game from a series of short corner set pieces. Instead, Torres found paydirt in the 32nd minute as he was the first player to arrive at poor attempt at a clearance from the Charlotte back line following a dangerous cross sent in by Santos. El Cuervo quickly pulled the trigger, blasting the ball off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the first goal of the game.

Torres has been chasing records all year long, and with that goal, he became the all-time single-season goal scorer in Orlando City history with 19 across all competitions. It was also his third goal against Charlotte in 2024, as he scored in each of the three meetings between the teams this season. Continuing that trend was an important step toward getting the series started on the right foot.

Ojeda Extends the Lead

The strong play of Designated Player Martin Ojeda has been one of the main reasons that the OCSC attack has been so potent over the last two months. In the first playoff match against Charlotte, Ojeda continued his strong run of form and would/should have recorded at least one assist in the first half if the team could have been a tad more clinical. Nonetheless, Ojeda left his mark on the match in the 76th minute. Running on fumes, Ojeda had a ball played past him by Cesar Araujo on the sideline and wisely made no attempt on the ball as he was in an offside position. His non-action allowed Ivan Angulo to streak down the sideline at breakneck speed to reach the ball, and once he did, Ojeda had recycled into an onside position. He then took a crafty pass from Angulo and ripped a shot inside the near post past Kahlina.

The goal gave Orlando a bit of breathing room as the game entered its final moments and also marked the first time in club history that the team had scored more than one goal in a playoff match.

Defensive Cohesiveness

Much will be made over the coming week about the Orlando City attack, and rightly so, but an understated piece of what made the Lions so successful in their first game of the 2024 playoffs was the cohesiveness demonstrated across the back line and defensive midfield. Having Wilder Cartagena back in the lineup surely did not hurt things from a defensive standpoint, but I felt that the entire back line communicated effectively and covered one another quite well throughout the match. Orlando did well in the possession department during the first half, and not many questions were asked of the defense, but in the first 20 minutes of the second half, the defense stepped up multiple times to snuff out any remote possibilities that could have generated hope for the visitors. They say that defense wins championships, and Orlando showed just how steadfast its defense could be.

Playoff Clean Sheet

Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has now recorded three clean sheets across three first-round playoff matches going back to the implementation of the new best-of-three format that started last year. Charlotte was only able to put two of its nine attempts on target, but regardless of the volume, Gallese did well to position himself at the right place and at the right time. I thought Gallese did a particularly good job of being decisive on the night and chose his moments wisely to come off his line to collect the ball, or at a minimum, get a glove on it to disrupt Charlotte’s attacking pieces. A playoff clean sheet should always be celebrated, and for me, it was the cherry on top of a very satisfying sundae.

That is what stood out to me most from a complete performance by Orlando City in the first matchup against Charlotte FC in this best-of-three series. Was there anything else in particular that caught your eye throughout the match? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The I-4 Derby is back as Orlando City starts play in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup at Tampa Bay tonight.

Published

4 hours ago

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May 7, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night Round of 32 U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium (7:30 p.m., Paramount+). The I-4 Derby was established before the Lions joined Major League Soccer but this is the second time since OCSC made the jump that the rivalry has real stakes. It’s the third time the teams have met in this competition.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

Orlando City is 7-0-0 in the all-time series as far as “official” records go, but 9-0-1 if you count three preseason friendly meetings since the Lions made the jump to MLS.

The most recent meeting in the series took place on April 20, 2022, with the Lions defeating the Rowdies 2-1 in Orlando City’s 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup opener at Exploria Stadium. After a scoreless first half, Alexandre Pato opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after Benji Michel was fouled in the box by Aaron Guillen. Junior Urso added a second goal in the 63rd minute. Lucky Mkosana pulled one back two minutes after Urso’s goal, but the Rowdies could get no closer.

The I-4 Derby began in 2013, when the Lions and Rowdies met three times. Orlando City was in the third-division USL Pro at the time, while the Rowdies played in the second division’s NASL. The teams first met on Feb. 23, 2013 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports as part of the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. The Lions won that game in the tournament’s consolation bracket 2-0, thanks to a first-minute penalty conversion by midfielder Jamie Watson and a 78th-minute dagger by striker Dennis Chin.

After that initial meeting, the I-4 Derby was established with a pair of home-and-home preseason friendlies. The teams met in Orlando on March 9, 2013, with the Lions capturing a 3-2 win on goals by Watson, James O’Connor, and Jean Alexandre, while Amani Walker and Luke Mulholland scored Tampa Bay’s first goals against Orlando City. The return leg took place at Al Lang Stadium on March 30 of that year and Orlando won 3-2 again. Kevin Molino, Adama Mbengue, and Dom Dwyer provided the offense, with Dwyer’s 91st-minute strike winning the game. Takuya Yamada and Walker scored for the Rowdies.

The I-4 Derby resumed in 2014, with the first game taking place in Lake Buena Vista on April 30, as the Lions played home matches at Disney’s Wide World of Sports that year. Orlando City won 3-0 on goals by Mbengue, Chin, and Brian “Cobi” Span.

The teams then met in the U.S. Open Cup in the first competitive I-4 Derby match-up on May 28, 2014, at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford. The Lions thumped the Rowdies 4-1 in that match, with Molino bagging a first-half brace and Austin da Luz and Mbengue also scoring in the opening 45 minutes. Blake Wagner’s goal just before halftime spoiled the shutout, but the Lions handled their business.

The return leg of the regularly scheduled 2014 I-4 Derby in St. Petersburg didn’t happen until July 6, with Orlando winning by a 3-2 scoreline for the third time in the series. Molino and Darwin Ceren scored on either side of a strike by Tampa Bay’s Georgi Hristov to take a 2-1 lead into the break. Hristov tied the match in the second half, but Corey Hertzog scored the winner for the Lions in the 75th minute.

Since 2014, the teams have met in a few preseason friendlies/scrimmages, and while they aren’t being counted in the overall series, they count in our hearts and live in our memories. The Lions and Rowdies met in the 2017 preseason, playing to a scoreless draw at Sylvan Lake Park in a closed-door scrimmage held on Feb. 11. Three years later, almost to the day, the teams met again in the preseason — this time at Exploria Stadium — on Feb. 12, 2020. Orlando City won 2-1, with Urso and Jordan Bender supplying the offense in a come-from-behind win after Kyle Murphy had put Tampa ahead.

The most recent friendly took place on Feb. 19, 2022, when the Lions again topped the Rowdies in preseason behind closed doors. Tesho Akindele, Mauricio Pereyra (penalty), and Jack Lynn scored for Orlando, while Tampa Bay avoided a shutout thanks to a goal by Jake LaCava.

Overview

Orlando City enters tonight’s match on an eight-game unbeaten run (3-0-5), but the Lions are coming off their fourth 0-0 draw in five outings Saturday in Chicago. The common denominator in the run of scoreless draws seems to be the absence of Eduard Atuesta. The Colombian midfielder played 11 minutes in the second half in the 0-0 game against the New York Red Bulls, and went 90 in the 3-0 win over Atlanta before a neck injury knocked him out of the lineup Saturday. He’s missed the other 0-0 draws entirely. He’s also listed as out for tonight per Orlando City’s game notes, which dropped Tuesday afternoon. Orlando is 1-1-4 on the road this season, with all of those six matches coming against MLS competition.

The Lions are in the midst of fixture congestion throughout the month of May, so tonight’s Orlando City lineup will likely be made up of a mixture of regular starters, backups, and reserve players who have been splitting time between the bench and OCB. That was the case in 2022 when these teams last met. Orlando City fans will be hoping that like that year, opening up against Tampa Bay will jump start a trophy run.

The Lions are 17-10-5 (6-7-2 away) in all U.S. Open Cup matches since 2011 and 9-6-5 (3-3-2 away) in the club’s MLS era. It is, however, noteworthy that if you take away the 2022 USOC run to the championship, during which the Lions went 4-0-2, with all of those games played in their home stadium, OCSC’s record drops to 5-6-3 in U.S. Open Cup play during the MLS years.

Tampa Bay is off to a poor start in 2025. The Rowdies enter tonight just 1-4-1 on the season (0-2-1 at home) and sit in 11th place out of 12 in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings. That’s a little deceptive, because every match the Rowdies have played before has either been a one-goal game or a draw. Tampa most recently drew 2-2 at home Saturday against Birmingham Legion FC. The Rowdies advanced from the Round of 64 after a 1-1 road draw against FC Naples. Burundi international Pacifique Niyongabire put Tampa Bay up in the 26th minute, only to see former Chicago Fire II midfielder Luka Prpa equalize a minute later. When 30 minutes of extra time could not break the 1-1 deadlock, the game went to penalties. The shootout went 10 shooters deep, with Tampa Bay prevailing 9-8 when Julian Cisneros of Naples hit the crossbar.

The Lions will have to keep an eye on Woobens Pacius, who leads the Rowdies with three goals in seven matches. Niyongabire, Daniel Crisostomo, Ollie Bassett, and Leo Fernandes each have one goal for Tampa Bay. He doesn’t have a goal yet this season, but forward Manuel Arteaga is averaging three shots per game, so he’ll be another threat to watch.

“It [Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup] brings back great memories for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “The respect that we have for the Cup is important. We’re facing the game against the Rowdies with all the ambition to win it and keep advancing, so we’re taking it very seriously. It’s a proud moment for us to participate in the tournament and represent our club again.”

In addition to Atuesta (neck), Orlando City will be without season-ending injured players Wilder Cartagena (Achilles) and Yutaro Tsukada (knee), while Joran Gerbet (lower leg) has been upgraded to questionable alongside Favian Loyola (thigh).

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Rodrigo Schlegel, David Brekalo, Kyle Smith.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Shak Mohammed.

Forward: Ramiro Enrique.

Tampa Bay Rowdies (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Nicolas Campisi.

Defenders: Aaron Guillen, Forrest Lasso, Robert Castellanos, Pacifique Niyongabire.

Midfielders: Leo Fernandes, Daniel Crisostomo, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Ollie Bassett.

Forwards: Woobens Pacius, Manuel Arteaga.

Referees

Ref: Natalie Simon.
AR1: Katarzyna Wasiak.
AR2: Colin Ashley.
4th: Benjamin Meyer.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Al Lang Stadium — St. Petersburg.

TV/Live Stream: Paramount+.

Radio: None.

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links 5/7/25

Orlando City takes on the Rowdies, sponsors like MLS, the NWSL is growing, and more.

Published

7 hours ago

on

May 7, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day as the Lions begin their 2025 U.S. Open Cup campaign. I’ve repeatedly said on The Mane Land PawedCast that I want Oscar Pareja to focus on this competition more than another one (*cough* Leagues Cup *cough*). That all starts tonight, and I hope you’re as excited as I am. Let’s get to the links.

I-4 Derby Tonight

Orlando City enters the 2025 U.S. Open Cup tonight against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions make the perilous 112-mile trip along I-4 — which feels approximately like flying to Seattle — to take on an old geographical rival. We’re likely to see a rotated lineup for this match, but Pareja said he has confidence in the younger players to get the job done. If you’re not making the trip to Tampa here is how you can watch the match. We will have our normal match coverage for you tonight.

Nobody Likes Nil-Nil

You know something is going on when Orlando City attracts the attention of the national media. Unfortunately, that thing is the overabundance of 0-0 draws in four out of the last five matches. The theory is that the Lions aren’t getting enough service out of the midfield for the players up top. It may be as simple as players getting healthy for Orlando City to reignite the offense. For the sake of a certain The Mane Land editor’s sanity, I hope that is the case.

MLS News and Notes

Soccer’s popularity is growing in the United States. Are decades of being America’s next big sport finally paying off? It seems to actually be the case, at least when it comes to the sponsors. With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, brands are investing in MLS and soccer in America. EA Sports is in on the action, partnering with MLS and Apple TV to show four live matches within the EA FC mobile gaming app this season

NWSL Keeps Growing

Big things are also happening in the NWSL. The growth has prompted the league to move its headquarters from one New York office to a bigger New York office. Part of that growth comes from owners like the Washington Spirit’s Michelle Kang. The billionaire is investing in the NWSL, U.S. Soccer, and other leagues and countries throughout the world. On a slightly different scale, Mikaela Shiffrin — the most decorated alpine skier of all time — has invested in the Denver NWSL expansion side.

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That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of tonight’s match as well as the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/6/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Zara Chavoshi up for Save of the Week, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 6, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Well it wasn’t the greatest weekend that Orlando’s soccer teams have ever had. The three squads picked up just one of the nine points on offer, and it was very much a trio of matches to forget. Luckily we won’t have to linger on them for very long, because the action continues almost immediately with Orlando City facing the Tampa Bay Rowdies Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup. We have plenty of news to talk through today, so let’s jump into the links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Recognition

Pedro Gallese was outstanding while backstopping OCSC in its 0-0 draw with the Chicago Fire over the weekend, and his performance earned him a place in the starting XI of the most recent edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Orlando’s octopus made eight saves on the night, including two double saves, and if not for him the Fire would have run away with the game long before they were eventually reduced to 10 men. He’s now just the fourth goalkeeper since 2020 to earn five straight clean sheets, His efforts earned him the Man of the Match award by a country mile in Andrew DeSalvo’s Player Grades piece, and it’s nice to see him getting some love on the larger stage as well.

Zara Chavoshi Nominated for Save of the Week

In a piece of news that you don’t necessarily see every day, Orlando Pride defender Zara Chavoshi has been nominated for the NWSL Save of the Week. You can’t say she doesn’t deserve it either, as Chavoshi made a goal-line clearance with the net empty in the 38th minute to keep the deficit at 1-0 against the Portland Thorns. While the Pride weren’t able take advantage of her efforts by making a comeback, it was still an outstanding hustle play. Hopefully she won’t need to make too many more of those as the season progresses, but congratulations are in order all the same!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, so let’s run down some games to keep an eye on. Diego Kochen will likely be on the bench for the second leg of Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League semifinal tie against Inter Milan later today. Wednesday has Alejandro Zendejas and Club America facing Pumas in the Liga MX Clausura playoff quarterfinal. Thursday has Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis traveling to Fiorentina in the second leg of the UEFA Conference League semifinals, in which they hold a 2-1 lead after the first leg. Things then wrap up on Friday with Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan hosting Bologna in Serie A.

Leon’s Club World Cup Verdict is Expected Today

The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to deliver a verdict today on whether or not Leon will be able to participate in the upcoming Club World Cup this summer. As things currently stand, FIFA will not allow the Mexican side’s participation, and is preparing a one-off game between LAFC and Club America to determine which team will take Leon’s place. FIFA’s rules for the tournament prohibit more than one team having the same owners, but Leon and Pachuca are both owned by Grupo Pachuca. Leon were even drawn into a group with Chelsea, Esperance, and Flamengo at the end of last year, but FIFA excluded them during a ruling in March, which prompted Leon to appeal their case to the CAS.

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

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