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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 1-1 (4-1) as Lions Advance with Penalty Shootout Win

The Lions are through to the conference semifinals with a Cardiac Cats finish and domination in penalties.

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7 months ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Trailing 1-0, Orlando City was just moments away from exiting the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. But Duncan McGuire earned a late penalty that Facundo Torres converted on the rebound of his saved attempt to tie the game at 1-1. The Lions were clinical in the ensuing penalty shootout moments later, winning it 4-1 over Charlotte FC and advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year.

The shootout win, fueled by two Pedro Gallese saves, gave Orlando a 2-1 series win over Charlotte FC with the final two matches decided from the spot after the Lions opened with the only win in normal time out of the three games.

“I think we were the best team of this series,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the game just put us in that situation when they score goals and they sit back, and we couldn’t open those lines. But finally we did, and the (win in) PKs is probably a result that was very fair for the effort that we made during the series.”

Pareja made no changes to his lineup, starting Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres, with Ramiro Enrique up top.

The Lions won the first half territorially, but sttruggled with the final ball, either leaving shots too close to Kristijan Kahlina or rattling the woodwork. Orlando’s first opportunity came three minutes in when Ojeda made a good cross into the box that hit off Torres and went toward goal, but without much pace, allowing Kahlina to collect it. Three minutes later, Tim Ream tried to chest a cross back to Kahlina and Araujo threw himself forward, nearly getting his head to it and forcing the Charlotte goalkeeper to spill it, but the visitors were able to regroup.

In the 10th minute, Charlotte got its first chance off a corner kick. Kerwin Vargas headed it down at the back post as he was left all alone, but he sent it straight toward Gallese.

Ojeda delivered a great ball on a long-distance free kick in the 16th minute, finding Schlegel in the box. The defender got good pace on his header but left it too close to Kahlina, who made the save. A minute later, the Lions should have scored. Ojeda made a great cutback pass to Torres, who fizzed a shot that hit the right post and stayed out.

Torres found the crossbar in the 21st minute on a header off an Araujo cross. It appeared Kahlina may have touched it off the bar.

Patrick Agyemang sent a soft header to Gallese in the 24th minute, but given the final shots on target in the half, he must not have gotten credit for a shot.

Enrique got onto a good chip pass from Torres in the 33rd minute. The Argentine volleyed a shot toward goal but couldn’t keep it down, sending it high over the bar.

Ojeda nearly got in behind in the 39th minute but the ball took a high bounce. As he waited for it to come down, the defense arrived to knock it out of play.

Torres had a shot blocked in front in the 40th minute that looked as if it might have been a handball. There was no obvious sign of a review, but the ball may have hit the defender’s body before the arm.

Agyemang was sent in behind in the 45th minute, catching Gallese out with a chipped shot, but the flag came up straight away and after review, the offside call was upheld.

That was the final play of note from a first half that had plenty of action but no final product.

At halftime, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (60.7%-39.3%), shots (8-2), shots on target (2-1), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (86.4%-81%), but the Lions had nothing to show for it.

“We were more offensive. I think we hit the post twice in the first half,” Pareja said. “And we had many other options that were clear.”

Neither team made a halftime change and Orlando got the first half chance of the second period. A weak cross from Thorhallsson looked like it would be an easy scoop for Kahlina, but Enrique got there with a quick, darting run and got a foot to it, poking it just wide of the right post in the 47th minue.

Orlando won a few set pieces but couldn’t make them pay off, coming close in the 56th minute. Ojeda sent in a good corner kick cross and Enrique was unmarked, coming from a deeper position for a free header. However, he sent his effort just wide of the right post.

Angulo saw his shot blocked at the hour mark off a deflected cross from Ojeda.

Vargas shook free on the left side and sent a shot into the outside of Gallese’s left post in the 66th minute.

Second-half sub Luis Muriel tried his luck from outside the area in the 68th minute but it one-hopped into Kahlina’s hands. Two minutes later, he tried again from a similar spot but hit his effort wide to the left of goal.

Pep Biel tried his luck from long range in the 71st minute but sent his shot well over.

Muriel tried to send fellow sub McGuire in behind down the right side in the 76th minute. McGuire saw his shot saved but he was offside anyway and likely knew it. The flag came up after the shot.

Charlotte broke the deadlock in the 81st minute and it was a bit unlucky for Orlando. A ball over the top bounced over Jansson’s head, putting the visitors in on the attack. Liel Abada found Swiderski in front and the striker’s shot deflected past Gallese to make it 1-0.

“They wait for a mistake and we made one,” Pareja said.

“I ended up in between, not reaching it,” Jansson said. “And Swiderski was more just being in behind me. So, that was just a bad move on that one. But I do think that it was not that he just took the ball and run through the goal. I think we could have stopped it anyway. But that’s things that happen sometimes in the game, and it has to be better in the in the coming game.”

Jansson tried to get the goal back in the 85th minute, getting his head to a recycled ball and deflected it on goal, but Kahlina made the save.

The Lions had a chance to tie it up in the 90th minute when Santos sent a perfect cross from the left to the back post to substitute Kyle Smith, who merely needed to touch it home. Instead, Smith tripped over the ball and ended up knocking it backwards.

Orlando didn’t quit. In the 93rd minute, Araujo smashed a shot that fizzed just inches wide of the left post. Moments later, the Lions got the break they had been pushing for. Cartagena sent a ball into the area, and Djibril Diani pulled McGuire down. The big center forward went down hard on his shoulder. He sprinted to the sideline looking to get his shoulder fixed, but he was unable to return to the match, leaving his team short. The play was reviewed and the call on the field was upheld, with Orlando awarded a penalty.

Torres had to wait a long time to take the spot kick between the injury to McGuire and the video review. When he finally took his shot, Kahlina made the save, but the rebound came right back out front where Torres buried it to tie the game at 1-1 in the 102nd minute.

“Today, I think everyone saw like the mentality when they scored from our side,” Jansson said. “Directly when we got the ball, we wanted to try to do something, push forward.”

Moments after the restart, Pekmic blew the whistle and sent the game to penalties to decide things.

The Lions dominated the stat sheet, finishing with the advantage in possession (60.9%-39.1%), shots (21-6), shots on target (6-3), corners (9-3), and passing accuracy (86.7%-82.2%).

Orlando shot first and Muriel froze Kahlina to start things off with a goal for the Lions. Biel stepped up to shoot first for the visitors. He sent his shot to Gallese’s left, but El Pulpo guessed correctly, fully extended, and made the save.

Kyle Smith calmly blasted the second shot into the net to put Orlando up 2-0, and Swiderski stepped up for Charlotte. He sent his shot to Gallese’s right, but the Orlando goalkeeper again went the correct way and stuck out a fist to keep it out. Torres pushed the Lions’ lead in the shootout to 3-2 and Ashley Westwood answered for the visitors, making it 3-1 after three rounds. Any Orlando goal or Charlotte miss and it was over.

Santos slowly walked up and placed the ball, then took a wild, sweeping, stop-start run-up. Kahlina guessed correctly, but the Brazilian’s shot was precise, slipping inside the post to push Orlando through to the next round.

“I studied a little bit more, really focused in on the PK takers of our rivals tonight,” Gallese said of his preparation. “We knew that the way that they played, there was a good chance that we would go to penalties again, so we were all putting in the extra effort to make sure that we were ready for that. And thankfully, it paid off.”

“I have to congratulate the coach (Dean Smith of Charlotte). I thought he complicated things with a system that I respect,” Pareja said. “I think he made the movements and made our game model more complicated in some moments. Today, they defended with a line of five, and it was a surprise for us, because I have not seen it before when we faced them. But we adapted well.”

Next up for Orlando City is a rematch from Decision Day. Atlanta United’s first-round upset will have the Five Stripes visiting Orlando City Sunday, Nov. 24 at 3:30 p.m.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/19/25

Alex Freeman details his soccer journey, Orlando Pride players called up, Orlando City’s U-19 team advances to semifinals, and more.

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4 hours ago

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June 19, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Happy Juneteenth, Mane Landers! I hope everyone has a nice holiday as we commemorate the anniversary of the end of slavery in the U.S. There’s plenty of soccer going on, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the Club World Cup and Gold Cup here and there when not working. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Alex Freeman Details His Path to Pro Soccer

Orlando City right back Alex Freeman has been getting plenty of buzz during this breakout year, but an interview with Goal gave some great insight into how he reached this point. He made the bold decision to head to Orlando at 16 years old to chase his dream, and he detailed some of the difficulties of that move that may get overlooked as his career blooms.

“I remember my 16th birthday, it was the first birthday I ever spent without my family,” Freeman says. “It was the day after I moved to Orlando. I’ve never really talked about this, but, at first, it really took a toll on me. At 16, you really just want your family around for those important moments, and I felt like I was balancing so much without my family being there with me. I did so much of this in Orlando without my family. It’s hard for people to comprehend that.”

Freeman also talked about the pace of his development within Orlando’s organization, along with what it was like to play against Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz in his recent international debut. There are also some great quotes from Oscar Pareja and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino worth checking out.

Orlando Pride Players Called Up by USWNT

Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up for the United States Women’s National Team’s training camp roster ahead of friendlies against Ireland and Canada later this June. Both players were on the USWNT roster for recent friendlies, with Abello making her international debut on June 3 against Jamaica. The only player outside the NWSL who was called up for this roster is Naomi Girma. Rose Lavelle was called up for the first time this year, and 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune is also back in the fold. Jordyn Bugg, Lilly Reale, Izzy Rodriguez, and Sam Meza were all called up for the first time, as Head Coach Emma Hayes continues to grow the player pool.

Orlando City Makes MLS NEXT Cup Semifinals

Orlando City’s U-19 team continues to impress this year and advanced to the semifinals of this year’s MLS NEXT Cup. Forward Justin Ellis was named Player of the Day for scoring twice in a 3-3 draw against Toronto FC, with Orlando coming out on top in the ensuing penalty shootout.

The U-19 team is the last Orlando academy team still playing across the tournament’s age groups. It will take on Cedar Stars Academy in the semifinals on Friday with a spot in Sunday’s final on the line. Enjoy watching the youngsters celebrate clinching a spot in the next round.

Upcoming NWSL Action Before League Break

We have another weekend of NWSL soccer to look forward to before the league pauses until August due to various international tournaments. The Pride will look to make it four straight wins when they face Racing Louisville FC on the road Friday night. Louisville has allowed 22 goals this season, so hopefully Barbra Banda and the rest of Orlando’s offense can get things going after close wins in the past two games.

Elsewhere in the league, I think Saturday’s match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and Bay FC will be an interesting showdown. Gotham forward Esther González leads the league with nine goals this season, but it’s ultimately a close Golden Boot race at this point. Sunday’s match between the San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit pits two of the league’s top four teams against each other, making it a great way to close out the weekend before the break.

USMNT Takes On Saudi Arabia Tonight

The Yanks are back in action tonight for a Concacaf Gold Cup group game against Saudi Arabia, the guest nation of this year’s tournament. After a 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, the U.S. can claim the top spot in the group and all but guarantee a place in the next round with a win over Saudi Arabia. There are still some question marks regarding who will rise to the occasion in the midfield and at forward, but the USMNT has the talent to get the job done tonight at Q2 Stadium in Austin. The U.S. will then close out group play on Sunday against Haiti in Arlington, TX.

Free Kicks

  • Sams, Banda, Anna Moorhouse, and Cori Dyke were all named to CBS Sports‘ NWSL Team of the Week after the Pride’s 1-0 win over Bay FC.
  • Joao Klauss won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his lethal strike on the volley from a tight angle. The goal equalized things in stoppage time against the LA Galaxy and completed Klauss’ hat trick in the 3-3 draw.
  • USWNT and Portland Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg has officially retired from professional soccer. She won two NWSL Shields, two NWSL Championships, and the 2015 Women’s World Cup, while also making an impact off the field speaking up for equality.
  • The San Jose Earthquakes have begun the process of selling a controlling interest in the club.
  • Xabi Alonso’s tenure as Real Madrid’s new manager began with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal at the Club World Cup. Federico Valverde had a chance to win it in stoppage time from the penalty stop, but Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou came up with the critical save.
  • Chris Wilder and Sheffield United have parted ways less than a month after the club fell 2-1 to Sunderland in the playoff final for promotion to the English Premier League. Ruben Selles, who was dismissed as Hull City’s manager last month, was named as Wilder’s replacement.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Juneteenth and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/18/25

Scouting Saudi Arabia, Club World Cup summary, MLS midseason superlatives, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Wednesday, everyone. I’m pretty worn out after doing some traveling for most of the last two weeks, and I’m happy to be back home in Tampa for a bit before heading out on the road again. The soccer world has not paused during my time out on the road, and if anything its only picked up in intensity. That means we have a lot to talk about, but before we get into today’s links, let’s wish Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle a happy birthday.

Scouting Saudi Arabia

The United States Men’s National Team will continue its 2025 Gold Cup campaign on Thursday when it takes on Saudi Arabia in Austin, TX. That means this is a good time to familiarize ourselves with Arabian Falcons. They’re coached by Herve Renard, who deployed the team in a 4-2-3-1 in a 1-0 victory over Haiti in the team’s first game of the tournament. He isn’t married to that formation though, and will use a variety of tactical setups depending on the situation. Across all of them, Saudi Arabia plays with an emphasis on pressing in specific areas and quickly breaking in transition once winning the ball. Like the USMNT, the Saudis are missing a few first-choice players, and the midfield battle should be a particularly interesting area to keep an eye on.

Club World Cup Roundup

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup continued on Wednesday, so let’s take a look at the action. Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund got things started as they battled to a scoreless draw at MetLife Stadium. The Brazilian team had the better of the game overall, but Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made five saves to preserve a point for his team. The second game of the day was much livelier, as River Plate dispatched Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in Seattle. The Argentinians scored after just 12 minutes and never looked back despite Urawa making it a 2-1 game with a 58th-minute penalty. The third match took place at Inter&Co Stadium, and saw Mamelodi Sundowns beat Ulsan HD 1-0. While the scoreline didn’t reflect it, the South African team mostly dominated proceedings and finished with 68% possession and 718 passes to 325 for the South Korean side. However, it was a free-flowing game that offered both sides to take more from the match. Our Michael Citro was there to recap it for you at the link above.

Midseason MLS Superlatives

As much as it seems like the 2025 Major League Soccer season just started, we’re actually just past the halfway point of the campaign, and that means it’s a good time to look at some league superlatives. In a category that will be music to the ears of Orlando City fans, Bradley Wright-Phillips named fullback the most overlooked position and specifically took some time to praise Alex Freeman. BWP previously coached against Freeman with New York Red Bulls II when Alex was still with Orlando City B, so it’s interesting to hear his input from that additional aspect. It’s no surprise that the Vancouver Whitecaps got a lot of love, as they were named biggest surprise, and Jesper Sorensen was named best coach.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer season is in full swing, so here are some of the big rumors currently flying around. Manchester United is reportedly interesting in signing Callum Hudson-Odoi from Nottingham Forest, but the Red Devils face competition from Roma and Napoli. Arsenal might hit a snag in searching for a striker, as the Gunners are balking at paying the asking prices for either Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres, because they consider those numbers to be too high. Three different teams from the Saudi Pro League have reportedly shown interest in signing Son Heung-Min from Tottenham Hotspur, as he only has 12 months left on his current contract.

Free Kicks

  • Get a peek at the Orlando Pride putting in work on the training ground.

And that’s it for me today. Have a great rest of your week. Vamos, Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/17/25

Orlando City and Orlando Pride players on Team of the Week, USMNT Gold Cup continues, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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June 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wedn…er…Tuesday, Mane Landers. That’s right, I’m here a day early and not a moment too late. Orlando is knee deep in soccer, thanks to the FIFA Club World Cup on top of our favorite Orlando City and Orlando Pride clubs. We will have coverage of the matches taking place in the City Beautiful. Before we get started today, join us in wishing a happy 25th birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Summer Yates. Now, let’s get to the links.

Schlegel Honored

Rodrigo Schlegel had a pretty good match against the Colorado Rapids. Despite not being named Man of the Match in our Player Grades, he did make the MLS Team of the Week bench. Meanwhile, Orlando held steady at the ninth spot in ESPN’s MLS Power Rankings, while dropping two spots from seventh to ninth in SI.com’s Power Rankings despite winning on the road. It just shows how very accurate and scientific power rankings are, doesn’t it?

Quadruple Honors for the Pride

The Orlando Pride saw Schlegel’s TotW Bench honor and said we can do better. Barbra Banda, Cori Dyke, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse all made the NWSL Team of the Week from the Attacking Third. Congratulations to the Pride for covering a third of the Attacking Third’s selections.

Moorhouse is also up for Player of the Week and Save of the Week. As of this morning, she is not leading either category so you know what to do.

The USMNT Gold Cup Journey Continues

The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage is underway, with the USMNT securing a 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Sunday evening. I’m always for beating Trinidad & Tobago, but more talented teams and tougher matches lie ahead. Next up for the USMNT is Saudi Arabia. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re correct. Saudi Arabia isn’t a Concacaf nation, but the team is the invitee for this Gold Cup. The match is Thursday night at 9:15 p.m. at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX. The U.S. will most likely need a win to secure the top spot in the group.

FIFA Club World Cup Results

The Club World Cup, which will visit Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium later today (we’ll be on hand with the coverage, naturally), continued early this week with Bayern Munich obliterating Auckland City 10-0, PSG defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0, Botafogo beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1, and Facundo Torres and Palmeiras drawing Porto 0-0 on Sunday. In the Monday slate, Chelsea defeated LAFC 2-0, and Boca Juniors and Benfica drew 2-2. Overshadowing all of this is the poor attendance, despite FIFA spending millions to boost said attendance.

Free Kicks

  • One might think that a club sitting second in the official standings on a three-match winning streak would have matching ranks in all the various power rankings. However, one would be wrong, because although the Pride are in the second spot in the SI.com Power Rankings, the club sits at third in the ESPN.com Power Rankings. Do I need to say anything?
  • You don’t often see Barcelona get passed over for an MLS club, but that is exactly what happened despite Barcelona calling FIFA to get a spot in the Club World Cup. That MLS club was LAFC, and it had to earn its way in by beating Club America.
  • Liverpool has set a date for the medical for Florian Wirtz following the record transfer.
  • Congratulations to Orlando City’s Alex Freeman on his performance in his first cap for the USMNT in a competitive match.

Stacked the stat sheet 📈– 10 duels won (led team)– 3 tackles won (led team)– 54 passes completed– 95% passing accuracy– 90 minutes played– 2 clearances– 2 fouls drawn– Clean sheet ✅

— Orlando City SC (@orlandocitysc.com) 2025-06-16T23:03:59.932Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the matches this week. Vamos Orlando!

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