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Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions host Charlotte with a spot in the conference semifinals on the line for both teams.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night playoff matchup between Orlando City (1-1) and Charlotte FC (1-1) at Inter&Co Stadium (6 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the third time the teams have met in the postseason, having played two matches already in this best-of-three, first-round series, and the fifth meeting of the year in all competitions.

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

History

The Lions are 3-1-2 in the regular-season series and 4-3-2 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 2-1-0 at home in the regular season and 3-1-0 in its own stadium in all competitions against the North Carolina-based side. These games are usually close, as Orlando City won two straight at home by two goals, with all other meetings ending in either a draw or a one-goal game.

The teams played eight days ago in Charlotte, without either side scoring in normal time. Charlotte won the ensuing penalty shootout 3-1 after the scoreless draw to tie the series at 1-1, because shootout wins are just as important as actual wins in this somewhat baffling format. That followed Orlando City’s 2-0 home win the previous Sunday. Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.

The teams also met a month and a half ago on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Martin Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of last year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

The teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

These teams have predictably played a tight series after being separated by only one point in the standings after the 34-game regular season. The Lions (15-12-7, 52 points) needed their three points this season against Charlotte (14-11-9, 51 points) at home to finish in the home playoff places for the first round.

The Lions finished 7-6-4 at home in the regular season and have gone 9-6-4 against MLS teams in all competitions at Inter&Co Stadium this year (playoffs and Leagues Cup accounting for the two non-regular-season matches).

Charlotte’s Game 1 loss in this series was the team’s first defeat since dropping the Sept. 18 match in Orlando, going 4-0-1, with the only draw coming on the road against Inter Miami, 1-1. Because it appears MLS counts first-round, best-of-three shootout results as wins/losses rather than the typical draw, Charlotte FC is now 5-1-0 in its last six matches in all competitions, with the loss coming in Game 1 in Orlando, which is slightly better than the Lions’ 4-2-0 mark in their last six. Tonight’s visitors went 5-8-4 on the road in the regular season in addition to dropping Game 1 in Orlando.

Although Orlando scored twice in each of the first three meetings with Charlotte this season, tonight’s visitors have the best defensive record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best defense in MLS, allowing just 37 goals in 34 games during the regular season. That strength showed in Game 2, but not in the usual way. Charlotte has typically allowed shots, but goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina has been a difference maker. He didn’t need to be in Game 2, as the Lions lacked any threat whatsoever until a stoppage-time goal by Torres that was nullified by the offside flag on a razor-thin margin.

To advance, the Lions must play like they did in Game 1, which was a dominating performance. If Charlotte dictates the pace and style of play, it could again come down to penalties.

As usual against Charlotte, Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by Kahlina, who posted 119 saves on the season and tied for the league lead in minutes played (3,060). Charlotte also has a strong back line that includes U.S. international Tim Ream. The key to beating Charlotte is to get on the scoreboard, as the visitors’ offense has found the net just 46 times this season — tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference — although it had scored 14 during its unbeaten run prior to Game 1 and had been held under two goals just once since getting shut out in Orlando in September before this series started.

“We have the same intentions, and the same intensity, the same discipline and the same perseverance that we have had moving towards this game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us as the coaches and the players to invite our fans to come to the stadium to help us push. It’s an important moment for all of us and we need the energy”

The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg). Charlotte will be without Jahlane Forbes (hip).

Match Content


Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.

Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.

Bench: Javier Otero, Luca Petrasso, Kyle Smith, David Brekalo, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Charlotte FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne.

Midfielders: Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Djibril Diani.

Forwards: Kerwin Vargas, Patrick Agyemang, Pep Biel.

Bench: David Bingham, Jaylin Lindsey, Jere Uronen, Bill Tuiloma, Junior Urso, Iuri Tavares, Jamie Paterson, Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski.

Referees

REF: Ismir Pekmic.
AR1: Nick Uranga.
AR2: Jeffrey Greeson.
4TH: Sergii Boiko.
VAR: Ismail Elfath.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.


How to Watch

Match Time: 6 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).


Enjoy the match. Go City!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/17/25

Lions draw on the road, Pride win NWSL season opener, OCB claims two points against Atlanta, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers, and happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been catching up with friends over the weekend in Chicago. Our Lions and OCB picked up draws, but the Young Lions claimed an extra point in penalties, while the Pride dominated the Stars to start their 2025 NWSL season with a win. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Lions Draw New York Red Bulls on the Road

Orlando City and the New York Red Bulls split the points in a 2-2 draw at Sports Illustrated Stadium Saturday. The Lions struck first with a goal from Martin Ojeda to take the lead. However, a controversial penalty kick was awarded to the Red Bulls, and Eric Choupo-Boting buried the equalizer to tie the match at one. Marco Pasalic’s goal put Orlando back in front just before halftime. However, just minutes into the second half, the Red Bulls tied the match at 2-2. The Lions had chances to score late in the match, but Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel stopped everything in his path to preserve a point. Orlando City returns home to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday to take on D.C. United.

Orlando City Signs Gustavo Caraballo as Homegrown Player

After being signed to short-term contracts in previous weeks, Orlando City announced Friday that the club signed midfielder Gustavo Caraballo to a Homegrown Player contract. Caraballo is signed through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028. The 16-year-old midfielder has made two appearances for Orlando this season. Caraballo went through the academy, playing at OCB, and now becomes the youngest player to sign a first-team pro contract. He made his MLS debut earlier this month in the Lions’ 4-2 win over Toronto FC, becoming the youngest player ever to get MLS minutes with Orlando.

Orlando Pride Defeat Chicago Stars in Season Opener

The Orlando Pride began their 2025 NWSL season Friday, beating the Chicago Stars 6-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. Haley McCutcheon, Ally Watt, and Julie Doyle added their names to the scoresheet, while Barbra Banda scored twice. The Pride also got an own goal from Stars defender Hannah Anderson just after halftime. Orlando is unbeaten in its last four matches against Chicago. With six goals, Orlando tied the club record for the most goals scored in a match. It was also the Pride’s first-ever season-opening win. The Pride will be on the road this weekend to face NJ/NY Gotham FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Sunday.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout vs. Atlanta United 2 after 2-2 Draw

Orlando City B drew 2-2 against Atlanta United 2 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions trailed 1-0 in the first half, but Justin Ellis tied the match just before halftime. Shak Mohammed gave OCB a 2-1 lead in the second half, but Atlanta scored a late equalizer. After 90 minutes, MLS NEXT Pro draws go to penalties, and OCB won the extra point with a 4-1 shootout win. OCB will be back in action on Wednesday, March 26 on the road against Crown Legacy FC.

NWSL Opening Weekend Recap

The National Women’s Soccer League’s opening weekend matches are in the books. The Washington Spirit edged the Houston Dash 2-1 Friday night. On Saturday, the Kansas City Current defeated the Portland Thorns 3-1 as Temwa Chawinga and Debinha scored. The Utah Royals and Bay FC, Racing Louisville and the North Carolina Courage, and the Seattle Reign vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC matches all ended in 1-1 draws. On Sunday, Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave match also ended in a 1-1 draw.

Americans Abroad

We had another busy weekend featuring several Americans in action in Europe just ahead of the international break. Christian Pulisic scored for AC Milan in its Serie A clash against Como. AC Milan held on to win 2-1. Weston Mckennie’s Juventus side fell 3-0 to Fiorentina on the road, suffering a second straight heavy defeat in league play. Tyler Adams played 79 minutes for AFC Bournemouth, but his side lost 2-1 at home to Brentford, while Antonee Robinson played 90 minutes for Fulham, helping his team defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0. Tanner Tessmann came off the bench for Lyon in the second half as his side defeated Le Havre 4-2 in Ligue 1. Haji Wright scored a hat trick over the weekend for EFL Championship side Coventry City in a 3-0 victory over Sunderland. Catarina Macario and Chelsea defeated Manchester City 2-1 to win the Women’s League Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Angel City FC and Former Orlando Pride forward Sydney Leroux announced on her Instagram page that she will take a break from professional soccer to focus on her mental health.
  • Boston’s NWSL expansion team will not play under its current name, BOS Nation FC. The club announced over the weekend that it will rebrand and expects to unveil its new name in the next few weeks.
  • Newcastle United defeated Liverpool 2-1 Sunday to win the Carabao Cup, snapping a 70-year domestic trophy drought.
  • In case you missed it, you have to see this late second-half equalizer by Mohamed Traore of Phoenix Rising in a USL Championship match over the weekend against El Paso Locomotive.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Orlando City

Orlando City at New York Red Bulls: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-2 road draw against the New York Red Bulls.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City traveled to New Jersey to take on the New York Red Bulls. Who cares if names and places don’t match? With the Lions coming off a loss to New York City FC the week before, getting points on the road was crucial. Orlando City earned a point away from home thanks to a 2-2 draw, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating at times. Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Designated Players Score Again

The 2025 theme of Orlando City’s Designated Players scoring continued in this match. Martin Ojeda got things going early with an absolute beauty of a goal. He brought the ball up the left himself, lifted his head as he approached the box, and let one rip into the upper right corner. A perfect way to start the match.

Marco Pasalic also scored a stunner. Orlando City’s newest DP made a perfectly timed run to get on the end of a long pass from Eduard Atuesta. Once he had the ball, he easily beat Carlos Coronel to give the Lions the lead once more. That is three goals for Pasalic in four matches. If he, Ojeda, and Luis Muriel can continue to provide goal contributions at this rate, good things will happen.

Hot-Headed Jansson

It wasn’t a great night for Orlando City’s captain. Robin Jansson was frustrated, angry, and I assume yelling at the refs in Swedish except for the one time he got booked for dissent. That time was probably in English. In the 72nd minute, Jansson had the ball taken off his foot at midfield, and if not for an excellent save by Pedro Gallese, the Lions would have headed home with a loss.

The Beefy Swede took some chances that perhaps he didn’t need to take. Usually it is Rodrigo Schlegel that is the hot head, but against the Red Bulls it was Jansson seeing red. Of course, the worst thing that happened — the penalty — was certainly debatable.

Penalty Kills

Jansson was called for a penalty in the 26th minute. He was running alongside Eric Choupo-Moting as the ball came in from the right. Jansson stuck his foot out at the ball, but unfortunately Choupo-Moting got his foot in front of Jansson’s and drew a foul that wasn’t initially called. The video assistant referee had referee Armando Villarreal go to the monitor. Villarreal overturned his inital no-call and awarded the penalty.

This was the type of foul that could go either way. It wasn’t initially called, and was iffy at best, in my opinion. If the roles were reversed, it was the type of call that Orlando City doesn’t get, but the Red Bulls did. On the resulting penalty kick, Pedro Gallese guessed correctly, but Choupo-Moting put it low and hard into the bottom left corner to equalize the match. If not for that call, Orlando City may have won.

A Start and a Return

If you thought it wasn’t great when Wilder Cartagena went out for the season, then Cesar Araujo being held out as a precautionary measure didn’t make things any easier. Fortunately, Araujo isn’t out for the season, but Orlando City still missed his presence in this match. Since Araujo didn’t make the trip, rookie Joran Gerbet got his first MLS start. Honestly, Gerbet played well. Both he and Atuesta were harassed and fouled regularly by the Red Bulls, especially in the first half. Gerbet’s passing was good (96.4%), and I think he acquitted himself well in his first start.

We also saw the return of Duncan McGuire, not just to the bench but to the field, as the striker came on in the 87th minute. He almost gave the Lions a late lead, but one shot was blocked, and his pass to Rafael Santos for a chance by the left back was also saved. Regardless, it’s good to have Big Dunc back. I’m certain he’ll need more time to get match fit, but his return is a big boost to Orlando City’s attack.

Mistakes Continue to Haunt

Once again there were way too many giveaways by Orlando City to give the opposition easy opportunities. The second goal saw Dennis Gjengaar unmarked on the near post for an easy goal. That type of defensive mistake has happened far too often this season, and it bit Orlando City again against the Red Bulls.

On the other end, Orlando City took 15 shots, put seven on target, and put two in the back of the goal. That’s a lot of missed opportunities. To be fair, Carlos Coronel was very good on the night, but I still think either Ramiro Enrique or McGuire should have scored the winning goal.


That is what I saw in Orlando City’s 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Keep Conceding Goals

A controversial penalty decision helped the Red Bulls come from behind twice to split the points with the Lions.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continued to suffer the critical defensive lapses that have cost the team goals during the first month of the 2025 season in a controversial 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Despite leading twice, Orlando City (1-2-1, 4 points) dropped points again.

Stunning strikes by Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic were canceled out by equalizers from Eric Choupa-Moting — controversially, from the penalty spot — and Dennis Gjengaar, and Carlos Coronel stopped every good look in the second half that the Lions put on target, allowing New York (1-1-2, 5 points) to take a point from a trailing position.

“A competitive game, and I thought our boys today implemented another gear on the challenges that we had — not just defensively but offensively,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I thought the amount of opportunities that we created to score kept us optimistic.”

Pareja had some wrinkles to his starting lineup this week, with Cesar Araujo unavailable after experiencing muscle tightness late in the week. Joran Gerbet made his first professional start alongside Eduard Atuesta in central midfield. Additionally, Kyle Smith replaced Rafael Santos at left back. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Smith, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Gerbet and Atuesta were in central midfield behind the usual attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Pasalic. Luis Muriel started for the second straight game. Pareja got some bodies back on his bench, however, with Duncan McGuire available for the first time, along with David Brekalo. Zakaria Taifi was on the bench after signing a short-term contract, and Gustavo Caraballo — after signing a Homegrown Player deal Friday through 2027 — was also on the bench.

Orlando’s game plan coming out was to drop Angulo to left wingback when the hosts had possession, which the Lions were happy to concede. The Red Bulls found some width early to create some issues, but other than that, Pareja’s plan worked beautifully in the first half. The Lions were able to create on the break.

The first half chance of the match fell for Muriel from a severe angle on the right. Looking to catch Coronel by surprise, he smashed a shot in the third minute but couldn’t keep it on frame.

New York’s first opportunity came three minutes later, as Peter Stroud found space outside the area with Orlando’s lines dropping too deeply. Stroud fired a shot that Schlegel came out to block. Two minutes later, Gallese was forced to make a huge early save when Gjengaar was slipped down the right. The Peruvian came off his line and made himself big to deny a point-blank chance.

Orlando broke the scoreless tie in the 18th minute when Muriel flicked a ball on the left for Ojeda to pick up. The Argentine broke to the top of the area, looking for a teammate, but the defense had his options well covered. Ojeda fired a shot instead, blasting it into the upper right corner to make it 1-0.

“The guys who need to put the team on their shoulders seem like are doing the job,” Pareja said. “Now, we need to maintain it and even get better.”

Choupa-Moting fired well over the bar from outside the area in the 21st minute, but moments later he initiated contact with Jansson in the box that was not called a foul during play. Video assistant referee Daniel Radford sent match referee Armando Villarreal to the monitor for a look. Although Choupa-Moting stuck his foot out in front of Jansson as he was striding forward, Villarreal gave a penalty that’s seldom called, handing the hosts an easy scoring opportunity from the penalty spot.

Gallese guessed correctly, but Choupa-Moting’s shot was low and just inside the post, making it 1-1 in the 29th minute. It was an unfortunate decision for Orlando, and it would have been an unnecessary one had the Lions’ captain not cheated forward when he didn’t need to, allowing Choupa-Moting to get into the box.

“The boys were very annoyed by the decision,” Pareja said. “I have to see it better. The common word in the locker room was that it was a very unfair call, but nothing that we can do now.”

The Lions went back in front 10 minutes later, but it was a goal that saw almost no celebration. Atuesta sent a long ball over the top to Pasalic, who looked a mile offside, but the flag stayed down. Pasalic smashed a left-footed shot past Coronel to make it 2-1. Replays showed Raheem Edwards kept the Croatian onside, so the goal counted and Orlando led again in the 39th minute.

“Offensively, I see much bravery and a much functional team,” Pareja said. “I like the way we’re attacking. I like the way we are proposing the game.”

Pasalic was nearly in again in the 45th minute, but this time the flag came up and it didn’t matter anyway, as he lost his footing at the top of the area.

Because Villarreal gave seven minutes of stoppage time, the final chances of the half fell for the Red Bulls. A header by Choupa-Moting forced a good save from Gallese on a shot that bounced in front. The Red Bulls had a couple opportunities to do something with the ensuing corner but couldn’t pay it off before the halftime whistle.

New York had the halftime advantage in possession (55%-45%), shots (7-4), shots on target (3-2), and passing accuracy (85.7%-83.5%). Each team won one corner in the opening period.

Orlando coughed up the lead moments after the break, and it was from yet another defensive breakdown in this early 2025 season. New York attacked down the wide left and a ball into the box was turned home by Gjengaar, who was left alone in front of the net. Schlegel looked for an attacker and didn’t see one, but then was caught ball watching as Gjengaar cut diagonally away from Jansson to occupy the space behind Schlegel, where he was left alone. Stroud got outside of Freeman on the switch and sent in a cross. Smith dropped deep enough on the left to keep Gjengaar onside, allowing him to tie the game in the 47th minute with a redirection off his thigh.

“We know about our errors defensively, and this is not just defenders, but this is the whole group just conceding goals that we have to erase from our performances,” Pareja said.

“We need to figure it out, because we need to do a better job right after halftime, because we have been conceding goals like right after, and we need to raise up the energy,” said Gerbet, who played a strong match in his first start against. We need to do a better job to come back with the same energy as we had in the first half to avoid those types of goals.”

That early second-half goal set off a nervy spell for the Lions, who again were giving too much width to the Red Bulls. In addition to width, Orlando City was conceding extra chances. Angulo’s poor clearance set up Edwards right in front in the 52nd minute, but the shot went wide of the left post.

Angulo again gave the ball away in his own end in the 53rd minute, and that allowed Dylan Nealis a chance to fire a shot at the top of the area. Gallese did well to get down and make the save, that bounced to Edwards. The New York player couldn’t dig it out of his feet and his chance for an easy put-back evaporated.

The Lions settled down a bit after that, creating a couple of chances. Pasalic shook free on the left and fired just wide of the right post in the 61st minute. Two minutes later, Muriel tried a long-range effort that forced a diving save from Coronel. Pasalic created another chance in the 65th minute by forcing a great diving stop by Coronel to keep the match tied.

The best chance in that Orlando flurry came in the 67th minute. Smith got to the end line and sent a good pass into the area. Ojeda dug it out of traffic and fired from close range but hit his curling shot wide of the right post.

New York should have taken the lead in the 72nd minute. With Orlando enjoying a spell of possession, Jansson was dispossessed at the halfway line, allowing Gjengaar to break in alone on goal. Rather than risk a pass to Choupa-Moting with Schlegel tracking back, Gjengaar fired a shot, trying to beat the onrushing Gallese. The Peruvian did well to get a slight touch to the shot, forcing it to skip just wide of the left post.

“I felt it more like individual moments every time,” Gerbet said about the club’s defensive struggles. “So, I felt like we just need to train more, be more focused, even like at halftime or before, be willing as a team to talk, to communicate, to be able to be all together, to raise up the energy — if we see someone is a little bit down, to push him a little bit. And I felt like those little tips can help us moving forward.”

Orlando went back on the front foot after that with some late chances to win the match. Pasalic held the ball too long on a promising transition break, rather than shifting the ball right to Freeman. Felipe Carballo was able to make him pay by tackling it away from him, although the Croatian felt he was fouled on the play. He came off limping when substituted off moments later, but Pareja indicated in his postgame comments that he wasn’t concerned with an injury to Pasalic.

The Lions gave up the ball too easily a few more times after that opportunity on the break, with Gjengaar hitting the left post with a curling effort from the right side, nearly making Orlando pay in the 85th minute.

McGuire subbed on for his first appearance of the season moments later and his impact was noticeable, despite no changes to the scoreline. He quickly won a corner in the 90th minute and fellow substitute David Brekalo got under his header on the ensuing set piece, sending it over the goal.

Ramiro Enrique had a golden opportunity for a winner in the third minute of injury time when McGuire laid off a pass for the Argentine. His shot was a decent one, but placed a bit too close to Coronel, who made an excellent diving save. A minute later, Coronel blocked a shot by Rafael Santos pinching in from the left, and McGuire’s follow-up effort was blocked by the defense in front.

“I was so happy seeing (McGuire), because he has been training normal, but I know the competition in the games is different,” Pareja said about the striker’s return. “I was urgent to see him giving us those glimpses of the Duncan that we all know. And when I saw him today competing, jumping with no fear, winning those duels, and getting in behind, that made us so happy. I’m very convinced that Duncan will be back in his best level soon and all what he brings is just good news for our offensive side.”

The final chance of the game fell to Orlando in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Santos won a corner kick. The service found its way to a wide-open Schlegel high in the box on the right. The defender took a shot but sent it wide with just about the last kick of the game.

New York finished with the advantage in possession (55.7%-44.3%) and passing accuracy (83.1%-80.7%), but aside from the first 15 minutes of the second half and a few random giveaways, Orlando controlled the match, finishing level on shots (15-15) and finishing with the advantage in shots on target (7-6) and corners (6-2).

Ultimately, the continued momentary lapses in defending cost the team points again. The Lions have now conceded 10 goals in just four games to start this season, using four different starting back line combinations.

“We’re disappointed of course because we wanted more,” Gerbet said. “I think we had the chances to get more (than one point), but we know how it’s tough to come here to New York to get a point, so I won’t say we’re happy, but we need to go with that because that’s what we got. Disappointed of course with the result, because as a team we want to win every single game.”

“At the end, we take a point and we take proudly, because we made a great effort today,” Pareja said.


The Lions finish their road trip without a win (0-1-1) and now return to the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium a week from today when they host D.C. United.

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