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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Final Score 2-1 as Cardiac Cats Score Late to Earn First Road Win

Orlando City battled back from 1-0 down to pick up a road win against the Galaxy.

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3 weeks ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City trailed 1-0 with a quarter of an hour to play on an LA Galaxy goal by Christian Ramirez that looked offside, but the Lions scored on a penalty in the 76th minute and got a fortunate bounce of the goalkeeper’s hands on a long-range free kick in the 90th to complete a 2-1 comeback win at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. For Orlando City (3-2-1, 10 points), it was the first road win of the season (1-1-1) and it kept the Galaxy (0-4-2, 2 points) winless on the season.

Martin Ojeda scored a penalty kick drawn by Eduard Atuesta to level the game, and Luis Muriel’s hard, high free kick gave John McCarthy trouble in a Cardiac Cats finish, as Orlando’s Designated Players continue to score goals.

“I want to congratulate our players (on) the way they believed in the game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match — his 200th with the club in all competitions. “We had a difficult assignment but their willingness to change the game, to dominate the game, and also to continue until the end, that was something that made us feel very optimistic. It was a great performance against a great team, and I really think that we played well. We used very well our spaces tonight, and I saw a lot of personality (from) the majority of our players.”

Pareja’s lineup saw the return of Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Atuesta started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Muriel up top.

As expected, the team with the most completed passes in MLS saw most of the possession in the early going, making some probes into the area but not able to create much early.

However, it was Orlando that created the first dangerous moment with a clever run by Atuesta in the second minute. The Colombian sent in a dangerous cross intended for Muriel, but Zanka came sliding in to prevent a tap-in goal by Orlando.

After the Galaxy won a few corner kicks but did nothing with him, Freeman got an opportunity in the seventh minute. A good cross in from the left found the young fullback in front, but his header was right at McCarthy for the team’s only shot on target of the opening period. Considering the Galaxy came into the match with the Western Conference’s leakiest defense, it was a disappointing half by chance-creating standards for Orlando.

Atuesta was called for a foul a minute later, giving LA a free kick in a dangerous spot to the left just outside the box. A wicked bend on Diego Fagundez’s service nearly picked out the top right corner, forcing Gallese to tip it over the crossbar.

The Galaxy scored in the 14th minute on another play Pareja’s defense will want back. Gabriel Pec slipped in down the right behind Angulo and Santos, who were both caught flat-footed. A good ball just inches over Santos’ head found the LA winger, who sent a pass in front to Ramirez, who redirected it back against the grain and inside the right post, giving Gallese no chance to make the save. Ramirez appeared to be offside when Pec played the ball, and the video assistant referee looked at it but did not send referee Jon Freemon to the monitor and the goal stood.

Orlando started keeping the ball better after the goal, but couldn’t threaten the net much. Ojeda scuffed a shot attempt from the top of the area in the 19th minute. Moments later, Pasalic sent Muriel into the box, but the Colombian’s backheel pass did not fall into the path of a teammate, allowing LA to clear. Ojeda fired just off target from the top of the box on the left in the 21st minute, as the lack of final precision continued for Orlando.

Pasalic and Santos sent in crosses too close to the keeper in the 35th and 37th minutes, respectively, though the Croatian’s was deflected by Fagundez.

The Galaxy nearly scored a second in the 38th minute when Santos was bodied off the ball hard, giving space for Pec to smash a shot that Gallese fought off for a save. Fagundez jumped on the rebound at the top of the box and fired off the left post.

That was the last decent look of the half for either side in a half that saw the Lions with no lethality in the attack and several individual defensive lapses and turnovers in the defensive half.

Orlando City finished the first half with more possession (51.9%-48.1%), owing to a prolonged spell after the Galaxy scored. However, the hosts finished with the advantage in shots (5-4), shots on target (2-1), corners (4-0), and passing accuracy (85.8%-85.3%).

“In the first part of the game, probably 15-20 minutes, we had trouble with managing the spaces,” Pareja said. “They were using that double pivot with (Edwin) Cerillo and (Isaiah Parente). They were doing a great job on using that space. And we had to make a couple modifications to the way we want it. And then we just controlled much more our half and started getting our sequences cleaner, and our team grow in that part.”

As happened in the first half, the Galaxy came out with more energy to start the second period. The Lions looked to be in trouble in the 49th minute in transition when Schlegel got caught trying to catch the Galaxy offside. Instead, Pec chased the ball down the right side with an open teammate to his left. Santos got to the ball at the same time, and Pec shoved him down, with both players going to ground. Orlando was fortunate to concede only a corner because Pec couldn’t get the ball to make the final pass.

On the ensuing corner, Ramirez shook free of Freeman but got under his header, putting it high over the bar. Moments later, LA couldn’t pay off a dangerous free kick conceded by Araujo just outside the left corner of the box.

Pasalic got his foot to an aerial ball that was headed on by Santos in the 58th minute off a set piece but the Croatian couldn’t steer it on frame. Moments later, Angulo played Atuesta in behind but the flag came up quickly and McCarthy came out and snuffed out the play anyway.

Pareja made two substitutions that changed the game in the 66th minute, sending Duncan McGuire and David Brekalo on for Angulo and Santos. The two replacement lifted the team’s energy, with Brekalo handling Pec’s forays down LA’s attacking right and McGuire stretching the Galaxy back line. That allowed players like Atuesta to get forward to join the attack and it changed the team’s fortunes in just a few minutes.

“Those two substitutions were a game changer,” Pareja said. “What I see was the energy that they brought to us in a moment that we needed it the most. David (was) in a position that is not usual for him. I thought he came from behind and supported us, and at the same time, he just gave us stability defensively. Duncan, he can stretch those defenders.”

Moments after Miki Yamane fired over the bar from outside the area, Pasalic got loose for a shot near the right corner of the box at the other end. This time, the Croatian put his shot on frame, but the near post try was a comfortable save for McCarthy.

Ramirez fired wide off the recycle of an LA corner in the 70th minute, but the Lions started looking more dangerous in transition.

Atuesta got into the top of the box in the 73rd minute and it changed the match. While doing a stepover to tryto beat Yamane, the defender caught Atuesta’s foot. The midfielder went down and Freemon pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty. The foul was reviewed by video assistant referee Michael Radchuk, who upheld the call on the field.

“I was in the area. I think he wanted to be too aggressive on the ball and he stepped on my feet,” Atuesta said. “So, I feel the contact, and it was a penalty. David (Brekalo) came in so good, winning duels, and he helped a lot. And I felt good at that moment with a little bit more freedom to attack.”

Ojeda stepped to the spot, slowed his approach just before reaching the ball on a long run-up, waited for McCarthy to commit to his left, and passed the ball into the back of the net to tie the game in the 76th minute. With his fourth goal of the season, the Argentine has already equaled his 2024 regular-season goal total.

The Lions’ mood visibly changed after Ojeda drew the team level. Just three minutes after tying the game, Orlando came within inches of the lead. Atuesta blasted a shot from outside the area that struck the right post. The ball caromed to McGuire who sent a diving header that he couldn’t keep down. The ball sailed harmlessly over the goal. Moments later, Ojeda was sent down the left by Muriel and the Lions’ No. 10 sent a beautiful ball to send McGuire down the right. McGuire scuffed his shot and it skipped wide of the left post in the 82nd minute.

Pareja used the stoppage to send Dagur Dan Thorhallsson on for Pasalic. The Lions kept on coming after the restart. Atuesta smashed a shot in the 83rd minute that was blocked out front by the defense. A minute later, Freeman scuffed a shot attempt from the right side, with the Galaxy defense scrambling to knock it behind for a corner.

On the ensuing set piece, the ball was sent from the left corner to the right top corner of the box, where it found Muriel. The Colombian fizzed a shot that got through all the traffic out front but skipped just wide of the left post.

In the 87th minute, Thorhallsson sent in a good cross to McGuire. Under pressure from his defender, the big striker couldn’t direct his header on frame. Two minutes later, the Icelandic midfielder/fullback changed the game.

Making a good run through the LA defense and into the attacking third, Thorhallsson drew a foul from behind on Parente, who picked up a yellow card for the challenge. Muriel stood over the ball. With numbers forward in the box, Muriel opted to fire for goal from distance. His shot arced over the LA wall and was dipping below the crossbar. McCarthy leaped up to knock it over his crossbar or catch it, but misplayed the shot. The ball squirted through McCarthy’s fingers and behind him, bouncing into the goal to put Orlando ahead in the 90th minute.

It was Muriel’s third goal of the season, just two shy of the five he had all of last season. It was also his sixth goal contribution on the season, which is half as many as he had throughout 2024.

Orlando City saw out the five minutes of stoppage time, plus about one additional minute, with only a Parente shot over the bar from distance to deal with, claiming a wild comeback road victory.

At the end of the match, the Lions held the advantage in possession (51.3%-48.7%), shots (15-10), and shots on target (4-2). LA finished with more corners (6-2) and slightly better passing accuracy (87.2%-86.9%).

“We are very happy, because we worked very hard to get the result,” Atuesta said. “Here is not an easy place to come and win when you have to fly a across the country. We had to work the game, be intelligent. We knew some time in the game we’re going to manage the game to win, to get more chances. “

“Coming here to LA and getting these three points is giving us much more hope on keep adding points in very difficult places,” Pareja said. “So, a lot of confidence for us (from) these three points. The performance itself, I think, which makes us feel that we’re growing. Now we will be ready to prepare for the next one against another tough rival in our conference.”

The Lions will conclude their road trip a week from tonight with a match against the Philadelphia union at Subaru Park in Chester, PA.

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Lion Links: 4/22/25

Pedro Gallese earns recognition, Americans in midweek action, English promotion update, and more.

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2 hours ago

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April 22, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well it wasn’t the worst weekend that Orlando soccer has ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the best either. Fortunately, all three of Orlando’s teams will be back in action soon, so there’s no need to dwell on the past too much. Let’s take a moment to wish a happy birthday to the Orlando Pride’s Brianna Martinez, as well as to Kaká! Now, it’s time to turn our attention to today’s links.

Pedro Gallese Earns Weekly Recognition

Pedro Gallese kept a third clean sheet in a row and Orlando City’s third clean sheet of the year in the team’s scoreless draw on the road against CF Montreal. In recognition of his efforts during the match, Gallese was named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. El Pulpo made six saves to blank a Montreal team that intently searched for a breakthrough, and made a couple of truly excellent second half stops that kept the score level. Congrats to Pedro and keep up the good work!

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of Americans will be playing games during the working week, and there are some big matches to keep an eye on. The main event is on Wednesday, when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan face Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Also on Wednesday, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace will play Arsenal in the Premier League. Thursday then has Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV Eindhoven playing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, while Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis play Valladolid in La Liga action.

English Promotion Update

Following results in the EFL Championship on Monday, Leeds United and Burnley have both secured promotion to the Premier League for next season. Both teams won their respective games and are each on 94 points, and with just two matches left, third-placed Sheffield United has no way to catch them. The other promoted side will be determined after the promotion playoffs, which would feature Sheffield United, Sunderland, Bristol City, and Coventry City if the season ended today. Meanwhile in League One, Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Blackpool meant the Dragons retook second place and the automatic promotion spot that comes with it. If they beat Charlton on Sunday and Wycombe Wanderers drop points against Leyton Orient, then Wrexham would secure promotion to the Championship.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Transfer rumors continue to fly thick and fast as we approach the business end of most European seasons, so let’s take a look at a few items worth catching up on. Manchester United is said to be keen on signing 17-year-old Argentine Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. Liverpool is reportedly interested in signing winger Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, although the Reds would likely face competition from several other Premier League teams. Finally, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that he and Xabi Alonso have a gentleman’s agreement that if a team the Spaniard used to play for is interested in hiring him as its coach, then the club will not hinder the process. The statement has led to renewed speculation that Alonso will be named Real Madrid coach if Carlo Ancelotti leaves in the summer.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City’s Focus On Youth Development Showing In The First Team

Orlando City is seeing more and more players promoted from the academy, through OCB, and into the first team.

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22 hours ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City began its academy in the USL Pro days with the goal of developing players for the first team. It took nearly a decade to begin seeing youth development bear fruit, but it’s becoming apparent early in the 2025 season.

Prior to 2019, Orlando City signed four players to Homegrown Player contracts. Tommy Redding, Tyler Turner, and Harrison Heath never played in the academy and the other, Mason Stajduhar, developed primarily at Chargers Soccer Club in Tampa.

Orlando City signed arguably its first true Homegrown Player when the club inked Benji Michel to a first-team contract. The following off-season, the Lions added David Loera and Jordan Bender. Mikey Halliday signed in July 2020. All of the players came through the academy before signing first-team deals. 

So what changed?

Part of it was the growth of the academy. It takes several years to begin producing players. Another major factor was the hiring of Luiz Muzzi on Dec. 18, 2019. Muzzi came from FC Dallas, a club known for promoting from its academy. He brought in Ricardo Moreira, who shares his vision of developing young talent for the first team.

And it’s not only Muzzi and Moreira. Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath rarely attended OCB games. James O’Connor only went to one, and that was to see his former teammate, Dennis Chin, who was playing with the opposing Richmond Kickers. The Orlando City boss left when Chin came off.

Oscar Pareja and other first-team coaches have been at several games, far more than their predecessors. That’s largely to do with the games’ location at the training facility, which is another factor in OCB’s development. The 2019 team trained over 40 miles away from the first team. The move to Kissimmee has the first team, OCB, and the development academy under one roof. It’s another display of the club’s more recent commitment to youth development.

Undoubtedly, the transformation of OCB under Muzzi and Moreira has also impacted Homegrown talent coming through. The team’s 2016 and 2017 rosters were primarily made up of first-team reserves and USL lifers. The 2019 team had many players from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA), many of which were young but ineligible for Homegrown status.

Things began to change in 2020. The roster shifted to include more academy players and that’s only grown. This year, 15 OCB players came out of the academy, two were drafted, and eight are outside signings on MLS NEXT Pro deals. Other than Jhon Solis and first-team goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, everyone to appear for the team is 23 years old or younger.

The focus on giving OCB spots to academy graduates is now seen in the first team. Players like Thomas Williams, Javier Otero, Alex Freeman, Colin Guske, and Gustavo Caraballo have been regulars on the MLS team sheet. Injuries to first-team regulars has seen them receiving regular playing time.

The poster boy for this change is Freeman. The right back came out of the academy and spent a couple of years at OCB before signing his first-team contract. He won the starting role early in the 2025 regular season.

Many players joined the club later in their development, but we’re seeing some come through having been nearly fully developed at the Orlando City Academy. Guske and Caraballo joined at 13 years old, the youngest age group of the development academy. Both signed first-team deals for this year.

The midfield duo continue to play with OCB most games but are also on the first-team roster almost weekly. The only reason they weren’t in Montreal Saturday night is because they were helping the club’s U-18 team reach (and then win) the Generation Adidas Cup final.

With Muzzi and Moreira at the helm, more players continue to come through. U-18 captain and OCB starter Jackson Platts appears to be well on his way to a first-team contract. So does fellow U-18 and OCB starting forward Justin Ellis.

This past weekend saw another academy product make his first-team debut. Zakaria Taifi took over at right back for OCB when Freeman moved up to the first team this year. Signing a short-term deal Saturday, he came on as a late substitute to help the 10-man Lions see out the scoreless draw.

First-team absences have provided opportunities for many young players. If several weren’t at the Generation Adidas Cup, it could be more. Regardless, the last few years have shown a big step forward for the club.

The shift in recent years is more than the pride of seeing local kids representing the hometown team. They’ve been an essential part of the 2025 campaign. The club hasn’t had to use a short bench or dip into outside emergency signings. Instead, the Lions call up kids they know, making it easier to seamlessly place them into the team.

There will be times where several injuries will occur to experienced players. Orlando City is prepared for this more now than ever before, and it’s because of the players coming through the academy and playing with OCB. We’re already seeing it early in this 2025 season.

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Lion Links: 4/21/25

Another scoreless draw for Orlando City, a home loss for the Pride, a championship for the OCSC U-18 squad, and more.

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1 day ago

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April 21, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. I managed to watch a few soccer games while work kept me busy. Our Lions picked up another draw for the third week in a row, the Pride lost, and OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw CF Montreal on the Road

Orlando City and CF Montreal split the points in a scoreless draw at Stade Saputo on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week that the Lions could not get a win with another scoreless draw. It’s the second straight match that Orlando had to play down a man as Rafael Santos was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card. Still, the Lions extended their unbeaten run to six matches and are seventh in the Eastern Conference table with 13 points. After the match, Major League Soccer issued a statement after being informed a fan used discriminatory language towards a player during the match.

Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to take on Atlanta United.

Orlando City Signs Two Players to Short-Term Deals

Before Saturday’s match against CF Montreal, Orlando City announced the club had signed defender Zakaria Taifi and midfielder Riyon Tori to short-term contracts. Both players were on the bench for Saturday’s match. Tori did not play, but Taifi came off the bench late in the second half to make his MLS debut. Tori has played with OCB and has made three appearances. Taifi has made 42 appearances, starting 21 matches for OCB, scoring one goal and adding three assists.

Orlando City Signs Four Assistant Coaches to New Contracts

Orlando City announced on Friday that the club has renewed the contracts of First Assistant Coach Diego Torres, Second Assistant Coach Martin Perelman, Goalkeeper Coach Cesar Baena, and Fitness & Performance Coach Fabian Bazan. This news comes just days after the club announced that Head Coach Oscar Pareja will remain with the Lions under a new three-year contract through the 2028 MLS season. Together, the coaching staff has played a key part in the recent success of the Lions over the last five seasons, making five consecutive MLS Playoff appearances, two appearances in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and winning the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Lions also set club records for wins and points, scoring 308 goals across all competitions with a plus-44 goal differential in 202 competitive matches.

Pride Fall to Washington Spirit at Home

The Orlando Pride fell to the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday to suffer their first loss of the season. The Pride dominated most of the match, but in the 63rd minute, Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse gave the ball away in front of the goal, and Gift Monday capitalized to score the winning goal for the Spirit. Late in the second half, it looked like the Pride had scored the equalizer; however, after video review, it was determined that Kylie Nadaner backed into Aubrey Kingsbury on the play, impeding the goalkeeper from catching the ball, and the tying goal was waved off. With the Kansas City Current’s win over the Houston Dash over the weekend, Orlando drops to second in the NWSL table. The Pride will return to action Friday at Inter&Co Stadium to face Angel City FC.

Orlando City U-18 Team Wins Generation Adidas Cup Championship

The Orlando City U-18 and U-16 squads played over the weekend in playoff matches in the Generation Adidas Cup at IMG Academy. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Omar Robbana scored the lone goal in the U-18 squad’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

The U-18 squad followed that up by defeating Santos Laguna 3-0 in the semifinals. Justin Ellis scored twice and Gustavo Caraballo added a goal.

On Sunday, Caraballo scored the winning goal in extra time to seal a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the U-18 Championship final.

On Friday, the U-16 team defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The U-16 squad defeated the New England Revolution 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless draw in the semifinals on Saturday.

The U-16 squad’s run for a championship trophy came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami in the U-16 Championship final on Sunday.

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

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