Orlando City
Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Final Score 0-0 as 10-Man Lions Toothless Yet Again
It was Rafael Santos’ turn to get sent off this week as the Lions played to their third consecutive scoreless draw.
For the third consecutive match, Orlando City had enough chances to score to win a game, but failed to be clinical enough to do so. The Lions (3-2-4, 13 points) also saw a defender sent off in the second half with a second yellow card for a second consecutive game as they drew CF Montreal (0-6-3, 3 points) 0-0 at Stade Saputo tonight. While it ran Orlando City’s unbeaten run to six games (2-0-4), it was also the team’s third straight without a win.
Orlando continued to either miss the net or fire at the goalkeeper for the third consecutive game, while Rafael Santos was the man who put his team in a bad spot during a game in which Rodrigo Schlegel was suspended for doing the same a week ago.
“I seriously(saw) in the first half, 20 minutes, of the intention that we brought here to play against Montreal, where we sequenced it well and we created some chances,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And the second half, it was the same until the red card came.”
Pareja’s lineup was again shorthanded, as Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith — entering the starting XI in place of the suspended Schlegel — Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Alex Freeman. Joran Gerbet and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson once again started in central midfield, with neither starter on the bench after both were available a week ago. The attacking line was made up of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Luis Muriel up top.
Orlando played well for the first five minutes of the first half and the final 10 minutes of the opening period, but most of what came in between consisted of turnovers, poor passing, and a general lack of rhythm. Muriel got the game’s first shot away in the second minute as he found space just outside the area, but he was leaning back when he shot and his effort was always rising wastefully over the bar. Three minutes later, Freeman got on the ball in the box, shook off his defender, and smacked his shot into the outside netting.
Dante Sealy was a threat down the left for Montreal throughout the first half. That started early when he got down the left but slipped as he tried to send in a shot or a cross that ended up on top of Gallese’s net in the sixth minute. Two minutes later, Montreal tried to work a give-and-go in the Lions’ box but Gallese was able to pounce on the loose centering pass before a Montreal player could arrive.
Angulo cut in from the left in the 13th minute and tried his luck from the top of the area, but the Colombian sent his shot straight at goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
Montreal nearly scored in the 19th minute when Sealy fired a shot from just outside the left corner of the box. Gallese got a fist to it to knock it wide for a corner.
Sealy scored on the recycle of the ensuing corner but the flag came up immediately. Samuel Piette was offside and stayed in Gallese’s line of vision, preventing the Peruvian from getting a look at Sealy’s shot. The play was reviewed and the no-goal call was upheld.
Nathan Saliba sent a shot well over the bar on a free kick in the 26th minute after Gerbet turned over the ball and Thorhallsson compounded the problem by fouling near the right corner of the box. Sealy and Prince Owusu each got half chances moments later but couldn’t get shots on frame out of them. Gallese then made an acrobatic catch on a corner kick cross in the 32nd that likely prevented a tap-in at the back post for Montreal.
The Lions started creating again at the end of the half after a spell of not giving the ball away cheaply. Muriel took a nice pass from Ojeda in the 43rd minute but missed the target from inside the left side of the box.
Pasalic then fired with his weaker right foot in the 44th minute but Sirois was able to fight it off.
Angulo fired wide from the top of the box in stoppage time, as the Lions continued to waste opportunities. After a poor corner kick cross was cut out by the back line, the fifth consecutive wasteful half by the OCSC attack was over.
The hosts held the halftime advantage in possession (53.8%-46.2%), passing accuracy (85%-83.4%), and corners (4-0, although Orlando literally ended the first half with a corner that was cleared by Montreal, so I’m not sure what the official scorer was doing late in the half). The Lions mustered more shots (6-2) and shots on target (2-0 — again, Gallese made a good save in the first half on Sealy, so it’s anyone’s guess what the statisticians were doing during the first period).
Santos replaced Smith to start the second, as the veteran was on a yellow card since the third minute. Nothing much changed, as Orlando continued to give the ball away cheaply and spend time absorbing pressure. The Lions conceded a long-range free kick just seconds after the restart but Gallese caught the long entry ball.
Owusu nodded down a ball for Caden Clark moments later but Orlando’s defense cleared. After a failed corner by Orlando, Montreal came back on the attack but George Campbell got frustrated and tried a shot from extreme range that Gallese caught on a hop in the 59th minute.
A minute after that attempt, the Lions had a legitimate call for a penalty. A wayward pass was picked off by Angulo, who knocked it toward Muriel. Campbell took Muriel completely out from behind but referee Fotis Bazakos made no call, and the hosts took the free kick quickly to get away with the foul in the box.
“I’m so angry and I’m so frustrated,” Pareja said about the lack of a call or a review. “How, with our technology, and with the VAR…how is it not a PK? Please! I mean, it is so clear. And when I came back to the locker room and I saw the play, that increased our frustration. It was not right. It was a clear PK against Luis.”
In the 62nd minute, Gerbet was left in space outside the area. The rookie fired a shot that fizzed over the crossbar. Three minutes later, Pasalic missed the target again from the top of the box.
Gallese made a difficult save in the 69th minute on a Clark shot that bounced off of Gerbet and changed directions. The goalkeeper was able to maintain his balance just enough to stay on his feet and make the stop.
The game dramatically changed in Montreal’s favor in the 76th minute when an Orlando attack evaporated and Sealy looked to counter. There was some contact from behind by Santos and Bazakos gave the left back a second yellow, putting Orlando down a man for the second consecutive game. Santos was three-quarters of the field away from his goal and had no business making contact, but he made the selfish play trying to win back the ball. While Sealy did a good job of selling it, the Brazilian knew he was on a yellow card and had to be careful — and he wasn’t.
“Very frustrating, because that’s not what you plan during the week, playing with ten,” Pareja said. “And at some point, especially when you’re going away, they get an advantage that is not necessary.”
Shortly after the sending off, Orlando City had a golden opportunity on the counter. Angulo took the ball up the left and had second-half sub Duncan McGuire breaking toward goal on the other side. The Colombian tried to pick out McGuire, but could not get his final pass correct, and Montreal broke the other way. That led to a shot by Clark that was denied by a good save by Gallese.
“Very happy with the confidence that Pedro is acquiring again, is getting back to it,” Pareja said. “Not that we want to let the other team take too many shots, but when we need him the most, he appears, and that’s great for us.”
Orlando sacrificed attacking players for defensive ones, trying to preserve a road point. Thomas Williams entered the match for Muriel and Zakaria Taifi came on for Ojeda down the stretch.
The Lions gave up a couple of half chances and a few set pieces, but they did not break down in the end. The whistle finally blew on the club’s third consecutive scoreless draw — a frustrating one considering it came against a team with two points on the season.
Montreal finished with the advantage in possession (55.2%-44.8%), shots (13-9), shots on target (7-2), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (83.7%-78.1%).
“I mean little bit frustrated, if I’m completely honest,” Thorhallsson said about his thoughts on the match overall. “It’s always good to have clean sheet. But we were scoring a lot and conceding a lot at the same time, but now we’re keeping the goal clean and not scoring a lot, so we need to find the balance. But a good point on the road since we got a red card. Of course, zero-zero’s fine on the road, but we have to start winning games.”
“I saw the team fighting a lot, and obviously we’re concerned about not scoring goals, but the other side is a good balance defensively, and we want to keep that,” Pareja said. “But in order to add three points, we have to score goals. We have to get back to that. But I like the attitude of the team. I thought we fought hard. I like the youngsters that are coming and helping us, also the guys that are occupied in the midfielder positions that help us a lot. So, a bunch of positive things. I know it seems like one point is not enough at this stage, but I know where we going, and we will keep pushing.”
The Lions return home a week from tonight to host Atlanta United in the first of two meetings against their northern neighbors this season.
Orlando City
Why Three Could Be Greater Than Four In Orlando City’s Back Line
An analysis of MLS teams using three, four, and five-man back lines and whether it would benefit Orlando City to use a three-man grouping going forwards.
Orlando City rolled out a three-man back line during last Sunday night’s game against Columbus, and while that formation alone is not responsible for the Lions leading for most of the game and getting their first point of the season on the road, it definitely played a role. During the Óscar Pareja era, Orlando City nearly always played with a four-man back line, but with a lot of roster turnover from last season and new leadership on the sideline, it could be time to give the three-man group a look, as the Lions try to climb out from the bottom of the standings and make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
We will explore whether a three-man back line is worth pursuing below, but making the playoffs is definitely a five-star idea and highly recommended.
Soccer back lines, and formations in general, are fluid. Baseball is static before every play, so you can see exactly where every fielder (defender) was and evaluate offensive and defensive performances against shifts or alignments. American football is not exactly static, but it is closer to baseball than soccer, with most players being still as the play is initiated. Soccer is most similar to hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, where even though players are nominally playing set positions, those positions can constantly change throughout a play and throughout the entirety of the game.
That said, most players generally play in a specific position for much of the game, so we can look at some tracking data and make generalizations about the formations. Opta’s tracking analysts list a primary formation for each team in every game, and while it is not perfect, it is correct more often than not for the general formation used by that team in that game.
Opta’s tracking on fbref.com gives the following table for every formation used in MLS play so far this year, and I have added the associated points earned, goals scored, and goals allowed by each team while in that formation. Make sure you are taking the formation with somewhere between a grain of salt and the bottom third of the salt shaker, but this is the unedited data:
| Formation | Games Used | Avg. Points Earned | Avg. Goals For | Avg. Goals Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-2-3-1 | 77 | 1.58 | 1.74 | 1.44 |
| 4-3-3 | 48 | 1.35 | 1.67 | 1.65 |
| 4-4-2 | 32 | 0.97 | 0.84 | 1.41 |
| 3-4-3 | 30 | 1.47 | 1.57 | 1.83 |
| 3-5-2 | 7 | 1.43 | 1.57 | 1.57 |
| 5-4-1 | 4 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 0.75 |
| 4-1-4-1 | 3 | 1.33 | 1.67 | 1.33 |
| 3-4-1-2 | 3 | 1.67 | 2.00 | 1.67 |
| 3-5-1-1 | 1 | 3.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 |
| 4-4-1-1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 |
I think it is probably easier to just bucket the different formations into simpler sets, using the number of defenders to segment the formations:
| Back Line | Games Used | Avg. Points Earned | Avg. Goals For | Avg. Goals Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three-man | 41 | 1.51 | 1.66 | 1.81 |
| Four-man | 161 | 1.38 | 1.53 | 1.50 |
| Five-man | 4 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 0.75 |
Most teams in MLS, and also around the world, utilize four-player back lines. Coaches are pragmatists, and some combination between using a lineup that feels more secure (i.e. usually one with more defenders) and one that will not get ridiculed by players, pundits, fans, owners, and writers (the audacity of someone to analyze and comment on lineup choices, how dare they?) drives a hefty portion of the decision making for those making lineup decisions.
Orlando City used a three-man back line in the game against Columbus, though there were parts of the game when it looked much more like a five-man back line with Griffin Dorsey and Iván Angulo dropped all the way back on defense. The sofascore.com heatmaps for all five (Angulo, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Dorsey) are listed below in order from left to right, and you can see where all five have a good amount of touches in the defensive third. Angulo and Dorsey played far higher than the middle three, however, which is why the formation Opta assigned to Orlando City was a back three. Imperfect, but directionally it makes sense.
With the players on the current roster, a back three may well be the right lineup to use until the next transfer window. There is a not a lot of blazing speed among Orlando City’s defensive group, but most of the defenders have decent size and are good in the air, so protecting the heart of the defense with Brekalo, Jansson, and Iago as the starters and Adrián Marín and Tahir Reid-Brown as backups gives the team some decent depth without sacrificing size. Alas, this comes one year too late for former Lion Thomas Williams, who probably would have been better suited to a back three than a back four.
In addition to having a good set of center back candidates, Angulo, Dorsey, Zakaria Taifi, and Marín are all good wingback options as well, and players who have the skills and pace to get up into the attack while also recovering back to help out the defensive line.
Orlando City’s current personnel fits the three-man back line well, and considering most teams in MLS are using four-man back lines, that decision also bodes well considering how three-man back lines have done this season when playing against four- or five-man back lines. Three-man back lines have been used against four- or five-man back lines 31 times thus far this season, and those teams are earning 1.58 points per match during those games. That amount of points per match would have been in the top half of MLS last season (13th), right above the actual 2025 Orlando City team, which finished on 1.56 points per match.
Orlando City hosts Houston this weekend, and the Dynamo have primarily used a four-man back line (featuring former Lion Antonio Carlos) thus far this season. On Saturday night we will see if the three-man back line was just for the Columbus game or if it is something that the Lions will trot out again in hopes of continuing the league-wide trend of teams finding success when playing three in the back against teams playing four in the back.
I do not really care whether it is three or four in the back, as long as that by the end of the game Orlando City has done better than Houston at putting more in the back…of the opposition’s net.
Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Three Keys to Victory
What do the Lions need to do to earn all three points against the Dynamo this weekend?
Orlando City returns home to Inter&Co Stadium to take on the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. The Lions are coming off a 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew on Sunday, and a 1-0 road win against FC Naples in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday in a busy week. Hopefully, Orlando City can keep the good time rolling with another positive result this weekend. What must the Lions do to earn all three points against Houston Saturday night?
The Midfield (Part 1)
Houston has a pretty good midfield with Hector Herrera, Mateusz Bogusz, and Lawrence Ennali. Ennali has two of the Dynamo’s 10 goals this season. Controlling these players and thus controlling possession in the middle of the pitch will make a difference in how the match plays out. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta are not midfield destroyers and that has hurt Orlando City this season. If at all possible, the Lions need to be more physical in the defensive midfield to limit Houston’s ability to build the attack.
More on Herrera: In his first stint with the Dynamo he was a Designated Player and considered one of the best midfielders in the league. He helped lead Houston to a U.S. Open Cup title in 2024. Despite having only played limited minutes this season, he already has two assists and will present problems in the midfield.
The Midfield (Part Deux)
Traffic flows both ways on a soccer pitch, and while Orlando City hasn’t been good about taking on and stopping attacks in the defensive midfield, the players have also struggled to break through the opposition’s lines. This has been in large part due to very poor passing, and I’m not certain how to fix “stop passing the ball to the opponent,” but that is what the team will need to do.
Having Robin Jansson as the safety outlet for the others on the back line, and by extension the midfield, helps, as does his ability to send accurate long balls down the field. It would also be good if the rest of the players could connect on their passes. Not only will it allow Orlando City to move the ball down the pitch and connect the defense to the attack, but it will limit the amount of time Houston is on the ball. Passing shouldn’t be a key I write about, but here we are.
Finish Them
Orlando City struck first against the Columbus Crew and then wasted every other chance — that is, while there were chances still being created. It was like a switch was turned off. “Hey, we got a goal. Let’s go back to how we were playing when we weren’t scoring goals,” is how I think it went. That cannot happen against Houston — or any team for that matter. I’m not even talking about how sometimes a team will get more defensive with a lead, or the other team makes adjustments. There was some sort of mentality switch, and it needs to be fixed.
If Orlando City is able to score first, then someone needs to get a second goal. The Lions have only scored two goals in a match twice this season. The first was against Inter Miami, and we know what happened in that one. The other time was against CF Montreal — Orlando City’s only win so far. Houston isn’t as good as Miami but is probably better than Montreal. My point is the Lions most likely need multiple goals to win this match, and it starts with finishing.
That is what I will be looking for Saturday night. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/16/26
Orlando City wins against FC Naples, U.S. Open Cup results, USWNT takeaways following loss, and more.
This Thursday might feel a little more like a Friday thanks to Orlando City winning a game last night. Sure, it was more like the Lions failed to complete an implosion, but we’ll take what we can get at this point. Another MLS match is on the horizon this weekend, so if you crafted any lucky charms, make sure to keep them out for a few more days. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Wins U.S. Open Cup Match
It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but Orlando City went on the road and beat FC Naples 1-0 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to advance to the round of 16. The Lions opted for a fairly young roster to start and managed to take the lead in the first half. The defense started to fall apart as the match wore on, but it managed to hold on by a matter of inches against the USL League One side for its first clean sheet of the year. Orlando is the last Floridian team standing in the tournament and its next match will be on the road against the New England Revolution on either April 28 or 29.
MLS Mostly Avoids Cupsets in Round of 32
There weren’t too many shocking results in the round of 32 of this year’s U.S. Open Cup, with the MLS clubs taking care of business for the most part. Charlotte FC crushed the Charlotte Independence 6-0, the Columbus Crew shut out the Richmond Kickers in a 3-0 win, and the New York Red Bulls beat the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-1. St. Louis City and the Houston Dynamo also cruised to comfortable wins. D.C. United was defeated though, losing the penalty shootout to One Knoxville SC after a thrilling game. Last year’s tournament didn’t include any teams from outside MLS in the quarterfinals. The Colorado Springs Switchbacks and Louisville City also managed to take down their MLS opponents earlier this week, so we’ll see if they can keep making noise later this month.
Takeaways From USWNT Loss to Japan
The United States Women’s National Team lost 1-0 to Japan in the second of three friendlies between the two this month, snapping its 10-game win streak. Head Coach Emma Hayes went with a young roster, with 20-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton becoming the team’s youngest captain since 2001. The team’s inexperience showed at times, particularly when it came to struggling to produce chances despite plenty of possession, but these were valuable minutes against one of the top teams in the world. We’ll see how the team responds on Friday when the two play again in Denver.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Set
Only four teams remain in the UEFA Champions League after an exciting series of quarterfinals. Bayern Munich advanced after beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a rollercoaster of a match that included five goals in the first half. Arda Guler had a brace within the first 30 minutes, but Bayern kept things close and then scored two late goals after Eduardo Camavinga was shown a red card in the 86th minute. The match between Arsenal and Sporting was a quieter affair, with Arsenal advancing on aggregate after a scoreless draw.
The semifinals don’t feature any teams from the same country and should be a fun round of matches. Atletico Madrid will square off against Arsenal, while Bayern will play against Paris Saint-Germain.
Free Kicks
- LAFC midfielder Jude Terry won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curled shot from outside of the box against the Portland Timbers. It was the 17-year-old’s first goal in MLS and a pretty impressive way for him to open his account.
- In case you missed it, LAFC drew 1-1 against Cruz Azul to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Nashville SC also advanced, beating Club America 1-0 at the Azteca in a huge win.
- You’ll need to get past the paywall for the full details, but the NWSL is reportedly working on a league-wide exposure agreement policy that would force players to cover up logos of non-sponsored brands.
- New Zealand qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after winning 1-0 against Papua New Guinea.
- French forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup due to a leg injury sustained during Liverpool’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Why Three Could Be Greater Than Four In Orlando City’s Back Line
Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Three Keys to Victory
Lion Links: 4/16/26
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Finally Earn Road Point
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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