Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-3 as Lions Squander Lead Twice at Home
The Lions finally had an offensive outburst like they had earlier in the year, but the defense was as leaky as the attack was strong in a wasteful home loss.
Orlando City led twice — by two goals in the first half and again by a goal inside the final 10 minutes of normal time, but the Lions couldn’t hold onto either lead in a frustrating 3-3 draw at Inter&Co Stadium. Martin Ojeda fired home Orlando’s first hat trick in a decade, and the first of his professional career, but it wasn’t enough for the Lions (4-2-6, 18 points) to get all three points against the New England Revolution (5-4-2, 17 points) in front of an announced crowd of 18,505 on a rainy night.
Alhassan Yusuf and Matt Polster brought the Revs back from 2-0 down in the final minutes of the first half, and a Carles Gil penalty just moments before the end of normal time allowed the visitors to steal a point in Orlando and deny two more to the Lions’ tally in a game reminiscent of the start of the season.
“I think it was obviously very entertaining for the intensity of the game to people that came to the stadium, but at the end, the frustration is the same.,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “What we left on the field was another two points that we let go in a game that I think we had all (the opportunities) to close it and win it. But this is the game. We’re scoring goals but we conceded too. But I have to say as well that our team was always bringing the initiative. I think we really proposed the game all the time.”
Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Joran Gerbet were the central midfielders supporting attacking midfielders Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Luis Muriel up top.
The Lions opened the match as the protagonists of the game, winning the ball and finding spaces to send Angulo down the left or Freeman (surprisingly) down the middle up top. Ojeda, Muriel, and Pasalic facilitated moving the ball and then themselves up the field to join the play. However, once Orlando City built its two-goal lead, there were breakdowns on the defensive end that allowed the visitors to climb back into it before halftime.
Ignatius Ganago got the first sight of goal in the match in the fifth minute, firing shot from the top of the box, but Jansson was there to block it for Orlando.
The first good look for the Lions came four minutest later. Pasalic did well to slip Freeman behind the defense through the right half of the box. Freeman fired a shot that forced a good diving save from Aljaz Ivacic. The goalkeeper could not control the rebound, but the ball was offline for a charging Angulo to finish into the empty net.
That kicked off a good spell for Orlando. Araujo fired a blast from outside the area in the 11th minute, but Ivacic again made a good diving save, sending it out for a corner, but the Lions couldn’t pay off the set piece, as Brekalo got under his header attempt.
New England struggled early to break down Orlando’s defense. Campana fired a shot from outside the area in the 15th minute. The former Inter Miami striker hit it well, but Gallese did well to get to his left and make the save.
A minute later, Pasalic unlocked New England’s defense down the left, sending Angulo down the flank. Angulo picked out Ojeda at the top of the box, but the Argentine blasted his shot over the bar. Pasalic should have opened the scoring four minutes later. In the 20th minute, Muriel nodded a cross in the box down for the Croatian, who had time and space, but opted to hit the shot with power, fizzing it just over the crossbar.
Ojeda earned a corner in the 23rd minute that the Revs cleared but only out to Pasalic, who fired a shot back through. It took a deflection off a defender and went out for a corner. The Lions made the second set piece pay off. Ivacic made a big save on Araujo’s shot and the follow from Gerbet was blocked by the defense. Ojeda picked it up, dribbled toward goal and smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar and in to make it 1-0 in the 24th minute with his fifth goal of the season — one more than he scored in MLS all of last season and equaling his 2023 output.
Moments after the goal, the Revs won a corner and it was nearly a costly one, with Ganago getting his head to it at the near post. However, the header went wide.
Ojeda doubled the lead in the 33rd minute. Gerbet sent the ball over the top, putting Ojeda in a 1-v-1 with the defense. A second New England defender recovered, but Ojeda did well to pull the ball back and fire it inside the right post to make it 2-0. His sixth of the year was the most he’s scored in a season for Orlando City.
“We’ve watched their film. When we review those opponents, I like to look for the spaces that I can try and find to create an advantage for us in the games,” Ojeda said. “And so, you know that was key tonight, to being able to find those spaces. But also what was key was my teammates finding spaces of their own and creating additional spaces for me in the run of play.”
The two-goal lead lasted only five minutes. After Orlando City ended New England’s long shutout streak, it was only fair for the Revs to return the favor. Ganago ended up with the ball out wide on the left and made a dangerous cross between the back line and Gallese that went through to the right side. Ilay Feingold was first to it, centering for Yusuf to blast home past a helpless Gallese from point-blank range in the 38th minute, halting the shutout streak in MLS play at 563 minutes and 653 minutes in all competitions.
“After the (game was) 2-0, we had low energy for some reason,” Gerbet said. “So like, we conceded two goals, which we shouldn’t. The guy, like, crossed it. He put it back on top of the box. So, like, that’s maybe also my zone. So, I didn’t watch back.”
Buoyed by the goal, New England stayed on the front foot for most of the remainder of the first half. However, it was at the end of the first period when the next chance came, and the Revolution made the most of it. New England earned a late penalty and took it short. The cross went to the back post, where Polster got his head to it and nodded home to make it 2-2 in the 45th minute.
“I think the first two goals that they scored was essentially a lack of concentration on all of our parts,” Ojeda said. “After the 30 minutes that we had played, and we went up two goals, we started to let them hit transitions on our defense, in areas that I myself take charge of. As attackers, we have to make sure that we’re helping out our defenders, that we’re helping out Pedro, and I think in those in those minutes, the we faltered in that.”
Neither side was able to produce a goal in three minutes of injury time and the teams went to the break tied at 2-2.
At the break, the Revs had the advantage in possession (57%-43%) and passing accuracy (85.5%-82.6%). Orlando City finished the first half with more shots (11-6), shots on target (4-3), and corner kicks (3-2).
“One of the games that we took advantage of those spaces that we create,” Pareja said. “And sometimes we create (space) but we don’t use it. But tonight, we created and used it all the game, and especially in that first half.”
Ojeda’s hat trick nearly came in the 47th minute when he took a pass on the left and fired quickly. He would have had the goalkeeper beaten, but Brayan Ceballos made a huge play to stick out a leg and block the shot.
The Lions kept coming. Muriel showed off some excellent skill to round his defender on the left, setting up Ojeda at the near post. Ojeda’s first touch was a shot but he pulled it wide of the left upright in the 48th minute. Seconds later, Brekalo brought the ball up the middle and continued his run. The Lions built the attack well and the ball ended up back on Brekalo’s foot. The defender slipped in and fired a shot that a defender blocked onto the post and out for a corner. Orlando couldn’t make the set piece pay off.
Gerbet took a high boot from Mamadou Fofana in the box moments later. Nothing was initially called, but referee Rubiel Vazquez was sent to the monitor for a second look. The penalty was correctly given.
Ojeda took the spot kick, waited for Ivacic to make his move, and fired down the middle to make it 3-2 in the 55th minute with his seventh goal of the MLS season. The successful penalty moved Ojeda to within one of the golden boot lead.
The goal gave Orlando City its first hat trick since September of 2015, when Cyle Larin netted three times against the New York Red Bulls. It was also Orlando’s first hat trick at home in the club’s MLS era in all competitions, as the previous three took place at New York City FC, at the Red Bulls, and at the Charleston Battery in U.S. Open Cup play — all in 2015.
“I think he came up in a very good moment,” Pareja said of his No. 10. “He was facing some tightness in his body, and we rested him and let him recover. And last game in the Cup game that we played, we started seeing that spark on him again. And today, it was a phenomenal game for Martin. I think he’s showing us all those things that he can do more frequently, but my admiration for such a game that he played today for us, it was great.”
The game stayed somewhoat open after the third goal. The Revolution nearly found a gift in the 62nd minute on a long-range free kick from Gil that was nodded toward goal from the top of the box. Gallese was alert and was able to make the stop.
Orlando should have done better with a chance in the 68th minute that Ojeda set up with an incredible pass to send Muriel in transition. The Colombian took too many touches to try to finesse around Ivacic instead of shooting, and the goalkeeper was able to take the ball right off his foot.
“We should have been lethal when we were (up) 3-2, and we had a few chances just to put the game away, and we let it go,” Pareja said.
Both teams begane making substitutions shortly after that opportunity, and New England’s worked out a bit better than Orlando’s. Ramiro Enrique, in particular, got into good areas but either couldn’t get good contact on his shot or turned the ball over trying to pass to a teammate. A good cross found Enrique on a corner kick in the 76th minute. The Argentine got his head to it and got it on goal, but his downward headed shot was soft enough for Ivacic to get a hand on it to keep it out.
The Lions tried to slow the match down and see out the win, while the Revs tried to push numbers forward. Orlando drew several yellow cards from Vazquez, who had been lenient most of the night both with foul calls and bookings. Still, things seemed to be under control until the 82nd minute. Ganago cut in front of Jansson in the box, while running away from goal on the right. Jansson was trying to play the ball but made light contact with the Revs forward with his foot. Ganago went down and Vazquez immediately pointed to the spot to award the penalty. Unlike the Gerbet play, video assistant referee Daniel Radford did not send Vazquez to the monitor for a second look, despite a lengthy check.
Gil took the spot kick and beat Gallese to score the game’s final goal in the 85th minute.
Orlando had some half chances to find a winner but could not convert. Second-half sub Duncan McGuire fired over the bar in the 87th minute from a shot outside the area. Two minutes later, McGuire got down the right flank and picked out a pass for Enrique in front, but he got well under the ball on his shot and sent it high over the goal and into The Wall. In the 90th minute, Enrique mishit his shot from the top of the box that hit McGuire and went in, but the big striker was offside when the ball found him and the goal was immediately disallowed.
Neither side created much in the 10 minutes of stoppage time. Substitute Rafael Santos was beaten badly by Luis Diaz Espinoza, who fired from outside the area. It was an awkward shot for Gallese, but the Peruvian made the save and his defense was able to clear the rebound in the second minute of injury time.
Orlando came close in the sixth added minute. Pasalic lined up a shot from well outside the area that Ivacic could only fight off. Freeman picked up the rebound on the right side and did well to lift a cross in front for Ojeda. The Argentine came close to a fourth goal, but a defender deflected the shot just wide of the right post. Nothing came of the corner kick and that was it for the good opportunites in the match.
New England finished with the advantage in possession (53.1%-46.9%) and passing accuracy (85.7%-85.2%). Orlando City ended the game with the edge in shots (23-16), shots on target (8-6), and corners (6-3).
“The pain that we have is the game allowed us to kill the game and we let it go on key moments that we have to do better,” Pareja said. “But there is a bunch of positive things. I see a team, probably the way we attacked today and the way we proposed it, this is the team that we want to see.”
“It’s a shame that tonight we we gave up three goals, because we had come in with with five games, six games of clean sheets,” Ojeda said. “And so, it’s a surprise to see three goals (conceded), but we go back into the week to work and to try and fix those errors that cause those goals on our side.”
The Lions are back in action Wednesday night when Charlotte FC visits Inter&Co Stadium.
Orlando City
The State of Orlando City at the Halfway Point of the MLS Season
An analysis of Orlando City’s offensive and defensive performances through the first half of the 2025 MLS season.
I attended my high school reunion this past weekend (let’s agree not to discuss how many years it has been since I graduated), and late in the evening on Saturday night a karaoke machine appeared. What to my wondering ears did I hear but a great many hits that came from yesteryear. One of those hits, naturally, was karaoke staple “Livin’ on a Prayer” from Bon Jovi, with the famous line of “ohhhhh, we’re halfway there” which every…single…person in attendance sang along with. We probably gave karaoke a bad name.
Orlando City did not have a game during this weekend, but after its last game — one we can also agree not to discuss — the Lions also are halfway there, with halfway there in this case being the halfway point of the MLS regular season. Being that we are at the halfway point, I thought it would be a good time to check in on their performance thus far, so let’s take a look at how the squad is doing in some key metrics.
We shall start on defense, because defense wins championships and because, as Linkin Park sings on one of my son’s favorite songs, when talking about a soccer lineup we usually work up from the bottom. Using Opta’s tracking from fbref.com, here is how Orlando City fared on defense during the first 17 games (MLS Avg. is the average of every team except Orlando City):
| Metric | OCSC | MLS Avg. | MLS Best | OCSC Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals Allowed per 90 | 1.29 | 1.39 | 0.75 | 11 |
| Shots on Target Allowed per 90 | 4.12 | 4.30 | 2.44 | 12 |
| Shots on Target Allowed % | 32% | 35% | 24% | 10 |
| Goals per Shots on Target Allowed | 29% | 32% | 21% | 13 |
| Non-Penalty: G-xG Allowed (full season) | -1.7 | -0.8 | -8.5 | 14 |
| PSxG +/- per 90 | +0.12 | +0.05 | +0.39 | 8 |
The first four rows are pretty self-explanatory, with the team just outside the top third (MLS has 30 teams) in keeping the opponents from putting shots on target and into the net. Prior to the most recent game, the one I do not want to talk about, like Bruno, the team was ranked 10th, giving up 1.19 goals per 90 minutes, but the disastrous first 32 minutes against Chicago knocked OCSC down a spot. In fairness, Chicago has one of the league’s best offenses, but still. Yuck.
The bottom two rows in the table above are the fun advanced stat metrics, with Non-Penalty Goals – Expected Goals being the comparison of actual goals allowed thus far this season to expected goals allowed, and since the Lions’ value is negative, that means that they have given up fewer goals than they were expected to. The defense is performing better than the MLS average, but because several defenses are significantly overperforming against expected goals, the team is only ranked 14th.
Where the Lions are doing much better is in the goalkeeper-focused stat of Post Shot Expected Goals – Goals Allowed, which is the stat that takes into account not just the location of the shot but also how well the shot was struck. In this case, a positive value is good, as it means that the expected goals allowed is greater than the actual goals allowed, and Orlando City’s goalkeepers did well to put the team in the top 10 in this metric.
The last area to look at on the defensive side is the lineups that have been used the most on the back line thus far, and unlike in past seasons, there is a clear first-choice back line playing most of the minutes (1,530 total minutes have been played) through the first half of the season (players listed from left to right just as they play on the field):
| Back Line | Mins | Goals Allowed per 90 | +/- per 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brekalo – Jansson – Schlegel – Freeman | 816 | 1.10 | +0.77 |
| Santos – Jansson – Schlegel – Freeman | 234 | 1.15 | +0.88 |
| Santos – Jansson – Brekalo – Freeman | 95 | 0.00 | 0 |
| Smith – Jansson – Schlegel – Freeman | 92 | 1.96 | 0 |
| Santos – Smith – Schlegel – Freeman | 90 | 2.00 | +2.00 |
I am interested to see what happens in the second half with regard to the back line, as I am not confident that by crunch time in October that it will still be the four on the top row of that chart who are the first choice back line. That said, this group is averaging only giving up 1.10 goals per 90 minutes and is +8 for the season, and the group that played the most in 2024 gave up 1.37 goals per 90 minutes and finished at only +2. Coming off a two-week break, we will see who gets the starts, and whether Rafael Santos can reclaim the left back position and/or if David Brekalo moves inside to center back. Robin Jansson and Alex Freeman are not going anywhere, but the other two spots may see some changes in the upcoming months.
On the whole, Orlando City’s defense has been solid but not spectacular in MLS play. The Lions have seven shutouts, but they also have seven games of giving up at least two goals and four games of at least three goals allowed. Some of the defensive lapses have been pretty rough, and an overall performance that puts them right on the cusp of the top third but squarely not in the top third feels right to me with how they have played this season.
And now from defense to offense, where there has been much more variation in the lineups and much better performance overall, though as I wrote a few weeks ago, I think the offense should be performing even better than it has. Looking at the same statistics as we did for the defense, plus a few more, we can see that the Orlando City offense is a top 10 offense in the most critical metric of all, goals scored, but not in some of the other metrics, which is a cause for concern:
| Metric | OCSC | MLS Avg. | MLS Best | OCSC Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals Scored per 90 | 1.82 | 1.37 | 2.25 | 7 |
| Shots on Target per 90 | 4.88 | 4.28 | 6.12 | 8 |
| Shots on Target % | 32% | 35% | 44% | 25 |
| Goals per Shots on Target | 34% | 32% | 48% | 5 |
| Non-Penalty: G-xG (full season) | +1.1 | -0.9 | +8.4 | 12 |
| Big Chance Conversion | 28% | 37% | 55% | 28 |
| Goals Scored by Designated Players | 20 | 8.1 | 20 | 1 |
The Lions are still on pace to set a club record for goals scored in the MLS regular season, and had they scored one additional goal during the first 17 games, they would find themselves in the top three for goals scored per 90 minutes. Orlando City played a volume game in the first half of the season, ranking eighth in shots on target per 90 minutes, allowing the team to offset a lower-than-league-average performance in the percentage of shots that ended up on target. When the Lions put their shots on target, they converted them better than most, but the team struggled all season long with the final product, as evidenced by the poor performances in the percentage of shots that went on target and the conversion of what Opta deemed to be big chances.
Fellow Floridians Inter Miami converted its big chances at nearly double the rate of Orlando City, and if the Lions converted at that same rate, they would have scored 0.88, or basically one, more goal per game. It is an oversimplification to say this, but I will point it out anyway, the Lions lost two games by one goal and tied six games, and an extra goal in any of those games would have earned Orlando City more points, and with just three more points they would be sitting in second place in the conference. During the preseason, I predicted Orlando City would finish third in the Eastern Conference, so yes, I am a bit salty about all of the dropped points.
Coming back to the offensive metrics, Orlando City is outperforming its expected goals err…expectation…but not by so much that the Lions are among the top teams in the league. Where they are at the top is in the goal-scoring by their three Designated Players, and with the recent injury news about Duncan McGuire the DPs will need to continue that goal-scoring form to get results.
In looking at the attacking lineups, no group has even played the equivalent of three full games together through the first 17 games of the season. Injuries and untimely (read: bleeping stupid) red cards contributed to the large amount of different lineups, and by my count, the team has already rolled out 55 different attacking groups thus far this season. The five groups that played the most constitute only 56% of the total minutes, and no group seems to have established itself as the favorite to emerge as Óscar Pareja’s go-to group.
| Attacking Group | Mins | Goals Scored per 90 | +/- per 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muriel Angulo – Ojeda – Pašalić Araújo – Atuesta | 230 | 1.96 | +0.39 |
| Muriel Angulo – Ojeda – Pašalić Araújo – Gerbet | 206 | 3.50 | +2.18 |
| Muriel Angulo – Ojeda – Pašalić Gerbet – Thorhallsson | 174 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Enrique Angulo – Ojeda – Pašalić Araújo – Atuesta | 130 | 2.77 | +0.69 |
| Muriel Angulo – Ojeda – Pašalić Atuesta – Gerbet | 113 | 2.39 | -1.59 |
The group in the top row may have the inside track, but it was in the second half of the season in 2024 when Ramiro Enrique seized the starting role and Luis Muriel started to excel in a supersub role, so the door is open for any of these, or other, attacking groups to establish themselves as that go-to starting group. The MLS Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 24, and that could be a time to bring in another player to compete for offensive minutes as well.
On the whole, Orlando City’s offense has been really good, bordering on great. No team is immune to bad games, but with 31 goals in 17 games, the team has been far more of a real lion than a paper lion on the offensive side of the ball. Long-time fans of Orlando City will remember several (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022) seasons when the team scored fewer than 45 goals during the full 34-game season, so to see nearly two goals per game this season has been a great sight.
Orlando City has a near-top 10 defense and an offense that is among the best in the league, and if the Lions had just kept their heads instead of receiving not one, not two, but three ridiculous red cards, they likely would be in a league table position that is more fitting for how well they played for most of those first-half games.
Soccer is always a game of inches and milliseconds, and the Lions can point to a whole series of almosts and what-ifs that would have/could have/should have led to different results. They did not happen though, which is why the team sits at only 1.59 points earned per match, 11th best in MLS and placing them in seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Historically, Orlando City plays better in the second half of the season than the first, and if this team can repeat that pattern and execute just a little bit better, it will once again be primed to make a deep run in the playoffs. During the past three seasons, the OCSC season ended in the first round (2022), conference semifinal (2023), and conference final (2024), and I think this team has the ability to continue that run of advancement and make it to MLS Cup.
And speaking of run, the highlight of that karaoke I mentioned earlier was not New Jersey natives Bon Jovi, but rather a classmate of mine absolutely crushing a performance of a song by a different New Jersey icon, the Boss, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run.”
Let’s hope that at the end of the season we are all singing along together as well, specifically to another classic rock anthem — Queen’s “We Are the Champions.”
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/12/25
Reliving the Orlando Pride’s win, Orlando City B loses on the road, Jhon Solis Wins MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been enjoying a pretty good week so far and actually made pizza for the first time last night. It was burnt beyond belief in the end, but still edible, which is a huge win in my book. Let’s go ahead and dive right into today’s links!
Sights and Sounds From the Orlando Pride’s Victory
The Orlando Pride beat the Houston Dash 1-0 at home in dramatic fashion and the club has released a video highlighting the action. Substitute Cori Dyke scored the winning goal deep in stoppage time to give the Pride all three points and second place in the league standings. The video includes Dyke being tossed in the air afterwards in celebration, as well as a pretty good pep talk from Marta. Let’s hope the Pride can win a bit more comfortably when they travel across the country to face Bay FC on Friday night.
Orlando City B Falls to Carolina Core FC
The Young Lions are returning to Orlando empty handed after a 1-0 loss to Carolina Core FC in North Carolina. A goal by Carolina right before halftime proved to be the difference, as OCB struggled to get much going offensively and couldn’t conjure some of the late magic it’s shown in recent matches. Ultimately, it’s a disappointing result after impressive wins over both Chattanooga FC and Huntsville City FC earlier this month. The Young Lions have a bit of a break to reset before trying to get back on track at home against Toronto FC II on June 25.
Jhon Solis Wins Goal of the Matchweek
OCB midfielder Jhon Solis won MLS NEXT Pro Goal of the Matchweek for his strike in the club’s 3-2 road win over Huntsville on June 6. He curled a free kick towards goal with enough power behind it to beat the keeper and equalize things in the 84th minute. Solis also provided the assist from a corner kick on OCB’s first goal, so hopefully he can continue to make opponents pay in those instances this season.
Getting Ready for the Concacaf Gold Cup
The Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off this weekend and plenty of pressure is on the U.S. after a pair of losses in the friendlies leading into this tournament. The team is without many of its usual starters, and Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will have to figure things out in a group against Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and Trinidad & Tobago. As for other things to watch out for in this Gold Cup, I’m interested to see how Canada fares in its group and if Miguel Herrera’s Costa Rican team can make some noise against Mexico. Panama’s group could end up as the most enticing though, as it features fellow dark horse Jamaica and a pair of underdogs in Guadeloupe and Guatemala.
Free Kicks
- LAFC took advantage of the transfer window open to Club World Cup teams by adding Javairo Dilrosun on loan from Club America through July 24, with an option to purchase. He’ll be a Designated Player, with Cengiz Under returning to Fenerbahce to open up the roster spot.
- The Chicago Stars have signed German defender Kathrin Hendrich to a two-year contract, with a mutual option for 2027. The veteran should help strengthen a Chicago defense that’s conceded a league-high 24 goals this season.
- Sam Coffey reportedly signed a contract extension with the Portland Thorns back in March of 2024 that will keep her at the club through the 2027 season.
- Portland Timbers forward Jonathan Rodriguez will reportedly miss the rest of the season, with the club set to bring a Designated Player in to fill his spot once he’s moved to the season-ending injury list. The 31-year-old led the Timbers in goals last year, but has only made six appearances this season.
- Former Atlanta United forward Giorgos Giakoumakis is reportedly likely to leave Cruz Azul this summer and is interested in a return to MLS. Charlotte FC holds his rights for some reason, but hopefully he winds up in the Western Conference if he does come back to the league.
- Concacaf announced that it is in communication with officials in Los Angeles regarding the situation involving immigration raids and protests in the city ahead of the Gold Cup opener on Saturday between Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay hydrated out there as we get closer and closer to the unbearable part of summer here in Florida. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/11/25
Orlando City B plays tonight, the Orlando Pride want to enter the break strong, USMNT pounded by Switzerland, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Hopefully, you decided to put your mental and emotional health first last night and skipped watching the USMNT match. I, unfortunately, did not. I’m going to take Ted Lasso’s advice to be a goldfish and move on. I think a great way to do that is to share today’s links with you, but not before we wish Orlando Pride forward Grace Chanda a happy birthday.
Pride Looking to Enter the Break on a High Note
The Orlando Pride are sitting in second place in the NWSL standings. The club is also sitting second in the SI.com power rankings and the goal.com power rankings. For some reason, All For XI has the team at number three in their power rankings, but nobody is perfect. Now, the Pride are looking to head into the NWSL break on a high note in their upcoming two road games. Next up is Bay FC on Friday night.
OCB Visits Carolina Core Tonight
Orlando City B is in action tonight against Carolina Core FC at Truist Point Stadium in North Carolina. The Young Lions look to continue their recent success following two late winners against Chattanooga and Huntsville City. The midweek matchup should mean that Manuel Goldberg will have everyone available for the match, except those who played for the U-18 USMNT in the 2025 UEFA Friendship Cup. We will have match coverage for you both here and on BlueSky.
USMNT Crumbles vs. Swiss
If you turned off the USMNT versus Switzerland match at halftime (or before), I don’t blame you. The Swiss scored four goals in a devastating first half for the USMNT. I’m not saying it happened because Orlando City’s Alex Freeman did not get the start, but I’m not, not saying it either. Things got nominally better in the second half, considering the U.S. did not give up any more goals, but the 4-0 final score was still very, very bad. It was not what fans were hoping to see in the send-off match heading into the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Club World Cup Struggles
I’m not certain if you know that the FIFA Club World Cup starts this weekend, including matches in Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium in the coming weeks. What I do know is that across the various venues the response can best be described as…meh.
If you weren’t interested in going because the price was too high, you might want to check again. There are several former MLS players in the competition, including former Orlando City attacker Facundo Torres with Palmerias, though he won’t be playing in Orlando. There are several good matchups, including Manchester City versus Juventus at Camping World Stadium.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City B players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were members of the U-18 United States Men’s National Team that won the 2025 UEFA Friendship Cup in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday. The U.S. and Portugal drew 1-1 in the final before heading to penalties, where the Yanks won 3-2. Unfortunately, Guske had his attempt from the spot saved in the shootout, but his teammates bailed him out.
- USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes will be giving the European-based players a break following the end of their season. Instead, the team’s training camp later this month will be made up of exclusively domestic players.
- U.S. Soccer will have a committee look at the college soccer system for ways to better integrate it into the the modern soccer ecosystem.
- USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah’s time at AC Milan may be coming to a close as Serie A champions Napoli may be interested in the American.
- This article came out prior to the 4-0 beatdown, but it still raises some interesting questions about whether Mauricio Pochettino’s style will work with the USMNT.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!
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