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Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Tie Club-Record 12-Game Unbeaten Streak

It wasn’t always pretty, especially in the second half, but it was an effective night for Orlando City in a win over Portland.

Published

12 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City got a goal in the first half from Duncan McGuire and held on for a 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers tonight in front of an announced crowd of 21,256 at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions (7-2-6, 27 points) were pressured throughout the second half, but held on to extend their unbeaten run in the regular season to 12 games (6-0-6) in the regular season, tying the club record set in 2020. With the win, Orlando also remained perfect (3-0-0) at home against Portland (6-4-5, 23 points).

“First, I would like to recognize the effort of the players today for that incredible first half that we had, and the tactical discipline that they kept in the second half when we needed it,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And our energy to push and press started getting lower for the simple reason that we played two days ago and we bet hard on the Cup. So, all of that let us feel so proud about the effort, the performance, and beating a good rival as well, because I consider that a very good team.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind the usual back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Eduard Atuesta returned to the lineup, joining Cesar Araujo in central midfield with attacking midfielders Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Luis Muriel and McGuire up top.

The Lions spent much of the first half working the ball into great positions, but making poor decisions, poor passes, or poor shots once they got into the final third. Portland was content to sit back in its 5-4-1 formation and defend, leaving little space for Orlando to work through. Still, the Lions were able to generate the best chances in the opening half, and had enough good looks at goal to put the game to bed before the break.

The second half was mostly a battle of attrition, as the Timbers were able to keep the ball, but struggled to create much danger against the Orlando defense, attempting just seven total shots and putting only two on target. Gallese made two saves to keep his seventh clean sheet of the 2025 season.

Muriel, in particular, looked just a bit off throughout the opening 45 minutes, making a good read to thread a ball through to Pasalic’s diagonal run in the third minute, but sending the pass just a few inches out of the Croatian’s reach right in front of goal. Atuesta took a pass from Freeman in the sixth minute but fired wide. Two minutes later, Pasalic got free at the top of the box and fired, but Maxime Crepeau made a good diving save to keep the game scoreless.

Angulo found some room on the left in the 13th minute, but he sent his shot weakly toward the near post and it posed no trouble for Crepeau. Five minutes later, Muriel took a shot that came close, but his blast was just wide of the right post.

Portland got its first prolonged spell of possession after Muriel’s chance, but didn’t create much with it, despite winning a series of set pieces. On the third of those, the Lions cleared after the service into the area was knocked away by Gallese, and Angulo broke in transition behind the Portland defense. The Colombian got into the box but sent his shot wide of the left post in the 29th minute.

Over the next 10 minutes, Orlando City had some chances to create something dangerous, but Muriel wasn’t able to find the final ball to unlock the Timbers’ defense. However, at the end of that 10 minutes, the Lions broke through.

Atuesta worked the ball right and left at the top of the area, looking to free himself for a shot, but then he picked out McGuire with a great pass. The big forward turned and smashed a shot past Crepeau for his first goal of the regular season in the 39th minute.

“Obviously a great ball from Eduard. I don’t think the defense expected it,” McGuire said. “He always told me he’s going to look for me, so I was anticipated the ball, and he played an incredible ball, so I owe him dinner for that beautiful ball.”

“Their line tried to press after the rebound (from a previous ball into the box),” Atuesta said of the play. “Duncan made a magnificent movement. And thank God he shot on the first (touch), because maybe if he controlled, the defender would slide tackle or something or block the shot, but he was very good, very smart to shoot the first time, and we won with that goal, so very good for us.”

Atuesta, who hadn’t played since April 26, had a terrific game in the Orlando midfield, helping connect the lines and to win the ball back from the Timbers repeatedly.

“Eduard has a special characteristic. The way he connects us all on the pitch, so the sequence is very clean,” Pareja said. “I was doubtful too, about how much he can last, but Atuesta hasn’t stopped training. He is a player who’s technical, and the way he sees the game for us is great.”

Following his goal, McGuire celebrated with Freeman as the two players did the Griddy.

Three minutes after McGuire’s goal, Angulo slipped in, took a Freeman pass, and put the ball in the net, but he didn’t hold his run long enough and was a step offside.

Kevin Kelsy blasted a shot over Gallese’s crossbar at the end of the half on the final chance of the half.

The Timbers had the halftime edge in possession (50.9%-49.1%), passing accuracy (90.2%-88.3%), and corners (2-1), while Orlando City finished with more shots (11-2), and shots on target (3-1).

“I may not exaggerate when I say this is one of the best performances in the first half that we have had,” Pareja said. “And it’s true that the second half was not similar. We started losing territory. Portland had the ball — not the opportunities but they had the ball and the initiative — we couldn’t get out from there.”

“Oobviously with the (five-man back line), I feel like they did a good job to get numbers behind the ball, but I feel like we had our chances when we got the ball behind their midfield four to go quickly,” McGuire said. “And I think we had a few opportunities that we could have capitalized on, myself included, but at the end of the day, we got the three points, and that’s what matters.”

Portland’s David Da Costa had the first look of the second half, picking up the ball in the left corner of the box and curling a shot just wide of the right post in the 50th minute.

Orlando got a rare attacking move in the 66th minute, resulting in a Muriel shot from the top of the area, but the Colombian sent his shot over the bar.

There was a scary moment for McGuire a moments later, when he was sandwiched between two Portland defenders and went down hard. He rolled over holding his wrist in visible discomfort. After receiving treatment, he was able to continue, but he came off in the 67th minute for Ramiro Enrique, and Martin Ojeda replaced Muriel, who had a tough night with his final ball in the attack.

Gallese helped his own cause in the second half by aggressively coming off his line to deal with Portland crosses. He got to a dangerous one in the 71st minute, catching it just before Kelsy’s arrival.

Orlando City fans held their collective breath in the 76th minute, when Brekalo went to ground in the box and Portland’s Ariel Lassiter went to ground. The play was reviewed, but Brekalo got a touch of the ball with his right foot, and Lassiter appeared to already be going to ground before contact, so the no-call on the field stood.

Gallese had to be sharp on a ball headed for the upper left corner on a header by Finn Surman in the 79th minute, tipping it over the crossbar.

On the ensuing corner, Gallese again came off his line and swatted the cross away. Portland recycled, and Antony fired a shot well over the bar from outside the box on the recycle.

The Lions got forward sparingly in the second half, and when they did, they often dribbled straight into a defender and turned it over, but in the 82nd minute, Ojeda got an opportunity from a good position on the left side of the box, but Crepeau fought off the shot attempt. The rebound fell for Enrique, but the Argentinean forward saw his shot blocked by Claudio Bravo.

From that point on, Portland passed the ball around the top, looking for an opening to exploit, but they were only able to send in crosses that were either caught by Gallese or headed away by the Orlando defense.

Schlegel and Jansson both picked up yellow cards for dissent in stoppage time, but other than that, the added minutes were mostly uneventful, and the Lions held on for the win.

Portland finished the game with the edge in possession (54.5%-45.5%), passing accuracy (89%-85.7%), and corners (4-1). Orlando City attempted more shots (14-7) and shots on target (4-2). It wasn’t the most clinical night for the Lions in the attacking half, but the defense stayed organized and kept Portland off the scoreboard.

“It was hard to keep the ball (in the second half), to keep the ball longer. It was hard for us to find our connections that we found in the first half,” Pareja said. “It was hard to retain the ball, especially in the last 10-15, minutes. Our sequences were shorter, but again, the way the team defended was super and let us have the feeling of solidness that we need when these scenarios happen, or these games come, or (there are) performances from the other team. So again, I’m proud. The boys deserve all the credit.”

“It was a tough game. Portland obviously tested us in the second half a lot,” McGuire said. “But I think we responded well and did a good job to keep them out of our goal, and glad to get the three points.”

The Lions have yet another short turnaround as they hit the road Wednesday with a road match at Atlanta United.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

12 hours ago

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May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Published

1 day ago

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May 11, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey trying to send the ball upfield against a Montreal defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If you play Football Manager enough, you play plenty of games where the after-match comment is “a bore draw.” That appeared to be where Orlando City’s road game at CF Montreal was headed until a mistake by Robin Jansson in added time led to a penalty which opened the scoring for the hosts. They tacked on another late in stoppage time and the Lions will return home for a three-game set (one of them in the U.S. Open Cup) sore from Saturday’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with the Quebecois.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — With 25 shots by Montreal, one would’ve figured Crepeau was busy. Not really — he finished with three saves. A goalkeeper is almost never responsible for being scored on from the penalty spot, but Dagur Dan Thorallsson’s goal at the death is one Crepeau will want back, although in fairness it was perfectly placed. The Canadian goalkeeper finished with a 72.7% passing rate and was helped out after being rounded by Prince Owusu in a 1-v-1 opportunity that his teammates should never have allwoed for what would have been a goal if not for Iago’s sliding block to clear it off the line.

D, Adrián Marin, 5.5 — Marin got caught ball-watching in the 34th minute to allow a Wiki Carmona rocket that just went wide. Otherwise, he just didn’t impact the game one way or the other. Marin completed 87.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one block, and three clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson played his normal emergency role all game. Unfortunately, he got put off-balance in the first minute of added time in the second half and fell into the legs of Luca Petrasso, giving a penalty. It was a rough ending for the captain, but Orlando left the door open for Montreal and the hosts took it. The Swede also couldn’t close down Thorhallsson to prevent the second late Montreal goal. Jansson completed 78.7% of his passes, with one tackle, 10(!) clearances, and one block.

D, Iago, 6 — We saw both sides of Iago. He had a really nice pass in the 17th minute to free up Eduard Atuesta on goal but the Colombian missed the target to waste Orlando’s best chance of the game. The Brazilian’s biggest highlight moment was in the 76th minute, when Owusu dribbled past Crepeau for an open look at goal but Iago was there to clear it off the line. On the flip side, he also had a dangerous header defending a corner that almost created an own goal, instead hitting the left post. He got pulled wide in the first minute of the second half, allowing a dangerous shot by Owusu. On the offensive end, he got on the end of a corner but headed it right at Thomas Gillier. He was all over the place, which you can expect from a young player. He would’ve gotten a higher grade had the game finished scoreless because of his goal-line clearance and a couple of sparkling long balls that should have led to more. Alas. He finished with zero interceptions or tackles, three blocks, six clearances, and a 92.3% passing rate. He also picked up a yellow card in the sixth minute of added time in the second half preventing a counter on one of his attacking teammates’ many turnovers.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5— While Orlando City was heavily weighted to the left side all game, when the Lions went down the right, it was through Dorsey. He led the break down that side multiple times but had trouble connecting. Dorsey finished with one tackle, three clearances, and one cross while passing at a 79% rate.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — When Angulo whiffed on a ball in the second minute which caused a Montreal counter, it was an indicator of the night to come. He was sloppy all game long and, by The Mane Land’s unofficial tally, turned the ball over eight times, with the majority of those coming in his own defensive half. It was an ugly night that looked a touch better when Tyrese Spicer departed, changing Angulo’s duties, but it didn’t wipe out a forgettable match. He finished with 90.2% passing, despite being loose with the ball. He was two out of six for successful dribbles and two out of seven in winning ground duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — A major part of the toothlessness of the Lions in the match was the midfield play. While Atuesta had a 95% passing rate, the only real impact he had was in the 17th minute, when Iago broke him free with a great pass. Atuesta made a well-timed run, but he ended up doing nothing with it when he sent his shot wide of goal. He had a turnover in the fourth minute to leave Montreal with a 3-on-2 break, leaving me to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights for him. Luckily no, but there was no real contribution either. He picked up a yellow card in the 62nd, was dispossessed once, and committed four fouls.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5— Atuesta’s midfield partner also had trouble linking the play but contributed a touch more defensively. His sloppy handling in the 41st minute allowed Montreal to keep possession and created a corner. In the end, he finished with one tackle, one block, one clearance, and a 90% passing rate.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6— Unfortunately, most of Spicer’s contributions came on the defensive end this game because he could never get himself in the flow offensively. While he was 10-for-11 passing, he attempted two shots, one right at the goalkeeper and the other that missed so badly it almost went behind the net without hitting anything. He had just two touches in the opposition box. His biggest highlight was a tackle in the 23rd minute to end a dangerous Montreal possession. He was replaced in the 67th minute by Duncan McGuire. Spicer finished with a 91% passing success rate, led the team in tackles with four, and added two interceptions.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5 — This grade may be a bit harsh. However, when you are a Designated Player, you have to contribute, and Martin Ojeda was invisible at best. With 44 total passes, he was the one having to compensate for the lack of midfield control and it showed by his lack of offensive contribution. He had zero touches in the opposition box, which is not going to be a recipe for Orlando City success. Martin took one shot that was on target and passed at a 91% rate.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM)— Someone has to win Man of the Match. Ellis almost wins it by default as his overall play was the only positive thing all game. While his stats were mediocre, and there was not one moment you can pick to point to, he was the most talented when on the ball, tracked back to collect the ball occasionally, did more to link play than the midfield did, and just didn’t have a negative impact. He was replaced in the 80th by David Brekalo and finished with a 94% passing rate, was four-for-four on successful dribbles, and went five-for-six on ground duels won.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (67′), 5— McGuire started out playing out of position on the wing and while asked to pick up the offense, McGuire was unable to show anything of promise. Dorsey found him in the 88th minute with a cross, but McGuire turned down a quick shot and held the ball too long while deciding, and he ended up taking a low angle shot that had been there from the beginning that ended up harmless. He passed at a 75% rate and had three touches in the opposition box, turning those into a measly 0.05 expected goals. One of his touches on a promising attack was heavy and wasted the opportunity to get a shot off late in the game.

D, David Brekalo (80′), N/A — Brekalo came on for Ellis with a few minutes remaining, maybe a tactical choice to see out the draw. He completed all seven of his passes and had one clearance. He was not able to do anything to prevent Montreal’s two late goals, but he wasn’t the only one.

MF, Tiago (90′+5), N/A — Tiago entered right after the penalty to try to claw back a goal. Unfortunately, he whiffed on a 50/50 ball just moments before Thorhallsson ended up scoring the game’s second goal. He wasn’t on long enough to issue a grade, however.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90′+5), N/A — The best thing you can say about Taifi’s time is that he didn’t turn the ball over conceding a goal in the five minutes he was on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s loss to CF Montreal. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

Lions fall to CF Montreal, Pride defeat North Carolina Courage, OCB beats Atlanta United 2, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda taking a shot against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida, and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I spent the weekend in Texas catching up with friends and family. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who turns 32 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

Orlando City fell 2-0 to CF Montreal at Stade Saputo Saturday on a pair of late goals. After a scoreless first half, the Lions were minutes away from escaping with a point on the road but conceded twice in stoppage time, with former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson adding the insurance goal for Montreal as Orlando City left Canada with zero points. The Lions could not capitalize on their few scoring chances throughout the match. Orlando City returns home for its next match on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium.

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday, as Barbra Banda scored the lone goal late in the second half to help the Pride secure a much-needed win, snapping their two-match losing streak. Banda scored her eighth goal of the season, and she has scored five goals in the last three matches. The Pride will be on the road this week, facing the Boston Legacy Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, followed by another match Saturday against the Denver Summit at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Atlanta United 2 with a goal in each half, winning 2-0 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA Sunday. Gustavo Caraballo scored the opening goal from the spot to give the Young Lions the early lead. In the second half, Issah Haruna added another goal for the Young Lions to put it away and take three points. OCB will be back on the road Sunday to face New England Revolution II at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI.

Americans Abroad

Austin Trusty played a full 90 minutes as Celtic won its sixth consecutive match across all competitions 3-1 against Rangers. Gio Reyna scored his first goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach to snap his 16-month goal drought at the club level, but his side fell 3-1 to FC Augsburg. Weston McKennie played 86 minutes for Juventus in a 1-0 win against Lecce. In the Women’s FA Cup semifinals, Alyssa Thompson played 78 minutes for Chelsea, but her side fell 3-2 to Manchester City after extra time. Lindsey Heaps scored for OL Lyonnes while Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader were also in action in a 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Coupe De France trophy. Later today, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players writing letters to their moms for Mother’s Day.
  • James Rodriguez will reportedly leave Minnesota United this week and will not return to the club after the World Cup concludes this summer.
  • Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik stated that the club will impose a lifetime ban to fans who invaded the pitch as the club was minutes away from defeating rivals Sparta Prague Saturday to win the Czech First League title before the match was abandoned.
  • Leandro Trossard scored a late winner in the second half to help Arsenal beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep its five-point lead over Manchester City and pull a step closer to clinching the English Premier League title.

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

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