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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

3 weeks 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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids?

Published

13 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City used a professional performance to defeat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 near the Mile High City. It’s a big win for the Lions after two consecutive losses to Atlanta United and the Chicago Fire. It also gives the team some good vibes heading into next week’s international break.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this big win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — Gallese had a massive game for his eighth clean sheet of the season. The shot stopper was credited with two saves and they were both quality. In the 50th minute, he made a one-handed save on a Rafael Navarro header and pushed Djordje Milhailovic’s shot wide while defending his near post in the 72nd minute. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese touched the ball 32 times, completing 38.5% of his 26 passes, including four of his 20 long balls. He was also credited with three clearances.

D, David Breaklo, 6 — The starting left back touched the ball 63 times and completed 91.8% of his 49 passes. He completed two of his three long balls, but his lone cross was incomplete. Brekalo also recorded one interception, won an aerial duel, and had eight clearances defensively. He didn’t have any attacking statistics, contributing to the clean sheet.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson had 65 touches, completing 93.1% of his team-high 58 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He won one tackle and had four clearances defensively. The center back was a bright spot early, making a couple of huge challenges to keep Colorado from getting free chances on goal. Overall, it was a strong performance by the captain.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel got a first-half booking that sees him suspended for the next game, but the center back was a monster in this game. He had a team-high 86 touches and completed 87.5% of his 56 passes but only one of his five long balls. However, his strength was defensively, where Schlegel recorded an interception and two blocked shots, won three aerial duels, and had an astounding 21 clearances. Despite defending for most of the game, the center back put a shot on target as well.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson had 38 touches, completing 85.7% of his 21 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. The right back added two clearances and a blocked shot defensively. He made some mistakes in his own half that created some issues and didn’t get into the attack at all in this game before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo touched the ball 39 times, completing 83.3% of his 30 passes but didn’t attempt any crosses. The midfielder didn’t attempt any shots either. Defensively, Angulo added a clearance and won an aerial duel, but it was largely an invisible night by the speedster.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta had 65 touches and completed 77.6% of his 49 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots, but the defensive midfielder’s focus was on defense. He recorded one tackle, two aerial duels won, three interceptions, and two clearances in a strong performance. He was replaced by Colin Guske in second-half stoppage time.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet got the start over Cesar Araujo in this game due to back spasms for Araujo, touching the ball 57 times. The rookie completed 88.4% of his 43 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. Like Atuesta, his job was defensive as he had three interceptions, won two aerial duels, and logged five clearances in 90 minutes of action.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 7 — Pasalic was trouble for the Rapids defense. He touched the ball 31 times and completed 86.4% of his 22 passes, including three key passes and his lone long ball. The midfielder’s most significant moment came in the 24th minute, when great vision and a good pass found Martin Ojeda for the game’s long goal. Pasalic took two shots, putting one on target. The attacker left the game in the 72nd minute, replaced by Ramiro Enrique.

F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 26 touches, completing 80% of his 15 passes with a key pass. The forward took two shots, putting neither on target. He also helped defensively, winning an aerial duel, recording a tackle, and adding a clearance before being replaced by Araujo in the 58th minute. Overall, it wasn’t an impressive performance by the Designated Player.

F, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda was a game-changer, touching the ball 52 times and completing 90.9% of his 44 passes with a key pass, and connecting on one of his two crosses and his lone long ball. He put one of his two shots on target, a hard attempt that went off the hands of Nico Hansen and in for the game’s only goal. It was a good performance for Ojeda, who came off in second-half stoppage time for Nico Rodriguez.

Substitutes

MF, Cesar Araujo (58’), 6 — Araujo replaced Muriel in the 58th minute as the Lions looked to defend their 1-0 lead. The defensive midfielder had 34 touches and completed 96.4% of his 28 passes, including one key pass. He added a tackle and blocked shot in 32 minutes of action, helping to secure the clean sheet.

D, Kyle Smith (72’), 6 — Smith came on for Thorhallsson in the 72nd minute, touching the ball 23 times at right back. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes with an incomplete long ball and through ball. However, Smith’s contribution came on defense, where he added a tackle, four clearances, and two successful aerial duels to help secure the three points.

F, Ramiro Enrique (72’), 6.5 — Enrique came on for Pasalic in the 72nd minute and was solid in his 18 minutes. He had 10 touches and completed 75% of his eight passes without taking any shots. However, he did precisely what his team needed, holding up the ball, winning an aerial duel, and keeping possession late. His wise decision-making is why he gets such a high grade.

MF, Colin Guske (90 + 1’), N/A — Guske came on for Atuesta in the dying minutes to kill some time. He got booked right after coming on, touching the ball only three times and adding a clearance.

MF, Nico Rodriguez (90 + 1’), N/A — Rodriguez came on with Guske for Ojeda and had nearly an identical performance minus the booking. He touched the ball three times, won an aerial duel, and had a clearance defensively.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this crucial win for the Lions. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links: 6/16/25

Lions and Pride win, USMNT beats Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup opener, FIFA Club World Cup weekend recap, and more.

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16 hours ago

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June 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you and belated happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. The Lions and the Pride both won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Colorado Rapids on the Road

Orlando City defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Martin Ojeda scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to snap their two-match winless streak. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves and earned his eighth clean sheet of the season. With the win, Orlando moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 30 points. Orlando City will be off this weekend but will be return to action June 25 on the road at St. Louis City.

Banda’s Goal Lifts Pride Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 1-0 Friday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. After a scoreless first half, Barbra Banda scored the only goal in the match — her eighth goal of the season — and the Pride held on for the win. It’s the team’s third straight 1-0 victory over Bay FC, and the Pride also claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season. Orlando has won three matches in a row and remains second in the NWSL table with 25 points. The Pride will be on the road to take on Racing Louisville Friday.

USMNT Dominates Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup Opener

The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 Sunday in the opening match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at PayPal Park. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. Malik Tillman scored twice, and Patrick Agyemang added one to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead before halftime. In the second half, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright each added a goal to extend the USMNT’s lead to 5-0. With the win, the Yanks snapped a four-match winless streak. The USMNT will take on Saudi Arabia Thursday night at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX.

FIFA Club World Cup Weekend Recap

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday, with Inter Miami and Al Ahly playing to a scoreless draw in the opening match of the group stage. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made eight saves, including a penalty kick saved in the 43rd minute against Trezeguet of Al Ahly as the teams split the points. On Sunday, Jamal Musiala scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10-0, Paris Saint-Germain routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Palmeiras and FC Porto ended in a scoreless draw. The Seattle Sounders battled Botafogo in the late match. Today’s matchups feature Chelsea taking on LAFC, Boca Juniors facing Benfica, and Flamengo taking on Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Tampa Bay Sun Wins USL Super League Championship

The Tampa Bay Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 after extra time to win the inaugural USL Super League championship on Saturday at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. Former Pride players Jordyn Listro and Erika Tymrak were part of the squad’s stellar run to its first championship title in the inaugural season of the USL Super League. After no goals came from either side during the 90 minutes of play, the match went to extra time, and Cecilie Floe scored the winning goal for the Sun. Sydny Nasello was named the 2025 USL Super League Final MVP.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their dads a surprise phone call on Father’s Day.
  • PayPal Park will host the 2025 NWSL Championship match on Nov. 22.

From the home of legends to the stage of champions 🏆The 2025 NWSL Championship presented by Google Pixel is coming to the Bay Area and PayPal Park.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-13T12:14:48.657Z

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City at Colorado Rapids: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 1-0 road victory over the Colorado Rapids.

Published

2 days ago

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June 15, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City traveled to Denver to take on the Colorado Rapids. The Lions were able to secure a 1-0 win over the Western Conference opponent thanks to a first-half goal from Martin Ojeda. The victory snapped the team’s two-match losing streak, allowing Orlando City to keep pace in the Eastern Conference. Here are my five takeaways from Saturday night’s match.

Oh-Yay-Da

For too many seasons it seemed like Orlando City wasn’t getting the most out of the club’s Designated Players. That hasn’t been the case this year, nor was it in the match against Colorado, at least for two of the DPs. Marco Pasalic made a nice pass to Martin Ojeda in the box to get the assist on Orlando City’s first goal. For his part, Ojeda hit it low, hard, and on target. Sometimes that is all you need. Despite getting a hand on it, goalkeeper Nico Hansen wasn’t able to keep it out, and the Lions took the lead.

An Expected Yellow

Most of you are not in the internal Slack chat for The Mane Land, but we discussed that there was a high probability that at least one of Orlando City’s center backs would get a yellow card, making that player unavailable for the next match. Rodrigo Schlegel proved us correct in the 31st minute when he fouled Djordje Mihailovic just outside the box. Fortunately, the foul was outside the box, and Colorado wasn’t able to capitalize on the opportunity. Hopefully, it won’t have an ill effect on the next match.

Early Defensive Shell

On the road with a one-goal lead and Schlegel on a yellow, Oscar Pareja got defensive early in the second half. We saw the return of Cesar Araujo — who did not get the start and, according to Pareja’s postgame comments, nearly didn’t make the trip because of back spasms this week — in the 58th minute for Luis Muriel. As Muriel hadn’t contributed much to the match, it was important to get fresh legs and an experienced player to help fend off the constant Colorado pressure. Orlando didn’t park the bus, but definitely went into game management mode, hoping to hit on the occasional counter.

Primo El Pulpo

Pedro Gallese was only credited with two saves in the match, but he definitely contributed much more than that. There was about a 10-minute a stretch of time from the 50th minute on that Colorado was creating more chances in and around the box. Pedro made one of his saves, blocked a couple of dangerous crosses that would have gone in without his play, and at least a few clearances. He added his second save, and generally did well to control his area. The two saves were both good ones. He’s not going to get a save-of-the-week award from MLS, but it was enough for me. It’s hard to argue with a clean sheet.

Attitude over Altitude

The early goal was important, as it allowed Orlando City to slow the match down and conserve energy as the minutes ticked by. This was especially noticeable after Araujo came on in the second half. The importance of the goal really showed late in the match, as many of the starters bounced up against the wall created by the altitude, as teams typically run out of gas in Colorado between the 60th and 75th minutes. The late subs, including youngsters Colin Guske and Nico Rodriguez, were able to help see it out despite Colorado pressing for the equalizer.

That is what I saw in the road victory. Let us know your thoughts about the Colorado match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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