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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Final Score 1-0 as Ojeda’s Goal Snatches Road Win for Lions

Pedro Gallese and Martin Ojeda were the deciding factors in a tightly contested match in Colorado.

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1 month ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Pedro Gallese came up huge in goal and Martin Ojeda found the net to lead Orlando City to a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. For the Lions (8-4-6, 30 points) it snapped a two-game losing streak at the end of May, but it still wasn’t the sharpest performance. Gallese made two saves — officially, anyway, because he certainly palmed away some “shrosses” by Colorado (6-8-4, 22 points) that would have been goals without his quick reactions — to earn his eighth clean sheet of the season.

Orlando improved to 6-1-2 in the all-time series and 2-1-2 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

“We are very pleased with the result of the game. We came with the intention to bounce back after last two games, and this was a game that we all declared that is a must-win, not just for the three points but also for the confidence that we needed to have back,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The effort of the players in this place was great. Playing in the altitude is not an easy task.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson — starting with Alex Freeman away with the USMNT. Although Cesar Araujo was back from suspension, the Uruguayan started on the bench, with Joran Gerbet joining Eduard Atuesta in central midfield with wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic and Luis Muriel and Ojeda up top.

Orlando City started off the more active team in the attack, but they couldn’t do much with their chances. The first look at goal fell to Muriel in the sixth minute. The Colombian found space outside the area and blasted a shot wide of the left post. A minute later, Angulo sent Ojeda down the left. The Lions’ No. 10 tried to thread a pass to the middle but a defender deflected it to Colorado goalkeeper Nico Hansen.

Muriel slipped Pasalic down the right in the eighth minute. The pass was a little off line, so the Croatian had to gather it before smashing a shot toward the right post. He just missed opening the scoring as his effort hit the outside of the upright.

Colorado’s first bit of attacking danger in the 11th minute with a good cross in from the right. Schlegel did well to head it behind for a corner. Orlando dealt with the initial set piece but conceded a throw-in. The Rapids sent a long throw into the area that pinged around and found Rafael Navarro, who fired wide in the 13th minute.

Thorhallsson showed some rust getting his first start at right back in a long while, missing Schlegel with a headed pass attempt in the 19th minute and gifting the ball to Sam Vines, who sent a chipped shot wide of goal. Two minutes later, the Icelandic fullback made a poor back pass intended for Schlegel that went out for a corner.

Orlando dealt with the set piece and then quickly opened the scoring at the other end. Pasalic sent the ball from right to left, finding Ojeda at the top of the box. Ojeda needed a touch to settle it before smashing a shot toward goal. Hansen got an arm to it, but there wass too much power behind it and he couldn’t keep it out. The Lions led 1-0 in the 24th minute. It was Ojeda’s ninth goal of the season, equaling his total output from his first two seasons in Orlando combined.

“I saw that the past months or weeks that (opponents) try to stop my left foot for the shot,” said Pasalic, who picked up the assist. “And there are many people around me, so two, three people every time, and I get a ball on the left foot, and I try to see who is in better position. And I see if Lucho (Muriel) or Tincho (Ojeda) is better to play, because it’s important that we score the goal, not only me. I think the chemistry is good.”

The goal gave Orlando some confidence, as the Lions started playing a bit better afterward. A gift corner kick nearly paid off in the 28th minute when Ojeda’s cross found Schlegel, who contorted to get his head to the ball and the shot was headed into the top right corner if not for a good save by Hansen. Pasalic overcooked his service on the ensuing corner, ending the threat.

The Rapids got back on the front foot before the end of the half, catching Orlando napping a couple of times with quick passes forward. Djordje Mihailovic got wide of Schlegel in the 31st minute and the Argentine took him down just outside the area, picking up a booking that will see him suspended for the Lions’ next game on July 25 at St. Louis. Orlando cleared the set piece, but the Rapids kept coming.

Thorhallsson’s turnover in the corner gave Colorado a quick transition opportunity with numbers forward and Jansson made a vital clearance to keep a cross from reaching an attacker out front, instead conceding a corner in the 36th minute. Orlando cleared but blocked a shot out for another corner on the set piece. The Rapids played it short and Muriel went to ground to make concede yet another corner with a good tackle.

Orlando’s last look of the first half should have been a good one. Pasalic did well to pick out Muriel, who had managed to sneak into some space just outside the box in the middle. However, Muriel’s first touch was a poor one, and by the time he regathered it, he was on his left foot, firing well off target in the 42nd minute.

The Lions were fortunate not to concede late. An incisive run by Mihailovic saw the Rapids attacker blaze past a complacent Atuesta. Pasalic tried to track back and disrupt, but Mihailovic was able to fire a blast just wide of the right post in the 44th minute.

Orlando saw out a minute of stoppage time and took its slim lead into the break.

At the break, the Lions held the advantage in possession (52.3%-47.7%), shots on target (2-0), and passing accuracy (79.4%-73.2%). Colorado attempted more shots (6-5) and won more corners (5-2).

Colorado dominated play after the restart, keeping the Lions penned in their own end. Theodore Ku-Dipietro fizzed a dangerous cross through the area in the 48th minute but couldn’t find a teammate and it went out for a goal kick. Two minutes later, the Rapids finally put a shot on target and it was a good one. Navarro sent a header toward the upper left corner. Gallese made a diving save to keep it out. The Peruvian then had to palm away a couple of dangerous crosses in that didn’t make contact with anyone and were headed inside the right post without his intervention in the 53rd and 54th minutes.

“The confidence that we have with Pedro is intact. We have one of the best goalkeepers in the league,” Pareja said. “What happened in (the) Chicago (game) is in the past, and what happened today, I think, is a lot of kudos to him. He made two great saves today and we’re happy for Pedro and obviously for all of us.”

“They have good players in the front and good counterattacks, but our defense was good today,” Pasalic said when asked about how the Rapids were able to maintain pressure.

Angulo had to make an important tackle in the box in the 57th and just got it right, only to be fouled, taking the pressure off for the moment.

With the one-way traffic in the Rapids’ favor, Pareja made his first sub, sending Araujo on for the largely ineffective Muriel in the 58th minute.

The move settled things down a bit as the Lions were able to slow play down for a spell.

“We had difficulties with Cesar during the week. He had a spasm in his back and he couldn’t train the last two days,” Pareja said. “He was even doubtful to come to Colorado, and we really value his effort to come. He wanted to be part of the game still, so we wanted to limit his minutes. But also, we knew that in the second half, in a place like this one, we may need those legs and that experience. It seemed like we were losing too much territory there, and they were coming with many other players. We couldn’t sustain the ball enough, and when Cesar came in, we looked different, more solid. We could have had the ball better, but I thought the inclusion of Cesar in the game helped us a lot.”

Orlando City even got forward a couple of times, with Ojeda firing wide from a tight angle in the 69th minute. Pasalic then tried his luck from about 35 yards out in the 71st minute. It was a good effort but Hansen was easily able to get down to make the save from that distance.

Mihailovic got inside in the 72nd minute but Gallese did well to make a big save, knocking it wide of the onrushing Darren Yapi.

Pareja sent on Kyle Smith and Ramiro Enrique on before the corner kick, withdrawing Thorhallsson and Pasalic.

The final minutes were difficult ones, with the Lions suffering a lot of Colorado pressure in their defensive third. However, the Rapids only fashioned one chance with that possession. The ball was pinballing around the area and found its way to Navarro on the right side of the box. Orlando did well to pressure him on his jump and the Brazilian sent his header wide in the third minute of injury time.

Orlando saw out the remaining stoppage time and picked up a huge road win.

Colorado finished with the advantage in possession (51%-49%), shots (14-7), and corners (9-2). The Lions put more shots on target (3-2) and passed more efficiently (79.2%-76.1%).

With the win, the Lions climbed to fifth in the tight Eastern Conference race.

“I think it was important that we won this game today, because we lost three points at home and get the three points back today here away,” Pasalic said. “And I think it tastes better when you win away. And under these circumstances, you know, when it’s so, so difficult to breathe and difficult to adapt, you know? And, yeah, I’m really happy that we won this game. Now we have this rest, and I think everybody’s going (into) this rest with a good feeling, and I can’t wait to be back and to win games again.”

“Today, the most important (thing) was to get a result here in the altitude against a good rival that provide us again, more confidence,” Pareja said. “I know we can play better, especially in the second half, but we’re good. We needed these three points and we’re proud of the boys.”

The Lions are off until Wednesday, July 25, when they’ll visit St. Louis City.

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Orlando City

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

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw against CF Montreal?

Published

20 hours ago

on

July 14, 2025

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

A late penalty saw Orlando City drop two points against CF Montreal, drawing 1-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday. It was a disappointing result against a team sitting last in the Eastern Conference and tied for last in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Despite missing two key players in Pedro Gallese and Robin Jansson to suspension, the Lions should’ve easily come away with three points. Instead, they’ll see it as a missed opportunity.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this forgettable game.

Starters

GK, Javier Otero, 6 — It’s tough to grade Otero in this game because he didn’t have much to do. Montreal’s goal was a penalty, which you can hardly blame on the young goalkeeper. However, he did well with his feet and showed poise despite seeing few minutes for the first team. Statistically, Otero touched the ball 19 times, completing 93.8% of his 16 passes, including two of his three long balls.  Since the penalty was the only shot on target, he didn’t make any saves.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Jansson’s suspension moved David Brekalo to his natural center back position, opening left back for Santos. He touched the ball 43 times in his return to the starting lineup, completing 92% of his 25 passes, including one of his two crosses. He logged one interception, three clearances, and an aerial duel won on the defensive end. He didn’t do much with the ball, not taking any shots and being dispossessed twice. He came off in the 76th minute for Kyle Smith.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel had a team-leading 101 touches, completing 94.2% of his 86 passes, including four of his eight long balls. Defensively, he recorded five interceptions, five clearances, and two aerial balls won. He didn’t get into the attack. The Argentine would’ve had an excellent grade, hoowever, he left his leg out in the 81st minute, allowing Prince Owusu to go down, drawing a penalty and allowing Montreal to equalize. The fact that Schlegel single-handedly cost his team two points undoes much of the good he did in the game.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — Brekalo returned center back, touching the ball 58 times. He completed 95.9% of his 49 passes, including one of his three long balls. The Slovenian added two tackles, an interception, three clearances, and two aerial wins. In the attack, Brekalo had one off-target shot, a header late in the first half.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — Freeman returned from the Gold Cup and had a solid performance. The young right back had 68 touches, completing 85.7% of his 49 passes, including two key passes and one of his three long balls. He had four tackles defensively, won an aerial ball, and took two off-target shots (one of them was blocked on a potential game-winner late in the match).

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6.5 (MotM) — Ojeda had 56 touches, completing 87.5% of his 40 passes, including two key passes and one of his four crosses. He put one of his three shots on target, scoring on a free kick in the 28th minute. He contributed defensively with two tackles and an interception. He wasn’t far and away the best player, but he played well, and his goal earns him my Man of the Match.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo was active, touching the ball 77 times and completing 89.4% of his 66 passes, including two of his five long balls. He only had one tackle defensively and didn’t do much offensively except drawing a team-high five fouls. The defensive midfielder came off in the 88th minute for Nico Rodriguez with the Lions needing a goal.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6.5 — Atuesta’s 91 touches were second on the team, and he completed 97.3% of his 75 passes, including two key passes, his lone cross, and both long balls. Defensively, he logged two tackles, two interceptions, and an aerial duel won. The defensive midfielder didn’t take any shots in one of Orlando City’s few strong performances. Without Ojeda’s goal, Atuesta could’ve very well been my Man of the Match in this game.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 6 — Pasalic touched the ball 45 times, completing 84.9% of his 33 passes, including his lone long ball. He didn’t have any key passes or take any shots in a quiet night for the attacker. However, he did add two interceptions defensively, and he drew multiple free kicks in good spots for Orlando, including the one that led to Ojeda’s goal and a late first-half opportunity that was headed off target by Brekalo.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 5 — Enrique had 21 touches, completing 66.7% of his 12 passes without any key passes, crosses, or long balls. His one shot was a late first-half header into the arms of Jonathan Sirois. The forward also didn’t do anything defensively before being replaced by Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in the 76th minute. In addition, he lost the ball trying to dribble through defenders on multiple occasions, which was a factor in Orlando City’s inability to develop much rhythm in possession.

F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 28 touches in this game, completing 66.7% of his 15 passes, including two key passes and his only cross, but neither of his two long balls. His only shot was a 24th-minute attempt that didn’t cause Sirois any trouble. Meanwhile, he had two unstable touches and was dispossessed twice in dangerous positions as he tried to dribble through the entire Montreal defense. While Muriel did have an assist, he doesn’t get much credit because all he had to do was stop the slow-rolling ball for Ojeda to put away. Muriel’s night ended in the 59th minute when he was replaced by Ivan Angulo.

Substitutes

MF, Ivan Angulo (59’), 5.5 — Angulo came on in the 59th minute for Muriel, touching the ball 17 times and completing all nine of his passes. However, none of them were long or crossed. He took one shot that was blocked and did little else to make his appearance noticeable.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (76’), 6 — Thorhallsson came on in the 76th minute for Enrique as the Lions looked to hang onto their 1-0 lead. He had 10 touches in his 14 minutes, completing 87.5% of his eight passes. He didn’t have any key passes or take any shots, adding a tackle defensively.

D, Kyle Smith (76’), 6 — Smith came on for Santos in the 76th minute in a defensive change. He touched the ball 15 times, completing nine of his 10 passes, including a key pass. Defensively, he added a clearance. Also, a tip of the cap to Smith who made his 200th appearance across all competitions for the club, becoming the second player to do so.

MF, Nico Rodriguez (88’), N/A — Rodriguez was a late replacement for Araujo as the Lions looked to push forward after Montreal tied the game. He completed three of his four passes and took one shot that was on target. He didn’t have any other stats in his short appearance.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 1-1 draw with CF Montreal. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/14/25

Lions draw against CF Montreal, Pride players in action abroad, OCB wins, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

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July 14, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work. Our Lions and OCB were both in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Drop Points in Home Draw against CF Montreal

Orlando City picked up a 1-1 draw against CF Montreal on Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions got off to a good start in the first half as Martin Ojeda scored the opening goal. In the second half, defender Kyle Smith came off the bench and became the second player in club history to make 200 appearances for the club across all competitions.

However, Orlando was unable to hold onto the lead as Rodrigo Schlegel fouled Prince Owusu, and Montreal was awarded a penalty kick late in the second half. Owusu buried his shot from the spot to tie the match as the teams split the points. Orlando is winless in its last three matches and dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 35 points. Orlando City will face New York City FC Wednesday at Inter&Co Stadium.

Pride Players in Women’s AFCON, Euros, and Copa America

Orlando Pride forwards Barbra Banda and Prisca Chilufya were in action for Zambia in their final group stage match in the 2025 Women’s African Cup of Nations against Congo DR over the weekend. Grace Chanda did not play, but Zambia defeated Congo 1-0 with a goal from Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji to book a spot in the quarterfinals.

Zambia finished second in the group behind host Morocco on goal difference with seven points. The Copper Queens will take on Nigeria Friday in the quarterfinals at Stade Larbi Zaouli. On Sunday, England crushed Wales 6-1 in the third match of the group stage in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland. Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was on the bench. England finished second in its group and will face Sweden Thursday in the quarterfinals. Lastly, Brazil was in action Sunday in the group stage of the 2025 Copa America Feminina against Venezuela. Orlando Pride forward Marta and midfielder Angelina played as Brazil defeated Venezuela 2-0.

OCB Beats Carolina Core FC at Home

Orlando City B beat Carolina Core FC 3-1 Sunday at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions struck first with a goal from Justin Ellis. OCB held onto the lead through halftime. In the second half, Orlando City B won a penalty kick, and Ellis converted to give the Young Lions a 2-0 lead. Carolina Core FC scored to pull within one, but Thalles scored his first goal for OCB late in the second half to clinch the three points. OCB won its first home match since June 6 and remains unbeaten in its last three matches. The Young Lions will be on the road to face New England Revolution II Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Chelsea Wins the FIFA Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Chelsea dominated PSG in the first half, as Cole Palmer scored twice and Joao Pedro added one. Palmer also assisted on Pedro’s goal. Palmer scored three goals and recorded two assists throughout the competition and won the Best Player of the Tournament Award. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament. Paris Saint-Germain forward Desire Doue won the Best Young Player Award, and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia won the Golden Boot, scoring four goals in the tournament.

Free Kicks

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

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Opinion

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from a 1-1 home draw against CF Montreal.

Published

2 days ago

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July 13, 2025

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City welcomed Eastern Conference bottom dwellers CF Montreal to the City Beautiful on a night that fell significantly short of expectations, as the home side was only able to muster one point. The 1-1 draw against the Wooden Spoon candidates from the Great White North, who were also short on rest, is more than likely the lowest point of the Orlando City season to date. What follows are my takeaways from a match which needed to be a victory for OCSC (but wasn’t).

Welcome Back, Alex

Alex Freeman as the Orlando City right back just feels so correct to type, and yet the Orlando City faithful have been without their first-choice attacking defender for over a month, as he has been with the USMNT in the Gold Cup. The young Lion slotted into his usual spot and did well throughout the match to both contain the Montreal attack while trying to contribute from an offensive perspective. There have been whispers about Freeman potentially being sold, but I believe that he will be with Orlando City for the duration of the 2025 season, and fans should feel comfortable in the fact that the connection between Freeman and the other attacking pieces for Orlando will continue to gel as the season progresses.

Set Piece Success

After a largely uneventful first 25 minutes of the match, Orlando City took the lead in the first half on the heels of what appeared to be a well-rehearsed set-piece goal. After a free kick was awarded in the 27th minute, Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel, and Cesar Araujo all lined up over the ball. Ojeda elected to play the ball short and quickly to Muriel, who simply stopped the ball to tee it up for the No. 10, who fired a shot inside the near post, propelling Orlando City to a 1-0 lead. It was a cheeky and quick strike from Orlando City but exactly the type of play that someone would want to see from a team playing a vulnerable away squad. Ojeda became just the third player in club history to record double-digit goals and assists in a single season across all competitions, and the schedule is barely past the halfway point of the MLS season.

Failure to Launch

Orlando City finished the first half up by one goal and looked the part of the attacking home side. The problem was that the Lions were unable to find any additional goals to stretch the lead. Despite having a majority of the possession, the starters or substitutes were just not capable of being clinical enough to break down Montreal and find the back of the net. Without finding a second goal, Orlando allowed itself to be vulnerable to a less-than-ideal outcome as the end of the match approached.

Penalty Kick Misery

Orlando City clung to a 1-0 lead with less than 10 minutes to go in the match when Prince Owusu took the ball into the Orlando City box and dribbled past a few defenders before being met by the thigh of Rodrigo Schlegel in the 80th minute of the match. By the game’s standards to that point, it was a soft foul, and in real time it appeared Owusu had anticipated the contact and started to go to ground before any physical contact was made. There was no ruling of an obvious error, and the call on the field stood. Owusu took the ensuing penalty kick and successfully converted, tying the game at a goal apiece with little time remaining.

Unacceptable Ending

Orlando wound up with a home draw and earned only a single point. Against many other adversaries in the Eastern Conference, that result would be nothing to turn a nose up at. However, against a CF Montreal team that has struggled to find results throughout the whole season, and that Orlando City already played to a draw in Montreal (down a man for part of that match), a home draw is downright unacceptable for a team with playoff aspirations. In two weeks and two consecutive draws, Orlando City has lost ground in the playoff race and hardly appears to the eye test like a team ready to challenge the best of MLS.

Orlando City will face a quick turnaround as the Lions will face New York City FC at home on Wednesday. After Saturday’s result, the stakes are that much higher in a matchup against a strong team that sits directly below Orlando City on the table. The squad must refocus in a narrow window and move forward. Let us know your takeaways in the comments below and as always, Vamos Orlando!

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