Local Soccer Events
Juventus vs. Manchester City, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Final Score 5-2 as City Runs Rampant in Orlando
Juventus kept it close for 45 minutes but the EPL side was too much for the Italians on this day.
Manchester City from the English Premier League dominated Italian Serie A side Juventus in a comprehensive 5-2 win in front of an announced crowd of 54,320 at Camping World Stadium on the final match day of Group G play. There were five different goal scorers for the Sky Blues, including an own goal by the Italian side. The scoreline was tight for the first 45 minutes, but City blew the game open after the break.
Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Savinho all scored for City, which also got an own goal from Pierre Kalulu. Teun Koopmeiners and Dusan Vlahovic found the net for Juventus.
With the win, Manchester City wins Group G and will face the runner-up from Group H here Monday night. City won all three matches and look like a contender to take home the trophy if the Premier League side can continue getting performances like this one.
Bernardo Silva got the game’s first good look with an open header in the box on a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri. Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was up to the early challenge, fighting it off. The play may have been offside in the buildup anyway. It was the first salvo in a wide-open start to the game.
Doku put the Engish side ahead just nine minutes in, taking a wonderful through ball from Ait-Nouri, cutting inside Kalulu, and curling his shot past Di Gregorio to make it 1-0 City.
Vlahovic missed a golden opportunity from the penalty spot just seconds after the restart, taking a pass from his right and scuffing his shot wide left.
The miss hardly mattered in the end, because Koopmeiners leveled it after a poor pass from Ederson on the ensuing goal kick. The goalkeeper missed his center back wide and Koopmeiners intercepted, and slotted home to tie the match in the 11th minute.
Kalulu’s nightmare didn’t end with Doku roasting him on the first goal. The French defender scored an awful own goal on a routine cross in from Man City’s attacking right side in the 26th minute, restoring the lead for the EPL giants.
Omar Marmoush nearly made it 3-1 in the 31st minute, shooting through traffic from the left. Di Gregorio was able to get to it, but only because the shot lacked power. More pace on the attempt would have had the English side up a pair of goals just prior to the first-half hydration break.
Man City’s dominance in possession started producing more scoring chances as halftime approached. Silva cut inside left to right in the 39th minute and fired a shot, but he hit it right at the goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Ait-Nouri sent in a bouncing effort toward the back post from the left. Di Gregorio didn’t initially see it but was able to fight it off as the skies opened up and the heavy rain poured down. Marmoush had the last good look at goal and sent a blistering shot toward the right post. Di Gregorio got a diving touch to it to send it inches wide of the post. City could not pay off the corner kick and the half ended with the English side ahead 2-1 on the Kalulu own goal.
Manchester City dominated the halftime stats, holding the advantage in shots (14-3), shots on target (5-1), corners (5-1), passing accuracy (93.4%-77.3%)
Erling Haaland subbed on at the break, raising the star power of the match. Juventus seemed more energized to start the second half, but Man City quickly re-established its territorial dominance.
Doku cut inside from the left and blasted a shot wide at the end of the 50th minute. Haaland got on the scoresheet a minute later. Matheus Nunes got goal side of his defender on the right side. He found a charging Haaland in front of goal, and even though he made a mess of his first touch, the Norwegian international managed to bundle it over the goal line to make it 3-1.
Kenan Yildiz fired wide from the top of the area after a brief spell of Juventus attacking possession shortly after the third Man City goal, wasting an opportunity to pull Juventus back within striking distance. In the 67th minute, Juventus should have found that lifeline back into the game. Vlahovic got in behind the defense and tried to chip Ederson, but the goalkeeper reacted quickly to get his hand up just enough to knock it down and keep it 3-1.
Second-half sub Phil Foden punished Juventus for the miss two minutes later. Haaland played a ball in on right side that Foden couldn’t reach, but it was laid right back onto his foot by Savinho for an easy finish. Foden’s goal made it 4-1 and effectively ended things for Juventus.
Despite the game being more or less out of reach, City wasn’t done scoring. Off a recycled corner kick in the 75th minute, Di Gregorio made a huge save to deny Haaland in close, but Savinho scored on the rebound with a blast from outside the area that hit the bottom of the crossbar and went in to make it 5-1.
Juventus got a consolation goal when Yildiz sent in a fantastic ball to put Vlahovic in on goal. The Serbian blasted his shot past Ederson and in to cap the scoring in the 84th minute. There was a lengthy check to see if Vlahovic was offside, but he was just kept on and the goal stood.
Rayan Cherki got in behind early in stoppage time and should have made it 6-2, but Di Gregorio came up with another big save to prevent further embarrassment for the Italians. Moments later, the final whistle mercifully ended things.
City dominated the final statistics, just as it did at halftime, finishing with more possession (74%-26%), shots (23-7), shots on target (10-3), corners (7-1), and passing accuracy (92.9%-78.5%).
The group stage matches are over in Orlando, but the City Beautiful will host two knockout games. Manchester City will face the Group H runner-up, which will be decided tonight. If there is a winner between Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg, that team would win the group. Al-Hillal is still alive, just two points back, and could win the group with a win over Pachuca and a draw in the other match, depending on the final score.
Local Soccer Events
United States Women’s National Team vs. Italy: Final Score 3-0 as USWNT Stays Unbeaten at Inter&Co Stadium
The USWNT remains perfect at games at Orlando City/Exploria/Inter&Co Stadium.
Olivia Moultrie scored inside of 90 seconds and Cat Macario added a second-half brace as the United States Women’s National Team defeated Italy 3-0 tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. With the win, the USWNT improved to 9-0-0 at Inter&Co Stadium and has yet to concede a goal, outscoring opponents 27-0 here. The crowd of 14,199 who braved the chilly temperatures represented the city well, as it was the third-largest USWNT crowd at the venue.
With the win, the Yanks are 11-4-1 in the all-time series against Italy.
“Starting fast is one thing, but we’ve often started fast and conceded just as quickly, so a clean sheet means as much to us this evening as as the result and the performance,” USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes said after the match. “I’ve said it many times is they’re so coachable, these players, and malleable, and everything we’re starting to drive in, in terms of the messaging is really sinking amongst them all. And look, if I’m honest, there’s so many areas I still think we have to do better, but I thought was a really good performance.”
Hayes did not start Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams on her club home field, but a couple of other Emilys got to start. Hayes went with a lineup featuring Claudia Dickey in goal behind a back line of Lilly Reale, Naomi Girma, Emily Sonnett, and Emily Fox. Alyssa Thompson, Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton, and Rose Lavelle were the midfield four behind forwards Catarina Macario and Moultrie.
The U.S. struck early, but struggled to finish despite dominating territorially. The Italians were able to create a bit of danger off set pieces and an occasional counter, but other than that, this night belonged to the USWNT.
It took the United States just 67 seconds to take the lead. After a frantic first 60 seconds, Lilly Reale collected the ball on the left and passed forward to Rose Lavelle, who played a quick ball wide to Alyssa Thompson. A good return ball from Thompson sent Lavelle down the left channel and the Gotham FC midfielder found Moultrie in the middle, and the Portland Thorns attacker swept a first-time shot past goalkeeper Laura Giuliana and in to make it 1-0 early in the second minute. It was the fifth time in 2025 that the USWNT scored a goal in the first 90 seconds of a game.
“I always think scoring early helps settle everyone down. For sure, it’s nice to just have that,” Moultrie said.
The Yanks came close to a second goal two minutes later. Cat Macario beat two defenders on the right and chipped a cross over the goalkeeper toward the back post. Thompson was making a run but was well covered and she could not get a touch on the ball to send it into the empty net.
Italy’s first chance came on a corner kick in the ninth minute. The ball skipped off the bodies in front to the left post, where Italy defender Elena Linari was unmarked. She tried to sweep it home but got under her shot and sent it over Claudia Dickey’s crossbar. The Italians nearly had something cooking on a long-range free kick a few minutes later but couldn’t control the entry ball.
The USWNT then enjoyed another spell of control and created shots but wasn’t able to convert. Moultrie picked up a pass in the area and fired, but Lisa Boattin blocked the effort in the 17th minute. Claire Hutton then got into a good position but fired her shot right at Giuliana three minutes later. In the 21st minute, Lavelle unlocked the defense with a beautiful right-to-left diagonal ball that sent Thompson down the left channel. However, her left-footed shot sailed over the crossbar.
In the 30th minute, Dickey finally got something to do as a floating shot by Michela Cambiaghi found its way on target but it was catching practice for the Seattle Reign goalkeeper.
After settling down for a few minutes, the game suddenly turned into a frantic, end-to-end match as it approached the 40-minute mark. Italy sent a good ball into the box that ended up with Chiara Beccari in front of goal, but Emily Sonnett blocked the shot to end the threat in the 37th minute. One minute later at the other end, the defense opened up in front of Lavelle, who blasted a shot on target that Giuliana fought off to keep the game at 1-0. Italy broke down the field in the aftermath of that chance, with Beccari getting behind everyone. Naomi Girma, playing her first international match in 149 days, made a lung-busting run to get back and put Beccari under pressure and preventing a shot.
The USWNT couldn’t do anything with a late corner kick and took its 1-0 lead into halftime.
At the break, the USWNT had the advantage in possession (69.2%-30.8%), shots (7-5), and shots on target (3-1), while each team won one corner in the opening period.
“Obviously Italy is a great team, and we knew that they would pose a different threat for us,” Macario said. “And so, yeah, I think today we just had to be really patient. And, you know, even though we were able to get the goal early on, you know, I think we had to, you know, just remain calm and keep trying to switch the play and really, like, break them down. Obviously, we were a little bit disappointed going into halftime to not have scored more goals, but I think when we came out for the second half, then, yeah, we were able to capitalize on the momentum that we had. And so, I think we did a better job in closing out the game than perhaps a couple previous matches.”
The U.S. came out strong and Lavelle quickly won a corner kick within the first minute but the service on the set piece was poor and the Yanks didn’t get a scoring chance out of it. The Americans thought they’d taken the lead through a Moultrie goal in the 49th minute, but Thompson was ruled offside in the buildup.
The hosts kept the pressure on, with Lavelle sending a good ball to the back post across the box, but a U.S. player couldn’t get to it. Moultrie then fired on target in the 52nd minute but hitting her shot right at the goalkeeper. A minute after that, the ball found Lavelle at the top of the six but her back was to goal. Without a teammate to drop it off to, she tried a cheeky backheel shot, but she didn’t get anything on it and hit it right at Giuliana.
Lavelle had yet another chance in the 54th minute. Moultrie stole the ball just outside Italy’s penalty area and found Lavelle on the left. However she fired over the bar.
Italy quickly came the other way and created a great opportunity, with Cambiaghi getting the ball on the left. She set up her shot well, but Dickey made a good diving save, getting her arm down and then scrambling to cover the loose ball.
The U.S. won a series of corners but did nothing with them. Girma ended up getting a head to a recycled ball into the area in the 58th minute but couldn’t direct it anywhere close to the target. After a couple more corners, Macario got a look at goal in the 63rd minute but fired straight at Giuliana.
The second U. S. goal came a minute later. Coffey sent Macario in on the left with a great through ball. Macario beat Giuilana, tucking her shot inside the right post to make it 2-0 in the 64th minute.
The United States continued to attack. Coffey blasted a shot from outside the box in the 66th minute but once again the shot was sent straight at Giuliana for the save.
Emma Hayes made her first substitutions in the 70th and 71st minutes, sending Jaedyn Shaw and Lily Yohannes into the game for Moultrie and Lavelle.
That, however, didn’t change the U.S. pressure, because within a minute of the changes, Thompson cut inside from the left onto her right foot and fired a shot that Giuliana fought off. Shaw headed the ball out of midair and Giuliana did well to make a good reaction save without spilling it.
Macario tripled the lead in the 76th minute when Yohannes sent a brilliant curling ball from the right sideline, sending the forward to the top of the box, where she blasted a shot into the right top corner to make it 3-0.
After the third goal, Orlando Pride defender Sams checked in for Girma to a strong ovation from the crowd. Jameese Joseph replaced Macario at the same time, making her USWNT debut.
The game got a bit choppy down the stretch after both teams had made several substitutions. Sams made a nice play in the 87th minute to prevent a breakaway for Sofia Cantore as Italy looked for a consolation goal.
Eva Schatzer tried a shot from distance in the 88th minute but it was well wide of the right post.
Moments later, the final whistle blew on a dominant win. The final score was closer than it probably should have been, owing to some wasted shots, but the lopsided win was a fair result.
The USWNT finished with the advantage in possession (68.3%-31.7%), shots (18-7), shots on target (11-2), and corners (7-2). It was a dominant performance, even if the finishing was a little off on this night.
“It was great, great to hear all the fans chanting my name, and just so fun to be able to represent Orlando for the national team,” Sams said after the game. “Great to see so many familiar faces that normally are in Pride gear, and today they’re in the U.S. gear. So, very cool to see all of them.”
“I thought the crowd were tremendous,” Hayes said of the reception it gave Sams. “I said to Emily as I was putting her in, it’s always fantastic when you’re a player who has given so much service to a club that the fans show appreciation like that. And for her to feel seen and valued by the fans and loved by the fans was like really nice moment for her, because she’s such a great team player. And yes, she doesn’t always get a lot of minutes with us, but the way she conducts herself in the environment, the way she contributes to the team and our unity, and just her all round presence, like I always bring it back to she’s a real credit to her parents, because she’s a joy to be around, and someone who definitely deserved the ovation she got tonight.”
The USWNT coach was also complimentary of the stadium and the environment that Inter&Co Stadium provided.
“I loved it. I loved being here,” Hayes said. “I love the tunnel. I like that it creates connection with the fans, and there’s a great vibe. I love that it’s surrounded by lots of other sports teams downtown as well. I think it’s very unique, but it’s intimate. Fans are very, very close to the field. So, I can hear everything they’re saying, which is always great. I love to have a little giggle with them.”
The USWNT and Italy will meet again Monday night in Fort Lauderdale as the teams battle at Chase Field to close out their 2025 schedules.
Local Soccer Events
LAFC vs. Flamengo, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Final Score 1-1 as Teams Exchange Late Goals
It appeared the Group D match between LAFC and Flamengo would end in a scoreless draw, when some late fireworks instead resulted in a 1-1 draw at Camping World Stadium in front of a raucous crowd of 32,933. While they surely weren’t all Flamengo fans, it certainly felt like it.
Denis Bouanga gave LAFC a late lead against the run of play, but Flamengo hit back on Wallace Yan’s goal moments later and nearly had a winner in the span of about five minutes. In the end, the entertaining match ended in a deadlock mainly because of the Brazilian side bashing shots off the goal frame all night.
Neither team scored in the first half, but there was plenty of offense, mostly from Flamengo. The teams combined to hit the woodwork four times in the opening period, with three of those coming from the Brazilians.
The action didn’t take long to get started, as Flamengo won a free kick just to the left of the penalty area. The back-post service found Danilo, who redirected the cross off the right post. The rebound popped out to Luiz Araujo near the top of the area on the right, but he sent his shot fizzing over the crossbar in the fourth minute.
LAFC followed suit five minutes later. A free kick turned into a corner, and the MLS side played it short. Mark Delgado was left in space outside the area, and the midfielder fired a shot from the left toward the right post. The goalkeeper couldn’t quite reach it at full stretch, but it crashed off the right post in the ninth minute.
Two minutes later, Flamengo’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta found space on the left near the top of the area and smashed a shot toward goal that crashed off the crossbar. Flamengo kept the pressure on for much of the rest of the half. Guillermo Varela’s cross nearly forced an own goal in the 15th minute. Evertton Araujo was a late arrival at the top of the box moments later, but his shot was blocked out front by the LAFC defense.
Pedro hit the crossbar in the 30th minute on a play that should have opened the scoring. A good ball in over the top resulted in LAFC defender Eddie Segura, who was tracking Luiz Araujo, crashing into his own goalkeeper. With Hugo Lloris down as the result of friendly fire, the ball found Pedro in front at about the penalty spot, but he sent his effort off the woodwork yet again.
Lloris was down for several minutes getting treatment, but he was able to continue.
LAFC eventually had a prolonged spell of possession, and it turned into a scoring chance. Flamengo goalkeeper Agustin Rossi came off his line to try to punch away a chip pass over the back line. Marlon Santos collected it and slotted just inside the left post, but he was offside on the play and the game remained scoreless.
The closing minutes of the opening half were a bit quiet, and the teams went to the break level.
Flamengo held the halftime advantage in shots (9-2), corner kicks (4-2), and passing accuracy (94.3%-88.6%). Neither side put a shot on target, despite hitting the post and crossbar.
The second half was a bit slower and more cautious. The first real look at goal came in the 50th minute when Pedro fired from distance, but his shot was always going over the bar.
Seven minutes later, Bouanga crafted LAFC’s best chance of the game to that point, getting down the right, cutting inside, and firing a wicked shot toward the near post. The attempt went just wide and found the outside netting instead.
Flamengo came right back the other way and nearly created the opener. Everton took a layoff from De Arrascaeta and blasted it on frame. Lloris was able to fight it off. On the ensuing corner, Pedro sent an acrobatic shot just over the bar that would have made for a spectacular highlight goal had it been a little lower.
The Brazilian side then got its second shot on target in the 64th minute. Luiz Araujo fired from distance, but it was right at Lloris, who fielded it easily on one hop.
De Arrascaeta joined in the parade of shots off the goal frame in the 70th minute when he smashed his effort from the top of the box. Once again, a Flamengo shot came back off the crossbar. Ten minutes later, Leo Ortiz got his head to a free kick delivery in the box, but he popped his effort up high over the goal.
LAFC scored against the run of play in the 84th minute. Timothy Tillman was fouled near midfield in LAFC’s half. The MLS side took the free kick quickly, with Bouanga timing his run perfectly and taking the pass in stride. Alone on goal, he beat Rossi to put LAFC on top 1-0. It was LAFC’s only shot on target of the game.
The lead lasted only two minutes. Second-half sub Yan picked up the ball outside the box and no one closed him down. He sliced through the middle of the LAFC defense and slotted past Lloris to tie the match in the 86th minute.
Allan came within inches of giving Flamengo the lead in the 89th minute, running onto a loose ball at the top of the penalty area and sending a shot just outside the right post.
Neither side could create a clear-cut chance in the four minutes of stoppage time and the teams split the points in an entertaining affair.
Flamengo finished with the advantage in possession (59%-30% with 11% contested possession), shots (18-4), shots on target (3-1), corners (6-3), and passing accuracy (92%-87.4%).
LAFC is out of the competition after going 0-2-1. Flamengo won Group D with a 2-0-1 mark. The Brazilians’ reward for winning Group D is facing Bayern Munich, the runners-up in Group C, on Sunday in Miami.
Camping World Stadium and Orlando have one more group stage match to host on Thursday, and it’s a big one. Juventus will take on Manchester City here at 3 p.m. in a battle for Group G supremacy. Both teams are on six points with +8 goal differentials.
Local Soccer Events
SL Benfica vs. Auckland City FC: Final Score 6-0 as Benfica Wears Down New Zealanders
Auckland City defended resolutely for 45+ minutes but once Benfica got its first goal, the resistance broke down.
Auckland City FC held out for a while, but all of the bending eventually caused the New Zealand club to break. SL Benfica dominated this 2025 FIFA Club World Cup match at Inter&Co Stadium. Angel Di Maria scored from the penalty spot deep in first-half stoppage time to break the scoreless deadlock and the ceiling fell in on Auckland City in the second half, as Benfica won 6-0 in front of an announced crowd of 6,730.
Di Maria completed his brace from the penalty spot deep in second-half stoppage time. Leandro Barreiro scored a brace in the second half two minutes apart, and Renato Sanches and Evangelos Pavlidis also scored for the Portuguese side, which found the net five times after a lengthy weather delay that began at halftime. Benfica momentarily takes the lead in Group C, pending the outcome of tonight’s Bayern Munich-Boca Juniors match.
As expected, Benfica dominated play against the New Zealand side, creating nearly all the game’s chances and keeping the ball for extended spells.
The first chance fell early to Benfica with Kerem Akturkoglu firing just wide of the left post and hitting the outside netting from the left. In the ninth minute, Nicolas Otamendi tried an audacious bicycle kick off a partial corner kick clearance, but sent his effort straight at 20-year-old Auckland City goalkeeper Nathan Garrow. Akturkoglu missed just wide to the right moments later.
Pavlidis should have scored in the 24th minute when he got in behind. The defense recovered just enough to effect his shot, which skipped just inches wide of the right post.
As the first half wound down, Garrow made several heroic saves to keep the game scoreless. He denied Barreiro, Otamendi and Orkan Kokcu with three of his better stops. Fredrik Aursnes thought he’d put Benfica ahead in the 43rd minute but he scored after a whistle for a collision with Garrow, who spilled his catch attempt. Gianluca Prestianni sent a header inches over the bar a minute later, putting it onto the roof of the net.
Just when it looked like Auckland City would survive the first half without conceding, disaster struck. Haris Zeb got on the wrong side of Prestianni in the box and stuck in a foot, bringing the Argentine down and conceding a penalty. Di Maria stood over the ball, took a stutter-step runup, and sent a soft shot down the middle to beat Garrow, who had made a dive to his right. Benfica led 1-0 in the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Auckland City had a late set piece from about 25 yards out on the left in the dying minutes of the first half, but the service was overhit and out of play.
Benfica dominated statistically as well as territorially, finishing the first half with the advantage in shots (17-1), shots on target (9-0), corners (5-0), and passing accuracy (99.6%-74.4%).
One of Orlando’s omnipresent summer storms moved into the area as the halftime whistle blew, delaying the restart by about two hours.
When the game resumed, Auckland City finally put a shot on target. Off a long-range set piece, the ball found Zeb on the left side at the top of the box. His shot was saved at the near post by Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. The Kiwi side could do nothing with the ensuing corner.
From that point on, it was once again nearly all Benfica, which eventually wore down Auckland City’s resolve. Pavlidis made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute when he took a pass from Kokcu and discarded Michael den Heijer to get free in on goal before slotting home.
Just 10 minutes later, Sanches scored with one of his first touches of the ball. Taking the ball from an Otamendi layoff at the top of the box, Sanches fired through the bodies in front. The ball took a deflection and went in, and the floodgates were fully opened.
The fourth and fifth goals both came from Barreiro in the 76th and 78th minutes, as Benfica was so confident that Trubin was playing near midfield and all 10 outfield players were in the attacking third most of the half. Both goals were easy finishes as the Auckland back line simply couldn’t keep up with the barrage of attacking movements. Pavlidis sent a good ball from the left across the six on the first one.
Moments later, the ball in behind the defense came from the right.
Auckland got in a weak shot or two from distance but didn’t threaten much after the early second-half set pieces. The game was done and dusted but Benfica wasn’t done scoring.
A penalty in the area in stoppage time wasn’t initially given, but upon video review, Benfica was awarded a second spot kick. Just like the first, Di Maria scored it in the eighth minute of stoppage time for the final tally.
The final whistle mercifully blew moments later to end the proceedings.
In the end, Benfica finished with a commanding advantage in shots (31-5), shots on target (20-2), corners (6-1), and passing accuracy (86.2%-70.3%).
That’s it for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium. The next match in Orlando will pit MLS side LAFC against Brazilian giants Flamengo in Group D play at Camping World Stadium Tuesday at 9 p.m.
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