Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Erase Late Two-Goal Deficit
The Lions looked dead when staring at a 2-0 road deficit and not creating much offensively, but Orlando punched back twice to steal a road point.
Trailing 2-0 with less than 25 minutes remaining, Orlando City fought back for a 2-2 road draw against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium tonight. Pep Biel scored late in the first half to put the hosts ahead, and Bill Tuiloma doubled the lead after the break. Ramiro Enrique pulled one back for Orlando City (9-5-7, 34 points), and Marco Pasalic fired home late to give Orlando a hard-fought, come-from-behind draw at Charlotte (8-11-2, 26 points). Martin Ojeda assisted on both goals.
The Lions are unbeaten in their last three road matches (2-0-1), but are winless in two straight overall after last week’s home loss to FC Cincinnati and tonight’s draw (0-1-1).
“The feeling is we could have, or we should, have got three points here in Charlotte,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after this game. “But we paid the price to our distractions on those two goals that was much more our responsibility there on our duties there that we have to control. And then we have to push in many different ways to find that equalizer and try to get the winning goal. But it was not enough.”
Pareja’s starting lineup included goalkeeper Pedro Gallese behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ojeda and Pasalic, with Enrique and Luis Muriel up top.
Charlotte opened the game pressing high up the field, forcing Orlando City to be precise to play out. The Lions did just that early on, winning a free kick just inside Charlotte’s half of the field. Orlando switched the field on the set piece, with Thorhallsson finding Pasalic after drawing two defenders to himself. The Croatian did well to work the ball into the box before being cut off. The ball fell between Enrique and Atuesta, with the latter sending a soft shot toward the near post that didn’t have enough power to bother Kristijan Kahlina.
Brekalo was able to sneak in behind the defense on the left in the 13th minute, getting onto a beautiful back-post ball from Pasalic, but the Slovenian’s header for the near post was saved by Kahlina.
Moments later, Brekalo was fouled by Brandt Bronico just inside Charlotte territory. The defender was knocked off balance by the foul and his flailing arm caught the midfielder, drawing blood. Brekalo was curiously shown a yellow card for an elbow that the foul by Bronico created.
Charlotte’s first look at goal came in the 26th minute. Jansson got caught forward after knocking a ball away and trying to chase it down. The hosts took possession and a quick ball over the top found Kerwin Vargas, who was kept onside by Schlegel. Vargas went for goal but Gallese did well to fight it off with a vital save.
A couple of set pieces and an Ojeda cross in for nobody attacking the goal later preceded a decent spell of possession by Charlotte. The hosts were able to keep the Lions pinned in their end for a few minutes, as Orlando couldn’t find precision in trying to break out. That eventually resulted in a couple of poor clearance attempts pinging around and finding Nicholas Scardina, who fired well wide of the left post.
Charlotte scored five minutes later. Bill Tuiloma had the ball on his foot in Charlotte’s defensive third and sent a great diagonal ball to Scardina, who was given plenty of space all throughout the first half by Brekalo. Biel cut from the middle toward the right, beating Araujo to Scardina’s pass before firing in an inch-perfect shot just out of Gallese’s reach and inside the back post to make it 1-0 in the 40th minute.
“The first goal, I think we had a second of distractions when they switched the point of the attack,” Pareja said. “It should have been positionally better, and our shape should have been better in those circumstances when they played that long ball to Scardina.”
Pasalic tried an audacious shot from distance in the 43rd minute, but he didn’t clear his defender and it was easily blocked. The ball went behind for a corner, and Pasalic went to the flag to take the kick. The Croatian’s cross found Brekalo, but the defender sent his shot wide of the target.
Orlando City moved the ball too slowly in stoppage time to create any final chances and went to the break down a goal on the road.
At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (61.4%-38.6%), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (89.5%-80.5%). Both teams attempted four shots and put two on target, but the hosts had the all-important goal.
“I think they played a very good first half tactically,” Atuesta said. “The chance that they had, they scored. But in the second half, we knew what to do maybe to make them suffer a little bit more, and we did it. Almost we won the three points.”
Pareja subbed on Rafael Santos for Brekalo at the break, looking to get more width from the fullback position to allow Ojeda to come inside more. It eventually worked and allowed the Lions to become dangerous from their left side.
“I think we unlocked the team with that movement,” Pareja said. “We wanted to see different connections on the left when we lined up Martin (Ojeda), Ramiro (Enrique), Luis (Muriel), I think we were very aggressive the way we lined up the group. I really think we should have had much more volume. Just bringing Rafa in the second half, I think immediately everybody just got back into the confidence and the better spots, and we looked a much, much (more) dangerous team.”
However, whatever was said at halftime in the Orlando City locker room was not immediately successful. Biel fired a shot on goal from Charlotte’s attacking right within a minute of the restart that required a Gallese save. Orlando quickly gave the ball right back and Biel was left in too much space just outside the box. He fired just over Gallese’s crossbar in the 47th minute.
The Lions were bereft of ideas in the attacking third and started trying to strike from distance. Muriel fired a couple of yards wide from range in the 51st minute, and Santos smashed a shot wide of the same right post in the 53rd on an impatient play that appeared to have promise with numbers. Three minutes later, Muriel did well to give Ojeda the ball in the box at pace, but the Argentine took a touch and that allowed the Charlotte defense to converge and prevent a scoring chance.
Enrique should have put the Lions on the board in the 62nd minute. Sent over the top, the forward did well to round Kahlina, but he couldn’t pick up the ball cleanly and by the time he fired his shot, Scardina had gotten back and blocked it off the line. Araujo sent a weak header at Kahlina on the ensuing corner kick.
Gallese came out of the box to try to prevent a transition over the top but he didn’t get enough on his clearance and he committed a foul, taking a booking for it. He’ll miss the next match due to yellow card accumulation. Charlotte made the ensuing set piece pay off when Santos failed to stay tight to Tuiloma, who headed it in at the back post to make it 2-0 in the 65th minute.
“On the second one, I think we’re all conscious that the ball should have been cleared and it ended up just giving up (a goal) on a set play,” Pareja said. “In those moments I feel that we should have done better.”
The way Orlando had been playing to that point, it seemed the game was done and dusted, but the Lions scratched their way back into the match out of nowhere. A nice give-and-go between Muriel and Ojeda ended up with the latter sending a ball across the six for Enrique to tap home for his fifth goal of the MLS season. It was game on in the 69th minute.
As the Lions chased the game, they were bound to give up some space, and second-half sub Liel Abada found himself in acres of it near the top of the area in the 71st minute, but Gallese was able to make the save.
Ojeda did well to set up Pasalic in the 73rd minute on the right, but the winger missed the target just wide to the right on a golden opportunity to tie the game.
Jansson picked up a yellow breaking up a transition in the 75th minute and he will join Gallese in missing the next match because of yellow card accumulation. However, the captain picked up a knock on a collision two minutes later and had to sub off for Kyle Smith, ending his night early. Pareja said after the match that Jansson should be fine after serving the suspension.
Pasalic tied things up in the 80th minute, taking a layoff from Muriel in the box and smashing his shot just inside the right post. Improbably, the Lions were level with 10 minutes plus injury time remaining after Pasalic’s 10th goal of the season.
Both teams looked for the winning goal down the stretch, but Orlando held more of the ball. Abada fired wide in the 84th minute on one of Charlotte’s few looks in the final minutes.
Atuesta did well to walk through the defense into the box moments later, eventually turning down a shot to give the ball to Enrique, but the forward couldn’t collect it until he had his back to goal and couldn’t work his way into position to shoot. Atuesta said the artificial turf had played a role in the lack of sharpness at times in the attacking third, and it was a factor on that play.
“I had the opportunity there to have the chance to shoot, and I saw the defender comes with with everything to not let me should shoot,” Atuesta said. “I cut, then I did another. The ball goes through (the defender’s legs), and I saw (Enrique) ready to just kick the ball inside the net. But it’s not easy, this field, to be sharp in those little details. It’s not the same as grass. Maybe that’s why we missed a little bit some chances in the box.”
Ojeda had a shot from outside the area blocked in the sixth minute of injury time, and neither side came closer than that in the final minutes. The teams had to settle for splitting the points.
Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (62.2%-37.8%), shots (16-11), shots on target (6-5), corners (6-2), and passing accuracy (89.8%-81.3%). Had Enrique or Pasalic been able to convert for a brace with their golden opportunities, the one point may have been three, but the Lions are likely glad to take home anything after trailing by two goals on the road past the hour mark.
“I thought we accomplished the fact that we tied the game in a very difficult scenario for us, just losing 2-0 away,” Pareja said. “So credit (to) the players that never gave up that intention. Even if we had a few minutes more, I’m pretty sure that the result was ours. But we take this point. There’s some things that we still feel that we should have done better, but it will tell us in the next two games at home, if we get our results, that this point is valuable.”
“I’m very proud of my team,” Atuesta said. “Because it’s not easy losing 2-0 and then drawing the game like that. It’s good to have that feeling that we almost won the game.”
The Lions will return home to face CF Montreal a week from tonight at Inter&Co Stadium.
Orlando City
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Get up to speed on the Pigeons ahead of Saturday’s game, courtesy of someone who knows them best.
Happy Friday, everyone. Orlando City got a week of rest after taking care of business against D.C. United at home, and it returns to the purple palace Saturday night to face a New York City FC team with its back against the wall in the race for a playoff place.
A showdown with the Pigeons means I caught up with Matthew Mangam of New York Soccer Journal. As always, he was helpful in getting us up to speed on NYCFC, and we appreciate his help. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so make sure you check them out over at their place!
Talk me through NYCFC’s summer transfer business. Who’s out, who’s in to replace them, and how have they performed?
Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s summer business wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The club brought in striker Luighi on loan from SE Palmeiras and got back midfielder/defender James Sands, whose loan with St. Pauli ended.
Luighi started off well, bagging four goals in his first seven league appearances. But since then, the 20-year-old is on a five-game drought. To his credit, Luighi started only two of his last five games. As for Sands, this is his third stint at NYCFC, so the versatile 26-year-old was welcomed back with open arms.
The biggest acquisition this summer, though, was Bénie Traoré. The winger joined the club as a Designated Player from FC Basel in Switzerland, but it hasn’t gone well. In 15 league appearances, Traoré has one goal — a penalty kick that hit off the post and went in — and no assists.
The club’s last move that didn’t happen in the summer surprised everyone: adding free agent Matt Miazga. The veteran defender hasn’t made his debut yet, and I’m honestly not sure when he will.
New York City has been a wildly different team since the league restarted after the World Cup. What’s happened to cause the change in form?
MM: I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. There’s so much I could say, but if I did then I’d be here all day. I’ll narrow it down to this: NYCFC can’t play a complete 90 minutes.
NYCFC has conceded six goals in stoppage time this season, is 0-4-12 after falling behind 16 times, and is 4-5-6 at home. So, they can’t hang onto leads — they’ve lost seven points after the 75th minute — they have no come-from-behind wins, and they’re poor at home.
There are other smaller factors, like injuries, individual mistakes from usually solid players (Matt Freese and Sands), and players struggling, but, as I said, it’s a lot.
The playoffs are still in reach, as NYCFC is just two points out of eighth. What needs to happen in order to get above the line and stay there?
MM: Simply put, NYCFC needs to win all four remaining games, or, at the very least, go 3-1-0. Teams around them, like Toronto, Columbus, and Cincinnati, are picking up wins and building separation, so NYCFC is in a do-or-die situation.
Getting Alonso Martínez back and starting again is huge, but you can’t expect him to return from a brutal injury and save the team immediately; it’s not fair. Traoré has to step up and show why the club paid DP money for him — one lone goal that, in my opinion, fortunately went in, and no goals from open play is extremely concerning.
Also, Nico Fernández Mercau hasn’t scored in five matches. He’s getting double- and triple-marked because teams are now well aware of how talented the Argentine is, but he has to find a way back on the scoresheet in this stretch. NYCFC needs him to. So, so badly.
Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?
MM: The only players out are the ones with long-term injuries: Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Arnau Farnós, and Drew Baiera.
Given that NYCFC needs to win or the season is practically over, I expect Head Coach Pascal Jansen to leave it all out there with his best possible lineup:
Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill; Hannes Wolf, Nico Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda; Alonso Martínez.
I think Nico Fernández Mercau and Alonso Martínez score, but it won’t be enough, as Antoine Griezmann gets a brace and both teams settle for a 2-2 draw.
Thank you to Matt for his excellent refresher on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando City prepares for New York City FC, Antoine Griezmann’s impact in Orlando, U.S. will host FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, and more.
Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a pretty nice week for me, as I was able to watch all of Slow Horses and finish reading Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson, both of which were brilliant. Attention now turns to this weekend’s soccer, with both Orlando City and the Orlando Pride playing at home over the next couple of days. Let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Prepares for New York City FC
The Lions host New York City FC on Saturday in one of the marquee matchups in MLS as the regular season nears its conclusion. Plenty has changed since Orlando’s 5-0 loss to NYCFC on March 7. The Lions have clawed their way up the table while the Pigeons have only won once in their past 13 league games. NYCFC enters this match after a 1-1 draw with LAFC that included an equalizer by former Lion Andres Perea to give the team a valuable point amid the playoff race. Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, Luighi, and Benie Traore are all NYCFC players the Lions will need to keep in check, or else it could end up being another high-scoring affair in the City Beautiful.
Antoine Griezmann’s Impact on Orlando’s Offense
Orlando’s wait for Antoine Griezmann to join in the summer has proven to be well worth it, as he’s transformed Orlando’s attack into a force to be reckoned with just as the playoffs near. Although Griezmann wasn’t able to enjoy a fairytale ending with Atletico Madrid by lifting the Copa del Rey or Champions League trophies this year, he’s breathed life into an Orlando side that struggled mightily prior to his arrival. The 35-year-old has recorded 12 goals and seven assists in just 14 appearances this season. Not only has he excelled when it comes to getting the ball in the net, but he’s done well in terms of defensive metrics and intangibles as well.
U.S. Will Host Women’s Club World Cup
The inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be held in the U.S. in January of 2028 with the host cities still to be determined. There will be 19 clubs taking part, with Gotham, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Club America having already qualified along with three other teams so far. This tournament is sandwiched between the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, so there’s plenty of exciting women’s soccer to look forward to in the coming years.
U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team Wins at World Cup
The United States U-17 Women’s National Team won 6-1 against Kenya in the group stage of the FIA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, clinching a spot in the round of 16. Maggie DiMaria scored four goals to bring her total to 10 across just two games. The U.S. will play its final group game on Sunday against China PR, which also won both of its games against Kenya and Samoa to secure a spot in the knockout stage. The winner of this group will get to avoid a match with Spain in the round of 16, so there’s still plenty to play for before the next round gets underway.
Free Kicks
- The first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal between the United States Men’s National Team and Haiti has been moved from Kingston to Miami. Haiti has had to play games outside of the country due to unrest and submitted a request to Concacaf to play in the country of its opponent.
- American center back Naomi Girma is now dealing with a calf injury that may sideline her for a few weeks according to Chelsea Head Coach Sonia Bompastor. She missed out on the team’s recent friendlies against Spain and may be absent for the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador next month too.
- The United States Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team beat Ireland 15-0 to advance to the IFCPF Women’s World Cup final, which takes place today against Australia. Annie Wickett scored five goals with four other players scoring braces.
- The San Diego Wave signed defender Mimi Van Zanten to a contract extension through the 2029 season. She’s made 27 appearances for San Diego during her rookie season, helping the club keep pace in the NWSL Shield race.
- After being stretchered off the field due to a head injury in the U.S. Open Cup final, St. Louis City goalkeeper Roman Burki is alert and in good spirits, according to the club.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
Orlando City’s October offensive surge may look like a recent development, but the Lions have been scoring at an impressive rate for months.
We do not watch nearly enough Sesame Street in my house, but ever since the summer we say that A is for Antoine when the show discusses the alphabet. Sadly, this replaced A is for Andrew, which is my name, because Antoine Griezmann is more popular than me in my house. I cannot say that I am surprised, but I can say that it hurts just a little bit. More than a little bit.
For the past few years, O has been for Ojeda, as in Martín Ojeda, the man who is now Orlando City’s all-time leading goal scorer. This October, however, O is for offense, as the Lions have scored 10 goals during their three October matches, and that tally leads all of MLS this month. Orlando City’s offense has actually been on point for several months now, as you can see from the chart below (MLS games only):
| Month | Goals Scored | Games Played | Goals per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| March | 4 | 4 | 1.0 |
| April | 7 | 5 | 1.4 |
| May | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| July* | 5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| August | 9 | 5 | 1.8 |
| September | 11 | 5 | 2.2 |
| October | 10 | 3 | 3.3 |
| Total | 58 | 30 | 1.9 |
- *There were no games in June due to the FIFA Men’s World Cup
Griezmann arrived for the July games, but even before that, the offense had started to heat up in May. Although May 1 is an arbitrary date, if we use it as a benchmark it allows us to capture two-thirds of Orlando City’s season, as the first 10 games happened before May and the team has now played 30 in total. Since May, the Lions rank fourth in MLS in goals scored with 46, sitting behind only Miami (54), Philadelphia (52), and St. Louis (47).
In a matter of perfect symmetry, the Lions also rank fourth in goals allowed, and by rank fourth I most certainly do not mean they are among the best defensive teams in the league. Orlando City has allowed 41 goals in the last 20 games, which is an average of more than two goals allowed per game but is also fewer than the 46 the team has scored. I know you already did the math in your head, but 46 – 41 = 5, and that +5 goal differential since May puts the Lions at eighth overall in MLS.
Perhaps we are now in the Inception timeline, because in yet another matter of symmetry Orlando City has also earned the eighth-most points (34) since May 1. This is yet another reminder of how poor of a start the club had this season, with seven losses in those first 10 games.
Since then, however, the 2026 team has performed like the teams of the past few years, but even with a top 10 performance for two-thirds of the season, it has not been able to climb above seventh in the Eastern Conference. This is because four of the five best teams since May are in the same conference, and the ninth and 10th hottest teams, right behind Orlando City, are also in the East. For those of you counting, hopefully in a voice like The Count’s (“Ah, ah,ah!”), that makes seven of the top 10 Eastern teams, so it is no wonder that the Lions are still in a precarious playoff position.
Saturday’s game against New York City FC is, on paper, the easiest of the remaining four games, but then again, the Pigeons did dirty pigeon things all over the Lions in the first matchup, winning that game 5-0. A repeat performance would wipe away the +5 goal differential Orlando has since May, but in addition to the fact that this game will be played on an actual soccer field, there is another pretty major difference between the early season Lions and the current Lions: Griezmann.
The French superstar is up to 12 goals scored and six primary assists (to go with one secondary assist in only 14 MLS games, which is wild), and he and Ojeda make up one of only seven tandems in the league in which both players have at least 12 goals each (Ojeda has 15). Only three tandems have at least 13 goals each (Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey and Evander, and Nashville’s Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar), and with another goal from Griezmann, the two Lions would become the second pair in club history to each score at least 13 goals in a season, joining Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire in 2023.
Marco Pašalić scored in the most recent game, and both Iván Angulo and Justin Ellis have recorded double-digit goal contributions, so let’s hope the team’s recent offensive onslaught continues, because with all the injuries on the back line and some difficult opponents coming up on the schedule, the Lions will likely need to put up multiple goals if they are going to get results and qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
And considering how poor the start to the season was, if they can orchestrate that it would be outstanding. Let’s gooooooooo.
Vamos Orlando!
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC
Lion Links: 10/23/26
Orlando’s October Outburst Originated Months Ago
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