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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Claim Road Victory in Columbus

After a lackluster first 66 minutes, the Lions dominated the final 30 minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit and beat the Crew on the road.

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5 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City was dominated by the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field for more than an hour, but after falling behind, the Lions owned the final 30 minutes. Lion killer Diego Rossi spotted the hosts a 1-0 lead with a penalty kick goal, but Ramiro Enrique’s brace and Martin Ojeda’s insurance goal turned the game on its head late in a 3-1 OCSC road victory. Orlando City (11-6-8, 41 points) handed the Crew (12-5-8, 44 points) their second loss of the year as the home team and their first defeat of 2025 at Lower.com Field. The Crew had previously only lost as the “home” team in Cleveland.

Orlando won its second straight match — both on the road — on the heels of a four-game winless streak.

“Congratulations to the players for such an effort tonight,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The discipline, the willingness to do the task on the pitch, the tactical respect that they have for the game for the whole 90-plus minutes — almost 100 — was something that we were insisting during the week, and they won a very important game and very well deserved, too. So, again, congratulations to the players for such an important victory.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top.

The match was delayed about an hour due to storms in Columbus, and when things finally got underway, the hosts immediately got on the front foot. Rossi headed wide 12 seconds into the game and then fired a shot that Gallese had to save in the second minute. Nagbe saw his shot blocked in the eighth minute after a careless layoff by Muriel to nobody in the defensive third. Moments later, Jacen Russell-Rowe fired wide in transition.

Orlando struggled to maintain any pressure in the attacking third in the game’s first 10-15 minutes. The Lions finally got a shot off in the 21st minute when Pasalic did well to split defenders and fire, but his effort was blocked. The rebound caromed straight to Muriel with only Patrick Schulte to beat, but the Colombian couldn’t do it, leaving his shot close enough to the middle for the goalkeeper to save.

After that miss, the Crew had a shooting gallery for awhile, as the Lions refused to stop giving the ball away cheaply.

Daniel Gazdag headed just wide in the 23rd minute. Columbus did nothing with the ensuing corner, but the hosts kept the pressure on. Russell-Rowe sent a one-time shot off a Steven Moreira pass just wide of the left post in the 25th minute. Moments later, Angulo got torched by Ibrahim Aliyu, who found Russell-Rowe on the right. The forward fired a shot but Gallese was able to make a big save.

The Lions finally got another sight of goal at the half-hour mark, with Pasalic splitting defenders just outside the box and sending a shot on frame. Schulte made the save, but couldn’t control the rebound, which looked like it would fall for Muriel, but the Colombian was offside.

Three minutes after Pasalic’s half-chance, the Crew again got forward. Max Arfsten cut inside of Freeman and Schlegel overplayed his help defense. That allowed the fullback to get an open look at goal, but Arfsten sent his shot fizzing just wide of the right post. Orlando gave the ball right back after the goal kick and Dylan Chambost sent a shot right at Gallese from distance.

Brekalo sent a cross into the box for Ojeda in the 38th minute, but there wasn’t much on it and the Lions’ No. 10 tried heading a hopeful ball into space for a runner that never arrived. The best Orlando attacking buildup of the half ended up on Ojeda’s foot at the top of the box in the 45th minute, but the shot sailed wastefully over the bar.

Neither side could do much in the three added minutes and the teams went into halftime scoreless.

Columbus held the halftime advantage in possession (61.9%-38.1%), shots (10-4), shots on target (3-2), corners (4-0), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81%). Despite the Crew’s domination, the half ended with the same score as when the game began.

“We couldn’t retain the ball in the first half,” Pareja said. “Our sequences were very short. We didn’t find the spaces to provide a little bit of peace to our team. And Columbus, they know how to use the spaces, and they were creating a lot of trouble, especially on our left, despite the job that Ivan (Angulo) and Brekalo, and Robin (Jansson), and Cesar (Araujo) — they tried to stop them. But I have to admit that they have very good system and very good players on that side. We couldn’t stop it. But the worst thing for us was that we couldn’t retain the ball, because we couldn’t compete for the ball a little better.”

Not much changed at the break. Columbus continued to see way more of the ball and Orlando kept turning the ball over when the defense was able to snuff out attacks. The first came in the 46th minute when Atuesta was pulled down with no call from referee Timothy Ford, igniting the counter. Rossi fired just wide of the left post in transition.

Jansson’s poor clearance in the 52nd minute found Russell-Rowe at the top of the box. The Crew forward fired on target but Gallese made a big stop. Columbus then won a series of set pieces in the attacking third but could do nothing with them.

Orlando got a rare shot in the 60th minute when Muriel tried his luck from extreme range. The shot sailed well over the crossbar.

The Crew took the lead in the 66th minute. Pasalic somehow ended up on the opposite side of the pitch and a cross into the box grazed his hand. The ball didn’t change trajectory and came from close range, Ford went to the monitor and awarded a penalty for handball. Rossi sent Gallese the wrong way and scored.

Enrique replaced Muriel after the penalty.

Orlando had its own shout for a penalty in the 72nd minute. Angulo split two defenders to get into the box and Moreira grabbed him and pulled the arm. The Colombian went down but there was no call and the video assistant referee did not send Ford to the monitor.

“When Moreira grabbed his hand, it was so clear, and we couldn’t explain ourselves on the bench how that could not be (overturned),” Pareja said.

The Lions struck four minutes later anyway. Angulo beat Arfsten — who switched sides when Lassi Lappalainen came on for Russell-Rowe — down the left side and lifted a cross into the middle. Enrique was passively marked and took advantage, flicking a header inside the right post to tie the match in the 76th minute.

“Ramiro coming into the game really helped us a lot, because he came in with so much energy,” Angulo said. “And, you know, I think everybody just really pushed ahead. And of course, it changed the game.”

The same players hooked up three minutes later. Ojeda sent a great through ball on the left for Angulo to run onto. The Colombian winger sent a good centering pass across the top of the six and Enrique tapped it home to complete his brace with his seventh goal of the season in the 79th minute.

“It’s just a good example of his professionalism, his dedication, his patience,” Pareja said of Enrique. “The energy that he brought us today and not just the two goals that he scored, obviously are the most important, but I think the sensibility that he showed today with his group, coming from the bench and giving us the best. Again, big, big game for us and Ramiro did a phenomenal job today.”

Enrique now has five goals and an assist in five career matches against Columbus, starting only one of those games. With his second assist of the night, Angulo has three in the past two matches.

As time wound down, Zakaria Taifi and Kyle Smith replaced Pasalic and Angulo. Orlando had to face quite a bit of pressure and several Crew corners. Aliyu sent a shot on frame from the right in the 87th minute but it didn’t trouble Gallese.

It seemed excessive when the fourth official put 10 minutes on his board.

Aliyu was left unmarked in the second minute of stoppage time, but he sent a volley shot over the bar. Orlando then had to deal with a couple of corners as the Crew pushed for an equalizer.

Ojeda put the match away in the sixth minute of added time. Freeman broke in transition and cut inside in the attacking half. The fullback sent a good diagonal ball for Ojeda to run onto in stride, and the Argentine smashed a shot just inside the near post past Schulte to seal the win.

“We depend a lot on that different talent that the DPs (Designated Players) have, and Martin, what he has done over the year, he has proven himself, and has proven to everyone how important and how good he is,” Pareja said. “What I have to remark is that with Martin Ojeda, you warrant effort, talent, sacrifice, discipline. He’s not the one who needs the lights and attention. He just does the job the best he can for his team.”

With his 13th goal of the season and a secondary assist on each of Enrique’s goals, Ojeda now has a goal contribution in 10 straight matches. He also moved past Nani into sole possession for the most goal contributions in a season for the Lions, with 25.

Before the final whistle blew, Gallese made one more save on Rossi, and Ford brought the match to a close.

Columbus finished with the statistical advantage in possession (60.8%-39.2%), shots (18-10), shots on target (7-6), corners (9-1), and passing accuracy (88.4%-82.3%). However, the Lions were the more clinical team and their play over the final 30 minutes was the difference between a meek road loss and a vital three points against one of the conference’s best teams.

“It was a tough game, and we knew that it was going to be like that,” Angulo said. “Columbus is a great team, and they like to have the ball for a majority of the match. The first half, we suffered a lot because of that. But in the second half, we turned it around. We stuck with it, and we showed a lot of character to pull out the win tonight.”

MLS now breaks for Leagues Cup. The Lions will be back in action at home Wednesday night against Liga MX side Pumas.

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Lion Links: 12/9/25

Thomas Williams departs via trade, World Cup hydration breaks, UEFA Champions League previews, and more.

Published

18 hours ago

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December 9, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. The 2025 MLS season is officially over, which means it’s time to start looking ahead to 2026. The start of next season is still over two months away, but there are still plenty of things going on in the soccer world during the meantime. We’ve got a lot to discuss this morning so let’s get right into the links.

Thomas Williams Traded

Orlando City announced on Monday that it has traded Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to Nashville SC. In exchange, Nashville sent Orlando its first-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft and will also send up to an additional $100,000 in General Allocation Money if certain performance incentives are hit. That first-round pick is the 20th overall selection in the draft, meaning that Orlando now has the fifth, ninth, 14th, and the 20th overall picks, for a whopping four first-round selections. Williams’ departure means that Orlando will likely need to sign a fourth center back to join Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and David Brekalo, although whether that happens in the draft or via the transfer window/trade market is anyone’s guess.

World Cup Will Have Hydration Breaks

FIFA has announced that every game in the 2026 World Cup will be paused for three minutes during each half for a hydration break, regardless of weather conditions. The break will occur 22 minutes into each half, and effectively splits the game into four quarters. After some games in the Club World Cup were played in over 100-degree heat, the decision to include water breaks was made to prioritize player safety, and the choice to have breaks even in games where conditions don’t call for one is intended to ensure competitive balance. The decision is a sensible one when it comes to player welfare, but don’t be at all surprised when FIFA uses the three-minute time frame to run advertisements, because I guarantee that’s what will happen.

UEFA Champions League Returns

The UEFA Champions League is back for its sixth round of league phase matches this week, and there are several eye-catching matchups on the docket. Today’s action is highlighted by Liverpool traveling to the San Siro to face Inter Milan, and the Reds will be hoping for a repeat of the Round of 16 tie between the two teams back in 2021-2022, when they beat the Italians 2-0 in Milan. Meanwhile, Chelsea will hope to build off an impressive 3-0 win over Barcelona on matchday five, when the Blues travel to Bergamo to face Atalanta. The tentpole match on Wednesday sees Real Madrid host Manchester City, with the match marking the fifth straight season that the teams have played each other in the Champions League.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The January transfer window will be here before we know it, and as expected, the rumor mill is firing on all cylinders. Up first, Napoli is said to be increasing its efforts to sign Kobbie Mainoo on loan next month, as the Italian club needs capable bodies in a midfield that’s been wracked by injuries. Atletico Madrid is reportedly interested in signing Valentin Barco from Strasbourg, but Chelsea may have an advantage in landing his signature due to the fact that Strasbourg and Chelsea are sister clubs. AC Milan is said to be planning to use Luka Modric’s connection to Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to help sign the Ukrainian shot stopper if current goalkeeper Mike Maignan leaves at the end of the season. Finally, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Manchester United are all said to be interested in signing Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, but the French club wants a fee in the area of €60 million.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s a peek at some of the off-season renovations underway at Inter&Co Stadium.
  • The NWSL will be hosting a combine for the first time.

🔵 Sources: Sporting KC has acquired GK Stefan Cleveland from Austin FC.Deal is worth $50k GAM. Cleveland has signed a new contract with SKC.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2025-12-08T16:13:32.116Z

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City Sends Defender Thomas Williams to Nashville for First-Round Pick

The Lions deal their Homegrown center back to Nashville for a first-round 2026 draft pick.

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1 day ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced today that the club has sent Homegrown center back Thomas Williams to Nashville SC in a trade for the Tennessee club’s first pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The deal could also net Orlando City up to an additional $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) if Williams meets certain performance metrics.

The pick acquired is the No. 20 overall selection in the Dec. 18 SuperDraft, giving Orlando four picks in the draft’s first round. The Lions hold the No. 5 overall pick (from the LA Galaxy), the No. 9 selection (from the Houston Dynamo FC), their own pick at No. 14, and now the No. 20 slot from Nashville.

The club signed Williams, 21, to a Homegrown Player contract on June 15, 2021, making him the 11th Homegrown signing in OCSC history. He was just 16 years old at the time and already stood 6-foot-4. He was the club’s youngest Homegrown signing to that point at just 16 years and 10 months, surpassing Tommy Redding (17 years, one month, 15 days). Orlando City picked up Williams’ contract option in 2024 and apparently saw enough in his development to sign him to a new contract through 2026 on Jan. 22 with an option for 2027.

In 2025, Williams spent most of his season with Orlando City B, where he played in 24 games, (all starts), logging 2,117 minutes with the Young Lions. Defensively, he recorded 44 clearances, 35 tackles, 31 interceptions, 25 blocks and 33 aerial duels won in MLS NEXT Pro. He committed 27 fouls while picking up seven yellow cards and suffering seven fouls. He passed with 91% accuracy while completing three key passes and contributing one assist, and he took 14 shots with six of them finding the target. For the senior side, Williams was limited to one appearance from the substitutes’ bench for a total of 10 minutes against CF Montreal in the regular season, and he did not appear in any other competitions. He contributed three clearances, one tackle, and one interception on defense while also committing a foul. He completed his lone pass but did not record any offensive statistics.

Williams did not appear with the first team in MLS play in 2024 or 2023, but he made four appearances (two starts) in 2022, logging 181 minutes without a goal contribution. He made his MLS debut with Orlando City on April 16 of that season, when he played one minute off the bench in the Lions’ 2-0 win at Columbus. He entered during stoppage time and did not even register a touch of the ball. His first start with the senior team came just days later, when the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the U.S. Open Cup — a game Orlando won 2-1 on April 20. In all, Williams was on Orlando City’s team sheet for 24 league matches and two USOC games. He played in just the one game vs. Tampa Bay, going 90 minutes; recording no goals, assists, or shots; passing at an 89% success rate; and committing one foul.

What It Means for Orlando City

At just 21 years old, there is still a ton of time for Williams to develop into the center back Orlando City envisioned when the club signed him as a Homegrown Player, but if he does, it will be somewhere other than in Orlando. Williams has been an inconsistent performer at the MLS NEXT Pro level over the past few seasons, but some of that can be attributed to the number of different lineups and center back partners he’s played with over that time. It became clear that Orlando City’s current coaching staff did not trust Williams enough to give him first-team minutes when Kyle Smith started filling in when the Lions were down more than one center back from the group of Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and David Brekalo.

What this move might do, aside from potentially bringing in a player in the draft who can help the club for years to come, is force Orlando City to sign a capable fourth center back, which is something that the club has seemed loathe to do while Williams was waiting in the wings with OCB. Not having that fourth guy hurt the team in the Leagues Cup third-place match against the LA Galaxy in 2025, and it could have bitten the team at any time if injuries would have hit that position group hard. A veteran MLS center back who is willing to play a role off the bench would be a strong addition to the team’s defensive corps, given the propensity of Jansson and Schlegel to get suspended through yellow card accumulation or the occasional straight red card.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/8/25

USMNT World Cup group is set, the bad guys win MLS Cup, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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December 8, 2025

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Image of Alex Freeman celebrating his first goal against Uruguay in the USMNT's 5-1 win in Tampa.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Rich Story / Getty Images

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work while covering high school basketball and wrestling this week. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Zara Chavoshi, who turned 23 Saturday. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

World Cup Draw Reveals Favorable Group for USMNT

The FIFA World Cup draw was completed Friday in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Men’s National Team will face Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of UEFA Path C which will be decided between the winners of Turkey vs. Romania and Slovakia vs. Kosovo. FIFA also announced the match times, location, and full schedule for all the 2026 World Cup matches. The opening World Cup match for the USMNT will be June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The Yanks will play again June 19 against Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle, before facing the UEFA playoff winner on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium.

As for the cohosts, Mexico was drawn with South Korea, South Africa, and the UEFA Path D winner between the victors in the Czech Republic vs. Ireland and Denmark vs. North Macedonia matches. Canada will face Qatar, Switzerland, and the UEFA Path A winner between whoever survives the bracket with Italy vs. Northern Ireland and Wales vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Inter Miami Wins MLS Cup

Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Saturday at Chase Stadium to win its first MLS Cup, because sometimes evil triumphs over good. Miami went ahead early on an own goal by Vancouver defender Edier Ocampo. In the second half, the Whitecaps’ Ali Ahmed scored the equalizer, but Rodrigo De Paul pulled Miami back in front at 2-1. In stoppage time, Tadeo Allende added an insurance goal for Miami. Lionel Messi had two assists and was named the MLS Cup MVP. It’s the third consecutive year Miami has won a trophy since Messi’s arrival, taking the Leagues Cup title in 2023 and the Supporters’ Shield in 2024. The Whitecaps’ stellar MLS Cup playoff run ended with questions surrounding the club’s future. The Whitecaps remain for sale, but according to The Athletic, the club may relocate if it can’t secure a new lease at BC Place.

Americans Abroad

It was another busy weekend for Americans abroad in Europe. Weston McKennie added an assist for Juventus, but his side fell 2-1 to Napoli. Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in the second half, played 25 minutes, and notched an assist in Leeds United’s 3-3 draw against Liverpool. Malik Tillman played 81 minutes but Bayer Leverkusen fell 2-0 to FC Augsburg. Joe Scally played 90 minutes as Borussia Monchengladbach beat Mainz 1-0. In France, Tim Weah played 90 minutes but his side fell 1-0 to his former team Lille. Mark McKenzie played a full 90 as well, as Toulouse beat Strasbourg 1-0. Today, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan will face Torino in Serie A league action.

San Diego Wave FC Wins World Sevens Tournament

The San Diego Wave defeated Tigres 3-0 Sunday at Beyond Bancard Field in Fort Lauderdale to win the World Sevens Soccer Tournament and take home $2 million in prize money. Adriana Leon scored two goals in the match. The Wave went undefeated in the tournament, winning five matches and scoring 14 goals while conceding only three. The Wave defeated Deportivo Cali, beat Club America in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw, and beat Nacional in the group stage, while cruising to a 5-1 win over Flamengo in the semifinals. The Wave weren’t the only NWSL side in the competition; the Kansas City Current also participated but were eliminated in the group stage.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s Croatia side will face England, Panama, and Ghana in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer.

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

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