Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Pumas UNAM, Leagues Cup: Final Score 1-1 (3-4) as Lions Blow Another Home Lead

Orlando again threw away a late 1-0 lead at home, ultimately earning just one point in a shootout loss after a 1-1 draw with Pumas.

Published

1 year ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City’s bad habit of blowing late leads at Inter&Co Stadium continued tonight as the Lions played Pumas UNAM to a 1-1 draw before falling 4-3 in a penalty shootout in their Leagues Cup opener. Officially the road team for this match, Orlando City got an early goal from the unlikely source of Rodrigo Schlegel early in the match, but failed to create much against the Liga MX side throughout the game, attempting just seven shots, with only Schlegel’s threatening the target.

Pumas took advantage of the Lions failing to put them away, with former Houston Dynamo star Adalberto Carrasquilla scoring a late goal to end normal time at 1-1 and sending the match to penalties.

It was the third consecutive match in this stadium in which Orlando led 1-0 late and failed to win the match.

“We had a good first half, very competitive, and we didn’t have plenty control of the game, but we did have ideas,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And we not just scored first, but I thought we have much more volume in attack. That gave us the sensation that we could increase (the lead) in the second half. The second half…they started pushing and we lost control of the ball. We started using the long balls and we couldn’t find a way to get out of that pressure.”

Pareja’s starting lineup featured only one change from the team that took the field Saturday in Columbus. Ramiro Enrique replaced Luis Muriel in the starting XI. Pedro Gallese started 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 Martin Ojeda and Enrique up top.

Pumas started with some energy, going on the attack in the first moments of the game, with Alvaro Angulo flashing a shot from the left just wide of the right post in the second minute.

Orlando’s first foray up the field nearly put Ojeda in alone on goal, but his first touch was a bit off and all he could do was win a corner kick. That turned out to be a good thing. Ojeda took the set piece himself and found Schlegel in the mass of bodies in front of goal. The center back got his head to the cross and knocked it in off the right post past Keylor Navas to give the Lions a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute.

“Happy to score again but a little bit heated for what happened with not being able to score after that,” Schlegel said.

It was Schlegel’s first goal in any competition since scoring against FC Dallas on Sept. 28, 2024.

The game settled into a bit more of a chess match over the next 30 minutes after the goal, with each side winning set pieces here and there but doing nothing with them. The Lions always seemed about to create a dangerous chance, only to have an untidy touch blow up the attack.

Eventually the Liga MX side started growing more into the game and created some chances. Jorgen Ruvalcaba fired from the top of the area off a partially cleared corner kick in the 32nd minute, but the Lions blocked the shot out in front.

A minute later, Pasalic sent a beautiful ball from right to left for Ivan Angulo, who did well with his first touch but sailed his cross over an open Freeman at the back post.

Pumas started getting more bite into the attack as the rain began to fall in Orlando, with Pedro Vite having a shot blocked wide in the 37th minute. Alvaro Angulo’s shot took a deflection a minute later and was on target, but Gallese was able to recover from his initial movement to make a vital save. Guillermo Martinez fizzed a header over the bar in the 40th minute.

Near the end of the half, things got chippy. Freeman was wrestled to the ground by Ruvalcaba behind the play as Pumas attacked in the 44th minute and referee Adonai Escobedo let play go on for some reason. When Freeman retaliated, he cautioned both players, so if the first one was a yellow card offense, play should have stopped and a free kick awarded to Orlando.

Two minutes later, Brekalo was fouled from behind in an obvious attempt to slow down play. The Slovenian tried to fight off his opponent only for his hand to get up in the head and neck area, and he was the second OCSC player into the books. Ivan Angulo then got booked during the same stoppage. The Pumas player who committed the foul got nothing.

Ojeda had his shot blocked in front deep in stoppage time and Orlando could do nothing with a pair of corners on the final attacking sequences of the first half.

At the break, Pumas had the advantage in possession (50.4%-49.6%) and shots (7-3). Orlando City led in corners (5-4) and passing accuracy (92.5%-86.7%). Each team put one shot on target.

“I think we played a great first half, and we were really dominating the game within the game,” Schlegel said. “And then the second half, we had a little bit more difficulty, just due to the situation in the game. They were down. They had to start coming out of their area more, and I think it made things difficult on us.”

Pumas owned the second half. Orlando didn’t play like a team interested in adding to its lead for the first 15 minutes, and after that, the Lions dropped deep and allowed the Liga MX side to have the ball, which never seemed like a good idea, and it turned out not to be. Pumas grew confident and created, while easily carving out any counter opportunities Orlando City had in mind.

The Lions took the first shot of the second half but created no danger from it. Ojeda tried to chip Navas from the left side in the 47th minute, but his shot sailed high over the goal.

Two minutes later, Alvaro Angulo fired the first warning shot of the second half, blasting an effort from distance on the left that Gallese fought off. Ruvalcaba fired wide to the right in the 59th minute when given too much space. Pumas scored in the 65th minute, but the play was obviously offside and the flag came up quickly. The flag saved Freeman some blushes, as the young fullback had a chance to clear just prior to that but turned the ball over in the defensive third.

Orlando worked a rare counterattack in the 68th minute that ended up on Pasalic’s foot just outside the area. The Croatian fired but his shot fizzed over the crossbar on his last involvement of the match. He and Enrique were soon replaced by Kyle Smith and Muriel.

Pumas fired another warning shot in the 73rd minute, getting in behind the defense for a 1-v-1 opportunity against Gallese, who made the save, but the flag again came up, nullifying the play.

Carrasquilla scored the goal that always seemed likely in the 80th minute. Playing a quick give-and-go with Piero Quispe, the Panamanian international made a quick, darting run to get onto the return ball and fired it just inside the right post to tie the match at 1-1. The Lions felt Jansson had been held on the play, preventing him from peeling off of his man to intervene, but no foul was given and there didn’t appear to be a review.

“I couldn’t see (the goal) too well from from where I was, but from my perspective, they committed a foul on Robin,” Schlegel said. “But, you know, it’s past. We have to focus on the next game now to go out and get as many points as we can.”

Pumas added another offside goal in the 88th minute, but it was a close play. There was a close call in the buildup that looked just off on the replay, and the flag had come up immediately. Video assistant referee Diana Perez Borja took a lengthy look at it, but ultimately the call on the field stood, and it appeared to be the right call.

Neither team managed another decent sight of goal in normal time and the game went to penalties to determine which team left the match with the additional shootout point.

At full time, Pumas held the advantage in possession (53.6%-46.4%), shots (17-7), and shots on target (4-1), Orlando City passed more accurately (88.6%-87.7%). Both teams won six corners.

Although Leagues Cup rules claim there are no draws, each team had a point, which would suggest there are draws, as there are in MLS NEXT Pro. The games go immediately to penalty shootouts with the winner of the spot kicks awarded a second point in the League Phase standings.

The shootout started much like the game itself. Orlando City dominated the first round, with Ojeda blasting his spot kick into the upper right corner to make it 1-0 with the first shot. Gallese then made a terrific diving save to deny Martinez.

The Lions quickly threw their advantage away. Eduard Atuesta, who has not been the most lethal finisher this season, was Orlando’s second shooter. To his credit, he beat Navas. However, he hit his shot too high and his penalty smashed off the crossbar and bounced back toward him. Alvaro Angulo leveled the shootout after two rounds, and Smith and Nathan Silva both scored in the third round.

Araujo was Orlando’s fourth shooter, making it three consecutive defensive midfielders. The Uruguayan’s penalty was poor, as he fired at a comfortable height for Navas, who read him correctly and made the save look easy. Quispe scored to put Orlando on the brink.

Muriel kept the Lions’ hopes alive by burying his kick, but Carrasquilla made no mistake, scoring on the final shot to claim the second point for Pumas.

“We cannot get that close of the game with more personality,” Pareja said. “That’s why I’m frustrated now. But I have to see the whole game. Very competitive against a good rival, and the boys did a bunch of good things.”

“I think it was a good game, until the last minutes, when we lost the focus and concentration,” Pasalic said. “We had a good feeling. The last game result was really good. Really good chemistry. But this is football and this happens.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround, hosting Atlas in the second League Phase match of Leagues Cup on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/10/26

Lions and Pride lose, Americans abroad, Latest MLS transfer roundup, and more.

Published

9 hours ago

on

August 10, 2026

By

Image of Marco Pasalic dribbling the ball in the attack against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy at work and getting ready to cover high school sports again soon. Let’s wish a belated happy birthday to former Lion Alex Freeman, who turned 22 on Sunday, and a happy birthday to former Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja, who turns 58 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to Club Leon in Leagues Cup

Orlando City fell 2-1 to Club Leon at home in the second matchday of the 2026 Leagues Cup on Saturday. Marco Pasalic scored for the Lions in the first half as Orlando took a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Club Leon overturned the one-goal deficit, responding with goals from Juan Guevara and Daniel Arcila to take a 2-1 lead as the Liga MX side edged the Lions for the win. Orlando City will be back at home on Wednesday to face Atletico de San Luis to close out the first phase of Leagues Cup.

Pride Winless Skid Continues with Loss to Racing Louisville

The Orlando Pride fell 3-1 to Racing Louisville FC at home on Friday as the club continues to slide down the NWSL table and has lost back-to-back league matches. Louisville struck first to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Emma Sears scored twice to give Louisville a 3-0 lead. In stoppage time, Kerry Abello scored for the Pride to avoid the shutout, but Louisville secured its third win in its last four games. Meanwhile, Orlando has lost four out of its last five matches. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Saturday, taking on the Portland Thorns.

Americans Abroad

Orlando City midfielder Colin Guske started and played a full 90 minutes for the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team against Mexico in the Concacaf U-20 Championships. The U.S. fell 2-0 to Mexico in the final on Sunday. Max Arfsten and Sebastian Berhalter made their debuts for Middlesbrough in Round 1 of the Carabao Cup against Wrexham on Friday. Berhalter notched an assist as Middlesbrough defeated Wrexham 1-0 to advance to the second round. Ricardo Pepi started and played 80 minutes for PSV Eindhoven in a 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie on Saturday. Austin Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers were both in action for Celtic in a 5-1 victory against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

The LA Galaxy have been busy making moves of late, signing former FC Barcelona and Como midfielder Sergi Roberto to a contract through June 2028 with an option for the 2028-2029 season. The Galaxy added winger Chucky Lozano from San Diego FC on loan through the end of the season and reached an agreement to transfer midfielder Edwin Cerrillo to Liga MX side Club America. Atlanta United has acquired midfielder Mauricio Amaro from Uruguayan top flight club Defensor Sporting. Amaro will be under contract through the 2028-2029 season with an option for 2029-2030. San Diego FC announced on Saturday that the club has transferred defender Andres Reyes to Atletico Nacional in Colombia.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, scored his first goal in the USL Championship over the weekend.
  • Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga scored for Malawi, which defeated Ghana 2-1 on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
  • Nigeria fell 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, resulting in Cameroon qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Nigeria will face South Africa on Thursday in a play-in match to qualify for the FIFA inter-confederation playoffs.
  • Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho revealed in a documentary that he had signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, but later backed out of the deal and decided to return to Chelsea after his first stint at Real Madrid.

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

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Club Leon, Leagues Cup: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Blow Halftime Lead in Loss

Marco Pasalic gave the Lions a halftime lead, but the defense got leaky in the second half.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 8, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian getting elbowed in the neck by Juan Guevara of Club Leon
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Marco Pasalic put Orlando City ahead in the first half, but two second-half mistakes and what appeared to be a clear foul in the penalty area late on Club Leon led to the Lions falling 2-1 at home tonight on the second matchday of Leagues Cup. Juan Guevara and Daniel Arcila pulled Leon back from a goal down in the second half, and an Orlando City (1-1) side that didn’t rotate much from Wednesday’s game looked a bit leggy in the second half against Leon (2-0).

“I think, of course, very very sad for the result for us, for our people, for everyone,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “We were trying to compete in the best way as possible and trying to win, and we couldn’t. Congrats to them; they did a really good job. We were there, trying to to compete. At the end, we were short.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi. Luis Otavio and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfielders with Ivan Angulo and Tyrese Spicer in the attack and Marco Pasalic and Antoine Griezmann up top.

The start of the game was bereft of action as the teams tried to figure one another out. The Lions nearly created something magical five minutes after kickoff when Pasalic sent in a great ball over the top for Griezmann, who brought it down, but it bounced a bit wide, and when he went to ground to try to shoot, the defender caught up and blocked the effort.

Neither team could do much with a corner kick opportunity over the next 15 minutes and much of the action was played between the boxes. Pasalic earned a free kick in a dangerous spot when he blew past Juan Guevara, who brought him down and picked up a yellow card. Griezmann took the free kick from just outside the area but his delivery hit the wall and came back to him. He got under his second effort and put it out of play.

The first real danger from Club Leon came on a ball over the top in the 28th minute. Crepeau came off his line but couldn’t get there before Arcila, who tried to chip the goalkeeper but he sent it wide left. Sebastian Santos got to it before it went over the end line and tried to shoot from a tight angle with Iago defending but he got under his shot and put it over the bar.

Just moments after the ensuing hydration break, Leon nearly scored on another ball over the top that was just out of Iago’s reach. Arcila got to it first and fired a shot that Crepeau saved. Fernando Beltran picked up the rebound and tried to chip the Canadian, but Crepeau was able to go up and catch the shot to keep the game scoreless.

Orlando tried a ball over the top for itself in the 36th minute. Spicer was first to it but as he swung his foot to shoot the bouncing ball, the defense arrived and bodied him, causing him to whiff on his effort. But the Lions scored anyway two minutes later.

Pasalic and Griezmann worked a nice give-and-go in the attacking half and the Frenchman sent Spicer down the left. Spicer fed Pasalic at the top of the area and the Croatian’s shot took a slight deflection and beat Oscar Garcia to make it 1-0.

“Happy to help in the first half with the goal,” Pasalic said.

After the goal, Leon showed more determination in keeping the ball and building up play. The guests couldn’t do much with a couple of corners over the next several minutes.

Leon created another chance in first-half stoppage time, when Iago was beaten and Jansson couldn’t quite get over in time to intervene. Arcila got there first and fired toward the near post but Crepeau knocked it out for a corner.

Griezmann headed away the ensuing set piece to end the first period.

The late spell of possession after Pasalic’s goal helped Leon lead in that category at the break (54.1%-45.9%). The Liga MX side also led in shots (8-6), shots on target (5-2), and corners (4-2). Orlando City passed slightly more accurately in the opening half (92.7%-91.8%)

Griffin Dorsey entered the game at halftime for Taifi, but it was Club Leon who brought the energy to the start of the second half. In the opening minutes, Crepeau was forced into two great saves. Rhein turned it over in his defensive third, and Arcila’s cheeky backheel of a cross in from the right forced the Canadian international to make a a diving stop. Leon sent the ball back in from the left to a wide-open Jordi Cortizo in front but sent it right at Crepeau for another save.

Orlando’s first chance of the second half came on a Griezmann corner kick. Dorsey headed it across the box and Iago made a flying attempt at a bicycle kick, but he missed the ball and committed a foul in the process.

Leon got back on the front foot after that, with Jansson doing well to block an Arcila shot at the top of the area in the 51st minute. Arcila then got to a cross and stabbed it wide a minute later, but the initial play was offside.

The visitors tied the game in the 54th minute off a long-range set piece near the left sideline. The cross appeared to go in off of Dorsey, who was trying to mark Juan Guevara. Crepeau got to it just after it crossed the line. Dorsey said something to Crepeau after the play, but Guevara was ultimately credited with the goal.

Orlando’s struggles throughout the game came in the attacking third, and it was magnified in the second half. One such play was a nice buildup in the 69th minute that ended up with Rhein on the left, but the youngster made a mess of his cross, sending it out of play. Two minutes later, substitute Justin Ellis headed a pass to Dorsey that he perhaps should have shot. Ellis got it to Dorsey, who didn’t make good contact and sent a weak shot for Garcia to collect.

It was a costly missed opportunity, as Leon scored the winning goal a minute later. Rhein got caught too far upfield after heading the ball forward, and Leon broke in transition down the right side in behind him. Ivan Moreno found Arcila at the top of the area and the striker found space in front of Iago and sent an inch-perfect shot inside the left post to make it 2-1 in the 72nd minute.

Perelman sent Daryl Dike into the game as Orlando chased the match, and the Lions should have gone to the spot in the 84th minute. Ellis sent a fantastic ball to send Harvey Sarajian into the area on the right. Guevara caught up from behind, threw an arm across the rookie forward’s face, and bundled him over from behind, but referee Jose Camacho Espinoza incredibly saw nothing wrong with what the Leon defender did. There did not even seem to be a stoppage for video review, although media were informed that the play was checked.

“Ellis played the ball through. I’m through. I felt contact to the back, and in my opinion, I thought it was a foul,” Sarajian said. “But the referee didn’t agree. So it is what it is. I felt the contact (to the head and neck area).”

“I saw it,” Perelman said of the play. “I think the same thing as (the media).”

Leon was content to put numbers behind the ball and use the dark arts as much as possible to slow things down. The Lions won a lot of set pieces but could not pay them off. Crepeau came up to join the last few, but in the end, the Lions couldn’t find a way through the mass of Leon defenders down the stretch.

With Leon ceding possession and staying compact late, Orlando City finished with more possession (51.7%-48.3%), while also having the advantage in corners (7-5) and passing accuracy (90%-88.2%). Leon attempted far more shots (18-10) and put more on target (10-3). It was the inability to threaten goal that ultimately prevented Orlando from building on its lead or clawing back into the match.

Pasalic spoke to the referee after the game. He had been taken out in the middle of the pitch in first-half stoppage time that not only didn’t earn Leon a yellow card, but it wasn’t even deemed a foul. He came out to try to play through it in the second half, but the earlier contact forced him off before the hour mark and appeared to be one of the more egregious fouls in the match, despite the no-call.

“Suddenly, I get the hit in my knee, so my knee was getting a lump,” Pasalic said. “And I spoke with them in the halftime. I tried it to go out in the second half, but I felt that my knee is not going to help the team. It’s nothing serious, but I just want to be sure that the team has 10 players on the pitch who can play fully. I mean, I don’t want to get fined. No, just I want to speak in a respectful way about (the referee). For me, it’s unacceptable that he don’t give even the foul when I get fouled, and because of this, I was not able to play again in the second half, fully. This was not even a yellow card.”

The Lions will close out the first phase of Leagues Cup Wednesday at home against Atletico de San Luis.

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Club León, Leagues Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to keep pace with the other MLS sides that won in the first round when León visits Orlando tonight.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 8, 2026

By

Image of Antoine Griezmann taking a set piece against Monterrey in Leagues Cup action.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night Leagues Cup matchup between Orlando City (1-0) and Liga MX side Club León (1-0) at the building formerly known as Orlando City Stadium (6:30 p.m., Apple TV). Tonight’s meeting is the first between these two sides.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As this is the first-ever clash between these two clubs, there is no history between them. Orlando City is 4-2-7 in competitive matches against Liga MX teams.

Match Overview

Orlando City is coming off Wednesday’s 2-1 win over CF Monterrey in its 2026 Leagues Cup opener. Antoine Griezmann and Tyrese Spicer (penalty) scored on either side of halftime, but Hugo Cuypers pulled one back deep in stoppage time, which could be a problem for the Lions in the tiebreakers if they can find success tonight and Wednesday.

León enters tonight off a 1-0 win against a heavily rotated Nashville SC side that played without Hany Mukhtar and didn’t have Sam Surridge in the match until after the hour mark. Daniel Arcila scored in the 79th minute as León snatched a late win in the competition. León is the competition’s No. 28-ranked team (Orlando is No. 19) and is 14th in the Liga MX table after three rounds, with a 1-2-0 record. Los Panzas Verdes have won two straight in all competitions, however, having beaten Nashville a few days ago on the heels of Saturday’s 1-0 home win over 10-man Pachuca. León lost its first two league matches of the season — 3-2 at home to Atlas and 1-0 at Club Tijuana.

Orlando must stay focused defensively for the entirety of the game, as with any Liga MX side, and the priorities should be taking care of the ball while being quick to transition back defensively if the attack turns it over. If the Lions can keep scoring goals at home as they have, that would help.

“We did the recovery process in this short window between one game and the other, and getting ready the team to be able to perform and win, because this is what we want every time we jump on the field, especially at home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We enjoyed the victory (Wednesday) but it’s over and now we need to think on the next game and this is the mode we’re in now.”

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Tyrese Spicer.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Marco Pasalic.

Bench: Javier Otero, Tristan Himes, Adrian Marin, Griffin Dorsey, David Brekalo, Joran Gerbet, Issah Haruna, Gustavo Caraballo, Tiago, Harvey Sarajian, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

León (4-1-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Oscar Garcia.

Defenders: Sebastian Vegas, Juan Guevara, Jhohan Romana, Ivan Moreno .

Defensive Midfielder: Ivan Rodriguez.

Midfielders: Sebastian Santos, Rodrigo Echeverria, Fernando Beltran, Jordi Cortizo.

Forward: Daniel Arcila.

Bench: Irving Martinez, Julio Gonzalez, Bryan Colula, Juan Dominguez, Sebastian Fierro, Jose Alvarado, Paul Bellon, Salvador Reyes, Luis Valadez, Christopher Mora, Gael Camarena, Jesus Lara.

Referees:

REF: Jose Camacho Espinoza..
AR1: Jeriel Valverde Diaz.
AR2: David Moran Santos.
4TH: Hector Said Martinez.
VAR: Yasith Monge.

How to Watch

Match Time: 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: None.

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

Continue Reading

Trending