Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atlas FC, Leagues Cup: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Finish Strong After Equalizer

After giving up another lead at home, the Lions rallied this time, scoring two more to defeat Liga MX side Atlas FC.

Published

9 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

For the fourth straight game at Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando City blew a 1-0 lead. However, this time the Lions gave up the lead early in the second half, rather than near the end of the game, and rallied to win 3-1 over Atlas FC. Ivan Angulo opened the scoring early, but after Matias Coccaro equalized just after halftime, Martin Ojeda restored the Orlando lead and Marco Pasalic sealed it deep in stoppage time.

With the win, Orlando City has four points in the League Phase of the 2025 Leagues Cup, and the Lions are alive in the competition with one match day to play.

“We’re very happy to get this result at home, especially winning at home after a few games that we couldn’t achieve the result despite having good games,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Finally today, I thought we had a different outcome and win that (game) with a lot of energy. The second half was much better (than in the recent home games).”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Kyle Smith started in central midfield between wingers Angulo and Nico Rodriguez, with Martin Ojeda and Ramiro Enrique up top.

Atlas had the first chance of the match just minutes into the proceedings when Thorhallsson committed a foul near the corner of the box, giving the visitors a free kick. The delivery into the area was good but the flicked header from Jorge San Martín skipped just wide of the right post in the fourth minute.

Rodriguez attempted Orlando’s first shot in the sixth minute, cutting inside from the right, but Rivaldo Lozano got in front of him and blocked it. Enrique quickly won a corner for the Lions, who played it short. The ball ended up with Ojeda well outside the area, but his shot from distance was also blocked. The Lions quickly won another corner and this time it was played into the box to Schlegel, who sent a looping header off the top of the crossbar.

Angulo broke the scoreless deadlock off the ensuing goal kick. Orlando pressured high, and Jansson forced a turnover in the attacking third. Angulo picked up the ball and curled a shot from the left just inside the right post to make it 1-0 in the ninth minute.

“Happy and thankful to score again and happy and thankful to help my team in that way,” Angulo said.

Rodriguez should have doubled the lead three minutes after Angulo’s opener. Araujo sent a great ball over the top, and the young left winger blazed past his defender to get in behind the defense. He managed to beat goalkeeper Antonio Sanchez, but Rodriguez’s shot skipped wide of the right post in the 12th minute.

Matias Coccaro tried to get behind Jansson on a ball over the top the same way Rodriguez had done. The forward went down easily but there was no call from the referee and the Lions went the other way and won a corner.

Atlas turned Orlando over, setting up a good opportunity for Gustavo Del Prete in the 26th minute. With acres of space, Del Prete shot from just outside the area but he sent his shot wide.

As the half wore on, the pace of the game slowed and the teams exchanged a few corners but did little with them. Neither team generated another decent look at goal until the 41st minute when Enrique flicked a long ball in behind for Angulo to run onto. The Colombian went looking for his brace but Sanchez made the save.

Del Prete fired a shot just over the bar on a transition opportunity set up by Brekalo’s misplaced pass in the 45th minute, and that was it for the scoring chances in the first half.

At the break, Atlas had a decent advantage in possession (58.2%-41.8%) and a slim edge in passing accuracy (86.6%-84.9%), but Orlando City had more shots (7-4), shots on target (2-0), and corners (5-1).

“They came with a good game plan, and they were physical,” Smith said. “They pressed well, especially in the first half. So yeah, I thought they came hard.”

Orlando City wasted no time creating a chance after the break. Araujo took a long throw-in that cleared Brekalo’s flicked header attempt but fell for Enrique to head toward goal. The shot was on target but Sanchez made the save at his near post in the 47th minute.

Atlas made Orlando pay for its missed opportunities, as has so often happened in home games over the last several weeks. A seemingly routine ball in the box was headed up in the air by Brekalo, who had to fight through an attacker and couldn’t get it cleared. His fellow defenders stood and watched as the ball came down, and Schlegel couldn’t arrive before Coccaro headed it in, tying the game in the 50th minute.

Araujo was set up nicely in the 54th minute with a chance for the Lions to pull back in front. But the Uruguayan fired his left-footed shot wide of the top left corner. Pareja then subbed on Alex Freeman and Pasalic for Thorhallsson and Rodriguez.

A minute after the restart, Diego Gonzalez fired a shot from outside the area that fizzed over the crossbar.

The substitutions paid off in the 57th minute. Pasalic did well to draw two defenders before sending a ball for Freeman to take down the right flank. Enrique was in the middle calling for it but may have been a yard offside. Freeman wisely took the ball forward, then played it across to Ojeda, who smashed a shot just under the crossbar to make it 2-1.

“I think me and Marco’s partnership has been very good this year,” Freeman said. “And it’s just him being able to find me in space where I want it. And then I saw the cutback to (Ojeda) because they were tracking (Enrique’s) run.”

“I think it was a great play out on the right between Marco and Freeman,” Ojeda said. “(Freeman) made a great pass over and Ramiro made a great movement in front of the center backs to be able to open up more space for me. It really allowed me to continue in a great way, and from there on just get control in the area and have the tranquility to finish.”

Atlas got forward right after the goal and Alonso Ramirez fired over the bar from long range in the 59th minute.

Pasalic sent a great chipped pass to Enrique in the 61st minute, but the Argentine didn’t make good contact with his shot and it was a comfortable save for Sanchez on the bounce. Two minutes later, Enrique took a touch wide from in front of goal, but turned and found Angulo in the middle. The Colombian’s shot was blocked just wide of the right post.

Moments later there was a video review for a handball on Atlas, but that was nullified because Enrique was just offside on the play.

The Lions kept looking for a third and nearly had it in the 70th minute. Ojeda got forward down the left side and had an opportunity to shoot on Sanchez. He unselfishly picked out Pasalic in front, but the Croatian’s first touch was a loose one. Pasalic recovered and shot, but Sanchez got a piece of it and knocked it off the post. Ojeda was first to the rebound but was offside on the shot.

Pasalic tried to increase the lead on shots from outside the area in the 81st and 87th minutes. He didn’t get the best contact with the ball on the former, while the latter was hit with pace, but Sanchez made a nice diving save.

With a lengthy stoppage for the video review, the referee added a minimum of 10 minutes of stoppage time to the match, and in the fourth of those minutes, all heck broke loose after a rough challenge in the box by Atlas against Brekalo. Jansson came over to get involved and was shoved down. Other players from both teams got involved and Ojeda ended up getting an arm to the face. After a lengthy delay, Jansson and Ojeda were cautioned, with Coccaro getting sent off. Ojeda looked a bit the worse for wear, with an injury to his face from the fracas.

“I was just trying to get in between guys, separate them, and defend my guys,” Ojeda said. “But, you know, at the at the end of the day, those are things that happen in football.”

When the game resumed, Orlando stayed organized and looked to hit on the counter with Atlas down a man and trying to find an equalizer. It led to a shot by Angulo in the 11th added minute, but the effort was deflected out for a corner. Two minutes later, Pasalic called game.

This time, Ojeda turned provider, finding the Croatian in the box and Pasalic smashed his shot into the top right corner to make it 3-1 in the 12th extra minute.

“Their performance was great,” Pareja said of the play of Freeman and Pasalic off the bench. “But I think the help that Dagur and Nico did as well, absorbing the pressure in the first half and part of the second, gave us the opportunity to have Freeman and Marco fresher. So, I think that combination worked well tonight.”

The goal tied for the latest in Orlando City history, tying the goal Facundo Torres scored in the 12th minute of stoppage time on Nov. 9 of last year against Charlotte FC in the playoffs. Moments after Pasalic’s strike, the match finally came to an end.

In the end, Orlando City finished with more shots (21-10), shots on target (10-1), and corners (7-3). Atlas had the advantage in possession (59.6%-40.4%) and passing accuracy (84.4%-80.1%).

“It feels really good to get a win at home,” Smith said. “To get those three goals at home is important. It gives us confidence. For the fans as well, you know, it’s very important to keep them excited, keep them coming back for more.”

“We suffered hard in the training sessions to try and focus on killing the game to avoid what happened against Pumas,” Ojeda said. “So, I’m very happy for the three points and the way the boys handled themselves tonight.”

“The intensity of the players tonight, it was a different class,” Pareja said. “And so, congratulations to the players in a very hot climate and humid, and their heart was there all the time against a very competitive team. So, we’re happy, we will recover the boys, and we’ll see how is the next (game).”

It’ll be another quick turnaround for Orlando City as the Lions host Necaxa Wednesday in their final League Phase match of the 2025 Leagues Cup.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions head to Rhode Island looking to advance in the U.S. Open Cup against the Revs.

Published

6 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and the New England Revolution at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI (7:30 p.m., Paramount+). This is the first meeting between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season, with two scheduled league matches still left to play in 2026.

Here’s what you need to know for the match.

History

The Lions are 6-7-8 in the regular-season series against New England and 7-8-8 in all competitions. On the road, Orlando City is just 2-6-2 against the Revs, with all of those prior meetings coming in the MLS regular season. Orlando City has faced the Revolution once before in U.S. Open Cup play, winning that prior meeting (more on that below).

The most recent meeting between the teams was also in New England, but it was at Gillette Stadium, the Revs’ usual home. Martin Ojeda’s brace led the Lions to a 2-1 victory on July 19, 2025 — just the team’s second road win in the series. Thomas Chancalay scored for New England.

The first match between the sides last year was a wild 3-3 draw in Orlando on May 10. The Lions squandered two leads in that match, including a 2-0 advantage. Ojeda scored Orlando’s first hat trick since 2015 in that game, but those three goals were offset by strikes by Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, and Carles Gil. One of Ojeda’s goals and Gil’s strike were penalties.

Prior to that, the teams met on Sept. 14, 2024, with the Lions completing their first-ever sweep of the Revs with a 3-0 win. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres (from the penalty spot), and Duncan McGuire provided the offense in a dominant performance. The teams also met on July 13 at Gillette Stadium that year, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.

The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second goal deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.

New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late, but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.

These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022, and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.

New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and later won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.

The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.

In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Shortly after Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring, Nani tied things up. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up.

The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.

The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.

The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4.

Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count.

The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.

The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a road loss at D.C. United on Saturday. The Lions came from behind to take a 2-1 second-half lead, but then Orlando melted down in the final six minutes, allowing two goals to throw away all three points. City’s only win away from home this season came in the team’s 1-0 round-of-32 U.S. Open Cup match at FC Naples on April 15, but that was far from easy as the USL League One side dominated the game’s final 30 minutes.

The Lions are 19-11-5 all-time in the U.S. Open Cup, 11-7-5 since becoming an MLS side. Away from Orlando, the Lions are 8-6-2 in the U.S. Open Cup, 5-2-2 since joining Major League Soccer.

The Revolution are coming off a 1-1 draw at Inter Miami over the weekend, with Gil scoring for New England. The Revs are 4-0-2 in their last six matches in all competitions and reached this round of the U.S. Open Cup by outlasting USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in penalties after a 1-1 draw on April 14. Fagundez scored shortly after halftime, but Rhode Island’s J.J. Williams equalized in the 11th minute of stoppage time to send the match to extra time and, ultimately, spot kicks.

It seems a bit of a flex for the Revs to return to Rhode Island FC’s stadium to host its round-of-16 match, but they earned the right, so fair play to New England.

“Of course it’s different playing in the U.S. Open Cup, or in every match that is do or die, win or go home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “It’s a different context that changes the game, but we have experience in these kinds of competitions and we’re ready for it. We like to compete, we are competitors, so we’re happy and excited.”

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Colin Guske, Braian Ojeda, Tiago.

Forwards: Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis.

New England Revolution (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Matt Turner.

Defenders: Will Sands, Mamadou Fofana, Ethan Kohler, Ilay Feingold.

Midfielders: Alhassan Yusuf, Carles Gil, Brooklyn Raines.

Forwards: Peyton Miller, Dor Turgeman, Griffin Yow.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Centreville Bank Stadium — Pawtucket, RI.

TV/Live Stream: Paramount+.

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

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/29/26

Orlando City plays New England tonight, the Orlando Pride are recognized, USMNT news, and more.

Published

10 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day with Orlando City taking on the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup tonight. The fixture congestion is real as this is the third match for the Lions in just eight days. I’m sure that it will be fine since Orlando City doesn’t have any injury or depth issues…err…let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Open Cup Continues

Orlando City is in Rhode Island to take on the New England Revolution in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. As always, it will be interesting to see which regular starters play and which youngsters get the start, though the difference between those two is not as stark as in the past. The Lions also have a trip to play Inter Miami this weekend to consider. I don’t think it will happen, but I say go all in on the Open Cup and play Orlando City B against Miami.

Orlando Pride Earns Recognition

Zara Chavoshi is the Orlando Pride’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for 2026. Chavoshi’s chosen community partner is Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka. Each of the 16 NWSL teams are represented with a panel of judges, including Holiday, determining the winner. In other news, the Pride are still in the top three of SI.com’s NWSL power rankings. Shockingly — I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek — Barbra Banda didn’t make CBSsports.com’s NWSL Team of the Week despite scoring a brace.

Griezmann Continues Champions League Chase

Orlando City’s next Designated Player, Antoine Griezmann, has unfinished business with current club Atletico Madrid. Griezmann and Atletico face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals this afternoon. As much as I’m looking forward to Griezmann’s arrival in Orlando, I am also all for him winning hardware before he leaves Atletico.

USMNT News

The World Cup is just around the corner, and there are many players in MLS who will be representing their respective countries. Matt Turner is making an excellent case that he should be the first-choice keeper for the USMNT. Stepping outside of MLS, is Weston McKennie the player who the U.S. can least afford to lose heading into the World Cup? McKennie has been playing well this year for club and country. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has been in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, he can turn it around before the World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Rodrigo Schlegel visited Orlando City’s training this week. I’m not saying I want him to start, but a short-term contract for depth might be nice.

🚨 Jose Mourinho preferred candidate of Florentino Perez to become next Real Madrid head coach. Support not universal inside #RMFC but president driving process so 63yo strong contender. Time-sensitive ~€3m break clause in Benfica contract 🚨@theathleticfc.bsky.socialwww.nytimes.com/athletic/723…

— David Ornstein (@david-ornstein.bsky.social) 2026-04-28T11:49:11.588Z
  • Sometimes there’s a light of hope in the dark forest that we’re travelling through. Believe.

That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/28/26

Takeaways from MLS matchday 10, Americans in midweek action, Vancouver Whitecaps may be relocated, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 28, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda with the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B was the only one of the three sides to get a result. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us as Orlando City will be in action twice, the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, and OCB takes on Crown Legacy to round off the week on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, so let’s jump into the links.

MLS Matchday 10 Lessons

Matchday 10 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have done a very good job of reloading from the off-season losses of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. New faces Cheikh Sabaly and Bruno Caicedo have been finding their feet and both had goal involvements in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Matt Turner looks to be rediscovering some of his best form as he made nine saves in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. New York City FC’s Matt Freese has been the frontrunner to start in goal for the United States Men’s National Team at the World Cup this summer, but based on his league performances, Turner could make a late charge.

Americans in Midweek Action

Plenty of Americans will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s have a look at the schedule. Things get started Wednesday, when Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC play Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Wednesday has Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid hosting Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for the first leg of a UEFA Conference League semifinal. The action wraps up on Friday when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Burnley in a Premier League tilt.

Relocation Possible for Vancouver Whitecaps

A special committee of MLS owners reportedly met earlier in April to discuss the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Specifically, Las Vegas is said to have been the primary relocation option discussed at the meeting. It’s been two decades since a team was relocated, as the last franchise to move were the San Jose Earthquakes, who went to Houston and became the Dynamo before being replaced with another San Jose expansion team two years later. Other cities said to be interested in landing a team include Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, with Phoenix reportedly one of the main candidates being considered for relocation alongside Vegas. In the meantime, the Whitecaps remain up for sale while the team tries to find an in-market stadium solution, as the team’s lease with BC Place expires at the end of the year.

High Profile Injuries Continue

The 2025-2026 European season has seen a number of high profile injuries, and that’s a trend that unfortunately continued over the weekend. Xavi Simons suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for a significant amount of time. Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappe has a left hamstring injury, and he could reportedly miss the May 10 Clasico match against Barcelona as well as the rest of the La Liga season. AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric fractured his left cheekbone in the team’s 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday and had surgery to repair the damage. His club season is over, but Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is confident that he will be healthy in time for the World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • FIFA will reportedly increase the number of times that yellow cards are wiped away at this summer’s World Cup.

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

Continue Reading

Trending