Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami, Leagues Cup: Final Score 3-1 as Controversial Calls Help Herons Come from Behind
At the risk of being unprofessional…man, that was some bullshit.
An obvious penalty at one end not given and one given at the other end helped turn a 1-0 Orlando City lead into a 3-1 Inter Miami win at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale in the 2025 Leagues Cup semifinals. A second yellow to David Brekalo on the late penalty that was given Miami’s way put Orlando down to 10 men and allowed Lionel Messi to tie the match from the penalty spot late.
The extra man then helped the Herons find a go-ahead goal and an insurance marker in a game that will long be remembered more for the officiating than the performances of the Lions or Herons.
An obvious foul on Sergio Busquets in the box on Ivan Angulo on a 2-v-2 counter was ignored by referee Walter Lopez and incorrectly not overturned by video assistant referee Armando Villarreal in the 56th minute. Messi scored the winner and Telasco Segovia added a third in stoppage time in a bitter loss in the Tropic Thunder rivalry.
After an earlier botched breakaway by Angulo, Marco Pasalic scored Orlando’s lone goal late in the first half, and that looked for the longest time like it might hold up.
“I think that we weren’t able to defend as much in the second half as we should have,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We should have had a bit more control in our sequences, in our positions, to perhaps hold longer possession. And then, of course, it became tougher (after going down a man and conceding a penalty).”
Pareja started his usual first-choice starting lineup for this season, with Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top.
The opening moments were tentative and probing from both teams, with neither side willing to get stretched. It wasn’t until the fifth minute that either side got into the opposing team’s final third. Freeman sent in a good cross for Angulo, but it was just a bit too tall for the diminutive Colombian winger. Two minutes later, Ojeda’s cross in was partially blocked and spun out just inches too far in front of Muriel’s sliding effort.
Miami’s first good look came off of a bad giveaway by Angulo in his own defensive third. The Herons cycled the ball from the left side to Rodrigo De Paul on the right. The midfielder fired a blast just wide of the left post in the eighth minute.
The game opened up for a spell and Orlando fashioned a good opportunity in the ninth minute. Ojeda made a wonderful backheel flick to himself to maintain possession and beat his defender down the left. He fired from a tight angle but Oscar Ustari made a good save, helped by the shot coming in at the perfect height for him to get his hand to. A minute later, Muriel took a pass in the box but perhaps took one touch too many before shooting, getting it blocked behind for a corner.
Brekalo was booked in the 18th minute when his flailing arm appeared to catch De Paul high on the chest, but the Miami midfielder crumpled to the ground holding his face, and the defender was cautioned on a play that had serious ramifications later in the match. The Herons went down easily throughout the match, looking for calls, and although they didn’t often get them, that one ended up making a difference. Brekalo, however, should not have been so loose with the arm.
De Paul fired a dangerously swerving shot in the 22nd minute from range, but Gallese did well to stop it and keep the game scoreless.
Just one minute later, the Lions should have taken the lead. A fantastic ball from Ojeda sent Angulo blazing in behind the last defender. The winger had so much time in behind that he was able to set himself up for the shot. He beat Ustari, but sent his shot skipping just wide of the right post, wasting a golden opportunity in the 23rd minute.
Miami came closest in the 31st minute. Luis Suarez took the ball on the right side, cut in on his left to lose Brekalo, and smashed a curling shot that fizzed just wide of the left post.
Angulo had a better effort on goal in the 33rd minute, firing a shot on the left side that forced a diving save from Ustari. Four minutes later, Pasalic tried an ambitious volley off a cross-field pass by Ojeda, but the Croatian got well under his shot and sent it high into the seats.
Miami won a corner moments later but the Lions cleared and went on the break. Angulo was taken down cleanly in transition, but Ian Fray reached out and grabbed him to prevent him from quickly getting back on the ball. There was no yellow card for Fray or even a foul given.
Pasalic got a shot on target from outside the box in the 42nd minute, but he sent it straight into Ustari’s chest for an easy save.
Miami got a chance on the recycle of a corner kick a minute later, with a ball sent back into the box. Maxi Falcon got to the ball and took it from Messi, firing a weak shot at Gallese.
Pasalic broke the deadlock just seconds into stoppage time. Falcon tried to clear a ball into the box but it hit Pasalic in the chest and stayed at the Croatian’s feet, so he smashed it under the bar to make it 1-0. There was a check to see if it hit his arm, but it came off his chest and shoulder area, and the goal stood. It was Pasalic’s 14th goal across all competitions this season and gave him a goal in each of his three matches against Inter Miami in 2025.
Pasalic had one final impatient shot from long range deep in stoppage time on a promising counterattack, but he sent it well off target on the last look at goal of the opening period.
At the break, the Lions held the advantage in possession (51.8%-48.3%), shots (8-5), shots on target (4-2), and passing accuracy (90.9%-88.6%). Both teams won three corners in the first half.
“I think we had a pretty good first half. We were able to control very well, and we came here to provide a proposal which actually compelled us to go look for goals,” Pareja said.
The second half offered few surprises, with Miami pushing numbers forward and Orlando looking to exploit those spaces left in the back. The Lions’ lack of precision and composure prevented numerous opportunities to get forward and test that back line in transition, but the chances were there to be taken. Orlando simply didn’t take them, and then seemingly did enough on a 2-v-2 to win a penalty, only for the ref to swallow the whistle and the video assistant referee to ignore video evidence of the contact on a play that Angulo could have regathered the ball in a shooting position.
Schlegel gave up a free kick in a dangerous spot near the left corner of the box four minutes into the second half, but the wall did its job, and Muriel blocked Messi’s free kick. Moments later, Schlegel did well to partially block a Suarez shot that popped up into the air for Gallese to catch. Suarez took a dive in the box moments later but was not booked for embellishment. That was an important decision, because Suarez was booked later for a high boot with 10 minutes remaining in normal time — eight minutes before Miami’s second goal.
Jansson made a vital clearance in the 55th minute on a good headed ball toward the back post that might have found a player in pink without the captain’s intercession.
Moments later, the Lions should have had a chance to double the lead from the spot. Orlando broke in transition with Angulo and Muriel on two Miami defenders. Angulo dribbled into the corner of the box and touched the ball quickly to his right. Busquets cut off his progress — a play extremely similar to the one at the start of the half that got Schlegel booked and another play that saw Araujo cautioned in the 69th minute — keeping the winger from regathering the ball and shooting or finding an outlet. Instead of a foul, Lopez waved play on, and the video check from Villarreal was apparently quick, because there was no real stoppage at all for it.
“I don’t want to come here and cry about all the things that happened. That’s the least of my wishes here, because the team of players that I coach does not deserve that,” Pareja said. “Ivan’s penalty was very clear.”
Miami had a golden chance to tie the game just moments after the no-call. Jordi Alba sent in a great cross for a charging Suarez, who somehow missed making contact with the ball in the air, allowing it to get through and skip out of play.
Araujo stepped in front of Messi to cut off his run in the 69th minute and was booked, handing Miami a dangerous free kick. Messi left his set piece shot high, sending it over the bar in the 71st minute.
Two minutes later, Freeman made a nice play to take the ball, going on a run up the right sideline. He was pulled down in transition but there was no card shown to Yannick Bright for the tactical foul.
Miami came the other way and sent a good ball into the box. Brekalo got beat on the far side by Tadeo Allende. Both players had a hold of the other’s shirts, and Allende lifted his feet off the ground. If pulled back, the feet would go forward. They stayed behind. But Lopez bought it and awarded the penalty, sending Brekalo off with a second yellow in the process. Based on what had happened earlier with Angulo and Busquets, it was a bitter decision for the Lions. Messi beat Gallese on the spot kick, despite the Peruvian guessing correctly, and the match was tied in the 77th minute with the Herons up a man.
“The yellow card to Brekalo was unbelievable,” Pareja said.
Orlando was still in position to get a draw in the game and go to penalties, and the Lions nearly got there.
However, Miami still had a numbers advantage and was going for the win. Allende sent a header over the bar in the 84th minute. Three minutes later, Alba got outside of Freeman and sent a shot off the outside of the left post.
Orlando was done in seconds later. Freeman got under a chipped pass into the box, but instead of nodding it back for Gallese or playing it safely out for a corner, the young fullback tried to clear the soft floater out of the area. Without any speed on the ball, he could get no power on it, turning it over just outside the area. Inter Miami regathered, broke forward quickly and Messi worked a give-and-go with Alba, getting in behind on the left, and beating Gallese to the open right side of the goal. The Herons led 2-1 with just about 61 seconds remaining in normal time, effectively ending the game.
“I cannot say that such an extraordinary player as Messi was not doing things well, of course, not,” Pareja said. “But we also need to mention other things which happened. And I’m not here to mention all of these things, of course, because I think that we also must be brave enough and admit that perhaps we didn’t do things as well as we could. But you will be able to be the judges.”
With nothing to lose, Pareja sent on attackers Tyrese Spicer and Duncan McGuire — making his first appearance since shoulder surgery three months ago. However, they’d only been on the pitch for a few seconds when Miami regained possession and broke with numbers, resulting in an insurance goal for Segovia in the first added minute.
Though the game was all but over, Ojeda did have an opportunity with a free kick from about 25 yards away in the fourth extra minute. He sent his set piece delivery straight into the wall, perhaps trying to thread the shot through a hole between two players that never materialized. The rebound came back to him, and although he got his shot through the second time, it bounced wide of the right post.
The whistle blew moments later to end one of the most maddening second halves in Orlando City history.
In the end, the hosts finished with the advantage in possession (55.3%-44.7%), shots (14-11), shots on target (6-4), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (89.3%-86.6%). They also led in game-changing decisions by those charged with applying the rules of the game accurately and consistently.
Although the Lions could have put themselves in a more secure position through Angulo’s first-half breakaway, Orlando’s tactics and performance were good enough on the night to get a result had every meaningful call down the stretch not gone the other way. Brekalo’s foul in the box was understandable. The one Busquets committed was an egregious officiating error by both the man on the field and the one in the booth.
After the match, Pareja did a masterful job of tap dancing around the controversial decisions to avoid a fine and to show respect to his opponents. His feelings, however, were plain to see in the postgame press conference.
“I want to just (leave) it to you guys (the media) to judge and evaluate that performance, those actions that were very precise that changed the game. And you guys know which actions,” he said. “The thing is, I cannot say what I have to say here, actually I cannot. I cannot say that, because there’s a lot of respect due to the match, to the game, and the actions that were assigned actually changed the direction of the game.”
The Lions will travel west for their final match of the competition on Sunday, playing the loser of tonight’s late matchup between the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders for third place and a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
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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