Connect with us

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.

Published

9 months ago

on

Image of Robin Jansson playing against Inter Miami.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions return home looking to bounce back from a poor performance in Montreal.

Published

4 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image of Joran Gerbet playing against the Union.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (3-8-1, 10 points) and the Philadelphia Union (1-8-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs in 2026, with the Lions scheduled to make the return trip to Philadelphia on Sept. 26.

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

History

Orlando City is 7-8-7 in the 22 MLS meetings with the Union since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015, and 8-9-8 in all competitions. The Lions are 3-3-4 against the Union at home in league play, 4-3-4 in their home stadium against Philadelphia in all competitions, and 4-3-5 in the greater Orlando area against the Union, having drawn against Philly in the MLS is Back Tournament.

The two sides last met on April 5, 2025 in Philadelphia and played to a scoreless draw. These two teams also kicked off the 2025 season against each other in Orlando on Feb. 22, with the Union stunning the Lions by scoring on all four of the team’s shots on target, taking advantage of individual mistakes in a 4-2 win. Marco Pasalic scored his first two goals as a Lion in his first OCSC appearance that night, but Tai Baribo scored a brace, with Daniel Gazdag and Mikael Uhre also scoring for Philadelphia. The Lions dominated open play but could not pay off their chances while the Union were lethal. It was Orlando’s first loss on opening day in its MLS existence.

The met in 2024 for the final time on Oct. 2, when the Lions won 2-1 at home. Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire pushed Orlando out to a 2-0 lead. Luis Muriel assisted on both goals. Quinn Sullivan pulled one back but the Lions hung on. The teams met for the first time that year on May 11, with the Lions snatching a 3-2 road win at Subaru Park. Muriel scored his first two MLS goals, McGuire added a strike, and Nico Lodeiro assisted on all three tallies for the Lions to offset an early goal by Uhre and a penalty by Gazdag.

The last meeting of 2023 took place in Orlando on June 21, with the Lions blowing a two-goal lead in a controversial 2-2 draw. McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half, only to see Jack McGlynn score on a cross into the box that missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, followed by a rocket shot by Jose Martinez from distance. Ivan Angulo’s would-be game winner was chalked off after a questionable foul call in the buildup against Ercan Kara.

The teams met in Philadelphia on March 25, 2023 with the Lions jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Angulo and Ojeda. Former Lion Andres Perea pulled one back, but the Lions held on for a 2-1 road win. The victory snapped Philadelphia’s 24-match home unbeaten streak.

The Union put the Lions to the sword in the last meeting of 2022, a dominant 5-1 win by Philadelphia on Sept. 10 of that year. That was Orlando’s first match since winning the U.S. Open Cup title three days earlier. Joao Moutinho’s own goal started the scoring and the Union got goals from Uhre, Gazdag (penalty), Alejandro Bedoya, and Jack Elliott. Perea, who was then still a Lion, scored for Orlando, but the team was trailing by 4-0 at the time.

The Eastern Conference foes met on July 23, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Two controversial video review decisions went against Orlando that night and the Lions were wasteful with their chances in an evenly matched 1-0 Philadelphia win. Gazdag scored the game’s only goal off a set piece.

The teams also met in U.S. Open Cup play on May 10, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-1 at home. Kara and Perea hoisted Orlando to a 2-0 lead. Stuart Findlay pulled one back late, but the Lions saw it out and advanced.

On Sept. 19, 2021 the Union prevailed 3-1 at Subaru Park, largely due to a brace by Kacper Przybylko after he got away with what appeared to be a clear elbow to the face of Rodrigo Schlegel. Instead of being sent off and/or conceding a free kick to Orlando City, the Union scored on the ensuing play and went on to win the match. The teams met in Orlando on July 22, 2021 and the Lions got goals by Benji Michel and Perea on the team’s only two shots on target to win 2-1. Przybylko pulled one back for the visitors but the Lions hung on.

The teams faced each other in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020 in the only meeting to date that did not take place in either side’s home stadium. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after a Mauricio Pereyra goal canceled out a strike by Ilsinho. That draw allowed the Lions to win Group A in the competition and they went on to reach the final.

The Lions and Union tangled in what was then known as Talen Energy Stadium on July 7, 2019, drawing, 2-2. Dom Dwyer and Santiago Patino brought Orlando back from 1-0 down but Przybylko poached a goal in the 90th to capture a share of the points for the Union.

The two teams had met just a few days earlier on July 3, ending in Orlando’s 3-1 home loss to the Union. Chris Mueller and Przybylko swapped goals in the first half before Robin Jansson was sent off just prior to the break. Afterwards, the 10-man Lions gave up two more goals — to Przybylko and Fafa Picault — and then went down another man with Sacha Kljestan seeing red.

In 2018, the teams drew 2-2 on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The Lions prevailed over the Union in Philadelphia on April 13, 2018 by a 2-0 score. Orlando and Philadelphia also met that season in U.S. Open Cup play, with the Union capturing a 1-0 home win back on July 18, 2018 on a goal by Bedoya.

The teams split their two matches in 2017, with the home side prevailing both times. The Lions won 2-1 at Orlando City Stadium on March 18. The rematch was an ugly 6-1 Philadelphia win in the season finale for both teams.

The Lions were 1-1-1 against Philadelphia in 2016. The team’s first road victory in the series came on Oct. 16, 2016, as the Lions roared, 2-0. The teams played to a 2-2 draw on May 25 in Orlando. Tranquillo Barnetta’s free kick gave Philly a 2-1 win.

Orlando drew 0-0 at home and lost on the road, 1-0 (on a penalty kick), against Philadelphia in 2015.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 2-0 loss at CF Montreal Saturday afternoon. The Lions were outplayed for most of the match but were still only moments away from a crucial road point when the roof caved in. Jansson committed a foul in the box, allowing Daniel Rios to give the hosts a late lead. Former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson added the…well, the dagger. Orlando City could not afford to come away without points in the match after a poor start to the season, but that’s exactly what happened.

The same, however, is true for tonight. Philadelphia is the only team below Orlando in the Eastern Conference table. With a 2-3-0 mark at home (which is much better than the Lions’ 1-5-1 away record), nothing but a win will suffice if Orlando City is going to maintain any semblance of contact with the teams circling the final playoff places.

The Union are better on the road than at home, but that’s not saying much, because Philadelphia is 1-5-1 in away matches, earning four of its six points on the road. Philly is 0-2-3 in its last five games, but one of those draws came against Eastern Conference power Nashville. Milan Iloski and Danley Jean Jacques are the Union’s leading goal scorers with just two apiece, while 39-year-old Bedoya leads Philadelphia in assists with three.

Tonight’s game pits two of the league’s worst teams against each other and both will be hungry to try to add points to their total in an attempt to turn around their early season fortunes with the World Cup break quickly approaching. This match kicks off a stretch of three matches in seven days for Orlando City, so the Lions will be especially eager to rebound from the late meltdown in Montreal and start this final stretch out on the right foot.

“This is a process, and I think we have been able to compete better and prepare ourselves better. Now what comes next is consistency in a positive way in terms of results,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “I have no doubt that consistency will come. We are working for that and are proud of the effort from the players and the entire club. We have been working really hard and will continue to do so, so hopefully soon we can find that consistency not only in performance but also in results.” 

Orlando City will be without Joran Gerbet (knee), while Pasalic (thigh) is listed as questionable. Philadelphia will be without Jesus Bueno (ankle), Eddy Davis III (hamstring), Jephet Sery Larsen (shoulder), Quinn Sullivan (knee), and Frankie Westfield (hip), while Andre Blake (knee) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2),

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Andre Blake.

Defenders: Nathan Harriel, Olwethu Makhanya, Geiner Martinez, Olivier Mbaizo.

Midfielders: Cavan Sullivan, Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev.

Forwards: Ezekiel Alladoh, Milan Iloski.

Referees:

REF: Sergii Boiko.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Adam Wienckowski.
4TH: Elvis Osmanovic.
VAR: Joe Dickerson.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

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

Enjoy the match. Go City!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/13/26

Orlando City hosts the Philadelphia Union tonight, Orlando Pride defeated on the road, MLS player salary information released, and more.

Published

7 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Not only have we made it to the middle of the week, but we have Orlando City soccer waiting for us tonight. It’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs this year when it comes to supporting our favorite players in purple, but I’m still excited for some midweek soccer. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Hosts the Philadelphia Union Tonight

After a loss on the road to CF Montreal on Saturday, Orlando City will aim to bounce back when it plays the Philadelphia Union tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Both teams have struggled mightily this year and Philadelphia sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just one win from 12 games. While the Union have only scored a measly 10 goals this season, the Lions have conceded a whopping 34 times. It’s the age-old battle between a movable object and a stoppable force. Tonight’s match will be the first of three consecutive home games across all competitions for the Lions, so hopefully they can start this homestand off with a win.

Orlando Pride Lose Late to Boston Legacy FC

The Orlando Pride don’t have anything to show from a frustrating 2-1 loss on the road to the Boston Legacy. The Pride struck first from the penalty spot and carried that lead into halftime, but Boston equalized in the second half and then scored a penalty kick of its own in stoppage time to win it late. It’s a brutal loss for an Orlando team that has struggled with consistency and has yet to win twice in a row this season. There’s not much time for the Pride to regroup before their next match, as they’re set to take on the Denver Summit on the road on Saturday.

MLSPA Releases Player Salary Information

The Major League Soccer Players Association shared the salary information for players under contract as of April 16. Designated Players Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic are the only Lions with base salaries over $1 million, with each having a salary of $1.6 million. As for some of the new faces in the City Beautiful this year, Braian Ojeda’s salary is $725,000, Maxime Crepeau’s is $600,000, and Tiago’s is $500,000.

There’s no prize for guessing which player has the highest salary in the league, with Lionel Messi’s $25 million salary at more than double that of Son Heung-Min’s $10.3 million. In third is another Miami player, with Rodrigo De Paul’s base salary listed as $7.5 million. It at least makes Orlando’s recent win in Miami feel a bit sweeter.

Orlando City B Makes MLS NEXT Pro Power Rankings

In the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, which only list the top 10 teams in the league, Orlando City B placed eighth. This comes following a 2-0 win over Atlanta United 2 as OCB extended its unbeaten run to four games. Harvey Sarajian and Gustavo Caraballo have led OCB’s attack so far this season, while Issah Haruna has now scored in two consecutive games as well. Goalkeeper Luca Maxim was also stellar between the sticks for his first professional clean sheet in that win against Atlanta. It’s nice to see the Young Lions receive some recognition and they will have a chance to keep their streak going when they play New England Revolution II on the road on Sunday.

Free Kicks

  • San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris underwent successful groin surgery and is expected to miss three or four months. The 20-year-old has been great this season, recording three goals and seven assists while leading the league with 34 created chances.
  • American midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough were beaten 2-1 by Southampton in the playoffs for promotion to the English Premier League. Shea Charles scored in extra time to book Southampton’s ticket to the final against Hull City at Wembley Stadium.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s roster for the World Cup is released later this month and Giovanni Reyna is one of the biggest names on the bubble. A goal for Borussia Monchengladbach this past Saturday likely didn’t hurt his chances.
  • Cristo Fernandez, who you may know as Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso, has signed a contract to play for El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship after a trial with the team. El Paso is life?
  • Arsenal defender Ben White will miss the remainder of the season due to MCL damage and won’t be available for England for the World Cup either.
  • Slavia Prague was handed a 3-0 forfeit loss after its fans invaded the pitch in stoppage time against rival Sparta Prague. The club was also fined and will play its next four home games without fans.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Go Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

Continue Reading

Trending