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Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy, Leagues Cup: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Crash Out in Fourth Place

Orlando City’s effort was there, but the bodies showed every bit of the travel and playing fatigue that built up throughout August in a meek loss in LA.

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10 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City was down two starting defenders for its Leagues Cup third-place match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, and the Lions played like it. The LA Galaxy ripped open Orlando’s makeshift back line early to score on their only shot attempt of the first half, then took advantage of substandard defending just seven minutes after Martin Ojeda’s equalizer as the Lions crashed out of the final four in Leagues Cup with a fourth-place finish, ending up without a coveted spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup and adding thousands of miles and hundreds of minutes to a team that has precious little depth behind the starting lineup.

Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil scored two of the easiest goals of their careers in a game the Lions spent all but 16 minutes chasing. Orlando rang the post on either side of the goal, but the Lions once again lacked sharpness as they did Wednesday at Inter Miami in a loss that was frustratingly unwatchable at times.

“Difficult challenges on following this schedule, and today, probably in the first half, we felt that low energy in the start of the game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the boys found their way to bounce back and then get that energy back and their willingness. And I thought we were that team that we used to to be, and we tied the game, and we have a couple actions that we could have scored. What happened is that we get wide open as well in the transition and Galaxy as well had a few chances. So the game was open for both.”

Pareja had to change his starting back line because of the suspensions to Robin Jansson and David Brekalo. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese started behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Rodrigo Schlegel, Kyle Smith, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top. Ramiro Enrique, linked to a move overseas in recent days, was a notable absentee from the squad.

Reus scored on the first shot attempt of the game on a play that started in LA’s defensive end. Araujo gambled on the press and was late, and the Galaxy moved the ball quickly to the right channel, where Smith was easily beaten by Gabriel Pec, who squared it for Reus. Atuesta was late tracking back and Schlegel was watching the far side, so Reus had tons of space to touch it home and make it 1-0 in the ninth minute.

Muriel tried to answer moments later, firing from long distance in the 12th minute but hardly bothering LA goalkeeper Novak Micovic. A minute later, the Colombian did beat Micovic, but he was offside and the flag came up immediately after the ball hit the back of the net.

The next dozen minutes were a boring mixture of the Galaxy working the ball around until Orlando won it back and then immediately turned it right back over. Both Angulo and Pasalic were loose with the ball during that spell.

Marin’s sliding emergency deflection prevented Pec from making it 2-0 in the 25th minute off a centering pass from Paintsil, who beat Freeman down the flank.

Freeman then got involved in the offensive end in the 27th minute, making a great run past Diego Fagundez and getting into the box before finding Muriel in front. The Colombian hesitated and then sent a weak, flat-footed shot off the shin of recovering defender John Nelson, wasting the opportunity.

Marin fired off the rebound of his own blocked cross attempt in the 32nd minute. His attempt from the left corner of the box squarely came off the right post and Angulo couldn’t react quickly enough to it to get his rebounded header attempt on frame.

Muriel stole the ball again in the 33rd minute, but then sent a long-range shot at Micovic that the goalkeeper saved on the first hop. A minute later, Angulo stole the ball and tried to send Ojeda down the left channel, but Emiro Garces intervened and knocked it out for a corner. The Lions’ set piece was easily cleared and Atuesta picked up a yellow card trying to slow down Pec on the break.

Ojeda took a pass from Pasalic in the 43rd minute, spun, and tried a shot, but he left his effort well wide of the right post on the last look at goal of the first half.

At the break, the Galaxy had a huge advantage in possession (67.6%-32.4%) and passed more accurately (89.2%-81.3%). Orlando held the edge in shots (5-1), shots on target (2-1), and corners (1-0), but the hosts made their only shot attempt pay off and that was the difference at halftime.

The Lions nearly gave up a breakaway to Paintsil in the first minute of the second half. Gallese came out to force him wide and the Galaxy forward lost the ball over the end line.

Orlando won an early corner, but LA cleared the initial service and Angulo’s volley attempt came closer to hitting the corner flag than the goal frame.

Atuesta found himself in space off a giveaway moments later but the midfielder blasted his shot off the inside of the left post and the rebound deflected straight into into Micovic’s arms.

Pec was left in far too much space outside the box in the 52nd minute, so he had a hit but sent his shot wide of the right post. Two minutes later, Paintsil had a go from a similar spot and the ball took a deflection for a corner. Orlando cleared to end the threat.

Pasalic popped up on the left side in the 56th minute and looked to get onto a through ball from Angulo, but the Colombian put too much on it and the chance never materialized.

Orlando tied the match in the 60th minute on a good spell in the final third. Angulo found himself with time and space on the left. He sent a cross into the box to Muriel, who knocked it down for Ojeda. The Argentine turned and smashed it past Micovic to make it 1-1.

With the goal involvement, Ojeda tied Facundo Torres for the club’s career lead in all competitions (72).

The match didn’t stay level long. Pec took the ball across the top of the area and four different Lions failed to dispossess him. Orlando got it back, lost it, and then got it back again, but Araujo gave it away just in front of his box to Paintsil, who just smashed it past Gallese to restore LA’s lead in the 67th minute.

Freeman had a couple of opportunities to have a go at goal but turned them down shortly after the Paintsil goal. He managed to set up a shot for Pasalic on the second of those but the first was blocked and the second was badly off target. The Lions won a couple of corners but did nothing with them except ignite the Galaxy counter.

One of those led to an incredible save in the 82nd minute. Paintsil’s chipped shot came off the crossbar and the rebound fell for Miki Yamane, who blasted a shot on target. Gallese dove out of his net and punched it away at the last second to keep it a one-goal game.

Substitute Tyrese Spicer tried to get involved, but tended to make things worse by trying to dribble too many defenders or floating crosses in straight to the goalkeeper. However, he did make one brilliant play that gave Orlando its best chance to equalize for a second time. Spicer found a lane in the 88th minute to put in a pass to Ojeda. The ball was midway between headeand foot level, so the Argentine made a diving header attempt, catching it squarely but sending it inches wide of the right post.

Both Ojeda and defender Julian Aude stayed down for several minutes as the fourth official showed six minutes of injury time. The best save in that added time was Gallese parrying away a wide-open look from Miguel Berry from the top of the box off a short corner play.

The Lions had one more chance on a corner kick that Ojeda won in the fifth minute of stoppage time. His cross found Freeman for a rare free header, but the young fullback muffed his opportunity, sending a weak effort straight to Micovic. After the Lions regained possession and looked to come forward, referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere blew the whistle to end the match after adding only 45 seconds on top of the original six minutes, despite the lengthy delay for treatment to Aude and Ojeda. That level of officiating was very much on brand for the final four of this tournament.

At the final whistle, Orlando held the advantage in shots (17-11), shots on target (5-4), and corners (7-5). LA held more possession (56.8%-43.2%) and passed more accurately (86.8%-85.5%). The difference in the match was that Orlando paid for its mistakes but did not punish the Galaxy for theirs, particularly the giveaway to Muriel and leaving Atuesta with so much room just outside the box.

The Lions have now gone four matches without a win in all competitions, losing the last three of those. It is no coincidence that Orlando has scored just three total goals in those matches.

“Like we do when we win, there is no other way, just try to rest first, and just let the boys recover their energy and settle in a place that they can feel again our best version,” Pareja said about how the club will move forward. “It has been very proud to take this team to this competition. We’re going to move on and try to prepare (for) the next challenge and finalize for six games and winning the league.”

With Leagues Cup out of the way, the Lions will get back to MLS play, but they’ve got a week off for the international break before visiting D.C. United on Saturday, Sept. 13. It remains to be seen if the extra matches and the falling off of form during the last few will ultimately take their toll on a team that was in good form heading into the knockout rounds.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

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2 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

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2 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

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  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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3 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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