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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 1-1 as Alex Freeman Equalizes in Stoppage Time

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9 months ago

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Image of Alex Freeman dribbling the ball against FC Cincinnati.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played a good first half against Supporters’ Shield hopeful FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. But a lack of finishing bit the Lions (14-7-10, 52 points) once again when Cincinnati (18-9-5, 59 points) played Orlando off the pitch in the second half, with Kevin Denkey eventually making the Lions pay for constantly giving the ball away. Orlando created chances late but continued to miss the target until Alex Freeman’s header deep in stoppage time rescued a road point for the Lions.

On another night, the Lions might have scored four or five goals, but good shot blocking by FC Cincinnati and a lack of lethality turned what could have been three points into what was almost zero points, and eventually turned into a single, hard-fought point.

“A very typical match against Cincinnati, against this rival that demands a lot of physicality in the game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I think we coped with it. I think we had the personality to propose the game also when we had the ball.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Freeman. Kyle Smith joined Eduard Atuesta in central midfield for the second straight game between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Duncan McGuire up top.

Cincinnati dominated the early possession, but Orlando defended desperately and prevented the hosts from getting a clear-cut look in the opening moments. The only chance created came on a quick transition with a good ball in from Ender Echenique on the right finding Denkey in front. The striker headed on target but Gallese kicked it away.

Orlando, meanwhile, struggled to settle into the match, misplacing passes early, including two that would have led to breakaways. Ojeda nearly sent McGuire in behind but the pass floated a bit, allowing Cincinnati goalkeeper Evan Louro to knock it out of play. A few minutes later, Orlando had a chance to send Ojeda behind off a cleared Cincinnati corner kick, but the ball was overhit and Louro was able to get to it first.

The Lions began to settle into the match after the opening 10 minutes and created some decent chances.

McGuire should have scored in the 11th minute. Pasalic found space on the left side and scorched a low cross into the area. Ojeda touched in on to McGuire, who settled it with a great first touch, but he poked his shot just inches wide of the left post. Two minutes later, Pasalic took a layoff just outside the box and fired with his right foot, but the defense blocked it.

Four minutes later, Cincinnati native Smith got into the box and fired a shot that the defense blocked out front. The rebound came back to Smith, who made a mess of the shot, sending the spinning ball well off target. Atuesta sent Ojeda forward with a good ball in the 19th minute, but the Argentine tried to drive left to get the ball on his dominant foot, allowing Miles Robinson to race back and force him wide without a shot.

Freeman ended up with the ball in the box on the left side in the 20th minute and fired a shot that deflected off Nick Hagglund and out for a corner. The set piece fell in the box at Brekalo’s feet, but Hagglund made another block in the 21st minute.

Evander found space on the right from long range in the 27th minute and sent in a cross that found Denkey at the top of the box, but the header again was hit at Gallese, who scooped it up on the bounce.

The Lions went the other way and Pasalic cut in from the right and laid off for Ojeda, who fired a shot that was once again blocked by a defender. Schlegel got a head to the cross but the shot deflected out for a second corner and the hosts were able to clear it.

In the last 15 minutes of the half, Cincinnati re-established itself in possession, started playing more physically, and won some set pieces.

Just past the half hour mark Atuesta was booked for fouling Pavel Bucha, giving Cincinnati a free kick. Evander went for goal but Jansson blocked it. Moments later, Atuesta appeared to suffer a foul in the attacking third but it wasn’t called. Brekalo was booked for pulling back Brenner on the ensuing counter. Two minutes later, Cincinnati won another free kick from range. Evander went for goal but Gallese easily caught it.

McGuire took a pass from Angulo in the box in first-half stoppage time and tried a first-touch shot but Hagglung once again blocked the effort, and it trickled harmlessly in front on the last play of the half.

At the break, Cincinnati had the edge in possession (55.4%-44.6%) and passing accuracy (88%-82.9%). The Lions held the advantage in shots (11-4) and corners (3-2). Both teams put two shots on target, with Denkey’s first of the game being the most dangerous. The difference in a comfortable halftime lead and a scoreless game was Cincinnati’s seven first-half blocks.

“I feel like we’re a team that creates a lot and, you know, maybe today we weren’t as clinical as we wanted to be, but that’s just something we know we should work on during the week,” Freeman said. “You know, obviously we’re not happy that we didn’t score as much goals as we wanted.”

The first couple of chances of the second half went Orlando’s way. Ojeda did well to pick out Freeman’s trailing run on the right in the 47th minute. The fullback shot immediately but tried to go near side and Louro had his post covered. The Lions won a corner and played it short, eventually picking out Ojeda outside the area. The Argentine blasted a shot that forced a sprawling save from Louro, who could only knock it to Jansson, and with a gaping net in front of him, the center back missed over the bar.

Cincinnati then settled into the second half and started creating in transition. Gallese made a decent diving save to deny Brenner’s shot from the top of the arc in the 50th minute. Two minutes later, Angulo lost the ball in the attacking third and the hosts countered, ending the movement with Denkey on the right. His shot toward the left post skipped wide.

The hosts nearly scored in the 58th minute when Echenique torched Brekalo on the wing and entered the box, dribbling toward the end line at the near post. Denkey went to ground and got up, with the winger trying to ping it to him, but the ball deflected and spun toward goal, where Gallese covered it.

The hosts kept coming as the Lions got sloppy with the ball again, giving up chances. Samuel Gidi was left in space about 30 yards out and had a hit. Gallese did well to catch the shot without spilling it in the 61st minute. A minute later, Evander was left alone outside the area, but the attacking star did not get a lot of power on his effort and sent it right at Gallese.

Second-half sub Alvas Powell cut inside and sent in a dangerous shot in the 69th minute but Gallese made another save. Two minutes later, it was Echenique cutting in from the right and firing but his shot hit Evander and caromed out of play.

Denkey broke the deadlock two minutes later. Substitute Tyrese Spicer started the Cincinnati possession by losing the ball in the attacking half. The hosts came forward and Evander sent the ball in to Denkey, who fired past Gallese’s outstretched arm and in to make it 1-0 in the 73rd minute.

“Middle of the second half, we started losing distances with their midfielders,” Pareja said. “We had three players with yellow cards. They were so timid in that part of the match to go hard and play as we played in the first half.”

Pareja sent some attacking subs into the match, but Orlando continues to create little because the Lions couldn’t keep the ball. Freeman managed a shot from a tight angle on the right in the 80th minute, but it was no trouble for Louro at his near post.

Brenner shot wide in the 83rd minute, but he may have been offside on the play anyway, but it kept the Lions in the match.

Schlegel received a booking in the 87th minute, which was significant, because he’ll miss the next match.

As the game entered seven minutes of stoppage time, the Lions suddenly roared to life, creating numerous chances but wasting most of them. The first of those was a good ball Freeman served up for Ojeda at the right post. The Designated Player fired with his weaker right foot and missed the net from point-blank range in the 92nd minute.

Two minutes later, Ojeda fed the ball in front for substitute Luis Muriel. The ball was behind the Colombian, who managed to redirect it toward goal, but again the shot missed the target. The Lions quickly took possession again and created more danger in the box, with substitute fullback Adrian Marin cutting in front of Ojeda to take the shot from the left, but the defender sent his shot fizzing inches wide of the right post on another wasted opportunity.

The stars finally aligned for the Lions in the sixth added minute. Spicer blazed down the left, lost Echenique with a great spin move, and sent a cross into the box for Freeman, who had pushed forward. The USMNT fullback leaped and met the ball at the perfect height, sending his header just inside the right post and past Louro to tie the match. It was the defender’s sixth goal of the season and his second in three matches.

“I feel like when you’ve got a guy like Spicer coming in on the left side β€” a fast, physical, technical winger β€” it’s bound to get in the box somehow,” Freeman said. “So, I think it was just Spicer creating something out on the left side and be able to dribble past his defender, and then just flipping a great cross. And then, I was just there trying to put it in the corner, and that’s exactly what I did.”

“I have to give credit to these players, because their reaction was extraordinary,” Pareja said. “The way we created the chances…you see how many chances we missed today. So (their reaction is) what I want to highlight. I was so confident on this reaction of the players. After the goal they wanted to win it, too.”

FC Cincinnati tried to respond in the short time remaining and created a shot for Ayoub Jabbari, who flicked Evander’s cross on frame. Once again, Gallese was there. Moments later, the match was over and the two playoff-bound teams had to settle for splitting the points.

FC Cincinnati finished with the advantage in possession (56.7%-43.3%), passing accuracy (88.5%-83.5%), and shots on target (9-6). Orlando fired more shots (23-19) and won more corners (6-2).

“I feel like we had chances. I feel like we played a very good game. And I feel like the first 70 minutes, you know, we were dominating,” Freeman said. “We were going to get the goal. And then when they scored, our heads went down a little bit, but we just continued to fight, continued to fight. That’s what our motto is β€” to just be able to fight and fight. And to be able to get that goal and get that tie means a lot for us. Obviously, we wanted the three points, but to end up getting the tie and just keep that fighting spirit…very happy about that.”

“Second half, we felt that when we were losing 1-0 that the game was going to escape away from us, but I think the reaction from the players is outstanding,” “One more time the boys showed the culture that has been installed in this team and this club. So, we fought and we get this result that could have been better. Also it could have been worse. Typical match. I liked our personality tonight.”

The Lions return home for their next two matches, hosting the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

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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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3 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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4 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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