Connect with us

Orlando City

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

Published

7 months ago

on

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 — a fast, physical, technical winger — 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 — 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.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 4-1 home win over Charlotte?

Published

18 hours ago

on

April 23, 2026

By

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

Orlando City finally managed to score more than two goals thanks to a 4-1 victory over visiting Charlotte FC. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t looking forward to writing or even watching this game, but boy was I wrong. As a whole, the team played well, and there are some good grades for many, unlike the last several weeks. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in a matchup with Charlotte.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 6.5— This was a pretty good match for the Orlando City keeper, though it almost wasn’t. He made three saves, two of which were difficult. He got big and cut off the angle in the 28th minute on the first save. He got caught inside on Charlotte’s goal, but Braian Ojeda also made a mess of defending Morrison Agyemang at the back post. In the 64th minute, he celebrated a block by Tiago a bit early when he thought the ball had gone out, but it hadn’t. Fortunately, Iago was there to make a play and Charlotte was offside anyway, so the third attempt didn’t count. He made a point-blank save in the 81st and another leaping save deep in stoppage time to keep Charlotte at bay.

D, Adrian Marin, 5.5 — Marin almost got the Lions off to a bad start when he lost a 50/50 ball in the sixth minute but Charlotte couldn’t capitalize. After that, he settled in, though he still scares me a bit. He completed 87.7% of his 65 passes, including three of his seven long balls. Defensively, he contributed four tackles and four clearances. Again, he wasn’t bad, but he also wasn’t impressive.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — Jansson continues to show excellent form after his return from injury. The captain is a calming presence that keeps the defense organized. Since his return, Orlando City has allowed only three goals. He did his usual job of stopping attacks up and down the field. He completed 92% of his 50 passes, including one of his four long balls. Defensively, he logged one tackle, one interception, and a team-high eight clearances. It was the same type of performances that has earned him Man of the Match honors before, but this time the Lions created some offense.

D, Iago, 6 — Iago seems to be settling in now that he has Jansson next to him on the back line. He made some key defensive plays, including a clearance while Crepeau was celebrating too early. He completed 83.3% of his 36 passes, including one of his four long balls. Defensively, he logged one interception, three blocked shots, and two clearances. Thankfully, he didn’t lead Orlando City on shot attempts in this match.

D, Zakaria Taifi, 6 — Thank goodness Taifi muffed his shot attempt in the 21st minute. That’s not something one would normally say, but since it ended up as a Luis Otavio goal, it’s all good. Technically, it didn’t count as a shot, but he did get credit for the assist. He did take one other shot that was on goal, but it was easily saved, and he had two key passes. The Homegrown fullback made a good toe poke to stop an attack in 14th minute and a good recovery run in the 43rd minute to deflect a cross out for a corner. He finished with two tackles, an interception, and two clearances on the defensive side, passing at a 95.2% success rate. He was subbed off for Ignacio Gomez in the 78th minute.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — This was a very Ivan Angulo performance, by which I mean he did some good things, some bad things, and some inexplicable things. He did well tracking back on defense and occasionally taking the ball back in the midfield. He earned a yellow card in the 23rd minute keeping breaking up a counter off Braian Ojeda’s blocked ball into the box on a corner kick. He also missed an excellent opportunity after Ojeda put him in on goal in the 56th minute. It’s the type of play that he should at least put the shot on frame, but he was unable to even come close. He made up for it a bit with his excellent pass for the assist on Gomez’s late goal. He completed 91.7% of his 36 passes, including the one key pass. Defensively, he contributed two tackles. He subbed off for Harvey Sarajian in second-half stoppage time .

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5 — Braian Ojeda made one really bad play in this match that cost Orlando City a clean sheet. He was bowled over by Agyemang while defending the back corner on Charlotte’s lone goal. Other than that, he wasn’t too bad. He completed 91.3% of his 46 passes, including one cross. Defensively, he made three tackles and one clearance, while committing two fouls. He was more aggressive in the midfield this match, and that made a difference in limiting Charlotte’s attack.

MF, Luis Otavio, 7 — This was easily Luis Otavio’s best match so far. He only took one shot, but it was on target and in the back of the net to start the scoring on the night. The ball fell perfectly to Otavio after Taifi’s errant shot attempt. He settled it and took a powerful shot with the outside of his right foot that froze everyone, including Charlotte keeper Kristijan Khalina, to give Orlando the 1-0 lead. It was a perfect time to score his first professional goal. Defensively, he compiled three tackles, two interceptions, and one bicycle kick clearance in the 29th minute. He earned a yellow card in the 42nd minute. Otavio subbed off in second-half stoppage time for Colin Guske.

MF, Justin Ellis, 6 — Ellis was a bit of a surprise start due to Tyrese Spicer falling ill on game day, but the young forward played well. He took one shot in the 12th minute, on which he tried to turn in the box, but it went wide right. His big moment came in the 50th minute, when he took a pass from Tiago, made his way into the box, and laid the ball off to Martin Ojeda for the second goal of the match. Ellis’ aforementioned shot was his only one, but he did have an excellent assist on what turned out to be the winning goal. He completed 82.8% of his 29 passes with three key passes. Defensively, he made one tackle and committed one foul, earning a yellow card in the 67th minute. He was subbed off in second-half stoppage time for Bernardo Rhein.

F, Martín Ojeda, 7.5 (MotM) — Welcome back, Martin Ojeda! The Designated Player took four shots and put two on target, both of which went in. The first was a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner from Ellis’ pass. The second was an absolutely beautiful set-piece shot from just outside the box. He completed 91.3% of his 46 passes, including three key passes, two crosses, and six successful long balls. He received a yellow card in first-half stoppage time for arguing about a soft foul he was called for. This was the type of match that Orlando City needs from Martin Ojeda.

F, Tiago, 6.5 — Tiago should have been credited with the secondary assist on Orlando City’s first goal, but he was not. He made a long run to the end line and then put the ball back across the box perfectly for Taifi, who clipped it out to the top of the box where Otavio put it away. Tiago took one shot that was on target and earned a secondary assist on Ojeda’s first goal. He completed 77.8% of his 27 passes, made one key pass, and had three successful crosses. Defensively, he logged three clearances, blocked one shot, and committed two fouls, earning a yellow card in the 67th minute. Like many of his teammates, this was one of his best showings this season. He subbed off in 74th minute for Tahir Reid-Brown.

Substitutes

MF, Tahir Reid-Brown (75′), 5.5 — Tahir Reid-Brown came on for Tiago, who was sitting on a yellow card, to help protect the lead. He didn’t do much with his time on the pitch, but he also wasn’t asked to with the two-goal lead the club had at the time. He didn’t hurt Orlando City, and had some critical interventions to break up Charlotte’s attack near the top of the area. He completed 66.7% of his six passes with one cross. Defensively, he contributed one clearance.

MF, Ignacio Gomez (78′), 6.5 — Gomez decided he was going to make sure he received a grade for his performance. Almost immediately after entering the match, he earned a yellow card for a tussle with Charlotte star attacker Wilfried Zaha. He made up for it in the 87th minute by scoring his first MLS goal. He helped set the play up by finding Angulo with a good pass to the middle and then continued his run, finishing like a veteran. It was his only shot of the match, and he completed all three of his passes. Defensively, he contributed one tackle and two clearances while committing two fouls.

MF, Colin Guske (90+3′), N/A — Guske was brought on for Luis Otavio as Martin Perelman decided that everyone should get to play in this match. Guske wasn’t on long enough, nor did he do enough, to earn a grade.

F, Harvey Sarajian (90+3′), N/A — Harvey Sarajian came on for Ivan Angulo. Like Guske, Sarajian wasn’t on long enough, nor did he do enough, to earn a grade, although he gave up a dangerous free kick in stoppage time.

MF, Bernardo Rhein (90+3′), N/A — Congratulations to Bernardo Rhein for making his first MLS appearance. He came on for Justin Ellis. Sadly, like the other two guys he came on with, he wasn’t on long enough, nor did he do enough, to earn a grade.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 4-1 victory over Charlotte. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s enjoyable 4-1 victory over Charlotte.

Published

20 hours ago

on

April 23, 2026

By

Image of Ignacio Gomez celebrating his first MLS goal against Charlotte FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City got a much-needed victory on Wednesday night, demolishing Charlotte 4-1 and looking nothing like a bottom-of-the-Eastern-Conference squad. The Lions took an early lead, gave it away with some sloppy set-piece defending, but then rebounded and delivered a thorough beatdown in the second half. More nights like this, please and thank you.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Young Bench

Every player on the bench for Orlando City was at some point in their career primarily an Orlando City B player, and seven of the eight players had played minutes for the Young Lions in 2026. Only Colin Guske has not logged any minutes for OCB this season, though based on recent starting lineups and substitution choices for the senior team, he also may drop down to MLS NEXT Pro to get some minutes in the upcoming weeks. The kids in the hall on the bench were all right too, with Ignacio Gómez coming off the bench to score his first MLS goal, Tahir Reid-Brown showing his attacking ability up the left side, and Bernardo Rhein making his debut appearance at the senior level. There was a different, youthful, energy in the air at Inter&Co Stadium against Charlotte, and that energy definitely helped carry Orlando City to a victory.

Their First Samba

The Orlando City starting lineup featured all three of Orlando City’s Brazilian MLS U22 Initiative signings — the first time the three had started together for the Lions. This is clearly what Ricardo Moreira and the front office had envisioned during the off-season, and their vision was rewarded by the three young Brazilians on Wednesday night. Tiago was a menace down the left side of the field and should have been awarded a secondary assist for his work setting up the game’s first goal. Iago was once again solid in the center of defense, as he has been ever since Robin Jansson returned, and Luis Otávio scored the goal that Tiago had set up, giving Orlando City a home lead and injecting some confidence into a team that sorely needed it. All three of these players are now serious threats to seize the starting roles at their positions, and it will be interesting to see what happens as the veterans who play those positions return from injury.

Just How They Drew It Up

I do not think I am going out very far on a limb to say that Zakaria Taifi has never been less responsible for an assist that he was credited for, as while yes, Taifi was the last player to touch the ball before Otávio scored, but in no way, shape, or form was the young academy graduate trying to play the ball to Otávio. Tiago had made a 50-yard run up the left side of the field after receiving a pass from Adrián Marin, and his cross was perfectly placed for Taifi to volley it home. The Orlando native swung his left leg through but mistimed the connection, hitting the ball with the outside of his foot and sending his shot hurtling backwards toward the middle of the field. Otávio was waiting there alone, however, and trapped the ball down and then hit a trivela with his right foot that completely fooled Kristijan Kahlina. The play did not look pretty, but the scoreboard afterwards did, as the Lions had an early lead.

B Is For Brace

The off-season acquisition of Braian Ojeda added a second Ojeda to the Orlando City roster, and as a result, the back of the Paraguayan’s jersey reads B. Ojeda. On Wednesday night, however, Martín Ojeda scored two goals, giving us a different type of B. Ojeda to talk about — a b…race for Ojeda. OK, OK, that was a serious stretch, and speaking of a serious stretch, even with his own full extension stretch, Charlotte’s Kahlina was unable to keep Ojeda’s curling free kick out of the bottom corner of the net. That was Ojeda’s second goal, and on his first goal Kahlina did not even make an attempt to stretch and save the shot, because the Argentinean took Justin Ellis’ pass and lifted it up and into the far corner, leaving the Charlotte goalkeeper no chance. It was great to see the Ojeda of 2025 make an appearance in 2026, and hopefully those two goals kick him into gear.

Mest Värdefulla Spelaren

For those of you who do not speak Swedish (didn’t you watch The Muppets and learn from the Swedish Chef?), that headline translates to Most Valuable Player, which Jansson has been for the Lions since he returned against Columbus. The Beefy Swede led the game with 10 defensive contributions, including eight clearances, but it is really more about how his return has completely changed the defense for Orlando City. Iago looks settled and confident next to Jansson, and after a series of struggles early in his Orlando City career, all of a sudden Marin does as well. Martin Ojeda scored two goals and was excellent on the offensive side of the ball, but it is Jansson who stabilized the team and who helped the Lions stymy a Charlotte team that had won four of its most recent five games. Everyone seems more confident now with the captain back and commanding the back line, and he looks like he is completely healed from his injury and ready to help the Lions try to turn this season around.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s dominating victory over its Eastern Conference rivals. The Lions will not have long to celebrate, however, as they travel to the nation’s capital to play D.C. United on Saturday. A win this weekend would give them their first winning streak of the season and jump them over United in the standings, so I recommend that they enjoy this victory and then go get another one and never look back.

Let us know your thoughts about the Charlotte match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/23/26

Orlando City wins big against Charlotte FC, Javier Otero receives praise, Young Lions sign short-term contracts, and more.

Published

24 hours ago

on

April 23, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We might have to start petitioning for all of Orlando City’s games to be moved to Wednesdays as the Lions have won a midweek game for the second consecutive week. This one was a much more exciting affair to boot, and it does feel a bit like a shot in the arm this morning. Let’s go ahead and get to the win and more in today’s links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Crushes Charlotte FC

The Lions hosted Charlotte FC and claimed all three points in a 4-1 victory, snapping a four-game winless streak in league play. Luis Otavio scored his first goal as a Lion to give Orlando the lead, but Charlotte managed to equalize later in the first half. The second half belonged to Orlando though, as Martin Ojeda took over and Robin Jansson anchored the defense to prevent a comeback. It’s only the third time this year that the Lions have scored multiple goals in a match and hopefully they can keep that attacking momentum going when they travel to play D.C. United on Saturday.

Javier Otero Earns Praise After U.S. Open Cup Win

Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero came up with big saves to help the Lions win 1-0 against FC Naples in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32 earlier this month and his performance earned him a spot on the bench of the Team of the Round. He was also nominated for Save of the Round for his diving save to parry away a low strike, and voting will remain open until 8:30 p.m. tonight, so be sure to vote! Tyrese Spicer’s impressive strike wasn’t nominated for Goal of the Round, but you can vote on that award as well.

Young Lions Sign Short-Term Contracts

Orlando City B players Ignacio Gomez and Bernardo Rhein were signed to short-term contracts with the first team and both came off the bench for the Lions Wednesday night. Gomez, who made his MLS debut on Saturday, capitalized on his time on the field by scoring his first goal as a Lion. The pair of Young Lions will be available for Saturday’s game against D.C. United too, as the Lions are dealing with a rash of injuries that have tested their depth. Gomez is with Orlando on loan from Velez Sarsfield II, while Rhein has made 24 appearances with OCB as he continues to develop his game.

USWNT Will Face El Salvador in Concacaf W Championship

The schedule and matchups for this year’s Concacaf W Championship were revealed and the United States Women’s National Team will take on El Salvador in the quarterfinals on Nov. 27. This tournament will also notably serve as qualifying for both the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. The four semifinalists will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the two finalists and third-place nation will secure an Olympic spot, though the U.S. already has as host. Orlando Pride forward Solai Washington and Jamaica will play against Costa Rica with a World Cup berth on the line, with the winner facing the victor between the U.S. and El Salvador in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

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

Continue Reading

Trending