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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 1-1 as Marco Pasalic’s Goal Earns the Lions a Point

The Lions had their chances, but could only put one in the net, missing an opportunity to distance themselves from the Crew in the standings.

Published

5 months ago

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Image of Eduard Atuesta playing the ball against Columbus.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

It was a wet and wasteful night at Inter&Co Stadium, as Orlando City fell behind the Columbus Crew in the first half, leveled the match before halftime, and then squandered opportunities to go on and win the game. Andres Herrera put the Crew (13-8-12, 51 points) on top, but Marco Pasalic’s blast allowed Orlando City (14-7-11, 53 points) to at least earn a point at home in a crucial match with Eastern Conference playoff seeding ramifications.

A win would have seen the Lions five points clear of ninth-place Columbus, but Orlando remains just two points ahead of the lowest play-in wild card spot.

“Just like always, I think a very competitive match,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We end up with the sensation that we had those options so clear to find the game, but also we humbly have to recognize that they had two options also at the end, so very competitive match.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, and Alex Freeman. Joran Gerbet started in central midfield with Eduard Atuesta inside wingers Ivan Angulo and Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top.

The game was only a few minutes old when Gerbet sustained a non-contact injury and had to be helped off. Kyle Smith subbed on for him in just the fifth minute.

Columbus dominated play in the first half, while Orlando City was sloppy with its few possessions. The Crew kept the ball and searched for an opening against a defense that seemed more passive than aggressive to start the match.

Diego Rossi returned from injury in the match to start for the Crew and was dangerous from the jump. He got in behind the back line in the eighth minute on a long ball from the goalkeeper, but Gallese came well off his line and blocked Rossi’s shot. The defense arrived to clean up the rebound to end the threat.

Three minutes later, Angulo committed an unnecessary foul just outside his defensive penalty area, conceding a dangerous free kick just right of center. Dylan Chambost went for goal on the set piece, but he sent his shot into the defensive wall. The rebound came back to him, so he fired again, this time sending his shot through the wall but straight at Gallese.

The Crew won a series of corners after that, but Orlando was able to deal with them. Malte Amundsen earned a yellow card for a hard foul on Gallese on the second such set piece.

Herrera scored an easy goal in the 32nd minute. Lassi Lappalainen had the ball on the left and sent a pass through the area to a charging Herrera, who had slipped past both Angulo and Marin. He deflected the ball past Gallese to open the scoring.

The Lions responded well to falling behind. Marin stepped in front of a diagonal left-to-right pass and bombed forward into space in the midfield, taking it into the attacking third. He found Muriel on his right, and the Colombian had plenty of space to shoot from outside the box. Patrick Schulte saved the initial blast but couldn’t hang onto it. Pasalic was first to react, smashing the ball into the back of the net in the 34th minute to tie the match.

“I was able to take it down with my chest, and then I looked up and they were pretty wide open, and they were creating spaces for us,” Marin said. “I like to try and take it in that moment. And I like to look for the diagonal balls in those moments to Marco, to Luis, and I was able to find Luis in that moment. I passed him the ball, and then I tried to make a run and try and find that one-two with him. And then he turned around and he shot it towards the goal, and it was a good shot, but the goalkeeper saved it. And then Marco definitively ran in and was able to get the rebound, and thankfully, able to convert the goal. You know, it’s always great knowing that those two are always going to be there.”

“It’s difficult when you don’t score for five, six games,” Pasalic said. “It’s difficult when you don’t score one game, you know? And for me especially, what’s more important is that I scored the equalizer so I can help the team. I would be happy if we won today with that goal, but like I said, I’m happy that I have broke the ice, and now I keep going and want to push and help the team.”

Columbus nearly struck right back. Rossi shook loose on the right and fired a shot that Gallese saved, but he couldn’t control the rebound, which fell to Max Arfsten. The USMNT fullback saw his follow-up shot blocked by the defense. The second rebound fell to Lappalainen, who sent a header wide.

Orlando City won a couple of late corner kicks, setting up a pair of headers for Brekalo. The Slovenian international sent the first one wide off of Ojeda’s service, and he sent the second straight to Schulte off a recycled ball in from the right in the 43rd minute.

Angulo had to race back to poke the ball away from Herrera, who once again was able to sneak in unimpeded on the right in the 44th minute, and the Lions cleared the ensuing corner cross.

Freeman got down the right and did well to pick out Ojeda in stoppage time. The Argentine fired a shot toward the left post but it went off a defender and out for a corner. That was the last good look of the half.

Columbus held the halftime advantage in possession (59.8%-40.2%), corners (5-3), passing accuracy (90%-86.3%), and shots on target (4-3). Both teams attempted eight shots in the half.

“The first part of the game, we wanted to clog the middle,” Pareja said. “They use the intervals or those zones where they like to play. We knew that they were going to provide us space, and we bet for that option on clogging the middle, but we ended up just defending too low. The first 15 minutes, 20 probably, we felt that it was too much, not what we wanted. “

Bringing Angulo higher on the pitch helped the Lions get more control of the game over the final minutes of the first half.

The Lions won an early corner, with the ball into the area finding Brekalo, who headed it down but right into a defender for the block in the 47th minute.

Two minutes later, second-half Crew sub Ibrahim Aliyu nearly got in behind but the Lions’ defense arrived in time to prevent a shot.

Muriel was sent behind the line in the 50th minute and tried to cut back as the defense arrived. He then tried to cut back again and lost the ball without even a shot attempt.

Orlando conceded a dangerous free kick in the 51st minute, but it appeared to be a clean takeaway. Orlando vehemently protested the decision but the call was made. Rossi took the set piece but sent it well over the crossbar.

Moments later, the Lions got their own free kick but from much further away. Freeman was taken down on the right. Ojeda sent the free kick on target but from that range, Schulte had plenty of time to get in front of it to make the stop. Two minutes later, Freeman nearly got on the end of another Ojeda set piece delivery, but it skipped just in front of him and he was offside anyway.

Muriel stole the ball and burst forward in the 63rd minute. As he approached goal on the left side, he again passed up a shooting opportunity to try to thread a pass to the back post, and again the Crew arrived to break up the play. Three minutes later, the Lions had a 2-on-1 counterattack with Ojeda on the ball. Like Muriel, Ojeda passed up a shooting opportunity to try to give second-half sub Duncan McGuire a tap-in, but he misplaced his pass and the chance evaporated.

Columbus controlled most of the final 25 minutes, keeping the ball in the Orlando third for long periods. Herrera took a pass from Rossi on the right in the 68th minute and cut inside onto his left, firing a shot straight at Gallese.

The game bogged down at that point, with neither side creating much danger as substitutes cycled in and disrupted the flow of the game.

The Lions tried to counter off a Columbus corner in the 80th minute, getting forward four on two with Atuesta picking out Nico Rodriguez on the right, but he took a heavy touch and Darlington Nagbe intervened, knocking the ball out for a corner. The Lions played the set piece short, overcooked the entry ball, and created nothing from the opportunity.

The Crew’s best chance at a winner came in the 83rd minute, when they sent the ball right to left to an unmarked Arfsten in the box. The shot was deflected just wide for a corner.

Four minutes later, the last Orlando attack fizzled when Tyrese Spicer found McGuire in the box, but the defense again arrived to knock it away.

Neither side could do much in the two minutes of injury time and the match ended in an unsatisfying draw.

The Crew increased their possession advantage, finishing with a big edge (61.3%-38.7%). Columbus also had the advantage in shots (18-10), shots on target (7-4), and passing accuracy (90.5%-84.7%). Both teams won seven corners.

“We played really well,” Pasalic said. “We had a difficult opponent. They did also really well. So it was a difficult game. I’m happy that we take one point. It’s better than no point.”

The Lions are back in action a week from tonight as the Vancouver Whitecaps visit the City Beautiful.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/17/26

Predictions for the 2026 MLS season, UEFA Champions League returns, transfer rumor roundup, and more.

Published

14 hours ago

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February 17, 2026

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Image of Adrian Marin dribbling the ball against the Columbus Crew.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

It feels a little strange to be saying this after what feels like a couple minutes since the end of last season, but happy match week everyone! The Lions are set to take on the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, and hopefully the final preseason match was simply Orlando City’s time to get out all of the mistakes when the games don’t matter. We’ve got plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

MLS Preseason Predictions

With the 2026 MLS season due to get underway this weekend, now is a good time to make predictions on how the various teams will fare this year. When it comes to Orlando City, a lot of the on-air talent at Apple TV who cover the league don’t seem particularly positive about the Lions’ chances. The general consensus has the Lions finishing the year at ninth in the Eastern Conference, although a couple individuals have them sinking as low as 12th, and Max Bretos has the good guys as high as third. Inter Miami and LAFC are the picks to win their respective conferences, while CF Montreal and Sporting Kansas City occupy the cellar spots.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League is back this week as the play-off round kicks off later today. The Tuesday slate of games is highlighted by Benfica hosting Real Madrid in a rematch of the dramatic game on matchday eight that saw the Portuguese outfit sneak into the knockout round with a last-minute goal. The match between Weston McKennie’s Juventus team and Galatasaray should also be a great spectacle, and the Istanbul outfit’s intimidating atmosphere could make the difference against the Italian side. Wednesday sees Bodo/Glimt host Inter Milan in its frozen home above the Arctic Circle, while Club Brugge will try to use its own home-field advantage to grab a result against Atletico Madrid.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The winter transfer window might be over for European teams, but that isn’t stopping the transfer rumors from continuing to fly. We start with Manchester United, as the Red Devils are reportedly eyeing up a move to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Liverpool this summer to help solve some of their midfield struggles. Meanwhile, Brighton and Hove Albion is said to have made another offer to sign promising young winger Said El Lama from FC Koln, despite the German team’s reluctance to sell him. Elsewhere in England, Chelsea and Tottenham are both reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-Jae. Finally, Tom Bogert says St. Louis City is close to signing forward Sergio Cordova on loan from BSC Young Boys.

https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/2023415011188916575

FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

The draw has been completed for the fifth round of the FA Cup, and it’s thrown up some intriguing matchups. The one that’s grabbed a lot of the headlines is Wrexham hosting Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground after making it to the round of 16 for the first time in 29 years. Newcastle United will host Manchester City in another big clash, while West Ham United will take on a Brentford side that was given a real scare by National League side Macclesfield Town on Monday in a 1-0 win that took an own goal to send the Bees through. League One side Mansfield Town has been given a tortuously tough test in Arsenal, but the lower division outfit does have the benefit of playing the match at home.

Free Kicks

  • Despite being the new away jersey, Orlando City will be wearing the Sunken Treasure kit when it kicks off the season at home on Saturday.
https://twitter.com/OrlandoCitySC/status/2023511311402103093
https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/2023511459079348344

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Start manifesting all three points and a winning start to the season on Saturday, or I’ll send Kingston after you. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Robin Jansson’s Availbility Critical For Orlando City This Season

Orlando City’s lack of center back depth and experience makes Robin Jansson’s availability crucial to the team’s success this season.

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1 day ago

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February 16, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played its final preseason game Saturday night, falling 4-1 to the Colorado Rapids. There were plenty of takeaways from this game, but one stands out above the rest.

Robin Jansson has been a mainstay in the Lions’ starting lineup since arriving at the club in 2019. The Swede was a key component as the club qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in 2020 — and every year since. He eventually became vice captain and captain when Mauricio Pereyra’s time in Orlando ended.

Early in his Orlando career, Jansson was quite frustrating for fans. He would inevitably get into altercations with referees resulting in unnecessary yellow cards. The center back was commonly suspended due to yellow card accumulation, making him a potential liability in big games.

However, the 34-year-old has mellowed with age. His ability to keep his calm has made him a much more reliable defender and the obvious choice as Oscar Pareja’s captain when Pereyra departed the club following the 2023 season.

Over the last couple of years, Jansson’s importance to Orlando City has been apparent. Rodrigo Schlegel and David Brekalo were the center back pairing when the captain was missing and his absence was noticeable. While the other options were dependable (most of the time) the back line seemed unstable and disorganized without its leader.

We saw that again on Saturday night.

Jansson is out after undergoing foot surgery earlier this preseason, making Brekalo and Iago the only first-team center backs available with top flight experience. The veteran is expeccted to return later this spring, but Breako and Iago will likely be the starting center backs when the regular season begins Saturday night.

While Brekalo is entering his third season in Orlando, the club signed Iago — a 20-year-old Brazilian — from Flamengo on Feb. 7, making him the club’s newest player.

Just a week after joining his new club, Iago had the most difficult time of all Orlando City defenders against Colorado’s attack. He was beaten twice by Rafael Navarro for goals in the first half, allowing the opposition to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

While the newly signed center back was better in the second half, the pairing still had its troubles. Brekalo got burned by Darren Yapi for the third goal, and the inability of the duo to clear the ball late in the game allowed Lucas Herrington to make it four.

The importance of Jansson is shown not just in his captaincy, but also in the number of games he plays. He’s started at least 30 league games in each of the last three seasons and took part in every MLS contest Orlando City had in 2023. He’s clearly a durable option, but for how much longer?

At 34 years of age, Jansson is past his prime years and might need more time to recover. As a result, Pareja may soon be unable to depend on his captain to play nearly every game.

As we’ve seen over the past few seasons, that could create a significant problem for Orlando City. Regardless of the pairing, the back line has been much weaker when Jansson has not been involved. It’s something that was proven again Saturday night.

This is only one game in a preseason in which the club has produced very little information, so it’s tough to say whether this game is an anomaly or something that should concern fans. But it’s also not like Brekalo and Iago have played much center back.

Brekalo, a 27-year-old Slovenian international, has primarily played left back for the Lions since joining the team two years ago. Despite being a natural center back, only 18 of his 51 starts in all competitions have been in the position. Initially, he was a backup on the bench. Pareja soon preferred Brekalo at left back, resulting in the club trading Rafael Santos to Colorado.

The club signed Adrian Marin from Sporting Braga on Aug. 7, bringing a new left back into the squad. Once acclimating himself to his new home, the Spainard played in the final three games of the regular season. Brekalo started two of those games at center back and was away on international duty for the third. Marin also started Saturday night’s preseason game on the left side of the back line.

Meanwhile, Iago’s lack of experience comes from his age. The 20-year-old came through Flamengo’s academy before joining the first team in 2024. He made 68 appearances for the Brazilian giants’ U-20 and first teams while also captaining Brazil at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

But that experience is minimal compared to the other two center back options. Brekalo has made 65 appearances for Orlando City and played in more professional games for Bravo and Viking. Jansson, on the other hand, has more appearances (237), starts (231), and minutes (20,889) than any player in club history.

While Brekalo and Iago are getting used to regularly playing center back against MLS competition, Jansson has been a regular starter at the position for seven years. That experience allows him to have an unusual knowledge of the league and the opposing attackers in addition to being able to communicate effectively with the rest of his back line.

If Jansson is unable to remain healthy thorughout the coming season or needs more rest than previous years, it could be a problem for the Lions. The team is unlikely to score a large number of goals, making the defensive play essential to Orlando’s success. The captain being out for any period of time is the most troubling scenario.

Orlando City lost multiple starters this off-season, creating questions for the team heading into the season. Some of those include who will start at right back, how will new starting goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau adjust to his new team, and where will the goals come from? But what happens if Jansson is unavailable to play might be the most pressing.

We’ve seen what this back line looks like when the captain is out and it doesn’t look pretty. It’s been a concern over the past few seasons and, judging from the performance Saurday night, is one again this year. Orlando City fans can only hope he’ll be able to be a consistent and healthy part of the team in 2026.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 2/16/26

Lions fall to Rapids in final preseason match, Pride release preseason schedule, MLS transfer news, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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February 16, 2026

By

Image of Orlando City's starting lineup prior to a preseason match vs. Colorado.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers, and happy President’s Day! I hope all is well with you down in Florida over the holiday weekend. I’ve been busy covering high school playoff basketball and hockey over the past week. Orlando City’s home opener is Saturday, and like many of you, I look forward to seeing what the Lions can do during the 2026 MLS season. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to Rapids in Final Preseason Match

In its final preseason match, Orlando City fell 4-1 to the Colorado Rapids Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime before Eduard Atuesta curled his shot around the wall and into the back of the net to make it 2-1 in the second half. The Rapids quickly responded with a goal from Darren Yapi extend their lead to 3-1. Lucas Herrington scored the final goal of the night for Colorado to seal the victory on the road. Orlando City finishes its preseason and the 2026 MLS season will kick off this weekend as the Lions host the Red Bulls on Saturday night.

Orlando Pride Release Preseason Schedule

The Orlando Pride dropped their preseason schedule Friday, and all matches will be closed-door scrimmages. The Pride have one preseason match in the books, a recent scrimmage against the Washington Spirit Friday, the day they dropped their schedule, but they did not provide information about it, as has become the team’s custom. The club shared some photos of the match on social media.

The Pride’s upcoming preseason matches are Friday against Racing Louisville, Sunday against the University of Florida, and March 1 against NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Orlando Pride Announce Preseason Fan Events

The Orlando Pride unveiled the list of events ahead of the 2026 season Saturday. Many of the events offer fans opportunities to engage with the team ahead of the Pride’s home opener on March 15 against the Seattle Reign at Inter&Co Stadium. The first event is Tuesday with Pour Overs With Pride at Qreate Coffee Creative Village, where fans can interact with Simone Jackson and Nicole Payne as baristas. The Pride will reveal their new secondary jersey at The Final Whistle at Thornton Park Pub on Feb. 26. The Pints with Pride event is March 3 with Summer Yates and Cori Dyke as bartenders, and the club’s annual Scarf the City event is March 10.

MLS Transfer News

Minnesota United has signed defender Kyle Duncan. The 28-year-old previously played eight seasons for the New York Red Bulls and is under contract through 2026 with an option through June 2027. FC Dallas has acquired midfielder Joaquin Valiente from Uruguayan top flight club Defensor SC. The 24-year-old Uruguayan international has signed a deal through 2027-2028 with options through the 2029-2030 season. The Houston Dynamo have loaned midfielder Sebastian Rodriguez to CF Monterrey through the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Atlanta United is reportedly finalizing the signing of winger Fafa Picault.

Lastly, Nashville SC is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to acquire wingback Reed Baker-Whiting from the Seattle Sounders.

Americans Abroad

Former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench and played 12 minutes, but Villarreal fell 2-1 to Getafe. Johnny Cardoso played 63 minutes, but Atletico Madrid fell 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano. Weston McKennie recorded two assists, but Juventus fell 3-2 to rival Inter Milan over the weekend. Timothy Weah played a full 90 minutes as Marseille secured a 2-2 draw against Strasbourg. Patrick Agyemang scored his 10th goal of the season as Derby County defeated Swansea City 2-0 in the EFL Championship. Later today, we’ll have two Americans square off as Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough take on Haji Wright and Coventry City.

Fourth Round FA Cup Recap

The fourth round of the FA Cup has begun. On Friday, Wrexham beat Ipswich Town 1-0 and advanced to the fifth round for the first time since 1997. Chelsea defeated Hull City 4-0. On Saturday, Mansfield Town edged Burnley 2-1 to move on. Former Lion Daryl Dike was on the bench and did not play as West Bromwich Albion fell 3-1 to Norwich City. Manchester City beat Salford City 2-0, and Liverpool defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0. On Sunday, Leeds United needed penalties to beat Birmingham City 4-2 after a 1-1 draw to advancd to the fifth round. Sunderland defeated Oxford United 1-0, Fulham edged Stoke City 2-1, and Arsenal dominated Wigan Athletic 4-0. Later today, Macclesfield FC takes on Brentford.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Benji Michel has signed a contract with K-League 1 side Ulsan HD FC in South Korea for the upcoming 2026 season.
  • Former Pride forward Ally Brazier (née Watt) set up the first goal for the Denver Summit in its preseason match Sunday. Former Pride defender Carson Pickett was also in action as the Summit defeated the Utah Royals 2-0.
  • The San Diego Wave are reportedly in negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Catarina Macario.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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