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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

7 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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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

17 hours ago

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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.

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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

19 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!

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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

23 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!

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