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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.

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2 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: 11/18/25

Orlando City roster update, a USMNT vs. Uruguay preview, World Cup qualifying galore, and more.

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19 hours ago

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November 18, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. All three of Orlando’s soccer teams have now finished their seasons, but that doesn’t mean things slow down around here. Off-season machinations are in full swing, the United States Men’s National Team plays later today, and World Cup qualifying is still ongoing. That means we have a lot of things to talk through today, so let’s get into the links. But first, let’s wish Orlando City goalkeeper Javier Otero a happy birthday.

Orlando City Announces Roster Decisions

Orlando City announced its end-of-season roster decisions on Monday afternoon. For the most part, things look as expected, as we already knew the two biggest departures in the out-of-contract duo of Pedro Gallese and Cesar Araujo. The most surprising bit of news was Robin Jansson’s contract option being declined, although the team is in negotiations with both he and Kyle Smith regarding their returns. Another eyebrow-raising choice was Ivan Angulo’s option year being picked up, particularly after a season in which he did not score a single league goal despite having multiple breakaway opportunities. Currently there are 22 players under contract, although some of those are clear backups, youth players, or currently injured, so the front office is going to have a lot of work to do during the off-season.

Previewing USMNT vs. Uruguay

The United States Men’s National Team will play its final game of 2025 later today, when it takes on Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It will be the 10th meeting between the two teams and the first since Uruguay’s 1-0 win knocked the USMNT out of the 2024 Copa America in the group stage. The mercurial Marcelo Bielsa manages the side and helped guide Uruguay to a fourth-place finish in World Cup qualifying earlier this fall. Uruguay will be without big names like Darwin Nunez, Federico Valverde, and Nicolas Fonseca, but the side still has plenty of star power with the likes of Ronald Araujo, Rodrigo Bentancur, Manuel Ugarte, and of course, former Lion Facundo Torres. Look for Bielsa to use a 4-3-3 with an energetic press and either the fullbacks or wingers inverting.

World Cup Qualifying Results

UEFA’s World Cup qualifying continued on Monday and there were several eye-catching results. Germany dismantled Slovakia 6-0 to secure a first-place finish in Group A and the World Cup spot that comes with it. Not to be outdone, Czechia beat Gibraltar by the same score but only managed to finish second in Group L. The Netherlands beat Lithuania 4-0 to finish top of Group G and also punch a ticket to next summer’s tournament, while Orlando City’s Marco Pasalic was an unused substitute in Croatia’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Montenegro, which ensured his team finished an undefeated run through Group L.

World Cup Qualifying Preview

There’s even more qualifiers taking place today, with both UEFA and Concacaf in action and big stakes on the line. Scotland faces Denmark, and needs to win at home in order to leapfrog the Danes into first and the automatic qualifying spot, while a draw for the Danes will be enough for them to retain the top spot. Austria vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a similar situation, as a draw or win will see Austria stay in first, while Bosnia and Herzegovina must win to overtake the Austrians. In Concacaf, Group C has a ton of drama with three teams still able to secure automatic qualification. Honduras is currently top with eight points and better goal differential than Haiti, which also has eight points, while Costa Rica is in third with six. Costa Rica will play Honduras, while Haiti takes on Nicaragua, and there’s any number of ways this could all shake out.

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That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City Announces Roster Update Following 2025 MLS Season

The club has announced the roster decisions and contract statuses following the 2025 campaign.

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1 day ago

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November 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City has finally released the club’s roster status update and let us know the decisions on contract options following the 2025 campaign — the Lions’ 11th season in Major League Soccer. The biggest news had mostly already happened with the departures of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and midfielder Cesar Araujo, who were both out of contract after the season. The writing had been on the wall in terms of both departures.

The most surprising news from today’s announcement is that the club declined the option year on captain Robin Jansson’s contract, but the club is in negotiations with both the veteran center back and out-of-contract defender/midfielder Kyle Smith.

Orlando City already had 14 players currently under contract for the 2026 season: forwards Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel, Marco Pašalić, and Nico Rodríguez; midfielders Gustavo Caraballo, Colin Guske, and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson; defenders David Brekalo, Adrián Marín, Tahir Reid-Brown, Rodrigo Schlegel, Zakaria Taifi, and Thomas Williams; and goalkeeper Javier Otero.

Additionally, the Lions exercised the contract options on Iván Angulo, Tyrese Spicer, and Yutaro Tsukada; midfielders Eduard Atuesta, Joran Gerbet, and Martín Ojeda; and defender Alex Freeman. The club declined Jansson’s option year, as well as options for three players who were regulars for OCB: goalkeeper Carlos Mercado, midfielder/forward Shak Mohammed, and midfielder/forward Favian Loyola.

Smith is out of contract, along with Gallese and Araujo, but it’s not surprising that the Lions are trying to bring him back as he is a versatile depth player who can fill in at a number of spots.

Midfielder Wilder Cartagena was to be out of contract as well, but he signed a new contract five days ago that will keep him in Orlando through 2026 with an option in 2027.

What It Means for Orlando City

If Jansson isn’t re-signed, the Lions will have to go shopping for a top-notch center back. Jansson may have lost a step this season, but he was still the best and most consistent defender on Orlando City’s back line when he was in the lineup. Entering 2026 with a plan to start Schlegel and Brekalo is at best a lateral step to what the club had in 2025, which wasn’t good enough, as the Lions did not record a clean sheet after June 14. The back line wasn’t solely to blame, as Gallese and the central midfield have to shoulder some of that burden, but the critical breakdowns defensively in 2025 occurred more often than in previous seasons.

The biggest surprise to me was the club picking up Angulo’s option. The Colombian didn’t score a single goal in MLS for the first time since 2022, when he only appeared in nine games at the end of the season. It’s not as if Angulo didn’t have multiple golden opportunities to score, as he failed to finish on multiple clear-cut breakaways with only the goalkeeper back throughout the season. At more than $500,000 in annual base salary, the club can afford a defensive-minded player scoring five goals a season — as he did in both 2023 and 2024 — but cannot afford to have a left wing who can’t score a single goal, given the opportunties his speed affords him.

Tsukada and Gerbet are promising young players who are coming off serious injuries, and it’s nice to see the club make a commitment to helping them get healthy and continue their development. Atuesta’s return was made more important by Araujo’s departure, and although Cartagena signed a new deal, more depth will be needed in central midfield.

The club’s biggest off-season need right now is to replace Gallese in goal.

Post-2025 Orlando City Roster Status (Current club players in italics)

  • Iván Angulo: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026
  • César Araújo: Out of contract
  • Eduard Atuesta: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026
  • David Brekalo: Under contract through 2027, with a club option in 2028
  • Gustavo Caraballo: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Wilder Cartagena: Signed new contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Alex Freeman: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026
  • Pedro Gallese: Out of contract
  • Joran Gerbet: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club options through 2028
  • Colin Guske: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Robin Jansson: Option declined – In negotiations
  • Favian Loyola: Option declined
  • Adrián Marín: Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Duncan McGuire: Under contract through 2027, with a club option in 2028
  • Carlos Mercado: Option declined
  • Shak Mohammed: Option declined
  • Luis Muriel: Under contract through 2026
  • Martín Ojeda: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Javier Otero: Under contract through 2026, club options in 2027 and 2028
  • Marco Pašalić: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Tahir Reid-Brown: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Nico Rodríguez: Under contract through 2027, club option in 2028
  • Rodrigo Schlegel: Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Kyle Smith: Out of contract, in negotiations
  • Tyrese Spicer: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Zakaria Taifi: Under contract through 2026, club options through 2029
  • Dagur Dan Thórhallsson: Option exercised – Under contract through 2026, club option in 2027
  • Yutaro Tsukada: Under contract through 2025, with club options in 2026 & 2027
  • Thomas Williams: Under contract through 2026, club options in 2027 and 2028

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Lion Links: 11/17/25

Pride fall to Gotham FC in NWSL semifinals, Lions in action abroad, USMNT defeats Paraguay, and more.

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2 days ago

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November 17, 2025

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Image of Anglina preparing to take a shot against Gotham FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work and covering high school basketball. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall to Gotham FC in NWSL Semifinals

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL semifinals Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium. The match was scoreless for 90 minutes, and it looked like it was heading for extra time. Jaedyn Shaw converted a last-minute free kick for the game-winning goal in stoppage time. The Pride had one last chance towards the end of the match to get a late equalizer when Oihane put her header on goal, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a clutch save to seal the win. Gotham FC will play in the NWSL Championship for the second time in three years. The Orlando Pride’s 2025 season ends just short of making a second consecutive NWSL Championship.

Lions in Action Abroad

Several Orlando City players were in action during the international break. Defender David Brekalo played a full 90 minutes, but Slovenia fell 2-0 to Kosovo in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Forward Marco Pasalic started and played 62 minutes as the Croatians defeated the Faroe Islands 3-1 in UEFA World Cup qualifying and qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Croatia will be in action again later today against Montenegro. Gustavo Caraballo came off the bench late in the second half, but Venezuela fell 2-1 to North Korea in the round of 32 in the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Thomas Williams started for the U-21 U.S. Men’s National Team in its 1-1 draw against Denmark.

Fullback Tahir Reid-Brown came off the bench in the second half for the U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team in a 2-1 win against Costa Rica.

USMNT Defeats Paraguay in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Paraguay 2-1 Saturday at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman was in action for the USMNT, coming off the bench and playing 23 minutes. Gio Reyna scored the opener in his return to the starting XI for the USMNT for the first time in 16 months to give the Yanks an early lead. Alex Arce scored the equalizer for Paraguay. In the second half, Falorin Balogun scored the winning goal to help the USMNT edge Paraguay. The Americans are unbeaten in their last four matches. The next match for the U.S. will be Tuesday against Uruguay in Tampa.

Washington Spirit Return to NWSL Championship

In the other NWSL playoff semifinal match from the weekend, the Washington Spirit returned to the NWSL Championship for the second consecutive time, securing a 2-0 win against the Portland Thorns Saturday at Audi Field. Gift Monday and Croix Bethune scored for Washington. Trinity Rodman returned to play for the first time since spraining her right MCL on Oct. 15. Before the match, multiple reports stated that Rodman had received lucrative transfer offers from European clubs as her contract expires next month. The Spirit will face Gotham FC in the NWSL Championship Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja was in Europe over the weekend to watch Maro Pasalic play for the Croatia Men’s National Team, while also checking in with AFC Bournemouth to observe operations, share knowledge on coaching, and check out the club’s front office management as part of the partnership between the two clubs.
  • U.S. Soccer announced its 2026 National Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees, featuring Kevin Crow, Tobin Heath, Heather O’Reilly, Tony Sanneh, Kari Seitz, and Chris Wondolowski.
  • Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway defeated Italy 4-1, qualifying for its first World Cup since 1998.
  • Nigeria fell to Congo DR 4-3 in penalties after a 1-1 draw in the CAF World Cup playoff final and will miss a second straight World Cup.
  • One Knoxville SC defeated Spokane Velocity 2-0 to win the USL League One Championship.

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

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