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Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Blow Late Lead in Loss

Orlando City was moments away from a vital win in the race for playoff positioning, but an unlucky bounce and a goal deep in stoppage time flipped the game around.

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9 months ago

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Image of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson scoring against Vancouver.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Leading after 80 minutes, Orlando City puked away a late lead at Inter&Co Stadium, conceding twice from the 81st minute on β€” including the winner deep in stoppage time β€” in a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson’s first-half goal was moments from being a game-winner when disaster struck, allowing the Whitecaps (18-6-9, 63) to climb to the top of the Western Conference with the win.

Kyle Smith smashed a clearance attempt off of Nelson Pierre and into his own net in the 81st minute, and the Lions (14-8-11, 53 points) survived a bobbled save by Gallese on his own goal line that was reviewed before leaving Thomas Muller alone at the top of the area in the seventh of what was originally given as five minutes of stoppage time.

Despite the heartbreaking nature of the loss, it was a deserved win for Vancouver, which dominated the game almost from the jump. Orlando City, playing without several starters, could not break out of its own end for much of the first half and essentially all of the second half, suffering wave after wave of Vancouver attack, and nearly surviving until the end until Smith’s gaffe spoiled a game well played by the veteran defender. Smith was only playing center back at all because of another key injury to Orlando that took place early in the match.

“Especially the second half, I think we could have been better. We played against a rival who β€” especially in that half β€” put a lot of people in between lines, and we couldn’t manage it or sustain the ball a little longer,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “That was a big part of the difference in the game. We couldn’t get out of that domination that they had in the second half, and that cost us.”

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Thorhallsson. Kyle Smith and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Nico Rodriguez, with Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top.

Muriel drew a free kick on the right side near the corner of the box in the third minute. Rodriguez took the set piece and blasted a curving effort on goal that Yohei Takaoka punched away. Orlando recycled and it ended up on Marin’s foot outside the area. The Spaniard shot, but the ball was deflected, sailing just wide of the right post for a corner. Vancouver cleared the ensuing set piece.

Ojeda picked out Muriel in front in the sixth minute, but the Colombian couldn’t get any power on his header, and Takaoka scooped it up, ending Orlando’s longest spell of sustained pressure of the half.

Vancouver’s first look at goal came on a Muller shot from outside the area in the 10th minute. Gallese had to make a diving stop. He spilled it, but the Whitecaps were offside on the rebound.

Moments later, the Whitecaps tried one of several direct balls over the defense to Daniel Rios. Jansson did well to get back and break up the play, but his leg buckled and he stayed down. The captain could not continue, and Duncan McGuire checked in, sending Smith to the back line and changing up the midfield, with McGuire up top and Ojeda at right wing.

“It’s a big shock when you lose probably the biggest player in the squad,” Thorhallsson said. “He’s the captain. He leads the team. It’s a big blow, but I’m praying to God that he’s OK.”

“Very disappointed with all this adversity, especially to keep losing players at this moment of the season,” Pareja said.

Gallese made another sprawling save in the 20th minute, getting down to stop a Sebastian Berhalter shot from outside the area.

Vancouver won a free kick two minutes later, but the Lions were able to deal with it. Orlando City then scored on the counter in the 24th minute. Ojeda took a pass from Thorhallsson on the left in transition and sent a ball to McGuire on the right. The big striker headed it down for Thorhallsson to run onto. The Icelandic midfielder took a touch to settle it and slotted past Takaoka to open the scoring.

“I got the ball and played it to Tincho (Ojeda),” Thorhallsson said. “He passed it to Duncan, who heads it to me and just does it really good. And I just take a touch and tried to finish as good as I can. And a happy ending, a goal. It was a really good feeling, actually. I’ve been waiting a long time for this goal.”

Vancouver spent most of the rest of the half in Orlando’s end. The Lions tried to counter multiple times but failed to connect on passes out of the back.

Edier Ocampo cut inside on the right in the 37th minute and fizzed a shot just inches outside the left post. Two minutes later, Gallese came out as Smith was beaten for pace on a ball over the top. Gallese got enough of the ball to slow the play down, shielded it, and picked it up once it entered the area.

Muriel took a pass from Ojeda and scored in the 40th minute, but he was well offside on the play and the flag correctly came up.

The Whitecaps won a few late set pieces but couldn’t pay them off despite having the ball pinging around Orlando’s penalty area. Schlegel and Marin blocked a couple of late shots, and Gallese saved Tate Johnson’s shot off the deflection deep in stoppage time on the last chance of the half.

Vancouver finished the first half with a huge advantage in possession (64.6%-35.4%) and the edge in shots (8-3), shots on target (3-2), corners (5-1), and passing accuracy (88.9%-83.5%). The Lions, however, had the only goal.

The Whitecaps started the second half the way they ended the first, keeping the ball in Orlando’s end for virtually the entire 45 minutes. The Lions periodically relieved the pressure simply by launching the ball down the field, giving it right back, but that was better than the way they turned it over trying to play through the visitors, often failing to string more than two passes together. Orlando had no answers for Vancouver’s press or counterpress.

Orlando City didn’t even attempt a second-half shot, as the Lions couldn’t get the ball into any position of danger through misplaced passes, poor touches, or a lack of composure.

Schlegel conceded the first chance of the second half with a foul just outside the area after Angulo turned the ball over. The defender earned a yellow card for his foul on Emmanuel Sabbi. Berhalter sent the free kick well over the crossbar and Vancouver committed a foul on the set piece anyway.

Smith made a crucial block to deny Rios two minutes later from point-blank range on a good cross in from the left. Marin then got up to challenge Jeevan Badwal in front, allowing Gallese to collect the loose ball in the 51st minute.

Atuesta conceded a free kick in the 65th minute after Angulo was unable to collect the ball at midfield and Vancouver broke in transition. The Colombian midfielder made up for the foul by blocking Berhalter’s free kick attempt.

Ocampo sent in a wicked cross from the right in the 71st minute that hit Gallese’s crossbar. The Whitecaps picked up the loose ball on the left and recycled the attack, with Muller firing just wide from the top of the area.

The only real attacking movement from Orlando in the second half came in the 73rd minute. Muriel took a pass and turned, sending Ojeda in behind the back line. Ojeda, however, took a heavy first touch and the ball skipped away from him, ending what might have become the Lions’ only shot after halftime.

J.C. Ngando sent fired a good shot in the 76th minute that sent Gallese diving for another stop.

The game changed in the 81st minute on a scramble in the box. The Lions looked to survive a ball pinging around in the six. Ngando laid off a pass for Berhalter, who fired off the left post. The ball went past a sliding Ryan Gauld, when Smith tried to fire it up the field. Unfortunately, the ball hit Pierre and ricocheted into the net to tie the match. There was a brief review to see if Vancouver handled the ball before the goal, but the call on the field stood and the goal counted.

Gallese made another save on Ocampo in the 84th minute as Vancouver pushed for a winner. The Whitecaps thought they’d scored it in the second minute of stoppage time. Berhalter fired a shot on the left side toward the near post. Gallese got there to make the diving stop, but he spilled it as he sprawled out of control. The ball nearly crossed the line and the Whitecaps protested. The play went to review and the call on the field stood, as there was no clear video showing the entire ball crossed the line.

It wasn’t a terribly lengthy stoppage for the review, but extra time was added, and that ended up being a bit too much time for the Lions.

A gassed Orlando defense could not close down Muller in the seventh minute of stoppage time and the ex-Bayern Munich star cut past Atuesta and sent a shot from the top of the box just inside the right post and past Gallese to win the match.

“We may be sad we conceded in the last moment of the game, but it’s not that but it’s the whole thing,” Pareja said. “I think in the second half we could have been better, and they were better than us.

The referee allowed the game to restart, and waited about a minute, but the Lions continued to be unable to hold onto possession and the match ended in disappointing fashion for the 23,465 Orlando City fans in attendance.

Vancouver dominated the stat sheet the way it dominated the match, finishing with the advantage in possession (64.8%-35.1%), shots (23-3), shots on target (9-2), corners (6-1), and passing accuracy (88.7%-79.9%).

“They just were very intense throughout the whole game,” Thorhallsson said. “They pressed man to man and just came. It felt really heavy, and they came quickly. Just a really, really good team with good players. It’s also something we need to do better, when teams actually come really high and press us, that we need to be able to be calm on the ball and keep it a little bit better.”

The loss means Orlando City cannot finish in the top four. As a result, the Lions will not have home field for the first-round, best-of-three playoff series and could still end up in the wild card play-in game.

Orlando City will head to Toronto for a Decision Day matchup a week from tonight against Toronto FC.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: July 4, 2023 vs. Toronto FC

Let’s rewind to an Independence Day affair that had plenty of offensive fireworks.

Published

3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The United States Men’s National Team picked up a gritty, resilient 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, and will now face Belgium in a rematch of the 2014 World Cup Round of 16 next Monday. While we patiently wait for that game, it’s time to continue our Friday tradition of revisiting some classic Orlando City games from years past.

Last week, we rewound to a high octane affair against the Chicago Fire in late June 2022, that saw the Lions douse Chicago’s flames and pick up a much-needed 4-2 victory. Today, let’s hop in the time machine and travel back to Independence Day 2023, when Toronto FC came to town.

At the time of Toronto’s visit, things were going relatively smoothly for OCSC. The team was riding a three-match unbeaten streak and had scored five goals across those three games. Oscar Pareja lined up his team in its customary 4-2-3-1, with Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith; Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo in the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in the attacking midfield; and Duncan McGuire up top.

Orlando very nearly got a goal a little under 10 minutes into the game. Former OCSC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh knocked down a cross in front of the net, and while Pereyra was first to the ball, he could only blast it over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately, that miss would not come back to haunt the Lions, who bagged the game’s first goal in the 16th minute. Angulo sucked defenders toward him on the left edge of the box before releasing Santos out wide. The fullback played a peach of a first-time, curling cross to the back post, where Araujo was waiting to power a diving header into the side netting at the far post for his first league goal.

That goal broke the game open, and Orlando got another goal six minutes later to double the advantage. It initially looked like a carbon copy of the first goal, with Santos out in space on the left side of the box, sending in a curled cross. The ball deflected off a defender and came in low toward the goal. Ranjitsingh waited for the ball instead of going to claim it, and that allowed McGuire to nip in front of him and get a touch on the ball to sneak it in at the near post.

Orlando nearly got even more goals inside the half hour, with Torres and McGuire both going close in quick succession. Federico Bernardeschi smashed a shot off the post in the 28th minute, and the Lions seemed to be losing focus a little bit, with the hydration break a welcome pause in play when it came. OCSC came out of the pause well, and Pereyra put Angulo through in the 36th minute, but the Colombian couldn’t bring the ball under control and fashion a shooting chance.

Orlando led in every meaningful statistical category at halftime. The Lions had more possession (55.8%-44.2%), shots (6-2), shots on goal (2-0), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (89.5%-85%). Most importantly, they led 2-0 on the scoreboard.

Toronto tried to change things at halftime by introducing three substitutes, but Orlando settled back into the game quickly and negated the efforts of interim TFC manager Terry Dunfield. Angulo and Torres forced Ranjitsingh into a pair of saves in the 53rd and 55th minutes, and the Lions tried to press their advantage by sending on Ramiro Enrique and Martin Ojeda in the 57th minute for McGuire and Pereyra.

The game then changed in a big way in the 62nd minute. Cartagena and Bernardeschi exchanged words after a turnover, and the Italian winger put Cartagena on the ground with the help of a little theatrics from the midfielder. Bernardeschi had already been yellow carded in the 47th minute for a foul on Smith, and the altercation with Wilder saw him receive a second yellow and his marching orders to go along with it.

With TFC down to 10 men, the Lions started to tee off at goal. Ojeda came close to getting the team’s third in the 69th minute, with Enrique doing the same in the 71st but missing just wide. When the goal finally came, it was from the unlikely foot of Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who had been subbed into the game alongside Ercan Kara in the 68th minute.

Thorhallsson made a great run behind the defense in the 77th minute, and Araujo picked him out well. Ranjitsingh came out to try to play sweeper-keeper, but DDT beat him to the ball easily, touched it around the former Lion, and rolled it into the empty net to score his first MLS goal and make it 3-0.

Toronto had a halfway decent chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, but Brandon Servania’s long-distance attempt at chipping Gallese ended up missing high and settling on the roof of the net. Kara then iced the game in the 84th minute. Araujo fired a pass to Ojeda at the top of the box, and even though he had trouble bringing it under control, he had the presence of mind to backheel it toward goal for the big Austrian to pounce on and fire a low, hard shot into the net for 4-0.

Ojeda nearly got a goal of his own two minutes later but had a great effort saved in what was the last truly dangerous moment of the game.

As was the case at halftime, when the final whistle blew, the Lions had created plenty of fireworks on both the scoreboard and the stat sheet. OCSC finished with more possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (18-6), shots on target (9-0), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (91%-84.8%).

Marcus Mitchell had Player Grades for this one, and he named Araujo the Man of the Match with a grade of 8 out of 10 for his one-goal/one-assist effort. The other high performers on the night were Antonio Carlos, and Cartagena, who each graded out at 7.5 out of 10.

That’ll do it for this week’s trip down memory lane. We’ve been getting spoiled lately, with Orlando putting up four goals in back-to-back time machine games, and it’s made for an enjoyable glimpse into years gone by. With any luck, next week’s edition will be similarly entertaining. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/3/26

Orlando Pride visit Angel City tonight, NWSL free agents to watch, Portugal and Spain advance, and more.

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3 days ago

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July 3, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I don’t have many plans this holiday weekend beyond enjoying some soccer and indulging myself in a few hot dogs to celebrate. It should be a fun weekend, but make sure to stay safe out there if you plan on setting off any fireworks. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take On Angel City FC Tonight

The NWSL resumes today and the Orlando Pride will play against Angel City FC at 10 p.m. in their first match since a 3-1 win over Bay FC on May 29. That win capped off a six-game month for the Pride, including a stretch of three straight road games. Meanwhile, Angel City parted ways with Alex Straus over the break after only winning once in May, and tonight’s match will be Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first since being named interim head coach. It can be tough playing an opponent with a new coach, but hopefully the Pride can bring all three points back to Orlando.

Top NWSL Free Agents to Watch

Free agency is officially underway in the NWSL and the list of players with contracts expiring at the end of the year includes some of the league’s best players. Orlando Pride star Marta was listed as one of the top free agents to watch, though I would be pretty shocked if she plays for another NWSL club if she leaves Orlando after this season. Leicy Santos, Debinha, and Rose Lavelle are other skilled attackers who will become free agents, but Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is sure to have plenty of clubs reaching out for her talents as well.

Portugal and Spain Advance in World Cup

This World Cup hasn’t been short on excitement and that continued with Portugal’s 2-1 win against Croatia. After a scoreless first half, Croatia took the lead thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot and the game was moments away from heading to extra time. Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the goal it needed to advance deep in stoppage time, but Croatia nearly came back with a goal that was disallowed due to an offside call. Spain cruised to a 3-0 win against Austria to book its spot in the round of 16 as well. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for his second brace of the tournament, with Marc Cucurella assisting on both of his goals. Spain and Portugal will square off in the next round in what should be a fantastic match. Switzerland and Algeria kicked off late.

The round of 32 wraps up today with a trio of matches, starting with Egypt’s game against Australia. Cape Verde will then look to shock the world when it plays Argentina, and the late game will be between Colombia and Ghana.

Columbus Crew Sign New Designated Player

The Columbus Crew have signed Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez to a Designated Player contract through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Mendez has spent the past four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, recording 33 goals and 24 assists in 166 appearances. He gives the crew some additional firepower as reports swirl regarding Diego Rossi’s departure for CF Monterrey. While maybe not in the same headline-grabbing tier of MLS summer signings like Antoine Griezmann or Robert Lewandowski, Mendez is a big addition to the league as the Eastern Conference arms race continues.

Free Kicks

  • CF Montreal sent $2.1 million in General Allocation Money to Austin FC in exchange for midfielder Dani Pereira. Selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, Pereira has contributed six goals and 23 assists in 165 appearances across all competitions for Austin.
  • Real Salt Lake reportedly rejected a transfer bid around $3.5 million from CF Monterrey for midfielder Diego Luna.
  • American winger Emma Sears reportedly requested a trade from Racing Louisville, although the club is not reportedly interested in a midseason transfer.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina had record viewership. Understandably so, too, as I spent most of the match pacing around my living room.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/2/26

USMNT shuts out Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kat Asman loaned to Denver Summit FC, MLS transfer news, and more.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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Image of Pride goalkeeper Kat Asman
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Wednesday nights are starting to feel magical. Orlando City has thrived this year when playing on Wednesdays, and now the United States Men’s National Team has provided us with a reason to tackle this Thursday at full force. Before we dive into that result and the rest of today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown!

USMNT Survives Red Card to Advance

The U.S. won 2-0 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an emotional rollercoaster of a match in the World Cup’s round of 32. Folarin Balogun got the U.S. on the board at a crucial time right before halftime by scoring his third goal of the tournament. But the game flipped on its head in the second half when Balogun was shown a harsh red card by the referee after video review for a foul when he accidentally came down on the back of an opponent’s foot. The Yanks fought hard to make up for the difference of being down a player and doubled their lead after earning a free kick right outside the box. Malik Tillman’s shot went up and over the wall and into the net for a goal U.S. fans will be replaying over and over again.

The U.S. did well to grind out the win after that second goal, with former Lion Alex Freeman doing his part on defense to help shut out Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a memorable win, and now the U.S. will turn its focus to its round-of-16 matchup against Belgium on Monday.

Pride Loan Goalkeeper Kat Asman to Denver Summit

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Kat Asman to the Denver Summit for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Asman is coming off of a loan with Lexington SC in the Gainbridge Super League, where she played every minute of the season to help Lexington win the title. She posted 11 clean sheets with Lexington last season and won the league’s Golden Glove as well. Asman has yet to make an appearance for the Pride since joining prior to the 2025 season, and her contract expires at the end of the season. She now heads to Denver, where Abby Smith has done well in goal as the expansion team’s starter.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Real Salt Lake sent $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Saba Lobjanidze and a third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft, with another $100,000 in GAM going Atlanta’s way if he re-signs with Real Salt Lake. The Columbus Crew fully acquired defender Andres Herrera from River Plate after an extended loan, signing him to a contract through the 2028-2029 season. The LA Galaxy transferred defender Mauricio Cuevas to Santos Laguna, the New England Revolution added forward Wilson Harris, and Sporting Kansas City signed center back Moises Mosquera from FC Juarez. The San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to signing Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Daniel heading to FC Dallas in a trade if that happens. It’s somewhat surprising considering Daniel has done well to help San Jose only concede 15 goals this season.

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sources: San Jose Earthquakes closing in on a deal to sign Scotland int'l GK Angus Gunn.πŸ‡§πŸ‡· Sources: FC Dallas has agreed to a deal to acquire GK Daniel from San Jose.βž• Daniel trade is contingent on Gunn signing being formalized.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-01T16:34:02.297Z

European Nations Move On After Dramatic Comebacks

This World Cup continues to deliver thrilling games during this new round-of-32 phase. Senegal looked certain to go through to the next round until Belgium scored a pair of goals after the 85th minute to knot the game at 2-2 and send it into extra time. The game was decided by a penalty, but not in a shootout, as a foul in the box resulted in Youri Tielemans scoring from the spot to give Belgium the victory. In Atlanta, Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England in a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brian Cipanga gave the Congo an early lead, but Kane struck twice in the second half, with his winner being one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

England is now set to face Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday in what should be a great game. As for today’s action, Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic and Croatia will take on Portugal in a matchup between European heavyweights. The winner of that match will face whoever prevails today between Spain and Austria, with Switzerland and Algeria squaring off in the late night match.

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

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