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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 4-2 as Lions a No-Show on Decision Day

It was the nightmare scenario for Orlando City, which fell to ninth after a terrible performance in Toronto and unfavorable results elsewhere.

Published

7 months ago

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Image of Alex Freeman dribbling the ball up the flank against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

A struggling Toronto FC offense scored twice in the first half, continued the blowout in the second half, and ruined Orlando City’s Decision Day in a 4-2 loss for the Lions at BMO Field in Toronto. Djordje Mihailovic scored in each half, with Jonathan Osorio and Deandre Kerr adding goals for the hosts.

It was a shocking performance by Orlando (14-9-11, 53 points), which conceded four times to the league’s second-worst offense as Toronto (6-14-14, 32 points) ran rampant to snap a long winless streak in MLS play. The Lions finish the season in the last postseason spot and will go on the road in what might be its final match of the year the way the team’s offense has been struggling down the stretch.

David Brekalo and Duncan McGuire scored for Orlando City in a losing effort.

“The disappointment is obvious because the performance was not good at all,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “It’s a tough night for sure, because there’s a bunch of things that we didn’t do good. And the way we conceded the goals, the way we managed, and also from me, obviously, responsibility on the movements and preparation. Unfortunately tonight it was not bouncing our way at all.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Rodrigo Schlegel, Brekalo, and Alex Freeman. Kyle Smith joined Eduard Atuesta in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and McGuire up top.

The game began poorly for the Lions, who gave away possession cheaply, leading to the opening goal. Orlando City then took some control and started creating chances, but as has been the case far too often, the Lions could not pay those chances off. Toronto blocked several shots, but Orlando’s attackers made that easy by taking big windups and not looking for the pass that would open the defense up completely. When the Lions weren’t getting their shots blocked, they were either missing wide or firing straight at Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who was only seriously tested twice in the first half.

The opening minutes were sloppy from both teams before the hosts opened the scoring with the game’s first chance. That chance came from an Orlando attack that broke down.

Atuesta got caught high up the field, turning it over and leading to the break. Toronto got numbers forward and worked the ball to Osorio outside the box. The Canadian international had plenty of time to pick out his spot in the corner and made it 1-0 in the seventh minute.

Orlando’s first shot came in the 10th minute as Smith took a big windup outside the box and saw Osorio block his shot.

Smith returned the favor three minutes later, blocking a shot by Kobe Franklin. Schlegel then quickly blocked Kerr’s shot and former Lion Richie Laryea missed the target just wide on the left to end the threat.

Pasalic missed the first of several shots in the game wide in the 17th minute, pulling a shot inches wide of the right post. Two minutes later, he sent one just inches wide of the right post on a second wide-open shot outside the box.

Moments later, Orlando had a penalty shout. McGuire was running onto a ball into the area when he had his arm pulled and went down. Although he perhaps embellished a little, there was a pull and McGuire had no reason not to get to the ball, but Fotis Bazakos let the contact go, and video assistant referee Sorin Stoica did not see anything wrong with the decision.

Angulo took a big, slow windup in the 20th minute from the top of the area, giving Sigur Rosted time to block the shot. Rosted then did the same on the rebound to Atuesta, who took perhaps even longer to get his shot away.

Orlando’s best chance of the first half came in the 27th minute. Ojeda got down the left and smashed a shot on frame that Johnson saved, spilling a big rebound out in front. Atuesta was slow in getting to the rebound and his shot with a gaping open net was blocked by a sliding Laryea. Orlando recycled and Pasalic shot from the right, with Johnson making the save. Atuesta saw Franklin block his shot moments later on the last chance in the sequence.

Angulo uncharacteristically tried a long-range shot in the 29th minute, getting good power on it from distance, but it was right at Johnson, who parried it away. Brekalo headed well wide on a set piece moments later.

Toronto doubled the lead just seconds after that header.

Jose Cifuentes blasted a shot from outside the box and Pasalic put out a hand to protect his face. The Croatian’s arm was the only thing protecting him from perhaps a broken nose on a scorching shot, but Bazakos awarded a free kick anyway, despite rules saying players can protect their head in that situation. Mihailovic paid off the ensuing set piece with an effort that just kept curling, which appeared to fool Gallese, who got a touch to it but couldn’t keep it out.

“Sometimes it’s unexplainable,” Pareja said of the two decisions that could have changed the complexion of the game. “Because the boys were pushing and these calls came in this circumstances also, just after having that many (scoring) options. But it’s the game. I think we need to be conscious about it. It’s not us using excuses.”

In the final moments of the half, Pasalic saw another shot saved and an additional attempt blocked, and Atuesta also had another effort blocked.

At the break, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (51.5%-48.5%), shots (16-7), shots on target (4-2), corners (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.6%-85%). It was Orlando’s lack of lethality, and one controversial call at each end that had the hosts up by two against Orlando’s powerless attack at the break.

“I feel like in the first half we were unlucky with our chances. A lot of them were blocked,” Freeman said. “But also, at the end of the day, it’s also being clinical in the defensive third. I feel like myself, I’ve got to take some accountability for the goals, but I feel like defensively, as a team, we want to be better.”

Mihailovic put the game out of reach just a few minutes into the second half. Orlando gave up another counterattack and Smith got beaten by Theo Corbeanu, who knocked the ball to Mihailovic on his left. The Toronto Designated Player used Brekalo as a screen and sent a shot toward goal Gallese should have stopped, but he got caught leaning the wrong way and it spun off his back leg and in to make it 3-0 to essentially kill the game.

Pasalic fired just over the net in the 52nd minute. A minute later, both Ojeda and McGuire tried bicycle kicks just about a second apart, with Ojeda’s blocked by Rosted and McGuire’s saved by Johnson. The Lions scored off the ensuing corner. Toronto cleared the initial ball out wide to Orlando’s attacking right side. Pasalic collected it and sent a good ball back into the mixer in front of goal. Brekalo timed his run well, stuck out his foot and knocked it in to spoil the shutout in the 54th minute.

Former Toronto winger Tyrese Spicer, who came on in the second half for the Lions, saw his shot blocked by Franklin moments after Brekalo’s goal as the Lions looked for a way back into the match. Johnson saved Ojeda’s shot in the 60th minute and Freeman and Ojeda then missed the net moments later.

Those were costly missed opportunities as Kerr’s goal came a minute later. Orlando City gained possession in its own end but Angulo gave the ball away. Two quick passes later, Gallese was pulling it out of his net. Mihailovic passed to Derrick Etienne Jr., who sent a centering pass in front for an easy finish by a wide-open Kerr, pushing the lead back to three goals at 4-1.

“When you concede four goals, we have to declare that it’s not a good night for us defensively,” Pareja said. “And we can talk about the changes in the lineup that we had to face, whether it’s injuries or the decisions, but that (lack of) consistency tonight probably made us pay, and it was difficult. On the counters we looked weak, and they took advantage of those spaces while we tried to equalize and tried to seek for the goals, and we were not in good spots.”

Things could have gotten worse for Orlando after the fourth goal, as Gallese stopped a shot by Osorio and Atuesta blocked Laryea’s effort.

Johnson stopped Ojeda again in the 68th minute as the Lions continued to get looks at goal but could not do much with them. It was the last shot by either side for almost 15 minutes, with Spicer’s effort in the 82nd blocked by Rosted.

Freeman got to the end line in the 84th and found second-half sub Dagur Dan Thorhallsson to the right of goal. The Icelandic midfielder stabbed a shot wide of the far post from point-blank range. Ojeda then missed the target. Johnson denied Spicer’s effort as time wound down and the game headed to stoppage time.

Orlando finally got a second goal for the first time since Sept. 20 in the second added minute. Freeman did well to thread a ball through the back line for McGuire, who powered his shot inside the right post to make it 4-2.

McGuire’s goal was the last decent chance for either side.

The Lions finished with the advantage in possession (56.4%-43.6%), shots (31-12), shots on target (10-6), corners (8-2), and passing accuracy (86.9%-81.8%). To look at the stat sheet, one would assume Orlando was the team that won by multiple goals, but a lack of clinical finishing on one end and extremely good finishing at the other was the difference on Decision Day.

“We will recover from this moment and we will be ready for that one game on Wednesday,” Pareja said, referencing the wild card match at Chicago in the midweek. “I don’t know any other way than just get back to work trying to train and prepare for our next one game, and trying to find solutions, and trying to keep our minds in a good state as well.”

“Obviously we wanted to clinch it without doing the play-in,” Freeman said. “But, I guess that’s just how it’s going to be, so I guess we’ve got to go into Wednesday and be able to go 100% and win the play-in, and eventually play Philly in the playoffs.”

That’s it for the regular season. The Lions will visit Chicago Wednesday for the wild card game after a disappointing end to what began as a promising 2025 season.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions return home looking to bounce back from a poor performance in Montreal.

Published

3 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image of Joran Gerbet playing against the Union.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (3-8-1, 10 points) and the Philadelphia Union (1-8-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs in 2026, with the Lions scheduled to make the return trip to Philadelphia on Sept. 26.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

Orlando City is 7-8-7 in the 22 MLS meetings with the Union since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015, and 8-9-8 in all competitions. The Lions are 3-3-4 against the Union at home in league play, 4-3-4 in their home stadium against Philadelphia in all competitions, and 4-3-5 in the greater Orlando area against the Union, having drawn against Philly in the MLS is Back Tournament.

The two sides last met on April 5, 2025 in Philadelphia and played to a scoreless draw. These two teams also kicked off the 2025 season against each other in Orlando on Feb. 22, with the Union stunning the Lions by scoring on all four of the team’s shots on target, taking advantage of individual mistakes in a 4-2 win. Marco Pasalic scored his first two goals as a Lion in his first OCSC appearance that night, but Tai Baribo scored a brace, with Daniel Gazdag and Mikael Uhre also scoring for Philadelphia. The Lions dominated open play but could not pay off their chances while the Union were lethal. It was Orlando’s first loss on opening day in its MLS existence.

The met in 2024 for the final time on Oct. 2, when the Lions won 2-1 at home. Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire pushed Orlando out to a 2-0 lead. Luis Muriel assisted on both goals. Quinn Sullivan pulled one back but the Lions hung on. The teams met for the first time that year on May 11, with the Lions snatching a 3-2 road win at Subaru Park. Muriel scored his first two MLS goals, McGuire added a strike, and Nico Lodeiro assisted on all three tallies for the Lions to offset an early goal by Uhre and a penalty by Gazdag.

The last meeting of 2023 took place in Orlando on June 21, with the Lions blowing a two-goal lead in a controversial 2-2 draw. McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half, only to see Jack McGlynn score on a cross into the box that missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, followed by a rocket shot by Jose Martinez from distance. Ivan Angulo’s would-be game winner was chalked off after a questionable foul call in the buildup against Ercan Kara.

The teams met in Philadelphia on March 25, 2023 with the Lions jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Angulo and Ojeda. Former Lion Andres Perea pulled one back, but the Lions held on for a 2-1 road win. The victory snapped Philadelphia’s 24-match home unbeaten streak.

The Union put the Lions to the sword in the last meeting of 2022, a dominant 5-1 win by Philadelphia on Sept. 10 of that year. That was Orlando’s first match since winning the U.S. Open Cup title three days earlier. Joao Moutinho’s own goal started the scoring and the Union got goals from Uhre, Gazdag (penalty), Alejandro Bedoya, and Jack Elliott. Perea, who was then still a Lion, scored for Orlando, but the team was trailing by 4-0 at the time.

The Eastern Conference foes met on July 23, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Two controversial video review decisions went against Orlando that night and the Lions were wasteful with their chances in an evenly matched 1-0 Philadelphia win. Gazdag scored the game’s only goal off a set piece.

The teams also met in U.S. Open Cup play on May 10, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-1 at home. Kara and Perea hoisted Orlando to a 2-0 lead. Stuart Findlay pulled one back late, but the Lions saw it out and advanced.

On Sept. 19, 2021 the Union prevailed 3-1 at Subaru Park, largely due to a brace by Kacper Przybylko after he got away with what appeared to be a clear elbow to the face of Rodrigo Schlegel. Instead of being sent off and/or conceding a free kick to Orlando City, the Union scored on the ensuing play and went on to win the match. The teams met in Orlando on July 22, 2021 and the Lions got goals by Benji Michel and Perea on the team’s only two shots on target to win 2-1. Przybylko pulled one back for the visitors but the Lions hung on.

The teams faced each other in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020 in the only meeting to date that did not take place in either side’s home stadium. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after a Mauricio Pereyra goal canceled out a strike by Ilsinho. That draw allowed the Lions to win Group A in the competition and they went on to reach the final.

The Lions and Union tangled in what was then known as Talen Energy Stadium on July 7, 2019, drawing, 2-2. Dom Dwyer and Santiago Patino brought Orlando back from 1-0 down but Przybylko poached a goal in the 90th to capture a share of the points for the Union.

The two teams had met just a few days earlier on July 3, ending in Orlando’s 3-1 home loss to the Union. Chris Mueller and Przybylko swapped goals in the first half before Robin Jansson was sent off just prior to the break. Afterwards, the 10-man Lions gave up two more goals — to Przybylko and Fafa Picault — and then went down another man with Sacha Kljestan seeing red.

In 2018, the teams drew 2-2 on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The Lions prevailed over the Union in Philadelphia on April 13, 2018 by a 2-0 score. Orlando and Philadelphia also met that season in U.S. Open Cup play, with the Union capturing a 1-0 home win back on July 18, 2018 on a goal by Bedoya.

The teams split their two matches in 2017, with the home side prevailing both times. The Lions won 2-1 at Orlando City Stadium on March 18. The rematch was an ugly 6-1 Philadelphia win in the season finale for both teams.

The Lions were 1-1-1 against Philadelphia in 2016. The team’s first road victory in the series came on Oct. 16, 2016, as the Lions roared, 2-0. The teams played to a 2-2 draw on May 25 in Orlando. Tranquillo Barnetta’s free kick gave Philly a 2-1 win.

Orlando drew 0-0 at home and lost on the road, 1-0 (on a penalty kick), against Philadelphia in 2015.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 2-0 loss at CF Montreal Saturday afternoon. The Lions were outplayed for most of the match but were still only moments away from a crucial road point when the roof caved in. Jansson committed a foul in the box, allowing Daniel Rios to give the hosts a late lead. Former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson added the…well, the dagger. Orlando City could not afford to come away without points in the match after a poor start to the season, but that’s exactly what happened.

The same, however, is true for tonight. Philadelphia is the only team below Orlando in the Eastern Conference table. With a 2-3-0 mark at home (which is much better than the Lions’ 1-5-1 away record), nothing but a win will suffice if Orlando City is going to maintain any semblance of contact with the teams circling the final playoff places.

The Union are better on the road than at home, but that’s not saying much, because Philadelphia is 1-5-1 in away matches, earning four of its six points on the road. Philly is 0-2-3 in its last five games, but one of those draws came against Eastern Conference power Nashville. Milan Iloski and Danley Jean Jacques are the Union’s leading goal scorers with just two apiece, while 39-year-old Bedoya leads Philadelphia in assists with three.

Tonight’s game pits two of the league’s worst teams against each other and both will be hungry to try to add points to their total in an attempt to turn around their early season fortunes with the World Cup break quickly approaching. This match kicks off a stretch of three matches in seven days for Orlando City, so the Lions will be especially eager to rebound from the late meltdown in Montreal and start this final stretch out on the right foot.

“This is a process, and I think we have been able to compete better and prepare ourselves better. Now what comes next is consistency in a positive way in terms of results,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “I have no doubt that consistency will come. We are working for that and are proud of the effort from the players and the entire club. We have been working really hard and will continue to do so, so hopefully soon we can find that consistency not only in performance but also in results.” 

Orlando City will be without Joran Gerbet (knee), while Pasalic (thigh) is listed as questionable. Philadelphia will be without Jesus Bueno (ankle), Eddy Davis III (hamstring), Jephet Sery Larsen (shoulder), Quinn Sullivan (knee), and Frankie Westfield (hip), while Andre Blake (knee) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2),

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Andre Blake.

Defenders: Nathan Harriel, Olwethu Makhanya, Geiner Martinez, Olivier Mbaizo.

Midfielders: Cavan Sullivan, Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukic, Indiana Vassilev.

Forwards: Ezekiel Alladoh, Milan Iloski.

Referees:

REF: Sergii Boiko.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Adam Wienckowski.
4TH: Elvis Osmanovic.
VAR: Joe Dickerson.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/13/26

Orlando City hosts the Philadelphia Union tonight, Orlando Pride defeated on the road, MLS player salary information released, and more.

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Not only have we made it to the middle of the week, but we have Orlando City soccer waiting for us tonight. It’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs this year when it comes to supporting our favorite players in purple, but I’m still excited for some midweek soccer. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Hosts the Philadelphia Union Tonight

After a loss on the road to CF Montreal on Saturday, Orlando City will aim to bounce back when it plays the Philadelphia Union tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Both teams have struggled mightily this year and Philadelphia sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just one win from 12 games. While the Union have only scored a measly 10 goals this season, the Lions have conceded a whopping 34 times. It’s the age-old battle between a movable object and a stoppable force. Tonight’s match will be the first of three consecutive home games across all competitions for the Lions, so hopefully they can start this homestand off with a win.

Orlando Pride Lose Late to Boston Legacy FC

The Orlando Pride don’t have anything to show from a frustrating 2-1 loss on the road to the Boston Legacy. The Pride struck first from the penalty spot and carried that lead into halftime, but Boston equalized in the second half and then scored a penalty kick of its own in stoppage time to win it late. It’s a brutal loss for an Orlando team that has struggled with consistency and has yet to win twice in a row this season. There’s not much time for the Pride to regroup before their next match, as they’re set to take on the Denver Summit on the road on Saturday.

MLSPA Releases Player Salary Information

The Major League Soccer Players Association shared the salary information for players under contract as of April 16. Designated Players Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic are the only Lions with base salaries over $1 million, with each having a salary of $1.6 million. As for some of the new faces in the City Beautiful this year, Braian Ojeda’s salary is $725,000, Maxime Crepeau’s is $600,000, and Tiago’s is $500,000.

There’s no prize for guessing which player has the highest salary in the league, with Lionel Messi’s $25 million salary at more than double that of Son Heung-Min’s $10.3 million. In third is another Miami player, with Rodrigo De Paul’s base salary listed as $7.5 million. It at least makes Orlando’s recent win in Miami feel a bit sweeter.

Orlando City B Makes MLS NEXT Pro Power Rankings

In the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, which only list the top 10 teams in the league, Orlando City B placed eighth. This comes following a 2-0 win over Atlanta United 2 as OCB extended its unbeaten run to four games. Harvey Sarajian and Gustavo Caraballo have led OCB’s attack so far this season, while Issah Haruna has now scored in two consecutive games as well. Goalkeeper Luca Maxim was also stellar between the sticks for his first professional clean sheet in that win against Atlanta. It’s nice to see the Young Lions receive some recognition and they will have a chance to keep their streak going when they play New England Revolution II on the road on Sunday.

Free Kicks

  • San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris underwent successful groin surgery and is expected to miss three or four months. The 20-year-old has been great this season, recording three goals and seven assists while leading the league with 34 created chances.
  • American midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough were beaten 2-1 by Southampton in the playoffs for promotion to the English Premier League. Shea Charles scored in extra time to book Southampton’s ticket to the final against Hull City at Wembley Stadium.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s roster for the World Cup is released later this month and Giovanni Reyna is one of the biggest names on the bubble. A goal for Borussia Monchengladbach this past Saturday likely didn’t hurt his chances.
  • Cristo Fernandez, who you may know as Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso, has signed a contract to play for El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship after a trial with the team. El Paso is life?
  • Arsenal defender Ben White will miss the remainder of the season due to MCL damage and won’t be available for England for the World Cup either.
  • Slavia Prague was handed a 3-0 forfeit loss after its fans invaded the pitch in stoppage time against rival Sparta Prague. The club was also fined and will play its next four home games without fans.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Go Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

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

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