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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.

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8 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

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

Published

3 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

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6 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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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: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

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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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