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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Go Gently to that Goodnight

The performance on Decision Day against Toronto wasn’t rock bottom. Orlando was second best from the jump in Chicago and is out of the playoffs.

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6 months ago

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Image of Eduard Atuesta shielding the ball against the Chicago Fire.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City never appeared to be in the match in a thorough 3-1 loss to the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference wild card match at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL. The Lions somehow managed to keep the game scoreless for a half, but Brian Gutierrez scored early in the second half and Hugo Cuypers added another less than 10 minutes later by blocking a Pedro Gallese clearance attempt into the net — the second time in three games that’s happened to Orlando — after Cesar Araujo made a poor choice to pass back from close to his goalkeeper.

Cuypers put the game away with a second goal as Orlando completely capitulated. Tyrese Spicer spoiled the shutout with a late goal for the Lions, who crash out of the postseason and finish without a win in any of their final five matches of the season.

“Frustrating and disappointed just to end up losing in this first game of the playoffs,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “And we have pain, knowing that we could have done much better, but probably the second half was an image of what happened in the last few games. Chicago in the second half was much better and created those three goals.”

Pareja had his usual starting lineup available to start the game. Gallese started in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Araujo returned to the starting central midfield with Eduard Atuesta between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Martin Ojeda and Duncan McGuire up top.

The entire first half belonged to Chicago. Orlando City’s attacking players struggled to combine every time they crossed the halfway line. As a result, the Lions got generously credited with one shot attempt in the first half on a Schlegel header from the top of the area on a 40-yard set piece from Atuesta late in the half that went out of play about halfway between the left post and the corner flag. Only one team looked likely to score, and it was the one Orlando kept giving the ball to.

That came to fruition in the second half, which consisted of seemingly endless giveaways and Chicago counterattacks, with cracks in the defense turning into gaping holes. Orlando was at least able to muster a few shot attempts in the second half, including Spicer’s goal, but the damage was already done by that point.

Each team won an early set piece but neither did anything with it in the opening 10 minutes of the match as the teams felt each other out. The first shot attempt didn’t come until the 15th minute, when a ball was knocked away from a Chicago attacker in the box and fell to Gutierrez, who shot first time but sent it well over the bar.

Brekalo blocked a Jonathan Dean cross out of play for a corner moments later but needed treatment and had to get checked for concussion. The Lions had to defend the set piece with 10 men as a result and Jack Elliott had a free header, sending it just inches wide of the right post. Gutierrez tried from long range again in the 23rd minute but hit the shot well wide to the right.

McGuire got into the box in the 29th minute with a nifty play to chip the ball over the center back to himself, however, the touch was heavy enough that Dean recovered and cleared it before McGuire could reach it and shoot. That was as close as the Lions came to a true scoring chance in the opening half.

The Lions should have gotten a scoring chance in the 35th minute when Ojeda picked off a wayward Chicago pass. The Designated Player had space to shoot at the top of the area, but he tried to thread a ball through traffic and turned it over instead. That was the Lions’ final chance to make Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady do anything in the opening half.

Cuypers started to make a nuisance of himself a minute later, darting behind the defense to get in on goal. Gallese came out and made himself big, blocking the attempt out for a corner.

Gallese parried the entry ball on the corner kick but didn’t make good contact. He was, however, able to scoop it up after it deflected off a body off to the side of the net.

In the 39th minute, Cuypers again split the center backs, getting to a ball over the top behind the back line. Jansson was able to catch up and bother the Chicago striker enough so that his attempt was off target.

The Lions survived quick transition moments after giveaways by Atuesta and Angulo in the defensive third as the half wound down. Orlando finally won a free kick from long range late. Atuesta served it to the top of the box and it came off a head in the middle. That head was judged to be Schlegel’s, although it was difficult to tell. The ball went nowhere near goal.

Orlando City was fortunate to make it to halftime without conceding, given almost all of the first 45 minutes were played in the Lions’ end of the field. Chicago finished the half with more possession (53.5%-46.5%), shots (9-0), shots on goal (1-0), and corners (2-1). The Lions passed slightly more accurately (83.8%-83.1%) but struggled to connect on anything once they reached the halfway line.

Chicago wasted no time breaking the scoreless deadlock after the half as absolutely nothing changed on the field for Orlando City. The Fire came straight down the field to start the half and Gutierrez saw his shot blocked in the 46th minute. Two minutes later, Gutierrez put Chicago on top. Angulo was unable to deny a cross in from the right and Jansson, who appeared to be perfectly positioned to deal with it, slipped and fell. The ball got through as a result and the midfielder stuck it inside the post to make it 1-0.

“it was super soft,” Jansson said of the SeatGeek Stadium turf. “I was unlucky. I slipped. I had studs, but, yeah, couldn’t even help with studs. So, I don’t know what I should put on my cleats. I feel like those are the type of goals that we have conceded, which is too easy, and we have to work so hard to even create and score goals. Just frustrating.”

The Fire broke in the 51st minute and Gutierrez hit the post. The bigger problem for Orlando at the time was that Jansson slipped and came up injured on the play. For the rest of the match, the captain was unable to run at full speed, could hardly jump, and even visibly winced after sending a long ball up the field with his left leg. Despite being obviously injured, he stayed on the pitch and was a liability in transition — a problem, given the Lions were trailing the game.

Three minutes later, Gallese made a stop on a try from Jonathan Bamba to keep it a one-goal game.

Angulo got credit for a shot from a tight angle on the left in the 55th minute, but it appeared to be a cross that was simply too close to Brady.

A disastrous sequence doubled Chicago’s lead in the 57th minute. Araujo did well to get in between Chicago players on an attack and had control of the ball. Facing goal and only a few yards from his goalkeeper, Araujo passed slowly back to Gallese rather than simply clearing the danger out for a throw or sending it behind for a corner. Cuypers continued his run and although Gallese tried to fire it out wide to his left, Cuypers got a foot in front and deflected it into the net to make it 2-0.

Orlando finally got a legitimate look at goal in the 60th minute. A ball deflected out to Pasalic at the top of the area and the Croatian took his shot on the volley. He got decent contact, but didn’t hit it as true as he would have liked. His effort was on target but bounced perfectly up for Brady to knock wide. Two minutes later, McGuire got his head to a floating cross but couldn’t get much power on it and Brady got over to catch it.

Cuypers tried to make it 3-0 in the 64th minute, trying to hit a shot with his first touch from the left side, but he missed the target badly. Bamba got in behind down the left, running onto a perfect curling long ball as Schlegel got caught up the pitch, which was a problem throughout the second half. Jansson struggled to keep up after aggravating his knee injury but did well to at least force Bamba to stay left of goal. Gallese made a huge save to deny Bamba, but Gutierrez picked up the rebound on the other side, sending his shot off the post in the 66th minute.

“We were asking (Jansson) about his pain in the knee. Many times he expressed that he could persist and play normally,” Pareja said. “But I think two of those three goals in the second half, it was the result of somebody’s sliding or something.

Two minutes later, Orlando’s deficit grew. Chicago broke in transition yet again, and Brekalo was playing much more narrowly than usual, possibly because Orlando was trying to go to a three-man back line or because he was trying to compensate for Jansson’s lack of mobility. Either way, it left room for Philip Zinckernagel to send him down the right. The Designated Player fired home to make it 3-0. If the match hadn’t already been put to bed, the third goal hammered the final nail into the coffin.

Luis Muriel came on for Pasalic after the goal and Orlando immediately turned the ball over on the restart and Schlegel conceded a free kick on the counterattack. The free kick turned into a corner that Orlando dealt with. However, Bamba got a good opportunity moments later, only to be denied by Gallese.

Down three goals, Orlando continued to turn the ball over and concede set pieces, but the Lions were at least able to handle those. Gallese made a good save on Zinckernagel in the 77th minute and Brekalo blocked a Gutierrez shot two minutes later with an empty net behind him as the Lions kept handing Chicago transition opportunities.

Ojeda hit the outside of the post in the 81st minute looking to get Orlando on the board, although by that time it was probably too late.

Brekalo blocked another Zinckernagel effort in the 83rd minute to keep the score from getting worse. Rominigue Kouamé then missed the net moments later.

Spicer spoiled the shutout in the 89th minute. The second-half sub got down the left side alone on Brady on a great through ball from fellow substitute Adrian Marin and blasted a cannon shot over the goalkeeper’s right shoulder and in to make it 3-1. It was Marin’s first assist for Orlando City.

After one more save from Gallese on Kouamé, the match — and Orlando City’s season — was over.

Chicago finished with the advantage in possession (52.4%-47.6%), shots (25-7), and shots on target (9-4). Each team won three corners and Orlando City passed slightly more accurately (85.2%-84.2%), but most of the passes from both teams took place in Orlando’s half of the field.

“The first thing that comes to mind is it’s not good enough. It’s a sad moment,” Jansson said. “I felt that we came out with at least the energy in the beginning, the first half of the first half. I think we had the energy there. We tried, but we didn’t really manage to get the ball up there to create something, and then we started to lose a little bit of that energy I felt like halfway through the first half. And then, yeah, the second half was not good enough.”

“I thought we could have been better,” Pareja said. “I still want to show our gratitude to our fans and the people who have supported us during all this period, and today we just feel pain not to advance in the next stage.”

That’s the 2025 Orlando City season. It started with a lot of promise but seemed to be completely derailed by a run in Leagues Cup that was much deeper than the roster turned out to be. The Lions were never the same team after the midseason competition.

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

The banged-up Lions look to make it three consecutive results in all competitions as the Houston Dynamo visit.

Published

8 hours ago

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April 18, 2026

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Image of Tyrese Spicer dribbling the ball.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (1-5-1, 4 points) and the Houston Dynamo (2-4-0, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s the only meeting scheduled for 2026 in this cross-conference series between two sides that haven’t met since the 2023 Leagues Cup group stage.

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

History

Orlando City is 2-2-2 in the all-time series (1-0-2 at home) in league play and 2-2-3 (1-0-3 at home) in all competitions.

The last time these sides faced each other came in Leagues Cup play in Orlando on July 21, 2023. The Lions fell behind 1-0 as current Orlando City and former Houston fullback Griffin Dorsey took a dive in the box, drawing a highly questionable penalty on Rafael Santos deep in first-half stoppage time. Amine Bassi scored from the spot to put the Dynamo ahead just before the break. Duncan McGuire equalized just seconds into the second half and the teams played to a 1-1 draw before the Lions won 5-4 in penalties to claim the extra point in the competition. Pedro Gallese stopped Houston’s Hector Herrera on the first shot and no one else missed their penalty, including both Dorsey, Santos, and former Lion/current Dynamo defender Antonio Carlos.

The last time these teams met in MLS play was on June 18, 2022 at Exploria Stadium with Orlando City winning 2-1 on an Ercan Kara brace. One of the goals deflected in off of him, but that still counts. Sebastian Ferreira got Houston on the board but the visitors could not complete the comeback. It was Orlando’s first win in the series since the Lions’ first ever road game back in early 2015 provided the first MLS victory for the club.

Due to the quirky scheduling since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the previous meeting between the teams took place on Sept. 21, 2019 in Houston, with the Dynamo winning, 2-1. Dom Dwyer struck just six minutes in, but goals three minutes apart by Alberth Elis and Christian Ramirez in the 70th and 73rd minutes, respectively, turned that match around.

The teams met in Orlando on Sept. 22, 2018, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw. That was a memorable match for former Orlando City goalkeeper Adam Grinwis, who made his MLS debut that night.

The Lions went to BBVA Stadium in 2017 and were wiped off the field, 4-0. A leggy Orlando team flew directly to Houston from Toronto after a hard-fought game against the Reds and saw the rested Dynamo’s speed on full display. Elis, Mauro Manotas (twice), and Romell Quioto provided the goals and it could have been worse.

The 2016 match in Orlando was another 0-0 draw, in what was a forgettable game under Bobby Murphy, who was serving his first stint as Orlando City’s interim coach following the firing of Adrian Heath.

In the first meeting, back in 2015, the Lions went to Texas and came home with a 1-0 victory in Houston. Goalkeeper Tyler Deric — under extreme pressure from Pedro Ribeiro — punched the ball into the back of his own net for the only goal of the match. That was Orlando City’s historic, first MLS victory.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 1-1 draw at Columbus on Sunday and a 1-0 road U.S. Open Cup win on Wednesday at FC Naples. The Lions weren’t great in either match, but they managed to get results on the road as they continue to try to figure things out in a nightmare start to the 2026 season. Orlando is 1-2-0 at home this season and has scored all but one of its six goals on the season in the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium.

Both Tyrese Spicer and Robin Jansson returned to the lineup over the last week and made big impacts. Jansson was a rock in the middle of the OCSC defense in Columbus, and it was not surprising that the Crew only managed to level the game after he subbed off. Spicer scored on a rocket shot Wednesday for the only goal in a game that saw Orlando badly outplayed over the last 30 minutes by USL League One competition. Only a controversial no-goal call prevented what could have been a quick exit from the U.S. Open Cup. Dorsey also returned from injury against the Crew after missing time with a lower back issue.

Houston, like Orlando, is on short rest. The Dynamo were put on full blast a week ago in Colorado, losing 6-2 to the Rapids on the road. Houston took that beating out on USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC on Wednesday, winning 4-1 at home in U.S. Open Cup action. The Dynamo are 0-2-0 on the road in 2026.

The Dynamo attack added Designated Players Mateusz Bogusz, who scored in Wednesday’s game, and Guilherme Santos in the off-season. Guilherme leads Houston in goals (5) and assists (4), easily earning his DP tag in a quick start. Bogusz has started more slowly with just one goal and an assist, but his goal in USOC play Wednesday will have him more confident entering tonight. USMNT midfielder Jack McGlynn has three assists so far on the year despite being limited to four games due to injury. However, McGlynn is nearing a return and could be back tonight.

Orlando City will have to continue improving upon last week’s mostly solid defensive game, while trying to find improvements in the attacking end.

“Houston is a strong team, they have a good roster, and we respect them like we respect all of our opponents,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We are thinking about us, and working on our ways and strategies, and preparing for the game like always.”

Orlando City will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), and McGuire (lower leg), while David Brekalo (lower leg), Dorsey (thigh), and Iago (concussion protocol) are listed as questionable. Houston is much more healthy but will be without Lucas Halter (lower body) and Artur (lower body), while McGlynn (yep, lower body) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Nolan Miller.

Wingbacks/Midfielders: Tahir Reid-Brown, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Griffin Dorsey.

Forwards: Ivan Angulo, Tyrese Spicer, Marco Pasalic.

Houston Dynamo (3-4-2-1)

Goalkeeper: Jonathan Bond.

Defenders: Felipe Andrade, Antonio Carlos, Erik Sviatchenko.

Wingbacks/Midfielders: Lawrence Ennali, Agustin Bouzat, Diadie Samassekou, Duane Holmes.

Attacking Midfielders: Guilherme Augusto, Mateusz Bogusz.

Forward: Ezequiel Ponce.

Referees

REF: Pierre-Luc Lauziere.
AR1: Nick Uranga.
AR2: Rhett Hammil.
4TH: Abdou Ndiaye.
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez.
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 (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 follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo

Find out everything you need to know about the Houston Dynamo ahead of Saturday’s game.

Published

1 day ago

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April 17, 2026

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Image of Duncan McGuire reacting to his goal against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City managed to pick up its second positive result in a row on Wednesday when it scraped past FC Naples 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup. The Lions will now turn their attention back to MLS play and try to make it three good results on the spin when they welcome the Houston Dynamo to the City Beautiful.

In preparation for Houston’s visit, I took the time to speak with Dustyn Richardson. He’s the managing editor of Bayou City Soccer, an excellent independent outlet that is dedicated to covering the Houston Dynamo, Houston Dash, and the general soccer scene in the Houston area. He was kind enough to help bring us up to speed on this year’s Dynamo squad, and I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, which you can find over at their place.

Talk me through Houston’s off-season moves. Who left, and who has been brought in to replace them?

Dustyn Richardson: The Dynamo went through a bit of a re-tooling this off-season. They retained most of their core of players from last season but added a number of new pieces. Houston brought in two new Designated Players in Guilherme and Mateusz Bogusz. They also brought in two more players from South America, Brazilian defender Lucas Halter and Argentine midfielder Agustin Bouzat. Perhaps their most surprising move was the return of Hector Herrera. Of course, their biggest departure happened on the eve of the season with the sale of Griffin Dorsey to Orlando.

Former Orlando City player Antonio Carlos is in his first full year with the Dynamo. How has he been doing this year?

DR: Antonio Carlos has been solid. He stepped in mid-season last year and gave the Dynamo some stability that they were lacking in the back. This season, outside his red card against LAFC, he has been their most consistent defender. Felipe Andrade missed the first few games with an injury and Halter is currently injured. Antonio Carlos and Erik Sviatchenko, the two veterans of the group, have been key this season for Houston. He has also worn the captain’s armband for the Dynamo in the games he has started, showing what Head Coach Ben Olsen and the rest of the team think about his leadership qualities.

Houston has had a fairly up-and-down start to the 2026 season, as strong wins over Chicago and Portland have been offset by four losses. What needs to happen for the team to find more consistent form?

DR: They’ve been poor defensively, flat out. The offense can score with anyone but they can’t keep teams from scoring, and in bunches. Olsen has shifted the Dynamo to a much more pronounced back three this season and it has come with its growing pains. If Houston can get its preferred three center back grouping of Andrade, Sviatchenko, and Carlos in the lineup consistently, this should help. Goalkeeper Jonathan Bond has also struggled this season, giving up a lot more goals than xG. If they can get things right on the defensive end, this team should be able to compete for a playoff spot.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

DR: Halter is likely still out and club captain Artur remains out after being injured in preseason. Jack McGlynn has missed the last two league matches after picking up an injury and it will probably be a game-time decision again for this match.

The Dynamo will likely line up in a 3-4-2-1 of Jonathan Bond; Felipe Andrade, Antonio Carlos, Erik Sviatchenko; Lawrence Ennali, Agustin Bouzat, Diadie Samassekou, Duane Holmes; Guilherme Augusto, Mateusz Bogusz; Ezequiel Ponce.

Houston can score and Orlando has given up a ton of goals. With that being said, the Dynamo also concede a bunch as well. I’ll predict a 2-2 draw in this one. 

Thank you to Dustyn for the excellent primer on the Dynamo. Vamos Orlando!

Image of the famous "The more you know" graphic from TV.
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Lion Links: 4/17/26

Caitlin Carducci settling in with the Orlando Pride, Seven Castain scores for U.S. U-23 team, Alex Freeman adjusting in Spain, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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April 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Happy Friday! My mood is still buoyed by Orlando City’s midweek win as we get ready for another weekend filled with soccer. The USWNT plays tonight, the Lions are in action on Saturday, and Orlando City B will wrap things up with a match against Carolina Core FC on Sunday. It should be a nice next few days and I’m looking forward to trying out a new brunch spot near me as well. Let’s get to the links!

Caitlin Carducci Builds Orlando Pride Foundation

Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Caitlin Carducci has been with the team for a few months since being hired in January and is starting to settle in with the club. It’s a different role than the one she had with the Kansas City Current, as she’s making more final decisions here in Orlando. Carducci discussed her focus on building relationships with each player early on, the hiring of Mark Wilson as the club’s technical director, and how she’s creating a solid infrastructure for the club’s operations.

Seven Castain Scores Winner for U.S. U-23 Team

The United States U-23 Women’s National Team wrapped up its trio of friendlies in Spain with a 4-3 win over France. Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain came off the bench and scored the winner for the U.S. in stoppage time. Fellow Pride player Ally Lemos started the match. The U.S. went undefeated over the course of these friendlies, previously drawing against France and Denmark. The Pride had plenty of representation during these games, with Castain, Lemos, Simone Jackson, and Yolanda Thomas all in Europe during the break.

Alex Freeman Finding His Footing in Spain

Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who was transferred to Villarreal earlier this year, spoke on how he aims to improve from this move to Europe.

“Football-wise, this is one of the things I need in my game. I need to take it up a notch and be more technical. It’s something that, if I had to choose a club, I would choose this club in this country because it’s somewhere where I can take my next step,” he says. “It was always the right move for me. I needed to go, not only to prove myself, because I have done that in the past, but to really test myself. I want to show that I am able to do it and be in that environment.”

Along with the language barrier, Freeman detailed how he’s adjusting to the faster pace of the game in Villarreal. The 21-year-old also talked about how sudden the transfer was, his goals this La Liga season, and the warm welcome he’s gotten so far.

USWNT Takes On Japan Tonight

The USWNT will host Japan tonight in Denver in the third match between the two this month. It will be interesting to see how the USWNT responds after losing 1-0 to Japan on Tuesday, particularly in regards to which players Head Coach Emma Hayes chooses for the starting lineup. Japan is a tough opponent that should continue to test the U.S. as both teams prepare for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s next U.S. Open Cup match will be on April 29 against the New England Revolution. The match will take place in Rhode Island at Centreville Bank Stadium, which is where the Revs just played Rhode Island FC
  • Bernardo Silva announced that he will leave Manchester City this summer after nine years with the club. It’s unclear where he will play next, but I wouldn’t be surprised if New York City FC is in the mix.
  • Barcelona filed another complaint to UEFA over the officiating in its Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid. If recent events are anything to go by, it’s going to be awkward when the confederation rules Barcelona as the victor two months after the final.
  • Amid reports that FC Cincinnati was exploring options to add Neymar this summer, the 34-year-old forward stated that he intends to see through his contract with Santos until it expires at the end of the year.
  • New Zealand forward Chris Wood exited Nottingham Forest’s Europa League quarterfinal against Porto due to a knee injury, putting his availability for the World Cup into question.
  • The Europa League semifinals are set and Forest will take on Aston Villa in an English showdown for a spot in the final. On the other side of the bracket, Freiburg will play against Braga.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo exited Al Nassr’s 1-0 win over Al Ettifaq due to stomach pains that later caused him to vomit according to his head coach.

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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