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Top Ten Moments of 2025: Pedro Gallese’s Shootout Heroics Lead Orlando City to Leagues Cup Semifinals

Our No. 2 moment of 2025 is Pedro Gallese’s iconic penalty shootout performance as both a shot stopper and scorer to lead the Lions.

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9 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we count down to the new year of 2026 — which will be Orlando City’s 12th in MLS, the Orlando Pride’s 11th in the NWSL, and OCB’s fourth in MLS NEXT Pro — and say goodbye to 2025, it’s time to look back at the club’s 10 best moments of the year as selected by The Mane Land staff via vote.

Go with me on this, because I’m talking a little baseball before getting to the soccer. With their move in 2022 to allow Designated Hitters in both the American League and National League, Major League Baseball (MLB) essentially abolished the concept of pitchers who also hit. There have been a few exceptions since — notably four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, who is basically a unicorn as an elite hitter and pitcher, but aside from Ohtani, pitchers simply do not bat anymore. Baseball-reference.com‘s tracking shows 322 pitchers who logged at least one at bat in 2021, but during the four seasons since, it was a total of 13, and only Ohtani had more at bats than he could have counted on his fingers.

As a huge baseball fan, I understand why MLB leadership wanted to install the Designated Hitter in both leagues, but I also miss the pure form of baseball that I grew up reading about from the early days of baseball and watching in the National League until 2022. I also miss a phrase that I heard for years when I was playing baseball myself, a phrase that was often shouted out by a coach or a parent when the pitcher would come up to bat late in a game with a chance to get a hit to give their team the lead: “win your own ballgame.”

Pitchers still earn wins in MLB, but they almost never have the opportunity to drive in runs to help themselves achieve those wins. Goalkeepers in soccer operate in a similar manner, though there was not a time, recently or ever, when goalkeepers used to score lots of goals. Major League Soccer has been around since 1996, and there have only been two goals scored by goalkeepers in regulation play — one on a long ball that got caught up in the wind and took a huge bounce over the opposing goalkeeper, and the other on a stoppage-time corner kick when every player was in the box trying to score a last-minute equalizer.

Goalkeepers contribute to goals every season with their passes (there were five goals scored in MLS in 2025 that came directly off a pass from a goalkeeper), but goalkeepers scoring goals is extremely rare except in one circumstance: penalty kick shootouts.

And that brings us to Orlando City’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal game against Deportivo Toluca of Liga MX on Aug. 20. It was a matchup of a team from Florida against a team from about an hour west of Mexico City, which for obvious reasons was played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, approximately 2,000 miles away from each team’s home base.

Orlando City came into the quarterfinal after finishing fourth among the 18 MLS teams that participated in Leagues Cup, winning two of its three group-stage games and drawing the other, but losing in the penalty shootout. Toluca earned its way into the quarterfinal with the same record in the group stage, except the Mexican side earned an extra point by winning the penalty shootout after drawing.

The 90 minutes of regulation play did not produce many highlights, as both teams looked a little weary from the travel and having played just a few days earlier in their respective leagues. Toluca had a little more possession (51%-49%) but played a lot more of the game in the Orlando City half of the field, doubling up the Lions on touches in the opposition’s box (25-12) and taking 15 shots to Orlando City’s four. Both teams struggled to put shots on target, however, with Toluca unable to put any shots on goal and Orlando City only managing one, and thus normal time ended scoreless, sending the game straight to penalties.

It was Orlando City’s second shootout of the competition, and while El Pulpo had not been having an elite season in 2025, he was still difficult to score on via penalty kicks, as he had shown by saving the first attempt in the first shootout against Pumas. Everyone’s favorite soccer stat, xG (expected goals) codes penalty kicks in most models with an xG of 0.79, meaning that a penalty kick taker is expected to convert 79% of the time, or one out of every five shots. Gallese had hit the average against Pumas, saving one of the five, but his teammates had let him down by only converting three of their five, leading to a shootout loss.

Óscar Pareja had a different group of players available to him for shootout selection than he did after full time against Pumas. In that game he had included Eduard Atuesta and César Araújo in his opening five, but against Toluca, Atuesta had already subbed out and Pareja decided not to include Araújo, likely because the Uruguayan had missed his attempt in the Pumas game. Pareja also did not have Designated Players Marco Pašalić or Luis Muriel available, as they both had subbed out already as well. After consulting with the coaches and available players, he selected Martín Ojeda, Robin Jansson, Alex Freeman, Joran Gerbet, and Kyle Smith for his initial five shooters, leaving Iván Angulo, Araújo, Ramiro Enrique, Gallese, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Tyrese Spicer in reserve for if the shootout went beyond the initial five shooters.

Spoiler alert, it did.

Toluca went first in the shootout, and through two shooters it appeared like the Diablos Rojos had Gallese’s number, as on each they sent him the wrong way and converted. Ojeda and Jansson were up to the task though, and so deuces were wild as it was 2-2 after two rounds. Starting in the third round, El Pulpo locked in though, as he exploded to his right and just missed saving a well-placed kick that was in the upper corner. Freeman equalized, and then on the fourth shot, Gallese once again nearly made the save, going low and to his left this time, but again coming just inches away from making the save. Gerbet and his unusual penalty kick style went next and he converted, and so it was effectively do-or-die starting in the fifth round, as each team had been perfect through eight shots.

Toluca’s Franco Romero sent Gallese the wrong way on the fifth shot, but Smith did the same to Luis García, and it was on to sudden death. At this point the player selections for the kicks moved to being on a one-by-one basis, and Nicolás Castro was up for Toluca. Gallese had correctly gone the right way on two of the last three attempts, and he made it three out of four on Castro’s shot, leaping to his right and getting a big right hand out to deny the ball from going into the corner, making the first save from either goalkeeper during the shootout. Orlando City had an opportunity to win the game, but Enrique could not convert, and the shootout continued to a seventh round.

El Pulpo was radiating with self-confidence going into the seventh round, and he once again read the shot correctly, leaping to his right again to stymy Juan Domínguez, giving the Lions the chance to put the game away once more.

Coming off of back-to-back saves, it was clear that Gallese was in the zone, and he stepped up to take the next kick himself.

“When I saw that he was so convinced to take it, it was no doubt that he was going to do it,” Pareja said after the game about the decision for Gallese to take the next shot.

The Peruvian called game with his shot, using his usual mini-step routine from goal kicks and free kicks to get his feet set and then sending García the wrong way to win his own ballgame and put the Lions into the Leagues Cup semifinals.

In a season of hat tricks by Orlando players (see top 10 moments numbers nine, eight, and three from the list at the bottom of this article), Gallese’s three consecutive monster plays to produce save, save, goal and win the shootout himself were nearly enough for Orlando City’s No. 1 to earn the number one spot on our top 10 list for 2025.

El Pulpo sadly has moved on to the greener pastures of Deportivo Cali in Colombia, but when he inevitably returns to Orlando for his induction into the Legends’ Terrace, they will surely play the clip of him making that final save and following it by scoring the walkoff winner during the 2025 Leagues Cup quarterfinals, our number two moment for the 2025 season.

Come back through New Year’s Eve as we count down the remainder of the top 10 moments of 2025 for Orlando City, the Orlando Pride, and OCB.

Previous Top Moments of 2025

10. Orlando City clinches a playoff berth for a sixth consecutive season on Alex Freeman’s late game-tying goal.

9. Luis Muriel’s hat trick powers Lions to Leagues Cup knockout rounds.

8. Martin Ojeda scores Orlando City’s first hat trick since Cyle Larin did so all the way back in 2015.

7. Orlando City sweeps rival Inter Miami during the regular season, winning both games by three goals.

6. Martin Ojeda breaks Orlando City’s single-season record for goal contributions.

5. Orlando Pride midfielder Luana returns to the pitch after being out for a year due to cancer treatment.

4. Alex Freeman has a breakout season, winning MLS Young Player of the Year and becoming the first Orlando City player to be named to the MLS Best XI.

3. Barbra Banda makes history by scoring the first hat trick by an Orlando Pride player.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/5/26

Pride fall to San Diego Wave, Tyrese Spicer has successful foot surgery, USMNT beats Mexico, and more.

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4 hours ago

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October 5, 2026

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Image of Haley McCutcheon wearing a protective mask on her face playing against San Diego.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work covering high school soccer and flag football throughout the week. We only had the Pride in action over the weekend, but we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Fall to San Diego Wave at Home

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the San Diego Wave on Friday at Inter.co Stadium in the latest in a series of games that they had to have. Orlando trailed 2-0 in the first half, conceding twice on defensive errors. In the second half, Barbra Banda pulled the Pride within one after she buried a penalty kick that she won herself. However, it wasn’t enough, as Orlando couldn’t find a late equalizer and San Diego took all three points. The Pride are off this weekend due to the international break but will return to action on Oct. 18 to face the Houston Dash on the road.

Tyrese Spicer Has Successful Foot Surgery

Orlando City forward Tyrese Spicer underwent successful foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot, the club announced on Friday. Spicer had suffered the injury while away on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago in a Concacaf Nations League match against Haiti on Sept. 24. We at The Mane Land wish Spicer a speedy recovery, but his 2026 MLS season is likely over.

USMNT Shuts Out Mexico in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-0 on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Orlando City forward Justin Ellis came off the bench to make his second USMNT appearance in the second half, playing 25 minutes. Former Lion Alex Freeman started and played 90 minutes. Julian Hall scored the opener in the first half for the Yanks. In the second half, Cavan Sullivan doubled the Americans’ lead to become the USMNT’s youngest scorer in team history just four days after Mathis Albert set that mark with his goal against Chile on Tuesday. Malik Tillman added the final goal as the Yanks have won three consecutive matches during the international break. The USMNT will close out this round of friendlies on Tuesday, taking on Canada at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN.

Other Lions on International Duty

Multiple Orlando City players represented their national teams over the weekend during the international break. Forward Marco Pasalic was on the bench but did not play for Croatia in a 7-0 defeat to England in a UEFA Nations League match on Saturday. Croatia will face Spain on Tuesday. Lions defender David Brekalo was on the bench but came on after halftime and played 45 minutes for Slovenia in a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. Slovenia will take on Scotland on Tuesday. Midfielder Wilder Cartagena started and played 45 minutes for Peru, while former Lion Yoshimar Yotun was also in action in a 2-0 loss to Canada in a friendly. Peru will play Colombia on Tuesday in another friendly match.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, notched another assist over the weekend in a 3-1 win against Brooklyn FC in the USL Championship.
  • Check out this piece on the Orlando City website featuring Head of Player Care Pedro Cox and Team Administrator Danny Quesada, who help welcome new players and their families, get acquainted with the club, ensure their needs are met, and thrive off the field.
  • The Lions were at Osceola Heritage Park on Saturday and spent time with the Orlando City U-12 squad during training.

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

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: Oct. 2, 2021 vs. D.C. United

Take a trip down memory lane and relive a game that took place five years ago today.

Published

3 days ago

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October 2, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Having suffered three losses in a row in all competitions, Orlando City’s recent results haven’t exactly made for pretty viewing. Fortunately for us, the Lions don’t return to action until Oct. 10, meaning that we have a brief reprieve from the torment that has been visited upon us for the last 270 minutes. Even more fortunately, we have the ability to reminisce on much happier footballing times in the City Beautiful, and all we have to do is hop into our time machine and rewind to four years ago.

The day was Oct. 2, 2021, and with the Lions sitting seventh in a jam-packed Eastern Conference, the men in purple badly needed points in order to keep pace in the race for the playoffs. The good guys were in the midst of a five-game winless streak, and the season was starting to get dangerously close to going off the rails. Enter D.C. United, a team that Orlando had already beaten earlier in the year but was in the thick of the fight for a postseason place right alongside the Lions.

Oscar Pareja ran out a lineup that featured Pedro Gallese in goal; a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan; Sebas Mendez and Junior Urso in defensive midfield; Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Benji Michel ahead of them; and Daryl Dike leading the line.

Things did not get off to a good start for Orlando. D.C. won the ball in OCSC’s half and got it forward quickly to Julian Gressel in the half-space on the right. He took a shot from distance that Gallese might not have been expecting, and it flew past the Peruvian to open the scoring after just six minutes had been played.

Orlando responded well, with Nani having a shot blocked and Dike putting a decent look over the bar in the 14th minute. Ruan nearly forced an own goal just a couple minutes later, but the corner kick that was awarded when a deflected ball skittered just wide of D.C.’s post proved to be the Lions’ salvation. Pereyra put a high, looping ball into the area that Urso headed toward goal, and Bill Hamid did well to get down and keep the ball out. The rebound was a juicy one though, and Jansson was well placed to pounce and thwack the ball high into the net to level the score with 17 minutes gone.

The rest of the first half was a mostly quiet affair, aside from the 35th minute, when OCSC probably should have gone ahead. Nani played a great ball that put Michel through on the left side of the box, but he curled his shot just wide of the far post after cutting back onto his right foot. The Lions dominated every statistical category but the scoreline at the break, with edges in possession (64.7%-35.3%), shots (7-4), shots on goal (2-1), and passing accuracy (87.1%-76.7%).

Emmanuel Mas came on for Moutinho at the half, and it’s possible that the switch unsettled Orlando slightly, because the team was on the back foot to start the second half thanks to a combination of some bad giveaways and difficulty dealing with the high tempo that D.C. brought out of the break. Paul Arriola put a shot just over the bar three minutes after the restart, and there were some hairy moments after that which forced Urso into a goal-line clearance to keep the game level.

The game evened out after the shaky start to the second half, but both teams found dangerous chances difficult to come by until the late stages. D.C. made a goal-line clearance of its own in the 88th minute. Silvester van der Water and Dike combined, and while Dike couldn’t get a shot off, he did find Tesho Akindele, only for Hamid to save the Canadian’s effort, which was cleared before van der Water could pounce and put it home.

Ultimately though, OCSC got the late goal it was looking for. The Lions won a corner in front of The Wall deep in stoppage time, and Chris Mueller whipped in a dangerous ball for Dike, who made a run across the near post. The big striker flicked his head at it, and the ball nestled into the side netting at the far post with Hamid helpless. Cue the bedlam in the purple palace.

That proved to be the last action of the game, as the Lions ran out 2-1 winners to put an end to the winless streak and pick up a valuable three points. Similar to halftime, Orlando finished the game with more shots (12-11), shots on target (4-2), corners (9-5), possession (64.8%-35.2%), and passing accuracy (86%-75.3%). Marcus Mitchell was on hand for Player Grades, and he gave the Man of the Match honors to Jansson with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high performers included fellow center back Carlos, who also graded as a 7.5 out of 10, while Mendez and Dike both received a 7 out of 10.

The three points proved to be valuable ones, as the Lions shot from seventh all the way up to third in the Eastern Conference, although they would ultimately finish sixth and exit the playoffs in the first round after a road loss against Nashville SC.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/2/26

Orlando Pride host the Wave, Orlando City’s kit room carousel, analyzing Mexico ahead of U.S. match, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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October 2, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! Sports are in full swing this time of year and we have plenty of soccer to look forward to over the next few days. Apart from working and enjoying the upcoming games, I plan on heading to the movie theater to check out the Primetime movie, as I’ve heard nothing but great things. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Take on San Diego Tonight

The Orlando Pride host the San Diego Wave tonight in a crucial home game as the season winds down. While the Pride are fighting to remain in the playoff hunt, the Wave will aim to close the gap with Gotham FC in the NWSL Shield race. Orlando enters this match on a short turnaround after traveling back from its 3-1 win against Bay FC on Sunday on the other side of the country. Interim head coach Yolanda Thomas spoke on the team’s preparations to deal with San Diego’s pressure and energy ahead of tonight’s home game.

Orlando City Director of Equipment Operations Heads to England

Charles Raycroft is leaving Orlando City as its director of equipment operations after 11 years with the club to become Liverpool’s Head of Kit Operations. He’s been with Orlando since 2016 and the club sent him off in style with a jersey and plenty of thanks for his time in the City Beautiful. With Raycroft heading across the pond, Chafik Tounzit was promoted to become the club’s new director of equipment operations. We wish both the best of luck in their new roles!

Analyzing Mexico Ahead of USMNT Match

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Mexico on Saturday in the first match between the two rivals since the World Cup. It will also be the first time Rafael Marquez will take on the U.S. as Mexico’s head coach rather than as a player. Many eyes will be on 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora, who has already scored once this window, but Luis Romo and Erik Lira are other players the Yanks will need to keep from creating too many chances. MLS players Chucky Lozano and Germán Berterame are attacking options at Mexico’s disposal as well.

Naomi Girma Will Miss U.S. Friendlies

Center back Naomi Girma will be unavailable for the United States Women’s National Team’s matches against Spain this month after sustaining a muscle injury with Chelsea. The injury bug continues to bite Girma, who has yet to play for Chelsea this season. Hopefully she’ll be able to get back to full fitness before the USWNT’s match against El Salvador in the Concacaf W Championship quarterfinals on Nov. 27. Girma’s replacement on the current roster will be named at a later time, so we’ll see if this opens the door for former Pride defender Emily Sams to join the team after not being initially called up.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride moved up a spot to 11th in All For XI‘s NWSL power rankings after winning 3-1 against Bay FC.
  • American defender Jordyn Bugg signed a new contract with the Seattle Reign that will last through the 2030 season.
  • Ashley Sanchez was named NWSL Player of the Month for the second month in a row after scoring five goals in four games for the North Carolina Courage in September. She now has 20 goals this season, tying the league record.
  • Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 in the UEFA Nations League without Cristiano Ronaldo and Head Coach Jorge Jesus spoke on how one player is not bigger than the national team.
  • We’ll end today’s links with an incredible goal from Detroit City’s Kobe Hernandez-Foster deep in his own half. While it was scored on an empty net, it’s no small feat to get that much accuracy and power on a shot from that far out.

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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