In a reversal of Orlando City’s game on opening night, the Lions outplayed their visitors on Sunday for the opening 45 minutes, only to be undone in the second half. Turnovers in the defensive end and lapses in marking let Inter Miami climb out of a 2-0 hole and ultimately win 4-2, marking the first time the Herons have taken all three points out of Orlando.

While much has been made of Miami’s three previous trips that Lionel Messi skipped, the Argentine legend made the trip this time and his presence was felt, particularly in the second half, when he scored twice and set up a goal in the comeback. Only one pitch invader marred events, and that came late in the match.

Orlando City fans will fondly remember the first half, as the Lions appeared on their way to another regular-season win over their rivals when Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda powered the team to a two-goal lead inside the first half an hour. Maxime Crepeau made some excellent stops to preserve that lead into the half, despite playing behind two first-time MLS starters along the back line in Nolan Miller and Tahir Reid-Brown.

On the other side of halftime, substitute Matteo Silvetti pulled Miami back into the game after a defensive third giveaway and no one close enough to close down his blast from outside the area. Dayne St. Clair kept the Orlando lead from growing again at the other end of the pitch, and disaster struck when Messi scored the equalizer and Miller went down with an injury, requiring Iago to replace him.

Orlando City was unable to break out much in the second half once Miami pulled level, although St. Clair made a vital stop on Pasalic before the Croatian departed late in the game for fresher legs. Miami then scored the winner late when David Brekalo’s slip allowed a quick transition goal. Messi squashed hopes of an equalizer with a 90th-minute free kick goal, and the Lions fell for the second game to open the season.

Despite the result, Inter&Co Stadium was electric on Sunday night. We hope you enjoy these images from the match and that they bring to life some of the buzz that those in attendance felt until those fateful final minutes.

Images: Dan MacDonald
Words: Michael Citro

The Orlando Pride couldn’t quite grit out a victory in the NWSL playoff semifinals, ending their 2025 season one game shorter than they’d hoped. The Pride went toe-to-toe for most of the game with Gotham in a cagey match, but the opposition finally converted a free kick in the last minute of stoppage time to end the Pride’s run at repeating as NWSL champions.

Gotham managed to control the first few minutes of the game, but once the Pride started getting organized, they were the team pressing the attack, although the final product was often missing, sending set pieces straight at Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger and turning the ball over around the edges of the penalty area.

Orlando produced the best chance of the first half just past the half-hour mark, with Julie Doyle finding Jacquie Ovalle in the box, but the Mexican international was unable to make good contact on the shot and it trickled wide. The teams played back-and-forth soccer for the rest of the half without creating anything too dangerous.

Second-half substitutes Oihane and Simone Charley did well to help tip the field against Gotham, but as in the first half, neither team could not fashion anything more than half-chances.

As the teams seemed destined to play extra time, the Pride made a critical error deep in their own end. Ovalle’s heavy touch on a takeaway attempt gave the ball away and a soft (given the way the game had been called) foul was given in a dangerous area near the left corner of the box. Jaedyn Shaw sent in a dangerous ball over the top that forced Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to make a decision on whether to play the set piece service or guard against a redirect. She chose the latter, but Midge Purce failed to get a touch on the ball, leaving Moorhouse helplessly watching the free kick tuck inside the right post.

The Pride had almost no time to respond, but nearly did so anyway. Ovalle won a free kick and Marta delivered good cross into the box. Oihane headed the ball on frame but left it just a bit too central. Berger still had to make a good save to keep it out, and she did so, preserving Gotham’s 1-0 lead and sending the Pride home instead of to the final.

Despite the final outcome, the Pride overcame an arduous second half of the year to once again prove they belong among the NWSL powerhouses. We hope you enjoy these photos of a hard-fought NWSL semifinal.

The Orlando Pride hosted the Seattle Reign in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals Friday night, advancing 2-0 with a goal in each half. In a well-executed rematch of last weekend’s Decision Day matchup, Orlando created chances early and managed to take the lead in the first half with Haley McCutcheon providing more postseason magic. Once playing with the lead, the Pride stayed well organized but had to weather a lot of Seattle pressure as the visitors pushed to find a way back into the match. Ultimately, Marta — as she so often does — made the game’s decisive play, allowing Luana to push Orlando into the semifinals.

Orlando started the game as the aggressor, creating the majority of the shots early. Most of their chances were routine until the 17th minute, when Julie Doyle received the ball in the Seattle penalty area but didn’t get enough on the shot. The chance foreshadowed the opener four minutes later, as Doyle played a give-and-go with Marta, receiving an excellent through ball before finding McCutcheon in about the same place. McCutcheon placed her shot perfectly inside the left post for a 1-0 lead.

Orlando continued to try to create chances, but struggled to make the same quality entry passes for the remainder of the half. Seattle’s pressure started to affect the Pride and turn the hosts over, and the Reign attack grew into the game a bit more. While they didn’t have any exceptionally dangerous looks, the chances were all Seattle’s way through to the halftime break.

Orlando tried to catch Seattle off guard coming out of halftime with a well-placed shot from Ally Lemos in the 46th minute that forced a good save from Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. Starting around the 60th minute, Seattle pushed numbers higher, repeatedly taking the ball away and looking to counter. As a result, most of the remaining chances went the Reign’s way, including a Sally Menti free kick off the crossbar in the 63rd minute and an Anna Moorhouse kick save against Maddie Mercado in the 76th.

In the 82nd minute, Marta showed the grit that has defined her career, stepping in front of a back pass and running solo against Seattle defense into the box. Jordyn Bugg defended well, ushering her to the corner of the penalty box despite the Brazilian’s appeal for a penalty, but this again foreshadowed future events in the game. At the next stoppage, Simone Charley came on in the 83rd minute and provided fresh legs for some outlet relief, creating two shots in the process, but neither was threatening.

Deep in stoppage time, Marta wove more of her magic. The veteran midfielder received a clearance just outside the Orlando penalty area and, instead of lumping it down into the corner to waste some time, Marta showed grit and determination, going on a full-field run into the Seattle penalty box. Phoebe McClernon and Samantha Menza could not stop her, instead conceding a penalty deep in second half stoppage time. Always a class act, Marta then protected the spot until players were set and turned over the ball to Luana, for an emotional close to the game. Her Brazilian international teammate didn’t disappoint, smashing her first Pride goal into the upper left quadrant of the net to put the match away.

We hope you enjoy these images to a memorable playoff victory by the Pride. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but Orlando was able to grind out a result in the postseason against a determined and organized opponent, advancing to the NWSL semifinals.