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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Finally Earn Road Point

The Lions earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Columbus in Robin Jansson’s first game of the season.

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1 month ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

In a draw that felt simultaneously like a loss and a huge win, Orlando City (1-5-1, 4 points) finally showed some defensive grit and determination that has been woefully missing in captain and starting center back Robin Jansson’s first match of the year. A strong start, the captain’s return, some great goalkeeping, desperate defending, and a little luck saw the Lions through to a point on the road against a struggling Columbus Crew (1-3-3, 6 points) side still looking for its first home win. Jansson’s return seemed to be felt throughout the team which fought desperately to redeem itself after a record-setting bad start.

“We were able to maintain the level of energy,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “I think we started the first 20-25, minutes, really, in a really good manner, when we scored, not only compact and solid, but also…controlling the game with the ball. I think we could score maybe one more goal there. Then, in the second half, we knew…they’re gonna try to attack more, and that will allow spaces for counterattacks, which we have, and…we couldn’t score. And then the game is the game.”

Perelman’s starting XI featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a three-man central defense of David Brekalo, Jansson, and Iago, with wingbacks Griffin Dorsey and Ivan Angulo. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta played in central midfield, while, Tiago, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic manned the attack. Duncan McGuire was a late scratch after picking up a knock late in the week in training.

The Lions came out looking like a team that knows how to play football. They pressed and combined and put Columbus under significant pressure early on. The back line was particularly good at reading the Crew’s attacks and snuffing them out, one way or another.

On the other side of the ball, Angulo was aggressive and made good things happen in the opening half hour. Winning the ball, making a quick stop-and-go move, and sprinting down the left side, Angulo sent in an outstanding pass to send Tiago behind on the left. The Brazilian then sent a nice cutback pass to an on rushing Pasalic, who fired home under pressure in the 14th minute to put the Lions ahead early and give some much needed optimism to the team.

“We trained this, not only this week, but it’s something we tried to improve from training to training this last week, and I give props to the team and to Martín [Perelman], the coach, that we have the patience after these losses and we come here with motivation,” Pasalic said. “He motivates us, the team had their heads high, you know, we keep it high after these losses, and it was important to come here and try to show that we can score goals. We created a lot of chances today, especially me. I could’ve scored one more goal. I’m sad about it, but the most important thing, in the last games we don’t create as many chances like today, so this is a good way to go.”

Minutes later, Angulo took advantage of a bad back pass and made an opportunistic run and an accurate pass to Pasalic, whose shot was blocked.

Disaster struck for Columbus when Wessam Abou Ali suffered a non-contact knee injury. He was able to continue, but later went down again and had to be stretchered off.

Dorsey and Brekalo made some good defensive plays early to defend crosses. Brekalo fouled Rossi to prevent a promising attack in the 29th. However, Columbus was beginning to grow into the game and Orlando was beginning to struggle to posses the ball.

In the 32nd minute, Pasalic made a great run but a touch took him wide, resulting in a spoiled attempt that was blocked. On the other side of the pitch, Abou Ali went down without contact in the Orlando 18-yard box during a Columbus attack and was stretchered off in the 35th. This left the Crew without one of their most productive attackers. You couldn’t tell from how the game shifted though, as Columbus began to use quick, accurate passing that the Lions struggled to deal with.

The defending became more and more reactionary and frustrated, resulting in a yellow card to Iago in the 41st for a completely unnecessary foul in the back on Max Arfsten. Brekalo took his turn getting a yellow in the 43rd for persistent infringement, although this one was a bit soft. Columbus kept pouring it on, creating increasing half-chance after chance, but the Lions managed to fend the attacks off. Tiago was particularly effective defending the barrage of set peices.

The half ended mercifully, with Orlando still leading 1-0.

Columbus led in possession (56.2%-43.8%) and shots (5-3), with both teams tied in shots on target (1-1). The Crew dominated the corners (6-0), and led in passing accuracy (90.7%-84.6%).

The second half started like the first half finished with the motivated Crew on the front foot. Orlando could not seem to stop Columbus from playing right through the entire length of the field, leading to a corner in the 54th minute barley surviving the Crew’s relentless efforts.

Tiago earned himself a yellow card defending a Columbus attack by fouling Steven Moreira.

The Lions did have their counterattack chances though and unbelievably were unable to capitalize on a Patrick Schulte gaffe in the 56th minute. Ruby Camacho sent a difficult pass back to Schulte, who kept the ball in play, but teed it up for Pasalic, who tried to pass it back to Martin Ojeda with no one in goal. But Camacho tracked back to interfere with the pass to Ojeda, saving a the Crew from a tap-in goal by Orlando.

Columbus had many chances but was lacking just a little precision which helped keep the Crew off the scoreboard.

Again Orlando created a promising chance in the 57th, with Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Tiago combining well and Tiago fighting off pressure from Sean Zawadski. Tiago passed right to Malte Amundsen though instead of Ojeda or Pasalic crashing the box.

Jansson was a predictably reassuring presence as he was reading plays and snuffing out chances, but Orlando was still not able to do much but defend deep and launch hopeful balls over the top, with the occasional Angulo attack in the mix but usually leading to a bad touch and no shot.

Luis Otavio came on for Atuesta in the 64th minute giving the veteran some rest and some needed minutes for the young player. In the 65th minute, Angulo’s pace snuffed out a counter, as he contributed to the defense about as much as he did to the offense on the evening.

A common theme was a well placed ball over the defense by Martin Ojeda to Tiago, but unfortunately each time the chance went wanting.

Zakaria Taifi came on in the 68th minute for an active Dorsey who returned from a back injury. In the 70th minute, Iago defended a strong shot with his head and went down for a few minutes and was held off in the sidelines to undergo concussion protocols.

Following the restart, the Lions were awarded a dropped ball, which Ojeda once again sent over the Crew to Tiago who, once again, failed to make anything of a tremendous opportunity, as a poor touch prevented him getting in behind for a scoring chance. Following this play, Iago was subbed based on the concussion assessment and Adrian Marin replaced him.

Jansson lost out on a shoulder-to-shoulder with Jamal Thiare, who played it out to Arfsten, but Crepeau made the save. Orlando countered and again a great opportunity went wanting — this time, after some beautiful buildup via a short Angulo cross that missed a wide-open Martin Ojeda.

Jansson hobbled off the pitch in the 78th, replaced by Tahir Reid-Brown, and Orlando City was officially out of subs.

“Robin was planning to leave the game at the moment, so he’s fine,” Perelman said. “He was coming back from a long period of time without activity, so we knew he wasn’t going to be able to complete the game. Of course, (the) Iago substitution [hurt] us more.”

That sub was costly, because Columbus quickly equalized. In the 80th minute, Columbus finally scored at home for the first time this season via a Diego Rossi shot roofed into the net. Taha Habroune chipped the entry ball over the defense for Rossi, kept onside by Angulo. Reid-Brown was a bit late to recognize the danger as well and was caught on the wrong side of the Columbus forward. Marin was also a tad late getting over to try to block the attempt.

Orlando was clinging to a point, and Marin earned a yellow for a necessary tactical foul, snuffing out a Crew counter in the 82nd. Pasalic earned himself a yellow as well in the 86th for an pulling back Amundsen.

Crepeau kept the Lions in the match with an excellent reaction kick save in the 88th minute on a powerful Daniel Gazdag shot. The Canadian international had to receive medical attention shortly after for an injury to his left hand, but he was able to continue.

The referee added ten minutes of stoppage time that eventually bulged to 12 as the Lions tried to hang on. Angulo looked fatigued in the 96th minute, sending a throw-in right to Rossi which nearly led to another Columbus goal if not for a near miss on a Gazdag header.

The Crew kept coming, but a committed defense, including a great tackle by Marin in the 99th kept the Lions alive. The final whistle blew and the Lions could go home with a much-needed and well-earned result.

The Crew heavily dominated every statistical category though, including possession (60.7%-39.3%), shots (20-5), shots on target (7-1), corners (8-1), and passing accuracy (90.7%-78.7%).

“I’d say we started really good,” Pasalic said. “We hadn’t conceded a goal for 80 minutes, then we made the changes and that mistake happened, but it’s football. I’m happy that the team showed mentality today, that we showed that we can handle things after these big losses. And, I mean, on one side, I say this team didn’t deserve these losses in the past, so I’m not going to speak about it anymore. I look to the future, and we can connect the future games to this game today.” 

Up next, the Lions will hit the road in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 to face FC Naples at Paradise Coast Sports Complex on Wednesday. The Lions return to MLS action with a home match against Houston on Saturday.

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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

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May 13, 2026

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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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