Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Get Pounded in Philly
The Lions are in free fall as the defense has reverted back to the horror show it was early in the season.
Orlando City seems a longshot to hold onto a playoff spot if the Lions continue playing on the road. Once again, the Lions (10-13-4, 34 points) leaked goals at an alarming rate in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union (11-10-6, 39 points) at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. Milan Iloski scored three goals and could have had more. Indiana Vassilev also scored for the Union, who built a 4-0 lead before Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda scored late to spoil the shutout and make the final score more respectable.
Orlando City has conceded 18 goals in the last six road matches as the team continues to struggle defensively on the road. The Lions have lost their last three games in all competitions and have given up 10 goals in those three matches.
“We found ourselves losing the first half. I think we didn’t perform well, and then we concede that early goal in the second half, and mistakes that happen, and the game became a little far away for us,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “And then again, I think we we couldn’t perform as we wanted. We pushed in the second half, scored twice, not good enough, not enough in general. That’s it.”
Perelman’s lineup during this international window featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi. Joran Gerbet and Eduard Atuesta lined up in central midfield between wingers Angulo and Ojeda with Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann — returning from a thigh injury — up top.
The script seemed to be written for a Union victory right from the start. Bernardo Rhein’s early shot came off Japhet Sery Larsen’s arm with the game barely five minutes old. The long review by the video assistant referee went Philadelphia’s way with the broadcast team stating incredulously that the ball came off Sery Larsen’s chest first.
The Union were awarded a penalty a few minutes later. The Lions cleared a set piece and the recycled ball found Iloski on the left. Atuesta tried to defend him as he entered the box and Iloski went down easily. What contact there was between the two players’ feet took place outside the box but video assistant referee upheld the call on the pitch again, which went the hosts’ way. Iloski fired home the penalty to make it 1-0 in the 11th minute.
Crepeau kept the Union’s lead at a goal in the 16th minute with a save on Vassilev’s shot from the top of the box. However, that reprieve lasted just a minute as the Lions set up Philadelphia’s second goal moments later.
Taifi got down the right flank and had a clear opportunity to put Dike in behind the defense, but the Homegrown defender sent his pass straight at Nathan Harriel with seemingly acres of space into which to play the ball. Wagner quickly knocked it forward to Vassilev. One more pass put Iloski behind a spectating Iago and Iloski had only Crepeau to beat, which he did.
Iloski had a golden opportunity to complete his hat trick just two minutes later. Angulo’s wayward soft back pass was nowhere near a teammate and the Union quickly pounced and countered. Philadelphia cycled the ball from right to left to Iloski, who fired just wide of the left post in the 21st minute. The Union then won a couple of corners but could do nothing with them.
Ojeda set up the Union counterattack in the 29th minute trying to send a pass quickly back to Griezmann, who had not expected to get the ball right back. Philadelphia’s attack ended up with Quinn Sullivan, but Jansson blocked his shot and Crepeau caught the cross on the ensuing corner.
Sullivan sent a one-hop shot to Crepeau in the 32nd minute on the Union’s next look at goal.
Orlando went the other way and finally looked to have something brewing in the attack, but a hard cross through the box was just out of Griezmann’s and Dike’s reach.
Jovan Lukic fired wide of Crepeau’s goal a minute later after being left alone in space just outside the area.
Down the final stretch of minutes, the Lions survived giveaways by Iago and Jansson in their own end and the halftime whistle mercifully came at last for Orlando City.
At the break, Orlando City held the advantage in possession (57.4%-42.6%) and passing accuracy (81%-78%). Philadelphia held important lopsided advantages in shots (12-2) and shots on target (4-0), in addition to winning more corners (5-3).
The Lions wasted no time digging their hole even deeper after the restart. Orlando looked like it would break three on three but Andrew Rick came off his line to cut off Ojeda’s diagonal ball intended for Angulo. The Union went the other way and scored a third.
Ojeda’s turnover set up a Union break in the defensive third and Iago failed his clearance attempt, allowing the Union to keep the ball. The hosts sent the ball left for Vassilev who had no Lions anywhere near him. His shot deflected past Crepeau to make it 3-0 and put any comeback hopes to bed in the 47th minute.
Four minutes later, Iloski made it 4-0 and completed his hat trick, likely sewing up MLS Player of the Matchday in the process. The Lions were caught completely out of shape, leaving Iloski in acres of space just outside the area. The Union forward had plenty of time to pick out his spot and blast it past Crepeau in the 51st minute.
“We conceded eight goals in the last two games, which is not the average, of course, that we have been conceding during this semester,” Perelman said. “And when you analyze the goals and the situations, there is the information, and we will do the review and and we will work on it like we did in the past and like we are going to always do, because we always need to improve.”
With the game out of reach, Orlando finally got a couple of looks at goal on a wild scramble in the Philadelphia box. Ojeda and Dike each had a shot blocked in the melee, and the ball eventually cycled to Griezmann on the right, but the Frenchman fired just wide of the far post in the 53rd minute. Griezmann sent Dike down the right two minutes later but Harriel blocked his shot and then beat the big striker to the loose ball in the box.
Crepeau kept Sullivan from making things worse in the 61st minute off a terrible Iago giveaway in his defensive third. Sullivan was all alone on the goalkeeper, but the Canadian deflected it just wide.
The Lions again failed to connect in the box a few minutes later when Atuesta’s searching ball through the six found no teammates making the back-post run. Second-half sub Vinicius Nogueira, who made his Orlando City debut, fired over the bar on the half volley in the 70th minute.
Iloski attempted an audacious shot from 30 yards out moments later, looking for a fourth goal, but he sent the attempt off target.
Ojeda found space outside the box in the 76th minute, but he mishit his shot after spinning around, sending it well wide of the right post, grabbing his head in frustration after the miss.
The Lions spoiled the shutout just a couple of minutes later. The play started with one of Orlando’s best attacking moves in the night, which ended with Griezmann’s flick sending it to Dike in the middle. The big striker turned inside Sery Larsen, who fouled him and picked up a yellow card for it. Griezmann stood over the set piece but he sent it short to Angulo on the right rather than going for goal. Angulo blasted a shot past Rick to make it 4-1 in the 78th minute, giving the Colombian a goal in each of his last four MLS games and extending his career high in that category.
Griezmann sent second-half sub Harvey Sarajian down the left just after the goal, but the rookie tried crossing through the box without a clear path to a teammate and the Union intercepted.
Crepeau made some big saves down the stretch to keep the final score from becoming more embarrassing. Ezekiel Alladoh got free behind Iago in the 86th minute, only to see the Canadian deny his breakaway shot. Two minutes later, Crepeau again stopped Alladoh — this time from close range — as Orlando’s struggles to defend in space continued.
Ojeda capped the scoring in the 90th minute when Sarajian got to the end line on the right and squared it back across the box. Ojeda was there to pounce on it, tying the club’s career record for goals in all competitions (47) and making it 4-2. It was Ojeda’s third consecutive game with a goal.
The Lions had a couple of half chances in the seven added minutes, with Griezmann having a shot blocked out for a corner and a nice ball over the top from the Frenchman to Atuesta was just out of the Colombian’s reach. That was about it, and the final whistle brought Orlando’s third straight loss to an end.
At full time, Orlando City held the edge in possession (58.1%-41.9%) and passing accuracy (83.2%-76%). Philadelphia generated more shots (19-10) and shots on target (9-2). Corners were even at seven apiece.
“In summary, a tough game,” Perelman said. “Bad performance, yes. That’s it. But the effort of the players is there.”
“I think in the last, I’d say 30 minutes, the the squad did very well,” Nogueira said. “I think now we have to work these (upcoming) days and work for the next game. We have to to see what we have to do better.”
The Lions won’t play again until Oct. 10, when they’ll host the Columbus Crew.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/7/26
Orlando City players on international duty, the Pride hire some coaches, the USMNT defeats Canada, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. What an international break it was for the USMNT, going undefeated in four matches by defeating Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. The Yanks outscored their opponents 12-3 across the four matches, with Orlando City’s Justin Ellis scoring two goals in his two starts. There’s plenty to digest today, so let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Players on International Duty
Several Orlando City players were on international duty on Tuesday, including Ellis for the USMNT. He scored a goal against Canada (see below) but also picked up a knock that saw him limping for all too long and forcing him off at halftime. Hopefully, he will be able to go this weekend for Orlando City. Marco Pasalic did not get any minutes for Croatia in the team’s 2-1 loss to Spain. Meanwhile, David Brekalo got the start and played the entire match for Slovenia in a 2-1 win over Scotland.
Orlando Pride Add to Coaching Staff
The Orlando Pride hired Mykell Bates and Lewis Amos as assistant coaches and Brian Periman as goalkeeper coach. The trio joins interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’s coaching staff, and the timing of these hires is interesting, given there are only three matches remaining in the season and there’s been no indication that the interim tag is being removed from Thomas. These hirings raise a lot of questions, like, are these short term signings through the end of the season? If not, do they indicate Thomas will be given the permanent position, or are have they been hired knowing there is another head coaching announcement coming?
USMNT Defeats Canada
If you thought a match between the U.S. and Canada wouldn’t be very Concacaf-y, you’d be wrong. So many non-calls, lots of chippiness, and a few injuries proved otherwise. Fortunately, the USMNT was able to see out a 1-0 victory following a goal from Orlando City’s Ellis that gave the Yanks the lead in the 29th minute.
Oh, what could have been if Alex Freeman stayed in Orlando. The win capped a successful run for the start of Maurcio Pochettino’s new contract. We also saw a ton of younger players across the four matches, including three appearances from Ellis.
USWNT to Face Spain
The USMNT is done for the moment, but now we get to see how the USWNT does in a pair of friendlies against reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Spain. NWSL Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez is getting back up to speed with the team after she was called up for the pair of friendlies. As was previously reported, Naomi Girma is out due to injury, but Emma Hayes intends to work with Chelsea to manage her recovery. A new camp means opportunities for different players, so which players’ stock is up or down?
Free Kicks
- The Orlando Pride’s 12th-place spot in SI.com’s power rankings seems to be fair to me. I’m looking forward to the rebuild.
- Here is the information on when the seven Orlando Pride players who were called up will be playing for their respective national teams.
- UCF’s soccer teams unveiled new ‘“‘Fright Mode’ kits. I like the prominent “Orlando” across the chest.
- Gianni Infantino is traveling around the world, trying to garner enough support to win the votes needed to stay in power as the president of FIFA. He currently has 87 endorsements, though 49 other federations have come out in opposition to Infantino.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City match on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/6/26
International call-ups for Pride players, scouting report on Canada, roster changes for the USWNT, and more.
Good morning, everyone. The end of the men’s international break is almost upon us, but the women’s break will immediately follow. That means that Orlando City will return to play on Saturday, while the Orlando Pride will have some time off before their next game. We’ve got plenty to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.
Orlando Pride International Call-Ups
Three more Orlando Pride players have been called to represent their nations during the October international window, joining Oihane, who will be with Spain for its matches against the USWNT. First up is Barbra Banda, who will represent Zambia in the team’s Olympic qualifying games against Uganda.
Then there’s Jacquie Ovalle and Solai Washington, who will be facing off against each other in back-to-back games. Ovalle has been called up for Mexico, while Washington will represent Jamaica.
At the U-23 level, Ally Lemos will be with the U.S. and Sanne Lekven will be with Norway during this window.
Scouting Canada
The United States Men’s National Team will play its final game of the October international window when it takes on Canada tonight in Saint Paul, MN. Jesse Marsch’s current roster has a number of notable absences, including Alphonso Davies, Jayden Nelson, Alistair Johnson, and Ismael Kone; while Derek Cornelius, Jeevan Badwal, and Alfie Jones left the team during the break because of injuries. Canada typically sets up in a 4-4-2 and will employ a high press paired with a vertical style of play that aims to win the ball and then quickly get it forward to the team’s dangerous attackers. Jonathan David and Tany Oluwaseyi provide that danger up front, while Stephen Eustaquio runs things in the middle, and Richie Laryea provides danger up and down the left flank.
United States Women’s National Team Roster Tweaks
The United States Women’s National Team has made a pair of changes to the squad that will take on Spain in a pair of friendlies this month. Utah Royals defender Kate Del Fava has been named as the replacement for the injured Naomi Girma, after it was announced last week that the center back would be unavailable for this window. Del Fava was going to be one of the overage players at the USWNT U-23 training camp also taking place this month, but now has an opportunity to make her first appearance for the senior side. Additionally, midfielder Jaelin Howell will replace Sam Coffey, after the latter was injured during Manchester City’s win over the weekend. Howell has made six appearances for the USWNT, with the most recent one coming in a 2-0 victory over Italy during the team’s final game of 2025.
UEFA Nations League Roundup
Monday marked the penultimate round of UEFA Nations League play during the current international window, and we were treated to some doozies. The highlight of the day was a five-goal thriller that saw France score four goals in the final 15 minutes to overturn a one goal deficit and beat Belgium 4-1 at the Stade de France. Italy knocked off Turkiye 3-1 to climb to second place in Group A1, while the result sees Turkiye remain winless and anchored to the bottom of the table. Finally, Ukraine looked to have rescued a point with Roman Yaremchuk’s 83rd-minute goal, only for Mark Csinger to bag a winner for Hungary just two minutes later. The 2-1 result means Hungary is second in Group B2 with seven points, while Ukraine is third with four points.
Free Kicks
- The Pride dropped three spots to no.13 in ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
- Alex Freeman flexed his pipes and sang Happy Birthday to USMNT coach Jesus Perez during Monday’s training session.
- We now know the key dates for the 2026-2027 season of MLS NEXT.
- Check out this list of some of the 2026-2027 season’s most eye-catching kits (for better or worse).
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/5/26
Pride fall to San Diego Wave, Tyrese Spicer has successful foot surgery, USMNT beats Mexico, and more.
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.
- Arsenal will reportedly not move forward with plans to expand the Emirates Stadium beyond its current capacity and will instead focus on improving hospitality, retail, and the fan matchday experience.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
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