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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Five Takeaways

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3 years ago

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That did not go how anyone in purple was hoping it would. Orlando City comprehensively lost to the New York Red Bulls by a score of 3-0, and while the visitors didn’t generate heaps of chances, their complete and utter superiority over the Lions meant that a larger scoreline might have more accurately reflected the performances of the two teams. Perhaps the lone positive about the performance is that there’s plenty of room for improvement. What follows are my five takeaways from an afternoon to forget at Exploria Stadium.

Slow and Sloppy Lions

From the opening kickoff, things didn’t look quite right. Just seven seconds into the game Junior Urso played a pass towards the sideline that was neither to Ruan or Alexandre Pato, with the ball going out of bounds as a result. That early moment proved to be a microcosm of Orlando City’s day. The Lions passed at an 81% clip on the day, but many of the successful connections took place between defenders across the back line or in areas where there was little to no danger. Time after time, soon after Orlando started advancing into dangerous areas, either a pass would be misplayed or someone would dwell on the ball too long and have it tackled away. The Lions were frequently second to 50/50 balls and were just much too slow and predictable with their play in the first half. Those 45 minutes dug a hole that OCSC never came close to climbing out of.

Lions Couldn’t Cope With Press

As bad as Orlando was, the Red Bulls are also due some credit. New York is a team known for its ability to press, and that tactic was on full display in this match. New York players constantly hassled their opponents in purple, and won the midfield battle by quite some distance on the day. As impressive as the pressing display was, it also shouldn’t have been a surprise to the Lions. That style of play is the Red Bulls’ identity, and so it’s odd that Orlando seemed so wholly bewildered and unequipped to deal with it across the board. That’s exactly how it played out though, and it became increasingly difficult to watch.

Offense Took Two Steps Back

One of the most frustrating things about this performance was how opposite it was of what Orlando’s shown in recent games. Against LAFC, the Chicago Fire, and the Columbus Crew, Orlando had some really excellent spells of attacking play and scored some great goals. The intricacy and fluidity of Ercan Kara’s strike in Ohio seemed to indicate that the new offensive pieces were beginning to jell and develop chemistry. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, none of that was on display against the Red Bulls. OCSC was so ineffective going forward that the Lions did not take a shot until the 60th minute and only attempted three on the day. It was a thoroughly inept attacking display, with Orlando rarely able to get the ball into the final third and unable to do anything with it on the rare occasions it did so. Evidence up to this point suggests that this performance will be an outlier, but even so it was an absolutely brutal one.

Substitutions Proved Ineffective

Oscar Pareja certainly didn’t sit on his laurels after watching the worst first half Orlando City has played in quite some time. Papi threw on Benji Michel for Pato and brought Thomas Williams on for Urso in an attempt to change the shape and get something going. It…did not work. Michel was his usual hard-working self and had a decent opportunity on the counter early in the second half but didn’t do much otherwise. Williams made a nightmarish error in possession at midfield in the 68th minute that would have led to a Red Bulls goal had Patryk Klimala timed his run better. Other than that, it was an anonymous performance from the Homegrown Player as well. Later substitute appearances from Silvester van der Water and Sebas Mendez were equally underwhelming and by the time Jack Lynn came on for his debut, the game was out of hand.

Lions Struggled in Exploria Stadium

It’s been a rather weird season at home for OCSC so far and that continued against the Red Bulls. There wasn’t much of a home-field advantage for the Lions as they were dominated in Exploria Stadium by the visitors and couldn’t take control of the match. The Red Bulls are proving to be road warriors this year, but the Lions didn’t look entirely at home in their, well, home. While the Lions are still undefeated on the road, they need the purple palace to return to its status as a fortress sooner rather than later.

That’s what I took away from a brutal afternoon at Exploria Stadium. Be sure to let us know your thoughts down in the comments.

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Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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17 hours ago

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June 5, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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2 days ago

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June 4, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

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3 days ago

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June 3, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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