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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls, U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 5-1 as Lions Blast Their Way into Championship Match

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3 years ago

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Orlando City looked to be in trouble midway through the first half of its U.S. Open Cup semifinal match against the New York Red Bulls at Exploria Stadium, allowing numerous dangerous scoring chances to the visitors and falling behind late in the opening period. But the Lions pulled Lewis Morgan’s goal back at the death of the first half through unlikely scorer Cesar Araujo, and then added four in the second half to run away with a 5-1 win and earn the team’s first berth in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.

Araujo led the scoring barrage with a brace, but Orlando also got goals from Mauricio Pereyra, Facundo Torres, and Benji Michel. The win avenged an earlier 3-0 loss at home to the Red Bulls in MLS play.

“I think the confidence that (the players) showed today as a group helped them a lot to put things together,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The team showed that we have talent and cohesiveness among the players. It’s just trying to get that consistency and it’s a long season.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Araujo and Junior Urso started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Alexandre Pato, Pereyra, and Torres, with Michel up top in the striker role.

Orlando City started well, owning the first 15 minutes of the game. Michel had a takeaway in the area just over a minute after kickoff that almost led to an early chance, but his cutback pass for Urso was cut out by the defense at the last second. The Lions had a good opportunity in the 11th minute when Pereyra was fouled just outside the area but the captain hit his free kick into the wall on the set piece.

The Red Bulls fired their first warning shot in transition in the 14th minute when they quickly got the ball up the field, where Luquinhas fired just wide of the left post.

Two minutes after that, Orlando had a chance that Pato couldn’t finish. Pereyra sent Ruan to the end line with a superb pass and the right back made a great cutback pass to find Pato, but the Brazilian’s shot was just wide of the right post.

Luquinhas got a second chance in the 19th minute from the top of the area but again sent his shot just inches wide of the left post. The chance came on a quick transition after a Ruan turnover in his own end. The Red Bulls took control for most of the remainder of the half at that point. Patryk Klimala sent a bicycle kick off the crossbar in the 20th minute. The ball found Dylan Nealis near the left post but Gallese made a spectacular save to keep the game scoreless.

New York kept creating chances out of innocuous plays. Klimala was under pressure but still came close when he hit the post in the 27th minute with a curling effort.

Pato again had the ball on his foot in a dangerous spot in the 38th minute. Ruan sent the ball across the front of goal to Pato, who missed high with his shot.

It appeared the teams would head into the break scoreless but then New York struck in transition. Pato had numbers in the attack and held the ball too long, losing it in traffic. The Red Bulls quickly broke down the field to Klimala on the right. The forward sent a ball across the top of the box to Morgan, who fired just under the crossbar to give the visitors a 1-0 lead early in stoppage time.

Orlando struck back just before the whistle. Antonio Carlos made a rare run up the field and threaded a sweet pass through the line to Ruan. The right back again made a good pass, floating one for Pato but the defense arrived just in time to nod it behind for a corner. On the set piece, the cross found Carlos at the near post and the defender sent his header toward the back post. It hit the woodwork and bounced out in front to Araujo, who swept it home with the last kick of the half.

“I’m living in a beautiful moment right now in my personal life and for me in my career,” Araujo said. “But the most important thing right now is the team won tonight. We get to go on and play in the final.”

Orlando City dominated possession (64.7%-35.3%) and passed more accurately (83%-71.2%) but New York had more shots (10-6), shots on target (3-1), and corners (5-1).

The Lions took the lead just two minutes after the break on a team goal that started with a defensive recovery. Orlando worked the ball up the right and the ball ended up in the midfield on Pereyra’s foot. The captain turned and switched play to Torres on the left side near the top of the area. Torres held the ball and waited for Moutinho to make an overlapping run and gave him a good pass to run onto. The left back then sent a diagonal ball back up through the box, where Pereyra ran onto it and struck it into the back of the net.

“For me, I think letting in that first goal early on (in the second half),” New York defender Aaron Long said on what changed after halftime. “I think, as a group, we got a little unsettled, and in a game that is win or go home, I think maybe we pushed the envelope a little too quick, too fast, got a little bit stretched trying to score that second goal.”

New York tried to get it right back. Ruan’s clumsy attempt to knock the ball away went awry when he swung and missed, knocking his opponent down. The Red Bulls had a dangerous free kick and Ruan saw a yellow card. On the set piece, Carlos cleared the delivery but the recycled ball found its way to Nealis at the top of the area, but he sent the shot well over the bar.

Sean Nealis fouled Torres near the top of the penalty area moments later and Pato fired a shot under the wall. The ball was hit right at goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, who nearly spilled it but managed to smother it in the end.

Orlando started to look more and more dangerous getting down the flanks of the Red Bulls’ defense. Torres unleashed a shot in the 62nd minute from the left corner of the box that Coronel got a touch on, sending it out for a corner kick. He only postponed the third Orlando City goal by a few seconds.

On the set piece, a defender got a foot to the ball that Pato served in, but it squirted up in the air. Michel was first to it and headed it to his left, where Araujo fired home his second of the match — and of his professional career — making it 3-1 and giving the Lions their first breathing room seemingly all season.

Pato got his third — and best — golden opportunity of the match in the 65th when he was slipped in behind the defense. Unfortunately, the Brazilian tried to wait out Coronel and the New York goalkeeper ended up smothering it before he could get off a shot. Two minutes later, Michel got loose down the right flank and smashed a shot on target toward the near post, but Coronel fought it off.

Luquinhas sent yet another shot just wide in the 74th minute. His three misses combined must have missed the target by less than a yard in total.

A minute later, Torres scored, but it took a few moments for it to count. Torres got the ball from Urso, raced down the left in behind the defense, and beat Coronel to make it 4-1. The assistant referee’s flag had momentarily come up but there was no whistle and regardless, no one on New York was catching Torres at that point whether they switched off or not. Torres’ finish was good, and after a few moments of referee Victor Rivas discussing the play with his assistant, the goal was given. The Lions led 4-1 in the 75th minute. It was a new season high in goals for the club and the team’s first three-goal lead all year.

Torres then took an absolutely ridiculous ball from Jansson and set up a great finish by Michel in the 83rd minute to complete the night.

Nicholas Gioacchini made his debut late in the match to get his first minutes as a Lion and he picked up a booking on his first foul with the team, which is the most Orlando City thing ever.

The Lions saw out the final minutes of normal time and there was no stoppage time given by Rivas as Orlando City punched its ticket to the U.S. Open Cup final — the second final under Pareja when counting the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament.

New York fired more shot attempts (17-14) and won more corners (5-2), but Orlando City led in possession (59.9%-40.1%), passing accuracy (81%-74.5%), and shots on goal.

“The best thing is that we are aware of the things that we need to work on,” Pareja said. “And today we showed also that we have the tools to do it right, so congratulations to the players and congratulations to the fans for taking our club to another final and showing that we can be much better as well in our performing on the league games, and we will keep working on it.”

The Lions return to league play on Sunday when they visit Audi Field to face D.C. United. Orlando City will host the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 7.

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Opinion

Predicting Orlando City’s June Results

It’s time to take a glimpse into the future and predict how Orlando City will fare during the month of June.

Published

20 hours ago

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May 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We’re almost to the end of what’s been an extremely packed month of May for Orlando City. After the conclusion of Saturday’s match against the Chicago Fire, the Lions will have played nine matches in the span of 28 days. OCSC has basically played a match every three days, which is an absurd pace. Other than two recent blemishes, Orlando has mostly handled it exceedingly well though, and June presents a much lighter schedule for our brave heroes.

The Lions play just three games next month and will have two weeks off between Saturday’s match against the Fire and their next game. Without any further ado, I will now attempt to peer into the crystal ball and predict the results of Orlando’s three games in June.

Saturday, June 14 — at Colorado Rapids

Orlando will return to action after a two-week layoff by hopping on the purple plane and flying west to take on Colorado. The Rapids are currently eighth in a crowded Western conference table with 22 points, and they are 10 points off the Vancouver Whitecaps at the top of the table. They’ve put together a pretty even season so far with a record of 6-6-4 (W-L-D). The biggest problem for Colorado has been scoring goals, as the Rapids only have 18 goals in 16 games and have been held scoreless five times in the league. They have this week off, and won’t return to action until June 7, when they host Austin FC. I give Orlando City the edge in this match, and hopefully that extra rest will help the good guys hang tough at altitude. The Lions have been defensively sound recently — when they’ve had all 11 men on the field — while also still being able to put the ball in the back of the net several times a game. Shutting down Djordje Mihailovic is going to be key, but I like Orlando’s chances given its recent form and the fact that the Lions will be well rested.

Prediction: Orlando City 3-1 Colorado Rapids.

Wednesday, June 25 — at St. Louis City

I refuse to capitalize every letter in “City” in St. Louis City’s name, because frankly I think it’s a ridiculous stylistic choice. The team also hasn’t been very good this year, so it doesn’t deserve me catering to it in that manner. St. Louis is currently 2-8-5 and only truly woeful campaigns by CF Montreal and the LA Galaxy are saving it from leading the Wooden Spoon race with 11 points. It makes Colorado look like an offensive juggernaut, as it’s only scored 11 goals in 15 games. St. Louis isn’t bad defensively, as it’s only conceded 20 goals, but it’s always going to be a struggle when you average scoring just 0.73 goals a game. Its form was enough to get Head Coach Olof Mellberg fired, and he lasted just over six months on the job. The club hasn’t won since a March 15 match against the Galaxy and has a tricky upcoming slate, with a home match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, an away game against the Portland Timbers on June 8, and a home match against the Galaxy on June 14. With a week and a half between the Colorado match and this one, I once again like Orlando City in this game. Unless St. Louis can find its shooting boots, I don’t see it offering much threat against a rested Orlando defense that has come on strong since a shaky start to the year.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-0 St. Louis City.

Saturday, June 28 — vs. FC Cincinnati

OCSC wraps up June by returning home to play one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference on short rest. It isn’t ideal, but it isn’t the worst thing in the world either. Cincy has been good this year, compiling a record of 9-4-3 and 30 points to sit second in the East. New signings Evander and Kevin Denkey have been as good as you would expect, as Evander has seven goals and five assists in 14 appearances, and Denkey has nine goals in 15 games. As a team, Cincinnati has scored 24 goals and conceded 22, so it’s been a balanced campaign to this point. It’ll be coming to the end of a stretch of three straight road games, as Cincy will be away to the New England Revolution on June 14 and then at CF Montreal on June 25, so it’ll also be traveling on short rest. That said, aside from the Philadelphia Union, Cincy is the toughest team the Lions will have faced in MLS play, and stopping both Evander and Denkey is far from an easy task. This reeks of a draw that has a couple of goals for each team, so that’s what I’ll be going with.

Prediction: Orlando City 2-2 FC Cincinnati.

There you have it. I’ve scrutinized the tea leaves and you now know what the path ahead holds for the Lions. Be sure to check back in at the end of June so you can marvel at how stunningly accurate my forecast was. Until then, feel free to either disagree or tell me how crystal clear my visions are down in the comments. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/30/25

Orlando City players called up, Orlando Pride sign Simone Jackson, USWNT gets ready to play China, and more.

Published

23 hours ago

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May 30, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! It’s been a bit of a brutal week, but we’ve made it through. Our reward is an exciting weekend of soccer to enjoy to close out the month. I’ll be spending most of the weekend working, but it should still be a nice next few days. Let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Lions Called Up For International Duty

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was predictably called up for Peru’s CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Peru is ninth in the standings and will take on Colombia June 6 before hosting Ecuador on June 10.

Defender David Brekalo was called up by Slovenian for a pair of friendlies against Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. These matches will help prepare Slovenia for World Cup qualifying this fall against Sweden, Switzerland, and Kosovo.

A few Young Lions are also heading to Europe for the UEFA Friendship Cup in Switzerland. The U.S. will represent Concacaf at the U-18 tournament, and OCB players Justin Ellis, Colin Guske, and Jackson Platts were called up for it.

Orlando Pride Sign Simone Jackson

The Orlando Pride signed forward Simone Jackson to a contract through the 2028 season. Jackson played at the University of Southern California for four years, recording 22 goals and 13 assists in 75 games, and trained with the Pride during the preseason. Internationally, she’s represented the U.S. at various youth levels and scored a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 22-year-old gives Orlando some helpful depth up front and can develop her game learning from some of the best attackers in the sport as well.

USWNT Prepares For Friendly Against China

The United States Women’s National Team will take on China Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN in the first of two friendlies during this international window. Orlando Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello were both called up to join a young roster as the team builds a foundation before the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Goalkeeper will continue to be a position to watch, as opportunity knocks for Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Mandy McGlynn, and Claudia Dickey to stake a claim as the team’s starter. Following this match, the USWNT will take on Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday before a pair of friendlies against Ireland later in June.

Denver’s NWSL Team Hires First General Manager

Denver’s NWSL team hired Curt Johnson to serve as the club’s first general manager. He will have the opportunity to build the team’s roster and staff from the ground up before the team takes the field as an expansion side in 2026. Johnson left the North Carolina Courage in December and was the chief soccer officer when the club dominated the league in 2018 and 2019. It looks like a solid hire in my opinion and I’m interested to see what kind of team he puts together in Denver.

Free Kicks

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Three Keys to Victory

What do the Lions need to do to secure a victory against Chicago at home?

Published

2 days ago

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May 29, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City ends May the way it began, with a match against the Chicago Fire. The Lions are coming off a wild and disappointing match against rival Atlanta United. I always worry about a team after such an emotional outing, and on short rest to boot, especially since the Fire were off during the midweek. How the team reacts will determine the result. What does Orlando City need to do to take all three points from Chicago at home?

Defend this House

Much like the last time, Orlando City will need to deal with Hugo Cuypers and the rest of Chicago’s attack. The Lions likely won’t get the benefit of having Chris Brady sent off in the 36th minute again, meaning they will need to defend more attacks for a longer time. In the last match, Chicago took 16 shots, putting eight of those on target. Limiting those chances will be critical.

I expect to see Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo starting on the back line despite having done so Wednesday night. No cheap giveaways, no errant arms away from the body in the box, just solid defending for 90 plus minutes. The Lions will have to do it without Cesar Araujo, thanks to his sending off against Atlanta. I think they can, but it will be more difficult without him.

Atuesta Ahoy

Eduard Atuesta played the full 90 minutes against the Portland Timbers, and then played limited minutes against Atlanta United. I completely agreed with that strategy, because he did not need to be playing too many minutes so soon after returning. He is also working back to full fitness. He will be rested for this home match, and the pitch conditions will be much better.

We were reminded of how good he is in the attacking midfield in that match against Portland. I need him to provide those slicing passes through tiny windows against the Chicago defense. Joran Gerbet has proven to be a steal in the draft, but he doesn’t yet have that extra bit of quality you see from Atuesta. Look for him to break Chicago’s lines.

Early and Often

Orlando City will come in on three days rest, whereas Chicago will be on six days rest. This match will also be the Lions’ ninth match in May — their seventh in the league and two more in the U.S. Open Cup. To say that tired legs will be a concern is an understatement. As such, Orlando City needs to jump out to an early lead as it did against Atlanta.

Fortunately, there was more rotation in the attack on Wednesday for Orlando City with Ramiro Enrique getting the start. That means Luis Muriel will be fresh for a start on the much nicer grass at Inter&Co Stadium. I’ll take a goal from Muriel, or frankly any Orlando player. Heck, Jansson is due for one, right? Multiple goals will likely be needed to secure a victory.

That is what I will be looking for Sunday night. Let me know your in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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