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Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Blow Two-Goal Lead

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Orlando City continues throwing away points at Exploria Stadium like they’re junk mail. This time the Lions (12-8-11, 47 points) blew a late two-goal lead at home against Supporters’ Shield winners New England Revolution (21-4-7, 70 points) after an excellent 80 minutes of soccer and lost two vital points in the playoff race.

Nani and Daryl Dike staked the Lions to a 2-0 lead but no one could handle the size of Adam Buksa, who scored in the 81st and 93rd minutes to turn a two-goal lead into another unsatisfying home draw. Both of Orlando’s home games this week end up with a bad taste in the Lions’ mouths after four points dropped from a winning position.

Orlando did manage to run its unbeaten streak to five matches (2-0-3) but the last two draws felt more like losses than wins for a team trying to clinch a spot in the postseason.

“We’re disappointed, obviously, with giving up those two goals at the end and not accomplishing the objective, which is no less than those three points that we were pursuing tonight,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Difficult as well just to recognize we did such good things today that we could put the game away very early again. And then at the end we just finished with a very tight game with them, sending in crosses, and that’s the way they scored the goals.”

Pareja’s lineup was nearly a first-choice starting XI. Pedro Gallese started behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan, with Robin Jansson reportedly suffering from a stiff neck. Junior Urso and Sebas Mendez slotted into the central midfield, with Chris Mueller and Mauricio Pereyra facilitating the attack to Nani and Daryl Dike.

Orlando dominated play in the first half much like Wednesday against Montreal but — also like Wednesday against Montreal — had only a 1-0 halftime lead to show for it. Orlando’s first opportunity came nine minutes in when a fantastic cross from Nani was heading for Dike’s head but Jonathan Bell arrived at the last second to head it away. Nani tried his luck from just inside the top of the box three minutes later but his effort was blocked by the defense.

Mueller tried his luck from just outside the area in the 18th minute but got under the wet ball and hit it well over Matt Turner’s goal. Moutinho got up into the attack in the 28th and fired from the top of the box but his shot skipped right at Turner for the easy save.

The Lions could have opened the scoring in the 34th minute. Urso collected the ball on the left and sent in a cross to Dike but his header was straight at Turner for the save.

On a corner played short, the ball was played around the top of the box and eventually Urso ran it down in the left corner. He passed back to Moutinho, who curled in an inch-perfect cross for Nani to head home to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute. It was the captain’s 10th goal of the season and first since Aug. 7 at FC Cincinnati.

“This is our game. We need to cross the balls, we need to have the players in the box,” Nani said. “The more we cross, the more we have players in the box, we have a chance. We’ve been scoring a lot of goals like that. I think the first half was a great performance from the team. We controlled the game. We were on top of the New England team.”

Nani was shaken up on the play and got a nosebleed but was able to continue.

Orlando had a promising buildup three minutes after the goal that ended on Urso’s foot but the midfielder hit his shot over the bar.

New England won a late corner but committed a foul during the service and the first half ended with the Lions up a goal.

Orlando City led in shots (7-2), shots on target (3-0), possession (67.4%-32.6%), passing accuracy (90.2%-79.9%), and corners (3-2).

Bruce Arena sent Designated Players Buksa and Carles Gil on to start the second half, but unlike the last couple of matches, the Lions didn’t allow their opponents to dictate the game at the beginning of the second half. They did concede a set piece but nothing came of it. Instead, it was Orlando doubling the lead moments later.

Nani was fouled in the box by AJ DeLaGarza, who he had a spirited battle with all evening. Referee Chris Penso pointed to the spot, giving Orlando its third penalty against the Revs in the last three meetings between the teams. Pereyra appeared to be handing the ball to Mueller when Nani got involved and Dike ended up stepping to the spot.

“We players on the field, we are not sure who is going to take it. The players take the ball and ask the others (if they want to take it),” Nani said. “So, what I was telling them in that moment, I said, ‘Just take it. Don’t ask the others if they want to take it.’ Daryl (made) the decision and it was good for us.”

The big forward stepped up and slotted home past Turner just inside the right post to make it 2-0 in the 50th minute. It was Dike’s seventh goal of the season and the second-year player is now two-for-two on penalties.

Four minutes later, Orlando nearly made it 3-0 when a set piece delivery from Nani fell for Mueller at the near post. Mueller redirected it but Turner was able to make a diving save. In the 58th, Dike got to the end line and sent a ball toward the back post that was cleared off the line. It fell near Mueller, who swept it inches wide of the right post.

Just past the hour mark, New England sent on Designated Player Gustavo Bou and Tajon Buchanan to get more attackers on the field.

Orlando helped out the visitors by being more cautious in the attack, not wanting to allow the Revs a dangerous counter. Fewer players made runs in the attack and multiple players passed up opportunities to shoot when presented the opportunity and were eventually closed down after trying to work into a better position. Mendez did make a run to get forward in the 73rd minute and fizzed a cross through the 6-yard box, but no one made a back-post run.

“It’s not that we want to sit back and wait,” Pareja said of the late-game play tonight. “We wanted to control the game and when we have those opportunities, we want to just obviously put the game away.”

New England’s comeback started suddenly. Bou slowed play, lulled Orlando to sleep, and sent in a cross to Buksa who timed his run perfectly and got in behind, heading past Gallese in the 81st minute. The play was close, but looked to be onside.

“He’s a very strong player that’s really strong in the area, and we knew that coming into this game,” Gallese said of Buksa. “It caused problems for us tonight, so we know that we had issues, but we’re going to take a look at it, we’re going to fix it and get stronger moving forward.”

Michel got down the left side in the 83rd but didn’t shoot with his left and tried to dance around a defender. Instead, he ended up losing the ball and New England countered, ending in a shot by Buchanan that went just wide. DeJuan Jones then nearly equalized in the 86th minute but Gallese made a huge stop to preserve the lead for the moment.

Another ball up the left found Michel on the left in the 90th minute with Turner out of his goal. Rather than trying to chip the keeper from out wide, the winger carried into the box and got his shot blocked. The tying goal came three minutes later.

Jones got down the left and sent in a cross. Buksa made a run in between the center backs and got airborne before Schlegel could react. The much larger forward easily flicked in the cross to tie the game at 2-2 in the 93rd minute.

Buksa got another header opportunity in the 95th but missed the target or else the end could have gotten even more sour for Orlando.

The Lions finished with more shots (15-13) and shots on target (5-3), more possession (59.4%-40.6%), and better passing accuracy (88.2%-81.6%), while New England’s late flurry had the Revs ahead on corners (8-5).

“We faced a very strong team tonight,” Gallese said. “We came into those last 15 minutes and weren’t fully up to the task to take them on. In those last 15 minutes they were very direct, and we can learn from a few errors that cost us two points tonight. But moving forward, the thing that we need to realize is that this team is still very good. This team is still very strong. And we move on to the next one.”

“The proximity of the game doesn’t let us get too down,” Pareja said. “We have to move on and try to get the points in the three games that we have left.”


Orlando City will hit the road for the penultimate time in the regular season as the Lions head to Ohio to play the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s home loss to Toronto FC?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City was on its way to three points Saturday night before a late collapse saw the Lions lose 2-1 to Toronto FC at home. It’s a tough loss in a season that has seen an unexpected start with the Lions sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Here’s how I saw the individual performances for the Lions in this difficult loss.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — Gallese’s form has definitely dropped this year, though he was one of the best goalkeepers in the league over the past four seasons. He was solid for the first 87 minutes, saving the two shots he faced, but then the wheels came off for the Lions. Toronto scored two goals when defenders left players wide open in the box. Gallese probably could’ve done better with Prince Owusu’s winner, but there was a difficult change of direction on the bounce, and the forward should’ve had somebody on him. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese completed 61.9% of his 21 passes, including seven of his 15 long balls, and recorded a clearance.

D, Rafael Santos, 6 — Santos had a solid game against Toronto. His 62 touches were the fourth-most on the team and he completed 90.7% of his 43 passes. The starting left back didn’t complete his lone cross but connected on two of his four long balls. He had a shot of his own, putting it on target. Defensively, Santos recorded a tackle, interception, and clearance before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 71st minute.

D, David Brekalo, N/A — Brekalo had a short night as he was injured early in the game. In the fourth minute, he collided with Owusu and required treatment for his knee. The center back attempted to continue, but eventually had to come off in the 16th minute, replaced by Rodrigo Schlegel. He only had 12 touches in the game and completed 90.9% of his 11 passes. The only defensive stat he recorded was winning an aerial duel. He wasn’t on the field long enough to fairly give him a grade.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was terrific for most of this game. He recorded a team-high 88 touches and completed 84% of his team-high 75 passes, which included six of 13 long balls. His excellent ball forward for Facundo Torres in the 37th minute led to the Lions’ goal. Defensively, he led the team with three tackles, three clearances, two blocked shots, and two aerial duels won.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson took his regular spot at right back and recorded 53 touches on the night. He completed 88.6% of his 35 passes, but didn’t connect on either of his two crosses or three long balls. He took a shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, he added a tackle, a blocked shot, and a successful aerial duel. Unfortunately, his most impactful part of the game was failing to cover Owusu at the back post, leaving the forward wide open to head in the game-winning goal.

MF, Cesar Araujo, 6 — Araujo had a solid performance against Toronto, recording 61 touches. He completed 83.7% of his 49 passes, including three of his six long balls and his lone through ball. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, an interception, a blocked shot, and an aerial duel won.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6.5 — Cartagena had one of his better games in this one, recording the second-most touches on the team with 71. He completed 88.7% of his 62 passes, including two of his three long balls. Defensively, he added a team-high three tackles, a clearance, and won an aerial duel, while taking one off-target shot.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo had 51 touches against Toronto and completed 91.7% of his 36 passes. He completed one of his two long balls, but didn’t connect on his only cross attempt. His lone shot was off target, and he helped defensively by intercepting a team-high two opposition passes.

MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 (MotM) — Torres had an excellent performance in this game, recording 51 touches. While he only completed 75% of his 32 passes, he connected on two of his three crosses and played a perfect ball for Duncan McGuire in the 37th minute, enabling him to tap home the opening goal. The attacking midfielder nearly got one for himself in the 73rd minute from distance, forcing Sean Johnson into a good save. Similar to Angulo, Torres helped out defensively with two tackles and an interception.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 6 — Ojeda had 36 touches in 60 minutes and completed 92.3% of his 26 passes. He connected on one of his two long balls, but neither of his two crosses. He took one shot in the game, but failed to hit the target before being replaced by Nico Lodeiro.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — McGuire scored the Lions’ lone goal in this game and was nearly the outright hero. He touched the ball 22 times and completed 63.4% of his 14 passes. However, strikers are judged on goals and McGuire scored the opener when he got on the end of Torres’ cross in the 37th minute. He nearly had a second in first-half stoppage time when he brought down an Ojeda cross well and slammed it into the far side netting. Unfortunately, he was just offside. He was replaced by Luis Muriel in the 71st minute.

Substitutes

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (16’), 6.5 — Schlegel came on in the 16th minute when Brekalo went off injured and, despite not expecting to play that many minutes, was very good. His 71 touches were tied for the second most on the team and he completed 88.1% of his 59 passes, including two of his four long balls. Defensively, he had a team-high three tackles, an interception, and a team-high six clearances.

MF, Nico Lodeiro (60’), 6 — Lodeiro came on for Ojeda in the 60th minute and recorded 31 touches in a half hour of action. He completed 76.5% of his 17 passes, including a key pass and both long balls, but none of his three crosses. He also had a tackle defensively and didn’t take any shots.

D, Kyle Smith (71’), 5.5 — Smith came on in the 71st minute to help see out the game, replacing Santos. He touched the ball 19 times and completed 88.9% of his nine passes, including a key pass, his only cross, and his only long ball. The purpose of his inclusion was to help defensively and he recorded three tackles, an interception, and a clearance. However, he allowed clean crosses on both late Toronto goals and struggled to track Kobe Franklin and Federico Bernardeschi on Orlando’s left flank.

F, Luis Muriel (71’), 6 — Muriel came on for McGuire in the 71st minute, playing a deeper role. He recorded 21 touches and completed 64.3% of his 14 passes, including a key pass. He had two tackles defensively, but didn’t take any shots in 19 minutes of action.


That’s how I saw the performances for Orlando City in its 2-1 loss to Toronto FC Saturday night. Let us know how you saw the game and vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/30/24

Luana’s season ends with Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis, San Diego linked with Chucky Lozano, U.S. and Mexico withdraw 2027 World Cup bid, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was another busy weekend of Orlando soccer, and things aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. May is an absolutely packed month for all three teams, and the games will be coming thick and fast. We have a lot to discuss this morning, so let’s jump into the links.

Luana Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

This week started off with some very sad news, as the Orlando Pride announced on Monday that midfielder Luana has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list as a result of her being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Brazilian international is starting chemotherapy treatments with the Orlando Health Cancer Institute. In a statement, Luana thanked both the Brazilian National Team and the Pride for the support she’s been receiving. Seb Hines and Rafaelle also spoke about how the team has been supporting Luana.

San Diego Reportedly Nears Deal for Chucky Lozano

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert has reported that San Diego FC is in advanced talks to sign Chucky Lozano ($) from PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch team is expected to receive a transfer fee in the area of $12 million, and Lozano would likely be the highest-profile player for the expansion team ahead of its maiden Major League Soccer season in 2025. While nothing is official, San Diego is said to be hopeful of getting a deal done before Copa America kicks off this summer.

U.S. and Mexico Withdraw 2027 Women’s World Cup Bid

The United States and Mexico have announced their decision to withdraw a joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and instead focus on bidding for the 2031 edition of the tournament. The bid had made it to the final three of the selection process, in addition to a bid from Brazil and a joint effort from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlowe Cone cited a desire to have more time to prepare while also having the opportunity to learn from the experience of the joint effort of hosting the 2026 World Cup. As far as who will host in 2027, the decision will be made on May 17, with Germany having hosted a Women’s World Cup back in 2011, while Brazil would be the first South American nation to host the tournament.

English Premier League Approves Spending Cap

Premier League teams took the first step towards implementing a spending cap on Monday. While a final vote is still needed to ratify the proposed changes, Monday’s vote gave the green light to start the legal and economic studies needed to change to a spending cap model. The proposed cap would be based on how much the lowest earning Premier League team earns from television rights, and could be implemented for the 2025-2026 season. There were 16 teams that voted in favor of continuing the process of moving towards a salary cap, while Chelsea abstained from voting, and Manchester United, Manchester City, and Aston Villa voted against the motion.

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That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/29/24

Orlando City and OCB lose to Toronto, Pride beat the Spirit in Washington, EPL title race update, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was a mixed weekend for our teams, with the Pride winning, while Orlando City and OCB lost. I’ve been busy covering high school volleyball, badminton, and soccer throughout the past week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Lose at Home to Toronto FC

Orlando City SC saw its four-match unbeaten streak come to an end, losing 2-1 to Toronto FC at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Duncan McGuire scored the opening goal to put Orlando ahead in the first half. The Lions held on to the 1-0 lead until late in the second half, when goals from Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu put the Reds up 2-1, and they were able to hang on and walk out of Orlando with all three points. Toronto FC has won two in a row in league play and is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 16 points. Meanwhile, the Lions are in 13th with nine points. Orlando City will look to bounce back Saturday at home as it takes on FC Cincinnati.  

Pride Grab Road Win Over Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride held on to defeat the Washington Spirit 3-2 at Audi Field Friday — their third straight victory. Angelina scored to put the Pride ahead in the first half, but the Spirit equalized just before halftime. Barbra Banda scored her first goal for the Pride, and Summer Yates added her third goal of the season, giving the Pride a 3-1 advantage in the second half. Ashley Hatch pulled one back for the Spirit on a howler by goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, but the Pride keep their unbeaten streak alive at six matches (3-0-3). Orlando remains undefeated and is fourth in the NWSL table with 12 points. Next up for the Pride is a pair of home matches this week, starting Wednesday at home against the North Carolina Courage. Orlando will host Racing Louisville FC Sunday.

OCB Falls at Home to Toronto FC II

Like the first team, Orlando City B also lost 2-1 to Toronto FC II in its first home match at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions went down early in the match when Charles Sharp scored for Toronto FC II to take a 1-0 lead. Wilfredo Rivera scored the equalizer in the second half to tie the match, however, late in the second half, Jesus Batiz scored the game-winning goal to seal the win for Toronto. The Young Lions have yet to win a match at home, but has played well on the road this season and are on a four-match unbeaten streak away. The Young Lions will face MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference leaders Chattanooga FC Saturday at Finley Stadium. 

Manchester City and Arsenal Win to Keep EPL Title Race Close

The Premier League title race is going down to the wire as Manchester City and Arsenal won their matches over the weekend. Arsenal held on to defeat rival Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the North London Derby. That result moves Arsenal into first with 80 points with three matches remaining. Manchester City shut out Nottingham Forest 2-0 and is second, with 79 points and still four matches left to play. Liverpool dropped points to West Ham in a 2-2 draw, putting another blow to the Reds’ title chances and leaving them in third with 75 points and three matches left.  

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  • If you missed it, check out the first goal from Pride forward Barbra Banda.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

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