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Orlando City vs. Atletico Mineiro, FC Series: Final Score 0-0 (6-5) as Lions Open the Preseason Schedule Strong

The Lions outlasted the Brazilian side from the penalty spot after a scoreless draw at home to open the preseason.

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5 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The first game of Orlando City’s 2025 preseason went to penalties after a 0-0 draw in front of an announced crowd of 11,912 at Inter&Co Stadium in the FC Series. The Lions won the postgame shootout 6-5 in seven rounds to claim something called the Inter&Co Trophy against Atletico Mineiro.

Overall, the performance was good, although the finishing wasn’t, as the Lions created more opportunities than the visitors, but two weeks into preseason it was evident that the final bit of precision wasn’t quite there.

“It was great to come back to our place and have a game, and especially against the rival. A good match,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I felt that we took the most out of the game under the circumstances. We just started the preseason, and having this match and the competitiveness that the boys showed today was first class. We’re happy. We’re ready to leave to our camp (in Mexico) and keep going.”

Pareja’s starting lineup included Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Rodrigo Schlegel, David Brekalo, Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in midfield behind an attacking line of Yutaro Tsukada, Martin Ojeda, and 16-year-old Gustavo Caraballo, with Luis Muriel up top.

The teams played to a scoreless first half, with the Lions creating the better scoring chances, but the rust was evident as Orlando City wasted multiple good scoring opportunities.

The game’s first few shots came off of Orlando headers. Muriel redirected a cross on target in the third minute but couldn’t generate much power, sending it softly to Atletico Mineiro goalkeeper Everson. A few minutes later, Tsukada got to a bouncing diagonal cross but couldn’t direct it on frame. Brekalo got his head to a free kick cross in the eighth minute, but his shot was also sent directly at Everson.

Mineiro’s first shot of the match came 12 minutes in, when Gustavo Scarpa fired over the bar from well outside the area.

Orlando resumed the attack and Tsukada attempted a shot in the 18th minute from outside the area that deflected off a defender for a corner kick. The initial cross into the area was cleared but the recycled cross found Freeman near the left post, however, the fullback sent his header wide.

Schlegel conceded a pair of dangerous free kicks a few minutes after Freeman’s missed opportunity, but the Brazilian side couldn’t do anything with either of them. The second ended up deflecting off the wall and was picked up on the left by Guilherme Arana, who fired off target.

Caraballo should have scored in the 27th minute as Ojeda did well to get a cross from the left through to the far side. The teenager missed just wide from point-blank range, as the ball appeared to skip up off the turf on him at the last second.

Cartagena went down with an injury off the ball moments later and had to come off. He was helped to the locker room by the training staff. Kyle Smith replaced him in the lineup.

Gallese made his first good save of the game in the 35th minute, diving to keep out a good shot from distance by Fausto Vera.

Muriel set up Ojeda with a nice layoff at the top of the box in the 41st minute, but the midfielder couldn’t get his shot on frame, continuing the theme of the day for Orlando City.

The Lions again should have opened the scoring just seconds into first-half stoppage time. The Lions had a good attack up the left and Ojeda slipped in Ramiro Enrique, who had come on for Muriel late in the half. Enrique fired but Everson did well to make the save. The rebound came straight to Tsukada, with almost the entire net to shoot at, but the young winger sent his shot too close to the goalkeeper, who got a piece of it to keep it out.

Ojeda had the final shot of the half, sending a good effort through traffic but it was right at Everson. The teams went into the break without a goal.

The Lions had more shots (10-5), shots on target (4-1), and corners (4-2) in the first half.

Atletico Mineiro saw more of the ball in the second 45 minutes, but the Orlando City defense held up well, even after several substitutions, as Atletico Mineiro wasn’t able to threaten Gallese’s goal often. However, the Lions also didn’t create as much danger in the second half as they did in the opening period.

One of Orlando’s best opportunities in the second half came just after the restart. Caraballo sent Tsukada down the left but the winger fired wide of the goal in the 47th minute.

Gabriel Menino had one of Atletico’s best second-half chances in the 52nd minute, but he sent his shot over the bar from the top of the 18-yard box. After another long-range effort by the visitors sailed high over the net, Gallese made a save on a one-hopper from the top of the box in the 58th minute for his best stop of the second half.

Enrique fired just over the bar from the top of the semicircle in the 60th minute as the wasteful chances continued for Orlando. The forward had plenty of space to pick out his spot, but he leaned back a bit and his shot stayed high as a result.

There were virtually no chances created between the hour mark and the end of normal time, with both teams subbing often and the players who started noticeably tiring. The most noteworthy action was substitute Dagur Dan Thorhallsson took an accidental high boot to the head and had to come off. Pareja had no updates about Thorhallsson, Cartagena, or Muriel after the match.

“It is hard at this moment where we’re starting the preseason just to see guys coming out of the pitch with pains and things,” he said. “We’re praying that everything is good, but I have no other report.”

With no goals on the board through stoppage time, the game went to penalties after a 0-0 draw.

“We were obviously planning right after the game, who was going to take (penalties), and the boys were so engaged in the competition,” Pareja said. “It’s what they are. They want to compete, regardless of it’s a friendly game. They want to win it. And they were expressing that feeling, we need to win this game.”

Smith took the first shot from the spot in front of The Wall at the north end of the stadium, scoring to put his team ahead. Igor Gomes followed suit for Atletico Mineiro after coming to a complete stop in his run-up for about two seconds.

Enrique restored Orlando’s lead, only to see Brahian Palacios equalize on a stutter-step that clearly moved backward. Brekalo made it 3-2 with a bouncer that skipped over Everson’s outstretched arm, before Rubens made it 3-3 after three rounds.

Second-half sub Ivan Angulo saw Everson stop his penalty attempt in the fourth round, giving Atletico a chance to seize control. However, the Brazilian side’s No. 9, Deyverson, sent his blast over the bar to keep things even after four rounds.

Gallese took matters into his own hands (or feet) by scoring in the fifth round, but his counterpart Everson sent a shot under the crossbar to send the shootout into sudden death.

Freeman, who played the entire game, fired home to put Orlando up again, only to see Otavio equalize, as once again a Mineiro player came to a prolonged stop in his run-up. The teams went into the seventh round tied at 5-5.

“I feel like I didn’t want to take it differently,” said Freeman, who has been a regular penalty taker with OCB in shootouts. “I feel like I just wanted to stay confident. Obviously, there’s more fans, and obviously, there’s a little bit more pressure, but I feel like I did that. I just walked up confidently, and I kind of knew what spot I wanted to go.”

Rookie Joran Gerbet took an unorthodox approach and scored to put the Lions back in front in the seventh round.

“It’s been like something I exercise a lot since the last two, three years at Clemson,” Gerbet said of his penalty. “I was like, the one who was taking (them), so I’m just, like, used to it. So, yeah, it’s just like the routine, I guess.”

Defender Bruno Fuchs fired toward Gallese’s right, but Peruvian guessed correctly and kept the shot out with a strong right hand to win the shootout.

Pareja was able to get a lot of Homegrowns and academy kids into the match against a good Brazilian side.

“At the end of the game, I was seeing a bunch of guys that grew up in our academy,” he said. “And today, they made us feel that they have the case (to be) in the team already. So, I’m very proud for every single one that had minutes today and made us feel that result of the effort and what they’re investing in the academy.”

Here’s the full highlight reel from the match:

Orlando City is off to Mexico for the next week of camp. While there, the Lions will face Forge FC from the Canadian Premier League before returning to Central Florida. The next game open to the general public will be held in Tampa as the Lions face Inter Miami at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 14.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/17/25

Orlando City and Orlando Pride players on Team of the Week, USMNT Gold Cup continues, and more.

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10 hours ago

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June 17, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wedn…er…Tuesday, Mane Landers. That’s right, I’m here a day early and not a moment too late. Orlando is knee deep in soccer, thanks to the FIFA Club World Cup on top of our favorite Orlando City and Orlando Pride clubs. We will have coverage of the matches taking place in the City Beautiful. Before we get started today, join us in wishing a happy 25th birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Summer Yates. Now, let’s get to the links.

Schlegel Honored

Rodrigo Schlegel had a pretty good match against the Colorado Rapids. Despite not being named Man of the Match in our Player Grades, he did make the MLS Team of the Week bench. Meanwhile, Orlando held steady at the ninth spot in ESPN’s MLS Power Rankings, while dropping two spots from seventh to ninth in SI.com’s Power Rankings despite winning on the road. It just shows how very accurate and scientific power rankings are, doesn’t it?

Quadruple Honors for the Pride

The Orlando Pride saw Schlegel’s TotW Bench honor and said we can do better. Barbra Banda, Cori Dyke, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse all made the NWSL Team of the Week from the Attacking Third. Congratulations to the Pride for covering a third of the Attacking Third’s selections.

Moorhouse is also up for Player of the Week and Save of the Week. As of this morning, she is not leading either category so you know what to do.

The USMNT Gold Cup Journey Continues

The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage is underway, with the USMNT securing a 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Sunday evening. I’m always for beating Trinidad & Tobago, but more talented teams and tougher matches lie ahead. Next up for the USMNT is Saudi Arabia. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re correct. Saudi Arabia isn’t a Concacaf nation, but the team is the invitee for this Gold Cup. The match is Thursday night at 9:15 p.m. at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX. The U.S. will most likely need a win to secure the top spot in the group.

FIFA Club World Cup Results

The Club World Cup, which will visit Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium later today (we’ll be on hand with the coverage, naturally), continued early this week with Bayern Munich obliterating Auckland City 10-0, PSG defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0, Botafogo beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1, and Facundo Torres and Palmeiras drawing Porto 0-0 on Sunday. In the Monday slate, Chelsea defeated LAFC 2-0, and Boca Juniors and Benfica drew 2-2. Overshadowing all of this is the poor attendance, despite FIFA spending millions to boost said attendance.

Free Kicks

  • One might think that a club sitting second in the official standings on a three-match winning streak would have matching ranks in all the various power rankings. However, one would be wrong, because although the Pride are in the second spot in the SI.com Power Rankings, the club sits at third in the ESPN.com Power Rankings. Do I need to say anything?
  • You don’t often see Barcelona get passed over for an MLS club, but that is exactly what happened despite Barcelona calling FIFA to get a spot in the Club World Cup. That MLS club was LAFC, and it had to earn its way in by beating Club America.
  • Liverpool has set a date for the medical for Florian Wirtz following the record transfer.
  • Congratulations to Orlando City’s Alex Freeman on his performance in his first cap for the USMNT in a competitive match.

Stacked the stat sheet 📈– 10 duels won (led team)– 3 tackles won (led team)– 54 passes completed– 95% passing accuracy– 90 minutes played– 2 clearances– 2 fouls drawn– Clean sheet ✅

— Orlando City SC (@orlandocitysc.com) 2025-06-16T23:03:59.932Z

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the matches this week. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids?

Published

1 day ago

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June 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City used a professional performance to defeat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 near the Mile High City. It’s a big win for the Lions after two consecutive losses to Atlanta United and the Chicago Fire. It also gives the team some good vibes heading into next week’s international break.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this big win.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — Gallese had a massive game for his eighth clean sheet of the season. The shot stopper was credited with two saves and they were both quality. In the 50th minute, he made a one-handed save on a Rafael Navarro header and pushed Djordje Milhailovic’s shot wide while defending his near post in the 72nd minute. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese touched the ball 32 times, completing 38.5% of his 26 passes, including four of his 20 long balls. He was also credited with three clearances.

D, David Breaklo, 6 — The starting left back touched the ball 63 times and completed 91.8% of his 49 passes. He completed two of his three long balls, but his lone cross was incomplete. Brekalo also recorded one interception, won an aerial duel, and had eight clearances defensively. He didn’t have any attacking statistics, contributing to the clean sheet.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson had 65 touches, completing 93.1% of his team-high 58 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He won one tackle and had four clearances defensively. The center back was a bright spot early, making a couple of huge challenges to keep Colorado from getting free chances on goal. Overall, it was a strong performance by the captain.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel got a first-half booking that sees him suspended for the next game, but the center back was a monster in this game. He had a team-high 86 touches and completed 87.5% of his 56 passes but only one of his five long balls. However, his strength was defensively, where Schlegel recorded an interception and two blocked shots, won three aerial duels, and had an astounding 21 clearances. Despite defending for most of the game, the center back put a shot on target as well.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson had 38 touches, completing 85.7% of his 21 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. The right back added two clearances and a blocked shot defensively. He made some mistakes in his own half that created some issues and didn’t get into the attack at all in this game before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo touched the ball 39 times, completing 83.3% of his 30 passes but didn’t attempt any crosses. The midfielder didn’t attempt any shots either. Defensively, Angulo added a clearance and won an aerial duel, but it was largely an invisible night by the speedster.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta had 65 touches and completed 77.6% of his 49 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots, but the defensive midfielder’s focus was on defense. He recorded one tackle, two aerial duels won, three interceptions, and two clearances in a strong performance. He was replaced by Colin Guske in second-half stoppage time.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet got the start over Cesar Araujo in this game due to back spasms for Araujo, touching the ball 57 times. The rookie completed 88.4% of his 43 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. Like Atuesta, his job was defensive as he had three interceptions, won two aerial duels, and logged five clearances in 90 minutes of action.

MF, Marco Pasalic, 7 — Pasalic was trouble for the Rapids defense. He touched the ball 31 times and completed 86.4% of his 22 passes, including three key passes and his lone long ball. The midfielder’s most significant moment came in the 24th minute, when great vision and a good pass found Martin Ojeda for the game’s long goal. Pasalic took two shots, putting one on target. The attacker left the game in the 72nd minute, replaced by Ramiro Enrique.

F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 26 touches, completing 80% of his 15 passes with a key pass. The forward took two shots, putting neither on target. He also helped defensively, winning an aerial duel, recording a tackle, and adding a clearance before being replaced by Araujo in the 58th minute. Overall, it wasn’t an impressive performance by the Designated Player.

F, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda was a game-changer, touching the ball 52 times and completing 90.9% of his 44 passes with a key pass, and connecting on one of his two crosses and his lone long ball. He put one of his two shots on target, a hard attempt that went off the hands of Nico Hansen and in for the game’s only goal. It was a good performance for Ojeda, who came off in second-half stoppage time for Nico Rodriguez.

Substitutes

MF, Cesar Araujo (58’), 6 — Araujo replaced Muriel in the 58th minute as the Lions looked to defend their 1-0 lead. The defensive midfielder had 34 touches and completed 96.4% of his 28 passes, including one key pass. He added a tackle and blocked shot in 32 minutes of action, helping to secure the clean sheet.

D, Kyle Smith (72’), 6 — Smith came on for Thorhallsson in the 72nd minute, touching the ball 23 times at right back. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes with an incomplete long ball and through ball. However, Smith’s contribution came on defense, where he added a tackle, four clearances, and two successful aerial duels to help secure the three points.

F, Ramiro Enrique (72’), 6.5 — Enrique came on for Pasalic in the 72nd minute and was solid in his 18 minutes. He had 10 touches and completed 75% of his eight passes without taking any shots. However, he did precisely what his team needed, holding up the ball, winning an aerial duel, and keeping possession late. His wise decision-making is why he gets such a high grade.

MF, Colin Guske (90 + 1’), N/A — Guske came on for Atuesta in the dying minutes to kill some time. He got booked right after coming on, touching the ball only three times and adding a clearance.

MF, Nico Rodriguez (90 + 1’), N/A — Rodriguez came on with Guske for Ojeda and had nearly an identical performance minus the booking. He touched the ball three times, won an aerial duel, and had a clearance defensively.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in this crucial win for the Lions. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/16/25

Lions and Pride win, USMNT beats Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup opener, FIFA Club World Cup weekend recap, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 16, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you and belated happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. The Lions and the Pride both won while OCB was off this weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Blank Colorado Rapids on the Road

Orlando City defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Martin Ojeda scored the lone goal for the Lions in the first half to snap their two-match winless streak. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves and earned his eighth clean sheet of the season. With the win, Orlando moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 30 points. Orlando City will be off this weekend but will be return to action June 25 on the road at St. Louis City.

Banda’s Goal Lifts Pride Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 1-0 Friday at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. After a scoreless first half, Barbra Banda scored the only goal in the match — her eighth goal of the season — and the Pride held on for the win. It’s the team’s third straight 1-0 victory over Bay FC, and the Pride also claimed their fifth clean sheet of the season. Orlando has won three matches in a row and remains second in the NWSL table with 25 points. The Pride will be on the road to take on Racing Louisville Friday.

USMNT Dominates Trinidad & Tobago in Gold Cup Opener

The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 Sunday in the opening match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at PayPal Park. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman started the match and played 90 minutes. Malik Tillman scored twice, and Patrick Agyemang added one to give the USMNT a 3-0 lead before halftime. In the second half, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright each added a goal to extend the USMNT’s lead to 5-0. With the win, the Yanks snapped a four-match winless streak. The USMNT will take on Saudi Arabia Thursday night at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX.

FIFA Club World Cup Weekend Recap

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday, with Inter Miami and Al Ahly playing to a scoreless draw in the opening match of the group stage. Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made eight saves, including a penalty kick saved in the 43rd minute against Trezeguet of Al Ahly as the teams split the points. On Sunday, Jamal Musiala scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich crushed Auckland City 10-0, Paris Saint-Germain routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Palmeiras and FC Porto ended in a scoreless draw. The Seattle Sounders battled Botafogo in the late match. Today’s matchups feature Chelsea taking on LAFC, Boca Juniors facing Benfica, and Flamengo taking on Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

Tampa Bay Sun Wins USL Super League Championship

The Tampa Bay Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 after extra time to win the inaugural USL Super League championship on Saturday at Riverfront Stadium in Tampa. Former Pride players Jordyn Listro and Erika Tymrak were part of the squad’s stellar run to its first championship title in the inaugural season of the USL Super League. After no goals came from either side during the 90 minutes of play, the match went to extra time, and Cecilie Floe scored the winning goal for the Sun. Sydny Nasello was named the 2025 USL Super League Final MVP.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players giving their dads a surprise phone call on Father’s Day.
  • PayPal Park will host the 2025 NWSL Championship match on Nov. 22.

From the home of legends to the stage of champions 🏆The 2025 NWSL Championship presented by Google Pixel is coming to the Bay Area and PayPal Park.

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2025-06-13T12:14:48.657Z

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

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