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Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Pick Up First Win of 2025

Lions bounce back from their opening day loss in a big way by drubbing Toronto as four different players found the net.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

The Lions found the net four times and avoided most of the mistakes that plagued them a week ago, as Orlando City (1-1-0, 3 points) pounded Toronto FC (0-1-1, 1 point) 4-2 at Inter&Co Stadium. Cesar Araujo and Alex Freeman scored two minutes apart just past the half-hour mark to push Orlando out in front, with Martin Ojeda and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson twice extending the Lions’ lead to three goals. Sigurd Rosted and Deybi Flores scored late for the Reds, but Orlando was in control after Freeman’s strike.

“A great night for us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Today, we had a much more complete performance. We played well, we scored goals, and we have our first win in front of our fans. So, it’s very healthy for the group. “

Pareja’s staring lineup included Pedro Gallese in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Freeman, as neither Robin Jansson nor David Brekalo dressed. Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Ramiro Enrique up top.

The first half hour was a cagey, probing, and kind of dull affair as the teams sized each other up. Toronto held more of the ball but did less with it than Orlando’s forays up the field.

Freeman had the game’s first shot attempt in the 15th minute. The right back got his head to a good back-post cross from Ojeda but sent his effort well wide of the right post.

Three minutes later, Freeman nearly scored into the wrong net. Tracking back, he did well to chest down a cross for Gallese, but his effort was a bit off line. Gallese did well to get down and get a hand to it to keep it out before collecting it.

Former Lion Richie Laryea picked up a knock and had to sub off for Toronto in the 22nd minute after receiving treatment for a second time. Zane Monlouis came on for the Canadian international, eating up one substitution window for the visitors.

Not much happened between the 20th and 30th minutes but then business picked up when Pasalic was fouled just outside the box in the middle of the field. Unlikely free kick takers Araujo and Santos stood over the ball. When the referee blew his whistle, Araujo smashed a gorgeous shot in off the left post to make it 1-0 in the 33rd minute.

“It was training,” Pareja said, referring to how Araujo got his opportunity on the set piece. “He was spending a lot of time with Eduard (Atuesta), with Rafael (Santos), Martin (Ojeda), Luis (Muriel). And curiously, on Friday here in the stadium, they were practicing with a lot of responsibility. But we as footballers, sometimes it’s casual, But they were not (casual). They were doing it very serious, and when they were going to take that (free kick), we had much more confidence, and it really happened.”

The Lions doubled the lead just two minutes later. A long ball from Smith from left to right found Freeman isolated on his defender. Freeman muscled his way past and got in behind on goal, blasting a left-footed shot past Sean Johnson to make it 2-0 in the 35th minute. It was his first MLS goal on his first MLS start.

“I feel like their line was high all game, and I feel like they pressed too high,” Freeman said. “Me and Kyle talked about it before the game, he’s really got that long ball to be able to just curve it right inside, so it’s toward goal so I can get the run in, and that’s what I did. He looked up, and I already knew. And I was just running, and then I took a good first touch with my thigh. And then it was just looking at the goalie to see where I could place it with my left foot. And then I scored and I went wild. Great ball from Kyle Smith.”

“Alex today is just demonstrating one more time something that we see in the training ground,” Pareja said. “That he’s ready, that he can become one of the best fullbacks in this country. I don’t have any doubt about that.”

“I think it was the intensity,” Angulo said about the change in Orlando City’s play after the half-hour mark. “I think that was something that we were lacking in the first 30 minutes, and it was something where we knew that we were lacking that intensity and that intention to show show who we are and the respect that they need to put on playing in our house, in our stadium. I think it was the intensity and the shift in mindset that we had that really set us apart, and the confidence that we had after scoring that first goal.”

Toronto regrouped and went on the attack on its next possession, with Federico Bernardeschi firing well over the bar in the 37th minute from near the left corner of the box.

Atuesta made a great move in the 43rd minute to break Toronto’s lines and then delivered a pass to Angulo on the left. The Colombian cut inside and fired a shot that deflected off a defender and just missed wide of the right post. Atuesta then had the last good look of the half when he hit the left post from the right side of the box in stoppage time, and the Lions took their two-goal edge into the locker room.

At the break, the visitors had the advantage in possession (51.3%-48.7%) and passing accuracy (83.5%-82.8%), while Orlando attempted more shots (5-3) and put more on target (2-0). Each team won one corner in the opening period.

The first half-chance of the second half went Orlando’s way when Ojeda made a great move to fake out Monlouis and get down the left with speed. He had Enrique breaking in front but the cross didn’t quite have enough bend on it, allowing Johnson to catch it in the 50th minute.

Orlando had a couple more half chances before Ojeda made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute. Araujo picked up the ball in his own end and made a great pass to send Ojeda through the gap between the center backs. The Argentine faked Johnson to the turf, stepped around the keeper, and slotted it home with his right foot.

It was an emotional goal celebration for Ojeda, who pulled up his jersey to reveal a t-shirt honoring his late grandmother, who passed away recently.

Toronto pulled one back shortly after a nasty collision between Atuesta and Rosted going for a 50/50 aerial. Both players were able to continue, and it was an unfortunate free kick given to the visitors for two guys arriving at the ball together. That free kick turned into a corner, and that allowed the Reds to get on the board. Rosted had a free header at the back post, leaving Gallese no chance, as the marking on set pieces for Orlando City continues to be poor early in the season. Rosted’s goal cut the lead to 3-1 in the 72nd minute.

Bernardeschi nearly pulled the Reds within a goal two minutes later, firing a shot through traffic from near the top of the area. Gallese didn’t appear to see it initially but was able to get down and make the save.

Thorhallsson made it 4-1 with what may have been his first touch of the match after coming on for Ojeda in the 80th minute. Fellow sub Luis Muriel, who came on for Pasalic, made a perfect pass to send the Icelandic international in behind, and he finished calmly to extend the lead back to three goals.

Freeman had a chance for a brace three minutes later. He got in past the back line on the right but was at a severe angle. The right back unselfishly tried to pick out Enrique at the penalty spot but his pass was a bit too far behind the striker.

Toronto bagged a second goal in the 86th minute. Toronto sent a ball into the box from the right and three Lions converged on it to knock it away. They got in each other’s way a bit, and the ball fell outside the area for Flores to run onto. Taking it in stride, Flores blasted a shot just inside the right post to make it 4-2.

“Our priority as coaches is to see what is that area that we need to get better, and I’m not happy with conceding two goals,” Pareja said. “But we will work on it.”

From there, the Lions had little trouble seeing out the final minutes, although Toronto fought to the end to try to get back into the game, even forcing a nice save from Gallese late in stoppage time off a blast from Bernardeschi.

Gustavo Caraballo was a late subsitute for the Lions, becoming the youngest player to play in a match for Orlando City at just 16 years old.

Toronto finished with the advantage in possession (54.5%-45.5%) and passing accuracy (88.5%-84.8%), while the teams each finished with nine shot attempts, four shots on target, and two corners.

With four goals tonight, the Lions have six across their first two matches of the season. That’s the most goals scored by Orlando in its first two games in the team’s MLS era.

“If we score goals, we’re going to win,” Pareja said. “And six goals in the first two games, that’s great. I’m very happy, and how we scored, and the variety of the players that are participating on the scoring, too. So, very positive.”

After falling at home on opening day, it was imperative to get in the win column before the team heads out of town for the next two matches against difficult opponents in places they have historically not gotten a lot of positive results.

“We knew that we had to come out tonight and take a win,” Angulo said. “And it was really important for us to go out there and play the way that we did, to play like that in front of our fans, and take this win in front of our fans and get the three points tonight. We knew that there’s going to be a lot of really difficult games coming up in the season, so it was important for us to go out and put three (points) on the board tonight.”

“Three points is what we needed,” said Freeman, who was voted Man of the Match by the fans. “A very good bounce back from last week. And now we’re just looking forward to next week away.”

The Lions hope to carry some momentum with them when they hit the road for their first away match of the season next Saturday at New York City FC.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/1/26

Pride and OCB win, Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau called up, USMNT beats Senegal, and more.

Published

20 hours ago

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June 1, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work and just wrapped up covering high school spring season sports for the school year up here in Chicago. We had the Pride, OCB, and the USMNT all in action, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Pride Beat Bay FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Bay FC 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday. Barbra Banda scored the opener early in the first half for Orlando, but Bay FC’s Caroline Conti scored the equalizer. In the second half, Banda scored her second goal of the night and added an assist on Cori Dyke’s goal in the 55th minute. Banda went down with an injury late in the match and had to leave the pitch. Since Orlando had already used all its substitutions, the team had to play the final 15 minutes of the match, including stoppage time, down to 10 players, but the Pride held on for the win. Banda has been called up to the Zambia Women’s National Team for the Four Nations Tournament, with the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations set to kick off next month in Morocco.

The Pride will be off until early July due to the NWSL World Cup break. Their next match will be on the road at BMO Stadium against Angel City FC on July 3.

OCB Defeats Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B defeated Chattanooga FC 5-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. Ignacio Gomez scored for the Young Lions six minutes into the match. Chattanooga FC responded with two goals later in the first half to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, it was all OCB as Pedro Leao, Harvey Sarajian, and Justin Hylton each added a goal to extend the Young Lions’ lead to 4-2. Leao added a penalty kick goal as OCB secured back-to-back wins in league play and moved to fourth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 22 points. OCB will face Carolina Core FC Sunday at Osceola County Stadium.

Tahir Reid-Brown and Maxime Crepeau Called Up

Orlando City defender Tahir Reid-Brown and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau have been called up to their respective national teams. Reid-Brown will be joining the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for upcoming friendlies against Georgia and North Macedonia in Bulgaria.

Crepeau will be with the Canadian Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Canada has two international friendlies this week, facing Uzbekistan today and taking on Ireland Friday. Canadian Men’s National Team Head Coach Jesse Marsch stated that he has not yet decided which goalkeeper will start in his team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, but Crepeau and Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair will split time in goal against Uzbekistan.

USMNT Defeats Senegal in Friendly

The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Senegal 3-2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, Sunday in an international friendly. Former Lion Alex Freeman started the match and played 45 minutes. Sergino Dest struck first to give the Yanks an early lead, and Christian Pulisic scored his first international goal since November 2024 for the U.S. to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. Sadio Mane pulled one back for Senegal to make it 2-1 just before halftime. In the second half, Mane added another goal to level the match, but Folarin Balogun came off the bench and scored the final goal of the match to seal the win for the Americans. The USMNT will face Germany Saturday in another international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, before opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, taking on Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

Paris Saint-Germain Repeats as UEFA Champions League Winner in Penalties

Paris Saint-Germain edged Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw Saturday at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, to win the UEFA Champions League title for the second time in a row. Kai Havertz scored the first goal six minutes into the match to give Arsenal the lead in the first half. However, in the second half, Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, resulting in a penalty for Paris Saint-Germain. Ousmane Dembele converted from the spot to tie the match. After 120 minutes of play, the match went to penalties, where Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made one save, but Paris Saint-Germain still scored four goals. In the final round, Arsenal defender Gabriel sailed his shot over the net, and Paris Saint-Germain became just the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the modern era, since 1992. The other club was Real Madrid, which won three consecutive titles from 2015-2016 through 2017-2018.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando City Academy U-14 squad defeated Inter Miami 3-1 Sunday to win the MLS Next Cup.
  • According to Sportico, Major League Soccer viewership has risen significantly in the first three months of the season.

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

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Orlando City

An Early Look at Orlando City’s Contract Decisions

Here is an early look at the decisions the club will have to make regarding the roster at the end of the 2026 season.

Published

3 days ago

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May 30, 2026

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Image of Wilder Cartagena controlling the ball against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we head into a dead period of Major League Soccer with the arrival of the World Cup break, it’s worth looking into the future to see how the roster may look in the future. Orlando City has one player out of contract after the 2026 season and several that are on the last guaranteed year of their deal but have option years the club could exercise. Let’s take a look at the decisions Orlando City has to make at season’s end.

Ivan Angulo — Attacking Midfielder

The Colombian midfielder has been a tireless worker and a good soldier for Orlando City since his arrival in July of 2022. Regardless of what you think of his finishing (and it hasn’t been good the last two years after back-to-back seasons with five goals in 2023 and 2024 and 15 total goal contributions in the latter of those years) or those games in which he turns the ball over repeatedly, Angulo has generally been an asset to the team. What he lacks in goal production he makes up for in important hustle plays to break up opposition attacks and with his high pressure.

Angulo is out of contract after the 2026 season after signing through the 2025 season in January of 2024. Orlando City exercised his option year for 2026 last November. He could leave on a free transfer and there will be clubs interested in the 27-year-old, who will likely be one of the fastest players in whatever league he’s in for the next several seasons. At a total guaranteed compensation of $582,656, he’s not terribly expensive for a starting-caliber winger. Orlando City should re-sign Angulo or upgrade the position, and perhaps the club wants Tyrese Spicer to show he can take that spot. Spicer has been inconsistent as a starter but generally better off the bench. He hasn’t yet shown himself to be an everyday option.

Wilder Cartagena — Midfielder

The Peruvian midfield stopper has, like Angulo, been a solid performer for the Lions since signing with Orlando City in August of 2022. Last season’s Achilles injury derailed the club’s best-ever midfield double pivot, as Cartagena and Cesar Araujo combined to make life miserable for Orlando’s opponents and did a great job of shielding the back line. He even filled in admirably on the back line whenever Oscar Pareja went to five at the back as an extra center back. Cartagena suffered another injury in the 2026 season opener and is just getting back up to speed, but it seems as if he’s having difficulty breaking through to get enough minutes to round back into form.

Cartagena is on a contract through the end of 2026, which he signed last November, but there is an option year on his deal. At 31 years old and making a guaranteed $530,250 per year, it may be time to move on from the veteran defensive midfielder unless he can regain his form before the end of the season. The hope is that Luis Otavio can develop into a similar midfield stopper and the club has invested in the Brazilian. The Lions also seem more interested in the kind of offense that favors more attack-minded players in the central midfield, which has proven successful in scoring goals so far this year but has failed miserably at preventing them.

Joran Gerbet — Midfielder

The French-born product out of Clemson University signed in February 2025 after being drafted in the first round (No. 27 overall) in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. He had a promising rookie campaign going until sustaining a serious knee injury last October against Columbus and had season-ending surgery. Gerbet will likely be able to return to game action after the World Cup break, and perhaps he could even play some games with OCB during the pause.

He’ll be out of contract at the end of 2026 but there are options for 2027 and 2028 on his rookie deal. If he can return to full speed and produce, the club would likely bring him back. With total guaranteed compensation of $113,400, Gerbet is an inexpensive piece of the roster, and he’ll be eager to earn a new deal. Plus, he’ll have at least one new French-speaking teammate as soon as Antoine Griezmann arrives. Gerbet’s return could mitigate the loss of Cartagena if the club parts ways with the Peruvian international.

Adrian Marin — Defender

The Spaniard arrived in August of 2025 on a deal through this season with a club option for 2027. He wasn’t able to quite jell or acclimate well to Major League Soccer over the course of last season. He entered 2026 looking to lock down the starting left back spot and can play as a center back in a three-man back line, but so far this season he’s been inconsistent at best. While he can send the occasional excellent cross or long ball in to create a scoring chance, contributing three assists already this season, he’s not been quite able to consistently operate at an MLS level.

A good left back can be pricey, so his guaranteed pay of $577,972 isn’t terrible, but he’s not quite lived up to it either. It will be interesting to see if Marin can finish out the 2026 campaign strong and if it’s enough to warrant picking up his contract option or offering him a new deal.

Nolan Miller — Defender

The rookie out of Michigan had a strong start to his first professional year but then showed some growing pains. He signed through the 2026 season back in early February but the club holds options for Miller for the 2027 sprint season, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029. Miller most recently played with Orlando City B on Sunday, helping the Young Lions defeat Inter Miami CF II 4-1 at home. There’s a lot of season left for Miller to make his mark, and playing with OCB during the World Cup break is a good way to get him minutes in a developmental setting.

All indications from the club are that the technical staff believe Miller has enough upside to potentially become an MLS starter. The 22-year-old will be given an opportunity to develop, and it seems likely Orlando City will exercise his option unless the player asks for his release to pursue other opportunities.

Javier Otero — Goalkeeper

If there’s one thing that’s been clear for years, it’s that Orlando City likes to have one primary goalkeeper and a young, inexpensive backup who plays only sparingly, whether it’s Mason Stajduhar, Adam Grinwis, or Otero. The Lions signed Otero to a new contract through 2026 just a year ago in May 2025, with option years for 2027 and 2028. Otero has played well at times and gotten shelled a few times in his MLS career, but he’s filled his role well and is inexpensive at $163,750 in guaranteed annual compensation. Orlando will likely exercise the option on Otero’s deal unless the 23-year-old Venezuelan wants to go elsewhere.

Nicolas Rodriguez — Attacking Midfield

While not technically out of contract, the club may have to do something with Rodriguez, who is currently on loan with Atletico Nacional in Colombia through 2026. The Colombian side has an option to purchase, but it’s unclear whether that will be exercised. The former MLS U22 Initiative signing was suspended in March for an alleged sexual assault earlier this year — charges that Rodriguez denies. He returned to the pitch in May in a loss to Once Caldas.

With the commitment Orlando City made to Otavio, Iago, and Tiago, it’s unlikely the club will bring back Rodriguez unless one of the Brazilians is sold. Rodriguez struggled to get on the pitch with the first team last year, and Tiago seems light years ahead of the Colombian in his development. It seems likely the club will hope Nacional purchases Rodriguez, and if not, the Lions will probably try to sell him or loan him out again. Rodriguez’s contract expires at the end of 2027.

Zakaria Taifi — Fullback/Midfielder

Homegrown defender/winger Taifi is signed through 2026 with club options for 2027, 2028, and 2029. The 20-year-old has shown great promise and made the jump to the first team midway through 2025, although he played sparingly. Taifi already has career highs with the first team in 2026 in games played (10), starts (3), and assists (2). If not for Griffin Dorsey’s play, Taifi might otherwise be seeing regular minutes, although there is work to be done in developing his defending. At present, he projects more as a wingback than a fullback, but the same was once true of Alex Freeman, who improved his one-on-one defending by leaps and bounds.

As a Homegrown Player starting to bear fruit, it is a no-brainer for the club to pick up Taifi’s option after the 2026 season.

Yutaro Tsukada — Attacking Midfielder

Orlando City selected Tsukada with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft in December of 2023. The club signed Tsukada to an MLS NEXT Pro deal through 2024 and then signed him through 2025 with option years for 2026 and 2027, so he’s currently in the first of those two option years.

The young winger has shown some glimpses of quality in both dead-ball delivery and his crafty one-on-one moves out wide, but he’s not been able to break through just yet and he was left off both the senior team and OCB matchday rosters since April 26, despite a club spokesman telling me he wasn’t injured. Tsukada’s budget charge isn’t big ($113,400), but at 24, he’s entering his prime years and hasn’t yet developed into an MLS player. Whether he’s back next year may be up to the player in Tsukada’s case.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: May 31, 2017 vs. D.C. United

Hop in the time machine and relive a wet, weird Orlando City game from almost nine years ago.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 29, 2026

By

Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

With no Orlando City match to entertain us for almost two months during the World Cup break, this is an optimal time to reflect on some of the team’s history and enjoy a trip down memory lane. We’re taking one hell of a trip today, as we go almost nine years into the past to reminisce on the Lions taking on D.C. United all the way back on May 31, 2017.

Just how different were things as OCSC got ready to take the field against D.C. that Wednesday? Well for one thing, the ground now known as Inter&Co Stadium had just opened a little over two months previously, and it was still called Orlando City Stadium. Jason Kreis had the reins as the team’s second full-time head coach, and teams were only allowed to make three substitutions per game instead of five.

Kreis set up his team in a 4-4-2 that had Joe Bendik in goal, a back line of Scott Sutter, Jose Aja, Jonathan Spector, and Donny Toia; Matias Perez Garcia, Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita, and Luis Gil in the midfield; and Cyle Larin alongside Carlos Rivas up top.

The defining characteristic of the game in the first half was the conditions in which it was played. The stadium was pounded by rain in the leadup to kickoff, and the wet weather continued during the opening 45 minutes. The Lions had the better of things in the first half, but things could have been different if Larin had been called for a handball in the box in the 15th minute, but the referee didn’t see it, the D.C. players didn’t call for it, and video review wouldn’t be introduced to MLS until later in the season.

D.C. went close through Julian Buscher in the 43rd minute when he turned well at the top of the box and sent a left footed shot toward goal, but Bendik did well to get down and push the ball away with his right hand. Orlando’s best chance of the half came as the first 45 minutes were winding down, when Gil sprung Larin on the break, but the Canadian had to shoot from an angle and Bill Hamid was able to deal with it fairly comfortably in the D.C. net. Before the half could end, OCSC had a penalty shout of its own as Sutter felt he was clipped from behind by Buscher in stoppage time, but referee Allen Chapman disagreed and the game went to halftime scoreless.

The Lions finished the first half with 59% possession and took nine shots but only put three on target, while D.C. totaled three shots with two on target, and 41% of the ball.

The rain mercifully subsided at halftime, but the game continued to be a sloppy affair as the second half got underway. D.C really should have opened the scoring in the 56th minute when a ball played down the right found Lamar Neagle near the penalty spot. He turned and played a great pass into space for Buscher, who was unmarked roughly 10 yards from goal on the left side of the box. Luckily for the Lions, with just Bendik to beat, the midfielder somehow contrived to blast his first-time shot over the bar so badly that it just missed the Heineken sign by a couple of inches.

That scare spurred Kreis into action, as he brought on Giles Barnes for Gil just three minutes later. It proved to be an inspired move, as the Jamaican provided an immediate spark and won a free kick in a dangerous area in the 65th minute after slaloming through several defenders. It fell to Johnson to take the resulting set piece, and he dialed up a doozy, curling a ball to the edge of the six-yard box, where Larin fought through heavy contact from Steve Birnbaum and headed the ball into the net beyond a helpless Hamid to open the scoring for Orlando.

The strike ended a scoreless drought of 266 minutes for Orlando, and the team continued to look invigorated after the introduction of Barnes. He played a great cutback pass for Larin just two minutes after the goal, and the Canadian might have scored had D.C. not gotten bodies in the way and blocked it. He then played Rivas in on goal in the 71st minute, but Kofi Opare made a great last-ditch tackle to prevent a shot and MPG wasn’t able to bundle the loose ball over the line as Hamid came out to contest.

That was Perez-Garcia’s last meaningful action of the evening, as he made way for Tony Rocha two minutes later.

In the 74th minute, Orlando had another almighty scare and D.C. wasted its second excellent chance of the game. Aja played a badly underhit pass back to Bendik, and Neagle got to it first as the goalkeeper charged out to try to clear the danger. Neagle took it around him and had only Spector to beat as the last man back, but he put his shot entirely too close to the center back, who was able to make himself big and keep the effort out. The rebound then spun into the air and looked to be falling kindly for Sebastien Le Toux to head into the empty net, but Bendik parachuted in at the last second and acrobatically punched the danger clear.

The two teams then traded decent chances over the next 10 minutes, but a combination of blocks, misses, and a Bendik save kept things at 1-0. Kreis then made his final move of the game in the 83rd minute when Antonio Nocerino entered the game for Rivas.

OCSC looked all set to go more conservative and try to escape with a 1-0 win when it got a fortunate break just two minutes from the end of regulation. Barnes lined up a shot from roughly 25 yards out, and while it was hit with venom, it looked to be straight at Hamid and relatively straightforward. That made it all the more surprising when D.C.’s goalkeeper got two hands on it but either fluffed his attempt at a catch or whiffed on a punch, and the ball squirted past him into the back of the net. Barnes was rewarded for an energetic, game-changing substitute appearance, and the Lions got an insurance goal.

Four minutes of stoppage time passed without incident, and the Lions finished a dominant, but ultimately slightly nervy, performance with a 2-0 victory. Orlando ended the game with an edge in possession (57%-43%), shots (20-10), shots on target (5-4), and passing accuracy (81%-71%).

Current Orlando City staffer Austin David was on our staff and handed out player grades for the game, and he gave Barnes the Man of the Match award with an 8 out of 10. The other high performers on the night were Bendik and Spector, who were both awarded a 7.5 out of 10.

Larin’s goal was his eighth of the campaign, and the victory ended a six-game winless run for Orlando. Sadly, it wasn’t a sign of good things to come, as OCSC immediately endured another five-game winless run that included the infamous 3-1 loss to Miami FC that saw a Stefano Pinho hat trick earn him a move to the Lions at the end of the season. Orlando went on to win just three games the rest of the season, and finished 10th in the 11-team Eastern Conference with 39 points, ahead of only D.C. United.

With any luck, this season will follow a much different arc. Antoine Griezmann will be here before we know it, and the Lions have some time to make some tweaks to the roster, work on things in training, and will have an opportunity to make a cup final in the fall. Here’s to remembering the good parts of the past, and not repeating the bad ones. Vamos Orlando!

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