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Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Final Score 1-0 as Ojeda’s Goal Snatches Road Win for Lions

Pedro Gallese and Martin Ojeda were the deciding factors in a tightly contested match in Colorado.

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12 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Pedro Gallese came up huge in goal and Martin Ojeda found the net to lead Orlando City to a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. For the Lions (8-4-6, 30 points) it snapped a two-game losing streak at the end of May, but it still wasn’t the sharpest performance. Gallese made two saves — officially, anyway, because he certainly palmed away some “shrosses” by Colorado (6-8-4, 22 points) that would have been goals without his quick reactions — to earn his eighth clean sheet of the season.

Orlando improved to 6-1-2 in the all-time series and 2-1-2 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

“We are very pleased with the result of the game. We came with the intention to bounce back after last two games, and this was a game that we all declared that is a must-win, not just for the three points but also for the confidence that we needed to have back,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The effort of the players in this place was great. Playing in the altitude is not an easy task.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson — starting with Alex Freeman away with the USMNT. Although Cesar Araujo was back from suspension, the Uruguayan started on the bench, with Joran Gerbet joining Eduard Atuesta in central midfield with wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic and Luis Muriel and Ojeda up top.

Orlando City started off the more active team in the attack, but they couldn’t do much with their chances. The first look at goal fell to Muriel in the sixth minute. The Colombian found space outside the area and blasted a shot wide of the left post. A minute later, Angulo sent Ojeda down the left. The Lions’ No. 10 tried to thread a pass to the middle but a defender deflected it to Colorado goalkeeper Nico Hansen.

Muriel slipped Pasalic down the right in the eighth minute. The pass was a little off line, so the Croatian had to gather it before smashing a shot toward the right post. He just missed opening the scoring as his effort hit the outside of the upright.

Colorado’s first bit of attacking danger in the 11th minute with a good cross in from the right. Schlegel did well to head it behind for a corner. Orlando dealt with the initial set piece but conceded a throw-in. The Rapids sent a long throw into the area that pinged around and found Rafael Navarro, who fired wide in the 13th minute.

Thorhallsson showed some rust getting his first start at right back in a long while, missing Schlegel with a headed pass attempt in the 19th minute and gifting the ball to Sam Vines, who sent a chipped shot wide of goal. Two minutes later, the Icelandic fullback made a poor back pass intended for Schlegel that went out for a corner.

Orlando dealt with the set piece and then quickly opened the scoring at the other end. Pasalic sent the ball from right to left, finding Ojeda at the top of the box. Ojeda needed a touch to settle it before smashing a shot toward goal. Hansen got an arm to it, but there wass too much power behind it and he couldn’t keep it out. The Lions led 1-0 in the 24th minute. It was Ojeda’s ninth goal of the season, equaling his total output from his first two seasons in Orlando combined.

“I saw that the past months or weeks that (opponents) try to stop my left foot for the shot,” said Pasalic, who picked up the assist. “And there are many people around me, so two, three people every time, and I get a ball on the left foot, and I try to see who is in better position. And I see if Lucho (Muriel) or Tincho (Ojeda) is better to play, because it’s important that we score the goal, not only me. I think the chemistry is good.”

The goal gave Orlando some confidence, as the Lions started playing a bit better afterward. A gift corner kick nearly paid off in the 28th minute when Ojeda’s cross found Schlegel, who contorted to get his head to the ball and the shot was headed into the top right corner if not for a good save by Hansen. Pasalic overcooked his service on the ensuing corner, ending the threat.

The Rapids got back on the front foot before the end of the half, catching Orlando napping a couple of times with quick passes forward. Djordje Mihailovic got wide of Schlegel in the 31st minute and the Argentine took him down just outside the area, picking up a booking that will see him suspended for the Lions’ next game on July 25 at St. Louis. Orlando cleared the set piece, but the Rapids kept coming.

Thorhallsson’s turnover in the corner gave Colorado a quick transition opportunity with numbers forward and Jansson made a vital clearance to keep a cross from reaching an attacker out front, instead conceding a corner in the 36th minute. Orlando cleared but blocked a shot out for another corner on the set piece. The Rapids played it short and Muriel went to ground to make concede yet another corner with a good tackle.

Orlando’s last look of the first half should have been a good one. Pasalic did well to pick out Muriel, who had managed to sneak into some space just outside the box in the middle. However, Muriel’s first touch was a poor one, and by the time he regathered it, he was on his left foot, firing well off target in the 42nd minute.

The Lions were fortunate not to concede late. An incisive run by Mihailovic saw the Rapids attacker blaze past a complacent Atuesta. Pasalic tried to track back and disrupt, but Mihailovic was able to fire a blast just wide of the right post in the 44th minute.

Orlando saw out a minute of stoppage time and took its slim lead into the break.

At the break, the Lions held the advantage in possession (52.3%-47.7%), shots on target (2-0), and passing accuracy (79.4%-73.2%). Colorado attempted more shots (6-5) and won more corners (5-2).

Colorado dominated play after the restart, keeping the Lions penned in their own end. Theodore Ku-Dipietro fizzed a dangerous cross through the area in the 48th minute but couldn’t find a teammate and it went out for a goal kick. Two minutes later, the Rapids finally put a shot on target and it was a good one. Navarro sent a header toward the upper left corner. Gallese made a diving save to keep it out. The Peruvian then had to palm away a couple of dangerous crosses in that didn’t make contact with anyone and were headed inside the right post without his intervention in the 53rd and 54th minutes.

“The confidence that we have with Pedro is intact. We have one of the best goalkeepers in the league,” Pareja said. “What happened in (the) Chicago (game) is in the past, and what happened today, I think, is a lot of kudos to him. He made two great saves today and we’re happy for Pedro and obviously for all of us.”

“They have good players in the front and good counterattacks, but our defense was good today,” Pasalic said when asked about how the Rapids were able to maintain pressure.

Angulo had to make an important tackle in the box in the 57th and just got it right, only to be fouled, taking the pressure off for the moment.

With the one-way traffic in the Rapids’ favor, Pareja made his first sub, sending Araujo on for the largely ineffective Muriel in the 58th minute.

The move settled things down a bit as the Lions were able to slow play down for a spell.

“We had difficulties with Cesar during the week. He had a spasm in his back and he couldn’t train the last two days,” Pareja said. “He was even doubtful to come to Colorado, and we really value his effort to come. He wanted to be part of the game still, so we wanted to limit his minutes. But also, we knew that in the second half, in a place like this one, we may need those legs and that experience. It seemed like we were losing too much territory there, and they were coming with many other players. We couldn’t sustain the ball enough, and when Cesar came in, we looked different, more solid. We could have had the ball better, but I thought the inclusion of Cesar in the game helped us a lot.”

Orlando City even got forward a couple of times, with Ojeda firing wide from a tight angle in the 69th minute. Pasalic then tried his luck from about 35 yards out in the 71st minute. It was a good effort but Hansen was easily able to get down to make the save from that distance.

Mihailovic got inside in the 72nd minute but Gallese did well to make a big save, knocking it wide of the onrushing Darren Yapi.

Pareja sent on Kyle Smith and Ramiro Enrique on before the corner kick, withdrawing Thorhallsson and Pasalic.

The final minutes were difficult ones, with the Lions suffering a lot of Colorado pressure in their defensive third. However, the Rapids only fashioned one chance with that possession. The ball was pinballing around the area and found its way to Navarro on the right side of the box. Orlando did well to pressure him on his jump and the Brazilian sent his header wide in the third minute of injury time.

Orlando saw out the remaining stoppage time and picked up a huge road win.

Colorado finished with the advantage in possession (51%-49%), shots (14-7), and corners (9-2). The Lions put more shots on target (3-2) and passed more efficiently (79.2%-76.1%).

With the win, the Lions climbed to fifth in the tight Eastern Conference race.

“I think it was important that we won this game today, because we lost three points at home and get the three points back today here away,” Pasalic said. “And I think it tastes better when you win away. And under these circumstances, you know, when it’s so, so difficult to breathe and difficult to adapt, you know? And, yeah, I’m really happy that we won this game. Now we have this rest, and I think everybody’s going (into) this rest with a good feeling, and I can’t wait to be back and to win games again.”

“Today, the most important (thing) was to get a result here in the altitude against a good rival that provide us again, more confidence,” Pareja said. “I know we can play better, especially in the second half, but we’re good. We needed these three points and we’re proud of the boys.”

The Lions are off until Wednesday, July 25, when they’ll visit St. Louis City.

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Orlando City

Flashback Friday: June 10, 2023 vs. Colorado Rapids

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a booking-laden match at home that took place a little less than three years ago.

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3 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The World Cup is now officially underway, and while that means Orlando City is on break, we can’t have you forgetting about the Lions while all the international action is taking place. That means its time for another edition of Flashback Friday, where we hop in the trusty time machine and reminisce on OCSC matches of yesteryear.

Last week we relived a rousing road win over the New York Red Bulls from June, 3 2023, and this week, we actually pick up right where we left off, on June 10, 2023 as the Lions returned home to take on the Colorado Rapids.

Coming off a 3-0 win over the Red Bulls in the previous match, Oscar Pareja decided to not mess with a good thing, and kept Orlando City’s same starting XI from that victory. Pedro Gallese was in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo played the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres were the attacking midfielders, and Ercan Kara was deployed as the striker.

In typical June fashion for the City Beautiful, kickoff was delayed by just under an hour as the stadium was pounded by storms, and the delay did not look to have done any favors for Orlando’s sharpness. That said, OCSC did win a corner kick less than a minute into the game, and Torres had a tame shot saved in the eighth minute, but the Lions weren’t consistently sharp with their passing in the early moments of the contest.

The teams traded chances just before the 15-minute mark, with Kara sending a header too high before Cole Bassett sent a shot straight to Gallese. Carlos then picked up a yellow card in the 24th minute, which evened things out between the two teams after Lalas Abubakar was cautioned for the Rapids after just six minutes. Those two bookings proved to be a harbinger of things to come, because Colorado went down to 10 men in the 39th minute after midfielder Braian Galvan caught Angulo with a high boot while his studs were showing.

Pereyra had Orlando’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes in stoppage time but could only send his effort right at goalkeeper Marko Ilic, and that was the last significant action of the half. The Lions ended the half with an edge in possession (59.7%-40.3%), shots (7-2), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (85.3%-79.4%), while both teams won two corners.

Pareja made two moves at halftime, bringing on Rodrigo Schlegel for the once-booked Carlos, and Martin Ojeda for Cartagena in an effort to go more offensive against a shorthanded Rapids side. The Lions certainly looked brighter going forward as the second half got underway and had a few dangerous moments before finally breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute.

Pereyra played a ball across the top of the box for Torres, who took a couple of touches before sending a ball to the net that took a wicked deflection off Andreas Maxsø that carried it past Ilic.

It wasn’t the prettiest goal the Lions have ever scored, but for a team that was guilty at times of passing up good shots in favor of the perfect look at goal, it was proof that sometimes you just need to take shots in dangerous areas.

Fortunately, Orlando seemed to take that lesson to heart. Kara went close in the 65th minute despite shooting through traffic, Angulo had a shot deflected by Abubakar three minutes later, and Torres had another deflected effort go just wide of the post four minutes after that.

The game changed again in the 75th minute, when the Rapids had another player sent off. Abubakar lasted for 69 minutes on a yellow card but got burned by Angulo in midfield and hauled him down in order to prevent the Lions from potentially working a transition opportunity. He had some teammates behind him, but the referee showed him a second yellow card. Pareja smelled blood in the water and just three minutes later he brought on Ramiro Enrique for Smith, who had been given a yellow card in the 52nd minute.

Ilic made a great save on Pereyra in the 81st minute to keep the score at 1-0 and keep the Rapids in the game, but Orlando got its second goal just two minutes later. Torres had the ball on the right side of the box with a Colorado player backing off him, and that gave him ample time to get his head up and pick out a man. He played a ball to Enrique at the top of the box, who had plenty of time to take a couple of touches and send a low shot into the bottom corner past a diving Ilic for his first goal as an Orlando City player.

Somewhat surprisingly, the game started to get a little stretched after the Lions doubled their advantage. Colorado had a shot blocked in the 81st minute, Kara sent a shot very close to the post six minutes after that, and Gallese saved a Darren Yapi attempt in the 88th minute to keep his clean sheet alive. Aside from Pareja handing Alejandro Granados his MLS debut, that was the last significant action of the match, which finished 2-0 to the good guys.

Unsurprisingly, considering Colorado’s deficit in players, the Lions dominated all of the game’s most important statistics. OCSC finished with the advantage in possession (65%-35%), shots (15-4), shots on goal (6-2), corners (5-3), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81.5%).

The victory made it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023, stretched Orlando’s unbeaten run to six, and gave El Pulpo his 100th clean sheet for the team in all competitions.

Marcus Mitchell had the helm for Player Grades in this one, and Torres got his nod for Man of the Match with a goal, an assist, and a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Several other Lions graded out at 7 out of 10, with only one player grading below a 6.

While it was a weird win, it unfortunately was the final game of the unbeaten streak, as the Lions fell to a familiar defeat at Gillette Stadium the following week, although things got back on track soon afterward. I’ll see you back here in a week for another trip down memory lane. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 6/12/26

USMNT plays Paraguay tonight, red cards rain down in World Cup opener, Sporting Kansas City linked with Yann Gboho, and more.

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6 hours ago

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June 12, 2026

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Image of Alex Freeman sliding in celebration of a goal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! The World Cup is in full swing and the U.S. will play today, so it’s a pretty exciting Friday to say the least. I’m a bit of a bundle of nerves about how the team will do, but I’m still looking forward to catching the game. If you have any gameday rituals, be sure to share, so that we can conjure up enough luck and support for the team tonight. Let’s get to the links!

USMNT’s World Cup Campaign Begins Today

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Paraguay at 9 p.m. tonight in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s plenty of pressure on the U.S. to perform well as one of the host nations, and this will also be Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s first time coaching at a World Cup. Pochettino stated that all 26 players are available for selection, including center back Chris Richards, although he may not necessarily start. Former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman, who is the youngest player on the U.S. roster, could make his World Cup debut tonight, so be sure to root for our hometown hero should he take the field. Hopefully, the Yanks can start this tournament off on the right foot with a big win in California.

World Cup Opener Features Three Red Cards

This year’s World Cup began in Mexico City, with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a match that included three red cards. All three were straight red cards given in the second half in separate incidents, as Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off for South Africa before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was shown red in stoppage time. There hasn’t been a World Cup match with that many red cards since the record of four was set in 2006 in a match between Portugal and the Netherlands. As for the game’s goals, Julian Quinones pounced on a mistake by South Africa to give Mexico an early lead and Raul Jimenez doubled that lead while South Africa was reduced to 10 men.

Sporting Kansas City Linked With Yann Gboho

While the World Cup roars on, the rumor mill is in full force as clubs make plans for summer reinforcements. Sporting Kansas City is reportedly pushing to sign Toulouse winger Yann Gboho, who recorded 10 goals and three assists across all competitions this past season. The surprising aspect of this pursuit would be that Toulouse values Gboho at an eye-watering $20 million transfer fee, which would be a club record by a country mile. Kansas City needs all the help it can get on offense, as it has scored just 14 goals in 14 games so far this season.

Jose Mourinho Officially Returns to Real Madrid

It’s been a bit of an open secret over the past few weeks that Jose Mourinho would become Real Madrid’s next manager and it’s now official, with the 63-year-old signing a three-year contract with the Spanish club. Mourinho helped Real Madrid win a La Liga title and the Copa del Rey over a decade ago before his departure in 2013 after three seasons with the club. Now, he joins a Real Madrid side that has finished second in the league standings and been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League the past two seasons. I, for one, can’t wait to see how one of the biggest personalities in soccer works alongside a locker room of star players that seemed in disarray this past season.

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

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Lion Links: 6/11/26

Wilder Cartagena linked with move to Sporting Cristal, Orlando Pride hire Dr. Nicole Surdyka, Barbra Banda injury update, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 11, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jermey Reper

The World Cup is finally here! Today starts what should be an exciting month of international soccer featuring more teams than ever before. While I wasn’t able to part with the arm and leg necessary to afford a ticket to one of the games, I’m still looking forward to watching along when I can with the rest of the world. Let’s get to the links!

Wilder Cartagena Linked With Move to Peruvian Club

You’ll need a translation tool to check out the full details unless you are fluent in Spanish, but Sporting Cristal of Peru’s top flight is reportedly interested in signing Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena. The 31-year-old is currently under contract with Orlando through 2026, with the contact also including a club option for 2027. He was a crucial part to Orlando’s success in 2024, but he missed all of last year and has only started one game so far this season due to injuries. It’s not much more than a rumor as of now, but it’ll be something to keep an eye on during this break in the league schedule.

Barbra Banda Sustained a Hamstring Injury

Zambia Head Coach Nora Hauptle stated that Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda is dealing with a hamstring strain. Banda didn’t play in either of Zambia’s matches during this international break, but Hauptle also noted that she should recover in the next week or two and will be fine for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the end of July. Banda was injured late in the Pride’s 3-1 win against Bay FC on May 29 and it was unclear how severe the injury was. Hopefully she’ll be good to go before the Pride’s match against Angel City FC on July 3.

Dr. Nicole Surdyka Named Orlando Pride Director of Medical & Performance

The Orlando Pride have hired Dr. Nicole Surdyka as their new director of medical and performance. She’ll oversee the Pride’s medical operations, nutrition, and more while also working with Orlando Health. Dr. Surdyka has over a decade of experience that included leadership roles with OL Reign and the LA Galaxy and has studied extensively into developing frameworks for health and performance in women’s soccer.

“Nicole is one of the most respected practitioners in our field, and her expertise in women’s football, return‑to‑play, and high‑performance systems will elevate every aspect of our medical and performance environment,” said Caitlin Carducci, Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager. “Her leadership, her commitment to evidence‑based practice and her passion for supporting athletes make her an exceptional addition to the Pride.”

Analyzing Paraguay Ahead of USMNT World Cup Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play its World Cup opener on Friday when it hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium. It will be the 10th match between the two nations, with the USMNT most recently winning 2-1 against Paraguay in November of last year. There’s a familiar face on Paraguay’s roster in Orlando City midfielder Braian Ojeda, with Miguel Almiron and Andres Cubas as other MLS midfielders called up. Paraguay’s defense is anchored by center back Gustavo Gomez, who you may remember as the player who put former Lion Alex Freeman in a headlock during that aforementioned November friendly. As for Paraguay’s attack, the Yanks will need to keep Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria from wreaking havoc. Paraguay is a physical team that’s also strong in the air, so we’ll see how the USMNT deals with that on Friday.

England Beats Costa Rica 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium

Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium hosted a friendly between England and Costa Rica on Wednesday, with England winning 3-0. Declan Rice gave England an early lead, but Costa Rica kept the Three Lions off the scoresheet until the substitutes came on for England in the second half, with Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins both scoring. England got the full Orlando experience due to a heavy storm that delayed kickoff, but Inter&Co Stadium earned praise for its drainage system that had the pitch ready to roll in no time. Enjoy this satisfying time-lapse video of the transformation provided by the stadium.

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

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