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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Rally From Two Down

Another controversial video review goes against Orlando City late.

Published

7 years ago

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City recovered from giving up two first-half goals but could have won had yet another controversial video review not gone against the Lions. Maxime Chanot’s handball on a Dom Dwyer attempt was not called and then not overturned on video review, as the Lions drew New York City FC 2-2 at Orlando City Stadium. The Lions (0-0-1, 1 point) snapped a four-game losing streak to NYCFC (0-0-1, 1 point) and are now 5-5-3 in the all-time series.

“We felt we didn’t deserve to be two-nil down, but we were two-nil down,” said Head Coach James O’Connor after the game. “So, like we said, you either sit and feel sorry for yourself or you get out and you keep believing and you keep pushing and you keep doing the things that we’d spoken about. And I think we were very unfortunate not to go on and win the game at the end. I think there was some kind of controversy or some handball or something, so we go from two-nil down to having a real opportunity to go and win the game.”

O’Connor opted to start mainly the same team that faced NYCFC two weeks ago in the Orlando City Invitational. With Nani having missed a few days of training and flying back a day before the match, the Portuguese star began the game on the bench. He was alongside Dwyer, who was fit enough to be available but not 90-minute match fit after missing the bulk of preseason. Lamine Sané didn’t even make the 18, as O’Connor’s back line featured rookie Kamal Miller, newcomer Alex De John, and Shane O’Neill.

City began the game with good spells of possession but the Lions weren’t really able to generate a lot of clear-cut chances, as the New York City defense and midfield kept the lads in purple away from goalkeeper Sean Johnson. Still, the first shot of the half came five minutes in when Will Johnson fired just inches wide of the post.

New York scored in the 13th minute through Ebenezer Ofori, who was given too much space about 25 yards out, straight above the penalty area. Sebas Mendez was slow to close Ofori down and his shot was hit with power and was well placed just inside Brian Rowe’s post to make it 1-0.

Chris Mueller should have tied the game two minutes later. He was slipped into the top of the area by O’Neill and had either side to choose from but he fired wide of the right post in a chance he’ll no doubt want back.

A minute later, Sacha Kljestan shot from just inside the top of the area but didn’t get all of it and hit it right at Sean Johnson.

Will Johnson (no relation) took a nice layoff pass from Kljestan above the area in the 25th minute but got under it and fired well over the bar, as the Lions missed the net on seven of their eight first-half shot attempts. Eventually the attack started to become just lumping the ball over the top for Tesho Akindele, but he was a lone wolf against three defenders most times, and that was never going to work.

Assistant referee Kevin Klinger appeared to pull a hamstring late in the half and had to switch out with the fourth official in an incident you don’t see every day.

Orlando was lucky not to give up a goal in the 41st minute when Chanot’s free header on a corner kick was sent wide of goal. But the Pigeons got a second just before halftime through Alexander Ring, who took a pass from Alexandru Mitrita, which nutmegged De John, and got in behind the defense before beating Rowe to make it 2-0.

Minutes later, the first half mercifully ended. Orlando City held 62% of the possession to just 38% for NYCFC, but the Lions had little purpose in their attack, despite also being the better passing side (82%-75%). Shots were 8-6 Orlando (1-3 on target, however).

“I thought we were extremely unlucky to be going in two-nil down,” O’Connor said. “I think when you look at the balance of play first half, we had a lot of possession, we were camped in their half, we had multiple good opportunities — I think we were all a little frustrated to go in two-nil down.”

The tide turned in the second half, but it took a few minutes. Kyle Smith had the first good opportunity of the second half, forcing a good Sean Johnson save in the 51st minute. De John got under the cross on the ensuing corner and couldn’t direct Mueller’s pass on frame, as it was just a bit high.

But Mueller pulled the Lions back into the game in the 59th minute. After Kljestan was pulled down out on the left side, just above the penalty area, Mueller stepped up to the ball. The second-year player delivered a dangerous ball into the box that took a bounce and found its way inside the back post. The delivery forced Sean Johnson to decide between playing the oncoming attackers or the ball, and he could only watch as Mueller made it 2-1.

“I just wanted to put it into a dangerous area,” Mueller said. “And I made sure that if no one got a touch onto it, it would creep into that back post area and that’s exactly what ended up happening. So it was good to get the team back into the game.”

Mueller’s goal was the first scored by any Lion in a competitive game against NYCFC since Cyle Larin’s second goal in a 2-1 win on April 23, 2017.

The teams battled back and forth, mostly in the middle of the pitch, for the next 10 minutes or so, and then the game changed again when O’Connor sent Dwyer and Nani onto the pitch in exchange for Smith and Mendez.

“You could hear it, couldn’t you, in the stadium?” Mueller said when asked if he could feel the energy change when Nani and Dwyer checked in. “It got pretty loud in the stadium and I think that just gave us a little bit of an extra boost. Guys were getting tired and they came on and they created a very nice goal together. It was awesome.”

Just five minutes after coming on, Nani — on one of his first few touches as a Lion — unlocked the NYCFC defense with one long pass, sending Dwyer behind the back line on the left. Dom drew Johnson over toward him and slipped a centering pass to Akindele, who tapped it in to open his Orlando City account.

“I thought they came in and they made a huge impact,” Akindele said of Nani and Dwyer entering the game. “I think one of Nani’s first touches was the pass to set Dom through. One of Dom’s first touches was an assist. So that just shows the quality they bring and the depth we have up top.”

Akindele had to leave the game after the goal but said he was just cramping up due to the heat and the effort put into the match.

“I was like, happy (after scoring the goal), but then my body was cramping, so it was kind of weird,” he said, laughing. “I was trying to be like real happy and celebrate but I couldn’t. So, next time maybe I’ll have a better celebration.”

With the game tied, Orlando looked for the winner and it appeared the Lions had their chance to grab it in the 80th minute. Mueller sent in a good cross that Dwyer knocked toward goal. The ball hit Chanot’s arm and Dwyer emphatically screamed for a penalty. Once there was a stop in play, video assistant referee Jose Carlos Rivero buzzed down to referee Baldomero Toledo, who stopped the game and reviewed the play on a monitor.

Although replays show Chanot’s hand out away from his body and moving in a way so as to block the flight of the ball, Toledo did not overturn the play and no penalty was awarded. Following the game, the game officials issued this statement to the pool reporter covering the game:

“The VAR recommended a review for a potential handling in the penalty area. After review, the referee determined that the defender did not deliberately handle the ball.”

O’Connor clarified that he hadn’t seen a good replay of the incident in the box but several players had told him it was a clear-cut handball.

The Pigeons had one more good opportunity, but Rowe was able to deny Mitrita from a tight angle late in the game, and, after 90 minutes plus four minutes of stoppage time, neither team had a win.

Shots for the match were even at 13 apiece, with New York City putting six on frame to Orlando’s four. The Lions held 58% of the possession to NYCFC’s 42%, and Orlando connected on 80% of its passes to the visitors’ 73%.

“I felt like overall the team’s performance was really good. It definitely hurts not to get the three points on the first day but I think that we showed a lot of character fighting back.,” Mueller said.

“I think it’s cool to see the response but obviously you don’t want to put yourself in a position where we go down at all,” Akindele said. “And to be honest, I think that start to finish, I think we outplayed them. I think they had two chances against the run of play that they did really well, that they took advantage of, but honestly I think we completely outplayed them.”

Nani said after the game that he was feeling the effects of the travel but he hopes to be able to start “after a very good week of training.” O’Connor said he went through several instances in his mind of when he’d bring in Nani and Dwyer, who hadn’t trained much with the team this preseason.

“I think if I’m being honest I didn’t envision the two lads getting the minutes that they did,” O’Connor said of his plan on when to use Nani and Dwyer. “But I knew in the back of my mind if we needed a goal or we needed something to change the game, then them two were going to go on. They both deserve a lot of credit because they’ve not done a lot of training. To go on and impact the game like they did, some of the play and the heart that they showed was really encouraging.”

With yet another first-game draw, the Lions are now 1-0-4 in their opening day matches since joining the league.

Orlando City will be back in action next Saturday at the Chicago Fire. Game time is 1 p.m.

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Orlando City

Orlando City and the Orlando Pride: Positions Available

Both the Lions and the Pride have positions of need, and they’re more similar than you think.

Published

59 minutes ago

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June 18, 2026

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Image of Wilder Cartagena playing the ball as Robin Jansson looks on.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

As we eagerly await the arrival of Antoine Griezmann, I got to thinking about positions of need for Orlando City. That led to doing the same for the Orlando Pride, and I came to a realization. The two Orlando sides have very similar positions of need. I’m not saying they are identical, but perhaps a joint shopping trip isn’t the worst idea. Let’s take a look at where the two clubs need some help.

Got Any More of Those Center Backs?

Orlando City has rotated plenty along the back line this season and it’s a big reason why the club is on a record-breaking pace when it comes to conceding goals. Robin Jansson was missing due to injury for the first part of the season, and his return certainly helped, but he is getting older and won’t be around forever. Iago started pretty shakily, and while his performance has improved, he’s not where he needs to be yet. David Brekalo keeps getting moved between center back and left back, depending on the situation, and Nolan Miller is barely seeing time.

The Orlando Pride lost Emily Sams and understandably haven’t been able to replace her yet. I continue to believe that Hailie Mace was the intended replacement, but that experiment has run its course and we’re mostly seeing her at right back. Rafaelle seems to finally be healthy and is the stabilizing force on the back line, but she can’t do it alone. Cori Dyke has been playing in the middle and has been serviceable, but is she a long-term answer at center back?

What both teams have is an experienced, if older, center back paired with a young or out-of -position partner. That is not a recipe for success. When the Pride won the double, they had an excellent pair of center backs. I think both teams need to add another veteran center back to shore up the back line to stop bleeding goals. The Lions are more guilty than the Pride, but both need help.

Same Coin/Different Sides

When it comes to the attack, both squads need another attacker, but the need is the opposite of the other. Orlando City has Martin Ojeda playing well and scoring plenty of goals. The arrival of Griezmann will help Ojeda and the other players create space and get more opportunities. Where the Lions need another body is at striker. In the past, Duncan McGuire looked like he could be that guy, but he hasn’t gotten back to consistent form ever since his back-to-back shoulder injuries. Orlando City needs McGuire to get his mojo back or to add another target striker.

The Pride have a different problem. Barbra Banda is leading the Golden Boot race in 2026 and is often unstoppable. The problem is she isn’t getting much help. We have yet to see Banda, Marta, and Jacquie Ovalle play together. That was supposed to become the Pride’s deadly attacking trio, but it hasn’t happened thanks to injuries. If Seb Hines can get all of those players on the pitch together consistently it will crack open defenses. Of course, Marta is unlikely to continue much longer, and even now seems to only be able to provide a limited number of minutes. Her replacement is needed so that the team can have continuity.

Midfield Identity

For a long time, Orlando City counted on Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena to provide one of the best defensive midfields in MLS. Either could go forward or be a destroyer at the back, though I’ll give Cartagena the nod on the destroying end. Braian Ojeda has been serviceable and I’d say improving as of late. Eduard Atuesta has gotten worse in his time with the Lions. The team may need to find another destroyer if Cartagena can’t get back into form — and will need a partner for him even if he does.

I think the midfield issues for the Pride run even deeper. Setting aside Marta, her Brazilian teammate Angelina hasn’t been as effective as years past. Ally Lemos gets all the minutes she wants, but she isn’t producing enough to warrant it in my opinion, and out on the wing, Solai Washington is young and has been injured in recent weeks. Haley McCutcheon is a solid player who has the (very) occasional great game, chipping in a goal here and there. The team is missing the connection between the defense and the offense, and that is why we’ve seen so much route one service to Banda. If Angelina can’t return to form, or if the younger players don’t make the leap, then adding an experienced playmaker to the midfield is crucial if the Pride want more hardware.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/18/26

Marco Pasalic’s journey to the World Cup, analyzing Australia before USMNT game, Angel City FC and Alex Straus part ways, and more.

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4 hours ago

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June 18, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

We’re a week into this year’s World Cup and I’ve been enjoying the action so far. The star players have been living up to expectations for the most part, and it’s been fairly competitive in my opinion. Before we get to today’s links from around the soccer world, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle!

Marco Pasalic’s Journey to the World Cup

Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic made his World Cup debut Wednesday, coming off the bench for Croatia and putting a shot on target in his team’s 4-2 loss to England. While not a great result, it’s still a momentous time for Pasalic, who spoke prior to the tournament on his soccer journey. The 25-year-old shared details about his upbringing as part of a refugee family in Germany and the importance of maintaining his connection with Croatia over the years. Pasalic also gave insight on the gratitude he has towards Orlando City for the opportunities he’s had since becoming a Lion.

“You saw it when I played my first game here, that I felt really well, two goals in the first match. No other club did I score in my debut,” he said. “The last season speaks for itself, that I felt really good. I have to be thankful that this club gives me the opportunity to play so many games. I got the recall up for the national team, because I gained it here through the trust of the club, the trust of everybody here, and I could provide it on the field.”

Analyzing Australia Ahead of USMNT Match

The United States Men’s National Team will play Australia on Friday in a pivotal World Cup game with control of Group D on the line. This will only be the fifth match between the two nations, with the most recent match being a 2-1 U.S. win in October. Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach surprisingly started over captain Mathew Ryan and had eight saves in Australia’s 2-0 win over Turkiye, with center backs Alessandro Circati and Harry Souttar doing their part defensively as well. As for Australia’s attack, the U.S. will need to find a way to limit Nestory Irankunda, who scored against Turkiye and can do damage on the counter or from set pieces. At 6-foot-6, forward Tete Yengi is another Australian to keep an eye out for and he could make an impact off the bench.

Angel City FC Parts Ways With Alex Straus

Alex Straus is no longer Angel City’s head coach, with the two parting ways during this break in the league schedule. Angel City got off to a hot start this season, with Straus named NWSL Coach of the Month for March, but has since only won one of its past eight games. Straus officially joined the club in June of last year after winning three consecutive league titles with Bayern Munich, and now his time with Angel City comes to a close just a little over a year later. Leif Gunnar Smerud will serve as Angel City’s interim head coach moving forward while the club searches for its fourth head coach in its short club history.

Gotham FC and Angel City Make Big Moves

Angel City will also be without Kennedy Fuller, as the 19-year-old midfielder was traded to Bay FC in exchange for $500,000 in Intraleague Transfer Funds and $20,000 in Allocation Money. That’s not all Angel City is up to though, as it has reportedly signed American attacker Ally Sentnor from the Kansas City Current for a $850,000 transfer fee as well.

Gotham FC is wheeling and dealing too, trading 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale to the Boston Legacy for $350,000 in Allocation Money and $50,000 in Intraleague Transfer Funds. The Massachusetts native should bolster a Boston defense still searching for its first clean sheet. Gotham is also reportedly set to sign Australian forward Sam Kerr as a free agent. The 32-year-old previously played for Gotham back when the club was named Sky Blue FC and should bring some firepower to a loaded team that’s somehow only scored 12 goals in 11 games this season.

2026 FIFA World Cup Roundup

Harry Kane scored twice in England’s aforementioned 4-2 win over Croatia in Arlington. FC Dallas forward Petar Musa scored an equalizer for Croatia right before the half in an emotional moment, but Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford both scored in the second half to lift England to victory. In Houston, Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo battled to a 1-1 draw. While an unexpected result, the DR Congo is a talented side that eliminated Nigeria, Jamaica, and Cameroon in order to qualify. Ghana beat Panama 1-0 thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi scoring deep in stoppage time in a rainy match in Toronto.

Today’s action features Group A and Group B, with Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau and Canada set to take on Qatar. Fellow co-host Mexico will face South Korea and either nation can qualify for the knockout round with a win if Czechia and South Africa draw in the other Group A game.

Free Kicks

  • Here’s the first look at next year’s biopic about Marta, with Alice Carvalho starring as the legendary forward.

🎥: First look at the Marta biopic, set for release in 2027!The film will follow the remarkable career of Brazilian football icon Marta, with Alice Carvalho—star of The Secret Agent—portraying the legendary forward 🐐🇧🇷📸: Laura Campanella, O GLOBO

— The Women's Game (@womensgamemib.bsky.social) 2026-06-17T14:51:49.053Z

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/17/26

Griezmann signing graded, USMNT news, World Cup results, and more.

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1 day ago

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June 17, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann signing his Orlando City contract.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! We’re into the thick of the World Cup group stage, and so far it’s been undeniably entertaining. My only complaint is that I’m not independently wealthy and still have to work during the day rather than travel to and pay the stupid ticket prices to watch whichever matches I want. Oh well, until that happens let’s get to the links, but not before we wish Orlando Pride midfielder Summer Yates a happy birthday.

Griezmann Signing Graded

There were plenty of big signings this summer transfer window, including Orlando City securing the services of Antoine Griezmann. Unsurprisingly, the Lions earned top marks for bringing the Frenchman to the City Beautiful. You might not know all there is to know about Orlando City’s newest Designated Player and may want more information on him and why he isn’t with France at the World Cup. Obviously, he retired from international football. Fortunately, he didn’t retire from club football.

USMNT vs. Australia

The USMNT plays Australia in the second match of the group stage this Friday at 3 p.m. The U.S. is coming off a dominating win over Paraguay, but Australia managed a pretty good win over a tough Türkiye team. There has been a lot of talk by U.S. pundits before the tournament about Mike Grella’s remark that Australia would be a “layup,” and the Socceroos are using that as bulletin board material. It’s an intriguing matchup since Australia, like Paraguay, favors a low block and attacking on the counter. The U.S. effectively shut down Paraguay when it tried the same thing. Can the U.S. replicate its performance from the first match on Friday? That is why they play the game. If you’re looking for somewhere to watch the match in the Orlando area, here is your guide.

Even More USMNT News

It’s all too often that we get over-hyped after a win like the USMNT over Paraguay, but is that the case this time, or can the team make a deep run into the tournament? With Australia up next, U.S. supporters are concerned about the health of Christian Pulisic. According to Mauricio Pochettino, he’s all good. Meanwhile, Haji Wright remembers scoring a brace against the Aussies when the teams met in a friendly. Wright was an unused sub in the first World Cup match, but perhaps he’ll have a chance on Friday. Wright says that Türkiye came into the match too confident, but the U.S. knows how dangerous Australia is and won’t make that same mistake.

World Cup Results

The two early matches on Tuesday were enjoyable even if the results were a little more what we expected. Kylian Mbappé scored a brace in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal. Bradley Barcola scored France’s second goal and Ibrahim Mbaye scored Senegal’s lone goal. In the second match, Erling Haaland also scored a brace in Norway’s 4-1 victory over Iraq. Aymen Hussein scored Iraq’s only goal. Unfortunately for him, he also scored an own goal for Norway. It is nice that Mbappé and Haaland wanted to emulate Folarin Balogun. Thankfully, the Argentina versus Algeria match was late enough that I did not have to write about it or that Lionel Messi guy.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. We’re only two days from the USMNT versus Australia, and I’m ready to run through a brick wall — metaphorically speaking. We also have OCB this weekend, so make time to watch the Young Lions. Vamos Orlando!

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