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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Jacksonville Armada U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 1-0 As Mateos Header Lifts Lions

Orlando City sunk the Jacksonville Armada on a second-half goal by David Mateos to move on to the fifth round of the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

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Matt Starkey, The Mane Land

JACKSONVILLE — Orlando City’s 2016 U.S. Open Cup run is off to a good start. Playing their first game in more than two weeks, and their first match since Sunday’s senseless act of violence, the Lions traveled to Jacksonville for their opening match of the tournament, where they escaped with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Southern Oak Stadium on Jacksonville University’s campus.

The win came as a relief for Orlando City and the club’s fans after a somber week in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shootings that claimed the lives of 49 people.

“It’s been a really emotional few days for everybody, and I’m glad we got this out of the way now and can concentrate on Saturday because it’s going to be another emotionally-charged evening,” Head Coach Adrian Heath said after the match.

In addition to both teams walking out of the locker rooms prior to kickoff wearing purple “#OrlandoUnited” t-shirts, fans applauded throughout the 49th minute as another tribute to the 49 victims. It was a cathartic evening for the club and its traveling supporters.

While nearly the entire team traveled for the match, Heath used a reserve-heavy lineup against the team that was able to beat Orlando City, 2-1, in Jacksonville in a preseason friendly back in February.

David Mateos finally broke the Lions through with his first competitive goal for Orlando City in the 62nd minute, off a corner kick. Julio Baptista headed Antonio Nocerino’s corner ball back towards goal to find Mateos, who knocked in the game’s only goal, which ultimately was enough to send the Lions through the to next round of the tournament.

Neither team overly dominated the play through any point in the first half. Although Orlando City did control most of the better possession, the team struggled to put together dangerous opportunities after 17 days between competitive matches.

Orlando City nearly made it 1-0 before the crowd of 2,155 had time to sit down. Carlos Rivas used his speed to turn the corner on the Lions’ left side and squared a ball back across the box into the path of Julio Baptista. The Beast had a sitter on his foot but shot high over the bar from close range.

Jacksonville came up with its first real chance of the game 21 minutes in, when Junior Sandoval ripped a shot on goal from the right side of the box, but Earl Edwards Jr. was able to get a diving hand on the ball to knock it away for a corner kick.

Orlando City’s next best chance of the first half came in the 42nd minute, when Rivas rocketed a free kick goal just over the cross bar from about 30 yards out.

The Armada came back out as the better side at the start of the second half, but none of that mattered once Mateos put his far post header past former Orlando City goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo to put the Lions ahead, 1-0.

Rivas, who was very much involved in the game, although ineffective, put a header off a corner on goal minutes later, but was denied by Gallardo, who pawed it off the line.

As time wore down, the NASL side continued to apply pressure on Orlando’s defense, which had been putting up a solid performance throughout the night. Edwards, who started in goal for Orlando City, came up with one of his biggest plays in the game in the 91st minute off a counter attack, coming off his line to collect a through-ball and effectively stop the Armada’s final dangerous threat.

“The second (half) I thought we played some good stuff, and we had great chance early on — Julio [Baptista] had a great chance,” Heath said. “I’ve said it a million times, goals change games, and had we went up then we would have had a bit more composure on the ball. I thought the second half when we sort of moved the shape around a little bit I thought it was a lot better.

“I’m glad we got out of it, it looks like we’ve come through unscathed, and we’ll get them in tomorrow and get ourselves prepared for what will be a big game for us on Saturday.”

The win puts Orlando City through to the fifth round of the Open Cup. The club will find out its opponent at noon on Thursday. The Lions will get back into MLS play when they host the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday at Camping World Stadium at 7:30 p.m.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/29/24

Lions brace for the Red Bulls, Pride take on Chicago, OCB will play Inter Miami II in Bradenton, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday! Today marks one year since we here at The Mane Land published our first story here at our new independent home. It’s a bit hard to believe that it’s already been a year. Thank you all for sticking with us or checking us out since our move. That kind of support goes farther than you might think. I joined the team back in October of 2016 as an editor and it’s only just now hitting me that I’ve been here for nearly a quarter of my entire life. Here’s hoping for another great year of independence and Orlando soccer!

Orlando City Set to Host New York Red Bulls

Orlando City’s match at home Saturday night against the New York Red Bulls was noted as one of the top matches in the league this weekend. The Lions earned their first win of the MLS season last weekend and will look to build on that momentum heading into tomorrow. The Lions will also get a boost from players returning from international duty, with Duncan McGuire, Facundo Torres, David Brekalo, and Peruvian duo Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena back. They’ll have their hands full against a New York team that’s coming off of a 4-0 win over Inter Miami. Lewis Morgan had a hat trick in that match and Orlando’s defense will have to find a way to keep him and the rest of the Red Bulls from running rampant.

Orlando Pride Take On Chicago Tonight

The Orlando Pride’s third match of the NWSL season kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. when they host the Chicago Red Stars. The Pride enter this match following a gritty 1-1 draw against Angel City FC, with Brazilians Angelina and Marta linking up on a corner kick for a late equalizer. One thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s match will be how the Pride’s shorthanded defense can limit Chicago’s attack. The Pride have targeted versatile players while rebuilding, and that proved to be worth it last week as multiple players stepped up to fortify the back line. The last time these two sides squared off in Orlando was in August of last year, with the Pride coming up with a big 5-0 win. Hopefully we get to see a similar result tonight.

OCB Match Will Be Part of Generation Adidas Cup

Tuesday’s MLS NEXT Pro match between Orlando City B and Inter Miami II will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton and will be part of this year’s Generation Adidas Cup. The participating teams of the tournament were invited to attend the match, along with their families, and fans can watch the match for free on the league website. The match will be broadcast in English, but a new AI dubbing platform will be used to instantly translate it into Spanish, French, and Portuguese. It will supposedly maintain voice and tone, so I’m morbidly curious to hear just how artificial it will sound.

Generations Adidas Cup Kicks Off Tomorrow

Speaking of the Generation Adidas Cup, the youth tournament kicks off tomorrow. All MLS academy teams will compete alongside some of the top youth teams from around the world in both the U-15 and U-17 age groups. Orlando City’s U-15 side was noted as one to watch after a strong run of form this year. Caleb Trombino has been solid defensively and Jakob Garcia has the attacking talent to light it up in this tournament. The team can make a statement when it takes on Arsenal’s U-15 squad at 10 a.m. this Sunday. That match, along with 27 others, will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass.

Free Kicks

  • The Lions received some special visitors for their training.
  • Somehow, the Seattle Reign’s Ji So-Yun beat Marta to win NWSL Goal of the Week.

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Three Keys to Victory

What does Orlando City need to do to earn a second victory in a row at home this Saturday?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City is coming off its first win of the MLS regular season and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference matchup against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions will have several players back from international duty, making Oscar Pareja’s job a bit easier, although some of them will be on short rest. What does Orlando City need to do to earn all three points against the Red Bulls?

Stop Morgan

Lewis Morgan has been on a tear this season with five goals in five matches. That is more than every Orlando City player combined so far this season. The Red Bulls were held scoreless in two matches, meaning those five goals have come in three matches, with Morgan scoring a hat trick against Inter Miami. I love that he took it to the Herons like that, but I’m going to need him to cool off a bit against the Lions.

If Orlando City is to stop Morgan it will take excellent defending from the Lions’ back line and of course Pedro Gallese, who is returning from international duty. Orlando City also gets Wilder Cartagena and David Brekalo back, meaning more of the first choice lineup will be available to keep a clean sheet. With the match at home, earning a clean sheet is all the more important.

Proper Rest and Preperation

It might seem silly to say, but having more than a few days between matches is conducive to earning points. When Orlando City was participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the Lions never had time to properly recover or train with a game plan for the next match. Now, the Lions are able to do so, and the result against Austin FC reflects that.

Pareja is a top level MLS coach. We know that he has a plan for about the first 20 minutes of any match, and then makes adjustments throughout the remainder of the match. Even so, many of those adjustments have been planned out prior to the match. That, paired with a more rested roster, allows the Lions to be the protagonists Pareja wants them to be.

Shots, Shots, Shots

Orlando City was able to create plenty of chances against Austin FC, and will need to do so again against the Red Bulls. The Lions took 22 shots Saturday night, with eight on target, and they put two in the back of the net against Austin. Hopefully, Orlando City can be more efficient going forward, but if you don’t create opportunities, you won’t score.

The Red Bulls have some decent defenders who Orlando City will have to deal with, including fullback John Tolkin and Carlos Coronel at keeper. If the Lions can pass even close to the way they did against Austin, the opportunities will come, and if that is the case, hopefully the goals will come. Orlando City still has a sizable goal deficit, thanks to the early part of the season, that can only be corrected with more goals on the other end.


That is what I will be looking for this Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

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

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