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Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Struggle in the Final Third

Jonathan dos Santos’ 19th-minute goal was the lone score in the Lions’ 1-0 home loss.

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Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Orlando City struggled in the final third and failed to find the back of the net, falling 1-0 to the LA Galaxy in front of 24,712 fans in Orlando City Stadium. The Galaxy (8-5-1, 25 points) needed just one chance to find the back of the net, and Jonathan dos Santos’ 19th-minute goal was the game-winner as the Lions (4-7-3, 15 points) were shut out for the third time in their last five matches. LA snapped its four-game losing streak in the process.

“Obviously, a very bitter game for us to accept,” Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor said. “A stereotypical smash and grab. When you look at the volume of chances that we’ve had, the possession that we had, I think [LA] had just one shot on target, I think it’s a really difficult one to take. When you look at that, it’s hard to say that we deserved to be beaten in that game.” 

O’Connor sent his team out with the same starting XI as last week’s 5-1 beating of FC Cincinnati. The back four of Ruan, Lamine Sané, Robin Jansson, and João Moutinho played together for the fifth time this season, and the chemistry showed as the Galaxy struggled to get many chances.

Orlando started the game as the better team and had all the chances early on. For the first 15 to 20 minutes, the Lions had all the momentum and it looked like Orlando would cruise through the match. 

Chris Mueller and Will Johnson both took shots from distance early on. Galaxy ‘keeper David Bingham saved Mueller’s shot, and Johnson sent his sailing over the bar. Moutinho and Nani had crosses punched away by Bingham.

It looked like Orlando would score in the fifth minute. Brian Rowe initiated a counterattack by quickly punting the ball to Nani into the final third. Nani was unable to find anyone with the low cross though. 

Minutes later, Ruan was taken down just outside the box. Nani and Jansson stood over the ball, and it was the center back who took it. Jansson sent the ball into the stands, but it was a good attempt for the defender. 

Then, in the 19th minute, LA scored against the run of play. Rolf Feltscher got down the wing, and Moutinho was caught too far inside to close him down. Feltscher sent in a low cross that was cleared by Jansson’s left foot, but Orlando was unable to recover the ball, and it rolled out of top of the box. Dos Santos made the Lions pay for it and sent a screamer into the top corner. 

After the goal, the momentum shifted to the Galaxy, and Orlando struggled to get chances. When the Lions did have opportunities in front of goal, the last ball in was too poor. LA did a good job of closing down whoever was on the ball for the Lions and the Galaxy sent two or three players to close down. Orlando could not break this, and it led to many giveaways. 

“We outplayed them for large amounts of the game,” said O’Connor. “We’ve had great opportunities. We just haven’t managed to take the final piece, which is the most important piece. We get into great areas, create opportunities. It’s just incredibly frustrating and the players don’t deserve that.”

In the 31st minute, it looked like Orlando would get back into it. Sebas Méndez was taken down in the box by dos Santos, and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Nani stood over the ball, and for the second week in a row, his spot kick was saved. This time, though, he was unable to pounce on the rebound. 

That was about all the action in the first half and Orlando went into halftime down 1-0. LA had one shot, one shot on target, and one goal — so a perfect conversion rate. Orlando had six shots (three on target) and both teams were converting 84% of their passes. LA had a slight possession advantage (51%-49%).

“The level [of frustration] is very high,” Mueller said. “We wanted to win that game really badly. Felt like it was really important at home to get the three points. We threw everything we could at them. It’s really frustrating not to come away with a win, but we just gotta keep moving forward.” 

Orlando controlled much of the second half, but LA sat back and defended well as a unit. Orlando got off 19 shots, 13 in the second half, but struggled to get many good looks. The majority of the shots were easy saves for Bingham. 

In the 56th minute, O’Connor took out Tesho Akindele and brought in right back Kyle Smith. Ruan then moved farther up the field, and into a winger position. O’Connor talked about how Akindele was tired, but also the need to get Ruan into a higher position up the field. 

“Ruan is really like an attacker anyway,” said O’Connor. “So for us, it was a case of can we isolate him one-on-one and get him into those positions, and he did an excellent job of getting in behind.”

Sacha Kljestan came on in the 67th minute and had a solid game. With his first touch, he sent in a cross to the back post. Smith got on the end of it, but Perry Kitchen cleared it off the line. 

Five minutes later, Ruan sent in a cross, and Kljestan just missed it. Nani was there, but he was falling and didn’t make good contact on it. Then, he sent in a cross looking for Ruan. The ball was a bit short, and LA defended it. On the corner, Mueller got his head to it, and Bingham made a great save to keep the score at 1-0. 

Orlando was pressing at the end, and it looked like the Lions would find a goal, but LA just would not break. Orlando led in shots (19-4), shots on target (7-1), passing accuracy (84%-80%) and held more possession (57%), but the Galaxy came away with the three points.  


Orlando City is back in action on June 1 when the Lions travel to Canada to take on the Montreal Impact at 4 p.m. in Stade Saputo.

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.

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  • 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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

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

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