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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 5-0 as Makeshift Lions Lineup Gets Run Off the Pitch

Things didn’t seem likely to go Orlando City’s way from the moment the team sheet dropped.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played a clear B team against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium and when teams do that in Major League Soccer, they generally get killed. So it was with the Lions, as they were run off the tiny pitch at Yankee Stadium, losing 5-0 at NYCFC.

Orlando City (7-4-4, 25 points) has just one win in its last five matches, while a New York City FC (7-5-2, 23 points) club that had been struggling to score goals ran rampant. Not only did Orlando take its third loss in five and suffer its worst loss under Head Coach Oscar Pareja, but the Lions also lost a lot of ground in the goal differential column. Orlando lost more ground to New England.

“Very difficult game,” Pareja said. “I think New York from the first minutes started just getting space. We couldn’t find a way to match the game. What I can tell you is our team is intact and we will bounce back. We go with no excuses. Tonight nothing bounced our way. We didn’t play well. We couldn’t put passes together. We have commitment with ourselves, and we will look in the mirror to see what needs to be better.”

Pareja went with the makeshiftiest of makeshift lineups. With Mauricio Pereyra suspended due to yellow card accumulation, Alexandre Pato apparently still out — despite having trained with the club for the last couple of weeks — and Nani and Chris Mueller not on the game-day roster, the bench featured two goalkeepers and five defenders, along with little-used Homegrown midfielder David Loera.

This lineup never seemed likely to get a result and was never close to getting one in this match.

Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Emmanuel Mas — making his first MLS appearance/start — Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Joey DeZart stepped into the starting central midfield with Uri Rosell, with Alexander Alvarado getting his first MLS start, along with Andres Perea in the facilitator roles for Benji Michel and Silvester van der Water at the top of the attack.

“We had a different look today with some different players,” Pareja said. “We had some challenges, but we’re not going to talk about those challenges, because I don’t want to make it sound like an excuse and we’re not going to have any excuse.”

It was Orlando’s first league game without Nani, Pereyra, or Junior Urso in the starting lineup since Aug. 3, 2019 and the first league game without any of them on the team sheet since July 18, 2019. It showed.

As one might reasonably expect from such a disjointed lineup, there was no cohesion going forward. The Lions were not able to string passes together in the attacking half, and when they did, there were heavy touches that allowed New York City FC to take the ball away or there was confusion between players not knowing where to put the next ball. On a few occasions when everything else went right, a player would slip on the Yankee Stadium turf at the critical moment to spoil the buildup.

Maxi Moralez had the first good opportunity of the game in the 14th minute, heading wide off a cross from Keaton Parks. Orlando was well positioned for the cross, but the diminutive Moralez was able to get in front of his defender to get his head to it.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi should have scored in the 17th minute but sent his shot wide. Mas did just enough to bother him to force the error. Two minutes later, no one closed down Moralez just outside the area and he sent a back-post ball that hit the top of the goal frame.

The Lions got their only good chance of the first half in the 20th minute. Perea sent van der Water in down the left and the Dutchman fired a blast on target but right at goalkeeper Luis Barraza, who made the save but spilled it. The defense came to his rescue and knocked it out for a corner.

The ensuing cross skipped into the box but NYCFC found the handle first and cleared.

After the water break, just past the half-hour mark, the Pigeons started circling. New York City FC started taking advantage of Orlando sagging from the wide areas and started fizzing in dangerous low crosses. In the 35th minute, Gallese made a spectacular point-blank save on Tajouri-Shradi and he did the same a minute later against Valentin Castellanos.

The breakthrough came in the 40th minute. A routine ball was sent forward for Castellanos, who grabbed Carlos, pushed him backward about five yards, and wrapped his arm around him. As a result, Carlos was off balance when he tried to clear and swung and missed the ball, hitting Castellanos instead. Medina picked up the loose ball and smashed a shot just under the crossbar to open the scoring. Carlos was booked on a play that easily could have been blown dead and ended in a yellow to Castellanos, but instead the hosts led 1-0.

Watch how far Castellanos moves Carlos on this play.

Had that not counted, it would hardly have kept NYCFC from winning the game easily, but it was the first leak in the dam for Orlando City.

DeZart freed himself for a shot in stoppage time but sent his effort well off target and that was the last decent look of the half.

NYCFC led in shots (10-3), shots on target (4-1), possession (57.8%-42.2%), and passing accuracy (80.8%-71.%). Each team had two corners.

Pareja made two changes at the break. He sent Ruan on for Smith, giving El Soldado his first minutes of rest all season. He also put Robin Jansson on for van der Water, moving to three at the back.

The Lions should have tied the match two minutes after the restart. Michel got down the right and crossed in to Perea just two yards in front of goal, but the shot was hit right at Barraza for an easy save. The Lions are left to wonder how the game might have unfolded had Perea knotted the score at the start of the second period, giving the inexperienced lineup some confidence.

Instead, NYCFC seized control of the match.

Jansson misplayed Castellanos in the 50th, allowing the forward to get around him for a shot, but Gallese snared the chip attempt out of the air. Things got worse after that.

Tajouri-Shradi doubled the lead in the 53rd minute, isolating against Schlegel on the edge of the box. Mas was inside and couldn’t get over to help and Rosell slipped trying to close down, allowing the attacking player to smash a shot that Gallese perhaps should have parried away. The shot went through him and in to make it 2-0.

Moralez tried to chip Gallese in the 55th minute from long range, but the Peruvian scrambled back to make the save. Gallese made another big save in the 63rd minute to deny Castellanos. A minute later, Moralez was left completely unmarked at the back post but hit his volley attempt wide.

Orlando finally looked to get out on the break in the 65th as a long throw found Michel down the left channel behind the defense. He turned toward goal, saw no options and ended up losing the ball trying to pass back.

Seconds later, Moralez crushed any hope of getting a point out of the match, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The closest the Lions came to scoring in the final half hour was a Maxime Chanot header that came dangerously close to being an own goal in the 72nd minute.

Malte Amundsen made it 4-0 in the 79th minute on a give-and-go that looked obvious on television but the Lions were slow to cover it.

Castellanos added a fifth just three minutes later off the rebound of another spectacular Gallese save.

Despite the big lead and Orlando playing five at the back, as well as defensive-minded players in the midfield, New York City FC just kept generating chances. Gallese was obviously struggling health-wise late in the match after a collision with Thiago during a clearance made him land awkwardly. But eventually the game mercifully came to an end.

New York City FC dominated the stat sheet, out-shooting the Lions 23-5 (15-3 on target), holding way more possession (61.1%-38.9%), earning more corners (6-5), and passing much more accurately (84%-74.8%).

“Just overall it was not a good game,” Carlos said through a club interpreter. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong. It was a day that the team couldn’t string together two passes. We’re  going to get back to training and start working on all of the things that went wrong today.”

“How do we advance past this and how do we correct the mistakes that we had today is we just wake up tomorrow and automatically turn the page and look at getting ready for this weekend’s game, obviously hoping to change the outcome,” Mas said through a club interpreter.

The Lions have a lot of soul searching to do before kicking off back-to-back rivalry matches at home on Friday when Atlanta United visits Exploria Stadium.

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Lion Links: 10/27/26

Martin Ojeda named to MLS Team of the Matchday bench, MLS and NWSL power rankings, Diego Chara will retire in 2027, and more.

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8 hours ago

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October 27, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda fighting for the ball against LAFC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m looking forward to the time changing this weekend so I can enjoy an extra hour of sleep. The cooler weather has made staying bundled up in bed seem like paradise. Let’s get this Tuesday morning started with today’s links from around the soccer world.

Martin Ojeda Makes MLS Team of the Matchday Bench

Orlando City star Martin Ojeda earned a spot on the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance in the team’s 2-2 draw against New York City FC. He contributed to both of Orlando’s goals, providing an excellent cross for the assist on Antoine Griezmann’s goal before scoring himself in the second half. It was another great showing from Ojeda, who received Man of the Match honors in our player grades from the match as well. The 27-year-old now has 16 goals and five assists this season as a key part of Orlando’s attack. Hopefully, he can find the back of the net again when the Lions play on the road against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday.

Orlando City Drops in MLS Power Rankings

The Lions fell two spots to 11th in ESPN‘s MLS power rankings after blowing a lead late against NYCFC. It’s another disappointing result with dropped points, but the Lions are unbeaten in their last four games. Of their remaining three opponents, all three are above them in the Eastern Conference and both the Chicago Fire and New England are in the top five of these power rankings. Charlotte FC fell six spots to 13th though following its 3-2 loss to the Portland Timbers.

NWSL Power Rankings Ahead of Decision Day

The Orlando Pride remained in 13th in ESPN‘s NWSL power rankings following a 2-1 loss to Gotham FC. The Pride ultimately weren’t able to stop Gotham from leaving the City Beautiful with all three points, but they at least created good chances against the league’s top team. Orlando is already eliminated from playoff contention but will still be part of an important game on Decision Day against the Seattle Reign on Sunday. The Reign are just two points ahead of the North Carolina Courage and three points ahead of the Denver Summit as the three fight for a playoff spot, so the Pride have a chance to play spoiler.

Diego Chara Will Retire After 2027 MLS Sprint Season

Portland Timbers defensive midfielder Diego Chara announced that he will retire from professional soccer next year after the 2027 MLS Sprint Season. He’s been with the Timbers for the entirety of his MLS career, joining the club as its first Designated Player back in 2011. He’s made more than 500 appearances with the club across all competitions and helped the Timbers win the 2015 MLS Cup and the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament. Despite still playing regularly for the club, the 40-year-old spoke on how he’s nearing the end of his career.

“Once you cross the line of 35 years old, you start thinking about what is next. That happened to me,” said Chara of retirement. “I always prepare myself to be competitive, try to give the performance, but at some point the body says, ‘Ok, it’s enough.’ 

“I think I’m getting that moment, and for me, I think it is the right time to do it.”

Ballon d’Or Winners Announced

Harry Kane won his first Ballon d’Or after scoring a whopping 73 goals for club and country. The 33-year-old helped Bayern Munich win a double and scored six times at the World Cup, claiming the award for Men’s Striker of the Year as well. Spain won plenty of awards after winning the World Cup, with Lamine Yamal winning Men’s Young Player of the Year, Luis de la Fuente claiming Men’s Coach of the Year, and Unai Simon winning Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Paris Saint-Germain was named Men’s Club of the Year.

Barcelona swept most of the women’s soccer awards after completing a quadruple last season. Alexia Putellas, who left Barcelona after 14 years this past summer, won her third Ballon d’Or, with midfielder Vicky Lopez, goalkeeper Cara Coll, and coach Pere Romeu winning awards as well. Mexican forward Charlyn Corral bucked the trend though by being named Women’s Striker of the Year after lighting it up for Pachuca. The Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda finished 18th in the voting.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a great Tuesday!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with New York City FC?

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1 day ago

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October 26, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Orlando City gave up two costly points against New York City FC, allowing the visitors to score an equalizing goal with nearly the last kick of the ball. The 2-2 draw puts the Lions in a precarious position with two of the next three games on the road. Despite the disappointing result, some players still had good games.

Let’s take a look at the individual performances.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crepeau, 6.5 — While Crepeau didn’t have a perfect game, the Lions likely would’ve lost without his presence in goal. The entry ball in the 18th minute was just barely within reach of him getting a touch on, but he couldn’t change its trajectory and it allowed Alonso Martinez to tap in the opener. The second took a deflection and went through a lot of traffic in front of him, slipping inches inside his far post, so it can’t be blamed on him. He ended up touching the ball 35 times and completing 80.8% of his 26 passes, including four of his nine long balls. He saved four of NYCFC’s six shots on target and had multiple outstanding saves. If he’s able to gather the ball on the first goal, he probably gets my Man of the Match.

D, Vinicius Nogueira, 5.5 — The newly-aquired Brazilian defender had 32 touches in this game, completing 77.3% of his 22 passes, including one key pass and three of his five long balls. He technically had an assist on the second goal, flicking the ball behind him to Martin Ojeda. He didn’t have any defensive statistics, but he did win an aerial duel and put his only shot on target, although his free header went straight at the goalkeeper. It wasn’t a stellar game for the left back, but it wasn’t the worst performance either. He was replaced by Adrian Marin in the 71st minute.

D, Iago, 5 — With Robin Jansson injured, Iago got the start at center back alongside David Brekalo. Iago finished with 50 touches and completed 95.1% of his 41 passes. His six clearances tied David Brekalo for the team lead and he added one blocked shot. He didn’t get forward much on the attacking end, taking one dribble and not taking any shots. He was replaced by Zakaria Taifi in the 71st minute after getting beaten one time too many and picking up a yellow card.

D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Brekalo was in his regular center back position, touching the ball a team-high 59 times. He completed 86.3% of his 51 passes, but none of his four long balls. The Slovenian tied Iago with a team-high six clearances and won two aerial duels. He also didn’t have any shots in this game. Unfortunately, Brekalo’s most impactful play was losing Talles Magno, forcing Wilder Cartagena to lunge in and concede a penalty. He got lucky that Magno went on to miss the target, or his grade might have been lower.

D, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo continued his run of playing on the back line, starting on the right side. He touched the ball 58 times, second only to Brekalo and Eduard Atuesta. The Colombian completed 89.2% of his 37 passes, including a key pass, two of his three crosses, and two of his four long balls. Defensively, he recorded a team-high four tackles and one clearance. The cross in for the first goal came in from Angulo’s side, and he gave the ball away in his own half multiple times in his defensive half in the opening 45 minutes. He was also beaten badly down the left side on the play that set up the second NYCFC goal, but as a winger on team that had healthy fullback options on the bench, he shouldn’t be put in position to have to defend so much.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Starting in the central midfield, Atuesta tied Brekalo with 59 touches. He completed 84.8% of his 46 passes but none of his three long balls nor his one cross. However, he did record one key pass. The defensive midfielder attempted two shots with both going off target. Defensively, he added a tackle in what was a solid game.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5.5 — One of the other regular defensive midfielders, Cartagena touched the ball 52 times and completed 87.5% of his 40 passes, including three of his four long balls. Defensively, Cartagena added a tackle, an interception, and three clearances. When Brekalo lost Magno in the 78th minute, it was Cartagena’s lunge that caused Magno to go down, forcing referee Elijio Arreguin to point to the spot. Fortunately, Magno missed the penalty. He had a solid performance other than conceding the penalty, even if that wasn’t all his fault.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 6 — This was Ojeda’s first start since Aug. 1 as he returns from an injury and his first time playing over 20 minutes. The Paraguayan midfielder had 20 touches while completing all of his 18 passes, including both long balls. His only shot was off target and he won one aerial duel. In the 32nd minute, his beautiful cross-field ball to Martin Ojeda was the start of an attack that resulted in Antoine Griezmann’s equalizing goal. He came off at halftime for Joran Gerbet in a move that was solely based on minutes.

MF, Justin Ellis, 6 — This game saw Ellis start for the first time since the international break when he suffered a minor injury against Canada. Again on the right, Ellis recorded 28 touches and completed 94.7% of his 19 passes, including a key pass but not his only long ball. Both of his shots were off target and he recorded one dribble. Despite being an attacker, Ellis contributed defensively with a clearance before being replaced by Marco Pasaslic in the 60th minute.

F, Martin Ojeda, 7 (MotM) — The club’s all-time leading goal scorer had 38 touches and completed 86.2% of his 29 passes, including three key passes and one of his three crosses. He put one of his two shots on target, netting the go-ahead goal in the 49th minute. The attacker sent a beautiful cross from the left to Griezmann in the 32nd minute, adding an assist to his game. Overall, it was a stellar performance that ended in the 83rd minute when he was replaced by Daryl Dike. His performance earns him my Man of the Match.

F, Antoine Griezmann, 6.5 — Griezmann had another strong performance in this game, touching the ball 33 times and completing 71.4% of his 21 passes, including a key pass and one of his three crosses. He put two shots on target, both headers. The first, from an Angulo cross, was right at NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, and the second was his 32nd-minute goal. In addition to his shots, Griezmann recorded a dribble, two tackles, an aerial duel won, and a clearance.

Substitutes

MF, Joran Gerbet (46’), 5.5 — Gerbet entered the game at halftime for Braian Ojeda, touching the ball 25 times and completing all 19 of his passes. He drew two fouls, recorded a tackle, and made an interception. The French midfielder didn’t take any shots or record any other stats in his 45 minutes of action.

MF, Marco Pasalic (60’), 5 — A regular substitute, Pasalic replaced Ellis in the 60th minute. He touched the ball just five times in that half hour, completing two of his three passes. He didn’t take any shots or record any defensive statistics in his otherwise forgettable appearance.

D, Adrian Marin (71’), 5 — Marin entered the contest in the 71st minute for Nogueira but took over Iago’s spot at center back while Zakaria Taifi played right back and Angulo moved over the left back. The Spanish defender recorded just five touches in those 19 minutes, completing two of his four passes. He didn’t take any shots and his only defensive statistic was a clearance.

D, Zakaria Taifi (71’), 5 — During the same stoppage that saw Marin come on, Taifi replaced Iago and took over at right back. In his 19 minutes, the academy product only had eight touches and completed his three passes. He didn’t record any shots but contributed two tackles defensively.

F, Daryl Dike (83’), 5.5 — The last substitution of the game, Dike entered in the 83rd minute for Martin Ojeda. The striker completed one of his two passes and did well to hold up the ball, something he’s struggled with this year. But he wasn’t able to do anything else in his short appearance.

That’s how I viewed the individual performances in what looked to be a big win and turned into a devastating draw. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match below.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 10/26/26

Lions draw New York City FC, Pride fall to Gotham FC, Rafaelle announces retirement, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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October 26, 2026

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Image of Rafaelle playing the ball.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been keeping myself busy covering high school soccer playoff action up here in Chicago. Sunday marked the 16th anniversary of the United Soccer League’s announcement of Orlando City joining the league. Both the Lions and Pride played over the weekend, and we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw New York City FC

Orlando City drew New York City FC 2-2 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, dropping two points on just about the final kick of the match. The Lions trailed 1-0 in the first half, but Antoine Griezmann equalized for Orlando before halftime. In the second half, Martin Ojeda scored to put the Lions in front. However, in stoppage time, Jonathan Shore buried a late equalizer for New York City FC as the Lions couldn’t hold on to the lead. Orlando missed a chance to gain ground in the MLS playoff race and remains eighth in the Eastern Conference table with 42 points. Orlando City will have a busy week ahead with a two-game road trip. The next match is Wednesday against the Chicago Fire, followed by a trip to North Carolina to face Charlotte FC on Saturday.

Orlando Pride Fall to Gotham FC

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to Gotham FC on Sunday at Inter.co Stadium in the club’s final home match of the 2026 NWSL season. The Pride trailed 2-0 early in the second half before Solai Washington cut the deficit to one. Despite a great performance, dominating Gotham FC in total shots and earning plenty of breakaway chances, the Pride wasted their opportunities in front of goal and couldn’t find a late equalizer against the league leaders. The Pride will close out their 2026 season on the road, taking on Seattle Reign FC on Sunday.

Rafaelle Announces Retirement

Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle will retire from the National Women’s Soccer League following the 2026 season. She has played with the Pride since 2023, making 53 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals, and playing a key role on the 2024 squad that won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship. The 35-year-old began her NWSL journey with the Houston Dash in 2014 and has played abroad for Arsenal, Palmeiras, and Changchun Zhuoyue. She also represented Brazil internationally for more than a decade, playing in 2 FIFA Women’s World Cups, captaining Brazil at the 2022 Copa America Femenina, and winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. The Pride honored Rafaelle on the field after Sunday’s home finale.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action abroad in Europe. Former Lion Alex Freeman played a full 90 minutes and scored for Villarreal in a 2-1 win over Valencia on Saturday in La Liga. Freeman shared insight after the match about scoring his first goal in Villarreal’s comeback derby win against Valencia.

Joe Scally scored his third goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 3-2 win against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Tyler Adams played a full 90 minutes for AFC Bournemouth in a 3-0 victory against Manchester United in the English Premier League. Weston McKennie scored the opening goal for Juventus in a 2-0 win against Lecce. Christian Pulisic scored for AC Milan in a 2-0 win against Udinese in Serie A. In the EFL Championship, Aidan Morris scored his second goal of the season for Middlesbrough in a 5-1 win against Bolton Wanderers.

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  • The U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team fell 2-1 to England on Saturday in the final of the 2026 IFCPF World Cup.

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

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