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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 3-2 as Urso’s Goal Lifts Lions to Seventh Straight Result

The Lions blew a 2-0 lead but Junior Urso called game and Adam Grinwis won his first MLS game since 2018.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City looked like it would cruise to an easy win over the Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium after getting goals from Daryl Dike and Silvester van der Water to go up 2-0. But Antonio Carlos scored a bizarre own goal early in the second half, and the Crew tied it up moments later before Junior Urso’s goal lifted the Lions (10-4-8, 38 points) to a 3-2 win over Columbus (7-10-6, 27 points).

The win lifted the Lions to their longest unbeaten streak of the year at seven matches (3-0-4) and it was Orlando City’s fifth consecutive win over Columbus. Orlando jumped back into second place in the Eastern Conference with the wins tiebreaker over Nashville.

“It was a great effort by the players,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Once again they took us over many hurdles today. The game was like a rollercoaster of emotions for us — dominating not just the score but dominating the game in the first half. Then we conceded two goals that came from nowhere. That put us in a difficult situation emotionally.”

Pareja became the club’s winningest coach in the MLS era, surpassing Jason Kreis’ 65 wins.

With Pedro Gallese on international duty and Mason Stajduhar unavailable due to injury, Pareja started Adam Grinwis in goal for the first time since he was re-signed. Grinwis lined up behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Carlos, and Ruan. Joey DeZart and Urso started in central midfield, with Chris Mueller and van der Water on the outside and Nani and Dike up top in the attack.

Nani got the game’s first shot attempt with a long free kick that he got on frame but from that distance Eloy Room was able to get over and make the save in the 10th minute.

Six minutes later, Ruan got down the right side and cut a pass back for Dike who directed it toward goal. The ball hit a defender and came back off Dike and caromed toward the net but Room made the save.

Columbus was dangerous on the counter and from the wings, and Derrick Etienne’s cross just needed a touch in the 21st minute but none of his Crew teammates were close enough to provide it.

Mueller cut inside and had an excellent scoring chance in the 24th minute, but he made a mess of his right-footed effort and hit it into the sky. Nevertheless, the Lions opened the scoring moments later.

Nani won the ball and sent it forward over the top from his own defensive half. Dike out-muscled Aboubacar Keita and broke in on goal down the right. He faked a couple of times and then smashed a shot into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 in the 26th minute. There was a delay for the video assistant referee to take a look to see if Nani had fouled Pedro Santos, but the goal was awarded. It was Dike’s third of the year and first since June 22 vs. San Jose.

“It was a good win from Nani and then, you know, battling with my UVA teammate Abouba (Keita),” Dike said. “Once I got the ball I just saw the grass in front of me and the goal in front of me. I think that’s when the instincts kind of kick in and that’s when you do anything you can to get the ball in the back of the net, and that’s where it ended up.”

The Lions struck again three minutes later. Ruan cut a ball back from the right corner to van der Water, who sent what appeared to be a cross in for Mueller but he couldn’t get a touch on it and it bounced into the net to double Orlando’s lead in the 29th minute. It was the Dutchman’s first goal since July 30 against Atlanta and his third of the year.

Columbus spent much of the rest of the half winning the ball in the middle of the field and trying to score in transition. Harrison Afful sent a cross/shot just wide of the far post in the 32nd minute. Grinwis then made a spectacular save to deny Lucas Zelarayan from outside the box in the 36th minute. Zelarayan had a couple of dangerous free kick opportunities but hit them off the wall of defenders as the half wound down.

The best chance for Orlando down the stretch fell for Mueller but he fired his shot on target only for Dike to stray into its path and block it. The Lions took a 2-0 lead into the half but the Crew had built some momentum in the final minutes of the opening 45.

Columbus held the advantage in shots (8-7) but Orlando got more on target (4-1). The Crew held the advantage in possession (51.7%-48.3%), passing accuracy (81%-79%), and corners (5-1).

The Lions roared out of the locker room looking to put the match away and nearly did so in the 46th minute. Urso stole the ball from Santos, took it to the top of the box and tried to finesse it around Room, just inside the left post. However, the Crew keeper did well to make a diving, one-handed save.

The Crew got back into the match on a strange play. The ball was knocked high in the air with two Lions and one Columbus player about 10 yards in front of Grinwis’ goal. Carlos went high to head it away but ended up nodding it just inside the right post and into his own net to put the Crew on the board in the 52nd minute.

“It was a fluky moment,” said Grinwis, who won in his first MLS start since 2018. “It took a little deflection. The ball went sky high and I kind of assessed the situation. I saw Antonio Carlos going up to battle at six yards away. I would take him 10 (times) out of 10 in this league to win that header and he did, and it was just an unfortunate bounce where it kind of comes back towards school, as opposed to going away from it.”

That goal seemed to unsettle the Orlando defense, as the Lions conceded the equalizer just two minutes later. A good passing sequence by the Crew, combined with Carlos stepping up and leaving room behind him, sent Miguel Berry in behind and he beat Grinwis to tie things up at 2-2. VAR Jorge Gonzalez took a long look at the play to see if Etienne was offside in the buildup to the goal. The play was close but it wasn’t judged to be a clear and obvious error and the goal stood up.

“It was a tough moment for us and that’s when the character, the togetherness, and the glue that this team has came out again and took us over that hurdle,” Pareja said.

While waiting for the video review, Dike was in the center circle, visibly urging the crowd to make noise.

“I looked around and everyone was kind of obviously in shock, because going up from two-nil up to being 2-2, I think it’s a big shock,” Dike said. “In moments like that I truly believe in the 12th-man effect. With the crowd pushing us, you can instantly see the players, including myself, having a little lift, having a little extra burst of energy and extra belief. I think having that kind of support around you, especially in a situation like that, is important.”

Pareja sent on Mauricio Pereyra — a player who he said he didn’t want to use for more than a few minutes due to his ongoing recovery from a knock — and Benji Michel just after the goal to settle the team down and it worked.

“The game was asking for somebody to settle the pace of the team and just try to be more creative in that zone,” Pareja said. “Just being able to bring the boys from the bench now and have people who can change the direction of the game, it will make us a very strong team.”

Just eight minutes after the subs were introduced, the Lions took the lead. Dike played a ball back to Urso just outside the area and the Bear picked out a spot and fired through traffic just inside the left post to restore Orlando’s lead at 3-2. Room didn’t see the shot come through the crowd until it was too late to do anything about it and the eventual game-winner found its way home in the 69th minute. Like Dike and van der Water, Urso scored his third of the year.

“It was a great third goal,” Pareja said.

With the Crew needing a goal, Caleb Porter sent on some offensive subs in the form of Erik Hurtado and Bradley Wright-Phillips. Orlando continued to stay organized and looked for insurance, which Mueller nearly found in the 77th minute when he sent a ball toward the net that sliced just wide to the right.

Columbus sent in crosses, looking for someone to get onto one, but most of those found the heads of Carlos, Jansson and Moutinho. Pereyra sent a ridiculous ball behind Vito Wormgoor in the 84th minute that should have provided an insurance goal by substitute Tesho Akindele. Akindele beat Room from the left side, only to see his shot skip an inch or two wide of the right post.

Pareja sent on Rodrigo Schlegel for Mueller and went five at the back for the final minutes, and the Lions were able to prevent any good chances and spent some time taking the ball to the attacking corners to bleed clock. The ref blew the full time whistle just after Moutinho blasted a shot just wide of the left post from the top of the area.

Orlando City held a slim edge in shots (13-12) and had more on target (6-2), while Columbus won more corners (5-2), and held slight advantages in possession (51.9%-48.1%) and passing accuracy (82.6%-81.7%).

“There are things that we need to be better, of course,” Pareja said. “We would like to keep being solid defensively. But scoring three goals today by the players is great.”

While it was far from a perfect win, it was an emotional one for Grinwis, who battled back from a torn ACL while playing at the USL Championship level. To get back to winning an MLS game was a great moment for him.

“It’s just an honor to play in front of such a great committed fan base. Feels good to be home,” Grinwis said after getting his first MLS win since 2018. “Tough to put into words. I think these are the kinds of situations I was dreaming about and was telling myself, ‘No, I believe it can happen,’ although I’ve not seen anybody go through an injury in the second division and then find their way back into MLS and then play.

“But this game is crazy, and through a lot of prayer and a lot of hard work, I found myself in this position. And I want to hold on tight because it feels amazing to be back out there.”

The Lions will travel north to face Atlanta United on the road next Friday night in their next match.

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Lion Links: 7/20/26

Pride fall to Utah Royals, OCB draws Chattanooga FC, Orlando City signs Clovis Archange, and more.

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13 hours ago

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July 20, 2026

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Image of Pedro Leao taking a penalty against Carolina Core FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work, but I checked out a Noah Kahan concert and watched the World Cup final while catching up with friends over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Fall at Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Utah Royals at America First Field Saturday night. Narumi Miura scored the lone goal for Utah to secure the win, while the Pride have lost back-to-back matches after losing to Boston Legacy Wednesday. That result also dropped Orlando below the playoff line, as the club sits ninth in the NWSL table with 20 points. The Pride will return home for their next match against the Chicago Stars Friday at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 1-1 Draw vs. Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B drew Chattanooga FC 1-1 on the road at Finley Stadium Saturday. Pedro Leao scored the opener for the Young Lions in the first half. However, in the second half, Chattanooga FC scored the equalizer. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-3 to earn a second point. OCB will be back in action at home Sunday, facing Huntsville City FC at Osceola County Stadium.

Orlando City Signs Clovis Archange to Homegrown Player Contract

Orlando City announced Friday that the club has signed defender Clovis Archange to a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. The deal is a three-year contract lasting through the 2027 calendar year, with club options in 2028 and 2029. Archange has made six appearances across all competitions for OCB during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, there is no movement on the rumored Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s potential transfer to Hull City, but the English Premier League side has reportedly inquired about a loan deal.

The Columbus Crew have signed former Manchester United and Real Oviedo center back Eric Bailly. The contract runs through June 2027, with club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. Liga MX side CF Monterrey is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers.

LAFC has reportedly reached an agreement with Hammarby on a transfer fee to move midfielder Amin Boudri to the Swedish club. Lastly, San Diego FC is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.

🇹🇳 Sources: San Diego FC is finalizing a deal to sign Tunisia int'l winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.Achouri, 27, joins San Diego as a Designated Player. He had 5g/7a in 2,368 mins (37 apps) last year & played in all 3 games for Tunisia at the World Cup

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-18T16:37:04.314Z

Spain Wins World Cup

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday to win the World Cup for the second time since 2010. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time after committing a foul on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. The match went to extra time, and Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the 106th minute. Argentina was unable to find a late equalizer to send the match to penalties. Argentina was looking to repeat as champions but had only two shots in the game (both in extra time) and failed to record a shot on goal. As for the FIFA World Cup awards, Spain midfielder Rodri took the Best Player Award, while France striker Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot Award with 10 goals, the Golden Glove Award went to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, and Cubarsi won the Young Player Award.

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

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Orlando City

Daryl Dike Returns to Orlando City, Signs Deal Through 2027

Daryl Dike is back with the Lions after being out of contract with West Bromwich Albion.

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3 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image of Daryl Dike posing in his Orlando City kit after re-signing with the club on July 17, 2026.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Striker Daryl Dike has returned to the club that gave him his professional start. Orlando City announced today that it has signed Dike as a free agent through the 2027 MLS “sprint season” with an option for 2027-2028. The club also had to send $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority and could owe the Western Conference side another $75,000 in GAM if Dike meets undisclosed performance metrics.

The signing gives Dike a new start after an injury-plagued career at West Bromwich Albion.

“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed, and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack, and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.” 

Dike, who will wear No. 9 for the Lions, returns nearly five years since Orlando City sold him to West Brom on Jan. 3, 2022, for a fee reported by The Athletic to be around $10 million.

The Edmond, OK native was Orlando City’s first-round selection with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. As a rookie, he started to see minutes on the pitch during the MLS is Back Tournament, making his professional debut against the Montreal Impact in the competition’s round of 16. From there, the striker out of the University of Virginia blossomed, playing in 35 regular-season matches with Orlando, including 30 starts, for a total of 2,547 minutes. He contributed 18 goals and seven assists on 63 shots, getting 27 on target. He passed well (71.1% in 2020 and 72.1% in 2021), providing 14 key passes. Dike drew 71 fouls while committing 40 and was never booked during the regular season in his time in MLS.

He also played in all three of Orlando City’s playoff games during his first stint with the club, starting all three and scoring one goal on five total shots (two on target). He suffered seven fouls and committed four, and picked up one yellow card in the 2020 postseason.

Following his rookie season, Dike went on loan to Barnsley, where he scored nine goals in 22 matches from February to May of 2021.

Dike’s play with the Lions in his first two professional seasons quickly put him on the USMNT radar and before he was sold to West Brom he made eight appearances and scored three goals for the United States at the senior level. He has added two more caps since for a total of 10.

After his sale to West Brom in the EFL Championship, Dike struggled to stay on the pitch, dealing with Achilles injuries that kept him off the pitch for long stretches. Dike managed to score 11 goals in 68 matches when healthy. He scored twice and added an assist in 24 matches in 2025-2026, starting six times, as he was finally able to get a stretch of games in.

“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started,” Dike said in the club’s press release. “Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home. From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.” 

What It Means for Orlando City

Dike fills a hole vacated by the trade of Duncan McGuire to the Houston Dynamo a week ago. It will be interesting to see where his salary slots in when the MLS Players’ Association reveals its next salary information. McGuire, who had his own injury struggles in recent years, made a base salary of $600,000 and a total guaranteed annual compensation of over $920,000.

The hope will be that Dike can both stay healthy and contribute at a higher level than McGuire was prior to his trade to Houston. The new scenery may do McGuire good and a return to familiar surroundings may similarly help Dike regain his footing. At just 26 years old, Dike is still in his prime years and there are plenty of miles left in Dike’s legs if he can stay on the pitch. Fans will remember how he tossed center backs around like rag dolls during his two previous seasons in Orlando. That kind of physicality will open a lot of room underneath for Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda.

With just a year and a half on the base deal, this is a low-risk and potentially very high-reward signing for the Lions.

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Flashback Friday: July 15, 2023 at Atlanta United

Let’s rewind to a tense battle up in Atlanta that took place a little over three years ago.

Published

3 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well everyone, Major League Soccer is officially back. The league returned from its summer hiatus with three games Thursday night (four were scheduled but air quality from the Canadian wildfires caused Chicago vs. Vancouver to be postponed), and two more games are set to be played later today. Orlando City won’t take the field until Wednesday night against the San Jose Earthquakes though, so that means we have time for one more trip down memory lane. Last week, we went four years into the past and reminisced on a weird 1-0 win over Inter Miami that came courtesy of a Damion Lowe own goal. Today, we go back to mid-July 2023 and a road trip against Atlanta United.

Orlando had been in mostly good form heading into the team’s trip up I-75 to take on the Five Stripes but had hit a sizable bump in the road in the previous match in the form of a 4-0 hammering out west against Real Salt Lake. Oscar Pareja went to his usual 4-2-3-1 in an effort to get back to winning ways, with Pedro Gallese in goal; Rafael Santos, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Kyle Smith at the back; Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena at the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in attacking midfield, and Duncan McGuire leading the line.

The Lions seemed determined to put the previous game’s woes behind them and fashioned a chance with not even a minute played. McGuire played a slick pass behind the defense for Pereyra, but a poor first touch let him down and Brad Guzan came off his line well to save from point-blank range. Torres, McGuire, and Araujo then tried shots in the fifth, sixth, and eighth minutes, respectively, but none of them troubled Atlanta’s goalkeeper.

Orlando then took its foot off the gas a bit after trying to come out of the gates and overwhelm the hosts, but some self-inflicted errors gave the Five Stripes some life and eventually led to them opening the scoring. The Lions took a poor throw-in during the 22nd minute which turned the ball over deep in their own defensive third. Miguel Berry drew four OCSC players to him before flicking a ball over the top for Machop Chol. Carlos saved Chol’s deflected shot off the line but Caleb Wiley was first to the loose ball and did well to lift his shot into the net over a recovering Gallese.

Fortunately, the good guys were able to find a quick response. Orlando had a dangerous free kick just three minutes after conceding, and Pereyra curled in a dangerous ball toward the penalty spot. Carlos rose highest and powered a vicious header into the far corner with Guzan left helpless.

Leveling the game gave Orlando a needed injection of belief. McGuire tried his luck at catching Guzan off his line in the 35th minute, and Angulo put a powerful shot just outside the post two minutes later. Smith even had a pop from distance in the 42nd minute, but it went high and that was the last meaningful action of the half.

Atlanta ended the opening 45 minutes with more of the ball (52.1%-47.9%) and more corners (2-0), while OCSC took more shots (7-5) put more shots on target (3-2), and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The two teams traded chances after a slow start to the second half, with a deflected ball trickling just wide of the Atlanta net in the 51st minute, before Santiago Sosa put a ball onto the roof of Gallese’s goal four minutes later.

Orlando then went ahead in the 60th minute. Pereyra split Atlanta’s center backs with a great ball for McGuire, who held off Luis Abram’s recovery efforts, and put a low shot past Guzan and into the side netting.

The good guys really should have bagged an insurance goal in the 68th minute, but Ramiro Enrique’s diving header went off the post and out after a great cross from Torres. Pareja then switched to five at the back to try to see out the game, and Atlanta managed to generate some chances. Thiago Almada and Matheus Rossetto had chances in the 88th and 90th minutes, but nothing came of them. The most dangerous moment occurred deep in stoppage time. Atlanta had a dangerous free kick in the 98th minute, and Almada sent a wicked-looking effort on net, but Gallese got over well and put two strong hands on it to parry away.

Atlanta took the resulting corner, but the Lions cleared successfully and the final whistle blew to give the visitors a 2-1 win and all three points.

Atlanta finished with more possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but each side put four shots on target. The hosts were also more accurate when it came to passing the ball (84%-76.3%).

Marcus Mitchell was on Player Grades for this one, and he gave Carlos the Man of the Match nod with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high scorers on the evening were Pereyra and McGuire, who each earned grades of 7 out of 10.

Here’s hoping the Lions can pick up some road points in a similar fashion when they return to play next Wednesday. Vamos Orlando!

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