Orlando City’s Leagues Cup journey isn’t finished despite falling 3-1 to Inter Miami in Wednesday’s semifinal at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Lions will now battle the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon in the tournament’s third-place playoff, with the winner earning the final ticket into the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
A High-Stakes Matchup
For both clubs, Sunday’s game carries weight well beyond a bronze medal. For Orlando, qualification would mark a continuation of the club’s growth on the international stage under head coach Oscar Pareja. For the Galaxy, it’s a last lifeline in what has been a nightmare season in MLS play — they currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference table and have no other route to continental football.
“It’s been fun. It’s been good,” Pareja said of his team’s Leagues Cup run. “The commitment our club has in any competition, that’s why we are here committed again for the next match.”
Recent Form and History
These sides last clashed in March, when Orlando earned a 2-1 victory in California. The Lions have enjoyed a strong run in this fixture, winning the last three meetings against the Galaxy dating back to 2019. Overall, Orlando holds a 5-3-0 record in head-to-head play, giving them a psychological edge heading into Sunday’s clash.
However, recent form tells a more troubling story for the Lions. They are winless in their last three matches across all competitions. A 5-1 hammering at the hands of Nashville SC exposed major defensive vulnerabilities, and the semifinal defeat to Miami compounded those struggles.
Selection Issues for Orlando
Defensively, Orlando is facing a crisis. Both Robin Jansson and David Brekalo will be unavailable after receiving red cards against Miami. That leaves Pareja with few reliable options at the back, with Kyle Smith and Adrián Marín the likely replacements. Both featured in the Nashville loss, where defensive lapses cost the team dearly.
Without their two first-choice center backs, Orlando will be relying heavily on collective organization, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese’s experience, and midfield protection from César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena to stabilize things.
That leaves their defense short-handed, with Kyle Smith and Adrián Marín the likely replacements, though both struggled against Nashville.
The Lions must be wary of Joseph Paintsil, who has three goals in five Leagues Cup matches, Gabriel Pec, the Galaxy’s top scorer with nine across all competitions, and veteran Marco Reus, who is in strong form in his second MLS campaign.
