New York City FC defeated Orlando City SC 2-1
BRONX, N.Y. (March 8, 2025) – Orlando City SC (1-2-0, 3 points) fell to New York City FC (1-1-1, 4 points) at Yankee Stadium on Saturday evening via a 2-1 shoreline. City created a plethora of chances throughout the match and provided offensive pressure in the second half after NYCFC went down to 10 players but just couldn’t find the breakthrough to level the match or take the lead.
New York City FC welcomed Orlando City SC for their home opener at Yankee Stadium as the club celebrates their 10-year anniversary of their inaugural match.
Designated Player Luis Muriel scored the lone goal for Orlando on the night, providing his first goal of the 2025 campaign. Fellow Designated Player Marco Pašalić provided the helper on the Muriel finish, which counted as his first assist of the season and his third goal contribution of the year, which leads the Lions so far this season.
Scoring Summary:
- 59’ – NYC – Alonso Martínez [16]
- Scored with a right-footed shot from the center of the box with an xG of 4% to the central bottom zone.
- 69’ – ORL – Luis Muriel [9]
- Scored with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box with an xG of 15% to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marco Pašalić [87].
- 71’ – NYC – Hannes Wolf [17]
- Scored with a header from the center of the box with an xG of 85% to the lower right central zone. Assisted by Julián Fernández [11].
A goalless first half sparked into life in the 59th minute when Alonso Martínez broke the deadlock. Orlando leveled the game ten minutes later through Luis Muriel, before Hannes Wolf headed City back in front two minutes later. The Austrian’s first goal of the season proved enough for City to claim all three points.
69’ Luis Muriel (Marco Pašalić) – ORL 1, NYC 1
The Lions were able to level things up on the counterattack as Marco Pašalić took a touch to break past his defender and into space down the middle of the field. He slid the ball out right to Luis Muriel, who took a touch in the box and sent a low shot to the far post to equalize.
71’ Hannes Wolf (Julián Fernández) – NYC 2, ORL 1
The hosts took their advantage back just two minutes later as Julián Fernández sent a cross from the right side of the Orlando box to the middle after goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made a stop on the initial attempt. Hannes Wolf rose up in the middle of the box to head it home for New York City FC.
Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“Our feelings are strong on the way that we gave up the goals and I think that changed the story of the game. It was a game that was well played by Orlando, and I thought we had very good chances and the way we neutralized [New York City FC’s] forwards and the way they attack; it was very correct. I thought the discipline for the boys was very similar to what we planned to do during the week. From any stance, we were the team that, especially in that first half, had the clear possibilities, but definitely our pain right now is how we conceded those goals. That is what brings this feeling of frustration. Again, we have a bunch of things that we will do during the week in the buildup for the next game and see the way we can bounce back in the next game.”
NEW YORK CITY FC COACH PASCAL JANSEN
Thoughts on tonight’s goals and opportunities…
“I want to mention that our game, especially our possession, was okay over the past two games until we got close to the final third. Our decision-making in the final third is what we tried to focus on a little more to be more successful. I thought that in the first half, we didn’t reward ourselves enough in that aspect. We went into the second half looking to get more out of that phase. You need a little bit of luck getting a shot on target, being there for the rebound. Those are things we train for a lot. We’re very happy that it worked out today to get our first three points of the season.”
On Jonny Shore’s performance tonight…
“He’s an interesting character. I met him for the first time when I started coaching here, and he was one of the youngsters who was with us during the preseason camp. Let me make one thing really clear, the fact that he started today, and played against Inter Miami is something he earned by competing with the guys during training sessions. I think he’s a very clever kid and very smart on the ball. He sees a lot of situations, he’s aware of his surroundings in midfield, and he’s skillful in short passes, making sure he keeps a good rhythm and control in the middle of the pitch. Those are a few aspects I look for in the way I want my team to play. Seeing him out there today, as if he’s been with one of the guys for the past four seasons, was great to see. There’s still a lot to improve, not just for Jonny [Shore], but for the rest of the team.”
Match
Thoughts on tonight’s goals and opportunities…
“I want to mention that our game, especially our possession, was okay over the past two games until we got close to the final third. Our decision-making in the final third is what we tried to focus on a little more to be more successful. I thought that in the first half, we didn’t reward ourselves enough in that aspect. We went into the second half looking to get more out of that phase. You need a little bit of luck getting a shot on target, being there for the rebound. Those are things we train for a lot. We’re very happy that it worked out today to get our first three points of the season.”
On Jonny Shore’s performance tonight…
“He’s an interesting character. I met him for the first time when I started coaching here, and he was one of the youngsters who was with us during the preseason camp. Let me make one thing really clear, the fact that he started today, and played against Inter Miami is something he earned by competing with the guys during training sessions. I think he’s a very clever kid and very smart on the ball. He sees a lot of situations, he’s aware of his surroundings in midfield, and he’s skillful in short passes, making sure he keeps a good rhythm and control in the middle of the pitch. Those are a few aspects I look for in the way I want my team to play. Seeing him out there today, as if he’s been with one of the guys for the past four seasons, was great to see. There’s still a lot to improve, not just for Jonny [Shore], but for the rest of the team.”
Notes
Orlando
Luis Muriel recorded his first goal of the 2025 season and sixth all-time across all competitions.
NYCFC
New York City has hosted 10 home openers at Yankee Stadium, tallying a record of seven wins, one loss, and two draws. They’ve scored 23 goals, conceded seven, and earned five clean sheets.
Fifteen players have scored for New York City FC in home openers, with David Villa leading the pack with six goals. The other scorers are Santiago Rodríguez (two), Jesús Medina (two), and one goal each from Patrick Mullins, Ronald Matarrita, Maxi Moralez, Anton Tinnerholm, Gudmundur Thórarinsson, Valentín Castellanos, Alex Callens, Talles Magno, Thiago Andrade, Hannes Wolf and Alonso Martińez.
At home against Orlando, New York City FC holds an 8W-2L-2D record, with 29 goals scored and 13 conceded. They’ve found the net in 11 of 12 home matches, scoring two or more goals in nine of those games.
