Sports
Orlando City Dominates New England, Finish 2nd Place in MLS
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — In an era of Messi-dominated headlines and massive overspending for lackluster results; Orlando City remains an anomaly within the league. In December, Oscar Pareja’s tenure at Orlando City will turn four years old. In that time, the Lions have slowly reformed themselves into a sleeping giant in the Eastern Conference. This 3-2 result against the Revs proves that Orlando City has evolved into a scary team. Coupled with their narrow win mid-week against Nashville, this nine-game unbeaten run secures home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Purple Revolution is officially here.
Orlando City’s formula to success has been unorthodox, to say the least. Nonetheless, last night’s victory over New England — especially the offensive fluidity in the first half — was a testament to how far this team has come.
Just three short years ago, Orlando was a one-dimensional team relying on the heroics of a Nani, Mueller, or Dyke to turn a game around. After Nani’s departure in 2021, Orlando City indexed into South American talent with the likes of Facundo Torres, Cesar Araujo, and Antonio Carlos the summer prior.
Torres’ debut season was a smashing success as Orlando City won their first piece of silverware with the U.S. Open Cup trophy. The following summer, Orlando doubled down on their prospects in the southern hemisphere. Martin Ojeda and Ramiro Enrique both made the jump from Argentina to the United States.
Wilder Cartagena, the Peruvian ball-stopper, became a fundamental pairing alongside Araujo in midfield. But the real ace in the hole was Ivan Angulo’s loan transfer from Palmeiras. Once the Colombian international found his footing in an Orlando City shirt; Orlando’s offense has never looked better.
Where does Orlando’s depth rank among the best?
One of the best attributes of Orlando City’s nine-game unbeaten run is their strength in numbers. Orlando City possesses four players with more than ten goal contributions (goals + assists) on their roster. Martin Ojeda and Torres are the crafty left-footed wingers that can play on either side of the field. When Torres is on the right wing, the objective is to cut inside and score. When he occupies the left wing, the gameplan tends to be a lofted cross into space. Then, players like Angulo and Mauricio Pereyra fill in the gaps in midfield.
No championship-caliber team is complete without a plethora of strikers. Luckily, Orlando City has that in droves with their star rookie of the year candidate Duncan McGuire. After last night’s header, the Omaha native has 11 goals in 17 starts to his tally. Ramiro Enrique shared a lot of his time with the now-departed Ercan Kara. Even still, the former Banfield product has been efficient in front of the goal for Orlando City. He is averaging .46 goals/assists per 90 minutes which is a number that can only improve once he finds regularity. In fact, McGuire was called up to the United States Men’s Olympic National Team Sunday morning.
Playoff aspirations higher than ever before
So how does Orlando fare against the rest of the conference for their playoff run? Since their last loss to Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup, they have beaten or taken points off every team in the top five of the Eastern Conference. This is the first year Orlando City surpassed a +10 goal differential since their shortened 2020 season.
The best part about it? The City Beautiful is playing a beautiful brand of soccer that all fans can love. In a year where massive Messi headlines have dominated the league, the real storyline out of Florida is how Orlando City continues to churn out a successful style of play that dazzles the fans but also remains potent against the league’s best defenses.
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Nicolas Vera is a sports reporter for Florida National News, part of the FNN News Network. | info@floridanationalnews.com
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.
The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.
A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.
Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls
Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.
A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry
The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.
Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:
“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”
— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.
South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.
Defense Turns the Game Around
UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.
Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.
Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.
Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.
South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.
Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum
Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.
Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.
Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.
Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.
Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone
With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.
The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.
The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.
Looking Ahead
USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.
Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) beat the Indianapolis Colts (2-6) 42-7 at EverBank Stadium today. Today’s victory tied the second-longest home winning streak in stadium history, with seven straight wins. The Jaguars also tied the record held by two other teams by winning seven straight games at home scoring 34 or more points in each game. The Denver Broncos had seven such victories from Dec. 23, 2012 to Oct. 27, 2013, while the Los Angeles Chargers had a similar streak from Nov. 27, 1960 to Nov. 5, 1961. This was also the Jaguars 12th straight victory at home against the Colts, dating back to Dec. 13, 2015.
The Jaguars also introduced their Nike NFL “Rivalries” alternate uniform, nicknamed “Bold City,” with a teal helmet and leopard-print accents. The helmet includes the 904 area code on the front bumper and “DUUUVAL” on the back bumper. The inside of the back collar says “Bold City,” while the outside says “Since ‘95” (the Jaguars’ inaugural season). Hidden within the spots on the pants are the names of Jacksonville neighborhoods.
Jaguars’ RB Bhayshul Tuten scores twice in new “Bold City” uniform. Photo credit: Arthur “Dell” Morgan, Florida National News
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to WR Brian Thomas Jr., followed by K Cam Little’s extra point to put the first points on the scoreboard. The score remained 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Jaguars DE Bryan Thomas Jr. recovered a fumble by Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, but the Jags lost DT DaVon Hamilton to a knee injury on that play, and he had to be taken off the field in a golf cart. But Jacksonville’s drive ended four plays later with a 31 yard touchdown pass by Trevor Lawrence to TE Nate Boerkircher, with Little adding the XP. On the Jags’ next drive, RB Bhayshul Tuten ran 39 yards for a touchdown, followed by another Little extra point. Late in the quarter, Jaguars S Rayuan Lane III intercepted a QB Daniel Jones pass intended for TE Tyler Warren and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown, and after Little’s XP, the Jaguars were up 28-0 at halftime.
DT DaVon Hamilton had to be taken off the field in a golf cart after a knee injury. Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News
RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran for a 28 yard touchdown, with another Little extra point for the first points of the third quarter, extending the Jaguars lead to 35-0. But the Colts did manage to score their first points of the game as Daniel Jones threw to WR Josh Downs for a 6 yard touchdown pass, with an extra point by K Spencer Shrader. But Lawrence threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Bhayshul Tuten, and Little’s XP put the Jaguars ahead 42-7 at the end of the third quarter, which remained the score at the end of the game.
Trevor Lawrence finished with 210 passing yards and 3 TDs. Bhayshul Tuten led the Jaguars’ rushing with 104 yards and 1 TD. Tuten was also the leading receiver with 55 yards and 1 TD. To hear Bhayshul Tuten discuss the factors that led to his success in today’s game, click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1WgGP3j5FA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The Jaguars will be on the road for the next three games. They face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, November 5th at 8:15 p.m., the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, November 15th at 1:00 p.m., and the New York Giants on Sunday, November 22nd at 1:00 p.m. The Jags return to The ‘Bank on Sunday, November 29th at 1:00 p.m., when they host the Titans in an AFC South matchup. Be sure to follow www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
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