Orlando
Orlando City Draw 1-1 with Nashville, Miss Playoffs in Final Season Matchup
Published
3 years agoon

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Orlando City SC hosted Nashville SC for their final game of the season. Nashville brought the same intensity to Orlando typically seen in a season opener.
First Half
Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made two saves in the space of a minute. deflected what would’ve been a sure Nashville goal off a corner kick in the 11th minute. The same corner kick was repeated in the 12th minute, and Gallese was able to catch the ball in midair.
Orlando City got on the board first in suspenseful style. With plenty of pressure on them, Nani slowed the momentum a bit and made a left cross to Chris Mueller, who made the assist to Daryl Dike for Orlando City’s first goal in the 19th minute.
Walker Zimmerman earned himself a yellow card when he pulled Nani’s shirt pulled in the 40th minute, and consequently free kick for Orlando.
Orlando maintained their 1-0 lead at halftime.
Second Half
In the 53rd minute, Nashville evened the board with a goal of their own thanks to Hany Mukhtar’s shot that met the left corner of the net. Orlando couldn’t catch up to the ball fast enough to deflect or kick it away.
Alistair Johnston got Nashville’s second yellow card in the 55th minute.
In the 74th minute, Chris Mueller’s right-heading goal attempt shot far above the goal, causing him to have a brief tantrum in frustration. That was the second time he’d overshot the goal. Immediately, he was subbed out for Benji Michel.
The Lions had another near-goal in the 77th minute. Nani provided a sharp left cross to Junior Urso, who shot it over the crossbar.
The tables appeared to turn in the four minutes of postgame stoppage time. Orlando’s Alexandre Pato fired a shot that hit the crossbar. Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis jumped up to deflect the ball and fell to the left of the of the goal and the ball fell straight down to the box, causing Orlando to rush the goal in frenzy to slide the open ball in. Dike held out his arm to repel Nashville’s Alistair Johnston from getting to the ball, causing both to slide and crash into each other. Andres Perea ran in for the closer, causing Exploria stadium to explode. It took an unsettlingly long few seconds for that second goal to get on the board, but it appeared. With those three points, Orlando would clinch a playoff berth.
But alas, the rug was pulled. The referee called a foul on Daryl Dike after VAR review, disallowing that second goal and keeping the final score a 1-1 draw. Exploria–and the Orlando City Lions–were in an uproar. Head coach Oscar Pareja marched onto the field demanding an explanation.
“First, we need to rest. There is not any explanation that comes even close to accepting the decision because that’s not going to be a result for us trying to make the players understand that it was a foul. We can’t get there, there’s no way to do that. We need to put it behind us. It will obviously take a certain amount of time, but I hope the boys can just shake it off and refocus on what is coming because that’s our responsibility. [We need to] have the courage and have the intensity, have the intention, have the desire that is going to get us over this hurdle. It’s what we need to do. I can’t tell you how disappointed the players are with what just happened. We’ll wait and let them absorb it first and tomorrow will be another day. Again, we’re soccer players, this is a beautiful sport and we have to move on and try to make things happen in Montréal.”
– Orlando City SC head coach Oscar Pareja postgame
In the end, Orlando City is now out of playoff contention.
_________________________________________________
Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com
NFL
UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM
Published
3 months agoon
October 30, 2024By
Mike Brodsky
Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.
Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.
Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:
Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview
Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.
Florida
Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Published
11 months agoon
March 10, 2024By
Mike Brodsky
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)
The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.
This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
Golf
Lydia Ko and Jeff McNeil win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Published
1 year agoon
January 21, 2024By
Mike Brodsky
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Lake Nona resident, Lydia Ko, has won the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations LPGA Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, while Mets All-Star Second Baseman, Jeff McNeil, has won the celebrities and amateurs competition. The four day tournament wrapped up Sunday. Ko takes home $225,000 of the $1.5 million prize pool, while baseball player McNeil wins $100,000 of the $500,000 designated for the athletes and entertainers.

Lydia Ko and Jeff McNeil win the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Sunday, January 21, 2024. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News
Ko finished at -14, two strokes ahead of Alexa Pano. Defending champion, Brooke Henderson, finished third at ten under par. McNeil ended with 138 points using the Modified Stableford scoring system, in his first time competing in this tournament. Annika Sorenstam finished in second place amongst the celebrity golfers, with 136. Former Major League Baseball pitchers Derek Lowe and Mark Mulder tied for third place at 135.
The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions also announced today that they have extended their agreement with the LPGA to continue this tournament at Lake Nona for another five years, with a 65% increase in the prize pool money.
Stay tuned to Florida National News for more, and be sure to follow our Florida National News page on Facebook for more photos and videos from the tournament.
Trending
- Sports2 days ago
NFL HONORS: Arik Armstead Wins 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, Making History for Jacksonville Jaguars
- Sports2 days ago
Rap Megastar Kendrick Lamar, Creator of the Smash Hit “Not Like Us,” Brings His Storytelling Passion to the Super Bowl Halftime Show
- Sports2 days ago
Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, and Jayden Daniels Shine as Big Winners at 2024 NFL Honors
- Politics44 mins ago
Senator Osgood & Rep. Rosenwald Push Bill to Close Racial Gaps in Mental Health & Addiction Treatment