Sports
Orlando City Draws 1-1 with Pumas UNAM in Leagues Cup Opener, Falls in Penalty Shootout
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Orlando City SC (0-0-1, 1 point) kicked off its 2025 Leagues Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Pumas UNAM (0-0-1, 2 points) Wednesday night at Inter&Co Stadium in the City Beautiful. The tightly contested match ended in a penalty shootout, with the Lions falling 4-3 and earning one point for the draw. Orlando will aim to bounce back this Saturday, August 2, when they face Atlas FC in their second Phase One matchup.
Early Strike from Schlegel Sets the Tone
Orlando City wasted no time getting on the board, scoring just five minutes into the match. Defender Rodrigo Schlegel capitalized on a corner kick from midfielder Martín Ojeda, heading home the opening goal—his first since September 2024 and the fastest in Orlando’s Leagues Cup history. Ojeda’s assist marked his 14th of the season and tied him with former Lion Facundo Torres for the most goal contributions (27) in a single season across all competitions.
Despite strong attacking pressure from Orlando in the first half, Pumas UNAM found their equalizer in the 80th minute. Midfielder Coco Carrasquilla slipped through the Lions’ back line to slot the ball past goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and level the score at 1-1, sending the match into a penalty shootout.
Penalty Shootout Decides the Extra Point
In the ensuing penalty shootout, both clubs exchanged precision and misses. Orlando City’s Martín Ojeda and Kyle Smith converted their shots, while Cesar Araújo’s attempt was saved. Pumas, led by Carrasquilla and Angulo, finished stronger, taking the shootout 4-3.
Orlando now sits with one point in the Leagues Cup standings, while Pumas picks up two points—one for the draw and one for the shootout win. Orlando City’s next chance to climb the table comes Saturday against Atlas FC, also at Inter&Co Stadium.
Match Stats, Lineups & What’s Next
Goals:
5’ – Rodrigo Schlegel (ORL)
80’ – Coco Carrasquilla (PUM)Penalty Shootout Summary:
ORL – Ojeda (Goal), Atuesta (Miss), Smith (Goal), Araújo (Save), Muriel (Goal)
PUM – Martinez (Save), Angulo (Goal), Silva (Goal), Ruvalcaba (Goal), Carrasquilla (Goal)Match Stats:
Possession – PUM 53.5%, ORL 46.5%
Shots – PUM 17, ORL 7
Saves – ORL 3, PUM 0
Fouls – PUM 13, ORL 7
Attendance – 14,744
Weather – Rain
Kickoff – 8:00 p.m. ET
Next Match:
Orlando City will host Atlas FC at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 2, at Inter&Co Stadium.
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J Willie David, III contributed to this report. He can be reached at Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.
Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.
“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.
LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.
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
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