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MLS: McGuire Scores Fifth of the Year as Lions Fall in New England

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (Florida Sports Wire) – Orlando City SC (7-5-5, 26 points) fell 3-1 to the New England Revolution (9-3-6, 33 points) on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, snapping a six-game unbeaten streak for the Lions dating back to May 13.   The match saw Duncan McGuire score his fifth goal of the campaign, with Homegrown defender Mikey Halliday earning the assist on the finish for his second helper of the year in what served as his return to the starting lineup following his run with the U.S. U-20 National Team at the U-20 FIFA World Cup.

In addition, midfielder Juninho earned his MLS debut after signing a short-term agreement from Orlando City B earlier this week, entering the game in second half stoppage time.

The Revolution took the lead with Gustavo Bou sending a ball across the face of goal that was denied by goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar towards the center of the area. Emmanuel Boateng was there to collect the rebound, firing a shot with his first touch into the bottom right corner of the net.   New England doubled its advantage with Noel Buck finding Gustavo Bou on the right flank, who drove inside to the edge of the area before creating enough space to fire a left-footed shot into the far post.   The Lions halved the deficit with Homegrown defender Mikey Halliday lofting a ball into the area, finding the head of  McGuire for the 2023 MLS SuperDraft selection’s fifth goal of the year.   The home side added an insurance goal late in the match with Carles Gil capitalizing on the counterattack, collecting a pass just outside the box and firing a left-footed strike from distance for the 3-1 final.

The Lions return home to host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday, June 21 in a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Exploria Stadium.

Match Notes:

  • The loss snapped the Lions’ six-game unbeaten run dating back to May 13 in Columbus and served as just their second loss in league play in 2023.
  • Duncan McGuire scored his fifth goal of the campaign to tie teammates Facundo Torres and Ercan Kara for the team lead in all competitions.
  • Homegrown defender Mikey Halliday tallied his first start since returning from the U-20 World Cup with the U.S. U-20 National Team, tallying an assist for his second helper of the year.
  • Juninho made his MLS debut, entering the game in second half stoppage time after being signed to a short-term agreement earlier in the week.
  • Midfielder Favian Loyola was available for selection for the Lions for the first time in his young career, currently on a Homegrown deal with the Club.
  • Head Coach Oscar Pareja made five changes to his starting lineup from the side’s last match, with Halliday, Mason Stajduhar, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe Martins and Martín Ojeda all entering the fold.
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