Orlando City Soccer Club’s Grievances
Orlando City Soccer Club has formally expressed its grievances concerning the officiating during an intense semifinal match against Inter Miami that took place on August 27 at Chase Stadium. The match concluded with Miami emerging victorious, having scored three goals—two from Lionel Messi and one from Telasco Segovia—against Orlando’s sole score.
Contentious Officiating
During this contest, the officiating was notably contentious, resulting in a total of seven yellow cards being issued; Inter Miami received four, while Orlando incurred three. Among those penalized, Orlando defender David Brekalo was given a second yellow card, leading to his dismissal from the game in the 75th minute. Additionally, team captain Robin Jansson was shown a red card post-match for foul language directed at the referee, as reported by the Leagues Cup’s disciplinary committee.
Failed Appeals and Consequences
Orlando City attempted to dispute Jansson’s red card but was met with failure in their appeal. As a consequence, both Brekalo and Jansson missed participation in the subsequent third-place match against the LA Galaxy, a game that Orlando lost by a score of 2-1.
Investigation and Aftermath
The Leagues Cup Organizing Committee has announced that they will investigate the occurrences that transpired during the game, with a spokesperson confirming that they would review such incidents after the conclusion of the match. Meanwhile, Inter Miami, having progressed to the final, faced off against the Seattle Sounders but fell short, losing 3-0. Following this defeat, tensions escalated, culminating in a brawl as the match came to an end. ESPN has also reached out to the Leagues Cup for further insights regarding the issues at hand.
