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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Minnesota United

Get up to speed on Minnesota United, courtesy of the people who know the team best.

Published

3 years ago

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Photo by Tim McLaughlin / courtesy of Northland Soccer Journal

After a nice little break, we are once again on the eve of an Orlando City matchday. The Lions will hit the road to try to get back to winning ways, and fans will see a familiar face in the dugout as OCSC takes on the Adrian Heath-led Minnesota United FC.

A clash with Minnesota means I spoke with Alan Van Wyk, one of the writers over at Northland Soccer Journal, previously SBNation’s E Pluribus Loonum. Like ourselves, the folks over at Northland have recently gone independent, so make sure you go check out their new digs, especially since I answered some of their questions about the Lions over at their place.

Talk me through Minnesota’s transfer business from the end of last season until now. What were the key departures, if any, and who has come in to replace them?

Alan Van Wyk: It was a rather typical off-season for MN United. Alan Benitez, Abu Danladi, Oniel Fisher, Jonathan Gonzalez, Niko Hansen, Jacori Hayes, Aziel Jackson, Nabilai Kibunguchy [editor’s note: Nabi is now with Orlando City B], Justin McMaster, Romain Métanire, Callum Montgomery, and Tyler Miller were all let go. Most surprising, or at least most disappointing, were the departures of starting right back and previous MLS All-Star Métanire and U.S. international and starting goalkeeper Miller. After trying to be brought back from injury too quickly too many times over the past two seasons Métanire was released for injury reasons, while Miller was simply allowed to leave, with the club turning to young Canadian international Dayne St. Clair as their starting keeper.

Most of the club’s new signings were designed to add defensive depth to the team, a need that became especially pressing last season when the team struggled after losing center back Bakaye Dibassy, who is still out recovering from a rather freakish thigh injury, and to continue their desire to get younger. Coming in this year were young attacking player Cameron Dunbar, veteran defender Doneil Henry, who is still working his way back into fitness, veteran goalkeeper Clint Irwin, SuperDraft signee Ryen Jiba, young defender Mikael Marqués, defender Micky Tapias, veteran defender Zarek Valentin, and the most recent signing, young South Korean international striker Sang Bin Jeong.

Of most important note, at the moment, are Tapias, Valentin, and Sang Bin. Tapias has very quickly established a strong partnership with Michael Boxall in the center of the Loons’ defense, while Valentin looks to be an important option at right back. Sang Bin has yet to see significant minutes, after clearing paperwork and securing his visa, he was first available last weekend in Chicago, but he looked very good in his brief substitute appearance.

The Loons have had a good start to the season and only lost for the first time last week. What has MNUFC been doing well up to this point?

AVW: The next three answers all begin with some form of “missing DP playmaker Emanuel Reynoso,” but we’ll leave a fuller explanation of that situation for next. For now, Minnesota did have a great start to the season: a five-game opening run that began and ended with statement road wins against FC Dallas and St. Louis City, with a bye-week, another win, and two draws in between. As has been well established, Head Coach Adrian Heath is ride-or-die with the 4-2-3-1, which was built, in Minnesota, around Reynoso. In Reynoso’s absence, the team has turned to a more defensive 4-4-2, which has allowed them to sit back and absorb pressure while remaining opportunistic in attack. Averaging 43% possession this season, the Loons are quite comfortable without the ball, taking advantage of a few quick breaks and very well taken set pieces by Franco Fragapane for delivery and Kervin Arriaga on goal.

Like Orlando, Minnesota hasn’t been scoring a ton to start the year, with seven goals in six games. What do you think has been holding them back in front of goal?

AVW: “Missing DP playmaker Emanuel Reynoso.” This is going to get long, but, to back up for just a moment, Reynoso joined Minnesota in 2020 and immediately took over the team, forming an attacking partnership with Kevin Molino that the Loons rode to the conference finals of that season’s MLS Cup. Over the past few years, Heath and Chief Soccer Officer Manny Lagos have built the team around Reynoso. Last season, the club and Reynoso agreed to a new three-year with club option contract, and at the announcement everyone said all the right things: MNUFC were excited to have Reynoso long-term, Reynoso was happy to make a home in Minnesota, etc., etc., etc. Then Reynoso failed to report for camp in January this year. At first, his failure to appear was treated by the club as nothing exceptional: St. Clair was going to get a few days off after the World Cup, Kemar Lawrence was dealing with some personal issues in Jamaica and would join the team later in Florida, Fragapane would be a few days late, what with the difficulty of winter-weather/international travel from Argentina, and Reynoso was going to be late dealing with some “personal issues” at home.

This was the club’s stance until it wasn’t, ‘Reynoso is home dealing with some personal issues but will hopefully be joining the team soon.’ In early February, the league suspended Reynoso without pay for failing to show up, and the club revealed that there hadn’t been much contact with Reynoso or his people up to that point. They now hoped that “common sense would prevail” and that Reynoso would be joining the team soon. He remains suspended by the league and not a part of the active roster. There are, of course, as there always will be, a number of rumors about Reynoso’s absence, but there is very little that we actually know; the people who do know, both those with Reynoso in Argentina and those at the club, are not saying anything of substance. So he remains absent until he is not.

With that, to say that this team has been built around Reynoso is a bit of an understatement. For the past few seasons, the Loons’ strategy has been to not give up goals and get the ball to Reynoso as quickly and as often as possible and let him do something special — a strategy that has gotten them into the playoffs three years in a row. The team is still founded on a very stout defense, but has lost its structural ability to generate any offense. When the Loons return to the 4-2-3-1, as they did last weekend against Chicago, they remain a team divided, with six players sitting defensively deep, three players staying high on offense, and the No. 10 in the middle bridging the gap between the two. Reynoso was incredibly good at that role, receiving the ball just inside Minnesota’s half, turning and making a 10-to-15-yard run to start the attack. Robin Lod, who is being asked to play that No. 10 role in Reynoso’s absence, is an incredibly good player for the Loons and should consistently lead the team in goals and assists, but he is not good at turning and carrying the ball into the attack through the middle.

Without Reynoso in the 4-2-3-1, the striker is out on an island and the two wide midfielders are stranded in the in-between. The other problem for Minnesota’s offense this season has been the form of their two DP strikers, Ménder García and Luis Amarilla. Amarilla has seemingly lost all confidence and so is over-thinking and falling a step behind in everything he does, while García is still very young and growing into his game. With the right support, García will become a very good attacking player, but at the moment he is still a half season away from that. It is still very early, but it seems that as soon as Sang Bin is integrated into the team and finds his full fitness he will be starting up front, either alongside Amarilla or García in the 4-4-2 or by himself in the 4-2-3-1.

Are there any players unavailable to selection due to injuries, suspensions, call-ups etc? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

AVW: The two absences of note for the weekend will be Reynoso and Dibassy. The team has, in Tapias, found a way to cover for Dibassy’s absence in the center of their defense. They have not found a way to cover for Reynoso’s absence in the center of their offense. As for how the team will line up, only Heath and his staff know that. Most fans and media here are getting on board with the idea that this team works better in a 4-4-2, but as last weekend showed, there is still a commitment to the 4-2-3-1.

With that, the open questions remain up front and the decision to go with Amarilla, García, or Sang Bin or some combination of the three; whether Lod will remain in the middle of the field, or if he will move up front to a false 9, replacing one of the other forwards, or if he will return out wide, pushing Bongokuhle Hlongwane to the bench; and whether Hassani Dotson has done enough and has regained enough full fitness in his recovery from a season-ending ACL tear last year to move into the starting XI in midfield, giving Kervin Arriaga or Wil Trapp a rotational break before the team faces Seattle next weekend.

[No score prediction provided]

Thank you to Alan, for an in-depth look at MNUFC. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Charlotte FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look for healthy bodies on the roster and offense on the field as Charlotte FC visits.

Published

7 hours ago

on

April 22, 2026

By

Image of Robin Jansson defending for Orlando against Charlotte FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (1-6-1, 4 points) and Charlotte FC (4-2-2, 14 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of two games on the slate between the Eastern Conference rivals in 2026, with the return fixture in Charlotte scheduled for Oct. 31.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 4-1-3 in the regular-season series and 6-3-3 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 3-1-0 at home in the regular season and 5-1-0 in the City Beautiful across all competitions against the North Carolina-based side. These games are usually close, with all previous non-draws decided by one or two goals.

The teams last met on July 5, 2025, playing to a 2-2 draw at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The hosts took a 2-0 lead on goals by Pep Biel and Bill Tuiloma, but Ramiro Enrique and Marco Pasalic brought the Lions back to earn a point on the road.

Earlier in the 2025 campaign, the teams met on May 14 in Orlando, with Luis Muriel and Martin Ojeda giving the Lions a 2-0 lead inside the game’s first 25 minutes. Wilfried Zaha pulled the visitors within a goal before the break, making for a tight second half, but Enrique’s late goal put the game to bed in Orlando City’s 3-1 home win.

Prior to 2025, the teams met in the first round of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando City claimed two of the three matches, winning the first outright, dropping the second on penalties after a late goal was called offside in the buildup, and advancing after a penalty shootout win following the third match of the best-of-three series.

On Nov. 9, 2024, Facundo Torres’ penalty late in stoppage time canceled out a Karol Swiderski goal and sent the deciding third match to penalties with a 1-1 score. Pedro Gallese made two saves and Orlando City won the shootout 4-1, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The teams played eight days before that in Charlotte, without either side scoring in normal time, as Torres’ strike was disallowed for offside on Nico Lodeiro on Muriel’s through ball. Charlotte won the ensuing penalty shootout 3-1 after the scoreless draw to tie the series at 1-1. That followed Orlando City’s 2-0 home win the previous Sunday. Torres and Ojeda scored the goals on either side of halftime to lead the Lions to the Game 1 win. It was the first time Orlando scored more than one goal in an MLS playoff game.

The teams met a month and a half prior to their first playoff meeting on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series. The teams also met on June 19, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of that year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

In 2022, the teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

Orlando City enters the match adrift in 2026, having won only one time in eight league matches to start the season — easily the worst start to any season in OCSC history. The Lions have managed only one draw to go with the win and are coming off a 1-0 home loss to the Houston Dynamo, squandering a handful of good scoring chances and giving up a late goal to a team that had previously not won on the road in 2026 and had never won in Orlando. The lads in purple are just 1-3-0 at home this season and Orlando City has scored just six goals on the year while conceding a league-worst 25. While the defense has been better the last couple of games since captain Robin Jansson returned, those came against teams not high in the standings.

Charlotte is 1-1-1 on the road this season after beating New York City FC at Citi Field — the Pigeons’ other baseball stadium — on Saturday. Tonight’s visitors have won four of their last five games in all competitions. Biel is off to a hot start with four goals and three assists, while Zaha has added two goals and four assists. Idan Toklomati and Archie Goodwin have three goals apiece, giving Charlotte three players with more goals than Orlando co-leaders Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic, who have each scored twice. Kristijan Kahlina is one of the league’s top goalkeepers, and Orlando City won’t have an easy time against the club that has conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando City will need to be patient to avoid giving up dangerous counterattacks, as they’ve struggled to defend them all year, but the Lions must also try to build a volume of shots against a stout defense led by Kahlina and usually anchored by USMNT center back Tim Ream. However, Ream will miss the match per the latest MLS availability report with a lower body injury.

“I think both teams know each other really well. They have done a good job over the last year,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We respect them like we respect every opponent, and we will have our plan and our strategy. We will be at home with the energy and attitude we want to have. Hopefully we can give the fans some joy and happiness with a result, for our people and for us as well, because we are the first ones who need and want to win. Hopefully we can do it this game, but the attitude will be there.”

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh), Griffin Dorsey (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee),
Duncan McGuire (lower leg), and Pasalic (thigh). Eduard Atuesta (shoulder) and David Brekalo (lower Leg) are listed as questionable. Charlotte will be without Ream (lower body), while Henry Kessler (lower body) is questionable.

Match Content

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, Tyrese Spicer.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Tiago.

Charlotte FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Harry Toffolo, Morrison Agyemang, Andrew Privett, Nathan Byrne.

Midfielders: Pep Biel, Ashley Westwood, Brandt Bronico.

Forwards: Wilfried Zaha, Idan Toklomati, Rodolfo Aloko.

Referees

REF: Filip Dujic.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Lorenzo Hernandez.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: Joshua Patlak.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/26

Orlando City hosts Charlotte tonight, the Orlando Pride prep for Louisville trip, NWSL expansion coming to Columbus, and more.

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 22, 2026

By

Image of Kaka celebrating a goal.
Nick Leyva, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day for Orlando City. That’s as much a warning for your mental health as it is a notification if you decide to watch the match tonight. Perhaps you could catch up on Pluribus, or rewatch Ted Lasso. I’m simply saying you have options that might not raise your blood pressure. On a brighter note, join me in wishing Orlando City legend Kaká a very happy birthday. More on him below. Let’s get to the links.

Lions Host Charlotte Tonight

Orlando City is looking to rebound against Charlotte FC tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s no secret that the Lions are having a rough time of it so far this season, and with Charlotte sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, it doesn’t get any easier. That doesn’t stop Martin Perelman and the players from thinking they are getting better and having a plan for the match tonight. What was it Mike Tyson said about everyone having a plan? Can the Lions turn things around on short rest?

Orlando Pride Return to NWSL Play Friday

The Orlando Pride return to action Friday against Racing Louisville FC. The match is at Louisville where the Pride have yet to win. Despite that, the players are ready to pick up where they left off before the international break. The break provided much-needed rest for many of the players. The Pride will play six matches during the month of May before the league takes a break for the World Cup.

Osceola Heritage Park Expansion Funding Moves Forward

Osceola County leaders have agreed to have Orlando City expand the club’s footprint at Osceola Heritage Park. Orlando Sports Enterprises (OSE a.k.a. the Wilf family) will match the $25 million that the county is putting up for the project. OSE will assume repair, maintenance, and operating costs for the facility. A hotel and free-standing restaurant are also in the plans. This is a good investment for the club’s future in the arms race that is professional sports.

NWSL Coming to Columbus

The owners of the Columbus Crew have been awarded an NWSL franchise. The Haslam Sports Group paid a record $205 million expansion fee to obtain the 18th NWSL club. The new club will renovate and play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field downtown. The organization will also build a training center at McCoy Park that had previously been slated to be renovated for local residents, including features that would enable physically disabled people to use the park.

The NWSL called and Columbus answered 📞 Columbus joins the league as team No. 18!

— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) 2026-04-21T19:44:42.987Z

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That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the Orlando City match this evening. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/21/26

Takeaways from MLS matchday eight, USWNT stock watch, transfer rumor roundup, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

April 21, 2026

By

Image of Ignacio Gomez making his MLS debut with Orlando City vs. Houston.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It was a frustrating weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as Orlando City lost a close game to the Houston Dynamo, and Orlando City B blew a two-goal lead against Carolina Core FC, and had to settle for the two points that come with a shootout victory after a draw. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your viewpoint), OCSC will have a chance to get right back on the horse when Charlotte FC comes to town on Wednesday. We’ve got lots to talk about this morning, so let’s have a look at the links.

MLS Matchday Eight Takeaways

Major League Soccer’s eighth round of matches is in the books, and there are plenty of talking points to go over. The San Jose Earthquakes ended the weekend on an emphatic note by dismantling LAFC 4-1 on the road, adding to an impressive list of scalps that also includes the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Diego FC. They’re tied with Vancouver atop the Western Conference and continue to look like one of the league’s best teams. Meanwhile, Charlotte FC, Orlando City’s next opponent, kept things organized in a 4-4-2 block and scored from two of its three shots on goal to take down NYCFC 2-1. That result puts the club in third place in the Eastern Conference.

USWNT Stock Watch

The United States Women’s National Team wrapped up its three game slate against Japan over the weekend, so let’s check in on how the matches affected the standing of several players. Lindsey Heaps was name-dropped by Emma Hayes as having had a great run of three matches, while 20-year-old Claire Hutton wore the captain’s armband during the series and looked far more poised and ready than one would expect given her age. At the opposite end of the spectrum, winger Emma Sears struggled to make an impact in the final third, and while her speed makes her a tempting option to have in the squad, the depth at her position means she’s always going to face a battle for a place.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be here before we know it, and that means the rumors are already flying thick and fast. We begin with Arsenal, which is said to be interested in signing Julian Alvarez this summer, but will likely face competition from Barcelona. Speaking of Barcelona, club president Joan Laporta has reportedly held talks with Robert Lewandowski about extending his stay with the team, while the Chicago Fire also interested and reportedly having submitted a bid to the striker’s representatives. Liverpool is said to be ready to spend in excess of  €100 million to sign Red Bull Leipzig forward Yan Diomande as a replacement for the outgoing Mohamed Salah. Finally, center backs Hiroki Ito and Min-Jae-Kim could both reportedly leave Bayern Munich this summer if interested teams are willing to meet the German club’s valuations of them.

Jonathan Klinsmann Suffers Broken Neck

American goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann suffered a broken neck while playing for Serie B side Cesena on Saturday. The son of former United States Men’s National Team manager Jurgen Klinsmann, the shot stopper was stretchered off the field after colliding with a Palermo player and was diagnosed with a fractured first cervical vertebra after being taken to the hospital. Klinsmann confirmed on social media that his season is over, which will leave him unavailable for Cesena’s promotion push. The team is currently eighth in the second division, which is the final playoff promotion spot.

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That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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