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Orlando City vs. Minnesota United FC: Final Score 3-1 as Nani’s Brace Leads Lions into Final

The Lions finally beat Adrian Heath and the Loons and are headed to the MLS is Back title match.

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6 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Nani came up big, notching a brace and getting a secondary assist on Benji Michel’s late insurance goal, leading Orlando City to a 3-1 win over Minnesota United at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. With the victory, the Lions will face Portland next Tuesday in the MLS is Back final.

It was Orlando’s first win over Minnesota and first win against the Lions’ original coach, Adrian Heath. It was also the Loons’ first loss of 2020. Quietly, Orlando has lost only one match this season (2-1-2, 8 points in league play, 4-0-2 in MLS is Back). The Loons are 3-0-2, with 11 points in the regular season and finish this tournament with a 2-1-3 record.

“We’re very happy to be in the final,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “It’s been a great tournament and a great opportunity for our players to represent the franchise and the club and I think they have done a great job. And very well deserved to be in the final — and tonight against a very good team.”

Pareja went with the same lineup, meaning Pedro Gallese defended the sticks behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Uri Rosell and Sebas Mendez patrolled the central midfield behind Nani, Mauricio Pereyra, and Chris Mueller, with Tesho Akindele up top.

The match was delayed an hour and 11 minutes due to lightning in the area but Orlando finally did kick off. Once that happened, the Lions opened the game a bit flat, conceding two early corners and having very little of the ball in the opening 10 minutes. Ruan did get forward in the seventh minute, but rather than cross it in, he fired toward goal and Minnesota goalkeeper Tyler Miller parried it away.

Gallese then parried a wayward Chase Gasper cross from long distance over the bar in the 12th minute. The Lions came into the game little by little and Akindele should have opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Ruan got down the right side again and picked out Tesho but the Canadian couldn’t hold off Jose Aja and ended up bundling the ball over the bar from in close.

Nani sent a free kick right at Miller in the 21st minute and it was the only one of the captain’s three first-half shots that didn’t find the back of the net. Two minutes later he brought down a long ball with a perfect first touch and laid off for Mueller, who fired a left-footed effort well wide of goal. Then Pereyra should have had Akindele in alone in the 26th minute but Tesho couldn’t find the handle on the pass from the Uruguayan.

Minnesota nearly got in behind in the 29th minute when Gasper sent a long diagonal ball from left to right. Luis Amarilla nearly got on the end of it after sneaking in between Moutinho and Jansson.

In the 35th minute, Pereyra again found Akindele, who put the ball in the net but the flag was up. The Canadian started his run a little early as a result of Pereyra’s first touch being a little off and needing an extra step to track down the ball. The Lions were getting close but having no final product, as had been the case throughout the tournament. That lasted only one more minute.

Jansson sent a fantastic long ball from the back to Nani on the left. The captain brought the ball down perfectly once again and fought through contact from Hassani Dotson and poked the ball past Miller to make it 1-0 in the 36th minute.

Orlando kept coming. Ruan got down the right on a promising counter in the 41st minute with options all over the place, but the right back’s cross was poor and got deflected to Miller. But Nani doubled the lead a minute later anyway.

The captain received the ball from Mendez on the left side. Given too much room to operate, he took a step to his right and curled a banger into the far corner to make it 2-0 as the 42nd minute was ticking off.

“It’s great, you know, to have players who take that responsibility and put that weight on their shoulders, and appear in the games that mean the most to us,” Pareja said of Nani.

The Lions fended off two late Minnesota corner kick opportunities in first-half stoppage time, before the whistle brought an end to the opening period. Orlando City led in shots (5-4), shots on goal (3-0), possession (54.5%) and passing accuracy (84%-80%), but it was Nani’s quality that separated the sides at the break.

The Loons pushed the tempo in the second half and Orlando City seemed content to absorb pressure and be deliberate whenever the Lions had possession. That meant most of the second half was played in Orlando City’s half of the field, particularly after Heath brought on substitutes Kevin Molino, Mason Toye, and Raheem Edwards.

Minnesota spent seemingly the entire final 45 minutes (plus six minutes of stoppage time) either taking corners, free kicks or throw-ins. Jan Gregus fizzed a free kick opportunity wide of goal in the 62nd minute as the Loons kept the pressure on. Molino drew a series of free kicks after that and all three looked like they should have been fouls on him, particularly throwing out his arm and catching Mendez in the face in the 68th minute.

Ruan should have put the game away in the 71st minute. He got in down the right and was all alone for a free header on a cross from the left, but he missed the net somehow.

Gallese made a good save to deny Edwards in the 75th on another free kick won by Molino, who pulled Urso back to get around him and then when the Bear got a toe on the ball, Molino appeared to trip over it but Drew Fischer gave the Loons the set piece.

Michael Boxhall headed just over Gallese’s bar in the 77th on a set piece that was given when Moutinho was undercut while jumping but again the whistle went against Orlando. Urso was fouled again in the 80th and lost the ball, but there was no call and Molino’s shot was caught by Gallese.

Molino finally hurt the Lions in the 83rd minute, with a superb through ball that found Toye, who shot right away. Gallese got a touch to it but couldn’t keep it out and Minnesota pulled within 2-1 with plenty of time remaining. Toye might have been offside by a shoulder but video review judged the goal to be a fair one.

The Loons could have tied it in the 94th minute. Toye was all alone in front as a cross sailed in from his right but he couldn’t make good contact on it and the chance went wanting. Orlando then put the match away.

Urso got the ball near midfield from Nani and sent Michel in behind all of the Loons except Miller. Michel coolly rounded the keeper and slotted home the insurance goal in the 96th minute.

“I just knew it was a good chance for us to counter,” Michel said. “So you know I just gave all my energy — I came off the bench so I expect myself to give a spark to the team and I just knew that there was a chance for me to score. Urso played me the ball one-v-one then I was through and I was able to beat the keeper and put the ball back in the back of the net.”

The whistle blew just after the restart and Orlando had its first win over its original coach, first win over the Loons, and first trip to a final in the MLS era.

Minnesota came back to dominate the stat sheet, finishing with a 17-7 advantage in shots, although Orlando held a 4-3 edge in shots on target. Possession ended up at just about 50/50, and the Lions held onto their 84%-80% edge in passing accuracy. Minnesota managed 13 corners to just three for the Lions.

“It was very satisfying for us because you know we worked the whole week just, just like working as a team, making sure like all the pieces are put together,” Michel said. “But, you know the guys worked tremendously hard and for us to be able to get the win was very, very good for us.”

“It was really hard to get at Minnesota,” Pareja said. “They came sharp and we adjusted well. And the best part was that we respected the way we play and we respected our ways, our forms, and we ended up getting that result under our concepts and principles and that’s why they made us even more proud.”

Orlando City will meet the Portland Timbers with the MLS is Back trophy and a Concacaf Champions League berth on the line next Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.

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Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s sixth loss of the season.

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2 hours ago

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April 19, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau catching the ball in front of goal.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Orlando City returned home to the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium to take on the Houston Dynamo. Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to keep the (relatively) good times rolling, losing 1-0 to the Dynamo. It was an ugly match from start to finish, and there weren’t a lot of positives to take from it. Here’s what I took from Orlando City’s sixth loss of the season.

Chippy and Sloppy

This was a chippy and somewhat sloppy match from the first whistle. In the first half alone, Orlando City committed nine fouls and Houston committed five, with each team earning one yellow card apiece. By the end of the match, the Lions committed 17 fouls to Houston’s eight, with each team adding a second yellow card. To be fair, referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere was not good. He allowed his temper to get the best of him, including mimicking giving yellow cards to players. It wasn’t very professional from a PRO referee.

Offensive Offense

Orlando City managed 17 shots, but only three on goal. Compare that to Houston’s 19 shots with six on target. The Lions started Tiago and Tyrese Spicer up top, though Spicer wasn’t able to replicate his goal from the FC Naples match. Each of them managed two shots with neither on goal. Martin Ojeda and Justin Ellis each took three shots, with each putting one on target. The biggest indictment of the offense is the fact that center back Iago also took three shots and put one on target. Orlando City’s best chance was Tiago hitting the goal frame late in the first half, and when the ball was ping-ponging around in the box, but the Lions were unable to finish their chances.

Reliable Robin

If not for Robin Jansson, this match may have gotten out of hand early. The Beefy Swede had four clearances, two blocked shots, and one interception. He didn’t cover himself in glory on Houston’s goal, but he wasn’t the only problem defender on that counterattack goal either. Overall, he kept the defense organized for most of the match, and he did a good job on an individual basis. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough, but without him it’s almost certainly worse.

Crepeau Close to Clean

Much like Jansson, Maxime Crepeau played well in the match. Also like Jansson, he was not perfect. There were times he was not in the best position but was saved by a bad shot. However, he made four saves, including two that were difference makers. The first came in the first half when he made a leaping save to put the ball over the crossbar. He also made a point-blank save in the second half to keep the match within reach.

Trouble in Transition

It probably should have happened before it did, but Houston took the lead in the 75th minute. The goal came off a counterattack that saw Orlando City scrambling to get back after a turnover in the attacking third. Jansson initially did well to force his man wide, but he went to ground too early. Iago managed to clear the ball off the line on Ezequiel Ponce’s tap-in attempt, but he couldn’t control the rebound, with Zakaria Taifi forced to choose between three attackers to close down. Then, unlike Orlando City’s ping-pong chances earlier in the match, Hector Herrera smashed the ball past Crepeau and Iago for the goal. It was exactly the type of goal Orlando City has given up too many times this season.

These were the five things that caught my eye in Orlando City’s loss to the Dynamo. Let us know what stood out to you in the comments below.

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Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Final Score 1-0 as Toothless Lions Continue to Struggle

Orlando City returned to the MLS basement with yet another dreadful outing against a meh Houston Dynamo side at home.

Published

14 hours ago

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April 18, 2026

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Image of Iago heading the ball against Houston.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hector Herrera’s goal was the difference in one of the least memorable games at Inter&Co Stadium, as the Houston Dynamo leave the City Beautiful with a 1-0 victory over Orlando City. The Lions (1-6-1, 4 points) continued their dreadful start to the season with a better defensive performance that was helped by poor finishing by Houston (3-4-0, 9 points), but the attack is as toothless as it’s been in years.

Orlando rarely looked threatening, and when it was, the ball went anywhere except in the net — off the woodwork, off the goalkeeper, or off bodies in front.

“The defeat hurts even more at home, where we want to win always,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “Other than that, everybody saw what happened in the game. I think there was almost one team on the field dominating. We couldn’t score, and they found that goal in transition, and that’s the game.”

Perelman’s starting lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi, as both David Brekalo and Griffin Dorsey were unavailable. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield with wingers Ivan Angulo and Tyrese Spicer with Martin Ojeda and Tiago leading the attack.

Neither team could seize control in a back-and-forth first half that saw the Lions and Dynamo squander both squander chances, combining for one shot on target in 14 total attempts. While Houston wasted more opportunities, Orlando City botched the best scoring chance of the opening 45 minutes.

Mateusz Bogusz wasted no time getting involved, firing a shot from the top of the box in the game’s first minute that Jansson blocked. Houson’s early attack continued, with Marin blocking Guilherme’s attempt at the top of the area in the fourth minute. The follow-up shot from distance by Diadie Samassekou was way off target to the right.

The first threat from Orlando came 10 minutes in when Tiago sent a cross in from the left for Spicer on the backside. The Trinidadian went up to head the shot but sent it over the bar.

Both teams won a few set pieces in the middle section of the half but couldn’t pay them off. Ojeda came closest, missing the upper left corner on a free kick from distance on the right in the 30th minute.

With chances hard to come by, Guilherme tried his luck from extreme distance in the 38th minute but his attempt was always rising over the bar.

Orlando then survived a series of set pieces, with Crepeau making the game’s first save, going up to palm away Felipe Andrade’s header on the recycle of a corner in the 40th minute. A minute later, Andrade was left alone near the top of the area and sent a low shot just wide of the left post.

As the half wound down, the Lions had the best scoring chance of the opening period but muffed it. Spicer got down the left channel and sent in a great ball across to Tiago on the right. The young Brazilian had almost the whole net to shoot at but he hit the goal frame, wasting the chance.

That was the final look of the half and the teams went into the break scoreless. Houston held the advantage in shots (9-5), shots on target (1-0), and passing accuracy (88.2%-87.3%), while both teams won three corners.

Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond must have picked up a knock, as he was subbed off for Jimmy Maurer at halftime. Maurer had a busier half than Bond did, but the two allowed the same number of goals, which was none.

Angulo fired off target from outside the area three minutes after the restart with the first shot attempt of the second half, but Houston started the half better as it had in the opening 45 minutes.

Jansson did well to track back in transition to break up a three-on-three Houston attack on the counter in the 49th minute. Guilherme and Bogusz fired over the bar from similar spots in the 54th and 55th minutes as the Dynamo opened the half with more energy.

But Orlando City settled into the game and had good spells of possession, even if the Lions couldn’t make them pay off. The best opportunity to do that came in the 66th minute.

Martin Ojeda’s corner kick into the box fell for Braian Ojeda, who fired a shot that Agustin Resch blocked in front. Iago’s follow-up shot was blocked off the line by former Lion Antonio Carlos. Maurer made a save on the third Orlando City attempt in quick succession, as Martin Ojeda’s shot found the target but could not beat the substitute goalkeeper.

Houston nearly made Orlando pay quickly for failing to finish. In the 68th minute, the Dynamo countered and Bogusz sent in a great back-post cross from right to left to Ezequiel Ponce. The forward’s header went just wide of the right post as he tried to send the shot back against Crepeau’s movement.

The previous counterattacks should have served as warning signs, but Houston scored on one in the 75th minute. Angulo lost the ball in the attacking third and Lawrence Ennali broke down the right channel. Jansson ran with him, but as he neared the goal line, the Dynamo man faked a shot and Jansson went to ground. Ennali then picked out Ponce, who was all alone out front. Iago blocked Ponce’s shot off the line, but the reprieve didn’t last long. Herrera was completely unmarked and slotted it home for the game’s only goal.

“We lost the ball outside of their box, which I think we could have taken care of the ball a little bit more, but then they got the transition,” Jansson said. “I ended up to coming too close to Max, and then he dribbled me. And then we weren’t able to catch up on the rebound. I think it was Iago that saved it on the goal line. Herrera has an open goal and put it in, similar to what we had. Almost an identical situation. We don’t score. They score.”

Orlando kept pushing for an equalizer, but struggled to create clear-cut chances down the stretch. Harvey Sarajian and Ignacio Gomez each made their MLS debuts, coming on to add energy and fresh legs.

Second-half sub Justin Ellis took a pass just inside the area in the 81st minute, spun, and fired a shot. However, his effort was right at Maurer. Five minutes later, after Houston blocked several cross attempts, Iago tried an ambitious shot from distance, but he too sent his shot at Maurer, who wasn’t troubled by it.

Houston had a couple of late chances to put the match to bed, but Crepeau did well to deny Guilherme in the third minute of stoppage time.

Iago sent a header into the seats two minutes later in what turned out to be City’s last shot attempt. Braian Ojeda committed a foul in transition at the other end and Houston saw out the 1-0 road win.

Houston finished with the advantage in shots (19-17) and shots on target (6-3), while the Lions passed more accurately (88.1%-84.3%) and won more corners (4-3).

“We are building this team, coordinating the team again,” Perelman said. “I think the team is competing, and I have no doubt that goals are going to come again for sure.”

“In truth, I think the game tonight, we deserved to win,” Braian Ojeda said. “I come here sad tonight, because I feel like the group did everything that we needed to do to win. But at the end of the day, football is like that.”

“Super frustrating,” Jansson added. “I think we were playing a quite good game. We’re trying to become more playing with the ball than we’ve been doing in the beginning of the season, and yeah, we’re creating some chances, having some scoring opportunities, (hit) a post, and something similar to what they scored on, they have most likely their only big chance, they score on (it). And it’s super frustrating, of course, and we’re not happy with the loss. We’re here to compete for Orlando City. And to be completely honest, it hasn’t been good enough.”

It will be another quick turnaround for the Lions as they will host Charlotte FC on Wednesday.

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

The banged-up Lions look to make it three consecutive results in all competitions as the Houston Dynamo visit.

Published

1 day ago

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April 18, 2026

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Image of Tyrese Spicer dribbling the ball.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (1-5-1, 4 points) and the Houston Dynamo (2-4-0, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium. It’s the only meeting scheduled for 2026 in this cross-conference series between two sides that haven’t met since the 2023 Leagues Cup group stage.

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

History

Orlando City is 2-2-2 in the all-time series (1-0-2 at home) in league play and 2-2-3 (1-0-3 at home) in all competitions.

The last time these sides faced each other came in Leagues Cup play in Orlando on July 21, 2023. The Lions fell behind 1-0 as current Orlando City and former Houston fullback Griffin Dorsey took a dive in the box, drawing a highly questionable penalty on Rafael Santos deep in first-half stoppage time. Amine Bassi scored from the spot to put the Dynamo ahead just before the break. Duncan McGuire equalized just seconds into the second half and the teams played to a 1-1 draw before the Lions won 5-4 in penalties to claim the extra point in the competition. Pedro Gallese stopped Houston’s Hector Herrera on the first shot and no one else missed their penalty, including both Dorsey, Santos, and former Lion/current Dynamo defender Antonio Carlos.

The last time these teams met in MLS play was on June 18, 2022 at Exploria Stadium with Orlando City winning 2-1 on an Ercan Kara brace. One of the goals deflected in off of him, but that still counts. Sebastian Ferreira got Houston on the board but the visitors could not complete the comeback. It was Orlando’s first win in the series since the Lions’ first ever road game back in early 2015 provided the first MLS victory for the club.

Due to the quirky scheduling since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the previous meeting between the teams took place on Sept. 21, 2019 in Houston, with the Dynamo winning, 2-1. Dom Dwyer struck just six minutes in, but goals three minutes apart by Alberth Elis and Christian Ramirez in the 70th and 73rd minutes, respectively, turned that match around.

The teams met in Orlando on Sept. 22, 2018, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw. That was a memorable match for former Orlando City goalkeeper Adam Grinwis, who made his MLS debut that night.

The Lions went to BBVA Stadium in 2017 and were wiped off the field, 4-0. A leggy Orlando team flew directly to Houston from Toronto after a hard-fought game against the Reds and saw the rested Dynamo’s speed on full display. Elis, Mauro Manotas (twice), and Romell Quioto provided the goals and it could have been worse.

The 2016 match in Orlando was another 0-0 draw, in what was a forgettable game under Bobby Murphy, who was serving his first stint as Orlando City’s interim coach following the firing of Adrian Heath.

In the first meeting, back in 2015, the Lions went to Texas and came home with a 1-0 victory in Houston. Goalkeeper Tyler Deric — under extreme pressure from Pedro Ribeiro — punched the ball into the back of his own net for the only goal of the match. That was Orlando City’s historic, first MLS victory.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 1-1 draw at Columbus on Sunday and a 1-0 road U.S. Open Cup win on Wednesday at FC Naples. The Lions weren’t great in either match, but they managed to get results on the road as they continue to try to figure things out in a nightmare start to the 2026 season. Orlando is 1-2-0 at home this season and has scored all but one of its six goals on the season in the friendly confines of Inter&Co Stadium.

Both Tyrese Spicer and Robin Jansson returned to the lineup over the last week and made big impacts. Jansson was a rock in the middle of the OCSC defense in Columbus, and it was not surprising that the Crew only managed to level the game after he subbed off. Spicer scored on a rocket shot Wednesday for the only goal in a game that saw Orlando badly outplayed over the last 30 minutes by USL League One competition. Only a controversial no-goal call prevented what could have been a quick exit from the U.S. Open Cup. Dorsey also returned from injury against the Crew after missing time with a lower back issue.

Houston, like Orlando, is on short rest. The Dynamo were put on full blast a week ago in Colorado, losing 6-2 to the Rapids on the road. Houston took that beating out on USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC on Wednesday, winning 4-1 at home in U.S. Open Cup action. The Dynamo are 0-2-0 on the road in 2026.

The Dynamo attack added Designated Players Mateusz Bogusz, who scored in Wednesday’s game, and Guilherme Santos in the off-season. Guilherme leads Houston in goals (5) and assists (4), easily earning his DP tag in a quick start. Bogusz has started more slowly with just one goal and an assist, but his goal in USOC play Wednesday will have him more confident entering tonight. USMNT midfielder Jack McGlynn has three assists so far on the year despite being limited to four games due to injury. However, McGlynn is nearing a return and could be back tonight.

Orlando City will have to continue improving upon last week’s mostly solid defensive game, while trying to find improvements in the attacking end.

“Houston is a strong team, they have a good roster, and we respect them like we respect all of our opponents,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We are thinking about us, and working on our ways and strategies, and preparing for the game like always.”

Orlando City will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), and McGuire (lower leg), while David Brekalo (lower leg), Dorsey (thigh), and Iago (concussion protocol) are listed as questionable. Houston is much more healthy but will be without Lucas Halter (lower body) and Artur (lower body), while McGlynn (yep, lower body) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

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

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tyrese Spicer.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Tiago.

Bench: Javier Otero, Tahir Reid-Brown, Nolan Miller, Colin Guske, Luis Otavio, Ignacio Gomez, Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, Justin Ellis.

Houston Dynamo (5-2-3)

Goalkeeper: Jonathan Bond.

Defenders: Felipe Andrade, Antonio Carlos, Franco Negri, Augustin Resch, Lawrence Ennali.

Defensive Midfielders: Hector Herrera, Diadie Samassekou.

Forwards: Guilherme Augusto, Ezequiel Ponce, Mateusz Bogusz.

Bench: Jimmy Maurer, Sam Vines, Erik Sviatchenko, Artur, Duane Holmes, Augustin Bouzat, Ondrej Lingr, Ibrahim Aliyu, Nick Markanich.

Referees

REF: Pierre-Luc Lauziere.
AR1: Nick Uranga.
AR2: Rhett Hammil.
4TH: Abdou Ndiaye.
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 (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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