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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 5-0 as Makeshift Lions Lineup Gets Run Off the Pitch

Things didn’t seem likely to go Orlando City’s way from the moment the team sheet dropped.

Published

5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City played a clear B team against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium and when teams do that in Major League Soccer, they generally get killed. So it was with the Lions, as they were run off the tiny pitch at Yankee Stadium, losing 5-0 at NYCFC.

Orlando City (7-4-4, 25 points) has just one win in its last five matches, while a New York City FC (7-5-2, 23 points) club that had been struggling to score goals ran rampant. Not only did Orlando take its third loss in five and suffer its worst loss under Head Coach Oscar Pareja, but the Lions also lost a lot of ground in the goal differential column. Orlando lost more ground to New England.

“Very difficult game,” Pareja said. “I think New York from the first minutes started just getting space. We couldn’t find a way to match the game. What I can tell you is our team is intact and we will bounce back. We go with no excuses. Tonight nothing bounced our way. We didn’t play well. We couldn’t put passes together. We have commitment with ourselves, and we will look in the mirror to see what needs to be better.”

Pareja went with the makeshiftiest of makeshift lineups. With Mauricio Pereyra suspended due to yellow card accumulation, Alexandre Pato apparently still out — despite having trained with the club for the last couple of weeks — and Nani and Chris Mueller not on the game-day roster, the bench featured two goalkeepers and five defenders, along with little-used Homegrown midfielder David Loera.

This lineup never seemed likely to get a result and was never close to getting one in this match.

Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Emmanuel Mas — making his first MLS appearance/start — Rodrigo Schlegel, Antonio Carlos, and Kyle Smith. Joey DeZart stepped into the starting central midfield with Uri Rosell, with Alexander Alvarado getting his first MLS start, along with Andres Perea in the facilitator roles for Benji Michel and Silvester van der Water at the top of the attack.

“We had a different look today with some different players,” Pareja said. “We had some challenges, but we’re not going to talk about those challenges, because I don’t want to make it sound like an excuse and we’re not going to have any excuse.”

It was Orlando’s first league game without Nani, Pereyra, or Junior Urso in the starting lineup since Aug. 3, 2019 and the first league game without any of them on the team sheet since July 18, 2019. It showed.

As one might reasonably expect from such a disjointed lineup, there was no cohesion going forward. The Lions were not able to string passes together in the attacking half, and when they did, there were heavy touches that allowed New York City FC to take the ball away or there was confusion between players not knowing where to put the next ball. On a few occasions when everything else went right, a player would slip on the Yankee Stadium turf at the critical moment to spoil the buildup.

Maxi Moralez had the first good opportunity of the game in the 14th minute, heading wide off a cross from Keaton Parks. Orlando was well positioned for the cross, but the diminutive Moralez was able to get in front of his defender to get his head to it.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi should have scored in the 17th minute but sent his shot wide. Mas did just enough to bother him to force the error. Two minutes later, no one closed down Moralez just outside the area and he sent a back-post ball that hit the top of the goal frame.

The Lions got their only good chance of the first half in the 20th minute. Perea sent van der Water in down the left and the Dutchman fired a blast on target but right at goalkeeper Luis Barraza, who made the save but spilled it. The defense came to his rescue and knocked it out for a corner.

The ensuing cross skipped into the box but NYCFC found the handle first and cleared.

After the water break, just past the half-hour mark, the Pigeons started circling. New York City FC started taking advantage of Orlando sagging from the wide areas and started fizzing in dangerous low crosses. In the 35th minute, Gallese made a spectacular point-blank save on Tajouri-Shradi and he did the same a minute later against Valentin Castellanos.

The breakthrough came in the 40th minute. A routine ball was sent forward for Castellanos, who grabbed Carlos, pushed him backward about five yards, and wrapped his arm around him. As a result, Carlos was off balance when he tried to clear and swung and missed the ball, hitting Castellanos instead. Medina picked up the loose ball and smashed a shot just under the crossbar to open the scoring. Carlos was booked on a play that easily could have been blown dead and ended in a yellow to Castellanos, but instead the hosts led 1-0.

Watch how far Castellanos moves Carlos on this play.

Had that not counted, it would hardly have kept NYCFC from winning the game easily, but it was the first leak in the dam for Orlando City.

DeZart freed himself for a shot in stoppage time but sent his effort well off target and that was the last decent look of the half.

NYCFC led in shots (10-3), shots on target (4-1), possession (57.8%-42.2%), and passing accuracy (80.8%-71.%). Each team had two corners.

Pareja made two changes at the break. He sent Ruan on for Smith, giving El Soldado his first minutes of rest all season. He also put Robin Jansson on for van der Water, moving to three at the back.

The Lions should have tied the match two minutes after the restart. Michel got down the right and crossed in to Perea just two yards in front of goal, but the shot was hit right at Barraza for an easy save. The Lions are left to wonder how the game might have unfolded had Perea knotted the score at the start of the second period, giving the inexperienced lineup some confidence.

Instead, NYCFC seized control of the match.

Jansson misplayed Castellanos in the 50th, allowing the forward to get around him for a shot, but Gallese snared the chip attempt out of the air. Things got worse after that.

Tajouri-Shradi doubled the lead in the 53rd minute, isolating against Schlegel on the edge of the box. Mas was inside and couldn’t get over to help and Rosell slipped trying to close down, allowing the attacking player to smash a shot that Gallese perhaps should have parried away. The shot went through him and in to make it 2-0.

Moralez tried to chip Gallese in the 55th minute from long range, but the Peruvian scrambled back to make the save. Gallese made another big save in the 63rd minute to deny Castellanos. A minute later, Moralez was left completely unmarked at the back post but hit his volley attempt wide.

Orlando finally looked to get out on the break in the 65th as a long throw found Michel down the left channel behind the defense. He turned toward goal, saw no options and ended up losing the ball trying to pass back.

Seconds later, Moralez crushed any hope of getting a point out of the match, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The closest the Lions came to scoring in the final half hour was a Maxime Chanot header that came dangerously close to being an own goal in the 72nd minute.

Malte Amundsen made it 4-0 in the 79th minute on a give-and-go that looked obvious on television but the Lions were slow to cover it.

Castellanos added a fifth just three minutes later off the rebound of another spectacular Gallese save.

Despite the big lead and Orlando playing five at the back, as well as defensive-minded players in the midfield, New York City FC just kept generating chances. Gallese was obviously struggling health-wise late in the match after a collision with Thiago during a clearance made him land awkwardly. But eventually the game mercifully came to an end.

New York City FC dominated the stat sheet, out-shooting the Lions 23-5 (15-3 on target), holding way more possession (61.1%-38.9%), earning more corners (6-5), and passing much more accurately (84%-74.8%).

“Just overall it was not a good game,” Carlos said through a club interpreter. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong. It was a day that the team couldn’t string together two passes. We’re  going to get back to training and start working on all of the things that went wrong today.”

“How do we advance past this and how do we correct the mistakes that we had today is we just wake up tomorrow and automatically turn the page and look at getting ready for this weekend’s game, obviously hoping to change the outcome,” Mas said through a club interpreter.

The Lions have a lot of soul searching to do before kicking off back-to-back rivalry matches at home on Friday when Atlanta United visits Exploria Stadium.

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Orlando City

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

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

10 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

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

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

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 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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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 4, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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