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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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11 years ago

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They say all good things must come to an end, and that’s exactly what happened to Orlando City’s seven-match home unbeaten streak tonight against FC Dallas in the Citrus Bowl.

With both teams missing a number of starters to injury, suspension, and Gold Cup action, it seemed destined to be an ugly game from the beginning. With Orlando missing their captain Kaká to manage the referee and control the action, FC Dallas seemed the more composed team throughout the first half, in addition to getting a few friendly calls.

Dallas came out in a 3-5-2 formation, and the five midfielders seemed to overwhelm an Orlando side missing Darwin Ceren and Kaká in the middle. The referee didn’t help either, and it was clear that some of the younger City players were getting a bit frustrated without Kaká there to calm things down.

Cristian Higuita tripped Fabian Castillo in the penalty area just before the halftime whistle to give Dallas a penalty kick, which Mauro Diaz buried to put them up 1-0. Orlando came out for the second half looking much better with Carlos Rivas back on the wing, but a defensive lapse allowed Dallas’ Victor Ulloa to set David Texiera up for an easy goal.

It was a rough night for Orlando City all around, and there weren’t a lot of positive to take out of it for anyone. Here are our player grades for the match.

Player Grades

G, Tally Hall, 6.5 — Absolutely nothing Hall could have done about either Dallas goal, so hard to place any blame on the keeper for this one. Made three saves, and wore the captain’s armband in Kaká’s absence.

D, Luke Boden, 5 — Earned a second yellow card and the first sending off of his professional career in the waning minutes of the match. Both fouls were questionable, but regardless, it wasn’t a great night for Boden. He had a couple fairly dangerous giveaways in the back, and he failed to really influence things in the attacking end.

D, Seb Hines, 6 — Seb was fairly solid for most of the night, but he and Okugo were both to blame for losing Texiera on Dallas’ second. Hines was right to move out to cover Ulloa, but he was too late to see the run, which opened up too much space for Texiera.

D, Sean St. Ledger, 6.5 — May have been Orlando City’s best player for the first half hour or so, but he left the match in the 42nd minute after sustaining an apparent shoulder injury. Looked to be in quite a bit of pain on the field, so it seems unlikely he’ll be fit for NYRB next week.

D, Rafael Ramos, 6 — Quiet night on the offensive end for Ramos, but that’s because he was busy dealing with Fabian Castillo on defense. Despite being on the field primarily for his attacking skill, he did a good job for the most part. Did give Castillo a little too much space in the run up to the second goal, and you could argue he also committed a foul on the penalty.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 5 — Higuita did not get any support from the referee on this night, but excuses don’t matter in the standings. Passing was far too inaccurate, and was completely overwhelmed by Dallas’ five-man midfield.

MF, Harrison Heath, 4 — Almost totally invisible in the first half, and was pulled at halftime in favor of Amobi Okugo. Head Coach Adrian Heath, Harrison’s father, said there were “6-7 players” that could have been pulled at the half, but it was telling that he went with H.

MF, Eric Avila, 5 — Orlando needed something more tonight from Avila, with Kaká and Larin out, but he wasn’t able to come through. Chose to run with the ball instead of finding a teammate far too often, and failed to even slightly threaten Dallas keeper Dan Kennedy.

MF, Pedro Ribeiro, 6 — He’s tall, Brazilian, and he plays soccer, but he’s no Kaká. On a night when Orlando City had nothing resembling an offense and managed zero shots on goal, Ribeiro was the attacking midfielder in charge of the action. To his credit, he did score a goal in the 56th minute, but it was wrongly called offside by the referee.

MF, Lewis Neal, 4 — Somehow managed to be even less of a factor than Avila on the other wing. Unbelievably, failed to complete one pass in the attacking third.

F, Carlos Rivas, 5.5 — It’s clear that coach Adrian Heath would like to take advantage of Rivas’ speed at forward on occasion, but it’s just not happening. Strayed offside far too often, when he didn’t really need to. Was much, much better once moved back to left wing in the second half, but it was too little too late at that point.

Substitutes

D, Aurelien Collin, 7 (MOTM) — Considering Collin wasn’t expecting to play at all tonight, he put in a pretty impressive 50′ performance for the Lions. He made a number of last ditch tackles to stop counter attacks, and wasn’t really culpable on either goal. In fact, he was there to stop Castillo had Higuita not fouled him on the first.

MF, Amobi Okugo, 4.5 — What is wrong with Amobi Okugo? There’s no question he was brought in this off-season to be a difference maker for City, but at this point he’s basically a bench warmer. Got a shot to start the second half tonight, and was again disappointing. Almost gave up a goal in the 55th minute with a pass to no one in particular in the defensive half, and then got lost on Dallas’ second.

MF, Danny Mwanga, N/A — A late, desperation sub to try to provide an offensive spark for Orlando City. Failed to impact the game much either way.

* * *

With both teams missing a number of starters, Orlando City was unable to continue its seven match home unbeaten streak. Let us know what you think of our grades in the comment section.

The Lions have a friendly against English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. They return to MLS action the following Saturday, July 18, against the New York Red Bulls in the Citrus Bowl.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Cristian Higuita 10
Aurelien Collin 60
Carlos Rivas 2
Seb Hines 9
Pedro Ribeiro 11
Other 19
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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

11 hours ago

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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

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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

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September 4, 2026

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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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