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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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11 years ago

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Orlando City’s winless drought continued as they fell 3-0 to a streaking New England Revolution side Saturday night. After a bounce back performance against the Chicago Fire that ended in 1-1 tie, but had fans wondering if the squad turned a corner, the Lions could not overcome the loss of Cyle Larin, Kaka, Darwin Ceren and Carlos Rivas.

After conceding shortly before the halftime, Orlando City pushed forward for the majority of the second half, but were never able to capitalize. Orlando City lost the possession battle and New England outshot the visiting Lions 21-8.

Let’s get to the grades and man of the match for Orlando City.

Starters

GK, Tally Hall (MOTM) —

OK, maybe it’s not actually a 10, but damn if he wasn’t impressive. Hall was by far the best player on the pitch, and the only player who kept Orlando City in the game. From his terrific saves in the 18th, 24th and 45th minutes to his thwarting of a deflected shot in the 57th minute, Hall’s effort was world class.

Without Hall’s performance we could have been looking at a 6-0 loss or even worse. We can settle on an 8.5.

D, Corey Ashe, 6 — Coming in to the match, many were interested to see how Ashe and Luke Boden would work together on the same side of the field with Boden playing left midfielder. They were unspectacular, but as Ashe went down with an injury, we didn’t get to see the two work together as long as we might have hoped. Ashe played well defensively and pushed forward when he could, but the Lions didn’t have a ton of opportunities going at goal.

D, Aurelien Collin, 6 — Collin was caught a little out of position on New England’s first goal as he pushed a little too far over to the sideline, allowing Diego Fagundez to get behind him and get the shot off. Other than that mistake, Collin was fine, but he didn’t stand out. Orlando was on its heels all game and Collin and the rest of the back four did a good job for the majority of the game keeping the Revolution from finishing on the opportunities they were getting.

D, David Mateos, 7.5 – Mateos was the best player on the field for Orlando City besides Tally Hall Saturday night. He did a fantastic job in a helping role on the back line covering for his teammates when New England players got behind them into attacking situations. His recovery on Charlie Davies in the first half was enough of a hindrance to cause Davies to mishit a header from a cross over the goal. Mateos has improved every match and he consistently cleared danger for the first 85 minutes of the match.

D, Rafael Ramos, 5.5 – Another unspectacular performance, Ramos at times disappeared in this one. His only memorable play is a bad giveaway in the 73rd minute when it looked like Orlando City could have had a dangerous attack building.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 4.5 – He had too many negative plays for me to give him any positive feedback in this one. From his bad foul in the 14th minute, giving New England a dangerous free kick, to a bad giveaway six minutes later that led to a flurry of chances, Carrasco really struggled on a night Orlando City could not afford to have him struggle.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 7 – Higuita is always solid defensively. He plays with a chip on shoulder and doesn’t back down from anyone. He had his hands full with the likes of Lee Nguyen, but before he subbed out in the second half, most of New England’s dangerous attacks turned out to be harmless in large part because of his tracking back defensively. He pushed forward heavily in the second and generated some decent chances for Orlando City. I would have liked to see him have more time with Rochez in the game.

MF/D, Luke Boden, 5 – Man, was he slow tonight. Boden, in my eyes, has never been known as a speedster, but he looked exceptionally slow getting to the ball tonight. He also failed to generate much attack for Orlando City, giving the ball away on two straight touches in the 40th and 41st minute, shortly before Orlando City conceded the first goal. Boden fits much better with this squad as a left back who occasionally pushes forward, rather than a midfielder who has more offensive responsibility.

MF, Lewis Neal – 4 – Neal had some big shoes to fill with Kaka being out on international duty, and he wasn’t able to do so. He spent more time in the match in the defensive midfield it seemed like, and generated no attack for the offense. It often seemed like Neal wasn’t even on the pitch. He had some bad giveaways in the first half, and aside from him always being available, one has to start wondering why he keeps finding his way into the lineup.

MF, Adrian Winter, 5.5 – Winter did a really nice job tracking back defensively to help for most of the game. It seemed like he covered the most ground of any Orlando City player besides Higuita, but nothing he did offensively was all that dangerous until the 87th minute when he he took a shot from point blank range that was saved. His work rate in his young career at Orlando City has been solid, but Winter still hasn’t appeared to be a legitimate threat out wide.

F, Pedro Ribeiro, 6 – Everyone knows that when Ribeiro is on the field, you won’t get a ton of pace from him, and this game was no different. His lack of speed made it more difficult for Orlando City to make anything happen on a counter attack. However, he was strong on the ball each time he had possession and battled often times with multiple New England defenders. But ultimately, he lacked the speed to run by any of them and Orlando City didn’t have enough attacking players coming up to help.

Substitutes

MF, Eric Avila (60′), 4.5 – Despite playing for about 34 minutes, Avila was nearly invisible. I don’t remember hearing his name or seeing him do anything particularly positive or negative.

F, Bryan Rochez (67′), 7 – Rochez was one of Orlando City’s best players, despite being on the field for less than half the match. That says something in itself. He showed some terrific footwork and skill and power in the 72nd minute shaking off New England defenders and spinning more times than a ballerina before unleashing a shot that missed the target. He showed more solid work in the 84th minute to get a shot on goal.

MF, Danny Mwanga (79′), NA – Didn’t play long enough to register a grade, but he was solid when he was on the field. Orlando City’s mindset with him on the field was obviously much more offensively geared with them trailing, but Mwanga seemed to provide a legitimate threat to the defense. His work in the 87th minute helped to free Winter up for a shot that was stopped. He also sent a terrific ball to Rochez that provided some threat to the Revolution as well.

* * *

That’s how I saw it. Vote for your Man of the Match in our poll!

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Aurelien Collin0
David Mateos4
Tally Hall97
Pedro Ribeiro0
Brian Rochez6
Cristian Higuita4
Other (tell us who in the comments)1
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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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