Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City went on the road and won 1-0 against the New York Red Bulls Saturday night at Red Bull Arena. Facundo Torres scored the game’s only goal and Orlando’s defense held on for all three points. Each team only had one shot on target as neither goalkeeper saw much action.
Let’s take a look at how each Lion performed individually in the win on the road.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — The Peruvian goalkeeper likely won’t complain about only having one save in this match as the Red Bulls only put one of their 15 shots on target. That one save was easy as well, catching a long-range effort from Frankie Amaya that was fired right at him. His distribution could have been a bit better in this one though, only completing 57.5% of his 40 passes and connecting on just nine of 26 long balls. He also sent the ball out of bounds a couple of times late in the match. That being said, he started the play that ended up with Orlando scoring as his long ball found Alexandre Pato. It was Gallese’s eighth clean sheet this season and a nice result after conceding three goals last week.
D, João Moutinho, 7 — Moutinho made crucial defensive plays in this one, including a fantastic sliding challenge to snuff out a counter in the 68th minute and clearing New York’s free kick from the goal line in the dying moments of the match. He played every minute and finished with four tackles, an interception, three clearances, and a blocked shot. The left back was unsuccessful on his two crosses and one of his two long balls found its mark. Moutinho’s 40 passes were the third most on the team and he completed them at a decent 72.5% rate. He received a yellow card for halting a counter attack in the first half and will miss Orlando’s game next Sunday against Charlotte FC.
D, Robin Jansson, 7 — It was another strong outing from the Beefy Swede as he had two tackles, two interceptions, and five clearances. Jansson also had to turn on the jets at times to chase down Patryk Klimala and did well when putting out those fires. He was successful on 71.4% of his 28 passes and connected on two of six long balls. Jansson was great when making sliding challenges and also won all three of his aerial duels.
D, Antônio Carlos, 7.5 (MotM) — The Brazilian center back led the Lions with a whopping 10 clearances, putting an end to many of New York’s attacks before they could pick up steam. Carlos also had three tackles, two interceptions, and a blocked shot as he bounced back from a rough game last week. When the Red Bulls sent balls past Kyle Smith into dangerous areas, Carlos was there with long strides to see out the danger. Like Jansson, Carlos was a force in the air and won all five of his aerial duels. He had 36 passes at a 75% success rate and two of his six long balls were accurate.
D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Playing at right back, Smith led the Lions with 75 touches and 49 passes, but needed to take much better care of the ball. Only 57.1% of his passes were accurate, neither of his two crosses were successful, and just two of his nine long balls connected. Smith had four tackles and four clearances, but gave the ball away in his own defensive third at times and conceded a pair of free kicks in dangerous areas.
MF, César Araújo, 7 — Araujo offered plenty of support to the back line in this match and had two tackles, an interception, and two clearances. The 21-year-old also used his body to stop a worrying cross late in the match and then earned a throw-in. His 45 passes were the second most by a Lion and 93.3% of them were successful. Four of his six long balls found their mark as well. It was a solid outing from the defensive midfielder and he won three fouls without committing any.
MF, Júnior Urso, 6 — The Bear did a great job on Orlando’s goal, holding up play to wait for runners and finding Torres in on goal to notch his fifth assist of the season. While he often found open spaces in the midfield, he was a bit sloppy with the ball and was dispossessed five times. Both of Urso’s long-ball attempts were accurate and he had 30 passes at a 76.7% success rate. He didn’t have any defensive stats and won four of his eight aerial duels in this win. He struggled physically at times with New York youngster John Tolkin, who got the best of him in 1-v-1 match-ups.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra played the first half fairly deep in the midfield but in the second half he had to fill the playmaking role left by Pato’s exit just before halftime. His passing helped Orlando work its way past New York’s press and he completed 79.5% of his 39 passes. Four of his six long balls were accurate, but only one of his seven crosses found their mark. While the statistics only show an interception and a blocked shot from the captain, his hustle on defense in this match deserves some recognition. Pereyra may not have led Orlando’s offense to a blowout win, but he did the little things to help secure all three points on the road.
MF, Alexandre Pato, 6 — Pato’s night was cut short late in the first half when Dru Yearwood collided into him while he was taking his first shot of the match. Pato couldn’t get much of anything behind the shot as a result and went to the ground in pain. It didn’t look good and he had to be taken off on a stretcher. His time on the field was a mixed bag of brilliant passing and frustrating turnovers. He didn’t record a key pass, but made great through balls into dangerous areas and did well to win the ball up field and find Urso in the buildup of Orlando’s goal. Although he dribbled into trouble and gave the ball away on occasion, Pato completed all but one of his 15 passes for a strong 93.3% success rate and was accurate on his single long ball as well. He didn’t have any defensive stats, but helped apply pressure.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — Torres’ goal was from a tough angle, but he put enough behind it that Carlos Coronel couldn’t cleanly handle it as the ball got past the goalkeeper and then bounced off the far post and into the net. He also had a key pass with a cutback cross that served the ball to Pato on a silver platter in the box. The Uruguayan’s quickness helped stretch New York’s defense, but it was his superb passing and control of the ball in tight areas that was crucial for Orlando to beat New York’s pressure. Torres was accurate on 84.2% of his 38 passes, although neither his one cross nor his one long ball were successful. He brought plenty of pressure on defense and had three tackles as well.
F, Benji Michel, 5.5 — His first touch has left plenty to be desired this season and that was an issue again in this game as he had three unstable touches. Michel made a good run to draw a defender to open space for Torres to score, but he didn’t have much more of an impact on offense than that. In 66 minutes of action, Michel only had 16 touches and seven passes at a 71.4% success rate. The Homegrown Player’s speed was certainly an asset at times for the Lions on offense, but a lack of control and strength made it hard for him to influence the match.
Substitutes
MF, Jake Mulraney (45’), 5.5 — .Mulraney came on for Pato right before halftime and played out wide. It took some time for him to find his footing, but he did well when Torres joined him on the left wing. The two did well maintaining possession with quick passing, but not much came from Mulraney on offense. Neither of his crosses were accurate, but one of his attempted crosses did earn the team a corner after a deflection. He had 15 touches and completed seven of his 10 passes. Although he didn’t record any defensive statistics, Mulraney helped break up a few plays late in the match.
F, Tesho Akindele (66’), 5 — Bringing Akindele on for Michel makes sense on paper in order to give the Lions a taller player to win possession and hold up play. But the Canadian lost his two aerial duels and had two unstable touches. He also committed a foul right outside of the box that nearly cost the Lions. Akindele had a tackle, completed five of his seven passes, and finished with 11 touches.
MF, Wilder Cartagena (90’), N/A — The Peruvian midfielder made his debut for Orlando in a brief cameo to help see out the match. He had five touches, most notably when chasing down the ball after Moutinho’s goal-line clearance to end the danger. None of his three passes nor his lone long ball were successful, but it was a very small sample size from which to garner much information.
MF, Andres Perea (90’), N/A — Perea had one touch and one unsuccessful pass in a short stint. He mostly just helped give the Lions some fresh legs late in the match.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando’s 1-0 win on the road. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Antonio Carlos | 5 |
| Facundo Torres | 38 |
| Robin Jansson | 9 |
| Joao Moutinho | 6 |
| Other (Let us know who in the comments) | 1 |
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.
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
- Our most recent epsiode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for today’s match, as well as a preview of the game.
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!
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.
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.
Free Kicks
- Project Play is an initiative aimed at getting kids to play soccer — not compete, or try for scholarships, but to just play. I like that, and hopefully the upcoming World Cup can boost the effectiveness of the program.
- The Vancouver Whitecaps are playing good soccer right now sitting atop of the Western Conference, but the club is still in financial distress. The future of the Whitecaps in Vancouver is uncertain.
- The election of new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar over the outgoing Viktor Orbán may have impacts on the sport of soccer. To be clear, the ousting of a fascist autocrat is way more important than whether Hungary will continue to spend more money on soccer.
- Seattle Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock announced she will retire at the end of the 2026 season.
- Did you still want World Cup tickets? Did you think the tickets offered so far were not expensive enough? Good news! FIFA is selling more tickets after adding more expensive categories.
- In better news, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill is trying to get FIFA to pay their fair share of the transportation costs that New Jersey will incur thanks to the World Cup.
- I don’t usually get excited about new match balls or new soccer boots, but I will say I love the look and colors of the new Adidas Predator Kaká.
That will do it for today. Check back later today for our coverage of the Orlando City match this evening. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/21/26
Takeaways from MLS matchday eight, USWNT stock watch, transfer rumor roundup, and more.
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.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City held fast at no. 27 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- The city of Philadelphia will provide free train travel for fans leaving World Cup matches played at Lincoln Financial Field.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers have been relegated from the Premier League with five games left to play.
- Marco Rose will replace Andoni Iraola as the head coach of Bournemouth when he leaves at the end of the season.
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
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Lion Links: 4/22/26
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