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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match from Week 2

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10 years ago

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Orlando City came out looking for three points and got only one for the second time in a week and the Lions have no one to blame but themselves. Even with Chicago down to 10 men, poor touches in the final third and shockingly bad service from out wide doomed City to just a 1-1 draw at the Citrus Bowl against a feisty Fire club.

The less said about the result against a 10-man team that gave up four goals last week, the better. Here are my player grades from the match.

Starters

GK, Joe Bendik, 6 — In fairness, there wasn’t much for Bendik to do. He couldn’t do much with Accam’s breakaway and other than that he didn’t have much to do. He faced two shots on target and stopped one.

D, Brek Shea, 5.5 — Aside from a few good crosses and a good run or two, there wasn’t much quality from Brek. He had a few unsure moments in the back, but did well for the most part to keep crosses from out wide from getting into the box, aside from a few early ones.

D, Seb Hines, 5 — Mixed bag from Seb, who got absolutely toasted by David Accam on the goal, but that’s not really his fault. Goossens played a terrific long ball and Hines (and pretty much anyone else) is no match for Accam’s pace. Could have taken a card perhaps to keep from giving up the chance. Had a few nervy moments in defense and wasn’t as dominant as usual in the air. Did make one saving tackle to prevent an Accam breakaway after the speedy forward got past Tommy Redding.

D, Tommy Redding, 5.5 — Did a bit better handling Igboananike than Hines perhaps, and made a few desperate challenges to break up some attacks at the last minute, including a saving touch on a cross that was labeled for Igboananike. The touch was just enough to send it off the Fire player and out for a goal kick. Still, there were a few too many nervy moments.

D, Rafael Ramos, 4.5 — A few too many uncharacteristically heavy touches and some really rough crosses for the Portuguese youth international. Ramos created space out on the right but did precious little with it and was hesitant to challenge defenders to the end line. Had a step a few times and still got his cross blocked by hesitating.

MF, Servando Carrasco, 4.5 — Sat behind his two defensive midfield teammates and mostly did OK breaking up plays but his passing wasn’t as sharp as it was Sunday and his long balls were just a touch long a few times. Took a needless yellow card on a silly challenge that gave Chicago a free kick in a good spot. He finished with a good passing rating but won only one tackle and conceded three fouls.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 4 — Miserable night for Higuita in his first game of the season in terms of heavy touches and poor passes in the attacking half. Ruined a number of promising attacks with a poor pass that was left far too close to a defender, particularly when City was up a man. Was again a bit reckless in his challenges and too hotheaded and confrontational, but he mostly did a good job in the defensive half and will likely be better with a game under his belt.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 5 — I’ll give the newcomer a neutral grade for his first competitive match since August. Early on he was a factor in the attack, working well with his teammates on the left side. As he tired, teammates bypassed him or couldn’t find him. Lost the ball that led to Chicago’s goal, but he lost it at the top of the Fire box, so it’s hard to blame him for the longball counter. Looks much better than most of his teammates at controlling the ball at his feet in traffic. I look forward to seeing more of the Italian.

MF, Kevin Molino, 6 — Again the Trinidadian was dangerous but his final product left a lot to be desired, completing only 76% of his passes but still created a game-high four chances. He got too cute in the attacking third on multiple occasions. Did well to set up Larin for the Orlando City goal, nearly had one of his own with a shot that forced a diving save from Matt Lampson and came close to sending in Larin, Winter and Hadji Barry. Unfortunately, for every one of those, there were two or three balls off the legs of the defender in front of him, or an attempt to thread a perfect ball through traffic, when a safer option was available. Earned a late free kick with a nifty run.

MF, Adrian Winter, 5.5 — The Energizer Bunny is less effective over a full 90 minutes than he is in a super sub role. Winter was perhaps the best player in purple in the first 45 minutes but he completely disappeared after the break. In the opening half, he worked well to send Ramos forward out wide to the right, and yet was still dangerous in the middle of the pitch, working with Molino and Larin.

F, Cyle Larin, 6 (Man of the Match) — Opened the scoring with a good goal and his movement early in the game was a real problem for Chicago. Nearly scored the winner late but hit the post and also was pulled down in the box in the dying moments but was never going to get a penalty call up a man at home like that. Had some issues in hold-up play at times on the night but continues to be a danger man on a weekly basis.

Substitutes

MF, Pedro Ribeiro (63′), 4.5 — Fired a stunning laser that got the woodwork in the late going but other than that he was poor off the bench, completing just 68.8% of his passes. Had two tackles and drew a foul but not the best of nights for Ribeiro.

F, Hadji Barry (73′), 3 — He’s fast, but what else does Barry do well at this point? He had just seven touches in his 21 or so minutes and didn’t attempt a pass. Was slotted in by Molino and just tried to shoot immediately when a chip would have netted a game winner. It’s unfair to expect such a savvy play from a rookie, perhaps, but that was an opportunity to shine. Did not officially get a shot for that chance and did not create a chance or win a foul.

* * *

So, those are my grades and I’m sure you’ll waste no time telling me how wrong they are. Feel free to vent below in the comments section and don’t forget to vote for Man of the Match.

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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

9 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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