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Staff Roundtable: Orlando City Prepares to Visit Chicago Fire Following Seattle Defeat

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10 years ago

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What kept Cyle Larin out of the net against the Seattle Sounders? Did Matías Pérez García impress in his debut? Should we expect to win on the road against the Chicago Fire, and what can Jason Kreis do to make it happen?

This week we have Michael Citro, David Rohe, Austin Siegel, and yours truly to discuss all this and more in this week’s edition of The Mane Land Roundtable. Yes, it’s the ultra-rare, four-person roundtable!

Cyle Larin had scored in three straight games before being held off the sheet against Seattle. Did you think he had more to give, or was the Sounders defense just too strong for Kid Fantastic?

Michael: I think the Sounders squeezed Larin between Brad Evans and Chad Marshall and choked off his service. The pathways between Kaká and the Canadian international were closed. Still, Larin can’t be contained in the air if the service is good and there were a couple of chances for him to get onto crosses that didn’t quite come off, as they were both just a few inches too high. If they were a bit lower we might be talking about his brace this week. As far as whether he had more to give, I thought he looked a bit tired and sluggish at times, which Jason Kreis talked about after the match, as he’s been working his players hard the last two weeks to try to install his principles and systems.

Wade: It can be hard not to expect goals every night out from Cyle given his propensity for doing so, but there’s bound to be games where he comes up empty-handed. I was surprised he didn’t convert any headers, but he was marked well throughout the match. Sometimes, you have to tip your hat to the other team.

Dave: I think it's a bit of everything. I'm certain that Cyle would say he could have done more. Professional athletes often feel they could have done more or made more of their chances. Additionally, more chances might have resulted in another goal for Larin, but after the first goal, it didn't feel like those chances were coming. Much of that could be attributed to the soundness of the Sounders defense, but players of Larin's ability are supposed to be able to overcome such circumstances. As I say, I think it wasn't so much one or the other, but a combination of many factors. Hopefully, he'll get back on the sheet against Chicago.

Austin: Cyle Larin is an aerial threat and one of the best in MLS at getting on the end of crosses, so shutting him down requires a defense that's capable of preventing quality service into the box. Did Seattle do that? Well, Kaká's 70th-minute cross nearly brought the Lions back into the game, but Júlio Baptista and Seb Hines couldn't slot it home. Orlando City did a decent job creating scoring opportunities for Larin, but the Sounders limited the young Canadian to just one touch. Counting on that kind of defensive prowess from the last-place Chicago Fire seems like a risky bet. I think we'll see a bounce-back performance from Larin in Chicago.

Matías Pérez García made his debut, subbing on for Hadji Barry in the 55th minute. Did his performance inspire confidence, or concern?

Wade: Confidence, no doubt. Dude had 48 hours to assimilate with the coalition, and managed to be threatening, creative, and savvy — you don’t draw four fouls by accident.

His experience could prove to be a crucial piece to Kreis’ playoff puzzle down the stretch, should his outing be a sign of things to come.

Michael: Considering he probably hadn’t yet learned all of his teammates’ names, I’d call MPG’s debut with Orlando City a success. He immediately made the offense look more dynamic, slipping into pockets of space where he and Kaká could play off each other and drawing fouls to set up free kicks in dangerous areas. I think he’s the kind of player who can work well within Kreis’ system, and while I am not sure about his long-term viability in Orlando, he should provide some decent coverage in the attacking midfield during his stay with the Lions.

Austin: Matías Pérez García gives Orlando City the midfield depth they've been looking for ever since Adrian Winter left the club and he played like it on Saturday. With an 87.75% pass completion rate and several quality chances, it was a successful (but limited) debut for the first acquisition of the Jason Kreis era. The question now is what his role will be going forward and whether the former San Jose man will threaten the starting XI.

Dave: I don't think there's any concern with García coming in for Barry. Kreis has already made it known that he isn't afraid to play anyone, and that he's basing that on performance both during practice and in games. I suspect he felt that there needed to be a change in the attacking half of the field since Orlando was down 3-1 at that point. If your team is down two goals and the offense isn't clicking, why not give the new guy some playing time? It allows a coach to see how that player will do in an actual game.

Up next are the Chicago Fire, who sit bottom of the table and are coming into their third game in nine days. Is it unfair to expect three points on the road?

Dave: I don't think it's ever unfair to expect a win. Though the chances of a win as a percentage will certainly fluctuate depending on things such as days of rest and home/away. I imagine it was quite a week of work for the team following the 3-1 loss, and that our new skipper was all about not letting that happen two weeks in a row. I think we'll see a better performance against a team that shouldn't be as tough as our previous opponent, especially as the players adjust to their new coach and his scheme.

Austin: Probably not, because I don't think Orlando City is foolish enough to overlook Chicago. Coming just a few weeks after their head coach was fired and a key player sent packing (not to mention Sunday's disappointing loss to Seattle), I can't see the Lions walking into Toyota Park like they own the place. On paper, Orlando City is a better team than the Fire, especially with Chicago drained from a U.S. Open Cup run. I do worry that if the Lions come out overly aggressive, they could be exposed by Chicago on the counter attack.

Michael: Orlando City has had no trouble getting results in Chicago in MLS play, with two wins in the Windy City last year. With the Fire struggling all season and coming off a demoralizing U.S. Open Cup semifinal loss at New England in the midweek, this is definitely the Lions’ best opportunity to come away with three points on the road for the first time since March. That said, I have always thought the Kreis era might start with a bang and then get worse before it gets better and we may have seen the start of that last weekend against Seattle. I’d like to think Orlando can at least fashion a draw and the Lions are certainly capable of winning, but show me a second road victory this year before expecting me to predict one. That said, if not this weekend, when?

Wade: As a fan, I expect three points every time the club takes the pitch. When you factor in circumstance, this could prove to be a big three points on our way up the table.

Chicago — while potentially dangerous — is the only team in the league averaging less than one goal per game. Despite the problems along the back line, I think Orlando City should win this one.

What can Jason Kreis learn by watching the 1-1 draw at home early in the season to put the club in the best position to get the win?

Austin: David Accam's goal against Orlando City back in March sticks in the memory, because he basically caught Seb Hines from behind on a dead sprint, won possession, and beat Joe Bendik one-on-one. Even though it came against the good guys, that goal was pretty cool. Committing a few defenders to mark Accam probably isn't a bad idea this weekend, and with the Lions looking for all three points, I expect Chicago to concede the possession battle early and look to hit Orlando on the counter attack. Midfield composure is going to be crucial, and since Kaká was unavailable the last time these teams faced off, his impact could interesting to watch. 

Michael: He can hopefully devise a way for his back line not to get beaten over the top on long balls. None of Orlando’s defenders can win any kind of race with David Accam, even with a head start, and therefore the team should not play as high a line at Chicago as it did against Seattle last weekend, where it looked at times as if the Lions were playing an offside trap. Players will have to be cognizant of where Accam is at all times and the attacking midfield and Larin up top have to be conservative in their approach to avoid turnovers. Kreis said he wants to concentrate on fixing the defense, which is smart. Let’s hope the lads learned something from that Seattle game.

Dave: That first draw against Chicago was a frustrating one, given the amount of chances Orlando City had to win it. That being said, this match will come down to how good or bad the defense plays. Orlando City typically scores goals, and Joe Bendik makes a bunch of saves. The question then becomes did we score enough goals, or make enough saves to overcome the play of the back line? Kreis will obviously be able to go back and watch how the players matched up against Chicago, but he won't necessarily be using the same players or having them in the same positions. Additionally, his game plan will be different from Adrian Heath's, and so there is only so much he can use in that regard. I still think that Kreis is in an ongoing evaluation and implementation mode. The players are learning the new scheme, and Kreis is still learning about his players. I'm not saying that the opponent, nor how Orlando played that opponent before doesn't matter, just that it’s only one piece of a much bigger puzzle for Kreis.

Wade: David Accam has to be contained. Given what we’ve seen from this back line, that’s a horrifying thought, but it is the truth. Having him shadowed might be what it takes — and if it is, then so be it. He’s the one weapon to fear on this team.

***

And that will do it for this week’s discussion as Orlando City prepares for its trip to Bridgeview. Sound off below with your answers.

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Orlando City

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

Orlando City restarts its 2026 MLS campaign late tonight out west at San Jose.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

July 22, 2026

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Image of Braian Ojeda taking a shot in a friendly against FC Dallas.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread for a late night midweek matchup tonight between Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points) at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in 2026 and the first time the teams have met since 2024.

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

History

Orlando City is 3-1-3 in the previous seven MLS meetings with the Quakes since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015. The Lions got their only away win in the series in the last meeting and enter tonight 1-1-2 on the road against San Jose.

The teams last met on May 18, 2024, with Jack Lynn coming off the bench to score the game’s only goal. Lynn’s strike in the 89th minute broke the scoreless deadlock and lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory.

The teams met in Orlando most recently way back on June 22, 2021, with the Lions beating the Quakes down, 5-0. Orlando got things started with an early penalty kick goal by Nani, followed by braces from Benji Michel and Daryl Dike to easily put the game away. The lasting memory from the game is Michel’s celebratory dance wearing a cowboy hat that came out of the stands.

Prior to that Orlando City romp, the last time the teams met was on Aug. 31, 2019 when the Lions got freight trained 3-0 at Avaya Stadium, giving the Quakes their first win in the series. San Jose’s offense came via a Chris Wondolowski brace and an early opening goal by Magnus Eriksson. Orlando looked flat and weary out of the gate.

The Lions were victorious in Exploria Stadium in the 2018 meeting on April 21, a 3-2 Orlando win. It was the first win in the series for either side after three straight draws. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer gave the Lions a 3-0 lead before Florian Jungwirth pulled two back in the game’s late stages.

The Lions led all of the first three matches in the second half only to see San Jose pull level, with two of those tying goals coming late. In the 2017 meeting, Carlos Rivas finally broke the scoreless tie and gave Orlando City the lead in the 81st minute, but Wondolowski spoiled the Lions’ night with an equalizer two minutes later as the teams drew at Avaya Stadium, 1-1.

In 2016, the Lions were gut-punched in the 94th minute in an emotional match that ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first home match following the Pulse nightclub tragedy and what appeared to be a storybook ending to a cathartic win turned sour on a last-gasp equalizer by Shea Salinas. Seb Hines — now the Orlando Pride’s head coach — opened the scoring for Orlando, only to see Chad Barrett tie it up. Julio Baptista restored the lead in stoppage time, but Salinas ruined everything.

The two teams also drew in the first meeting, a 1-1 affair at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Lions down to 10 men after Brek Shea was sent off in the first half. Kaká and Wondolowski each scored from the penalty spot four minutes apart in that initial meeting.

Overview

The teams meet tonight to get their post-World Cup portion of the season started. Orlando City has been terrible on the road all season long, keeping only one MLS opponent under two goals all year away from home and allowing five goals twice (at New York City FC and Nashville) and six goals twice (at LAFC and in the team’s most recent match away at FC Cincinnati just before the break).

Orlando City is a putrid 1-6-1 on the road this season, and now the Lions must face the Western Conference co-leaders tonight before coming home to face Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC at home on Saturday. They’ll have to play at least tonight’s game without Martin Ojeda, who is out with a thigh injury sustained some time between his first-half goal a week ago in a friendly against FC Dallas and the time the availability report dropped on Tuesday.

But it isn’t all bad news for the Lions, who should have both Antoine Griezmann and Dike in the lineup. Griezmann was the club’s highly prized and widely publicized summer Designated Player signing, while Dike’s return to Orlando came together more recently, following his departure from West Bromwich Albion. They’ll help the club’s offense, but the attack hasn’t been the issue in 2026 — it’s been the historically porous defense, which is on pace to shatter the MLS record for goals conceded.

Meanwhile, San Jose is one of the first half of the season’s biggest surprises, as the Quakes have been outstanding in 2026. Scoring 34 goals while conceding just 15, San Jose is among the league leaders in goals scored (tied for third), goals conceded (third), and goal differential (+19, third).

The Earthquakes are 4-2-1 at home and are coming off a 3-1 road win at Portland in their last game prior to the World Cup break. San Jose boasts Golden Boot challenger Preston Judd, who leads the Quakes with 11 goals, adding two assists in his 15 appearances. Ousseni Bouda has chipped in five goals and three assists. Niko Tsakiris leads the team with seven assists to go along with his two goals, but he’s still recovering from a lower body injury and is not available tonight. However, the arrival of Timo Werner (four goals and five assists in just seven games) has truly elevated Bruce Arena’s Quakes, and he’ll need to be one of the main focal points for the Orlando defense.

To have any shot at taking something from this game, the Lions will need to play better road defense than they have all season. Orlando can score goals, but with Ojeda out, Griezmann will need to adapt quickly, and someone other than the team’s leading scorer will need to find the net.

The Lions will play without Ojeda (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), Nolan Miller (knee), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archage (international duty). In addition, Marco Pasalic may or may not have returned to the team after the World Cup. He was not in training Monday, although interim head coach Martin Perelman said he expected the Croatian back soon. The Earthquakes will be without Nonso Adimabua (lower body), former Lion Earl Edwards Jr. (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), and Tsakiris (you guessed it, lower body…come on, San Jose).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer

San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.

Defenders: Jamar Ricketts, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Benjamin Kikanovic.

Defensive Midfielders: Beau Lerouox, Ronaldo Vieira.

Attacking Midfielders: Timo Werner, Nick Fernandez, Ousseni Bouda.

Forwards: Preston Judd.

Bench: Jonathan Gonzalez, Dave Romney, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Jack Jasinski, Ian Harkes, Francesco Montali, Max Floriani, Darius Johnson.

Referees

REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Mike Nickerson.
4TH: Timothy Ford.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 10:30 p.m.

Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.

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!

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Podcasts

PawedCast Episode 542: Tampa Bay Friendly, McGuire Traded, OCB Beats Cincinnati, and More

Lions maul the Rowdies in friendly action, OCB wins on the road, and it’s transfer season.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

July 14, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann and Ivan Angulo celebrating a goal in a friendly against the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City welcomed I-4 Derby rival Tampa Bay to Inter&Co Stadium for a friendly match on Wednesday and then proceeded to bludgeon the Rowdies with a couple of hammers named Antoine Griezmann and Justin Ellis. The two attackers combined for a goal and four assists in a 6-0 beatdown of the team from the Gulf Coast, with five different Lions scoring and Griffin Dorsey forcing an own goal. We discuss Griezmann’s first minutes with Orlando City, what the team showed in its formation, and how good Justin Ellis’ vision is.

Oh, and it’s also transfer season now. Duncan McGuire is on his way out and Marco Pasalic reportedly will follow soon, while a new left back may be headed from Spain to Orlando.

Following all of that, we discuss Maxime Crepeau being added to the MLS All-Star Team and the announcement that he’ll participate in the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.

Our mailbagbox asked us about which World Cup semifinalist players we’d want to join Orlando this season (if we could only pick one), and more. Remember, if there’s anything — and we do mean anything — you want us to address on the show, just ask us by tweeting it to us at @TheManeLand with the hashtag #AskTMLPC, or hitting us up on Bluesky Social with that same hashtag.

After the mailbagbox, we dive into OCB’s 2-1 road win at FC Cincinnati 2. It wasn’t the prettiest game by the Young Lions, but they managed to do enough to earn three points on the road, where they’ll stay to face Chattanooga on Saturday. We briefly preview that game.

Finally, Orlando City will be in Dallas Wednesday for the second of two friendlies leading up to the restart of the MLS season. It’s unlikely we’ll get a lot of details about that one, but we’ll see what happens. Maybe the FC Dallas folks will help us out.

Be sure to rate and review our show wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, we’ll read any five-star reviews we get on Apple Podcasts on the next show.

If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how No. 542 went down:

0:15 – Orlando City crushed the Rowdies, the transfer season is in full swing, plus: hey now, Crepeau’s an all-star.

28:50 – The mailbagbox is always good for a hypothetical scenario.

36:54 – The Young Lions slipped past Cincy and head to Chattanooga, while the senior Lions head to Dallas.

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Podcasts

SkoPurp Soccer Episode 119: International Break, USWNT, Louisville Preview, and More

The Pride return from a long international break looking to get their first-ever road win against Racing Louisville.

Published

3 months ago

on

April 22, 2026

By

Image of Haley McCutcheon scoring the opening goal in Orlando's home playoff win over Seattle.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

It feels like months since the Orlando Pride last took the field, but the calendar says otherwise. If you believe calendars, it’s only been a little less than three weeks, but time moves strangely in the post-pandemic apocalyptic world.

Anyway, we don’t have a match to recap, so we touched on a couple of Pride players putting the ball in the net during the international break and chat a bit about the United States Women’s National Team’s three-game friendly series against Japan. Emma Hayes used a lot of players, and the team looked solid for two of the three matches, but the rotated middle game seemed a bit disjointed. Hayes has greatly expanded the player pool and will have plenty of options when the World Cup approaches.

Our mailbagbox had questions about a potential change in the NWSL schedule, as the league explores adopting the fall-to-spring slate, and opposition own goals. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.

After the mailbagbox, we turned our attention toward Friday’s late afternoon tussle with Racing Louisville in Kentucky. The Pride have never won on the road against Louisville, and it’s about high time they did. This match begins a congested push to the June World Cup break, and although Friday’s hosts aren’t high in the table, the Pride must be at their best to get a road result in this fixture. We look back at the series history, compare the two sides, provide our key matchups in the game, and make our final score predictions.

If you’d like to support our independent writing and podcasting efforts, we’d love to have you as a subscriber or donor over at our Buy Me a Coffee site.

Here’s how Episode 119 went down:

0:15 – We open the show with a little banter about the Pride in the international break and the USWNT’s series vs. Japan.

9:03 – The mailbagbox features questions via both eletronic mail and social media. We welcome all modes of delivery.

19:59 – The Pride travel to Louisville to face Racing. They’ve never won in Kentucky, but we inform them how to do so.

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