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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Fall on the Road Again in Weird Game

Kaká sent off while goofing around with his close friend seems about right at the end of whatever that game was.

Published

9 years ago

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Nick Leyva,The Mane Land

Where do I even start? I guess we’ll start with the most important part, as Orlando City (8-10-6, 30 points) fell 3-1 on the road against the New York Red Bulls (12-9-2, 38 points). That’s ultimately what matters most.

As for the rest of it…man, I don’t know.

The Lions came out hungry and pressing and looked like a completely different team than the one that took the pitch last weekend at Montreal. But, like they did in that game, they scored first, only to see the other team come back to win.

Carlos Rivas opened the scoring, but an own goal, a transition strike by Bradley Wright-Phillips, and a golazo by Sean Davis upended what was a much better performance from a team that wasn’t passive, wasn’t disinterested, and wasn’t apathetic. This team wanted to win and, more importantly, played like it. It didn’t, but not from lack of effort or generating the chances necessary to do so, as we’ve seen in the past.

But the final scrum in stoppage time saw Kaká give former Lion (and the captain’s good friend) Aurelien Collin a couple of playful face washes to break the tension from a chippy match. Referee Jorge Gonzalez ignored the smiles on both players’ faces upon video review and sent the captain off. He’ll miss a vital game next week against Columbus unless the MLS Disciplinary Committee correctly overturns the red card.

Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis wasted no time getting Designated Player signing Yoshimar Yotun into the lineup, slotting him into the left side of the diamond in his 4-4-2 lineup (despite the club’s graphic below — Kaká was mainly the 10, though the two swapped at times) and removing Cristian Higuita. Kreis raised some eyebrows by playing his two youngest center backs together in Leo Pereira and Tommy Redding with Jonathan Spector (knee) unavailable — likely due to Pereira being a natural left-sided defender while both Redding and Aja are righties. Rivas slotted in for the injured Dom Dwyer (nose surgery). Newbie Dillon Powers was on the bench.

The Lions came out pressing and playing with high energy, closing down the Red Bulls all over the pitch and generally making the hosts uncomfortable. Yotun showed the quality of his service early with a great ball over the top in the second minute to spring Rivas down the left. The Colombian fizzed a cross into the box for Cyle Larin but it was a bit behind. The Canadian went down after contact but no call was made.

Kaká sent Larin in at the six-minute mark but he showed too much of the ball on his right rather than firing with his left and Kemar Lawrence knocked it out for a corner. The Lions subsequently took the first of two frustratingly ineffective short corners.

The first New York opportunity materialized at the 10-minute mark when Michael Murillo headed a set piece cross off target and over the bar. Five minutes later, Alex Muyl headed a Tyler Adams cross well wide.

Two minutes later, Rivas was in all alone on Luis Robles with acres of space after being released by Larin, but he tried a chip shot and missed just a bit over the bar. Rivas made up for the gaffe a minute later after the ensuing goal kick. Will Johnson dispossessed New York’s defense and Larin picked up the ball and dished to Kaká in the middle. The captain sent Rivas in down the left and the Colombian smashed it this time to beat Robles and put the Lions on top at 18’.

Orlando City nearly made it 2-0 six minutes later, when Larin took a cross in the box, spun, and fired on frame to force a diving two-handed save from Robles.

Two minutes after that save, Larin was inches from getting onto Kaká’s free kick in space in the box, missing another opportunity to double the lead. That came back to haunt Orlando a few minutes later.

New York tied the game at the 30-minute mark when an Adams cross into the box was deflected past Joe Bendik by Pereira, who was trying to deny the pass.

The remainder of the first half consisted mostly of both teams building up but not able to quite craft a scoring chance. Redding did well in the 38th minute to make a vital clearance in the box as Wright-Phillips was going in on goal. Redding poked it away from behind and had to get his challenge just right to avoid conceding a penalty.

New York held 60% of the first-half possession, with Orlando owning a 3-2 advantage in shots (2-0 on target). With some new players in the side, the Lions’ passing was just 70% in the opening period. Yotun, however, completed 10 of his first 13 passes as a Lion in the half.

The Red Bulls started the second half by turning up the heat with their pressing and jumped on the Lions out of the break. Bendik was forced into two big saves early in the second half, first on Muyl, who got a fortunate deflection on a ball into traffic that fell perfectly for him. The second came on the ensuing corner kick when Murillo got a free header.

Minutes later, Will Johnson sent a corner kick that pinged dangerously around in the box but no Lion could get onto it. Then Redding nearly put Rivas in on goal in the 53rd minute, but the Colombian had it taken away before he could clear himself to shoot.

Muyl missed a couple decent opportunities in the 56th and 59th minutes, as Orlando struggled to deal with the New York press. A minute after Muyl’s second miss, it paid off.

Another turnover on the left led to a quick transition and a cross found a sliding Wright-Phillips who beat Bendik and collided with the Orlando keeper, stopping the game while Joe’s bloodied cheek was patched up.

Just like that, the hosts had the lead. It nearly became 3-1 at the 65-minute mark as Wright-Phillips made a sensational effort to bicycle kick a cross toward goal, but it hit off the woodwork.

The Lions didn’t sit back, though, to their credit. Orlando City poured forward looking for the equalizer. Felipe, who had been warned earlier in the game for persistent infringement, fouled Rivas to break up an Orlando attack and was shown a yellow card. Gonzalez showed incredible restraint when he didn’t send off Felipe for mocking him with fake applause.

Redding headed a free kick delivery well over the bar in the 70th as the attack resumed. Seconds later, Antonio Nocerino sliced a shot just inches wide of the left post. Then, in the 74th, Kaká nearly had an Olimpico on a corner kick but Muyl cleared it off the line.

A minute after that, Yotun nearly opened his Orlando City account. Rivas got in behind down the right side and his cross deflected out to the top of the box. Yoshi smashed it off the underside of the crossbar and it stayed out.

Just a few minutes later, Davis put the game away with 10 minutes to play on another Goal of the Week candidate.

That goal happened with Giles Barnes and Higuita waiting on the touch line to check in, but ultimately, the subs came too late. Nocerino was visibly tired from his pressing efforts and getting forward in the game. He turned outside and lost Davis on the last goal — as did Redding — and there was no help inside on that play.

Richie Layrea came on a few minutes later and produced the Lions’ final shot on goal, but he didn’t catch all of his shot and Robles got down to make the save.

New York tried to manage the game through possession the rest of the way and in stoppage time, the weirdness happened. Yotun ran into Redding and went down and Adams taunted the Peruvian with mock applause while he was down. Higuita took exception and gave Adams a light shove and the teams came together.

While yapping ensued, mostly fueled by Sacha Kljestan, Kaká spotted his good friend — I’m being serious here, they are really good friends — Collin, the former Lion, in the middle of the fray. With the Brazilian’s trademark grin, he mischievously reached out and rubbed the Frenchman’s face. Collin took exception until he turned around and saw Kaká’s grin, then he too started to laugh. Kaká gave him a second face wash for good measure.

Gonzalez spent several minutes talking to the assistant referee, then went to video review. When he came back, he rightfully booked Higuita and Davis, who came into the scrum, missed Adams somehow, and sent the incredulous captain off.

Seconds later, the final whistle mercifully blew on a performance that deserved more and flattered the home team a bit.

Orlando City returns home to face the Columbus Crew in a crucial Eastern Conference battle next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

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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

on

September 5, 2026

By

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

on

September 4, 2026

By

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

on

September 4, 2026

By

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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