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Orlando City

Orlando City at New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

9 years ago

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That was an ugly one.

Orlando City took an early lead on the road for the third week in a row, but were tied with the New York Red Bulls heading into halftime and a slow start to the second half cost them as the Lions ended up falling to the Red Bulls, 3-1. Kaká saw himself being sent off in stoppage time thanks to video review, and the club ended its string of three straight on the road with just one point from three games as the Lions head back home to take on the Columbus Crew next Saturday, Aug. 19.

Anyway, on to grades.

Starting XI

GK Joe Bendik, 6.5 — It was a tough night overall for Bendik. Not only did he allow three goals, but he suffered a slash on his right cheek on Bradley Wright-Phillips’ goal in the second half — it wasn’t the first time he’s taken a hit to the face playing at Red Bull Arena, by the way. But Bendik did make a couple of big saves not much earlier, making a stop on Alex Muyl in the 47th minute, then an even bigger diving stop on the ensuing corner kick, ranging down to his right to save the ball off the line.

D, Donny Toia, 5.5 — The first thing that jumps out about Toia’s night is his 54% passing accuracy, which is pretty poor. But it’s reasonable that his passing would suffer from lack of chemistry, playing next to the inexperienced Leo Pereira and behind Yoshimar Yotun in his first MLS start. Still, it was a mixed night. Toia was more active getting forward on the offensive end than we’ve seen from him lately, with one key pass. Defensively, he led all players with eight interceptions and added two clearances. However, the second Red Bulls goal came from his side, as did the cross for Wright-Phillips’ near-miss on a bicycle kick.

D, Tommy Redding, 6 — Redding finally cracked his way back into the starting lineup with Jonathan Spector sidelined, and he did what he had to do. He made a strong, clean first-half tackle on on Wright-Phillips in the penalty area in the 29th minute to clear the area of danger, but did get beat by Muyl on BWP’s second-half goal; Muyl ran right between him and Donny Toia, Redding could get to Muyl in time and he sent in the cross to BWP, who was just to Tommy’s left, for the goal.

D, Leo Pereira, 4 — Leo was responsible for the Red Bulls’ first goal of the night when his attempt to clear Sacha Kljestan’s cross into the box instead went into his own net. He was also tied for a team-high three fouls on the night. In fairness, it was his first MLS match since June 4.

D, Scott Sutter, 6.5 — Sutter played a sound game defensively, as he often does, and on the offensive side of the ball finished with 84 percent passing, four crosses, and five accurate long balls forward. A quietly exceptional night for the right back.

MF, Will Johnson, 7 — Johnson was very much himself throughout the night. He brought passion and energy early on, and his fight for the ball started everything off for Orlando City on the goal, winning the ball in midfield and getting it to Cyle Larin, who quickly found Kaká before he passed off to Rivas. Johnson passed for 86 percent on the night, had a game-high four tackles and three interceptions. All in all, a good night.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6 — Nocerino was six inches away from finally opening his MLS account, bending a shot around the outside post in the 70th minute, but outside of that it was a pretty meh night for the Italian midfielder, who got the start in the holding role over Cristian Higuita. Nocerino finished with 74 percent passing, two interceptions, and just one tackle, but he did make a solid play in the 14th minute to save Orlando from danger, taking the ball away from a Red Bulls player before they could dribble into the box.

MF, Yoshi Yotun, 8 (MOTM) — A very solid debut for the team’s newest Designated Player. Yotun looked comfortable, collected, and nothing like a guy playing his first game with a new team. He was active on both ends in the first half, and was clearly making a noticeable impact, but the second half was much different, and probably not his fault, as he struggled to spread the first like he did in the first half, and was mostly contained to the left side of the midfield. He did have a long-range ball down the field in the second half to find Carlos Rivas, who split the defenders to reach it, but the Colombian’s shot attempt was blocked. He was fouled three times, was credited with one key pass, and finished with an 83 percent overall in the passing game. He also should have scored the equalizing goal for in the 77th minute, hitting a shot off of the crossbar. An unlucky break in his debut.

MF, Kaká, 7 — All things considered, it was a good night for the captain. Kaká’s fifth assist of the season helped put Orlando up in the first half. He was credited with three key passes, two tackles, one interception, and had a great run from midfield all the way into the penalty area in the 73rd minute that ended with winning his side a corner kick. The red card in stoppage time shouldn’t do anything to put a damper on his otherwise solid outing.

F, Carlos Rivas, 6.5 — Rivas missed a golden opportunity to score in the 17th minute; with nobody but Luis Robles to beat, and he sailed the shot over the bar. But he made up for it not even a minute later, finishing off an assist from Kaká for his fifth goal of the season. Rivas was a menace throughout the first half, doing a great job of making runs in behind the Red Bulls’ defense; they couldn’t contain him. But the second half, again, was a different story, and he struggled to make an impact.

F, Cyle Larin, 6 — Larin looked dangerous in the first half, and had a couple of really good opportunities to put the ball in the net. In the 24th minute, he received a throw-in in the box on the near side, turned and forced Robles into a acrobatic save to keep the Lions off the board. A couple of minutes later, he got loose in the box on a Kaká free kick from roughly 40 yards out but flat out missed the ball in the air. A golden opportunity wasted. Story of the day, he was active in the first half but disappeared in the second as New York choked off the Lions in midfield. He did have 27 touches and drew four fouls before being subbed off in the 86th minute.

Substitutes

F, Giles Barnes (81’), N/A — Barnes entered for Will Johnson late and didn’t have enough time to make an impact.

MF, Cristian Higuita (81’), 1 — Higuita came on for Nocerino at the same time Barnes did, right after New York’s third goal, and didn’t have enough time to make an impact, but he did stay on the field long enough to get a yellow card in stoppage time during the scuffle that also included Kaká’s red card. Peak Cristian Higuita move to earn that yellow right before the whistle.

MF, Richie Laryea (86’), N/A — Richie got into the game in the final moments, and while he did get a shot off in the 87th, moments after coming on for Cyle Larin, it wasn’t enough to earn him a grade.

That’s how I saw the individual performances. What did you think? Let us know in the comments and vote for your MotM in our poll below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Carlos Rivas27
Yoshimar Yotun39
Will Johnson5
Kaká25
Other6

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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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