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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew SC

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9 years ago

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This is it, folks. The season isn’t over after Saturday’s meeting between Orlando City and Columbus Crew SC, but if the Lions fall at home, the season is officially on life support and just waiting around for a miracle.

Complicating the crucial nature of this match is the absence of both Kaká and Jonathan Spector. If Orlando is going to circle the wagons, the Lions will have to do it without two of its most important pieces. Let’s hope they can come up with a performance for the ages and jump back into the postseason conversation — or at least just find all three points at the end of a game for a change.

Our friend Patrick Murphy from Massive Report has graciously returned to give us a scouting report on the Crew. I also answered his questions, which you can catch over at their place.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Crew back in April. What is different about the team since then?

Patrick Murphy: The biggest change has been a change in formation for Crew SC. After Gregg Berhalter played primarily in a 4-2-3-1 over his first three seasons, the team discussed playing a three-man back line in the preseason and did it a few times over the first half of the year. On the Fourth of July, the Black & Gold played a 3-4-2-1 at Minnesota and haven’t changed back.

The reasoning behind this is to improve defensively, and this has been somewhat better. Columbus shut out D.C. United and the Philadelphia Union, but then lost 3-0 to the Union in Philly in a game that saw Crew SC receive two red cards. After road games against Real Salt Lake and San Jose Earthquakes (tie and loss), the formation got its first real challenge last week against the Chicago Fire at home. While it looked weird to watch the Black & Gold sit back and counter, it worked to the tune of a 3-1 win.

While Berhalter and his players say they still believe the team can play its attacking, possession-based style out of the new formation, we are yet to see it. Columbus has conceded the ball to most of the teams it’s played over this stretch, but has gotten results and improved defensively, which is the goal.

That’s been the biggest change and it will be interesting to see if the team sticks with this look going forward.

What can you tell us about this new DP from Portugal the Crew signed and how much will we see of him on Saturday?

PM: Pedro Santos is a winger with a lot of experience playing in Portugal, as you mentioned, as well as some Europa League matches under his belt. This is a guy that we didn’t know much about when we learned of the signing. From talking to fans of his former team, SC Braga, and Berhalter, he sounds similar to Justin Meram, just on the opposite wing, in that he likes the ball at his feet, likes to take players on and looks to score.

This is a player Berhalter first saw in November of 2016 and was interested in signing then, but the asking price was too high. A year, and an injury — which saw him lose his spot — later and the price was down enough that the Black & Gold could make a deal happen, but it was still a record transfer fee paid by Crew SC.

He’s looked good in the little bits we’ve seen in practice, especially on free kicks. He’s very slight, which will be interesting in MLS, but he’s survived through his career already.

As for how much you will see of him, that’s a good question. As of Wednesday, the team was still awaiting his P1 Visa to arrive. On Tuesday, Berhalter made it sound like the staff was confident he would be ready to go for the weekend, but we await updates. I assume, given the injury to Kekuta Manneh and the trading of Ethan Finlay, that we will see Santos in the lineup as soon as he is available.

With Kaká and Jonathan Spector out, what does Orlando City have to do to take a much-needed three points from this match?

PM: I think the answer to that question depends on how Crew SC lines up in this one. If Federico Higuain is back from a knee injury (which it appears he is, given his training this week) and Santos is ready to go on Saturday, it’s hard for me to put the pieces into a 3-4-2-1. Berhalter may have to go back to the 4-2-3-1 in order to get his attacking players on the field and just hope the defense holds up.

If the team plays with three in the back, Orlando will need to be ready for the counter attack. It has become rather dangerous with the speed of players like Justin Meram and Kekuta Manneh breaking out in the midfield. If we see the traditional 4-2-3-1, it will be about not letting the Black & Gold boss the game and get this attacking four (the three midfielders and Ola Kamara) going.

Crew SC haven’t been great on the road and this will be the first time the team’s been to Orlando City Stadium, so it will be interesting to see how Berhalter and company approach this match.

Projected starting XI?/Score line prediction?

PM: There’s a lot of guessing here due to the potential Manneh injury and not knowing if Higuain and Santos will be available, but here’s what’s most likely:

Zack Steffen; Jonathan Mensah, Alex Crognale, Lalas Abubakar; Harrison Afful, Artur, Wil Trapp, Waylon Francis; Federico Higuain, Justin Meram; Ola Kamara.

Prediction: 2-2.

Big thanks to Pat from Massive Report for giving us some insight on this week’s opponents from Columbus.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Naples, U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions start their run in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup on the road but inside the state at FC Naples.

Published

5 hours ago

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April 15, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda and Ivan Angulo celebrating a goal against Montreal.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night Round of 32 U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and FC Naples at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex (7 p.m., Paramount+) in Naples. This is the first time the Lions will face the USL League One side in any competition.

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

History

There is literally no history between these teams. I just told you above that they’ve never met. You didn’t forget, did you?

As far as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is concerned, the Lions have a lengthy history, including winning the competition in 2022. Orlando City is 17-9-5 all-time in the competition, 9-5-5 since becoming an MLS side. Away from Orlando, the Lions are 6-6-2 on the road in the U.S. Open Cup, 3-2-2 since joining Major League Soccer.

FC Naples, which began play in 2025, is an outstanding 4-0-1 in U.S. Open Cup play, with the only blemish being a penalty shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2025, which set up Orlando City’s road match in the I-4 Derby last year.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a 1-1 road draw against the Columbus Crew on Sunday. It was a welcome change from the 5-0 and 6-0 road wins the club racked up in three previous away outings, however, it was not a victory and Orlando City has been outscored 17-1 outside the City Beautiful, posting a 0-3-1 road record.

FC Naples is coming off a 2-0 home win over Sarasota Paradise. The USL League One side sits atop the league table at 4-1-1 with all four victories coming via shutout. Naples is 3-1-1 at home this year in league play and 5-1-1 in all competitions. That includes its two previous U.S. Open Cup matches — a 3-0 win over Red Force FC on March 18 and another 3-0 win over FC America CFL Spurs on March 31.

Christopher Garcia, a 23-year-old winger from El Paso, TX, is the club’s top scorer with three goals in six league matches. He also leads FC Naples in assists with three. Forward Dominick Bachstein is just behind with two goals. Bachstein scored a goal in Naples’ last U.S. Open Cup victory, becoming the sixth different goal scorer for the club in the competition.

To start their 2026 U.S. Open Cup run off on the right foot, the Lions must avoid taking the USL League One side lightly. Naples will be at home, riding a wave of confidence from previous results, and eager to show it can compete with an MLS side — especially one struggling the way Orlando City has this year so far. Interim coach Martin Perelman will likely play a combination of young players and veterans, and it was a bit surprising to see both of the team’s Designated Players and captain Robin Jansson in social media pictures of the team boarding the plane on Tuesday. The Lions could use a confidence-building win, and perhaps that’s the idea. To do that, they’ll have to beat Edward Delgado, the goalkeeper leading USL League One in shutouts (4).

The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh) and Joran Gerbet (knee). It’s unknown if Duncan McGuire will be available after being a late scratch over the weekend.

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Colin Guske, Braian Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Tiago.

FC Naples (4-1-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Edward Delgado.

Defenders: Jaden Strumier, Joshua Yoder, Luca Mastrantonio, Hudson Gay.

Defensive Midfielder: Marc Torrellas.

Midfielders: Taylor Gray, Juan Osorio, Kevin O’Connor, Ian Cerro.

Forward: Dominick Bachstein.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Paradise Coast Sports Complex — Naples.

TV/Streaming: Paramount+.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/15/26

Orlando City visits FC Naples, Champions League results, World Cup news, and more.

Published

8 hours ago

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April 15, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s our first tax day with out Kyle “The Tax Man” Smith, but hopefully we’ll still get everything filed on time. What wasn’t in time to be included today was the USWNT friendly against Japan last night since it kicked off at 10 p.m. We will have more on that match tomorrow. Most importantly, it’s match day for Orlando City, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City’s Open Cup Begins

Orlando City is in Naples for the club’s opening match of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are facing USL League One side FC Naples tonight. FC Naples is a good team that currently sits first in USL League One. We can expect a few veterans to make an appearance, but we will likely see younger players like Zakaria Taifi. The team is expecting a sold-out crowd for the home team. Taifi shared his thoughts with the media ahead of the match.

Crocker to Saudi Arabia

Matt Crocker is no longer the sporting director of the U.S. Soccer Federation after taking a similar position with the Saudi Arabia soccer federation. Crocker is the person responsible for bringing in Emma Hayes and Mauricio Pochettino. The main part of his job was implementing a top-to-bottom alignment of the “U.S. Way” across all levels in the U. S. Soccer system. Saudi Arabia reportedly presented an offer that Crocker could not refuse. The timing is interesting given the World Cup is only about two months away.

Champions League Results

It was an eventful day in the UEFA Champions League. Soon-to-be Orlando City attacker Antoine Greizmann’s Atletico Madrid got past Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the semifinals. The USMNT’s Johnny Cardoso made a late appearance to help defend the result. Much to my chagrin, PSG ousted Liverpool 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate). The other two matches are later today with Bayern Munich taking on Real Madrid and Arsenal facing Sporting CP.

World Cup News

Do you remember the feeling you had when it was announced that the World Cup would once again be played in the United States? I remember thinking how cool it was going to be to go to a match even if it meant driving hours to do so. How naive I was. A lot of the news is more like this story about the NJ Transit raising the cost of train tickets seven fold.

Several venues are also not allowing tailgating at the games, including matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. We also now know the full list of referees from all six soccer confederations.

Free Kicks

  • Javier Mascherano is out at Inter Miami. I really hope this sends Inter Miami into a tailspin for the rest of the season, though I doubt it will.

That will do it for today. Check back tonight for our coverage of Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup match. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/14/26

Americans in midweek action, USWNT set to run it back against Japan, Concacaf Champions Cup preview, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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April 14, 2026

By

Image of Martin Perelman celebrating his first MLS win as coach.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. We’ve got an extremely busy week ahead of us, as the United States Women’s National Team plays two matches, Orlando City plays in the U.S. Open Cup and Major League Soccer, and Orlando City B is back home after falling at Chattanooga on Saturday. All of that action means we’ve got a lot to discuss this morning, so let’s have a look at the links.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans taking part in matches this week so let’s check in on some of the biggest ones. Things got started on Monday as Brenden Aaronson picked up an assist on the winning goal in Leeds United’s 2-1 win over Manchester United. Tuesday sees Atletico Madrid try to preserve its 2-0 aggregate lead over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, although Johnny Cardoso is out injured. Tuesday also has Alejandro Zendejas and Club America facing Nashville SC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, with the tie level at 0-0. Thursday has Chris Richards and Crystal Palace trying to protect a 3-0 lead over Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League. Things finish up on Friday when Haji Wright and Coventry City travel to Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.

USWNT vs. Japan Part II: Electric Boogaloo

The United States Women’s National Team will play the second of three matches against Japan tonight, with this contest set to take place in Seattle after Saturday’s 2-1 win in San Jose. The first match was all about Rose Lavelle as she scored one goal for the USWNT and assisted on the other, but there are some other areas to watch in this one. Manager Emma Hayes will likely ring the rotations after just two days of rest, so someone other than Lavelle will need to step up and be the difference maker. It was good to see the Yanks pick up a victory after losing to Japan in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, but goalkeeper Claudia Dickey had to make six saves on the night, and Hayes will likely want a stingier performance from the back line. Kickoff is set for 10 pm tonight.

Concacaf Champions Cup Preview

As mentioned earlier, the Concacaf Champions Cup is back tonight, and there are several MLS teams attempting to book passage through to the semifinals. LAFC is in the best position, as it holds a 3-0 lead over Cruz Azul, although the second leg will be played in Mexico. Regardless, grabbing even one away goal should be enough to see the California-based side through to the semis. Nashville is level at 0-0 with Club America but has a tough task ahead with the second leg set to be played at the Azteca. The Seattle Sounders are down 2-0 to Tigres but will play the second leg at Lumen Field and will need their home field advantage to pay off. The LA Galaxy got roughed up 4-2 by Toluca in the first leg but did score two away goals. You’d bet on the Galaxy to score in the comfortable confines of Dignity Health Sports Park, but the trick is going to be holding Toluca scoreless for just the second time in the last 14 matches across all competitions.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The summer transfer window will be upon us before we know it, so it’s important to stay abreast of all the current rumors. Bayern Munich has reportedly held talks with Anthony Gordon’s representatives about a summer move, although no contact has been made with Newcastle United as of yet. Speaking of Newcastle United, the Magpies could reportedly be involved in a swap deal with Manchester United that would see Manuel Ugarte join Newcastle while Sandro Tonali moves the other way. Moving to Ligue 1, Ousmane Dembele is reportedly stalling on signing a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, and whispers are starting about a move to Saudi Arabia or the Premier League. Finally, Endrick’s loan spell at Lyon has seen him record eight goal contributions in 11 league games, and Real Madrid is reportedly prepared to sell Gonzalo Garcia in order to make room for the Brazilian in the Spanish capital.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City dropped one spot to no.27 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
  • Winners from MLS matchday seven include Julian Hall and German Berterame, while Mikey Varas and Emmanuel Latte Lath found themselves on the other end of the spectrum.
  • A horrible break for the Columbus Crew has been confirmed, as Wessam Abou Ali tore his ACL in Sunday’s match.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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