Orlando City

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

Published

6 years ago

March 9, 2019

James O’Connor decided to keep his 3-5-2 formation and make just the one change to the lineup for Orlando City’s first road game of the season, swapping last week’s Man of the Match Chris Mueller for latest Designated Player signing Nani.

In a game that lacked quality, the Lions nearly earned their first road win since April 29, 2018. Indeed that was the last time the team had picked up any points away from home so it was a blow when 10-men Chicago rescued a draw at the death.

Starters

GK, Brian Rowe, 5.5 — Largely untested by way of Chicago’s ineptitude over Orlando’s solidity, Rowe saw the defense in front of him carved open twice in the opening exchanges and looked helpless to do anything. After that he was only forced into a couple of routine saves, collected a couple of crosses confidently, and was seconds away from banking a first clean sheet in purple until a close-range stoppage-time header caught him flat footed and nestled in the bottom corner. He’s not at fault, but it wasn’t an inspiring dive either. Also a note on his distribution which was wayward from his feet although he did well trying to spring a counter when throwing it out.

D, Kamal Miller, 5 — Orlando set up with a very wide back three to the extent that rookie Miller spent a lot of the game hugging the sideline. Despite the distance and bizarre shape, he kept his line well enough to help catch a couple of offside calls but struggled one on one, only making one tackle and regularly getting burned for pace. His clearances seemed wild and skittish, his 54% pass success rate was only better than an isolated Dwyer and even playing with a man advantage he looked far more unsettled than he did on his professional debut last week as the Lions tried, and ultimately failed, to see the game out.

D, Alex De John, 6 — De John imposed himself on Nemanja Nikolic to keep the Hungarian quiet after an opening few minutes that could have (and should have) seen him score twice, helping clean up after his fellow defenders’ mistakes by playing the sweeper role as the central man in a back three. It wasn’t pretty at times but he did his own job well with a dominant aerial performance and he also made a team-high 10 clearances.

D, Shane O’Neill, 5 — O’Neill went quietly about his job for the most part. His 25% tackle success was disappointing but not costly as he played high and to the right in Orlando’s wide defensive shape. He wasn’t as busy as De John, nor did he struggle as much as Miller…that was until Przemyslaw Frankowski’s cross was fired towards the head of CJ Sapong. At this point O’Neill should have either attacked the ball or at the very least not given Sapong the room to jump, but instead his feet froze, he got caught ball watching a solid foot away from Sapong, and let the forward head in the equalizer unchallenged.

WB, Danilo Acosta, 6 — Acosta had a better day than his right-sided counterpart Kyle Smith, not that that is much of a compliment in itself. He led the team in touches, with 59, and had twice as many crosses as the next highest (four), but none of them connected. Defensively he registered two interceptions and made several good recoveries but the game-tying assist came from his flank, as he didn’t close down, which is disappointing mark on an otherwise promising but unproductive performance.

MF, Sebas Méndez, 7.5 — The Ecuadorian was an effective anchor, doing well off the ball to cut out the passing lanes and making several interceptions from his midfield station that in the first half was all too often merging with the defensive line. He looked more confident, decisive, and expressive in the second half and finished the game leading the team with 45 passes. It’s hard to know where the 21-year-old’s ceiling is, having not really seen much of his playmaking abilities from deep, but I feel O’Connor will just be content to use him in the defensive role he shined in today on the road.

MF, Will Johnson, 7.5 — Johnson had plenty of energy as part of a midfield tandem with Mendez, with whom he shared a near identical average playing position, owing to the fluid nature with which they changed sides and covered for the other when they went to close down the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was given license to roam freely into the Orlando half. He spent a lot of the first half dropping deep into the back line to lend a much-needed hand and level head as Orlando struggled to get a foothold in the game but the early goal in the second half seemed to loosen the team up and they played with more confidence in the middle of the park, as seen in Johnson’s 39 passes at a success rate of 87% — the best in the team.

MF, Sacha Kljestan, 6.5 — I’m struggling to assess Kljestan’s performance in Chicago. It wasn’t good but it certainly wasn’t bad. It just happened. His passing was elegant at times and wayward at others but with 78% successful, increasing to 82% in the final third he was making things tick over even if he wasn’t making things happen. He put himself about defensively, making some good reads but if he didn’t win the first ball he seemed a little too lethargic to continue battling and pressing didn’t seem to be part of O’Connor’s game plan, so he struggled to get into the game at times, ending up being simply passed around. His heat map shows no pattern, with him pretty much floating everywhere as he struggled to find a way into the game and I’ll forgive you if you forgot he was on set pieces as his deliveries looked fine at best but produced nothing by way of chances.

WB, Kyle Smith, 4 — Smith played incredibly high up the right wing and took every invitation to carry the ball forward. On the sole occasion he managed to beat his man, his service was poor. Defensively he looked rattled and pretty much got beat every time, allowing Aleksandar Katai to provide some easy service to Nikolic, who you’d expect to bury such chances. Add to that a first half booking and it wasn’t a surprise to see him hooked off by his former Louisville City boss before the hour mark in a like-for-like switch with Ruan.

F, Nani, 8 (MOTM) — The game’s two big talking points and positives from an Orlando standpoint both came as a product of the Portuguese international. First, he got the assist on Dwyer’s goal, taking the initiative and having the nous to lift the ball over the Chicago back line after a bit of aimless back and forth in midfield. Panic ensued and Dom capitalized. Later, he threaded a beautifully weighted through ball to Ruan, which drew the red card, an event that should’ve confirmed all three points for Orlando and hailed Nani as a hero on his full debut. But, alas, it wasn’t to be. There were promising signs though of what happens when you put actual quality in your side. The one down side is he didn’t have a shot.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6 — Tesho was forced off last week after he scored the equalizer, later citing cramp, so some may have been surprised to see him thrown straight back in to starting lineup against the Fire, with Dwyer once again on the bench and instead Mueller having the make way for Nani. But he must have looked fit enough through the week’s training and he got the nod. Unfortunately, the Canadian lasted 20 minutes before being forced off. In the cameo he flashed his strength with some holdup play and had a good passing exchange with Nani but did little to trouble the Chicago back line, registering six passes and no shots.

Substitutes

F, Dom Dwyer (21’), 8 – Dwyer once again started the game on the bench but was called upon earlier than expected as a replacement for the hobbling Akindele. He immediately made his presence known in the box in true Dwyer fashion, chasing down every ball, but his only chance in the first half was from outside the box. Early in the second half he pounced on some indecisive defending to calmly poke Nani’s testing dink over an onrushing David Ousted. He continued to chase lost causes, hound defenders much more effectively than Akindele, and could have found the net again if he hadn’t hesitated and got the ball stuck under his feet — albeit for a belated offside flag to save his blushes.

WB, Ruan (58’), 7 – Ruan made his Orlando City debut from off the bench, with the Brazilian tagging in for the struggling Smith near the hour mark, and looked a vast improvement. He showed a lightning burst of pace to catch up to Nani’s through ball which invited a last ditch red card challenge from Jorge Corrales and he also made good on his defensive duties, registering two tackles and two interceptions in his 30 minute shift.

F, Chris Mueller (89’), 6 – Last week’s Man of the Match, Mueller surprisingly started on the bench as Nani was drafted into the lineup, but he was called upon on in the final minute of normal time to help see the game out. He didn’t get a chance to get up to game speed but still managed to link up with Dwyer and help drive towards goal, only for the duo to get in each other’s way, ending the chance to put the game away. He did track back and attempt to block the cross for the assist but appeared to hesitate before dangling a futile leg as it whipped past him.

On paper a draw away at Chicago doesn’t seem like such a bad result but when you consider Orlando had a man advantage and came within seconds of walking away with a W, it’s an absolute disaster. I struggled at times to see the game plan: Orlando had a stretched back three that literally spanned the entire width of the pitch but the wingbacks had an average position at the halfway line in a game the Lions struggled to get out of their own half. How does that work? Answers on a postcard!

There were positives, however, namely that the defensive side of the midfield looked good and Nani and Dwyer’s individual talents have shined now in both games. On first glance Ruan looks like a must-start over Smith and I guess it’s also a comfort knowing that Orlando still has the likes of Carlos Ascues and Lamine Sané to fit back into this defense.

Polling Closed

Player	Votes
Dom Dwyer	20
Nani	81
Sebas Méndez	25
Will Johnson	6
Other	5

Related Topics:Player Grades SBN_migrated

Up Next

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact

Don't Miss

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Five Takeaways

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Five Takeaways

Here is what we learned from a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Union.

Published

10 hours ago

February 23, 2025

Nic Josey, Michael Citro

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City started its 11th Major League Soccer season by hosting the new-look Philadelphia Union in front of a sea of purple fans at Inter&Co Stadium Saturday night. After a quick start to the match, the Lions started the second half in a disastrous fashion, which ultimately proved too much to overcome and resulted in a 4-2 loss to the Union. What follows are my first takeaways from a season opener that I am already happy is in the rearview mirror.

Pasalic Shines in Debut

It was only one game, but new Designated Player Marco Pasalic did his best to alleviate any concerns that he would be able to take over for the departed Facundo Torres at right wing. Pasalic fired his first shot attempt in less than a minute on his debut, firing just wide with his weaker right foot. He then became the fastest Lion to score on his debut and the first Orlando City player to score in the first half of his debut since Daryl Dike when he blasted a shot past Andre Blake with his favorite left foot in the eighth minute. Pasalic led Orlando in shots (6) and shots on target (4) Saturday night, including his second goal of the night in the 79th minute, finishing his own rebound of a shot off the left post. It’s too soon to say definitively whether Pasalic can fully adapt to MLS after coming over from the Croatian league, but for the time being at least, he looks the part.

A Horrendous Second Half Start

Before much of the Orlando City faithful made their way back from the bathrooms and concession stands, the Lions found themselves down a goal and staring at a 2-1 deficit. Rafael Santos fell asleep only for a moment, but it was enough to start the avalanche. Daniel Gazdag blew past him and it took the Brazilian a second to see the danger. Quinn Sullivan delivered a brilliant back-post ball and the Lions were behind early in the second half. Things got worse three minutes later when a poorly delivered — and taken — back pass (more on that below) led to a third goal. The Union added a fourth before the bleeding stopped. The Lions had allowed the equalizer in the first half off an Ivan Angulo turnover in their own defensive third. The three second-half goals conceded were likewise more to do with awful mistakes than brilliant play by the Union. Orlando allowed only four shots on target and all of them went in.

Jansson’s Absence Tests Depth

Captain Robin Jansson was a late scratch after experiencing tightness during the pregame warmups. The back line’s depth was immediately called into action as David Brekalo was inserted into the starting lineup next to Rodrigo Schlegel and Homegrown center back Thomas Williams was added to the bench. Due to a knock, Brekalo saw sparse minutes in the preseason and was not part of Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s dress rehearsal lineup on Valentine’s Day against Inter Miami. When Brekalo plays in place of Jansson, Oscar Pareja moves Schlegel to the left center back position, which is not his normal side, as both center backs are right-footed. The chemistry was a bit off between the center backs, as shown on the third Union goal. Brekalo’s back pass was a little off line and Schlegel didn’t read it well, sticking out a foot to stop it, falling off balance, and taking a heavy touch that Mikael Uhre was able to reach first for an easy goal that essentially put the match away. Brekalo also tangled with an opponent and fell on the play that became the fourth Philadelphia goal.

Freeman Provides a Spark

Alex Freeman was inserted for Dagur Dan Thorhallson during the first round of second-half substitutions with the Lions facing a hefty deficit. He showcased a lot of potential with the Lions chasing the scoreboard. A few minutes after entering the game, he nearly found the back of the net with a strong header from a tight angle that caught the crossbar. In the 77th minute, he made a good play at the end line to get by the Union defense and pick out Angulo, who blew the opportunity with a poor shot that could have gotten Orlando back in the game earlier. Defensively, Freeman seemed to do well in space and had success on the right flank, however, as the Union were not in attack mode with a big lead on the road, one should take the Homegrown fullback’s defensive effort with a grain of salt. It was an encouraging performance by Freeman, and he looks like a capable substitute with some strong upside who will see more minutes in 2025.

History Made (Mostly in the Wrong Ways)

Orlando City entered 2025 having never lost an opening day match. While most of the first 10 openers were draws (3-0-7), it was still an amazing accomplishment, as even the worst teams over the years had been able to get a result on opening day. All good things must come to an end, however, and that run is over. The Lions also conceded more goals than in any previous opener. On the bright side, no player for Orlando had ever scored more than one goal in an opener, so Pasalic set a new opening day standard in that category.

Those are our five takeaways from the opener. What moments stood out to you from the loss to the Union? Let us know in the comments below and as always, vamos Orlando!

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 4-2 as Disastrous Second Half Dooms Lions to First Opening-Day Loss

The Lions generously handed out goals to the visiting Union after halftime to flame out spectacularly on opening night.

Published

22 hours ago

February 22, 2025

Michael Citro

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

The Lions took an early lead but made several costly mistakes in the second half in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union (1-0-0, 3 points) on opening night in front of 22,689 fans at Inter&Co Stadium. It was the first time Orlando City (0-1-0, 0 points) has lost an opening match since joining MLS (3-1-7).

Marco Pasalic scored a brace on his Orlando City and MLS debut, putting the Lions up early. Philadelphia equalized through Tai Baribo before halftime off an Ivan Angulo turnover in the defensive third and took complete control on a series of disastrous plays in the first 20 minutes of the second half. Pasalic added a late second goal to make the score line look a little less horrible. Daniel Gazdag, Baribo, and Mikael Uhre all scored in the second half for the visitors.

Orlando City had a four-game unbeaten run (3-0-1) against the Union snapped and conceded the most goals on opening day in the club’s MLS history.

“It was a beautiful night today with people in the stands, and that increased the disappointment that we have on not getting the result and not (having) the performance we wanted to,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “I think Philadelphia was sharper than us, especially in the two boxes. When they had the chances they were lethal. We made mistakes that we could avoid on this level, but we take it as a part of the game also. A game that, for an instant, showed glimpses of things that we want and made us feel optimistic.”

Pareja’s starting lineup was nearly identical to the one he used against Inter Miami in the final preseason match eight days ago, with Pedro Gallese starting in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Rodrigo Schlegel, David Brekalo — a surprise starter after Robin Jansson picked up a knock in warmups — and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Pasalic with Ramiro Enrique up top.

Orlando City played mostly a well-organized game, but individual mistakes were costly, particularly at the defensive end. Those could have been mitigated had the Lions not hit the woodwork a few times and miss a point-blank chance, but in the end, the first 20 minutes of the second half were decisive.

The Lions didn’t take long to fashion the game’s first chance, with good movement down the left leading to a chance for Pasalic on the left side of the box. He took the shot with his weaker right foot but didn’t miss the left post by much, sending his shot just wide in the first minute.

Orlando won a corner five minutes later and Ojeda’s service found Brekalo in the box, but the defender’s header was blocked in front in the seventh minute. The Lions grabbed the lead a minute later anyway.

Breaking down the right, Atuesta sent the ball to Ojeda, who played it to Pasalic on the right. The Croatian cut in and smashed a shot past Andre Blake to make it 1-0 in the eighth minute. Not only was it Pasalic’s first MLS goal, but Atuesta also picked up his first assist as a Lion for the secondary pass to start the play.

🚨 Debut goal for Marco Pašalić! 👏

📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/2IeyNhumxJ pic.twitter.com/jsEttstLbN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025

“I essentially saw Marco and Ramiro kind of starting to run in behind. And I noticed that I had a little bit of space, and I had good control of the ball,” Ojeda said. “So, I decided to hang on to it a little bit longer to give them time to crash into the box and to make those dangerous runs, and I was able to get it to him. Thank God he was able to have a good strike and able to finish on goal. Really happy for him, and we’re building a good connection together in the way that he likes to play. And there’s still more to be done. There’s still more adaptation for everyone and all of the new players coming in, but really happy for him, because if he’s able to go in with high confidence and he’s doing well, it’s going to raise the entire team, and it’s going to be a good thing for Orlando.”

Orlando City controlled most of the play for the next 15 minutes, with the Union occasionally getting into position to cross a ball into the area but without much success. However, Philadelphia was able to equalize in the 24th minute off a turnover in his defensive third by Angulo.

The Union picked up the ball and sent in a ball that cycled out to Kai Wagner on the left flank. The fullback sent in a cross in front of goal that Baribo touched home to make it 1-1. Baribo’s goal was the first one scored on opening day against the Lions since 2019.

.@PhilaUnion answer through Tai Baribo! 👌 pic.twitter.com/6u7XguLsC8
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025

“I think we started good, but after the first goal, we had like a dip,” Pasalic said. “

The match got a bit chippier for a time after the tying goal, with Araujo and Uhre each picking up yellow cards just past the half-hour mark.

Pasalic tried to put Orlando back in front with a cannon shot from distance in the 36th minute that forced a diving save by Blake, who knocked it behind for a corner. Orlando couldn’t do anything with that set piece or another just moments later.

Pasalic set up a shot for Ojeda from the top of the box in the 39th minute, but the Argentine sent his effort straight at Blake.

Philadelphia pinged the ball around the box a couple of times in the late stages of the half, but couldn’t make it pay off. There was a missed chance from in close late and a free header Danley Jean-Jacques on a corner kick.

At the break, the Lions had the advantage in possession (51.1%-48.9%), shots (10-6), shots on goal (4-1), and passing accuracy (82.7%-81.5%). The Union won more corners (4-3).

Philadelphia seized control of the game early in the second half as mistakes at the back by the Lions allowed the Union to take the lead and then add to it. Just two minutes after the restart, Quinn Sullivan sent in a good back-post cross from the left to Gazdag, who blazed past an inattentive Santos and redirected it in from a tight angle to make it 2-1.

The ball from Quinn Sullivan. 🎯
The finish from Dániel Gazdag. 💥@PhilaUnion lead in Orlando. pic.twitter.com/fROIER0ito
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025

It only took another couple of minutes to extend the lead to 3-1. Brekalo sent a back pass to Schlegel, who stuck out a foot to take it but his touch was heavy. Uhre ran onto it and blasted it into the net in the 50th minute.

Mikael Uhre pounces on the loose ball and smashes it home. 💪 pic.twitter.com/WvLmjURZ1f
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025

Orlando had an opportunity to pull one back in the 60th minute when Ojeda sent a blast toward goal that Blake did well to fight off for a corner. Two minutes later, the Lions came within inches of a second goal when substitute Alex Freeman got his head to a cross and put it off the crossbar.

Things got worse for the Lions when Brekalo tangled with a Union player and both went down outside the box with Philadelphia on the ball. That gave the Union an odd-man rush down low and Baribo finished the play to make it 4-1 in the 64th minute.

Tai Baribo bags his brace and makes it 4! 🫡@PhilaUnion in cruise control. pic.twitter.com/SY7S5SuBar
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025

“I think we had a really strong first half, and then the second half, we had a lapse of about 15-20 minutes that ended up costing us the game,” Ojeda said. “And those are things that we have to we have to fix, we have to improve on.”

Angulo could have pulled one back in the 66th minute when a ball from Pasalic was dummied through to the Colombian on the left. The winger had room but fired with his weaker left foot toward the near post, only to see Blake make the save. Orlando kept coming, with Santos finding Luis Muriel in the 70th minute with a great cross but Blake made an outstanding save to deny his header.

Orlando City should have scored in the 77th minute. Freeman shook free at the end line on the right and picked out a pass to Angulo in front. There was a lot of net to shoot at, but Angulo shanked his shot wide to the right and got a fortunate corner out of it as Blake may have gotten a fingertip to it on its way out of play.

The Lions finally got their second in the 79th minute on a wild scramble in front. A ball fell for Muriel in front and he smashed a shot off the crossbar. The ball came to Pasalic, who made an acrobatic, spinning shot that hit the left post. The rebound caromed right back to him and this time the Croatian smashed it home to make it 4-2. There was a delay for the video assistant referee to see if Muriel was offside in the buildup, but the goal was confirmed.

Marco Pašalić bags his second goal of the night. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/W672ETpGVu
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 23, 2025

“Marco was very good news for the fans, for us, for the group,” Pareja said. “The most difficult part in the game is scoring and today, he did twice in a short period of time training with us, so that made us feel very optimistic on his performance, and he grew in with a group too.”

“It’s nice to score two goals in your first game, but when you lose 4-2, then it’s not so good,” Pasalic said. “I’m a team player. Today for me it is not important that I scored two goals because we lost 4-2.”

The Lions could get no closer in the final moments or the six minutes of added time, and the whistle blew on Orlando’s first loss to open an MLS season.

In the end, Orlando held the advantage in nearly every meaningful statistical category, including possession (55.6%-44.4%), shots (23-10), shots on target (10-4), and passing accuracy (84.1%-79.7%). Philadelphia managed more corners (8-7).

“We still have habits that we need to correct, and just in this competition (it) showed us today that we still have one or two more gears to go,” Pareja said.

“I think we have to improve more, and maybe God will give us a little bit more luck next time,” Pasalic said. “But they deserve the win, because they played really well.”

The Lions will try to bounce back in their next match a week from tonight against Toronto FC at home.

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions kick off their 11th MLS season at home with a match against the Philadelphia Union. Here’s what you need to know.

Published

1 day ago

February 22, 2025

Michael Citro

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday opening night matchup between Orlando City (0-0-0, 0 points) and the Philadelphia Union (0-0-0, 0 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first of two scheduled regular-season meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs in 2025. The Lions will make the return trip to Chester, PA on April 5.

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

History

Orlando City is 7-7-6 in the 20 MLS meetings with the Union since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015, and 8-8-7 in all competitions. The Lions are 3-2-4 against the Union at home in league play and 4-2-4 in their home stadium against Philadelphia in all competitions.

The teams last met on Oct. 2, 2024, when the Lions won 2-1 at home. Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire pushed Orlando out to a 2-0 lead. Luis Muriel assisted on both goals. Quinn Sullivan pulled one back but the Lions hung on. The teams met for the first time last year on May 11, with the Lions snatching a 3-2 road win at Subaru Park. Muriel scored his first two MLS goals, McGuire added a strike, and Nico Lodeiro assisted on all three tallies for the Lions to offset an early goal by Mikael Uhre and a penalty by Daniel Gazdag.

The last meeting of 2023 took place in Orlando on June 21, with the Lions blowing a two-goal lead in a controversial 2-2 draw. McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half, only to see Jack McGlynn score on a cross into the box that missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, followed by a rocket shot by Jose Martinez from distance. Ivan Angulo’s would-be game winner was chalked off after a questionable foul call in the buildup against Ercan Kara.

The teams met in Philadelphia on March 25, 2023 with the Lions jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Angulo and Ojeda. Former Lion Andres Perea pulled one back, but the Lions held on for a 2-1 road win. The victory snapped Philadelphia’s incredible 24-match home unbeaten streak.

The Union put the Lions to the sword in the last meeting of 2022, a dominant 5-1 win by Philadelphia on Sept. 10 of that year. That was Orlando’s first match since winning the U.S. Open Cup title three days earlier. Joao Moutinho’s own goal started the scoring and the Union got goals from Uhre, Gazdag (penalty), Alejandro Bedoya, and Jack Elliott. Perea, who was then still a Lion, scored for Orlando, but the team was trailing by 4-0 at the time.

The Eastern Conference foes met on July 23, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Two controversial video review decisions went against Orlando that night and the Lions were wasteful with their chances in an evenly matched 1-0 Philadelphia win. Gazdag scored the game’s only goal off a set piece.

The teams also met in U.S. Open Cup play on May 10, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-1 at home. Kara and Perea hoisted Orlando to a 2-0 lead. Stuart Findlay pulled one back late, but the Lions saw it out and advanced.

On Sept. 19, 2021 the Union prevailed 3-1 at Subaru Park, largely due to a brace by Kacper Przybylko after he got away with what appeared to be a clear elbow to the face of Rodrigo Schlegel. Instead of being sent off and/or conceding a free kick to Orlando City, the Union scored on the ensuing play and went on to win the match. The teams met in Orlando on July 22, 2021 and the Lions got goals by Benji Michel and Perea on the team’s only two shots on target to win 2-1. Przybylko, who had feasted on Orlando since arriving in Philadelphia, pulled one back for the visitors but the Lions hung on.

The teams faced each other in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020 in the only meeting to date that did not take place in either side’s home stadium. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after a Mauricio Pereyra goal canceled out a strike by Ilsinho. That draw allowed the Lions to win Group A in the competition and they went on to reach the final.

The Lions and Union tangled in what was then known as Talen Energy Stadium on July 7, 2019, with the teams drawing, 2-2. Dom Dwyer and Santiago Patino brought Orlando back from 1-0 down but Przybylko poached a goal in the 90th to capture a share of the points for the Union.

The two teams had met just a few days earlier on July 3, ending in Orlando’s 3-1 home loss against the Union. Chris Mueller and Przybylko swapped goals in the first half before Robin Jansson was sent off just prior to the break. Afterwards, the 10-man Lions gave up two more goals — to Przybylko and Fafa Picault — and then went down another man with Sacha Kljestan seeing red.

In 2018, the teams drew 2-2 on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The Lions prevailed over the Union in Philadelphia on April 13, 2018 by a 2-0 score. Orlando and Philadelphia also met that season in U.S. Open Cup play, with the Union capturing a 1-0 home win back on July 18, 2018 on a goal by Bedoya.

The teams split their two matches in 2017, with the home side prevailing both times. The Lions won 2-1 at Orlando City Stadium on March 18. The rematch was an ugly 6-1 Philadelphia win in the season finale for both teams.

The Lions were 1-1-1 against Philadelphia in 2016. The team’s first road victory in the series came on Oct. 16, 2016, as the Lions roared, 2-0. The teams played to a 2-2 draw on May 25 in Orlando. Tranquillo Barnetta’s free kick gave Philly a 2-1 win.

Orlando drew 0-0 at home and lost on the road, 1-0 (on a penalty kick), against Philadelphia in 2015.

Overview

Neither team lit the world on fire in the preseason, but the games matter now. Orlando City finished fourth in 2024 and reached the Eastern Conference final, but a lot has changed in the off-season. Orlando City sold the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, Facundo Torres, and starting midfield destroyer Wilder Cartagena suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. Additionally, the team parted ways with key depth midfielder Nico Lodeiro just days ago.

But Orlando City didn’t only lose players this off-season. New Designated Player Marco Pasalic was brought in to become the team’s new right wing, Nico Rodriguez was signed to an MLS U22 Initative contract to provide depth on that side of the attack, and former LAFC central midfielder Eduard Atuesta was signed in the wake of Cartagena’s injury.

Orlando will be looking to improve on last year’s home record of 7-6-4. The Lions are 3-0-7 all-time in league openers (all at home) and are 2-0-3 under Head Coach Oscar Pareja in openers, with all three draws being of the scoreless variety — the worst kind of draw. City is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings between the two sides.

Philadelphia finished 12th in the Eastern Conference in what was a transitional 2024 season that ended with the departure of longtime head coach Jim Curtin. Former St. Louis City coach Bradley Carnell was brought in as a replacement. The Union also parted ways with Elliott, McGlynn, Martinez, Julian Carranza, and others. Last season, the Union were 5-7-5 away from home.

It’s difficult to get a read on this Philadelphia team. The 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation of the Curtin days is gone. Carnell will employ more of a Red Bull approach, and I expect more of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2-2 approach. According to reports, new Designated Player Bruno Damiani will not be available for this match, and it’s uncertain whether Indiana Vassilev, who was just acquired from Carnell’s old side, will be dressed after officially being traded Friday.

Regardless of how Philadelphia is deployed, Orlando City must be aware of Uhre, Gazdag, and Tai Baribo at all times. That trio accounted for 36 goals and 11 assists in 2024. Add in young midfielder Sullivan, and that becomes 41 goals and 22 assists. Fullback Kai Wagner is a menace on the attacking left side, posting 13 assists in 2024. In short, the Union have a formidable attack, scoring the third-most goals in the Eastern Conference a year ago. The key to Orlando’s success will be beating Philly’s press and getting at the back line in front of standout goalkeeper Andre Blake. Philadelphia conceded 55 goals a year ago, which was the conference’s fifth-worst total.

“It is great to start again…we are good, the boys have been training well, and they’re excited as well to be here in [Inter&Co] Stadium and in front of our fans (tonight),” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “I think it’s time for us to compete again and we will be ready. Once again, we’re good, happy to be here at this point again, and happy to start the season.”

Orlando City will be without Cartagena (SEI — Achilles), McGuire (shoulder), Yutaro Tsukada (knee), and Favian Loyola (thigh). Philadelphia will be without Markus Anderson (ankle), Nathan Harriel (quad), and Isaiah LeFlore (leg).

Match Content

Our Intelligence Report features insight into the Union from Matt Ralph of the independent Philadelphia blog Philadelphia Soccer Now.
The most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s game, as well as an interview with Orlando City’s top 2025 MLS SuperDraft pick, Joran Gerbet.
Our David Rohe provided his three keys to an Orlando City victory over Philadelphia.