Orlando City
Chicago Fire vs. Orlando City: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 4-3 as Lions Advance to Quarterfinals
The Lions overcame three one-goal deficits and saw a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside in a wild USOC match in Rhode Island.
Orlando City overcame three separate deficits and a would-be winning goal that was called offside (but wasn’t) in a wild 4-3 win over New England at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI. The Lions moved into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup on a night of firsts, as three Orlando City defenders — Iago, Griffin Dorsey, and Zakaria Taifi — each scored their first goal as Lions, while Justin Ellis stayed hot with a goal and an assist in the contest.
New England took leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 on goals by Malcolm Fry, Andrew Farrell, and Marcos Zambrano, but the Lions fought back each time and eventually found a way to put a foot in front in stoppage time. Taifi’s winner in the second minute of injury time avoided sending the two teams to their second extra time session in as many USOC meetings. Second-half super sub Tyrese Spicer provided assists on the last two goals and what should have been a second Ellis goal.
“A lot of happiness because of the result, especially, like I said last week, the effort of the players,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “I think the effort of the players a couple of days ago, today, every game, I think that’s the biggest point to highlight. I think we have an amazing group of players. When they need to show up, they do it.”
Perelman’s starting lineup featured Javier Otero in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Iago, Colin Guske, and Dorsey. Ignacio Gomez joined Braian Ojeda in central midfield with wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, with Martin Ojeda and Ellis leading the attack.
New England went extra young, with no veterans on the bench of the game day squad, and only elder statesmen Diego Fagundez and Farrell on the pitch with nine young players. Despite all that youth for the Revs, it was Orlando’s young players — Homegrowns Ellis and Taifi and MLS U22 Initiative signings Iago and Tiago — who ultimately stole the show.
Ellis had the first couple of scoring chances in the game. His shot from outside the area seven minutes into the match from Gomez’s pass was easily saved by Donovan Parisian. Seven minutes later, Ellis could have taken an early shot with his left in transition, but instead he cut inside on his right and his shot was deflected out for a corner.
The next 10 minutes saw the Lions start turning the ball over in their own half and Fry sent a warning shot wide of the left post in the 19th minute with two runners at the back post just waiting on a cross. However, that warning shot went unheeded.
Fry opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a shot from the left channel. Gomez trailed Eric Klein on the play but appeared to be running at half speed and never came close to running down the opposing attacker. Guske got caught between two minds, stepping up, but leaving too much room. Klein sent a chipped pass by Guske to Fry, Iago was a step slow to cover for his central defense partner, and Otero opened up his legs, allowing Fry to slip it in from a tight angle to make it 1-0.
The Lions quickly gave the ball away after the restart and nearly fell behind by a second goal on two occasions. The first was within a minute of Fry’s goal, when Fagundez found Allan Oyirwoth in transition but Otero was there to make the save on a 1-v-1 chance. Zambrano then hit the post in the 26th minute on another dangerous opportunity.
That was an important storm to weather, because the Lions pulled one back in the 31st minute off a set piece. The ball in from the left was cleared out to the right and recycled in by Tiago, who sent a nice curling cross into the area on the far side. Iago leaped over everyone and headed it back toward the right, beating Parisian to make it 1-1 with his first goal as a Lion.
This time it was Orlando City nearly scoring twice in quick succession. A good ball from Dorsey sent Tiago to the end line on the left. His pass to Martin Ojeda was late and hard, bouncing just before reaching the Argentine, who got under it as a result, sending his shot over the bar. A minute later, Ellis tried to connect with Ojeda’s run between defenders but it was just out of the Designated Player’s reach.
New England regained the lead off a set piece in the 37th minute that should have been cleared. The ball into the box landed amidst several bodies and only one of them was wearing Revs colors. Gabe Dahlin had no trouble taking it away from Gomez and Guske and sent it to Farrell near the top of the area. The defender smashed it through the traffic and in to make it 2-1, scoring his first goal since 2018.
Much like each of the previous goals, the next good chance came immediately for the scoring team. Zambrano forced Otero into a save just seconds after the go-ahead goal. Seconds later, another dangerous cross in from Fagundez, who was given too much space by Angulo, found Zambrano in front, but he sent his bicycle kick well off target.
Orlando City responded to that flurry of Revolution attacks with its second goal of the game. Dorsey took a pass from Angulo and worked a give-and-go with Ellis at the top of the box, with the forward giving Dorsey a clean look at goal. The right back blasted it home to make it 2-2 in the 39th minute.
Otero nearly created more problems for himself in the 42nd minute, overrunning Fagundez’s delivery on yet another set piece. He managed to extend his arm far enough to get a touch on the ball to send it out for a corner. A dangerous scramble in front of goal with one New England player on five defenders resulted in another corner, before the danger subsided with the ensuing set piece delivery swerving out of play.
Oyirwoth got a late free header in the box but couldn’t make good contact, sending it out of play. That was the last good look at goal of the opening 45 minutes and the teams went to the locker room tied up at 2-2.
New England had a dominant advantage on the stat sheet at the break, leading in possession (51%-49%), shots (12-5), shots on target (4-3), and passing accuracy (90%-86%), while Orlando City won more corners (3-2).
Tyrese Spicer entered the match at halftime for Tiago.
After the Lions conceded an early set piece, Spicer got forward for the first time in the 49th minute, racing down the left channel and blazing a rocket just over the crossbar. A few minutes later, he destroyed Damario McIntosh on the left wing and got into the box but got his cross wrong, sending it straight to a Revs player.
Another spell of give-away ball and passive midfield play by Orlando eventually led to the third New England lead of the night. Zambrano took a pass out on the right, took a touch and beat a passive Marin — and Otero — to make it 3-2 in the 58th minute.
The Lions quickly won a free kick just wide of the box on the left but could do nothing with it.
Fagundez came close to a fourth New England goal in the 68th minute when given acres of space outside the penalty area. The veteran winger sent the shot just wide of the left post.
Two minutes later, the Lions again tied things up. Spicer got down the left again and sent a cross in front that was just out of Parisian’s reach at the top of the six. The ball went through and Ellis slotted home to make it 3-3 in the 70th minute.
Ellis scored again in the 74th minute but the flag came up. Martin Ojeda sent a beautiful ball just over the defender for Spicer to run onto. Spicer sent it to Ellis in front for the finish but the flag came up immediately. The replay showed from two angles that Spicer and Ellis both appeared to be onside. With questionable call, the game remained tied.
Spicer forged another chance in the 80th minute. He put a move on McIntosh and the New England defender went down. Spicer seemed a bit mesmerized by the sudden appearance of space and waited too long to get his shot away, which Farrell blocked. McIntosh had to leave the match with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
The Lions continued to press for a winner down the stretch. Martin Ojeda’s back-post ball fell behind substitute Taifi in the 89th minute. The Homegrown fullback tried a spinning shot but hit Ellis with it in front.
New England came the other way, winning a throw-in on the left. Orlando City’s defense got out of sync on the play and the Revs worked the ball to Fry alone on the right inside the box. The opening goal scorer was poised to be the game’s hero but fired his shot over Otero’s crossbar.
With seven minutes of stoppage time left to decide things before sending the game to extra time, the Lions needed only two to finally get their first lead of the match. Spicer again got down the left side with his speed to get to a perfect pass over the top from Ojeda. The Trinidad & Tobago international cut a menacing ball back across the area. Taifi made the back-post run and redirected it in for his first goal with the MLS side
“Today we were able to spread the goals (among) different players, and that helped raise the confidence,” Perelman said. “That’s always something positive. If they are scoring it’s because they are on the field, and if they are on the field, it’s because they are performing, growing.
Although he didn’t put the ball in the net himself, it’s impossible to understate Spicer’s role in the win, creating a threat that the Revs struggled to cope with down the left flank throughout the second half.
“Spicy, first of all, is an amazing person. I’m so happy for him,” Perelman said. “He’s an amazing boy, respectful, and then the talent he has, because he’s accurate when he shoots, when he crosses, when he finishes…and he has 1-v-1 capacity. I mean, a lot of qualities.”
Across the final minutes, Orlando City lived dangerously, setting New England up with multiple opportunities from set pieces, but the Lions managed to do just enough to clear their lines and see out what turned into more than nine added minutes. Eventually, the final whistle came and the Lions were through to the U.S. Open Cup
At full time, the Lions had the advantage in possession, (51.6%-48.4%), while New England had the edge in shots (15-14) and passing accuracy (85.1%-84.2%). Both teams put five shots on target and each side won three corners.
“The cup is not easy,” Perelman said. “I respect the Open Cup, and I respect the opponents, so happy, happy for the result. The game was tough. They played really well with their 4-3-3. We were trying to find a way to adjust to that. I think in the second half mainly we did it, even though we conceded one more goal in the second half.”
Orlando City is back in action Saturday at Inter Miami as league play continues.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions head to Rhode Island looking to advance in the U.S. Open Cup against the Revs.
Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and the New England Revolution at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI (7:30 p.m., Paramount+). This is the first meeting between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season, with two scheduled league matches still left to play in 2026.
Here’s what you need to know for the match.
History
The Lions are 6-7-8 in the regular-season series against New England and 7-8-8 in all competitions. On the road, Orlando City is just 2-6-2 against the Revs, with all of those prior meetings coming in the MLS regular season. Orlando City has faced the Revolution once before in U.S. Open Cup play, winning that prior meeting (more on that below).
The most recent meeting between the teams was also in New England, but it was at Gillette Stadium, the Revs’ usual home. Martin Ojeda’s brace led the Lions to a 2-1 victory on July 19, 2025 — just the team’s second road win in the series. Thomas Chancalay scored for New England.
The first match between the sides last year was a wild 3-3 draw in Orlando on May 10. The Lions squandered two leads in that match, including a 2-0 advantage. Ojeda scored Orlando’s first hat trick since 2015 in that game, but those three goals were offset by strikes by Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, and Carles Gil. One of Ojeda’s goals and Gil’s strike were penalties.
Prior to that, the teams met on Sept. 14, 2024, with the Lions completing their first-ever sweep of the Revs with a 3-0 win. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres (from the penalty spot), and Duncan McGuire provided the offense in a dominant performance. The teams also met on July 13 at Gillette Stadium that year, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.
The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second goal deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.
New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late, but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.
These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022, and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.
New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and later won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.
The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.
In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Shortly after Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring, Nani tied things up. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up.
The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.
The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.
The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4.
Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count.
The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.
The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.
Overview
Orlando City is coming off a road loss at D.C. United on Saturday. The Lions came from behind to take a 2-1 second-half lead, but then Orlando melted down in the final six minutes, allowing two goals to throw away all three points. City’s only win away from home this season came in the team’s 1-0 round-of-32 U.S. Open Cup match at FC Naples on April 15, but that was far from easy as the USL League One side dominated the game’s final 30 minutes.
The Lions are 19-11-5 all-time in the U.S. Open Cup, 11-7-5 since becoming an MLS side. Away from Orlando, the Lions are 8-6-2 in the U.S. Open Cup, 5-2-2 since joining Major League Soccer.
The Revolution are coming off a 1-1 draw at Inter Miami over the weekend, with Gil scoring for New England. The Revs are 4-0-2 in their last six matches in all competitions and reached this round of the U.S. Open Cup by outlasting USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in penalties after a 1-1 draw on April 14. Fagundez scored shortly after halftime, but Rhode Island’s J.J. Williams equalized in the 11th minute of stoppage time to send the match to extra time and, ultimately, spot kicks.
It seems a bit of a flex for the Revs to return to Rhode Island FC’s stadium to host its round-of-16 match, but they earned the right, so fair play to New England.
“Of course it’s different playing in the U.S. Open Cup, or in every match that is do or die, win or go home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “It’s a different context that changes the game, but we have experience in these kinds of competitions and we’re ready for it. We like to compete, we are competitors, so we’re happy and excited.”
Match Content
- Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for the match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.
Defenders: Adrian Marin, Colin Guske, Iago, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Ignacio Gomez, Braian Ojeda, Tiago.
Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.
Bench: Maxime Crepeau, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Tyrese Spicer.
New England Revolution (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Donovan Parisian.
Defenders: Gabriel Dahlin, Tanner Beason, Andrew Farrell, Damario McIntosh.
Midfielders: Allan Oyirwoth, Eric Klein, Cristiano Oliveira.
Forwards: Malcolm Fry, Marcos Zambrano, Diego Fagundez.
Bench: JD Gunn, Chris Mbaï-Assem, Schinieder Mimy, Carlos Zambrano, Javaun Mussenden, Shuma Sasaki, Jayden Da.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Centreville Bank Stadium — Pawtucket, RI.
TV/Live Stream: 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!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/29/26
Orlando City plays New England tonight, the Orlando Pride are recognized, USMNT news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day with Orlando City taking on the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup tonight. The fixture congestion is real as this is the third match for the Lions in just eight days. I’m sure that it will be fine since Orlando City doesn’t have any injury or depth issues…err…let’s get to the links.
Orlando City’s Open Cup Continues
Orlando City is in Rhode Island to take on the New England Revolution in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. As always, it will be interesting to see which regular starters play and which youngsters get the start, though the difference between those two is not as stark as in the past. The Lions also have a trip to play Inter Miami this weekend to consider. I don’t think it will happen, but I say go all in on the Open Cup and play Orlando City B against Miami.
Orlando Pride Earns Recognition
Zara Chavoshi is the Orlando Pride’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for 2026. Chavoshi’s chosen community partner is Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka. Each of the 16 NWSL teams are represented with a panel of judges, including Holiday, determining the winner. In other news, the Pride are still in the top three of SI.com’s NWSL power rankings. Shockingly — I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek — Barbra Banda didn’t make CBSsports.com’s NWSL Team of the Week despite scoring a brace.
Griezmann Continues Champions League Chase
Orlando City’s next Designated Player, Antoine Griezmann, has unfinished business with current club Atletico Madrid. Griezmann and Atletico face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals this afternoon. As much as I’m looking forward to Griezmann’s arrival in Orlando, I am also all for him winning hardware before he leaves Atletico.
USMNT News
The World Cup is just around the corner, and there are many players in MLS who will be representing their respective countries. Matt Turner is making an excellent case that he should be the first-choice keeper for the USMNT. Stepping outside of MLS, is Weston McKennie the player who the U.S. can least afford to lose heading into the World Cup? McKennie has been playing well this year for club and country. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has been in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, he can turn it around before the World Cup.
Free Kicks
- Rodrigo Schlegel visited Orlando City’s training this week. I’m not saying I want him to start, but a short-term contract for depth might be nice.
- Jose Mourinho is a contender to be Real Madrid’s next head coach and is the preferred candidate of owner Florentino Perez.
- Brighton and Hove Albion has released plans for a new stadium specifically for the club’s women’s team. It will be the first women’s-specific stadium in Europe and the UK.
- I’m very much behind the Japanese practice of cleaning up after soccer matches and I think they will set a good example for the rest of the countries at the World Cup.
- Get ready for some unwarranted red cards as FIFA says “no more mouth covering.”
- The city of Vancouver has declined FIFA’s request for an official motorcade for Gianni Infantino during the 76th FIFA Congress this Thursday. Well done, Vancouver. Well done.
- Sometimes there’s a light of hope in the dark forest that we’re travelling through. Believe.
That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight. Vamos Orlando!
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