Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Wednesday was a hell of a day, but we got through it, and part of that is because Orlando City went out and got a 3-1 win at home over Nashville SC. The Lions needed a few minutes to settle into the match but once they figured out what the visitors were all about they controlled the game for the most part.
Nashville SC had been sound defensively entering the game, conceding twice in each of its two Atlanta matches but otherwise allowing only one goal in the team’s other three matches. Last night, the visitors allowed a franchise-high three goals.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — El Pulpo got caught on the bounce on Nashville’s set piece goal. It was a tricky play but I think he could have been a little better on it. He collided with Abu Danladi early in the game and the play went to video review for a potential penalty but none was given. Aside from that, he passed well (94.1%, 2/3 accuracy on long balls). He made three saves on Nashville’s four shots on target, but none of the three were particularly troublesome.
D, Joao Moutinho, 8 — The Portuguese fullback had an outstanding night, creating the first goal with a nice cutback move right to shed Hany Mukhtar, then he cut back to his left to open a passing lane. Seeing Chris Mueller on the ground, Moutinho kept his cross low, allowing Cash an easier finish. The assist was brilliant, but he also got in behind the defense for a shot on target after winning the ball back with a good hustle play in the 30th minute and continuing his run. The shot was right down the middle, unfortunately. He nearly got in on a similar play just before halftime but the whistle blew when the ball took a deflection and bounced up off his arm. He created two scoring chances, made four dribbles, and drew two free kicks. Defensively, he finished with three tackles and an interception. Joao had an 85.4% passing rate. He could have done a tad better with his long ball accuracy (1/4) but it was an otherwise outstanding night. His yellow card was a necessary professional foul.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The beefy Swede was partially culpable on the visitors’ goal, running with Dave Romney but he never jumped, allowing the Nashville center back to get up and nod a set piece delivery home in the 16th minute. This is the second straight game where Jansson has been beaten for a goal on an aerial ball and it’s a worrisome trend, because he’s generally good in the air, as shown by his team-high three aerials won in this match. Aside from that, his play was solid as usual, passing at an 89.7% rate and completing four of six long balls. He had a tackle, an interception, three clearances, and two blocked shots at the defensive end.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — It’s difficult to slot into a game at center back when you’re not seeing a lot of minutes but Schlegel did well stepping in for Antonio Carlos. Danladi made him look bad in the fourth minute to get off a dangerous shot but luckily fired high. One would expect Nashville to try to isolate Schlegel after that point but the visitors weren’t able to do so and the Argentine settled into the match nicely. He was able to range forward and become part of the possession in the attacking half often — tying Moutinho for second-most touches on the team (73) — and made himself a safe outlet when plays broke down. His passing was just 81%, but he spent a lot of time in the offensive half and was 4/9 on long balls. Defensively, he added two tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, and two blocked shots.
D, Ruan, 7 — The speedy Brazilian was an integral part of Orlando’s attack all night and made some good recovery runs to break up potential counters. He was 2/3 on crossing accuracy. His cross in the 12th should have been finished by Daryl Dike, who missed just wide. His cross to Junior Urso in the 72nd also should have been finished but Dike was there to smash home the rebound of the saved header. Ruan was an 84.4% passer, created two scoring chances, and made three interceptions with one tackle and a clearance.
MF, Uri Rosell, 6 — As usual, the Spaniard was the quiet glue in the middle, tying the lines together and switching play from side to side. He anticipated the play well, finishing with three interceptions and a clearance on the night and his 94.7% passing rate was top among Orlando’s starters and he won two aerials.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 5.5 — Mendez’s unnecessary foul set up the set piece on which Nashville scored its only goal. Central midfielders are going to commit fouls, because it goes with the territory, but the young Ecuadorian takes some silly ones in his own half sometimes, and it cost the Lions early. He also didn’t learn from Saturday night’s blind back-heel pass because he tried one in the attacking third just before he was subbed out and it didn’t come close to working. I appreciate the creativity but…come on. He committed three fouls but only made one tackle. His one shot attempt wasn’t close to goal. It sounds like I hated his game but I thought he did well in helping move the ball around where it needed to be all night, passing at a 93.2% clip and provided a lot of assistance in the buildup. He also did well to steer the opposition into his teammates while defending.
MF, Nani, 7 — The captain put in a thorough shift, getting on the ball a game-high 93 times. He took four shots, getting one on target, and created a scoring chance. His shot was a surprisingly powerful one-timer off a Moutinho cross in the 19th minute, which forced a save. His overall passing rate was just 74.2% on a team-high 66 attempts. He made two tackles and won an aerial. He got in a nice cross in the 11th minute intended for Mueller but the defense arrived just in time to poke it out for a corner. He steered the attack and directed his teammates like a maestro all night, pointing out where he wanted them to go, sending 3/5 long balls accurately and sending some dangerous crosses into the area. His crafty pass in the 32nd minute sent Ruan clear down the right side but Mauricio Pereyra took a touch in traffic after receiving Ruan’s cross and the defense shut it down. It was a solid, if unspectacular, night for the captain.
MF, Maurcio Pereyra, 7.5 — The Uruguayan was dangerous all night, providing a primary assist on Daryl Dike’s first goal and getting the hockey assist on Mueller’s, as it was Pereyra who found Moutinho out on the left in the buildup. His passing was excellent, finishing at 89.8%, with four key passes, 2/2 accurate long balls, and 2/3 accurate crosses. He didn’t attempt a shot, and should have hit the aforementioned cross from Ruan with his first touch in the 32nd minute, but he was great otherwise on the night. He also pitched in a tackle and an interception defensively.
MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — Cash is back and helping the offense with both his movement and passing. While he surprisingly didn’t chip in any defensive stats, he was important in possession and in the attack. In addition to his goal, on which he first slipped in the box but then had the presence of mind to lunge for the scoring header on Moutinho’s cross, he added another shot attempt, although it wasn’t on target. He made two key passes, and got a hockey assist on Dike’s first goal, sending Pereyra and the rookie on essentially a 2-v-1 break. He passed at an 84.2% rate and won two aerials. He’ll want to do a bit better with his touch, as he had a team-high five unstable touches and was dispossessed twice.
F, Daryl Dike, 8 (MOTM) — The rookie was dangerous all night, firing a game-high six shots and getting two on goal, both of which went in the net. His hold-up and combination play was good and he continues to occupy center backs to allow room for his wingers, fullbacks, and Pereyra to operate. His 83.3% passing rate is good for a striker (especially a rookie), albeit on only 12 attempts, but he did create a scoring chance as well. He takes his defensive responsibilities seriously, with a tackle and an emphatic clearance on the night. If Dike is only scratching the surface of his abilities, his ceiling may end up being higher than Cyle Larin’s — and all he did was score 43 goals in three seasons. The only real blemishes on his night were a failure to haul in a pass that would have sent him in alone in the seventh minute and a shot off target in the 12th that should have resulted in Orlando’s opening goal.
Substitutes
MF, Junior Urso (66’), 6.5 — The Bear got himself into position for two excellent scoring chances but couldn’t put either of them past Joe Willis. His header off a Ruan cross in the 72nd minute led to Dike’s second goal and he had another opportunity off a corner kick that Willis denied, as Urso hit the target with all three of his shot attempts but couldn’t break through. He passed well (91.3%), won an aerial, and had two interceptions, a tackle, and a clearance in a productive appearance off the bench.
MF, Andres Perea (67’), 5.5 — The 19-year-old came on for Rosell and was decent, but he did get pulled out of position defensively a couple of times when Nashville had some prolonged possession, before Orlando switched to a three-center-backs system late. Once the shape changed, he did a good job of helping the Lions play keep-away. He blocked a shot, completed all 19 of his passes, and played safely (no long ball or cross attempts) as game conditions warranted.
MF, Benji Michel (78’), 5 — After coming on for Pereyra, the second-year pro didn’t get too involved in the action in his 12 minutes plus four added minutes. Michel managed only eight total touches and four passes, but at least he completed all four. Benji registered no shots and no defensive stats, but he did earn one free kick. He nearly got away on a 94th-minute counter but he was pulled down from behind by Alistair Johnston, who was booked.
MF/D, Kamal Miller (85’), N/A — Miller came on for Mueller and slotted in as a bit of a hybrid wingback/fullback as the Lions changed shape to try to get more possession to see out the match. The tactic by Oscar Pareja worked, as Orlando City was able to keep possession for long stretches after the switch, preventing Nashville from getting back into the match. Miller was a contributor to that but it’s difficult to give someone a grade for just five minutes plus stoppage time.
D, Kyle Smith (85’), N/A — Smith came on for Moutinho late as Orlando switched to three at the back (or five at the back, if you prefer to think of it that way). He did well to break up an attack, conceding a corner, but didn’t have enough time to warrant a grade.
That’s how I saw Wednesday night’s performances. Ultimately, Orlando spent most of the match in complete control once the Lions settled in a bit from a bit of a nervy start. Vote for your Man of the Match below and let us know in the comments where you agree/disagree.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Nani | 1 |
| Joao Moutinho | 14 |
| Ruan | 0 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 7 |
| Daryl Dike | 90 |
| Chris Mueller | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.
Orlando City hosted Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium Saturday, and it was a tale of two halves. The first half was one of the most boring first halves of soccer ever, and the second half was a wild free-for-all with Orlando City coming to life. The Lions were able to earn all three points at home, defeating RSL 2-1. Here are my five takeaways from the match.
An Inevitable Goal
Orlando City put out a mostly first-choice team on short rest, while RSL rotated pretty heavily due to their schedule congestion and a Leagues Cup knockout match coming up on Tuesday.The Lions had the majority of the possession through the first 35 mintues, while RSL was able to send the ball over the top a few times early, but the visitors kept getting the timing wrong against Orlando’s high line, resulting in offside calls. That was until the 36th minute, when Dominik Marczuk managed to stay onside, blazed past Zakaria Taifi, and was all alone on the back post. It wasn’t hard to put it in from there. Orlando City had the better of the play up to that point, but it still felt like Real Salt Lake’s goal was more likely.
Possession Without Purpose
Despite holding 58% possession in the first half, Orlando City managed to get exactly zero shots on goal on zero shots total. Zero shots taken the entire first half! As I mentioned above, that was zero shots against a heavily rotated RSL squad. For a team with Antoine Griezmann, Marco Pasalic, and Griffin Dorsey in the starting lineup, that stat is unacceptable. The lack of any chances resulted in Martin Perelman bringing on Justin Ellis and Daryl Dike as offensive halftime substitutions.
Subs Make a Difference
It took less than 10 minutes for Ellis and Dike, along with fellow substitute Joran Gerbet, to make a difference. While it was ultimately Griezmann who scored the goal, it was Gerbet, Ellis, and Dike that made it happen. Gerbet picked up a loose ball Eduard Atuesta won and sent it to Ellis on the right. Ellis sent the ball into the box to Dike, who took it with his back to goal, pirouetted with the ball, and shot it. Unfortunately for Dike, Mason Stajduhar was there to block it. Unfortunately for Stajduhar, Griezmann was there for the poacher’s goal to level the score for Orlando City. Griezmann positioned himself wisely without the ball, but it was the three halftime subs that really made it happen.
Griezmann Gets Another
After equalizing, Orlando City had all the momentum and pressed for a second goal. It was Griezmann who provided the winning goal with his first brace for the Lions. If his first goal was a “right time, right place” type of goal, his second was luck and skill combined. He took a pass in the box from Tyrese Spicer and tried to back heel it to Dike. The ball bounced off the defender and right back to Griezmann, who wasted no time in putting it in the back of the net. It was a microcosm of Griezmann’s time in Orlando for me. He tried to be unselfish, but ultimately taking the shot himself was what was needed. More of this please.
Possession With Purpose
If Orlando City did almost nothing with the ball in the first half, the Lions did everything needed with the ball in the second half. They actually raised the possession to 60% by the end of the match, scored two goals, and didn’t allow a second from RSL. The defenders were able to clear most of the attacks and Maxime Crepeau cleaned up anything that got through. Orlando City was able to continue to push into the attack even after the second goal. As I said above, it was a tale of two halves, and fortunately, the second half was enough for the win.
That is what I saw in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Griezmann’s Brace Lifts Lions to Win
Antoine Griezmann scored twice in the second half to help Orlando City erase a 1-0 deficit and beat RSL at home.
Antoine Griezmann scored two second-half goals for his first Orlando City brace, leading the Lions to a 2-1 comeback win over Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium tonight. After a lethargic opening 45 minutes that saw the visitors take a 1-0 lead into the half on Dominik Marczuk’s goal, an energetic trio of halftime subs injected life into the attack for Orlando (7-11-3, 24 points).
Griezmann’s two goals pushed the Lions past Real Salt Lake (8-8-4, 28 points), but it’s fair to say Orlando City wasn’t clean enough in the first half and couldn’t turn possession into attacking threat until the introduction of second-half subs Justin Ellis, Joran Gerbet, Daryl Dike, and Tyrese Spicer.
The Lions snapped an 0-2-2 winless streak in all competitions and a 0-2-1 skid in league play with tonight’s win, moving just over the playoff line into ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.
“It was a tough game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “It wasn’t easy the first half; we tried good and sometimes it happens like that, the game. I think the team in the second half was able to to play in a very difficult moment. It’s not easy and the guys did an amazing job.”
Perelman’s lineup included Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield inside of Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Tiago joining Antoine Griezmann up top.
The first half consisted of long spells of Orlando possession that came to nothing against a heavily rotated RSL side, with former Lion Mason Stajduhar having to do nothing in goal, because the Lions couldn’t even manage one first-half shot attempt. The visitors were content to stay in their low block of five at the back and four midfielders, wait for the exhausted-looking hosts to misplace a pass or have a bad touch, and look for chances to hit on the counter or with balls over the top.
Griezmann looked the most in need of a rest, as several of his touches were heavy in the first half, but he was far from the only one.
There was a scary moment early in the game when Jansson collided with Marczuk on an attempted RSL switch of play. The Orlando City captain was fouled and stayed down to get treatment, eventually leaving the field under his own power. He was able to return moments later.
Orlando City won a few set pieces in the opening half but did nothing with them, while the visitors looked dangerous if they could stay onside, which they struggled to do early. When the Lions did manage to find space against RSL’s back line, the crosses were poor, ending up either out of play or in the goalkeeper’s hands.
The visitors broke through the dull affair in the 36th minute. Alexandros Katranis laid off a ball on the left flank for Sam Junqua behind him. Junqua picked up his head and spotted Marczuk’s well-timed run behind Taifi and delivered a nice cross. Marczuk met the ball in the air with his foot and knocked it past Crepeau to make it 1-0.
Crepeau kept things from getting worse just before halftime. Angulo turned the ball over on an attempted recycle of a failed set piece, igniting a Real Salt Lake counter. The ball ended up with Marczuk again on the right and this time Crepeau was able to get a hand on it to palm it out for a corner.
The Lions dealt with the set piece and the half came to an end with Orlando’s starters trailing 1-0 to an RSL B-squad that dien’t allow a single shot attempt.
At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (59.4%-40.6%) and passing accuracy (89.7-84.2%), while Real Salt Lake led in shots (3-0) and shots on target (2-0) and each team won one corner.
“It was a complicated game,” Griezmann said. “It’s never easy starting off with with a negative mark like that, but we made changes at halftime and put more more guys further up the field, and we were able to to get that goal and really kind of give ourselves some time of tranquility to create more opportunities to create those occasions to go out and get the winner.”
Looking to injuct some life into the game, or at least some fresh legs, Perelman sent Gerbet, Dike, and Ellis into the game at halftime for Otavio, Tiago, and Pasalic. It took a few minutes for the subs to settle in, but it made a difference in the Lions’ energy level.
Marczuk had the first look at goal in the second half, however, firing from distance from the right side, but it caused no trouble for Crepeau in the 50th minute.
Gerbet and Atuesta worked well together in the middle, keeping the ball better and allowing Taifi to jump into the play on the left. Taifi had a shot blocked out for a corner in the 51st minute. A minute later, Atuesta played a slick through ball for Griezmann. With Stajduhar coming off his line, the Frenchman chipped a shot over him but it went inches wide of the left post.
Orlando scored seconds after Stajduhar put the ball back into play. Atuesta won the ball to Gerbet at midfield, and he turned and found Ellis on the right. Ellis sent it in front to Dike for the shot, but it was blocked to Griezmann, who cleaned up in front, making it 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
Taifi got down the left in the 55th minute and did well to cut back a cross for Griezmann entering the box. Griezmann hit his shot immediately but it fizzed just over the bar. Three minutes later, Taifi cut inside and fired but hit the outside of the left post.
Real Salt Lake sent on Diego Luna, Saba Lobjanidze, and Morgan Guilavogui to try to counter the energy Orlando’s subs had brought into the game, and things opened up a bit. Dorsey did well to stick out a foot to deny a pass that would have put Luna in on goal in the 64th minute.
Spicer came on for Taifi in the 69th minute and injected even more energy into the match. He quickly won a set piece on the left just moments after coming on near the left corner flag. Atuesta sent his delivery on target toward the near post but it was headed behind for a corner kick. The ensuing corner bounced out to Ellis near the top of the area. The Homegrown forward used some deft footwork to work his way past two defenders before getting his shot blocked out for another corner.
Real Salt Lake broke the other way after the set piece and Luna ended up with it. He fired on target but Crepeau blocked it out of play for a corner. Orlando partially cleared the set piece delivery and Katranis tried a shot from long range that was well off target.
Orlando City took the lead moments later. Jansson sent the ball long out of the back to Spicer on the left. The Trinidad & Tobago international did well to get a cross in for Griezmann in the box. The first touch got away from the Frenchman but he picked up the rebound and slotted it past Stajduhar to make it 2-1 in the 81st minute.
“I think it’s a very good cross from ‘Spice’ and I was thinking to do one touch to score but I did very bad,” Griezmann said. “The defender touched the ball and the ball came to me, and yeah I saw a lot of legs and I tried to just make a pass between the legs of the defender and here is where you need to be patient just for one or two seconds. And today I was very patient in this time and this is why I scored.”
“It’s mandatory for us to enjoy Griezmann,” Perelman said. “We are lucky to be in the moment that he’s here with us. He’s one of the best players in the history of this sport. We have the privilege to see him. It’s just about enjoying him, watching him and enjoying him.”
Real Salt Lake threw bodies forward into the attack, but aside from some corner kicks, the visitors couldn’t produce much. Any time it looked like RSL might create something in the final third, Orlando was able to block crosses or head them out of danger. Orlando City also kept the ball well for spells down the stretch, taking the pressure off and allowing the Lions to see out the game.
At the final whistle, the Lions held the advantage in possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (13-9), passing accuracy (88.8%-82%), and corners (5-4). Real Salt Lake put more shots on target (4-3). Ultimately, the Lions were sharp enough in the second half to make up for the slow start, although RSL helped out by being offside seven times to just once for Orlando.
“In the final zone, we were a lot more aggressive,” Griezmann said of the second half. “We were pressing more and more aggressive with our press, and it was a really good way to to get the win tonight.”
“The players were wanting to give us that control of the game against a team who sat back a little bit,” Perelman said. “I think the guys did a huge effort. Fortunately we could come back, win, because we really need it, and now we need to rest and think (about) the next one.”
“Just so happy to have the win at home,” Gerbet said. “It’s been like a gritty one, but a necessary one, an important one towards like the end of the season to get some momentum, because we’re going to start to go away as well, so we need to start to gain momentum, and I think that was a great way to do it.”
The Lions now get an honest-to-goodness normal work week. Their next match will be a week from tonight at Minnesota United.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions look to finish their long homestand with a bounce-back performance against RSL.
Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday night showdown between Orlando City (6-11-3, 21 points) and Real Salt Lake (8-7-4, 28 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first and only scheduled meeting between the two teams from opposing conferences and the first time they’ve met since 2023 in Utah.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 2-2-3 in seven previous MLS meetings with RSL, including a 1-0-2 mark at home. However, Orlando City is 0-2-1 in their last three games against tonight’s visitors.
The last time the teams met, it was a forgettable result for Orlando City fans. But if you do remember, it’s not for good reasons, because it was a 4-0 beatdown that Real Salt Lake laid on the Lions on July 8, 2023. Cristian Arango, Justen Glad, Jefferson Savarino, and Anderson Julio did the damage.
During the most recent matchup in Orlando, most of us had no idea what COVID-19 was yet. The Lions and Real Salt Lake met on opening day of the 2020 MLS season, playing to a 0-0 draw at Exploria Stadium on Feb. 29. Despite it being a Leap Day, no one wanted to leap onto the scoresheet.
Orlando City lost the previous meeting, a 2-1 Real Salt Lake win in Utah on April 13, 2019. Nani scored Orlando’s only goal that day, but it came late in the match after Sam Johnson and Demir Kreilach had staked RSL to a 2-0 lead.
The May 6, 2018 meeting in Orlando was a wild 3-1 win for the Lions in which RSL missed multiple good scoring chances, hitting the woodwork and forcing Joe Bendik into some big saves. Dom Dwyer, Lamine Sané, and Yoshimar Yotún provided Orlando’s offense to offset Corey Baird’s early strike.
When the teams met in 2017 at Rio Tinto, Will Johnson provided all the offense against his old club in a 1-0 Orlando City victory. Johnson’s tally in the 17th minute was all Orlando City needed to take the first win of the series after two draws the previous two seasons.
In 2016, the teams played a memorable opening day match in which the Lions roared back with a frantic rally, as Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter pulled City level in a 2-2 draw at the Citrus Bowl. Joao Plata scored both RSL goals — one from the penalty spot — and RSL led 2-0 despite going down a man for 25 minutes, prior to Chris Penso evening things out by sending off Darwin Ceren.
Orlando drew 1-1 on the road in 2015 while down to 10 men after Kaká was sent off at the end of the first half. The captain opened the scoring. Sebastian Jaime found the equalizer in the 28th.
Match Overview
Orlando City enters on a poor run of form in a congested fixture schedule. The Lions lost 2-1 at home against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, making it four games without a win in all competitions (0-2-2) and they haven’t won in MLS play in their last three (0-2-1). While the defense is leaking just one or two goals per game of late, the offense has been less tidy in finishing chances, which could be attributed to some players, including Antoine Griezmann, not getting much rest during this stretch of seven games in 22 days. Orlando is a pedestrian 4-4-2 at home this season and is winless in its last two home matches (0-1-1).
Real Salt Lake sits eighth in the Western Conference after going 0-3-3 in its last six league matches, including a 4-3 home loss to FC Dallas on Wednesday. But, oddly enough, that stretch of matches sandwiches a 2-0-1 run in Leagues Cup, and RSL advanced to the knockout rounds, where it will play Club Leon on Tuesday, so we may see some rotation, assuming the Utah-based club is going all in on trying to win Leagues Cup or at least one of the three coveted Concacaf Champions Cup spots. Tonight’s match will be RSL’s first on the road since Aug. 1, where the team is 1-5-3 in 2026 in league play.
Sergi Solans leads tonight’s opponents in goals (9) and goal contributions (12), with Diego Luna leading in assists (6) while adding five goals for 11 total goal contributions. The departure of Zavier Gozo and his six goals and five assists is a tough break for RSL, because beyond those three, 10 goals are spread across eight different players.
The Lions must rediscover their scoring boots for this game, as the Orlando defense pitches precious few shutouts, and if RSL plays its starters, either Solans, Luna, or both could do some damage on the other end.
The Lions will be without Braian Ojeda (foot), Martin Ojeda (thigh), and Bernardo Rhein (thigh), while Adrian Marin (thigh) is questionable, so left back may be an adventure, with Zakaria Taifi, Ivan Angulo, and David Brekalo as the leading candidates to play there, and all of them are right-footed. Real Salt Lake will be without Zach Booth (hamstring), Griffin Dillon (foot), Emeka Eneli (knee), Glad (adductor), and Ariath Piol (Achilles).
Match Content
- The most recent episode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.
- David Rohe gave his three keys to an Orlando City victory in tonight’s match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.
Forwards: Tiago, Antoine Griezmann.
Bench: Javier Otero, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Joran Gerbet, Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.
Real Salt Lake (5-4-1)
Goalkeeper: Mason Stajduhar.
Defenders: Alexandros Katranis, Sam Junqua, Juan Arias, Kobi Henry, Domink Marczuk.
Midfielders: Aiden Hezarkhan, Luca Moisa, Pablo Ruiz, Lineker Rodrigues.
Forward: Victor Olatunji.
Bench: Rafael Cabral, Juan Sanabria, Philip Quinton, Lukas Engel, Noel Caliskan, Colin Guske, Morgan Guilavogui, Saba Lobjanidze, Diego Luna.
Referees
REF: Fotis Bazakos.
AR1: Brian Dunn.
AR2: Jose Da Silva.
4TH: Marcos DeOliveira.
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.
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!
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Five Takeaways
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Griezmann’s Brace Lifts Lions to Win
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Atletico de San Luis, Leagues Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Club Leon, Leagues Cup: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Blow Halftime Lead in Loss
-
Orlando Pride1 week agoBarbra Banda Continues to Make Offers Scoreboard Can’t Refuse
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City vs. Atletico de San Luis: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride Sign Norwegian Forward Sanne Lekven
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 8/12/26
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Atletico de San Luis, Leagues Cup: Final Score 2-2 (5-3) as Lions Blow Late Lead, Win Shootout
-
Photo Galleries2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Club León, Leagues Cup: Photo Gallery