Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City hosted New York City FC at Exploria Stadium after having the previous match against the Columbus Crew postponed. Óscar Pareja was finally able to send out the speedy Ruan, which was important with Pedro Gallese and Sebas Méndez still away on international duty. Unfortunately, João Moutinho, Uri Rosell, Mauricio Pereyra, Tesho Akindele, and Dom Dwyer are all still out with injuries and both Kyle Smith and Benji Michel joined the parade of unavailable players, so we saw a mixed unit of normal starters and newer guys. Let’s see how they did.
Starters
GK, Brian Rowe, 7.5 (MOTM) — Rowe had one of his best matches as a Lion on Wednesday night. He made seven saves in the match, including three difficult saves in the 26th, 64th, and 83rd minutes. He initially stopped Keaton Park’s scoring attempt in the 43rd minute, but it squirted past him and Park got to it first to level the score. Rowe attempted 20 passes at a 70% passing rate, and completed six of 12 long balls attempted. His distribution was solid, but it was his shot stopping that helped earn the point for Orlando City.
D, Kamal Miller, 5.5 — Like the rest of Orlando City’s defense, Miller had a strong showing. He made several good defensive tackles, including one that made up for a giveaway in the 71st minute on a bad pass to Nani. After giving that ball away, he tracked back, caught up, and dispossessed NYCFC in Orlando’s area. Defensively, Miller had one tackle, three clearances, five interceptions, and committed two fouls, earning a yellow card. He attempted 47 passes and had an 83% passing rate, and connected on four of eight long balls attempted. He had one shot that went wide left in the 62nd minute.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — As usual, Jansson seemed to be wherever he was needed in leading the defense. He even came out of nowhere to make an interception in the opposing half. Defensively, Jansson made one tackle, one interception, three clearances, one blocked shot, and committed two fouls, earning a yellow card. Jansson attempted 43 passes at an 86.1% passing rate, and completed three of five long balls attempted. The Lions tried the Nani/Jansson “who’s going to take the free kick” thing again, and though it gave Jansson a shot attempt on the score sheet, it once again didn’t work.
D, Antonio Carlos, 6 — Carlos continued to show why he is a first choice starter on a club with several good defensive players. He made numerous key solo defensive plays to keep NYCFC off the scoreboard. Defensively, he made one tackle, eight interceptions, two clearances, and suffered one foul. Carlos attempted 54 passes with a 77.8% passing rate, and completed four of his 10 attempted long balls. However, it was his turnover that led to NYCFC’s goal.
D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan made his return after several weeks on the injured list. He played all the way into the 92nd minute before being subbed off. Often a player that has not seen the field in a while has trouble getting back up to speed. That isn’t the case with the fleet feet of Ruan. He was seemingly as fast as usual, leaving defenders in his wake. He did his usual job roaming up and down the right side to contribute on both ends. In addition to taking one shot, he provided the very pretty assist on Mueller’s goal, and earned a corner in the 20th minute. Defensively he made two tackles, three clearances, had one blocked shot, and one interception, and committed no fouls. Ruan attempted 26 passes, had an 80.8% passing rate, with two key passes, and completed one long ball. He did pass up a good opportunity to shoot late in the game.
MF, Joey DeZart, 5.5 — With plenty of the usual starters out, DeZart got his second start for the Lions, He took no shots on his 43 touches. He didn’t make many mistakes and looked a little nervy at times in the midfield — not that he’s gotten many minutes. He attempted 37 passes with a 91.9% passing rate, and completed one long ball. Defensively he had one clearance, and suffered one foul.
MF, Junior Urso, 5.5 — Urso put in a decent if a bit quiet shift. He attempted 30 passes with an 83.3% passing rate, and attempted one long ball. On defense he made one tackle, one interception, suffered one foul, and committed one foul. He did give NYCFC something to think about in the middle of the field, and that doesn’t always show up in the box score.
MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — The rest allowed by the postponed match against the Crew might have helped Mueller as much as anyone. In the early part of the game he was the Energizer bunny energy we’ve come to expect, but he didn’t have as much of the sloppiness he’s shown recently. Though he wasn’t able to connect on a diving header on an early Nani cross, he did score in the 18th minute on a header from Ruan’s excellent assist. Mueller was credited with two shots, with one on target for a goal. He committed one foul, and suffered two. Mueller attempted 31 passes with a 74.2% passing rate, and completed one of two long balls attempted.
MF,Andrés Perea, 6 — Perea started the match out very hot, missing just left on his only shot on goal in the second minute. That shot followed after he took the ball off a NYCFC player, made a nice give and go with Nani, and found himself in front of goal. Like the rest of Orlando City, Perea looked very good in the first half. He made three tackles, one clearance, and had one blocked shot. He attempted 33 passes, had a 97% passing rate, made one key pass, and connected on both of his long ball attempts.
MF, Nani, 6.5 — The captain looked like a man determined to put the team on his shoulders and win the thing all by himself at times. I’m not sure if he wasn’t feeling very trusting of some of his teammates, or if he just wanted the ball himself, but he had mixed results. Nani made some ridiculous moves on the NYCFC defense, making them look silly, but he also gave the ball up quite a bit. Still, he earned six fouls and only committed one. He had two shots, with one on target, and four crosses. He attempted 34 passes but with only a 58.8% passing rate, while creating three key passes and completing two of his five long ball attempts. Defensively he chipped in two tackles and an interception. Nani created havoc in his attack on NYCFC, but at times he also created issues for his own team in this game.
F, Daryl Dike, 5.5 — It’s not easy being the only available striker, and as such Dike was also a player that benefitted from the postponed match against the Crew. Dike only had one shot, a missed header in the 14th minute after a great team buildup to put the ball in the six-yard box. Generally, the big man was effective in occupying space, holding up play, and making good turns once he had the ball. However it wasn’t his best match either, as he was caught offside three times. Statistically, he suffered four fouls while committing none and made two tackles. Dike attempted 11 passes with a 63.3% passing rate.
Substitutes
MF, David Loera (76’), 5— Loera was brought on for DeZart to provide some energy and relieve some tired legs. Unfortunately, he was only able to get three touches. He completed his only pass attempt and drew a foul but it was a quiet appearance for the final 14 minutes plus 10 minutes of stoppage time.
MF, Robinho (84’), N/A — Robinho subbed in for Mueller, but only had four touches and one pass, which didn’t connect, and came on a bit too late to earn a grade.
MF, Jordan Bender (93’), N/A — Bender made his MLS debut in stoppage time. It was a bit of a time-wasting move as he relieved Dike. He committed a foul as his first action in MLS. That is all. He didn’t even register a touch of the ball.
D, Alex De John, (93’), N/A — De John came on late for Ruan, and only had three touches, and one (incomplete) pass.
That was how I saw it. Vote for your Man of the Match in the poll, and comment below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Brian Rowe | 53 |
| Antônio Carlos | 0 |
| Chris Mueller | 0 |
| Nani | 2 |
| Ruan | 2 |
| Other (write in comments) | 0 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.
Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.
Overview
The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.
San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.
The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.
“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”
Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).
Match Content
- Our latest episode of The Mane Land PawedCast features our key match-ups and score predictions for tonight’s match.
- Our Ben Miller wrote about his three keys to an Orlando City win over San Diego.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.
Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.
San Diego FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.
Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.
Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.
Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.
Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.
Referees:
REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.
TV/Streaming: Apple TV.
Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).
Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.
Enjoy the match. Go City!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory
Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.
After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.
Stay Strong on the Left
The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.
Do Damage in Transition
Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).
Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors
Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.
We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/4/26
Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.
Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!
Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC
Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.
“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”
Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City
The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.
Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey
Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.
MLS Transfer News Roundup
MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.
Free Kicks
- Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.
- North Carolina Courage forward Ashley Sanchez was named NWSL Player of the Month after recording five goals and two assists in August.
- The Kansas City Current signed Cameroonian defender Maeve Nyadjou, who just helped her nation win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time and was named 2026 WAFCON Best Young Player.
- Becky Sauerbrunn is joining the Portland Thorns as a technical consultant for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season.
- Edin Dzeko announced that he will retire from international soccer following Bosnia and Herzegovina’s UEFA Nations League qualifier against Sweden on Oct. 2. That will be his 152nd match for Bosnia, wrapping up a 19-year-old international career that included 73 goals.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-1 as OCB Claims Three Huge Points in South Florida
Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory
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