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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Push Unbeaten Streak to Nine Games

Daryl Dike, Junior Urso, and Antonio Carlos scored to lift the Lions past the Red Bulls.

Published

6 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City’s unbeaten streak is up to nine straight matches (6-0-3) after dispatching the New York Red Bulls, 3-1 at Exploria Stadium. Daryl Dike, Junior Urso, and Antonio Carlos provided the offense as the Lions (8-2-5, 29 points) kept up their torrid pace by beating the red-hot Red Bulls (6-7-2), who had dispatched their last two opponents by 8-2 on aggregate.

The Lions improved to 5-6-1 in the all-time series with the win and climbed to within a point of league-leading Columbus, but will now be without Pedro Gallese and Sebas Medez for the next several games due to international duty, and may be without Mauricio Pereyra, who subbed off at halftime with an injury. Urso also sustained an injury late.

“It’s another important victory against a team who has had recently very good results and has showed a lot of verticality and dynamic in the way they attack,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “Today we did a great job in controlling that part for most of the game. We beat a good team. It was a very hard game but I like the performance and we should be proud.”

Pareja was without both starting fullbacks, as well as two starting-caliber defensive midfielders, while starting center back Carlos returned to the game day roster on the bench. Lining up in front of goalkeeper Gallese on the back line were Kamal Miller, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Andres Perea slotted into the central midfield with Urso, with Nani, Pereyra, and Chris Mueller as attackers behind Dike.

Neither team did much in the opening few minutes but the Red Bulls fashioned the first great scoring chance just eight minutes in. Brian White got in behind the back line but fired wide.

Pareja said the Red Bulls surprised them a bit with their shape and tactics, and it took his team a few minutes to settle in and show some patience. Orlando didn’t spend much time in the attacking half until after the first 10 minutes had expired, but then the Lions started to settle into the match. Nani won a set piece with a slick move in the 14th minute past Mandela Egbo, who pulled him down and took the yellow card rather than concede a transition opportunity. However, the Lions didn’t do anything with the ensuing set piece.

Urso sent in a good cross in the 21st minute but Aaron Long cleared it out as Orlando City pressed forward and grew more comfortable on the ball. Two minutes later, Orlando had a 2-v-1, but Mueller opted not to play in Pereyra and instead tried to beat his man 1-v-1 but ended up losing possession.

The Lions broke through a minute later, however. Pereyra switched the field from left to right, finding Smith outside on the flank. Smith crossed into the area and Dike finished it with a powerful header to make it 1-0 in the 24th minute.

It was the rookie’s first goal since Aug. 27, after seven matches without one, giving him four on the year. The play also provided Smith’s first MLS assist.

Two minutes later, Mueller should have made it 2-0. Pereyra sent him in behind the defense and he had only goalkeeper David Jensen to beat, but he couldn’t do it. With the defense closing from behind, he opted to take the shot instead of rounding the keeper, and the save kept it a one-goal game.

Urso had a go from the top of the area in the 33rd and Jensen made a diving stop going to his left.

Gallese made a save in the 36th when White bumped Jansson and then got in front of him, sending a header on target. That was it for the chances in the first half and the Lions took their one-goal lead to the locker room.

Both teams fired three shots in the first half, but Orlando got more on target (3-1). The Lions had more corners (3-1), more possession (61.3%-38.7%), and more passing accuracy (83%-74%). Pereyra left with tightness in his hamstring, which Pareja said after the match was “preventative,” and Benji Michel came on to replace the midfield maestro.

New York pushed more players higher up the pitch in the second half to try to get more of the game. It resulted in more possession and shots but not too many more dangerous opportunities in front of goal, as Orlando’s back line and midfield played well.

In fact, it was Orlando doubling the lead five minutes after the restart. Mueller sent Urso racing down the right with only Jason Pendant to beat. Urso shrugged off Pendant like a backpack, took the ball in on goal and beat Jensen to make it 2-0 in the 50th minute.

The Red Bulls pulled one back just four minutes later. Miller made a great play in the corner to break up a New York attack, but then he gave the ball away with a poor pass and the Red Bulls took advantage. Florian Valot played a give-and-go with Daniel Royer and slipped in behind the defense, receiving the return pass and beating Gallese in the 54th minute to make it 2-1.

The game opened up for a few minutes after that with more end-to-end action but the Red Bulls were forced to try a couple of longer shots as they weren’t having any success breaking down the Lions’ defense.

Dike turned and tried to get in behind Tim Parker in the 67th minute, but he was called for a foul. Pareja, who was standing five yards away, was incensed at the call and got booked arguing about it as the Lions should have had another breakaway.

Michel got a partial breakaway in the 70th minute but slipped as he took his shot and sent it way wide of the target. A minute later, Smith sent in a cross but Dike couldn’t quite get onto it. Mueller had a partial break in the 76th and he cut to his right to clear himself for a shot but sent it over the bar as the Lions continued looking for the knockout punch.

New York had an opportunity in the 80th on a set piece with Marc Rzatkowski forcing Gallese into a diving save and Valot then sending a shot wide of goal but the tying goal wouldn’t come.

Smith then made a great open-field play in the 83rd after the Red Bulls tried to counter off an Orlando corner kick.

As time wound down, Urso was hit while trying to win an aerial ball and went down holding his head. Referee Fotis Bazakos did not stop play for the apparent head injury and New York sent a few shots and dangerous crosses into the area. Urso was finally seen to and had to sub off, handing David Loera his MLS debut appearance.

The Lions put it away in stoppage time. Jensen cleared the ball down the field but second-half sub Carlos won it in the air and passed to Nani. The captain appeared to consider trying the long shot to catch Jensen out of the net but instead kept it and played Michel down the left. Michel crossed to Carlos for the goal but the flag came up as the ball went in, cutting the celebration short. Bazakos reviewed the play and overturned the offside call, confirming Carlos’ first MLS goal.

The final whistle came just after the restart and the Lions had all three points.

Orlando was out-shot 11-8 but put more on target (5-3). The Red Bulls took over the lead in corners (5-4), with the Lions holding the final advantage in possession (53.8%-46.2%) and passing accuracy (81%-77%).

“Anyone on our team can play at any time in my opinion,” Smith said of the team’s success despite injuries and rotation over the past nine games. “I have confidence in every single one of our players, and it shows, you know, because if one person isn’t available, the next man steps up, and I think we’ve proven that all year.”

“The opposition wanted to try to press higher or put more numbers forward,” Dike said. “I think we each kind of, no matter what, no matter what they kind of threw at us, we just kind of wanted to be the dominant factor in the game.”

The Lions will go on the road to face Atlanta United on Wednesday and they’ll need to get some bodies healthy with Gallese and Mendez off to play for their countries in FIFA qualifiers.

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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.

Published

9 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

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!

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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.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 4, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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!

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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.

Published

2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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