Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Published

5 years ago

on

Orlando City remains unbeaten after a 1-1 draw at home against New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Nani gave the Lions a lead in the 52nd minute for his third goal in three games. But João Moutinho, who came on to replace Ruan after halftime, conceded a penalty and Valentin Castellanos slotted it away to equalize. It was a game filled with chances for both sides, but neither was able to capture all three points, as has happened so often in this evenly matched series.

Here’s how each Lion individually rated in the match, along with who was named the Man of the Match.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — The Peruvian goalkeeper had his busiest game of the season, making three saves. His first and easiest came in the seventh minute when he dove to stop a shot from Andres Jasson outside of the box. Later, in the 28th minute, he made a crucial save one-on-one against Castellanos to keep the score level. But his biggest save came in the last moment of the game. Jesus Medina was in on goal and it looked as if NYCFC would steal all three points. But El Pulpo went low and covered all angles to make the crucial stop. If I could take the Man of the Match title and divvy them up three ways to Gallese and his center backs, I would. The three of them have done extremely well to only concede two goals this season, a giveaway and a penalty. But today’s honor goes to Gallese, even if he wasn’t able to make the save on the penalty. His confidence and positioning ability deserves some recognition, especially late with the game on the line as he put himself in the best possible place to not be easily beaten.

D, Ruan, 6 — Ruan’s speed was a factor early on, with the Brazilian sprinting down the field on a counter and making a tight pass that almost found Tesho Akindele in the box. His crossing ability still needs some fine tuning as both of his attempted crosses were unsuccessful, but he’s getting better at lifting his head up with the ball at his feet instead of taking shots at bad angles. He was the outlet for most of Orlando’s offense until going down in a tackle where he tracked back to stop a surging Jasson. He was limping in the final minutes of the first half and didn’t return in the second half, replaced by Moutinho. Ruan finished the match with 26 touches and 17 passes with an 88% success rate. Defensively, he made three clearances, tying for most on the team.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7.5 — The center back led the team in touches (89), interceptions (3), and passes (75) in a strong performance full of great moments. Of those 75 passes, 69 of them found their intended target for an impressive 92% success rate. Going up against a group of clever players from NYCFC, Carlos made sure that they weren’t able to capitalize on the many chances they created. Keep an eye on Carlos in set pieces moving forward. Orlando’s corners and free kicks usually wound up near the Brazilian’s head and it’s likely by design rather than chance. Carlos was only able to get his head onto one for a shot that went wide, but if he can improve this part of his game then he can become one of the best center backs in the league.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7.5 — If there is one thing to learn from Schlegel’s performance last night, it’s that he is so much more than a folk hero or feel good story for Orlando. The Argentine center back is a defensive juggernaut, and not just because his head seems to hit the ball harder than the X-Men villain’s would. While he was a force all night, his best minutes of play came around the 20th minute. Schlegel slid to deny Castellanos on the end line and then blocked Maxime Chanot’s shot on the following corner before getting back into position to make life difficult again for Castellanos. He had 63 touches, two tackles, two interceptions, a headed shot right at Sean Johnson, and completed 90% of his 52 passes. There were so many times in the past where the absence of one center back would cripple Orlando’s defense. That’s no longer the case thanks to Schlegel.

D, Kyle Smith, 6 — In the first half, he had a tough match-up against Anton Tinnerholm, one of the best right backs in MLS. He was also beaten by Castellanos in the 28th minute in a play that ended with a shot on goal for NYCFC, but improved defensively as the game wore on. Ruan exited after halftime and Smith drifted back to his preferred right side of the pitch. NYCFC wasn’t too threatened by him offensively and he didn’t give them much of a reason to be, apart from some nice series with Urso on the wings. He had a weak shot from an awkward volley that might have been an attempted pass but it was gobbled up by Johnson anyway. Neither of his two crosses found their mark, he picked up a yellow card, made two clearances, and had one tackle in a full shift. Smith had 73 touches in this one and completed 83% of his 52 passes.

MF, Junior Urso, 7 — Urso had a bit of a quiet first half with little room to work with in the center of the field, but was a man possessed in the second half. With Ruan off the field, the offense needed a new dynamic and Urso stepped up to the plate. The Bear had a shot saved after a good series of passes along the right side, and minutes later he beat a defender with a nutmeg dribble in the play leading up to Nani’s goal. It was great to see Urso pushing forward in the attack, but he was no slouch on defense and pitched in with two tackles and an interception as well. He had 68 touches in this one and a decent 90% success rate on 51 passes.

MF, Sebas Mendez, 6 — Compared to last week’s match against FC Cincinnati, Mendez had to work in a much more crowded midfield this time around. There were a few errant passes early on from him, but he settled in and carved himself out a spot to connect Orlando’s defense and offense. He led the Lions with five tackles, tied Ruan with a team-high three clearances, and made two interceptions. On offense, his only shot of the game sailed high into the stands, but he did set Mauricio Pereyra up well for a shot. The Ecuadorian was second in touches with 85 and made 64 passes at an 84% rate. His only attempted cross of the game was unsuccessful and Mendez wasn’t able to impose his will on the midfield like past games this time around.

MF, Chris Mueller, 5 — No player was affected more by Ruan’s exit than Mueller and he was eclipsed a bit by Urso on his side of the attack. Mueller had no shots in 80 minutes of play, and in fact passed up a couple of good opportunities to fire a shot. He had a hard time finding his place in this one and only had 39 touches and 23 passes — albeit at a good 87% rate — also connecting on one of his two crosses. Mueller was dispossessed twice and had a habit of dribbling into trouble in a quiet game that was far from his best. He does get some brownie points for deflecting a free kick that could have been dangerous though.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra led the Lions in key passes with three as he continuously found players in great positions. The Uruguayan made the assist on Nani’s goal, becoming a revolving door to turn an incoming pass from Urso into perfect service for Nani in one of his favorite spots on the field. He had an 81% success rate on 54 passes, which is pretty good considering the usual distance and boldness from the type of passes he attempts. Pereyra also had the ball teed up for him by Mendez outside of the box, but his shot went wide. He was subbed off late in the second half and had 69 touches. Defensively, he had the second-most tackles on the team with three and had one interception. Pereyra also won three fouls, committing two of his own.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6 — Perhaps no one on the team ran more, or harder, than Akindele did throughout his 71 minutes of play. He still has moments where his touch lets him down, like when Nani delivered a good ball in the box in the first half. But his hold-up play was good for the second-straight match and he made multiple runs to split NYCFC’s center backs that went unrewarded with a pass from his teammates. His only shot attempt was blocked by a desperation lunge by a defender. Regardless, Akindele did all of the little things. If there was a loose ball in Orlando’s attacking third, Akindele was usually chasing it down and his pressing forced NYCFC into turnovers or poor long balls on occasion. He only made nine passes, but all were on target and one was a key pass. Subbed off in the 71st minute for fresher legs after running like a madman all game, the Canadian finished with 17 touches on a night when the opposition’s tight shape limited opportunities.

F, Nani, 7.5 — The captain did it again, working his magic at the top of the box and firing the ball into the back of the net. He was patient as he picked out what he wanted to do with the ball and then got his shot off before NYCFC could close down on him. It was a bit of an off night for his distribution though considering all four of his crosses in open play were unsuccessful, although not all were his fault and it was difficult to center the ball to a teammate with all of NYCFC’s bodies in the box. His one key pass was from one of his five corner kicks and he ended with 44 passes at a 77% success rate. Nani’s other shot of the evening was blocked and there were some miscues late when Orlando tried to switch play and take advantage of Tinnerholm’s exit. Still, it was a good game from Nani beyond his goal as he racked up 75 touches, two dribbles, a tackle, a clearance, and an interception, and often dropped to provide a calm outlet from New York City FC’s pressure — something that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.

Substitutes

D, João Moutinho (45’), 5.5 — Whether it be from rust or fatigue, his tackle in the box that led to the penalty was a bad one. To be fair, Ishmael Tajouri-Shradi put the left back in a tough position and Moutinho took a stab that landed on the midfielder’s foot. It was rough to watch as NYCFC was given a lifeline back into the match, but life goes on and Moutinho will shake it off. Aside from the one bad moment, Moutinho was actually a bright spot at both ends of the pitch. In the most action he’s seen this season, Moutinho had 43 touches and was successful on 77% of his 31 passes. He had one cross, a key pass that found Benji Michel’s head in the box.

F, Benji Michel (71’), 5.5 — The forward didn’t make much noise as a substitute in this game, his only shot coming from Moutinho’s cross. It was an awkward angle for him as the ball wasn’t from out wide, but Michel was able to dig low like a volleyball player and then spring up to flick the ball in on goal. Johnson handled it with ease, but props to Michel for making something out of it. His running and energy forced Johnson to rush a long ball attempt that resulted in a turnover. He had eight touches and completed all six of his passes, adding a tackle as well.

MF, Andres Perea (80’), N/A — Although he wasn’t on the field long enough for a proper grade, I liked what I saw from Perea on set pieces. There’s a level of alertness he has that is pretty valuable late in games. In the 85th minute, Nani’s corner was dealt with but Perea made sure to be onside before Smith hit a weak volley that Perea rushed down. Late on, he made a similar dash on a free kick to try to make something happen. It’s hardly anything groundbreaking, but it’s nice to see.

MF, Silvester van der Water (80’), N/A — The Dutchman didn’t connect on either of his two passes and had seven touches. His biggest contribution was being fouled in the 88th minute in a good position for the Lions to whip a ball in.

That’s how I saw the individual performances of the Lions in a tough draw against NYCFC. Let us know what you thought and make sure to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese33
Rodrigo Schlegel7
Nani13
Antonio Carlos5
Junior Urso1
Other0

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 6-2 loss to FC Cincinnati.

Published

19 hours ago

on

May 24, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda taking a free kick against FC Cincinnati as Eduard Atuesta looks on.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City heads into the World Cup break having given up all the goals in a 6-2 road loss to FC Cincinnati. It started out pretty well, but I don’t think there was ever really a chance with how many matches the Lions had played in such a short time in the lead-up to this match. Now the team will have the opportunity to think about what they’ve done.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

The Accountant Pays

So often it’s a former player that hurts an Orlando team. Fortunately, Kyle Smith would never hurt us — at least now that he doesn’t play for the Lions. One might think he was a Manchurian candidate thanks to the foul he committed in the box against Tiago. It was exactly the type of call that usually goes against Orlando City, so I was happy to see it called correctly in this case. Martin Ojeda put away the penalty to give the Lions the early lead. Thank you for your service, El Soldado.

Can’t Keeper it Clean

Let me be very fair from the jump. The header scored by Kenji Mboma Dem was perfectly placed, and I don’t blame Maxime Crepeau for not saving it. The second goal wasn’t really his fault either. His defense gave the ball away cheaply in their own half and the Lions paid for it. He wasn’t getting to the third goal either. Braian Ojeda was so far behind Evander in defense that I don’t think he made it into frame until the ball was in the back of the net. I don’t have the heart to go through the other three goals conceded.

OMG Ojeda

Orlando City needed to score the first goal of the second half if the Lions were to have any chance — they did not have any chance — to win the match. Orlando City pressed into the attack and earned a free kick outside the box. Martin Ojeda stepped up to take it. I knew he was taking it, you knew it, and Roman Celentano knew it. Knowing and stopping a perfectly placed free kick goal are two very different things, and this goal should be up for Goal of the Matchday. It won’t win because of Orlando City reasons, but it should.

Tired Legs

Five matches in 15 days takes a toll. That toll was six goals conceded by Orlando City. The Lions pressed effectively for the first 15 minutes or so of the first half. They also did well the first five minutes of the second half. Other than that, it was obvious that Cincinnati was the team with the fresher legs. If it wasn’t obvious, even Ivan Angulo couldn’t outrun the competition, begging the question of why there wasn’t more rotation over this brutal stretch of May. Once the team was down a goal and then two, and then three, the Lions did not have the legs to chase the match effectively.

Still No Defense

Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman has tried a few different formations, different lineups, and assorted player combinations, and he still hasn’t found an effective defense. I will concede — much like the defense — that shutting down an offense like FC Cincinnati’s is not easy, especially given the tired legs. However, it shouldn’t be hard to keep any team to — let’s say four goals instead of six. This was the fifth time this season the Lions have allowed an opponent to score four or more goals. They only did that three times in each of last two seasons, and in neither season did they allow six in a single match, which they have now done twice this season. It is unacceptable, and changes need to happen.

That is what I saw in the disappointing but predictable loss to FC Cincinnati. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 6-2 as Leaky Lions Suffer Another Heavy Road Loss

Martin Ojeda provided an early lead but Evander tallied five goal contributions as the Lions were embarrassed on the road again.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 23, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey dribbling up the side past two FC Cincinnati defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a disastrous start to the season, Orlando City entered tonight’s match at FC Cincinnati looking to enter the World Cup break with only one loss in the past six games. However, the Lions also had only won one away game all season. This wasn’t the game for them to get another one as Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati (5-5-5, 20 points) at TQL Stadium.

Thus, the Lions end the first part of the season as they started it.

Evander scored twice and assisted on three other goals to lead the rout, despite Martin Ojeda giving Orlando City the early lead in the first half and tying the game at 2-2 shortly after halftime. After the second of those goals, it was all FC Cincinnati, ripping apart a passive midfield and back line. Kenji Mboma Dem added a brace for the hosts and Kevin Denkey and Tom Barlow also scored.

“The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “They have talented players and take advantage of the mistakes we made. One thing everybody can be sure is that we gave everything on the field, maybe making some mistakes, but we gave everything.”

Perelman switched very little from the side that played four days ago in Orlando in the U.S. Open Cup match against Atlanta United, and one of the few changes was to start Maxime Crepeau in goal, after starting Javier Otero on Tuesday, behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda manned the middle inside of wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, as Marco Pasalic started the game on the bench ahead of his World Cup journey with Croatia. Justin Ellis and Martin Ojeda led the attack up front. That means most of the starting XI was playing its third game in seven days and it looked like it after an energetic opening 15 or 20 minutes.

Orlando City came out in a high press and was able to keep the ball trapped in the Cincinnati end for the first four minutes, winning a pair of free kicks, including one from 30 yards out in the fifth minute. Martin Ojeda tried to find some on the far post but overhit it. However, just one minute later, Tiago poked the ball away from Samuel Gidi, right to Martin Ojeda in the box, which he put in the back of the net. However, Ojeda was offside when Tiago poked the ball to him, nullifying what would have been the opener.

Once Cincinnati was able to survive that initial onslaught, the hosts were able to possess the ball a bit more in the midfield. Some of the passing was loose enough to entice the Lions to challenge aggressively and Marin went into a challenge on Kenji Mboma Dem awkwardly and picked up a yellow card in the 10th minute.

Orlando City’s pressure kept unsettling Cincinnati and in the 13th minute Dorsey crossed the ball into the box. Former Lion Kyle Smith got to it first to cut it off, but he took a heavy touch. That enabled Tiago to close him down and slip in between Smith and the ball. Smith caught Tiago’s leg, tripping the Brazilian in the box and handing his old team a penalty kick.

Martin Ojeda took the penalty kick and stutter-stepped enough to force goalkeeper Roman Celentano to move, and then he calmly slotted it down the middle, scoring his 10th goal of the MLS season and giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.

The teams exchanged possession for the next six minutes, and Orlando became less aggressive on the press after scoring the first goal. At the 24-minute mark, Bryan Ramirez was sent free on a long ball down the left side and put a great cross into Denkey to put him behind the defense, but Marin slid in at the last minute and knocked the ball out for a corner. FC Cincinnati piled on the pressure over the next six minutes, totaling six different attempts with an expected goal value of just 0.8. Orlando City could not possess the ball for any amount of time with FC Cincinnati starting to press higher, but the Lions withstood the pressure.

In the 32nd, Atuesta suffered a nasty tackle from behind, earning Gerardo Valenzuela a yellow card. The Lions got a bit better at possessing the ball but still had to defend more than they would like. It led to the eventual tying goal in the 42nd minute when an Evander corner found Mboma Dem, who beat Brekalo in the air and put arc on the header, sending it just inside the far post out of Crepeau’s reach. The placement couldn’t have been more perfect for Cincinnati.

Orlando City appeared like the team that had a game Tuesday playing against a fully-rested team. The Lions couldn’t possess for long stretches and kept giving away opportunities. In the second minute of first-half injury time, Martin Ojeda was slow reacting to an underhit Jansson pass, allowing Pavel Bucha to intercept it and start a counterattack. He switched field to an open Evander, who slotted it home at the far post.

Losing the lead seemed to get Orlando City focused a little more for the final few minutes, earning the team a corner, but it was deflected out on the recycle and halftime was called instead of giving the Lions a second set piece. As befits a half that saw Orlando City jump out with force but then lose energy, the Lions trailed in all stats as well. FC Cincinnati led in shots (13-6), shots on target (6-1), possession (53%-47%), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (90.9%-82.#%). With such a disparity in statistics, Orlando City was lucky to only be down one entering halftime despite a strong start.

Tyrese Spicer came on for Tiago at the break and Orlando City came out on the front foot again. The Lions kept Cincinnati trapped in their end and, one minute in, Atuesta intercepted a ball and was pulled back by Matt Miazga at the top of the box. Martin Ojeda took the ensuing free kick and placed it perfectly over the wall and into the top corner to even the game in the 48th minute. Ojeda’s 11th of the year in just 15 games puts him just five behind his MLS total of 16 in 33 games a year ago.

The fireworks were just beginning. Cincinnati pushed possession into the Orlando half and Mboma Dem got his head on another Evander corner but hit the crossbar. The rebound fell to Miazga, who couldn’t get enough on it to push it past Crepeau, who deflected it wide. However, just two minutes later, Evander found Mboma Dem in the box and the forward finished it cleanly to pick up his brace, restoring Cincinnati’s lead in the 52nd minute.

Orlando City tried to push fresh legs on in the 57th minute, subbing in Marco Pasalic for Ellis, who had a moment or two of interest but was not his best self. One minute later, the midfield let Evander carry the ball 30 yards forward, so he took them up on their offer and cracked one home from the top of the box in the 58th minute.

The Lions were able to re-establish their share of possession over the next eight minutes, leading to a series of corners that didn’t turn into anything dangerous. Eventually, Cincinnati was able to break through for a spell and Brekalo stepped up strongly on an Evander advance after a turnover by Pasalic and picked up a yellow card for his tactical foul in the 70th minute.

After Evander missed the following free kick, Orlando City subbed in Duncan McGuire for Marin and Wilder Cartagena for Dorsey. Two minutes later, FC Cincinnati brought in Brian Anunga for Obinna Nwobodo.

The subs didn’t bring any additional energy for Orlando City as, in the 77th minute, Evander dribbled in front from the left past multiple Lions and slipped a ball through the defense to Denkey in the box. Denkey had beaten Cartagena goal-side and pushed it past Crepeau to make the score 5-2 in the 77th minute.

Orlando City was able to apply pressure as Cincinnati seemed content with its allotment of goals and earned a couple of corners that went begging. Cincinnati brought on two more subs in the 83rd minute, pulling out Mboma Dem and Valenzuela for Tom Barlow and Ender Echenique. Atuesta showed a touch of skill one minute later, beating the defenders and hitting the far post with his attempt. Luis Otavio was brought on as Orlando City’s final sub in the 85th minute for Braian Ojeda.

Orlando City was able to apply a little more pressure as regulation time wore down, with Spicer getting a header blocked and Angulo getting his shot in the 90th minute saved. It eventually wore down though as, one minute later, Echenique chipped a pass to his sub mate Barlow, left unmarked by Brekalo and Otavio, and the forward was able to volley it home in the first minute of stoppage time.

Pasalic added one final moment of excitement as his left foot cannon unleashed a shot at the far post that Celentano was just able to tip wide. That was it for the game and the Lions now have some questions to answer regarding everything about the team and what it will look like when Antoine Griezmann joins the club after the break. An attack that is already decent will get better, but there are clearly some issues with the defense.

“It’s a bad mood in the dressing room, because we started the game really good,” Pasalic said. “We conceded a lot of goals this season but I cannot blame the defense. If you start to blame each other, it’s not good and you’re not going to end good.”

Orlando City was able to finish ahead in one statistic with the late push by leading in corners (8-6). FC Cincinnati again led all the rest: shots (23-20), shots on target (11-9), possession (57%-43%), and passing accuracy (89.8%-83.5%).

Orlando City now will be off until late July for the MLS World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 22 at the San Jose Earthquakes.

Continue Reading

Orlando City

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

The Lions head north for their final match prior to Major League Soccer’s World Cup break.

Published

2 days ago

on

May 23, 2026

By

Image of Wilder Cartagena booting the ball against FC Cincinnati.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your preview and match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (4-8-2, 14 points) and FC Cincinnati (4-5-5, 17 points) at TQL Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV) in Cincinnati. It’s the first of the two meetings between the teams this season, with FC Cincinnati scheduled to make the return trip to Orlando on Aug. 15.

Here’s what you need to know for the match.

History

Orlando City leads the all-time series, 5-4-4, with a 3-1-3 mark on the road. The teams last met on Sept. 28, 2025, with Alex Freeman’s goal late in stoppage time salvaging a 1-1 draw for Orlando City on the road, canceling out Kevin Denkey’s second-half strike.

Prior to that, the teams also met last year on June 28 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, with FC Cincinnati winning 2-1. An Evander brace, which included a poorly conceded set piece goal from distance, was enough to offset Marco Pasalic’s goal.

These two teams met at TQL Stadium on Oct. 5, 2024, with the Lions leaving southwest Ohio with a 3-1 victory in their final road match of the regular season. Ramiro Enrique scored twice and had a third chalked off for a controversial foul on a corner kick. He also assisted on a goal by Ivan Angulo in an impressive performance. Luciano Acosta scored Cincinnati’s goal.

These two sides also met on May 4 of that year in Orlando with FC Cincinnati claiming a 1-0 road win on a first-minute goal by Acosta. The Lions went down a man early in the game when Rodrigo Schlegel was called for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity on Yuya Kubo. Orlando City had a second-half goal waved off for an offside in the buildup. Cincinnati lost Bret Halsey to a second yellow card late but the Lions couldn’t take advantage.

The teams met in Ohio on Sept. 2, 2023, with the Lions claiming a 1-0 win on enemy soil, becoming the first road team to beat FC Cincinnati all season. Facundo Torres scored the game’s only goal. Orlando had to hold on down a man late when Wilder Cartagena was sent off. The teams played to a 0-0 draw in Orlando on March 4, 2023 in Orlando.

The Lions fell 1-0 at TQL Stadium on June 24, 2022. A second-half goal from Brenner represented all the offense, but it could have been worse for Orlando City as Pedro Gallese made eight saves in the match. The first meeting of 2022 took place in Orlando on March 12, with FC Cincinnati notching its first win in the all-time series, 2-1 at Exploria Stadium. The Lions were more in control but were wasteful, despite dominating the stat sheet. The visitors got a brace from Brandon Vazquez to offset Junior Urso’s goal.

The final meeting of 2021 was on Oct. 16 in Cincinnati, when Orlando City got its first road victory in the series, 1-0 on Urso’s early goal. Tesho Akindele should have scored a second off the crossbar late in the game, but the play was never reviewed, despite video evidence that the ball was completely across the line.

On Aug. 7, 2021, the match in Cincinnati ended up in a 1-1 draw. Nani’s strike rescued a point after Brenner had opened the scoring for the hosts just before halftime, taking advantage of an obviously injured Uri Rosell, who subbed off moments later. The first of the three meetings in 2021 came on May 21 in Orlando, with the Lions posting a 3-0 win. Akindele scored in the first minute and Nani and Urso each added a goal.

In Orlando’s first trip to the banks of the Ohio River, the match ended in a 1-1 draw at Nippert Stadium on Sept. 29, 2019. Benji Michel’s goal in stoppage time rescued a point for the Lions after Allan Cruz had given the hosts a lead. The draw officially eliminated Orlando City from playoff contention that year, but realistically the Lions had been out of it for a while.

The first-ever meeting between the two sides took place on May 19, 2019, when the Lions pummeled the expansion side, 5-1. Both Nani and Akindele bagged braces in the match and Dom Dwyer added a goal as well.

Overview

The Lions are coming off back-to-back matches at home against Atlanta United. Orlando City conceded a late goal a week ago, allowing the Five Stripes to snatch a point in a 1-1 draw. On Tuesday night, Orlando City ran roughshod over Atlanta in the first half on the way to a 4-0 lead at the break and a 4-1 win. The Lions are playing their fifth match in 15 days, and now they take their heavy legs with them on the road, where they are a terrible 1-5-1 on the season.

FC Cincinnati is the much better-rested side, having last played a week ago in a wild 3-3 draw at San Diego FC. That match featured two goals deep in stoppage time, with Cincy scoring the final one in the 98th minute to snatch a road point. Tonight’s hosts are 3-2-1 at home this year, but they’re also 0-1-2 in their last three games.

To win tonight, the Lions will have to play much better defense than they have throughout most of the season. Cincinnati is second in the Eastern Conference and tied for third in MLS in goals scored (30). Neither side has been good defensively, with Orlando continuing to lead Major League Soccer in goals conceded (38) and FC Cincinnati second in that category (35). Orlando City’s offense has come to life in recent weeks — at least at home — but with so many miles logged in May, the Lions can’t afford to make tonight’s match a track meet.

“We are preparing this game like it’s the most important, not because it’s more important than the previous ones, but because the next one always is the more important for us,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “So, it’s true that this one is the last one of this semester (before the World Cup break), but for us it’s about one game at a time, so hopefully we can do a good job against Cincinnati. We know them. I think they know us as well. Both of us, we changed a little bit some things, but Cincy’s a good team and we’re going to be ready to go there and do our best in order to bring the points to Orlando.”

The Lions will be without Joran Gerbet (knee), while Tyrese Spicer (ankle) is questionable. FC Cincinnati will be without Teenage Hadebe (leg) and Alvas Powell (leg).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forward: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Bench: Javier Otero, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic, Tyrese Spicer, Duncan McGuire.

FC Cincinnati (3-5-2)

Goalkeeper: Roman Celentano.

Defenders: Kyle Smith, Matt Miazga, Samuel Gidi.

Wingbacks/Midfielders: Bryan Ramirez, Gerardo Valenzuela, Evander, Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha.

Forwards: Kenji Mboma Dem, Kevin Denkey.

Bench: Evan Louro, Ayoub Lajhar, Gilberto Flores, Nick Hagglund, Andrei Chirila, Brian Anunga, Ender Echenique, Tom Barlow, Ayoub Jabbari.

Referees

REF: Rubiel Vazquez.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho.
4TH: Allen Chapman.
VAR: Ismir Pekmic.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: TQL Stadium — Cincinnati, OH.

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!

Continue Reading

Trending