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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Again Drop Points Against a Team Low in the Table

Nani’s second-half goal rescues a point on the road.

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5 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw against Inter Miami should have been a wakeup call despite being a rivalry game. But Orlando City continued to be wasteful with chances in a 1-1 away draw against FC Cincinnati tonight, dropping points again in a matchup with a lower table team at TQL Stadium. The Lions (8-4-6, 30 points) came from a goal down in the second half on a Nani strike after conceding to Cincinnati (3-7-7, 16 points) forward Brenner in the closing minutes of the first half.

Orlando has not lost to FC Cincinnati since FCC entered the league (2-0-2) but has yet to win against the recent expansion side in their home stadium (0-0-2) with one more match to play there this season. The Lions are unbeaten in their last three (1-0-2) but still haven’t returned to their form from earlier in the season. FC Cincinnati still hasn’t won in its new home (0-3-4).

“Obviously it’s always tough, because you want to win every game,” goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar said. “We fought hard, though. We came back in the second half.”

Oscar Pareja didn’t rotate heavily, but did swap out some players from Wednesday’s match against Inter Miami. Stajduhar got his third straight start in goal, backing up a defensive line of Emmanuel Mas, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel (for the injured Antonio Carlos — concussion protocol), and Kyle Smith. Junior Urso and Uri Rosell played central midfield, with Benji Michel, Mauricio Pereyra, and Chris Mueller funneling the attack toward Tesho Akindele at the top of the formation. Nani started on the bench and Joao Moutinho returned to the match day roster, although there was no sign of Daryl Dike, Pedro Gallese, or Alexandre Pato.

Orlando City held much of the possession in the first half but did little with it. Cincinnati played defensively and the Lions didn’t do a lot to break down the hosts’ shape, opting for shots from outside the area or trying to be too fine around the top of the box and losing the ball without generating anything.

The Lions got the first opportunity in the 11th minute when Mas tried a shot from outside the area. The ball skipped in front of Kenneth Vermeer and nearly slipped underneath him for a goal.

Cincinnati’s first chance came in the 17th minute when Allan Cruz was able to sneak in down the right, but Jansson got back and made a sliding block.

Three minutes later, Mas hit an inside-out shot toward goal that Vermeer was able to snare, although it may have been drifting wide anyway.

Mas said he’s getting more comfortable in Pareja’s system and that’s allowing him to get more into the flow of the match.

“It’s a new football for me. It’s a new system,” Mas said through a club interpreter. “I think, seeing that’s the way that Oscar wants to play and he’s got the confidence to give me some minutes, that really helped me develop. It’s a system where you need minutes. You need time in the game playing with your teammates to really make it work.”

A minute after his second shot, Mas sent a dangerous cross back across the area from left to right, but the defense knocked it away before Akindele could get to it. Mas was easily Orlando’s best player in the opening half.

Mueller had a go from outside the area in the 22nd minute but hit his shot way over the bar as Orlando just didn’t seem to have any ideas on how to finish an attack.

In the 27th minute, both teams fashioned a chance. Brenner had his shot blocked by Jansson and it fell for Yuya Kubo, who fired well over the crossbar. The Lions somehow got the ball to Akindele behind the defense seconds later (the broadcast didn’t show how) and he was 1-v-1 against Vermeer, who made an outstanding save to preserve the 0-0 score.

Two Lions got in each other’s way on the ensuing corner and it appeared Mas got his head to it, but the confusion made him send it wide. Mas then served in a great cross in the 32nd minute to the top of the six and Smith got to it first but made a mess of his shot attempt and popped it up over the goal.

A minute later, the Lions almost paid for that miss when Luciano Acosta worked Schlegel back and forth and sent a shot just wide of the far post from the top of the area.

In the 36th minute, Pereyra sent a good ball across to the far side from the left. Mueller slipped on the play, but Smith was able to reach it before the defense closed. The right back again got his final touch completely wrong and the ball squirted harmlessly off target.

Alvaro Barreal fired a shot wide of goal in the 39th minute and moments later Rosell went down with a non-contact injury, holding his groin area. He struggled back onto the pitch on the ensuing throw-in but was obviously not moving well. Barreal got down the right and cut the ball back to Brenner who was completley unmarked and the Brazilian finished easily. It was Cincinnati’s first goal in more than three matches.

As the video shows, Rosell’s lack of mobility after the injury set up an overload on the attacking right, but on the back side no one picked up Brenner. Rosell was subbed out after the goal for Andres Perea.

“I was very upset with that moment because I thought as well that (Rosell) was hurt,” Pareja said. “When I saw him walking back to the field — sometimes that happens with a player. It was almost the last two or three minutes in the half. I’ll take that responsibility on not subbing right away.”

Pareja said he’d hoped they could get to halftime and not have to use up one of their three substitution stoppages but dropping Pereyra deeper didn’t work on the play and he had no choice but to then send Perea on for Rosell.

Orlando held a possession advantage (51.4%-48.6%) and passed more accurately (87.8%-86.1%) in the first half, but a late flurry by FC Cincinnati had the hosts ahead on shot attempts (8-7), although Orlando got more on frame (3-1). Each team won one corner.

Pareja let the second half play out for 10 minutes and then brought on a triple substitution, sending Nani, Moutinho, and Ruan on for Michel, Mas, and Smith. Mas had been his most productive offensive player all night but he’s still likely a little short of 90-minute match fit and Nani works well down the left with the Portuguese left back.

Just a minute after Nani came on, he tied the game. A terrible no-look pass in his own half by Cruz ended up on the foot of Orlando’s captain instead. Nani dribbled toward the top of the area and sent a shot just inside the right post to even the score with his ninth goal of the season in the 56th minute. It was the captain’s 15th goal involvement in 15 appearances in 2021.

Orlando went for the kill in the moments right after the goal. Mueller ended up with the ball on the right and he blasted a shot but Vermeer was able to fight it off in the 57th minute. A minute later, Urso got into the box and went down as he was set to tee up a shot but referee Fotis Bazakos wasn’t interested in his penalty shout. Ruan won a corner on the other side just seconds later and the cross found Akindele’s head but his redirect was just over the bar.

Cincinnati had to sub Vermeer out a few minutes later, as the keeper went down holding his quad, and Przemyslaw Tyton entered the match. That delay seemed to break Orlando’s momentum and allowed the hosts to settle down a bit. The game opened up and FCC seemed to generate the better opportunities on the counter. Cruz fired over the bar in the 66th and Brenner did likewise from a tight angle in the 73rd.

Mueller nearly sent Akindele in behind just seconds after the restart from Brenner’s miss but new Cincinnati defender Geoff Cameron poked the ball away at the last second as the forward was preparing to shoot.

Brenner sent another shot just inches wide in the 75th minute before Orlando won a series of corners, but the Lions could do nothing with them.

Pareja sent Joey DeZart into the match for Urso in the 83rd minute with his final substitution, but would have liked to have made an attacking sub late. He said the injury to Rosell forced his hand to go a different way.

“The substitution early in the middle just took away the possibility, for example, to bring (on) Silvester (van der Water) or Alex (Alvarado). That was in my plans just to finish stronger up front,” Pareja said.

DeZart got into the box in the 88th minute and went down after contact but again Bazakos wasn’t interested. That was the last promising opportunity for Orlando other than some forays down the right that fizzled when Ruan either waited too long to cross or just sent a low ball blindly into traffic with his runners on the far side.

Cincinnati fashioned a chance to win the game in stoppage time. Forward Isaac Atanga was either offside or just held on by Moutinho and the ball found its way through to him. He dribbled into the area and Stajduhar came off his line, made himself big, and deflected the ball away for Jansson to clear in the 94th minute.

“I first thought he was offside — it’s what it looked like — but I guess he wasn’t,” Stajduhar said. “I just wanted to stay patient, stay up, wait for him to make a move, make him do something. The last second I went to spread and luckily got a piece of it. Robin was there to sweep it up, clean it up.”

Orlando saw out the ensuing corner and the match was over.

The more open second half allowed Cincinnati to out-shoot Orlando 17-13, although the Lions got more attempts on goal (5-2). Orlando also held more possession (53.8%-46.2%), earned more corners (6-2), and passed more accurately (87%-84.1%) but could only manage a single goal.

“I think we leave a little bit angry about the result,” Mas said. “We came in today to take the three points. I think that’s the beautiful thing about MLS is that every team is competitive. You can’t take a day off. You can’t relax on any particular game because there are so many irregularities that if you don’t come in and give your best effort, then any team can take the three points.”

“There’s no easy game in MLS, but you want to win every game you play,” Stajduhar said. “I think it’s just keep doing that next little step, get us over the hump, and get back in the win column.”

Next up for Orlando City is a Leagues Cup matchup at home against Santos Laguna on Thursday, Aug. 12. It’s the Lions’ first international competition and a big moment in club history.

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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get up to speed on FC Cincinnati, courtesy of some people who know the team best.

Published

21 hours ago

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August 14, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City endured a fairly disappointing Leagues Cup campaign over the past week and a half, but given how things went after making a run in the tournament last year, I can’t say I’m too upset about that. The Lions have a chance to get back to winning ways Saturday, but in order to do so they’ll need to avenge the 6-2 walloping they received at the hands of FC Cincinnati back in May.

A visit from Cincy means I spoke to the good people at the outstanding Cincinnati Soccer Talk. As always, they did a great job of helping us get up to speed on how things have been going for the Knifey Lions, and we appreciate their help.

FC Cincinnati has been scoring for fun this year, and its 45 goals scored is joint-most in the league alongside Miami. What has made the offense so potent?

Cincinnati Soccer Talk: Through 18 league play matches, these 45 goals translate into 2.5 per match, the highest in the league alongside Miami. A big reason is the influence of Evander, who leads the club with 11 goals and 10 assists through 17 matches. Other contributors have been Kevin Denkey with 11 scores, substitute Tom Barlow with six, Pavel Bucha and Kenji Mboma Dem with four (each), and several others. Essentially this means that while Evander has provided the creativity, drive, and orchestration, there have been other contributors that last year were just not present. Also, Evander, Denkey, and Bucha have now played together for at least a year and fully understand their roles and tactical positioning.   

In a nutshell, what stands out tactically is that Cincinnati can hurt opponents in multiple ways:

  • Quick transition attacks.
  • Aggressive wingback play (which is only now starting to bear fruit).
  • Dangerous service into the box.
  • Midfield progression through players like Evander and Bucha.
  • A willingness to commit numbers forward. 

The 6-2 victory over Orlando earlier this season was a perfect example. FCC repeatedly exploited space behind Orlando’s defense and punished mistakes in transition. 

The irony is that many of the same traits that make FCC dangerous offensively also contribute to the team’s defensive issues. There is no one reason why this has been a huge headache for Pat Noonan but a combination of injuries, underperforming of players such as Teenage Hadebe, aging players (e.g., Nick Hagglund), a midfield that left too much space and gave the ball away in dangerous situations (e.g., Obi Nwobodo not starting due to injury or other reasons), and wingbacks that either didn’t cover back fast enough or were exploited because of their lack of defensive skills relative to other wingbacks in the league, have contributed to the poor form of the back line.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t check in on Kyle Smith, who was a cult favorite in Orlando for a long time. How has he been doing this season?

CST: Kyle has been a substitute for the most part but has started when the team had to plug holes due to injury or congested schedules that forced rotation. He has played in 14 matches, logging 768 minutes (54.9 minutes per match). He is more of a veteran (in a) rotational role rather than an automatic starter. He plays one of three center backs in Nonna’s system (his preferred tactical lineup) and is seen as someone who can provide veteran leadership and dependability. Even if FCC has struggled defensively, he does bring experienced depth, but his lack of speed at times has been a liability. The bottom line is that he does his job but many don’t see him as the solution to FCC’s back line problems.

This is a team that both scores and concedes a lot of goals, Cincinnati games are never boring! Based on what you’ve seen up to this point, what should the minimum expectations be for the rest of the year?

CST: Minimum is making the playoffs. FCC sits sixth in the Eastern Conference and is already in a playoff spot. Missing the postseason from this position would not only be a major disappointment but would trigger all manner of questions around roster, talent, coaching, and front office. A lot of money has been spent on the roster (not all of it has resulted in expected performance from certain players and injuries have also added to that lack of performance) and ownership (not to mention the fan base) would want answers. 

A realistic expectation is at least one home playoff match, but we are also cognizant of the fact that this could disappear unless improvements are made in the back line. The attack is strong enough to push the team into the upper half of the Eastern bracket, possibly challenging for a top-four finish nut only if defensive performances improve. This version of FCC has only had two clean sheets in league play, which compares to five last year at this stage of the season. 

If FCC can become just average, defensively speaking, and that is a big if at the moment without new acquisitions, the attack is good enough to make them a dangerous playoff team that nobody may want to face.

Will anyone be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

CST: As of today, only Dado Valenzuela won’t be available because of a two-match ban due to a red card in the Hell is Real match against the Columbus Crew on July 25. No injuries have been reported, so Noonan should have the full roster (other than Valenzuela) to form his lineup. 

Possible lineup would be: Roman Celentano; Samuel Gidi, Matt Miazga, Miles Robinson; Bryan Ramirez, Ender Echenique, Pavel Bucha, Obi Nwobodo, Evander; Kevin Denke, Kenji Mboma Dem.

We’d like to think Andrei Chirila, who has been performing well as a left center back, would get the call, but with Antoine Greizmann in the lineup, Noonan may decide for experience, especially given the porous back line FCC currently has.

This could be a high-scoring match or both teams, knowing their defensive weaknesses, might decide to play it safe and not risk too much. We believe a draw is very possible, either 2-2 or 3-3 (but we wouldn’t be surprised if FCC loses).

Thank you to the good people over at CST for the excellent refresher on Cincinnati. Vamos Orlando!

Image of the famous "The more you know" graphic from TV.
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Lion Links: 8/14/26

Tahir Reid-Brown traded to St. Louis City, Orlando City unveils new kit, Lions host FC Cincinnati Saturday night, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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August 14, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a hectic week, but we’ve thankfully reached the tail end of it and there’s plenty of Orlando soccer awaiting us tomorrow. Beyond working and keeping every finger crossed for Orlando’s teams on Saturday, I plan on catching up on the new season of Ted Lasso. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Tahir Reid-Brown Traded to St. Louis City

Orlando City traded defender Tahir Reid-Brown to St. Louis City in exchange for $150,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money, with another $300,000 in GAM heading Orlando’s way if conditions are met. The 20-year-old climbed the ranks of Orlando’s academy over the years and was signed as the club’s 15th Homegrown Player in January of 2024. Bernardo Rhein’s rise to the first team limited Reid-Brown’s playing time, so hopefully he’ll be able to get more minutes and continue to improve in St. Louis.

Orlando City Reveals New Third Kit

Orlando City unveiled its new “Orlando Original” kit, which is the club’s first third kit since joining MLS. The design is a nice mix of elements from Orlando’s USL days and the city’s hosting of 1994 FIFA World Cup games, while paying tribute to the original Orlando Lions. I didn’t expect it to be quite as red as it is, but I like it, along with the soccer ball pattern that mirrors the match ball from that World Cup. The logo is a bit odd and the sponsor being on the lower back of the kit even odder, but I’m excited to see what it looks like when the Lions wear them on Saturday. Speaking of which…

Orlando City Hosts FC Cincinnati on Saturday

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a home game against FC Cincinnati in one of the more enticing MLS matchups this weekend. Both teams have conceded goals like a sieve this season, setting up a potential shootout given the talented attacking players expected to take the field. Antoine Griezmann has improved the Lions since joining this summer and hopefully forwards like Marco Pasalic, Justin Ellis, and Daryl Dike can step up and give Orlando an edge against a Cincinnati offense that boasts Evander, Kevin Denkey, and Pavel Bucha.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The Houston Dynamo are reportedly set to transfer Ezequiel Ponce to Elche in La Liga. Houston signed Ponce for a club-record transfer fee in 2024 and he led Houston with 10 goals last season. However, he has yet to score this season despite starting in 17 games. His departure should open the door even wider for former Lion Duncan McGuire to make an impact.

🟠 Sources: Elche finalizing a deal to acquire forward Ezequiel Ponce from the Houston Dynamo.Dynamo acquired Duncan McGuire earlier this summer, the current starter at center forward.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-08-13T17:21:04.138Z

Elsewhere in the league, the New England Revolution bolstered their defense by adding Tylon Smith on loan from Queens Park Rangers, LAFC signed 23-year-old forward Armando Sieb from Bayern Munich, and midfielder Aziel Jackson is already back in MLS on loan with Minnesota United from Jagiellonia Bialystok. Rangers reportedly made a $10 million bid for Portland Timbers forward Kevin Kelsy, who has scored nine goals so far this season.

🇻🇪 Sources: Rangers submit a bid in the region of $10m for Portland Timbers forward Kevin Kelsy.Timbers aren't looking to sell and Kelsy isn't pushing to leave. The 22-year-old Venezuela int'l has 9g/2a in 994 mins this season.Rangers not the only club tracking him.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-08-13T22:41:05.904Z

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

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Atletico de San Luis: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s draw with San Luis.

Published

2 days ago

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August 13, 2026

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Image of Tiago celebrating a goal with Justin Ellis against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper.

Orlando City hosted Atletico San Luis in the third Leagues Cup match at Inter.co Stadium Wednesday night. The match ended in a 2-2 draw with the Lions winning the shootout 5-3. It was a match between a team that was already eliminated and one that was all but eliminated. Naturally, that meant multiple goals scored. Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Everyone Gets a Start

If you’ve been starting regularly for Orlando City, then you get a break because this starting lineup was full of youngsters, the recently returned, and the positionally displaced. Given that the Lions needed to win by at least four goals and get help from other results to advance in the tournament, resting the regular starters was probably the best decision interim head coach Martin Perelman has made since taking over. It’s no secret I’m not a fan of Leagues Cup — U.S. Open Cup for life — so I’m not heartbroken that the Lions get to focus on the regular season and the Open Cup.

Dike Strikes

It had been1,723 days (or about four years, eight months, and 20 days) since Daryl Dike last scored a goal for Orlando City. It’s also been that long since his last start for the Lions. That all changed when he started Wednesday’s match and then put in the first goal of the night. In the 31st minute of the match, Tiago’s header was spilled by the keeper right to the feet of Dike, who calmly put it in the back of the net. It’s the type of goal that a prototypical striker like Dike gets in position to make. It was his 20th goal as a Lion with many more hopefully to come.

El Capitan Cartagena

Wilder Cartagena was given the captain’s armband to start the match and he did his usual good job as a defensive midfielder, making things difficult for the opposition, stopping attacks before they could develop. When needed, his was in his own box blocking shots, or on the other end putting in service for the offense, such as the cross to Tiago that eventually resulted in Dike’s goal. He was also six inches from a banger of a goal in the first half, but the goalkeeper got a piece and it deflected off the outside of the left post.

Terrific Tiago

Tiago was everywhere on the left side of the attack for Orlando City. He was causing all kinds of problems for the San Luis defense. The Brazilian youngster made end line runs to put in crosses, provided passes into the box, and had the header that Dike put into the back of the net. He also provided the assist to Justin Ellis for the second goal of the match. He made a run down the left into the box, turned, found Ellis coming across from the right, and put the ball right on his head. It was an excellent match for the Brazilian.

Griezmann Needs to be Greedy

Antione Griezmann should not have been on the pitch. There was no good reason for him to make an appearance in this match other than he probably wanted to do so. Sadly, he had two opportunities to score after coming on but was decidedly too unselfish. I get that he is trying to raise the level of play for his teammates, but this is Orlando City not Atletico Madrid. The level of his teammates is not the same. The first instance he had a one on one with the keeper on the left and tried to square it to Ellis who had defenders around him rather than taking the shot himself. The second time was when Gustavo Caraballo forced the keeper to come almost all the way out to midfield to stop a breakaway. Griezmann followed up the challenge and had the opportunity to put in a long distance shot over the retreating keeper. Instead, he squared the ball to absolutely nobody, turning it over, which ended with the equalizer from San Luis. Hopefully, it’s a lesson learned for the veteran.

That is what I saw in Orlando City’s draw with Atletico de San Luis. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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