Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City went on the road to take on the New England Revolution and fell 2-1. Adam Buksa scored in the ninth minute, but Daryl Dike was able to equalize in the 18th minute. However, an own goal later in the first half and a missed penalty in the second half doomed the Lions as they lost their fourth straight match.
Let’s dive into how each Lion rated and who was our Man of the Match.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 5.5 — It was the first time Gallese didn’t record a save for Orlando since May of this year. The Revolution were only able to get one shot on target, but Gallese wasn’t able to stop a bouncing shot on the volley from Buksa in front of goal at point-blank range. On the Revolution’s second goal, a low cross from Tajon Buchanan was delivered quickly enough that Gallese couldn’t do much about it pinballing off Rodrigo Schlegel and into the goal. The Peruvian goalkeeper also rushed out of goal to cut off DeJuan Jones, but the left back made a nice pass to Buksa, who should’ve scored again but sent the ball into the stands. Gallese was successful on 17 of his 24 passes for a 71% completion rate and was accurate on eight of his 14 long balls.
D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — The left back had a tough assignment against Buchanan for most of the night. In the 35th minute, he was beaten by some fancy footwork from the skilled Canadian, who used the open space to whip in a low cross that bounced off of Schlegel and into the goal. Despite that, Moutinho ended up having a decent defensive performance, particularly late in the match with the Lions trailing as he tracked back to make crucial stops. Moutinho had a team-high five interceptions and also three tackles, a clearance, and a defensive block. His only cross of the night was also his only key pass as he whipped in a good ball to Andres Perea in the box, but the header was off target. Moutinho had two shots late in the match, not making good contact on one and attempting a bicycle kick late that looked good but was deflected. The 23-year-old also led the team with 79 touches and 51 passes, completing 40 of the latter for a 78% success rate as he often tried serving Benji Michel some long passes upfield to no avail.
D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The Swede wasn’t in a great position on Buksa’s goal, although that may be more of a testament of how pinpoint the cross was from Gustavo Bou on a counter than Jansson’s defensive ability. Jansson wasn’t able to get his head on that cross and couldn’t intercept Buchanan’s low ball into the box that wound up in the net. The center back had five clearances and a tackle in a fairly quiet outing. Jansson had 47 touches and 38 passes at a 92% completion rate as helped Orlando build out of the back at times. He was also shown a yellow card that will make him miss Wednesday’s match on the road against Nashville SC. Jansson has played every minute in Orlando’s last 11 games so the thin silver lining here is that he will get some rest before the home stretch.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Just a week after being elbowed by Kacper Przybylko, Schlegel had to deal with another physical center forward in Buksa. Their battle for positioning in the box included plenty of shoving from Buksa and led to Schlegel’s own goal as a low cross by Buchanan pinged off of him and into the net. Schlegel led the team with six clearances and also had four interceptions, two tackles, and two defensive blocks to help limit the Revs’ offense. The center back had 49 touches and completed 24 of his 28 passes for an 86% success rate and we’ll likely see more of him this Wednesday alongside Antonio Carlos due to Jansson’s suspension.
D, Ruan, 6 — The right back slipped on the turf just prior to New England’s opener and Bou took full advantage to sprint down the field and deliver the cross for Buksa’s goal in the ninth minute. While Ruan was a liability on defense at times, finishing with just one clearance and no tackles or interceptions, he did give the Lions plenty of opportunities on offense. The speedster had little issue beating defenders and led the team with four key passes, including a nice cutback pass for Dike in the 24th minute. His crossing ability still leaves plenty to be desired as he was inaccurate on all five of his attempts. Ruan had 60 touches in this match, the third-most on the team, and he was successful on 36 of 39 passes for a good 92% completion rate.
MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear hustled up and down the field all night long, racking up 63 touches and completing 45 of his 49 passes for a strong 92% success rate as he worked hard to serve as an outlet for other players to build possession. Urso had a tackle, an interception, and a block on the defensive end and on offense he had a shot that was blocked and a key pass. There were a few mishaps here and there, but overall it was a fairly efficient night for the Brazilian.
MF, Andres Perea, 5 — There was certainly some rust from Perea in his return from suspension. The 20-year-old was often a step behind in the midfield as the Revs passed around him with ease to then pick apart the defense. This was shown on the Revs’ second goal as the opposition worked around him to set up a one-on-one for Buchanan against Moutinho. However, he did have four clearances in the match and also chipped in with two interceptions, a tackle, and a block on the defensive end. Perea also led the team with three shots, the best coming from him pouncing on a loose ball in the box that Turner was able to save. That was his only shot on target as one shot was blocked and another headed wide from Moutinho’s great cross. In 87 minutes of action, Perea had 54 touches and 39 passes at an 85% success rate, although his inaccurate attempts weren’t all that difficult.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 6 — It was the Ecuadorian midfielder’s first game since his injury on July 17 and he did a decent job giving the Lions some stability in the midfield. This was particularly true in the second half when Mendez came up with crucial tackles to stop the revs on the counter while Orlando pushed forward to try and score. Mendez was subbed out in the 70th minute and finished with three tackles and an interception while not making much of an impact on offense. He had 55 touches and 47 passes at an 85% success rate as he was eased back into action.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — Pereyra fed a nice ball to Dike in the box for his 10th assist of the season. It was one of many great passes from the Uruguayan, but his best of the night was a perfect first touch to serve Dike the ball again in a play that resulted in a penalty for Orlando. Although he only finished with two key passes, Pereyra pulled the strings for Orlando for most of the night and had 39 passes at an 87% success rate, which is pretty good considering the distance and difficult angles of some of his attempts. His two crosses from free kicks didn’t find their target, but were decent balls and he was accurate on his lone corner kick. Pereyra played all 90 minutes and ended the game with 50 touches, two key passes, and a shot from distance that went high and wide of goal.
F, Benji Michel, 4.5 — Michel didn’t get much done with only 14 touches in 57 minutes of play. He had no shots or key passes and his only cross was inaccurate. His best opportunity came in the second half when he ran along the end line with the ball, but he wasn’t able to make anything of it. Michel had no defensive stats either and only had five passes at an 80% success rate.
F, Daryl Dike, 6.5 (MotM) — Dike’s goal was a great one as he muscled past former collegiate teammate Henry Kessler in the box and fired a shot that was too powerful and too low for Turner to keep out. His only other shot in the match was from a good pass by Ruan, but he wasn’t able to make clean contact and it went wide. Dike won four fouls during the match, including a penalty that gave Orlando a golden opportunity that was squandered. It was Dike’s first time playing all 90 minutes for Orlando since returning from the Gold Cup and he had 37 touches and 14 passes at a subpar 57% completion rate as he tried to hold possession and create chances. More shots should be expected from the forward over the course of a game, but the Revs did focus on shutting him down after his goal. He was also a force in the air, using his large frame and physicality to win the ball upfield and he came up with two headed clearances on the Revolution’s set pieces. Dike is our Man of the Match for scoring a great goal while trailing on the road and earning a penalty that could have wound up salvaging a point for the Lions.
Substitutes
F, Nani (57’), 5.5 — Orlando’s captain had a chance to equalize with a penalty kick in the 75th minute, but his shot was stopped by Turner. Nani opted to shoot straight down the middle and Turner moved to his right but hesitated and got just enough of his body behind the ball to deflect it high and out of harm’s way. His only other shot of the match was blocked and his key pass to Urso set up a shot that was also blocked. None of his crosses from free kicks found their target, but his sole cross in open play was accurate. Nani completed 13 of his 15 passes for an 87% success rate and had 27 touches and he tried to bring Orlando level. The Designated Player hasn’t scored since Aug. 7 and Orlando will need him to lead the team during the final stretch of the season.
MF, Silvester van der Water (70’), 5.5 — With Orlando trailing in the second half, van der Water gave the team a bit of edge on the offense. The Dutchman had two shots, sending his first just wide and having his second blocked in stoppage time. He had 12 touches in the match and completed five of his seven passes for a 71% success rate. Van der Water wasn’t able to provide a goal for Orlando, but did give the team some needed energy when he had the ball at his feet in the attacking third.
F, Tesho Akindele, (87’) N/A — Coming on late to give the Lions another attacker while trailing, Akindele’s biggest contribution was winning a foul in a dangerous position for Orlando. He didn’t have any shots or key passes but gave the Revolution another big body to worry about alongside Dike. In a short shift, Akindele had nine touches and was successful on three of his six passes.
D, Kyle Smith (87’), N/A — Smith replaced Schlegel late in the match and completed three of his four passes. It was a quiet cameo for Smith as he had no offensive or defensive stats and just four touches.
That’s how I saw things play out in Orlando’s 2-1 loss on the road. Make sure to weigh in on how you feel about the grades in the comments below and to vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Daryl Dike | 18 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 2 |
| Junior Urso | 3 |
| Other (Comment Below) | 2 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions and Crew do battle for the third time this season, with each looking to climb into a better spot in the playoff race.
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (10-13-4, 34 points) and the Columbus Crew (8-14-5, 29 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the third meeting between the two Eastern Conference rivals across all competitions this season, the second in MLS play, and the first matchup in Orlando.
Here’s what you need to know about the match.
History
The Lions are 10-8-6 in the all-time, regular-season series and 7-3-3 at home in MLS play. Orlando City is 11-10-6 overall against the Crew in all competitions, which includes a home loss in the playoffs and a home win and road loss in the U.S. Open Cup.
The last time these teams met just a few weeks back with the Crew knocking Orlando out of the U.S. Open Cup in the semifinal round. Columbus got on the board first through Josef Martinez, only for Martin Ojeda to pull the Lions level before the break. Brais Mendez scored the game winner moments after Antoine Griezmann was injured, though he had not yet subbed off. Orlando looked lost from that point on and the Crew won 2-1 to advance to the final.
The Lions and Crew also met early in the 2026 regular season, a 1-1 draw in Columbus on April 12. It looked like Marco Pasalic’s early goal would stand up until Lion killer Diego Rossi struck with 10 minutes remaining in normal time. Orlando City earned its first road point of the season that night and its first away point under interim head coach Martin Perelman.
In last year’s series, Orlando City hosted Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025, at Inter&Co Stadium. The Crew struck just past the half-hour mark through Andres Herrera, but Pasalic slammed home the rebound of a Luis Muriel shot two minutes later. That was all the scoring in a wasteful 1-1 draw for Orlando. The first meeting of 2025 took place July 25 in Columbus just prior to the Leagues Cup break. The Crew took the lead on Rossi’s spot kick shortly after the hour mark after Pasalic was called for a handball in the box. Ramiro Enrique struck 10 minutes later and again three minutes after that to turn the game around. Ojeda added an insurance goal in stoppage time as the Lions won 3-1.
The two sides faced each other in Columbus on Sept. 21, 2024 in a wild back-and-forth game, with the Crew winning 4-3. Rossi, Christian Ramirez, and Cucho Hernandez staked Columbus to a comfortable 3-0 lead by the 71st minute, and the game seemed over. But Enrique’s goal three minutes after Hernandez scored sparked the Lions, who added a Muriel penalty goal to make it a match again. Miscommunication and a poor back pass from Felipe led to a turnover that allowed Aziel Jackson to score in transition, making it 4-2. Muriel scored late in stoppage time, but the Lions ran out of clock and couldn’t complete the comeback.
The teams opened the 2024 season series against each other on May 25. As has been the case with so many matches between Orlando and Columbus over the years, there was controversy in the Crew’s 2-0 win in Orlando. The opening goal came in the second half on a penalty kick that was awarded upon video review following a penalty call at the other end of the pitch. Referee Jair Marrufo awarded the Lions a penalty for a foul on Steven Moreira against Muriel in the box late in the first half. Before Orlando could take the spot kick, Marrufo went to the monitor and ignored a blatant foul by Rossi in the buildup, ruling it a different attacking phase, despite the Lions never regaining clear control of the ball before the next attack, in which the referee ruled a routine shirt pull by Cesar Araujo — embellished significantly by Aidan Morris falling away from the direction of the tug — was clear-cut enough to wipe out the penalty seconds later at the other end. Rossi converted the penalty in first-half stoppage time, adding a second goal just past the hour mark.
The meeting between the teams with the biggest stakes came in the 2023 MLS Eastern Conference semifinals on Nov. 25, 2023. The teams played scoreless through the 90 minutes plus injury time, with Orlando City defender Rodrigo Schlegel getting sent off late with a second yellow card. The Crew were able to bundle home a goal in extra time and add an insurance marker for a 2-0 win en route to an eventual MLS Cup championship. Ramirez and Hernandez scored for the Crew.
The teams played a memorable game at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 16, 2023, with Orlando coming from behind to snatch a stunning 4-3 victory at the death. Julian Gressel gave Columbus an early lead that held up through the first half. Ojeda equalized just after the restart, but Rossi and Hernandez staked the Crew to a two-goal lead. Facundo Torres pulled one back and Enrique bagged his first MLS brace, with a goal just a few minutes from the end of normal time and another late in stoppage.
The teams met in Columbus on May 13, 2023, playing to a 2-2 draw. Orlando City fell behind 2-0 by halftime on goals by Darlington Nagbe and Jacen Russell-Rowe, but Ercan Kara pulled one back just a few minutes after the restart, and Duncan McGuire leveled the game in stoppage time.
The sides faced each other in Orlando on Decision Day 2022, with City erasing a 1-0 deficit from a Derrick Etienne Jr. goal to win 2-1 and clinch a playoff spot. Junior Urso leveled the game in the second half and Torres struck from the penalty spot late. The meeting in Columbus that year took place on April 16, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-0 on goals by Schlegel and Kara.
The 2021 season series concluded on Oct. 27 in Columbus with the Crew winning 3-2. Columbus had lost five straight to Orlando prior to Lucas Zelarayan’s one-goal, two-assist performance. Miguel Berry and Etienne also scored for the Crew. Daryl Dike pulled a goal back from the spot and Robin Jansson struck late, but it wasn’t enough.
The teams met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 4, 2021, with the Lions winning 3-2. Orlando built a 2-0 lead on goals by Dike and Silvester van der Water, but a bizarre own goal by Antonio Carlos threw the Crew a lifeline, and a Berry equalizer turned the game around. Urso provided a nice game winner in the 69th minute.
City won the only meeting of the 2020 pandemic season when the 10-man Lions got a late Benji Michel goal to defeat the Crew 2-1 on Nov. 4. Chris Mueller gave Orlando the lead, but Harrison Afful was able to equalize just moments after referee Ramy Touchan sent off Nani on a ludicrous call that was overturned by the MLS independent panel a few days later. Thanks to Michel’s goal, the officiating error didn’t end up costing the Lions, who clinched their first-ever MLS playoff spot with the win.
The Lions swept the season series in 2019, defeating the Crew 1-0 on July 13, 2019, and two weeks previously getting their first road win in the series, 2-0.
Orlando won 2-1 on Oct. 21, 2018 to start a five-game winning streak against the Crew on a pair of penalty kick goals. Yoshimar Yotún and Sacha Kljestan provided the spot kicks to offset Federico Higuain’s opening goal.
The last Crew win in the series prior to the Orlando winning streak was assisted by a horror call by Silviu Petrescu in the 88th minute on July 21, 2018, giving Columbus an equalizer from the penalty spot. Wil Trapp then scored the kind of goal in stoppage time that he’ll probably never score again to lift the Crew to a 3-2 victory in a game the Lions had stolen away from them on a call that Petrescu’s own organization said was an error.
Columbus got the better of Orlando in 2017, going 2-0-1. The Lions were 0-1-1 against Columbus in 2016 and 1-1-1 in the series in 2015, with a home U.S. Open Cup win that season against the Crew as well.
Overview
Orlando City enters tonight on a poor run of form, having lost three straight in all competitions and conceding 10 goals across those matches. All of those games, however, were on the road, where the Lions tend to concede goals by the boatload. The Lions have also been falling behind early in games. The opposition has scored the game’s first goal in the ninth, 19th, and 11th minutes in the team’s last three contests. Each of the last two opponents have found the net four times and have built multiple-goal leads, including the last game against the Philadelphia Union. The Union scored four times before Orlando found the net twice late in a 4-2 loss two weeks ago.
If there are bright spots, Ojeda has scored in three consecutive games in all competitions and Ivan Angulo has a goal in four consecutive league matches — a career-high streak for the Colombian. Another positive for the Lions is that they have been much better at home, especially since the league restarted after the World Cup break. Orlando is 7-4-2 at home in 2026, with a mark of 4-1-1 in MLS matches since the restart.
Columbus enters tonight having won three straight matches in all competitions, including the aforementioned U.S. Open Cup semifinal game against Orlando, as well as its most recent outing two weeks ago — a 2-1 home win over Inter Miami. The recent surge has moved the Crew from the Eastern Conference basement to 12th place and just a few points out of the playoff places. Martinez and Mendez each have two goals in the last three Crew games, and the Crew have been boosted by the additions of Martinez, Santiago Rodriguez, and Anass Zaroury in the summer window. Road games have been one of the team’s areas of concern, as the Crew are 2-8-3 away from home in 2026, including a 1-3-1 road record since the league restarted.
For Orlando to get a result and advance to the semifinals, it must get back to playing sound transition defense and eliminate the need to defend counterattacks by being more careful on the ball. Turnovers in dangerous areas have been lethal to the Lions during this recent skid. Orlando will also have to corral longtime Lion killer Martinez, as well as dynamic scorers Mendez and Rodriguez.
Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Tyrese Spicer (foot), while Griffin Dorsey (back) is questionable. While we don’t know the status of Justin Ellis, who picked up a knock on international duty with the USMNT, he isn’t listed on the availability report, but the club may not have had any test results back before having to file player availability for the weekend. Columbus is nearly 100% healthy, with just Wessam Abou Ali (knee) listed as out.
Match Content
- The most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s game.
- Our David Rohe provides his three keys to an Orlando City victory in tonight’s match.
- Ben Miller provides his thoughts on Orlando City’s challenges ahead during the season’s stretch run.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Vinicius Nogueira, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Ivan Angulo.
Midfielders: Harvey Sarajian, Wilder Cartagena, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.
Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Antoine Griezmann.
Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Luis Otavio, Joran Gerbet, Tiago, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.
Columbus Crew (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Patrick Schulte.
Defenders: Malte Amundsen, Sean Zawadzki, Steven Moreira, Mohamed Farsi.
Midfielders: Santiago Rodriguez, Taha Habroune, Dylan Chambost, Anass Zaroury.
Forwards: Josef Martinez, Brais Mendez.
Bench: Nicholas Hagen, Eric Bailly, Rudy Camacho, Brooks Lennon, Andres Herrera, Sekou Bangoura, Andre Gomes, Lautaro Giaccone, Gonzalo Tapia.
Referees:
REF: Rosendo Mendoza.
AR1: Jason White.
AR2: Kevin Klinger.
4TH: Alejo Calume.
VAR: Jair Marrufo.
AVAR: John Krill.
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!
Opinion
Orlando City’s Final Playoff Push Filled with Challenges
The Lions will need to contend with a busy schedule, tricky opponents, and injury concerns while pushing to secure a playoff spot.
Orlando City has seven games remaining in the 2026 MLS season, which means that crunch time is officially upon us. The Lions currently sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with 34 points but are only one point ahead of FC Cincinnati in 10th place. As a result, OCSC’s final matches of the season are of massive importance, but the men in purple will need to deal with a number of different hurdles if they want to keep the longest active postseason streak in the league alive for another year.
Fixture Congestion
As has been the case with much of a season that went on a two-month break for the 2026 World Cup, Orlando City is staring down the barrel of another busy month. Of the Lions’ seven remaining matches, six will take place in a jam-packed 21-day stretch during the month of October, before Decision Day against the New England Revolution on Nov. 7. Things get started Saturday at home against the Columbus Crew, and then OCSC plays away against Toronto on Wednesday, home against D.C. United on Saturday, Oct. 17, home against New York City FC on Saturday, Oct. 24, before finishing the month with back-to-back away games against the Chicago Fire on Oct. 28, and against Charlotte FC on Halloween. While there’s an even split of home and away matches, it’s still an absolutely hellish stretch.
Fortunately, most teams are in the same boat, and there’s a week in between the home matches against D.C. and NYCFC that may help a little, but it’s still a lot of games in a short amount of time. That won’t be anything new to this team after how busy August and September were, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be any easier to deal with.
Tricky Opponents
Let’s talk more about the games themselves, specifically the teams Orlando will be up against, because it’s an interesting mix. I wouldn’t classify the set of teams that the Lions will face down the stretch as either easy or difficult. Rather, it’s a tricky bunch that should both provide some good opportunities to pick up points, while also throwing up some pretty unappetizing matchups. First up is the Crew. The bad news is that they knocked Orlando out of the U.S. Open Cup in fairly convincing fashion, but on the flip side, the game is at home and the team will be well-rested — two conditions that usually lend themselves to OCSC playing fairly well. Hitting the road to Toronto on short rest feels like a recipe for disaster, but the Reds haven’t been playing great after losing 3-0 to Orlando back in September. Then it’s another game on short rest, but it comes against a D.C. side sitting in 11th and is winless in its last three.
After that, there’s a week off before welcoming an NYCFC team that has been in the midst of a free fall down the table, and then road trips to two strong teams in Chicago and Charlotte, both of which are on short rest. The team gets a week to prepare before facing another strong side on Decision Day in the Revs.
On paper, the games against Columbus, D.C., and NYCFC feel winnable. While Orlando lost to the latter two teams on the road earlier in the year, I think this version of Orlando is better than what it was in March and April when it lost to those teams, and the Lions have been infinitely better at home than on the road.
Conversely, I’ll be thanking my lucky stars if any points are picked up from back-to-back road trips to Chicago and Charlotte on short rest, while playing the Revs on Decision Day feels like a tough task even at home.
The backdrop of all this is the fact that the six teams immediately below Orlando in the table are all within at least five points of it. Plus, the Lions play four of those six teams in NYCFC, D.C., Columbus, and Toronto. At this point in the season, every game matters, but each of those contests takes on added importance because of how much of an impact they can have on the table. Win, and you put distance between yourself and one of the teams below you. Lose, and that team reels you in a little bit more if not outright leapfrogging you altogether.
Health and Availability
While Orlando’s list of unavailable players doesn’t look nearly as bad as it has at times this season, there are still some big absences that the team will have to contend with.
For one thing, barring a run all the way to the MLS Cup final, Tyrese Spicer’s season is over after he had surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot. For those of you keeping score at home, that is now the third Jones fracture suffered by an Orlando City player this season, after Robin Jansson had surgery to repair one before the season started, and Braian Ojeda went under the knife to fix one back on Aug. 6. While the attacking positions aren’t looking as thin as they once were now that Martin Ojeda is fit and Marco Pasalic is staying put, Spicer was in the midst of an excellent season and had six goals and two assists in just 869 league minutes. Not having his spark off the bench is a big miss, and it also provides less options when it comes to rotation.
Then there’s the cases of Griffin Dorsey, and more recently, Justin Ellis. Let’s start with Dorsey, who hasn’t played since going off at halftime of the 3-2 win over Atlanta United due to a back issue, and while he carried a questionable designation for Orlando’s most recent game against the Philadelphia Union, he ultimately did not play. Presumably, two extra weeks of recovery will see him ready to go this weekend, but even if he does make a much-needed return to the field, Orlando needs to be careful with managing him.
Even after missing four games through injury, Dorsey has still played the fifth-most league minutes on the team behind Ivan Angulo, Maxime Crepeau, David Brekalo, and Robin Jansson — in that order. Angulo is the type of physical specimen that should be studied in a lab, while Crepeau, Brekalo, and Jansson aren’t asked to do nearly as much running as Dorsey is when he’s healthy. The Lions’ defense hasn’t been great all season, but it was mostly doing enough to keep the team in games before the right back went onto the shelf. Without him, it’s given up 10 goals in four games across all competitions and has won just one of those contests. I understand the temptation to keep Dorsey on the field as much as possible, given what he adds both offensively and defensively, but Martin Perelman needs to use him in tandem with Zakaria Taifi or risk losing the defender for another extended period of time when Orlando can least afford it.
That brings us to Justin Ellis. If you watched the United States Men’s National Team take down Canada 1-0 on Tuesday, then you probably got an almighty scare when Ellis went down after a physical play during the first half and had to leave the field after receiving treatment. He eventually returned in style and scored the game’s only goal, but he was visibly hobbled in the minutes after he came back on, and left the stadium at halftime to have an MRI done.
While we haven’t heard any updates since then and no news is presumably good news, caution may be needed when it comes to Saturday’s match against the Crew in order to prevent the injury turning into a more long-term issue.
Outside of Spicer, Braian Ojeda, and any lingering issues for Dorsey and Ellis, the team should have a clean bill of health to begin the final run-in, so that’s good news.
At the end of the day, the home stretch of this season is not going to be easy. The Lions will need to contend with fixture congestion, games against tricky opponents that have huge implications in the standings, and the ever-present injury and availability challenges. The Eastern Conference table has razor thin margins at the moment, and there’s very little room for error. We’re about to learn a lot about what this team is really made of over the course of the next seven games, for better or worse. Here’s hoping we like what we see. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/9/26
Daryl Dike’s soccer journey, Orlando City B signs Landon Okonski and Matthew Belgodere, analyzing Spain before USWNT match, and more.
Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a bit of a hectic week for me, but I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with soccer. Both Orlando City and the United States Women’s National Team are in action on Saturday, so be sure to plan your day accordingly. Let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!
A Day in the Life of Daryl Dike
Orlando City forward Daryl Dike was the latest MLS player to be featured as part of the league’s “Off the Ball” video series that shows what life is like for them outside of soccer. Dike, who returned to Orlando this summer, spoke on how the facilities in MLS were better than many in England but that the level of play was vastly different. Dike also gave insight into the toll the multiple injuries he dealt with had on him while abroad, although he also detailed how that adversity helped him learn more about himself and what makes him happy apart from soccer. It’s great to see Dike out and about in Orlando doing things we all do, although his anime taste is a bit basic in my opinion.
Orlando City B Signs Pair of Academy Players
Orlando City academy players Landon Okonski and Matthew Belgodere were both signed to Orlando City B contracts as they progress through the club’s pathway for young players. Okonski made his professional debut with the Young Lions this year and started 16 games as part of OCB’s defense. Belgodere also made his professional debut this season, recording five goals and two assists across 25 appearances. The 16-year-old was also named MLS NEXT Pro Rising Star of the Week for his role in OCB’s 3-2 comeback win over Carolina Core FC after scoring his first OCB goal in style.
Analyzing Spain Ahead of USWNT Friendlies
The United States Women’s National Team will take on Spain in a pair of friendlies this month, starting with Saturday’s match at Audi Field in the nation’s capital. While Spain’s roster for these friendlies will be without notable players like Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey, and Esther Gonzalez, there are still plenty of stars who could give the U.S. trouble. Alexia Putellas is more than capable of creating chances and putting them away, while Claudia Pina and Edna Imade are other attackers the U.S. will have to find ways to stop. We may also get to see Orlando Pride defender Oihane, who is the only NWSL player called up by Spain for this window.
NWSL Transfer News Roundup
The NWSL roster freeze took place Thursday and various teams that aren’t the Orlando Pride made moves right before the deadline. The Chicago Stars sent $700,000 in intraleague transfer funds to Bay FC for forward Racheal Kundananji, who recorded 12 goals and 11 assists across 63 games for Bay FC. She’s not the only forward on the move, as the Washington Spirit traded Nigerian forward Gift Monday to Boston Legacy FC in exchange for $500,000 in intraleague transfer funds. The North Carolina Courage made a pair of trades as well, adding defender Ella Hase from Racing Louisville for $35,000 in intraleague transfer funds and transferring forward Olivia Wingate to Gotham FC for free.
Free Kicks
- Barbra Banda and Zambia lost 2-1 to Uganda in the first leg of the series between the two nations in Africa’s Olympic qualifying tournament. Banda assisted on Zambia’s goal to open the scoring, connecting with former Pride player Prisca Chilufya.
- Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson was suspended for an additional game for violent conduct after pulling the hair of Boston Legacy player Lais Araujo.
- This year’s Best XI was announced for the MLS NEXT Pro, and there are unsurprisingly no OCB players listed.
- The U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team will be without midfielder Jaedyn Shaw for its upcoming friendlies due to injury precautions.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your week!
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