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Orlando City vs. LAFC: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Drop Points at Home

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4 years ago

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A second-half goal by Ilie Sanchez snapped a 2-2 tie and late insurance tally by Kwadwo Opoku spoiled a good performance by Orlando city as LAFC defeated the Lions 4-2 at Exploria Stadium. Orlando (2-2-2, 8 points) had a mesmerizing first half but made two mistakes and was punished for both by LAFC (4-0-1, 13 points) — a team the Lions have still never beaten.

Alexandre Pato and Joao Moutinho canceled out first-half goals by Brian Rodriguez and Jesus David Murillo. Orlando fell to 1-2-0 at home and has conceded six goals in the last two home matches.

“What happened is that we lost and we conceded four goals — three of them that are not accepted by ourselves and not at this level, and that’s why it just created the difference in the game,” Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But it would be bad as well to let this feeling be more than what we produced today as a team. I’m trying to recognize the game that the boys played today, especially in the first half. If they go in that direction they’re going to win many games and I don’t have any doubt about it.”

Pareja had his starting goalkeeper back from international duty as Pedro Gallese lined up behind the first-choice back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Ruan. Cesar Araujo and Junior Urso manned the central midfield behind an attacking line of Alexandre Pato, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Ercan Kara returning to the starting lineup up top.

Orlando City jumped on LAFC from the opening kickoff, earning some early corner kicks and buzzing around the visitors’ goal. Moutinho did well to send a cross into the area for Urso, hitting the midfielder in stride but the Bear couldn’t set his feet properly and lost control right in front of goal in the seventh minute.

Pato scored in transition in the 10th minute but the flag came up for an offside call on Torres on the buildup. Torres streaked down the left and got onto a ball, crossing in to Pato for the score. The play seemed to be onside but there wasn’t a definitive angle to overturn it.

In the 12th minute, Pato unselfishly dished off to Kara instead of shooting it himself and the striker fizzed his shot just over the bar.

LAFC got its first shot attempt off seconds later when Cristian Arango got a fortunate bounce after being surrounded by three Lions at the top of the box. The ball bounced back to him off a defender and he fired wide.

The game changed moments later when Carlos was injured after suffering one of the 11 first-half LAFC fouls. Rodriguez hit Carlos from behind and he planted awkwardly, going to ground. The Brazilian immediately grabbed his the back of his leg in the hamstring area and appeared to be in a lot of pain. He was stretchered off and Rodrigo Schlegel came on as a sub in the 18th minute.

The Lions kept attacking, and suffering fouls when they were able to create space, but in the aftermath of the Carlos injury, it was LAFC that scored first. A long ball over the top of Ruan by Vela found Aranga down the left side. Aranga had only one man in the box, but that’s all he needed as Rodriguez ran unchecked through the penalty area and scored off the cross in the 24th minute.

“They got the ball back really quick and they opened it up out wide to the left side,” Moutinho said. “And I saw that (Rodriguez) had some space inside the box. I tried to track back and I tried to yell at Robin that (he) was behind him. I think he made a really good run and the cross was just inch-perfect and he got the goal.”

The Lions pulled it back in the 36th minute as Pato again put the ball in the net. A ball over the top by Pereyra found Kara, who made a perfectly timed run. Kara nodded the ball back for Pato, who volleyed it past Maxime Crepeau to make it 1-1.

The tie score didn’t last long. After a set piece in the Orlando end, a recycled ball into the area found Ruan’s head. The Brazilian tried to head it back to Gallese but got it horribly wrong, allowing Murillo to get to it first and restore the LAFC lead in the 38th minute.

Orlando got that goal back just before the break. Pereyra took a pass from Urso on the right and he spied Moutinho lurking on the back side. The Uruguayan fed him a quick pass and the Portuguese fullback slotted his shot just inside the right post to make it 2-2 in the 45th minute.

It was Moutinho’s second competitive goal in an Orlando uniform and both came at the expense of his old team. The first was the late equalizer in the MLS is Back Tournament knockout round that allowed the Lions to go on and win the post-game penalty shootout. Tonight’s goal was Moutinho’s first regular-season goal for the Lions.

“I saw that Urso and Mari were trying to find some space, and as soon as I saw that Mari had some space on the ball, I moved up there to a space where I thought I could score,” Moutinho said. “And I put my hand up and I yelled at him and he saw me. He played me the ball. I took a good first touch and a good finish and that was that.”

Orlando City held more possession (61.5%-38.5%), fired more shots (7-5), and got more on target (3-2), winning more corners (3-0). The Lions were also the more precise passing team (83.1%-78.6%).

“I think the first half was one of those games that make us feel very optimistic about it,” Pareja said.

Despite what should have been an uplifting goal going into the half, LAFC came out more aggressively and much better defensively after subbing on Jose Cifuentes for Francisco Ginella.

LAFC broke the deadlock just six minutes after the restart. Orlando had issues clearing a ball in off of a set piece opportunity and as Schlegel knocked the ball into space and went to follow it, he was picked by Murillo, allowing Ilie Sanchez to collect with enough space at the top of the box to pick out his spot and fire a shot past Gallese.

The Lions struggled to connect in the attacking half with the same accuracy as in the first half. Orlando was able to move the ball across midfield but often sent in a poorly weighted ball or an off-line pass when trying to unlock the LAFC defense.

“The sequences that we created in the first half, probably there were many, and then just comparing the two halves, you feel like we did not have any (in the second half),” Pareja said. “We were not as fluid and we were not as precise.”

Pato, Torres, and Kara all visibly seemed to tire as the second half wore on. Chasing the game, Pareja sent Benji Michel in for Araujo and replaced Ruan — who had a subpar performance on the night, particularly in his own end — with Kyle Smith. Michel’s speed was needed when a poorly worked short corner ended up in an LAFC counter-attack opportunity. The Homegrown did well to hustle back and not only prevent a scoring chance but also won his team a goal kick in the 74th minute.

Pereyra sent in a set piece cross in the 78th minute that nearly produced an equalizer. Kara got his head to it and got the shot on goal but the cross was behind him so he was going backward when he hit it and couldn’t get much power on it. Crepeau was able to make the near-post save.

Two minutes later, Michel freed himself on the left at the top of the box but fizzed his shot wide of the right post.

Tesho Akindele and Silvester van der Water came on in the 83rd minute to give the Lions fresh legs but neither did much. The duo combined for just 13 total touches and produced no shots or (on the official stat sheet I received, anyway) scoring chances.

As time wound down, Crepeau made a good save to deny a Pato header off a cross from van der Water in the 90th minute. A minute later, Moutinho got his head on a set piece cross and headed it down into the turf. The ball had so much power on it that it hit the ground and bounced just over the bar.

“I kind of saw the ball just as it was about to hit my head. So I didn’t have a lot of time to think about what I was going to do,” Moutinho said. “But I definitely think that I should have done better on that.”

Opoku finished a 4-on-2 break in the 93rd minute with Orlando sending numbers forward in search of an equalizer.

Orlando City finished the game with the edge statistically but not where it counts. The Lions had more possession (61.2%-38.8%), shots (13-11), shots on goal (5-4), corners, 7-2, and passing accuracy (82.6%-76.2%). But LAFC capitalized on its few chances, created mainly by Orlando mistakes, and made the game ugly with fouls (19), knowing Orlando hasn’t been precise enough on set pieces.

“We were playing really well until the injury to Antonio,” Pereyra said. “We had control of the game in the first half. We created a lot of chances, we scored twice, but we need to keep working on improving because we (conceded) two goals in the first half and then in the second half, with our mistakes, we (gave up) two more goals. We need to keep working and move forward.”

The Lions will be back home next Saturday when the Chicago Fire visits Exploria Stadium at 1 p.m.

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Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 1-0 victory over San Diego FC.

Published

13 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau looking for someone to pass to vs. San Diego.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City defeated San Diego FC 1-0 in the first-ever match between the two clubs at Inter.co Stadium Saturday night on Antoine Griezmann’s goal. Despite a bevy of chances, the Lions were only able to score the one goal. Thankfully, it was enough for Orlando City to earn all three points and to move up to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Back-and-Forth First Half

Orlando City and San Diego played similar styles in the first half. It started with the Lions on the front foot, pressuring San Diego’s back line. When it went the other way, Orlando City had to absorb the pressure. It went back and forth through the entire first half with San Diego having the advantage in possession and Orlando City the advantage in shots and shots on target. It felt like either team could get the opening goal. Fortunately, it was Orlando City that struck first.

Grizi Strikes Again

Orlando City struck first (and last, as it turned out) with Antoine Griezmann finishing off a beautiful team goal for Orlando City in the 28th minute. It was his fourth goal in the last three matches. Robin Jansson sent one of his distinctively accurate long balls to Daryl Dike in the right side of the box. Dike turned and quickly laid it off to Justin Ellis, who deftly pushed it forward to the oncoming Griezmann. He took one touch with his left foot to settle it and then took the shot with his right foot, putting it into the bottom left corner of the goal. It is the type of goal that is becoming more common for Orlando City, thanks to the quality Griezmann brings to the attack.

Recovery Defense

San Diego typically enjoys having the ball, and the visitors held 54% of the possession in the match, but it wasn’t enough. Orlando City did a good job of disrupting San Diego in the midfield, and often in San Diego’s half. The Lions were quick to recover whenever the ball was turned over. It was that tenacity that kept San Diego from being able to keep the ball for extended periods of time and limited their opportunities to create chances.

Darn Duah

There were many opportunities that went wanting for the Lions, including Wilder Cartagena’s shot in the 89th minute that hit the crossbar and went straight down but didn’t cross the line for a goal. However, if it wasn’t for San Diego’s Manu Duah, Orlando City may have scored five or more goals. The young defender finished with two tackles, four interceptions, three clearances, and one blocked shot. Even though I know it wasn’t the case, it felt like every one of those interventions came during a potential scoring opportunity for Orlando City. Thankfully, the Lions didn’t need a second goal to take all three points.

A Clean Sheet

Orlando City did just enough on defense to earn the first clean sheet since the 1-0 win over Nashville on July 25. Maxime Crepeau didn’t have too much to do as San Diego only managed seven shots, with only two of those on target, but he kept them all out of the back of the net. It was an emotional night for Crepeau who lost his father Rémi Crepeau earlier in the week. There was a moment of silence for his father before the match, and the team wore black armbands during the match to honor him. I’m always happy when Orlando City manages a clean sheet, but I’m very glad that Crepeau was able to earn one on this night in particular.

That is what I saw in Orlando City’s 1-0 victory over San Diego FC. It was a valuable three points as the club tries to overcome the pre-World Cup hole the Lions dug to start the season. Let us know your thoughts about the San Diego match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Final Score 1-0 as Griezmann’s Goal Enough for Lions Win

Antoine Griezmann’s first-half goal and a stout defensive effort lifted the Lions to a hard-fought home win.

Published

24 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau giving his team instructions.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Antoine Griezmann’s first-half goal was all that separated Orlando City and San Diego FC in their first-ever meeting. The French superstar’s teammates had numerous chances to double the lead for Orlando (8-11-4, 28 points), coming within inches at times, but that one strike was enough for a victory over San Diego (8-9-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium.

Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who lost his father just days ago, made two saves, and a defense that has struggled at times, held firm against San Diego to keep a clean sheet. The club held a moment of silence for Crepeau’s father before the match started.

“My respect for (Crepeau), for his family. We are proud of him in the way he faced this situation, and we support him like the family we are,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “We should finish the game earlier. We couldn’t, but we defended. We fight. The players did an amazing effort, and now we’re thinking of the next (game).”

Perelman’s lineup featured Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Joran Gerbet and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Justin Ellis with Griezmann and Daryl Dike leading the attack.

The Lions started brightly, creating the first chance just a few minutes after kickoff. Griezmann found Ellis with a nice ball forward. The young attacker got to the ball first but misfired on his initial shot. Ellis eventually regathered and shot but sent his effort wide in the fourth minute. Three minutes later, Griezmann fired from the right channel, but San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos made a good diving save, getting his right hand on it to keep the game scoreless.

Referee Joe Dickerson let the game get physical, ignoring Atuesta getting upended at midfield and a ball that might have had Dike in behind the defense had he not been grabbed and clipped. The big striker didn’t get a clean look at goal as a result of the no calls.

San Diego started to settle into the game as it reached the quarter-hour mark, seeing more of the possession and starting to build some looks at goal. The visitors had the ball in the net off a recycled corner kick in the 13th minute but the play was offside.

A free header by Onni Valakari went wide in the 17th minute as San Diego continued to gain rhythm and look for openings in the Orlando defense.

The Lions started looking more for transition opportunities with San Diego pressing high. One such play nearly came off in the 18th minute. Dorsey sent a ball to the back post on the counter with perhaps better options trailing. Angulo collected it on the left and sent it back in for Griezmann, who tried a bicycle kick but just missed getting onto it. The ball fell to Dorsey for a shot that deflected to Dike. The striker stuck a toe out and made contact with it but couldn’t direct it on frame.

Crepeau made a big save at the near post to deny Anders Dreyer in the 22nd minute, blocking it behind for a corner. Orlando dealt with the set piece and broke the other way. Dorsey had options in transition but he tried to pick out Griezmann and San Diego’s defense headed it behind for an Orlando corner. The ball pinged around off of various heads on the ensuing set piece until Dike was called for a foul on Oscar Verhoeven on an aerial duel.

The Lions broke the scoreless deadlock in the 28th minute. Jansson sent a great long ball over the top for Dike, who turned on the jets and got to it first on the right side of the penalty area. Dike slipped the ball past a defender to Ellis, who turned and found Griezmann. The Frenchman fired a right-footed shot from the right side that found the inside of the left post to make it 1-0. Ellis and Dike picked up assists on Griezmann’s fifth MLS goal in just eight matches.

“I think we just noticed that they’re playing this high line, even when there was no pressure on the ball,” Ellis said. “And when we have center backs like this on the ball, like Robin, David, when you give them time and space, it’s an opportunity, you know. And then (Jansson) puts a nice ball to Daryl — and adding Daryl to the squad and to the team is crucial, you know, because we didn’t really have that threat in behind. But me and Grizi (Griezmann), we like the ball at our feet, but Daryl has like this physical presence, and you know, he got in behind and kept calm, played me, and then I just checked my my shoulder, saw Grizi, and then…I mean every single time I pass him the ball, I have a feeling like he can do something. So that’s why I’m always looking for him. And it was a nice finish.”

The teams paused for a hydration break moments after the goal, and the action slowed as time wound down on the first half. San Diego fired into the side netting in the 38th minute but the play was offside anyway. Orlando’s best opportunity came when Ellis made a good run through traffic a minute later, but the play broke down when he unselfishly tried to slip the ball through traffic to Griezmann and the defense knocked it away.

That was it for the big moments in the opening period and after four minutes of added time, Dickerson blew the halftime whistle.

At the break, San Diego held the advantage in possession (55.6%-44.4%), passing accuracy (92.9%-90.1%), and corners (2-1). The Lions attempted more shots (6-3) and put more on target (2-1).

The teams opened the second half cautiously, with San Diego continuing to press high in the attacking end. Perelman made his first substitution in the 51st minute, sending Martin Ojeda in for Rhein, who played well in his return from a thigh injury.

Ellis made a good move to lead Orlando on the break in the 53rd minute. Dike fired from the right but Ian Murphy deflected it wide for a corner, but the Lions didn’t threaten from the set piece.

Ojeda worked himself free for an open shot just outside the box in the 59th minute but dos Santos went down to make a diving stop.

Atuesta won a corner on the recycled attack but again Orlando couldn’t pay it off.

Gabriel Pirani shot wide of the right post from the left for San Diego in the 69th minute on a shot that had little on it. Crepeau simply watched it roll gently out for a goal kick.

The Lions should have doubled the lead in the 72nd minute. Ojeda found Angulo in transition, putting the speedy attacker in on goal. Angulo rounded dos Santos despite a heavy touch and had a wide-open net. He went down from a light tug on the shoulder as he shot but got nothing on his effort, which Kieran Sargeant blocked on the line. Angulo wanted a penalty but it wasn’t much of a tug and he still should have scored. A yellow card was shown to the Orlando bench at the next stoppage for dissent.

Orlando had a couple of other near misses down the stretch. Ojeda showed he isn’t quite game sharp yet, as he and Griezmann nearly connected in the 84th minute. The Lions managed to win a corner off of it but couldn’t connect on the set piece. Substitute Luis Otavio picked up a yellow card to break up a potential counter off of the corner.

Substitute Tyrese Spicer got down the left flank in the 87th minute and sent a tantalizing low cross that somehow failed to find Ojeda or Marco Pasalic in the middle. Griezmann picked it up on the far right but dos Santos blocked his shot behind for another corner.

Midfielder Wilder Cartagena thought he’d scored on the ensuing set piece. The ball fell for him near the top of the area and he fired it toward goal. The ball looked like it hit the crossbar and then came off Manu Duah’s rear end and fell at the goal line. Part of the ball was across, but not the whole ball, and the spin carried it back out for San Diego to clear.

Nine minutes of stoppage time seemed like a lot, but there was little of note in those added minutes. San Diego’s best chance at an equalizer fell to Dreyer just outside the area right in the middle. The Designated Player fired a shot that hit the right post and stayed out, skipping out of play for a goal kick. After a late set piece, the match was over.

At full time, San Diego held the advantage in possession (54.2%-45.8%) and passing accuracy (91.5%-88.3%). Orlando City finished with more shots (15-7), shots on target (5-2), and corner, kicks (6-4).

“The win was very important,” Crepeau said. “We started the game confidently with the ball. Obviously, we were able to to hit them when their line was high sometimes, and then they were dangerous in transition in a couple of those moments, but we were able to shut the dangerous plays, and then the second half it was about finishing the game strong.”

It was obviously an emotional shutout win for the Canadian goalkeeper, which was visible when the final whistle blew.

“I’m grateful to be in a place where I’ve had so much support and love from my teammates, the staff, everybody in the organization, the city of Orlando,” Crepeau said. “I’ve had so many messages from all around the world, former teammates, even guys that I’ve played against, from Canada to the U.S., coast to coast. I’ve received so many messages. So, thank you to every single one of of the people that reached out. It’s something that I’m grateful (for), and I don’t take that support for granted.”

The Lions have a short turnaround with a road match Wednesday night in Atlanta.

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

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 5, 2026

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

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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