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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Final Score 1-0 as Facundo Torres’ Goal Lifts Lions to Road Win

The Lions snapped a three-match losing streak and a five-match winless skid in league play with a win at Red Bull Arena.

Published

4 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Facundo Torres scored in the first half and Orlando City played well defensively to beat the New York Red Bulls, 1-0 on the road at Red Bull Arena. With the win, the Lions (9-10-6, 33 points) snapped a three-game losing streak and a five-match winless skid in MLS play. It was Orlando’s second straight win over the Red Bulls (10-8-7, 37 points) following last month’s U.S. Open Cup victory and only the team’s third win ever at Red Bull Arena (3-5-1),

“A tremendous victory for our team. A tremendous effort for the players,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “A tremendous week of work that they have done as well, after a couple weeks where we could say that we deserved much more but the game did not reward them. They kept pushing, and today, in a difficult place against a difficult rival, they confirmed first that they are committed with this group. Second, that what happened in Open Cup was not just a one-day thing.”

Pareja doubled down on 10 of his 11 starters from the past three matches, with the only change being Kyle Smith going into the lineup at right back for Ruan. As a result, Pedro Gallese took his place in between the sticks behind a back line of Joao Moutinho, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Smith. Cesar Araujo and Mauricio Pereyra played in central midfield behind an attacking line of Torres, Alexandre Pato, and Junior Urso, with Benji Michel up top.

The first shot of the match fell to New York in the third minute. A long throw from John Tolkin was headed out of the area by Carlos and came straight to Lewis Morgan, who fired immediately but sent his shot over the bar. A few minutes later, Kyle Duncan sent a shot well over off a free kick played short to the top of the box.

Orlando opened the scoring in transition in the 17th minute. Gallese sent a ball forward from the box toward Pato, who faked out a Red Bulls player and then chested it down, sending it to Urso up the middle. Urso cut to his left and sent a pass wide to Torres while Michel dragged a defender toward the middle. Torres fired from a tight angle and goalkeeper Carlos Coronel got a piece of it with his left foot, but it found the post and bounced into the back of the net to make it 1-0 .

It was Torres’ fifth goal of the MLS season and eighth in all matches (five MLS, two U.S. Open Cup, and one in the Arsenal friendly).

New York got forward more in transition late in the half as Orlando City held more of the ball. A turnover by Pato led to a counterattack that ended in a ball skipping through the six in the 33rd minute. Jansson blocked a Patryk Klimala cross out for a corner two minutes later.

Urso got taken off the ball by Tolkin moments later and Smith fouled him to set up a dangerous free kick. Tolkin sent the set piece short to Morgan, but Pereyra did well to close and block the shot in the 37th minute. A minute later, Morgan sent a shot just inches over the bar from the left after Orlando City failed to adequately defend the box, allowing the ball to ping around from New York’s right to left.

The Lions had an excellent chance to make it 2-0 in the 41st minute as Torres got to the end line and cut a good pass back for Pato, who attempted to take his shot right away. Pato was hit from behind while he was in the process of shooting by Dru Yearwood, who got a significant chunk of the forward’s plant leg cutting across from behind. Referee Rubiel Vazquez and video assistant referee Joe Dickerson judged it to be a fair challenge, but Pato had to be stretchered off in a lot of pain.

Pareja said the play was a foul in the box in his eyes.

“We could have gone to two-zero with the PK they didn’t call against Pato that hurt him also. I don’t know why they didn’t see that,” Pareja said. “Everybody tries to do their job well. I think referees try very hard to do it well and sometimes it works, sometimes not. The play was a foul because it was the player who hurt (Pato) and I thought it was surely when he tackled his knee.”

Pato left the stadium on crutches and Pareja said they’ll have to wait for a medical evaluation to determine his condition.

Pareja sent Jake Mulraney on to see out the first half, with the delay for the injury costing the Lions a substitution window as Orlando couldn’t afford to risk playing four minutes while a man down at the end of the half.

The Lions escaped a late scare on a pair of turnovers by Smith in his own defensive third and Carlos did well to clear a corner kick, allowing Orlando to get into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

Orlando held more possession (58.5%-41.5%) despite starting the game by absorbing pressure, and passed more accurately (79.8%-70%). New York had more shots (5-2), although Orlando got one on target to none for the hosts, and more corners (3-1) than the Lions.

Without Pato, Pereyra moved back into the No. 10 role and Urso left the wing, dropping back deeper to his No. 8 spot. Orlando wasn’t able to create much of anything after halftime and didn’t even register a shot in the second 45 minutes.

Smith conceded a dangerous free kick early in the second half after Tolkin beat him. Morgan’s set piece was cleared to Frankie Amaya, who sent a shot right at Gallese in the 48th minute. Three minutes later, Urso coughed up the ball in his own half and Klimala blasted a shot well wide.

Mulraney crossed in from the left on one of Orlando’s rare forays into the final third in the 55th minute but hit his pass deep into the six, where it was easily caught by Coronel. After a poor shot from distance by Amaya, Moutinho got forward and sent the ball into the area but nobody made a near-post run and Coronel again collected.

Luquinhas fired over the bar in the 66th minute off a long throw-in. He was freed up for the shot when Carlos mistimed his jump and missed his attempt to clear with a header. Araujo did well to read a cutback pass in the 77th minute and chest it away for the clearance but the Red Bulls kept coming.

Cameron Harper sent a shot/cross just over Gallese’s bar in the 83rd minute. Moments later, Orlando did nothing with a corner kick and Luquinhas got down the right side of the box in transition, sending a shot into the outside netting from a severe angle.

Omir Fernandez and Tom Barlow came nowhere near hitting the net as time wound down, but substitute Tesho Akindele conceded an unnecessary free kick just outside the box to Gallese’s right late in stoppage time. Morgan sent the set piece on target, but Moutinho got his head on it just in front of the line and it was cleared by midfielder Wilder Cartagena, who subbed on late to make his Orlando City debut.

That was the last decent look for either side and even though Vazquez allowed yet another attack nearly a minute after his already generous five minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle eventually blew on a much-needed Orlando victory.

Orlando finished the match with more possession (55.1%-44.9%) and passing accuracy (73.4%-69.3%), with each team winning four corner kicks. New York badly out-shot Orlando (15-2), with each getting one on target, but the Lions prevented the Red Bulls from getting into good scoring positions throughout the match and the hosts were forced to take most of their shots either from outside the area or from wide areas.

“Sometimes the game’s like that,” Mulraney said about the lack of chances created in the second half. “Sometimes you score five goals like you did last time. Sometimes you just have to grind out the three points and we did that tonight.”

The Lions will be back on the road next Sunday night when they visit Charlotte for the first time. They’ll have to play without Moutinho, who picked up a yellow card in the match and will be suspended for caution accumulation.

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Orlando City

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

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

Published

9 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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

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

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

History

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

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

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

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

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

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

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

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

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

Referees:

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

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

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

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

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

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

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

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