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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Five Takeaways
A win is a win, even the ones that aren’t pretty. Orlando City fought off a tenacious New York Red Bulls team and was able to grind out a 1-0 win on opening night in front of an electric crowd at Exploria Stadium. When you think about it, the fact that the Lions have gone nine straight years in MLS without losing their opener is incredible.
Let’s dive into some of the details of the match.
That New York Press was Wicked
Rather than burying the Lions for their opening night performance, the correct response is to praise the visitors. The Red Bulls were relentless and that never stopped. New York imposed its will on the game, forcing Orlando into areas where the next pass became predictable and then the Red Bulls not only correctly predicted that next pass but also timed their interceptions well. New York nearly doubled Orlando’s interception total in the match, anticipating and reading the play out of the back well and keeping compact lines between the midfield and defense the few times Orlando was able to cross midfield. I honestly didn’t think the Red Bulls could keep that up for 90 minutes but to their credit, they did. Orlando will get better at handling it as Robin Jansson gets further removed from foot surgery, Mikey Halliday gains experience, Luca Petrasso and Martin Ojeda get more familiar with the movements of their teammates, and the calm, quick feet of Antonio Carlos return to the lineup. When even Cesar Araujo is struggling to find an outlet, that press is working well.
Opening Day Clean Sheets: An Oscar Pareja Tradition Unlike Any Other
Orlando City has yet to concede a goal in an opening match under Oscar Pareja. Papi took over the team prior to the 2020 season and his first two teams opened the year with 0-0 draws. The Lions bested CF Montreal 2-0 last season to start their campaign. On Saturday night, the team was at it again. Despite a plethora of horrible giveaways that could have been costly, the team recovered time and again to put out fires. Araujo made up for one such error by blocking the ensuing shot. Jansson took a yellow card after a gaffe of his own on a play that Gerhard Struber said should have been a straight red for denial of a goal-scoring chance but the replay showed Rodrigo Schlegel was inside the box with a potential angle to challenge Elias Manoel anyway. It also didn’t hurt that the Red Bulls missed the net on some good opportunities. Considering how much time the ball was on Orlando’s half of the field, it’s a testament to the defense that the visitors managed only 14 shot attempts, with just nine coming from open play and five from set pieces.
But there was another reason for the clean sheet…
Go Ahead and Build the El Pulpo Statue
The Red Bulls put only four of their shots on frame, but three of them were cannon blasts and Pedro Gallese handled everything they threw at him. Lewis Morgan’s blast in the 22nd minute may have been right at the Orlando goalkeeper but it had so much pace and power on it that all he could do was put his fists together and fight it off. That was the easiest save he made until the final touch of the game, when Casseres’ free kick cleared the wall but came straight to him. The two in between were the hard ones.
The first of those came in the 72nd minute. With a free kick from long range, Morgan played it backward to John Tolkin. The defender floated a hopeful ball into the box that Gallese punched out of the area. It was picked up by a New York player, who smashed it back toward goal through traffic. Gallese was still trying to recover from going to ground and he parried the shot away from his knees. The next was even tougher. Casseres picked up a loose ball in the box to Gallese’s left and blasted a shot from close range toward the near post. Gallese got his shoulder and face to it to stop what looked for all the world like the equalizing goal.
A Work in Progress
We’ve talked about it on The Mane Land PawedCast, but not everyone listens to that, so I’ll say it here: the offense is going to need a little time to gel with the addition of a key player like Martin Ojeda — and Gaston Gonzalez, when he gets in the lineup now that he’s returned from Argentina after securing his green card. These are players used to being on the ball. Despite them going through preseason with their teammates, there was a lot of travel back and forth for immigration paperwork purposes — notably, for the green cards for Facundo Torres, Ercan Kara, and Gonzalez. The pieces of the puzzle should ultimately fit together nicely. The friendly against New England was a glimpse of what it can look like, although a preseason scrimmage with no game planning can be misleading. There was evidence Saturday night of Ojeda and Torres (or Ojeda and Kara) sometimes not being able to read where the other was going. It will work itself out as they spend more time on the pitch together, but expecting perfection immediately is unrealistic.
The Fullback Play Looks Different
Going with two young guys on either side of the back line is going to have its ups and downs. We saw some of each on Saturday. There were some mistakes and misreads, but I thought Mikey Halliday and Luca Petrasso played well overall. They bring different skills to the table than what the club had with Joao Moutinho and Ruan. Moutinho was so good and effortless in the air and was adept at a timely sweep of the leg to dispossess opponents. Ruan just had that unteachable aspect of speed in swooping in to regain possession, and he had an ability to serve as an agent of chaos (which could be either good or bad).
Moutinho didn’t overlap much on the left side — possibly due to Ruan playing so high on the right — so it’s understandable that when Petrasso got forward a few times against New York, Ivan Angulo decided to take on two defenders rather than backheeling a pass into the corner for the left back to run onto with plenty of room to cross or cut in toward the box. On the other side, Halliday had a couple of nice crosses but also smashed a ball off the single guy in front of him with plenty of space to open himself up for a better look. The play was solid and the consistency will take some time.
Petrasso and Halliday look like they could become an excellent tandem for years with a little more seasoning, but there is going to be some inconsistency with two guys in their early 20s on the edges.
Bonus Takeaway: Enrique Brings Energy
We now know who will serve as Orlando’s new Benji Michel. Ramiro Enrique’s insertion into the match after the Lions took the lead was an important substitution. Not only were Enrique’s fresh legs noticeable against the defenders who had played all night for New York, but he has a high motor that allows him to win balls that it doesn’t appear he has any business winning. He also splashed his skill with the ball in the 80th minute when he undressed Tolkin — who had an incredibly good night for the Red Bulls — then beat a second defender to get a shot off. It was deflected out for a corner, but it was one of the highlight moments of the match for me, and I look forward to seeing the 21-year-old Argentine develop as a pro.
Those are the things I noticed on Saturday night. What stuck out to you? Let me know in the comments below.
Podcasts
SkoPurp Soccer Episode 144: Gotham Rewind, Seattle Preview, and More
The Pride finished their home schedule with a loss to Gotham and hope to finish their road schedule with a win in Seattle.
The Orlando Pride tried to send their fans home happy in their regular-season home finale, but despite an impressive overall performance against the league leaders, the Pride wasted numerous chances in front of goal and paid for two big mistakes at the back in what ultimately ended as a 2-1 loss in a season filled with far too many defeats. Solai Washington did so many things well, but despite a month’s worth of chances, she could only muster one goal. Still, it was a promising outing albeit in a developing story that won’t continue much longer this year.
We discuss the key plays, players, and moments, look back at our score predictions from last week, and select our Player of the Match.
This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Marta, the reasons for the Pride’s struggles in 2026, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.
Finally, we look ahead to Sunday’s season finale at the Seattle Reign. The Pride opened their 2026 season with a home loss to the Reign but would like to close it with a road win over Seattle to enter the off-season on a positive note. It won’t be easy, as the Reign are clinging to the last playoff spot and trying to catch rival Portland as multiple teams are trying to catch them. We look at Orlando’s attempt to play spoiler, check back on the series history, compare the teams’ positions in the table, provide our key matchups, and more.
Here’s how Episode 144 went down:
0:15 – The Pride finished their home schedule with a good performance but another poor result against the league’s top team.
20:07 – Our mailbagbox has questions about the GOAT.
38:26 – Seattle was the first 2026 opponent and will be the last 2026 opponent. We preview for the last time this season.
Podcasts
SkoPurp Soccer Episode 140: Bay FC Rewind, San Diego Preview, and More
The Pride keep their playoff hopes alive by eliminating Bay FC but things get tougher with San Diego visiting Friday.
The Orlando Pride remained perfect on the road against Bay FC with a 3-1 win on Sunday. Deuces were wild, as Haley McCutcheon, who wears jersey No. 2, scored in the second minute of both halves, and her two goals in California gave the midfielder her second brace of both the 2026 NWSL season and her career. Barbra Banda figured heavily in pulling defenders out of position on two of the three Orlando goals and assisted on Jacquie Ovalle’s right-footed thunderbolt in stoppage time to put the game away. But make no mistake, it’s not as if the Pride played well, turning the ball over often and conceding 28 shot attempts to the hosts.
We break down a road win that may have been more exhausting to watch than to play in (although I wouldn’t bet on it), check back on our score predictions, and make our selections for Player of the Match.
This week’s mailbagbox asked us about Haley McCutcheon, where to most strongly place the blame for the Pride’s disappointing season, and more. Remember, you can ask us anything by hitting us up on Twitter at either @TheManeLand or @SkoPurpSoccer and using the hashtag #AskSkoPurp. You can use that same hashtag and hit @TheManeLand.bsky.social up on Bluesky. Or you can visit our show page, scroll down, and fill out the handy form. We’d also appreciate any ratings or reviews you can leave wherever you get your podcasts, and if you do that on Apple Podcasts, we’ll find them easily and read them on the show.
Finally, we looked ahead to Friday, when Orlando will host San Diego Wave FC, looking to both complete a season sweep and to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. We look at the series history, provide our key matchups for the contest, and make our predictions for the final score.
Here’s how Episode 140 went down:
0:15 – The Pride improved to 2-1-1 under Yolanda Thomas, but a lot of good Cosette Morche saves were required to get that second win.
20:00- The mailbagbox asks us to play the blame game.
33:36 – The Pride continue to face California-based competition, but Friday’s opponent is much higher in the table than Sunday’s was.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando City restarts its 2026 MLS campaign late tonight out west at San Jose.
Welcome to your match thread for a late night midweek matchup tonight between Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) and the San Jose Earthquakes (10-3-2, 32 points) at PayPal Park (10:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams in 2026 and the first time the teams have met since 2024.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of tonight’s match.
History
Orlando City is 3-1-3 in the previous seven MLS meetings with the Quakes since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015. The Lions got their only away win in the series in the last meeting and enter tonight 1-1-2 on the road against San Jose.
The teams last met on May 18, 2024, with Jack Lynn coming off the bench to score the game’s only goal. Lynn’s strike in the 89th minute broke the scoreless deadlock and lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory.
The teams met in Orlando most recently way back on June 22, 2021, with the Lions beating the Quakes down, 5-0. Orlando got things started with an early penalty kick goal by Nani, followed by braces from Benji Michel and Daryl Dike to easily put the game away. The lasting memory from the game is Michel’s celebratory dance wearing a cowboy hat that came out of the stands.
Prior to that Orlando City romp, the last time the teams met was on Aug. 31, 2019 when the Lions got freight trained 3-0 at Avaya Stadium, giving the Quakes their first win in the series. San Jose’s offense came via a Chris Wondolowski brace and an early opening goal by Magnus Eriksson. Orlando looked flat and weary out of the gate.
The Lions were victorious in Exploria Stadium in the 2018 meeting on April 21, a 3-2 Orlando win. It was the first win in the series for either side after three straight draws. Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer gave the Lions a 3-0 lead before Florian Jungwirth pulled two back in the game’s late stages.
The Lions led all of the first three matches in the second half only to see San Jose pull level, with two of those tying goals coming late. In the 2017 meeting, Carlos Rivas finally broke the scoreless tie and gave Orlando City the lead in the 81st minute, but Wondolowski spoiled the Lions’ night with an equalizer two minutes later as the teams drew at Avaya Stadium, 1-1.
In 2016, the Lions were gut-punched in the 94th minute in an emotional match that ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first home match following the Pulse nightclub tragedy and what appeared to be a storybook ending to a cathartic win turned sour on a last-gasp equalizer by Shea Salinas. Seb Hines — now the Orlando Pride’s head coach — opened the scoring for Orlando, only to see Chad Barrett tie it up. Julio Baptista restored the lead in stoppage time, but Salinas ruined everything.
The two teams also drew in the first meeting, a 1-1 affair at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Lions down to 10 men after Brek Shea was sent off in the first half. Kaká and Wondolowski each scored from the penalty spot four minutes apart in that initial meeting.
Overview
The teams meet tonight to get their post-World Cup portion of the season started. Orlando City has been terrible on the road all season long, keeping only one MLS opponent under two goals all year away from home and allowing five goals twice (at New York City FC and Nashville) and six goals twice (at LAFC and in the team’s most recent match away at FC Cincinnati just before the break).
Orlando City is a putrid 1-6-1 on the road this season, and now the Lions must face the Western Conference co-leaders tonight before coming home to face Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC at home on Saturday. They’ll have to play at least tonight’s game without Martin Ojeda, who is out with a thigh injury sustained some time between his first-half goal a week ago in a friendly against FC Dallas and the time the availability report dropped on Tuesday.
But it isn’t all bad news for the Lions, who should have both Antoine Griezmann and Dike in the lineup. Griezmann was the club’s highly prized and widely publicized summer Designated Player signing, while Dike’s return to Orlando came together more recently, following his departure from West Bromwich Albion. They’ll help the club’s offense, but the attack hasn’t been the issue in 2026 — it’s been the historically porous defense, which is on pace to shatter the MLS record for goals conceded.
Meanwhile, San Jose is one of the first half of the season’s biggest surprises, as the Quakes have been outstanding in 2026. Scoring 34 goals while conceding just 15, San Jose is among the league leaders in goals scored (tied for third), goals conceded (third), and goal differential (+19, third).
The Earthquakes are 4-2-1 at home and are coming off a 3-1 road win at Portland in their last game prior to the World Cup break. San Jose boasts Golden Boot challenger Preston Judd, who leads the Quakes with 11 goals, adding two assists in his 15 appearances. Ousseni Bouda has chipped in five goals and three assists. Niko Tsakiris leads the team with seven assists to go along with his two goals, but he’s still recovering from a lower body injury and is not available tonight. However, the arrival of Timo Werner (four goals and five assists in just seven games) has truly elevated Bruce Arena’s Quakes, and he’ll need to be one of the main focal points for the Orlando defense.
To have any shot at taking something from this game, the Lions will need to play better road defense than they have all season. Orlando can score goals, but with Ojeda out, Griezmann will need to adapt quickly, and someone other than the team’s leading scorer will need to find the net.
The Lions will play without Ojeda (thigh), Joran Gerbet (knee), Nolan Miller (knee), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archage (international duty). In addition, Marco Pasalic may or may not have returned to the team after the World Cup. He was not in training Monday, although interim head coach Martin Perelman said he expected the Croatian back soon. The Earthquakes will be without Nonso Adimabua (lower body), former Lion Earl Edwards Jr. (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), and Tsakiris (you guessed it, lower body…come on, San Jose).
Match Content
- Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Adrian Marin, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.
Forwards: Justin Ellis, Antoine Griezmann.
Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer
San Jose Earthquakes (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn.
Defenders: Jamar Ricketts, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Benjamin Kikanovic.
Defensive Midfielders: Beau Lerouox, Ronaldo Vieira.
Attacking Midfielders: Timo Werner, Nick Fernandez, Ousseni Bouda.
Forwards: Preston Judd.
Bench: Jonathan Gonzalez, Dave Romney, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Jack Jasinski, Ian Harkes, Francesco Montali, Max Floriani, Darius Johnson.
Referees
REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Mike Nickerson.
4TH: Timothy Ford.
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.
How to Watch
Match Time: 10:30 p.m.
Venue: PayPal Park — San Jose, CA.
TV/Live Stream: 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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