Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City started the 2023 MLS Regular Season with a 1-0 victory over the visiting New York Red Bulls. New York doubled Orlando City’s shot total, but Facundo Torres made a penalty kick when it mattered to give the Lions the win.
Let’s take a look at how each Lion performed individually in the opening day victory.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — El Pulpo made four saves and three clearances to earn his first clean sheet of the season and help give Orlando City the win. Gallese didn’t have that much to do as New York didn’t get many shots on target, but he stopped the ones they did get on frame. He was fouled twice in the same way by two different Red Bulls players blocking his kick by stepping in front of him. The biggest save came in the 86th minute when he made a stop with his shoulder at point blank range. His final save came on the last free kick in the 98th minute and was the last play of the match. His distribution was good when he wasn’t being fouled. He connected on eight long balls, on 28 passes, two long balls, and a 60.5% passing rate.
D, Luca Petrasso, 5.5 — Petrasso was mostly solid on the left for Orlando City. Like most on the defense, he occasionally got beat but usually recovered. Petrasso also contributed on the offensive side of the ball. He made a good cross in the 15th minute, but it was cleared by the defense. He won a free kick in the 17th minute for Orlando City, but it didn’t amount to anything. Defensively, he made two tackles, and one clearance. Petrasso had 43 touches with 24 passes and a 75% passing rate.
D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — Jansson was the leader on the back line for the Lions. That’s not to say he was perfect. He got beat on the ball in the 16th minute, but Gallese got to the ball to bail him out. He also gave the ball away and then committed the foul in the 22nd minute that gave the Red Bulls a dangerous free kick. He finished with one tackle, two clearances, one blocked shot, and one aerial won. He had 58 touches with 51 passes and a 70.6% passing rate. He grew into the game and eventually settled into the defender we expect.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel was mostly solid on the night and amazingly didn’t commit any fouls when the team committed 16. He had one tackle, one interception, one clearance, and two blocked shots. He had 48 touches with 38 passes for a 73.7% passing rate. He also won three aerials. Despite getting beat on a few plays, he did his share to keep the clean sheet.
D, Michael Halliday, 5 — The young defender occasionally got caught too far up the field, but he was having to battle John Tolkin most of the night. When he was in the attack he provided four crosses, with two of them well-placed. In his battle with Tolkin, he didn’t give up when he lost the ball in the 45th minute, but went and got it back, earning a throw-in. He fouled Tolkin in the 95th minute of stoppage just outside the box to give the red Bulls a free kick, but they were unable to convert. Statistically, he made two tackles, one interception, and two clearances, He had 48 touches with 28 passes for a 71.4% passing rate.
MF, César Araújo, 5.5 — It wasn’t a perfect night for the typically rock-solid defensive midfielder, but it wasn’t too bad either. He literally turned a defender around 360 degrees to earn a foul at one point. He had a bad giveaway in the 47th minute, but made up for it with a body block on the resulting shot. Statistically, he had two tackles, one interception, two clearances, and suffered six fouls in addition to the blocked shot. He had a total of 66 touches with 44 passes and a 77.4% passing rate. He also contributed a headed shot that produced the handball on New York.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 7 (MotM) — Angulo was everywhere up and down the left side of the field — and occasionally in the center and on the right. He had two dribbles and drew two fouls. He passed at a 71.4% rate on 21 passes, with a total of 36 touches. Defensively, he made three tackles, one interception, and received a yellow card for time wasting the 76th minute. He committed the foul in the 98th minute for a Red Bulls free kick, which was the opposition’s last chance at goal. Fortunately, it didn’t matter. The entire match he seemed to be in the right place to stifle a Red Bulls attack, or to move the ball forward for Orlando.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6 — Everyone, including Pereyra, was shaking off the cobwebs while dealing with New York’s high press. His deeper role meant he had to play more defense, and occasionally he got beat. Defensively, he managed one tackle, one interception, and committed one foul. He also earned a yellow in the 76th for time wasting. However, his passing was excellent at a team-high 81.4% on 43 passes.
MF, Facundo Torres, 6.5 — Torres took three shots, with only one on target. The good thing is that one was the penalty kick that gave Orlando City the lead, the win, and the team’s first win of the season. It was his corner kick to Araujo’s head that resulted in the handball for penalty. He passed at a 78.1% rate on 32 passes. He had one key pass, and one dribble. Like many on the team, the timing isn’t quite there so early in the season.
MF, Martín Ojeda, 5.5 — Ojeda was willing to get physical early and often tried to break the Red Bull press. He had some good ideas, but you can see his timing still a little off with his teammates. He managed one shot, though it wasn’t on target. His corner in the 74th minute was touched by the keeper, but it wasn’t called and resulted in a goal kick. He passed at a 62.5% rate on 24 passes with 34 total touches. He subbed off in the 78th minute for Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.
F, Ercan Kara, 4.5 — With Orlando City unable to break through the press most of the night, Kara’s touches and opportunities were understandably limited. He worked back into the midfield when needed to try to win balls and combine with teammates, but there just weren’t many of those opportunities with New York winning the bulk of the first balls. Kara only managed 13 touches, passed at a 66.7% rate on nine passes, and committed three fouls. He came off in the 63rd minute for Ramiro Enrique.
Substitutes
F, Ramiro Enrique (63’), 6 — Enrique came on for Kara and made a definite impact on the match. He provided some pace against the opposition’s tired legs. He made a nifty move in the 80th minute past Tolkin, took the ball across the top of the box, and took a shot, but it deflected wide for a corner. He had 14 touches, with three passes and a 66.7% passing rate. Defensively, he had one tackle and one clearance.
MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (78’), N/A — Dagur Dan made his MLS debut, coming on for Ojeda. With only three touches, and three passes, Thorhallsson didn’t do enough to earn a grade.
MF, Wilder Cartagena (90’), N/A — Cartagena came on for Pereyra. With only four touches, one pass, and one aerial won, Cartagena didn’t do enough to earn a grade.
D, Kyle Smith (90’), N/A — Smith came on for Torres to transition the defense into a five-man back line. With only one touch, and one pass, Smith didn’t do enough to earn a grade.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in a season opening victory for the Lions. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Rodrigo Schlegel | 11 |
| Robin Jansson | 17 |
| Dagur Dan Thorhallsson | 1 |
| Pedro Gallese | 139 |
| Cesar Araujo | 1 |
| Someone Else (tell us in the comments) | 1 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 3-0 home victory over the Revolution.
Orlando City hosted the New England Revolution, though I doubt the Revs found the visit very hospitable. The Lions poured on the goals, earning a 3-0 win over their Eastern Conference foe. The victory is the second in a row for Orlando City. Here are my five takeaways from an important win at home.
Successful Short Corner
We here at The Mane Land are anti-short corners, but the Lions actually scored a goal on one against the Revolution. I’ll consider it the exception that proves the rule. Martin Ojeda played the corner to Ivan Angulo, who was about six feet away on the end line. Angulo took a touch and then passed the ball out to an unmarked Rafael Santos. The left back pushed the ball to the left and launched a missile into the upper left corner to put the Lions on top. I’m not sure it was exactly like they worked it up in training, but it was darn effective that time. Please return to normal corner kicks as it almost certainly won’t work again.
Gil Handball
It’s rare that Carles Gil provides a goal opportunity for Orlando City rather than against the Lions, but that is exactly what happened. Gil decided that it was a good idea to throw his right arm out while defending Ojeda inside the box. His hand then hit the ball and the penalty was given. Facundo Torres buried the ball in the upper right corner of the goal just before the break, giving Orlando City a commanding 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
Gil Denied
I was a bit worried when the Revolution won a free kick just outside the box in the second half. Gil set up to take it with a four-man wall in his way. It was just the right distance for someone of his skill to pull one back for New England, but Pedro Gallese said no. Gil put the ball into the upper left corner with Gallese cheating towards the right side of the goal. Fortunately, El Pulpo covered the distance and slapped the shot away to maintain the clean sheet.
Orlando Runs on Duncan
Duncan McGuire needed all of five minutes on the pitch after coming on as a sub to score his first goal since June 28 against New York City FC. McGuire timed his run perfectly as Nico Lodeiro sent the ball in to him near the top of the box. McGuire put enough power on his shot to put it through the keeper and into the back of the net. They say that a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous in soccer. I absolutely do not agree with that, but 3-0 is empirically better than 2-0. Having Big Dunc scoring again is exactly what Orlando City needs.
Offensive Production
Orlando City has now scored three goals in two consecutive matches. The Lions took 20 shots, putting five on target and scoring on three. That’s pretty good. The goals are also coming from across the lineup. We expect Torres and McGuire to score goals, because that is what they do. The goal from Santos was as unexpected as it was beautiful. This type of production is what can help the Lions make the playoffs for a fourth year in a row.
It was a good night for those of us who support Orlando City. Hopefully, the Lions can keep the momentum going next week. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and as always Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Sweep Revs for First Time Ever
The Lions got their second consecutive 3-0 home victory and swept the Revolution for the first time in club history.
The Lions’ latest match went a lot like their last, as Orlando City defeated the New England Revolution 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. Two weeks removed from a 3-0 win over Nashville SC, Orlando (11-10-7, 40 points) got goals from Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres, and Duncan McGuire and two big saves from Pedro Gallese to shut out the Revs (8-16-3, 27 points), sweeping the season series from New England for the first time in club history.
With the win, the Lions finally climbed over the .500 mark on the season and also broke even at home (5-5-4).
“It seems like we were precise in the moments that we needed the most,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But the discipline and the commitment that we all have with the structure of the team just allow us to survive in moments where New England as well had their chances. So, while we’re growing collectively, the team will have a better chances to have performances like this and winning more points. So we’re happy with it.”
Pareja’s lineup included goalkeeper Gallese behind a back line of Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. David Brekalo was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons after experiencing muscle discomfort prior to the match. Cesar Araujo — who it turns out did not get booked in the last game, as the yellow card he was shown by the referee was actually for McGuire — and Wilder Cartagena started in the central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres with Ramiro Enrique up top.
The first half was played evenly in terms of territory, but the Lions created the most danger from their possession. It started early with a good ball across from the left that Torres volleyed just over the net in the 15th minute. Two minutes later, Enrique tried to pick out a streaking Ojeda in front of goal but the pass was too close to Revs goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic, who collected.
New England couldn’t do anything with a series of early set pieces, including two corners and a free kick from near the right corner.
A good buildup in the 20th minute ended up crossed from left to right and Thorhallsson sent a good ball back across for Enrique, who went for a spectacular volley but sent it well wide to the right. Thorhallsson was a problem for New England left back Peyton Miller throughout the half, and only a last-second intercession by Tim Parker prevented a good cross from getting through for a tap-in in the 22nd minute. However, the ensuing corner produced a spectacular goal for Orlando.
Ojeda played the ball short to Angulo on the end line. The Colombian turned and fired a pass to Santos outside the box. The Brazilian fullback wasn’t closed down and blasted a curling shot from 25 yards out that found the top left corner, beating Ivacic and making it 1-0. It’s sure to be an MLS Goal of the Matchday candidate.
“We’ve been working on that play for a while now, so you were attentive to the ball that was coming, and thankfully had the opportunity to score,” Santos said through a club interpreter.
“For me, it wasn’t surprising at all,” McGuire said of Santos’ blast. “We play two-touch every day after practice and he scores that goal 15 times a day. And it’s annoying because he always beats all of us. So, I’m honestly not surprised he scored that. When I saw him with that much space, I knew it was going to be a goal. And all the guys behind me (on the bench) were like, ‘That’s nothing we haven’t seen before.’ So yeah, it was definitely sick and I’m happy for him and hopefully he can keep that going as well.”
Cartagena tried to double the lead in the 28th minute after a quick steal in New England’s third, but he hit his shot off target to the left.
New England’s best chance came a minute later. The Lions were caught a bit disorganized on a Revolution attack, allowing space above the box. Ian Harkes ran onto a pass and blasted a shot high over the net from the top of the area.
The game was played in the middle third for the next 15 minutes but then Orlando found some space. Torres sent Enrique behind on the right, but the Argentine needed an extra touch to control the ball, and by the time he shot it, Dave Romney arrived to block it out of play for a corner in the 44th minute. Nothing came from the set piece, but the Lions struck again moments later.
A ball in the box hit the outstretched arm of Carles Gil and referee Tori Penso immediately signaled for a penalty. Torres stood over the spot kick and crushed it into the upper right corner to make it 2-0 in the second added minute. It was Torres’ 11th goal of the season. For Santos, it was his first goal of the season but just his second MLS goal.
“Taking a PK brings a lot of elements — confidence, talent, preparation, the mental part, in that moment, in that part of the game,” Pareja said. “But Facu’s attitude when the PKs come, including one that he lost, he’s very confident. He wants to do it. So, that mental part, we have a good option to score with him. And also he’s training. They spend time on that part.”
Ojeda nearly made it 3-0 in the final minute of first-half stoppage time, but his blast toward the near post was saved by Ivacic. The ball recycled to Araujo, who found Cartagena wide open, but the Peruvian’s shot was into the upper deck on the south end of the stadium. That was the last sight of goal for either side before the halftime whistle.
At the break, Orlando City held the edge in possession (50.5%-49.5%), shots (9-3), and shots on target (3-0). Both teams won two corners, and the Revolution passed more accurately (88.2%-85.9%).
The first part of the second half belonged to Orlando as well, with the Lions trying to fire through a crowd from the top of the box. Araujo’s shot deflected out for a corner in the 50th minute but the Lions couldn’t pay it off.
Torres blasted a shot from the top of the area off the right post five minutes later, as the Lions came forward in transition.
New England got on the front foot for a while starting in the hour mark. Araujo fouled Gil from behind unnecessarily, giving the Revs a free kick from 25 yards out. Gil hit the free kick well, but Gallese came across to his right with a huge save to keep it out of the net.
“When we were two zero, that was my main concern,” Pareja said about keeping New England from clawing back into the game. “I said, ‘We cannot let them believe in the game, and we need the third goal. If not, it will be complicated.’ And then comes that free kick. Pedro saved us, and they had a couple (more) chances too. It was a big challenge today. It was not easy.”
That set piece fired up the Revolution and they had the better of the play for a spell. Jansson did well to make a sliding block of a Giacomo Vrioni shot in the 62nd minute.
After Cartagena fired wide of goal in the 65th minute on a recycled corner kick, the Lions dodged a bullet. Gil’s hard cross through the area found its way to Vrioni on the left side of the box, but his redirect went just inches wide of the post in the 67th minute.
Orlando was able to regain control of the match for the final stretch. Torres was set up on the left in the 70th minute but fired just wide of the near post off a nice pass from Cartagena. A minute later, Thorhallsson fired wide and high from a tight angle on the right, which was probably the wrong choice as second-half sub McGuire was wide open in front of goal.
McGuire scored moments later anyway to put the game to bed. Torres played the ball wide right to sub Nico Lodeiro, who played McGuire in behind from the right with a lovely ball. McGuire had Torres streaking down the left but blasted a shot that Ivacic got a piece of but couldn’t keep out. The Lions led 3-0 in the 74th minute. It was McGuire’s eighth goal of the season but his first since June 28 against New York City FC.
“I saw a lot of space in the back line,” McGuire said. “I saw Nico had a lot of space as well. So I didn’t think he get pressed for a little bit. So, I had time to make a run and and Nico got his head up and played a great ball through, and fell a little lucky with the finish, but, you know, I’ll take it. It has been a while since I’ve scored. It’s been a bit annoying for my standard, so yeah, definitely glad to be back on the score sheet, but at the end of the day, if we’re winning as a team, then that’s all that matters.”
Lodeiro tried to make it 4-0 in the 79th minute on a free kick won by Thorhallsson just inches to the right of the penalty area. The Uruguayan went for goal but fizzed his shot just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
Gallese made another big save in the 83rd minute to deny Emmanuel Boateng, who had slipped in behind the right side of Orlando’s defense. The Peruvian came off his line to make the stop.
Each team had a good opportunity to score in stoppage time. Thorhallsson made yet another good pass to set up Cartagena at the top of the area in the second added minute but the Peruvian hit his shot straight at Ivacic, which left him talking to himself as he retreated back to his defensive position.
Moments later, Vrioni missed an open header just wide of the left post. That was the final opportunity of the match, and the Lions had their second consecutive 3-0 victory.
Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (54.4%-45.6%), shots (20-9), and shots on target (5-2). New England won more corners (7-5) and passed more accurately (89.1% 86.4%).
“Within the game, I thought we had control, and when we had the chances, that is something that just made me very optimistic,” said Pareja, who won his 170th MLS regular-season game to pull into a tie for fifth all-time with Dominc Kinnear. “We’re scoring goals again and that makes it look like we’re in a good place.”
Offense aside, the Lions haven’t conceded in two games, and kept Gil quiet most of the night.
“MLS has quality players at all times, so we knew what we had to concentrate and focus on,” Santos said. “And at the end of the day, it’s just not giving the opponent the opportunity, and that’s what we tried to do.”
Orlando City is back in action at home on Wednesday against Charlotte FC.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions look for their first-ever season sweep of the Revs.
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City and the New England Revolution (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the second of the two scheduled meetings between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season.
Here’s what you need to know for the match.
History
The Lions are 4-7-7 in the regular-season series against New England and 5-8-7 in all competitions. At home, Orlando City is 3-1-5 against the Revs in the regular season and 4-2-5 in all competitions.
The last meeting between the teams took place on July 13 at Gillette Stadium, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Facundo Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.
The teams last met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as Duncan McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Carles Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.
New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.
These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022 and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Matt Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.
New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel, in which the referee was quite lenient with Buksa’s treatment of the Orlando defender in the lead-up to Tajon Buchanan’s cross. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.
The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.
In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring 15 minutes in, but Nani tied things up less than 10 minutes later. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up with more than a half hour to play.
The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.
The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.
The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. Penilla and Fagundez provided the offense. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4. Orlando battled back from a 2-0 deficit after Juan Agudelo and Penilla found the net. Dwyer scored the first, and Amro Tarek added his first MLS goal to level things. Teal Bunbury restored the Revolution’s lead, but Scott Sutter headed home a Yoshimar Yotún set piece delivery in stoppage time to rescue a point for the Lions.
Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. Kaká scored a brace, with Dwyer getting his first home goal as an MLS Lion and Yotún and Antonio Nocerino each scoring their first-ever goal with OCSC. Seb Hines also scored for Orlando and Lee Nguyen got the Revs’ only tally on a free kick. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count and it could have been worse. Kei Kamara netted a hat trick and Bunbury also scored, with Nguyen assisting on all four goals to tie an MLS record. Jose Aja was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.
The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.
Overview
Orlando City hasn’t played in two weeks since defeating Nashville SC 3-0 at home Sept. 7. The Lions are 6-1-3 across all competitions in their last 10 matches. In league play, Orlando is 1-1-0 since the restart after Leagues Cup, and the Lions are just 4-5-4 at home in 2024, but tonight presents an opportunity to pull back to .500 at Inter&Co Stadium on the season.
The Revolution sit 12th in the Eastern Conference entering tonight but New England is just five points out of a spot in the postseason play-in game. The Revs have taken just one point from their last two matches (0-1-1) after a 2-2 draw last weekend at home against St. Louis City. New England is 4-8-0 on the road this year.
Having any success against New England usually demands that the opposition keeps tabs on Gil, one of the league’s most lethal playmakers and a guy who can score goals of his own as well. Gil has six goals — just three behind Revs’ leading scorer Giacomo Vrioni’s nine — and leads New England with eight assists. Vrioni is the key focal point for the Orlando defense to stop up top, and he’s already got a goal against Orlando this season. New England will be without suspended Head Coach Caleb Porter tonight after he criticized the officiating in his team’s recent draw against St. Louis.
“We have tried to keep the players in competition mode, and our training has been just exactly what we do normally when we are competing, whether it’s a weekend game or in between the week,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “We’re good. The work has been normal, and now we have the national team players here, so we’re ready.”
Orlando City will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg). New England will be without Thomas Chancalay (knee).
Match Content
- Our Intelligence Report provides more info on the Revs from Jake Catanese from independent New England blog, The Blazing Musket.
- Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for the match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.
Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.
Bench: Javier Otero, Luca Petrasso, Kyle Smith, Jeorgio Kocevski, Felipe, Nico Lodeiro, Yutaro Tsukada, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.
New England Revolution (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Aljaz Ivacic.
Defenders: Peyton Miller, Tim Parker, Dave Romney, Nick Lima.
Defensive Midfielders: Ian Harkes, Mark-Anthony Kaye.
Attacking Midfielders: Dylan Borrero, Carles Gil, Luca Langoni.
Forward: Giacomo Vrioni.
Bench: Earl Edwards, Jr., Andrew Farrell, Xavier Arreaga, Nacho Gil, Alhassan Yusuf, Tommy McNamara, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Emmanuel Boateng, Bobby Wood.
Referees
REF: Tori Penso.
AR1: Brooke Mayo.
AR2: Kathryn Nesbitt.
4TH: Rosendo Mendoza.
VAR: Geoff Gamble.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30p.m. ET.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the match. Go City!
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