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Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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2 years ago

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In Orlando City’s first road match of the 2023 MLS season, the Lions went to Audi Field and left with a point in a 1-1 draw. Duncan McGuire became the first 2023 MLS SuperDraft pick to score this season. However, Chris Durkin scored the first goal against Orlando this year to ruin what would have been a nice road win. Like last weekend, Orlando went with a rotated squad in preparation for its Concacaf Champions League match against Tigres this Wednesday. Here’s how each Lion individually performed in the draw.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 (MotM) — Gallese’s great run of form continued in this match, as he came up with four saves. His best save of the night came in the 26th minute as he denied Christian Benteke’s shot directly in front of goal. The Belgian forward’s shot could’ve been better, but it was still a fantastic stop from El Pulpo. Minutes later, he came up with another great save to parry away a quick shot from Theodore Ku-DiPietro. The Peruvian also did well to get his hand to a few dangerous crosses early in the match, including one from former Lion Ruan. However, his clean sheet was ruined in the second half as he couldn’t keep out a curling shot from Durkin that got past him and in. His distribution could have been a bit better, as he was accurate on just one of his nine long balls and completed 60% of his 20 passes. Still, Gallese made huge saves and snuffed out chances that could have led to more.

D, Abdi Salim, 5.5 — Like last week against FC Cincinnati, Salim played as one of three center backs for Orlando City. The 21-year-old’s night included both ups and downs and he was subbed off at halftime as the Lions switched to a four-man back line. His lowest moment was when he whiffed on a header in the box, leaving Benteke alone in front of goal with all the time in the world to set up his shot. Overall, it was still a decent outing from the defender as he put out a few fires on his side of the field. D.C. often targeted the left side of Orlando’s defense though, which is partly why Salim finished with just a tackle and a blocked shot. He completed all but one of his 12 passes and his lone cross found its mark as well. With Orlando already rotating its roster this season and its lack of depth at center back, these were valuable minutes from the draft pick.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — The center back anchored Orlando City’s back line and led the team with 10 clearances. Although he only won two of his six aerial battles, Schlegel did well putting a body on Benteke so that he couldn’t get much power or accuracy behind his headers. He and Kyle Smith each had an opportunity to break up the play down the flank that led to the equalizing goal but couldn’t gain control. He played every minute of the match and finished with a tackle, an interception, and a blocked shot. Although none of his three long balls found their target, he had 30 passes at a decent 86.7% success rate. It was a strong whistle-to-whistle performance from the Argentine center back while Antonio Carlos works his way back from injury.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Playing as one of Orlando’s center backs for the first half and at right back in the second, Smith did well to limit D.C United’s game plan of whipping in crosses for Benteke. While he doesn’t rival Benteke in size, Smith still did well to make life difficult for the forward in the air. He won four of his six aerial duels and contributed four tackles and two interceptions before being subbed off in the 84th minute. Three of his seven long balls were accurate and one of his two crosses was successful. However, that successful cross was a secondary assist as it found Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, who then served it to Duncan McGuire on a silver platter. Smith also completed 74.4% of his 43 passes and picked up a yellow card in the 77th minute. He could have done better to stop the buildup to Durkin’s goal.

WB/MF, Rafael Santos, 6 — The Brazilian made his Orlando City debut and saw plenty of the ball, leading the Lions with 69 touches. His passing could have been a bit better as he only completed 69.8% of his 43 attempts. Despite playing out wide, Santos didn’t have many crossing opportunities, succeeding on one of his two attempts. He was credited with a key pass for setting up Wilder Cartagena’s shot from distance, and one of his four long balls was accurate. For the most part, he was solid defensively. While Ruan’s speed gave him trouble and he was spun around a few times, Santos finished with six clearances, four tackles, an interception, and won both of his defensive aerial duels. More time in the league playing alongside his teammates may help him better defend near the endlines to limit the kind of chances D.C. was able to create, and he’ll rarely have to deal with someone with Ruan’s pace.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 5.5 — It was a decent, albeit unspectacular, performance from the Peruvian midfielder. His 45 passes were a team-high and he completed them at an 80% rate, while connecting on two of his four long balls. On the defensive side of things, Cartagena recorded a blocked shot, three clearances, two interceptions, and three tackles. He also committed three fouls to help slow down D.C. without receiving a booking. Cartagena’s lone shot of the match was a try from a mile out that was blocked. He did have some trouble in the air though, only winning one of his six aerial duels. There was a worrying moment where a penalty was called for a handball by him in the box, but he did well to tuck his arm behind his back in the heat of the moment and the right call was made after review.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 5 — The captain provided danger on occasion, but wasn’t able to deliver some of the game-breaking passes we’ve seen from him over the years. Pereyra had one key pass and no shots as Orlando’s offense continued to struggle for most of the match. However, he did set up a nice chance for Facundo Torres in the first half after a series of passes between the two. In 63 minutes of action, he had just 24 passes at a 75% success rate, completed his single long ball, and was inaccurate on his one cross. Pereyra helped out defensively with four tackles. Considering he had a middling performance with a rotated squad last weekend as well, he may just need some time to find how he can best pull the strings in this formation.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 7 — The Icelandic midfielder had a great game, notching his first assist as a Lion. Thorhallsson did well to not only get on the end of a cross by Smith, but also redirect it right at McGuire for the easy tap-in. He also had two shots of his own, although the one he put on target did little to trouble Tyler Miller. Although he could have been more clinical at times, he did well with the ball at his feet and was successful on all four of his dribbles. Thorhallsson completed 84.9% of his 33 passes, missed on his single cross, and had a tackle.

WB/MF, Ivan Angulo, 5 — Angulo was provided plenty of room to work with on the right wing, but ultimately wasn’t able to provide much of an offensive impact beyond good positioning and collecting loose balls. That being said, his only cross of the match was accurate and a key pass as it connected with Torres’s head in front of goal. He was successful on two of his four dribbles and had three unstable touches. Of his 26 passes, 76.9% of them were completed and he had a tackle, a clearance, and an interception on defense. The statistics won’t reflect his hustle up and down the wing to make himself an outlet if needed and get back defensively. Despite his speed on the field, he’s having a slow start to 2023.

F, Facundo Torres, 6 — Torres was often swarmed by D.C. players when the ball came his way. As a result, he often had to make quick passes and then sprint into a better position rather than dribbling. He had a good opportunity late in the first half after one such case of link-up play, connecting with Pereyra to weave through traffic. However, his touch was too heavy in the end and Miller was there to gather the ball before he could get back to it. His only shot of the match was a header in the box, but it lofted over the goal. Torres had one key pass as well, setting up a shot for Thorhallsson. Only 76.2% of his 21 passes were successful and he didn’t have any crosses or defensive statistics. Although he wasn’t able to bend the game to his will, Orlando’s best offensive moments in the first half usually involved him. He was subbed off at halftime for some rest before Wednesday.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6.5 — There aren’t many better things to do in your MLS debut than score and McGuire did just that. After a cross from Smith zipped past him, McGuire did well to stay alert and get in a good position to put away a pass back towards him from Thorhallsson. There was some disconnect between him and Torres early on, but it improved as the match went on and they teamed up for a chance right before halftime. Torres headed a great pass into space for him, but his left-footed cross was deflected out for a corner. He showed plenty of hustle while on the field as well, racing back to defend and contributing three clearances. He played every minute of the match, but his goal was his only shot and he didn’t have a key pass. In the first half, the team’s offensive struggles limited his touches, as they have for everyone who has played up top so far this season, but the game opened up a bit after Orlando changed formations at halftime. McGuire won three of his 11 aerial duels and had 25 passes at a 60% success rate. His goal overshadows some of the other aspects of his performance, but it was his first start and he will only improve as time goes on.

Substitutes

D, Robin Jansson (45’), 6.5 — The center back may have only played for the second half, but he was constantly involved, with 30 touches. His 63.6% success rate on 22 passes could have been better, but he had a team-high five successful long balls from 11 attempts. The Beefy Swede blocked a shot and made six clearances to help ensure Orlando left D.C. with a result. He also had a shot from a free kick designed to deliver a low cross for him to run onto, but the ball skipped along the field and he couldn’t keep from sending it into the stands.

MF, Martín Ojeda (45’), 6 — Ojeda led the Lions with three shots, but none were particularly threatening. He put two of them on target, but all three were taken from outside the box and didn’t force tough saves from Miller. His two key passes were also a team high, although not much came from the ensuing shots. While he only had 19 passes at a 73.7% success rate, and neither of his long balls found their mark, it was nice to see Ojeda take some chances and create some others. He also contributed on defense with a pair of clearances and clogged up some of D.C.’s passing lanes.

MF, Cesar Araujo (63’), 5.5 — Coming on for Pereyra in the second half, Araujo brought some stability to the midfield as Orlando aimed to keep its lead. He had 17 passes at an 82.4% success rate, was accurate on his only long ball, and had a key pass by teeing up a shot for Ojeda. Araujo also had three clearances, a tackle, and an interception to help Orlando’s back line. On D.C.’s goal, he overcommitted when Durkin seemed poised to shoot with his right foot, only to be out of position when the D.C. attacker cut back to his left foot. Although Orlando couldn’t hold onto its lead, Araujo helped Orlando handle a chaotic second half.

MF, Gaston Gonzalez (67’), 4.5 — The winger only had 13 touches and completed just three of his four passes in a performance that could have been better coming off the bench with fresh legs. Gonzalez committed three fouls and was not able to make an impact on offense, with neither of his crosses finding their target. However, he did win a foul in a dangerous position for Orlando by fighting for a loose ball with Ruan and had a clearance.

D, Michael Halliday (83’), N/A — The right back came on for Smith late in the match and had seven passes at an 85.7% success rate. He contributed a clearance on defense and shored up the right side of the field for Orlando. While he didn’t have a cross, he did well when needed for Orlando not to end the match empty-handed.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando’s second draw of the season. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to vote for your Man of the Match below.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Pedro Gallese31
Duncan McGuire0
Dagur Dan Thorhallsson7
Rodrigo Schlegel0
Robin Jansson0
Other (Tell us in the comments below)0

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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-1 as Lions Continue to Struggle at Yankee Stadium

Once again, Orlando City failed to solve the tiny puzzle of Yankee Stadium, falling on the road.

Published

11 hours ago

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March 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City FC

Orlando City dropped to 0-4-2 in its last six meetings against New York City FC, struggling with turnovers and defending in a 2-1 loss at Yankee Stadium. The Lions (1-2-0, 3 points) handed NYCFC (1-1-1, 4 points) their first win of the season by conceding just moments after Luis Muriel scored a second-half equalizer and then failing to do anything with a man advantage for the final five minutes plus five more minutes of added time. Alonso Martinez and Hannes Wolf scored for the hosts, who were gifted the ball in their attacking half all night.

“Our feelings now are strong on the way we gave up the goals, and I think that changed the story of the game,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The game was well played by Orlando. I thought we had very good chances and the way we neutralized the forwards in the way they attacked was very correct. I thought the discipline for the boys was very similar to where we planned during the week.”

Pareja’s lineup featured a couple of changes, with captain Robin Jansson making his season debut in the starting lineup after missing the team’s first two matches with a thigh injury. Luis Muriel got his first start of the year up top in place of Ramiro Enrique. Pedro Gallese started in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Marco Pasalic, with Muriel up top.

The first half was as sloppy and helter skelter as Orlando’s games at Yankee Stadium usually are. Once the Lions settled in and started creating some chances, they were wasteful with them, blowing a couple of golden opportunities to break the scoreless deadlock without even troubling NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese.

The Pigeons dominated the first 10 minutes, with the Lions barely able to successfully complete more than two consecutive passes. The hosts won their first corner early on when Freeman was forced into some emergency defending to clear a dangerous ball into the box. A short corner ended up with a ball in the box bouncing off the heads of Jonathan Shore and Keaton Parks before sailing over the net in the fourth minute.

NYCFC kept winning set pieces and getting the ball into the area in the early going. A Justin Haak shot off a free kick conceded by Atuesta won a second corner. Parks got his header closer in the eighth minute but popped it up, allowing Gallese to claim it in the air.

Orlando finally got a look at goal in the 12th minute. Angulo did well to find Muriel in the middle with a cross, but the Colombian couldn’t get any power on his header and popped it just inches over the crossbar. That began a good spell for Orlando City in which the Lions were able to recover the ball in the attacking half and create chances.

However, the Lions wasted those opportunities. Pasalic found himself open at the top of the area in the 16th minute but scuffed his shot and sent it wide. A minute later, Freeman did well to pick out Muriel, who shook free and fired with his weaker right foot, but again the shot went wide. Orlando City had two more good-looking attack buildups go awry moments later, with Angulo and then Atuesta giving the ball away.

New York City FC got back on the front foot, with Jansson nearly scoring an own goal in the 20th minute as Freeman and Pasalic got burned down the defensive right side to allow a dangerous cross into the area.

In the 22nd minute, it was Santos giving the ball away cheaply to ignite the NYCFC attack. Schlegel cleared the entry ball out, but only as far as Julian Fernandez at the top of the area on the right. The winger smashed a shot into the outside netting.

Martinez forced a Gallese save on a bouncing shot in the 25th minute after Angulo coughed up the ball in the attacking third by trying to dribble three defenders and jumpstarting the attack for the hosts.

Atuesta sent a poor shot well wide, and Muriel and Pasalic each had shots blocked late in the first half and the teams went to the break scoreless.

The hosts held the advantage in possession (62%-38%), shots on target (2-0), corners (4-1), and passing accuracy (79.8%-71.5%). The Lions attempted more shots (8-4) but did absolutely nothing with any of them, including two great chances to open the scoring.

If anything, the Lions were sloppier with the ball in the second half. Failures to adequately clear lines with time and space and giveaways even when outnumbering the opponents were problems.

Just like the first half, NYCFC came out with more energy than Orlando City and started creating issues and winning corners early. The Lions were able to hold on through those early moments.

Muriel finally got Orlando City a shot on target in the 58th minute, taking a nice ball from Ojeda and firing from the right with his weaker right foot, forcing a sprawling, if not difficult, save. It was a costly missed opportunity, because the hosts opened the scoring a minute later.

Orlando had possession in the defensive third, but kept making unexpected short, weak passes to each other and eventually NYCFC pounced, as Atuesta barely got a touch on the ball before being dispossessed. That to a Maxi Moralez shot from distance that hit off the post. Gallese had sold out to try to stop it and was unable to reach the rebound before Martinez raced past the defense and swept it into the empty net to make it 1-0 in the 59th minute.

“I think it’s something that we expected, and we had worked during the week to be able to withstand that burst of energy in the first (15 minuts) of each half,” Muriel said. “But yeah, especially New York City playing at home tonight, the energy they had in the first 15 was expected, but it was also noticeable on our part. And you know, at the end of the day, we have to continue working as we move forward to take the results that we want and get better from here.”

Fernandez cut inside of Santos and fired a shot in the 62nd minute, but Gallese was there to make the save.

The Lions got back into the attack finally but could do nothing with a corner kick opportunity and Santos was caught between two minds in the 67th minute, sending either a weak shot or a poor cross right at Freese from the left wing. A minute later, the ball found Pasalic in the area with space, but he took too much time on the ball and was dispossessed.

Orlando City equalized in the 69th minute anyway, and Pasalic played a part in the goal. The Croatian pounced on a heavy touch by the opposition and broke up field. He did well to wait for Muriel’s run and fed the ball right. Muriel fired home inside the left post to make it 1-1 in the 69th minute.

“Marco was crossing in front for that quick touch and turned it into space. And he was able to really take it forward, and he controlled the space well and allowed me time to run into that open space,” Muriel said. “And he played a great ball that basically all I had to do was was finish it and put it on goal.”

“What we felt as soon as we tied the game, it was that we were not just controlling the game, (but) that we had the chance to win it,” Pareja said.

The hosts pulled the goal back almost immediately as the Lions fell asleep defensively. Schlegel got pulled out to the right in the buildup, with Araujo dropping into the middle. Martinez took a shot from distance that Gallese palmed down, but the Peruvian did a poor job with his rebound control, leaving the ball unattended in front of goal. Fernandez had made a run in behind, with Araujo’s presence keeping him just onside on the play. As a result, Fernandez got to the ball first and squared it back across to Wolf for an easy goal that proved to be the game winner in the 71st minute.

“It’s very obvious that we conceded too many goals on those three games,” Pareja said. “We can share the same thoughts that we find a way to defend much better. But when you see the nature of the goals, it may be even more painful, because it was not structural. It was something probably that we could correct better individually. But it’s the reality that we have, and surely we will keep addressing that part.”

Atuesta had a chance to pull Orlando level again when he found the ball inside the box in the 78th minute and fired a shot on target, but he left it too close to Freese, who made the save.

Orlando was thrown a lifeline in the 86th minute when Kevin O’Toole saw a second yellow in nine minutes for pulling back substitute Gustavo Caraballo. The NYCFC player was sent off, giving the Lions a man advantage for the final minutes of normal time and five added minutes.

The Lions’ moment came in the 90th minute. Freeman won a corner kick and Caraballo’s service found Araujo near the back post for a free header. The midfielder got under the ball and popped it up over the net, wasting a great opportunity.

Orlando generated nothing of note in injury time and the referee didn’t add anything to the five extra minutes for egregious time wasting by Freese, ending the proceedings with Orlando’s second loss of the young season.

New York City FC finished with the advantage in possession (56.3%-43.8%), shots on target (8-3), corners (7-4), and passing accuracy (78.9%-76.2%). The Lions edged the hosts in total shot attempts (14-13).

“We were the team who had probably — especially in that first half — the clear possibilities,” Pareja said. “But definitely our pain right now is how we conceded those goals, and that’s what just brings this feeling of frustration.”

The Lions will return home, but they’ll have to fly northeast again next weekend as they look to bounce back when they visit the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.

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

The Lions hit the road for the first time in 2025 as they visit the confining confines of Yankee Stadium.

Published

23 hours ago

on

March 8, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (1-1-0, 3 points) and New York City FC (0-1-1, 1 point) at Yankee Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the Lions and Pigeons this season, with NYCFC making the return trip to Orlando on July 16. A fun fact about this match is that it takes place 10 years to the day since these teams met in their first MLS match at the Citrus Bowl in 2015.

Here is what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 7-9-8 in 24 meetings with NYCFC in the all-time series in MLS play and 7-9-10 including one playoff match and one U.S. Open Cup meeting (remember, games that go to penalty shootouts in knockout competitions officially count as draws), so the series between the two 2015 expansion sides has proven to be a competitive one. Orlando is just 2-7-2 on the road in regular-season games in the all-time series. New York City FC has gotten the better of Orlando the last couple of years, as the Lions are 0-3-2 in the last five meetings between the teams.

The teams last met on July 20, 2024 in Orlando, playing to a 1-1 draw. Ramiro Enrique and Hannes Wolf traded goals five minutes apart in the second half to account for all the scoring. The Lions and Pigeons met at Yankee Stadium on June 28, with New York City FC winning 4-2. An early Santiago Rodriguez goal opened the scoring and then things went horribly wrong when an obviously offside Malachi Jones collided hard with Orlando goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar. Both players left the game and both had season-ending surgery to repair broken tibias and fibulas. Javier Otero made his MLS debut in goal off the bench and the Lions allowed two goals in first-half stoppage time to let a close game get out of hand. Orlando pulled two goals back through Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Duncan McGuire, but Mounsef Bakrar sealed the game late for NYCFC.

The teams met at Citi Field — a different baseball stadium than NYCFC’s usual one — on Sept. 20, 2023. The Pigeons were rude hosts, winning 2-0 on goals by Bakrar and Talles Magno. It snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten run but the Lions clinched a playoff spot that day anyway due to other results around the league.

These teams also met in Orlando on May 17, and with the Lions poised for a 1-0 win, NYCFC eked out a late 1-1 draw with an 89th-minute Gabriel Segal goal out of nowhere. Ercan Kara scored for Orlando City early on, but the Lions were wasteful with opportunities for the rest of the match.

The teams faced off at Red Bull Arena (one of NYCFC’s many homes away from home) on Oct. 2, 2022, with the Pigeons erasing a 1-0 halftime deficit that Facundo Torres provided. The “hosts” got second-half goals from Alex Callens and Magno to complete the comeback and win, 2-1. Earlier in the year at Exploria Stadium, the Lions got a Tesho Akindele goal at the death, stunning NYCFC as Orlando City won 2-1 on Aug. 28, 2022. Junior Urso and Maxi Moralez had scored early in the first and second half, respectively, to set up Akindele’s dramatic late winner.

Orlando City had a five-game unbeaten streak in the series (1-0-4) absolutely demolished on July 25, 2021 in a 5-0 OCSC loss at Yankee Stadium. The Lions started a makeshift lineup, and it showed, as the Pigeons got goals from Jesus Medina, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, Moralez, Malte Amundsen, and Valentin Castellanos. Why the makeshift lineup? That match was sandwiched between home games against Philadelphia and Atlanta, with quick turnarounds for each. The strategy was sound, as Orlando won the other two games in that nine-day span.

The teams met in Orlando on May 8, 2021 and drew 1-1. Nani smashed a golazo in the second half to put the Lions on top, but Joao Moutinho fouled Tajouri-Shradi in the box and Castellanos scored from the spot to equalize.

The last meeting of the 2020 season happened in the postseason and things got weird. Orlando City ultimately prevailed in penalties after a 1-1 postseason draw on Nov. 21, 2020. Nani put Orlando ahead from the penalty spot, only to see Maxime Chanot equalize on a set piece. Extra time couldn’t settle it, so to penalties we went, and the Lions advanced thanks to a save by defender Rodrigo Schlegel — after goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was sent off with a second yellow for coming off his line early. Benji Michel’s blast was the difference in the shootout. (Seriously, just click the above link in this paragraph and relive that madness.)

The Lions and Pigeons wrapped the 2020 season series on Oct. 14 at Exploria Stadium, playing to a 1-1 draw. Chris Mueller opened the scoring but Keaton Parks equalized just before halftime. The first meeting of 2020 also took place in Central Florida in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 14, when Mueller’s brace and a late Akindele insurance goal led Orlando to a 3-1 win. Medina scored for NYCFC. That win snapped Orlando City’s 0-4-3 streak in the previous seven competitive meetings with the Pigeons. The last match in that winless streak against NYCFC was a 1-1 draw, with the Lions then dispatching NYCFC from the U.S. Open Cup in a penalty shootout on July 10, 2019. That night has been immortalized for the running of The Wall and Adam Grinwis’ heroics in goal.

The teams drew both regular-season meetings in 2019, 1-1 on April 27 at Yankee Stadium, and 2-2 on opening day at Exploria Stadium. NYCFC took all three meetings in a dismal 2018 season series. The Lions went 2-1-0 against New York City FC in 2017, including a win to christen the stadium now known as Exploria with Cyle Larin scoring the only goal in a 1-0 OCSC win. Orlando was 3-1-2 in 2015 and 2016 in the first six meetings with NYCFC.

Match Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 4-2 victory over Toronto FC a week ago. The Lions have started the season quickly in the attack — sitting second in the conference in goals scored (6) — while the defense has struggled with individual mistakes and poor marking on set pieces. It will be interesting to see if Orlando sits back and looks to counter on a field that often punishes visiting teams for errant passes or heavy touches on both ends of the pitch in the team’s first away test of the year. Last season, the Lions were road warriors, going 8-6-3 away from Inter&Co Stadium, but they lost on the road to NYCFC.

New York City FC is playing in its home opener after starting the season with two straight road games. The Pigeons are coming off a 1-0 loss at LAFC on the heels of a 2-2 draw at Inter Miami, in which the Herons tied the game late. It’s been a good defensive start to the season for NYCFC, which is tied for second-fewest goals against in the Eastern Conference on the young season. NYCFC went 10-4-3 at home a year ago, so there is a clear advantage to being used to playing in the tight quarters of Yankee Stadium.

The Lions must try to keep Alonso Martinez under wraps. He’s hurt Orlando before and already has one of his team’s two goals this season. Moralez is always a dangerous provider and has an assist.

“We have competed at Yankee Stadium a few times in the last three or four years. We have to find a way to accommodate ourselves and also put out consistent performances,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “A good thing is that we are scoring goals, but the thing we have to correct is to stop conceding that many. We also know that the individual production has to be better. So, the plays and the stadium are part of the game and what we are concentrating on right now is being a better team and better individually.”

Orlando City will be without David Brekalo (shoulder), Wilder Cartagena (Achilles), Favian Loyola (thigh), Duncan McGuire (shoulder), Nico Rodríguez (thigh), and Yutaro Tsukada (knee), while Robin Jansson (thigh) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Alex Freeman.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Eduard Atuesta.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.

Forward: Luis Muriel.

Bench: Javier Otero, Kyle Smith, Thomas Williams, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Joran Gerbet, Colin Guske, Gustavo Caraballo, Shak Mohammed, Ramiro Enrique.

New York City FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese.

Defenders: Kevin O’Toole, Thiago Martins, Justin Haak, Mitja Ilenič.

Midfielders: Maxi Moralez, Jonathan Shore, Keaton Parks.

Forwards: Hannes Wolf, Alonso Martínez, Julian Fernandez.

Bench: Greg Ranjitsingh, Nico Cavallo, Strahinja Tanasijević, Birk Risa, Tomas Romero, Drew Baiera, Máximo Carrizo, Augustin Ojeda, Mounsef Bakrar.

Referees:

REF: Pierre-Luc Lauziere.
AR1: Mike Nickerson.
AR2: Ben Pilgrim.
4TH: Sergii Boiko.
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez.
AVAR: Jonathan Johnson.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY.

TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).

Twitter/Bluesky: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC). We’ll also provide live updates on Bluesky Social (@TheManeLand.bsky.social).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC

Familiarize yourself with this year’s NYCFC squad, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

Published

2 days ago

on

March 7, 2025

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City got back to winning ways in emphatic fashion on Matchday 2, but the Lions have a tough test to overcome if they want to make it two wins on the bounce. That’s because OCSC’s next match comes against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium — a venue that has mostly proved to be a positively tortuous place for Orlando to visit over the years.

Regardless, a match against NYCFC means I caught up with Matthew Mangam, one of the senior writers over at the fantastic Hudson River Blue. As always, Matthew was very helpful in getting us caught up on what we should expect from this year’s NYCFC team. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so be sure to check those out over at their place!

Pascal Jansen is at the reins for NYCFC this year. How does he set his team up and how does he want to play?

Matthew Mangam: Pascal Jansen wants NYCFC to have a bulletproof mindset this season. So far, it’s been tough to exactly figure out what style of play Jansen wants from NYCFC, but we’ve seen glimpses. He leans on developing young players, which is something NYCFC has a ton of. NYCFC still has played its well-known pass-heavy type of game, but the offense has lacked through the first two games, especially against LAFC. 

NYCFC got handed a brutal start to the season with two away games against Miami and LAFC and came away with a point. Going beyond the raw results, how has the team looked so far?

MM: As I mentioned above, the LAFC loss was a tough one to swallow. Leading Inter Miami 2-1 before conceding late in stoppage time stung even more. Both results left a lot to be desired, but one point after the first two games actually is a good outcome for NYCFC. The defense looked much better against LAFC, but interestingly enough, the offense looked much worse in that game too. This team needs signings — there’s a Santi Rodríguez-shaped hole in NYCFC’s offense.

Take me through some of the team’s off-season transfer business. Are you satisfied with what was done, or would you like to see more moves made before the window closes?

MM: The off-season moves were very limited. Besides signing some Homegrowns and draft players to the first team, NYCFC didn’t bring in anyone notable. Maxi Moralez is back for likely his last season of his career, but you can’t pin it all on a 38-year-old. Like I said above, this team desperately needs another No. 10 to help Moralez out. Some depth at left back, center back, and in the midfield wouldn’t hurt either.

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

MM: Tayvon Gray departed the LAFC game after eight minutes due to pain in his leg. Malachi Jones is still recovering from his season-ending injury last year. Besides that, I expect everyone to be healthy.

4-2-3-1: Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, Birk Risa, Thiago Martins, Mitja Ilenič; Justin Haak, Keaton Parks; Agustín Ojeda, Maxi Moralez, Hannes Wolf; Alonso Martínez.

It’s tough to predict, but I feel NYCFC will win 3-1 and restore its dominance in home openers. 

Many thanks to Matthew for the inside scoop on this year’s NYCFC squad. Vamos Orlando!

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