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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 1-1 as Lions Blow the Lead Late

An early goal by Ercan Kara was about all the Lions could muster in a lethargic game at Exploria Stadium as a late lead melted away.

Published

3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City scored early through Ercan Kara, but gave up a late equalizer to draw New York City FC 1-1 at Exploria Stadium. The draw left the Lions (4-4-4, 16 points) winless in their last four league matches (0-2-2) and in five straight in all competitions (0-3-2) in what should have been an utterly winnable game against the reeling Pigeons (4-5-4, 16 points), dropping two valuable points.

The Lions simply seemed to lose all energy about a half hour into the match and allowed NYCFC to hang around. The Pigeons left it until late, but accepted the invitation to take something from the match in what was another disappointing home result in a season full of them so far. Gabriel Segal scored for NYCFC — his first career goal.

“It’s a difficult thing to swallow right now,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “But a lot of things happened as well that make us feel that we’re just getting back to that team that we are. The players made a big effort today.”

Pareja’s starting lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, and Michael Halliday. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena played central midfield behind an attacking line of Gaston Gonzalez, Facundo Torres, and Ivan Angulo, with Kara up top. Both Felipe (lower leg) and Mauricio Pereyra (thigh) returned to the matchday squad on the bench.

It didn’t take Orlando City long to break the scoreless deadlock. Jansson switched play from the back and found Gonzalez down the left wing on a great long pass. Gonzalez nodded the ball down to Torres, who passed it back to the winger for the cross in. The cross from Gonzalez was inch perfect, finding Kara at the near post in the seventh minute and he nodded home his third goal in the last four games to make it 1-0.

“It was something that we continue to work on constantly, and it’s something that we really worked on in training this week,” Gonzalez said through a club translator about the play. “To have the ball played from Robin out to the left, and to have that combination work with Facu out on the left wing, and then have it end in a cross, and thankfully, it came off well from my foot, and Kara was able to finish in the best manner.”

“An early goal’s always big,” Halliday said. “Just as a team, we just need to learn to capitalize on that and just get another goal and shut the game down without letting them have the ball too much.”

Torres picked up a secondary assist on the goal, giving him assists in back-to-back games.

Orlando City looked likely to get a second goal for about the next 20 minutes, winning several set pieces in the attacking third but doing nothing with them.

Eventually the visitors started getting longer spells of possession and that led to some opportunities. Talles Magno, who came on unexpectely for Matias Pellegrini in the eighth minute turned at the top of the area and shot through traffic in the 34th minute. Gallese seemed to not see it initially and had to scramble over to make the save.

A couple minutes later, it was Gabriel Pereira sending in a deflected shot that Gallese palmed away at the last second. The goalkeeper needed a few minutes after the second save and the trainers came on to attend to him, but he was able to continue.

Orlando City was a bit lifeless and passed sloppily in the middle stages of the first half. There was a brief jolt of energy in the 41st minute that led to an attack down the right. Angulo got into the box but opted not to shoot. He instead cut back toward the middle and was dispossessed without even getting an attempt away.

A couple of minutes later, Halliday sent a cross right to goalkeeper Luis Barraza to thwart a promising attack but his effort may have taken a slight deflection toward the keeper.

That was about it for a mostly dull half after Kara’s goal and the Lions took their slim advantage into the break.

The Lions held a slim advantage in possession (50.9%-49.1%) and had more corners (2-0) but the visitors had more shots (4-3), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (92.3%-90.5%).

“The first 20 minutes, where we imposed our freedom, I think we played very well,” Pareja said. “But the humidity, the heat, the proximity of the games just tells us that we needed to keep the ball and let them run. If we turned the ball over to them very quick, they were going to do the same. So, it was the demand of the game — who can keep it longer and create sequences longer.”

The quality of play in the second half didn’t get any better after the break. The game still seemed dull and lifeless. Orlando kept giving the ball away and New York City kept building chances, although they were infrequent. Gallese had to make an early save against Maxime Chanot at the back post off a set piece just a few minutes after the restart.

In the 53rd minute, Angulo got into the area and smashed a shot on target but it was stopped by Barraza. Three minutes later, Angulo tried cutting across the top of the area from the right and hit a shot with his left but he scuffed it and popped it out of play.

Carlos nearly scored in the 60th minute when a corner kick fell to his feet. He stabbed a shot on target but Barraza made the save.

The Lions looked to kill the game off but there was too much hero ball being played. Gonzalez made a good run up the pitch in the 74th minute and got into the area but he ignored his teammates, including an open Duncan McGuire on his left, and tried to beat multiple defenders, but lost the ball without a shot attempt instead.

A minute later, Gallese had to make a diving save to deny Pereira’s blast from outside the area.

Shorly thereafter, Cartagena committed his seventh foul of the match, which was significant because that set a new club single-game record. Cartagena’s seven fouls broke the mark of six previously jointly held by Cristian Higuita and Darwin Ceren, who both set that mark in the same game on Oct. 25, 2015 at Philadelphia.

The insertion of second-half subs did nothing to improve the energy of the team on the field and the chances were few for Orlando down the stretch. McGuire tried to take on multiple defenders as Gonzalez had done earlier and it had the same outcome.

The equalizer came in the 89th minute. Magno got down the left side and sent a simple ball across the top of the six. Segal was the first to it and just got a toe on it to redirect it inside the right post for the tying goal.

Orlando tried to regain some energy in stoppage time. There was a decent buildup that ended with Pereyra centering a ball for Martin Ojeda, who rushed his shot on the half volley and failed to get it on target. In the dying moments, the Lions won a corner and the cross went through the box to Araujo, who hesitated, lined up his shot, and promptly had it blocked.

That was it and the purple-clad crowd of 17,012 went home unsatisfied for the fifth time in seven home matches in MLS play this season.

New York City FC finished with more possession (52.8%-47.2%), shots (14-10), shots on target (6-4), and passing accuracy (90.7%-86.7%). The Lions won more corners (5-3) but played a fairly lifeless 94 minutes of soccer, aside from the goal.

The game was was there, and I think for moments we let them have it too long, and that’s why we ended up just being in a very low block — not because we wanted, but because we gave the ball away and they used it,” Pareja said.

“I feel like we’re there, like tonight we should win this game 100%. Me and all my teammates would agree with that,” Halliday said. “We have the quality. We have the people to do it. We just…we’ll get there.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround with a trip to Ft. Lauderdale Saturday to face Inter Miami.

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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

on

September 5, 2026

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

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

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

History

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

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

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

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

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

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

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

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

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

Referees:

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

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

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

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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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

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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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