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Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City heads down the Florida Turnpike in search of more points.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night Tropic Thunder matchup between Orlando City (4-4-4, 16 points) and the team’s Publix Enemies, Inter Miami CF (5-7-0, 15 points), at DRV PNK Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). It’s the first of two scheduled regular-season meetings between the in-state and Eastern Conference rivals in 2023, with the Herons scheduled to make the return trip north on the Florida Turnpike on Sept. 24.

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

History

Orlando City is 4-3-2 in this fledgling series (but only 1-3-0 on the road) in the regular season and 4-3-3 in all competitions. The most recent meeting took place at DRV PNK Stadium and saw the only scoreline in the series so far in which the winner had more than a one-goal margin, as Inter Miami won, 4-1, on Oct. 5, 2022. Leonardo Campana scored in the game’s first minute and Orlando City never settled in. Gonzalo Higuain added two goals — one from the spot — and Ariel Lassiter also scored before Ercan Kara pulled one back to spoil the shutout.

The first regular-season meeting of 2022 resulted in a 1-0 Orlando City win at Exploria Stadium on July 9 as a stoppage-time own goal by Damion Lowe was the difference between the Lions earning just one point or all three. The ball was sent into the box by Jake Mulraney.

The teams also met at Exploria Stadium on May 25, 2022 in U.S. Open Cup action, with the two sides needing extra time after a scoreless 90 minutes. In extra time, Miami got a goal from Jean Mota against the run of play, but Facundo Torres quickly equalized for Orlando. The match ended 1-1 and Orlando won the ensuing penalty shootout, 4-2. Bryce Duke was denied by Mason Stajduhar and DeAndre Yedlin missed the net during the spot kicks, while all four Orlando shooters scored.

The intrastate rivals played to a scoreless draw in Orlando on Aug. 27, 2021. Tesho Akindele missed a penalty in the match, but the Lions had several other good opportunities to score (but didn’t) in a wasteful performance. Orlando and Miami battled to a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 4, 2021. Antonio Carlos scored in first-half stoppage time but was knocked into concussion protocol on the play by Kelvin Leerdam. Kieran Gibbs equalized in the 66th minute on a header in front of a less-than-attentive Ruan. Akindele had a goal called back after video review for being offside and the teams split the points. Earlier in the season, the Lions came from behind in Fort Lauderdale to win 2-1 on a pair of brilliant goals by Chris Mueller and Nani on June 25, 2021.

In the final meeting of 2020, the Lions saw their 12-match unbeaten streak end on Oct. 24 in a 2-1 road loss in Fort Lauderdale. Miami defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez’s header in the 89th minute was the difference after a Daryl Dike goal and an own goal off Robin Jansson saw the game tied up at halftime. The teams met in Orlando on Sept. 12 of 2020 with Orlando battling to a 2-1 win on Mauricio Pereyra’s goal. The Lions had taken the lead on an own goal by Andres Reyes. Former Lion Brek Shea tied things up in the 65th, before Pereyra answered with a nice goal off the left post in the 69th minute.

The first meeting in Fort Lauderdale opened Phase 1 of Major League Soccer’s return to regular-season play after the MLS is Back Tournament. That one was an uncharacteristically sloppy match for the Lions, who fell 3-2 in Inter Miami’s first-ever home match. It was Miami’s first franchise win after an 0-5-0 start. Orlando trailed by more than one goal for the first time all season in that game. Dike and Nani provided the offense for Orlando but Julian Carranza’s brace and Rodolfo Pizarro’s insurance goal were enough to lift the Herons.

The first Tropic Thunder match went Orlando City’s way, with Nani scoring late to lift the Lions to a 2-1 win over the upstarts from South Florida in the opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament. Despite it being a tournament match, it was also a league game. Juan Agudelo opened the scoring for the Herons, but Mueller equalized, setting the stage for Nani’s 97th-minute winner.

Overview

The Lions are coming off back-to-back draws, including a plodding 1-1 effort Wednesday night at home against New York City FC. Orlando City has gone four straight matches (in all competitions) without a win (0-2-2). The Lions are also on a poor run of road form, going 0-2-1 in their last three games away from Exploria Stadium. Still, the club is a respectable 2-1-2 on the road in 2023.

Inter Miami is coming off a 2-1 loss in Nashville on Saturday. The Herons have been a streaky team, starting the season with consecutive wins over Montreal and Philadelphia and then losing their next six games in a row before beating Columbus, Atlanta, and New England in the runup to the trip to Nashville. Location has been critical for Miami, as the club is 4-2-0 at home this season vs. 1-5-0 on the road.

It’s a rivalry game, so anything can happen. History suggests it’ll be tight.

The Lions will need to deal with Miami’s duo of Campana and former Atlanta United star Josef Martinez. So far this season, Martinez leads the club in goals (3), just ahead of Campana (2), but the South Floridians have been taking a goals-by-committee approach in 2023, with 10 different players finding the net in league play. Compare that to just five different Orlando City scorers this season.

Miami has been better on transition opportunities but that doesn’t mean Inter doesn’t want the ball. Orlando may be better served to let the hosts have more of the possession and make them string together long sequences to get scoring chances.

“We always have the responsibility to win. Miami is a team that is also trying to find their best form at this point of the season, like many others, including us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “They are players that we recognize, some of them young, the other ones have more experience in the league. It’s very level the league in that aspect, but we recognize in the details what their strengths and their weaknesses are. At this point, we’re trying to find our best form.”

The Lions will be without Luca Petrasso (thigh), and young defenders Michael Halliday and Thomas Williams, who are both on international duty with the United States U-20 team. Miami will not have Gregore (Lisfranc), Jean Mota (knee), or Rodolfo Pizarro (hamstring), while Edison Azcona (Dominican Republic) and David Ruiz (Honduras) are also on duty in the U-20 World Cup. In addition, the Herons list Sergii Kryvtsov (calf) and Robbie Robinson (calf) as questionable.

Match Content

Here’s your match content for this one:


Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, Kyle Smith.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Gaston Gonzalez, Facundo Torres, Ivan Angulo.

Forward: Ercan Kara.

Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Mauricio Pereyra, Martin Ojeda, Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire.

Inter Miami (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Drake Callender.

Defenders: Kamal Miller, Sergii Kryvstov, Christopher McVey.

Wingbacks / Midfielders: Franco Negri, Benjamin Cremaschi, Dixon Arroyo, DeAndre Yedlin.

Forwards: Joseph Martinez, Leonardo Campana, Corentin Jean.

Bench: Nick Marsman, Noah Allen, Harvey Neville, Ian Fray, Ryan Sailor, Victor Ulloa, Robert Taylor, Nicolas Stefanelli, Shanyder Borgelin.

Referees:

REF: Ramy Touchan.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Diego Blas.
4TH: Kevin Lock.
VAR: Guido Gonzales Jr.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.


How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: DRV PNK Stadium — Fort Lauderdale.

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

Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Acción 97.9 FM, 810 AM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).


Enjoy the game. Go City!

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Orlando City will try again to find all three points at home as the Rapids come to town.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (6-4-5, 23 points) and the Colorado Rapids (2-8-7, 13 points) at Exploria Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV (free)). It’s the one and only scheduled meeting between the two sides this season.

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

History

Orlando City is 4-1-2 in the all-time series (3-0-0 at home). The most recent meeting took place last year in Colorado, with the teams playing to a 1-1 draw on July 13, 2022. Facundo Torres gave the Lions the lead in the first half but Gyasi Zardes equalized in the second half.

Before last year, the previous meeting also took place in Colorado, just prior to MLS shutting down for the pandemic. The Lions fell 2-1 to the Rapids on a 90th-minute goal by Drew Moor off a Colorado corner kick. It spoiled a good road effort by the Lions, who were playing without suspended captain Nani at the time. The winning goal came just eight minutes after Chris Mueller’s goal had leveled things and canceled out a Younes Namli strike.

The last time the teams played in Exploria Stadium, it was a wild match won 4-3 by the Lions. Orlando came from behind twice in the game — from deficits of 1-0 and 3-2 — to claim all three points. Kei Kamara opened the scoring early, because of course he did. Nani tied things up just past the half-hour mark, and Tesho Akindele gave Orlando the lead two minutes later. But Nicolas Mezquida (61st) and Cole Bassett (71st) scored 10 minutes apart to put the Rapids back in front. Mueller knotted the game up at 3-3 as the game approached its end, and Nani scored on a penalty in the just before stoppage time to bring the Lions back.

The Lions came from behind to win 2-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on April 29 of 2018. Cristian Higuita and Yoshimar Yotún (pen.) provided the offense in the victory.

Orlando City won 2-0 at home as part of a four-game winning streak in 2017, which was also the fifth consecutive victory to open Orlando City Stadium. Carlos Rivas and Kaká provided all the offense in that 2017 game. The 2016 meeting ended in a 0-0 draw at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The 2015 meeting at the Citrus Bowl saw the Lions defeat the Rapids, 2-0. Rivas came on for an injured Brek Shea in that match and turned the game around. Kaká and Cyle Larin scored for Orlando City.

Overview

The Lions enter this game still searching for the magic formula to get results at home the way they do on the road. Orlando City played quite well in its last home game against Atlanta United but could only put one goal on the board and that opened the door for a second late equalizer in as many home matches. The Lions want the ball, but they seem to be better without it, hitting opponents on the counter, than they are with extended passages of possession. Orlando is 2-3-3 at home and has drawn two straight at Exploria Stadium, riding a modest three-game home unbeaten streak (1-0-2) and an overall stretch of five matches without a loss (2-0-3).

The Rapids are similar to Orlando in that they’ve been better on the road than at home this season, capturing both of their victories away from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park — at Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy — and gave the Columbus Crew a good run in a 3-2 loss in their most recent road match on May 31. Colorado is 2-4-3 away from home and 0-4-4 in its own stadium in 2023. The Rapids are coming off a 0-0 home draw against the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday and they are on a six-match winless skid (0-5-1).

I don’t have to tell you how much teams on winless or losing streaks love playing Orlando City. In fact, the last time these teams met, the Pids were on a 0-3-2 streak and came from behind to claim a point.

Robin Fraser’s side is not to be taken lightly and a great deal of Colorado’s struggles this season can be attributed to key injuries. Diego Rubio has been limited to eight matches this year, and he’s listed as questionable for tonight with an upper body injury, but he’s got a goal and three assists. Midfielder Connor Ronan has become a key setup man for the Rapids, with a goal and six assists on the season. Michael Barrios, Lalas Abubakar, Cole Bassett, and former Galaxy winger Kevin Cabral have two goals apiece. Abubakar is a dangerous aerial threat on set pieces.

“The Colorado [Rapids] are a team that are finding their way,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. “We know the [Head] coach [Robin Fraser], and they have good players. We have to be very cautious about thinking that it is going to be an easy [match]. Colorado is a good [team] and have very good players. They have been playing well, regardless of their scoring. We are respecting the rival, trying to get better, and not thinking that we are already there. We’re not, we’re far from it. We need to keep going and if we keep this consistency of performing well, we are closer to getting better results.”

Orlando City will be without goalkeeper Adam Grinwis (concussion protocol), Gaston Gonzalez (thigh), and Abdi Salim (knee), while Luca Petrasso (thigh) is questionable. Michael Halliday is back from international duty, but Pareja typically gives most guys a bit of time off after they return from international tournaments. Additionally, OCB’s Alejandro Granados signed a short-term agreement on Friday and is available for selection in this match.

Colorado will be without Jack Price (achilles), Max Alves (removed from team activities), and Moïse Bombito (red card suspension), with Rubio (upper body) questionable.

Match Content


Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, Kyle Smith.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, Facundo Torres.

Forward: Ercan Kara.

Colorado (3-5-2)

Goalkeeper: Marko Ilic.

Defenders: Danny Wilson, Andreas Maxsø, Lalas Abubakar.

Wingbacks/Midfielders: Sam Nicholson, Connor Ronan, Bryan Acosta, Cole Bassett, Keegan Rosenberry;

Forwards: Jonathan Lewis, Darren Yapi.

Referees

REF: Rosendo Mendoza.
AR1: Kevin Lock.
AR2: Brian Poeschel.
4TH: Sergii Demianchuk.
VAR: Luis Guardia.
AVAR: Tom Supple.


How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m. ET.

Venue: Exploria Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: Apple TV (free, no MLS Season Pass necessary).

Radio: FM 96.9 The Game (English), Accion 97.9 FM and 810 AM (Spanish).

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).


Enjoy the game. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Three Players to Watch Out For

These three Rapids players could make or break the game for the visitors from out west.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

As Orlando City looks to extend their streak to six unbeaten matches in a row, the Lions take on the boys in burgundy from Colorado for the first time at Exploria Stadium since 2019. In this article we will do a bit of a deeper dive on three players from Colorado that City fans should be on the lookout for throughout the match tonight.

Connor Ronan

One of the bright spots for Colorado in a season which has seen its share of struggles has been the play of Irish midfielder Connor Ronan. Throughout his first 17 games with the Rapids, Ronan has recorded one goal and six assists and is the minutes leader on the season thus far. Ronan has been the straw that has stirred the drink since captain Jack Price suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury back near the beginning of the season. Not only has Ronan recorded two multi-assist efforts on the season, he also became the first Colorado player since Price to record a three-assist match, doing so against the LA Galaxy on May 6. Ronan’s efforts were recognized by mlssoccer.com wrier Jonathan Slgal, who named Ronan as on of the top 12 under-the-radar signings of the past off-season. Logging 1,446 minutes for the Rapids so far this season, Ronan has been tidy in possession, passing at an 85.9% success rate. If Colorado is to find success at Exploria Stadium, Ronan’s ability to find his teammates in positions of strength will surely be an important part of the match storyline.

Marko Ilic

Last week, in just his second start for the Rapids, goalkeeper Marko Ilic — on loan through July from the Belgian Pro League side KV Kortrijk — recorded his first clean sheet. Prior to arriving stateside for the Rapids, Ilic recorded 16 clean sheets in 71 appearances for Kortrijk and he recorded one appearance on the Serbian national squad during a friendly in June of 2021 against Jamaica. Despite limited first-team time to start the season, Ilic has stayed prepared and has drawn compliments from his coaching staff. Ilic is known to be an athletic shot stopper and strong passer, and if Colorado has visions of controlling possession and building out of the back, he will be central to that plan, while being responsible for keeping the hungry Lions at bay.

Cole Bassett

Homegrown youngster Cole Bassett returned to his home club from a 10-month loan prior to the start of the 2023 Major League Soccer season. On the year thus far, the 21-year-old has started in seven of the nine matches that he has appeared in. Bassett has scored two goals on the season, including a absolutely beautiful curling shot from outside the 18 in the 95th minute against the Columbus Crew on May 31.

With a reputation as a ruthless attacker with the ability to finish from anywhere and create opportunities for himself, Bassett possesses the quality and stamina to put the Rapids on his back and turn the tide of a match. He will surely be one of the key focuses for defensive midfielders Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena. Shutting him down in the Central Florida humidity may be the most important aspect of the match for Orlando City on the night.


If Orlando is to make it two victories in a row, those are the three pieces of the Colorado puzzle that I think the team will have to combat to achieve their goal. Let us know in the comments below if there are any other major pieces that you are concerned about heading into the match. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/10/23

Lions want consistency, Alejandro Granados earns short-term contract, Pride welcome Thorns, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B

Welcome to the weekend, Mane Landers. It’s a great Saturday to wake up because the Lions are back home tonight at 7:30 p.m. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing the team continue to build attacking momentum as the pieces have started to gel together. The pace of Ivan Angulo has been electric, and I’m hopeful Facundo Torres has finally turned the page he needed to this season. Aside from Orlando City today, we also have soccer in town on Sunday, with OCB taking on Cincinnati 2 and the Orlando Pride hosting the Portland Thorns. So, let’s dig right into it all in the links!

Orlando City’s Momentum and Consistency

Orlando City returns home tonight to take on the Colorado Rapids after a decisive 3-0 victory at Red Bull Arena. With the latest victory, the Lions are now unbeaten in their previous five league matches. Orlando City aims to keep up the consistency in its performances as the Lions gear up for the 13th-ranked team in the Western Conference, and the Rapids are desperate for points. 

“They’re gonna come in to try and leave the position that they’re in right now,” Lions goalkeeper Pedro Gallese said. “They’re going to try and come in and take points from us in our home. We know that they’re going to come in strong, but we have to do the same and we’ve got to continue the form that we’ve had during this run that we’re on right now.”

Alejandro Granados Earns First-Team Deal

Orlando City has called up the services of midfielder Alejandro Granados from Orlando City B on a short-term agreement and will be available for selection today as the Lions take on the Colorado Rapids. The 17-year-old has six appearances for Orlando City B this season in MLS NEXT Pro. On the global stage, Granados recently featured for Spain at the U-17 European Championship. He appeared five times in the tournament as La Roja reached the semifinals. He even scored a goal in the quarterfinal round against Ireland that also qualified the side for the U-17 World Cup later this year.

Orlando Pride Host Portland Thorns

The Pride are back in town following a midweek Challenge Cup postponement against NJ/NY Gotham FC due to measures taken to prioritize player health and safety in the face of terrible air quality as a result of the Canadian wildfires. Sunday’s match is set to begin at 7 p.m. against the Portland Thorns. It will be the Pride’s first home match in 22 days, however, the team won the last two matches played at Exploria Stadium. One thing to watch for in the match will be set pieces. Four of Orlando’s last six goals in regular season play have been scored from a set piece, with three being corners. For the Pride, it will be a chance to begin to shift the history between the two clubs, as the Thorns have won 13 of their 17 all-time meetings with Orlando, including the last three in a row by a combined score of 12-0.

Orlando City Academy Boasts Nine D-1 Athletes

The Young Lions of the Orlando City Development Academy have wrapped up their studies for the year and are on their way to penning the next chapter in their lives. Nine graduates have committed to Division 1 programs across the United States. Five of the graduates were products of the 2021 U-17 MLS NEXT Cup champion team. Another notable mention is Orlando City B forward Chase Vazquez, who came off the bench in this year’s preseason matchup against Stetson University to score a hat trick.

Free Kicks


That’s all I have for you today. Have a safe two days at Exploria Stadium. Remember to hydrate and look out for your friends. It is starting to feel a lot like summer out here. Vamos Orlando!

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