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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in a 3-1 victory at home against the Chicago Fire?

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3 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It was a dominating performance across the board for Orlando City’s players. With the team outshooting the Chicago Fire 19-8 and creating a number of quality chances, there was never a question in my mind if the Lions would finish with a win. It was, “by how many?” Facundo Torres and Ramiro Enrique led the way in answering that question to the tune of a 3-1 victory. Even then, the scoreline likely favors the Fire as it could have been much worse while Orlando’s defense put in a great shift keeping Kei Kamara and Fabian Herbers at bay.

Here’s how I rated Orlando City’s individual performances at Exploria Stadium.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7.5 — When Kamara comes to town, it doesn’t matter what team he is playing for. The man just loves to score against Orlando City. For Pedro Gallese, he was sure to ruin Kamara’s night and stifle and record-chasing performances for the striker. Perhaps Gallese’s finest moment of the match came in the 51st minute, as Kamara forced a header on goal from a corner kick and the keeper made a diving save to keep it off the goal line. In total, Pedro made a couple saves across the course of 90 minutes and conceded just one — from the penalty spot — in a match that saw him face 2.2 expected goals against. His 15 passes found their mark 86.7% of the time and he was accurate on one of his three long balls when trying to spring a quick counter.

D, Rafael Santos, 7 — Santos entered the match up for the task against Chicago’s attack. The Brazilian was rarely beaten down the left side and was able to find space to swing in a few fiery passes from distance while even taking the time to complete a pair of dribbles and put a shot on frame in the 40th minute. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and an aerial duel won, while conceding two fouls. Offensively, he found himself on the ball 61 times, completing 86% of his 44 passes. He found his man with five of his eight long balls but was inaccurate on all three of his crosses. Ultimately, he defended well against those coming down his left wing.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — If there were such things as assists for forcing penalty kicks, Jansson would have earned himself a nice statistic on the match sheet. To be fair, Fabian Herbers should have felt hard done as the Beefy Swede clipped the ball up and into his elbow which he was trying to pull back within his body’s silhouette. Nonetheless, this attempt towards goal led to Facundo Torres’ brace, as he collected another to his tally from the spot. From a defensive standpoint, you can tell the task was to follow Kamara absolutely everywhere he went on the pitch. Early into the match, Jansson could even be spotted in the attacking third as he trailed Kamara, who was dropping deep to try to find the ball. While he recorded zero tackles or interceptions, Jansson made his presence known. He offered a clearance, a foul, and a yellow card. With his 55 touches, the center back completed 87% of his 48 passes, with two of seven long balls also being accurate, and he drew two fouls.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7.5 — Stepping in for first-choice Antonio Carlos, Rodri once again stood tall for Papi. The Argentinian defender almost even scored one of his own in the 32nd minute as he flicked a header towards goal from a corner kick forcing Chris Brady to make a save. In total, Schlegel attempted two shots with one on target. With 48 touches, he passed at an 89% success rate across 38 attempts but was incomplete on both of his long balls. While he didn’t have a tackle or interception, he certainly made the night easier on Gallese with his six clearances and won an aerial duel.

D, Kyle Smith, 7.5 — The 31-year-old utility man from Transylvania University slotted into the right back position. As always, Smith was his usual workhorse self and was rewarded with an assist that opened the scoring for the Lions. Picking out the most unlikely Orlando player to score with his head, Smith dropped a cross right on top of Facundo Torres in the 32nd minute. Smith should have easily had another assist prior to that, as Martin Ojeda missed from a quality position in front of goal. If it weren’t for Smith getting beaten badly and conceding the penalty kick that gave the Fire their only goal of the night, he would have made a real case for my personal Man of the Match honors. With 45 touches, Smith took a shot and had two key passes in his 34 attempts (64% accuracy). He was accurate on one of three crosses, one of six long balls, one through ball, made one tackle and one clearance, and added a foul. While these stats don’t typically scream “best player on the pitch,” Smith continues to show sparks and has the intangibles that I appreciate and respect.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 8 — The Peruvian picked up right where he left off against Seattle’s attackers. This time he was challenged with the likes of Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri. And while Shaqiri did end up on the scoresheet, it was only due to a penalty kick. Cartagena consistently puts in great defensive shifts and even made the highlight reel, clearing the ball off of the goal line in the 51st minute. While the statistics state he only made two tackles, he also won an aerial duel, had an interception, a crucial clearance, a blocked shot, and four fouls conceded, while drawing one himself. Cartagena was on the ball 52 times, completing 86% of his 43 passes. He missed his only cross but was perfect on his three long ball attempts.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 6.5 — With Cesar Araujo out for the match on bad behavior, El Capitan was relegated to a deep-lying position on the pitch. Similar to what we saw Head Coach Oscar Pareja experimenting with last year, it once again just didn’t do it for me. Pereyra is a maestro on the ball and in the attacking third, but when it comes to connecting from the back all the way to the front, it just isn’t his specialty. His play is much more fruitful clipping the final ball behind the back line or threading tough seams with pinpoint accuracy. Offensively in the match, he was fouled three times and gave shouts for a possible penalty but went to ground too easily and didn’t earn the call. From a defensive standpoint, he offered two interceptions and a foul. He had 43 touches, attempted 33 passes (84% accuracy), completed one of his two crossing attempts, and completed two of his four long ball attempts.

MF, Ivan Angulo, 8.5 — I love the play and tenacity of Angulo. The Colombian winger uses his pace in a way that would be utterly terrifying to line up against. This rang true for Arnaud Souquet, who had to foul Angulo twice in the same play just to stop from being embarrassed down the sideline and earned himself his first of two yellow cards on the night in the 20th minute. In the 75th minute, Enrique was about to ruin what would ultimately be his scoring play by chasing down a pass in the channel from an offside position. Instead, it was a smart play from Angulo — once again using his pace — to run over and collect the ball, then passing it to Enrique and earning the assist. Defensively, he made two tackles and an interception while conceding three fouls. Offensively, he used his 39 touches to take two shots, putting one on goal and tallying an additional two key passes. He completed two dribbles and drew three fouls. Of his 23 passes, 87% hit their marks, as did his only long ball and through ball attempts.

MF, Facundo Torres, 9 (MotM) — This match was all about the resurrection of last year’s Torres. If the whole season has been building up to this moment, I feel like the first meeting with the Chicago Fire was the tipping point. With a headed goal in the 36th minute, what could have easily been an earned penalty in the 42nd minute, converting a penalty in the 55th minute, and a couple other genuine chances throughout the match, Torres made a meal of the Fire defenders. His night finished with three of six shots on target, two key passes, two dribbles, and an aerial won on 55 touches. Torres drew two fouls and completed his long ball but missed both crossing attempts, while distributing the ball with 85% accuracy on 35 passes.

MF, Martin Ojeda, 7 — The past few matches have equated to Ojeda and Pereyra exchanging minutes in the No. 10 role. With Araujo forcing Pereyra into a deeper position, this was Ojeda’s moment to step up and show why he deserves the weekly start. Early on in the first half, Ojeda had a couple scoring opportunities and even forced a good save from Brady after rifling a strike at goal, but he also missed what should have been a tap in. Despite only putting one of two shots on target, Ojeda did create three key passes with his 44 touches. His 22 passes came at a 90% rate, and he was pinpoint on his one long ball, but he found the target on only four of 12 crosses. Defensively, Ojeda conceded a foul but also tallied an interception and a tackle.

F, Duncan McGuire, 6 — The rookie striker didn’t live up to his own high standards on the night. Don’t get me wrong though, McGuire was fine. But he wasn’t “outstanding.” There was no real danger created by the forward, and he only found himself on the ball 13 times in 66 minutes. With those touches, he only completed three of four passes, so he wasn’t exactly creating for others either. His only shot was off target, and his only defensive stat was a conceded foul.

Substitutes

MF, Felipe (67′), 7 — Brought on to rotate the defensive midfield with another game soon to be played, Felipe came on and helped see out the win. He likely should have done better in the dying moments as Orlando greatly outnumbered the Fire on a counter attack but he left his shot close enough to Brady for him to make a save. With 39 touches, Felipe completed his 36 passes at an astounding 97% rate and was accurate with his only long ball.

F, Ramiro Enrique (67′), 7.5 — Literally just last match I put the sentence, “There are certain truths in the world, and one of them seems to be Ramiro Enrique’s lack of real impact coming off the bench.” into Ramiro Enrique’s player grade segment. Well, the 22-year-old Argentine took it to heart because he was determined to get in behind and score against Chicago. Right from the jump, Enrique was finding balls played into the channel and speeding past the defensive line. For his efforts, Enrique found himself open at the top of the box to finesse the ball across goal and into the net in the 75th minute. We witnessed 10 touches, one of two shots on target, and a 100% passing accuracy on six attempts. Go on, Enrique. Let’s see more of this and I’ll eat my hat.

MF, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (88′) N/A — Dagur Dan was able to find the ball 12 times in his brief stint on the field. He fed Petrasso an exquisite cross shortly after coming on, but Petrasso blasted the volley high. Dagur Dan seemed to be begging for a card and earned himself one as time expired. Aside from that, he completed all eight passes, one of two crosses, a tackle, and two fouls conceded.

D, Luca Petrasso (88′) N/A — Aside from wasting Dagur Dan’s cross, we didn’t see much of Petrasso in his few minutes back on the pitch. He recorded seven touches, a key pass, and a clearance. He completed just 60% of his five passes.

MF, Favian Loyola (90+3′) N/A — Making the most of the nine minutes of stoppage time, Loyola made his MLS debut and ran everywhere to try and get some touches. In the dying moments, he got on the ball six times, completed all six of his passes, turned one of those into a key pass, and conceded a foul.

That’s how I saw the performances in 3-1 home win against the Chicago Fire. Congrats to Homegrown attacker Favian Loyola for making his senior team debut. The best is yet to come for you! Be sure to cast your vote for this game’s Man of the Match in the poll below, and tell us your thoughts about this one down in the comments.

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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Griezmann’s Brace Lifts Lions to Win

Antoine Griezmann scored twice in the second half to help Orlando City erase a 1-0 deficit and beat RSL at home.

Published

10 hours ago

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August 22, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann and Justin Ellis celebrating a goal against Real Salt Lake.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Antoine Griezmann scored two second-half goals for his first Orlando City brace, leading the Lions to a 2-1 comeback win over Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium tonight. After a lethargic opening 45 minutes that saw the visitors take a 1-0 lead into the half on Dominik Marczuk’s goal, an energetic trio of halftime subs injected life into the attack for Orlando (7-11-3, 24 points).

Griezmann’s two goals pushed the Lions past Real Salt Lake (8-8-4, 28 points), but it’s fair to say Orlando City wasn’t clean enough in the first half and couldn’t turn possession into attacking threat until the introduction of second-half subs Justin Ellis, Joran Gerbet, Daryl Dike, and Tyrese Spicer.

The Lions snapped an 0-2-2 winless streak in all competitions and a 0-2-1 skid in league play with tonight’s win, moving just over the playoff line into ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.

“It was a tough game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “It wasn’t easy the first half; we tried good and sometimes it happens like that, the game. I think the team in the second half was able to to play in a very difficult moment. It’s not easy and the guys did an amazing job.”

Perelman’s lineup included Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield inside of Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Tiago joining Antoine Griezmann up top.

The first half consisted of long spells of Orlando possession that came to nothing against a heavily rotated RSL side, with former Lion Mason Stajduhar having to do nothing in goal, because the Lions couldn’t even manage one first-half shot attempt. The visitors were content to stay in their low block of five at the back and four midfielders, wait for the exhausted-looking hosts to misplace a pass or have a bad touch, and look for chances to hit on the counter or with balls over the top.

Griezmann looked the most in need of a rest, as several of his touches were heavy in the first half, but he was far from the only one.

There was a scary moment early in the game when Jansson collided with Marczuk on an attempted RSL switch of play. The Orlando City captain was fouled and stayed down to get treatment, eventually leaving the field under his own power. He was able to return moments later.

Orlando City won a few set pieces in the opening half but did nothing with them, while the visitors looked dangerous if they could stay onside, which they struggled to do early. When the Lions did manage to find space against RSL’s back line, the crosses were poor, ending up either out of play or in the goalkeeper’s hands.

The visitors broke through the dull affair in the 36th minute. Alexandros Katranis laid off a ball on the left flank for Sam Junqua behind him. Junqua picked up his head and spotted Marczuk’s well-timed run behind Taifi and delivered a nice cross. Marczuk met the ball in the air with his foot and knocked it past Crepeau to make it 1-0.

Crepeau kept things from getting worse just before halftime. Angulo turned the ball over on an attempted recycle of a failed set piece, igniting a Real Salt Lake counter. The ball ended up with Marczuk again on the right and this time Crepeau was able to get a hand on it to palm it out for a corner.

The Lions dealt with the set piece and the half came to an end with Orlando’s starters trailing 1-0 to an RSL B-squad that dien’t allow a single shot attempt.

At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (59.4%-40.6%) and passing accuracy (89.7-84.2%), while Real Salt Lake led in shots (3-0) and shots on target (2-0) and each team won one corner.

“it was a complicated game,” Griezmann said. “It’s never easy starting off with with a negative mark like that, but we made changes at halftime and put more more guys further up the field, and we were able to to get that goal and really kind of give ourselves some time of tranquility to create more opportunities to create those occasions to go out and get the winner.”

Looking to injuct some life into the game, or at least some fresh legs, Perelman sent Gerbet, Dike, and Ellis into the game at halftime for Otavio, Tiago, and Pasalic. It took a few minutes for the subs to settle in, but it made a difference in the Lions’ energy level.

Marczuk had the first look at goal in the second half, however, firing from distance from the right side, but it caused no trouble for Crepeau in the 50th minute.

Gerbet and Atuesta worked well together in the middle, keeping the ball better and allowing Taifi to jump into the play on the left. Taifi had a shot blocked out for a corner in the 51st minute. A minute later, Atuesta played a slick through ball for Griezmann. With Stajduhar coming off his line, the Frenchman chipped a shot over him but it went inches wide of the left post.

Orlando scored seconds after Stajduhar put the ball back into play. Atuesta won the ball to Gerbet at midfield, and he turned and found Ellis on the right. Ellis sent it in front to Dike for the shot, but it was blocked to Griezmann, who cleaned up in front, making it 1-1 in the 53rd minute.

Taifi got down the left in the 55th minute and did well to cut back a cross for Griezmann entering the box. Griezmann hit his shot immediately but it fizzed just over the bar. Three minutes later, Taifi cut inside and fired but hit the outside of the left post.

Real Salt Lake sent on Diego Luna, Saba Lobjanidze, and Morgan Guilavogui to try to counter the energy Orlando’s subs had brought into the game, and things opened up a bit. Dorsey did well to stick out a foot to deny a pass that would have put Luna in on goal in the 64th minute.

Spicer came on for Taifi in the 69th minute and injected even more energy into the match. He quickly won a set piece on the left just moments after coming on near the left corner flag. Atuesta sent his delivery on target toward the near post but it was headed behind for a corner kick. The ensuing corner bounced out to Ellis near the top of the area. The Homegrown forward used some deft footwork to work his way past two defenders before getting his shot blocked out for another corner.

Real Salt Lake broke the other way after the set piece and Luna ended up with it. He fired on target but Crepeau blocked it out of play for a corner. Orlando partially cleared the set piece delivery and Katranis tried a shot from long range that was well off target.

Orlando City took the lead moments later. Jansson sent the ball long out of the back to Spicer on the left. The Trinidad & Tobago international did well to get a cross in for Griezmann in the box. The first touch got away from the Frenchman but he picked up the rebound and slotted it past Stajduhar to make it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

“I think it’s a very good cross from ‘Spice’ and I was thinking to do one touch to score but I did very bad,” Griezmann said. “The defender touched the ball and the ball came to me, and yeah I saw a lot of legs and I tried to just make a pass between the legs of the defender and here is where you need to be patient just for one or two seconds. And today I was very patient in this time and this is why I scored.”

“It’s mandatory for us to enjoy Griezmann,” Perelman said. “We are lucky to be in the moment that he’s here with us. He’s one of the best players in the history of this sport. We have the privilege to see him. It’s just about enjoying him, watching him and enjoying him.”

Real Salt Lake threw bodies forward into the attack, but aside from some corner kicks, the visitors couldn’t produce much. Any time it looked like RSL might create something in the final third, Orlando was able to block crosses or head them out of danger. Orlando City also kept the ball well for spells down the stretch, taking the pressure off and allowing the Lions to see out the game.

At the final whistle, the Lions held the advantage in possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (13-9), passing accuracy (88.8%-82%), and corners (5-4). Real Salt Lake put more shots on target (4-3). Ultimately, the Lions were sharp enough in the second half to make up for the slow start, although RSL helped out by being offside seven times to just once for Orlando.

“In the final zone, we were a lot more aggressive,” Griezmann said of the second half. “We were pressing more and more aggressive with our press, and it was a really good way to to get the win tonight.”

“The players were wanting to give us that control of the game against a team who sat back a little bit,” Perelman said. “I think the guys did a huge effort. Fortunately we could come back, win, because we really need it, and now we need to rest and think (about) the next one.”

“Just so happy to have the win at home,” Gerbet said. “It’s been like a gritty one, but a necessary one, an important one towards like the end of the season to get some momentum, because we’re going to start to go away as well, so we need to start to gain momentum, and I think that was a great way to do it.”

The Lions now get an honest-to-goodness normal work week. Their next match will be a week from tonight at Minnesota United.

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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to finish their long homestand with a bounce-back performance against RSL.

Published

24 hours ago

on

August 22, 2026

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Image of the starting Orlando City lineup prior to playing a home game vs. the Chicago Fire.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday night showdown between Orlando City (6-11-3, 21 points) and Real Salt Lake (8-7-4, 28 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first and only scheduled meeting between the two teams from opposing conferences and the first time they’ve met since 2023 in Utah.

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

History

The Lions are 2-2-3 in seven previous MLS meetings with RSL, including a 1-0-2 mark at home. However, Orlando City is 0-2-1 in their last three games against tonight’s visitors.

The last time the teams met, it was a forgettable result for Orlando City fans. But if you do remember, it’s not for good reasons, because it was a 4-0 beatdown that Real Salt Lake laid on the Lions on July 8, 2023. Cristian Arango, Justen Glad, Jefferson Savarino, and Anderson Julio did the damage.

During the most recent matchup in Orlando, most of us had no idea what COVID-19 was yet. The Lions and Real Salt Lake met on opening day of the 2020 MLS season, playing to a 0-0 draw at Exploria Stadium on Feb. 29. Despite it being a Leap Day, no one wanted to leap onto the scoresheet.

Orlando City lost the previous meeting, a 2-1 Real Salt Lake win in Utah on April 13, 2019. Nani scored Orlando’s only goal that day, but it came late in the match after Sam Johnson and Demir Kreilach had staked RSL to a 2-0 lead.

The May 6, 2018 meeting in Orlando was a wild 3-1 win for the Lions in which RSL missed multiple good scoring chances, hitting the woodwork and forcing Joe Bendik into some big saves. Dom Dwyer, Lamine Sané, and Yoshimar Yotún provided Orlando’s offense to offset Corey Baird’s early strike.

When the teams met in 2017 at Rio Tinto, Will Johnson provided all the offense against his old club in a 1-0 Orlando City victory. Johnson’s tally in the 17th minute was all Orlando City needed to take the first win of the series after two draws the previous two seasons.

In 2016, the teams played a memorable opening day match in which the Lions roared back with a frantic rally, as Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter pulled City level in a 2-2 draw at the Citrus Bowl. Joao Plata scored both RSL goals — one from the penalty spot — and RSL led 2-0 despite going down a man for 25 minutes, prior to Chris Penso evening things out by sending off Darwin Ceren.

Orlando drew 1-1 on the road in 2015 while down to 10 men after Kaká was sent off at the end of the first half. The captain opened the scoring. Sebastian Jaime found the equalizer in the 28th.

Match Overview

Orlando City enters on a poor run of form in a congested fixture schedule. The Lions lost 2-1 at home against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, making it four games without a win in all competitions (0-2-2) and they haven’t won in MLS play in their last three (0-2-1). While the defense is leaking just one or two goals per game of late, the offense has been less tidy in finishing chances, which could be attributed to some players, including Antoine Griezmann, not getting much rest during this stretch of seven games in 22 days. Orlando is a pedestrian 4-4-2 at home this season and is winless in its last two home matches (0-1-1).

Real Salt Lake sits eighth in the Western Conference after going 0-3-3 in its last six league matches, including a 4-3 home loss to FC Dallas on Wednesday. But, oddly enough, that stretch of matches sandwiches a 2-0-1 run in Leagues Cup, and RSL advanced to the knockout rounds, where it will play Club Leon on Tuesday, so we may see some rotation, assuming the Utah-based club is going all in on trying to win Leagues Cup or at least one of the three coveted Concacaf Champions Cup spots. Tonight’s match will be RSL’s first on the road since Aug. 1, where the team is 1-5-3 in 2026 in league play.

Sergi Solans leads tonight’s opponents in goals (9) and goal contributions (12), with Diego Luna leading in assists (6) while adding five goals for 11 total goal contributions. The departure of Zavier Gozo and his six goals and five assists is a tough break for RSL, because beyond those three, 10 goals are spread across eight different players.

The Lions must rediscover their scoring boots for this game, as the Orlando defense pitches precious few shutouts, and if RSL plays its starters, either Solans, Luna, or both could do some damage on the other end.

The Lions will be without Braian Ojeda (foot), Martin Ojeda (thigh), and Bernardo Rhein (thigh), while Adrian Marin (thigh) is questionable, so left back may be an adventure, with Zakaria Taifi, Ivan Angulo, and David Brekalo as the leading candidates to play there, and all of them are right-footed. Real Salt Lake will be without Zach Booth (hamstring), Griffin Dillon (foot), Emeka Eneli (knee), Glad (adductor), and Ariath Piol (Achilles).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Tiago, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Joran Gerbet, Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

Real Salt Lake (5-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Mason Stajduhar.

Defenders: Alexandros Katranis, Sam Junqua, Juan Arias, Kobi Henry, Domink Marczuk.

Midfielders: Aiden Hezarkhan, Luca Moisa, Pablo Ruiz, Lineker Rodrigues.

Forward: Victor Olatunji.

Bench: Rafael Cabral, Juan Sanabria, Philip Quinton, Lukas Engel, Noel Caliskan, Colin Guske, Morgan Guilavogui, Saba Lobjanidze, Diego Luna.

Referees

REF: Fotis Bazakos.
AR1: Brian Dunn.
AR2: Jose Da Silva.
4TH: Marcos DeOliveira.
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

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 Loans Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake

Homegrown midfielder Colin Guske is leaving on loan to Real Salt Lake, where he’ll stand a better chance of getting minutes with the first team.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 21, 2026

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Image of Colin Guske playing the ball through the midfield.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The previously reports are official as Orlando City announced today that the club has loaned Homegrown midfielder Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake for the remainder of the 2026 season in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). Real Salt Lake has the option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the loan deal.

“This is a great opportunity for Colin and an important step in his development,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “As a club, we are committed to doing right by our players and creating opportunities that help them continue to grow. Colin has worked hard throughout our development pathway and this loan gives him the chance to gain valuable experience and consistent minutes at a high level in the short term. It also reflects our continued belief in the pathway from the academy to the professional game. Every player’s journey looks different and we remain focused on providing the right opportunities to help our young players reach their potential, whether that path unfolds in Orlando or through experiences like this one.”

Guske, 19, signed as the club’s 16th Homegrown Player on Dec. 16, 2024, on a deal through 2027 with a club option for 2028. The St. Johns native followed older brothers Owen and Liam into Orlando City’s academy, training with the first team during the 2024 preseason, including the club’s preseason training camp in Mexico. Guske became a starter with OCB during the 2024 season, making his professional debut against Atlanta United 2 on March 16 of that year.

The midfielder impressed, making 24 appearances (23 starts) with OCB in 2024, logging 2,044 minutes and scoring one goal while adding two assists, helping the Young Lions reach the playoffs. One of that season’s highlights was Guske participating in the 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star Game and signing multiple short-term loans to become available for the first team, although he did not play with the senior squad that season.

Guske made his first-team debut during the 2025 season on April 5 in a scoreless draw at Philadelphia, subbing on for Martin Ojeda in stoppage time. As an 18-year-old, Guske appeared in five MLS matches — all off the bench — playing a total of just 13 minutes in the regular season. He made his MLS playoff debut in Orlando City’s 3-1 road loss to the Chicago Fire in the wild card game, playing 15 minutes to eclipse his regular-season total. He also played in the U.S. Open Cup for 45 minutes against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7, 2025, in Orlando City’s 5-0 road win. The bulk of his season was spent with OCB in 2025, playing 18 games (all starts) and logging 1,376 minutes and recording one assist. He also helped the OCSC Development Academy win the 2025 U-18 Generation Adidas Cup, assisting on Gustavo Caraballo’s game-winning goal in extra time.

The midfielder appeared in six matches in MLS play with Orlando City this season (two starts), logging a career-high 284 minutes, but is still seeking his first goal contribution. He started and played all 90 minutes in the Lions’ Aug. 12 Leagues Cup draw against San Luis and played the full 90 in the 4-3 U.S. Open Cup victory at New England on April 29. He also played 45 minutes off the bench in the team’s 1-0 win at FC Naples on April 15. With OCB, Guske started all three matches in which he appeared with the Young Lions in 2026, playing 228 minutes and providing one assist. He had started playing more center back in 2026, likely due to a logjam of central defenders ahead of him on the depth chart.

“Orlando City has been my home for a long time, and I’m thankful to everyone at the club who has supported me throughout my journey,” said Guske. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue my development through this move and for the trust the club has shown in helping me take this next step. My focus is on improving every day, earning opportunities on the field and helping the team however I can. I’m excited and looking forward to this next challenge.”

On the international stage, Guske has been part of the U.S. youth setup, recently helping the United States U-20 side finish second to Mexico in the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship. The midfielder assisted on a goal in a win over Haiti in that tournament. He has represented his country at the U-18, U-19, and U-20 levels.

What It Means for Orlando City

This move is more about what it means for Guske than the club. Guske found himself behind five other guys in the central midfield depth chart when everyone is healthy — Eduard Atuesta, Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, and Joran Gerbet. As he has progressed past playing that position in a way that will further develop him at the MLS NEXT Pro level, he was getting some minutes at center back, which he played at both levels in an area where the club lacks game-ready depth for the first team.

The question became whether the club could keep Guske around long enough for others on the club to leave. Cartagena and Atuesta are nearing their final pro seasons at age 31 and 29, respectively, but they’re by no means old, even by professional soccer standards. Ojeda is just 26 and in his prime, and he’s a player the club seems to like, even naming him a Designated Player temporarily prior to Antoine Griezmann’s arrival. Otavio has come into his own since the league returned to play after the World Cup, and has at times been one of the better players on the field in recent weeks. Gerbet has just recovered from a serious knee injury and has shown promise almost from the jump after being drafted in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. That’s a lot of talent ahead of Guske.

The club ultimately decided the logical move was a loan deal to help the player further his career, rather than hoarding central midfielders and letting him stagnate for lack of minutes or play at a level from which he’s already graduated. Orlando City takes a minor hit in its deepest position group by making this deal, while Guske gets a better chance to get first-team minutes, so everyone wins.

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