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

• Our Intelligence Report by Ben Miller provides the latest info on New York City FC from Hudson River Blue’s Matthew Mangam.
• The most recent episode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s game.
• Our David Rohe provides his three keys to an Orlando City victory over New York City FC.

---

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!

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!

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! Today is the start of three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy. The Orlando Pride play the Washington Spirit tonight, Orlando City will take on New York City FC on Saturday, and Orlando City B will kick off its 2025 season against Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday. It should be a fun weekend of soccer to enjoy. Let’s get to the links!

Getting to Know Martin Ojeda

Orlando City attacker Martin Ojeda is the latest player featured in the club’s video series aimed at shining a light on this season’s players. The 26-year-old had a slow start in his first year in Orlando. Ojeda and Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke about how he’s adjusted to the pace of the game and the demanding transition moments that differ from other leagues he’s played in. He’s certainly improved, and he led the Lions with 12 assists last season. Ojeda also discussed the responsibility of wearing No. 10 on his back, the hurt after losing to the New York Red Bulls in the playoffs last year, and how he and the team are working on improving at every detail this year. The video also includes some great highlights and having the player interviews for these take place on a beach at sunset really makes it feel like I’m watching a documentary.

Nuestro 10, Tincho 🇦🇷@YourSFD | #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/88wJX23zzs

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) March 6, 2025

Sights and Sounds From Orlando City’s Win

The Lions earned their first win of the season in emphatic fashion on Saturday and the club released a video highlighting the best parts of the 4-2 victory over Toronto FC. It’s great to see some different angles on how Cesar Araujo beat the wall and banked the ball off the post from a free kick to get the scoring started. Alex Freeman’s first MLS goal, Ojeda’s celebration, and Luis Muriel’s pinpoint assist all received love as well, with the crowd noise really helping with the immersion. Hopefully the Lions can light it up again in New York.

𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 from Matchday 2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/0H7V9y4orP

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) March 6, 2025

Orlando Pride’s Challenge Starts Tonight

The Orlando Pride will play their first competitive match of 2025 tonight when they host the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup. The annual match is normally between the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship winners, but the Pride won both last year in a historic season. The Pride will be viewed as the team to beat and will take on a Spirit side that tied them with 18 wins last season. The Spirit’s attack is led by two young talents in Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune, but both are recovering from injuries suffered last year, so we’ll see if they take the field tonight before the season begins next week. Marta, who signed a two-year contract with the Pride this off-season, spoke about this year’s challenge for the Pride.

“It’s exciting to know that everybody is gonna look to us and then try to make it difficult for us,” Marta said. “But for me, it’s the best feeling, because you’re good at what you do, so just go and play, go and have fun. Go and get people excited to see you on the field. And it’s what I’m looking for.”

USWNT Stays Atop FIFA World Rankings

Despite a loss to Japan in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, the United States Women’s National Team is still first in the FIFA world rankings. The USWNT beat Australia and Colombia in the tournament to stay ahead of a trio of European nations in Spain, Germany, and England. Japan rounds out the top five after winning all three of its SheBelieves Cup games. Brazil fell a spot to eighth as a result of Japan’s climb. Zambia, which had a win and a loss against Malawi in a pair of friendlies last month, fell two spots to 64th.

Europa League Round of 16 Begins

The first legs for the Europa League’s round of 16 were Thursday with all 16 remaining teams in action. Manchester United went on the road and battled Real Sociedad to a 1-1 draw, with the Spanish club’s equalizer coming from the penalty spot in the 70th minute. Tottenham had a rougher away trip, losing 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. A late goal by Eldor Shomurodov lifted AS Roma to a 2-1 against Athletic Club.

Lazio also won it late, beating Viktoria Plzen 2-1 thanks to Gustav Isaksen scoring deep into stoppage time while down to nine men. Bodø/Glimt took down Olympiacos 3-0 to end the Greek club’s 26-match unbeaten run. Elsewhere in Europe, Malick Fofana had a brace in Lyon’s 3-1 win over Steaua Bucuresti, Rangers beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in Turkey, and Eintracht Frankfurt won 2-1 against Ajax.

Free Kicks

• Former Orlando City SC academy director Darren Powell was hired as Nashville SC’s next academy director. He returns to MLS after spending the past few years coaching Lexington SC in the USL Championship.

• Angel City FC Sporting Director Mark Parsons stated that he does not expect a full-time head coach to be hired until June. The club fired Becki Tweed in December, and Sam Laity has been the club’s interim coach this preseason.
• American forward Folarin Balogun is back at training with AS Monaco after being sidelined for the past few months due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He won’t be with the U.S. for the Concacaf Nations League this month, but could feature in the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer.
• Inter Miami defender Ian Fray had his red card rescinded by the Independent Review Panel and he will be eligible to play on Sunday against Charlotte FC.
• Mason Greenwood is switching his international allegiance from England to Jamaica. Get ready to learn Concacaf, buddy.
• For the first time since tearing his ACL in October of 2023, Neymar has been called up for Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina this month. Brazil is currently fifth in the CONMEBOL standings with six games left in qualifying.
• Manchester United is reportedly interested in signing Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford. If the 22-year-old does sign with United, the fans absolutely need to nickname him Young Trafford.
• Lyon’s manager, Paulo Fonseca, is banned from Ligue 1 games for nine months for angrily confronting the referee in his team’s 2-1 win over Brest on Sunday. Fonseca will not be allowed on the touchline or in the locker room, and won’t have access to players at Ligue 1 games until Sept. 15.
• FIFA will review a proposal for the 2030 FIFA World Cup to include 64 teams for the centenary of the event. It would be ambitious and I don’t think it would happen, but I’ll admit that I hope it comes to fruition.
• We end our links with the Lions showing off their singing abilities, and nothing will prepare you for how beautiful Robin Jansson’s voice is.

🗣️ I WANT IT THAT WAY 🎶 pic.twitter.com/VOxg7d4pNy

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) March 6, 2025

---

That’s all I have for you this time. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend. Go Orlando!