Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Claim Game 1 on Wilder Cartagena’s Wondergoal
The Lions take Game 1 thanks to a worldie by Wilder Cartagena and a stout defense.
Midfielder Wilder Cartagena scored the goal of his life and the defense made it hold up as Orlando City defeated Nashville SC 1-0 at Exploria Stadium in Game 1 of the Lions’ first-round, best-of-three series in front of a raucous crowd of 19,744. Pedro Gallese came up big when needed but the defense did well to stifle the Nashville counterattack and the Lions officially won their first MLS playoff game (the 2020 match against New York City FC technically counts as a draw, advancing on penalties).
“I thought we had a good game, especially that first half where we we connected much more in the final third and then we created many options,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We could probably have been more precise and opened the game earlier, and they may have a couple goals too. The game is tight, especially against Nashville. They place a lot of players in their final third and it was difficult for us to break it up and it is a test for us to accomplish and just be more precise in that last part of the field so we don’t need to suffer that much.”
Pareja’s lineup was the same as what he mostly used down the final stretch of the regular season. Pedro Gallese started in net behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres, with Duncan McGuire up top.
The Lions started brightly, getting an early flurry in the third minute. Torres and Angulo both saw scoring chances saved by Joe Willis. Torres cut inside in the sixth minute and curled a shot wide. Then, a minute later, Angulo passed up a shooting opportunity and laid off to Torres, who was double-teamed. The ball popped out to Cartagena outside the area but his long-range effort went just wide.
McGuire’s first chance came in the 17th minute but he was on the left and his left-footed effort was well off target.
Nashville should have scored in the 19th minute. A ball in from Jacob Shaffelburg found Sam Surridge all alone in front but the forward hit his point-blank shot over Gallese’s crossbar in a stunning miss.
Two minutes after the Nashville chance, Thorhallsson picked out McGuire in front but the redirection was partially blocked by Walker Zimmerman, allowing Willis to collect. McGuire tried a header off a menacing cross from Santos in the 26th minute but couldn’t direct it on frame.
Hany Mukhtar got a look in the 28th minute but his header was challenged well by Cartagena and he couldn’t put much power on it, allowing Gallese to pick it up.
Thorhallsson sent a curling effort over the bar from long range off a short corner play in the 30th minute as the Lions kept hunting for the opener. Five minutes later, Angulo had a shot blocked by the defense that may have found the corner had it not been deflected. Torres likewise had a shot blocked by Zimmerman in the 38th minute.
Cartagena put the Lions ahead on an absolute banger of a goal. Picking up a ball from Araujo in the middle, the Peruvian drove toward the top of the box. When nobody closed him down, Cartagena smashed a curling shot toward the right that caught the underside of the crossbar and went in, making it 1-0 in the 41st minute.
“It was a great goal. It was a beautiful goal,” Cartagena said through a club translator. “I think it was Cesar that headed it over to me and I found myself in a lot of space, and I decided to just hit it with a lot of confidence. And thankfully I hit it in a spot that was really difficult for the goalkeeper. I’ve been trying to do that the last couple of games and this one finally came off, and it was a great one.”
“I can tell you for me (Cartagena is) one of the most important players in our team defensively,” Thorhallson said. “He does all the dirty work, wins the first and the second ball, and makes other players shine. So, today he scored an amazing goal and I’m just really, really happy for him.”
Nashville nearly pulled the goal back three minutes later. Left alone from about 40 yards out, Mukhtar sent a rocket that got to Gallese before he was ready. The Peruvian international got a touch to it and knocked it off the crossbar to preserve the lead.
The Lions had the last chance on a corner kick that was knocked around the box in stoppage time. The ball deflected toward the back post, but Araujo did not expect it to get through and didn’t make a run for it, watching helplessly as it went out of play.
Orlando City finished the half with more possession (66.1%-33.9%), shots (16-3), shots on goal (3-2), corners (4-2), and passing accuracy (87.2%-76.6%).
The Lions were a little more careless with the ball in the second half, turning the ball over cheaply a few times, but the visitors couldn’t make them pay for it. Nashville came out of the locker room looking to quickly get back in the game and controlling the first 10 minutes or so.
Schlegel conceded a corner early in the half and then moments later was forced to take a booking for a tactical foul to stop Mukhtar. The foul gave Nashville a dangerous free kick opportunity but Mukhtar’s shot hit the wall and Orlando escaped the danger.
The Lions appeared poised to double the lead in the 53rd minute but Angulo’s shot was deflected at the last second and went out for a corner. There were shouts for a handball on Zimmerman but play continued without Armando Villarreal going to the monitor.
Schlegel had a chance in the 57th minute off another corner kick but he couldn’t generate enough power on his shot and Willis made a sprawling save.
Two minutes later, Thorhallsson had a chance to pass the ball centrally to an open teammate but instead spun outside and was dispossessed. Mukhtar ended up with the ball and Gallese made a big kick save on the deflected shot to keep Nashville off the board in the 59th minute.
Cartagena went down after the play and the trainers came on to check on him. He was subbed off for Junior Urso after a spectacular hour of work. After the match, Cartagena said he felt some pain but he was able to walk without it and he will get further evaluation, but he indicated that he didn’t believe it’s a serious issue.
Pereyra could have doubled the lead in the 66th minute when he got onto the ball in front of Willis, but the midfielder took an extra touch in the box and that allowed Daniel Lovitz to close him down and block the shot.
Lovitz then served up a beautiful cross in the 75th minute to substitute Teal Bunbury, but the veteran striker couldn’t direct it on target.
Orlando began looking for more opportunities to counter with Nashville chasing the game and holding a bit more possession and it nearly worked. Angulo fired a shot in the 77th minute that was blocked in front of goal by the defense. A minute later, Thorhallsson got in close and fired a shot that deflected just wide of the top right corner off a deflection.
Pareja made a triple substitution that spanned the 78th and 79th minutes, with Antonio Carlos, Ramiro Enrique, and Kyle Smith coming on for Pereyra, McGuire, and Santos. The Lions went to a five-man back line to see out the final 10 minutes.
Gallese made a big stop on a deft Surridge flick in the 80th minute but the forward was offside anyway.
Three minutes later, a frustrated-looking Mukhtar fired well over the bar from outside the area.
Orlando had one more good chance to try to put the game away in the 85th minute. Torres sent Urso down the right side of the box, but the midfielder had a tough angle to shoot from and his sliding effort was blocked by Willis.
Nashville threw more subs on, including Fafa Picault, and the visitors started trying to take advantage of the winger’s pace against Smith on Orlando’s left side. It worked in the 89th minute when Picault blew past Smith and won a corner. However, Nashville could not do anything with the set piece.
From there, the Lions saw out the final seconds and seven minutes of stoppage time. Araujo had one final shot attempt deep in stoppage time but it was well off target.
The final stats didn’t change much from the halftime numbers. Orlando City led in possession (58.4%-41.6%), although Nashville closed the gap somewhat when the Lions took a more defensive posture over the last 20 minutes. The Lions also finished with the advantage in shots (25-7), shots on target (5-3), corners (9-4), and passing accuracy (85.9%-79.8%).
“I think today we were the more aggressive team,” Cartagena said. “We pressed a lot. We were very incisive with our passing. Obviously, they’re a great team that defends really well, and it’s really difficult to to enter the area against them. But I think we’ve got players that are really unbalancing in the way that we like to play the game, and so we were able to create a lot of opportunities and then finish one.”
“Second half I thought we controlled the game,” Pareja said. “We have a couple options too, a few options that could have given us more peace just to control the game and not finish with the game that tight. But we recognize that Nashville were throwing bodies up front. And that line of five in the end just gave us energy. So, happy for this first playoff (win) but we have to get ready for the next one.”
These same two teams will get after each other again in Nashville next Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Keep Rolling
The Lions are unbeaten in five games after a win over previously red-hot Toronto.
Orlando City and Toronto FC battled in a match of two of the hottest teams in MLS at Inter.co Stadium, with the lads in purple coming out on top 3-0 in a game that was both closer than the final score indicated and one that the Lions could have won by a wider margin. Antoine Griezmann gave the Lions (10-11-4, 34 points) a 1-0 lead just before the break, with Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo adding late goals to put it away.
The win extended Orlando City’s winning streak to three games and its unbeaten run to five games (4-0-1). Toronto (6-8-11, 29 points) saw a seven-match unbeaten run end tonight against one of the teams it’s chasing for an MLS playoff spot.
“It was a tough game, but I think the team did a good effort, a huge effort,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “The guys jumped into the field and they fight. We had moments and difficulties during the game, but we were able to solve it and win at home, which is very important for us.”
Perelman’s lineup featured little rotation with Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Angulo, Iago, David Brekalo, and Zakaria Taifi. Luis Otavio joined Joran Gerbet in central midfield between wingers Tyrese Spicer and Marco Pasalic with Griezmann and Martin Ojeda up top.
After a cagey opening 10 minutes, Spicer got the game’s first look at goal, blasting a shot just over the crossbar in the 12th minute. Toronto then went the other way and Josh Sargent headed over a minute later.
Derrick Etienne Jr. smashed a shot from the left moments later but Crepeau fought it off with a kick save in the 14th minute.
Griezmann got his first look at goal in the 15th minute when a ball ricocheted to his feet on the left. He fired quickly, but Luka Gavran made the save. The set piece deflected out of the area to Taifi, who tried to shoot with his first touch but sent it far from the target.
Otavio conceded a free kick in the 20th minute near the left corner of the box, but Niklas Dorsch sent a one-hopper right at Crepeau on the set piece.
The Lions thought they’d taken the lead in the 32nd minute when Griezmann’s set piece delivery was headed into the Toronto net by defender Walker Zimmerman. Instead of an own goal, Jon Freemon went to the monitor and determined Otavio was offside and interfering with Zimmerman on the play.
Toronto nearly broke the deadlock five minutes later with a slick passing move that ended up with Derrick Etienne Jr. behind the defense, but the Toronto forward sent his shot just wide of the right post. Theo Corbeanu fired wide in the 40th minute off a transition attempt as Toronto continued to look dangerous.
Griezmann struck in the first minute of added time at the end of the half. With the ball out wide on Taifi’s foot, Griezmann started a run at the top of the box, pointing out where he wanted the young fullback to deliver it. Taifi delivered it to the perfect spot and Griezmann made a lunging poke at it and sent it past Gavran and into the net. For Griezmann, it was his fifth straight game with a goal, tying an overall club record set by Dom Dwyer across two seasons and established a new club record for consecutive games with a goal in a single season.
“I mean, now that I think about it, it’s kind of like stuff I dreamed of as a kid,” Taifi said of his assist. “You know, it’s Griezmann. I’ve watched him for my whole life. In warmups and training, I always practice that ball with him, because I know he just likes to fly and get his foot, get his head on the ball, and I know he’s going to be there. At first, I saw no one was in there, so I hesitated, and then I took another touch. I see him making the run, and then I just put it in there because I knew he was going to get it.”
As stoppage time wound down, Ojeda got to a ball in the Toronto box and went down after contact with Gavran. Freemon pointed to the spot immediately but then went to the monitor. GAvran had touched the ball prior to contact with Ojeda so the penalty and yellow card to Gavran were wiped out. That was it for the half.
At the break, Orlando held the advantage in possessoin (58.5%-41.5%), passing accuracy (87.8%-82.7%), and corners (3-2), while Toronto attempted more shots (6-4). Both teams put two shots on target in the opening period.
Perelman made one change at halftime, sending Wilder Cartagena on for Gerbet.
Toronto looked to get the goal back immediately, with Markus Cimermancic forcing Crepeau into a big save just after the restart.
The Reds could do nothing with their ensuing corner to end the threat. The visitors created another moments later with a good switch of play from left to right for Etienne, who fired wide with Crepeau out of position after the goalkeeper dove to try to get a hand to the cross. Sargent then fired over the bar in the 52nd minute on a Toronto 3-v-2 break.
The Lions finally got their first look at goal of the second half in the 56th minute. Ojeda shook free just outside the box and fired but sent his effort straight at Gavran.
Dorsch stole the ball from a lackadaisacal Otavio in the 63rd minute but fired over the bar. The play earned Otavio a tongue lashing from Crepeau after the miss.
Perelman sent Daryl Dike and Bernardo Rhein on for Ojeda and Spicer a minte later.
In the 71st minute, the Lions worked a well-worked attack from second-half sub Justin Ellis turned Angulo loose down the left. Angulo sent a good cross in front for a tap-in, but Dike couldn’t set his feet and missed the opportunity. Eight minutes later, Pasalic sent a pass through a defender’s legs to send Angulo down the left, but Gavran made a huge save to keep the game at 1-0.
Three minutes later, the Lions doubled their lead. Sarajian, who came off the bench for Pasalic in the 80th minute, kept a play alive by winning a couple of challenges, then gave the ball to Dike. The big striker gave it back to Sarajian on the right and the rookie slipped his first MLS goal past Gavran inside the left post in the 82nd minute.
“It’s a surreal moment for me,” Sarajian said. “It’s been a long time, me playing with the second team and grinding out there, getting a chance to play with the first team. So, I’m super grateful for Dike’s pass, but I’ve just got to keep working to get a couple more.”
Four minutes after the goal, Gavran made a huge stop to deny a rocket from Cartagena. Toronto then went the other way and Daniel Salloi headed off the crossbar but the play was offside anyway.
Sargent blasted a shot from the top of the area off the crossbar in the third minute of stoppage time as Toronto looked for a way back into the game. A minute later, the Lions survived a dangerous sequence in their own end with a block from Brekalo, a save from Crepeau, and another block from Iago to preserve the 2-0 lead.
Orlando put the game to bed just seconds into the sixth minute of stoppage time. Sarajian found Ellis and the young forward set up Angulo, who finished past Gavran to make it 3-0. It was Angulo’s second straight game with a goal — the first such streak in his Orlando City career .
Moments later, the final whistle blew.
Orlando finished the match with the edge in possession (54.8%-45.2%), shots on target (8-4), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (85.8%-85.6%). Toronto finished with more shot attempts (18-13).
“Every player is very important for us,” Perelman said about the way his younger players stepped up and filled in tonight. “I think in this locker room, in this roster, every player that we have is ready. I respect the players because they do a huge effort giving everything for their teammates.”
Orlando City is back in action Wednesday night with a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match on the road against the Columbus Crew. The next league game will be a week from tonight when the Lions visit the New England Revolution.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The (finally) rolling Lions host the red-hot Reds as both teams try to continue climbing the Eastern Conference table.
Welcome to your preview and match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (9-11-4, 31 points) and Toronto FC (6-7-11, 29 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first of two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, with the return fixture in Toronto scheduled for Oct. 14.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
Orlando is 10-10-3 in the evenly split all-time, regular-season series. The Lions are 6-5-0 at home. The teams split their two meetings a year ago, with the home side claiming all three points in each.
The last time Orlando City faced Toronto FC was on Decision Day 2025 — Oct. 18 — with the Reds running rampant in a 4-2 win over the Lions. Djordje Mihailovic scored in each half, with Jonathan Osorio and Deandre Kerr adding a goal apiece to more than offset Orlando’s strikes by David Brekalo and Duncan McGuire. The loss knocked Orlando into the final position in the Wild Card play-in game, so it was costly.
The teams first renewed acquaintances in 2025 on March 1 in Orlando, with the Lions winning 4-2. Cesar Araujo and Alex Freeman scored moments apart, with Martin Ojeda and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson chipping in goals, while Sigurd Rosted and Deybi Flores scored for the visitors.
The teams met at BMO Field in Toronto on July 3, 2024, with the Lions earning a 2-1 revenge win on an Ojeda goal and an own goal by Nicksoen Gomis forced by Facundo Torres, coming from behind after Derrick Etienne, Jr. had given the Reds an early lead.
The Lions and Reds met in Orlando on April 27, 2024, and the Lions led most of the match on a McGuire goal. However, the Reds flipped the game on its head late, scoring twice in the final three minutes of normal time. Former Red/current Lion Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu scored to lift Toronto to a 2-1 win.
The final meeting of 2023 took place in Toronto on Decision Day, Oct. 21, when McGuire came off the bench and scored twice to beat the Reds 2-0. The teams met in Orlando on July 4, 2023, with Orlando City putting the Reds to the sword on Independence Day, beating the Canadian side, 4-0. Cesar Araujo, McGuire, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ercan Kara scored for the Lions, and Toronto finished with 10 men after Federico Bernardeschi was shown his second yellow card just past the hour mark.
Orlando City also romped 4-0 over the Reds in the previous meeting, Sept. 17, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. Torres, Kara, and Tesho Akindele scored for the Lions to go along with a Lukas MacNaughton own goal. The Lions also won 1-0 on May 14, 2022, at BMO Field, thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Kyle Smith, who flicked a header from a corner kick cross inside the far post to lift Orlando City to victory.
The Lions went 2-0-1 in three meetings with Toronto FC in 2021. The teams played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on July 17. Jozy Altidore came off the bench to score the opener but Nani equalized from the penalty spot minutes later. Benji Michel drew the penalty, which was originally ruled a foul on the Orlando winger but was overturned after video review by referee Marcos de Oliveira.
The other Toronto “home match” in the 2021 season series came on June 19 at Exploria Stadium. The Reds were dealing with pandemic restrictions in Canada that forced the team to play home games in the United States. Orlando City built a 2-0 early lead on goals by Akindele and Nani, only to see Toronto tie the match by halftime on goals by Ayo Akinola and Osorio. Junior Urso scored late to lift the Lions to a 3-2 victory. The teams first met that year on May 22, with Orlando City claiming a 1-0 win on Akindele’s goal.
The teams did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the MLS stoppage for the pandemic, the teams met most recently in Toronto on Aug. 10, 2019, with the Lions grabbing a point at BMO Field in a 1-1 draw. Michel opened the scoring in the second half, but the Reds equalized off a scramble following a set piece just eight minutes later. The other matchup between the sides that season came on May 4, 2019, when the Reds walked out of Orlando with a 2-0 win on goals by Osorio and Jay Chapman.
The teams split their season series in 2018. Orlando City captured a 2-1 win at home in James O’Connor’s first home game as head coach of the Lions on July 14, 2018. Chris Schuler and Dom Dwyer staked City to a 2-0 lead and Nick Hagglund ruined the shutout in the 94th minute off a Sebastian Giovinco free kick delivery. The 2018 meeting in Toronto saw the Reds get a 2-1 win at BMO Field on Ryan Telfer’s 87th-minute goal.
Toronto shredded Orlando in a 3-1 win on July 5, 2017. Altidore and Giovinco combined to score Toronto’s three goals. Carlos Rivas gave Orlando a consolation goal. In the first meeting of 2017, Orlando out-possessed, out-shot, and out-passed the hosts and played like the better team on the night. However, the Lions could not overcome a two-goal deficit and Giovinco’s first-half brace led Toronto to a 2-1 win.
The Lions got their first victory in the series on June 25, 2016, winning 3-2 at Camping World Stadium. Kaká scored from the spot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to win it. Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter each gave OCSC leads in the game, only to see Jordan Hamilton and Justin Morrow equalize until the captain’s late winner. The Reds took the second 2016 matchup in Orlando with a 2-1 victory and the teams also drew 0-0 on Sept. 28 of that year.
In 2015, Toronto took home all nine points in the three meetings, beating Orlando by a combined score of 11-1.
Overview
The Lions enter tonight on their best run of the 2026 season, having gone unbeaten in four matches (3-0-1). That includes Wednesday’s 3-2 win at Atlanta United in which Orlando City scored all five goals, unfortunately and accidentally putting two in the back of its own net. Antoine Griezmann has been on fire almost since his first minute on the pitch for Orlando, having contributed to 10 goals (7 goals, 3 assists) in his first nine MLS matches, including the opening goal and winning goal on Wednesday. Martin Ojeda made his first start since the World Cup break on Wednesday, contributing an assist and wreaking havoc with his off-ball movement throughout the night. He continues to lead the Lions with 11 goals on the year.
That said, it’s unclear how Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman will approach tonight’s match, considering the team flies to Columbus in a couple of days to face the Crew on the road in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. It seems likely there will be at least a partially rotated squad tonight, with key starters in the midfield or attack likely being limited to 45 minutes. On the other hand, it’s a vital, six-point-type match between two teams fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Lions, who carry a 6-4-2 home record into tonight in league play, have climbed from outside the playoff places to sixth over their four-game unbeaten streak and sit four positions — but only two points — ahead of tonight’s visitors from the shores of Lake Ontario (sic).
Toronto FC is unbeaten in its last seven games (3-0-4) and has lost just once since the league’s restart, beating the New England Revolution, Inter Miami, and Nashville SC by identical 2-1 scores and playing to a wild 4-4 draw against the Chicago Fire in that span. Those are the top four teams in the Eastern Conference, and the Nashville win came just three days ago, so the Reds will carry a lot of momentum and confidence into tonight. They’ll also have a full week off after tonight, so they can go for it with their best lineup. Toronto, however, is 2-5-3 away from home this season.
One of the keys to Toronto’s recent success is USMNT striker Josh Sargeant getting on track. The big target forward has four goals in the last four games and has crept to the top of Toronto’s scoring list with seven, tied with former Sporting Kansas City star Dániel Sallói, who has chipped in a team-high nine assists.
To win tonight, Orlando must deny service to Sargeant, try to keep Sallói and new arrival Lewis Morgan off the ball, and find ways to beat Walker Zimmerman and the Toronto defense. Whoever plays left back and left wing for Orlando will need to track former Lion Richie Laryea. City must also be smart and not cost itself for Wednesday by running players ragged on short rest.
Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot), while Adrian Marin (thigh) has been upgraded to questionable. Toronto will be without Osorio (knee), Nelson Palacio (thigh), and Mihailovic (thigh).
Match Content
- The latest episode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and final score predictions.
- Our Ben Miller provided his three keys to an Orlando City victory in tonight’s match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Ivan Angulo, Iago, David Brekalo, Zakaria Taifi.
Midfielders: Tyrese Spicer, Joran Gerbet, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic.
Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Antoine Griezmann.
Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Wilder Cartagena, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis, Harvey Sarajian, Tiago, Daryl Dike.
Toronto (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Luka Gavran.
Defenders: Matheus Pereira, Benjamin Kuscevic, Walker Zimmerman, Richie Laryea.
Midfielders: Dániel Sallói, Markus Cimermancic, Niklas Dorsch, Theo Corbeanu.
Forwards: Derrick Etienne, Jr.,Josh Sargent.
Bench: William Yarbrough, Jackson Gilman, Nicksoen Gomis, Zane Monlouis, Alonso Coello, Kobe Franklin, Emilio, Raheem Edwards, Malik Henry.
Referees
REF: Jon Freemon.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Ben Pilgrim.
4TH: Sergii Demianchuk.
VAR: Kevin Stott.
AVAR: Robert Schaap.
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).
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!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Three Keys to Victory
Here’s what the Lions need to do in order to have a good chance of knocking off Toronto at home.
Following Wednesday’s 3-2 road victory against Atlanta United, Orlando City has quietly put together a run of four games unbeaten and has won three of those four games. Up next is a Toronto team that hasn’t tasted defeat in its last seven matches, and with fixture congestion once again an issue during September, OCSC will need to be at its best if it wants to come away with three points against a direct rival for the Eastern Conference playoff places. What follows are my three keys to victory against the Reds.
Ring the Rotations
Not only will the Lions be coming off short rest following a midweek match, but there’s another extremely important midweek contest looming on the horizon in the form of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal in Columbus. Playing an unrotated XI against both Atlanta and Toronto would be tantamount to suicide, even without the extra game thrown in, but with the semifinal to consider, rotation is going to be key. We saw around this time last year and again in August how difficult it can be to win games when the team either can’t or simply doesn’t rotate, and this stretch of games is too important to keep asking the same 11 guys to play a highly physically demanding style every single match.
A number of OCSC players have begun to look leggy in recent weeks, and I don’t think it was an accident that Griffin Dorsey and David Brekalo didn’t play the full 90 minutes against Atlanta. They’ve barely come off the field this year and absolutely needed a little extra recovery time, but they aren’t the only ones. In an ideal world, we see guys on Saturday who haven’t been starting much lately, like Marco Pasalic, Tiago, Tyrese Spicer, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Zakaria Taifi, and Iago; while guys who are coming back from injury or have lots of minutes on their legs like Dorsey, Robin Jansson, Antoine Griezmann, Joran Gerbet, and Martin Ojeda get some rest to start the game even if they’re subbed on in the second half. No such luck for Ivan Angulo, who will play the full 90 in every game until the end of time.
Be Better on the Back Post
Lately I’ve felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day when watching Orlando City play, because I’m watching the Lions’ defense get repeatedly exposed in the same way: a ball is played in from a wide area, across the defense to the back post, and there’s at least one free man to get on the end of it. That’s how Orlando gave up a goal against Real Salt Lake and how it conceded both goals against Atlanta. If not for some wayward finishing by the Five Stripes, OCSC likely would have given up more goals in a similar fashion during Wednesday’s contest. The word is very much out on how to score against this team: put in either a cross or a diagonal switch that bypasses the nearest part of the defense and requires the team to pick up runners on the back side. That’s it. In theory, it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to fix, but if it isn’t cleaned up — and soon — then teams are going to continue making Orlando pay for that particular flaw and it’s going to cost the Lions points. Toronto is unbeaten in its last seven games and just put a couple goals past the best defense in the league. No need to make the Reds’ job any easier for them.
Clinical Finishing
Assuming that Martin Perelman makes significant changes to his starting XI with an eye on the Open Cup semifinal, we’ll probably be in for a rather disjointed offensive performance on Saturday. That means that quality chances will likely be hard to come by, which puts a huge emphasis on finishing the ones that the Lions create. Even if the offense is creating tons of good chances the way it did against Atlanta, the guys on the field need to do a much better job of finishing those chances. On Wednesday, the Lions created a whopping eight chances with an expected goals (xG) value of .25 or higher, meaning that a player taking that shot would be expected to score roughly 25% of the time. Orlando managed to finish just three of those chances, and a game that never should have been in doubt ended up having a nervy finish once Atlanta pulled a goal back in stoppage time. That sort of profligacy simply can’t happen on Saturday, especially in a contest where chances will probably be at a premium.
There you have it folks. Bring on the fresh legs, clean up the back-side defending, and be lethal finishing in front of goal, and the Lions should have a good chance of taking all three points at home on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Keep Rolling
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current: Final Score 2-2 as Pride Let Two-Goal Lead Slip Away
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Orlando Pride2 weeks agoSeb Hines Out as Orlando Pride Head Coach
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