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Orlando City vs. Tigres UANL, Concacaf Champions Cup: Final Score 4-2 as Lions Bounced from Tournament

It was anything but Orlando’s night in Monterrey as the Lions got trounced on the road.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City did not fare as well in its second trip to Estadio Universitario in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico, near Monterrey. Tigres pounced on the Lions early and often, routing Orlando 4-2, despite going a man down for the final 20 minutes at El Volcan. Facundo Torres scored Orlando’s first goal in Mexico and Martin Ojeda added a second one late, but Marcelo Flores, Andre-Pierre Gignac (penalty), Fernando Gorriaran, and Sebastian Cordova all struck for the hosts in a comprehensive win.

Tigres claimed the first victory in the series after the teams drew in their first three meetings and moves on to the quarterfinals of the competition.

Pareja’s lineup included Pedro Gallese in net behind a back line of Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Wilder Cartagena lined up in central midfield with Felipe behind an attacking midfield line of Ivan Angulo, Nico Lodeiro, and Torres with Luis Muriel up top.

Orlando City got played off the pitch in the early going. Tigres had more energy and gave the Lions fits with their pressure. While the Mexican side was happy to stay back and look for counter chances a week ago, the plan was different at home. Tigres’ fullbacks and central midfielders were much quicker to jump into the attack and the wingers were happy to take on Orlando’s fullbacks. Thorhallsson and Smith struggled with their quickness much of the night, although the former was much better in the second half.

Tigres fired some early warning shots, with a header from the top of the box skipping just wide in the fifth minute and a weak header from Guido Pizarro on a set piece also going wide.

Orlando’s first chance came off a corner kick that pinged around off several heads in the box and fell to Brekalo. The defender stabbed a shot toward goal but hit it straight at goalkeeper Felipe Rodriguez.

A minute later, Tigres took the lead. Thorhallsson allowed Flores to get inside onto his right foot. He unleashed a shot through traffic that Gallese didn’t see at first, and it bounced just in front of the goalkeeper, skipping off the turf and over his outstretched arms and in to make it 1-0.

Things got worse five minutes later. Thorhallsson bumped Flores from behind in the box, and although there wasn’t much in it, referee Ivan Barton pointed to the spot. Gignac sent Gallese the wrong way and made it 2-0 in the 20th minute.

Orlando got a soft penalty of its own two minutes later. Gignac shoved Jansson during a free kick and again Barton pointed to the spot. Facundo Torres blasted an unstoppable penalty past a diving Rodriguez to make it 2-1 in the 24th minute.

Brekalo was stripped of the ball shortly after the restart and Gignac fired a shot just wide at the end of the transition opportunity. Jesús Angulo then fired just wide moments later as Tigres tried to restore momentum. The Lions then took a couple of yellow cards in quick succession as Smith and Lodeiro were cautioned.

Gallese kept the deficit at just one in the 32nd minute with an outstanding stop, however, the goal would not have counted. A free kick conceded by Thorhallsson was sent into the box and flicked on by Tigres center back Samir. It landed in front of goal and Jesús Angulo got to it first. Gallese made himself big and saved the shot, but the flag came up anyway.

That was the last meaningful opportunity for either side in the opening 45 minutes.

Tigres held the statistical advantage in possession (59.9%-40.1%), shots (7-3), and passing accuracy (87.9%-85.3%). Each team put two shots on target.

The early part of the second half consisted of some decent attacks but no clear chances. Orlando should have had a chance in the 56th minute when Muriel did well to find Torres in the box. The Uruguayan tried to dribble past two defenders in the box and was dispossessed when he might have been better served to shoot it with his first touch.

Jansson did well to get in front of a Quinones shot in the 58th minute and then Gallese made a pair of sparkling saves on the ensuing corner that didn’t count because Gignac was offside before either shot.

Thorhallsson tried to lay off a pass for Muriel in the 60th but the pass was a little behind the Colombian and he couldn’t gather it in for a shot.

Gallese stopped a weak Quinones shot in the 62nd minute but Tigres put the game away six minutes later on a play that should never have happened.

Lodeiro turned the ball over with a wayward volley attempt that was unnecessary. He mishit the ball badly and turned it over to Gignac. The Frenchman saw Gorriaran breaking at the far post and Smith wasn’t aware of him in the chaos of the transition break until he was beaten.

Gallese got his hand to the Gorriaran header. It came off his arm and hit the underside of the crossbar and appeared to stay out, but the goal was given. FOX showed only one angle and it wasn’t conclusive, but the goal was given, and Tigres had its two-goal advantage back in the 68th minute.

Orlando caught a potential break four minutes after the goal. Rafael Carioca was sent off for a dangerous challenge when his boot came up and struck Ramiro Enrique in the face. It was a clear red and the Lions had about 20 minutes to make up the two-goal difference.

However, Orlando City was never able to close the gap. Ojeda overcooked a cross to the back post to waste a promising attack in the 75th minute. A minute later, Enrique took a pass at the top of the box that skipped up on him and by the time he tried his shot, Samir had gotten a leg in between his foot and the ball.

The Lions’ chances went from slim to none in the 81st minute after another turnover launched a Tigres counter. Gallese had lost his positioning, straying too far off his line. Sebastian Cordova sent an embarrassing goal over the Peruvian to put an exclamation point on the win for the Mexican club.

After the fourth goal, the Lions fired a couple of shots over the bar and had one deflect over off Samir’s head.

The Lions eventually won a second penalty off a corner that Cartagena headed to Jansson. The defender volleyed his shot off the arm of a defender in front of goal. The penalty was obvious and second-half sub Ojeda sent the keeper the wrong way and made it 4-2 with a consolation goal in the 91st minute.

Tigres had the better looks at goal in the final seven minutes of stoppage time, but no more goals were scored, and Orlando found itself outside the competition with the road loss.

Orlando City closed the gap in the statistical disadvantage, but Tigres finished with the edge in possession (52.9%-47.1%), shots (17-12), shots on goal (8-4), and corners (8-5). The Lions held a slight advantage in passing accuracy (84.5%-83.2%).

Orlando City is out of Champions Cup but returns to MLS action on short rest again as the Lions travel to Georgia to take on Atlanta United on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

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Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

8 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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

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

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

History

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

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

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

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Antoine Griezmann.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

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

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Anibal Godoy.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Referees:

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

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

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

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

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

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

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