Orlando City’s leaky road defense continued to be a problem in a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew at Scott’sMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, OH, in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. After conceding an early goal to longtime nemesis Josef Martinez, whose run the Lions ignored on a set piece, Martin Ojeda brought the game level before the break. Another poor moment at the back led to Brais Mendez’s game winner early in the second half, and Orlando lost all creativity down the stretch when Antoine Griezmann left with a knock and Justin Ellis began to tire.

Needing a goal for a half an hour, the Lions played with no urgency, hardly created anything, and looked like a team stuck in mud as the host Crew had no trouble playing through, around, and over them.

“Very disappointed. I think we didn’t perform as we should and the game was tough for us,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “There were moments maybe in the first half that we had better sensations, feelings, and then again, I think we couldn’t do what we have been doing. We didn’t perform as we should. Nothing to say. It’s over.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Zakaria Taifi. Joran Gerbet and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Ellis with Ojeda and Griezmann up top.

Griffin Dorsey, who was held out Saturday for precautionary reasons, did not dress.

Columbus got forward immediately at the opening whistle and Brekalo was able to block a Santiago Rodriguez shot as the Crew looked to pounce early.

The Lions had a golden opportunity to score early on a corner kick when Griezmann found Rhein in the box all alone on a set piece played short. The Homegrown fullback had lots of net to shoot at but sent his shot right at Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and the Lions committed a foul trying to corral the rebound in the fourth minute.

It was a costly miss because Martinez put the Crew ahead four minutes later. Columbus won a corner moments later and the Lions were asleep at the switch on a set piece played short. Griezmann kept the play onside as the defense stepped up and no one marked Martinez, who had only to pass the ball into the net from point-blank range with zero defenders to deal with, making it 1-0 Crew early.

“The first 10 to 15 minutes of that first half really cost us,” Ojeda said. “We were not finding the open players when we had them, and we needed to be a little bit more patient to find those open players.

The set piece didn’t wake the defense up, as the Crew nearly made it 2-0 just a few minutes later. A ball into the box found Brooks Lennon, who saw his shot blocked in front by Rhein. The rebound fell to Rodriguez, who fired just over the target.

The Lions worked the ball right to left again on a set piece in the 14th minute but Taifi scuffed his shot and it was easily saved. Two minutes later, Ellis did well to take Atuesta’s pass, fake to his left and fire a near-post attempt with his right foot, but Hagen got down to make the save.

Crepeau saved Anass Zaroury’s shot in the 24th minute but nearly spilled it, despite it not having a lot on it. The Canadian regathered, however.

That play started a back-and-forth period that saw Angulo fire over the bar in the 25th minute and Rodriguez tried to chip Crepeau a minute later but he couldn’t get any lift on his shot, making for catching practice.

Griezmann then won a free kick left of center just outside the box in the 28th minute. Atuesta took the set piece and went for goal but he couldn’t beat Hagen to the near post. Hagen, however, made an awkward save with his chest and Orlando won a corner. On the ensuing set play, the Lions worked the ball to Rhein on the left and the Homegrown fullback sent a looping header toward the back post. The ball hit off the inside of the right upright and Steven Moreira cleared it off the line at the half-hour mark.

Orlando City finally got rewarded in the 40th minute for creating a number of good chances. Ellis started the play in his own half by making a nice move to split Santiago and Andre Gomes, taking the ball up the right channel. Approaching the box, Ellis squared the ball left for Ojeda, who took a touch and blasted a shot just inside the right post to make it 1-1.

“It feels good to score, but at the end of the night, it didn’t help us get the victory tonight,” Ojeda said.

Following the Orlando goal, the rest of the half belonged to Columbus, which kept the Lions hemmed in their own end with long spells of possession. The hosts won a few set pieces but couldn’t do much with them. The closest the Crew came to retaking the lead before halftime came in the 44th minute, when Mendez got in behind the back line, only to have Crepeau make a big save with his right hand. The play, however, was offside.

Orlando survived a late corner and the teams went to the break knotted at 1-1.

At the break, the Crew held the advantage in possession (52%-48%), shots (9-7), corners (5-2), and passing accuracy (93%-92%). The Lions put more shots on target (4-3).

Perelman made his first change at halftime, sending Wilder Cartagena on for Gerbet.

The Lions got forward immediately after the restart and Angulo got down the left channel. He took a tough-angle shot that Sean Zawadzki blocked out for a corner. The set piece fell in the box but the Crew reacted first and cleared it.

Ojeda went for goal on a set piece from the right in the 50th minute that Griezmann won on a rough foul from Taha Habroune, who was booked. Hagen was a little off his post, but Ojeda just missed wide.

Columbus regained the lead off a turnover moments later. Crepeau tried a pass up the middle for Ojeda but it was just over the Argentine’s head. The Crew broke the other way and Rodriguez sent a cross past Jansson, who wasn’t near a defender, to Mendez, with Rhein completely out of the play and trying to catch up. The wide-open Mendez had only to touch the cross home to make it 2-1 in the 52nd minute.

Griezmann had to come off for Daryl Dike as a result of the earlier foul from Habroune.

“I don’t have the medical report yet, so we will wait until the doctors and the medical department give us the certain information regarding him,” Perelman said. “Everybody knows how impactful and important he is for us off and on the field and not having him is not a good plan, but it is what it is, and we have to be ready to compete and win, even in a situation like that.”

Mendez put the ball in again in the 60th minute but Martinez, who fed him the ball, was offside on the play and the flag came up immediately. Perelman used the stoppage to send Tyrese Spicer on for Taifi.

The Crew defense had a good spell after that, blocking an Ellis attempted dribble and an Atuesta pass intended for Dike in quick succession.

Columbus nearly made it 3-1 in the 65th minute as the Lions were beaten on a back-side cross behind Rhein, an area of concern that continues despite that being the main source of danger to Orlando’s defense for weeks. The ball quickly cycled centrally to Martinez, who fired just wide.

Angulo won a free kick and a corner over the next few minutes, but the Lions could do nothing with their service on either.

Marco Pasalic subbed on for Ellis in the 78th minute.

Ellis’ departure ended Orlando’s night of creating anything in possession. Down the stretch, the Lions struggled to win possessions that were few and far between as the Crew won seemingly every ball and passed around Orlando players as if they weren’t there. Crepeau made an incredible save to deny Andres Herrera on a 2-v-1 break in stoppage time to keep the final score from getting worse, and Gonzalo Tapia missed just wide on another transition chance moments later.

Angulo won a late free kick from distance on the far right side of the field, but the back-post delivery went off Dike and out of play to effectively end the match on another wasted set piece.

At the full-time whistle, Columbus had the advantage in shots (16-10), shots on target (6-4), and corners (7-4). Despite their struggles to get and keep possession down the stretch, the Lions somehow edged in front in possession (52%-48%) and passing accuracy (91%-90%).

“It hurts because it’s not the result we came here for. It’s not the result that we hoped for, and there were some difficult moments that cost us,” Ojeda said. “We had some chances in the first half that were more clear that we could have finished, and second half there were some chances that were less clear and we had some issues further up the field. So, I’ll say it again, just pain and sadness for tonight.”

The loss snaps Orlando City’s five-match unbeaten run, although all of those matches were in MLS regular-season competition.

With the team’s U.S. Open Cup run now over, Orlando City has a quick turnaround with a trip to New England to face the Revolution coming up in league play on Saturday.

Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night U.S. Open Cup semifinal matchup between Orlando City and the Columbus Crew at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network, Paramount+). This is the second meeting between the two Eastern Conference rivals this season and the second time the clubs have met in U.S. Open Cup competition in series history. The Lions and Crew are scheduled to meet once more in the regular season in Orlando on Oct. 10.

Here’s what you need to know about the match.

History

The Lions are 10-8-6 in the all-time, regular-season series and 3-5-3 on the road in MLS play. Orlando City is 11-9-6 overall against the Crew in all competitions, which includes a home loss in the playoffs and a home win in the U.S. Open Cup.

The last time these teams met was early this season, a 1-1 draw in Columbus on April 12. It looked like Marco Pasalic’s early goal would stand up until Lion killer Diego Rossi struck with 10 minutes remaining in normal time. Orlando City earned its first road point of the season that night and its first away point under interim head coach Martin Perelman.

In last year’s series, Orlando City hosted Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025, at Inter&Co Stadium. The Crew struck just past the half-hour mark through Andres Herrera, but Pasalic slammed home the rebound of a Luis Muriel shot two minutes later. That was all the scoring in a wasteful 1-1 draw for Orlando. The first meeting of 2025 took place July 25 in Columbus just prior to the Leagues Cup break. The Crew took the lead on Rossi’s spot kick shortly after the hour mark after Pasalic was called for a handball in the box. Ramiro Enrique struck 10 minutes later and again three minutes after that to turn the game around. Martin Ojeda added an insurance goal in stoppage time as the Lions won 3-1.

The two sides faced each other in Columbus on Sept. 21, 2024 in a wild back-and-forth game, with the Crew winning 4-3. Rossi, Christian Ramirez, and Cucho Hernandez staked Columbus to a comfortable 3-0 lead by the 71st minute, and the game seemed over. But Enrique’s goal three minutes after Hernandez scored sparked the Lions, who added a Muriel penalty goal to make it a match again. Miscommunication and a poor back pass from Felipe led to a turnover that allowed Aziel Jackson to score in transition, making it 4-2. Muriel scored late in stoppage time, but the Lions ran out of clock and couldn’t complete the comeback.

The teams opened the 2024 season series against each other on May 25. As has been the case with so many matches between Orlando and Columbus over the years, there was controversy in the Crew’s 2-0 win in Orlando. The opening goal came in the second half on a penalty kick that was awarded upon video review following a penalty call at the other end of the pitch. Referee Jair Marrufo awarded the Lions a penalty for a foul on Steven Moreira against Muriel in the box late in the first half. Before Orlando could take the spot kick, Marrufo went to the monitor and ignored a blatant foul by Rossi in the buildup, ruling it a different attacking phase, despite the Lions never regaining clear control of the ball before the next attack, in which the referee ruled a routine shirt pull by Cesar Araujo — embellished significantly by Aidan Morris falling away from the direction of the tug — was clear-cut enough to wipe out the penalty seconds later at the other end. Rossi converted the penalty in first-half stoppage time, adding a second goal just past the hour mark.

The meeting between the teams with the biggest stakes came in the 2023 MLS Eastern Conference semifinals on Nov. 25, 2023. The teams played scoreless through the 90 minutes plus injury time, with Orlando City defender Rodrigo Schlegel getting sent off late with a second yellow card. The Crew were able to bundle home a goal in extra time and add an insurance marker for a 2-0 win en route to an eventual MLS Cup championship. Ramirez and Hernandez scored for the Crew.

The teams played a memorable game at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 16, 2023, with Orlando coming from behind to snatch a stunning 4-3 victory at the death. Julian Gressel gave Columbus an early lead that held up through the first half. Ojeda equalized just after the restart, but Rossi and Hernandez staked the Crew to a two-goal lead. Facundo Torres pulled one back and Enrique bagged his first MLS brace, with a goal just a few minutes from the end of normal time and another late in stoppage.

The teams met in Columbus on May 13, 2023, playing to a 2-2 draw. Orlando City fell behind 2-0 by halftime on goals by Darlington Nagbe and Jacen Russell-Rowe, but Ercan Kara pulled one back just a few minutes after the restart, and Duncan McGuire leveled the game in stoppage time.

The sides faced each other in Orlando on Decision Day 2022, with City erasing a 1-0 deficit from a Derrick Etienne Jr. goal to win 2-1 and clinch a playoff spot. Junior Urso leveled the game in the second half and Torres struck from the penalty spot late. The meeting in Columbus that year took place on April 16, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-0 on goals by Schlegel and Kara.

The 2021 season series concluded on Oct. 27 in Columbus with the Crew winning 3-2. Columbus had lost five straight to Orlando prior to Lucas Zelarayan’s one-goal, two-assist performance. Miguel Berry and Etienne also scored for the Crew. Daryl Dike pulled a goal back from the spot and Robin Jansson struck late, but it wasn’t enough.

The teams met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 4, 2021, with the Lions winning 3-2. Orlando built a 2-0 lead on goals by Dike and Silvester van der Water, but a bizarre own goal by Antonio Carlos threw the Crew a lifeline, and a Berry equalizer turned the game around. Urso provided a nice game winner in the 69th minute.

City won the only meeting of the 2020 pandemic season when the 10-man Lions got a late Benji Michel goal to defeat the Crew 2-1 on Nov. 4. Chris Mueller gave Orlando the lead, but Harrison Afful was able to equalize just moments after referee Ramy Touchan sent off Nani on a ludicrous call that was overturned by the MLS independent panel a few days later. Thanks to Michel’s goal, the officiating error didn’t end up costing the Lions, who clinched their first-ever MLS playoff spot with the win.

The Lions swept the season series in 2019, defeating the Crew 1-0 on July 13, 2019, and two weeks previously getting their first road win in the series, 2-0.

Orlando won 2-1 on Oct. 21, 2018 to start a five-game winning streak against the Crew on a pair of penalty kick goals. Yoshimar Yotún and Sacha Kljestan provided the spot kicks to offset Federico Higuain’s opening goal.

The last Crew win in the series prior to the Orlando winning streak was assisted by a horror call by Silviu Petrescu in the 88th minute on July 21, 2018, giving Columbus an equalizer from the penalty spot. Wil Trapp then scored the kind of goal in stoppage time that he’ll probably never score again to lift the Crew to a 3-2 victory in a game the Lions had stolen away from them on a call that Petrescu’s own organization said was an error.

Columbus got the better of Orlando in 2017, going 2-0-1. The Lions were 0-1-1 against Columbus in 2016 and 1-1-1 in the series in 2015, with a home U.S. Open Cup win that season against the Crew as well.

Overview

Orlando City enters tonight on its best streak of the season, having won three consecutive games and going unbeaten in its last five (4-0-1). That includes Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Toronto FC. Antoine Griezmann scored in his fifth straight match to open the scoring, with Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo providing some late breathing room.

The Lions got to this game before the World Cup break with narrow wins on the road against FC Naples (1-0 on April 15) and a heavily rotated New England Revolution side (4-3 on April 29). Orlando City finally hosted a game in the competition in the quarterfinals, crushing Atlanta United 4-1 on May 19. Tiago and Griffin Dorsey are Orlando City’s leading goal scorers in this year’s tournament with two goals apiece. The Lions have also gotten one goal each from Tyrese Spicer and Justin Ellis, along with less likely candidates Iago, Zakaria Taifi, and David Brekalo.

Orlando is 3-7-2 on the road in MLS play and 5-7-2 away in all competitions (6-7-2 if you count the win over Monterrey in Leagues Cup that was played in Inter.co Stadium although the Lions were designated as the road team).

Columbus enters tonight on the heels of a pair of narrow, one-goal defeats, including Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to the New York Red Bulls. The Crew were last in the Eastern Conference not long ago but have played more competitively since the restart after the World Cup break. That includes reaching the knockout stages in Leagues Cup and climbing a couple of places in the MLS table. The Crew opened their U.S. Open Cup campaign with a 3-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers of USL League One on April 15 before returning home and clobbering One Knoxville SC — also of USL League One — 4-1 on April 29. Competition for Columbus got tougher in the quarterfinal round with the Crew edging New York City FC 1-0 at home on May 20.

Hugo Picard, currently on loan with Troyes in France’s Ligue 1, leads Columbus in scoring in this competition with three goals. Jamal Thiare and Homegrown Chase Adams have a goal apiece, as do former Crew players Daniel Gazdag (now with New England) and Max Arfsten (now with Middlesbrough in England).

The Crew are 5-6-2 in league play in 2026 and 9-6-3 at home in all competitions.

For Orlando to get a result and advance to the semifinals, it must figure out ways to stop leaking goals on the road. The Lions have conceded eight times in their last three away matches. Perelman was able to get Robin Jansson and Dorsey a full game of rest on Saturday, while left back Bernardo Rhein entered in the second half and Brekalo exited early. That freshness could be the difference.

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Eduard Atuesta, Joran Gerbet, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic, Tyrese Spicer, Daryl Dike.

Columbus Crew (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Nicholas Hagen.

Defenders: Brooks Lennon, Malte Amundsen, Sean Zawadzki, Steven Moreira.

Midfielders: Taha Habroune, Andre Gomes, Santiago Rodriguez, Anass Zaroury.

Forwards: Josef Martinez, Brais Mendez.

Bench: Evan Bush, Eric Bailly, Cesar Ruvalcaba, Dylan Chambost, Andres Herrera, Gonzalo Tapia, Lautaro Giaccone.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Scotts Miracle-Gro Field — Columbus, OH.

TV/Streaming: CBS Sports Network, Paramount+.

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!

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day as Orlando City looks to advance to the final of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. If the Lions are able to win tonight, they will host the final at Inter.co Stadium. That is something I’d greatly like to see again. Hopefully, Orlando City can continue the good run of form for at least another match. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando’s Open Cup Continues

Antione Griezmann got a whole 25 minutes or so of rest in the match against Toronto FC. As such, I know he will be fully rested for the U.S. Open Cup match against the Columbus Crew. Orlando City is one victory away from playing for a second Open Cup trophy. St. Louis City and the Colorado Rapids play in the other semifinal match. Orlando City and the Columbus Crew are both looking for a second title in the competition.

Summer of Crepeau

Maxime Crepeau has professionally had a great summer since the World Cup began. He was the starting goalkeeper for Canada and acquitted himself well. Upon returning to Orlando City, he has been one of the best players on the team. He did, sadly, lose his father earlier this month, and as such, he wasn’t called up for Canada’s fall friendlies. As tough a time as it must be for Crepeau, he has performed admirably for Orlando City.

Orlando Pride News

The Orlando Pride maintained their 11th place in the standings and in the Goal.com NWSL power rankings. Of course, the future is brighter thank to the Pride signing Barbra Banda through 2029. On the back of that good news, season ticket memberships for 2027 are now on sale. Marta made an appearance in the latest match, and she and former Pride striker Alex Morgan, along with Crystal Dunn, sent an open letter to FIFA asking the organization to line up the U-20 Women’s World Cup with the international calendar.

USMNT News

U.S. Soccer has selected TQL Stadium in Cincinnati to host the home leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal round in November. The opponent will be determined following the conclusion of the Concacaf Nations League group stage League A matches. Unfortunately, Diego Luna won’t be available for selection, as he will be out for months due to a knee injury that may require surgery. Over in Europe, other USMNT players are getting ready for the Europa League competition.

Free Kicks

• Former Orlando Pride defender Caitlin Cosme has signed with Crystal Palace on a one-year deal.
• Former Orlando City striker Cyle Larin has seven goals in seven league matches for Southampton to lead the English Championship.
• Racing Louisville FC midfielder Savannah DeMelo is suing after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field during a match in September 2025 against the Seattle Reign. University of Louisville Health and two physicians are the defendants and DeMelo’s suit alleges they failed to diagnose a heart condition that led to the incident.
• Catarina Macario will miss the remainder of the NWSL season as she has been placed on Season Ending Injury list due to a knee injury.
• Other USWNT players have seen their stock rise or fall.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for live match updates, and we will also have a recap of the match tonight. Vamos Orlando!