Orlando City
Orlando City vs. D.C. United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions look for their first road result of the season when they visit Audi Field.
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City and D.C. United at Audi Field (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). This is the first of the two scheduled MLS matches this season between the Lions (1-3-2, 5 points) and the Black and Red (2-1-4, 10 points). D.C. United will make the return trip to Orlando on Saturday, July 6.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 6-9-2 against D.C. in the all-time league series since the club joined MLS, and 6-9-3 in all competitions. Orlando is just 2-5-1 in MLS road matches against D.C. and 2-5-2 away to United in all competitions. The Black and Red have managed four consecutive results in the series (3-0-1), while Oscar Pareja is 5-6-2 in his managerial career against D.C.
The last meeting between the teams came in Orlando on April 22, 2023, with D.C. scoring twice in the second half to snap a 1-1 deadlock and win, 3-1. Taxiarchis Fountas, Donovan Pines, and Christian Benteke scored for D.C. to more than offset Duncan McGuire’s strike.
These teams squared off in D.C. just a few weeks before that in D.C., splitting the points in a 1-1 draw at Audi Field on March 11. McGuire scored his first MLS goal but Chis Durkin leveled things late in a match that was sandwiched between Orlando City’s two legs of Concacaf Champions League play against Tigres UANL.
D.C. swept the season series in 2022, despite being a terrible team that “won” the league’s Wooden Spoon by no small margin. The meeting in D.C. that year took place July 31 and saw Orlando City dominate the first half but miss multiple glorious chances to put the game away early. The Lions were wasteful and took only a 1-0 lead into stoppage time, thanks to Junior Urso’s first-half goal, only to fall 2-1 on stoppage-time strikes by Durkin and Fountas.
The teams also met on Independence Day at Exploria Stadium, with D.C. putting together a performance out of nowhere in a 5-3 road win. Fountas netted his first MLS hat trick and Kimarni Smith and Nigel Robertha added their first goals of the season. Facundo Torres, Ercan Kara, and Alexandre Pato scored for Orlando, threatening to bring the Lions back, but Orlando could never get on level terms.
The teams met twice in 2021, including Oct. 2 at Exploria Stadium. Daryl Dike scored deep in stoppage to lift the Lions to a 2-1 home victory. Robin Jansson scored a first-half goal off a corner kick scramble to offset an early Julian Gressel strike. The first match of 2021 took place on May 16 in D.C., with the Lions winning 1-0 on an early Mauricio Pereyra goal. That win snapped United’s 3-0-1 streak in the series in league play and 3-0-2 in all competitions dating back to City’s previously most recent win over D.C. back in 2017.
The teams did not meet in what was an odd 2020 season.
D.C. United swept the season series in 2019, winning 1-0 at Audi Field back on June 26, 2019. Wayne Rooney’s wondergoal from his own half of the pitch caught Brian Rowe napping and served as the only scoring in that match. The Lions fell 2-1 at home on March 31, 2019, with set pieces ruining the night for Orlando. You might recall the controversy that surrounded the winning goal, with then-coach James O’Connor visibly upset after the match. Steve Birnbaum scored the first on a set piece and Rooney scored the second on a free kick that he took from wherever the hell he wanted rather than where the foul occurred. Frederic Brillant bulldozed Rowe on the play as the ball sailed into the net.
D.C. was 1-0-2 in three total meetings (two in league play) in 2018. Orlando swept the two league meetings in 2017, the teams split two lopsided games in 2016 — with each team winning at home — and the Black and Red went 2-1-0 in the first three meetings back in 2015.
Match Overview
Orlando City is coming off an unsatisfying 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls at home two weeks ago. The overall performance was good, but the Lions continue to waste scoring chances and make mistakes in their own end. Kyle Smith conceded a penalty, allowing Lewis Morgan to score from the spot. The Lions got an own goal late to at least claim a point when the combination of Ivan Angulo’s wicked cross and Jack Lynn’s run forced Noah Eile to deflect the ball past his own goalkeeper. Orlando has at least managed two straight results (1-0-1).
However, the Lions have been dreadful away from home to start the season. Orlando City is 0-2-0 after two road matches, getting outscored 7-0 in visits to Inter Miami and Atlanta United.
D.C. is off to a solid start to the season under Head Coach Troy Lesesne. The Black and Red are 1-0-2 in their last three matches, including a 1-1 draw at defending champion Columbus a week ago. D.C.’s only loss came at home, however, as the club is 2-1-0 at Audi Field in 2024. That loss came against Inter Miami on March 16.
The Lions will need to be aware of where Christian Benteke is at all times. The former Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Aston Villa man leads D.C. in goals (5), shots (23), and shots on target (11). D.C. looks for him often and from everywhere, and he’ll be a handful on set pieces. Polish international Mateusz Klich is another D.C. player that Orlando City will need to keep an eye on. Klich has a goal and a pair of assists on the year.
“I’ve seen a [D.C. United] team that’s very organized,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “[Lesesne] has modeled the defense. I recognize in prior matches with him and his systems. But the nature of his players, D.C.’s players are dynamic, organized, and very bold defensively. I’ve seen the games they’ve played this season and I notice they are a team that is organized, and we have to be organized.”
The only player on Orlando City’s availability report heading into the weekend is Ramiro Enrique (ankle), who remains out. D.C. lists Steven Birnbaum (knee), Russell Canouse (unspecified non-injury reason), Theodore Ku-Dipietro (hip), and Tyler Miller (shoulder) as out for the match, while Garrison Tubbs (thigh) is listed as questionable.
Mandatory Match Content
- Our most recent episode of The Mane Land PawedCast includes our match preview, key matchups, and predictions for the game.
- Our Dave Rohe provided his three keys to victory for Orlando City in this match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Kyle Smith, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda.
Forward: Luis Muriel.
Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Rafael Santos, Michael Halliday, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Jack Lynn, Duncan McGuire.
D.C. United (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Alex Bono.
Defenders: Connor Antley, Lucas Bartlett, Christopher McVey.
Midfielders: Cristian Dajome, Jackson Hopkins, Mateusz Klich, Aaron Herrera.
Forwards: Kristian Fletcher, Christian Benteke, Jared Stroud.
Bench: Luis Zamudio, Matti Peltola, Garrison Tubbs, Matai Akinmboni, Pedro Santos, Martin Rodriguez, Gabriel Pirani, Jacob Murrell.
Referees
REF: Guido Gonzales Jr.
AR1: Adam Garner.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Joshua Encarnacion.
VAR: David Barrie.
AVAR: Joshua Patlak.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Audi Field — Washington, D.C.
TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the match. Go City!