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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 1-1 as Teams Trade Second-Half Goals

The Lions and Pigeons split the points in a defensive struggle in the Orlando heat.

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2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The Lions struck first but could only hold the lead for five minutes as Orlando City and New York City FC split the points in a 1-1 draw before an announced crowd of 22,827 at Inter&Co Stadium. Ramiro Enrique scored in his fourth consecutive match for Orlando (9-9-7, 34 points) but a bad giveaway in the defensive third handed Hannes Wolf a chance to equalize for NYCFC (11-9-5, 38 points) in a defensive struggle.

“A big effort from the players after this couple weeks that we have been playing every three days, and I would like to value that effort,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The two teams tried to put a good performance, and from our side in the first half we had control but we were not as dangerous as we were coming in prior games. They kept possession sometimes in their half but not dangerous plays. Second half, it seems we brought more energy and we started creating better chances.”

Pareja made just one change from the squad that beat Nashville SC 3-0 on the road Wednesday, dropping Facundo Torres to the bench and starting Nico Lodeiro. Pedro Gallese started in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson. Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena started in central midfield behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Lodeiro, and Martin Ojeda, with Enrique up top.

The first half was a defensive battle and probably not a match you’d use to change a soccer skeptic’s mind about the sport. With both teams playing their third match in eight days and the oppressive Central Florida heat, the teams tried to stay organized and wait for the other to make a mistake. As a result, there were no scoring chances of any kind in the first quarter of an hour.

Ojeda sent in a cross to Enrique in the 17th minute that had a lot of pace on it and the latter could only redirect it weakly toward goal. It wasn’t even technically a shot attempt. In the 22nd minute, Lodeiro sent a good ball from the right to the back post. Angulo got to it first but had no angle to shoot and put it into the outside netting.

Alonso Martinez fired New York City FC’s first shot from outside the box a minute later. It had a ton of power behind it but Gallese was able to fight it off.

Ojeda nearly picked out Enrique right in front from the left in the 27th minute but the ball was a bit too far out in front and Matt Freese pounced on it.

Just after the hydration break, Wolf got in behind Thorhallsson in the 34th minute down the left channel. He sent a good shot toward the back post but Gallese made the save, pushing the rebound out wide.

Two minutes later, Angulo cut in from the left and sent a shot toward the near post. Freese made the save and didn’t give up much of a rebound. The Colombian may have been better served to go for the far post.

That was the last half chance for either side in the scoreless opening period.

Orlando City had the halftime advantage in possession (56.7%-43.3%) and shot attempts (4-2), but the visitors held the edge in shots on target (2-1), corners (1-0), and passing accuracy (87.4%-86.3%).

Facundo Torres subbed on for Lodeiro to start the second half, but the visitors created the first clear-cut chance after the break. Keaton Parks got in behind Angulo and he and Santos couldn’t recover in time to prevent a good cutback pass into the area. No one was on Santiago Rodriguez — NYCFC’s biggest offensive threat — but the Uruguayan fired his shot over the bar from about 12 yards out in the 47th minute.

The Lions broke the deadlock five minutes later. Ojeda cut inside from the right and sent a shot toward goal that redirected off Enrique’s foot and caught Freese leaning the wrong way. The ball trickeled into the net near the right post and Orlando led 1-0 in the 52nd minute. It was Enrique’s fourth goal in as many games.

“It always makes me happy to score a goal,” Enrique said. “As a striker, it’s really important to be able to score, but I think tonight we leave the game with a little bit of a sour taste in our mouth, because we felt like we had that game and that we should have won.”

The lead lasted only five minutes. Cartagena’s howler of a turnover on a blind pass just outside his own penalty area went right to NYCFC’s Rodriguez, and the Pigeons paid off the short counterattack as the ball was slipped in to Wolf by Martinez, who chipped it into the far corner and out of Gallese’s reach to make it 1-1 in the 57th minute.

“We have the game one-zero. It is something this year that has been a challenge for us to open the games. And then this goal we conceded. This is why we have that sensation of frustration for us, that it was not that they did a lot of stuff to tie the game.”

NYCFC nearly took the lead a few minutes later on a simple long ball over the top that caught Santos napping. Mitja Ilenic blazed past the Brazilian and sent a chip shot similar to Wolf’s, but missed the target in the 62nd minute.

Torres cut inside on his left foot and fired in the 66th minute but pulled his shot to the right of the post. Enrique then fired a blast from outside the area in the 67th minute and Freese made a good save.

New York City was content to be physical when threatened by Orlando’s attacking players. The visitors finished with 20 fouls to the Lions’ 11 and ended the game with more yellow cards (4-1) as well. Strahinja Tanasijevic and Wolf were booked a minute apart for roughing up Ojeda and Torres, respectively.

Santos got away with a terrible turnover in his end in the 75th minute, hustling back into position to block Rodriguez’s shot just wide of the left post.

Cartagena nearly made up for his earlier mistake in the 83rd minute when he blasted a shot on target from long range. Freese was able to get over and make a diving, one-handed save on the play and needed treatment to his shoulder after hitting the ground hard.

The Lions were able to deal with several NYCFC set-piece opportunities down the stretch without too much trouble and the game went into eight minutes of injury time.

The only real opportunity in stoppage time fell to second-half sub Luis Muriel in the 98th minute. Just inside the top of the box, the ball cycled around and found Muriel in the middle. He turned and fired but didn’t get a lot of power on it and Freese was able to make the save.

That was that, and the teams had to settle for a draw.

The Lions finished with the advantage in possession (55%-45%), shots (12-8), and shots on target (5-3). Corners were even (5-5), and NYCFC passed slightly more accurately (84.9%-83.5%).

“Tough game,” Jansson said. “Two teams that really wanted it. I think that New York was a little bit better in the first half and we were a little bit better in the second, getting some good chances, and it was a tough opponent today. They did well. It’s always hard to play them. But overall, I think coming from a game two days ago and going into this one, I think we did a great job.”

The Lions’ four-game winning streak is over, but the unbeaten run stretched to five matches.

“We walk (away) with a bit of frustration, but as well with a lot of pride of what the boys have done,” Pareja said. “They have been the best team in Major League Soccer the last several games, knowing today that in front of our fans we should have won it. But we’ll carry that. We need to have energy for the next tournament and pause (of) the league, knowing that we are in a good moment and a good momentum, and I want to give that credit to the players that really have changed the story of our season so far.”

The Leagues Cup break is now upon us. Orlando City will next play at home next Friday against CF Montreal at 8 p.m.

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Orlando City

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

10 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

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

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

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

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

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

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

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

2 days 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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