Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions look to get back on track at home when they host Nashville.
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (9-10-7, 34 points) and Nashville SC (6-12-8, 26 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). It’s the second of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 3-2-4 against Nashville in MLS regular-season matches and 5-3-5 in all competitions. Orlando is 1-2-1 at home in the series in league play and 2-2-2 at home in all competitions.
Orlando City last met Nashville SC at Geodis Park on July 17, with the Lions cruising to a 3-0 road win. Goals by Cesar Araujo and Ramiro Enrique sandwiched an Alex Muyl own goal as Orlando City got its fourth consecutive shutout victory over Nashville.
The teams met at the end of last season on Nov. 7, 2023 in the second game of a best-of-three, first-round playoff series. The Lions got an early goal from Ivan Angulo in a 1-0 win to sweep the series. Orlando City drew first blood in the series by beating Nashville 1-0 on Oct. 30, 2023 at Exploria Stadium. Wilder Cartagena’s blast from outside the area hit the underside of the crossbar near the right corner and bounced in for the game’s only score.
The teams met in the regular season last year on Oct. 4, 2023 with Orlando City stealing a 1-0 win in Music City on Duncan McGuire’s goal just before halftime. That was one of only two shot attempts by the Lions all night and the only one on target. Orlando played well defensively and Pedro Gallese didn’t have to make a save as the hosts didn’t put any shots on frame.
Nashville visited Orlando back on April 1 of last year at Exploria Stadium and it was the visitors who made fools of the Lions, as Nashville won, 2-0. Fafa Picault and Hany Mukhtar did the damage for Nashville.
The teams did not face each other in regular-season play the year before, meeting only in the U.S. Open Cup in Orlando on June 29, 2022. Mukhtar scored in the second half, and that looked like it would be enough until Rodrigo Schlegel equalized deep in stoppage time. After a scoreless 30 minutes of extra time, the Lions won the ensuing penalty shootout, 6-4.
These sides met in the 2021 postseason in Tennessee, with Orlando scoring first through Daryl Dike’s early goal, but Nashville won 3-1 on Nov. 23, 2021 to knock the Lions out of the playoffs. Mukhtar tied it up before halftime on a fluky deflected goal off of Antonio Carlos and then put his team up in the 74th minute on a counterattack. Jhonder Cadiz put things away deep in stoppage time.
The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 31, 2021 and ended in a 1-1 draw after referee Allen Chapman’s Halloween Heist chalked off Andres Perea’s apparent stoppage-time winner. The referee’s excuse for overturning the goal was an imagined foul on Dike, who, if anything, was the fouled party. The decision cost the Lions a valuable home playoff match, which instead sent Orlando to Nashville. Mukhtar scored for Nashville to equalize in the second half after Dike’s first-half goal.
The teams met in Nashville on Sept. 29, 2021 with a late rally by the Lions earning the team a 2-2 road draw at Nissan Stadium. The hosts had taken a 2-0 lead on goals by Mukhtar — scoring off the rebound of his own saved penalty — and Randall Leal, but a penalty by Dike and a stoppage-time own goal by Brian Anunga turned the game around. On Aug. 18 of that season, the teams finished in another 1-1 draw. C.J. Sapong put the hosts ahead in the first half and Carlos leveled the score in the second half. The Lions, who played poorly in the opening 45, were the better team throughout the second half and Tesho Akindele’s shot off the crossbar was inches from providing a winner for Orlando.
The teams met on Decision Day of 2020 at Exploria Stadium, with Orlando melting down late, allowing two goals from the 88th minute on, and falling 3-2 at home on Nov. 8, 2020 — the team’s only home loss on the season. Dike and Nani goals sandwiched a strike by Daniel Lovitz, giving the Lions a lead until late. Headers by Mukhtar (in the 88th minute) and Cadiz (in the 93rd minute) turned the game on its head.
In the Lions’ first trip to Nissan Stadium, the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 2, 2020. Benji Michel put the Lions ahead with a stunner of a goal, but Leal knotted things up and that’s the way the match ended.
That 1-1 draw came a week after a 3-1 Orlando City win on Aug. 26 at Exploria Stadium. Dave Romney had opened the scoring for Nashville with a header off a free kick but Orlando scored the last three. Dike took a star turn for Orlando City, scoring a brace, and Chris Mueller also scored for the Lions.
Overview
The Lions are coming off a brutal 3-0 road loss at Sporting Kansas City a week ago in one of the team’s worst and most perplexing performances of the season. After a bright opening 10 minutes, Orlando City was second best for the rest of the night, despite finishing the game up a man for half an hour. That snapped the Lions’ eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions and five-match unbeaten streak in regular-season play. Orlando is just 3-5-4 at home during the 2024 regular season but is 2-0-1 in its last three home matches. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Lions have not scored in their last two games (all competitions).
Tonight’s visitors are coming off a 2-0 home loss against Austin FC and are 0-8-1 in their last nine matches in all competitions. That streak includes Nashville’s 3-0 home loss to Orlando City in July. Nashville SC is just 2-7-3 away from home in the regular season and last won away from home on June 19 at Toronto FC, losing all four league matches on the road since that game.
B.J. Callaghan is Nashville’s new head coach. The former USMNT interim head coach is 0-2-1 since taking the job in Tennessee, but he and his team will be hungry to get him his first victory. Expect a tightly contested game, as is common when these teams meet.
“We recognized that we didn’t have our best game in Kansas,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “When we went deep and analyzed the game, we had those moments where we could have probably changed the story of the game, but this is football. If you don’t score goals when you have the chance, the other team may do it, and that’s exactly what happened in Kansas. Also, trying to get our energy back during the week and understanding we have had a good time with good results, good football, and we want to continue with that momentum. We absorb it and we are ready to play our games here at home.”
The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg), but the rest of the availability report is clean. Nashville SC will be without Patrick Yazbek (suspension), Tyler Boyd (knee), Sean Davis (knee), Randall Leal (hip), Lukas MacNaughton (ankle), and Dru Yearwood (lower body).
Match Content
- This week’s Intelligence Report provides more information on Nashville SC from Ben Wright of Broadway Sports.
- Our most recent episode of The Mane Land PawedCast features our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.
- Our David Rohe discussed some lineup changes he’d like to see from Orlando City in tonight’s match.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.
Defensive Midfielders: Wilder Cartagena, Cesar Araujo.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.
Forward: Ramiro Enrique.
Bench: Javier Otero, Kyle Smith, David Brekalo, Jeorgio Kocevski, Felipe, Nico Lodeiro, Yutaro Tsukada, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.
Nashville SC (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Joe Willis.
Defenders: Daniel Lovitz, Josh Bauer, Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore.
Defensive Midfielders: Anibal Godoy, Brian Anunga.
Attacking Midfielders: Jacob Shaffelburg, Hany Mukhtar, Alex Muyl.
Forward: Sam Surridge.
Bench: Bryan Dowd, Forster Ajago, Brent Kallman, Jack Maher, Taylor Washington, Julian Gaines, Jonathan Perez, Amar Sejdic, Teal Bunbury.
Referees
REF: Victor Rivas.
AR1: Adam Wienckowski.
AR2: Tyler Wyrostek.
4TH: Thomas Snyder.
VAR: Younes Marrakchi.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Inter&Co Stadium — Orlando.
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 game. Go City!
Orlando City
2024 Orlando City Season in Review: David Brekalo
The Slovenian defender missed some time with injuries and international call-ups, marring his first season in Orlando.
Orlando City completed a weeks-long courtship of Viking FC and Slovenian international defender David Brekalo on Feb. 8, signing him to a contract through 2027 with an option year in 2028. The expectation at the time was that the former Norwegian top flight center back would replace the Lions’ departed starter, Antonio Carlos, who transferred out after the 2023 season.
That happened at times, but through some injuries and international breaks creating some issues with him finding rhythm in the season and with his teammates, he lost the battle down the stretch to Rodrigo Schlegel, who played under control more consistently from July on than he had previously throughout his MLS career. Schlegel became the starter and Brekalo came off the bench as a fifth defender to see out wins or as an aerial target when the Lions were trailing.
It’s time to look back at the center back’s first season in purple.
Statistical Breakdown
The Ljubljana, Slovenia native made his debut as a Lion Feb. 24 in Orlando’s 0-0 opening-day draw against CF Montreal. He appeared in 19 games during the regular season (12 starts), logging 1,128 minutes. He scored one goal but did not register an assist, attempting nine shots during the season with three of those on target. He completed 85.3% of his 618 passes, including one key pass, 13 accurate long balls, and no crosses. Defensively, he contributed 23 clearances, 19 tackles, 18 interceptions, and five blocked shots. He committed 10 fouls, suffered six, and was booked once.
In the MLS Cup playoffs, Brekalo made four appearances — all off the bench — totaling just 10 minutes as a late-game sub. He did not have a goal contribution or a shot attempt. He passed at a strong 88.9% rate, albeit on only nine attempts, but did not complete a cross, a long ball, or a key pass. Brekalo recorded two clearances on the defensive end. He did not commit or suffer a foul or pick up a card of any color.
In Concacaf Champions Cup, Brekalo played in two matches — both starts — playing 180 minutes. He didn’t record a goal contribution but attempted two shots, putting one on frame. He completed 88.4% of his 69 passes without a cross or a key pass. Brekalo contributed four clearances on the defensive end. He committed on foul, suffered one, and wasn’t booked.
Finally, in Leagues Cup, Brekalo started all three matches and played 270 minutes. He didn’t provide a goal contribution and attempted just one off-target shot. The defender completed 86.2% of his 94 passes with one key pass but no crosses. Brekalo contributed three clearances in the tournament. He committed seven fouls, suffered one, and was shown one yellow card.
Best Game
It would be easy to take the game in which Brekalo scored his goal, and…well, yeah, that’s what I’m going to do. But it wasn’t only for his goal. Brekalo started, played the full 90 minutes, and scored his first Orlando City goal on April 13 at Audi Field in the Lions’ 3-2 win over D.C. United. Trailing 2-1 late in the match, the Lions won a corner kick on the right side. Facundo Torres served a good ball to the top of the six. Brekalo went up and gave the cross a perfect flicked header to beat Alex Bono, tying the game in the 82nd minute.
The Lions rode the momentum of that goal and added another in the first minute of stoppage time, as Duncan McGuire timed his run perfectly to get in behind D.C.’s back line and won the match.
In addition to scoring his first career goal and helping his team come from behind to win on the road, Brekalo added two tackles, two clearances, and an interception on the defensive end. The goal was one of two shots, but it was the only one on target. His passing rate of 77.1% could have been better, but he managed three complete long balls, which was one off his season high. He also won two aerials. By contributing on both ends of the pitch and spurring an Orlando City comeback, I think it’s a worthy choice.
2024 Final Grade
The Mane Land awarded Brekalo a composite rating of 6 out of 10 for the 2024 season. His season got off to a stop-start beginning, as he played in the MLS season opener and then missed three of the next four matches. He missed five more games during June and July at the Olympics. Once he returned, he came off the bench in four straight games before starting again at Sporting Kansas City and then coming in at halftime at home against Nashville SC. From that point on, Brekalo did not play in the final seven games of the regular season, before coming on for a few minutes late in four playoff matches. His playing time was inconsistent, which may have contributed to an inconsistent season on the pitch, but at times he showed he can be an effective partner for captain Robin Jansson.
2025 Outlook
Brekalo is under contract for 2025, so he’ll be on the squad unless something unforeseen happens. Although the Lions did not protect him in the MLS Expansion Draft, I’m not reading much into that, as we don’t know how many players may have had to be protected due to their contract terms, and his price tag was likely not favorable for an expansion side at a base salary of $600,000. I expect Brekalo to give Schlegel a run for the starting right center back position. Just a couple of weeks shy of his 27th birthday, he’s early in his prime years as a center back. If he can build a solid foundation with Jansson and right back Dagur Dan Thorhallsson in preseason camp, he may become a mainstay in the starting XI as long as he can stay healthy.
Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)
Orlando City
Orlando City Signs Defender Kyle Smith through 2025
The Accountant is back for another year after signing a one-year contract to remain with Orlando City.
El Soldado will be a Lion for another season. Orlando City announced today that the club has re-signed defender Kyle Smith to a new one-year contract through 2025, bringing his free agency to an end after just a few days. The club had announced Dec. 5 it was in negotiations with Smith for his return when the end-of-season roster update came out.
“Bringing Kyle back to Orlando for 2025 is a great step in our project for next season,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “He’s been such a vital piece of our successes over the last few seasons with his versatility and work rate both on and off the field. He’s a player that we know we can always depend on, and we’re excited to have him back with us next year.”
The 32-year-old Cincinnati, OH native originally signed with Orlando City on Dec. 21, 2018, after serving three seasons in the USL with Louisville City. He was well known by then-manager James O’Connor, who had coached Smith in Louisville. Few could have foreseen the length of his stay in Orlando at the time, which has far outlasted O’Connor’s tenure. Muzzi re-signed Smith on March 29, 2021, to a new deal through 2022 with an option year for 2023, which the club exercised Nov. 15, 2022. Although he was already under contract for the following year, Smith signed another new contract through the end of the 2023 season with an option year for 2024 on Dec. 5, 2022. The club picked up that 2024 option almost exactly one year ago on Dec. 11, 2023.
Smith is coming off his sixth season with the Lions, in which he did not score a regular-season goal for the first time since 2020, but he provided three assists to equal his career high. He scored his only goal in any competition in 2024 in a 3-1 win over Cavalry FC in Concacaf Champions Cup play Feb. 27.
He made 40 appearances across all competitions this season (18 starts).
The versatile fullback has made 180 appearances in all competitions (105 starts) in his first six years with the Lions, placing him second on the club’s all-time appearance list behind fellow defender Robin Jansson. Smith has scored five goals and added nine assists during his Orlando City career. In 2022, he helped the Lions win their first trophy since joining Major League Soccer, playing in every match of the tournament as Orlando City claimed the U.S. Open Cup.
What It Means for Orlando City
There is no doubt every club needs at least one player like Smith. He works hard, gives you everything he has, plays wherever he’s asked to play, and has the versatility to play several positions. He has played multiple midfield and back line positions in his time in Orlando, primarily as left back in 2024 after spending most of his previous appearances at right back. He has also been an inexpensive player for the club to fit under the salary cap. In 2024, he made a base salary of $290,000 — the lowest salary of any non-Homegrown who played on Orlando City’s back line this season.
Smith will turn 33 in January, and he’s not always able to keep up with some of the league’s speedy wingers, but he’s still rarely a liability because of his awareness and experience. His role will likely be the same as it’s been in recent times — to provide depth at both fullback positions, starting when injuries or fixture congestion become problematic, and entering games late to help see out wins or spell tired starters. He knows Pareja’s system as well as anyone, has the respect of his teammates, fits in with the team’s culture, and (as previously mentioned) puts in an honest shift. This signing can only be seen as a positive for Orlando City.
Orlando City
Orlando City Striker Duncan McGuire Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
The big forward will miss four to five months after having surgery to repair his labrum and rotator cuff.
Orlando City announced today that Duncan McGuire has undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder. The surgery, which the club called “successful,” was necessary to repair damage from an injury McGuire sustained in Orlando City’s playoff match against Charlotte FC Nov. 9 when he was pulled down by Djibril Diani.
Orlando City Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Mintzer of the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute performed the surgery.
McGuire’s injury occurred in the decisive Game 3 in the first round in the seventh minute of stoppage time, with the Lions trailing 1-0. Diani tugged McGuire’s shirt as he made a run that would have seen him have a play on a set piece cross in the penalty area. The striker went down hard and was visibly in pain on the ground, before getting to his feet and sprinting to the trainers in the technical area. The training staff appeared to be trying to pop his shoulder back into place but McGuire was unable to return to the match.
Facundo Torres’ subsequent penalty attempt was saved by Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, but before the crowd could fully absorb the missed opportunity, Torres scored on the rebound to level the match at 1-1, ultimately sending the game to a penalty shootout, which Orlando won, 4-1, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
McGuire was seen lobbying to come back onto the pitch for the penalty shootout in the Charlotte match, but trainers would not clear him to return. The 23-year-old came off the bench in Orlando’s remaining playoff games against Atlanta and the New York Red Bulls despite the injury, playing a total of 50 more minutes in the playoffs.
The Creighton product did not register a goal contribution or put any of his three postseason shot attempts on frame. However, he was a key contributor to the Lions reaching the playoffs for the fifth straight year, providing 10 goals and three assists in the regular season across 27 appearances (18 starts), despite missing a chunk of the season with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team.
Orlando City drafted McGuire in the first round (No. 6 overall) in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. After a breakout rookie campaign, in which the Omaha, NE native scored 13 goals and added three assists, he was courted by several teams in Europe. In fact, McGuire’s presence in Orlando this season was an unexpected delight for City fans, as he had agreed to a deal with Blackburn Rovers, only to see the transfer rejected by the English Football League due to an administrative error by the EFL Championship club. After returning to Orlando, McGuire signed a new deal on Aug. 22 to remain a Lion. The new contract runs through 2027 with a club option for 2028.
What It Means for Orlando City
The club puts McGuire’s timeline on recovery at four to five months, which would mean he won’t return to training until at least mid-April and as late as mid-May. If his rehab goes well, and factoring in about a month of training to regain his full fitness, that would likely mean his availability won’t come until somewhere between the middle of May and the middle of June.
While Oscar Pareja has been starting Ramiro Enrique up top in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, McGuire brings size and strength and an ability to occupy center backs that the Argentine can’t replicate. There are times when Enrique’s game is better suited to the opponent, but without McGuire there will be no ability to pivot. Jack Lynn is also under contract, and he can do some of the things McGuire does, but not at the same level.
Without McGuire available for the first half of the season, Orlando City has some options on a replacement. The Lions may opt to draft a striker, start using Luis Muriel in that role more, sign an available free agent, or simply roll with Lynn as the primary backup.
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