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César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena Are Playing Obscenely Well Together for Orlando City

An analysis of the midfield pairing of César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena’s performance during the 2024 season.

Published

2 years ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said in 1964 that his definition of obscenity is “I know it when I see it.” Now, obscenity is not a topic we often cover at The Mane Land, except when talking about the Professional Referee Organization, but it is the quote, rather than the topic, that I thought was prescient for the topic I want to cover today. And yes, this story drops when one of its subjects is suspended for the match tonight.

There are not a lot of statistics that can help define how effective a defensive, or holding, midfielder is. Of course there are statistics (passing completion percentage, defensive tackle win percentage, ball recoveries) that you can look at for every player and then isolate them to compare holding midfielder to holding midfielder, but even those statistics do not ever tell the full story, because they are dependent on the style of play of the team just as much as the players themselves.

Orlando City generally plays a 4-2-3-1 formation with two holding midfielders, but some teams play with only one holding midfielder, so how can you compare the statistics evenly? You can, but only to a point, and the style of play of teams requires more or less from a holding midfielder, making it even harder to compare effectiveness. Therefore, to some degree you have to default back to Supreme Court Justice Stewart and use the eye test.

Using the eye test of S. Andrew DeSalvo (alas the S. does not stand for Supreme Court Justice or even just Supreme, though perhaps I should think about a name change), I have been wildly impressed for three years now by the play of César Araújo and Wilder Cartagena. Both players arrived at Orlando City in 2022 — Araújo before the season began and Cartagena in August during the transfer window — and have been mainstays on the field since joining the team.. The table below shows their MLS regular-season stats since 2022, and illustrates how both players have started and played nearly 90% of the games and minutes that they could have played in MLS play:

Fbref.com tracks and codes players’ performances by position, and among MLS players who are classified as pure midfielders (as opposed to a player like Facundo Torres, who they classify as a hybrid midfielder and forward), Araújo ranks sixth and Cartagena 33rd in minutes played during the past two seasons. Those ranks would likely be even better if both players were a little bit better about controlling their tempers and their aggressiveness (Araújo has 18 yellow cards and Cartagena 14 yellow cards and a red card since the beginning of the 2022 season).

As I mentioned earlier, there are not a lot of publicly available statistics that help quantify the play of holding midfielders as compared to one another, but one that is pretty important for every player is plus/minus. A player’s plus/minus is a pretty simple measure. All it does is subtract the goals conceded by a team when a player is on the field from the goals scored by a team when a player is off the field. While it is difficult to blame a striker for a goal conceded by the defense, or conversely reward a defender for a goal scored by a striker, in the macro sense over an entire season, I think it is instructive to look at plus/minus and consider whether the data backs up the aforementioned eye test.

Considering only the players who have played more than 500 minutes in 2024, here is the full plus/minus heatmap (red is good and blue is not as good) for Orlando City thus far this season (includes all competitions and own goals):

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has been the hottest of them all? Why, that is Araújo and Cartagena, of course, as both players are +15 for the full season across all competitions. They have not always played next to each other in the midfield, as there have been injuries and substitutions, and Cartagena also played center back for more than 600 minutes this season. But in looking at the chart above, and also considering the eye test about who influences the games for the Lions, it is pretty clear that the eye test and the numbers match up here, and it is not just a feeling that Orlando City has an elite paring at holding midfield. It is, in fact, a fact.

I have another dataset that I have been tracking all season that evaluates Orlando City’s performance by offensive grouping, and in looking at all the offensive groupings where Araújo and Cartagena have played side by side in the midfield, the team is +13 across those minutes as you can see from the chart below (excludes own goals):

Translating +13 over 1,511 minutes to a per-90-minute metric, when Araújo and Cartagena play next to one another the team is +0.77 goals per 90 minutes, whereas during all the other minutes the team is -0.21 goals per 90 minutes. This nets out to an increase of 0.98 goals per 90 minutes, meaning that the Orlando City lineups with Araújo and Cartagena in the holding midfield roles are nearly one goal per game better than any lineup without the two of them playing side by side. I’d say that portfolio is strong to quite strong.

An old soccer cliché is that a team wants to have a midfield destroyer in its lineup, and Orlando City has that times two with Araújo and Cartagena when they play side by side. I believe that it is no coincidence that as the team has settled into a consistent lineup and consistent substitution pattern, the Lions have really taken off and have become one of the hottest teams in MLS with eight wins in their last 11 matches.

I know obscenity when I see it, and the Lions are looking obscenely good right now.

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Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Final Score 4-3 as Lions Outlast Union in Wild Game

The Lions threw away a two-goal lead but won it late on Martin Ojeda’s second of the match.

Published

7 hours ago

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May 13, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda attempting a penalty kick against Philadelphia.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City built a 2-0 lead in the first half, a 3-1 lead in the second half, threw its lead away late and won it even later in a wild 4-3 Lions victory over the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium tonight. Martin Ojeda scored the first and last of the four goals for Orlando City (4-8-1, 13 points), with Griffin Dorsey and Duncan McGuire finding the net in between. Philadelphia (1-9-3, 6 points) entered the match with one of the worst offenses in Major League Soccer, but Milan Iloski, Cavan Sullivan, and Ben Bender found the net in the second half against an OCSC defense that offered little resistance, conceding 24 shot attempts and 10 corners despite winning the possession battle.

Despite blowing numerous scoring opportunities that might have put the game out of reach earlier and conceding far too many chances (and goals) to a team with a struggling offense, the Lions have won two straight at home to pull level at 3-3-0 in games at Inter&Co Stadium.

“Of course, happy with the victory. I think the guys are doing a big effort. We did a really good game in terms of performance as well,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “We made some mistakes that created the game everybody saw, but at the end of the day, I learned in this game to enjoy the victories and and this is what we are going to do, of course, knowing that we have things to continue improving, but we know the process we are in.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Dorsey. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield inside of wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, with Martin Ojeda and Justin Ellis leading the attack.

The game started slowly, without much action in either final third for the first 10 minutes. Braian Ojeda jumpstarted the first dangerous-looking attack with a heavy touch in the attacking third, turning the ball over and starting Philadelphia on the counter. He made up for the turnover, however, by hustling back to block the Union’s shot at the other end in the 10th minute.

Martin Ojeda then began to befuddle the Philadelphia defense, getting in behind alone on goal multiple times. He wasted the first opportunity on a great pass from Ellis that put him in but on his weaker right foot and he fired over the bar in the 11th minute. A minute later, Ojeda got onto a long ball behind the Union’s back line again, but this time he stumbled on his approach to the box and went down under light contact. No foul was given, and the Argentine didn’t even get a shot attempt off on his second breakaway.

Jeremy Rafanello tried an audacious shot from at least 35 yards out in the 13th minute that forced Crepeau to tip it over the bar. Danley Jean Jacques shook loose for a free header at the near post but sent his effort well off target. Iloski found some space outside the area in the 17th minute on the left, but he sent his shot over the crossbar.

Seconds later, the Lions broke the scoreless deadlock. Ellis again put the ball through for Martin Ojeda, who took the ball under control and blazed past the Union defense and into the box. Andrew Rick came off his line and the Argentine made a quick move to round him. Rick tripped Ojeda up, conceding an obvious penalty and picking up a yellow card. The Designated Player took the spot kick himself, waited for Rick to dive to his right, and calmly slotted his shot home to make it 1-0 in the 19th minute.

Philadelphia responded well after conceding, keeping a spell of pressure in Orlando’s end but not creating much from it. Orlando’s defense made some timely blocks to deny the ball getting into threatening areas and eventually the Lions settled back into the flow of the game.

Orlando City then came forward through Tiago’s hard work in the 27th minute as he worked his way into traffic in the box. Locked in a battle with a defender, Dorsey took the ball from both coming in from behind and smashed it home to make it 2-0.

For Dorsey, it was his first goal in MLS play as a Lion. He celebrated by putting the ball under his shirt, simulating a pregnancy to honor his wife.

“I’ve been waiting to celebrate with the fans. I had a goal that was a handball. I got to celebrate that one, but it was called off, so it just feels good to get my first one at home,” Dorsey said. “And then, yeah, to announce that my wife is pregnant, due in December, is exciting. And we’re super excited.”

The Union again went on the attack after conceding, racking up lots of set pieces, including seven first-half corners in total and several long throw-ins that caused issues for Orlando City. In the aftermath of one of those set plays in the 38th minute, Iloski chipped a shot onto the roof of Crepeau’s net.

Orlando had an opportunity to break in transition off one of those set pieces in the 40th minute with Ellis and Angulo blazing forward against one defender. However, in one of the few misplaced passes of the half, Ellis couldn’t get his through ball past the defender to send the Colombian in behind.

The Union quickly started piling up more set pieces and came within inches of getting on the board in the 43rd minute when Geiner Martinez’s header hit the crossbar and rolled across the top of it, falling in play on the other side of the net. Orlando City was able to clear and take the pressure off for the moment.

The five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half were eventful ones. Martin Ojeda took a pass from Ellis on the right and cut in on his left foot, but Bender got in front to block his shot.

Until he was subbed off in the second half, Ellis was pulling the strings for the Orlando attack from a deeper position than usual, shaded toward the right side of the pitch.

“I think we were trying to win the interior sides of the field, like not wide but at the back of both wingers who jump and press,” Perelman said. “We wanted to do it either in a direct manner or through the midfielder, the interior, and Justin feels comfortable himself in there, and from there, he can hurt opponents with his talent. That was part of the plan. It wasn’t something rigid. It’s more about him, because sometimes he has not the freedom, but the opportunity, to read the game and see where does he feel more comfortable. I think he felt comfortable in that area. He felt himself able to play in a good way, and for us was useful, and we were able to create attacking sequences from there. So, that worked for a big part of the game.”

Philadelphia went the other way and quickly won yet another corner, with Iloski firing a shot from a tight angle that Crepeau saved. The Union worked a short corner late in added time and Iloski blazed a shot through traffic but sent it just wide of the right post on the last action of the opening period.

At the break, the Lions held the advantage in possession (57.7%-42.3%) and passing accuracy (87.6%-83.6%), while the Union had more shots (11-4) and corners (7-0). Each team put two shots on target and the difference is that both of Orlando’s went in.

Orlando City started brightly in the opening few minutes of the second half. Martin Ojeda looked to be pulled down just inside or at the top of the area, but no foul was given. Moments later, Ellis weaved his way through defenders on the right side and got into the box. However, just as he cleared the traffic and lined up his shot, Ellis slipped on the surface slick from a hard halftime rain and scuffed his shot attempt in the 48th minute.

Iloski pulled Philadelphia back into the game in the 54th minute off a turnover by Martin Ojeda, who sent a blind pass from the left wing into an area without a teammate. The Union broke the other way and Harriel roasted Brekalo getting in down the right. Harriel squared the ball back for Iloski in front and it was an easy finish from point-blank range to make it 2-1.

Three minutes later, Philadelphia came within inches of equalizing off their ninth corner kick of the game. Olwethu Makhanya was poorly marked in the box and sent a header toward the near post. Crepeau got over just in time to make a huge save, keeping it out with a strong left hand.

The Lions finally generated another chance in the 59th minute. Dorsey did well to get to a long ball on the right but his momentum carried him outside. He tried to play it left for Tiago, but that took the Brazilian into an even tighter angle on the other side. Tiago tried to leave it off for Angulo, but the pass was deflected by the defense to end the threat.

Dorsey was again involved a minute later on a set piece from long range. Martin Ojeda sent his delivery from left to right and the right back sent a diving header over the target.

Harriel fizzed a shot over the bar in the 62nd from long range. Four minutes later, Sullivan blasted a shot from the right just wide of the left post as the usually low-scoring Union continued to look like Barcelona against Orlando’s shaky, league-worst defense.

The Lions should have added a goal in the 70th as Martin Ojeda unselfishly put the ball in front of an empty net for Angulo, but the Colombian mistimed his jump and missed the ball. Nevertheless, it looked like Orlando put the game away just moments later.

The Lions broke three on one and second-half sub Tyrese Spicer sent the ball from the left to fellow sub McGuire. The big striker left his shot too close to Rick but the goalkeeper could only get a piece of it and it went in to make it 3-1 in the 72nd minute. He celebrated with his signature back flip.

“It was definitely a well-done play from Spicer and Martin (Ojeda),” McGuire said. “Martin helped drag the defender away, but we definitely knew that they were vulnerable in the transition, and we were able to exploit that. Spicer played an amazing ball across and just set it up nicely for me.”

McGuire’s goal did not, in fact, put the game away.

Philadelphia wouldn’t go away and Orlando refused to cover opponents in the area, which allowed Sullivan to pull the Union back within a goal three minutes after McGuire scored. Bender sent the ball from Philly’s attacking left into the middle, where Sullivan was all alone, smashing it past Crepeau to make it 3-2 with his first MLS goal.

“I think we didn’t do a good job at, you know, locking back in when they were able to get a goal, and we let them continue to put chances away,” McGuire said. We didn’t get numbers back, myself included, and I think we’ve got to get better at defending as a group when the other team is in transition. But luckily, we were able to get one more goal than them.”

Angulo had a chance to pull that goal right back in the 77th minute, taking a pass in the box, spinning and firing a weak shot straight at Rick for the easy save. Two minutes after that, Martin Ojeda again got behind, this time on the left side. He fired over the bar, slipping on the wet surface. Those were costly missed chances, because the Union tied the game moments later.

The Union got forward in a three-on-three break that morphed into more of a four-on-five as the ball cycled from Philadelphia’s attacking right to left. Bender was alone in space on the left near the top of the area and fired a shot just inside the right post to tie the game in the 79th minute. The ball went through Dorsey’s legs and took a slight deflection that pushed it into an area Crepeau couldn’t reach.

“I think, starting with myself and going down the line of experienced players that we have on the field, we need to find a way, and once again, starting with myself, to be more professional, to end these types of games in a way where we take the opponent completely out of the game,” Dorsey said. “Because I think this is a game we definitely could have done that, and we gave them opportunities to get back in the game when we shouldn’t have.”

Things got scarier for Orlando fans as the Lions started turning the ball over cheaply all over the pitch, giving Philadelphia opportunities to hunt for a late winner. Perelman pulled Dorsey off and subbed in Marco Pasalic, going to three at the back with wingbacks to try to regain some control of the defensive end.

Still, Philadelphia’s anemic offense found opportunities to win it. Harriel shook free down the right and blasted a shot that hit the crossbar near the left post and stayed out in the 88th minute. Off the restart, Martin Ojeda’s pass was off line and went out, giving the Union a throw-in. Philadelphia quickly sent the ball into the box and Jean Jacques headed the ball toward goal. Crepeau got caught halfway between his line and where the shot was taken. The Canadian was fortunate to see the header go just over the crossbar in the 89th minute.

The winner came seconds later. Angulo sent substitute Adrian Marin down the left in the 90th minute and the Spaniard sent in a cross. Martin Ojeda got to it and flicked a header past Rick to make it 4-3 with his ninth goal of the season in MLS play. Only three players in Major League Soccer have scored more goals than the Argentine this season.

“(We) definitely made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be, but I think we did a good job at responding when they tied it up,” McGuire said. “I think we needed to look for that third goal more quickly and put the game away. And without doing that, we let Philly get some hope, and they did a good job clawing back, but really proud of the boys for sticking with it and staying confident and getting the win.”

The Lions played better during the seven minutes of stoppage time and even fashioned a chance that should have put the game out of reach. Spicer ran onto an aerial ball and attempted a diving header from close range, but the Trinidad & Tobago international sent his shot right at the goalkeeper.

Orlando held off a couple more set pieces and ran out the clock on Philadelphia to get back in the win column.

Across the 90 minutes, Orlando City finished with the advantage in possession (54.8%-45.2%) and passing accuracy (84.9%-80.9%), but Philadelphia led in shots (24-12), shots on target (7-6), and corners (10-2). The Lions were just lethal enough to finish one more chance than the Union on a night that might have seen Orlando score three or four additional goals had the attacking players been more precise.

“We’ll take a win. I think that’s all I’ve got to say,” Dorsey said. “Yeah. We’ll take a win.”

“We see the big picture, the big movie, the players as well, the club as well,” Perelman said. “And little by little, we’re still growing. This is our fourth game at home since we started this process, and we really want to win when we come home. So, I’m happy for that. Looking forward to continuing in this pathway.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround but at least they won’t have to travel, as rival Atlanta United visits on Saturday.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Philadelphia Union: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions return home looking to bounce back from a poor performance in Montreal.

Published

19 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image of Joran Gerbet playing against the Union.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a midweek matchup between Orlando City (3-8-1, 10 points) and the Philadelphia Union (1-8-3, 6 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs in 2026, with the Lions scheduled to make the return trip to Philadelphia on Sept. 26.

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

History

Orlando City is 7-8-7 in the 22 MLS meetings with the Union since the club joined Major League Soccer in 2015, and 8-9-8 in all competitions. The Lions are 3-3-4 against the Union at home in league play, 4-3-4 in their home stadium against Philadelphia in all competitions, and 4-3-5 in the greater Orlando area against the Union, having drawn against Philly in the MLS is Back Tournament.

The two sides last met on April 5, 2025 in Philadelphia and played to a scoreless draw. These two teams also kicked off the 2025 season against each other in Orlando on Feb. 22, with the Union stunning the Lions by scoring on all four of the team’s shots on target, taking advantage of individual mistakes in a 4-2 win. Marco Pasalic scored his first two goals as a Lion in his first OCSC appearance that night, but Tai Baribo scored a brace, with Daniel Gazdag and Mikael Uhre also scoring for Philadelphia. The Lions dominated open play but could not pay off their chances while the Union were lethal. It was Orlando’s first loss on opening day in its MLS existence.

The met in 2024 for the final time on Oct. 2, when the Lions won 2-1 at home. Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire pushed Orlando out to a 2-0 lead. Luis Muriel assisted on both goals. Quinn Sullivan pulled one back but the Lions hung on. The teams met for the first time that year on May 11, with the Lions snatching a 3-2 road win at Subaru Park. Muriel scored his first two MLS goals, McGuire added a strike, and Nico Lodeiro assisted on all three tallies for the Lions to offset an early goal by Uhre and a penalty by Gazdag.

The last meeting of 2023 took place in Orlando on June 21, with the Lions blowing a two-goal lead in a controversial 2-2 draw. McGuire and Martin Ojeda scored early in each half, only to see Jack McGlynn score on a cross into the box that missed everyone and got past Mason Stajduhar at the far post, followed by a rocket shot by Jose Martinez from distance. Ivan Angulo’s would-be game winner was chalked off after a questionable foul call in the buildup against Ercan Kara.

The teams met in Philadelphia on March 25, 2023 with the Lions jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Angulo and Ojeda. Former Lion Andres Perea pulled one back, but the Lions held on for a 2-1 road win. The victory snapped Philadelphia’s 24-match home unbeaten streak.

The Union put the Lions to the sword in the last meeting of 2022, a dominant 5-1 win by Philadelphia on Sept. 10 of that year. That was Orlando’s first match since winning the U.S. Open Cup title three days earlier. Joao Moutinho’s own goal started the scoring and the Union got goals from Uhre, Gazdag (penalty), Alejandro Bedoya, and Jack Elliott. Perea, who was then still a Lion, scored for Orlando, but the team was trailing by 4-0 at the time.

The Eastern Conference foes met on July 23, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Two controversial video review decisions went against Orlando that night and the Lions were wasteful with their chances in an evenly matched 1-0 Philadelphia win. Gazdag scored the game’s only goal off a set piece.

The teams also met in U.S. Open Cup play on May 10, 2022, with the Lions winning 2-1 at home. Kara and Perea hoisted Orlando to a 2-0 lead. Stuart Findlay pulled one back late, but the Lions saw it out and advanced.

On Sept. 19, 2021 the Union prevailed 3-1 at Subaru Park, largely due to a brace by Kacper Przybylko after he got away with what appeared to be a clear elbow to the face of Rodrigo Schlegel. Instead of being sent off and/or conceding a free kick to Orlando City, the Union scored on the ensuing play and went on to win the match. The teams met in Orlando on July 22, 2021 and the Lions got goals by Benji Michel and Perea on the team’s only two shots on target to win 2-1. Przybylko pulled one back for the visitors but the Lions hung on.

The teams faced each other in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020 in the only meeting to date that did not take place in either side’s home stadium. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after a Mauricio Pereyra goal canceled out a strike by Ilsinho. That draw allowed the Lions to win Group A in the competition and they went on to reach the final.

The Lions and Union tangled in what was then known as Talen Energy Stadium on July 7, 2019, drawing, 2-2. Dom Dwyer and Santiago Patino brought Orlando back from 1-0 down but Przybylko poached a goal in the 90th to capture a share of the points for the Union.

The two teams had met just a few days earlier on July 3, ending in Orlando’s 3-1 home loss to the Union. Chris Mueller and Przybylko swapped goals in the first half before Robin Jansson was sent off just prior to the break. Afterwards, the 10-man Lions gave up two more goals — to Przybylko and Fafa Picault — and then went down another man with Sacha Kljestan seeing red.

In 2018, the teams drew 2-2 on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The Lions prevailed over the Union in Philadelphia on April 13, 2018 by a 2-0 score. Orlando and Philadelphia also met that season in U.S. Open Cup play, with the Union capturing a 1-0 home win back on July 18, 2018 on a goal by Bedoya.

The teams split their two matches in 2017, with the home side prevailing both times. The Lions won 2-1 at Orlando City Stadium on March 18. The rematch was an ugly 6-1 Philadelphia win in the season finale for both teams.

The Lions were 1-1-1 against Philadelphia in 2016. The team’s first road victory in the series came on Oct. 16, 2016, as the Lions roared, 2-0. The teams played to a 2-2 draw on May 25 in Orlando. Tranquillo Barnetta’s free kick gave Philly a 2-1 win.

Orlando drew 0-0 at home and lost on the road, 1-0 (on a penalty kick), against Philadelphia in 2015.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 2-0 loss at CF Montreal Saturday afternoon. The Lions were outplayed for most of the match but were still only moments away from a crucial road point when the roof caved in. Jansson committed a foul in the box, allowing Daniel Rios to give the hosts a late lead. Former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson added the…well, the dagger. Orlando City could not afford to come away without points in the match after a poor start to the season, but that’s exactly what happened.

The same, however, is true for tonight. Philadelphia is the only team below Orlando in the Eastern Conference table. With a 2-3-0 mark at home (which is much better than the Lions’ 1-5-1 away record), nothing but a win will suffice if Orlando City is going to maintain any semblance of contact with the teams circling the final playoff places.

The Union are better on the road than at home, but that’s not saying much, because Philadelphia is 1-5-1 in away matches, earning four of its six points on the road. Philly is 0-2-3 in its last five games, but one of those draws came against Eastern Conference power Nashville. Milan Iloski and Danley Jean Jacques are the Union’s leading goal scorers with just two apiece, while 39-year-old Bedoya leads Philadelphia in assists with three.

Tonight’s game pits two of the league’s worst teams against each other and both will be hungry to try to add points to their total in an attempt to turn around their early season fortunes with the World Cup break quickly approaching. This match kicks off a stretch of three matches in seven days for Orlando City, so the Lions will be especially eager to rebound from the late meltdown in Montreal and start this final stretch out on the right foot.

“This is a process, and I think we have been able to compete better and prepare ourselves better. Now what comes next is consistency in a positive way in terms of results,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “I have no doubt that consistency will come. We are working for that and are proud of the effort from the players and the entire club. We have been working really hard and will continue to do so, so hopefully soon we can find that consistency not only in performance but also in results.” 

Orlando City will be without Joran Gerbet (knee), while Pasalic (thigh) is listed as questionable. Philadelphia will be without Jesus Bueno (ankle), Eddy Davis III (hamstring), Jephet Sery Larsen (shoulder), Quinn Sullivan (knee), and Frankie Westfield (hip), while Andre Blake (knee) is questionable.

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2),

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Iago, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Eduard Atuesta, Tiago.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Bench: Javier Otero, Adrian Marin; Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic, Tyrese Spicer, Duncan McGuire.

Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Andrew Rick.

Defenders: Ben Bender, Olwethu Makhanya, Geiner Martinez, Nathan Harriel.

Midfielders: Indiana Vassilev, Jeremy Rafanello, Jovan Lukic, Danley Jean Jacques.

Forwards: Bruno Damiani, Milan Iloski.

Bench: George Marks, Olivier Mbaizo, Finn Sundstrom, Philippe Ndinga, Augustin Anello, Alejandro Bedoya, Cavan Sullivan, Ezekiel Alladoh, Staz Korzeniowski.

Referees:

REF: Sergii Boiko.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Adam Wienckowski.
4TH: Elvis Osmanovic.
VAR: Joe Dickerson.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.

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 Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/13/26

Orlando City hosts the Philadelphia Union tonight, Orlando Pride defeated on the road, MLS player salary information released, and more.

Published

22 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Not only have we made it to the middle of the week, but we have Orlando City soccer waiting for us tonight. It’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs this year when it comes to supporting our favorite players in purple, but I’m still excited for some midweek soccer. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Hosts the Philadelphia Union Tonight

After a loss on the road to CF Montreal on Saturday, Orlando City will aim to bounce back when it plays the Philadelphia Union tonight at Inter&Co Stadium. Both teams have struggled mightily this year and Philadelphia sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just one win from 12 games. While the Union have only scored a measly 10 goals this season, the Lions have conceded a whopping 34 times. It’s the age-old battle between a movable object and a stoppable force. Tonight’s match will be the first of three consecutive home games across all competitions for the Lions, so hopefully they can start this homestand off with a win.

Orlando Pride Lose Late to Boston Legacy FC

The Orlando Pride don’t have anything to show from a frustrating 2-1 loss on the road to the Boston Legacy. The Pride struck first from the penalty spot and carried that lead into halftime, but Boston equalized in the second half and then scored a penalty kick of its own in stoppage time to win it late. It’s a brutal loss for an Orlando team that has struggled with consistency and has yet to win twice in a row this season. There’s not much time for the Pride to regroup before their next match, as they’re set to take on the Denver Summit on the road on Saturday.

MLSPA Releases Player Salary Information

The Major League Soccer Players Association shared the salary information for players under contract as of April 16. Designated Players Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic are the only Lions with base salaries over $1 million, with each having a salary of $1.6 million. As for some of the new faces in the City Beautiful this year, Braian Ojeda’s salary is $725,000, Maxime Crepeau’s is $600,000, and Tiago’s is $500,000.

There’s no prize for guessing which player has the highest salary in the league, with Lionel Messi’s $25 million salary at more than double that of Son Heung-Min’s $10.3 million. In third is another Miami player, with Rodrigo De Paul’s base salary listed as $7.5 million. It at least makes Orlando’s recent win in Miami feel a bit sweeter.

Orlando City B Makes MLS NEXT Pro Power Rankings

In the latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings, which only list the top 10 teams in the league, Orlando City B placed eighth. This comes following a 2-0 win over Atlanta United 2 as OCB extended its unbeaten run to four games. Harvey Sarajian and Gustavo Caraballo have led OCB’s attack so far this season, while Issah Haruna has now scored in two consecutive games as well. Goalkeeper Luca Maxim was also stellar between the sticks for his first professional clean sheet in that win against Atlanta. It’s nice to see the Young Lions receive some recognition and they will have a chance to keep their streak going when they play New England Revolution II on the road on Sunday.

Free Kicks

  • San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris underwent successful groin surgery and is expected to miss three or four months. The 20-year-old has been great this season, recording three goals and seven assists while leading the league with 34 created chances.
  • American midfielder Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough were beaten 2-1 by Southampton in the playoffs for promotion to the English Premier League. Shea Charles scored in extra time to book Southampton’s ticket to the final against Hull City at Wembley Stadium.
  • The United States Men’s National Team’s roster for the World Cup is released later this month and Giovanni Reyna is one of the biggest names on the bubble. A goal for Borussia Monchengladbach this past Saturday likely didn’t hurt his chances.
  • Cristo Fernandez, who you may know as Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso, has signed a contract to play for El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship after a trial with the team. El Paso is life?
  • Arsenal defender Ben White will miss the remainder of the season due to MCL damage and won’t be available for England for the World Cup either.
  • Slavia Prague was handed a 3-0 forfeit loss after its fans invaded the pitch in stoppage time against rival Sparta Prague. The club was also fined and will play its next four home games without fans.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Go Orlando!

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