Orlando City
Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions look to bounce back from a loss in Columbus when they visit the Lone Star State.

Welcome to your live match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (12-11-7, 43 points) and FC Dallas (10-13-7, 37 points) at Toyota Stadium (8:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). It’s the only scheduled meeting between the clubs this season, and just the eighth overall.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
Orlando City is 1-4-2 in the all-time series and 0-2-1 on the road against FC Dallas. The teams did not meet in 2023, so the last time these teams have played was at Exploria Stadium in 2022, with FC Dallas erasing a 1-0 halftime deficit and winning 3-1 in Orlando. Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead just before halftime, but Paul Arriola’s second-half brace and Franco Jara’s goal turned the game around.
The teams last met at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX on Sept. 27, 2020, when they played to a scoreless draw. Sebas Mendez got sent off in the 69th minute of that match for Orlando, so it was a better result for the Lions than for the hosts.
The Lions got their first (and, so far, only) win in the series in a 2-0 victory at Exploria Stadium, back on Aug. 3, 2019. Former Dallas striker Tesho Akindele and Carlos Ascues provided the offense for Orlando, and those were the first two goals the Lions had ever scored against FC Dallas.
Dallas won 2-0 in Texas on Oct. 6, 2018 on goals by Santiago Mosquera and Victor Ulloa. The teams played to a 0-0 draw in Orlando in 2017. That game was memorable only for the Hoops playing an ineligible player — Michael Barrios, who was scratched from the starting XI after the lineups were turned in and then came off the bench.
Dallas won in 2016 on July 4 at Toyota Stadium by a 4-0 final score and it could have been worse if not for Joe Bendik’s performance in goal for Orlando. Dallas led 2-0 within 20 minutes of the start and cruised to an easy win behind goals by Walker Zimmerman, Barrios, Matt Hedges, and Fabian Castillo. That game turned out to be Adrian Heath’s last as Orlando City’s head coach, as the gaffer was sent packing a couple of days later.
The first meeting ended in a 2-0 Dallas win back in 2015 at the Citrus Bowl. Mauro Diaz (pen.) and David Texeira provided the offense in that one and the Lions failed to even get one shot on target.
Overview
Orlando City is coming off a 4-3 road loss at Columbus, which snapped the Lions’ three-game winning streak. After not conceding in their prior three matches, the Lions were sloppy against a team that punishes mistakes. Despite falling behind 3-0, Orlando made a game of it before giving up one goal too many to overcome. The Lions are 6-6-3 on the road this season but have dropped their last two away from home and conceded seven times in those two games.
FC Dallas enters with some confidence, having dispatched LAFC 3-1 at home one week ago. Tonight’s hosts are also good at home, posting a 9-4-2 home record in 2024, compared to a 1-9-5 mark on the road. Aside from that, FC Dallas is five points adrift of a postseason spot with just a few games remaining, so the Lions will get the hosts’ best shot tonight as they look to close the gap on Minnesota United.
This will be only the third time since his arrival in Orlando that Oscar Pareja will face the club for which he played from 1998-2005, and where he managed from 2014-2018. Papi is still beloved in Dallas after winning consistently during his tenure there, including a Supporters Shield and a U.S. Open Cup — both in 2016.
The key for Orlando will be stopping Petar Musa, who paces FC Dallas with 15 goals, adding two assists. The Croatian is tied for sixth among MLS goal-scoring leaders. It’s difficult to believe Dallas is where it is in the table when you consider that Musa is joined by such accomplished MLS attacking players as Sebastian Lletget, Arriola, Jesus Ferreira, and Alan Velasco, although the team has suffered through some injury issues in 2024. Speaking of attacking players, Orlando City players will see a familiar face on the other side, as former Lion Ruan was dealt to Dallas in the most recent transfer window.
“I think we have had a very good semester, a good second semester,” Pareja said ahead of the match. “The boys ended the game against Columbus with a very good reaction and good form. We ended up almost tying the game and we lost against a good rival. All these things we need to digest and prepare for the next one like we have done when we have played three on the road. So, we’re good. It’s a nice challenge to go to Dallas and it’s important for them as well. At this point, we need to qualify first our objectives and after that we’ll see.”
Orlando will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg) and David Brekalo (thigh), while Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (lower leg) is listed as questionable. FC Dallas will be without Asier Illarramendi (suspension), Geovane Jesus (knee), Paxton Pomykal (knee), and Liam Fraser (upper leg).
Match Content
- Our Intelligence Report features a scouting report on the Hoops from Drew Epperley of SBNation’s FC Dallas blog, Big D Soccer.
- The most recent episode of The Mane Land PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions.
- Our David Rohe discusses Orlando City’s starting striker options in Big D.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Kyle Smith.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.
Forward: Ramiro Enrique.
Bench: Javier Otero, Luca Petrasso, Michael Halliday, Felipe, Heine Bruseth, Nico Lodeiro, Yutaro Tsukada, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.
FC Dallas (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Maarten Paes.
Defenders: Marco Farfan, Omar Gonzalez, Sebastien Ibeagha.
Wingbacks/Midfielders: Paul Arriola, Patrickson Delgado, Sebastian Lletget, Ruan.
Forwards: Alan Velasco, Petar Musa, Jesus Ferreira.
Bench: Jimmy Maurer, Nkosi Tafari, Bernard Kamungo, Ema Twumasi, Tsiki Ntsabeleng, Sam Junqua, Eugene Ansah, Logan Farrington, Manuel Cafumana.
Referees
REF: Jair Marrufo.
AR1: Chris Wattam.
AR2: Felisha Mariscal.
4TH: Matthew Corrigan.
VAR: Ismail Elfath.
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert.
How to Watch
Match Time: 8:30 p.m.
Venue: Toyota Stadium — Frisco, TX.
TV/Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (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!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/18/25
Scouting Saudi Arabia, Club World Cup summary, MLS midseason superlatives, and more.

Happy Wednesday, everyone. I’m pretty worn out after doing some traveling for most of the last two weeks, and I’m happy to be back home in Tampa for a bit before heading out on the road again. The soccer world has not paused during my time out on the road, and if anything its only picked up in intensity. That means we have a lot to talk about, but before we get into today’s links, let’s wish Orlando Pride defender Rafaelle a happy birthday.
Scouting Saudi Arabia
The United States Men’s National Team will continue its 2025 Gold Cup campaign on Thursday when it takes on Saudi Arabia in Austin, TX. That means this is a good time to familiarize ourselves with Arabian Falcons. They’re coached by Herve Renard, who deployed the team in a 4-2-3-1 in a 1-0 victory over Haiti in the team’s first game of the tournament. He isn’t married to that formation though, and will use a variety of tactical setups depending on the situation. Across all of them, Saudi Arabia plays with an emphasis on pressing in specific areas and quickly breaking in transition once winning the ball. Like the USMNT, the Saudis are missing a few first-choice players, and the midfield battle should be a particularly interesting area to keep an eye on.
Club World Cup Roundup
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup continued on Wednesday, so let’s take a look at the action. Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund got things started as they battled to a scoreless draw at MetLife Stadium. The Brazilian team had the better of the game overall, but Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made five saves to preserve a point for his team. The second game of the day was much livelier, as River Plate dispatched Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in Seattle. The Argentinians scored after just 12 minutes and never looked back despite Urawa making it a 2-1 game with a 58th-minute penalty. The third match took place at Inter&Co Stadium, and saw Mamelodi Sundowns beat Ulsan HD 1-0. While the scoreline didn’t reflect it, the South African team mostly dominated proceedings and finished with 68% possession and 718 passes to 325 for the South Korean side. However, it was a free-flowing game that offered both sides to take more from the match. Our Michael Citro was there to recap it for you at the link above.
Midseason MLS Superlatives
As much as it seems like the 2025 Major League Soccer season just started, we’re actually just past the halfway point of the campaign, and that means it’s a good time to look at some league superlatives. In a category that will be music to the ears of Orlando City fans, Bradley Wright-Phillips named fullback the most overlooked position and specifically took some time to praise Alex Freeman. BWP previously coached against Freeman with New York Red Bulls II when Alex was still with Orlando City B, so it’s interesting to hear his input from that additional aspect. It’s no surprise that the Vancouver Whitecaps got a lot of love, as they were named biggest surprise, and Jesper Sorensen was named best coach.
Transfer Rumor Roundup
Transfer season is in full swing, so here are some of the big rumors currently flying around. Manchester United is reportedly interesting in signing Callum Hudson-Odoi from Nottingham Forest, but the Red Devils face competition from Roma and Napoli. Arsenal might hit a snag in searching for a striker, as the Gunners are balking at paying the asking prices for either Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres, because they consider those numbers to be too high. Three different teams from the Saudi Pro League have reportedly shown interest in signing Son Heung-Min from Tottenham Hotspur, as he only has 12 months left on his current contract.
Free Kicks
- Get a peek at the Orlando Pride putting in work on the training ground.
- FIFA has been criticized after quietly doing away with its anti-racism messaging during the Club World Cup.
- Negative press for the tournament doesn’t stop there, as La Liga president Javier Tebas has said it’s his mission to eliminate the competition from existence.
- Atlanta United is reportedly closing in on a center back signing.
- The Washington Spirit have signed Sofia Cantore from Juventus.
And that’s it for me today. Have a great rest of your week. Vamos, Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/17/25
Orlando City and Orlando Pride players on Team of the Week, USMNT Gold Cup continues, and more.

Welcome to Wedn…er…Tuesday, Mane Landers. That’s right, I’m here a day early and not a moment too late. Orlando is knee deep in soccer, thanks to the FIFA Club World Cup on top of our favorite Orlando City and Orlando Pride clubs. We will have coverage of the matches taking place in the City Beautiful. Before we get started today, join us in wishing a happy 25th birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Summer Yates. Now, let’s get to the links.
Schlegel Honored
Rodrigo Schlegel had a pretty good match against the Colorado Rapids. Despite not being named Man of the Match in our Player Grades, he did make the MLS Team of the Week bench. Meanwhile, Orlando held steady at the ninth spot in ESPN’s MLS Power Rankings, while dropping two spots from seventh to ninth in SI.com’s Power Rankings despite winning on the road. It just shows how very accurate and scientific power rankings are, doesn’t it?
Quadruple Honors for the Pride
The Orlando Pride saw Schlegel’s TotW Bench honor and said we can do better. Barbra Banda, Cori Dyke, Emily Sams, and Anna Moorhouse all made the NWSL Team of the Week from the Attacking Third. Congratulations to the Pride for covering a third of the Attacking Third’s selections.
Moorhouse is also up for Player of the Week and Save of the Week. As of this morning, she is not leading either category so you know what to do.
The USMNT Gold Cup Journey Continues
The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage is underway, with the USMNT securing a 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Sunday evening. I’m always for beating Trinidad & Tobago, but more talented teams and tougher matches lie ahead. Next up for the USMNT is Saudi Arabia. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re correct. Saudi Arabia isn’t a Concacaf nation, but the team is the invitee for this Gold Cup. The match is Thursday night at 9:15 p.m. at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX. The U.S. will most likely need a win to secure the top spot in the group.
FIFA Club World Cup Results
The Club World Cup, which will visit Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium later today (we’ll be on hand with the coverage, naturally), continued early this week with Bayern Munich obliterating Auckland City 10-0, PSG defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0, Botafogo beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1, and Facundo Torres and Palmeiras drawing Porto 0-0 on Sunday. In the Monday slate, Chelsea defeated LAFC 2-0, and Boca Juniors and Benfica drew 2-2. Overshadowing all of this is the poor attendance, despite FIFA spending millions to boost said attendance.
Free Kicks
- One might think that a club sitting second in the official standings on a three-match winning streak would have matching ranks in all the various power rankings. However, one would be wrong, because although the Pride are in the second spot in the SI.com Power Rankings, the club sits at third in the ESPN.com Power Rankings. Do I need to say anything?
- You don’t often see Barcelona get passed over for an MLS club, but that is exactly what happened despite Barcelona calling FIFA to get a spot in the Club World Cup. That MLS club was LAFC, and it had to earn its way in by beating Club America.
- Liverpool has set a date for the medical for Florian Wirtz following the record transfer.
- Congratulations to Orlando City’s Alex Freeman on his performance in his first cap for the USMNT in a competitive match.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the matches this week. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Colorado Rapids: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids?

Orlando City used a professional performance to defeat the Colorado Rapids 1-0 near the Mile High City. It’s a big win for the Lions after two consecutive losses to Atlanta United and the Chicago Fire. It also gives the team some good vibes heading into next week’s international break.
Let’s take a look at the individual performances in this big win.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — Gallese had a massive game for his eighth clean sheet of the season. The shot stopper was credited with two saves and they were both quality. In the 50th minute, he made a one-handed save on a Rafael Navarro header and pushed Djordje Milhailovic’s shot wide while defending his near post in the 72nd minute. Apart from his goalkeeping, Gallese touched the ball 32 times, completing 38.5% of his 26 passes, including four of his 20 long balls. He was also credited with three clearances.
D, David Breaklo, 6 — The starting left back touched the ball 63 times and completed 91.8% of his 49 passes. He completed two of his three long balls, but his lone cross was incomplete. Brekalo also recorded one interception, won an aerial duel, and had eight clearances defensively. He didn’t have any attacking statistics, contributing to the clean sheet.
D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — Jansson had 65 touches, completing 93.1% of his team-high 58 passes, including four of his seven long balls. He won one tackle and had four clearances defensively. The center back was a bright spot early, making a couple of huge challenges to keep Colorado from getting free chances on goal. Overall, it was a strong performance by the captain.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel got a first-half booking that sees him suspended for the next game, but the center back was a monster in this game. He had a team-high 86 touches and completed 87.5% of his 56 passes but only one of his five long balls. However, his strength was defensively, where Schlegel recorded an interception and two blocked shots, won three aerial duels, and had an astounding 21 clearances. Despite defending for most of the game, the center back put a shot on target as well.
D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 5.5 — Thorhallsson had 38 touches, completing 85.7% of his 21 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. The right back added two clearances and a blocked shot defensively. He made some mistakes in his own half that created some issues and didn’t get into the attack at all in this game before being replaced by Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 5.5 — Angulo touched the ball 39 times, completing 83.3% of his 30 passes but didn’t attempt any crosses. The midfielder didn’t attempt any shots either. Defensively, Angulo added a clearance and won an aerial duel, but it was largely an invisible night by the speedster.
MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta had 65 touches and completed 77.6% of his 49 passes, including a key pass and one of his two long balls. He didn’t take any shots, but the defensive midfielder’s focus was on defense. He recorded one tackle, two aerial duels won, three interceptions, and two clearances in a strong performance. He was replaced by Colin Guske in second-half stoppage time.
MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet got the start over Cesar Araujo in this game due to back spasms for Araujo, touching the ball 57 times. The rookie completed 88.4% of his 43 passes without attempting any long balls or crosses. Like Atuesta, his job was defensive as he had three interceptions, won two aerial duels, and logged five clearances in 90 minutes of action.
MF, Marco Pasalic, 7 — Pasalic was trouble for the Rapids defense. He touched the ball 31 times and completed 86.4% of his 22 passes, including three key passes and his lone long ball. The midfielder’s most significant moment came in the 24th minute, when great vision and a good pass found Martin Ojeda for the game’s long goal. Pasalic took two shots, putting one on target. The attacker left the game in the 72nd minute, replaced by Ramiro Enrique.
F, Luis Muriel, 5.5 — Muriel had 26 touches, completing 80% of his 15 passes with a key pass. The forward took two shots, putting neither on target. He also helped defensively, winning an aerial duel, recording a tackle, and adding a clearance before being replaced by Araujo in the 58th minute. Overall, it wasn’t an impressive performance by the Designated Player.
F, Martin Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda was a game-changer, touching the ball 52 times and completing 90.9% of his 44 passes with a key pass, and connecting on one of his two crosses and his lone long ball. He put one of his two shots on target, a hard attempt that went off the hands of Nico Hansen and in for the game’s only goal. It was a good performance for Ojeda, who came off in second-half stoppage time for Nico Rodriguez.
Substitutes
MF, Cesar Araujo (58’), 6 — Araujo replaced Muriel in the 58th minute as the Lions looked to defend their 1-0 lead. The defensive midfielder had 34 touches and completed 96.4% of his 28 passes, including one key pass. He added a tackle and blocked shot in 32 minutes of action, helping to secure the clean sheet.
D, Kyle Smith (72’), 6 — Smith came on for Thorhallsson in the 72nd minute, touching the ball 23 times at right back. He completed 55.6% of his nine passes with an incomplete long ball and through ball. However, Smith’s contribution came on defense, where he added a tackle, four clearances, and two successful aerial duels to help secure the three points.
F, Ramiro Enrique (72’), 6.5 — Enrique came on for Pasalic in the 72nd minute and was solid in his 18 minutes. He had 10 touches and completed 75% of his eight passes without taking any shots. However, he did precisely what his team needed, holding up the ball, winning an aerial duel, and keeping possession late. His wise decision-making is why he gets such a high grade.
MF, Colin Guske (90 + 1’), N/A — Guske came on for Atuesta in the dying minutes to kill some time. He got booked right after coming on, touching the ball only three times and adding a clearance.
MF, Nico Rodriguez (90 + 1’), N/A — Rodriguez came on with Guske for Ojeda and had nearly an identical performance minus the booking. He touched the ball three times, won an aerial duel, and had a clearance defensively.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in this crucial win for the Lions. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.
-
Local Soccer Events1 day ago
Ulsan HD FC vs. Mamelodi Sundowns FC: Final Score 1-0 as South African Side Wins First FIFA Club World Cup Match in Orlando
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Podcasts2 weeks ago
SkoPurp Soccer Episode 89: International Pride, Listener Mail, Houston Preview, and More
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Barba Banda’s Goal Contribution Percentage Pace Among the Highest in NWSL History
-
Orlando City2 weeks ago
Orlando City Striker Duncan McGuire Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
-
Orlando Pride6 days ago
Orlando Pride vs. Bay FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Lion Links2 weeks ago
Lion Links: 6/4/25
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks ago
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Three Keys to Victory