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Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory over FC Dallas?

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

James Brown once sang, “wow, I feel good, I knew that I would,” and while I feel good (duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh) after watching that 3-1 Orlando City win over FC Dallas Saturday night, I definitely cannot say that I knew that I would.

Going into that match, Orlando City had never even scored a single solitary goal in Dallas, but the Lions came out firing and put three in the net in the first 55 minutes, and then took three points after 90 minutes to get their first-ever win in Dallas. Hey Jimmy Johnson, how ’bout them Lions?

I have my purple pen out, and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with a Western Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 7 — El Pulpo will probably feel hard done by that he did not pick up another clean sheet in this match, as Dallas’ one goal came on a penalty kick and the hosts were not even threatening when that foul occurred. Gallese also made several excellent saves during this match, including one on a crazy sequence, when he came way outside of the box to try to clear a ball over the top, and he then had to scramble back into the 18 and make a diving save when Dallas tried a long-range shot into what they thought was an open net. Dallas did have a goal called back during the match, as well as another ball that went in after a foul was whistled, which cannot be held against Gallese, but they are reminders of the fine line between a great night and a tough night for any goalkeeper. On this night, Gallese was more towards the great night with five saves and confident command of the box. 

D, Rafael Santos, 7.5 — Santos once again demonstrated his lethal left foot in this match, as his picture-perfect cross was headed in by Ramiro Enrique to give the Lions their first-ever goal in Dallas. The Brazilian defender led the Lions in touches (82) and was second in completed passes (53), completing those passes at an 86.9% rate. He completed five of his nine long passes and was a threat down the left side all game long. Orlando City attacked down the left side on 47% of its possessions (27% middle and 26% right made up the other two channels), and a primary reason for the left side dominance was Santos and the runs he was making up the field. Dallas countered this by attacking up its right side on 42% of its possessions, and there were some nervy moments late as the hosts did get by Santos and created some chances in his area. On this day though, Dallas did not convert any of those chances, and the overall contributions by Santos were a major reason why the Lions took all three points.

D, Robin Jansson, 7 — The Orlando City captain played his normal solid and composed match in the back on Saturday night, and the Beefy Swede should have had his first MLS assist of the season on a beautiful cross in the second half that Duncan McGuire was unable to finish. Jansson had five clearances, three recoveries, two interceptions, and one tackle, and he completed 43 passes at a 97.7% rate. Through much of the game he stayed home in the center of the field so that Rodrigo Schlegel could roam a little more forward, which was successful for the Lions in helping them own the middle horizontally and vertically.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 8 — Schlegel was everywhere during this match, and a serious contender for Man of the Match. His bullet header that doubled the lead for the Lions will be what is remembered most, but he also had three tackles, two clearances, and one interception, and his partnership with Jansson was excellent in keeping FC Dallas’ pairing of Jesus Ferreira and Petar Musa off the scoresheet. I thought Schlegel was excellent throughout the match, and his right side pairing with Kyle Smith was effective in limiting Dallas’ attacks down their left channel.

D, Kyle Smith, 6.5 — Smith once again demonstrated his trademark Kyle-of-all-trades abilities, as after a season of primarily playing left back, he stepped in at right back with Dagur Dan Thórhallsson out and delivered a solid performance. Smith was second on the team with four clearances and had one tackle, and he also completed 87.8% of his passes on the night while going the full 90 minutes. He did get turned around on during the buildup to the Dallas goal that was called back in the 90th minute, but that goal was called back, so that will not be held against him. The Accountant delivered the results in this match, and they were favorable for Orlando City.

MF, César Araujo, 7 — No offense to Jeorgio Kocevski, but having Araujo back in the lineup made a massive difference for Orlando City. The Uruguayan midfielder helped secure the middle of the field throughout the match, completing 50 passes at a 92.6% rate as a midfield fulcrum on offense and helping to force Dallas to push the ball out wide to attack rather than attempt to come down the middle on defense. Araujo did pick up another yellow card trying to slow down a Dallas counterattack in the 67th minute. That foul may have been unnecessary with multiple defenders already behind the ball, however, he was put in a bad spot by Facundo Torres’ wayward pass and decided to take no chances with the lead on the road. On the whole, Araujo showed why the Lions are a better team when he is on the field, and he was a major reason why Orlando City picked up three points in Dallas.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 7 — Sometimes I think I should just write one grade for César Wilder Cartaraujo, as there are games when the two holding midfielders play quite similarly, just on slightly different sides of the field. The FC Dallas match was close to one of those games, but I thought Cartagena was slightly better than his midfield partner, even though he only played 73 minutes. The Peruvian led the team in completed passes, with 55, completing them at a 94.8% rate, with two of them being key passes. Cartagena also had three tackles and one interception, and unlike his midfield partner, he did not pick up a(nother) yellow card. With a midweek game coming up on Wednesday, Cartagena made way for Nico Lodeiro in the 73rd minute, but he was excellent during his time on the field and was a major reason why the Lions owned the center of the field.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6.5 — Despite Orlando City’s focus on attacking down the left side of the field, Angulo did not really contribute to any of the three goals or other big scoring opportunities, though he did track back well on defense and gave his trademark full effort throughout his 90 minutes. Angulo completed 41 passes at an 89.1% rate and had three interceptions, two tackles, one clearance, and one block. His contributions were more on the defensive side than the offensive side against Dallas, especially with Dallas attacking down the right more often than the left. And while the Colombian winger may not have been involved in any of the goals I do think it was one of his better recent games overall.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — I have long been a fan of how hockey includes secondary and primary assists in assist totals, and although most of soccer doesn’t follow suit, MLS does. As such, Ojeda finished with two assists on the night in Dallas. His perfect pass to Santos led to the cross that produced Orlando City’s first goal, giving the Argentine a secondary assist, and his corner kick early in the second half was headed in by Schlegel for the second goal, providing him with a primary assist. What mattered most is that both goals were scored and Ojeda played a major role in each, and those passes, in addition to his skillful and creative play to hit a well-struck volley on goal in the first half, were three major highlights for the Lions in this match. Ojeda completed 32 passes on the night, with two key passes, and he was involved and dangerous on offense throughout his 65 minutes on the field.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 — The hot streak continued for Torres, as he made it five goals in his last five MLS games with his well-placed finish off a through ball from Enrique to make the score 3-0 for Orlando City. Just a few minutes earlier, I will admit that I was muttering words of frustration when he had a similar breakaway opportunity on a through ball but chose to slow down to get it onto his left foot, and subsequently had his shot saved, but he took full advantage of his second chance and gave the Lions an even bigger cushion. Orlando City attacked down the left side far more often than Torres’ right side on Saturday night, but he was still able to be involved in the offense, completing 90.2% of his passes and taking 24 touches in the attacking third of the field. Torres made way for Felipe in the 81st minute in a defense-for-offense substitution, but it was another excellent match for the Uruguayan Designated Player, who is now the Orlando City record holder for career MLS goal contributions, with 50.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 8.5 (MotM) — Enrique is back in form again, and it is a wonderful thing to watch. Despite being short in stature as compared to the FC Dallas back line, it was he who opened the scoring with a header on a cross from Santos, and then later it was his tackle and steal that turned into his through ball assist to Torres for the third Orlando City goal. He also played another key pass and drew four fouls and was generally a menace all over the attacking third of the field for his entire 65-minute shift. I thought Enrique was outstanding, and despite a challenge from his fellow Argentinean Schlegel, I thought he was the Man of the Match.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (65′), 6 — On another Saturday night Big Dunc could have had multiple goals and been in contention for Man of the Match, but he was just off ever so much with his finishing touch and was unable to get any of his shots into the net. His work rate was tremendous and he put Dallas under major pressure after subbing in for Enrique, but he missed a massive chance on a ball from Jansson that was perfectly set up for him to put the game away by making it 4-0, and on two other breakaway opportunities he had a shot saved and blocked. The effort was there, the final touch just let him down during this match.

MF, Luis Muriel (65′), 6.5 — Muriel was once again excellent off the bench on Saturday night after subbing in for Ojeda, and could have had multiple assists if his teammates could have finished a little better. He was involved in three plays that McGuire didn’t finish, giving Jansson a seeing-eye pass in the 66th minute and sending McGuire behind the back line in the 71st and 97th minutes. As I was making notes on the match I was thinking about a comparison to NBA player Chris Paul, as Muriel, who was a usual starter earlier in his career, seems to have embraced a role off the bench and comes in delivering perfect passes all over the field when he does sub into the game. Muriel had two key passes and completed 92% of all of his passes, and looked dangerous every time he had the ball.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, (73’), N/A — This will not be a game that Lodeiro looks fondly upon when he reflects on the 2024 season. The headline for him will be that he gave away a penalty, and although I do believe it was a foul, I think it was harsh since the attacking player was moving away from goal in the far corner of the box, but it was a deserved penalty and it did breathe some life back into FC Dallas. He uncharacteristically only completed 75% of his passes, and did not bring his steady and positive presence off the bench as he usually has done this season.

MF, Felipe, (81’), N/A — Felipe came on as a late defensive replacement for Torres to help see the game out. He only had three touches but did complete both of his passes, and because he is Felipe and this is what he does, he also committed one foul.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Saturday night. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

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Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 3-1 road victory over FC Dallas.

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2 hours ago

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September 29, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City visited the Lone Star State to face Western Conference foes FC Dallas. The Lions entered the match needing a victory to clinch a postseason spot and accomplished that mission, thanks to a total team offensive effort. What follows are my five takeaways from a resounding 3-1 victory.

Possession with Purpose

In the opening 15 minutes of the match, Orlando enjoyed a significant amount of possession with little to show for it. However, that changed quickly as the first goal came on the heels of some technically sound and visually pleasing play. Crisp passing and solid spacing allowed Rafael Santos to find the space to send in a lethal cross from the left side, which was placed with pinpoint accuracy. The cross found the head of Ramiro Enrique who made a sneaky run into the box to beat the much taller Omar Gonzalez to the ball. Enrique made solid contact with his head to flick it past Maarten Paes. Winning the possession battle helps control a match and the Lions not only won that battle, but also played with purpose when they possessed the ball throughout the majority of the match.

Schlegoal

Orlando City has taken the second-most corner kicks in Major League Soccer throughout the regular season thus far, and although the Lionss often don’t seem to do much with them, they made one count in the second half in Dallas. Martin Ojeda played a corner into the box in the 51st minute which found the head of a streaking Rodrigo Schlegel, who powered it into the back of the net. It is always fun when the team gets a contribution from an unexpected source, and I did not have a Schlegoal on my Bingo card. The goal doubled Orlando’s lead just a few minutes into the second half and provided a bit of breathing room.

Torres Punctuation Mark

Four minutes after Orlando City took a two-goal lead, Designated Player Facundo Torres took a beautifully weighted pass from Ramiro Enrique into a 1-v-1 situation against Paes. Torres calmly slotted it into the net as two defenders were closing in on his position. For Torres, the goal not only put his team up with a commanding 3-0 lead but also pulled him level with club legend Cyle Larin for most goals scored across all competitions in team history. Smart money says that that record will be Torres’ before the end of the season.

McGuire’s Missed Chances

While the team will enjoy the road victory and success at Dallas for the first time in club history, the game wasn’t 100% perfect. Second-half substitute Duncan McGuire came on in the 65th minute along with Luis Muriel in a double change for Ojeda and Enrique. McGuire was given three clear-cut chances on goal which should have completely buried the home side. The first came just moments after he came onto the pitch.

Just moments after entering the game, Muriel played Robin Jansson in on the left on a recycled corner kick before the captain crossed it onto McGuire’s foot right in front of goal. McGuire made solid contact, but the placement was much to be desired as it was almost directly at Paes. Just a few minutes later, Muriel sent McGuire behind the defense in the 71st minute, finding himself in alone on goal. With a defender on his hip, McGuire attempted the shot with his weaker left foot and got neither the power nor placement he would have liked on an attempt which ultimately didn’t bother Paes much. Finally, Muriel again sent McGuire in behind in the 97th minute down the left. This time, McGuire wanted to pull it onto his preferred foot and in doing so, he allowed Marco Farfan time to catch up and block the effort.

These are the kinds of opportunities one would expect McGuire to finish and Muriel’s passing on all three deserved to be rewarded.

Nervy Finish

The end of that match felt more stressful than it needed to be, didn’t it? Nicolas Lodeiro came on in the 73rd minute to provide fresh legs in the defensive midfield and just minutes after coming on he committed a foul in the box to concede a penalty. Paul Arriola calmly stepped up and found success from the penalty spot, inching Dallas into the match. That left the home squad down two goals with 12 minutes to go, and things only got more stressful from there as Dallas found the crossbar on a Petar Musa shot and then appeared to have a second goal as the game approached the 90th minute. The goal was correctly overturned after video review by referee Jair Maruffo due to Arriola being just offside in the buildup, and Orlando saw out the final minutes of stoppage time. Nonetheless, the closing minutes were far too stressful in a game Orlando City had dominated from the opening kick.

Those are my takeaways from a 3-1 road victory. Orlando City put in a solid effort across the board and now returns to the City Beautiful sitting in fourth place in the East with just a few games left to go in the regular season. Most importantly, the Lions qualified for the playoffs for the fifth straight season and can now work on securing a top-four position to get home field advantage in the best-of-three first round.

What stood out to you the most? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and, as always, vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City vs. FC Dallas: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Clinch Playoff Spot with First Road Win at Dallas

Orlando City is in the postseason for the fifth straight year, thanks to goals by Ramiro Enrique, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Facundo Torres.

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13 hours ago

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September 28, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City continues to score goals in bunches, bouncing back from last week’s loss at Colubus with a 3-1 win over FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. Ramiro Enrique, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Facundo Torres scored to lead the Lions (13-11-7, 46 points) to their first road win ever against FC Dallas (10-14-7, 37 points). Orlando City clinched a playoff spot with the win.

Things got nervy at the end, as Paul Arriola scored from the penalty spot after a foul in the box by Nico Lodeiro, and FC Dallas had a second goal overturned due to Arriola being offside in the buildup.

“One more time we qualify for the playoffs. It’s a credit for the group of players that had a big heart and a big love for the club too, and a lot of passion for what they do,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “So, I’m very happy. It’s a special night today, coming here to Dallas, in a very difficult city to play against, and we won, scored three goals. We played an excellent (first) 75 minutes, and the reaction of Dallas in the last part was very good as well. Complicated the game, but we finally clinched, and that was the first objective, and we’re happy.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Schlegel, and Kyle Smith, with Dagur Dan Thorhallsson out with a lower leg injury. Cesar Araujo returned from suspension to play in the central midfield with Wilder Cartagena behind an attacking line of Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, and Torres, with Enrique up top.

Orlando City held most of the possession in the first half, but didn’t create much out of it. Some of that was due to unselfishness, turning down shooting opportunities to try to play in a teammate, and then sending in a poor return ball that the FC Dallas was able to intercept. The crossing also left a lot to be desired at times, including just three minutes into the match, when Santos had space on the left but sent the ball in for Maarten Paes to easily catch.

Petar Musa had the first good look for Dallas in the 15th minute, taking the ball wide of Cartagena and fizzing a shot over Gallese’s crossbar.

The Lions broke the scoreless deadlock three minutes later. Santos got his cross right this time, sending in a near-post ball. Enrique got across the much larger Omar Gonzalez and sent a glancing header just under the bar past Paes to open the scoring in the 18th minute. It was Orlando City’s first-ever road goal at Dallas.

Ojeda nearly doubled the lead two minutes later. Left with space just outside the area, the Argentine smashed a shot toward goal. Paes did well to get down to make the save. Ojeda’s placement was too close to the goalkeeper, otherwise the Lions would have had a two-goal advantage in the 20th minute.

Arriola had a go from outside the area in the aftermath of a Dallas corner in the 27th minute, forcing Gallese to get down to make a good save.

Musa thought he’d scored for Dallas in the 31st minute off an Arriola cross but there was an obvious push by the midfielder on Angulo to win the ball back and Orlando was correctly awarded a free kick.

The Lions were slow to close down in the 35th minute and it was nearly a costly mistake, as a cross found Arriola’s head at the near post. His back-post effort was just wide of goal.

Ojeda made a great cutback pass to Enrique in the box in the 39th minute but the striker got under his shot and fired it high into the crowd.

Arriola’s cross for Musa late in the half was caught in the air by Gallese, and the Dallas striker took a hit in the ensuing collision but was able to continue.

The last good chance of the half fell to Orlando as Enrique stole the ball in the attacking third. He had an opportunity to shoot from the right, but he opted instead to try to pick out a teammate and the Dallas defense intercepted his pass.

At the half, the Lions held the advantage in possession (60.2%-39.8%), shots (4-3), shots on target (2-1), and passing accuracy (94.4%-86.8%). Both teams earned two corner kicks in the opening period.

Although it was only a 1-0 lead at the break, Orlando dominated the first half of the game.

“I thought it was a clear idea that we had with the players during the week, after our game in Columbus, that we wanted to have more domination of the ball and more compromise, and trying to look for the spaces with personality,” Pareja said. “That was our compromise with the players. And I think that is what I saw on the pitch. I saw them moving everywhere and provided support to their teammates when they had the ball. Our line of passing was very correct, the occupation of the spaces as well. So, we had a very complete half.”

FC Dallas changed shape in the second half but not much changed. Orlando conceded more of the possession but was able to add to its lead and could (and should) have scored even more than the two it got in the second half.

Dallas got the first chance of the second period in the 50th minute when a deflected ball fell for Musa, who volleyed it toward goal but couldn’t keep his shot down.

Just seconds after that miss, the Lions doubled their lead. A dangerous cross from Smith on the right was intended for Angulo at the back post but former Lion Ruan knocked it behind for a corner. Ojeda sent in a good delivery and Schlegel attacked it in the air, powering a header into the upper right corner to make it 2-0 in the 51st minute.

“It’s obviously something that we work on constantly throughout the week,” Schlegel said of the set piece goal. “It’s almost automatic that we’re going to work on those set pieces. Sometimes in the games they don’t come out well. They don’t turn out the way that we practice them, or that we hoped, a lot of times based on the defense too. And obviously, it’s been a while since I was able to score. But that doesn’t mean that the work ever stopped. Thankfully, it went in tonight, and just really happy with this whole team.”

Ruan tried to get his team right back in it, blazing down the right flank in the 54th minute and sending a fierce cross through the six, but it was in front of everyone and went out of play on the other side on a deflection by Orlando.

The Lions again immediately punished Dallas for missing an opportunity. Enrique took the ball away in the attacking end on an errant Dallas back pass and immediately sent the ball behind for Torres’ attacking run. Torres slowed down, took a look at goal, and passed the ball past Paes to make it 3-0 in the 55th minute.

With the goal, Torres tied Cyle Larin for the club’s all-time lead in goals across all competitions, with 44.

FC Dallas didn’t give up, rolling the dice with multiple substitutions and sending more numbers forward into the attack in a desperation move that backfired multiple times, but the Lions were unable to punish the hosts further, despite some good chances to do so.

Alan Velasco tried a blast from outside the area in the 63rd minute that required a Gallese save. Orlando City then got down the left side and Enrique won a free kick near the corner. The ball in bounced off a couple of players and Dallas looked to counterattack, but the Lions were able to recover defensively to stop the transition before it resulted in a chance.

Pareja sent Luis Muriel and Duncan McGuire on in the 65th minute for Enrique and Ojeda, and it nearly paid dividends right away. Angulo won a corner kick and the ball was initially cleared, but the Lions recovered and recycled the attack. Jansson ended up with the ball on the left side in the area and played it across for McGuire in front. The striker’s shot was saved by Paes’ foot from point-blank range as he hit it too straight with either side available in the 66th minute.

Moments later, the alarm bells rang in Orlando’s defensive third as Santos and Angulo were beaten in the box by Tsiki Ntsabeleng. A shot was headed inside the left post but Schlegel was there to block it and clear it away.

Muriel sent McGuire in behind in the 71st minute with a perfect through ball. Again McGuire was denied by Paes as his shot was soft and poorly placed, allowing the Dallas keeper to make the stop.

FC Dallas came right back the other way and Gallese had to make a save on a Musa shot.

Lodeiro subbed on for Cartagena in the 73rd minute and one of his first involvements threw Dallas a lifeline. Going for a loose ball in the box, he was beaten to it from his right side and he got the man instead of the ball, fouling Bernard Kamungo. Jair Marrufo awarded the penalty immediately.

Arriola waited for Gallese to commit and slotted it down the middle to make it 3-1 in the 78th minute.

Things got weird in the 80th minute as the Lions started to get beaten by runs in direct play. Gallese came out of his area to head away a ball over the top and got caught out when Dallas regained possession. Kamungo tried to score from distance but Gallese recovered and got his hand to it, knocking it out for a corner. Logan Farrington was left unattended at the near post on the set piece, but he missed the net with his header in the 81st minute. Musa then was all alone in front two minutes later but sent his header right at Gallese.

In the 85th minute, Musa came within inches of making it a one-goal game, smashing a wicked shot off the crossbar near the left post from a tight angle. Farrington won another Dallas corner in the 88th minute and this time second-half substitute Show was left alone at the near post but missed his header wide.

Dallas appeared to pull within 3-2 in the 90th minute. The ball was sent to Arriola out wide on the left and his cutback cross was put in by Farrington. Marrufo went to the monitor and found that Arriola was about a foot offside in the buildup, nullifying the goal by Farrington, who was booked for dissent after the call was made.

The hosts continued to look threatening during six minutes of stoppage time that grew to eight. Gallese did well to come off his line and get to a ball just in front of Kamungo in the 94th minute. Ntsabeleng sent a shot just wide in the 96th minute from outside the area.

McGuire again got in behind the defense in the 97th minute on another excellent ball from Muriel. This time, the big striker was on the left side. As he teed up a shot on his stronger right foot, Marco Farfan arrived to block it.

Farrington got one more good chance for Dallas in the 98th minute, but Gallese made the save. Orlando got the ball forward, and Marrufo blew the whistle for full time.

Orlando City ended the game with the advantage in possession (52.4%-47.6%), shots on goal (7-6), passing accuracy (90.3%-86.4%), and corners (7-6). With its late flurry, Dallas ended up with more total shot attempts (16-13).

“At the end, we started defending low. We lost control of the ball, and Dallas pushed, sent numbers and complicated those last 15 minutes,” Pareja said. “Credit to them too. I thought that they did a good job in that part, but once again, we’re happy. The game plan worked, and the boys clinched. And congratulations to everybody who is involved in our club and the fans.”

“Obviously, we’re very happy,” Schlegel said. “Our first goal for the year was to qualify for the playoffs and clinch a spot in the playoffs. So, obviously, we’re very happy and just very proud of every player in this group, and every member of the technical staff, and this whole group together.”

With the win, Orlando City has reached the postseason for the fifth consecutive season, qualifying every year since Pareja took over as head coach prior to the 2020 campaign.

The Lions return home Wednesday for a midweek match against the Philadelphia Union.

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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.

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1 day ago

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September 28, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

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!

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