Orlando City
Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati
Find out everything you need to know about FC Cincinnati, courtesy of someone who watches them every week.
Orlando City did a good job of taking care of business during its midweek victory over the Philadelphia Union, but the job isn’t done yet. The Lions need to keep picking up victories if they want to stay ahead of the chasing pack and keep hold of fourth place and the home field advantage during the first round of the playoffs that comes with it. That won’t be easy though, as OCSC will travel Saturday to face FC Cincinnati, the team sitting directly above it in the standings. The Lions can’t catch Cincy but they’ll want to show they can play with the top teams in the conference.
A match against FCC means I spoke to Jacob Clary, one of the writers over at the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. He was kind enough to provide some great information on The Knifey Lions, and helped bring us up to speed on how Cincy has fared since these two teams last met.
Cincinnati has played some tough teams since coming back from Leagues Cup and a record of 2-3-2 reflects that. Is there any concern over the slight dip in results, or is there an understanding that some of that simply may be down to an unforgiving part of the schedule?
Jacob Clary: There is definitely a pretty big dip in form for the team lately. The team has not been performing as well lately as fans have hoped, losing their last two games and just not playing to the team’s standards. The offense is the biggest part of it, but the defense is also not the greatest due to the multitude of injuries it has sustained. FCC is struggling to get a lot of chances going forward, and it doesn’t have a clear no. 1 striker. Because of that, if Lucho Acosta and Luca Orellano are not performing, FCC will find it difficult to score.
Luciano Acosta is obviously the straw that stirs FCC’s drink, but who are some players that maybe don’t get the same amount of attention but have still been key contributors for the team?
JC: The biggest offensive contributor aside from Acosta is Orellano. He has played in many different spots for FCC this season, but he most often finds himself at left wingback in a 5-3-2. This role has seen him more often go forward and attack rather than go back and defend, which can hamstring the team, but he is wonderfully composed when he has the ball at his feet. If Orlando gives up any free kicks at the top of the box to FCC, be fearful if Orellano is set to take it, because he has scored multiple times this season from there. He has also chipped the keeper from extremely long-range. Needless to say, Orellano is able to take some of the load from Acosta when needed.
Yuya Kubo is also a contributor on the offensive attack that can at times look like a great player. He is a pretty good finisher, so if he gets a chance, I think the ball will finish in the back of the net.
Talk to me about the postseason expectations for this team. What do you believe the bare minimum goal should be, and how far does Cincinnati need to go in order to consider the season a success?
JC: The postseason expectations for this team are at the moment slightly muted due to the form of the team and the two teams leading the charge in the Eastern Conference, Inter Miami and the Columbus Crew. Miami destroyed FCC a few matches ago without Lionel Messi and Columbus is one of the teams in the best form and knows how to win those critical matches. I think FCC should be expected to at least advance on from the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs, and depending on who they play following that round, it could be difficult for the team to advance unless it gets red hot in the next couple matches.
Will any players be unavailable due to injuries, suspensions, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?
JC: The current starting 11 for FCC is pretty fluid because of some of the injuries at the center back position and also trying to work guys into full fitness after signing them in the summer window. Teenage Hadebe played the first 45 minutes of Wednesday’s match, so I might expect to see him play alongside Ian Murphy and Miles Robinson in the CB trio. Orellano, LWB, and former USMNT player DeAndre Yedlin, RWB, will most likely finish the back line unless Head Coach Pat Noonan decides to rest any players. The midfield trio for the significant amount of matches this season has been defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo, midfielder Pavel Bucha, and 2023 MLS MVP Acosta. Up top at striker has been in flux ever since the team lost Brandon Vazquez and Aaron Boupendza left the team. Nico Gioacchini and Kevin Kelsy have split minutes, with Kubo and Sergio Santos getting the most play in terms of real contribution. I would say we could see Santos and Kubo get the start against Orlando.
Lineup: Roman Celentano; Luca Orellano, Teenage Hadebe, Ian Murphy, Miles Robinson, DeAndre Yedlin; Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Luciano Acosta; Sergio Santos, Yuya Kubo.
FCC really hasn’t been in good form lately, leading to the muted hope for postseason performance, so if the team wants to try to get going, it will need to start against Orlando. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game went either way, so I’ll say a 2-2 draw, with FCC getting a goal before stoppage time to get a point.
Thank you to Jacob for the excellent information on FC Cincinnati. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions head to Rhode Island looking to advance in the U.S. Open Cup against the Revs.
Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and the New England Revolution at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI (7:30 p.m., Paramount+). This is the first meeting between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season, with two scheduled league matches still left to play in 2026.
Here’s what you need to know for the match.
History
The Lions are 6-7-8 in the regular-season series against New England and 7-8-8 in all competitions. On the road, Orlando City is just 2-6-2 against the Revs, with all of those prior meetings coming in the MLS regular season. Orlando City has faced the Revolution once before in U.S. Open Cup play, winning that prior meeting (more on that below).
The most recent meeting between the teams was also in New England, but it was at Gillette Stadium, the Revs’ usual home. Martin Ojeda’s brace led the Lions to a 2-1 victory on July 19, 2025 — just the team’s second road win in the series. Thomas Chancalay scored for New England.
The first match between the sides last year was a wild 3-3 draw in Orlando on May 10. The Lions squandered two leads in that match, including a 2-0 advantage. Ojeda scored Orlando’s first hat trick since 2015 in that game, but those three goals were offset by strikes by Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, and Carles Gil. One of Ojeda’s goals and Gil’s strike were penalties.
Prior to that, the teams met on Sept. 14, 2024, with the Lions completing their first-ever sweep of the Revs with a 3-0 win. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres (from the penalty spot), and Duncan McGuire provided the offense in a dominant performance. The teams also met on July 13 at Gillette Stadium that year, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.
The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second goal deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.
New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late, but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.
These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022, and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.
New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and later won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.
The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.
In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Shortly after Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring, Nani tied things up. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up.
The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.
The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.
The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4.
Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count.
The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.
The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.
Overview
Orlando City is coming off a road loss at D.C. United on Saturday. The Lions came from behind to take a 2-1 second-half lead, but then Orlando melted down in the final six minutes, allowing two goals to throw away all three points. City’s only win away from home this season came in the team’s 1-0 round-of-32 U.S. Open Cup match at FC Naples on April 15, but that was far from easy as the USL League One side dominated the game’s final 30 minutes.
The Lions are 19-11-5 all-time in the U.S. Open Cup, 11-7-5 since becoming an MLS side. Away from Orlando, the Lions are 8-6-2 in the U.S. Open Cup, 5-2-2 since joining Major League Soccer.
The Revolution are coming off a 1-1 draw at Inter Miami over the weekend, with Gil scoring for New England. The Revs are 4-0-2 in their last six matches in all competitions and reached this round of the U.S. Open Cup by outlasting USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in penalties after a 1-1 draw on April 14. Fagundez scored shortly after halftime, but Rhode Island’s J.J. Williams equalized in the 11th minute of stoppage time to send the match to extra time and, ultimately, spot kicks.
It seems a bit of a flex for the Revs to return to Rhode Island FC’s stadium to host its round-of-16 match, but they earned the right, so fair play to New England.
“Of course it’s different playing in the U.S. Open Cup, or in every match that is do or die, win or go home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “It’s a different context that changes the game, but we have experience in these kinds of competitions and we’re ready for it. We like to compete, we are competitors, so we’re happy and excited.”
Match Content
- Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for the match.
Projected Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.
Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, Zakaria Taifi.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Colin Guske, Braian Ojeda, Tiago.
Forwards: Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis.
New England Revolution (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Matt Turner.
Defenders: Will Sands, Mamadou Fofana, Ethan Kohler, Ilay Feingold.
Midfielders: Alhassan Yusuf, Carles Gil, Brooklyn Raines.
Forwards: Peyton Miller, Dor Turgeman, Griffin Yow.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Centreville Bank Stadium — Pawtucket, RI.
TV/Live Stream: Paramount+.
Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.
Enjoy the match. Go City!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/29/26
Orlando City plays New England tonight, the Orlando Pride are recognized, USMNT news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day with Orlando City taking on the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup tonight. The fixture congestion is real as this is the third match for the Lions in just eight days. I’m sure that it will be fine since Orlando City doesn’t have any injury or depth issues…err…let’s get to the links.
Orlando City’s Open Cup Continues
Orlando City is in Rhode Island to take on the New England Revolution in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. As always, it will be interesting to see which regular starters play and which youngsters get the start, though the difference between those two is not as stark as in the past. The Lions also have a trip to play Inter Miami this weekend to consider. I don’t think it will happen, but I say go all in on the Open Cup and play Orlando City B against Miami.
Orlando Pride Earns Recognition
Zara Chavoshi is the Orlando Pride’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for 2026. Chavoshi’s chosen community partner is Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka. Each of the 16 NWSL teams are represented with a panel of judges, including Holiday, determining the winner. In other news, the Pride are still in the top three of SI.com’s NWSL power rankings. Shockingly — I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek — Barbra Banda didn’t make CBSsports.com’s NWSL Team of the Week despite scoring a brace.
Griezmann Continues Champions League Chase
Orlando City’s next Designated Player, Antoine Griezmann, has unfinished business with current club Atletico Madrid. Griezmann and Atletico face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals this afternoon. As much as I’m looking forward to Griezmann’s arrival in Orlando, I am also all for him winning hardware before he leaves Atletico.
USMNT News
The World Cup is just around the corner, and there are many players in MLS who will be representing their respective countries. Matt Turner is making an excellent case that he should be the first-choice keeper for the USMNT. Stepping outside of MLS, is Weston McKennie the player who the U.S. can least afford to lose heading into the World Cup? McKennie has been playing well this year for club and country. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has been in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, he can turn it around before the World Cup.
Free Kicks
- Rodrigo Schlegel visited Orlando City’s training this week. I’m not saying I want him to start, but a short-term contract for depth might be nice.
- Jose Mourinho is a contender to be Real Madrid’s next head coach and is the preferred candidate of owner Florentino Perez.
- Brighton and Hove Albion has released plans for a new stadium specifically for the club’s women’s team. It will be the first women’s-specific stadium in Europe and the UK.
- I’m very much behind the Japanese practice of cleaning up after soccer matches and I think they will set a good example for the rest of the countries at the World Cup.
- Get ready for some unwarranted red cards as FIFA says “no more mouth covering.”
- The city of Vancouver has declined FIFA’s request for an official motorcade for Gianni Infantino during the 76th FIFA Congress this Thursday. Well done, Vancouver. Well done.
- Sometimes there’s a light of hope in the dark forest that we’re travelling through. Believe.
That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/28/26
Takeaways from MLS matchday 10, Americans in midweek action, Vancouver Whitecaps may be relocated, and more.
Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B was the only one of the three sides to get a result. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us as Orlando City will be in action twice, the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, and OCB takes on Crown Legacy to round off the week on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, so let’s jump into the links.
MLS Matchday 10 Lessons
Matchday 10 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have done a very good job of reloading from the off-season losses of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. New faces Cheikh Sabaly and Bruno Caicedo have been finding their feet and both had goal involvements in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Matt Turner looks to be rediscovering some of his best form as he made nine saves in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. New York City FC’s Matt Freese has been the frontrunner to start in goal for the United States Men’s National Team at the World Cup this summer, but based on his league performances, Turner could make a late charge.
Americans in Midweek Action
Plenty of Americans will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s have a look at the schedule. Things get started Wednesday, when Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC play Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Wednesday has Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid hosting Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for the first leg of a UEFA Conference League semifinal. The action wraps up on Friday when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Burnley in a Premier League tilt.
Relocation Possible for Vancouver Whitecaps
A special committee of MLS owners reportedly met earlier in April to discuss the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Specifically, Las Vegas is said to have been the primary relocation option discussed at the meeting. It’s been two decades since a team was relocated, as the last franchise to move were the San Jose Earthquakes, who went to Houston and became the Dynamo before being replaced with another San Jose expansion team two years later. Other cities said to be interested in landing a team include Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, with Phoenix reportedly one of the main candidates being considered for relocation alongside Vegas. In the meantime, the Whitecaps remain up for sale while the team tries to find an in-market stadium solution, as the team’s lease with BC Place expires at the end of the year.
High Profile Injuries Continue
The 2025-2026 European season has seen a number of high profile injuries, and that’s a trend that unfortunately continued over the weekend. Xavi Simons suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for a significant amount of time. Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappe has a left hamstring injury, and he could reportedly miss the May 10 Clasico match against Barcelona as well as the rest of the La Liga season. AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric fractured his left cheekbone in the team’s 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday and had surgery to repair the damage. His club season is over, but Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is confident that he will be healthy in time for the World Cup.
Free Kicks
- FIFA will reportedly increase the number of times that yellow cards are wiped away at this summer’s World Cup.
- Tailgating will be allowed prior to World Cup games taking place at Gillette Stadium this summer.
- New York City will hold free World Cup fan fests in each of its five boroughs.
- Barcelona has reportedly made contact with Atletico Madrid over a potential transfer for striker Julian Alvarez.
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
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