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

Orlando City opens the postseason looking for a way past Charlotte’s stingy defense.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City FC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Sunday night playoff matchup between Orlando City and Charlotte FC at Inter&Co Stadium (7:30 p.m., FS1, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). This is the first time the teams have met in the postseason as they open a best-of-three, first-round series.

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

History

The Lions are 3-1-2 in the regular-season series and 3-2-2 in all competitions against Charlotte. Orlando City is 2-1-0 at home in the regular season. Every game between the two teams (aside from the draws) had been decided by a single goal until the most recent clash, when the teams met a month ago on Sept. 18 in Orlando. The Lions got second-half goals from Facundo Torres and Duncan McGuire to win 2-0, claiming the first multiple-goal win in the series.

The teams also met on June 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and played to a 2-2 draw. The hosts struck first with an early Kerwin Vargas goal and the Lions pulled one back through McGuire in the second half. But despite Charlotte going down a man on Scott Arfield’s red card, Brandt Bronico restored the hosts’ lead shortly after McGuire’s strike. Torres struck back moments later but the Lions could not find a winner on the road.

The previous match was also a draw at Bank of America Stadium, finishing 1-1 on Aug. 30, 2023. Enzo Copetti’s late penalty appeared to wrap things up for the hosts on a rainy night in Charlotte, but Martin Ojeda’s seeing-eye set piece equalized just before stoppage time as the teams split the points.

Charlotte claimed a 1-0 “home” victory in U.S. Open Cup play on May 9 of last year. That game took place at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC, rather than at the club’s regular stadium. The first matchup of the 2023 season didn’t go any better for Orlando City, finishing as a 2-1 Charlotte win at Exploria Stadium on March 18. Copetti and Vargas put Charlotte up 2-0 by halftime. Ojeda pulled one back, but the Lions were wasteful in front of goal and couldn’t pull level.

The teams met at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 21, 2022. After a scoreless first half, Ercan Kara put the Lions ahead on the road, only to see McKinze Gaines equalize just four minutes later. Tesho Akindele’s late goal lifted Orlando to a 2-1 victory.

Orlando City won the first-ever meeting between the sides on April 30, 2022 at Exploria Stadium. Ruan scored the opening goal and set up Torres on the counter for the second as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Christian Fuchs scored from the spot after Rodrigo Schlegel was called for a foul in the box in the second half, but that was as close as Charlotte got in what was ultimately a 2-1 Orlando victory.

Overview

These teams were separated by only one point in the standings after the 34-game regular season. The Lions (15-12-7, 52 points) needed their three points this season against Charlotte (14-11-9, 51 points) to finish in the home playoff places for the first round.

Orlando City enters tonight’s match having lost 2-1 to Atlanta United at home on Oct. 19 in the season finale. The Lions staked the visitors to an early 2-0 lead and outplayed them the rest of the way, with Ojeda scoring just before the break. However, Orlando could not find an equalizer, backing into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference due to New York City FC’s loss at CF Montreal. That game also allowed Charlotte to leapfrog NYCFC into the fifth spot, producing tonight’s matchup. The Lions finished 7-6-4 at home in the regular season, but considering the team’s terrible start to the season at Inter&Co Stadium, that was an accomplishment. Orlando had a seven-game (6-0-1) home unbeaten run snapped on Decision Day, as well as a 10-game unbeaten run in all competitions (7-0-3).

Charlotte hasn’t lost since dropping that Sept. 18 match in Orlando, going 4-0-1, with the only draw coming on the road against Inter Miami, 1-1. Three of the other four games were shutout victories, including the last two. Charlotte’s 3-0 win at D.C. United on Decision Day pushed the team ahead of NYCFC and into the fifth spot.

Although Orlando scored twice in each meeting with Charlotte this season, tonight’s visitors have the best defensive record in the Eastern Conference and have the second-best defense in MLS, allowing just 37 goals in 34 games. Charlotte went just 5-8-4 on the road in 2024, but has been good of late, with a win and a draw in its last two away from home. Despite setting a club record for goals in 2024, the Lions have never scored more than one goal in a playoff game, and tonight’s opponents won’t make things any easier.

Orlando City will need to be patient but also try to build a volume of shots against Charlotte’s stout defense, led by goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, who posted 119 saves on the season and tied for the league lead in minutes played (3,060) and a strong back line that includes U.S. international Tim Ream. The key to beating Charlotte is to get some goals on the board, as the visitors’ offense has found the net just 46 times this season — tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference — although it has scored 14 during its current unbeaten run and has been held under two goals just once since getting shut out in Orlando in September.

“We are so proud to again be at this stage of the playoffs, which is the most important part of the season,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the game. “For us, it’s just an opportunity one more time, just to get the best prize here, to our club, to our city, and that’s what we are focused on. We are very optimistic and ready to compete. Regarding our match, it’s playoff time. The playoffs are a different tournament. It’s a short tournament when there is no tomorrow, you have to be ready that day, and we are preparing mentally just to face that challenge. We are really proud to represent our club again in the playoffs.”

The Lions will be without Mason Stajduhar (lower leg). Charlotte will be without Jahlane Forbes (hip), while Nikola Petković (knee) is questionable.

Match Content


Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.

Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson.

Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.

Attacking Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Martin Ojeda, Facundo Torres.

Forwards: Ramiro Enrique.

Bench: Javier Otero, Kyle Smith, Michael Halliday, David Brekalo, Felipe, Jeorgio Kocevski, Nico Lodeiro, Luis Muriel, Duncan McGuire.

Charlotte FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina.

Defenders: Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne.

Midfielders: Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Junior Urso.

Forwards: Liel Abada, Karol Swiderski, Pep Biel.

Bench: David Bingham, Jere Uronen, Jaylin Lindsey, Bill Tuiloma, Djibril Diani, Iuri Tavares, Jamie Paterson, Kerwin Vargas, Patrick Agyemang.

Referees

REF: Drew Fischer.
AR1: Micheal Barwegen.
AR2: Lyes Arfa.
4TH: Rosendo Mendoza.
VAR: Michael Radchuk.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.


How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter&Co Stadium  — Orlando

TV/Live Stream: FS1, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free).

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: 1/28/25

Wilder Cartagena injury reports, Orlando City B’s 2025 schedule, Americans in the UEFA Champions League, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone! It was nice to get a first look at the 2025 edition of Orlando City on Saturday, but the experience was sullied by an injury that we’ll speak more about shortly. Regardless, we continue to march towards the start of the season with a closed-door scrimmage against Forge FC up next on the docket today. We have a ton to discuss this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Wilder Cartagena Injury Reports

Wilder Cartagena exited Orlando City’s preseason game against Atletico Mineiro with a non-contact injury, naturally leading to fears about what the injury would be. While the club has not released a diagnosis at the time of writing, reports are emerging that the Peruvian midfielder suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon. There are some reports that go as far as saying that he will undergo surgery soon. If true, Cartagena could be sidelined for anywhere from a few months or up to a year, depending on the severity of the injury. We’ll keep you updated as more news becomes available.

Orlando City B Schedule Released

In much more pleasant news, the MLS NEXT Pro schedule was released, which means that we have OCB’s roadmap for the upcoming season. The Young Lions will get the season started at home on Sunday, March 9 against Columbus Crew 2 with a 7 p.m. kickoff. OCB closes the season at home against FC Cincinnati 2 on Decision Day, which will be on Sunday, Oct. 5. The team will play 14 home games, 13 away games, and one at the neutral site of IMG Academy in Bradenton. Most of the games will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with the rest appearing on mlsnextpro.com.

Americans in Champions League Action

The UEFA Champions League will have its final matchday of the league phase on Wednesday, and there are a lot of Americans who will be competing. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan can guarantee a place in the top eight of the standings with a win when they welcome Dinamo Zagreb to San Siro. Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, and Esmir Bajraktarević also have a lot to play for with PSV Eindhoven, as a loss or draw risks the club being overtaken and eliminated from the competition. Aside from Juventus, all other teams featuring Americans are placed anywhere from 14th-24th, so the stakes are high during this week’s action.

NWSL News Roundup

Monday was a busy day for the National Women’s Soccer League, so let’s get caught up. The Houston Dash acquired former Orlando Pride forward Messiah Bright in a trade with Angel City FC. The Dash sent $100,000 in inter-league transfer funds to Angel City in exchange, and that number could increase by up to $50,000 with incentives. The Chicago Stars noted that Mallory Swanson has not joined the team for the start of camp due to personal reasons. Jenna Nighswonger has reportedly been sold to Arsenal for a fee of $100,000.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City went old school to bring us a look at Monday morning’s training session.
  • The Pride meanwhile, opted for a more traditional route.
  • Congratulations are in order for the team of Baby Lions that became the PreMLS NAC Champions for the 2013 age group!
  • Former Lion and cowboy hat enthusiast Benji Michel is training with Nashville SC.

That’s all I’ve got for this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Javier Otero Has the Chance to Prove Himself in 2025

Young goalkeeper Javier Otero can prove himself at the MLS level in 2025.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City sent backup goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar to Real Salt Lake on Jan. 15 for $50,000 in General Allocation Money and RSL’s natural second-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The move resulted in the end of the Lions’ longest-tenured player, but provides an opportunity for another.

Stajduhar initially signed for the first team on Nov. 9, 2015, as a Homegrown Player. He was largely out of sight for the first few years of his professional career, not even appearing for Orlando City B. However, he eventually became the primary backup to the starter Pedro Gallese and showed his ability. His appearances primarily came early in U.S. Open Cup games or when the primary starter was away on international duty with Peru, but he played well when given the opportunity.

While Stajduhar never made more than six appearances in a season for the MLS side, he had the opportunity to prove himself and his development. It’s hard to say whether the 27-year-old will get more playing time with his new club, but his departure opens the door for another Homegrown goalkeeper.

Born in Venezuela, Javier Otero moved to the United States with his family and joined the Orlando City Academy in 2017 as a 14-year-old. He signed with OCB in 2020, backing up Austin Aviza, and became the regular starter for the Young Lions in 2022 at 17 years of age.

Otero has often been a lifesaver for the Young Lions, being forced to make an incredibly high number of saves. During his first season as a starter, the young shot stopper made a league-high 100 saves from 130 shots on target.

Otero was signed to a Homegrown contract on July 10, 2023, beginning his tenure as a first-team player. He remained with OCB since he was third string, but was forced away from the reserve side when Stajduhar suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg during a June 28, 2024 game in New York. Otero finished the contest, conceding three goals on a difficult night, and backed up Gallese for the remainder of the season.

The injury to Stajduhar left Otero in a bit of a predicament. Since he had to be with the first team as the primary backup, he was unable to play for OCB. As a result, the substitution appearance against New York City FC was his final action in 2024.

Moving Stajduhar and elevating Otero to the primary backup makes sense for the Lions. Gallese doesn’t seem to want to leave and Orlando City isn’t eager for his departure. However, eventually, the 34-year-old Peruvian’s time in Orlando will end and the club needs his replacement. Otero is five years younger than Stajduhar, giving him more time to develop for when Gallese does depart.

The brief appearance by Otero in 2024 clearly isn’t enough to determine if he can play at the MLS level. While he likely won’t play substantial minutes in 2025, he’ll probably have at least five starts throughout the season. This might be during a less important competition than the league or while Gallese is away on international duty.

Gallese is currently on his option year, meaning he’ll be out of contract following the 2025 season unless the club reaches an extension agreement. At this point, it’s hard to see him leaving so soon. But if he does, Orlando City needs to know what it has behind him.

As for Otero, this is his opportunity to prove himself at a higher level. He was fantastic in MLS NEXT Pro action, but MLS competition will provide a much greater challenge than the third division league. This season will give Otero the opportunity to prove to the club and himself that he can take over the number one spot one day, something the higher-ups clearly believe he can do.

The 2025 season will be an interesting one for the Lions. They made the Eastern Conference final last year and are bringing back most of their roster. Despite losing the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, expectations are high that they can match or surpass last year‘s accomplishments.

The upcoming season will also tell us a lot about the future. The departure of Facundo Torres means other players will have to step up. While Gallese will spend the 2025 campaign with the Lions, it’s unclear how long he’ll remain. Otero’s appearances with the first team, no matter their length, will indicate whether he can fill those large shoes when the time comes.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/27/25

Orlando CIty wins first preseason match, Naomi Girma completes move to Chelsea, MLS transfer news, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy working and covering high school sports. Besides that, I was able to watch a few Premier League matches over the weekend. Let’s all wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina, who turned 25 on Sunday. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Defeats Atletico Mineiro in Penalties After Scoreless Draw

In its first preseason match of 2025, Orlando City edged past Atletico Mineiro 6-5 on penalties after a scoreless draw at Inter&Co Stadium in the FC Series. The Lions had to go through seven rounds of penalties to defeat Atletico Mineiro and clinch the Inter&Co Trophy. Both teams had chances throughout the match, but after 90 minutes of play, the game went to penalties. After being tied 5-5 after six rounds, Joran Gerbet scored in the seventh round andPedro Gallese saved Bruno Fuchs’s shot to win the shootout for the Lions. Orlando City will be in Mexico for camp for the next week and will face Forge FC. The Lions will take on Inter Miami in Tampa on Feb. 14 at Raymond James Stadium.

Lions Reportedly Shift Focus Away From Marco Pasalic

According to Tom Bogert, Orlando City is reportedly shifting their focus from Croatian winger Marco Pasalic to other transfer targets, as the 24-year-old is undecided about his future.

The Lions were reportedly in talks to sign Pasalic from HNK Rijeka last week, as they look to fill their open Designated Player spot following the record-breaking transfer of forward Facundo Torres to Palmeiras last month. The clock is ticking for the Lions to sign a new Designated Player, with Orlando’s season opener set for Feb. 22.

Naomi Girma Completes Record Transfer Move to Chelsea

United States Women’s National Team and former San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma has completed her transfer to Chelsea in a record-breaking deal. The transfer fee is reportedly agreed at $1.1 million, making her the first player to break the $1 million mark in women’s soccer. Girma signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Chelsea after three seasons with the Wave. She has 44 caps for the USWNT and was an integral part of the squad that won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

MLS Transfer Roundup

Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. The Chicago Fire signed midfielder Rominigue Kouame on loan from La Liga 2 side Cadiz CF for the 2025 MLS season, with an option to purchase. The Fire also transferred midfielder Federico Navarro to Argentine first division side Club Atletico Rosario Central for an undisclosed transfer fee. FC Cincinnati is reportedly in negotiations to sign center back Gilberto Flores.

LAFC has agreed to transfer midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to Cruz Azul for a fee reportedly over $10 million. The New York Red Bulls have transferred forward Dante Vanzeir to KAA Gent in Belgium. The Red Bulls have also reportedly expressed interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur forward Timo Werner, who is on loan from Red Bull Leipzig.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Daryl Dike is close to full fitness and is back training as he looks set to return to action for West Brom. Dike has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles injury from last season that has kept him sidelined for almost a year.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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