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Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw vs. the New York Red Bulls?

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

One game is a random event, but two games is the beginnings of the trend, and I am hopeful that Orlando City nips this trend in the bud, because the Lions once again failed to score a goal, drawing the New York Red Bulls 0-0 at home. It was a tale of two halves, with Orlando City dominating the first half but squandering chances before needing to defend for nearly the entirety of the final 35 minutes after going down to 10 players because of a second yellow to Rodrigo Schlegel, which equals a red card.

After a blistering start to the season offensively, it is now the defense that looks strong while the offense is searching for answers, and the Lions did not find those answers in this match. Hopefully a trip to CF Montréal and the chilly northern climate next week will provide a little shock to the system, and the Lions will warm themselves up with some goal celebrations.

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 Eastern Conference matchup.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — Even though the Red Bulls were up a man for nearly one-third of the game, they really did not generate on-target opportunities, and so while El Pulpo was under duress for most of the second half, he actually did not have to do very much. I do not mean to discount the communication and presence he provided, but New York was only able to force him into making one save, and that one shot was not struck very well and was right at him. Credit to him for being in position, but it was not a save that will go on any highlight reels. Gallese was able to successfully milk a lot of clock in the late minutes of the game without receiving a yellow card, and he almost was able to put Duncan McGuire in with a well-placed long ball on a quick counter.

D, David Brekalo, 6— The Slovenian looks to have taken over as the first choice left back, but because of Schlegel’s sending off, he shifted to right center back in the second half on Saturday, and he will likely be in that same role Saturday. Then we’ll see what happens when Schlegel returns in the match after that. Brekalo continues to impress in a position he is still learning, and New York could not really muster any significant attacks during the minutes while Brekalo was out on the left. With Schlegel’s exit he moved over to the middle, playing in the right center back spot, and continued his solid play for the final minutes. He completed 73.3% of his passes on the afternoon and had one shot attempt on a header, but his more critical contributions were his four tackles, four clearances, and one interception on defense.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The Beefy Swede looks back to himself, as he was excellent in the center of the defense, keeping the Red Bulls from generating any significant opportunities throughout the match. I expect he will replay his one major foray into the offensive area over and over in his head though, as he stayed forward after a corner kick and placed himself perfectly to receive a whipped in cross from Martín Ojeda, only to send the well-struck header directly at New York goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. Jansson did not have any tackles, but he finished with one interception, two clearances, and one block, and completed a team-high 46 passes at a 95.8% completion rate.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 4.5 — There is no way around the fact that Schegel’s dismissal for a second yellow card changed the game, and it is frustrating because both of his fouls were unnecessary. The first half yellow card was perhaps a bit harsh from a referee who was letting players be physical for most of the match, but the second one was deserved and was not a good decision by a player who should have known better since he was already on a yellow card. Schlegel had been playing well, with a 92.3% completion rate on his passes and not many defensive statistics since the Lions had dominated most of the game, but his departure changed everything and turned a very winnable game into one in which Orlando City had to grind out to get a draw.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — Freeman is a right back, but when a right back’s average position on the pitch (according to our friends at whoscored.com) is in the opposing half of the field, is he still a right back? I thought the Homegrown Player was outstanding again, marauding forward in partnership with Marco Pašalić and creating several chances that Orlando City just could not finish. Freeman had some chances himself as well but just could not get everything lined up, however, he remains an absolute threat on the right side of the field and one that I am very glad plays for Orlando City and not another team. He completed 77.1% of his passes, including going five for five on long balls, and had one interception, three clearances, and one blocked shot on defense.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 7 (MotM) — The rookie midfielder started his second consecutive game for the Lions, but in this match he did not look like a rookie at all. Gerbet looked confident and poised in partnering with Dagur Dan Thórhallsson to boss the center of the midfield, and I thought it was telling that it was Thórhallsson and not Gerbet that came off the field when Eduard Atuesta came on in the 79th minute, although it was a like-for-like swap at the No. 8 position. The French midfielder also snuffed out a great opportunity late in the match when a through ball got in behind Rafael Santos, and a ball was crossed right in front of the goal. Gerbet was positioned perfectly and intercepted the ball and immediately got it on a highway right out of the danger zone. Gerbet was second on the team with 42 completed passes at a strong 93.3% completion rate, and he also led the team with five tackles.

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 6.5 — Thórhallsson is a huge asset to have on this roster, as he once again started as a defensive midfielder and played perhaps his best game of the season in this match against New York. The Icelandic Army knife showed off his versatility by seamlessly switching to left back for a few minutes right after Schlegel departed and then casually returned right back to the middle of the field like he had never been gone when Santos entered to take over on the left side of the back line. His partnership with Gerbet looked like one of two players who had been playing together for months, and not one that is only days in the making since right before last week’s game against Philadelphia. Thórhallsson gave his trademark maximum effort while on the field and made way for Atuesta for the final minutes when Óscar Pareja wanted to get some fresh legs on the field to close out the game. He completed 92.3% of his passes and had two clearances on defense, but his major contribution was in keeping New York from generating much of a threat at all down the middle.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — Angulo had one of his better games of the season against New York, but he had the opportunity to make it his best game and just could not close the deal. He had a great opportunity in the first half but pushed his shot wide right, and in the second half he just could not control a seeing-eye pass from Ojeda that could have put him in on goal. In the end, he only got off a deflected shot that turned out to be harmless at the end of the latter play. I thought he looked a lot better than previous weeks though, and in a game when Orlando City was down a player, Angulo’s ability to track back and defend made a big difference in keeping the Red Bulls off the scoreboard. The Colombian completed 72% of his passes, including one key pass, and added one tackle on the defensive side before making way for fresh legs for the final minutes of the game.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Schlegel’s red card held back Ojeda from being my Man of the Match, because up until that moment the Argentinean Designated Player was clearly the best player on the field and creating opportunities all across the pitch for everyone. Ojeda still ended up with an incredible six key passes, and I am certain that he would have had even more had Orlando City played 11 on 11 for the full game. As it was, Ojeda was outstanding, and even though his passing completion rate (54.3%) was ugly, the offense he created with those completed passes and four successful take-ons should have netted the Lions at least one goal. He came off the field in a defense-for-offense substitution in the final minutes, and it is a shame he did not leave the field with a goal contribution to his name.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — The Croatian is a great match with right side partner Freeman, and had they had more time together on the field, there is a good chance they would have created at least one goal in this game. Unfortunately, Pašalić had to make way for Santos due to the red card and the need for a defensive focus, because up until that point he was getting shots off and looking dangerous. Only one of his shots was on target, but another was just wide and it felt to me that he was the player on the field most likely to break on through and put a ball on the other side of Coronel in net. Pašalić completed 79.3% of his passes and also added two tackles and one interception before departing for Santos in the 61st minute.

F, Luis Muriel, 6 — One of the first articles I wrote for The Mane Land was about how Muriel is more of a playmaker than a finisher, and unfortunately that was on full display against New York. Muriel had several great chances in the box, and all of them ended up either shot right at Coronel or no shot was taken at all. The Colombian is one of the most talented and skilled players to ever wear the purple of Orlando City, but I was left wondering if we will see McGuire in a starting role sooner rather than later, with Muriel dropping back into a role behind him, because Orlando City needs a finisher up top and Muriel is a better provider than finisher. Muriel contributed four key passes against New York, showing off his incredible vision and playmaking touch, but when the Lions needed him most, he could not convert his chances into a goal.

Substitutes

D, Rafael Santos (62′), 5.5 — Santos entered the game a few minutes after Schlegel’s red card, assuming his preferred left back role and pushing Brekalo to center back next to Jansson. With Orlando City down a man, he did not have any chances to run forward and contribute his normal output of crosses whipped into the box, and he spent most of his time in a defensive stance and working to get the ball out of dangerous areas. He got beat on dangerous through ball in the 87th minute and was lucky that the ensuing ball into the middle was intercepted by Gerbet. On the day, he completed two of his five pass attempts and contributed two tackles, and he helped Orlando City successfully close out the final minutes without giving up a goal. However, much of New York’s attack notably shifted to Santos’ side until the late insertion of Kyle Smith stabilized Orlando’s defensive left.

F, Duncan McGuire (68′), 5.5 — McGuire was a man on an island for most of his minutes on the field, as even though he played more than 20 minutes, he only was able to touch the ball six times. As always, he worked extremely hard all across the field, making runs and trying to find space, but with Orlando City down a man and focused nearly exclusively on being compact defensively, there just was not a lot for him in this game. The MLS website did not give him credit for any completed passes, but he did complete one of his three attempts, and his main contribution was keeping New York’s defenders busy and not letting them advance up the field to press their man advantage.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, (79’), N/A — The Colombian entered the game for Ojeda, but he really came in for Thórhallsson, taking over his role as a defensive midfielder. Atuesta did not have an opportunity to do very much, as the Red Bulls had the ball for most of his time on the field, but he did make one mistake, conceding an unnecessary free kick late from a good position. He completed three of his four passes and had one interception on defense.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (79’), N/A — Enrique came on for Thórhallsson but played as more of an attacking midfielder, as Orlando City went to what almost looked like a 5-2-2 or a 5-2-1-1 formation in the final minutes, with Enrique and McGuire as the two players who played most forward. His main contribution was his hustle, as he only had five touches and did not complete any passes.

D, Kyle Smith, (79′), N/A — The Accountant entered the game for Angulo, but dropped back into a role as a center back playing in between Santos and Jansson, as Orlando City went to five in the back to try to keep New York off the score sheet in the final minutes. He contributed one tackle and two clearances, and completed one of his two passes.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw at home against the Red Bulls. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Griezmann’s Brace Lifts Lions to Win

Antoine Griezmann scored twice in the second half to help Orlando City erase a 1-0 deficit and beat RSL at home.

Published

11 hours ago

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August 22, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann and Justin Ellis celebrating a goal against Real Salt Lake.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Antoine Griezmann scored two second-half goals for his first Orlando City brace, leading the Lions to a 2-1 comeback win over Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium tonight. After a lethargic opening 45 minutes that saw the visitors take a 1-0 lead into the half on Dominik Marczuk’s goal, an energetic trio of halftime subs injected life into the attack for Orlando (7-11-3, 24 points).

Griezmann’s two goals pushed the Lions past Real Salt Lake (8-8-4, 28 points), but it’s fair to say Orlando City wasn’t clean enough in the first half and couldn’t turn possession into attacking threat until the introduction of second-half subs Justin Ellis, Joran Gerbet, Daryl Dike, and Tyrese Spicer.

The Lions snapped an 0-2-2 winless streak in all competitions and a 0-2-1 skid in league play with tonight’s win, moving just over the playoff line into ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.

“It was a tough game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “It wasn’t easy the first half; we tried good and sometimes it happens like that, the game. I think the team in the second half was able to to play in a very difficult moment. It’s not easy and the guys did an amazing job.”

Perelman’s lineup included Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield inside of Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Tiago joining Antoine Griezmann up top.

The first half consisted of long spells of Orlando possession that came to nothing against a heavily rotated RSL side, with former Lion Mason Stajduhar having to do nothing in goal, because the Lions couldn’t even manage one first-half shot attempt. The visitors were content to stay in their low block of five at the back and four midfielders, wait for the exhausted-looking hosts to misplace a pass or have a bad touch, and look for chances to hit on the counter or with balls over the top.

Griezmann looked the most in need of a rest, as several of his touches were heavy in the first half, but he was far from the only one.

There was a scary moment early in the game when Jansson collided with Marczuk on an attempted RSL switch of play. The Orlando City captain was fouled and stayed down to get treatment, eventually leaving the field under his own power. He was able to return moments later.

Orlando City won a few set pieces in the opening half but did nothing with them, while the visitors looked dangerous if they could stay onside, which they struggled to do early. When the Lions did manage to find space against RSL’s back line, the crosses were poor, ending up either out of play or in the goalkeeper’s hands.

The visitors broke through the dull affair in the 36th minute. Alexandros Katranis laid off a ball on the left flank for Sam Junqua behind him. Junqua picked up his head and spotted Marczuk’s well-timed run behind Taifi and delivered a nice cross. Marczuk met the ball in the air with his foot and knocked it past Crepeau to make it 1-0.

Crepeau kept things from getting worse just before halftime. Angulo turned the ball over on an attempted recycle of a failed set piece, igniting a Real Salt Lake counter. The ball ended up with Marczuk again on the right and this time Crepeau was able to get a hand on it to palm it out for a corner.

The Lions dealt with the set piece and the half came to an end with Orlando’s starters trailing 1-0 to an RSL B-squad that dien’t allow a single shot attempt.

At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (59.4%-40.6%) and passing accuracy (89.7-84.2%), while Real Salt Lake led in shots (3-0) and shots on target (2-0) and each team won one corner.

“it was a complicated game,” Griezmann said. “It’s never easy starting off with with a negative mark like that, but we made changes at halftime and put more more guys further up the field, and we were able to to get that goal and really kind of give ourselves some time of tranquility to create more opportunities to create those occasions to go out and get the winner.”

Looking to injuct some life into the game, or at least some fresh legs, Perelman sent Gerbet, Dike, and Ellis into the game at halftime for Otavio, Tiago, and Pasalic. It took a few minutes for the subs to settle in, but it made a difference in the Lions’ energy level.

Marczuk had the first look at goal in the second half, however, firing from distance from the right side, but it caused no trouble for Crepeau in the 50th minute.

Gerbet and Atuesta worked well together in the middle, keeping the ball better and allowing Taifi to jump into the play on the left. Taifi had a shot blocked out for a corner in the 51st minute. A minute later, Atuesta played a slick through ball for Griezmann. With Stajduhar coming off his line, the Frenchman chipped a shot over him but it went inches wide of the left post.

Orlando scored seconds after Stajduhar put the ball back into play. Atuesta won the ball to Gerbet at midfield, and he turned and found Ellis on the right. Ellis sent it in front to Dike for the shot, but it was blocked to Griezmann, who cleaned up in front, making it 1-1 in the 53rd minute.

Taifi got down the left in the 55th minute and did well to cut back a cross for Griezmann entering the box. Griezmann hit his shot immediately but it fizzed just over the bar. Three minutes later, Taifi cut inside and fired but hit the outside of the left post.

Real Salt Lake sent on Diego Luna, Saba Lobjanidze, and Morgan Guilavogui to try to counter the energy Orlando’s subs had brought into the game, and things opened up a bit. Dorsey did well to stick out a foot to deny a pass that would have put Luna in on goal in the 64th minute.

Spicer came on for Taifi in the 69th minute and injected even more energy into the match. He quickly won a set piece on the left just moments after coming on near the left corner flag. Atuesta sent his delivery on target toward the near post but it was headed behind for a corner kick. The ensuing corner bounced out to Ellis near the top of the area. The Homegrown forward used some deft footwork to work his way past two defenders before getting his shot blocked out for another corner.

Real Salt Lake broke the other way after the set piece and Luna ended up with it. He fired on target but Crepeau blocked it out of play for a corner. Orlando partially cleared the set piece delivery and Katranis tried a shot from long range that was well off target.

Orlando City took the lead moments later. Jansson sent the ball long out of the back to Spicer on the left. The Trinidad & Tobago international did well to get a cross in for Griezmann in the box. The first touch got away from the Frenchman but he picked up the rebound and slotted it past Stajduhar to make it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

“I think it’s a very good cross from ‘Spice’ and I was thinking to do one touch to score but I did very bad,” Griezmann said. “The defender touched the ball and the ball came to me, and yeah I saw a lot of legs and I tried to just make a pass between the legs of the defender and here is where you need to be patient just for one or two seconds. And today I was very patient in this time and this is why I scored.”

“It’s mandatory for us to enjoy Griezmann,” Perelman said. “We are lucky to be in the moment that he’s here with us. He’s one of the best players in the history of this sport. We have the privilege to see him. It’s just about enjoying him, watching him and enjoying him.”

Real Salt Lake threw bodies forward into the attack, but aside from some corner kicks, the visitors couldn’t produce much. Any time it looked like RSL might create something in the final third, Orlando was able to block crosses or head them out of danger. Orlando City also kept the ball well for spells down the stretch, taking the pressure off and allowing the Lions to see out the game.

At the final whistle, the Lions held the advantage in possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (13-9), passing accuracy (88.8%-82%), and corners (5-4). Real Salt Lake put more shots on target (4-3). Ultimately, the Lions were sharp enough in the second half to make up for the slow start, although RSL helped out by being offside seven times to just once for Orlando.

“In the final zone, we were a lot more aggressive,” Griezmann said of the second half. “We were pressing more and more aggressive with our press, and it was a really good way to to get the win tonight.”

“The players were wanting to give us that control of the game against a team who sat back a little bit,” Perelman said. “I think the guys did a huge effort. Fortunately we could come back, win, because we really need it, and now we need to rest and think (about) the next one.”

“Just so happy to have the win at home,” Gerbet said. “It’s been like a gritty one, but a necessary one, an important one towards like the end of the season to get some momentum, because we’re going to start to go away as well, so we need to start to gain momentum, and I think that was a great way to do it.”

The Lions now get an honest-to-goodness normal work week. Their next match will be a week from tonight at Minnesota United.

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Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to finish their long homestand with a bounce-back performance against RSL.

Published

24 hours ago

on

August 22, 2026

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Image of the starting Orlando City lineup prior to playing a home game vs. the Chicago Fire.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday night showdown between Orlando City (6-11-3, 21 points) and Real Salt Lake (8-7-4, 28 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first and only scheduled meeting between the two teams from opposing conferences and the first time they’ve met since 2023 in Utah.

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

History

The Lions are 2-2-3 in seven previous MLS meetings with RSL, including a 1-0-2 mark at home. However, Orlando City is 0-2-1 in their last three games against tonight’s visitors.

The last time the teams met, it was a forgettable result for Orlando City fans. But if you do remember, it’s not for good reasons, because it was a 4-0 beatdown that Real Salt Lake laid on the Lions on July 8, 2023. Cristian Arango, Justen Glad, Jefferson Savarino, and Anderson Julio did the damage.

During the most recent matchup in Orlando, most of us had no idea what COVID-19 was yet. The Lions and Real Salt Lake met on opening day of the 2020 MLS season, playing to a 0-0 draw at Exploria Stadium on Feb. 29. Despite it being a Leap Day, no one wanted to leap onto the scoresheet.

Orlando City lost the previous meeting, a 2-1 Real Salt Lake win in Utah on April 13, 2019. Nani scored Orlando’s only goal that day, but it came late in the match after Sam Johnson and Demir Kreilach had staked RSL to a 2-0 lead.

The May 6, 2018 meeting in Orlando was a wild 3-1 win for the Lions in which RSL missed multiple good scoring chances, hitting the woodwork and forcing Joe Bendik into some big saves. Dom Dwyer, Lamine Sané, and Yoshimar Yotún provided Orlando’s offense to offset Corey Baird’s early strike.

When the teams met in 2017 at Rio Tinto, Will Johnson provided all the offense against his old club in a 1-0 Orlando City victory. Johnson’s tally in the 17th minute was all Orlando City needed to take the first win of the series after two draws the previous two seasons.

In 2016, the teams played a memorable opening day match in which the Lions roared back with a frantic rally, as Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter pulled City level in a 2-2 draw at the Citrus Bowl. Joao Plata scored both RSL goals — one from the penalty spot — and RSL led 2-0 despite going down a man for 25 minutes, prior to Chris Penso evening things out by sending off Darwin Ceren.

Orlando drew 1-1 on the road in 2015 while down to 10 men after Kaká was sent off at the end of the first half. The captain opened the scoring. Sebastian Jaime found the equalizer in the 28th.

Match Overview

Orlando City enters on a poor run of form in a congested fixture schedule. The Lions lost 2-1 at home against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, making it four games without a win in all competitions (0-2-2) and they haven’t won in MLS play in their last three (0-2-1). While the defense is leaking just one or two goals per game of late, the offense has been less tidy in finishing chances, which could be attributed to some players, including Antoine Griezmann, not getting much rest during this stretch of seven games in 22 days. Orlando is a pedestrian 4-4-2 at home this season and is winless in its last two home matches (0-1-1).

Real Salt Lake sits eighth in the Western Conference after going 0-3-3 in its last six league matches, including a 4-3 home loss to FC Dallas on Wednesday. But, oddly enough, that stretch of matches sandwiches a 2-0-1 run in Leagues Cup, and RSL advanced to the knockout rounds, where it will play Club Leon on Tuesday, so we may see some rotation, assuming the Utah-based club is going all in on trying to win Leagues Cup or at least one of the three coveted Concacaf Champions Cup spots. Tonight’s match will be RSL’s first on the road since Aug. 1, where the team is 1-5-3 in 2026 in league play.

Sergi Solans leads tonight’s opponents in goals (9) and goal contributions (12), with Diego Luna leading in assists (6) while adding five goals for 11 total goal contributions. The departure of Zavier Gozo and his six goals and five assists is a tough break for RSL, because beyond those three, 10 goals are spread across eight different players.

The Lions must rediscover their scoring boots for this game, as the Orlando defense pitches precious few shutouts, and if RSL plays its starters, either Solans, Luna, or both could do some damage on the other end.

The Lions will be without Braian Ojeda (foot), Martin Ojeda (thigh), and Bernardo Rhein (thigh), while Adrian Marin (thigh) is questionable, so left back may be an adventure, with Zakaria Taifi, Ivan Angulo, and David Brekalo as the leading candidates to play there, and all of them are right-footed. Real Salt Lake will be without Zach Booth (hamstring), Griffin Dillon (foot), Emeka Eneli (knee), Glad (adductor), and Ariath Piol (Achilles).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Tiago, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Joran Gerbet, Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

Real Salt Lake (5-4-1)

Goalkeeper: Mason Stajduhar.

Defenders: Alexandros Katranis, Sam Junqua, Juan Arias, Kobi Henry, Domink Marczuk.

Midfielders: Aiden Hezarkhan, Luca Moisa, Pablo Ruiz, Lineker Rodrigues.

Forward: Victor Olatunji.

Bench: Rafael Cabral, Juan Sanabria, Philip Quinton, Lukas Engel, Noel Caliskan, Colin Guske, Morgan Guilavogui, Saba Lobjanidze, Diego Luna.

Referees

REF: Fotis Bazakos.
AR1: Brian Dunn.
AR2: Jose Da Silva.
4TH: Marcos DeOliveira.
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City Loans Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake

Homegrown midfielder Colin Guske is leaving on loan to Real Salt Lake, where he’ll stand a better chance of getting minutes with the first team.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 21, 2026

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Image of Colin Guske playing the ball through the midfield.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The previously reports are official as Orlando City announced today that the club has loaned Homegrown midfielder Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake for the remainder of the 2026 season in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). Real Salt Lake has the option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the loan deal.

“This is a great opportunity for Colin and an important step in his development,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “As a club, we are committed to doing right by our players and creating opportunities that help them continue to grow. Colin has worked hard throughout our development pathway and this loan gives him the chance to gain valuable experience and consistent minutes at a high level in the short term. It also reflects our continued belief in the pathway from the academy to the professional game. Every player’s journey looks different and we remain focused on providing the right opportunities to help our young players reach their potential, whether that path unfolds in Orlando or through experiences like this one.”

Guske, 19, signed as the club’s 16th Homegrown Player on Dec. 16, 2024, on a deal through 2027 with a club option for 2028. The St. Johns native followed older brothers Owen and Liam into Orlando City’s academy, training with the first team during the 2024 preseason, including the club’s preseason training camp in Mexico. Guske became a starter with OCB during the 2024 season, making his professional debut against Atlanta United 2 on March 16 of that year.

The midfielder impressed, making 24 appearances (23 starts) with OCB in 2024, logging 2,044 minutes and scoring one goal while adding two assists, helping the Young Lions reach the playoffs. One of that season’s highlights was Guske participating in the 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star Game and signing multiple short-term loans to become available for the first team, although he did not play with the senior squad that season.

Guske made his first-team debut during the 2025 season on April 5 in a scoreless draw at Philadelphia, subbing on for Martin Ojeda in stoppage time. As an 18-year-old, Guske appeared in five MLS matches — all off the bench — playing a total of just 13 minutes in the regular season. He made his MLS playoff debut in Orlando City’s 3-1 road loss to the Chicago Fire in the wild card game, playing 15 minutes to eclipse his regular-season total. He also played in the U.S. Open Cup for 45 minutes against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7, 2025, in Orlando City’s 5-0 road win. The bulk of his season was spent with OCB in 2025, playing 18 games (all starts) and logging 1,376 minutes and recording one assist. He also helped the OCSC Development Academy win the 2025 U-18 Generation Adidas Cup, assisting on Gustavo Caraballo’s game-winning goal in extra time.

The midfielder appeared in six matches in MLS play with Orlando City this season (two starts), logging a career-high 284 minutes, but is still seeking his first goal contribution. He started and played all 90 minutes in the Lions’ Aug. 12 Leagues Cup draw against San Luis and played the full 90 in the 4-3 U.S. Open Cup victory at New England on April 29. He also played 45 minutes off the bench in the team’s 1-0 win at FC Naples on April 15. With OCB, Guske started all three matches in which he appeared with the Young Lions in 2026, playing 228 minutes and providing one assist. He had started playing more center back in 2026, likely due to a logjam of central defenders ahead of him on the depth chart.

“Orlando City has been my home for a long time, and I’m thankful to everyone at the club who has supported me throughout my journey,” said Guske. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue my development through this move and for the trust the club has shown in helping me take this next step. My focus is on improving every day, earning opportunities on the field and helping the team however I can. I’m excited and looking forward to this next challenge.”

On the international stage, Guske has been part of the U.S. youth setup, recently helping the United States U-20 side finish second to Mexico in the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship. The midfielder assisted on a goal in a win over Haiti in that tournament. He has represented his country at the U-18, U-19, and U-20 levels.

What It Means for Orlando City

This move is more about what it means for Guske than the club. Guske found himself behind five other guys in the central midfield depth chart when everyone is healthy — Eduard Atuesta, Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, and Joran Gerbet. As he has progressed past playing that position in a way that will further develop him at the MLS NEXT Pro level, he was getting some minutes at center back, which he played at both levels in an area where the club lacks game-ready depth for the first team.

The question became whether the club could keep Guske around long enough for others on the club to leave. Cartagena and Atuesta are nearing their final pro seasons at age 31 and 29, respectively, but they’re by no means old, even by professional soccer standards. Ojeda is just 26 and in his prime, and he’s a player the club seems to like, even naming him a Designated Player temporarily prior to Antoine Griezmann’s arrival. Otavio has come into his own since the league returned to play after the World Cup, and has at times been one of the better players on the field in recent weeks. Gerbet has just recovered from a serious knee injury and has shown promise almost from the jump after being drafted in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. That’s a lot of talent ahead of Guske.

The club ultimately decided the logical move was a loan deal to help the player further his career, rather than hoarding central midfielders and letting him stagnate for lack of minutes or play at a level from which he’s already graduated. Orlando City takes a minor hit in its deepest position group by making this deal, while Guske gets a better chance to get first-team minutes, so everyone wins.

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