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Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire: Player Grades and Man of the Match

How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw against the Chicago Fire?

Published

1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Twice this season Orlando City players received red cards, and during each occasion the defense was able to buckle down and keep the opponents from scoring while up a player. The Lions returned the favor on Saturday night, allowing Chicago to play down a player for more than half the game without punishment in what ended up as a disappointing 0-0 draw at Soldier Field.

There were not a lot of standout performances in this game, as aside from one major exception the team just seemed to be playing in a bit of a funk — and not the cool James Brown funk, but rather the something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-Illinois funk. To torture a Hamlet metaphor: to grade or not to grade was never a question, but to do it with or without holding my nose definitely was.

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, 8.5 (MotM) — El Pulpo was simply outstanding in this game, recording eight saves, one below his career high in purple (or yellow, as it often has been), and keeping the game scoreless early when Chicago was relentlessly attacking Orlando City’s defense. He made two double saves, one in each half, and really looked to be the only Lion who actually showed up to play in this game. The Peruvian looked in complete command of his area throughout, extending his shutout streak to more than 500 minutes by the conclusion of this game, and Orlando City has Gallese to thank for escaping with a point, despite playing up a man for more than half of the match.

D, David Brekalo, 6 — The Slovenian defender ventured forward more than usual, with the Fire playing down a player and not offering much of an offensive threat, and he did play a few dangerous balls, but — and this will be a theme of many of the grades for this game — nothing came of it. He completed 60 passes on the night at a 92.3% rate, and Óscar Pareja believed he was playing well enough to leave him on the field and withdraw Rodrigo Schlegel when Orlando City started really pushing forward in the final 10 minutes, but that is not saying much on a night when nobody in the defensive back line was having a great game. Brekalo added one tackle and three clearances, and to his credit, he continued to look more comfortable playing in a position (left back) that he had not played prior to this season.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The captain was his normal steady self, though he did not have many opportunities to contribute with Chicago so rarely attacking in the the final 50 minutes of the game. His biggest positive contribution was playing the long ball over the top to Duncan McGuire that turned into a red card and a man advantage, and he narrowly avoided a calamitous negative contribution as a second half shot that was going to go well wide deflected off him and nearly tucked inside the near post, but it thankfully hit the outside of the post instead. Jansson led the team in completed passes with 62, including one key pass, and completed those passes at a 91.2% rate, but it is telling that he did not make any tackles and only had two defensive clearances, as much of his game was spent watching the “offense” in front of him and providing a release valve as they reset and tried another tactic.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5.5 — Schlegel owes a massive debt of gratitude to Gallese, as twice in the game the Argentinean defender was beaten by Philip Zinckernagel, and only a save at full stretch kept the Lions from going down 1-0. Shortly thereafter, he was beaten over the top on a ball to Jonathan Bamba, but Gallese once again kept the game scoreless. It was not shaping up to be a good day for the Orlando City defense, but the red card changed everything, and from then on, Schlegel did not have a lot to do aside from transitioning balls played back to him to another player. He completed 49 passes on the night, third on the team, connecting on 87.5% of those passes, and he also added one tackle and five clearances.

D, Alex Freeman, 6 — I expected Freeman to take full advantage of Chicago playing down a man for more than half the game and he did to a degree, taking three shots and playing two key passes, but the final product was not there and he could not add to his goal contribution tally. Freeman and Marco Pašalić also did not seem to have their usual level of interplay, and according to whoscored.com, the Lions actually attacked up the right side far less often (24% of their possessions) than they did the left side (38%). Freeman was engaged defensively, with two tackles, three interceptions, and one clearance, but as with so many of the Lions on this night, he did not execute well enough on offense to help get the one goal Orlando City needed to walk away with the three points. He also owes Gallese a major thank you, as Zinckernagel picked his pocket in the first half and only a fantastic save kept Freeman from having made the turnover that turned into the opening goal.

MF, César Araújo, 6 — It was nice to see Araújo’s name back in the starting lineup, but I did not think the Uruguayan looked all the way back to 100%. That may have been because early in the game he appeared to pick up some kind of knock, and was limping around for a few minutes, or perhaps because he was not fully back from the injury that had been keeping him out, but this was a pretty muted performance from a player who usually is a midfield destroyer and never stops running when he is on the field. Araújo completed 47 passes at a 94% clip, took three shots, and recorded three tackles, but what I will remember from him from this game is that he was one of several players who took free kicks from very dangerous locations, and just like many of his teammates, he put his free kick right into the wall.

MF, Kyle Smith, 6 — With Eduard Atuesta out, Smith got the start in the midfield alongside Araújo, and gave a solid, workmanlike performance. Smith did not get forward very much and played conservatively, and while he completed 87.1% of his passes, there were very few of consequence. Smith’s biggest contribution was a hustle play, when he got all the way back on defense to deflect a cross away that was headed into a dangerous area. He also added one tackle on defense before making way for Martín Ojeda in an offense-for-defense substitution in the 56th minute.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — The Colombian had a bright start to this game, cutting back into the middle and getting off Orlando City’s first shot of the game, which deflected out for a corner. Later in the first half, he also put a left-footed shot on target, one of only two shots on target for Orlando City all game, but it was not struck with a lot of power and was never really a threat. Angulo also played a fantastic pass to Ojeda that nearly turned into an assist, but Ojeda’s blast hit the post instead of the net. The speedy winger completed 79.5% of his passes on the night, with three key passes, and added one tackle and two interceptions, but on the flip side, he also was dispossessed once in the defensive third, giving Chicago an opportunity, and he also committed the turnover that turned into Gallese’s second-half double save.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 6 — Just when the Croatian winger seemed to finally be getting into the game he was substituted out, and while it was understandable considering how invisible he had been for most of the match, the decision to take off one of the few players who had even threatened the goal was one that I did not agree with. As covered earlier, Orlando City did not attack down the right side very much in this game, and Pašalić had his second-fewest touches in any game this season as a result. He did hit one of his trademark dipping shots from outside the box but did not get quite enough of a dip on it, and it rattled the crossbar but did not ricochet into the net. On the night, he completed 70.8% of his passes and he beat three defenders off the dribble, but he was not able to create much else for himself or his teammates.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — Muriel was by far the most active player among Orlando City’s attackers, and while he had several chances himself, he created even more for his teammates with his team-leading nine shot-creating actions, but nobody brought their shooting shoes, and all those chances went begging. Muriel played some absolutely beautiful balls on the night, from a long ball over the top to McGuire, to a back-post cross towards Araújo, to several crosses into the danger area in front of the goal, and on a different day, perhaps he would have had multiple assists. Or, on a different day, he would have scored on some of his chances, as he led the team with five shot attempts but unfortunately could only put one on target, which was saved. The Colombian had four key passes among his 38 completions, and considering he was one of the few players to look lively and engaged, it is not a surprise that he only completed 71.7% of his passes, as he was trying to create offense for his teammates all game long.

F, Duncan McGuire, 5.5 — McGuire received another start in this match next to Muriel, and went the full 90 minutes in an MLS match for the first time since June of 2024. Unfortunately, he continued his trend of not receiving a lot of service, as despite playing 90 minutes and Chicago playing down a player, he only had 23 touches. Early in the game he had a decent chance on a ball over the top from Muriel that he hit well but wide, but aside from that, he was unable to get any other shots off. His biggest contribution was earning the red card from Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady, which is not be discounted, especially considering that he gave up his just-recovered-from-injury body to do so, but aside from that, there was not a lot else that he offered in this game. He completed 10 passes at a 71.4% completion rate, but unfortunately for Orlando City, his goal contribution drought continued and left me wondering whether it is time for him to return to the bench and his supersub role instead of starting and playing against fresh defenders.

Substitutes

MF, Martín Ojeda (56′), 6 — With Orlando City up a man, I thought Ojeda would enter the game much earlier, but Pareja still waited until nearly two-thirds of the game was complete to bring in the team’s third Designated Player. Ojeda was inches away from adding another goal to his tally, smashing a shot against the post after a great pass from Angulo, but that was really the only serious contribution he made while he was on the field. He competed 14 passes, including one key pass, at an 87.5% rate and also took two additional shots, but placed neither on target.

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (81’), N/A — The Icelandic midfielder brought some life to the offense when he entered in an offense-for-defense substitution for Schlegel but was unable to create any serious chances. He completed six of his seven passes and was able to get a shot off, but that shot was not on target.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (81’), N/A — Enrique entered in a like-for-like swap with Pašalić but really did not have much of an opportunity to contribute to the match as he only had three touches.

D, Rafael Santos, (81′), N/A — The Brazilian replaced Angulo on the left side but was unable to get a chance to play any of his trademark whipped crosses towards the danger zone, and though he completed four passes, nothing came of them.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 0-0 draw on the road against the Chicago Fire. 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. Toronto FC: Final Score 3-0 as Lions Keep Rolling

The Lions are unbeaten in five games after a win over previously red-hot Toronto.

Published

29 minutes ago

on

September 12, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian celebrating his goal with Zakaria Taifi.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City and Toronto FC battled in a match of two of the hottest teams in MLS at Inter.co Stadium, with the lads in purple coming out on top 3-0 in a game that was both closer than the final score indicated and one that the Lions could have won by a wider margin. Antoine Griezmann gave the Lions (10-11-4, 34 points) a 1-0 lead just before the break, with Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo adding late goals to put it away.

The win extended Orlando City’s winning streak to three games and its unbeaten run to five games (4-0-1). Toronto (6-8-11, 29 points) saw a seven-match unbeaten run end tonight against one of the teams it’s chasing for an MLS playoff spot.

“It was a tough game, but I think the team did a good effort, a huge effort,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “The guys jumped into the field and they fight. We had moments and difficulties during the game, but we were able to solve it and win at home, which is very important for us.”

Perelman’s lineup featured little rotation with Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Angulo, Iago, David Brekalo, and Zakaria Taifi. Luis Otavio joined Joran Gerbet in central midfield between wingers Tyrese Spicer and Marco Pasalic with Griezmann and Martin Ojeda up top.

After a cagey opening 10 minutes, Spicer got the game’s first look at goal, blasting a shot just over the crossbar in the 12th minute. Toronto then went the other way and Josh Sargent headed over a minute later.

Derrick Etienne Jr. smashed a shot from the left moments later but Crepeau fought it off with a kick save in the 14th minute.

Griezmann got his first look at goal in the 15th minute when a ball ricocheted to his feet on the left. He fired quickly, but Luka Gavran made the save. The set piece deflected out of the area to Taifi, who tried to shoot with his first touch but sent it far from the target.

Otavio conceded a free kick in the 20th minute near the left corner of the box, but Niklas Dorsch sent a one-hopper right at Crepeau on the set piece.

The Lions thought they’d taken the lead in the 32nd minute when Griezmann’s set piece delivery was headed into the Toronto net by defender Walker Zimmerman. Instead of an own goal, Jon Freemon went to the monitor and determined Otavio was offside and interfering with Zimmerman on the play.

Toronto nearly broke the deadlock five minutes later with a slick passing move that ended up with Derrick Etienne Jr. behind the defense, but the Toronto forward sent his shot just wide of the right post. Theo Corbeanu fired wide in the 40th minute off a transition attempt as Toronto continued to look dangerous.

Griezmann struck in the first minute of added time at the end of the half. With the ball out wide on Taifi’s foot, Griezmann started a run at the top of the box, pointing out where he wanted the young fullback to deliver it. Taifi delivered it to the perfect spot and Griezmann made a lunging poke at it and sent it past Gavran and into the net. For Griezmann, it was his fifth straight game with a goal, tying an overall club record set by Dom Dwyer across two seasons and established a new club record for consecutive games with a goal in a single season.

“I mean, now that I think about it, it’s kind of like stuff I dreamed of as a kid,” Taifi said of his assist. “You know, it’s Griezmann. I’ve watched him for my whole life. In warmups and training, I always practice that ball with him, because I know he just likes to fly and get his foot, get his head on the ball, and I know he’s going to be there. At first, I saw no one was in there, so I hesitated, and then I took another touch. I see him making the run, and then I just put it in there because I knew he was going to get it.”

As stoppage time wound down, Ojeda got to a ball in the Toronto box and went down after contact with Gavran. Freemon pointed to the spot immediately but then went to the monitor. GAvran had touched the ball prior to contact with Ojeda so the penalty and yellow card to Gavran were wiped out. That was it for the half.

At the break, Orlando held the advantage in possessoin (58.5%-41.5%), passing accuracy (87.8%-82.7%), and corners (3-2), while Toronto attempted more shots (6-4). Both teams put two shots on target in the opening period.

Perelman made one change at halftime, sending Wilder Cartagena on for Gerbet.

Toronto looked to get the goal back immediately, with Markus Cimermancic forcing Crepeau into a big save just after the restart.

The Reds could do nothing with their ensuing corner to end the threat. The visitors created another moments later with a good switch of play from left to right for Etienne, who fired wide with Crepeau out of position after the goalkeeper dove to try to get a hand to the cross. Sargent then fired over the bar in the 52nd minute on a Toronto 3-v-2 break.

The Lions finally got their first look at goal of the second half in the 56th minute. Ojeda shook free just outside the box and fired but sent his effort straight at Gavran.

Dorsch stole the ball from a lackadaisacal Otavio in the 63rd minute but fired over the bar. The play earned Otavio a tongue lashing from Crepeau after the miss.

Perelman sent Daryl Dike and Bernardo Rhein on for Ojeda and Spicer a minte later.

In the 71st minute, the Lions worked a well-worked attack from second-half sub Justin Ellis turned Angulo loose down the left. Angulo sent a good cross in front for a tap-in, but Dike couldn’t set his feet and missed the opportunity. Eight minutes later, Pasalic sent a pass through a defender’s legs to send Angulo down the left, but Gavran made a huge save to keep the game at 1-0.

Three minutes later, the Lions doubled their lead. Sarajian, who came off the bench for Pasalic in the 80th minute, kept a play alive by winning a couple of challenges, then gave the ball to Dike. The big striker gave it back to Sarajian on the right and the rookie slipped his first MLS goal past Gavran inside the left post in the 82nd minute.

“It’s a surreal moment for me,” Sarajian said. “It’s been a long time, me playing with the second team and grinding out there, getting a chance to play with the first team. So, I’m super grateful for Dike’s pass, but I’ve just got to keep working to get a couple more.”

Four minutes after the goal, Gavran made a huge stop to deny a rocket from Cartagena. Toronto then went the other way and Daniel Salloi headed off the crossbar but the play was offside anyway.

Sargent blasted a shot from the top of the area off the crossbar in the third minute of stoppage time as Toronto looked for a way back into the game. A minute later, the Lions survived a dangerous sequence in their own end with a block from Brekalo, a save from Crepeau, and another block from Iago to preserve the 2-0 lead.

Orlando put the game to bed just seconds into the sixth minute of stoppage time. Sarajian found Ellis and the young forward set up Angulo, who finished past Gavran to make it 3-0. It was Angulo’s second straight game with a goal — the first such streak in his Orlando City career .

Moments later, the final whistle blew.

Orlando finished the match with the edge in possession (54.8%-45.2%), shots on target (8-4), corners (4-3), and passing accuracy (85.8%-85.6%). Toronto finished with more shot attempts (18-13).

“Every player is very important for us,” Perelman said about the way his younger players stepped up and filled in tonight. “I think in this locker room, in this roster, every player that we have is ready. I respect the players because they do a huge effort giving everything for their teammates.”

Orlando City is back in action Wednesday night with a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match on the road against the Columbus Crew. The next league game will be a week from tonight when the Lions visit the New England Revolution.

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

The (finally) rolling Lions host the red-hot Reds as both teams try to continue climbing the Eastern Conference table.

Published

13 hours ago

on

September 12, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda taking a shot against Toronto FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your preview and match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (9-11-4, 31 points) and Toronto FC (6-7-11, 29 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first of two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals this season, with the return fixture in Toronto scheduled for Oct. 14.

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

History

Orlando is 10-10-3 in the evenly split all-time, regular-season series. The Lions are 6-5-0 at home. The teams split their two meetings a year ago, with the home side claiming all three points in each.

The last time Orlando City faced Toronto FC was on Decision Day 2025 — Oct. 18 — with the Reds running rampant in a 4-2 win over the Lions. Djordje Mihailovic scored in each half, with Jonathan Osorio and Deandre Kerr adding a goal apiece to more than offset Orlando’s strikes by David Brekalo and Duncan McGuire. The loss knocked Orlando into the final position in the Wild Card play-in game, so it was costly.

The teams first renewed acquaintances in 2025 on March 1 in Orlando, with the Lions winning 4-2. Cesar Araujo and Alex Freeman scored moments apart, with Martin Ojeda and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson chipping in goals, while Sigurd Rosted and Deybi Flores scored for the visitors.

The teams met at BMO Field in Toronto on July 3, 2024, with the Lions earning a 2-1 revenge win on an Ojeda goal and an own goal by Nicksoen Gomis forced by Facundo Torres, coming from behind after Derrick Etienne, Jr. had given the Reds an early lead.

The Lions and Reds met in Orlando on April 27, 2024, and the Lions led most of the match on a McGuire goal. However, the Reds flipped the game on its head late, scoring twice in the final three minutes of normal time. Former Red/current Lion Tyrese Spicer and Prince Owusu scored to lift Toronto to a 2-1 win.

The final meeting of 2023 took place in Toronto on Decision Day, Oct. 21, when McGuire came off the bench and scored twice to beat the Reds 2-0. The teams met in Orlando on July 4, 2023, with Orlando City putting the Reds to the sword on Independence Day, beating the Canadian side, 4-0. Cesar Araujo, McGuire, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, and Ercan Kara scored for the Lions, and Toronto finished with 10 men after Federico Bernardeschi was shown his second yellow card just past the hour mark.

Orlando City also romped 4-0 over the Reds in the previous meeting, Sept. 17, 2022, at Exploria Stadium. Torres, Kara, and Tesho Akindele scored for the Lions to go along with a Lukas MacNaughton own goal. The Lions also won 1-0 on May 14, 2022, at BMO Field, thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Kyle Smith, who flicked a header from a corner kick cross inside the far post to lift Orlando City to victory.

The Lions went 2-0-1 in three meetings with Toronto FC in 2021. The teams played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on July 17. Jozy Altidore came off the bench to score the opener but Nani equalized from the penalty spot minutes later. Benji Michel drew the penalty, which was originally ruled a foul on the Orlando winger but was overturned after video review by referee Marcos de Oliveira.

The other Toronto “home match” in the 2021 season series came on June 19 at Exploria Stadium. The Reds were dealing with pandemic restrictions in Canada that forced the team to play home games in the United States. Orlando City built a 2-0 early lead on goals by Akindele and Nani, only to see Toronto tie the match by halftime on goals by Ayo Akinola and Osorio. Junior Urso scored late to lift the Lions to a 3-2 victory. The teams first met that year on May 22, with Orlando City claiming a 1-0 win on Akindele’s goal.

The teams did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the MLS stoppage for the pandemic, the teams met most recently in Toronto on Aug. 10, 2019, with the Lions grabbing a point at BMO Field in a 1-1 draw. Michel opened the scoring in the second half, but the Reds equalized off a scramble following a set piece just eight minutes later. The other matchup between the sides that season came on May 4, 2019, when the Reds walked out of Orlando with a 2-0 win on goals by Osorio and Jay Chapman.

The teams split their season series in 2018. Orlando City captured a 2-1 win at home in James O’Connor’s first home game as head coach of the Lions on July 14, 2018. Chris Schuler and Dom Dwyer staked City to a 2-0 lead and Nick Hagglund ruined the shutout in the 94th minute off a Sebastian Giovinco free kick delivery. The 2018 meeting in Toronto saw the Reds get a 2-1 win at BMO Field on Ryan Telfer’s 87th-minute goal.

Toronto shredded Orlando in a 3-1 win on July 5, 2017. Altidore and Giovinco combined to score Toronto’s three goals. Carlos Rivas gave Orlando a consolation goal. In the first meeting of 2017, Orlando out-possessed, out-shot, and out-passed the hosts and played like the better team on the night. However, the Lions could not overcome a two-goal deficit and Giovinco’s first-half brace led Toronto to a 2-1 win.

The Lions got their first victory in the series on June 25, 2016, winning 3-2 at Camping World Stadium. Kaká scored from the spot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to win it. Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter each gave OCSC leads in the game, only to see Jordan Hamilton and Justin Morrow equalize until the captain’s late winner. The Reds took the second 2016 matchup in Orlando with a 2-1 victory and the teams also drew 0-0 on Sept. 28 of that year.

In 2015, Toronto took home all nine points in the three meetings, beating Orlando by a combined score of 11-1.

Overview

The Lions enter tonight on their best run of the 2026 season, having gone unbeaten in four matches (3-0-1). That includes Wednesday’s 3-2 win at Atlanta United in which Orlando City scored all five goals, unfortunately and accidentally putting two in the back of its own net. Antoine Griezmann has been on fire almost since his first minute on the pitch for Orlando, having contributed to 10 goals (7 goals, 3 assists) in his first nine MLS matches, including the opening goal and winning goal on Wednesday. Martin Ojeda made his first start since the World Cup break on Wednesday, contributing an assist and wreaking havoc with his off-ball movement throughout the night. He continues to lead the Lions with 11 goals on the year.

That said, it’s unclear how Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman will approach tonight’s match, considering the team flies to Columbus in a couple of days to face the Crew on the road in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. It seems likely there will be at least a partially rotated squad tonight, with key starters in the midfield or attack likely being limited to 45 minutes. On the other hand, it’s a vital, six-point-type match between two teams fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Lions, who carry a 6-4-2 home record into tonight in league play, have climbed from outside the playoff places to sixth over their four-game unbeaten streak and sit four positions — but only two points — ahead of tonight’s visitors from the shores of Lake Ontario (sic).

Toronto FC is unbeaten in its last seven games (3-0-4) and has lost just once since the league’s restart, beating the New England Revolution, Inter Miami, and Nashville SC by identical 2-1 scores and playing to a wild 4-4 draw against the Chicago Fire in that span. Those are the top four teams in the Eastern Conference, and the Nashville win came just three days ago, so the Reds will carry a lot of momentum and confidence into tonight. They’ll also have a full week off after tonight, so they can go for it with their best lineup. Toronto, however, is 2-5-3 away from home this season.

One of the keys to Toronto’s recent success is USMNT striker Josh Sargeant getting on track. The big target forward has four goals in the last four games and has crept to the top of Toronto’s scoring list with seven, tied with former Sporting Kansas City star Dániel Sallói, who has chipped in a team-high nine assists.

To win tonight, Orlando must deny service to Sargeant, try to keep Sallói and new arrival Lewis Morgan off the ball, and find ways to beat Walker Zimmerman and the Toronto defense. Whoever plays left back and left wing for Orlando will need to track former Lion Richie Laryea. City must also be smart and not cost itself for Wednesday by running players ragged on short rest.

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot), while Adrian Marin (thigh) has been upgraded to questionable. Toronto will be without Osorio (knee), Nelson Palacio (thigh), and Mihailovic (thigh).

Match Content

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Ivan Angulo, Iago, David Brekalo, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Tyrese Spicer, Joran Gerbet, Luis Otavio, Marco Pasalic.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, Wilder Cartagena, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis, Harvey Sarajian, Tiago, Daryl Dike.

Toronto (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Luka Gavran.

Defenders: Matheus Pereira, Benjamin Kuscevic, Walker Zimmerman, Richie Laryea.

Midfielders: Dániel Sallói, Markus Cimermancic, Niklas Dorsch, Theo Corbeanu.

Forwards: Derrick Etienne, Jr.,Josh Sargent.

Bench: William Yarbrough, Jackson Gilman, Nicksoen Gomis, Zane Monlouis, Alonso Coello, Kobe Franklin, Emilio, Raheem Edwards, Malik Henry.

Referees

REF: Jon Freemon.
AR1: Corey Rockwell.
AR2: Ben Pilgrim.
4TH: Sergii Demianchuk.
VAR: Kevin Stott.
AVAR: Robert Schaap.

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).

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 vs. Toronto FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what the Lions need to do in order to have a good chance of knocking off Toronto at home.

Published

2 days ago

on

September 11, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Following Wednesday’s 3-2 road victory against Atlanta United, Orlando City has quietly put together a run of four games unbeaten and has won three of those four games. Up next is a Toronto team that hasn’t tasted defeat in its last seven matches, and with fixture congestion once again an issue during September, OCSC will need to be at its best if it wants to come away with three points against a direct rival for the Eastern Conference playoff places. What follows are my three keys to victory against the Reds.

Ring the Rotations

Not only will the Lions be coming off short rest following a midweek match, but there’s another extremely important midweek contest looming on the horizon in the form of Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal in Columbus. Playing an unrotated XI against both Atlanta and Toronto would be tantamount to suicide, even without the extra game thrown in, but with the semifinal to consider, rotation is going to be key. We saw around this time last year and again in August how difficult it can be to win games when the team either can’t or simply doesn’t rotate, and this stretch of games is too important to keep asking the same 11 guys to play a highly physically demanding style every single match.

A number of OCSC players have begun to look leggy in recent weeks, and I don’t think it was an accident that Griffin Dorsey and David Brekalo didn’t play the full 90 minutes against Atlanta. They’ve barely come off the field this year and absolutely needed a little extra recovery time, but they aren’t the only ones. In an ideal world, we see guys on Saturday who haven’t been starting much lately, like Marco Pasalic, Tiago, Tyrese Spicer, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Zakaria Taifi, and Iago; while guys who are coming back from injury or have lots of minutes on their legs like Dorsey, Robin Jansson, Antoine Griezmann, Joran Gerbet, and Martin Ojeda get some rest to start the game even if they’re subbed on in the second half. No such luck for Ivan Angulo, who will play the full 90 in every game until the end of time.

Be Better on the Back Post

Lately I’ve felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day when watching Orlando City play, because I’m watching the Lions’ defense get repeatedly exposed in the same way: a ball is played in from a wide area, across the defense to the back post, and there’s at least one free man to get on the end of it. That’s how Orlando gave up a goal against Real Salt Lake and how it conceded both goals against Atlanta. If not for some wayward finishing by the Five Stripes, OCSC likely would have given up more goals in a similar fashion during Wednesday’s contest. The word is very much out on how to score against this team: put in either a cross or a diagonal switch that bypasses the nearest part of the defense and requires the team to pick up runners on the back side. That’s it. In theory, it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to fix, but if it isn’t cleaned up — and soon — then teams are going to continue making Orlando pay for that particular flaw and it’s going to cost the Lions points. Toronto is unbeaten in its last seven games and just put a couple goals past the best defense in the league. No need to make the Reds’ job any easier for them.

Clinical Finishing

Assuming that Martin Perelman makes significant changes to his starting XI with an eye on the Open Cup semifinal, we’ll probably be in for a rather disjointed offensive performance on Saturday. That means that quality chances will likely be hard to come by, which puts a huge emphasis on finishing the ones that the Lions create. Even if the offense is creating tons of good chances the way it did against Atlanta, the guys on the field need to do a much better job of finishing those chances. On Wednesday, the Lions created a whopping eight chances with an expected goals (xG) value of .25 or higher, meaning that a player taking that shot would be expected to score roughly 25% of the time. Orlando managed to finish just three of those chances, and a game that never should have been in doubt ended up having a nervy finish once Atlanta pulled a goal back in stoppage time. That sort of profligacy simply can’t happen on Saturday, especially in a contest where chances will probably be at a premium.

There you have it folks. Bring on the fresh legs, clean up the back-side defending, and be lethal finishing in front of goal, and the Lions should have a good chance of taking all three points at home on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

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