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

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

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

The Lions kept their recent pattern going, as they came into the game on the back of a five-game stretch that went D-W-D-W-D and they went out and added a W to that pattern with a 3-1 victory over Charlotte FC. It was a chippy game with referee Sergii Boiko letting both teams play, and in the end, Orlando City did the better playing and put three balls into the net for the second straight MLS game — and this time their three goals helped them earn three points.

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, 5.5 — Through no fault of his own there was very little for Gallese to do in this match, as Charlotte only took eight shots and only put one on target, and despite a great effort, El Pulpo was unable to keep Wilfried Zaha’s well-struck ball out of the net. For the rest of the game Gallese basically served as a communicator and passer. He was called into action on a second-half corner kick and tipped a headed ball off the crossbar, but there was a foul before the shot, so he did not get credit for a save. It was a quiet night for the Peruvian, but I am sure he did not complain about it. Gallese completed 80% of his passes, including three of his six long balls.

D, David Brekalo, 7 (MotM) —At this point, there is no more settling in, Brekalo is the first-choice left back and he looks excellent in that role. His most memorable contribution was breaking the press with a quick outside-in move before playing a perfect through ball to Ramiro Enrique that turned into the back-breaking third goal, but he was solid all game long on both offense and defense. The Slovenian completed 91.7% of his passes on the night, including the one key pass to Enrique, and a headed pass to César Araújo that turned into a secondary assist when the next pass went to Luis Muriel, who then scored the game’s opening goal. Brekalo added three tackles, two interceptions and four clearances on defense and closed out the game pairing with Robin Jansson at center back after Rodrigo Schlegel was subbed off for the final few minutes. He also attempted two shots, one of which was off target and the other was blocked. Brekalo was composed and engaged throughout the game, and for me the combination of his contributions on offense and how he thwarted Charlotte defensively made him the man of the match.

D, Robin Jansson, 6.5 — The Beefy Swede was in clean-up mode during this match, as he unleashed his trademark slide into a clearance multiple times when Charlotte tried to play long balls forward. Jansson was active throughout, leading the team in tackles (4), interceptions (4), and clearances (5), and he also blocked a shot. There were some nervy moments in the back throughout the game, as Charlotte did a good job getting crosses off into the middle of the field, but the center of Orlando’s defense did well to win most of those balls and get them out of danger. Jansson did get bailed out by Pep Biel hitting a ball over the bar from close range when he should have stayed with Biel, but instead he was just standing and ball-watching and allowed the Charlotte attacker to have a great opportunity to tie the match. On the whole, it was a solid game for Jansson though, with 91.7% passing on a team-leading 72 completions, including a beautiful long ball to a streaking Alex Freeman that helped create the second goal, and helping to hold Charlotte to only one shot on target.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — I went back and forth between 5.5 and 6 for Schlegel in this match, as he was the primary defender on Zaha when he scored Charlotte’s goal and he definitely should have been at least one step closer to the Ivorian and not allowed him the space to turn and shoot. On the other hand, Zaha is an elite attacker, a former starter for years in the Premier League, and for the most part Schlegel and the rest of the Orlando City defense kept him quiet. In the end, I thought Schlegel’s one moment of a loss of focus was offset by a generally solid game defensively, as even though he did not have any tackles or interceptions he did add two clearances and won one aerial duel, and he completed 95.1% of his passes when he had the ball.

D, Alex Freeman, 6.5 — He did not get credit for an assist, primary or secondary, but Freeman contributed heavily to Orlando City’s second goal when he made a tremendous run up the sideline to beat Tim Ream off the dribble and crossed the ball into the middle. The cross was not great, but he did put the ball in front of the goal, where good things often happen, and that ball soon was in the net after Martín Ojeda hit it approximately 7,000 miles per hour once it bounced out to him. Freeman was dangerous throughout, and while he and Marco Pašalić did not have the connection they often have had this season, he still pushed up the field like few right backs in the league are able to do and ended up with Orlando City’s third most touches in Charlotte’s penalty area. As is often the case Freeman’s attacking mindset meant that Charlotte more frequently attacked on his side of the field than Brekalo’s, and the visitors were able to get a good amount of crosses into the middle while doing so. Nothing came of them though, and in the end it was another positive game for the Homegrown right back. He tallied one tackle, one interception, and three clearances on defense, and completed 92.7% of his passes on offense, joining the other three starting defenders in completing at least 90% of their passes.

MF, César Araújo, 6.5 — This game hit many items on an Araújo Bingo card, as he led the team in completed passes (72, while completing 94.7%), hustled and pressed all over the field, got in the opposition’s face after a whistle, committed multiple fouls, received a yellow card, played the full 90 minutes, and brought unparalleled energy on a hot evening. In addition, he also earned an assist when he flicked a ball behind him right into the path of Muriel, who then turned and hit a dipping shot that snuck past Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. About the only thing that the Uruguayan did not do that he normally does was suffer multiple fouls, as he was only fouled once.

MF, Joran Gerbet, 6.5 — This match was another one in which I had to remind myself that Gerbet is a rookie, and it was only his 10th professional match. I thought the former Oregon State Beaver and Clemson Tiger was excellent, particularly on defense, as there were several Charlotte crosses into the box that looked dangerous, except that the player who got himself onto the end of those crosses time after time was Gerbet, and then he was able to get the ball to a teammate and out of danger. According to the tracking on mlssoccer.com, he completed every pass but one on the night for a cool 98% completion rate on 51 pass attempts. Eduard Atuesta may be back soon from his injury, but Gerbet has more than held his own in Atuesta’s absence, and he continues to look like another excellent Orlando City draft pick.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6 — Angulo joined Jansson in his major relief when Biel hit that ball over the bar from close range, because it was the Colombian winger who was initially beaten and allowed the ball to be played across the goalmouth to Biel. That play was not indicative of the entire night for Angulo, but it was one of several instances of a poor performance in the box — both the attacking box and defending box. The midfielder just seemed a little bit off in this match, completing only 61.3% of his passes and not having the tightest of touches when he had the ball at his feet. He counteracted that to some extent with his incredible fitness, making several lung-busting runs to recover back on defense or to try to get an attack going, and while the final product was not there for him, it was not due to lack of effort. Angulo made way for Kyle Smith in the 72nd minute in a swap that was like-for-like positionally, though few would confuse Smith’s brand of left wing play for Angulo’s.

MF, Marco Pašalić, 5.5 — It was another quiet game for the Croatian winger, though he did contribute directly to Orlando City’s second goal as it was his shot that was blocked up into the air that then turned into Ojeda’s blast into the lower corner of the net. Pašalić will not get credit for an assist, but that goal does not happen without his shot. Aside from that, his main contribution was to remind everyone that he should be considered one of the best dribblers in club history. He beat another two defenders off the dribble in this game and almost had a play where he beat two defenders on one play on one move, but we are now talking about more highlight-reel type plays that drew “oohs” from the crowd rather than plays that contributed to winning. I think Pašalić’s presence on the right side drew defensive attention and allowed Freeman some extra space to operate, but in this game that did not lead to anything for Pašalić himself. He completed 72% of his passes, including one key pass, and came off for Dagur Dan Thórhallsson after a pretty empty 67 minutes.

F, Luis Muriel, 6.5 — On another day, Muriel could have equaled his strike partner Ojeda’s weekend performance and had a hat trick of his own, but he was a half step offside on an early chance, negating a ball he put into the net. In addition, he could not finish another chance after dribbling all the into the six-yard box and taking too many touches, he was not awarded a penalty although he may have been fouled in the box trying to finish a cross, and he put another shot on target but right at the goalkeeper. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but did not, but what he did do was rip a ball with a lot of topspin that slipped by Kahlina for the game’s opening goal, and he was aggressive throughout his time on the field, making runs with and without the ball and looking completely comfortable with his role in Orlando City’s offense. He did not have the best passing day, as he only completed 10 passes and at a low 55.6% completion rate, but he was a threat throughout and definitely delivered a top-tier work rate before being replaced by Enrique in the 72nd minute.

F, Martín Ojeda, 7 — I want to know the speed of Ojeda’s shot for Orlando City’s second goal, and I want to know if it was faster than his opening goal in the prior game against New England. Both of those goals were absolute missiles, and the Argentinean Designated Player is in top form right now, looking like one of the league’s best attacking players. In addition to his goal contribution, Ojeda completed 90.9% of his passes, including four accurate long balls and three key passes, and he also beat three defenders off the dribble. The partnership of Muriel and Ojeda up front was excellent, with both players looking for one another and playing off each other very well, and it is a testament to their talent together that Orlando City is primarily playing a 4-4-2 at the moment, after years of Coach Óscar Pareja going with a 4-2-3-1.

Substitutes

MF, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, (67’), 6 — Thórhallsson continued his season-long trend of contributing all over the field, this time subbing in for Pašalić and playing as the right wing midfielder. The Icelandic midfielder/defender/KyleSmither completed 13 of his 14 pass attempts, added one clearance, and delivered a solid defensive effort in helping the Lions hold and then extend the lead during his 23 minutes on the field.

MF, Ramiro Enrique, (72’), 6 — The Argentinean did two things in this game: hustle like crazy and score an excellent first MLS goal of the season. He timed his run perfectly to reach full speed as he caught up to Brekalo’s well-placed through ball and then cut back to avoid Tim Ream before slamming the ball past Kahlina and salting away the game for the Lions. Aside from that goal, he completed zero passes and did not tally any defensive statistics, but that goal effectively ended the game and made it two goals in the last three games in all competitions for Enrique, who has been known to get on hot streaks in the past.

MF/D, Kyle Smith, (72′), 6 — The Accountant may just be showing off at this point, as he came on and played out on the left wing in this game, joining left back, center back and center defensive midfield as positions he has played already this season. And if adding a new position was not enough, Smith then dropped back to left center back for the final minutes of the game, showing off the versatility that has defined his game ever since he joined Orlando City. Smith completed 85.7% of his passes while playing those two positions and added two clearances.

MF/D, Rafael Santos (88′), N/A — Santos came on for Schlegel, but instead of playing his usual left back role he came on as a left winger, pushing Kyle Smith back to left center back in a five-man line with Brekalo moving over to center back. He won one key aerial duel, snuffing out a Charlotte attack on a long ball into the box, and he also completed his only pass attempt.

F, Justin Ellis (88′), N/A — Ellis made his MLS debut in the dying minutes of the game, celebrating his 18th birthday by subbing in and partnering with Ramiro Enrique as the striker tandem. He had four touches and completed his only pass for a perfect 100% completion percentage. He also added one interception on defense and received one hug and the game ball from Muriel in the locker room after the game in celebration of his debut.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 3-1 victory at home against Charlotte FC. 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

30 minutes ago

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September 12, 2026

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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

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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

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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