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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?

Published

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. 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

9 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

22 hours ago

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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

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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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