Connect with us

Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

Get all of the information you need on FC Cincinnati, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

Published

7 months ago

on

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City picked up a great midweek win on Wednesday as it knocked off St. Louis City SC 4-2 on the road. The Lions will try to keep the good times rolling as they take on FC Cincinnati Saturday night at Inter&Co Stadium.

A showdown with Cincy means I spoke to Jose Guerra of the always excellent Cincinnati Soccer Talk. Jose was kind enough to give us the full rundown on how things have changed for FCC since these two teams last met.

Evander and Kevin Denkey have obviously been great signings, as Evander leads the team in assists and Denkey has the most goals. How have they managed to slot into the team so well and be this successful?

Jose Guerra: One of the key challenges for this team last year was the lack of consistent scoring. Cincinnati tried several players as strikers, including Yuya Kubo (who actually had a strong season scoring, but it was not his natural position), Corey Baird, Nicholas Gioacchini, Kevin Kelsy, and the late Aaron Boupenza. Unfortunately, most of the scoring came from either midfielders or wingers, and while it kept the team in the playoff hunt, it was clear that more consistency was needed at the front.

This gap and the departure of Luciano (Lucho) Acosta, which we’ll touch on in the next question, needed to be filled with certain urgency if the club was going to aspire to not only making the playoffs but winning trophies. Evander was certainly a huge signing since FCC finally seemed to have the number 9 it had been seeking since the departure of Brandon Vazquez at the end of 2023. But with Acosta leaving, the club then needed a creative 10. Enter Evander. He is not Acosta in the sense that Lucho could create plays out of nothing by dribbling, passing, or scoring. Evander is more of an orchestrator who also has dribbling, passing, and scoring skills. Whereas last year it was about getting the ball to Lucho, this year it’s more about distributing the ball among more players and expecting the trio of Evander, Denkey, and Luca Orellano to create the bulk of scoring opportunities.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint specific reasons for both Denkey’s and Evander’s strong performance, I believe it’s because both players have shown instances of brilliance, whether it’s because of strong, physically athletic play (e.g., Denkey’s scissor kick goal against Kansas City on April 26) or great technical skill (e.g., Evander’s free kick goal against Nashville on March 29). There have been some plays where they have been involved, along with Orellano, in creating opportunities and scoring. But overall, this trio has yet to show its full potential. They have not gelled in the way we would have expected them to do so by this time in the season. Whether or not it will happen soon is going to depend on the team reaching full strength health and international absences wise as well as (Head Coach Pat) Noonan’s ability to instill the type of tactical play he wants up front among these three players.

Luciano Acosta was obviously the big off-season departure, but who else went out the door for FCC and how have they been replaced?

JG: It’s interesting that you ask about departures. A quick analysis at www.fbref.com  shows that of the 32 players that went through FCC in 2024, a full 41% transitioned out for various reasons. Kevin Kelsy, striker, was on loan and the asking price was deemed too high given his below-average performance. Others were brought in as stopgap measures because of a decimated back line — 2023 Defender of the Year Matt Miazga had a season-ending injury against San Jose on June 15, 2024, and then Nick Hagglund also had a season-ending injury against New England on June 22, 2024 — such as center back Chidozie Awaziem. Striker Boupenza (RIP) was released after various non-performance and disciplinary issues and replaced by Gioacchini, who was also released at the end of the season. This, of course, in addition to Acosta.

What we knew is that all lines needed reinforcing except for goalkeeper, where Roman Celentano has shown he is a very strong shot stopper. The club wanted to close gaps on the pitch as well as provide bench strength.

With Miazga’s return date from his season-ending injury in 2024 uncertain at the beginning of the season, Hadebe was retained to provide consistency in the back line, and Gilberto Flores, a young promising center back from Paraguay, was added for depth purposes.

With Acosta leaving, FCC brought in a proven MVP-caliber player in Evander, who plays more of an orchestrator in the midfield than what Acosta did, which was a combination of orchestrator, individual brilliance, and goal scorer (we liked to say that during the Acosta era it was “all roads run through Acosta”). Also in the midfield, the team acquired Brian Anunga as a depth piece in the defensive midfielder position.

Denkey became the most expensive acquisition in MLS history when FC Cincinnati signed him for about $16 million (until Emmanuel Latte Lath was signed by Atlanta United for $22 million) and he is a proven number 9 who has already scored 11 goals in 18 games. After trying various players, such as Corey Baird (still with the team), Kelsy, and Boupenza, we feel Cincinnati finally landed a goal scorer that can not only fill the striker role but can also hold the ball, attract defenders, and even help create goal-scoring opportunities.

Are there any areas where you think the team can improve? Would those improvements come from tactical shifts or doing some business in the summer transfer window?

JG: Absolutely! In a 3-4-1-2 formation, we believe both left and right wingbacks could use an upgrade. While defensively both sides are good, FCC either lacks consistency on the left defensively or attacking depth on the right. Lucas Engel as a left wingback has shown moments of brilliance on the attack and solid defensive play. But he has been inconsistent. It’s important to note that at the moment he is playing as a left center back because of the absences of Miles Robinson (USMNT call-up) and Hagglund (recovering from surgery). DeAndre Yedlin on the right is very strong defensively, although at times he may be slow getting back on opposition breakaways, and the ability to create scoring opportunities in the final third is not his strong suit. In the midfield, while Pavel Bucha has been a very pleasant surprise this year with his overall performance, FCC still needs depth that can either provide backup for rotational or chance-creation purposes.

The other possibility is shifting to a back four, which would leverage the back line bench strength once Robinson returns from Gold Cup USMNT responsibilities and Hagglund is back from his injury against Philadelphia on May 25 of this year. However, we believe Noonan will continue using a three-back lineup with two wingbacks, which brings us back to the areas the team needs to strengthen.

Are any players unavailable due to injury, suspension, call-ups, etc.? What is your projected starting XI and score prediction?

JG: As of today, we know FCC won’t have Robinson, who is on USMNT duty at the Gold Cup, Hagglund due the injury already mentioned, and we don’t know the status of Sergio Santos, who was unavailable for Wednesday’s game against Montreal. In addition, star defensive midfielder Obi Nwobodo was subbed out in the second half due to an injury during the game. We don’t know his status yet.

Assuming neither Santos nor Nwobodo can start, and with the absences of Robinson and Hagglund, the probable lineup can be:

Roman Celentano; Lucas Engel, Matt Miazga, Gilberto Flores; Luca Orellano, Brian Anunga (or Yuya Kubo), Pavel Bucha, DeAndre Yedlin; Evander; Kevin Denkey, Kai Kamara (or Kubo).

It’s a challenge to predict a score with FCC at the moment, since it has been inconsistent. However, I believe FCC will lose this game 2-1 because of Orlando’s attacking prowess, coupled with FCC’s improvised back line.

Thank you to Jose for his excellent primer on FC Cincinnati. Vamos Orlando!

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Orlando City

Orlando City Signs First-Round Pick Harvey Sarajian

The Lions have signed their first pick of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft to a first-team contract.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 16, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian and Ricardo Moreira posing with an Orlando City jersey.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Orlando City announced today that the club has signed first-round selection Harvey Sarajian through the 2027-2028 MLS season, with three additional club option years that could keep him in purple through 2030-2031. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who will soon turn 21, officially joins the first team after multiple departures in the team’s attack.

“We’re really excited to bring Harvey into the fold,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He’s a player we identified early in the draft process as someone who fits our style and developmental pathway. Adding young talent like Harvey is an important part of building depth and ensuring long-term success as we continue into the next iteration of our competitive cycle.”

The Lions selected Sarajian with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest University. It was the first of four picks Orlando City made in the first round this year, and Sarajian is the first of the group to be signed.

The Naples, FL, native, who will wear No. 23 this season, began his collegiate career at Georgia Southern in 2024 before transferring to Wake Forest in 2025. He earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and All-Southeast Region second-team honors his first year before joining one the nation’s top programs.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore scored two goals and added two assists in 17 games last season while putting six of his 19 shots on frame (31.6%). It was a down year for the Demon Deacons, who lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament to SMU and didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

In his two years of collegiate action, Sarajian played 34 games (31 starts), recording 1,921 minutes. He scored six goals and had eight assists for the two schools.

What It Means for Orlando City

Sarajian’s signing is all about development as he likely won’t see much time for the first team in 2026. His primary position is in the number 10 role, a spot already occupied by Martin Ojeda. He can also play on either wing, potentially backing up Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic.

In all likelihood, Sarajian will be at most a reserve for MLS games and will see most of his time with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro. His status on the club will probably be like that of former Lion draftee Shak Mohammed, a fellow former first-round draft pick that plays a similar style and left the club this off-season.

The attacker will only be 21 years old when the season begins, so he still has a lot of room to improve. He wasn’t a star at Wake Forest, so the Orlando City brass clearly sees this as a long-term project who will hopefully pay dividends down the road. If not, the club likely feels comfortable with the attacking options coming through the academy and OCB, like Justin Ellis and Justin Hylton.

Continue Reading

Opinion

Likes and Dislikes from the First Week of Orlando City’s Preseason

There were good and bad things to take away from Orlando City’s first week back at work.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 16, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It seems strange to write considering it feels like the 2025 MLS season only ended yesterday, but week one of Orlando City’s preseason is (almost) fully in the books. With that being the case, let’s talk about the week that was and discuss some good things and not-so-good things about it.

Likes

Married to Martin

Orlando City announced on Thursday that it signed Martin Ojeda to a contract extension that runs through the 2028-2029 season. Given that the Argentine no. 10 had a record-breaking 2025 season, and the fact that there were some rumblings online about interest from Palmeiras and other teams, this is an extremely welcome piece of news. Ojeda was the straw that stirred Orlando City’s drink last year, and losing him after his breakout year would have been a huge blow, despite what undoubtedly would have been a tidy little transfer fee. Instead, Orlando’s talisman is locked down for the long term, and it was also good to hear him speak about how happy his family has been in the City Beautiful.

Moving on From Muriel

On the opposite side of the coin, the Lions also announced on Thursday that the team has sold Luis Muriel to Colombian side Junior FC. Like Ojeda, this is a key move for the club to make as it moves off a Designated Player whose time here probably can’t be called a failure, but certainly can’t be called an outright success either. The forward’s wildly fluctuating inconsistency was what made his time in Orlando so frustrating, because it isn’t like he wasn’t capable of performing at a high level in MLS. One has only to look at his two league performances against Inter Miami during the 2025 season to see that. Ultimately though, he wasn’t consistently clinical enough in front of goal, and he was off form more than he was on. His departure frees up a precious Designated Player slot that OCSC really needs to nail if it wants to have a more successful campaign this year, and we can now enjoy speculating about which player the front office decides to use it on.

Returning Faces

It did my heart good to see the formerly injured duo of Yutaro Tsukada and Wilder Cartagena back training with the full team after suffering season-ending injuries during the 2025 preseason. Cartagena tore his Achilles tendon in the first friendly of the year against Atletico Mineiro, while Tsukada tore his ACL during a friendly with CF Montreal, and both injuries changed Orlando’s season before it even started. The team lost a starting defensive midfielder in Cartagena and a depth piece who had shown promise with Orlando City B when it came to Tsukada, and the year started on a somber note as a result. Not only is it good for the outlook of the team to have them back, but it’s just great for the players themselves to be able to get back out there, and hopefully they’re both able to rebound well this season.

Dislikes

Dearth of Open Practices & Friendlies

Technically we found out about this last week when the preseason schedule was announced, but I just think the lack of open practices and friendlies this year is a damn shame. None of the Lions’ preseason games are open to the general public, and there are no opportunities to go watch the team train. While I do think it’s good that the final preseason match is at least open to season ticket members, as they do deserve something for their extra commitment, it just seems like a missed opportunity. Given how many new faces will be on the team this year, having open practices and friendlies is a great way to get fans excited about the new arrivals and build anticipation for the upcoming season. I have no doubt that the club had its reasons for structuring the preparations in the way it did, but I can’t help feeling disappointed regardless.

All in all it was a pretty good first week of preseason preparations, and I think that’s evidenced in the fact that I could only find one (slightly nitpicky) thing to dislike. Hopefully, the rest of the weeks leading up to the regular season are in the same vein. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/16/26

Orlando City re-signs Martin Ojeda, Luis Muriel officially joins Atletico Junior, Orlando Pride’s 2026 season schedule announced, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 16, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! While it feels a little wrong to complain about cold weather here in Florida while other people are shoveling snow up north, I sure can’t wait for things to warm up. I plan on hunkering down with blankets and books over the next few days while putting the candle warmer I got for Christmas through its paces. It was a busy week for Orlando soccer news, so let’s dive right into the links!

Martin Ojeda Re-Signs With Orlando City

The Lions re-signed Designated Player Martin Ojeda to a new contract that will last through the 2028-2029 season with a club option for the 2029-2030 season. Orlando just exercised the option on Ojeda’s previous contract following the 2025 season, but wasted no time securing his services for the foreseeable future. The Argentine attacker is the club’s all-time leader when it comes to goal contributions, recording 33 goals and 42 assists in 130 appearances across all competitions in the time since joining Orlando before the 2023 season. He was phenomenal last season in particular, providing 31 goal contributions as the team’s best player. This decision comes amid buzz that European and Brazilian clubs were interested in signing him, so it’s nice to see Orlando was able to get a deal done.

Luis Muriel Transferred to Atletico Junior

Orlando City transferred forward Luis Muriel to Atletico Junior in Colombia’s top flight officially on Thursday, opening up a Designated Player slot in the process. This move has been reported on throughout the off-season and seems to be positive for all parties involved. Muriel joined Orlando ahead of the 2024 season and scored 17 goals and provided 18 assists in 84 appearances across all competitions. While his time as a Lion may be looked back at as underwhelming given his Designated Player status, his performance last August when he scored a hat trick against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup and then a brace against rival Inter Miami will be hard to forget. The Lions now get the chance to reload their Designated Player slot with someone who can bring a more consistent impact to the team.

Orlando Pride 2026 Schedule Unveiled

The 2025 NWSL season schedule is out and the Orlando Pride will open their season at home against the Seattle Reign on March 15. The Pride will play 30 games over the course of the longest regular season in league history, playing the other 15 teams twice as part of a balanced schedule. Following their season opener, the Pride will host Denver Summit FC on March 20 in the club’s first-ever match against the expansion side. Orlando’s first match against the other expansion club, Boston Legacy FC, will be on the road on May 12, with Boston playing in Orlando for the first time on July 15. The Pride’s final game of the regular season will be on Nov. 1 against the Reign.

A notable new addition this season is Victory+, a free streaming service that has partnered with the league and will broadcast many games this year. The Pride will have nine games streamed on Victory+, including the first four games of their season.

Benjamin Cremaschi Named U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year

Florida native Benjamin Cremaschi was voted as the 2025 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year. The 20-year-old captained the U.S. at last year’s U-20 World Cup in Chile, scoring five goals in the tournament to win the Golden Boot. He started in all five U.S. matches, helping the team win 3-0 against both France and Italy before falling in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Morocco. At the club level, Cremaschi was loaned from Inter Miami to Parma in September and has made three appearances there.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and Zambia were drawn into a star-studded group alongside Nigeria, Malawi, and Egypt in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in March. The four semifinalists of the tournament will earn qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
  • Sporting Kansas City signed forward Calvin Harris as a free agent, with the contract lasting through June of 2027. Harris was drafted second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft and has spent the past three years with the Colorado Rapids.
  • Brazilian club Vasco da Gama has reportedly signed Brenner from Udinese. The 26-year-old spent half of last year on loan with FC Cincinnati, and Cincy was in talks with him following the expiration of the loan regarding his return to the club.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Make sure to stay nice and warm out there and I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

Continue Reading

Trending