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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Final Score 3-1 as Lions Claim Road Victory in Columbus

After a lackluster first 66 minutes, the Lions dominated the final 30 minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit and beat the Crew on the road.

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1 year ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Orlando City was dominated by the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field for more than an hour, but after falling behind, the Lions owned the final 30 minutes. Lion killer Diego Rossi spotted the hosts a 1-0 lead with a penalty kick goal, but Ramiro Enrique’s brace and Martin Ojeda’s insurance goal turned the game on its head late in a 3-1 OCSC road victory. Orlando City (11-6-8, 41 points) handed the Crew (12-5-8, 44 points) their second loss of the year as the home team and their first defeat of 2025 at Lower.com Field. The Crew had previously only lost as the “home” team in Cleveland.

Orlando won its second straight match — both on the road — on the heels of a four-game winless streak.

“Congratulations to the players for such an effort tonight,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “The discipline, the willingness to do the task on the pitch, the tactical respect that they have for the game for the whole 90-plus minutes — almost 100 — was something that we were insisting during the week, and they won a very important game and very well deserved, too. So, again, congratulations to the players for such an important victory.”

Pareja’s lineup featured Pedro Gallese in goal behind a back line of David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Alex Freeman. Cesar Araujo and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield between wingers Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Ojeda and Luis Muriel up top.

The match was delayed about an hour due to storms in Columbus, and when things finally got underway, the hosts immediately got on the front foot. Rossi headed wide 12 seconds into the game and then fired a shot that Gallese had to save in the second minute. Nagbe saw his shot blocked in the eighth minute after a careless layoff by Muriel to nobody in the defensive third. Moments later, Jacen Russell-Rowe fired wide in transition.

Orlando struggled to maintain any pressure in the attacking third in the game’s first 10-15 minutes. The Lions finally got a shot off in the 21st minute when Pasalic did well to split defenders and fire, but his effort was blocked. The rebound caromed straight to Muriel with only Patrick Schulte to beat, but the Colombian couldn’t do it, leaving his shot close enough to the middle for the goalkeeper to save.

After that miss, the Crew had a shooting gallery for awhile, as the Lions refused to stop giving the ball away cheaply.

Daniel Gazdag headed just wide in the 23rd minute. Columbus did nothing with the ensuing corner, but the hosts kept the pressure on. Russell-Rowe sent a one-time shot off a Steven Moreira pass just wide of the left post in the 25th minute. Moments later, Angulo got torched by Ibrahim Aliyu, who found Russell-Rowe on the right. The forward fired a shot but Gallese was able to make a big save.

The Lions finally got another sight of goal at the half-hour mark, with Pasalic splitting defenders just outside the box and sending a shot on frame. Schulte made the save, but couldn’t control the rebound, which looked like it would fall for Muriel, but the Colombian was offside.

Three minutes after Pasalic’s half-chance, the Crew again got forward. Max Arfsten cut inside of Freeman and Schlegel overplayed his help defense. That allowed the fullback to get an open look at goal, but Arfsten sent his shot fizzing just wide of the right post. Orlando gave the ball right back after the goal kick and Dylan Chambost sent a shot right at Gallese from distance.

Brekalo sent a cross into the box for Ojeda in the 38th minute, but there wasn’t much on it and the Lions’ No. 10 tried heading a hopeful ball into space for a runner that never arrived. The best Orlando attacking buildup of the half ended up on Ojeda’s foot at the top of the box in the 45th minute, but the shot sailed wastefully over the bar.

Neither side could do much in the three added minutes and the teams went into halftime scoreless.

Columbus held the halftime advantage in possession (61.9%-38.1%), shots (10-4), shots on target (3-2), corners (4-0), and passing accuracy (89.4%-81%). Despite the Crew’s domination, the half ended with the same score as when the game began.

“We couldn’t retain the ball in the first half,” Pareja said. “Our sequences were very short. We didn’t find the spaces to provide a little bit of peace to our team. And Columbus, they know how to use the spaces, and they were creating a lot of trouble, especially on our left, despite the job that Ivan (Angulo) and Brekalo, and Robin (Jansson), and Cesar (Araujo) — they tried to stop them. But I have to admit that they have very good system and very good players on that side. We couldn’t stop it. But the worst thing for us was that we couldn’t retain the ball, because we couldn’t compete for the ball a little better.”

Not much changed at the break. Columbus continued to see way more of the ball and Orlando kept turning the ball over when the defense was able to snuff out attacks. The first came in the 46th minute when Atuesta was pulled down with no call from referee Timothy Ford, igniting the counter. Rossi fired just wide of the left post in transition.

Jansson’s poor clearance in the 52nd minute found Russell-Rowe at the top of the box. The Crew forward fired on target but Gallese made a big stop. Columbus then won a series of set pieces in the attacking third but could do nothing with them.

Orlando got a rare shot in the 60th minute when Muriel tried his luck from extreme range. The shot sailed well over the crossbar.

The Crew took the lead in the 66th minute. Pasalic somehow ended up on the opposite side of the pitch and a cross into the box grazed his hand. The ball didn’t change trajectory and came from close range, Ford went to the monitor and awarded a penalty for handball. Rossi sent Gallese the wrong way and scored.

Enrique replaced Muriel after the penalty.

Orlando had its own shout for a penalty in the 72nd minute. Angulo split two defenders to get into the box and Moreira grabbed him and pulled the arm. The Colombian went down but there was no call and the video assistant referee did not send Ford to the monitor.

“When Moreira grabbed his hand, it was so clear, and we couldn’t explain ourselves on the bench how that could not be (overturned),” Pareja said.

The Lions struck four minutes later anyway. Angulo beat Arfsten — who switched sides when Lassi Lappalainen came on for Russell-Rowe — down the left side and lifted a cross into the middle. Enrique was passively marked and took advantage, flicking a header inside the right post to tie the match in the 76th minute.

“Ramiro coming into the game really helped us a lot, because he came in with so much energy,” Angulo said. “And, you know, I think everybody just really pushed ahead. And of course, it changed the game.”

The same players hooked up three minutes later. Ojeda sent a great through ball on the left for Angulo to run onto. The Colombian winger sent a good centering pass across the top of the six and Enrique tapped it home to complete his brace with his seventh goal of the season in the 79th minute.

“It’s just a good example of his professionalism, his dedication, his patience,” Pareja said of Enrique. “The energy that he brought us today and not just the two goals that he scored, obviously are the most important, but I think the sensibility that he showed today with his group, coming from the bench and giving us the best. Again, big, big game for us and Ramiro did a phenomenal job today.”

Enrique now has five goals and an assist in five career matches against Columbus, starting only one of those games. With his second assist of the night, Angulo has three in the past two matches.

As time wound down, Zakaria Taifi and Kyle Smith replaced Pasalic and Angulo. Orlando had to face quite a bit of pressure and several Crew corners. Aliyu sent a shot on frame from the right in the 87th minute but it didn’t trouble Gallese.

It seemed excessive when the fourth official put 10 minutes on his board.

Aliyu was left unmarked in the second minute of stoppage time, but he sent a volley shot over the bar. Orlando then had to deal with a couple of corners as the Crew pushed for an equalizer.

Ojeda put the match away in the sixth minute of added time. Freeman broke in transition and cut inside in the attacking half. The fullback sent a good diagonal ball for Ojeda to run onto in stride, and the Argentine smashed a shot just inside the near post past Schulte to seal the win.

“We depend a lot on that different talent that the DPs (Designated Players) have, and Martin, what he has done over the year, he has proven himself, and has proven to everyone how important and how good he is,” Pareja said. “What I have to remark is that with Martin Ojeda, you warrant effort, talent, sacrifice, discipline. He’s not the one who needs the lights and attention. He just does the job the best he can for his team.”

With his 13th goal of the season and a secondary assist on each of Enrique’s goals, Ojeda now has a goal contribution in 10 straight matches. He also moved past Nani into sole possession for the most goal contributions in a season for the Lions, with 25.

Before the final whistle blew, Gallese made one more save on Rossi, and Ford brought the match to a close.

Columbus finished with the statistical advantage in possession (60.8%-39.2%), shots (18-10), shots on target (7-6), corners (9-1), and passing accuracy (88.4%-82.3%). However, the Lions were the more clinical team and their play over the final 30 minutes was the difference between a meek road loss and a vital three points against one of the conference’s best teams.

“It was a tough game, and we knew that it was going to be like that,” Angulo said. “Columbus is a great team, and they like to have the ball for a majority of the match. The first half, we suffered a lot because of that. But in the second half, we turned it around. We stuck with it, and we showed a lot of character to pull out the win tonight.”

MLS now breaks for Leagues Cup. The Lions will be back in action at home Wednesday night against Liga MX side Pumas.

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Orlando City

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

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

9 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

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

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Official Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.

Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

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

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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