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Orlando City vs. Necaxa: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 5-1 demolishment of Necaxa.

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1 year ago

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Image of Luis Muriel looking for an opening to shoot against Necaxa.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Five Takeaways after a five-goal offensive outburst, with Orlando City going up 5-0 in just 51 minutes and then coasting home with a 5-1 victory. The Lions have now scored five goals in a game during each of the cup competitions, and I would like to recommend them to do the same during an MLS game as well before the season ends. Perhaps during MLS Cup, for symmetry. The Lions followed Wednesday afternoon’s thunder and lightning in the Central Florida area with thunder and lightning of their own on the offensive side of the ball, and the only real question during the second half was whether we would see our first-ever double hat trick, which alas, we did not.

Here are my five takeaways from the match.

Martín the Marksman

Martín Ojeda was the player who “failed” to deliver the second hat trick, but in the first half he scored what may well end up as the goal of the season for Orlando City, hitting a full volley off of a perfectly placed cross from Alex Freeman and dropping my jaw almost all the way to the floor in the process. If you did not see it then you should (the video is in our recap), because that shot was amazing, and amazing is good. The whole play was impressive, as it started with Freeman bursting forward from the defensive third of the field, and the right back then played a one-two pass with Marco Pašalić to blow past a Necaxa defender into wide-open space on the right side of the field. Ojeda was in the middle and spread both arms wide to get Freeman’s attention, and Freeman’s cross floated right in front of the Argentine, allowing him to get his momentum going forward and then unleashing a cannon of a volley, leaving the goalkeeper flat-footed while everyone else in the stadium set personal vertical leap records after jumping in amazement with what they just saw. Oh, and he also scored another goal in the second half and added an assist for good measure.

Hat Trick Hero

Ojeda’s volley was so impressive that it merited the coveted first takeaway spot, and that is especially impressive, because Ojeda’s fellow Designated Player Luis Muriel broke his 14-game goalless streak by scoring not one, not two, but three goals in an 11-minute span during the first half. The Colombian hit the post just a few minutes before he scored the first goal, and it seemed like he was never going to score a goal again. But then Freeman made another darting run before laying it off to César Araújo, and Muriel slammed home Araújo’s cross to end his scoreless streak. He then decided that one header was clearly not enough, so he did it again — this time teaming up with Iván Angulo for a Colombian connection (do not google this phrase on a work computer) for his second goal. Muriel completed his hat trick by curling a ball inside the far post after Ojeda ran rampant down the middle of the field, drawing in four defenders before laying it off to him on the left side of the box.

The Sheet Did Not Stay Clean

I am going to include the one negative from this game right here in the middle of the takeaways, so we can calm down a little bit after the excitement of Ojeda’s and Muriel’s achievements but then still go out on a high note. The Lions’ defense once again was unable to earn a clean sheet, and unless they get one in their next game, they will find themselves having gone two full months (June 14 against Colorado) without a shutout. Nico Rodríguez was slow to get out and pressure Franco Rossano, allowing Rossano to tee up a cross from a dangerous area just outside of the box. Robin Jansson inexplicably bent down at the last second as the cross came in, giving Alexis Peña a free header from right in front of the goal, and Peña made no mistake, putting his header into the corner past Pedro Gallese. The Lions bottled up Necaxa for the most part, but they let their guard down on this play and it cost them a goal.

Playing for Goal Differential

That goal that Necaxa scored could come back to haunt Orlando City, as goal differential will likely decide the final spot for the four MLS teams who will advance into the next round of Leagues Cup. Had this been a 5-1 lead during an MLS game, we probably, maybe, would have seen Óscar Pareja go to his bench and give some starters a rest, especially with an important league game on Sunday, but since the Lions lost the shootout in the first game, they needed to win games two and three and maximize their goal differential, and that meant that Pareja only used three of his five available subs, despite the four-goal lead.

I Like This Leagues Cup Format

In past years I was lukewarm about the Leagues Cup, but after a few tweaks to the format, I think MLS and Liga MX hit on tournament rules that work. Despite the blowout nature of the Necaxa game, every play mattered, all the way into second-half stoppage time. I was also scoreboard watching throughout the tournament, since with an 18-team group you had to focus on every team and not just three other teams like in most tournaments. Leagues Cup still ranks behind the U.S. Open Cup for me in terms of pecking order, but I liked a lot of the rules of the competition this year. You could see the strain on Pareja’s face in the second half on Wednesday, as he balanced coaching the game itself with what he was hearing about other results and considering what could happen in games to come, while also thinking about the upcoming Tropic Thunder rivalry matchup with Inter Miami this weekend. Qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup (the top three finishers in Leagues Cup qualify for 2026) would be a big deal, and it was clear the players and coaches thought so with how they treated this tournament.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s thoroughly enjoyable 5-1 win in the team’s final game of the Leagues Cup group stage. We will not know whether two wins and a draw with a shootout loss is enough to get the Lions into the knockout rounds until the early hours of Friday morning, but we do know that the games against Atlas and Necaxa showcased how dangerous the Orlando City offense can be when it is clicking. Let’s hope that the Lions bring that same offensive productivity on Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium, and sweep the season series with Inter Miami.

Let us know your thoughts about the Necaxa match in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

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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

6 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

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Antoine Griezmann.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

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

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Anibal Godoy.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

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 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: 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

1 day 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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