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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Final Score 5-1 as Lions’ Rotated Lineup Gets Blasted in Tennessee

Oscar Pareja rotated nearly the entire starting XI, and the result was not good in a bad road loss in Tennessee.

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11 months ago

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Image of Adrian Marin playing against Nashville
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

A starting XI comprised largely of backups started for Orlando City on the road in Nashville, and it looked that way. Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar each scored twice in the first half for Nashville SC (15-8-5, 50 points) in a 5-1 Orlando City loss at Geodis Park, leaving Orlando (13-7-8, 47 points) no doubt over which team would be atop the other at the end of the night.

Both teams entered on 47 points, but the Lions were substandard in all phases of the game, and the heavily rotated lineup was a complete disaster. The Lions hit the goal frame twice in the match but were already down four goals when they happened. Luis Muriel scored late off the bench for Orlando to spoil the shutout, then got sent off moments later by referee Tim Ford. Nashville’s Jeisson Palacios finished the scoring in stoppage time, adding the fifth.

The loss snaps Orlando’s eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions and the team’s four-game MLS winning streak.

“It is a difficult night conceding that many goals knowing that we have been solid in the last period,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. “We have a bunch of things that we’re going to look close (at), just to remark in a positive way in a very difficult game against a very good rival. It is obviously my responsibility and I want to take this one, because the players were pushing and they players were giving us what we want.”

Pareja rotated his side heavily from the starting lineup Saturday night in Los Angeles that played Deportivo Toluca in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Pedro Gallese started in net behind a back line of Adrian Marin — making his MLS and Orlando City debut, Robin Jansson, Rodrigo Schlegel, and Kyle Smith. Cesar Araujo and Joran Gerbet started in central midfield between wingers Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Nico Rodriguez, with Tyrese Spicer and Ramiro Enrique up top.

Without much (any?) depth at center back, the two players on the pitch who most needed replacing were Schlegel and Jansson, and there was no escape for them in one of

The makeshift Orlando City lineup conceded just a couple of seconds into the third minute. Thorhallsson tried to pick out a lone friendly face in a sea of defenders and didn’t hit his spot. Nashville easily cut out the pass and nodded it forward to ignite the counter. Mukhtar split the defense for Surridge, who easily slotted home on the first shot of the match to make it 1-0 in the third minute.

“They are effective on their counterattacks, or, as I say, when they’re landing in the box, they know each other pretty well,” Pareja said. “And then we conceded those spaces — something that we don’t usually give up, but today we were not sharp in that part. I did not want to blame our players. I thought, really, the structure on the pitch I could help much more than that.”

Orlando’s first look at goal came on the heels of a corner kick in the fifth minute. Nashville cut out the entry ball to Araujo. The Uruguayan tried a long-range effort but sent it high into the seats. Enrique blasted a shot from distance considerably closer to the bar, but still over it, in the eighth minute.

Nashville continued to get in behind the back line in the early going, failing to pull off a centering pass from Shaffelburg, before Andy Najar fired a ball off of his teammate and out of play in the 13th minute. Shaffelburg then was allowed to run free between Jansson and Marin in the 16th minute, take a pass, turn, and fire a shot. Gallese made himself big and blocked the shot at point-blank range with a huge save.

That only kept it 1-0 for the moment though, as the Lions’ back line made a complete mess of a long throw-in that bounced in the box. Mukhtar was the first to it and smashed it just under Gallese’s crossbar to make it 2-0 in the 17th minute.

Surridge nearly made it 3-0 in the 21st minute. Unattended in front of goal, the big striker sent a header crashing off the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Orlando finally created some danger in the match. Spicer received the ball on the left and fires a meaty shot toward the right post. Walker Zimmerman got a piece of it and came within inches of deflecting it into his own net. Instead, it fizzed just wide for a corner, but the Lions did nothing with it.

The poor defensive play continued in the 30th minute when Mukhtar was given far too much space just outside the area. The Nashville star blasted a shot that skipped just inches wide of the left post.

Orlando City moved Thorhallsson to right back, pushing Smith into the midfield to help slow down Mukhtar and Surridge, but it didn’t help much on the defensive end. At least in possession, the Lions finally got some possession on the right side with the Icelandic international able to get forward up the right flank to provide help to Rodriguez, who had become isolated over there.

Mukhtar basically put the game away in the 40th minute, taking a pass in the box from Shaffelburg and making it 3-0. Smith let one of the most dangerous attackers run in behind him, Jansson didn’t have any awareness of the danger, and the goal was far too easy.

If it wasn’t already over, Surridge made mincemeat of a passive Schlegel on a cross into the box and headed in to make it 4-0 three minutes later. The play began with a free kick that shouldn’t have been given, as Enrique had cleanly won the ball from behind just seconds after a foul should have been given Orlando’s way in the attacking third near the sideline when Thorhallsson was pulled back by his shirt.

The Lions finally put a shot on target in the first minute of first-half injury time when Enrique tested Joe Willis, who made the save, knocking it behind for a corner. The ensuing set piece found Enrique making a run into the box, but the Argentine’s free header smacked off the right post.

Thorhallsson found Smith making a late run into the box with a good cross on the last play of the half, but the veteran badly mishit his volley effort, sending it nowhere near goal. The whistle mercifully blew for halftime to prevent further first-half damage to an Orlando team that had been completely blown off the field and substandard in every measurable way.

At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (58.7%-41.3%), corners (4-1), and passing accuracy (89.6%-87.6%). Nashville had the edge in shots (8-7), shots on target (5-1), and had already put the game on ice.

“We couldn’t find the net, especially in the first half, when we had three chances clear,” Pareja said. “And also Nashville too early scored on us and put the game away from us and made us feel that there was a bunch of spaces, and we couldn’t get that solidness.”

If the Lions thought Nashville would ease up in the second half, they got a rude awakening. The hosts came down the field quickly and Alex Muyl forced a Gallese save just seconds after the restart.

Four minutes later, Araujo turned the ball over by sending an off-line pass blindly to Nashville in his own half, igniting the counter. Mukhtar got past an attempted intervention from Jansson, who whiffed completely, and Smith gave the attacker a push from behind. Mukhtar went down and Smith only escaped a red card because Marin was covering from his left back spot, so it was only a yellow. Mukhtar then came within inches of his hat trick with a free kick that froze Gallese and went inches over the bar in the 52nd minute.

Spicer came within inches of spoiling the shutout in the 57th minute, cutting in on his right from the left side. Hitting a hard curler with his right foot, the winger found the right post on the far side on a shot that came within inches from being a goal-of-the-year candidate.

Pareja subbed on Alex Freeman, Marco Pasalic, and Eduard Atuesta for Smith, Rodriguez, and Araujo moments later.

Freeman added a little more threat on the right. The fullback picked out Marin near the top of the area in the 63rd minute. The Spaniard tried a shot on the bounce, but his first MLS attempt was well off target.

Muriel subbed on for Thorhallsson in the 74th minute and had an eventful seven-minute appearance. Two minutes after coming on, he spoiled Willis’ clean sheet. Muriel played Spicer down the left side. The winger got to the end line and squared it back into the middle, where it took a deflection off a defender and went to its intended target, Muriel. The Colombian finished calmly to make it 4-1 in the 76th minute.

“We were feeling better into the game, especially after Luis’ goal in the second half,” Marin said. “And then, obviously after he got the red card, we had to play a man down for the rest of the game. That, of course, changed the way that we had to play the rest of the game, but the adjustments we made we felt good about.”

Pasalic came close to making it 4-2 in the 81st minute. The Croatian stepped into a shot from long range that sent Willis diving toward his back post. The goalkeeper was able to fight it off to keep it 4-1.

Seconds later, Muriel’s night was over. The Lions won a throw-in on the left side and Ahmed Qasem wouldn’t give the ball to Muriel, who wanted to get on with it. Muriel swiped at the ball twice, and caught Qasem on the shoulder the second time. It was a foolish and unnecessary move, and one borne of frustration. The second swipe may have barely brushed Qasem’s face, and the midfielder went down as if he’d been punched in the eye by Mike Tyson in his prime. Ford, who was officiating his first game since a highly controversial decision in his last outing, went straight to his front pocket and brandished the red, putting the Lions down to 10 men. Muriel will miss Orlando’s next MLS game in September.

“I didn’t see that aggression that was remarked and I have to be honest, I need to see it again to see if they were right,” Pareja said. “Maybe they did (see) something that I did not see, but from my spot, and again, I have not reviewed right now, but from my spot, I didn’t see anything.”

Orlando was no threat to do further damage down three goals and a man, so much of the rest of the match consisted of Nashville taking set pieces and throw-ins in the attacking half. The hosts tacked on one more in the fourth stoppage minute off a short corner, played quickly into the box. Atuesta stayed deep, keeping Palacios onside while Jansson and Marin marked nobody in particular. Palacios sent his free header just inside the left post to cap the scoring.

Gallese saved the Lions further blushes two minutes later. Orlando had won a free kick in a good spot near the left corner of the penalty area. Pasalic took the set piece but sent his delivery far too low, hitting the defense and igniting the break. Nashville countered quickly, with Jonathan Perez firing from the left. Gallese did well to make the stop.

That was the last look of the match and Ford finally brought the massacre to an end.

Orlando finished with the advantage in possession (52.8%-47.2%), but all of the other meaningful metrics went Nashville’s way. The hosts had the edge in shots (15-12), shots on target (9-4), corners (5-4), and passing accuracy (90.1%-89.9%).

“The second half was much better, but still we didn’t find the net as often as we normally do,” Pareja said.

“It’s not the debut that I or anybody would have dreamed of because of the result,” Marin said. “But at the same time, I’m happy to be able to get minutes that I’ve been imagining and to officially be a part of this group of teammates and players that are exceptional, as much as people as they are professionals.”

The Lions have another quick turnaround with a Leagues Cup semifinal match against Inter Miami on Wednesday, followed by either the final or the third-place match on Sunday, Aug. 31. With the Aug. 30 match against Vancouver rescheduled for October, the next MLS game for Orlando City will be Sept. 13 at D.C. United.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions look to build on Wednesday’s impressive win at San Jose, but it won’t be easy against the MLS leaders.

Published

4 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Image of Braian Ojeda dribbling the ball up the field against Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (5-9-2, 17 points) and Nashville SC (12-1-3, 39 points) on the Lions’ home grounds (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first of second of the two scheduled meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs in the 2026 regular season.

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

History

The Lions are 5-4-4 against Nashville in MLS regular-season matches and 7-6-5 in all competitions. Orlando is 3-2-1 at home in the regular season against Nashville and 4-3-4 in all competitions in the City Beautiful against tonight’s visitors.

It’s wrong to say the most recent meeting between the sides was a forgettable one for Orlando City fans, as 5-0 beatdowns tend to stick in the memory. That’s exactly what happened on March 21, as Martin Perelman suffered his first loss as Orlando’s interim head coach in his first road match and second game overall. Sam Surridge scored a hat trick, with Cristian Espinoza and Warren Madrigal also finding the net on a terrible night in Tennessee.

The last time these teams met in Orlando took place on Sept. 20, 2025, with the Lions winning 3-2. Martin Ojeda scored two goals two minutes apart to give Orlando a first-half lead, but Hany Mukhtar and Jacob Shaffelburg scored moments before and after halftime, respectively, to knot things up. Duncan McGuire’s goal deep in stoppage time lifted the Lions to all three points. Just a few weeks earlier in Nashville, on Aug. 23, things did not go well for the Lions as Nashville SC blasted Orlando 5-1. Surridge and Mukhtar netted braces and Jeisson Palacios added a late goal. Luis Muriel scored a consolation goal to spoil the shutout.

These teams faced each other in U.S. Open Cup play on May 21, 2025 with Nashville claiming a 3-2 road win. Marco Pasalic provided the Lions with an early lead before an own goal by Rodrigo Schlegel and an Ahmed Qasem goal put Nashville ahead at the break. Ramiro Enrique equalized in the second half, but Wyatt Meyer’s goal knocked Orlando out of the competition.

The teams met at Inter&Co Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024 with the Lions blasting Nashville 3-0. Facundo Torres’ brace and an opening goal by Ivan Angulo led Orlando City to the season sweep. Orlando City visited Nashville SC at Geodis Park on July 17, 2024, with the Lions cruising to a 3-0 road win. Goals by Cesar Araujo and Enrique sandwiched an Alex Muyl own goal as Orlando City got its fourth consecutive shutout victory over Nashville.

The teams met at the end of the previous season on Nov. 7, 2023 in the best-of-three, first-round playoff series. The Lions got an early goal from Angulo in a 1-0 win to sweep the series. Orlando City drew first blood in the series by beating Nashville 1-0 on Oct. 30, 2023 at Exploria Stadium. Wilder Cartagena’s blast from outside the area provided the game’s only score.

The teams met in the 2023 regular season on Oct. 4, with Orlando City stealing a 1-0 win in Music City on McGuire’s goal just before halftime. That was one of only two shot attempts by the Lions all night and the only one on target. Orlando played well defensively and Pedro Gallese didn’t have to make a save as the hosts didn’t put any shots on frame. Nashville visited Orlando on April 1 of 2023 at Exploria Stadium and it was the visitors who made fools of the Lions, as Nashville won, 2-0. Fafa Picault and Mukhtar did the damage for Nashville.

The teams did not face each other in the regular season play the year before, meeting only in the U.S. Open Cup in Orlando on June 29, 2022. Mukhtar scored in the second half, and that looked like it would be enough until Schlegel equalized deep in stoppage time. After a scoreless 30 minutes of extra time, the Lions won the ensuing penalty shootout, 6-5.

These clubs met in the 2021 postseason in Tennessee, with Orlando scoring first through Daryl Dike’s early goal, but Nashville won 3-1 on Nov. 23, 2021 to knock the Lions out of the playoffs. Mukhtar tied it up before halftime on a fluky deflected goal off of Antonio Carlos and then put his team ahead in the second half. Jhonder Cadiz put things away deep in stoppage time.

The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 31, 2021 and ended in a 1-1 draw after referee Allen Chapman’s Halloween Heist chalked off Andres Perea’s apparent stoppage-time winner. The referee’s excuse for overturning the goal was an imagined foul on Dike, who, if anything, was the fouled party. The decision cost the Lions a valuable home playoff match, which instead sent Orlando to Nashville. Mukhtar scored for Nashville to equalize in the second half after Dike’s first-half goal.

The teams met in Nashville on Sept. 29, 2021 with a late rally by the Lions earning the team a 2-2 road draw at Nissan Stadium. The hosts had taken a 2-0 lead on goals by Mukhtar — scoring off the rebound of his own saved penalty — and Randall Leal, but a penalty by Dike and a stoppage-time own goal by Brian Anunga turned the game around. On Aug. 18 of that season, the teams finished in another 1-1 draw. C.J. Sapong put the hosts ahead in the first half and Carlos leveled the score in the second half.

The teams met on Decision Day of 2020 at Exploria Stadium, with Orlando melting down late, allowing two goals from the 88th minute on, and falling 3-2 at home on Nov. 8, 2020 — the team’s only home loss of the season. Dike and Nani goals sandwiched a strike by Daniel Lovitz, giving the Lions a lead until late. Headers by Mukhtar and Cadiz just before and into stoppage time turned the game on its head.

In the Lions’ first trip to Nissan Stadium, the teams played to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 2, 2020. Benji Michel put the Lions ahead with a stunner of a goal, but Leal knotted things up and that’s the way the match ended. That draw came a week after a 3-1 Orlando City win on Aug. 26 at Exploria Stadium. Dave Romney opened the scoring for Nashville, but Orlando scored the last three. Dike scored a brace and Chris Mueller added a goal.

Overview

The Lions are coming off an impressive 4-0 win at San Jose in their first game after the World Cup break. Antoine Griezmann made his MLS debut and opened his Orlando City account, but it was a team effort. David Brekalo and Angulo gave the Lions the lead, with Griezmann and Braian Ojeda ensuring there would be no Quakes comeback. Maxime Crepeau had his best night in goal for Orlando to help the cause. While it was impressive that it happened at all, let alone without the injured Martin Ojeda, Designated Player Marco Pasalic, or newly re-signed Dike, it remains to be seen if it was a one-off after the layoff or the start of something for the Lions.

Orlando City is just 3-3-1 at home this season, but that’s still far better than its road record.

Nashville SC has been dominant all season — maybe not always quite as dominant as it was on March 21 against the Lions, but still quite good. The Coyotes are seven points clear in the Supporters’ Shielf race and lead MLS with both the most wins (12), fewest losses (1), and goal differential (+22). Tonight’s opponent has only dropped points on the road three times, going 4-1-2 away from Geodis Park. Nashville rides a five-game winning streak and nine-game unbeaten run into tonight and hasn’t allowed a goal in its last two outings.

To get anything from this game, Orlando City must figure out a way to stop (or at least significantly slow down) Nashville’s star forwards, Surridge and Mukhtar (I would add Espinoza here but he’s ruled out with a lower body injury). Both Surridge and Mukhtar have absolutely destroyed Orlando City over the years. Surridge has scored 10 goals in MLS play this season, with Mukhtar chipping in six goals and five assists. At the other end, Palacios has paired with Maxwell Woledzi to form a solid central defense in front of emerging goalkeeper Brian Schwake. This second meeting is going to be another difficult matchup for the Lions, who will need their best performance to take anything from this game.

The Lions will be without Martin Ojeda (thigh), Nolan Miller (knee), Joran Gerbet (knee), Eduard Atuesta (yellow card suspension), Colin Guske (international duty), and Clovis Archange (international duty), however, Marco Pasalic has only recently returned to Orlando from the World Cup and Dike is still returning to match fitness, so they may also be missing when the lineup drops.

Nashville will be without Chris Applewhite (international duty), Espinoza (lower body), Madrigal (lower body), Joe Willis (lower body), and Patrick Yazbek (lower body), while Reed Baker-Whiting is questionable with (what else) a lower body injury.

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Braian Ojeda, Luis Otavio, Tiago.

Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Justin Ellis.

Nashville SC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Brian Schwake.

Defenders: Daniel Lovitz, Jeison Palacios, Maxwell Woledzi, Andy Najar.

Midfielders: Alex Muyl, Matthew Corcoran, Edvard Tagseth.

Forwards: Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Shak Mohammed.

Referees

REF: Ramy Touchan.
AR1: Eric Weisbrod.
AR2: Meghan Mullen.
4TH: Carlos Rodriguez.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Kevin Huet.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Live Stream: 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 game. Go City!

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Opinion

Mirage vs. Reality: On the Sustainability of the San Jose Performance

Was the 4-0 win in California simply a flash in the pan, or should we expect more of the same from OCSC?

Published

1 day ago

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July 24, 2026

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Image of Orlando City players celebrating a goal against San Jose.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

While we all no doubt missed having Orlando City games to watch during Major League Soccer’s sabbatical for the World Cup, its also probably fair to say that Wednesday’s return to action against the San Jose Earthquakes was tinged with a good deal of trepidation. After all, the Lions had been hammered 6-2 on the road by FC Cincinnati in their final match before the layoff, comfortably had the worst defense in the league, had yet to keep a clean sheet, and had given up a whopping 31 of their 44 goals conceded on the road.

It didn’t help matters that San Jose was in the top five of the Supporters’ Shield standings, was the second-best team in the Western Conference (level on points for first but edged out on goal differential), and had scored 33 goals in 15 games while giving up just 15. It’s true that the Quakes weren’t in great form before the break, winning just one of their last five, but there was still plenty of reasons to worry that Orlando would pick up where it had left off in Ohio back on May 23.

Instead, the Lions not only hammered San Jose 4-0, but arguably should have beaten the Earthquakes by an even more lopsided scoreline. The team played a fluid, position-less brand of soccer that gave the home team absolute fits, and kept a first league clean sheet of the year to boot. It was an extremely unexpected, but exceedingly welcome, performance.

The big question now, is whether it can be replicated.

Well, maybe not directly replicated, as 4-0 wins tend to be relatively uncommon occurrences for even the very best of teams. Rather, can the things that made Orlando successful on Wednesday be built upon and repeated, or was the team’s performance a flash in the pan that we shouldn’t expect to see again?

First, let’s talk about the performance itself.

The highlight was how the team looked going forward. Every player on the field not named Maxime Crepeau, Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, or David Brekalo was constantly drifting anywhere and everywhere in the attacking half, taking up unexpected positions and rarely remaining in the position designated for them by the formation. Ivan Angulo functioned as a no.10 despite nominally playing right midfield, Justin Ellis and Antoine Griezmann could be found anywhere from the opposition’s 18-yard box to the midfield line or deeper, and the same could be said for Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta. San Jose found the positional interchanging extremely difficult to deal with, especially during the first half hour of the game, but did settle in a little better after halftime.

Speaking of Ellis and Griezmann, they were terrors for their entire time on the pitch. As previously mentioned, both of them were dropping deep to receive the ball, exchanged quick passes with their teammates, and then turned to bomb forward themselves or play balls through or over the defense. That quick passing and clever movement was a theme for OCSC as a whole, but the two forwards were the best examples of it with Angulo coming a close third.

The speed of play for Orlando meant that the team had a lot of joy in transition moments, and the Lions constantly seemed to be springing players behind the defense, or running at San Jose’s defense with men in support. Only some poor execution when it came to passing and finishing in the final third prevented the good guys from putting even more goals on the board.

When it came to keeping the ball out of their own net, the Lions did several things very well. For one thing, the defense seemed to be more organized than we’ve seen it this year, aside perhaps from the U.S. Open Cup win against Atlanta. Orlando caught San Jose offside seven times on Wednesday, and on several occasions it was more down to the defense stepping together as a unit and staying in a disciplined line than it was on the Earthquakes being lazy or mistiming their runs.

When San Jose did carve out good chances, Crepeau was a towering presence in between the posts for the Lions. His seven saves will take the headlines, but there were also several instances where he was quick and smart in coming off his line to beat a San Jose runner to a ball and prevent a 1-v-1 situation. He also made several of his best saves on shots that were ultimately ruled out for offside or he almost certainly would have cracked double digits. It was a pre-eminent performance, and he looked to be brimming with confidence after a good showing for Canada at the World Cup.

Now to be objective, OCSC had some things working in its favor. San Jose was without Niko Tsarikis, who has two goals and four assists in 11 games (then again, the Lions were without Martin Ojeda, Marco Pasalic, and Daryl Dike), and the Earthquakes’ finishing was…not great. Two particular instances stood out: Beau Leroux missing wide left in the 38th minute when he was unmarked at the top of the six-yard box, and Jack Skahan touching a ball toward on onrushing Crepeau in the 57th minute rather than passing to a wide-open Ousseni Bouda for a tap-in. There were also several times when a ‘Quakes player just missed getting on the end of a ball in a dangerous area, or when bad giveaways in dangerous areas by the Lions went unpunished.

San Jose also made some unforced errors of its own, like the turnover that led to Griezmann’s goal. Then there was the set piece marking, which was atrocious. Brekalo and Ojeda were both completely unmarked for their goals, and it was shockingly bad defending for a team that hadn’t given up any set piece goals going into Wednesday’s game.

Now, what exactly should we make of all this?

Well, when it comes to what Orlando did, there’s an argument to be made that the team’s offensive performance from open play can be replicated. The team has had plenty of time to work on this position-less style of play on the training ground and was still having lots of joy with its quick passing and fluid movement even after San Jose had time to make halftime adjustments. The defense mostly held up well and stayed organized against one of the league’s more potent attacks, and when the Earthquakes did create chances, Crepeau kept up the form he showed in his last four games for Canada.

Orlando could also have benefitted from Tiago and Tyrese Spicer finishing clear-cut chances they were given by Ellis, Atuesta, and Griezmann. Martin Ojeda’s return and the addition of Dike can help chances turn into goals.

On the flip side, this is the first time anyone’s seen the Lions try to play this way, so its always going to be tougher to stop something you haven’t been able to train for. The element of surprise isn’t something that should be discounted when it comes to Wednesday. Other teams may make Orlando pay for some of the shaky moments that it had at the back, and not every team is going to make three big errors that the Lions can take advantage of.

For me, the answer lies somewhere between the two ends of the spectrum. I do not expect the Lions to look like 2008-2009 Barcelona every week, but I also don’t think its fair to say that Orlando simply benefitted from favorable circumstances and bounces. It’s perhaps best to say that OCSC did things that can be replicated, but there’s no guarantee those things will be replicated. The movement, passing, decision-making, defensive organization, and goalkeeping are things that can build a good foundation for success if Orlando can repeat them, and those are the things I’d focus on more than the number of goals or the clean sheet.

At the end of the day, we’re working on a small sample size and shouldn’t get carried away by one game, regardless of how fun it was. Wednesday’s performance wasn’t necessarily an illusion or the truth of what this team is. Rather, it was a glimpse of what this team has an opportunity to be. There’s work to be done and areas that can be improved on, but the Lions showed enough in San Jose for us to have hope for a season that’s looked hopeless more often than not. Vamos Orlando.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/24/26

Multiple Lions make MLS Team of the Matchday, Orlando City prepares for Nashville SC, Orlando Pride host Chicago tonight, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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July 24, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! We have three straight days of Orlando soccer to enjoy, starting with the Orlando Pride’s match tonight. I’ve had a feeling as if I’m forgetting something ever since the World Cup ended, but this weekend’s games should help solve that. Let’s jump right into today’s links!

Multiple Lions Make Team of the Matchday

Orlando City players Antoine Griezmann, Eduard Atuesta, Maxime Crepeau, and David Brekalo all made the MLS Team of the Matchday following the team’s 4-0 win on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes. Griezmann scored in his MLS debut, while Atuesta recorded three assists. Crepeau had seven saves to help secure the clean sheet alongside David Brekalo, who scored as well. It’s great to see the Lions so well represented after a midweek slate that featured plenty of strong performances.

Orlando City Prepares to Face Nashville SC

There’s not much time for rest for the Lions after that victory on the West Coast, as they are back in action on Saturday with a home game against Nashville SC. Griezmann looked as advertised in that road win and his performance was one of the highlights from the midweek games. While it’s not the largest sample size, Orlando looked transformed with Griezmann on the field. Hopefully the Lions can keep the momentum rolling at home against Nashville, which has only lost once all season. It’ll be a tough match for Orlando, but it will also be a great opportunity to make a statement about where the team is headed.

Orlando Pride Take On the Chicago Stars Tonight

The Orlando Pride have had a week to reset and prepare for tonight’s match at home against the Chicago Stars. Both teams have lost their past two games and will be without important forwards, as the Pride’s Barbra Banda is on international duty and Chicago’s Jordyn Huitema was recently placed on the season-ending injury list. Mallory Swanson is also listed as out on the availability report for Chicago. The Stars have only scored eight goals while conceding 30 this season, making this a solid chance for the Pride to claim a needed three points at home.

Barbra Banda Praises Marta Ahead of WAFCON

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is set to begin on Sunday in Morocco and Banda is prepared to captain Zambia for the tournament. She spoke on how Pride teammate and women’s soccer legend Marta has helped her become a better player.

“The motivation she gives me is something I can’t even describe. Every game we play, she always has a word for me,” Banda said.

“She has been my idol since I was young, and this is a great opportunity for me to keep learning, gain experience and improve my game. I’m always following her closely because I want to learn something from her.”

Zambia is in a tough group against Nigeria, Egypt, and Malawi, with only the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals. The stakes are fairly high in each game, as the semifinalists of the tournament will directly qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Zambia’s first match is set for Tuesday against Egypt.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Hugo Cuypers, who was tied for the MLS Golden Boot lead with 13 goals so far this season, was officially transferred from the Chicago Fire to CF Monterrey for a reported transfer fee of $7.5 million. It’s a bit low for one of the league’s best forwards, but it does open up a Designated Player spot for Chicago. American midfielder Sebastian Berhalter may also be leaving the league, as the Vancouver Whitecaps are reportedly close to transferring him to Middlesbrough for a fee around $2 million.

As for the ever escalating arms race by Eastern Conference teams, Atlanta United is reportedly targeting big names like Darwin Nunez and Breel Embolo as possible replacements for Emmanuel Latte Lath, who notably didn’t play on Wednesday. The New England Revolution are also reportedly looking to add some firepower and are nearing a deal for Leeds United winger Jack Harrison.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 BREAKING: New England Revolution are nearing a deal to sign English winger Jack Harrison from Leeds United, per sources.Harrison will join Revs as a DP.The 29-year-old made 219 apps for Leeds. Spent second half of last season on loan at Fiorentinawww.nytimes.com/athletic/746…

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-23T12:25:14.233Z

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

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