Connect with us

Orlando City

Orlando City vs. Nashville SC: Five Takeaways

Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s leave-it-to-the-very-end 3-2 win over Nashville.

Published

12 months ago

on

Image of Martin Ojeda taking a shot against Nashville SC.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

After two disappointing defeats to Nashville earlier this season, Orlando City walked away with three points on Saturday night, snatching victory from the jaws of a draw and defeating the boys in gold 3-2. It was the Lions’ first outright win in more than a month, and it was massive, considering Nashville is right next to Orlando City in the Eastern Conference standings.

I have “Purple Rain” playing (the Prince version? the Don Toliver version? feel free to guess in the comments) so let’s get going. Here are my five takeaways from the match.

The Cardiac Cats Were Back

The Lions left it very late, but as they say, “it ain’t over ’til it’s over” and it was in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Duncan McGuire finished Tyrese Spicer’s cross to win the game for Orlando City. I will admit that when Alex Freeman had his shot blocked in the third minute of stoppage time, I thought that his shot attempt was going to be the final good chance, but the players never gave up and were able to go end to end just two minutes later, stunning Nashville and scoring right in front of The Wall, which went crazy as the ball hit the back of the net. All wins are worth three points, but there really is nothing like the feeling of a last-gasp winner, especially at home.

Two Goals in Two Minutes

Early in the first half, it felt like there would be no need for stress and hand-wringing in the final minutes of the game, because Martín Ojeda followed up his brilliant free kick goal with another goal just two minutes later from an assist by Transylvania University’s (it is Halloween season, so this must be mentioned) Kyle Smith, putting Orlando City up 2-0 and seemingly on the way to a comfortable win. The two goals in two minutes on Saturday night was actually the fourth time this season that Orlando City scored twice within such a short time frame, joining May 7 against Tampa Bay (U.S. Open Cup), June 25 against St. Louis (MLS), and Aug. 6 against Necaxa (Leagues Cup). I recommend that the Lions try to do this in every game, because two goals are twice as nice as one goal, and help a whole lot with winning.

A Two-Goal Lead Coughed Up

Unfortunately for Orlando City, and all of us fans, that two-goal lead that Ojeda created did not last very long, and both goals the Lions allowed were completely preventable. Hany Mukhtar is one of the league’s best attacking players, and he was able to free himself in first-half stoppage time and beat Pedro Gallese to his right, but the shot hit the post. All of the Orlando City defenders simply stood and watched Mukhtar’s shot, and then reacted late as the ball caromed off the post and came back into play. Mukhtar, however, did not simply stand and watch his shot, and since he kept moving while the Orlando City defenders stood flat-footed, he was first to the rebound and cut the lead to 2-1, completely changing the tenor of the game and the halftime adjustments that each coach had likely planned to make.

Nashville then brought on the fleet-of-foot Jacob Shaffelburg to start the second half, and just five minutes into the half, David Brekalo did not look over his shoulder to see Shaffelburg sprinting inside of him. Shaffelburg beat Brekalo to Daniel Lovitz’s cross and finished past Gallese from point-blank range to tie the game up, just 19 minutes after Orlando City had gone up by two goals.

Óscar Pareja Went 4/4 With His Substitution Choices

Due to injuries, Orlando City’s bench was once again populated with several players who primarily play with OCB, but with the choices he had available, Pareja made perfect selections, bringing on McGuire, Spicer, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, and Colin Guske. The game-winning goal came from the combination of three of those substitutes, as the ball went from Thórhallsson to Spicer to McGuire to the back of the net. All three of those players, and Guske, played well offensively and defensively during their minutes on the field, with a special shout out to McGuire’s run tracking back on defense to snuff out an attack after Ojeda could not control a pass and turned the ball over, and Thórhallsson’s recovery run to take the ball off Shaffelburg’s foot inside the 18 after a long ball over the top. Guske had not played in an MLS match since June 14, but he was a strong defensive presence as well and did not look like a player who had played fewer than 10 MLS minutes all season. I often criticize Pareja’s substitution choices, or lack thereof, but he was spot on against Nashville, and those substitutes helped win that game for the Lions.

A Playoff Spot Is Nearly Clinched

Orlando City’s win did not clinch a playoff spot, but according to playoffstatus.com, the Lions now have a more than 99% chance of being in the playoffs, and they can clinch that spot next week. That last-gasp goal helped the Lions jump over Nashville and into sixth place, and based on the other results around the league, they would have been in eighth place had McGuire not scored that winner. The backloaded schedule is a gauntlet, and those two extra points may end up being the difference between an automatic spot in the quarterfinals and needing to win a play-in game to get there — or, if things go well, the difference between being on the road or at home for a best-of-three playoff series in the first round.

Those are my takeaways from Orlando City’s white knuckle ride of a 3-2 victory over Nashville. It will not get any easier. In fact, it will get harder next week as Orlando City travels to second-place Cincinnati for a Sunday night showdown. A Sunday game gives the Lions an extra day of rest, however, and hopefully they will have several of their injured players back on the gameday roster when they kick off that match and try to bring three more points back to Orlando.

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

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

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

6 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

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

on

September 4, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

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

1 day ago

on

September 4, 2026

By

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!

Continue Reading

Trending