Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo: Final Score 1-0 as Toothless Lions Continue to Struggle
Orlando City returned to the MLS basement with yet another dreadful outing against a meh Houston Dynamo side at home.
Hector Herrera’s goal was the difference in one of the least memorable games at Inter&Co Stadium, as the Houston Dynamo leave the City Beautiful with a 1-0 victory over Orlando City. The Lions (1-6-1, 4 points) continued their dreadful start to the season with a better defensive performance that was helped by poor finishing by Houston (3-4-0, 9 points), but the attack is as toothless as it’s been in years.
Orlando rarely looked threatening, and when it was, the ball went anywhere except in the net — off the woodwork, off the goalkeeper, or off bodies in front.
“The defeat hurts even more at home, where we want to win always,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “Other than that, everybody saw what happened in the game. I think there was almost one team on the field dominating. We couldn’t score, and they found that goal in transition, and that’s the game.”
Perelman’s starting lineup featured Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, Iago, and Zakaria Taifi, as both David Brekalo and Griffin Dorsey were unavailable. Braian Ojeda and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield with wingers Ivan Angulo and Tyrese Spicer with Martin Ojeda and Tiago leading the attack.
Neither team could seize control in a back-and-forth first half that saw the Lions and Dynamo squander both squander chances, combining for one shot on target in 14 total attempts. While Houston wasted more opportunities, Orlando City botched the best scoring chance of the opening 45 minutes.
Mateusz Bogusz wasted no time getting involved, firing a shot from the top of the box in the game’s first minute that Jansson blocked. Houson’s early attack continued, with Marin blocking Guilherme’s attempt at the top of the area in the fourth minute. The follow-up shot from distance by Diadie Samassekou was way off target to the right.
The first threat from Orlando came 10 minutes in when Tiago sent a cross in from the left for Spicer on the backside. The Trinidadian went up to head the shot but sent it over the bar.
Both teams won a few set pieces in the middle section of the half but couldn’t pay them off. Ojeda came closest, missing the upper left corner on a free kick from distance on the right in the 30th minute.
With chances hard to come by, Guilherme tried his luck from extreme distance in the 38th minute but his attempt was always rising over the bar.
Orlando then survived a series of set pieces, with Crepeau making the game’s first save, going up to palm away Felipe Andrade’s header on the recycle of a corner in the 40th minute. A minute later, Andrade was left alone near the top of the area and sent a low shot just wide of the left post.
As the half wound down, the Lions had the best scoring chance of the opening period but muffed it. Spicer got down the left channel and sent in a great ball across to Tiago on the right. The young Brazilian had almost the whole net to shoot at but he hit the goal frame, wasting the chance.
That was the final look of the half and the teams went into the break scoreless. Houston held the advantage in shots (9-5), shots on target (1-0), and passing accuracy (88.2%-87.3%), while both teams won three corners.
Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond must have picked up a knock, as he was subbed off for Jimmy Maurer at halftime. Maurer had a busier half than Bond did, but the two allowed the same number of goals, which was none.
Angulo fired off target from outside the area three minutes after the restart with the first shot attempt of the second half, but Houston started the half better as it had in the opening 45 minutes.
Jansson did well to track back in transition to break up a three-on-three Houston attack on the counter in the 49th minute. Guilherme and Bogusz fired over the bar from similar spots in the 54th and 55th minutes as the Dynamo opened the half with more energy.
But Orlando City settled into the game and had good spells of possession, even if the Lions couldn’t make them pay off. The best opportunity to do that came in the 66th minute.
Martin Ojeda’s corner kick into the box fell for Braian Ojeda, who fired a shot that Agustin Resch blocked in front. Iago’s follow-up shot was blocked off the line by former Lion Antonio Carlos. Maurer made a save on the third Orlando City attempt in quick succession, as Martin Ojeda’s shot found the target but could not beat the substitute goalkeeper.
Houston nearly made Orlando pay quickly for failing to finish. In the 68th minute, the Dynamo countered and Bogusz sent in a great back-post cross from right to left to Ezequiel Ponce. The forward’s header went just wide of the right post as he tried to send the shot back against Crepeau’s movement.
The previous counterattacks should have served as warning signs, but Houston scored on one in the 75th minute. Angulo lost the ball in the attacking third and Lawrence Ennali broke down the right channel. Jansson ran with him, but as he neared the goal line, the Dynamo man faked a shot and Jansson went to ground. Ennali then picked out Ponce, who was all alone out front. Iago blocked Ponce’s shot off the line, but the reprieve didn’t last long. Herrera was completely unmarked and slotted it home for the game’s only goal.
“We lost the ball outside of their box, which I think we could have taken care of the ball a little bit more, but then they got the transition,” Jansson said. “I ended up to coming too close to Max, and then he dribbled me. And then we weren’t able to catch up on the rebound. I think it was Iago that saved it on the goal line. Herrera has an open goal and put it in, similar to what we had. Almost an identical situation. We don’t score. They score.”
Orlando kept pushing for an equalizer, but struggled to create clear-cut chances down the stretch. Harvey Sarajian and Ignacio Gomez each made their MLS debuts, coming on to add energy and fresh legs.
Second-half sub Justin Ellis took a pass just inside the area in the 81st minute, spun, and fired a shot. However, his effort was right at Maurer. Five minutes later, after Houston blocked several cross attempts, Iago tried an ambitious shot from distance, but he too sent his shot at Maurer, who wasn’t troubled by it.
Houston had a couple of late chances to put the match to bed, but Crepeau did well to deny Guilherme in the third minute of stoppage time.
Iago sent a header into the seats two minutes later in what turned out to be City’s last shot attempt. Braian Ojeda committed a foul in transition at the other end and Houston saw out the 1-0 road win.
Houston finished with the advantage in shots (19-17) and shots on target (6-3), while the Lions passed more accurately (88.1%-84.3%) and won more corners (4-3).
“We are building this team, coordinating the team again,” Perelman said. “I think the team is competing, and I have no doubt that goals are going to come again for sure.”
“In truth, I think the game tonight, we deserved to win,” Braian Ojeda said. “I come here sad tonight, because I feel like the group did everything that we needed to do to win. But at the end of the day, football is like that.”
“Super frustrating,” Jansson added. “I think we were playing a quite good game. We’re trying to become more playing with the ball than we’ve been doing in the beginning of the season, and yeah, we’re creating some chances, having some scoring opportunities, (hit) a post, and something similar to what they scored on, they have most likely their only big chance, they score on (it). And it’s super frustrating, of course, and we’re not happy with the loss. We’re here to compete for Orlando City. And to be completely honest, it hasn’t been good enough.”
It will be another quick turnaround for the Lions as they will host Charlotte FC on Wednesday.
Lion Links
Lion Links 9/22/26
Cosette Morche up for weekly honors, lessons from matchday 27, key players in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and more.
Good morning, everyone. It was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad weekend for Orlando’s three soccer teams, as they all lost and did so by an aggregate score of 12-5. Fortunately, we’ve got lots to talk about this morning, so let’s not dwell any further on the horror show that was the weekend slate, and instead dive into today’s links.
Cosette Morche up for Weekly Honors
Despite the Orlando Pride falling at home against the Portland Thorns, a bright spot has emerged from the game in the form of Cosette Morche being nominated for the NWSL Save of the Week. She made a fantastic triple save in the 17th minute to frustrate both Sophia Wilson and Pietra Tordin and keep the score at 1-0. Unfortunately, the Pride went on to lose 4-1, but Morche continued a trend of strong performances in net since taking over for the loaned-out Anna Moorhouse. Make sure you go vote for her to win!
Lessons from Matchday 27
Matchday 27 is in the books for Major League Soccer, and there are plenty of things to be learned from the weekend’s action. A number of young players called up by the United States Men’s National Team turned in impressive performances, as Cavan Sullivan had a goal and an assist, Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre helped Sullivan and the Union overturn a 4-3 deficit against Sporting Kansas City, and Julian Hall scored the winner in the Hudson River Derby. Elsewhere, Nashville clinched a playoff spot and did so in style by knocking off a good Chicago Fire team 3-0. Finally, St Louis City beat Toronto FC 3-1 and now has a mind-boggling 16-game unbeaten streak in the league that grows to 18 games unbeaten in all competitions.
Women’s Champions League Key Players
The UEFA Women’s Champions League kicks off today, so this is an excellent time to familiarize yourself with some of the most important players in the competition. Some of them may be familiar to you already, like Real Madrid’s Colombian attacker Linda Caicedo or Chelsea midfielder Lauren James. Midfielder Patri Guijarro will be an important piece for Barcelona following the summer departures of Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo, while Annamaria Serturini, Remina Chiba, and Redondo are in a similar situation for Juventus. Finally, there are players on less heralded teams, like Uka Modesta for Austria Wien and Lowiese Seynhaeve for OH Leuven.
Granit Xhaka Dropped by Switzerland
We finish our main story section today with an odd one, as Granit Xhaka has been left out of the latest Switzerland squad after he admitted to using a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Amid an investigation into a Swiss doctor who was allegedly producing false certificates for unvaccinated individuals, Xhaka has admitted to using falsified paperwork. Not only has he been left out of the Swiss squad, but he could also face legal repercussions, and the player confirmed that he is currently in the process of speaking to the authorities. Xhaka is Switzerland’s all-time leader in appearances, and has been a key member of the team for a number of years.
Free Kicks
- Orlando City somehow rose two spots to no.10 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
- The Orlando Pride held fast at no. 12 in the same outlet’s NWSL power rankings.
- For better or worse, Orlando City will be back in the red kits for Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union.
- Alexis Mac Allister says no decision has been made yet on his Liverpool future, but he has plenty of time and plenty of options to consider.
- Italy coach Roberto Mancini says he is hoping to win back fans who were upset with him for leaving the national team three years ago.
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s road loss to the New England Revolution?
Orlando City was minutes away from drawing the New England Revolution Saturday night, which would’ve been a big point in the Lions’ quest for the postseason. But two second-half injury-time goals saw that point dissipate. Instead, they followed their U.S. Open Cup semifinal defeat with a crushing 4-2 loss.
Let’s take a look at how the individual players fared in the disappointing result.
Starters
GK, Maxime Crepeau, 5 — None of the four goals were specifically Crepeau’s fault, with one being a deflection and the other three coming from poor defense. But the goalkeeper’s four goals conceded matched his number of saves. It can also be argued he should’ve come out earlier on some of the goals to cut down the attacker’s angle. In addition to his four goals conceded and four saves, he ended the game with 39 touches and completed 74.1% of his 27 passes, including seven of his 14 long balls.
D, Bernardo Rhein, 5.5 — The teenager got the start at left back in this game, touching the ball 58 times. He completed 83.3% of his 42 passes, but neither of his two long balls nor his lone cross. Defensively, Rhein recorded a tackle and a blocked shot before being replaced in the 77th minute by Harvey Sarajian in an attacking change.
D, Robin Jansson, 5.5 — The Orlando City captain had 65 touches in this game and completed 98.1% of his 53 passes, including three of his four long balls. Defensively, he had an interception, a team-high six clearances, and an aerial duel won. But his age showed as he was unable to keep up with the counterattacks the other way. While it wasn’t a bad game for Jansson, I can’t give a higher grade to a key component of a back line that conceded four times.
D, David Brekalo, 5.5 — Jansson’s center back partner had 52 touches and completed 95% of his 40 passes, including one of his two long balls. He took one shot in the game, but it was off target. Defensively, Brekalo recorded a tackle and six clearances, and won two aerial balls. Similar to Jansson, Brekalo wasn’t necessarily bad, but was part of a center back pairing that helped concede four goals.
D, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo started this game at right back and moved to left wing and left back as the game progressed. As you would expect, the Colombian pushed forward quite a bit. He ended the game with 69 touches and completed 81.3% of his 48 passes, including one of his three long balls. His most impactful play came in the 62nd minute, when he shielded his defender to tuck away the Lions’ first goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1. That was his lone shot of the night. Defensively, he added five tackles and two interceptions, providing one of the team’s best performances.
MF, Tyrese Spicer, 5 — In the team’s third game in eight days, Spicer got the start in the midfield. He touched the ball 20 times and completed 72.7% of his 11 passes, including his lone long ball. Other than that, he did little offensively before being replaced by Zakaria Taifi at halftime, allowing Angulo to go forward. Defensively, he added a tackle and an interception, but the Lions could’ve used much more from the speedster.
MF, Joran Gerbet, 6 — Gerbet once again was in the lineup for the Lions, playing his typical defensive midfield role. The Frenchman had a team-high 72 touches and completed 98.5% of his 67 passes, including two key passes and both of his long balls. The midfielder’s only shot was blocked, but it bounced off Peyton Miller’s hand for a penalty. He also contributed defensively with a tackle and an interception. Gerbet was replaced by Tiago in second-half stoppage time to bring on an attacker after the team fell behind again.
MF, Luis Otavio, 5.5 — The quick turnaround gave Otavio a chance to start, though he only played 45 minutes. The Brazilian had 21 touches and completed 94.1% of his 17 passes, including one of his two long balls. He didn’t contribute any shots in the attack and only recorded a clearance defensively in what was a rather forgettable performance. His night ended at halftime when he was taken off for regular starter Eduard Atuesta.
MF, Marco Pasalic, 5.5 — With Antoine Griezmann injured, Pasalic got a rare start. He touched the ball 35 times and completed 91.7% of his 24 passes, including one of his two long balls. The attacking midfielder took two shots and put one on target. Defensively, he recorded two tackles and a clearance before being replaced by Daryl Dike in the 71st minute.
F, Martin Ojeda, 6 (MotM) — Ojeda is starting to look more like his old self since returning from injury and was the primary attacker for the Lions in this game. The Argentinian had 59 touches and completed 79.6% of his 44 passes, including a key pass, two of his three long balls, and two of his four crosses. He also put two of his three shots on target. Ojeda was instrumental in the attacking movement that ended with Angulo’s goal, working a give-and-go straight up the middle with Justin Ellis. In the 88th minute, he converted the game-tying penalty, keeping his record from the spot perfect and pulling him to within one goal of Facundo Torres for the club record. He was the best player for me and earned my Man of the Match.
F, Justin Ellis, 5.5 — Ellis was active in this game, touching the ball 67 times and completing 76.1% of his 46 passes, including one of his two long balls and one of his two crosses. His only shot was off target. The forward added two tackles in his last game before heading out on international duty.
Substitutes
D, Zakaria Taifi, 5.5 (45’) — Taifi came on at halftime for Spicer, allowing Angulo to move forward into his natural position. The Homegrown Player had 24 touches in his 45 minutes while completing 85.7% of his 14 passes. He had three key passes, completed his lone cross, and didn’t complete either of his two long balls. The defender didn’t do anything else offensively, but added a tackle and a clearance.
MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 (45’) — A regular starter, Atuesta got the first half off before coming on for Otavio. The Colombian touched the ball 41 times and completed 94.1% of his 34 passes, including a key pass and two of his three long balls, but neither of his two crosses. Additionally, his only shot was on target. Defensivley, Atuesta didn’t record any statistics.
F, Daryl Dike, 4.5 (71’) — Dike came on for Pasalic in the 71st minue with the Lions looking for a goal. It was another disappointing performance for the striker, who only had six touches and completed two of his four passes. Despite coming on to score, his only shot was off target and he didn’t contribute anything defensively.
F, Harvey Sarajian, 5 (77’) — Sarajian came on for Rhein in the 77th minute, another move aimed towards finding an equalizer. The rookie had seven touches in 13 minutes while completing 83.3% of his six passes. Sarajian also didn’t contribute much in this game, failing to take a shot or build an attack.
MF, Tiago, N/A (90+5’) — Tiago came on in the dying minutes for Gerbet after Orlando CIty fell behind again. The attacker only recorded three touches, completed his lone pass, and drew a foul in his brief stint on the field.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in this disappointing loss. Let us know how you saw the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote on your Man of the Match.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/21/26
All of Orlando’s soccer teams lose, Lions unveil Vinicius Nogueira, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been staying busy at work over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy belated birthday to Orlando Pride defender Cori Dyke, who turned 26 on Sunday, and a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Bernardo Rhein, who turns 19 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Concede Two Late Goals in Loss at New England
Orlando City fell 4-2 to the New England Revolution on the road on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, conceding twice in stoppage time to drop a point. After trailing 2-0, the Lions came back with second-half goals from Ivan Angulo and Martin Ojeda, with the latter from the penalty spot just before the 90 minutes were up. However, in stoppage time, the Lions imploded, with Peyton Miller and Carles Gil closing out the night with two goals each for the Revolution. The loss snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten streak in league play, and the Lions left Foxborough with no points instead of at least one. Orlando City will be back on the road for its next match on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.
Lions Unveil Vinicius Nogueira
Orlando City unveiled left back Vinicius Nogueira on Friday with a photo shoot at Inter.co Stadium.
The Lions signed Nogueira on Aug. 27 on loan from Bulgarian First League side PFC Ludogorets through the end of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, with an option to make the move permanent. The 24-year-old Brazilian was on the bench during Orlando City’s match against the New England Revolution on Saturday but did not play.
Pride Fall at home to Portland Thorns
The Orlando Pride lost 4-1 to the Portland Thorns on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, and while the team is still mathematically alive for the postseason, the home defeat made things even more of a longshot than they were. The Pride started slowly and were down 2-0 before Ally Lemos pulled one back in the first half. Orlando missed several scoring chances, and in the second half, Portland scored two goals to put the match away. Orlando will travel to the West Coast to take on Bay FC on Sunday.
OCB Falls to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day
Orlando City B lost 4-2 to Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day Sunday at Osceola County Stadium, falling all the way to 10th and out of the playoff places. Atlanta struck first early before Issah Haruna tied it up for the Young Lions. However, Atlanta got an own goal when Tristan Himes punched a set piece deliver in off Harvey Sarajian to retake the lead, and Ignacio Saurez-Couri added another to make it 3-1. Justin Hylton scored for OCB to cut the deficit to one before halftime. In the second half, Dominik Chong-Qui scored the final goal to secure Atlanta’s win. For the Young Lions, the season ends in disappointment again, missing the MLS NEXT Pro postseason for the second straight season.
Free Kicks
- Just two days after Gabi Nunes and the Orlando Pride mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday, Nunes signed with Liga F side Atletico de Madrid Femenino on Friday.
- New York City FC is reportedly signing defender Matt Miazga after he was waived by FC Cincinnati earlier this month.
- German-American and FC Augsburg defender Noahkai Banks announced Friday that he has committed to playing for the German Men’s National Team over the USMNT. Banks had previously played for the U.S. at the youth level.
- Folarin Balogun made his first appearance of the season in Ligue 1 for AS Monaco in a 2-1 win against RC Lens after his move to Everton fell through in the final hours of the transfer window earlier this month.
- Christian Pulisic started and scored for AC Milan in a 3-0 win against Lecce, extending the team’s Serie A unbeaten streak to five matches.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
PawedCast Episode 552: Crew and Revs Rewinds, Philly Preview, OCB Out of Playoffs, and More
Lion Links 9/22/26
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match
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