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Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Final Score 6-2 as Leaky Lions Suffer Another Heavy Road Loss

Martin Ojeda provided an early lead but Evander tallied five goal contributions as the Lions were embarrassed on the road again.

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2 months ago

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Image of Griffin Dorsey dribbling up the side past two FC Cincinnati defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After a disastrous start to the season, Orlando City entered tonight’s match at FC Cincinnati looking to enter the World Cup break with only one loss in the past six games. However, the Lions also had only won one away game all season. This wasn’t the game for them to get another one as Orlando City (4-9-2, 14 points) fell 6-2 to FC Cincinnati (5-5-5, 20 points) at TQL Stadium.

Thus, the Lions end the first part of the season as they started it.

Evander scored twice and assisted on three other goals to lead the rout, despite Martin Ojeda giving Orlando City the early lead in the first half and tying the game at 2-2 shortly after halftime. After the second of those goals, it was all FC Cincinnati, ripping apart a passive midfield and back line. Kenji Mboma Dem added a brace for the hosts and Kevin Denkey and Tom Barlow also scored.

“The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “They have talented players and take advantage of the mistakes we made. One thing everybody can be sure is that we gave everything on the field, maybe making some mistakes, but we gave everything.”

Perelman switched very little from the side that played four days ago in Orlando in the U.S. Open Cup match against Atlanta United, and one of the few changes was to start Maxime Crepeau in goal, after starting Javier Otero on Tuesday, behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda manned the middle inside of wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, as Marco Pasalic started the game on the bench ahead of his World Cup journey with Croatia. Justin Ellis and Martin Ojeda led the attack up front. That means most of the starting XI was playing its third game in seven days and it looked like it after an energetic opening 15 or 20 minutes.

Orlando City came out in a high press and was able to keep the ball trapped in the Cincinnati end for the first four minutes, winning a pair of free kicks, including one from 30 yards out in the fifth minute. Martin Ojeda tried to find some on the far post but overhit it. However, just one minute later, Tiago poked the ball away from Samuel Gidi, right to Martin Ojeda in the box, which he put in the back of the net. However, Ojeda was offside when Tiago poked the ball to him, nullifying what would have been the opener.

Once Cincinnati was able to survive that initial onslaught, the hosts were able to possess the ball a bit more in the midfield. Some of the passing was loose enough to entice the Lions to challenge aggressively and Marin went into a challenge on Kenji Mboma Dem awkwardly and picked up a yellow card in the 10th minute.

Orlando City’s pressure kept unsettling Cincinnati and in the 13th minute Dorsey crossed the ball into the box. Former Lion Kyle Smith got to it first to cut it off, but he took a heavy touch. That enabled Tiago to close him down and slip in between Smith and the ball. Smith caught Tiago’s leg, tripping the Brazilian in the box and handing his old team a penalty kick.

Martin Ojeda took the penalty kick and stutter-stepped enough to force goalkeeper Roman Celentano to move, and then he calmly slotted it down the middle, scoring his 10th goal of the MLS season and giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.

The teams exchanged possession for the next six minutes, and Orlando became less aggressive on the press after scoring the first goal. At the 24-minute mark, Bryan Ramirez was sent free on a long ball down the left side and put a great cross into Denkey to put him behind the defense, but Marin slid in at the last minute and knocked the ball out for a corner. FC Cincinnati piled on the pressure over the next six minutes, totaling six different attempts with an expected goal value of just 0.8. Orlando City could not possess the ball for any amount of time with FC Cincinnati starting to press higher, but the Lions withstood the pressure.

In the 32nd, Atuesta suffered a nasty tackle from behind, earning Gerardo Valenzuela a yellow card. The Lions got a bit better at possessing the ball but still had to defend more than they would like. It led to the eventual tying goal in the 42nd minute when an Evander corner found Mboma Dem, who beat Brekalo in the air and put arc on the header, sending it just inside the far post out of Crepeau’s reach. The placement couldn’t have been more perfect for Cincinnati.

Orlando City appeared like the team that had a game Tuesday playing against a fully-rested team. The Lions couldn’t possess for long stretches and kept giving away opportunities. In the second minute of first-half injury time, Martin Ojeda was slow reacting to an underhit Jansson pass, allowing Pavel Bucha to intercept it and start a counterattack. He switched field to an open Evander, who slotted it home at the far post.

Losing the lead seemed to get Orlando City focused a little more for the final few minutes, earning the team a corner, but it was deflected out on the recycle and halftime was called instead of giving the Lions a second set piece. As befits a half that saw Orlando City jump out with force but then lose energy, the Lions trailed in all stats as well. FC Cincinnati led in shots (13-6), shots on target (6-1), possession (53%-47%), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (90.9%-82.#%). With such a disparity in statistics, Orlando City was lucky to only be down one entering halftime despite a strong start.

Tyrese Spicer came on for Tiago at the break and Orlando City came out on the front foot again. The Lions kept Cincinnati trapped in their end and, one minute in, Atuesta intercepted a ball and was pulled back by Matt Miazga at the top of the box. Martin Ojeda took the ensuing free kick and placed it perfectly over the wall and into the top corner to even the game in the 48th minute. Ojeda’s 11th of the year in just 15 games puts him just five behind his MLS total of 16 in 33 games a year ago.

The fireworks were just beginning. Cincinnati pushed possession into the Orlando half and Mboma Dem got his head on another Evander corner but hit the crossbar. The rebound fell to Miazga, who couldn’t get enough on it to push it past Crepeau, who deflected it wide. However, just two minutes later, Evander found Mboma Dem in the box and the forward finished it cleanly to pick up his brace, restoring Cincinnati’s lead in the 52nd minute.

Orlando City tried to push fresh legs on in the 57th minute, subbing in Marco Pasalic for Ellis, who had a moment or two of interest but was not his best self. One minute later, the midfield let Evander carry the ball 30 yards forward, so he took them up on their offer and cracked one home from the top of the box in the 58th minute.

The Lions were able to re-establish their share of possession over the next eight minutes, leading to a series of corners that didn’t turn into anything dangerous. Eventually, Cincinnati was able to break through for a spell and Brekalo stepped up strongly on an Evander advance after a turnover by Pasalic and picked up a yellow card for his tactical foul in the 70th minute.

After Evander missed the following free kick, Orlando City subbed in Duncan McGuire for Marin and Wilder Cartagena for Dorsey. Two minutes later, FC Cincinnati brought in Brian Anunga for Obinna Nwobodo.

The subs didn’t bring any additional energy for Orlando City as, in the 77th minute, Evander dribbled in front from the left past multiple Lions and slipped a ball through the defense to Denkey in the box. Denkey had beaten Cartagena goal-side and pushed it past Crepeau to make the score 5-2 in the 77th minute.

Orlando City was able to apply pressure as Cincinnati seemed content with its allotment of goals and earned a couple of corners that went begging. Cincinnati brought on two more subs in the 83rd minute, pulling out Mboma Dem and Valenzuela for Tom Barlow and Ender Echenique. Atuesta showed a touch of skill one minute later, beating the defenders and hitting the far post with his attempt. Luis Otavio was brought on as Orlando City’s final sub in the 85th minute for Braian Ojeda.

Orlando City was able to apply a little more pressure as regulation time wore down, with Spicer getting a header blocked and Angulo getting his shot in the 90th minute saved. It eventually wore down though as, one minute later, Echenique chipped a pass to his sub mate Barlow, left unmarked by Brekalo and Otavio, and the forward was able to volley it home in the first minute of stoppage time.

Pasalic added one final moment of excitement as his left foot cannon unleashed a shot at the far post that Celentano was just able to tip wide. That was it for the game and the Lions now have some questions to answer regarding everything about the team and what it will look like when Antoine Griezmann joins the club after the break. An attack that is already decent will get better, but there are clearly some issues with the defense.

“It’s a bad mood in the dressing room, because we started the game really good,” Pasalic said. “We conceded a lot of goals this season but I cannot blame the defense. If you start to blame each other, it’s not good and you’re not going to end good.”

Orlando City was able to finish ahead in one statistic with the late push by leading in corners (8-6). FC Cincinnati again led all the rest: shots (23-20), shots on target (11-9), possession (57%-43%), and passing accuracy (89.8%-83.5%).

Orlando City now will be off until late July for the MLS World Cup break. The next match is scheduled for July 22 at the San Jose Earthquakes.

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Lion Links: 7/20/26

Pride fall to Utah Royals, OCB draws Chattanooga FC, Orlando City signs Clovis Archange, and more.

Published

16 hours ago

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July 20, 2026

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Image of Pedro Leao taking a penalty against Carolina Core FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work, but I checked out a Noah Kahan concert and watched the World Cup final while catching up with friends over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Fall at Utah Royals

The Orlando Pride fell 1-0 to the Utah Royals at America First Field Saturday night. Narumi Miura scored the lone goal for Utah to secure the win, while the Pride have lost back-to-back matches after losing to Boston Legacy Wednesday. That result also dropped Orlando below the playoff line, as the club sits ninth in the NWSL table with 20 points. The Pride will return home for their next match against the Chicago Stars Friday at Inter&Co Stadium.

OCB Wins Penalty Shootout After 1-1 Draw vs. Chattanooga FC

Orlando City B drew Chattanooga FC 1-1 on the road at Finley Stadium Saturday. Pedro Leao scored the opener for the Young Lions in the first half. However, in the second half, Chattanooga FC scored the equalizer. The Young Lions won the penalty shootout 4-3 to earn a second point. OCB will be back in action at home Sunday, facing Huntsville City FC at Osceola County Stadium.

Orlando City Signs Clovis Archange to Homegrown Player Contract

Orlando City announced Friday that the club has signed defender Clovis Archange to a Homegrown Player contract with the first team. The deal is a three-year contract lasting through the 2027 calendar year, with club options in 2028 and 2029. Archange has made six appearances across all competitions for OCB during the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, there is no movement on the rumored Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic’s potential transfer to Hull City, but the English Premier League side has reportedly inquired about a loan deal.

The Columbus Crew have signed former Manchester United and Real Oviedo center back Eric Bailly. The contract runs through June 2027, with club options for the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. Liga MX side CF Monterrey is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers.

LAFC has reportedly reached an agreement with Hammarby on a transfer fee to move midfielder Amin Boudri to the Swedish club. Lastly, San Diego FC is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.

🇹🇳 Sources: San Diego FC is finalizing a deal to sign Tunisia int'l winger Elias Achouri from FC Copenhagen.Achouri, 27, joins San Diego as a Designated Player. He had 5g/7a in 2,368 mins (37 apps) last year & played in all 3 games for Tunisia at the World Cup

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-07-18T16:37:04.314Z

Spain Wins World Cup

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday to win the World Cup for the second time since 2010. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time after committing a foul on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. The match went to extra time, and Ferran Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in the 106th minute. Argentina was unable to find a late equalizer to send the match to penalties. Argentina was looking to repeat as champions but had only two shots in the game (both in extra time) and failed to record a shot on goal. As for the FIFA World Cup awards, Spain midfielder Rodri took the Best Player Award, while France striker Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot Award with 10 goals, the Golden Glove Award went to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, and Cubarsi won the Young Player Award.

Free Kicks

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.

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Orlando City

Daryl Dike Returns to Orlando City, Signs Deal Through 2027

Daryl Dike is back with the Lions after being out of contract with West Bromwich Albion.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 17, 2026

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Image of Daryl Dike posing in his Orlando City kit after re-signing with the club on July 17, 2026.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Striker Daryl Dike has returned to the club that gave him his professional start. Orlando City announced today that it has signed Dike as a free agent through the 2027 MLS “sprint season” with an option for 2027-2028. The club also had to send $75,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM) to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for Dike’s Discovery Priority and could owe the Western Conference side another $75,000 in GAM if Dike meets undisclosed performance metrics.

The signing gives Dike a new start after an injury-plagued career at West Bromwich Albion.

“Daryl is a player our club and our fans know well, and we’re very excited to welcome him back to Orlando,” Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “He brings a powerful combination of strength, speed, and physical presence, and his ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the attack, and finish chances gives us another important option up front. Daryl has already shown what he can do in our league and in this city, and we look forward to helping him make an impact again in purple.” 

Dike, who will wear No. 9 for the Lions, returns nearly five years since Orlando City sold him to West Brom on Jan. 3, 2022, for a fee reported by The Athletic to be around $10 million.

The Edmond, OK native was Orlando City’s first-round selection with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. As a rookie, he started to see minutes on the pitch during the MLS is Back Tournament, making his professional debut against the Montreal Impact in the competition’s round of 16. From there, the striker out of the University of Virginia blossomed, playing in 35 regular-season matches with Orlando, including 30 starts, for a total of 2,547 minutes. He contributed 18 goals and seven assists on 63 shots, getting 27 on target. He passed well (71.1% in 2020 and 72.1% in 2021), providing 14 key passes. Dike drew 71 fouls while committing 40 and was never booked during the regular season in his time in MLS.

He also played in all three of Orlando City’s playoff games during his first stint with the club, starting all three and scoring one goal on five total shots (two on target). He suffered seven fouls and committed four, and picked up one yellow card in the 2020 postseason.

Following his rookie season, Dike went on loan to Barnsley, where he scored nine goals in 22 matches from February to May of 2021.

Dike’s play with the Lions in his first two professional seasons quickly put him on the USMNT radar and before he was sold to West Brom he made eight appearances and scored three goals for the United States at the senior level. He has added two more caps since for a total of 10.

After his sale to West Brom in the EFL Championship, Dike struggled to stay on the pitch, dealing with Achilles injuries that kept him off the pitch for long stretches. Dike managed to score 11 goals in 68 matches when healthy. He scored twice and added an assist in 24 matches in 2025-2026, starting six times, as he was finally able to get a stretch of games in.

“I’m thrilled to be back where it all started,” Dike said in the club’s press release. “Orlando is where I first got the opportunity to play professionally, and returning here feels like coming home. From the moment I arrived the first time, I felt welcomed, and that same feeling has only grown since I’ve come back. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful to be back in Orlando.” 

What It Means for Orlando City

Dike fills a hole vacated by the trade of Duncan McGuire to the Houston Dynamo a week ago. It will be interesting to see where his salary slots in when the MLS Players’ Association reveals its next salary information. McGuire, who had his own injury struggles in recent years, made a base salary of $600,000 and a total guaranteed annual compensation of over $920,000.

The hope will be that Dike can both stay healthy and contribute at a higher level than McGuire was prior to his trade to Houston. The new scenery may do McGuire good and a return to familiar surroundings may similarly help Dike regain his footing. At just 26 years old, Dike is still in his prime years and there are plenty of miles left in Dike’s legs if he can stay on the pitch. Fans will remember how he tossed center backs around like rag dolls during his two previous seasons in Orlando. That kind of physicality will open a lot of room underneath for Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda.

With just a year and a half on the base deal, this is a low-risk and potentially very high-reward signing for the Lions.

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Flashback Friday: July 15, 2023 at Atlanta United

Let’s rewind to a tense battle up in Atlanta that took place a little over three years ago.

Published

4 days ago

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July 17, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Well everyone, Major League Soccer is officially back. The league returned from its summer hiatus with three games Thursday night (four were scheduled but air quality from the Canadian wildfires caused Chicago vs. Vancouver to be postponed), and two more games are set to be played later today. Orlando City won’t take the field until Wednesday night against the San Jose Earthquakes though, so that means we have time for one more trip down memory lane. Last week, we went four years into the past and reminisced on a weird 1-0 win over Inter Miami that came courtesy of a Damion Lowe own goal. Today, we go back to mid-July 2023 and a road trip against Atlanta United.

Orlando had been in mostly good form heading into the team’s trip up I-75 to take on the Five Stripes but had hit a sizable bump in the road in the previous match in the form of a 4-0 hammering out west against Real Salt Lake. Oscar Pareja went to his usual 4-2-3-1 in an effort to get back to winning ways, with Pedro Gallese in goal; Rafael Santos, Antonio Carlos, Robin Jansson, and Kyle Smith at the back; Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena at the double pivot; Ivan Angulo, Mauricio Pereyra, and Facundo Torres in attacking midfield, and Duncan McGuire leading the line.

The Lions seemed determined to put the previous game’s woes behind them and fashioned a chance with not even a minute played. McGuire played a slick pass behind the defense for Pereyra, but a poor first touch let him down and Brad Guzan came off his line well to save from point-blank range. Torres, McGuire, and Araujo then tried shots in the fifth, sixth, and eighth minutes, respectively, but none of them troubled Atlanta’s goalkeeper.

Orlando then took its foot off the gas a bit after trying to come out of the gates and overwhelm the hosts, but some self-inflicted errors gave the Five Stripes some life and eventually led to them opening the scoring. The Lions took a poor throw-in during the 22nd minute which turned the ball over deep in their own defensive third. Miguel Berry drew four OCSC players to him before flicking a ball over the top for Machop Chol. Carlos saved Chol’s deflected shot off the line but Caleb Wiley was first to the loose ball and did well to lift his shot into the net over a recovering Gallese.

Fortunately, the good guys were able to find a quick response. Orlando had a dangerous free kick just three minutes after conceding, and Pereyra curled in a dangerous ball toward the penalty spot. Carlos rose highest and powered a vicious header into the far corner with Guzan left helpless.

Leveling the game gave Orlando a needed injection of belief. McGuire tried his luck at catching Guzan off his line in the 35th minute, and Angulo put a powerful shot just outside the post two minutes later. Smith even had a pop from distance in the 42nd minute, but it went high and that was the last meaningful action of the half.

Atlanta ended the opening 45 minutes with more of the ball (52.1%-47.9%) and more corners (2-0), while OCSC took more shots (7-5) put more shots on target (3-2), and passed more accurately (81.3%-78.2%).

The two teams traded chances after a slow start to the second half, with a deflected ball trickling just wide of the Atlanta net in the 51st minute, before Santiago Sosa put a ball onto the roof of Gallese’s goal four minutes later.

Orlando then went ahead in the 60th minute. Pereyra split Atlanta’s center backs with a great ball for McGuire, who held off Luis Abram’s recovery efforts, and put a low shot past Guzan and into the side netting.

The good guys really should have bagged an insurance goal in the 68th minute, but Ramiro Enrique’s diving header went off the post and out after a great cross from Torres. Pareja then switched to five at the back to try to see out the game, and Atlanta managed to generate some chances. Thiago Almada and Matheus Rossetto had chances in the 88th and 90th minutes, but nothing came of them. The most dangerous moment occurred deep in stoppage time. Atlanta had a dangerous free kick in the 98th minute, and Almada sent a wicked-looking effort on net, but Gallese got over well and put two strong hands on it to parry away.

Atlanta took the resulting corner, but the Lions cleared successfully and the final whistle blew to give the visitors a 2-1 win and all three points.

Atlanta finished with more possession (59.2%-40.8%), corners (7-1), and shot attempts (17-10), but each side put four shots on target. The hosts were also more accurate when it came to passing the ball (84%-76.3%).

Marcus Mitchell was on Player Grades for this one, and he gave Carlos the Man of the Match nod with a grade of 7.5 out of 10. Other high scorers on the evening were Pereyra and McGuire, who each earned grades of 7 out of 10.

Here’s hoping the Lions can pick up some road points in a similar fashion when they return to play next Wednesday. Vamos Orlando!

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