Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (12-13-5, 41 points) and New York City FC (8-12-10, 34 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the second of the two scheduled meetings between the Lions and Pigeons this season.

Here is what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

The Lions are 7-12-8 in 26 meetings with NYCFC in the all-time series in MLS play and 7-12-10 on their home grounds in all competitions, including one playoff match and one U.S. Open Cup meeting (remember, games that go to penalty shootouts in knockout competitions officially count as draws). Orlando is 4-3-6 at home in regular-season games in the all-time series, 5-3-6 in all regular-season matches in the greater Orlando area when factoring in the win in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020, and 5-3-8 in home games in all competitions against NYCFC. Things have trended the Pigeons’ way the last few years, as the Lions are 0-6-2 in the last eight meetings between the teams.

The Lions and Pigeons last met at Yankee Stadium on March 7 and it was a nightmare for OCSC fans. Maxime Crepeau was sent off early and New York City FC bludgeoned 10-man Orlando 5-0 in Oscar Pareja’s last match in charge of the Lions. Agustin Ojeda, Nicolas Fernandez Mercau, Maxi Moralez (penalty), and Keaton Parks (two goals) did the offensive damage.

The teams met twice last year and NYCFC swept the season series. Orlando City blew a late 1-0 lead at home on July 16, 2025, through Robin Jansson’s goal. But Rodrigo Schlegel smashed a clearance attempt off Kyle Smith and into his own net just a few minutes before the end of normal time, tying the game. Alonso Martinez scored the winner on a counterattack in stoppage time to end the game 2-1 in favor of the visitors.

In Orlando City’s first road game of the 2025 season, the Lions fell 2-1 at Yankee Stadium on March 8. Martinez opened the scoring in the second half, with Luis Muriel equalizing. However, just two minutes after Muriel’s goal, Hannes Wolf scored what turned out to be the game winner.

In Orlando on July 20, 2024, the two 2015 expansion rivals played to a 1-1 draw. Ramiro Enrique and Wolf traded goals five minutes apart in the second half to account for all the scoring. The Lions and Pigeons met at Yankee Stadium on June 28 of that season, with New York City FC winning 4-2. An early Santiago Rodriguez goal opened the scoring and then things went horribly wrong when an obviously offside Malachi Jones collided hard with Orlando goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar. Both players left the game and both had season-ending surgery to repair broken tibias and fibulas. Javier Otero made his MLS debut in goal off the bench and the Lions allowed two goals in first-half stoppage time to let a close game get out of hand. Orlando pulled two goals back through Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Duncan McGuire, but Mounsef Bakrar sealed the game late for NYCFC.

The teams met at Citi Field — a different baseball stadium than NYCFC’s usual one — on Sept. 20, 2023. The Pigeons were rude hosts, winning 2-0 on goals by Bakrar and Talles Magno. It snapped Orlando’s five-game unbeaten run but the Lions clinched a playoff spot that day anyway due to other results around the league. These teams also met in Orlando on May 17, and with the Lions poised for a 1-0 win, NYCFC eked out a late 1-1 draw with a Gabriel Segal goal at the end of normal time. Ercan Kara scored for Orlando City.

The teams faced off at Red Bull Arena (one of NYCFC’s many homes away from home) on Oct. 2, 2022, with the Pigeons erasing a 1-0 halftime deficit that Facundo Torres provided. The “hosts” got second-half goals from Alex Callens and Magno to complete the comeback and win 2-1. Earlier in the year at Exploria Stadium, the Lions got a Tesho Akindele goal at the death, stunning NYCFC as Orlando City won 2-1 on Aug. 28, 2022. Junior Urso and Moralez had scored early in the first and second half, respectively.

Orlando City had a five-game unbeaten streak in the series (1-0-4) absolutely demolished on July 25, 2021 in a 5-0 loss at Yankee Stadium. The Lions started a makeshift lineup and it showed, as the Pigeons got goals from Jesus Medina, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, Moralez, Malte Amundsen, and Valentin Castellanos. Why the makeshift lineup? That match was sandwiched between home games against Philadelphia and Atlanta, with quick turnarounds for each. The strategy was sound, as Orlando won the other two games in that nine-day span.

The teams met in Orlando on May 8, 2021 and drew 1-1. Nani smashed a golazo in the second half to put the Lions on top, but Joao Moutinho fouled Tajouri-Shradi in the box and Castellanos equalized from the spot.

The last meeting of the 2020 season happened in the postseason and things got weird. Orlando City ultimately prevailed in penalties after a 1-1 postseason draw on Nov. 21, 2020. Nani put Orlando ahead from the penalty spot, only to see Maxime Chanot equalize on a set piece. Extra time couldn’t settle it, so to penalties we went, and the Lions advanced thanks to a save by Schlegel — after goalkeeper Pedro Gallese was sent off with a second yellow for coming off his line early. Benji Michel’s blast was the difference in the shootout. (Seriously, just click the above link in this paragraph and relive that madness.)

The Lions and Pigeons wrapped the 2020 season series on Oct. 14 at Exploria Stadium, playing to a 1-1 draw. Chris Mueller opened the scoring but Parks equalized just before halftime. The first meeting of 2020 also took place in Central Florida in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 14, when Mueller’s brace and a late Akindele insurance goal led Orlando to a 3-1 win. Medina scored for NYCFC. That win snapped Orlando City’s 0-4-3 streak in the previous seven competitive meetings with the Pigeons. The last match in that winless streak against NYCFC was a 1-1 draw, with the Lions then dispatching NYCFC from the U.S. Open Cup in a penalty shootout on July 10, 2019. That night has been immortalized for the running of The Wall and Adam Grinwis’ heroics in goal.

The teams drew both regular-season meetings in 2019, 1-1 on April 27 at Yankee Stadium, and 2-2 on opening day at Exploria Stadium. NYCFC took all three meetings in a dismal 2018 season series. The Lions went 2-1-0 against New York City FC in 2017, including a win to christen the stadium now known as Exploria with Cyle Larin scoring the only goal in a 1-0 OCSC win. Orlando was 3-1-2 in 2015 and 2016 in the first six meetings with NYCFC.

Overview

Orlando City is coming off a 4-1 demolition of D.C. United a week ago, with Antoine Griezmann leading the way with two goals and an assist. Martin Ojeda scored that goal and also picked up an assist, with Marco Pasalic giving Orlando a hat trick of Designated Player goal scorers on the night. Despite the Lions’ being just four goals from tying the club’s single-season record for goals conceded (74 in 2018), they find themselves above the playoff line in seventh place with just four matches remaining. That is the final guaranteed first-round spot, with eighth and ninth places going to a single-elimination Wild Card match. Orlando can greatly improve its chances of finishing in the postseason places with a win tonight, as a difficult two-game road trip lies ahead next. Orlando is 9-4-2 at home this season and has won five consecutive matches in the purple palace.

New York City FC is coming off a 1-1 home draw against LAFC last weekend, but the Pigeons are winless in five (0-3-2), owing some of that to key injuries. Orlando’s 2015 expansion rivals will come in desperate to get a result to improve on a decent 4-6-5 road record in 2026. The team has the same exact record at home despite clobbering the Lions back in March, but every point is precious and the Pigeons are getting some bodies back.

The Lions must try to keep Fernandez Mercau under wraps. The Argentine midfielder paces the Pigeons with 15 goals and nine assists on the year, but Wolf and Agustin Ojeda have given Orlando fits in previous meetings as well. Wolf is second on NYCFC in goals (6) and has added three assists, while New York’s Ojeda has scored five times and leads the team in assists (11). Meanwhile, NYCFC has a stout defense that has allowed just 41 goals this season, which is tied with New England for second fewest allowed in the Eastern Conference. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese is one of the reasons for that, but NYCFC has a good group at the back in front of him.

Orlando City will be without Griffin Dorsey (back), Jansson (foot), Tyrese Spicer (foot), and Luis Otavio (suspension), while Vinicius Nogueira (shoulder) and Bernardo Rhein (lower leg) are listed as questionable. NYCFC will be without Moralez (leg), Parks (leg), Drew Baiera (leg), Arnau Farnos (leg), and Kai Trewin (yep, leg).

Match Content

• Our Intelligence Report provides an update about NYCFC from  Matthew Mangam of New York City blog New York Soccer Journal.
• The most recent episode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s game.
• David Rohe provides his three keys to an Orlando City victory over New York City FC.

Projected Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Ivan Angulo, Iago, David Brekalo, Zakaria Taifi.

Midfielders: Martin Ojeda, Wilder Cartagena, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta.

Forwards: Daryl Dike, Antoine Griezmann.

New York City FC (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese.

Defenders: Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray.

Defensive Midfielders: Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill.

Attacking Midfielders: Hannes Wolf, Nicolas Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda.

Forward: Alonso Martinez.

Referees:

REF: Elijio Arreguin.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Adam Wienckowski.
4TH: Igor Bych.
VAR: Kevin Stott.
AVAR: Robert Schaap.

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: 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!