Orlando City
Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Yet another 1-1 draw with an Eastern Conference bottom feeder for Orlando City, as the Lions fought their way to a point on the road against FC Cincinnati. Orlando was out-shot by the hosts and outplayed in stretches, but had a majority of the ball and won the expected goals (xG) battle. In the end, a draw was probably the fair result and both teams walk away with a point. It’s disappointing having yet another low-scoring draw against inferior opposition, but it could’ve been worse.
Enough preamble, let’s see how each player fared in last night’s action in Cincinnati.
Starters
GK, Mason Stajduhar, 7 — Stajduhar didn’t do anything wrong and he made a big play to secure a result in this game, so pretty much a perfect game for a backup goalkeeper. He only finished with one save, but he wasn’t asked to do much and didn’t make a mistake. His distribution was mediocre, completing 16 of 22 passes — five of 11 on long balls — but for a backup that’s fine.
D, Emmanuel Mas, 7.5 — In the first half, Mas was the most goal-dangerous player for Orlando City. He had a pair of speculative long-range efforts that both asked real questions of Kenneth Vermeer in goal. Outside of that, he was consistently getting into good areas on the left flank, looking to whip in a cross or link up with other attackers. This is the most dangerous any left back has looked for this team in a while and it was a welcome sign. Defensively, Mas did get caught out at times but it didn’t cost Orlando. He made six interceptions as well.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7.5 — Both center backs put in strong shifts yet again. Schlegel continues to be a stat-sheet stuffer on the defensive end, with four tackles, four clearances, and nine ball recoveries. He has a tendency to get a little aggressive and leave space, but Schlegel makes a ton of plays on the back end. He was also fine with the ball, completing 34 of 39 passes, and never making any serious blunders in possession. Yet another strong shift for the Argentine.
D, Robin Jansson, 7.5 — Jansson is an incredibly consistent performer for the Lions and he did a solid job again. He was a consistent defensive presence, sniffing out opposition attacks and did a good job defending space. The Swede finished with a tackle, two clearances, and eight ball recoveries. Much like Schlegel, his passing was fine, a solid 36 of 43, though he wasn’t really able to break lines with his deep passing.
D, Kyle Smith, 5.5 — Very Kyle Smith performance in this game. He was good in possession, completing over 90% of his 35 passes, and he was good defensively, with a successful tackle, four interceptions, and six ball recoveries. For all of those things he does right, his complete lack of offensive prowess was on full display. Smith’s crossing was poor and he rarely even attempted whipping in a ball, and he squandered some quality chances when he got into the box. Still a solid overall performance from Smith, just frustrating in the final third.
MF, Uri Rosell, 5 — It was a tough night for the Spaniard, sustaining another injury near the end of the first half. Although it’s admirable to try to stay on and save the team a substitution window, it ended up being costly. On the Cincinnati goal, Rosell was obviously struggling to move and got caught behind the play, giving the hosts an overload on his side. He wasn’t able to get into the passing lane and his teammates compounded the problem by leaving Brenner alone in the area. To his credit, he completed 30 of 34 passes, including all four long balls, plus he made four ball recoveries, a tackle, and an interception before subbing out for Andres Perea.
MF, Junior Urso, 7 — Urso is a great box to box player who did a lot for the Lions in this game, especially progressing the ball forward. The Bear is fantastic with the ball at his feet and routinely broke pressure with his dribbling ability, completing two dribbles and drawing two fouls. His passing was also great, completing 48 of 51 including a pair of key passes. Good shift from Urso, though he did get caught marking the same player as Schlegel on Brenner’s goal.
MF, Chris Mueller, 6.5 — Slightly disappointing showing for Mueller, but not a bad one. He completed a ton of passes — 52 of 56 — but never looked super dangerous with the ball and had no key passes or successful crosses. He did have three shot attempts, but two of them were off target, while one presented Vermeer with little trouble. Mueller completed a dribble, but was also dispossessed three times. The one saving grace for his game recently has been his defensive work, and that continued once again with two tackles and eight ball recoveries. Not terrible stuff, but I certainly would’ve liked to see more dynamism from a player like Mueller in this game.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 8 — Strong game in the center of the park for Pereyra, pulling the strings and controlling the tempo of the game. He was the most important and used player for Orlando City, completing 66 of 78 passes. Pereyra was everywhere in possession for the Lions, picking the ball up deep to play out of pressure, finding the final ball in the attack, and linking play in the middle of the field. The Uruguayan had a team-high three key passes. Pereyra also got back defensively, making five ball recoveries and two interceptions. If there are negatives from this performance, he was dispossessed thrice and had no shot attempts. However, it was a fantastic all-around performance from the Maestro.
MF, Benji Michel, 4 — Poor performance from Benji in Cincinnati. In 55 minutes of action, he only had 17 touches, with no shots, crosses, or key passes. He did complete two dribbles, but did nothing for Orlando going forward. Michel was dispossessed four times and completed five of seven passes. That level of offensive production isn’t good enough for this level.
F, Tesho Akindele, 5 — Incredibly frustrating game for Tesho. This was an incredibly on-brand game for the Canadian in the worst possible way. He was good in the little things, but his touch and ability to be goal-dangerous really let him down. Tesho only had two shots all game — neither super threatening — and should’ve had more chances. On multiple occasions, he received the ball in a dangerous area, but his touch completely took him out of the play or even turned it over. It wasn’t all bad though, as he completed 16 of 17 passes, including a key pass, completed a dribble, and even made a clearance. For all the good work Tesho does, it doesn’t really matter if he can’t provide much of an offensive threat, and he couldn’t do that in this game.
Substitutes
MF, Andres Perea (43’), 5.5 — Perea was thrust into a difficult situation after Rosell’s injury, and while he was better than Uri, he was far from his best. Especially when he pushed forward, Perea either made the wrong decision, or just didn’t hit the ball well. He was still solid in possession, completing 34 of 39 passes. Perea’s defensive performance was hit or miss. He made two tackles, but only at a 40% success rate, plus he chipped in two interceptions and three ball recoveries. On paper, it doesn’t look like a bad game, but in practice, it was a sloppy evening for the U.S. international.
MF, Nani (55’), 8 (MotM) — In what was supposed to be a rest game, Nani had to play hero once again for this squad. He had his chance soon after coming on, capitalizing on an FC Cincinnati mistake and having the quality to tuck it away. Outside of that, he was clearly the most dangerous player for Orlando, even if he wasn’t his sharpest. His touch got the best of him a few times, and his crosses were often overcooked, but he still finished with a key pass and put the opposition back line under serious pressure. Nani completed two dribbles and 11 of 15 passes, and even chipped in a little defensively with a tackle.
D, Joao Moutinho (55’), 6 — Frankly, I didn’t really notice Mouthinho much of the time he was on the field. For what he does in the system, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and he didn’t have a bad game. He wasn’t super clean with the ball, completing only 84% of his passes, but Moutinho generally got the job done in possession, even completing a dribble. He was mostly good defensively, making six ball recoveries and an interception. Not a bad game, just little impact for the Portuguese left back.
D, Ruan (55’), 6.5 — Even when his delivery isn’t great or he’s sloppy on the ball, Ruan completely changes the complexion of Orlando City’s attack. His speed and willingness to get forward makes the Lions much more dangerous. Even with that, it’s still frustrating that none of his three crosses were accurate. Ruan also completed 15 of 18 passes, had a successful dribble, and made three ball recoveries.
MF, Joey DeZart (83’), N/A — Not much to report in DeZart’s latest cameo performance. He was a steadying presence in the middle to help Orlando see out the result and he did just that. He was good with the ball, completing all eight of his passes, including a nice forward pass to Ruan in space. DeZart also picked up a yellow card.
That’s how I rated last night’s performances, but what did you see? Comment your thoughts below and vote for your Man of The Match.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Nani | 30 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 11 |
| Emmanuel Mas | 5 |
| Rodrigo Schlegel | 1 |
| Other (Comment Below) | 5 |
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.
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
- Our latest episode of The Mane Land PawedCast features our key match-ups and score predictions for tonight’s match.
- Our Ben Miller wrote about his three keys to an Orlando City win over San Diego.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Bernardo Rhein, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Justin Ellis.
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Daryl Dike.
Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Luis Otavio, Tiago, Marco Pasalic, Martin Ojeda, Tyrese Spicer.
San Diego FC (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.
Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.
Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Anibal Godoy, Alejandro Alvarado.
Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.
Bench: Duran Ferree, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Christopher McVey, Bryan Zamble, David Vazquez, Ian Pilcher, Alex Mighten, Bryce Duke, Amahl Pellegrino.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
- North Carolina Courage forward Ashley Sanchez was named NWSL Player of the Month after recording five goals and two assists in August.
- The Kansas City Current signed Cameroonian defender Maeve Nyadjou, who just helped her nation win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time and was named 2026 WAFCON Best Young Player.
- Becky Sauerbrunn is joining the Portland Thorns as a technical consultant for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season.
- Edin Dzeko announced that he will retire from international soccer following Bosnia and Herzegovina’s UEFA Nations League qualifier against Sweden on Oct. 2. That will be his 152nd match for Bosnia, wrapping up a 19-year-old international career that included 73 goals.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando City B vs. Inter Miami II: Final Score 4-1 as OCB Claims Three Huge Points in South Florida
Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Griezmann’s Brace Lifts Lions to Win
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City B2 weeks agoOrlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 5-1 as Young Lions Fall for Fifth Straight Time
-
Orlando City1 week agoOrlando City vs. Minnesota United: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Lion Links2 weeks agoLion Links: 8/24/26
-
Orlando Pride2 weeks agoOrlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
-
Orlando City2 weeks agoOrlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Five Takeaways
-
Orlando City1 week agoSometimes the Solution Is Just to Sign Antoine Griezmann