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Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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6 years ago

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In a game that was a rollercoaster of emotions, Orlando City won 2-1 over the Columbus Crew to secure a spot in the top four of the Eastern Conference. The win also maintained Orlando’s unbeaten streak in Exploria Stadium this season and was the fourth-straight victory over the Crew. Chris Mueller and Benji Michel scored for Orlando, with Mauricio Pereyra assisting on both occasions.

However, Nani was ejected after a questionable red card and unless it’s rescinded he will miss Orlando’s final regular season game on Sunday against Nashville SC. Here’s how the Lions performed in a game filled with ups and downs.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — The goalkeeper did well in the first half, snuffing out the Crew’s attempts to counter attack. Of his three saves, the toughest was coming out and going to ground to stop Luis Diaz’ run at goal as the last line of defense. There wasn’t much he could’ve done on Harrison Afful’s goal — his strike far too fast and well placed for Gallese. Although he didn’t get a clean sheet, Gallese did walk away with the win.

D, Kyle Smith, 7 — Smith was great in this one, showing once again how well he fits in Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s system. Defensively, he led the team with four tackles and five clearances as the Crew targeted his side of the field throughout the night. Offensively, only heroics from Eloy Room kept Smith off of the score sheet after the left back had two shots on target stopped in the 30th minute. He could’ve been a bit more clinical in those opportunities but it was still great to see from him in the left back position.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — The Swede had a decent night against the Crew’s arsenal of offensive weapons. He had the fewest touches (51) among the players who played the full game, but that’s hardly a bad thing for a center back and Jansson had two clearances. His best moments came late in the match when Orlando led while down to 10 men. Unlike earlier in the match when he received a yellow card for dissent, Jansson played it cool to anchor the defense and made sure the Lions finished with all three points.

D, Antonio Carlos, 7 — As always, Carlos was a force in the air and finished with two clearances and a tackle to help defend Exploria Stadium yet again. He came up with a big block on a shot on goal from Lucas Zelarayan in the 40th minute, not only standing strong in the face of the Argentine’s shot, but also getting enough of his literal face behind it to stop any shenanigans with a deflection towards goal. He wasn’t able to close down on Pedro Santos quickly enough to stop him from making the final pass on Columbus’ goal, but it was a strong performance for Carlos.

D, Ruan, 6.5 — Yes, the right back is one of the fastest players in the league. But it is what he did with that speed that made him so effective in Orlando’s win. Defenders have to put in just that extra bit of effort they aren’t used to in order to deal with him and get to loose balls, which adds up over the course of a game. Ruan won free kicks, forced corners, played well defensively, and was able to help make up for the missing Lion on the field.

MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 8.5 (MotM) — Let’s just start with the stats. Pereyra had assists on both goals and led the team with 88 touches, 67 passes — at a 94% success rate — and six key passes. The game completely changes when the ball is at his feet and that showed on Mueller’s goal as Pereyra fizzed a perfectly weighted ball in front of the net in the blink of an eye. After picking up a yellow card in the second half that suspends him from playing in Orlando’s last game of the season, Pereyra’s final touch of his regular season was a beauty to Michel for the game-winner. It was a masterful performance from Pereyra and it’s clear that he is one of the premier playmakers in the league.

MF, Junior Urso, 6 — The Bear was great at finding the open areas on offense, but struggled when it came to actually finishing those chances. Urso had an open look in the 14th minute that he sent just wide and had another blocked in the 24th. His emotions ran high after Nani’s red card and the Crew scored during the chaos, but he settled in more as the match wore on. The poor finishing is becoming a trend, but he continues to deliver when it comes to midfield performance with 41 passes at a solid 88% success rate in this match.

MF, Andres Perea, 7 — The midfielder finished with 53 touches, 44 passes, and had a key pass for finding Nani in the first half for a shot that was deflected for a corner. Other than Gallese and the defenders, Perea was the only starter to go the distance in this one. The 19-year-old was calm, cool, and collected throughout the match and that was needed when emotions started to run high. It’s a good sign to see from the young player, especially with Pereyra out this weekend.

MF, Chris Mueller, 7 — After a missed opportunity early in the match, Mueller delivered in the 27th minute by scoring his 10th goal of the season. An error by the Crew defense due to Orlando’s high press sparked the play, but Mueller’s ability to be in the right place at the right time paid off yet again. He was substituted off after the Crew’s goal, spoiling what was setting up to be a great night for him.

F, Nani, 6— The captain looked lively in the first half, fooling defenders with skill plays and creative passes. He took a hard foul in the the first half but continued on without much of an issue. Things went awry in the second half though after he made a tackle in the 49th minute. The referee initially issued a foul and yellow card but escalated to a red card after checking video review. Nani left the game in tears, finishing the night with two shots, 38 touches, and 26 passes.

F, Tesho Akindele, 6.5 — The big man made a great run to occupy a defender so that Mueller had time to pick out his shot and score. Akindele didn’t score, but continues to do well when holding up play for the other offensive playmakers to shine, making two key passes. He also chased down defenders and put his all into fighting for possession after Nani’s red card before being subbed off for Benji Michel.

Substitutes

MF, Sebas Mendez (58’), 6 — Mendez came on in the 58th minute for Mueller after the Crew’s goal in an attempt to stabilize things. The Ecuadorian did just that, bringing structure to the midfield and making sure Orlando wasn’t as frazzled. Mendez had 29 touches, 22 passes at an 82% success rate, and led the team with four interceptions.

F, Benji Michel (69’), 7 — The Homegrown Player may have had his most defining moment as a Lion. Michel came in with the Lions down a man and the score level and did the impossible in the 84th minute. After taking a fantastic first touch on Pereyra’s final pass, Michel spun to shake his defender and sprinted after the ball to tuck it past Room for the game-winner. While amazing, don’t let the goal overshadow the amount of work he put in as the lone forward to keep defenders honest. He had 16 touches in the match and he made sure they counted.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel (88’), N/A— He only had four touches in the game and his first was a header to see out a dangerous set piece. It was a short shift but an efficient one, with another clearance late and doing enough to stop Columbus from capitalizing on crosses.

MF, Joey DeZart (88’), N/A — The rookie looks better and better each outing. Brought on late after Orlando took back the lead, DeZart ate up time with Ruan and cut off a pass in the final moments to ensure Orlando’s victory.

That’s how I saw things play out. What about you? Let us know in the comments how you thought the Lions did and vote for who you think deserves the title of Man of the Match.

Polling Closed

PlayerVotes
Mauricio Pereyra127
Chris Mueller6
Andres Perea3
Kyle Smith24
Antonio Carlos5
Tesho Akindele0
Other (write in comments)2

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Orlando City vs. New York City FC: Final Score 2-2 as Lions Throw Away Two Points on Game’s Last Kick

Just seconds from a valuable three points in their penultimate home game of the regular season, the Lions conceded and dropped two of them.

Published

54 minutes ago

on

October 24, 2026

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Image of Braian Ojeda leaping for an aerial ball against New York City FC
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

New York City FC needed every one of the nine minutes of stoppage time added on at the end of a 2-2 draw with Orlando City at Inter.co Stadium tonight. Jonathan Shore’s goal in the ninth added minute allowed NYCFC (8-12-11, 35 points) to steal two vital points from the Lions (12-13-2, 46 points) at the death in yet another late collapse by Orlando.

It was a missed opportunity for the Lions to gain ground in the playoff race as Antoine Griezmann and Martin Ojeda led Orlando back from an early 1-0 hole to a second-half lead that lasted up until Shore’s strike at the last possible second.

In the end, the Lions were probably fortunate even to get a point from this game after squandering some open headers early and surviving a missed NYCFC penalty kick late in the game. Maxime Crepeau made several vital saves 1-v-1 on chances the visitors created with direct play, and Orlando didn’t manage a shot over the game’s final half hour.

“It was a tough night. We couldn’t find what we usually find, especially at home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “For moments, yes, but not overall. Of course, it wasn’t the best night, so that’s it. No more than that.”

Perelman’s lineup featured Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Vinicius Nogueira, Iago, David Brekalo, and Ivan Angulo. Defensive midfielders Wilder Cartagena, Braian Ojeda, and Eduard Atuesta joined Justin Ellis in the midfield with Martin Ojeda and Griezmann up top.

Orlando tried to get on the front foot first, with Martin Ojeda taking the ball away in the attacking third and winning an early corner kick. Angulo did well to pick out Griezmann with a perfect cross in the sixth minute, but the Frenchman headed his hard shot right at goalkeeper Matt Freese, who appeared to be in obvious discomfort afterward, despite it appearing like a routine save.

But the Lions began giving the ball away cheaply in bad areas and New York City was able to carve the defense open with probing long balls for Martinez to run onto, as Iago was both slow to read the danger and too slow to recover once Martinez got in behind. The first instance came in the 10th minute, with Crepeau coming out to cut off the angle. Martinez tried to chip him but the shot landed on the roof of the net. Martinez recorded New York City FC’s first five shot attempts of the match.

Crepeau made a good save on Martinez two minutes later when Martinez again got in behind on a long pass.

Moments later, Orlando had the ball in its own third and Iago gave it away in his own penalty area. Iago was able to recover enough to block Martinez’s shot from near the penalty spot. Four minutes later, the Lions finally got burned after playing with fire for several minutes.

Martinez ran onto a ball in from Agustin Ojeda on his left. Crepeau got a touch on it but couldn’t prevent it from reaching Martinez in front, who swept it in to make it 1-0 in the 18th minute.

Atuesta tries his luck from long range in the 23rd minute. He got all of his shot but it was always rising and missed the target.

Crepeau made another huge save a minute later on a shot by Agustin Ojeda in front.

Freese had to come off just after that save. Trainers came on and appeared to be looking at his shoulder. Tomas Romero came in to replace him in the 28th minute.

Nogueira, like Griezmann earlier, headed straight at the goalkeeper in the 30th minute. Ellis provided a perfect cross, but the Brazilian hit it straight at Romero. A minute later, Martin Ojeda sent in a good ball for Ellis in front, but the defense blocked it in front of goal.

The Lions drew level in the 32nd minute. Martin Ojeda sent in another gorgeous cross from the far left. Griezmann just had to get it on target, and he powered his 13th goal of the season past Romero to make it 1-1. Martin Ojeda equaled Mauricio Pereyra for the club’s all-time assist mark (47) on the play.

Shortly after the goal, Atuesta gave up a silly free kick near the left corner. The ball in front found Thiago Martins, but he didn’t make good contact and Crepeau was able to save the

Nico Fernandez Mercau put the ball in the net behind Crepeau in the 39th minute but he was well offside on the play and the flag came up immediately.

Orlando survived a couple of late turnovers by Cartagena and got to the locker room tied at 1-1.

At the break, the visitors led most of the statistical categories including possession (53.7%-46.3%), shots (8-6), corners (3-1), and passing accuracy (91.4%-89.9%). Each team put three shots on target in the opening period.

Cartagena conceded an unnecessary set piece early in the second half and former Lion Andres Perea got to it first, but his flicked header skipped wide of the right post in the 47th minute.

Two minutes later, the Lions took the lead. Angulo’s cross in from the right found Nogueira but all he could do was head it backward to the left side. Martin Ojeda was waiting for it there and smashed it inside the right post to make it 2-1.

“We trained this one,” said Nogueira, who picked up his first Orlando City assist. “And today it worked. Ivan crossed the ball. I headed for Tincho and he scored. It was really good.”

Ellis had his shot blocked in the 59th minute to set up a corner kick. Romero palmed away the ball into the box, but only as far as Martin Ojeda, who tried a half-volley shot but hd didn’t strike it true, sending it into the seats.

Much of the rest of the game consisted of NYCFC sending dangerous long balls that often beat Orlando defenders. Crepeau made some huge saves in the second half, beginning in the 66th minute when Cartagena got beaten down the sideline, giving Martinez a free run toward goal. Crepeau cut down the angle and threw out a hand to block the shot. Two minutes later, Atuesta gave the ball away at midfield to ignite the break and again Crepeau came up big to deny Hannes Wolf.

Substitute Talles Magno got in behind both Brekalo and Cartagena in the 78th minute and the latter made contact with the attacker in the box, taking him down. Referee Elijio Arreguin pointed to the spot, awarding a penalty. Magno took the spot kick himself, but shot before the referee signaled the ready for play, slotting it just inside the left post, although Crepeau knew the play was dead and made no effort to stop it. When they re-spotted the ball, Magno fired off the outside of the same post, missing a golden chance to pull his team level in the 81st minute.

Two minutes later, Perea made a well-timed run onto a cross but sent his shot just wide of the left post.

As time wound down, Orlando struggled to clear its defensive end or to string together multiple passes to take off the pressure. NYCFC won several set pieces, but couldn’t do much with them.

The fourth official showed nine added minutes on his board, which seemed excessive as there had been just one goal, a few multi-player subs, and not much in the way of actual injuries. Crepeau needed about a minute for treatment down the stretch, but there was nothing excessive. Even the penalty was clear-cut and didn’t require a lengthy review.

New York City FC didn’t create much until the final few seconds of that ninth minute, despite having multiple corners and free kicks. Angulo was beaten badly down the defensive left by Tayvon Gray, who put the ball into the six, where it deflected to James Sands. The defender passed back to Shore outside the box, and no one was able to close him down. The shot had eyes, finding its way through traffic and just inside the left post to make it 2-2.

“Unfortunately they tied on the last play,” Perelman said. “That hurts a lot, but it’s time to digest it.”

The final whistle blew at the restart, sealing a postseason-jeopardizing two dropped points for Orlando.

At full time, NYCFC had a stranglehold on the stat sheet, finishing with the advantage in possession (53.7%-46.3%), shots (17-9), shots on target (6-4), corners (9-3), and passing accuracy (91%-87%).

“We like to win at home. We don’t like this,” Perelman said. “And we do our best. Sometimes these things happen. The opponent plays. They have good players, and that’s it.”

Braian Ojeda, who made his first start since returning from foot surgery, said he was happy to get back in the starting XI tonight, but said he was frustrated with the result.

“We have to keep working hard and keep looking at the the matches in front of us that we have to finish out the regular season,” he added. “Obviously, there’s still some adjustments that we have to make on those details.”

With the draw, Orlando remains clinging to seventh place, edging FC Cincinnati on the wins tiebreaker, blowing a chance to pull within two points of Philadelphia, which lost to New England. The Lions also fell within reach of the New York Red Bulls, who sit three points back after beating Inter Miami tonight.

All three of Orlando’s remaining opponents are above the Eastern Conference playoff line, and all three are among the top four teams in the conference.

The Lions begin a brutal two-game road swing on Wednesday when they visit the Chicago Fire.

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

The Lions welcome the Pigeons to Orlando in another big game with playoff implications.

Published

13 hours ago

on

October 24, 2026

By

Image of David Brekalo
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

Official Lineups

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Vinicius Nogueira, Iago, David Brekalo, Ivan Angulo.

Midfielders: Eduard Atuesta, Wilder Cartagena, Braian Ojeda, Justin Ellis.

Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Antoine Griezmann.

Bench: Javier Otero, Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, Zakaria Taifi, Nolan Miller, Joran Gerbet, Harvey Sarajian, Marco Pasalic, Daryl Dike.

New York City FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Matt Freese.

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

Midfielders: Andres Perea, Nicolas Fernández Mercau, Aiden O’Neill.

Forwards: Hannes Wolf, Alonso Martinez, Agustin Ojeda.

Bench: Tomas Romero, Nico Cavallo, Matt Miazga, Benie Traore, Talles Magno, Luighi, Jonathan Shore, Raul Gustavo, Malachi Jones.

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!

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Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. New York City FC

Get up to speed on the Pigeons ahead of Saturday’s game, courtesy of someone who knows them best.

Published

2 days ago

on

October 23, 2026

By

Image of Braian Ojeda playing against New York City FC.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Happy Friday, everyone. Orlando City got a week of rest after taking care of business against D.C. United at home, and it returns to the purple palace Saturday night to face a New York City FC team with its back against the wall in the race for a playoff place.

A showdown with the Pigeons means I caught up with Matthew Mangam of New York Soccer Journal. As always, he was helpful in getting us up to speed on NYCFC, and we appreciate his help. I also answered some of his questions about Orlando City, so make sure you check them out over at their place!

Talk me through NYCFC’s summer transfer business. Who’s out, who’s in to replace them, and how have they performed?

Matthew Mangam: NYCFC’s summer business wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The club brought in striker Luighi on loan from SE Palmeiras and got back midfielder/defender James Sands, whose loan with St. Pauli ended. 

Luighi started off well, bagging four goals in his first seven league appearances. But since then, the 20-year-old is on a five-game drought. To his credit, Luighi started only two of his last five games. As for Sands, this is his third stint at NYCFC, so the versatile 26-year-old was welcomed back with open arms. 

The biggest acquisition this summer, though, was Bénie Traoré. The winger joined the club as a Designated Player from FC Basel in Switzerland, but it hasn’t gone well. In 15 league appearances, Traoré has one goal — a penalty kick that hit off the post and went in — and no assists. 

The club’s last move that didn’t happen in the summer surprised everyone: adding free agent Matt Miazga. The veteran defender hasn’t made his debut yet, and I’m honestly not sure when he will. 

New York City has been a wildly different team since the league restarted after the World Cup. What’s happened to cause the change in form?

MM: I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. There’s so much I could say, but if I did then I’d be here all day. I’ll narrow it down to this: NYCFC can’t play a complete 90 minutes. 

NYCFC has conceded six goals in stoppage time this season, is 0-4-12 after falling behind 16 times, and is 4-5-6 at home. So, they can’t hang onto leads — they’ve lost seven points after the 75th minute — they have no come-from-behind wins, and they’re poor at home. 

There are other smaller factors, like injuries, individual mistakes from usually solid players (Matt Freese and Sands), and players struggling, but, as I said, it’s a lot.

The playoffs are still in reach, as NYCFC is just two points out of eighth. What needs to happen in order to get above the line and stay there?

MM: Simply put, NYCFC needs to win all four remaining games, or, at the very least, go 3-1-0. Teams around them, like Toronto, Columbus, and Cincinnati, are picking up wins and building separation, so NYCFC is in a do-or-die situation. 

Getting Alonso Martínez back and starting again is huge, but you can’t expect him to return from a brutal injury and save the team immediately; it’s not fair. Traoré has to step up and show why the club paid DP money for him — one lone goal that, in my opinion, fortunately went in, and no goals from open play is extremely concerning. 

Also, Nico Fernández Mercau hasn’t scored in five matches. He’s getting double- and triple-marked because teams are now well aware of how talented the Argentine is, but he has to find a way back on the scoresheet in this stretch. NYCFC needs him to. So, so badly. 

Will any players be unavailable due to injury, suspension, etc.? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

MM: The only players out are the ones with long-term injuries: Keaton Parks, Kai Trewin, Maxi Moralez, Arnau Farnós, and Drew Baiera. 

Given that NYCFC needs to win or the season is practically over, I expect Head Coach Pascal Jansen to leave it all out there with his best possible lineup:

Matt Freese; Kevin O’Toole, James Sands, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray; Andres Perea, Aiden O’Neill; Hannes Wolf, Nico Fernández Mercau, Agustin Ojeda; Alonso Martínez.

I think Nico Fernández Mercau and Alonso Martínez score, but it won’t be enough, as Antoine Griezmann gets a brace and both teams settle for a 2-2 draw. 

Thank you to Matt for his excellent refresher on NYCFC. Vamos Orlando!

Image of the famous "The more you know" graphic from TV.
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