Orlando City
Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati: Player Grades and Man of the Match
How did your favorite Lions perform in Orlando City’s 2-1 loss against FC Cincinnati?
On Saturday night both Orlando City and FC Cincinnati looked like teams playing on a hot summer night after having just played a game a few days earlier on another hot summer night. Unfortunately for the Lions, it was their opponents who were more clinical with their tired legs, defeating the Lions 2-1 in a slow, sluggish game at Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando City has now lost three of its last four games at home, so perhaps it is a good thing that its next game is on the road.
I have my purple pen out, and I am ready to issue some grades, so here we go. Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their home matchup against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — We must start with the game’s opening goal because it changed the complexion of the game, not only because of the score but also because it happened right at the stroke of halftime, altering the halftime talks and game plan adjustments for both coaches just seconds before heading into the locker room. Any time a shot is taken from a location on the field when a goal is scored on one out of every 20-25 shots (the xG on the first goal was 0.04 or 0.05, depending on the tracking system), the goalkeeper probably should have done better, and on this one it definitely looked like Gallese was completely fooled and out of position. He looked like he was exclusively anticipating a cross into the box, and that mindset, combined with the precision and power of Evander’s free kick, gave the Peruvian no chance of making the save. Aside from that goal, Gallese played well, making two saves on difficult shots, particularly the one against Kei Kamara, which I thought for sure would be a goal, and the other goal he gave up was a shot that few, if any, goalkeepers could have saved off the foot of Evander from the middle of the box. Gallese will likely have that first goal stuck in his head for a while, though. Given the location of the ball for the free kick, few goalkeepers would have really given credence to the idea that Evander would shoot from there, but his positioning ensured he couldn’t stop it.
D, David Brekalo, 6.5 — It is hard to fault a defender, even one in a great scoring position, for failing to score with his weaker foot but oh my gosh how did that ball in second half stoppage time not find the net, David Brekalo!? That moment at the end of the game was disappointing, but for the rest of the match, the Slovenian defender was solid in the back, winning a team-leading five tackles and adding two interceptions, one clearance, and one block, while also completing 89.4% of his passes. Additionally, he drew two yellow card tackles on Cincinnati. Brekalo also switched from left back to center back during this game and it should not be forgotten how different those two positions are, especially against a team like Cincinnati with Evander, one of the league’s most dynamic offensive players, playing all over the field. Brekalo was in the area for what turned out to be the game-winning goal, and while he did get beat off the dribble on that play, he had busted his lungs to even get back into a position to force Evander to make that move, and he was just a half-step too slow to block it (he was also the only defender not caught behind the ball on that counterattack). Soccer is often a game of inches, and Brekalo’s foot position was slightly off on his missed shot, and Evander’s feint put him slightly off balance on defense before the second goal, but aside from those two plays, I thought he was Orlando City’s best defender on the night. Alas, that will be small consolation after a 2-1 defeat.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson did not have a great game Saturday night, and while he and his central defensive partners did not allow any goals from Cincinnati’s two strikers, he did not seem to have the influence over the game that he often does when in full Beefy Swede mode. He had one tackle, one interception, and one clearance and completed 87% of his passes, but for most of the game he was there but rarely heard from. He was involved in the second goal Orlando City allowed, as he was caught way up the field tracking Kamara near the sideline. He seemingly did not realize how much open space there was behind him with Rafael Santos still in the attacking third. Kamara received the pass and dropped the ball backwards to Pavel Bucha, and then suddenly the next pass was played through to Kevin Denkey, and Cincinnati was on a three-on-one counterattack for 60 yards, with Jansson caught chasing from behind. That goal was by no means the sole fault of Jansson, as teams chasing games leave space behind out of necessity, but he was involved in it, and it left the Lions with a two-goal deficit and a feeling that this was not going to be their night.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6.5 — After sitting out Wednesday’s match due to yellow card accumulation, the Argentinean defender returned to the starting lineup and was solid in his return, preventing Cincinnati from creating many chances while he was on the field and staying engaged throughout his shift. He was active defensively, with one tackle, two interceptions, two clearances, and several pushes during the little brouhaha towards the end of the first half. At the time he departed, he had completed the second-most passes in the game with an even 50, at a 90.9% completion rate. Schlegel’s return allowed the Lions to go back to their usual positional alignment on the back line, and they looked good through his 70 minutes on the field, but down a goal, Óscar Pareja decided to go with a more offensive presence out at left back and subbed in Santos, shifting Brekalo into the middle and ending Schlegel’s night.
D, Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, 6 — Thórhallsson had about as non-descript a game as I can ever remember him having, as even though Cincinnati attacked primarily on his side of the field, he only registered one tackle and did not have any other defensive actions. He made his way forward often and even got one shot off, but he did not put it on goal, and it did not worry Cincinnati’s defense. He completed 93% of his passes, including one key pass, but he had no major standout moments in this game and made way for Kyle Smith in a like-for-like substitution in 80th minute.
MF, Iván Angulo, 5.5 — The short leash for Angulo continued in this game, as after an up-and-down first half he was removed for Luis Muriel. Angulo struggled with his passing, only completing 79% of his passes and giving the ball away rather easily multiple times, including one pass attempt into triple coverage in the defensive third of the field that forced the defense into scramble mode after the turnover. While he was not credited with any tackles, Angulo was active on defense, and his recovery speed came into play when Brekalo missed a tackle but the speedy Colombian was able to track back and take the ball away before any danger occurred. Had Orlando City not fallen behind, Angulo may have gone longer than only 45 minutes, but with the Lions chasing a goal, they went offense for defense and pulled him at halftime.
MF, César Araújo, 6 — The Uruguayan midfielder usually destroys the opposition and helps Orlando City to own the middle third of the field, but in this game he did not claim victory over the Cincinnati midfield. He only had two tackles and added no other defensive actions, and while on offense he led the team in touches and completed 89.9% of his passes. However, he did not seem to be much of a threat or a force multiplier in the attacking area, as most of his passes were of the short variety and did not unlock much of the Cincinnati defense. The two goals Orlando City allowed were on a long free kick and a quick counterattack, so it was not that the midfield duo of Araújo and Eduard Atuesta were outplayed, but they did not dominate the middle of the field and create counterattacks or much other offense during this game.
MF, Eduard Atuesta, 6 — Atuesta is usually the more offensive of the two central midfield players but in this game, he and Araújo were basically the same players, completing a lot of passes and a high completion rate (65 for Atuesta at 92.9% and 62 for Araújo at 89.9%) but only one key pass each and very little threatening play between them. Atuesta was a little more active on defense, with one tackle, one clearance, and one block, but he seemed to tire late and could not contribute much as Orlando City desperately tried to claw back a point from their two goal deficit. In fairness to him, he played all 90 minutes on Wednesday and did so once again in this game, so he surely had heavy legs in the final minutes. But his absence in the offense was glaring to me, as he just did not have his normal burst and incisive passes.
MF, Marco Pašalić, 7 (MotM) — The Croatian winger was one of only two Orlando City players to put a shot on target in this game and the only one to put multiple shots on target. With his shooting ability, that usually leads to good results as it did late in the second half when he scorched a low bullet into the corner to cut Cincinnati’s lead in half. Prior to that, his previous four shots had all been blocked, as defenders were well prepared for him to cut to his left and shoot, but on this goal he was well positioned and too quick for the defense and there are few goalkeepers in the world who can stop Pašalić from scoring when he gets a clean shot on goal from inside the box. Outside of the goal, he completed 85% of his passes, including two key passes, and added two tackles on defense.
F, Ramiro Enrique, 6 — Enrique came up with deuces again against Cincinnati, but while his deuces on Wednesday were goals scored, on Saturday they were good opportunities missed, with a header and a right-footed shot that he put well off target. He was lively throughout the game, showing no sign of tired legs from the game Wednesday night, but the quality did not match the energy and he could not make it two games in a row with a goal. However, he provided a secondary assist when he hustled to save a ball from going out and headed it back towards Martin Ojeda, who played it to Pašalić for Orlando City’s only goal. He completed 81.8% of his passes and did not put any of his three shots on target, but even though his performance was missing the same quality it had on Wednesday, I think his confidence is growing, as is his comfortability playing alongside Ojeda, and he will be better for it as the second half of the season continues.
F, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Orlando City’s talisman added another assist on Pašalić’s goal, though it was not the prettiest, as he leaped at full extension with his weaker right foot to redirect Enrique’s header into the middle for his teammate to slot home. That goal was an example of how random soccer can sometimes be, as it was that awkward-looking play that garnered him an assist and not any of the other more traditional looking passes. There were plenty more of those, as Ojeda had five key passes in the game — three more than any other player. Ojeda also came about one foot away from putting Orlando City on the scoreboard first, as he loaded up and hit a low rocket in the 19th minute that Roman Celentano was just able to save at full extension. Ojeda completed 86% of his passes on the night and added three tackles before coming off in the final minutes for Nico Rodríguez and his fresh legs.
Substitutes
MF, Luis Muriel, (46′), 6.5 — Muriel looked a completely different player on Saturday than he did Wednesday, engaging in the game immediately and showing off his full bag of dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. His darting run at the end of the game produced the pass to Brekalo that could have tied the game, and he also missed just inches wide towards the end of regulation after beating his defender and lining up a shot from 25 yards. I thought the Colombian was excellent, partnering well with both Brekalo and Santos on the left side during the second half, and on a different night he could have had one or perhaps multiple goal contributions. Muriel completed 79.3% of his passes, with two key passes, and he added two tackles and two interceptions on defense.
D, Rafael Santos (70′), 6 — The Brazilian got his longest stint in weeks and played well off the bench, putting dangerous crosses into the box and showing a good partnership with Muriel on the left side. Cincinnati’s second goal came just minutes after Santos came onto the field, but he was not involved in the play and it is hard to fault him, even though it happened to Orlando City’s defense right after he entered for Schlegel. Santos completed 24 passes at a 92.3% completion rate, including two successful crosses and added two tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
D, Kyle Smith, (80’), N/A — Smith replaced Thórhallsson at right back and looked the more lively player, though in fairness he could play all out knowing that there were only 10 minutes and stoppage time remaining once he entered the game. He completed seven of his eight pass attempts and nearly got to a cross from Santos that could have tied the game had he been able to get his head onto it.
MF, Nico Rodríguez (90′), N/A — The young midfielder came on in the final minutes and was far more engaged than in recent appearances, getting 10 touches and completing eight of his nine pass attempts.
That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s 2-1 loss against FC Cincinnati. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Five Takeaways
Here’s what we learned from Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.
Orlando City hosted Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium Saturday, and it was a tale of two halves. The first half was one of the most boring first halves of soccer ever, and the second half was a wild free-for-all with Orlando City coming to life. The Lions were able to earn all three points at home, defeating RSL 2-1. Here are my five takeaways from the match.
An Inevitable Goal
Orlando City put out a mostly first-choice team on short rest, while RSL rotated pretty heavily due to their schedule congestion and a Leagues Cup knockout match coming up on Tuesday.The Lions had the majority of the possession through the first 35 mintues, while RSL was able to send the ball over the top a few times early, but the visitors kept getting the timing wrong against Orlando’s high line, resulting in offside calls. That was until the 36th minute, when Dominik Marczuk managed to stay onside, blazed past Zakaria Taifi, and was all alone on the back post. It wasn’t hard to put it in from there. Orlando City had the better of the play up to that point, but it still felt like Real Salt Lake’s goal was more likely.
Possession Without Purpose
Despite holding 58% possession in the first half, Orlando City managed to get exactly zero shots on goal on zero shots total. Zero shots taken the entire first half! As I mentioned above, that was zero shots against a heavily rotated RSL squad. For a team with Antoine Griezmann, Marco Pasalic, and Griffin Dorsey in the starting lineup, that stat is unacceptable. The lack of any chances resulted in Martin Perelman bringing on Justin Ellis and Daryl Dike as offensive halftime substitutions.
Subs Make a Difference
It took less than 10 minutes for Ellis and Dike, along with fellow substitute Joran Gerbet, to make a difference. While it was ultimately Griezmann who scored the goal, it was Gerbet, Ellis, and Dike that made it happen. Gerbet picked up a loose ball Eduard Atuesta won and sent it to Ellis on the right. Ellis sent the ball into the box to Dike, who took it with his back to goal, pirouetted with the ball, and shot it. Unfortunately for Dike, Mason Stajduhar was there to block it. Unfortunately for Stajduhar, Griezmann was there for the poacher’s goal to level the score for Orlando City. Griezmann positioned himself wisely without the ball, but it was the three halftime subs that really made it happen.
Griezmann Gets Another
After equalizing, Orlando City had all the momentum and pressed for a second goal. It was Griezmann who provided the winning goal with his first brace for the Lions. If his first goal was a “right time, right place” type of goal, his second was luck and skill combined. He took a pass in the box from Tyrese Spicer and tried to back heel it to Dike. The ball bounced off the defender and right back to Griezmann, who wasted no time in putting it in the back of the net. It was a microcosm of Griezmann’s time in Orlando for me. He tried to be unselfish, but ultimately taking the shot himself was what was needed. More of this please.
Possession With Purpose
If Orlando City did almost nothing with the ball in the first half, the Lions did everything needed with the ball in the second half. They actually raised the possession to 60% by the end of the match, scored two goals, and didn’t allow a second from RSL. The defenders were able to clear most of the attacks and Maxime Crepeau cleaned up anything that got through. Orlando City was able to continue to push into the attack even after the second goal. As I said above, it was a tale of two halves, and fortunately, the second half was enough for the win.
That is what I saw in Orlando City’s 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Final Score 2-1 as Griezmann’s Brace Lifts Lions to Win
Antoine Griezmann scored twice in the second half to help Orlando City erase a 1-0 deficit and beat RSL at home.
Antoine Griezmann scored two second-half goals for his first Orlando City brace, leading the Lions to a 2-1 comeback win over Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium tonight. After a lethargic opening 45 minutes that saw the visitors take a 1-0 lead into the half on Dominik Marczuk’s goal, an energetic trio of halftime subs injected life into the attack for Orlando (7-11-3, 24 points).
Griezmann’s two goals pushed the Lions past Real Salt Lake (8-8-4, 28 points), but it’s fair to say Orlando City wasn’t clean enough in the first half and couldn’t turn possession into attacking threat until the introduction of second-half subs Justin Ellis, Joran Gerbet, Daryl Dike, and Tyrese Spicer.
The Lions snapped an 0-2-2 winless streak in all competitions and a 0-2-1 skid in league play with tonight’s win, moving just over the playoff line into ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.
“It was a tough game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the match. “It wasn’t easy the first half; we tried good and sometimes it happens like that, the game. I think the team in the second half was able to to play in a very difficult moment. It’s not easy and the guys did an amazing job.”
Perelman’s lineup included Maxime Crepeau in goal behind a back line of Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, and Griffin Dorsey. Luis Otavio and Eduard Atuesta started in central midfield inside of Ivan Angulo and Marco Pasalic, with Tiago joining Antoine Griezmann up top.
The first half consisted of long spells of Orlando possession that came to nothing against a heavily rotated RSL side, with former Lion Mason Stajduhar having to do nothing in goal, because the Lions couldn’t even manage one first-half shot attempt. The visitors were content to stay in their low block of five at the back and four midfielders, wait for the exhausted-looking hosts to misplace a pass or have a bad touch, and look for chances to hit on the counter or with balls over the top.
Griezmann looked the most in need of a rest, as several of his touches were heavy in the first half, but he was far from the only one.
There was a scary moment early in the game when Jansson collided with Marczuk on an attempted RSL switch of play. The Orlando City captain was fouled and stayed down to get treatment, eventually leaving the field under his own power. He was able to return moments later.
Orlando City won a few set pieces in the opening half but did nothing with them, while the visitors looked dangerous if they could stay onside, which they struggled to do early. When the Lions did manage to find space against RSL’s back line, the crosses were poor, ending up either out of play or in the goalkeeper’s hands.
The visitors broke through the dull affair in the 36th minute. Alexandros Katranis laid off a ball on the left flank for Sam Junqua behind him. Junqua picked up his head and spotted Marczuk’s well-timed run behind Taifi and delivered a nice cross. Marczuk met the ball in the air with his foot and knocked it past Crepeau to make it 1-0.
Crepeau kept things from getting worse just before halftime. Angulo turned the ball over on an attempted recycle of a failed set piece, igniting a Real Salt Lake counter. The ball ended up with Marczuk again on the right and this time Crepeau was able to get a hand on it to palm it out for a corner.
The Lions dealt with the set piece and the half came to an end with Orlando’s starters trailing 1-0 to an RSL B-squad that dien’t allow a single shot attempt.
At the break, Orlando City had the advantage in possession (59.4%-40.6%) and passing accuracy (89.7-84.2%), while Real Salt Lake led in shots (3-0) and shots on target (2-0) and each team won one corner.
“It was a complicated game,” Griezmann said. “It’s never easy starting off with with a negative mark like that, but we made changes at halftime and put more more guys further up the field, and we were able to to get that goal and really kind of give ourselves some time of tranquility to create more opportunities to create those occasions to go out and get the winner.”
Looking to injuct some life into the game, or at least some fresh legs, Perelman sent Gerbet, Dike, and Ellis into the game at halftime for Otavio, Tiago, and Pasalic. It took a few minutes for the subs to settle in, but it made a difference in the Lions’ energy level.
Marczuk had the first look at goal in the second half, however, firing from distance from the right side, but it caused no trouble for Crepeau in the 50th minute.
Gerbet and Atuesta worked well together in the middle, keeping the ball better and allowing Taifi to jump into the play on the left. Taifi had a shot blocked out for a corner in the 51st minute. A minute later, Atuesta played a slick through ball for Griezmann. With Stajduhar coming off his line, the Frenchman chipped a shot over him but it went inches wide of the left post.
Orlando scored seconds after Stajduhar put the ball back into play. Atuesta won the ball to Gerbet at midfield, and he turned and found Ellis on the right. Ellis sent it in front to Dike for the shot, but it was blocked to Griezmann, who cleaned up in front, making it 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
Taifi got down the left in the 55th minute and did well to cut back a cross for Griezmann entering the box. Griezmann hit his shot immediately but it fizzed just over the bar. Three minutes later, Taifi cut inside and fired but hit the outside of the left post.
Real Salt Lake sent on Diego Luna, Saba Lobjanidze, and Morgan Guilavogui to try to counter the energy Orlando’s subs had brought into the game, and things opened up a bit. Dorsey did well to stick out a foot to deny a pass that would have put Luna in on goal in the 64th minute.
Spicer came on for Taifi in the 69th minute and injected even more energy into the match. He quickly won a set piece on the left just moments after coming on near the left corner flag. Atuesta sent his delivery on target toward the near post but it was headed behind for a corner kick. The ensuing corner bounced out to Ellis near the top of the area. The Homegrown forward used some deft footwork to work his way past two defenders before getting his shot blocked out for another corner.
Real Salt Lake broke the other way after the set piece and Luna ended up with it. He fired on target but Crepeau blocked it out of play for a corner. Orlando partially cleared the set piece delivery and Katranis tried a shot from long range that was well off target.
Orlando City took the lead moments later. Jansson sent the ball long out of the back to Spicer on the left. The Trinidad & Tobago international did well to get a cross in for Griezmann in the box. The first touch got away from the Frenchman but he picked up the rebound and slotted it past Stajduhar to make it 2-1 in the 81st minute.
“I think it’s a very good cross from ‘Spice’ and I was thinking to do one touch to score but I did very bad,” Griezmann said. “The defender touched the ball and the ball came to me, and yeah I saw a lot of legs and I tried to just make a pass between the legs of the defender and here is where you need to be patient just for one or two seconds. And today I was very patient in this time and this is why I scored.”
“It’s mandatory for us to enjoy Griezmann,” Perelman said. “We are lucky to be in the moment that he’s here with us. He’s one of the best players in the history of this sport. We have the privilege to see him. It’s just about enjoying him, watching him and enjoying him.”
Real Salt Lake threw bodies forward into the attack, but aside from some corner kicks, the visitors couldn’t produce much. Any time it looked like RSL might create something in the final third, Orlando was able to block crosses or head them out of danger. Orlando City also kept the ball well for spells down the stretch, taking the pressure off and allowing the Lions to see out the game.
At the final whistle, the Lions held the advantage in possession (59.6%-40.4%), shots (13-9), passing accuracy (88.8%-82%), and corners (5-4). Real Salt Lake put more shots on target (4-3). Ultimately, the Lions were sharp enough in the second half to make up for the slow start, although RSL helped out by being offside seven times to just once for Orlando.
“In the final zone, we were a lot more aggressive,” Griezmann said of the second half. “We were pressing more and more aggressive with our press, and it was a really good way to to get the win tonight.”
“The players were wanting to give us that control of the game against a team who sat back a little bit,” Perelman said. “I think the guys did a huge effort. Fortunately we could come back, win, because we really need it, and now we need to rest and think (about) the next one.”
“Just so happy to have the win at home,” Gerbet said. “It’s been like a gritty one, but a necessary one, an important one towards like the end of the season to get some momentum, because we’re going to start to go away as well, so we need to start to gain momentum, and I think that was a great way to do it.”
The Lions now get an honest-to-goodness normal work week. Their next match will be a week from tonight at Minnesota United.
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Real Salt Lake: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions look to finish their long homestand with a bounce-back performance against RSL.
Welcome to your match thread and preview for a Saturday night showdown between Orlando City (6-11-3, 21 points) and Real Salt Lake (8-7-4, 28 points) at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). This is the first and only scheduled meeting between the two teams from opposing conferences and the first time they’ve met since 2023 in Utah.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
The Lions are 2-2-3 in seven previous MLS meetings with RSL, including a 1-0-2 mark at home. However, Orlando City is 0-2-1 in their last three games against tonight’s visitors.
The last time the teams met, it was a forgettable result for Orlando City fans. But if you do remember, it’s not for good reasons, because it was a 4-0 beatdown that Real Salt Lake laid on the Lions on July 8, 2023. Cristian Arango, Justen Glad, Jefferson Savarino, and Anderson Julio did the damage.
During the most recent matchup in Orlando, most of us had no idea what COVID-19 was yet. The Lions and Real Salt Lake met on opening day of the 2020 MLS season, playing to a 0-0 draw at Exploria Stadium on Feb. 29. Despite it being a Leap Day, no one wanted to leap onto the scoresheet.
Orlando City lost the previous meeting, a 2-1 Real Salt Lake win in Utah on April 13, 2019. Nani scored Orlando’s only goal that day, but it came late in the match after Sam Johnson and Demir Kreilach had staked RSL to a 2-0 lead.
The May 6, 2018 meeting in Orlando was a wild 3-1 win for the Lions in which RSL missed multiple good scoring chances, hitting the woodwork and forcing Joe Bendik into some big saves. Dom Dwyer, Lamine Sané, and Yoshimar Yotún provided Orlando’s offense to offset Corey Baird’s early strike.
When the teams met in 2017 at Rio Tinto, Will Johnson provided all the offense against his old club in a 1-0 Orlando City victory. Johnson’s tally in the 17th minute was all Orlando City needed to take the first win of the series after two draws the previous two seasons.
In 2016, the teams played a memorable opening day match in which the Lions roared back with a frantic rally, as Cyle Larin and Adrian Winter pulled City level in a 2-2 draw at the Citrus Bowl. Joao Plata scored both RSL goals — one from the penalty spot — and RSL led 2-0 despite going down a man for 25 minutes, prior to Chris Penso evening things out by sending off Darwin Ceren.
Orlando drew 1-1 on the road in 2015 while down to 10 men after Kaká was sent off at the end of the first half. The captain opened the scoring. Sebastian Jaime found the equalizer in the 28th.
Match Overview
Orlando City enters on a poor run of form in a congested fixture schedule. The Lions lost 2-1 at home against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, making it four games without a win in all competitions (0-2-2) and they haven’t won in MLS play in their last three (0-2-1). While the defense is leaking just one or two goals per game of late, the offense has been less tidy in finishing chances, which could be attributed to some players, including Antoine Griezmann, not getting much rest during this stretch of seven games in 22 days. Orlando is a pedestrian 4-4-2 at home this season and is winless in its last two home matches (0-1-1).
Real Salt Lake sits eighth in the Western Conference after going 0-3-3 in its last six league matches, including a 4-3 home loss to FC Dallas on Wednesday. But, oddly enough, that stretch of matches sandwiches a 2-0-1 run in Leagues Cup, and RSL advanced to the knockout rounds, where it will play Club Leon on Tuesday, so we may see some rotation, assuming the Utah-based club is going all in on trying to win Leagues Cup or at least one of the three coveted Concacaf Champions Cup spots. Tonight’s match will be RSL’s first on the road since Aug. 1, where the team is 1-5-3 in 2026 in league play.
Sergi Solans leads tonight’s opponents in goals (9) and goal contributions (12), with Diego Luna leading in assists (6) while adding five goals for 11 total goal contributions. The departure of Zavier Gozo and his six goals and five assists is a tough break for RSL, because beyond those three, 10 goals are spread across eight different players.
The Lions must rediscover their scoring boots for this game, as the Orlando defense pitches precious few shutouts, and if RSL plays its starters, either Solans, Luna, or both could do some damage on the other end.
The Lions will be without Braian Ojeda (foot), Martin Ojeda (thigh), and Bernardo Rhein (thigh), while Adrian Marin (thigh) is questionable, so left back may be an adventure, with Zakaria Taifi, Ivan Angulo, and David Brekalo as the leading candidates to play there, and all of them are right-footed. Real Salt Lake will be without Zach Booth (hamstring), Griffin Dillon (foot), Emeka Eneli (knee), Glad (adductor), and Ariath Piol (Achilles).
Match Content
- The most recent episode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for tonight’s match.
- David Rohe gave his three keys to an Orlando City victory in tonight’s match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.
Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, Marco Pasalic.
Forwards: Tiago, Antoine Griezmann.
Bench: Javier Otero, Iago, Wilder Cartagena, Joran Gerbet, Gustavo Caraballo, Harvey Sarajian, Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.
Real Salt Lake (5-4-1)
Goalkeeper: Mason Stajduhar.
Defenders: Alexandros Katranis, Sam Junqua, Juan Arias, Kobi Henry, Domink Marczuk.
Midfielders: Aiden Hezarkhan, Luca Moisa, Pablo Ruiz, Lineker Rodrigues.
Forward: Victor Olatunji.
Bench: Rafael Cabral, Juan Sanabria, Philip Quinton, Lukas Engel, Noel Caliskan, Colin Guske, Morgan Guilavogui, Saba Lobjanidze, Diego Luna.
Referees
REF: Fotis Bazakos.
AR1: Brian Dunn.
AR2: Jose Da Silva.
4TH: Marcos DeOliveira.
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic.
AVAR: TJ Zablocki.
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!
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