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Orlando City

Intelligence Report: Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati

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7 years ago

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Orlando City’s already slim playoff hopes took yet another hit with New England’s comeback draw with Portland on Wednesday. While making the postseason is almost certainly no longer a reasonable achievement for the Lions, the team still needs to take care of business.

This week their business is FC Cincinnati, which means I once again spoke to Bill Wolf of Cincinnati Soccer Talk. He was kind to catch us up on how Cincy’s season has gone since these two teams last met.

It’s been a rough debut MLS season for FC Cincinnati, with the team’s 22 points the lowest number in the league. Does the team’s record and point total tell the whole story or has the season been better than the sometimes harsh data suggests?

Bill Wolf: Yep, we won the wooden spoon. Hardware our first season in MLS. Woohoo! Seriously though, the team, collectively, is obviously not good. I don’t think that is the whole story, but clinching the bottom of the table with games in hand, there isn’t much else to say. 

Are the individuals on this roster better than the record shows? I think absolutely. Should they have done better this season? I think absolutely. That said, I think the roster build was not done well. FCC ended up with like 50% midfielders, most of who would be labeled as eights. They had almost no wings. A few of the players are comfortable in the six spot, but none of them are that real enforcer last line of defense type. They have a few players who can step into the 10 spot but don’t have that creative player who can unlock a defense. FCC improved a bit in the summer transfer window. They brought a couple of wings in and have been playing with essentially two eights and a six, who at times tends to struggle.

If you look at what this team has gone through, it has been a hell year off the pitch as well. There were clashes with head coach Alan Koch that spilled out into the media — Koch blaming the results on his players and the players coming out with displays of solidarity. Ultimately, the club was forced to choose between letting their coach go or letting all of the players go. Obviously only one choice to make there. But that isn’t the end of it because change brings uncertainty. How do you get along with the new coach? Do you fit into their vision and style? So they began a period of time with interim head coach Yoann Damet. Change. Uncertainty. The club decided it needed to get its GM hired. It had put that off this season to focus on the front office, the stadium and the training facility, but it was obvious that more oversight and direction was required on the technical side. Gerard Nikamp is hired. More change. More uncertainty. Finally, the hunt is over and the club brings on our new coach, Ron Jans. Even more change. Even more uncertainty. 

Injuries have also killed Cincinnati this season. Their DP striker spent most of the season injured and only scored a single goal. They’re not expecting him back at this point this season. Spencer Richey, the starting keeper, tweaked his back and is out for the season most likely. Darren Mattocks, who has been the choice for striker, is now out for the remainder of the season. Allan Cruz, the leading scorer, is out with a concussion. They also lost Greg Garza for an extended period this season, throwing the back line into a mess. Lots of other smaller injuries of key players for two or three games throughout.

During the period under Damet, the team moved to a 4-3-3 formation and started playing a traditional Dutch style of press soccer. This seems to be the direction that Nikamp wants to take the team. However, the existing roster struggled with that. They couldn’t seem to figure out how to press and then break up the counter. They started bleeding goals: two games they gave up four goals, three games they gave up five goals and against Minnesota…seven goals. The team’s morale was crushed and they didn’t have the mentality to come back into a game and once the scoring started… 

The last three games, FCC has completely changed direction. Jans has implemented a much more defensive style of play. In the last three games, the have a record of 1-1-1, losing only to Atlanta United. They’ve earned two clean sheets. As I said, I think this roster is better than the stats show and under a coach they are motivated by, they are starting to see some results at the end of the season.

Long answer, sorry. Here’s the TLDR: Collectively they aren’t well formed and they’ve had a rough time off the pitch. They aren’t great but should be doing better.  

Last time we spoke we talked a little bit about Frankie Amaya. How has the rest of his season been? Is he continuing to develop?

BW: Frankie is a fan favorite. Everyone loves his drive and energy. If you look at the stats this season, such as successful passes, successful dribbles, interceptions, chances created, etc., you’ll find teammates who beat him in some stats, but overall he’s better than most. And at 18 years of age, he’s a top player on the team, playing with seasoned veterans. What he’s lacking is goal-scoring production, so we hope to see that change as he grows and matures as a player.

He did take a knock in July and was on and off the pitch for a bit, ultimately sitting out most of August to recover. It’s been great to have him back in the lineup. 

I’m hoping with the experience and the playing time he’s getting that he’ll start to fit into the plans for USMNT in the future. Missing the U-20 World Cup had to be a huge disappointment. Tab Ramos specifically mentioned him as a tough one to leave off, but at the time, he was not playing regularly for his club versus other players.

Heading into the off-season, what do you believe the biggest need is for the team? What area does it need to strengthen?

BW: I do think they’ll move back to a Dutch pressing style next season, so the team needs to make changes to support that. For me, that feels like a real solid six. They need someone sitting deeper in the midfield ahead of the back line who can break up counter attacks and tuck in and close gaps when the backs go forward. They need to be able to intercept or take the ball and they need to be able to distribute it to restart the press. 

Are there any injuries, suspensions, or call-ups that will keep players unavailable for selection? What is your projected starting lineup and score prediction?

 BW: LOL. Sometimes we are asking who is available versus who isn’t? Mattocks is out for the season. Richey and Fanendo Adi are close to recovered but probably not able to be fit enough to play this season. Cruz has a concussion. Not sure of his status, but done for season wouldn’t surprise me. Kekuta Manneh is also injured and out for the season. Beyond that, Kendall Waston picked up his eighth yellow card versus Chicago so he is suspended. Interestingly, Nemanja Nikolic was fined post match for embellishment for that play, but at least at this point, I haven’t heard anything about rescinding the card.

For my lineup.

Przemysław Tyton; Mathieu Deplagne, Maikel van der Werff, Nick Hagglund, Greg Garza; Frankie Amaya, Caleb Stanko, Leonardo Bertone; Derrick Etienne, Emmanuel Ledesma, Joe Gyau.

I’m going to predict a 1-0 victory for FCC. In their last three games, if we ignore Atlanta and Josef Martinez, they have two shutouts and one win against teams in a similar position in the table as Orlando. Your scoring is not consistent and I’m hoping with the more defensive style FCC has been playing and the home crowd support, that the team will hold strong.

Big thanks to Bill for a great in-depth look at FC Cincinnati.

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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.

Published

3 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Antoine Griezmann.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Anibal Godoy.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

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!

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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.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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!

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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.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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