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Orlando City

Orlando City at New England Revolution: Player Grades and Man of the Match

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10 years ago

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It took late game heroics to secure a point (I’m noticing a theme there), but Orlando City drew 2-2 with New England Revolution thanks to a stoppage time goal from substitute Carlos Rivas.

All three of Adrian Heath’s subs influenced the game positively, and a hard fought 95 minutes is rewarded with a well earned point in hand.

And, if you ask me, the ref didn’t suck. So that was nice. Now how about some grades?

Starters

G, Joe Bendik, 7 – Cut off a good cross in 13th, cleaned up the mess again following an immediate turnover. Bendik was very assertive in the first half hour, taking command of the box and getting out to reach every ball possible. Great job disrupting a strong chance in the 31st. Saved the point in stoppage with a fantastic save when the Revs had a clear look just feet in front of goal.

D, Brek Shea, 6 – Was destroyed off the dribble by Diego Fagundez leading to the first goal allowed. Consistently attacked by the defense, did a solid job recovering but the Revs made his side of the pitch a target throughout the first half. Was chewed up on the Revs’ second goal, allowing two passes to beat him and leave Bendik exposed.

D, Seb Hines, 6 – Failed to block the first goal and really should have been able to get in the way. Struggled with Fagundez early, but did show good effort in clearing out in the first half. Beaten to the ball by Juan Aguedelo in the 72nd, leading to New England’s second goal. Just missed heading in Nocerino’s free kick in the 79th.

D, David Mateos, 7.5 – Solid first half, disruptive defensively and passed deep with confidence. Was active clearing New England chances all night, although was just a half step too slow in covering for an over extended left side of the back line when a glancing deflection still found the goal. Cleaned up a frenzied late attack by the Revs, who nearly took the lead back in the 92nd before Mateos cleared out.

D, Rafael Ramos, 6.5 – Got forward well to play a strong cross to Nocerino in the 9th. Worked well with Winter early, springing him forward to threaten. Pestered the Revs throughout the match offensively, putting together his second consecutive positive effort in that facet of the game. Earned a solid yellow card disrupting Agudelo in the 93rd.

MF, Antonio Nocerino, 6 – Poor try at a corner in the 6th, finding nothing but blue shirts. Blew a shot on net in the 9th following a solid cross from Ramos that he should have been able to convert. Still seems to be a bit off, though he did flash signs of solid two-man play with Molino.

MF, Cristian Higuita, 6.5 – Good job tracking back in the 57th to prevent a scoring chance for Fagundez, earning a goal kick when disrupting the play. Passed crisply and efficiently, linking up with the attack as well as you could ask for. Not quite as active as usual defensively — the ref was letting both sides be physical, you’d think of all people Higuita would be the one to take advantage attacking the ball.

MF, Darwin Ceren, 6 – Worked well with Higuita and Ramos, boasting the highest passing percentage on the club. His goal saving block in the 20th minute proved huge, though received a yellow card shortly afterwards in the 24th.

MF, Kevin Molino, 8 (MotM) – Played very well off Brek and Nocerino early, showing the confidence on the ball and in his teammates that was missing last week. His hard work eventually paid off when he found himself in prime position to play Larin’s missed header into the back of the net to equalize in the 29th.

MF, Adrian Winter, 6 – Sprung Ramos with a good lead ball for cross in the 9th that ultimately amounted to nothing. Hustled to be in position, but was tangled up in the box on a chance in the 14th. Showed his skill on the ball when he beat two off the dribble to play the cross that led to Molino’s equalizing goal. Seemed to pace himself better, as he was still pressing forward deep into the match, but failed to influence any big plays.

F, Cyle Larin, 7 – Just missed a header in the 18th off a Nocerino pass. Consistently worked hard to win headers throughout the match, in fact, but couldn’t quite seem to get his head on the ball. The defense was clearly focused on Kid Fantastic, which did turn into great scoring chances for both Molino and Nocerino at the back post, though only The Original was able to convert. Completed just six of ten passes on the match, but he did manage to get the ball to Rivas for the equalizing goal.

Substitutes

MF, Servando Carrasco (62′), 7 – Active defensively, leading the team with four tackles despite playing just half an hour. Carrasco played his usual style — aggressively chasing the ball on defense, and looking to spring the speedsters with long passes after gaining possession.

MF, Carlos Rivas (80′), 7.5 – Immediately worked to make his presence felt, pressing forward and looking to create chances. Raced to catch up to a Baptista through ball, Rivas was yellow carded for leaving a foot in when colliding with New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. Great job sticking with the play late to make a run across the front of net, leading to him scoring the equalizer in the first minute of stoppage and get the Lions a point.

MF/F, Julio Baptista (80′), 6.5 – Tried getting a little too cute in the box late, costing the Lions an opportunity to attack the net in the 88th. Started the sequence that led to Rivas’ equalizer by playing over the top to Cyle Larin. Showed flashes of creativity and a flair for playmaking, Baptista is an exciting player to watch.

Be sure to vote for your man of the match and head to the comments section to sound off on my worst grades.

Polling Closed

Player Votes
Joe Bendik 96
Kevin Molino 50
Carlos Rivas 37
Other 31
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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

12 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

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!

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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

2 days ago

on

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

2 days 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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