Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Sporting Kansas City: Player Grades and Man of the Match
Orlando City made history as they’ve now gone seven straight games without a loss. That’s the highest number of consecutive games claiming points since joining MLS in 2015. Two goals in three minutes by Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel were enough to lift the Lions to the 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City.
Here’s what I thought of the individual performances from Orlando City.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 6 — It was a painful night for Pedro Gallese as he was down twice injured but Orlando City’s number one came up big again. The Kansas City goal wasn’t his fault and he made two saves that might’ve been going in. The first was a cross that nearly went in. While it’s difficult to tell how close it would’ve been, Gallese tipped it onto the crossbar, ensuring nothing came of it. He made his first official save in the 88th minute when Gerso Fernandes shot from distance. It was on target but Gallese was up to the task.
D, Kyle Smith, 4.5 — It was a rough night for Kyle Smith, who got the start with Joao Moutinho still out. Smith was beaten to the back post by Johnny Russell for Sporting’s goal and was caught too far up field later on, when the hosts were ruled offside. Fortunately for the Lions, his second big mistake didn’t cost the team two points.
D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson was strong at center back in this game. Sporting KC had 26 shots but only two of those shots were on target. That’s largely because the center backs were not allowing good positions from which to shoot. Statistically, Jansson had three interceptions and three clearances but it was the lack of good opportunities for the opposition that earned him a solid grade.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 6 — Rodrigo Schlegel got a rare start for the Lions, taking the spot of Antonio Carlos. Similar to Jansson, Schlegel didn’t give much to the opposition. He was credited with three clearances and completed 86% of his 43 passes. Overall, it was a satisfactory night for Schlegel who contributed to the Lions’ win.
D, Ruan, 6.5 — Ruan is probably better known for his attacking help than his defensive play and he made an impact in this game, playing a nice ball through for Akindele’s opening goal. A quick one-two caught the speedster flat footed on one occasion, which could have resulted in a goal but the Lions survived. Other than that, he kept the opponents at bay and was better than Smith on the other side, matching Gerso’s speed down the wing.
MF, Benji Michel, 6 — While listed as a midfielder, Benji Michel tends to play higher up the field and scored the deciding goal for the Lions. Michel wasn’t involved that much in play, only touching the ball 23 times on the night. He only completed 73% of his 11 passes and was dispossessed once, despite his limited touches. However, his goal turned out to be the biggest moment in the game.
MF, Sebas Mendez, 5.5 — Sebas was the first man substituted for Orlando City, coming off for Mauricio Pereyra in the 62nd minute. While Mendez played pretty well defensively, his passing wasn’t quite where you’d want it to be to create an attack. He only completed 78% of his 41 passes and only two of his five long balls were accurate. You’d like to see more accuracy from your defensive midfielder leading to an attack.
MF, Junior Urso, 6 — It was another strong night for Junior Urso and could’ve been a spectacular night if not for some misfortune. Urso was strong defensively, didn’t give up any fouls in dangerous areas, and completed 86% of his 36 passes. He nearly scored in the 84th minute from a lovely touch and volley but it hit Chris Mueller on its way to the goal. But overall, it was a solid night for the midfielder.
MF, Andres Perea, 5.5 — Andres Perea had 35 touches in this game and was lucky to not have a bigger impact. After Alan Pulido came on in the 65th minute, Perea committed a couple of fouls that could’ve been bookable offenses. A different referee might’ve created a difficult situation for the Lions but the attacking midfielder was fortunate and wasn’t booked on one of them. On the plus side, he did complete 90.5% of his 21 passes and was only dispossessed once.
MF, Nani, 6 — At times, Nani looked a little confused about where to play the ball but he also had one of the most influential plays of the game. His 38th minute pass through the air to Michel was perfectly timed and placed, resulting in the winning goal. He completed 67.9% of his 28 passes and didn’t give up possession of the ball. With quicker thinking, he might’ve had another assist but it was a solid performance overall.
F, Tesho Akindele, 6.5 (MotM) — As the target striker, the primary role is to score. Tesho had one shot in this game and scored the opening goal. It was a good finish as he drew the goalkeeper and directed it around him to give the Lions the lead. Additionally, Akindele drew two fouls in attacking areas, producing more chances for the Lions to extend their lead. He won two aerials and passed at a 90.9% rate on 11 attempts. Overall, it was a good night for a player that has fallen a bit off the radar for Oscar Pareja.
Substitutes
MF, Mauricio Pereyra (63’), 5.5 — Mauricio Pereyra is typically an attacking threat for the Lions but came in with a different role in this game. Up 2-1, SKC was on the attack, forcing Pereyra into a possessive and defensive role. He did well, completing most of his passes and was dispossessed once. He did have a shot on goal but it wasn’t very strong and didn’t threaten Tim Melia.
MF, Chris Mueller (70’), 5 — Chris Mueller has become well known for coming on and making things happen offensively. That wasn’t the case in this game as he only touched the ball nine times in the final 20 minutes of the game. He completed all five passes but didn’t make the impact that Pareja hoped for when he brought him on.
F, Daryl Dike (70’), 6 — As the game wound down, Daryl Dike did what he was brought on to do. He used his body well to shield defenders and was smart with where he took the ball. He probably should’ve won a couple of fouls in an attacking position but the referee refused to call the multiple shoves to his back.
D, Alex De John (79’), 6 — Alex De John only played the final minutes but did what he was brought on to do. Coming on late for Nani, he played well defensively and made a key interception that ended what could’ve been a dangerous chance for the hosts. He was credited with three clearances in the final minutes, helping the Lions secure the win.
That’s what I thought about the performances of Orlando City against Sporting Kansas City. How did you see the game? Vote in our Man of the Match poll below and let us know what you thought of the performances in the comment section.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Tesho Akindele | 12 |
| Ruan | 15 |
| Benji Michel | 23 |
| Pedro Gallese | 25 |
| Other | 12 |
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
The Lions head to Rhode Island looking to advance in the U.S. Open Cup against the Revs.
Welcome to your match thread for a Wednesday night U.S. Open Cup matchup between Orlando City and the New England Revolution at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI (7:30 p.m., Paramount+). This is the first meeting between the two MLS Eastern Conference rivals this season, with two scheduled league matches still left to play in 2026.
Here’s what you need to know for the match.
History
The Lions are 6-7-8 in the regular-season series against New England and 7-8-8 in all competitions. On the road, Orlando City is just 2-6-2 against the Revs, with all of those prior meetings coming in the MLS regular season. Orlando City has faced the Revolution once before in U.S. Open Cup play, winning that prior meeting (more on that below).
The most recent meeting between the teams was also in New England, but it was at Gillette Stadium, the Revs’ usual home. Martin Ojeda’s brace led the Lions to a 2-1 victory on July 19, 2025 — just the team’s second road win in the series. Thomas Chancalay scored for New England.
The first match between the sides last year was a wild 3-3 draw in Orlando on May 10. The Lions squandered two leads in that match, including a 2-0 advantage. Ojeda scored Orlando’s first hat trick since 2015 in that game, but those three goals were offset by strikes by Alhassan Yusuf, Matt Polster, and Carles Gil. One of Ojeda’s goals and Gil’s strike were penalties.
Prior to that, the teams met on Sept. 14, 2024, with the Lions completing their first-ever sweep of the Revs with a 3-0 win. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres (from the penalty spot), and Duncan McGuire provided the offense in a dominant performance. The teams also met on July 13 at Gillette Stadium that year, where the Lions won for the first time, handing the Revs a 3-1 home loss. Torres’ brace led the way to an Orlando comeback, with Ramiro Enrique also scoring to overturn an early 1-0 deficit provided by Giacomo Vrioni.
The teams met in Orlando on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Lions winning 3-2 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. Orlando City clinched second in the Eastern Conference as McGuire and Torres built a 2-0 lead. Pedro Gallese gave up a soft goal from distance to Gil, but Ivan Angulo pulled that one back three minutes later. Gil added a second goal deep in stoppage time to improve the result cosmetically.
New England got the better of the Lions in the previous matchup of the 2023 season, winning 3-1 at Gillette Stadium on June 17. After a scoreless first half, the Revs went up by two with goals from Emmanuel Boateng and Gustavo Bou 18 minutes apart. McGuire pulled one back late, but Gil scored the dagger five minutes later.
These teams met at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 6, 2022, and the previously struggling Revolution whipped Orlando City, 3-0. New England got goals from unlikely sources, as central midfielders Polster and Wilfrid Kaptoum and center back Henry Kessler provided the offense. The teams met at Gillette Stadium on June 15 of that year, and the Revs went ahead on a Gil goal, but the Lions pulled that back with a Robin Jansson strike en route to a 1-1 road draw.
New England went unbeaten in the 2021 season series. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium on Oct. 24, 2021. The Lions built a 2-0 lead through goals by Nani and Daryl Dike, but two late Adam Buksa goals allowed the Revs to steal a point. The teams met at Gillette Stadium just over a month prior to that draw in Orlando, with Nani’s missed penalty a costly one in a 2-1 Revs home win. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a goal by Buksa and an own goal off of Rodrigo Schlegel. Dike pulled one back for the Lions and later won a penalty, but Nani’s attempt to go down the middle was read at the last second by Matt Turner, who got his shoulder to it to preserve the lead.
The Revolution ended the Lions’ season at Exploria Stadium in the 2020 playoffs, knocking Orlando City out of MLS Cup contention in the conference semifinal round on Nov. 29, 2020. That 3-1 win by the Revs was the first road win for either side in the series in any competition. Gil put the Revs up early from the penalty spot after a call against Uri Rosell, and Bou doubled the lead eight minutes later, finishing a play that started with a Nani turnover. Junior Urso pulled a goal back before the halftime whistle, but Mauricio Pereyra was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Polster at the hour mark. Still, Nani had a chance to equalize from the spot, but a poor penalty was saved by Turner. Bou added a late insurance goal.
In the final year of the pre-pandemic times, the Revs went 1-0-1 in the season series. The Lions and Revolution met at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019, with Orlando overcoming a Tesho Akindele own goal and two deficits — the second by two goals — and rallying for a 3-3 draw. Shortly after Akindele’s own goal opened the scoring, Nani tied things up. Cristian Penilla and Bou scored goals five minutes apart just before halftime to seemingly give the visitors control. But Dom Dwyer pulled one back after the restart and Nani tied it up.
The teams also met at Gillette Stadium in 2019 on July 27, and the Revs put the Lions on full blast, 4-1. Bou scored within the first two minutes of the game, and the Revolution got goals from Penilla, Gil, and Diego Fagundez. Akindele scored to avoid the shutout.
The teams also met at Exploria Stadium in U.S. Open Cup action that year on June 19, with the Lions scoring twice in a 30-minute extra time session and holding on for a 2-1 victory. Benji Michel and Akindele staked Orlando to a 2-0 lead before Justin Rennicks pulled one back off a Gil back-post cross. City was able to see the game out.
The last meeting of 2018 saw the Revs top a depleted Orlando side, 2-0 in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 13. In the first matchup of 2018, the teams combined for six goals in a 3-3 draw at Orlando City Stadium on Aug. 4.
Orlando City and New England split the season series in 2017. City completed a 6-1 demolition of 10-man New England at home Sept. 27, 2017. New England won at Gillette Stadium that year by a 4-0 count.
The Lions went 1-0-2 in the series in 2016, winning 3-1 at home on July 31. The teams played a controversial 2-2 draw in Orlando on April 17, 2016. The second 2016 meeting reached the same final score on April 30 in New England.
The teams met twice in 2015, with Orlando City rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the final 17 minutes to draw 2-2 at the Citrus Bowl in April. The Sept. 5 rematch at Gillette Stadium didn’t go as well, with New England taking a 3-0 win. Fagundez, Agudelo and Chris Tierney scored for the Revolution.
Overview
Orlando City is coming off a road loss at D.C. United on Saturday. The Lions came from behind to take a 2-1 second-half lead, but then Orlando melted down in the final six minutes, allowing two goals to throw away all three points. City’s only win away from home this season came in the team’s 1-0 round-of-32 U.S. Open Cup match at FC Naples on April 15, but that was far from easy as the USL League One side dominated the game’s final 30 minutes.
The Lions are 19-11-5 all-time in the U.S. Open Cup, 11-7-5 since becoming an MLS side. Away from Orlando, the Lions are 8-6-2 in the U.S. Open Cup, 5-2-2 since joining Major League Soccer.
The Revolution are coming off a 1-1 draw at Inter Miami over the weekend, with Gil scoring for New England. The Revs are 4-0-2 in their last six matches in all competitions and reached this round of the U.S. Open Cup by outlasting USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in penalties after a 1-1 draw on April 14. Fagundez scored shortly after halftime, but Rhode Island’s J.J. Williams equalized in the 11th minute of stoppage time to send the match to extra time and, ultimately, spot kicks.
It seems a bit of a flex for the Revs to return to Rhode Island FC’s stadium to host its round-of-16 match, but they earned the right, so fair play to New England.
“Of course it’s different playing in the U.S. Open Cup, or in every match that is do or die, win or go home,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “It’s a different context that changes the game, but we have experience in these kinds of competitions and we’re ready for it. We like to compete, we are competitors, so we’re happy and excited.”
Match Content
- Our most recent PawedCast includes our key matchups and score predictions for the match.
Official Lineups
Orlando City (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Javier Otero.
Defenders: Adrian Marin, Colin Guske, Iago, Griffin Dorsey.
Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Ignacio Gomez, Braian Ojeda, Tiago.
Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Justin Ellis.
Bench: Maxime Crepeau, Tahir Reid-Brown, Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, Luis Otavio, Wilder Cartagena, Tyrese Spicer.
New England Revolution (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Donovan Parisian.
Defenders: Gabriel Dahlin, Tanner Beason, Andrew Farrell, Damario McIntosh.
Midfielders: Allan Oyirwoth, Eric Klein, Cristiano Oliveira.
Forwards: Malcolm Fry, Marcos Zambrano, Diego Fagundez.
Bench: JD Gunn, Chris Mbaï-Assem, Schinieder Mimy, Carlos Zambrano, Javaun Mussenden, Shuma Sasaki, Jayden Da.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Centreville Bank Stadium — Pawtucket, RI.
TV/Live Stream: Paramount+.
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!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/29/26
Orlando City plays New England tonight, the Orlando Pride are recognized, USMNT news, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day with Orlando City taking on the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup tonight. The fixture congestion is real as this is the third match for the Lions in just eight days. I’m sure that it will be fine since Orlando City doesn’t have any injury or depth issues…err…let’s get to the links.
Orlando City’s Open Cup Continues
Orlando City is in Rhode Island to take on the New England Revolution in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. As always, it will be interesting to see which regular starters play and which youngsters get the start, though the difference between those two is not as stark as in the past. The Lions also have a trip to play Inter Miami this weekend to consider. I don’t think it will happen, but I say go all in on the Open Cup and play Orlando City B against Miami.
Orlando Pride Earns Recognition
Zara Chavoshi is the Orlando Pride’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for 2026. Chavoshi’s chosen community partner is Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka. Each of the 16 NWSL teams are represented with a panel of judges, including Holiday, determining the winner. In other news, the Pride are still in the top three of SI.com’s NWSL power rankings. Shockingly — I say with tongue planted firmly in cheek — Barbra Banda didn’t make CBSsports.com’s NWSL Team of the Week despite scoring a brace.
Griezmann Continues Champions League Chase
Orlando City’s next Designated Player, Antoine Griezmann, has unfinished business with current club Atletico Madrid. Griezmann and Atletico face Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals this afternoon. As much as I’m looking forward to Griezmann’s arrival in Orlando, I am also all for him winning hardware before he leaves Atletico.
USMNT News
The World Cup is just around the corner, and there are many players in MLS who will be representing their respective countries. Matt Turner is making an excellent case that he should be the first-choice keeper for the USMNT. Stepping outside of MLS, is Weston McKennie the player who the U.S. can least afford to lose heading into the World Cup? McKennie has been playing well this year for club and country. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has been in a bit of a slump. Hopefully, he can turn it around before the World Cup.
Free Kicks
- Rodrigo Schlegel visited Orlando City’s training this week. I’m not saying I want him to start, but a short-term contract for depth might be nice.
- Jose Mourinho is a contender to be Real Madrid’s next head coach and is the preferred candidate of owner Florentino Perez.
- Brighton and Hove Albion has released plans for a new stadium specifically for the club’s women’s team. It will be the first women’s-specific stadium in Europe and the UK.
- I’m very much behind the Japanese practice of cleaning up after soccer matches and I think they will set a good example for the rest of the countries at the World Cup.
- Get ready for some unwarranted red cards as FIFA says “no more mouth covering.”
- The city of Vancouver has declined FIFA’s request for an official motorcade for Gianni Infantino during the 76th FIFA Congress this Thursday. Well done, Vancouver. Well done.
- Sometimes there’s a light of hope in the dark forest that we’re travelling through. Believe.
That will do it for today. Check back for our coverage of Orlando City’s match tonight. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/28/26
Takeaways from MLS matchday 10, Americans in midweek action, Vancouver Whitecaps may be relocated, and more.
Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as Orlando City B was the only one of the three sides to get a result. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us as Orlando City will be in action twice, the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit on Saturday, and OCB takes on Crown Legacy to round off the week on Sunday. We’ve got plenty to discuss today, so let’s jump into the links.
MLS Matchday 10 Lessons
Matchday 10 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have done a very good job of reloading from the off-season losses of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. New faces Cheikh Sabaly and Bruno Caicedo have been finding their feet and both had goal involvements in Vancouver’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Matt Turner looks to be rediscovering some of his best form as he made nine saves in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with Inter Miami. New York City FC’s Matt Freese has been the frontrunner to start in goal for the United States Men’s National Team at the World Cup this summer, but based on his league performances, Turner could make a late charge.
Americans in Midweek Action
Plenty of Americans will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s have a look at the schedule. Things get started Wednesday, when Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC play Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Wednesday has Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid hosting Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals. On Thursday, Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for the first leg of a UEFA Conference League semifinal. The action wraps up on Friday when Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United host Burnley in a Premier League tilt.
Relocation Possible for Vancouver Whitecaps
A special committee of MLS owners reportedly met earlier in April to discuss the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Specifically, Las Vegas is said to have been the primary relocation option discussed at the meeting. It’s been two decades since a team was relocated, as the last franchise to move were the San Jose Earthquakes, who went to Houston and became the Dynamo before being replaced with another San Jose expansion team two years later. Other cities said to be interested in landing a team include Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, with Phoenix reportedly one of the main candidates being considered for relocation alongside Vegas. In the meantime, the Whitecaps remain up for sale while the team tries to find an in-market stadium solution, as the team’s lease with BC Place expires at the end of the year.
High Profile Injuries Continue
The 2025-2026 European season has seen a number of high profile injuries, and that’s a trend that unfortunately continued over the weekend. Xavi Simons suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and he will undergo surgery that will sideline him for a significant amount of time. Real Madrid confirmed on Monday that Kylian Mbappe has a left hamstring injury, and he could reportedly miss the May 10 Clasico match against Barcelona as well as the rest of the La Liga season. AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric fractured his left cheekbone in the team’s 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday and had surgery to repair the damage. His club season is over, but Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is confident that he will be healthy in time for the World Cup.
Free Kicks
- FIFA will reportedly increase the number of times that yellow cards are wiped away at this summer’s World Cup.
- Tailgating will be allowed prior to World Cup games taking place at Gillette Stadium this summer.
- New York City will hold free World Cup fan fests in each of its five boroughs.
- Barcelona has reportedly made contact with Atletico Madrid over a potential transfer for striker Julian Alvarez.
That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
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