Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew: Player Grades and Man of the Match
It’s never easy with this team, is it? Orlando City SC is back in the MLS Cup playoffs for the third straight year, but had to do it the hard way in a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew at Exploria Stadium on Decision Day. Junior Urso and Facundo Torres nullified Derrick Etienne’s goal, and the Lions will now face CF Montreal in the first round of the playoffs.
Here’s how I graded Orlando’s players in Sunday’s heart-pounding win.
Starters
GK, Pedro Gallese, 8 (MotM) — El Pulpo rebounded from the midweek loss to Miami in style. He made five saves on the day, several of which were seriously impressive. His first-half stonewalling of Cucho Hernandez nearly defied belief, as the Peruvian international got down low to his right to tip the ball onto the post and preserve a draw that wouldn’t last. It didn’t stop there though, as he made two late, great saves on Lucas Zelarayan to preserve Orlando’s slim lead and help put the Lions through to the playoffs. Gallese was successful on four of his seven long balls and completed 83.3% of his 18 passes. He takes the plaudits in this one.
D, Kyle Smith, 6 — Orlando Head Coach Oscar Pareja pulled a fast one in this game. It was expected that Smith would partner with Rodrigo Schlegel in central defense, only for him to be deployed at left back while Joao Moutinho was slotted inside. Despite the surprise, Smith had a solid game, notching two tackles, a clearance, a cross, and two accurate long balls while passing at a 77.8% clip. He also played roughly the last 20 minutes on a yellow card and was smart to avoid picking up another.
D, Joao Moutinho, 6 — I was originally quite fearful when I saw Moutinho at center back, as I had doubts about his ability to deal with some of the more physical aspects the position demands. As it turns out, I had no cause for concern, as he put in a steady performance in an unfamiliar role. His passing rate of 93.8% was excellent, and he also completed two long balls. Moutinho didn’t have any defensive stats, but he did have a shot that was off target. It will be nice to have Antonio Carlos back next week, but Joao did what he needed to do when it counted.
D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 7 — Schlegel put in a great showing against Columbus. He racked up three tackles, two interceptions, three clearances, a shot, a key pass, and drew a foul all while passing with 87.8% accuracy. His header back across the box late led to the Benji Michel shot that drew a penalty. The main black mark on his day was his positioning on Etienne’s goal, as he got sucked out too far from where he should have been by Lucas Zelarayan — leaving room behind him for Derrick Etienne to run into. Other than that, he was an immense figure in the back line in the most important league game of the season.
D, Ruan, 5.5— Ruan had a decent defensive showing in this one. He made three tackles and a clearance, and also won three fouls while passing at an 83.3% accuracy. He should have been quicker to tuck in and protect the space Schlegel vacated on Columbus’ goal, failing to track Etienne’s run. He also left Etienne too much space on the flank early for a cross that nearly gave Hernandez an early headed goal. Ruan couldn’t quite get going on the offensive side of things, and he’ll need to be more involved on that end if Orlando is going to advance past Montreal in the first round of the playoffs.
MF, Cesar Araujo, 6.5 — Araujo was his usual industrious self in the win. He did a ton of running in the Lions’ midfield and provided cover for when Mauricio Pereyra and Joao Moutinho ventured further forward. He chipped in with a tackle, an interception, two clearances, a block, a key pass, and a long ball. He also passed with 86.4% accuracy and did well to play over half an hour on a yellow card.
MF, Mauricio Pereyra, 7.5 — Like most of Orlando’s offensive players on the day, it took Pereyra time to get involved in the game. Once he did though, he was effective and finished with two key passes, an assist on Junior Urso’s goal, a cross, a long ball, a tackle, a clearance, and three fouls drawn. His passing accuracy of 83% on the day wasn’t his best, but he did well to bring the ball back out to find Urso with a good pass to his outside foot in order to give the Bear the chance to turn his man and get off a shot.
MF, Facundo Torres, 7 — Once Torres found his way into the game, he left his mark. He didn’t have a ton of shooting opportunities but helped affect the game with his passing, which he did with 93.3% accuracy while connecting on a cross and a key pass. He also had two shots, was fouled once, and most importantly, converted the penalty kick which sent Orlando City to the postseason for the third straight year. There was never really any doubt about the result when he set the ball down, and while goalkeepers seem to have figured out that he likes shooting to his right, when he puts the ball as far in the corner with as much power as he does, it’s tough to stop.
MF, Junior Urso, 7 — Urso had a rocky start to life in the first half. Several bad touches and misplaced passes meant there were concerns about the Bear having a bad game when Orlando could least afford it, but he came up big when he was needed most in the second half. He did ever so well to shield and turn his defender, shape his body and pick out the far side-netting to give Orlando a foothold in the game, and things kicked off from there. He finished with two tackles, two shots, two long balls, and 48 passes at a 95.8% passing accuracy.
MF, Ivan Angulo, 6 — Angulo started on the left wing, but had one of his quieter games in purple against the Crew. He wasn’t bad, as he recorded two key passes and 31 passes at an 84% accuracy with two key passes, while also notching two tackles and an interception. But he wasn’t quite as involved in the attack as Orlando City needed for large parts of the game, although the same can be said about many of his fellow attacking players. Not a bad performance, but not his best either. He also picked up a weird yellow card when the refereeing crew botched his substitution off the field.
F, Ercan Kara, 5.5 — Kara was also quiet during this one, and struggled to get involved with play. Part of that can be attributed to Columbus being content to sit back when it didn’t have the ball, making it difficult for Orlando to get the ball up to the big Austrian. Part of it can also be attributed to his teammates not providing service. Still, one clearance, one block, two fouls drawn, and a 62.5% success rate on eight passes is likely less than what Orlando was hoping from him on the day. His 14 touches weren’t many, but his replacements combined for just four over the last 20 minutes, so regardless of who played up top, there weren’t many connections being made.
Substitutes
F/MF, Benji Michel (74’), 6 — Benji didn’t do a ton to light up the stat sheet, as he finished the game with a yellow card, three touches, one shot, and one completed pass for 100% accuracy. With that being said, the shot he did take hit Milos Degenek’s outstretched hand, giving OCSC the penalty kick that sent the team to the postseason. Right place, right time, and it was a shot that would have been on target had it not hit Degenek on the way through.
F, Tesho Akindele (89’), N/A — Akindele was brought on as a late sub with time running down. His only stats recorded were being caught offside once and misfiring on the lone pass he attempted, but he ran hard and pressed the Columbus back line while the Crew chased an equalizer.
MF, Andres Perea (89’), N/A — Another late substitution, Perea didn’t record any stats during his time on the field, but helped provide energy and fresh legs to get the game over the line.
MF, Wilder Cartagena (89’), N/A — There was a mess of miscommunication on the officiating crew’s part that occurred while Orlando tried to get Cartagena on the field. Once he was there, he connected on his lone pass and also picked up a yellow card while helping see out the game.
D. Mikey Halliday (95’), N/A — Halliday came on as the final time-killing substitute from Pareja and stayed mistake free as Orlando booked its third-straight postseason berth.
That’s how I saw the performances in yet another game with late heroics from the Cardiac Cats. It wasn’t perfect, and the first half was almost universally ugly and devoid of the necessary urgency, but the Lions managed to find the required gear and get themselves into the postseason yet again. Be sure to have your say on everyone’s performances and vote for your Man of the Match below.
Polling Closed
| Player | Votes |
| Pedro Gallese | 26 |
| Rodrigo Schlegel | 4 |
| Junior Urso | 10 |
| Mauricio Pereyra | 1 |
| Facundo Torres | 8 |
| Other (Tell us who in the comments) | 3 |
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/30/26
Orlando City advances in U.S. Open Cup, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines earns praise, NWSL sticks with current calendar, and more.
For the third Thursday morning in a row, we are all basking in the triumph of a midweek win by Orlando City. It feels good, to say the least, and I’m a bit sad that there’s not another Wednesday match next week. Regardless, there’s plenty of Orlando soccer ahead this weekend to look forward to. Now that we have a little optimism to get us through the rest of the week, let’s get to the links!
Orlando City Wins U.S. Open Cup Thriller
Orlando City has reached the quarterfinals of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after winning 4-3 on the road against the New England Revolution in the round of 16. It was truly a back-and-forth affair and Orlando didn’t have the lead at any point of the match until scoring the winner in stoppage time. Just like in the previous round against FC Naples, it wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but all that matters is advancing, and the Lions are through to the quarterfinals. The draw for the rest of the bracket will take place this morning starting at 9:30 a.m.
Seb Hines Receives High Praise
Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines placed eighth in ESPN‘s rankings of the top 20 women’s club soccer coaches in the world. Orlando’s transformation with him at the helm has been historic, as he coached the Pride to winning both the NWSL Championship and the Shield in 2024. The only other current NWSL coaches above him on the list are Angel City FC’s Alex Straus and Gotham FC’s Juan Carlos Amoros. Jonatan Giraldez, who left the Washington Spirit for OL Lyonnes last summer, tops the list, while former Pride head coach Marc Skinner missed the cut.
NWSL Will Stick With Current Calendar For Now
In a league statement, the National Women’s Soccer League announced that it will continue with its spring-to-fall schedule through 2030. This news comes after evaluation by the league of making a similar move as MLS and switching to a calendar that aligns with European leagues.
This should give all parties a decent amount of time to explore long-term options. It also means we will get to enjoy domestic soccer all year long for at least a couple of years once MLS makes the switch in 2027. We’ll see what happens in the NWSL in 2031, which is also when the U.S. will cohost the Women’s World Cup that summer.
Keeping Up With Americans Abroad
European soccer is winding down and many American players will aim to finish strongly after struggling a bit this season. Fulham defender Antonee Robinson only has one assist this season, while Christian Pulisic has recorded just one goal contribution in 2026. In more positive news, former Lion Alex Freeman played every minute of Villarreal’s 2-1 win over Celta Vigo and hopefully more minutes are ahead of him to close out the season. Forward Folarin Balogun was named AS Monaco’s Player of the Month after scoring in three of his four appearances this month. Another star-spangled storyline to keep an eye on is in the EFL Championship as Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough fight for promotion.
Free Kicks
- New York City FC’s Maxi Moralez had three assists in his team’s 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup, with all three of NYCFC’s goals coming from corner kicks.
- Nashville SC forward Ahmed Qasam won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his strike against Charlotte FC. I’m still not sure how Tyrese Spicer’s goal wasn’t nominated.
- Atletico Madrid and Arsenal each scored a penalty in a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal matchup. Antoine Griezmann, who will join Orlando this summer, hit the crossbar in what was likely his final Champions League game at the Metropolitano.
- Afghan Women United, a women’s soccer team of Afghan refugees, has been allowed by FIFA to take part in international competitions.
- FIFA is in talks over implementing a rule that would require soccer teams to field a young Homegrown player during games. The idea would make more sense to me if players didn’t already have options available to get playing time through loans or tournaments outside of league play.
- English defender Millie Bright announced her retirement from professional soccer. The 32-year-old has played for Chelsea since 2014, but injuries have plagued her over the years and she will continue to be part of the club in the future.
- Paris Saint-Germain right back Achraf Hakimi is out for the next few weeks due to a thigh injury sustained in the club’s wild 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Orlando City
Orlando City vs. New England Revolution, 2026 U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 4-3 as Lions Advance to Quarterfinals
The Lions overcame three one-goal deficits and saw a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside in a wild USOC match in Rhode Island.
Orlando City overcame three separate deficits and a would-be winning goal that was called offside (but wasn’t) in a wild 4-3 win over New England at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI. The Lions moved into the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup on a night of firsts, as three Orlando City defenders — Iago, Griffin Dorsey, and Zakaria Taifi — each scored their first goal as Lions, while Justin Ellis stayed hot with a goal and an assist in the contest.
New England took leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 on goals by Malcolm Fry, Andrew Farrell, and Marcos Zambrano, but the Lions fought back each time and eventually found a way to put a foot in front in stoppage time. Taifi’s winner in the second minute of injury time avoided sending the two teams to their second extra time session in as many USOC meetings. Second-half super sub Tyrese Spicer provided assists on the last two goals and what should have been a second Ellis goal.
“A lot of happiness because of the result, especially, like I said last week, the effort of the players,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said after the game. “I think the effort of the players a couple of days ago, today, every game, I think that’s the biggest point to highlight. I think we have an amazing group of players. When they need to show up, they do it.”
Perelman’s starting lineup featured Javier Otero in goal behind a back line of Adrian Marin, Iago, Colin Guske, and Dorsey. Ignacio Gomez joined Braian Ojeda in central midfield with wingers Ivan Angulo and Tiago, with Martin Ojeda and Ellis leading the attack.
New England went extra young, with no veterans on the bench of the game day squad, and only elder statesmen Diego Fagundez and Farrell on the pitch with nine young players. Despite all that youth for the Revs, it was Orlando’s young players — Homegrowns Ellis and Taifi and MLS U22 Initiative signings Iago and Tiago — who ultimately stole the show.
Ellis had the first couple of scoring chances in the game. His shot from outside the area seven minutes into the match from Gomez’s pass was easily saved by Donovan Parisian. Seven minutes later, Ellis could have taken an early shot with his left in transition, but instead he cut inside on his right and his shot was deflected out for a corner.
The next 10 minutes saw the Lions start turning the ball over in their own half and Fry sent a warning shot wide of the left post in the 19th minute with two runners at the back post just waiting on a cross. However, that warning shot went unheeded.
Fry opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a shot from the left channel. Gomez trailed Eric Klein on the play but appeared to be running at half speed and never came close to running down the opposing attacker. Guske got caught between two minds, stepping up, but leaving too much room. Klein sent a chipped pass by Guske to Fry, Iago was a step slow to cover for his central defense partner, and Otero opened up his legs, allowing Fry to slip it in from a tight angle to make it 1-0.
The Lions quickly gave the ball away after the restart and nearly fell behind by a second goal on two occasions. The first was within a minute of Fry’s goal, when Fagundez found Allan Oyirwoth in transition but Otero was there to make the save on a 1-v-1 chance. Zambrano then hit the post in the 26th minute on another dangerous opportunity.
That was an important storm to weather, because the Lions pulled one back in the 31st minute off a set piece. The ball in from the left was cleared out to the right and recycled in by Tiago, who sent a nice curling cross into the area on the far side. Iago leaped over everyone and headed it back toward the right, beating Parisian to make it 1-1 with his first goal as a Lion.
This time it was Orlando City nearly scoring twice in quick succession. A good ball from Dorsey sent Tiago to the end line on the left. His pass to Martin Ojeda was late and hard, bouncing just before reaching the Argentine, who got under it as a result, sending his shot over the bar. A minute later, Ellis tried to connect with Ojeda’s run between defenders but it was just out of the Designated Player’s reach.
New England regained the lead off a set piece in the 37th minute that should have been cleared. The ball into the box landed amidst several bodies and only one of them was wearing Revs colors. Gabe Dahlin had no trouble taking it away from Gomez and Guske and sent it to Farrell near the top of the area. The defender smashed it through the traffic and in to make it 2-1, scoring his first goal since 2018.
Much like each of the previous goals, the next good chance came immediately for the scoring team. Zambrano forced Otero into a save just seconds after the go-ahead goal. Seconds later, another dangerous cross in from Fagundez, who was given too much space by Angulo, found Zambrano in front, but he sent his bicycle kick well off target.
Orlando City responded to that flurry of Revolution attacks with its second goal of the game. Dorsey took a pass from Angulo and worked a give-and-go with Ellis at the top of the box, with the forward giving Dorsey a clean look at goal. The right back blasted it home to make it 2-2 in the 39th minute.
Otero nearly created more problems for himself in the 42nd minute, overrunning Fagundez’s delivery on yet another set piece. He managed to extend his arm far enough to get a touch on the ball to send it out for a corner. A dangerous scramble in front of goal with one New England player on five defenders resulted in another corner, before the danger subsided with the ensuing set piece delivery swerving out of play.
Oyirwoth got a late free header in the box but couldn’t make good contact, sending it out of play. That was the last good look at goal of the opening 45 minutes and the teams went to the locker room tied up at 2-2.
New England had a dominant advantage on the stat sheet at the break, leading in possession (51%-49%), shots (12-5), shots on target (4-3), and passing accuracy (90%-86%), while Orlando City won more corners (3-2).
Tyrese Spicer entered the match at halftime for Tiago.
After the Lions conceded an early set piece, Spicer got forward for the first time in the 49th minute, racing down the left channel and blazing a rocket just over the crossbar. A few minutes later, he destroyed Damario McIntosh on the left wing and got into the box but got his cross wrong, sending it straight to a Revs player.
Another spell of give-away ball and passive midfield play by Orlando eventually led to the third New England lead of the night. Zambrano took a pass out on the right, took a touch and beat a passive Marin — and Otero — to make it 3-2 in the 58th minute.
The Lions quickly won a free kick just wide of the box on the left but could do nothing with it.
Fagundez came close to a fourth New England goal in the 68th minute when given acres of space outside the penalty area. The veteran winger sent the shot just wide of the left post.
Two minutes later, the Lions again tied things up. Spicer got down the left again and sent a cross in front that was just out of Parisian’s reach at the top of the six. The ball went through and Ellis slotted home to make it 3-3 in the 70th minute.
Ellis scored again in the 74th minute but the flag came up. Martin Ojeda sent a beautiful ball just over the defender for Spicer to run onto. Spicer sent it to Ellis in front for the finish but the flag came up immediately. The replay showed from two angles that Spicer and Ellis both appeared to be onside. With questionable call, the game remained tied.
Spicer forged another chance in the 80th minute. He put a move on McIntosh and the New England defender went down. Spicer seemed a bit mesmerized by the sudden appearance of space and waited too long to get his shot away, which Farrell blocked. McIntosh had to leave the match with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
The Lions continued to press for a winner down the stretch. Martin Ojeda’s back-post ball fell behind substitute Taifi in the 89th minute. The Homegrown fullback tried a spinning shot but hit Ellis with it in front.
New England came the other way, winning a throw-in on the left. Orlando City’s defense got out of sync on the play and the Revs worked the ball to Fry alone on the right inside the box. The opening goal scorer was poised to be the game’s hero but fired his shot over Otero’s crossbar.
With seven minutes of stoppage time left to decide things before sending the game to extra time, the Lions needed only two to finally get their first lead of the match. Spicer again got down the left side with his speed to get to a perfect pass over the top from Ojeda. The Trinidad & Tobago international cut a menacing ball back across the area. Taifi made the back-post run and redirected it in for his first goal with the MLS side
“Today we were able to spread the goals (among) different players, and that helped raise the confidence,” Perelman said. “That’s always something positive. If they are scoring it’s because they are on the field, and if they are on the field, it’s because they are performing, growing.
Although he didn’t put the ball in the net himself, it’s impossible to understate Spicer’s role in the win, creating a threat that the Revs struggled to cope with down the left flank throughout the second half.
“Spicy, first of all, is an amazing person. I’m so happy for him,” Perelman said. “He’s an amazing boy, respectful, and then the talent he has, because he’s accurate when he shoots, when he crosses, when he finishes…and he has 1-v-1 capacity. I mean, a lot of qualities.”
Across the final minutes, Orlando City lived dangerously, setting New England up with multiple opportunities from set pieces, but the Lions managed to do just enough to clear their lines and see out what turned into more than nine added minutes. Eventually, the final whistle came and the Lions were through to the U.S. Open Cup
At full time, the Lions had the advantage in possession, (51.6%-48.4%), while New England had the edge in shots (15-14) and passing accuracy (85.1%-84.2%). Both teams put five shots on target and each side won three corners.
“The cup is not easy,” Perelman said. “I respect the Open Cup, and I respect the opponents, so happy, happy for the result. The game was tough. They played really well with their 4-3-3. We were trying to find a way to adjust to that. I think in the second half mainly we did it, even though we conceded one more goal in the second half.”
Orlando City is back in action Saturday at Inter Miami as league play continues.
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!
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