Orlando City vs. New York Red Bulls
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Exploria Stadium, Orlando
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (free to watch)
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Did you know?
➖ Orlando City is unbeaten in home openers through eight seasons in MLS. The Lions have won twice and drawn six times on Opening Day, coming from behind to earn results on four separate occasions, including three stoppage time equalizers from 2015-18.
➖ City defeated CF Montréal 2-0 in last year’s opener, its first win on opening day since 2017. Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel scored the two Orlando goals.
➖ Orlando City has never opened a season on the road in nine years in MLS.
➖ The Lions have not conceded a goal in a home opener since 2019, a 2-2 draw with NYCFC. Orlando played to 0-0 draws against RSL in 2020 and Atlanta United in 2021 before shutting out Montréal last year.
➖ The Lions have 10 new players for 2023, the most additions in a primary transfer window for Orlando City since the 2018-19 offseason.
➖ Orlando City added one new DP (Martín Ojeda), one new U22 Initiative player (Ramiro Enrique), two other senior international transfers (Dagur Dan Thorhallson, Rafael Santos), one MLS free agent (Felipe), one MLS trade acquisition (Luca Petrasso), one Homegrown player (Favian Loyola), and three SuperDraft selections (Shak Mohammed, Duncan McGuire, Abdi Salim).
➖ Orlando also signed several players to new deals, including Mauricio Pereyra, Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, and Rodrigo Schlegel.
➖ All six of Orlando City’s DP and U22 roster slots are filled by players acquired after the Wilf family bought the club in July 2021. Ercan Kara, Facundo Torres, César Araújo, and Gastón González were all acquired last winter, with Ojeda and Enrique joining this year.
➖ For the first time in club history, Orlando City will be competing on four fronts in 2023. In addition to MLS and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Lions will make their CONCACAF Champions League debut against Tigres UANL on March 7, and they will play in the all-new Leagues Cup this summer alongside all of MLS and Liga MX.
Know the opponent
All-time vs. Red Bulls - 7-9-2, -1 GD (4-4-1, +1 GD home)
➖ Orlando City had perhaps both its worst and best games of 2022 against the Red Bulls. On April 24, the Lions lost 3-0 at home to New York in a game where City was out-shot 17-3 and didn’t put an effort on target. Then, on July 27, Orlando destroyed the Red Bulls in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with César Araújo bagging his first and only two professional goals and Mauricio Pereyra, Facundo Torres, and Benji Michel all getting on the scoresheet as well in a 5-1 win.
➖ Torres scored against New York again two weeks later in a 1-0 Orlando win at Red Bull Arena, kicking off a four-game Orlando win streak that ultimately put the Lions in the playoffs. Two of Torres’ 13 goals last season came against the Red Bulls.
➖ Orlando City midfielder Felipe Martins played 125 games for the Red Bulls from 2015-17, scoring 10 goals. Felipe also has a goal and six assists against the Red Bulls in 14 appearances for various other clubs.
Milestone watch
➖ Mauricio Pereyra is two appearances away from 100 in his Orlando City career (all competitions). Should Pereyra play in the first two games, he will achieve 100 games on March 4 against FC Cincinnati at Exploria Stadium.
➖ Oscar Pareja’s next win will be his 45th as Orlando City head coach. Pareja is 44-32-30 in three seasons as Orlando’s manager.
