Orlando City (0-1-0) vs Toronto FC (0-0-1)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla
Radio: AM 810 Fox Sports Radio, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch on Saturday as the Lions host the Canadian side:
Bracing for Impact
Despite the loss, new Designated Player Marco Pašalić was transcendent in his first Orlando City game, scoring the fastest debut goal in Club history (7:20), beating Daryl Dike’s record (17:54) set against Inter Miami CF in 2020, and ending the night as the first Lion ever to record a brace in his debut match. Pašalić took seven shots, landing four on target, and added two key passes in a stellar performance. He was one of seven players in the league to record a brace on opening weekend and one of just three newcomers to MLS to do so, joining Atlanta’s Emmanuel Latte Lath and San Diego’s Anders Dreyer.
Angulo v_100
Forward Iván Angulo’s next appearance is set to be his 100th for Orlando City across all competitions. Angulo has appeared in 86 consecutive MLS regular season and Audi MLS Cup playoff games, dating all the way back to August 2022. Since joining the Club in 2022 from Palmeiras, Angulo has scored 11 goals across all competitions and provided 22 total assists across over 7,500 minutes played. Should Angulo start the match, it will serve as his 90th start out of 100 total appearances for the Lions.
Ojeda’s Opportunities
Midfielder and Designated Player Martín Ojeda is just one assist away from tying former Orlando City winger Facundo Torres for the third-most assists in Club history across all competitions. Ojeda currently sits fourth, tied with Chris Mueller, after providing the helper on Marco Pašlić’s first goal for the Club against the Philadelphia Union last weekend. Martín Ojeda also provided seven key passes on Saturday, two more than any other player in MLS on opening weekend, following a 2024 where he ranked 12th in the league in key passes per 90 minutes among qualifying players.
Debut Day
In addition to Marco Pašalić making his historic Club debut against the Union, Orlando City saw three other new players make their Club debuts last weekend. Midfielder Eduard Atuesta, who was acquired from Palmeiras on Feb. 10, midfielder Joran Gerbet, who was selected No. 27 overall in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft and replaced Atuesta as a second-half substitution, and forward Nico Rodríguez, who was acquired from Fortaleza C.E.I.F. on Jan. 17, all made their debuts for the Lions at Inter&Co Stadium.
Tussling with Toronto
Orlando City has been dominant against Toronto FC since Head Coach Oscar Pareja took over at the Club, going 7-1-1 against the Reds since the 2021 meetings between the sides. Despite the Lions taking their first loss against the Reds since 2019 in the first meeting last season, they got their revenge up north in July, turning around an early deficit of their own thanks to a Martín Ojeda strike and a game-winning own goal. Ojeda, forward Iván Angulo, defender/midfielder Dagur Dan Thórhallsson and defender Kyle Smith have all scored for Orlando City against Toronto FC in the past.
Milestone Tracker:
-Martín Ojeda (24) is one helper away from tying Facundo Torres (23) for third-most assists across all competitions in Club history.
- Duncan McGuire sits tied with Kaká (25) for fourth on Orlando City’s all-time scoring list and is one goal away from taking sole possession of fourth place.
- Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese is one win away from his 75th for the Lions.
