• Matchday 22: Orlando City vs New York City FC
• Date and Time: Wednesday, July 16 7:30 pm ET
• Venue: Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, FL
• Forecast: Hot, humid, sweaty, 84F/29C
• Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
• Apple Broadcast Team: Nate Bukaty and Devon Kerr (English), Sergio Ruíz and Walter Roque (Spanish)
• New York City FC Radio: Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence (English), Roberto Abramowitz and Ariel Judas (Spanish)
• Officiating Crew: Jair Marrufo (referee), Adam Wienckowski and Gianni Facchini (assistant referees), Elvis Osmanovic (fourth official), Kevin Stott (VAR), Craig Lowry (assistant VAR)
• Kits: New York City will be back in the sky-blue Excelsior Kit; Orlando will wear the distinctive purple Legacy Kit
It's Matchday 22, and New York City FC are taking their four-game roadshow to Central Florida, where they will face a dangerous if inconsistent Orlando City SC.
NYCFC have just one away win in 10 played, and that came way back on April 26, when they beat a dysfunctional Toronto FC 1-0 on Matchday 10. Since then, New York City have scored just two goals as the away team, and those came in the 2-2 draw with Nashville SC on May 31 in Matchday 17.
For their part, Orlando have just two home losses in 11 games. They also have a whopping five draws, with the most recent coming over the weekend in a 1-1 result with CF Montréal. (Side note: It's the second time the two teams drew — Montréal are undefeated against Orlando and NYCFC, with eight of their 15 points coming from those two opponents.)
New York City are still licking their wounds after Saturday's 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC. NYCFC finished the game with more possession and the higher xG, but were held scoreless for the eighth time this year.
Will New York City snap out of their summer slump tonight? They have a strong record against the top teams in the Eastern Conference (does Sixth Place count?), and against Orlando in general. Tonight is the second matchup in NYCFC's four-game roadtrip, which is as good a time as any to get a result.
Oliver Strand
New York City vs Orlando H2H
| GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 47 | 33 | 14 |
New York City has the historic advantage over Orlando, going unbeaten in the last six played between the two. This despite these being arguably Orlando's golden years.
Still, NYCFC has a tough time winning in Florida, with just two wins out of 12 played on the road. New York City's last win at Inter&Co Stadium came seven years ago, when Maxi Moralez and Anton Tinnerholm scored in a 2-0 win on July 26, 2018. But NYCFC has still managed to get points in Orlando, with four draws and one loss in the last five played on the road.
New York City's 10 draws with Orlando are the most of any opponent, and the 47 goals scored are the second-most after the 49 scored against Toronto FC.
Andrew Leigh
New York City Scouting Report
• Player Availability: Keaton Parks (foot) and Malachi Jones (leg) remain out.
• Birk Risa is no longer on the roster after moving back to Molde FK in Norway. The left-footed center-back looked like a promising addition in 2023, but he never adapted to the pace and physicality of Major League Soccer, and lost his starting spot to an out-of-position Justin Haak under both former head coach Nick Cushing and current gaffer Pascal Jansen. You can read about the transfer here.
• New signing Nico Ferández won't be available until July 24, when the transfer window officially opens. You can read about NYCFC's 10th Designated Player here.
• That leaves the question: How will Jansen line up the team in tonight's game? The Starting XI he played in the loss to Charlotte FC last Saturday is arguably his strongest squad, but the attack looked lifeless as NYCFC was held scoreless for the eighth time this season.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Orlando City Scouting Report
• Player Availability: Midfielder Joran Gerbet (thigh) and striker Duncan McGuire (shoulder) are out.
• Want to learn more about Orlando? Be sure to read Oppo Research: 5 Things about Orlando City. Ben Miller of The Mane Land tells us why this Orlando squad isn't quite there, and why he thinks they'll find a way to win anyway.
Matthew Mangam
