WIN THIS AND WE SEAL A TOP SEVEN FINISH!! 🤞🏽🙏🏽 For the first time in six MLS seasons, Orlando City SC welcome Vancouver Whitecaps to Inter&Co Stadium this Saturday. And it’s our final home fixture of the 2025 regular season. The sides haven’t met since April 2019, adding extra intrigue to a clash that was originally scheduled for August 30 before being rearranged due to our deep 2025 Leagues Cup run.
It’s a big night in more ways than one. Already locked into the MLS Cup Playoffs for a sixth consecutive year – the longest active streak in the league – the Lions know this is their last game in hand. And it simply has to count in the race for a top four finish. The timing, though, is awkward, with the FIFA international break stripping both sides of key players. Fortunately for us, Pedro Gallese is available after not being called up by Peru.
For Vancouver, this is a gruelling 3,214 mile trip which is around five hours and forty minutes by direct flight. Whitecaps land in Central Florida jubilant, having recently lifted the 2025 Canadian Championship trophy on October 1. With playoff seeding on the line, it’s high stakes as the Lions look to sign off at Inter&Co in style.
Last time out
Last Saturday, Orlando City SC were left frustrated after a wasteful 1-1 draw at home to Columbus Crew. With playoff seeding on the line, we knew victory would’ve moved us away from the Wild Card match slots. But instead, we had to settle for just a point. Crew started sharper, and after a string of corners and Pedro Gallese saves, Andrés Herrera put Columbus ahead on 32 minutes (0-1). Thankfully, our response was instant. Adrián Marín surged forward from left back, linked with Luis Muriel, and when Patrick Schulte spilled the Colombian’s shot, Marco Pašalić pounced to slam home the rebound. Finally ending his own scoring drought, Pašalić’s strike set a new club record of 60 goals in a single MLS regular season (1-1). The equaliser gave us momentum before the break. But after half-time, the Lions’ wastefulness crept back in. On 50 minutes, Muriel overplayed a golden chance. Then, on 66 minutes, Ojeda misplaced an easy square pass to Duncan McGuire when the Crew goal was at his mercy! Columbus, meanwhile, kept the ball and pushed Orlando deep, with Diego Rossi and Max Arfsten going close. Late on, both sides traded half-chances. Eduard Atuesta set up Nicolás Rodríguez on a four-on-two break for Orlando, while Max Arfsten shot wide for the Crew. By the final whistle, Crew had dominated possession (39%-61%) and outshot Orlando (10-18), but Gallese and our stubborn backline preserved the draw. It was a hard-fought point, but given our squandered openings, it felt like two dropped in our top four bid.
Last head-to-head
On April 20, 2019, a late deflection gave Orlando City SC their first-ever win (1-0) over Vancouver Whitecaps. On 88 minutes, Nani diverted Sacha Kljestan’s fierce effort past Zac MacMath to finally break down a stubborn Whitecaps block. James O’Connor’s side dominated the ball and carved out 16 shots to Vancouver’s six, but it took until the dying moments to find the breakthrough. Tesho Akindele and Kljestan were introduced late as Orlando pushed for a winner, and things paid off when Ruan’s cutback led to the game-winning strike. On the day, City struggled to find rhythm against a deep-lying back five. But it was a deserved three points in the end. Brian Rowe secured his second shutout of the season as the Lions extended their perfect record (3-0-0) in the Earth Day Parley kits.
What’s at stake this time?
It’s simple. Beat Whitecaps, and Orlando City SC will seal a top seven finish in the East! Right now, we remain seventh following Matchday 38. But with just two games left, our playoff path is far from decided. While we’ve already secured a post-season berth, the danger of slipping into the Wild Card match still looms large. Eighth-placed Chicago Fire only sit one point behind us, and ninth-placed Columbus Crew are just two points back. Crucially, both sides have played one game more (33) than us (32). So they can only pick up three more points each on 2025 MLS Decision Day. Thanks to Toronto FC and Djordje Mihailovic’s 90+10 equaliser (2-2) last Saturday, Fire were denied all three points that would’ve seen them overtake us – phew! On Decision Day, Fire travel to already eliminated New England Revolution. As for Crew, they host the already eliminated New York Red Bulls – so both sides will be fancied to win. That makes this clash against Vancouver absolutely pivotal! Victory in our game in hand would mean Fire and Crew can’t catch us. And with just three points separating us from fourth-placed Charlotte FC (33 games played), a top four finish is still possible too. A win in our two remaining fixtures would see Orlando finish the regular season on 59 points. We can only hope that’s enough to snatch a home playoff spot at the death. After failing to take maximum points from our last two games, this match is must-win – plain and simple! The quality in the Eastern Conference top seven has been sky-high this season, but to slip into the Wild Card spots after Martín Ojeda’s MVP-level campaign would be hugely disappointing and a major underachievement. There is at least one crucial boost. Pedro Gallese has not been called up by Peru and is available to start, given that backup Javier Otero is away with Venezuela. As for the visitors, Vancouver come into this fixture confident after thrashing San Jose Earthquakes 4-1 last Sunday. They also arrive buoyed by silverware – having recently won the 2025 Canadian Championship with a 4-2 victory over Vancouver FC at BC Place on October 1.
Opposition danger men
🇺🇸 Emmanuel Sabbi (7 goals, 3 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇩🇪 Thomas Müller (5 goals, 3 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇺🇸 Sebastian Berhalter (4 goals, 11 assists – 2025 MLS)
🏴 Ryan Gauld (1 goal, 1 assist – 2025 MLS)
New opposition faces
🇩🇰 Jesper Sørensen (head coach)
🇺🇸 Tate Johnson (2025 MLS SuperDraft)
🇨🇦 Jayden Nelson (Rosenborg)
🇺🇸 Emmanuel Sabbi (Le Havre)
🇺🇸 Adrían Zendejas (Skövde AIK)
🇲🇽 Daniel Ríos (on loan from Guadalajara)
🇭🇹 Nelson Pierre (Philadelphia Union)
🇵🇪 Kenji Cabrera (FBC Melgar)
🇩🇪 Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich)
🇨🇦 Liam Mackenzie (Whitecaps FC 2)
🇧🇪 Joedrick Pupe (FCV Dender EH)
🇩🇪 Sebastian Schonlau (Hamburger SV)
🇺🇸 Mark O’Neill (Whitecaps FC 2)
🇹🇳 Rayan Elloumi (Whitecaps FC 2)
Injuries
🇺🇾 César Araújo (lower back) – questionable
🇵🇪 Wilder Cartagena (right leg) – SEI
🇫🇷 Joran Gerbet (knee) – out
🇺🇸 Tahir Reid-Brown (thigh) – out
🇺🇸 Zakaria Taifi (thigh) – questionable
🇯🇵 Yutaro Tsukada (knee) – SEI
🇨🇦 Sam Adekugbe (achilles) – out
🇺🇸 Tristan Blackmon (knee) – out
🇩🇪 Sebastian Schonlau (achilles) – out
🇷🇸 Ranko Veselinović (knee) – out
🇺🇸 Brian White (hamstring) – out
🇺🇸 Adrían Zendejas (illness) – out
*SEI – Season-Ending Injury List (Unavailable)
Suspensions
None
International call-ups
🇸🇮 David Brekalo (Slovenia) – 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
🇻🇪 Gustavo Caraballo (Venezuela) – International Friendlies
🇺🇸 Justin Ellis (USMNT U-19) – International Friendlies
🇺🇸 Alex Freeman (USMNT) – International Friendlies
🇺🇸 Colin Guske (USMNT U-19) – International Friendlies
🇻🇪 Javier Otero (Venezuela) – International Friendlies
🇭🇷 Marco Pašalić (Croatia) – 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
🇹🇹 Tyrese Spicer (Trinidad and Tobago) – 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
🇨🇦 Ali Ahmed (Canada) – International Friendlies
🇵🇪 Kenji Cabrera (Peru) – International Friendly
🇵🇾 Andrés Cubas (Paraguay) – International Friendlies
🇹🇳 Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia U-23) – International Friendlies
🇨🇦 Jayden Nelson (Canada) – International Friendlies
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Orlando City SC vs Vancouver Whitecaps
Last 3 head-to-heads
- August 26, 2017: Orlando City SC 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (MLS)
- June 9, 2018: Vancouver Whitecaps 5 Orlando City SC 2 (MLS)
- April 20, 2019: Orlando City SC 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 0 (MLS)
2015/19 head-to-head stats
- It was 1-0 to Orlando the last time the sides met (April 2019)
- Played Whitecaps 5 times in MLS – Orlando 1, Draws 1, Whitecaps 3
- Three of 5 MLS head-to-heads have been separated by one goal
- Three of Orlando’s last 4 MLS fixtures have finished 1-1
- Whitecaps are unbeaten in their last 7 MLS fixtures, going 4-3-0
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Watching the game
Orlando City SC vs Vancouver Whitecaps will be shown live on Apple TV at 00:30 (GMT) on Sunday, October 12.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC’s 2025 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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