Hany Mukhtar

STATS PREVIEW: FC Cincinnati vs Orlando City SC – 28.09.2025

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THE CARDIAC CATS ARE BACK, BABY!! 🫀🦁 And just in the nick of time! Duncan McGuire’s last-gasp winner against Nashville SC wasn’t only massive for him personally. It could prove huge in our push for a top four home playoff spot. When Jacob Shaffelburg made it 2-2 after our hard-earned 2-0 lead, every Lion felt that familiar sinking feeling.

But credit to the boys – and to McGuire – for playing to the whistle, keeping the belief, and snatching what might be a season-defining goal. A trademark poacher’s finish, it was McGuire’s first City strike since May 24, and it keeps our playoff hopes alive heading into the final four games. Next up is a tough trip to TQL Stadium, where Pat Noonan’s FC Cincinnati are pushing hard in the 2025 Supporters’ Shield race. In our third ‘Sunday Night Soccer’ slot of the season, let’s hope we can make it back-to-back wins after busting our five-game winless slump. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Nashville SC – 20.09.2025

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We’re feeling the pressure, aren’t we? 😬 After a costly 1-1 draw at bottom-placed D.C. United, Orlando City SC return home for a massive showdown with Nashville SC. Winless since advancing past Toluca, the Lions must rediscover their form with the playoffs fast approaching – or at least we hope! Dropping points at Audi Field was criminal, and with only five regular season games left, the margin for error is now razor thin.

The stakes couldn’t be clearer. Orlando currently sit EIGHTH on 48 points but have one game in hand and trail fourth-placed Nashville by just two. A win at Inter&Co Stadium would put us right back in the top four fight. But Nashville have been a nightmare opponent this year, knocking us out of the U.S. Open Cup and hammering us 5-1 only two league games ago. Nothing less than three points will do if we’re serious about chasing a home playoff spot. No more excuses! Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Inter Miami vs Orlando City SC – 27.08.2025

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LET’S REACH A FINAL!! 😬💪🏽 After a rotated Orlando City SC side fell 5-1 at Nashville SC, focus now shifts to the biggest Sunshine Clásico yet! If we win at Chase Stadium this Wednesday, we’d not only reach our first-ever Leagues Cup Final. We’d qualify for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup too! Already sweeping Inter Miami (0-3 and 4-1) this MLS regular season, Lionel Messi is back from injury and fired up to make amends.

Lose, and we’ll face LA Galaxy or Seattle Sounders in the Third Place Match with Champions Cup qualification still at stake. Martín Ojeda is fresh after being rested in Nashville. And Miami slayer Luis Muriel is available, with his one-game suspension not carrying over into Leagues Cup. Just 180 minutes separate City from a second MLS-era trophy, so let’s rise to the challenge! Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 23.08.2025

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ALL HAIL EL PULPO!! 🐙🧤 Orlando City SC head into Saturday’s six-pointer against Nashville SC riding high, having qualified for the 2025 Leagues Cup semi-finals with a 0-0 (5-6 on penalties) win over Toluca in Carson, California. Booking a semi-final with Inter Miami at Chase Stadium, we’re now just 90 minutes away from clinching a place in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Now back in MLS action, we have a golden chance to leapfrog Nashville into third place in the East. B. J. Callaghan’s side come into this one flat after three consecutive MLS defeats. But the Music City side are really strong at home (9-3-1). Something has to give in Tennessee, and with Papi’s men hitting their late-season stride, this showdown could prove pivotal in shaping the Eastern Conference playoff race. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Portland Timbers – 24.05.2025

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Orlando City SC host Portland Timbers this Saturday in our second cross-conference MLS fixture of 2025. While we’ve faced Phil Neville before – going 4-2-1 against his Inter Miami side – this is our first meeting with him as Timbers boss.

Riding high off our stunning 0-3 win at Inter Miami, our momentum just took a big hit! Eliminated from the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last night, losing 2-3 to Nashville SC in the Round of 16, fatigue and tired legs told. With Orlando squeezing NINE fixtures into May, this gruelling month is a real test of our fitness, mentality, and squad depth. Now, we must regroup and dig deep against talented opposition. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Nashville SC – 21.05.2025

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FLORIDA IS PURPLE!! 😈😏 I don’t know about you but I’m still on a HUGE high after last night! Our 0-3 demolition of Inter Miami at Chase Stadium was a statement win – and our first-ever against Lionel Messi! Oscar Pareja’s Lions have surged from eighth to fifth in just two MLS gameweeks, extending our MLS unbeaten streak to 11 matches – just one shy of our longest MLS run (12 matches, Aug-Oct 2020). With dominant shutout derby wins over Atlanta United (3-0), Tampa Bay Rowdies (0-5), and now Inter Miami (0-3), Papi is masterminding important victories against all the sides we love to hate. So, massive credit to him, the coaching staff, and the players!

Now, focus shifts to this crucial Round of 16 Open Cup tie against Nashville SC at Inter&Co Stadium. Our first home game in the competition since winning it on September 7, 2022, this is a key chance to push for a second U.S. Open Cup title in four seasons. With the likes of Los Angeles FC and Columbus Crew absent, Orlando City SC’s strong form makes a deep cup run very achievable. And make no mistake – we’ll be taking this tournament very seriously as we look to add more silverware to “The Vault”! Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs New England Revolution – 14.09.2024

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Before the international break, Orlando City SC bounced back from a disappointing performance at Sporting Kansas City with a decisive 3-0 victory over Nashville SC at Inter&Co Stadium. Iván Angulo opened the scoring, followed by a Facundo Torres brace, as the Lions secured their fifth consecutive shutout against Nashville SC – a team we’ve quite simply owned in recent times!

Now, with New England Revolution visiting Central Florida, Orlando City SC face the second of three consecutive home fixtures. At this late stage of the MLS regular season, this stretch is crucial, and we need to capitalise on our home advantage to secure as many points as possible.

Right now, the Lions are quietly going under the radar when it comes to climbing the Eastern Conference standings. As MLSsoccer.com’s Matt Doyle wrote recently, “the Lions and Oscar Pareja are doing that thing again” and “no one above them seems interested in doing much about it”. Indeed, Orlando City SC are currently just one point below sixth, two points below fifth, and six points below fourth. “There’s a world here where Orlando somehow end up hosting in Round One”, Doyle continued with City “salvaging a season that felt rough for a while”.

As for Saturday’s opponents, New England Revolution, Caleb Porter’s side currently sit twelfth in the Eastern Conference (27 points), only a point above joint-bottom sides Chicago Fire and Nashville SC (26 points). It’s been a challenging first season in charge for Porter, with the team coming off a 2-2 draw against St. Louis CITY SC last weekend during the international break. Porter will serve a one-match touchline ban at Inter&Co Stadium this Saturday after he called referee Timothy Ford “a complete coward” for consulting VAR but failing to award a penalty to the Revs in last weekend’s game against St. Louis CITY SC.

With just over 10 minutes left, the ball clearly struck Kyle Hiebert’s right arm as he contested a header with Nacho Gil, but referee Ford deemed his arm to be in a “justifiable position”, and play continued with the match tied 2-2. For what it’s worth, Timothy Ford is the same referee who had a mare of a performance during Orlando City SC’s 2-3 win at Philadelphia Union back on May 11. With Revs having only won one of their last seven MLS matches (1-2-4), this game is another big opportunity for City to pick up all three points. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs Nashville SC – 31.08.2024

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After a month without MLS, Orlando City SC’s return to league action was bitterly disappointing with the Lions comprehensively defeated 3-0 at Sporting Kansas City. Now returning home to face Nashville SC at Inter&Co Stadium, the Lions have just eight regular season fixtures remaining to seal a place in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.

At SKC, the Lions had a one-man advantage for the final 23 + 12 minutes, but failed to create any real attacking threat throughout the game, missing a key opportunity to gain points against a low-ranking Western Conference opponent. Poor finishing and defensive lapses allowed Sporting Kansas City to capitalise in one of Orlando City SC’s worst performances of 2024.

As for Saturday’s opponents Nashville SC, they are in free fall having just suffered their seventh consecutive MLS defeat. Beaten 0-2 at home by Austin FC last Saturday, this was B. J. Callaghan’s first MLS game in charge of the Music City side after he took over during the 2024 Leagues Cup. A rare penalty miss by Hany Mukhtar in the first-half paved the way for Jon Gallagher and Osman Bukari to seize all three points at GEODIS Park. Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Orlando City SC vs New York City FC – 20.07.2024

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Our foot is on the gas and we ain’t letting go! Comprehensively defeating Nashville SC 0-3 last night, Orlando City SC have now won four MLS games in a row with three of these wins coming away from home. Solidifying our seventh-placed position in the Eastern Conference, Oscar Pareja’s Lions have surged from 21 points to 33 points in only a fortnight. Talk about a turnaround!

Currently six points ahead of both Toronto FC (eighth place) and CF Montréal (ninth place), the Canadian sides each share 27 points. Significantly, TFC have played one game more (25) than City (24) and were defeated 3-1 at Inter Miami last night – their seventh loss in eight MLS games.

Having built up a fantastic head of steam prior to the 2024 Leagues Cup break, Orlando City SC now host New York City FC at Inter&Co Stadium in our final game before Major League Soccer’s controversial one-month hiatus. Nick Cushing’s NYCFC rescued a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 at Atlanta United last night and are currently placed fifth in the East on 37 points.

In many ways, the 2024 Leagues Cup falls at the worst possible time for Orlando City SC, especially considering our forward momentum in the Eastern Conference. The Leagues Cup is not only a massive inconvenience but also lacks integrity, as it effectively replaced a legitimate 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. But we’ll be sharing our passionate thoughts on this subject next week, so stay tuned! Continue reading →

STATS PREVIEW: Nashville SC vs Orlando City SC – 17.07.2024

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Our Gillette Stadium curse is over! Failing to win any of our previous eight MLS games in Foxborough, Orlando City SC have now finally defeated New England Revolution away after securing a 1-3 comeback victory on Saturday night. Our fourth win in five MLS games and the first time we’ve achieved three consecutive victories since September / October 2023, the Lions appear to be coming good when it matters!

After a lacklustre first-half performance at Revs, whatever Oscar Pareja said at half-time had the desired effect! With Orlando City SC coming out re-energised, refocused, and determined to leave Massachusetts with all three points, we laughed in the face of the artificial turf and hit back three times after entering the break 1-0 down.

Staying on the road, City now visit Tennessee for a Wednesday night showdown with Nashville SC at GEODIS Park. The clubs’ first MLS meeting since the Lions dumped Nashville SC out of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, the Music City side will be out for revenge. That said, Nashville SC are on the slide having lost their last four consecutive MLS fixtures, including a 2-1 defeat at D.C. United on Saturday night.

As for Orlando City SC, we’re not only craving a fourth straight victory. We’re now looking for as much momentum as possible as we look to reel in sixth-placed Charlotte FC while solidifying our place in the automatic qualification spots for the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. Continue reading →