The 2026 campaign has not gone to plan for Orlando City.
Orlando City (1-5-0, 3 points) hopes to move past a 6-0 road thrashing at the hands of LAFC delivered last weekend as it travels to face a Columbus Crew squad coming off its first win of the season. The Lions and the Crew (1-3-2, 5 points) kickoff at 7 p.m. Sunday in Columbus.
“It’s definitely not good enough from the group, and we know that,” Orlando forward Duncan McGuire said. “We demand more from ourselves, and I think after these past two games, we’re really taking a deep dive into breaking down what’s the reason things are going wrong.
“We’ve had a good few days to analyze it and work on some things, so we’re looking forward to being back at it this weekend.”
The Lions, though, remain within striking distance of the playoff line despite a historically bad start. It’s still early enough in the season to turn things around.
Orlando City’s defense, though, has been overmatched, conceding 23 goals in six matches — 16 in three road contests. Eleven of those goals came in the last two matches, the loss at LAFC and a 5-0 defeat at Nashville. Captain Robin Jansson returned to full training this week, but it’s unknown if he is ready for a full 90 minutes. His return would bolster the backline, but one player cannot fix the tactical breakdowns.
Interim head coach Martín Perelman needs veterans like David Brekalo and Adrian Marin to anchor the defense. Rookies Iago and Nolan Miller have been forced into heavy minutes early — allowing an expected goals against (xGA) of 11.80 and 10.29, respectively, in five appearances each. Elevated play from the veterans around them is the only way the young defenders will rebuild their confidence.
It hasn’t helped that the Lions have been anemic on attack, scoring just five times this season. Martin Ojeda, Marco Pašalić and McGuire have to convert their chances to pull the club up the standings. Orlando did generate five shots on target in the second half against LAFC, but that came against a defense protecting a massive lead. Columbus presents a tighter matchup and a more desperate defensive front.
“Columbus is definitely a tough place to play,” McGuire said. “It’s a great atmosphere there. The first 15 minutes is the toughest part in Columbus; they really come after you in the early parts of the game.
“Surviving those first 15 minutes, playing our style, getting comfortable in the atmosphere and keeping the ball is going to be huge for us.”
Columbus earned its first win last week with a 3-1 decision over Atlanta United. While the Crew looks to be stabilizing, Sunday still presents an opportunity for Orlando to take points on the road, provided the Lions play mistake-free soccer and show a level of intensity that was absent against Nashville and LAFC.