Orlando City kicks off the 2026 season at home on Saturday, looking to make a statement with a victory to start things off.
The Lions take on the New York Red Bulls at Inter&Co Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
Orlando has several new faces set to take the field for the first time, including new starting goalkeeper Maxime Crepaeu. The Canadian international is an experienced starter in MLS, and he believes the Lions are prepared for the long season ahead.
“It’s been a preseason that everybody worked very hard to get physically, tactically, mentally there, because it’s a marathon at the end of the day,” Crepaeu said. “It’s going to be a long season with the World Cup in the summer. But everybody’s feeling good, excited. The mood is great in the team right now.”
New York has undergone some significant changes as well, welcoming in a brand new head coach in U.S. Men’s National Team icon Michael Bradley. The experienced former midfielder took charge of the club’s MLS Next Pro side in 2025 and had them playing explosive attacking soccer. The expectation is that his Red Bulls side will match that energy, but with a bit more skill added into the equation.
With several offseason changes to the defensive side of the field, Orlando will be leaning on its veteran attack, led by designated players Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic. Striker Duncan McGuire will take over the lead attacking role from Luis Muriel, and he knows how important it is for the forwards to contribute and give the defense some help as the players find their footing.
“When it comes to defending, (coach) Oscar (Pareja) says that it’s not just the back line defending the goal, it’s the entire team, and it starts with the guys in front,” McGuire. “I think we’ve also brought in some good guys that can help us, you know, Noel [Miller], Iago and Griffin [Dorsey] recently. They’re quality players that can help us defensively. So I think it’s going to be a strong back line.”