FC Cincinnati Travel to Face Orlando City SC Saturday in Return to MLS Competition
MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Travel to Face Orlando City SC Saturday in Return to MLS Competition

Published on August 13, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati head to Central Florida to take on Orlando City SC on Saturday, August 15. Kickoff from Inter.co Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match airs globally on Apple TV. The Official English Radio home of FC Cincinnati, iHeart Media ESPN 1530 and the official Spanish Radio home - La Mega 101.5 FM - will broadcast the match.

The Orange and Blue (7-6-5, 26 points) turn all focus now back to MLS Regular Season play after concluding Leagues Cup action, taking on an Orlando side (6-10-2, 20 points) currently just below the MLS Cup Playoff line.

Saturday continues a busy month for FC Cincinnati, with the Orlando match marking the fifth of eight matches in August. It also marks the first of three games in an eight-day span, with the Orange and Blue set to return home next Wednesday to host New York City FC and Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday.

Fans are encouraged to head to an official FC Cincinnati Pub Partner to watch the match. For a full list of Pub Partners and for more information on the program, visit FCCincinnati.com/Matchday/Pub-Partners.

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW #ORLvCIN on SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 (7:30 p.m. ET)

Watch: Apple TV (English and Spanish)

English Local Radio: iHeart Media ESPN 1530 | SiriusXM FC 157

Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM

FC Cincinnati Social Media: X/Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

FC Cincinnati Official Mobile App: iOS | Android

FC CINCINNATI ALL-TIME AGAINST ORLANDO CITY SC

Saturday marks the 15th all-time meeting - the seventh in Orlando. The head-to-head is deadlocked at 5-5-4, with Cincinnati holding a 3-2-1 advantage in matches played in Florida.

FC CINCINNATI NOTES

Repeat History - FC Cincinnati seek a second all-time season sweep over Orlando City (2022) after defeating the Lions 6-2 at TQL Stadium back on May 23, the final match before the MLS pause for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 6-2 win was historic in many ways for FC Cincinnati. The six goals scored equaled a club MLS record and the 16 goal contributions set a new all-time club record. Key in that victory was Evander, whose five goal contributions (2 G, 3 A) set a new all-time single-match record by an FC Cincinnati player.

Success In Central Florda - FC Cincinnati are 3-0-1 at Orlando City SC under Head Coach Pat Noonan dating back to a 2-1 win in Orlando on March 12, 2022, which was his first-career win as FCC's manager.

The Evander Section - FC Cincinnati's Evander has recorded an assist in five consecutive MLS matches, which is the longest single-season MLS assist streak in club history. An assist Saturday in his sixth straight MLS match would tie his MLS career high (July 13 - Sept. 18, 2024), which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in MLS history.

The Brazilian has also provided a goal contribution in eight consecutive MLS matches dating back to May 2, which is one shy of tying Luciano Acosta's club record single-season MLS goal contribution streak (9). It is also tied with Miami's Luis Suárez for the longest streak among active MLS players this season. And while it is not included in the streak, Evander did record a goal contribution (2 G, 1 A) in each of FC Cincinnati's three Leagues Cup matches.

Additionally, in 2026, Evander ranks first in MLS in goal contributions (22), first in MLS in assists (11), and first in MLS in goals scored outside the box (6). He has scored 21 goals from outside the penalty area since 2024 after also leading the statistic in 2025 (10) and ranking tied for second in 2024 (5).

The Cincy Native Returns To His (Temporary) Home - Cincinnati native Kyle Smith in his first season with FC Cincinnati will return to Orlando for the first time to face his former Orlando City side. Smith made 216 appearances in seven seasons from 2019-25 with Orlando and was part of the club's 2022 U.S. Open Cup-winning season.

Cardiac Cincinnati - Nineteen of FC Cincinnati's 26 points this season have come in matches in which FC Cincinnati trailed at some point in the match and FC Cincinnati's 15 points in matches when conceding the first goal lead MLS (2nd: 12, MIA/NE).

FC Cincinnati's four wins in matches when conceding the first goal co-lead MLS (NE) and FC Cincinnati's 16 goals scored from the 75th minute onwards are most in MLS (2nd: 14, MIA).

SCOUTING ORLANDO CITY SC

Record: 6-10-2 (20 points)

Standings: 10th, Eastern Conference

Head Coach: Martín Perelman (Interim since April 17)

Leading Scorer: 11 - Martín Ojeda

Last Three Leagues Cup Matches: 2-2 draw (5-3 shootout win) vs Atlético de San Luis (August 12) | 2-1 loss at León (August 8) | 2-1 win vs CF Monterrey (August 5)

FC Cincinnati and Orlando City SC have played just three MLS matches since their last meeting on May 23, with plenty of changes for the Florida-based club since FCC's 6-2 win.

Over the FIFA World Cup pause, the Lions welcomed French superstar Antoine Griezmann, the former Atlético Madrid star and 2018 World Cup Champion with France, who has brought a new dynamic to an already potent offense. He scored in his club debut on July 22 at San Jose and added a second goal in Leagues Cup against CF Monterrey.

Orlando City also welcomed back Daryl Dike, their former star striker who transferred abroad after the 2021 season. The former U.S. Men's National Team player struggled with injuries abroad but returned to Orlando. He scored his first goal on Wednesday in Leagues Cup play against Atlético de San Luis.

Like Cincinnati, Orlando were eliminated from Leagues Cup contention in Phase One.

After just one win in their first seven league matches back at the beginning of the season, Orlando made the switch and parted ways from longtime manager Óscar Pareja, who had managed the club since 2019. In his place, and now in the interim role is Martín Perelman. Perelman had previously been an assistant with Orlando as well as the head coach of Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro.

Orlando's Martín Ojeda leads the team with 11 goals, but has not appeared for the club since their trip to Cincinnati before the World Cup break due to injury.

Stay up-to-date and connected with FC Cincinnati! Select your schedule of choice to receive the latest match details, events and other relevant messages directly to your digital calendar. For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team's official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team's official mobile app on iOS or Android for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 13, 2026


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