Milestones, storylines and more ahead of the Lions midweek match hosting Charlotte in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestones
- Iván Angulo’s next appearance will be his 150th for Orlando City in all competitions. Angulo currently ranks third in club history with 35 assists and is second on the active roster in appearances behind captain Robin Jansson.
- Marco Pašalić is two appearances away from 50 for the club in all competitions.
Stats & Storylines
- Orlando City faces a quick turnaround straight into a second consecutive home game as Charlotte FC visits the City Beautiful on Wednesday night. Orlando is coming off a difficult 1-0 defeat to the Houston Dynamo this past Saturday.
- The Lions were significantly banged up last weekend, coming into the contest without Designated Player Marco Pašalić, striker Duncan McGuire, and defenders David Brekalo and Griffin Dorsey. All four of those players, along with long-term absence Wilder Cartagena, have been consistent starters for Orlando.
- Orlando has shown significant defensive improvement since the return of Robin Jansson and the switch to a 3-4-2-1 system last weekend, conceding just two goals over its past three games. Despite the loss on Saturday, the Lions held Houston to just 40% possession and forced 10 of the Dynamo’s 18 shots on the night from outside the box.
- The Lions continue to hand opportunities to young players. After a series of firsts for multiple youngsters in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup win over Naples last week, Martín Perelman handed both 2026 first-round pick Harvey Sarajian and Orlando City B midfielder Ignacio Gómez first-team debuts with substitute appearances against Houston. Homegrown defender Zakaria Taifi made his first MLS start in the game, and forward Justin Ellis played the final half hour for his first significant MLS action.
Series History
All-time vs. Charlotte FC - 5-2-5, +6 GD (4-1-1, +6 GD home)
MLS only vs. Charlotte FC - 4-1-3, +5 GD (3-1-0, +4 GD home)
2022 - W 2-1 (H), W 1-2 (A)
2023 - L 1-2 (H), L 1-0 (A/USOC), D 1-1 (A)
2024 - D 2-2 (A), W 2-0 (H), W 2-0 (H/MLS Cup Playoffs), D 0-0 (A/MLS Cup Playoffs), D 1-1 (H/MLS Cup Playoffs)
2025 - W 3-1 (H), D 2-2 (A)
Meet the opponent: Charlotte FC
- Orlando City has held the upper hand against Charlotte FC through the first four years of their rivalry. The Lions are unbeaten in eight against the Crown going back to 2023 and have lost just once in MLS play against the North Carolina side.
- Last season, Orlando cruised to a 3-1 win at home in May, then erased a 2-0 second-half deficit to draw at Charlotte in July. Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić both found the back of the net in the series in 2025. Ojeda has absolutely feasted against Charlotte in his career, producing 3g/3a in six MLS appearances (four starts) against the Crown and adding another goal in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Charlotte’s results have been strong to start 2026. The Crown are 5-1-1 in their past seven matches in all competitions since the start of March. Six of those seven games were at home, but Charlotte made it work away from home last weekend, taking down NYCFC 2-1 at Citi Field behind goals from Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas. 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Kristijan Kahlina was immense as usual, making six saves and earning the highest rating of any player in the game.
- DP playmaker Pep Biel has once again led Charlotte’s attack, posting 4g/3a in eight MLS matches this season. Star winger Wilfried Zaha, whose loan deal expires on June 30, is at 2g/4a, while Toklomati has scored three times as the regular center forward. Kahlina has saved 44 shots, the most of any keeper in MLS, while allowing just ten goals.
