Newcomer Tiago Souza scored in stoppage time Saturday, but it wasn't enough to pull Orlando City to level with the New York Red Bulls. (Photo/Mario Casamalhuapa)
In the 2026 Major League Soccer season opener for both teams, New York Red Bulls held on for a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC at Inter&Co Stadium, with Julian Hall's early strike and resolute defending enough to withstand a late Lions fightback that culminated in Tiago's dramatic 96th-minute consolation. The result reflected the Red Bulls' superiority across large stretches of a contest that kept supporters on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
The tone was set inside eight minutes. Hall's right-footed finish from close range guided to the center of the goal after a slick assist from Emil Forsberg. It was an early statement of intent from the visitors, who had clearly arrived with a plan and the confidence to execute it. Maxime Crépeau, Orlando's new goalkeeper, had already been tested twice before Hall broke the deadlock — Jorge Ruvalcaba forcing a sharp stop in the 12th minute after being found by Adri Mehmeti, and again in the 27th minute when Ruvalcaba's right-footed effort from the left side of the box was palmed away, this time with Forsberg providing the service.
Orlando pushed for an equalizer and had their moments. Marco Pasalic tested Ethan Horvath from outside the box in the 31st minute, with Tyrese Spicer providing the assist, but the Red Bulls goalkeeper stood firm. Then came the blow that effectively settled the contest: Julian Hall struck again in the 40th minute, rifling a right-footed shot from close range into the top left corner following a corner routine, with Adri Mehmeti delivering the assist. Two goals to the good at the break, New York had done the hard work and appeared in complete control.
The second half brought renewed pressure from Orlando, and Horvath was called into action repeatedly. Griffin Dorsey tested him in the 70th minute with a left-footed effort from the center of the box, only to be denied. The Lions pressed with increasing urgency as the clock wound down, with Martín Ojeda and Braian Ojeda both forcing blocks in a frantic spell around the 83rd minute. Substitute Tiago came agonizingly close before eventually finding the net — his header blocked in the 90th minute before, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Tiago finally beat Horvath with a composed left-footed finish to the bottom left corner, assisted by fellow substitute Zakaria Taifi. It was a moment of quality, but it arrived too late to alter the outcome.
The statistics told the story of a match in which New York Red Bulls were the more dangerous side throughout. The Red Bulls outshot Orlando 22 to 17, and more tellingly, registered 13 shots on target compared to just six for the hosts. Possession was closely contested — New York edging it 52.2% to 47.8% — but the clinical edge belonged firmly to the visitors. The most remarkable number of the evening belonged to Crépeau, who made an extraordinary 11 saves. Without his heroics, the scoreline could have been far more damaging for Orlando.
The substitutions shaped the closing stages significantly. New York brought on Eric Choupo-Moting and Omar Valencia in the 75th minute, while Gustav Berggren replaced Mehmeti a minute later. Orlando responded by introducing Tiago for Spicer in the 76th minute and Taifi for Dorsey in the 86th — changes that ultimately produced the consolation goal but could not manufacture an equalizer. The tactical adjustments highlighted both teams' desperation to control the match's final chapter, though only the Red Bulls' defensive organization held firm when it mattered most.
For Orlando, the defeat is a sobering start to their campaign, and the challenge now is recovering quickly. The Lions return to Inter&Co Stadium on March 1 when Inter Miami CF and Messi comes to town — a Florida Derby fixture that will carry extra weight after this result and demand an immediate response from Oscar Pareja's side.
