ORLANDO, Fla. (July 26, 2022) - Orlando City SC returns to action in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, July 27, hosting fellow Major League Soccer (MLS) side New York Red Bulls in the Semifinals at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with tickets available here or by calling (855) ORL-CITY, with fans able to tune in on ESPN+.
“We are very excited, preparing for the game and the semifinal,” said Head Coach Oscar Pareja. “This is a great opportunity for the Club to advance to another final. The players are excited as well and have been working hard trying to focus on the competition. We are excited.”
This will be the second time the two sides square off against one another in 2022, with the Lions looking for revenge following a 3-0 defeat to the Red Bulls at Exploria Stadium on April 24. New York was backed by goals from Luquinhas, Cristian Cásseres Jr. and Lewis Morgan. The pair will face off again in a few weeks in MLS regular-season play as the Lions travel to Red Bull Arena on Aug. 13.
The Lions punched their ticket to the Semifinals with a pair of penalty-kick shootout victories over intrastate rivals Inter Miami CF in the Round of 16 and Nashville SC in the Quarterfinals. Both games were played to a 1-1 draw with the Lions coming out on top in the shootout. City began its Open Cup run with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies with goals coming from Alexandre Pato and Júnior Urso. The entirety of the Club’s tournament run has been played in front of its home fans at Exploria Stadium.
City enters the midweek looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia Union this past Saturday in league play. The match saw two critical Video Review calls, the first overturning an on-the-field offside call to give the Union a 1-0 lead and the second coming late in the game when it appeared City defender Antonio Carlos was pulled down on a corner kick, but the play was deemed legal after a lengthy review.
New York Red Bulls clinched their spot in the Semifinals following a 3-0 victory over their rivals across the Hudson River, NYCFC. The Red Bulls were backed by goals from Lewis Morgan, Luquinhas and Omir Fernandez. The club’s Cup run began with a 2-1 victory over USL side Hartford Athletic which was followed by a 3-0 victory and a 3-1 victory over fellow MLS sides D.C. United and Charlotte FC, respectively.
The Red Bulls enter the match coming off a thrilling 4-3 road victory over Austin FC. The seven-goal affair saw Serge Ngoma, Dru Yearwood, Cameron Harper and Tom Barlow all find the back of the net for New York.
Following the Semifinals, the Lions return to MLS action, traveling to the nation’s capital to face off against D.C. United. Kickoff for that match is set for 5 p.m. ET.
