Milestones, storylines and more ahead of the Lions road match against the Earthquakes in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestones
- Antoine Griezmann’s first goal for Orlando City will mark his 300th career club goal. Griezmann scored 212 goals for Atlético de Madrid, more than any other player in Atléti history, while adding 52 for Real Sociedad and 35 for Barcelona.
- Robin Jansson’s next appearance will be his 250th in all competitions for Orlando City, extending his club record.
- Martín Ojeda needs three goals (all competitions) to tie Facundo Torres’ Orlando City club record of 47 career tallies. Ojeda is four assists away from Mauricio Pereyra’s club record, also 47. Ojeda is two appearances away from 150 as a Lion.
- Iván Angulo is one assist away from becoming the third player in club history to reach 40 assists in all competitions for Orlando City.
Stats & Storylines
- Orlando City enters the second half of the MLS campaign with the wind at its back, having brought in French legend and World Cup champion Antoine Griezmann to lead the charge for a second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy and a seventh consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs appearance. Griezmann scored in each of his first two friendly appearances for Orlando this month against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC Dallas.
- The Atlético de Madrid icon comes to Orlando as one of the great players of his generation. Griezmann was named Man of the Match as France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup final over Croatia, ending the tournament as the top assist provider of anyone in the field. He repeated that feat in 2022 as France again reached the final. Griezmann finished third for the Ballon d’Or twice in his career, was named to the La Liga Team of the Season four times, and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2016 UEFA European Championship.
- Griezmann wasn’t the only attacking signing for Orlando this summer – the club also brought back hulking striker Daryl Dike on a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion. Dike, who famously fell to fifth in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft when Inter Miami passed on him twice with the first and third picks, was an instant sensation for Orlando, scoring 19 goals in just 41 appearances from 2020-21.
- Dike was productive when healthy but struggled to stay on the field in England, suffering two Achilles tears in successive seasons with West Brom. However, the Oklahoman finished 2026 fit and firing, scoring twice in his final four appearances while appearing in each of West Brom’s final 12 games of the season.
- Orlando City was one of the best-represented MLS teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as Maxime Crépeau (Canada), Braian Ojeda (Paraguay), and Marco Pašalić (Croatia) all reached the knockout rounds with their clubs. Crépeau, who won the starting job for Canada over Inter Miami’s Dayne St. Clair, and Ojeda both reached the Round of 16, Ojeda and Paraguay taking down Germany in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Orlando was one of five MLS clubs (Chicago, LAFC, Miami, NYCFC) to see at least three players reach the knockout rounds.
- The Lions go into the back half of the MLS campaign four points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Orlando will be looking to shore up a back line that conceded a league-high 44 goals in the first half. Offensively, Orlando has been led thus far by star No. 10 Martín Ojeda, who scored 11 goals in the first half and produced four multi-goal games.
Series History
All-time vs. San Jose - 3-1-3, +4 GD (1-1-2, -2 GD away)
MLS only vs. San Jose - Same
2015 - D 1-1 (A)
2016 - D 2-2 (H)
2017 - D 1-1 (A)
2018 - W 3-2 (H)
2019 - L 3-0 (A)
2021 - W 5-0 (H)
2024 - W 0-1 (A)
Meet the opponent: FC Cincinnati
- Orlando City has enjoyed significant success over the years against San Jose, though the sides have only met twice this decade. The Lions won in dramatic fashion in their last visit to the Bay Area in May 2024, with Jack Lynn scoring an 89’ winner while Pedro Gallese earned a clean sheet in net. Only four players who appeared in that game (Martín Ojeda, David Brekalo, Wilder Cartagena, Iván Angulo) remain on the Lions’ roster.
- Eduard Atuesta, Griffin Dorsey, and Braian Ojeda have all scored against San Jose while playing for Western Conference clubs. Daryl Dike notched a brace against the Quakes in a 5-0 Orlando rout back in June 2021.
- San Jose has enjoyed a staggeringly successful 2026 campaign to date, sitting second in the Western Conference with a 10-3-2 record and a +19 goal differential. Bruce Arena, MLS’ all-time winningest coach, has achieved this with a roster comprised mostly of former college players and cast-offs from other MLS teams. His one international star, German winger Timo Werner, has 4g/5a in just 455 minutes this year but has struggled with injuries.
- The Quakes’ big move in the summer transfer window was a goalkeeper swap, sending previous starter Daniel to FC Dallas and bringing in Scottish international Angus Gunn from Nottingham Forest. Gunn started all three games for Scotland at the World Cup and has appeared in the English Premier League for three different clubs in his career.
