Orlando City (13-7-9, 48 points) vs Nashville SC (15-10-5, 50 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla
Attend: Tickets
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (subscription required)
Radio: AM 810 Fox Sports Radio, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch for Saturday's match as the Lions host Nashville SC:
Designated Dominance
Orlando City’s Designated Players are enjoying a remarkable run of form, contributing more to the scoresheet than any other DP trio in Major League Soccer. Leading the way is Martín Ojeda, who has been the most productive of the trio, tallying 14 goals and 14 assists for a total of 28 goal contributions in regular season play. Luis Muriel has been a consistent presence in the attack, recording 16 goal contributions with nine goals and seven assists, while Marco Pašalić has added to the firepower with 11 goals and four assists, bringing his total to 15. Altogether, the three have combined for an impressive 59 goal contributions, more than any other group of Designated Players in the league. The next closest challengers are Eastern Conference rivals Nashville SC, whose DPs have totaled 54 goal contributions to date.
Lions vs. Coyotes
Saturday night marks a crucial matchup in Orlando City’s final stretch of the 2025 MLS regular season, with significant playoff implications on the line. The Lions enter Matchday 35 sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference with 48 points, while Nashville SC holds fourth place with 50 points—currently occupying the final spot for home-field advantage in the Round One best-of-three series. A win for Orlando would see them leapfrog Nashville, boosting their chances of climbing the table and securing a sixth consecutive berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Martín for MVP
Midfielder Martín Ojeda saw his remarkable streak come to an end in Orlando City’s recent match against D.C. United, going a full MLS regular season game without a goal or assist for the first time since May 24. The match snapped a historic run of 12 consecutive league games with a goal contribution, the second-longest streak in MLS history, trailing only Josef Martínez’s 15-game record set in 2019. Despite the end of the streak, Ojeda remains a top contender in the Landon Donovan MLS MVP race. He currently ranks second in the league in assists (14), third in total goal contributions (28), and third in key passes (83). The Argentine playmaker has recorded 14 goals and 14 assists in MLS play this season, and 18 goals and 18 assists across all competitions in 2025. Over his last 41 MLS regular season starts, Ojeda has totaled 17 goals and 25 assists.
Home Sweet Home
Orlando City’s match against Sporting Kansas City on August 16 marked the Club’s final appearance at Inter&Co Stadium. Since then, the Lions have played five consecutive away games across all competitions, traveling twice to Los Angeles and once each to Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, and Washington, D.C. Over the past month, the team has logged approximately 10,943 air miles and spent more than a week in hotels. Despite the travel this past month, Orlando City boasts a strong home record of 10-5-4 across all competitions this season. Looking ahead, the Lions will play three of their next four matches in downtown Orlando, returning to the heart of the City Beautiful.
High Five
Homegrown defender Alex Freeman found the back of the net in the 53rd minute of Orlando City’s 1-1 draw against D.C. United last Saturday night at Audi Field, scoring his fifth career goal, all of which have come in MLS regular season play. Freeman’s equalizer came just eight minutes into the second half, as he headed home a rebound following Marco Pašalić’s long-range effort.
Milestone Tracker:
- Martín Ojeda’s next goal contribution, his 73rd in all competitions for Orlando City, will hand him sole possession of the club’s all-time record, passing Facundo Torres (72).
- Iván Angulo is two minutes away (9,998) from 10,000 in all competitions for Orlando City.
