Orlando City (10-6-8, 38 points) at Columbus Crew (12-4-8, 44 points)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
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 Friday's match as the Lions take on the Crew in Columbus:
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 12 goals and 10 assists for a total of 22 goal contributions in regular-season play. Luis Muriel has been a consistent presence in the attack, recording 12 goal contributions with an even split of six goals and six assists, while Marco Pašalić has added to the firepower with 10 goals and four assists, bringing his total to 14. Altogether, the three have combined for an impressive 48 goal contributions – more than any other group of Designated Players in the league. The closest challengers are Eastern Conference rivals Nashville SC, whose DPs have totaled 43 goal contributions to date.
Orlando’s All Stars
Defender Alex Freeman and forward Marco Pašalić will return to the Lions on Friday after being named 2025 MLS All-Stars in Austin, Texas. They were two of five Orlando City representatives featured during All-Star Week. Joining them were Academy standouts Dylan Judelson and Gustavo Caraballo, who both captained the MLS NEXT East All-Stars to a 4-3 victory over the West, with Caraballo scoring the East’s second goal. Orlando City B goalkeeper Carlos Mercado also made headlines, reaching the finals of the MLS NEXT Pro Goalie Wars. Freeman further showcased his skills in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T, helping the MLS side secure a win over Liga MX. With representation in every level and event of the week, Orlando City made a strong statement across the All-Star festivities.
Pride of Gualeguaychú – Parte 2
With his brace and game-winning goal last weekend against the New England Revolution, midfielder Martín Ojeda brought his MLS goal contributions total to 22 in the 2025 season, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists. Ojeda’s 22 ties Nani (2019) for the most productive MLS regular season in Lions’ history, making his next goal the record breaker. Ojeda now sits just five goals from tying former teammate and fellow Designated Player Facundo Torres for the club’s all competitions record of 27 set last year. The goals also pushed his club-record contribution streak to nine consecutive matches in MLS action. Remarkably, Martín Ojeda was not named an All-Star despite an MVP-caliber first half of the season. Ojeda ranks in the top 10 in MLS in goals (T-9th), assists (T-4th), goal contributions (T-4th), and key passes (T-3rd). Ojeda has 4g/7a over the course of his nine-game goal contribution streak and has 15g/19a over his past 35 MLS regular season starts.
Road Warriors – Part 2
Orlando City hits the road again this weekend, traveling to Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The Lions have been one of the league’s top road teams in 2025, continuing their strong form with a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution last weekend. They are currently unbeaten in their last four away matches and have suffered just one loss in their past 11 MLS road games dating back to March. During this four-match unbeaten stretch, Orlando has recorded three wins and a draw, scoring nine goals while conceding only five, a testament to their balanced and resilient play away from home.
Atuesta Assists
Midfielder Eduard Atuesta recorded his seventh assist of the season over the weekend, setting up Martín Ojeda’s opening goal with a perfectly lofted through ball behind the New England Revolution’s back line. Since joining Orlando City from Palmeiras ahead of the 2025 campaign, the Colombian has become a key playmaker for the Lions. Atuesta currently ranks second on the team in assists, trailing only Ojeda, and sits 16th in MLS in key passes, an impressive feat considering he has logged over 200 fewer minutes than every other player ranked above him.
Milestone Tracker:
-Ramiro Enrique is now tied with Dom Dwyer for sixth on the club’s all-time scoring list with 23 goals.
-Martín Ojeda (22) is five goal contributions away from tying Facundo Torres' 27 in 2024 for the most productive regular season across all competitions in club history.
