The New York Red Bulls (0-0-0, 0 pts.) open up their 28th season in franchise history against Orlando City SC (0-0-0, 0 pts.) on February 25 at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV MLS Season pass and New York Red Bulls Radio in English via TuneIn, the New York Red Bulls app, and NewYorkRedBulls.com
How They’re Doing
Orlando City had a busy offseason, bringing in multiple notable plays from Europe and South America.
One of the most notable names on the list is left winger Martín Ojeda, who is arriving in Orlando from Godoy Cruz in Argentina for the second-highest fee ever paid by the club.
In Argentina, Ojeda tallied 35 goals in 139 total appearances since 2016.
Orlando will look to improve on their seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2022 and first-round playoff exit.
They did, however, finish the year with their first trophy in club history, winning the U.S. Open Cup.
After “winning the offseason”, according to MLS pundits, Orlando has high expectations, but with so many pieces on the roster, how quickly they gel will go a long way towards whether they meet those goals.
Head-to-head
The Red Bulls hold a 9-7-2 edge over Orlando City since the Florida club joined MLS in 2015.
New York won the first meeting between the two clubs in 2022, earning a 3-0 regular season victory in Orlando back in April thanks to goals from Luquinhas, Cristian Cásseres Jr. and Lewis Morgan.
Orlando got revenge in July, knocking the Red Bulls out of the U.S. Open Cup in the semifinals with a 5-1 victory at Exploria Stadium. They then took a 1-0 victory from New York at Red Bull Arena.
Player to Watch- Forward Facundo Torres
The Uruguayan forward was the catalyst for the Orlando City attack in 2022, contributing to 17 of Orlando’s 44 goals last season.
His thirteen goals across all competitions were the most on the team last season.
His stellar performances earned him a place on the Uruguayan World Cup squad in 2022
On a team with plenty of new faces coming in during the offseason, Torres will still be one of the names to watch going forward for Orlando City.
