Fresh off their momentous victory over league leaders Nashville SC, Toronto will head to central Florida for a battle with another plucky side in Orlando City SC. Like the Reds, the Lions were languishing around the periphery of the play-offs entering the World Cup break. At the time the season paused in May, Toronto and Orlando City were tied with 14 points and out of the play-off picture.
Both teams have been tough to beat since the break, as their respective records since the World Cup break attest. But that is where the similarities diverge, as Toronto have been drawing far too many games for their own good while Orlando have been winning a healthy proportion of theirs. As a result, Orlando are back in the play-off picture, sitting sixth in MLS's Eastern Conference — albeit just two points in front of Toronto in tenth spot.
Toronto FC last faced Orlando City SC in their 2025 season finale on 18 October 2025, when TFC defeated Orlando 4-2 at BMO Field. Interestingly, Toronto and Orlando share an identical all-time series record across all competitions, with each having ten wins, ten losses, and three draws.
How Orlando City enter the match
Orlando are in fine form, with ten points collected from the 15 available across their most recent five games. They began that stretch with a narrow 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire but have taken three wins and a draw since then. The Lions currently sit sixth in MLS's Eastern Conference standings with 31 points, tied with FC Cincinnati.
The World Cup break came at a good time for Orlando, as the team was floundering with one of the worst defensive records in the league. New head coach Martin Perelman had recently replaced Oscar Pareja, who was dismissed after opening the season with three straight losses, and needed an opportunity to reset the team. The break gave Perelman the chance to overhaul Orlando's porous defensive structure.
Without a doubt, the most important change for Orlando City was the summer acquisition of former France and Atlético Madrid star Antoine Griezmann. The charismatic attacker has almost single-handedly taken Orlando's attack on his shoulders since his arrival. Mostly deployed as a winger or striker during his career, Perelman has given Griezmann the freedom to roam across and behind the front line in an attacking midfielder/second striker role.
The impact of Griezmann has been immediate and productive for the Lions. The 2018 World Cup winner has lit up the league since his summer arrival. Significantly, Orlando City remain unbeaten across all competitions when Griezmann finds the back of the net. His impact and influence have rubbed off on others in attack, including homegrown striker Justin Ellis and wide midfielder Martín Ojeda.
Ballin’ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mRJyYq3dbO
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) September 11, 2026
In the nine games since play resumed after the World Cup break and the arrival of Griezmann, Orlando have five wins, two draws, and two losses. This has also coincided with the team cleaning up their catastrophic defensive play. Before the World Cup break, they conceded 2.93 goals per game, but just 1.25 since then, including three clean sheets. How did Orlando accomplish this turnaround?
Perelman abandoned Orlando's previous high press, which the team had been unable to execute, in favour of a more stable mid-block approach. Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau has also appeared to rediscover his confidence behind a settled centre-back pairing featuring veteran David Brekalo and club captain Robin Jansson, which has significantly reduced individual errors in the defensive third.
Toronto's recent form
Toronto are back in tenth spot in MLS's Eastern Conference with 29 points. The thrilling last-gasp win over Nashville SC has the Reds in high spirits. With the win, they have leapt past DC United and Red Bull New York and are tied with New York City FC, but the latter hold the edge on tie-breakers for the final play-in spot. The win also puts them just two points behind their next opponents, Orlando City SC, in sixth place.
Toronto extended their unbeaten run to seven games with the win over Nashville and, crucially, have put themselves back in a strong position to fight for a play-off spot. What the Reds really need is to put back-to-back wins together — something they have not done since defeating Columbus on 21 March and Colorado on 4 April earlier this season.
While Toronto are fashioning a reputation as the comeback kings with their frequent late efforts to draw and occasionally win games, it is a trait Robin Fraser would like to see change. Playing catch-up is a precarious way to thrive, and Fraser would like to see his charges take the lead first for a change. The Reds would also like to clean up their tendency for self-inflicted mistakes, such as last month's red cards and last game's comical own goal.
a standout performance earns Dániel Sallói @MLS Team of the Matchday honours 🌟
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) September 10, 2026
read more 📰 :https://t.co/nFmpfYpfiG pic.twitter.com/3SY6GaninD
Among the positives for Toronto has been the on-field understanding between wingers Dániel Sallói and Theo Corbeanu. The pair have combined for some spectacular goals that have sparked many of Toronto's comeback efforts. While Josh Sargent did not add another hat-trick in the last game, his play has been industrious and has opened up channels for others to exploit.
The timeliness of Fraser's substitutions in the last match must also be highlighted as a positive development for the Reds. For much of these seasons, Fraser has been criticized for a lack of timely changes, and sometimes a lack of changes at all. However, it appears that having a more fit and healthy line-up to choose from has made his in-game adjustments more impactful.
Despite having played midweek, it is not certain that Fraser will be able to rotate his line-up too much with play-off implications on the line and games running low. An important battle for Toronto will come in defence as they seek to blunt the Griezmann effect. The key tactical matchup will come between Griezmann and midfielder Niklas Dorsch, and how this plays out will likely have significant implications for the game.
Player availability
Orlando City's injury list is short, with just Adrián Marín (thigh) and Braian Ojeda (foot) out for the game.
Toronto FC's injury list remains unchanged from midweek, with Jonathan Osorio (knee), Đorđe Mihailović (hamstring), Nelson Palacio (reconditioning), and Lazar Stefanović (ankle) all unavailable.
Projected XIs
Orlando City SC (4-4-2): Maxime Crépeau; Bernardo Rhein, David Brekalo, Robin Jansson, Griffin Dorsey; Martín Ojeda, Wilder Cartagena, Eduard Atuesta, Iván Angulo; Antoine Griezmann, Justin Ellis
Toronto FC (4-2-3-1): Luka Gavran; Matheus Pereira, Walker Zimmerman, Benjamín Kuscevic, Richie Laryea; Niklas Dorsch, Alonso Coello; Dániel Sallói, Markus Cimermancic, Theo Corbeanu; Josh Sargent
Game information and how to watch
⏰ 7:30 pm ET / 10:30 pm PT
📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
📺 Apple TV, TSN 3
🧑⚖️ Jon Freemon
🏟 Inter.co Stadium, Orlando, Florida
