Orlando City SC Tops Charlotte FC to End MLS Win Drought
In front of a home crowd, Orlando City SC logged its first MLS win in over a month with its 4-1 victory against Charlotte FC on Wednesday.
The Lions, led by designated player Martín Ojeda, secured their second win of the 2026 season and handed the Crown its third loss.
“I’m happy,” coach Martín Perelman said. “The effort that the players [put in] was amazing.”
The matchup began with an evenly-matched first half that ended 1-1 and saw Orlando receive three yellow cards and seven fouls. Both teams logged two shots on goal.
However, Orlando (2-1-6) proved to be dominant in the last 45 minutes despite having less possession of the ball. Ojeda scored in the 49th minute to take the lead early in the second half. Homegrown forward Justin Ellis provided the assist in his first MLS start.
“It’s a special moment for me,” Ellis said of the play. “I think that play sums my play style up.”
Less than 20 minutes later, Orlando was awarded a free kick and Ojeda found the back of the net again to log a brace.
After a series of failed attempts from Charlotte (4-2-3), Orlando midfielder Ignacio Gómez scored his first goal in the 89th minute to bring the score to 4-1.
Gómez signed a short-term contract for the first team on Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday’s game, which featured seven academy players, was his second appearance for the team.
Brazilian midfielder Luis Otávio was also a first-time scorer for the Lions.
Charlotte struggled offensively throughout the game. Forward Kerwin Vargas made a last-second attempt to score in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but the shot was saved by Orlando’s goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
Prior to the matchup, Charlotte was No. 3 in the Eastern Conference with 14 points. As of Wednesday night, the Crown dropped to No. 5 in the standings. Charlotte will stay on the road and face No. 1 Nashville SC on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
Orlando rose to No. 11 in the standings and gained a valuable three points. For the Lions, this marks the end of a victory drought after a tumultuous start marked by the loss of their head coach.
Orlando’s first and only previous win was March 14 in a 2-1 game against Montreal.
During the post-game press conference, Perelman emphasized that there is still a lot of time for Orlando to redeem itself this season despite Orlando’s current record.
“We know how this league is and we respect it,” he said. “We will be fine.”
The Lions look to stay in the win column when it faces D.C. United at Audi Field Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Category: MLS, Orlando City SC, Soccer
