What to watch, powered by Verizon, as Orlando City host New York City FC

Here are five storylines to watch for Saturday's home match vs New York City FC:

One Away From 50 

Martín Ojeda enters Saturday’s matchup with New York City FC on the verge of another major club milestone after scoring his team-leading 16th goal of 2026 across all competitions in the Lions’ last outing. The goal, an acrobatic scorpion kick that earned MLS Goal of the Matchday honors, brought Ojeda to a club-record 49 goals across all competitions, leaving him one shy of becoming the first player in Orlando City history to reach 50. The Argentine also recorded his 46th assist for the club and now sits one shy of former captain Mauricio Pereyra’s club record of 47. 

Griez Lightning 

Antoine Griezmann continued his impressive run of form in the Lions’ last outing, scoring his 11th and 12th MLS goals of the season for his third brace of 2026 while adding his seventh assist across all competitions. The performance extended his streak of MLS matches with a goal contribution to 10 and brought him to 20 goal contributions, with 13 goals and seven assists, in 18 appearances across all competitions since joining Orlando City in July. Griezmann also became the first player in MLS history to record a goal contribution in 12 of his first 14 league appearances. 

Double Recognition 

Antoine Griezmann and Martín Ojeda were both named to the MLS Team of the Matchday following their performances in the Lions’ last outing, with Griezmann also earning MLS Player of the Matchday honors. The recognition marked Griezmann’s second Player of the Matchday award of the season, making him the first player in Orlando City history to win the honor twice in the same campaign. It also marked the third time an Orlando City player has earned Player of the Matchday honors in 2026, with Griezmann winning twice and Ojeda once. Ojeda’s scorpion-kick finish also took home MLS Goal of the Matchday honors, adding another accolade to a standout performance from the Lions’ Designated Players. 

The Designated Difference 

All three of Orlando City’s Designated Players found the back of the net in the Lions’ last outing, with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice and Martín Ojeda and Marco Pašalić each adding a goal. The performance marked the first time all three of the Lions’ Designated Players scored in the same match since Orlando City’s 4-1 home victory over Inter Miami CF in 2025 at Inter.co Stadium. Pašalić’s strike was his fourth goal of 2026 across all competitions and the 19th of his Orlando City career. 

Elite Ellis 

Homegrown forward Justin Ellis continued his productive 2026 campaign in the Lions’ last outing, recording his 13th assist of the season across all competitions. The helper moved Ellis into a tie with Iván Angulo for the team lead, adding to a breakout year for the Orlando City Academy product.

Milestone Tracker

- Martín Ojeda (46) needs one assist to tie Mauricio Pereyra’s club record of 47 across all competitions, while Iván Angulo (44) needs three helpers to tie Pereyra. 

- Daryl Dike (22) is one goal away from tying former Lion Dom Dwyer (23) for eighth on the Club’s all-time scoring charts.