Toronto FC had gone into Orlando hoping to build on their momentum from their win over Nashville and their previous trip to Florida, where they defeated Inter Miami. Unfortunately, Orlando City had other ideas and handed the visiting Reds a comprehensive 3-0 defeat.
All went reasonably well for Toronto for much of the opening half, until a brief moment of brilliance from Orlando's newly signed talisman Antoine Griezmann just before half-time put the hosts up 1-0. The goal also shifted momentum in the Lions' favour, and they largely controlled the game from there.
RIGHT there 🤏 pic.twitter.com/xsGMyX3HTr
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) September 12, 2026
Robin Fraser rolled out his usual 4-2-3-1 formation with minimal rotation, as was expected from a team desperate to make up ground in the play-off hunt. There were three changes from midweek as Markus Cimermancic, Theo Corbeanu, and Derrick Etienne Jr. returned to Toronto's XI.
Staying fresh 🦁 pic.twitter.com/7QU1pQ7K4v
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) September 12, 2026
Orlando City manager Perelman did rotate his starting XI, but resting the in-form Griezmann was not an option. Griezmann was given the striker's role in a 4-2-3-1 set-up by Perelman, who rested young Justin Ellis among others.
The match began as a cagey affair for the opening ten minutes, with neither side claiming an advantage. The first good chance fell to Toronto, but Orlando's Canadian keeper Maxime Crépeau saved a close-range shot from Etienne Jr. in the 14th minute. The shot lacked conviction and placement, enabling Canada's World Cup starting keeper to make a routine save.
RIGHT there 🤏 pic.twitter.com/xsGMyX3HTr
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) September 12, 2026
Not long after, it was Orlando's turn with a terrific opportunity to grab the opener, as Griezmann stayed onside inside the six-yard box, but Reds keeper Luka Gavran stood tall and made a crucial early save.
Gavran coming up big 🧤 pic.twitter.com/dHiuWgoj5m
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) September 12, 2026
The game turned feisty as both of Orlando's central midfielders picked up cautions for poor challenges. The first yellow went to Luís Otávio for a foul on Josh Sargent, and the second was awarded to Joran Gerbet for a pull-back on Etienne Jr. Both of Orlando's central midfielders were now on cautions with 60 minutes still to play.
Disaster appeared to strike again for Toronto when they seemed to have conceded an own goal for a third consecutive game. However, Toronto centre-back Walker Zimmerman was rescued by a VAR intervention when Otávio was adjudged to be offside when a set piece was taken, while also blocking out Zimmerman on the play.
Etienne Jr. was presented with another glorious chance minutes later as he was sprung in alone, but his shot missed wide of the far post. It was one of many missed shots and passes for the experienced Haitian international.
Not long after, Niklas Dorsch, wearing his protective face mask, found Corbeanu alone out wide on the right, but the Canadian winger whipped his shot just wide of the back post. Minutes later, Corbeanu was again sent in alone on his right flank but elected not to shoot, and his pass went straight to an Orlando defender. His earlier miss may have weighed on his mind.
Nearing the end of first-half regular time, in a move that appeared to materialize from nothing, Griezmann slipped past multiple TFC defenders and got on the end of a cross from Zakaria Taifi, burying his eighth goal of the season into the top of the net. There was little Gavran could do, as none of TFC's defenders had picked up Griezmann's run. Toronto's players' shoulders visibly slumped with the goal. Fraser would comment post-game: "Giving up the goal right before halftime was a bit of a back-breaker."
FIVE-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A GOAL FOR GRIEZMANN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0qwJ2dbb6m
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) September 13, 2026
But the late first-half excitement did not end there. Just minutes later, a moment of controversy emerged as Gavran was shown a yellow card and a penalty was awarded to Orlando, but VAR once again intervened, with a call down to referee Jon Freemon. Replays clearly showed Gavran clearing the ball before contact with the Orlando attacker, and both the penalty and the yellow card were rescinded.
With that, the half came to an end with the home side up 1-0, courtesy of some magic from their newly acquired talisman almost at the stroke of half-time. VAR came to the Reds' rescue on a pair of occasions, but Etienne Jr. could have had a first brace had he been more precise with his finishing.
Both managers made changes at the interval. For Orlando City, Wilder Cartagena came in for Joran Gerbet, who was carrying a yellow card. In a surprising move for Toronto, Robin Fraser withdrew Corbeanu and brought on Alonso Coello. Corbeanu had looked to be causing all kinds of problems for Orlando's left-sided defenders as the game progressed, making the move puzzling to say the least. Coello's introduction pushed Cimermancic higher and shifted Etienne Jr. to Corbeanu's wing.
In the 49th minute, Sargent crossed to the back post, but Etienne Jr. missed his connection with the ball entirely. Moments later, Etienne J.r almost returned the favour, but Sargent skied the underhit pass.
Orlando nearly doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Martín Ojeda was alone with the ball at the top of Toronto's 18-yard box, but his hard, low shot was driven straight into the arms of Gavran.
In the 63rd minute, Toronto had their best chance of the second half to find an equalizer when Dorsch intercepted a poorly struck pass from Crépeau, but his shot was disappointing as he put the ball over the bar. It was just another chance the Reds would have wanted back on the night.
Fraser went to his bench in the 65th minute for a double change. Etienne Jr. , who squandered numerous opportunities throughout the evening, was replaced by Malik Henry, and Nicksoen Gomis came in for a quiet Matheus Pereira.
It was somewhat surprising when Perelman pulled Griezmann in the 70th minute, as he had been the linchpin of almost all of Orlando's attacking movements to that point. He was replaced by Justin Ellis.
Orlando ought to have put the game beyond doubt in the 71st minute, but substitute Daryl Dike inexplicably missed a tap-in, tripping over his own feet and ending up in the back of the net himself. The ball, however, rolled harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
In a final throw of the dice, Fraser withdrew Cimermancic and introduced last game's hero Emilio Aristizábal, as Fraser opted to go with two strikers in pursuit of an equalizer. Fraser later withdrew Kuscevic in favour of Raheem Edwards to inject extra pace in attack.
The game had now opened up as Toronto threw bodies forward in pursuit of a goal. Both sides traded chances, with both keepers equal to anything they could get a hand to.
Harvey Sarajian to the far post 😤@OrlandoCitySC leads 2-0 on home turf! pic.twitter.com/zXNXaG8q74
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026
But it was Orlando who scored next, getting their second through Harvey Sarajian, who had been substituted into the game just moments earlier. There was little Gavran could do as TFC's back line was carved open, the Reds appearing to run on fumes in the Florida humidity.
Toronto did not sit back as they furiously looked for a goal to give themselves a lifeline. An 88th-minute Coello cross was met by Dániel Sallói, but he floated his header against the crossbar before the ball was cleared.
😮💨😮💨😮💨 pic.twitter.com/R1As2wRGkG
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) September 13, 2026
In the second minute of added time, it was Sargent's turn to hit the bar after being found inside the box by Coello.
In the final quarter of the game, Toronto had numerous chances to find a goal and claw their way back into the match, but between the crossbar, Crépeau, and Orlando bodies throwing themselves in front of shots, a goal simply could not be had.
In the dying moments, Orlando, through some individual excellence from left back Iván Angulo, delivered a coup de grâce with their third goal of the game to put the match to bed.
One more for good measure ☝️
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026
Iván Angulo nets the third for @OrlandoCitySC before the final whistle! pic.twitter.com/VutTdeVnXO
The loss broke Toronto's seven-match unbeaten run, but more ominously set them back in their play-off pursuit. Combined with a Red Bull New York win and a DC United draw, the Reds have again fallen back to 12th in MLS's Eastern Conference. If there is a silver lining, it is that, incredibly, Toronto's 29 points are still just one point behind the Philadelphia Union, who occupy the final play-in spot in ninth place.
Fraser remained optimistic post-game, stating: "I thought our effort was fantastic, but some days you just fall short, and this was one of those days." He further bemoaned Toronto's lack of a final product: "I never saw a game with that many chances, that many missed chances."
Niklas Dorsch echoed his manager on the lack of goals: "Really a lot of chances, a lot of shots on goal — maybe in some situations it's the wrong decision."
Toronto have nine games remaining on the schedule to try to climb into a play-off position, but six of those games are on the road. Next up, the Reds are off to the Midwest to face another team in terrific form, St. Louis City FC on 19 September 2026.
