Spicer Shines in Debut as Orlando City Tops Sporting KC 3-1

Spicer scores in first start; Enrique and Rodríguez secure home victory

ORLANDO, FL (August 17, 2025) — Orlando City SC earned a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday night, overcoming a three-hour weather delay behind goals from Tyrese Spicer, Ramiro Enrique, and Nicolás Rodríguez.

Spicer, making his first start since joining Orlando from Toronto FC, opened the scoring in the second minute. The early strike marked the winger's first goal for the Lions and set an aggressive tone for the match.

Sporting Kansas City equalized through Dejan Joveljić in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a scoring opportunity to level the match at 1-1 heading into halftime.

Orlando City regained control in the second half following key substitutions in the 66th minute. Ramiro Enrique, who replaced Luis Muriel, scored his eighth goal of the campaign in the 76th minute with an assist from Martín Ojeda. The goal restored Orlando's advantage and shifted momentum decisively in the Lions' favor.

Nicolás Rodríguez sealed the victory in the 83rd minute, converting his first goal for Orlando City with an assist from substitute Alexander Freeman. The Colombian forward's composed finish capped a dominant second-half performance by the hosts.

The Lions controlled 53.3% of possession and outshot Sporting KC 21-13 in total attempts. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese made three saves to preserve the victory, while the Orlando defense limited Sporting to five shots on target.

Eduard Atuesta and Kyle Smith provided crucial defensive coverage in the absence of César Araújo, who served a suspension due to yellow card accumulation. Martín Ojeda continued his productive season with two assists, bringing his season totals to 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.

The victory came before a resilient crowd that waited through the extended weather delay to support their team. Orlando's tactical adjustments in the second half proved decisive, with the team finding better connections and spacing after struggling to maintain their shape in the first half.

Orlando City now turns its attention to a challenging week ahead, traveling to Los Angeles for Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal second leg against Toluca at Dignity Health Park, before heading to Nashville for an MLS match on August 23.