Orlando City, Houston hope to build off U.S. Open Cup victories

Both teams are looking to turn around their MLS seasons after recent cup success.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 12:14am

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A dynamic, fragmented painting depicting the action of a soccer match between Orlando City and Houston Dynamo, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in vibrant colors.The U.S. Open Cup victories for Orlando City and Houston Dynamo provide a chance to build momentum and confidence as they look to turn around their struggling MLS seasons.Columbus Today

As Orlando City prepares to host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night, both teams are coming off victories in the U.S. Open Cup. However, wins have been rare this season for both sides when it comes to MLS league games. Orlando City and Houston still have time to battle back into playoff contention, and Saturday's matchup provides an opportunity to build toward those goals.

Why it matters

The U.S. Open Cup wins give Orlando City and Houston a chance to gain momentum and confidence as they look to turn around their struggling MLS seasons. Both teams are currently outside the playoff picture, so these cup victories could provide a much-needed boost.

The details

Orlando City's only MLS victory this season came on March 14 against Montreal, but was followed by losses to LAFC and Nashville by a combined score of 11-0. This week, though, has been more positive for the Lions, as they drew 1-1 with Columbus and scored a 1-0 win over FC Naples to advance in the U.S. Open Cup. Houston rebounded from an ugly 6-2 loss to Colorado last Saturday with a 4-1 win over El Paso in the U.S. Open Cup. Midfielder Guilherme has been a bright spot for the Dynamo, tying for the fourth-most goals in MLS this season with five.

  • Orlando City and Houston are set to face off on Saturday night.
  • Orlando City's only MLS win this season came on March 14 against Montreal.
  • Orlando City drew 1-1 with Columbus and defeated FC Naples 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup this week.
  • Houston lost 6-2 to Colorado last Saturday but rebounded with a 4-1 win over El Paso in the U.S. Open Cup.

The players

Sebastian Setti

An Argentina native who has coached in MLS, Europe and Liga MX, and will join interim coach Martin Perelman as an assistant coach for Orlando City.

Martin Ojeda

Leads Orlando City with two goals this season.

Marco Pasalic

Leads Orlando City with two goals this season.

Tyrese Spicer

An Orlando City forward who said every game is like a final as the team looks to build off its U.S. Open Cup win.

Guilherme

A Houston Dynamo midfielder who has five goals this season, tying him for the fourth-most in MLS.

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What they’re saying

“It's important. Every game is like a final, as Martin (Perelman) says. We have to stack up the victories one by one and we have to keep building.”

— Tyrese Spicer, Orlando City forward

“We were able to manage the game in the best way possible to set us up hopefully with some success here on the weekend -- and on the road where we have not performed well, to be honest.”

— Ben Olsen, Houston Dynamo coach

The takeaway

Both Orlando City and Houston are looking to build off their recent U.S. Open Cup victories to turn around their struggling MLS seasons. These cup wins could provide the momentum and confidence boost needed for the teams to climb back into playoff contention, as they currently sit outside the top spots in the league standings.