Orlando City opened the 2023 Major League Soccer season with a gritty win over the New York Red Bulls in front of 24,088 racous fans at Exploria Stadium.
The club raised a banner for the 2022 US Open Cup championship before the match --- a tournament run that saw the Lions beat the Red Bulls on that field --- and the energy was electric throughout the night.
Games against the RBNY are always ugly. New York plays an extremely aggressive pressing style that leads to a lot of physicality, turnovers and grit. The Lions battled through it, however, and start their season with three points.
Here were the top performers for Orlando City in its season opening win over the Red Bulls.